bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CT texture analysis in colorectal liver metastases: A better way than size and volume measurements to assess response to chemotherapy?
Authors: Rao Sheng‐Xiang , Lambregts Doenja MJ , Schnerr Roald S , Beckers Rianne CJ , Maas Monique , Albarello Fabrizio , Riedl Robert G , Dejong Cornelis HC , Martens Milou H , Heijnen Luc A , Backes Walter H , Beets Geerard L , Zeng Meng‐Su , Beets‐Tan Regina GH
Published: August 2015

Background

Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) are known to have limitations in assessing the response of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) to chemotherapy.

Objective

The objective of this article is to compare CT texture analysis to RECIST‐based size measurements and tumor volumetry for response assessment of CRLMs to chemotherapy.

Methods

Twenty‐one patients with CRLMs underwent CT pre‐ and post‐chemotherapy. Texture parameters mean intensity (M), entropy (E) and uniformity (U) were assessed for the largest metastatic lesion using different filter values (0.0 = no/0.5 = fine/1.5 = medium/2.5 = coarse filtration). Total volume (cm3 ) of all metastatic lesions and the largest size of one to two lesions (according to RECIST 1.1) were determined. Potential predictive parameters to differentiate good responders (n  = 9; histological TRG 1–2) from poor responders (n  = 12; TRG 3–5) were identified by univariable logistic regression analysis and subsequently tested in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Diagnostic odds ratios were recorded.

Results

The best predictive texture parameters were Δuniformity and Δentropy (without filtration). Odds ratios for Δuniformity and Δentropy in the multivariable analyses were 0.95 and 1.34, respectively. Pre‐ and post‐treatment texture parameters, as well as the various size and volume measures, were not significant predictors. Odds ratios for Δsize and Δvolume in the univariable logistic regression were 1.08 and 1.05, respectively.

Conclusions

Relative differences in CT texture occurring after treatment hold promise to assess the pathologic response to chemotherapy in patients with CRLMs and may be better predictors of response than changes in lesion size or volume.
Prospective Evaluation of Few Homeopathic Rubrics of Kent’s Repertory From Bayesian Perspective
Authors: Koley Munmun , Saha Subhranil , Das Kaushik Deb , Roy Sushabhan , Goenka Rachna , Chowdhury Pulak Roy , Hait Himangsu , Bhattacharyya Chapal Kanti , Sadhukhan Sanjoy Kumar
Published: August 2015

Absolute grading system of homeopathic repertories poses substantial threat to reliability; however, it may be resolved by evaluating rubrics prospectively using likelihood ratio (LR). The authors evaluated few “physical general” rubrics from Kent’s repertory—“chilly,” “hot,” “ambithermal,” “preference for hot/cold food,” “desire/aversion for fish/egg/meat/sour/pungent/salt/sweet/bitter”—prospectively in West Bengal, India, for 1.5 years using the Outcome Related to Impact on Daily Living scale. Per symptom/rubric, LRs < 1.5 were discarded. A total of 2039 encounters were analyzed for thermal relations and 4715 for desires/aversions for specific food items. Comparison with Kent’s repertory revealed discrepancies. One new rubric with corresponding medicines was suggested to be introduced, new entries of medicines were recommended, and some seemed to maintain their ascribed importance. The authors refrained from converting LRs into typefaces prematurely; still they propose introducing LR to repertories for a structural update, changing its use, and enabling homeopaths to make more reliable predictions.
A Systematic Review of Iran’s Medicinal Plants With Anticancer Effects
Authors: Asadi-Samani Majid , Kooti Wesam , Aslani Elahe , Shirzad Hedayatollah
Published: August 2015

Increase in cases of various cancers has encouraged the researchers to discover novel, more effective drugs from plant sources. This study is a review of medicinal plants in Iran with already investigated anticancer effects on various cell lines. Thirty-six medicinal plants alongside their products with anticancer effects as well as the most important plant compounds responsible for the plants’ anticancer effect were introduced. Phenolic and alkaloid compounds were demonstrated to have anticancer effects on various cancers in most studies. The plants and their active compounds exerted anticancer effects by removing free radicals and antioxidant effects, cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of angiogenesis. The investigated plants in Iran contain the compounds that are able to contribute effectively to fighting cancer cells. Therefore, the extract and active compounds of the medicinal plants introduced in this review article could open a way to conduct clinical trials on cancer and greatly help researchers and pharmacists develop new anticancer drugs.
Measuring Self-Regulation in Second Language Learning
Authors: Liu Heidi Han-Ting , Lee Young-Sun
Published: August 2015

