Life Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of A Study Abroad Course In Helping Undergraduate Students Affirm Their Career Aspirations To Become Veterinarians: A Qualitative Inquiry, Jose M. Uscanga, M. Craig Edwards, J. Shane Robinson, Rob Terry Jr., Udaya Desilva

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Twenty-five students who participated in a study abroad course tailored to veterinary medicine during the summer of 2019 were the study’s sources of data. Using photovoice and phenomenology research methods, we sought to explore, understand, and interpret the impact of a study abroad course on pre-vet students’ views regarding veterinary medicine and their aspirations to become veterinarians. Students perceived that veterinary medicine in Mexico was structured differently from the U.S. approach and the nation’s socioeconomic and agroclimatology conditions impacted the delivery of veterinary care and affected the work settings and practice of veterinarians. They not only discerned the uniqueness of …

Rumen Degradation Characteristics Of Four Species Of Native Pastures From Central Mexico In Three Growing Periods, A. A. Rayas, A. M. J. Espinoza‐Ortega, J. G. Estrada‐Flores, C. Arriagal, F. Mould, O. A. Castelán-Ortega

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The smallholder cattle systems of the Toluca valley in central Mexico are based on the use of maize and native grasses. Research has been devoted to nutritional characterisation of improved pastures, but native species of grasses have not been studied, despite their importance. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the in vitro rumen degradation kinetics of four species of native pastures.

Migratory Material: Epigenetics & Weaving At The Us-Mexico Border, Valerie Navarrete

Masters Theses

Discourse often sutures the body shut, disallowing representations of identity to outgrow sociopolitical interests. This issue may originate from borders, but also from the unnamable pathology that generational colonial trauma transmits to the mind, body, and environment. Without a direct form of translatability, this thesis proposes a new materialism that deviates from any object-oriented ontology. Untethered and intra-active, epigenetics and weaving represent objects that transform typical ways of knowing and seeing. Their sensitivity to the environment, in addition to their mobility across generations of time, broaden the spatiotemporal loci of the body and its embodiment. Proposing new materials that expand …

Forage News [2022-06], Department Of Plant And Soil Sciences, University Of Kentucky

Forage News

No abstract provided.

First Host Record For The Spider Wasp Cryptocheilus Severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, James P. Pitts, Cecilia Waichert

Insecta Mundi

The first host record for the North American spider wasp Cryptocheilus severini Banks (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México is introduced with pertinent observation information. The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer in North America is briefly described, its nesting habitat and prey transport outlined, and host specificity detailed.

The genus Cryptocheilus Panzer (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pepsinae) comprises medium to rather large species of average stoutness (Townes 1957). The six Nearctic species of Cryptocheilus are all closely related (Townes 1957). In the Old World this genus is much richer, with 24 species and structural diversity that can present problems in identification from other …

A Third Species Of Haroldiellus Gordon And Skelley, 2007 From Mexico And Central America (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Aphodiini), Paul E. Skelley, Oliver Keller

Insecta Mundi

Haroldiellus woodruffi Skelley and Keller, new species, (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Aphodiini), from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama is described. An updated key for the genus, updated distributions, and diagnoses for the other two species are provided.

Se describe la nueva especie Haroldiellus woodruffi Skelley y Keller (Coleoptera: Sacarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Aphodiinae) de Costa Rica, Guatemala, México y Panamá. Se provee una clave, distribuciones y diagnosis actualizadas para las otras dos especies.

Worldwide, the scarabaeid subfamily Aphodiinae Leach, 1815 (when including Aegialiinae Laporte, 1840) con­sists of about 3200 species in 14 tribes and around 280 genera (Nikolajev 2008; Skelley 2008; …

Review Of Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) Inhabiting The Cycad Genus Dioon Lindl. (Cycadales), With Descriptions Of Nine New Species And Comments On P. Kirschii Reitter, Paul E. Skelley, William Tang, Miguel Angel Pérez-Farrera

Insecta Mundi

The beetle genus Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) is found in the cones of cycad genera in the New World, including species of Dioon Lindl., Ceratozamia Brongn., Microcycas (Miq.) A.DC and Zamia L. In this paper nine new species found in Dioon are described by Skelley, Tang and Pérez-Farrera: Pharaxonotha bicolor, P. dimorpha, P. fawcettae, P. gigantea, P. novoai, P. occidentalis, P. sclerotiza, P. woodruffi, P. vovidesi. A key to described species of Pharaxonotha inhabiting Dioon is presented, along with an account of Pharaxonotha kirschii …

