286 research outputs found
Strategically Enhancing Business Capabilities And Social Development In The Hispanic Community
Hurricane Katrina displaced more than one million people while destroying or badly disrupting more than 40% of Louisiana’s economic base. Thousands of small businesses ceased to exist. The socio-economic damage in the U.S. appears without precedent. The growing Hispanic population in southeast Louisiana presents a unique and distinctive socio-economic challenge. As Hispanics move into the region in large numbers seeking economic opportunities, specific needs are emerging. A variety of work and social skills must be developed and nurtured. Business skills and guidance must be offered. These needs must be recognized and addressed to facilitate a holistic assimilation of a growing Hispanic population into southeast Louisiana and develop a strong and literate workforce. The Hispanic Business Resources & Technology Center (HBRTC) was created by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) in alliance with The Hispanic Apostolate Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, The Jefferson Parish School System, and Southeastern Louisiana University, to address the post-Katrina crisis in the New Orleans region and to address needs of Hispanic families and businesses. The HBRTC is the first of its kind in the State of Louisiana to specifically address the myriad needs of the developing Hispanic workforce and community in Louisiana
Enhancing Multilingual Capability Among Hispanics
Hispanics are the country’s largest and fastest growing minority, but they are not an easily identified racial or ethnic group (Pew Hispanic Center, Trends 2005). In 2000, the U.S. Census reported 32.8 million Hispanics or Latinos in the United States, representing 12% of the total population. By 2004, the Hispanic population was estimated to have grown to over 40 million, an increase of more than 23% in just four years. The largest increase in the Hispanic population is occurring in the southern United States (Pew Hispanic Center). Paralleling the growth of the Hispanic population, the Hispanic labor force will expand to nearly 10 million by 2020 (Pew Hispanic Center). Language barriers and cultural sensitivities need to be addressed for optimal inclusion of this force in the U.S. The dramatic expansion of the Latino population in the State of Louisiana emphasizes the importance of this group, both socially and culturally. At the same time it presents new challenges and demands a real approach for addressing the languages barriers and the cultural sensitivities inherent in such a socioeconomic shift
O clima organizacional nas empresas inovadoras do século XXI
The aim of this article is to review literature on the different concepts that have emerged in recent years organizational climate, types of weather that can occur in an organization and the relevance for enterprises that are currently facing the implementation of new technology. This will resume a new concept of organizational climate, which is called by some authors as a climate of innovation, and mentioned studies that have implemented innovative climate instruments that have been built and validated in Europe.El objetivo del siguiente artículo es hacer una revisión de literatura de los diferentes conceptos que han surgido durante los últimos años de clima organizacional, sobre los tipos de clima que se pueden presentar en una organización y la relevancia que tiene en las empresas que actualmente se enfrentan a la implementación de nueva tecnología. Para ello se retomará un nuevo concepto de clima organizacional, que es llamado por algunos autores como clima de innovación, y se mencionara estudios donde se han implementado instrumentos de clima de innovación que se han construido y validado en Europa.O objetivo do seguinte artigo é fazer uma revisão da literatura dos diferentes conceitos que têm surgido durante os últimos anos de clima organizacional, sobre os tipos de clima que se podem apresentar numa organização e a relevância que tem nas empresas que atualmente se enfrentam à implementação de nova tecnologia. Para isso retomar-se-á um novo conceito de clima organizacional, que é chamado por alguns autores como clima de inovação, e se mencionam estudos onde se implementaram instrumentos de clima de inovação que se construíram e validaram na Europa
Calibration of the Logarithmic-Periodic Dipole Antenna (LPDA) Radio Stations at the Pierre Auger Observatory using an Octocopter
An in-situ calibration of a logarithmic periodic dipole antenna with a
frequency coverage of 30 MHz to 80 MHz is performed. Such antennas are part of
a radio station system used for detection of cosmic ray induced air showers at
the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the so-called
Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA). The directional and frequency
characteristics of the broadband antenna are investigated using a remotely
piloted aircraft (RPA) carrying a small transmitting antenna. The antenna
sensitivity is described by the vector effective length relating the measured
voltage with the electric-field components perpendicular to the incoming signal
direction. The horizontal and meridional components are determined with an
overall uncertainty of 7.4^{+0.9}_{-0.3} % and 10.3^{+2.8}_{-1.7} %
respectively. The measurement is used to correct a simulated response of the
frequency and directional response of the antenna. In addition, the influence
of the ground conductivity and permittivity on the antenna response is
simulated. Both have a negligible influence given the ground conditions
measured at the detector site. The overall uncertainties of the vector
effective length components result in an uncertainty of 8.8^{+2.1}_{-1.3} % in
the square root of the energy fluence for incoming signal directions with
zenith angles smaller than 60{\deg}.Comment: Published version. Updated online abstract only. Manuscript is
unchanged with respect to v2. 39 pages, 15 figures, 2 table
Multi-resolution anisotropy studies of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We report a multi-resolution search for anisotropies in the arrival
directions of cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory with local
zenith angles up to and energies in excess of 4 EeV ( eV). This search is conducted by measuring the angular power spectrum
and performing a needlet wavelet analysis in two independent energy ranges.
