Immigrants' Assimilation Process in a Segmented Labor Market

While much of the literature on immigrants' assimilation has focused on countries with a large tradition of receiving immigrants and with flexible labor markets, very little is known on how immigrants adjust to other types of host economies. With its severe dual labor market, and an unprecedented immigration boom, Spain presents a perfect natural experiment to analyze immigrations' assimilation process. Using data from the 2000 to 2008 Spanish Labor Force Survey, we find that immigrants are more occupationally mobile than natives, and that much of this greater flexibility is explained by immigrants' assimilation process soon after arrival. However, we find little evidence of convergence, especially among women and high skilled immigrants. This suggests that instead of integrating, immigrants are occupationally segregating, implying that there is both imperfect substitutability and underutilization of immigrants' human capital.immigrants' assimilation effects, cohort effects, occupational distributions and mobility, segmented labor markets

Immigrants' Assimilation Process In A Segmented Labor Market

JEL classification: J15, J24, J61, J62kWhile much of the literature on immigrants' assimilation has focused on countries with a large tradition of receiving immigrants and with flexible labor markets, very little is known on how immigrants adjust to other types of host economies. With its severe dual labor market, and an unprecedented immigration boom, Spain presents a quite unique experience to analyze immigrations' assimilation process. Using data from the 2000 to 2008 Labor Force Survey, we find that immigrants are more occupationally mobile than natives, and that much of this greater flexibility is explained by immigrants' assimilation process soon after arrival. However, we find little evidence of convergence, especially among women and high skilled immigrants. This suggests that instead of integrating, immigrants occupationally segregate, providing evidence consistent with both imperfect substitutability and immigrants' human capital being under-valued. Additional evidence on the assimilation of earnings and the incidence of permanent employment by different skill levels also supports the hypothesis of segmented labor markets.Financial support from the Spanish ministry of Education and Science (grant SEJ2006-712) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (grant SGR2005-712) is also gratefully acknowledgedmPeer reviewe

Short-term fire front spread prediction using inverse modelling and airborne infrared images

A wildfire forecasting tool capable of estimating the fire perimeter position sufficiently in advance of the actual fire arrival will assist firefighting operations and optimise available resources. However, owing to limited knowledge of fire event characteristics (e.g. fuel distribution and characteristics, weather variability) and the short time available to deliver a forecast, most of the current models only provide a rough approximation of the forthcoming fire positions and dynamics. The problem can be tackled by coupling data assimilation and inverse modelling techniques. We present an inverse modelling-based algorithm that uses infrared airborne images to forecast short-term wildfire dynamics with a positive lead time. The algorithm is applied to two real-scale mallee-heath shrubland fire experiments, of 9 and 25 ha, successfully forecasting the fire perimeter shape and position in the short term. Forecast dependency on the assimilation windows is explored to prepare the system to meet real scenario constraints. It is envisaged the system will be applied at larger time and space scales.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Bacillus galliciensis sp. nov., isolated from faeces of wild seahorses (Hippocampus guttulatus)

4 páginas, 1 figura, 1 tablaA Gram-positive-staining, motile, rod-shaped, endospore-forming bacterium (BFLP-1T) was isolated from faeces of wild long-snouted seahorses (Hippocampus guttulatus) captured in northwest Spain (Toralla, Galicia). Strain BFLP-1T grew at 10–30 6C and pH 5.5–9 (optimally at 20 6C and pH 7.2) and with 0–7% (w/v) NaCl (optimally with 2% NaCl). The G+C content of the DNA was 48.1 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BFLP-1T was a member of the genus Bacillus and was most closely related to Bacillus herbersteinensis D-1,5aT (96.6 %), B. shackletonii LMG 18435T (96.0 %) and B. isabeliae CVS-8T (95.9 %). Chemotaxonomic data (peptidoglycan type, meso-diaminopimelic acid; major menaquinone, MK-7; predominant fatty acids, anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and C16 : 1v11c; major polar lipids, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unknown aminoglycophospholipid) supported the affiliation of strain BFLP-1T to the genus Bacillus. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and chemotaxonomic and phenotypic features indicated that strain BFLP-1T represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus galliciensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BFLP-1T (5DSM 21539T 5LMG 24668T).This study was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (Hippocampus CGL2005-05927-C03-01). J.L.B. was supported by a postdoctoral I3P contract from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).Peer reviewe

