Open Access Books from the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes

Amphibians and reptiles of Aguascalientes

Gustavo Ernesto Quintero Díaz — 2025-11-28

Latest electronic edition of the book Amphibians and Reptiles of Aguascalientes. The first edition, published in 1997, featured 14 species of amphibians and 41 species of reptiles. In 2005, the second edition featured 16 amphibians and 55 reptiles. This edition presents 22 species of amphibians, grouped into 13 genera, and 74 species of reptiles, classified into 39 genera, that inhabit the state; together, these two groups total 96 species. Of the 22 amphibian species, 13 are endemic to Mexico (59.09%); one is microendemic to the center of the country: the highland burrowing frog (Smilisca dentata). In this work, the authors present the conservation status of amphibian and reptile species based on three systems: the Official Mexican Standard (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010), the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVS).

Some species of amphibians and reptiles require conservation measures to prevent their local extinction. Let us remember their importance as pest controllers, as they provide an important service in the nutrient cycle and form an important part of food chains, since most species feed on large quantities of insects that plague crops, such as grasshoppers, crickets, butterflies, flies, mosquitoes, bedbugs, and ants, among many others. Some species present or produce various substances, whose compounds are extracted for the production of medicines, such as treatments for schizophrenia, strokes, depression, and seizures; they are also used to treat infected ulcers in people with diabetes. They are bioindicators of environmental quality and ecosystem quality; however, due to increasingly rapid pollution, amphibians unfortunately face a serious threat to their survival.

Many of the myths that cause the death of numerous species of amphibians and reptiles arise from attributing qualities to them that they do not possess, misguided beliefs that are deeply rooted in Aguascalientes society regardless of social status or level of education, including among education professionals. Added to this is the trafficking of species, due to their high value on the black market, the death we cause them by running them over, considering them poisonous, or simply out of ignorance. Therefore, this book aims to share information about the natural history of the species that inhabit our state, in order to use this information to devise conservation strategies for the most vulnerable species, and to raise awareness that their presence on the planet is essential for the survival of humanity itself. This book is an invitation to all of you, readers, to enter an incredible world of living beings that have undergone millions of years of evolution.

An adventure called theater and public entertainment (Aguascalientes 1900-1925)

Julieta Carolina Orduña Guzmán — 2025-11-13

To continue the history of theater and public entertainment in Aguascalientes that the authors wrote about in the 19th century, this edition covers the period from 1900 to 1925, a quarter of a century that contains various historical pieces extracted from newspapers, public and personal archives, town council minutes, interviews, and more, which together make up the cultural and theatrical mosaic of the entity to collect the collective memory of this era.

In these chronological texts, we see the gradual evolution of a picturesque city and its region, recreating the life of the population of Aguascalientes at the beginning of the 20th century, which had many cultural peculiarities, as nomadic companies mainly from the country's capital arrived in the heart of Mexico and local artists were present to entertain the conservative society that lived through this historic moment. There was a great desire to have fun with the short form, opera, lyrical-dramatic companies, zarzuela, religious performances, cinema, circus, music, literary evenings, dances, musical revues, animal shows, among other varieties. The emergence of theatrical agencies, sharp critics, and figures who hired artists for different venues is also described.

A century after independence and during the revolutionary and post-revolutionary periods, citizens had no time for entertainment. As a result, we see the decline and disappearance of the género chico, as well as the absence of theatrical and stage performances (1910-1920) and cinema; cultural activity was lacking. However, we see how many artists sought to bring a little joy and entertainment to families so that they could forget, during their performances, the critical moment they were going through.

This book aims to serve as a guiding light for those individuals and generations interested in the history of theater in Aguascalientes, as well as a reference point for others who decide to do the same in their own communities, where theater has surely left an indelible mark worthy of being told.

