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Copyright of Revista Chapingo Serie Ciencias Forestales is the property of Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the aim of giving an overview on concentration and distribution of Cd, Cu, and Pb in fish from the coasts of Sinaloa state (SE Gulf of California), specimens with different feeding habits were collected in five locations. Sampling occurred between June 2003 and March 2004. Metal analyses on fish tissues were made by graphite furnace (Cd, Pb) and flame (Cu) atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Metal concentrations in tissues of carnivorous fish were grouped together and compared with corresponding concentrations in non-carnivorous fish; Cu and Pb levels were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher in liver of non-carnivorous species. Though no samples exceeded the maximum level set in international legislation for fish, from the perspective of the public health and considering the legal limits of fishery products for human consumption, Cu concentrations were exceeded (in tissues different from muscle) in four carnivorous and five non-carnivorous species according to the Australian legislation. In the case of Cd, two carnivorous species ( Pomadasys leuciscus and Caulolatilus princeps) and one non-carnivorous species ( Mugil cephalus), showed concentrations over the maximum level of 2 μg g − 1 dry weight considered in the Mexican legislation. Considering average amounts of fish consumption in Mexico, daily mineral intake (DMI) values for Cu and percentage weekly intake (PWI) of Cd and Pb were estimated; none of the analyzed metals in edible portion of analyzed fish could be detrimental to humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving mental health outcomes for agricultural populations is dependent on understanding the unique farming related stressors in context of the local culture and community. This study was designed to assess the prevalence of stressors and mental health risks among farmers and farmworkers in a rural, medically underserved US-Mexico border region. Of 135 study respondents, 55.6% (n = 18) farmers had clinical depression symptomatology based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression screening scale (CES-D) and 40.2% (n = 117) farmworkers had stress levels that pose significant mental health risks based on the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory. Farmworker females were 2.3 times more likely to have a score of clinical concern. Results provide an understanding of the distinct sources of stress for both farmers and farmworkers and the mental health challenges across the industry. With an understanding that suicide is the third leading cause of injury death in Imperial County and depression associated with an increased risk of suicidality, the agricultural workforce in Imperial County is particularly vulnerable. Local farm organizations, employers, and community organizations can help increase mental health access, acceptability, and availability to achieve greater safety and health in the region's largest workforce.

Hispanic/Latino and migrant workers experience high degrees of occupational stress, constitute most of California's agricultural workforce, and were among the most impacted populations by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, relatively little is known about the occupational stress experienced by farmworkers who commute daily between the US and Mexico. Occupational stress is considered an imbalance between the demands at work and the capabilities to respond in the context of the workforce. The goal of this study is to determine the type and severity of stressors in daytime and resident farmworkers and how COVID-19 vaccination status contributes to these stressors. Interviews containing the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MSWSI) were administered to a sample of 199 Hispanic/Latino farmworkers in Imperial County, a multi-billion-dollar agriculture sector in the US. Principal factor analysis differentiated latent factors in the MFSWI. Simple linear regression models and correlations identified associations between MFWSI scores and sample characteristics. The MFWSI reduced to five stressor domains: Health and Well-Being Vulnerabilities, Inadequate Standards of Living/Unknown Conditions of Living, Working Conditions, Working Environment, and Language Barriers. Approximately 40 percent of the respondents reported significant stress levels, with foreign-born ( p = 0.014) and older respondents ( p = 0.0415) being more likely to experience elevated stress regardless of their nighttime residence. We found that Spanish-language COVID-19 outreach might have been particularly effective for workers who reported high stress from English-language communication ( p = 0.001). Moreover, our findings point to the importance of worker and human rights to mitigate the high-stress foreign-born workers who live in Mexico and the US experience.

