Decomposition and nitrogen mineralisation of two wild lupins (Leguminosae) species with potential as green manures

The amount of biomass produced by various native species of genus Lupinus (L.) growing in Mexico ranges from 2.9- 8.2 Mg/ha of dry matter, which can add up to 200 kg/ha of N to soil as green manure. However, information is scarce on the decomposition and mineralisation this biomass in the soil. The above-ground decomposition and N mineralisation of Lupinus mexicanus Cerv. ex Lag. and Lupinus rotundiflorus M.E. Jones species from Mexico using fine-mesh litter bags was evaluated. Litter bags containing 5 g of above-ground air-dried biomass at the vegetative and flowering stages were buried at a depth of 20 cm. Were dug up every 3 weeks over the course of 4 months, dried and re-weighed to determine the lost mass and total N by the Kjeldahl method. The largest decrease in residue mass occurred during the first 3 weeks of incubation. However, the lost mass was higher in younger green manure (75 days old) than in older plants (85 days old) after 18 weeks of exposure in the field. It was found that 60-75% of the total N in the plant material was released in the first 6 weeks. In L. rotundiflorus green manure, it was found that 79.14% of the initial N in the vegetative stage and 77.6% of N in the flowering stage was released 18 weeks after litter bag installation, whereas L. mexicanus were 74.6% and 74.7%, respectively. It was found that both decomposition and N mineralisation occurred quickly in the green manures evaluated

Influence of vermicompost humic acid on chlorophyll content and acclimatization in banana clone, Enano Guantanamero

Vermicompost humic acids (VHA) promote plants’ growth because they have similar effects with auxins. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of VHA in some physiological indicators in the micropropagation and acclimatization phase of banana clone Enano Guantanamero. Six concentrations were used (0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg L-1) to evaluate in vitro the number of leaves, total chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a-b; also in the acclimatization phase, the plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves at three different times (transplant, 25 days and at the end of this phase- 50 days) were determined. Root length and roots dry weight were evaluated at the end of the acclimatization. VHA applied improved total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a-b at concentrations of 20 and 50 mg L-1, but not the number of leaves. In the acclimatization stage, plants height at the end of this period (50 days) were higher with 10 mg L-1 (T1) VHA, the number of leaves increased at 40 mg L-1 (T4) and the stem diameter was higher at both concentrations. In the evaluation of roots length, there were no significant differences, but the number of leaves was higher at 10 and 40 mg L-1 (T1 and T4) and it decreased at 50 mg L-1 (T5); roots dry weight increased at 40 mg L-1 (T4). VHA promoted chlorophyll content under in vitro conditions, it reduced the period of acclimatization of banana clone Enano Guantanamero, led to a better growth of plants, and it saved time and resources.Key words: Acclimatization, humic acid, in vitro crop, Musa sp

Distribución del coral arrecifal Pocillopora inflata (Scleractinia) en el Pacífico Mexicano y comentarios sobre su situación taxonómica

Background. The geographic distribution of reef corals in the eastern Pacific is well documented. However, field surveys still produce new geographic records of the taxa. Goals. The objective of this paper is to present a detailed compilation of the areas of occurrence of the Pocillopora inflata in Mexico, provide observations on its distribution range and comment on the taxonomic validity of the records of this species in the country. Methods. Data regarding distribution of the species in the Eastern Pacific and Mexican Pacific were gathered from published sources and field logs. Results. The distribution of P. inflata ranges from the southern Gulf of California (including new records for four locations of Baja California Sur, along the 24°N parallel), Nayarit, Colima, Guerrero and Oaxaca (to Huatulco Bays; 15°N). This new data call for a modification of the distribution map for the taxon in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Conclusions. Repeated observations in the Gulf of California revealed that, due to the remarkable phenotypic plasticity of another species (P. damicornis), confusion may arise with the identification of P. inflata in the field, since the general form of this species, is quite similar to the branches of P. damicornis affected by storms.Antecedentes. La distribución de los corales del Pacífico Oriental está bien caracterizada, sin embargo prospecciones de campo siguen arrojando nuevos registros geográficos de los taxa. Objetivos. Presentar una recopilación detallada de las zonas de presencia del coral Pocillopora inflata, en México, aportar observaciones que extienden su ámbito de distribución y discutir algunos aspectos sobre la validez taxonómica de los registros de la especie en el país. Métodos. Se compilaron datos de distribución de la especie en el Pacífico Oriental y datos de campo del taxón en el Pacífico mexicano. Resultados. Los resultados indican que la distribución de P. inflata comprende el sur del Golfo de California (incluyendo nuevos registros en cuatro localidades de Baja California Sur, dentro del paralelo 24°N), Nayarit, Colima, Guerrero y Oaxaca (hasta Bahías de Huatulco; 15°N). Los nuevos datos modifican el mapa de distribución reconocido para el taxón en la Lista Roja de la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza. Conclusiones. Observaciones llevadas a cabo repetidamente en el Golfo de California evidencian que debido a la gran plasticidad fenotípica de otra morfoespecie (P. damicornis), puede haber confusiones al identificar P. inflata en el campo, ya que la forma general de esta especie y la de las ramas de P. damicornis afectadas por tormentas, llega a ser muy similar

