Health sciences graduates: perception of their professional training and job placement.

BACKGROUND: The follow-up of health sciences graduates is relevant due to the commitment of universities to train professionals who contribute to solve the country's health problems. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has health sciences graduates who join the workforce every year. OBJECTIVE: To identify the perception of health sciences graduates regarding the curriculum and their incorporation into the labor market from 1994 to 2015, and compare it according to the degree program and campus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional, comparative, quantitative study. The sample of 26,866 graduates was obtained from information of three decades of the institutional questionnaire for graduates applied by the General Directorate of Planning of the UNAM. RESULTS: Most graduates were females (68.4%), with admission to the degree course at between 19 and 20 years of age (65.4%). At least 47% had a job; incorporation into the labor market depended on not having an income, a higher grade point average, not having presented extraordinary exams, or failed subjects, among others. CONCLUSIONS: Adequate job insertion is associated with starting the degree course at age 18, having financial support, having an average of 8.1 or higher and perceiving low academic and teaching training.

ANTECEDENTES: El seguimiento de egresados en ciencias de la salud es de relevancia debido al compromiso de las universidades de formar profesionales que contribuyan a resolver los problemas de salud del país. La Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) cuenta con egresados en ciencias de la salud que cada año se incorporan al campo laboral. OBJETIVO: Identificar la percepción de los egresados de ciencias de la salud de 1994 a 2015 respecto su formación académica y su incorporación laboral, y compararla según licenciatura y plantel. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional, transversal, comparativo y cuantitativo. La muestra de 26 866 graduados se obtuvo de la información de tres décadas del cuestionario institucional para egresados de la Dirección General de Planeación de la UNAM. RESULTADOS: La mayoría de los egresados fue del sexo femenino (68.4 %), con ingreso a la licenciatura entre los 19 y 20 años (65.4 %). Al menos 47 % trabajaba; la incorporación laboral dependió de no contar con ingresos, mayor promedio, no haber presentado exámenes extraordinarios ni recursado materias, entre otros. CONCLUSIONES: La inserción laboral adecuada se asocia a iniciar la licenciatura a los 18 años, contar con apoyo económico, tener promedio de 8.1 o más y percibir la formación académica y docente baja.

Mediterranean Diet and Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: No prior systematic review and meta-analysis has specifically verified the association of Mediterranean diet (MedDiet)-based interventions with biomarkers of cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents. Objective: To review and analyze the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed the effects of MedDiet-based interventions on biomarkers of cardiometabolic health among children and adolescents. Data Sources: Four electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus) from database inception to April 25, 2024. Study Selection: Only RCTs investigating the effect of interventions promoting the MedDiet on cardiometabolic biomarkers (ie, systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], triglycerides [TGs], total cholesterol [TC], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], glucose, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) among children and adolescents (aged ≤18 years) were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Data were extracted from the studies by 2 independent reviewers. Results across studies were summarized using random-effects meta-analysis. Main Outcome and Measures: The effect size of each trial was computed by unstandardized mean differences (MDs) of changes in biomarker levels (ie, SBP, DBP, TGs, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR) between the intervention and the control groups. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach. Results: Nine RCTs were included (mean study duration, 17 weeks; range, 8-40 weeks). These studies involved 577 participants (mean age, 11 years [range, 3-18 years]; 344 girls [59.6%]). Compared with the control group, the MedDiet-based interventions showed a significant association with reductions in SBP (mean difference, -4.75 mm Hg; 95% CI, -8.97 to -0.52 mm Hg), TGs (mean difference, -16.42 mg/dL; 95% CI, -27.57 to -5.27 mg/dL), TC (mean difference, -9.06 mg/dL; 95% CI, -15.65 to -2.48 mg/dL), and LDL-C (mean difference, -10.48 mg/dL; 95% CI, -17.77 to -3.19 mg/dL) and increases in HDL-C (mean difference, 2.24 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.34-4.14 mg/dL). No significant associations were observed with the other biomarkers studied (ie, DBP, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that MedDiet-based interventions may be useful tools to optimize cardiometabolic health among children and adolescents.

