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The genus Trogolaphysa comprises 81 described species distributed across the Neotropical and Afrotropical regions. In the Americas, just over half of the species found in subterranean habitats have a reduced eye number (0–5 eyes). Subterranean species are of interest as models to study the evolution of morphological adaptations. Many subterranean species of Trogolaphysa were described before the introduction of chaetotaxy as a diagnostic tool and thus remain incompletely described and diagnosed. To identify gaps in descriptions and facilitate the identification of newly collected forms, we provide standardized summary descriptions, species diagnoses, diagnostic tables, and a dichotomous key to the 33 Neotropical species of Trogolaphysa with reduced eye number. As a result of this synthesis, we describe two new troglobiontic species, Trogolaphysa reneaui n. sp. and Trogolaphysa welchi n. sp. from Belizean caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a review related to the obtainment of cellulose from different structures in agro-industrial residues, both for application in the food industry and for the reinforcement of other materials. Cellulose nanofibers are produced by the heart of palm (Bactris gasipaes) industry in Brazil and are used as a stabilizer in avocado oil emulsions; conversely, cellulose nanocrystals are produced in waste from the tequila industry (Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul) in Jalisco, Mexico, and are used for reinforcement applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land tenure and carbon rights constitute critical issues to take into account in achieving emission reductions, ensuring transparent benefit sharing and determining non-permanence (or non-compliance) liabilities in the context of REDD+ strategies and projects. This is so because tenure systems influence who becomes involved in efforts to avoid deforestation and improve forest management, and that land tenure, carbon rights and liabilities may be linked or divorced with implications for rural development. This paper explores these issues by looking at tenure regimes and carbon rights issues in Mexico, Brazil and Costa Rica. It is effectively shown that complex bundles of rights over forest resources have distinct implications for REDD+ design and implementation, and that REDD+ strategies in selected countries have to date failed in procedurally addressing land-use conflicts and carbon rights entitlements and liabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years electricity sectors worldwide have undergone major transformations, referred to as the "energy transition". This has required energy planning to quickly adapt to provide useful inputs to the regulation activity so that a cost-effective electricity market emerges to facilitate the integration of renewables. This paper analyzes the role of system planning and regulations on two specific elements in the energy market design: the concept of firm capacity and the presence of distributed energy resources, both of which can be influenced by regulation. We assess the total cost of different regulatory mechanisms in the Brazilian and Mexican systems using optimization tools to determine optimal long-term expansion for a given regulatory framework. In particular, we quantitatively analyze the role of the current regulation in the total cost of these two electricity systems when compared to a reference "efficient" energy planning scenario that adopts standard cost-minimization principles and that is well suited to the most relevant features of the new energy transformation scenario. We show that two very common features of regulatory designs that can lead to distortions are: (i) renewables commonly having a lower "perceived cost" under the current regulations, either due to direct incentives such as tax breaks or due to indirect access to more attractive contracts or financing conditions; and (ii) requirements for reliability are often defined more conservatively than they should be, overstating the hardships imposed by renewable generation on the existing system and underestimating their potential to form portfolios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The flat mite family Tenuipalpidae includes 41 genera and more than 1100 species worldwide, and is considered one of the most important families of phytophagous mites. The Ultratenuipalpus is a small genus with 25 known species present in almost all zoogeographic regions. Here, a new species Ultratenuipalpus parameekeri Castro, Ochoa & Feres sp. nov. is described from specimens collected on ferns from Brazil. It represents the first species of the genus described from the country. The type species of the genus Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon) is redescribed based on types and newly collected material from Mexico. Highly detailed low-temperature scanning electron image (LT-SEM) micrographs and DNA barcodes are provided for both species. The taxonomy of the genus Ultratenuipalpus and the ontogenetic additions of leg setae are discussed. Species of the genus Ultratenuipalpus bear a broad subquadrate propodosoma with many large, flattened, lanceolate to ovate dorsal setae. They also bear some plesiomorphic character states, such as the presence of three pairs of ventral ps setae. Here, we describe Ultratenuipalpus parameekeri Castro, Ochoa & Feres sp. nov. based on adult females, males, and immatures, collected on ferns from Brazil. We also re-describe Ultratenuipalpus meekeri (De Leon), the type species of the genus, based on types and newly collected material from Mexico, and include additional novel data (e.g., dorsal and ventral ornamentation, leg chaetotaxy, and setal measurements) in a standardized form. We include highly detailed images obtained using LT-SEM, accompanied by DNA barcodes, for both species. The ontogenetic additions of leg chaetotaxy are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluates the partial-area effect and its relationship with the rainfall intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) equations. In