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Honduras

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Humanities and Social Sciences	48%
Life Sciences	24%
Medical Sciences	9%
4 Other Domains	19%

Distribution within Humanities and Social Sciences

General & Introductory Development Studies	35%
General & Introductory Geography	8%

Selected Abstracts

A SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION OF PIGMENT AND CERAMIC SAMPLES FROM COPÁN, HONDURAS,

ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 1 2009
R. A. GOODALL
A combination of micro-Raman spectroscopy, micro-infrared spectroscopy and SEM,EDX was employed to characterize decorative pigments on Classic Maya ceramics from Copán, Honduras. Variation in red paint mixtures was correlated with changing ceramic types and improvements in process and firing techniques. We have confirmed the use of specular hematite on Coner ceramics by the difference in intensities of Raman bands. Different compositions of brown paint were correlated with imported and local wares. The carbon-iron composition of the ceramic type, Surlo Brown, was confirmed. By combining micro-Raman analysis with micro-ATR infrared and SEM,EDX, we have achieved a more comprehensive characterization of the paint mixtures. These spectroscopic techniques can be used non-destructively on raw samples as a rapid confirmation of ceramic type. [source]

Exclusively breastfed, low birthweight term infants do not need supplemental water

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2000
RJ Cohen
Breast milk intake, urine volume and urine-specific gravity (USG) of exclusively breastfed, low birthweight (LBW) term male infants in Honduras were measured during 8-h periods at 2 (n= 59) and 8 (n = 68) wk of age. Ambient temperature was 22,36°C and relative humidity was 37,86%. Maximum USG ranged from 1.001 to 1.012, all within normal limits. Conclusions: We conclude that supplemental water is not required for exclusively breastfed, LBW term infants, even in hot conditions. [source]

Crisis Discourses and Technology Regulation in a Weak State: Responses to a Pesticide Disaster in Honduras

DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2003
Kees Jansen
Hurricane Mitch hit Honduras in October 1998, leaving a trail of death, injury and devastating damage. As it tore through the country, the hurricane damaged a number of warehouses which contained pesticides, resulting in the discharge of more than 70 tonnes of pesticides into the environment. This article explores the responses of the Honduran state and international relief agencies to this event. It analyses the use of crisis discourses and their role in the reconstruction process, arguing that crisis discourses may legitimize political rule in the context of a weak state. It goes on to make the point that the shaping of crisis discourses is not the exclusive terrain of politicians but necessarily involves technical experts. [source]

The PRSP Approach and the Illusion of Improved Aid Effectiveness: Lessons from Bolivia, Honduras and Nicaragua

DEVELOPMENT POLICY REVIEW, Issue 4 2005
Geske Dijkstra
Since 1999, poor countries that want to qualify for concessionary IMF loans and debt relief must elaborate and implement Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. Donors claim that the PRSP approach will increase aid effectiveness since PRSPs will enhance broad country ownership and lead to better ,partnership' with donors, implying more donor co-ordination under government leadership. By examining the experiences of Bolivia, Honduras and Nicaragua, this article finds that the results are disappointing. The article also shows that, by emphasising rational planning and ignoring politics, the PRSP approach has unintended and sometimes harmful consequences. This leads to recommendations for changes of the approach. [source]

Migration of hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata from Tortuguero, Costa Rica

ECOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2005
Sebastian Troëng
The hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata is a widely distributed and critically endangered species that feeds on sponges and fills an important ecological role in the coral reef ecosystem. At Tortuguero, Costa Rica, trend analyses indicate considerable decline in nesting estimated at 77.2,94.5% between 1956 and 2003, as a result of excessive turtle fishing. We analyzed flipper tag returns, satellite telemetry and genetic samples to determine movements and habitat use of adult female Tortuguero hawksbills. Tag returns and satellite telemetry show hawksbills migrate to foraging grounds in Nicaragua and Honduras. Genetic analysis indicates the hawksbills may also migrate to Cuban, Puerto Rican, and possibly Mexican waters. We conclude hawksbills represent an internationally shared resource. There is a close correlation between tag recapture sites, hawksbill foraging grounds and coral reef distribution. Caribbean coral reef decline may reduce food availability and negatively impact hawksbill turtles. Conversely, hawksbill decline may shift the balance on coral reefs by reducing predation pressure on sponges and hence make coral reefs less resilient to natural and anthropogenic threats. Strategies aiming to conserve hawksbills and coral reefs must consider both the extensive hawksbill migrations and the close relationship between the species and the coral reef ecosystem. [source]

