Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The purpose of this case study was to present the effectiveness of physiotherapeutic treatment based on manual orthopedic techniques in an amateur athlete with costochondritis due to physical strenuous exercise. A 31 years old experienced, well-trained, endurance amateur athlete presented chest pain suggesting costochondritis after physical and kinetic examination. Patient reported to present pain after physical effort in the last two weeks (combination of mountain biking, route cycling, running, swimming and yoga). Manual therapy including techniques as resonant oscillation mobilization of the thoracic region, Lewit´s post-isometric relaxation and sliding of the right humeral head, cervico-thoracic high speed technique mobilization, active-assisted mobilization of 7th to 10th ribs during expiratory phase, superficial myofascial induction in lower costal area and, muscle power technique, is effective to relieve pain increase mobility of cervical rotation, increase mobility of glenohumeral joint (e.g., internal rotation), in an amateur athlete with costochondritis due to physical strenuous exercise.

Anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune encephalitis that can be paraneoplastic and usually responds to treatment. It has been well described in young women with ovarian teratoma. The classic presentation of this syndrome is a subacute encephalopathy with mood disturbances, including psychosis, with variability of seizures and movement disorders. We present a case of a woman in her 30s who developed psychiatric symptoms that progressed to encephalopathy, seizures, autonomic instability, and hyperkinetic movements. The patient has an ovarian teratoma and serum and cerebrospinal fluid NMDAR antibodies. Treatment included first-line immunotherapy (steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis), second-line immunotherapy (rituximab), and tumor removal. Not all patients, however, respond well to such treatments initially and, consequently, these individuals can require aggressive second-line immunotherapies. Whether these therapies promote disease’s recovery has been a subject of controversy.

Introduction: sleep disorders are common in patients with chronic pain; there are many clinical studies that show the direct relationship between these two pathologies. The objective of this narrative review of the literature was to make a brief description of the main concepts related to insomnia and chronic pain and how are they related. Methods: bibliographic review of scientific articles published in databases: PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus and Medline. Results: there is a direct relationship between insomnia and chronic pain, demonstrated by multiple clinical studies. Sleep problems are associated with worsening pain perception and are even considered a poor prognostic factor. Conclusions: for health professionals, especially those who develop their clinical practice in Palliative Care and/or pain treatment units it is essential to know the basic concepts that allow an adequate evaluation and treatment of sleep problems, in particular insomnia.

California mice have been widely recognized as one of the few examples of ‘true’ genetic monogamy in mammals and are one of only four mammalian species considered to be both genetically and socially monogamous.  The mating system of this species, first described by David O. Ribble (1991), was initially investigated in a single population by integrating both behavioral data and DNA fingerprinting to classify P. californicus as monogamous. Here, we investigated the parentage of field sampled litters of California mice across 4 populations using both classic field methods and modern microsatellite analyses.  We putatively identified male-female mouse pairs in the field using capture localities and transfer of fluorescent pigment between individuals. We then used microsatellite loci to genotype pregnant adult females, their embryos, and the adult males identified in the field as the partners of those females.  We identified occurrences of extra-pair paternity in 3 out of the 4 populations of California mice, calling in to question the designation of this species as genetically monogamous (Figure 1 and Table 1).  We suggest a careful re-examination of the mating system of this species using modern molecular methods to analyze a greater number of samples representing multiple sampling localities. Future studies of this species should prove particularly informative regarding the correlates of extra-pair mating and, hence, the adaptive bases for the maintenance of male-female pair bonds in the absence of true genetic monogamy. 

