Genetic Diversity in <i>Jatropha platyphylla</i>Accessions Based on Morphological Traits and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats Molecular Markers

Seven accessions of Jatropha platyphylla were evaluated for their phenotypic traits and genetic diversity using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Cluster analyses with nine traits were performed: number of branches per plant;fruit per bunch;bunch per branch;bunch per plant;total seed production;total fruit production, protein content, oil content, and fatty acid profile. Genotypes from Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico (PR11) yielded the highest values in all traits. The correlation analysis of the quantitative traits showed high correlations between seed and total fruit production (r = 0.99). Unsaturated linoleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid (57.64% - 52.39%). Within a genetic improvement program, two of the most important variables to be considered are oil content and phenotypic characteristics of the plant. J. platyphylla has shown viable selection traits that provide a possibility of producing interspecies hybrids and giving them added value. ISSRs primers generated variable banding patterns that were found to be polymorphic;the polymorphic information content (PIC) of these loci ranged from 0.21 to 0.45 with an average of 0.34. The unweighted pair group method (UPGMA) cluster analysis of the data showed the formation of three groups, where the most divergent accession pair was the genotype from Quelite (QP11) and Rosario (PR11).

Stress Biomarkers in the Giant Manta Mobula birostris Associated to Tourism in the Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico

A constant increase in dive tourism over the past years in the Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico, could result in a stressful scenario for giant mantas (Mobula birostris). The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of oxidative stress in terms of changes in catalase units (CAT) and muscle glycogen concentration in this species during two periods of different tourism intensity in this protected area. A total of 21 muscle biopsies were collected in March (peak tourism) and November (lower tourism), 2019. Stress biomarkers were analysed by commercial kits from the company Cayman Chemical. Oxidative stress (catalase activity) was significantly higher during the period with lower tourism (p = 0.002), compared to the period with more tourism, suggesting the presence of the general adaptation syndrome. In males, there was a significant difference (p = 0.0005) in oxidative stress between periods of different tourism intensity, suggesting that the reproductive season may be a stressor. Morphotypes showed different oxidative stress (p = 0.031);however, the reason is unknown. No statistical differences were detected in glycogen concentrations between the tourism periods (p = 0.123), probably because this polysaccharide is not a proper indicator of chronic stress in giant mantas. Based on these findings, giant mantas may have an adequate response in terms of oxidative stress due to an increase in tourism;however the observed increase in catalase suggests that it is within the tolerance range of these organisms.

Scientific guidelines for preclinical research on potentised preparations manufactured according to current pharmacopoeias-the PrePoP guidelines

Objective Pharmacopoeias regulate the manufacture of potentised pharmaceutical preparations used in different branches of complementary and integrative medicine.The physicochemical properties and biological activity of these preparations are often investigated in preclinical research,yet no guidelines for experimental research currently exist in this area.The present PrePoP guidelines aim to provide recommendations to promote high-quality,statistically sound,and reproducible preclinical research on potentised preparations.Methods Input was gathered from researchers nominated by the relevant scientific societies using a simplified Delphi consensus approach covering the most relevant aspects of basic research methodology in the field including appropriate controls,sample preparation and handling,and statistics.After three rounds of feedback,a consensus was finally reached on the most important aspects and considerations for conducting high-quality research on potentised preparations.Results We present a series of recommendations on a range of topics including experimental controls,system stability,blinding and randomisation,environmental influences,and procedures for the preparation of potentised samples and controls,and we address some specific challenges of this research field.Conclusion This expert consensus process resulted in a robust set of methodological guidelines for research on potentised preparations and provides a valuable framework that will inform and improve the quality of subsequent research in this emerging field.

Genetic Diversity of the Endemic Xantus’ Hummingbird Using 16 Novel Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci, and Their Cross Amplification between Six Related Species

A set of 16 microsatellite loci was developed and characterized for the Xantus’ hummingbird (Hylocharis xantusii) by using 454 next-generation sequencing. Twenty-five H. xantusii samples from one population were genotyped;all loci were polymorphic, with the number of alleles ranging from three to ten. The mean observed heterozygosity was 0.681 for all loci. No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected, but five loci (Hxan05, 06, 09, 13 and 14) showed deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These microsatellite loci are the first to be characterized for H. xantusii. A moderate to high level of cross-species amplification was observed across the six hummingbird species (31% - 87.5%), with the best cross amplification results observed in the closest related species (H. leucotis, Cynanthus latirostris, Calypte costae). The availability of these molecular tools allows assessing questions integrating population genetics, ecology, conservation, and evolutionary history for H. xantusii and for other phyogenetically related species.

