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Sample records for us-mexico border 115kv

  1. El Paso Electric Company Diablo Substation to the US-Mexico border 115kV transmission line project. Final Environmental Assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-04-01

    This Environmental Assessment documents the analysis of alternative corridors for development and operation of a proposed 115 kilovolt transmission line using private lands and transporting power to the US-Mexico international border. The project will require (1) an amendment to El Paso Electric Company`s existing export authorization to transfer power across this border, and (2) a Presidential Permit for construction of the transmission line. The project would be located in Dona Ana county in southern New Mexico, approximately five miles west of El Paso, Texas. The alternative corridors, specific locations within those corridors, and structure types are identified and analyzed in the environmental studies.

  2. Transboundary water management Game-theoretic lessons for projects on the US-Mexico border*

    OpenAIRE

    Frisvold, George B.; Caswell, Margriet F.

    2000-01-01

    Of the twelve million people who live within 100 km of the US-Mexico border, 90 percent are clustered in trans boundary sister cities that share common water sources and pollution problems. New institutions created to address environmental concerns over NAFTA offer the promise of greater financial and technical assistance for water management in border cities. This paper reviews US-Mexico border water issues and institutions. Using insights from game theory, it draws policy lessons for instit...

  3. Infectious disease morbidity in the US region bordering Mexico, 1990-1998.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doyle, T J; Bryan, R T

    2000-11-01

    The United States and Mexico share an international boundary approximately 3000 km long. This border separates 2 nations with great differences in health status. The objective of this study was to assess morbidity due to infectious diseases in the US region bordering Mexico. The incidence between 1990 and 1998 of 22 nationally notifiable infectious diseases was compared between border and nonborder regions. Disease rates, reflected as rate ratios, were higher in the border region for botulism, brucellosis, diphtheria, hepatitis A, measles, mumps, rabies, rubella, salmonellosis, and shigellosis than in either of 2 nonborder comparison regions. These data indicate that incidence rates for a variety of infectious diseases of public health importance are significantly higher in the United States along the Mexican border than in nonborder regions. These results suggest that an inadequate public health infrastructure may contribute to excess morbidity due to infectious diseases in the border region.

  4. Effect of the US-Mexico border region in cardiovascular mortality: ecological time trend analysis of Mexican border and non-border municipalities from 1998 to 2012.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anaya, Gabriel; Al-Delaimy, Wael K

    2017-05-06

    An array of risk factors has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and developing nations are becoming disproportionately affected by such diseases. Cardiovascular diseases have been reported to be highly prevalent in the Mexican population, but local mortality data is poor. The Mexican side of the US-Mexico border has a culture that is closely related to a developed nation and therefore may share the same risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. We wanted to explore if there was higher cardiovascular mortality in the border region of Mexico compared to the rest of the nation. We conducted a population based cross-sectional time series analysis to estimate the effects of education, insurance and municipal size in Mexican border (n = 38) and non-border municipalities (n = 2360) and its association with cardiovascular age-adjusted mortality rates between the years 1998-2012. We used a mixed effect linear model with random effect estimation and repeated measurements to compare the main outcome variable (mortality rate), the covariates (education, insurance and population size) and the geographic delimiter (border/non-border). Mortality due to cardiovascular disease was consistently higher in the municipalities along the US-Mexico border, showing a difference of 78 · 5 (95% CI 58 · 7-98 · 3, p Insurance coverage showed an increase in cardiovascular mortality of 3 · 6 (95% CI 3 · 1-4 · 0, p Mexico border region is disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease mortality as compared to the non-border region of Mexico. This was not explained by education, population density, or insurance coverage. Proximity to the US culture and related diet and habits can be explanations of the increasing mortality trend.

  5. Identifying and characterizing transboundary aquifers along the Mexico-US border: An initial assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchez, Rosario; Lopez, Victoria; Eckstein, Gabriel

    2016-04-01

    The transboundary nature of water dividing Mexico and the United States (U.S.) transforms the entire border region into an instrument of cooperation, a source of conflict, a national security issue, and an environmental concern. Reasonable data collection and research analysis have been conducted for surface waters by joint governmental institutions and non-governmental bodies. However, with the exception of the U.S. Transboundary Assessment Act Program (TAAP) (focusing on the Hueco Bolson, Mesilla Bolson, San Pedro and Santa Cruz aquifers), there is no comparable research, institutional development, or assessment of transboundary groundwater issues on the frontier. Moreover, data collection and methodologies vary between the two countries, there is no broadly accepted definition of the transboundary nature of an aquifer, and available legal and policy frameworks are constrained by non-hydrological considerations. Hence, there is a conceptual and institutional void regarding transboundary groundwater resources between Mexico and the U.S. The purpose of this paper is to bridge this void and characterize transboundary aquifers on the Mexico-US border. It reviews existing international frameworks for identifying hydrological and social criteria that characterize an aquifer as transboundary. It then assesses data from both countries to propose where and which aquifers could be considered transboundary. Finally, the paper proposes an agenda for assessing Mexico-US transboundary aquifers as a means for improving groundwater management in the border region.

  6. Border Crossings, US-Mexico Border, 2010, NAVTEQ

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — NAVTEQ Border Crossings for Region 9. The Border Crossing layer contains all international border crossings for all motorway crossings, as well as other important...

  7. Risk behaviours for HIV infection among traveling Mexican migrants: The Mexico-US border as a contextual risk factor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao; Martinez-Donate, Ana P.; Simon, Norma-Jean E.; Hovell, Melbourne F.; Rangel, Maria Gudelia; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Sipan, Carol L.

    2016-01-01

    The Mexico-US border region is a transit point in the trajectory of Mexican migrants traveling to and from the U.S. and a final destination for domestic migrants from other regions in Mexico. This region also represents a high-risk environment that may increase risk for HIV among migrants and the communities they connect. We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey, in Tijuana, Mexico, and compared Mexican migrants with a recent stay on the Mexico-US border region (Border, n=553) with migrants arriving at the border from Mexican sending communities (Northbound, n=1077). After controlling for demographics and migration history, border migrants were more likely to perceive their risk for HIV infection as high in this region and regard this area as a liberal place for sexual behaviours compared to Northbound migrants reporting on their perceptions of the sending communities (pmigrants were more likely to engage in sex, and have unprotected sex, with female sex workers during their recent stay on the border compared to other contexts (rate ratio= 3.0 and 6.6, respectively, pmigrants should be deployed in the Mexican border region to address migration related HIV transmission in Mexico and the U.S. PMID:26878494

  8. Marys Lake 69/115-kV transmission line upgrade and substation expansion projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-05-01

    Western Area Power Administration (Western) and the Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) propose to upgrade portions of the existing electric transmission and substation system that serves the Town of Estes Park, Colorado. The existing transmission lines between the Estes Power Plant Switchyard and the Marys Lake Substation include a 115,000 volt (115-kV) line and 69,000 volt (69-kV) line. Approximately one mile is a double-circuit 115/69-kV line on steel lattice structures, and approximately two miles consists of separate single-circuit 115-kV and a 69-kV lines, constructed on wood H-Frame structures. Both lines were constructed in 1951 by the US Bureau of Reclamation. The existing transmission lines are on rights-of-way (ROW) that vary from 75 feet to 120 feet and are owned by Western. There are 48 landowners adjacent to the existing ROW. All of the houses were built adjacent to the existing ROW after the transmission lines were constructed. Upgrading the existing 69-kV transmission line between the Marys Lake Substation and the Estes Power Plant Switchyard to 115-kV and expanding the Marys Lake Substation was identified as the most effective way in which to improve electric service to Estes Park. The primary purpose and need of the proposed project is to improve the reliability of electric service to the Town of Estes Park. Lack of reliability has been a historical concern, and reliability will always be less than desired until physical improvements are made to the electrical facilities serving Estes Park.

  9. Marys Lake 69/115-kV transmission line upgrade and substation expansion projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-05-01

    Western Area Power Administration (Western) and the Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) propose to upgrade portions of the existing electric transmission and substation system that serves the Town of Estes Park, Colorado. The existing transmission lines between the Estes Power Plant Switchyard and the Marys Lake Substation include a 115,000 volt (115-kV) line and 69,000 volt (69-kV) line. Approximately one mile is a double-circuit 115/69-kV line on steel lattice structures, and approximately two miles consists of separate single-circuit 115-kV and a 69-kV lines, constructed on wood H-Frame structures. Both lines were constructed in 1951 by the US Bureau of Reclamation. The existing transmission lines are on rights-of-way (ROW) that vary from 75 feet to 120 feet and are owned by Western. There are 48 landowners adjacent to the existing ROW. All of the houses were built adjacent to the existing ROW after the transmission lines were constructed. Upgrading the existing 69-kV transmission line between the Marys Lake Substation and the Estes Power Plant Switchyard to 115-kV and expanding the Marys Lake Substation was identified as the most effective way in which to improve electric service to Estes Park. The primary purpose and need of the proposed project is to improve the reliability of electric service to the Town of Estes Park. Lack of reliability has been a historical concern, and reliability will always be less than desired until physical improvements are made to the electrical facilities serving Estes Park

  10. Border Crossing Points, US-Mexico Border, 2015, NAVTEQ

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — NAVTEQ Border Crossings for the United States. The Border Crossing layer contains all international border crossings for all motorway crossings, as well as other...

  11. Risk behaviours for HIV infection among travelling Mexican migrants: The Mexico-US border as a contextual risk factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiao; Martinez-Donate, Ana P; Simon, Norma-Jean E; Hovell, Melbourne F; Rangel, Maria Gudelia; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Sipan, Carol L

    2017-01-01

    The Mexico-US border region is a transit point in the trajectory of Mexican migrants travelling to and from the USA and a final destination for domestic migrants from other regions in Mexico. This region also represents a high-risk environment that may increase risk for HIV among migrants and the communities they connect. We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey, in Tijuana, Mexico, and compared Mexican migrants with a recent stay on the Mexico-US border region (Border, n = 553) with migrants arriving at the border from Mexican sending communities (Northbound, n = 1077). After controlling for demographics and migration history, border migrants were more likely to perceive their risk for HIV infection as high in this region and regard this area as a liberal place for sexual behaviours compared to Northbound migrants reporting on their perceptions of the sending communities (p migrants were more likely to engage in sex, and have unprotected sex, with female sex workers during their recent stay on the border compared to other contexts (rate ratio = 3.0 and 6.6, respectively, p migrants should be deployed in the Mexican border region to address migration related HIV transmission in Mexico and the USA.

  12. ‘It’s All in Their Brain’: Constructing the figure of the trafficking victim on the US-Mexico border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriella Sanchez

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This article is a qualitative reflection on a series of human trafficking awareness meetings held in a city on the US-Mexico border. It argues that along this border, representations of the human trafficking victim go beyond the stereotypical notions of the virginal female youth, target of sexual exploitation and violence. Rather, characterisations reflect a specific set of cultural and historical forms which further frame victims as inherently foreign, a proxy for Mexican, despite the ethnic similarities connecting communities on both sides of the US-Mexico divide. References to Mexican origin in this part of the United States have historically been used as part of an attempt to articulate social and ethnic difference, often despite sharing a common ethnic past. In the context of American anti-immigrant sentiments, Mexicans are described not only as inherently foreign, or as lacking government-sanctioned immigration status, but also as innately uncivilised, uneducated, hypersexual, criminal and pathological. On the US-Mexico border these characterisations become further complicated by the immediacy of Mexican border cities and their ongoing struggles amid the war on drugs. Collectively, the tropes of crime, violence and inherent pathos historically associated with Mexico and its people have seeped into the construction of the human trafficking rhetoric on the border, and have been quickly and effectively disseminated, despite the absence of empirically-informed indicators. Furthermore, while this practice is reflective of the efforts through which historically Mexican nationals have been othered along the US-Mexico border, in the current context of globalised fears over migrants and national security, human trafficking constructions become another tool of US border control and migration governance.

  13. Effect of the US-Mexico border region in cardiovascular mortality: ecological time trend analysis of Mexican border and non-border municipalities from 1998 to 2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriel Anaya

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background An array of risk factors has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and developing nations are becoming disproportionately affected by such diseases. Cardiovascular diseases have been reported to be highly prevalent in the Mexican population, but local mortality data is poor. The Mexican side of the US-Mexico border has a culture that is closely related to a developed nation and therefore may share the same risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. We wanted to explore if there was higher cardiovascular mortality in the border region of Mexico compared to the rest of the nation. Methods We conducted a population based cross-sectional time series analysis to estimate the effects of education, insurance and municipal size in Mexican border (n = 38 and non-border municipalities (n = 2360 and its association with cardiovascular age-adjusted mortality rates between the years 1998–2012. We used a mixed effect linear model with random effect estimation and repeated measurements to compare the main outcome variable (mortality rate, the covariates (education, insurance and population size and the geographic delimiter (border/non-border. Results Mortality due to cardiovascular disease was consistently higher in the municipalities along the US-Mexico border, showing a difference of 78 · 5 (95% CI 58 · 7-98 · 3, p < 0 · 001 more cardiovascular deaths after adjusting for covariates. Larger municipal size and higher education levels showed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality of 12 · 6 (95% CI 11 · 4-13 · 8, p < 0 · 001 deaths and 8 · 6 (95% CI 5 · 5-11 · 8, p < 0 · 001 deaths respectively. Insurance coverage showed an increase in cardiovascular mortality of 3 · 6 (95% CI 3 · 1-4 · 0, p < 0 · 001 deaths per decile point increase. There was an increase in cardiovascular mortality of 0 · 3 (95% CI −0 · 001-0 · 6

  14. Listening to the Line: Notes on Music, Globalization, and the US-Mexico Border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josh Kun

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The following is an experiment in theory and practice, and is therefore divided into two parts. The first introduces the concept of “the aural border”, my attempt to listen to the US-Mexico border as a geography of sound and music. The second explores this notion through an excerpt from a critical performance text of mine, “Border Sound Files: An Audio Essay”, which tells musical stories of the border as a key site of globalization.

  15. Decision Model for U.S.- Mexico Border Security Measures

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-01

    missions that the I&A focuses on is, “border security, including narcotics smuggling, alien and human smuggling, and money laundering ...and money assigned to border security investments. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Department of Homeland Security (DHS), border security, U.S.–Mexico border...and money assigned to border security investments. vi THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION

  16. Best practices for community gardening in a US-Mexico border community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangadu, Thenral; Kelly, Michael; Orezzoli, Max C E; Gallegos, Rebecca; Matharasi, Pracheta

    2017-12-01

    Minority communities such as those on the US-Mexico border are placed at disproportionate high risk for child and adult obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. A built environment characterized by an arid desert climate, lack of access to healthy foods, barriers to increasing physical activity, cultural and community norms which deter healthy eating and sustainable food production, shape obesity-related health disparities in these communities. Three pilot community gardens (implemented by two local governmental organizations and one community-based organization) were funded through the local Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) initiative in El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces and Anthony, New Mexico (US-MX border communities with high obesity rates) in order to encourage healthy lifestyles among families in the region. A mixed-methods evaluation (n = 223) examined the implementation process, immediate outcomes and best practices of implementing and sustaining community gardens in these minority binational communities. In addition to nutrition-related outcomes, the potential for psychosocial outcomes from participating in community and school garden projects were observed. The best practices in relation to (i) assessing community norms related to growing food, (ii) increasing access to land and water for community/school gardening and (iii) enhancing social support for gardening are discussed. The implications of these best practices for obesity prevention and implementing community gardens in a minority US-MX border community characterized by cultural, geographical and socioeconomic barriers are examined. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Everyday violence, structural racism and mistreatment at the US-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabo, Samantha; Shaw, Susan; Ingram, Maia; Teufel-Shone, Nicolette; Carvajal, Scott; de Zapien, Jill Guernsey; Rosales, Cecilia; Redondo, Flor; Garcia, Gina; Rubio-Goldsmith, Raquel

    2014-05-01

    Immigration laws that militarize communities may exacerbate ethno-racial health disparities. We aimed to document the prevalence of and ways in which immigration enforcement policy and militarization of the US-Mexico border is experienced as everyday violence. Militarization is defined as the saturation of and pervasive encounters with immigration officials including local police enacting immigration and border enforcement policy with military style tactics and weapons. Data were drawn from a random household sample of US citizen and permanent residents of Mexican descent in the Arizona border region (2006-2008). Qualitative and quantitative data documented the frequency and nature of immigration related profiling, mistreatment and resistance to institutionalized victimization. Participants described living and working in a highly militarized environment, wherein immigration-related profiling and mistreatment were common immigration law enforcement practices. Approximately 25% of respondents described an immigration-related mistreatment episode, of which 62% were personally victimized. Nearly 75% of episodes occurred in a community location rather than at a US port of entry. Participant mistreatment narratives suggest the normalization of immigration-related mistreatment among the population. Given border security remains at the core of immigration reform debates, it is imperative that scholars advance the understanding of the public health impact of such enforcement policies on the daily lives of Mexican-origin US permanent residents, and their non-immigrant US citizen co-ethnics. Immigration policy that sanctions institutional practices of discrimination, such as ethno-racial profiling and mistreatment, are forms of structural racism and everyday violence. Metrics and systems for monitoring immigration and border enforcement policies and institutional practices deleterious to the health of US citizens and residents should be established. Copyright © 2014

  18. Healthcare provider perspectives on barriers to HIV-care access and utilisation among Latinos living with HIV in the US-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Servin, Argentina E; Muñoz, Fátima A; Zúñiga, María Luisa

    2014-01-01

    Latinos living with HIV residing in the US-Mexico border region frequently seek care on both sides of the border. Given this fact, a border health perspective to understanding barriers to care is imperative to improve patient health outcomes. This qualitative study describes and compares experiences and perceptions of Mexican and US HIV care providers regarding barriers to HIV care access for Latino patients living in the US-Mexico border region. In 2010, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with HIV care providers in Tijuana (n = 10) and San Diego (n = 9). We identified important similarities and differences between Mexican and US healthcare provider perspectives on HIV care access and barriers to service utilisation. Similarities included the fact that HIV-positive Latino patients struggle with access to ART medication, mental health illness, substance abuse and HIV-related stigma. Differences included Mexican provider perceptions of medication shortages and US providers feeling that insurance gaps influenced medication access. Differences and similarities have important implications for cross-border efforts to coordinate health services for patients who seek care in both countries.

  19. Establishing a binational student-run free-clinic in Tijuana, Mexico: a model for US-Mexico border states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ojeda, Victoria D; Eppstein, Amy; Lozada, Remedios; Vargas-Ojeda, Adriana C; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Goodman, David; Burgos, Jose L

    2014-06-01

    In 2011, a bi-national student-run free clinic for the underserved, known as "Health Frontiers in Tijuana" (HFiT), was created in Tijuana, Mexico. Students and faculty from one Mexican and one US medical school staff the clinic and attend patients on Saturdays. Students from both medical schools enroll in a didactic course during the quarter/semester that they attend the free clinic. The course addresses clinical, ethical, cultural, population-specific issues and the structure, financing and delivery of medical care in Mexico. The clinic implements an electronic medical record and is developing telemedicine for consulting on complex cases. Despite challenges related to sustaining adequate funding, this program may be replicated in other border communities.

  20. Border Encounters: American Cultural Politics and the U.S.-Mexico Border

    OpenAIRE

    Reimer, Jennifer Andrea

    2011-01-01

    AbstractBorder Encounters: American Cultural Politics and the U.S.-Mexico BorderbyJennifer Andrea ReimerDoctor of Philosophy in Ethnic StudiesUniversity of California, BerkeleyProfessor José David Saldívar, Co-ChairProfessor Laura E. Pérez, Co-ChairBorder Encounters: American Cultural Politics and the U.S.-Mexico Border is a transnational, interdisciplinary cultural study of the contemporary U.S.-Mexico border that argues for the critical role of the international border in the racial past, p...

  1. Rush to the border? Market liberalization and urban- and rural-origin internal migration in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarreal, Andrés; Hamilton, Erin R

    2012-09-01

    In this study we examine the social and economic factors driving internal migration flows in Mexico. We pay particular attention to the effect that economic liberalization has had in encouraging migration to border cities. Our analysis of the origin and destination of migrants is carried out at a finer level of geographical detail than ever before. Microdata files from the 2000 population census allow us to distinguish urban- and rural-origin migrants to the largest 115 cities and metropolitan areas in the country. Our results indicate that economic liberalization, measured by the level of foreign investment and employment in the maquiladora export industry, strongly influences migrants' choice of destinations. However, economic liberalization fails to fully account for the attraction of the border, as do the higher emigration rates to the United States from border cities. Our analysis also reveals that migrants to the border region and to cities with high levels of foreign investment are younger, less educated and more likely to be men than migrants to other parts of Mexico. Rural migrants are significantly more likely to move to the border and to cities with high levels of foreign investment than urban migrants. The results of our study have important implication for other countries opening their economies to foreign investment and international trade. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. U.S.-Mexico Policy Coordination: An Assessment of the Twenty-First Century Border Policy Coordination Effort

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-28

    2009. 3 U.S. Chamber of Commerce . Steps to a 21st Century U.S.-Mexico Border. Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Chamber of Commerce , May, 2011, 11. 2...U.S. Chamber of Commerce . Steps to a 21st Century U.S.-Mexico Border. Report, Washington, DC: U.S. Chamber of Commerce , May, 2011. U.S. Department

  3. Exploring the Association of Homicides in Northern Mexico and Healthcare Access for US Residents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geissler, Kimberley H; Becker, Charles; Stearns, Sally C; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Holmes, George M

    2015-08-01

    Many legal residents in the United States (US)-Mexico border region cross from the US into Mexico for medical treatment and pharmaceuticals. We analyzed whether recent increases in homicides in Mexico are associated with reduced healthcare access for US border residents. We used data on healthcare access, legal entries to the US from Mexico, and Mexican homicide rates (2002-2010). Poisson regression models estimated associations between homicide rates and total legal US entries. Multivariate difference-in-difference linear probability models evaluated associations between Mexican homicide rates and self-reported measures of healthcare access for US residents. Increased homicide rates were associated with decreased legal entries to the US from Mexico. Contrary to expectations, homicides did not have significant associations with healthcare access measures for legal residents in US border counties. Despite a decrease in border crossings, increased violence in Mexico did not appear to negatively affect healthcare access for US border residents.

  4. Chapter 4. Fayuca Hormiga: The Cross-border Trade of Used Clothing between the United States and Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    Gauthier, Mélissa

    2017-01-01

    Borders, regardless of their location, represent lucrative zones of exchange and trade, often illicit and clandestine. Along the US-Mexico border there is a lively trade taking second-hand clothing into Mexico through a complex system of smuggling, which is locally known as fayuca. Although used clothing is a restricted import in Mexico, it is sold everywhere in urban markets. This chapter details the “unauthorized” flow of used clothing across the US-Mexico border in light of ethnographic fi...

  5. Fatal Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever along the United States-Mexico Border, 2013-2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drexler, Naomi A; Yaglom, Hayley; Casal, Mariana; Fierro, Maria; Kriner, Paula; Murphy, Brian; Kjemtrup, Anne; Paddock, Christopher D

    2017-10-01

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is an emerging public health concern near the US-Mexico border, where it has resulted in thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths in the past decade. We identified 4 patients who had acquired RMSF in northern Mexico and subsequently died at US healthcare facilities. Two patients sought care in Mexico before being admitted to US-based hospitals. All patients initially had several nonspecific signs and symptoms, including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, or myalgia, but deteriorated rapidly without receipt of a tetracycline-class antimicrobial drug. Each patient experienced respiratory failure late in illness. Although transborder cases are not common, early recognition and prompt initiation of appropriate treatment are vital for averting severe illness and death. Clinicians on both sides of the US-Mexico border should consider a diagnosis of RMSF for patients with rapidly progressing febrile illness and recent exposure in northern Mexico.

  6. Effect of the US-Mexico border region in cardiovascular mortality: ecological time trend analysis of Mexican border and non-border municipalities from 1998 to 2012

    OpenAIRE

    Gabriel Anaya; Wael K Al-Delaimy

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background An array of risk factors has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, and developing nations are becoming disproportionately affected by such diseases. Cardiovascular diseases have been reported to be highly prevalent in the Mexican population, but local mortality data is poor. The Mexican side of the US-Mexico border has a culture that is closely related to a developed nation and therefore may share the same risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. We wanted to explo...

  7. Drinking water intake and source patterns within a US-Mexico border population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regnier, Adam; Gurian, Patrick; Mena, Kristina D

    2015-01-01

    This study was undertaken to identify water intake and source patterns among a population that resides in a hot, arid region on the US-Mexico border. A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted among households in the neighbouring cities of El Paso, TX, USA and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico to obtain data on the quantity and source of water consumed. The study was also designed to identify factors that impact water consumption patterns, including gender, demographics, socio-economic status, cultural characteristics, health status, types of occupations and residences, available water sources and outdoor temperature, among many others. Of all factors studied, outdoor air temperature was found to have the strongest impact upon water intake quantity. Specifically, among the survey participants, when the outdoor air temperature exceeded 90 °F, water consumption increased by 28 %. Additionally, it was found that participants in this region consumed approximately 50 % more water than the values reported in previous studies.

  8. Characterization of emissions sources in the California-Mexico Border Region during Cal-Mex 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zavala, M. A.; Lei, W.; Li, G.; Bei, N.; Barrera, H.; Tejeda, D.; Molina, L. T.; Cal-Mex 2010 Emissions Team

    2010-12-01

    The California-Mexico border region provides an opportunity to evaluate the characteristics of the emission processes in rapidly expanding urban areas where intensive international trade and commerce activities occur. Intense anthropogenic activities, biomass burning, as well as biological and geological sources significantly contribute to high concentration levels of particulate matter (PM), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), air toxics, and ozone observed in the California-US Baja California-Mexico border region. The continued efforts by Mexico and US for improving and updating the emissions inventories in the sister cities of San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali has helped to understand the emission processes in the border region. In addition, the recent Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign included a series of measurements aimed at characterizing the emissions from major sources in the California-Mexico border region. In this work we will present our analyzes of the data obtained during Cal-Mex 2010 for the characterization of the emission sources and their use for the evaluation of the recent emissions inventories for the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Mexicali. The developed emissions inventories will be implemented in concurrent air quality modeling efforts for understanding the physical and chemical transformations of air pollutants in the California-Mexico border region and their impacts.

  9. Pathogenic landscape of transboundary zoonotic diseases in the Mexico-US border along the Rio Grande

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Dolores Esteve-Gasent

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Transboundary zoonotic diseases, several of which are vector borne, can maintain a dynamic focus, and have pathogens circulating in geographic regions encircling multiple geopolitical boundaries. Global change is intensifying transboundary problems including the spatial variation of the risk and incidence of zoonotic diseases. The complexity of these challenges can be greater in areas where rivers delineate international boundaries and encompass transitions between ecozones. The Rio Grande serves as a natural border between the US State of Texas and the Mexican States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Not only millions of people live in this transboundary region but also a substantial movement of goods and people pass through it everyday. Moreover, it occurs over a region that functions as a corridor for animal migrations, and thus links the Neotropic and Nearctic biogeographic zones, with the latter being a known foci of zoonotic diseases. However, the pathogenic landscape of important zoonotic diseases in the south Texas-Mexico transboundary region remains to be fully understood. An international perspective on the interplay between disease systems, ecosystem processes, land use, and human behaviors is applied here to analyze landscape and spatial features of Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Hantavirus disease, Lyme Borreliosis, Leptospirosis, Bartonellosis, Chagas disease, human Babesiosis, and Leishmaniasis. Surveillance systems following the One Health approach with a regional perspective will help identifying opportunities to mitigate the health burden of those diseases on human and animal populations. It is proposed that the Mexico-US border, along the Rio Grande region be viewed as a continuum landscape where zoonotic pathogens circulate regardless of national borders.

  10. "Is it worth risking your life?" Ethnography, risk and death on the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holmes, Seth M

    2013-12-01

    Every year, several hundred people die attempting to cross the border from Mexico into the United States, most often from dehydration and heat stroke though snake bites and violent assaults are also common. This article utilizes participant observation fieldwork in the borderlands of the US and Mexico to explore the experience of structural vulnerability and bodily health risk along the desert trek into the US. Between 2003 and 2005, the ethnographer recorded interviews and conversations with undocumented immigrants crossing the border, border patrol agents, border activists, borderland residents, and armed civilian vigilantes. In addition, he took part in a border crossing beginning in the Mexican state of Oaxaca and ending in a border patrol jail in Arizona after he and his undocumented Mexican research subjects were apprehended trekking through the borderlands. Field notes and interview transcriptions provide thick ethnographic detail demonstrating the ways in which social, ethnic, and citizenship differences as well as border policies force certain categories of people to put their bodies, health, and lives at risk in order for them and their families to survive. Yet, metaphors of individual choice deflect responsibility from global economic policy and US border policy, subtly blaming migrants for the danger - and sometimes death - they experience. The article concludes with policy changes to make US-Mexico labor migration less deadly. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. New developments in emissions inventory activity along the northern border region of Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oliver, W.R.; Dickson, R.J.; Creelman, L.W. [Radian International LLC, Sacramento, CA (United States)] [and others

    1996-12-31

    The development and evaluation of emissions data for sources located along the Mexico/US border have accelerated over the past few years. This paper examines several new activities in emissions inventory development for the northern border of Mexico. Reviewed in this paper are the following recent developments that will lead to improved inventories for Mexico: development of inventory educational materials; creation of inventory manuals; estimation of emissions for unique sources; emissions-related studies; and identification of key research needs for Mexico inventories. Some of these activities are building a greater capacity in Mexico to construct emissions estimates. These topics are reviewed from the perspective of improving Mexico emissions inventories and emissions estimation capabilities.

  12. Impacts of Land Cover and Land Use Change on the Hydrology of the US-Mexico Border Region, 1992-2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohn, T. J.; Vivoni, E. R.; Mascaro, G.; White, D. D.

    2016-12-01

    The semi-arid US-Mexico border region has been experiencing rapid urbanization and agricultural expansion over the last several decades, due in part to the lifting of trade barriers of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), placing additional pressures on the region's already strained water resources. Here we examine the effects of changes in land cover/use over the period 1992-2011 on the region's hydrology and water resources, using the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model with an irrigation module to estimate both natural and anthropogenic water fluxes. Land cover has been taken from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) over the US, and from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) database over Mexico, for three snapshots: 1992/3, 2001/2, and 2011. We have performed 3 simulations, one per land cover snapshot, at 6 km resolution, driven by a gridded observed meteorology dataset and a climatology of land surface characteristics derived from remote sensing products. Urban water withdrawal rates were estimated from literature. The primary changes in the region's water budget over the period 1992-2011 consisted of: (1) a shift in agricultural irrigation water withdrawals from the US to Mexico, accompanied by similar shifts in runoff (via agricultural return flow) and evapotranspiration; and (2) a 50% increase in urban water withdrawals, concentrated in the US. Because groundwater supplied most of the additional agricultural withdrawals, and occurred over already over-exploited aquifers, these changes call into question the sustainability of the region's land and water management. By synthesizing the implications of these hydrologic changes, we present a novel view of how NAFTA has altered the US-Mexico border region, possibly in unintended ways.

  13. A Voice of the US Southwestern Border: The 2012 “We the Border: Envisioning a Narrative for Our Future” Conference

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josiah McC. Heyman

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available In July 2012, a diverse group of US residents living near the US-Mexico border met in El Paso, Texas for a conference entitled, We the Border: Envisioning a Narrative for Our Future.  This paper describes a vision for the US-Mexico border by diverse border residents that is at odds with the widespread view of the border as a threat to the United States. These border residents viewed their region as a set of human communities with rights, capacities, and valuable insights and knowledge. They embraced an alternative vision of border enforcement that would focus on “quality” (dangerous entrants and contraband over “quantity” (mass migration enforcement.  They called for investments in the functionality and security of ports of entry, rather than in between ports of entry.  They noted the low crime rate in US border cities, and examined how policies of not mixing local law enforcement with federal immigration enforcement contributed to this achievement. They saw the border region as the key transportation and brokerage zone of the emerging, integrated North American economy. In their view, the bilingual, bicultural, and binational skills that characterize border residents form part of a wider border culture that embraces diversity and engenders creativity. Under this vision the border region is not an empty enforcement zone, but is part of the national community and its residents should enjoy the same constitutional and human rights as other US residents. The conference participants emphasized the necessity and value of accountability and oversight of central government enforcement operations, and the need for border communities to participate in federal decision-making that affects their lives. 

  14. Cross-border policy effects on alcohol outcomes: drinking without thinking on the u.s.-Mexico border?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Britain A; Caetano, Raul; Vaeth, Patrice

    2014-11-01

    Rates of alcohol-related outcomes are sensitive to policy differences in politically distinct, adjacent territories. Factors that shape these cross-border effects, particularly when the policy differences are longstanding, remain poorly understood. We compared the ability of 2 classes of variables with theoretical relevance to the U.S.-Mexico border context-bar attendance and alcohol-related social-cognitive variables-to explain elevated drinking on the U.S. side of the border relative to other areas of the United States. Data were collected from multistage cluster samples of adult Mexican Americans on and off the U.S.-Mexico border (current drinker N = 1,351). Structural equation models were used to test drinking context (frequency of bar attendance) and 6 different social-cognitive variables (including alcohol-related attitudes, norms, motives, and beliefs) as mediators of border effects on a composite drinking index. The border effect on drinking varied by age (with younger adults showing a stronger effect), consistent with previous findings and known risk factors in the region. Contrary to theoretical expectations, 6 different social-cognitive variables-despite relating strongly with drinking-were comparable in border and nonborder areas (within and across age) and played no role in elevated drinking on the border. Conversely, elevated drinking among border youth was mediated by bar attendance. This mediated moderation effect held after adjusting for potential sociodemographic and neighborhood-level confounders. Increased drinking among U.S.-Mexico border youth is explained by patterns of bar attendance, but not by more permissive alcohol-related social-cognitive variables in border areas: Border youth attend bars and drink more than their nonborder counterparts, despite having comparable alcohol-related beliefs, attitudes, norms, and motives for use. Alcohol's heightened availability and visibility on both sides of the border may create opportunities for

  15. Fatal Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever along the United States–Mexico Border, 2013–2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yaglom, Hayley; Casal, Mariana; Fierro, Maria; Kriner, Paula; Murphy, Brian; Kjemtrup, Anne; Paddock, Christopher D.

    2017-01-01

    Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is an emerging public health concern near the US–Mexico border, where it has resulted in thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths in the past decade. We identified 4 patients who had acquired RMSF in northern Mexico and subsequently died at US healthcare facilities. Two patients sought care in Mexico before being admitted to US-based hospitals. All patients initially had several nonspecific signs and symptoms, including fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, or myalgia, but deteriorated rapidly without receipt of a tetracycline-class antimicrobial drug. Each patient experienced respiratory failure late in illness. Although transborder cases are not common, early recognition and prompt initiation of appropriate treatment are vital for averting severe illness and death. Clinicians on both sides of the US–Mexico border should consider a diagnosis of RMSF for patients with rapidly progressing febrile illness and recent exposure in northern Mexico. PMID:28930006

  16. Occurrence of faecal contamination in households along the US-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrasco, L; Mena, K D; Mota, L C; Ortiz, M; Behravesh, C B; Gibbs, S G; Bristol, J R; Mayberry, L; Cardenas, V M

    2008-06-01

    The study aim was to determine the presence of total and faecal coliforms on kitchen surfaces, in tap water and on the hands of caregivers in households on both sides of the US-Mexico border. Samples were collected in 135 randomly selected households in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas. Different surfaces throughout the kitchen and head of households' hands were sampled using sterile cotton swabs moistened in D/E neutralizing solution. Sponge/dishcloth and drinking water samples were also obtained. Total and faecal coliforms were enumerated on m-Endo LES and mFC respectively. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli in drinking water samples were enumerated in accordance with the Quanti-Tray method. Sponge/dishcloth samples were the most commonly contaminated kitchen sites, followed by countertops and cutting boards. We recovered faecal coliforms from 14% of the hands of child caregivers, and this indicator was moderately associated with self-reported failure to wash hands after using the toilet (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 0.9, 11.1). Hand washing should continue to be emphasized, and additional interventions should be directed to specific kitchen areas, such as sponges/dishcloths, tables/countertops and cutting boards. There is a need for additional interventions regarding kitchen sanitation.

  17. PESTICIDE EXPOSURE AND POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS IN YOUNG CHILDREN ALONG THE U.S. - MEXICO BORDER

    Science.gov (United States)

    The purpose of the Pesticides in Young Children - Border States Program is to assess the relationship between health status in children living along the United States and Mexico border and repeated pesticide exposures via multiple sources and pathways. Children's health has bee...

  18. Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-03-16

    1980). 120 Mexican Government Press Release, “Crecimiento con Calidad: El Presidente Vicente Fox encabezará la cena de gala de la XI Cumbre Anual...and Roads at Various Project Areas Located in California, Arizona, New Mexico , and Texas...Diego Border Primary Fence The USBP’s San Diego sector extends along the first 66 miles from the Pacific Ocean of the international border with Mexico

  19. U.S.-Mexico cross-border workforce training needs: survey implementation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosales, Cecilia B; Nuno, Tomas; Dieke, Ada; Galvez, Francisco Navarro; Dutton, Ronald J; Guerrero, Robert; Dulin, Paul; Jiménez, Elisa Aguilar; Granillo, Brenda; de Zapien, Jill Guernsey

    2011-01-01

    Since the tragic events experienced on September 11, 2001, and other recent events such as the hurricane devastation in the southeastern parts of the country and the emergent H1N1 season, the need for a competent public health workforce has become vitally important for securing and protecting the greater population. The primary objective of the study was to assess the training needs of the U.S. Mexico border states public health workforce. The Arizona Center for Public Health Preparedness of the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at The University of Arizona implemented a border-wide needs assessment. The online survey was designed to assess and prioritize core public health competencies as well as bioterrorism, infectious disease, and border/binational training needs. Approximately 80% of the respondents were employed by agencies that serve both rural and urban communities. Respondents listed 23 different functional roles that best describe their positions. Approximately 35% of the respondents were primarily employed by state health departments, twenty-seven percent (30%) of the survey participants reported working at the local level, and 19% indicated they worked in other government settings (e.g. community health centers and other non-governmental organizations). Of the 163 survey participants, a minority reported that they felt they were well prepared in the Core Bioterrorism competencies. The sections on Border Competency, Surveillance/Epidemiology, Communications/Media Relations and Cultural Responsiveness, did not generate a rating of 70% or greater on the importance level of survey participants. The study provided the opportunity to examine the issues of public health emergency preparedness within the framework of the border as a region addressing both unique needs and context. The most salient findings highlight the need to enhance the border competency skills of individuals whose roles include a special focus on emergency preparedness and

  20. [U.S.-Mexico cross-border cooperation in research on diabetes mellitus type 2].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canela-Soler, Jaume; Frontini, María; Cerqueira, Maria Teresa; Ruiz-Holguín, Rosalba; Díaz-Apodaca, Beatriz A

    2010-09-01

    To describe and analyze, utilizing a case study approach, the U.S.- Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project, a health research cooperation initiative incorporating the participation of federal, state, and local institutions of both countries. A model of equal representation, participation, consensus, and shared leadership was used, with the participation of more than 130 institutions. A sample of 4 020 people over 18 years of age was obtained by a random, multistage, stratified, clustered design. A questionnaire about diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and health was applied. The statistical analysis took into account the design effect. The prevalence of diagnosed DM2 was 14.9% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 12.5-17.6) and the prevalence of diagnosed DM2 adjusted by age was 19.5% (95% CI: 16.8-22.6) on the Mexican side of the border and 16.1% (IC95%: 13.5-19.2) on the U.S. border side. There were differences between the DM2 prevalence and risk factors along the border. The U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project allowed the border zone between the two countries to be considered, for the first time ever, as a unit for epidemiological research. A shared understanding among all participating institutions and entities of sociopolitical structures and procedures is required for effective border health cooperation initiatives.

  1. Evaluation of smoking cessation behaviors and interventions among Latino smokers at low-income clinics in a US-Mexico border county.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sias, Jeri J; Urquidi, Ulysses J; Bristow, Zuzanne M; Rodriguez, José C; Ortiz, Melchor

    2008-02-01

    A descriptive study of 94 Latino smokers receiving nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in US-Mexico border clinics in El Paso County, Texas was conducted. A baseline questionnaire and two follow-up telephone surveys (8-12 weeks and 6 months) were administered to evaluate smoking habits, behaviors, and cessation interventions. Participants reported an average daily cigarette consumption of 15 cigarettes and smoked within 30 min of waking (44%). Primary motivations for quitting were personal health (95%), family's health (74%), and doctor's advice (71%). Female smokers were more likely to smoke due to being anxious (p=0.012), not being able to sleep (p=0.02), or to feel thin (p=0.002). Male smokers were more likely to smoke when drinking alcohol (p=0.005). Nearly 40% of smokers reported they had never tried to quit before. Medication use at baseline was 82% patch, 53% lozenge, 29% gum, and 24% bupropion (combination therapy permitted). At 8-12 weeks, nearly two-thirds of patients were quit and 44% remained quit at six months. Smoking habits, behaviors, and successful cessation interventions among Latinos in a US-Mexico border community were identified.

  2. A promotora de salud model for addressing cardiovascular disease risk factors in the US-Mexico border region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balcázar, Héctor; Alvarado, Matilde; Cantu, Frank; Pedregon, Veronica; Fulwood, Robert

    2009-01-01

    In 2002, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute partnered with the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Bureau of Primary Health Care and Office of Rural Health Policy to address cardiovascular health in the US-Mexico border region. From 2003 through 2005, the 2 agencies agreed to conduct an intervention program using Salud para su Corazón with promotores de salud (community health workers) in high-risk Hispanic communities served by community health centers (CHCs) in the border region to reduce risk factors and improve health behaviors. Promotores de salud from each CHC delivered lessons from the curriculum Your Heart, Your Life. Four centers implemented a 1-group pretest-posttest study design. Educational sessions were delivered for 2 to 3 months. To test Salud para su Corazón-HRSA health objectives, the CHCs conducted the program and assessed behavioral and clinical outcomes at baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the intervention. A 2-sample paired t test and analyses of variance were used to evaluate differences from baseline to postintervention. Changes in heart-healthy behaviors were observed, as they have been in previous Salud para su Corazón studies, lending credibility to the effectiveness of a promotores de salud program in a clinical setting. Positive changes were also observed in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, triglyceride level, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, weight, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results suggest that integrating promotores de salud into clinical practices is a promising strategy for culturally competent and effective service delivery. Promotores de salud build coalitions and partnerships in the community. The Salud para su Corazón-HRSA initiative was successful in helping to develop an infrastructure to support a promotores de salud workforce in the US-Mexico border region.

  3. Estimating maquiladora hazardous waste generation on the U.S./Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Mace M.; Kontuly, Thomas; Hepner, George F.

    1995-03-01

    Maquiladoras, manufacturing plants that primarily assemble foreign components for reexport, are located in concentrations along the northern frontier of the US/Mexico border. These plants process a wide variety of materials using modern industrial technologies within the context of developing world institutions and infrastructure. Hazardous waste generation by maquiladoras represents a critical environmental management issue because of the spatial concentration of these plants in border municipalities where the infrastructure for waste management is nonexistent or poor. These border municipalities contain rapidly increasing populations, which further stress their waste handling infrastructure capacities while exposing their populations to greater contaminant risks. Limited empirical knowledge exists concerning hazardous waste types and generation rates from maquiladorsas. There is no standard reporting method for waste generation or methodology for estimating generation rates at this time. This paper presents a method that can be used for the rapid assessment of hazardous waste generation. A first approximation of hazardous waste generation is produced for maquiladoras in the three municipalities of Nogales, Sonora, Mexicali, Baja California, and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, using the INVENT model developed by the World Bank. In addition, our intent is to evaluate the potential of the INVENT model for adaptation to the US/Mexico border industrial situation. The press of border industrial development, especially with the recent adoption of the NAFTA, make such assessments necessary as a basis for the environmental policy formulation and management needed in the immediate future.

  4. Modeling of Trans-boundary Transport of Air Pollutants in the California-Mexico Border Region during Cal-Mex 2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bei, N.; Zavala, M. A.; Lei, W.; Li, G.; Molina, L. T.

    2010-12-01

    The US and Mexico share a common air basin along the ~200 km border between California and Baja California. The economical activities in this region are heavily influenced by the international trade and commerce between Mexico and the US that mainly occurs through the borders of the sister cities of San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali. The diversity and differences in the characteristics of emissions sources of air pollutants in the California-Mexico border region make this an important area for the study of the chemistry and trans-boundary transport of air pollutants. During May-June of 2010, the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign included a series of measurements aimed at characterizing the emissions from major sources in the California-Mexico border region and assessing the possible impacts of these emissions on local and regional air quality. In this work we will present the results of the use of the Comprehensive Air quality model with extensions (CAMx) in a modeling domain that includes the sister cities of San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali for studying events of trans-boundary transport of air pollutants during Cal-Mex 2010. The measurements obtained during the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign are used in the evaluation of the model performance and in the design of air quality improvement policies in the California-Mexico border region.

  5. National wildlife refuge management on the United States/Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    William R. Radke

    2013-01-01

    Many conservation strategies have been developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with others to protect habitat and enhance the recovery of fish and wildlife populations in the San Bernardino Valley, which straddles Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. Habitats along this international border have been impacted by illegal activities,...

  6. Tuberculosis along the United States-Mexico border, 1993-2001.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Eileen; Laserson, Kayla F; Wells, Charles D; Moore, Marisa

    2004-07-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading public health problem and a recognized priority for the federal Governments of both Mexico and the United States of America. The objectives of this research, primarily for the four states in the United States that are along the border with Mexico, were to: (1) describe the epidemiological situation of TB, (2) identify TB risk factors, and (3) discuss tuberculosis program strategies. We analyzed tuberculosis case reports collected from 1993 through 2001 by the tuberculosis surveillance system of the United States. We used those data to compare TB cases mainly among three groups: (1) Mexican-born persons in the four United States border states (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas), (2) persons in those four border states who had been born in the United States, and (3) Mexican-born persons in the 46 other states of the United States, which do not border Mexico. For the period from 1993 through 2001, of the 16 223 TB cases reported for Mexican-born persons in the United States, 12 450 of them (76.7%) were reported by Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. In those four border states overall in 2001, tuberculosis case rates for Mexican-born persons were 5.0 times as high as the rates for persons born in the United States; those four states have 23 counties that directly border on Mexico, and the ratio in those counties was 5.8. HIV seropositivity, drug and alcohol use, unemployment, and incarceration were significantly less likely to be reported in Mexican-born TB patients from the four border states and the nonborder states than in patients born in the United States from the four border states (P pulmonary tuberculosis patients who were 18-64 years of age and residing in the four border states, the Mexican-born patients were 3.6 times as likely as the United States-born patients were to have resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampin (i. e., to have multidrug-resistant TB) and twice as likely to have isoniazid resistance

  7. Hyperendemic H. pylori and tapeworm infections in a U.S.-Mexico border population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardenas, Victor M; Mena, Kristina D; Ortiz, Melchor; Karri, Sitrulasi; Variyam, Easwaran; Behravesh, Casey Barton; Snowden, Karen F; Flisser, Ana; Bristol, John R; Mayberry, Lillian F; Ortega, Ynes R; Fukuda, Yoshihiro; Campos, Armando; Graham, David Y

    2010-01-01

    A higher incidence of infectious disease has been documented in U.S. regions bordering Mexico compared with non-border areas. We assessed the prevalence of important gastrointestinal infections in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, the largest binational community along the U.S.-Mexico border. Fecal specimens from a sample of the asymptomatic population representing all ages were tested for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and other intestinal parasitic pathogens using flotation, immunoassays, and/or polymerase chain reaction. We also measured indicators of microbiological contamination of drinking water, hands of food preparers, and kitchen surfaces. Overall, of the 386 participants, H. pylori was present in 38.2%, Taenia spp. in 3.3%, Giardia spp. in 2.7%, Cryptosporidium spp. in 1.9%, Entamoeba dispar in 1.3%, and Ascaris lumbricoides and Necator americanus in 0.3% of the study subjects; Cyclospora spp. and Entamoeba histolytica were not found. H. pylori infection was associated with handwashing (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0, 1.8). Taenia spp. was found more often on the U.S. side (PR=8.6, 95% CI 2.3, 30.8). We did not find an association between these infections and the occurrence of total coliforms or fecal coliforms on kitchen surfaces. In addition, Escherichia coli was not found in any drinking water sample. The study results indicated that H. pylori and Taenia spp. infections may be highly prevalent along the U.S.-Mexico border. Additional research is necessary to adequately characterize the prevalence, as well as determine whether interventions that reduce these infections are warranted.

  8. Sources and transport of black carbon at the California-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shores, Christopher A.; Klapmeyer, Michael E.; Quadros, Marina E.; Marr, Linsey C.

    2013-05-01

    At international border areas that suffer from poor air quality, assessment of pollutant sources and transport across the border is important for designing effective air quality management strategies. As part of the Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign at the US-Mexico border in San Diego and Tijuana, we measured black carbon (BC) concentrations at three locations in Mexico and one in the United States. The measurements were intended to support the following objectives: to characterize the spatial and temporal variability in BC, to estimate the BC emission inventory, to identify potential source areas of BC emissions, and to assess the cross-border transport of BC. Concentrations at Parque Morelos, the campaign's supersite, averaged 2.2 μg m-3 and reached a maximum value of 55.9 μg m-3 (1-min average). Sharp, regularly occurring peaks around midnight were suggestive of clandestine industrial activity. BC concentrations were more than two times higher, on average, in Tijuana compared to San Diego. BC and carbon monoxide (CO) were strongly correlated at the three sites in Mexico. The ΔBC/ΔCO ratio of 5.6 ± 0.5 μg m-3 ppm-1 in Tijuana, or 4.7 ± 0.5 μg m-3 ppm-1 when adjusted for seasonal temperature effects to represent an annual average, was comparable to that in other urban areas. Tijuana's emissions of BC were estimated to be 230-890 metric tons per year, 6-23% of those estimated for San Diego. Large uncertainties in this estimate stem mainly from uncertainties in the CO emission inventory, and the lower end of the estimate is more likely to be accurate. Patterns in concentrations and winds suggest that BC in Tijuana was usually of local origin. Under typical summertime conditions such as those observed during the study, transport from Tijuana into the US was common, crossing the border in a northeasterly direction, sometimes as far east as Imperial County at the eastern edge of California.

  9. Cross-border drug injection relationships among injection drug users in Tijuana, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Karla D.; Pollini, Robin A.; Patterson, Thomas L.; Lozada, Remedios; Ojeda, Victoria D.; Brouwer, Kimberly C.; Vera, Alicia; Volkmann, Tyson A.; Strathdee, Steffanie A.

    2010-01-01

    Background International borders are unique social and environmental contexts characterized by high levels of mobility. Among drug users, mobility increases risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in part through its effects on the social environment. However, the social dynamics of drug users living in border regions are understudied. Methods 1056 injection drug users (IDUs) residing in Tijuana, Mexico were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) from 2006 to 2007, and underwent surveys and testing for HIV, syphilis, and tuberculosis (TB). Using logistic regression on baseline data, we identified correlates of having ever injected drugs with someone from the US. Results Almost half (48%) reported ever injecting drugs with someone from the US. In RDS-adjusted logistic regression, factors independently associated with having ever injected with someone from the US included: having greater than middle school education (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.91; 95% Confidence Interval [C.I.] 1.52, 5.91), speaking English (AOR 3.24, 95% C.I. 1.96, 5.36), age (AOR 1.10 per year; 95% C.I. 1.07, 1.14), age at initiation of injection drug use (AOR 0.90 per year; 95% C.I. 0.86, 0.94), homelessness (AOR 2.61; 95% C.I. 1.27, 5.39), and having ever been incarcerated (AOR 11.82; 95% C.I., 5.22, 26.77). No associations with HIV, syphilis, TB, drug use, or injection risk behavior were detected. Conclusion Findings suggest that IDU networks in Mexico and the US may transcend international borders, with implications for cross-border transmission of infectious disease. Binational programs and policies need to consider the structure and geographic distribution of drug using networks. PMID:20889270

  10. The US/Mexico Border: A Binational Approach to Framing Challenges and Constructing Solutions for Improving Farmworkers’ Lives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Aranda

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Mexican migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the US-Mexico border region face health hazards and occupational risks and are becoming commonly known in the public health literature. According to several studies, farmworkers have high levels of chronic diseases such as diabetes and respiratory problems, are at risk for infectious diseases, and experience among the highest incidences of work-related injuries of any profession. The findings from two studies are considered and presented with the objective of contributing to an overall understanding of migrant farmworkers as a workforce moving across national boundaries and affected by the work environments and health stressors both shared and unique to each context. We propose a binational approach to comprehensively address the health problems and socioeconomic challenges faced by migrant and seasonal farmworkers. In this paper we present the results of two distinct but complementary studies of farmworker health on the Arizona-Sonora border.

  11. Cervical Cancer Screening in the US–Mexico Border Region: A Binational Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiefelbein, Emily L.; Smith, Ruben; Rojas, Rosalba; Mirchandani, Gita G.; McDonald, Jill A.

    2015-01-01

    Cervical cancer mortality is high along the US–Mexico border. We describe the prevalence of a recent Papanicolaou screening test (Pap) among US and Mexican border women. We analyzed 2006 cross-sectional data from Mexico’s National Survey of Health and Nutrition and the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Women aged 20–77 years in 44 US border counties (n = 1,724) and 80 Mexican border municipios (n = 1,454) were studied. We computed weighted proportions for a Pap within the past year by age, education, employment, marital status, health insurance, health status, risk behaviors, and ethnicity and adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) for the US, Mexico, and the region overall. Sixty-five percent (95 %CI 60.3–68.6) of US women and 32 % (95 %CI 28.7–35.2) of Mexican women had a recent Pap. US residence (APR = 2.01, 95 %CI 1.74–2.33), marriage (APR = 1.31, 95 %CI 1.17–1.47) and insurance (APR = 1.38, 95 %CI 1.22–1.56) were positively associated with a Pap test. Among US women, insurance and marriage were associated (APR = 1.21, 95 %CI 1.05–1.38 and 1.33, 95 %CI 1.10–1.61, respectively), and women aged 20–34 years were about 25 % more likely to have received a test than older women. Insurance and marriage were also positively associated with Pap testing among Mexican women (APR = 1.39, 95 %CI 1.17–1.64 and 1.50; 95 %CI 1.23–1.82, respectively), as were lower levels of education (≤8th grade or 9th–12th grade versus some college) (APR = 1.74; 95 %CI 1.21–2.52 and 1.60; 95 %CI 1.03–2.49, respectively). Marriage and insurance were associated with a recent Pap test on both sides of the border. Binational insurance coverage increases and/or cost reductions might bolster testing among unmarried and uninsured women, leading to earlier cervical cancer diagnosis and potentially lower mortality. PMID:22965734

  12. Efficacy of Cancer Care Communication Between Clinicians and Latino Patients in a Rural US-Mexico Border Region: a Qualitative Study of Barriers and Facilitators to Better Communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Eunjeong; Zúñiga, María Luisa; Peacher, Diana; Palomino, Helen; Watson, Mercedes

    2018-02-01

    Quality of clinician-patient cancer communication is vital to cancer care and survivorship. Racial/ethnic minority patients in rural regions may have unique characteristics including cultural beliefs, language barriers, and low health literacy which require effective cross-cultural cancer communication. Despite the growing US population of racial/ethnic minorities and widespread emphasis on culturally appropriate health communication, little is known about challenges and facilitators of cancer communication among underserved rural Latino cancer patients in the US-Mexico border region. This study conducted secondary data analysis of interview data collected from 22 individual cancer patients living on the US side of the US-Mexico border. Thematic analysis was conducted to explore a priori questions regarding patient experiences with cancer care communication with their providers. Emerging themes included lack of language concordance, patient perspectives on clarity and accuracy of information provided, patient perceptions on provider sensitivity in giving cancer diagnosis, and improving the clinical interpersonal relationship. Practice guidelines are suggested and discussed. These findings illuminate the importance of advancing improvement of cancer communication between clinicians and Spanish language-dominant Latinos.

  13. Migrants in transit: the importance of monitoring HIV risk among migrant flows at the Mexico-US border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Donate, Ana P; Hovell, Melbourne F; Rangel, Maria Gudelia; Zhang, Xiao; Sipan, Carol L; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Gonzalez-Fagoaga, J Eduardo

    2015-03-01

    We conducted a probability-based survey of migrant flows traveling across the Mexico-US border, and we estimated HIV infection rates, risk behaviors, and contextual factors for migrants representing 5 distinct migration phases. Our results suggest that the influence of migration is not uniform across genders or risk factors. By considering the predeparture, transit, and interception phases of the migration process, our findings complement previous studies on HIV among Mexican migrants conducted at the destination and return phases. Monitoring HIV risk among this vulnerable transnational population is critical for better understanding patterns of risk at different points of the migration process and for informing the development of protection policies and programs.

  14. Colorectal cancer screening among Latinos from U.S. cities along the Texas-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Maria E; Wippold, Rosario; Torres-Vigil, Isabel; Byrd, Theresa; Freeberg, Diamond; Bains, Yadvindera; Guajardo, Jessica; Coughlin, Steven S; Vernon, Sally W

    2008-03-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are comparatively low for U.S. Hispanics. To learn more about the factors influencing CRC screening among Hispanics living along the U.S.-Mexico border, 12 focus groups were conducted with Hispanic men and women aged 50 years and older in three Texas counties; Cameron County (Brownsville), Webb County (Laredo), and El Paso County, (El Paso). The focus group guide contained questions about health care behavior, knowledge about CRC, experiences with cancer, and factors that influence CRC screening. A total of 92 individuals participated with the majority aged 50-69 (75%). Twenty percent were born in the United States and 51% had lived in the United States for more than 20 years. Participants had low levels of education, income, and insurance coverage. The analysis revealed several overarching and contextual themes relating to knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions about cancer and CRC screening. A prevalent theme that emerged from all groups was frustration and a lack of confidence in the U.S. healthcare system. Few participants had been advised by their providers to obtain CRC screening. Lack of patient knowledge about colorectal cancer and screening appeared to be a critical factor influencing screening. Themes about death and pain due to cancer were prevalent as were cultural factors such as machismo and embarrassment. System level barriers such as cost, medical insurance and transportation also impacted screening. These findings suggest that strategies are needed to educate Hispanic residents of border communities about CRC and to motivate them to undergo CRC screening.

  15. Factors Associated with Depression Among Mexican Americans Living in U.S.-Mexico Border and Non-Border Areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaeth, Patrice A C; Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain A

    2016-08-01

    Factors associated with CES-D depression among Mexican Americans living on and off the U.S.-Mexico border are examined. Data are from two studies of Mexican American adults. The Border Survey conducted face-to-face interviews in urban U.S.-Mexico border counties of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (N = 1307). The non-border HABLAS survey conducted face-to-face interviews in Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Miami (N = 1288). Both surveys used a multistage cluster sample design with response rates of 67 and 76 %, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that border residence and higher perceived neighborhood collective efficacy were protective for depression among men. Among men, lower education, unemployment, increased weekly drinking, and poor health status were associated with depression. Among women, alcohol-related problems and poorer health status were also associated with depression. Further examinations of how neighborhood perceptions vary by gender and how these perceptions influence the likelihood of depression are warranted.

  16. Canada and Mexico Border Crossings

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — Border Crossing Ports are points of entry for land modes along the U.S. - Canadian and U.S.- Mexcian borders. The ports of entry are located in 15 states along the...

  17. Contributors to ozone episodes in three US/Mexico border twin-cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Chune; Fernando, H J S; Yang, Jie

    2009-09-01

    The Process Analysis tools of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system together with back-trajectory analysis were used to assess potential contributors to ozone episodes that occurred during June 1-4, 2006, in three populated U.S.-Mexico border twin cities: San Diego/Tijuana, Imperial/Mexicali and El Paso/Ciudad Juárez. Validation of CMAQ output against surface ozone measurements indicates that the predictions are acceptable with regard to commonly recommended statistical standards and comparable to other reported studies. The mean normalized bias test (MNBT) and mean normalized gross error (MNGE) for hourly ozone fall well within the US EPA suggested range of +/-15% and 35%, respectively, except MNBT for El Paso. The MNBTs for maximum 8-h average ozone are larger than those for hourly ozone, but all the simulated maximum 8-h average ozone are within a factor of 2 of those measured in all three regions. The process and back-trajectory analyses indicate that the main sources of daytime ground-level ozone are the local photochemical production and regional transport. By integrating the effects of each process over the depth of the daytime planetary boundary layer (PBL), it is found that in the San Diego area (SD), chemistry and vertical advection contributed about 36%/48% and 64%/52% for June 2 and 3, respectively. This confirms the previous finding that high-altitude regional transport followed by fumigation contributes significantly to ozone in SD. The back-trajectory analysis shows that this ozone was mostly transported from the coastal area of southern California. For the episodes in Imperial Valley and El Paso, respectively, ozone was transported from the coastal areas of southern California and Mexico and from northern Texas and Oklahoma.

