Knowledge In Mexico Research Articles

Principios teóricos y conceptuales para realizar Acceso Universal al Conocimiento en México

Introducción: El Acceso Universal al Conocimiento (AUC) es un término de reciente impulso por parte del Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (CONAHCYT) de México, pero no hay una guía clara para realizarlo. Por lo anterior, es necesario un modelo de AUC con las mejores prácticas para la expansión de la ciencia entre la sociedad. Objetivo:exponer de manera clara y concreta, un conjunto de principios teóricos, conceptuales y procedimentales que sean útiles para realizar AUC en el contexto mexicano. Para ello, es preciso describir que la comunicación científica se divide en dos categorías principales: ladifusión, que expone hallazgos del campo científico entre especialistas, y la divulgación, que comparte la ciencia con el público general. El AUC por su parte, es una estrategia emergente de divulgación científica que se rige bajo principios de acceso abierto y comunicación horizontal para promover entre todas las personas, el interés por la ciencia. Reflexión: De tal forma que,esta propuesta está encabezada por los conceptos mencionados y se añaden fundamentos del diseño gráfico y audiovisual, para enfrentar de una mejor manera el reto de realizar AUC. Este enfoque abierto y horizontal para comunicar la ciencia al público no especializado, será útil para definir qué es y cómo realizar Acceso Universal al Conocimiento; así como también, consolidar a la comunidad científica como pieza clave de la sociedad e impulsar el interés enniñas, niños y jóvenes por la investigación científica.

Knowledge management for small-scale agricultural producers: a thematic proposal for strengthening rural economic units

Objective: To establish a thematic proposal for the management of knowledge of small-scale agricultural producers (peasants) and the strengthening of rural economic units in the state of Querétaro, to energize the social fabric and improve the quality of life of the rural population. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric study of the scientific production on peasant knowledge in Mexico was carried out, as well as an observational analysis focused on specific and general problems. According to the information obtained and the problems detected, three areas for knowledge management were established: technical-productive, managerial and entrepreneurial. Results: In the technical-productive area, training in good agricultural practices should be addressed, along with technological innovation and the generation of added value. In the management area, issues related with strategic management with a broad entrepreneurial vision that could help create strategies for agribusiness development. Concerning entrepreneurship, the internal and external factors of the environment stand out, which allow awakening their interest, encouraging leadership and direction for business development, in addition to promoting associativity in farming regions. The implementation of the topics proposed in the research will strengthen and boost small-scale agricultural production in the state of Querétaro. Limitations on study/implications: This study can serve as a reference for small-scale agricultural producers (peasant). Findings/conclusions: There is a great opportunity through knowledge management to increase the capacities, knowledge and skills of small-scale agricultural producers (peasants) in the state of Querétaro regarding technical-productive, managerial and entrepreneurial themes, which will generate economic, social and environmental impacts for the benefit of this rural sector.

Cordyceps sensu lato: the current state of knowledge in Mexico

Background: Cordyceps s.l. is a paraphyletic group of Ascomycete fungi that parasitize mainly arthropods. In Mexico, these fungi have been little studied and the current state of their diversity is unknown.Objective: To describe the history of the records of Cordyceps s.l. from Mexico, and to generate a checklist of the species, detailing their hosts and geographical distribution.Methods: A literature review was conducted addressing on Cordyceps s.l. cited from Mexico from 1864 to 2022. Geographical distribution maps of Clavicipitaceae, Cordycipitaceae, and Ophiocordycipitaceae were created in the QGIS 3.18.1 Software.Results and conclusions: The first record of Cordyceps in Mexico dates back to 1864. To date, 35 species of Cordyceps s.l. have been recorded, equivalent to 3.5% of the diversity of the genus recorded worldwide. The geographical distribution of these species is determined by their hosts and consequently by the vegetation. The species with the greatest geographical distribution were: Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps militaris of Cordycipitaceae; Metarhizium anisopliae of Clavicipitaceae; and Tolypocladium capitatum and T. ophioglossoides of Ophiocordycipitaceae. Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae are the most studied species due to their pathogenicity to different crop pests.

