Educational mobility across generations and depressive symptoms over 10 years among US latinos

Few studies have collected intergenerational data to assess the association between educational mobility across multiple generations and offspring depression. Using data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (1998-2008), we assessed the influence of intergenerational education on depressive symptoms over 10 years among 1,786 Latino individuals (mean age = 70.6 years). Educational mobility was classified as stable-low (low parental/low offspring education), upwardly mobile (low parental/high offspring education), stable-high (high parental/ high offspring education), or downwardly mobile (high parental/low offspring education). Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D); higher scores indicated more depressive symptoms. To quantify the association between educational mobility and CES-D scores over follow-up, we used generalized estimating equations to account for repeated CES-D measurements and adjusted for identified confounders. Within individuals, depressive symptoms remained relatively stable over follow-up. Compared with stable-low education, stable-high education and upward mobility were associated with significantly lower CES-D scores (β = -2.75 and -2.18, respectively). Downwardly mobile participants had slightly lower CES-D scores than stable-low participants (β = -0.77). Our results suggest that sustained, low educational attainment across generations may have adverse mental health consequences, and improved educational opportunities in underresourced communitiesmay counteract the adverse influence of low parental education on Latino depression

Neighborhood language isolation and depressive symptoms among elderly U.S. Latinos

Purpose: Neighborhood segregation related to cultural factors, such as language use, may influence elderly Latino depression. We examined the association between neighborhood-level Spanish language segregation and individual depressive symptoms among elderly Latinos. Methods: We linked U.S. Census language use data with geocoded population-based data from 1789 elderly Latinos (mean age = 70.6 years) participating in the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (1998–2008). Neighborhood language segregation was measured with the Index of Concentration at the Extremes, which demonstrates the extent to which residents are concentrated at extremes of deprivation and privilege. We fit two-level generalized linear-mixed models with random intercepts for census tracts to quantify the association between neighborhood-level language segregation and depressive symptoms, adjusting for identified confounders. Results: After adjusting for age, sex, and nativity, residents of highly segregated Spanish-speaking neighborhoods had more depressive symptoms than those in highly segregated English-only-speaking neighborhoods (β = −4.410; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −6.851 to −1.970). This association was largely attenuated upon adjustment for individual-level education (β = −2.119; 95% CI = −4.650 to 0.413). Conclusions: Linguistically segregated communities may benefit from targeted outreach given the high depression prevalence in these neighborhoods. Furthermore, our findings suggest that limited access to fundamental social protections, such as education, may drive the segregation-depression association among U.S. Latinos. © 2018 Elsevier Inc

Early, regular breast-milk pumping may lead to early breast-milk feeding cessation

Objective To estimate the effect of early, regular breast-milk pumping on time to breast-milk feeding (BMF) and exclusive BMF cessation, for working and non-working women.Design Using the Infant Feeding Practices Survey II (IFPS II), we estimated weighted hazard ratios (HR) for the effect of regular pumping (participant defined) compared with non-regular/not pumping, reported at month 2, on both time to BMF cessation (to 12 months) and time to exclusive BMF cessation (to 6 months), using inverse probability weights to control confounding.Setting USA, 2005-2007.Subjects BMF (n 1624) and exclusively BMF (n 971) IFPS II participants at month 2.Results The weighted HR for time to BMF cessation was 1·62 (95 % CI 1·47, 1·78) and for time to exclusive BMF cessation was 1·14 (95 % CI 1·03, 1·25). Among non-working women, the weighted HR for time to BMF cessation was 2·05 (95 % CI 1·84, 2·28) and for time to exclusive BMF cessation was 1·10 (95 % CI 0·98, 1·22). Among working women, the weighted HR for time to BMF cessation was 0·90 (95 % CI 0·75, 1·07) and for time to exclusive BMF cessation was 1·14 (95 % CI 0·96, 1·36).Conclusions Overall, regular pumpers were more likely to stop BMF and exclusive BMF than non-regular/non-pumpers. Non-working regular pumpers were more likely than non-regular/non-pumpers to stop BMF. There was no effect among working women. Early, regular pumpers may need specialized support to maintain BMF

