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This article analyzes the professional development of two English language teachers in a Mexican language center. In particular, it explores the interplay between professional development, identity and agency, and the part played by English language teaching certificates in all of these. Drawing on a case study methodology, which included the use of a series of three interviews and other qualitative data collection methods, the article demonstrates the intimate and intricate connection between teachers' identities and their professional development. Education implications for policy makers and practitioners are discussed.

This article reports the findings of a qualitative study exploring in-service EFL teachers' perceptions of the learner support resources provided to them while they were taking a teacher research distance course. Findings indicate that students valued videoconferencing technology because it facilitated interacting with adviser, peers and instructor to get academic assistance, a different perspective on their work, enthusiasm, and feedback, as well as opportunities to confront ideas and to share feelings. The course management system was perceived as highly beneficial to their learning because of the amount and variety of support resources, and the multidimensional learning it promoted. Results may help language teacher educators interested in enhancing the quality of research courses, Web-based course developers involved in providing learner support, and researchers engaged in teacher research and distance education.

The effective implementation of any educational reform is largely dependent on the preparation of teachers. In the case of the National English Program in Basic Education, (NEPBE) implemented in public schools in Mexico in 2009, teacher preparation options have been designed by both public and private higher education institutions in several states of the country. Most options have been based on the needs of teacher trainers and educational administrators, rather than on teachers' needs. This paper presents the partial results of a professional development needs analysis carried out with secondary English language teachers in northeast Mexico. The study examined the teachers' previous professional development experiences; their views on professional development contents and formats; and disposition to engage in inquiry-based professional development. Results indicated that stand-alone and degree courses were the only professional development activities the participants had experienced. Other practices such as mentoring, peer observation, attending conferences, or networking, were unfamiliar to the majority of them. Although most of the teachers considered that training courses had a high impact on teaching, some of them valued the impact of professional development practices that involve autonomy, reflection and collaboration. A high percentage of teachers reported disposition to learn about and engage in classroom research.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the current state of the ELT field in Mexican contexts. In particular, it explores the ways in which diverse social and political factors hamper the successful implementation of national and institutional ELT policies. Drawing on a case study carried out throughout a period of five years, the paper uses three situations to illustrate the ways in which institutional efforts to promote English language teaching are deviated at some point in their developmental stages. The paper concludes by emphasizing the value of research to raise ELT practitioners' awareness of the challenges that the profession faces and proposing ways of overcoming them. (Contains 1 table.)

When language learners do not know how to say a word in English, they can communicate effectively by using their hands, imitating sounds, inventing new words, or describing what they mean. These ways of communicating are communication strategies (CSs). EFL teachers are not always aware of the importance of teaching communication strategies to their students or, if they are aware, they do not explicitly train their students to use them. They do not use these strategies themselves to serve as a model to their students. Very often, what we have observed is that teachers abandon the message or switch to the first language to avoid communication problems in the classroom. This study investigated the communication strategies used by two EFL teachers and their beginner level students; and the potential factors that influence the communication strategies they use in class. Data came from three sources: (1) audio-recordings of naturally occurring classroom interactions; (2) interviews with the teachers; and (3) observation notes taken in six class sessions. Data from the interaction transcripts were examined using Faerch and Kasper's (1983) taxonomy of communication strategies. Results indicated that the communication strategy most frequently used in both groups was language switch. However, while the teacher who seemed more involved with students used clarification request, comprehension check and asking for confirmation; the teacher who appeared more distant from students used comprehension check and repetition. Class size, seating arrangements and learning activity types were also some of the factors that influenced the communication strategies used.

This case study examined the level of reflection in the essays written by 15 Mexican English language teachers taking a Master's Degree course in English as a foreign language (EFL). The essays were evaluated using the categorization scheme for assessing the level of reflection developed by Kember, et al. (2008). Semi-structured interviews were held with information-rich participants to investigate the difficulties experienced with reflective writing and the usefulness attributed to this academic genre. Findings suggest that the categorization scheme is applicable to reflective writing in EFL, although almost half of the participants continued to write in a non-reflective mode throughout the course. Low level of proficiency in English, lack of familiarity with reflective writing, challenges of deductive reasoning, and the absence of productive feedback were their reported difficulties. Reflective writing was deemed useful because it facilitates participation in class discussion, a more thorough completion of course readings, the adoption of a stance towards SLA theories, and improvement of academic writing ability.

