Violence With Femicide Risk: Its Effects on Women and Their Children

The objective of this study is to assess the effects that a specific type of severe violence—violence with femicide risk (VFR)—has on women’s physical and mental health, as well as the physical health of their children. I focus on Peru, a country in which 7 out of 10 women have been victims of some form of intimate partner violence. In Latin America, Peru is one of the countries with the highest rates of violence against women. Methodological gaps in the existing literature (sampling size, selection bias, and reverse causality) are covered using an important nationally representative sample (Demographic and Health Survey: N = 84,136) and the use of propensity score matching. Results show that VFR increases symptoms of depression, as well as alcohol and tobacco consumption. The children of victims of VFR had significantly more recent episodes of bloody stool, diarrhea, fever, and coughing. These effects are heterogeneous. They vary based on violence characteristics (history of sexual violence) and on victims’ socioeconomic status. According to the relevant literature, these effects can be understood to stem from somatization, stress, substance use (as a facilitator of violence), and neurological damage due to exposure to this type of violence. Results suggest VFR may have life-course altering effects given victims’ distinct coping strategies

Stripe to spot transition in a plant root hair initiation model

A generalised Schnakenberg reaction-diffusion system with source and loss terms and a spatially dependent coefficient of the nonlinear term is studied both numerically and analytically in two spatial dimensions. The system has been proposed as a model of hair initiation in the epidermal cells of plant roots. Specifically the model captures the kinetics of a small G-protein ROP, which can occur in active and inactive forms, and whose activation is believed to be mediated by a gradient of the plant hormone auxin. Here the model is made more realistic with the inclusion of a transverse co-ordinate. Localised stripe-like solutions of active ROP occur for high enough total auxin concentration and lie on a complex bifurcation diagram of single and multi-pulse solutions. Transverse stability computations, confirmed by numerical simulation show that, apart from a boundary stripe, these 1D solutions typically undergo a transverse instability into spots. The spots so formed typically drift and undergo secondary instabilities such as spot replication. A novel 2D numerical continuation analysis is performed that shows the various stable hybrid spot-like states can coexist. The parameter values studied lead to a natural singularly perturbed, so-called semi-strong interaction regime. This scaling enables an analytical explanation of the initial instability, by describing the dispersion relation of a certain non-local eigenvalue problem. The analytical results are found to agree favourably with the numerics. Possible biological implications of the results are discussed.Comment: 28 pages, 44 figure

Do criminal justice reforms reduce crime and perceived risk of crime? A quasi-experimental approach in Peru

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the new Code of Criminal Procedure (NCCP) on crime and perceived risk of crime in Peru. The progressive implementation of the NCCP allowed us to (1) use differences-in-differences (to control for the effect of time invariant characteristics) with matching estimator (to control for bias selection), and (2) to differentiate the impact based on whether the NCCP was earlier (2010) or later (2012) implemented. A large sample was used (N=445,838). The impact of NCCP was evaluated on aggregated and individual measures of crime and perceived risk of crime, including violent crime. Results show that the impact of the NCCP on crime was low and lost strength every year. Moreover, the impact is selective (it only affects some forms of crime) and differentiated (it reduces some forms of crime while increasing others). It also reduces the most common forms of crime committed with arms. On the other hand, the NCCP decreased most indicators of perceived risk of crime. Our findings point to the need to better manage the implementation of the NCCP as well as to highlight the deterioration of its impact mechanisms in time (particularly its celerity)

Sensor magneto-óptico de corriente con supresión de birrefringencia lineal mediante espejo de Faraday

Fiber optic sensors have some advantages in subjects related with electrical current and magnetic field measurement. In spite of the optical fiber utilization advantages we have to take into account undesirable effects, which are present in real non-ideal optical fibers. In telecommunication and sensor application fields the presence of inherent and induced birefringence is crucial. The presence of birefringence may cause an undesirable change in the polarization state. In order to compensate the linear birefringence a promising method has been chosen. This method employs orthogonal polarization conjugation in the back propagation direction of the light wave in the fiber. A study and a simulation of an experimental setup are realized with the advantage of a significant sensitivity improvement

Advances on the Behavior Characterization of FRP-Anchored Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Sheets Used to Strengthen Concrete Elements

