Venezuelan Communities Research Articles

Madrid’s linguistic landscape: languages and cultural allusions in the Vista Alegre neighbourhood

ABSTRACT The linguistic landscape of Vista Alegre, a multicultural migrant neighbourhood in Madrid, was analysed to explore the interplay between language use, public spaces, and societal dynamics. By examining 137 non-official signs geolocated in linguistic cartography, the study aimed to identify the languages employed and the strategies of certain communities to make themselves visible. Spanish emerged as the predominant language, followed by English, while Chinese, Romanian, Arabic, and Italian collectively accounted for less than 10% of the sample, indicating a broad linguistic diversity not directly correlated with the resident population's linguistic composition. Regarding strategies, nearly half of the signs displayed semiotic strategies such as personal and family names, geographic references, and flags. Notably, nationalities such as Chinese and Romanian do not leverage the linguistic landscape for identity expression, in contrast to Honduran, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Venezuelan communities, which use it to render themselves visible. The term ‘Latino’ is prominently presented to foster a collective identity among various nationalities. This linguistic landscape analysis underscores that in the ethnolinguistic vitality of Vista Alegre, national visibility is made apparent through the choice of language along with cultural and geographical references that will help negotiate identities.

Exploring Diversity of Hispanic Health Outcomes Through Prism of Environmental Justice

In environmental economics studies US Hispanics are frequently depicted as one large homogeneous group, despite diversity in their countries’ cultural traditions, genetic background and socioeconomic status (SES). This study aimed to compare Florida’s very diverse Hispanic population of Caribbean, Mexican, Central, and South American ancestry.Twelve independent variables were selected from environmental pollution, geospatial challenges, and SES categories. Dependent variables included the relative prevalence of three major chronic diseases: asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. Analysis of pairs correlations was supplemented by multi-variable linear regression. Majority-Hispanic areas have higher than average pollution, diabetes, proximity to disadvantaged neighborhoods, and lower SES. Despite lower pollution than in urban areas, Florida’s inland rural areas had higher rates of all major diseases and lower life expectancies. Cuban and Puerto Rican populations of Miami and Orlando metro areas, respectively, have less favorable SES outcomes and higher diabetes. Columbian and Venezuelan communities have significantly higher education levels than other Hispanic cohorts, and they have the best relative outcome among US Hispanics in SES and health, although still lagging US averages. African-American community in Miami-Dade County was by far the most disadvantaged, with significantly lower SES and health outcomes than any other group in the study, including the nearby Cuban-majority community. Our results confirmed the view that Hispanics are environmentally disadvantaged in Florida, with worse outcomes than the US and Florida average in health and economic factors. Furthermore, the study highlighted significant differentiation of SES and health outcomes among various regional Hispanic cohorts.

Evaluation of small wind turbines for rural electrification: Case studies from extreme climatic conditions in Venezuela

On-site technology performance evaluations are needed in tropical regions with extreme climatic conditions in order to reinforce electricity access programs based on renewable energy technologies (RET), particularly off-grid small wind technologies (SWT). This research aims to evaluate the technical performance and end-users’ acceptance of two SWT projects in Venezuelan communities located at different altitudes and with different weather conditions: a hot desert climate on the Caribbean coast and dry-winter climate in the Andean mountains. The technical performance is assessed through computer simulations to analyze the electricity demand and the wind resource. End-users’ acceptance is studied from in situ surveys and semi-structured interviews with all beneficiaries. Results show that the flat areas on the north coast have a low wind variability and high wind speeds, while in the mountainous areas the implementation of SWT is limited by the orography’s impact on wind variability. However, the social acceptance of SWT in both communities remains high given the existing relationship between load and production variations.

