801 research outputs found
Correlates of Poverty and Participation in Food Assistance Programs among Hispanic Elders in Massachusetts
Hispanics are a rapidly growing population in Massachusetts, but little is known about the health, nutrition, and economic situation of the elder segment of these groups. In this report, we examine factors associated with poverty and the use of food assistance programs, using data from an NIA-funded project on Hispanic elders in Massachusetts. Poverty is shown to be a major problem with differences across Hispanic subgroups. Puerto Rican and Dominican elders have lower incomes, on average, than other Hispanics—mainly Cubans, and Central and South Americans—or than non-Hispanic whites living in the same neighborhoods. Older age, lower education, and living alone are associated with poverty within this population. Limited income sources and recent immigration are also important factors. Hispanic elders are more likely to receive SSI benefits, but are much less likely to have pension income. Financial insecurity in old age among Hispanics is associated with more chronic ailment and mobility limitations. Puerto Rican and Dominican elders have the highest poverty and disability rates and report the most food insecurity. However, with the exception of the Food Stamp program, participation in food programs tends to be very low for these Hispanic elders. Given the prevalence of problems demonstrated by these groups, more attention to program outreach and adaptation for Hispanic elders is needed.
Wide therapeutic time window for nimesulide neuroprotection in a model of transient focal cerebral ischemia in the rat
Results from several studies indicate that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is involved ischemic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of the selective COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide on cerebral infarction and neurological deficits in a standardized model of transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Three doses of nimesulide (3, 6 and 12 mg/kg; i.p.) or vehicle were administered immediately after stroke and additional doses were given at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after ischemia. In other set of experiments, the effect of nimesulide was studied in a situation in which its first administration was delayed for 3 to 24 h after ischemia. Total, cortical and subcortical infarct volumes and functional outcome (assessed by neurological deficit score and rotarod performance) were determined 3 days after ischemia. The effect of nimesulide on prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels in the injured brain was also investigated. Nimesulide dose-dependently reduced infarct volume and improved functional recovery when compared to vehicle. Of interest is the finding that neuroprotection conferred by nimesulide (reduction of infarct size and neurological deficits and improvement of rotarod performance) was also observed when treatment was delayed until 24 h after ischemia. Further, administration of nimesulide in a delayed treatment paradigm completely abolished PGE2 accumulation in the postischemic brain, suggesting that COX-2 inhibition is a promising therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemia to target the late-occurring inflammatory events which amplify initial damage
Analysis of the impact of the March 2015 flood on the tailings deposits in the Copiapo valley
The March 25th, 2015 flood geochemical environmental impact, was studied and analysed to look
into the impact of the Tailings Impoundments during the event, in the Copiapo basin.
SERNAGEOMIN had a geochemical record of sediments, prior to the flood. As the SERNAGEOMIN
went to assist the population during the emergency, a new sampling programs was launched, to
study the same points as the previous study. The quantitative comparison against a base line was
therefore available, an uncommon result in Chile, where baselines do not abound. In addition, the
tailings Department had determined the geochemical composition of the tailings basins surface, the
dams and the downstream soils of most of the tailings deposits. A methodology was devised to
determine if the contents of a tailings deposit, had significantly contributed materials to downstream,
nearby soils or sediments. The study concluded that the flood had actually improved the quality of
the sediments in several points of the baseline, due to either a washing effect, or to erosion and / or
to change of the old soils –soils that were the result of mining contributions during an extensive
historical period- by materials with a lower content of pollutants, contributed by the alluvium. In
addition, the geochemical comparison of soils against basins and dams, showed that, contrary to the
common belief, the tailings deposits of the Copiapo basin did not contribute to the debris in the
sediments observed after the flood. The revision of satellite images support these very same
conclusions
Wave-vortex interaction
We present an experimental study on the effect of a electromagneticaly
generated vortex flow on parametrically amplified waves at the surface of a
fluid. The underlying vortex flow, generated by a periodic Lorentz force,
creates spatio-temporal fluctuations that interact nonlinearly with the
standing surface waves. We characterize the bifurcation diagram and measure the
power spectrum density (PSD) of the local surface wave amplitude. We show that
the parametric instability threshold increases with increasing intensity of the
vortex flow.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
CALIFA reveals Prolate Rotation in Massive Early-type Galaxies: A Polar Galaxy Merger Origin?
