Western Mexico Research Articles

A new species of Triphora (Orchidaceae: Triphoreae, Triphorinae) from Mexico

Triphora gallegosii, a new species of geophyte orchid known so far from central, western, and northwestern Mexico, is described and illustrated. This species is morphologically similar to T. gentianioides and T. wagneri, with whom it shares the presence of scale-like leaves, three longitudinal verrucose lines on the lip, and floral parts of similar sizes, but differs from both by its lip lines that vanish towards the middle of the central lobe, having 1–4 resupinate flowers, and flowering between August and September. It also differs from T. wagneri by having a constricted central lobe and lateral lobes with acute apex, and from T. gentianoides by having entire margins on the lateral lobes, column with a magenta apex and whitish towards the middle portion with a green base, magenta anther, smaller leaves, and solitary growth. A preliminary analysis of the conservation status and a dichotomous key to the species of the genus in Mexico are provided.

The genus Metamysidopsis W. M. Tattersall, 1951 (Peracarida, Mysida, Mysidae) in the eastern Pacific with the description of a new species from western Mexico and notes on some diagnostic characters used in the genus

Abstract The genus Metamysidopsis W. M. Tattersall is currently represented by two species in the eastern Pacific: M. elongata (Holmes, 1910) in California, U.S.A., and M. pacifica (Zimmer, 1918) in Peru and Panama. The distribution and some morphological details of both species are presented and discussed and a new species is described from the southern Gulf of California, western Mexico. Commonly used diagnostic characters for the species of Metamysidopsis are analysed based on data available in the literature. A diagnosis is provided for the three species occurring in the eastern Pacific and a key to the 10 currently known species of the genus is provided.

Archaeometric analysis proposal for negative decoration

The main purpose of this text is to offer what could be a kind of road map within the possible archaeometric protocols to address the old problem posed by ceramics with negative decoration and the possible relationships that would have occurred between Western Mexico and South America. A perspective is also offered on what is negative from a technological point of view, according to ethnoarchaeological analyses, important since despite the great temporal distance that separates us from the makers of this ceramic decoration (possibly men and women) ethnoarchaeology. It provides clues to make better questions about the archaeological context.

Molecular and geographic evaluations of the Heteromys pictus–spectabilis species complex indicate multiple cryptic species

Abstract The Heteromys pictus–spectabilis species complex currently consists of two species: H. pictus, which is distributed across western, central, and southern Mexico; and H. spectabilis, an endangered species which is restricted to a small region of southeastern Jalisco. Previous phylogenetic studies have indicated that H. spectabilis renders H. pictus as paraphyletic, and therefore revisions are needed to resolve this paraphyly. Phylogenetic trees based on mitochondrial DNA and nuclear DNA genes were constructed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, grouping individuals into previously established Cytochrome b (Cytb) haplogroups across the geography. Phylogenetic trees were run through bPTP and GMYC analyses to estimate the number of predicted species that may be present, and when these lineages likely diverged based on the genes tested. To assist with species delimitation predictions (based on the Genetic Species Concept), intra- and interspecific Kimura two-parameter (K2P) values were calculated to predict species-level lineages within the species complex. We found evidence to support the hypothesis that there are multiple cryptic species present within H. pictus, with some K2P values between the Cytb haplogroups being on par with what is expected between different species and genera within Rodentia. This is further supported by the phylogenetic trees (individual and concatenated) constructed from Cytb and three nuclear genes (Bfib, IRBP, and PRKCI), which consistently group certain Cytb haplogroups together in ways that correspond to geographic filter barriers in Mexico.

First record of Mysidopsis gemina Price, Heard & Vargas, 2019 (Crustacea, Peracarida, Mysida, Mysidae) on the west coast of Mexico

Mysidopsis gemina Price, Heard & Vargas, 2019, a species of mysid shrimp recorded for Pacific Costa Rica, was collected in western Mexico on October 19th, 2022, at the entrance of the Gulf of California. This is the first record north of Costa Rica and it represents a distribution range extension to the north of approximately 13 degrees of latitude. A comparison of the diagnostic morphological features of the Costa Rican and Mexican specimens is given.

Prevalence of symptoms, comorbidities, and reinfections in individuals infected with Wild-Type SARS-CoV-2, Delta, or Omicron variants: a comparative study in western Mexico.

The variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been classified into variants of interest (VOIs) or concern (VOCs) to prioritize global monitoring and research on variants with potential risks to public health. The SARS-CoV-2 high-rate mutation can directly impact the clinical disease progression, epidemiological behavior, immune evasion, vaccine efficacy, and transmission rates. Therefore, epidemiological surveillance is crucial for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present study, we aimed to describe the prevalence of wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 and Delta and Omicron variants in Jalisco State, Mexico, from 2021 to 2022, and evaluate the possible association of these variants with clinical manifestations of COVID-19. Four thousand and ninety-eight patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by real-time PCR (COVIFLU, Genes2Life, Mexico) from nasopharyngeal samples from January 2021 to January 2022 were included. Variant identification was performed by the RT-qPCR Master Mut Kit (Genes2Life, Mexico). A study population follow-up was performed to identify patients who had experienced reinfection after being vaccinated. Samples were grouped into variants according to the identified mutations: 46.3% were Omicron, 27.9% were Delta, and 25.8% were WT. The proportions of dry cough, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, conjunctivitis, fast breathing, diarrhea, anosmia, and dysgeusia were significantly different among the abovementioned groups (p < 0.001). Anosmia and dysgeusia were mainly found in WT-infected patients, while rhinorrhea and sore throat were more prevalent in patients infected with the Omicron variant. For the reinfection follow-up, 836 patients answered, from which 85 cases of reinfection were identified (9.6%); Omicron was the VOC that caused all reported reinfection cases. In this study, we demonstrate that the Omicron variant caused the biggest outbreak in Jalisco during the pandemic from late December 2021 to mid-February 2022 but with a less severe form than the one demonstrated by Delta and WT. The co-analysis of mutations and clinical outcomes is a public health strategy with the potential to infer mutations or variants that could increase disease severity and even be an indicator of long-term sequelae of COVID-19.

Complex Thinking and Its Relevance in Professional Training: An Approach to Engineering Students in a Mexican University

This article aims to present the results of an analysis of the level of perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency among a group of engineering students in their last semester at a university in Western Mexico. The intention is to identify whether this population has the necessary skills to meet challenges and solve problems related to the demands of their future professional environments. Specifically, we not only seek to know the level of perception of achievement of complex thinking but also to understand its behavior and the possible existence of differences between the male and female populations. Methodologically, exploratory and multivariate descriptive statistical analyses were carried out. The results showed that the participants felt a high level of perceived achievement of the complex thinking competency, which was more noticeable in the male population.

Male Chauvinism and Complex Thinking: A Study of Mexican University Students

This article presents the results of a study conducted on a sample of students at a techno-logical university in western Mexico, in which the aim was to identify a possible relationship between the presence of male chauvinistic behaviors and complex thinking. The argument that motivates this analysis focuses on the assumption that a person with high levels of complex thinking should have a more integrated vision of the capabilities of people beyond their gender, as well as a tendency to question, from a critical point of view, the possible stereotypes rooted in their environment. This article describes the study, its methodology, analyses, results, and the conclusion that high levels of complex thinking result in lower levels of male chauvinistic attitudes. Although it is recognized that this work is not exhaustive, its results are valuable for further educational, social, and gender studies research.

The relationship between the fishermen and the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Mexican central western Pacific: a narrative analysis

Objective: To analyze the relationship between the fishermen of central western Mexico and the river crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), emphasizing the resulting conflict. Design/Methodology/Approach: The work was carried out with 22 fishermen from the Cuyutlán and Alcuzahue lagoons in Colima, Mexico. Four participative workshops were organized per community, in order to explore the positive and negative aspects of the relationship, the perception and knowledge about the ecosystem functions of the crocodile, and the management practices and actions associated with this relationship, as well as to determine the natural participants and factors that influence the said relationship. The workshops were recorded and the resulting data was subjected to a narrative analysis and a summary. Results: Harmonious relationships are recorded, including the creation of bonds between humans and crocodiles and recognizing the benefits to fishing and the ecosystem function of the crocodile. The conflictive relationships identified were related to fishing, the reduction of fishing resources, and accidents. The strategies used to prevent conflicts are related to the dangerous zones, the behavior of the crocodiles, and the killing of the animals to reduce their presence. Additionally, compensation schemes, a collective management of fishing resources, and the replacement of fishing by the exploitation and capture of the crocodile were taken into consideration. Study Limitations: Besides the fishermen’s, the point of view of other participants should be determined. Conclusions: The relationship between fishermen and crocodiles is both harmonious and conflictive. On the one hand, both receive benefits; on the other hand, fishermen suffer economic, operative, and life style impacts, which create inauspicious scenarios for the conservation of the reptile.

