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Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM 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.)

In this paper a methodology for evaluating the feasibility of economic subsidies on land use systems using local indicators of sustainability in the Constitucion region, Calakmul, Campeche (Mexico), is proposed. In order to identify the sustainability indicators for evaluating the Jalapeño pepper (Capsicum annum L.), and Maize (Zea mayz L.) crop systems, local farmers, policymakers and agronomists were interviewed and a list of 17 indicators were obtained. Both evaluating models were approved by the Municipal Council for Sustainable Rural Development of Calakmul (CMDRS), committee that endorses subsidies to farmers through an application contest. The Jalapeño pepper got 69.40% and the Maize crop system got 54.10%. The main identified limitations in both crop systems are the lack of crop-production technologies, lack of organisation among farmers and deficient trading of the harvests. The methodology proposed here, is meant to help farmers, policymakers and agronomist to identify the main limitations in the production of the regional main crop systems, in order to invest the scarce resources in solving this problem. We believe the methodology could be applied in other regions of Mexico; so far the indicators are adjusted to local conditions of each region to be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The goals of this paper were to determine whether the helminth communities of the blackcheek tonguefish, Symphurus plagiusa, exhibit a spatial structure and, if so, to determine the relative influence of selected environmental and spatial variables. The parasite communities of tonguefish and environmental data (e.g., temperature, salinity, oxygen) were sampled monthly over a network of 37 stations over 1year (February 2006 to January 2007). Analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and redundancy analysis (RDA) were used. Spatial variables were generated using the analysis of principal coordinates of neighbour matrices (PCNM) method. A total of 1,010 flatfishes and nine helminth taxa were collected. For the environmental variables, hierarchical cluster analyses produced groups of stations associated with the Yucatan dry, rainy and winter seasons. At the infracommunity level, there was no group formation as indicated by ANOSIM and NMDS nor association with environmental or spatial variables. At the component community level, there was significant group formation, and RDA analyses of core, satellite and all species produced significant associations with environmental variables. However, model fit improved substantially (from 17–52% to 49–83% of explained variance) when the spatial variables (variables generated with PCNM method) were added. Thus, the helminth component communities of S. plagiusa were affected by associated environmental variables and unknown ecological processes captured by the spatial variables acting at different spatial scales over time. In contrast, at the infracommunity level there was apparently a very fine spatial grain, where the numerical dominance of core species resulted in biased group formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The fish community of the southern Gulf of Mexico is abundant and diverse, and its components are affected by the bycatch of the seabob shrimp fishery. The spatial and temporal abundance and diversity patterns of the fish community are described and analyzed in this paper, and the ecologically dominant species are identified. Monthly sampling was carried out from February 2006 to January 2007, at 37 sites located between the mouth of the Grijalva-Usumacinta system to the mouth of the Chumpan-Balchacah system inside the Terminos Lagoon, in the state of Campeche, southern Gulf of Mexico. Using an experimental trawl net, 444 experimental hauls were done, and 26,386 individuals were caught with a joint weight of 407.1 kg. In total, 94 species were identified, grouped in 65 genera and 38 families. The abundance and diversity of the fish community was analyzed on spatial and temporal scales in terms of density (ind m²), biomass (g m²), average weight (g ind-1), diversity index (H'n), species richness (Dmg), and evenness (J'). The abundance was high in August and September at sites near the mouths of the Grijalva-Usumacinta and Palizada-Del Este systems. The most important species in terms of abundance was the catfish, Cathorops melanopus. The intervals of variation of the diversity range on a spatial scale were H'n = 0.5 to 2.8 bits; Dmg = 2.6 to 5.3 sp ind-1, and J' = 0.1 to 0.8 bits. On a temporal scale, the intervals were: H'n = 1.8 to 2.6 bits; Dmg = 5.1 to 6.7 sp ind-1, and J' = 0.4 to 0.6 bits. Nine dominant species were identified, with 16,840 individuals and a joint weight of 278.5 kg, equivalent to 63.8% of the total capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an analysis of the situation presented by environmental education at the high-school level, by means of a case study done in the municipality of Campeche. There was performed exploratory research which combined quantitative and qualitative methods to diagnose high-school students' level of environmental culture, as well as the type of environmental education they receive. The results indicate that students have a low level of environmental awareness, and lack the necessary knowledge and skills with which to make environmentally-friendly changes in their lifestyles. Although they show an interest in environmental issues, both their institutional context and their teachers' low level of qualification operate as factors that discourage the students. The results allowed us to identify windows of opportunity for environmental education in the light of the students' positive attitudes, their interest in learning sustainable practices, and the importance of the school as a source of information on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the relationship between source of income and type of expenditure through the decisions made by 92 peasant women from Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico during an entire agricultural cycle. Results show that even amongst women with little money, income generated or obtained independently by this gender is spent more on capital goods, children's education, and luxury goods than the money they obtain from their husbands and other relatives. We use these results to discusses that the empowerment of women and the source of income they represent are of mayor importance to family economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM 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.)

