A conceptual model for the identification, organization, and measure of influence of fertility policies and programs.

The fertility program of any government is the procedural action intended to effect the government fertility policy. There may also be unintended results of any fertility program. A conceptual model was designed to measure the effect of governmental action on fertility and to identify sociocultural factors that have the greatest influence on fertility. The model uses sociocultural variables as intervening variables between fertility programs and changes in actual fertility. The structural variables considered by the model are characteristics of the pattern of social order; the cultural variables consist of shared values and norms. Fertility trend analysis is effected by polynomial regression formulae. Puerto Rican data from 1946 to 1970 were used to test the proposed model. Analysis of the data indicated that emigration between 1940-1962 had little effect on national fertility. Governmental family planning programs, beginning in 1946, contributed to a sharp decline in fertility. It is recommended that the model be used with data from other countries to assess the effects of their family planning programs.     

From Puerto Rican to pan-ethnic in New York city

Abstract

The increasing diversity of the US population has stimulated interest in racial identification, which is complex for phenotypically heterogeneous groups such as Puerto Ricans. We overcome several limitations of the empirical literature on racial identification among Puerto Ricans with a study that is grounded in the experience of Puerto Rican women in New York City. Our analysis focuses on two questions: How do Puerto Rican women in New York identify themselves racially? What are the sources of racial identification? The results indicate that most Puerto Rican women in New York conflate race and ethnicity by designating their race as either ‘Puerto Rican’ or ‘Hispanic’. Moreover, the decision to ‘become’ pan-ethnic has complex roots. In particular, the effect of skin tone on pan-ethnic identification is conditioned by socioeconomic and neighbourhood characteristics.     

Electrophoretic evaluation of the taxonomic status of two species of sea anemone

Puerto Rican populations of two species of sea anemones (Bunodosoma cavernata and B. granulifera) which had previously been considered one were assayed electrophoretically for enzymes encoded by 12 loci. The two species shared no common allozymes at 6 of the 12 loci. Genetic distance and identity values based on these allozymes were computed for the Puerto Rican populations and for B. cavernata from Florida and B. granulifera from Panama. The Puerto Rican populations of both species had much higher genetic identities for their geographically distant conspecifics than for each other. These results indicate that the two species are reproductively isolated and should be considered as separate valid species. Average heterozygosities are presented which are the first published for coelenterate species.     

Who’s in conflict? Racialization of Puerto Ricans in relation to other Latinxs in the New York Times, 2010–2015

ABSTRACT

Puerto Rican migration to the United States has skyrocketed as a result of various political and economic factors faced in Puerto Rico. I focus my attention on how Puerto Ricans are represented in newspapers through narratives of belonging, exclusion and/or perceived threat. I seek to answer is: how are Puerto Ricans and other Latinx groups framed in relation to each other in the New York Times? To answer this query, I perform a content analysis of the paper of record, the New York Times. I argue that Puerto Ricans are not only framed as in conflict in relation to other Latinos, while also being framed as possessing some sort of colour capital that can be transferred over to particular spaces. The NYT constructs boundaries that reinforce while also transform what groups are perceived as threats.     

The influence of early conditions on health status among elderly Puerto Ricans

Abstract

The demographic origins of aging in Puerto Rican and other Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries may have important implications for the profile of health status and mortality of elderly people. For this article we tested a general conjecture about the relation between early childhood conditions and adult health status among Puerto Rican elderly using a rich data set recently collected through an island‐wide survey (N=4,293). We examined the association between markers of early nutritional status, self‐reports of health and on socioeconomic conditions during early childhood, and the prevalence of 3 conditions during adult ages: obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Although we found that obesity and diabetes are associated with markers of early malnutrition, that heart disease is associated with early deprivations and selected early childhood conditions, the evidence we were able to tease out from the data provides only fragile support for the conjecture.     