Diagnosis of Taeniosis in rural Venezuelan communities: Preliminary characterization of a Taenia solium specific monoclonal (VP-1) Coproantigen ELISA

The objective of this study was to identify and treat carriers of adult Taenia solium present in two rural Venezuelan communities through examination of faecal samples by coproscopical analysis, and by the application of a polyclonal and a monoclonal (VP-1) coproantigen ELISA. Both the polyclonal and monoclonal ELISA's were negative when tested with soluble extracts of adults of Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana and Trichuris trichura. The polyclonal ELISA was positive for soluble extracts adults of T. solium and T. saginata, whereas the monoclonal ELISA, which recognizes a glycoprotein, was restricted to T. solium, and was also negative with faecal samples from five cases of T. saginata adult infections. In the first community studied, Potrero Largo (Total population: 300), of 248 faecal samples examined, 2 individuals were positive for Taenia spp eggs by coproscopical analysis and the VP-1 ELISA, and yielded T. solium adults upon purging. In contrast, when the polyclonal coproAg ELISA was applied to the same 248 faecal samples, there were a considerable number of positives. Indeed, seven patients highly positive in the polyclonal ELISA did not yield a Taenia spp upon purging and were negative in the VP-1 ELISA. In the second community studied La Yuca (Total population 560), none of the 333 individuals who donated faeces was positive for Taenia spp eggs. Many, however, were infected with a range of intestinal helminth and protozoan parasites. A total of 76 faecal samples with representative intestinal parasite were then tested in the polyclonal and VP-1 assays. Of these, many gave an unacceptable number of significant optical densities in the polyclonal coproAg ELISA. In contrast, all were negative in the VP-1 ELISA, thus providing evidence for the species specificity of the VP-1 ELISA in faecal samples. These results with the VP-1 coproAg ELISA, although preliminary, justify further validation through the testing of more faecal samples from T. solium and T. saginata adult infected individuals.

Seroepidemiological evidence for Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis in three Venezuelan rural communities.

Taenia solium is the most common parasite infection of the brain, causing neurocysticercosis and typically found in rural communities with free-ranging pigs. Identification of transmission in rural areas is essential for its control. Risk factors and transmission of the parasite were evaluated in three rural Venezuelan communities (Valle del Rio and Potrero Largo, Cojedes state; and Palmarito, Portuguesa state) by a questionnaire (112 households) and coprological (492 samples) and serological (433 human and 230 porcine sera) analysis, respectively. Typical risk factors were found in all three communities: free-foraging pig husbandry, deficient sanitary conditions, high open defecation and ignorance of the parasite life cycle. Coprological examinations revealed a high level of soil-transmitted parasites. Importantly, two T. solium adult worm carriers were identified in each of the three communities. Anti-metacestode antibodies and the HP10 secreted metacestode glycoprotein were detected at significant levels in human and porcine sera in Valle del Rio, Potrero Largo and Palmarito. In conclusion, these communities may be considered to be endemic for taeniasis/cysticercosis, and the instigation of an appropriate control programme is recommended.

Nivel de conocimiento sobre factores de riesgo cardiovascular en una comunidad de Naguanagua, Venezuela

Associating the level of awareness concerning cardiovascular risk factors related to changes in clinical, anthropometric and biochemical markers regarding cardiovascular risk in people living in Naguanagua, Venezuela. 205 patients aged 18 to 77 years were evaluated; weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose and serum lipid profile were measured. A survey assessed the patients' level of awareness regarding cardiovascular risk factors. A high frequency of abdominal obesity (67 %), being overweight and obese (38 %) and suffering from hypertension (26 %) was observed. Nearly 60 % of respondents claimed to know about cardiovascular risk factors, but only 14.7 % of them recognized the eleven factors considered to define such level of knowledge. More than half of the participants showed a low level of awareness concerning cardiovascular risk factors; average levels of total cholesterol, cholesterol LDL and triglycerides were significantly lower in the group having a high level of knowledge concerning cardiovascular risk factors. Extremely low levels of awareness regarding cardiovascular risk factor prevalence and high frequency concerning changes in clinical, anthropometric and biochemical markers for cardiovascular risk were higher in the group having a high level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, thereby confirming the need for implementing strategies for raising Venezuelan communities' level of knowledge regarding cardiovascular risk factors and also encouraging them to adopt a lifestyle associated with reduced cardiovascular risk factors and self-care.

