Metals in the environment as risk factors for infectious diseases: gaps and opportunities

Many parts of the world in which common infectious diseases are endemic also have the highest prevalence of trace metal deficiencies or rising rates of trace metal pollution. Infectious diseases can increase human susceptibility to adverse effects of metal exposure (at suboptimal or toxic levels), and metal excess or deficiency can increase the incidence or severity of infectious diseases. The co-clustering of major infectious diseases with trace metal deficiency or toxicity has created a complex web of interactions with serious but poorly understood health repercussions, yet has been largely overlooked in animal and human studies. This book focuses on the distribution, trafficking, fate, and effects of trace metals in biological systems. Its goal is to enhance our understanding of the relationships between homeostatic mechanisms of trace metals and the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Drawing on expertise from a range of fields, the book offers a comprehensive review of current knowledge on vertebrate metal-withholding mechanisms and the strategies employed by different microbes to avoid starvation (or poisoning). Chapters summarize current, state-of-the-art techniques for investigating pathogen-metal interactions and highlight open question to guide future research. The book makes clear that improving knowledge in this area will be instrumental to the development of novel therapeutic measures against infectious diseases. ContributorsM. Leigh Ackland, Vahid Fa Andisi, Angele L. Arrieta, Michael A. Bachman, J. Sabine Becker, Robert E. Black, Julia Bornhorst, Sascha Brunke, Joseph A. Caruso, Jennifer S. Cavet, Anson C. K. Chan, Christopher H. Contag, Heran Darwin, George V. Dedoussis, Rodney R. Dietert, Victor J. DiRita, Carol A. Fierke, Tamara Garcia-Barrera, David P. Giedroc, Peter-Leon Hagedoorn, James A. Imlay, Marek J. Kobylarz, Joseph Lemire, Wenwen Liu, Slade A. Loutet, Wolfgang Maret, Andreas Matusch, Trevor F. Moraes, Michael E. P. Murphy, Maribel Navarro, Jerome O. Nriagu, Ana-Maria Oros-Peusquens, Elisabeth G. Pacyna, Jozef M. Pacyna, Robert D. Perry, John M. Pettifor, Stephanie Pfaffen, Dieter Rehder, Lothar Rink, Anthony B. Schryvers, Ellen K. Silbergeld, Eric P. Skaar, Miguel C. P. Soares, Kyrre Sundseth, Dennis J. Thiele, Richard B. Thompson, Meghan M. Verstraete, Gonzalo Visbal, Fudi Wang, Mian Wang, Thomas J. Webster, Jeffrey N. Weiser, Günter Weiss, Inga Wessels, Bin Ye, Judith T. Zelikoff, Lihong Zhang

Normative reference values for the 20-meter shuttlerun test in a population-based sample of schoolchildren in Bogota, Colombia: The FUPRECOL Study

Our aim was to determine the normative reference values of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and to establish the proportion of subjects with low CRF suggestive of future cardio-metabolic risk.

LMS tables for waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio among Colombian children and adolescents: The FUPRECOL study

Background: Indices predictive of central obesity include waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The aims of this study were 1) to establish a Colombian youth smoothed centile charts and LMS tables for WC and WHtR and 2) to evaluate the utility of these parameters as predictors of overweight and obesity. Method: A cross-sectional study whose sample population comprised 7954 healthy Colombian schoolchildren [boys n=3460 and girls n=4494, mean (standard deviation) age 12.8 (2.3) years old]. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), WC and WHtR and its percentiles were calculated. Appropriate cut-offs point of WC and WHtR for overweight and obesity, as defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) definitions, were selected using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The discriminating power of WC and WHtR was expressed as area under the curve (AUC). Results: Reference values for WC and WHtR are presented. Mean WC increased and WHtR decreased with age for both genders. We found a moderate positive correlation between WC and BMI (r= 0.756, P < 0.01) and WHtR and BMI (r= 0.604, P < 0.01). The ROC analysis showed a high discrimination power in the identification of overweight and obesity for both measures in our sample population. Overall, WHtR was slightly a better predictor for overweight/obesity (AUC 95% CI 0.868-0.916) than the WC (AUC 95% CI 0.862-0.904). Conclusion: This paper presents the first sex- and age-specific WC and WHtR percentiles for both measures among Colombian children and adolescents aged 9–17.9 years. By providing LMS tables for Latin-American people based on Colombian reference data, we hope to provide quantitative tools for the study of obesity and its comorbidities.

