bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Worker Reactions to Crisis
Authors: Parsons Nick
Published: April 2012

In France in 2009-10, several managers announcing redundancies were held hostage by workers. Although the global economic crisis and an attendant rise in unemployment may provide a catalyst for "bossnappings," the real explanations for the phenomenon have to be found partly in the institutional make up of French industrial relations that have resulted in weak, divided unions and weak and conflictual collective bargaining mechanisms. However, such institutional factors cannot provide the whole explanation. Ideas also matter, and these underlying structural weaknesses have been unable to contain radical outbursts of anger when allied to pre-existing concerns over globalization—which appeared to be vindicated by the current economic crisis—, the reactions of the government to crisis, and the incapacity of unions or the state to respond to it.
One-Pot Synthesis of Thiazolo[3,2-α]Pyridine Derivatives Catalysed by Ionic Liquids
Authors: Chen Hai-Liang , Guo Hong-Yun
Published: April 2012

A green method for the synthesis of thiazolo[3,2-α]pyridine derivatives via the coupling of malononitrile, an aryl aldehyde and methyl thioglycolate in an ionic liquid has been developed. The advantages of this protocol are that it is non-toxic, no by-products are formed, short reaction times are required and high yields are obtained. Thiazolo [3,2-α]pyridines have important biological and medical applications.
Synthesis of 4-Methoxysalicylaldehyde via Selective Monomethylation of 2,4-Dihydroxybenzaldehyde
Authors: Jin Hai-Shan , Zhang Li-Ming , Yan Zhi-Wei , Ma Feng-Yan
Published: April 2012

4-Methoxysalicylaldehyde, a naturally occurring product, has a range of industrial applications in the preparation of organic compounds, drugs and therapeutic agents. 4-Methoxysalicylaldehyde can be synthesised via selective monomethylation of 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde in toluene in the presence of NaHCO3 in higher yield using cheaper reagents with little production of dimethylation product compared to previous methods. The location of the methoxyl group was confirmed by conversion to 3-acetyl-7-methoxycoumarin by condensation with ethyl acetoacetate.
An Environment Friendly Preparation of 3-Bromocamphor and Camphorquinone
Authors: Kannappan Jayaraman , Bedekar Ashutosh V.
Published: April 2012

The bromination of camphor has been carried out on a multi-gram scale by a mixture of KBr and KBrO3 in the presence of acid or with HBr/NaBr - H+ and H2O2/oxone® as the oxidant. The 3-bromocamphor is then efficiently converted to camphorquinone by an improved oxidation protocol using DMSO and sodium carbonate of tetrabutyl ammonium iodide.
Chemoselectivity of the 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of Some Diazoalkanes with 1,5-Benzodiazepine Derivatives
Authors: Nsira Asma , Karoui Ahlem , Gharbi Rafik , Msaddek Moncef
Published: April 2012

Benzodiazepines are pharmaceutically important synthetic materials. Reaction of the 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one with 2-diazopropane (DAP) gave a mixture of the 2-isopropylether of 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,5-benzodiazepine and 1-isopropyl-4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one. Whilst diphenyldiazomethane (DPDM) gave 1-benzhydryl-4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,5-benzodiazepin-2-one. Reaction of the corresponding thione with DAP led to the 2-isopropylthioether of 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,5-benzodiazepine and 1-isopropyl-4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,5-benzodiazepine-2-thione while the reaction with DPDM gave the 2-benzhydrylthioether of 4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1,5-benzodiazepine. The characterisation of these prepared - N, - O and - S alkylated benzodiazepines involved 1D and 2D-NMR techniques, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis.
Reaction of 2-Aminobenzamides with Indoline-2,3-Dione in an Ionic Liquid in the Presence and Absence of Iodine
Authors: Sheng Jie , Yang Ke , Zhang Mei-Mei , Wang Xiang-Shan
Published: April 2012

The reaction of 2-aminobenzamides with indoline-2,3-dione in ionic liquids, selectively gives 1’,3'-dihydrospiro[indolin-2-one-3,2'-quinazolin]-4'-ones in the presence of 5 mol% iodine, while giving 2-(1-acetyl-3-hydroxy-2-oxoindolin-3-ylamino) benzamide derivatives in the absence of iodine. Quinazolinones have great physiological significance and pharmaceutical uses.
Synthesis and Structure Analysis of N1,N4,3,6-Tetramethyl-N1,N4-Diphenyl-1,4-Dihydro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine-1,4-Dicarboxamide
Authors: Rao Guo-Wu , Li Qi , Zhao Zhen-Guo
Published: April 2012

N1, N4,3,6-Tetramethyl- N1, N4-diphenyl-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine-1,4-dicarboxamide was prepared from 3,6-dimethyl-1,6-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, bis(trichloromethyl) carbonate and N-methylaniline. Its structure was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This reaction yields the title compound rather than N1, N2,3,6-tetramethyl- N1, N2-diphenyl-1,2-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine-1,2- dicarboxamide. The central tetrazine ring of the title compound exhibits a boat conformation and is therefore not homoaromatic.
Synthesis and Structure Analysis of N1,N4-di-tert-Butyl-3,6-Dimethyl-1,4-Dihydro-1,2,4,5-Tetrazine-1,4-Dicarboxamide
Authors: Rao Guo-Wu , Ni Jia-Bin , Li Qi
Published: April 2012

