Social Networks and Employment for Latinos, Blacks, and Whites

Despite the immigrant character of Latino groups in the United States, little attention has been given to the role of social networks in the job-search process and in labor market outcomes for Latinos. The literature on social networks describes their use as important in providing access to jobs but neutral as to affecting earnings or attainment of prestige. This study uses data from a 1988-1989 Boston survey to examine the effect of finding employment through social networks on the income attainment of white, black, and Latino workers. Job seekers in all groups rely on such networks, but Latinos exhibit the highest rate of usage, which ranges across all occupations and industry sectors. While it has no effect on the level of earnings for whites or blacks, Latinos\u27 network usage is associated with a negative effect on earnings. Controlling for other factors results in the decline of this negative effect; although small, it remains significant and negative. Improved data sources are needed to clarify the effect of networks on the labor-market position of Latinos

Patterns of Social Activity Engagement Among Older Hispanics and Their Relationship to Sociodemographic and Health Variables

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of social activity engagement in a sample of older Hispanics (Puerto Rican, Dominican, and other Hispanic) and determine whether these patterns differed significantly from the comparison non-Hispanic White group. This article also analyzes how ethnicity, sociodemographic, and health variables (health problems and depression) relate to each of the activity engagement patterns. The factor analysis of social activities from the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire yielded three factors, which describe engagement in social activities as: children and relatives active, friends and activities active, and senior services active. The results from the regression analyses show that Hispanic ethnicity and education are positively associated with being more engaged in activities with children and relatives, whereas being male and especially a male living alone is inversely associated with this pattern. In addition, being friends and activities active shows positive association with education, the participant living alone, and experiencing more language inclusion; however, it is inversely associated with depression, age, being male, and number of health problems. Finally, engaging in activities offered by senior services is only significantly associated with increased age and the number of health problems. The interpretations of these findings, directions for future research, and implications for activity professionals/recreation therapists are also discussed

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

Fertilización nitrogenada en olivo cv. Empeltre. I.- Contenido en nutrientes y crecimiento del árbol

4 Pags.- 2 Tabls.- 2 Figs.En este trabajo se estudia el efecto que produce el abonado nitrogenado sobre el contenido de nutrientes en hoja y la productividad en un olivar muy joven, aplicando tres dosis de nitrógeno durante tres campañas (1999-2001).Esta trabajo ha sido subvencionado por el MAPA dentro del Programa Mejora Producción Aceite, proyecto CAO99-020-C2 y por el Gobierno de Aragón con los Proyectos I+D con referencias P29/97 I.Peer reviewe

Hydrogeological characterization of the Rio Guanchín, Chilecito valley, La Rioja, Argentina.

El presente trabajo analiza las características hidrogeológicas de las aguas subterráneas en el Valle del rio Guanchín, Provincia de La Rioja. Para ello, se recopilaron antecedentes de la zona de carácter geológico, hidrogeológico e hidroquímico, los que se complementaron en el campo con determinaciones hidráulicas y muestreo de aguas subterráneas. Los análisis químicos se interpretaron para determinar las características y evolución de las aguas del valle.La zona de estudio se desarrolla en el sector centro-norte de la Provincia de La Rioja, a 17 km al oeste de la ciudad de Chilecito. Constituye una depresión tectónica de rumbo N-NE - S-SW limitada al oriente por los Bordos de Guanchín y de Sañogasta, con alturas promedios de 2.000 m.s.n.m. y al occidente por el cordón montañoso del Cerro Blanco, con una altura de 5.671 m.s.n.m. en las primeras estribaciones de los Nevados del Famatina (Caminos, 1979). Incluye sectores poblados, como las localidades de Guanchín, Los Bordos y Sañogasta, donde se registra una importante y creciente actividad agrícola, con cultivos de nogal y vid, regados de manera intensiva con agua del subsuelo mediante la utilización de numerosas perforaciones profundas.La información aportada por estas perforaciones, posibilitó determinar la presencia de importantes reservorios de agua subterránea, especialmente en niveles gravo-arenosos semiconfinados y confinados, localizados entre los 80 y 170 m de profundidad. Los niveles piezométricos medidos en el campo varían entre 30 y 50 m.b.b.p., los caudales de bombeo entre 60 y 160 m3/h y los rendimientos específicos entre 2 y 6 m3/h/m. Las aguas presentan una composición química dominantemente bicarbonatada cálcica a sulfatada cálcica, resultando de buena a aceptable calidad para el riego y en menor medida para consumo humano.The present work analyzes the hydrogeological characteristics of the groundwater in the Guanchín River Valley, Province of La Rioja. For this, antecedents of the geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical character were collected, which were complemented in the field with hydraulic determinations and sampling of groundwater. Che- mical analyzes were interpreted to determine the characteristics and evolution of the valley waters. The information provided by deep perforations made it possible to determine the presence of im- portant underground water reservoirs, especially in semi-confined and confined gravel-sandy levels, located between 80 and 170 m deep. The piezometric levels measured in the field vary between 30 and 50 m.b.b.p., the pumping flows between 60 and 160 m3/h and the specific yields between 2 and 6 m3/h/m. The waters have a dominant chemical composition of calcium bicarbonate to calcium sulfate, resulting in good to acceptable quality for irrigation and to a lesser extent for human con- sumptionFil: Falcón, Carlos Martín. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Horta, Luis Rubén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Ian. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; ArgentinaFil: Combina, Ana M.. Universidad Nacional de La Rioja; Argentin

