Chlorophyll Breakdown in Tobacco: On the Structure of Two Nonfluorescent Chlorophyll Catabolites

In extracts of senescent leaves of the tobacco plant Nicotiana rustica, two colorless compounds with UV/VIS characteristics of nonfluorescent chlorophyll catabolites (NCCs) were detected and tentatively identified as Nr-NCCs. These two polar NCCs were found in similar amounts in the fresh extracts, and their constitutions could be determined by spectroscopic analysis. The data showed both of the two Nr-NCCs to have the same tetrapyrrolic core structure, as reported previously for all other NCCs from senescent higher plants. In the less polar catabolite, named Nr-NCC-2, this core structure was conjugated with a glucopyranose unit, as similarly discovered earlier in Bn-NCC-2, an NCC from oilseed rape (Brassica napus). The more polar NCC from tobacco leaves, Nr-NCC-1, carried an additional malonyl substituent at the 6′-OH group of the glucopyranosyl moiety. Partial (enzyme-catalyzed) hydrolysis of Nr-NCC-1 gave Nr-NCC-2, while enzyme-catalyzed malonylation of Nr-NCC-2 gave Nr-NCC-1, establishing the identity of their basic tetrapyrrole structure. In earlier work (on the polar NCCs from oilseed rape), only separate glucopyranosyl and malonyl functionalities were detected. Nr-NCC-1, thus, represents a further variant of the structures of NCCs from senescent higher plants and exhibits an unprecedented peripheral refunctionalization in chlorophyll catabolites.

Denying the foreseeability of an event as a means of self-protection. The Impact of Self-Threatening Outcome Information on the Strength of the Hindsight Bias

The hindsight bias represents the tendency of people to falsely believe that they would have predicted the outcome of an event, once the outcome is known. Two experiments will be presented that show a reduction or even reversal of the hindsight bias when the outcome information is self-threatening for the participants. Participants read a report of an interaction between a man and a woman that ended with different outcomes: The woman was raped vs. the woman was not raped vs. no outcome information was given. Results of the first experiment indicated that especially female participants, who did not accept rape myths, showed a reversed hindsight bias, when they received the rape outcome information. The more threatening the rape outcome had been, the lower was their estimated likelihood of rape. Results of the second experiment confirmed those of the first. Female participants, who did not accept rape myths and perceived themselves highly similar to the victim, showed a strong reversed hindsight bias, when threatened by the rape outcome, whereas female participants, who did believe in rape myth and were not similar to the victim, showed a classical hindsight bias. These effects were interpreted in terms of self-serving or in-group serving functions of the hindsight bias: Participants deny the foreseeability of a self-threatening outcome as a means of self-protection even if they are not personally affected by the negative information, but a member of their group.

Exculpating victims and the reversal of hindsight bias

This experiment examines the role of the hindsight bias and of motivational forces such as the motive to believe in a just world as possible causes of the derogation of victims effect in the context of rape. The hindsight bias is the tendency of people to falsely believe that they would have predicted the outcome of an event once the outcome is known. Participants read descriptions of an interaction between a man and a woman that ended with one of four possible outcomes: The woman was raped with very severe consequences for her future life vs. rape with only minor consequences for her future life vs. no rape (assailant was forced to retreat by the strong defense of the victim) vs. no outcome information. To test motivational predictions the hindsight bias and the derogation effect were analyzed as a consequence of the sex of participants, the seriousness of the consequences of the rape, the belief in a just world and the acceptance of rape myths. Results supported the assumption that derogation effects are at least partly driven by hindsight bias and that motivational processes work via the hindsight bias. However, in this study we did not find a classical hindsight bias but a reversed hindsight bias: Especially female participants in the severe consequences of rape condition and those participants who did not accept rape myths rated the likelihood of rape in the rape outcome condition as smaller than participants in the no outcome information control group. They also derogated the victim less than participants in the no information control group. These effects were interpreted in terms of self-serving or in-group serving functions of the hindsight bias. Finally no support was found for the assumption that derogation effects are driven by the motive to believe in a just world.

