Universidad Autonoma De Chihuahua Research Articles

PSX-2 Productive performance of Raramuri Criollo, Angus x Raramuri Criollo and Hereford x Angus cows in a low-input cow-calf system in northern Mexico

Abstract Raramuri Criollo cattle (RC), a local heritage breed in the Chihuahua state of Mexico, are highly rustic and well-adapted animals that can contribute to cow productivity in a low-input cow-calf production system. The aim was to evaluate traits related to productive performance of purebred RC, Angus x RC (AC) and Hereford x Angus (HA) cows. Each cow breed group was randomly assigned to one of three pastures within each of two mountains dominant exposures and evaluated during 2022 and 2023 at Rancho Teseachi (28◦48′ N, 107◦25′ W) belonging to Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua. The six grazing pastures ranged from 263 to 400 ha, with similar slope, altitude and water sources characteristics. The stocking rate was moderate (forage utilization <50%). Forage biomass availability for the period of use was sampled in October, and stocking rate adjusted accordingly in March. RC cows were bred with RC bulls, and AC and HA with Angus bulls. The breeding season was from September to November, and pregnancy diagnosis at mid-January. Non-pregnant cows were replaced by pregnant cows from other pastures of the same farm. Feed supplementation was limited in 2022 and according to nutritional requirements in 2023. Evaluated variables included calf birth (BW) and weaning weight adjusted (WW) to the average age at weaning (190 d in 2022 and 165 d in 2023); body condition score (BCS 1 to 9), cow body weight (CBW) at the beginning of the breeding season, as well as body weight of calf weaned by unit of cow weight (WW/CBW), and pregnancy rate (PR). A general linear model with fixed effects of breed group, sex, dominant exposure of mountains, their interaction, cow age subclass (Young, 4 yr; Middle, 5 to 8 yr; Adult, > 9 yr) and Julian date at calving as a covariate was adjusted using PROC GLM of SAS for continuous, normally distributed variables, and PROC CATMOD for pregnancy rate, leaving out sex and interaction effects. Means of BW and WW on calves from AC and HA cows were greater (P < 0.5) than those from RC cows in both years (Table 1). In 2022, the mean CBW of HA was greater (P < 0.5) than for AC, and this greater (P < 0.5) than for RC cows; BCS was greater for AC than for HA and RC, and PR lower (P < 0.5) for HA than for AC and RC. In 2023, there was no difference in CBW between AC and HA; BCS was similar (P > 0.05) among the three groups; and PR was the lowest (P < 0.5) for HA. The AC cows had the greatest WW/CBW mean (P < 0.5) in both years. Overall, using AC cows resulted on a combination of traits that outperformed on general productivity in the evaluated production system.

Primer registro de la cotorra argentina (Myiopsitta monachus) en Chihuahua, México

Reportamos el primer registro de la cotorra argentina (Myiopsitta monachus) en las ciudades de Chihuahua y Delicias en Chihuahua, México. Observamos cinco individuos de esta especie de junio a diciembre de 2011 en las instalaciones de la Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología de la Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua; grupos de 2 a 12 individuos en el área urbana de la ciudad de Chihuahua durante 2012, y cuatro individuos en ciudad Delicias, a 80 km al sureste de la ciudad de Chihuahua, en el 2013. Previamente, en enero de 2011, se reportó, en el portal electrónico de aVerAves, el avistamiento de un individuo en el noroeste del estado. Dada la presencia de nidos activos en las ciudades de Chihuahua y Delicias, la especie podría estar ya establecida en esta parte del país. Recomendamos dar seguimiento a las poblaciones existentes de esta especie a fin de documentar los posibles riesgos a los ecosistemas en la región.

