Corticosteroid injections are frequently used in the short-term treatment of musculoskeletal pain, but their use is controversial as repeated exposures to corticosteroids can lead to deleterious effects on musculoskeletal tissue. Ozone injections have been proposed as a possible treatment for musculoskeletal pain; however, their effectiveness has not been compared with corticosteroids. To evaluate the effectiveness of ozone injections for reducing pain in individuals with musculoskeletal pain in comparison with corticosteroid injections through a meta-analysis. An online systematic search was performed using electronic databases up to September 2023. We searched for studies that compared corticosteroid injections with ozone injections in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain of diverse origins. Eleven studies were included comprising a total of 534 individuals. In the overall pooled analysis, a pain reduction in favor of corticosteroid injections was found in the short term (d= 0.31, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.60, p (z) 0.04, I2 = 32%). In the medium term, no significant differences were found in reducing pain between groups (d=-0.17, 95% CI -0.42 to 0.07, p (z) 0.15, I2 = 0%). Our results suggest that corticosteroids injections are more effective in reducing musculoskeletal pain in the short term, but equally effective in the medium term when compared with ozone injections. Nonetheless, better-quality clinical trials are necessary to corroborate these results.

With the growing implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the architectural field, significant challenges arise in education with ethical and social connotations. In the context of Architecture and Communication degrees, AI emerges as an essential tool, especially in the initial stages of architectural design in exploring ideas and conceptualizing projects. This article addresses the complexity inherent in using AI in architecture, highlighting its fundamental contribution to improving visual representation through textual algorithms, and analyzes the relevance of communication as a scientific discipline. In this context, communication in architecture is directed towards advertising and the effective transmission of messages. The article presents a methodology focused on detecting didactic errors among architecture and communication students, thanks to multidisciplinary collaboration. In conclusion, it is highlighted that the appropriate use of AI can boost the generation of creative ideas, allowing students to direct them and complement them in technical aspects. This study highlights the importance of effectively integrating AI into academic training, highlighting its benefits in improving creativity and precision in architectural communication.

The rhizosphere influence on the soil microbiome and function of crop wild progenitors remains virtually unknown, despite its relevance to develop microbiome-oriented tools in sustainable agriculture. Here, we quantified the rhizosphere influence – a comparison between rhizosphere and bulk soil samples – on bacterial, fungal, protists and invertebrates communities and on soil multifunctionality across nine crop wild progenitors in their sites of origin. Overall, rhizosphere influence was higher on abundant taxa across the four microbial groups, and had a positive influence on increased rhizosphere carbon storage and nutrient contents compared to bulk soils. The rhizosphere influence on abundant soil microbiomes were more important for soil multifunctionaility than rare taxa and envirommental conditions. Our results are a starting point to uncover the roles of both abundant and rare soil taxa in enhancing multifunctionality in agroecosystems.

Abstract A contaminant transport model for a coastal karstic aquifer of Puerto Morelos, in Mexico was developed in this study. The aquifer is under constant environmental stress due to intensive discharge of domestic wastewater by means of poorly constructed septic systems and the leachate from unregulated open dumpsites within and nearby Puerto Morelos town. Based on the results of a previously implemented groundwater flow model in the local aquifer, a subsequent contaminant transport model and particle tracking was developed. The presence of arsenic on groundwater samples lead to the assumption of the dumpsites being the main source but particle tracking did not back up this claim, mainly due to the presence of a groundwater dome in the urban area that influences the flows and gradients in the immediate area; the possible existence of very local arsenic contamination in the aquifer are likely the cause of the concentrations found. From contaminant plume simulation it was evidenced the high dilution capacity of the aquifer as chlorine concentrations greatly reduced to background concentration levels at a distance no greater than 300 meters away from the pollution sources (dumpsites and septic systems); this dilution is likely the consequence of high hydraulic conductivities in the regional aquifer and the presence of the groundwater dome. The use of septic tanks represents the main pollution risk for the aquifer and jeopardizes the well-being of the community of Puerto Morelos who consume water from local shallow wells.

Abstract The study aimed to evaluate the impact of two chain transfer controllers, ethyl 2-(phenylcarbonothiolthio)-2-phenylacetate (EPPA) and 2-(4-methoxyphenylcarbonothiolthio) ethanoic acid (MPEA), from the dithioester family (dithiobenzoates), on the RAFT polymerization of β-myrcene. The initiators employed were azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) or dicumylperoxide (DCP), at 65°C and 90°C, respectively. The study analyzed the impact of the type of controller, temperature, and initiator/controller ratio on the living nature of β-myrcene polymerization. The results showed that with an increase in the initiator/controller ratio, the rate of polymerization increased, but the obtained molar masses decreased. The MPEA controller showed better performance in controlling the termination and chain transfer reactions, especially when AIBN was used as the initiator. A rise in polymerization temperature led to a loss in the control of polymerization, causing an increase in the degree of polydispersity due to the presence of transfer reactions. The most effective control in the RAFT polymerization of β-myrcene was achieved using MPEA as the controller and AIBN as the initiator, resulting in a poly(β-myrcene) with 87% 1,4-addition according to proton NMR analyses and a polydispersity of 1.27 by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Finally, the study synthesized a poly(β-myrcene)-bpoly(styrene) block copolymer with low polydispersity (Ð1.1) by sequentially adding styrene to the previously synthesized MPEApoly(β-myrcene)-based RAFT macrocontroller.