Despite the recognition by many scholars of the high esthetic value of Jaina-style figurines, they present a number of analytic problems. Their functions remain obscure, and their role in Late Classic period Maya society has not been adequately examined. Throughout southeastern Mesoamerica, with few exceptions, all figurines and fragments are found in domestic contexts, mostly trash heaps; on Jaina, most examples come from graves. This article addresses the question of Jaina exceptionalism. It places its unique features in the broader context of Terminal Classic political and economic developments that were sweeping across the northern Maya Lowlands. Here I argue that the use of figurines in domestic rituals determined their appropriateness for placement in a particular grave, rather than the age, sex, or occupation of the deceased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laguna de Terminos, a wide coastal lagoon system in Campeche, Mexico, was investigated for the contamination by polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs). Distribution of these industrial chemical contaminants along with pesticide residues in the lagoon, as well as their sediment- water partitioning and bioaccumulation by oysters and fish were assessed. Contaminant concentrations in the lagoon were compared with toxicity data for aquatic organisms and the ecotoxicological risks discussed. Current contaminant concentrations generally were several orders of magnitude below acute toxic levels for the most sensitive aquatic species and this seems compatible with the status of nature reserve and functions aimed at Laguna de Terminos. In particular, Penaeidae shrimp species that are the most valuable fisheries resources of Campeche with important populations in the Laguna are not impaired with the current low levels of these contaminants. Nevertheless, due to known environmental persistence, the surveillance of chlorinated contaminant levels in the lagoon ecosystems is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Cultura Maya is the property of Instituto de Investigaciones Filologicas - UNAM 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.)