N1, N4-Di- tert-butyl-3,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine-1,4-dicarboxamide was prepared from 3,6-dimethyl-1,6-dihydro-1,2,4,5-tetrazine, and its structure was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This reaction yields the 1,4-dicarboxamide derivative rather than the 1,2-dicarboxamide derivative. The central six-member ring of the title compound has a boat conformation and therefore, is not homoaromatic.
Weaving and Warping: Free Indirect Movements Between Theory and Art Practice
Authors: Knox-Williams Charlotte
Published: April 2012

Through an exploratory interrelation of theory with fine art practice, this article sets out to address the role of memory in the transitions and transformations between smooth and striated states. The article constructs a striated, woven formation between virtual and acquired memory, and attentive and inattentive perception, before going on to investigate how its regularity is disrupted through disturbances, slippages and snags.
Women on the Move: The Politics of Walking in Agnès Varda
Authors: Tuncer Asli Özgen
Published: April 2012

This article focuses on images of walking in Agnès Varda's films – Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962), Sans toit ni loi (1985), and Les Plages d’Agnès ( 2008 ). The activity of walking (as urban flânerie, circular travelling or walking backwards) is central to these films, and can be seen as a corporeal practice that not only interweaves striated and smooth spaces but also offer a gender-sensitive, political contemplation on the forces of striation and smoothing as well as a re-invention of space. The women in movement in Varda's films embody a transgression of stratified territories such as the image-oriented society of the spectacle in Cléo, myths of adolescence and settled living in Sans toit ni loi, or the boundaries of aging in Les Plages d'Agnès.
Can You Starve a Body Without Organs? The Hunger Artists of Franz Kafka and Steve McQueen
Authors: Horton Zach
Published: April 2012

This essay examines the anti-producing human body in its limit case of public self-induced starvation, as figured in Franz Kafka's short story ‘A Hunger Artist’ and Steve McQueen's film Hunger. Both works represent the fasting body as hollowed out, a resistance to capitalist-spectator capture that spatialises itself as a smoothing, a relative reconfiguration of parts to whole through the evacuation of flows. In both works the human body becomes a local body without organs, paradoxically disarticulated from the more complex assemblages that constitute it while recording potential circuits of disturbance or resonance predicated upon the porousness of bodily boundaries.
Experimental Test of the “Special State” Theory of Quantum Measurement
Authors: Schulman Lawrence S.
Published: April 2012

An experimental test of the “special state” theory of quantum measurement is proposed. It should be feasible with present-day laboratory equipment and involves a slightly elaborated Stern–Gerlach setup. The “special state” theory is conservative with respect to quantum mechanics, but radical with respect to statistical mechanics, in particular regarding the arrow of time. In this article background material is given on both quantum measurement and statistical mechanics aspects. For example, it is shown that future boundary conditions would not contradict experience, indicating that the fundamental equal-a-priori-probability assumption at the foundations of statistical mechanics is far too strong (since future conditioning reduces the class of allowed states). The test is based on a feature of this theory that was found necessary in order to recover standard (Born) probabilities in quantum measurements. Specifically, certain systems should have “noise” whose amplitude follows the long-tailed Cauchy distribution. This distribution is marked by the occasional occurrence of extremely large signals as well as a non-self-averaging property. The proposed test is a variant of the Stern–Gerlach experiment in which protocols are devised, some of which will require the presence of this noise, some of which will not. The likely observational schemes would involve the distinction between detection and non-detection of that “noise”. The signal to be detected (or not) would be either single photons or electric fields (and related excitations) in the neighborhood of the ends of the magnets.
Sickness Absence in the Private Sector of Greece: Comparing Shipyard Industry and National Insurance Data
Authors: Alexopoulos Evangelos C. , Merekoulias Georgios , Tanagra Dimitra , Konstantinou Eleni C. , Mikelatou Efi , Jelastopulu Eleni
Published: April 2012

Approximately 3% of employees are absent from work due to illness daily in Europe, while in some countries sickness absence exceeds 20 days per year. Based on a limited body of reliable studies, Greek employees in the private sector seem to be absent far less frequently ( < 5 days/year) compared to most of the industrialized world. The aim of this study was to estimate the levels of sickness absence in the private sector in Greece, using shipyard and national insurance data. Detailed data on absenteeism of employees in a large shipyard company during the period 1999–2006 were utilized. National data on compensated days due to sickness absence concerning all employees (around 2 million) insured by the Social Insurance Institute (IKA, the largest insurance scheme in Greece) were retrieved from the Institute’s annual statistical reports for the period 1987–2006. Sick-leave days per employee and sick-leave rate (%) were calculated, among other indicators. In the shipyard cohort, the employment time loss due to sick leave was 1%. The mean number of sick-leave days per employee in shipyards ranged between 4.6 and 8.7 and sick-leave rate (sickness absenteeism rate) varied among 2% and 3.7%. The corresponding indicators for IKA were estimated between 5 and 6.3 sick-leave days per insured employee (median 5.8), and 2.14–2.72% (median 2.49%), respectively. Short sick-leave spells ( < 4 days) may account at least for the 25% of the total number of sick-leave days, currently not recorded in national statistics. The level of sickness absence in the private sector in Greece was found to be higher than the suggested by previous reports and international comparative studies, but still remains one of the lowest in the industrialized world. In the 20-years national data, the results also showed a 7-year wave in sickness absence indexes (a decrease during the period 1991–1997 and an increase in 1998–2004) combined with a small yet significant decline as a general trend. These observations deserve detailed monitoring and could only partly be attributed to the compensation and unemployment rates in Greece so other possible reasons should be explored.
Diverse Effects of β-Carotene on Secretion and Expression of VEGF in Human Hepatocarcinoma and Prostate Tumor Cells
Authors: Chen Huei-Yan , Huang Shu-Ming , Yang Chih-Min , Hu Miao-Lin
Published: April 2012

