El Colegio de la Frontera Norte

We present a study that addresses the critical need for a prototype Decision Support System for forest fire information and management in Uttarakhand, India. The study’s main objective was to carry out statistical analysis of large fire incident datasets to understand trends of fires in the region and develop essential spatial decision support tools. These tools address the necessary fire management decision-making along with comprehensive datasets that can enable a decision maker to exercise better management. Moreover, this DSS addresses three major components of forest fire decision support: (i) pre-fire (forest information visualization) tools, (ii) during-fire terrain-based spatial decision support tools, and (iii) post-fire restoration tools. The efforts to develop this DSS included satellite lidar dataset-based fuel load estimations, the Keetch–Byram Drought Index, and the integration of spatial tools that ensure better spatial decisions in fire suppression planning. In addition, based on the bibliographic literature, the study also uses ecological and community-based knowledge, including financial aspects, for fire prevention and post-fire restoration planning. The development of this DSS involves an open-source R Shiny framework, enabling any decision maker at the execution or planning level to access these key datasets and simulate the spatial solutions cost-effectively. Hence, this study aimed to internalize key decision support tools and datasets based on extensive statistical analysis for data-driven forest fire planning and management.

From a cultural phenomenology approach, this paper analyzes the experiences of spiritual warfare lived in an Evangelical Rehabilitation Center. The ethnographic study was conducted in Tijuana, B.C., Mexico. The discussion focuses on three paradigmatic cases, allowing us to analyze the transition from “life in addiction” to the experience of transforming desires, which also implies a process of subjectivity. We argue that desire is a bodily phenomenon with palpable somatic manifestations. However, in an existential sense, desire is also the corporeal link between spatiality and temporality. We maintain that the corporeal subjectivity of addiction defines spatiality and temporality in a way that is particularly susceptible to formulation in religious discourse, leading to a transformative shift in orientational self‐processes of being in the world, where an existential struggle becomes spiritual warfare, simultaneously on the scale of embodiment and in a cosmic struggle between good and evil.

Our analysis covers 122 scientific publications about health issues in free-ranging Neotropical ungulates produced between 1990 and 2022, with an emphasis on the epidemiology of infectious diseases and parasites. Most studies focus on parasitology (43.4%) and bacteriology (15.6%), while body condition (0.8%), toxicology (1.6%), virology (6.6%), and health assessments (6.6%) are less studied. Brocket deer ( Mazama americana and M. gouazoubira ), followed by peccaries ( Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari ), and the lowland tapir ( Tapirus terrestris ) were the most frequent species surveyed (61.4% of all publications). We detected considerably higher numbers of studies and health topics covered in Brazil ( n = 64; 52.5% of the total) compared to other Latin American countries. We emphasize the need for further research focused on poorly known health aspects of Neotropical ungulates that have received little attention in the past, especially the Chacoan peccary ( Catagonus wagneri ), taruca deer ( Hippocamelus antisensis ), Northern pudu ( Pudu mephistopheles ), and the least known Mazama species. Ecotoxicology and pathology studies are necessary to evaluate the impact of agrochemicals and other human disturbances on Neotropical ungulate populations in the wild. We encourage further research on the human impacts and trends of change in the epidemiology of infectious diseases, parasites, and health status of Neotropical wild ungulate populations.

Background Few estimates exist of the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and associated risk factors among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the San Diego–Tijuana border region, despite the high prevalence of HIV. Methods PWID living in San Diego or Tijuana underwent testing for bacterial STIs between December 2022 and February 2024. Urogenital gonorrhea and chlamydia infections were assessed using a urine test, the Aptima CT/GC assay. Syphilis was assessed using the treponemal Syphilis Health Check Rapid Point-of-Care assay and nontreponemal rapid plasma reagin Treponema pallidum Particle Agglutination test. HIV was tested using the fingerstick tests Miriad HCV/HIV POU+ Test and Oraquick HIV-1. Bacterial STI prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression was conducted to identify correlates of bacterial STI prevalence. Results Of 519 participants, 6.0% (95% CI, 3.9%–8.0%) tested positive for 1 or more bacterial STIs. Despite higher HIV prevalence in Tijuana, bacterial STIs were more prevalent in San Diego. Unstable housing, female birth, and US residency were associated with significantly higher adjusted odds of a bacterial STI compared with the reference groups (aOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.09–6.27; aOR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.15–5.08; and OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.03–7.53; respectively). Conclusions Overall prevalence of bacterial STIs was consistent with other estimates of STIs among PWID in the United States. STI screening guidelines should recommend PWID for routine testing at least annually. Point-of-care testing should be expanded to increase access to STI screening and treatment for marginalized populations.

