Northwestern Region Of Mexico Research Articles

Virulence and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from River Water and Farm Animal Feces near an Agricultural Region in Northwestern Mexico

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are zoonotic enteric pathogens linked to human gastroenteritis worldwide. To aid the development of pathogen control efforts, the present study characterized the genotypic diversity and pathogenic potential of STEC recovered from sources near agricultural fields in Northwest Mexico. Samples were collected from irrigation river water and domestic animal feces in farms proximal to agricultural fields and were subjected to enrichment followed by immunomagnetic separation and plating on selective media for the recovery of the STEC isolates. Comparative genomic analyses indicated that the recovered STEC with the clinically relevant serotypes O157:H7, O8:H19, and O113:H21 had virulence genes repertoires associated with host cell adherence, iron uptake and effector protein secretion. Subsequent phenotypic characterization revealed multidrug resistance against aminoglycoside, carbapenem, cephalosporin, fluoroquinolone, penicillin, phenicol, and tetracycline, highlighting the need for improved surveillance on the use of antimicrobials. The present study indicated for the first time that river water in the agricultural Culiacan Valley in Mexico is a relevant key route of transmission for STEC O157 and non-O157 with a virulence potential. In addition, feces from domestic farm animals near surface waterways can act as potential point sources of contamination and transport of diverse STEC with clinically relevant genotypes.

The Race to Nuclear Supremacy: Classroom Games as Motivation for Student Learning

The use of games in education is applied in classroom settings from all academic levels. More importantly, games can motivate student learning in courses that depend heavily on evaluation and comprehension. The number of digital games available to enhance learning outcomes while motivating student-learning are overwhelming. Nonetheless, access to such content can be costly and limited to academic institutions that lack funds and technology. In this paper, we analyzed how a set of magnetic spheres paired with games motivated student learning in courses across 2 multicultural classrooms (Physics and Social Studies). By designing a session about the atomic bomb in a history course, professors from both History and Physics used a set of small magnetic spheres and Albert Einstein’s equation E=mc2 to complement student learning in a history classroom to comprehend a topic, by using components of the magnetic spheres as an analogy of the nucleus of an atom, where the magnetic force between spheres represents the weak nuclear force. We explained the nuclear fission phenomenon and the history behind this discovery in a more hands-on approach. With this analogy, a game was designed, in which students after having taken a lecture on the history of nuclear fission and an overall explanation of Albert Einstein’s formula, simulated building the atomic nuclei of radioactive elements by adding a pair of neutrons to quantify the energy released when separated as individual particles. After completing the game-based activity, we conducted a series of surveys among students to 1) analyze students’ perception of the learning process during multidisciplinary classes with classroom games and 2) identify attitudes towards subject comprehension through classroom games. The experiment was carried out in sessions of 50 minutes per group. The participants of the case study were students from a private education institution in the northwestern region of Mexico (State of Sonora). We examined how these game-based activities were perceived by the students regarding their motivation to learn. In order to enhance the motivation for student learning, multidisciplinary collaboration should be included in the design process of the curriculum the school offers to its students.

Kuxtal: Student Motivation Through Megagames in Higher Education Design Students

Megagames are an engaging combination of different game resources. They involve role-play, social connection, simulations, rules, economics, politics, decision making among others that are merged into an immersive narrative, all of which are essential applications of experiential learning. They can last from one day up to one month, they are known to be collaborative and can be played by several players at the same time. In education, collaboration between individuals is an integral competence that has to be nurtured among the academic community. During the game dynamics, multiple experiences, events, and actions are activated that enhance curiosity and emotions among students which, in turn, impact their motivation in the learning process. Wicked problems are undetermined problems that are resistant to change, possess a social and cultural context, several stakeholders are involved and overall are complex to solve. In this paper we explore 1) the use of megagames as a component to motivate student-learning of Higher Education (HE) students of the fourth semester of a degree in Design at the Tecnologico de Monterrey institution, located in the northwestern region of Mexico in the State of Sonora. We also 2) analyzed if research and action was triggered among students through the megagame, Kuxtal. The megagame, aims to promote student-learning through understanding wicked problems: that all living beings face in regards to water: its scarcity, its pollution and its mismanagement. In this qualitative study, we used Jones (2021) user guide for assessing components of the MUSIC model of motivation to understand empowerment, usefulness, success, interest, and caring. With the incorporation of megagames in the classroom, educators were able to promote student motivation and students engaged in research methodology, all while adopting small world-changing actions in their everyday lives. This paper aims to promote the advantages of using megagames as an educational resource in Higher Education creative fields such as Design, Architecture and Communication.

