This article assesses recent developments in the research and practice of migrant entrepreneurship by examining the powerful contribution that the perspective of ‘mixed embeddedness’ has provided to ...this field. We identify key themes emerging from mixed embeddedness, particularly in relation to the role of the institutional and market contexts, and highlight areas that could strengthen the perspective, such as (1) the role of regulation, (2) the incorporation of racist exclusion and (3) gendered structures of migration and labour market processes, (4) market ghettoisation and (5) greater sensitivity to historical context. We also consider the extent to which growing interest among practitioners in supporting migrant enterprise has been influenced by developments in the academic domain.
Integrated process planning and scheduling in networked manufacturing systems plays a crucial role nowadays and in the forthcoming context of Industry 4.0 to enable effective and efficient decisions, ...and to improve the business market, based on collaboration, along with computer-based distributed manufacturing and management functions. In this paper some insights regarding a literature review carried out about this main subjects analysed are presented and discussed. Moreover, a framework for integrated process planning and scheduling in networked manufacturing systems is proposed and briefly described, along with some main underlying issues, which are further discussed. Thus, the main purpose of this research consists on presenting a proposed methodology, based on the study conducted, to enable to further assist either academia or industry to develop new tools, techniques and approaches for integrated process planning in networked manufacturing environments. The findings and contributions of this research can help in the implementation and improvement in distributed manufacturing environments, to be linked with small and medium enterprises, to further expand their potentialities through well suited integrated process planning and scheduling decision making processes.
This paper synthesizes insights from new global data on the effeaiveness of migration policies. It investigates the complex links between migration policies and migration trends to disentangle policy ...effects from structural migration determinants. The analysis challenges two central assumptions underpinning the popular idea that migration restrictions have failed to curb migration. First, post-WWII global migration levels have not accelerated, but remained relatively stable while most shifts in migration patterns have been directional. Second, post-WWII migration policies have generally liberalized despite political rhetoric suggesting the contrary. While migration policies are generally effective, "substitution effects" can limit their effeaiveness, or even make them counterproduaive, by geographically diverting migration, interrupting circulation, encouraging unauthorized migration, or prompting "now or never" migration surges. These effeas expose fundamental policy dilemmas and highlight the importance of understanding the economic, social, and political trends that shape migration in sometimes counterintuitive, but powerful, ways that largely lie beyond the reach of migration policies.
Monitoring of pesticides and veterinary drug residues is required to enforce legislation and guarantee food safety. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is the prevailing technique for ...assessing both types of residues because LC offers a versatile and universal separation mechanism suitable for non-gas chromatography (GC) amenable and the majority of GC-amenable compounds. This characteristic becomes more relevant when LC is coupled to MS because the high sensitivity and specificity of the detector allows to apply generic sample preparation procedures, which simultaneously extract a wide variety of residues with different physico-chemical properties. Determination of metabolites and degradation products, non-target suspected screening of an increasing number of residues, and even unknowns identification are also becoming inherent LC-MS advantages thanks to the latest advances. For routine analysis and, in particular, for official surveillance purposes in food control, analytical methods properly validated following strict guidelines are needed. After a brief introduction and an outline of the legislation applicable around the world, aspects such as improvement of specificity of high-throughput methods, resolution and mass accuracy of identification strategies and quantitative accuracy are critically reviewed in this article. In them, extraction, separation and determination are emphasized. The main objective is to offer an assessment of the state of the art and identify research needs and future trends in determining pesticide and veterinary drug residues in food by LC-MS.
Display omitted
•An overview of status and future trends in this field.•Analytical method's compliance with guidelines to ensure reliability.•QuEChERS platform is a referent to extract both, pesticides and veterinary drugs in food.•The progress that liquid chromatography has shown in recent years is revised.•Determination of target, non-target and unknowns is covered.
Despite the societal and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown measures put in place by the Italian government provided an unprecedented opportunity to increase our knowledge of the ...effect transportation and industry-related emissions have on the air quality in our cities. This study assessed the effect of reduced emissions during the lockdown period, due to COVID-19, on air quality in three Italian cities, Florence, Pisa, and Lucca. For this study, we compared the concentration of particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and O3 measured during the lockdown period, with values obtained in the same period of 2019. Our results show no evidence of a direct relationship between the lockdown measures implemented and PM reduction in urban centers, except in areas with heavy traffic. Consistent with recently published studies, we did, however, observe a significant decrease in NO2 concentrations among all the air-monitoring stations for each city in this study. Finally, O3 levels remained unchanged during the lockdown period. Of note, there were slight variations in the meteorological conditions for the same periods of different years. Our results suggest a need for further studies on the impact of vehicular traffic and industrial activities on PM air pollution, including adopting holistic source-control measures for improved air quality in urban environments.
Acknowledgement of COPD underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in primary care can contribute to improved disease diagnosis. PUMA is an international primary care study in Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and ...Uruguay.
To assess COPD underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in primary care and identify factors associated with COPD underdiagnosis in this setting.
