Using Multiple-hierarchy Stratification and Life Course Approaches to Understand Health Inequalities: The Intersecting Consequences of Race, Gender, SES, and Age

This study examines how the intersecting consequences of race-ethnicity, gender, socioeconomics status (SES), and age influence health inequality. We draw on multiple-hierarchy stratification and life course perspectives to address two main research questions. First, does racial-ethnic stratification of health vary by gender and/or SES? More specifically, are the joint health consequences of racial-ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic stratification additive or multiplicative? Second, does this combined inequality in health decrease, remain stable, or increase between middle and late life? We use panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,976) to investigate between- and within-group differences in in self-rated health among whites, blacks, and Mexican Americans. Findings indicate that the effects of racial-ethnic, gender, and SES stratification are interactive, resulting in the greatest racial-ethnic inequalities in health among women and those with higher levels of SES. Furthermore, racial-ethnic/gender/SES inequalities in health tend to decline with age. These results are broadly consistent with intersectionality and aging-as-leveler hypotheses

Soil physical properties affected by soil management and crop rotation in a long term experiment in Southern Brazil

The main objective of this work is to evaluate soil physical properties affected by cover crop rotations and soil management after 19 years of applying NoTill and Conventional Tillage systems with different winter species on a clayey Oxisol in South Brazil

Long-term effect of different soil management systems and winter crops on soil acidity and vertical distribution of nutrients in a Brazilian Oxisol

“Strategies” to sustain crop productivity by reducing the fertilizer and lime demands must be developed. The use of plant species that use more efficiently the soil nutrients and tillage systems that provide nutrients accumulation in more labile forms are prerequisites for sustainable agroecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the long period effect of cultivating different winter species under different soil management systems on vertical distribution of soil nutrients and the soil acidity distribution in soil profile. The experiment was established in 1986 with six winter treatments (blue lupine, hairy vetch, oat, radish, wheat and fallow) under conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) in a very clayey Rhodic Hapludox in Southern Brazil. As a result of 19 years of no soil disturbance, soil chemical attributes related to soil acidity and the availability of P and K were more favorable to crops growth up to 10 cm in the soil under no-tillage than in the conventional tillage. On other hand, lime applications in low doses on the soil surface were not efficient in neutralizing the aluminum toxicity below 10 cm depth. It shows that repeated use of lime on the soil surface under NT system can be a viable alternative strategy only when soil acidity and aluminum toxicity in subsurface has been previously eliminated using the adequate amount of lime and incorporating it into the arable layer. Moreover, in the conventional tillage system P and K availability were higher below 10 cm depth compared to the no-tillage system. Even after 19 years of no soil disturbance in the NT system the available P content below 10 cm soil layer was lower than the optimal content of available P recommended to cash crops. The reduced surface K application over time was sufficient to gain adequate crop yields and to maintain the optimal content of soil available K in both soil management systems. The effects of soil management systems were predominant on the soil acidity attributes, and no effects of winter cover crops were observed on soil acidity attributes. Black oat and blue lupine were more efficient in P cycling, increasing the soil available P content especially in the surface soil under NT. The lower amount of biomass produced over time when no cover crops were used in the winter period resulted in lower P and K availability in the soil, showing the important role of growing winter species to maintain soil fertility

Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery III: Training and Robotic-Assisted Approaches.

Minimally invasive mitral valve operations are increasingly common in the United States, but robotic-assisted approaches have not been widely adopted for a variety of reasons. This expert opinion reviews the state of the art and defines best practices, training, and techniques for developing a successful robotics program

Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery I: Patient Selection, Evaluation, and Planning.

Widespread adoption of minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement may be fostered by practice consensus and standardization. This expert opinion, first of a 3-part series, outlines current best practices in patient evaluation and selection for minimally invasive mitral valve procedures, and discusses preoperative planning for cannulation and myocardial protection

Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery II: Surgical Technique and Postoperative Management.

Techniques for minimally invasive mitral valve repair and replacement continue to evolve. This expert opinion, the second of a 3-part series, outlines current best practices for nonrobotic, minimally invasive mitral valve procedures, and for postoperative care after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery

The Two Variables in The Triple System HR 6469=V819 Her: One Eclipsing, One Spotted

A complete BV light curve, from 14 nights of good data obtained with the Vanderbilt University-Tennessee State University (VU-TSU) automatic telescope, are presented and solved with the Wilson-Devinney program. Third light is evaluated, with the companion star brighter by 0.58m in V and 0.11m in B. The eclipses are partial. Inferred color indices yield F2 V and F8 V for the eclipsing pair and G8 IV-III for the distant companion star. After removing the variability due to eclipses, we study the residual variability of the G8 IV-III star over the ten years 1982 to 1992. Each yearly light curve is fit with a two-spot model. Three relatively long-lived spots are identified, with rotation periods of 85.9d, 85.9d, and 86.1d. The weak and intermittent variability is understood because the G8 IV-III star has a Rossby number at the threshold for the onset of heavy spottedness