Energy flows were studied for the 2002–2003 agricultural cycle in four households for which agriculture is part of a diversified survival strategy and four that practice agriculture as a business. Home garden inputs and outputs were measured monthly. Quantified inputs were: household labour, household agro-system production, and purchased external renewable and non-renewable energy. Outputs measured were: sales, family and animal foods. While both strategies had similar indicators in biomass and energy production, vegetable richness, and soil quality, household garden function and sustainability differed between subsistence and commercial householders. Subsistence gardens complemented family diet and contributed to household system resiliency. They relied heavily on renewable energy sources from within their agro-system. Gardens in commercial households reduced fruit tree area and increased animal husbandry for the market. They depended more on purchased non-renewable energy sources and were less sustainable and much less energy efficient than traditional gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a university sample of Campeche, Mexico. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 506 subjects aged 14–25 years. The subjects were requested to answer questionnaires concerning sociodemographic variables, history of stress, lifestyle, and anxiety. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) was used as TMD diagnostic system by four examiners capacitated and standardized. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression in STATA. The results showed that 46.1% of the subjects exhibited some grade of TMD. Logistic regression analysis with TMD as the dependent variable identified sex (women odds ratio [OR]=1.7), bruxism (OR=1.5), anxiety (OR=1.6), unilateral chewing (OR=1.5), and an interaction between number of tooth loss and stress as the most significant associated variables, thus (1) the effect of having high levels of stress in the group of subjects without tooth loss (OR=1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.7–1.8) and (2) the effect of having high levels of stress in the group of subjects with at least one tooth lost (OR=2.4; 95% CI=1.01–5.9). The variables associated with diagnosis of pain were principally psychosocial (stress and anxiety), whereas for the non-pain diagnosis group, the variables were clinical, such as bruxism, chewing site preference, and restorations in mouth. We found associations among variables that were similar to findings in other studies, such as bruxism, tooth loss, stress, and anxiety. The final model explains that the effect of stress on TMD depends of the tooth loss, controlling for sex, bruxism, unilateral chewing, and anxiety. Finally, it can be concluded that the variables associated with pain and non-pain diagnosis were of distinct nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the structure of a population of Brachypelma vagans (Ausserer, 1875) in relation to the intensity of human activity and report characteristics of the burrows in Campeche, Mexico. During September and October 2003, we established sampling areas in five different classes of vegetation type/land use: mature forest (MF), secondary forest (SF), backyard (BY), and a football field divided into corner area (FC) and goal area (FG). The densities of spiders and the proportion of different age/gender classes of individuals on the sites were compared. Morphological data among adults and juveniles were contrasted, and differences in morphology between juveniles were tested according to land use class. We compared the nearest distances between neighbouring burrows and between burrows and trees. Also, we studied the orientation of the burrows, and compared the diameter of the burrow entrance. Brachypelma vagans was found exclusively in the open areas with densities that ranked from 0.02 to 0.1 individuals per square metre, being among the highest ever reported for Theraphosidae. However, there was a negative relationship between density and intensity of human activity. The population of this tarantula shows segregation in occupation of space. Females occupied exclusively the backyards, whereas juveniles occupied sites according to their stage of development. The youngest juveniles occupied the backyards, while the pre-adults occupied the football field. The distance between burrows was highly variable at all the sites. However it tended to be shorter in the backyards. The orientation of burrows was in all sites preferentially directed northwards. The diameter of the burrow entrances was a relatively good indicator of the sex and age of its occupier, and related almost directly to the dimension of the body. This study provides better knowledge of the structure of B. vagans populations in a human-modified environment and gives new information on the natural history of these spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the timekeeping constructs of four- and five-year old kindergarten children in Campeche, Mexico and North Carolina. Factors affecting the changes in the children's ideas about timekeeping; Impact of state and local education policies on time in public schools; Relativity of three methods of timekeeping to individual children.

The article presents a study on the effect of pesticide exposure on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in subsistence farmers from Campeche, Mexico. Self-reports of symptoms of poisoning resulting from occupational pesticide exposure were elicited by questionnaire and AChE activity during insecticide use was evaluated from blood samples. In individuals from 2 of the 4 communities, AChE activity was significantly lower than the mean of activity determined for individuals in a reference group. Results of this study show that erythrocyte AChE inhibition provides a good biomarker of exposure to organophosphate pesticides in field studies with human populations. For carbamate exposure, this biomarker needs to be used with care because AChE can be reactivated in a shorter period of time. Specifically, the regression analysis results indicated that carbofuran was the dependent variable most related to moderate AChE inhibition. AChE inhibition can provide a sensitive biomarker for use in monitoring both short- and long-term health risks in farm workers exposed to anticholinesterase pesticides.

Eight cyclonic eddies were identified near the western edge of the Loop Current, at the northeast shelf break of the Campeche Bank, through TOPEX/Poseidon sea surface height anomaly data from January 1993 through March 2000. The eddies' migration and their lifecycle are described. The formation of the eddies appears to be related to the dynamics of the Loop Current because the timing of their generation corresponds to the last stage of the anticyclone shedding from the Loop Current. The cyclones intensify while moving slightly to the northwest along the shelf break of the Campeche Bank; later, some cyclones are observed to move northward toward the Mississippi shelf break. The cyclones remain next to the Campeche Bank, south of 26°N, from 1.3 to 9.6 months; later, some of them move northward and strengthen by merging with other eddies, extending their life span. The eddies' vertical structure is analyzed with hydrographic data, and the connection between the formation of the cyclones and the evolution of the Loop Current is further described using sea surface temperature images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]