An Evaluation of the Contemporary Uses and Cultural Significance of Mammals in Mexico

We evaluated current uses of wild mammals by indigenous and mestizo communities in Mexico by extracting data from 59 sources published or produced between 1987–2017, covering data from 240 localities and 3,905 questionnaires. We then calculated a Cultural Value Index (CVI) previously applied to plants to quantify resource use and assess the cultural significance of each mammal. A total of 82 species were reported, and the animals with the highest cultural importance according to their CVI (in brackets) were two species of deer (Odocoileus virginianus [18.32] and Mazama temama [10.04]), as well as the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus [14.18]), white-nosed coati (Nasua narica [14.75]), collared peccary (Pecari tajaccu [11.90]), northern raccoon (Procyon lotor [11.28]) and spotted paca (Cuniculus paca [9.84]). The most common uses were for food, to reduce the damage or harm they cause, and for medicinal purposes, with O. virginianus, P. lotor, N. narica, and D. novemcinctus frequently hunted for all these reasons. Our analysis also highlighted the hunting of rarer species of national conservation concern, including commercial trading of body parts of the felids Panthera onca, Leopardus pardalis, and Leopardus wiedii. By quantifying the ethnozoological significance of wildlife to indigenous communities, indices such as CVI provide a robust measure of the extent of use and preference for particular species or taxa. This adds to the body of evidence used to develop effective regulations and laws related to harvesting and hunting, and helps promote a more sustainable and long-term approach to the use of natural resources

Fibrolytic activity of four Trichoderma strains grown on agro-industrial residues

The aim of this study was to compare the cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities of two strains of Trichoderma viride, one of Trichoderma reesei and one of Trichoderma harzianum grown on four different substrates. Each substrate contained 20% wheat bran and 80% agro-industrial waste (corn stover (CS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB), Yucca schidigera fiber (YS), or compost elaborated from solid waste generated in the university cafeteria (CSW)). An interaction (P < 0.01) between the substrate and strain was detected for both cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme activities. The highest cellulolytic activity (P < 0.01) was obtained with T. reesei grown on YS, CS, and SBC, and the lowest was from the two T. viride strains grown on most of the substrates. The highest xylanolytic activities (P < 0.01) were detected for T. harzianum with YS and SCB and T. reesei with CSW and CS, while one T. viride strain exhibited intermediate and the other showed the lowest activity. In conclusion, T. reesei CDBB356 showed the highest fibrolytic activity for most of the tested substrates, a finding that suggests it has the highest potential for fibrolytic enzyme production. There is a potential application for T. reesei CDBB356 enzymes on ruminant feed supplements to improve forage digestibility.The aim of this study was to compare the cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities of two strains of Trichoderma viride, one of Trichoderma reesei and one of Trichoderma harzianum grown on four different substrates. Each substrate contained 20% wheat bran and 80% agro-industrial waste (corn stover (CS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB), Yucca schidigera fiber (YS), or compost elaborated from solid waste generated in the university cafeteria (CSW)). An interaction (P < 0.01) between the substrate and strain was detected for both cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzyme activities. The highest cellulolytic activity (P < 0.01) was obtained with T. reesei grown on YS, CS, and SBC, and the lowest was from the two T. viride strains grown on most of the substrates. The highest xylanolytic activities (P < 0.01) were detected for T. harzianum with YS and SCB and T. reesei with CSW and CS, while one T. viride strain exhibited intermediate and the other showed the lowest activity. In conclusion, T. reesei CDBB356 showed the highest fibrolytic activity for most of the tested substrates, a finding that suggests it has the highest potential for fibrolytic enzyme production. There is a potential application for T. reesei CDBB356 enzymes on ruminant feed supplements to improve forage digestibility

Diseño y construcción de un módulo para la generación de cartodiagramas y tipogramas

