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Cysticercosis is an infestation of Cysticercus cellulosae. When it occurs in the brain, chronic neurological complications can ensue, most commonly seizures. Neurocysticercosis is usually diagnosed by neuroimaging, a technique not available in most endemic countries. Hence immunological tests are valuable for diagnosis and epidemiological surveys. We evaluated the suitability of paper for storing blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) until subsequent testing by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), by testing whole blood samples on filter paper from 305 patients and CSF samples from 117 patients stored on ordinary white typing paper and on filter paper. Optimal preservation of biological samples is achieved when whole blood is stored on filter paper, CSF on white paper, and when samples are frozen within 1 week after collection. Our results could improve diagnostic capabilities and facilitate epidemiological surveys in endemic countries where immunodiagnostic tests cannot be rapidly performed because of inadequate laboratory infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Plants, People, Planet is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wildlife trade is a worldwide threat to biodiversity. It is a complex problem, and to deal with it, one must analyse its constituting factors, some of which are specific to certain geographic areas. Although Mexican laws have prohibited selling wild products, Mexico is still both a source and consumer of exotic wildlife; however, there is limited data on why people participate in this type of trade.This paper aims to understand people's motivations for participating in the wildlife trade. 192 surveys on a population segment unrelated to it and 30 in‐depth interviews were performed to determine the patterns of wildlife trade in Mexico. Finally, we performed two in‐person interviews with collectors of large‐scale animals.The outcomes demonstrated that Facebook was the social media showing more wildlife content. Most participants were aware of the diverse impacts of the animal trade, as well as, that offering, buying and having certain animals was a crime but were assuaged due to common knowledge that authorities do not investigate social media. Finally, based on the findings from the in‐person interviews, it was observed that the individuals engaged in heavy trafficking believed that their actions were altruistic in nature.We concluded that the primary motivations for wildlife trade in Mexico were economic status and prestige within their social groups. In that order, our study is a pioneering attempt to determine motivations in Mexico, which could be a basis for future regional studies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern analysis of earthquakes depends on digital time series; however, only about 30% of the timespan of recorded seismicity is available in digital format. During the first half of the 20th century, most of the earthquake ground motions in Mexico were recorded by Wiechert mechanical instruments on smoked paper. In this work, we developed and use Tiitba, a new portable multiplatform graphical user interface (GUI) open-source software coded on python, to vectorize and correct old analogue seismograms. Using this software, we vectorized the 11/1/1928 Parral (M6.3) earthquake seismograms to obtain the constant time-interval digitized time series for each component and station of the seismogram. Then, we obtained its source focal mechanism using a genetic algorithm methodology. Also, with an auxiliary Tiitba module, we constructed a SEISAN S-file to relocate the hypocentre of this earthquake. The obtained relocation is about 125 km south of a recently recorded seismic swarm that occurred in 2013, which has a similar focal mechanism to the one that we obtained in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how sales force impacts competition and equilibrium prices in the context of a privatized pension market. We use detailed administrative data on fund manager choices and worker characteristics at the inception of Mexico's privatized social security system, where fund managers had to set prices (management fees) at the national level, but could select sales force levels by local geographic areas. We develop and estimate a model of fund manager choice where sales force can increase or decrease customer price sensitivity. We find exposure to sales force lowered price sensitivity, leading to inelastic demand and high equilibrium fees. We simulate oft proposed policy solutions: a supply-side policy with a competitive government player and a demand-side policy that increases price elasticity. We find that demand-side policies are necessary to foster competition in social safety net markets with large segments of inelastic consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution range and population abundance of species provide fundamental information on the species–habitat relationship required for management and conservation. Abundance inherently provides more information about the ecology of species than do occurrence data. However, information on abundance is scarce for most species, mainly at large spatial scales. The objective of this work was, therefore, to provide information regarding the population status of six wild felids inhabiting territories in Mexico that are inaccessible or politically unstable. This was done using species distribution models derived from occurrence data. We used distribution data at a continental scale for the wild felids inhabiting Mexico: jaguar (Panthera onca), bobcat (Lynx rufus), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), cougar (Puma concolor), margay (Leopardus wiedii), and jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) to predict environmental suitability (estimated by both Maxent and the distance to niche centroid, DNC). Suitability was then examined by relating to a capture rate‐based index, in a well‐monitored area in central western Mexico in order to assess their performance as proxies of relative abundance. Our results indicate that the environmental suitability patterns predicted by both algorithms were comparable. However, the strength of the relationship between the suitability and relative abundance of local populations differed across species and between algorithms, with the bobcat and DNC, respectively, having the best fit, although the relationship was not consistent in all the models. This paper presents the potential of implementing species distribution models in order to predict the relative abundance of wild felids in Mexico and offers guidance for the proper interpretation of the relationship between suitability and population abundance. The results obtained provide a robust information base on which to outline specific conservation actions and on which to examine the potential status of endangered species inhabiting remote or politically unstable territories in which on‐field monitoring programs are not feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that public debt is a priority for policymakers in Mexico, the aim of this paper is to examine the convergence or divergence in debt per capita and main drivers of debt in the 32 Mexican states in the period 2006–2021. The results support significant spatial correlation of debt/cap across states. Cross‐section and spatial dynamic regressions are used to analyse absolute and conditional beta‐convergence in debt per capita, and the divergence assumption is documented. The panel data models based on the method‐of‐moments quantile models and pooled mean group estimators indicate that poverty is the main determinant of debt, whereas foreign direct investment is insufficient to support the reduction in debt in the long run. These results provide evidence for a set of