From Truth to Justice: How Does Amnesty Factor In? A Comparative Analysis of South Africa and Sierra Leone's Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRC) have emerged in the last few decades as a mechanism for a state to overcome widespread, grave, human rights violations. There are numerous approaches to a TRC all with an ultimate goal: that formerly warring factions, perpetrators, witnesses, and victims can move forward as a united people. I propose that the provision of amnesty is critical to the success of a TRC. I hypothesize that the form of amnesty chosen (i.e. blanket v. conditional amnesty) determines the revelation of truth and realization of justice, which in turn dictates whether a TRC can achieve reconciliation. To test this hypothesis, I use two case studies: South Africa, which has utilized conditional amnesty, and Sierra Leone which has employed blanket amnesty. I create a model for measuring reconciliation. I can then look at the implications of both types of amnesty and assess which, in the end, is more effective. My overarching conclusion is that the provision of conditional amnesty is more effective than blanket amnesty in achieving reconciliation. Ultimately, I hope that this conclusion can be generalized to other TRCs.

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 689 - "Visual Project", "Über Autoritätsbeziehungen in einer Familie", "Impact of the Palestine Situation on the American People" (p. IX 154 - IX 156.1-2)

"Visual Project" (Datierung unklar), 17 Photographien, Testmaterial; "Über Autoritätsbeziehungen in einer Familie. Protokoll einer sozial-psychologischen Familienbeobachtung" (Datierung und Zugehörigkeit unklar). Typoskript, englisch, 3 Blatt; "Impact of the Palestine Situation on the American People" (Datierung unklar, nicht vor 1946):; 1. "A Study Proposal". Als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 6 Blatt; 2. William B. Ziff: "The Rape of Palestine", New York 1946, 118 Seiten;

A global perspective on intimate partner violence during pregnancy: An analysis of twelve developing countries

Violence against women has been recognized as a significant worldwide human rights issue and public health problem. Women of reproductive age may be particularly at risk, and pregnancy may trigger or escalate violence. Using data available from Demographic and Health Surveys on 271,103 women of reproductive age (15-49) from Bolivia, Cameroon, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Haiti, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, Peru, South Africa, and Zambia, this study examined the nature of domestic violence during pregnancy in developing countries, including prevalence, demographic and risk factors, maternal and child health outcomes, perpetrators of violence, help-seeking behavior, and social support. In the majority of countries analyzed, violence during pregnancy consistently occurred at approximately one-third the rate at which domestic violence occurred overall. Younger women and women with more children were particularly at risk. Abuse during pregnancy was significantly associated with history of a terminated pregnancy and under-5 child mortality in most countries, and with neonatal and post-neonatal mortality in most Latin American countries. Women who were abused during pregnancy were most often abused by their current or former husband or boyfriend and most never attempted to seek help. In most countries that examined social support, women abused during pregnancy had significantly less contact with family and friends. Implications for practice and research are discussed. ^

Rendimiento de aceite de colza cultivada bajo riego : Mendoza (Argentina)

En el 2010 será obligatorio cortar en un 5% los combustibles de origen fósil (gasoil y naftas) con biocombustibles (biodiesel y bioetanol). La principal materia prima para elaborar biodiesel son los aceites vegetales. Cada región tiene ventajas comparativas para producir alguna oleaginosa. En Cuyo, una de las limitantes para la producción agrícola es la disponibilidad de agua, fundamentalmente en verano, cuando demandan este recurso los cultivos tradicionales de la región. En este contexto, se estudió el rendimiento del cultivo de colza, oleaginosa de ciclo invernal, en el oasis Norte de la región de Cuyo, con el objetivo de valorar su aptitud para proveer aceite. Se probaron tres cultivares en tres fechas de siembra (abril, mayo y junio), durante los ciclos 2005 y 2006. Las siembras de abril y mayo rindieron más que la de junio y estuvieron asociadas a mayor duración de ciclo del cultivo. No hubo diferencias de porcentaje de aceite de las semillas entre tratamientos, que osciló entre el 48 y 49%. El rendimiento de aceite por ha superó los 1500 kg en las siembras de abril y mayo y estuvo algo por debajo en las de junio.