A soft systems approach of asthma management in children based on therapeutic education and e-learning.

One of the most common respiratory chronic diseases is asthma, with 5-16 % of world prevalence. In chronic disease, prevention, diagnosis, management, and palliation are the strategies for a care model; the patient-self management is fundamental with the so-called therapeutic education (TE) to train the patient in the necessary skills. The challenge of TE grows when the patient is a child or a person with special needs, even more in public health care in low- and middle-income countries. This is a problematic human situation, that needs soft system thinking. In this research, the analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the perceived importance of the factors that affect children's asthma health care in a public health institution in Mexico. The soft systems methodology (SSM) was applied to learn about the disease self-management, in order to obtain activities models and an action plan. According to AHP, human resources and education were percived as the most important among the factors that affect children health care within the institution. The perceived importance of two main subfactors (human resources training and TE) was around 34 %, which emphasizes the need to generate strategies for the improvement of the education of patients and health care providers. In MSS, the rich vision, the CATWOE, the root definition, and an activities model were proposed, including the application of an instructional design methodology (ADDIE) for the development of learning objects of asthma for children. Desirable and feasible actions and recommendations include the update of the national clinical practice guides, the use of control measures such as the Asthma Control Test, and a daily asthma diary to register the daily status of the breathing capacity, the drug administration, and the potential trigger events. The proposed model can be used as part of a systemic patient-and-family centered approach for chronic care model (CCM), particularly in diseases unsuitable for prevention interventions.

Eleven New Species of the Genus Tarzetta (Tarzettaceae, Pezizales) from Mexico.

The genus Tarzetta is distributed mainly in temperate forests and establishes ectomycorrhizal associations with angiosperms and gymnosperms. Studies on this genus are scarce in México. A visual, morphological, and molecular (ITS-LSU) description of T. americupularis, T. cupressicola, T. davidii, T. durangensis, T. mesophila, T. mexicana, T. miquihuanensis, T. poblana, T. pseudobronca, T. texcocana, and T. victoriana was carried out in this work, associated with Abies, Quercus, and Pinus. The results of SEM showed an ornamented ascospores formation by Mexican Taxa; furthermore, the results showed that T. catinus and T. cupularis are only distributed in Europe and are not associated with any American host.

NeuroSense: A non-invasive and configurable somatosensory stimulator with OPENVIBE communication.

Understanding the somatosensory system and its abnormalities requires the development of devices that can accurately stimulate the human skin. New methods for assessing the somatosensory system can enhance the diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis for individuals with somatosensory impairments. Therefore, the design of NeuroSense, a tactile stimulator that evokes three types of daily life sensations (touch, air and vibration) is described in this work. The prototype aims to evoke quantitative assessments to evaluate the functionality of the somatosensory system and its abnormal conditions that affect the quality of life. In addition, the device has proven to have varying intensities and onset latencies that produces somatosensory evoked potentials and energy desynchronization on somatosensory cortex.

Combining Spirometry and the ARISCAT Respiratory Risk Assessment Can Improve Postoperative Outcomes and Reduce Mortality Risk in Mexico.

Introduction: Although a major goal of preoperative evaluation is to identify risk factors and improve postoperative outcomes, current clinical guidelines in Mexico indicate that preoperative spirometry should only be performed on patients with pulmonary disease. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of postoperative complications (POC), mortality, and risk factors among adults who did or did not undergo preoperative spirometry, based on their Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia (ARISCAT) risk level. Material and methods: An observational, retrospective and comparative study design was used to identify 2059 patients from the General Hospital of Mexico who had an ARISCAT assessment during 2013-2017. Patients were classified in two groups: ARISCAT with spirometry (n = 1306) and ARISCAT without spirometry (n = 753). Chi-square, Fisher's exact test and the Student's t-tests were used to compare groups. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with an increased risk of POC and mortality. Results: In the ARISCAT with spirometry group, 11% of patients had POC, compared with 48% of patients in the ARISCAT without spirometry group. High-risk ARISCAT patients who did not receive spirometry had higher mortality (18%), than those who underwent spirometry (0.4%). Logistic regression results indicate that not performing preoperative spirometry increases the probability of POC and mortality. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the combined use of preoperative spirometry and ARISCAT is associated with reduced POC and mortality. Future clinical guidelines should recommend the use of preoperative spirometry for patients with a moderate or high ARISCAT level in Mexico.