policy recommendations to ensure a sustainable debt path in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to measure the effectiveness of an ethics program at one of the most prominent pawnshop chains in Mexico, surveying a sample of 519 workers. This research presents a novel approach to the investigation of business ethics by conducting a cluster randomized control trial experiment to assess effectiveness. No evidence of an enhanced understanding of the existing code of ethics from the communication and explanation of the code was apparent. This could indicate an example of a failed ethics program, suggesting the possibility of additional ineffective ethics programs and companies could be wasting resources on them. We demonstrate that it is possible to implement a cluster randomized control trial, which is considered to be the gold standard in impact evaluation. This should lead to the application of more effective methodologies in the field of business ethics, offering a more comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of ethics programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data papers and open databases have revolutionized contemporary science, as they provide the long‐needed incentive to collaborate in large international teams and make natural history information widely available. Nevertheless, most data papers have focused on species occurrence or abundance, whereas interactions have received much less attention. To help fill this gap, we have compiled a georeferenced data set of interactions between 93 bat species of the family Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera) and 501 plant species of 68 families. Data came from 169 studies published between 1957 and 2007 covering the entire Neotropical Region, with most records from Brazil (34.5% of all study sites), Costa Rica (16%), and Mexico (14%). Our data set includes 2571 records of frugivory (75.1% of all records) and nectarivory (24.9%). The best represented bat genera are Artibeus (28% of all records), Carollia (24%), Sturnira (10.1%), and Glossophaga (8.8%). Carollia perspicillata (187), Artibeus lituratus (125), Artibeus jamaicensis (94), Glossophaga soricina (86), and Artibeus planirostris (74) were the bat species with the broadest diets recorded based on the number of plant species. Among the plants, the best represented families were Moraceae (17%), Piperaceae (15.4%), Urticaceae (9.2%), and Solanaceae (9%). Plants of the genera Cecropia (46), Ficus (42), Piper (40), Solanum (31), and Vismia (27) exhibited the largest number of interactions. These data are stored as arrays (records, sites, and studies) organized by logical keys and rich metadata, which helped to compile the information on different ecological and geographic scales, according to how they should be used. Our data set on bat–plant interactions is by far the most extensive, both in geographic and taxonomic terms, and includes abiotic information of study sites, as well as ecological information of plants and bats. It has already facilitated several studies and we hope it will stimulate novel analyses and syntheses, in addition to pointing out important gaps in knowledge. Data are provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Please cite this paper when the data are used in any kind of publication related to research, outreach, and teaching activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of People & Nature is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Profitability and energy efficiency depend on optimal operation of a supply chain network for automotive fuels in Mexico, even for clean energy expectations. This paper shows how decision‐making for fuels‐distribution network growth in Mexico points in the same direction, while the practical small optimization model, introduced in this paper, replaces a detailed model thereby offering great advantages to the analysts. The paper also describes the relevant strategies that were applied to ensure equivalences between the two models representing a supply chain. The model simplification not only reduces its size and computer time for execution but allows for the most relevant time reduction associated with preparing the data input to feed into the model, as well as in analyzing the results. Some distribution network growth options were evaluated by using both models with equivalent objective functions. Small model results give enough information for decision‐making support. The use of new facilities and economic benefits are similar to those obtained with the complex model. The main issues to take care of are bottleneck identification and commodities differentiation. If a binding constraint is removed in the small model, similar results are seen in the complex model when a specific bottleneck is improved. This is the first time that a practical model is used to evaluate multiple scenarios of the complex automotive fuel distribution network in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of social pensions on old‐age poverty. To achieve causal identification, we leverage the reduction in the minimum eligibility age of Mexico's flagship non‐means‐tested social pension program. We find that the program's expansion significantly reduced extreme poverty, mainly among indigenous seniors and in rural areas. However, it had negligible effects on labor force participation, suggesting that social pensions were not effective in ensuring minimum economic well‐being and simultaneously inducing retirement among seniors at early stages of old age. The program's small cash transfer and mistargeting are among the main explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American Monsoon (NAM) is a critical component of the hydrologic cycle in southwestern North America. However, our understanding of the long‐term evolution of this monsoon system is incomplete due to a paucity of long‐term paleoclimatic records from the core and periphery of the NAM domain. C. Routson et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl099772) leverage a new compilation of Holocene proxy records to generate a new composite index of NAM evolution over the Holocene. They identify a relationship between NAM strength and the latitudinal temperature gradient over the Holocene. The authors suggest that shifts in the strength of the westerlies altered NAM convection via ventilation, a process whereby the large‐scale circulation imports low moist entropy air into the monsoon domain. These results highlight the importance of paleoclimatic records, especially from past "warm" intervals, for generating new insights about the evolution of regional monsoons. Plain Language Summary: The North American Monsoon is a circulation that brings summer rain to regions of the US southwest and western Mexico. Despite the fact that this circulation provides a majority of the precipitation in many parts of the arid southwest, we do not fully understand the factors that govern long‐term changes in this monsoon. A new paper by C. Routson et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022gl099772) uses proxy indicators of past summer rainfall, stretching from Central America to Arizona, to reconstruct changes in the monsoon over the geologic epoch known as the Holocene, or the last 11,000 years of Earth history. The results of this study suggest that Holocene changes in the temperature difference between the equator to pole, known as the "latitudinal temperature gradient," exerted an important influence over monsoon strength in the southwest. This has implications for the future of the summer monsoon, especially as the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere are expected to warm in the future. Key Point: The strength North American Monsoon tracks changes in the position of the midlatitude westerlies over the Holocene [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive analyses of seismic precursory characteristics may provide evidence for the possible mechanisms of lithosphere‐atmosphere‐ionosphere coupling (LAIC). The integrated monitoring data from space and ground measurements makes it possible to reveal the potential earthquake precursory pattern obeying LAIC. In this paper, we study seismic precursors from air temperature data of the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) based Total Electron Content (TEC) and electron density retrieved from Swarm satellite (Alpha) data in two Mw ≥ $\ge $ 7.0 earthquakes in Mexico in 2020–2021. We find seismic thermal anomalies can be identified from temperature variation in the lithosphere and atmosphere by improved tidal force fluctuant analysis (TFFA). The spatial‐temporal evolution of seismic thermal anomalies is significantly different from that of non‐seismic thermal anomalies. In addition, synergistic observations of the Swarm Alpha satellite and GNSS stations can provide more comprehensive information about perturbations in the ionosphere. The results show that anomalies originate along fault lineaments near the epicenter, leading to air pressure gradient and ionization process in the atmosphere, followed by ionospheric perturbations. Furthermore, composite anomalies of LAIC first appear around a month before earthquakes and tend to recur several times over earthquake preparation phases. Our study provides more evidence for understanding the characteristics of earthquake precursors. Plain Language Summary: The physical processes of earthquake preparation have triggered plenty of scientific interest and discussion. The information and energy can be transported from underground to the lithosphere, atmosphere, and ionosphere, in the form of various precursors before earthquakes. However, previous studies reported the inconsistent occurrence time of observed precursors in the lithosphere, atmosphere, and ionosphere. It is necessary to explore the earthquake precursory pattern to integrate different types of anomalies and tease out their temporal relationship. We apply tidal force fluctuant analysis to anomaly detection of atmospheric and surface temperature based on National Center for Environmental Prediction reanalysis data, and Swarm Alpha satellite data and GNSS stations data are used to detect ionospheric perturbations. The results from two earthquakes in Mexico, Mw = 7.4 earthquake in 2020 and Mw = 7.0 earthquake in 2021, show that precursors follow the time rule from the lithosphere to the atmosphere and then to the ionosphere. Also, earthquake precursors appear around a month before earthquakes and have repeatability. This pattern could provide an important advance for earthquake prediction from multi‐source data. Key Points: Spatial‐temporal evolution of seismic thermal anomalies in lithosphere and atmosphere is investigated based on the variation of daily tidal force potentialThe temporal rule of anomalous transmission supports the coupling of lithosphere‐atmosphere‐ionosphereThe earthquake precursory pattern obeying lithosphere‐atmosphere‐ionosphere coupling is explored [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papers in Regional Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The North American monsoon (NAM) is an important source of rainfall to much of Mexico and southwestern United States. Westerly winds (westerlies) can suppress monsoon circulation and impact monsoon timing, intensity, and extent. Recent Arctic warming is reducing the temperature gradient between the equator and the pole, which could weaken the westerlies; however, the implications of these changes on the NAM are uncertain. Here we present a new composite index of the Holocene NAM. We find monsoon strength reached a maximum circa 7,000 years ago and has weakened since then. Proxy observations of temperature, hydroclimate and upwelling, along with model simulations, show that the NAM was modulated by the westerlies over the Holocene. If the observed Holocene pattern holds for current warming, a weaker meridional temperature gradient and weaker westerlies could lead to a stronger future NAM. Plain Language Summary: The North American monsoon (NAM) is a main source of summertime rain in Mexico and southwestern North America. Here we explore how the NAM rainfall has changed over the past 11,000 years using information from natural archives of past climate (called "proxies") as well as climate models. We find that monsoon was strongest around 7,000 years ago and has weakened since then. This weakening of the monsoon appears to be caused by a strengthening of the mid‐latitude jet stream, which was influenced by changes in high‐latitude versus low‐latitude temperatures over that period. This paper explores the relationship between temperatures, the jet stream, and the NAM in data and models, which is relevant to future climate in the region. Key Points: A new multi‐proxy‐based estimate of the Holocene North American monsoon (NAM) is presentedProxy and modeled evidence show westerly winds were a dominant control on the Holocene NAMHigh‐latitude temperature drove changes in the Holocene westerly winds and thus the NAM [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically investigates two issues largely unexplored by the literature on market discipline. We evaluate the interaction between market discipline and deposit insurance and the impact of banking crises on market discipline. We focus on the experiences of Argentina, Chile, and Mexico during the 1980s and 1990s. We find that depositors discipline banks by withdrawing deposits and by requiring higher interest rates. Deposit insurance does not appear to diminish the extent of market discipline. Aggregate shocks affect deposits and interest rates during crises, regardless of bank fundamentals, and investors' responsiveness to bank risk taking increases in the aftermath of crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data set represents the Regional Meteoric Water Line (RMWL) for the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), a region with karstic aquifers but little knowledge of the isotopic composition of meteoric water. This data paper comprises the isotopic composition of meteoric water collected from November 2018 to November 2019 as monthly composite samples expressed as weighted monthly mean precipitation from 16 locations across the Yucatan Peninsula. The RMWL was δ2H = 7.803 δ18O + 12.075, with a slope and intercept suggesting precipitation from air that has undergone condensation, air masses with variable moisture or recycled moisture. The average δ18O is −2.57‰ (−12.23 to 1.2‰) and δ2H is −7.94‰ (−83.39 to 18.32‰). This data set was collected by the implementation of an isotopic monitoring network, gathering information useful as a tool for better understanding of the hydrology and hydrogeochemistry of karstic aquifers, and to develop proxies for paleohydrology, ecohydrology, climate change and paleoclimate studies in the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Caribbean Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper reports on preliminary testing of the "Self‐Transformation Methodology" (STM) to rebalance an organisational structure in order to improve the effectiveness of corporate sustainability (CS) strategy implementation. It presents the results of a pilot study where it was possible to align CS strategy and organisational structure, clarifying the required adapting and learning organisational processes and closing the learning loop by continuously monitoring sustainability indicators during this process. Additionally, it reflects on the learning and needs for further developments of the methodology. This research contributes to CS and system thinking literature with an approach to address the challenges of integrating CS initiatives into the operation