Phylogenetic description of Trypanosoma cruzi isolates from Dipetalogaster maxima: Occurrence of TcI, TcIV, and TcIV-USA.

Trypanosoma cruzi is the parasite responsible for Chagas disease. The parasite has been classified into six taxonomic assemblages: TcI-TcVI and TcBat (aka Discrete Typing Units or Near-Clades). No studies have focused on describing the genetic diversity of T. cruzi in the northwestern region of Mexico. Within the Baja California peninsula lives Dipetalogaster maxima, the largest vector species for CD. The study aimed to describe the genetic diversity of T. cruzi within D. maxima. A total of three Discrete Typing Units (DTUs) were found (TcI, TcIV, and TcIV-USA). TcI was the predominant DTU found (~75% of samples), in concordance with studies from the southern USA, one sample was described as TcIV while the other ~20% pertained to TcIV-USA, which has recently been proposed to have enough genetic divergence from TcIV, to merit its own DTU. Potential phenotype differences between TcIV and TcIV-USA should be assessed in future studies.

ART THINKING THE FANZINE AS A LIBERATING AND CRITICAL DEVICE FOR LEARNING, CATHARSIS AND CULTURAL PRODUCTION.

Art Thinking is an opportunity to transform the way knowledge is built, remodel and shared inside and outside the classroom, is not about producing art, but about using the arts as a methodology. Art is a tool to acquire awareness, a form of thought, a meta-discipline (Camnitzer, 2014) and a playful psychomotor activity (Acaso, 2017). This path and deliberate decision requires tenacious, revolutionary teachers who, for a moment, believe that they can be artists. Today more than ever we need unconventional, open, experimental, playful, generous, even why not, psycho-magical strategies that stimulate in our students a genuine impulse to learn, think and act. In this paper (1) I analyzed how this pedagogical strategy impacts critical-creative thinking and motivation of Higher Education (HE) students in the institution Tecnologico de Monterrey in the northwestern region of Mexico (2) and how a playground (metaspace) and a (3) fanzine can work as a tool (hypothesis) to achieve this aims.

Prevalence and Genomic Diversity of Salmonella enterica Recovered from River Water in a Major Agricultural Region in Northwestern Mexico.

Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of human gastrointestinal disease worldwide. Given that Salmonella is persistent in aquatic environments, this study examined the prevalence, levels and genotypic diversity of Salmonella isolates recovered from major rivers in an important agricultural region in northwestern Mexico. During a 13-month period, a total of 143 river water samples were collected and subjected to size-exclusion ultrafiltration, followed by enrichment, and selective media for Salmonella isolation and quantitation. The recovered Salmonella isolates were examined by next-generation sequencing for genome characterization. Salmonella prevalence in river water was lower in the winter months (0.65 MPN/100 mL) and significantly higher in the summer months (13.98 MPN/100 mL), and a Poisson regression model indicated a negative effect of pH and salinity and a positive effect of river water temperature (p = 0.00) on Salmonella levels. Molecular subtyping revealed Oranienburg, Anatum and Saintpaul were the most predominant Salmonella serovars. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based phylogeny revealed that the detected 27 distinct serovars from river water clustered in two major clades. Multiple nonsynonymous SNPs were detected in stiA, sivH, and ratA, genes required for Salmonella fitness and survival, and these findings identified relevant markers to potentially develop improved methods for characterizing this pathogen.

Estimation of metal concentrations in marine biota and associated health risk assessment for inhabitants of a coastal region in Northwestern Mexico.

Marine ecosystems are subject to contamination by metals and metalloids and other elements and compounds that are emitted due to various human activities. These substances subsequently induce changes in marine biota after entering the marine environment. Marine organisms are frequently consumed worldwide because they constitute relatively cheap and accessible food items of high nutrient quality. The aim of this study was to estimate metal accumulation in frequently consumed marine species and to evaluate the associated health risks for particular population groups in a coastal region of northwestern Mexico. The marine species were consumed in different quantities between spring (from 0.29kgyear-1 for white clam, to 38.40kgyear-1 for blue crab) and autumn (from 0.34kgyear-1 for white clam, to 15.02kgyear-1 for leopard grouper). The general distribution of metal concentrations in the marine species (n = 13 in each season) evaluated in this study followed the trend of Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr with the highest metal concentrations detected during autumn. Although many metal concentrations were above the international standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values for the women in this study indicated that their health was not at risk due to the consumption of either fish or seafood. In contrast, the HQ and HI values determined for groups of men and children indicated that they are at risk due to the frequent consumption of most species evaluated in this study.

