Labor migration, market competition and ethnocentrism: guest workers in Israel and Germany ; Ergebnisse eines Forschungsprojektes und Beschreibung des Datensatzes (ZA-Studien-Nr. 3974)

'The major objective of the research was to examine attitudes and values toward guest workers in Israel and Germany in a comparative perspective. The main objects of examinations are the social conditions which shape the normative system of beliefs, attitudes, stereotypes, prejudice and behaviour toward foreign workers and ethnic minorities. The research was cast within theoretical frameworks that focus on the emergence of prejudice, discrimination and ethnic antagonism in modern societies. Two alternative, but by no means contradictory, models were used. The first is social psychological and centres on such concepts as social distance, prejudice, authoritarianism, and ethnocentrism. The second approach focuses on group competition over resources and rewards in national markets. Data to test the hypotheses were taken from national representative samples of adult citizens in Israel and Germany, respectively. The data was analysed using a variety of multivariate statistical models. It was our aim to contribute to a better understanding of the Israeli and German societies and to the theoretical knowledge regarding the social conditions that affect the system of values, attitudes, and behaviour toward migrant workers and ethnic minorities in modern societies. The comparison between Germany and Israel was one special point of interest, because Germany has been employing guest workers for more than a quarter of a century whereas Israel only recently began to rely on foreign workers. The influence of guest worker communities on contemporary societies is one significant social and economic problem of modern states. The study tried to increase the understanding of these mechanisms and phenomena.' (author's abstract)

Propriedades físicas do solo e desenvolvimento da Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.)O. Ktze

Orientador: Marcos Luiz de Paula SouzaDissertaçao (mestrado) -Universidade Federal do Paraná. Curso de Pós-Graduaçao em Agronomia / Ciencia do SoloInclui bibliografiaResumo: O trabalho objetivou a determinação da influência das características físicas e armazenarnento de água no crescimento da Araucar'ia angustifolia, no 29 Planalto Paranaense, em quatro unidades de solo: dois Litõlicos (Re-5, Re-4); um Cambissolo (Ca-7) e um Pozólico Vermelho Amarelho (PVa-5). Os resultados mostraram que o melhor desenvolvimento seguiu a seqüência Pva-5 > Ca-7 > Re-5 > Re-4, devido às condições físicas (porosidade total e aeração), e às condições climáticas e topográficas dos solos estudados. As unidades de solo foram caracterizadas quanto às suas propriedades físicas (granulométrica, densidade do solo e partículas, macro e microporosidade, e retenção de água às energias de -60 cm, -344 cm e-15.495 cm de coluna de água) além de ter sido medido, durante o período de um ano, o armazenamento de água e a porosidade de aeração até a profundidade de 125 cm. Os dados obtidos foram comparados ao crescimento em altura dos povoamentos de Araucaria com 15 anos de idade (índice de sítio). Os resultados evidenciaram a importancia das propriedades físicas no crescimento da espécie em especial da porodidade de aeração e profundidade, bem como a topografia dos solos.Abstract: The present study determined the influence of soil physical characteristics and water retention on the growth of Araucaria angustifolia. The study site was located on the 2nd Plateau of the State of Parana and included for soil units: two Litolic soils (Re-5, Re-4) one Cambisol (Ca-7) and one Red-Yellow Podzolic Soil(PVa-5) .The results demonstrate better development on the soil units PVA and Ca-1. The ranking in development was PVa-5> Ca-7 > Re-5 > Re-4 due to soil physical conditions (total porosity and aeration), and climatic and topographic conditions of the study site. The soil units were characterized in their physical aspects (particle size distribution, bulk and particle densities, macro and microporosity, and water retention of -60, -344, -15.495 cm H 20. Water storage and aeration porosity was monitored during one year to a depth up to 125 cm, depending on the soil unit. The datas were compared to tree heights of a 15-year old plantation (site index). The results are an evidence of the importance of soil physical characteristics on the growth of the species, specially of the aeration porosity, as well as soil depth and its landscape position

