Recession, employment and self-rated health: a study on the gender gap

Objectives: Employment status and economic recession have been associated with negative effects on self-rated health, and this effect differs by gender. We analysed the effects of the Spanish economic recession in terms of self-rated health, its differential effect among genders and its influence on gender gap. Study design: Repeated cross-sectional study using Spanish health surveys (2001–2014). Methods: Logistic regression models were conducted to explore the association between self-rated health and employment status and its evolution over time and gender. To test the impact of the economic recession, pooled data regression models were conducted. Results: In this study, we considered 104,577 subjects. During the last 15 years, women have entered the labour market, leading to wide changes in the Spanish traditional family roles. Instead of an increasing proportion of women workers, gender employment differences persist. Therefore, in 2014, the prevalence of workers was 55.77% in men, whereas in women, it was 44.01%. Self-rated health trends during the economic recession differ by gender, with women improving slightly their self-rated health from a low self-rated health prevalence of 38.76% in 2001 to 33.78% in 2014. On the contrary, men seem more vulnerable to employment circumstances, which have led to substantial reduction in the gender gap. Conclusions: Although a gender gap persists, the change in socio-economic roles seems to increase women's self-rated health, reducing this gap. It is important to promote women's labour market inclusion, even in economic recession periods

Understanding the effect of economic recession on healthcare services: a systematic review

Background: We aimed to examine the available evidence about the impact of the crisis on the use of healthcare services in Europe. Methods: We developed a systematic review of scientific literature for the period 2008-2017. The researchers searched three databases Medline/PubMed, Scopus and Web of Knowledge. For manual searching, several spe-cialized journals of related scope as well as the finalized articles'' reference list were searched. Descriptive and thematic analyses were carried out. PRISMA quality criteria and the recommendations of the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination were followed. Results: Of 3, 685 studies, 35 met inclusion criteria. Regarding “Effects of the social structure” healthcare accessibility inequalities increased by socioeconomic levels, especially in unemployed, people with low educational levels and migrants. Regarding “Healthcare effect”, the impact of the recession was observed in unmet needs, pharmaceutical spending containment, reduction of hospital beds, and privatization of services. Conclusion: Austerity policies have contributed to increasing inequalities in the use of health services during the economic downturn. In the current economic climate, new management and health planning strategies such as hospitalisation at home, new models of integrated care and pharmaceutical management are needed to help achieve greater equity and equality in health

Influence of Fe doping and magnetic field on martensitic transition in Ni–Mn–Sn melt-spun ribbons

"Mn-rich Ni-Mn-Sn metamagnetic shape memory alloys exhibiting magnetostructural transformation are of a great potential as the base materials for solid-state refrigeration. With the aim of fine tuning of the transformation characteristics and improving functional properties, in the present work we have fabricated polycrystalline Ni50-xFexMn40Sn10 (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 at.%) melt-spun ribbons, starting from the base alloy with x = 0, which is weakly magnetic in both austenitic and martensitic phases. By exploring martensitic transformation (MT) and magnetic behaviors as a function of Fe doping and magnetic field, we have found that Fe and/or magnetic field reduce the MT temperature and Curie temperature of austenite phase, becoming closer to each other as the Fe-content increases, accompanied by an increase of the magnetic moment of austenite, magnetization jump at MT, transformation volume, and magnetic contribution, Delta S-M, to the total entropy change at MT. The ribbons present moderate values of Delta S-M equal to 11 J kg(-11)K(-1) at 5 T for x = 8, moderate thermal hysteresis (10-14 K) nearly independent of Fe doping or magnetic field, and adjustable structural and magnetic transition temperatures close to room temperature. (C) 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Post-traumatic stress disorder associated with natural and human-made disasters in the World Mental Health Surveys

Background: Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following natural and human-made disasters has been undertaken for more than three decades. Although PTSD prevalence estimates vary widely, most are in the 20–40% range in disaster-focused studies but considerably lower (3–5%) in the few general population epidemiological surveys that evaluated disaster-related PTSD as part of a broader clinical assessment. The World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys provide an opportunity to examine disaster-related PTSD in representative general population surveys across a much wider range of sites than in previous studies. Method: Although disaster-related PTSD was evaluated in 18 WMH surveys, only six in high-income countries had enough respondents for a risk factor analysis. Predictors considered were socio-demographics, disaster characteristics, and pre-disaster vulnerability factors (childhood family adversities, prior traumatic experiences, and prior mental disorders). Results: Disaster-related PTSD prevalence was 0.0–3.8% among adult (ages 18+) WMH respondents and was significantly related to high education, serious injury or death of someone close, forced displacement from home, and pre-existing vulnerabilities (prior childhood family adversities, other traumas, and mental disorders). Of PTSD cases 44.5% were among the 5% of respondents classified by the model as having highest PTSD risk. Conclusion: Disaster-related PTSD is uncommon in high-income WMH countries. Risk factors are consistent with prior research: severity of exposure, history of prior stress exposure, and pre-existing mental disorders. The high concentration of PTSD among respondents with high predicted risk in our model supports the focus of screening assessments that identify disaster survivors most in need of preventive interventions

ENCUESTA PARA DETERMINAR LA PARTICIPACIÓN CIUDADANA EN LA PLANIFICACIÓN URBANA DE COMALA, COLIMA, MÉXICO.