Este artículo expone algunas de las consecuencias socioculturales que amenazaban a los pueblos yaquis con la introducción de un gasoducto en el 2014. Desde los primeros contactos con los conquistadores, y a finales del siglo XIX, el pueblo yaqui, enclavado en el sur del actual estado de Sonora, México, ha demostrado históricamente su espíritu de lucha por la defensa de su territorio. A través de la experiencia de campo y un trabajo de inmersión etnográfica de varios años, se analizan las condiciones culturales y políticas que produjo este megaproyecto. Frente al neoliberalismo de la época, se describen las posibles violaciones a los espacios sagrados, al tiempo que se narran los conflictos creados en el interior del grupo a lo largo de una década. En el transcurso del litigio, los indios yaquis se enfrentaron a los abogados de la empresa encargada del proyecto, quienes colaboraron con ciertos actores estatales y federales.

In Mexico, urban green areas are usually viewed as a recreational space, however, little attention is paid to their quality. In Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua there is a deficit of these spaces, and only a few are maintained. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to analyze the number, spatial distribution, and quality of urban green areas in relation to territorial planning using the Physical Activity Resource Assessment Instrument, and the Community Park Audit Tool. The findings show that the lack of planning for green areas results in a lack of equipment, poor quality of service, high levels of insecurity and incivility, as well as a lag for certain sectors of the population. Based on these results, the goal is to to provide quality elements for planning in order to have an impact beyond considering the green areas as just a number.

American trypanosomiasis (AT), or Chagas disease, is an ancient disease with an interesting history. Despite efforts to control AT, the global burden of this neglected vector-borne disease persists. More than six million people around the world are infected with Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), and about 75 million are at risk of infection in the Americas. Mexico is one of the countries most affected by AT with 4 million people at risk of infection with T. cruzi. Approximately 60 % of the accumulated confirmed cases occurred in the southeast region; however, an increase in the number of cases was observed in the northern states of the country in recent years. AT control efforts in Mexico focus on interrupting vector-borne disease transmission through integrated triatomine management and eliminating T. cruzi transmission through the congenital and blood transfusion routes. There is no specific prophylaxis beyond vector control. Research revealed the complexity of AT as a vector-borne disease system and its impact on the health of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, which calls for comprehensive responses focused on transdisciplinary and multisectoral collaboration. One Health (OH) is an unifying approach aiming to achieve optimal health outcomes among people, animals, and their shared environment, which we suggest can be applied in collaborative research to enhance our understanding of AT as a vector-borne disease system with diverse components across epidemiological landscapes. Suggested action to implement OH research is presented herein for sustainable surveillance and control efforts to mitigate the health burden of AT that affects disproportionately poorer rural and semi-rural sectors of the population in Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Introduction Migrant women in transit face high risk of developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, driven by gendered social-structural factors including violence, social isolation, migration uncertainty, limited access to services and gender inequities. Although migrant women who endure such conditions have high need for mental health prevention, few evidence-based interventions are tailored to this population. Moreover, while women and children’s mental health are interconnected, few mental health interventions address parenting needs. The aim of this study is to pilot-test a novel parenting and mental health prevention intervention for migrant mothers with young children (MMC) in Tijuana, Mexico, including (a) assessing acceptability; (b) estimating effect sizes on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and parenting stress; (c) identifying which theory-based mechanisms of action predict changes in outcomes; and (d) identifying factors associated with differential intervention response. Methods and analysis ‘Mamá Empoderada’ (Mom Power) is a theory-based, trauma-informed group intervention to promote mental health and responsive parenting among mothers with young children (0–5 years). This is an evidence-based intervention that has been previously evaluated in the USA and has been recently adapted for Spanish-speaking mothers. We have recently adapted this intervention for MMC in Mexico and will conduct a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) of the intervention with MMC (n=100; N treatment =50; N control =50). The intervention group (IG) will receive 10 group and three individual sessions addressing attachment-based parenting skills, linkage to resources (eg, food, shelter), social support, and self-care and resilience over a 5-week period. The control group will receive standard of care programming and will be offered participation in the intervention following completion. Both groups will complete baseline and exit surveys, as well as follow-up surveys at 2, 4 and 6 months postintervention. Statistical analyses will compare primary (ie, symptoms of depression and anxiety; parenting stress) and intermediate outcomes (eg, resilience, service utilisation) by exposure to intervention condition. Ethics and dissemination This study is approved by the San Diego State University and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte Institutional Research Boards. Findings will inform a larger trial to evaluate intervention efficacy. In collaboration with our community partners, results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications; presentations; and plain-language reports, infographics, and presentations to community, clinical, and policy audiences. If efficacious, this intervention is highly promising as a novel, low-cost, and feasible model that could be implemented in border settings in Mexico, the USA and elsewhere. Amid rising population displacement and prolonged and traumatic migration journeys, this study addresses an urgent need for scalable and tailored mental health prevention for MMC in border contexts. Trial registration number NCT06468046 .