Introducción: La evaluación preoperatoria se centra en identificar los factores de riesgo y mejorar los resultados posoperatorios; las guías clínicas actuales en México indican la espirometría preoperatoria solo en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar. El objetivo fue comparar la incidencia de complicaciones posoperatorias (CPO), la mortalidad y los factores de riesgo en pacientes clasificados por su nivel de riesgo de la escala de riesgo respiratorio en pacientes quirúrgicos de Cataluña (ARISCAT) sometidos o no a una espirometría preoperatoria. Material y métodos: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo y comparativo. Se clasificaron 2.059 pacientes del Hospital General de México durante 2013 a 2017; en dos grupos: ARISCAT con espirometría (n = 1.306) y ARISCAT sin espirometría (n = 753). Se aplicaron pruebas de X2, f de Fisher y t de Student para comparar los grupos y análisis de regresión logística para identificar los factores asociados a mayor riesgo de CPO y mortalidad. Resultados: Las CPO en el grupo ARISCAT con espirometría se presentaron en 11% de los pacientes, en comparación con el grupo ARISCAT sin espirometría (48%). Los pacientes ARISCAT sin espirometría de alto riesgo tuvieron una mortalidad más elevada (18%), en comparación con los pacientes que sí la realizaron (0.4%). Los resultados de la regresión logística indican que no realizar la espirometría preoperatoria incrementa la probabilidad de CPO y mortalidad. Conclusiones: Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que el uso combinado de espirometría preoperatoria y ARISCAT se asocia con menores CPO y mortalidad. Las guías clínicas futuras deberán recomendar el uso de la espirometría preoperatoria para pacientes con un nivel moderado o alto de ARISCAT en México.

Is Ultra-Processed Food Intake Associated with a Higher Risk of Glaucoma? A Prospective Cohort Study including 19,255 Participants from the SUN Project.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of ultra-processed food (UPF) intake with the incidence of glaucoma in a large sample of Spanish university graduates followed prospectively. METHODS: Prospective cohort study using data from the SUN Project. A final sample of 19,225 participants (60.1% women) was included in this study, with a mean age of 38.2 years (standard deviation (SD) = 12.4). Participants were followed-up for a mean time of 12.9 years (SD = 5.4). Dietary intake was measured using a 136-item semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. UPFs were defined based on the NOVA classification system. Glaucoma diagnosis was determined by asking the participants if they had ever been diagnosed with glaucoma by an ophthalmologist. This self-reported diagnosis of glaucoma has been previously validated. RESULTS: After adjusting for several covariates, participants with the highest UPF consumption were at higher risk of glaucoma (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06 to 3.17) when compared to participants in the lowest category of UPF consumption. Regarding subgroup analyses, a significant multiplicative interaction was found for age (p = 0.004) and omega 3:6 ratio (p = 0.040). However, an association between UPF consumption and glaucoma was only found in older participants (aged ≥ 55 years), in men, in the most physically active group, in the group of non- or former smokers, in those with a lower omega 3:6 ratio, and in those with a lower energy intake. Regarding the contribution of each type of UPF group, UPF coming from sweets showed a significant risky effect (HR = 1.51; CI 95% 1.07 to 2.12). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective cohort study shows that participants with a greater UPF consumption have a higher risk of developing glaucoma when compared to participants with a lower consumption. Our findings emphasize the relevance of monitoring and limiting the consumption of UPFs as a means of preventing glaucoma incidence.

A Physiological Approach to Explore How Thioredoxin-Glutathione Reductase (TGR) and Peroxiredoxin (Prx) Eliminate H2O2 in Cysticerci of Taenia.