Some Findings Concerning Requirements in Agile Methodologies

gile methods have appeared as an attractive alternative to conventional methodologies. These methods try to reduce the time to market and, indirectly, the cost of the product through flexible development and deep customer involvement. The processes related to requirements have been extensively studied in literature, in most cases in the frame of conventional methods. However, conclusions of conventional methodologies could not be necessarily valid for Agile; in some issues, conventional and Agile processes are radically different. As recent surveys report, inadequate project requirements is one of the most conflictive issues in agile approaches and better understanding about this is needed. This paper describes some findings concerning requirements activities in a project developed under an agile methodology. The project intended to evolve an existing product and, therefore, some background information was available. The major difficulties encountered were related to non-functional needs and management of requirements dependencies

Evidence for a novel functional role of cannabinoid CB2 receptors in the thalamus of neuropathic rats

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors have analgesic effects in models of neuropathic pain, but can also produce psychoactive side-effects. A supraspinal location of CB2 receptors has recently been described. CB2 agonists are also antinociceptive, although the functional role of supraspinal CB2 receptors in the control of nociception is unknown. Herein, we provide evidence that CB2 receptors in the thalamus play a functional role in the modulation of responses of neurons in the ventral posterior nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus in neuropathic, but not sham-operated, rats. Spontaneous and mechanically evoked activity of VPL neurons was recorded with a multichannel electrode array in anaesthetized spinal nerve-ligated (SNL) rats and compared to sham-operated rats. Intra-VPL administration of the CB2 agonist JWH-133 (30 ng in 500 nL) significantly reduced spontaneous (P < 0.05), non-noxious (P < 0.001) and noxious (P < 0.01) mechanically evoked responses of VPL neurons in SNL rats, but not in sham-operated rats. Inhibitory effects of JWH-133 on spontaneous (P < 0.01) and noxious-evoked (P < 0.001) responses of neurons were blocked by the CB2 antagonist SR144528. Local administration of SR144528 alone did not alter spontaneous or evoked responses of VPL neurons, but increased burst activity of VPL neurons in SNL rats. There were, however, no differences in levels of the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2AG in the thalamus of SNL and sham-operated rats. These data suggest that supraspinal CB2 receptors in the thalamus may contribute to the modulation of neuropathic pain responses

Patterns of black and white hysterectomy incidence among reproductive aged women

Objective: To investigate the intersection of race and economic context in treatment with hysterectomy among reproductive aged women with noncancerous gynecologic conditions. Data Sources: We combined administrative billing records of inpatient and outpatient hysterectomy procedures (N = 28 301) occurring in North Carolina between 2011 and 2014 with census data to calculate county-level hysterectomy rates. Study Design: Spatial analysis techniques examined the distribution of black and white hysterectomy rates across counties, and county-level black and white rate differences were compared across economic contexts. Data Collection/Extraction: We restricted to those of premenopausal age identifying as non-Hispanic black or white, undergoing hysterectomy for nonemergent causes (N = 28 301 procedures). Principal Findings: County-level hysterectomy rates were spatially patterned (Moran's I, P .05 and 10/10 000 PY, P >.05, respectively). Conclusion: Socioeconomic context is important to understand, particularly for black-white disparities in hysterectomy. Efforts should be made to understand the causes of higher rates of hysterectomy among blacks than whites, especially in counties in the highest economic tier

Integrating Surveillance Data to Estimate Race/Ethnicity-specific Hysterectomy Inequalities among Reproductive-aged Women: Who's at Risk?

Background: Inequalities by race and ethnicity in hysterectomy for noncancerous conditions suggest that some subgroups may be shouldering an unfair burden of procedure-associated negative health impacts. We aimed to estimate race- A nd ethnicity-specific rates in contemporary hysterectomy incidence that address three challenges in the literature: Exclusion of outpatient procedures, no hysterectomy prevalence adjustment, and paucity of non-White and non-Black estimates. Methods: We used surveillance data capturing all inpatient and outpatient hysterectomy procedures performed in North Carolina from 2011 to 2014 (N = 30,429). Integrating data from the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System and US Census population estimates, we calculated prevalence-corrected hysterectomy incidence rates and differences by race and ethnicity. Results: Prevalence-corrected estimates show that non-Hispanic (nH) Blacks (62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 61, 63) and nH American Indians (85, 95% CI = 79, 93) per 10,000 person-years (PY) had higher rates, compared with nH Whites (45 [95% CI = 45, 46] per 10,000 PY), while Hispanic (20, 95% CI = 20, 21) and nH Asian/Pacific Islander rates (8, 95% CI = 8.0, 8.2) per 10,000 PY were lower than nH Whites. Conclusion: Through strategic surveillance data use and application of bias correction methods, we demonstrate wide differences in hysterectomy incidence by race and ethnicity. See video abstract at, http://links.lww.com/EDE/B657

