The Motivations and Experiences of Mexican Americans in the U.S. Marine Corps: An Intersectional Analysis

As one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups in the United States, Mexican Americans are reshaping the major institutions of American life, including the military. The Mexican American military population, although still underrepresented when compared to their presence in the American population generally, is a growing ethnic group. Although growth is occurring across the services, Mexican Americans have a large presence in the U.S. Marine Corps, a trend unlike the military behavior of African Americans, the next largest minority group in the military. This trend holds for both Mexican American men and women, even though the Marine Corps is the most combat-oriented of the service branches and the service branch with the lowest proportion of occupations open to women. Using an intersectional approach and through in-depth interviews of Mexican American men and women serving in the Marine Corps, I examine the personal characteristics, motivations, and experiences that are associated with the decision to join the Marine Corps. I argue that Mexican American Marines, regardless of gender, share common motivations for service grounded in the intersection of their common ethnicity and socioeconomic position. However, while the majority of respondents were drawn to the military because of occupational considerations, I also argue that they felt a connection to the Marine Corps because of its more institutional nature, which intermeshed well with their own individual values. I also compare the experiences of the respondents while in the service. In regard to ethnicity, the majority of respondents discussed the large number of Hispanics in the Marine Corps, even as they noted stratification in the population. They did not view themselves as a minority, but as a population growing in size and influence. These commonalities decline with the application of an intersectional analysis, as gender becomes the most salient and divisive characteristic. Despite their diversity, the women were considered a unified category and as a token population, their proportions shaped the group culture in predictable, visible ways. I conclude by discussing how lived experiences are not only shaped by one's social characteristics, but by the social institutions in which one operates

Anti-Counterfeiting Strategy Unfolded A Closer Look to the Case of a Large Multinational Manufacturer

We examine in detail how one large mobile phone manufacturer develops its anti-counterfeit strategy and seizes counterfeit products on the market. We couple qualitative data (observations from 150 counterfeit sales points worldwide, two focus groups, a survey with 151 respondents, interviews with 90 informants) with econometric analysis of 3,333 fights the focal firm undertook against more than 2,000 counterfeiters in 75 countries over six years (2006-2011). We focus on firm\u2019s seizure of counterfeit products when consumers\u2019 safety is at risk. As the firm is more sensitive to product safety than counterfeiters, we found that the firm generally performs larger seizures when unsafe products are involved, but this is less true in the firm\u2019s main market, likely because higher profitability offers higher incentives to counterfeiters

Mandated Change and Gendered Organizational Culture: A Content Analysis of Graduate Perceptions of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Agenda for Change

Women are a token group at the United States Air Force Academy and by extension within the social networks of Academy graduates. Using Kanter's theory on the effects of proportions on group culture, I complete a qualitative content analysis of the public discourse surrounding the removal of the words "Bring Me Men..." from an Academy ramp in response to the 2003 sexual assault scandal. The vast majority of male graduates and all of the female graduates publicly opposed the decision to remove the words. I observe three phenomena in the public discourse in line with Kanter's theorized process of boundary heightening: loyalty tests, exaggeration of the dominant's culture, and the use of formal in-group recognitions as reminders of difference between the dominants and the tokens. Both the dominants and the tokens failed to consider alleged sexual assault claims and whether these claims had connections to USAFA's organizational culture

ACE gene dosage determines additional autonomic dysfunction and increases renal angiotensin II levels in diabetic mice

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate cardiovascular autonomic modulation and angiotensin II (Ang II) activity in diabetic mice that were genetically engineered to harbor two or three copies of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene. METHODS: Diabetic and non-diabetic mice harboring 2 or 3 copies of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene were used in the present study. Animals were divided into 4 groups: diabetic groups with two and three copies of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (2CD and 3CD) and the respective age-matched non-diabetic groups (2C and 3C). Hemodynamic, cardiovascular, and autonomic parameters as well as renal Ang II expression were evaluated. RESULTS: Heart rate was lower in diabetic animals than in non-diabetic animals. Autonomic modulation analysis indicated that the 3CD group showed increased sympathetic modulation and decreased vagal modulation of heart rate variability, eliciting increased cardiac sympathovagal balance, compared with all the other groups. Concurrent diabetes and either angiotensin-converting enzyme polymorphism resulted in a significant increase in Ang II expression in the renal cortex. CONCLUSION: Data indicates that a small increase in angiotensin-converting enzyme activity in diabetic animals leads to greater impairment of autonomic function, as demonstrated by increased sympathetic modulation and reduced cardiac vagal modulation along with increased renal expression of Ang II

