Population In Mexico Research Articles

Female choice and male aggression in the polymorphic lizard Sceloporus minor

AbstractIn comparison with some other vertebrate groups, female choice in lizards is relatively poorly understood. In contrast, aggressive behavior in lizards has been better studied; nevertheless, there are many genera and even whole families for which little or no information on aggressive behavior has been described. Therefore, the objective of this study was to experimentally evaluate the importance of morphometric traits, body coloration, and behavioral attributes of male Sceloporus minor from a population in central Mexico in order to (1) determine whether female choice exists in this species, and if so, identify which features of males females are using to do so, and (2) identify the phenotypic features of males that predict dominance status in contests between dominant and subordinate males. We found that females of S. minor indeed show a preference for males on the basis of ventral patch color; specifically, females chose males with ventral patches of Spectrum Blue or True Blue over males with ventral patches of other blue hues, but found no evidence of choice based on other morphological characters examined. Results also showed that winner (i.e., dominant) males exhibited more aggressive behaviors and were larger in body size than subordinate (i.e., loser) males. Notably, we found no support for a role of male polymorphic dorsal coloration on either female choice or male contest outcome. The results of this study showed evidence of female choice and male‐male competition, suggesting that in this population, males exhibit intrasexual interactions to compete for resources such as territories and produce displays that serve in part to attract females.

A time-varying vulnerability index for COVID-19 in New Mexico, USA using generalized propensity scores

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted systemic inequities in the United States and resulted in a larger burden of negative social outcomes for marginalized communities. New Mexico, a state in the southwestern US, has a unique population with a large racial minority population and a high rate of poverty that may make communities more vulnerable to negative social outcomes from COVID-19. To identify which communities may be at the highest relative risk, we created a county-level vulnerability index. After the first COVID-19 case was reported in New Mexico on March 11, 2020, we fit a generalized propensity score model that incorporates sociodemographic factors to predict county-level viral exposure and thus, the generic risk to negative social outcomes such as unemployment or mental health impacts. We used four static sociodemographic covariates important for the state of New Mexico—population, poverty, household size, and minority population—and weekly cumulative case counts to iteratively run our model each week and normalize the exposure score to create a time-varying vulnerability index. We found the relative vulnerability between counties varied in the first eight weeks from the initial COVID-19 case before stabilizing. This framework for creating a location-specific vulnerability index in response to an ongoing disaster may be used as a quick, deployable metric to inform health policy decisions such as allocating state resources to the county level.

Knowledge and perceptions about Covid-19 in the marginalized population of southeastern Mexico.

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Incidence of ‘new-onset’ constipation and associated factors during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectiveA minimum of physical activity and low liquid intake are factors that have been associated with constipation. The health emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in adopting...

Sociodemografía de la desigualdad por Covid-19 en México

Covid-19 has had devastating effects. In Mexico, the existing inequality intensified its effects on different populations. Using a demography of inequality approach, this article analyzes statistical information produced by the federal government on Covid-19 mortality; special reference is made to how the health of the male population is affected due to biopsychosocial factors proper to their gender. The article uses data from the First Survey on the Costs and Benefits of Adaptation Strategies in Health, Economy and Society (CoBESS-2020), conducted between May and July 2020, which documents some of the main consequences experienced by different affected populations in Mexico.

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus in Cattle From Mexico: Current Status.

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is an infectious disease, globally-distributed, caused by bovine Pestiviruses, endemic of cattle and other ruminant populations. BVD leads to significant economic losses to the cattle industry due to the wide range of clinical manifestations, including respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases and reproductive disorders. Within the Pestivirus genus of the family Flaviviridae three viral species are associated with BVD; Pestivirus A (Bovine viral diarrhea virus 1, BVDV-1), Pestivirus B (Bovine viral diarrhea virus 2, BVDV-2), and Pestivirus H (HoBi-like pestivirus, atypical ruminant pestivirus). These species are subdivided into subgenotypes based on phylogenetic analysis. The extensive genetic diversity of BVDV has been reported for several countries, where the incidence and genetic variation are more developed in Europe than in the Americas. The first report of BVDV in Mexico was in 1975; this study revealed seropositivity of 75% in cows with a clinical history of infertility, abortions, and respiratory disease. Other studies have demonstrated the presence of antibodies against BVDV with a seroprevalence ranging from 7.4 to 100%. Recently, endemic BVDV strains affecting cattle populations started to be analyzed, providing evidence of the BVDV diversity in several states of the country, revealing that at least four subgenotypes (BVDV-1a, 1b, 1c, and 2a) are circulating in animal populations in Mexico. Little information regarding BVD epidemiological current status in Mexico is available. This review summarizes available information regarding the prevalence and genetic diversity viruses associated with BVD in cattle from Mexico.