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) and glutathione peroxidases (GPxs) are the main enzymes of the thiol-dependent antioxidant systems responsible for reducing the H2O2 produced via aerobic metabolism or parasitic organisms by the host organism. These antioxidant systems maintain a proper redox state in cells. The cysticerci of Taenia crassiceps tolerate millimolar concentrations of this oxidant. To understand the role played by Prxs in this cestode, two genes for Prxs, identified in the genome of Taenia solium (TsPrx1 and TsPrx3), were cloned. The sequence of the proteins suggests that both isoforms belong to the class of typical Prxs 2-Cys. In addition, TsPrx3 harbors a mitochondrial localization signal peptide and two motifs (-GGLG- and -YP-) associated with overoxidation. Our kinetic characterization assigns them as thioredoxin peroxidases (TPxs). While TsPrx1 and TsPrx3 exhibit the same catalytic efficiency, thioredoxin-glutathione reductase from T. crassiceps (TcTGR) was five and eight times higher. Additionally, the latter demonstrated a lower affinity (>30-fold) for H2O2 in comparison with TsPrx1 and TsPrx3. The TcTGR contains a Sec residue in its C-terminal, which confers additional peroxidase activity. The aforementioned aspect implies that TsPrx1 and TsPrx3 are catalytically active at low H2O2 concentrations, and the TcTGR acts at high H2O2 concentrations. These results may explain why the T. crassiceps cysticerci can tolerate high H2O2 concentrations.

Prenylated Flavanone Isolated from Dalea Species as a Potential Multitarget-Neuroprotector in an In Vitro Alzheimer's Disease Mice Model.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves a neurodegenerative process that has not yet been prevented, reversed, or stopped. Continuing with the search for natural pharmacological treatments, flavonoids are a family of compounds with proven neuroprotective effects and multi-targeting behavior. The American genus Dalea L. (Fabaceae) is an important source of bioactive flavonoids. In this opportunity, we tested the neuroprotective potential of three prenylated flavanones isolated from Dalea species in a new in vitro pre-clinical AD model previously developed by us. Our approach consisted in exposing neural cells to conditioned media (3xTg-AD ACM) from neurotoxic astrocytes derived from hippocampi and cortices of old 3xTg-AD mice, mimicking a local neurodegenerative microenvironment. Flavanone 1 and 3 showed a neuroprotective effect against 3xTg-AD ACM, being 1 more active than 3. The structural requirements to afford neuroprotective activity in this model are a 5'-dimethylallyl and 4'-hydroxy at the B ring. In order to search the mechanistic performance of the most active flavanone, we focus on the flavonoid-mediated regulation of GSK-3ß-mediated tau phosphorylation previously reported. Flavanone 1 treatment decreased the rise of hyperphosphorylated tau protein neuronal levels induced after 3xTg-AD ACM exposure and inhibited the activity of GSK-3ß. Finally, direct exposure of these neurotoxic 3xTg-AD astrocytes to flavanone 1 resulted in toxicity to these cells and reduced the neurotoxicity of 3xTg-AD ACM as well. Our results allow us to present compound 1 as a natural prenylated flavanone that could be used as a precursor to development and design of future drug therapies for AD.

The Presence of a Virulent Clone of Leptospira interrogans Serovar Canicola in Confirmed Cases of Asymptomatic Dog Carriers in Mexico.

Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease that commonly affects cattle, pigs, horses, and dogs in many countries. Infection in dogs is usually subclinical, but acute cases of leptospirosis may occur along with systemic failure, which may become fatal. After recovery from an acute infection, dogs may become asymptomatic carriers and shed pathogenic leptospires through urine for long periods of time. Here, a study of ten different cases of leptospirosis is presented, showing the relevance of dogs as asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic Leptospira. The diagnosis was confirmed via isolation and further serological and genetic identification. Four Leptospira isolates (LOCaS28, 31, 34, and 46) were obtained from the kidneys and urine samples of 58 dogs destined for destruction (6.89%) at a Canine Control Center in Mexico City. No spirochetes were observed in the urine samples of those Leptospira-positive dogs examined under dark-field microscopy, and no clinical signs of disease were observed either. Six additional isolates were obtained: two came from asymptomatic carrier dogs (CEL60 and UADY22); another isolate came from an asymptomatic dog that was a pack companion of a clinically ill dog with fatal leptospirosis (AGFA24); and finally, three isolates were taken from dogs that died of leptospirosis (LOCaS59, Citlalli, and Nayar1). Nine out of the ten isolates were identified as being from the serogroup Canicola via cross-absorption MAT using reference strains and specific antisera, and their identity was genetically confirmed as Canicola ST34 via multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST). In contrast, the isolate Nayar1 was identified as serovar Copenhageni ST2. Interestingly, the asymptomatic dogs from which Leptospira isolates were recovered consistently showed high antibody titers in the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), revealing values of at least 1:3200 against serogroup Canicola and lower titer values against other serogroups. Isolates showed different virulence levels in the hamster model. Taken as a whole, all these findings confirmed that dogs may act as asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic leptospires and possibly spread them out to the environment, thus representing an active public health risk. The results also showed that the Canicola ST34 clone is the most prevalent Leptospira serovar in dogs in Mexico, and finally that the old-fashioned MAT is a good alternative for the detection of presumptive Leptospira asymptomatic carrier dogs.

Etnobotánica de los barrios antiguos de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México: el uso de plantas medicinales / Ethnobotany of the old neighborhoods from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico: the use of medicinal plants

Medicinal plants have been used by various cultures since pre - Hispanic times in Mexico. In this study, the use of medicinal plants in the old neighborhoods of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico is described. 137 species, 130 genera and 68 families were recorded. 34% of the species belong to Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae and Fabaceae families. The neighborhoods of Mexicaltzingo and San Juan de Dios are the most related to the knowledge and use of medicinal plants, while El Santuario is the least similar to the rest. The diversity of uses of medicinal plants according to the Shannon index is high (between 3.0 and 4.92). The Use Value Index showed that Matricaria chamomilla L. was the species that obtained the highest valu e (0.28), followed by Gnaphalium americanum Mill. (0.23). The age group between 51 and 85 years old has greater knowledge about medicinal plants and their uses.

Las plantas medicinales han sido utilizadas por diversas culturas desde tiempos prehispánicos en México. En este estudio, se describe el uso de plantas medicinales en los barrios antiguos de Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. Se registraron 137 especies, 130 géneros y 68 familias. El 34% de las especies pertenece a las familias Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae y Fabaceae. Los barrios de Mexicaltzingo y San Juan de Dios son los más parecidos en cuanto al conocimiento y uso de pl antas medicinales, mientras que El Santuario es el menos afín al resto. La diversidad de usos de las plantas medicinales de acuerdo con el índice de Shannon es alta (entre 3.0 y 4.92). El Índice de Valor de Uso mostró que Matricaria chamomilla L. fue la es pecie que obtuvo el máximo valor (0.28), seguida de Gnaphalium americanum Mill. (0.23). El grupo de entre 51 - 85 de edad posee mayor conocimiento sobre las plantas medicinales y sus usos.

Descontrol glucémico: desafío de salud pública en prepandemia y pandemia.

OBJETIVO: Comparar el control glucémico entre pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 prepandemia vs pandemia de Covid-19 que acudieron a unidades de salud de primer nivel de atención de la Ciudad de México. Material y métodos. Se analizaron los registros de 23 912 pacientes con diabetes; 78.7% fueron del grupo prepandemia (2016 a 2020) y 21.3% del grupo pandemia (marzo 2020 a julio 2021). Se calcularon medidas de tendencia central y de dispersión, pruebas t de Student y se ajustó un modelo de regresión logística múltiple. RESULTADOS: La mayoría de los pacientes con diabetes fueron mujeres (66.6 y 62.6%) con edad promedio de 59 y 58 años, respectivamente, y con hemoglobina glucosilada (HbA1) final de 7.7 vs el grupo pandemia (8.0). Las variables asociadas con el descontrol glucémico incluyeron periodo, nivel de HbA1, sobrepeso, obesidad, antecedente de padres con diabetes, número de medicamentos y tipo de insulina. CONCLUSIONES: La mayoría de los pacientes con diabetes en ambos grupos tuvieron descontrol glucémico. Los pacientes del grupo pandemia tuvieron mayor descontrol glucémico de HbA1 comparados con los del grupo prepandemia. Después de recibir atención médica en ambos grupos, los pacientes mejoraron su control glucémico.

