Autism research capacity building in Northern Mexico: Preliminary evaluation of an ongoing process.

LAY ABSTRACT: To inform improvement of care and public policy, quality research is required. Conducting research projects requires skills and infrastructure. Research capacity building is the process by which individuals and organizations develop greater ability to conduct useful research. However, in the scientific community, research quality and productivity measures are often focused on long-term products, such as publications or grants awarded. Those measures are not helpful when measuring initial stages of research, a common situation in low- and middle-income countries. We used a six-principle framework designed by J. Cooke to assess the progress of an autism research collaborative in northern Mexico. We established 64 criteria across the six principles, and rated them as Not Started, In Progress, or Achieved, based on narratives and process documentation collected for this purpose. Ratings were established for the Years 2018, 2020, and 2022. The principles with the highest Achieved rates were "Linkages, collaborations, and partnerships" (90%), and "Infrastructure" (Principle 6, 70%). Cooke's research capacity building framework is a useful way to monitor progress of research capacity building and contribute to harmonious development of relevant principles at different levels.

Zinc Deficiency in Men Over 50 and Its Implications in Prostate Disorders.

Research has been consistently showing the role of zinc (Zn) in prostate function. In this article, we review the current literature on the anatomy and main functions of the prostate, highlighting the role of zinc. In particular, we will review the etiology of benign prostate enlargement (BPH), its prevalence in men over 50, the likelihood of BPH becoming prostate cancer (PCa), and explain the relationship of zinc and apoptosis in the prostate cells and the implications for BPH and PCa. We present a model that explains how endogenous factors provoke excretion of zinc or limit zinc absorption, and how exogenous factors like nutrition and drugs regularly used in men over 50 can significantly decrease zinc status and thereby increase the risk of BPH. Finally, we explain how Zn amino acid (AA) complexes may be capable of avoiding antagonists and inhibitors of zinc absorption, thereby increasing the bioavailability of zinc for the necessary biological processes in the prostate.

Distribución potencial del cerdo asilvestrado, Sus scrofa (Artiodactyla: Suidae) y el pecarí de collar, Pecari tajacu (Artiodactyla: Tayassuidae) en la región de Laguna de Términos, México

Introducción: La presencia de los cerdos asilvestrados (Sus scrofa) combinado con la fragmentación del hábitat presente en la región de Laguna de Términos, Campeche, puede generar cambios en los patrones de distribución y presencia de pecaríes de collar (Pecari tajacu). Objetivo: Evaluar el traslape o segregación espacial en la distribución de cerdos asilvestrados y pecaríes de collar mediante modelos de distribución potencial de ambas especies en la región de Laguna de Términos, Campeche. Métodos: Se generaron modelos de distribución potencial usando datos de presencia y variables antrópicas y bioclimáticas en Maxent. Resultados: Los modelos mostraron segregación espacial entre ambas especies. Los cerdos asilvestrados fueron positivamente influenciados por la cercanía a cultivos de palma de aceite (Elaeis guineensis) y por la precipitación estacional; la distribución potencial para pecaríes de collar estuvo positivamente correlacionada con la temperatura y la cobertura arbórea. Se confirmó la presencia de cerdos asilvestrados en Escárcega, Carmen, Candelaria y Palizada, en el estado de Campeche y en Balancán y Jonuta en el estado de Tabasco. Nuestros modelos predicen áreas potenciales para los cerdos asilvestrados principalmente en la Reserva de la Biosfera Pantanos de Centla en Tabasco y en áreas cercanas a la frontera con Guatemala. Discusión: Consideramos necesario implementar un plan de control para los cerdos asilvestrados, no solo en la región de Laguna de Términos, sino en áreas aledañas con la finalidad de impedir la expansión de su distribución y el desplazamiento de especies nativas como los pecaríes en otras áreas del sur del país.

Introduction: The presence of feral pigs (Sus scrofa) in addition to habitat fragmentation at Laguna de Términos, Campeche, could cause changes in the distribution patterns and presence of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu). Objective: Modelling of potential distribution to assess the overlap or spatial segregation of both species at Laguna de Términos, Campeche. Methods: Potential distribution models were generated with presence data, anthropic and bioclimatic variables using the maximum entropy algorithm (Maxent). Results: The potential distribution models showed spatial segregation between both species. The presence of feral pigs was positively influenced by palm oil crops (Elaeis guineensis) proximity and seasonal rainfall; the potential distribution of collared peccaries was positively correlated with temperature and canopy coverage. Evidence of feral pigs presence was confirmed in Escárcega, Carmen, Candelaria and Palizada in Campeche state and in Balancán and Jonuta in Tabasco state. Our models predicted potential areas for feral pigs in Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve in Tabasco and in areas near the Guatemalan border. Conclusions: We believe a control plan for feral pigs is needed, not only in Laguna de Términos region, but also in adjacent areas in order to prevent the range extension and displacement of native species such as peccaries in other areas in Southern Mexico.