National Training Program for Comprehensive Community Physicians, Venezuela

Introduction Through the 1990s, wide disparities in health status were recorded in Venezuela, a mirror of poor social conditions, decreasing investment in the public health sector and a health workforce distribution unable to meet population health needs or to staff effective, accessible public health services. Venezuelans' health status deteriorated as a result. In 2003-2004, the Venezuelan government launched Barrio Adentro, a new national public health model aimed at assuring primary health care coverage for the entire population of an estimated 26 million. Cuban physicians staff Barrio Adentro clinics, mainly in poor neighborhoods, until enough Venezuelan physicians can be trained to fill the posts. Intervention Cuban experience with community-oriented medical education and global health cooperation was drawn upon to develop curriculum and provide faculty for the new National Training Program for Comprehensive Community Physicians, begun in 2005 in cooperation with six Venezuelan universities. The program differs from previous Venezuelan medical education models by adopting a stated goal of training physicians for public service, recruiting students who had no previous opportunity for university-level education, and concentrating the weight of their training on a service- and community-based model of education, relying on practicing physician-tutors. Results Over 20,000 students have been enrolled in three years. The six-year program has been extended to all 24 Venezuelan states, relying mainly on Cuban faculty who are practicing Barrio Adentro doctors and who receive postgraduate training in medical education. This "university without walls" has accredited 5,131 Barrio Adentro clinics as teaching institutions; its infrastructure includes other health care delivery facilities plus 855 multipurpose classrooms throughout the country. For the 2006-2007 academic year, the pass rate was 82% for first-year students and 94% for second-year students. Some difficulties persist in student selection, pre-medical preparation, and achieving optimum use of existing resources. Academic, institutional, and external evaluations are ongoing. Conclusion This is the most ambitious example of scaling up of physician training in a single country. The program has been made possible by considerable political will from the Venezuelan and Cuban governments; by the experience acquired through development of the Cuban health system and medical education programs; by the individual commitment of Cuban curriculum developers and physician-tutors; and by ever-more-organized Venezuelan communities. The size of the undertaking, coupled with significant innovations in curriculum, present challenges. The Venezuelan experience - emphasis on training physicians for a revitalized public health sector, accompanied by a paradigm shift in primary care - warrants attention from the international community in the context of the global shortage of health workers and efforts to achieve a more equitable distribution of health services worldwide.

Detection of schistosomiasis cases in low-transmission areas based on coprologic and serologic criteria: The Venezuelan experience

Low and very-low intensities of infection hinder the diagnosis of schistosomiasis. Therefore, new parameters should be established in order to more accurately identify active cases and true infection prevalence, for the adequate implementation of a control program. After the survey and analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of five Venezuelan communities, we propose three criteria for the definition of a “schistosomiasis case”, based on different diagnostic methods: stool examination, ELISA-soluble egg antigen with sodium metaperiodate (SMP–ELISA), alkaline phosphatase immunoassay (APIA) and the circumoval precipitin test (COPT). Briefly, criterion I: persons with Schistosoma mansoni eggs in stools; criterion II: persons without eggs in stools, with positive COPT, without previous antischistosome chemotherapy in the last year; and criterion III: persons without eggs in stools, with negative COPT, with two positive immunoenzymatic tests (SMP–ELISA and APIA), and with no previous chemotherapy. The incorporation of serological tests to epidemiologic surveillance in areas of low-transmission tries to compensate the underestimation of prevalence based only on parasitological diagnosis.