Background Longitudinal analysis of multimorbidity (MM) from a holistic approach to the aging population is necessary to guide medical care. Aims To estimate the probability of transition between different MM patterns and the “death” stage and to characterize the socioeconomic, health, behavioral, and functional dimensions of MM patterns from a syndemic perspective. Methods A cohort of 7,120 people ≥50 from the Mexican Health and Aging Study and mortality data at 11 and 17 years of follow-up were analyzed using the latent class approach. MM was defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic diseases (CDs). Socioeconomic, health, behavioral, and functional indicators were registered. Descriptive analysis, latent class analysis, and Markov chain models were carried out. Results The model included three latent classes: “healthy” (low probability of CD); “multi-organic” (high probability of hypertension, arthritis, diabetes mellitus, lung disease, and myocardial infarction); and “sensitive-emotional, mental, neurological” (high probability of chronic pain, depression, and cognitive impairment). At the first follow-up, people in the “multi-organic” class were more likely to move on to death, and at the second follow-up, they were in the “sensitive-emotional, mental, neurological” class. In addition, the characteristic profiles of the indicators for each latent class were identified. Conclusions The probabilities of transition between the three classes of MM and death, as well as the socioeconomic, behavioral, and functional dimensions in those over 50 years of age, revealed, from a syndemic perspective, the variability in the likelihood of progressing toward an unfavorable outcome.

Neotropical otters Lontra annectens (Carnivora, Mustelidae) are widely distributed in Central and South America. Studies on the behavior of this species are rare, resulting in the fact that its ethology is one of the lesser known among the mustelids. The Neotropical otter is considered solitary and territorial but not aggressive, and it generally shows a shy and elusive behavior. Here we described the first two documented cases of attack by Neotropical otters on humans. The first occurred in Sacatepéquez, Guatemala, and the second, in La Guajira, Colombia. Respectively, adult female and male humans were injured with differences in the severity of the wounds, clinical course, and outcomes. We recommend further research on the agonistic behavior of Neotropical otters. A protocol for attention to injuries caused by Neotropical otters is suggested.

This article analyzes and compares the knowledge and implementation of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies in maquiladoras in Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez through a descriptive quantitative approach. Online surveys were conducted with manufacturing sector workers to assess their familiarity with and practical application of 19 specific technologies. The results show that, while knowledge levels are moderate, practical adoption of these technologies remains limited, with Ciudad Juárez showing a slight advantage. The findings highlight the importance of improving I4.0 training to enable more effective implementation and support technological transformation in these border regions. Although the study's geographical scope is limited, it is recommended that future research encompass a wider diversity of industrial contexts. This research contributes to the understanding of the transition towards I4.0 and provides valuable insights for designing policies aimed at technological training in the sector.

