Sectorial Economic Growth and Employment in Mexico, 1996-2001

This paper shows the results from a study of the impact of sectorial economic growth on unemployment in Mexico for 1996-2001, by applying a disaggregate approach on data from the National Employment Survey (Encuesta Nacional de Empleo). The paper includes a discussion of the theoretical aspects of the sectorial contributions to growth (emphasizing the case of agriculture), as well as of the relationship between production and employment and the working of labor markets, but also describes the recent evolution of unemployment in Mexico. The core of the paper rests upon the analysis of panel data to estimate the open unemployment rate; it also includes the study of regional urban/rural growth through the analysis of unemployment in different sectors for ten different mexican regions. The results from the estimations at the regional level show that unemployment in Mexico has a statistically significant negative effect on sectorial economic growth. Also, evidence was found suggesting that promoting sectorial-regional (urban/rural) growth is an effective way to reduce unemployment. The paper, which is divided into five sections and draws upon some previous work on Okun’s law, also shows the impact that growth among economic activities within sectors has upon unemployment for the period.Sectorial Growth, Unemployment, Okun’s Law, Panel Data, National Employment Survey

Acción biocida del jugo de fique (Furcraea gigantea Vent.) sobre Colletotrichum gloeosporioides aislado de tomate de árbol (Solanum betaceum Cav.)

The biocidal action of fique juice on the phytopathogen C. gloeosporioides, which causes anthracnose in tamarillo fruit was evaluated. Concentrations of 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000 μg mL-1 amended in the PDA culture medium were analyzed and tree levels of fermentation which were 0, 4 and 8 days. Mycelial discs of 1.1 cm in diameter were placed in different experimental units and the in vitro growth area was measured after a period of 8 days using the ImageJ software. Only statistically significant differences (P<0.05) occurred between concentrations and between the interaction of two factors. The Maximum inhibition of the pathogen was obtained by using a concentration of 100,000 μg mL-1 and 8 days of fermentation

On the Distribution of Stellar Masses in Gamma-ray Burst Host Galaxies

We analyze Spitzer images of 30 long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies. We estimate their total stellar masses (M_*) based on the rest-frame K-band luminosities (L_K_(rest)) and constrain their star formation rates (SFRs; not corrected for dust extinction) based on the rest-frame UV continua. Further, we compute a mean M_*/ L_K_(rest) = 0.45 M_☉/L_☉. We find that the hosts are low M_*, star-forming systems. The median M_* in our sample ( = 10^(9.7) M_☉) is lower than that of "field" galaxies (e.g., Gemini Deep Deep Survey). The range spanned by M_* is 10^7 M_☉ < M_* < 10^(11) M_☉, while the range spanned by the dust-uncorrected UV SFR is 10^(–2) M_☉ yr^(–1) < SFR < 10 M_☉ yr^(–1). There is no evidence for intrinsic evolution in the distribution of M_* with redshift. We show that extinction by dust must be present in at least 25% of the GRB hosts in our sample and suggest that this is a way to reconcile our finding of a relatively lower UV-based, specific SFR (φ ≡ SFR/M_*) with previous claims that GRBs have some of the highest φ values. We also examine the effect that the inability to resolve the star-forming regions in the hosts has on φ

