Universidad de Sonora

Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are among the most common sources of new pandemic strains in humans. Spillover from birds to mammals can lead to viral adaptation in new hosts, as seen with IAV H5N1. H5N2 viruses have also been transmitted successfully to humans through contact with infected birds and poultry. In the present study, we evaluated the presence of antibodies against H5Nx viruses in serum samples from a Mexican adult population (n = 476) using the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. The analysis included comparisons between sex and age groups. Potential epitopes recognized in the H5 proteins of each strain were predicted using Ellipro. We detected antibodies against H5N1 in 2.5% of the samples, with the highest HI titers of 1:64. The proportion of positive samples for H5N2 2006 was higher (18.9%) than for H5N2 2024 (10.7%). The oldest groups (>50 years old) showed the highest proportion of positives for both viruses, whereas the youngest was for H5N1. These results demonstrate a low proportion of cross-reactive antibodies against the IAV H5N1.

Vigorous and prolonged physical training can impair immune function, such as neutrophil and monocyte activity, including phagocytosis and oxidative burst, which are critical for pathogen defense. These impairments can result in immunosuppression, increasing athletes' susceptibility to illnesses, such as upper respiratory tract symptoms. Bovine colostrum has been proposed as an efficient nutritional strategy to reverse immunosuppression due to its immunomodulatory effects. This work evaluated the effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on the phagocytic and oxidative activity of neutrophils and monocytes from recreational athletes. A pilot randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial was designed. Twenty-seven recreational athletes were supplemented with bovine colostrum (n=16) or placebo (n=11) for four weeks. Phagocytosis and oxidative burst in neutrophils and monocytes were assessed before and after intervention using flow cytometry. Upper respiratory tract symptoms were evaluated daily using WURSS-11 questionnaire. The results revealed a significant increase in neutrophil and monocyte phagocytic and oxidative functions in the bovine colostrum group but not in the placebo group (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed in upper respiratory tract symptoms between the groups at the end of the intervention. In conclusion, BC supplementation enhances neutrophil function but does not affect the incidence of upper respiratory tract symptoms (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06123910).

Protein–nucleic acid interactions are crucial for transferring biological information and rely on sequence-specific recognition. Here, we present our theoretical analysis of the parallel alignment of aromatic coupling between bases and the benzene rings found in three naturally occurring aromatic amino acids. Using a model of electron pairs in oscillatory resonant quantum states, the most stable geometry of the dimer involves positioning the benzene ring on one side of the base via parallel displacement. This occurs when the $${p}_{z}$$ orbitals of N3 and C2 in the purines interact with the C1 and C2 carbons of the benzene ring, and when the $${p}_{z}$$ orbitals of C5 and C6 in the pyrimidines interact with the C1 and C2 carbons of the aromatic benzene ring. The coupling Hamiltonian relates to a canonical transformation that preserves the system’s total energy. The dipole coupling can enhance quantum correlations. To estimate the interaction force, it is sufficient to adapt the Hellmann–Feynman theorem using the model of electron pairs in oscillatory resonant quantum states.

Las presiones ambientales como el cambio climático, la sequía y la degradación de los suelos afectan severamente la productividad agrícola e impactan directamente a las comunidades. Estos factores de estrés alteran la capacidad de las plantas para absorber agua, fijar carbono mediante la fotosíntesis y mantener su equilibrio fisiológico. Comprender cuánto carbono se fija y cuánta agua se utiliza o se pierde ayuda a evaluar el funcionamiento de los agroecosistemas. Los flujos de carbono y agua representan las métricas fundamentales para diagnosticar su salud y sostenibilidad. El noroeste de México, una región importante por su diversidad agrícola y su aporte al consumo nacional enfrenta condiciones extremas de aridez, altas temperaturas y sobreexplotación hídrica. Implementar técnicas integradas de monitoreo, que combinen torres de covarianza, sensores satelitales y modelado predictivo, permitirá optimizar el uso del agua, fortalecer la resiliencia climática y reorientar la agricultura norteña hacia un modelo más sostenible.