  18. Preventing Bulk Cash and Weapons Smuggling into Mexico: Establishing an Outbound Policy for the Southwest Border for Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-01

    Mexico. The POE is nestled at the end of U.S. Interstate highway 35, which runs north straight into Chicago. Every major Interstate highway running east...million for advertising and informing the public that new procedures were in place for both the SWB and the northern border, the costs for the SWB

  19. Traffic pollutants measured inside vehicles waiting in line at a major US-Mexico Port of Entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quintana, Penelope J E; Khalighi, Mehdi; Castillo Quiñones, Javier Emmanuel; Patel, Zalak; Guerrero Garcia, Jesus; Martinez Vergara, Paulina; Bryden, Megan; Mantz, Antoinette

    2018-05-01

    At US-Mexico border Ports of Entry, vehicles idle for long times waiting to cross northbound into the US. Long wait times at the border have mainly been studied as an economic issue, however, exposures to emissions from idling vehicles can also present an exposure risk. Here we present the first data on in-vehicle exposures to driver and passengers crossing the US-Mexico border at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry (SYPOE). Participants were recruited who regularly commuted across the border in either direction and told to drive a scripted route between two border universities, one in the US and one in Mexico. Instruments were placed in participants' cars prior to commute to monitor-1-minute average levels of the traffic pollutants ultrafine particles (UFP), black carbon (BC) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the breathing zone of drivers and passengers. Location was determined by a GPS monitor. Results reported here are for 68 northbound participant trips. The highest median levels of in-vehicle UFP were recorded during the wait to cross at the SYPOE (median 29,692particles/cm 3 ) significantly higher than the portion of the commute in the US (median 20,508particles/cm 3 ) though not that portion in Mexico (median 22, 191particles/cm 3 ). In-vehicle BC levels at the border were significantly lower than in other parts of the commute. Our results indicate that waiting in line at the SYPOE contributes a median 62.5% (range 15.5%-86.0%) of a cross-border commuter's exposure to UFP and a median 44.5% (range (10.6-79.7%) of exposure to BC inside the vehicle while traveling in the northbound direction. Reducing border wait time can significantly reduce in-vehicle exposures to toxic air pollutants such as UFP and BC, and these preventable exposures can be considered an environmental justice issue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. U.S.-MEXICO TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER; BILATERAL TECHNICAL EXCHANGES FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE BORDER REGION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jimenez, Richard, D., Dr.

    2007-10-01

    s challenging environmental issues. The results also brought focus to the potential contributions that DOE’s science and technology could make for solving the many difficult, multi-generational problems faced by hundreds of bi-national communities along the 2,000-mile shared border of the United States and Mexico. Efforts to address these U.S.-Mexico border issues were initially sponsored by the DOE’s Albuquerque and Carlsbad offices. In subsequent years, the U.S. Congress directed appropriations to DOE’s Carlsbad office to address public health, safety and security issues prevalent within U.S.-Mexico border communities. With ASL’s assistance, DOE’s Albuquerque office developed contacts and formed partnerships with interested U.S and Mexican government, academic, and commercial organizations. Border industries, industrial effluents, and public health conditions were evaluated and documented. Relevant technologies were then matched to environmental problem sets along the border. Several technologies that were identified and subsequently supported by this effort are now operational in a number of U.S.-Mexico border communities, several communities within Mexico’s interior states, and in other parts of Latin America. As a result, some serious public health threats within these communities caused by exposure to toxic airborne pollutants have been reduced. During this time, DOE’s Carlsbad office hosted a bilateral conference to establish a cross-border consensus on what should be done on the basis of these earlier investigative efforts. Participating border region stakeholders set an agenda for technical collaborations. This agenda was supported by several Members of Congress who provided appropriations and directed DOE’s Carlsbad office to initiate technology demonstration projects. During the following two years, more than 12 private-sector and DOE-sponsored technologies were demonstrated in partnership with numerous border community stakeholders. All technologies

  1. Environmental Assessment of the Gering-Stegall 115-kV Transmission Line Consolidation Project, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1995-05-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposes to consolidate segments of two transmission lines near the Gering Substation in Gering, Nebraska. The transmission lines are both located in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. The transmission lines are both located in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, within the city of Gering. Presently, there are three parallel 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines on separate rights-of-way (ROW) that terminate at the Gering Substation. The project would include dismantling the Archer-Gering wood-pole transmission line and rebuilding the remaining two lines on single-pole steel double circuit structures. The project would consolidate the Gering-Stegall North and Gering-Stegall South 115-kV transmission lines on to one ROW for a 1.33-mile segment between the Gering Substation and a point west of the Gering Landfill. All existing wood-pole H-frame structures would be removed, and the Gering-Stegall North and South ROWs abandoned. Western is responsible for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the line. Western prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that analyzed the potential environmental impacts of the proposed construction, operation, and maintenance of the 115-kV transmission line consolidation. Based on the analyses in the EA, the DOE finds that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).

  2. Environmental Assessment of the Gering-Stegall 115-kV Transmission Line Consolidation Project, Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-05-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposes to consolidate segments of two transmission lines near the Gering Substation in Gering, Nebraska. The transmission lines are both located in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska. The transmission lines are both located in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, within the city of Gering. Presently, there are three parallel 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines on separate rights-of-way (ROW) that terminate at the Gering Substation. The project would include dismantling the Archer-Gering wood-pole transmission line and rebuilding the remaining two lines on single-pole steel double circuit structures. The project would consolidate the Gering-Stegall North and Gering-Stegall South 115-kV transmission lines on to one ROW for a 1.33-mile segment between the Gering Substation and a point west of the Gering Landfill. All existing wood-pole H-frame structures would be removed, and the Gering-Stegall North and South ROWs abandoned. Western is responsible for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the line. Western prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that analyzed the potential environmental impacts of the proposed construction, operation, and maintenance of the 115-kV transmission line consolidation. Based on the analyses in the EA, the DOE finds that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)

  3. Prevalence of risk factors for HIV infection among Mexican migrants and immigrants: probability survey in the north border of Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gudelia Rangel M.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of risk factors for HIV infection among Mexican migrants and immigrants (MMIs in different geographic contexts, including the sending communities in Mexico, the receiving communities in the United States (US, and the Mexican North border region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a probability survey among MMIs traveling through key border crossing sites in the Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico-San Diego (California, US border region (N=1 429. RESULTS: The survey revealed substantial rates of reported sexually transmitted infections, needle-sharing and sexual risk practices in all migration contexts. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated levels of HIV risk call for further binational research and preventive interventions in all key geographic contexts of the migration experience to identify and tackle the different personal, environmental, and structural determinants of HIV risk in each of these contexts.

  4. Unauthorized border crossings and migrant deaths: Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, 2002-2003.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sapkota, Sanjeeb; Kohl, Harold W; Gilchrist, Julie; McAuliffe, Jay; Parks, Bruce; England, Bob; Flood, Tim; Sewell, C Mack; Perrotta, Dennis; Escobedo, Miguel; Stern, Corrine E; Zane, David; Nolte, Kurt B

    2006-07-01

    We examined the major causes of and risk factors for death among migrants who died while making unauthorized border crossings into the United States from Mexico. Decedents were included in the study if (1) their remains were found between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2003, in any US county along the 650-mi (1040-km) section of the US-Mexican border from Yuma, Ariz, to El Paso, Tex; (2) their immigration status was unauthorized; and (3) they were believed to have died during transit from Mexico to the United States. Characteristics of the decedents and causes of and risk factors for their deaths were examined. Among the 409 decedents meeting our inclusion criteria, environmental heat exposure (n=250; 61.1%) was the leading cause of death, followed by vehicle crashes (n=33; 8.1%) and drownings (n=24; 5.9%). Male decedents (n= 298; 72.8%) outnumbered female decedents (n = 105; 25.6%) nearly 3 to 1. More than half of the decedents were known to be Mexican nationals (n=235; 57.5%) and were aged 20 to 39 years (n=213; 52.0%); the nationality of 148 (36.2%) decedents was undetermined. Deaths among migrants making unauthorized crossings of the US-Mexican border are due to causes that are largely preventable. Prevention strategies should target young Mexican men, and focus on preventing them from conceiving plans to cross the border, discouraging them from using dangerous routes as crossing points, and providing search-and-rescue teams to locate lost or injured migrant crossers.

  5. Big George to Carter Mountain 115-kV transmission line project, Park and Hot Springs Counties, Wyoming. Environmental Assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-02-01

    The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing to rebuild, operate, and maintain a 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between the Big George and Carter Mountain Substations in northwest Wyoming (Park and Hot Springs Counties). This environmental assessment (EA) was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The existing Big George to Carter Mountain 69-kV transmission line was constructed in 1941 by the US Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, with 1/0 copper conductor on wood-pole H-frame structures without an overhead ground wire. The line should be replaced because of the deteriorated condition of the wood-pole H-frame structures. Because the line lacks an overhead ground wire, it is subject to numerous outages caused by lightning. The line will be 54 years old in 1995, which is the target date for line replacement. The normal service life of a wood-pole line is 45 years. Under the No Action Alternative, no new transmission lines would be built in the project area. The existing 69-kV transmission line would continue to operate with routine maintenance, with no provisions made for replacement.

  6. Population-based survey of taeniasis along the United States-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton Behravesh, C; Mayberry, L F; Bristol, J R; Cardenas, V M; Mena, K D; Martínez-Ocaña, J; Flisser, A; Snowden, K F

    2008-06-01

    Taenia solium and T. saginata are zoonotic tapeworms of substantial medical and economic importance. Although human taeniasis is widely recognised as an endemic problem in Mexico, its presence in the United States is poorly understood. The first population-based study to estimate the prevalence of human infection with Taenia tapeworms along the Texas-Mexico border has recently been conducted. Households were interviewed in the Texan city of El Paso and in the neighbouring Ciudad Juárez, in Mexico. Faecal samples from household members were then checked for Taenia eggs by flotation and/or for Taenia copro-antigens in an ELISA. The overall prevalence of taeniasis in this border region was found to be 3% but, compared with the residents of Juárez, El Paso residents were 8.6-fold more likely to be tapeworm carriers. The interviews revealed some important differences between the two study sites, particularly the more frequent use of anthelminthic drugs on the Mexican side of the border. These findings have implications in terms of the planning of effective health-education campaigns to decrease the prevalence of taeniasis in the human populations along the Texas-Mexico border.

  7. Environment within the US-Mexico border: Environmental NGOs, new social partners?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miriam Alfie Cohen

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available This article highlights the role played by the ONG’S in front of the environmental damage in the border region, which we share with the United States. Its objective is to show the scope and the achievements, as well as the challenges and the goals of these new social actors. If we agree about the environment damage is one of the global issues, presented as an critical concern both for the Northern countries as for the Southern countries. The Mexico-United States borderline is an excellent test laboratory to verify not only the existence and action of new groups and social individuals, but also to bring to a discussion table the damage, chaos and environment dangers of this region shared with the United States.

  8. Acculturation and cross-border utilization of health services.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Dejun; Wang, Daphne

    2012-08-01

    Health services from Mexico constitute an important source of care for U.S. residents living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Data from The Cross-Border Utilization of Health Care Survey (n = 966) were used to estimate logit models that related acculturation, as measured by generational status, to the use of medication, physician, dental, and inpatient services from Mexico by U.S. residents in the Texas border region. Relative to first-generation Mexican immigrants, later-generation Mexican-Americans were progressively less likely to go to Mexico for health services. This finding holds with or without adjusting for the effects of selected demographic and socioeconomic variables. Addressing unmet needs in medical care in the southwestern U.S. border area should go beyond a simple expansion of health insurance coverage--it is also important to deliver health services that are sensitive to generational differences within the population in terms of linguistic and cultural barriers to health care access.

  9. Flatiron-Erie 115kV transmission line project, Larimer, Weld and Boulder Counties, Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-05-01

    Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposes to uprate its existing 115-kV Flatiron-Erie transmission line. The line is located in Larimer, Weld and Boulder Counties, Colorado, and passes through the City of Longmont. The line connects Flatiron Substation and several of the substations supplying Longmont. It is a single circuit 115-kV line, 31.5 miles long, and was built in 1950-51 on a 75-foot wide right-of-way (ROW) using wood H-frame structures. Western proposes to build 27 new structures along the line, to replace or modify 45 of the existing structures and to remote 11 of them. Many of these additions and changes would involve structures that are approximately 5 to 15 feet taller than the existing ones. The existing conductors and ground wires would remain in place. The purpose of these actions would be to allow the power carrying capability of the line to be increased and to replace deteriorating/structural members. Western would be the sole participant in the proposed project. This report gives an analysis of the study area environment and the development of alternative routes. An assessment is presented of the impacts of the primary alternative routes. The environmental consequences of this project are addressed

  10. “Enemy Territory”: Immigration Enforcement in the US-Mexico Borderlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter A. Ewing

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available For the last two decades, the guiding strategy of immigration enforcement along the US-Mexico border has been “prevention through deterrence,” or stopping unauthorized immigrants from entering the country rather than apprehending those who have already crossed the border. “Prevention through deterrence” has entailed a massive concentration of enforcement personnel and resources along the border and at ports of entry. It has also led to the detention and removal of increasing numbers of unauthorized immigrants and far greater use of “expedited removal.” As gauged by the doubling in size of the unauthorized immigrant population over the same period, “prevention through deterrence” has not been a successful enforcement strategy. Moreover, it has funneled more migrants to their death in the deserts and mountains of the southwest as they (and smugglers resort to increasingly dangerous routes to evade border enforcement. In addition, there has been public concern over ethnic profiling and the use of extraordinary authority by Border Patrol agents to conduct arbitrary searches within 100 miles of the border. Despite these problems, the federal government continues to spend billions of dollars each year on the “prevention through deterrence” strategy.A first step in overcoming the deficiencies of this border enforcement strategy is to strengthen accountability within the Border Patrol, so that allegations of excessive force and abuse are investigated and adjudicated promptly and appropriately. The culture of the Border Patrol must be transformed to foster respect for rights. More broadly, the mission of the Border Patrol should be to capture dangerous individuals and to disrupt the operations of the transnational criminal organizations that traffic people, drugs, guns, and money. In addition, providing more pathways to legal entry through immigration reform would enhance border security by attenuating the flow of unauthorized

  11. U.S./Mexico Border environmental study toxics release inventory data, 1988--1992

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    O`Brien, R.F.; LoPresti, C.A.

    1996-02-01

    This is a report on industrial toxic chemical releases and transfers based on information reported to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), a database maintained by the USEPA. This document discusses patterns of toxic chemical releases to the atmosphere, to water, to the land, and to underground injection; and transfers of toxic chemicals to Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), and for disposal, treatment and other off-site transfers during the TRI reporting years 1988--1992. Geographic coverage is limited to the US side of the ``Border Area``, the geographic area situated within 100 km of the US/Mexico international boundary. A primary purpose of this study is to provide background information that can be used in the future development of potential ``indicator variables`` for tracking environmental and public health status in the Border Area in conjunction with the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

  12. Linkages among climate change, crop yields and Mexico-US cross-border migration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Shuaizhang; Krueger, Alan B; Oppenheimer, Michael

    2010-08-10

    Climate change is expected to cause mass human migration, including immigration across international borders. This study quantitatively examines the linkages among variations in climate, agricultural yields, and people's migration responses by using an instrumental variables approach. Our method allows us to identify the relationship between crop yields and migration without explicitly controlling for all other confounding factors. Using state-level data from Mexico, we find a significant effect of climate-driven changes in crop yields on the rate of emigration to the United States. The estimated semielasticity of emigration with respect to crop yields is approximately -0.2, i.e., a 10% reduction in crop yields would lead an additional 2% of the population to emigrate. We then use the estimated semielasticity to explore the potential magnitude of future emigration. Depending on the warming scenarios used and adaptation levels assumed, with other factors held constant, by approximately the year 2080, climate change is estimated to induce 1.4 to 6.7 million adult Mexicans (or 2% to 10% of the current population aged 15-65 y) to emigrate as a result of declines in agricultural productivity alone. Although the results cannot be mechanically extrapolated to other areas and time periods, our findings are significant from a global perspective given that many regions, especially developing countries, are expected to experience significant declines in agricultural yields as a result of projected warming.

  13. Measuring cross-border travel times for freight : Otay Mesa international border crossing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-01

    Cross border movement of people and goods is a vital part of the North American economy. Accurate real-time data on travel times along the US-Mexico border can help generate a range of tangible benefits covering improved operations and security, lowe...

  14. Seeking a Rational Approach to a Regional Refugee Crisis: Lessons from the Summer 2014 “Surge” of Central American Women and Children at the US-Mexico Border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karen Musalo

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available In the early summer months of 2014, an increasing number of Central American children alone and with their parents began arriving at the US-Mexico border in search of safety and protection. The children and families by and large came from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala — three of the most dangerous countries in the world — to seek asylum and other humanitarian relief. Rampant violence and persecution within homes and communities, uncontrolled and unchecked by state authorities, compelled them to flee north for their lives. On the scale of refugee crises worldwide, the numbers were not huge. For example, 24,481 and 38,833 unaccompanied children, respectively, were apprehended by US Border Patrol (USBP in FY 2012 and FY 2013, while 68,631 children were apprehended in FY 2014 alone (USBP 2016a. In addition, apprehensions of “family units,” or parents (primarily mothers with children, also increased, from 15,056 families in FY 2013 to 68,684 in FY 2014 (USBP 2016b.[1] While these numbers may seem large and did represent a significant increase over prior years, they are nonetheless dwarfed by refugee inflows elsewhere; for example, Turkey was host to 1.15 million Syrian refugees by year end 2014 (UNHCR 2015a, and to 2.5 million by year end 2015 (UNHCR 2016 — reflecting an influx of almost 1.5 million refugees in the course of a single year. Nevertheless, small though they are in comparison, the numbers of Central American women and children seeking asylum at our southern border, concentrated in the summer months of 2014, did reflect a jump from prior years. These increases drew heightened media attention, and both news outlets and official US government statements termed the flow a “surge” and a “crisis” (e.g., Basu 2014; Foley 2014; Negroponte 2014. The sense of crisis was heightened by the lack of preparedness by the federal government, in particular, to process and provide proper custody

  15. 19 CFR 115.2 - Application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Customs Convention on Containers, 1972, may be accomplished by the competent authority of the country in... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Application. 115.2 Section 115.2 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO...

  16. Geology of the border region between Coahuila and Zacatecas, Mexico

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vloten, van Roger

    1954-01-01

    The border region between Coahuila and Zacatecas is part of the mountainous country south of Parras in northeastern Mexico. It includes a thickness of about 2,600 meters of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks that were deposited along the northern border of the Mexican geosyncline along the southern

  17. 19 CFR 115.14 - Meeting on program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... Administration § 115.14 Meeting on program. If determined necessary by Customs, each Certifying Authority's... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Meeting on program. 115.14 Section 115.14 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY...

  18. International Issues, High-Stakes Testing, and Border Pedagogy: Social Studies at Border High School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cashman, Timothy G.; McDermott, Benjamin R.

    2013-01-01

    A recently constructed border wall stands within walking distance of Border High School (BHS) and was created to impede the flow of people, goods, fauna, and contraband from Mexico into the United States (U.S.). The reality, however, is that this geopolitical border is fluid, allowing connections between sociopolitical zones. The researchers…

  19. Information seeking, technology use, and vulnerability among migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Newell, Bryce; Gomez, Ricardo; Guajardo, Veronica

    2016-01-01

    Through interviews with migrants and migrant aid-workers at a shelter in the border town of Nogales, Mexico, we examine how undocumented migrants are seeking, acquiring, understanding, and using information prior to, and during, migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. Our study examines migrants’

  20. Acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits among Hispanics in United States-Mexico border communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaddar, Suad; Brown, Cynthia J; Pagán, José A; Díaz, Violeta

    2010-09-01

    To explore the relationship between acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits in the largely Hispanic populations living in underserved communities in the United States of America along the U.S.-Mexico border. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2006 to June 2008 using survey data from the Alliance for a Healthy Border, a program designed to reduce health disparities in the U.S.-Mexico border region by funding nutrition and physical activity education programs at 12 federally qualified community health centers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The survey included questions on acculturation, diet, exercise, and demographic factors and was completed by 2,381 Alliance program participants, of whom 95.3% were Hispanic and 45.4% were under the U.S. poverty level for 2007. Chi-square (χ2) and Student's t tests were used for bivariate comparisons between acculturation and dietary and physical activity measures. Linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to control for factors associated with nutrition and exercise. Based on univariate tests and confirmed by regression analysis controlling for sociodemographic and health variables, less acculturated survey respondents reported a significantly higher frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and healthier dietary habits than those who were more acculturated. Adjusted binary logistic regression confirmed that individuals with low language acculturation were less likely to engage in physical activity than those with moderate to high acculturation (odds ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.59-0.95). Findings confirmed an association between acculturation and healthy lifestyle habits and supported the hypothesis that acculturation in border community populations tends to decrease the practice of some healthy dietary habits while increasing exposure to and awareness of the importance of other healthy behaviors.

  1. Saturday Morning Television Advertisements Aired on English and Spanish Language Networks along the Texas-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barroso, Cristina S; Rodriguez, Dianeth; Camacho, Perla L

    2011-10-18

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of this content analysis study is to characterize the TV advertisements aired to an at-risk child population along the Texas-Mexico border. METHODS: We characterized the early Saturday morning TV advertisements aired by three broadcast network categories (U.S. English language, U.S. Spanish language, and Mexican Spanish language) in Spring 2010. The number, type (food related vs. non-food related), target audience, and persuasion tactics used were recorded. Advertised foods, based on nutrition content, were categorized as meeting or not meeting current dietary guidelines. RESULTS: Most commercials were non-food related (82.7%, 397 of 480). The majority of the prepared foods (e.g., cereals, snacks, and drinks) advertised did not meet the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Additionally, nutrition content information was not available for many of the foods advertised on the Mexican Spanish language broadcast network category. CONCLUSIONS: For U.S. children at risk for obesity along the Texas-Mexico border exposure to TV food advertisements may result in the continuation of sedentary behavior as well as an increased consumption of foods of poor nutritional quality. An international regulatory effort to monitor and enforce the reduction of child-oriented food advertising is needed.

  2. Saturday Morning Television Advertisements Aired on English and Spanish Language Networks along the Texas-Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barroso, Cristina S.; Rodriguez, Dianeth; Camacho, Perla L.

    2011-01-01

    Objectives The aim of this content analysis study is to characterize the TV advertisements aired to an at-risk child population along the Texas-Mexico border. Methods We characterized the early Saturday morning TV advertisements aired by three broadcast network categories (U.S. English language, U.S. Spanish language, and Mexican Spanish language) in Spring 2010. The number, type (food related vs. non-food related), target audience, and persuasion tactics used were recorded. Advertised foods, based on nutrition content, were categorized as meeting or not meeting current dietary guidelines. Results Most commercials were non-food related (82.7%, 397 of 480). The majority of the prepared foods (e.g., cereals, snacks, and drinks) advertised did not meet the current U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Additionally, nutrition content information was not available for many of the foods advertised on the Mexican Spanish language broadcast network category. Conclusions For U.S. children at risk for obesity along the Texas-Mexico border exposure to TV food advertisements may result in the continuation of sedentary behavior as well as an increased consumption of foods of poor nutritional quality. An international regulatory effort to monitor and enforce the reduction of child-oriented food advertising is needed. PMID:22209760

  3. 78 FR 35103 - Extension of Border Zone in the State of New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-12

    ..., established in 1953, was intended to promote the economic stability of the border region by allowing for freer... having to obtain a Form I-94. Although the border zone was intended to promote the economic stability of... maintain security of the border while increasing economic activity in New Mexico's border region and...

  4. Incorporating digital health literacy into adult ESL education on the US-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mein, Erika; Fuentes, Brenda; Soto Más, Francisco; Muro, Andrés

    2012-12-01

    The increasing digitization of information and communication has undoubtedly impacted the ways in which people in the United States access and interpret health information. Although the traditional emphasis of health literacy research has been the comprehension of health-related texts such as patient information forms, prescriptions, and medicine labels, the increased use of electronic means to locate health information requires more critical engagement with texts beyond basic comprehension. In accessing electronic health information, patients need to be able to navigate the vast amount of online health information and to interpret and synthesize health information across multiple sources (i.e. websites) while also evaluating the credibility of these sources. Recent health literacy research has examined the increased role of the media literacy in influencing health behaviors (Bergsma & Carney, 2008) and the role of increased access to computers (Salovey et al., 2009), but little (if any) research to date has provided recommendations for best practices related to meeting the health literacy demands required by digitization. This article attempts to fill this gap by exploring the use of the internet as a key source of health information and by looking at best practices in teaching digital health literacy. It describes the development of a digital literacy component within a community-based health literacy/ESL curriculum funded by the National Institutes of Health and implemented on the US-Mexico border.

  5. Male preventive health behaviors: perceptions from men, women, and clinical staff along the U.S. Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter, Jennifer B; Fernandez, Maria Lourdes; Lacy-Martinez, Charles R; Dunne-Sosa, Andrea M; Coe, M Kathryn

    2007-12-01

    Mexican American males have higher levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, higher body mass indexes, and a higher prevalence of diabetes than do non-Hispanic White males. They are the least likely Hispanic subgroup to be insured, to have recently visited a physician, or to have preventive exams. To explore factors related to the use of preventive exams among mature men, and specifically among Mexican American men residing along the Arizona, United States/Sonora, Mexico border, information on barriers and motivating factors to male participation in preventive screening exams was collected. Interviews were conducted with mature men and women from a single border community and with clinical staff from three different border communities who deliver services to similar populations. Responses were triangulated. Common themes identified include health education/information/advertisement and female/family support as motivating factors and machismo/denial/fatalism as a barrier to male health-seeking behavior.

  6. Weld-Windsor 115-kV Transmission Line Project, Weld County, Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-05-01

    The Western Area Power Administration is proposing to rebuild a 3.0 mile segment of the existing Flatiron-Weld 115-kV transmission line in Weld County. The line would be reconductored with new conductor on new wood pole double circuit structures. The new structures would support a double circuit transmission line configuration. The first circuit would be owned by Western and the second by Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCO). Alternatives considered included no action, constructing PSCO's circuit on new right-of-way, and reconductoring Western's existing line on the same structures. The proposed action was selected because it provided an opportunity to share structures with PSCO and, overall, would minimize costs and environmental impacts. The environmental assessment identifies minor effects on existing natural or human resources and minor benefits for agricultural operations

  7. Borders as membranes :metaphors and models for improved policy in border regions.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malczynski, Leonard A.; Passell, Howard David; Forster, Craig B. (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT); Cockerill, Kristan (Cockerill Consulting, Boone, NC)

    2005-10-01

    Political borders are controversial and contested spaces. In an attempt to better understand movement along and through political borders, this project applied the metaphor of a membrane to look at how people, ideas, and things ''move'' through a border. More specifically, the research team employed this metaphor in a system dynamics framework to construct a computer model to assess legal and illegal migration on the US-Mexico border. Employing a metaphor can be helpful, as it was in this project, to gain different perspectives on a complex system. In addition to the metaphor, the multidisciplinary team utilized an array of methods to gather data including traditional literature searches, an experts workshop, a focus group, interviews, and culling expertise from the individuals on the research team. Results from the qualitative efforts revealed strong social as well as economic drivers that motivate individuals to cross the border legally. Based on the information gathered, the team concluded that legal migration dynamics were of a scope we did not want to consider hence, available demographic models sufficiently capture migration at the local level. Results from both the quantitative and qualitative data searches were used to modify a 1977 border model to demonstrate the dynamic nature of illegal migration. Model runs reveal that current US-policies based on neo-classic economic theory have proven ineffective in curbing illegal migration, and that proposed enforcement policies are also likely to be ineffective. We suggest, based on model results, that improvement in economic conditions within Mexico may have the biggest impact on illegal migration to the U.S. The modeling also supports the views expressed in the current literature suggesting that demographic and economic changes within Mexico are likely to slow illegal migration by 2060 with no special interventions made by either government.

  8. School Social Workers in Texas: A Comparative Demographic Analysis of the Texas-Mexico Border and Non-Border Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garza, Cecilia; Landeck, Michael

    2007-01-01

    This study examines the role of school social workers as potential agents of change in the educational system, with a special focus on their major demographic characteristics in Texas and along the Mexico border region. The border region of the state has chronic poverty and limited educational attainment levels and demonstrates a need for…

  9. 19 CFR 115.16 - Notification of Certifying Authority by manufacturer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Notification of Certifying Authority by manufacturer. 115.16 Section 115.16 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND... INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS CONVENTIONS Administration § 115.16 Notification of Certifying Authority by manufacturer...

  10. Nafta due to end most barriers to trade among U.S., Mexico, Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that energy companies in the U.S. will benefit --- but not as much as they had hoped --- from the recently drafted North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) among the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Nafta would remove most of the trade barriers between Mexico and the other two countries and supplement the U.S. - Canada Free Trade Agreement to create an open market in North America totaling $6 trillion/year in products and serving more than 360 million persons. Nafta was negotiated under a law that allows Congress to consider the pact for only 90 days, then vote on it without amendments. The pact marks the first time the U.S. has covered environmental concerns in a trade treaty, mainly pollution along the U.S.-Mexico border. The pact also is consistent with the international General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

  11. Mexican-American children's perspectives: neighborhood characteristics and physical activity in Texas-Mexico border colonias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mier, Nelda; Lee, Chanam; Smith, Matthew Lee; Wang, Xiaohui; Irizarry, David; Avila-Rodriguez, Elias H; Trevino, Laura; Ory, Marcia G

    2013-10-01

    The qualitative study described in this article investigated perceptions about environmental factors influencing physical activity (PA) among children from underserved neighborhoods known as colonias in the U.S.-Mexico border. Ten focus groups were conducted with 67 Mexican-American colonia children ages 8 to 13 living in one of the poorest border counties in the U.S. Analyses indicated that PA among children was influenced by neighborhood characteristics, including litter, speeding cars, unleashed dogs, and dark streets. The children also underlined intrapersonal and social environmental factors. Findings may inform policy makers and public health professionals about ways to promote PA among underserved children through urban planning and programs focusing on PA-supportive infrastructure, neighborhood safety, and family- and home-based physical activities.

  12. Brujeria and the U.S.-Mexico Border Outlaw

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachel Conover

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper investigates the death metal band Brujeria, their use of both traditional and contemporary outlaw imagery, and their connection to the narcocorrido, in order to examine the tenacity of the outlaw paradigm as an expression of resistance by subordinate groups in situations of social inequality. It deals with the contemporary figure of the outlaw in connection to the U.S.-Mexico border region, as influenced by outlaw traditions in the area, and as an expression of specific contemporary historical circumstances of that region, including Mexican economic crisis, globalization, and border conflicts surrounding immigration, drug trafficking, and labor.

  13. The impact of family history of breast cancer on knowledge, attitudes, and early detection practices of Mexican women along the Mexico-US border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bird, Yelena; Banegas, Matthew P; Moraros, John; King, Sasha; Prapasiri, Surasri; Thompson, Beti

    2011-10-01

    Rates of breast cancer (BC) have increased in Mexico, with the highest incidence and mortality rates observed in the northern Mexican states. This study aimed to describe the BC knowledge, attitudes and screening practices among Mexican women with and without a family history of BC residing along the Mexico-US border, and identify factors associated with screening behaviors. One hundred and twenty eight Mexican women aged 40 and older completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, family history, and screening practices. There were no significant differences between Mexican women with and without a family history. Over 60% of women in both groups had never had a mammogram/breast ultrasound, and more than 50% had never obtained a clinical breast exam. Age, marital status, insurance, and breast cancer knowledge significantly influenced BC screening behaviors among Mexican women. Further research is needed to examine other key factors associated with screening utilization, in effort of improving BC rates.

  14. Environmental health and hazardous waste issues related to the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, D E; Peña, C; Varady, R; Suk, W A

    1996-06-01

    Environmental health and environmental quality issues along the U.S.-Mexico border have been of concern for several years. The enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the presence of the maquiladoras (foreign-owned industries using imported raw materials) have intensified those concerns recently. Efforts to assess these issues are complicated by the fact that many of the issues affecting the border region are within federal jurisdiction, but the problems are regional and local in nature. Thus, state and local governments become involved with public concerns about real and potential problems. One major problem is that environmental health data from this region are lacking, particularly from Mexico. Some new agencies such as the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, and the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation have joined several existing agencies at the federal and state level to address environmental quality and health. Several studies have been initiated to determine air and water quality, but little is being done in the areas of hazardous waste and health assessment. Several problems are anticipated in the generation of such data, such as its format and accessibility. Data gaps and research needs are discussed.

  15. Interferon Gamma-Based Detection of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in the Border States of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oren, Eyal; Alatorre-Izaguirre, Gabriela; Vargas-Villarreal, Javier; Moreno-Treviño, Maria Guadalupe; Garcialuna-Martinez, Javier; Gonzalez-Salazar, Francisco

    2015-01-01

    Nearly one-third of the world's population is infected with latent tuberculosis (LTBI). Tuberculosis (TB) rates in the border states are higher than national rates in both the US and Mexico, with the border accounting for 30% of total registered TB cases in both countries. However, LTBI rates in the general population in Mexican border states are unknown. In this region, LTBI is diagnosed using the tuberculin skin test (TST). New methods of detection more specific than TST have been developed, although there is currently no gold standard for LTBI detection. Our objective is to demonstrate utility of the Quantiferon TB gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test compared with the TST to detect LTBI among border populations. This is an observational, cross-sectional study carried out in border areas of the states of Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, Mexico. Participants (n = 210) provided a TST and blood sample for the QFT-GIT. Kappa coefficients assessed the agreement between TST and QFT-GIT. Participant characteristics were compared using Fisher exact tests. Thirty-eight percent of participants were diagnosed with LTBI by QFT-GIT. The proportion of LTBI detected using QFT-GIT was almost double [38% (79/210)] that found by TST [19% (39/210)] (P < 0.001). Concordance between TST and QFT-GIT was low (kappa = 0.37). We recommend further studies utilizing the QFT-GIT test to detect LTBI among border populations.

  16. 76 FR 65207 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-20

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Notice of Cancellation of Customs Broker Licenses AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.... 1641) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection regulations (19 CFR 111.51), the following Customs...

  17. 19 CFR 115.41 - Certificate of approval for containers approved after manufacture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... after manufacture. 115.41 Section 115.41 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT... PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS CONVENTIONS Procedures for Approval of Containers After Manufacture § 115.41 Certificate of approval for containers approved after manufacture. The Certifying Authority shall...

  18. The Migrant Border Crossing Study: A methodological overview of research along the Sonora-Arizona border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez, Daniel E; Slack, Jeremy; Beyerlein, Kraig; Vandervoet, Prescott; Klingman, Kristin; Molina, Paola; Manning, Shiras; Burham, Melissa; Walzak, Kylie; Valencia, Kristen; Gamboa, Lorenzo

    2017-07-01

    Increased border enforcement efforts have redistributed unauthorized Mexican migration to the United States (US) away from traditional points of crossing, such as San Diego and El Paso, and into more remote areas along the US-Mexico border, including southern Arizona. Yet relatively little quantitative scholarly work exists examining Mexican migrants' crossing, apprehension, and repatriation experiences in southern Arizona. We contend that if scholars truly want to understand the experiences of unauthorized migrants in transit, such migrants should be interviewed either at the border after being removed from the US, or during their trajectories across the border, or both. This paper provides a methodological overview of the Migrant Border Crossing Study (MBCS), a unique data source on Mexican migrants who attempted an unauthorized crossing along the Sonora-Arizona border, were apprehended, and repatriated to Nogales, Sonora in 2007-09. We also discuss substantive and theoretical contributions of the MBCS.

  19. Mexico: one of the last great emerging markets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carter, M.J.B.

    1999-01-01

    The Mexican government's proposed reform of the electricity industry and its efforts to raise capital from the private sector are examined. The restructuring of the industry, the expansion of the natural gas projects in the Frontera US/Mexico border region, and the market potential along the border are discussed. Details of Mexico's electricity generation projects are tabulated, and Mexico/US electricity and natural gas prices for 1998-1999 are plotted. (UK)

  20. 19 CFR 115.13 - Records to be furnished Customs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Records to be furnished Customs. 115.13 Section 115.13 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

  1. 19 CFR 115.17 - Appeal to Commissioner of Customs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Appeal to Commissioner of Customs. 115.17 Section 115.17 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

  2. 19 CFR 115.7 - Designation of additional Certifying Authorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Designation of additional Certifying Authorities. 115.7 Section 115.7 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

  3. 19 CFR 115.12 - Records maintained by Certifying Authority.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Records maintained by Certifying Authority. 115.12 Section 115.12 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

  4. 77 FR 59206 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency Information Collection Activities: Foreign Assembler's Declaration AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of... written comments to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Attn: Tracey Denning, Regulations and Rulings...

  5. The role of immigration age on alcohol and drug use among border and non-border Mexican Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reingle, Jennifer M; Caetano, Raul; Mills, Britain A; Vaeth, Patrice A C

    2014-07-01

    To determine the age of immigration at which the marked increase in risk for alcohol- and drug-use problems in adulthood is observed among Mexican American adults residing in 2 distinct contexts: the U.S.-Mexico border, and cities not proximal to the border. We used 2 samples of Mexican American adults: specifically, 1,307 who resided along the U.S.-Mexico border, and 1,288 non-border adults who were interviewed as a part of the 2006 Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey study. Survey logistic and Poisson regression methods were used to examine how immigration age during adolescence is related to alcohol- and drug-use behavior in adulthood. We found that participants who immigrate to the United States prior to age 14 have qualitatively different alcohol- and drug-related outcomes compared to those who immigrate later in life. Adults who immigrated at younger ages have alcohol- and drug-use patterns similar to those who were U.S.-born. Adults who immigrated at young ages and reside distal from the U.S.-Mexico border are at greater risk for alcohol and drug use than those who live in border contexts. Immigration from Mexico to the U.S. before age 14 results in alcohol- and drug-related behavior that mirrors the behavior of U.S.-born residents, and the alcohol- and drug-use effects were more pronounced among adults who did not reside proximal to the U.S.-Mexico border. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  6. 78 FR 35044 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency Information Collection Activities: Visa Waiver Program Carrier Agreement (CBP Form I-775) AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection... information collection: 1651-0110. SUMMARY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of...

  7. Migrant deaths at the Arizona-Mexico border: Spatial trends of a mass disaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giordano, Alberto; Spradley, M Katherine

    2017-11-01

    Geographic Information Science (GIScience) technology has been used to document, investigate, and predict patterns that may be of utility in both forensic academic research and applied practice. In examining spatial and temporal trends of the mass disaster that is occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border, other researchers have highlighted predictive patterns for search and recovery efforts as well as water station placement. The purpose of this paper is to use previously collected spatial data of migrant deaths from Arizona to address issues of data uncertainty and data accuracy that affect our understanding of this phenomenon, including local and federal policies that impact the U.S.-Mexico border. The main objective of our study was to explore how the locations of migrant deaths have varied over time. Our results confirm patterns such as a lack of relationship between Border Patrol apprehensions and migrant deaths, as well as highlight new patterns such as the increased positional accuracy of migrant deaths recorded closer to the border. This paper highlights the importance of using positionally accurate data to detect spatio-temporal trends in forensic investigations of mass disasters: without qualitative and quantitative information concerning the accuracy of the data collected, the reliability of the results obtained remains questionable. We conclude by providing a set of guidelines for standardizing the collection and documentation of migrant remains at the U.S.-Mexico border. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Environmental injustice along the US-Mexico border: residential proximity to industrial parks in Tijuana, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grineski, Sara E.; Collins, Timothy W.; de Lourdes Romo Aguilar, María

    2015-09-01

    Research in the Global North (e.g., US, Europe) has revealed robust patterns of environmental injustice whereby low income and minority residents face exposure to industrial hazards in their neighborhoods. A small body of research suggests that patterns of environmental injustice may diverge between the Global North and South due to differing urban development trajectories. This study uses quantitative environmental justice methods to examine spatial relationships between residential socio-demographics and industrial parks in Tijuana, Baja California Norte, Mexico using 2010 census data for Tijuana’s 401 neighborhoods and municipality-provided locations of industrial parks in the city. Results of spatial lag regression models reveal that formal development is significantly associated with industrial park density, and it accounts for the significant effect of higher socioeconomic status (measured using mean education) on greater industrial density. Higher proportions of female-headed households are also significantly associated with industrial park density, while higher proportions of children and recent migrants are not. The formal development findings align with other studies in Mexico and point to the importance of urban development trajectories in shaping patterns of environmental injustice. The risks for female-headed households are novel in the Mexican context. One potential explanation is that women factory workers live near their places of employment. A second, albeit counterintuitive explanation, is the relative economic advantage experienced by female-headed households in Mexico.

  9. 77 FR 47558 - Extension of Border Zone in the State of New Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-09

    .... Although the border zone was intended to promote the economic stability of the border region by allowing... the economic stability of the region. On November 12, 1953, the United States and Mexico entered into... invites comments that relate to the economic, environmental, or federalism effects that might result from...

  10. Birds of the US-Mexico borderlands: Distribution, ecology and conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruth, Janet M.; Brush, Tim; Krueper, David J.

    2008-01-01

    The concept for this volume began as a scientifi c symposium at the North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC) in Veracruz, Mexico in October 2006. The symposium was entitled “Avian Distributional Change, Anthropogenic Challenges, and Recent Avian Research and Technological Advances within the US–Mexico Border Region,” and was cochaired by two of us (DJK and TB) along with Carol Beardmore (Sonoran Joint Venture) and Bill Howe (USDI Fish and Wildlife Service). In light of the importance of the borderland region for birds and bird conservation, and because of the great need for additional information about this poorly studied region, we have compiled this volume to present new information about bird distribution, ecology, and conservation.

  11. 19 CFR 115.18 - Decision of Commissioner of Customs final.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Decision of Commissioner of Customs final. 115.18 Section 115.18 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CARGO CONTAINER AND ROAD VEHICLE CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMS...

  12. Deportation history among HIV-positive Latinos in two US-Mexico border communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, Fátima A; Servin, Argentina E; Garfein, Richard S; Ojeda, Victoria D; Rangel, Gudelia; Zúñiga, María Luisa

    2015-02-01

    Health-related vulnerabilities associated with deportation are understudied. We conducted a cross-sectional study to identify factors associated with history of deportation from the US to Mexico among HIV-positive Latinos. From 2009 to 2010, we recruited a convenience sample from HIV clinics in San Diego, US and Tijuana, Mexico. Of 283 participants, 25% reported a prior deportation. Factors independently associated with increased odds of deportation history were being male [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.77; 95% CI 1.18-6.48], having ≤high-school education (AOR 3.87; 95% CI 1.84-8.14), ever using cocaine (AOR 2.46; 95% CI 1.33-4.57), and reporting personalized HIV-stigma: "some have told me HIV is what I deserve for how I lived" (AOR 2.23; 95% CI 1.14-4.37). Lower self-reported antiretroviral medication adherence (AOR 0.35; 95% CI 0.12-0.96) and perceiving HIV-stigma: "most people believe a person who has HIV is dirty" (AOR 0.49; 95% CI 0.25-0.94) were associated with decreased odds of deportation history. Deportation is associated with specific socioeconomic indicators that are known to impact the health of individuals living with HIV.

  13. 76 FR 50883 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 19... of Liquidation AGENCY: Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security; Department of... Regulations (``CFR'') pertaining to the method by which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (``CBP'') issues...

  14. Unauthorized Border Crossings and Migrant Deaths: Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, 2002–2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sapkota, Sanjeeb; Kohl, Harold W.; Gilchrist, Julie; McAuliffe, Jay; Parks, Bruce; England, Bob; Flood, Tim; Sewell, C. Mack; Perrotta, Dennis; Escobedo, Miguel; Stern, Corrine E.; Zane, David; Nolte, Kurt B.

    2006-01-01

    Objectives. We examined the major causes of and risk factors for death among migrants who died while making unauthorized border crossings into the United States from Mexico. Methods. Decedents were included in the study if (1) their remains were found between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2003, in any US county along the 650-mi (1040-km) section of the US–Mexican border from Yuma, Ariz, to El Paso, Tex; (2) their immigration status was unauthorized; and (3) they were believed to have died during transit from Mexico to the United States. Characteristics of the decedents and causes of and risk factors for their deaths were examined. Results. Among the 409 decedents meeting our inclusion criteria, environmental heat exposure (n=250; 61.1%) was the leading cause of death, followed by vehicle crashes (n=33; 8.1%) and drownings (n=24; 5.9%). Male decedents (n= 298; 72.8%) outnumbered female decedents (n = 105; 25.6%) nearly 3 to 1. More than half of the decedents were known to be Mexican nationals (n=235; 57.5%) and were aged 20 to 39 years (n=213; 52.0%); the nationality of 148 (36.2%) decedents was undetermined. Conclusions. Deaths among migrants making unauthorized crossings of the US–Mexican border are due to causes that are largely preventable. Prevention strategies should target young Mexican men, and focus on preventing them from conceiving plans to cross the border, discouraging them from using dangerous routes as crossing points, and providing search-and-rescue teams to locate lost or injured migrant crossers. PMID:16735618

  15. The California Border Health Collaborative: A Strategy for Leading the Border to Better Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles Edwards Matthews III

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available There are hundreds of departments and organizations working on border health issues in the California/Baja California border region trying to protect and improve health without a collaborative structure that integrates jurisdictions and organizations. As a result, there is a need to effectively improve the health in the border region by coordinating these organizations to work together and benefit from each other’s best practices. The newly developed California Border Health Collaborative (CBHC can provide the leadership and collaborative culture to positively improve the health of the border region. This article aims to describe the development process of this collaborative to include key ingredients to success, the roles of mulit-level jurisdictions, and policy implications.This article describes the methods used to develop key aspects of collaborative leadership, strategic alignment and a common vision toward the building of this collective impact approach to border health. In addition, we describe the role of key local County (County of San Diego Live Well San Diego initiative, State, (California Department of Public Health- Office of Binational Border Health, Federal (US-Mexico Border Health Commission’s Leaders across Borders, Academia (e.g., University of California San Diego and San Diego State University and non-profit entities (e.g., Project Concern International, San Ysidro Health Center in forming the BHCC. Evaluating the consortium development process included a literature review of similar processes, a review of internal documents and an analysis of developmental events. To this point the CBHC has built a strong, cohesive collaborative on the U.S. side of the border. It is sharing and leveraging local expertise to address many border health issues. Even more importantly, the BHCC has reached a key stage in which it can effectively engage its Baja California, Mexico counterparts in a manner that will prove extremely powerful

  16. California-Mexico gas exports eyed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that two California utilities have proposed providing natural gas transportation services to Mexico. The arrangement would provide a second U.S. export sales point at the U.S.-Mexico border and perhaps help alleviate an expected surplus of gas pipeline capacity available to California. Mexico currently imports about 200 MMcfd of U.S. gas via pipelines in Texas

  17. Addressing Hearing Health Care Disparities among Older Adults in a US-Mexico Border Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingram, Maia; Marrone, Nicole; Sanchez, Daisey Thalia; Sander, Alicia; Navarro, Cecilia; de Zapien, Jill Guernsey; Colina, Sonia; Harris, Frances

    2016-01-01

    Hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline and impairment in daily living activities. Access to hearing health care has broad implications for healthy aging of the U.S. population. This qualitative study investigated factors related to the socio-ecological domains of hearing health in a U.S.–Mexico border community experiencing disparities in access to care. A multidisciplinary research team partnered with community health workers (CHWs) from a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in designing the study. CHWs conducted interviews with people with hearing loss (n = 20) and focus groups with their family/friends (n = 27) and with members of the community-at-large (n = 47). The research team conducted interviews with FQHC providers and staff (n = 12). Individuals experienced depression, sadness, and social isolation, as well as frustration and even anger regarding communication. Family members experienced negative impacts of deteriorating communication, but expressed few coping strategies. There was general agreement across data sources that hearing loss was not routinely addressed within primary care and assistive hearing technology was generally unaffordable. Community members described stigma related to hearing loss and a need for greater access to hearing health care and broader community education. Findings confirm the causal sequence of hearing impairment on quality of life aggravated by socioeconomic conditions and lack of access to hearing health care. Hearing loss requires a comprehensive and innovative public health response across the socio-ecological framework that includes both individual communication intervention and greater access to hearing health resources. CHWs can be effective in tailoring intervention strategies to community characteristics. PMID:27574602

  18. Culturally Specific Youth Substance Abuse Resistance Skills: Applicability across the U.S.-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsiglia, Flavio F; Kulis, Stephen; Rodriguez, Gregorio Martinez; Becerra, David; Castillo, Jason

    2009-03-01

    This study tests the applicability among adolescents in Mexico of the keepin' it REAL (refuse, explain, avoid, and leave) strategies that are common and effective ways that U.S. youth resist substance use. Following a social learning, communication competence and ecological theory integrated approach, the study draws on self-reported questionnaire data from a non-probability sample of 327 adolescents attending two public high schools in Monterrey, Nuevo León. Multivariate regressions were used to test whether the respondents' use of the REAL strategies by the participants could be predicted by key demographic variables. Separate models were estimated for the frequency of use of each strategy and for different substances. Findings indicate that most adolescents in this sample utilized each of the REAL strategies as well as other strategies to respond to offers of alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana. Mexican and U.S. youth residing close to the US border appear to use similar drug resistance strategies. Use of the strategies varied considerably by the level of exposure to offers, but only minimally by gender and age. There were no notable differences by socioeconomic status or academic performance. Implications for prevention science, social work practice and social work research are discussed in the context of the bi-national border region and the applicability and prospect for dissemination of U.S. evidence based youth substance use prevention interventions.

  19. Current depression among women in California according to residence in the California-Mexico border region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ryan-Ibarra, Suzanne; Epstein, Joan Faith; Induni, Marta; Wright, Michael A

    2012-05-01

    To estimate the prevalence of current depression; examine the relationship between current depression and immigration, health status, health care access, and health behaviors; and assess differences by California-Mexico border region (Imperial and San Diego Counties) among women in California. Using a cross-sectional, representative sample of adult women from the California Women's Health Survey (n = 13 454), a statewide telephone survey, prevalence of current depression and predictors of depression were examined in California and according to border region residence. Depression was assessed with the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire. The prevalence of current depression for women in California was 12.0%. It was similar in the border (13.0%) and the nonborder (11.9%) regions. Odds of current depression in women were lower among recent immigrants (depression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking were larger in the border region than outside the border region. Similar prevalences of current depression were observed among those who live in the border region of California and in those who do not, but the relationship between depression and health status, health care access, and binge drinking varied by border region residence. Ideally, future surveillance of depression and its predictors along the Mexico-California border will be conducted binationally to inform interventions and tracking such as the Healthy Border Program's objectives.

  20. [Population in the northern border area. Urban dynamism and binational interrelation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ham Chande, R

    1988-01-01

    The 3300 km border between Mexico and the US constitutes the geopolitical separation between an underdeveloped country on the 1 hand and 1 of the most technologically and economically powerful countries in the world on the other. The border region is characterized by the contrasts on either side of the border and by the strong interrelation between both sides. Vast streams of persons, merchandise, money, services, communications, and cultural influences flow from 1 side to the other. The border region as a seat of population has a recent history. The border was defined in near current form only in the mid-19th century, when the expansionist tendencies of the US encountered a vast area of very sparse population. In 1900, the principal localities of the border zone had only about 39,000 inhabitants, of whom fewer than 5000 lived west of Ciudad Juarez. Between 1910-20, the population of the border region increased from 53,000 to 96,000 as a result of migrants fleeing the ravages of the revolution. The population of the border region was estimated at 3.826 million in 1988, resulting from rates of growth above Mexico's national average. Settlement in the area has depended on events and conditions in Mexico and on such US occurrences as Prohibition, the Great Depression, the 2nd World War, the Bracero program, and the Program of Border Industrialization. 82% of the border population lives in urban zones, partly because of lack of water. 80% of the urban population is concentrated in 6 cities, Juarez, Tijuana, Mexicali, Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, and Matamoros. Much of the population of the 6 cities is composed of persons born elsewhere. The border area also has a large floating population of undocumented migrants in transit to or from the US. The high rates of urbanization and of binational interaction are reflected in demographic dynamics. In 1979, 71% of women in union in the border area vs 54% in the rest of Mexico had used contraception, and the infant mortality rate was

  1. United States-Mexico cross-border health insurance initiatives: Salud Migrante and Medicare in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas Bustamante, Arturo; Laugesen, Miriam; Caban, Mabel; Rosenau, Pauline

    2012-01-01

    While U.S. health care reform will most likely reduce the overall number of uninsured Mexican-Americans, it does not address challenges related to health care coverage for undocumented Mexican immigrants, who will remain uninsured under the measures of the reform; documented low-income Mexican immigrants who have not met the five-year waiting period required for Medicaid benefits; or the growing number of retired U.S. citizens living in Mexico, who lack easy access to Medicare-supported services. This article reviews two promising binational initiatives that could help address these challenges-Salud Migrante and Medicare in Mexico; discusses their prospective applications within the context of U.S. health care reform; and identifies potential challenges to their implementation (legal, political, and regulatory), as well as the possible benefits, including coverage of uninsured Mexican immigrants, and their integration into the U.S. health care system (through Salud Migrante), and access to lower-cost Medicare-supported health care for U.S. retirees in Mexico (Medicare in Mexico).

  2. First Trimester Prenatal Care Initiation Among Hispanic Women Along the U.S.-Mexico Border

    OpenAIRE

    Selchau, Katherine; Babuca, Maricela; Bower, Kara; Castro, Yara; Coakley, Eugenie; Flores, Araceli; Garcia, Jonah O.; Reyes, Maria Lourdes F.; Rojas, Yvonne; Rubin, Jason; Samuels, Deanne; Shattuck, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Background First trimester prenatal care (FTPNC) is associated with improved birth outcomes. U.S.-Mexico border Hispanic women have lower FTPNC than non-border or non-Hispanic women. This study aimed to identify (1) what demographic, knowledge and care-seeking factors influence FTPNC among Hispanic women in border counties served by five Healthy Start sites, and (2) what FTPNC barriers may be unique to this target population. Healthy Starts work to eliminate disparities in perinatal health in...

  3. CHIPS: A New Way to Monitor Colonias Along the United States-Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parcher, Jean W.; Humberson, Delbert G.

    2007-01-01

    Colonias, which are unincorporated border settlements in the United States, have emerged in rural areas without the governance and services normally provided by local government. Colonia residents live in poverty and lack adequate health care, potable water, and sanitation systems. These conditions create substantial health risks for colonias and surrounding communities. By 2001, more than 1,400 colonias were identified in Texas. Cooperation with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Offices of the Texas Attorney General, Secretary of State, and the Texas Water Development Board has allowed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to improve colonia Geographic Information System (GIS) boundaries and develop the Colonia Health, Infrastructure, and Platting Status tool (CHIPS). Together, the GIS boundaries and CHIPS aid the Texas government in prioritizing the limited funds that are available for infrastructure improvement. CHIPS's report generator can be tailored to the needs of the user, providing either broad or specific output. For example, a congressman could use CHIPS to list colonias with wastewater issues in a specific county, whereas a health researcher could list all colonias without clinical access. To help cities along the United States-Mexico border manage issues related to colonias growth, CHIPS will become publicly available in an Internet-enabled GIS as part of a cooperative study between the USGS, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Mexican Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Geografia e Informatica.

  4. The socio-economic and cultural impediments to well-being along the US-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Beltran, M; Kamau, J K

    2001-04-01

    Among all of the underdeveloped and developing countries of the world, Mexico is the only nation that shares its borders with the United States. This unique link between the two nations has created one of the most multifaceted clusters in the world. Moreover, this relationship has sketched out the direction and the role of health services and economic development of the two countries. The cultural infrastructure of the region and the political force of this association affect and contribute to the development of the economies and to the outcomes of public health programs and initiatives on each side of the border. Culture as a barrier for integration faces many challenges. The disparities in terms of access to and utilization of health services that are observed along the border are enormous. Sometimes, such disparities exist between people from the same culture, same identical ethnic group, from the same racial background and in many cases from the same family. Lack of language skills, inadequate education and a poor understanding of values are not the principal impediments to well being. Instead, political agendas and a non-global commitment to health care are the causes for such discrepancies. The economy of the region possesses unusual financial characteristics. The Maquila industry with its cheap labor practices and the North American free Trade Agreement (NAFTA's) two-way crossing of billions of dollars contribute to such characteristics. In addition, well-known drug smuggling activities and the daily crossing of thousands of documented and undocumented people contribute to the unusual economic characteristics of this area. The health care development and the economic growth of both countries depend on mutual efforts. Each nation can benefit if these efforts are directed at the development of binational partnerships, the enhancement of basic services in the region and by providing trans-boundary health coverage for all residents of the region regardless of

  5. Literacies Crossing Borders: Transfronterizo Literacy Practices of Students in a Dual Language Program on the USA-Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    de la Piedra, Maria Teresa; Araujo, Blanca E.

    2012-01-01

    Research on transnational literacies has generally focused on youth who live in one country and communicate using digital literacies across national boundaries. Our work contributes to this literature by providing a view of transnational literacies that are unique to the USA-Mexico border region. The students in this ethnographic study navigate…

  6. Factors Associated With Poor Child Motor Vehicle Restraint on the USA-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schrodt, Alexander; Huynh, Tam; Fitzgerald, Tamara N

    Motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are a significant cause of pediatric morbidity, particularly in low- to middle-income countries. We describe car seat use in children on the USA-Mexico border. A retrospective review was conducted for children 0-9 years old, admitted to the region's only Level I trauma center. Simultaneously, data were obtained from the SAFE KIDS database, a program that encourages car seat use through city checkpoints. There were 250 MVC admissions and nine fatalities in children 0-9 years old from 2010 to 2015. Nine percent of MVCs occurred in Mexico and 49% in El Paso, TX. Comparing trauma admissions to SAFE KIDS, there was some correlation between the location of MVCs and screening checkpoints (r = .50). There was a weaker correlation between injured children's neighborhoods and screening locations (r = .32). Only 37% of parents knew the crash history of the car seat and 3% were using a car seat previously involved in an MVC. While 96% of inspected children were placed appropriately in the backseat, 80% of children were found to be inappropriately restrained. Younger children more likely to be restrained (p < .05). Children from New Mexico and Mexico had the lowest rates of proper restraint and the highest injury severity scores. Proper use of car seats is a public health concern on the USA-Mexico border, and children are not properly restrained. Screening may be improved by focusing where at-risk children live and where most accidents occur. Restraint education is needed, particularly in New Mexico and Mexico.

  7. Caught on the Mexican-US Border: The Insecurity and Desire of Collaboration between Two Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado-Maldonado, Alma; Cantwell, Brendan

    2008-01-01

    Understandings of cross-border university collaboration are often informed by a concept of internationalisation that privileges the rationales of university administrators. A case study of two asymmetric universities along the border of Mexico and the United States--one of the most active and problematic borders in the world--found that, rather…

  8. Adolescent Worlds and Literacy Practices on the United States-Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    de la Piedra, Maria Teresa

    2010-01-01

    This article presents partial results of an ethnographic study about literacy practices among adolescents living near the United States-Mexico border. The students became involved in literacy practices with their friends and family at home. These practices were related to the adolescents' interests in popular culture such as reading magazines or…

  9. Spectrum of critical illness in undocumented border crossers. The Arizona-Mexico border experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Candy; Hsu, Wendy; Carr, Gordon E

    2015-03-01

    Approximately 150-250 migrants die each year while attempting to cross the border from Mexico to the Southwest United States. Many border crossers survive the journey, but some develop life-threatening medical complications. Such complications have been subject to little formal analysis. We sought to determine the causes of critical illness in this population and to analyze the hospital course and outcomes of these patients. We retrospectively identified border crossers admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of two major teaching hospitals in southern Arizona. We recorded admitting diagnoses, severity of illness, length of stay, resource use, discharge diagnoses, and mortality. Our investigation identified 55 admissions to adult ICUs between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012. The median age of patients was 27 years. The median hospital length of stay was 7 days, with a median ICU length of stay of 3 days. The median temperature on arrival to the emergency department was 36.8°C. The most common admission diagnoses included trauma (40), rhabdomyolysis (27), acute liver injury (25), dehydration (24), acute kidney injury (19), and encephalopathy (17). Thirteen patients presented with respiratory failure, six patients with severe sepsis, and two with septic shock. A total of 19 patients required ventilator support during their hospital stay, and 30 required at least one surgical intervention. One patient required renal replacement therapy. The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 6. All but one patient survived to discharge from the hospital. Border crossers are a unique population of young individuals exposed to high temperatures and extreme conditions. Our review of border crosser admissions showed that most patients demonstrated signs of dehydration and leukocytosis, despite a normal median temperature. The median ICU stay was short, despite a high number of patients requiring ventilator support and surgical intervention. Only

  10. Border Pedagogy as a Conduit to Greater Understanding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cashman, Timothy G.