Geographic distribution and uses of species of the genus Dioscorea

Species of the genus Dioscorea are widely distributed throughout the world. It is a resource used in different countries because theyproduce tubers that offer numerous benefits for human health due to their diosgenin content, a compound that is used as: anti-inflammatory, androgenic, estrogenic and in the preparation of contraceptive drugs; It is also mentioned that these compounds havecytotoxic, antitumor, antifungal, immunoregulatory, hypoglycemic and cardiovascular properties, they are also used for theprevention and treatment of degenerative diseases. Species such as Dioscorea bulbifera, Dioscorea cayenensis, Dioscorea colletii,Dioscorea deltoidea, Dioscorea futschauensis, Dioscorea nipponica, Dioscorea panthaica, Dioscorea parviflora, Dioscoreapolygonoides, Dioscorea pseudojaponica, Dioscorea spongiosa, Dioscorea villosa, Dioscorea composita, Dioscorea zingiberensis,produce a higher concentration of diosgenin. The tubers and roots of this group are part of the oldest foods consumed by humans,given their high nutritional, ecological and economic level. In many tropical countries, the use of various tubers and roots of thegenus Dioscorea play a very important role as a main source of energy and essential nutrients at low cost, they are also used asfodder for livestock and a source of income. This plant are rich in starch, vitamins, minerals and lipids, and have the potential tofight hunger in third world countries. Currently there is little or no knowledge in Mexico on how to cultivate these species.

On being a physician: the Gaceta Médica de México as an unsystematized manual of knowledge, 1860-1890.

This article discusses the role played by the Gaceta Médica de México in the process of institutionalizing and professionalizing scientific medicine in Mexico from 1860 to 1890. From the notion of literary technology utilized by Steven Shapin and Simon Schaffer and qualitative analysis of medical reports containing typical discourse, we examine how members of the Mexican National Academy of Medicine (the institution responsible for this journal) and the National School of Medicine collected their experiences and prescribed ways of being and acting through their publications. The aim is to demonstrate how this periodical acted as an unsystematized manual, an important instrument for normalizing and regulating medical knowledge in Mexico during this period.

Reviewing the participatory management of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: What do we miss by ignoring local academic knowledge in Mexico?

This review article addresses challenges in the management of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) by analyzing the value of research published in journals, chapters, and books that are not indexed by Web of Science or Scopus. This widely ignored body of grounded knowledge allows deeper insights when assessing participatory management of BRs, an imperative reflected in guiding principles such as Aichi Target 11. The scoping literature review conducted found 120 publications that address stakeholder participation in decision-making and the economic benefits generated in Mexican BRs. Only 65 of those studies were published in indexed journals, while national outlets accounted for the other 55, most of them also peer-reviewed publications. International papers differ from national ones regarding spatial coverage, research foci, and the methods applied. Though both bodies of publications identified similar challenges, each sheds a distinct light on social-environmental contexts and regions. However, there is a consensus that genuine stakeholder participation has not yet been achieved.

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES IN MEXICO

Invasive alien species (IAS) have been favored by rampant deforestation and degradation of natural habitats. The wide spreading of IAS worldwide has raised international concerns given their negative impact on ecosystems, native species displacement and local population extirpations resulting in loss of biodiversity. IAS have also become a social and economic problem for local and regional public sectors. Therefore, it is urgent to establish policies to help mitigate their negative impact. Here we conducted a systematic review of research on IAS to build a database platform and analyze their current knowledge in Mexico. We compiled the information available from widespread scientific internet search tools over the last 55 years into a database, using keywords related to IAS. It was found that the predominant type of reports were articles on faunistic groups published in peer-reviewed journals. The remaining reports were related to economic costs, social perception, and the legal framework. This is a first step to identify immediate actions, and establish research priorities and management programs nationwide.