The Latinization of the Central Shenandoah Valley

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 1 2008
Laura Zarrugh
Virginia is among a number of southern states in the United States, such as North Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia, which have experienced a sudden growth in Latino immigration during the past decade. Not only is the volume of growth unprecedented, but many of the destinations are new and located in rural areas. Places that have not hosted immigrant populations for generations are quickly becoming multicultural. The small city of Harrisonburg (population 43,500 according to the 2005 estimate), which is located in the rural Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, is perhaps the premier example of this new pattern of change. While local advertising once promoted Harrisonburg for its "99.2% American-born and 93.7% white" population, the area today holds the distinction of hosting the most diverse public school enrollment in the state (in 2006-2007), with students from 64 countries who speak 44 languages. Among them are Spanish speakers from at least 14 different countries. Drawing on social network theory, the paper examines how social networks among Latino immigrants become activated in new settlement areas. It presents a case history of the historic process of "Latinization" involving the settlement of a number of diverse Latino populations (from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba and Uruguay) in Harrisonburg and the surrounding Central Shenandoah Valley. The study demonstrates how a number of key institutions, including local agricultural industries (apples and poultry), a refugee resettlement office and churches recruited "pioneers" from these immigrant groups to the area and how "pioneers" subsequently engaged in further social network recruitment, thus creating multiple transnational "daughter communities" in the Harrisonburg area. The policy implications of this historical process are explored. Au même titre que la Caroline du Nord, l'Arkansas et la Georgie, la Virginie est l'un de ces Etats du sud des Etats-Unis qui ont été témoins d'une poussée soudaine de l'immigration latino-américaine au cours de la dernière décennie. Non seulement il s'agit d'un rythme de croissance sans précédent, mais bon nombre de destinations choisies sont nouvelles et situées en zone rurale. Des lieux qui n'avaient pas accueilli de population immigrée depuis des générations prennent brusquement un caractère multiculturel. La petite ville de Harrisonburg (43 500 habitants selon un décompte approximatif de 2005), qui est située dans la vallée centrale de Shenandoah, en Virginie, est peut-être le principal exemple de cette nouvelle évolution. Alors qu'elle se vantait autrefois d'être composée d'Américains de souche à hauteur de 99,2% et d'être blanche à 93,7%, cette ville se distingue aujourd'hui par la plus grande diversité d'origine des enfants scolarisés à l'échelle de l'Etat (pour la période 2006-2007), puisqu'on y dénombre 64 nationalités parlant 44 langues. On y trouve notamment des hispanophones originaires d'au moins 14 pays différents. A partir de la théorie des réseaux sociaux, l'auteur examine comment ces réseaux se sont activés chez les immigrants latino-américains dans les nouvelles zones d'installation. Il présente un historique du processus de "latinisation", en citant notamment l'installation de populations latino-américaines diverses (originaires du Mexique, du Guatemala, d'El Salvador, du Honduras, de Cuba et d'Uruguay) à Harrisonburg et dans la vallée centrale Shenandoah entourant cette ville. L'auteur montre comment un certain nombre d'institutions clés, et notamment les industries agricoles locales (pommeraies et élevages de poulets), un bureau de réinstallation de réfugiés et des églises ont recruté des "pionniers" au sein de ces groupes d'immigrants, et comment ces "pionniers" ont par la suite poursuivi cette action de recrutement à l'aide de réseaux sociaux, créant ainsi de multiples "communautés affiliées" transnationales dans la région de Harrisonburg. L'étude examine aussi les implications politiques de ce processus historique. Virginia es uno de los estados sureños de los Estados Unidos, al igual que Carolina del Norte, Arkansas y Georgia, que ha experimentado un incremento repentino de la inmigración latina durante el último decenio. No sólo se trata de un incremento sin precedentes, si no que además los destinos son nuevos y localizados en zonas rurales. Estos lugares que no han albergado a poblaciones inmigrantes durante generaciones se están convirtiendo rápidamente en entornos multiculturales. La pequeña ciudad de Harrisonburg (con 43.500 habitantes según el censo de 2005), está localizada en el valle rural central de Shenadoah en Virginia, y es quizás el primer ejemplo de este nuevo patrón de cambio. Si bien la publicidad local promocionaba a Harrisonburg porque sus habitantes eran "99,2 por ciento nacidos en América y 93,7 por ciento blancos" hoy en día se destaca por albergar la población más diversa inscrita en los colegios públicos del Estado (entre 2006 y 2007), con estudiantes provenientes de 64 países que hablan 44 idiomas. Entre ellos están estudiantes de habla hispana provenientes de por lo menos 14 países distintos. Sobre la base de la teoría de redes sociales, este artículo examina redes sociales entre los inmigrantes latinos que se activan en nuevas zonas de asentamiento. Se presenta un estudio por caso de un proceso histórico de "latinización" que implica el asentamiento de toda una variedad de poblaciones latinas de "México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba y Uruguay" en Harrisonburg y el valle central aledaño de Shenandoah. El estudio demuestra cómo una serie de instituciones clave,- incluidas las industrias agrícolas locales (manzanos y avicultura), una oficina de reasentamiento de refugiados y las iglesias - reclutaron a los "pioneros" de estos grupos de inmigrantes en la región y cómo esos "pioneros" entablaron ulteriormente el reclutamiento a nivel de su red social, creando "comunidades hermanas" transnacionales y múltiples en la región de Harrisonburg. También se examinan las repercusiones políticas de este proceso histórico. [source]