    2013-01-01

    The article describes a study that was conducted in Malaysia, and at the borders of Chihuahua, Mexico, and Ontario, Canada, to compare the reactions of social studies teachers from Canada, Malaysia, and Mexico to the bombing of Iraq by the U.S. on March 20, 2003. The key objective of the investigations in all three countries was to uncover…

  11. Trade transport and environment linkages at the U.S.-Mexico border: which policies matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Linda; Das, Monica

    2011-03-01

    We apply a fixed-effects model to examine the impact of trade and environmental policies on air quality at ports along the U.S.-Mexico border. We control for other factors influencing air quality, such as air quality of cities near the border, volume of traffic flows and congestion. Results show the air quality improved after 2004, when the diesel engine policy was applied. We see mixed results for the trade policy, whose implementation time varies across ports along the international border. Controlling for air quality in cities near the border is essential for assessing the policy contributions to air quality. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Cross-border migration and initiation of others into drug injecting in Tijuana, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rafful, Claudia; Melo, Jason; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Rangel, Gudelia; Sun, Xiaoying; Jain, Sonia; Werb, Dan

    2018-04-01

    Efforts to prevent injection drug use (IDU) are increasingly focusing on the role that people who inject drugs (PWID) play in facilitating the entry of others into this behaviour. This is particularly relevant in settings experiencing high levels of IDU, such as Mexico's northern border region, where cross-border migration, particularly through forced deportation, has been found to increase a range of health and social harms related to injecting. PWID enrolled in a prospective cohort study in Tijuana, Mexico, since 2011 were interviewed semi-annually, which solicited responses on their experiences initiating others into injecting. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted at the Preventing Injection by Modifying Existing Responses (PRIMER) baseline, with the dependent variable defined as reporting ever initiating others into injection. The primary independent variable was lifetime deportation from the USA to Mexico. Among 532 participants, 14% (n = 76) reported initiating others into injecting, the majority of participants reporting initiating acquaintances (74%, n = 56). In multivariable analyses, initiating others into injecting was independently associated with reporting living in the USA for 1-5 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-4.79, P = 0.01], and methamphetamine and heroin injection combined (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI 1.11-12.17, P = 0.03). Deportation was not independently associated with initiating others into injecting. The impact of migration needs to be considered within binational programming seeking to prevent the expansion of epidemics of injecting and HIV transmission among mobile populations residing in the Mexico-USA border region. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  13. Fifty Feet Above The Wall: Cartel Drones in the U.S.-Mexico Border Zone Airspace, and What to do About Them

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-03-01

    troop movements and border security personnel. It is sensible that the drug cartels, who have a history of adopting technology to perform surveillance...countering narco- drones at the U.S.–Mexico border. 14. SUBJECT TERMS U.S.–Mexico border, drug cartel, emerging threat, disruptive technology ...Forces Commander Michael Waltz. He contends, “unfortunately, I don’t think we’re ready right now…We don’t have the technology —both the detection

  14. Illegal Immigration: Is the Use of Military Force in Policing the United states' Border with Mexico a Viable Option?

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lopez, David

    2001-01-01

    Illegal immigration across the United States' borders, in particular the Southern Border with Mexico, has been a continual problem confronting our local, state and national political decision makers...

  15. Towards a Transborder Perspective: U.S.-Mexico Relations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynn Stephen

    2014-06-01

    This article embeds a discussion of transborder communities –communities spread out in multiple locations in the U.S. and Mexico– in the history of U.S.-Mexico relations. These relations are read through the colonial and contemporary mapping of space, place, people, race, and ethnicity both literally and metaphorically as well as through U.S. immigration policy in the 19th and 20th centuries. The concept of “transborder,” which can include borders of coloniality, ethnicity, race, nation, and region, can help us to illuminate U.S.-Mexico relationships through time, the racialization of Mexicans in the U.S., and contemporary dynamics of migration and immigration. The crossing of many borders and the carrying of these borders within one’s experience allows us to see migration and immigration in terms of family relationships, social, economic, and cultural relationships, communities, and networks.

  16. Border-wide assessment of intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology : current and future concepts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-01

    The purpose of this effort was to conduct a border-wide assessment of the use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies and operational concepts at and near land border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico. The work focused on tolling...

  17. Dengue Fever Seroprevalence and Risk Factors, Texas-Mexico Border, 2004

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    Dengue fever is both endemic and underrecognized along a section of the southern Texas–Mexico border, and low income is a primary risk factor for infection. As part of a special section on Global Poverty and Human Development, Dr. Joan Marie Brunkard discusses a dengue seroprevalence survey in this region and what can be done to help prevent infection and to identify and treat those who are infected.

  18. The household food insecurity and health outcomes of U.S.-Mexico border migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weigel, M Margaret; Armijos, Rodrigo X; Hall, Yolanda Posada; Ramirez, Yolanda; Orozco, Rubi

    2007-07-01

    Emerging evidence suggests chronic household food insecurity has an adverse effect on health. This study examined the prevalence, predictors and health outcomes associated with food insecurity in 100 migrant and seasonal farmworker (MSFW) households living on the U.S.-Mexico border. Data were collected using the U.S. Food Security Scale, California Agricultural Worker's Health Survey, and objective anthropometric, clinical and biochemical indicators. Food insecurity affected 82% of households; 49% also had hunger. Household food insecurity was predicted by the presence of minor children in the home and low maternal education. Food insecure households were more likely to have at least one member affected by symptoms of depression (deprimido), nervios (an ethnospecific condition), learning disorders, and symptoms suggestive of gastrointestinal infection. Although not directly associated with food insecurity, adult obesity, central body adiposity, elevated blood pressure, and blood lipid and glucose disturbances were common. These findings highlight the significant food security and health challenges faced by border area MSFW families.

  19. Psychometric Properties of the DASS-21 Among Latina/o College Students by the US-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camacho, Álvaro; Cordero, Elizabeth D; Perkins, Tara

    2016-10-01

    Anxious-depression symptomatology is frequently encountered among Latina/o individuals. There is a dearth of studies that examine this mixed class of anxiety and depression symptomatology, especially among Latina/o college students by the US-Mexico border. A total of 505 participants from rural institutions of higher education completed the DASS21. Psychometric properties were measured by means of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine gender differences in depression, anxiety and stress. Among women, 18 % reported at least moderate levels of depressive symptoms, 33.1 % reported at least moderate levels of anxiety symptoms, and 16.4 % reported at least moderate levels of stress. In men, 15.9 % reported at least moderate levels of depressive symptoms, 34.1 % reported at least moderate levels of anxiety symptoms, and 12.9 % reported at least moderate levels of stress. The EFA supported a one dimension factor (anxious/stress-depression) among this sample of Latina/o college students (Bartlett's test = 4960.9; df = 210; p ≤ 0.01; Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin = 0.95). The MANOVA found no significant gender differences in depression, anxiety symptomatology and stress [Wilks'Λ = 0.99; F = (3, 500) = 2.41; p = 0.07]. The DASS-21 showed a one dimensional construct of anxious/stress-depression symptomatology in a Latina/o rural undergraduate sample, raising awareness to the need to screen and monitor this constellation of symptoms.

  20. Binational Dengue Outbreak Along the United States-Mexico Border - Yuma County, Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico, 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Jefferson M; Lopez, Benito; Adams, Laura; Gálvez, Francisco Javier Navarro; Núñez, Alfredo Sánchez; Santillán, Nubia Astrid Hernández; Plante, Lydia; Hemme, Ryan R; Casal, Mariana; Hunsperger, Elizabeth A; Muñoz-Jordan, Jorge; Acevedo, Veronica; Ernst, Kacey; Hayden, Mary; Waterman, Steve; Gomez, Diana; Sharp, Tyler M; Komatsu, Kenneth K

    2016-05-20

    Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by any of four dengue virus types (DENV-1-4). DENVs are transmitted by mosquitos of the genus Aedes (1) and are endemic throughout the tropics (2). In 2010, an estimated 390 million DENV infections occurred worldwide (2). During 2007-2013, a total of three to 10 dengue cases were reported annually in Arizona and all were travel-associated. During September-December 2014, coincident with a dengue outbreak in Sonora, Mexico, 93 travel-associated dengue cases were reported in Arizona residents; 70 (75%) cases were among residents of Yuma County, which borders San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. San Luis Río Colorado reported its first case of locally acquired dengue in September 2014. To investigate the temporal relationship of the dengue outbreaks in Yuma County and San Luis Río Colorado and compare patient characteristics and signs and symptoms, passive surveillance data from both locations were analyzed. In addition, household-based cluster investigations were conducted near the residences of reported dengue cases in Yuma County to identify unreported cases and assess risk for local transmission. Surveillance data identified 52 locally acquired cases (21% hospitalized) in San Luis Río Colorado and 70 travel-associated cases (66% hospitalized) in Yuma County with illness onset during September-December 2014. Among 194 persons who participated in the cluster investigations in Yuma County, 152 (78%) traveled to Mexico at least monthly during the preceding 3 months. Four (2%) of 161 Yuma County residents who provided serum samples for diagnostic testing during cluster investigations had detectable DENV immunoglobulin M (IgM); one reported a recent febrile illness, and all four had traveled to Mexico during the preceding 3 months. Entomologic assessments among 105 households revealed 24 water containers per 100 houses colonized by Ae. aegypti. Frequent travel to Mexico and Ae. aegypti colonization indicate risk for local

  1. Differentiated Linguistic Strategies of Bilingual Professionals on the U.S.-Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Diana Carolina; Sayer, Peter

    2017-01-01

    The authors present three distinct cases of English-Spanish bilinguals on the U.S.-Mexico border to illustrate how legitimate and authentic language use functions as forms of symbolic capital (P. Bourdieu, 1991). Language practices in the occupational domain exemplify how varieties of English and Spanish come into contact, are negotiated, and…

  2. Type 2 diabetes mortality at Mexican borders

    OpenAIRE

    Manzanares Rivera, José Luis

    2017-01-01

    Abstract:Objective: To analyze type II diabetes mortality rates geographic distribution and evolution in time across both Mexican border regions during the period 1998-2013.Methods: The work is based on exploratory and inferential data analysis conducted using death reports from the national health information system. The analysis considers social determinants of health as a theoretical paradigm and includes microdata on consumption patterns at household level for the US-Mexico and Mexico- Gu...

  3. Vulnerabilities faced by the children of sex workers in two Mexico-US border cities: a retrospective study on sexual violence, substance use and HIV risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Servin, Argentina E; Strathdee, Steffanie; Muñoz, Fatima A; Vera, Alicia; Rangel, Gudelia; Silverman, Jay G

    2015-01-01

    Most studies of female sex workers (FSWs) conducted in the Mexico-US border region have focused on individual HIV risk, centered on sexual behaviors and substance abuse patterns. Little attention has been drawn to the reality that sex workers are often parents whose children potentially face vulnerabilities unique to their family situation. The objective of the present study was to identify the vulnerabilities faced by the children of FSWs in two Mexican-US border cities. From 2008 to 2010, 628 FSW-injection drug users underwent interviewer-administered surveys and HIV/STI testing. Approximately one in five participants (20%) reported having a parent involved in sex work and majority referred it was their mother (88%). Close to one-third of participants (31%) reported first injecting drugs prostitute <18 years of age. First drinking alcohol <18 years old (AOR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.13-3.08), lifetime cocaine use (AOR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.09-2.84), ever being forced or coerced into non-consensual sex as a minor (<18 years of age; AOR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.01-2.35), and injecting drugs with used syringes in the prior month (AOR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.07-2.49) were the factors associated with having had a parent involved in sex work. These findings begin to lay the groundwork for understanding the potential vulnerabilities faced by the children of sex workers. Understanding these potential needs is necessary for creating relevant, evidence-based interventions focused on supporting these women.

  4. U.S. CWMD Coordination

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-12-11

    coordination. For example, it conducted joint vehicle inspection training for Pakistani Customs and Border Guard personnel at a US- Mexico border...biological material, including such hazards as: anthrax, botulism, cholera , Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever, E. coli, Plague, and smallpox 79

  5. Police Victimization Among Persons Who Inject Drugs Along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinedo, Miguel; Burgos, Jose Luis; Zuniga, Maria Luisa; Perez, Ramona; Macera, Caroline A; Ojeda, Victoria D

    2015-09-01

    Problematic policing practices are an important driver of HIV infection among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in the U.S.-Mexico border region. This study identifies factors associated with recent (i.e., past 6 months) police victimization (e.g., extortion, physical and sexual violence) in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. From 2011 to 2013, 733 PWID (62% male) were recruited in Tijuana and completed a structured questionnaire. Eligible participants were age 18 years or older, injected illicit drugs within the past month, and spoke Spanish or English. Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified correlates of recent experiences of police victimization (e.g., bribes, unlawful confiscation, physical and sexual violence). Overall, 56% of PWID reported a recent police victimization experience in Tijuana. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, factors independently associated with recent police victimization included recent injection of methamphetamine (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.62; 95% CI [1.18, 2.21]) and recently received injection assistance by a "hit doctor" (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI [1.03, 2.36]). Increased years lived in Tijuana (AOR = 0.98 per year; 95% CI [0.97, 0.99]) and initiating drug use at a later age (AOR = 0.96 per year; 95% CI [0.92, 0.99]) were inversely associated with recent police victimization. Physical drugusing markers may increase PWID susceptibility to police targeting and contribute to experiences of victimization. Interventions aimed at reducing police victimization events in the U.S.-Mexico border region should consider PWID's drug-using behaviors. Reducing problematic policing practices may be a crucial public health strategy to reduce HIV risk among PWID in this region.

  6. 75 FR 70937 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-19

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Accreditation and Approval of... Protection, Department of Homeland Security. ACTION: Notice of accreditation and approval of Robinson... Border Protection to conduct the specific test or gauger service requested. Alternatively, inquires...

  7. 77 FR 38076 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-26

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection Accreditation and Approval of... Protection, Department of Homeland Security. ACTION: Notice of accreditation and approval of SGS North... and Border Protection to conduct the specific test or gauger service requested. Alternatively...

  8. United States-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevalence Survey: lessons learned from implementation of the project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Cosío, Federico G; Díaz-Apodaca, Beatriz A; Ruiz-Holguín, Rosalba; Lara, Agustín; Castillo-Salgado, Carlos

    2010-09-01

    This paper reviews and discusses the main procedures and policies that need to be followed when designing and implementing a binational survey such as the United States of America (U.S.)-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevalence Study that took place between 2001 and 2002. The main objective of the survey was to determine the prevalence of diabetes in the population 18 years of age or older along U.S.-Mexico border counties and municipalities. Several political, administrative, financial, legal, and cultural issues were identified as critical factors that need to be considered when developing and implementing similar binational projects. The lack of understanding of public health practices, implementation of existing policies, legislation, and management procedures in Mexico and the United States may delay or cancel binational research, affecting the working relation of both countries. Many challenges were identified: multiagency/multifunding, ethical/budget clearances, project management, administrative procedures, laboratory procedures, cultural issues, and project communications. Binational projects are complex; they require coordination between agencies and institutions at federal, state, and local levels and between countries and need a political, administrative, bureaucratic, cultural, and language balance. Binational agencies and staff should coordinate these projects for successful implementation.

  9. The social and environmental context of cross-border drug use in Mexico: findings from a mixed methods study of young injection drug users living in San Diego, CA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagner, Karla D; Moynihan, Matthew J; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Cuevas-Mota, Jazmine; Clark, Maureen; Zúñiga, María Luisa; Volkmann, Tyson A; Teshale, Eyasu; Garfein, Richard S

    2012-01-01

    The authors report the results of qualitative (n = 19) and quantitative (n = 545) interviews with young injection drug users (IDUs) in San Diego, California about their experiences using drugs in Tijuana, Mexico, and associated risks for HIV infection. Young IDUs who have ever traveled to Mexico (n = 365) used a variety of injection (54%) and noninjection (30%) drugs there and appear to be heavier users than those who have never traveled to Mexico. Sociocultural themes influencing drug use in Mexico included interactions among the purpose of travel, drug preference, and route of administration; familiarity with the border region; evolving relationships with the United States and Mexican drug markets; and the experience of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Interventions for IDUs in border regions need to be sensitive to the ethnicity, familiarity with the border region, and life history of participants, as well as differences in national policies that could influence drug use and risk for HIV on both sides of the border.

  10. COMPARISONS OF PESTICIDE LEVELS AND EXPOSURES IN NHEXAS ARIZONA AND ARIZONA-MEXICO BORDER POPULATIONS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The distributions of organophosphate (OP) insecticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon in exposure matrices such as indoor air, house dust, food, and water have been determined for 416 homes in the general Arizona population, and for 87 homes along the Arizona-Mexico border. The con...

  11. Job market in the northern border of Mexico: Structure and employment policies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Eduardo Mendoza

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The study analyzes the factors that have impacted the labor market and employment in the northern border of Mexico and in its most important border cities. The economic growth of the region is related to the labor market. Additionally, the most important employment policies, both at the national and the regional level, are described showing their advantages and limitations. It is shown that the rates of open unemployment are lower in the northern border, although there is an important pressure to provide employment for the increasing labor force. With respect to training, the states of Baja California and Nuevo Leon stand out for their industrial, technical and managerial courses. The employment polices have been an important tool for offsetting the increasing unemployment rates but have been only a partial instrument, since structural reforms in education and infrastructure development are required to promote investment and create employment.

  12. Risk for HIV Infection among Adolescents in the Border City of Tijuana, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Donate, Ana P.; Blumberg, Elaine J.; Hovell, Melbourne F.; Sipan, Carol L.; Zellner, Jennifer A.; Hughes, Suzanne

    2004-01-01

    Previous studies have suggested high rates of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections in theU.S.-Mexico border region. However, no information is available on the risk for HIV infection among Mexican adolescents living in this geographic area. This study examines the prevalence of HIV risk practices and psychosocial correlates…

  13. Social and cultural influences among Mexican border entrepreneurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz Bretones, Francisco; Cappello, Héctor M; Garcia, Pedro A

    2009-06-01

    Social and cultural conditions (including U.S. border and inland influence, role models within the family, and educational background) which affect locus of control and achievement motivation among Mexican entrepreneurs were explored among 64 selected entrepreneurs in two Mexican towns, one on the Mexico-U.S. border, the other located inland. Analyses showed that the border subsample scored higher on External locus of control; however, in both subsamples the father was an important element in the locus of control variable and the entrepreneur status. No statistically significant mean difference was noted for achievement motivation. Practical applications and limitations are discussed.

  14. Back to the future: sweatshop conditions on the Mexico-U.S. border. I. Community health impact of maquiladora industrial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moure-Eraso, R; Wilcox, M; Punnett, L; Copeland, L; Levenstein, C

    1994-03-01

    Present working conditions in one of the most active areas of the maquiladora system along the Mexico-U.S. border are reminiscent of nineteenth-century U.S. sweatshops. This conclusion was reached after evaluating two separate but interrelated surveys among Mexican nationals living near the Mexico-U.S. border, one of community leaders (Paper I), and one of workers in maquiladora enterprises in the towns of Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico (Paper II). Paper I evaluates the results of the community leaders' survey. Criteria for selection of the leaders were: level of responsibility in the community; knowledge of the industry in the region, and length of residence in the area (more than 3 years). Representatives from government, maquiladora industry management, labor union leadership, labor union activists, and community improvement activists were interviewed. Structured questionnaires with opportunities for open-ended answers were used by trained Spanish speaking interviewers. The questions covered community demographics, health care structures, governance of the region, knowledge of working conditions, and knowledge of environmental impact on the region and the community. Community leaders were ambivalent on the purported benefits of the development of these types of industries in their communities. A substantial majority (21 of 25) thought that the maquiladoras brought few positive developments, other than creating jobs. Serious concerns about overextending weak social infrastructures and about environmental deterioration were voiced. Immediate (preventive) measures appear necessary to develop community infrastructures and to protect environmental health.

  15. Nataniel, NAFTA, and Public Health at the U.S.-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olson, Tom; Tapia, Sergio

    2009-01-01

    Advocating overall improvements in health for individuals and communities is a daunting but important task for nurses in particular, and for health care professionals in general. This is particularly true when focusing on the population along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, a unique region in which distinct cultures, economies, and political systems meet. The purpose of this paper is to confront the assumption that trade and economic expansion automatically translate into improved public health, and to explore policy implications of the public health situation at the border. It uses a meta-narrative, an overarching story that draws on and illustrates collective stories from 300 participants in a study of mental health disparities, to argue for a more nuanced and complex understanding of health among the largely Hispanic population in this region.

  16. Writing on the Edge: Impressions of a U.S.-Mexico Border in Rolando Hinojosa's Estampas del Valle

    OpenAIRE

    CANTU, MARIA GUADALUPE

    2011-01-01

    This dissertation engages in a critical reading of Rolando Hinojosa's early fiction in Estampas del Valle as an example of a unique border literature that highlights the multiplicity of elements that exist along the Rio Grande. By using the work of an author that has direct experience with life along the U.S.-Mexico border the aim of this study is to look at how the border region and its cultural and spatial manifestations impact on writings concerned with memory, the personal and the self. ...

  17. Age at Immigration and Substance Use and Problems Among Males and Females at the U.S.-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cherpitel, Cheryl J; Li, Libo; Borges, Guilherme; Zemore, Sarah

    2017-11-01

    Although substance use and problems among Mexican Americans are associated with both immigration to the United States and living at the U.S.-Mexico border, little is known about relationships between age at immigration and substance use by gender within the border context. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of age at immigration with heavy alcohol use, alcohol use disorders (AUD), and drug use among Mexicans Americans living both on and off the U.S.-Mexico border. Household surveys were conducted, using area probability sampling of 2,336 Mexican Americans (1,185 female), ages 18-65, living at the Texas-Mexico border in the metropolitan areas of Laredo and McAllen/Brownsville, and in the nonborder location of San Antonio. Females immigrating before age 12 were less likely to report heavy alcohol use (odds ratio [OR] = 0.309), and those immigrating before age 21 were less likely to report any drug use during the last year compared with their U.S.-born counterparts (OR = 0.473; OR = 0.386, respectively). Males immigrating after age 20 were less likely to report heavy alcohol use (OR = 0.478), and those immigrating between ages 12 and 20 were less likely to report AUD (OR = 0.479) and drug use (OR = 0.255) compared with their U.S.-born counterparts. Early age at immigration (before age 12) was significantly associated with drug use for males living on the border compared with those living off the border. Findings suggest that among females, immigrating before age 12 (vs. being born in the United States) is protective against heavy alcohol and drug use, but among males, immigrating before age 12 results in similarly heavy patterns of use as their U.S.-born counterparts, partially supporting previous findings that early immigration is particularly risky in relation to substance use and AUD.

  18. Dengue Fever Seroprevalence and Risk Factors, Texas-Mexico Border, 2004

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2007-11-01

    Dengue fever is both endemic and underrecognized along a section of the southern Texas–Mexico border, and low income is a primary risk factor for infection. As part of a special section on Global Poverty and Human Development, Dr. Joan Marie Brunkard discusses a dengue seroprevalence survey in this region and what can be done to help prevent infection and to identify and treat those who are infected.  Created: 11/1/2007 by Emerging Infectious Diseases.   Date Released: 1/24/2008.

  19. Children's mental health and collective violence: a binational study on the United States-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leiner, Marie; Puertas, Hector; Caratachea, Raúl; Avila, Carmen; Atluru, Aparna; Briones, David; Vargas, Cecilia de

    2012-05-01

    To investigate the risk effects of poverty and exposure to collective violence attributed to organized crime on the mental health of children living on the United States-Mexico border. A repeated, cross-sectional study measured risk effects by comparing scores of psychosocial and behavioral problems among children and adolescents living on the border in the United States or Mexico in 2007 and 2010. Patients living in poverty who responded once to the Pictorial Child Behavior Checklist (P+CBCL) in Spanish were randomly selected from clinics in El Paso, Texas, United States (poverty alone group), and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico (poverty plus violence group). Only children of Hispanic origin (Mexican-American or Mexican) living below the poverty level and presenting at the clinic for nonemergency visits with no history of diagnosed mental, neurological, or life-threatening disease or disability were included. Exposure to collective violence and poverty seemed to have an additive effect on children's mental health. Children exposed to both poverty and collective violence had higher problem scores, as measured by the P+CBCL, than those exposed to poverty alone. It is important to consider that children and adolescents exposed to collective violence and poverty also have fewer chances to receive treatment. Untreated mental health problems predict violence, antisocial behaviors, and delinquency and affect families, communities, and individuals. It is crucial to address the mental health of children on the border to counteract the devastating effects this setting will have in the short term and the near future.

  20. Laredo District Coahuila/Nuevo Leon/Tamaulipas border master plan : executive summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    Border Master Plans, as defined and supported by the U.S./Mexico Joint Working : Committee on Transportation Planning and Programming, the Federal Highway Administration, : and the U.S. Department of State, are comprehensive long range plans to inven...

  1. Hepatitis A in Hispanic children who live along the United States-Mexico border: the role of international travel and food-borne exposures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weinberg, Michelle; Hopkins, Jackie; Farrington, Leigh; Gresham, Louise; Ginsberg, Michele; Bell, Beth P

    2004-07-01

    Hispanic children who live along the United States-Mexico border historically have had among the highest hepatitis A rates in the United States, but risk factors have not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to examine risk factors associated with acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in Hispanic children who live along the United States-Mexico border in San Diego County, California. In this case-control study, hepatitis A cases among Hispanic children who were younger than 18 years reported from June 1998 through August 2000 were matched by age group and exposure period to Hispanic children who were susceptible to HAV infection. Participants and their families were interviewed about demographic information and potential sources of HAV infection, including attending child care, food and waterborne exposures, cross-border and other international travel, and travel-related activities. Participants included 132 children with hepatitis A and 354 control subjects. The median age of study participants was 7 years (range: 1-17). Sixty-seven percent of case-patients traveled outside the United States during the incubation period, compared with 25% of the children without hepatitis A (odds ratio [OR]: 6.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.0-9.7); all children, except 1, had traveled to Mexico. In multivariate analysis, hepatitis A was associated with having eaten food from a taco stand or street food vendor (adjusted OR: 17.0; 95% CI: 4.1-71.1) and having eaten salad/lettuce (adjusted OR: 5.2; 95% CI: 1.3-20.1) during travel. Hepatitis A among Hispanic children who live in an urban area of the United States-Mexico border is associated with cross-border travel to Mexico and food-borne exposures during travel. Travelers to areas where hepatitis A is endemic should receive hepatitis A vaccine before travel.

  2. Indirect Transportation Cost in the border crossing process: The United States–Mexico trade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlos Obed Figueroa Ortiz

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Using a Social Accounting Matrix as database, a Computable General Equilibrium model is implemented in order to estimate the Indirect Transportations Costs (ITC present in the border crossing for the U.S.–Mexico bilateral trade. Here, an “iceberg–type” transportation function is assumed to determine the amount of loss that must be faced as a result of border crossing process through the ports of entry existing between the two countries. The study period covers annual data from 1995 to 2009 allowing the analysis of the trend of these costs considering the trade liberalisation that is experienced. Results show that the ITC have experienced a decrease of 12% during the period.Test

  3. U.S.-Mexico Border: America’s Unlocked Backdoor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-01

    that 90% of the cocaine entering the U.S. is trafficked through Mexico.3 Significant amounts of other drugs, like Marijuana and methamphetamine...fight the manufacturing of synthetic drugs.”39 The U.S. must continue this type of strategic partnering to harness the combined resources of both

  4. Widespread Trypanosoma cruzi infection in government working dogs along the Texas-Mexico border: Discordant serology, parasite genotyping and associated vectors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alyssa C Meyers

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Chagas disease, caused by the vector-borne protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is increasingly recognized in the southern U.S. Government-owned working dogs along the Texas-Mexico border could be at heightened risk due to prolonged exposure outdoors in habitats with high densities of vectors. We quantified working dog exposure to T. cruzi, characterized parasite strains, and analyzed associated triatomine vectors along the Texas-Mexico border.In 2015-2016, we sampled government working dogs in five management areas plus a training center in Texas and collected triatomine vectors from canine environments. Canine serum was tested for anti-T. cruzi antibodies with up to three serological tests including two immunochromatographic assays (Stat-Pak and Trypanosoma Detect and indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA test. The buffy coat fraction of blood and vector hindguts were tested for T. cruzi DNA and parasite discrete typing unit was determined. Overall seroprevalence was 7.4 and 18.9% (n = 528 in a conservative versus inclusive analysis, respectively, based on classifying weakly reactive samples as negative versus positive. Canines in two western management areas had 2.6-2.8 (95% CI: 1.0-6.8 p = 0.02-0.04 times greater odds of seropositivity compared to the training center. Parasite DNA was detected in three dogs (0.6%, including TcI and TcI/TcIV mix. Nine of 20 (45% T. gerstaeckeri and T. rubida were infected with TcI and TcIV; insects analyzed for bloodmeals (n = 11 fed primarily on canine (54.5%.Government working dogs have widespread exposure to T. cruzi across the Texas-Mexico border. Interpretation of sample serostatus was challenged by discordant results across testing platforms and very faint serological bands. In the absence of gold standard methodologies, epidemiological studies will benefit from presenting a range of results based on different tests/interpretation criteria to encompass uncertainty. Working dogs are highly trained in security

  5. Five-year interim report of the United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program: 2007--2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alley, William M.

    2013-01-01

    Transboundary aquifers are an essential, and in many cases, singular source of water for United States – Mexico border communities, particularly in arid regions. Declining water levels, deteriorating water quality, and increasing use of groundwater resources by municipal, industrial, and agricultural water users on both sides of the international border have raised concerns about the long-term availability of this supply. Water quantity and quality are determining and limiting factors that ultimately control agriculture, future economic development, population growth, human health, and ecological conditions along the border. Knowledge about the extent, depletion rates, and quality of transboundary aquifers, however, is limited and, in some areas, completely absent. The U.S. – Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (Public Law 109-448), referred to in this report as “the Act,” was signed into law by the President of the United States on December 22, 2006, to conduct binational scientific research to systematically assess priority transboundary aquifers and to address water information needs of border communities. The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to collaborate with the States of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas through their Water Resources Research Institutes (WRRIs) and with the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), stakeholders, and Mexican counterparts to provide new information and a scientific foundation for State and local officials to address pressing water-resource challenges along the U.S. – Mexico border.

  6. Injuries sustained after falls from bridges across the United States-Mexico border at El Paso.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLean, Susan F; Tyroch, Alan H

    2012-05-01

    To compare demographics and motivations for falls from bridges at the United States-Mexico border and in El Paso County, Texas, and to analyze injuries and injury patterns to support intentionality and to provide treatment recommendations. A retrospective observational review was conducted of hospital admissions to a trauma center after falls from bridges from 1995 to 2009. Statistical methods used were chi-square testing, T-test for means comparison, univariate correlations, and regression analysis. Of the 97 evaluated patients, 81.4% fell from U.S.-Mexico border bridges, including one patient who fell from a railway bridge; 74.7% of those falling from border bridges had a non-U.S. address, contrasting with 22.2% of those who fell within the United States. Falls over the border were associated with more immigration-related motivations and fewer suicide attempts. Injuries included lower extremities in 76 (78.4%) and thoracolumbar spine in 27 (27.8%) patients; 16 patients with a thoracolumbar spine fracture (59.3%) also had a lower extremity injury. Mean hospital length of stay was 7.2 days. Mean injury severity score was 8.45 (range 1-43). Age, injury severity score, and pelvic fracture increased the hospital length of stay. Patients fell while emigrating-immigrating based on residence and motivating factors. A dyad of lower extremity and thoracolumbar spine injuries coincided in 59.3% of those with a thoracolumbar spine injury; thoracolumbar spine imaging of patients evaluated after falls from bridges is recommended. Proposed prevention strategies include posting signs on bridges and installing catch-net safety barriers.

  7. Pathogenic Landscape of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases in the Mexico–US Border Along the Rio Grande

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esteve-Gassent, Maria Dolores; Pérez de León, Adalberto A.; Romero-Salas, Dora; Feria-Arroyo, Teresa P.; Patino, Ramiro; Castro-Arellano, Ivan; Gordillo-Pérez, Guadalupe; Auclair, Allan; Goolsby, John; Rodriguez-Vivas, Roger Ivan; Estrada-Franco, Jose Guillermo

    2014-01-01

    Transboundary zoonotic diseases, several of which are vector borne, can maintain a dynamic focus and have pathogens circulating in geographic regions encircling multiple geopolitical boundaries. Global change is intensifying transboundary problems, including the spatial variation of the risk and incidence of zoonotic diseases. The complexity of these challenges can be greater in areas where rivers delineate international boundaries and encompass transitions between ecozones. The Rio Grande serves as a natural border between the US State of Texas and the Mexican States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Not only do millions of people live in this transboundary region, but also a substantial amount of goods and people pass through it everyday. Moreover, it occurs over a region that functions as a corridor for animal migrations, and thus links the Neotropic and Nearctic biogeographic zones, with the latter being a known foci of zoonotic diseases. However, the pathogenic landscape of important zoonotic diseases in the south Texas–Mexico transboundary region remains to be fully understood. An international perspective on the interplay between disease systems, ecosystem processes, land use, and human behaviors is applied here to analyze landscape and spatial features of Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Hantavirus disease, Lyme Borreliosis, Leptospirosis, Bartonellosis, Chagas disease, human Babesiosis, and Leishmaniasis. Surveillance systems following the One Health approach with a regional perspective will help identifying opportunities to mitigate the health burden of those diseases on human and animal populations. It is proposed that the Mexico–US border along the Rio Grande region be viewed as a continuum landscape where zoonotic pathogens circulate regardless of national borders. PMID:25453027

  8. First Trimester Prenatal Care Initiation Among Hispanic Women Along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selchau, Katherine; Babuca, Maricela; Bower, Kara; Castro, Yara; Coakley, Eugenie; Flores, Araceli; Garcia, Jonah O; Reyes, Maria Lourdes F; Rojas, Yvonne; Rubin, Jason; Samuels, Deanne; Shattuck, Laura

    2017-12-01

    Background First trimester prenatal care (FTPNC) is associated with improved birth outcomes. U.S.-Mexico border Hispanic women have lower FTPNC than non-border or non-Hispanic women. This study aimed to identify (1) what demographic, knowledge and care-seeking factors influence FTPNC among Hispanic women in border counties served by five Healthy Start sites, and (2) what FTPNC barriers may be unique to this target population. Healthy Starts work to eliminate disparities in perinatal health in areas with high poverty and poor birth outcomes. Methods 403 Hispanic women of reproductive age in border communities of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas were surveyed on knowledge and behaviors related to prenatal care (PNC) and basic demographic information. Chi square analyses and logistic regressions were used to identify important relationships. Results Chi square analyses revealed that primiparous women were significantly less likely to start FTPNC than multiparous women (χ 2 = 6.8372, p = 0.0089). Women with accurate knowledge about FTPNC were more likely to obtain FTPNC (χ 2  = 29.280, p < .001) and more likely to have seen a doctor within the past year (χ 2  = 5.550, p = .018). Logistic regression confirmed that multiparity was associated with FTPNC and also that living in Texas was negatively associated with FTPNC (R 2  = 0.066, F(9,340) = 2.662, p = .005). Among 27 women with non-FTPNC, barriers included late pregnancy recognition (n = 19) and no medical insurance (n = 5). Conclusions This study supports research that first time pregnancies have lower FTPNC, and demonstrated a strong association between delayed PNC and late pregnancy recognition. Strengthened investments in preconception planning could improve FTPNC in this population.

  9. Health impacts of power-exporting plants in northern Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blackman, Allen; Chandru, Santosh; Mendoza-Domínguez, Alberto; Russell, A.G.

    2012-01-01

    In the past two decades, rapid population and economic growth on the U.S.–Mexico border has spurred a dramatic increase in electricity demand. In response, American energy multinationals have built power plants just south of the border that export most of their electricity to the U.S. This development has stirred considerable controversy because these plants effectively skirt U.S. air pollution regulations in a severely degraded international airshed. Yet to our knowledge, this concern has not been subjected to rigorous scrutiny. This paper uses a suite of air dispersion, health impacts, and valuation models to assess the human health damages in the U.S. and Mexico caused by air emissions from two power-exporting plants in Mexicali, Baja California. We find that these emissions have limited but nontrivial health impacts, mostly by exacerbating particulate pollution in the U.S., and we value these damages at more than half a million dollars per year. These findings demonstrate that power-exporting plants can have cross-border health effects and bolster the case for systematically evaluating their environmental impacts. - Highlights: ► We estimate the health effects of emissions from Mexican electric power plants exporting to the U.S. ► The plants have limited but nontrivial effects, mostly from particulate pollution in the U.S. ► We value these damages at more than half a million dollars per year. ► Hence, power-exporting plants can have significant cross-border health effects.

  10. Re-Casting the U.S.-Mexico Border Security Net

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-03-01

    the best fence money can buy , and they counter us with a 2,500-year-old technology.214 The incident proved that these organizations are extremely...created a demand that has attracted illicit activity. DTOs have expanded their franchises to increase the size of their profits. Border security

  11. U.S.-Mexico Border Geographic Information System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parcher, Jean W.

    2008-01-01

    Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the development of extensive geodatabases have become invaluable tools for addressing a variety of contemporary societal issues and for making predictions about the future. The United States-Mexico Geographic Information System (USMX-GIS) is based on fundamental datasets that are produced and/or approved by the national geography agencies of each country, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica Y Geografia (INEGI) of Mexico, and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). The data are available at various scales to allow both regional and local analysis. The USGS and the INEGI have an extensive history of collaboration for transboundary mapping including exchanging digital technology and developing methods for harmonizing seamless national level geospatial datasets for binational environmental monitoring, urban growth analysis, and other scientific applications.

  12. U.S.A./Mexico Adult Literacy Project: Educacion sin Fronteras/Education without Borders. Final Report, January 1, 1993 - September 30, 1993.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, City of Industry, CA.

    A cooperative literacy education program involving Mexico and the United States' border states is documented. The project has three objectives: to (1) implement the Mexican literacy agency's approach to promoting literacy among native Spanish speakers; (2) coordinate U.S./Mexico literacy task force activities; and (3) develop an immigrants' rights…

  13. Bordering on Failure: Mexican Instability, Drug Wars, and the Threat to U.S. Security

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-04-19

    NAFTA was that Mexico had to demonstrate it was not a one party political system; thus, the PRI began to loosen its suppression of opposition...are recruiting Texas school age children to support Cartel operations. The border region constitutes 9.4% of the state’s population and now has

  14. Neighborhoods, Social and Cultural Correlates of Obesity Risk among Latinos living on the U.S.-Mexico border in Southern California.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baquero, Barbara; Molina, Marisa; Elder, John P; Norman, Gregory J; Ayala, Guadalupe X

    2016-01-01

    We explored the relationship between obesity and neighborhood-related, social, and cultural variables and possible moderation by acculturation and cross-national practices. We obtained data from the 2009 San Diego Prevention Research Center's community survey, which used multistage sampling methods to recruit 397 adult respondents and conducted multilevel logistic analytic methods. Nearly half of the respondents were obese. Respondents had low acculturation scores and reported crossing the U.S.-Mexico border about three times per month, mostly to visit family and friends. Neighborhoods where respondents lived were predominantly Latino and had 27% home ownership. A significant cross-level interaction emerged: those who reported crossing the border and reported higher levels of collective efficacy were more likely to be obese than those who had not crossed. Study findings provide evidence of the complex relationship among obesity risk factors in a U.S.-Mexico border community that warrant further examination to prevent and control obesity.

  15. Deportation and mental health among migrants who inject drugs along the US-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinedo, Miguel; Burgos, José Luis; Zúñiga, María Luisa; Perez, Ramona; Macera, Caroline A.; Ojeda, Victoria D.

    2016-01-01

    Objective This study describes the prevalence and factors of depressive symptoms among a sample of persons who inject drugs (PWID) with a history of deportation from the US in Tijuana, Mexico. In 2014, 132 deported PWID completed a structured questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CESD-10) screening instrument. Eligible participants were ≥18 years old, injected drugs in the past month, spoke English or Spanish, and resided in Tijuana. Multivariate analyses identified factors associated with depressive symptoms. Among deported PWID, 45% reported current symptoms of depression. Deported PWID who were initially detained in the US for a crime-related reason before being deported (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 5.27; 95% CI: 1.79–15.52) and who perceived needing help with their drug use (AOR: 2.15; 95% 1.01–4.61) had higher odds of reporting depressive symptoms. Our findings highlight the need for effective strategies targeting deported migrants who inject drugs to treat mental health and drug abuse in Tijuana. Investing in the mental health of deported PWID may also be a viable HIV prevention strategy. PMID:27132880

  16. The impact of the maquiladoras on health and health policy along the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, D M; Homedes, N

    2001-01-01

    Over the last three and one-half decades, the development of twin industrial plants, maquilas, along the U.S.-Mexico border has resulted in industrialization of the northern tier of Mexican states and rapid population growth on both sides of the border. Maquilas have been responsible for some environmental contamination and may contribute to changes in family cohesiveness. At the same time they have not supported the needed expansion of public infrastructure. These are major public health consequences that must be considered by both countries. Solutions will require better cooperative efforts than have occurred in the past.

  17. Modeling of episodic particulate matter events using a 3-D air quality model with fine grid: Applications to a pair of cities in the US/Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Yu-Jin; Hyde, Peter; Fernando, H. J. S.

    High (episodic) particulate matter (PM) events over the sister cities of Douglas (AZ) and Agua Prieta (Sonora), located in the US-Mexico border, were simulated using the 3D Eulerian air quality model, MODELS-3/CMAQ. The best available input information was used for the simulations, with pollution inventory specified on a fine grid. In spite of inherent uncertainties associated with the emission inventory as well as the chemistry and meteorology of the air quality simulation tool, model evaluations showed acceptable PM predictions, while demonstrating the need for including the interaction between meteorology and emissions in an interactive mode in the model, a capability currently unavailable in MODELS-3/CMAQ when dealing with PM. Sensitivity studies on boundary influence indicate an insignificant regional (advection) contribution of PM to the study area. The contribution of secondary particles to the occurrence of high PM events was trivial. High PM episodes in the study area, therefore, are purely local events that largely depend on local meteorological conditions. The major PM emission sources were identified as vehicular activities on unpaved/paved roads and wind-blown dust. The results will be of immediate utility in devising PM mitigation strategies for the study area, which is one of the US EPA-designated non-attainment areas with respect to PM.

  18. Influences of Cross-Border Mobility on Tuberculosis Diagnoses and Treatment Interruption Among Injection Drug Users in Tijuana, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deiss, Robert; Garfein, Richard S.; Lozada, Remedios; Burgos, Jose Luis; Brouwer, Kimberly C.; Moser, Kathleen S.; Zuniga, Maria Luisa; Rodwell, Timothy C.; Ojeda, Victoria D.

    2009-01-01

    Objectives. We sought to identify correlates of reported lifetime diagnoses of TB among injection drug users in the border city of Tijuana, Mexico. Methods. Injection drug users in Tijuana were recruited into a prospective cohort study during 2006 and 2007. We used weighted multivariate logistic regression to identify correlates of TB diagnoses. Results. Of the 1056 participants, 103 (9.8%) reported a history of TB, among whom 93% received anti-TB medication and 80% were diagnosed in the United States. Treatment was prematurely halted among 8% of patients; deportation from the United States was the cause of half of these treatment interruptions. History of travel to (odds ratio [OR] = 6.44; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.53, 27.20) or deportation from (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.07, 3.12) the United States and incarceration (OR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.06, 4.58) were independently associated with a reported lifetime diagnosis of TB. Conclusions. Mobility and migration are important factors in identifying and treating TB patients diagnosed in the US–Mexico border region. Strengthening capacity on both sides of the border to identify, monitor, and treat TB is a priority. PMID:19542040

  19. The Lost Path: Regulating Transit Illegal Immigration on Mexico’s Southern Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-12-01

    Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, August 2013), 160. 7 George W. Grayson, “Mexico’s Forgotten Southern Border: Does Mexico Practice at Home What...Migraciones en el Sur de México y Centroamérica (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, 2008), 239. 243 Cervera, “ La Otra Frontera,” 144. 244...Tensiones entre los Derechos Humanos, Ley y Justicia,” in Migraciones en el Sur de México y Centroamérica (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas

  20. Tuberculosis along the United States-Mexico border, 1993-2001 La tuberculosis en la frontera mexicanoestadounidense

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eileen Schneider

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB is a leading public health problem and a recognized priority for the federal Governments of both Mexico and the United States of America. The objectives of this research, primarily for the four states in the United States that are along the border with Mexico, were to: (1 describe the epidemiological situation of TB, (2 identify TB risk factors, and (3 discuss tuberculosis program strategies. METHODS: We analyzed tuberculosis case reports collected from 1993 through 2001 by the tuberculosis surveillance system of the United States. We used those data to compare TB cases mainly among three groups: (1 Mexican-born persons in the four United States border states (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, (2 persons in those four border states who had been born in the United States, and (3 Mexican-born persons in the 46 other states of the United States, which do not border Mexico. RESULTS: For the period from 1993 through 2001, of the 16 223 TB cases reported for Mexican-born persons in the United States, 12 450 of them (76.7% were reported by Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. In those four border states overall in 2001, tuberculosis case rates for Mexican-born persons were 5.0 times as high as the rates for persons born in the United States; those four states have 23 counties that directly border on Mexico, and the ratio in those counties was 5.8. HIV seropositivity, drug and alcohol use, unemployment, and incarceration were significantly less likely to be reported in Mexican-born TB patients from the four border states and the nonborder states than in patients born in the United States from the four border states (P OBJETIVOS: La tuberculosis es un problema de salud pública importante y es una prioridad reconocida por los gobiernos federales de México y Estados Unidos de América. Los objetivos de la presente investigación fueron los siguientes, atendiendo específicamente a los cuatro estados de los

  1. Nutritional status and socio-ecological factors associated with overweight/obesity at a rural-serving US-Mexico border university.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Susan L; Gallivan, Amanda; Kratzke, Cynthia; Amatya, Anup

    2012-10-01

    Globesity (the global epidemic of obesity), like undernutrition at the opposite end of the malnutrition spectrum, affects virtually all age and socioeconomic groups in developed and developing countries. Genetics, comorbid diseases and lifestyle factors have been associated with obesity and weight gain for college students. Little is known about obesity and lifestyle factors of campus students and employees located in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of overweight/obesity and socioecological elements of the obesogenic environment at a rural-serving US-Mexico border university. Data were collected using a cross-sectional, convenience sample by anasynchronous electronic survey submitted to approximately 23 000 students, faculty and staff on the main campus of New Mexico State University. Self-reported anthropometric indicators were used as proxy measures of nutritional status. Factors analyzed include the prevalence overweight/obesity from calculated body mass index (BMI) and self-identified body image in the contexts of sex, age, ethnicity, role at the university (student or employee) and residence. Body mass index categories were analyzed for associations with reported prevalence of stress indicators such as clinically diagnosed anxiety or depression, and major diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and stroke. A total of 3962 completed surveys were analyzed. Self-reported respondent rates (n = 3962) of overweight and obese individuals (47.2%) were less than those reported for the state (60.7%) in a 2010 national survey. When BMI was analyzed by sex, there was a significant difference (p = 0.003) between males and females. More males were overweight and obese than females. When BMI and BMI categories were assessed by age, ethnicity, role at the university and residence, each variable was found to have statistically significant differences. No one demographic or socioecological factor appears to have a

  2. Meaning Making and Translanguaging in a Two-Way Dual-Language Program on the U.S.-Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esquinca, Alberto; Araujo, Blanca; de la Piedra, María Teresa

    2014-01-01

    The article analyzes meaning-making practices in a two-way dual-language (TWDL) program on the U.S.-Mexico border among "transfronterizo" and Mexican-origin youth. In the article, we show that emergent bilingual learners and their teacher participate in activities that mediate understanding of science content knowledge. We show how the…

  3. Proceedings of a USGS Workshop on Facing Tomorrow's Challenges Along the U.S.-Mexico Border - Monitoring, Modeling, and Forecasting Change Within the Arizona-Sonora Transboundary Watersheds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Laura M.; Hirsch, Derrick D.; Ward, A. Wesley

    2008-01-01

    INTRODUCTION TO THE WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS Competition for water resources, habitats, and urban areas in the Borderlands has become an international concern. In the United States, Department of Interior Bureaus, Native American Tribes, and other State and Federal partners rely on the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide unbiased science and leadership in the Borderlands region. Consequently, the USGS hosted a workshop, ?Facing Tomorrow?s Challenges along the U.S.-Mexico Border,? on March 20?22, 2007, in Tucson, Ariz., focused specifically on monitoring, modeling, and forecasting change within the Arizona-Sonora Transboundary Watersheds

  4. Border markets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Walther, Olivier

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this issue of Articulo – Journal of Urban Research is to examine the characteristics of border markets in a comparative perspective. In this introductory paper, I first discuss what makes African border markets different from other markets, and examine several factors that explain...... their unequal economic development: the presence of a trade community, the combination of trading and productive activities, and the relative porosity of borders. In a second part, I examine how border markets on the U.S.-Mexico border must simultaneously guarantee the security of the state while favoring...... regional trade. The last part of the paper argues that more policy attention should be paid to border markets which, despite being at the margin of states, are a vital component of their economy. Fifty years after most West African states became independent and just as NAFTA turns 20, it is high time...

  5. Breast cancer genetic testing awareness, attitudes and intentions of Latinas living along the US-Mexico border: a qualitative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalela, Patricia; Pagán, José A; Su, Dejun; Muñoz, Edgar; Ramirez, Amelie G

    2012-01-01

    Genetic testing for breast cancer may facilitate better-informed decisions regarding cancer prevention, risk reduction, more effective early detection, and better determination of risk for family members. Despite these potential benefits, significant portions of the US population-particularly Latinas-lack awareness of genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility. Among women who are tested, less than 4% are Latina. To uncover reasons for Latinas' low participation, this study explores awareness, attitudes and behavioral intentions to undergo genetic testing among average-risk Latinas along the Texas-Mexico border. Eight focus groups were conducted with 58 Latinas aged 19-69 living in Hidalgo County, a largely Latino region of South Texas. Focus group discussions were digitally recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis to assess, categorize and interpret them. Two experienced study team members analyzed transcripts to identify major concepts grouped into theme categories. Participants mostly had less than a high-school education (43%), spoke primarily Spanish (52%), were of Mexican-American origin (90%) and had a family income of $30,000 or less (75%). Focus groups found that most participants had positive attitudes and strong interest in genetic testing, yet lacked general awareness and knowledge about genetic testing, its risks, benefits, and limitations. Participants also identified several key cultural-based influencers, such as family, religious beliefs and fear of testing. The delivery of culturally adapted risk information is needed to increase and ensure Latinas' understanding of breast cancer genetic testing during their decision-making processes. Key Latino values-religiosity, importance of family and the influential role of health care providers in health decisions-should also be considered when designing interventions targeting this specific group. Further research is needed to identify effective ways to communicate

  6. Administrative Surveillance and Fear: Implications for U.S.-Mexico Border Relations and Governance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Fear has struck the people along the U.S.-Mexico border. Government authorities of the two nations have implemented techniques to secure the Rio Grande against drug trafficking, immigration, and terrorism. This article explores the issues and policies that have led to the escalation of violence on the U.S.-Mexico border and the ‘politics of fear’. Firstly, Mexican and U.S. governmental authorities are examined in the context of their actions against the various drug cartels. Secondly, the impact of such actions on the nations’ publics is analysed. The authors combine the theoretical conceptions of the ‘media spectacle’ and the politics of fear that create a ‘spectacle of fear’ to explain events in the region. Finally, the authors provide a theoretical interpretation of the politics and administration of security policies regarding the impact of violence in this border region, employing primarily the works of Michel Foucault and Hannah Arendt, which are central to any discussion of the phenomena of politics and societal violence. Overall, this work seeks to interpret the ‘culture of fear’ forced on citizens and the conflict between power and violence. Resumen: Vigilancia Administrativa y Miedo: Implicaciones para la Gobernanza y las Relaciones Fronterizas México-Estados Unidos El miedo ha tomado por sorpresa a la población que habita en la región fronteriza México-Estados Unidos. Las autoridades han implementado acciones para combatir, en ambos lados del Río Bravo, el tráfico de drogas, la migración y el terrorismo. En este artículo se explican las causas de la violencia fronteriza que derivan en la ‘política del miedo’. Primeramente, se analizan las acciones de las autoridades mexicanas y estadounidenses en contra de los denominados cárteles de la droga. En segundo lugar, se evalúa el impacto de dichas acciones sobre la sociedad en ambas naciones. Los autores combinan las nociones teóricas de

  7. The Border Environmental Health Initiative-investigating the transboundary Santa Cruz watershed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Laura M.; Callegary, James; van Riper, Charles; Gray, Floyd

    2010-01-01

    In 2004 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched the Border Environmental Health Initiative (BEHI), a major project encompassing the entire U.S.-Mexico border region. In 2009, a study of the Santa Cruz River Watershed (SCW), located in the border region of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, was initiated as part of the BEHI. In this borderland region of the desert Southwest, human health and the ecosystems on which humans rely depend critically on limited water resources. Surface water is scarce during much of the year, and groundwater is the primary source for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use. In order to identify risks to water resources in the SCW, and the potential consequences to riparian ecosystems and ultimately human health, the USGS is using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach that incorporates the expertise of geographers, hydrologists, biologists, and geologists to track organic and inorganic contaminants and their effects from sources to sinks in sediment, water, plants, and animals. Existing groundwater and surface-water models are being used and modified to assess contaminant and sediment transport.

  8. Posse Comitatus and the Use of the Military in Denying Terrorist Access to the United States Along the Border with Mexico

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Thomas, Greg A

    2005-01-01

    .... The largely unsecured border we share with Mexico is an enticing avenue for illegal immigrants and drug smugglers but also, and more importantly, for potential terrorists hostile to the United States...

  9. Arbovirus Surveillance near the Mexico-U.S. Border: Isolation and Sequence Analysis of Chikungunya Virus from Patients with Dengue-like Symptoms in Reynosa, Tamaulipas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laredo-Tiscareño, S Viridiana; Machain-Williams, Carlos; Rodríguez-Pérez, Mario A; Garza-Hernandez, Javier A; Doria-Cobos, Gloria L; Cetina-Trejo, Rosa C; Bacab-Cab, Lucio A; Tangudu, Chandra S; Charles, Jermilia; De Luna-Santillana, Erick J; Garcia-Rejon, Julian E; Blitvich, Bradley J

    2018-05-14

    A total of 1,090 residents of the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, on the Mexico-U.S. border presented at hospitals and clinics of the Secretariat of Health, Mexico, in 2015 with symptoms characteristic of dengue. Dengue virus (DENV) antigen was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in acute sera from 134 (12.3%) patients. Sera from select patients ( N = 34) were also tested for chikungunya virus (CHIKV) RNA by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Thirteen (38.2%) patients, including five DENV antigen-positive patients, were positive. Sera from three CHIKV RNA-positive patients were further assayed by virus isolation in cell culture and CHIKV was recovered on each occasion. The genome of one isolate and structural genes of the other two isolates were sequenced. In conclusion, we present evidence of CHIKV and DENV coinfections in patients who live near the Mexico-U.S. border and provide the first genome sequence of a CHIKV isolate from northern Mexico.

  10. Evolving impact of environmental laws on cross-border power between Mexico and the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barron, J.

    2005-01-01

    There has been a growing concern among some United States (US) residents that the increasing number of merchant power plants planned for the Mexican side of the US/Mexican border could contribute to increased air pollution and the misuse of finite water resources in the border region. The case of Border Power Plant Working Group v. DOE, et al. is examined in this paper, providing a focus for a discussion of the border region's future as US merchant power producers continue to position themselves to provide electricity in California. One of the factors in the push to develop power generation on the Mexican side of the border was California's electricity crisis of 2000-2001, and plans have been drawn up to build 22 plants between Mexicali and Ciudad Juarez. A history of the Border Power Plant Working Group (BPPWG) was presented, along with details of the government's granting of permits for the power plants after environmental assessments. By suing the government BPPWG hoped to set a standard for future power plant development in the area. The lawsuit addressed the following 4 primary concerns: air emissions; emission offsets; water cooling; and wastewater discharge. BPPWG aimed to achieve the 3 following results: protective legislation in the 4 U.S. border states that would preclude the use of massive amounts of water in border power plant cooling systems; a critical area designation with pollution limits set low enough to require catalytic control systems; and an overarching annex to the La Paz Agreement that would create a formal bi-national agreement governing the above actions for both countries. A review of environmental law in both countries was presented, along with a description of the proposed plants. A complete review of the lawsuit was provided, along with eventual rulings against the BPPWG. It was concluded that the case showed that power developers had proved that although the plants would contribute to the environmental degradation of the region, the

  11. Informal networks, phones and Facebook : Information seeking and technology use by undocumented migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Newell, Bryce; Gomez, Ricardo

    2015-01-01

    Through semi-structured interviews with recently deported and other migrants and migrant aid-workers at a shelter in the border town of Nogales, Mexico, we examine how undocumented migrants are seeking, acquiring, understanding, and using information prior to, and during, migration across the

  12. Assessing Disparities of Dengue Virus Transmission Risk across the US-Mexican Border Using a Climate Driven Vector-Epidemiological Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Cory; Monaghan, Andrew; Quattrochi, Dale; Crosson, William; Hayden, Mary; Ernst, Kacey

    2015-01-01

    Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease reemerging throughout much of the tropical Americas. Dengue virus transmission is explicitly influenced by climate and the environment through its primary vector, Aedes aegypti. Temperature regulates Ae. aegypti development, survival, and replication rates as well as the incubation period of the virus within the mosquito. Precipitation provides water for many of the preferred breeding habitats of the mosquito, including buckets, old tires, and other places water can collect. Although transmission regularly occurs along the border region in Mexico, dengue virus transmission in bordering Arizona has not occurred. Using NASA's TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) satellite for precipitation input and Daymet for temperature and supplemental precipitation input, we modeled dengue transmission along a US-Mexico transect using a dynamic dengue transmission model that includes interacting vector ecology and epidemiological components. Model runs were performed for 5 cities in Sonora, Mexico and southern Arizona. Employing a Monte Carlo approach, we performed ensembles of several thousands of model simulations in order to resolve the model uncertainty arising from using different combinations of parameter values that are not well known. For cities with reported dengue case data, the top model simulations that best reproduced dengue case numbers were retained and their parameter values were extracted for comparison. These parameter values were used to run simulations in areas where dengue virus transmission does not occur or where dengue fever case data was unavailable. Additional model runs were performed to reveal how changes in climate or parameter values could alter transmission risk along the transect. The relative influence of climate variability and model parameters on dengue virus transmission is assessed to help public health workers prepare location specific infection prevention strategies.

  13. Impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on transportation in the border areas of the United States : with emphasis on the California-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    1999-08-01

    This report identifies impacts of the North ?American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on transportation in the U.S. border areas. Emphasis is on the California-Baja California border zone. Focus is on the identification of recommendations to the Califor...

  14. Disentangling contributions of bar attendance, drinking, and other factors to elevated acute alcohol problems on the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Britain A; Caetano, Raul; Vaeth, Patrice A C; Reingle Gonzalez, Jennifer M

    2015-11-01

    Levels of drinking are unusually elevated among young adults on the U.S.-Mexico border, and this elevation can be largely explained by young border residents' unusually high frequency of bar attendance. However, this explanation complicates interpretation of high alcohol problem rates that have also been observed in this group. Because bar environments can lower the threshold for many types of problems, the extent to which elevated alcohol problems among young border residents can be attributed to drinking per se-versus this common drinking context-is not clear. Data were collected from multistage cluster samples of adult Mexican Americans on and off the U.S.-Mexico border (current drinker N = 1,351). After developing structural models of acute alcohol problems, estimates were subjected to path decompositions to disentangle the common and distinct contributions of drinking and bar attendance to problem disparities on and off the border. Additionally, models were estimated under varying degrees of adjustment to gauge the sensitivity of the results to sociodemographic, social-cognitive, and environmental sources of confounding. Consistent with previous findings for both drinking and other problem measures, acute alcohol problems were particularly elevated among young adults on the border. This elevation was entirely explained by a single common pathway involving bar attendance frequency and drinking. Bar attendance did not predict acute alcohol problems independently of drinking, and its effect was not moderated by border proximity or age. The common indirect effect and its component effects (of border youth on bar attendance, of bar attendance on drinking, and of drinking on problems) were surprisingly robust to adjustment for confounding in all parts of the model (e.g., fully adjusted indirect effect: b = 0.11, SE = 0.04, p Bar attendance and associated increases in drinking play a key, unique role in the high levels of acute alcohol problems among the border

  15. The Mexican migration to the US and substance use in Northern Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borges, Guilherme; Medina-Mora, Maria-Elena; Orozco, Ricardo; Fleiz, Clara; Cherpitel, Cheryl; Breslau, Joshua

    2009-01-01

    Aims To examine the impact of migration to the US on substance use and substance use disorders in three urban areas of Northern Mexico. Design Cross-sectional survey of immigration related experiences and lifetime and past-year alcohol and drug use, in a representative sample of respondents ages 12 to 65. Setting Interviews were conducted in the cities of Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, and Monterrey during 2005. Respondents were classified into three groups: 1) “return migrants”, 2) “relatives of migrants” and 3) “others in the general population”. Findings A total of 1,630 completed interviews were obtained for a response rate of 70.5%. “Return migrants” were more likely to have used alcohol, marijuana or cocaine at least once in their lifetime and in the last 12-months, more likely to develop a substance use disorder, and more likely to have a 12-month substance use disorder, compared with “others in the general population”. Among “return migrants”, longer length of time in the US and type of work performed as an immigrant were related to higher prevalence of substance use. Among “relatives of migrants”, migration experiences were not associated with increased prevalence of substance use compared with “others in the general population”. Conclusion This study found a link between migration to the US and the transformation of substance use norms and pathology in Mexico. Future research of pre-migration involvement in substance use and data on the timing of events among return migrants is needed. Public health measures are likely to require cross-border coordination of research and service development. PMID:19215601

  16. The Internal Frontier: How Art at Once Problematizes Borders and Draws us Closer to Them

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kasia Ozga

    2017-11-01

    In the artworks, migration is transformed from an isolated act to a shared human experience. The images, at once precise and indeterminate, maintain the dual symbolism of the border as barrier and as springboard, simultaneously inhibiting and enabling interactions between individuals and select geographic locations. Just as migrants lead us to re-evaluate our physical and mental borders, critical cultural production can contest the impact and staying power of borders by underscoring how establishing and overriding boundaries enable us to claim and reclaim who we are.

  17. Volatile organic compound measurements in the California/Mexico border region during SCOS97

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zielinska, B.; Sagebiel, J.; Harshfield, G.; Pasek, R.