Binational Reflections On Pathways To Groundwater Security In The Mexico–United States Borderlands, Rosario Sanchez, José Agustin Breña-Naranjo, Alfonso Rivera, Randall T. Hanson, Antonio Hernández-Espriú, Rick J. Hogeboom, Anita Milman, Jude A. Benavides, Adrian Pedrozo-Acuña, Julio Cesar Soriano-Monzalvo, Sharon B. Megdal, Gabriel Eckstein, Laura Rodriguez

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Shared groundwater resources between Mexico and the United States are facing unprecedented stressors. We reflect on how to improve water security for groundwater systems in the border region. Our reflection begins with the state of groundwater knowledge, and the challenges groundwater resources face from a physical, societal and institutional perspective. We conclude that the extent of ongoing cooperation frameworks, joint and remaining research efforts, from which alternative strategies can emerge, still need to be developed. The way forward offers a variety of cooperation models as the future offers rather complex, shared and multidisciplinary water challenges to the Mexico–US borderlands.

Action Plan For The International Year Of Rangelands And Pastoralists (Iyrp): The Case For The United States, Canada, And Mexico, Barry Irving, Larry Howery, Jürgen Hoth, Jess Peterson

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The GAP analysis (A Case of Benign Neglect: Knowledge gaps about sustainability in rangelands and pastoralism) points to several gaps that are relevant to the US, Canada and Mexico. North American rangelands span the ecological continuum of polar to hot deserts and arid to humid climates that exhibit highly variable ecological and forage production potential across time and space. Although there is a great deal of rangeland research, extension, and inventory capacity in all three countries, a weak link is the dissemination of information to North American pastoralists (conventionally referred to as ranchers or producers). Although the extension system in …

Palynology And Paleoclimatology Of The Chicxulub Impact Crater In The Early Paleogene, Vann Smith

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

At the end of the Cretaceous Period, a large bolide impacted the Earth and formed the Chicxulub impact crater in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. In 2016, International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 364 Site M0077 drilled into the buried peak ring of the crater, recovering a marine Paleocene to early Eocene post-impact section deposited on top of the impact breccia. Palynological analysis of 195 samples from the post-impact section has yielded the first pre-Holocene vegetational record from inside the Chicxulub impact crater and the first palynological record of the recovery of life following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction from inside the …

The Intersection Of Past And Present, Hannah Welzbacker

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Science often faces a crossroad between the past and present. Ever changing technology allows us to make new discoveries while at the same time, elements from past cultures need preserving. The three stories in this portfolio all highlight the intersection of past and present and how they can coexist. The first story focuses on a technological breakthrough that allows local researchers to better understand nocturnal migrations using acoustic monitoring. The second story explains the controversial Mayan Train project moving through South America and the implications for the economy, environment and culture. The final piece captures how members of the Blackfeet …

Heritability And Genetic Correlations Of Forage Yield Traits In Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.) For Central Valley Of Mexico, B. Alarcon‐Zuniga, R. Perdomo‐Gomez

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Food Insecurity Measurement And Prevalence Estimates During The Covid-19 Pandemic In A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey In Mexico, Pablo Gaitán-Rossi, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Graciela Teruel, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Objective: To validate the telephone modality of the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA) included in three waves of a phone survey to estimate the monthly household food insecurity prevalence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Design: We examined the reliability and internal validity of the ELCSA scale in three repeated waves of cross-sectional surveys with Rasch models. We estimated the monthly prevalence of food insecurity in the general population and in households with and without children and compared them with a national 2018 survey. We tested concurrent validity by testing associations of food insecurity with socio-economic status …

Metabolomics-Based Analysis Of Miniature Flask Contents Identifies Tobacco Mixture Use Among The Ancient Maya, Mario Zimmermann, Korey J. Brownstein, Luis Pantoja Díaz, Iliana Ancona Aragón, Scott R. Hutson, Barry Kidder, Shannon Tushingham, David R. Gang