Oral administration of β-carotene (BC) was found to exert opposite effects on plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in two animal models. One study in nude mice injected via tail vein with hepatocarcinoma SK-Hep-1 cells showed that BC decreases the plasma VEGF level, whereas the other study in nude mice injected subcutaneously with prostate tumor PC-3 cells showed that BC increases the plasma VEGF level. Herein we investigated whether BC (0.5–20 μM) possesses diverse effects on VEGF secretion in SK-Hep-1, PC-3 and melanoma B16F10 cells. We found that incubation of SK-Hep-1 cells with BC (1–20 μM) for 6 h significantly decreased VEGF secretion, whereas BC (1–10 μM) significantly increased the VEGF secretion in PC-3 cells. However, these effects disappeared at 12 h of incubation. Similar effects occurred in VEGF mRNA and protein expression after treatment of SK-Hep-1 and PC-3 cells with BC for 6 h. In contrast, BC (0.5–20 μM) did not affect mRNA and protein expression and secretion of VEGF in B16F10 cells. We also found that the proliferation of SK-Hep-1 and B16F10 cells was significantly inhibited by 20 μM BC at 6 and 12 h of incubation, whereas the proliferation of PC-3 cells was significantly inhibited by 20 μM BC at 12 h of incubation. In summary, the present study demonstrated the tumor-specific effect of BC on VEGF secretion in different cancer cell lines.
Gamma Irradiation of Magnetoresistive Sensors for Planetary Exploration
Authors: Sanz Ruy , Fernández Ana B. , Dominguez Jose A. , Martín Boris , Michelena Marina D.
Published: April 2012

A limited number of Anisotropic Magnetoresistive (AMR) commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) magnetic sensors of the HMC series by Honeywell, with and without integrated front-end electronics, were irradiated with gamma rays up to a total irradiation dose of 200 krad (Si), following the ESCC Basic Specification No. 22900. Due to the magnetic cleanliness required for these tests a special set-up was designed and successfully employed. Several parameters of the sensors were monitored during testing and the results are reported in this paper. The authors conclude that AMR sensors without front-end electronics seem to be robust against radiation doses of up to 200 krad (Si) with a dose rate of 5 krad (Si)/hour and up to a resolution of tens of nT, but sensors with an integrated front-end seem to be more vulnerable to radiation.
How Local Festivals Affect the Destination Choice of Tourists
Authors: Oh Min-Jung , Lee Timothy Jeonglyeol
Published: April 2012

This study investigates whether local festivals can be a tourist attraction in their own right and encourage tourists to visit a particular tourist destination. It examines 17 of the 30 festivals held on Jeju Island, Korea, as a case study. It also identifies links between the festivals
and tourists' perception of Jeju Island. The results of the study suggest that the more the tourists were aware of the festivals, the more likely they were to consider the festivals as an important factor in their destination choice. The level of satisfaction from attending the festivals was
directly proportional to the level of overall satisfaction of the destination. Recommendations are provided for the successful management of festivals at a destination to attract more tourists including “systematization of the festivals” and “self-supporting festivals.”
This study contributes to research into the role of festivals as a main tourism catalyst not only as a supporting event for the tourism industry in a well-developed tourist destination.
Capacity Building and the Contribution of Public Festivals: Evaluating “Cardiff 2005”
Authors: Clifton Nick , O'Sullivan Diane , Pickernell David
Published: April 2012

Festivals and special events are increasingly encouraged by urban policy makers as driving local (and regional) economic and cultural regeneration, with the consequent justification of public investment therein. This has led to an emerging need for deeper understanding of their contribution,
and for evaluation beyond the purely economic. In order to explore these issues, the Cardiff 2005 festival is used as a case study. This initiative attracted £1.3 million from the Millennium Commission's Urban Cultural Programme, matched by Cardiff City Council, to fund a year-long celebration
of Cardiff's centenary. This article, therefore, explores the significance of “fit for purpose” festival/special event evaluation, highlighting critical issues in evaluation practice. Ultimately, although a cultural success, Cardiff 2005 represents something of a missed opportunity,
in terms of both legacy and fit for purpose evaluation. It is suggested that this has implications for similar initiatives both in the UK and internationally.
A NEW SYNTHESIS METHOD OF STRUCTURAL, TECHNOLOGICAL AND SAFETY DECISIONS (SYMAD-3) / NAUJAS KONSTRUKCINIŲ, TECHNOLOGINIŲ IR SAUGOS SPRENDIMŲ SINTEZĖS METODAS (SYMAD-3)
Authors: Simanaviciene Ruta , Liaudanskiene Rita , Ustinovichius Leonas
Published: April 2012