Rationale: Health outcomes such as height are important determinants of social inequities., Objective: We assess height gaps in Mexico among boys and girls from distinct subpopulation groups over time., Method: We use longitudinal data from the first three waves of the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS) to analyze children's height differentials by gender and by indigenous and poverty status over 7-10 years. We control for children's characteristics, household factors, and mother's height and use the Blinder-Oaxaca Decomposition method to explain disparities in children's height across the three waves of the MxFLS., Results: The main findings suggest that height inequalities among indigenous and extremely poor boys and girls, compared with their non-indigenous and less socioeconomically disadvantaged counterparts, are persistent. The results also reveal that height disparities among girls are consistently greater than those among boys in similar population groups and that height gaps increase over time for girls., Conclusions: These findings indicate the relevance of social and economic determinants on children's growth potential and the need to examine the association of social determinants on health outcomes. They also underscore the necessity to design and implement public policies that consider a gender perspective., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess, from a systems perspective, how climate vulnerability and socio-economic and political differences at the municipal and state levels explain food insecurity in Mexico., Design: Using a cross-sectional design with official secondary data, we estimated three-level multinomial hierarchical linear models., Setting: The study setting is Mexico's states and municipalities in 2014., Participants: Heads of households in a representative sample of the general population., Results: At the municipal level, vulnerability to climate disasters and a poverty index were significant predictors of food insecurity after adjusting for household-level variables. At the state level, gross domestic product and the number of nutrition programmes helped explain different levels of food insecurity but change in political party did not. Predictors varied in strength and significance according to the level of food insecurity., Conclusions: Findings evidence that, beyond food assistance programmes and household characteristics, multiple variables operating at different levels - like climate vulnerability and poverty - contribute to explain the degree of food insecurity. Food security governance is a well-suited multisectoral approach to address the complex challenge of hunger and access to a nutritious diet.

Background: Mexico has shown a worrisome decrease in breastfeeding indicators, especially in the lowest socioeconomic level. Improving breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support services through workforce development is a key area of intervention. The objective of this study is to assess the influence on breastfeeding knowledge and abilities of a semi-virtual training for primary healthcare providers assisting beneficiaries of PROSPERA in Mexico, which is one of the largest conditional cash-transfer programs in the world., Methods: Two independent cross-sectional samples of healthcare providers were drawn at baseline and post-intervention in three states of Mexico. Baseline data were collected among primary physicians, registered nurses and nurse technicians (i.e. unit of analysis) on July 2016 (n = 529) and post-training between March and April 2017 (n = 211). A 19-item telephone questionnaire assessed providers' general knowledge about breastfeeding, breastfeeding benefits and clinical aspects of breastfeeding, clinical ability to solve problems and abilities to overcome breastfeeding challenges. The effects of the training were assessed through a propensity score matching (PSM) stratified by types of providers (i.e. physicians, registered nurses, nurse technicians)., Results: The PSM analysis showed significant improvements among all providers in the general knowledge about breastfeeding (around 20 percentage points [pp]) and knowledge about breastfeeding benefits (approximately 50 pp). In addition, physicians improved their knowledge about clinical aspects of breastfeeding (7 pp), while registered nurses improved in their ability to solve breastfeeding problems (14 pp) and in helping mothers overcome breastfeeding challenges (12 pp)., Conclusions: Promoting a breastfeeding enabling environment in Mexico to improve breastfeeding rates will require improving the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers. While a semi-virtual training showed large improvements in knowledge, developing skills among providers may require a more intensive approach.