El ámbito geográfico es muy complejo y cambiante, por lo tanto difícil de describir con exactitud, es así que la ciencia geográfica no solo proporciona una forma de conocer el territorio sino también de administrarlo, como por ejemplo en zonas de venta, áreas de vacunación, ubicación de lugares estratégicos, tiempos y distancias de traslado de estudiantes, rutas de transporte, etc. La Geografía en los últimos años ha sufrido una gran revolución con nuevas herramientas de apoyo y análisis que han transformando su forma de estudio, pero sin cambiar su concepción original. Los componentes hardware, software e internet principalmente han contribuido a que la difusión de la información geográfica sea incalculable alrededor de todo el mundo, poniendo al alcance de cualquier persona información que antes era exclusivamente de uso estratégico militar. Los software de SIG son un conjunto de herramientas que permiten hacer análisis en forma rápida y eficiente; existen versiones comerciales, libres y multiplataforma que organizan la información, en donde un archivo es una base de datos y cada registro de la base de datos está ligado con una entidad de dibujo, esto permite manipular tanto la geometría del dibujo como la información. Estos software parten de la filosofía de generar información a través de la que ya existe, es decir, si se requiere hacer un mapa temático referente al total de población, primero se debe adquirir la información, el siguiente paso es importarla al software de SIG, ligarla a su correspondiente área y hacer las operaciones necesarias para obtener un producto final. Mediante las herramientas de SIG se puede manipular colores, datos, etiquetar, escalar, georeferenciar, consultar, compartir información geográfica, etc. y crear ciertos tipos de Cartodiagramas. Es aquí donde se centra esta tesis, que retoma la técnica de los cartodiagramas y tipogramas que son un conjunto de formas, tanto circulares, semicirculares, sectoriales etc., que son un instrumento que permite analizar sistemáticamente diferentes tipos de fenómenos, esto se logra dibujando cierta forma geométrica sobre regiones naturales o político administrativas, permitiendo mostrar todo tipo de estadísticas vinculadas a los datos geográficos, sin embargo su construcción es laboriosa, y los software de SIG solo implementan cartodiagramas de ángulos variables, o los software que implementan otros tipos de cartodiagramas y tipogramas no están al disponibles. La representación estadística mediante cartodiagramas y tipogramas puede convertirse en un instrumento básico para muchas de las ciencias de la tierra y otras, a las cuales se pretende realizar una valiosa aportación con esta investigación, que considera profundamente la cartografía e ingeniería de software, para lograr que esta perspectiva de la realidad, poco usada pero valiosa, se encuentre al alcance tanto para la comunidad de la facultad de geografía como para investigaciones especializadas. El primer capítulo es una introducción referida al planteamiento del problema, justificación, antecedentes y los objetivos; para el segundo capítulo se hace referencia a todos los conceptos teóricos que se usaran, como los métodos de representación cartográfica, geoinformática, modelo, proceso de desarrollo de software y las características de ArcGIS Desktop. Dentro del capítulo tres se inicia el proceso de ingeniería de software mediante la herramienta UML; se desglosan y analizan los insumos o requerimientos necesarios para construir el módulo señalado, comenzando con la comprensión inicial, lo que concibe como resultado el marco conceptual, para abordar el problema con los términos correctos desde el punto de vista de los métodos de representación cartográfica, una vez concluida esta etapa se inicia el uso de UML para describir el módulo en términos de objetos, iterando las veces que sean necesarias a través de estas etapas hasta estar satisfecho con la obtención de requerimientos. El capítulo cuatro trata acerca de analizar los requerimientos obtenidos en el capítulo anterior con el objetivo de transformarlos en un modelo operacional listo para ser programado, para esto se usa el modelo funcional, el modelo de clases y el modelo dinámico, tomando en cuenta cada cartodiagrama y tipograma en modo particular (realización de los casos de uso). Una vez que se tienen toda la obtención y análisis de requerimientos entones se inicia el capítulo cinco, donde se muestran los resultados en base a dos temas principales: diseño de objetos y diseño de sistemas, ambos muestran y describen las interfaces que fueron diseñadas, posteriormente se informa acerca de las características del hardware, software, instalación y el sistema de ayuda, para que el módulo funcione correctamente. La zona de estudio elegida para los ensayos ha sido la Jurisdicción Sanitaria Tenancingo, del Instituto de Salud del Estado de México, de donde se usaron datos referentes a infraestructura de salud, datos del Conteo de Población y Vivienda INEGI 2005 y datos del SINERHIAS 2010, ligados al Marco Geoestadistico Municipal con lo que se demuestra la eficacia de “StatGraphics24”, para el análisis de datos geográficos, que es el tema que se toca en el capítulo seis

Genetic diversity and genetic structure of an endemic Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake (Crotalus triseriatus) in a highly modified agricultural landscape: implications for conservation