We present new evidence for eight early-type galaxies (ETGs) from the CALIFA
Survey that show clear rotation around their major photometric axis ("prolate
rotation"). These are LSBCF560-04, NGC 0647, NGC 0810, NGC 2484, NGC 4874, NGC
5216, NGC 6173 and NGC 6338. Including NGC 5485, a known case of an ETG with
stellar prolate rotation, as well as UGC 10695, a further possible candidate
for prolate rotation, we report ten CALIFA galaxies in total that show evidence
for such a feature in their stellar kinematics. Prolate rotators correspond to
~9% of the volume-corrected sample of CALIFA ETGs, a fraction much higher than
previously reported. We find that prolate rotation is more common among the
most massive ETGs. We investigate the implications of these findings by
studying N-body merger simulations, and show that a prolate ETG with rotation
around its major axis could be the result of a major polar merger, with the
amplitude of prolate rotation depending on the initial bulge-to-total stellar
mass ratio of its progenitor galaxies. Additionally, we find that prolate ETGs
resulting from this formation scenario show a correlation between their stellar
line-of-sight velocity and higher order moment h_3, opposite to typical oblate
ETGs, as well as a double peak of their stellar velocity dispersion along their
minor axis. Finally, we investigate the origin of prolate rotation in polar
galaxy merger remnants. Our findings suggest that prolate rotation in massive
ETGs might be more common than previously expected, and can help towards a
better understanding of their dynamical structure and formation origin.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
Plasma PLP Concentration and Depressive Symptomatology, over time, in older Latino Adults
Background: Low vitamin B-6 status has been linked to depressive symptomatology. However, most studies have been cross-sectional and may not have controlled for relevant confounders. Few studies have examined this association in Latino populations at high risk for major depression.
Design: We used two-level hierarchical linear regression models (HLM) for continuous outcomes. Level-1 data included three measures of participant’s depressive symptomatology collected at baseline, 2y follow-up and 5y follow-up. Participants constituted level-2 data. Vitamin B-6 was associated with depressive symptomatology across these time points.
Objective: We examined the longitudinal association of vitamin B-6 status with depressive symptomatology across 3 time points over ~ 5-7 y in a cohort of older Puerto Rican adults, a population previously identified to be at high risk for depressive symptomatology and clinical depression.
Results: Plasma pyridoxyl-5’-phosphate (PLP) concentration, a time-varying predictor, was significantly associated with depressive symptomatology. Study participants with PLP deficiency, vs. optimal PLP, had higher baseline depressive symptoms (22±14, vs. 20±13); this differential remained constant over time and persisted after controlling for age, sex, education, BMI, smoking and alcohol use, other relevant nutritional factors, perceived stress, stressful life events and allostatic load; and use of antidepressant medication. However, PLP concentration was not associated with the rate of change in depressive symptomatology over time.
Conclusions: Suboptimal plasma PLP is associated with higher depressive symptomatology in older Puerto Rican adults and this appears to persist over time. Our data suggest that identification and treatment of vitamin B-6 deficiency may be a useful preventive and intervention approach in this population
A SAURON look at galaxy bulges
Kinematic and population studies show that bulges are generally rotationally
flattened systems similar to low-luminosity ellipticals. However, observations
with state-of-the-art integral field spectrographs, such as SAURON, indicate
that the situation is much more complex, and allow us to investigate phenomena
such as triaxiality, kinematic decoupling and population substructure, and to
study their connection to current formation and evolution scenarios for bulges
of early-type galaxies. We present the examples of two S0 bulges from galaxies
in our sample of nearby galaxies: one that shows all the properties expected
from classical bulges (NGC5866), and another case that presents kinematic
features appropriate for barred disk galaxies (NGC7332).Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publishing in AN (refereed conf.
proc. of the Euro3D Science workshop, IoA Cambridge, May 2003
From the cage to the wild: introductions of Psittaciformes to Puerto Rico
Introduced psittacine birds can become highly invasive. In this study, we assessed invasions of Psittaciformes in Puerto Rico. We reviewed the literature, public databases, citizen science records, and performed in situ population surveys across the island to determine the historical and current status and distribution of psittacine species. We used count data from Ebird to determine population trends. For species whose populations were increasing, we modelled their potential distribution using niche modeling techniques. We found 46 Psittaciformes in Puerto Rico, of which 26% are only present as pets, at least 29 species have been reported in the wild, and of those, there is evidence that at least 12 species are breeding. Our results indicate that most introduced species which have been detected as established still persist, although mostly in localized areas and small populations. Clear evidence of invasiveness was found for Brotogeris versicolurus and Myiopsitta monachus, which have greatly expanded their range in recent years. Psittacara erythrogenys and Eupsittacula canicularis also showed population increases, although to a lesser degree. The niche models predicted suitable areas for the four species, and also indicate the potential for range expansion. We discuss the factors leading to invasion success, assess the potential impacts, and we discuss possible management strategies and research prospects
Towards a new classification of early-type galaxies: an integral-field view
In this proceeding we make use of the two-dimensional stellar kinematics of a
representative sample of E and S0 galaxies obtained with the SAURON
integral-field spectrograph to reveal that early-type galaxies appear in two
broad flavours, depending on whether they exhibit clear large-scale rotation or
not. We measure the level of rotation via a new parameter LambdaR and use it as
a basis for a new kinematic classification that separates early-type galaxies
into slow and fast rotators. With the aid of broad-band imaging we will
reinforce this finding by comparing our kinematic results to the photometric
properties of these two classes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in "Pathways Through an Eclectic
Universe", J. H. Knappen, T. J. Mahoney, and A. Vazedekis (Eds.), ASP Conf.
Ser., 200
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