Two Logics of Labor Organizing in the Global Apparel Industry

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2009
Mark Anner
What factors account for labor strategies in global industries? While some scholars point to economic factors and others look to political opportunity structures, an examination of union actions in the Central American apparel export industry over a 14-year period suggests that activists' historical experiences and ideological orientations also strongly influence union dynamics. Left-oriented unions tend to form unions through transnational activism whereas conservative unions most often turn to plant-level cross-class collaboration. Moreover, these two union strategies are interconnected. Successful transnational activism facilitates conservative union formation through a "radical flank" mechanism; the threat of left-union organizing motivates employers to accept unionization by conservative unions to block left unions from gaining influence in the plant. To examine these arguments, this article employs pooled time-series statistical analysis, structured interviews with labor organizers, and process tracing that draws on nine months of field research in Honduras and El Salvador. [source]

Sexual vs. asexual reproduction in an ecosystem engineer: the massive coral Montastraea annularis

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
NICOLA L. FOSTER
Summary 1Long-lived sedentary organisms with a massive morphology are often assumed to utilize a storage effect whereby the persistence of a small group of adults can maintain the population when sexual recruitment fails. However, employing storage effects could prove catastrophic if, under changing climatic conditions, the time period between favourable conditions becomes so prolonged that the population cannot be sustained solely be sexual recruitment. When a species has multiple reproductive options, a rapidly changing environment may favour alternative asexual means of propagation. 2Here, we revisit the importance of asexual dispersal in a massive coral subject to severe climate-induced disturbance. Montastraea annularis is a major framework-builder of Caribbean coral reefs but its survival is threatened by the increasing cover of macroalgae that prevents settlement of coral larvae. 3To estimate levels of asexual recruitment within populations of M. annularis, samples from three sites in Honduras were genotyped using four, polymorphic microsatellite loci. 4A total of 114 unique genets were identified with 8% consisting of two or more colonies and an exceptionally large genet at the third site comprising 14 colonies. 5At least 70% of multicolony genets observed were formed by physical breakage, consistent with storm damage. 6Our results reveal that long-lived massive corals can propagate using asexual methods even though sexual strategies predominate. [source]

Genetic and morphometric differentiation among island populations of two Norops lizards (Reptilia: Sauria: Polychrotidae) on independently colonized islands of the Islas de Bahia (Honduras)

JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 7 2007
C. F. C. Klütsch
Abstract Aim, Anole lizards (Reptilia: Sauria: Polychrotidae) display remarkable morphological and genetic differentiation between island populations. Morphological differences between islands are probably due to both adaptive (e.g. differential resource exploitation and intra- or interspecific competition) and non-adaptive differentiation in allopatry. Anoles are well known for their extreme diversity and rapid adaptive speciation on islands. The main aim of this study was to use tests of morphological and genetic differentiation to investigate the population structure and colonization history of islands of the Islas de Bahia, off the coast of Honduras. Location, Five populations of Norops bicaorum and Norops lemurinus were sampled, four from islands of the Islas de Bahia and one from the mainland of Honduras. Methods, Body size and weight differentiation were measured in order to test for significant differences between sexes and populations. In addition, individuals were genotyped using the amplified fragment length polymorphism technique. Bayesian model-based and assignment/exclusion methods were used to study genetic differentiation between island and mainland populations and to test colonization hypotheses. Results, Assignment tests suggested migration from the mainland to the Cayos Cochinos, and from there independently to both Utila and Roatán, whereas migration between Utila and Roatán was lacking. Migration from the mainland to Utila was inferred, but was much less frequent. Morphologically, individuals from Utila appeared to be significantly different in comparison with all other localities. Significant differentiation between males of Roatán and the mainland was found in body size, whereas no significant difference was detected between the mainland and the Cayos Cochinos. Main conclusions, Significant genetic and morphological differentiation was found among populations. A stepping-stone model for colonization, in combination with an independent migration to Utila and Roatán, was suggested by assignment tests and was compatible with the observed morphological differentiation. [source]