COPD was defined as post-bronchodilator (post-BD) forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) <0.70 and the lower limit of normal (LLN). Prior diagnosis was self-reported physician diagnosis of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or COPD. Those patients with spirometric COPD were considered to have correct prior diagnosis, while those without spirometric criteria had misdiagnosis. Individuals with spirometric criteria without previous diagnosis were considered as underdiagnosed.
1,743 patients were interviewed, 1,540 completed spirometry, 309 (post-BD FEV1/FVC <0.70) and 226 (LLN) had COPD. Underdiagnosis using post-BD FEV1/FVC <0.70 was 77% and 73% by LLN. Overall, 102 patients had a prior COPD diagnosis, 71/102 patients (69.6%) had a prior correct diagnosis and 31/102 (30.4%) had a misdiagnosis defined by post-BD FEV1/FVC ≥0.70. Underdiagnosis was associated with higher body mass index (≥30 kg/m2), milder airway obstruction (GOLD I-II), black skin color, absence of dyspnea, wheezing, no history of exacerbations or hospitalizations in the past-year. Those not visiting a doctor in the last year or only visiting a GP had more risk of underdiagnosis. COPD underdiagnosis (65.8%) and misdiagnosis (26.4%) were less prevalent in those with previous spirometry.
COPD underdiagnosis is a major problem in primary care. Availability of spirometry should be a priority in this setting.
This article draws on biographical interviews with migrants to assess their aspirations and capabilities to become entrepreneurs. By augmenting mixed embeddedness emphasis on contextual factors with ...Sen’s capabilities framework, we contribute to extant sociological debates on the interaction of structure and agency, the conceptualisation of aspirations, the non-pecuniary aspects of entrepreneurship and the role of institutions in neoliberal Britain. We argue that structural barriers drive the formation of aspirations to become entrepreneurs while at the same time limit their capabilities to do so. Entrepreneurial agency must be seen as relative autonomy, effective in strategic decision making but limited to the weak financial position in which migrant entrepreneurs operate.
A trace element study of Mg-rich cryptocrystalline (CC) and ferrous radiating pyroxene (RP) chondrules, covering from the ultra-refractory Zr to the volatile K, was performed to better understand the ...processes involved in chondrule formation and their subsequent evolution. The shape, textures and bulk chemical compositions (CC and RP) of the studied chondrules indicate that they once must have been hypersthene-olivine normative liquids that were quenched. Their chondritic Ca/Al ratio and the positive Yb vs. La correlation around primordial values point to a cosmochemical process as responsible of chondrules formation. Based on their REE patterns, and regardless of their mineralogy, chondrules are divided in two populations: Fractioned-REE (F-REE) and Unfractionated-REE (U-REE). Both populations show different evolution paths, while cooling of the nebula gas and give new hints about chondrule-forming reservoirs.
The Global Evolution of Travel Visa Regimes Czaika, Mathias; de Haas, Hein; Villares-Varela, María
Population and development review,
September 2018, Letnik:
44, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Drawing on the new DEMIG VISA database, which covers global bilateral travel regulations from 1973 to 2013, this paper explores patterns and trends in international travel visa regimes. The analysis ...challenges the idea of a growing global mobility divide between "North" and "South," yielding a more complex image reflecting the multi-polar and multi-layered nature of international relations. While predominantly European and North American OECD countries have maintained relatively high but not increasing levels of entry visa restrictiveness for Africa and Asia, the latter regions maintain the highest global levels of overall entry restrictions. While citizens of wealthy (mainly OECD) countries generally enjoy the greatest visa-free travel opportunities, this primarily reflects their freedom to travel to other OECD countries. Visa-free travel is mostly realized between geographically proximate countries of integrated regional blocs such as ECOWAS, the EU, the GCC, and MERCOSUR. Analyses of global dynamics in visa reciprocity show that around 20 percent of the country dyads have asymmetrical visa rules, but also show that levels of reciprocity have increased since the mid-1990s. Our analysis shows that visas are not just instruments regulating entry of visitors and exit of citizens but are manifestations of broader political economic trends and inequalities in international power relations.
This study considers the potential of a sewage sludge previously dried using a novel drying process as an alternative fuel in the cement industry. A comprehensive characterisation study of the sewage ...sludge is presented. The calorific value of the sludge was around 8300 J/g, easily meeting cement industry requirements of 6250 J/g. To account for inorganic ashes that would remain from sewage sludge after burning, it was found that up to 14% of the raw materials used in cement manufacture could be replaced with sewage sludge, without changing important raw meal moduli. It was estimated that the sludge raw meal would reduce fossil fuel consumption in a modern cement kiln by around 70%. Clinkers made from sewage sludge containing raw meal had consistently lower free lime contents. However, a slight increase in belite formation was also noted due to the presence of P from the sewage sludge component.
► Dried sewage sludge is shown to be a potential hazardous waste. ► Organic component of sludge can reduce kiln fuel consumption up to 66%. ► Inorganic component of sludge can reduce raw material consumption up to 14%. ► Sludge ashes decrease free lime content of clinker, an advantage. ► P from sludge favours extra belite formation at expense of alite, a disadvantage.
PDF