Lepus flavigularis is an endemic leporid from southeastern Oaxaca, México, listed as “endangered” under Mexican law and the IUCN Red List.  The main threat to the species is severe habitat fragmentation due to human activities.  The jackrabbit shares the grasslands with cattle (Bos taurus), but the trophic interaction between these herbivores is unknown.  This study aimed to determine the seasonal diet of Lepus flavigularis and cattle, to identify the possible dietary overlap between these mammals.  The study zone covers an area around the locality of Santa María del Mar in Oaxaca, southern México.  Plant species were identified using linear transects, and vegetation cover was also estimated using circular plots.  Throughout the study fresh L. flavigularis and B. taurus fecal samples were collected, which were processed using the microhistological technique to determine the seasonal botanical composition of diets from the two species.  Twenty-three plant species were recorded in the diet of L. flavigularis and 29 species in the diet of B. taurus.  Both herbivores fed primarily on Poaceae species throughout the year (L. flavigularis: dry season (ds) = 79.79 %, wet season (ws) = 91.54 %; B. taurus: ds = 78.02 %, ws = 84.63 %) despite the significant difference in the availability of plant species between seasons.  No significant differences were found in the seasonal composition of the diet between the two species.  Twelve plant species were consumed by both herbivores during the two seasons.  The dietary overlap between the two species was high for both seasons (ds Ojk = 0.7311, ws Ojk = 0.8459).  Trophic niche breadth was low for both species, with a high dietary overlap.  We recorded low seasonal use values for L. flavigularis and B. taurus when compared to forage availability.  Low trophic niche breadth and high dietary overlap between the two herbivores suggest forage resources competition. However, we expect that jackrabbits benefit from cattle presence, as long as the stocking rate does not increase.  Furthermore, B. taurus grazing reduces height, cover, and density of vegetation, which could help L. flavigularis to avoid predators.

En el Estado de Yucatán los registros de nutria neotropical (Lontra longicaudis annectens) son insuficientes para determinar si existen diferentes tipos de hábitat para la especie, su estatus de conservación y los riesgos potenciales que enfrenta.  Nuestros objetivos son el generar un modelo de distribución potencial de la nutria neotropical para el Estado de Yucatán, y el verificar la presencia de la nutria neotropical en sitios predichos por el modelo.  Se generó un modelo de distribución potencial de la nutria neotropical con MaxEnt con registros de presencia de la especie y variables ambientales de EarthEnv a 1 km² de resolución.  Se verificó la presencia de la nutria en siete sitios predichos por el modelo mediante visitas en el mes de octubre de los años 2017 al 2019 y 2021.  Se caracterizó el hábitat y se colectaron muestras biológicas, así como evidencia video-fotográfica de las señales de presencia de las nutrias y de su hábitat.  La distribución potencial de la nutria cubrió 3,487 km2, el 8 % de la superficie del Estado de Yucatán, en ríos, lagunas y ecosistemas generalmente costeros, sin embargo, el modelo permitió identificar la idoneidad ambiental del hábitat para la nutria en áreas al interior de la península, y la validación en campo de los sitios predichos produjo los primeros registros de la especie en cenotes y lagunas epicontinentales.  Los sitios presentaron disponibilidad de presas, vegetación riparia para refugio y madrigueras, y conectividad acuático-terrestre con manantiales de agua dulce.  Se  obtuvieron observaciones directas de nutrias en dos de los sitios visitados, así como señales indirectas de su presencia en los siete sitios, las cuales consistieron en heces, letrinas, geles, huellas, rastros, residuos de alimento, madrigueras de descanso y veredas hacia el cuerpo de agua. Los resultados señalan la necesidad de continuar con el monitoreo minucioso en las áreas potenciales predichas por el modelo para poder sugerir medidas de conservación para la nutria neotropical y su hábitat en el estado de Yucatán.

Bison are considered an ecologically keystone species of the North American grasslands because their activities influence ecosystem dynamics and interactions, particularly their wallowing behavior.  In 2009, 23 bison were reintroduced within a 1,500 ha private native semi-arid grassland in Janos, Chihuahua.  Our objective was to evaluate the effect of bison wallows on the composition and structure of the vegetation, on species composition of annual grasses, and soil properties.  Soil and vegetation samples were taken from inside the wallows and were compared against the samples obtained outside the wallows from late August to early September.  The percentage of plant cover and the height of the foliage were measured inside and outside the wallow.  Soil cores were taken, and the presence of soluble salts, moisture retention capacity, percentage of clay, and concentration of nutrients was determined.  The three associations preferred by bison for wallowing were toboso grassland, vine mesquite and annual grassland.  Of the 27 species of grasses and forbs recorded in the three plant associations mostly used for wallowing, we found that 17 species were present inside and outside wallows.  Five different species were found only inside wallows and another five, only outside of wallows.  The annual grassland plants had a greater height outside the wallows.  The toboso grassland association presented higher soil moisture, likely related to the higher percentage of clay, and the annual grassland presented the highest bulk density (BD) inside the wallows, which limited plant growth in this association.  Soils in other associations did not show significant differences in BD among them, mainly due to their finer texture.  No significant effect of the wallows on nutrient concentrations was recorded.  The lack of significant differences related to bison activities could be related to the brief period since the herd was reintroduced to the site.  These differences might become apparent over time with a larger herd.  For this reason, we conclude that the current differences in the soil properties are mainly due to geomorphological processes.  That is, at this stage after the reintroduction, the grasslands are responding to soil characteristics, and not to the activity of the bison.