Over the past two decades, more than half a million children—mostly born and educated in the USA—have arrived in Mexico from the USA because of their parents' return migration. The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between their national identification, school trajectories and US nationality in a border city with high return migration. The methodology is based on the analysis of a school survey and semi‐structured interviews with transnational students. The results show that: binational identification was higher when students had intermediate schooling in both countries; identification with the USA decreased and identification with Mexico increased with more years in Mexican schools; and school trajectories were more relevant than nationality in defining binational identification. The majority of students identified as binational because their migration histories and transnational life experiences allowed them to be bicultural, despite the diffusion of mononational ideologies in schools.

Demography is a field of study that has proven to be useful for the study of aging and health. It uses population characteristics, such as distribution, size, change, and composition. This chapter focuses on demography in the study of aging and provides an overview of traditional and new concepts, sources of information, population projections, prospective scenarios, mortality and health analysis, and the importance of studying households and families in the context of population aging.

Reseña del libro de Viviana Mejía Cañedo, Fall by the Way. Legislación migratoria e instituciones psiquiátricas de California ante los enfermos mentales de origen mexicano, 1855-1942 (México: Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, Acervo Histórico Diplomático, 2019), 276 pp.

This study proposes the practice of cruising, particularly sex in dark rooms, as a metaphor for nocturnality; performing noctem as a means of engaging with the nebulous realm that veils homoerotic desire as anonymous, impersonal, and uninhibited. The methodology is qualitative, employing five dialogic interviews and the author’s own lived experience, incorporating elements of autobiography into the analysis. The results indicate that cruising was a form of hidden sexual homosociality among an excluded and criminalized population. The role of culture in connecting the concept of night with the practice of cruising is revealed, tracing back to the early visibility of LGBT+ communities in Mexico City in the past century. A conclusion drawn is that LGBT+ visibility in the era of democracy does not equate to full rights nor is it free from social prejudices.

Cross-border use of health services has been studied mainly as travel from high- to low- and middle-income countries (“medical tourism”). The movement between low- and middle-income countries has been less studied. The objectives were; 1) to describe the frequency, types of services used, and health needs associated with cross-border utilization of health services at the Mexico-Guatemala border; 2) to explore the drivers of cross-border use among people living in this area. We conducted a mixed-methods study. The quantitative component was a probability survey of border crossers (March to April 2023, analysis sample n = 4,733, weighted n = 74,228). The qualitative component consisted of 28 semi-structured interviews with users and providers of health services living close to the international border (May-June 2023). Descriptive results were obtained separately and triangulated. 3.8% (CI 95% 3.1,4.7) in the sample were crossing the border for the purpose of seeking health care or purchasing medicines, 7.4% (CI 95% 5.9,9.2) had crossed the border in the past year to seek care, and 21.8% (CI 95% 18.8,25.1) to purchase medicines. According to quantitative and qualitative results, those living in Mexico were more likely to cross the border to seek care than those living in Guatemala, independent of country of birth, while crossing to Mexico to buy medicine was more common than crossing to Guatemala for the same reason. Public and private services were accessed in similar proportions, the former mostly for preventive care (vaccination) and the latter for specialized care. Qualitative results showed that the main drivers of cross-border health care use were perceived quality and geographical availability. The main drivers of cross-border buying of medicines were affordability and perceived quality. The use of private services can benefit the local economy. The use of public services for preventive purposes can be an asset for health promotion.

