American Origin Research Articles

Chemical Control of Corythucha arcuata (Say, 1832), an Invasive Alien Species, in Oak Forests

In addition to the classic biotic and abiotic factors that have disrupted the health of forests throughout history, lately, the balance of forest ecosystems has been disturbed by different phenomena such as climate change, pollution, and, especially, biological invasions of invasive alien species. One of the alien species that has invaded Europe relatively quickly is an insect species of North American origin, the oak lace bug (Corythucha arcuata Say, 1832 Heteroptera: Tingidae). In the context of the rapid spread of infestations and the severity of attacks on oak trees in infested forests, this paper aims to assess measures to manage this species in the future. Namely, the effect of aerial chemical treatments on oak lace bug has been investigated with two influencing factors: the mode of insecticide action (contact and systemic) and the treatment volume (low volume and ultra-low volume). The experiment was conducted in two forests over a total area of 350 hectares. The results show that the reduction of the nymph population varied from 91% to 96%. However, the residual population was sufficient to allow differentiated re-infestations over time, more quickly after contact insecticide sprays (22 days after treatment) and slowly after systemic insecticide sprays (more than a month after treatment). This re-infestation time difference had implications on attack intensity as well, with stronger leaf discoloration observed in areas treated with a contact insecticide compared with those treated with a systemic insecticide.

Identification of CRF89_BF, a new member of an HIV-1 circulating BF intersubtype recombinant form family widely spread in South America

Circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) contribute substantially to the HIV-1 pandemic. Among 105 CRFs described in the literature, 16 are BF intersubtype recombinants, most of South American origin, of which CRF12_BF is the most widely spread. A BF recombinant cluster identified in Bolivia was suggested to represent a new CRF_BF. Here we find that it belongs to a larger cluster incorporating 39 viruses collected in 7 countries from 3 continents, 22 of them in Spain, most from Bolivian or Peruvian individuals, and 12 in South America (Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru). This BF cluster comprises three major subclusters, two associated with Bolivian and one with Peruvian individuals. Near full-length genome sequence analyses of nine viruses, collected in Spain, Bolivia, and Peru, revealed coincident BF mosaic structures, with 13 breakpoints, 6 and 7 of which coincided with CRF12_BF and CRF17_BF, respectively. In a phylogenetic tree, they grouped in a clade closely related to these CRFs, and more distantly to CRF38_BF and CRF44_BF, all circulating in South America. These results allowed to identify a new HIV-1 CRF, designated CRF89_BF. Through phylodynamic analyses, CRF89_BF emergence was estimated in Bolivia around 1986. CRF89_BF is the fifth CRF member of the HIV-1 recombinant family related to CRF12_BF.

Beyond the Silk Road: Manila Galleons, trade networks, global goods, and the integration of Atlantic and Pacific markets (1680–1840)

ABSTRACT This project offers a comparative and polycentric approach to the connection of trade nodes in the Asian, American, African, and European markets in the early modern period. These analyses reevaluate the great divergence debate by presenting new case studies at the local scale and observing the impact of global goods and changes in consumer behaviour connecting local markets of the Pacific and Atlantic area. In this manner, we explore the circulation and consumption of Chinese goods in the Americas and in Europe, as well as in the African slave market through the Royal Company of the Philippines. Conversely, we also analyse the impact of the introduction of Western goods (of American and European origin) into China.

Factors associated with open access publishing costs in oncology journals.

11032 Background: The open access (OA) publishing model represents an exciting opportunity to facilitate dissemination of scientific information to global audiences. In contrast to many traditional models, which require readers to pay subscription fees or rely upon institutional subscriptions for article access, the OA model grants free access to all consumers. However, OA publication is often associated with significant article processing charges (APCs) for authors, which may thus serve as a barrier to publication. In this investigation, we aimed to identify journal-level factors associated with OA publication costs in oncology journals. Methods: We identified oncology journals using the SCImago Journal & Country Rank database. All journals under the “Oncology” category that offer an OA publishing option with APC data openly available were included. For all journals, we searched journal websites and tabulated journal characteristics, including APC amount (USD), OA model (hybrid vs full), journal 2-year impact factor (IF), H-index, number of citable documents, primary treatment modality (surgery, radiation, medical, non-specific), treatment site (e.g. breast, etc), and continent of origin. Pearson correlation was used to evaluate univariate linear relationships between variables; for variables with significant correlation, we generated a multiple regression model to identify journal characteristics independently associated with OA APC amount. Results: Of 367 oncology journals screened, 266 met final inclusion criteria. The median APC was 2810 USD (range 0 – 5200). On univariate linear correlation regression testing, journals with the full OA model (p < 0.001), higher journal IF (p < 0.001), higher H-index (p < 0.001), greater number of published articles (p < 0.001), and those from North America or Europe (p < 0.001) tended to have higher OA publishing costs. When these co-variates were analyzed in a multiple regression model, only full OA status (p < 0.001), higher IF (p < 0.001), and North American or European origin (p < 0.001) persisted as independently associated with greater OA APC. Conclusions: Large APCs may serve as a barrier to OA publication and therefore create or exacerbate disparities among scientific investigators seeking to share their research. In this investigation, we find that OA publication costs are greater in oncology journals that utilize the hybrid OA model, have higher IF, and are based in North America or Europe. These findings may inform targeted action to help the oncology community fully appreciate the benefits of open science.