The paper provides a new synthesis method of multiple attribute decisions (SyMAD-3 – Synthesis of Multiple Attribute Decisions using three methods) intended for combining multi-stage and multiple attribute decisions into a single common estimate. The method is applied for selecting a construction project on the basis of its structural, technological and safety decisions. To increase the reliability of the decision, three multiple attribute decision-making methods based on quantitative measurements were applied to help the person making a decision to monitor the results of a relevant decision obtained employing three methods of the same class. The algorithm of the proposed method includes methods for identifying the integrated significances of attributes and multiple attribute decision-making methods (SAW – Simple Additive Weighting, TOPSIS – Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution, and COPRAS – COmplex PRoportional ASsessment) based on quantitative measurements. Santrauka Šiame darbe autoriai pateikia naują daugiakriterinių sprendimų sintezės metodą (SyMAD-3 – Synthesis of Multiple Attribute Decisions using three methods), skirtą daugiapakopiams, daugiatiksliams sprendimams apjungti į vieną bendrą įvertį. Metodas taikomas statybos projektui parinkti atsižvelgiant į konstrukcinius, technologinius ir saugos sprendimus. Sprendimo patikimumui padidinti taikomi trys kiekybiniais matavimais pagrįsti daugiatiksliai sprendimo priėmimo metodai, kuriais remdamasis sprendimą priimantis asmuo gali stebėti jam aktualaus sprendimo rezultatus, gautus trimis metodais, priklausančiais tai pačiai klasei. Pateikto metodo algoritme taikomi efektyvumo rodiklių integruoto reikšmingumo nustatymo ir daugiatiksliai sprendimo priėmimo (SAW – Simple Additive Weighting, TOPSIS – Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution, COPRAS – COmplex PRoportional ASsessment) metodai, pagrįsti kiekybiniais matavimais.
NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF RAILWAY TRACK SUPPORTING SYSTEM USING FINITE-INFINITE AND THIN LAYER ELEMENTS UNDER IMPULSIVE LOADS / GELEŽINKELIO BĖGIŲ SISTEMOS SKAITMENINIS MODELIAVIMAS NAUDOJANT BAIGTINIUS BEGALINIUS IR PLONASIENIUS ELEMENTUS, VEIKIAMUS DINAMINĖMIS APKROVOMIS
Authors: Noorzaei Jamaloddin , Pour Parviz Moradi , Jaafar Mohamed Saleh , Fong Yong Chooi , Thanoon Waleed Abdul-Malik
Published: April 2012

The present study deals with two dimensional, numerical simulation of railway track supporting system subjected to dynamic excitation force. Under plane strain condition, the coupled finite-infinite elements to represent the near and far field stress distribution and thin layer interface element was employed to model the interfacial behavior between sleepers and ballast. To account for the relative debonding, slipping and crushing that could take place in the contact area between the sleepers and ballast, modified Mohr-Coulomb criterion was adopted. Furthermore an attempt has been made to consider the elasto-plastic material non-linearity of the railway track supporting media by employing different constitutive models to represent steel, concrete and supporting materials. Based on the proposed physical and constitutive modeling a code has been developed for dynamic loads. The applicability of the developed F.E code has been demonstrated by analyzing a real railway supporting structure. Santrauka Šiame straipsnyje nagrinėjama geležinkelio bėgių dvimatė sistema, veikiama dinaminės žadinančios jėgos. Pagal plokštuminę deformacijų sąlygą suporuoti baigtiniai begaliniai elementai aprašo artimą ir tolimą įtempių pasiskirstymo sritis, o plonasienis sąsajos elementas yra įvestas sąveikai tarp pabėgių ir balasto aprašyti. Yra naudojamas modifikuotas Mohr-Coulombo kriterijus, kuris įvertina atplėšimo, nuslydimo ar išspaudimo galimybes kontaktiniame pabėgių ir balasto paviršiuje. Taip pat yra pabandyta įvertinti tampriai plastinės medžiagos netiesiškumą, sudarant skirtingus sudėtinius sistemos modelius (pavyzdžiui, iš plieno, betono, atramų medžiagų). Remiantis pasiūlytu fiziniu ir sudėtiniu modeliavimu sudarytas skaičiavimo algoritmas dinaminėms apkrovoms įvertinti. Sudaryto baigtinių elementų algoritmo pritaikymas yra pademonstruotas išnagrinėjus realią geležinkelio bėgių sistemą.
RELIABILITY, RISK MANAGEMENT, AND CONTINGENCY OF CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES AND PROJECTS / STATYBOS PROCESŲ IR PROJEKTŲ PATIKIMUMAS, RIZIKOS IR ATSITIKTINUMŲ VALDYMAS
Authors: Turskis Zenonas , Gajzler Marcin , Dziadosz Agnieszka
Published: April 2012

The paper presents the evolution of concepts, an overview of research and applications pertaining to reliability in construction production, the use of reserves, robust itineraries, and contingency of time and cost. It describes areas of management advisory systems in relation to the cycle of risk analysis. The article also presents the main trends in different approaches to risk management in construction and construction project processes, such as reliability of production, discount methods, methods of reporting, integrated management together with trends towards standardisation of the investment process management. The discussion is embedded in the specific context: the achievements of trilateral academic colloquia, with participation of Lithuania, Germany and Poland, and a review of work by Professor Kapliński, the chair of the Polish delegation to the aforementioned colloquia. Santrauka Straipsnyje pateikiama koncepcijų raida, mokslinių tyrimų ir taikomųjų programų, susijusių su statybos produkcijos pati-kimumu, atsargų, patikimų maršrutų bei laiko ir lėšų naudojimo nenumatytais atvejais, apžvalga. Aprašomos valdymo konsultavimo sistemų sritys, atsižvelgiant į rizikos analizės ciklą. Straipsnyje taip pat apžvelgiamos pagrindinės skirtingų požiūrių į rizikos valdymą statybos ir statybos projektavimo procesų metu tendencijos, pavyzdžiui, gamybos patikimumo, diskonto metodai, atskaitomybės metodai, integruotas valdymas bei investicinio proceso valdymo standartizavimo ten-dencijos. Diskusija pateikiama specifiniame trišalio akademinio bendradarbiavimo, dalyvaujant Lietuvai, Vokietijai ir Lenkijai, bei Lenkijos delegacijos pirmininko profesoriaus Kapliński pasiekimų kontekste.
Longitudinal Evolution of Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: KARP IGOR , ABRAHAMOWICZ MICHAL , FORTIN PAUL R. , PILOTE LOUISE , NEVILLE CAROLYN , PINEAU CHRISTIAN A. , ESDAILE JOHN M.
Published: April 2012