    2001-01-01

    Measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOC) were carried out in the California/Mexico border region during the Southern California Ozone Study in the summer of 1997 (SCOS97). Integrated 3-h samples were collected in Rosarito (south of Tijuana, Mexico) and in Mexicali during intensive operational periods (IOP), twice per IOP day. VOC were collected using stainless-steel 6-l canisters; carbonyl compounds were collected using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) impregnated C18 SepPak cartridges. The canister samples were analyzed for speciated volatile hydrocarbons (C 2 -C 12 ), CO, CO 2 , CH 4 , methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE), and halogenated hydrocarbons. DNPH-impregnated cartridges were analyzed for 14 C 1 -C 7 carbonyl compounds. The concentrations of all species were higher at Mexicali than in Rosarito. A good correlation between total non-methane hydrocarbons (TNMHC), CO, and other pollutants associated with motor vehicle emissions observed for Mexicali indicates that the main source of TNMHC at this site is vehicular traffic

  18. Placebo Trends across the Border: US versus Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Cory S; Campbell, Natasha K J; Raz, Amir

    2015-01-01

    Physicians around the world report to using placebos in a variety of situations and with varying degrees of frequency. Inconsistent methodologies, however, complicate interpretation and prevent direct comparisons across studies. While US- and Canada-based physicians share similar professional standards, Canada harbours a less-litigious universal healthcare model with no formal placebo-related policy-factors that may impact how physicians view and use placebos. To compare American and Canadian data, we circulated an online survey to academic physicians practicing in Canada, collected anonymous responses, and extracted those of internists and rheumatologists for comparison to US data obtained through parallel methodologies. Whereas our data show overall concordance across the border-from definitions to ethical limitations and therapeutic potential-differences between American- and Canadian-based placebo practices merit acknowledgement. For example, compared to 45%-80% among US-based respondents, only 23±7% of Canada-based respondents reported using placebos in clinical practice. However, 79±7% of Canada-respondents-a figure comparable to US data-professed to prescribing at least one form of treatment without proven or expected efficacy. Placebo interventions including unwarranted vitamins and herbal supplements (impure placebos) as well as sugar pills and saline injections (pure placebos) appear more common in Canada, where more doctors described placebos as "placebos" (rather than "medications") and used them as a "diagnostic" tool (rather than a means of placating patient demands for treatment). Cross-border variation in the use of clinical placebos appears minor despite substantial differences in health care delivery system, malpractice climate, and placebo-related policy. The prevalence of impure placebos in both Canadian and US clinics raises ethical and practical questions currently unaddressed by policy and warranting investigation.

  19. Alcohol use among Hispanic college students along the US/Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya, Jared A; Wittenburg, David; Martinez, Vanessa

    2016-11-01

    The trend of alcohol use among college students has been shown to vary by ethnicity and has been linked to acculturation among Hispanics. Consistent findings indicate that males consume alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities compared to females. This study investigated the drinking habits of Hispanic college students living in the border region of South Texas. The study evaluated the influence of acculturation on alcohol consumption among Hispanic males and females. Two hundred and ninety-six Hispanic students participated in this study. The participants reported their drinking behaviors over the past 30 days and completed a measure of acculturation. Fifty-nine percent of the participants reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days with more males than females reporting alcohol consumption. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age and gender, and not acculturation or enculturation, predicted drinking in the last 30 days. Among drinkers, the regression analyses indicated that gender and lower levels of Anglo orientation were linked to increased alcohol consumption, suggesting that Hispanics who were less oriented toward the Anglo culture consumed more alcohol than those more oriented toward the Anglo culture. Among drinkers, males and females did not differ in frequency or binge drinking, but males consumed more alcohol than females. Previous research indicates that greater acculturation is linked to greater consumption of alcohol; however, we found it to be associated with less consumption. The findings regarding gender represent some consistencies with previous research but there are some inconsistencies as well. These results suggest that less acculturated Hispanic male college students residing in the border region may be at a higher risk of alcohol abuse than Hispanic female students and more acculturated male students.

  20. Frontier Government: The Folding of the Canada-US Border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel O'Connor

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available In this paper the border is evaluated as a fold of power relations in which sovereign capacity and competence is marshalled alongside strategies of control, surveillance, and risk management to constitute, what we call, a zone of frontier government. We advance the argument that the border is a site for both negative and positive power, for insertion and subtraction, and that the assemblage of surveillance and compliance regimes are "run" not so much in the furtherance of a precautionary or pre-emptive end-state, but as intermediate values that are sufficiently malleable by an invigorated sovereign, expressed in the residue of discretion in and between the many border agencies.  Our analysis is based on extensive policy and program documents, as well as twenty-five interviews with officials in various agencies engaged in the US-Canada and, particularly, the Windsor-Detroit corridor. Normal 0 false false false EN-CA X-NONE X-NONE

  1. Health-related quality of life in a binational population with diabetes at the Texas-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mier, Nelda; Bocanegra-Alonso, Anabel; Zhan, Dongling; Zuniga, Miguel A; Acosta, Rosa I

    2008-03-01

    To examine physical and mental health domains of health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a binational adult population with type 2 diabetes at the Texas-Mexico border, and to explore individual and social correlates to physical and mental health status. Adults 18 years and older with type 2 diabetes residing in the South Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley and in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, were recruited using a convenience sampling technique and interviewed face-to-face with a structured survey. HRQL was measured using physical and mental health summary components of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form. HRQL correlates included demographic characteristics, health factors, access to healthcare, and family support. Samples characteristics were compared using the Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Associations between dependent and independent variables were examined using unadjusted and adjusted (multiple variable) logistic regression models. There were no significant differences between Valley and Reynosa respondents in physical or mental health status scores. Valley participants with lower socioeconomic status and those perceiving their supportive relative's level of diabetes-related knowledge as "low" were more likely to report worse physical health than those lacking those characteristics. In the Reynosa group, lower physical health status was associated with duration of diabetes and insulin use. Both sample populations with clinical depressive symptoms were more likely to have worse physical and mental health than those without such symptoms. HRQL is an important outcome in monitoring health status. Understanding the levels and influences of HRQL in U.S.-Mexico border residents with diabetes may help improve diabetes management programs.

  2. Epidemic dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever at the Texas-Mexico border: results of a household-based seroepidemiologic survey, December 2005.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos, Mary M; Mohammed, Hamish; Zielinski-Gutierrez, Emily; Hayden, Mary H; Lopez, Jose Luis Robles; Fournier, Marta; Trujillo, Alfredo Rodríguez; Burton, Roy; Brunkard, Joan M; Anaya-Lopez, Luis; Banicki, Allison Abell; Morales, Pablo Kuri; Smith, Brian; Muñoz, Jorge L; Waterman, Stephen H

    2008-03-01

    A dengue-2 epidemic causing dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) occurred in the contiguous border cities of Matamoros, Tamaulipas (Mexico), and Brownsville, TX, in 2005. In December, we conducted a household-based epidemiologic survey to determine the incidence and seroprevalence of dengue infection among Matamoros and Brownsville residents and to identify risk factors associated with infection. Antibodies to dengue were measured in 273 individuals. The estimated incidence of recent dengue infection was 32% and 4% among Matamoros and Brownsville participants, respectively. The estimated prevalence of past dengue infection was 77% and 39% among Matamoros and Brownsville participants, respectively. The Breteau index was 28 in Matamoros and 16 in Brownsville, reflecting an abundant winter population of Aedes mosquitoes. Discarded waste tires and buckets were the two largest categories of infested containers found in both cities. Our results underscore the risk for epidemic dengue and DHF in the Texas-Mexico border region.

  3. Monitoring Colonias Development along the United States-Mexico Border: A Process Application using GIS and Remote Sensing in Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Sonora

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Laura M.; Donelson, Angela J.; Pfeifer, Edwin L.; Lam, Alven H.; Osborn, Kenneth J.

    2004-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have developed a joint project to create Internet-enabled geographic information systems (GIS) that will help cities along the United States-Mexico border deal with issues related to colonias. HUD defines colonias as rural neighborhoods in the United States-Mexico border region that lack adequate infrastructure or housing and other basic services. They typically have high poverty rates that make it difficult for residents to pay for roads, sanitary water and sewer systems, decent housing, street lighting, and other services through assessment. Many Federal agencies recognize colonias designations and provide funding assistance. It is the intention of this project to empower Arizona-Sonora borderland neighborhoods and community members by recognizing them as colonias. This recognition will result in eligibility for available economic subsidies and accessibility to geospatial tools and information for urban planning. The steps to achieve this goal include delineation of colonia-like neighborhoods, identification of their urbanization over time, development of geospatial databases describing their infrastructure, and establishment of a framework for distributing Web-based GIS decision support systems. A combination of imagery and infrastructure information was used to help delineate colonia boundaries. A land-use change analysis, focused on urbanization in the cities over a 30-year timeframe, was implemented. The results of this project are being served over the Internet, providing data to the public as well as to participating agencies. One of the initial study areas for this project was the City of Douglas, Ariz., and its Mexican sister-city Agua Prieta, Sonora, which are described herein. Because of its location on the border, this twin-cities area is especially well suited to international manufacturing and commerce, which has, in turn, led to an uncontrolled spread of

  4. Rapid assessment procedures in environmental sanitation research: a case study from the northern border of Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cifuentes, Enrique; Alamo, Urinda; Kendall, Tamil; Brunkard, Joan; Scrimshaw, Susan

    2006-01-01

    There is a need to enhance the quality and sustainability of environmental health programs in Mexico. What socio-cultural factors influenced the adoption or rejection of Clean Water in Homes programs in this population? We applied rapid appraisal procedures (RAP) to evaluate these community-based programs. Qualitative study conducted in communities along Mexico's northern border. We conducted informal dialogues, semi-structured interviews, field notes and observations. Home visits used a checklist to observe: sources of water, handwashing, as well as human waste and garbage disposal patterns. Data analysis was conducted using ATLAS.ti, which facilitated comparison and illustration of discrepancies, the elaboration of emerging issues and relationships between them. Community members perceived that the Clean Water program was a top-down intervention. Water is perceived as a political issue and a matter of corruption. Inequity also limits solidarity activities involved in environmental sanitation. Migration to the United States of America (US) contributes to community fragmentation, which in turn dilutes communal efforts to improve water and sanitation infrastructure. While targeting women as program "recipients", the Clean Water program did not take gendered spheres of decision-making into account. Community members and authorities discussed the main results in "assemblies", particularly addressing the needs of excluded groups. The oversight of not exploring community members' needs and priorities prior to program implementation resulted in interventions that did not address the structural (economic, infrastructure) and socio-cultural barriers faced by community members to undertake the health-promoting behaviour change, and provoked resentment.

  5. Evaluating the War on Drugs: US and Colombian Interdiction Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-03-01

    market remained in the hands of Mexican traffickers.3 When, in the early 1970’s, the US tightened drug enforcement along the border with Mexico and the...US Senate, September 12-13, 1989. Tokatlian, J. , Bagley, B., Eds., Economia y Politica del Narcotraffico, CEI, Bogota, 1990. U.S. Congress. Senate

  6. "Hospital utilization by Mexican migrants returning to Mexico due to health needs"

    OpenAIRE

    González-Block, Miguel A; de la Sierra-de la Vega, Luz A

    2011-01-01

    Abstract Background A total of 12.7 million Mexicans reside as migrants in the United States, of whom only 45% have health insurance in this country while access to health insurance by migrants in Mexico is fraught with difficulties. Health insurance has been shown to impact the use of health care in both countries. This paper quantifies hospitalizations by migrants who return from the US seeking medical care in public and private hospitals in the US-Mexico border area and in communities of o...

  7. Wild Horse 69-kV transmission line environmental assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-12-01

    Hill County Electric Cooperative Inc. (Hill County) proposes to construct and operate a 69-kV transmission line from its North Gildford Substation in Montana north to the Canadian border. A vicinity project area map is enclosed as a figure. TransCanada Power Corporation (TCP), a Canadian power-marketing company, will own and construct the connecting 69-kV line from the international border to Express Pipeline's pump station at Wild Horse, Alberta. This Environmental Assessment is prepared for the Department of Energy (DOE) as lead federal agency to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as part of DOE's review and approval process of the applications filed by Hill County for a DOE Presidential Permit and License to Export Electricity to a foreign country. The purpose of the proposed line is to supply electric energy to a crude oil pump station in Canada, owned by Express Pipeline Ltd. (Express). The pipeline would transport Canadian-produced oil from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, to Caster, Wyoming. The Express Pipeline is scheduled to be constructed in 1996--97 and will supply crude oil to refineries in Wyoming and the midwest

  8. Wild Horse 69-kV transmission line environmental assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-12-01

    Hill County Electric Cooperative Inc. (Hill County) proposes to construct and operate a 69-kV transmission line from its North Gildford Substation in Montana north to the Canadian border. A vicinity project area map is enclosed as a figure. TransCanada Power Corporation (TCP), a Canadian power-marketing company, will own and construct the connecting 69-kV line from the international border to Express Pipeline`s pump station at Wild Horse, Alberta. This Environmental Assessment is prepared for the Department of Energy (DOE) as lead federal agency to comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as part of DOE`s review and approval process of the applications filed by Hill County for a DOE Presidential Permit and License to Export Electricity to a foreign country. The purpose of the proposed line is to supply electric energy to a crude oil pump station in Canada, owned by Express Pipeline Ltd. (Express). The pipeline would transport Canadian-produced oil from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada, to Caster, Wyoming. The Express Pipeline is scheduled to be constructed in 1996--97 and will supply crude oil to refineries in Wyoming and the midwest.

  9. [The effect of contraception on fertility in the border region of Chiapas, Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazar-Beutelspacher, A; Halperin-Frisch, D; Salvatierra-Izaba, B

    1996-01-01

    To estimate the effect of contraception on fertility in the border region of Chiapas, Mexico. In 1994 an epidemiological cross-sectional study was carried out on a representative sample of 1,560 non-indigenous women between ages 15 and 49 in the border region of Chiapas. The prevalence of contraception practices and the total fertility rates (TFR) were obtained and stratified by rural, intermediate and urban communities. TFR were compared between women who had never used contraceptives and those who had used them. The estimated TFR was 3.67 and varied from 4.14 in rural areas to 3.36 in urban areas. There were no differences in the TFR (3.74 and 3.88) nor in the average live births (3.47 and 3.48) between women who had never used contraceptives and those who had used them. The major effect of contraception on fertility was observed in rural areas. Factors which influence the small impact of contraception on fertility include the late use of these methods and the early age of first union among users.

  10. United States/Mexico electricity exchanges. [History, incentives, and constraints

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None,

    1980-05-01

    As a result of the agreement between the respective presidents, a joint study was undertaken to analyze the possibilities of increasing the international electricity exchange between the two countries. Responsibility for this undertaking was assigned to the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and to the Direccion de Energia de Mexico (DEM) through the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE). Representatives from Mexico and the US were chosen from the regional utilities along the border between the two countries and made up working groups that particiated in the study. With the support of both governments, and a high degree of cooperation between the two countries, work on the study was completed within fourteen months The completion of the study has been a major step in broadening the base of bilateral energy relations. the study highlights the opportunities for increased electricity exchanges, which could increase cooperation along the common border. Expansion of electricity interchange could offer substantial economic benefit to both countries, both directly and indirectly. Direct benefits include increased reliability of electric power and cost savings through economies of scale and diversity of peak demand patterns. Indirect benefits include improved economic and employment opportunities, especially in the border areas of both countries. This report provides background on the history of past exchanges and the characteristics of the US and Mexico electric systems, a summary of opportunities and incentives, and suggestions for procedures to remove obstacles and constraints.

  11. Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated voltages from 1 kV (Um = 1,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV) : Part 2: cables for rated voltages from 6 kV (Um = 7,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV)

    CERN Document Server

    International Electrotechnical Commission. Geneva

    2005-01-01

    Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated voltages from 1 kV (Um = 1,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV) : Part 2: cables for rated voltages from 6 kV (Um = 7,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV)

  12. Validation of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess folate status. Results discriminate a high-risk group of women residing on the Mexico-US border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacardí-Gascón, Montserrat; Ley y de Góngora, Silvia; Castro-Vázquez, Brenda Yuniba; Jiménez-Cruz, Arturo

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to estimate dietary intake of folate in two groups of women from different economic backgrounds and to evaluate validity of the 5-day-weighed food registry (5-d-WFR) and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) using biological markers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two samples of urban Mexican women: one represented the middle socioeconomic status (middle SES) and the other, low socioeconomic status (low SES). Middle SES included 34 women recruited from 1998 to 1999. Participants were between the ages of 18 and 32 years and were employed in the banking industry (middle SES) in the US-Mexican border city of Tijuana, Baja California. Low SES included 70 women between the ages of 18 and 35 years recruited during the year 2000. These women were receiving care at a primary health care center in Ensenada, Baja California Norte State, Mexico (low SES). Pearson correlations were calculated between folate intake among 5-day diet registry, FFQ, and biochemical indices. FFQ reproducibility was performed by Spearman correlation of each food item daily and of weekly intake. Average folate intake in middle SES from 5-d-WFR was 210 microg +/- 171. Fifty four percent of participants had intakes risk of NTDs as a result of low folate intake and low serum folate and RBC folate concentrations.

  13. System impact assessment report 115 kV interconnection between Cornwall system and Hydro One : final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    Cornwall Electric (CE) is the local distribution company that serves the City of Cornwall, Ontario. The utility can be supplied from either Hydro Quebec, New York ISO or the IESO. CE has proposed to connect Rosemount, McConnell and Courtaulds substations to the IESO-controlled grid in order to obtain access to the competitively priced electricity in Ontario. The load connected to the 2 substations peaks in winter at about 100 MW. The 2 substations will be connected in stages. Only 40 MW of load from the Rosemount substation will be connected initially, followed by up to 100 MW from the McConnell and Courtaulds substation at a later date. The connection will be made through a circuit that taps into the St. Lawrence transmission station in Ontario. A new circuit will also be built and strung on existing towers. This document described the requirements for under-frequency load shedding; voltage reduction facilities; power factor; on-line monitoring; and system protections. According to data provided by Hydro One, the circuit is adequately rated to accommodate connection of the load from the Rosemount and McConnell and Courtaulds substations with no thermal overloading concerns. Winter load conditions were also considered. However, the IESO noted a potential reliability concern in the event that the Cardinal Power generating station is out of service and only one of the transformers connecting St. Lawrence 230 kV bus to St. Lawrence 115 kV bus is in service. However, the power transfers rated at 250 MVA are within the continuous rating of one transformer. It was concluded that the connection of the new load does not have an impact on the short circuit current at the St. Lawrence transmission station. The continuous thermal rating of the circuit is considered to be adequate for the proposed 100 MW of load transfer and the rating of the new line is sufficient to supply the total load at McConnell and Courtaulds. The ratings of the new disconnect switches meet market

  14. 77 FR 52753 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection 2012 East Coast Trade Symposium: “Expanding 21st Century...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border.... Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ACTION: Notice of trade symposium... Coast Trade Symposium will be held at the Renaissance DC Hotel, at 999 9th Street, NW., Washington, DC...

  15. Development of a Surveillance Definition for United States-Mexico Binational Cases of Tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woodruff, Rachel S Yelk; Miner, Mark C; Miramontes, Roque

    Consistently collected binational surveillance data are important in advocating for resources to manage and treat binational cases of tuberculosis (TB). The objective of this study was to develop a surveillance definition for binational (United States-Mexico) cases of TB to assess the burden on US TB program resources. We collaborated with state and local TB program staff members in the United States to identify characteristics associated with binational cases of TB. We collected data on all cases of TB from 9 pilot sites in 5 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas) during January 1-June 30, 2014, that had at least 1 binational characteristic (eg, "crossed border while on TB treatment" and "received treatment in another country, coordinated by an established, US-funded, binational TB program"). A workgroup of US state, local, and federal partners reviewed results and used them to develop a practical surveillance definition. The pilot sites reported 87 cases of TB with at least 1 binational characteristic during the project period. The workgroup drafted a proposed surveillance definition to include 2 binational characteristics: "crossed border while on TB treatment" (34 of 87 cases, 39%) and "received treatment in another country, coordinated by an established, US-funded, binational TB program" (26 of 87 cases, 30%). Applying the new proposed definition, 39 of 87 pilot cases of TB (45%) met the definition of binational. Input from partners who were responsible for the care and treatment of patients who cross the United States-Mexico border was crucial in defining a binational case of TB.

  16. Voces de la frontera/Voices from the Border: Using Case Studies of Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting along the U.S.-Mexico Border to Identify Shared Measures of Success.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selchau, Katherine; Babuca, Maricela; Bower, Kara; Castro, Yara; Flores, Araceli; Garcia, Jonah O; Reyes, Maria Lourdes F; Rojas, Yvonne; Shattuck, Laura

    2017-12-01

    Purpose This research analyzes the cases of five women living along the U.S.-Mexico border who overcame challenges during pregnancy or parenting with the support of a federally funded Healthy Start program, designed to eliminate disparities in perinatal health in disadvantaged communities with the poorest birth outcomes. Study objectives were to: (1) identify common factors that affect healthy maternal and child outcomes for Healthy Start participants; and (2) identify a shared definition of what success looks like for Healthy Start participants and opportunities for further study. Description Five border Healthy Start sites (CA, AZ, NM, and TX) contributed case stories from participants who had overcome access barriers to achieve positive pregnancy, birth or parenting outcomes. Case studies were collected using review of successful participant cases and non-structured interviews by Healthy Start staff, and analyzed using participatory methods and thematic analysis. Assessment Common barriers were: lack of insurance; isolation or unsupportive family relationships; timidness and lack of self-advocacy. Healthy Start programs have been successful in securing supportive relationships through the community health worker model; reducing isolation; obtaining insurance access and a medical home; building self-advocacy skills; and supporting participants to pursue their goals. Conclusion Identified barriers are in line with available literature on health care access and provide a U.S.-Mexico border-specific view. The Healthy Start model is effective at helping women to overcome barriers. Learning from this research may contribute to development of shared measures for more impactful evaluation of Healthy Start and similar programs.

  17. US service firms eye increased sales to Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports on American service supply companies which hope the pending U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement will step up their sales of goods and service to Petroleos Mexicanos. They testified at a House foreign affairs subcommittee hearing on the oil aspects of the FTA and commented on a recent General Accounting Office report. Rep. Sam Gejdenson, (D-Conn.), subcommittee chairman, has been critical of FTA negotiations because it appears they will not open the Mexican oil sector to U.S. firms. Mexico's constitution bans foreign firms from owning Mexican reserves. It has been stated that the U.S. oil industry needs the business. The industry, particularly drillers, contractors, and manufacturers of oil equipment, has been hurting for more than 10 years now. They have lost more than 356,000 jobs in this sector in the last decade more than have been lost in the entire U.S. auto industry. Access to trade and investment in Mexico's oil sector could mean the difference between profit and bankruptcy for tens of thousands of small and medium size oil service contractors

  18. Merida Initiative: Insight Into U.S. Mexico Relations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    LEGISLATION IN THE UNITED STATES ....................................................................................................33 E. MEXICO AS...United States and Mexico go far beyond sheer geography.” She goes on to say, “Bound by economic, environmental , cultural, familial, security, and...attribute the rise in prevalence of Mexican cartels to U.S. seizures of drugs in the Caribbean, essentially closing this route down and forcing Colombian

  19. FERTILITY, CHILD LABOUR AND MIGRATION OF AGRICULTURAL DAY LABORERS (AS OF COFFEE IN THECROSS-BORDER SPACE MEXICO-GUATEMALA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Austreberta Nazar-Beutelspacher

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Chiapas as the border departments of Guatemala is characterized as an area of socio-economic backwardness. Since the twentieth century a significant flow of undocumented Guatemalan migrant families are temporarily employed in Mexican coffee plantations in the Soconusco region, mostly from the poorest and most marginalized rural sectors from the border Guatemalan departments. This paper estimates the marital Total Fertility Rate and explores the reproductive characteristics of Guatemalan agricultural laborers families. The Global marital fertility rate is high (5.65 children per woman on average at the end of their reproductive life with an increasing trend. It is argued that a high number of children in these families are functional for them, since they require the family labor for their survival. In this cross-border area are articulated by child labor, high fertility of Guatemalan rural migrants, due to the political and socioeconomic conditions of Guatemala, and the development needs of the agricultural export capital coffee in Mexico, permanently driven by the Mexican government.

  20. 22 CFR 127.4 - Authority of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Authority of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. 127.4 Section 127.4 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNATIONAL TRAFFIC IN ARMS REGULATIONS VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES § 127.4 Authority of U.S...

  1. Fan Letters to the Cultural Industries: Border Literature about Mass Media

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claire Fox

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available The concentration of the Mexican and U.S. cultural industries in cities outside of the border region and the intermittent outsourcing of Hollywood movies to production facilities in Baja, California, have had a marked impact on the literary practice of "fronterizo" 'border' intellectuals. This essay discusses the theme of the cinema in three narratives by authors from the U.S.-Mexico border region: "Hotel Frontera" ("Border Hotel", by Gabriel Trujillo Muñoz, "Canícula," by Norma Elia Cantú, and "The Magic of Blood," by Dagoberto Gilb. These narratives provide ethnographic information about the reception of nationally distributed mass media in the border region; at the same time they produce a contestatory discourse that challenges the manner in which the border and its populations have been portrayed and employed in the U.S. and Mexican film industries. The study of film culture must take into consideration patterns of consumption as well as production, and literature about mass media is one arena through which it is possible to focus on both of these processes simultaneously. Fronteriza/o writing about cinema reveals a desire to inhabit popular cinematic genres such as film noir and the western while at the same time retaining a critical stance towards them. This ambivalence is understood as a localist response to the marginalization of fronteriza/o cultural production in a bi-national context, rather than as general suspicion toward visual mass media on the part of "traditional" literary intellectuals.

  2. Radon survey related to construction materials and soils in Zacatecas, Mexico using LR-115

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mireles, F.; Garcia, M.L.; Quirino, L.L.; Davila, J.I.; Pinedo, J.L.; Rios, C.; Montero, M.E.; Colmenero, L.; Villalba, L.

    2007-01-01

    Indoor radon gas ( 222 Rn), present in the air inside buildings, is one of the most important sources of radiation exposure to the population. This gas originates in the 238 U radioactive decay chain, which is contained in rock and solid soil particles. Radon accumulation in confined spaces, inside buildings, depends on several factors such as the type of soils, type of constructions, building materials, and ventilation. The aim of this work is to present indoor and outdoor radon concentrations for 202 dwellings and indoor concentrations for 148 public clinics; and the radon concentrations relate to the type of predominant soils, the construction years; and building materials used in the ceilings, walls and floors, for cities and towns of the 57 municipalities in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico. The 222 Rn concentrations were measured with a passive-type radon monitor, with LR-115 as detector material; and the radon survey was made during four stages of three months each throughout Zacatecas from 2001 to 2002. The indoor and outdoor radon concentration averages in dwellings were 55.6±4.9Bqm -3 and 46.5±5.3Bqm -3 , respectively. The indoor radon concentration average in public clinics was 57.8±5.4Bqm -3 . These values were lower than the US EPA action limit of 148Bqm -3

  3. Violence on the US-Mexico Border and the Capital Students Use in Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araujo, Blanca; de la Piedra, Maria Teresa

    2013-01-01

    Recent studies have identified multiple forms of capital that Latino students acquire in their homes and communities. Influenced by these studies, this article examines how transnational students of Mexican origin use various forms of their community's cultural wealth as tools to survive situations of violence in Mexico. In this article, we…

  4. Que La Tortilla Se Vuelvai A History of U.S. Agribusiness Companies in Mexico. (May the Tortilla Return! A History of U.S. Agribusiness Companies in Mexico.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murdy, Jack

    1978-01-01

    There is a direct link, today and historically, between Mexico's underdevelopment and maldistribution of wealth, and U.S. domination of Mexico's economy, including the current penetration by U.S. transnationals. Activity in the food production and processing industries is just one facet of the total picture, but one of the most important.…

  5. Globalization and Cross-Border Labor Organizing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralph Armbruster

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The globalization of the world economy has opened up new possibilities for cross-border labor organizing. In fact, several U.S. unions are working together with unions from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, and many European nations. For example, over the last several years, UNITE (Union of Needletrades, Industrial, and Textile Employees, the AFL-CIO, and the international garment workers trade secretariat have worked directly with maquiladora workers in Honduras and the Dominican Republic. These efforts led to the formation of several labor unions and the first contracts ever negotiated in the maquiladoras in the Dominican Republic. In addition, labor rights and solidarity organizations, like the Campaign for Labor Rights, Witness for Peace, and the US/Guatemala Labor Education Project (US/GLEP, along with many other groups, have also played key roles in the formation of maquiladora unions in Nicaragua and Guatemala.

  6. Evaluating Environmental Governance along Cross-Border Electricity Supply Chains with Policy-Informed Life Cycle Assessment: The California-Mexico Energy Exchange.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolorinos, Jose; Ajami, Newsha K; Muñoz Meléndez, Gabriela; Jackson, Robert B

    2018-05-01

    This paper presents a "policy-informed" life cycle assessment of a cross-border electricity supply chain that links the impact of each unit process to its governing policy framework. An assessment method is developed and applied to the California-Mexico energy exchange as a unique case study. CO 2 -equivalent emissions impacts, water withdrawals, and air quality impacts associated with California's imports of electricity from Mexican combined-cycle facilities fueled by natural gas from the U.S. Southwest are estimated, and U.S. and Mexican state and federal environmental regulations are examined to assess well-to-wire consistency of energy policies. Results indicate most of the water withdrawn per kWh exported to California occurs in Baja California, most of the air quality impacts accrue in the U.S. Southwest, and emissions of CO 2 -equivalents are more evenly divided between the two regions. California energy policy design addresses generation-phase CO 2 emissions, but not upstream CO 2 -eq emissions of methane during the fuel cycle. Water and air quality impacts are not regulated consistently due to varying U.S. state policies and a lack of stringent federal regulation of unconventional gas development. Considering local impacts and the regulatory context where they occur provides essential qualitative information for functional-unit-based measures of life cycle impact and is necessary for a more complete environmental impact assessment.

  7. 75 FR 78216 - Certain Circular Welded Non-Alloy Steel Pipe From Mexico: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-15

    ... Non-Alloy Steel Pipe from Brazil, the Republic of Korea (Korea), Mexico, and Venezuela and Amendment..., Director, Office 7 to Michael Walsh, Director, AD/CVD Revenue Policy & Programs, U.S. Customs and Border...

  8. Prenatal depression in Latinas in the U.S. and Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lara, Ma Asunción; Le, Huynh-Nhu; Letechipia, Gabriela; Hochhausen, Laila

    2009-07-01

    The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their associated risk factors during pregnancy in Latinas in the United States (U.S.) and Mexico. The sample included 108 women in the U.S. whose data were obtained from medical chart reviews in a community clinic in Washington, D.C., and 117 women in Mexico who participated in face-to-face interviews in the waiting rooms of primary care community centers in Mexico City. Variables, chosen to match in both countries for comparisons, were: socio-demographics, pregnancy gestation and order, social support, depressive symptoms, personal history of depression, family psychiatric history, and suicidal thoughts. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 32.4% for pregnant Latinas and 36.8% for Mexicans (CES-D > or = 16), and 15.7% and 23.9% (CES-D > or = 24), respectively, with no differences between groups. Separate multiple logistic regression analyses showed that for U.S. Latinas: (1) being more educated predicted depressive symptoms (CES-D > or = 16), and (2) second trimester, as compared to first, also predicted symptoms (CES-D > or /= 24). (3) History of suicidal thoughts predicted symptoms in Latinas in the U.S. (CES-D > or = 24) and in Mexico (using both definitions of high symptoms), and (4) living with a partner but not formally married and multi-parous condition predicted symptoms (CES-D > or /= 24) among pregnant Mexicans. A high prevalence of depressive symptoms and significant risk factors during pregnancy were found in Latinas in U.S. and Mexico, suggesting increased risk for postpartum major depression. Implications for screening and interventions are discussed.

  9. "Hospital utilization by Mexican migrants returning to Mexico due to health needs".

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Block, Miguel A; de la Sierra-de la Vega, Luz A

    2011-04-18

    A total of 12.7 million Mexicans reside as migrants in the United States, of whom only 45% have health insurance in this country while access to health insurance by migrants in Mexico is fraught with difficulties. Health insurance has been shown to impact the use of health care in both countries. This paper quantifies hospitalizations by migrants who return from the US seeking medical care in public and private hospitals in the US-Mexico border area and in communities of origin. The proportion of bed utilization and the proportion of hospitalizations in Mexico out of the total expected by migrants in the US were estimated. The universe included 48 Ministry of Health and 47 private hospitals serving municipalities of high or very high migration in Mexico, where 17% of remittance-receiving households are located, as well as 15 public and 159 private hospitals in 10 Mexican cities along the border with the US. Hospitals were sampled through various methods to include 27% of beds. Patients and staff were interviewed and data triangulated to quantify migrants that returned to Mexico seeking medical care. Official hospital discharge statistics and secondary data from migration databases and published statistics were analyzed to identify bed occupancy, general migrant hospitalization rates and the size of the migrant population that maintains close relationships with households in communities of origin. Up to 1609 migrants were admitted to public hospitals (76.6%) and 492 to private hospitals (23.4%) serving municipalities of high and very high migration intensity in 2008. Up to 0.90% of public hospital capacity was used. In the border area up to 908 and 2416 migrants were admitted to public (27.3%) and private (72.7%) hospitals, respectively. Up to 1.18% of public hospital capacity was used. Between 2.4% and 20.4% of the expected hospitalization needs of migrants with dependent households are satisfied through these services. The most common diagnostic categories

  10. "Hospital utilization by Mexican migrants returning to Mexico due to health needs"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    de la Sierra-de la Vega Luz A

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A total of 12.7 million Mexicans reside as migrants in the United States, of whom only 45% have health insurance in this country while access to health insurance by migrants in Mexico is fraught with difficulties. Health insurance has been shown to impact the use of health care in both countries. This paper quantifies hospitalizations by migrants who return from the US seeking medical care in public and private hospitals in the US-Mexico border area and in communities of origin. The proportion of bed utilization and the proportion of hospitalizations in Mexico out of the total expected by migrants in the US were estimated. Methods The universe included 48 Ministry of Health and 47 private hospitals serving municipalities of high or very high migration in Mexico, where 17% of remittance-receiving households are located, as well as 15 public and 159 private hospitals in 10 Mexican cities along the border with the US. Hospitals were sampled through various methods to include 27% of beds. Patients and staff were interviewed and data triangulated to quantify migrants that returned to Mexico seeking medical care. Official hospital discharge statistics and secondary data from migration databases and published statistics were analyzed to identify bed occupancy, general migrant hospitalization rates and the size of the migrant population that maintains close relationships with households in communities of origin. Results Up to 1609 migrants were admitted to public hospitals (76.6% and 492 to private hospitals (23.4% serving municipalities of high and very high migration intensity in 2008. Up to 0.90% of public hospital capacity was used. In the border area up to 908 and 2416 migrants were admitted to public (27.3% and private (72.7% hospitals, respectively. Up to 1.18% of public hospital capacity was used. Between 2.4% and 20.4% of the expected hospitalization needs of migrants with dependent households are satisfied through these

  11. The Spillover of US Immigration Policy on Citizens and Permanent Residents of Mexican Descent: How Internalizing ‘Illegality’ Impacts Public Health in the Borderlands

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samantha eSabo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: The militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border region exacerbates the process of ‘Othering’ Latino immigrants—as illegal aliens. The internalization of ‘illegality’ can manifest as a sense of undeservingness of legal protection in the population and be detrimental on a biopsychological level. Objective: We explore the impacts of ‘illegality’ among a population of US citizen and permanent resident farmworkers of Mexican descent. We do so through the lens of immigration enforcement-related stress and the ability to file formal complaints of discrimination and mistreatment perpetrated by local immigration enforcement agents, including local police authorized to enforce immigration law. Methods: Drawing from cross-sectional data gathered through the National Institute of Occupation Safety and Health, Challenges to Farmworker Health at the US-Mexico Border study, a community-based participatory research project conducted at the Arizona-Sonora border, we compared Arizona resident farmworkers (N=349 to Mexico-based farmworkers (N=140 or Transnational farmworkers who cross the US-Mexico border daily or weekly to work in US agriculture. Results: Both samples of farmworkers experience significant levels of stress in anticipation of encounters with immigration officials. Fear was cited as the greatest factor preventing individuals from reporting immigration abuses. The groups varied slightly in the relative weight attributed to different types of fear. Conclusion: The militarization of the border has consequences for individuals who are not the target of immigration enforcement. These spillover effects cause harm to farmworkers in multiple ways. Multi institutional and community-centered systems for reporting immigration related victimization is required. Applied participatory research with affected communities can mitigate the public health effects of state-sponsored immigration discrimination and violence among US citizen and

  12. Unaccompanied Children at the United States Border, a Human Rights Crisis that can be Addressed with Policy Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ataiants, Janna; Cohen, Chari; Riley, Amy Henderson; Tellez Lieberman, Jamile; Reidy, Mary Clare; Chilton, Mariana

    2017-04-08

    In recent years, unaccompanied minors have been journeying to the United States (U.S.)-Mexico border in great numbers in order to escape violence, poverty and exploitation in their home countries. Yet, unaccompanied children attempting to cross the United States border face treatment at the hands of government representatives which violates their inherent rights as children. The result is a human rights crisis that has severe health consequences for the children. Their rights as children are clearly delineated in various, international human rights documents which merit increased understanding of and recognition by the U.S. government. This paper calls for the improvement of policies and procedures for addressing the rights of unaccompanied immigrant children; it provides specific, rights-based recommendations which work together to safeguard the rights of the child at the U.S. southwestern border.

  13. The Securitization of Migration: An Analysis of United States Border Security and Migration Policy Toward Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-01

    constituted officer of the law , or to prevent the commission of a felony.109 On 27 February 1925, the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 502 (PL502), which...INS Immigration and Naturalization Service IRCA Immigration Reform and Control Act MOU Memorandum of Understanding NAFTA North American Free...major border communities, law enforcement officials conduct patrols behind massive fences while floodlights illuminate the border at night in an

  14. The role of ethnicity and travel on Hepatitis A vaccination coverage and disease incidence in Arizona at the United States–Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ernst, Kacey C; Erhart, Laura M

    2014-01-01

    Background: Hepatitis A (HAV) incidence has decreased in the United States, yet regional disparities persist. The role of international travel has become increasingly important in HAV transmission. We compared the relative burden of HAV in border and non-border regions in Arizona and examined the role of travel in sustaining HAV transmission. Methods: HAV vaccination coverage was calculated by age and region, using Arizona State Immunization Information System data. Incidence, demographics, and risk factors of cases reported through Arizona’s infectious disease surveillance system between 2006 and 2011 were analyzed. Results: Hepatitis A incidence was higher in the border region of Arizona. Compared with the rest of Arizona, one-dose coverage in children <15 years was lower in the border region until 2008. Second dose coverage was lower in the border region, particularly among Spanish speakers. International travel among cases was generally high; however, in the border region cases were more likely to visit Mexico or South/Central America (94% vs. 80%, P value = 0.01) and be Hispanic (68% vs. 42%, P value = 0.0003). Conclusions: Rates of HAV continue to be higher in the Arizona border region; the risk appears particularly high among Hispanics with recent travel in the Americas. Border surveillance should be emphasized, along with vaccination of all travelers, to continue to decrease and control HAV. PMID:24603091

  15. Semivolatile organic compounds in residential air along the Arizona - Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gale, R.W.; Cranor, W.L.; Alvarez, D.A.; Huckins, J.N.; Petty, J.D.; Robertson, G.L.

    2009-01-01

    Concerns about indoor air quality and the potential effects on people living in these environments are increasing as more reports about the toxicities and the potential indoor air exposure levels of household-use chemicals and chemicals fromhousingandfurnishingmanufactureinairarebeingassessed. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to confirm numerous airborne contaminants obtained from the analysis of semipermeable membrane devices deployed inside of 52 homes situated along the border between Arizona and Mexico. We also describe nontarget analytes in the organochlorine pesticide fractions of 12 of these homes; this fraction is also the most likelytocontainthebroadestscopeofbioconcentratablechemicals accumulated from the indoor air. Approximately 400 individual components were identified, ranging from pesticides to a wide array of hydrocarbons, fragrances such as the musk xylenes, flavors relating to spices, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and phthalate esters, and other miscellaneous types of chemicals. The results presented in this study demonstrate unequivocally that the mixture of airborne chemicals present indoors is far more complex than previously demonstrated. ?? 2009 American Chemical Society.

  16. The electrically silent Kv6.4 subunit confers hyperpolarized gating charge movement in Kv2.1/Kv6.4 heterotetrameric channels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elke Bocksteins

    Full Text Available The voltage-gated K(+ (Kv channel subunit Kv6.4 does not form functional homotetrameric channels but co-assembles with Kv2.1 to form functional Kv2.1/Kv6.4 heterotetrameric channels. Compared to Kv2.1 homotetramers, Kv6.4 exerts a ~40 mV hyperpolarizing shift in the voltage-dependence of Kv2.1/Kv6.4 channel inactivation, without a significant effect on activation gating. However, the underlying mechanism of this Kv6.4-induced modulation of Kv2.1 channel inactivation, and whether the Kv6.4 subunit participates in the voltage-dependent gating of heterotetrameric channels is not well understood. Here we report distinct gating charge movement of Kv2.1/Kv6.4 heterotetrameric channels, compared to Kv2.1 homotetramers, as revealed by gating current recordings from mammalian cells expressing these channels. The gating charge movement of Kv2.1/Kv6.4 heterotetrameric channels displayed an extra component around the physiological K(+ equilibrium potential, characterized by a second sigmoidal relationship of the voltage-dependence of gating charge movement. This distinct gating charge displacement reflects movement of the Kv6.4 voltage-sensing domain and has a voltage-dependency that matches the hyperpolarizing shift in Kv2.1/Kv6.4 channel inactivation. These results provide a mechanistic basis for the modulation of Kv2.1 channel inactivation gating kinetics by silent Kv6.4 subunits.

  17. Process evaluation of a promotora de salud intervention for improving hypertension outcomes for Latinos living in a rural U.S.-Mexico border region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, Victoria; Cacari Stone, Lisa; Moffett, Maurice L; Nguyen, PhoungGiang; Muhammad, Michael; Bruna-Lewis, Sean; Urias-Chauvin, Rita

    2014-05-01

    Hypertension is a growing public health problem for U.S.-Mexico border Latinos, who commonly experience low levels of awareness, treatment, and control. We report on a process evaluation that assessed the delivery of Corazón por la Vida, a 9-week promotora de salud-led curriculum to help Latinos manage and reduce hypertension risks in two rural/frontier counties in the New Mexico border region. Ninety-six adults participated in the program, delivered in three waves and in three communities. We assessed program delivery and quality, adherence, exposure, and participant responsiveness. Participant outcome measures included self-reported eating and physical activities and assessment of community resources. Findings suggest that the program was fully delivered (99%) and that most participants (81.7%) were very satisfied with the educational sessions. The average participant attendance for educational sessions was 77.47%. We found significant differences in self-reported behavioral changes depending on the number of sessions completed: The higher the dose of sessions, the better the self-reported outcomes. These findings suggest that a promotora-led curriculum may be useful for promoting self-management of chronic disease in rural/frontier border Latino populations. Future evaluation should focus on training and implementation adaptations within evidence-based chronic disease programs for diverse Latino communities.

  18. International Border Management Systems (IBMS) Program : visions and strategies.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McDaniel, Michael; Mohagheghi, Amir Hossein

    2011-02-01

    Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), International Border Management Systems (IBMS) Program is working to establish a long-term border security strategy with United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Efforts are being made to synthesize border security capabilities and technologies maintained at the Laboratories, and coordinate with subject matter expertise from both the New Mexico and California offices. The vision for SNL is to provide science and technology support for international projects and engagements on border security.

  19. TB Anywhere Is TB Everywhere: The Intersection of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policy and TB

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-01

    30 2. Tuberculosis in Mexico ................................................................32 3. Tuberculosis in El Salvador...Controlling Tuberculosis along the US- Mexico Border,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 50, no. RR1 (2001): 1–2, http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ preview/mmwrhtml...Achkar et al., “Differences in Clinical Presentation among Persons with Pulmonary Tuberculosis : A Comparison of Documented and Undocumented Foreign

  20. Facilitating and Inhibiting Factors of Sexual Behavior among Migrants in Transition from Mexico to the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerra-Ordoñez, Jesús Alejandro; Benavides-Torres, Raquel A; Zapata-Garibay, Rogelio; Onofre-Rodríguez, Dora Julia; Márquez-Vega, María Aracely; Zamora-Carmona, Gabriela

    2017-01-01

    Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the border region of Mexico due to the flow of migrants under desperate conditions, encouraging casual and unprotected sex. Since this has become a binational public health problem, it is important to understand the factors that predict these sexual behaviors. The aim of the current study was to investigate the facilitators and inhibitors of transition in the sexual behavior of migrants from two border regions on the Mexico-United States (US) border. This was a predictive and cross-sectional study. A sample of 256 migrants in shelters for migrants on the border between Mexico and US were selected through systematic random sampling. Predictor variables investigated for effect on the safe sexual behavior (SSB) of the migrant were reasons for having sex; sexual attitudes; sexual machismo; knowledge about HIV; access to health services; and social discrimination. The sample was predominantly male (89.5%), with 46.1% reporting being single. The average age was 33.38 years (SD = 9.73) and the average number of years of education reported was 8.05 (SD = 3.37). A permissive sexual attitude and sexual machismo both correlated with condom use ( r s  = 0.130, p  machismo (β = -0.28, t  = -4.83, p  machismo, and HIV knowledge were all variables capable of predicting SSB. It is recommended that the study is extended to study migrant populations from other parts of the border, as well undertaking as a qualitative approach to explore new variables.

  1. Mexico's petroleum and US policy: implications for the 1980s

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ronfeldt, D.; Nehring, R.; Gandara, A.

    1980-06-01

    This report examines selected factor affecting Mexico's future petroleum policies, and then assesses various implications of Mexico's petroleum for US interests and policies. After a brief introduction, the report is divided into three sections. The first offers a detailed analysis of Mexico's petroleum resources and production possibilities. The second considers petroleum as a symbolic issue of profound significance for Mexican nationalism. The final section provides an assessment of these and other factors for US interests, objectives, and policy options during the 1980s.

  2. Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) in Southwestern Border States: Examining Trends, Population Correlates, and Implications for Policy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussaini, Khaleel S; Garcia Saavedra, Luigi F

    2018-03-23

    Introduction Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is withdrawal syndrome in newborns following birth and is primarily caused by maternal drug use during pregnancy. This study examines trends, population correlates, and policy implications of NAS in two Southwest border states. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional analysis of Hospital Inpatient Discharge Data (HIDD) was utilized to examine the incidence of NAS in the Southwest border states of Arizona (AZ) and New Mexico (NM). All inpatient hospital births in AZ and NM from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2013 with ICD9-CM codes for NAS (779.5), cocaine (760.72), or narcotics (760.75) were extracted. Results During 2008-2013 there were 1472 NAS cases in AZ and 888 in NM. The overall NAS rate during this period was 2.83 per 1000 births (95% CI 2.68-2.97) in AZ and 5.31 (95% CI 4.96-5.66) in NM. NAS rates increased 157% in AZ and 174% in NM. NAS newborns were more likely to have low birth weight, have respiratory distress, more likely to have feeding difficulties, and more likely to be on state Medicaid insurance. AZ border region (border with Mexico) had NAS rates significantly higher than the state rate (4.06 per 1000 births [95% CI 3.68-4.44] vs. 2.83 [95% CI 2.68-2.97], respectively). In NM, the border region rate (2.09 per 1000 births [95% CI 1.48-2.69]) was significantly lower than the state rate (5.31 [95% CI 4.96-5.66]). Conclusions Despite a dramatic increase in the incidence of NAS in the U.S. and, in particular, the Southwest border states of AZ and NM, there is still scant research on the overall incidence of NAS, its assessment in the southwest border, and associated long-term outcomes. The Healthy Border (HB) 2020 binational initiative of the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission is an initiative that addresses several public health priorities that not only include chronic and degenerative diseases, infectious diseases, injury prevention, maternal and child health but also mental health and

  3. Mapping Socio-Environmentally Vulnerable Populations Access and Exposure to Ecosystem Services at the U.S.- Mexico Borderlands

    Science.gov (United States)

    The USGS is developing a binational decision support tool to understand the exchange of ecosystem services in the Santa Cruz Watershed located on the border between Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. Ecosystem services are life-sustaining benefits human societies receive from the enviro...

  4. Snacking Patterns in Children: A Comparison between Australia, China, Mexico, and the US.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dantong; van der Horst, Klazine; Jacquier, Emma F; Afeiche, Myriam C; Eldridge, Alison L

    2018-02-11

    Snacking is common in children and influenced by many factors. The aim of this study is to provide insight of both common and country-specific characteristics of snacking among 4-13 year old children. We analyzed snacking prevalence, energy and nutrient contributions from snacking across diverse cultures and regions, represented by Australia, China, Mexico, and the US using data from respective national surveys. We found that the highest prevalence of snacking was in Australia and the US (over 95%) where snacking provided one-third and one-quarter of total energy intake (TEI), respectively, followed by Mexico (76%, provided 15% TEI) and China (65%, provided 10% TEI). Compared to 4-8 year-olds, the consumption of fruits and milk was lower in 9-13 year-old children, with a trend of increasing savory snacks consumption in China, Mexico, and the US. The nutrient density index of added sugars and saturated fat was higher, especially in Australia, Mexico, and the US. Results suggested that snacking could be an occasion to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in all countries, especially for older children. Snacking guidelines should focus on reducing consumption of snacks high in saturated fat and added sugars for Australia, Mexico, and the US, whereas improving dairy consumption is important in China.

  5. Analysis of a back flashover across insulator strings on a 115 kV transmission line tower by PSCAD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Worakit Anekthanasuwan

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Lightning striking on a transmission tower induces high ground potential rise and high voltage at tower arms in which potential is normally at ground level, and subsequently causes overvoltage across an insulator string. If this overvoltage is higher than the withstanding voltage of the insulator string according to the v-t (voltage-time curve, back flashover phenomena will occur and this event may cause outage. The main objective of this paper is to study the factors influencing the back flashover phenomena. The computer program PSCAD/EMTDC (Power System Computer Aided Design/Electromagnetic Transients including DC is used to simulate lightning striking on a transmission tower 115kV. Lightning current, transmission towers, ground resistance, insulator strings and back flashover phenomena are modeled. Main simulations are lightning striking on different towers, different soil resistivity, different lightning current magnitudes and wave shapes, different locations, and different phase angles of source voltage. Simulation results show that the higher tower encounters higher induced voltage. A back flashover occurs at the top tower arm easier than at the middle and lower arms. The higher soil resistivity induces higher voltage. The larger lightning current magnitude impacts on higher induced voltage. The longer rise time of lightning current generates lower induced voltage. Lightning strikes directly on tower generate higher voltage than that of striking on overhead ground wires.

  6. Institutions and Societal Impacts of Climate in the Lower Colorado and San Pedro Basins of the U.S.-Mexico Border Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varady, R. G.; Wilder, M.; Morehouse, B. J.; Garfin, G. M.

    2007-05-01

    The U.S. Southwest and Mexico border region feature two prominent river basins, the Colorado and Rio Grande, and ecologically important sub-basins such as the San Pedro. The area within which these transboundary basins lie is characterized by overall aridity and high climatic variability over seasonal to decadal and longer time scales. Throughout human occupation, numerous and diverse strategies for buffering climate impacts have emerged. The most notable response has been an increasingly complex system of institutions and structures designed to buffer water scarcity. The Colorado River Compact, and the laws governing allocation of waters from the Rio Grande River, together with the dams, hydropower generators, canals and other engineered features, represent two of the most complex systems. Drought nevertheless remains a looming specter across much of the binational border region. Institutional mechanisms for responding to drought range from awareness-raising and capacity-building efforts, to implementation of formal drought plans, to storing water to make up for deficits, and water conservation rules that become increasingly stringent as drought intensifies. A number of formal and informal binational institutions operate in the region. Some are venerable, like the century-old International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and its Mexican counterpart the Comision Internacional de Limites y Agua (CILA). Others, like the Border Environment Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank, were created in the mid-1990s with the North American Free Trade Agreement. These institutions, both domestic and transnational, operate in a complex binational, bicultural environment with contrasting legal and administrative traditions. Under such constraints, they manage water resources and ecosystems and attempt to improve water and sanitation infrastructure in the context of deep and extended drought. But in spite of their efforts, society and natural habitat

  7. Children’s Migration to the United States from Mexico and Central America: Evidence from the Mexican and Latin American Migration Projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katharine M. Donato

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available In light of rising numbers of unaccompanied minors at the Mexico-US border in 2014, this article examines child migration from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. Using data from the Mexican and Latin American Migration Projects that permit us to go beyond simple descriptive analysis about children apprehended at the border, we investigate the extent to which children from these countries: (1 enter without legal authorization to do so; (2 are more likely to cross the border now than in the past; and (3 are tied to their parents’ migration. In theory, if immigration and refugee protections worked well for children and offered them legal pathways to reunify with their families, then we would expect low levels of unauthorized entry and no dramatic shifts over time. However, our examination of child migration shows that it is strongly linked to unauthorized entry, period of entry, and parents’ US experience.The findings show that the migration of children is closely linked to their parents’ migration history. Although the overall likelihood of a Mexican child making a first US trip is quite low, it is practically non-existent for children whose parents have no US experience. Thus, the increase in child migration from Central America, and the continued high levels of child migration from Mexico result from widespread migration networks and the United States’ long-standing reliance on the children’s parents as immigrant workers. The findings suggest that these children need protection in the form of family reunification and permanent legal status.

  8. Intimate Partner Violence among Female Sex Workers in Two Mexico-U.S. Border Cities: Partner Characteristics and HIV Risk-behaviors as Correlates of Abuse.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulibarri, Monica D; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Lozada, Remedios; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Amaro, Hortensia; O'Campo, Patricia; Patterson, Thomas L

    2010-12-01

    Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been associated with greater vulnerability to HIV infection among women. We examined prevalence and correlates of IPV among female sex workers (FSWs) in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez, two large Mexico-U.S. border cities where HIV prevalence is rising. Participants were 300 FSWs with a current spouse or a steady partner. Participants' mean age was 33 years, and mean number of years as a sex worker was 6 years. The prevalence of IPV in the past 6 months among participants was 35%. Using multivariate logistic regression, factors independently associated with IPV included having experienced abuse as a child, a partner who had sex with someone else, and lower sexual relationship power. Our findings suggest the need for previous abuse screening and violence prevention services for FSWs in the Mexico-U.S. border region. Careful consideration of relationship dynamics such as infidelity and relationship power is warranted when assessing for IPV risk.

  9. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Import Trade Trends - FY 2011, Year-End Report

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to present the Import Trade Trends Report. This report is produced semiannually and features graphical analysis and...

  10. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Import Trade Trends - FY 2010, Year-End Report

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to present the Import Trade Trends Report. This report is produced semiannually and features graphical analysis and...

  11. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Import Trade Trends -FY2012, Year-End Report

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is pleased to present the Import Trade Trends Report. This report is produced semiannually and features graphical analysis and...

  12. A Bumpy Border Crossing into the Teaching Culture on a U.S. Campus: Experience of a Chinese Faculty Member

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Qiang; Wang, Jian; Zhang, Shaoan

    2013-01-01

    Guided by cultural border crossing and teacher identity development theories, this case study explores the bumpy process of a junior Chinese faculty member's border crossing into the U.S. teaching culture and analyzes the challenges, coping strategies, and consequences of his border crossing on teaching and teacher identity development. The…

  13. Environmental Assessment for Central Power and Light Company`s proposed Military Highway-CFE tie 138/69-kV transmission line project Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-04-01

    Central Power and Light Company (CPL) intends to upgrade its existing transmission line ties with the Commision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) system in Mexico. CPL currently has a single 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in the Brownsville area which connects CPL`s system with the system of CFE. This existing line runs between the Brownsville Switching Station, located on Laredo Road in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, and an existing CFE 69-kV line at the Rusteberg Bend of the Rio Grande in Cameron County. Under current conditions of need, the existing 69-kV line does not possess sufficient capability to engage in appropriate power exchanges. Therefore, CPL is proposing to build a new line to link up with CFE. This proposed line would be a double-circuit line, which would (1) continue (on a slightly relocated route) the existing 69-kV tie from CPL`s Brownsville Switching Station to CFE`s facilities, and (2) add a 138-kV tie from the Military Highway Substation, located on Military Highway (US Highway 281), to CFE`s facilities. The proposed 138/69-kV line, which will be constructed and operated by CPL, will be built primarily on steel single-pole structures within an average 60-foot (ft) wide right-of-way (ROW). It will be approximately 6900--9200 ft (1.3--1.7 miles) in length, depending on the alternative route constructed.

  14. Improving Pediatric Cancer Care Disparities Across the United States–Mexico Border: Lessons Learned from a Transcultural Partnership between San Diego and Tijuana

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aristizabal, Paula; Fuller, Spencer; Rivera, Rebeca; Beyda, David; Ribeiro, Raul C.; Roberts, William

    2015-01-01

    In 2007, the 5-year survival rate for children with acute leukemia in Baja California, Mexico was estimated at 10% (vs. 88% in the United States). In response, stakeholders at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, and the Hospital General de Tijuana (HGT) implemented a transcultural partnership to establish a pediatric oncology program. The aim was to improve clinical outcomes and overall survival for children in Baja California. An initial needs assessment evaluation was performed and a culturally sensitive, comprehensive, 5-year plan was designed and implemented. After six years, healthcare system accomplishments include the establishment of a fully functional pediatric oncology unit with 60 new healthcare providers (vs. five in 2007). Patient outcome improvements include a rise in 5-year survival for leukemia from 10 to 43%, a rise in new cases diagnosed per year from 21 to 70, a reduction in the treatment abandonment rate from 10% to 2%, and a 45% decrease in the infection rate. More than 600 patients have benefited from this program. Knowledge sharing has taken place between teams at the HGT and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. Further, one of the most significant outcomes is that the HGT has transitioned into a regional referral center and now mentors other hospitals in Mexico. Our results show that collaborative initiatives that implement long-term partnerships along the United States–Mexico border can effectively build local capacity and reduce the survival gap between children with cancer in the two nations. Long-term collaborative partnerships should be encouraged across other disciplines in medicine to further reduce health disparities across the United States–Mexico border. PMID:26157788

  15. Improving Pediatric Cancer Care Disparities Across the United States-Mexico Border: Lessons Learned from a Transcultural Partnership between San Diego and Tijuana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aristizabal, Paula; Fuller, Spencer; Rivera, Rebeca; Beyda, David; Ribeiro, Raul C; Roberts, William

    2015-01-01

    In 2007, the 5-year survival rate for children with acute leukemia in Baja California, Mexico was estimated at 10% (vs. 88% in the United States). In response, stakeholders at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, and the Hospital General de Tijuana (HGT) implemented a transcultural partnership to establish a pediatric oncology program. The aim was to improve clinical outcomes and overall survival for children in Baja California. An initial needs assessment evaluation was performed and a culturally sensitive, comprehensive, 5-year plan was designed and implemented. After six years, healthcare system accomplishments include the establishment of a fully functional pediatric oncology unit with 60 new healthcare providers (vs. five in 2007). Patient outcome improvements include a rise in 5-year survival for leukemia from 10 to 43%, a rise in new cases diagnosed per year from 21 to 70, a reduction in the treatment abandonment rate from 10% to 2%, and a 45% decrease in the infection rate. More than 600 patients have benefited from this program. Knowledge sharing has taken place between teams at the HGT and Rady Children's Hospital San Diego. Further, one of the most significant outcomes is that the HGT has transitioned into a regional referral center and now mentors other hospitals in Mexico. Our results show that collaborative initiatives that implement long-term partnerships along the United States-Mexico border can effectively build local capacity and reduce the survival gap between children with cancer in the two nations. Long-term collaborative partnerships should be encouraged across other disciplines in medicine to further reduce health disparities across the United States-Mexico border.

  16. Pan-American Highways: American Tourism to Mexico and 1950s Hollywood film

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie Fuller

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This article examines American films from the early 1950s which feature journeys to Mexico.  Movies such as Where Danger Lives (John Farrow, 1950, Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis, 1950, Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947 and Wetbacks (Hank McCune, 1954 present journeys to Mexico as escapes from American life in which romanticised freedom is closely connected to mobility and automobiles.  The article explores the connection between the films’ cinematic vistas of Mexican landscapes and American tourism to Mexico in this period.  Through their journeys to and across the border, these films call the wider relationship between the US and Mexico into question as national identities are constructed through travel, landscape and touristic encounters.

  17. Semivolatile organic compounds in residential air along the Arizona-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gale, Robert W; Cranor, Walter L; Alvarez, David A; Huckins, James N; Petty, Jimmie D; Robertson, Gary L

    2009-05-01

    Concerns about indoor air quality and the potential effects on people living in these environments are increasing as more reports about the toxicities and the potential indoor air exposure levels of household-use chemicals and chemicals from housing and fumishing manufacture in air are being assessed. Gas chromatography/mass spectromery was used to confirm numerous airborne contaminants obtained from the analysis of semipermeable membrane devices deployed inside of 52 homes situated along the border between Arizona and Mexico. We also describe nontarget analytes in the organochlorine pesticide fractions of 12 of these homes; this fraction is also the most likely to contain the broadest scope of bioconcentratable chemicals accumulated from the indoor air. Approximately 400 individual components were identified, ranging from pesticides to a wide array of hydrocarbons, fragrances such as the musk xylenes, flavors relating to spices, aldehydes, alcohols, esters and phthalate esters, and other miscellaneous types of chemicals. The results presented in this study demonstrate unequivocally that the mixture of airborne chemicals present indoors is far more complex than previously demonstrated.

