Agricultural Employment Patterns of Immigrant Workers in the United States

Despite of the important role international migration fills in the United States’ labor-intensive agricultural sector, few studies have addressed the individual characteristics and circumstances surrounding entry and exit by farm laborers. With increasing public attention on international migrant labor, policymakers have a need to understand the labor market patterns of these workers if they are to formulate appropriate immigration reforms, including temporary worker programs geared towards agriculture. In this analysis, we model the likelihood of entering agricultural employment by migrants to the United States. Using data from the Mexican Migration Project we find that migrants with higher levels of education and a greater command of English are less likely to work as agricultural laborers. Those that do enter agricultural occupation stay in the United States for shorter periods of time per trip than those who enter non-agricultural occupation. In future analysis we will attempt to model the demand for agricultural farm work as a determinant of the decision by migrants to enter the U.S. market for hired farm labor.Agricultural Employment, Mexican Migration, Occupational Choice, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, International Relations/Trade, Labor and Human Capital, Production Economics,

A fixed point theorem for the infinite-dimensional simplex

We define the infinite dimensional simplex to be the closure of the convex hull of the standard basis vectors in R^infinity, and prove that this space has the 'fixed point property': any continuous function from the space into itself has a fixed point. Our proof is constructive, in the sense that it can be used to find an approximate fixed point; the proof relies on elementary analysis and Sperner's lemma. The fixed point theorem is shown to imply Schauder's fixed point theorem on infinite-dimensional compact convex subsets of normed spaces.Comment: 8 pages; related work at http://www.math.hmc.edu/~su/papers.htm

Distance-dependent Electron Hopping Conductivity and Nanoscale Lithography of Chemically-linked Gold Monolayer Protected Cluster Films

Films of monolayer protected Au clusters (MPCs) with mixed alkanethiolate and ω-carboxylate alkanethiolate monolayers, linked together by carboxylate–Cu2+–carboxylate bridges, exhibit average edge-to-edge cluster spacings that vary with the numbers of methylene segments in the alkanethiolate ligand as determined by a combined atomic force microscopy (AFM)/UV-Vis spectroscopy method. The electronic conductivity (σEL) of dry films is exponentially dependent on the cluster spacing, consistent with electron tunneling through the alkanethiolate chains and non-bonded contacts between those chains on individual, adjacent MPCs. The calculated electronic coupling factor (β) for tunneling between MPCs is 1.2 Å−1, which is similar to other values obtained for tunneling through hydrocarbon chains. Electron transfer rate constants measured on the films reflect the increased cluster–cluster tunneling distance with increasing chainlength. The MPC films are patterned by scanning the surface with an AFM or scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) tip under appropriate conditions. The patterning mechanism is physical in nature, where the tip scrapes away the film in the scanned region. Large forces are required to pattern films with AFM while normal imaging conditions are sufficient to produce patterns with STM. Patterns with dimensions as small as 100 nm are shown. Subsequent heating (300 °C) of the patterned surfaces leads to a metallic Au film that decreases in thickness and is smoother compared to the MPC film, but retains the initial shape and dimensions of the original pattern

Allergy, inflammation, hepatopathy and coagulation biomarkers in dogs with suspected anaphylaxis due to insect envenomation

Objectives: To compare concentrations of biomarkers of; allergy [mast cell tryptase (MCT) and histamine], inflammation [interleukin (IL)-6,-10, and−18, CXCL8, CCL2, keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), C-reactive protein (CRP)], endothelial glycocalyx shedding (hyaluronan), coagulation [prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen concentration, and von Willebrand Factor antigen, protein C (PC) and antithrombin (AT) activity], and hepatopathy [alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin] between dogs with anaphylaxis after suspected insect exposure, dogs with critical illness, and healthy dogs. Design: This was a single center prospective clinical observational comparative biomarker study that included 25 dogs with anaphylaxis (evidence of insect exposure, acute dermatological signs, and other organ involvement), 30 dogs with other critical illness, and 20 healthy dogs. Differences across groups in biomarker concentrations were tested using one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test, with significant P values (<0.05) reported for pairwise differences detected by post-hoc tests. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) for discrimination between anaphylaxis and non-anaphylactic illness. Results: Histamine concentration was significantly higher in the anaphylaxis group than the healthy (P < 0.001) and critically ill groups (P < 0.001), whereas no differences in MCT were detected amongst groups. Biomarker concentrations that were increased relative to healthy dogs in both the anaphylaxis and critically ill groups included IL-10 (P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively), CCL2 (P = 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively) and AST (both P < 0.001), whereas only the critically ill group had significantly increased CRP (P < 0.001), IL-6 (P < 0.001), KC (P < 0.001), ALP (P < 0.001), and fibrinogen (P = 0.016) concentrations, compared to the healthy group. Only dogs with anaphylaxis had significantly higher hyaluronan (P = 0.021) and ALT (P = 0.021) concentrations, and lower PC (P = 0.030) and AT (P = 0.032) activities, compared to healthy dogs. Both CRP and histamine concentration showed good discrimination between anaphylaxis and other critical illness, with an AUROC of 0.96 (95% CI 0.91–1) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.69–0.93), respectively. Conclusions: This preliminary study in dogs with anaphylaxis after suspected insect exposure, found evidence of an early innate immune response, glycocalyx shedding and anticoagulant consumption. Both CRP and histamine showed potential clinical utility for differentiation between anaphylaxis and other critical illness