The acaricidal effect of 14 strains of Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato isolated from soil of livestock farms in the Mexican tropics was evaluated against larvae and engorged females, and during the laying and hatching of eggs of Rhipicephalus microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae). For each fungal strain, the larvae mortality percentage was evaluated through a larval immersion test, while the reproductive efficiency indices in engorged females were measured using adult immersion tests at a dose of 1 × 108 conidia/ml. All strains of M. anisopliae (s.l.) proved to be highly effective against R. microplus larvae (66-100%) and engorged females (100%). The strains also showed a good effect in inhibiting egg laying (16.45-56.38%) and a moderate effect in decreasing egg hatching (5.24-32.68%). Two strains demonstrated to be effective against all development phases of R. microplus in an integrated manner.

Introduction: IFN-α is the main cytokine in SLE, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in different genes could induce it. Aim: To determine the association of rs2004640 (IRF5), rs179008 (TLR7), rs1800795 (IL-6) and rs2280788 (CCL5) with SLE in Mexican women with Mayan ethnicity. Methods: DNA and RNA were isolated from the peripheral blood of 110 patients and 200 healthy control subjects. SNP genotyping and gene expression analysis of IRF5, TLR7, IL-6 and IFN-α were determined by real-time PCR and analyzed with SNP Stat, Stata 10.1 and Graph Pad Prism v5. Results: rs2004640, rs179008, and rs1800795 in both groups were according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Risk alleles rs179008T and rs2004640T frequencies were higher in controls (p = 0.015 and p = 0.028, respectively), whereas rs179008A frequency was higher in patients (p = 0.015). Allelic combination AGT frequency was higher in patients (p = 0.001). IL-6 rs1800795C > G and CCL5 rs2280788G > C frequencies did not show significant differences (p > 0.05), being rs2280788G (CCL5) monomorphic in controls. SLE patients showed higher TLR7, IRF5, IL6, and IFN-α mRNA levels. IRF5 expression was higher in SLE patients homozygous for rs2004640T (IRF5). Conclusion: This work showed the contribution of TLR7 and IRF5 in SLE pathogenesis in Mayan females from Yucatan.

Tree diversity promotes predator abundance and diversity, but evidence linking these effects to increased predation pressure on herbivores remains limited. In addition, tree diversity effects on predators can vary temporally as a function of environmental variation, or due to contrasting responses by different predator types. In a multi-year study, we assessed temporal variation in tree diversity effects on bird communityabundance, diversity, and predation rates as a whole and by functional group based on feeding guild (omnivores vs. insectivores) and migratory status (migrant vs. resident). To this end, we conducted bird point counts in tree monocultures and polycultures and assessed attacks on clay caterpillars four times over a 2-year period in a tree diversity experiment in Yucatan, Mexico. Tree diversity effects on the bird community varied across surveys, with positive effects on bird abundance and diversity in most but not all surveys. Tree diversity had stronger and more consistent effects on omnivorous and resident birds than on insectivorous and migratory species. Tree diversity effects on attack rates also varied temporally but patterns did not align with variation in bird abundance or diversity. Thus, while we found support for predicted increases in bird abundance, diversity, and predation pressure with tree diversity, these responses exhibited substantial variation over time and the former twowere uncoupled from patterns of predation pressure, as well as contingent on bird functional traits. These results underscore the need for long-term studies measuring responses by different predator functional groups to better understand tree diversity effects on top-down control.

To characterize the clinical features of chronic kidney disease in dogs with serological evidence of Leptospira spp. from an endemic region, thirty-three dogs with chronic kidney disease were clinically evaluated from March 2019 to March 2020, all dogs were also serologically tested for Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Seroprevalence for Leptospira spp. was 39.4%. The most frequent serovars found were Pyrogenes, Canicola, Bratislava and Australis with serological titters between 1:100 and 1:800. The most frequent clinical signs detected were fever, depression, decreased body condition, vomiting, and hematuria. Significant laboratory findings (p <0.05) were anemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, increased liver enzymes, urea and creatinine, hyperbilirubinemia, and hyperphosphatemia. All leptospira seronegative dogs were positive at one or both monitored homoparasites (i.e. E. canis and A. phagocytophilum); only 3 leptospira seroposive dogs were positive to one or both hemoparasite. Leptospirosis in dogs may be involved in the development of kidney disease, so it should be considered within the battery of clinical analysis, particularly in endemic areas. However, further studies are still required to determine the specific role of the various serovars associated with CKD. Findings suggests that endemic hemoparasites of dogs should be monitored in dogs with a kidney condition for a better diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Asymptomatic infection (the absence or inapparent signs and symptoms) has been observed in many endemic areas of leishmaniasis, however, little is known about the parasitological and immunological factors associated with this type of infection. This study aimed to identify the in vitro expression of IFN-γ in asymptomatic carriers of viable Leishmania parasites. Asymptomatic infection was identified using the Montenegro skin test in an at-risk population from Yucatan, Mexico. Parasite viability was evinced in the blood by 7SL RNA transcripts amplification. The expression of mRNA IFN-γ was analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with soluble Leishmania antigen, using RT-qPCR. Parasite viability was observed in 33.3 % (5/15) of asymptomatic subjects. No differences were found in the expression of IFN-γ between asymptomatic and healthy subjects, and no correlation was found between the presence of viable parasites and the expression of IFN-γ. This study demonstrates the persistence of Leishmania parasites in the absence of an in vitro IFN-γ response in asymptomatic carriers from Mexico.