Strategic Innovation: Conception of Innovation among Social Sciences Researchers in Higher Education in Northwestern México.

Researchers in universities are encouraged to produce innovative scientific research and participate in the international scientific community. In Mexico, public policies have intended to promote competitiveness in such social space. However, the lack of funding, researchers, and the polysemic conception of innovation in scientific production, amongst other factors, has scarcely promoted the economic, scientific and social progress in the region. This study (1) analyzes the concept of innovation among researchers in the field of Social Sciences to identify if they share a standard definition of such and if (2) the scholars have the impression that they perform innovations in their scientific production. The study compares researchers’ conceptions from three higher education institutions of the State of Sonora, Mexico. The Northwestern region of Mexico is significant due to its research production in Physics and Social Sciences, which is mainly generated in Higher Education institutions. We conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed their views about their scientific production over the last five years. We reflect on the different types of relations scholars tie the concept of innovation. The main results show the different conceptions of innovation, especially its fragmentary character among social science researchers and how this inhibits the development of innovation and competitiveness. This result is a virtual space for policymakers to open a formative space for innovation and is an invitation to investigate the innovative or non-innovative character of scientific production in northwestern Mexico.

Conceptual Integration and Empirical Validation of a Unified Taxonomy: Quantitative Data Analysis for Virtual Learning Environments.

Specific classes of cyberspaces emphasize different types of digital transactions given the user’s context, thus making it essential to take into account what these environments can afford. In this way, we can portray the niches of technological use as ecologies of particular possibilities and compare how they differ between distinct spheres of human life. The present research is focused on describing the conceptual integration of a taxonomic crossover between Virtual Learning Environments and Educational Affordances of Technology, while also performing empirical testing and determining the psychometric properties in a scale regarding the aforementioned taxonomy. The study sample consisted of 320 students in the departments of foreign languages from three different universities in Sonora (northwestern region of Mexico). Students were given a questionnaire of 21 items organized into four subscales with a Likert-type response option to measure the notions concerning their usage of Virtual Learning Environments. Internal consistency procedures and confirmatory factor analysis by means of Cronbach’s alpha and Structural modeling support the derived factorial structure, which contains Cyber-Communications, Virtual Behavior Settings, Virtual Communities, and Availability and Access to Connectivity. This structure traces the environmental properties perceived by learners in a virtual environment. Results sustain the initial conceptual construction regarding the proposed taxonomy, conclude that the ‘Virtual Learning Environments Questionnaire’ demonstrates adequate psychometric properties, and validate it as a fitting measure to assess the perceived psychological experience of students in a digital educational setting.

Consumption of Sprouts and Perceptions of Their Health Properties in a Region of Northwestern Mexico.

There is a lack of information about consumer understanding of functional foods. Sprouts provide beneficial compounds that can help counteract chronic noncommunicable diseases. The population of a region in Northwestern Mexico has a high prevalence of chronic degenerative disease, and there is a need to promote strategies to increase the consumption of foods that provide health benefits, including sprouts. However, there is a lack of information regarding the sale, consumption and perception of sprouts’ healthy properties. A computer-assisted web-based survey (CAWI) was developed and distributed through social media to understand consumer knowledge of these foods’ health effects and their consumption. The survey of people with diverse sociodemographic profiles indicated a 1–3 times per week consumption and they knew the health benefits of consuming sprouts. A total of 82% of respondents were conscious that sprout consumption could prevent chronic diseases, which may be related to education level (χ2: 0.001, p < 0.05). In order to expand on our findings, it is important to investigate the communication strategies used by sprout manufacturers, dieticians, nutritionists and health professionals about the health benefits of sprout products to promote their consumption.

Preliminary survey of the occurrence of mycotoxins in cereals and estimated exposure in a northwestern region of Mexico

ABSTRACT Mycotoxins have several toxicological implications. In the present study, we evaluate the presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), and fumonisin (FB1) in paddy rice, polished rice, and maize from the fields and markets in Nayarit State (Mexico). The results indicated the presence of AFB1 in 21.21% of paddy rice samples and 11.11% of market maize samples. OTA was present in only 3.03% (one sample) of paddy rice samples. FB1 was detected in 87.50% and 88.88% of maize samples from field and market, respectively. The estimated human exposure was calculated for FB1 using the probable daily intake (PDI), which suggested that FB1 could contribute to the development of diseases through the consumption of contaminated maize. Positive samples indicated that some rice and maize samples were not suitable for human consumption. Further efforts are needed to continue monitoring mycotoxins and update national legislation on mycotoxins accordingly.