Objective.

To produce evidence on the longitudinal evolution of risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods.

Based on data for 115 patients from the Montreal General Hospital Lupus Clinic (1971–2003) and for 4367 control subjects from the Framingham Offspring Study (1971–1994), we investigated the temporal evolution of total serum cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI), blood glucose, and estimated risk for CHD (reflecting the balance of changes in different risk factors). In analyses limited to patients with SLE, we assessed the effect of SLE duration on each risk factor, adjusting for age, calendar time, sex, baseline level of the risk factor, and medication use. Next, we assessed how the adjusted difference in the values of the risk factors between SLE and controls changes over time.

Results.

Among patients with SLE, longer disease duration was independently associated with higher SBP and blood glucose levels. Compared with controls, these patients appeared to have accelerated rates of increase in total cholesterol, blood glucose, and overall estimated CHD risk. The rate of increase in BMI was lower in patients with SLE than in controls.

Conclusion.

Elevated CHD risk in patients with SLE appears to be at least partially mediated by accelerated increases in some CHD risk factors, longitudinal trajectories of which increasingly diverge over time from those of population controls.
Tocilizumab Treatment Decreases Circulating Myeloid Dendritic Cells and Monocytes, 2 Components of the Myeloid Lineage
Authors: RICHEZ CHRISTOPHE , BARNETCHE THOMAS , KHORYATI LILIANE , DUFFAU PIERRE , KOSTINE MARIE , CONTIN-BORDES CÉCILE , BLANCO PATRICK , SCHAEVERBEKE THIERRY
Published: April 2012

Objective.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are proinflammatory cytokines involved in inflammatory response. Effective TNF-α blocker treatment is associated with an increase in circulating myeloid dendritic cells (mDC), suggesting their release from inflamed synovium. Currently, in vivo effects of IL-6 inhibition on DC are unknown. We monitored the changes in circulating mDC and plasmacytoid DC (pDC) during tocilizumab (TCZ) therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods.

DC subset levels were evaluated by flow cytometry in patients with RA (n = 43) and in healthy volunteers (n = 20). In patients with RA, these levels were measured before and during TCZ therapy (8 mg/kg every 4 weeks). Response to TCZ therapy was evaluated at 12 weeks. Statistical analysis was based on Mann-Whitney U tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.

Results.

At baseline, patients with active RA were characterized by a significantly lower level of circulating mDC and pDC compared to healthy donors. However, this difference did not correlate with any disease activity score. TCZ-treated patients who met the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) improvement criteria at Week 12 had significant reductions in mDC and monocyte levels as compared with EULAR nonresponders. Levels of pDC, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells remained stable during the TCZ courses, regardless of treatment response.

Conclusion.

Our study reveals an unexpected reduction of circulating mDC and monocytes in patients with RA in response to TCZ therapy. In accord with reports on neutrophils and platelets decreasing during TCZ therapy, our data suggest an effect of IL-6 inhibition on cells from myeloid lineage.
Critical Media Literacy after the Media
Authors: Kendall Alex , McDougall Julian
Published: April 2012

This article questions the relationships between literacy, media literacy and media education. In the process, we connect the findings from a range of our ethnographic research and use these to propose new forms of practice for critical media literacy. By ‘after the media’, we do not posit a temporal shift (that ‘the media’ has ceased to be). Instead, we conceive of this as akin to the postmodern – a way of thinking (and teaching) that resists recourse to the idea of ‘the media’ as external to media literate agents in social practice. The preservation of an unhelpful set of precepts for media education hinder the project of media literacy in the same way as the idea of ‘literature’ imposes alienating reading practices in school. Just as the formal teaching of English has obstructed the development of critical, powerful readers by imposing an alienating and exclusive model of what it means to be a reader, so has Media Studies obscured media literacy. Despite ourselves, we have undermined the legitimation of studying popular culture as an area by starting out from the wrong place. This incomplete project requires the removal of ‘the media’ from its gaze. The outcomes of our research thus lead us to propose a ‘pedagogy of the inexpert’ as a strategy for critical media literacy.