  18. Linkages among climate change, crop yields and Mexico–US cross-border migration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Shuaizhang; Krueger, Alan B.; Oppenheimer, Michael

    2010-01-01

    Climate change is expected to cause mass human migration, including immigration across international borders. This study quantitatively examines the linkages among variations in climate, agricultural yields, and people's migration responses by using an instrumental variables approach. Our method allows us to identify the relationship between crop yields and migration without explicitly controlling for all other confounding factors. Using state-level data from Mexico, we find a significant effect of climate-driven changes in crop yields on the rate of emigration to the United States. The estimated semielasticity of emigration with respect to crop yields is approximately −0.2, i.e., a 10% reduction in crop yields would lead an additional 2% of the population to emigrate. We then use the estimated semielasticity to explore the potential magnitude of future emigration. Depending on the warming scenarios used and adaptation levels assumed, with other factors held constant, by approximately the year 2080, climate change is estimated to induce 1.4 to 6.7 million adult Mexicans (or 2% to 10% of the current population aged 15–65 y) to emigrate as a result of declines in agricultural productivity alone. Although the results cannot be mechanically extrapolated to other areas and time periods, our findings are significant from a global perspective given that many regions, especially developing countries, are expected to experience significant declines in agricultural yields as a result of projected warming. PMID:20660749

  19. The Impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on the Water Resources of Mexico

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Light, Ronald

    2004-01-01

    .... As trade surges along the US-Mexico border region, population growth and increased demand has stressed both water quality and quantity in this already water-stressed region. This paper examines NAFTA in light of these water resources issues, and the effectiveness of the Environmental Side Agreements to find solutions.

  20. Trade in the US and Mexico helps reduce environmental costs of agriculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Melendez, Luz A.; Bennett, Elena M.

    2016-05-01

    Increasing international crop trade has enlarged global shares of cropland, water and fertilizers used to grow crops for export. Crop trade can reduce the environmental burden on importing countries, which benefit from embedded environmental resources in imported crops, and from avoided environmental impacts of production in their territory. International trade can also reduce the universal environmental impact of food production if crops are grown where they are produced in the most environmentally efficient way. We compared production efficiencies for the same crops in the US and Mexico to determine whether current crop trade between these two countries provides an overall benefit to the environment. Our economic and environmental accounting for the key traded crops from 2010 to 2014 shows that exports to Mexico are just 3% (∼16 thousand Gg) of the total production of these crops in the US, and exports to US represent roughly 0.13% (∼46 Gg) of Mexican total production of the same crops. Yields were higher in US than Mexico for all crops except wheat. Use of nitrogen fertilizer was higher in US than in Mexico for all crops except corn. Current trade reduces some, but not all, environmental costs of agriculture. A counterfactual trade scenario showed that an overall annual reduction in cultivated land (∼371 thousand ha), water use (∼923 million m3), fertilizer use (∼122 Gg; ∼68 Gg nitrogen) and pollution (∼681 tonnes of N2O emissions to the atmosphere and ∼511 tonnes of leached nitrogen) can be achieved by changing the composition of food products traded. In this case, corn, soybeans and rice should be grown in the US, while wheat, sorghum and barley should be grown in Mexico. Assigning greater economic weight to the environmental costs of agriculture might improve the balance of trade to be more universally beneficial, environmentally.

  1. The association of depression and anxiety with glycemic control among Mexican Americans with diabetes living near the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendzor, Darla E; Chen, Minxing; Reininger, Belinda M; Businelle, Michael S; Stewart, Diana W; Fisher-Hoch, Susan P; Rentfro, Anne R; Wetter, David W; McCormick, Joseph B

    2014-02-18

    The prevalence of diabetes is alarmingly high among Mexican American adults residing near the U.S.-Mexico border. Depression is also common among Mexican Americans with diabetes, and may have a negative influence on diabetes management. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the associations of depression and anxiety with the behavioral management of diabetes and glycemic control among Mexican American adults living near the border. The characteristics of Mexican Americans with diabetes living in Brownsville, TX (N = 492) were compared by depression/anxiety status. Linear regression models were conducted to evaluate the associations of depression and anxiety with BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, fasting glucose, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Participants with clinically significant depression and/or anxiety were of greater age, predominantly female, less educated, more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes, and more likely to be taking diabetes medications than those without depression or anxiety. In addition, anxious participants were more likely than those without anxiety to have been born in Mexico and to prefer study assessments in Spanish rather than English. Greater depression and anxiety were associated with poorer behavioral management of diabetes (i.e., greater BMI and waist circumference; engaging in less physical activity) and poorer glycemic control (i.e., higher fasting glucose, HbA1c). Overall, depression and anxiety appear to be linked with poorer behavioral management of diabetes and glycemic control. Findings highlight the need for comprehensive interventions along the border which target depression and anxiety in conjunction with diabetes management.

  2. Border Environmental Education Resource Guide: Southern New Mexico, South Texas, Northern Chihuahua, Northern Coahuila, Northern Nuevo Leon, Northern Tamaulipas = Guia de Recursos de Educacion Ambiental en la Frontera: Sur de Nuevo Mexico, Sur de Texas, Norte de Chihuahua, Norte de Coahuila, Norte de Nuevo Leon, Norte de Tamaulipas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meissner, David, Comp.

    This guide provides educators and residents of the border with useful information about environmental education program offerings along the eastern half of the United States-Mexico border. The programs listed in the guide represent a broad range of educational efforts focused on understanding the environment and solving environmental problems in…

  3. Adults Experiencing Homelessness in the US–Mexico Border Region: A Photovoice Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Margarita Moya

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Homelessness is a social, economic, and political crisis in the United States. In particular, the US–Mexico Border region has seen a surge of homelessness, specifically among veterans, women victims of intimate partner violence, and immigrants. In 2014, 12 persons in El Paso, TX, with experience of being homeless used the photovoice methodology to participate in a project titled, “The Voices and Images of the Residents of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless: A Visual Project on the Identity and Challenges Homeless Adults Face on the Border Region.” The project was led by faculty from the Department of Social Work and facilitated by graduate students from the Departments of Social Work, Sociology, and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso. In partnership with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a community-based organization, a gallery of photographs with respective narratives was produced along with a video documentary. The participants identified four themes: broken systems, invisibility, opportunities and what works, and growth and determination. These themes represent participants’ life experiences with homelessness and their aspirations. In addition to the photo gallery, participants supported the development of a Call to Action asking the community, policy, and decision makers to commit to changing the current social, economic, and political conditions affecting individuals experiencing homelessness. The gallery, Call to Action, and overall participant experiences with photovoice were shared during local, regional, and national conferences and events, including three State of the Homeless Conferences led by the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in partnership with the university.

  4. Adults Experiencing Homelessness in the US–Mexico Border Region: A Photovoice Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moya, Eva Margarita; Chavez-Baray, Silvia M.; Loweree, Jacqueline; Mattera, Brian; Martinez, Nahomi

    2017-01-01

    Homelessness is a social, economic, and political crisis in the United States. In particular, the US–Mexico Border region has seen a surge of homelessness, specifically among veterans, women victims of intimate partner violence, and immigrants. In 2014, 12 persons in El Paso, TX, with experience of being homeless used the photovoice methodology to participate in a project titled, “The Voices and Images of the Residents of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless: A Visual Project on the Identity and Challenges Homeless Adults Face on the Border Region.” The project was led by faculty from the Department of Social Work and facilitated by graduate students from the Departments of Social Work, Sociology, and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso. In partnership with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a community-based organization, a gallery of photographs with respective narratives was produced along with a video documentary. The participants identified four themes: broken systems, invisibility, opportunities and what works, and growth and determination. These themes represent participants’ life experiences with homelessness and their aspirations. In addition to the photo gallery, participants supported the development of a Call to Action asking the community, policy, and decision makers to commit to changing the current social, economic, and political conditions affecting individuals experiencing homelessness. The gallery, Call to Action, and overall participant experiences with photovoice were shared during local, regional, and national conferences and events, including three State of the Homeless Conferences led by the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in partnership with the university. PMID:28580355

  5. Promoting HIV risk awareness and testing in Latinos living on the U.S.-Mexico border: the Tú No Me Conoces social marketing campaign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olshefsky, Alisa M; Zive, Michelle M; Scolari, Rosana; Zuñiga, María

    2007-10-01

    Increased incidence of HIV/AIDS in Latinos warrants effective social marketing messages to promote testing. The Tú No Me Conoces (You Don't Know Me) social marketing campaign promoted awareness of HIV risk and testing in Latinos living on the California-Mexico border. The 8-week campaign included Spanish-language radio, print media, a Web site, and a toll-free HIV-testing referral hotline. We documented an increase in HIV testing at partner clinics; 28% of testers who heard or saw an HIV advertisement specifically identified our campaign. Improved understanding of effective social marketing messages for HIV testing in the growing Latino border population is warranted.

  6. [From the ranch of the Tia Juana to Tijuana: a brief history of development and population on the northern border of Mexico].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenteno Quintero, R M

    1995-01-01

    "Tijuana has been the most extraordinary example of the modern demographic history of the [Mexican] northern border. This article is an essay on the economic, social, and demographic development of this important urban center during this century. Its purpose is two fold. On the one hand, to understand Tijuana's general population change in light of a unique socioeconomic development in the country, which has been characterized by a close dependence on the United States as well as by the creation of several federal programs aimed [at integrating] the natural economies. On the other hand, to introduce the discussion of the Mexico-United States border region to the non-specialist in this field." (SUMMARY IN ENG) excerpt

  7. Globalisation, maquiladoras and transnational identities at the US-Mexico border: the case of Ciudad Juarez-El Paso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patrick Gun Cuninghame

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper’s point of departure is that the local and global configurations of identity in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, and in El Paso, Texas, are determined by the processes of economic globalisation, whose main manifestation is or has been until recently the maquiladora assembly plant. Hitherto, studies on border identities have emphasized more socio-cultural processes and have not analysed economic processes sufficiently as decisive in the construction of identities. The paper’s objective is to identify the salient characteristics of the identities of maquiladora workers and ex-workers on both sides of the border and to ascertain if transnational identities are emerging because of the impacts of globalisation, and what impacts these imply for cultural and social policy in “Paso del Norte”.

  8. Forecasting urban growth across the United States-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, L.M.; Feller, M.; Phillip, Guertin D.

    2009-01-01

    The sister-city area of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, is known collectively as Ambos (both) Nogales. This area was historically one city and was administratively divided by the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. These arid-lands have limited and sensitive natural resources. Environmental planning can support sustainable development to accommodate the predicted influx of population. The objective of this research is to quantify the amount of predicted urban growth for the Ambos Nogales watershed to support future planning for sustainable development. Two modeling regimes are explored. Our goal is to identify possible growth patterns associated with the twin-city area as a whole and with the two cities modeled as separate entities. We analyzed the cross-border watershed using regression analysis from satellite images from 1975, 1983, 1996, and 2002 and created urban area classifications. We used these classifications as input to the urban growth model, SLEUTH, to simulate likely patterns of development and define projected conversion probabilities. Model results indicate that the two cities are undergoing very different patterns of change and identify locations of expected growth based on historical development. Growth in Nogales, Arizona is stagnant while the urban area in Nogales, Sonora is exploding. This paper demonstrates an application that portrays how future binational urban growth could develop and affect the environment. This research also provides locations of potential growth for use in city planning.

  9. Evaluation of Jump into Action: A Program to Reduce the Risk of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in School Children on the Texas-Mexico Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holcomb, J. David; Lira, Juanita; Kingery, Paul M.; Smith, D. W.; Lane, Dorothy; Goodway, Jackie

    1998-01-01

    Evaluated Jump into Action, a non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)-prevention program that encouraged students to eat well and exercise regularly to reduce NIDDM risks. Surveys of predominantly Hispanic fifth graders and their teachers at Texas-Mexico border schools indicated that the program increased NIDDM-prevention knowledge and…

  10. Native American lithic procurement along the international border in the boot heel region of southwestern New Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. E. Zeigler

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Multidisciplinary field projects can be very useful to a more fundamental understanding of the world around us, though these projects are not as common as they should be. In particular, the combination of archeology and geology combines our understanding of human behavior and human use of the landscape with an intimate knowledge of geologic processes and the materials available for human use in order to gain a broader understanding of human-Earth interaction. Here we present data from a cross-disciplinary project that uses a common dataset, archeological artifacts, to explore the anthropological and geologic implications of useage patterns. Archeological excavations and surveys conducted by the Office of Contract Archeology in 2007 along the route of the proposed international border fence reveal patterns of use of geologic materials by Archaic, Formative and Protohistoric Native Americans in the Boot Heel of southwestern New Mexico. Thousands of artifacts were recorded in multiple sites from Guadalupe Pass in the southern Peloncillo Mountains to the Carrizalillo Hills west of Columbus. We identified the lithologies of artifacts, ranging from projectile points to groundstones, and then constructed material movement maps based on either known procurement sites ("quarries" or outcrops identified as the closest source to a given site for each lithology. Not unexpectedly, the majority of the rock types utilized by native peoples are local siliceous volcanic materials. However, several artifacts constructed from obsidian were transported into the region from northern Mexico and eastern Arizona, indicating long-distance travel and/or trade routes. We also examine useage pattern difference between Archaic, Formative and Protohistoric sites. Additionally, a dramatic change in distribution of sources for geologic materials occurs between one pre-Spanish site and one post-Spanish site that are adjacent to one another.

  11. Preliminary United States-Mexico border watershed analysis, twin cities area of Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brady, Laura Margaret; Gray, Floyd; Castaneda, Mario; Bultman, Mark; Bolm, Karen Sue

    2002-01-01

    The United States - Mexico border area faces the challenge of integrating aspects of its binational physical boundaries to form a unified or, at least, compatible natural resource management plan. Specified geospatial components such as stream drainages, mineral occurrences, vegetation, wildlife, and land-use can be analyzed in terms of their overlapping impacts upon one another. Watersheds have been utilized as a basic unit in resource analysis because they contain components that are interrelated and can be viewed as a single interactive ecological system. In developing and analyzing critical regional natural resource databases, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal and non-governmental agencies have adopted a ?watershed by watershed? approach to dealing with such complicated issues as ecosystem health, natural resource use, urban growth, and pollutant transport within hydrologic systems. These watersheds can facilitate the delineation of both large scale and locally important hydrologic systems and urban management parameters necessary for sustainable, diversified land-use. The twin border cities area of Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona, provide the ideal setting to demonstrate the utility and application of a complete, cross-border, geographic information systems (GIS) based, watershed analysis in the characterization of a wide range of natural resource as well as urban features and their interactions. In addition to the delineation of a unified, cross-border watershed, the database contains sewer/water line locations and status, well locations, geology, hydrology, topography, soils, geomorphology, and vegetation data, as well as remotely sensed imagery. This report is preliminary and part of an ongoing project to develop a GIS database that will be widely accessible to the general public, researchers, and the local land management community with a broad range of application and utility.

  12. Low voltage 80 KV to 125 KV electron processors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauppi, U.V.

    1999-01-01

    The classic electron beam technology made use of accelerating energies in the voltage range of 300 to 800 kV. The first EB processors - built for the curing of coatings - operated at 300 kV. The products to be treated were thicker than a simple layer of coating with thicknesses up to 100g and more. It was only in the beginning of the 1970's that industrial EB processors with accelerating voltages below 300 kV appeared on the market. Our company developed the first commercial electron accelerator without a beam scanner. The new EB machine featured a linear cathode, emitting a shower or 'curtain' of electrons over the full width of the product. These units were much smaller than anv previous EB processors and dedicated to the curing of coatings and other thin layers. ESI's first EB units operated with accelerating voltages between 150 and 200 kV. In 1993 ESI announced the introduction of a new generation of Electrocure. EB processors operating at 120 kV, and in 1998, at the RadTech North America '98 Conference in Chicago, the introduction of an 80 kV electron beam processor under the designation Microbeam LV

  13. Medical returns: seeking health care in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horton, Sarah; Cole, Stephanie

    2011-06-01

    Despite the growing prevalence of transnational medical travel among immigrant groups in industrialized nations, relatively little scholarship has explored the diverse reasons immigrants return home for care. To date, most research suggests that cost, lack of insurance and convenience propel US Latinos to seek health care along the Mexican border. Yet medical returns are common even among Latinos who do have health insurance and even among those not residing close to the border. This suggests that the distinct culture of medicine as practiced in the border clinics Latinos visit may be as important a factor in influencing medical returns as convenience and cost. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, this article presents an emic account of Latinos' perceptions of the features of medical practice in Mexico that make medical returns attractive. Between November 15, 2009 and January 15, 2010, we conducted qualitative interviews with 15 Mexican immigrants and nine Mexican Americans who sought care at Border Hospital, a private clinic in Tijuana. Sixteen were uninsured and eight had insurance. Yet of the 16 uninsured, six had purposefully dropped their insurance to make this clinic their permanent "medical home." Moreover, those who substituted receiving care at Border Hospital for their US health insurance plan did so not only because of cost, but also because of what they perceived as the distinctive style of medical practice at Border Hospital. Interviewees mentioned the rapidity of services, personal attention, effective medications, and emphasis on clinical discretion as features distinguishing "Mexican medical practice," opposing these features to the frequent referrals and tests, impersonal doctor-patient relationships, uniform treatment protocols and reliance on surgeries they experienced in the US health care system. While interviewees portrayed these features as characterizing a uniform "Mexican medical culture," we suggest that they are best described as

  14. Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-10-30

    Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Order Code RL33659 Border Security...Presidencia,” May 12, 2005. Translation by CRS. Available at [http://www.presidencia.gob.mx/actividades/crecimiento/?contenido=18195& pagina =31]. Last

  15. Migration from Mexico to the US and Conduct Disorder: A Cross-National Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breslau, Joshua; Borges, Guilherme; Saito, Naomi; Tancredi, Daniel J.; Benjet, Corina; Hinton, Ladson; Kendler, Kenneth S.; Kravitz, Richard; Vega, William; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena

    2013-01-01

    Context Twin studies suggest that Conduct Disorder (CD) is under substantial genetic influence, which is stronger for aggressive than for non-aggressive symptoms. Studies of migrating populations offer an alternative strategy for separating environmental and genetic influences on psychopathology. Objective To examine variation in the prevalence of CD associated with migration from Mexico to the US and whether this variation is similar for aggressive and non-aggressive CD symptoms and symptom profiles. Design The prevalence of CD, different types of CD symptoms and CD symptom profiles were compared across three generations of people of Mexican origin with increasing levels of exposure to American culture: families of origin of migrants (in Mexico), children of Mexican migrants raised in the US and Mexican-American children of US-born parents. Setting General population surveys conducted in Mexico and the US using the same diagnostic interview. Participants Adults age 18–44 in the household population of Mexico and the household population of people of Mexican descent in the US. Main Outcome Measures CD criteria assessed using the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Instrument (WMH-CIDI). Results Compared with families of origin of migrants, risk of CD is lower in the general population of Mexico (OR=0.54, 95% CI 0.19–1.51), higher in children of Mexican-born immigrants who are raised in the US (OR=4.12, 95% CI 1.47–11.52) and higher still in Mexican-American children of US-born parents (OR=7.64, 95% CI 3.20–18.27). The association with migration is markedly weaker for aggressive than for non-aggressive symptoms. Conclusions The prevalence of CD increases dramatically across generations of the Mexican-origin population following migration to the US. This increase is of larger magnitude for non-aggressive than for aggressive symptoms, consistent with the suggestion that non-aggressive symptoms are more strongly influenced by

  16. The Hammer and the Anvil: The Need for A Comprehensive Southwest Border Security Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-02

    ublic figures voiced concern about the “war on drugs,” the right level and kind of immigration, problems along the southwest border, migration , crises...thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 2006), 1. 27 K. Larry Stores, Mexico-U.S. Dialogue on Migration and Border Issues 2001-2005, (Washington, DC...13 Seven organized crime families operate the drug trade in and from Mexico. The Sinaloa Federation is a cocaine smuggling organization headed by

  17. Modelling landscape-scale erosion potential related to vehicle disturbances along the U.S.-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villarreal, Miguel; Webb, Robert H.; Norman, Laura M.; Psillas, Jennifer L.; Rosenberg, Abigail S.; Carmichael, Shinji; Petrakis, Roy E.; Sparks, Philip E.

    2014-01-01

    Decades of intensive off-road vehicle use for border security, immigration, smuggling, recreation, and military training along the USA–Mexico border have prompted concerns about long-term human impacts on sensitive desert ecosystems. To help managers identify areas susceptible to soil erosion from anthropogenic activities, we developed a series of erosion potential models based on factors from the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). To better express the vulnerability of soils to human disturbances, we refined two factors whose categorical and spatial representations limit the application of the USLE for non-agricultural landscapes: the C-factor (vegetation cover) and the P-factor (support practice/management). A soil compaction index (P-factor) was calculated as the difference in saturated hydrologic conductivity (Ks) between disturbed and undisturbed soils, which was then scaled up to maps of vehicle disturbances digitized from aerial photography. The C-factor was improved using a satellite-based vegetation index, which was better correlated with estimated ground cover (r2 = 0·77) than data derived from land cover (r2 = 0·06). We identified 9,780 km of unauthorized off-road tracks in the 2,800-km2 study area. Maps of these disturbances, when integrated with soil compaction data using the USLE, provided landscape-scale information on areas vulnerable to erosion from both natural processes and human activities and are detailed enough for adaptive management and restoration planning. The models revealed erosion potential hotspots adjacent to the border and within areas managed as critical habitat for the threatened flat-tailed horned lizard and endangered Sonoran pronghorn.

  18. Impact of NAFTA on U.S. Corn Trade with Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    A. A. Farhad Chowdhury; Albert J. Allen

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of NAFTA vis-a-vis other domestic and environmental forces in corn trading between the U.S. and Mexico. Regression analysis could not provide conclusive evidence that the post-NAFTA increase in corn trade was solely due to NAFTA. Severe drought in Mexico and its domestic policy reforms may have contributed to the increased volume of corn trade in the post-NAFTA era.

  19. Physical activity and overweight among adolescents on the Texas-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez, Adriana; Reininger, Belinda M.; Flores, Maria Isabel Aguirre; Sanderson, Maureen; Roberts, Robert E.

    2006-01-01

    Objective To investigate differences in associations between physical activity and overweight for students in two adjacent areas on the border between Mexico and the United States of America: students in the city of Matamoros, Mexico, and Mexican-American students in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) area of southern Texas. Since the extremely high prevalence of overweight among Mexican-American adolescents is well-recognized, we wanted to determine whether overweight has become a problem among Mexican adolescents. Methods Students from 6 schools (n = 669), representing 12% of the ninth-grade students in Matamoros during 2002-2003, and students from 13 high schools (n = 4 736), representing 22% of the ninth-grade students in the LRGV during 2000-2001, completed questionnaires. Polytomous logistic regression was performed to estimate the risk of being at risk of overweight (≥85th percentile to Mexico border. ABSTRACT. Spanish. Objetivo: Investigar si hay diferencias en las asociaciones entre la actividad física y el sobrepeso observadas en estudiantes de dos zonas colindantes en la frontera mexicanoestadounidense: estudiantes de la ciudad de Matamoros, México, y estudiantes mexicanoestadounidenses del valle a lo largo de la desembocadura del Río Bravo (VRB) en la parte sur del estado de Texas. Dada la consabida prevalencia extremadamente alta de sobrepeso en adolescentes mexicanoestadounidenses, los autores queríamos determinar si el sobrepeso también se ha convertido en un problema entre adolescentes mexicanos. Métodos: Estudiantes de 6 escuelas (n = 653), que comprenden 11% de los estudiantes de noveno grado en Matamoros durante 2002–2003, y estudiantes de 13 bachilleratos (n = 4 736), que comprenden 22% de los estudiantes de noveno grado del VRB durante 2000–2001, contestaron cuestionarios. Se llevó a cabo una regresión logística politómica a fin de calcular el riesgo de estar en riesgo de tener sobrepeso (≥85.° percentil a En aras de la

  20. Geographies of violence: site-oriented art and politics at the Mexico-U.S. border from the 1980s to the present

    OpenAIRE

    Brailovsky Ruiz, P.

    2014-01-01

    Through a series of case studies, analysed via the theoretical framework of site-specificity, this thesis explores the ways in which artists, from the 1980s to the present, have attempted to critically represent and understand more fully the socio-political fabric of the Mexico-U.S. border and the systemic violence that undergirds it. The introduction discusses the historical and political context of the thesis, establishes its methodological territory and outlines the current research of thi...

  1. Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nunez-Neto, Blas

    2005-01-01

    .... Today, the USBP's primary mission is to detect and prevent the entry of terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, and illegal aliens into the country, and to interdict drug smugglers and other criminals along the border...

  2. Measuring the impacts of natural amenities and the US-Mexico Border, on housing values in the Santa Cruz Watershed, using spatially-weighted hedonic modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amaya, Gladys; Norman, Laura M.; Frisvold, George

    2011-01-01

    Assessing the sustainability of International policy or urban development requires consideration of the impacts of these decisions on Ecosystem Services, or the values that humans receive from the ecosystem, including market-land price, environmental, and human well-being values. Hedonic modeling helps to identify the market land price, considering the price is determined by multiple factors affecting it. In U.S. portions of the bi-national Santa Cruz Watershed (SCW), situated at the Arizona-Sonora International border, natural amenities like the riparian corridor and green space have been documented as positive amenities that boost local real estate.

  3. Mapping and assessing the environmental impacts of border tactical infrastructure in the Sky Island Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caroline Patrick-Birdwell; Sergio Avila-Villegas; Jenny Neeley; Louise Misztal

    2013-01-01

    In this project we mapped the different types of border barriers, identified impacts of border infrastructure on public and private lands and conducted spatial analyses within the approximately 200 miles of international border in the Sky Island region. The Sky Island region, bisected by the U.S.-Mexico border, is critically important for its biodiversity and...

  4. The Initiative to extend Medicare into Mexico: a case study in changing U.S. Health Care Policy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto A. Ibarra

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available This study examines the geo-political activities of interest groups, governments and multinational corporations involved in an initiative to extend Medicare to U.S. retirees residing in Mexico.  If the initiative to change the current Medicare policy succeeds, the relocation of Medicare-eligible populations from the U.S. to Mexico is likely to increase; the U.S. is expected to gain cost-savings for taxpayers on Medicare; Mexico can develop senior-housing and options for long-term care it currently lacks; and foreign-led multinational corporations will increase their profits and dominance, fostering even more privatization in Mexico’s health care sector. By exploring new issues about retirement migration and health this study seeks to gain knowledge about the phenomena in a number of areas.  First, the retirement migration of North Americans to Latin America is an under-studied phenomenon in the fields of social gerontology, migration research, and health policy studies.  Second, the Medicare in Mexico initiative is even less well-known among health policy scholars than the retirement migration phenomenon into Mexico. Yet this initiative is inherently international in scope and involves a number of US-based institutions and interest groups actively promoting the project from within Mexico. Thus, the initiative has important geo-political and socio-economic implications for reforming health care systems in the U.S. and Mexico.

  5. The Public Good, the Market, and Academic Capitalism: U.S. Cross-Border Higher Education in Panama

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoto, Lisette

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, U.S. colleges and universities have begun to extend their international presence through different models of cross-border higher education. This research explores three models of U.S. higher education in Panama City, Panama: a branch campus, a franchise model and merger/acquisition models. Using a qualitative approach, this study…

  6. Environmental degradation and migration: the U.S.-Mexico case study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-01-01

    This article provides a detailed account of the conclusions and policy recommendations of a study of environmental degradation and migration between the US and Mexico. Key recommendations and findings were included in the official US Congressional Commission on Immigration Reform report (September 1997). The Congressional report urges Congress to consider environment and development root causes of migration in establishing foreign policies with Mexico and other countries. It appears that the root cause of Mexican migration is rural land degradation or desertification. The study suggests feasible solutions, and not additional border security and employment-related sanctions. The US has the technology and expertise to facilitate programs that address environmental and development issues in targeted and integrated ways. The recommendations serve as a framework for policy reform and debate on rural development and agricultural productivity. Mexican states should be targeted that are new migration-sending states with extensive poverty and soil erosion problems and well-established migration states. Environment, population, and migration are all housed in the Global Affairs Office in the US Department of State, but there is little program integration. The USAID bureaucracy separates agricultural and environmental programs. Solutions include, for example, reducing the costs of remittances from the US to Mexico, conducting research on integrated solutions, and contributing to improved land and water management practices, forest management and land tenure, and the competitiveness of smallholders.

  7. Mexico and U.S. Border

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — This data is from Digital International Boundaries Database (DIBDB). The DIBDB is NGA's official boundaries database and contains boundaries that have been approved...

  8. Cooperación transfronteriza en investigación sobre diabetes mellitus tipo 2: México-Estados Unidos U.S.-Mexico cross-border cooperation in research on diabetes mellitus type 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaume Canela-Soler

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Describir y analizar con un enfoque de estudio de caso el Proyecto de Prevención y Control de la Diabetes en la Frontera México-Estados Unidos (PDF-México/Estados Unidos, un esfuerzo de cooperación en investigación en salud en el que participaron instituciones federales, estatales y locales de ambos países. MÉTODOS: El proyecto utilizó un modelo de igual representación, participación, consenso y liderazgo compartido, con la participación de más de 130 instituciones coordinadas por organismos de ambos países. Se estudió una muestra aleatoria, multietápica, estratificada y por conglomerados de 4 020 personas mayores de 18 años que respondieron un cuestionario de preguntas relacionadas con la diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2 y la salud. El análisis estadístico de la información muestral obtenida tuvo en cuenta el efecto del diseño. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia de DM2 diagnosticada fue de 14,9% (intervalo de confianza de 95% [IC95%]: 12,5-17,6 y la prevalencia de DM2 diagnosticada ajustada por edad fue de 19,5% (IC95%: 16,8-22,6 en la parte mexicana y de 16,1% (IC95%: 13,5-19,2 en la estadounidense. La prevalencia de la DM2 y los factores de riesgo no fueron exactamente iguales a lo largo de la frontera. CONCLUSIONES: La ejecución del PDF-México/Estados Unidos ha permitido por primera vez considerar la franja fronteriza entre ambos países como una unidad para la investigación epidemiológica. En iniciativas fronterizas futuras, se sugiere fortalecer el entendimiento mutuo de la estructura sociopolítica y de las formas de actuación por parte de las instituciones y otras entidades participantes en ambos lados de la frontera.OBJECTIVE: To describe and analyze, utilizing a case study approach, the U.S.- Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project, a health research cooperation initiative incorporating the participation of federal, state, and local institutions of both countries. METHODS: A model of equal

  9. The role of the indoor environment: Residential determinants of allergy, asthma and pulmonary function in children from a US-Mexico border community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Svendsen, Erik R; Gonzales, Melissa; Commodore, Adwoa

    2018-03-01

    The El Paso Children's Health Study examined environmental risk factors for allergy and asthma among fourth and fifth grade schoolchildren living in a major United States-Mexico border city. Complete questionnaire information was available for 5210 children, while adequate pulmonary function data were available for a subset of 1874. Herein we studied indoor environmental health risk factors for allergy and asthma. Several indoor environmental risk factors were associated with allergy and asthma. In particular, we found that ant and spider pest problems, pet dogs, fireplace heat, central air conditioning, humidifier use, and cooking with gas stoves were positively associated with both allergy and asthma prevalence. With regards to asthma severity, our analysis indicated that exposure to pet dogs increased monotonically with increasing asthma severity while the lack of any heat source and gas stove use for cooking decreased monotonically with increasing asthma severity. Lung function also decreased among children who lived in homes with reported cockroach pest problem in the past year without concurrent use of pesticides. These effects on pulmonary function were present even after excluding children with a current physician's diagnosis of asthma. Clinicians and public health professionals may need to look closely at the contribution of these indoor risk factors on pulmonary health and quality of life among susceptible populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Addressing competitiveness and leakage concerns in climate policy: An analysis of border adjustment measures in the US and the EU

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Asselt, Harro van; Brewer, Thomas

    2010-01-01

    The implementation of climate policies in the US and EU in light of uncertainties about future international climate policy has shifted attention to two interrelated concerns, namely competitiveness and carbon leakage. Although various policy measures are available to address these concerns, there has been much discussion about one such measure in particular: the use of offsetting measures at the border. This article compares policy discussions in the US and the EU on how to address competitiveness and carbon leakage concerns, with a focus on the role of import-related border adjustment measures. It analyses the kinds of measures that so far have been put forward with a view to addressing competitiveness and carbon leakage; compares the approaches to the problems in the US and the EU; and provides a preliminary discussion of international cooperation on border adjustment measures. It concludes that two kinds of cooperation are needed between the EU and the US - not only cooperation through formal international negotiations, but also cooperation through international learning processes, in which the EU and the US learn from each other about design and implementation issues as they develop their respective cap-and-trade systems.

  11. Male injection drug users try new drugs following U.S. deportation to Tijuana, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Angela M; Rangel, M Gudelia; Lozada, Remedios; Vera, Alicia; Ojeda, Victoria D

    2012-01-01

    Among male injection drug users (IDUs) in Tijuana, Mexico, U.S. deportation is associated with HIV transmission. Changing drug use behaviors following deportation, including the use of new drugs, may increase HIV risk but are understudied. We identify correlates of trying new drugs following male IDUs' most recent U.S. deportation to Mexico. In 2010, we recruited 328 deported male IDUs in Tijuana, Mexico. Questionnaires collected retrospective data on drug use and other HIV risk behaviors throughout migratory events. Logistic regression identified correlates of trying new drugs/combinations following their most recent deportations. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Nearly one in six men (n=52, 16%) tried new drugs following their most recent deportation, including heroin (n=31), methamphetamine (n=5), and heroin/methamphetamine combined (n=17). Trying new drugs following deportation was independently associated with U.S. incarceration (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.96; 95% confidence interval [C.I.] 1.78, 8.84), increasing numbers of U.S. deportations (AOR=1.11 per deportation; C.I. 1.03, 1.20), feeling sad following deportation (AOR 2.69; C.I. 1.41, 5.14), and perceiving that one's current lifestyle increases HIV/AIDS risk (AOR 3.91; C.I. 2.05, 7.44). Trying new drugs following U.S. deportation may be related to the unique contexts and stressors experienced by drug-abusing migrants as they attempt to reestablish their lives in Mexico. Findings imply an unmet need for health and social programs to alleviate pre- and post-deportation stressors faced by undocumented and return migrants in the U.S.-Mexico context. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Processes Underlying Rabies Virus Incursions across US-Canada Border as Revealed by Whole-Genome Phylogeography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trewby, Hannah; Nadin-Davis, Susan A; Real, Leslie A; Biek, Roman

    2017-09-01

    Disease control programs aim to constrain and reduce the spread of infection. Human disease interventions such as wildlife vaccination play a major role in determining the limits of a pathogen's spatial distribution. Over the past few decades, a raccoon-specific variant of rabies virus (RRV) has invaded large areas of eastern North America. Although expansion into Canada has been largely prevented through vaccination along the US border, several outbreaks have occurred in Canada. Applying phylogeographic approaches to 289 RRV whole-genome sequences derived from isolates collected in Canada and adjacent US states, we examined the processes underlying these outbreaks. RRV incursions were attributable predominantly to systematic virus leakage of local strains across areas along the border where vaccination has been conducted but also to single stochastic events such as long-distance translocations. These results demonstrate the utility of phylogeographic analysis of pathogen genomes for understanding transboundary outbreaks.

  13. Border Security and Military Support: Legal Authorizations and Restrictions

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Vina, Stephen R

    2006-01-01

    .... Reported escalations in criminal activity and illegal immigration, however, have prompted some law makers to reevaluate the extent and type of military support that occurs in the Mexico-United States border region...

  14. A North Sea approach for Mexico?; El marco Mar del Norte para Mexico?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, George [ENERGIA.com, United States (United States)

    2006-11-15

    The probable existence of oil and gas deposits in the border territory between Mexico and the United States has waked up an enormous restlessness given the lack of agreements and stipulations on the handling of such deposits; cases like this one have occurred in other parts of the globe and it is indeed the intention of this article to show how the agreement decided on the North Sea can be applied in the case of Mexico. The bilateral characteristics of this agreement conformed by incentives and openings to the market, require the cooperation of different offices and governmental sectors from the federal government to make a series of possible stipulations that regulate the treaty and allow different oil companies a substantial interaction that profits the owners on both sides of the border. In Mexico the responsibility to put in action projects of this type corresponds to the legislative power in complicity with the secretariats of Foreign Affairs and Work. The present action models and the monopoly of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) in Mexico have only managed to suspend the development of the country in this sector and to maintain the oil industry development in a mediocre and deteriorated level. The benefits of such an adjustment would extend beyond obtaining a bilateral development for the involved countries; nevertheless we remember that the government of the United States is not to the compass of the governments pro-unification of borders. In order to begin the unification of the border regions, Mexico must document the location of border wells, nevertheless even though any agreement could be reached, years would have to pass before PEMEX develops the appropriate technology to operate its part of the deposits. [Spanish] La probable existencia de yacimientos de petroleo y gas en el territorio fronterizo entre Mexico y Estados Unidos ha despertado una enorme inquietud dada la falta de acuerdos y estipulaciones sobre la manipulacion de tales yacimientos; casos como

  15. Placebo Trends across the Border: US versus Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harris, Cory S.; Campbell, Natasha K. J.; Raz, Amir

    2015-01-01

    Background Physicians around the world report to using placebos in a variety of situations and with varying degrees of frequency. Inconsistent methodologies, however, complicate interpretation and prevent direct comparisons across studies. While US- and Canada-based physicians share similar professional standards, Canada harbours a less-litigious universal healthcare model with no formal placebo-related policy—factors that may impact how physicians view and use placebos. Methods To compare American and Canadian data, we circulated an online survey to academic physicians practicing in Canada, collected anonymous responses, and extracted those of internists and rheumatologists for comparison to US data obtained through parallel methodologies. Results Whereas our data show overall concordance across the border—from definitions to ethical limitations and therapeutic potential—differences between American- and Canadian-based placebo practices merit acknowledgement. For example, compared to 45%-80% among US-based respondents, only 23±7% of Canada-based respondents reported using placebos in clinical practice. However, 79±7% of Canada-respondents—a figure comparable to US data—professed to prescribing at least one form of treatment without proven or expected efficacy. Placebo interventions including unwarranted vitamins and herbal supplements (impure placebos) as well as sugar pills and saline injections (pure placebos) appear more common in Canada, where more doctors described placebos as “placebos” (rather than “medications”) and used them as a “diagnostic” tool (rather than a means of placating patient demands for treatment). Interpretation Cross-border variation in the use of clinical placebos appears minor despite substantial differences in health care delivery system, malpractice climate, and placebo-related policy. The prevalence of impure placebos in both Canadian and US clinics raises ethical and practical questions currently unaddressed

  16. The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project: a successful and practical U.S.-Mexico border initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forster-Cox, Susan C; Mangadu, Thenral; Jacquez, Benjamín; Fullerton, Lynne

    2010-05-01

    The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project (Proyecto de Salud Ambiental y Seguridad en el Hogar) has been developed in response to a wide array of severe and often preventable environmental health issues occurring in and around homes on the U.S.-Mexico border. Utilizing well-trained community members, called promotoras , homes are visited and assessed for potential environmental hazards, including home fire and food safety issues. Data analyzed from project years 2002 to 2005 shows a significant impact in knowledge levels and initial behavior change among targeted participants as it relates to fire and food safety issues. Since the initiation of the project in 1999, hundreds of participants have improved their quality of life by making their homes safer. The project has proven to be sustainable, replicable, flexible, and attractive to funders.

  17. Black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions from vehicles in the United States-Mexico border region: pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Kerry; Wagner, David; Lighty, JoAnn; Quintero Núñez, Margarito; Vazquez, F Adrian; Collins, Kimberly; Barud-Zubillaga, Alberto

    2006-03-01

    The investigators developed a system to measure black carbon (BC) and particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission factors during roadside sampling in four cities along the United States-Mexico border, Calexico/Mexicali and El Paso/Juarez. The measurement system included a photoacoustic analyzer for BC, a photoelectric aerosol sensor for particle-bound PAHs, and a carbon dioxide (CO2) analyzer. When a vehicle with measurable emissions passed the system probe, corresponding BC, PAH, and CO2 peaks were evident, and a fuel-based emission factor was estimated. A picture of each vehicle was also recorded with a digital camera. The advantage of this system, compared with other roadside methods, is the direct measurement of particulate matter components and limited interference from roadside dust. The study revealed some interesting trends: Mexican buses and all medium-duty trucks were more frequently identified as high emitters of BC and PAH than heavy-duty trucks or passenger vehicles. In addition, because of the high daily mileage of buses, they are good candidates for additional study. Mexican trucks and buses had higher average emission factors compared with U.S. trucks and buses, but the differences were not statistically significant. Few passenger vehicles had measurable BC and PAH emissions, although the highest emission factor came from an older model passenger vehicle licensed in Baja California.

  18. Toward Better Access to Health Insurance Coverage for U.S. Retirees in Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    Warner David C.; Jahnke Lauren R.

    2001-01-01

    Many retirees from the United States of America have limited health insurance coverage while living in Mexico. Medicare and Medicaid benefits are not portable to other countries and Medigap (private insurance that supplements Medicare) is very limited. This causes economic and medical hardships and serves as a barrier to retirement to Mexico. Increasing numbers of U.S. retirees will be interested in moving to Mexico in the future because of the climate, the culture, and the lower cost of livi...

  19. Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact: Hungry Horse--Columbia Falls line rebuild and relocation project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-09-01

    Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has identified a need to rebuild the Hungry Horse-Columbia Falls 115,000-volt (115-kV) transmission line to 230-kV. This line supplies power to customers in the area of Columbia Falls, Montana, and integrates generation at the US Bureau of Reclamation's (USBR) Hungry Horse Dam into BPA's transmission grid. There are several problems with the existing system. The Hungry Horse-Columbia Falls 1 15-kV line is 45 years old and requires excessive maintenance. The USBR has decided to replace their aging 115-kV transformers at the dam with 230-kV transformers, which also would increase their operational flexibility. With the small conductor size and voltage of the line presently being used, significant amounts of energy are lost as the power moves across the line. Transformer failure at Hungry Horse Dam has led to joint planning between BPA and the USBR. (USBR and the US Forest Service are cooperating agencies on the proposed project.) The proposal to eliminate the 115-kV equipment and convert to 230-kV operation was the least costly of the options studied. By rebuilding the line, maintenance costs (and time required for outages) would be reduced. The increased generation at the USBR dam would be safely and consistently transmitted over the improved system, and less energy would be lost from the line, a cost and energy savings

  20. Measuring border delay and crossing times at the US-Mexico border : part II. Step-by-step guidelines for implementing a radio frequency identification (RFID) system to measure border crossing and wait times.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-01

    The purpose of these step-by-step guidelines is to assist in planning, designing, and deploying a system that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to measure the time needed for commercial vehicles to complete the northbound border c...

  1. Reformulation of controlled-release oxycodone and pharmacy dispensing patterns near the US-Canada border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Tara; Paterson, J Michael; Juurlink, David N; Dhalla, Irfan A; Mamdani, Muhammad M

    2012-01-01

    In August 2010, a tamper-resistant formulation of controlled-release oxycodone (OxyContin-OP) was introduced in the United States but not in Canada. Our objective was to determine whether introduction of OxyContin-OP in the United States influenced prescription volumes for the original controlled-release oxycodone formulation (OxyContin) at Canadian pharmacies near the international border. We conducted a population-based, serial, cross-sectional study of prescriptions dispensed from pharmacies in the 3 cities with the highest volume of US-Canada border crossings in Ontario: Niagara Falls, Windsor and Sarnia. We analyzed data on all outpatient prescriptions for OxyContin dispensed by Canadian pharmacies near each border crossing between 2010 Apr. 1 and 2012 Feb. 29. We calculated and compared monthly prescription rates, adjusted per 1000 population and stratified by tablet strength. The number of tablets dispensed near 4 border crossings in the 3 Canadian cities remained stable over the study period. However, the rate of dispensing at pharmacies near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel increased roughly 4-fold between August 2010 and February 2011, from 505 to 1969 tablets per 1000 population. By April 2011, following warnings to prescribers and pharmacies regarding drug-seeking behaviour, the dispensing rate declined to 1683 tablets per 1000 population in this area. By November 2011, the rate had returned to levels observed in early 2010. Our analyses suggest that 242 075 excess OxyContin tablets were dispensed near the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel between August 2010 and October 2011. Prescribing of the original formulation of controlled-release oxycodone rose substantially near a major international border crossing following the introduction of a tamper-resistant formulation in the United States. It is possible that the restriction of this finding to the area surrounding the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel reflects specific characteristics of this border crossing, including its high

  2. Analysis of chemical contamination within a canal in a Mexican border colonia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Owens, Janel E. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626 (United States); Niemeyer, Emily D. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX 78626 (United States)]. E-mail: niemeyee@southwestern.edu

    2006-04-15

    This study examines urban pollution within Derechos Humanos, a colonia popular in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. General water quality indicators (coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, ecologically relevant cations and anions), heavy metals (copper, lead, nickel, zinc, iron and cadmium), and volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and dichlorobenzene and xylene isomers) were quantified within a wastewater canal running adjacent to the community. Water samples were collected at multiple sites along the banks of the canal and evidence of anthropogenic emissions existed at each sampling location. Sample site 2, approximately 10 m upstream of the colonia, contained both the widest range of hazardous pollutants and the greatest number exceeding US Environmental Protection Agency surface water standards. At each sampling location, high concentrations of total coliform (>10{sup 4} colonies/100 mL sample), lead (ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 mg/L), nickel (levels from 0.21 to 1.45 mg/L), and benzene (up to 9.80 mg/L) were noted. - This study quantifies widespread industrial and urban contamination within a canal located in a colonia (unplanned community) in Matamoros, Tamaulipas on the US-Mexico border.

  3. Analysis of chemical contamination within a canal in a Mexican border colonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Owens, Janel E.; Niemeyer, Emily D.

    2006-01-01

    This study examines urban pollution within Derechos Humanos, a colonia popular in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. General water quality indicators (coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids, ecologically relevant cations and anions), heavy metals (copper, lead, nickel, zinc, iron and cadmium), and volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, and dichlorobenzene and xylene isomers) were quantified within a wastewater canal running adjacent to the community. Water samples were collected at multiple sites along the banks of the canal and evidence of anthropogenic emissions existed at each sampling location. Sample site 2, approximately 10 m upstream of the colonia, contained both the widest range of hazardous pollutants and the greatest number exceeding US Environmental Protection Agency surface water standards. At each sampling location, high concentrations of total coliform (>10 4 colonies/100 mL sample), lead (ranging from 0.05 to 0.40 mg/L), nickel (levels from 0.21 to 1.45 mg/L), and benzene (up to 9.80 mg/L) were noted. - This study quantifies widespread industrial and urban contamination within a canal located in a colonia (unplanned community) in Matamoros, Tamaulipas on the US-Mexico border

  4. U.S. Border Patrol Fiscal Year Statistics Southwest border sector deaths - FY 1998 through FY 2013

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — Southwest Border Sectors include: Del Rio, El Centro, El Paso, Laredo, Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Tucson, Yuma Southwest Border Deaths By Fiscal Year (Oct. 1st...

  5. Crossing Pedagogical Borders in the Yucatan Peninsula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willhauck, Susan

    2009-01-01

    A challenging intercultural teaching experience provided an opportunity for engaging embodied pedagogies that facilitated border crossings of language, age, gender, and experience. Influenced by the work of Augusto Boal, the author describes how improvisation, role-play, music, and drawing led seminary students in Mexico into sacred time and space…

  6. Network communities within and across borders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerina, Federica; Chessa, Alessandro; Pammolli, Fabio; Riccaboni, Massimo

    2014-04-01

    We investigate the impact of borders on the topology of spatially embedded networks. Indeed territorial subdivisions and geographical borders significantly hamper the geographical span of networks thus playing a key role in the formation of network communities. This is especially important in scientific and technological policy-making, highlighting the interplay between pressure for the internationalization to lead towards a global innovation system and the administrative borders imposed by the national and regional institutions. In this study we introduce an outreach index to quantify the impact of borders on the community structure and apply it to the case of the European and US patent co-inventors networks. We find that (a) the US connectivity decays as a power of distance, whereas we observe a faster exponential decay for Europe; (b) European network communities essentially correspond to nations and contiguous regions while US communities span multiple states across the whole country without any characteristic geographic scale. We confirm our findings by means of a set of simulations aimed at exploring the relationship between different patterns of cross-border community structures and the outreach index.

  7. A Decision Support System for Demand Management of the Rio Conchos Basin, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, S.; Valdes, J.; Gastelum, J.; Brookshire, D.; Aparicio, J.; Hidalgo, J.; Velazco, I.

    2003-12-01

    There is a need for integrated models of transboundary watersheds such as that of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo (RGRB) along the US/Mexico border. We present the first stage an interdisciplinary effort to develop a semi-distributed regional dynamic simulation model (DSM) for examining water issues in the Lower RGRB basin. The RGRB serves as the border between the U.S. and Mexico. We focus first on the Conchos River basin, which contributes approximately 70-80% of the surface flow in the lower RGRB basin. Irrigated agriculture has historically been the major user of water and irrigated acreage continues to expand, but it faces increasing competition from industrial development, maquiladoras, and increasing residential water demand. International agreements such as the Treaty of 1944 between the US and Mexico stipulate that the flows in the RGRB are equally split. Yet uncertainties remain due to vagaries in the legislation. For example, Mexico is required to provide an average of 350,000 AF/yr over a five-year cycle, unless "extraordinary drought" occurs, although the Treaty does not define extraordinary. The characterization of droughts poses a significant problem for hydrometeorologists and water resource engineers. Our simulation model incorporates drought indices developed to characterize droughts in semi-arid and arid regions and statistical approaches to examine the spatial influence of droughts. To examine the effects of various structural and institutional changes to water use in the basin to meet the requirements of the Treaty and simulate climactic issues, we model agricultural, municipal, and industrial water demands that are directly linked to sectors of the regional economy using input output (IO) models. IO models can be used to examine how changes in water deliveries to the agricultural or manufacturing sectors affect the level of output, employment, and wages in the regional economy. All model outputs will be incorporated into a decision support system

  8. Quaternary Geochronology, Paleontology, and Archaeology of the Upper San Pedro River Valley, Sonora, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaines, E. P.

    2013-12-01

    This poster presents the results of multi-disciplinary investigations of the preservation and extent of Quaternary fossil-bearing strata in the San Pedro River Valley in Sonora, Mexico. Geologic deposits in the portions of the San Pedro Valley in southern Arizona contain one of the best late Cenozoic fossil records known in North America and the best record of early humans and extinct mammals on the continent. The basin in the U.S. is one of the type locations for the Blancan Land Mammal Age. Hemiphilian and Irvingtonian fossils are common. Rancholabrean remains are widespread. Strata in the valley adjacent to the international border with Mexico have yielded the densest concentration of archaeological mammoth-kill sites known in the western hemisphere. Despite more than 60 years of research in the U.S., however, and the fact that over one third of the San Pedro River lies south of the international boundary, little has been known about the late Cenozoic geology of the valley in Mexico. The study reported here utilized extensive field survey, archaeological documentation, paleontological excavations, stratigraphic mapping and alluvial geochronology to determine the nature and extent of Quaternary fossil-bearing deposits in the portions of the San Pedro Valley in Sonora, Mexico. The results demonstrate that the Plio-Pleistocene fossil -bearing formations known from the valley in Arizona extend into the uppermost reaches of the valley in Mexico. Several new fossil sites were discovered that yielded the remains of Camelids, Equus, Mammuthus, and other Proboscidean species. Late Pleistocene archaeological remains were found on the surface of the surrounding uplands. AMS radiocarbon dating demonstrates the widespread preservation of middle- to late- Holocene deposits. However, the late Pleistocene deposits that contain the archaeological mammoth-kill sites in Arizona are absent in the valley in Mexico, and are now known to be restricted to relatively small portions of

  9. Violence committed against migrants in transit: experiences on the Northern Mexican border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Infante, César; Idrovo, Alvaro J; Sánchez-Domínguez, Mario S; Vinhas, Stéphane; González-Vázquez, Tonatiuh

    2012-06-01

    Thousands of Mexican and Central American migrants converge at the Mexico-United States border. Undocumented migrants in transit to the United States are vulnerable due to their lack of access to health care and legal assistance. This study attempts to provide evidence on the violent-related consequences that migration has on migrants. A mixed-method study was conducted between April 2006-May 2007 in shelters in Baja California, Mexicali and Tijuana, Mexico. 22 in depth interviews were performed and fifteen hundred and twelve migrants responded a questionnaire. Results from both in-depth interviews and the analysis of the quantitative data shows the different types of violence experiences by migrants which include threats, verbal abuse, and arbitrary detention based on ethnicity, as well as assaults, beatings and sexual violence. It is crucial to stress the importance and the need to evidence the condition in which migrants' transit to the US and to effectively respond to the violence they experience.

  10. Border Injuries: An Analysis of Prehospital Demographics, Mechanisms, and Patterns of Injuries Encountered by USBP EMS Agents in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Russell A

    2017-08-01

    Study Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate Emergency Medical Services (EMS), use, injury mechanisms, prehospital assessments, and injuries among those receiving aid from the United States Border Patrol (USBP) in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector. This is a time-series, retrospective analysis of all prehospital data for injuries among patients receiving care from USBP EMS on the US Mexico border in the El Paso sector from February 6, 2014 to February 6, 2016. A total of 473 documented EMS encounters occurred in this two-year period and demonstrated a male gender predominance (male 63%; female 37%) with the most prominent ages between 22-40 years old. The most prevalent EMS call types were medical (55%) and trauma (42%). The most common chief complaints were an injured or painful extremity (35%) and rash (13%). The most common USBP EMS provider primary impression was traumatic injury (34%), followed by fever/infection (17%) and extremity injury (7%); however, the most common secondary impression was also extremity injury (20%). The most common mechanism of injury was fall (26%) and motor vehicle accident (MVA; 22%). The USBP EMS was the first provider on scene in 96% of the MVAs. The author reports on injury patterns, mechanisms, chief complaints, EMS impressions, as well as demographics of patients reporting to USBP EMS. A knowledge of these injury patterns will be useful to EMS administrators and physicians along the US Mexico border. Baker RA . Border injuries: an analysis of prehospital demographics, mechanisms, and patterns of injuries encountered by USBP EMS agents in the El Paso (Texas USA) Sector. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):431-436.

  11. Using GIS to assess priorities of infrastructure and health needs of colonias along the United States-Mexico border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parcher, J.W.; Humberson, D.G.

    2009-01-01

    Colonias, which are unincorporated border setdements in the United. States, have emerged in rural areas without the governance and services normally provided by local government. Colonia residents live in poverty and lack adequate health care, potable water, and sanitation systems. These conditions create substantial health risks for themselves and surrounding communities. By 2001, more than 1,400 colonias were identified in Texas. Cooperation with several Federal and Texas state agencies has allowed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to improve colonia Geographic Information System (GIS) boundaries and develop the Colonia Health, Infrastructure, and Platting Status tool (CHIPS). Together, the GIS boundaries and CHIPS aid the Texas government in prioritizing the limited funds that are available for infrastructure improvement. CHIPS's report: generator can be tailored, to the needs of the user, providing either broad or specific output. CHIPS is publicly available on the U.S. Geological Survey Border Environmental Health Initiative website at http://borderhealth.cr. usgs.gov.

  12. [Reference values for cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose in a population of Hispanic children from 6 to 11 y, in the northern border of Mexico and the United States of America].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenas Berumen, Ever; Gómez Miranda, Luis Mario; Torres Balcázar, Elías; Padilla Alvarado, Victor Hugo; Renteria, Ivan

    2014-10-31

    Overweight and obesity in children in the Mexico-USA border have evolved differently to the rest of their respective countries. New reference values of cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose are required to treatment. To determine the reference values of cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose in Hispanic children between 6 and 11 years in the Mexico-USA border. A prospective, cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study. A population of Hispanic children between 6 and 11 years of both boys and girls, belonging to three public institutions in the cities of Ensenada and Chihuahua, randomly selected, were studied. The study variables were the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and glucose (G). From 300 subjects studied just 54 children completed the study. Higher average values of TC (168.7 ± 27.2 mg / dl), TG (80.6 ± 48.4 mg / dl) and G (88.3 ± 8.9 mg / dl) were observed. An additional behavior was founded, never reported previously to the limit of the knowledge of the authors; glucose levels of the children studied decreased with increased of cholesterol and triglycerides. To discard a random relationship between the variables, the Pearson correlation coefficient was determined between waist circumference and BMI, verifying an inverse association with G and direct with the TG. The reference values for Hispanic children between 6 and 11 years living on the northern border of Mexico-USA differ with respect to the national average values of the countries studied. Further studies are needed in larger populations to confirm the trend ob served in glucose levels of normal children, overweight and obese. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  13. Influence of peer support on HIV/STI prevention and safety amongst international migrant sex workers: A qualitative study at the Mexico-Guatemala border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Febres-Cordero, Belen; Brouwer, Kimberly C; Rocha-Jimenez, Teresita; Fernandez-Casanueva, Carmen; Morales-Miranda, Sonia; Goldenberg, Shira M

    2018-01-01

    Migrant women engaged in precarious employment, such as sex work, frequently face pronounced social isolation alongside other barriers to health and human rights. Although peer support has been identified as a critical HIV and violence prevention intervention for sex workers, little is known about access to peer support or its role in shaping health and social outcomes for migrant sex workers. This article analyses the role of peer support in shaping vulnerability and resilience related to HIV/STI prevention and violence among international migrant sex workers at the Mexico-Guatemala border. This qualitative study is based on 31 semi-structured interviews conducted with international migrant sex workers in the Mexico-Guatemala border communities of Tapachula, Mexico and Tecún Umán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Peer support was found to be critical for reducing social isolation; improving access to HIV/STI knowledge, prevention and resources; and mitigating workplace violence, particularly at the initial stages of migration and sex work. Peer support was especially critical for countering social isolation, and peers represented a valuable source of HIV/STI prevention knowledge and resources (e.g., condoms), as well as essential safety supports in the workplace. However, challenges to accessing peer support were noted, including difficulties establishing long-lasting relationships and other forms of social participation due to frequent mobility, as well as tensions among peers within some work environments. Variations in access to peer support related to country of work, work environment, sex work and migration stage, and sex work experience were also identified. Results indicate that peer-led and community empowerment interventions represent a promising strategy for promoting the health, safety and human rights of migrant sex workers. Tailored community empowerment interventions addressing the unique migration-related contexts and challenges faced by migrant sex

  14. The Health Frontiers in Tijuana Undergraduate Internship Program: A Novel Global Health Experience in Mexico for Pre-medical/Pre-health Undergraduates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgos, Jose L; Yee, Daniel C; Vargas-Ojeda, Adriana Carolina; Ojeda, Victoria D

    2016-01-01

    We describe the creation of the Health Frontiers in Tijuana (HFiT) Undergraduate Internship Program (UIP), a novel global health experience for U.S. and Mexican undergraduate students based at the binational HFiT student-run free clinic. The UIP introduces students to a diverse underserved patient population, and U.S.-Mexico border public health.

  15. The effect of China exportations to the United States of America in the job demand of the manufacturing sector of Mexico 2004-2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Eduardo Mendoza Cota

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Recently the manufacturing sector of Mexico has experienced a reduced rate of growth. This study estimates the impact of the industrial activity of the U.S. and China on the demand for labor in the manufacturing sector of the northern border states of Mexico. With data on industrial activity, Chinese exports, wages and the peso-dollar exchange rate, a time series co-integration model is developed. The results show that exports from China to the Usa and manufacturing wages have affected labor demand negatively, while factors such as, the U.S. industrial production and the exchange rate tend to encourage manufacturing activity.

  16. Mexico On A Criminal Traffic Scenario

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. P. Moloeznik

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The article describes the problem of organized crime in modern Mexico. It addresses the activities of criminal clans, which profoundly evolved since the 1930s. The USMexican extensive border length and the stable demand for drugs in the United States leads to the continuous flow of illegal migrants and drugs from Mexico to the US and American firearms back to Mexico. First, the authors address the issue of interconnectedness of crime in the neighboring countries. Second, they describe the geographical distribution of crime activity. It shows the influence of organized crime on the political life oin Mexico and ways of its adaptation to law enforcement pressure, namely division and disaggregation. The authors state that the fight against organized crime was ineffective in Mexico in 2006-2012, because it ignored political and cultural realities, it used exclusively force and almost did not involve civil society. In addition, it only increased the level of violence in the country and contributed to the growth of corruption in the ranks of law enforcement. Moreover, it increased the level of violence in the country and contributed to the growth of corruption in the ranks of law enforcement. Many of its components had a pronounced «pre-election» character, aimed at attracting the voter with the promise of an «early and decisive victory» over criminals. The article proposes new approach to the problem of organized crime in Mexico. To start with, government should refuse to use unilateral, as well as politicized and opportunistic actions. The involvement of civic society is of ultimate importance.

  17. The cross-border opportunity on how to enhance Canada-US energy trade : Panel 1 : the prospects for increased trade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LeCroy, J.; Power, R.; Pumphrey, D.; Flack, G.; McFadden, D.