Convectively Coupled Kelvin Waves Over Tropical South America

AbstractRainfall over tropical South America is known to be modulated by convectively coupled Kelvin waves (CCKWs). In this work, the origin and dynamical features of South American Kelvin waves are revisited using satellite-observed brightness temperature, radiosonde, and reanalysis datasets. Two main types of CCKWs over the Amazon are considered: Kelvin waves with a Pacific precursor, and Kelvin waves with a precursor originating over South America. Amazonian CCKW’s associated with a preexisting Kelvin convection in the eastern Pacific account for about 35% of the total events. The cases with South American precursors are associated with either pressure surges in the western Amazon from extratropical wave train activity, responsible for 40% of the total events, or “in situ” convection that locally excites CCKWs, accounting for the remaining 25%. The analysis also suggests that CCKWs associated with different precursors are sensitive to Pacific sea surface temperature. Kelvin wave events with a Pacific precursor are more common during ENSO warm events, while Kelvin waves with extratropical South American precursors show stronger activity during La Niña events. This study also explores other triggering mechanisms of CCKWs over the Amazon. These mechanisms are associated with: 1) extratropical Rossby wave trains not necessarily of extratropical South American origin; 2) CCKWs initiated in response to the presence of the southern and/or double Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the Eastern Pacific Ocean; 3) and possible interaction between CCKWs and other equatorial waves in the Amazon.

Global population genetic structure and demographic trajectories of the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens

BackgroundThe black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is the most promising insect candidate for nutrient-recycling through bioconversion of organic waste into biomass, thereby improving sustainability of protein supplies for animal feed and facilitating transition to a circular economy. Contrary to conventional livestock, genetic resources of farmed insects remain poorly characterised. We present the first comprehensive population genetic characterisation of H. illucens. Based on 15 novel microsatellite markers, we genotyped and analysed 2862 individuals from 150 wild and captive populations originating from 57 countries on seven subcontinents.ResultsWe identified 16 well-distinguished genetic clusters indicating substantial global population structure. The data revealed genetic hotspots in central South America and successive northwards range expansions within the indigenous ranges of the Americas. Colonisations and naturalisations of largely unique genetic profiles occurred on all non-native continents, either preceded by demographically independent founder events from various single sources or involving admixture scenarios. A decisive primarily admixed Polynesian bridgehead population serially colonised the entire Australasian region and its secondarily admixed descendants successively mediated invasions into Africa and Europe. Conversely, captive populations from several continents traced back to a single North American origin and exhibit considerably reduced genetic diversity, although some farmed strains carry distinct genetic signatures. We highlight genetic footprints characteristic of progressing domestication due to increasing socio-economic importance of H. illucens, and ongoing introgression between domesticated strains globally traded for large-scale farming and wild populations in some regions.ConclusionsWe document the dynamic population genetic history of a cosmopolitan dipteran of South American origin shaped by striking geographic patterns. These reflect both ancient dispersal routes, and stochastic and heterogeneous anthropogenic introductions during the last century leading to pronounced diversification of worldwide structure of H. illucens. Upon the recent advent of its agronomic commercialisation, however, current human-mediated translocations of the black soldier fly largely involve genetically highly uniform domesticated strains, which meanwhile threaten the genetic integrity of differentiated unique local resources through introgression. Our in-depth reconstruction of the contemporary and historical demographic trajectories of H. illucens emphasises benchmarking potential for applied future research on this emerging model of the prospering insect-livestock sector.

Researching on the fine structure and admixture of the worldwide chicken population reveal connections between populations and important events in breeding history.