of a firm. The STM methodology has shown good potential for creating a more effective context for CS strategy implementation. The research scope is limited, and in consequence, more action research is required to fully apply the adjusted methodology to further corroborate the initial findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Although in recent years there has been a growth in banking services in Mexico, there is still a significant delay in terms of financial inclusion, which is also very uneven across municipalities. In this context, this paper analyses some of the factors that determine the probability of a municipality being financially included. The results show that financially included municipalities have a large number of inhabitants and high levels of income and education. The analysis also distinguishes between municipalities according to the region in which they are located and to their type of population. In general, rural and in transition municipalities are the least financially included, together with the municipalities located in the Sur region of the country. For these types of municipalities, results also show that both population and the Human Development Index (HDI) are important in determining the probability of being financially included. However, for urban municipalities, HDI is more important than the level of population as a factor influencing financial inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions according to the Paris Agreement. A relevant effort must be made for the analysis of Mexico's electric energy system towards a progressive decarbonization with a larger participation of intermittent renewable energies. The analysis of power planning scenarios, with different assumptions on costs, emissions, and intermittent performance of the power generating technologies, is needed to make sustainable decisions in the transition toward a cleaner power sector. Tools for energy modelling are required to develop and analyze scenarios with minimum costs subject to environmental constraints. The purpose of the article is to explain the modelling approach of a novel and flexible power planning tool, which is based on a well‐known linear programming optimization method combined with a computing strategy to optimize time consumed for reading, processing calculations, and writing the huge number of economic and technical parameters required for the hourly power dispatch in complex interconnected electric systems. The time consumed has been optimized by means of a binary matrix that activates the input and use of only the data needed for the solution of the problem. The paper describes the MC model and demonstrates some of its analytical capabilities through a Mexican case study with a least cost scenario and two decarbonization scenarios of the power interconnected system for the period from 2020‐2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the characteristics of turbine wake which is the major factor determining the turbulence in wind farm and overall wind farm performance. Using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and the large eddy simulation (LES) approach, dynamic simulations of detailed fluid flow and wake trajectory induced by the MEXICO wind turbine were carried out. Moreover, with the help of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) method, the lattice units were allowed to be automatically refined to allocate more grid points on the solid walls and in the wake region. The simulation results were firstly compared with the experimental data for validation of the numerical model, as well as for investigation of the impact of sub‐grid scale (SGS) turbulence models. Within the present modeling framework, the characteristics of transient wake propagation, detailed flow field, and rotor‐tower interaction were investigated, and the effect of tip‐speed ratio was also analyzed. The present work indicates that, with a suitable SGS turbulence model, the LBM‐LES method is an effective way for dynamic simulations of wake structures induced by a wind turbine with a rotating rotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Win—win outcomes between biodiversity conservation and local economic development are now a goal of many governments and conservation organizations but can be difficult to achieve. Where they occur, reductions in poverty from protected areas are often thought to be driven by economic gains from tourism that are sufficient to outweigh losses due to restrictions on land‐use or resource extraction. However, evidence about this channel is scarce. In this paper, we explore the potential compensatory effect of tourism by comparing poverty alleviation outcomes for cultural heritage sites in Mexico across two decades from 1990 to 2010. These sites are similar to protected areas in terms of attracting tourists, but they do not impose substantial restrictions on local land or resource use, allowing us to isolate tourism as a possible channel for economic development. Overall, we find mixed evidence that proximity to cultural heritage sites is associated with poverty reduction. During the first study period (1990–2000), localities close to cultural heritage sites saw reduced poverty of 0.034 standard deviations for each additional site. However, during the second period (2000–2010), localities close to heritage sites saw less poverty reduction than the comparison group (−0.014 standard deviations for each additional site). In both periods, poverty alleviation effects were not consistently correlated with the total number of visitors, but were larger further from cities, where baseline poverty was higher, and in the Yucatán Peninsula. This heterogeneity indicates that variability in the ability of local communities to capture benefits from tourism depends on a particular combination of institutional and geographic factors—as was the case in the Yucatan peninsula, where cultural heritage sites had consistent poverty alleviation effects over two decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective delivery strategy coupled with relevant social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) have been identified as central to the implementation of micronutrient powders (MNP) interventions, but there has been limited documentation of what works. Under the auspices of 'The Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance,' three working groups were formed to summarize experiences and lessons across countries regarding MNP interventions for young children. This paper focuses on programmatic experiences related to MNP delivery (models, platforms, and channels), SBCC, and training. Methods included a review of published and grey literature, interviews with key informants, and deliberations throughout the consultation process. We found that most countries distributed MNP free of charge via the health sector, although distribution through other platforms and using subsidized fee for product or mixed payment models have also been used. Community-based distribution channels have generally shown higher coverage and when part of an infant and young child feeding approach, may provide additional benefit given their complementarity. SBCC for MNP has worked best when focused on meeting the MNP behavioural objectives (appropriate use, intake adherence, and related infant and young child feeding behaviours). Programmers have learned that reincorporating SBCC and training throughout the intervention life cycle has allowed for much needed adaptations. Diverse experiences delivering MNP exist, and although no one-size-fits-all approach emerged, well-established delivery platforms, community involvement, and SBCC-centred designs tended to have more success. Much still needs to be learned on MNP delivery, and we propose a set of implementation research questions that