Mexican Case Research Articles

Bodies of Absence: Analysis of the Representation of Family Grief in the Face of the Abduction of Daughters in Ruido (Natalia Beristáin, 2022) and Pororoca (Constantin Popescu, 2017)

The purpose of this article is to analyze the way in which the struggle and suffering on the part of the family in the face of a daughter’s abduction is represented in two films, the Mexican film Ruido (Natalia Beristáin, 2022) and the Romanian film Pororoca (Constantin Popescu, 2017). The insecurity situation in México and Romania is so different to the point of establishing two models. The records of assassinations of police officers, political candidates, journalists and the forced disappearance of young people in México surpass those of any other country. Firstly, in the Mexican model, the analysis takes as an archetypal model the figure of Demeter, a Greek divinity (goddess of agriculture), whose daughter, Persephone, was abducted for sexual purposes by Hades, god of the underworld. The unexpected absence of the daughter, the desperate search, as well as the lack of clues and traces, plunge the mother into a spiral of pain that leads her to an anguished search. On the other hand, in the Romanian model, the loneliness of the searching father, solitary and without collective support, stands out. The analysis proposes, in the Mexican case, the category “strident sequence”, whose function is to regulate the narrative flow and the subjective construction of the character in the face of the irreparable pain of loss.

An on-road experimental emissions evaluation of a diesel engine fueled with pyrolysis oil from waste plastics, pure and blended with biodiesel-A Mexican case

Pyrolysis of plastic waste generates alternative fuels that are useful for thermal devices. However, it is the subsequent fractionation process that truly distinguishes itself, refining these fuels to a quality comparable to petroleum derivatives such as diesel and gasoline, thereby making them suitable for direct use in internal combustion engines. This study evaluated the effect on emissions of an internal combustion engine fueled with waste plastic oil diesel-like fuel and its blend with biodiesel. The tests were conducted on-road using a typical light-duty diesel vehicle for passenger or courier transportation. Three tests were carried out, the first one with petroleum diesel (D100) as the reference fuel, the second one with waste plastic oil diesel-like fuel (WPO-DL), and the last with a blend of 80% WPO-DL and 20% biodiesel obtained from waste cooking oil (WPO-DL80WCO20). The main findings were a reduction in the generation of NOx when using WPO-DL. However, using WPO-DL increased the production of CO and HC, attributed to the presence of more heavy hydrocarbons compared to that of D100. Additionally, for the WPO-DL80WCO20 blend under acceleration conditions HC decreased under all acceleration conditions. These findings demonstrate that the distilled fuel obtained from the pyrolytic oil product of non-recyclable plastic waste by conventional methods would contribute to the global energy transition and reduce the presence of tons of non-recyclable plastic waste by traditional methods.

Mujeres y narcotráfico: caso de México

The contribution that the reader has in his hands revolves around the role of women in drug trafficking through research focused on the Mexican case, which aims to show the variations in the participation of women in drug trafficking, both in terms of quantity and activities over the last 20 years or so. It also attempts to detail some of the trajectories of women who have participated in crimes related to drug trafficking in Mexico.

Anti-racist alliances and solidarities: typologies, cases and experiences*

ABSTRACT This paper outlines a genealogy of interracial alliances forged in different parts of the world between organisations and social movements in order to show their potential and the challenges they face. Next, I focus on creating a typology of anti-racist alliances in order to illuminate the Mexican case, specifically during the years 2017 and 2018. I highlight the consequences for anti-racist struggles of the ambiguities around Mestizo identification: contexts of mestizaje (mixture) prevent Mestizo people from locating themselves in relation to practices of racism, and from identifying the role they play in the reproduction or elimination of racism. Finally, using two case studies, I explain the nuances of the strengths and the challenges involved in developing alliances, solidarities or, simply, coalitions for common causes, which very rarely imply having the fight against racism as a common cause.

Insights for the OECD's baby PISA from Mexico's large-scale assessment of pre-schoolers

In 2018 the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched its International Early Learning Child Well-being Study (IELS), also known as Baby PISA. In the first round of data collection, the IELS focused on three OECD countries: England, Estonia and the United States. In this article we show that a similar study of pre-schoolers to IELS took place in Mexico – EXCALE for Pre-school – and argue there is much the research community can learn from an empirical study of this initiative. Our novel comparative study draws on data from policy documents and interviews with sub-national and municipal education officials in Mexico. We reveal how EXCALE for Pre-school led to a narrowing of teaching practices and standardising student assessment aimed at 5-year-olds. We argue that the Mexican case shows how large-scale assessments bring early years learners into the orbit of official state governing, and that assessment now drives those pedagogical practices that limit the diversity of learning experiences of pre-schoolers.