Anthropology Faculty Publications

A particular type of miniature ceramic vessel locally known as “veneneras” is occasionally found during archaeological excavations in the Maya Area. To date, only one study of a collection of such containers successfully identified organic residues through coupled chromatography–mass spectrometry methods. That study identified traces of nicotine likely associated with tobacco. Here we present a more complete picture by analyzing a suite of possible complementary ingredients in tobacco mixtures across a collection of 14 miniature vessels. The collection includes four different vessel forms and allows for the comparison of specimens which had previously formed part of museum exhibitions with recently …

Comparing Semi-Urban And Forest Populations Of The Jalisco Mud Turtle (Kinosternon Chimalhuaca), Jose Garrido

All Master's Theses

Mud turtles (family Kinosternidae) are primarily threatened by climate change, overexploitation, and land development. To survive in increasingly urbanized and arid regions, mud turtles often inhabit man-made water sources such as cattle troughs and irrigation ditches. These bodies of water are critical in urban habitat where they may offer some of the last remaining refugia; however, the effect of these conditions on population structure is poorly understood. The Jalisco mud turtle (Kinosternon chimalhuaca) was described in 1997 from a small range south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Since its description, critical ecological research has remained largely nonexistent, hindering …

Selenopidae (Arachnida: Araneae), A New Host Spider Family For The Spider Wasp Tachypompilus Ferrugineus (Say) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Pompilini), Frank E. Kurczewski, Rick C. West, Sarah C. Crews, N. R. Jenzen-Jones

Insecta Mundi

Four online photographs from Oaxaca, Mexico taken by N. R. Jenzen-Jones and posted on inaturalist.org reveal Selenops sp., probably S. mexicanus Keyserling (Arachnida: Araneae: Selenopidae), as a new host spider species, genus and family for the common and widespread American spider wasp Tachypompilus fer­rugineus (Say) (rusty spider wasp). The wasp transported the immobilized spider up an exterior stucco wall of a house, dorsal side upward, walking backwards for 3 m to her nest in a gap between the wooden planking and stucco wall beneath the roof, while grasping the femur of its right pedipalp with her mandibles.

A New Central American Genus Of Pleasing Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) From The Ischyrus-Megischyrus Complex, Paul E. Skelley

Insecta Mundi

Antoinettia, new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Tritomini), is erected for three species: A. audbala (Skelley), new combination, A. huhnei Skelley, new species, and A. kovariki (Skelley), new combination. A genus complex involving Ischyrus Lacordaire, 1842, and Megischyrus Crotch, 1873, is defined and a preliminary key to neotropical genera of Tritomini with coarsely facetted eyes is presented.

ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7CF5D30C-C46E-4135-A188-B53B0A77B34E

Description Of A New Species Of Chrysina Kirby (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) From The Sierra Azul, Oaxaca, Mexico, A New Synonymy, And Notes On Chrysina Species Found In The Sierra Azul, José Monzón Sierra, Julian Federico Blackaller-Bages, David C. Hawks

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Chrysina Kirby, C. clavellina Monzón, Blackaller, and Hawks (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) is described from Santiago Clavellinas in the Sierra Azul in Oaxaca, Mexico. Chrysina cosijoezai (Ramírez-Ponce and Curoe) is placed as a junior synonym of C. lacordairei (Boucard), and notes on the Chrysina fauna of this mountain range are included.

Se describe una nueva especie de Chrysina Kirby, C. clavellina Monzón, Blackaller, y Hawks (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) de Santiago Clavellinas en la Sierra Azul en Oaxaca, México. Chrysina cosijoezai (Ramírez-Ponce y Curoe) se sitúa como un sinónimo de C. lacordairei (Boucard) y se incluyen notas …

How Much Can Mexican Healthcare Providers Learn About Breastfeeding Through A Semi-Virtual Training? A Propensity Score Matching Analysis, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Meztli Moncada, Diana Flores

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Mexico has shown a worrisome decrease in breastfeeding indicators, especially in the lowest socioeconomic level. Improving breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support services through workforce development is a key area of intervention. The objective of this study is to assess the influence on breastfeeding knowledge and abilities of a semi-virtual training for primary healthcare providers assisting beneficiaries of PROSPERA in Mexico, which is one of the largest conditional cash-transfer programs in the world. Methods: Two independent cross-sectional samples of healthcare providers were drawn at baseline and post-intervention in three states of Mexico. Baseline data were collected among primary physicians, registered …

Range Management Program: “Los Ángeles” Experimental Cattle Ranch In Northern México, Ricardo Vásquez, Silverio G. Pérez