Baird’s tapir (Tapirella bairdii), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), and collared peccary (Dicotyles tajacu) sympatrically occur in the Lacandon Forest of Chiapas, México.  These species contribute to maintain ecosystem dynamics through herbivory, seed dispersal, and seed predation, constituting important prey for large carnivores and hunters. We analyzed activity patterns and habitat use of the three focal species to assess the degree of temporal and spatial habitat segregation among them in Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve (REBIMA) and surrounding communities.  Between February and October 2015 we deployed camera-traps during 8,463 camera-trap days to estimate the presence and activity of tapirs and peccaries in two habitat types: “conserved” (REBIMA), and “transformed” (community forests; AFC). Habitat use and activity patterns of tapirs and peccaries were assessed through logistic regression models.  We found that Baird’s tapir was almost exclusively nocturnal with a trend towards crepuscular activity, while both peccary species were diurnal, therefore showing a high daily temporal segregation from the tapir. Both peccary species were similarly active in the two study sites, while tapirs were more active in continuous forest within the protected area.  The occurrence of tapirs and white-lipped peccaries depended on the presence and proximity of water sources and roads. Our results suggest that spatial segregation of the habitat allows coexistence of both peccary species in the study area. AFC have potential for maintaining populations of tapirs and peccaries in the Lacandon Forest. Conserving these forests by local communities is essential to ensure the persistence of these mammals.

Anthropogenic noise interferes with the acoustic signals of various wildlife species.  For bats that use echolocation, noise can mask the information received in the echo.  The effect of anthropogenic noise on the time and frequency components of echolocation pulses emitted by the aerial insectivorous bats Molossus sinaloae and Mormoops megalophylla in urban and natural habitats were evaluated.  We hypothesized that the frequency components of pulses would increase in response to masking, while time components would not change significantly.  To this end, acoustic recordings of both species were made in the two types of habitats using ultrasonic detectors; simultaneously, the intensity of the ambient noise was measured.  Frequency (kHz) and time (ms) were analyzed for each echolocation pulse using the BatSound 4.2 software.  Consistent with our hypothesis, the results showed that under background noise of 75 dB in an urban environment, M. sinaloae increased the low and high frequencies of its echolocation pulses by 5.8 kHz on average.  For M. megalophylla, no increase in pulse frequencies was observed.  Contrary to our expectation, the time components of pulses for M. sinaloae were modified, being of shorter duration in urban sites.  Increasing the maximum amplitude-frequency by M. sinaloae may be a response to the Lombard effect, i. e., the increase in vocal amplitude in response to increased background noise.  It is important to carry out studies focused on understanding the modification of echolocation pulses, mainly for species living in urban environments.

The ecological and life history characteristics of North American arvicoline rodents vary greatly.  A general model suggests that changes in reproduction, as a response to changes in climatic harshness and habitat type, likely affect variation in relative abundance of arvicoline populations.  Previous work indicated that variability in abundance does not always increase with mean litter size or with latitude, but litter size does tend to increase as the length of the breeding season decreases.  I therefore propose the reproductive potential (RP) hypothesis which states that under favorable conditions, populations with higher reproductive potential can grow more rapidly and can reach higher densities during the breeding season, which leads to greater variability in abundance because very high populations eventually decline to low densities.  I define reproductive potential as the maximum number of offspring a typical female could produce during a year and calculate it as the product of mean litter size (m) and length of the breeding season in weeks (b) divided by 3 (RP = mb/3).  I then review the problems associated with estimation of the necessary parameters and indicate my criteria for accepting data.  To test the RP hypothesis I correlate RP to a measure of variability in abundance for populations with at least 10 years of data, and I compare populations of the same or different arvicoline species at the same and different sites.  Most results did not support the RP hypothesis.  However, three species had different litter sizes in habitats with different vegetation, and all three reached higher maximum densities where reproductive potential was greater.