Community effects associated with sunflower oil production: systematic review

Abstract This systematic review explores the multifaceted landscape of community issues in the context of sunflower oil production. As a crucial component of the agro-industrial sector, sunflower oil production significantly contributes to global edible oil supplies. However, the socio-economic dynamics within communities engaged in this industry are complex and warrant a comprehensive examination. The study synthesises existing literature to identify community issues around sunflower oil production by following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This study extracted 68 articles from the Scopus database relating the diverse impacts of sunflower oil production on communities. It resulted in 10 articles to analyse, focusing on health and socio-economic dynamics. A review of 10 relevant articles revealed that most of the reviewed studies indicate positive effects in terms of health outcomes. Especially in resource-constrained settings, sunflower oil distribution contributes to improved infant care. However, a notable exception exists in a Mexican case where toxic substances were found in the breast milk of mothers consuming sunflower oil, emphasising the importance of safety regulations in production. On the socio-economic front, limited research exists, with only two articles addressing this aspect. Nevertheless, these studies highlight the potential for job creation and positive environmental outcomes associated with sunflower oil production.

Nail Disorders in Patients Living with HIV Coinfected with Monkeypox: A Clinical Study in 69 Mexican Cases

Introduction: Several infectious diseases can present nail manifestations, which may be useful for diagnosis and prognosis, and only a few reports have been made regarding monkeypox (mpox). The objective of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of nail alterations in patients living with HIV coinfected with mpox. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study included patients living with HIV/AIDS, coinfected with mpox. We examined all 20 nails in search of nail plate alterations. Patients were divided into two groups, with and without nail disease, and the CD4 count was noted according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classification. A χ2 or Fisher’s exact test for qualitative variables and Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests with post hoc Bonferroni test for quantitative variables were used to compare them. Data were analyzed with the SPSS Statistics 25 software. Results: Sixty-nine patients were included. The frequency of nail involvement was 58%. Papulonodular lesions were the most frequent type identified, with 21 cases (30.4%). A significant difference was observed between patients with nail disease versus median CD4 count (160 vs. 700/mm3; p = 0.002) and median HIV viral load (45,000 vs. 900/mL; p = 0.009). When comparing the characteristics of the nail lesions with the CDC Classification System for HIV infection by the CD4 count, a significant difference was observed in foot involvement, splinter hemorrhages, papulo-nodular lesions, anonychia, onychomadesis, acute paronychia, and nail bed ulcer-atrophy (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The frequency of nail lesions is high in patients living with HIV coinfected with mpox. In addition, they tend to be more destructive in patients with lower CD4 counts and higher viral loads.

Policy Assessment for Energy Transition to Zero- and Low-Emission Technologies in Pickup Trucks: Evidence from Mexico

The transport sector is under scrutiny because of its significant greenhouse gas emissions. Essential strategies, particularly the adoption of zero- and low-emission vehicles powered by electricity, are crucial for mitigating emissions in road transport. Pickups, which are integral to Mexico’s fleet, contribute to such emissions. Thus, implementing effective policies targeting pickups is vital for reducing air pollution and aligning with Mexico’s decarbonization objectives. This paper presents a simulation model based on system dynamics to represent the adoption process of zero- and low-emission vehicles, with a focus on pickups and utilizing data from the Mexican case. Three policy evaluation scenarios are proposed based on the simulation model: business as usual; disincentives for zero- and low-emission vehicles; and incentives for unconventional vehicles. One of the most significant findings from this study is that even in a scenario with a greater number of vehicles in circulation, if the technology is fully electric, the environmental impact in terms of emissions is lower. Additionally, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis spanning a wide spectrum is undertaken through an extensive computational process, yielding multiple policy scenarios. The analysis indicates that to achieve a maximal reduction in the country’s emissions, promoting solely hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is advisable, whereas internal combustion engines, vehicular natural gas, and battery electric vehicles should be discouraged.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Results, a Managerial Perspective

Purpose: This study investigates, from a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective, the relationships that exist between selected interested publics and the results of the organization from the point of view of its administrator. Design/Methodology/approach: For this purpose, a survey was conducted and analysed using partial structural equations. This study was conducted in four states in the central region of Mexico. The variables under study were: environmental, social, employee and investor’s commitment as perceived by managers and organizational results. First, the validity of the construct was verified, and subsequently, the relationships between the variables for which the results were satisfactory were analysed. Findings: The relationships between environmental, social, employee, and customer commitments were verified. Finally, the relationship between the client's commitment and the results perceived by the administrator is verified. It is concluded that more efforts are being made in this line of research to identify the progress of Mexican organizations’ CSR strategies. Suggested research for future work is also presented, considering new trends in the approach presented. Originality/value: The results confirm the of the manager/director’s commitment is essential to CSR and their results. In the Mexican case, there are few studies related to this important topic. This research could be also helpful for Latin-American business.