Post-stroke inhibition of induced NADPH oxidase type 4 prevents oxidative stress and neurodegeneration

Ischemic stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Only one moderately effective therapy exists, albeit with contraindications that exclude 90% of the patients. This medical need contrasts with a high failure rate of more than 1,000 pre-clinical drug candidates for stroke therapies. Thus, there is a need for translatable mechanisms of neuroprotection and more rigid thresholds of relevance in pre-clinical stroke models. One such candidate mechanism is oxidative stress. However, antioxidant approaches have failed in clinical trials, and the significant sources of oxidative stress in stroke are unknown. We here identify NADPH oxidase type 4 (NOX4) as a major source of oxidative stress and an effective therapeutic target in acute stroke. Upon ischemia, NOX4 was induced in human and mouse brain. Mice deficient in NOX4 (Nox4(-/-)) of either sex, but not those deficient for NOX1 or NOX2, were largely protected from oxidative stress, blood-brain-barrier leakage, and neuronal apoptosis, after both transient and permanent cerebral ischemia. This effect was independent of age, as elderly mice were equally protected. Restoration of oxidative stress reversed the stroke-protective phenotype in Nox4(-/-) mice. Application of the only validated low-molecular-weight pharmacological NADPH oxidase inhibitor, VAS2870, several hours after ischemia was as protective as deleting NOX4. The extent of neuroprotection was exceptional, resulting in significantly improved long-term neurological functions and reduced mortality. NOX4 therefore represents a major source of oxidative stress and novel class of drug target for stroke therapy

Socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirth rates in Europe: measuring the gap using routine data from the Euro-Peristat Project

Background Previous studies have shown that socioeconomic position is inversely associated with stillbirth risk, but the impact on national rates in Europe is not known. We aimed to assess the magnitude of social inequalities in stillbirth rates in European countries using indicators generated from routine monitoring systems. Methods Aggregated data on the number of stillbirths and live births for the year 2010 were collected for three socioeconomic indicators (mothers’ educational level, mothers’ and fathers’ occupational group) from 29 European countries participating in the Euro-Peristat project. Educational categories were coded using the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and analysed as: primary/lower secondary, upper secondary and postsecondary. Parents’ occupations were grouped using International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) major groups and then coded into 4 categories: No occupation or student, Skilled/ unskilled workers, Technicians/clerical/service occupations and Managers/professionals. We calculated risk ratios (RR) for stillbirth by each occupational group as well as the percentage population attributable risks using the most advantaged category as the reference (post-secondary education and professional/managerial occupations). Results Data on stillbirth rates by mothers’ education were available in 19 countries and by mothers’ and fathers’ occupations in 13 countries. In countries with these data, the median RR of stillbirth for women with primary and lower secondary education compared to women with postsecondary education was 1.9 (interquartile range (IQR): 1.5 to 2.4) and 1.4 (IQR: 1.2 to 1.6), respectively. For mothers’ occupations, the median RR comparing outcomes among manual workers with managers and professionals was 1.6 (IQR: 1.0–2.1) whereas for fathers’ occupations, the median RR was 1.4 (IQR: 1.2–1.8). When applied to the entire set of countries with data about mothers’ education, 1606 out of 6337 stillbirths (25 %) would not have occurred if stillbirth rates for all women were the same as for women with post-secondary education in their country. Conclusions Data on stillbirths and socioeconomic status from routine systems showed widespread and consistent socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirth rates in Europe. Further research is needed to better understand differences between countries in the magnitude of the socioeconomic gradient