En este trabajo se reflexiona sobre las relaciones entre alfabetización, alfabetización mediática y educación para los medios, relacionándolas con los hallazgos de diferentes investigaciones etnográficas, a fin de proponer nuevas formas de práctica para la alfabetización crítica en los medios. Vivimos en la postmodernidad, en la era «después de los medios» –y no es que ya no existan los medios–, sino que, por el contrario, surge una forma de pensar –y enseñar– que se resiste a la idea de considerar los medios como algo ajeno a la ciudadanía en la vida cotidiana. Para el autor, la permanencia de preceptos y prácticas anquilosadas sobre educación en los medios dificulta la puesta en marcha de proyectos de alfabetización mediática, al igual que una visión tradicionalista de la literatura genera prácticas viciadas de lectura en el aula. La enseñanza formal de la lengua ha obstaculizado el desarrollo de lectores críticos y competentes, imponiendo un modelo de lector unidimensional. Igualmente, los estudios mediáticos han ensombrecido la alfabetización en los medios, subestimando la legitimidad del estudio de la cultura popular en sí misma desde un punto de partida erróneo. La educación en medios es aun una asignatura pendiente y requiere un cambio de perspectiva. En este artículo, fruto de investigaciones, se propone una «pedagogía del inexperto» como estrategia para la alfabetización crítica en los medios.
Pedagogy of Interactivity
Authors: Aparici Roberto , Silva Marco
Published: April 2012

This paper analyzes the pedagogy of transmission, with its unidirectional nature and features that it has in common with traditional media, and the pedagogy of interaction, one of participation, dialogue and co-authorship which harmonizes with the principles of Web 2.0. New media have implemented new communication models that allow every citizen to become a potential media communicator. This communicative ecosystem suggests a society of communicators in which everyone feeds each other with his or her creations and shares individual and collective knowledge. We review communication practices that utilize feedback as a strategy of interaction, when in fact these practices still favor the perspective of the sender. We then propose a model for the collective power of knowledge called the «feed-feed model», based on the individual and collective construction of knowledge. This knowledge, which can be organized in a virtual or real setting, characterizes the fundamental principles of interactivity, even though some sectors still view these as marketing strategies. We examine the virtual silence that exists in the culture of participation, and its implications for educommunication. The article concludes with a search for other pedagogical models, and the analysis of the consequences of perpetuating the transmission model in the face of the possibilities offered by the pedagogy of interaction.

En este artículo se analizan la pedagogía transmisiva, caracterizada por su sentido unidireccional, que tiene algunos rasgos comunes con los medios de comunicación, y la pedagogía interactiva, caracterizada por la participación, el diálogo, la coautoría que tiene rasgos comunes con los principios de la Web 2.0. Los nuevos medios ponen en práctica modelos comunicativos que permiten que cada ciudadano pueda ser, potencialmente, un medio de comunicación. Este ecosistema comunicativo permite pensar en una sociedad de comunicadores donde todos alimentan con sus creaciones y participaciones los saberes individuales y colectivos. Se hace una revisión de las prácticas comunicativas que utilizan la retroalimentación (feed-back) como estrategia de interacción, cuando en verdad no dejan de ser un refuerzo planteado desde la óptica del emisor, y se ofrece una propuesta centrada en la alimentación de saberes colectivos que denominamos «modelo feed feed», basado en la participación individual y colectiva para la construcción de conocimientos. Estos saberes, que pueden organizarse presencial o virtualmente, caracterizan los principios fundamentales de la interactividad, que para algunos sectores no deja de ser una estrategia de marketing. En la cultura de la participación se hace referencia al silencio virtual y a sus consecuencias en el campo de la educomunicación. El artículo concluye con las búsqueda de otros modelos pedagógicos, y con el análisis de las consecuencias que implicaría seguir reproduciendo el modelo transmisivo frente a las posibilidades que ofrece la pedagogía de la interactividad.
From Chess to StarCraft. A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Games and Videogames
Authors: Pérez-Latorre Óliver
Published: April 2012

From their historical origins games have provided us with dramatic models of the fundamental activities of humankind, such as sowing and harvesting (mancala games), war (chess) and construction (puzzles). However, games based on the same activity change significantly depending on the place and time they belong to, and therefore a comparative analysis between traditional games and videogames can give us a valuable and novel insight into the popular culture of our times. What are the main distinctive features used to represent war in military strategy videogames compared to those used in chess? What are the main differences between the most popular videoludic metaphors of construction and traditional puzzles? The aim of this article is to explore questions like these by making a comparative analysis of the underlying meanings of traditional games and popular videogames. The theoretical and methodological framework is based on game history, game design theory and theory of videogame meaning. The findings reveal elements that shed light on the nuances of meaning that distinguish traditional games from popular videogames of the same genre, and show that the analysis model conceived for this study could be of interest for further research. Finally, we reflect on the relationship between the underlying meanings of the videogames analyzed and certain distinctive aspects of contemporary culture.

Desde su origen histórico, los juegos han planteado dramatizaciones sobre actividades fundamentales para la humanidad, como la siembra y recolección agrícola (juegos de mancala), la guerra (ajedrez) o la construcción (puzzles), pero los juegos más populares sobre un mismo tipo de actividad varían de forma significativa en función del lugar y la época a la que pertenecen. En este sentido, el análisis comparado entre juegos tradicionales y videojuegos puede aportarnos una mirada particular y valiosa para profundizar en nuestra comprensión sobre la cultura popular de nuestro tiempo. ¿Qué rasgos distintivos presenta en los videojuegos de estrategia la dramatización de la guerra, en comparación con el ajedrez?, ¿qué distingue a las principales metáforas videolúdicas sobre la actividad de construcción de los puzzles tradicionales?... El objetivo de este artículo es abordar este tipo de cuestiones, a través de un análisis comparativo de la significación de juegos tradicionales y videojuegos populares. Los fundamentos teórico/metodológicos del trabajo se encuentran en la Historia del Juego, la Teoría del Diseño de Juegos y la Teoría de la Significación del Videojuego. Los resultados revelan elementos distintivos significativos entre los juegos tradicionales y algunos de los videojuegos más populares, y permiten verificar el interés de un modelo de análisis concebido para este estudio. Finalmente, en las conclusiones se reflexiona sobre la relación entre la significación de los videojuegos analizados y aspectos distintivos de la cultura contemporánea.
The Academic Use of Social Networks among University Students
Authors: Gómez-Aguilar Marisol , Roses-Campos Sergio , Farias-Batlle Pedro
Published: April 2012