The Authentic (In)Authentic: Bushman Anthro‐Tourism

Focusing on tourism ventures that market contact with so‐called bushmen, this paper examines some of the current dynamics and consequences of cultural tourism in Namibia, where the Government has instituted a series of progressive policies to promote local control over tourism development. While notions of primitive cultural otherness continue to feature centrally in tourist demand for contact with “bushmen,” the community‐based and collaborative tourism’ ventures currently being developed in Namibia teach tourists to see their “bushman” hosts as modernizing producers of tourism in their own right, and not just as objects of touristic commodification. Drawing from the anthropological literature on tourism and authenticity, and on the work of Slavoj Zizek on the workings of modern ideology, we argue that such ventures encourage tourists to practise a sort of “meta‐tourism,” in which the authenticity of “traditional bushmen” is replaced by the meta‐authenticity of a tourism experience that thematizes its own effects on the lives of those being visited. For the “bushman” participants in such ventures, we contend, the financial and political benefits of tourism, substantial as they can sometimes be, are ultimately offset by the developmentalist underpinnings of meta‐tourist discourse, which casts “bushmen” as forever not‐quite‐yet fully modern, in perpetual contrast to the tourists who visit them.     

Ataques de nervios in the Puerto Rican diagnostic interview schedule: The impact of cultural categories on psychiatric epidemiology

This paper examines the effect of the cultural category ataques de nervios on responses to the Puerto Rican Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS), a Spanish version of structured psychiatric diagnostic interview developed for the NIHM Epidemiologic Catchment Area study. An ataque de nervios scale was created from the Somatization items of the DIS to explore the effect of this culturally meaningful category of distress on responses to a standard psychiatric interview. Analysis of 1,513 cases from a representative sample of the island of Puerto Rico indicated that people reporting ataque symptoms fit the social characteristics described for ataques sufferers in the ethnographic literature. Qualitative data indicated that Puerto Ricans were reporting ataques de nervios in the panic section of the DIS. Questions are raised about the validity of the somatization and panic sections of the DIS in cross-cultural research with Hispanics.     

Sociocultural factors and the genetic diversification of Amazonian Indians: A brief overview

Abstract

Within SES categories in the United States, racial and ethnic minorities generally fare less well on a variety of health‐related indicators than do majority groups. Important differences exist within subgroups, however, and at present, these differences are poorly understood. In this paper we address Hispanic subgroup (Cuban American, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, and Central/South American) differences in utilization of prenatal care. Data from the 1986 and 1987 national Linked Birth/Infant Death files are used to assess patterns of prenatal care utilization across subgroups. Using Kotelchuck's Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index, we find that when controlling for other factors, Cuban American and Puerto Rican women are more likely to obtain adequate care than are Hispanic women of Mexican or Central/South American origin. Other factors important in understanding utilization patterns include marital status, education level, birthplace, and region of the country. We conclude with a discussion of the relatively weak link between prenatal care and birth outcomes and identify important cultural factors that may be important in understanding why this relationship is not stronger.     

Diversity of form in the amphibian papilla of Puerto Rican frogs

Summary In modern frogs, the amphibian papilla exhibits a caudal extension whose shape, relative length, and proportion of hair cells vary markedly from species to species. Tuning in the caudal extension is organized tonotopically and evidently involves the tectorium. In terms of the proportion of amphibian-papillar hair cells in the caudal extension, we report more diversity among 8 species of a single genus (Eleutherodactylus) on a single island (Puerto Rico) than has been found so far among all of the (more than 50) other modern anurans examined for this feature from around the world. These 8 Puerto Rican species have overlapping habitat and conspicuous diversity in the male advertisement call. For 7 of the 8 species, we report that the call has transient spectral components in the frequency range of the amphibian papilla, and that the proportion of caudal extension hair cells and the frequency distribution of those components are correlated. Thus one might conclude that the selective pressures that led to diversity of calls among the 8 species also led to diversity in form of the amphibian papilla.Abbreviations AP amphibian papilla - BEF best excitatory frequency - PR Puerto Rican - SEM scanning electron microscope - SVL snout-vent length - TC tectorial corner - TM tectorial membrane     

Bottomless cup,plug‐in drug: A telethnography of coffee

In this paper, I use an anthropological perspective to explore the dimensions of “coffeeworld” as it is depicted on prime time network television programming. I do not examine coffee commercials, but rather the programming context that conditions in part viewers’ perceptions of coffee, which ostensibly delivers a receptive audience to prospective marketers. I explore the cultural significance of coffee in the form of themes emerging from a close viewing of top‐rated programs.     