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

The arid and semi-arid grasslands of both the ejidos (farming communities) and extensive (private) cattle ranches in northern México face serious degradation problems. This is visibly evident in the extent of soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and invasion of undesirable species (Ceballo et al. 2009). Severe impact of drought and over-grazing are important causes for the declining productivity now common place throughout these north Mexican grasslands. Two important contributing factors to this grassland degradation are: (1) the lack of continuous and well integrated education programs on the range and ranch management; and (2) a scarcity of government and private …

Effect Of Supplementation Of Dairy Cows Under Cut And Carry Or Grazing Of Irrigated Cultivated Pastures In Small Scale Dairy Systems In The Highlands Of Central Mexico, J. Velarde-Guillen, Carloss Manuel Arriaga-Jordan, J. G. Estrada-Flores, A. A. Rayas-Amor, F. Vicente, A. Martinez-Fernandez, D. Heredia-Nava, C. M. Arriaga-Jordan

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Small-scale dairy systems in Mexico represent over 78% of dairy farms and produce 37% of the nation’s milk, and have an important role in reducing rural poverty. Small-scale dairy systems are defined by having herds of 3 to 35 cows plus replacements, and rely mostly on the family for labour. In the central highlands, many small-scale dairy farms base the feeding of herds on irrigated cultivated pastures of ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum, L. perenne) – white clover (Trifolium repens), mostly under cut-and-carry by hand with scythes, straws, and large amounts of commercial compound concentrates that result in …

Association Between Breastfeeding And Child Stunting In Mexico, Ana Paola Campos, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Summer Sherburne Hawkins

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

Background: Globally, the prevalence of child stunting has been decreasing over the past decades. How-ever, in low-and middle-income countries such as Mexico, stunting is still the most prevalent form of undernutrition affecting a large number of children in the most vulnerable conditions. Breastfeeding has been identified as one of the key affordable and modifiable maternal health behaviors protecting against child stunting. Objective: To examine the association between breastfeeding (defined as never breastfed, any breast-feeding for <6 months, and any breastfeeding for ≥6 months) and other individual-, household-, and area-level factors with child stunting (defined as length/height-for-age-z-score for sex under –2 standard deviations of the World Health Organization child growth standards’ median) in Mexico. Methods: Secondary data analysis using the 2012 Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey, which allowed representativeness of rural and urban areas at national level and among 4 regions in Mexico. Our subset included data on 2,089 singleton Mexican children aged 6–35 months with information on previously identified risk and protective factors for stunting. We conducted fixed-and mixed-effects logistic regression models sequentially controlling for each level of factors. Findings: Overall, 12.3% of children were stunted and 71.1% were breastfed for ≥6 months. Any breast-feeding and being female were consistent protective factors against child stunting across all models. In contrast, child low birthweight, maternal short stature, higher number of children aged <5 years per household, and moderate to severe food insecurity were consistent risk factors for child stunting across all models. Conclusions: According to our findings, efforts to reduce child stunting in Mexico should include prenatal strategies aiming to prevent low birthweight offspring particularly among short-stature women, moderate to severe food insecure households, families with a higher number of children aged <5 years, and indigenous communities. Postnatal components should include multilevel strategies to support breastfeeding.

Soil Sustainability Of Forest Bioenergy Feedstocks Across The Americas, Michelle Brill

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Many sources of woody biofuels provide alternative options to fossil fuels that can help mitigate greenhouse gases. One key component of feedstock sustainability from an ecosystem service perspective is soil sustainability. We examined eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis) plantations in the warm-temperate entic and mollic soils of Northeastern Argentina, oil palm plantations (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in the tropical alfic soils of Southeastern Mexico, and aspen (Populus tremuloides) in the cool-temperate spodic soils of Northeastern United States. The following elements were measured in soil increments of 15 cm, down to a total of 60 cm: carbon (C), nitrogen …

Exposures At Day Labor Corners: Using Existing Georeferenced Data To Describe Features Of Urban Environments, Maria Eugenia Fernández-Esquer, Amy E Hughes, Sandi L Pruitt

Journal Articles

PURPOSE: Latino day laborers are male immigrants from mainly Mexico and Central America who congregate at corners, that is, informal hiring sites, to solicit short-term employment. Studies describing the occupational environment of Latino day laborers traditionally measure jobsite exposures, not corner exposures. We sought to elucidate exposures at corners by describing their demographic, socioeconomic, occupational, business, built, and physical environmental characteristics and by comparing corner characteristics with other locations in a large urban county in Texas.