This paper examines the academic use made of the social networks by university students through a survey conducted among a representative sample of students at Universidad de Málaga (Spain) (n=938) and two discussion groups. Given that network consumption has profoundly penetrated the daily routines of the students, the vast communication possibilities of these channels could be considered for educational use in the future despite a predominance of entertainment-related use. We discuss the most suitable networks for academic use, which type of activities may be most widely accepted among the students and which social networking tools could be most useful for academic purposes. The results indicate that consumption of social networks in the student population surveyed is very high. In addition, the students show a favourable attitude to lecturers using social networks as an academic resource. However, the frequency of use of such networks for academic activities was rather low and, on average, the most frequently used academic activities are those initiated by the students themselves, such as answering queries among peers or doing coursework. The perceived low academic support on social networks may mean that lecturers take only limited advantage of their potential.

El uso académico que hacen los universitarios de las redes sociales es el estudio que se presenta a partir de una encuesta administrada a una muestra representativa de estudiantes de la Universidad de Málaga (n=938) y dos grupos de discusión. Dado que el consumo de redes se ha implantado profundamente en las rutinas diarias de los estudiantes, las vastas posibilidades comunicativas de estos canales podrían considerarse para sacar provecho educativo en el futuro, a pesar del predominio del uso dirigido al entretenimiento. Se discuten cuáles son las redes más adecuadas para su uso académico, qué tipo de actividades pueden tener mejor acogida entre los estudiantes y qué herramientas de las redes sociales podrían ser más útiles para propósitos académicos. Los resultados indican que el consumo de redes sociales de la población estudiada es muy alto. Así mismo, los estudiantes presentan una actitud favorable a que los docentes utilicen las redes como recurso educativo. Sin embargo, la frecuencia con la que los estudiantes dan un uso académico a las redes es más bien escasa y, en promedio, las actividades académicas con frecuencia de uso más elevada son aquellas que parten de la iniciativa de los propios estudiantes, como la solución de dudas inter pares o la realización de trabajos de clase. Del escaso apoyo académico percibido en las redes por los estudiantes, se deduce un limitado aprovechamiento por parte de los docentes.
The Educational Role of the Digital Media in the Integration of Immigrants in Spain: elmundo.es and elpais.com
Authors: Llorent-Bedmar Vicente
Published: April 2012

The objective of the present study is to highlight the importance of online newspapers in the formation of public opinion, by discovering whether they promote positive or negative attitudes towards immigration or contribute to increasing awareness about the impact of the digital press in educational and developmental terms. With this in mind, we carried out a comparative study of the digital versions of the two widest selling, broad-based daily newspapers in Spain: el mundo.es and el pais.com. We used the same methodology as that used in Comparative Education, analyzing the content of articles published between January 2009 and June 2010. Although there are many similarities between the two newspapers and both coincide in supporting the process of integrating immigrants into Spanish society, they differ in the strategies to be followed for achieving the sought-after goal of peaceful coexistence between migrants and the host community. «El Mundo» tends to favour adopting strategies that encourage immigrants to adapt to the established norms and guidelines of the host society; in the articles of «El País», on the other hand, the requirement for them to adapt is not regarded as necessary. However, the various ideological lines expressed in the articles that we analyzed enable us to draw the conclusion that they do not coincide to a significant degree with the editorial line of the newspaper publishing them.

El objetivo del presente estudio consiste en poner de relieve la importancia de la prensa digital en la formación de opinión que tienen los ciudadanos, detectando si fomenta actitudes positivas o negativas en torno al hecho migratorio y coadyuvando a una mayor toma de conciencia sobre la incidencia educativa y formativa de la misma. Con esta pretensión se ha realizado un estudio comparado de las ediciones digitales de los dos diarios generalistas de pago con mayor tirada en España (elmundo.es y elpais.com), utilizando la metodología propia de la Educación Comparada y el análisis de contenido de los artículos publicados entre enero de 2009 y junio de 2010. Aunque son numerosas las similitudes halladas entre ambos diarios y coinciden en su apoyo al proceso de integración de los inmigrantes en la sociedad española, difieren en las estrategias a seguir para alcanzar la deseada convivencia. «El Mundo» se muestra más bien partidario de la adopción de estrategias que pasen por una adaptación de éstos a las normas y pautas establecidas en la sociedad de llegada. Mientras que en los artículos de «El País», esta adaptación no se contempla como un requisito imprescindible. Sin embargo, las diversas líneas ideológicas puestas de manifiesto en los artículos analizados nos permite inferir que no muestran un significativo grado de coincidencia con la línea ideológica del diario que los publica.
Music in Virtual Worlds. Study on the Representation Spaces
Authors: Gértrudix-Barrio Felipe , Gértrudix-Barrio Manuel
Published: April 2012

