An Overview of Mexico’s Citrus Industry

This report looks at Mexico’s citrus industry and its relationship to the United States. Information on Mexico’s citrus production, utilization and trade are discussed.Mexico, citrus industry, International Relations/Trade,

Self-organization and social science

Abstract Complexity science and its methodological applications have increased in popularity in social science during the last two decades. One key concept within complexity science is that of self-organization. Self-organization is used to refer to the emergence of stable patterns through autonomous and self-reinforcing dynamics at the micro-level. In spite of its potential relevance for the study of social dynamics, the articulation and use of the concept of self-organization has been kept within the boundaries of complexity science and links to and from mainstream social science are scarce. These links can be difficult to establish, even for researchers working in social complexity with a background in social science, because of the theoretical and conceptual diversity and fragmentation in traditional social science. This article is meant to serve as a first step in the process of overcoming this lack of cross-fertilization between complexity and mainstream social science. A systematic review of the concept of self-organization and a critical discussion of similar notions in mainstream social science is presented, in an effort to help practitioners within subareas of complexity science to identify literature from traditional social science that could potentially inform their research

Sociology and Non-Equilibrium Social Science

This chapter addresses the relationship between sociology and Non-Equilibrium Social Science (NESS). Sociology is a multiparadigmatic discipline with significant disagreement regarding its goals and status as a scientific discipline. Different theories and methods coexist temporally and geographically. However, it has always aimed at identifying the main factors that explain the temporal stability of norms, institutions and individuals’ practices; and the dynamics of institutional change and the conflicts brought about by power relations, economic and cultural inequality and class struggle. Sociologists considered equilibrium could not sufficiently explain the constitutive, maintaining and dissolving dynamics of society as a whole. As a move from the formal apparatus for the study of equilibrium, NESS does not imply a major shift from traditional sociological theory. Complex features have long been articulated in sociological theorization, and sociology embraces the complexity principles of NESS through its growing attention to complex adaptive systems and non-equilibrium sciences, with human societies seen as highly complex, path-dependent, far-from equilibrium, and self-organising systems. In particular, Agent-Based Modelling provides a more coherent inclusion of NESS and complexity principles into sociology. Agent-based sociology uses data and statistics to gauge the ‘generative sufficiency’ of a given microspecification by testing the agreement between ‘real-world’ and computer generated macrostructures. When the model cannot generate the outcome to be explained, the microspecification is not a viable candidate explanation. The separation between the explanatory and pragmatic aspects of social science has led sociologists to be highly critical about the implementation of social science in policy. However, ABM allows systematic exploration of the consequences of modelling assumptions and makes it possible to model much more complex phenomena than previously. ABM has proved particularly useful in representing socio-technical and socio-ecological systems, with the potential to be of use in policy. ABM offers formalized knowledge that can appear familiar to policymakers versed in the methods and language of economics, with the prospect of sociology becoming more influential in policy

Concepto de calidad de vida en mujeres con cáncer

Objetivo Analizar el concepto de calidad de vida en mujeres con cáncer  y evaluar la estructura del concepto según grupos de edad. Material y métodos Se efectuó esta pregunta abierta a 114 mujeres con cáncer de seno: ¿En su opinión, qué es calidad de vida? Se realizó análisis lexicográfico de las respuestas mediante métodos factoriales para variables categóricas. Resultados Las formas gráficas y los segmentos repetidos más frecuentes se relacionaron con conceptos asociados a bienestar y salud. El análisis de formas características corrobora la importancia de conceptos relacionados con salud, bienestar y tranquilidad. Según los grupos de edad hay conceptos predominantes: En el de mujeres más jóvenes destaca la preocupación por el derecho de tener buen tratamiento. En el de 41-50 años el poder manejar su enfermedad y ver respuesta al tratamiento. En el de 51-60 años es importante la capacidad funcional y de disfrute, a pesar de padecer enfermedad. En el de mayores de 60 años resalta el bienestar espiritual. Se detectaron tres dimensiones: Salud como capacidad de disfrutar funciones nutricias y afectivas, capacidad de autonomía o de sana dependencia, y armonía familiar y social. Los grupos de edad se representan de manera diferencial en cada una de estas tres dimensiones. Conclusiones La espiritualidad y la disponibilidad de sistemas de salud que garanticen el tratamiento surgen como dominios importantes en pacientes con cáncer. La calidad de vida es un concepto que se modifica dependiendo de la edad de los pacientes, lo cual apoya la concepción subjetiva del constructo