First report of Irpex rosettiformis causing white root rot in avocado trees in Michoacán, México.

In México, avocado production is an important economic source. In the last season it generated $ 3. 27 billion USD of foreign currency in the country. Irpex spp. are wood decay fungi. In the period 2019-2022, in the state of Michoacán (19°13' N; 101°55' W), México, basidiomes of Irpex sp. were observed on the base of trunks and crowns of 5-years-old and older avocado (Persea americana) trees. The trees exhibited disease symptoms that included white root rot, leaf yellowing, small leaves, branch diebacks, generalized defoliation, apical flaccidity, abundant but small sun burnt fruits due to the lack of foliage, and after 2-4 years of first disease appearance, the infected trees died. In the place where fungus was established, abundant white and cottony mycelium was formed, which caused trees decay. The incidence of the disease in the sampled orchards was estimated to be 30% per ha with 350 - 400 trees, which was determined through a simple sampling design focused on trees with signs and symptoms of the disease due to the phytopathogen. Samples of infected tissue (roots and stems) and fungal basidiomes were collected from 90 trees (5-6 per orchard). The symptomatic avocado trees studied were randomly selected from 17 orchards. For the fungal macroscopic characterization, the synoptic keys described by Gilbertson and Ryvarden (1986) and by Largent (1973) were used. The samples showed typical structures corresponding to Irpex sp., including rosettes, annual basidiomes, a system of monomitic hyphae, and subglobose basidiospores. In vitro fungal isolation from basidiomes and infected tree tissues was done according to the protocol of Agrios (2004). The fungal strains were maintained on PDA at 28 °C. At 16 days of incubation the colonies were opaque, whitish with fluffy and corky mycelium. Microscopic analysis of the fungus showed typical yellowish spores, with an ellipsoid shape of 3-4 x 4-5.5 µm (50 accounted structures per isolate [N=19]) and basidia of 20-25 x 4.5-5.5 µm (n=20 basidiomes). For molecular characterization, two molecular markers were used, the internal transcribed spacer rDNA-ITS1 5.8 rDNA-ITS2 (ITS; White et al. 1990) and the large ribosomal subunit (LSU; Vilgalys and Hester 1990). The PCR reaction was performed as described by Martínez-González et al. (2017). The consensus sequences were compared with those deposited in the NCBI-GenBank, using the BLASTN 2.2.19 tool (Zhang et al. 2000), the samples showed 99% match with the species, Irpex rosettiformis. GenBank accession numbers of the submitted isolates are summarized in supplementary Table 4. To test Koch's postulates, 3-months old avocado plants grown in greenhouse conditions were inoculated (n = 10 per each isolate [N= 19]) on the roots with 3 g of I. rosettiformis mycelium. The experiment was done twice with 20 non-inoculated plants as control. After 67 days, basidiomes (50 x 70 x 1.5 mm in average) were observed where the disease incidence was >77%, with subsequent tree decline. The pathogen was re-isolated in vitro in PDA and its identity was confirmed by morphological characteristics of mycelium. This work shows that I. rosettiformis is not only a wood decay fungus, but also a phytopathogen, the causative agent of white root rot disease in P. americana var. drymifolia, cultivar 'Hass', which establishes a precedent for monitoring and preventing its proliferation to other regions in the American continent and the world where nursery avocado seedlings are exported.

Broadening the Knowledge of Mexican Boletes: Addition of a New Genus, Seven New Species, and Three New Combinations.