ArtículoIt is necessary to determine genetic diversity of fragmented populations in highly modified landscapes to understand how populations respond to land-use change. This information will help guide future conservation and management strategies. We conducted a population genetic study on an endemic Mexican Dusky Rattlesnake (Crotalus triseriatus) in a highly modified landscape near the Toluca metropolitan area, in order to provide crucial information for the conservation of this species. There was medium levels of genetic diversity, with a few alleles and genotypes. We identified three genetically differentiated clusters, likely as a result of different habitat cover type. We also found evidence of an ancestral genetic bottleneck and medium values of effective population size. Inbreeding coefficients were low and there was a moderate gene flow. Our results can be used as a basis for future research and C. triseriatus conservation efforts, particularly considering that the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt is heavily impacted by destructive land-use practices

Providing Databases for Different Indoor Positioning Technologies: Pros and Cons of Magnetic Field and Wi-Fi Based Positioning

Localization is one of the main pillars for indoor services. However, it is still very difficult for the mobile sensing community to compare state-of-the-art indoor positioning systems due to the scarcity of publicly available databases. To make fair and meaningful comparisons between indoor positioning systems, they must be evaluated in the same situation, or in the same sets of situations. In this paper, two databases are introduced for studying the performance of magnetic field and Wi-Fi fingerprinting based positioning systems in the same environment (i.e., indoor area). The “magnetic” database contains more than 40,000 discrete captures (270 continuous samples), whereas the “Wi-Fi” one contains 1,140 ones. The environment and both databases are fully detailed in this paper. A set of experiments is also presented where two simple but effective baselines have been developed to test the suitability of the databases. Finally, the pros and cons of both types of positioning techniques are discussed in detail.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the European Union through the GEO-C project (H2020-MSCA-ITN- 2014, Grant Agreement no. 642332, http://www.geo-c.eu/). The authors also gratefully acknowledge funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the “Metodolog´ıas avanzadas para el diseno, desarrollo, eval- ˜ uacion e integraci ´ on de algoritmos de localizaci ´ on en inte- ´ riores” project (Proyectos I+D Excelencia, codigo TIN2015- ´ 70202-P) and the “Red de Posicionamiento y Navegacion en ´ Interiores” network (Redes de Excelencia, codigo TEC2015- ´ 71426-REDT). The authors would like to thank all the current and past members of the Geospatial Technologies Research Group and Ubik Geospatial Solutions S.L. for their valuable help in creating the SmartUJI platform and providing us with the supporting services that allowed integrating the existing GIS services in the applications developed to create both databases

Uso y valor cultural de la herpetofauna en México: una revisión de las últimas dos décadas (1997–2017)

Amphibians and reptiles are vertebrate groups that historically have been used by rural communities. In Mexico, the multiculturalism of the country is closely related to the biological diversity with which it coexists. The use of the Cultural Importance Index (IIC) allows quantify the value of species with different uses and can be useful to focus conservation strategies. The objective of the study was to identify the use and generate an IIC of the herpetofauna, through a bibliometric meta-analysis of publications on the use of Mexican amphibians and reptiles. There were 103 reptiles and 32 amphibians that have at least one use, which varied depending on the taxon (reptiles or amphibians, respectively): food (47, 10), pet (20, 6), commercial (20, 2), ornamental (25, 1), artisan (32, 9), magic-religious (32, 10), medicinal (57, 19), sport hunting (2, 2), damage control (48, 2), beneficial (10, 4). Rhinella marina (27.13) and Crocodylus moreletii (15.42) were the species with the highest IIC. Of the species recorded, 61% and 31% of reptiles and amphibians respectively are in some risk category. It is necessary establish conservation strategies through management and education programs that promote sustainable uses of resources, as well as the conservation of natural spaces where these species inhabit.Anfibios y reptiles son grupos de vertebrados que históricamente ha sido utilizado por comunidades rurales. En México, la multiculturalidad del país está estrechamente relacionada con la diversidad biológica con la que coexiste. El uso del Índice de Importancia Cultural (IIC) permite cuantificar el valor de las especies con diversos usos y puede ser de utilidad para enfocar estrategias de conservación, tomando en cuenta el valor cultural de las especies. El objetivo del estudio fue identificar los usos y generar un IIC de la herpetofauna, mediante un meta-análisis bibliométrico de publicaciones sobre el uso de anfibios y reptiles mexicanos. Se registraron 103 reptiles y 32 anfibios que tienen al menos un uso, el cual varió dependiendo del taxón (reptiles o anfibios, respectivamente): alimenticio (47, 10), mascota (20, 6), comercial (20, 2), ornamental (25, 1), artesanal (32, 9), mágico-religioso (32, 10), medicinal (57, 19), caza deportiva (2, 2), control de daños (48, 2), benéfico (10, 4), otros (3, 3). Rhinella marina (27.13) y Crocodylus moreletii (15.42) fueron las especies con mayor IIC. De las especies registradas, el 61 % y 31 % de reptiles y anfibios, respectivamente, están en alguna categoría de riesgo. Es necesario establecer estrategias de conservación por medio de manejo y programas educativos que promuevan alternativas de uso sustentable de los recursos, así como la conservación de espacios naturales donde las especies habitan