Letras, 2007, nº 55-56 (número completo)

Contenido: La naissance du roman moderne / Pierre Brunel – Tras las huellas de María Teresa Maiorana y Rubén Darío / Martha V. de Burbridge – Ver en la oscuridad. Poéticas de la ceguera según Rimbaud y Borges / Magdalena Cámpora – Giovanni Papini, un escritor olvidado / Daniel Capano – Recreación del laberinto kafkiano en “El Proceso”, de Orson Welles / Adriana Cid – Amistades paralelas: Miguel Cané-Martín García Mérou/Jorge Luis Borges-Adolfo Bioy Casares / Jorge Cruz – Crítica literaria y literatura comparada. Entre selectores y comediantes / Biagio D’Angelo – Lucía Miranda: un mito de origen protonacional en varias lenguas: castellano, latín, francés e inglés / María Rosa Lojo – Don Juan diabólico y periodización literaria / José Manuel Losada – Reseñas bibliográficas

Un modelo de simulación de la productividad actual y potencial de un pastizal de la Depresión del Salado

p.95-101

Cambio climático y sustentabilidad en relación a la producción de granos en la Región Pampeana 1941 - 97

p.127-132

O uso de histórias multisensoriais numa biblioteca p��blica

Projeto de Intervenção apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para a obtenção do grau de mestre em Educação Especial

Nuevas tendencias en la evaluaci??n de la Educaci??n F??sica : jornadas regionales : 19, 20, 21, 22 y 23 de mayo 2009 : lugar, CPR Avil??s

Esta publicaci??n recoge los contenidos de las Jornadas Regionales sobre Nuevas Tendencias en la Evaluaci??n de la Educaci??n F??sica celebradas en el Centro del Profesorado y de Recursos de Avil??s y cuya finalidad ha sido la de propiciar un lugar de encuentro donde el profesorado de educaci??n primaria y secundaria intercambiase distintas experiencias y conocimientos. Se analiza y reflexiona sobre las pr??cticas de evaluaci??n, las estrategias que se est??n llevando a cabo con el alumnado, y cu??les son las ??ltimas corrientes aplicables en esta materia. Todo ello, con el objetivo de abrir nuevas v??as que enriquezcan y mejoren la pr??ctica docente y evaluadora.

Adaptaci??n espa??ola de la Escala Multiaxial de Afrontamiento Estrat??gico (SACS) de Hobfoll

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

El Tragaleguas

Trabajo elaborado por tres profesores del Colegio P??blico 'Pan y Guindas' de Palencia. Este material did??ctico propone los siguientes objetivos generales: -Conocer el patrimonio cultural, participar en su conservaci??n y mejora; -Conocer las caracter??sticas fundamentales del Medio Natural y Social y sus interacciones mutuas; -Colaborar en la planificaci??n y realizaci??n de actividades en grupo, aceptar las normas que se establezcan respetando puntos de vista distintos y asumir las responsabilidades que correspondan; -Identificar los principales elementos del entorno natural; -Interpretar dichos elementos mediante diferentes c??digos (cartogr??ficos, num??ricos, t??cnicos, etc.); -B??squeda, almacenamiento y tratamiento de informaci??n, etc. El material elaborado se compone de: un tablero de juego, juego de mapas con informaci??n complementaria, mapa de plantilla de las piezas del puzzle y fichas-preguntas: tres series de tem??tica general con diferentes niveles de dificultad; dos series de tem??tica espec??fica y un lote de fichas por cada una de las provincias de la Comunidad Aut??noma. La metodolog??a es participativa, con la pr??ctica del juego se proponen de forma l??dica situaciones que favorezcan el conocimiento de nuestra realidad regional adem??s de favorecer actitudes de cooperaci??n y estimular el inter??s por otros entornos m??s amplios.