Boletes are one of the most common groups of fungi in temperate, subtropical, and tropical ecosystems. In Mexico, the northern region has mainly been explored in terms of bolete diversity. This study describes a new genus and seven new species based on macromorphological, micromorphological, molecular, phylogenetic, and ecological data. Garcileccinum gen. nov. is typified with G. salmonicolor based on multigene phylogenetic analysis of nrLSU, RPB2, and TEF1, and it is closely related to Leccinum and Leccinellum. Garcileccinum viscosum and G. violaceotinctum are new combinations. Boletellus minimatenebris (ITS, nrLSU, and RPB2), Cacaoporus mexicanus (RPB2 and ATP6), Leccinum oaxacanum, Leccinum juarenzense (nrLSU, RPB2, and TEF1), Tylopilus pseudoleucomycelinus (nrLSU and RPB2), and Xerocomus hygrophanus (ITS, nrLSU, and RPB2) are described as new species. Boletus neoregius is reclassified as Pulchroboletus neoregius comb. nov. based on morphological and multigene phylogenetic analysis (ITS and nrLSU), and its geographic distribution is extended to Central Mexico, since the species was only known from Costa Rica. Furthermore, T. leucomycelinus is a new record from Mexico. This study contributes to increasing our knowledge of boletes and expands the diversity found in Mexican forests.

Mental Well-being InSciEd Out: Health Partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico.

BACKGROUND: Mental health care is a top clinical concern for modern Puerto Rico, especially given a dramatically changing economic landscape paired with recurrent natural disasters. Youth are particularly at-risk due to long-term impacts of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences on health and development. OBJECTIVES: Here we present a novel clinician-community-educator-scientist partnership to address Puerto Rican youth mental well-being and wellness. We deployed pilot health workshops within the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico to build youth mental health conceptual understanding and competencies in stress recognition and management. The work in progress herein evaluates acceptability and feasibility of our curricular model. METHODS: Dialogue with community stakeholders guided curricular design of workshops for youth ages 6 to 13 and older. Prior to implementation, educators and volunteers attended a 1-day training on educational strategies. Workshop success was evaluated using qualitative approaches (i.e., narrative feedback, educator and volunteer reflections, youth Talking Drawings) to assess youth engagement, youth conceptual health understanding, and educator/volunteer impressions of feasibility and impact. RESULTS: Initial findings indicate high acceptability and feasibility of our curricular model. Youth engagement and enthusiasm were noted in educator feedback and continue to be sustained post-workshop. Preliminary analysis shows accompanying increases in youth conceptual mental health understanding, particularly for 6- to 12-year-olds in recognition of stress and healthy coping mechanisms. Reciprocal gains were observed for volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: Activities have evolved into a formal partnership called Semilla, which features expanded analysis of mental well-being and wellness outcomes. Our collaborative model continues to engage Puerto Rican youth in the science of their well-being.

Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes Following Natural Disasters.

This Viewpoint discusses mental health outcomes associated with natural disaster­related stressors during the perinatal period.

Five New Species of Aureoboletus and Chalciporus (Boletaceae, Boletales) and Their Ethnomycological Aspects.

Among Boletales, the family Boletaceae has the highest diversity worldwide. Additionally, this fungal group has great ecological relevance because it not only includes mainly ectomycorrhizal but also saprotrophic species. Furthermore, some species are used as food and have sociocultural and economic importance worldwide. In Mexico, the Boletaceae family boasts a substantial number of species, yet our understanding of these species remains far from comprehensive. In this work, by using macro- and micromorphological and phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from multi-gene analyses based on ITS, nrLSU, rpb1, rpb2, and tef1, we report five new species belonging to the genera Aureoboletus and Chalciporus: A. ayuukii and A. elvirae from a Quercus scytophylla forest, A. readii from a mixed forest, C. perezsilvae from cloud forest, and C. piedracanteadensis from both a mixed coniferous forest and a Quercus-Pinus forest. In Mexico, four species of Aureoboletus are used as a food source, and in this work, we add another one, A. readii, which is traditionally consumed by members of the Tlahuica-Pjiekakjoo culture, who are located in the central part of the country. This work contributes to our knowledge of two genera of Boletaceae in a geographical area that is scarcely studied, and thus, our understanding of its biocultural relevance is enriched.