the Rational Method, if the critical rainfall duration is shorter than the time of concentration, the partial-area effect occurs. We proved that the partial area could exist for the general ID equation i = a / (b + t d) c , only when c > 1 . For these equations, in the application of the Rational Method, the maximum discharge at basin outlet occurs for rainfall duration ( t d ) equal to b/(c−1). Nevertheless, for that case, the Depth Duration Frequency (DDF) has a maximum at that rainfall duration. These situations are present in engineering practice and will be discussed in this paper. Research was done to look for IDF equations with c > 1 in hydrologic engineering practice. It found 640 inconsistent IDF equations ( c > 1 ) in four countries (Brazil, Mexico, India, and USA), which means that a fundamental principle for building consistent IDF equations (i.e., c > 1 ), published in the scientific literature since 1998, did not reach the hydrologic engineering practice fully. We provided some analysis regarding this gap between theory and engineering practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most countries, notably those that signed the Paris Climate Agreement, prioritize achieving the zero carbon or carbon neutrality aim. Unlike earlier studies, this one assesses the contribution of environmental policy, clean energy, green innovation, and renewable energy to the E7 economies' achievement of carbon neutrality goals from 1990 to 2019. Findings emanating from the study show that the EKC hypothesis is valid in E7 countries. Implying that emissions in the E7 countries increased with the kick-off of development but declined later due to possible potent environmental regulatory policies put in place. Similarly, across all models, renewable energy (REN), green innovations (GINNO), environmental tax (ETAX), and technological innovations (TECH) were found to exert a negative and significant impact on carbon emissions in the E7 countries both in the short and long run. On the other hand, economic expansion (GDP) positively impacts environmental deterioration. Furthermore, the country-specific result shows that, on average, Brazil, India, China, Russia, Mexico, and Indonesia have significant environmental policies aiding carbon abatement. Except for Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia, the income growth in the rest of the countries does not follow the EKC proposition. Furthermore, the causality result revealed a unidirectional causal relationship between GDP, REN, and GINNO to CO2 emission. No causality was found between ETAX with CO2, while a bi-directional causality exists between technology and CO2 emissions. Based on the finding, policymakers in the E7 countries should move away from fossil fuels because future electricity output will not be sufficient to reduce emissions considerably. Environmental regulations, encouraging technological innovation, adopting green and sustainable technology, and clean energy sources, among other things, demand radical and broad changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to determine the existence of inflection points when companies' credit risk goes from being minimal (Hedge) to being high (Ponzi). We propose an analysis methodology that determines the probability of hedge credits to migrate to speculative and then to Ponzi, through simulations with homogeneous Markov chains and the k-means clustering method to determine thresholds and migration among clusters. To prove this, we used quarterly financial data from a sample of 35 public enterprises over the period between 1 July 2006 and 28 March 2020 (companies listed on the USA, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile stock markets). For simplicity, we make the assumption of no revolving credits for the companies and that they face their next payment only with their operating cash flow. We found that Ponzi companies (1) have a 0.79 probability average of default, while speculative ones had (0) 0.28, and hedge companies (−1) 0.009, which are the inflections point we were looking for. Our work's main limitation lies in not considering the entities' behavior when granting credits in altered states (credit relaxation due to credit supply excess). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the BEKK-GARCH model to examine the return-and-volatility spillover between the world-leading markets (USA and China) and four emerging Latin American stock markets over the global financial crisis of 2008 and the crash of the Chinese stock market of 2015. Regarding return spillover, our findings reveal a unidirectional return transmission from Mexico to the US stock market during the global financial crisis. During the crash of the Chinese stock market, the return spillover is found to be unidirectional from the US to the Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru stock markets. Moreover, the results indicate a unidirectional return transmission from China to the Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Peru stock markets during the global financial crisis and the crash of the Chinese stock market. Regarding volatility spillover, the results show the bidirectional volatility transmission between the US and the stock markets of Chile and Mexico during the global financial crisis. During the Chinese crash, the bidirectional volatility transmission is observed between the US and Mexican stock markets. Furthermore, the volatility spillover is unidirectional from China to the Brazil stock market during the global financial crisis. During the Chinese crash, the volatility spillover is bidirectional between the China and Brazil stock markets. Lastly, a portfolio analysis application has been conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The development of new production lines of turkeys has relegated native breeds to a second position. This has increased the need for new research to ensure the conservation of local turkey breeds and the maintenance of biodiversity. The objective of the present study was to identify turkey populations, their origins, and maternal lines through