Effect of heat treatment on hardness, density and color of Populus × canadensis ‘I-214’ wood

Aim of study: To evaluate the effect of heat treatment (HT) on hardness, density and color of Populus × canadensis ´I-214´ (poplar) wood. Area of study: 15-years-old poplar wood from Pomona, Río Negro, Argentina. Materials and methods: 352 samples were exposed to different HT schedules: 120ºC, 160ºC, 180ºC and 200°C for 45 min, 90 min, 135 min and 180 min. Hardness, density and color were determined before and after each HT combination. Hardness and density tests were performed following the specifications of IRAM standards and wood color was determined according to CIELab system. Main results: Hardness improved significantly at 160°C for 45 min and 90 min in comparison with control (14.34% and 9.08%, respectively) whereas this property was improved at 120°C in all cases without significant differences. The 200°C: 45 min schedule showed the worst performance with a 20.26% hardness loss. Density was lower than the control in all schedules with losses ranging from 2.50% to 10.00%. Color became darker (decrease in L value, increase in a and b values) as HT intensity increased (mainly temperature), with changes becoming evident at 180°C and 200°C. Research highlights: HT on P. × canadensis ‘I-214’ improved its hardness under two HT schedules, although was not enough to extend the feasible applications, since it still belongs to a category of “soft” wood. Hardness and density did not show a clear correlation and color of poplar wood became darker as HT intensity increased..Laboratorio de Investigaciones en MaderaInstituto de Fisiología Vegeta

How effective is the early support program Babylotse-Plus for psychosocially burdened mothers and their infants? A comparative intervention study

Objectives: Our aim was to examine the effects of an early perinatal prevention program offered to mothers and families suffering from significant psychosocial burden. Methods: All mothers giving birth in a Berlin university hospital during Jan-Aug 2013 were screened with a standardized 27-item questionnaire by trained staff. Mothers with a screening-score ≥ 3, who were not enrolled in other public support programs, were defined as psychosocially burdened. They received a detailed needs assessment and were followed up with counseling. When necessary, affected mothers were voluntarily guided through to specialized 'early support' institutions during the 12-month-intervention period. The historical control group (care-as-usual) consisted of children born at the same hospital the year before.At 12 months postnatally, we interviewed mothers in both groups to assess their stress burden and coping skills by Parenting Stress Index and assessed the current childcare condition. Differences between the groups were compared by multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for potential confounders. Results: The intervention group and the control group included 225 and 157 families, respectively. After 12-months, mothers in the 'early support' intervention group had significantly less often depression (adjusted odds ratio 0.25, 95%-confidence interval 0.07-0.94), less often a disturbed relationship with the parenting partner (0.34, 0.10-1.14) and reported reduced stress due to the child's demands (0.40, 0.15-1.10) compared to the control group. Childcare indicators did not differ between the 2 groups. Conclusions: In mothers at high psychosocial risk, the 'early support' intervention program Babylotse-Plus seemed to reduce the occurrence of depression and several stress indicators in the first postnatal year

Anatomía del leño de <i>Citharexylum montevidense</i> (Spreng) Moldenke, especie forestal nativa de Buenos Aires