Self-regulation has become a widely discussed subject in education as it facilitates learners’ ability to master their own learning. The purpose of the present study is to examine the psychometric properties of self-regulation in second language learning via Rasch measurement. A total of 528 high-school students from an East Asian country participated in the study, and the Self-Regulating Capacity in English Language Learning (SRClang) Scale was used as a self-report instrument. The results suggest that self-regulation in second language learning as measured by the SRClang Scale does not appear to be unidimensional. Based on item-model fit statistics, several items in the SRClang Scale may need to be revised or removed. Nonetheless, the response categories in the SRClang Scale function well as intended, and the scale can reliably separate items and persons based on their difficulty levels and ability trait levels, respectively. Overall, the SRClang Scale serves as an appropriate measure of self-regulatory capacity in second language learning.
Figures of Admiration in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Robinson Oliver C. , Dunn Abigail , Nartova-Bochaver Sofya , Bochaver Konstantin , Asadi Samaneh , Khosravi Zohreh , Jafari Seyed Mohammad , Zhang Xiaozhou , Yang Yanbo
Published: August 2015

Admiration is a social emotion that is developmentally formative in emerging adulthood; admired adults act as mentors, role models, and sources of inspiration to this age-group. The present study explored who and what emerging adults admire in their elders, across four countries (UK, Iran, China, and Russia). A total of 525 participants provided written descriptions of an admired figure. Across all cultures, care and generativity was the most common theme. Cross-cultural differences emerged for the themes of limitations and difficulties (most prevalent in China), autonomy and assertiveness (most prevalent in Russia), intellect and education (most prevalent in Russia), and religion and spirituality (most prevalent in Iran). Males and females in the UK and Russia tended to select admired figures of their own sex, but in Iran and China both male and female participants selected more male than female figures. The findings suggest a common thematic core to admiration in emerging adulthood combined with culturally specific features.
Nonadherence is Associated with Lack of HIV-Related Knowledge
Authors: Dyrehave Charlotte , Rasmussen Dlama Nggida , Hønge Bo Langhoff , Jespersen Sanne , Correia Faustino Gomes , Medina Candida , Wejse Christian , Rodkjaer Lotte ,   for the Bissau HIV Cohort Study Group
Published: August 2015

Background:

Poor treatment adherence is a main barrier for effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally. HIV-related knowledge may affect understanding and utilization of HIV medical information, hence limited health literacy is a known barrier to treatment adherence.

Design and Methods:

A cross-sectional study included 494 HIV-infected individuals from the Bissau HIV Cohort in Guinea-Bissau. They completed a questionnaire designed for assessment of adherence and HIV-related knowledge.

Results:

A majority were female, 41% were illiterate, 25% did not take the medicine during the last 4 days, and 23% skipped their medicine during weekends. The most frequent reasons for not taking medicine were simply forgetting, side effects, lack of food, and being too ill to attend the clinic. Nonadherent patients had a lower level of HIV-related knowledge.

Conclusion:

Main barriers for nonadherence were side effects, food insecurity, and simply forgetting. Lack of HIV-related knowledge about ART and HIV may be a barrier to nonadherence.
Just Paying Attention: Communication for Organizational Attention
Authors: Gómez Luis Felipe
Published: August 2015

The main premises in this article are that organizational attention is inherently communicative, and can be nurtured through communication interventions. Two communication practices that reflect organizational attention—information allocation and dialogue—can be nurtured through organizational structures and interventions. Increasing opportunities for dialogue across organizational functions is critical to improve collective attention. Prior research and empirical data are presented to assert that a long-term orientation is also imperative to develop attention through communication practices such as information allocation and dialogue.
Communication Competence, Leadership Behaviors, and Employee Outcomes in Supervisor-Employee Relationships
Authors: Mikkelson Alan C. , York Joy A. , Arritola Joshua
Published: August 2015

Supervisor communication competence and leadership style were used to predict specific employee outcomes. In the study, 276 participants working in various industries completed measures of communication competence and leadership styles about their direct supervisor along with measures of their job satisfaction, motivation, and organizational commitment. As predicted, effective and appropriate communication were both positively related to satisfaction, motivation, and organizational commitment. Furthermore, task- and relations-oriented leadership styles were both positively related to all three employee outcomes as well. Finally, regression analysis determined that effective communication and relations-oriented leadership were the best predictors of satisfaction, motivation, and organizational commitment.
Teaching Real-World Applications of Business Statistics Using Communication to Scaffold Learning
Authors: Green Gareth P. , Jones Stacey , Bean John C.
Published: August 2015

Our assessment research suggests that quantitative business courses that rely primarily on algorithmic problem solving may not produce the deep learning required for addressing real-world business problems. This article illustrates a strategy, supported by recent learning theory, for promoting deep learning by moving students gradually from “well-structured” algorithmic problems with single correct answers to “ill-structured” real-world business problems that may have multiple correct answers and require an argument addressed to a specific audience. We show how these scaffolded communication assignments promote deep learning, and suggest ways that interested faculty can adapt the assignments to their own courses.
Understanding and Using the Relationships Between Business and Professional Communication and Public Relations
Authors: Penrose John M.
Published: August 2015

Aspects of research and pedagogy from the public relations discipline can benefit the business and professional communication instructor seeking new dimensions for the business and professional communication classroom. Elements of public relations (PR) found in Association for Business Communication articles and journals may be incorporated in the business and professional communication curriculum, but we lack a systematic overview of the overlaps between PR and business communication theory and practice. This article is a practical guide for instructors wanting to add PR content to their curriculum. It presents respective theoretical origins, media reliance similarities, common perspectives, overlaps of academic challenges for legitimacy and respectability, and potential classroom applications.
Cues for Better Writing
Authors: Vijayasarathy Leo R. , Gould Susan Martin , Gould Michael
Published: August 2015