Ontogeny of digestive enzymatic capacities in juvenile seahorses Hippocampus guttulatus fed on different live diets

12 páginas, 2 tablas, 3 figurasDifferences in survival and growth rates in seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus juveniles feeding on Artemia sp. or copepods have been related to specific digestive capacities of seahorse newborn, which are capable of actively forage on available prey from the first day of live. Other seahorse species, such as H. abdominalis and H. hippocampus, show high success feeding on Artemia nauplii suggesting species-specific differences in the digestibility of prey among seahorses. In this study, the profiles of digestive enzyme activity during the initial 15 days after release (DAR) were very low for trypsin, chitinase and α-amylase. In contrast, higher activities towards any of the assayed substrates for lipase (butyrate, octanoate and oleate) were evident from 0 DAR onwards. From 15 DAR onwards, the effect of diet composition became evident in juveniles previously fed on a mixed diet (Artemia + copepods), which showed a clear increase in all the assayed enzymes when compared with juveniles fed on Artemia as a sole prey. As a practical applicability of this study, a feeding schedule ensuring an adequate digestibility of the prey is proposed based on ontogenetic enzymatic activities of seahorse juveniles fed on different preyThe study was financed by the Spanish Government (Plan Nacional, Project CGL2009-08386) and the Regional Government of Galicia (Xunta de Galicia, Project 09MDS022402PR). A. Blanco was supported by PhD JAE-Pre grants (Junta para la Ampliación de Estudios Program) from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), co-financed by the European Social FundPeer reviewe

Mycobacterium hippocampi sp. nov., a rapidly growing scotochromogenic species isolated from a seahorse with tail rot

5 páginas, 3 figuras, 1 tablaA Gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile, non-sporulating, acid-fast, and rod-shaped bacterium (BFLP-6T), previously isolated from a seahorse (Hippocampus guttulatus) with tail rot, was studied using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Growth occurred at 15–35 °C (optimum 25 °C), at pH 5.0–10.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and at NaCl concentrations between 0 and 6 % (w/v). The G+C content of DNA was 66.7 mol%. The predominant fatty acids were C18:1 ω9c, C16:0 and C16:1 ω6c. A mycolic acid pattern of alpha-mycolates and keto-mycolates was detected. Analysis of concatenated sequences (16S rRNA, rpoB, ssrA and tuf genes), and chemotaxonomic and phenotypic features indicated that strain BFLP-6T represents a novel species within the genus Mycobacterium, for which the name Mycobacterium hippocampi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BFLP-6T (=DSM 45391T =LMG 25372T)This study was financed by the Spanish Min- istry of Science and Innovation (Projects CGL2005-05927-C03-01 and CGL2009-08386) and by the Regional Government Xunta de Galicia (09MDS022402PR). J.L.B. acknowledges receipt of an I3P postdoctoral contract from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), co-financed by the European Social Fund.Peer reviewe

Computing wildfire behaviour metrics from CFD simulation data

In this article, we demonstrate a new post-processing methodology which can be used to analyse CFD wildfire simulation outputs in a model-independent manner. CFD models produce a great deal of quantitative output but require additional post-processing to calculate commonly used wildfire behaviour metrics. Such post-processing has so far been model specific. Our method takes advantage of the 3D renderings that are a common output from such models and provides a means of calculating important fire metrics such as rate of spread and flame height using image processing techniques. This approach can be applied similarly to different models and to real world fire behaviour datasets, thus providing a new framework for model validation. Furthermore, obtained information is not limited to average values over the complete domain but spatially and temporally explicit metric distributions are provided. This feature supports posterior statistical analyses, ultimately contributing to more detailed and rigorous fire behaviour studies.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Performance analysis of a self-protection system for vehicles in case of WUI fire entrapment