La educación en Chihuahua durante las primeras décadas del siglo XX. Un acercamiento a través del método biográfico

La educación en el estado de Chihuahua, durante las primeras décadas del siglo XX, estuvo determinada por el cambio radical de enfoques de los gobiernos porfiristas hacia los de carácter liberal encabezados por los grupos posrevolucionarios. A partir de 1920 se debía lograr la hazaña de construir un nuevo sistema educativo que buscaba desprenderse del pasado calificado como oscuro, pero que –al menos en el estado– tomaba como punto de partida las instituciones y bases funcionales de la educación que se fraguaron durante la era porfiriana. En este trabajo se incorpora el uso del método biográfico para dar cuenta de algunas características de la educación en Chihuahua durante las primeras décadas del siglo XX, a través de documentos del expediente laboral del maestro Antonio Quevedo Caro y de otras fuentes primarias. La recopilación de información se realiza en el Archivo de Concentración de Gobierno del Estado de Chihuahua, en el Archivo Histórico de la Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua y mediante consulta en bibliografía secundaria sobre el tema. Entre los principales hallazgos se encuentran las grandes posibilidades del método biográfico para analizar aspectos de la vida cotidiana de la educación.

First record of the genus Physaloptera sp. (Nemata: Physalopteridae) in scats from coyote, Canis latrans in Chihuahua, México

The knowledge of the helminth parasites of Canis latrans from Mexico is scarce. This study 23 scats of C. latrans were collected and examined to identify alimentary items between April and September of 2018, at the rancho experimental Teseachi of the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, in Namiquipa, Chihuahua, Mexico. Three nematode specimens of Physaloptera sp. were found and identified by morphology. This endoparasite is reported for the first time in scats of C. latrans for the state of Chihuahua.

Uso de fuentes para la investigación histórica: experiencias en Villa Juárez, Chihuahua

En este artículo se presenta una experiencia de trabajo con fuentes para la investigación histórica, a partir de un proyecto desarrollado por el Cuerpo Académico CA-111, “Historia e historiografía de la educación”, adscrito a la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua (UACH). Se describen las particularidades de una actividad desarrollada bajo el enfoque de la microhistoria, con la cual se fijó como meta rescatar los procesos histórico-sociales y educativos de lo que antiguamente fue el Ejido Ranchería Juárez, municipio de Chihuahua, Chih. El periodo de trabajo comprende del año 2015 al 2018 y entre los logros se encuentra la publicación de un libro para niños que rescata la historia, costumbres, anécdotas, tradiciones, personajes, familias, escuelas y características de la vida cotidiana de la comunidad, el cual se trabajó como parte de las actividades escolares en la asignatura de Historia. Durante 2018 se desarrolló la segunda fase del proyecto, consistente en la profundización de la investigación para publicar un nuevo libro para niños que dé cuenta de la vida cotidiana en las escuelas del ejido y que será incorporado nuevamente como recurso didáctico en la asignatura de Historia en los siete planteles de educación básica del lugar. Se analizan los retos enfrentados por el equipo de investigadores, quienes –ante la ausencia de documentos en los archivos escolares– recurren a una diversidad de fuentes localizadas en los testimonios orales, vestigios materiales, archivos personales y otras fuentes que permitan reconstruir el acontecer diario de la comunidad y –en particular– de las escuelas, para que los habitantes dispongan de un recurso con el cual puedan reconocer sus procesos históricos.

Comunic@ tu servicio social comunitario: una experiencia en la implementación de una propuesta educativa

Se describe una experiencia de implementación de una propuesta comunicativa en la Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, basada en un enfoque de Investigación-Acción-Participativa; la estrategia de intervención comprende la construcción de productos de difusión audiovisual que muestren las evidencias de la práctica del Servicio Social de los estudiantes con un formato innovador del informe final; alternativa que promueve la competencia comunicativa. Formar a los jóvenes universitarios desde esta perspectiva, orienta a la oferta, desde dicha práctica, de programas y proyectos donde desarrollen competencias múltiples encaminadas a realizar una reflexión de la experiencia, que los sensibilice acerca de las necesidades de su entorno social.