Genetic Variability of Apolipoprotein E in Different Populations from Venezuela

The genetic variation at the Apolipoprotein E locus (APOE) is an important determinant of plasma lipids and has been implicated in various human pathological conditions. The objective of the present study was to estimate the distribution of APOE alleles in five Venezuelan communities: two Amerindian tribes (Bari and Yucpa), one Negroid population from Curiepe, one Caucasoid population from Colonia Tovar and the mestizo urban population living in Caracas. The APOE*3 allele was the most common allele in all populations studied. However, a significant increase in the APOE*2 allele frequency in the Mestizo (18.96%) and Negroid (16.25%) populations was found. Similar to results reported in other Native American populations we have found that the APOE*2 allele is completely absent in the Bari and Yucpa Amerindians. Frequencies found in the Colonia Tovar population are in agreement with those reported in the population of Germany, indicating a high degree of relatedness. The results support the notion that the distribution of the APOE alleles shows ethnic variability.

Evidence for high seroprevalence of Taenia solium cysticercosis in individuals from three rural communities in Venezuela

A serological study was undertaken in 1998 to evaluate levels of Taenia solium cysticercosis in 3 rural Venezuelan communities. Infection with viable metacestodes was diagnosed with a trapping enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that detects a secreted product of viable parasites. Anti-metacestode antibodies were assayed by ELISA using T. solium vesicular fluid as antigen. A total of 1254 sera was collected from 3 communities (Canoabo, Sanare, and Rio Tocuyo) where previous studies had suggested the presence of T. solium. Our results demonstrate an unusually high seroprevalence of cysticercosis, indicating an attendant risk of transmitting the disease to other areas. The seroprevalence of infection with viable cysts, as indicated by detection of circulating parasite antigen, was 9.1% in Canoabo, 6.1% in Sanare, and 5.7% in Rio Tocuyo. The corresponding frequency of antibodies to T. solium cyst antigens was 36.5% in Canoabo, 36.5% in Sanare, and 4% in Rio Tocuyo. As these communities are probably representative of many others in Venezuela, T. solium cysticercosis may be a significant public health problem and more work is certainly indicated. An important finding was that local knowledge of the disease and its transmission do not necessarily guarantee diminished disease prevalence, indicating a lack of appropriate vigilance towards disease control.

Sustainable Development and Identity in Two Venezuelan Communities

Environmental problems that our planet currently faces are causing concern. In response, a number of development models have been proposed, seeking to ensure the continuity of life and the availability of the resources needed for survival. Among these models is that of sustainable development. The authors’participation in the City-Identity-Sustainability Project contributed some ideas about this model’s implementation in the Venezuelan context. The study was conducted in two urban communities. The results suggest that the community space in both communities is a basic core of social interaction in the inhabitants’lives, generating informal networks that provide a foundation for the development and cohesion of an urban social identity. Results also suggest that there is a lack of information regarding the conservation of natural resources. The authors conclude that it is necessary to formulate awarenessraising strategies regarding the environment in the community context as a favorable place for the model’s viability.

Effect of sexual systems and dichogamy on levels of abortion and biomass allocation in plant reproductive structures

The levels of abortion at three stages (ovule, seed, and flower–fruit) and biomass allocation to flowers, seeds, and fruits were determined in 231 species from five Venezuelan plant communities. These values were analyzed as a function of the sexual systems of the plants and the presence of dichogamy. In this study, the only significant difference between sexual systems was in the level of ovule abortion, which was greater in dioecious and hermaphroditic species than in monoecious and andromonoecious species. Species with protandrous or protogynous flowers had higher seed set and lower levels of aborted ovules and aborted flowers and fruits than species with adichogamous flowers. These results indicate that hermaphroditic plants do not compensate for their inability to independently control the number of male and female flowers by producing an excess of flowers that function mainly as pollen donors. On the other hand, the temporal separation of male and female functions in hermaphroditic and monoecious species may contribute to increased seed and fruit set by enhancing reallocation of assimilates from floral organs or flowers to fruit formation in time, and by reducing pollen–stigma interference within plants. Key words: fruit abortion, ovule abortion, dichogamy, sexuality, biomass allocation.