Written clarity and conciseness are desired by employers and emphasized in business communication courses. We developed and tested the efficacy of a cueing tool—Scribe Bene—to help students reduce their use of imprecise and ambiguous words and wordy phrases. Effectiveness was measured by comparing cue word usage between a treatment group given the tool and a control group without the tool. In written assignments, the treatment group used 16 of 23 cue words significantly less than the control group and this effect persisted over time. Implications for using automated cueing tools in teaching written communication skills are discussed.
New technology for measuring resistance of electrical contact and estimating welding quality
Authors: Shiliang Z. , Zhongdian Z. , Qiwei L. , Yujun X. , Xiubo T.
Published: August 2015

Incomplete penetration is a common defect in the welding gap of large size (welding area is over 100 mm2) electrical contact, which leads to an instability of welding quality. Nevertheless, there was limited research dealing with non-destructive quality inspection of electrical contact. In this research, the resistance of CJ400 electrical contact was measured with the device medium frequency inverter resistance spot welding (MFI-RSW) machine. Multipulse measuring method was designed and proved efficient to reach a higher accuracy by restraining the influence of the contact resistance between electrodes and electrical contact. Moreover, the error of resistance caused by temperature rising in the measuring process is also eliminated effectively. Therefore, more accurate resistance of electrical contact could be extracted compared to the method of single pulse measuring. Then, the relationship between resistance and welding quality was studied and a new quality inspection method was proposed.
Transitional jobs after release from prison: effects on employment and recidivism
Authors: Valentine Erin Jacobs , Redcross Cindy
Published: August 2015

This paper presents the results of two experimental evaluations of transitional jobs programs for recently released former prisoners: the Evaluation of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and the Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration (TJRD). The analysis assesses the effects of these programs on employment and recidivism. We find that the programs in both studies led to a large increase in employment driven by the transitional jobs themselves. However, the programs did not increase employment in non-program jobs. In addition, the CEO transitional jobs program reduced recidivism, but the TJRD programs did not. These results have implications for policy and research.
Soluble β-glucan from Grifola frondosa induces tumor regression in synergy with TLR9 agonist via dendritic cell-mediated immunity
Authors: Masuda Yuki , Nawa Daiki , Nakayama Yoshiaki , Konishi Morichika , Nanba Hiroaki
Published: August 2015

The maturation of dendritic cells into more-immunostimulatory dendritic cells by stimulation with different combinations of immunologic agents is expected to provide efficient, adoptive immunotherapy against cancer. Soluble β-glucan maitake D-fraction, extracted from the maitake mushroom Grifola frondosa, acts as a potent immunotherapeutic agent, eliciting innate and adoptive immune responses, thereby contributing to its antitumor activity. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of maitake D-fraction, in combination with a Toll-like receptor agonist, to treat tumors in a murine model. Our results showed that maitake D-fraction, in combination with the Toll-like receptor 9 agonist, cytosine–phosphate–guanine oligodeoxynucleotide, synergistically increased the expression of dendritic cell maturation markers and interleukin-12 production in dendritic cells, but it did not increase interleukin-10 production, generating strong effector dendritic cells with an augmented capacity for efficiently priming an antigen-specific, T helper 1–type T cell response. Maitake D-fraction enhances cytosine–phosphate–guanine oligodeoxynucleotide-induced dendritic cell maturation and cytokine responses in a dectin-1–dependent pathway. We further showed that a combination therapy using cytosine–phosphate–guanine oligodeoxynucleotide and maitake D-fraction was highly effective, either as adjuvants for dendritic cell vaccination or by direct administration against murine tumor. Therapeutic responses to direct administration were associated with increased CD11c+ dendritic cells in the tumor site and the induction of interferon-γ–producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Our results indicate that maitake D-fraction and cytosine–phosphate–guanine oligodeoxynucleotide synergistically activated dendritic cells, resulting in tumor regression via an antitumor T helper cell 1–type response. Our findings provide the basis for a potent antitumor therapy using a novel combination of immunologic agents for future clinical immunotherapy studies in patients.
Serum amyloid A1α induces paracrine IL-8/CXCL8 via TLR2 and directly synergizes with this chemokine via CXCR2 and formyl peptide receptor 2 to recruit neutrophils
Authors: De Buck Mieke , Berghmans Nele , Pörtner Noëmie , Vanbrabant Lotte , Cockx Maaike , Struyf Sofie , Opdenakker Ghislain , Proost Paul , Van Damme Jo , Gouwy Mieke
Published: August 2015