EXPOSICIÓN A Leptospira sp. EN ESTUDIANTES DE MEDICINA VETERINARIA AL INICIO Y TÉRMINO DE LA CARRERA

Leptospirosis is globally known as the most prevalent zoonotic disease, caused by different Leptospira sp. serovars. In urban areas, exposure is mainly related to certain occupational health groups, such as veterinary students. The objective of the research was to determine the rate of serorreactors to leptospira in veterinary students on two stages of their studies, at the beginning (sophomore students) and at the end (senior students). Pool serum samples were analized by the microagglutination test (MAT) for serovars canicola, icterohemorragiae, grippotyphosa, georgia, pomona and hardjo. Positive result were 18.4% (7/38) for sophomore students and 8.8% (7/80) for seniors. The positive serovars were georgia for the sophomore students, and georgia, icterohemorragiae and canicola for the seniors. The risk of infection was 2.4 (0.76 – 7.28) (p=0.137) comparing sophomore versus seniors. Exposure to Leptospira infection was demonstrated in veterinary students showing the need for more research on the main risk factors related to its presentation.La leptospirosis es la enfermedad zoonótica de mayor prevalencia a nivel mundial, la cual es causada por diferentes serovares de Leptospira sp. En el medio urbano, la población expuesta corresponde a grupos ocupacionales, entre los que se encuentran los estudiantes de ciencias veterinarias. Para determinar la frecuencia de serorreactores en estudiantes de medicina veterinaria en dos etapas de la carrera (ingresantes y prácticas finales), se tomaron muestras de sangre que fueron analizadas mediante la prueba de microaglutinación de grupos para los serovares canicola, icterohemorragiae, grippotyphosa, georgia, pomona y hardjo. El 18.4% (7/38) de ingresantes y 8.8% (7/ 80) de alumnos de prácticas finales resultaron seropositivos. Los serovares reactivos fueron georgia en ingresantes, y georgia, icterohemorragiae y canicola en alumnos de prácticas finales. El riesgo de infección fue de 2.4 (0.76 – 7.28) (p=0.137) cuando se comparó ingresantes versus prácticas finales. Se demostró la presencia de exposición a infecciones por leptospira en alumnos de veterinaria, lo que hace necesario investigar los potenciales factores de riesgo asociados a su presentación

Deliverable D2:Consolidation of needs of the european wasten management agencies and the regulator of the consortium: Work Package 1, Site-specific and palaeo environmental data. Modelling sequential biosphere systems under climate change for radioactive waste disposal. (BIOCLIM)

The nature of long-lived radioactive wastes is that they present a radiological hazard over a period of time that is extremely long compared with the timescale over which the engineered protection systems and institutional management of a disposal, or long-term storage, facility can be guaranteed. Safety assessments for potential deep repositories need to be able to provide indicators of safety performance over time periods of hundreds of thousands of years. On such timescales, it is generally assumed that radionuclides may be slowly released from the containment system, migrating via geosphere pathways until they reach the accessible environment. Hence, there is a need to study the evolution of the environment external to the disposal system and the ways in which this might impact on its long-term radiological safety performance, for example in terms of influences on the migration and accumulation of radionuclides

Deliverable D3: Global climatic features over the next million years and recommendation for specific situations to be considered. Work Package 2, Simulation of the future evolution of the biosphere system using the hierarchical strategy. Modelling Sequential Biosphere Systems under Climate Change for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BIOCLIM)

The BIOCLIM project aims at assessing the possible long-term impacts of climate change on the safety of waste repositories in deep formations using climate simulations of the long-term climate in various European areas. One of the objectives of the project is to develop two strategies for representing sequential climatic changes to the geosphere-biosphere system for different sites over Europe, addressing the time scale of one million years. The results of this work will be interpreted in terms of global or regional changes of climate and of vegetation. The first strategy (hierarchical strategy) will use the full hierarchy of existing climate models (a climate model is a numerical simplified representation of the climate system behaviour and evolution). Simple models (LLN 2-D NH and threshold models; see the description here after) will simulate the overall long-term evolution of the global climate. Their results will then be used as inputs to more complex models (LMD climate models possibly coupled with vegetation models, either SECHIBA or ORCHIDE) and finally climate and vegetation cover will be determined for specific sites at specific times. A second strategy (integrated strategy) will consist in building an integrated climate model, which represents most of the physical mechanisms for studying long-term climatic variations. The results will then be interpreted on a regional scale. This deliverable is the first step of the hierarchical strategy. The purpose of this deliverable is to identify and justify some specific climatic situations amongst different long-term simulations that are of interest for assessing the safety of radioactive waste repository sites and that will be further studied with GCMs (General Circulation Model)