Expectations and motivations of Hondurans migrating to the United States

JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2007
Jana Sladkova
Abstract This study explores the expectations and decision-making processes of potential migrants at a community in Honduras. Hondurans have become one of the fastest growing populations in New York. Yet, although approximately 80,000 Hondurans try to reach the US annually, only 25 per cent succeed. To reach the United States they must undergo a dangerous journey across Guatemala and Mexico, a process to date under-researched by social sciences. As new undocumented migrant streams continue to expand within the global economies, scholars and practitioners who work on their behalf should understand the pre-migration values and expectations because they shape the way migrants adjust to and develop new cultural patterns in the receiving countries. Drawing on immigration and narrative theory, I hypothesize that narratives of migration from media, prior migrants, coyotes and community practices play an important role in the construction of potential migrant expectations. To represent narratives across several individual and community domains, the research design includes individual interviews, analysis of local newspapers, participant observations and teaching English classes. Analysis across these data reveals complex dilemmas potential migrants face as they weigh the costs and benefits of migration. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Marketing preferences of small-scale farmers in the context of new agrifood systems: a stated choice model

AGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009
Jose Blandon
Considering the dynamic changes in agrifood systems in developing countries, this study uses a stated choice model to explore the marketing preferences of small-scale producers of fresh fruits and vegetables in Honduras. Eight attributes, proposed in hypothetical contracts to farmers, are evaluated. The results suggest that farmers have strong marketing preferences associated with new supply chains, such as prearranging prices and quantities with buyers, but have remaining preferences for some attributes of traditional spot markets, such as the lack of grading produce, receiving cash payments, lack of delivery schedules, ability to sell at the farm gate, and ability to sell individually. Further, farmers prefer market channels that do not require major upfront investments. The results suggest that the traditional marketing preferences of farmers could impede participation of small-holders in emerging supply chains and take advantage of the potential opportunities that new agrifood supply chains can offer. [JEL Code: Q13 O14]. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Raman microscopic investigation of paint samples from the Rosalila building, Copan, Honduras

JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 10 2006
Rosemary A. Goodall
Abstract Micro-Raman spectroscopy was applied to the study of multiple layered wall paints from the Rosalila temple, Copan, Honduras, which dates to the Middle Classic period (A.D. 520 to 655). Samples of red, green and grey paint and a thick white overcoating were analysed. The paint pigments have been identified as hematite, celadonite or green earth and a combined carbon/mica mixture. By combining Raman spectroscopy with micro-ATR infrared spectroscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), a detailed study has been made of the materials and processes used to make the stucco and paints. The use of green earth as a green pigment on Maya buildings has not been reported before. The combination of carbon and muscovite mica to create a reflective paint is also a novel finding. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Effects of soil degradation and management practices on the surface water dynamics in the Talgua River Watershed in Honduras

LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004
D. L. Hanson
Abstract When tropical forests are felled, subsequent land uses affect surface runoff, soil erosion, and soil compaction. In some cases, they can markedly change the hydrology of a region with disastrous effects on human life. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of rainfall on stream hydrology due to conversion of primary forests to agriculture. Near surface water dynamics were compared for three land uses on the steep hillsides in the Talgua River Watershed in Honduras: degraded grass-covered field; traditional coffee plantation; and primary forest. Infiltration and surface runoff rates were measured using several methods. A clear difference was observed in hydraulic conductivity between the degraded and non-degraded lands. The degraded grass-covered hillslopes developed a surface restrictive layer with a low saturated hydraulic conductivity of 8 to 11,mm/hr, resulting in more frequent overland flow than traditional coffee plantation and primary forest. Soils under the latter two land-use types maintained high infiltration capacities and readily conducted water vertically at rates of 109 and 840,mm/hr, respectively. Dye tests confirmed that the coffee plantation and primary forest both maintained well-connected macropores through which water flowed readily. In contrast, macropores in the degraded soil profile were filled by fine soil particles. Soils in the degraded grass-covered field also showed more compaction than soils in the coffee plantation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Better land husbandry in Honduras: towards the new paradigm in conserving soil, water and productivity

LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2002
J. Hellin
Abstract Land shortages are forcing more smallholder farmers to cultivate tropical steeplands. Resulting accelerated soil erosion is being countered by the promotion of soil conservation (SC) technologies, such as cross-slope barriers, which aim to reduce soil loss and preserve land productivity. However, farmer adoption rates tend to be low. This is often attributed to the farmers' conservatism or lack of education. Research in Honduras's steeplands demonstrates that farmers value SC, provided that it promotes agricultural production. Field research from 1995,98, involving farmed test plots on slopes greater than 35 per cent (19 degrees), demonstrates that at least one typical SC technology,live barriers of Vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver grass),has little or no impact on maize yield. This means that farmers see little benefit from their investment in the SC method. They find that erratic rainfall, pests and diseases and a lack of economic resources are far greater threats to their livelihoods than soil erosion. Consequently, SC has a low priority. Keeping soil in place avoids major off-farm disbenefits. However, the SC technique tested here made no discernible difference to slope foot sediment yields during the life of this study. In sum, a new approach is needed. Promoting ,Better Land Husbandry' strategies, which seek to combine farmers' concerns about productivity with conservationists' concerns about reducing soil erosion,often via cover-management,seem to be the best way forward. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Infant weight-for-length is positively associated with subsequent linear growth across four different populations

MATERNAL & CHILD NUTRITION, Issue 1 2005
Kathryn G. Dewey phd
Abstract Several studies have documented that length gain often lags behind weight gain during infancy and early childhood, suggesting that linear growth is partly regulated by initial body mass or fatness. To investigate this hypothesis, we analysed data from four longitudinal studies on growth of infants in the first 12 months: (1) U.S. breast-fed and formula-fed infants (n = 89); (2) breast-fed infants in Ghana (n = 190); (3) normal birthweight, breast-fed infants in Honduras (n = 108); and (4) term, low-birthweight breast-fed infants in Honduras (n = 119). The dependent variable was length gain during each 3-month interval (1, 4, 2,5, 3,6, 4,7, 5,8, 6,9, 7,10, 8,11 and 9,12 months). Three main independent variables were examined: initial weight-for-length z-score (W/L), weight change during the prior 3 months, and initial skinfold thickness. Controlling for maternal height, infant sex, and initial length-for-age z-score, length gain was positively correlated with initial W/L and prior weight change during all age intervals and with initial skinfold thickness at 3 and 4 months (r = 0.15,0.36; P < 0.01). There was no evidence of a threshold effect. These associations were evident in all four populations, in both boys and girls, and in breast-fed and formula-fed infants. The consistency of this relationship across studies supports the hypothesis that linear growth is partly regulated by initial body mass or fatness in infants. [source]

mtDNA perspective of chromosomal diversification and hybridization in Peters' tent-making bat (Uroderma bilobatum: Phyllostomidae)

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 11 2003
Federico G. Hoffmann
Abstract We compared sequence variation in the complete mitochondrial cytochrome -b gene with chromosomal and geographical variation for specimens of Peters' tent-making bat (Uroderma bilobatum). Three different chromosomal races have been described in this species: a 2n = 42 race from South America east of the Andes, a 2n = 44 from NW Central America and 2n = 38 from the rest of Central America and NW South America. The deepest nodes in the tree were found within the South American race (42 race), which is consistent with a longer history of this race. Average distance among races ranged from 2.5 to 2.9%, with the highest amount of intraracial variation found within the 2n = 42 race (1.7%), intermediate values within the 2n = 38 race (0.9%) and lowest within the 2n = 44 race (0.5%). Variation among chromosomal races accounted for over 55% of molecular variance, whereas variation among populations within races accounted for 6%. The 2n = 38 and 2n = 44 races hybridize in the coastal lowlands of Honduras, near the Gulf of Fonseca. Introgression between these two races is low (two introgressed individuals in 45 examined). Clinal variation across the hybrid zone for the cytochrome -b of U. bilobatum, is similar to clinal variation reported for chromosomes and isozymes of this species. Mismatch distribution analyses suggests that geographical isolation and karyological changes have interplayed in a synergistic fashion. Fixation of the alternative chromosomal rearrangements in geographical isolation and secondary contact is the most likely mechanism accounting for the hybrid zone between the 2n = 38 and 2n = 44 races. If a molecular clock is assumed, with rates ranging from 2.3 to 5.0% per million years, then isolation between these races occurred within the last million years, implying a relatively recent origin of the extant diversity in Uroderma bilobatum. None the less, the three chromosomal races probably represent three different biological species. [source]