The Benefits of Workforce Well-Being on Profitability in Listed Companies: A Comparative Analysis between Europe and Mexico from an ESG Investor Perspective

This paper evaluates the relationship between investing in workforce well-being and profitability of listed companies in Mexico compared to European companies from an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investor perspective. In this case, the Refinitiv workforce score or High-Performance Work Policies (HPWP) is used as an indicator of the quality of workforce well-being by including the industry effects (economic and business sectors) and the behavioral (sentiment) factors as control variables. Specifically, this article examines the relationships between HPWP, stock price changes (measured as a percentage), profitability (ROE), and market risk (betas). We used a sample of companies from the Refinitiv Mexico and European stock indices for this purpose. In the Mexican case, the results show that a higher level of well-being promotion relates to better company profits. The opposite happens in European companies. Regarding market prices, European companies show higher prices when they have higher HPWP and Mexican companies confirm the opposite. Regarding market risk, only European basic materials with high HPWP show less risk. Finally, in almost all Mexican business sectors, the relationship between market risk and workforce well-being is negative.

A global protection gap: Migrant insecurity in Mexico

AbstractOver the last decade, Mexico has gone from being a major source of immigrants to an important transit and destination country for asylum seekers and migrants from Central and South America. When President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office in December 2018, he pledged to implement a migration policy that prioritized humanitarian protection and honored Mexico's international and national human rights commitments. To what extent have these goals been achieved? In this article, I rely on a variety of sources to document the widening gap between Mexico's legal and stated commitments to the protection of migrants' rights and their implementation. I argue that there are both external and domestic constraints that hinder the implementation of human rights commitments and contribute to the migrant protection gap in Mexico. First, Mexican migration and humanitarian goals are inevitably shaped by the pervasive asymmetry characterizing relations with the United States. Second, capacity problems and domestic political tensions have undermined the Mexican government's ability to protect the safety of migrants. Meanwhile, the Mexican case is useful to highlight the sometimes neglected but important role of transnational nongovernmental and international organizations in filling the protection gap by providing support to host country governments and offering complementary protection to migrants.

Nuclear microreactors: Status review and potential applications; the Mexican case

Microreactors are a class of small modular reactor with a typical power output up to 10 MWe. Their factory fabricated, transportable, and self-regulating design makes the microreactors suitable for supplying electricity to off-grid communities, emergency situations, and space and naval applications. Likewise, microreactors are appropriate for non-power applications such as hydrogen and synthetic fuels production, high and low temperature process heat, various industries (mining, cement, etc.), district heating, and water desalination. Many microreactor concepts are under development around the world with different nuclear technologies, such as the Micro Modular Reactor, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor; Aurora, a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor; and eVinci, a heat pipe-cooled reactor, among others. A recent market assessment of microreactors, conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory, identifies five potential markets for microreactors: Isolated Operations, Distributed Energy, Resilient Urban, Disaster Relief, and Marine Propulsion. In the case of Mexico, which remains dependent on fossil fuels for its energy supply (oil covers 44% of the energy source, while natural gas covers 38% and coal 3%), all potential markets are attractive to consider deploying microreactors, particularly Isolated Operations and Distributed Energy, due to its industrial sector and remote/isolated communities. Mexico’s mining cement, and iron and steel industries are the major consumers of electricity, which is generated primarily with fossil fuels. Similarly, oil accounts for 99.7% of the energy mix of the national transport sector. Furthermore, isolated regions in Mexico, such as the state of Baja California Sur, which generates its own electricity mainly with natural gas, fuel oil, and diesel, could implement microreactors, not only as a potential solution for their electricity supply, but also to implement cogeneration application as water desalination.

Social participation in planning, design, and management of public spaces: the case of Mexico

ABSTRACT Top-down approaches often fail to involve, collaborate with, and consider social actors in the process of planning, design, and maintenance of public spaces (PDMPS). This research addresses how social participation is included in PDMPS in the Mexican case, by identifying the actors, the level of communication achieved, and their authority and power in the PDMPS process. The paper employs a case study approach, informed by semi-structured interviews. We use a democracy diagram to uncover the diversity of involved actors and how they are involved in the process. We show how government could provide support for social participation to implement participatory processes in PDMPS.

Segmentation and fragmentation of health systems and the quest for universal health coverage: conceptual clarifications from the Mexican case.