Efecto del propionato de calcio en la fermentación in vitro de dietas a base de sorgo

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of calcium propionate (CaPr) on in vitro ruminal fermentation using a factorial arrangement 2 x 2 evaluating CaPr (0 vs. 1%) and grain level (55 vs. 65%). There was a CaPr x Grain interaction in the volume of gas produced (V; p = 0.04). Addition of CaPr prolonged Lag time (1.4 vs. 1.04 h; P<0.01), and increasing the grain level also prolonged Lag time (1.56 vs. 0.89 h; p < 0.03) and gas production rate (0.046 vs. 0.041 h-1; P<0.04). However, there were no differences in CH4, CO2, acetate, propionate and butyrate concentrations. Therefore, the addition of calcium propionate in a diet with 55 or 66% of grain increased Lag phase but it is not affected fermentation pattern or methane losses.El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar in vitro el efecto de la adición de propionato de Ca (PrCa). El diseño experimental fue completamente al azar con un arreglo factorial 2x2; PrCa (0 o 1%) y grano (55 o 65%). Se encontró diferencias (p>0,05) entre tratamientos para volumen de gas, pero la tasa de producción de gas no fue diferente (p<0,05), se observó un efecto por parte del grano (p<0,04). La adición de PrCa prolongó el tiempo Lag (1,4 vs. 1.04 h; P<0,01) y aumentando el nivel de grano también prolongó la fase Lag (1,56 vs. 0,89 h; P<0,03) y la tasa de producción de gas (0,046 vs. 0,041 h-1; P <0,04). Sin embargo, no hubo diferencias en la concentración de CH4 y CO2, ni de propionato, acetato y butirato. La adición de propionato de calcio a una dieta con 55 o 65% de grano prolonga la fase Lag pero no afecta el patrón de fermentación o las pérdidas de metano.Fil: Miranda, Luis Alberto. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo (México)Fil: Lee-Rangel, Héctor Aarón. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Facultad de AgronomíaFil: Mendoza-Martínez, Germán David.Fil: Crosby-Galván, María Magdalena. Colegio de Postgraduados. Campus Montecillo (México)Fil: Relling, Alejandro Enrique. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias VeterinariasFil: Pinos-Rodríguez, Juan Manuel. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Facultad de AgronomíaFil: Rojo Rubio, Rolando . Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoFil: González Hernandez, Milagros. Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Facultad de Agronomí

Ruminal ammonia concentration and fermentation kinetics of commercial herbal feed additives with amino acids