Deep-sea Ophiuroidea (Echinodermata) collected during the TALUD cruises in western Mexico

Deep-sea ophiuroids from western Mexico have been documented since 1899, but mostly by non-Mexican expeditions. TALUD is a Mexican project designed to study the deep-sea fauna from Mexico. As part of it, the present contribution provides for the first time detailed information about the taxonomy and distribution, as well as images, of deep-sea ophiuroids from western Mexico, representing a useful taxonomic identification tool for Ophiuroidea from the eastern Pacific. A total of 38 species of ophiuroid (35 identified at species level, one at genus level, and two as confer) were collected from 83 stations located at 123‒2,309 m depth. At a regional scale, several new species records are presented: six for western Baja California, five for western Baja California Sur, two for the Gulf of California, four for Jalisco, 14 for Colima, and five for Guerrero. Geographic (six) and bathymetric (seven) distribution ranges of species are extended. An updated list of deep-sea ophiuroids (61 species) from western Mexico is provided together with an identification key to species collected during this survey. In addition, nine records of deep-sea ophiuroids for the Mexican Pacific are unproven, doubtful or invalid. We corroborated the presence of Ophiacantha eurypoma and Ophiacantha pacifica in the study area and added Amphiura gymnogastra as the first record for Mexico. We propose to transfer Ophiacantha phragma to Ophiolimna on account of it having both granules and spines on the dorsal disc and striated arm plates. TALUD cruises collected 57 % of the total deep-sea species known to occur off Mexico, making it the most important survey of deep-sea Ophiuroidea carried out in western Mexico to date.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Edible Plants Amongst Children from Two Rural Communities in Western Mexico

Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Edible Plants Amongst Children from Two Rural Communities in Western Mexico

Social Entrepreneurship, Complex Thinking, and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: Correlational Study in a Sample of Mexican Students

This article presents the results of a study conducted on a sample population of students attending a technological university in western Mexico. The development of the entrepreneurial self-efficacy competency was evaluated within a process of ideation of social entrepreneurship projects to develop social entrepreneurship and complex thinking competencies. A multivariate descriptive analysis was implemented to demonstrate possible statistically significant correlations between the competencies of social entrepreneurship, complex thinking, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The results confirm the correlations between the competencies of social entrepreneurship, complex thinking, and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, concluding that there is statistically significant information to indicate that the complex thinking competency positively impacts not only the process of generating social entrepreneurship projects but also the scaling of entrepreneurs’ perceptions about their capabilities at the time of entrepreneurship. At a practical level, this study presents results that argue for the need to develop complex thinking in students in social entrepreneurship programs, both in universities and in organizations that promote entrepreneurship. It confirms that complex thinking is a valuable competency in the ideation and generation of entrepreneurial proposals.

Inclusion of transmissible higher capabilities of sustainability in the didactic planning of higher education

The lack of knowledge about the application of Transmissible Higher Capabilities of Sustainability (THCS) in Higher Education in the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Económico Administrativas (CUCEA), a university in western Mexico, thus, it leads us to investigate whether teachers incorporate them as a first attempt in their didactic planning and then enforce them in the teaching-learning process (TLP). The objective was to analyze the THCS and its levels of consideration in the teacher’s didactic planning at the above-mentioned university center. An assessment rubric was applied with a four-point Likert-type scale, composed of 18 items. 276 teacher projects were analyzed. To appraise the significance of the THCS, ANOVA was used, and multiple comparison tests were performed. The outcomes of the comparisons of the averages showed that the highest scores were for Digital Skills, Communication Skills and Teamwork, while the lowest were for Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Creativity. The results of the ANOVAs reported that the THCS levels have a significant impact on the average of the items in each capacity.

Gender gap in the perceived mastery of reasoning-for-complexity competency: an approach in Latin America