Oxidative stress indicators in human and bottlenose dolphin leukocytes in response to a pro-inflammatory challenge

Marine mammals undergo cycles of tissue ischemia and reperfusion during the dive response.Reperfusion injury can result in oxidative tissue damage and the activation of a pro-inflammatory immune response.The risk of oxidative damage is reduced by antioxidants.Our hypothesis is that the reported higher antioxidant defenses within marine mammal tissues provide additional protection in situations that produce oxidative stress,like inflammation,in comparison to terrestrial mammal tissues.Leukocytes were isolated from the whole blood of Pacific bottlenose dolphins(Tursiops truncatus gilli)and humans(Homo sapiens)and were exposed to lipopolysaccharides(LPS,10μg/mL)in vitro to simulate a pro-inflammatory challenge.Oxidative stress indicators,including superoxide radical(O_(2)^(•−))production,activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),glutathione peroxidase(GPx),glutathione reductase(GR),and glutathione S-transferase(GST),as well as oxidative protein damage,were quantified by spectrophotometry.Following 48 h under experimental conditions,bottlenose dolphin leukocytes produced 1.9 times more O_(2)^(•−)but displayed 2.0 times lower protein carbonyl concentrations compared to human leukocytes.Following 48 h under experimental conditions,bottlenose dolphin leukocytes displayed 7.9,2.0,11.1,and 3.3 times more activities of CAT,GPx,GR,and GST,respectively,compared to human leukocytes.These results suggest that,under cell culture conditions,the antioxidant defenses in bottlenose dolphin leukocytes provide additional protection against pro-inflammatory challenges in comparison to human leukocytes,likely as an adaptive advantage.

Presence of Infectious Hypodermal and Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) in Native Shrimps from Southern Mexico

A survey for Infectious Hypodermal and Haematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) and White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) was performed during two catching seasons of native shrimps in the Yucatan Coast in the Gulf of Mexico. The mtDNA COI barcode identified two endemic species;the southern pink shrimp Penaeus notialis (Pérez Fantante, 1967) and the northern pink shrimp Penaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1987) (previously described as Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis). The prevalence of IHHNV was of 18.18% in 2016, and of 8.57% in 2017. All organisms tested negative for WSSV. This is the first identification of wild shrimps in the state of Yucatan Mexico by mtDNA COI barcode as well as the first identification of IHHNV in such species. The presence of IHHNV in wild shrimps populations has a potential of persisting in the coast of Yucatan with putative detrimental effect on local fisheries because once established in natural waters and hosts;such pathogens are almost impossible to eradicate.

Citrus oils as chain transfer agents in the cross-metathesis degradation of polybutadiene in block copolymers using Ru-alkylidene catalysts

The cross-metathesis degradation of poly(styrene-co-butadiene) (styrene, 30 wt%) (SB-1) and poly(styrene-co-butadiene) (styrene, 21 wt%) (SB- 2) in the presence of essential oils and d-limo-nene as chain transfer agents (CTAs) using Rualkylidene catalysts (PCy3)2(Cl)2Ru = CHPh (I) and (1,3-diphenyl-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) (PCy3)Cl2Ru=CHPh (II) was studied. Terpene-terminated butadiene oligomers and polystyrene blocks were obtained as products of the degradation of SB-1 and SB-2. Catalysts I and II showed high activity in the degradation of SB copolymers to produce the low molecular weight products (Mn = 276 - 335 g·mol-1) and yields ranging from 91% - 95%. The cross-metathesis degradation of copolymers in organic solvents and in citrus oils (mandarin, orange and lemon oils) proceeded with similar efficiency and resulted in the same molecular weight butadiene oligomers. According to GS/MS (EI) analysis, the main products of the degradation of SB-1 copolymer with d-limonene were limonene-terminated oligomers of series Am (m = 1 - 4).

The jellyfish fishery in Mexico

Jellyfish has been captured in Asia for 1700 years, and it has been considered a delicacy. Since the 70s important jellyfish fisheries have developed in several parts of the world, with catches increasing exponentially, reaching 500,000 tons per year in the mid-nineties. In Mexico, only the cannonball jellyfish Stomolophus meleagris is captured commercially. Most of the capture of this jellyfish species is obtained within the Gulf of California, specifically in the state of Sonora. The total reported capture in 2010 was 16,581 metric t and 14,220 in 2011. With these capture volumes jellyfish was ranked as the third most important fishing resource in the state of Sonora. The fishing season in Sonora is from April to May;a total of 4 or 5 weeks, and the catch per unit effort is around 3 tons by trip. Currently, there are nine jellyfish marketing companies, with about 20 processing plants distributed along the coast of Sonora, primarily in Guaymas, Kino Bay, and Puerto Penasco. Although the process is simple, the large amounts of jellyfish required and the need to optimize production costs make jellyfish processing an intense activity that employs hundreds of people during the fishing season, becoming an alternative employment for the people who depend on the fishing industry.

