The growth of the Latino population in the United States has placed a sharp focus on immigration. Previous research on immigration has taken for granted the existence of immigrant networks. This is a significant oversight given their importance in both conveying social capital and their contribution to the growth of immigrant communities. Using data collected in the summer of 2002, the author looks at the development of an immigrant network in a rural town in northeastern Oklahoma. It is determined that the immigrant network in the community under study includes three distinct yet interconnected subnetworks, a traditional subnetwork, a church subnetwork, and a contract subnetwork. Although each of these secondary networks is made up of different social arrangements, they all provide similar services in a similar manner. The services provided within the greater immigrant network have increased the size, strength, and density of the local immigrant community.

The past 10 years have seen the continued growth of the Mexican-origin population in the United States. This growth has been accompanied by the movement of immigrants away from traditional settlement locations in the Southwest. Using data collected from 45 interviews with immigrant workers in Northeastern Oklahoma, this study explores factors that motivate the movement of Mexican immigrants to nontraditional locations. The study finds that along with economic and political variables, a search for a higher quality of life than is available in urban locations also plays a key role in relocation decisions. The availability of employment opportunities, housing, and low crime rates make rural America an attractive alternative to urban settlement.

BackgroundThere is a large consensus to preserve the distance of 5 cm above the proximal border of the lower esophageal sphincter (PBLES) as appropriate to the location of the electrode of the pH-metry. The main objective of this study is to determine whether placement of the electrode below the recommended location achieves a significant difference in the calculation of the DeMeester score.MethodsThe study was made up of 60 GERD patients and 20 control subjects. They were submitted to esophageal manometry and to pH-metric examination with two pH-metric catheters contained antimony electrodes - the distal was positioned 3 cm above the PBLES, leaving the other 5 cm away from it.ResultsLES pressure (LESP) in the GERD group was significantly lower than in the control group (P = 0.005). Normal mean DeMeester score was observed simultaneously in the control group, by both the electrodes, but abnormal DeMeester score was much more expressive when observed by the distal electrode in the GERD group. There were significant differences as for DeMeester score, of patients with GERD from that of the control group and of distal from the proximal electrode in the GERD group.ConclusionsAcid reflux is directly related to lower levels of LESP. Lower location of the catheter may strongly affect the results of prolonged esophageal pH monitoring in GERD patients.

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Introduction: Evidence suggests that populations of developing countries present high levels of sedentarism. In contrast, it is also shown that educational level and access to information regarding the health benefits of exercise can raise a population's level of physical activity (LPA). Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the morphological profile (MP), level of physical activity (LPA) and cardiovascular risk among Brazilian (BPES) and Colombian physical education students (CPES) in an effort to determine if these specific subjects presented different results among themselves and in relation to normative data for each country. Method: The subjects, 59 BPES and 65 CPES, were evaluated through IPAQ in its short form, and had their MP determined through a bioelectric scale and waist measurement to determine the cardiovascular risk. Results: As result we verified that between BPES and CPES only waist circumference (WC) had significant difference (p = 0.016), being higher for CPES males. Comparing the results of the subjects with normative data, with the exception of CPES males, we observed higher LPA, better MP, and lower WC values. Female CPES were more active than their male peers, the opposite being true for the Brazilian subjects. Conclusion: We conclude that the repetitive exposition to information regarding the benefits of physical activity and the access to installations that allows for its practice not only raises LPA of physical education students, but also improves, in general, their MP and cardiovascular risk.