PurposeThe study aims to assess students' perceived mastery of reasoning-for-complexity competency and its sub-competencies in a sample of students in a Latin American university. The intention was to identify statistically significant differences between a population of men and women with similar sociocultural characteristics, assessing whether gender could be a factor for educational institutions to consider when implementing strategies to develop this competency.Design/methodology/approachThe eComplexity instrument was applied to 370 undergraduate students in their first to ninth semesters in a private university in Western Mexico. Descriptive statistics were analyzed to determine the mean and standard deviation indicators and were tested for statistical significance. The convenience sampling methodology ensured that there were students from all semesters and a diversity of majors. The sampling aimed for a balance of men and women, resulting in 189 women and 181 men.FindingsThe results confirmed no statistically significant evidence to indicate differences between men and women in their perceived mastery of the reasoning-for-complexity competency in general. However, statistically significant differences were found in the perceived achievements of the sub-competencies of systems, critical and scientific thinking, which comprise the overall competency. Women presented a higher average perception of systemic and critical thinking achievement, and men had a higher perception of scientific thinking. The authors concluded that social and cultural elements influence the perception of achievement that men and women develop in thinking and solving problems.Practical implicationsGovernments and educational institutions must establish training programs that do not follow gender stereotypes and promote reasoning-for-complexity skills equitably in men and women. It is necessary to create more scientific and academic spaces and projects involving women in the sciences; countries must emphasize this to improve their scientific competency. Only in this way will it be possible to reverse the perception that men and women have of their problem-solving skills and abilities, which, as this study shows, are more a matter of culture than capabilities.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies, which analyze the competency of complex thinking in a particular way among its sub-competencies, this research sought comprehensive measurement. Furthermore, beyond measuring competency development, this study aimed to measure the perception of achievement. The authors believe this is the first step towards identifying elements of the social imagination that limit the formation of scientific thinking among women in Latin America.

Osteocalcin levels in a healthy population of western Mexico and comparison with populations from around the world

Osteocalcin levels in a healthy population of western Mexico and comparison with populations from around the world

Valuing Free-Flowing Rivers: The Influence of Social Value on Willingness to Pay for Ecosystem Services Protection

Free-flowing rivers (FFRs) provide valuable ecosystem services to society, but the construction of dams threatens to negatively impact many of these ecosystems worldwide by 2050. Economic valuation of FFRs can be an effective tool to make informed decisions about water resources management. Valuation of FFRs can be achieved through techniques such as contingent valuation in situations where markets do not exist. To better understand the influence of sociodemographic factors and social values on the willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of an FFR in western Mexico, we conducted a face-to-face survey with 179 residents from two localities—one upstream and the other downstream. We used a generalized linear model (GLM) to determine which of the independent variables were significantly correlated with WTP. Our results indicated that age, gender, education, and socioeconomic level have a slight impact on WTP, but we found differences in river valuation between the two localities. We observed that perceived values including future value, life-sustaining, recreation, and economic value exerted a stronger influence on WTP. These findings emphasize the need to integrate local residents’ holistic valuation of FFR into decision-making processes to protect these ecosystems for future generations.

Kelpwatch: A new visualization and analysis tool to explore kelp canopy dynamics reveals variable response to and recovery from marine heatwaves.

Giant kelp and bull kelp forests are increasingly at risk from marine heatwave events, herbivore outbreaks, and the loss or alterations in the behavior of key herbivore predators. The dynamic floating canopy of these kelps is well-suited to study via satellite imagery, which provides high temporal and spatial resolution data of floating kelp canopy across the western United States and Mexico. However, the size and complexity of the satellite image dataset has made ecological analysis difficult for scientists and managers. To increase accessibility of this rich dataset, we created Kelpwatch, a web-based visualization and analysis tool. This tool allows researchers and managers to quantify kelp forest change in response to disturbances, assess historical trends, and allow for effective and actionable kelp forest management. Here, we demonstrate how Kelpwatch can be used to analyze long-term trends in kelp canopy across regions, quantify spatial variability in the response to and recovery from the 2014 to 2016 marine heatwave events, and provide a local analysis of kelp canopy status around the Monterey Peninsula, California. We found that 18.6% of regional sites displayed a significant trend in kelp canopy area over the past 38 years and that there was a latitudinal response to heatwave events for each kelp species. The recovery from heatwave events was more variable across space, with some local areas like Bahía Tortugas in Baja California Sur showing high recovery while kelp canopies around the Monterey Peninsula continued a slow decline and patchy recovery compared to the rest of the Central California region. Kelpwatch provides near real time spatial data and analysis support and makes complex earth observation data actionable for scientists and managers, which can help identify areas for research, monitoring, and management efforts.

Two new species of Eleutherodactylus from western and central Mexico (Eleutherodactylus jamesdixoni sp. nov., Eleutherodactylus humboldti sp. nov.).