Mass probation: Temporal and geographic correlation of county-level probation rates & mental health in North Carolina

High community incarceration rates are associated with worse community mental health. However, it remains unknown whether higher rates of probation, a form of criminal legal community supervision, are similarly associated with worse community mental health. Our objective was to evaluate temporal and geographic correlations of county-level probation and mental health rates separately and to assess the association between county-level probation and mental health rates, measured by self-inflicted injury and suicide. We performed ecological analyses using North Carolina administrative data (2009–2019) and used repeated cross-section, multivariable spatial error models. From 2009 to 2019, probation rates trended downward while self-inflicted injury and suicide remained stable. We found positive spatial autocorrelation suggesting that there are spatial determinants of probation and self-harm, though less so for suicide. Hot spot analyses showed local variation with high self-harm and suicide rates being clustered in rural Western North Carolina and high probation rates being clustered in rural Eastern North Carolina. Probation was positively associated with self-inflicted injury and suicide. For example, in 2018, a 1 percentage point increase in probation was associated with a 0.05 percentage point increase in self-harm in 2019 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.06), meaning that in a county of 100,000 people, an increase in 1000 county residents being on probation would be associated with an increase in 50 self-harm injuries. High county-level probation rates may exert collateral damage on the mental health of those living in areas with much of the population under state control. These findings emphasize that the criminal legal system is not separate from communities and that future public health research and advocacy must consider these collateral consequences of probation on communities

IMPACTS OF REDUCING CONDITIONS IN THE SATURATED ZONE AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN

Variations in groundwater redox chemistry in the saturated zone near Yucca Mountain could have significant repository to the accessible environment. This study examines geochemical data relevant to the distribution of redox impacts on processes associated with the potential transport of redox-sensitive radionuclides from the proposed conditions in the saturated zone, the relationships between redox state and solubility and sorption coefficients for technetium and neptunium, and sensitivity in transport model simulations. Results indicate evidence for a zone of reducing conditions in the volcanic rocks of the saturated zone located to the east and south of the repository and along the inferred flow paths from the repository. A working hypothesis is that these reducing conditions are related to the presence of minor pyrite in the matrix of some volcanic units. Chemical equilibrium modeling of technetium solubility using EQ3/6 software codes is used to estimate the value of solubility limits as a function of Eh. Surface complexation modeling with the EQ3 code is used to estimate neptunium sorption coefficient values as a function of Eh. A general analytical approach, one-dimensional reactive transport modeling, and the three-dimensional saturated zone site-scale transport model using the FEHM software code are used to evaluate the impacts of solubility limits and enhanced sorption in reducing zones on the simulated transport of technetium and neptunium in the saturated zone. Results show that if precipitation occurs in response to flow through a reducing zone, then the peak concentration released to the accessible environment will be restricted to the solubility limit. Simulations also show that enhanced sorption within a reducing zone of modest width leads to significantly greater retardation of radionuclides in the saturated zone

Double-Spin Asymmetry in the Cross Section for Exclusive rho^0 Production in Lepton-Proton Scattering

Evidence for a positive longitudinal double-spin asymmetry = 0.24 +-0.11 (stat) +-0.02 (syst) in the cross section for exclusive diffractive rho^0(770) vector meson production in polarised lepton-proton scattering was observed by the HERMES experiment. The longitudinally polarised 27.56 GeV HERA positron beam was scattered off a longitudinally polarised pure hydrogen gas target. The average invariant mass of the photon-proton system has a value of = 4.9 GeV, while the average negative squared four-momentum of the virtual photon is = 1.7 GeV^2. The ratio of the present result to the corresponding spin asymmetry in inclusive deep-inelastic scattering is in agreement with an early theoretical prediction based on the generalised vector meson dominance model.Comment: 10 pages, 4 embedded figures, LaTe