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs

Los Datos Sobre COVID-19 en México: Un Modelo Para Armar

This essay reviews the main sources of public access information on the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico; what have been the concepts they have handled and their operational definition; what its characteristics, scope and limitations; what data has been provided in each source; how a certain data source is linked with others and how this makes it possible, within accuracy margins that leave space for speculation, the construction of a statistical model that enables a comprehensive and coherent estimation of the incidents of cases and deaths caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the consequences caused in the health of the population of Mexico by this pandemic. Although with the data directly provided in a database by the health authorities of the country it is possible to know the volume of cases confirmed as positive for SARS-CoV-2 through various methods, this information only accounts for part of the phenomenon and leaves hides the real magnitude of the pandemic. Therefore, the expansion of cases from alternative sources is necessary, as at the time was the results of the sentinel model and more recently the data from the National Survey of Health and Nutrition COVID-19 and the count of excess mortality according to the registration of death certificates carried out by various public institutions in a coordinated manner. These sources allow corroborating that at the close of the first year of the pandemic, just under half of the country’s population, 60 million people, had been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and the volume of deaths added to normal reached almost300 thousand people.

Environmental Conditions Associated with Occurrences of the Threatened Yaqui Catfish in the Yaqui River Basin, Mexico

AbstractThe Yaqui Catfish Ictalurus pricei is an understudied species, with limited information available on its ecology, distribution, and local habitat use. Native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, Yaqui Catfish populations are declining, which has prompted listing of the species as threatened in the United States and as a species of concern in Mexico. Water overallocation, habitat degradation, invasive species introductions, and hybridization with nonnative Channel Catfish I. punctatus have caused the populations in Mexico to decline. The United States population collapsed after years of low recruitment. To better focus conservation efforts as well as define habitat associated with Yaqui Catfish occurrences, we assessed the distribution in the Yaqui River basin of Mexico by using historical data at a landscape scale. Yaqui Catfish were historically found across the watershed among a diversity of environments but were most frequently associated with small, intermittent streams. Basin land cover was dominated by forest, shrubland, and grassland, and Yaqui Catfish generally occurred in stream segments at similar proportions. However, a small number of Yaqui Catfish occurrences were associated with urban and cropland land cover types in proportions greater than the availability of those categories on the landscape. With the species facing declines in the region, this work will help to inform future conservation efforts aimed at securing the Yaqui Catfish, protecting suitable habitat, and better defining its current status in Mexico.

Genetic structure and temporal environmental niche dynamics of sideoats grama [Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.] populations in Mexico.

In the past years, several plant breeding programs have been done to select outstanding genotypes of sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) for restoration purposes. Such programs have been focused mainly on agronomic traits; however, little attention has been paid to the genetic structure and environmental adaptation of the selected genotypes. Thus, in this study we evaluated the genetic structure of 85 sideoats grama populations in Mexico. In addition, we modeled the past, present and future environmental niche of the genetic clusters of this species. Ninety sideoats grama populations were genetically analyzed through AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms) markers. The environmental niche of the population clusters was modeled by using the maximum entropy method. The genetic analysis separated the populations into two genetically different clusters (p = 0.0003). The differentiation of these lineages can be partially explained by the paleoclimatic events experienced during the last interglacial and glacial maximums. Consequently, the genetic clusters have different environmental niche at the present time. Suitability areas for the distribution of Cluster I are mainly located in the central part of the country while the environmental niche of Cluster II is located in the semiarid region, close to the mountain range of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Thus, selection and restoration programs with sideoats grama must be carried out using local germplasm from each environmental niche. Given the environmental niche of both genetic clusters will suffer changes in the near and mid-century future, climate change must be considered for genotypes selection and restoration programs.

Southwest Harvest for Health: An Adapted Mentored Vegetable Gardening Intervention for Cancer Survivors.