    2006-01-01

    The electricity trade between Canada and the United States was discussed with reference to the integrated electricity networks and strong interdependence between the 2 countries on the uninterrupted flow of electricity. As Canada supplies electricity to more than 30 U.S. states, there is good reason to foster cooperation in energy efficiency, natural gas supplies, technology advancements and critical infrastructure protection. The first panel discussion on cross-border opportunities identified prospects for increased trade between Canada and the United States. It was noted that despite the proximity of the 2 countries, the regulatory environment and infrastructure are not well integrated. In addition to being difficult to achieve, a coherent energy policy would likely be driven by the United States rather than Canada. Although both countries rank high in energy production and consumption, United States ranks eleventh in oil reserves and sixth in natural gas, compared to Canada ranking second in oil reserves. Energy trade is essential to the economies of both countries and the infrastructure binds the 2 economies together. The partnership in developing the Electric Reliability Organization has resulted in regulatory transparency. Special working groups have been formed to help Mexico deal with natural gas challenges and investment needs. All 3 countries are looking at liquefied natural gas. The United States is also working with Canada in developing an infrastructure for the oil sands. The progress in developing the Mackenzie Delta gas fields was also discussed along with the division of opinion regarding nuclear power generation. It was noted that an increase in electricity demand will drive both new generation and transmission. It was also noted that effective reliability standards are essential to cross-border trade in a market-based trade approach. 5 figs

  18. Association of Household and Community Characteristics with Adult and Child Food Insecurity among Mexican-Origin Households in Colonias along the Texas-Mexico Border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dean Wesley R

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Food insecurity is a critical problem in the United States and throughout the world. There is little published data that provides insights regarding the extent and severity of food insecurity among the hard-to-reach Mexican-origin families who reside in the growing colonias along the Texas border with Mexico. Considering that culture, economics, and elements of the environment may increase the risk for food insecurity and adverse health outcomes, the purpose of this study was to examine the relation between household and community characteristics and food insecurity. Methods The study used data from the 2009 Colonia Household and Community Food Resource Assessment (C-HCFRA. The data included 610 face-to-face interviews conducted in Spanish by promotoras (indigenous community health workers in forty-four randomly-identified colonias near the towns of Progreso and La Feria in Hidalgo and Cameron counties along the Texas border with Mexico. C-HCFRA included demographic characteristics, health characteristics, food access and mobility, food cost, federal and community food and nutrition assistance programs, perceived quality of the food environment, food security, eating behaviors, and alternative food sources. Results 78% of participants experienced food insecurity at the level of household, adult, or child. The most severe - child food insecurity was reported by 49% of all households and 61.8% of households with children. Increasing levels of food insecurity was associated with being born in Mexico, increasing household composition, decreasing household income, and employment. Participation in federal food assistance programs was associated with reduced severity of food insecurity. Greater distance to their food store and perceived quality of the community food environment increased the odds for food insecurity. Conclusions The Mexican-origin population is rapidly expanding; record numbers of individuals and families are

  19. Association of household and community characteristics with adult and child food insecurity among Mexican-origin households in colonias along the Texas-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharkey, Joseph R; Dean, Wesley R; Johnson, Cassandra M

    2011-05-13

    Food insecurity is a critical problem in the United States and throughout the world. There is little published data that provides insights regarding the extent and severity of food insecurity among the hard-to-reach Mexican-origin families who reside in the growing colonias along the Texas border with Mexico. Considering that culture, economics, and elements of the environment may increase the risk for food insecurity and adverse health outcomes, the purpose of this study was to examine the relation between household and community characteristics and food insecurity. The study used data from the 2009 Colonia Household and Community Food Resource Assessment (C-HCFRA). The data included 610 face-to-face interviews conducted in Spanish by promotoras (indigenous community health workers) in forty-four randomly-identified colonias near the towns of Progreso and La Feria in Hidalgo and Cameron counties along the Texas border with Mexico. C-HCFRA included demographic characteristics, health characteristics, food access and mobility, food cost, federal and community food and nutrition assistance programs, perceived quality of the food environment, food security, eating behaviors, and alternative food sources. 78% of participants experienced food insecurity at the level of household, adult, or child. The most severe - child food insecurity was reported by 49% of all households and 61.8% of households with children. Increasing levels of food insecurity was associated with being born in Mexico, increasing household composition, decreasing household income, and employment. Participation in federal food assistance programs was associated with reduced severity of food insecurity. Greater distance to their food store and perceived quality of the community food environment increased the odds for food insecurity. The Mexican-origin population is rapidly expanding; record numbers of individuals and families are experiencing food insecurity; and for those living in rural or

  20. Trends in marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, 1996-2003

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribic, Christine; Seba B. Sheavly,; Rugg, David J.

    2011-01-01

    Marine debris is a widespread and globally recognized problem. Sound information is necessary to understand the extent of the problem and to inform resource managers and policy makers about potential mitigation strategies. Although there are many short-term studies on marine debris, a longer-term perspective and the ability to compare among regions has heretofore been missing in the U.S. Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. We used data from a national beach monitoring program to evaluate and compare amounts, composition, and trends of indicator marine debris in the U.S. Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Gulf of Mexico from 1996 to 2003. Indicator items provided a standardized set that all surveys collected; each was assigned a probable source: ocean-based, land-based, or general-source. Probable ocean-based debris was related to activities such as recreational boating/fishing, commercial fishing and activities on oil/gas platforms. Probable land-based debris was related to land-based recreation and sewer systems. General-source debris represented plastic items that can come from either ocean- or land-based sources; these items were plastic bags, strapping bands, and plastic bottles (excluding motor oil containers). Debris loads were similar between the U.S. Caribbean and the western Gulf of Mexico; however, debris composition on U.S. Caribbean beaches was dominated by land-based indicators while the western Gulf of Mexico was dominated by ocean-based indicators. Beaches along the eastern Gulf of Mexico had the lowest counts of debris; composition was dominated by land-based indicators, similar to that found for the U.S. Caribbean. Debris loads on beaches in the Gulf of Mexico are likely affected by Gulf circulation patterns, reducing loads in the eastern Gulf and increasing loads in the western Gulf. Over the seven years of monitoring, we found a large linear decrease in total indicator debris, as well as all source categories, for the U.S

  1. Development of a high-resolution binational vegetation map of the Santa Cruz River riparian corridor and surrounding watershed, southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Villarreal, Miguel L.; Norman, Laura M.

    2011-01-01

    This report summarizes the development of a binational vegetation map developed for the Santa Cruz Watershed, which straddles the southern border of Arizona and the northern border of Sonora, Mexico. The map was created as an environmental input to the Santa Cruz Watershed Ecosystem Portfolio Model (SCWEPM) that is being created by the U.S. Geological Survey for the watershed. The SCWEPM is a map-based multicriteria evaluation tool that allows stakeholders to explore tradeoffs between valued ecosystem services at multiple scales within a participatory decision-making process. Maps related to vegetation type and are needed for use in modeling wildlife habitat and other ecosystem services. Although detailed vegetation maps existed for the U.S. side of the border, there was a lack of consistent data for the Santa Cruz Watershed in Mexico. We produced a binational vegetation classification of the Santa Cruz River riparian habitat and watershed vegetation based on NatureServe Terrestrial Ecological Systems (TES) units using Classification And Regression Tree (CART) modeling. Environmental layers used as predictor data were derived from a seasonal set of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images (spring, summer, and fall) and from a 30-meter digital-elevation-model (DEM) grid. Because both sources of environmental data are seamless across the international border, they are particularly suited to this binational modeling effort. Training data were compiled from existing field data for the riparian corridor and data collected by the NM-GAP (New Mexico Gap Analysis Project) team for the original Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (SWReGAP) modeling effort. Additional training data were collected from core areas of the SWReGAP classification itself, allowing the extrapolation of the SWReGAP mapping into the Mexican portion of the watershed without collecting additional training data.

  2. Functional analysis of Kv1.2 and paddle chimera Kv channels in planar lipid bilayers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Xiao; MacKinnon, Roderick

    2010-01-01

    Summary Voltage-dependent K+ channels play key roles in shaping electrical signaling in both excitable as well as non-excitable cells. These channels open and close in response to the voltage changes across the cell membrane. Many studies have been carried out in order to understand the voltage sensing mechanism. Our laboratory recently determined the atomic structures of a mammalian voltage-dependent K+ channel Kv1.2 and a mutant of Kv1.2 named the ‘paddle-chimera’ channel, in which the voltage sensor paddle was transferred from Kv2.1 to Kv1.2. These two structures provide atomic descriptions of voltage-dependent channels with unprecedented clarity. Until now the functional integrity of these two channels biosynthesized in yeast cells have not been assessed. Here we report the electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of Kv1.2 and the paddle chimera channels in planar lipid bilayers. We demonstrate that Pichia yeast produce ‘normally functioning’ mammalian voltage-dependent K+ channels with qualitatively similar features to the Shaker K+ channel in the absence of the N-terminal inactivation gate, and that the paddle chimera mutant channel functions as well as Kv1.2. We find, however, that in several respects the Kv1.2 channel exhibits functional properties that are distinct from Kv1.2 channels reported in the literature. PMID:18638484

  3. Patient-family EoL communication and its predictors: Reports from caregivers of Latino patients in the rural U.S.-Mexico border region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ko, Eunjeong; Lee, Jaehoon; Ramirez, Carlos; Lopez, Denicka; Martinez, Stephanie

    2017-10-26

    Family caregivers play an important role in end-of-life (EoL) decision making when the patient is unable to make his/her own decisions. While communication about EoL care between patients and family is perhaps a first step toward advance care planning (ACP)/EoL decisions, not every culture puts great value on open communication about this topic. The aims of the present study were to explore EoL communication and the aspects of communication among caregivers of Latino patients in the rural United States (U.S.)-Mexico border region. This study analyzed data from a hospice needs assessment collected from 189 family caregivers of Latino patients at a home health agency in a rural U.S.-Mexico border region. Bivariate tests and logistic regression were used to address our aims. About half of the family caregivers (n = 96, 50.8%) reported to have ever engaged in EoL discussion with patients. Significant predictors of EoL discussion included life-sustaining treatment preference (odds ratio [OR] = 0.44, p EoL communication. Also, caregivers who worried that physicians might want to stop treatments (i.e., "pull the plug") too soon were less likely to do so. Conversely, caregivers who had knowledge about ADs were more likely to engage in EoL communication. EoL communication is a complex process influenced by individual, social, and cultural values and the beliefs of both the patient and his/her family. Inclusion of family caregivers in the ACP process and facilitating culturally tailored EoL communication between patients and family caregivers is important.

  4. Compact generator with semiconductor current interrupter, voltage to 300 kV and pulse repetition rate to 2 kHz

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lyubutin, S.K.; Rukin, S.N.; Slovikovskij, B.G.

    2000-01-01

    Compact generator with a semiconductor current interrupter (SOS-diode), forming on the resistive load pulses with the amplitude up to 300 kV, duration from 30 up to 50 ns and the pulse sequence frequency 300 Hz by long operation and up to 2 kHz in the 30-second packet, is described. The generator contains a thyristor charge unit, magnetic compressor and inductive storage with a semiconductor current interrupter on the SOS-diode basis. The generator mean output capacity by the pulse maximum sequence frequency and 250 kV voltage equals 16 kw. The generator dimensions are 0.85 x 0.65 x 0.42 m, its mass equals approximately 115 kg [ru

  5. Source characterization of major emission sources in the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys along the US/Mexico border

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watson, J.G.; Chow, J.C. [Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Pkwy., 89512 Reno, NV (United States)

    2001-08-10

    Chemical profiles for particle emissions are needed for source apportionment studies using the chemical mass balance (CMB) receptor model. Source measurements of geological sources, motor vehicle exhaust, vegetative burning (e.g. asparagus, field burning, charbroil cooking), and industrial sources (e.g. oil-fueled glass plant, manure-fueled power plants) were acquired as part of the Imperial/Mexicali Valley Cross Border PM{sub 10} Transport Study in 1992. Six different source sampling techniques (i.e. hot- and diluted-exhaust sampling, ground-based source sampling, particle sweeping/grab sampling, vacuum sampling, and laboratory resuspension sampling) were applied to acquire filter samples of PM{sub 2.5} and PM{sub 10} (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters <2.5 and 10 {mu}m, respectively). Filter samples were analyzed for mass by gravimetry, elements (Na to U) by X-ray fluorescence, anions (Cl{sup -}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, SO{sub 4}{sup =}) by ion chromatography, ammonium (NH{sub 4}{sup +}) by automated colorimetry, soluble sodium (Na{sup +}) and potassium (K{sup +}) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and organic and elemental carbon (OC, EC) by thermal/optical reflectance. Concentration data were acquired for a total of 50 chemical species. Elevated abundances of crustal components (Al, Si, K, Ca, Fe) from geological material, carbon (OC, EC) and trace elements (Br, Pb) from vehicle exhausts, carbon (OC, EC) and ions (K{sup +}, Cl{sup -}) from vegetative burning, ions (SO{sub 4}{sup =}, NH{sub 4}{sup +}, Na{sup +}, K{sup +}, Cl{sup -}) and elements (Cl, Se) from a manure-fueled power plants, and sulfur and trace elements (Na{sup +}, Pb, Se, Ni, V) from an oil-fueled glass plant were found in the resulting source profiles. Abundances of crustal species (e.g. Al, Si, Ca) in the Imperial/Mexicali Valley geological profiles are more than twice those found in central and southern California. Abundances of lead in motor vehicle exhausts indicate different

  6. Weight status of Mexican immigrant women: a comparison with women in Mexico and with US-born Mexican American women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guendelman, Sylvia D; Ritterman-Weintraub, Miranda L; Fernald, Lia C H; Kaufer-Horwitz, Martha

    2013-09-01

    We assessed the association between birthplace, residence, or years in the United States and actual weight (body mass index), perceived weight accuracy, or provider screens for overweight or obesity among Mexican immigrant women. We used linked data from Health and Nutrition Examination Survey waves 2001-2006 and 2006 National Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey to compare 513 immigrants with 9527 women in Mexico and 342 US-born Mexican American women. Immigrants were more likely than women in Mexico to be obese and to perceive themselves as overweight or obese after adjustment for confounders. Recent immigrants had similar weight-related outcomes as women in Mexico. Immigrants were less likely to be obese than were US-born Mexican Americans. Within the overweight or obese population, reported provider screens were higher among immigrants than among women in Mexico, but lower than among US-born Mexican Americans. US residency of at least 5 years but less than 20 years and reporting insufficient provider screens elevated obesity risk. Mexican-origin women in the United States and Mexico are at risk for overweight and obesity. We found no evidence of a "healthy immigrant" effect.

  7. Chagas Disease Infection among Migrants at the Mexico/Guatemala Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conners, Erin E; Ordoñez, Teresa López; Cordon-Rosales, Celia; Casanueva, Carmen Fernández; Miranda, Sonia Morales; Brouwer, Kimberly C

    2017-10-01

    Chagas disease results in the largest burden, in terms of disability-adjusted-life-years, of any parasitic disease in the Americas. Monitoring Chagas disease among migrants is critical to controlling its spread and to serving the needs of the migrant community. Therefore, we determined the prevalence and correlates of Chagas disease in regional and international migrant populations at the Mexico/Guatemala border. Data were collected as part of a larger study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and migration. Participants were a sample of recent regional and international migrants who used an illicit substance or had recent problem drinking. Trypanosoma cruzi infection was classified as testing positive on two different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Interviewer-administered surveys captured sociodemographics, migration history, Chagas disease knowledge, and access to care. We enrolled 389 recent migrants, and the prevalence of Chagas disease was 3.1%. Only 19% of the participants reported having ever heard of the disease and less than 1% had been previously tested. Trypanosoma cruzi -positive participants were more likely to have been born in a rural area or town than a city (92% yes versus 59% no, P = 0.02) and have recently lived in a house with a makeshift roof (33% yes versus 8% no, P < 0.01), walls (42% yes versus 13% no, P < 0.01), or floor (50% yes versus 21% no, P < 0.02), or cinderblock walls (92% yes versus 63% no, P = 0.04). With migration rapidly changing the distribution of Chagas disease, more work needs to be done to create targeted surveillance programs and provide access to affordable treatment among Latin American migrants.

  8. French 400 kV network

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pelissier, R

    1965-11-01

    A 400 kV transmission network has been constructed to carry hydroelectric power from the Alps and the Massif Central to Paris at peak hours and to carry power in the reverse direction in off-peak hours. A double circuit-ring at 400 kV encircling the Paris region is also nearing completion. Measures have to be taken to counter the very high short-circuit currents in such a network. A 730 kV network will eventually become necessary. The consequent multiplicity of transmission voltages will give rise to further problems. Collaboration with neighboring countries is envisaged. The problems of stability and synchronization posed by the new system are described and solutions suggested. The new circuit-breaking requirements are discussed, and details of tower design for 400 kV and 730 kV are given.

  9. Mechanosensitive gating of Kv channels.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine E Morris

    Full Text Available K-selective voltage-gated channels (Kv are multi-conformation bilayer-embedded proteins whose mechanosensitive (MS Popen(V implies that at least one conformational transition requires the restructuring of the channel-bilayer interface. Unlike Morris and colleagues, who attributed MS-Kv responses to a cooperative V-dependent closed-closed expansion↔compaction transition near the open state, Mackinnon and colleagues invoke expansion during a V-independent closed↔open transition. With increasing membrane tension, they suggest, the closed↔open equilibrium constant, L, can increase >100-fold, thereby taking steady-state Popen from 0→1; "exquisite sensitivity to small…mechanical perturbations", they state, makes a Kv "as much a mechanosensitive…as…a voltage-dependent channel". Devised to explain successive gK(V curves in excised patches where tension spontaneously increased until lysis, their L-based model falters in part because of an overlooked IK feature; with recovery from slow inactivation factored in, their g(V datasets are fully explained by the earlier model (a MS V-dependent closed-closed transition, invariant L≥4. An L-based MS-Kv predicts neither known Kv time courses nor the distinctive MS responses of Kv-ILT. It predicts Kv densities (hence gating charge per V-sensor several-fold different from established values. If opening depended on elevated tension (L-based model, standard gK(V operation would be compromised by animal cells' membrane flaccidity. A MS V-dependent transition is, by contrast, unproblematic on all counts. Since these issues bear directly on recent findings that mechanically-modulated Kv channels subtly tune pain-related excitability in peripheral mechanoreceptor neurons we undertook excitability modeling (evoked action potentials. Kvs with MS V-dependent closed-closed transitions produce nuanced mechanically-modulated excitability whereas an L-based MS-Kv yields extreme, possibly excessive

  10. Draft Environmental Impact Statement: BPA/Puget Power Northwest Washington Transmission Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-11-01

    Bonneville Power Administration (BPS) and Puget Sound Power ampersand Light (Puget Power) propose to upgrade the existing high-voltage transmission system in the Whatcom and Skagit County area between the towns of Custer and Sedro Woolley, including within the city of Bellingham starting in 1995. The upgrades of the interconnected 230,000 volt (230-kV) and 115-kV systems are needed to increase the reliability of the local transmission system and to increase the import capacity on a nearby US-Canada 500-kV intertie by about 850 megawatts (MW). The increase in north-south transfer capability would be shared by BPA and Puget Power (about 425 MW each). Other actions would include replacement of an existing BPA 230-kV single-circuit, wood-pole H-frame transmission line with a lattice-steel double-circuit line; an existing Puget Power 115-kV single wood-pole transmission line rebuild, two short 115-kV Puget Power lines added at BPA's Bellingham Substation; and improvements made at existing BPA and Puget Power substations

  11. 78 FR 17395 - Good Neighbor Environmental Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Teleconference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-21

    ... provides advice and recommendations to the President and Congress on environmental and infrastructure issues along the U.S. border with Mexico. Purpose of Meeting: The purpose of this teleconference is to... infrastructure issues in the U.S.- Mexico border region. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to make oral...

  12. A PDA-based Network for Telemonitoring Asthma Triggering Gases in the El Paso School Districts of the US - Mexico Border Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shenoy, Namdev; Nazeran, Homer

    2005-01-01

    In this paper we describe the application of a personal digital assistant (PDA) or pocket PC as an effective communication device to telemonitor levels of asthma triggering gases collected from a remote location under test to a workstation which has a personal computer (PC) running on Windows XP® as the operating system. The Bluetooth® features of the PDA are explored to transmit data collected by a Direct™ Sense Tox toxic gas monitor equipped with five toxic gas probes and one temperature sensor in real time, thereby making this telemonitoring system an innovative instrument in monitoring levels of asthma triggering gases in the El Paso-border metropolitan region, a region in which asthma is highly prevalent especially in children. At the workstation or fixed location these readings are displayed using a custom made, user friendly graphical user interface (GUI) developed using software tools like action scripting with Macromedia® Flash™. The growing advancement in technology and ever diminishing sizes of handheld devices encouraged us to opt for this configuration. Moreover, the PDA and toxic gas monitor were also chosen for their light weight, portability, flexibility, low cost and data collection and transmission capabilities.

  13. Diabetes among Latinos in the Southwestern United States: border health and binational cooperation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan P. Casey

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This analysis reviews cooperation between the four border states of the United States of America (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas and international partners in Mexico with regard to type 2 diabetes among Latinos. Binational cooperation, academic collaboration, preventative health initiatives, and efforts to improve health care access for the border population are highlighted. This meta-analysis of the literature points out causative factors of the increased type 2 diabetes prevalence among Latinos in the United States; an inverse correlation between diabetes and education and socioeconomic level; contributing factors, including barriers with language, health care payment, transportation, and underestimating diabetes implications; and a lack of social and environmental support for disease management. Medical and indirect costs in socioeconomic terms are also included. Cooperation between the United States and Mexico may be beneficial to promoting further collaborative efforts between these nations, and serve as a template for greater cooperative efforts to mitigate the substantial public health and socioeconomic implications of type 2 diabetes globally.

  14. The 2,000 Mile Wall in Search of a Purpose: Since 2007 Visa Overstays have Outnumbered Undocumented Border Crossers by a Half Million

    OpenAIRE

    Robert Warren; Donald Kerwin

    2017-01-01

    The Trump administration has made the construction of an “impregnable” 2,000-mile wall across the length of the US-Mexico border a centerpiece of its executive orders on immigration and its broader immigration enforcement strategy. This initiative has been broadly criticized based on:  Escalating cost projections: an internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) study recently set the cost at $21.6 billion over three and a half years; Its necessity given the many other enforcemen...

  15. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose: cross-sectional study of multiethnic adult population at the United States-Mexico border Prevalencia de diabetes tipo 2 y de alteración de la glucosa en ayunas: estudio transversal de una población adulta multiétnica en la frontera México-Estados Unidos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beatriz A. Díaz-Apodaca

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVE: To estimate prevalence of type 2 diabetes (diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG in the border region between the United States of America and Mexico, by ethnic origin and country of residence; identify risk factors associated with both conditions; and explore the extent to which these factors account for cross-border or ethnic disparities in prevalence. METHODS: From April 2001 to November 2002, Phase I of the U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project, a prevalence study of diabetes and its risk factors, was conducted at the U.S.-Mexico border using multistage cluster sampling. A questionnaire was administered on diabetes (self-reported and lifestyle and a physical examination and blood sample were obtained. A total of 4 027 adults participated in the study: 2 120 Hispanics from the Mexican side of the border and 1 437 Hispanics and 470 non-Hispanics (of whom 385 were classified as "white" from the U.S. side of the border. RESULTS: The age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported and unrecognized diabetes in Hispanics was 15.4% (16.6% on the Mexican side of the border and 14.7% on the U.S. side. The age-adjusted prevalence of IFG was similar on both sides of the border (14.1% on the Mexican side and 13.6% on the U.S. side. CONCLUSIONS: Established risk factors for diabetes (e.g., age, obesity, and family history were relevant and there was an inverse relationship between diabetes and education and socioeconomic level. While diabetes prevalence is high on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, one-fourth of the cases remain undiagnosed, suggesting a need for development and implementation of a public health program for prevention, diagnosis, and control of diabetes in the region.OBJETIVO: Calcular la prevalencia de la diabetes de tipo 2 (diabetes y de la alteración de la glucosa en ayunas en la zona fronteriza entre México y los Estados Unidos, por origen étnico y país de residencia; identificar los factores de

  16. Force Multiplier: The Military’s Future Role in U.S. Border Protection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-01

    what constitutes internal and external threats and subsequently employing the appropriate national resources to counter these threats is a difficult...1994 North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ), promoted the expansion of free trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The most recent...military personnel to enforce the state laws--is embedded throughout the U.S. Constitution ; it appears as relevant today as it did two centuries ago

  17. 77 FR 57083 - Good Neighbor Environmental Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Teleconference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-17

    ... President and Congress on environmental and infrastructure issues along the U.S. border with Mexico. Purpose... Environmental Board's Fifteenth Report, which focuses on water infrastructure issues in the U.S.-Mexico border...

  18. The subfamily-specific interaction between Kv2.1 and Kv6.4 subunits is determined by interactions between the N- and C-termini.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elke Bocksteins

    Full Text Available The "silent" voltage-gated potassium (KvS channel subunit Kv6.4 does not form electrically functional homotetramers at the plasma membrane but assembles with Kv2.1 subunits, generating functional Kv2.1/Kv6.4 heterotetramers. The N-terminal T1 domain determines the subfamily-specific assembly of Kv1-4 subunits by preventing interactions between subunits that belong to different subfamilies. For Kv6.4, yeast-two-hybrid experiments showed an interaction of the Kv6.4 N-terminus with the Kv2.1 N-terminus, but unexpectedly also with the Kv3.1 N-terminus. We confirmed this interaction by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP using N-terminal Kv3.1 and Kv6.4 fragments. However, full-length Kv3.1 and Kv6.4 subunits do not form heterotetramers at the plasma membrane. Therefore, additional interactions between the Kv6.4 and Kv2.1 subunits should be important in the Kv2.1/Kv6.4 subfamily-specificity. Using FRET and co-IP approaches with N- and C-terminal fragments we observed that the Kv6.4 C-terminus physically interacts with the Kv2.1 N-terminus but not with the Kv3.1 N-terminus. The N-terminal amino acid sequence CDD which is conserved between Kv2 and KvS subunits appeared to be a key determinant since charge reversals with arginine substitutions abolished the interaction between the N-terminus of Kv2.1 and the C-terminus of both Kv2.1 and Kv6.4. In addition, the Kv6.4(CKv3.1 chimera in which the C-terminus of Kv6.4 was replaced by the corresponding domain of Kv3.1, disrupted the assembly with Kv2.1. These results indicate that the subfamily-specific Kv2.1/Kv6.4 heterotetramerization is determined by interactions between Kv2.1 and Kv6.4 that involve both the N- and C-termini in which the conserved N-terminal CDD sequence plays a key role.

  19. US Army Research Laboratory Power-Line UAV Modeling and Simulation (ARL-PLUMS Ver 2.x) Software Tool: User Manual and Technical Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    shown have units of pF/m. This is the capacitance matrix for the 115-kV 3-phase circuit seen in Fig. 24.....................................24 Fig. 29...The window that appears when one clicks “Calculate Lambdas ”. These are the linear charge densities for the 115-kV 3-phase circuit seen in Fig. 24...calculate the capacitance matrix (Fig. 28). The diagonal entries are called the coefficients of capacitance, and the non-diagonal entries are called

  20. The role of landowners in jaguar conservation in Sonora, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosas-Rosas, Octavio C; Valdez, Raul

    2010-04-01

    The northernmost known breeding population of jaguars occurs in the municipality of Nácori Chico, Sonora, Mexico about 270 km from the United States-Mexico border and may be the source from which jaguars sighted in the United States dispersed. Since 1999 at least 11 jaguars (Panthera onca) had been illegally killed in the area due to predator control programs. We initiated a jaguar landowner-based conservation plan in 2004. The eight participating landowners agreed to suspend predator control programs targeting jaguars and pumas (Puma concolor) only if cattle losses were compensated. A private outfitter, with the consent of landowners, initiated white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) hunts in 2004 and agreed to pay the group of participating landowners US$1500 for every deer hunt permit sold. The funds paid to the landowners from deer hunts were sufficient to convince landowners to suspend all predator-control efforts of jaguars and pumas. The involvement of landowners in the jaguar conservation program in northeastern Sonora is a successful, private, wildlife-conservation initiative that provides an example for jaguar conservation efforts in northern Mexico.

  1. Prevalence of risk factors for HIV infection among Mexican migrants and immigrants: probability survey in the north border of Mexico Prevalencia de factores de riesgo para la infección por VIH entre migrantes mexicanos: encuesta probabilística en la frontera norte de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Gudelia Rangel

    2006-02-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of risk factors for HIV infection among Mexican migrants and immigrants (MMIs in different geographic contexts, including the sending communities in Mexico, the receiving communities in the United States (US, and the Mexican North border region. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a probability survey among MMIs traveling through key border crossing sites in the Tijuana (Baja California, Mexico-San Diego (California, US border region (N=1 429. RESULTS: The survey revealed substantial rates of reported sexually transmitted infections, needle-sharing and sexual risk practices in all migration contexts. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated levels of HIV risk call for further binational research and preventive interventions in all key geographic contexts of the migration experience to identify and tackle the different personal, environmental, and structural determinants of HIV risk in each of these contexts.OBJETIVO: Estimar la prevalencia de prácticas de riesgo para la infección por VIH en migrantes mexicanos durante su estancia en distintos contextos geográficos, incluyendo sus comunidades de origen en México, las comunidades de destino en Estados Unidos de América (EUA, y la frontera Norte de México. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Encuesta probabilística de migrantes mexicanos que transitan por la región fronteriza Tijuana (Baja California, México-San Diego (California, EUA (N=1 429. RESULTADOS: La encuesta reveló una alta prevalencia de infecciones de transmisión sexual, uso compartido de agujas, y prácticas sexuales de riesgo en todos los contextos geográficos estudiados. CONCLUSIONES: Los niveles de riesgo de infección por VIH estimados para migrantes mexicanos en diferentes contextos geográficos exigen estudios e intervenciones preventivas binacionales que identifiquen y aborden los distintos factores de riesgo personales, ambientales, y estructurales que contribuyen al riesgo de infección por VIH en cada

  2. Back to the future: sweatshop conditions on the Mexico-U.S. border. II. Occupational health impact of maquiladora industrial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moure-Eraso, R; Wilcox, M; Punnett, L; MacDonald, L; Levenstein, C

    1997-05-01

    Present working conditions in one of the most active areas of the maquiladora system along the Mexico-U.S. border are reminiscent of nineteenth-century U.S. sweatshops. The organization of production is Tayloristic and authoritarian, with detailed division of labor, repetitive simple tasks, and piecework wages. Modern participative management styles are not apparent in the maquiladora setting. This study consists of two separate but interrelated surveys conducted in 1992, one of community leaders and this one of workers in maquiladora enterprises in the towns of Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico. The community survey evaluated the economic and psychosocial impact of the maquiladora enterprise and was conducted simultaneously to the workers' survey and in the same Mexican towns where the workers lived and worked. The community leaders acknowledged the employment opportunities that maquiladora factories had brought to the region but believed them to have high environmental and psychosocial costs. For the occupational component, a community-based survey of 267 maquiladora workers was conducted. participants were chosen with more than a year seniority in the industry and living in the two Mexican cities surveyed. They responded to an extensive questionnaire given by trained canvassers. The workers' survey found evidence that maquiladora workers (81% female) report symptoms from musculoskeletal disorders related to working conditions. Acute health effects compatible with chemical exposures were also identified. Prevalence of symptoms was correlated with increasing duration of exposure to ergonomic risk factors and qualitative chemical exposure indexes. Other chronic disease was not apparent. The survey demonstrated inequalities in salary, working hours, and safety training between the two communities. Matamoros workers are substantially better paid and work fewer hours per week than Reynosa workers. Most hazards reported in the worker's survey have been well studied in the

  3. Borders and Identity: A Resource Guide for Teachers = Identidad y Fronteras: Una Guia para Maestros.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belauus, Betty; Botein, Emily; Cadaval, Olivia

    The materials in this resource guide include a four-part video, a poster-size cultural map with additional exercises, and the five sections of this guide. The unit, presented in English and Spanish, intends to introduce students to the peoples and cultures of the U.S.-Mexico border, to explore the concept of borders in their own communities, to…

  4. "The guys told us crying that they saw how they were killing her and they could not do anything": Psychosocial explorations of migrant journeys to the U.S.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jana Sládková

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available In this article I examine undocumented migrant experiences on their journeys to the U.S. Tens of thousands of Honduran migrants leave their homes in hopes to provide better for their families from afar. In in-depth interviews, 21 migrants from Honduras share the events they endure as they cross Guatemala, Mexico and the borders that divide them. I conducted narrative analyses and specifically used the analytical tools of high points and poises to locate the most salient experiences the migrants narrated as well as identifying particular selves the migrants were presenting. The high points centered around the crossings of the Mexico-U.S. border, encounters with gangs and the police in Mexico, and travels on top of freight trains. Most of these events were highly charged with potential short and long-term effects on the migrants' health. In trying to make sense of their experiences, migrants presented themselves as heroes helping others, victims of the migration systems, good parents, or unaffected bystanders. This research provides insight into the rarely explored psychosocial aspects of undocumented migration, illuminates how Honduran migrants who attempt this journey make sense of their experiences, and proposes interventions to mitigate the potentially tragic consequences of this migration.

  5. Decline in Tuberculosis among Mexico-Born Persons in the United States, 2000–2010

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Brian J.; Jeffries, Carla D.; Moonan, Patrick K.

    2016-01-01

    Background In 2010, Mexico was the most common (22.9%) country of origin for foreign-born persons with tuberculosis in the United States, and overall trends in tuberculosis morbidity are substantially influenced by the Mexico-born population. Objectives To determine the risk of tuberculosis disease among Mexico-born persons living in the United States. Methods Using data from the U.S. National Tuberculosis Surveillance System and the American Community Survey, we examined tuberculosis case counts and case rates stratified by years since entry into the United States and geographic proximity to the United States–Mexico border. We calculated trends in case rates over time measured by average annual percent change. Results The total tuberculosis case count (−14.5%) and annual tuberculosis case rate (average annual percent change −5.1%) declined among Mexico-born persons. Among those diagnosed with tuberculosis less than 1 year since entry into the United States (newly arrived persons), there was a decrease in tuberculosis cases (−60.4%), no change in tuberculosis case rate (average annual percent change of 0.0%), and a decrease in population (−60.7%). Among those living in the United States for more than 5 years (non-recently arrived persons), there was an increase in tuberculosis cases (+3.4%), a decrease in tuberculosis case rate (average annual percent change of −4.9%), and an increase in population (+62.7%). In 2010, 66.7% of Mexico-born cases were among non–recently arrived persons, compared with 51.1% in 2000. Although border states reported the highest proportions (>15%) of tuberculosis cases that were Mexico-born, the highest Mexico-born–specific tuberculosis case rates (>20/100,000 population) were in states in the eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Conclusions The decline in tuberculosis morbidity among Mexico-born persons may be attributed to fewer newly arrived persons from Mexico and lower tuberculosis case rates among

  6. Development of 66 kV/6.9 kV 2 MV A prototype HTS power transformer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohno, T.; Tomioka, A.; Imaizumi, M.; Sanuki, Y.; Yamamoto, T.; Yasukawa, Y.; Ono, H.; Yagi, Y.; Iwadate, K.

    2005-01-01

    We have developed the technology of the producing a HTS magnet for the power transformer. Three subjects have been mainly studied, high voltage technologies, large current and low AC loss technologies and sub-cooling system technologies to establish the technology of 66 kV/6.9 kV 10 MV A class HTS power transformer. In order to verify the validity of elemental technologies, such as high voltage technologies, large current and low AC loss technologies and sub-cooling system technologies, single-phase 2 MV A class 66 kV/6.9 kV prototype HTS transformer was manufactured and tested. In the load loss (AC loss) measurement, it was obtained that the measured value of 633 W was almost corresponding to the calculated value of 576 W at the rated operation of 2 MV A. Moreover, the breakdown was not found all voltage withstand test. These test results indicate that elemental technologies were established for the development of 66 kV/6.9 kV 10 MV A class HTS power transformer

  7. #TrumpenMéxico. Transnational Connective Action in Twitter and the Dispute on the Border Wall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meneses, María-Elena; Martín-del-Campo, Alejandro; Rueda-Zárate, Héctor

    2018-01-01

    This article aims to identify how digital public opinion was articulated on Twitter during the visit of the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to Mexico City in 2016 by invitation from the Mexican government, which was preceded by the threat to construct a border wall that Mexico would pay for. Using a mixed methodology made up of…

  8. 1944 Water Treaty Between Mexico and the United States: Present Situation and Future Potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anabel Sánchez

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Historically and culturally, water has always been considered to be a critical issue in Mexico- USA agenda. Along the 3 140-km border between Mexico and the United States, there is intense competition over the adequate availability of water. Water uses in urban border areas have continued to increase exponentially due to steadily increasing levels of population growth. Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation have resulted in more intensive patterns of water consumption and use. Agricultural water demands continue to be high. Mexico and the United States have established institutions and agreements to manage and protect rivers in the border region. The Treaty between Mexico and the United States for the Utilisation of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande was signed in 1944. With the turn of the century, the growing urban centers along the Rio Grande (Rio Bravo, where the river becomes the international boundary, started increasingly to depend on groundwater. This situation was not specifically addressed in the 1944 Treaty, especially as groundwater use at that time was not so significant.

  9. Health status of southern Arizona border counties: a Healthy Border 2010 midterm review Situación de salud de los condados de la frontera sur de Arizona: examen a mitad de período del programa "Frontera saludable 2010"

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keisha L. Robinson

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The region on the United States (US side of the US-Mexico border consists of 44 counties in four states; populations on both sides of the border have similar health problems. Healthy Border 2010: An Agenda for Improving Health on the US-Mexico Border (HB 2010 is a binational agenda of health promotion and disease prevention for individuals in the region. This study reports on the health status of the four southern Arizona border counties. METHODS: Data on health indicators for Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Yuma Counties were collected from the Arizona Department of Health Services Vital Records and Statistics. Progress was calculated as a percentage made toward or away from the 2010 target. Comparisons were made between the border counties and Arizona. RESULTS: Progress toward the HB 2010 targets varied among the border counties. All border counties made progress toward the targets with the cervical cancer, hepatitis A, and teenage birthrate objectives. Most border counties moved toward the goals for breast cancer, diabetes mortality, tuberculosis, motor vehicle crashes, infant mortality from congenital abnormalities, and prenatal care. Border counties moved away from the target with the human immunodeficiency virus and infant mortality objectives. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of the HB 2010 objectives provided a comprehensive description of the health status of the population. Although the southern Arizona border counties have shown improvement in some areas, monitoring is still needed to identify the disparities that remain.OBJETIVO: La región estadounidense de la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos consta de 48 condados distribuidos en cuatro estados, y las poblaciones que viven a uno y otro lado de la frontera tienen problemas de salud similares. El programa binacional "Frontera saludable 2010" está destinado a las poblaciones de la región y se propone mejorar la situación sanitaria en la frontera entre México y los

  10. Decreased expression of Kv7 channels in Hirchsprung's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donnell, Anne-Marie; Coyle, David; Puri, Prem

    2017-07-01

    Voltage-dependent K + channels (Kv channels) participate in electrical rhythmicity and smooth muscle responses and are regulated by excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters. Kv channels also participate in the interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC) and smooth muscle cell (SMC) responses to neural inputs. The Kv family consists of 12 subfamilies, Kv1-Kv12, with five members of the Kv7 family identified to date: Kv7.1-Kv7.5. A recent study identified the potassium channel Kv7.5 as having a role in the excitability of ICC-IM in the mouse colon. We therefore designed this study to test the hypothesis that Kv7 channels are present in the normal human colon and are reduced in Hirschprung's disease (HSCR). HSCR tissue specimens were collected at the time of pull-through surgery (n=10), while normal control tissue specimens were obtained at the time of colostomy closure in patients with imperforate anus (n=10). Kv7.3-Kv7.5 immunohistochemistry was performed and visualized using confocal microscopy to assess their distribution. Western blot analysis was undertaken to determine Kv7.3-Kv7.5 protein quantification. Kv7.3 and Kv7.4-immunoreactivity was co-localized with neuron and ICC markers, while Kv7.5 was found to be expressed on both ICCs and SMCs. Western blot analysis revealed similar levels of Kv7.3 and Kv7.5 expression in the normal colon and HSCR colon, while Kv7.4 proteins were found to be markedly decreased in ganglionic specimens and decreased further in aganglionic specimens. A deficiency of Kv7.4 channels in the ganglionic and aganglionic bowel may place a role in colonic dysmotility in HSCR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Healthy vinton: a health impact assessment focused on water and sanitation in a small rural town on the US-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hargrove, William L; Juárez-Carillo, Patricia M; Korc, Marcelo

    2015-04-07

    We conducted a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) focused on water and sanitation in Vinton, TX, a small rural town on the U.S./Mexico Border. We present the Vinton HIA as a case study to inform the practice of HIA in rural limited resource communities with higher than average levels of unemployment and poverty, and limited infrastructure. Household surveys, focus groups, and interviews provided quantitative and qualitative data on water sources and quality, sanitation practices, and community health. We found that some of the current water sources in Vinton did not meet drinking water standards for total dissolved solids and arsenic; the majority of septic tanks were not managed properly; and there was a short-term risk of water scarcity due to prolonged drought in the region. Prevalent ailments reported by participants included stomach problems, diarrhea, and skin problems. These ailments can be related to arsenic and/or biological organisms in water. The positive direct and indirect health impacts of improved water and sanitation in Vinton included: reduced gastrointestinal illnesses and skin disorders; improved water quality, quantity, and pressure; reduced risks from failing septic systems; increased property value; potential economic growth; and enhanced quality of life. The negative direct and indirect impacts included: residents' initial and monthly costs; increased property taxes; increased debt by local government; and the need for ongoing support from changing elected decision makers. The unique challenges in completing this HIA included: (a) limited available data; (b) a culture of fear and distrust among residents; (c) residents' lack of education, awareness, and civic discourse regarding water and sanitation issues and their impact on public health; and (d) lack of civic discourse and participation in the democratic process. An important outcome of the HIA was the characterization of local water supplies, which motivated and empowered the community

  12. Aymara paradiplomacy: Empowerment in the border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilberto Aranda Bustamante

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available US">This article analyzes the border paradiplomacy used by more than 50 municipalities from Bolivia, Chile and Peru, named “Aymaras without Borders Strategic Alliance”. In spite of the differentiated historical construction of national identities, according to a literature review, it could be argued that there is an unprecedented border relation between these three countries. Furthermore, it is possible to conclude that this non-violent strategy has been successful in the last 15 years.

  13. Mexico and Central America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bronfman, M

    1998-01-01

    This article reviews the literature on migration and HIV/AIDS in Mexico and Central America, including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Most migrants travel to the US through Mexico. US-Mexico trade agreements created opportunities for increased risk of HIV transmission. The research literature focuses on Mexico. Most countries, with the exception of Belize and Costa Rica, are sending countries. Human rights of migrants are violated in transit and at destination. Migration policies determine migration processes. The Mexican-born population in the US is about 3% of US population and 8% of Mexico's population. About 22% arrived during 1992-97, and about 500,000 are naturalized US citizens. An additional 11 million have a Mexican ethnic background. Mexican migrants are usually economically active men who had jobs before leaving and were urban people who settled in California, Texas, Illinois, and Arizona. Most Mexican migrants enter illegally. Many return to Mexico. The main paths of HIV transmission are homosexual, heterosexual, and IV-drug-injecting persons. Latino migrants frequently use prostitutes, adopt new sexual practices including anal penetration among men, greater diversity of sexual partners, and use of injectable drugs.

  14. U.S.-Mexico energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-05-01

    This paper reports that while Mexico's petrochemical industry has grown rapidly, it now faces shortages both in investment funds and in supplies of basic petrochemicals due to a financial crisis in the 1980s. Mexico has undertaken a series of policy reforms aimed at encouraging foreign and private investment, but these efforts have generally failed to entice U.S. investment in Mexico. U.S. petrochemical companies have cited unfavorable market conditions, insufficient basic petrochemical capacity in Mexico, concern about the reversibility of Mexican reforms, inadequate Mexican protection of intellectual property rights, and lack of investment protection for U.S. businesses as impediments to investment in Mexico. Cooperation between the two nations in overcoming these obstacles could help U.S. petrochemical companies maintain their positions in a competitive global market, while at the same time provide Mexico with much needed capital investment and technological expertise

  15. Schooling in Mexico: A Brief Guide for U.S. Educators. ERIC Digest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, H. James

    Teachers in U.S. schools affected by Mexican immigration need to understand immigrants' prior school experiences when planning lessons and delivering instruction. Mexico requires education through grade 9 and has nearly reached its goal of providing facilities for all school-age children. There are vast differences between rural and urban…

  16. Economic integration and cross-border economic organizations: The case of San Diego-Tijuana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Eduardo Mendoza Cota

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The economic integration between the United States and Mexico has affected the economic, political and social relations in the border region. The paper seeks to relate the increasing economic integration and business cycles of the economies of San Diego and Tijuana to the development of both national and binational economic organizations in the border region. The methodology of analysis uses both statistical estimations of the economic integration of San Diego and Tijuana and semi-structured interviews of economic organizations to analyze the increasing economic integration and the role and achievements of the cross-border economic organizations. The results showed that cross-border cooperation is predominately controlled by federal and state governments on both sides of the border. However, the main achievements of cross-border economic cooperation have been accomplished by local private organizations. The perspective of further local economic development greatly depends on both the possibility of increased involvement of federal governments and the growing encouragement of regional organizations.

  17. HPV knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs among Hispanic men and women living on the Texas-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Maria E; McCurdy, Sheryl A; Arvey, Sarah R; Tyson, Sandra K; Morales-Campos, Daisy; Flores, Belinda; Useche, Bernardo; Mitchell-Bennett, Lisa; Sanderson, Maureen

    2009-12-01

    US Hispanic women have higher cervical cancer incidence rates than non-Hispanic White and African-American women and lower rates of cervical cancer screening. Knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs may play a role in higher rates of infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) and decisions about subsequent diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer. To explore the level of HPV knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs among Hispanic men and women on the Texas-Mexico border. Informed by feminist ethnography, the authors used an interpretive approach to understand local respondents' concerns and interests. Focus group sessions were analyzed using thematic content analysis. RECRUITMENT AND SAMPLE: Promotoras (lay health workers) recruited participants using convenience sampling methods. Group sessions were held in public service centers in Brownsville. Participants' ages ranged from 19 to 76 years. METHODS ANALYSIS: Focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed in Spanish. Researchers read and discussed all the transcripts and generated a coding list. Transcripts were coded using ATLAS.ti 5.0. Participants had little understanding about HPV and its role in the etiology of cervical cancer. Attitudes and concerns differed by gender. Women interpreted a diagnosis of HPV as a diagnosis of cancer and expressed fatalistic beliefs about its treatment. Men initially interpreted a diagnosis of HPV as an indication of their partners' infidelity, but after reflecting upon the ambiguity of HPV transmission, attributed their initial reaction to cultural ideals of machismo. Men ultimately were interested in helping their partners seek care in the event of a positive diagnosis. Results suggest that understanding Hispanics' cultural norms and values concerning disease, sexuality, and gender is essential to the design and implementation of interventions to prevent and treat HPV and cervical cancer.

  18. The ties that bind : bi-national trade and its implications of the U.S. and Canada using bi-national freight movement network via border crossings : final report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-12-01

    The objectives of this research are to understand the economic importance of border bridges on the U.S.-Canada economies, especially involving the various US states proximate to the Provinces of Ontario, and to simulate various the U.S.-Canada border...

  19. Narcotics-Fueled Violence in Mexico: Crisis for the United States?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-03-24

    cartels in Mexico which operate on a highly geographic basis. The DTOs responsible for the majority of violence in Mexico are the Tijuana, Gulf, Sinaloa ...infrastructure along the border region to deal with problems such as a mass migration . The Army maintains large facilities at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas and

  20. Commercial border crossing and wait time measurement at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-01

    The objective of the research described in this report is to install and implement radio frequency : identification (RFID) technology to measure border crossing time and travel delay for : commercial trucks crossing from Mexico into Texas at the Phar...

  1. Agglomeration Economies, Economic Growth and the New Economic Geography in Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    Alejandro Diaz-Bautista

    2005-01-01

    The present study of regional economic growth in Mexico is based on the new economic geography, where distance plays an important role in explaining urban regional economic growth. The results show that distance to the northern border of Mexico and labor migration between states of Mexico, after the passage of NAFTA are important factors that explain the regional state growth and agglomerations in Mexico between 1994 and 2000. The results also indicate that job growth and FDI are not signific...

  2. Migration from Mexico to the US and Subsequent Risk for Depressive and Anxiety Disorders: A Cross-National Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breslau, Joshua; Borges, Guilherme; Tancredi, Daniel; Saito, Naomi; Kravitz, Richard; Hinton, Ladson; Vega, William; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio

    2013-01-01

    Objective To test the hypothesized increase in risk for depressive and anxiety disorders following arrival in the US among Mexican-origin migrants. Method Data from surveys conducted in Mexico and the US were combined. The surveys were conducted separately, but used the same structured diagnostic interview. Discrete time survival models were specified to estimate the relative odds of first onset of depressive (major depressive episode, dysthymia) and anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder) disorders among migrants after their arrival in the US compared with non-migrant Mexicans who have a migrant in their immediate family. Results After arrival in the US, migrants had signficantly higher risk for first onset of any depressive or anxiety disorder than non-migrant family members of migrants in Mexico (OR=1.4, 95% CI =1.04–1.94). Associations between migration and disorder varied across birth cohorts. Elevated risk among migrants relative to non-migrants was restricted to the two younger cohorts, those 18–25 or 26–35 years old at interview. In the most recent cohort, the association between migration and first onset of any depressive or anxiety disorder was particularly strong (OR=3.89, 95% CI=2.74–5.53). Conclusions This is the first study to compare risk for first onset of psychaitric disorder between representative samples of migrants in the US and non-migrants in Mexico. The findings are consistent with the hypothesized adverse effect of migration from Mexico to the US on the mental health of migrants, but only among migrants in recent birth cohorts. PMID:21464367

  3. Perceptions of Community Health Workers (CHWs/PS in the U.S.-Mexico Border HEART CVD Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hector G. Balcazar

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Although prior research has shown that Community Health Workers/Promotores de Salud (CHW/PS can facilitate access to care, little is known about how CHW/PS are perceived in their community. The current study reports the findings of a randomized telephone survey conducted in a high-risk urban community environment along the U.S.-Mexico border. In preparation for a community-based CHW/PS intervention called the HEART ecological study, the survey aimed to assess perceptions of CHW/PS, availability and utilization of community resources (recreational and nutrition related and health behaviors and intentions. A total of 7,155 calls were placed to complete 444 surveys in three zip codes in El Paso, Texas. Results showed that participants felt that healthful community resources were available, but utilization was low and variable: 35% reported going to a park, 20% reported having taken a health class, few reported using a gym (12%, recreation center (8%, or YMCA/YWCA (0.9%. Awareness and utilization of CHW/PS services were low: 20% of respondents had heard of CHW/PS, with 8% reporting previous exposure to CHW/PS services. Upon review of a definition of CHW/PS, respondents expressed positive views of CHW/PS and their value in the healthcare system. Respondents who had previous contact with a CHW/PS reported a significantly more positive perception of the usefulness of CHW/PS (p = 0.006, were more likely to see CHW/PS as an important link between providers and patients (p = 0.008, and were more likely to ask a CHW/PS for help (p = 0.009. Participants who utilized CHW/PS services also had significantly healthier intentions to reduce fast food intake. Future research is needed to evaluate if CHW/PS can facilitate utilization of available community resources such as recreational facilities among Hispanic border residents at risk for CVD.

  4. 250 kV aim for hvdc valves

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1966-06-01

    Development now being carried out by ASEA is aimed at increasing the normal operating voltage for a mercury arc valve to 250 kV dc. The maximum direct voltage per valve group, with one valve in each arm of the bridge, is 125 kV for equipment already in operation in New Zealand, Japan, and Konti Scan. Valves for 130 kV and 133 kV operation are under construction for the Vancouver and the Pacific Intertie 1 links.

  5. HIV Risk Behaviors and Correlates of Inconsistent Condom Use Among Substance Using Migrants at the Mexico/Guatemala Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conners, Erin E; Swanson, Kate; Morales-Miranda, Sonia; Fernández Casanueva, Carmen; Mercer, Valerie J; Brouwer, Kimberly C

    2017-07-01

    This study assessed correlates of inconsistent condom use with casual partners and the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors and STIs in the Mexico/Guatemala border region using a sample of 392 migrants (303 men, 85 women) who reported current substance use or problem drinking. We ran separate univariate logistic regression models for men and women, and multivariate logistic regression models for men only. Prevalence of syphilis was 1.2% among women and 2.3% among men; HIV prevalence was 2.4% among women and 1.3% among men. Inconsistent condom use with casual partners was higher in women with greater education and lower among women who sold sex. In men, less access to free condoms, drug use with sexual partners, and drug use before sex were independently associated with inconsistent condom use with casual partners. Sexual and substance use risk behaviors were common, and HIV/STI prevention efforts should target both genders and expand beyond most-at risk populations.

  6. Summary of the Border Infrastructure Finance Workshop : January 20-21, 2016, San Diego, California

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-01

    On January 20-21, 2016, the U.S.-Mexico Joint Working Committee for Transportation Planning (JWC), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) sponsored a workshop on Border Infrastructure...

  7. For a Sustainable Future: Indigenous Transborder Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quijada, Adrian; Cassadore, Edison; Perry, Gaye Bumsted; Geronimo, Ronald; Lund, Kimberley; Miguel, Phillip; Montes-Helu, Mario; Newberry, Teresa; Robertson, Paul; Thornbrugh, Casey

    2015-01-01

    The U.S.-Mexico border region of the Sonoran Desert is home to 30 Native nations in the United States, and about 15 Indigenous communities in Mexico. Imposed on Indigenous peoples' ancestral lands, the border is an artificial line created in 1848, following the war between the U.S. and Mexico. Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC) seeks to…

  8. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research'sOkeanos Explorer Program 2014 Discoveries - U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin and Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lobecker, E.; McKenna, L.; Sowers, D.; Elliott, K.; Kennedy, B.

    2014-12-01

    NOAA ShipOkeanos Explorer, the only U.S. federal vessel dedicated to global ocean exploration, made several important discoveries in U.S. waters of the North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico during the 2014 field season. Based on input received from a broad group ofmarine scientists and resource managers, over 100,000 square kilometers of seafloor and associated water column were systematically explored using advanced mapping sonars. 39 ROV diveswere conducted, leading to new discoveries that will further ourunderstanding of biologic, geologic, and underwater-cultural heritage secrets hidden withinthe oceans. In the Atlantic, season highlights include completion of a multi-year submarine canyons mapping effort of the continental shelf break from North Carolina to the U.S.-Canada maritime border;new information on the ephemerality of recently discovered and geographically extensive cold water seeps; and continued exploration of the New England Seamount chain; and mapping of two potential historically significant World War II wreck sites. In the Gulf of Mexico, season highlights includecompletion of a multi-year mapping effort of the West Florida Escarpment providing new insight into submarine landslides and detachment zones;the discovery of at least two asphalt volcanoes, or 'tar lilies'; range extensions of deep-sea corals; discovery of two potential new species of crinoids; identification of at least 300 potential cold water seeps; and ROV exploration of three historically significant19th century shipwrecks. In both regions, high-resolution mapping led to new insight into the geological context in which deep sea corals develop,while ROV dives provided valuable observations of deep sea coral habitats and their associated organisms, and chemosynthetic habitats. All mapping and ROV data is freely available to the public in usable data formats and maintained in national geophysical and oceanographic data archives.

  9. Proposal to amend existing operating permit for the Ault-Craig 345-kV and Hayden-Archer 230-kV transmission lines, Routt, Jackson and Larimer Counties, Colorado

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-08-01

    The Western Area Power Administration, Rocky Mountain Region, is proposing to amend an existing US Forest Service operating permit for the Ault-Craig 345-kV and Hayden-Archer 230-kV transmission lines, which are located in Routt, jackson, and Larimer counties, Colorado. These transmission lines cross portions of the Roosevelt and Routt National Forests. The long-term use authorization Western is requesting from the Forest Service would be for the life of the Ault-Craig and Hayden-Archer transmission lines. This environmental assessment addresses those access road and right-of-way maintenance activities identified by Western that would be performed on Forest Service managed lands during the next approximately five years

  10. Proposal to amend existing operating permit for the Ault-Craig 345-kV and Hayden-Archer 230-kV transmission lines, Routt, Jackson and Larimer Counties, Colorado

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-08-01

    The Western Area Power Administration, Rocky Mountain Region, is proposing to amend an existing US Forest Service operating permit for the Ault-Craig 345-kV and Hayden-Archer 230-kV transmission lines, which are located in Routt, jackson, and Larimer counties, Colorado. These transmission lines cross portions of the Roosevelt and Routt National Forests. The long-term use authorization Western is requesting from the Forest Service would be for the life of the Ault-Craig and Hayden-Archer transmission lines. This environmental assessment addresses those access road and right-of-way maintenance activities identified by Western that would be performed on Forest Service managed lands during the next approximately five years.

  11. Hvor fosser kvælstoffet hen?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben

    Der har i Ingeniøren inden i et par måneder kunne læses adskillelige ivrige indlæg om de danske fjordes evne til at fjerne kvælstof. Kvælstof fosser ud af fjordene? lød en af de første overskrifter. Få uger efter blev det stik modsatte synspunkt fremført under overskriften Fjordene holder på kvæl...

  12. “The guys told us crying that they saw how they were killing her and they could not do anything”: Psychosocial explorations of migrant journeys to the U.S.+

    OpenAIRE

    Sládková, Jana

    2014-01-01

    In this article I examine undocumented migrant experiences on their journeys to the U.S. Tens of thousands of Honduran migrants leave their homes in hopes to provide better for their families from afar. In in-depth interviews, 21 migrants from Honduras share the events they endure as they cross Guatemala, Mexico and the borders that divide them. I conducted narrative analyses and specifically used the analytical tools of high points and poises to locate the most salient experiences the migran...

  13. Mitigating the Risk of Environmental Hazards in Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-28

    wildfires.9 Infectious hazards in Mexico pose an intermediate risk of disease and include food or waterborne illness, hepatitis, dengue fever , Valley Fever ...the type of health threat that is posed. 12 Nanotechnology: Within the Latin American region , Brazil , Argentina and Mexico are leaders in...07/25/ dengue -on-the-loose/ (accessed 11 October 2011). 41. Environmental Protection Agency, State of the Border Region Indicators Report 2005, EPA

  14. Effects of haloperidol on Kv4.3 potassium channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Hong Joon; Sung, Ki-Wug; Hahn, Sang June

    2014-10-05

    Haloperidol is commonly used in clinical practice to treat acute and chronic psychosis, but it also has been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. We investigated the effects of haloperidol on Kv4.3 currents stably expressed in CHO cells using a whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Haloperidol did not significantly inhibit the peak amplitude of Kv4.3, but accelerated the decay rate of inactivation of Kv4.3 in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, the effects of haloperidol on Kv4.3 were estimated from the integral of the Kv4.3 currents during the depolarization pulse. The Kv4.3 was decreased by haloperidol in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 3.6 μM. Haloperidol accelerated the decay rate of Kv4.3 inactivation and activation kinetics in a concentration-dependent manner, thereby decreasing the time-to-peak. Haloperidol shifted the voltage dependence of the steady-state activation and inactivation of Kv4.3 in a hyperpolarizing direction. Haloperidol also caused an acceleration of the closed-state inactivation of Kv4.3. Haloperidol produced a use-dependent block of Kv4.3, which was accompanied by a slowing of recovery from the inactivation of Kv4.3. These results suggest that haloperidol blocks Kv4.3 by both interacting with the open state of Kv4.3 channels during depolarization and accelerating the closed-state inactivation at subthreshold membrane potentials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Cross-Border Banking in Europe : What's Next?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Allen, F.; Beck, T.H.L.; Carletti, E.; Lane, P.; Schoenmaker, D.; Wagner, W.B.

    2011-01-01

    Understanding the role of banks in cross-border finance has become an urgent priority. Cross-border banks have played a central role in the dynamics of the global crisis of 2007-2009. First, European banks had a surprisingly large exposure to the US securitised asset markets, which arose to a

  16. Depression, Self-Esteem, and Childhood Abuse Among Hispanic Men Residing in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Provencio-Vasquez, Elias; Mata, Holly J; Tomaka, Joe; De Santis, Joseph P

    Hispanics experience health disparities in mental health and HIV infection when compared to non-Hispanic Whites, which may be related to childhood abuse. The purpose of our cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between childhood abuse and depressive symptoms in a sample of Hispanic men (N = 103) living in a metropolitan U.S.-Mexico border area. Secondarily, we examined the role of self-esteem in mediating this relationship, and the moderating role of sexual orientation. Gay/bisexual men (n = 53) were more likely to report childhood abuse than heterosexual (n = 50) counterparts (47.2% vs. 32%). Self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and depression for men who have sex with men, but not heterosexual men. Nurses should increase knowledge of mental health disparities that impact Hispanic men to ensure that appropriate treatment can be provided to reduce the risk of co-occurring health risks to these men, including risk for HIV infection. Copyright © 2017 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Draft environmental impact statement for construction and operation of the proposed Bangor Hydro-Electric Company`s second 345-kV transmission tie line to New Brunswick

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1993-10-01

    This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was prepared by the US Department of Energy (US DOE). The proposed action is the issuance of Presidential Permit PP-89 by DOE to Bangor Hydro-Electric Company to construct and operate a new international transmission line interconnection to New Brunswick, Canada that would consist of an 83.8 mile (US portion), 345-kilovolt (kV) alternating current transmission line from the US-Canadian border at Baileyville, Maine to an existing substation at Orrington, Maine. The principal environmental impacts of the construction and operation of the transmission line would be incremental in nature and would include the conversion of forested uplands (mostly commercial timberlands) and wetlands to right-of-way (small trees, shrubs, and herbaceous vegetation). The proposed line would also result in localized minor to moderate visual impacts and would contribute a minor incremental increase in the exposure of some individuals to electromagnetic fields. This DEIS documents the purpose and need for the proposed action, describes the proposed action and alternatives considered and provides a comparison of the proposed and alternatives routes, and provides detailed information on analyses of the environmental consequences of the proposed action and alternatives, as well as mitigative measures to minimize impacts.