Determination of Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activities of Leaves and Stems from Jatropha cinerea (Ortega) Müll. Arg and Jatropha cordata (Ortega) Müll. Arg.

Jatropha species have been shown to be an important source of secondary metabolites with different biological effects. Jatropha cinerea (Ortega) Müll. Arg and Jatropha cordata (Ortega) Müll. Arg are distributed in the Northwestern region of Mexico, are adapted to extreme weather conditions and are widely used (stems, leaves, and sap) in traditional medicine. The aim of the present study was to carry out the phytochemical characterization and the evaluation of the antioxidant activity in methanolic extracts of stems and leaves from J. cinerea and J. cordata. The compounds present in the extracts of both species were characterized by ESI-IT-MS/MS and quantified by HPLC-DAD. The results showed that the stem extracts of both species are rich in phenolic acids, while the leaf extracts are rich in flavonoids. Some of the main compounds found were gallic acid, gentisic acid, 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid, vitexin, isovitexin, and catechol. Both species showed high concentrations of phenols and total flavonoids and antioxidant activity. J. cordata showed the highest antioxidant capacity and the highest concentration of phenolic compounds. Overall, both Jatropha species are a natural source of antioxidant compounds with potential biotechnological uses.

Occurrence and geographic distribution of Squash leaf curl virus in the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Squash leaf curl (SLC) disease causes serious damage in a great diversity of horticultural crops worldwide and is due to infection by different ssDNA bipartite begomoviruses (Family Geminiviridae). Symptoms of leaf yellowing, stunting and curling have been observed in squash crops in the southern region of the Baja California (BC) Peninsula in the northwestern region of Mexico for at least a decade. The damage estimated for all localities showed disease incidence of 73.3% to 97.7% and severity of 49%. Infected plants were collected in three localities in addition to adult whiteflies for species determination. Squash leaf curl virus (SLCuV) was detected in both infected plants and whiteflies by PCR using specific primers that amplified a 601 bp fragment. The full-length DNA-A sequence was 99.1% identical to sequences in GenBank. Phylogenetic studies using the core CP region showed that the BC isolate grouped within a well-defined clade together with SLCuV from the Mediterranean Middle East and USA. The molecular analysis in individual adult whiteflies determined that all populations belonged to Bemisia tabaci (MEAM1) (biotype B) species. No evidence of the Mediterranean (MED) species (biotype Q) was found. The SLC disease has prevailed in squash in the region in several growing cycles and in geographically separated localities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of SLCuV associated with squash plants in BCS, Mexico.

Leadership in the Family Business in Relation to the Desirable Attributes for the Successor: Evidence from Mexico

Family businesses must generate strategies to achieve continuity in order to survive. In this sense, the designation and legitimation of leadership, as well as the desirable attributes for the successor, emerge as key factors. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the leadership types and desirable attributes chosen for the succession process. To account for the above, a questionnaire was applied to a sample of 144 executives and employees from tourist organizations of service, commerce and industry in the northwestern region of Mexico. Questionnaires were based on a Likert scale type (1 to 5), including sections about leadership (comprised by five dimensions) and the desirable attributes of the successor (comprised by two dimensions). Our results emphasize that the leadership in the first four generations (before, during and after the succession process), present a constant of importance in the presence of the types: expert, referential and laissez faire/mission and the administrative attributes. Furthemore, participatory leadership decreases and autocratic increases while the family attributes do so as they go from one successor stage to another. To enrich our study and map family businesses, we recommend the inclusion of different aspects related to the Latin American context and the generation of inferences with new elements such as motivational profiles, work stressors and interactions of Latino families, among others.

The Italian project for surveillance prevention and health care planning of congenital anomalies including Zika virus

Mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome (MVA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by random chromosome gains and losses. Mutations in BUB1B and CEP57 genes have been involved in MVA. Here we report on a male child with MVA due to c.915_925dupCAATGTTCAGC mutation in the CEP57 gene. Our patient was homozygous for this mutation and he is the first case with rhizomelic shortening of both the upper and lower limbs and mild respiratory insufficiency due to a narrow thorax. It is also the second MVA Mexican family reported with this mutation that lives in the northwestern region of Mexico, suggesting a “local founding effect”. Additional cases are needed to better understand the MVA genotype-phenotype relationship.