What makes you not a Buddhist? : a preliminary mapping of values

This study sets out to establish which Buddhist values contrasted with or were shared by adolescents from a non-Buddhist population. A survey of attitude toward a variety of Buddhist values was fielded in a sample of 352 non-Buddhist schoolchildren aged between 13 and 15 in London. Buddhist values where attitudes were least positive concerned the worth of being a monk/nun or meditating, offering candles & incense on the Buddhist shrine, friendship on Sangha Day, avoiding drinking alcohol, seeing the world as empty or impermanent and Nirvana as the ultimate peace. Buddhist values most closely shared by non-Buddhists concerned the Law of Karma, calming the mind, respecting those deserving of respect, subjectivity of happiness, welfare work, looking after parents in old age and compassion to cuddly animals. Further significant differences of attitude toward Buddhism were found in partial correlations with the independent variables of sex, age and religious affiliation. Correlation patterns paralleled those previously described in theistic religions. Findings are applied to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and for the teaching of religious to pupils of no faith adherence. The study recommends that quantitative psychometrics employed to conceptualize Buddhist values by discriminant validity in this study could be extended usefully to other aspects of the study of Buddhism, particularly in quest of validity in the conceptualization of Buddhist identity within specifically Buddhist populations

Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of female African rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzivora Harris and Gagné, to host plant volatiles

African rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzivora Harris and Gagné, is a major pest of rice in Africa. Depsite its economic importance, its chemical ecology is not well understood. Here, we assessed behavioral and electrophysiological responses of O. oryzivora to host plant volatiles. In olfactometer bioassays, mated female O. oryzivora were attracted to volatiles emitted from intact rice plants but were repelled by volatiles collected from plants infested by conspecifics. In a choice test, there was a preference for volatiles from uninfested plants over those from infested plants. Coupled gas chromatography-electroantennography analyses of panicle volatiles isolated four electrophysiologically active components: (S)-linalool, 4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (E)-caryophyllene, and (R/S)-(E)-nerolidol. A synthetic blend of volatiles at the same concentration and ratio as that from an intact plant was attractive to mated females, whereas a blend based on the ratio of volatiles from an infested plant was repellent. This suggests that O. oryzivora uses olfaction for host plant recognition. The identification of blends of volatiles emitted by plants that can both attract and repel O. oryzivora may aid the development of sustainable control measures

Operative time and outcome of enhanced recovery after surgery after laparoscopic colorectal surgery

Background and Objectives: Combining laparoscopy and enhanced recovery provides benefit to short-term outcomes after colorectal surgery. Advances in training and techniques have allowed surgeons to operate on cases that are technically challenging and associated with prolonged operative time. Laparoscopic techniques improve the outcome of enhanced recovery after colorectal surgery; however, there are no specifications on the effect of prolonged operations on the outcome. The objective was to elucidate the impact of prolonged surgery and blood loss on the outcome of enhanced recovery after surgery after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: Four-hundred patients who underwent elective colorectal resection on enhanced recovery after surgery in Yeovil District Hospital between 2002 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Delayed discharge was defined as a prolonged length of stay beyond the mean in this series (≥8 days). Results: Three-hundred eighty-five patients were included. Median operative time was 180 minutes with a median blood loss of 100 mL. Conversion was not associated with a prolonged length of stay. Operative time and blood loss correlated with length of stay in a stepwise fashion. There were 2 cutoff points of operative time at 160 minutes and 300 minutes (5 hours), where risk of prolonged stay increased significantly (odds ratio [OR] = 2.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-3.90; P= 027), and blood loss of >500 mL (OR = 3.114; 95% CI, 1.501-6.462, P =.002). Conclusions: Total operative timing impacts negatively on the outcome of enhanced recovery after laparoscopic colorectal resections with increased risk of delayed discharge seen after ~2.5 hours and 5-hour duration. © 2014 by JSLS, Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons

Electricity, computing hardware, and internet infrastructures in health facilities in Sierra Leone : field mapping study

Background: Years of health information system investment in many countries have facilitated service delivery, surveillance, reporting, and monitoring. Electricity, computing hardware, and internet networks are vital for health facility–based information systems. Availability of these infrastructures at health facilities is crucial for achieving national digital health visions.Objective: The aim of this study was to gain insight into the state of computing hardware, electricity, and connectivity infrastructure at health facilities in Sierra Leone using a representative sample.Methods: Stratified sampling of 72 (out of 1284) health facilities distributed in all districts of Sierra Leone was performed, factoring in the rural-urban divide, digital health activity, health facility type, and health facility ownership. Enumerators visited each health facility over a 2-week period.Results: Among the 72 surveyed health facilities, 59 (82%) do not have institutionally provided internet. Among the 15 Maternal and Child Health Posts, as a type of primary health care unit (PHU), 9 (60%) use solar energy as their only electricity source and the other 6 (40%) have no electricity source. Similarly, among the 13 hospitals, 5 (38%) use a generator as a primary electricity source. All hospitals have at least one functional computer, although only 7 of the 13 hospitals have four or more functional computers. Similarly, only 2 of the 59 (3%) PHUs have one computer each, and 37 (63%) of the PHUs have one tablet device each. We consider this health care computing infrastructure mapping to be representative with a 95% confidence level within an 11% margin of error. Two-thirds of the PHUs have only alternate solar electricity, only 10 of the 72 surveyed health facilities have functional official internet, and most use suboptimal computing hardware. Overall, 43% of the surveyed health facilities believe that inadequate electricity is the biggest threat to digitization. Similarly, 16 (22%) of the 72 respondents stated that device theft is a primary hindrance to digitization.Conclusions: Electricity provision for off-electricity-grid health facilities using alternative and renewable energy sources is emerging. The current trend where GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) service providers provide the internet to all health facilities may change to other promising alternatives. This study provides evidence of the critical infrastructure gaps in health facilities in Sierra Leone.peer-reviewe

Digital health solutions and state of interoperability : landscape analysis of Sierra Leone

Background: The government and partners have invested heavily in the health information system (HIS) for service delivery, surveillance, reporting, and monitoring. Sierra Leone’s government launched its first digital health strategy in 2018. In 2019, a broader national innovation and digital strategy was launched. The health pillar direction will use big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve health care in general and maternal and child health in particular. Understanding the number, distribution, and interoperability of digital health solutions is crucial for successful implementation strategies.Objective: This paper presents the state of digital health solutions in Sierra Leone and how these solutions currently interoperate. This study further presents opportunities for big data and AI applications.Methods: All the district health management teams, all digital health implementing organizations, and a stratified sample of 72 (out of 1284) health facilities were purposefully selected from all health districts and surveyed.Results: The National Health Management Information System’s (NHMIS’s) aggregate reporting solution populated by health facility forms HF1 to HF9 was, by far, the most used tool. A health facility–based weekly aggregate electronic integrated disease surveillance and response solution was also widely used. Half of the health facilities had more than 2 digital health solutions in use. The different digital health software solutions do not share data among one another, though aggregate reporting data were sent as necessary. None of the respondents use any of the health care registries for patient, provider, health facility, or terminology identification.Conclusions: Many digital health solutions are currently used at health facilities in Sierra Leone. The government can leverage current investment in HIS from surveillance and reporting for using big data and AI for care. The vision of using big data for health care is achievable if stakeholders prioritize individualized and longitudinal patient data exchange using agreed use cases from national strategies. This study has shown evidence of distribution, types, and scale of digital health solutions in health facilities and opportunities for leveraging big data to fill critical gaps necessary to achieve the national digital health vision.peer-reviewe