METHODS: We used multiple publicly available data sets from the U.S. Census, local tax authority, Google's Nearby Places Application Programming Interface, and Environmental Protection …

A Genetic Counseling Needs Assessment Of Mexico., Daiana Bucio, Kelly E Ormond, Daisy Hernandez, Carlos D Bustamante, Arturo Lopez Pineda

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

BACKGROUND: While genetic counseling has expanded globally, Mexico has not adopted it as a separate profession. Given the rapid expansion of genetic and genomic services, understanding the current genetic counseling landscape in Mexico is crucial to improving healthcare outcomes.

METHODS: Our needs assessment strategy has two components. First, we gathered quantitative data about genetics education and medical geneticists' geographic distribution through an exhaustive compilation of available information across several medical schools and public databases. Second, we conducted semi-structured interviews of 19 key-informants from 10 Mexican states remotely with digital recording and transcription.

RESULTS: Across 32 states, ~54% of enrolled medical …

Age-At-Death Estimation For Modern Populations In Mexico And Puerto Rico Through The Use Of 3d Laser Scans Of The Pubic Symphysis, Cristina Figueroa Soto, Bridget F.B. Algee-Hewitt, Guillermo Bravo Morante, Dennis E. Slice, Dawnie W. Steadman

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Reliable age-at-death estimates from the adult skeleton is of fundamental importance in forensic anthropology, as it contributes to the identity parameters used in a medico-legal death investigation. However, reliable estimates are made difficult by the fact that many traditional aging methods are dependent upon a set of population-specific criteria derived from individuals of European and African descent. The absence of information on the potential differences in the aging patterns of underrepresented, especially Hispanic populations, may hinder our efforts to produce useful age-at-death estimates. In response to these concerns, this study explores the utility of currently available aging techniques, and explores …

Oxygen And Hydrogen Isotopes In Human Hair And Tap Water: Modeling Relationships In A Modern Mexican Population, Chelsey A. Juarez, Robin Ramey, David T. Flaherty, Belinda Akpa

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

This study investigates the relationship between O and H isotopes in samples of Mexican hair and drinking water. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we wanted to quantify the relationship between isotopes in Mexican hair and tap water to understand the impact of water stress and differing socioeconomic status on accurate predictions of drinking water. Second, we wanted to determine whether currently existing semi mechanistic models could accurately represent the relationship between hair and tap water. For this study, we used a subset of paired (N = 62) human hair and (N = 76) tap water samples. Isotope …

An Iterative Process For Training Design And Implementation Increased Health Workers' Knowledge For Taking Nutrition Behavior Change To Scale, Wendy Gonzalez, Anabelle Bonvecchio Arenas, Armando García-Guerra, Mireya Vilar-Compte, Alejandría Villa De La Vega, Laura Quezada, Cynthia Rosas, Ana Lilia Lozada-Tequeanes, Amira Hernández

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

The shortage of skilled, motivated, and well-supported health workers is a major barrier to scaling up nutrition interventions and services. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the process for developing and implementing a training of health personnel for the delivery of the Integrated Strategy for Attention to Nutrition (EsIAN), an evidence-based strategy for promoting infant and young child feeding through primary health care in Mexico. The specific objective is to provide a case study and highlight challenges, as well as elements to successfully mitigate these, and discuss potential applications of findings beyond the Mexican context. Methods: The …

1916 - The Missions And Missionaries Of California, Index To Volumes Ii-Iv, Zephyrin Engelhardt

Franciscan Publications

This 1916 publication is an index of Volumes I through IV for Engelhardt's Missions and Missionaries of California.

1912 - The Missions And Missionaries Of California, Vol. Ii, Upper California, Part I, General History, Zephyrin Engelhardt

Franciscan Publications

Volume II was a general accounting of the missions and missionaries in Upper California. Section I addressed the establishment and administration of the missions by Fr. Junípero Serra. Section II covered the administration of Fr. Fermín Francisco de Lasuén and Fr. Estevan Tapis. The author posited that the real object of the conquest and occupation of Alta California was not the establishment of the Catholic faith in California but rather to fund expeditions and secure the land from the Russians and others who were making expeditions in the region. Engelhardt's evidence was the fact that the Spanish government seized and …