Harvest for Health is a home-based vegetable gardening intervention that pairs cancer survivors with Master Gardeners from the Cooperative Extension System. Initially developed and tested in Alabama, the program was adapted for the different climate, growing conditions, and population in New Mexico. This paper chronicles the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of “Southwest Harvest for Health”. During the nine-month single-arm trial, 30 cancer survivor-Master Gardener dyads worked together to establish and maintain three seasonal gardens. Primary outcomes were accrual, retention, and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes were vegetable and fruit (V and F) intake, physical activity, and quality of life. Recruitment was diverse and robust, with 30 survivors of various cancers, aged 50–83, roughly one-third minority, and two-thirds females enrolled in just 60 days. Despite challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, retention to the nine-month study was 100%, 93% reported “good-to-excellent” satisfaction, and 87% “would do it again.” A median increase of 1.2 servings of V and F/day was documented. The adapted home-based vegetable gardening program was feasible, well-received, and resulted in increased V and F consumption among adult cancer survivors. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this program and to inform strategies to increase the successful implementation and further dissemination of this intervention.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Antibiotic Use on the United States–Mexico Border

Background: The US–Mexico border represents a unique region of the country where antibiotics are more accessible and nonprescription treatment with antibiotics is deeply enculturated. Currently, both the United States and Mexico are experiencing widespread community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which may have implications for antibiotic seeking and use. The objective of this study was to examine antibiotic seeking behavior as it relates to COVID-19 in the border region relative to the greater US and Mexico populations. Methods: An interdisciplinary team at The University of Arizona developed a survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about antibiotics along the US–Mexico border region (defined as 100 km from the border) and to compare findings from the border region to the broader US and Mexico populations. The team recruited survey participants through Amazon’s MTurk survey platform and through the distribution of recruitment flyers to community partners in Arizona and Mexico border regions from October 2020 to January 2021. Targeted recruitment was 750 through March 2021. We report here on findings from the first round of recruitment (n = 116). These participants were asked whether they had sought out antibiotics specifically as a treatment for COVID-19, as well as their general beliefs and behaviors on self-seeking antibiotics for illness. Results: As of January 24, 2021, we surveyed 116 participants: 82 (70.7%) from the United States and 34 (29.3%) from Mexico. Most participants (71.2%) were aged 25–44 years; 56.9% were male; and 50% reported Hispanic ethnicity. Of these, 13.8% lived within 100 km of the US–Mexico border. Overall, 21.6% of participants reported taking antibiotics to fight COVID-19–like illness. Of these participants, 28% obtained the antibiotics directly from a pharmacy, without a physician prescription, and 16% obtained them from an online vendor. Additionally, 33% of US respondents reported that they would be willing to travel to Mexico to obtain antibiotics if they were too difficult to obtain in the United States. Of these respondents, 55% said they would be willing to travel for >1 hour to obtain antibiotics. Conclusions: Preliminary data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic will have widespread ramifications on antibiotic seeking behavior and could propagate antibiotic resistance. Targeted intervention strategies in the border region are necessary to mitigate the unique factors that contribute to antibiotic use in this area.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

Toxoplasmosis Is More Frequent in Schizophrenia Patients Than in the General Population in Mexico and Is Not Associated with More Severe Course of Schizophrenia Measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease, which was discovered in 1908, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii infects neuronal, glial, and muscle cells, and chronic infections are characterized by the presence of cysts, in the brain and muscle cells, formed by bradyzoites. T. gondii is capable of synthesizing L-DOPA, a precursor of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is key in the etiology of neuropsychological disorders such as schizophrenia. Previous studies have shown high levels of IgG Toxoplasma antibodies in schizophrenia patients. Many published studies show that the prevalence of toxoplasmosis is higher in schizophrenia patients. In this study, we aimed to identify the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in patients with schizophrenia and the relationships between, sociodemographic factors and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. A total of 27 schizophrenic patients were included and IgG anti-T. gondii was determined in serum samples by ELISA. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, sociodemographic factors were associated with seropositivity. We found that the prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies was 51.7%. In the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, statistical significant association (p = 0.024) was found in Item 13 which is related to motor retardation, however, the association turned non-significant after of correction for multiple tests or after of analyzed with a logistic regression p = 0.059, odds ratio (OR) = 2.316 with a 95% confidence interval [0.970 to 5.532]. Other association was not found between toxoplasmosis and others factors. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis on our population under study was significantly higher than that reported by general population or other group of Mexican schizophrenia patients.