Cell migration depends on the ability of leukocytes to sense an external gradient of chemotactic proteins produced during inflammation. These proteins include chemokines, complement factors, and some acute phase proteins, such as serum amyloid A. Serum amyloid A chemoattracts neutrophils, monocytes, and T lymphocytes via its G protein-coupled receptor formyl peptide receptor 2. We demonstrate that serum amyloid A1α more potently chemoattracts neutrophils in vivo than in vitro. In contrast to CD14+ monocytes, no rapid (within 2 h) induction of interleukin-8/CXC chemokine ligand 8 or macrophage-inflammatory protein-1α/CC chemokine ligand 3 was observed in purified human neutrophils after stimulation of the cells with serum amyloid A1α or lipopolysaccharide. Moreover, interleukin-8/CXC chemokine ligand 8 induction in monocytes by serum amyloid A1α was mediated by toll-like receptor 2 and was inhibited by association of serum amyloid A1α with high density lipoprotein. This indicates that the potent chemotactic response of neutrophils toward intraperitoneally injected serum amyloid A1α is indirectly enhanced by rapid induction of chemokines in peritoneal cells, synergizing in a paracrine manner with serum amyloid A1α. We observed direct synergy between IL-8/CXC chemokine ligand 8 and serum amyloid A1α, but not lipopolysaccharide, in chemotaxis and shape change assays with neutrophils. Furthermore, the selective CXC chemokine receptor 2 and formyl peptide receptor 2 antagonists, SB225002 and WRW4, respectively, blocked the synergy between IL-8/CXC chemokine ligand 8 and serum amyloid A1α in neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro, indicating that for synergy their corresponding G protein-coupled receptors are required. Additionally, SB225002 significantly inhibited serum amyloid A1α-mediated peritoneal neutrophil influx. Taken together, endogenous (e.g., IL-1β) and exogenous (e.g., lipopolysaccharide) inflammatory mediators induce primary chemoattractants such as serum amyloid A that synergize in an autocrine (monocyte) or a paracrine (neutrophil) fashion with secondary chemokines induced in stromal cells.
Patient-centred decision-making? Biocitizens between evidence-based medicine and self-determination
Authors: Jørgensen Marianne Winther
Published: August 2015

Nikolas Rose’s work on contemporary biopower centres the ‘biocitizen’ as a subject governed through freedom and made individually responsible in matters of health. This article argues that a focus on its conditions of possibility will enable a better contextualisation of the biocitizen as merely one subject position among others. Using a Swedish policy document on the treatment of depression as an empirical example, the article calls for a more heterogeneous understanding of healthcare, torn for instance between ideals of evidence-based treatment and patients’ selfdetermination, inviting further empirical and theoretical investigation of the active biocitizen and its limitations.
Into the wild country: epistemic issues in professional guidelines for palliative sedation in end-of-life care
Authors: Wackers Ger
Published: August 2015

End-of-life care is an important object of governance. Using the linguistic notions of polysemy, metaphorical blending and counterfactual reasoning, this paper critically examines epistemic issues in professional guidelines for palliative sedation of the dying. As a last resort option, palliative sedation is described as the intentional, pharmacological reduction of the patient’s consciousness with the aim to reduce intolerable suffering from intractable physical symptoms that cannot be managed otherwise. Like a wilderness trail that simultaneously facilitates and constrains, the guidelines provide a set of ‘due care requirements’ that allows for the provision of end-of-life care in controversial territory.
Informed ignorance and the difficulty of using guidelines in policy processes
Authors: Fernler Karin
Published: August 2015

Based on an ethnographic study, this article investigates an attempt by a multidisciplinary group to employ pre-developed guidelines for producing a knowledge base that was to be used in a policy decision. The article contributes to previous studies of the development and use of knowledgebased guidelines and knowledge syntheses in policy-research collaborations. It is concluded that guidelines are inevitably characterised by informed ignorance, and that this informed ignorance is both an obstacle and a necessity for the successful employment of guidelines in policy processes.
‘You need to bond with the ones you train’: mixing epistemic cultures in medical residency training
Authors: Wallenburg Iris , Pols Jeannette , de Bont Antoinette
Published: August 2015

This paper addresses contemporary reform in postgraduate medical education that aims to standardise training. The reforms are guided by public policy interventions to increase quality of care, objectify performance, and to prepare residents for changing health care needs. This paper draws on an ethnographic study in the Netherlands, studying how new training standards have been incorporated in everyday gynaecology and surgery residency training. Perceiving educational science as a new epistemic culture alongside the traditional professional authority-based epistemic culture, the paper examines how both epistemic cultures have interweaved, fabricating a new training culture that assembles both traditional and ‘new’ elements.
‘Black magic’ and ‘gold dust’: the epistemic and political uses of evidence tools in public health policy making
Authors: Smith Katherine E , Stewart Ellen
Published: August 2015

Concerns about the limited influence of research on decision making have prompted the development of tools intended to mediate evidence for policy audiences. This article focuses on three examples, prominent in public health: impact assessments; systematic reviews; and economic decision-making tools (cost-benefit analysis and scenario modelling). Each has been promoted as a means of synthesising evidence for policy makers but little is known about policy actors’ experiences of them. Employing a literature review and 69 interviews, we offer a critical analysis of their role in policy debates, arguing that their utility lies primarily in their symbolic value as markers of good decision making.
On recursive policy envelopes and exposure management: the mysterious survival of a governmental guideline
Authors: Markussen Rolf Andreas , Wackers Ger
Published: August 2015