Comparing Antibiotic Self-Medication in Two Socio-Economic Groups in Guatemala City: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Background Self-medication with antibiotics may result in antimicrobial resistance and its high prevalence is of particular concern in Low to Middle Income Countries (LMIC) like Guatemala. A better understanding of self-medication with antibiotics may represent an opportunity to develop interventions guiding the rational use of antibiotics. We aimed to compare the magnitude of antibiotic self-medication and the characteristics of those who self-medicate in two pharmacies serving disparate socio-economic communities in Guatemala City. Methods We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study in one Suburban pharmacy and one City Center pharmacy in Guatemala City. We used a questionnaire to gather information about frequency of self-medication, income and education of those who self-medicate. We compared proportions between the two pharmacies, using two-sample z-test as appropriate. Results Four hundred and eighteen respondents completed the survey (221 in the Suburban pharmacy and 197 in the City Center pharmacy). Most respondents in both pharmacies were female (70%). The reported monthly income in the suburban pharmacy was between $1,250.00-$2,500.00, the city-center pharmacy reported a monthly income between $125.00-$625.00 (p \u3c 0.01). Twenty three percent of Suburban pharmacy respondents and 3% in the City Center pharmacy completed high school (p \u3c 0.01). Proportion of self-medication was 79% in the Suburban pharmacy and 77% in City Center pharmacy. In both settings, amoxicillin was reported as the antibiotic most commonly used. Conclusions High proportions of self-medication with antibiotics were reported in two pharmacies serving disparate socio-economic groups in Guatemala City. Additionally, self-medicating respondents were most often women and most commonly self-medicated with amoxicillin. Our findings support future public health interventions centered on the regulation of antibiotic sales and on the potential role of the pharmacist in guiding prescription with antibiotics in Guatemala

A nearby GRB host prototype for z~7 Lyman-break galaxies: Spitzer-IRS and X-shooter spectroscopy of the host galaxy of GRB031203

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies have been studied extensively in optical photometry and spectroscopy. Here we present the first mid-infrared spectrum of a GRB host, HG031203. It is one of the nearest GRB hosts at z=0.1055, allowing both low and high-resolution spectroscopy with Spitzer-IRS. Medium resolution UV-to-K-band spectroscopy with the X-shooter spectrograph on the VLT is also presented, along with Spitzer IRAC and MIPS photometry, as well as radio and sub-mm observations. These data allow us to construct a UV-to-radio spectral energy distribution with almost complete spectroscopic coverage from 0.3-35 micron of a GRB host galaxy for the first time, potentially valuable as a template for future model comparisons. The IRS spectra show strong, high-ionisation fine structure line emission indicative of a hard radiation field in the galaxy, suggestive of strong ongoing star-formation and a very young stellar population. The selection of HG031203 via the presence of a GRB suggests that it might be a useful analogue of very young star-forming galaxies in the early universe, and hints that local BCDs may be used as more reliable analogues of star-formation in the early universe than typical local starbursts. We look at the current debate on the ages of the dominant stellar populations in z~7 and z~8 galaxies in this context. The nebular line emission is so strong in HG031203, that at z~7, it can reproduce the spectral energy distributions of z-band dropout galaxies with elevated IRAC 3.6 and 4.5 micron fluxes without the need to invoke a 4000A break.Comment: Published in ApJ. 9 pages, 6 figures, emulateapj styl

Analysis of scientic social networks participating in the : XI National and IV International meeting of animal and veterinary sciences – ENICIP

ABSTRACT: The XI National and IV International meeting of animal and veterinary sciences (ENICIP) has been gathering researchers to socialize their advances to the scientific community since 1989. It is perceived in this meeting the presence of wide relations among researchers and institutions in the different areas of animal and veterinary science. Objective: to identify the social networking of scientific productivity in the areas of the animal and veterinary sciences. Methods: data from the authors that submitted research papers to ENICIP 2011 was collected. A matrix array for papers by author, papers by topic and authors by topic was used. The arrays were analyzed with UCINET® software. Results: 1270 researchers submitted 560 abstracts in 20 different areas. The areas with highest participation of researchers were animal nutrition and feeding (252), epidemiology and public health (153) and pastures and silvopastoral systems (131). The areas with the highest number of submitted abstracts were animal nutrition and feeding (103), animal breeding and genetics (53) and pastures and silvopastoral systems (48). Solid clusters between researchers, and new researchers with high productivity, but low social relations were found. Conclusion: the scientific communities in agricultural sciences shows high interrelationship among its different areas; nevertheless higher interrelationship among researchers from different institutions would be advantageous.RESUMEN: El Encuentro Nacional e Internacional de Investigadores de las Ciencias Pecuarias (ENICIP) reúne desde 1989 a investigadores que socializan sus resultados ante la comunidad científica. En este encuentro se percibe que existe una amplia relación entre investigadores e instituciones en las distintas áreas del conocimiento pecuario. Objetivo: Identificar redes sociales colombianas de productividad científica en las temáticas pecuarias. Métodos: se utilizó la información de autores que presentaron trabajos de investigación en el Enicip 2011. Se utilizó un arreglo matricial por artículos por autor, artículos por temática y autores por temática. Las matrices fueron analizadas con el software UCINET®. Resultados: 1270 investigadores presentaron 560 resúmenes en 20 temáticas. La temáticas de mayor participación con investigadores fueron: nutrición (252), Epidemiología y salud pública (153) y Pastos y sistemas silvopastoriles (131); y las temáticas con mayor número de artículos fueron: Nutrición y alimentación (103), Genética y Mejoramiento (53) y Pastos y Sistemas Sivopastoriles (48). Se encontró que existen relaciones fuertemente establecidas e investigadores nuevos con alta productividad y con baja relación social. Conclusión: la comunidad científica pecuaria de Colombia presenta una alta interrelación social en sus diferentes áreas del conocimiento; sin embargo, aún falta una mayor interrelación entre los investigadores de las distintas instituciones