  18. Facilitating and Inhibiting Factors of Sexual Behavior among Migrants in Transition from Mexico to the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesús Alejandro Guerra-Ordoñez

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available IntroductionHuman immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in the border region of Mexico due to the flow of migrants under desperate conditions, encouraging casual and unprotected sex. Since this has become a binational public health problem, it is important to understand the factors that predict these sexual behaviors. The aim of the current study was to investigate the facilitators and inhibitors of transition in the sexual behavior of migrants from two border regions on the Mexico–United States (US border.MethodsThis was a predictive and cross-sectional study. A sample of 256 migrants in shelters for migrants on the border between Mexico and US were selected through systematic random sampling. Predictor variables investigated for effect on the safe sexual behavior (SSB of the migrant were reasons for having sex; sexual attitudes; sexual machismo; knowledge about HIV; access to health services; and social discrimination.ResultsThe sample was predominantly male (89.5%, with 46.1% reporting being single. The average age was 33.38 years (SD = 9.73 and the average number of years of education reported was 8.05 (SD = 3.37. A permissive sexual attitude and sexual machismo both correlated with condom use (rs = 0.130, p < 0.01 and rs = −0.174, p < 0.01, respectively. Regression analysis showed that a permissive sexual attitude decreased the practice of safe sex (β = 0.17, t = 4.16, p < 0.001, as did sexual machismo (β = −0.28, t = −4.83, p < 0.001 and HIV knowledge (β = −0.11, t = −2.62, p = 0.006.DiscussionIt was found that access to health services did not influence the SSB of migrants, as suggested by the literature. However, a permissive sexual attitude, sexual machismo, and HIV knowledge were all variables capable of predicting SSB. It is recommended that the study is extended to study migrant

  19. The United States-Mexican Border - A land of conflict and opportunity: Chapter 1 in United States-Mexican Borderlands: Facing tomorrow's challenges through USGS science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Updike, Randall G.

    2013-01-01

    The boundary between the United States and Mexico was created for convenient expediency through political debate and agreements (fig. 1–1). With the exception of the eastern segment of the border, which follows the course of the Rio Grande (known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico), the defining of this border was based on political decisions that had little concern for ecosystems, geologic features, or water—all of which span that imaginary line. However, the location of the border has had a remarkable effect on the biologic and physical systems in the border region and, in turn, has had a growing influence on what we now see as 21st century socioeconomic and environmental priorities. Because of the complex interactions of the human, ecological, political, and economic exigencies associated with this area, the status of the United States–Mexican border region, known as the Borderlands, has become an ever-present concern for most American citizens and for Mexican and United States Federal, State, and local governments.

  20. Survey of magnetic fields near BPA 230-kV and 500-kV transmission lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrin, N.; Aggarwal, R.P.

    1991-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to characterize typical levels and variability of 60Hz magnetic fields at the centerline and edge of right-of-way of Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) 230-kV and 500-kV transmission lines. This was accomplished by taking magnetic field measurements at over 800 spans in Oregon and Washington. The spans were sampled using a stratified random sampling procedure with region (East vs. West), voltage (230-kV vs 500-kV), and circuit configuration as strata. There were five different circuit configuration groups for each region/voltage category requiring a total of 200 strata. Magnetic field measurements were taken at 13 locations under each span using an EMDEX-C as a survey meter. Additional information recorded for each span included conductor height (at 10 locations), right-of-way width, longitudinal and lateral slope, time of day, vegetation, terrain, weather conditions, temperature, wind speed, span length and presence of other lines in the corridor. 9 refs., 17 figs., 26 tabs

  1. Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico; fiscal year 1981

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Robert R.; Wells, J.G.

    1983-01-01

    The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey investigates the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution, and movement of the Nation 's surface and underground waters, and coordinates Federal water data acquisition activities. During fiscal year 1981, the New Mexico District had 40 active projects, released 19 reports, and answered hundreds of requests of water-related information. Investigations included the following: (1) chemical quality of surface water in New Mexico; (2) chemical quality of groundwater in New Mexico; (3) sediment transport in New Mexico streams; (4) surface water supply; (5) surface water diversions for irrigation; (6) streamflow characteristics; (7) effect of urban development on storm runoff; (8) inundation from floods; (9) effects of groundwater pumping; (10) long-term monitoring of groundwater levels; (11) groundwater and surface water relationships; (12) consumptive use by phreatophytes; (13) hydrologic impacts of energy development; and (14) groundwater supplies. (Lantz-PTT)

  2. Placental biomarkers of PAH exposure and glutathione-S-transferase biotransformation enzymes in an obstetric population from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dodd-Butera, Teresa, E-mail: tdbutera@csusb.edu [California State University San Bernardino, Department of Nursing, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA 92407 (United States); San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, CA (United States); Union Institute & University, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Quintana, Penelope J.E., E-mail: jquintan@mail.sdsu.edu [San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, CA (United States); Ramirez-Zetina, Martha, E-mail: martharz8@hotmail.com [Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social Tijuana, BC (Mexico); Batista-Castro, Ana C., E-mail: anabatista101@hotmail.com [Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social Tijuana, BC (Mexico); Hospital General de Tijuana, Tijuana (Mexico); Sierra, Maria M., E-mail: sierramer@gmail.com [San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, CA (United States); Shaputnic, Carolyn, E-mail: cshaputnic@ucsd.edu [San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, CA (United States); University of California, San Diego, Western FASD Practice and Implementation Center, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Dysmorphology-Teratology, San Diego, CA (United States); Garcia-Castillo, Maura, E-mail: mauragarcia@gmail.com [Xochicalco Universidad Escuela de Medicina, BC (Mexico); Institute for Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA (United States); Ingmanson, Sonja, E-mail: sonejah@yahoo.com [San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, CA (United States); Hull, Stacy, E-mail: hulst74@hotmail.com [San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego, CA (United States)

    2017-01-15

    Environmental exposures along the US-Mexico border have the potential to adversely affect the maternal-fetal environment. The purpose of this study was to assess placental biomarkers of environmental exposures in an obstetric population at the California-Baja California border in relation to detoxifying enzymes in the placenta and nutritional status. This study was conducted on consenting, full-term, obstetric patients (n=54), delivering in a hospital in Tijuana, Baja California (BC), Mexico. Placental polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts were measured in addition to placental glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity and genotype, maternal serum folate, and maternal and umbilical cord blood lead and cadmium levels. A questionnaire was administered to the mothers to determine maternal occupation in a maquiladora, other exposures, and obstetric indicators. In univariate analysis, maternal serum folate levels were inversely correlated with total PAH-DNA adducts (rho=−0.375, p=0.007); adduct #1 (rho=−0.388, p=0.005); and adduct #3 (rho =−0.430, p=0.002). Maternal lead levels were significantly positively correlated with cord blood lead levels (rho=0.512, p<0.001). Cadmium levels were generally very low but significantly higher in mothers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (either at work or at home, n=10). In multivariate analysis, only maternal serum folate levels remained as a significant negative predictor of total DNA-PAH adducts levels in placenta. These findings affirm that placental tissue is a valuable and readily available source of human tissue for biomonitoring; and indicate that further study of the role of nutrition in detoxification and mitigation of environmental exposures in pregnant women is warranted. - Highlights: • Maternal-fetal environment susceptible to toxic exposures at US-Mexico border. • Lower serum folate was correlated with higher PAH-DNA adduct levels at birth. • Placental DNA adducts in GST mu (-) cord blood

  3. Placental biomarkers of PAH exposure and glutathione-S-transferase biotransformation enzymes in an obstetric population from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodd-Butera, Teresa; Quintana, Penelope J.E.; Ramirez-Zetina, Martha; Batista-Castro, Ana C.; Sierra, Maria M.; Shaputnic, Carolyn; Garcia-Castillo, Maura; Ingmanson, Sonja; Hull, Stacy

    2017-01-01

    Environmental exposures along the US-Mexico border have the potential to adversely affect the maternal-fetal environment. The purpose of this study was to assess placental biomarkers of environmental exposures in an obstetric population at the California-Baja California border in relation to detoxifying enzymes in the placenta and nutritional status. This study was conducted on consenting, full-term, obstetric patients (n=54), delivering in a hospital in Tijuana, Baja California (BC), Mexico. Placental polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts were measured in addition to placental glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity and genotype, maternal serum folate, and maternal and umbilical cord blood lead and cadmium levels. A questionnaire was administered to the mothers to determine maternal occupation in a maquiladora, other exposures, and obstetric indicators. In univariate analysis, maternal serum folate levels were inversely correlated with total PAH-DNA adducts (rho=−0.375, p=0.007); adduct #1 (rho=−0.388, p=0.005); and adduct #3 (rho =−0.430, p=0.002). Maternal lead levels were significantly positively correlated with cord blood lead levels (rho=0.512, p<0.001). Cadmium levels were generally very low but significantly higher in mothers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (either at work or at home, n=10). In multivariate analysis, only maternal serum folate levels remained as a significant negative predictor of total DNA-PAH adducts levels in placenta. These findings affirm that placental tissue is a valuable and readily available source of human tissue for biomonitoring; and indicate that further study of the role of nutrition in detoxification and mitigation of environmental exposures in pregnant women is warranted. - Highlights: • Maternal-fetal environment susceptible to toxic exposures at US-Mexico border. • Lower serum folate was correlated with higher PAH-DNA adduct levels at birth. • Placental DNA adducts in GST mu (-) cord blood

  4. Toward better access to health insurance coverage for U.S. retirees in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, D C; Jahnke, L R

    2001-01-01

    Many retirees from the United States of America have limited health insurance coverage while living in Mexico. Medicare and Medicaid benefits are not portable to other countries and Medigap (private insurance that supplements Medicare) is very limited. This causes economic and medical hardships and serves as a barrier to retirement to Mexico. Increasing numbers of U.S. retirees will be interested in moving to Mexico in the future because of the climate, the culture, and the lower cost of living. The numbers are increasing as a result of several factors such as aging "baby boomers" and the rapidly growing Mexican-origin population in the U.S.A. who are citizens or permanent residents but would like to return to their communities of origin after working in the U.S.A. There are several policy initiatives that could provide opportunities for improving health insurance coverage for these retirees that could be cost-effective.

  5. Impacts of using an ensemble Kalman filter on air quality simulations along the California-Mexico border region during Cal-Mex 2010 field campaign.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bei, Naifang; Li, Guohui; Meng, Zhiyong; Weng, Yonghui; Zavala, Miguel; Molina, L T

    2014-11-15

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of using an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) on air quality simulations in the California-Mexico border region on two days (May 30 and June 04, 2010) during Cal-Mex 2010. The uncertainties in ozone (O3) and aerosol simulations in the border area due to the meteorological initial uncertainties were examined through ensemble simulations. The ensemble spread of surface O3 averaged over the coastal region was less than 10ppb. The spreads in the nitrate and ammonium aerosols are substantial on both days, mostly caused by the large uncertainties in the surface temperature and humidity simulations. In general, the forecast initialized with the EnKF analysis (EnKF) improved the simulation of meteorological fields to some degree in the border region compared to the reference forecast initialized with NCEP analysis data (FCST) and the simulation with observation nudging (FDDA), which in turn leading to reasonable air quality simulations. The simulated surface O3 distributions by EnKF were consistently better than FCST and FDDA on both days. EnKF usually produced more reasonable simulations of nitrate and ammonium aerosols compared to the observations, but still have difficulties in improving the simulations of organic and sulfate aerosols. However, discrepancies between the EnKF simulations and the measurements were still considerably large, particularly for sulfate and organic aerosols, indicating that there are still ample rooms for improvement in the present data assimilation and/or the modeling systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Functional properties of human neuronal Kv11 channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Einarsen, Karoline; Calloe, Kirstine; Grunnet, Morten

    2009-01-01

    Kv11 potassium channels are important for regulation of the membrane potential. Kv11.2 and Kv11.3 are primarily found in the nervous system, where they most likely are involved in the regulation of neuronal excitability. Two isoforms of human Kv11.2 have been published so far. Here, we present...... current characteristics of the isoforms presented in this work may contribute to the regulation of neuronal excitability....

  7. Pediatric thoracic CT angiography at 70 kV: a phantom study to investigate the effects on image quality and radiation dose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDougall, Robert D.; Kleinman, Patricia L.; Lee, Edward Y.; Yu, Lifeng

    2016-01-01

    Studies have demonstrated that 70-kilovolt (kV) imaging enhances the contrast of iodine, potentially affording a reduction in radiation dose while maintaining the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). There is a maximum amount of image noise beyond which increased contrast does not improve structure visualization. Thus, noise should be constrained during protocol optimization. This phantom study investigated the effect of 70-kV imaging for pediatric thoracic CT angiography on image quality and radiation dose in a pediatric population when a noise constraint was considered. We measured contrast and noise using anthropomorphic thoracic phantoms ranging in size from newborn age equivalent to 10-year-old age equivalent. We inserted contrast rods into the phantoms to simulate injected contrast material used in a CT angiography study. The image-quality metric ''iodine CNR with a noise constraint'' was used to determine the relative dose factor for each phantom size, kV setting (70-140 kV) and noise constraint (1.00-1.20). A noise constraint of 1.20 indicates that noise should not increase by more than 20% of the noise level in images performed at the reference kV, selected to be 80 kV in this study. The relative dose factor can be applied to the original dose obtained at 80 kV in order to maintain iodine CNR with the noise constraint. A relative dose factor <1.0 indicates potential for dose reduction while a relative dose factor >1.0 indicates a dose penalty. Iodine contrast was highest for 70 kV and decreased with higher kV settings for all phantom sizes. The relative dose factor at 70 kV was <1.0 for all noise constraint >1.0, indicating potential for dose reduction, for the newborn, 1-year-old and 5-year-old age-equivalent phantom sizes. For the 10-year-old age-equivalent phantom, relative dose factor at 70 kV=1.22, 1.11, 1.01, 0.92 and 0.83 for noise constraint=1.00, 1.05, 1.10, 1.15, 1.20, respectively, indicating a dose penalty for noise constraint

  8. Modeling and direct sensitivity analysis of biogenic emissions impacts on regional ozone formation in the Mexico-U.S. border area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza-Dominguez, A; Wilkinson, J G; Yang, Y J; Russell, A G

    2000-01-01

    A spatially and temporally resolved biogenic hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions inventory has been developed for a region along the Mexico-U.S. border area. Average daily biogenic non-methane organic gases (NMOG) emissions for the 1700 x 1000 km2 domain were estimated at 23,800 metric tons/day (62% from Mexico and 38% from the United States), and biogenic NOx was estimated at 1230 metric tons/day (54% from Mexico and 46% from the United States) for the July 18-20, 1993, ozone episode. The biogenic NMOG represented 74% of the total NMOG emissions, and biogenic NOx was 14% of the total NOx. The CIT photochemical airshed model was used to assess how biogenic emissions impact air quality. Predicted ground-level ozone increased by 5-10 ppb in most rural areas, 10-20 ppb near urban centers, and 20-30 ppb immediately downwind of the urban centers compared to simulations in which only anthropogenic emissions were used. A sensitivity analysis of predicted ozone concentration to emissions was performed using the decoupled direct method for three dimensional air quality models (DDM-3D). The highest positive sensitivity of ground-level ozone concentration to biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions (i.e., increasing biogenic VOC emissions results in increasing ozone concentrations) was predicted to be in locations with high NOx levels, (i.e., the urban areas). One urban center--Houston--was predicted to have a slight negative sensitivity to biogenic NO emissions (i.e., increasing biogenic NO emissions results in decreasing local ozone concentrations). The highest sensitivities of ozone concentrations to on-road mobile source VOC emissions, all positive, were mainly in the urban areas. The highest sensitivities of ozone concentrations to on-road mobile source NOx emissions were predicted in both urban (either positive or negative sensitivities) and rural (positive sensitivities) locations.

  9. JIATF-SWB: Building an Operational Bridge for the Southwest Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-12

    mexican_cartels_integr.htm. (accessed 20 March 2011). 4 Office of the President. “Obtener la base de datos de Fallecimientos ocurridos por presunta rivalidad...Obtener la base de datos de Fallecimientos ocurridos por presunta rivalidad delincuencial en el periodo diciembre 2006 a diciembre 2010... basing , technical, intelligence, and training support to JIATF-SWB. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Mexico, Southwest Border, USNORTHCOM, Interagency, 16

  10. Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion: Chapter 26 in Status and trends of land change in the Western United States--1973 to 2000

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruhlman, Jana; Gass, Leila; Middleton, Barry

    2012-01-01

    Situated between ecoregions of distinctly different topographies and climates, the Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion represents a large area of approximately 192,869 km2 (74,467 mi2) that stretches across northern Arizona, central and northwestern New Mexico, and parts of southwestern Colorado; in addition, a small part extends into southeastern Nevada (fig. 1) (Omernik, 1987; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). Forested, mountainous terrain borders the ecoregion on the northeast (Southern Rockies Ecoregion) and southwest (Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Ecoregion). Warmer and drier climates exist to the south (Chihuahuan Deserts Ecoregion) and west (Mojave Basin and Range Ecoregion). The semiarid grasslands of the western Great Plains are to the east (Southwestern Tablelands Ecoregion), and the tablelands of the Colorado Plateau in Utah and western Colorado lie to the north (Colorado Plateaus Ecoregion). The Arizona/New Mexico Plateau Ecoregion occupies a significant portion of the southern half of the Colorado Plateau.

  11. Prevalence and correlates of sexual risk among male and female sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katsulis, Yasmina; Durfee, Alesha

    2012-01-01

    We investigated prevalence and correlates of sexual risk behaviours among male and female sex workers in Tijuana, Mexico, the busiest border crossing area on the US - Mexico border, analysing survey data from a purposive, cross-sectional sample of male and female sex workers who worked in a range of indoor and outdoor settings. Logistic regression was used to determine factors that were associated with sexual risk-taking, defined as failing to use a condom with last client. In bivariate regression models, gender, work setting (e.g., indoor vs. outdoor), poverty, engaging in survival sex, marital status and perceived drug addiction were correlated with sexual risk. When controlling for work location, housing insecurity, poverty, survival sex, marital status and perceived drug addiction, male sex workers were still 10 times more likely than female sex workers (FSW) to engage in sex without a condom during their last encounter with a client. And, although FSW were significantly more likely than males to have used a condom with a client, they were significantly less likely than males to have used a condom with their regular partner. Future research should further examine how gender shapes sexual risk activities in both commercial and non-commercial relationships.

  12. 77 FR 51533 - Good Neighbor Environmental Board Notification of Public Advisory Committee Teleconference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-24

    ... recommendations to the President and Congress on environmental and infrastructure issues along the U.S. border with Mexico. Purpose of Meeting: The purpose of this teleconference is to discuss and approve the Good....-Mexico border region. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to make oral comments or submit written...

  13. 76 FR 62062 - Good Neighbor Environmental Board; Notification of Public Advisory Committee Teleconference

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-06

    ... recommendations to the President and Congress on environmental and infrastructure issues along the U.S. border with Mexico. Purpose of Meeting: The purpose of this teleconference is to discuss and approve the Good... benefits of renewable energy development in the U.S.-Mexico border region. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If...

  14. [Migration to the northern frontier of Mexico and its relationship with the regional labor market].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anguiano Tellez, M E

    1998-01-01

    "This document tries to show the close relationship between the recent population growth in the northern border cities of Mexico and the dynamic demand of the regional market labor. First, it analyzes the evolution of demographic growth and the development of economic activities, in the Mexican borders in urban towns, then it reviews the data from the survey called Encuesta sobre Migracion en la Frontera Norte de Mexico in order to explore the connection between the regional labor market characteristics and the internal and international migration flows." (EXCERPT)

  15. Impacting Binational Health through Leadership Development: A Program Evaluation of the Leaders across Borders Program, 2010–2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omar A. Contreras

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundWorkforce and leadership development is imperative for the advancement of public health along the U.S./Mexico border. The Leaders across borders (LaB program aims to train the public health and health-care workforce of the border region. The LaB is a 6-month intensive leadership development program, which offers training in various areas of public health. Program curriculum topics include: leadership, border health epidemiology, health diplomacy, border public policies, and conflict resolution.MethodsThis article describes the LaB program evaluation outcomes across four LaB cohort graduates between 2010 and 2014. LaB graduates received an invitation to participate via email in an online questionnaire. Eighty-five percent (n = 34 of evaluation participants indicated an improvement in the level of binationality since participating in the LaB program. Identified themes in the evaluation results included increased binational collaborations and partnerships across multidisciplinary organizations that work towards improving the health status of border communities. Approximately 93% (n = 37 of the LaB samples were interested in participating in future binational projects while 80% (n = 32 indicated interest in the proposal of other binational initiatives. Participants expressed feelings of gratitude from employers who supported their participation and successful completion of LaB.DiscussionPrograms such as LaB are important in providing professional development and education to a health-care workforce along the U.S./Mexico border that is dedicated to positively impacting the health outcomes of vulnerable populations residing in this region.

  16. Change in Binge Eating and Binge Eating Disorder Associated with Migration from Mexico to the US

    OpenAIRE

    Swanson, Sonja A.; Saito, Naomi; Borges, Guilherme; Benjet, Corina; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; Breslau, Joshua

    2011-01-01

    Exposure to Western popular culture is hypothesized to increase risk for eating disorders. This study tests this hypothesis with respect to the proposed diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder (BED) in an epidemiological sample of people of Mexican origin in Mexico and the US. Data come from the Mexico National Comorbidity Survey, National Comorbidity Survey Replication, and National Latino and Asian American Survey (N=2268). Diagnoses were assessed with the WMH-CIDI. Six groups were compared: Mex...

  17. 50 CFR 660.392 - Latitude/longitude coordinates defining the 50 fm (91 m) through 75 fm (137 m) depth contours.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... contour between the U.S. border with Canada and the U.S. border with Mexico is defined by straight lines...′ W. long. (b) The 50-fm (91-m) depth contour between the U.S. border with Canada and the Swiftsure Bank is defined by straight lines connecting all of the following points in the order stated: (1) 48°30...

  18. Process for evaluating overweight truck corridors serving coastal port regions and border ports of entry

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-01

    Coastal and inland ports, regional mobility authorities, cities, and counties located near or along the Texas Gulf Coast, and along the border with Mexico, have been granted authority by the state legislature to establish permitted overweight truck c...

  19. Challenge theme 7: Information support for management of border security and environmental protection: Chapter 9 in United States-Mexican Borderlands: Facing tomorrow's challenges through USGS science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parcher, Jean W.; Page, William R.

    2013-01-01

    Historically, international borders were located far from the major political and economic capitals of their countries and rarely received adequate planning or infrastructure development. Today, as a result of global economics and increased movement of goods between nations, border regions play a much greater role in commerce, tourism, and transportation. For example, Mexico is the second largest destination for United States exports (Woodrow Wilson Center Mexico Institute, 2009). The rapid population and economic growth along the United States–Mexican border, undocumented human border crossings, and the unique natural diversity of resources in the Borderlands present challenges for border security and environmental protection. Assessing risks and implementing sustainable growth policies to protect the environment and quality of life greatly increase in complexity when the issues cross an international border, where social services, environmental regulations, lifestyles, and cultural beliefs are unique for each country. Shared airsheds, water and biological resources, national security issues, and disaster management needs require an integrated binational approach to assess risks and develop binational management strategies.

  20. 77 FR 45965 - Determination of Attainment for the Paul Spur/Douglas PM10

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-02

    ... Paul Spur/Douglas NA covers approximately 220 square miles along the border with Mexico within Cochise... Pirtleville, 2010 population 1,744, (U.S. Census). The 2010 population of Agua Prieta, Mexico, just across the border from Douglas, is 78,138 (Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia). To summarize our proposed...

  1. Kv7 channels can function without constitutive calmodulin tethering.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Camilo Gómez-Posada

    Full Text Available M-channels are voltage-gated potassium channels composed of Kv7.2-7.5 subunits that serve as important regulators of neuronal excitability. Calmodulin binding is required for Kv7 channel function and mutations in Kv7.2 that disrupt calmodulin binding cause Benign Familial Neonatal Convulsions (BFNC, a dominantly inherited human epilepsy. On the basis that Kv7.2 mutants deficient in calmodulin binding are not functional, calmodulin has been defined as an auxiliary subunit of Kv7 channels. However, we have identified a presumably phosphomimetic mutation S511D that permits calmodulin-independent function. Thus, our data reveal that constitutive tethering of calmodulin is not required for Kv7 channel function.

  2. Ultrafine particle levels at an international port of entry between the US and Mexico: exposure implications for users, workers, and neighbors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olvera, Hector A; Lopez, Mario; Guerrero, Veronica; Garcia, Humberto; Li, Wen-Whai

    2013-01-01

    Exposure to diesel-emitted particles has been linked to increased cancer risk and cardiopulmonary diseases. Because of their size (risks than those associated with larger particles. Seasonal UFP levels at the International Bridge of the Americas, which connects the US and Mexico and has high HDDV traffic demands, were characterized. Hourly average UFP concentrations ranged between 1.7 × 10(3)/cc and 2.9 × 10(5)/cc with a mean of 3.5 × 10(4)/cc. Wind speeds <2 m s(-1) and temperatures <15 °C were associated with particle number concentrations above normal conditions. The presence of HDDV had the strongest impact on local UFP levels. Varying particle size distributions were associated with south- and northbound HDDV traffic. Peak exposure occurred on weekday afternoons. Although in winter, high exposure episodes were also observed in the morning. Particle number concentrations were estimated to reach background levels at 400 m away from traffic. The populations exposed to UFP above background levels include law enforcement officers, street vendors, private commuters, and commercial vehicle drivers as well as neighbors on both sides of the border, including a church and several schools.

  3. Cross-Border Labor Organizing in the Garment and Automobile Industries: The Phillips Van-Heusen and Ford Cuautitlan Cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ralph Armbruster

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The globalization of the world economy has created new opportunities for cross-border labor organizing. In this paper I examine two case studies of cross -border labor organizing. One case involves Phillips Van-Hernen (PVH workers in Guatemala City, and the other Ford automobile workers in Cuautitlan, Mexico. The PVH case illustrates the potential for cross-border labor organizing in the highly mobile garment industry. The PVH workers' union and their cross-border allies adopted a "strategic cross-border organizing model" that included consumer and trade pressure, an active international trade secretariat, and several other strategies, to achieve an amazing victory. However, the Ford Cuautitlan case demonstrates that corporatist state-labor relations and internal union conflicts have limited cross-border organizing in the automobile industry. These two case studies and their different outcomes have many important lessons for academics and activists interested in cross-border labor organizing.

  4. Change or Continuity in US-Latin American Policy: the Obama Record

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen J. Randall

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The article explores the ambitions, challenges, successes and perceived failures and disappointments of the policies pursued by the Democratic administrations of President Barack Obama, with particular focus on Honduras, Mexico and Colombia. The article notes the eloquent and optimistic rhetoric of Obama, in his first presidential campaign and in the early days of his first administration, commitments to significant change in U.S. policy toward Latin America. In contrast the record of the first five years of his administrations have witnessed the continuation of policies which are difficult to distinguish from those of his predecessor. The article also notes the general decline in U.S. influence in the region. There has been insignificant change in Cuban policy, save for a liberalization of family travel to Cuba. His administration implemented the controversial Free Trade Agreement with Colombia which his own party leaders had long opposed. He has maintained the funding levels of the equally controversial Plan Colombia which began under Bill Clinton, and he has continued to adhere to a largely Republican agenda on border security with Mexico.

  5. Identifying and Measuring the Lifelong Human Capital of “Unskilled” Migrants in the Mexico-US Migratory Circuit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacqueline Hagan

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Most human capital and migration studies classify migrants with limited formal education as “unskilled,” despite substantial skills developed through job and life experiences.  Drawing on a binational multi-stage research project that involved interviews with 320 Mexican migrants and return migrants in North Carolina and Guanajuato, Mexico, we identify the lifelong human capital they acquired and transferred throughout their careers and discover that these include not only basic education and English, but also technical and social skills and competences acquired informally on and off the job throughout the course of one’s life.  We further find that the learning and transfer of skills is a lifelong, gendered process, reflecting the different social contexts and jobs in which men and women learn. In this paper we document several mobility pathways associated with the acquisition and transfer of skills across the migratory circuit, including reskilling, occupational mobility, job jumping, and entrepreneurship.Our study has broad implications for the migration policies of both the US and MexicoUS immigration policy confers preference to “skilled” immigrants who rank high on traditional human capital characteristics, such as education levels and other formal credentials, but limits the entry of “unskilled” migrants, a categorization that ignores the substantial informal skills they bring to US labor markets.  Instead of focusing only on the continued expansion of immigration policy preferences for narrowly defined skilled migrants, the US government needs to consider more carefully what we mean by skilled workers and design fairer and more effective immigration policies that match their abilities to the specific needs of US industry and thereby recognize the economic contributions of all migrants within a lifelong human capital framework. Mexico can also learn from our findings. Between 2005 and 2010 an estimated 1.4 million

  6. The C-terminal HRET sequence of Kv1.3 regulates gating rather than targeting of Kv1.3 to the plasma membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voros, Orsolya; Szilagyi, Orsolya; Balajthy, András; Somodi, Sándor; Panyi, Gyorgy; Hajdu, Péter

    2018-04-12

    Kv1.3 channels are expressed in several cell types including immune cells, such as T lymphocytes. The targeting of Kv1.3 to the plasma membrane is essential for T cell clonal expansion and assumed to be guided by the C-terminus of the channel. Using two point mutants of Kv1.3 with remarkably different features compared to the wild-type Kv1.3 (A413V and H399K having fast inactivation kinetics and tetraethylammonium-insensitivity, respectively) we showed that both Kv1.3 channel variants target to the membrane when the C-terminus was truncated right after the conserved HRET sequence and produce currents identical to those with a full-length C-terminus. The truncation before the HRET sequence (NOHRET channels) resulted in reduced membrane-targeting but non-functional phenotypes. NOHRET channels did not display gating currents, and coexpression with wild-type Kv1.3 did not rescue the NOHRET-A413V phenotype, no heteromeric current was observed. Interestingly, mutants of wild-type Kv1.3 lacking HRET(E) (deletion) or substituted with five alanines for the HRET(E) motif expressed current indistinguishable from the wild-type. These results demonstrate that the C-terminal region of Kv1.3 immediately proximal to the S6 helix is required for the activation gating and conduction, whereas the presence of the distal region of the C-terminus is not exclusively required for trafficking of Kv1.3 to the plasma membrane.

  7. Toward Better Access to Health Insurance Coverage for U.S. Retirees in Mexico

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warner David C.

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Many retirees from the United States of America have limited health insurance coverage while living in Mexico. Medicare and Medicaid benefits are not portable to other countries and Medigap (private insurance that supplements Medicare is very limited. This causes economic and medical hardships and serves as a barrier to retirement to Mexico. Increasing numbers of U.S. retirees will be interested in moving to Mexico in the future because of the climate, the culture, and the lower cost of living. The numbers are increasing as a result of several factors such as aging "baby boomers" and the rapidly growing Mexican-origin population in the U.S.A. who are citizens or permanent residents but would like to return to their communities of origin after working in the U.S.A. There are several policy initiatives that could provide opportunities for improving health insurance coverage for these retirees that could be cost-effective. The full version of this paper is available too at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

  8. A preliminary study of reproductive outcomes of female maquiladora workers in Tijuana, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eskenazi, B; Guendelman, S; Elkin, E P; Jasis, M

    1993-12-01

    Maquiladoras are plants on the Mexican side of the United States-Mexico border which are used largely by U.S. manufacturers to assemble premanufactured parts. We examined reproductive outcomes of women employed in electronics (N = 120) and garment (N = 121) maquiladora work compared to women employed in the service sector (N = 119) in Tijuana, Mexico. Women recruited by community health workers were interviewed about their reproductive history, sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and characteristics of their current job. Length of regular menstrual cycle in the past year as well as time of conception and rates of fetal loss in the most recent pregnancy were similar across occupational groups. However, infants of garment maquiladora workers were 653 g lighter (95% confidence interval [CI]: -1,041 g, -265 g) and infants of electronic maquiladora workers were 337 g lighter (95% CI: -682 g, 9 g) than infants of service workers after adjusting for potential confounders. The cause of these differences remains unclear.

  9. Deaths in the Desert: The Human Rights Crisis on the U.S.--Mexico Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Androff, David K.; Tavassoli, Kyoko Y.

    2012-01-01

    Many would acknowledge that immigration is a major issue in the United States and that immigration reform should be a priority. However, there is little attention to the human rights crisis on the U.S.-Mexican border. As a result of tightened border security since 1994, it is estimated that over 5,000 migrants have died in the Sonoran desert. The…

  10. Skeletal muscle Kv7 (KCNQ) channels in myoblast differentiation and proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roura-Ferrer, Meritxell; Sole, Laura; Martinez-Marmol, Ramon; Villalonga, Nuria; Felipe, Antonio

    2008-01-01

    Voltage-dependent K + channels (Kv) are involved in myocyte proliferation and differentiation by triggering changes in membrane potential and regulating cell volume. Since Kv7 channels may participate in these events, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether skeletal muscle Kv7.1 and Kv7.5 were involved during proliferation and myogenesis. Here we report that, while myotube formation did not regulate Kv7 channels, Kv7.5 was up-regulated during cell cycle progression. Although, Kv7.1 mRNA also increased during the G 1 -phase, pharmacological evidence mainly involves Kv7.5 in myoblast growth. Our results indicate that the cell cycle-dependent expression of Kv7.5 is involved in skeletal muscle cell proliferation

  11. Hazardous waste shipping in the northern border of Mexico: The situation of Baja California

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramón A. Castillo Ponce

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this document we evaluate the determinants of shipments of hazardous waste to the US. We consider a sample of firms operating in the state of Baja California for the 2008–2010 sample period. The analysis consists on the estimation of two econometric specifications. The first refers to a truncated model in the spirit of Tobit. The second is a probabilistic model. The results of the Tobit model suggest that size, location and origin of the firm influence the amount of shipments. In particular, shipments are positively associated with larger firms; those located in the municipality of Tijuana and those whose origin is foreign. The probabilistic model finds that a depreciation of the Mexican peso contributes to an increase in the likelihood of sending a shipment. This may be the result of an improvement in the border economic environment due to the depreciation of the currency.

  12. Colonia development and land use change in Ambos Nogales, United States-Mexican border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Laura M.; Donelson, Angela; Pfeifer, Edwin; Lam, Alven H.

    2006-01-01

    This report outlines a planning approach taken by a Federal Government partnership that is meant to promote sustainable development in the future, integrating both sides of the United States-Mexican border. The twin-city area of Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, known collectively as Ambos (both) Nogales, has a common borderland history of urban growth presumably based on changes in policy and economic incentives. We document changes over time in an attempt to identify colonia development and settlement patterns along the border, combining a community-participation approach with a remote-sensing analysis, to create an online mapping service.

  13. Threats to cross-border wildlife linkages in the Sky Islands Wildlands Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim Vacariu

    2005-01-01

    One of the greatest challenges facing conservationists in the Sky Islands region is finding a realistic means to maintain historic travel routes for wide-ranging species crossing the United States-Mexico border. This challenge is made difficult due to the ongoing efforts by the Federal government to install additional security infrastructure to stem the flood of...

  14. Cost-Effectiveness of Breast Cancer Control Strategies in Central America: The Cases of Costa Rica and Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niëns, Laurens M.; Zelle, Sten G.; Gutiérrez-Delgado, Cristina; Rivera Peña, Gustavo; Hidalgo Balarezo, Blanca Rosa; Rodriguez Steller, Erick; Rutten, Frans F. H.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports the most cost-effective policy options to support and improve breast cancer control in Costa Rica and Mexico. Total costs and effects of breast cancer interventions were estimated using the health care perspective and WHO-CHOICE methodology. Effects were measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted. Costs were assessed in 2009 United States Dollars (US$). To the extent available, analyses were based on locally obtained data. In Costa Rica, the current strategy of treating breast cancer in stages I to IV at a 80% coverage level seems to be the most cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of US$4,739 per DALY averted. At a coverage level of 95%, biennial clinical breast examination (CBE) screening could improve Costa Rica's population health twofold, and can still be considered very cost-effective (ICER US$5,964/DALY). For Mexico, our results indicate that at 95% coverage a mass-media awareness raising program (MAR) could be the most cost-effective (ICER US$5,021/DALY). If more resources are available in Mexico, biennial mammography screening for women 50–70 yrs (ICER US$12,718/DALY), adding trastuzumab (ICER US$13,994/DALY) or screening women 40–70 yrs biennially plus trastuzumab (ICER US$17,115/DALY) are less cost-effective options. We recommend both Costa Rica and Mexico to engage in MAR, CBE or mammography screening programs, depending on their budget. The results of this study should be interpreted with caution however, as the evidence on the intervention effectiveness is uncertain. Also, these programs require several organizational, budgetary and human resources, and the accessibility of breast cancer diagnostic, referral, treatment and palliative care facilities should be improved simultaneously. A gradual implementation of early detection programs should give the respective Ministries of Health the time to negotiate the required budget, train the required human resources and understand possible

  15. Is waist circumference per body mass index rising differentially across the US, England, China, and Mexico?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, Sandra S.; Gordon-Larsen, Penny; Stern, Dalia; Popkin, Barry M.

    2016-01-01

    Background/Objectives Little is known about whether waist circumference (WC) has increased disproportionately relative to body mass index (BMI) around the world. Subjects/Methods Data came from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–94 and 2007–10), Health Survey for England (1992–93 and 2008–9); the Mexican Nutrition Survey (1999) and the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS 2012); and the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1993 and 2011). Country- and sex-stratified (for the US, also race/ethnicity-stratified) multivariable linear regressions were used estimate mean difference in WC over time relative to BMI at specified overweight and obesity cut-points, adjusting for age and survey year. Results While mean WC and BMI shifted upward over time in all age-sex subpopulations in all four countries, trends in in overweight prevalence were less consistent. However, WC relative to BMI increased at varying magnitudes across all countries and subpopulations except US Black men. The magnitude of increase was largest for women in the youngest age group (20–29 years), particularly for women in Mexico (+6.6 cm, pChina (+4.6 cm, pMexico, and China, particularly among young women, with the largest increases occurring in the middle-income countries of Mexico and China. These patterns are potentially a cause for concern especially for countries undergoing rapid economic and nutritional transitions. PMID:25944180

  16. The short-circuit test results of 6.9 kV/2.3 kV 400 kVA-class YBCO model transformer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomioka, A.; Otonari, T.; Ogata, T.; Iwakuma, M.; Okamoto, H.; Hayashi, H.; Iijima, Y.; Saito, T.; Gosho, Y.; Tanabe, K.; Izumi, T.; Shiohara, Y.

    2011-01-01

    The 6.9 kV/2.3 kV 400 kVA-class single-phase YBCO model transformer with the YBCO tape with copper tape was manufactured for short-circuit current test. Short-circuit test was performed and the short-circuit current of primary winding was 346 A which was about six times larger than the rated current. The I-V characteristics of the winding did not change before and after the test. The transformer withstood short-circuit current. We are planning to turn the result into a consideration of a 66 kV/6.9 kV-20 MVA-class three-phase superconducting transformer. We are developing an elemental technology for 66 kV/6.9 kV 20 MVA-class power transformer with YBCO conductors. The protection of short-circuit technology is one of the elemental technologies for HTS transformer. Since short-circuit current is much higher than critical current of YBCO tape, there is a possibility that superconducting characteristics may be damaged during short-circuit period. We made a conductor to compose the YBCO tape with copper tape. We manufactured 6.9 kV/2.3 kV 400 kVA-class YBCO model transformer using this conductor and performed short-circuit current test. The short-circuit current of primary winding was 346 A which was about six times larger than the rated current. The I-V characteristics of the winding did not change before and after the test. We may consider this conductor withstands short-circuit current.

  17. X irradiation of human epidermis in vitro. 2. Comparison of single 44 kV and 200 kV X irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wollina, U; Fueller, J; Burger, B; Hipler, C

    1989-01-01

    On the example of the reduction of epidermal adhesion of FITC wheat germ agglutinine (WGA) the direct membrane effect of a single X irradiation (44 kV and 220 kV) was analyzed in vitro. Human normal skin and psoriasis centres were compared. Normal skin showed no alteration of microscopically visible FITC-WGA adhesion on epidermal cells over the whole dose range. Foci of psoriasis responded to doses of /ge/ 5 Gy (44 and 220 kV) with a drastic reduction of epidermal lectin binding to lower and medium cell layers. Maximum efficacy was with 5 Gy (44 kV) or 10 Gy (220 kV). A dose elevation up to 20 Gy did not result in an increase of efficacy. Topographically the radiosensitive FITC-WGA adhesion could chiefly be seen in the dermal ridges. The findings support the impression of an increased radiosensitivity of the lesional psoriatic epidermis compared with normal skin. This is connected with an abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes in psoriasis. (author).

  18. Fronteras 1976. San Diego/Tijuana--The International Border in Community Relations: Gateway or Barrier?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skagen, Kiki, Ed.

    Nine papers comprise the proceedings from the conference on cultural interdependence between the border regions of San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico. The papers discuss the following: (1) insurgence of the Southwest's Spanish-speaking minority since 1960; (2) opportunities for cooperation between the United States and Mexican governments;…

  19. Emporiatric enteritis: lessons learned from U.S. students in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dupont, H L; Ericsson, C D; Dupont, M W

    1986-01-01

    In the studies reported, evidence has been presented that U.S. students traveling to Mexico represent a model for the study of travelers' diarrhea. The incidence of illness acquisition approximates that published in other studies of travelers. Natural immunity was shown to develop as students remained in Mexico presumably through repeated exposure to prevalent agents, particularly ETEC. ETEC, shigella strains and no detectable agent represented the largest groups when etiologic assessment was made. Food probably served as the important source of diarrhea particularly that due to ETEC and shigella strains. The level of bacteria isolated from food suggested that organism replication occurred due to improper temperature storage rather than to heavy initial contamination. The location of food consumption was related to degree of risk: self preparation was the safest, eating in Mexican homes the least safe and consumption of food in public restaurants was intermediate in risk. Water probably played a role in the transmission of viral infection. The risk of water contamination appeared to be highest during the rainy seasons. Finally, the antimicrobial agents TMP/SMX and TMP alone were shown to effectively prevent and treat this form of travelers' diarrhea.

  20. Psychology in Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz, Eleonora Rubio

    2011-01-01

    The first formal psychology course taught in Mexico was in 1896 at Mexico's National University; today, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM in Spanish). The modern psychology from Europe and the US in the late 19th century were the primary influences of Mexican psychology, as well as psychoanalysis and both clinical and experimental…

  1. Competitiveness of shallow water hydrocarbon development projects in Mexico after 2015 actualization of fiscal reforms: Economic benchmark of new production sharing agreement versus typical U.S. federal lease terms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weijermars, Ruud; Zhai, Jia

    2016-01-01

    Development of Mexican hydrocarbon reservoirs by foreign operators has become possible under Mexico's new Hydrocarbon Law, effective as per January 2015. Our study compares the economic returns of shallow water fields in the Gulf of Mexico applying the royalty and taxes due under the fiscal regimes of the U.S. and Mexico. The net present value (NPV) of the base case scenario is US$1.4 billion, assuming standard development and production cost (opex, capex), 10% discount rate accounting for the cost of capital and revenues computed using a reference oil price of $75/bbl. The impact on NPV of oil price volatility is accounted for in a sensitivity analysis. The split of the NPV of shallow water hydrocarbon assets between the two contractual parties, contractor and government, in Mexico and the U.S. is hugely different. Our base case shows that for similar field assets, Mexico's production sharing agreement allocates about $1,150 million to the government and $191 million to the contractor, while under U.S. license conditions the government take is about $700 million and contractor take is $553 million. The current production sharing agreement leaves some marginal shallow water fields in Mexico undeveloped for reasons detailed and quantified in our study. - Highlights: •Mexico's Energy Reform opens up the country to foreign petroleum companies. •Contractor and government takes are compared under each jurisdiction. •Contract terms for Mexico are much less favorable than those offered by the U.S.

  2. Contribution of kv7.4/kv7.5 heteromers to intrinsic and calcitonin gene-related Peptide-induced cerebral reactivity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chadha, Preet S; Jepps, Thomas A; Carr, Georgina

    2014-01-01

    Middle cerebral artery (MCA) diameter is regulated by inherent myogenic activity and the effect of potent vasodilators such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Previous studies showed that MCAs express KCNQ1, 4, and 5 potassium channel genes, and the expression products (Kv7 channels) part......) participate in the myogenic control of MCA diameter. The present study investigated the contribution of Kv7.4 and Kv7.5 isoforms to myogenic and CGRP regulation of MCA diameter and determined whether they were affected in hypertensive animals....

  3. Structure and headship of northern border homes in the last decade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eunice D. Vargas Valle

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to describe the trends in household structure and female headship on the northern border of Mexico between 2000 and 2010, as well as the changes in their demographic profiles. There were three relevant trends: the increase in single person households, the slight decrease in extended households and the rise in female headship. These trends indicate the intersection of complex structural and conjunctural processes. On the one hand, population aging is an ongoing process, and the cultural processes linked to the value of individual autonomy versus familial altruism continue advancing as seen by the rise in men living alone and women heading households. On the other hand, conjunctural processes such as the economic crises and the recent migratory and security policies of the United States have influenced the reduction of internal immigration to the border and the increase of return migration from this country, which in turn have contributed to modifying the composition of border households.

  4. Blackness and mestizaje: Afro-Caribbean music in Chetumal, Mexico

    OpenAIRE

    Cunin, Elisabeth

    2014-01-01

    International audience; Hierba Santa, Chan Santa Roots, Korto Circuito, Roots and Wisdom, Escuadrón 16, etc.: these are a few of the numerous reggae and ska groups from the state of Quintana Roo, in the south-eastern part of Mexico bordering Belize. While this region is traditionally associated with a dominant Maya culture or with the first mestizaje in Mexico, I will study Afro-Caribbean music in order to analyze, from a different perspective, socio-historical mechanisms of inclusion, transf...

  5. Identity at the Border: Narrative Strategies in María Novaro's El jardín del Edén and John Sayles's Lone Star

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amy Kaminsky

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available In María Novaro's El jardín del Edén and John Sayles's Lone Star , the narrative and visual art of film functions as ritual does: to make sense of the dangerous liminal space of the border. Novaro and Sayles both locate their protagonists' identity quests in the Mexico-U.S. borderlands, but they approach the problem from different directions: Sayles from the north, Novaro from the south; Sayles from the perspective of men in search of themselves through their fathers, Novaro from that of women in search of identity with the help of each other. With her focus on the stories of three women, and a camera that often interrupts the narrative in favor of the contemplative gaze, Novaro challenges both the conventional plot and the patriarchal substructure that critics have linked to Mexican cinema. When John Sayles investigates identity at the border, he charges headlong into precisely the sort of diachronic narrative that Novaro leaves behind. Yet ironically, it is by embracing narrative that Sayles confounds the boundary lines that the story of paternity is meant to maintain and that U.S. border films have traditionally policed.

  6. The anticonvulsant retigabine suppresses neuronal Kv2-mediated currents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stas, Jeroen I; Bocksteins, Elke; Jensen, Camilla S

    2016-01-01

    Enhancement of neuronal M-currents, generated through KV7.2-KV7.5 channels, has gained much interest for its potential in developing treatments for hyperexcitability-related disorders such as epilepsy. Retigabine, a KV7 channel opener, has proven to be an effective anticonvulsant and has recently...

  7. The Outsiders are the Map: Travel Narratives of Central American Migrants on Mexico’s Southern Border

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Parrini Roses

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This article analyses the ways in which Central American migrants travelling through Mexico to reach the United States make oral maps to orient themselves during their journeys. These migrants, often fleeing poverty and violence, travel through Mexico in very irregular ways, such as on cargo trains or on-foot, and find themselves in a state of high vulnerability. Many of these travelers do not have access to printed or digital maps and as a result must rely on oral maps that the migrants create through their multiple attempts to cross the northern border into the United States. These oral maps narrate their journeys and in particular help to navigate specific parts of their journeys to the northern border. However, these maps do not estimate how long specific legs of the trip will take and thus the migrants experience a dislocated sense of temporality during their travels.

  8. Impact of Individual-, Environmental-, and Policy-Level Factors on Health Care Utilization Among US Farmworkers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, Joni A.; Gabbard, Susan; Kronick, Richard G.; Roesch, Scott C.; Malcarne, Vanessa L.; Zuniga, Maria L.

    2011-01-01

    Objectives. We examined individual-, environmental-, and policy-level correlates of US farmworker health care utilization, guided by the behavioral model for vulnerable populations and the ecological model. Methods. The 2006 and 2007 administrations of the National Agricultural Workers Survey (n = 2884) provided the primary data. Geographic information systems, the 2005 Uniform Data System, and rurality and border proximity indices provided environmental variables. To identify factors associated with health care use, we performed logistic regression using weighted hierarchical linear modeling. Results. Approximately half (55.3%) of farmworkers utilized US health care in the previous 2 years. Several factors were independently associated with use at the individual level (gender, immigration and migrant status, English proficiency, transportation access, health status, and non-US health care utilization), the environmental level (proximity to US–Mexico border), and the policy level (insurance status and workplace payment structure). County Federally Qualified Health Center resources were not independently associated. Conclusions. We identified farmworkers at greatest risk for poor access. We made recommendations for change to farmworker health care access at all 3 levels of influence, emphasizing Federally Qualified Health Center service delivery. PMID:21330594

  9. Human Settlements in the South-Central U.S., Viewed at Night from the International Space Station

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dawson, Melissa; Evans, Cynthia; Stefanov, William; Wilkinson, M. Justin; Willis, Kimberly; Runco, Susan

    2012-01-01

    A recent innovation of astronauts observing Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) is documenting human footprints by photographing city lights at night time. One of the earliest night-time images from the ISS was the US-Mexico border at El Paso-Ciudad Juarez. The colors, patterns and density of city lights document the differences in the cultural settlement patterns across the border region, as well as within the urban areas themselves. City lights help outline the most populated areas in settlements around the world, and can be used to explore relative population densities, changing patterns of urban/suburban development, transportation networks, spatial relationship to geographic features, and more. The data also provides insight into parameters such as surface roughness for input into local and regional climate modeling and studies of light pollution. The ground resolution of night-time astronaut photography from the ISS is typically an order of magnitude greater than current Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) data, and therefore can serve as a "zoom lens" for selected urban areas. Current handheld digital cameras in use on the ISS, optimized for greater light sensitivity, provide opportunities to obtain new detailed imagery of atmospheric phenomena such as airglow, aurora, and noctilucent clouds in addition to documenting urban patterns. ISS astronauts have taken advantage of increasingly sensitive digital cameras to document the world at night in unprecedented detail. In addition, the capability to obtain time-lapse imagery from fixed cameras has been exploited to produce dynamic videos of both changing surface patterns around the world and atmospheric phenomena. We will profile some spectacular images of human settlements over the South-Central U.S., and contrast with other images from around the world. More data can be viewed at http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/Videos/CrewEarthObservationsVideos/. US-Mexico border is obvious by the different

  10. Opportunity for America: Mexico`s coal future

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loose, V.W.

    1993-09-01

    This study examines the history, current status and future prospects for increased coal use in Mexico. Environmental implications of the power-generation capacity expansion plans are examined in general terms. Mexican environmental law and regulations are briefly reviewed along with the new sense of urgency in the cleanup of existing environmental problems and avoidance of new problems as clearly mandated in recent Mexican government policy initiatives. It is expected that new capital facilities will need to incorporate the latest in process and technology to comply with existing environmental regulation. Technology developments which address these issues are identified. What opportunities have new initiatives caused by the recent diversification of Mexico`s energy economy offered US firms? This report looks at the potential future use of coal in the Mexican energy economy, examining this issue with an eye toward identifying markets that might be available to US coal producers and the best way to approach them. Market opportunities are identified by examining new developments in the Mexican economy generally and the energy economy particularly. These developments are examined in light of the current situation and the history which brought Mexico to its present status.

  11. Commercial border crossing and wait time measurement at Laredo World Trade Bridge and the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-03-01

    This research is to establish a baseline and on-going measurement of border crossing times and : delay by measuring travel times for commercial trucks crossing the port of entry (POE) from : Mexico into Texas at the Laredo World Trade Bridge and the ...

  12. Major Refit for CERN's 400 kV Substation

    CERN Multimedia

    2001-01-01

    The 400 kV substation on the Prévessin site brings in the electricity that powers CERN's accelerators and the majority of the Laboratory's installations. It was originally built in the 1970s for the SPS, and is one of only five privately owned 400 kV sub-stations in France. Three of the others belong to the national railway company, SNCF, supplying the Paris-Marseilles TGV line, the other is at the Cadarache research centre near mouth of the Rhone. After nearly thirty years of service, CERN's substation has just undergone a complete overhaul. The new main 18 kV switchboard for the SPS pulsed network. The electricity supply for the original Prévessin substation was from the 400 kV EDF network, delivered through three 90 MW transformers at 18 kV to the SPS pulsed network, With the arrival of LEP, two 110 MW transformers were added to supply the new accelerator. Now, as CERN gears up for the LHC, additional pulsed power capacity is needed to supply the transfer lines carrying protons from...

  13. Geophysical data collected during the 2014 minute 319 pulse flow on the Colorado River below Morelos Dam, United States and Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kennedy, Jeffrey R.; Callegary, James B.; Macy, Jamie P.; Reyes-Lopez, Jaime; Pérez-Flores, Marco

    2017-05-09

    Geophysical methods were used to monitor infiltration during a water release, referred to as a “pulse flow,” in the Colorado River delta in March and April 2014. The pulse flow was enabled by Minute 319 of the 1944 United States–Mexico Treaty concerning water of the Colorado River. Fieldwork was carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada as part of a binational effort to monitor the hydrologic effects of the pulse flow along the limitrophe (border) reach of the Colorado River and into Mexico. Repeat microgravity measurements were made at 25 locations in the southern limitrophe reach to quantify aquifer storage change during the pulse flow. Observed increases in storage along the river were greater with distance to the south, and the amount of storage change decreased away from the river channel. Gravity data at four monitoring well sites indicate specific yield equal to 0.32±0.05. Electromagnetic induction methods were used at 12 transects in the limitrophe reach of the river along the United States– Mexico border, and farther south into Mexico. These data, which are sensitive to variation in soil texture and water content, suggest relatively homogeneous conditions. Repeat direct-current resistivity measurements were collected at two locations to monitor groundwater elevation. Results indicate rapid groundwater-level rise during the pulse flow in the limitrophe reach and smaller variation at a more southern transect. Together, these data are useful for hydrogeologic characterization and hydrologic model development. Electronic data files are provided in the accompanying data release (Kennedy and others, 2016a).

  14. Inactivation as a new regulatory mechanism for neuronal Kv7 channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Henrik Sindal; Grunnet, Morten; Olesen, Søren-Peter

    2007-01-01

    neuronal channels and are important for controlling excitability. Kv7.1 channels have been considered the only Kv7 channels to undergo inactivation upon depolarization. However, here we demonstrate that inactivation is also an intrinsic property of Kv7.4 and Kv7.5 channels, which inactivate to a larger...

  15. Rapid internalization of the oncogenic K+ channel K(V10.1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias Kohl

    Full Text Available K(V10.1 is a mammalian brain voltage-gated potassium channel whose ectopic expression outside of the brain has been proven relevant for tumor biology. Promotion of cancer cell proliferation by K(V10.1 depends largely on ion flow, but some oncogenic properties remain in the absence of ion permeation. Additionally, K(V10.1 surface populations are small compared to large intracellular pools. Control of protein turnover within cells is key to both cellular plasticity and homeostasis, and therefore we set out to analyze how endocytic trafficking participates in controlling K(V10.1 intracellular distribution and life cycle. To follow plasma membrane K(V10.1 selectively, we generated a modified channel of displaying an extracellular affinity tag for surface labeling by α-bungarotoxin. This modification only minimally affected K(V10.1 electrophysiological properties. Using a combination of microscopy and biochemistry techniques, we show that K(V10.1 is constitutively internalized involving at least two distinct pathways of endocytosis and mainly sorted to lysosomes. This occurs at a relatively fast rate. Simultaneously, recycling seems to contribute to maintain basal K(V10.1 surface levels. Brief K(V10.1 surface half-life and rapid lysosomal targeting is a relevant factor to be taken into account for potential drug delivery and targeting strategies directed against K(V10.1 on tumor cells.

  16. U.S. gas outlook: The price is right

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parent, L.

    1997-01-01

    The gas business is on a roll. Prices are higher than ever since deregulation became a reality; the gas-well rig count is higher than it has been in years; pipelines are adding capacity; demand is growing; and the prospect of adding substantial gas-fired electric generating capacity is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The players also recognize that competition is fierce and that they need to be cost-effective operators at the leading edge of technology, and flexible enough to manage change. Supporting these premises, the following discussion covers: (1) pricing factors--trends for a slight increase, futures, the market driver, status/effect of storage, and supply/demand; (2) gas well drilling--an increase in 1996, effects of geographics on incentive, good news/bad news of creating another surplus; (3) energy marketing trends--electric power industry restructuring, pairing of electrics and pipelines; (4) gas industry standards--new proposals for 1997 implementation; and (5) Canada/Mexico--competition along the northern US border, Mexico still getting its act together

  17. Climate Change in U.S. South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Fisheries Regions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roffer, M. A.; Hernandez, D. L.; Lamkin, J. T.; Pugliese, R.; Reichert, M.; Hall, C.

    2016-02-01

    A review of the recent evidence that climate change is affecting marine ecosystems in the U.S. fishery management zones of the South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions will be presented. This will include affects on the living marine resources (including fish, invertebrates, marine mammals and turtles), fisheries, habitat and people. Emphasis will be given on the effects that impact managed species and the likely new challenges that they present to fishery managers. The evidence is being derived from the results of the "Climate Variability and Fisheries Workshop: Setting Research Priorities for the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean Regions," October 26-28, 2015 in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Commonalities and regional differences will be presented in terms of how climate variability is likely to impact distribution, catch, catchability, socioeconomics, and management.

  18. No Safe Place: Environmental Hazards & Injustice along Mexico's Northern Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grineski, Sara E.; Collins, Timothy W.; Aguilar, Maria de Lourdes Romo; Aldouri, Raed

    2010-01-01

    This article examines spatial relationships between environmental hazards (i.e., pork feed lots, brick kilns, final assembly plants and a rail line) and markers of social marginality in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Juarez represents an opportunity for researchers to test for patterns of injustice in a recently urbanizing metropolis of the Global South.…

  19. An Approach to Medical Tourism on Mexico's Northern Border

    OpenAIRE

    Contreras, Tomás Cuevas

    2016-01-01

    This article discusses the opportunities to develop the northern region of Mexico as a medical destination. Global competitiveness is emerging in health care while advances in science and technology allow almost any patient to travel abroad for treatment. Today, more and more individuals from developed countries, with the financial capacity to cover all expenses, consider overseas travel to developing countries for health care. The aim of this study is to examine what kind of medical services...

  20. Cross-border cooperation potential in fostering redevelopment of degraded border areas - a case study approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexandre Castanho, Rui; Ramírez, Beatriz; Loures, Luis; Fernández-Pozo, Luis; Cabezas, José

    2017-04-01

    Border interactions have reached unprecedented levels in recent decades, not only due to their potential for territorial integration but also considering their role in supranational processes, such as landscape reclamation, infrastructure development and land use planning on European territory. In this scenario, successful examples related to the redevelopment of degraded areas have been showing positive impacts at several levels, such as the social, economic, environmental and aesthetic ones which have ultimately related this process, positively, to sustainability issues. However, concerning to border areas, and due to their inherent legislative and bureaucratic conflicts, the intervention in these areas is more complex. Still, and taking into account previously developed projects and strategies of cross-border cooperation (CBC) in European territory it is possible to identified that the definition of common master plans and common objectives are critical issues to achieve the desired territorial success. Additionally, recent studies have put forward some noteworthy ideas highlighting that it is possible to establish a positive correlation between CBC processes and an increasing redevelopment of degraded border areas, with special focus on the reclamation of derelict landscapes fostering soil reuse and redevelopment. The present research, throughout case study analysis at the Mediterranean level - considering case studies from Portugal, Spain, Monaco and Italy - which presents specific data on border landscape redevelopment, enables us to conclude that CBC processes have a positive influence on the potential redevelopment of degraded border areas, considering not only urban but also rural land. Furthermore, this paper presents data obtained through a public participation process which highlights that these areas present a greater potential for landscape reclamation, fostering resource sustainability and sustainable growth. Keywords: Spatial planning; Land

  1. Cross-border issues that arise in conjunction with the execution of U.S.-Canadian natural gas contracts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, J. G.

    1999-01-01

    Development of the U.S.-Canadian natural gas market as it is today and the issues that may arise in cross-border transactions involving natural gas contracts between the two countries are reviewed. In this context, the paper reviews recent history of U.S.-Canadian trade relations culminating in the development of NAFTA, the U.S. regulatory and legislative framework surrounding cross-border natural gas transactions, and general U.S. foreign trade policy that may come into play at the U.S.- Canada border. The paper also examines certain issues arising in the U.S. commercial context that may be of interest to Canadian corporations, specifically the U.S. Uniform Commercial Code, state jurisdiction on the U.S. side of the border, state and federal tax concerns, and the mechanics and potential benefits for a Canadian parent company in forming a U.S.-based subsidiary to handle U.S.-Canada natural gas transactions. 71 refs

  2. The acrylamide (S)-1 differentially affects Kv7 (KCNQ) potassium channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentzen, Bo Hjorth; Schmitt, Nicole; Calloe, Kirstine

    2006-01-01

    The family of Kv7 (KCNQ) potassium channels consists of five members. Kv7.2 and 3 are the primary molecular correlates of the M-current, but also Kv7.4 and Kv7.5 display M-current characteristics. M-channel modulators include blockers (e.g., linopirdine) for cognition enhancement and openers (e.g...