New Ascomycetes from the Mexican Tropical Montane Cloud Forest.

The tropical montane cloud forest is the most diverse and threatened vegetation type in Mexico. In the last decade, the number of described Ascomycetes species has notably increased, reaching more than 1300 species. This study describes six new species based on their molecular and morphological characteristics. Our results suggest that Mexico has the highest number of described species in the Neotropics. However, many other Mexican lineages still need to be described.

Medicine and the metaverse: current applications and future.

Innovative technologies such as the metaverse and chat GPT-4 (based on artificial intelligence) are present in the daily discourse of society; recently, they have been introduced into medical practice and are bringing about important changes. In the case of the metaverse ("beyond the universe"), various medical schools and departments around the world are beginning to use it as an innovative strategy for teaching subjects such as anatomy, histology, ophthalmology, and simulation in parallel (virtual) worlds for learning and supervision of surgeries, as well as for other applications in medical education and in the doctor-patient relationship. Although it should be regarded as an area of opportunity for the transformation of medicine, it is important to consider the various limitations and risks of the metaverse in medical practice, student training, and physicians' relationship with the health problems they have to deal with in their practice.

Las innovadoras tecnologías del metaverso y el chat GPT4 (basado en inteligencia artificial) están presentes en el discurso cotidiano de la sociedad; recientemente se han introducido en la práctica médica y están provocando importantes cambios. En cuanto al metaverso ("después del universo"), diversas escuelas y facultades de medicina del mundo comienzan a utilizarlo como una estrategia innovadora dirigida a la enseñanza de materias como anatomía, histología, oftalmología y simulación en mundos paralelos (virtuales) para el aprendizaje y supervisión de cirugías, así como para otras aplicaciones en educación médica y en la relación médico-paciente. Si bien debe tomarse en cuenta como un área de oportunidad para la transformación de la medicina, es importante considerar las diversas limitaciones y riesgos del metaverso en la práctica médica, la formación de estudiantes y la relación del médico con los problemas de salud a los que se enfrenta en su práctica.

La medicina y el metaverso: aplicaciones actuales y futuro / Medicine and the metaverse: current applications and future

Resumen Las innovadoras tecnologías del metaverso y el chat GPT4 (basado en inteligencia artificial) están presentes en el discurso cotidiano de la sociedad; recientemente se han introducido en la práctica médica y están provocando importantes cambios. En cuanto al metaverso ("después del universo"), diversas escuelas y facultades de medicina del mundo comienzan a utilizarlo como una estrategia innovadora dirigida a la enseñanza de materias como anatomía, histología, oftalmología y simulación en mundos paralelos (virtuales) para el aprendizaje y supervisión de cirugías, así como para otras aplicaciones en educación médica y en la relación médico-paciente. Si bien debe tomarse en cuenta como un área de oportunidad para la transformación de la medicina, es importante considerar las diversas limitaciones y riesgos del metaverso en la práctica médica, la formación de estudiantes y la relación del médico con los problemas de salud a los que se enfrenta en su práctica.

Abstract Innovative technologies such as the metaverse and chat GPT-4 (based on artificial intelligence) are present in the daily discourse of society; recently, they have been introduced into medical practice and are bringing about important changes. In the case of the metaverse ("beyond the universe"), various medical schools and departments around the world are beginning to use it as an innovative strategy for teaching subjects such as anatomy, histology, ophthalmology, and simulation in parallel (virtual) worlds for learning and supervision of surgeries, as well as for other applications in medical education and in the doctor-patient relationship. Although it should be regarded as an area of opportunity for the transformation of medicine, it is important to consider the various limitations and risks of the metaverse in medical practice, student training, and physicians' relationship with the health problems they have to deal with in their practice.