Sheltering inside a civilian vehicle has proved to be a high risk strategy in case of wildfire entrapment. Survival is by no means guaranteed, especially in moderate to high-intensity wildfires. However, vehicles do offer a certain degree of fire protection, which can be reinforced by ad-hoc fire resistant technology. In this paper, we present the experimental performance analysis of a self-protection system that has been designed to protect people’s life in case of fire entrapment. Similar to a firefighter fire shelter, the designed system can be quickly deployed covering the whole vehicle. In case of fire exposure, this fabric provides additional heat protection to the occupants and the vehicle itself. An experimental burning was designed in order to simulate real fire exposure conditions in case of vehicle entrapment in a rural road. An ex-situ 2-m high fuel bed composed of Pinus halepensis fine logging slash was arranged in a 13 m long x 6 m wide area. Fire was ignited at one end of the fuel bed and spread driven by an induced constant air flow (3 m/s midflame wind speed). 2.8 m away from the other fuel bed end, a car covered with the fire protection fabric was placed, parallel to the fire. Data analysis provided mean values of fire rate of spread (2 m/s), fireline intensity (1800 kW/m), flame height (6.5 m), flame tilt angle (30º), flame depth (2 m), flame temperature (800 ºC) and flame emissive power (47.5 kW/m2 ). Maximum air temperatures inside the vehicle ranged around 41-42.5 ºC during a period between 20 min and 35 min after ignition. A thermocouple in contact with the internal side of the driver’s window registered a maximum value of 47.3 ºC. These results evidenced the good performance of the fabric when protecting eventual vehicle occupants against thermal exposure from wildfires of moderate intensity.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Seahorse aquaculture, biology and conservation: knowledge gaps and research opportunities

11 páginas, 6 figuras, 1 tablaSeahorses are currently experiencing an unprecedented level of anthropogenic pressure promoted by habitat destruction and increasing fishing effort to supply premium markets. This study provides an overview of the scientific literature on seahorses in the 21st century and critically discusses five major knowledge gaps and research opportunities to advance the state of the art on this research field. The average number of publications per year increased from 10 (2001–2002) to ∼40 (2001–2015), the majority addressing issues on seahorse ecology, biology, and aquaculture, with the most studied species being Hippocampus kuda, H. guttulatus, H. reidi, H. abdominalis, H. erectus, H. hippocampus, and H. trimaculatus. This study explores the opportunity of using seahorses as flagship species to foster mangrove conservation and decrease trawling fisheries. It also suggests that further scientific studies are needed to better understand and manage the populations of the most heavily traded seahorse species, as well as the need to monitor their vulnerability to emerging pollutants and climate change. Sustainable seahorse aquaculture can play an important role in seahorse conservation, as well as in the development of reliable traceability tools to fight the illegal trade of these highly priced organismsWe thank the São Paulo Research Foundation–FAPESP (grants nos. 2013/22260-6 and 2015/18050-0) and The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development–CNPq (grant nos. 441356/2014-1) for the financial support provided. Thanks also to FCT/MEC through national funds, and the cofunding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020 for the financial support to CESAM (UID/AMB/50017/2013)Peer reviewe

Preface

pp. 52Preface of the Special Issue of Cybernetics and Physics Journal (CAP)is entitled “Control And Linear Algebra: Theory And Applications”. It collects highly selected papers which focus on both theoretical and practical system treatment by using time invariant linear systems. This special issue presents extended versions of relevant works presented in the invited minisymposium called “Control and Linear Algebra: Theory And Applications” held at 6th International Scientific Conference on Physics and Control (PhysCon 2013) on August, 26th–29th, 2013, which was organized by the University of San Luis de Potosí (México) and the International Physics and Control Society (IPACS).S