El objetivo de este artículo es determinar el grado de participación ciudadana en los procesos de planificación urbana del municipio de Comala, Colima, México, mediante un instrumento para la obtención de información, con el fin de tener una visión más amplia de la ciudadanía y del entorno en el que se desenvuelven. Se plantea la metodología de selección y la formulación del instrumento. Además, se realiza la validación del instrumento a través de la fórmula Alfa de Cronbach. Finalmente, en los resultados se observa que los ciudadanos están interesados y participan en los asuntos que conciernen a su entorno urbano, además de exponer las principales problemáticas del espacio público

Large Nc QCD and Harmonic Sums

In the Large-Nc limit of QCD, two--point functions of local operators become Harmonic Sums. I review some properties which follow from this fact and which are relevant for phenomenological applications. This has led us to consider a class of Analytic Number Theory Functions as toy models of Large-Nc QCD which I also discuss.Comment: Based on my talk at "Raymond Stora's 80th Birthday Party", LAPP, July 11th 201

Follow-up with Telemedicine in Early Discharge for COPD Exacerbations: Randomized Clinical Trial (TELEMEDCOPD-Trial)

The results reported by different studies on telemonitoring in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been contradictory, without showing clear benefits to date. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether an early discharge and home hospitalization telehealth program for patients with COPD exacerbation is as effective as and more efficient than a traditional early discharge and home hospitalization program. A prospective experimental non-inferiority study, randomized into two groups (telemedicine/control) was conducted. The telemedicine group underwent monitoring and was required to transmit data on vital constants and ECGs twice per day, with a subsequent telephone call and 2 home visits by healthcare staff (intermediate and at discharge). The control group received daily visits. The main variable was time until first exacerbation. The secondary variables were: number of exacerbations; use of healthcare resources; satisfaction; quality of life; anxiety-depression; and therapeutic adherence, measured at one and 6 months of hospital discharge. A total of 116 patients were randomized (58 to each group) without significant differences in baseline characteristics or time until first exacerbation, i.e. median 48 days (pp. 25-75:23-120) in the control group, and 47 days (pp. 25-75:19-102) in the intervention group; p = 0.52). A significant decrease in the number of visits was observed in the intervention versus the control group, 3.8 ± 1 vs 5.1 ± 2(p = 0.001), without significant differences in the number of exacerbations. In conclusion follow-up via a telemedicine program in early discharge after hospitalization is as effective as conventional home follow up, being the cost of either strategy not significantly different.This study was awarded a Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias/FIS) grant, dossier No. PI12/01161 of the Carlos III Institute of Health and the Ministry of Sciences, Innovation and Universities.S

Desafíos y tendencias del México actual

Conjunto de once ensayos cuyo propósito es suscitar la reflexión sobre las tendencias más importantes que marcan el inicio del siglo XXI en México y Jalisco, sin obviar las direcciones que a escala mundial toman la vida social, política y económica.ITESO, A.C

The Role of Age and Exposure to Plasmodium falciparum in the Rate of Acquisition of Naturally Acquired Immunity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The rate of acquisition of naturally acquired immunity (NAI) against malaria predominantly depends on transmission intensity and age, although disentangling the effects of these is difficult. We used chemoprophylaxis to selectively control exposure to P. falciparum during different periods in infancy and explore the effect of age in the build-up of NAI, measured as risk of clinical malaria.\ud \ud Methods and Findings: A three-arm double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 349 infants born to Mozambican HIV-negative women. The late exposure group (LEG) received monthly Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP) plus Artesunate (AS) from 2.5–4.5 months of age and monthly placebo from 5.5–9.5 months; the early exposure group (EEG) received placebo from 2.5–4.5 months and SP+AS from 5.5–9.5 months; and the control group (CG) received placebo from 2.5–9.5 months. Active and passive case detection (PCD) were conducted from birth to 10.5 and 24 months respectively. The primary endpoint was time to first or only episode of malaria in the second year detected by PCD. The incidence of malaria during the second year was of 0.50, 0.51 and 0.35 episodes/PYAR in the LEG, EEG and CG respectively (p = 0.379 for the adjusted comparison of the 3 groups). The hazard ratio of the adjusted comparison between the LEG and the CG was 1.38 (0.83–2.28, p = 0.642) and that between the EEG and the CG was 1.35 (0.81–2.24, p = 0.743).\ud \ud Conclusions: After considerably interfering with exposure during the first year of life, there was a trend towards a higher risk of malaria in the second year in children who had received chemoprophylaxis, but there was no significant rebound. No evidence was found that the age of first exposure to malaria affects the rate of acquisition of NAI. Thus, the timing of administration of antimalarial interventions like malaria vaccines during infancy does not appear to be a critical determinant

Rho-Omega Mixing and the Pion Form Factor in the Time-like Region

We determine the magnitude, phase, and $s$-dependence of $\rho$-$\omega$ ``mixing'' in the pion form factor in the time-like region through fits to e^+e^- \ra \pi^+ \pi^- data. The associated systematic errors in these quantities, arising from the functional form used to fit the $\rho$ resonance, are small. The systematic errors in the $\rho$ mass and width, however, are larger than previously estimated.Comment: 20 pages, REVTeX, epsfig, 2 ps figures, minor change