Both analyses are complementary since the angular power spectrum achieves a
better performance in identifying large-scale patterns while the needlet
wavelet analysis, considering the parameters used in this work, presents a
higher efficiency in detecting smaller-scale anisotropies, potentially
providing directional information on any observed anisotropies. No deviation
from isotropy is observed on any angular scale in the energy range between 4
and 8 EeV. Above 8 EeV, an indication for a dipole moment is captured; while no
other deviation from isotropy is observed for moments beyond the dipole one.
The corresponding -values obtained after accounting for searches blindly
performed at several angular scales, are in the case of
the angular power spectrum, and in the case of the needlet
analysis. While these results are consistent with previous reports making use
of the same data set, they provide extensions of the previous works through the
thorough scans of the angular scales.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report
Numbe
Ultrahigh-energy neutrino follow-up of Gravitational Wave events GW150914 and GW151226 with the Pierre Auger Observatory
On September 14, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed their first
gravitational-wave (GW) transient GW150914. This was followed by a second GW
event observed on December 26, 2015. Both events were inferred to have arisen
from the merger of black holes in binary systems. Such a system may emit
neutrinos if there are magnetic fields and disk debris remaining from the
formation of the two black holes. With the surface detector array of the Pierre
Auger Observatory we can search for neutrinos with energy above 100 PeV from
point-like sources across the sky with equatorial declination from about -65
deg. to +60 deg., and in particular from a fraction of the 90% confidence-level
(CL) inferred positions in the sky of GW150914 and GW151226. A targeted search
for highly-inclined extensive air showers, produced either by interactions of
downward-going neutrinos of all flavors in the atmosphere or by the decays of
tau leptons originating from tau-neutrino interactions in the Earth's crust
(Earth-skimming neutrinos), yielded no candidates in the Auger data collected
within s around or 1 day after the coordinated universal time (UTC)
of GW150914 and GW151226, as well as in the same search periods relative to the
UTC time of the GW candidate event LVT151012. From the non-observation we
constrain the amount of energy radiated in ultrahigh-energy neutrinos from such
remarkable events.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report
Numbe
Ambulatory health service users' experience of waiting time and expenditure and factors associated with the perception of low quality of care in Mexico
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A principal reason for low use of public health care services is the perception of inferior quality of care. Studying health service user (HSU) experiences with their care and their perception of health service quality is critical to understanding health service utilization. The aim of this study was to define reference points for some aspects of health care quality and to analyze which HSU experiences resulted in perceptions of overall low quality of care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from the National Health Survey 2006 were used to compare the experiences of HSUs with their ambulatory care at Ministry of Health and affiliated institutions (MOH), social security institutions (SSI) and private institutions (PrivI). Reference points of quality of care related to waiting time and expenditure were defined for each of the three types of institutions by analyzing HSU experiences rated as 'acceptable'. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify the principal factors associated with the general perception of low quality of care.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 11,959 HSUs were included in the analysis, of whom 37.6% (n = 4,500) HSUs received care at MOH facilities; 31.2% (n = 3,730) used SSI and 31.2% (n = 3,729) PrivI. An estimated travel and waiting time of 10 minutes respectively was rated as acceptable by HSUs from all institutions. The differences between the waiting time rated as acceptable and the actual waiting time were the largest for SSI (30 min) in comparison to MoH (20 min) and PrivI (5 min) users. The principal factors associated with an overall perception of low quality of care are type of institution (OR 4.36; 95% CI 2.95-6.44), waiting time (OR 3.20; 95% CI 2.35-4.35), improvement of health after consultation (OR 2.93; CI 2.29-3.76) and consultation length of less than 20 minutes (2.03; 95% CI 1.60-2.57).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The reference points derived by the HSUs' own ratings are useful in identifying where quality improvements are required. Prioritizing the reduction of waiting times and improving health status improvement after consultation would increase overall quality of care ratings.</p
Un examen actualizado de la percepción de las barreras para la implementación de la farmacogenómica y la utilidad de los pares fármaco/gen en América Latina y el Caribe
