Mexico\u27s Quest in the North American Markets

Since the 1980s Mexico has implemented various economic policies that have improved its financial system at times. All the policies have ultimately failed. Since the 1990s both Mexico and China have made progress in foreign trade with their respective trade organizations. Mexico entered the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 and China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. In spite of being a part of two different trade organizations, both countries had a significant increase on their GDP and consequently a change of focus and direction towards their internal investments to enhance their production of exports. Unfortunately, these two counties have recently experienced frequent overlapping of their exports; which has increased the competition between the two countries. This thesis examines the possibilities and procedures that Mexico, along with its NAFTA partners, must follow in order to evade the economic harm generated by the rise of the Chinese economy

Sobremesa: The Time Spent Savoring Food and Friendship

Sobremesa is the culmination of five different ceramic sets handcrafted and uniquely made as a way to enhance the experience of eating and sharing food. This work honors the Latino and Hispanic tradition of Sobremesa, which is the time we spend sharing special moments with friends and family after eating. I explore the relevance of sharing meals as a member of a Venezuelan family and how these memories of my childhood before moving away to another country relates to the way in which I approach the creation of my functional vessel’s aesthetic and conceptual background. The pieces that make up the sets in Sobremesa are all hand-built ceramic functional vessels that are coil and slab built with red clay, and bisque and glaze fired to cone 04. The Sushi Set and Coffee Set can be partially hung, and the Cocoa Set, Sake Set, and Charcuterie Board are free-standing. Sobremesa expands on the importance of historical ceramics in our world, such as the Teotihuacan, Mayan, and Mimbres pottery, which have influenced the visual elements of my artwork and thoughts on what I want my pottery to express. Contemporary art and cultural references are used to explain the meaning behind color, presentation, and shapes found in Sobremesa

Arabidopsis thaliana: A model host plant to study plant-pathogen interaction using Chilean field isolates of Botrytis cinerea

http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0716-97602006000200004&lng=es&nrm=isoOne of the fungal pathogens that causes more agriculture damage is Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis is a constant threat to crops because the fungus infects a wide range of host species, both native and cultivated. Furthermore, Botrytis persists on plant debris in and on the soil. Some of the most serious diseases caused by Botrytis include gray mold on vegetables and fruits, such as grapes and strawberries. Botrytis also causes secondary soft rot of fruits and vegetables during storage, transit and at the market. In many plant-pathogen interactions, resistance often is associated with the deposition of callose, accumulation of autofluorescent compounds, the synthesis and accumulation of salicylic acid as well as pathogenesis-related proteins. Arabidopsis thaliana has been used as a plant model to study plant-pathogen interaction. The genome of Arabidopsis has been completely sequenced and this plant serves as a good genetic and molecular model. In this study, we demonstrate that Chilean field isolates infect Arabidopsis thaliana and that Arabidopsis subsequently activates several defense response mechanisms associated with a hypersensitive response. Furthermore, we propose that Arabidopsis may be used as a model host species to analyze the diversity associated with infectivity among populations of Botrytis cinerea field isolates

Attacks intended to seriously harm and co-occurring drug use among youth in the United States

BACKGROUND: While it is known that substance use and violence co-occur, less is understood in terms of how this relationship might vary based on the degree of youth involvement in violence. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to examine the prevalence and degree that substance use disorders (SUD) and related intrapersonal and contextual factors were associated with violent attacks. METHOD: Repeated cross-sectional data from a population-based study (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) of youth ages 12–17 (n = 216,852) in the United States between 2002 and 2013 were pooled to increase the analytic sample size. Survey multinomial regression was used to examine psychosocial and substance use differences between youth reporting episodic (1–2 times, n = 13,091; 5.84%) and repeated violent attacks (3+ times, n = 1,819; 0.83%) in contrast with youth reporting no attacks. Additional analyses examined the association of sociodemographic, intrapersonal, and contextual factors with SUD among youth reporting violent attacks. RESULTS: The prevalence of SUD among youth with no attacks was 6% compared to 22% among episodic and 36% among repeatedly violent youth. Violence-involved youth were substantially more likely to experience elevated sensation-seeking, easy drug access, and recent drug offers and less likely to benefit from religiosity and protective substance use beliefs. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: Findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between the various gradations of violence among youth in understanding the relationship between substance use and violence, and shed light on the intrapersonal and contextual factors that can help identify violent youth at greatest risk for substance use problems

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol and tobacco use among pregnant women in the United States: evidence from the NSDUH 2005–2014

Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy are among the strongest and most preventable risk factors for adverse neonatal health outcomes, but few developmentally sensitive, population-based studies of this phenomenon have been conducted. To address this gap, the present study examined the prevalence and correlates of alcohol and tobacco use among pregnant adolescents (aged 12–17) and adults (aged 18–44) in the United States. Data were derived from the population-based National Survey of Drug Use and Health (80,498 adolescent and 152,043 adult women) between 2005 and 2014. Findings show disconcerting levels of past-month use among pregnant women with 11.5% of adolescent and 8.7% of adult women using alcohol, and 23.0% of adolescent and 14.9% of adult women using tobacco. Compared to their non-pregnant counterparts, pregnant adolescents were less likely to report past 30-day alcohol use (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.36–0.76), but more likely to report past 30-day tobacco use (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.53–3.18). Compared to their non-pregnant adult counterparts, pregnant adults were less likely to report using alcohol (AOR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.05–0.07) and tobacco (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.43–0.52). Compared to pregnant abstainers, pregnant women reporting alcohol/tobacco use were more likely to have had a major depressive episode in the past 12 months, report criminal justice system involvement, and endorse comorbid alcohol/tobacco use. Given alcohol and tobacco's deleterious consequences during pregnancy, increased attention to reducing use is critical. Findings suggest that tobacco use is especially problematic for both adolescents and adults and is strongly linked with depression and criminal justice involvement, especially among adults