Guidelines play a vital role in the governance of professional practitioners in the frontline of the welfare state towards practices based on scientific knowledge. However the viability of guidelines as a genre of governing devices is by no means self-evident. This article interrogates the somewhat mysterious survival of one particular guideline. It suggest that explanations of the guideline’s survival need to take into account how these governing devices, independent of their success or failure according to the part they are set to play, are producers of logics supportive to their own existence.
Mature Surfactant Protein-B Expression by Immunohistochemistry as a Marker for Surfactant System Development in the Fetal Sheep Lung
Authors: Lock Mitchell C. , McGillick Erin V. , Orgeig Sandra , Zhang Song , McMillen I. Caroline , Morrison Janna L.
Published: August 2015

Evaluation of the number of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) is an important measure of the lung’s ability to produce surfactant. Immunohistochemical staining of these cells in lung tissue commonly uses antibodies directed against mature surfactant protein (SP)-C, which is regarded as a reliable SP marker of type II AECs in rodents. There has been no study demonstrating reliable markers for surfactant system maturation by immunohistochemistry in the fetal sheep lung despite being widely used as a model to study lung development. Here we examine staining of a panel of surfactant pro-proteins (pro–SP-B and pro–SP-C) and mature proteins (SP-B and SP-C) in the fetal sheep lung during late gestation in the saccular/alveolar phase of development (120, 130, and 140 days), with term being 150 ± 3 days, to identify the most reliable marker of surfactant producing cells in this species. Results from this study indicate that during late gestation, use of anti-SP-B antibodies in the sheep lung yields significantly higher cell counts in the alveolar epithelium than SP-C antibodies. Furthermore, this study highlights that mature SP-B antibodies are more reliable markers than SP-C antibodies to evaluate surfactant maturation in the fetal sheep lung by immunohistochemistry.
The role of culture in the regional development process. Sibiu - European Capital of Culture 2007
Authors: Stoica Alina , Chirodea Florentina
Published: August 2015

In the recent years, an increased interest in the use of culture as an instrument of politics and economics has expanded and influenced regional development. This paper aims to highlight the ability of culture to generate wealth for the community, on the one hand, and on the other as a catalyst for sustainable economic recovery by developing innovative and creative sectors based on arts activities. We will, however, single out the city of Sibiu and implicitly the “European Capital of Culture”, city that aims to highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in Europe, the contribution of culture to urban development, the increasing international profile of cities and a better image in the eyes of the inhabitants.http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/1647-6336_12_8
Does the EU Regional Policy reinforce the European citizenship?
Authors: Courcelle Thibault , Taulelle François
Published: August 2015

The European institutions are often described as distant, inaccessible and understandable to citizens. The EU Regional Policies, which starts at the local and regional level, however, shows that Europe is also a concrete construction. The files for EU funds, although it is often tedious, requires local and regional authorities to adopt a proactive and conscious approach and opt for an approach based on cooperation and partnership. Many politicians therefore consider that cohesion policy has helped to bring Europe closer to the citizens, giving the European project a more palpable face. We try in this paper to define what is European citizenship meant and to measure the impact of the EU Regional Policies to European citizens.http://dx.doi.org/10.14195/1647-6336_12_9
Comparison of speech articulation and intelligibility in palatally contoured dentures using a novel rugae duplication technique: A clinical study
Authors: Vaswani Priya , Sanyal Pronob , Prajapati Ankur
Published: August 2015

Background: Speech is essential to human activity. Loss of teeth is usually accompanied by eventual loss of oral morphology responsible for articulation. Palatal rugae contour has an important role in phonetics by production of linguo-palatal sounds that involves the contact between tongue and palate.Objectives: To analyze the improvement in linguo-palatal sounds by duplicating the existing rugae in maxillary complete denture prosthesis using two different impression materials in shallow, medium & deep palatal vault configuration.Methods: Twenty four completely edentulous patients were selected that were categorized eight in each category of shallow, medium & deep palatal vaults. Existing rugae were duplicated using mucocompressive and mucostatic impression material, wax pattern obtained through these impressions were incorporated in maxillary dental prosthesis. Later speech was recorded and analyzed by a speech pathologist with an aid of speech rating scale over a period of eight weeks.Results: Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon matched pair test showed statistical significance in speech improvement (p<0.05) when mucostatic impression derived rugae pattern was incorporated in upper arch prosthesis.Conclusion: Using the presently described rugae duplication technique, speech improvement is rapid in case when mucostatic impression material was used.
Historia de dos islas: los mitos coloniales de la Isla Brasil y la Isla Guayana
Authors: Ibañez Bonillo Pablo
Published: August 2015