Optical and Radio observations of the bright GRB010222 afterglow: evidence for rapid synchrotron cooling?

We report photometric observations of the optical afterglow of GRB010222 in V,R and I passbands carried out at UPSO, Naini Tal between 22-27 Feb 2001. We determine CCD Johnson BV and Cousins RI photometric magnitudes for 31 stars in the field of GRB010222 and use them to calibrate our measurements as well as other published BVRI photometric magnitudes of GRB010222 afterglow. We construct the light curve in V,R,I passbands and from a broken power-law fit determine the decay indices of 0.74+/-0.05 and 1.35+/-0.04 before and after the break at 0.7 days. Using reported X-ray flux measurements at 0.35 and 9.13 days after the burst we determine X-ray to opt/IR spectral index of 0.61+/-0.02 and 0.75+/-0.02 on these two days. We also report upper limits to the radio flux obtained from the RATAN-600 telescope and the GMRT, and millimeter-wave upper limits obtained from the Plateau de Bure Millimeter interferometer. We argue that the synchrotron cooling frequency is below the optical band for most of the observing period. We also estimate an initial jet opening angle of about 2.0n^(1/8) degrees, where n is the number density of the ambient medium.Comment: 16 pages, 4 postscript figures, minor revisions according to referee's comments, millimeter upper limit added, accepted for publication in Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of Indi

Recent advances of synthesis of Boron derivatives and their applications in bioimaging

The increasing interest in the luminescent boron materials is due to their potential application in diverse areas such as solar cells, optoelectronic devices, and biological imaging materials. Continuous search for the compounds with better properties, luminescent organoboron materials have been gaining more importance, especially in the development of new technologies and novel techniques for bioimaging, which is a powerful tool to analyze the cellular organelles with important value into the cell biology and medical research. Synthesis, properties, and applications of luminescent boron compounds and their application in bioimaging are reviewed.

Factors Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease of Non-Traditional Causes Among Children in Guatemala