La condici??n f??sica en la Educaci??n Secundaria Obligatoria del actual sistema educativo de Canarias

Monogr??fico con el t??tulo: "Especial Educaci??n F??sica"

Process evaluation design and tools used in a kindergarten-based, family-involved intervention to prevent obesity in early childhood. The ToyBox-study

Process evaluation (PE) is used for the in-depth evaluation of the implementation process of health promotion programmes. The aim of the current paper was to present the PE design and tools used in the ToyBox-intervention. The PE design was based on a three-step approach, including the identification of ToyBox-specific PE elements (step 1), the development of PE tools and harmonization of procedures (step 2), and the implementation of PE using standardized protocol and tools across the intervention countries (step 3). Specifically, to evaluate the implementation of the intervention, teachers' monthly logbooks were recorded (dose delivered, fidelity, dose received); post-intervention questionnaires were completed by parents/caregivers and teachers (dose received); participation and attrition rates were recorded (recruitment, reach); and audit questionnaires and retrospective information on weather conditions were collected (physical and social environment within which the intervention was implemented). Regarding the teachers' training sessions, the researchers who performed the trainings completed evaluation forms and documented teachers' attendance after each training (dose delivered, fidelity, dose received) and teachers completed evaluation forms after each training (dose received). The PE performed in the ToyBox-intervention may contribute in the evaluation of its effectiveness, guide the revision of the intervention material and provide insights for future health promotion programmes and public health policy.

Situational adaptiveness of control orientation mediates relation between fixed-world view and youth well-being in three cultures

When proposing primary control (changing the world to fit self)/secondary control (changing self to fit the world) theory, Weisz et al. (1984) argued for the importance of the “serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can” (p. 967), and the wisdom to choose the right control strategy that fits the context. Although the dual processes of control theory generated hundreds of empirical studies, most of them focused on the dichotomy of PC and SC, with none of these tapped into the critical concept: individuals’ ability to know when to use what. This project addressed this issue by using scenario questions to study the impact of situationally adaptive control strategies on youth well-being. To understand the antecedents of youths’ preference for PC or SC, we also connected PCSC theory with Dweck’s implicit theory about the changeability of the world. We hypothesized that youths’ belief about the world’s changeability impacts how difficult it was for them to choose situationally adaptive control orientation, which then impacts their well-being. This study included adolescents and emerging adults between the ages of 18 and 28 years (Mean = 20.87 years) from the US (n = 98), China (n = 100), and Switzerland (n = 103). Participants answered a questionnaire including a measure of implicit theories about the fixedness of the external world, a scenario-based measure of control orientation, and several measures of well-being. Preliminary analyses of the scenario-based control orientation measures showed striking cross-cultural similarity of preferred control responses: while for three of the six scenarios primary control was the predominately chosen control response in all cultures, for the other three scenarios secondary control was the predominately chosen response. This suggested that youths across cultures are aware that some situations call for primary control, while others demand secondary control. We considered the control strategy winning the majority of the votes to be the strategy that is situationally adaptive. The results of a multi-group structural equation mediation model with the extent of belief in a fixed world as independent variable, the difficulties of carrying out the respective adaptive versus non-adaptive control responses as two mediating variables and the latent well-being variable as dependent variable showed a cross-culturally similar pattern of effects: a belief in a fixed world was significantly related to higher difficulties in carrying out the normative as well as the non-normative control response, but only the difficulty of carrying out the normative control response (be it primary control in situations where primary control is normative or secondary control in situations where secondary control is normative) was significantly related to a lower reported well-being (while the difficulty of carrying out the non-normative response was unrelated to well-being). While previous research focused on cross-cultural differences on the choice of PC or SC, this study shed light on the universal necessity of applying the right kind of control to fit the situation.