The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of rumen fermentation while estimating it’s in vitro protein degradation (from ruminal ammonia concentration) and kinetics regarding two herbal feed plant additives. The tested herbal mixtures were elaborated with Phaseolus mango and Linum usitatissimum, providing lysine (Lys) and Trigonella foenum-graecum and Allium sativa, providing Methionine (Met). They were compared to alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and solvent extracted soybean meal (Glicine max), as standard sources of protein using the in vitro gas production technique modified to estimate N-NH3, recording fermentation kinetics and dry matter digestibility (72 h), in a completely randomized design followed by Tukey test. Ruminal ammonia concentration in the herbal mixtures was lower (P<0.05) than in the standard protein sources, indicating that protein from herbal mixtures could resist ruminal degradation. Herbal additives with Lys or Met showed minimum N-NH3 concentration in the first 4 h of incubation. At 8 h, the concentration was 0.27 and 0.54 mg dL-1 for the herbal products with Lys and Met, significantly lower than solvent extracted soybean meal and alfalfa (1.15 and 2.24 mg dL-1 respectively, P<0.05). Highlights The tested herbal mixture elaborated with Phaseolus mango and Linum usitatissimum, provide bypass Lysine. The tested herbal mixture elaborated with Trigonella foenum-graecum and Allium sativa, provide bypass Methionine. Ruminal ammonia concentration in the herbal mixtures was lower than in the standard protein sources. Protein from herbal mixtures could resist ruminal degradation.The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of rumen fermentation while estimating it’s in vitro protein degradation (from ruminal ammonia concentration) and kinetics regarding two herbal feed plant additives. The tested herbal mixtures were elaborated with Phaseolus mango and Linum usitatissimum, providing lysine (Lys) and Trigonella foenum-graecum and Allium sativa, providing Methionine (Met). They were compared to alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and solvent extracted soybean meal (Glicine max), as standard sources of protein using the in vitro gas production technique modified to estimate N-NH3, recording fermentation kinetics and dry matter digestibility (72 h), in a completely randomized design followed by Tukey test. Ruminal ammonia concentration in the herbal mixtures was lower (P<0.05) than in the standard protein sources, indicating that protein from herbal mixtures could resist ruminal degradation. Herbal additives with Lys or Met showed minimum N-NH3 concentration in the first 4 h of incubation. At 8 h, the concentration was 0.27 and 0.54 mg dL-1 for the herbal products with Lys and Met, significantly lower than solvent extracted soybean meal and alfalfa (1.15 and 2.24 mg dL-1 respectively, P<0.05). Highlights The tested herbal mixture elaborated with Phaseolus mango and Linum usitatissimum, provide bypass Lysine. The tested herbal mixture elaborated with Trigonella foenum-graecum and Allium sativa, provide bypass Methionine. Ruminal ammonia concentration in the herbal mixtures was lower than in the standard protein sources. Protein from herbal mixtures could resist ruminal degradation

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Toxocara canis

The objective of this study was to determine seroprevalence and identify risk factors associated with Toxocara canis infection. A clinical and epidemiological questionnaire and body mass index were used to assess the risk factors associated with human toxocariasis in 108 children with an age range of 2–16 years. Antibodies against Toxocara canis were detected using an ELISA test kit. Chi-square analysis and odds ratio (OR) were used to identify risk factors associated with Toxocara canis seropositivity. The prevalence of antibodies against Toxocara canis was greater (P=0.02) in males than females (28.84% and 16.07%, resp.). Chi-square analysis and odds ratio revealed just one variable with P1.0 was associated with seropositivity: the possession of dogs under one year old (OR=1.78). Although not significant, the OR values suggest that other factors may be epidemiologically important for Toxocara presence such as not washing hands before meals, malnutrition, obesity, and use of public parks. Children in the age group >12 and 2 and <11 years old age group (4.62%). Toxocariosis infection needs to be prevented by pet deworming and hygienic measures after contact with dogs

EFEITO DE ENZIMAS FIBROLÍTICAS SOBRE A DEGRADAÇÃO MICROBIANA RUMINAL DA FIBRA DE CANA-DE-AÇÚCAR

Com o objetivo de estudar os limitantes da degradação da fibra da cana-de-açúcar para utilizá-la como alimento para bovinos, fracionaram-se os componentes fibrosos da cana-de-açúcar (variedade Mex69-290) em fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) e em fibra em detergente ácido (FDA). A cana integral e as fibras foram incubadas com bactérias ruminais, na presença ou ausência de enzimas fibrolíticas (Fibrozyme, Alltech Inc.). Determinaram-se o crescimento microbiano e as bactérias totais, assim como a taxa de crescimento, a taxa de geração, o tempo de colonização e a degradabilidade. Os resultados foram analisados em um delinea­mento de blocos ao acaso, com arranjo fatorial 2 x 3, com duas doses de enzima e três substratos, utilizando quatro repetições de incubação. Observou-se o maior crescimento microbiano para cana integral e os menores para suas fibras. A degradabilidade in vitro foi de 0,701, 0,392 e 0,191, respectivamente para cana integral, FDN e FDA (P<0,01). A fração FDA com a adição das enzimas fibrolíticas teve sua degradabilidade aumentada de 0,387 para 0,425 (P<0,01). O crescimento microbiano foi limitado nas frações fibrosas, possivelmente pelo grau de lignificação das paredes celulares. A maior degradabilidade in vitro das frações fibrosas está associada à presença de açúcares solúveis. A adição de enzimas fibrolíticas aumentou o crescimento microbiano máximo e a digestibilidade da FDA, indicando que estas podem ser um potencial aditivo para melhorar o aproveitamento de dietas com cana-de-açúcar. PALAVRAS-CHAVES: Crescimento microbiano, degradabilidade in vitro, parede celular