On the link between conformational changes,ligand binding and heat capacity

BackgroundConformational changes coupled to ligand binding constitute the structural and energetics basis underlying cooperativity, allostery and, in general, protein regulation. These conformational rearrangements are associated with heat capacity changes. ITC is a unique technique for studying binding interactions because of the simultaneous determination of the binding affinity and enthalpy, and for providing the best estimates of binding heat capacity changes.Scope of reviewStill controversial issues in ligand binding are the discrimination between the “conformational selection model” and the “induced fit model”, and whether or not conformational changes lead to temperature dependent apparent binding heat capacities. The assessment of conformational changes associated with ligand binding by ITC is discussed. In addition, the “conformational selection” and “induced fit” models are reconciled, and discussed within the context of intrinsically (partially) unstructured proteins.Major conclusionsConformational equilibrium is a major contribution to binding heat capacity changes. A simple model may explain both conformational selection and induced fit scenarios. A temperature-independent binding heat capacity does not necessarily indicate absence of conformational changes upon ligand binding. ITC provides information on the energetics of conformational changes associated with ligand binding (and other possible additional coupled equilibria).General significancePreferential ligand binding to certain protein states leads to an equilibrium shift that is reflected in the coupling between ligand binding and additional equilibria. This represents the structural/energetic basis of the widespread dependence of ligand binding parameters on temperature, as well as pH, ionic strength and the concentration of other chemical species. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Microcalorimetry in the BioSciences — Principles and Applications, edited by Fadi Bou-Abdallah.     

A Strong to Fragile Transition in a Model of Liquid Silica

Abstract

The transport properties of an ionic model for liquid silica [1] at high temperatures and pressure are investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. With increasing pressure, a clear change from “strong” to “fragile” behaviour (according to Angell's classification of glass-forming liquids) is observed, albeit only on the small viscosity range that can be explored in MD simulations. This change is related to structural changes, from an almost perfect four-fold coordination to an imperfect five or six-fold coordination.     

Association of ABO and Rh blood groups with breast cancer

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine the association of “ABO” and “Rhesus” blood groups with incidence of breast cancer.MethodsIn this study, we identified 70 research documents from data based search engines including “PubMed”, “ISI-Web of Knowledge”, “Embase” and “Google Scholar”. The research papers were selected by using the primary key-terms including “ABO blood type”, “Rhesus” blood type and “breast cancer”. The research documents in which “ABO” and “Rhesus” blood types and breast cancer was debated were included. After screening, we reviewed 32 papers and finally we selected 25 research papers which met the inclusion criteria and remaining documents were excluded.ResultsBlood group “A” has high incidence of breast cancer (45.88%), blood group “O” has (31.69%); “B” (16.16%) and blood group “AB” has (6.27%) incidence of breast cancer. Blood group “A” has highest and blood group “AB” has least association with breast cancer. Furthermore, “Rhesus +ve” blood group has high incidence of breast cancer (88.31%) and “Rhesus –ve” blood group has least association with breast cancer (11.68%).ConclusionBlood group “A” and “Rhesus +ve” have high risk of breast cancer, while blood type “AB” and “Rhesus –ve” are at low peril of breast cancer. Physicians should carefully monitor the females with blood group “A” and “Rh +ve” as these females are more prone to develop breast cancer. To reduce breast cancer incidence and its burden, preventive and screening programs for breast cancer especially in young women are highly recommended.     