Funciones de la novela sentimental hispanoamericana durante el siglo XIX

Se analizará cómo funcionan los textos sentimentales hispanoamericanos en los lectores según dos modos de concebir la recepción de estas obras: la lectura en un “microambiente" de un lector/a sentimental-individual y la lectura en un “macroambiente" de varios lectores de novelas sentimentales. Así también, se pretende fijar las características fundamentales de la narrativa sentimental hispanoamericana en un conjunto de textos representativos de esta modalidad literaria. A su vez, este análisis intenta ser una “nueva visión" de los textos enriquecida sobre todo con la ayuda valiosa de enfoques desde lo “literario-cultural" (Lander, 2003), lo “discursivo" (Barthes, [1977] 2002) y lo “sociológico" (Giddens [1992] 2004). En esta ocasión sólo nos ocuparemos de la narrativa del siglo XIX y el corpus de obras será el siguiente: Soledad (1847) y Memorias de un botón de rosa (1847, reeditada en 1907) de Bartolomé Mitre; Esther de Miguel Cané (1851); Martín Rivas (1862) de Alberto Blest Gana; Julia (1861) de Luis Benjamín Cisneros; La peregrinación de Bayoán (1861) de José María de Hostos; María (1867) de Jorge Isaacs; Clemencia (1869) de Ignacio Manuel Altamirano y Cumandá (1879) de Juan León Mera.

Permanencia y superación del '80 en dos escritores de 'entre siglos' : Enrique Loncán y Eduardo L. Holmberg

Si bien el '80 ha sido trabajado y leído desde distintos contextos socio históricos y literarios, la continuidad y resignificación de su 'corpus' y sus legados, deja abierto un espacio para la crítica, con una cantidad considerable de autores que han sido lateralizados, en muchos casos, por lecturas convencionales. Enrique Loncán es un autor periférico de comienzos del siglo XX al igual que Eduardo Holmberg, a punto tal que su obra Olimpio Pitango de Monalia recién se publicó en el año 1994. Según Arturo Cancela, 'Con Enrique Loncán, se cierra para siempre el ciclo de la literatura mundana comenzado por la generación del 80, en cuyos cánones se inscriben su personalidad, sus gustos y su literatura.? Heredero o ep��gono de escritores como Mansilla en el Sud América, de Lucio V. López, de Eduardo Wilde y de Miguel Cané, pone en práctica su versatilidad discursiva frecuentando el periodismo, la oratoria, la política y la literatura, a la vez que se desempeña en la cátedra universitaria, el Congreso Nacional y la diplomacia. Eduardo Holmberg, por otra parte, pertenece a la saga de los escritores conocidos a medias y muchas veces, por esta misma causa, ha sido motivo de una simplificación oportunista de su significación, sujeto a una lectura rápida, proclive a juicios no del todo probados. La Tesis está estructurada en dos partes y cada una tiene como eje el estudio de uno de los dos autores citados. La primera está dedicada a la obra de Enrique Loncán, particularmente Palabras de la derrota [1919], He dicho [Brindis y discursos] [1925] y Aldea Millonaria [1933], y la segunda aborda dos conferencias 'Carlos Alberto Darwin', 'Pinceladas descriptivas' y los dos últimos textos escritos por Eduardo Holmberg, Lin Calel (1910) y Olimpio Pitango de Monalia [1912-1915]. El título de la Tesis, Permanencia y superación del '80 en dos escritores de 'entre-siglos', adelanta sus dos hip��tesis centrales: la 'permanencia' o continuidad poética e ideológica del '80 en los trabajos de Loncán, y la 'superación' del mismo período por la práctica de escritura de Eduardo Holmberg. El cruce de ambos autores y sus respectivas obras pone de relieve un doble movimiento, el regreso al pasado por parte de quien desarrolló su carrera literaria durante los primeros cuarenta años del siglo XX [Loncán], y la evolución hacia el futuro de Holmberg que se desarrolló literariamente a lo largo del '80. Este doble movimiento 'el retroceso hacia las fuentes por parte de Loncán y el 'progreso' rupturista de Holmberg- mantiene una relación dialéctica con la historia social y política del país en el primer caso, y una relación con la historia y con la filosofía de la historia en el segundo, sobre todo en Olimpio Pitango de Monalia, en la medida en que deconstruye la historiografía liberal oficial