This paper analyses authoritarian innovations in the industrial relations arena in Mexico since 2018. Historically, corporatist ties with union elites allowed the government to control labour at the workplace level and resist substantive labour reforms at the national level through ‘ghost unions’ and ‘protection contracts’. Since the election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the left-oriented MORENA party, the government has implemented labour reforms and a reformed trade and investment treaty with the US and Canada that includes stronger labour provisions. These changes opened new possibilities for independent, democratic, and strong unionism and thus the potential for worker empowerment. Yet authoritarian innovations embedded in the national and regional reforms have limited labour's power. These meso-level mechanisms include: state bureaucratic control over union formation, collective bargaining and the right to strike; 2 state support for incumbent union control over worker voting processes; and exclusion of sectors from access to redress under an inter-state trade and investment treaty (USMCA). The authors explore this argument through case studies involving agriculture, auto parts, and maquiladora workers in three regions of Mexico.

The coexistence of marine sensitive areas with the oil industry requires robust preparedness and rapid response capabilities for monitoring and mitigating oil spill events. Scientifically proven satellite-based methods for the visual detection of oil spills are widely recognized as effective, low-cost, transferable, scalable, and operational solutions, particularly in developing economies. Following meticulous design and implementation, we adopted and executed a relatively low-cost operational monitoring and alert system for oil spill detection over the ocean surface and alert issuance. We analyzed over 1500 satellite images, issuing over 70 warning reports on oil slicks and spills in the southern Gulf of Mexico. To assess the system’s efficiency and performance, we leveraged data from three major oil spill incidents in the study region during June and July of 2023 in the study region, covering a maximum area of 669 km² and tracked for 12 to 24 days. We documented the evolution of these oil spills by integrating satellite sensing data with on-site Lagrangian drifting buoys, a network of high-frequency radars, and citizen reports to validate the outcomes of this system. We generated timely technical information on the spill’s evolution, informing decision-makers and local community leaders to strengthen their mitigation response capabilities. Additionally, we developed a robust database with spectral and spatiotemporal features of satellite-detected oil, thereby contributing to advancing the scientific understanding of sea surface dynamics related to natural and anthropogenic oil sources. This study also highlights immediate-, medium-, and long-term research agendas and establishes a reference for a sustained, transferable, and operational oil spill monitoring system.

El siguiente trabajo sugiere abandonar el concepto de migraciones trans* y/o exilio como nombramiento de los desplazamientos geográficos de personas transfemeninas y travestis, proponiendo conceptualizar tales desplazamientos geográficos como movilidades migratorias. Para ejemplificar el uso del concepto propuesto se dan a conocer los datos de un trabajo de campo etnográfico realizado con transfeminidades de la ciudad de Mar del Plata, en Argentina. Esa investigación buscó relevar las condiciones materiales de vida y los factores que obligaban y/o empujaban a la migración. El dato principal es que la movilidad aparece como un hito en sus biografías, pero que, además, se la concibe como un proyecto abierto de varios movimientos, y de idas y venidas concebidas como retornos. Este trabajo apuesta al concepto de movilidad migratoria, ya que habilita dos aristas nuevas de análisis sobre los desplazamientos geográficos de las personas transfemeninas.

Antecedentes: El estudio del trabajo y salud de las personas adultas mayores es limitado, pero relevante si se considera que las condiciones de vida y salud en las que se envejece no son las mejores en México, dada la precariedad laboral que no favorece el acceso a pensiones contributivas dignas. Objetivo: Analizar las diferencias en las características sociodemográficas, laborales y de condiciones de salud de dos cohortes de personas de 65 a 74 años que se encuentran ocupadas en el mercado laboral. Material y métodos: Del Estudio Nacional de Salud y Envejecimiento en México (ENASEM) de 2001 y 2021, se analizaron las características sociodemográficas, laborales y de las condiciones de salud por cohorte y sexo. Se estimaron modelos de regresión logística, cuya variable dependiente fue la cohorte de nacimiento. Resultados: Se incluyeron 1115 personas de la encuesta de 2001 y 1189 de la de 2021, de 65 a 74 años, que trabajaron la semana previa al estudio. Los resultados se presentan por sexo y cohorte. Conclusiones: Si bien se incrementó la escolaridad de las personas mayores en la cohorte más reciente, las mujeres se enfrentan a condiciones laborales más precarias y con mayor prevalencia de discapacidad.