Rodents are important hosts for ectoparasites, such as fleas, ticks, and mites, which means they are also important intermediate hosts for many zoonotic diseases. As anthropogenic environments bring humans and rodents into closer contact, an understanding of host–ectoparasite ecology is essential to predict and manage disease spillover risks. We aimed to understand how disturbances in vegetation cover affect rodent ectoparasite diversity, prevalence, spatial segregation, host (i.e., sex, genus, size, and habitat domain), and environmental (i.e., vegetation structure, forest cover, and rainfall) variables in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. We investigated these relationships by trapping rodents in five paired disturbed (reduced vegetation cover and regular human activities) and undisturbed (no reduction in vegetation cover) sites in the summer and autumn of 2022. From 110 trapped rodents, we collected 138 ectoparasites on 38 individuals. We found no difference in rodent diversity, ectoparasite diversity, or ectoparasite prevalence between disturbed and undisturbed sites. However, arboreal and male rodents had a higher probability of carrying ectoparasites than ground‐dwelling and female rodents. Rodents with ectoparasites were not spatially clustered; rather, they were randomly distributed across trapping grids. We also identified two rodent genera (Rattus and Sigmodon) that carry ectoparasites of medical importance and that are in close contact with humans. Our results highlight the necessity of constant monitoring of rodents, ectoparasites, and their associated transmittable diseases. Assessing these interactions and how they are affected by anthropogenic disturbance could better inform management decisions and support the need for rodent conservation programmes in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessing the trends in dietary GHGE considering the social patterning is critical for understanding the role that food systems have played and will play in global emissions in countries of the global south. Our aim is to describe dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) trends (overall and by food group) using data from household food purchase surveys from 1989 to 2020 in Mexico, overall and by education levels and urbanicity. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 16 rounds of Mexico's National Income and Expenditure Survey, a nationally representative survey. The sample size ranged from 11,051 in 1989 to 88,398 in 2020. We estimated the mean total GHGE per adult-equivalent per day (kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d) for every survey year. Then, we estimated the relative GHGE contribution by food group for each household. These same analyses were conducted stratifying by education and urbanicity. Results: The mean total GHGE increased from 3.70 (95%CI: 3.57, 3.82) to 4.90 (95% CI 4.62, 5.18) kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d between 1989 and 2014 and stayed stable between 4.63 (95% CI: 4.53, 4.72) and 4.89 (95% CI: 4.81, 4.96) kg CO2-eq/ad-eq/d from 2016 onwards. In 1989, beef (19.89%, 95% CI: 19.18, 20.59), dairy (16.87%, 95% CI: 16.30, 17.42)), corn (9.61%, 95% CI: 9.00, 10.22), legumes (7.03%, 95% CI: 6.59, 7.46), and beverages (6.99%, 95% CI: 6.66, 7.32) had the highest relative contribution to food GHGE; by 2020, beef was the top contributor (17.68%, 95%CI: 17.46, 17.89) followed by fast food (14.17%, 95% CI: 13.90, 14.43), dairy (11.21%, 95%CI: 11.06, 11.36), beverages (10.09%, 95%CI: 9.94, 10.23), and chicken (10.04%, 95%CI: 9.90, 10.17). Households with higher education levels and those in more urbanized areas contributed more to dietary GHGE across the full period. However, households with lower education levels and those in rural areas had the highest increase in these emissions from 1989 to 2020. Conclusions: Our results provide insights into the food groups in which the 2023 Mexican Dietary Guidelines may require to focus on improving human and planetary health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comparative study examines the learning trajectories of two groups of Mexican novice language teachers, three locally raised and educated ones and three repatriates from the USA. The study makes use of a combination of retrospective life-history research and the analysis of academic documents to look at the interrelationship between teachers' identities and their degree of investment in academic and professional activities. The analysis revealed marked differences in the ways in which these two groups of teachers' identities have been developed. While the locally educated teachers have constructed strong and articulated identities as a result of a stable family context and smooth transitions in their lives, the development of their returnee counterparts' identities has been characterized by fragmentation due to the little, or lack of, stability in their home contexts as well as the complex and painful transitions in their lives. The paper discusses the impact that these differences have on participants' degrees of investment in educational and work-related opportunities available to them in their contexts. Implications for researchers, language teacher trainers and applied linguistics academic program administrators are provided.