Infants born prematurely or with low birth weights are more susceptible to kidney dysfunction throughout their lives. Multiple proteins measured in urine are noninvasive biomarkers of subclinical kidney damage, but few studies have examined the joint effects of multiple biomarkers. We conducted an exploratory study of 103 children in the Programing Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment, and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) longitudinal birth cohort, and measured nine proteins selected a priori in banked spot urine samples collected at ages 4-6. The goal of our study was to explore the combined effects of kidney damage biomarkers previously associated with birth outcomes. To do this, we generated kidney biomarker indices using weighted quantile sum regression and assessed associations with length of gestation or birth weight. A decile increase in each kidney biomarker index was associated with 2-day shorter gestations (β = -2.0, 95% CI: -3.2, -0.9) and 59-gram lower birth weights (β = -58.5, 95% CI: -98.3, -18.7), respectively. Weights highlighting the contributions showed neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) (60%) and osteopontin (19%) contributed most to the index derived for gestational age. NGAL (66%) and beta-2-microglobulin (10%) contributed most to the index derived for birth weight. Joint analyses of multiple kidney biomarkers can provide integrated measures of kidney dysfunction and improved statistical assessments compared to biomarkers assessed individually. Additionally, shorter gestations and lower birth weights may contribute to subclinical kidney damage measurable in childhood., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Rhus trilobata Nutt. (Anacardiaceae) (RHTR) is a plant of Mexico that is traditionally used as an alternative treatment for several types of cancer. However, the phytochemical composition and potential toxicity of this plant have not been evaluated to support its therapeutic use. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the biological activity of RHTR against colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, determine its possible acute toxicity, and analyze its phytochemical composition., Methods: The traditional preparation was performed by decoction of stems in distilled water (aqueous extract, AE), and flavonoids were concentrated with C 18 -cartridges and ethyl acetate (flavonoid fraction, FF). The biological activity was evaluated by MTT viability curves and the TUNEL assay in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CACO-2), ovarian epithelium (CHO-K1) and lung/bronchus epithelium (BEAS-2B) cells. The toxicological effect was determined in female BALB/c mice after 24 h and 14 days of intraperitoneal administration of 200 mg/kg AE and FF, respectively. Later, the animals were sacrificed for histopathological observation of organs and sera obtained by retro-orbital bleeding for biochemical marker analysis. Finally, the phytochemical characterization of AE and FF was conducted by UPLC-MS E ., Results: In the MTT assays, AE and FF at 5 and 18 μg/mL decreased the viability of CACO-2 cells compared with cells treated with vehicle or normal cells (p ≤ 0.05, ANOVA), with changes in cell morphology and the induction of apoptosis. Anatomical and histological analysis of organs did not reveal important pathological lesions at the time of assessment. Additionally, biochemical markers remained normal and showed no differences from those of the control group after 24 h and 14 days of treatment (p ≤ 0.05, ANOVA). Finally, UPLC-MS E analysis revealed 173 compounds in AE-RHTR, primarily flavonoids, fatty acids and phenolic acids. The most abundant compounds in AE and FF were quercetin and myricetin derivates (glycosides), methyl gallate, epigallocatechin-3-cinnamate, β-PGG, fisetin and margaric acid, which might be related to the anticancer properties of RHTR., Conclusion: RHTR exhibits biological activity against cancer cells and does not present adverse toxicological effects during its in vivo administration, supporting its traditional use.

Background: Investing in maternity protection for working women is an important social equity mechanism. Addressing the maternity leave needs of women employed in the informal sector economy should be a priority as more than half of women in Latin America, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa are employed in this sector., Objective: To develop a costing methodology framework to assess the financial feasibility, at the national level, of implementing a maternity cash transfer for informally employed women., Methods: A World Bank costing methodology was adapted for estimating the financial need to establish a maternity cash transfer benefit. The methodology estimates the cash transfer's unitary cost, the incremental coverage of the policy in terms of time, the weighted population to be covered, and the administrative costs. The 6-step methodology uses employment and sociodemographic data that are available in many countries through employment and demographic surveys and the population census. The methodology was tested with data for Mexico assuming different cash transfer unitary costs and the benefit's time coverage., Results: The methodological framework estimated that the annual financial needs of setting up a maternity cash transfer for informally working women in Mexico ranges between US$87 million and US$280 million., Conclusions: A pragmatic methodology for assessing the costs of maternity cash transfer for informally employed women was developed. In the case of Mexico, the maternity cash transfer for women in the informal sector is financially feasible.