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico.

Working equids play an essential role in supporting livelihoods, providing resilience and income security to people around the world, yet their welfare is often poor. Consequently, animal welfare focussed NGOs employ a range of initiatives aimed at improving standards of working equid welfare. However, there is debate surrounding the efficacy of welfare initiatives utilised and long term monitoring and evaluation of initiatives is rarely undertaken. This study compares equid welfare and the social transmission of welfare information across Mexican communities that had previously received differing intervention histories (veterinary treatment plus educational initiatives, veterinary treatment only and control communities) in order to assess their efficacy. Indicators of equid welfare were assessed using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool and included body condition score, skin alterations, lameness, general health status and reaction to observer approach. Owners were interviewed about their involvement in previous welfare initiatives, beliefs regarding equid emotions and pain, and the social transmission of welfare knowledge, including whether they ask advice about their equid or discuss its health with others and whether there is a specific individual that they consider to be ‘good with equids’ in their community. In total 266 owners were interviewed from 25 communities across three states. Better welfare (specifically body condition and skin alteration scores) was seen in communities where a history of combined free veterinary treatment and educational initiatives had taken place compared to those that had only received veterinary treatment or control communities. The social transfer of welfare knowledge was also higher in these communities, suggesting that the discussion and transfer of equid welfare advice within communities can act as a mechanism to disseminate good welfare practices more widely. Our results suggest that using a combined approach may enhance the success of welfare initiatives, a finding that may impact future NGO programming.

Una Aproximación regional al alfabetismo financiero en México

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar los determinantes del alfabetismo financiero en México con un enfoque regional. Su originalidad reside en enfatizar las diferencias regionales en actitud, comportamiento y conocimiento financieros. Utiliza modelos logit ordenados construidos con datos de la EncuestaNacional de Inclusión Financiera 2018. Se confirma que la educación es esencial para el alfabetismo financiero; sin embargo, otros factores tienen diferentes efectos en cada región. Entre sus limitaciones está la falta de datos para analizar longitudinalmente cómo los cambios en el entorno afectan al alfabetismo financiero. Sus hallazgos pueden aprovecharse para focalizar la política de inclusión financiera.

Riqueza de protistas en la presa El Cajón, Querétaro, México: aproximación temporal y espacial

Background. Although protists are important components of aquatic ecosystems and microhabitats, their knowledge in Mexico is scarce, making it relevant to contribute with studies of their diversity in the country. Objective. In this study, protist diversity and its spatial and temporal variation are documented in an urban dam in Queretaro, Mexico. Methods. Superficial samplings were performed each week from August 2015 to July 2016 in two points of the dam: one towards its middle part and another in its posterior part. Richness and composition of taxa, both spatially and temporally, as well as the relationship of the communities with precipitation and atmospheric temperature, were compared using species richness comparison analyses at the same sample coverage and multivariate techniques. Results. 17 taxa were determined, belonging to phyla Amoebozoa, Euglenozoa, Ciliophora and Heliozoa. 11 new records are provided for Queretaro, which is part of the semi-arid areas in the center of the country. The most frequent species in the sampling were Coleps hirtus, Paramecium caudatum, and Stentor coeruleus. The taxon composition between the sampling points was different and showed two richness peaks and two different communities in the year, which corresponded to wet and dry seasons. Conclusions. Seasonality plays an important role in the establishment and development of protist communities in the El Cajon dam.