require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses multiple cointegration analysis to estimate simultaneously a monetary reaction function and the determinants of expected inflation for Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. In addition, M-GARCH modeling is used to test for the presence of volatility spillovers between the monetary stance and inflation expectations. The analysis shows that there are long-term relationships between the interest rate, expected inflation, and the inflation target, and that greater volatility in the monetary stance increases the volatility of expected inflation in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the prices of basic staples in rural Mexico. We document that nonlinear pricing in the form of quantity discounts is common, that quantity discounts are sizable for basic staples, and that the well‐known conditional cash transfer program Progresa has significantly increased quantity discounts, although the program, as documented in previous studies, has not affected unit prices on average. To account for these patterns, we propose a model of price discrimination that nests those of Maskin and Riley (1984) and Jullien (2000), in which consumers differ in their tastes and, because of subsistence constraints, in their ability to pay for a good. We show that under mild conditions, a model in which consumers face heterogeneous subsistence or budget constraints is equivalent to one in which consumers have access to heterogeneous outside options. We rely on known results to characterize the equilibrium price schedule, which is nonlinear in quantity. We analyze the effect of nonlinear pricing on market participation as well as the impact of a market‐wide transfer, analogous to the Progresa one, when consumers are differentially constrained. We show that the model is structurally identified from data on prices and quantities from a single market under common assumptions. We estimate the model using data on three commonly consumed commodities from municipalities and localities in Mexico. Interestingly, we find that relative to linear pricing, nonlinear pricing is beneficial to a large number of households, including those consuming small quantities, mostly because of the higher degree of market participation that nonlinear pricing induces. We also show that the Progresa transfer has affected the slopes of the price schedules of the three commodities we study, which have become steeper as consistent with our model, leading to an increase in the intensity of price discrimination. Finally, we find that a reduced form of our model, in which the size of quantity discounts depends on the hazard rate of the distribution of quantities purchased in a village, accounts for the shift in price schedules induced by the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with an important proportion of endemism mainly because of the convergence of the Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographic regions, which generate great diversity and species turnover at different spatial scales. However, most of our knowledge of the Mexican ant biota is limited to a few well‐studied taxa, and we lack a comprehensive synthesis of ant biodiversity information. For instance, most of the knowledge available in the literature on Mexican ant fauna refers only to species lists by states, or is focused on only a few regions of the country, which prevents the study of several basic and applied aspects of ants, from diversity and distribution to conservation. Our aims in this data paper are therefore (1) to compile all the information available regarding ants across the Mexican territory, and (2) to identify major patterns in the gathered data set and geographic gaps in order to direct future sampling efforts. All records were obtained from raw data, including both unpublished and published information. After exhaustive filtering and updating information and synonyms, we compiled a total of 21,731 records for 887 ant species distributed throughout Mexico from 1894 to 2018. These records were concentrated mainly in the states of Chiapas (n = 6,902, 32.76%) and Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (n = 4,329, 19.92%), which together comprise half the records. The subfamily with the highest number of records was Myrmicinae (n = 10,458 records, 48.12%), followed by Formicinae (n = 3,284, 15.11%) and Ponerinae (n = 1,914, 8.8%). Most ant records were collected in the Neotropical region of the country (n = 12,646, 58.19%), followed by the Mexican transition zone (n = 5,237, 24.09%) and the Nearctic region (n = 3,848, 17.72%). Native species comprised 95.46% of the records (n = 20,745). To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complete data set available to date in the literature for the country. We hope that this compilation will encourage researchers to explore different aspects of the population and community research of ants at different spatial scales, and to aid in the establishment of conservation policies and actions. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using its data for publications or teaching events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Maize is one of the most consumed grains worldwide. Its production and international trade are expected to continue increasing because of its use as animal fodder and direct human food. Although maize's history spans millennia, in the last century it underwent significant changes due to genetic engineering, particularly during the Green Revolution. Due to maize's importance for current food security and energy production, it is fundamental to understand this engineering process to assess the implications of current styles of maize production for local and global landscapes, scientific institutions, and transnational networks of agricultural science. Summary: This article aims to explain how Mexican agricultural expertise contributed to the development of cytogenetics as a specialized field in the study of the diversity of maize within the framework of the Green Revolution. To this end, the article follows the work of Mexican agronomist Takeo Ángel Kato Yamakake within the activities of the Inter‐American Maize Improvement Program (IMIP), formally established in 1960. By reconstructing the debate on the genetic implications of chromosomal structure and function, this study contributes to the historiography devoted to the role played by local experts in the classification, experimentation, and conservation of maize.The article is based on sources from Mexico and the United States, an interview with Kato, and the consultation of the database "Rockefeller Fellows. Individual Mobility Awards at Rockefeller‐endowed Organizations, 1914‐1970."Kato's trajectory provides an overview of agronomy in Mexico and shows the relevance of transnational exchange in the establishment of plant cytogenetics. Kato's academic activity features collaborations with key figures such as Edwin Wellhausen, Albert Longley, Barbara McClintock, W. Gallinat, Czeslawa Prywer, and Almiro Blumenschein.A Green Revolution era quest to unravel the origin of maize as a way of perfecting its genetic manipulation fueled the interest in establishing cytogenetics in Mexico. However, the irruption of the molecular approach made the study of the position of chromosomal knobs less of a priority. Despite this, classical cytogenetics, under Kato's leadership, remains a field that contributed to the knowledge of the vegetal genome, even when the IMIP disappeared and the logic of the Green Revolution lost its centrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parasitic diseases of pigs are a public and veterinary health problem. Helminths influence pork production, whereas backyard pigs can transmit these parasites. Objectives: This work aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against Ascaris