Objective. To identify factors associated with chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes among children in Guatemala. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. The study population was all pediatric patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease active in FUNDANIER’s pediatric nephrology unit (N = 156). Simple random sampling led to a total of 100 participants. Data collection consisted of a questionnaire addressing individual and household characteristics, access and utilization of health care, and place of residence when the disease began. Chronic kidney disease etiology was obtained from medical records. Municipality-level secondary data were collected. Descriptive statistics were estimated. Logistic regression was used for bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results. The odds ratio (OR) for almost all variables approached 1. Notable exceptions in household characteristics were mother’s education level up to primary school (OR 2.2727) and living in an urban setting when symptoms began (OR 0.4035). Exceptions in municipal characteristics are zones with intensive small-scale agriculture (OR 3.8923) and those with intensive large-scale agriculture (OR 0.3338). P-values and confidence intervals show that the sample was not big enough to capture statistically significant associations between variables. Conclusions. Study findings suggest that factors associated with chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes among children in Guatemala are intensive agricultural practices in their municipality of residence, and mother’s level of education. Future research in children could use case-control designs or population-based studies in agricultural communities. Public health interventions that involve kidney function screening among children are recommended. Objetivo. Determinar los factores asociados a la enfermedad renal crónica por causas no tradicionales en niños en Guatemala. Métodos. Se realizó una encuesta transversal. La población de estudio fue la totalidad de pacientes pediátricos con enfermedad renal crónica en fase 5 ingresados en la unidad de nefrología pediátrica de Fundanier (N = 156). Mediante el muestreo aleatorio simple se dispuso de un total de 100 participantes. La recopilación de datos consistió en un cuestionario que abordaba las características individuales y del hogar, el acceso y el uso de la atención de salud y el lugar de residencia al inicio de la enfermedad. La etiología de la enfermedad renal crónica se obtuvo a partir de los expedientes médicos y los datos secundarios se recopilaron a nivel municipal. Se calcularon las estadísticas descriptivas y se empleó el método de regresión logística para el análisis bifactorial y multifactorial. Resultados. La razón de posibilidades (OR) se aproximó a 1 en casi todas las variables. Dos excepciones destacables en lo relativo a las características domésticas fueron el nivel de escolaridad de la madre hasta la educación primaria (OR 2,2727) y el lugar de residencia en un entorno urbano en la aparición de los síntomas (OR 0,4035). Las excepciones con respecto a las características municipales fueron las zonas de agricultura intensiva a pequeña escala (OR 3,8923) y las zonas de agricultura intensiva a gran escala (OR 0,3338). Los valores P y los intervalos de confianza indican que la muestra no fue lo suficientemente amplia para recoger las asociaciones estadísticamente significativas entre variables. Conclusiones. Los resultados del estudio sugieren que los factores asociados a la enfermedad renal crónica por causas no tradicionales en niños en Guatemala son las prácticas agrícolas intensivas en el municipio de residencia y el nivel de escolaridad de la madre. Las futuras investigaciones con niños podrían incluir el diseño de casos o los estudios poblacionales en comunidades agrícolas. Se recomiendan intervenciones de salud pública que incorporen el tamizaje de la función renal en niños. Objetivo. Identificar os fatores associados a doença renal crônica de etiologia não tradicional em crianças na Guatemala. Métodos. Foi realizado um estudo transversal em uma população que consistiu de todos os pacientes pediátricos com doença renal crônica ativa em estágio 5 atendidos na unidade de nefrologia pediátrica da Fundación para el Niño Enfermo Renal (FUNDANIER) (N = 156). O processo de amostragem aleatória simples determinou a obtenção de uma amostra com 100 participantes. Um questionário foi usado para a coleta de dados sobre as características pessoais e familiares dos participantes, acesso à assistência de saúde e utilização de serviços e local de residência ao início da doença. Informação sobre a etiologia da doença renal crônica foi obtida dos prontuários médicos. Também foram coletados dados secundários ao nível da localidade. Estatísticas descritivas foram estimadas e um modelo de regressão logística foi usado nas análises bivariada e multivariada. Resultados. As razões de chance (odds ratio, OR) de quase todas as variáveis se aproximaram de 1. As exceções nas variáveis relativas às características familiares foram escolaridade da mãe de nível fundamental (OR 2,2727) e residir em área urbana ao início dos sintomas (OR 0,4035). As exceções nas variáveis ao nível municipal foram áreas de agricultura intensiva em pequena escala (OR 3,8923) e em grande escala (OR 0,3338). Os valores de p e os intervalos de confiança indicam que o tamanho da amostra não foi grande o suficiente para detectar associações estatisticamente significativas entre as variáveis. Conclusões. O estudo demonstrou que práticas agrícolas intensivas na localidade de residência e nível de escolaridade da mãe são fatores associados a doença renal crônica de etiologia não tradicional em crianças na Guatemala. Outros estudos em crianças devem ser realizados como estudos de caso-controle ou estudos populacionais em comunidades agrícolas. Recomendam-se também intervenções de saúde pública com a avaliação preventiva da função renal em crianças