  3. Kv10.1 potassium channel: from the brain to the tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cázares-Ordoñez, V; Pardo, L A

    2017-10-01

    The KCNH1 gene encodes the Kv10.1 (Eag1) ion channel, a member of the EAG (ether-à-go-go) family of voltage-gated potassium channels. Recent studies have demonstrated that KCHN1 mutations are implicated in Temple-Baraitser and Zimmermann-Laband syndromes and other forms of developmental deficits that all present with mental retardation and epilepsy, suggesting that Kv10.1 might be important for cognitive development in humans. Although the Kv10.1 channel is mainly expressed in the mammalian brain, its ectopic expression occurs in 70% of human cancers. Cancer cells and tumors expressing Kv10.1 acquire selective advantages that favor cancer progression through molecular mechanisms that involve several cellular pathways, indicating that protein-protein interactions may be important for Kv10.1 influence in cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. Several studies on transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of Kv10.1 expression have shown interesting mechanistic insights about Kv10.1 role in oncogenesis, increasing the importance of identifying the cellular factors that regulate Kv10.1 expression in tumors.

  4. In vitro measurement of CT density and estimation of stenosis related to coronary soft plaque at 100 kV and 120 kV on ECG-triggered scan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Horiguchi, Jun, E-mail: horiguch@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551 (Japan); Fujioka, Chikako, E-mail: fujioka@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551 (Japan); Kiguchi, Masao, E-mail: kiguchi@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Clinical Radiology, Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551 (Japan); Yamamoto, Hideya, E-mail: hideyayama@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551 (Japan); Shen, Yun, E-mail: Yuna.Shen@ge.com [CT Lab of Great China, GE Healthcare, L12 and L15, Office Tower, Langham Place, 8 Argyle Street, Mongkok Kowloon (Hong Kong); Kihara, Yasuki, E-mail: ykihara@hiroshima-u.ac.jp [Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Hiroshima University Hospital, 1-2-3, Kasumi-cho, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8551 (Japan)

    2011-02-15

    Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare 100 kV and 120 kV prospective electrocardiograph (ECG)-triggered axial coronary 64-detector CT angiography (64-MDCTA) in soft plaque diagnosis. Materials and methods: Coronary artery models (n = 5) with artificial soft plaques (-32 HU to 53 HU at 120 kV) with three stenosis levels (25%, 50% and 75%) on a cardiac phantom (mimicking slim patient's environment) were scanned in heart rates of 55, 60 and 65 beats per minute (bpm). Four kinds of intracoronary enhancement (205 HU, 241 HU, 280 HU and 314 HU) were simulated. The soft plaque density and the measurement error of stenosis (in percentage), evaluated by two independent observers, were compared between 100 kV and 120 kV. The radiation dose was estimated. Results: Interobserver correlation of the measurement was excellent (density; r = 0.95 and stenosis measure; r = 0.97). Neither the density of soft plaque nor the measurement error of stenosis was different between 100 kV and 120 kV (p = 0.22 and 0.08). The estimated radiation doses were 2.0 mSv and 3.3 mSv (in 14 cm coverage) on 100 kV and 120 kV prospective ECG-triggered axial scans, respectively. Conclusion: The 100 kV prospective ECG-triggered coronary MDCTA has comparable performance to 120 kV coronary CTA in terms of soft plaque densitometry and measurement of stenosis, with a reduced effective dose of 2 mSv.

  5. Open issues concerning cross border trade mechanism in southeastern European countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gugu, Florin; Mihailescu, Florentina; Cirlan, Florica

    2004-01-01

    The first South East Europe Electricity Regulatory Forum (SEEER) has agreed that all participants in the 'Athens Process' (AP) should collaborate efficiently in achieving a clear common objective consisting in the creation of a competitive Regional Electricity Market (REM) in South-Eastern Europe (SEE), based on the rules currently in force and being developed in the European Union. The 'Memorandum of Understanding on the REM in SEE and its integration in EU Internal Electricity Market (IEM)' has charged CEER to undertake actions for pursuing a series of specific technical activities. One of the most important actions was the implementation of a trading mechanism such as cross border tariffs. Based on this mechanism the Transmission System Operators, TSO, shall receive compensation for costs incurred as a result of hosting transit flows of electricity on their network. An important problem is the Horizontal Network (HN) cost calculation. Horizontal Network is defined as a part of the transmission network that is most significantly influenced by the cross border exchanges. The calculation of the cost of the SEE HN is in some way problematic because the reorganization of the SEE power sector in different countries is often at the beginning. The paper presents the impact on the TSO's cost claim of the following technical issues which, at present, are not solved in conformity to ETSO CBT mechanism for 2003: - 110 kV network inclusion in the HN definition and its impact on HN cost; - Consideration of the standard cost in the calculation of the HN annual cost; - Consideration of the annual consumption for the calculation of the HN annual cost due to transits (transit key). The Cross Border Trade, CBT, mechanism represents an harmonized payment scheme for the compensation of the national transmission systems for their usage by the cross border flows. The paper addresses the following issues: 1. Assessment of the current state of play in the SEE region; 2. Main principles

  6. Epidemiologic Observations on Diarrhea Developing in U.S. and Mexican Students Living in Guadalajara, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ericsson; DuPont; Mathewson

    1995-03-01

    Background: A previous study suggested that U.S. students who lived in Mexico for 1 year had a risk of diarrhea intermediate between the rate for newly arrived U.S. students and Mexican students; however, the study was not controlled for changes of risky behavior over time. Methods: An analysis of acute diarrhea occurring among U.S. and Mexican student groups living in Guadalajara, Mexico was conducted to explore the association of diarrhea developing during selected 28-day periods with length of residence, season, and risk factors such as locations of food consumption, consumption of tap water, unsafe ice, alcohol, and antibiotics. Results: Compared to U.S. and Mexican student groups, newly arrived U.S. college students in July had the highest rate of diarrhea (55%), highest enteropathogen isolation rate (46%), and most consumption of alcohol and antibiotics; they also ate most frequently at restaurants and in Mexican family homes. Compared to a 34% rate of diarrhea among newly arrived U.S. medical students in August, the rate was only 6% among established medical students in January. This drop in attack rate was attended by less tap water and unsafe ice consumption by established students in January compared to the habits of newly arrived students in January or August when risky behavior was otherwise similar among these groups. The role of tap water and unsafe ice in the acquisition of wintertime diarrhea is further supported by the relatively high 29% rate of diarrhea among U.S. medical students newly arrived in January, who also consumed more tap water and ice than established students in January. Enterotoxigenic E. coli disease was observed only during the summer months; whereas, Campylobacter jejuni disease and disease associated with no detected pathogen were more common in winter. Conclusions: These data imply that wintertime diarrhea in Guadalajara is more likely than summertime diarrhea to be waterborne and to be caused by agents such as viruses or

  7. Rearrangement of potassium ions and Kv1.1/Kv1.2 potassium channels in regenerating axons following end-to-end neurorrhaphy: ionic images from TOF-SIMS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chiung-Hui; Chang, Hung-Ming; Wu, Tsung-Huan; Chen, Li-You; Yang, Yin-Shuo; Tseng, To-Jung; Liao, Wen-Chieh

    2017-10-01

    The voltage-gated potassium channels Kv1.1 and Kv1.2 that cluster at juxtaparanodal (JXP) regions are essential in the regulation of nerve excitability and play a critical role in axonal conduction. When demyelination occurs, Kv1.1/Kv1.2 activity increases, suppressing the membrane potential nearly to the equilibrium potential of K + , which results in an axonal conduction blockade. The recovery of K + -dependent communication signals and proper clustering of Kv1.1/Kv1.2 channels at JXP regions may directly reflect nerve regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. However, little is known about potassium channel expression and its relationship with the dynamic potassium ion distribution at the node of Ranvier during the regenerative process of peripheral nerve injury (PNI). In the present study, end-to-end neurorrhaphy (EEN) was performed using an in vivo model of PNI. The distribution of K + at regenerating axons following EEN was detected by time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry. The specific localization and expression of Kv1.1/Kv1.2 channels were examined by confocal microscopy and western blotting. Our data showed that the re-establishment of K + distribution and intensity was correlated with the functional recovery of compound muscle action potential morphology in EEN rats. Furthermore, the re-clustering of Kv1.1/1.2 channels 1 and 3 months after EEN at the nodal region of the regenerating nerve corresponded to changes in the K + distribution. This study provided direct evidence of K + distribution in regenerating axons for the first time. We proposed that the Kv1.1/Kv1.2 channels re-clustered at the JXP regions of regenerating axons are essential for modulating the proper patterns of K + distribution in axons for maintaining membrane potential stability after EEN.

  8. Guide to federal regulation of sales of imported electricity in Canada, Mexico and the United States

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    This Guide to Federal Regulation of Sales of Imported Electricity in Canada, Mexico, and the United States promotes cross-border electricity trade. It provides information on federal regulation of cross-border electricity trade and is intended to be used together with a companion guide called the North American Regulation of International Electricity Trade which outlines regulations for the construction and operation of cross-border power lines and the permitting requirements for electricity exports and imports between Canada, Mexico and the United States. The guide outlines the basic elements of the general federal regulatory process that applies to a given North American cross-border electricity trade. It offers an improved understanding of the applicable country's federal regulatory regime. Different federal government agencies within each country may regulate different aspects of a particular cross-border electricity trade. This guide does not examine the requirements that may apply at the state or provincial government levels. Rather, it is a collaborative effort of the 3 national energy departments and energy regulators that support the Experts Group on Electricity Regulatory Issues, a specialized unit assembled by the North American Energy Working Group (NAEWG). It was noted that the energy policies and regulations of each nation can change periodically

  9. Canada-Mexico Trade: An Arranged Marriage Comes Of Age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Dawson

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available If Canada’s interest in the North American Free Trade Agreement was in deepening regional trade integration between our economy and the U.S. and Mexico, then we could say it certainly succeeded — at least for about five years. By 1999, however, Canada’s NAFTA trade had peaked, and it has since only declined as a share of its trade with the rest of the world: from 79 to 66 per cent. Truly free trade with the U.S. has proved elusive — the number of professions granted labour-mobility concessions under NAFTA has gone virtually unchanged for 20 years — and trade irritants continue to rankle on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border (think: country-oforigin labelling and “Buy America” rules. That has left Canada looking to strike more free-trade deals in new, farther-flung markets, as a way of diversifying its export markets. In the meantime, the low-cost labour advantages that Mexico 20 years ago offered its NAFTA partners were soon eroded by Asian emerging-market competitors, particularly China. But while Canada was scouring the globe for promising new bilateral trade partnerships, we overlooked the transformation happening on our doorstep in Mexico: it has become an especially promising emerging market itself. It has a growing consumer base, with its middle class alone exceeding the entire population of Canada. The number of Mexican students in higher education has tripled over the last three decades. Its recent economic growth rates have been 1.5 to two times higher than that of either Canada or the U.S. and its GDP is projected to quadruple by 2050, making it one of the world’s five-largest economies. Mexico has also become an enthusiastic trader, eagerly pursuing new global trade opportunities while persistently calling for the expansion of North American trade linkages, including direct bilateral deals with Canada. Meanwhile, global value chains are increasingly regional in nature, suggesting there exists a great deal of

  10. Bladder contractility is modulated by Kv7 channels in pig detrusor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svalø, Julie; Bille, Michala; Parameswaran Theepakaran, Neeraja

    2013-01-01

    Kv7 channels are involved in smooth muscle relaxation, and accordingly we believe that they constitute potential targets for the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome. We have therefore used myography to examine the function of Kv7 channels in detrusor, i.e. pig bladder, with a view...... relaxation, suggesting that Kv7.2 and/or Kv7.4 channels constitute the subtypes that are relevant to bladder contractility. The effects of retigabine and ML213 were attenuated by pre-incubation with 10µM XE991 (Kv7.1-7.5 channel blocker) (P...

  11. 「エル・パソ事件」と戦後期プラセロ・プログラムの成立 : 移民統制をめぐる1940年代後半の米墨政府間交渉を中心に

    OpenAIRE

    戸田山, 祐

    2008-01-01

    This paper investigates the post-WWII extension of the bracero program from a diplomatic perspective and links the bracero program with the U.S.-Mexican negotiations on immigration control during the late 1940s.//Undocumented immigration from Mexico increased rapidly in the mid¬1940s, and both the U.S. and Mexico began to consider it as a threat to their effort on border control. In the autumn of 1948, an unusually large number of Mexican farm workers flocked along the U.S. -Mexican border, cau...

  12. The impact of Border policy effect on cross-border ethnic areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bie, Q. L.; Zhou, S. Y.; Li, C. S.

    2013-11-01

    Boundary effect analysis is related to border policy making in the cross-border ethnic area. The border effect literatures show that geographic boundaries have obvious impacts on economic, social and cultural relations in both sides of a nation border. Particularly in cross-border ethnic areas, each ethnic group has strong internal spatial structure relevance, and the boundary effect is more obvious. However, most of China's border areas are cross-border ethnic areas, each of border issues is unique. Under this perspective, we analyze the border effects of various boundaries can provide basis for formulating border management policies. For small scale of cross-border ethnic minority areas, how to formulate the boundary management policy is a good question to explore. This paper is demonstrated by a study of the impact of border management policies in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province at the border area to Burma. The comparative method is used to analysis the border management policies in past 50 decades for the border area of Yunnan Province .This research aims to define trends within border policy and its influences to national security. This paper also examines Wendy Brown's liberal theory of border management policy. We found that it is not suitable for Sino-Burma border area. The conclusion is that the changes or instability of international economic and political situation has more influence to this cross-border ethnic area, and only innovative policy will be effective in cross-border ethnic area. So the border management policies should reflect the change of international context.

  13. U.S. Geological Survey water-resources programs in New Mexico, FY 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mau, David P.

    2015-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected hydrologic information in New Mexico since 1889, beginning with the first USGS streamflow-gaging station in the Nation, located on the Rio Grande near Embudo, New Mexico. Water-resources information provided by the USGS is used by many government agencies for issuing flood warnings to protect lives and reduce property damage,managing water rights and interstate water use, protecting water quality and regulating pollution discharges, designing highways and bridges, planning, designing, and operating reservoirs and watersupply facilities, monitoring the availability of groundwater resources and forecasting aquifer response to human and environmental stressors, and prioritizing areas where emergency erosion mitigation or other protective measures may be necessary after a wildfire. For more than 100 years, the Cooperative Water Program has been a highly successful cost-sharing partnership between the USGS and water-resources agencies at the State, local, and tribal levels. It would be difficult to effectively accomplish the mission of the USGS without the contributions of the Cooperative Water Program.

  14. Radon-in-soil concentration levels in Mexico

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segovia, N.; Tamez, E.; Mena, M.

    1992-01-01

    Radon-in-soil surveys in Mexico have been carried out since 1974 both for uranium prospecting and to correlate mean values of the gas emanation with local telluric behaviour. The mapping covers the northern uranium mining region, the Mexican Neovolcanic Belt, the coastal areas adjacent to the zone of subduction of the Cocos Plate under the North American Plate, some of the active volcanoes of Southern Mexico and several sedimentary valleys in Central Mexico. Recording of 222 Rn alpha decay is systematically performed with LR115 track detectors. Using mean values averaged over different observation periods at fixed monitoring stations, a radon-in-soil map covering one third of the territory of Mexico is presented. The lowest mean values occur in areas associated with active volcanoes. The highest levels are found in uranium ore zones. Intermediate values are obtained in regions with enhanced hydrothermal activity and stations associated with intrusive rocks. (author)

  15. BTFS: The Border Trade Facilitation System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Phillips, L.R.

    1999-03-18

    The author demonstrates the Border Trade Facilitation System (BTFS), an agent-based bilingual e-commerce system built to expedite the regulation, control, and execution of commercial trans-border shipments during the delivery phase. The system was built to serve maquila industries at the US/Mexican border. The BTFS uses foundation technology developed here at Sandia Laboratories' Advanced Information Systems Lab (AISL), including a distributed object substrate, a general-purpose agent development framework, dynamically generated agent-human interaction via the World-Wide Web, and a collaborative agent architecture. This technology is also the substrate for the Multi-Agent Simulation Management System (MASMAS) proposed for demonstration at this conference. The BTFS executes authenticated transactions among agents performing open trading over the Internet. With the BTFS in place, one could conduct secure international transactions from any site with an Internet connection and a web browser. The BTFS is currently being evaluated for commercialization.

  16. Chronic electroconvulsive stimulation but not chronic restraint stress modulates mRNA expression of voltage-dependent potassium channels Kv7.2 and Kv11.1 in the rat piriform cortex

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hjæresen, Marie-Louise; Hageman, Ida; Wörtwein, Gitta

    2008-01-01

    The mechanisms by which stress and electroconvulsive therapy exert opposite effects on the course of major depression are not known. Potential candidates might include the voltage-dependent potassium channels. Potassium channels play an important role in maintaining the resting membrane potential...... and controlling neuronal excitability. To explore this hypothesis, we examined the effects of one or several electroconvulsive stimulations and chronic restraint stress (6 h/day for 21 days) on the expression of voltage-dependent potassium channel Kv7.2, Kv11.1, and Kv11.3 mRNA in the rat brain using in situ...... hybridization. Repeated, but not acute, electroconvulsive stimulation increased Kv7.2 and Kv11.1 mRNA levels in the piriform cortex. In contrast, restraint stress had no significant effect on mRNA expression of Kv7.2, Kv11.1, or Kv11.3 in any of the brain regions examined. Thus, it appears that the investigated...

  17. Border effects without borders: What divides Japan's internal trade?

    OpenAIRE

    Wrona, Jens

    2015-01-01

    Over the last 20 years the trade literature repeatedly documented the trade-reducing effects of inter- and intra-national borders. Thereby, the puzzling size and persistence of observed border effects from the beginning raised doubts on the role of underlying political borders. However, when observed border effects are not caused by political trade barriers, why should their spatial dimension then inevitably coincide with the geography of present or past political borders? This paper identifi...

  18. Deaths in the desert: the human rights crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Androff, David K; Tavassoli, Kyoko Y

    2012-04-01

    Many would acknowledge that immigration is a major issue in the United States and that immigration reform should be a priority. However, there is little attention to the human rights crisis on the U.S.-Mexican border. As a result of tightened border security since 1994, it is estimated that over 5,000 migrants have died in the Sonoran desert. The criminalization of immigration has resulted in a human rights crisis in three areas: (1) the rise of deaths and injuries of migrants crossing the border in harsh and remote locations, (2) the use of mass hearings to prosecute apprehended migrants, and (3) abuses of migrants in immigration detention. These policies and practices have serious repercussions for the affected vulnerable population. Despite recent legislation designed to discourage undocumented immigration, such as Arizona's Senate Bill 1070, the deterrence strategy has not diminished migration--it has only increased the suffering and deaths of migrants. Humanitarian groups are working to prevent more deaths but also have been targeted for criminalization. The profession's ethics compel social workers to work with humanitarian organizations to prevent more deaths and to advocate for humane immigration reform.

  19. An accurate method for computer-generating tungsten anode x-ray spectra from 30 to 140 kV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boone, J M; Seibert, J A

    1997-11-01

    A tungsten anode spectral model using interpolating polynomials (TASMIP) was used to compute x-ray spectra at 1 keV intervals over the range from 30 kV to 140 kV. The TASMIP is not semi-empirical and uses no physical assumptions regarding x-ray production, but rather interpolates measured constant potential x-ray spectra published by Fewell et al. [Handbook of Computed Tomography X-ray Spectra (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1981)]. X-ray output measurements (mR/mAs measured at 1 m) were made on a calibrated constant potential generator in our laboratory from 50 kV to 124 kV, and with 0-5 mm added aluminum filtration. The Fewell spectra were slightly modified (numerically hardened) and normalized based on the attenuation and output characteristics of a constant potential generator and metal-insert x-ray tube in our laboratory. Then, using the modified Fewell spectra of different kVs, the photon fluence phi at each 1 keV energy bin (E) over energies from 10 keV to 140 keV was characterized using polynomial functions of the form phi (E) = a0[E] + a1[E] kV + a2[E] kV2 + ... + a(n)[E] kVn. A total of 131 polynomial functions were used to calculate accurate x-ray spectra, each function requiring between two and four terms. The resulting TASMIP algorithm produced x-ray spectra that match both the quality and quantity characteristics of the x-ray system in our laboratory. For photon fluences above 10% of the peak fluence in the spectrum, the average percent difference (and standard deviation) between the modified Fewell spectra and the TASMIP photon fluence was -1.43% (3.8%) for the 50 kV spectrum, -0.89% (1.37%) for the 70 kV spectrum, and for the 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 kV spectra, the mean differences between spectra were all less than 0.20% and the standard deviations were less than approximately 1.1%. The model was also extended to include the effects of generator-induced kV ripple. Finally, the x-ray photon fluence in the units of

  20. Modeling emergent border-crossing behaviors during pandemics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Eunice E.; Santos, Eugene; Korah, John; Thompson, Jeremy E.; Gu, Qi; Kim, Keum Joo; Li, Deqing; Russell, Jacob; Subramanian, Suresh; Zhang, Yuxi; Zhao, Yan

    2013-06-01

    Modeling real-world scenarios is a challenge for traditional social science researchers, as it is often hard to capture the intricacies and dynamisms of real-world situations without making simplistic assumptions. This imposes severe limitations on the capabilities of such models and frameworks. Complex population dynamics during natural disasters such as pandemics is an area where computational social science can provide useful insights and explanations. In this paper, we employ a novel intent-driven modeling paradigm for such real-world scenarios by causally mapping beliefs, goals, and actions of individuals and groups to overall behavior using a probabilistic representation called Bayesian Knowledge Bases (BKBs). To validate our framework we examine emergent behavior occurring near a national border during pandemics, specifically the 2009 H1N1 pandemic in Mexico. The novelty of the work in this paper lies in representing the dynamism at multiple scales by including both coarse-grained (events at the national level) and finegrained (events at two separate border locations) information. This is especially useful for analysts in disaster management and first responder organizations who need to be able to understand both macro-level behavior and changes in the immediate vicinity, to help with planning, prevention, and mitigation. We demonstrate the capabilities of our framework in uncovering previously hidden connections and explanations by comparing independent models of the border locations with their fused model to identify emergent behaviors not found in either independent location models nor in a simple linear combination of those models.

  1. Mexico, maquiladoras, and occupational medicine training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordes, D H; Rea, D F; Schwartz, I; Rea, J

    1989-01-01

    Industrialization and its concomitant social and environmental effects in developing countries are considered in this paper. Mexico offers one example of economic progress achieved through the promotion of industrial growth. Recognising the need for trained experts with global experience in occupational health, the University of Arizona (UA) has begun a programme to train occupational and preventive medicine residents in international aspects of occupational health in the nearby industrialized border regions of Mexico. By using the maquiladora (assembly plant) industries and the resources of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social with the State of Sonora, residents observe existing problems in occupational safety and health in addition to adding to their understanding of the need for worldwide cooperation for research and reform in this field.

  2. Strengthening border control and management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chatzis, I.

    2008-01-01

    The world has experienced monumental changes in recent years. Globalization has brought many benefits. Business and commerce have increased and, as a result, brought us cheaper, more accessible goods from all regions of the world. We have access to relatively cheap and certainly much easier travel. We now live in a world of instant communications with mobile phones, laptops and 'BlackBerries'. However, there is a downside to globalization - transnationally organized crime and the reality of terrorism have grown. As more people cross borders, it is harder to detect criminals and terrorists. In the European Union, the internal borders of the now 27 member States have been dismantled. Effective international measures to counter organized crime and terrorist groups are of crucial importance. It is important to think globally and to act locally. The paper looks at some of the crime challenges and provides insight into the role and work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in drugs and crime control. It focuses on border control initiatives conducted by the UNODC. (author)

  3. Socio-Environmental Health Analysis in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Norman, Laura M; Caldeira, Felipe; Callegary, James; Gray, Floyd; O' Rourke, Mary Kay; Meranza, Veronica; Van Rijn, Saskia

    2012-06-01

    to be significantly greater in Colosio (median 29.2 mg/L) although still below the US EPA's maximum contaminant levels of 250 mg/L. Ongoing binational collaboration can promote mechanisms to improve water quality in cities located in the US-Mexico border.

  4. Immigrants from Mexico experience serious behavioral and psychiatric problems at far lower rates than US-born Americans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salas-Wright, Christopher P; Vaughn, Michael G; Goings, Trenette Clark

    2017-10-01

    To examine the prevalence of self-reported criminal and violent behavior, substance use disorders, and mental disorders among Mexican immigrants vis-à-vis the US born. Study findings are based on national data collected between 2012 and 2013. Binomial logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between immigrant status and behavioral/psychiatric outcomes. Mexican immigrants report substantially lower levels of criminal and violent behaviors, substance use disorders, and mental disorders compared to US-born individuals. While some immigrants from Mexico have serious behavioral and psychiatric problems, Mexican immigrants in general experience such problems at far lower rates than US-born individuals.

  5. Touch and step potential analysis at 23.9kV to 4.16kV & 13.8kV to 4.16kV distribution substations with pad-mounted transformers, floating grounds, and other exposed ungrounded metal bodies using WinIGS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman, David G.

    An electrical substation is composed of various subsystems that allow for the effective and safe operation of the power grid. One of the subsystems integrating a conventional substation is defined as the ground grid system. This system allows for the effective operation of the power grid and all the electrical equipment connected to it by providing a ground potential reference, commonly known as the system ground. In addition, the ground grid system provides safety to the workers and the public transiting inside or living nearby a substation by reducing the step and touch potential (or voltage) levels present during a system fault. In today's utility industry practices there is an increasing trend for using pad-mounted electrical equipment for substation applications in an effort to construct new or upgrade existing electrical facilities inside limited property spaces. This thesis work presents an analysis for the effects of touch and step voltages at existing distribution substations where 23.9kV to 4.16kV & 13.8kV to 4.16kV pad-mounted transformers and other pad-mounted switchgear was installed to replace the traditional station class equipment. Moreover, this study will expose modeling techniques employed to define and determine the effects of floating grounds and other exposed metal bodies inside or surrounding these substations using WinIGS; this is in an effort to determine any risks of electric shock associated with this type of installations. The results presented in this work are intended to verify the requirements for the ground grid analysis and design for 4.16kV distribution substations with pad-mounted equipment in order to prevent dangerous step and touch voltage levels appearing at these sites during system faults; and ultimately prevent exposing individuals to the risk of an electric shock.

  6. Disparities in undiagnosed diabetes among United States-Mexico border populations Disparidades en la prevalencia de diabetes no diagnosticada en las poblaciones residentes en la frontera México-Estados Unidos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pamela Stoddard

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes among populations with diabetes living on the United States (U.S.-Mexico border, examine explanations for differences between groups, and investigate differences in metabolic outcomes by diagnosis status. METHODS: Data come from the U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project survey (2001-2002, which used a stratified, multistage design. The sample included 603 adults (18 years or older with diabetes. Undiagnosed diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose (FPG value of > 126 mg/dL and no report of diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to compare the odds of being undiagnosed among border populations with diabetes. Metabolic outcomes included FPG, glycosylated hemoglobin, and mean arterial blood pressure. RESULTS: One in four adults with diabetes (25.9% living on the U.S.-Mexico border was undiagnosed. Mexicans (43.8% and Mexican immigrants (39.0% with diabetes were significantly more likely to be undiagnosed than were U.S.-born Hispanics (15.0%; P OBJETIVO: Comparar la prevalencia de diabetes no diagnosticada en la población con diabetes residente en la zona fronteriza entre México y los Estados Unidos; intentar explicar las diferencias entre grupos, e investigar las diferencias de los resultados metabólicos según la situación diagnóstica. MÉTODOS: Los datos proceden de la encuesta del Proyecto de Prevención y Control de la Diabetes en la Frontera México-Estados Unidos (2001-2002, que utilizó un diseño estratificado polietápico. La muestra incluyó a 603 adultos (> 18 años con diabetes. Se definió como diabetes no diagnosticada una glucemia plasmática en ayunas > 126 mg/dl sin diagnóstico previo. Se utilizó un modelo de regresión logística para comparar la probabilidad de que la diabetes no fuera diagnosticada en las poblaciones fronterizas. Los resultados metabólicos incluyeron la glucemia plasmática en ayunas, la hemoglobina glicosilada (Hb

  7. Tuberculosis-diabetes epidemiology in the border and non-border regions of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdelbary, Bassent E; Garcia-Viveros, Moncerrato; Ramirez-Oropesa, Horacio; Rahbar, Mohammad H; Restrepo, Blanca I

    2016-12-01

    Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a re-emerging risk factor for TB development and adverse TB outcomes. As a follow-up of our previous study in 1998-2004, we reassessed prevalence of DM and its associated factors among 8431 TB patients using surveillance data from 2006 to 2013 for the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, across the border with Texas. Prevalence of DM was 25.2%, with an increase of at least 2.8% over the study period. Newly discovered factors associated with TB-DM (versus no DM) were lower education and higher unemployment (p pulmonary (versus extra-pulmonary) and drug-resistant TB (1.9-, 3.8- and 1.4-fold, respectively). During treatment, TB-DM patients were more likely to be smear-positive, and less likely to die or abandon TB treatment. Thus, the increasing prevalence of DM among TB, and its association with low education, features of a more contagious TB, and drug resistance, highlight the need for design of TB management programs in DM patients, blood testing of all new TB patients for DM, and if positive for DM, testing for drug resistance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The transient outward current in mice lacking the potassium channel gene Kv1.4

    Science.gov (United States)

    London, Barry; Wang, Dao W; Hill, Joseph A; Bennett, Paul B

    1998-01-01

    The transient outward current (Ito) plays a prominent role in the repolarization phase of the cardiac action potential. Several K+ channel genes, including Kv1.4, are expressed in the heart, produce rapidly inactivating currents when heterologously expressed, and may be the molecular basis of Ito.We engineered mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of the K+ channel gene Kv1.4 and compared Ito in wild-type (Kv1.4+/+), heterozygous (Kv1.4+/-) and homozygous ‘knockout’ (Kv1.4−/−) mice. Kv1.4 RNA was truncated in Kv1.4−/− mice and protein expression was absent.Adult myocytes isolated from Kv1.4+/+, Kv1.4+/− and Kv1.4−/− mice had large rapidly inactivating outward currents. The peak current densities at 60 mV (normalized by cellular capacitance, in pA pF−1; means ± s.e.m.) were 53.8 ± 5.3, 45.3 ± 2.2 and 44.4 ± 2.8 in cells from Kv1.4+/+, Kv1.4+/− and Kv1.4−/− mice, respectively (P mice.The voltage dependence and time course of inactivation were not changed by targeted disruption of Kv1.4. The mean best-fitting V½ (membrane potential at 50 % inactivation) values for myocytes from Kv1.4 +/+, Kv1.4+/− and Kv1.4−/− mice were -53.5 ± 3.7, -51.1 ± 2.6 and -54.2 ± 2.4 mV, respectively. The slope factors (k) were -10.1 ± 1.4, -8.8 ± 1.4 and -9.5 ± 1.2 mV, respectively. The fast time constants for development of inactivation at -30 mV were 27.8 ± 2.2, 26.2 ± 5.1 and 19.6 ± 2.1 ms in Kv1.4+/+, Kv1.4+/− and Kv1.4−/− myocytes, respectively. At +30 mV, they were 35.5 ± 2.6, 30.0 ± 2.1 and 28.7 ± 1.6 ms, respectively. The time constants for the rapid phase of recovery from inactivation at -80 mV were 32.5 ± 8.2, 23.3 ± 1.8 and 39.0 ± 3.7 ms, respectively.Nearly the entire inactivating component as well as more than 60 % of the steady-state outward current was eliminated by 1 mm 4-aminopyridine in Kv1.4+/+, Kv1.4+/− and Kv1.4−/− myocytes.Western blot analysis of heart membrane extracts showed no significant

  9. Differential expression of the Kv1 voltage-gated potassium channel family in the rat nephron.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrisoza-Gaytán, Rolando; Salvador, Carolina; Diaz-Bello, Beatriz; Escobar, Laura I

    2014-10-01

    Several potassium (K(+)) channels contribute to maintaining the resting membrane potential of renal epithelial cells. Apart from buffering the cell membrane potential and cell volume, K(+) channels allow sodium reabsorption in the proximal tubule (PT), K(+) recycling and K(+) reabsorption in the thick ascending limb (TAL) and K(+) secretion and K(+) reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT), connecting tubule (CNT) and collecting duct. Previously, we identified Kv.1.1, Kv1.3 and Kv1.6 channels in collecting ducts of the rat inner medulla. We also detected intracellular Kv1.3 channel in the acid secretory intercalated cells, which is trafficked to the apical membrane in response to dietary K(+) to function as a secretory K(+) channel. In this work we sought to characterize the expression of all members of the Kv1 family in the rat nephron. mRNA and protein expression were detected for all Kv1 channels. Immunoblots identified differential expression of each Kv1 in the cortex, outer and inner medulla. Immunofluorescence labeling detected Kv1.5 in Bowman´s capsule and endothelial cells and Kv1.7 in podocytes, endothelial cells and macula densa in glomeruli; Kv1.4, Kv1.5 and Kv1.7 in PT; Kv1.2, Kv1.4 and Kv1.6 in TAL; Kv1.1, Kv1.4 and Kv1.6 in DCT and CNT and Kv1.3 in DCT, and all the Kv1 family in the cortical and medullary collecting ducts. Recently, some hereditary renal syndromes have been attributed to mutations in K(+) channels. Our results expand the repertoire of K(+) channels that contribute to K(+) homeostasis to include the Kv1 family.

  10. Model for the ready definition and approximate comparison of alternative high voltage transmission systems. Phases II and III. Application to electric systems within the contiguous United States. [800 and 1200 kV; 400, 600, and 800 kV dc

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-08-01

    Research on power delivery alternatives is reported. The first phase of this work was to develop a model of overhead transmission systems in the range of 362 to 1200 kV ac, and +-400 to +-800 kV dc. Such systems included transmission from generation to load and inter-connection of two large integrated systems, with and without the existence of an underlying lower voltage network in either case. This phase has been completed. The second and third phases involved application of the model to electric systems within selected regions of the US, and the entire US, respectively, dealing with real situations and including projected expansion to year 1987. The potential benefits and costs of using higher than existing transmission voltages were to be evaluated on this basis. Additionally, the most advantageous new voltage was to be determined taking into account direct and indirect benefits and costs. The results of the second and third phases are presented.

  11. Gulf of Mexico deep-water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ott, G.L.

    1998-01-01

    The deepwater Gulf of Mexico, an emerging basin with 20 BBOE resource potential, was discussed. Technologies are advancing and development options are increasing within the Gulf of Mexico deepwater environment. Deepwater offers significant rate potentials leading to strong cash flows. The projected steep rate of resources captured in the next five years show that there is a short window of opportunity to establish a business position. The major production variables are development costs and cycle time. There is a definite market for Gulf of Mexico products because U.S. energy demand is expected to outstrip U.S. supply. Present infrastructure is capable of moving large volumes of gas into major U.S. markets, but with the large number of projects currently underway, especially in the United States, supply could exceed capacity. 1 tab., 16 figs

  12. The Fast Track Trade Agreement: Help or Hurt for the U.S.-Mexico Border Environment?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Lynda

    1992-01-01

    Reviews the environmental and labor problems associated with the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. A joint environmental plan between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and SEDUE (Mexico's EPA equivalent) does not adequately address the problems. Offers recommendations for…

  13. Tuberculosis transmission across the United States-Mexico border Transmisión transfronteriza de la tuberculosis entre México y los Estados Unidos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Robert Fitchett

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available In this era of increasing drug resistance among infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB, the complex population dynamics of border areas must be monitored more extensively. TB remains a major public health threat; its antimicrobial treatment is long; and the only vaccine licensed in the world, live-attenuated Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG, exhibits varying efficacy. In addition to epidemiological surveillance, the underlying determinants contributing to the health and wellbeing of populations are of key importance. Although it received heightened attention in the past, tuberculosis transmission in the United States-Mexico border area demands renewed interest. Lessons learned should be applied to similar areas around the globe.En esta época en la que cada vez es mayor la farmacorresistencia de enfermedades infecciosas como la tuberculosis, es preciso vigilar más ampliamente la compleja dinámica de la población de las zonas fronterizas. La tuberculosis sigue siendo un problema muy importante de salud pública, el tratamiento antimicrobiano es prolongado y la vacuna BCG (Bacilo de Calmette-Guérin -la única autorizada en el mundo, elaborada con bacilos atenuados de Mycobacterium bovis- tiene eficacia variable. Además de la vigilancia epidemiológica, revisten suma importancia los determinantes fundamentales que inciden en la salud y el bienestar de las poblaciones. Si bien la transmisión transfronteriza de la tuberculosis entre México y los Estados Unidos recibió gran atención en el pasado, la situación actual exige renovar el interés por este tema. Es necesario aplicar las lecciones aprendidas en zonas similares del resto del mundo.

  14. Biometric Identifiers and Border Security: 9/11 Commission Recommendations and Related Issues

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Morgan, Daniel; Krouse, William

    2005-01-01

    .... This report provides an overview of biometric technologies and the major U.S. biometric border screening systems, including US-VISIT, and discusses issues such as cost, performance, and user acceptance...

  15. Moving across the border: Modeling migratory bat populations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruscena, Wiederholt; López-Hoffman, Laura; Cline, Jon; Medellin, Rodrigo; Cryan, Paul M.; Russell, Amy; McCracken, Gary; Diffendorfer, Jay; Semmens, Darius J.

    2013-01-01

    The migration of animals across long distances and between multiple habitats presents a major challenge for conservation. For the migratory Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana), these challenges include identifying and protecting migratory routes and critical roosts in two countries, the United States and Mexico. Knowledge and conservation of bat migratory routes is critical in the face of increasing threats from climate change and wind turbines that might decrease migratory survival. We employ a new modeling approach for bat migration, network modeling, to simulate migratory routes between winter habitat in southern Mexico and summer breeding habitat in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. We use the model to identify key migratory routes and the roosts of greatest conservation value to the overall population. We measure roost importance by the degree to which the overall bat population declined when the roost was removed from the model. The major migratory routes—those with the greatest number of migrants—were between winter habitat in southern Mexico and summer breeding roosts in Texas and the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Nuevo Leon. The summer breeding roosts in Texas, Sonora, and Nuevo Leon were the most important for maintaining population numbers and network structure – these are also the largest roosts. This modeling approach contributes to conservation efforts by identifying the most influential areas for bat populations, and can be used as a tool to improve our understanding of bat migration for other species. We anticipate this approach will help direct coordination of habitat protection across borders.

  16. Time to Put the Military on the Border

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Deforge, Robert D

    2006-01-01

    .... It is well documented that the U.S. Border Patrol is undermanned, under-equipped, and under-trained to deal with the increasing numbers of illegal immigrants, escalating violent gang activity, and in the increasing incidents...

  17. Prevalence of Asthma in School Children on the Arizona-Sonora Border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carr, Tara F; Beamer, Paloma I; Rothers, Janet; Stern, Debra A; Gerald, Lynn B; Rosales, Cecilia B; Van Horne, Yoshira Ornelas; Pivniouk, Oksana N; Vercelli, Donata; Halonen, Marilyn; Gameros, Mercedes; Martinez, Fernando D; Wright, Anne L

    Mexican-born children living in the United States have a lower prevalence of asthma than other US children. Although children of Mexican descent near the Arizona (AZ)-Sonora border are genetically similar, differences in environmental exposures might result in differences in asthma prevalence across this region. The objective of this study was to determine if the prevalence of asthma and wheeze in these children varies across the AZ-Sonora border. The International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Children written and video questionnaires were administered to 1753 adolescents from 5 middle schools: Tucson (school A), Nogales, AZ (schools B, C), and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico (schools D, E). The prevalence of asthma and symptoms was compared, with analyses in the AZ schools limited to self-identified Mexican American students. Compared with the Sonoran reference school E, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for asthma was significantly higher in US schools A (OR 4.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.72-8.80), B (OR 3.47, 95% CI 1.88-6.42), and C (OR 4.12, 95% CI 1.78-9.60). The adjusted OR for wheeze in the past year was significantly higher in schools A (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.20-4.01) and B (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.42-5.01) on the written questionnaire and significantly higher in A (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.22-3.75), B (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.07-3.53), and Sonoran school D (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.28-4.30) on the video questionnaire compared with school E. Asthma and wheeze prevalence differed significantly between schools and was higher in the United States. Environmental factors that may account for these differences could provide insight into mechanisms of protection from asthma. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. HVDC transmission preferred to 750 kV ac

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1965-06-25

    It is unlikely that there will be a need in Britain for ac transmission voltages above 400 kV. But with the growing load density in the large conurbations with no possibility of local generation, high voltage dc transmission is likely to be most useful. It was concluded that by 1971 the 400 kV supergrid would be nation-wide and 6,200 circuit miles should be in service. With the expansion to accommodate the large new generating stations, the 400 kV supergrid would become an extremely high power distribution network rather than a transmission system. A higher voltage for transmission is outside the rational limit of speculation for a country the size of Britain.

  19. U.S. second line of defense: preventing nuclear smuggling across Russia's borders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ball, D. Y.

    1998-01-01

    Preventing the theft of weapons-usable highly enriched uranium and plutonium in Russia is one of the central security concerns facing the US today. The dissolution of the highly centralized USSR and the resulting societal crisis has endangered Russia's ability to protect its more than 200 metric tons of plutonium and 1000 tons of highly enriched uranium (roughly 8 kg Pu or 25 kg HEU is sufficient to make a bomb). Producing this fissile material is the most difficult and expensive part of nuclear weapons production and the US must make every effort to ensure that fissile material (and nuclear-related technologies) does not reach the hands of terrorist groups, rogue states or other potential proliferators. In response to this concern, the US has undertaken a number of initiatives in partnership with Russia and other FSU states to prevent the theft of fissile material. The Material Protection, Control and Accounting Program (MPC and A) was begun in 1993 to prevent the theft of nuclear materials from Russian civilian complexes, that is facilities not under control of the Ministry of Defense, which is largely responsible for possession and oversight of nuclear weapons. The MPC and A program is considered the first line of defense against theft of nuclear material because its goal is to prevent theft of material at production and storage facilities. This year the Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a new program called the Second Line of Defense (SLD), the goal of which is to assist Russia in preventing the smuggling of nuclear material and weapons at its borders, either by land, sea or air. The SLD program represents an important phase in the overall effort to ensure the security of nuclear material and weapons in Russia. However, as the US engages Russian customs officials in this important project, Americans should keep in mind that providing equipment--even indigenous equipment--is insufficient by itself; material aid must be accompanied by rigorous inspection and

  20. Convective climatology over the southwest U.S. and Mexico from passive microwave and infrared data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Negri, Andrew J.; Howard, Kenneth W.; Keehn, Peter R.; Maddox, Robert A.; Adler, Robert F.

    1992-01-01

    Passive microwave data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) were used to estimate the amount of rainfall in the June-August season for the regions of the southwest U.S. and Mexico, and the results are compared to rain-gauge observations and to IR climatologies of Maddox et al. (1992), using both the hourly IR data and IR data sampled at the time of the overpass of the SSM/I. A comparison of the microwave climatology with monthly rainfall measured by the climatological gage network over several states of western Mexico resulted in a 0.63 correlation and a large (482 mm) bias, due to sampling and the incongruity of rain gages and satellite estimates. A comparison between the IR and microwave data showed that the IR tended toward higher percentages along the coast compared to the microwave.

  1. U.S. Immigration Policy Regimes and Physical Disability Trajectories Among Mexico-U.S. Immigrants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, Collin W; Bartlett, Bryce J

    2017-03-21

    Although immigration policies have shifted dramatically over the course of U.S. history, few have examined their role as a source of health heterogeneity among immigrants. We address this gap by evaluating whether exposure to U.S. Immigration Policy Regimes (IPRs) corresponds with later-life disability disparities among Mexico-U.S. migrant women and men, and assess the degree to which observed differences may also be associated with immigration policies and occupational composition. We analyze 8 waves of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (3,044 individuals and 14,474 observations from 1993/1994-2013). Using hierarchical linear models, we estimate trajectories of physical disability associated with gender, occupation, and IPR. We find differences in disability trajectories by IPR. Associations are not different between men and women, and are not mediated by occupational composition. We also observe an additive effect for certain occupations among women, but not among men. Findings demonstrate that exposure to different IPRs is associated with disparate disability trajectories among Mexico-U.S. migrants. Future research is needed to contextualize the role of IPRs amid other mechanisms of gendered racialization that powerfully contribute to cumulative health differences across the life course. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Quality of diabetes care: a cross-sectional study of adults of Hispanic origin across and along the United States-Mexico border Calidad de la atención de la diabetes: un estudio transversal de adultos hispanos residentes en ambos lados de la zona fronteriza entre México y los Estados Unidos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beatriz A. Díaz-Apodaca

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess and monitor the quality of care provided to Hispanics diagnosed with diabetes living in the border region between the United States of America and Mexico. METHODS: From April 2001 to November 2002, Phase I of the U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project, a prevalence study of type 2 diabetes and its risk factors, was conducted along the U.S.-Mexico border using two-stage cluster sampling of towns and households within towns. A questionnaire was administered on diabetes (self-reported and lifestyle and a physical examination and blood sample were obtained. Of the 4 027 study participants, 521 (13.0% reported receiving a pre-study diagnosis of diabetes. Of those, 466 were of Hispanic origin (226 on the Mexican side of the border and 240 on the U.S. side. RESULTS: Results indicated 42.1% of Hispanics on the U.S. side of the border (95% confidence interval [CI] 35.8%-48.6% and 37.6% of Hispanics on the Mexican side (95% CI 31.3%-44.3% had controlled diabetes (defined as glycosylated hemoglobin A1c OBJETIVO: Evaluar y vigilar la calidad de la atención prestada a los hispanos diagnosticados de diabetes residentes en la zona fronteriza entre los Estados Unidos y México. MÉTODOS: De abril del 2001 a noviembre del 2002, se llevó a cabo la primera fase del Proyecto de Prevención y Control de la Diabetes en la Frontera México-Estados Unidos, un estudio sobre la prevalencia de la diabetes tipo 2 y sus factores de riesgo; el proyecto se realizó a lo largo de la zona fronteriza entre los Estados Unidos y México, mediante muestreo por conglomerados, en dos etapas, de poblaciones y hogares de esas poblaciones. Mediante un cuestionario (se recogió la información facilitada por los entrevistados sobre la diabetes y su modo de vida; también se realizó una exploración física y se obtuvo una muestra de sangre. De los 4 027 participantes, 521 (13,0% informaron que previamente al estudio ya se les hab

  3. Overvoltages transferred from a network of 220 kV to 15.65 kV level of the step-up transformer in HPP 'Bajina Bašta'

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vukelja Petar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the results of research in lightning surge waves and switching overvoltages transferred from a network of 220 kV to the 15.65 kV level of the step-up transformer in HPP 'Bajina Bašta'. Analysis of survey results lead to conclusion that transferred overvoltages can endanger 15.65 kV transformer windings and stator winding insulation. It was therefore suggested for the protection of the 15.65 kV isolation to install metal oxide surge arresters at a suitable place between the power generator bus bars and earthing.

  4. 75 FR 36663 - Notice of Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of Customs and Border...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-28

    ... may close early if all business is finished. Members of the public may register online to attend this... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection [Docket No. USCBP-2010-0021... (COAC) AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). ACTION: Notice...

  5. Measurement of borders in power transmission lines; Medicao de fronteira em linhas de transmissao

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doria, Celso [Bandeirante Energia S.A., Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2001-07-01

    The creation of Bandeirantes Energia S/A, which is a energy distributor company and at the same time one of the four originated companies from the division of ELETROPAULO Eletricidade S/A, generated the need of consumed energy measurements. Different from a previous situation, which had been accomplished in the 230, 345 and 440 Kv transformer stations. With the aggravating of having been created two distribution companies by this division, which later possessed transmission lines in common finishing a border scenery of 88/138 kv in connection with CTEEP, EPTE, Furnas in station terminals and ELETROPAULO Metropolitana in transmission lines. In order to measure the consumed energy it has been necessary to install meters in all energy entrance subsystems, but there were certain cases for which part of the energy had been absorbed by other distribution company, some times before the connection with Bandeirantes some times after this connection to have been done. For these cases, it has been necessary to install meters at de middle of the line, it means installed meters at the border between the two companies. In February of 1999, they were initiate the studies of viability for these measurements implantation in all of the interface points among Bandeirantes and the other concessionaires, based on the premise that from 01/01/2000 on all the consumed energy by the company should be measured. In the end of May of 1999, with the design final definitions the studies were finished, after that, it has been started the equipment purchases and the actions to hire companies to execute these activities. Finally, in the last week of August of 1999 the construction activities were initiated and the circuits were energized in December of that year.

  6. KV7 potassium channels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stott, Jennifer B; Jepps, Thomas Andrew; Greenwood, Iain A

    2014-01-01

    Potassium channels are key regulators of smooth muscle tone, with increases in activity resulting in hyperpolarisation of the cell membrane, which acts to oppose vasoconstriction. Several potassium channels exist within smooth muscle, but the KV7 family of voltage-gated potassium channels have been...

  7. Sierra Madre Oriental in Coahuila, Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2002-01-01

    This desolate landscape is part of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, on the border between the Coahuila and Nuevo Leon provinces of Mexico. This image was acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on November 28, 1999. This is a false-color composite image made using shortwave infrared, infrared, and green wavelengths. The image has also been sharpened using the sensor's panchromatic band. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch

  8. Blood pressure control, hypertension, awareness, and treatment in adults with diabetes in the United States-Mexico border region Control de la presión arterial, hipertensión, concientización y tratamiento en adultos con diabetes de la zona fronteriza entre México y los Estados Unidos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maya Vijayaraghavan

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVE: To determine prevalence of blood pressure control, hypertension, hypertension awareness, and antihypertensive treatment among adults (> 18 years old with diabetes living in the border region between the United States of America and Mexico, and to explore variation in those variables between all adults on the Mexican side of the border ("Mexicans" and three groups on the U.S. side of the border ("all U.S. adults," "U.S.-born Hispanics," and "Mexican immigrants". METHODS: Using data from Phase I (February 2001-October 2002 of the U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project, a prevalence study of type 2 diabetes and its risk factors, age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension-related variables was calculated for the sample (n = 682 and differences between the border groups were examined through logistic regression. RESULTS: Less than one-third of the sample had controlled blood pressure (140/90 mm Hg, and hypertension awareness and treatment were inadequate. After adjusting for demographics, body mass index, and access to health care, there were no differences in blood pressure control, hypertension, hypertension awareness, or treatment between Mexicans and both U.S. adults and Mexican immigrants. However, compared to Mexicans and Mexican immigrants, U.S.-born Hispanics, particularly younger individuals, had the lowest rates of blood pressure control (17.3% and the highest rates of coexisting hypertension (54.8%. Compared to Mexicans, U.S.-born Hispanics had lower odds of controlled blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09-0.95 and greater odds of hypertension (OR 3.75, 95% CI 1.51-9.29 and hypertension awareness (OR 6.19, 95% CI 1.46-26.15. CONCLUSION: Co-occurrence of diabetes and hypertension is a major public health problem among U.S.-Mexico border residents. The low rate of blood pressure control among various border groups, especially younger U.S.-born Hispanics, suggests that initiatives

  9. Suicide Notes in Mexico: What Do They Tell Us?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chavez-Hernandez, Ana-Maria; Paramo, Daniel; Leenaars, Antoon A.; Leenaars, Lindsey

    2006-01-01

    According to international and Mexican official statistics, there is a dramatic rise in suicide in Mexico; however, research in this area is severely limited. This is the first study of suicide notes from Mexico in the international literature. From a population of 747 registered suicides, a sample of 106 note-writers and 106 nonnote writers was…

  10. Regulation of KV channel voltage-dependent activation by transmembrane β subunits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaohui eSun

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Voltage-activated K+ (KV channels are important for shaping action potentials and maintaining resting membrane potential in excitable cells. KV channels contain a central pore-gate domain (PGD surrounded by four voltage-sensing domains (VSD. The VSDs will change conformation in response to alterations of the membrane potential thereby inducing the opening of the PGD. Many KV channels are heteromeric protein complexes containing auxiliary β subunits. These β subunits modulate channel expression and activity to increase functional diversity and render tissue specific phenotypes. This review focuses on the KV β subunits that contain transmembrane (TM segments including the KCNE family and the β subunits of large conductance, Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ (BK channels. These TM β subunits affect the voltage-dependent activation of KV α subunits. Experimental and computational studies have described the structural location of these β subunits in the channel complexes and the biophysical effects on VSD activation, PGD opening and VSD-PGD coupling. These results reveal some common characteristics and mechanistic insights into KV channel modulation by TM β subunits.

  11. Molecular and functional characterization of Kv7 K+ channel in murine gastrointestinal smooth muscles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jepps, Thomas Andrew; Greenwood, Iain A; Moffatt, James D

    2009-01-01

    that K(v)7.x especially K(v)7.4 and K(v)7.5 are expressed in different regions of the murine gastrointestinal tract and blockers of K(v)7 channels augment inherent contractile activity. Drugs that selectively block K(v)7.4/7.5 might be promising therapeutics for the treatment of motility disorders...

  12. Migrants in Transit: The Importance of Monitoring HIV Risk Among Migrant Flows at the Mexico–US Border

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez-Donate, Ana P.; Hovell, Melbourne F.; Rangel, Maria Gudelia; Zhang, Xiao; Sipan, Carol L.; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Gonzalez-Fagoaga, J. Eduardo

    2015-01-01

    We conducted a probability-based survey of migrant flows traveling across the Mexico–US border, and we estimated HIV infection rates, risk behaviors, and contextual factors for migrants representing 5 distinct migration phases. Our results suggest that the influence of migration is not uniform across genders or risk factors. By considering the predeparture, transit, and interception phases of the migration process, our findings complement previous studies on HIV among Mexican migrants conducted at the destination and return phases. Monitoring HIV risk among this vulnerable transnational population is critical for better understanding patterns of risk at different points of the migration process and for informing the development of protection policies and programs. PMID:25602882

  13. The importance of immunohistochemical analyses in evaluating the phenotype of Kv channel knockout mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menegola, Milena; Clark, Eliana; Trimmer, James S

    2012-06-01

    To gain insights into the phenotype of voltage-gated potassium (Kv)1.1 and Kv4.2 knockout mice, we used immunohistochemistry to analyze the expression of component principal or α subunits and auxiliary subunits of neuronal Kv channels in knockout mouse brains. Genetic ablation of the Kv1.1 α subunit did not result in compensatory changes in the expression levels or subcellular distribution of related ion channel subunits in hippocampal medial perforant path and mossy fiber nerve terminals, where high levels of Kv1.1 are normally expressed. Genetic ablation of the Kv4.2 α subunit did not result in altered neuronal cytoarchitecture of the hippocampus. Although Kv4.2 knockout mice did not exhibit compensatory changes in the expression levels or subcellular distribution of the related Kv4.3 α subunit, we found dramatic decreases in the cellular and subcellular expression of specific Kv channel interacting proteins (KChIPs) that reflected their degree of association and colocalization with Kv4.2 in wild-type mouse and rat brains. These studies highlight the insights that can be gained by performing detailed immunohistochemical analyses of Kv channel knockout mouse brains. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International League Against Epilepsy.

  14. Analysis of the 35 KV substation secondary system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yong; Jiang, Jianguo; Jiang, Chunlei; Ren, Shuang; Liu, Songbin

    2017-04-01

    This paper analyzes the status of the two system of some 35KV users' substation in Daqing oil field, the deficiencies of the two system of the existing 35KV substation are found out. And put forward the opinion of acceptance in the future work. I hope it can able to work in the future on the protection of professional help.

  15. The health consequences of maquiladora work: women on the US-Mexican border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guendelman, S; Silberg, M J

    1993-01-01

    As more US companies take jobs to Mexico, complaints are growing that the assembly plants (maquiladoras) exert adverse effects on workers' health. This study assessed the health of female electronic and garment maquiladora workers, comparing them with women employed in services and non-wage earners. A survey was administered to 480 women living in Tijuana in 1990. The sample was stratified by occupation and length of employment. Functional impediments, nervousness, depression, and sense of control were used as outcome variables, controlling for other confounders. Despite working longer hours, receiving lower wages, and having less decision latitude and education, maquiladora workers were not worse off than service workers. Maquiladora workers reported similar incidences of depression and lack of control over life. Electronics workers, especially, had lower incidences of nervousness and functional impediments, after controlling for other confounders. Also, maquiladora work did not add an extra health burden compared with non-wage earners. The adverse effects of maquiladoras previously reported may have been exaggerated. Subjective factors, including negative attitudes toward economic adversity and work dissatisfaction, were stronger predictors of health than were objective indicators.

  16. High power thyristors with 5 kV blocking voltage. Volume 1: Development of high-voltage-thyristors (4.5 kV) with good dynamic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lock, K.; Patalong, H.; Platzoeder, K.

    1979-01-01

    Using neutron irradiated silicon with considerably lower spread in resistivity as compared to conventionally doped silicon it was possible to produce power thyristors with breakdown voltages between 3.5 kV and 5.5 kV. The thyristor pellets have a diameter of 50 mm. Maximum average on-state currents of 600 to 800 A can be reached with these elements. The dynamic properties of the thryistors could be improved to allow standard applications up to maximum repetitive voltages of 4.5 kV.

  17. Improvement the Capacity of Cockcroft-Walton High Voltage Source from 300 kV/20 mA to 500 kV/20 mA for Accelerating Voltage of Electron Beam Machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suprapto; Djasiman

    2002-01-01

    The improvement capacity of Cockcroft-Walton high voltage source from 300 kV/20 mA to 500 kV/mA has been carrying out. To improve the capacity of high voltage source was done by means of increasing the stage number of voltage multiplier from 11 to 18 and its output voltage measuring resistance. Each stage of voltage multiplier consists of 2 capacitors and 2 circuits of high voltage diode. This voltage multiplier is constructed using main components of high voltage capacitor and high voltage diode each of 0.22 μF/50 kV and UF 5408 respectively. To avoid stray discharge and corona it was provided with high voltage electrode and corona ring. The test result indicated that the output voltage obtained from 16 stages was 350 kV according to operating condition of 25 MΩ resistive load and first stage voltage of 28.5 kV with oscillator frequency of 24 Hz. That condition requires anode voltage and current of 5.5 kV and 2.5 A respectively. The no load test for 16 stages indicates 400 kV of output voltage and 28.5 kV first stage voltage. Efficiency of high voltage source was 48 % at 6.75 kW of output power. The expected test of 500 kV with 18 stages of voltage multiplier can not be carried out because of some restrictive of loading system. From the test result can be predicted that the output voltage of 500 kV with 18 stages of voltage multiplier requires 31.2 kV of first stage voltage. Then the expected high voltage source of Cockcroft-Walton is capable as accelerating voltage source for Electron Beam Machine with energy of 500 kV. (author)

  18. Problems Faced by Mexican Asylum Seekers in the United States

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Anna Cabot

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Violence in Mexico rose sharply in response to President Felipe Calderón’s military campaign against drug cartels which began in late 2006. As a consequence, the number of Mexicans who have sought asylum in the United States has grown significantly. In 2013, Mexicans made up the second largest group of defensive asylum seekers (those in removal proceedings in the United States, behind only China (EOIR 2014b. Yet between 2008 and 2013, the grant rate for Mexican asylum seekers in immigration court fell from 23 percent to nine percent (EOIR 2013, 2014b. This paper examines—from the perspective of an attorney who represented Mexican asylum seekers on the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas—the reasons for low asylum approval rates for Mexicans despite high levels of violence in and flight from Mexico from 2008 to 2013. It details the obstacles faced by Mexican asylum seekers along the US-Mexico border, including placement in removal proceedings, detention, evidentiary issues, narrow legal standards, and (effectively judicial notice of country conditions in Mexico. The paper recommends that asylum seekers at the border be placed in affirmative proceedings (before immigration officials, making them eligible for bond. It also proposes increased oversight of immigration judges.

  19. Illela border market: origin and contributions to trans-border ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Illela border market: origin and contributions to trans-border relations between Nigeria and Niger republic. ... cordial relations between her and her immediate neighbours and thus stem the scourge of smuggling and other trans-border crimes which have negatively affected the Nigerian economy and her international image.

  20. Separation of sup(115m)In from mother 115Cd

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kersulis, V.J.

    1979-01-01

    The methods of the accelerated isolation of the metallic sup(115m)In from the mother solution of 115 Cd were worked out. The sample was dissolved in the concentrated HCl with the presence of H 2 O 2 . After the injection of 5 mg (recalculated for the metallic In) of the carrier, the solution was evaporated dry, the remainder was dissolved in 2n HCl. The obtained solution was lead through an ion-exchange column (9 mm in diameter and with the 250 mm height of the layer with the anionite Dowex 2x8 (50-100 mesh). The sup(115m)In was eluated by 0.15n HCl, and 115 Cd - by 1.5n HCl. Radiochemical purity of the sup(115m)In was not less than 99.99%. The isolation of the sup(115m)In from the eluent (alkalined up to ph=2.3) was carried out electrochemically during approximately 1 hour on the platinum cathode at high (400 mA/cm 2 ) cathode density of current