"Does this Look Infected to You?" Social Network Predictors of Dental Help-Seeking Among Mexican Immigrants

Compared to U.S. born Latinos, Mexican immigrants (MAs) have diminished health care access and face substantial barriers to accessing needed dental health services. However, little research has examined how MAs social networks shape their use of dental health services. Using data from 332 Mexican immigrants to the Midwest, this research examines the significance of individual and egocentric network characteristics on two measures of dental health service utilization. Findings reveal that network size, network dental service utilization, and the frequency with which MAs discuss acute problems with network ties, positively correspond to use of oral health services. Conversely, embeddedness in networks where ties hassle egos about dental issues and have low levels of dental health knowledge correspond to lower odds of using these services. This research is among the first to use ego network data and methods to examine the ways network characteristics shape oral health behaviors among this underserved population

Sector-based Fresnel zone plate with extended depth of focus

A Sector-based Fresnel zone plate consists of a binary diffractive lens composed of a mosaic of sectors of Fresnel zone plates with different focal distances. When these focal distances are linearly distributed within the sectors, dual focus is obtained. Besides, we explore the possibility to generate an extended depth-of-focus lens by using a cubic distribution of the focal distances assigned to the sectors and optimizing the weight factors given to the terms of the cubic polynomial. Finally, numerical simulations based on the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld approach are carried out and experimental verifications by using a Spatial Light Modulator are performed, showing high agreement. The proposed kind of zone plate has potential applications in different research fields such as microscopy, lithography, data storage, or imaging

Performance analysis of massively parallel embedded hardware architectures for retinal image processing

This paper examines the implementation of a retinal vessel tree extraction technique on different hardware platforms and architectures. Retinal vessel tree extraction is a representative application of those found in the domain of medical image processing. The low signal-to-noise ratio of the images leads to a large amount of low-level tasks in order to meet the accuracy requirements. In some applications, this might compromise computing speed. This paper is focused on the assessment of the performance of a retinal vessel tree extraction method on different hardware platforms. In particular, the retinal vessel tree extraction method is mapped onto a massively parallel SIMD (MP-SIMD) chip, a massively parallel processor array (MPPA) and onto an field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA)This work is funded by Xunta de Galicia under the projects 10PXIB206168PR and 10PXIB206037PR and the program Maria BarbeitoS

Racism and Illicit Drug Use among African American Women: The Protective Effects of Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, and Behavior

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings suggest that racism is associated with drug use, but that its effects diminish with age. In addition, results suggest that psychosocial resources, social safety net factors and culturally specific factors like ethnic community membership and engagement in cultural practices afford African American women some protection against the detrimental effects of racism

Under the influence of genetics: how transdisciplinarity leads us to rethink social pathways to illness

This article describes both sociological and genetic theories of illness causation and derives propositions expected under each and under a transdisciplinary theoretical frame. The authors draw propositions from three theories -- fundamental causes, social stress processes, and social safety net theories -- and tailor hypotheses to the case of alcohol dependence. Analyses of a later wave of the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism reveal a complex interplay of the GABRA2 gene with social structural factors to produce cases meeting DSM/ICD diagnoses. Only modest evidence suggests that genetic influence works through social conditions and experiences. Further, women are largely unaffected in their risk for alcohol dependence by allele status at this candidate gene; family support attenuates genetic influence; and childhood deprivation exacerbates genetic predispositions. These findings highlight the essential intradisciplinary tension in the role of proximal and distal influences in social processes and point to the promise of focusing directly on dynamic, networked sequences that produce different pathways to health and illness

Psychological and behavioral acculturation in a social network of Mexican Americans in the United States and use of dental services

Objectives We used data from the TalaSurvey study to examine associations between dental health experiences, social network characteristics, and levels of behavioral and psychological acculturation in one location in the American Midwest. Methods Starting in parishes and community organizations, we identified adults of Mexican origin living in Indianapolis, who were 1st- or 2nd-generation immigrants from Tala, Mexico. Using a social networks methodology and following extensive formative research, we created an egocentric social network survey and administered it via face-to-face interviews. We identified the peers (alters) in interviewees’ (egos) personal networks. We asked egos about multiple oral health and dental care variables for self and for alters. Acculturation (psychological and behavioral) was measured with a validated tool. Through logistic and negative binomial regression, we examined the effects of acculturation and network composition on ego's dental insurance status, dental office visits, and the reason for most recent dental office visit. Results A total of 332 egos (mean age 36; 63% female) were interviewed: 90% were born in Mexico; 45% had completed elementary school or lower; and most had low income. Each ego named 3.9 (SD±1.9) alters in his/her personal network, for a total of 1299 alters (mean age 39; 61% female). Both behavioral acculturation and psychological acculturation were moderately associated with dental insurance coverage, and greater behavioral acculturation predicted more frequent dental care. More psychologically acculturated egos were more likely to seek preventive care. Further, egos with more highly educated networks sought care more frequently and for preventive purposes, net of ego's own education and acculturation. Conclusions This study contextualizes acculturation of Mexican Americans within the personal networks in which oral health discussion takes place. The findings underscore the critical importance of acculturation and social network factors in shaping a subgroup of Latinos’ orientation toward dental care

Examining the Associations of Racism, Sexism, and Stressful Life Events on Psychological Distress among African-American Women

African-American women may be susceptible to stressful events and adverse health outcomes as a result of their distinct social location at the intersection of gender and race. Here, racism and sexism are examined concurrently using survey data from 204 African-American women residing in a southeastern U.S. urban city. Associations among racism, sexism, and stressful events across social roles and contexts (i.e., social network loss, motherhood and childbirth, employment and finances, personal illness and injury, and victimization) are investigated. Then, the relationships among these stressors on psychological distress are compared, and a moderation model is explored. Findings suggest that racism and sexism are a significant source of stress in the lives of African-American women and are correlated with one another and with other stressful events. Implications for future research and clinical considerations are discussed. (APA PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved

Misalignment of Career and Educational Aspirations in Middle School: Differences Across Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status

Misalignment of educational and career goals (i.e., educational aspirations expressed are inadequate for attaining one’s desired occupation) is associated with lower educational attainment and a lack of college readiness, and may contribute to persistent educational and employment disparities. Drawing on data from 249 sixth graders in low-income schools, this research examines misalignment between educational and career aspirations across racial and ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Findings indicate that students in low-income schools aspire to middle and upper middle class careers, but sometimes lack an understanding of the educational degrees required to achieve their goals. Latinos are significantly more likely than other groups to report misaligned aspirations, as are students in the free and reduced lunch program and those without a college-educated parent. Consequently, early gaps in misaligned career and educational goals for disadvantaged students may set them on a trajectory that perpetuates educational and occupational inequalities in this population. We discuss the programmatic implications of these findings in light of the elevated college and career planning needs of students traditionally underrepresented in higher education