Q ITESO: Análisis Crítico de Medios

En esta séptima entrega de Q ITESO: Análisis Crítico de Medios se examina un 2014 colmado de acontecimientos sobre la reconfiguración de los medios de Jalisco y del país, y sus relaciones con el estado, los empresarios y el público. Destaca la aprobación de la Ley Federal de Telecomunicaciones y Radiocomunicación y los nuevos equilibrios de poder que esto supone. También, se analizan las alianzas de algunos diarios nacionales y del estado con medios extranjeros, para compensar algunas carencias y ampliar su oferta editorial e informativa. Otras cuestiones no menos relevantes tienen que ver con la libertad de expresión y la inseguridad laboral en la que viven muchos trabajadores de los medios de comunicación jaliscienses, sobre todo los impresos, y el caso emblemático del llamado “cuarto de guerra” al servicio del gobernador del estado, Aristóteles Sandoval, para espiar -y en ocasiones hasta coaccionar- a directivos y reporteros de medios para atenuar la crítica al gobierno. El derecho a la información, la transparencia, la situación de los nuevos medios en línea, los periodistas que publican libros, el cambio climático y los periodistas que ya no están con nosotros merecen también una mirada atenta en este informe.ITESO, A.C

Thermopile detector of light ellipticity

Polarimetric imaging is widely used in applications from material analysis to biomedical diagnostics, vision and astronomy. The degree of circular polarization, or light ellipticity, is associated with the S3 Stokes parameter which is defined as the difference in the intensities of the left- and right-circularly polarized components of light. Traditional way of determining this parameter relies on using several external optical elements, such as polarizers and wave plates, along with conventional photodetectors, and performing at least two measurements to distinguish left- and right-circularly polarized light components. Here we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate a thermopile photodetector element that provides bipolar voltage output directly proportional to the S3 Stokes parameter of the incident light.ope

Scientific research on exotic and native mollusk farming in Mexico ac-cording to SCOPUS

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate scientific productivity in this field through the database deposited in SCOPUS for Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: The genera and species of mollusks, currently cultivated or with cultivation potential, marine and freshwater, native and exotic, that have been studied are identified. The SCOPUS search was performed using the scientific name of the corresponding species in the publication title. The number of publications, the institutions that generated them, the SCOPUS theme of the study and the research funders were obtained. Results: There is an uneven growth, with a greater focus on abalone and octopus, while the genus Crassostrea, particularly the species C. gigas, leads the production of scientific articles. CIBNOR and IPN are the most relevant institutions in scientific production in molluscan aquaculture in Mexico. Limitations on study/implications: Despite the interest, advances in areas such as physiology, nutrition and reproduction have not been translated into efficient culture technologies in most cases. Findings/conclusions: These findings highlight the need to promote research and technological development in the aquaculture of native mollusks in Mexico, as well as to promote collaboration between academic research institutions and the production sector to overcome the challenges in the culture of these specie

Scientific research on exotic and native fish farming in Mexico: a sci-entometric view.

Objective: To analyze through a scientometric study, the research effort in Mexico on the study of native and exotic fish species with aquaculture production technology, indexed in Scopus. Design/methodology/approach: Fish species were selected based on a previous study and communications with researchers. Scientific articles from 1990 to 2023 were collected from the Scopus database, focusing on studies conducted by Mexican institutions. Data were transferred to Excel® sheets for analysis, including number of publications, topics, institutions, funding sources and open access documents. Results: The species that shows the greatest number of articles published is Oreochromis niloticus, although there is a clear interest in addressing studies on native species.  In general, scientific production is led by institutions such as UNAM, IPN, UABC, CIAD and CIBNOR. The dominant topics are aquaculture, ecology, biochemistry, immunology, and parasitology. CONAHCYT is the main source of funding. About half of the publications were open access. Limitations on study/implications: The study is limited to the Scopus database, which is the one that includes the largest number of journals worldwide. However, by not including other databases the results could have a slight bias, although we do not consider that the trends changed significantly. Findings/conclusions: Fish research in Mexico shows a positive outlook, with great interest in several species. However, it faces challenges such as the concentration of effort on exotic species, and the impact of the pandemic on research. A balanced approach is needed to encourage research on native species and facilitate open access to scientific information. This will strengthen fish research in Mexico and enhance its impact on the development of the country