Hair everywhere

Adameck Abraham Hernández Collazo — 2025-11-11

Throughout the following pages, Adameck presents us with his comprehensive proposal for understanding something that is ubiquitous in his field of expertise, dermatology: hair. He does so from a cultured and meticulous perspective, drawing on his vast knowledge and passion.

Hair everywhere is much more than a dermatologist talking about hair; it is an invitation to embark on a journey of knowledge and reflection through human anatomy and the anatomy of history, where hair is not just a pretext, but a necessary starting point because, as you will see by the end of this book, hair is everywhere.

Such is the liberating magic of this work, which invites us to journey through different stages of understanding hair. Individually and collectively, these stages form a single story, as they are part of a cycle. And what better way to immerse ourselves in the experience than in the company of Dr. Hernández Collazo, a physician, artist, and sensory being.

Anyone who begins reading this work is about to embark on a cyclical and dizzying experience that, through its 23 chapters, will take them through all the phases of hair for human knowledge: biological, scientific, intellectual, and sensory.

The destruction of libraries and other essays

Luis Roberto Bolaños Godoy — 2025-11-07

The destruction of libraries and other essays is a collection of miscellaneous literary essays in which personal reflection engages in dialogue with literature and the arts, based on specific aspects of everyday life and culture. The formal diversity of the texts ranges from the traditional essay (as conceived by Michel de Montaigne) to autobiographical texts, more conceptual or experimental proposals, and even aphorisms.

The text entitled "The Essay as Syntax" was originally published in July 2018 on the Tierra Adentro website. The text "The Limits of the Flesh" was published in issue 55 of Rio Grande Review magazine, dedicated to "Illness." Finally, "Nostalgia for Machines" was included in the anthology Ciudades aprehendidas y otros apegos. Ensayo literario joven en México (Veracruz Literary Institute, 2019). The rest of the texts had remained unpublished until now. This entire book was written during the author's stay as a fellow of the Fundación para las Letras Mexicanas from 2017 to 2019.

Social-business interactions

Neftalí Parga Montoya — 2025-11-07

The coordination of this text is part of the Consolidated Academic Body for Competitiveness and Value Chain, which is committed to the dissemination of science from a holistic approach that considers the needs of the social sciences. In this sense, it is understood that the social sciences emerge as a response to redefine, understand, and serve society. In the economic and administrative sciences, researchers are increasingly adopting innovative approaches to economic studies, including the ethics of economic activities, a focus on social responsibility, discussion of inequality, and analysis of new forms of cultural, social, or environmental exploitation to contribute to the sustainable development of territories. This book therefore offers readers the opportunity to learn about theoretical discussions, analysis of results, experiences, and work carried out by various universities in the region, all with the common interest of offering a different perspective in the field of business sciences.

The first chapter, by María del Carmen Bautista Sánchez and María del Carmen Martínez Serna, aims to provide a theoretical analysis of fiscal ethics, including tax morality and fiscal awareness. In the second chapter, Karina Montiel González takes a philosophical approach to the concept of corporate social responsibility. In the third chapter, Neftalí Parga Montoya and Karina Montiel González analyze the intentions of students at higher education institutions in the state of Aguascalientes to develop social enterprises. In the fourth chapter, Araceli Alvarado Carrillo and Irery Lizbeth Melchor Durán present a gender-based study on women entrepreneurs' access to financing in the manufacturing industry in the state of Aguascalientes. In the fifth chapter, Karina Guadalupe López Valenzuela, María de los Ángeles Silva Olvera, Lorena Patricia Bojórquez Guerrero, and Neftalí Parga Montoya analyze the relationship between performance and innovation in temporary accommodations in two municipalities in the state of Aguascalientes belonging to the Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) program, whose objective is to promote community development in rural areas of the country. Finally, Carlos Eduardo Romo Bacco, María del Carmen Montoya Landeros, and Héctor Abraham Cortés Palacios present an overview of the chili pepper value chain in Aguascalientes, with a vision that encompasses the three stages of the production chain: primary production, coordination with industry, and marketing of agricultural products.