We previously identified bipolar disorder (BD) susceptibility loci on 8q24, 14q32, and 2q12-14 in a genome-wide nonparametric linkage screen in a Latino cohort. We now perform a fine mapping analysis using a dense map of additional SNPs to identify BD susceptibility genes within these regions. One thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight individuals with Latino ancestry (880 individuals with BD Type I or Schizoaffective, Bipolar Type) from 416 Latino pedigrees from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala were genotyped with 3,074 SNPs to provide dense coverage of the 8q24 (11.5 cM), 14q32 (7.5 cM), and 2q12-14 (6.5 cM) chromosomal loci. Single-marker association tests in the presence of linkage were performed using the LAMP software. The top linkage peak (rs7834818; LOD = 5.08, p = 3.30E - 5) and associated single marker (rs2280915, p = 2.70E - 12) were located within FBXO32 on 8q24. On chromosome 2, the top linkage peak (rs6750326; LOD = 5.06, p = 3.50E - 5) and associated single marker (rs11887088, p = 2.90E - 6) were located in intragenic regions near ACTR3 and DPP10. None of the additional markers in the region around chromosome 14q32 met significance levels for linkage or association. We identified six SNPs on 2q12-q14 and one SNP in FBXO32 on 8q24 that were significantly associated with BD in this Latino cohort., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous putative genetic polymorphisms associated with bipolar disorder (BD) and/or schizophrenia (SC). We hypothesized that a portion of these polymorphisms would also be associated with BD in the Latino American population. To identify such regions, we tested previously identified genetic variants associated with BD and/or SC and ancestral haploblocks containing these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a sample of Latino subjects with BD., Methods: A total of 2254 Latino individuals were genotyped for 91 SNPs identified in previous BD and/or SC GWASs, along with selected SNPs in strong linkage disequilibrium with these markers. Family-based single marker and haplotype association testing was performed using the PBAT software package. Empirical P-values were derived from 10 000 permutations., Results: Associations of eight a priori GWAS SNPs with BD were replicated with nominal (P≤.05) levels of significance. These included SNPs within nuclear factor I A (NFIA), serologically defined colon cancer antigen 8 (SDCCAG8), lysosomal associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3), nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1), major histocompatibility complex, class I, B (HLA-B) and 5'-nucleotidase, cytosolic II (NT5C2) and SNPs within intragenic regions microRNA 6828 (MIR6828)-solute carrier family 7 member 14 (SLC7A14) and sonic hedgehog (SHH)-long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1006 (LINC01006). Of the 76 ancestral haploblocks that were tested for associations with BD, our top associated haploblock was located in LAMP3; however, the association did not meet statistical thresholds of significance following Bonferroni correction., Conclusions: These results indicate that some of the gene variants found to be associated with BD or SC in other populations are also associated with BD risk in Latinos. Variants in six genes and two intragenic regions were associated with BD in our Latino sample and provide additional evidence for overlap in genetic risk between SC and BD., (© 2016 The Authors Bipolar Disorders Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A thyroid nodule (TN) is a discrete lesion in the thyroid gland radiologically distinct from the adjacent parenchyma, with a prevalence variable depending on the diagnostic method used and the study population. Thyroid disorders have been identified in more than 50% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the prevalence of TN has not been frequently studied. We identified a prevalence of 27% TN in 55 SLE patients > 16 years of age. One-third of TN were >1 cm with radiological features of malignancy. The mean age of patients with TN was 39 ± 11 years, 93% women, and SLE duration 10 ± 6 years. Among patients, we reported family history of cancer in three cases (20%), thyroid disease in one (7%), and autoimmune disease in six (40%). Regarding treatment, 50% of patients with TN were treated with azathioprine vs. 23% of patients without TN (p = 0.02), with an OR of 3.94 (95% CI 1.12-13.84, p = 0.03). As a conclusion a high prevalence of TN in SLE patients was found. Prevalence of TN correlated only with history of azathioprine use. We don't know the long-term implications of our findings; however, a functional and morphological evaluation of the thyroid gland is warranted in all patients with SLE.