El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar las motivaciones y barreras percibidas por pacientes adultos en tratamiento nutricional sin comorbilidades, utilizando un enfoque cualitativo fenomenológico. Se realizaron cinco entrevistas semiestructuradas a profundidad a pacientes seleccionados mediante muestreo por bola de nieve. Los resultados revelaron dos grandes categorías: motivos para la adherencia y barreras percibidas. Los motivos para iniciar el tratamiento incluyeron la insatisfacción con el aspecto corporal, la disposición al cambio de hábitos alimentarios, el apoyo familiar, el deseo de mejorar la salud y la búsqueda de un mejor aspecto físico. Para el mantenimiento, los principales motivos fueron recibir elogios, establecer objetivos, observar cambios físicos favorables y conocer los riesgos de la obesidad. Las barreras identificadas fueron hábitos poco saludables en la familia, insatisfacción con la dieta, limitaciones económicas, falta de tiempo y presión social de amigos. Se observó que la familia actúa como un elemento recurrente que puede ser tanto un motivador positivo como una barrera según el contexto individual. Los hallazgos resaltan la necesidad de estrategias de intervención que consideren los factores personales y contextuales para mejorar la efectividad de los tratamientos nutricionales.

Comparative studies report inconsistent peptide yields, bioactivities, and sensory outcomes for Alcalase across substrates, creating uncertainty about when it should be favored over other proteases. This study mapped research on hydrolysis of food proteins with Alcalase to quantify scientific output, organize thematic trends, and identify gaps relevant to peptide-based functional foods. A bibliometric analysis of Web of Science records (2004–2024) was performed in R (bibliometrix), using co-occurrence networks, temporal overlays, and conceptual mapping. The dataset comprised 203 documents from 78 sources, exhibiting a 10.3% annual growth rate and a 36.9% international co-authorship rate. Themes clustered around antioxidant and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides, particularly in dairy and marine matrices, are supported by workflows combining Alcalase hydrolysis with size-guided ultrafiltration, RP-HPLC (Reverse Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography), and, more recently, in silico analyses and encapsulation studies. Recurrent limitations were identified: heterogeneous hydrolysates and uneven reporting that hinder sequence–activity correlations, gastrointestinal degradation and bitterness affecting applicability, and scale-up and purification choices influencing feasibility. The mapping clarified where Alcalase enables bioactive peptide generation and highlighted practical priorities, including protocol standardization and enzyme benchmarking, the integration of peptidomics and machine learning with targeted assays, and formulation-focused validation (encapsulation, stability, and delivery) to bridge in vitro activity to real-world use. These directions support the production of reproducible, application-ready peptide ingredients.

Although research on young learners’ (YL) second language (L2) proficiency gains is on the rise, few studies have investigated YLs’ language progression in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context from a longitudinal perspective and the effects of background variables on their learning outcomes. This current study examined YL’s English proficiency gains over 6 months. It further investigated how the gains in proficiency were related to the learners’ educational context and background variables. In total, 110 YLs from three distinct educational settings in Mexico took the TOEFL® Primary tests at the beginning and the end of 6 months. They completed a set of background questionnaires at the start, midpoint, and end of the study. Results showed that the learners in the advantaged background with varying resources made significant gains in speaking proficiency throughout the 6 months, while those with limited resources did not. Also, educational context predicted learners’ proficiency gains over time, and low-proficiency learners exhibited more improvement than high-proficiency learners. The findings offer important implications to school administrators and testing agencies.

Abstract Photon flux benchmark models together with recent experimental estimations for pomeron energy fluxes and structure functions are implemented within Monte Carlo simulation, to determine their impact on physical observables and on the signal strength uncertainty of the yet-to-be observed semi-exclusive $$t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> production in proton–proton ( pp ) collisions at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and Future Circular Collider (FCC) energies. Expected cross-section rises by a factor of $$\sim 50$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>50</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> and $$\sim 22$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>∼</mml:mo> <mml:mn>22</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> for pomeron-induced and photon-induced processes respectively from LHC to FCC energy regime. TensorFlow deep neural networks were implemented to discriminate semi-exclusive processes against non-peripheral $$t\bar{t}X$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> background, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) test performance of $$0.9917 \pm 0.0002$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>0.9917</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.0002</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> for the photon-induced signal. At detector level, following the geometry of the CMS detector at CERN, the minimum Hadronic Forward energy observable was identified as the most effective discriminator against non-peripheral $$t\bar{t}X$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> background. In the context of low pileup pp data and based on the Asimov dataset, by considering the statistical effects and the systematic contribution from pomeron/photon schemes to the total uncertainty a 5- $$\sigma $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>σ</mml:mi> </mml:math> significance is expected for pomeron-induced and photon-induced $$t\bar{t}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> <mml:mover> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>t</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>¯</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> production modes with 1 fb $$^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> and 4.7 fb $$^{-1}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mmultiscripts> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:mmultiscripts> </mml:math> integrated luminosity datasets respectively. The systematic contribution to the total uncertainty is 25.1% and 7.6% respectively, highlighting the potential for experimental observation using Run 2 and Run 3 LHC data, allowing further studies within the LHC forward physics program.