The aim of this study has been to characterize the wood anatomy of the Citharexylum montevidense (Spreng) Moldenke. Espina de Bañado , which is a native species of Argentina. The material was extracted from five trees which were growing in the Reserva Natural Provincial de Punta Lara (Punta Lara Natural Provincial Reserve) (34° 46' 56'' S, 58° 00' 43'' O; 2 m.s.n.m.) in the province of Buenos Aires. The samples for the study were 5-cm- thick slices which were taken from the main branch of each tree and from an auger sample taken from the trunk. Then, macro and microscopic description of the wood was made. The wood color of the C. montevidense is light yellow or creamy white. Wood has a fine and slightly heterogeneous texture, and the grains are straight, with a grained or slight flowery pattern. The porosity is diffuse to semicircular, with demarcated growth rings. The vessels are small, with an average diameter of 77.4 µm (+/- 12.7), they are 228.6 µm (+/- 44.9) long, and most of them are solitary and radial in pairs. The vessels are abundant with an average of 33 vessels/ mm² (+/- 7). The intervascular punctuations are alternate. The vessels have simple and reticulate perforation plates, without tyloses or contents in the heartwood vessels. The fibers have medium to thick walls of 4.13 µm (+/- 0,77), and an average length of 927 µm (+/- 138). The axial parenchyma is vasicentric and it cames in stripes which are 4-5 cells thick. The woody radiuses were mainly 3 serial ones with a row of square cells at the margins. The anatomic description of the wood coincides with descriptions of other species of the genus.El objetivo del presente trabajo fue caracterizar anatómicamente el leño de Citharexylum montevidense (Spreng) Moldenke. “Espina de Bañado”, especie nativa de Argentina. El material de estudio se extrajo de cinco árboles ubicados en la Reserva Natural Provincial Punta Lara (34º 46' 56'' S, 58º 00' 43'' O; 2 m.s.n.m.) provincia de Buenos Aires. Las muestras para análisis se tomaron de rodajas de 5 cm de espesor obtenidas de la rama basal gruesa de cada árbol y de una muestra de barreno del tronco. Se realizó la descripción macro y microscópica de la madera. C. montevidense posee una madera de color amarillo claro a blanco cremoso, de textura fina y levemente heterogénea, grano derecho, diseño o veteado floreado muy suave. La porosidad es difusa a semicircular con anillos de crecimiento demarcados. Poros pequeños, con un diámetro promedio de 77,4 µm (+/- 12,7), de 228,6 µm (+/- 44,9) de longitud, en su mayoría solitarios y radiales de a dos, vasos muy numerosos con un promedio de 33 vasos/mm² (+/- 7). Las puntuaciones intervasculares fueron alternas. Vasos con placas de perforación simple y reticulada. Sin tílides ni contenidos en los vasos del duramen. Las fibras presentan paredes de espesor medio a grueso [4,13 µm (+/- 0,77)] y longitud promedio de 927 µm (+/- 138). El parénquima axial es vasicéntrico y en bandas de 4-5 células de espesor. Los radios leñosos son mayoritariamente 3-seriados y con una hilera de células cuadradas en el margen. La descripción anatómica del leño coincide con descripciones de otras especies del género

Guayracá INTA, un nuevo clon de álamo remitido a inscripción en el registro nacional de variedades

El cultivo de álamos en el Delta del Paraná, que actualmente ocupa 14.508 hectáreas, se inició hacia fines del siglo XIX y constituye junto al sauce el principal recurso económico de la región. La sostenibilidad de la actividad necesita de un paquete tecnológico acorde a sus necesidades y problemáticas que incluye la provisión de clones genéticamente mejorados. Para ello se necesita transitar un largo camino que se inicia con la obtención de variabilidad genética, la cual es posteriormente sometida a un riguroso proceso de selección (crecimiento, forma, tolerancia a factores adversos y propiedades físico-mecánicas de la madera) para alcanzar los parámetros establecidos en el ideotipo definido por el mejorador. Los clones selectos, caracterizados en base al “descriptor” aprobado por INASE, se remiten a inscripción en el Registro Nacional de Cultivares y/o en el Registro Nacional de la Propiedad para habilitar su comercialización dentro del territorio nacional. En este trabajo se presentan las características técnicas de un genotipo remitido a inscripción bajo la denominación de “Guayracá INTA” que fue seleccionado en el marco del Programa de Mejoramiento del INTA a partir de una población de individuos proveniente de semillas colectadas en Stoneville, Illinois y Tennessee (Estados Unidos) entre 1977 y 1979.EEA Delta del ParanáFil: Cortizo, Silvia Cora. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Delta del Paraná; ArgentinaFil: Monteverde, María Silvana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Delta del Paraná; Argentina. Universidad de Concepción del Uruguay. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias Universidad de Concepción del Uruguay. Cátedra de Genética y Mejoramiento; ArgentinaFil: Refort, María Mercedes. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Cátedra de Xilotecnología y de Industrias de Transformación Mecánica. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Maderas; ArgentinaFil: Keil, Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Cátedra de Xilotecnología y de Industrias de Transformación Mecánica. Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Maderas; ArgentinaFil: Abbiati, Nora. Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Cátedra de Estadística; Argentin