En el mundo colonial americano existieron dos mitos relacionados con la insularidad de los territorios situados al norte y al sur del río Amazonas. Ambos mitos, como el resto de leyendas recogidas en las crónicas europeas, parecen encontrar su origen en el diálogo entre las expectativas medievales de los conquistadores y la compleja realidad de las sociedades amerindias al momento de la conquista. Por lo tanto, los mitos coloniales pueden leerse como documentos etnohistóricos y pueden ser empleados en la elaboración de nuevas narrativas históricas. En este artículo proponemos que la fijación de la frontera colonial portuguesa sobre el bajo río Amazonas en el siglo XVII se debió, en parte, a la pre-existencia de una frontera amerindia en dicho espacio. Los ecos de esta frontera pueden escucharse a través de los mitos coloniales de la Isla Brasil y la Isla Guayana.
La frontera boliviano-brasileña en construcción (principios del siglo xx). Los conflictos territoriales, fiscales y legales. La columna Prestes en el territorio boliviano.
Authors: Bridikhina Evgenia
Published: August 2015

En este artículo pretendemos contribuir al estudio de los temas de las fronteras a través de zoom out sobre un tramo extenso de la frontera Bolivia - Brasil entre las poblaciones de San Matías y Puerto Suárez en las primeras décadas del siglo XX. En el artículo se tocarán los temas sobre los procesos de redefinición regional de las zonas fronterizas, el desempeño de las autoridades centrales, regionales y locales, la violencia, relacionada con el robo del ganado, provocada por los individuos y bandas organizadas que afectaba a los pobladores, y, sobre todo, a los grupos indígenas como los más vulnerables. Asimismo, se reconstruye la desconocida historia del célebre movimiento militar brasileño encabezado por Luis Carlos Prestes o la columna Prestes que se encontraba exilado en el territorio de Bolivia.
El problema de la eficacia en la instrucción de los indígenas de la provincia de Cartagena según los documentos de presentación de Catecismo de fray Dionisio de Sanctis (1577)
Authors: Marin Tamayo John Jairo
Published: August 2015

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo responder a la pregunta ¿cómo se proyectó el uso del catecismo en la cristianización de la población indígena de la provincia de Cartagena de Indias? Para dar respuesta a la pregunta se hace un análisis interno del discurso contenido en los documentos de presentación del catecismo producido por fray Dionisio de Santis obispo de Cartagena entre 1574 y 1577. Dicho análisis permite dar cuenta del problema de la eficacia de la instrucción del indígena de la provincia de Cartagena desde una triple perspectiva: la del instrumento, la de los agentes y la de la pedagogía.
Vudú: una visión integral de la espiritualidad haitiana
Authors: Zúñiga Carrasco Iván Renato
Published: August 2015

El vudú haitiano no es sólo una religión recreada por los esclavos africanos en la colonia francesa llamada la Hispanola que comprendía Haití y la Republica Dominicana, es por el contrario una religión humanista, un conjunto de tradiciones culturales que constituyen el cimiento que une al pueblo haitiano en los momentos de crisis y lo salva de la desesperanza. El vudú procura obtener la invulnerabilidad del creyente por circunstancias de éste con la divinidad superior. De esa forma el creyente tiende a identificarse con la deidad o con los objetos divinizados, para hacerse invulnerable como la misma divinidad. Es una práctica religiosa que no está cerrada a la aparición de nuevos luases (divinidades). El hombre es uno con la naturaleza es uno con sus dioses es uno con su entorno, el vudú. Los cultos de vudú son sincréticos desde la época colonial, se mezclaron con los cristianos.
Narrativas y sondeo del capitalismo-estadounidense sobre los recursos naturales de Puerto Rico (1898-1917)
Authors: Anazagatsy Rodríguez José
Published: August 2015

Después de la Guerra Hispanoamericana varias editoriales, revistas y periódicos divulgaron múltiples textos sobre Puerto Rico, los mismos que participaron de la articulación del imaginario imperialista-colonialista estadounidense y el establecimiento de la modalidad colonial de ese país en el territorio caribeño. El presente artículo aborda dicha literatura imperial para examinar sus representaciones de la naturaleza y su relación con la producción capitalista de la naturaleza en tiempos en que Puerto Rico experimentaba la gestión imperial más directa de los Estados Unidos (1898-1917). Se analiza cómo los autores de esa literatura imperial transformaron la naturaleza en recurso (resourcing), a la vez que inspeccionaron y catalogaron los recursos disponibles en Puerto Rico para luego asignarle un valor particular. Con ese proceder contribuyeron a la dominanción formal de esos recursos bajo las redes del capitalismo del imperio estadounidense.
De la arquitectura singular, a la arquitectura consonante: La relación entre la arquitectura y la forma de la ciudad en el Caribe colombiano, 2da mitad del siglo XX. Una mirada desde la obra de Ujueta, Cepeda, Delgado y Hernández.
Authors: Martínez Osorio Gilberto Emiro
Published: August 2015