Here, we have evaluated the general genomic structure and diversity and studied the divergence resulting from selection and historical admixture events for a collection of worldwide chicken breeds. In total, 636 genomes (43 populations) were sequenced from chickens of American, Chinese, Indonesian, and European origin. Evaluated populations included wild junglefowl, rural indigenous chickens, breeds that have been widely used to improve modern western poultry populations and current commercial stocks bred for efficient meat and egg production. In‐depth characterizations of the genome structure and genomic relationships among these populations were performed, and population admixture events were investigated. In addition, the genomic architectures of several domestication traits and central documented events in the recent breeding history were explored. Our results provide detailed insights into the contributions from population admixture events described in the historical literature to the genomic variation in the domestic chicken. In particular, we find that the genomes of modern chicken stocks used for meat production both in eastern (Asia) and western (Europe/US) agriculture are dominated by contributions from heavy Asian breeds. Further, by exploring the link between genomic selective divergence and pigmentation, connections to functional genes feather coloring were confirmed.

Cadmium in soil and cacao beans of Peruvian and South American origin

Cadmium tends to bioaccumulate in different parts of cacao plant and its consumption can lead to serious health complications; due to this, the European Union (EU) established limits for tolerable concentrations of cadmium in cacao products as a preventive measure, which took effect as of January 2019. In South America and Peru, a sustained growth in cacao production has been recorded over the last 10 years, but scientific studies reveal that in some areas the cadmium levels of the soil and cacao beans exceed those established by the EU, thus, jeopardizing marketing and export possibilities to the EU. With this in mind, the purpose of this review was to compile information on the cadmium that is available in the soil, its accumulation in cacao beans, and the advances in treatment technologies; as well as to analyze the potential effects this has on cacao exports of South American origin, using Peru as a case analysis.

Grapevine red blotch virus is sporadically present in a germplasm collection in Northern Italy

Limited information is available on the distribution of grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV) in grape-growing regions outside North America. In this study, the presence of GRBV was investigated in 596 grapevine samples coming from different sources in Northern Italy, including rootstock and table grape accessions from ampelographic collections, and commercial varieties with red blotch-like symptoms. Only ‘Queen’ and ‘Incrocio Dalmasso VIII-5’ accessions, collected from the CREA-Viticulture and Enology repository of table grape varieties, tested positive for GRBV. Sequencing of fragments from replication and coat protein genes revealed that the two accessions were infected with GRBV isolates belonging to two distinct lineages. While the American origin of ‘Queen’ could explain the GRBV presence in this accession, the viral infection of the Italian ‘Incrocio Dalmasso VIII-5’ remains an unsolved mystery.

The rapid, mass invasion of New Zealand by North American Daphnia "pulex".

Nonindigenous members of the Daphnia pulex complex have been found in many lakes in New Zealand (NZ) in the past 20 years, suggesting a recent invasion. However, very little is known about the precise phylogenetic origin of invasive Daphnia, whether each lake is invaded by a single clone or multiple clones, the lineage of the invasive clones, and whether they are obligately asexual clones. Furthermore, the source and time of arrival of the invasive genotype(s) are unclear. We address these questions by genomic sequencing of Daphnia populations from 13 lakes in the South Island and 1 lake in the North Island, NZ. All biallelic sites in these NZ populations have similar numbers of reads for the two parental alleles, suggesting each NZ population originates from a single asexual clone. Based on 25,643 monomorphic lineage-specific markers, the invasive Daphnia in the South Island were found to be Daphnia pulicaria Forbes, while those in the North Island are hybrids of D. pulicaria Forbes and D. cf. pulex sensu Hebert. Both the South and North Island Daphnia are phylogenetically clustered with North American Daphnia, thereby suggesting their North American origins. We found also that all South Island clones contain identical mitochondrial genomes, suggesting the origin and proliferation from a single founder clone, which we experimentally verified to be an obligate asexual. Estimates from molecular data imply a colonization time for the South Island clones of ~60 years ago, with a likely invasion route associated with the introduction of salmonids from North America.

Stratification as a way to increase germination of switchgrass seeds (Panicum virgatum L.)