English

The results of the research presented in this article describe the construction of an instrument to measure and evaluate basic university level competences. It is an instrumental type of study as both psychometric theory and techniques are applied. The theoretical framework for competences is based on the content of the Delors report (1996) and the ideas commonly shared by Perrenoud (1998), Roegiers (2001), De Kelet (1996), Beckers (2002) and Scallon (2004). The focus on basic university level competences was taken from Marin (2013). For the construction and validation of the instrument, two approaches were used: The Theory of Item Response or Theory of Rasch (1980) and the Classic Theory of Tests (1950-1960). The methodology applied was an instrumental one, geared to the development of a test of psychometric properties. The participants were university students of initial, intermediate and advanced levels in the degrees of education, psychology, communication and political science from the following universities: Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (UACH), Chihuahua and Ciudad Juarez campus and the Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan (UADY) Yucatan and Tizmin campus. The statistical analysis was processed by the SPSS 17 program using the Windows/StartGraphics Plus 5.0 version. Key words:  Basic university competences, psychometric instrument, validity and reliability.

A Gender Study on College Students’ Academic Self-Efficacy

The purpose of this study is to compare female and male college students’ academic self-efficacy. The overall sample consisted of 1,995 participants, 862 women and 1,133 men, all freshman students at the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (Autonomous University of Chihuahua). The average age is 18.18 years (SD= 0.68). This quantitative study has a survey-type, descriptive design. Differences found between men and women regarding their perceived self-efficacy, suggest that any effort to improve perceived self-efficacy must take gender into consideration.

Autoeficacia Percibida en la conducta Académica de Estudiantes Universitarias

A study has been done to characterize female students who choose one of the degrees offered by the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua in Mexico, in terms of the perceived self-efficacy in their academic performance. The sample consisted of 902 female freshmen college students from seven disciplines with a mean age of 18.1 years. The research method adopted has a quantitative focus with a descriptive design employing a survey. The results show that the profiles of selfefficacy in academic behavior is very similar between students of different disciplines, and that the behavior related to communication skills represents an area of opportunity for improvement in incoming college students. Also, it was observed that the profiles of current, desired and achievable efficacy are related: the higher the perceived self-efficacy, greater desire and more chances of being effective. This allows concluding that if any of them can be improved, the other two will also do it.

Composición Factorial de una Escala de Autoeficacia en el Ámbito del Trabajo en Equipo y Liderazgo en Universitarios de Ciencias de la Salud

The present study analyses the psychometric properties of the self-efficacy scale applied to teamwork and leadership of university students of health sciences of the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua in Mexico. The scale, designed for this work is a Likert-type survey of 16 items, with a response scale from 0 to 10.The total sample included 524 participants; 202 women and 322 men, all students of health Sciences, with a mean age of 18.60 years. The factor structure of the questionnaire was analyzed through two separate exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Psychometric analysis showed that a two-factorial structure was viable and adequate for the study, giving appropriate indicators of adjustment, reliability and validity. Also, the results of the factor analysis indicated the presence of strong evidence of factor structure stability.

Effect of Vermicompost and Compost on Lettuce Production

A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate the effect on total growth and leaf nutritional content in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in the Agrotechnology Sciences Department of the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Mexico in 2007. Three types of fertilization treatments were analyzed: two organic and one conventional or inorganic. Both vermicompost and compost were produced from cattle manure in a 25-wk process. The study included 12 experimental units made up of lettuce plantlets var. Great Lakes. A linear model was fitted for statistical analysis using a completely randomized experimental design. ANOVA was performed and means were compared by orthogonal contrasts. Results showed differences in weight and leaf content for the N and K variables, and the highest mean values for these variables were in the urea treatment. Leaf content of Ca, Mg, and Mn showed higher values in organic fertilization treatments. The vermicompost treatment showed a higher contribution of Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu, and lower Na in lettuce leaf content when compared to compost usage.

Effect of a Crotalus basiliscus ( Mexican West Coast rattlesnake) venom proteinase (B2) on complement : Armando Varela-Ramirez1 and Eppie D. Rael2 ( 1Departamento de Investigacion, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Mexico, and 2Départment of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, U.S.A.)

Effect of a Crotalus basiliscus ( Mexican West Coast rattlesnake) venom proteinase (B2) on complement : Armando Varela-Ramirez1 and Eppie D. Rael2 ( 1Departamento de Investigacion, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua, Mexico, and 2Départment of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, U.S.A.)