Background: This study examined the variation in city-level amenable mortality, i.e. mortality due to conditions that can be mitigated in the presence of timely and effective healthcare, in 363 Latin American cities and measured associations between amenable-mortality rates and urban metrics.Methods: We used death records from 363 cities with populations of >100 000 people in nine Latin American countries from 2010 to 2016. We calculated sex-specific age-adjusted amenable-mortality rates per 100 000. We fitted multilevel linear models with cities nested within countries and estimated associations between amenable mortality and urban metrics, including population size and growth, fragmentation of urban development and socio-economic status.Results: Cities in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil had the highest rates of amenable mortality. Overall, >70% of the variability in amenable mortality was due to between-country heterogeneity. But for preventable amenable mortality, those for which the healthcare system can prevent new cases, most of the variability in rates occurred between cities within countries. Population size and fragmentation of urban development were associated with amenable mortality. Higher fragmentation of urban development was associated with lower amenable mortality in small cities and higher amenable mortality in large cities. Population growth and higher city-level socio-economic status were associated with lower amenable mortality.Conclusions: Most of the variability in amenable mortality in Latin American cities was due to between-county heterogeneity. However, urban metrics such as population size and growth, fragmentation of urban development and city-level socio-economic status may have a role in the distribution of amenable mortality across cities within countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores is the property of Dilemas Contemporaneos: Educacion, Politica y Valores 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.)

Objectives: To develop a simulation framework for assessing how combinations of taxes, nutrition warning labels and advertising levels could affect purchasing of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in Latin American countries and to understand whether policies reinforce or reduce pre-existing social disparities in UPF consumption.Design: We developed an agent-based simulation model using international evidence regarding the effect of price, nutrition warning labels and advertising on UPF purchasing.Setting: We estimated policy effects in scenarios representing two stages of the 'social transition' in UPF purchasing: (1) a pre-transition scenario, where UPF purchasing is higher among high-income households, similar to patterns in Mexico; and (2) a post-transition scenario where UPF purchasing is highest among low-income households, similar to patterns in Chile.Participants: A population of 1000 individual agents with levels of age, income, educational attainment and UPF purchasing similar to adult women in Mexico.Results: A 20 % tax would decrease purchasing by 24 % relative to baseline in both the pre- and post-transition scenarios, an effect that is similar in magnitude to that of a nutrition warning label policy. A 50 % advertising increase or decrease had a comparatively small effect. Nutrition warning labels were most effective among those with higher levels of educational attainment. Labelling reduced inequities in the pre-transition scenario (i.e. highest UPF purchasing among the highest socio-economic group) but widened inequities in the post-transition scenario.Conclusions: Effective policy levers are available to reduce UPF purchasing, but policymakers should anticipate that equity impacts will differ depending on existing social patterns in UPF purchasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Features of the urban physical environment may be linked to the development of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for global burden of disease. OBJECTIVES: We examined associations of urban physical environment features with hypertension and blood pressure measures in adults across 230 Latin American cities. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study we used health, social, and built environment data from the SALud URBana en América Latina (SALURBAL) project. The individual-level outcomes were hypertension and levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The exposures were city and subcity built environment features, mass transit infrastructure, and green space. Odds ratios (ORs) and mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multilevel logistic and linear regression models, with single- and multiple-exposure models adjusted for individual-level age, sex, education, and subcity educational attainment. RESULTS: A total of 109,176 participants from 230 cities and eight countries were included in the hypertension analyses and 50,228 participants from 194 cities and seven countries were included in the blood pressure measures analyses. Participants were 18–97 years of age. In multiple-exposure models, higher city fragmentation was associated with higher odds of having hypertension (OR per standard deviation (SD) increase = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21); presence (vs. no presence) of mass transit in the city was associated with higher odds of having hypertension (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.54); higher subcity population density was associated with lower odds of having hypertension (OR per SD increase = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.94); and higher subcity intersection density was associated with higher odds of having hypertension [OR per SD increase = 1.09; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.15). The presence of mass transit was also associated with slightly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure in multiple-exposure models adjusted for treatment. Except for the association between intersection density and hypertension, associations were attenuated after adjustment for country. An inverse association of greenness with continuous blood pressure emerged after country adjustment. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that urban physical environment features—such as fragmentation, mass transit, population density, and intersection density—may be related to hypertension in Latin American cities. Reducing chronic disease risks in the growing urban areas of Latin America may require attention to integrated management of urban design and transport planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes a recent evolution of the social transfer program, Prospera in Mexico. The Mexican government is trying to link this aid to financial products (credit, savings) for the beneficiaries. Justified as a technical issue for the sake of greater efficiency, we show that this move is accompanied by profound transformations both of the actors involved in the implementation of this new generation of financialized social programs and of contradictory injunctions that frame the use of monetary transfers. Thus, money for social purposes and money intended to produce financial debt are not naturally convertible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses an integrated social reproduction theory (SRT) framework to highlight the interrelation between all non‐wage forms of survival, such as debt, community and the environment. The analysis demonstrates how Mexico's unregulated industrialization and social housing policies have created new forms of poverty and market dependency. The article relies on a comprehensive literature review and extensive fieldwork carried out in El Salto, one of Mexico's industrial peripheries, and shows how vulnerable populations become trapped, in this case on the banks of the Río Santiago, one of Mexico's most contaminated rivers. Parallel developments of industrial and housing policies contextualize the conditions unfolding throughout Mexico where populations are relocated to areas without adequate water and where drinking water is supplied by bottled water companies. This contribution highlights why an expanded SRT framework is valuable for understanding the relationship between ecological dispossession and the forced reliance on markets and debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Anuario de Historia Regional y de las Fronteras is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander 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 purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the current state of the ELT field in Mexican contexts. In particular, it explores the ways in which diverse social and political factors hamper the successful implementation of national and institutional ELT policies. Drawing on a case study carried out throughout a period of five years, the paper uses three situations to illustrate the ways in which institutional efforts to promote English language teaching are deviated at some point in their developmental stages. The paper concludes by emphasizing the value of research to raise ELT practitioners' awareness of the challenges that the profession faces and proposing ways of overcoming them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literary criticism of the book “Sobre mis pasos” by Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Solórzano is presented. The author discusses Cárdenas Solórzano's intention to write about his public and political life through a personal recollection of his thoughts, feelings and actions during the last half of the 20th century. The recuperation of traditional rules as a modern citizen, participatory democracy and the rescue of sovereignty are main points of the book, asserts the author.