Sites for representing music have been classified by the equipollence between their expressive value and transmission value. In this dialectic game, the media have had a determining influence as an intervening space, from music imagined on the radio to its visual representation on a screen to today’s multimodal display created through the integration of current existing media that expand music’s potential both in terms of production and consumption. An interest in ‘cross-media’ is the basis for this research which focuses on its most integrated and interactive aspect: immersive worlds. The aim is to classify the environments of immersive worlds through analyzing those most used as spaces for musical representation. Documentary research techniques have been used in order to obtain: a) a census of current immersive musical environments, and b) a functional analysis of important cases. Through this analysis, various proposals are made for uses for immersive worlds, from both a technical perspective as well as from their potential as an interactive medium. In the conclusion, the possibilities for musical representation offered by these metaverses are assessed and possible future scenarios are discussed.

Los lugares de representación de la música han estado definidos por la equipolencia entre su valor expresivo y su valor de transmisión. En este juego dialéctico comunicativo, los medios de comunicación han jugado un peso determinante como espacios mediados: desde una ensoñación musical radiofónica a una visualización de la representación de la música en la pantalla hasta llegar a una exposición multimodal merced a la integración de los medios existente en la actualidad en donde la música se ha visto amplificada tanto desde su actividad productiva como de su consumo. Es precisamente en este «cruce de medios» donde surge el interés de esta investigación y, en concreto, en su extensión más integradora e interactiva: los mundos inmersivos. Como objetivo, se pretende realizar la caracterización de los entornos inmersivos musicales a partir del análisis de los más utilizados como espacio de representación. La técnica documental ha sido el método usado con el fin de obtener: a) un registro censal de los espacios inmersivos musicales actuales, y b) un análisis funcional de casos significativos. A partir de este análisis se exponen diversas posibilidades de aplicación de los entornos inmersivos tanto desde un punto de vista técnico como desde su capacidad como medio interactivo. Como conclusión, se lleva a cabo una evaluación acerca de la oportunidad que estos metaversos ofrecen a la representación musical en la que, en forma de discusión, se plantean nuevos escenarios futuros.
De François Ier au pari en ligne, histoire du jeu en France
Authors: Harouel Jean-Louis
Published: April 2012

Résumé En dépit d’une totale prohibition des jeux d’argent par sa législation, la monarchie d’Ancien Régime a, au xviii e siècle, institué une loterie d’État et pratiqué une tolérance envers un petit nombre de maisons de jeu. Cette politique sera officialisée par le Directoire, le Consulat, l’Empire et la Restauration. En revanche, la monarchie de Juillet supprime la loterie et ferme les maisons de jeu, mais sans réussir à éradiquer le jeu. D’où un retour à la tolérance officieuse, que la III e République remplacera par une légalisation des maisons de jeu doublée d’un rétablissement de la loterie.
De quelques mystères du jeu
Authors: Carcassonne Guy
Published: April 2012

Résumé Les jeux d’argent ne sont pas une catégorie homogène tant il existe entre eux de différences substantielles. L’argent n’y est qu’une commodité bien plus que l’enjeu véritable qui n’est autre que le jeu lui-même. Et les joueurs, dont bien peu sont malades, n’appartiennent pas non plus à la même espèce selon qu’ils jouent contre d’autres ou contre l’organisateur.
La révolution numérique des jeux d'argent
Authors: Blanchard-Dignac Christophe
Published: April 2012

Résumé Le secteur des jeux d’argent n’est pas une activité économique comme une autre. Pour rester une pratique récréative dans le cadre d’un modèle durable, il semble essentiel que l’offre de jeu d’argent respecte quatre principes fondamentaux que sont sa spécificité, la subsidiarité, la sécurité et la solidarité. Or, le secteur des jeux d’argent a subi de plein fouet la révolution technologique d’Internet. Depuis quinze ans, la Toile a brisé les frontières de ce domaine d’activité réputé sensible, provoquant l’apparition d’une multitude de sites qui, grâce à un déficit de régulation, se sont installés dans des « paradis du jeu » avec une offre pléthorique et des taux de retour aux joueurs très (trop) élevés. Malheureusement, la société civile est souvent obligée de payer le prix fort de cette évolution : blanchiment d’argent, corruption sportive et risques de dépendance se sont développés. Cet article fournit quelques pistes visant à penser autrement les jeux d’argent de demain.
Une sociologie du gambling contemporain
Authors: Martignoni-Hutin Jean-Pierre
Published: April 2012

Résumé De l’autorisation des machines à sous (1986) à la légalisation de certains jeux en ligne (2010), le gambling a connu une profonde évolution. Loteries, jeux de grattage, paris hippiques, poker… les Français ne se sont jamais autant intéressés aux jeux de hasard et d’argent. Leurs dépenses quotidiennes consacrées au jeu sont passées de 47,7 à 72,16 millions d’euros en huit ans (2002-2010). Après avoir donné les principaux indicateurs sociologiques des joueurs de machines à sous, nous montrerons comment les protagonistes du secteur (État, Française des jeux, doxa du jeu pathologie maladie…) ont traité cette mutation qui n’est pas sans conséquence (jeu excessif, jeu des mineurs…) et qui est loin d’être achevée, malgré la mise en place récente de différents organismes (autorité de régulation, comité consultatif, observatoire des jeux…) dont les missions et surtout les moyens dont ils disposent restent à définir.