Scientific research on crustacean farming in Mexico: a scientometric scenario

Objective: The objective of this article is to evaluate the research effort developed by Mexican scientists in relation to the study of native and exotic crustacean species, based on articles hosted in Scopus. Design/methodology/approach: Species were selected based on documentary research and personal communication with researchers related to the subject. All scientific articles published between 1993 and 2023 related to culture, which included the species name in the title, abstract and keywords, were selected from the Scopus® database. The number of publications, publication timelines, topics addressed, institutions, sponsors and type of access were obtained. Results: The search yielded a total of 1,240 articles published by Mexican institutions, penaeid shrimps representing 85% of the total, and P. vannamei represents almost 75%. In general, UNAM and CIBNOR lead scientific production followed by the IPN and the CIAD. The most common topic areas include nutrition, aquaculture, morphophysiology and genetics. The main source of financing is CONAHCYT and 46% of the publications are available in open access. Limitations on study/implications:The study is restricted to the Scopus database, recognized for including the largest number of journals worldwide, although the omission of other data-bases could cause bias in the results. However, we consider that this limitation will not significantly affect the identified trends. Findings/conclusions: Research has predominantly focused on the marine shrimp P. vannamei, reflecting significant technological development in its culture, while other species such as C. quadricarinatus and the genus Macrobrachium have received limited attention. It is crucial to encourage research and technological development in native and alternative species, secure funding and institutional support, promote equitable access policies, and improve regulation for sustainable practices.Objective: The objective of this article is to evaluate the research effort developed by Mexican scientists inrelation to the study of native and exotic crustacean species, based on articles hosted in Scopus.Design/methodology/approach: Species were selected based on documentary research and personalcommunication with researchers related to the subject. All scientific articles published between 1993 and 2023related to culture, which included the species name in the title, abstract and keywords, were selected from theScopus® database. The number of publications, publication timelines, topics addressed, institutions, sponsorsand type of access were obtained.Results: The search yielded a total of 1,240 articles published by Mexican institutions, penaeid shrimpsrepresenting 85% of the total, and P. vannamei represents almost 75%. In general, UNAM and CIBNOR leadscientific production followed by the IPN and the CIAD. The most common topic areas include nutrition,aquaculture, morphophysiology and genetics. The main source of financing is CONAHCYT and 46% of thepublications are available in open access.Limitations on study/implications: The study is restricted to the Scopus database, recognized for includingthe largest number of journals worldwide, although the omission of other data-bases could cause bias in theresults. However, we consider that this limitation will not significantly affect the identified trends.Findings/conclusions: Research has predominantly focused on the marine shrimp P. vannamei, reflectingsignificant technological development in its culture, while other species such as C. quadricarinatus and thegenus Macrobrachium have received limited attention. It is crucial to encourage research and technologicaldevelopment in native and alternative species, secure funding and institutional support, promote equitableaccess policies, and improve regulation for sustainable practice

Integrated annotation and analysis of genomic features reveal new types of functional elements and large-scale epigenetic phenomena in the developing zebrafish

Zebrafish, a popular model for embryonic development and for modelling human diseases, has so far lacked a systematic functional annotation programme akin to those in other animal models. To address this, we formed the international DANIO-CODE consortium and created the first central repository to store and process zebrafish developmental functional genomic data. Our Data Coordination Center (https://danio-code.zfin.org) combines a total of 1,802 sets of unpublished and reanalysed published genomics data, which we used to improve existing annotations and show its utility in experimental design. We identified over 140,000 cis-regulatory elements in development, including novel classes with distinct features dependent on their activity in time and space. We delineated the distinction between regulatory elements active during zygotic genome activation and those active during organogenesis, identifying new aspects of how they relate to each other. Finally, we matched regulatory elements and epigenomic landscapes between zebrafish and mouse and predict functional relationships between them beyond sequence similarity, extending the utility of zebrafish developmental genomics to mammals

Registered Replication Report: Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998)

Dijksterhuis and van Knippenberg (1998) reported that participants primed with a category associated with intelligence ("professor") subsequently performed 13% better on a trivia test than participants primed with a category associated with a lack of intelligence ("soccer hooligans"). In two unpublished replications of this study designed to verify the appropriate testing procedures, Dijksterhuis, van Knippenberg, and Holland observed a smaller difference between conditions (2%-3%) as well as a gender difference: Men showed the effect (9.3% and 7.6%), but women did not (0.3% and -0.3%). The procedure used in those replications served as the basis for this multilab Registered Replication Report. A total of 40 laboratories collected data for this project, and 23 of these laboratories met all inclusion criteria. Here we report the meta-analytic results for those 23 direct replications (total N = 4,493), which tested whether performance on a 30-item general-knowledge trivia task differed between these two priming conditions (results of supplementary analyses of the data from all 40 labs, N = 6,454, are also reported). We observed no overall difference in trivia performance between participants primed with the "professor" category and those primed with the "hooligan" category (0.14%) and no moderation by gender

Polymorphisms in the Mitochondrial Ribosome Recycling Factor EF-G2mt/MEF2 Compromise Cell Respiratory Function and Increase Atorvastatin Toxicity

Mitochondrial translation, essential for synthesis of the electron transport chain complexes in the mitochondria, is governed by nuclear encoded genes. Polymorphisms within these genes are increasingly being implicated in disease and may also trigger adverse drug reactions. Statins, a class of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors used to treat hypercholesterolemia, are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. However, a significant proportion of users suffer side effects of varying severity that commonly affect skeletal muscle. The mitochondria are one of the molecular targets of statins, and these drugs have been known to uncover otherwise silent mitochondrial mutations. Based on yeast genetic studies, we identify the mitochondrial translation factor MEF2 as a mediator of atorvastatin toxicity. The human ortholog of MEF2 is the Elongation Factor Gene (EF-G) 2, which has previously been shown to play a specific role in mitochondrial ribosome recycling. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing of expression in human cell lines, we demonstrate that the EF-G2mt gene is required for cell growth on galactose medium, signifying an essential role for this gene in aerobic respiration. Furthermore, EF-G2mt silenced cell lines have increased susceptibility to cell death in the presence of atorvastatin. Using yeast as a model, conserved amino acid variants, which arise from non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EF-G2mt gene, were generated in the yeast MEF2 gene. Although these mutations do not produce an obvious growth phenotype, three mutations reveal an atorvastatin-sensitive phenotype and further analysis uncovers a decreased respiratory capacity. These findings constitute the first reported phenotype associated with SNPs in the EF-G2mt gene and implicate the human EF-G2mt gene as a pharmacogenetic candidate gene for statin toxicity in humans

COVID-19 outbreaks in a transmission control scenario: challenges posed by social and leisure activities, and for workers in vulnerable conditions, Spain, early summer 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 community-wide transmission declined in Spain by early May 2020, being replaced by outbreaks and sporadic cases. From mid-June to 2 August, excluding single household outbreaks, 673 outbreaks were notified nationally, 551 active (>6,200 cases) at the time. More than half of these outbreaks and cases coincided with: (i) social (family/friends’ gatherings or leisure venues) and (ii) occupational (mainly involving workers in vulnerable conditions) settings. Control measures were accordingly applied