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers from Teretrius nigrescens Lewis (Coleoptera: Histeridae), predator of the storage pest Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES, Issue 4 2009
A. B. OMONDI
Abstract Teretrius nigrescens is a predator of the larger grain borer (LGB) Prostephanus truncatus, an invasive post-harvest pest in Africa. We describe the isolation and characterization of 24 novel polymorphic microsatellite markers and their testing on a population from Honduras. Alleles per locus ranged between 2 and 12, and observed heterozygosity between 0.037 and 0.646. Six loci deviated significantly from Hardy,Weinberg equilibrium and showed evidence of null alleles. These markers will be useful for studies of the predator's population structure and characterizing populations for control of LGB. [source]

Politics with Style: Identity Formation in Prehispanic Southeastern Mesoamerica

AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, Issue 2 2001
Edward M. Schortman
Those seeking to ensconce themselves at the pinnacles of emerging sociopolitical hierarchies must forge alliances with both their immediate subordinates and distant peers. In the first case, allegiance to a polity that transcends extant and emerging sectarian affiliations must be achieved if the realm is to survive the passing of individual charismatic rulers. Cooperation with foreign leaders, in turn, guarantees a steady supply of political valuables useful in ensnaring clients within dependency relations that undergird sociopolitical hierarchy. Achievement of these objectives requires creation and propagation of at least two distinct social identities, one linking rulers and ruled within a polity and the other uniting paramounts in a network covering vast territorial expanses. In this article, we examine Late Classic (A.D. 600-950) material patterns from the Naco valley, northwestern Honduras, for the light they shed on the proposed integration of political and cultural processes within developing complex polities. The strategic manipulation of material symbols to fashion new affiliations and the implications of these identities for social change are also considered, [social identity, Mesoamerican archaeology, ideology, political contests, symbols] [source]

Impact of an education program on late diagnosis of retinoblastoma in Honduras

PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 6 2007
Christopher Leander MD
Abstract Background In developed countries, more than 90% of children with retinoblastoma present with limited-stage disease and are cured; however, in countries with limited resources, like Honduras, most patients present with advanced disease and cure rates are less than 50%. Early diagnosis is necessary to improve the survival of children with retinoblastoma in these countries. Procedure We describe the preliminary results of a retinoblastoma education program linked to a national vaccination campaign in Honduras. Posters and flyers were designed to be accessible to poorly educated readers, to convey the severity of retinoblastoma, and to provide contact information. Charts and an electronic database were reviewed to determine age at diagnosis, presenting signs and symptoms, date of diagnosis, and outcome. Results During the eight previous years (July 1995,June 2003), 73% of the 59 diagnosed cases of retinoblastoma were extraocular; in contrast, during the post-campaign period (June 2003,January 2005), only 35% of the 23 diagnosed cases showed extraocular spread (P,=,0.002). More than one-third of patients in both time periods either refused therapy or abandoned treatment. Conclusion This inexpensive approach is an effective first step toward improving survival of childhood retinoblastoma. Abandonment and refusal of therapy are continuing obstacles. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:817,819. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

The Garífuna (Black Carib) people of the Atlantic coasts of Honduras: Population dynamics, structure, and phylogenetic relations inferred from genetic data, migration matrices, and isonymy

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Edwin-Francisco Herrera-Paz
The aim of this study is to assess population dynamics, structure, and phylogenetic relations of the populations that inhabit the Caribbean coasts of Honduras: the Garífuna (or Black Carib) people, an admixture of Black Africans and Red Carib Native Amerindians. Thirteen autosomal tetranucleotide microsatellite markers of the DNA (namely short tandem repeats) were genotyped in samples from the Garifuna communities of Bajamar, in the Department of Cortés; Corozal, in the Department of Atlántida; and Iriona, in the Department of Gracias a Dios. Each subject in the study filled a questionnaire with the following information: complete name and surname of participant, and places of birth of the participant, his/her parents, and grandparents. We performed analyses that included determination of migration rates and residence patterns from information of places of birth, fixation indices from genetic data, and analysis of surnames of the sampled subjects (isonymy). Migration matrices showed a migration wave from east to west in the parents and grandparents of the subjects. A raise in migration rates and a shift in predominating residence pattern from neolocality to matrilocality from grandparents to parents were observed. Analysis of isonymy conjunctly with values for FIS in each community showed high endogamy in Bajamar, and recent, high immigration in Iriona. A dendrogram constructed with allele frequencies of the Garifuna and other populations from the Americas, Africa, and Europe revealed the close relationships of this ethnic group with Afro-Caribbean and African Populations. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Occurrence and distribution of Citrus leprosis virus in Honduras