El presente artículo propone una discusión sobre la relación entre la arquitectura moderna de la 2da mitad del siglo XX y el contexto urbano construido en las ciudades del Caribe colombiano. La aproximación se hace desde la historia y se sustenta en la metodología de la investigación documental, los datos son analizados desde el enfoque hermenéutico. La reflexión deriva del proyecto de investigación “Practicas e ideas en la arquitectura del Caribe colombiano: a través de la obra de Ujueta, Cepeda, Delgado y Hernández”. Como resultado se logran identificar dos conjuntos de prácticas e ideas en torno a la relación de los nuevos edificios con la ciudad construida, la primera orientada en la proyección objetos arquitectónicos singulares y ajenos al contexto circundante, y la segunda que se identifica con la idea de valorar, conservar y ser consonante con las preexistencias del lugar.
De Cayari a Madeira: procesos históricos de etnogénesis en el suroeste amazónico durante el período colonial
Authors: Cardoso de Mello Louise
Published: August 2015

Este artículo presenta un estudio de las relaciones interétnicas en la región amazónica del río Madeira entre los siglos XVII y XVIII. La relectura de algunas de las principales fuentes etnohistóricas de la región ha permitido identificar procesos de etnogénesis que se analizan y se presentan como estudios de caso. Con ello se pretende demostrar que estos procesos de etnogénesis, en muchas ocasiones ocultados, se configuran con base en estrategias y mecanismos de respuesta y adaptación en el marco de las relaciones interétnicas. Asimismo, se busca señalar cómo el alto Madeira se configura como una región no de una sino de múltiples fronteras internas. En definitiva, se argumenta que el estudio de las relaciones interétnicas en la relectura de las fuentes etnohistóricas permite sacar a la luz nuevos datos y vislumbrar los otros lados de la historia del sertão.
El municipio de Pajapan en la Sierra de Santa Marta (Veracruz, México): un caso de resistencia indígena en la defensa del territorio y los recursos naturales para la sustentabilidad de los pueblos originarios del Gran Caribe
Authors: Moreno Arriba Jesús
Published: August 2015

El municipio de Pajapan, en la Sierra de Santa Marta (Veracruz, México), representa un caso paradigmático en la lucha por la defensa de las tierras comunales de las comunidades indígenas campesinas del Gran Caribe, recurriendo a distintos mecanismos de resistencia. Además, desde la implementación de metodología de investigación cualitativa, como la revisión bibliográfica y documental del tema de estudio, este trabajo ha identificado y analizado diversos proyectos de gestión de recursos naturales en el entorno geográfico de Pajapan y la Sierra de Santa Marta. Estas emergentes experiencias no gubernamentales se presentan como un posible modelo de desarrollo alternativo para intentar contribuir a mejorar la precaria situación actual (ecológica, demográfica y socioeconómica) de los territorios tropicales y pueblos indígenas mesoamericanos del Gran Caribe.
Revisitando la Historia Amazónica
Authors: Marchena Fernández Juan
Published: August 2015

La historiografía sobre la Amazonia, especialmente sobre los territorios de frontera en esta inmensa región, no ha hecho sino crecer en los últimos años en cantidad, calidad y diversidad temática y cronológica. Una historiografía que se caracteriza por su internacionalismo, no solamente porque participan en su construcción especialistas pertenecientes a las principales universidades y centros de investigación de todos los países con presencia en la zona (Brasil, Perú, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia) sino también porque ha llamado la atención de investigadores de otras instituciones y procedencias; lo que demuestra el interés, cada vez mayor, que el estudio de la Amazonia como región histórica, situada en el corazón del continente, suscita entre los que proponen un estudio de la historia latinoamericana observada a nivel continental antes que rendida a la fragmentación impuesta por las historias nacionales.
Red Beads and Profound Knowledge: Deming and Quality of Education
Authors: Lohr Sharon
Published: August 2015

Value-added models are being implemented in many states in an attempt to measure the contributions of individual teachers and schools toward students’ learning. Scores from these models are increasingly used for high-stakes purposes such as setting compensation, hiring or dismissing teachers, awarding tenure, and closing schools. The statistician W. Edwards Deming wrote extensively about improving quality in education and the damage caused by performance rankings. We examine uses and misuses of value-added models in the context of Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge, and discuss contributions a Deming-based perspective and statistical science can make to improving education.
Parental Trigger Laws and the Power of Framing in Educational Politics
Authors: Feuerstein Abe
Published: August 2015

This paper examines the discursive strategies employed by advocates of Parent Trigger laws in the United States which allow parents of children in “failing” schools, in some states, to call for interventions in the operation of the schools via petition. The paper reviews the genesis of Parent Trigger laws, the network of conservative political organizations supporting Parent Trigger legislation, and the ways in which Parent Trigger advocates have promoted the concept through the deployment of both material and symbolic resources. The paper argues that Parent Trigger laws promote a “thin” form of democratic participation that equates democracy with consumer choice through the strategic representation of public schools as broken institutions and parent trigger laws as empowering parents to choose. Support for this position is developed through an empirical qualitative analysis of a sample of media texts produced by various organizations within the Parent Trigger policy network including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), American Enterprise Institute, Heartland Institute, Parent Revolution, and others. By identifying frequently used framing devices such as metaphors, exemplars, catch-phrases, and depictions as well as reasoning devices such as root causes, consequences, and appeals to principle, the study reveals the dominant frames employed by Parent Trigger advocates and contributes to the development of a more critical perspective concerning the media produced by various interest groups.
Secondary metabolites of the marine fungus Paradendryphiella
arenariae BCC 17999
Authors: Yoiprommarat Seangaroon , Srichomthong Kitlada , Deelai Supawadee , Suetrong Satinee , Sakayaroj Jariya , Bunyapaiboonsri Taridaporn , Unagul Panida
Published: August 2015