Jóvenes mayas o de origen maya hacia la universidad: desigualdades, agencia y movilidad social

In recent years, the indigenous population in Mexico increased their access to higher education. From an analytical perspective on social inequalities, this article approaches the educational trajectories of Maya or Mayan origin youths who have accessed at the university in Yucatan. It shows how a restricted access to the structure of opportunities based on social origin and a precarious school environment translates into the perpetuation of educational disadvantageous conditions up to the university level. However, it is also identified that in these environments, the interaction with social agents is a key factor in favoring a change of direction towards more favorable educational contexts. It also identifies a privileged sector of young people from families who have experienced processes of social mobility, that makes their educational trajectories a more stable path with less obstacles.

Risk for Developing Eating Disorders and Other Associated Unhealthy Behaviors Among Adolescent Girls in Mexico

ObjectivesTo examine the prevalence of the risk for developing eating disorders among adolescent girls and identify associated unhealthy behaviors among this population in Mexico. MethodsSecondary data analysis of 8,905 girls aged 10–19 years using nationally-representative, cross-sectional, publicly available and de-identified data from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2018. From the adolescents’ health dataset, girls were identified and household information was merged-in using the primary sampling unit (PSU) and unique household numbers. The brief questionnaire for risky eating behaviors, a 10-item valid and reliable scale for Mexican adolescents, was included in the survey to assess eating behaviors during the previous 3 months. Each item included 4 plausible responses coded as never = 0, sometimes = 1, frequently = 2 (twice/weekly), and very frequently = 3 (> twice/weekly). The outcome variable was coded as being at risk for eating disorders when the 10-items summed > 10 per adolescent. Previously identified risk factors and household characteristics were included as independent variables. Survey commands were used to account for the adolescents’ sampling weights, PSU and strata. Descriptive statistics, including test of proportions, and logistic regression modelling were used to examine associations. ResultsOverall, 1.94% of adolescent girls were at risk for developing eating disorders in Mexico (1.00% in 2006 and 1.90% in 2012). When assessing bivariate associations, we found several groups at higher risk: girls aged 19 years (4.23%, p < 0.001), current tobacco use (5.92%, p < 0.001) (included tobacco and/or e-cigarette), and alcohol consumption (4.82%, p < 0.001). In the fully adjusted model and compared to their corresponding reference groups, risk factors associated with the risk for developing eating disorders included: older age (odds ratio (OR) 1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–1.39), school attendance (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.61–5.86), and consuming alcohol (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.31–4.17). ConclusionsAccording to the results, efforts to prevent the risk for developing eating disorders need to be aimed towards older aged girls to reduce associated unhealthy behaviors including tobacco and alcohol use, and such interventions need to be mainly delivered within school settings. Funding SourcesNone.

Measuring geospatial healthcare access to primary level facilities in Mexico: a GIS-based diagnosis analysis.

To describe a general overview of health services delivery in Mexico and geospatially analyze the current distribution and accessibility of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities to contribute to new approaches to improve healthcare planning in Mexico. We performed a spatial analysis of official data to analyze current distances from health facilities to population, to determine the underserved areas of health services delivery in three selected states using a ranking of indicators. We estimated service area coverage of PHC facilities with road networks of three Mexican states (Chiapas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca). Our estimations provide an overview of spatial access to healthcare of the Mexican population in Mexico's three most impoverished states. We did not consider social security nor private providers. Geospatial access to health facilities is critical to achieving PHC and adequate coverage. Countries like Mexico must measure this to identify underserved areas with a lack of geospatial access to healthcare to solve it. This type of analysis provides critical information to help decision-makers decide where to build new health facilities to increase effective geospatial access to care and to achieve Universal Health Coverage.

Multidimensional analysis of health in Mexico: implementation of fuzzy sets

BackgroundThe national health and nutrition survey allows to know the state of health of the Mexican population, it provides data for the analysis of different factors and / or indicators of health, diseases and nutritional conditions, such as chronic degenerative diseases and depressive symptoms, which, in turn, if both occur simultaneously, they will have a negative impact on health. This article studies the four factors involved in the overall health of the population in Mexico: excess weight, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depressive symptoms, which are used to conduct a multidimensional characterization and analysis.MethodsTwo methodological resources are applied, a descriptive statistical characterization and the construction of a multidimensional health index with the use of fuzzy sets, through the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT 2018–19 - for its acronym in Spanish) in Mexico.ResultsThe results reveal a growing percentage of individuals who experience detriments to their health, that is, the factors being studied have had a negative impact and tend to follow international projections. The construction of a multidimensional index enables the interaction between the factors being studied, thus allowing for an adequate modeling for the identification of health in Mexico.ConclusionThis study aims to elucidate the current state of health throughout the population in Mexico by using the most current data provided by the autonomous public body of statistics and geography to build a multidimensional panorama using four elementary public health indicators (diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and depressive symptoms).