suum and Trichinella spiralis in backyard pigs from Jamiltepec, Region de la Costa, Oaxaca, in Southwestern Mexico. Methods: Six hundred sixty‐four serum samples were obtained from backyard pigs from 23 rural villages distributed in 5 municipalities; samples were taken in a non‐probabilistic manner with the owner's consent. The presence of serum antibodies against a total extract of A. suum adult worm was determined by ELISA. In contrast, antibodies to the excretion‐secretion products of the T. spiralis muscle larva were determined by Western blot. Results: The global seroprevalence for A. suum was 5.12% and 2.41% for T. spiralis; however, antibodies were only found in 8 villages and distributed in 3 municipalities. The highest frequency of positivity for Ascaris was found in the municipality of Santa Catarina Mechoacán (13.01%), whereas, in Santa María Huazalotitlán, the highest frequency of positivity for Trichinella was found (5.75%). In San Andrés, frequencies were 7.23% and 4.82%, respectively. No statistical differences were observed between populations. Conclusions: Our data suggest that helminth transmission is restricted by locality. However, further studies must be conducted to understand the factors limiting this transmission to promote pork meat production in parasite‐free zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper evaluates the performance of creative industries in 56 Mexican metropolitan areas over the period 1998−2013. Derived from Florida's 3T theory, determinants of inefficiency are examined by focusing on metropolitan area‐related variables. The analysis yields several interesting findings. First, there is a marked heterogeneity in performance, especially within the arts creative sector. Second, there is relatively little robust evidence that inefficiency can be reduced by increments in public investment (technology), "creative students" (talent) or cultural opportunity (tolerance). Thereby the role of local governments developing and implementing differentiated policy strategies could contribute to increase the efficiency of the creative sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of noncontributory pension programs at the federal and state levels on Mexican households' saving patterns using micro data from the Mexican Income and Expenditure Survey. We find that the federal program curtails saving among households whose oldest member is either 18–54 or 65–69 years old, possibly through anticipation effects, a decrease in the longevity risk faced by households, and a redistribution of income between households of different generations. Specifically, these households appear to be reallocating income away from saving into human capital investments, like education and health. Generally, state programs have neither significant effects on household saving, nor does the combination of federal and state programs. Finally, with a few exceptions, noncontributory pensions have no significant impact on the saving of households with members 70 years of age or older—individuals eligible for those pensions, plausibly because of their dissaving stage in the lifecycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore and near-shore wind energy is one of the major renewable energy resources, which already make a substantial contribution to the energy supply in Europe. Nevertheless, development is still in the start-up phase, with new projects being planned and implemented continuously. This development needs to be informed, to enable deployment at the most suitable/ideal locations. However, in order to predict the potential energy yield, forecasts have to be made. In this paper the authors present a scoping study. This study uses high-resolution climate data to predict wind speeds at various heights, and various locations along the coast of Mexico. Several techniques for wind extrapolation are explored, alongside a new method based on data analysis. The results show clearly a strong sensitivity to the method chosen, and results have to be interpreted accordingly. Also, the impact of water vapor is shown, using a method that predicts the moist air density at the hub height. The paper indicates that valuable information can be gained from the analyses undertaken, prior to embarking on detailed, targeted studies. The paper concludes with recommendations for further work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary was distributed at the Mexico City meeting of the Strategic Management Society, and forms the basis for the Call for Papers made for the 1996 SMS meeting to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, November 10-13, 1996 at The Pointe Hilton Resort. The Editors of the SMJ thought it worth drawing to our readers' attention and offer it here as an interesting perspective on our field, the issues it now faces, and by implication, what research and practice must confront over the years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) are among the most recognizable groups of birds, due to their tiny size, supremely maneuverable flight, and iridescent plumage. They are essential pollinators in ecosystems throughout the New World, and are welcome visitors to gardens and nectar feeders in every corner of the United States. Despite this familiarity, few people are aware that hummingbirds are the objects of active illegal international trade. The practice of incorporating the bodies of hummingbirds in love charms, known as chuparrosa charms, is a centuries‐old tradition in Mexico. The practice has now spread to the United States. This report summarizes investigations of the hummingbird trade by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 2013 to 2021. A total of 905 hummingbird carcasses were recovered in these investigations, representing 22 different species, 18 of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. While it appears that all hummingbirds were killed and packaged in Mexico, many originated from migratory U.S. populations. The species most frequently identified in chuparrosas was Ruby‐throated Hummingbird, which nests entirely in the United States and occurs in Mexico only in the non‐breeding season. Much remains to be learned about the dimensions of the chuparrosa trade, and its possible impacts on hummingbird populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogeography aims to understand the temporal and spatial distribution of life on Earth. Biogeographical research is aimed not only at describing where organisms live, at what densities, with whom, and how it all relates to the environmental and geographical setting but also why this is so. The International Biogeography Society, IBS, is a young and vibrant international and interdisciplinary society contributing to the advancement of all studies of the geography of nature, including spatial ecology (< >). In January 2009, the 4th International Conference of the International Biogeography Society took place in Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Ecography provided financial support, acting as the sponsor of the Symposium of Extinction Biogeography and contributing to student travel awards. In addition, Ecography was the officially designated journal for publishing some of the many exciting talks and posters presented at the conference. All of the papers in this special issue of Ecography arose from the IBS conference. They have all been subject to external peer review, subsequent revision, and final editorial decisions of acceptance/rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue, including research papers presented in the World Congress of the International Association of Bioethics, articles related to clinical ethics and bioethics methods.