Introduction. There is a practical interest in biofuels production from bioomass of perennial cereal grasses such as switchgrass, which is characterized by relatively high yields, low water and fertilization demand, reliable productivity in a wide geographical area, reduced soil erosion, carbon sequestration and improved wildlife habitat. The crop is propagated mainly by seeds, which is characterized by a long dormancy period, which leads to low field germination and uneven germination.
 Methods. Laboratory, visual, measuring and weighing, mathematical and statistical.
 Results. The main restraining factor in switchgrass widespread introduction into production and one of the ways to reduce the biological state of rest is stratification. Therefore, the aim of the research was to investigate the influence of seed stratification on the seed vigour and germination depending on the switchgrass varietal characteristics. The article presents the results of research on the seed stratification influence on its vigor and germination depending on varietal characteristics in order to reduce the biological dormancy of seeds and significantly increase germination. Determination of the response of different genotypes to stratification, the effect of low temperature on seed germination was carried out using seeds of four varieties of different groups of maturity: American origin varieties Foresburg — early, Cavein-rock — mid-late, Alamo — late and Ukrainian origin Morozko — midlate. Stratification, i. e. cooling seeds for 7 days at a temperature of 10◦C and germination at a temperature of 20◦C provided a significant increase in seed vigour and seed germination of all studied varieties. On average, the germination energy increased by 5% and germination by 4%. Seeds stratification differently affected seeds quality depending on varietal characteristics, while no natural changes in the seed quality by maturity groups were observed. It was found that stratification had a greater impact on germination energy, with the share of impact being 20%.
 Conclusions. Stratification provided a significant increase in seed vigour and germination in all studied varieties. On average, seed vigour increased by 5% and germination by 4%. But this measure does not provide a complete solution to reduce the biological state of seed dormancy.

Sequence analysis of new variants of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in Luzon, Philippines, in 2017

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that causes emaciation and watery diarrhea in pigs. First identified in Europe in 1977, it eventually spread to Asia and North America, causing deadly outbreaks in neonatal piglets. In the Philippines, PEDV has caused several recorded outbreaks since 2005. However, DNA sequencing studies of local PEDV strains remain few and are limited to gene and gene fragment sequencing. Therefore, to provide updated sequence information about recent PEDV strains in the country, we performed reverse transcription PCR and sequencing of PEDV from swab samples collected from swine farms in the Philippines in 2017. Here, we report the first published whole genome sequence of PEDV from the Philippines as well as CO-26K equivalent (COE) domain sequences of strains from three provinces in Luzon where PEDV was detected in 2017. Sequence analysis suggested that PEDV from both the classical (genotype 1) and pandemic (genotype 2) groups are present in the Philippines, with possible East Asian and North American origins.

North American species of Rubus L. (Rosaceae) described from European botanical gardens (1789-1823)

Native Rubus were brought from North America to European botanical gardens in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and some were described as new species. Limited knowledge of Rubus in that era, typically combined with brief descriptions, led to many incorrect interpretations, causing much confusion (especially in North America). We established a project to clarify the identity of these confusing species by reviewing types and descriptions along with comparative work involving modern collections. We identified seven putative North American Rubus species named from early European garden collections: R. villosus Aiton, R. vulpinus Poir., R. pensilvanicus Poir., R. flagellaris Willd., R. inermis Willd., R. heterophyllus Willd., and R. argutus Link, and four other names in the early European botanical literature of possible North American origin: R. decumbens Thunb., R. inermis Thunb., R. enslenii Tratt., and R. floridus Tratt. We affirmed the current applications of R. flagellaris, R. argutus, and R. enslenii. Rubus villosus is identical with R. leviculus L.H. Bailey, while the taxon to which R. villosus was generally applied in the 19th century, R. allegheniensis Porter, appears to be identical with R. vulpinus. Rubus heterophyllus Willd. was identified as an earlier name for R. plicatifolius Blanch. Rubus inermis Willd. is identical with R. ulmifolius Schott and must have originated in the Old World. Thunberg's other American Rubus, R. decumbens, can be identified as R. arundelanus Blanch. Rubus floridus remains a puzzle. If its type represents a sample of a determinate flowering branch from a large, mounding dewberry, it is closest to R. grimesii L.H. Bailey, but it could also have been taken from a side-branch from an unknown upright blackberry. Another name for which identity could not be definitively established is R. pensilvanicus. It is allied with R. allegheniensis, but its type is insufficient to determine if it is an extreme form of that species, a related taxon, or a hybrid of it with a species of section Arguti (Rydb.) L.H. Bailey. We propose the name, R. revealii sp. nov. for the corymbose to weakly racemose Arguti previously considered as R. pensilvanicus sensu L.H. Bailey. Herein, we lectotypify R. abactus L.H. Bailey, R. arundelanus, R. decumbens, R. grimesii, R. inermis Thunb., R. invisus (L.H. Bailey) Britton, and R. vulpinus, and designate neotypes for R. argutus and R. heterophyllus.