Determinación de la edad de transición de madera juvenil a madura y de sus valores elasto-resistentes en Pinus contorta

El porcentaje de madera juvenil en coníferas de crecimiento rápido es un factor determinante de las propiedades básicas, ya que su proporción aumenta a medida que disminuye la edad de rotación. Dicha madera se caracteriza por presentar menor longitud y espesor de pared de traqueidas y mayor ángulo micro-fibrilar, lo cual se traduce en menor densidad y propiedades elasto-resistentes más bajas. Para delimitar la edad transición de madera (juvenil-madura) se realiza el análisis radial de algunas de las características mencionadas. La importancia de establecer dicha edad, radica en la estimación de los volúmenes de ambos tipos de madera, su calidad y potencialidad de uso. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la edad de transición y comparar sus valores elasto-resistentes en Pinus contorta (lodgepole). Se trabajó con 9 muestras de 35 años, radios norte y sur para estudios anatómicos, y madera juvenil y madura para ensayos físico mecánicos. Las edades de transición resultaron entre los 12 y 16,5 años, dirección norte y sur, respectivamente. Las variables anatómicas, físicas y mecánicas se diferenciaron significativamente, siendo mayores en la madera madura. A fin de generar una base de datos de esta especie para la región, se sugiere continuar con estudios similares en otros sitios

Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions : (RECONCILE) ; activities and results

The international research project RECONCILE has addressed central questions regarding polar ozone depletion, with the objective to quantify some of the most relevant yet still uncertain physical and chemical processes and thereby improve prognostic modelling capabilities to realistically predict the response of the ozone layer to climate change. This overview paper outlines the scope and the general approach of RECONCILE, and it provides a summary of observations and modelling in 2010 and 2011 that have generated an in many respects unprecedented dataset to study processes in the Arctic winter stratosphere. Principally, it summarises important outcomes of RECONCILE including (i) better constraints and enhanced consistency on the set of parameters governing catalytic ozone destruction cycles, (ii) a better understanding of the role of cold binary aerosols in heterogeneous chlorine activation, (iii) an improved scheme of polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) processes that includes heterogeneous nucleation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) and ice on non-volatile background aerosol leading to better model parameterisations with respect to denitrification, and (iv) long transient simulations with a chemistry-climate model (CCM) updated based on the results of RECONCILE that better reproduce past ozone trends in Antarctica and are deemed to produce more reliable predictions of future ozone trends. The process studies and the global simulations conducted in RECONCILE show that in the Arctic, ozone depletion uncertainties in the chemical and microphysical processes are now clearly smaller than the sensitivity to dynamic variability

Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions

Significant reductions in stratospheric ozone occur inside the polar vortices each spring when chlorine radicals produced by heterogeneous reactions on cold particle surfaces in winter destroy ozone mainly in two catalytic cycles, the ClO dimer cycle and the ClO/BrO cycle. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are responsible for most of the chlorine currently present in the stratosphere, have been banned by the Montreal Protocol and its amendments, and the ozone layer is predicted to recover to 1980 levels within the next few decades. During the same period, however, climate change is expected to alter the temperature, circulation patterns and chemical composition in the stratosphere, and possible geo-engineering ventures to mitigate climate change may lead to additional changes. To realistically predict the response of the ozone layer to such influences requires the correct representation of all relevant processes. The European project RECONCILE has comprehensively addressed remaining questions in the context of polar ozone depletion, with the objective to quantify the rates of some of the most relevant, yet still uncertain physical and chemical processes. To this end RECONCILE used a broad approach of laboratory experiments, two field missions in the Arctic winter 2009/10 employing the high altitude research aircraft M55-Geophysica and an extensive match ozone sonde campaign, as well as microphysical and chemical transport modelling and data assimilation. Some of the main outcomes of RECONCILE are as follows: (1) vortex meteorology: the 2009/10 Arctic winter was unusually cold at stratospheric levels during the six-week period from mid-December 2009 until the end of January 2010, with reduced transport and mixing across the polar vortex edge; polar vortex stability and how it is influenced by dynamic processes in the troposphere has led to unprecedented, synoptic-scale stratospheric regions with temperatures below the frost point; in these regions stratospheric ice clouds have been observed, extending over >106km2 during more than 3 weeks. (2) Particle microphysics: heterogeneous nucleation of nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) particles in the absence of ice has been unambiguously demonstrated; conversely, the synoptic scale ice clouds also appear to nucleate heterogeneously; a variety of possible heterogeneous nuclei has been characterised by chemical analysis of the non-volatile fraction of the background aerosol; substantial formation of solid particles and denitrification via their sedimentation has been observed and model parameterizations have been improved. (3) Chemistry: strong evidence has been found for significant chlorine activation not only on polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) but also on cold binary aerosol; laboratory experiments and field data on the ClOOCl photolysis rate and other kinetic parameters have been shown to be consistent with an adequate degree of certainty; no evidence has been found that would support the existence of yet unknown chemical mechanisms making a significant contribution to polar ozone loss. (4) Global modelling: results from process studies have been implemented in a prognostic chemistry climate model (CCM); simulations with improved parameterisations of processes relevant for polar ozone depletion are evaluated against satellite data and other long term records using data assimilation and detrended fluctuation analysis. Finally, measurements and process studies within RECONCILE were also applied to the winter 2010/11, when special meteorological conditions led to the highest chemical ozone loss ever observed in the Arctic. In addition to quantifying the 2010/11 ozone loss and to understand its causes including possible connections to climate change, its impacts were addressed, such as changes in surface ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the densely populated northern mid-latitudes

Socio-economic trajectories and cardiovascular disease mortality in older people: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Background: Socio-economic status from early life has been linked to cardiovascular disease risk, but the impact of life-course socio-economic trajectories, as well as the mechanisms underlying social inequalities in cardiovascular disease risk, is uncertain. Objectives: We assessed the role of behavioural, psychosocial and physiological (including inflammatory) factors in the association between life-course socio-economic status and cardiovascular disease mortality in older adults. Methods: Participants were 7846 individuals (44% women) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a representative study of individuals aged ≥ 50 years, established in 2002–03. Comprising four indicators of socio-economic status (father’s social class, own education, occupational position and wealth), we computed an index of socio-economic trajectory and a lifetime cumulative socio-economic score. Behavioural (smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, body mass index) and psychosocial (social relations, loneliness) factors, physiological (blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides) and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen), measured repeatedly over time, were potential explanatory variables. Cardiovascular disease mortality was ascertained by linkage of study members to a national mortality register. Mediation was calculated using the traditional ‘change-in-estimate method’ and alternative approaches such as counterfactual mediation modelling could not be applied in this context. Results: During the 8.4-year follow-up, 1301 study members died (438 from cardiovascular disease). A stable low-social-class trajectory was associated with around double the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality (hazard ratio; 95% confidence interval: 1.94, 1.37; 2.75) compared with a stable high social class across the life course. Individuals in the lowest relative to the highest life-course cumulative socio-economic status group were also more than twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease (2.57, 1.81; 3.65). Behavioural factors and inflammatory markers contributed most to explaining this gradient, whereas the role of psychosocial and other physiological risk factors was modest. Conclusions: In a population-based cohort of older individuals living in England, we provide evidence that disadvantage across the life course is linked to cardiovascular mortality. That behavioural factors and inflammatory markers partially explain this gradient may provide insights into the potential for intervention