La farmacogenómica (PGx) se considera un campo emergente en los países en desarrollo. La investigación sobre PGx en la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) sigue siendo escasa, con información limitada en algunas poblaciones. Por lo tanto, las extrapolaciones son complicadas, especialmente en poblaciones mixtas. En este trabajo, revisamos y analizamos el conocimiento farmacogenómico entre la comunidad científica y clínica de ALC y examinamos las barreras para la aplicación clínica. Realizamos una búsqueda de publicaciones y ensayos clínicos en este campo en todo el mundo y evaluamos la contribución de ALC. A continuación, realizamos una encuesta regional estructurada que evaluó una lista de 14 barreras potenciales para la aplicación clínica de biomarcadores en función de su importancia. Además, se analizó una lista emparejada de 54 genes/fármacos para determinar una asociación entre los biomarcadores y la respuesta a la medicina genómica. Esta encuesta se comparó con una encuesta anterior realizada en 2014 para evaluar el progreso en la región. Los resultados de la búsqueda indicaron que los países de América Latina y el Caribe han contribuido con el 3,44% del total de publicaciones y el 2,45% de los ensayos clínicos relacionados con PGx en todo el mundo hasta el momento. Un total de 106 profesionales de 17 países respondieron a la encuesta. Se identificaron seis grandes grupos de obstáculos. A pesar de los continuos esfuerzos de la región en la última década, la principal barrera para la implementación de PGx en ALC sigue siendo la misma, la "necesidad de directrices, procesos y protocolos para la aplicación clínica de la farmacogenética/farmacogenómica". Las cuestiones de coste-eficacia se consideran factores críticos en la región. Los puntos relacionados con la reticencia de los clínicos son actualmente menos relevantes. Según los resultados de la encuesta, los pares gen/fármaco mejor clasificados (96%-99%) y percibidos como importantes fueron CYP2D6/tamoxifeno, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioides, DPYD/fluoropirimidinas, TMPT/tiopurinas, CYP2D6/antidepresivos tricíclicos, CYP2C19/antidepresivos tricíclicos, NUDT15/tiopurinas, CYP2B6/efavirenz y CYP2C19/clopidogrel. En conclusión, aunque la contribución global de los países de ALC sigue siendo baja en el campo del PGx, se ha observado una mejora relevante en la región. La percepción de la utilidad de las pruebas PGx en la comunidad biomédica ha cambiado drásticamente, aumentando la concienciación entre los médicos, lo que sugiere un futuro prometedor en las aplicaciones clínicas de PGx en ALC.Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is considered an emergent field in developing countries. Research on PGx in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region remains scarce, with limited information in some populations. Thus, extrapolations are complicated, especially in mixed populations. In this paper, we reviewed and analyzed pharmacogenomic knowledge among the LAC scientific and clinical community and examined barriers to clinical application. We performed a search for publications and clinical trials in the field worldwide and evaluated the contribution of LAC. Next, we conducted a regional structured survey that evaluated a list of 14 potential barriers to the clinical implementation of biomarkers based on their importance. In addition, a paired list of 54 genes/drugs was analyzed to determine an association between biomarkers and response to genomic medicine. This survey was compared to a previous survey performed in 2014 to assess progress in the region. The search results indicated that Latin American and Caribbean countries have contributed 3.44% of the total publications and 2.45% of the PGx-related clinical trials worldwide thus far. A total of 106 professionals from 17 countries answered the survey. Six major groups of barriers were identified. Despite the region’s continuous efforts in the last decade, the primary barrier to PGx implementation in LAC remains the same, the “need for guidelines, processes, and protocols for the clinical application of pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics”. Cost-effectiveness issues are considered critical factors in the region. Items related to the reluctance of clinicians are currently less relevant. Based on the survey results, the highest ranked (96%–99%) gene/drug pairs perceived as important were CYP2D6/tamoxifen, CYP3A5/tacrolimus, CYP2D6/opioids, DPYD/fluoropyrimidines, TMPT/thiopurines, CYP2D6/tricyclic antidepressants, CYP2C19/tricyclic antidepressants, NUDT15/thiopurines, CYP2B6/efavirenz, and CYP2C19/clopidogrel. In conclusion, although the global contribution of LAC countries remains low in the PGx field, a relevant improvement has been observed in the region. The perception of the usefulness of PGx tests in biomedical community has drastically changed, raising awareness among physicians, which suggests a promising future in the clinical applications of PGx in LAC
Design, upgrade and characterization of the silicon photomultiplier front-end for the AMIGA detector at the Pierre Auger Observatory
AMIGA (Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array) is an upgrade of the
Pierre Auger Observatory to complement the study of ultra-high-energy cosmic
rays (UHECR) by measuring the muon content of extensive air showers (EAS). It
consists of an array of 61 water Cherenkov detectors on a denser spacing in
combination with underground scintillation detectors used for muon density
measurement. Each detector is composed of three scintillation modules, with 10
m detection area per module, buried at 2.3 m depth, resulting in a total
detection area of 30 m. Silicon photomultiplier sensors (SiPM) measure the
amount of scintillation light generated by charged particles traversing the
modules. In this paper, the design of the front-end electronics to process the
signals of those SiPMs and test results from the laboratory and from the Pierre
Auger Observatory are described. Compared to our previous prototype, the new
electronics shows a higher performance, higher efficiency and lower power
consumption, and it has a new acquisition system with increased dynamic range
that allows measurements closer to the shower core. The new acquisition system
is based on the measurement of the total charge signal that the muonic
component of the cosmic ray shower generates in the detector.Comment: 40 pages, 33 figure
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