Strengthening concrete structures using FRP composites is a commonly considered technology in many practical situations. The success of the strengthening intervention largely depends on adequate bond between FRP sheets and the concrete substrate. In recent years, techniques to anchor FRP sheets in applications where sheets must develop strength in a short length have been proposed. One of these techniques includes use of FRP anchors embedded into the concrete substrate and forming part of the composite strengthening system. This paper presents the results of studies conducted recently at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to advance the understanding on the behavior of FRP anchored systems

Does context matter? Examining robbery reporting in a high crime country

Most empirical studies that examine why individuals report property crimes to the police have focused on Global North countries where crime rates are low. This study is situated in the most violent area of the world, Latin America, and examines Peru, which has the highest robbery victimization rate in the Americas. This article examines the applicability of theories of crime reporting in this Global South context using a large sample and multilevel modeling. We find that trust in the police has no impact on the reporting of the robbery of one’s cellphone, purse or wallet. The theories of rational choice and Black’s stratification of law provide strong explanations for the reporting of robbery of these personal items. Individuals of higher social status and those who reside in districts with low levels of social disadvantage are more likely to report, as well as those who have experienced violent victimization

Remote Sensing Of Total Water Storage Variability During Extreme Heat Waves

Droughts and heat waves are a major hazard for food & water security, economic development, and human & ecosystem health, among others. Over the last decade, short-term but exceptional heat waves have been observed across different regions of the world, with several locations experiencing all-time maximum temperature records. While many studies have suggested that the extreme intensity of such recent events can be attributed to a changing climate, little attention has been given to the impacts on the terrestrial water balance. This work analyzes the sensitivity of total water storage to extreme heat waves since 2003 in Europe (2003), Russia, Sahel and Middle East (2010), UK (2011), USA (2012), Australia (2013). The main objectives are to: (1) explore the relationships between temperature, precipitation and total water storage variability (2) infer the response time of extreme dry spells to total water storage decline. The methodology used in this study was based on remote sensing tools such as the GRACE mission and data assimilation from land surface models. The analysis shows recurrent annual hysteresis loops in the monthly time series of climate and water storage, which imply a time lag between the occurrence of heat waves and the depletion of soil moisture and aquifer storage. Finally, the results offer the potential to provide first-order estimates of total water storage variations for large river basins and aquifers due to climate extremes

Why are property crimes reported to the police? An empirical assessment for Peru

Peru has not only one of the highest victimization rates in Latin America (24%), but also the lowest rate of reported crimes (15%) (Latinobarómetro, 2016) The purpose of this study was to identify the characteristics of the crimes and the characteristics of the individuals that predict the decision of reporting four different property crimes (burglary, auto theft, auto parts theft, and motorcycle theft). To this end, a seven-year survey of households at the national level in Peru was used (2010-2016). The estimations were made using multilevel mixed effects logistics regression, in order to control for characteristics of the environment that also influence the decision to report. Use of a weapon by the criminal is the factor that most increases the probability of reporting any of the four assessed crimes. Repeated victimization is also an important predictor, although for a lower number of crimes. Trust in the police is not associated to the decision to report. This is the first study to quantitatively analyze the factors that affect the decision to report in Peru. Its results are useful for a better understanding of the low reporting rates in the country

El liberalismo hispánico a debate: aspectos de la relación entre el primer liberalismo español y la emancipación americana

Este artículo presenta varios aspectos del liberalismo hispánico que, en opinión del autor, es importante debatir. Más específicamente, se ocupa de cuatro aspectos de la relación entre lo que el autor denomina el "primer liberalismo español " (1808-1814) y los procesos de emancipación de América. Se trata de un texto de naturaleza historiográfica que pone sobre la mesa algunos temas de historia política y de historia intelectual cuya discusión acrecienta su importancia de cara a los bicentenarios que estamos viviendo

The ambiguities of the political thought of Rosseau and the debate regarding his «influence» on some of the protagonists of the Spanish American independence movements

Este artículo muestra, en su primera mitad, algunas de las ambigüedades e inconsistencias más importantes del pensamiento político de Rousseau. En la segunda, revisa la historiografía que se ha ocupado de la supuesta influencia de este pensamiento sobre algunos de los protagonistas de los movimientos hispanoamericanos de independencia. La conclusión del artículo es que dicha «influencia» es mucho menor de lo que varios historiadores han afirmado.This article shows, on its first half, some of the more important ambiguities and inconsistencies of the political thought of Rousseau. In its second half, it reviews the historiography that has dealt with the purported «influence» of this thought over some of the protagonists of the Spanish American independence movements. The conclusion of the article is that this «influence» is much less than what several historians have asserted