A homozygous CEP57 c.915_925dupCAATGTTCAGC mutation in a patient with mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome with rhizomelic shortening in the upper and lower limbs and a narrow thorax

Mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome (MVA) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by random chromosome gains and losses. Mutations in BUB1B and CEP57 genes have been involved in MVA. Here we report on a male child with MVA due to c.915_925dupCAATGTTCAGC mutation in the CEP57 gene. Our patient was homozygous for this mutation and he is the first case with rhizomelic shortening of both the upper and lower limbs and mild respiratory insufficiency due to a narrow thorax. It is also the second MVA Mexican family reported with this mutation that lives in the northwestern region of Mexico, suggesting a “local founding effect”. Additional cases are needed to better understand the MVA genotype-phenotype relationship.

Assessing the effectiveness of integrating ergonomics and sustainability: a case study of a Mexican maquiladora

In 2015, the United Nations defined sustainable industrialization as one of 17 sustainable development goals. In this article, an analysis is performed to assess the opportunities for ergonomics to contribute toward sustainability in the manufacturing industry. To that effect, a case study was carried out in a maquiladora of electronic components in the northwestern region of Mexico. The investigation was developed in four stages: (a) diagnosis; (b) planning; (c) implementations; (d) verification of results. Barriers found during each stage are presented. Finally, a discussion of the obtained results is provided, and areas of opportunity for programs or actions to prevent health risks are identified.

Knowledge for Overcoming Adversity: Gender Analysis of Economic Culture in a Region in North-Western Mexico

The interest in economic culture, and consequently in economic and financial literacy, has become increasingly important in the context of the recent global economic crises, as it offers a vision of the set of tools that society has at its disposal in order to face them. A gender analysis contributes to identifying the specific conditions that could affect a vulnerable group of the population: women. The goal of this paper is to analyze economic culture in Baja California, a region in north-western Mexico, at the border with the United States. To that end, a survey was designed and applied to a probability sample of 345 people in this state, to understand: knowledge of daily economic and financial aspects, money management habits, shopping habits, influence of economic socialization and information regarding economic and financial topics, perception of professional education in terms of economic aspects derived from it as well as interest in receiving economic and financial education. Results suggest that the differences found in about habits, social influences and even their role as consumers, are not statistically significant; nevertheless, important differences were found in terms of the level of knowledge, the use of tools, the currency they use for savings and their economic expectations.

Jornalismo em contexto de violência: uma visão dos jornalistas do Jornal Noroeste, em Sinaloa, México

Este trabalho desenvolve uma análise sobre as condições para o exercício profissional do jornalismo no Jornal Noroeste, localizado no Estado de Sinaloa, na região noroeste do México, onde os profissionais de imprensa têm sido vítimas de ameaças e abusos supostamente perpetrados por organizações criminosas que tem vínculos com o narcotráfico e por suas ramificações no aparelho estatal. Tendo como ponto de partida o conceito do jornalismo como atividade essencial para a manutenção do Estado Democrático a análise busca diagnosticar como os profissionais de imprensa deste veículo compreendem e justificam a sua atividade profissional. O trabalho envolve entrevistas com jornalistas e dados coletados em entidades de defesa de classe no México e aponta como, mesmo reconhecendo o jornalismo como uma atividade de alto risco nesta região, os profissionais buscam se adaptar para continuar exercendo a profissão.

Effects of El Niño in Mexico during rainy and dry seasons: an extended treatment

The effect of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on precipitation in Mexico is analyzed. Unlike previous studies, the amount of data used is larger and the Mexican territory is more widely covered. In this paper, daily precipitation from the CLICOM database updated to 2015 was used. The studied period spans from 1961 to 2013 and was divided into two periods: 1961-1990 and 1991-2013. For the same periods two separated seasons were considered: the cold and dry (November-April), and the warm and wet (May-October). Thus, the number of stations that exceed the amount of continuous information criteria for a certain period increases considerably. The Pearson correlation coefficient with a significance of 5% was used in order to test for the existence of a relationship between precipitation and the Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI). The results are presented in maps where regions of precipitation above or below average are observed. During the summer/warm months, the northwestern region of Mexico is clearly identified with a direct relationship between MEI and precipitation, whereas an inverse relationship in the part that lies south of latitude 22o N is seen. In the winter/cold months, there is a general increase in precipitation with increasing MEI. Distributions of normal rainfall for both winter and summer are also shown.