Large asteroid impacts have long been attributed to imparting long‐lived heat in the upper crust, as well as widespread fracturing and porosity. When an impact occurs on or near an ocean environment, displaced water rushes back filling the crater and percolating down into the fractured crust. The significant heat and fracturing from impact allow for extensive hydrothermal activity. Hydrothermal alteration has been observed at the 180 km Chicxulub impact structure in Yucatán, Mexico. Previous studies estimate widespread hydrothermal transport and activity within the Chicxulub structure, but these processes are largely dependent on the assumed post‐impact permeability distribution. In this work, we present an impact simulation that tracks fragmentation as well as the generation of porosity and permeability during the Chicxulub impact event. The generation of porosity during tensile failure results in final porosities (up to 40%) that are up to a factor of 4 higher than previous models and in better agreement with drill core data. We find that both fragmentation and porosity contribute to overall permeability of the Chicxulub structure. Estimated permeabilities (up to 10−14 m2) are greater than measured values from drill cores because of the contribution from large‐scale fragmentation, which cannot be resolved in cm‐diameter drill cores. The larger porosities and permeabilities computed in this work suggest that the volume of hydrothermal activity generated by Chicxulub were 10 times more than previously estimated for Chicxulub and 100 times more than the Yellowstone caldera. Plain Language Summary: The Chicxulub impact event that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago hit the Earth on a carbonate platform leaving a 180 km wide impact crater onto what is now Yucatán, Mexico. The impact caused widespread fracturing of the carbonate crust and underlying granite. The extent of this fracturing and what effect it had on hydrothermal activity is of great interest. Several drill cores have been unearthed from within the crater by scientific expeditions. In this work, we build on previous impact simulations of the event using an updated code to model and estimate the extent of fragmentation in the carbonate and granite. Specifically, we model the formation of porosity (void space) and fragmented materials and estimate permeability (the interconnectedness of void space or fractures) and compare with what has been measured and observed in the drill cores for various regions within the crater. We find that the impact likely created more permeable space than what is estimated from drill core data. More permeable space may suggest more hydrothermal activity could be sustained as water from the ocean rushed back into the fractured, warm crust. Hydrothermal systems from the Chicxulub impact may have been 100 times larger than the modern Yellowstone Caldera. Key Points: We simulate impact‐induced porosity with iSALE that is comparable to porosity measured in two different drill coresWe find the permeabilities introduced by the Chicxulub impact event may be greater than those measured from the M0077A and Yax‐1 drill coresThe output from this work will be useful and necessary for constraining the longevity and evolution of hydrothermal systems [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals that co‐occur in a region (sympatry) may share the same environment (syntopy), and niche differentiation is expected among closely related species competing for resources. The masked booby (Sula dactylatra) and smaller congeneric red‐footed booby (Sula sula) share breeding grounds. In addition to the inter‐specific size difference, females of both species are also larger than the respective males (reversed sexual size dimorphism). Although both boobies consume similar prey, sometimes in mixed‐species flocks, each species and sex may specialize in terms of their diet or foraging habitats. We examined inter‐ and intra‐specific differences in isotopic values (δ13C and δ15N) in these pelagically feeding booby species during the incubation period at Clarion Island, Mexico, to quantify the degrees of inter‐ and intra‐specific niche partitioning throughout the annual cycle. During incubation, both species preyed mainly on flyingfish and squid, but masked boobies had heavier food loads than red‐footed boobies. There was no overlap in isotopic niches between masked and red‐footed boobies during breeding (determined from whole blood), but there was slight overlap during the non‐breeding period (determined from body feathers). Female masked boobies had a higher trophic position than conspecific males during breeding; however, no such pattern was detected in red‐footed boobies. These results provide evidence of inter‐ and intra‐specific niche partitioning in these tropical seabird species, particularly during the breeding period and in the more‐dimorphic species. Our results suggest that these closely related species use different strategies to cope with the same tropical marine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Compostela area is located in the western Trans‐Mexican Volcanic Belt, which consists of volcanic rocks that produced during the Pliocene to Recent volcanism. In this paper, we present petrography, whole‐rock major‐ and trace‐element concentrations, Ar–Ar ages, and Sr–Nd isotopic data of volcanic rocks from the Compostela area in the south of the city of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. These volcanic rocks are of intermediate composition and belong to the transitional series: basaltic trachyandesites [52.72–53.94 wt% SiO2; 0.69–2.53 wt% MgO] and subalkaline series: low‐Si [55.11–60.94 wt% SiO2; 0.79–2.74 wt% MgO] and high‐Si [61.60–62.71 wt% SiO2; 0.36–0.80 wt% MgO] andesites. The 40Ar/39Ar dating of two basaltic trachyandesites yields plateau ages of 1.05 ± 0.15 Ma and 1.07 ± 0.17 Ma and the andesites yielded a plateau age of 2.42 ± 0.36 Ma. These results indicate that the studied rocks were formed during the Pleistocene in two discrete episodes. The basaltic trachyandesites show enriched light rare earth elements patterns relative to high rare earth elements [(La/Yb)N = 5.81–8.07] with negligible Eu anomalies. The andesites display enriched large‐ion lithophile elements (Ba, K) with anomalies of Nb (Th/Ce) and Ti in the three groups identified in the subalkaline series. The basaltic trachyandesites appear in a tight cluster of initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.703519–0.703882) as compared to the basaltic andesite 87Sr/86Sr (0.704073) and positive ɛNd(t) values of +5.6 to +3.4, respectively, indicating that the basaltic trachyandesites were derived from intermediate magmas from a shallow mantle source. Geochemical modelling reveals that both basaltic trachyandesite and andesite rocks were derived by a process of crystal fractionation accompanied by assimilation of crustal rocks at the lower or middle level. Geochemical ratios and multidimensional discrimination diagrams, combined with the cross‐section of the subduction zone indicates that basaltic trachyandesites were generated from a rift and/or Ocean Island Basalt‐type source, whereas andesites were generated from a slab‐derived source in a subduction environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity plays important roles in nature's contributions to people (i.e., ecosystem services), but the critical details of how biodiversity contributes are challenging to determine. Efforts to identify the components of an ecosystem that provide services have improved our understanding of which species, functional groups, population, or habitats directly provide services. However, species do not exist in isolation and considerably less is known about how species indirectly influence ecosystem services through interacting with those species directly providing services. This uncertainty is even greater when considering that species interact in complex networks. As such, detailed analyses of species interdependencies are rarely