Motivação do Serviço Público: desvelando o tema sob a égide da produção científica internacional

Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar a produção científica internacional relativa à Motivação do Serviço Público (MSP) no período compreendido entre os anos de 2007 e 2018. Por meio de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, 219 artigos, indexados à base de dados Web of Science, foram analisados de forma quantitativa e qualitativa. A evolução anual das publicações relacionadas à MSP demonstrou que a temática está em ascensão nos últimos anos, sobretudo, em periódicos de administração pública. Mesmo com uma diversificação na autoria dos artigos, percebeu-se uma prevalência da origem norte-americana. As pesquisas concentraram-se em estratégias metodológicas quantitativas, com predominância da pesquisa survey e uso de questionários. Também se observou que o modelo de mensuração da MSP proposto por Perry (1996) é o mais utilizado, contudo, de forma adaptada na maioria dos casos. Ainda, nos estudos explorados, apurou-se a associação do construto com diversas temáticas, havendo destaque para a satisfação no trabalho.

Determination of Heavy Metals and Bacterial Count of Some Frequently Consumed Spices in Jordan

Background: Many factors contribute to the contamination of spices with heavy metals and bacteria including fertilizers, soil contamination and source of irrigation water. Methods: In this study, four spices already consumed in Jordan (cinnamon, black pepper, cubeb “allspice” and nutmeg) were investigated regarding heavy metals and bacterial contents. India and China (as Asian origin) as well as United States of America (as North American Origin) and Brazil (as South American origin) were considered as the main producers and exporters of spices for most countries of the world as Jordan. Results: results indicated that (Fe) element was came in the first ordered as a major investigated one in Indian nutmeg. Black pepper came as a predominant one in Indian black pepper contrary to that of Chinese one which had (Mn) element as a predominant. (Mn) is the major element in Chinese cubeb, but Indian cubeb contained (Fe) as a major element. It could be detected iron metal (Fe) as the highest heavy metal in either Indian or Chinese cinnamon. By calculating the total heavy metals content, it could be ascendingly ordered the investigated Asian spices as: Chinese cubeb, Chinese nutmeg, Chinese black pepper, Indian cinnamon, Indian cubeb, Indian nutmeg, Indian black pepper and Chinese cinnamon. Three of Chinese spices, i.e., cubeb, nutmeg and black pepper came in the first order considering their total heavy metals content. Meanwhile, in the second order Indian spices (cinnamon, cubeb and nutmeg) was coming with moderate total heavy metals content. The highest level of total heavy metals (over 9 ppm) was detected in both of Indian black pepper and Chinese. Regarding to the total content of heavy metals in four investigated American spices, black pepper possesses the lowest level of total heavy metals and meanwhile the highest level was found in American cubeb. Cubeb and nutmeg contain iron with 1.9 times higher than that of cinnamon spice. In the second order (Mn) element showed a similar trend. It is interested to notice that all of spices in this study had approximately the same level of (Pb) metal. The total heavy metals content in investigated Brazilian spices, black pepper possessed the highest. While cinnamon had the lowest. Three of heavy metals (As, Ti and Li) were also not detected in Brazilian spices similar to those of American ones. As a general trend, black pepper spice either imported from Asian (China and India) or American (USA and Brazil) origin had the highest bacterial count, meanwhile, the lowest count was detected in nutmeg spice imported from the same origins.

Europe as a bridgehead in the worldwide invasion history of grapevine downy mildew, Plasmopara viticola

Europe is the historical cradle of viticulture, but grapevines (Vitis vinifera) have been increasingly threatened by pathogens of American origin. The invasive oomycete Plasmopara viticola causes downy mildew, one of the most devastating grapevine diseases worldwide. Despite major economic consequences, its invasion history remains poorly understood. We analyzed a comprehensive dataset of ∼2,000 samples, collected from the most important wine-producing countries, using nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and microsatellite markers. Population genetic analyses revealed very low genetic diversity in invasive downy mildew populations worldwide and little evidence of admixture. All the invasive populations originated from only one of the five native North American lineages, the one parasitizing wild summer grape (V.aestivalis). An approximate Bayesian computation-random forest approach allowed inferring the worldwide invasion scenario of P.viticola. After an initial introduction into Europe, invasive European populations served as a secondary source of introduction into vineyards worldwide, including China, South Africa, and twice independently, Australia. Only the invasion of Argentina probably represents a tertiary introduction, from Australia. Our findings provide a striking example of a global pathogen invasion resulting from secondary dispersal of a successful invasive population. Our study will also help designing quarantine regulations and efficient breeding for resistance against grapevine downy mildew.