Design of a cluster-randomized trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of metformin on prevention of type 2 diabetes among prediabetic Mexican adults (the PRuDENTE initiative of Mexico City)

IntroductionType 2 diabetes (T2D) is a global epidemic, and nations are struggling to implement effective healthcare strategies to reduce the burden. While efficacy studies demonstrate that metformin can reduce incident T2D by half among younger, obese adults with prediabetes, its real-world effectiveness are understudied, and its use for T2D prevention in primary care is low. We describe the design of a pragmatic trial to evaluate the incremental effectiveness of metformin, as an adjunct to a simple lifestyle counseling. MethodsThe “Prevención de la Diabetes con Ejercicio, Nutrición y Tratamiento” [Diabetes Prevention with Exercise, Nutrition and Treatment; PRuDENTE, (Spanish acronym)] is a cluster-randomized trial in Mexico City's public primary healthcare system. The study randomly assigns 51 clinics to deliver one of two interventions for 36 months: 1) lifestyle only; 2) lifestyle plus metformin, to 3060 patients ages 30–65 with impaired fasting glucose and obesity. The primary endpoint is incident T2D (fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, or HbA1c ≥6.5%). We will also measure a range of implementation-related process outcomes at the clinic-, clinician- and patient-levels to inform interpretations of effectiveness and enable efforts to refine, adapt, adopt and disseminate the model. We will also estimate the cost-effectiveness of metformin as an adjunct to lifestyle counseling in Mexico. DiscussionFindings from this pragmatic trial will generate new translational knowledge in Mexico and beyond, both with respect to metformin's real-world effectiveness among an ‘at-risk’ population, and uncovering facilitators and barriers to the reach, adoption and implementation of metformin preventive therapy in public primary care settings. Trial registrationThis trial is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03194009).

Influence of the international collaboration in the field of metric studies of science and technology: the case of Mexico (1971–2018)

We perform a bibliometric analysis of the research production and impact of Mexican scholars involved in the area of metric studies of science and technology in the period 1971–2018. In order to get a strong data sample, we used a bibliometric search that includes all databases that register mainstream, local and regional journals. Our search query included 46 different features that identify properly the area of metric studies in science and technology (bibliometry, scientometry, informetry, webmetrics and altmetrics). We applied this search in both English and Spanish. Since this area of knowledge has been cultivated rather recently in Mexico, our general aim is to characterize the possible effect of local and international collaboration on the research production of Mexican scholars working in this field. Our results indicate that this production is carried out mainly in local collaborations (75.3%) and most of this production involves scholars from the same Mexican institution (30%). A scarce fraction involves collaborations with scholars from Latin American (LA) institutions (7.7%) and with institutions beyond LA (17%). Accordingly, most of this production is published in local or regional journals in Spanish. Our conclusion indicates thus that international collaboration has little influence in the Mexican research in the field of metric studies a fact that it is not shared by other areas of knowledge in Mexico. We will pursue in future work the performance of faculty members associated to local graduate programs in this area of knowledge. We feel that an improvement in the research activity of these scholars may enhance substantially the research production in the area of metric studies.

Factors That Influence the Attitude of the Population to Be a Donor in Mexico

BackgroundTransplantation depends on a donation from a living or deceased donor, with the latter ideally involving a multiorgan transplant. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the attitudes of the population in Mexico toward being a donor. MethodsWe conducted an observational, cross-sectional study with a survey on the attitudes toward donation in the population of Mexico. The survey had 33 items on it regarding sociodemographic aspects and people’s positions on the issues of organ and tissue donation. We used central tendency and dispersion averages and calculated the difference between groups using chi squares or the Student t test. We also used the statistical program SPSS version 25. ResultsThe perception of respondents regarding organ and tissue donation (with 1064 people or 65.1% in favor) points to a lack of knowledge in Mexico. People do not talk about organ donation with their relatives and especially do not discuss their wishes in case of death (only 660 people indicated they had or 40.4%). There is a better attitude toward donation among younger respondents, women, single people, health personnel, people with higher incomes, Catholics, and those who do not have a hospitalized family member. ConclusionsIt is necessary to provide more information about organ donation to people in Mexico. The opinion toward donation is generally favorable; however, there are multiple factors that influence opinions. Family members of patients in intensive care are the least willing to donate themselves or donate a relative's organs.