PLANT PATHOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
J. C. V. Rodrigues
No abstract is available for this article. [source]

Political History and Disparities in Safe Motherhood Between Guatemala and Honduras

POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 1 2006
Jeremy Shiffman
Each year, worldwide, more than 500,000 women die of complications from childbirth, making this a leading cause of death globally for adult women of reproductive age. Nearly all studies that have sought to explain the persistence of high maternal mortality levels have focused on the supply of and demand for particular health services. We argue that inquiry on health services is useful but insufficient. Robust explanations for safe motherhood outcomes require examination of factors lying deeper in the causal chain. We compare the cases of Guatemala and Honduras to examine historical and structural influences on maternal mortality. Despite being a poorer country than Guatemala, Honduras has a superior safe motherhood record. We argue that four historical and structural factors stand behind this difference: Honduras's relatively stable and Guatemala's turbulent modern political history; the presence of a marginalized indigenous population in Guatemala, but not in Honduras, that the state has had difficulty reaching; a conservative Catholic Church that has played a larger role in Guatemala than Honduras in blocking priority for reproductive health; and more effective advocacy for maternal mortality reduction in Honduras than Guatemala in the face of this opposition. [source]

Popular mobilization and disaster management in Cuba

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2002
Holly Sims
Cuba has effectively implemented a system of popular mobilization and education to prepare people for such natural disasters as hurricanes. Compliance with evacuation orders is impressive. Top priority is attached to saving lives. The country's acclaimed programme accounts for the limited toll of Hurricane Michelle in November 2001, which was the most powerful storm since 1944. Five Cubans died in the storm, which wreaked havoc in Jamaica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. This article reviews recent Cuban experience in disaster preparedness, which was achieved despite material scarcity. Since the prestigious Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns of increased susceptibility to disasters in future, Cuba's record deserves wide attention. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Shipwrecks and founder effects: Divergent demographic histories reflected in Caribbean mtDNA

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2005
Antonio Salas
Abstract During the period of the Atlantic slave trade (15th,19th centuries), millions of people were forced to move from Africa to many American destinations, changing dramatically the human landscape of the Americas. Here, we analyze mitochondrial DNA from two different American populations with African ancestry, with hitherto unknown European and Native American components. On the basis of historical records, African-Americans from Chocó (Colombia) and the Garífunas (or "Black Carib") of Honduras are likely to have had very different demographic histories, with a significant founder effect in the formation of the latter. Both the common features and differences are reflected in their mtDNA composition. Both show a minor component (,16%) from Native Central/South Americans and a larger component (,84%) from sub-Saharan Africans. The latter component is very diverse in the African-Americans from Chocó, similar to that of sub-Saharan Africans, but much less so in the Garífunas, with several mtDNA types elevated to high frequency, suggesting the action of genetic drift. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

A SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION OF PIGMENT AND CERAMIC SAMPLES FROM COPÁN, HONDURAS,

PETROGRAPHIC AND STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF LATE CLASSIC ULÚA MARBLE VASES AND POTENTIAL SOURCES*

ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 1 2006
C. LUKE
Ulúa marble vases from the Ulúa Valley of northwestern Honduras are a hallmark luxury good from Late Classic (ad 600,900) Mesoamerica. Archaeological and stylistic data point to centralized production at one site, Travesía. This paper analyses stable isotope and petrographic data from the vases and three potential procurement areas. The results indicate that the vases were produced from one primary source with one, potentially two, secondary sources. Procurement patterns most probably corresponded to contemporary communication routes. The results clearly indicate that a multi-method approach is necessary for sourcing marble from Honduras. [source]

Tropical Storm Gamma and the Mosquitia of eastern Honduras: a little-known story from the 2005 hurricane season