mitochondrial DNA analysis. For this study, mitochondrial DNA samples from 93 turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) were used. The animals belonged to populations in Brazil, Mexico, Spain (Andalusia and Majorca) Italy, Iran, Egypt, and the United States. The haplogroup network that formed suggested that turkey domestic populations group into a single haplotype. However, genetic differences within the haplogroup were found. The present study may provide a better approach for the implementation of conservation strategies for domestic turkey populations. According to recent archeological evidence, turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) domestication may have occurred in Mexico around 2000 years ago. However, little is known about the phylogenetic and genealogical background underlying domestic turkey populations. This study aimed to further understand the domestication process and identify inter- or intraspecific connections between turkey populations to determine their origins, trace their global expansion, and define the species' genetic value. Ninety-three domestic turkeys (local breeds) were sampled from populations in Brazil, Mexico, USA, Spain, Italy, Iran, and Egypt. Publicly available sequences from previous studies were also included. Standard mitochondrial DNA, genetic diversity, and haplotype network analyses were performed. Seventy-six polymorphic sites were identified. Turkeys from Mexico showed the greatest number of polymorphic sites (40), while turkeys from Italy and Brazil reported only one site each. Nucleotide diversity was also highest in Mexico and the USA (π = 0.0175 and 0.0102, respectively) and lowest in Brazil and Italy. Of the six major haplogroups defined, the Mexican and USA populations appeared to have remained more stable and diverse than the other populations. This may be due to conservative husbandry policies in the rural areas of other populations, which have prevented the introduction of commercial turkey lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The first outbreaks of the new coronavirus disease, named COVID-19, occurred at the end of December 2019. This disease spread quickly around the world, with the United States, Brazil and Mexico being the countries the most severely affected. This study aims to analyze the relationship between different publications and their authors through citation networks, as well as to identify the research areas and determine which publication has been the most cited., Methods: The search for publications was carried out through the Web of Science database using terms such as "COVID-19" and "SARS-CoV-2" for the period between January and July 2020. The Citation Network Explorer software was used for publication analysis., Results: A total of 14,335 publications were found with 42,374 citations generated in the network, with June being the month with the largest number of publications. The most cited publication was "Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China" by Guan et al., published in April 2020. Nine groups comprising different research areas in this field, including clinical course, psychology, treatment and epidemiology, were found using the clustering functionality., Conclusions: The citation network offers an objective and comprehensive analysis of the main papers on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Teacher-endorsed supporting behaviors present themselves as key influencers of student adaptive academic and social functions. The objective of this paper was twofold. First, this study sought to test a model in which student-perceived autonomy support was associated with group cohesion, considering the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. Second, the current study examined the dimensionality of the model across five Western countries, namely Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. A convenience sample of 3033 college students ( M age = 21.51 ± SD = 3.71) were recruited for the analysis. The results revealed that perceived autonomy support was positively associated with needs satisfaction, being consequently associated with intrinsic motivation and, ultimately, with group cohesion. Additionally, a multigroup analysis revealed that the model was invariant across college students from the different countries. The current results are discussed around the promotion of teacher uses of autonomy-supportive behaviors fostering adaptive outcomes in students regarding positive social relations and that the cultures of Ibero-American countries are equivalent in this process., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Background: This paper describes the health and economic burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Mexico and other mega-countries through a review of literature and datasets., Methods: Mega-countries with a low (Nigeria), middle (India), high (China/Brazil/Mexico), and very high (the U.S.A./Japan) human development index were included. The review was focused on prevalence of dyslipidemias and CVD economic impact and conducted according to the PRISMA statement. Public datasets of CVD indicators were explored., Results: Heterogeneity in economic data and limited information on dyslipidemias were found. Hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were higher in Mexico compared with other countries. Higher contribution of dietary risk factors for cardiovascular mortality and greater probability of dying prematurely from CVD were observed in developing countries. From 1990-2016, a greater decrease in cardiovascular mortality in developed countries was registered. In 2015, a CVD expense equivalent to 4% of total health expenditure was reported in Mexico. CVD ranked first in health expenditures in almost all these nations and the economic burden will remain significant for decades to come., Conclusions: Resources should be assured to optimize CVD risk monitoring. Educational and medical models must be improved to enhance CVD diagnosis and the prescription and adherence to treatments. Long-term benefits could be attained by modifying the food system.