Consultoría integral en una residencia de descanso para adultos mayores en el municipio de Guadalajara

El presente documento “Consultoría integral en una residencia de descanso para adultos mayores en el municipio de Guadalajara”, fue elaborado por Ana Carmen Cabrera Flores, Daniela Ochoa Ríos, Andrés Hernández Jiménez, Rafael Cervantes Pinedo, Vanessa Campos Oñate, y Héctor Fabián García López, con el acompañamiento de la Maestra Laura Tiburcio Silver. Este documento contiene una introducción, la descripción general del proyecto, las reflexiones y aprendizajes de los alumnos a lo largo de la consultoría, las conclusiones, las fuentes consultadas y la lista de los anexos correspondientes. El documento fue elaborado de acuerdo con la metodología de la consultoría en MYPE del Centro Universidad Empresa. Se usaron fuentes primarias tales como información documental de la empresa, entrevistas, encuestas y observaciones del trabajo interno. Las fuentes secundarias que se usaron fueron en su mayoría páginas web. Entre sus contenidos principales se encuentran, las generalidades y el contexto en el que vive la empresa, el diagnóstico, el planteamiento estratégico, la propuesta de mejora, la implementación, y las recomendaciones finales. En este documento se llega a la conclusión de la importancia de las MYPE en la economía de nuestro país y de la importancia que tiene el acompañamiento a las mismas, se llega a la conclusión de que la consultoría es una alternativa muy buena para que las MYPE puedan continuar creciendo y no se estanquen o, en el peor de los casos, cierren sus puertas.ITESO, A.C

Yield and oil content of castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) accessions grown with fertigation in a semiarid zone

Objective: To evaluate seed, dry matter, and oil content yield in five accessions of castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) in the Altiplano Potosino Zacatecano high plateau region of Mexico, grown with a fertigation system on a mixture of sand, tezontle, and compost, with three fertilization levels.Design/Methodology/Approach: The following accessions showed an outstandingly favorable response to fertilization: ZACS2C1 (Orito Zac) which had the greater seed yield (735 g) and oil content (50.30 ± 5.23); and SLPS11C1 which had the greater weight per100 seeds (56.77 ±2.35) and dry matter (1600 g).Results: The best fertilization level for the abovementioned accessions was obtained with the low nutrient solution,Limitations/Implications of the study: while other accessions showed a variable and inverse response to the fertilization level. Results/Conclusions: To make the most of the castor oil plant, oil or fodder accessions can be selected or both accessions can be sown under an intercropping system

The Quaternary Active Faults Database of Iberia (QAFI v.2.0)

The Quaternary Active Faults Database of Iberia (QAFI) is an initiative lead by the Institute of Geology and Mines of Spain (IGME) for building a public repository of scientific data regarding faults having documented activity during the last 2.59 Ma (Quaternary). QAFI also addresses a need to transfer geologic knowledge to practitioners of seismic hazard and risk in Iberia by identifying and characterizing seismogenic fault-sources. QAFI is populated by the information freely provided by more than 40 Earth science researchers, storing to date a total of 262 records. In this article we describe the development and evolution of the database, as well as its internal architecture. Aditionally, a first global analysis of the data is provided with a special focus on length and slip-rate fault parameters. Finally, the database completeness and the internal consistency of the data are discussed. Even though QAFI v.2.0 is the most current resource for calculating fault-related seismic hazard in Iberia, the database is still incomplete and requires further review

Corredores socioambientales para la regeneración del río Pitillal en Puerto Vallarta

Desde inicios del 2021 el PAP ha realizado estudios sociales y ambientales de diferentes áreas de la zona de estudio en la ribera sur del río PItillal, para generar propuestas tales como: 1. Restauración de la ribera como parque lineal para la regeneración del paisaje: parque lineal con caminos en la ribera sur, áreas verdes, espacios de descanso, y puente peatonal que conecte con la ribera norte. 2. Mejoramiento de espacios públicos y naturales: Crear un paradigma de apreciación y cuidado con los espacios naturales; incentivar a que las personas reconozcan las dinámicas del agua para apreciar sus bondades; fortalecer valores en la comunidad como unidad, compromiso, cuidado por el medio ambiente. 3. Adecuación del paisaje: densificar con plantas de distintos niveles para que crezcan de manera íntegra.bajo criterios de sucesión ecológica. 4. Autoproducción del paisaje: Desarrollar diseños y estructuras de bambú para el mejoramiento del espacio público bajo criterios de producción social del hábitat. El objetivo del trabajo fue mejorar la vivienda y el espacio público y así propiciar la regeneración espacial, ecológica y social de la zona del Río Pitillal. Beneficiar, en primera instancia, a los habitantes de la zona, y puedan apropiarse del espacio de manera responsable, y que abone a las dinámicas sociales y a la identidad de las colonias vecinas. Generar espacios públicos y viviendas de calidad y vincular la regeneración ecológica del río. Donde a través de la vertiente de vivienda se solidifique el proyecto en la escala micro, enlazando no solo el mejoramiento del espacio público, sino también el habitar dentro del hogar de las personas.ITESO, A.C