Differences in arsenic, molybdenum, barium, and other physicochemical relationships in groundwater between sites with and without mining activities

The characteristic relationships of trace metals and other water quality parameters in a specific region can be affected by anthropogenic activeties. Since the mid-18th century in the southwestern part of the Baja California Peninsula, intermittent gold mining activities have been developed. We analyzed 36 water quality parameters in accordance with the procedures suggested by international agencies to evaluate the impact of this activity and the time of year on the mobilization of trace element levels and their relationships in groundwater. Quantifiable levels of molybdenum help to establish the area influenced by ore deposits because it is one of the three elements in the paragenesis associated to gold. Arsenic in sites closer to ore burning areas was associated with cobalt, indicating the potential presence of a by-product generated from arsenolite;whereas in the non-mineralized area, it was associated with barium, forming a compound that tends to precipitate, thereby maintaining a natural geochemical control in this region. From the sites sampled, 45% exceeded the limit for arsenic (10 μg/l) established by international agencies. During area monitoring with annual precipitation of 207 mm, only seven of 36 parameters analyzed showed significant differences in relation to time of year.

New Interpretations about Clonal Architecture for the Sour Pitaya (<i>Stenocereus gummosus</i>, Cactaceae), Arising from Microsatellite Markers of <i>de novo</i>Isolation and Characterization

The use of molecular markers has improved the ecological and evolutionary research in the case of clonal reproduction species, allowing the identification of boundaries among clonal modules (ramets), genetic individuals (genets), and populations. Microsatellite markers were developed for Stenocereus gummosus, a columnar cactus with both sexual and clonal reproduction which is distributed in the Sonoran Desert, Mexico. 454-Pyrosequencing reads were analyzed to detect microsatellite markers. Forty primer pairs were screened to look for polymorphism. Nine loci were genotyped for two S. gummosus localities. Sampling strategy was intended to avoid collecting a genetic individual more than once, considering that clonal architecture for this cactus was previously deduced as clumped. Polymorphic loci exhibited low allele count, ranging from 2 - 7 (mean of 3.78 ± 0.62 SE);mean heterozygosity values were 0.221 and 0.234 HO and 0.408 and 0.306 HE, with FIS of 0.383 and 0.299, for peninsular and continental localities respectively. Unexpectedly, some multilocus genotypes were found repeated within locality, which were assumed as clones since data was evaluated as sufficient (clonal richness R of 0.966 and 0.897). These results were different from those previously reported: the distribution of clones might as well be intermingled, having a minimum ramet dispersion distance of 30 m. This characteristic was also consistent with the recent colonization proposed for this and other arid lands plants. A wider genetic neighborhood, due to clone dispersion might affect diversity indexes while increasing the chance of geitonogamy and mating among relatives. The markers isolation and its population characterization allowed addressing new questions about S. gummosus ecology, clonal reproduction and reproductive biology.

Analysis of the Degree of Quality of Fish Fillet in Refrigeration

Fish is a highly nutritious food widely consumed around the world. The production of fish for human consumption is from capture fishing and aquaculture activities. Tilapia is considered one of the fish with the highest production worldwide, being a source of quality protein at an affordable price. On the other hand, and in addition to its nutritional properties, fish is highly susceptible to deterioration and contamination, mainly due to its intrinsic properties, making it able to consume it for short periods of time, so to extend its availability, it is subjected to common conservation processes like refrigeration. Therefore, the present study is focused on the analysis of the degree of freshness and quality of tilapia fillet through sensory evaluation during refrigerated storage for 12 days. The results indicated that the tilapia fillet during storage had a grade of first quality from day 0 to 4th of storage recommended for consumption, second quality on the 6th day and out of quality from the 8th of storage, the latter being not recommended for human consumption.

Early Detection of White Spot Syndrome Virus(WSSV)in Isolated Hemocytes of Litopenaeus vannamei

To date, White Spot Syndrome (WSS) produced by the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) causes one of the most severe diseases infecting penaeid shrimps worldwide. Although a vast amount of studies has elucidated pathogenesis in live infection models, there is still little information about the interaction of WSSV infections using in vitro models in the whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei) hemocytes. In this study, a WSSV infection kinetics was performed using total hemocytes isolated from healthy L. vannamei organisms and maintained in in vitro conditions using isotonic solution for shrimp (ISS). The infected experimental cells received ≈ 30,000 viral copies of WSSV. The viability of the hemocytes (control and infected group) was measured during the kinetics with trypan blue exclusion method and cells were maintained up to 6 hpi (post-infection) with non-significant differences of viability between both groups. WSSV replication was assessed using RT- PCR at the RNA expression level of the early viral gene Ie1 and transcripts were detected as early as 30 min pi. Hemocytes from WSSV group showed disrupted integrity, degranulation and irregular shape. This study provides evidence of the capability of WSSV to infect and replicates in L. vannamei hemocytes using in vitro assays in short times as 30 min.