Zinc in gut-brain interaction in autism and neurological disorders.

A growing amount of research indicates that abnormalities in the gastrointestinal (GI) system during development might be a common factor in multiple neurological disorders and might be responsible for some of the shared comorbidities seen among these diseases. For example, many patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have symptoms associated with GI disorders. Maternal zinc status may be an important factor given the multifaceted effect of zinc on gut development and morphology in the offspring. Zinc status influences and is influenced by multiple factors and an interdependence of prenatal and early life stress, immune system abnormalities, impaired GI functions, and zinc deficiency can be hypothesized. In line with this, systemic inflammatory events and prenatal stress have been reported to increase the risk for ASD. Thus, here, we will review the current literature on the role of zinc in gut formation, a possible link between gut and brain development in ASD and other neurological disorders with shared comorbidities, and tie in possible effects on the immune system. Based on these data, we present a novel model outlining how alterations in the maternal zinc status might pathologically impact the offspring leading to impairments in brain functions later in life.

Mesenchymal stem cells: new approaches for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Cellular therapies represent a new frontier in the treatment of neurological disease. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be harvested from bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord blood, among many other sources, possess several qualities which may be used to treat diseases of the central nervous system. MSCs migrate to sites of malignancy, a property which may be used for the treatment of brain cancer. MSCs possess immunosuppressive properties, which may be used for the treatment of neurological disorders with an inflammatory etiology. Finally, MSCs restore injured neural tissue, a property which may be used for the treatment of neural injury. Approximately 23 clinical trials have been completed to date, with many more ongoing, and all have been listed in this review. The long-term safety of MSC-based therapies is not well established, and continues to be one major limitation to clinical translation. More broadly, only a small minority of clinical trials have employed rigorous designs that include prospective randomization, patients from multiple centers, clinically-relevant and reproducible endpoints, and adequate long-term follow-up. These limitations must be addressed before MSCs can enter widespread clinical use. Nevertheless, MSCs represent a promising new approach to treating diseases of the central nervous system that are traditionally associated with morbid outcomes. With additional pre-clinical and clinical studies that focus on their potential benefits as well as dangers, MSCs may one day find translation to clinical use in the setting of neurological disease.

The Oncogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Cancer: Directions for Future Research.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represent a promising new approach to the treatment of several diseases that are associated with dismal outcomes. These include myocardial damage, graft versus host disease, and possibly cancer. Although the potential therapeutic aspects of MSCs continue to be well-researched, the possible hazards of MSCs, and in particular their oncogenic capacity are poorly understood. This review addresses the oncogenic and tumor-supporting potential of MSCs within the context of cancer treatment. The risk for malignant transformation is discussed for each stage of the clinical lifecycle of MSCs. This includes malignant transformation in vitro during production phases, during insertion of potentially therapeutic transgenes, and finally in vivo via interactions with tumor stroma. The immunosuppressive qualities of MSCs, which may facilitate evasion of the immune system by a tumor, are also addressed. Limitations of the methods employed in clinical trials to date are reviewed, including the absence of long term follow-up and lack of adequate screening methods to detect formation of new tumors. Through discussions of the possible oncogenic and tumor-supporting mechanisms of MSCs, directions for future research are identified which may eventually facilitate the future clinical translation of MSCs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Los niños, niñas y adolescentes y la exclusión social y étnica en Bolivia / Children and adolescents and social exclusion and ethnicity in Bolivia

El presente documento es un resumen de un estudio mayor, que tiene el propósito de contribuir a develar las causas que originan la situación de exclusión de los niños, niñas yadolescentes en el contexto de un país como Bolivia. Pero al mismo tiempo se propone formular un conjunto de recomendaciones y propuestas que contribuyan a los esfuerzos de diseño y ejecución de políticas públicas referidas a la búsqueda de la inclusión social deestos grupos generacionales.

Los adolescentes y la ley: infracciones penales de adolescentes en Bolivia en el marco de la convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre los derechos del niño

En Bolivia una de las muestras más evidentes de la inseguridad jurídica y de violación de los derechos humanos y ciudadanos se expresa en la situación que viven los adolescentes en conflicto con la ley.