included in ecosystem services assessments or conservation decisions. To date, most studies on food webs and on ecosystem services have developed largely in parallel for many services, but these fields and data are ripe for empirical integration. To further this integration, we compiled data sets that linked three existing ecological networks to seven ecosystem functions and services: wave attenuation, shoreline stabilization, carbon sequestration, water filtration, fisheries, birdwatching, and waterfowl hunting. We leveraged high‐resolution ecological interaction network data sets from three coastal salt marsh ecosystems including detailed species information (e.g., consumer strategy, body size, biomass) on several hundred species from Carpinteria Salt Marsh in California, USA, and for Estero de Punta Banda and Bahia Falsa in Baja, Mexico from Hechinger et al. (2011). Through an extensive literature synthesis and use of citizen science data, we identified which species in the Hechinger et al. (2011) data provided each ecosystem services directly. We augmented the Hechinger et al. (2011) data published in Ecology, particularly the link (or edge) list to include species—service links to indicate a species providing a service, in which species are listed as "Resources" and services are listed as "Consumers." Connecting these data to the previously published ecological networks with species interactions (i.e., trophic, parasitism) formed a topological network with species and service nodes. We also provided a protocol for assigning services to ecological networks that can be used in other ecosystems. This data set provides a step toward advancing the knowledge of important supporting species for ecosystem services and to developing new ecological network methods for ecosystem services. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper utilizes the Generalized Fechner-Thurstone (GF-T) direct utility function to see if relative price changes in neighbouring countries affect the preference structure of the host country. We analyze the case of Canada, Mexico and the U.S. We utilize the GFT functional form because it allows us to detect changes in preferences when parameters such as prices change. We find evidence of Veblen effects for both Canada and the U.S. across almost all goods under consideration. In Mexico the changes in relative prices in Canadian and U.S. goods appear to be much less significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amagmatic geothermal systems within regional‐scale orogenic faults are promising renewable resources for heat and possibly electricity production. However, their behavior needs to be better understood to improve their exploration and assessment of energy potential. To provide more insight, we report geochemical, geological, and geophysical studies from seven hot spring sites strung along a 90 km segment of the Agua Blanca Fault, which traverses a mountainous region of northern Baja California, Mexico. Our results show that topographic heads drive infiltration of meteoric water deep into basement rocks, where it is heated according to the local geothermal gradients. Long paths lead to long water residence times and high 3He/Hetotal fractions. The hot water ascends along preferentially permeable zones within the ABF, discharging at temperatures from 37°C in inland springs to 102°C on the Pacific coast. Higher discharge temperatures correlate positively with the degree of extensional fault displacement (a proxy for fault permeability). Correlations between hydraulic head gradients, residence times, and 3He/Hetotal of the thermal waters show that the hydraulic head gradient controls the length and depth of the flow paths, whereas the magnitudes and locations of the discharge sites are controlled by fault permeability. Optimal conditions at the coast allow the 120°C temperature threshold for electricity production to be reached at relatively shallow depths (<2 km), demonstrating the potential of orogenic geothermal systems not only for exploitation of hot discharging water but also for EGS exploitation of the hot rocks that surround the water upflow zones. Plain Language Summary: The deep circulation of meteoric water in areas not affected by volcanic heat represents underexplored renewable energy sources for heat or electricity production. A challenge for exploration is that the processes and forces that drive the hot water circulation in such systems are not fully understood. To obtain new insights, we undertook a geochemical, geological, and geophysical study of seven hot spring sites strung along a 90 km long fault zone across the northern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. Our data show that rainwater infiltrates deep into mountainous areas and modifies its chemical composition and temperature in the absence of any magmatic heat source. We also discovered that the local permeability of the fault zones controls the discharge temperature of the hot springs and, thus, the amount of thermal energy that could be potentially exploited from such systems. Other relevant system parameters, such as the depth of water infiltration and the subsurface water residence time, are controlled by the differences in water pressure under high and low points in the topography and by the distance between the point of infiltration of rainwater and its subsequent discharge location. Key Points: Topography‐driven circulation of rainwater through a permeable fault produces geothermal springs with temperatures up to 102°CFault permeabilities and hydraulic head gradients control the thermal–hydraulic behavior of amagmatic geothermal systemsTemperature of amagmatic geothermal systems reaches the threshold for electricity production at shallow depth (<2 km) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early prediction of school dropout is a serious problem in education, but it is not an easy issue to resolve. On the one hand, there are many factors that can influence student retention. On the other hand, the traditional classification approach used to solve this problem normally has to be implemented at the end of the course to gather maximum information in order to achieve the highest accuracy. In this paper, we propose a methodology and a specific classification algorithm to discover comprehensible prediction models of student dropout as soon as possible. We used data gathered from 419 high schools students in Mexico. We carried out several experiments to predict dropout at different steps of the course, to select the best indicators of dropout and to compare our proposed algorithm versus some classical and imbalanced well-known classification algorithms. Results show that our algorithm was capable of predicting student dropout within the first 4-6 weeks of the course and trustworthy enough to be used in an early warning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine whether the relationship between transformational leadership and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) is contingent on public service motivation (PSM). We propose that PSM may reduce the motivational influences of transformational leaders' behaviours on followers' OCBs in public sector organizations. Using a sample of Mexican employees we tested this proposition with structural equation modelling. Our results show that the motivational effects of transformational leadership were less for public sector followers higher in PSM than for those lower in PSM. A follow-up study in private sector organizations did not reveal a similar interaction effect. These findings appear consistent with previous research demonstrating that PSM is more aligned to the goals and values of public rather than private sector organizations. Nevertheless, the direct effects of PSM on OCBs remained in the private sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]