Objectives:   Through recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs), several groups have reported significant association between variants in the calcium channel, voltage-dependent, L-type, alpha 1C subunit (CACNA1C) and bipolar disorder (BP) in European and European-American cohorts. We performed a family-based association study to determine whether CACNA1C is associated with BP in the Latino population., Methods:   This study included 913 individuals from 215 Latino pedigrees recruited from the USA, Mexico, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. The Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping Assay was used to genotype 58 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that spanned a 602.9-kb region encompassing the CACNA1C gene including two SNPs (rs7297582 and rs1006737) previously shown to associate with BP. Individual SNP and haplotype association analyses were performed using Family-Based Association Test (version 2.0.3) and Haploview (version 4.2) software., Results:   An eight-locus haplotype block that included these two markers showed significant association with BP (global marker permuted p = 0.0018) in the Latino population. For individual SNPs, this sample had insufficient power (10%) to detect associations with SNPs with minor effect (odds ratio = 1.15)., Conclusions:   Although we were not able to replicate findings of association between individual CACNA1C SNPs rs7297582 and rs1006737 and BP, we were able to replicate the GWAS signal reported for CACNA1C through a haplotype analysis that encompassed these previously reported significant SNPs. These results provide additional evidence that CACNA1C is associated with BP and provides the first evidence that variations in this gene might play a role in the pathogenesis of this disorder in the Latino population., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Objective: Back pain (BP) is frequent in the community; its prevalence in México is 6%. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of BP in Mexican communities and determine its most important characteristics., Methods: A cross-sectional study of individuals aged > 18 years was conducted in Mexico City and in urban communities in the state of Nuevo León. Sampling in Mexico City was based on community census and in Nuevo León, on stratified, balanced, and random sampling. Procedures included a door-to-door survey, using the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases, to identify individuals with BP > 1 on a visual analog scale in the last 7 days. General practitioners/rheumatology fellows confirmed and characterized BP symptoms., Results: In all, 8159 individuals (mean age 43.7 yrs, two-thirds female) were surveyed and 1219 had BP. The prevalence of nontraumatic BP in the last 7 days was 8.0% (95% CI 7.5-8.7). The mean age of these individuals was 42.7 years, and 61.9% were female. Thirty-seven percent had inflammatory BP [prevalence of 3.0% (95% CI 2.7-3.4)]. Compared with the state of Nuevo Léon, the characteristics and consequences of BP in Mexico City were more severe. In logistic regression analysis, living in Mexico City, having a paid job, any kind of musculoskeletal pain, high pain intensity, and obesity among other variables were associated with BP., Conclusion: The prevalence of nontraumatic BP in the last 7 days in urban communities in México is 8.0%. However, clinical features and consequences differed among the communities studied, suggesting a role for local factors in BP.

Objective: Bacteria and/or their antigens are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of reactive arthritis (ReA). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the 16S ribosomal RNA-PCR method was used to identify bacterial DNA in synovial fluid (SF) and tissue (ST) in a well defined group of patients with chronic ReA. In addition, species found were identified by means of sequence analysis., Methods: We examined 15 ST and 5 SF samples of 15 patients with ReA, 5 ST samples of 5 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and 8 SF from 8 patients with closed traumatic knee injuries using a nested PCR with universal 16S rRNA primers. In addition, a nested PCR was developed to detect DNA sequences of Salmonella sp. and Mycoplasma sp. Automated sequencing and comparative data analysis (GenBank) were also performed to identify the species., Results: Bacterial DNA was identified in 8 cases, 5 ST and 3 SF; Chlamydia trachomatis (n = 2), Pseudomonas sp. (n = 3), and Bacillus cereus (n = 2) were the most common microorganisms identified. A variety of microorganisms including Clostridium sp., Lactobacillus sp., Pseudomonas migulae, P. fluorescens, and P. putida, and Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B were also identified. In half of the cases (4/8) 2 to 3 bacterial antigens were identified simultaneously., Conclusion: Bacterial DNA is present in the joints in patients with chronic ReA. A wide spectrum of bacteria including some not previously associated with ReA were identified. Further studies are needed to establish their exact role in the pathogenesis of ReA and related arthritides.