The subgenus Syrrhophus (genus Eleutherodactylus) contains >40 species of small, direct-developing frogs that occur at low to moderate elevations from Texas through Mexico and into Guatemala and Belize, with two species in western Cuba. Morphological conservatism and phenotypic convergence have made species delimitation challenging and resulted in a complicated taxonomic history. Since 2015, molecular systematic work has uncovered eleven new species from western Mexico and one from eastern Mexico, but current taxonomy still underestimates species level diversity and there is confusion surrounding the validity and boundary of several species. We used phylogenetic analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences, multivariate statistical analysis of morphological data, and bioacoustic analysis of male advertisement calls to discover two additional unnamed species of Eleutherodactylus from Central and Western Mexico. We describe those species here. Eleutherodactylus (Syrrhophus) humboldti sp. nov. is described from the Quaternary Valle de Bravo volcanic field of the Eje Neovolcánico in Central Mexico. This species is sister to E. maurus and is 3% divergent in 16S. Eleutherodactylus (Syrrhophus) jamesdixoni sp. nov. is described from the Sierra Madre Occidental of western Mexico. This species is sister to E. nitidus and is 3% divergent. We provide color photographs, advertisement call recordings, and molecular diagnoses of these new species and their sister species to aid future workers.

The genus Astragalus (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae: Galegeae) in Mexico

Astragalus is the most diverse genus within flowering plants with almost 2500 species, it is widely distributed around the world, very abundant in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, in central and western Asia, Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan, central Asia, Europe, Mongolia, Siberia, northeastern China, and Japan. In the American continent it is especially abundant in Canada, western United States, Mexico, and South America. Given the diversity of Astragalus species present in Mexico, the recent description of at least 15 new species for this country, the absence of a recent study that encompasses all the new findings and that the last general study for Mexico dates back almost 60 years, we consider necessary a new taxonomic synopsis that encompasses all the new information, which is presented here. The study records 102 species of Astragalus in Mexico. This work is based essentially on the review of collections of specimen samples, type specimens in national and foreign herbaria, data bases, and the collection of specimens of this genus by the authors in the last 40 years and that covers practically the entire area where this genus is distributed in Mexico. In this study we recorded 102 species and 46 infraspecific taxa; seventy one species and 17 varieties are endemic to Mexico. Baja California (32), Chihuahua (25), Durango (23), Sonora (22), Coahuila (20), San Luis Potosí (17), Nuevo León (17), and Zacatecas (15) are the states with the greatest species richness. In Mexico, the diversity of Astragalus species decreases from north to south and from west to east. Most of the species of Astragalus in Mexico are distributed in the mountains, followed by low and arid plains, including coastal dunes, those last ones, exclusively of the northwestern region. There are no records of any Astragalus species in Campeche, Tabasco, Quintana Roo or Yucatan. The dichotomous keys are based mainly on the color of flowers, the shape of the pod and if the fruit is sessile or stipitate. For each species is included also a morphological description, habitat, altitudinal range, and distribution map.

Association of the STAT4 Gene rs7574865 Polymorphism with IFN-γ Levels in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

STAT4 plays an important role in disease activity in SLE patients. STAT4 particles have the capacity to activate the transcription of genes associated with the production of TH1 and Th17 lymphocytes, with a greater predominance on the production of IFN-γ and IL-17A. The presence of variants in STAT4 genes has a major impact on the generation of autoimmunity. However, there are few studies evaluating the impact of these variants on the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and IL-17A. Methods-A case-control study was carried out with 206 Mexican mestizo patients residing in Western Mexico with a diagnosis of SLE and a group of 80 patients without autoimmune diseases was captured to determine the cut-off point for high IFN-γ levels. In this study, SLE patients with high IFN-γ levels were considered as cases (cut-off > 15.6 pg/mL), and SLE patients with normal IFN-γ levels were considered as controls (cut-off ≤ 15.6 pg/mL). Disease activity was identified from the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI). For the determination of levels of cytokines IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL17A, commercial ELISA kits were used. Genotyping of STAT4 rs7574865 (G > T) was performed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) using TaqMan probes. Results-The patients with SLE had a median age of 45 years with a range of disease duration from 4 years to 18 years; 45.6% were identified as having disease activity. In this sample, we identified a high IFN-γ prevalence of 35.4%. The levels of IFN-γ were higher in the patients with genotype TT than GG. We found that TT genotype conferred a higher risk of high IFN-γ when compared to the GG and GT genotypes. Conclusions-In this study, we identified that the polymorphic genotype TT of the STAT4 gene rs7574865 polymorphism is associated with increased levels of IFN-γ. However, its strength of association was weak, so complementary studies are needed to evaluate its impact on SLE patients.