Isolation and Characterization of 26 Microsatellite Loci for the Shortfin Silverside Fish <i>Chirostoma humboldtianum</i>Valenciennes1835 (Atherinopsidae: Menidiinae) Derived from Next Generation Sequencing and Their Cross-Amplification in Central Mexican Atherinopsids

The endemic silverside fish C. humboldtianum is of great ichtyologycal, economical and cultural relevance in central Mexico and it has been suggested that it is among a group of other “peces blancos”, the most ancestral species. Here we characterized a set of 26 microsatellite loci from the species in order to further assess population and phylogeographic issues that aid in evaluating their highly impacted populations. From 58 primer pairs tested on specimens from Villa Victoria dam (Rio Balsas Basin), 26 loci positively amplified on the species and cross-primed on specimens of the closely related and threatened Poblana alchichica, C. promelas and C. riojai. Loci resolved medium and high genetic variation (mean NA = 14.3, SD = 9.38;mean HO & HE = 0.47, SD = 0.32 and 0.58, SD = 0.32, respectively) and it is expected that these polymorphic loci are also useful in studing threatened atherinopsid species.

Comparing the biogeochemical functioning of two arid subtropical coastal lagoons:the effect of wastewater discharges

Nutrient flux,net metabolism,and N2 fixation and denitrification processes were estimated and compared in two semi-arid subtropical coastal lagoons in the Gulf of California:El Soldado(ES),where no wastewater is discharged,and El Rancho(ER),where shrimp farm effluents are regularly discharged.Biogeochemical processes were evaluated with the LOICZ model.Flushing time was<2 days in both systems.Nutrient fluxes were higher in ER than in ES and both systems acted as nutrient sinks for most of the year.ER showed a larger nutrient flow rate in the summer and autumn due to the input of shrimp-farm effluents.Nitrogen fluxes increased in both ER and ES in the winter in response to the increased nutrient supply from coastal upwellings.ER and ES both showed autotrophic metabolism and N2 fixation in the spring,autumn,and winter,but heterotrophic metabolism and denitrification in the summer.Denitrification dominated in ER(−2.21 mmol m^(2)day^(−1))and values were higher than those estimated in ES(−0.45 mmol m^(2)day^(−1)).The comparative analysis between ES and ER evidenced the significant changes in its biogeochemical performance caused by the input of anthropogenic nutrients,and can orient the environmental management of coastal lagoons.

Abundance and harvest strategy of three species of clam (BivalviaVeneridae) located in new fishing banks in the Gulf of California

Clams of the family Veneridae in northwest Mexico have traditionally been exploited by small-scale fisheries.Despite their socioeconomic importance for coastal communities in the region,most catch zones are currently in decline due to a lack of harvest control regulations that would impede the depletion of local fishing banks.In Puerto Libertad,in the northern reaches of the Gulf of California,banks of commercially unexploited clam species,including Megapitaria aurantiaca,M.squalida and Dosinia ponderosa,were discovered.The adequate management and exploitation of these banks requires developing basic knowledge regarding the abundance of the species and establishing reference points to determine clear,simple harvest regulations.The goal of this study was to identify population abundance in these banks and ascertain the parameters of the life history of the species found there in order to propose a harvest strategy that will allow the sustainable exploitation of this resource.A total of 288 transects were conducted in the two clam banks to identify species density.Abundance was determined using a geostatistical method.The relative cohort biomass-at-length was estimated to evaluate the effect of different lengths of first capture on the remaining biomass.Based on these data,two harvest control regulations were proposed:a maximum catch(Cmax)of 10%of the total estimated biomass,and a minimum optimal catch size(Lc).The abundance estimates were M.squalida(266,293-381,881 individuals);D.ponderosa(2,779,100-3,455,597);and M.aurantiaca(408,783-447,391).The harvest control regulations proposed are:M.squalida,Cmax=2.98 t and Lc=50.33 mm;D.ponderosa,Cmax=49.67 t and Lc=103.44 mm;and M.aurantiaca,Cmax=15.87 t and Lc=80.85 mm.These results are important as reference information for implementing harvest strategies in clam-fishing banks,and as a contribution to the management and sustainable exploitation of fisheries in the region.