Age-related changes in the relationship between alcohol use and violence from early adolescence to young adulthood

BACKGROUND: Despite the accumulation of studies examining the link between alcohol use and violence, no studies to our knowledge have systematically set out to detect age-related differences in these relationships. This limitation inhibits important insights into the stability of the relationship between alcohol use and violence among youth across varying ages. METHOD: Study findings are based on repeated, cross-sectional data collected annually as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2013. We combined a series of nationally representative cross-sections to provide a multi-year string of data that, in effect, reflects a nationally representative non-traditional cohort. We conducted logistic regression analyses to examine the cross-sectional association between non-binge and binge drinking and violent attacks among youth between ages 12 (2002) and 24/25 (2013). RESULTS: With respect to the association between non-binge alcohol use and violence, the only significant relationship identified—while controlling for sociodemographic and drug use factors—was for youth at age 13 (2003; OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.04–3.72). For binge drinking, we identified a distinct pattern of results. Controlling for sociodemographic, drug use factors, and school enrollment, binge drinking was significantly associated with violence between ages 13 (2003) and 20 (2010) with the largest odds ratios observed during the early adolescent period. CONCLUSIONS: Non-binge drinking is associated with violent behavior at age 13. Binge drinking was found to be associated with violence among youth through age 20; however, the relationship dissipates when youth arrive at the legal drinking age of 21

Changing perspectives on marijuana use during early adolescence and young adulthood: Evidence from a panel of cross-sectional surveys

Introduction. Prior research has often overlooked potential cohort differences in marijuana views and use across adolescence and young adulthood. To begin to address this gap, we conduct an exploratory examination of marijuana views and use among American youth using a panel of cross-sectional surveys. Method. Findings are based on repeated, cross-sectional data collected annually from adolescents (ages 12-17; n = 230,452) and young adults (ages 18-21; n = 120,588) surveyed as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2002 and 2014. For each of the birth years between 1986 and 1996, we combined a series of nationally representative cross-sections to provide multi-year data strings designed to approximate nationally representative cohorts. Results. Compared to youth born in the mid-to-late 1980s, youth born in the mid-1990s reported significantly higher levels of marijuana disapproval during the early adolescent years (Age 14: 1988 = 64.7%, 1994 = 70.4%) but lower levels of disapproval during the young adult years (Age 19: 1988 = 32.0%, 1994 = 25.0%; Age 20: 1988 = 27.9%, 1994 = 19.7%). Moreover, the prevalence of marijuana use among youth born in 1994 was significantly lower—compared to youth born in 1988—at age 14 (1988: 11.39%, 1994: 8.19%) and significantly higher at age 18 (1988: 29.67%, 1994: 34.83%). This pattern held even when adjusting for potential confounding by demographic changes in the population across the study period. Conclusions. We see evidence of changes in the perceptions of marijuana use among youth born during the late twentieth century.2018-01-0

Estudios morfo-anatómicos de domacios foliares en Rubiáceas argentinas

Este trabajo estudia los domacios foliares en Rubiáceas argentinas, los cuales son estructuras morfogenéticas frecuentes en el envés de las hojas de plantas leñosas, que permiten establecer relaciones mutualistas con ácaros u hormigas. Se clasifican en tipos relativamente bien conservados comunes a numerosas familias: mechones de pelos, bolsillos, cavidades y criptas. Alrededor de 290 familias de “dicotiledóneas” tienen domacios, siendo Rubiaceae la mejor representada con todos los tipos conocidos y transicionales. La clasificación intrafamiliar según datos moleculares, divide a Rubiaceae en tres subfamilias: Rubioideae, Ixorideae y Cinchonoideae. En Argentina viven 41 géneros y 132 especies de Rubiáceas, de las cuales 34 son leñosas (27%). Como resultado se encontraron tres tipos de domacios: mechón de pelos, bolsillos y en cripta en 14 especies de Rubiáceas. Se menciona por primera vez domacios en una enredadera sufrútice de la familia, en el género Manettia. Los resultados obtenidos fueron contrastados con estudios moleculares recientes, lo que permitió confirmar la condición plesiomórfica de los mismos, ya que los diferentes tipos son comunes a las tres subfamilias y a casi todas las tribus de la familia. Basado en el presente muestreo, las tribus Anthospermeae, Rubieae, Paederieae y Pavetteae carecen completamente de domacios.: Morpho-anatomic studies of leaf domatia in Argentinian Rubiaceae. This paper deals with the study of leaf domatia in Argentine Rubiaceae, which are common morphogenetic structures on the underside of the leaves of woody plants, which can establish mutual relations with mites or ants. Tufts of hair, pockets, cavities and crypts: many families are classified into types common relatively well preserved. Around 290 families of “dicots” have domatia, Rubiaceae being the best represented with all known and transitional types. Domestic classification by molecular data, Rubiaceae divided into three subfamilies: Rubioideae, Ixorideae and Cinchonoideae. In Argentina inhabit 41 genera and 132 species of Rubiaceae, of which 34 are woody (27%). As result, tree domatia types were found: tuft of hair, pockets and crypt, present in 14 species of Rubiaceace. It is mentioned for the first time a domatia in a vine species of Manettia. The results were compared with recent molecular studies; this confirmed the plesiomorphic condition thereof, since different types are common to the three subfamilies almost all the tribes of the family. Based on this sampling, the following tribes completely lack domatia: Anthospermeae, Rubieae, Paederieae and Pavetteae.Fil: Romero, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); ArgentinaFil: Salas, Roberto Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste (i); Argentin