Placing cryptic,recently extinct,or hypothesized taxa into an ultrametric phylogeny using continuous character data: A case study with the lizard Anolis roosevelti

In recent years, enormous effort and investment has been put into assembling the tree of life: a phylogenetic history for all species on Earth. Overwhelmingly, this progress toward building an ever increasingly complete phylogeny of living things has been accomplished through sophisticated analysis of molecular data. In the modern genomic age, molecular genetic data have become very easy and inexpensive to obtain for many species. However, some lineages are poorly represented in or absent from tissue collections, or are unavailable for molecular analysis for other reasons such as restrictive biological sample export laws. Other species went extinct recently and are only available in formalin museum preparations or perhaps even as subfossils. In this brief communication we present a new method for placing cryptic, recently extinct, or hypothesized taxa into an ultrametric phylogeny of extant taxa using continuous character data. This method is based on a relatively simple modification of an established maximum likelihood (ML) method for phylogeny inference from continuous traits. We show that the method works well on simulated trees and data. We then apply it to the case of placing the Culebra Island Giant Anole (Anolis roosevelti) into a phylogeny of Caribbean anoles. Anolis roosevelti is a “crown‐giant” ecomorph anole hypothesized to have once been found throughout the Spanish, United States, and British Virgin Islands, but that has not been encountered or collected since the 1930s. Although this species is widely thought to be closely related to the Puerto Rican giant anole, A. cuvieri, our ML method actually places A. roosevelti in a different part of the tree and closely related to a clade of morphologically similar species. We are unable, however, to reject a phylogenetic position for A. roosevelti that places it as sister taxon to A. cuvieri; although close relationship with the remainder of Puerto Rican anole species is strongly rejected by our method.     

Überprüfung von Steuerungssystemen zur Strophenanwahl der Amsel durch digitale Simulierung

Output analysis and input-output experiments had given evidence for five sequential effects occuring independently of each other in the singing behavior of blackbirds (Fig.1). Recently these investigations resulted in a model which summarized the interaction of five functional components evaluated from the found effects; thereby the model explained the data processing controlling the sequential patterning of the behavior (Fig. 2) — During the investigations reported here, this model and alternative models were tested by means of computer programs. Main question: Would the models generate sequences of patterns equivalent to the sequence of vocal patterns produced by a blackbrid? Results:

1. Only the original one of the tested models generated sequences of patterns showing the specific regularities and their characteristic variations corresponding to natural blackbird songs. This brought evidence for a multiplicative mode of interaction between the “component of throttling-back” (Drosselungskomponente) and the other four components; furthermore for a terminal functioning of the “extreme-value-passage” (Extremwertdurchlaß) (Figs, 2–4 and 10).
2. Concerning the “component of periodicity” (Periodikkomponente) the mechanism of a “reset of periods” was falsified while the mechanism of a “continued periodicity” could be made evident. This implied: The periodicity of the single pattern (phrase) runs over the course of the whole song: the proceeding of the oscillation takes place with each output realisation (Fig. 5).
3. Variations of values of the particular parameters given to the different components during the testing programs showed that a) extreme values resulted in “unnatural” sequences of patterns; b) only values lying within distinct intervals generated sequences containing the whole set of the postulated effects; c) exactly with those parameter values, with which one of the effects could get produced in a natural form, also the other effects were generated correspondingly optimal (Figs. 6–8).
4. The differential variation of the values of the particular parameters given to the components (during the testing programs) allowed a lot of predictions concerning the consequences of increasings or decreasings in the strength of the different components. These predictions have to be tested by experiments with natural systems (blackbirds) (Fig. 9; Tables 1–3).

     

Parasite loss and introduced species: a comparison of the parasites of the Puerto Rican tree frog, (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eleutherodactylus coqui</Emphasis>), in its native and introduced ranges

The Puerto Rican frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui has invaded Hawaii and reached densities far exceeding those in their native range. One possible explanation for the success of E. coqui in its introduced range is that it lost its co-evolved parasites in the process of the invasion. We compared the parasites of E. coqui in its native versus introduced range. We collected parasite data on 160 individual coqui frogs collected during January-April 2006 from eight populations in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Puerto Rican coqui frogs had higher species richness of parasites than Hawaiian coqui frogs. Parasite prevalence and intensity were significantly higher in Hawaii, however this was likely a product of the life history of the dominant parasite and its minimal harm to the host. This suggests that the scarcity of parasites may be a factor contributing to the success of Eleutherodactylus coqui in Hawaii.