The marine fungus Paradendryphiella arenariae BCC 17999, isolated from Thailand, was investigated for bioactive secondary metabolite production. Large-scale fermentation in liquid medium yielded several known compounds, including tricycloalternarenes 2b (also known as ACTG-toxin D), 3a, 3b, A, H, and 11a, as well as infectopyrone. Tricycloalternarenes 2b and 3b displayed weak cytotoxic activity against the human small-cell lung cancer cell line NCI-H187.
Enhancement of the dielectric performance of PA11/PVDF blends by a solution method with dimethyl sulfoxide
Authors: Li Rui , Xue Bin , Pei Jianzhong
Published: August 2015

In this study, the solution method was used to prepare polyamide 11/polyvinylidene difluoride (PA11/PVDF) blend films. The crystal phase compositions and microstructures of the blends were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis. Additionally, the dielectric properties of the PA11/PVDF blends, with different ratios and concentrations, were tested. The results indicated that the solution method is more propitious in forming β crystals during the preparation of the PA11/PVDF blend films compared with the melt blending method. The amount of β crystals present in PVDF was dependent on the ratio of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and H2O. Specifically, for the 5:95 ratio of DMSO/H2O precipitants, the PA11/PVDF (80:20) blend films prepared by the solution method had a high dielectric constant of 188.1 and a dielectric loss of 1.37.
The relationship between cesarean section rate in term singleton pregnancies, maternal weight, and weight gain during pregnancy
Authors: Trojner-Bregar Andreja , Blickstein Isaac , Lucovnik Miha , Steblovnik Lili , Verdenik Ivan , Tul Natasa
Published: August 2015

Pregravid maternal weight and appropriate weight gain during pregnancy might be associated with increased cesarean section rate.

We used data from the Slovenian National Perinatal Information System to select singleton pregnancies born at ≥38 weeks, during the period between 2003 and 2012. We calculated the frequencies of urgent and elective cesarean sections (UCS and ECS, respectively) in mothers who gained less than, more than, and as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) according to their pregravid body mass index (BMI).

The analysis included 170,121 women who delivered singletons ≥38 weeks. A total of 24,327 (14.3%) women underwent cesarean section: 14,692 (8.6%) UCS and 9635 (5.7%) ECS. The frequency of cesareans, both UCS and ECS, increases as BMI increases irrespective of weight gain pattern. The frequency of urgent cesareans in all women increases and that of elective cesareans among obese women decreases as the level of weight gain increases from undergainers to overgainers.

The combination of pregravid BMI and weight gain pattern is an important determinant of cesarean section rates at term.
Sustainable urban development through an application of green infrastructure in district scale – a case study of Wrocław (Poland)
Authors: Surma Martyna
Published: August 2015

The main goal of this article is to investigate sustainable urban development of the Central European city (Wrocław/Poland) through an environmental engineering application of SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) measures to managing stormwater in city sections with various land use in the same watershed area (the Ślęża River Valley). The author presents a study made in three different parts of the city (single housing district – Oporów, multihousing district – Nowy Dwór, public service district – Stadion), which were constructed in different historical periods. The analyses were supported by city masterplan, GIS software (Quantum GIS 1.7.4) and calculations made according to up-to-date specific regulations. They demonstrate the current sustainable stormwater management scenarios for areas of different land use, historical periods and function in the city. The proposed research method aims to compare sustainable urban development of the new urban district with the quarters, which had been built before the term “sustainability” became common in water and land development practice. The conducted study can be practically used as a supportive tool for urban planning authorities in Poland. The paper investigates a novel in the Polish realities method of assessment sustainability of the area through green infrastructure application in district scale.
A methodology for flood risk appraisal in Lithuania
Authors: Kriščiukaitienė Irena , Baležentis Tomas , Galnaitytė Aistė , Namiotko Virginia
Published: August 2015

This paper presents a methodology for flood risk mapping as envisaged by the Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks [Directive 2007/60/EC]. Specifically, we aimed at identifying the types of flood damage that can be estimated given data availability in Lithuania. Furthermore, we present the main sources of data and the associated cost functions. The methodology covers the following main types of flood threats: risk to inhabitants, risk to economic activity, and social risk. A multi-criteria framework for aggregation of different risks is proposed to provide a comprehensive appraisal of flood risk. On the basis of the proposed research, flood risk maps have been prepared for Lithuania. These maps are available for each type of flood risk (i.e. inhabitants, economic losses, social risk) as well as for aggregate risk. The results indicate that flood risk management is crucial for western and central Lithuania, whereas other parts of the country are not likely to suffer from significant losses due to flooding.