Current knowledge of the 85 species in the genus Cichlidogyrus, collected worldwide, including their hosts, localities and authors, is summarised in a table. Although these parasites occur mainly in Africa, representatives have been recorded on cichlids in Mexico. Their distribution and host specificity are commented on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meso-scale chemistry-transport model CHIMERE is used to assess our understanding of major sources and formation processes leading to a fairly large amount of organic aerosols - OA, including primary OA (POA) and secondary OA (SOA) - observed in Mexico City during the MILAGRO field project (March 2006). Chemical analyses of submicron aerosols from aerosol mass spectrometers (AMS) indicate that organic particles found in the Mexico City basin contain a large fraction of oxygenated organic species (OOA) which have strong correspondence with SOA, and that their production actively continues downwind of the city. The SOA formation is modeled here by the one-step oxidation of anthropogenic (i.e. aromatics, alkanes), biogenic (i.e. monoterpenes and isoprene), and biomass-burning SOA precursors and their partitioning into both organic and aqueous phases. Conservative assumptions are made for uncertain parameters to maximize the amount of SOA produced by the model. The near-surface model evaluation shows that predicted OA correlates reasonably well with measurements during the campaign, however it remains a factor of 2 lower than the measured total OA. Fairly good agreement is found between predicted and observed POA within the city suggesting that anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions are reasonably captured. Consistent with previous studies in Mexico City, large discrepancies are encountered for SOA, with a factor of 2-10 model underestimate. When only anthropogenic SOA precursors were considered, the model was able to reproduce within a factor of two the sharp increase in OOA concentrations during the late morning at both urban and near-urban locations but the discrepancy increases rapidly later in the day, consistent with previous results, and is especially obvious when the column-integrated SOA mass is considered instead of the surface concentration. The increase in the missing SOA mass in the afternoon coincides with the sharp drop in POA suggesting a tendency of the model to excessively evaporate the freshly formed SOA. Predicted SOA concentrations in our base case were extremely low when photochemistry was not active, especially overnight, as the SOA formed in the previous day was mostly quickly advected away from the basin. These nighttime discrepancies were not significantly reduced when greatly enhanced partitioning to the aerosol phase was assumed. Model sensitivity results suggest that observed nighttime OOA concentrations are strongly influenced by a regional background SOA (~1.5 μg/m3) of biogenic origin which is transported from the coastal mountain ranges into the Mexico City basin. The presence of biogenic SOA in Mexico City was confirmed by SOA tracer-derived estimates that have reported 1.14 (±0.22) μg/m3 of biogenic SOA at TO, and 1.35 (±0.24) μg/m3 at TI, which are of the same order as the model. Consistent with other recent studies, we find that biogenic SOA does not appear to be underestimated significantly by traditional models, in strong contrast to what is observed for anthropogenic pollution. The relative contribution of biogenic SOA to predicted monthly mean SOA levels (traditional approach) is estimated to be more than 30% within the city and up to 65% at the regional scale which may help explain the significant amount of modern carbon in the aerosols inside the city during low biomass burning periods. The anthropogenic emissions of isoprene and its nighttime oxidation by NO3 were also found to enhance the SOA mean concentrations within the city by an additional 15%. Our re- suits confirm the large underestimation of the SOA production by traditional models in polluted regions (estimated as 10-20 tons within the Mexico City metropolitan area during the daily peak), and emphasize for the first time the role of biogenic precursors in this region, indicating that they cannot be neglected in urban modeling studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Tiers Monde is the property of Librairie Armand Colin 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 Autrepart is the property of Presses de Sciences Po 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 Revue Tiers Monde is the property of Librairie Armand Colin 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.)