Uso del tapabocas: historia y consecuencias en tiempos de pandemia

A lo largo de la historia, el uso del tapabocas -también conocido como cubrebocas, barbijo, o protector naso bucal- ha sido de gran importancia en el mundo durante diferentes eventos; como pandemias, epidemias y endemias, así como en la implementación en salud pública por parte de personal médico. Algunos registros dan cuenta de su implementación por parte de civilizaciones antiguas, las cuales lo utilizaban en eventos festivos, religiosos, artísticos y sociales, así como en acciones preventivas y terapéuticas. En relación a estas últimas, la máscara usada debe ser de tipo autofiltrante y debe cubrir parcialmente el rostro. Este tipo de cubrebocas es usado principalmente por personal sanitario con el fin de contener bacterias y virus provenientes de la nariz y boca (1,2).&nbsp

Computational and transcriptional evidence for microRNAs in the honey bee genome

A total of 68 non-redundant candidate honey bee miRNAs were identified computationally; several of them appear to have previously unrecognized orthologs in the Drosophila genome. Several miRNAs showed caste- or age-related differences in transcript abundance and are likely to be involved in regulating honey bee development

Non-Equilibrium Social Science and Policy

Between 2011 and 2014 the European Non-Equilibrium Social Science Project (NESS) investigated the place of equilibrium in the social sciences and policy. Orthodox economics is based on an equilibrium view of how the economy functions and does not offer a complete description of how the world operates. However, mainstream economics is not an empty box. Its fundamental insight, that people respond to incentives, may be the only universal law of behaviour in the social sciences. Only economics has used equilibrium as a primary driver of system behaviour, but economics has become much more empirical at the microlevel over the past two decades. This is due to two factors: advances in statistical theory enabling better estimates of policy consequences at the microlevel, and the rise of behavioural economics which looks at how people, firms and governments really do behave in practice. In this context, this chapter briefly reviews the contributions of this book across the social sciences and ends with a discussion of the research themes that act as a roadmap for further research. These include: realistic models of agent behaviour; multilevel systems; policy informatics; narratives and decision making under uncertainty; and validation of agent-based complex systems models

Long-Term Follow Up of Secundum Atrial Septal Defect Closure with the Amplatzer Septal Occluder

During the past 15 years, closure of a secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) has moved from a surgical to a percutaneous transcatheter approach. Few long-term studies of the efficacy and safety of closure of an ASD by an Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) exist.To examine the long-term results of secundum ASD closure using the ASO, data on 94 patients who underwent secundum ASD closure with the ASO between 1998 and 2002 were available and reviewed. Data regarding residual shunt, chest pain, palpitations, arrhythmias, headaches, transient ischemic attacks, cerebrovascular accidents, and mortality were collected.Seven (7.4%) subjects had residual shunts immediately following ASO placement. During follow-up, 4 residual shunts closed for a complete closure rate of 97%. Eighteen (19%) patients reported chest pain during the follow-up period. Twenty-three patients (24%) reported palpitations during the follow up period, 7 were documented arrhythmias, including supraventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, and premature ventricular beats. Migraine headaches were new-onset in 4 patients. Migraine cessation occurred in 2 patients after secundum ASD closure. One child died from a cerebral vascular event 18 months following device placement. Only 1 patient developed mild aortic insufficiency.These data indicate that for up to 120 months of patient follow-up, the ASO continues to be a safe device. Residual shunts and arrhythmias have low incidence post-ASO placement. Given the mortality in one high-risk patient, further investigation into anti-platelet therapy after device placement is warranted.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78631/1/j.1747-0803.2009.00358.x.pd