Women in Blue: Structural and Individual Determinants of Sex Segregation in Blue-Collar Occupations

The number of women occupying male-dominated blue-collar jobs continues to be very low. This study examines segregation in the blue-collar trades, taking into consideration both structural and individual factors. Using nationally representative data for 25 countries, the study shows that segregation in the blue-collar sector does not vary with the strength of vocational education and training programs. At the individual level, findings reveal higher degrees of social reproduction among working-class families, but parental background alone does not fully account for the gender composition of the sector in which children end up working. Overall, the findings point to the existence of a socializing mechanism that entrenches horizontal segregation in the blue-collar sector. The study indicates that to reduce segregation in the blue-collar fields, policies must address this prior mechanism, both at the structural and individual level

The scarring effect of "women's work": The determinants of women's wttrition from male-dominated occupations

Women’s entry into formerly male-dominated occupations has increased in recent decades, yet a significant outflow remains. This study examines the determinants of women’s exits from male-dominated occupations, focusing on the effect of previous occupational trajectories. In particular, it hypothesizes that occupational trajectories in female-dominated occupations are often imbued with meanings and beliefs about the (in)appropriateness of the worker, which adversely affect women’s integration and chances when they enter the male sector. Using the NLSY79 dataset, the study analyzes the job histories of women employed in the United States between 1979 and 2006. The results reveal a disproportionate risk of exit among newcomers from female-dominated occupations. Also, women who re-enter the male field are more likely to leave it again. Altogether, the findings challenge explanations based on deficiencies in the information available to women at the moment of hiring. The evidence points to the existence of a “scar effect” of previous work in the female field, which hinders women’s opportunities in the male sector and ends up increasing the likelihood of exit.The author gratefully acknowledges financial support from the National Program for Research of the Spanish government (grant CSO2011-30179-C02-02)

¿Queremos más o menos? Desencuentros entre las horas de trabajo que tenemos y las que preferimos en España, 2005-2014

Mismatches between the number of hours people actually work and the hours they would prefer to work are common, and they have important consequences for individual, family and organizational life. This study contributes to prior research examining how the quality of work is affected by the economic crisis. Using data from the Spanish Labor Force Survey from 2005 to 2014, it tests three possible competing predictions for trends in working hour mismatches during the economic downturn. The study reveals that the level of mismatches has increased significantly with the economic recession due to the growing number of people who would wish to work more hours than they actually do. Findings show that the increase in hour mismatches has been particularly striking among workers employed under fixed term contracts, part-time contracts, those in low-status occupations and women. The economic crisis has widened the gap between hig-hand low-status workers over the last decade.Los desajustes entre el número de horas que la gente trabaja y el que desearía trabajar son frecuentes y tienen importantes consecuencias para la vida individual, familiar y organizativa. Este trabajo contribuye a la investigación sobre los efectos de la crisis económica en la calidad del trabajo. A partir de datos de la Encuesta Española de Población Activa (LFS) entre 2005 y 2014, este estudio testa tres escenarios alternativos sobre las tendencias de los desajustes en las horas de trabajo en tiempos de crisis. El estudio revela que el nivel de desajustes ha crecido significativamente con la recesión económica, debido al aumento de personas que desean trabajar más horas de las que trabajan. Los resultados muestran que este aumento ha sido particularmente llamativo entre los trabajadores con contratos temporales, a tiempo parcial, en ocupaciones de bajo estatus y mujeres. Como resultado, la crisis económica ha acelerado la brecha entre trabajadores de alto y bajo estatus en la última década significativamente

Geochemical study of the NWA 6148 Martian meteorite and its terrestrial weathering processes

36 p.: il.The NWA 6148 meteorite was found in the region of Northwest Africa and is one of the 18 Martian meteorites catalogued as nakhlites. Due to their scarcity and their Natural Heritage value, their study is essential and provides relevant information about Mars’ surface composition. However, even if their study could result crucial, there are almost no studies about this nakhlite and there is a lack of knowledge about meteorite NWA 6148. In this work, a sample of the NWA 6148 meteorite was analyzed by means of Raman spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled to Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) coupled to a Raman spectrometer (SCA analyzer). Regarding the Martian original materials, augite and olivine were observed. Their metal composition was estimated through Raman bands position, obtaining a common composition for augite and for olivine grain rims, but discovering several olivine grain cores with the greatest magnesium content among nakhlites. Regarding terrestrial weathering products, calcium was identified, which was formed due to carbonate rich water evaporation in desert areas. Besides, a cobalt compound was discovered for the very first time in a Martian meteorite, the Co3O4, which integrated in this nakhlite’s structure after its impact on Earth’s surface. Finally, several organic compounds were observed in the meteorite sample, which were related to contamination during its handling

Proceso de mejora y optimización de la logística para una compañía del sector de la dermofarmacia