Health systems are complex entities. The Mexican health system includes the private and public sectors, and subsystems that target different populations based on corporatist criteria. Lack of unity and its consequences can be better understood using two concepts, segmentation and fragmentation. These reveal mechanisms and strategiesthat impede progress toward universality and equity in Mexico and other low- and middle-income countries. Segmentation refers to separation of the population by position in the labour market. Fragmentation refers to institutions, and to financial aspects, health care levels, states' systems of care, and organizational models. These elements explain inequitable allocation of resources and packages of health services offered by each institution to its population. Overcoming segmentation will require a shift from employment to citizenship as the basis for eligibility for public health care. Shortcomings of fragmentation can be avoided by establishing a common package of guaranteed benefits. Mexico illustrates how these two concepts characterize a common reality in low- and middle-income countries.

The new ecological paradigm and attitudes towards sustainable business practices – a Mexican case study

This study investigates the impact of teaching programmes on perceptions of sustainable development among students. The researchers argue that existing educational programmes must provide a comprehensive approach to mitigating collapse risk. To address this issue, the study developed a teaching programme to be delivered by experienced educators and experts, consisting of lectures, seminars, exercises, research projects, and related activities. The programme aimed to raise awareness of sustainable development and deepen understanding of the complexity of the subject. The results showed that the teaching programme increased students' appreciation of the importance of complexity and the non-linear impacts of Black Swans in the sustainability discourse without changing their adherence to the New Ecological Paradigm. The study highlights the need for education to enable students to deal with problems characterised by complexity, uncertainty, and low probability, as well as high-impact events that pose a non-linear threat to sustainable development.

On the analysis of collaboration networks between industry and academia: the Mexican case of the innovation incentive program

On the analysis of collaboration networks between industry and academia: the Mexican case of the innovation incentive program

Reliability of a forensic odontology method for age-at-death estimation in adults: A Mexican case study

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of an age estimation method based on the pulp⁄tooth area ratio by assessing intra- and inter-examiner agreement across five observers at different intervals. Using the same X-ray device and technical parameters, 96 digital periapical X-ray images of upper and lower canines were obtained from 28 deceased people in Central America, whose age at death ranged from 19 to 49 years. Excellent and good agreement of results were achieved, and there were no statistically significant differences. The R2 value for upper teeth (54.0%) was higher than the R2 value for lower teeth (45.7%). The highest intraclass correlation coefficient value was 0.995 (0.993–0.997) and the lowest 0.798 (0.545–0.895). Inter-examiner agreement was high with values of 0.975 (0.965–0.983) and 0.927 (0.879–0.955). This method is adequate for assessing age in missing and unidentified people, including victims of mass disasters.

Femicide review: the mexican case

Femicide review: the mexican case

Postcolonial Apologies, Politics of Regret and Temporal Manichaeism

The article analyzes the forms of temporality and morality which operate in the request for postcolonial apologies in modern democracies, focusing on the Mexican case. There is already rich literature on the changing mnemonic and historiographical interpretations of the Conquest in Mexican history up to the present day. In this paper the Mexican case serves as factual support to discuss theoretically the modes of temporal consciousness that underlie postcolonial apologies and the moral relations to the past that these entail. We will examine the topic in light of the “ethical turn” proposals found in historical theory. We will critically address the assumptions regarding historicity behind the so-called “politics of regret,” questioning the ideological premises that frame the request for apologies and the decolonial theories that support them. Finally, we will approach the problem based on moral philosophy works that have studied collective apologies’ paradoxical nature. The questions to answer are: does retrospective recrimination of colonial processes make sense? Can we reclaim apologies from history? We conclude that the postcolonial apologies demanded by President López Obrador depend on a mythologized vision of the past, which reproduces a logic of temporal Manichaeism, with a scant epistemological basis to judge historically the event that it condemns.

The role of a green economy in revitalising shrinking cities: Comparative case studies in France and Mexico

This paper aims to research different strategies for developing the green economy in shrinking cities. Considering urban shrinkage and the green economy as two extended concepts, a French town in post-Fordist transition and a Mexican post-mining town are selected as the most diverse/similar systems to indicate different strategies for sustainable development in shrinking cities. Embedded into different national backgrounds, including urban dynamics and support schemes for the green economy, the selected cases share the objectives of greening and regrowing strategies relying on other sectors of the green economy. The methodology applied is qualitative, including fieldwork, semi-structured interview techniques, carried out in person or remotely, and questionnaires. Findings show some positive results regarding sustainability and ecological transition in the French case, while regrowth trends were reached in the Mexican case. However, the analysis leads to uncertain scenarios for positive long-term impacts, especially due to uncertainty around future supporting policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability at national and regional levels.