Genealogical relationship inference to identify areas of intensive poaching of the Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis)

BackgroundThe Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis) is the Mexican psittacine that is most captured for the illegal pet trade. However, as for most wildlife exploited by illegal trade, the genetic diversity that is extracted from species and areas of intensive poaching is unknown. In this study, we analyzed the genetic diversity of 80 E. canicularis parakeets confiscated from the illegal trade and estimated the level of extraction of genetic diversity by poaching using the mitochondrial DNA sequences of cytochrome b (Cytb). In addition, we analyzed the genealogical and haplotypic relationships of the poached parakeets and sampled wild populations in Mexico, as a strategy for identifying the places of origin of poached parakeets.ResultsPoached parakeets showed high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.842) and low nucleotide diversity (Pi = 0.00182). Among 22 haplotypes identified, 18 were found exclusively in 37 individuals, while four were detected in the remaining 43 individuals and shared with the wild populations. A rarefaction and extrapolation curve revealed that 240 poached individuals can include up to 47 haplotypes and suggested that the actual haplotype richness of poached parakeets is higher than our analyses indicate. The geographic locations of the four haplotypes shared between poached and wild parakeets ranged from Michoacan to Sinaloa, Mexico. However, the rare haplotypes detected in poached parakeets were derived from a recent genetic expansion of the species that has occurred between the northwest of Michoacan and the coastal region of Colima, Jalisco and southern Nayarit, Mexico.ConclusionsPoached parakeets showed high genetic diversity, suggesting high extraction of the genetic pool of the species in central Mexico. Rarefaction and extrapolation analyses suggest that the actual haplotype richness in poached parakeets is higher than reflected by our analyses. The poached parakeets belong mainly to a very diverse genetic group of the species, and their most likely origin is between northern Michoacan and southern Nayarit, Mexico. We found no evidence that poachers included individuals from Central American international trafficking with individuals from Mexico in the sample.

Genetic diversity of divergent redclaw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus (Von Martens, 1868) populations evaluated to initiate a breeding program in Mexico

Cherax quadricarinatus is a decapod crustacean of interest to the aquaculture industry. In Mexico, a significant effort has been made to improve biological requirements, but the genetic characteristics are unknown. We examined the genetic diversity and differentiation in four populations in Mexico (three commercial farms and one feral population), as well as one research line from Argentina, used as reference. To initiate a founder stock in a genetic improvement program, we analyzed five microsatellite markers. The genetic diversity in terms of the number of alleles was low to moderate (2.8-6.2) in Mexican populations than the Argentinean sample (8.8). A pairwise Wright's Fst analysis showed that all populations were significantly different (P &lt; 0.5). Cross-breeding organisms from a different population are suggested to increase genetic variability before initiating a founder stock with higher genetic variation.

Socioeconomic factors associated with drug consumption in Mexico

Background Illicit drug consumption in Mexico has been growing constantly and has begun to be a public health problem. The aim of this study is to identify the principal characteristics and socioeconomic variables associated with consumption of illegal drugs in Mexico. Methods Using information from the 2016 national addictions survey in Mexico, we develop a logistic regression model to determine the variables associated with drug consumption, sometime in lifetime or recently, in the general population of Mexico. Results Analyzing information from 56,877 persons, the prevalence of the use of illicit drugs at least once in lifetime was 15.4% and 3.6% for males and females, respectively. The variables associated with more consumption of illegal drugs was utilization of substances with alcohol (RR 9.3; 95% CI 7.9–10.8) and nicotine products (RR 4.7; 95% CI 4.3–5.1), male gender (RR 2.6; 95% CI 2.4–2.8), and relatives’ drug consumption (RR 2.1; 95% CI 1.8–2.4). Conclusions Having more education, being older, and having a partner was associated with lower illicit drug consumption sometime in lifetime; in the case of recent consumption, in addition, having a job or active child-rearing in the house in a positive sense.