Archaeogenomic distinctiveness of the Isthmo-Colombian area

SummaryThe recently enriched genomic history of Indigenous groups in the Americas is still meager concerning continental Central America. Here, we report ten pre-Hispanic (plus two early colonial) genomes and 84 genome-wide profiles from seven groups presently living in Panama. Our analyses reveal that pre-Hispanic demographic events contributed to the extensive genetic structure currently seen in the area, which is also characterized by a distinctive Isthmo-Colombian Indigenous component. This component drives these populations on a specific variability axis and derives from the local admixture of different ancestries of northern North American origin(s). Two of these ancestries were differentially associated to Pleistocene Indigenous groups that also moved into South America, leaving heterogenous genetic footprints. An additional Pleistocene ancestry was brought by a still unsampled population of the Isthmus (UPopI) that remained restricted to the Isthmian area, expanded locally during the early Holocene, and left genomic traces up to the present day.

Extended phylogeography of the ancestral Morchella anatolica supports preglacial presence in Europe and Mediterranean origin of morels

ABSTRACT Over 80 species are recognized in the commercially important genus Morchella, many of them endemic to specific regions or continents. Among them, M. anatolica and M. rufobrunnea are the earliest diverging lineages and are key in decoding the evolutionary history, global biogeography, and ecological trends within this iconic genus. Early ancestral area reconstruction (AAR) tests postulated a western North American origin of morels but had not included in the analyses M. anatolica, whose phylogenetic identity remained at the time unresolved. Following new collections of M. anatolica and M. rufobrunnea from the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Kefalonia, Lesvos, Malta, and Zakynthos, we performed revised AAR tests to update the historical biogeography of the genus. Our results, inferred from multilocus analysis of an expanded data set of 79 phylospecies, challenge previous reconstructions and designate the Mediterranean basin as the most likely place of origin for morels. Detailed morphoanatomical analyses demonstrate that ascocarp rufescence, the nondarkening apothecial ridges, the absence of a sinus, and the stipe pruinescence are all stable synapomorphic features of sect. Rufobrunnea, which could be interpreted as ancestral for the genus. The saprotrophic mode of nutrition, suggested by the prolific in vitro growth of M. anatolica, might also be an ancestral trait. Emended descriptions, including extensive imagery and scanning electron microscopy, are provided, and a new evolutionary hypothesis of the genus is proposed.

Representing the People: Latin American Councilors and Their Pathway to Power and Political Representation in Spain

Latin Americans are one of the most relevant migrant minorities in Spain. In this article, we analyze their political representation at the local level by describing how councilors of Latin American councilors perceive three stages on their “pathway to power”: the selection method most frequently used by them to become electoral candidates, their ranking as candidates in the Spanish closed and blocked lists system, and their view of political representation once in office. The article contributes to a better understanding of the political incorporation of sizable minority groups in politics in recent immigration countries by implementing a mixed method strategy with survey data and in-depth interviews. The results show how candidates of Latin American origin are included in electoral lists following more participative ways of internal selection than their native-born counterparts, who are more frequently appointed by a party leader. Despite this, those who eventually get elected perceive that they have been ranked in “unsafe positions” of the electoral lists, and therefore with no guarantee of being appointed. Interestingly, once in office, councilors of Latin Americans perceive that they represent immigrants to a lesser degree, compared with their native-born counterparts.

The differentiated role of language knowledge and linguistic acculturation strategies in the configuration of occupational aspirations: the case of the descendants of migrants in Western Catalonia

ABSTRACT One of the most influential factors in the future access to the labour market of a young descendant of migrants is their occupational aspirations. Sociodemographic, socio-cultural, and socio-professional family elements or knowledge of languages are key in their formation. But in bilingual societies like Catalonia, the symbolism associated with languages is an added complexity. Thus, this article aims to analyse the influence and predictive power of linguistic knowledge and linguistic acculturation profiles on occupational aspirations, using a questionnaire completed by 205 young people of African, European, and Latin American origin in Lleida. The findings indicate that better knowledge of Catalan and a profile of linguistic acculturation which emphasises this language predict above-mean occupational aspirations. Knowledge of Spanish has an unclear role and a profile prioritising Spanish is a negative predictor. We conclude that language knowledge becomes a resource ‘through’ its symbolic value, questioning theories postulating that multilingualism always allows/facilitates access to better occupations.