Abstract: The accuracy and efficiency of an Eulerian method is assessed by solving the non-linear shallow water equations and compared with the performances of an existing semi-Lagrangian method. Both methods use a linear non-conforming finite element discretization for velocity and a linear conforming finite element discretization for surface elevation. This finite element pair is known to be computationally efficient and free of pressure modes. The model equations are carefully derived and a comparison is performed by simulating the propagation of slow Rossby waves in the Gulf of Mexico. Simulations show that the Eulerian model performs well and gives results comparable to high order semi-Lagrangian schemes using kriging interpolators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the appearance of pycnidial fungus Coniothyrium zuluense in Eucalyptus species in Mexico. Observation of canker symptoms identical to coniothyrium canker during a survey of Eucalyptus disease in the Tabasco state of Mexico; Field evidence in Mexico suggesting that C. zuluense isolates act in similar manner to those in South Africa.

Extreme temperatures may lead to adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, including low birthweight. Studies on the impact of temperature on birthweight have been inconclusive due to methodological challenges related to operationalizing temperature exposure, the definitions of exposure windows, accounting for gestational age, and a limited geographic scope. We combined data on individual-level term live births (N≈15 million births) from urban areas in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico from 2010 to 2015 from the SALURBAL study (Urban Health in Latin America) with high-resolution daily air temperature data and computed average ambient temperature for every month of gestation for each newborn. Associations between full-term birthweight and average temperature during gestation were analyzed using multi-level distributed lag non-linear models that adjusted for newborn's sex, season of conception, and calendar year of child's birth; controlled for maternal age, education, partnership status, presence of previous births, and climate zone; and included a random term for the sub-city of mother's residence. Higher temperatures during the entire gestation are associated with lower birthweight, particularly in Mexico and Brazil. The cumulative effect of temperature on birthweight is mostly driven by exposure to higher temperatures during months 7–9 of gestation. Higher maternal education can attenuate the temperature-birthweight associations. Our work shows that climate-health impacts are likely to be context- and place-specific and warrants research on temperature and birthweight in diverse climates to adequately anticipate global climate change. Given the high societal cost of suboptimal birthweight, public health efforts should be aimed at diminishing the detrimental effect of higher temperatures on birthweight. The Wellcome Trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]