AREA, Issue 4 2009
David M Cochran Jr
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was unprecedented in terms of storm activity in the United States, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean. Given the impacts of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Honduran Mosquitia sparked little attention despite being hit by two hurricanes and a tropical storm in 2005. This article recounts the history of these storms in the Afro-Caribbean community of Batalla, drawing from public weather advisories and testimony of local residents obtained through participatory research. We contextualise this local history with results from the first paleotempestological study undertaken in the Mosquitia to shed light on long-term risk of catastrophic storms in the region and to demonstrate the value of integrating these two research approaches. Our findings contribute to recent ethnographic research on hazards by describing how a coastal people understand and respond to tropical cyclones and how landscape change influences the vulnerability of a coastal area. Although residents have not witnessed a storm as intense as those documented in the paleotempestological record, their knowledge and perceptions show how tropical cyclones can be disasters while leaving behind no sedimentary records. The paleotempestological evidence, however, reminds us that catastrophic hurricanes have struck the Mosquitia in the past and will do so again in the future. Understanding the interactions between contemporary human perceptions and responses and long-term hurricane risk provides insight for emergency managers and local stakeholders to better prepare for such a catastrophic event. [source]

Landscape Heterogeneity and Diurnal Raptor Diversity in Honduras: The Role of Indigenous Shifting Cultivation,

BIOTROPICA, Issue 3 2001
David L. Anderson
ABSTRACT I studied the relationship between diurnal raptor diversity, density, and richness, and landscape heterogeneity in continuous primary forests and forests farmed by native Amerindians in the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve of northeastern Honduras from January to June 1996 and 1997. I estimated landscape heterogeneity,the variability in naturally occurring and/or anthropogenic habitat mosaics,by mapping the extent and distribution of five human-modified and natural habitats in 24 1 km2 survey plots. I used the Shannon index to calculate landscape heterogeneity values for the respective plots based on the proportion of total area of each habitat within each plot. Diurnal raptor surveys from canopy-emergent viewpoints in these plots resulted in 137 observations of 18 species of raptors. Four species (Coragyps atratus, Ictinia plumbea, Leucopternis albicollis, and Buteo magnirostris) differed significantly in abundance among heterogeneity classes. Raptor diversity, density, and richness all increased directly with increasing landscape heterogeneity. Landscape heterogeneity was more important in explaining differences in raptor species diversity than the presence or extent of any single habitat or combination of habitats. In contrast to previous studies, my results indicate the importance of indigenous shifting cultivation in altering the naturally occurring patterns of habitat mosaics in lowland rain forest and its effect on bird species abundance and diversity in a rain forest ecosystem. RESUMES Estudié la relación entre la diversidad, densidad y la riqueza de especies de rapaces diurnas con la heterogeinidad de paisajes en bosques primaries contínues y bosques donde practican la agricultura migratoria indígenas de la Reserva de Biósfera del Río Plátano al noreste de Honduras entre los meses de enero a junio de 1996 y 1997. Evalué la heterogeneidad de paisajes-la variabilidad en mosaicos de hábitats naturales o antropogínicos-con mapas de cinco hábitats en 24 parcelas de 1 km2. Usé el Indice de Shannon para calcular valores de la heterogeneidad de cada parcela, basado en la proporción de cada hábitat. Desde el dosel, hice conteos de rapaces en las 24 parcelas que resukaron en 137 observaciones de 18 especies. Cuatro especies (Coragyps atratus, Ictinia plumbea, Leocopternis albicollis, y Buteo magnirostris) difirieron significativamente en abundancia entre los grupos de heterogeneidad del paisaje. La diversidad, densidad y riqueza de especies aumentaron conjuntamente con la heterogeneidad del paisaje. La heterogeneidad del paisaje rue mas importante para explicar la diversidad de rapaces que la presencia o el área de cualquier hábitat o combinación de hábitats. En contraste con estudios anteriores, mis resultados sugieron la importancia de la agricultura migratoria indigena en la alteracíon de mosaicos de hábitats naturales en los bosques hiimedos bajos, y su efecto en la abundancia y diversidad de aves de un ecosistema forestal. [source]

Central America's Foreign Debt Burden and the HIPC Initiative

BULLETIN OF LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001
Gerardo Esquivel
This paper reviews the foreign debt burden in Central America with special emphasis on Honduras and Nicaragua. These countries have a large debt overhang and they have lagged behind the rest of the region in terms of economic growth. Our work suggests that Honduras and Nicaragua require alleviation of their foreign debt as a prerequisite to achieve sustained economic growth. The paper also reviews the initiative aimed at reducing the debt burden of the highly indebted poor countries (the HIPC Initiative) and evaluates alternative scenarios of debt reduction for both Honduras and Nicaragua. It ends with a critical assessment of the implications of the fiscal and openness criteria established in the HIPC Initiative. [source]