El objetivo del presente proyecto es el análisis y estudio de la viabilidad de la construcción de un almacén automático autoportante para el almacenamiento y la distribución de productos del sector dermofarmacéutico. La empresa en cuestión pertenece a un grupo farmacéutico español dedicada a la fabricación y distribución de estos productos. Estudiaremos la implantación y adaptación de sus instalaciones para un almacén automático de material paletizado y la posterior distribución de los productos en distintos formatos (palets, cajas completas y picking de surtido). Así como también dar soporte a toda la logística interna (aprovisionamiento de materiales, materias primas y acondicionamiento). El objetivo principal de la empresa es garantizar el creciente suministro, cumpliendo con los plazos de entrega establecidos con los clientes El proyecto en cuestión pretende reflejar el desarrollo de un proyecto de implantación de un almacén automático autoportante para una empresa del sector farmacéutico, tratando todos aquellos aspectos relacionados con la construcción y la ingeniería. Con el desarrollo de todos estos aspectos podremos determinar la viabilidad, el entorno de inversión y las ventajas estratégicas que supone la implantación de un almacén automático de nueva planta. Asimismo podremos analizar también cuáles son las mejores soluciones para implantar en esta tipología de almacén, cómo debemos desarrollarlas, y qué ventajas ofrecen respecto otras alternativas. El resultado obtenido del siguiente estudio refleja la gran ventaja que brinda realizar esta solución, puesto que ofrece una mayor rentabilidad en comparación con el almacén manual con el que trabaja actualmente la empresa. Mejorar la operativa, disminuyendo los errores de proceso, la eficiencia en el control del inventario en tiempo real y la optimización de mercancías minimizando riesgos de obsolescencia. Por todos estos aspectos, la opción elegida en este caso, refuerza la iniciativa de realizarlo, aún viendo que del análisis económico se extrae la necesidad de una fuerte inversión inicial para poder llevarse a cabo

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans undergo differential expression alterations in left sided colorectal cancer, depending on their metastatic character

Abstract Background Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are complex molecules which play a role in the invasion and growth and metastatic properties of cancerous cells. In this work we analyze changes in the patterns of expression of HSPGs in left sided colorectal cancer (LSCRC), both metastatic and non-metastatic, and the results are also compared with those previously obtained for right sided tumors (RSCRCs). Methods Eighteen LSCRCs were studied using qPCR to analyze the expression of both the proteoglycan core proteins and the enzymes involved in heparan sulfate chain biosynthesis. Certain HSPGs also carry chondroitin sulfate chains and so we also studied the genes involved in its biosynthesis. The expression of certain genes that showed significant expression differences were also analysed using immunohistochemical techniques. Results Changes in proteoglycan core proteins were dependent on their location, and the main differences between metastatic and non-metastatic tumors affected cell-surface glypicans, while other molecules were quite similar. Glypicans were also responsible for the main differences between RS- and LS- malignances. Regarding the biosynthesis of heparan sulfate chains, differential alterations in transcription depending on the presence or not of metastasis affected genes involved in the modification of uronic acid (epimerization and 2-O sulfation), and some isoforms responsible for sulfation of glucosamine (NDST1, HS6ST1). Moreover, in RSCRCs differences were preferentially found in the expression of genes involved in C6 and C3 sulfation of glucosamine, but not in NDSTs or SULFs. Finally, synthesis of chondroitin sulfate showed some alterations, which affected various steps, including polimerization and the modification of chains, but the main variations dependent on the presence of metastases were epimerization and 6C sulfation; however, when compared with RSCRCs, the essential divergences affected polymerization of the chains and the 6C sulfation of the galactosamine residue. Conclusions We evidenced alterations in the expression of HSPGs, including the expression of cell surface core proteins, many glycosiltransferases and some enzymes that modify the GAG chains in LSCRCs, but this was dependent on the metastatic nature of the tumor. Some of these alterations are shared with RSCRCs, while others, focused on specific gene groups, are dependent on tumor localization

Mind the gender gap: COVID-19 lockdown effects on gender differences in preprint submissions

The gender gap is a well-known problem in academia and, despite its gradual narrowing, recent estimations indicate that it will persist for decades. Short-term descriptive studies suggest that this gap may have actually worsened during the months of confinement following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In this work, we evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on female and male academics' research productivity using preprint drop-off data. We examine a total of 307,902 unique research articles deposited in 5 major preprint repositories during the period between January and May each year from 2017 to 2020. We find that the proportion of female authors in online repositories steadily increased over time; however, the trend reversed during the confinement and gender parity worsened in two respects. First, the proportion of male authors in preprints increased significantly during lockdown. Second, the proportion of male authors in COVID-19-related articles was significantly higher than that of women. Overall, our results imply that the gender gap in academia suffered an approximately 1-year setback during the strict lockdown months of 2020, and COVID-related research areas suffered an additional 1.5-year setback.This work has been supported by the Madrid Government (Comunidad de Madrid) under the Multiannual Agreement with UC3M in the line of "Fostering Young Doctors Research" (CONCIERGE-CM-UC3M), and in the context of the V PRICIT (Regional Programme of Research and Technological Innovation. M.T. and I.U. also acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the research grant RTI2018-098182-A-I00