Biomedical knowledge in Mexico during the Cold War and its impact in pictorial representations of Homo sapiens and racial hierarchies.

This paper provides an overview of the state of Mexican genetics and biomedical knowledge during the second half of the twentieth century, as well as its impact on the visual representation of human groups and racial hierarchies, based on social studies of scientific imaging and visualization (SIV) and theoretical concepts and methods. It also addresses the genealogy and shifts of the concept of race and racialization of Mexican bodies, concluding with the novel visual culture that resulted from genetic knowledge merged with the racist phenomenon in the second half of the twentieth century in Mexico.

Landslide risk perception in Mexico: a research gate into public awareness and knowledge

The purpose of this paper is to analyze landslide risk public awareness and knowledge in Mexico based on people’s common understanding and perception of landsliding associated with previous events. The methodology involved the design and application of a risk perception questionnaire in the municipality of Teziutlan, Puebla, Mexico, an area that has been historically affected by mass movement processes, particularly during a rainfall induced landslide disaster event in October 1999. Sampling framework comprised two boroughs; Downtown Teziutlan (DTT, N = 65), and San Andres neighborhood (SAN, N = 72). The former has no evidence of landslide risk, whereas the latter has been affected by landsliding. The questionnaire included the following items: (1) experience, (2) landslide risk awareness, (3) exposure, (4) preparedness, (5) responsibility, (6) response, and (7) trust. Results suggested that all the inhabitants of the sample are aware of risk of landsliding and consider the dwellings situated in the city center as the safest. The latter is consistent with a landslide susceptibility map on which hillslope material properties are reflected and lithological units of highest resistance are located beneath the city center. The need of undertaking different initiatives to achieve disaster risk reduction at community level was clearly expressed by the respondents in terms of ranking all the actions listed in the questionnaire as of high and moderate priority to improve the security of the residents. Highest accountability for actions in case of a landslide disaster was attached to the Mexican Army, as it is in charge of disaster response nationwide. Responses provided by the municipal government, health institutions and the Red Cross in DTT and by the state and municipal government along with civil protection in SAN were perceived as bad or just sufficient. High level of people’s confidence to get information on landslide disaster preparedness and response from the Red Cross and scientists was also perceived in the two communities. From the outcome of the present investigation, it is possible to conclude and reinforce the argument that a better understanding on how landsliding is perceived is one of the most significant issues for enhancing landslide disaster risk awareness and knowledge and to guarantee the advance of resilient communities at individual and collective scales.

Mammals of Mexico

Ceballos, G. (ed.). 2014. Mammals of Mexico . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 974 pp. ISBN 13:978-1-4214-0843-9, price (hardbound), $150.00. Ceballos’ and Oliva’s Los mamiferos silvestres de Mexico (2005) was a ground-breaking volume stemming originally from funding by CONABIO (Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad) in 1992. A result of years of effort, it compiled all the available information through 2004 on the ecology, biogeography, taxonomy, and systematics of some 530 mammalian species (including distributional maps and a bibliography) in one of earth’s major biodiversity hotspots. Now, Ceballos provides us with the Mammals of Mexico , which although largely an English translation of the earlier work, updates our knowledge of Mexico’s mammals through 2011. Like its predecessor, it includes checklists and species accounts as well as an updated bibliography; it also provides a broad overview of some 200 years of research on the mammals of the region in this diverse country. Following mostly the nomenclature of Wilson and Reeder (2005), the book synthesizes the information from hundreds of workers in the field; in addition, it includes black and white photographs of skulls of most species as well as appendices with tracks of medium- and large-sized mammals. The book is divided into 5 parts; the 1st part covers diversity and conservation of Mexican mammals. In a section on global mammal species diversity, it is noted that Mexico has fully 11% of the world’s mammals; table 1 shows 544 species (up some 19 species from Ceballos and Oliva [2005]) of which 161 are endemic. However, totals for the other 18 countries in that … Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131, USA; e-mail: nicte.ordonez-garza{at}ttu.edu