Mapping Brain Response to Pain in Fibromyalgia Patients Using Temporal Analysis of fMRI

Background: Nociceptive stimuli may evoke brain responses longer than the stimulus duration often partially detected by conventional neuroimaging. Fibromyalgia patients typically complain of severe pain from gentle stimuli. We aimed to characterize brain response to painful pressure in fibromyalgia patients by generating activation maps adjusted for the duration of brain responses. Methodology/Principal Findings: Twenty-seven women (mean age: 47.8 years) were assessed with fMRI. The sample included nine fibromyalgia patients and nine healthy subjects who received 4 kg/cm2 of pressure on the thumb. Nine additional control subjects received 6.8 kg/cm2 to match the patients for the severity of perceived pain. Independent Component Analysis characterized the temporal dynamics of the actual brain response to pressure. Statistical parametric maps were estimated using the obtained time courses. Brain response to pressure (18 seconds) consistently exceeded the stimulus application (9 seconds) in somatosensory regions in all groups. fMRI maps following such temporal dynamics showed a complete pain network response (sensory-motor cortices, operculo-insula, cingulate cortex, and basal ganglia) to 4 kg/cm2 of pressure in fibromyalgia patients. In healthy subjects, response to this low intensity pressure involved mainly somatosensory cortices. When matched for perceived pain (6.8 kg/cm2), control subjects showed also comprehensive activation of pain-related regions, but fibromyalgia patients showed significantly larger activation in the anterior insula-basal ganglia complex and the cingulate cortex. Conclusions/Significance: The results suggest that data-driven fMRI assessments may complement conventional neuroimaging for characterizing pain responses and that enhancement of brain activation in fibromyalgia patients may be particularly relevant in emotion-related regions

Classification of follicular-patterned thyroid lesions using a minimal set of epigenetic biomarkers

[Objective]: The minimally invasive fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the current gold standard for the diagnosis of thyroid nodule malignancy. However, the correct discrimination of follicular neoplasia often requires more invasive diagnostic techniques. The lack of suitable immunohistochemical markers to distinguish between follicular thyroid carcinoma and other types of follicular-derived lesions complicates diagnosis, and despite most of these tumours being surgically resected, only a small number will test positive for malignancy. As such, the development of new orthogonal diagnostic approaches may improve the accuracy of diagnosing thyroid nodules.[Design]: This study includes a retrospective, multi-centre training cohort including 54 fresh-frozen follicular-patterned thyroid samples and two independent, multi-centre validation cohorts of 103 snap-frozen biopsies and 33 FNAC samples, respectively.[Methods]: We performed a genome-wide genetic and epigenetic profiling of 54 fresh-frozen follicular-patterned thyroid samples using exome sequencing and the Illumina Human DNA Methylation EPIC platform. An extensive validation was performed using the bisulfite pyrosequencing technique.[Results]: Using a random forest approach, we developed a three-CpG marker-based diagnostic model that was subsequently validated using bisulfite pyrosequencing experiments. According to the validation cohort, this cost-effective method discriminates between benign and malignant nodules with a sensitivity and specificity of 97 and 88%, respectively (positive predictive value (PPV): 0.85, negative predictive value (NPV): 0.98).[Conclusions]: Our classification system based on a minimal set of epigenetic biomarkers can complement the potential of the diagnostic techniques currently available and would prioritize a considerable number of surgical interventions that are often performed due to uncertain cytology.[Significance statement]: In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people diagnosed with thyroid nodules. The current challenge is their etiological diagnosis to discount malignancy without resorting to thyroidectomy. The method proposed here, based on DNA pyrosequencing assays, has high sensitivity (0.97) and specificity (0.88) for the identification of malignant thyroid nodules. This simple and cost-effective approach can complement expert pathologist evaluation to prioritize the classification of difficult-to-diagnose follicular-patterned thyroid lesions and track tumor evolution, including real-time monitoring of treatment efficacy, thereby stimulating adherence to health promotion programs.Peer reviewe