Reintegration, reconciliation and relationship quality

Marital separation is ranked among the events that produce high levels of stress in families and couples. Military deployments cause temporary separations and require adjustments from all those involved, before, during, and after the separation, and often with few formal resources to prepare one’s self and the family for these transitions. Not only do the temporary absences and subsequent returns of a family member into the household bring with them the need for family restructuring and adaptation, but military-induced separations also involve the potential risks of service members getting injured, or even killed, while performing their duties abroad. This risk is part of the unique combination of demands that military service members face as they seek to balance military service with their familial role. Because of the stresses involved with military deployments, these separations have the potential to strain family life and relationships. Over the last few decades, and with research demonstrating the importance of family satisfaction with the military lifestyle for retention and performance, both the beneficial and detrimental effects of military deployments on intimate relationships have been a focus area for military leaders and researchers. In particular, research has centered on the impact of deployments on married couples, their marital satisfaction, and the stability of the relationship – that is, whether the marriage ends in divorce. Although this focus is appropriate given the high rate of marriage among military members in general, and particularly officers (McCone and O’Donnell, 2006), it ignores a large group of personnel in other committed relationships, such as those who are in civil partnerships or cohabiting, and how their relationship quality is affected by military deployments. It also does not account for same-sex couples, who, depending on their citizenship, live in a country in which marriage or civil partnership is not an option. In the United States, especially, this is an important consideration in light of the relatively recent repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Taking into account the diversity of intimate relationships among military personnel, the aim of this chapter is to enhance our understanding of how military deployments affect the quality and stability of a couple’s relationship from an international perspective. We focus first on the stressors that married couples experience during military deployments, using the framework of Karney and Crown (2007) for modeling stability in military marriages. We also present empirical findings from the United States and the Netherlands, in addition to recent international literature, which speaks to the issues experienced by married couples. We then challenge the dominant paradigm used to frame military families as traditional married couples, by considering other types of intimate relationship and how they experience deployments. This chapter addresses two research questions, as follows. • • How are marital relationships affected by military deployment? What are the unique challenges of different types of family/couple? We also consider the subquestion of how formal military policies regarding families influence relationship outcomes

Estimating incidence trends in regular heroin use in 26 regions of Switzerland using methadone treatment data

BACKGROUND: Regional incidence trends in regular heroin use are important for assessing the effectiveness of drug policies and for forecasting potential future epidemics. METHODS: To estimate incidence trends we applied both the more traditional Reporting Delay Adjustment (RDA) method as well as the new and less data demanding General Inclusion Function (GIF) method. The latter describes the probability of an individual being in substitution treatment depending on time since the onset of heroin use. Data on year of birth, age at first regular heroin use and date of admission to and cessation of substitution treatment was available from 1997 to 2006 for 11 of the 26 regions (cantons) of Switzerland. For the remaining cantons, we used the number of patients in 5-year age group categories published in annual statistics between 1999 and 2006. RESULTS: Application of the RDA and GIF methods on data from the whole of Switzerland produced equivalent incidence trends. The GIF method revealed similar incidence trends in all of the Swiss cantons. Imputing a constant age of onset of 21 years resulted in almost equal trends to those obtained when real age of onset was used. The cantonal incidence estimates revealed that in the mid 80s there were high incidence rates in various regions distributed throughout all of the linguistic areas in Switzerland. During the following years these regional differences disappeared and the incidence of regular heroin use stabilized at a low level throughout the country. CONCLUSION: It has been demonstrated that even with incomplete data the GIF method allows to calculate accurate regional incidence trends

<b>Reconstruindo a forma urbana: uma análise do desenho das principais cidades da Companhia de Terras Norte do Paraná</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actascitechnol.v26i2.1513

Este trabalho estuda o desenho urbano das quatro principais cidades projetadas pela Companhia Melhoramentos Norte do Paraná, quais sejam: Londrina, Maringá, Cianorte e Umuarama. A partir da análise dos componentes formais do projeto destas cidades – as características do sítio, a conformação da malha urbana, a delimitação de bairros ou zonas, a articulação das vias, o desenho dos espaços públicos e dos espaços privados e seus marcos – e da sua implicação no ambiente urbano, o texto aponta as referências projetuais e as estratégias adotadas para a criação de cada uma destas formas urbana