Analysis of the category ‘Gay Identity’: Situated knowledge in Mexico

Identity is a dialectic, permanent process between the person and their surrounding contexts. This paper analyses the production of a gay identity within a context of strict gender and sexuality norms that exclude homoeroticism. Because of heteronormativity, any identities outside this system suffer from stigma. We analyse Mexico’s gay movement to understand how ‘gay’ and ‘homosexual’ have become identity categories that help understand where the gay movement in Mexico stands, and its impact on identity development. Through a literary revision and critique, we conclude that gay identity makes the stigma against homoeroticism visible, but moves towards the normalisation of sexual expression. Because of this normalisation, ‘gay identity’ must be a temporary term that should be questioned and deconstructed since it assumes that all people who identify with it are homogenous, and does not recognise sexual fluidity.

A Perspective on Natural Products Research and Ethnopharmacology in Mexico: The Eagle and the Serpent on the Prickly Pear Cactus

Mexico's extraordinarily rich cultural and floristic diversity has fascinated explorers and researchers ever since the "New World" was discovered for and by Europeans. For many decades, natural product research has been a very active field of research in Mexico, and there also are some ongoing ethnopharmacological research efforts. This review provides an overview and critical appraisal on some key developments in these fields and examples of medicinal plants used by indigenous communities that have become of great local importance in Mexican popular medicine. In this review, the focus is on plants with effects on the CNS, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, inflammatory processes, and gastrointestinal disorders. While some of the major food plants consumed worldwide originate from southern North America, only very few medicinal plants have become of major global importance. Opuntia species are now used increasingly to manage diabetes and metabolic syndrome and represent an example of a novel medicinal product/supplement. Undoubtedly, narcotic and mind-altering drugs both have received the widest scientific interest and have attracted considerable popular attention. The history of use of the indigenous Mexican Materia Medica in the context of research on local and popular resources specifically with regard to the diverse challenges in the context of studying the world's biodiversity and the development of comparative and semiquantitative ethnobotanical research methods is discussed herein. Natural product and ethnopharmacological research in Mexico seems to have been influenced by the political and societal developments originating from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and subsequent conventions, which have not yet had the desired effect of giving value to these local resources, as they might deserve. Their equitable and sustainable implementation remains a challenge. Natural product research and ethnopharmacology will play a key role in developing an adequate evidence base for such products derived from local and traditional knowledge in Mexico.

Diversity and distribution of genus Jatropha in Mexico

In Mexico and all over the world, the number of studies on the species of the Jatropha genus has increased because of the use of its seed oil to produce biodiesel. However, the knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution, and ethnobotany of these and related species is incomplete. This article presents the distribution of the genus in Mexico according to its internationally accepted taxonomic identity. The distribution is linked to environmental variables such as elevation, climate type, soil, and soil moisture patterns. In addition to showing the current taxonomical knowledge in Mexico, this article discusses its biogeography, its traditional uses and the research lines to follow in further study of the genus. The distribution results show that some species are broadly adapted; as a consequence, they are present in many different environments. Species such as J. dioica, J. curcas, J. cordata, J. cinerea and J. gaumeri are distributed in areas with well defined environmental conditions. However, the distribution of species such as J. riojae has not yet been ascertained. Three areas with high species richness were identified, and they are very important for the study and conservation of the genus. Mexico is a global center of diversity for this genus. Food and medicinal uses have been reported for some species. This article concludes with recommendations for further study to improve the knowledge of this genus in Mexico.

Science–industry networks for transfer of knowledge in Mexico, United States and Canada: institutional and technological regimes and intermediation mechanisms

This thesis analyzes the technology and knowledge transfer networks established between science and industry. The research assumes that the quality of those links depends on the organizational and ...