Uso de aguas residuales urbanas en el riego de colza (Brassica napus L.) con destino a biocombustible

El aceite de colza es comestible pero también puede utilizarse en la producción de biodiesel. Cuando el destino es el energético, el cultivo puede regarse con aguas residuales urbanas o cloacales. La mayor proporción del uso de éstas en el mundo ocurre en regiones áridas donde otras fuentes de agua son escasas, situación que se plantea en los oasis irrigados de Mendoza. En este trabajo se comparó el rendimiento de un cultivar invernal de colza regado con agua cloacal (AC) y agua subterránea (AS), y su potencial para producir biodiesel. La experiencia se llevó a cabo en una planta de tratamiento de agua cloacal de Obras Sanitarias en el departamento Tunuyán (33° 32’ 89’’ S; 69° 00’ 80’’ O; 859 m snm). El rendimiento de semilla de AC fue significativamente mayor que el de AS (7690 y 3886 kg/ha, respectivamente). La cantidad de biodiesel factible de producir por cada hectárea de cultivo asciende a 2800 kg en el tratamiento AC y a 1400 kg en AS. El uso de aguas residuales urbanas genera un nicho interesante para la producción de biocombustibles, utilizando un recurso hídrico con limitaciones para producir alimentos.

Parámetros biológicos y demograficos de áfidos (Hemiptera: aphididae) en variedades de colza canola (Brassica napus L.)

Myzus persicae (Sulz.), Brevicoryne brassicae L. y Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.) constituyen plagas del cultivo de colza canola, Brassica napus L., y de otras crucíferas cultivadas. Los pulgones fueron colectados en un cultivo de canola y se multiplicaron en un insectario. Para el estudio se criaron 2 cohortes de 20 hembras neonatas, para cada especie de áfido y cultivar de colza, a 20 ± 1°C, 60-70% de humedad relativa y 14:10 horas de fotofase. Las principales diferencias entre especies de pulgones se observaron en la duración de los períodos reproductivo y post-reproductivo, la longevidad y la fecundidad. M. persicae fue el áfido más longevo y fecundo en Impact, mientras que en Teddy el más fecundo fue L. erysimi y el más longevo M. persicae. Con respecto a los parámetros poblacionales, la mayor tasa de incremento poblacional (R0) fue de 58,43 (♀/♀/generación) para M. persicae en Impact. En cambio en Teddy la mayor R0 (63,17) fue para L. erysimi. La tasa intrínseca de crecimiento natural (rm) más elevada fue para L. erysimi en Teddy (0,29 ♀/♀/día) y para M. persicae en Impact (0,24 ♀/♀/día). Estos estudios indican que, de acuerdo con el cultivar de colza empleado, teniendo en cuenta la tasa de crecimiento poblacional de las diferentes especies de pulgones, se podría inferir cuál será la especie dominante y el daño potencial que ocasionarían al cultivo.

Achievements of the FIGO Initiative for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion and its Consequences in South-Southeast Asia.

Since 2008, the FIGO Initiative for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion and its Consequences has contributed to ensuring the substitution of sharp curettage by manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and medical abortion in selected hospitals in participating countries of South-Southeast Asia. This initiative facilitated the registration of misoprostol in Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the approval of mifepristone for "menstrual regulation" in Bangladesh. The Pakistan Nursing Council agreed to include MVA and medical abortion in the midwifery curriculum. The Bangladesh Government has approved the training of nurses and paramedics in the use of MVA to treat incomplete abortion in selected cases. The Sri Lanka College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, in collaboration with partners, has presented a draft petition to the relevant authorities appealing for them to liberalize the abortion law in cases of rape and incest or when lethal congenital abnormalities are present. Significantly, the initiative has introduced or strengthened the provision of postabortion contraception.

Health care providers' opinions on abortion: a study for the implementation of the legal abortion public policy in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina

Background: In Argentina, abortion has been decriminalized under certain circumstances since the enactment of the Penal Code in 1922. Nevertheless, access to abortion under this regulatory framework has been extremely limited in spite of some recent changes. This article reports the findings of the first phase of an operations research study conducted in the Province of Santa Fe, Argentina, regarding the implementation of the local legal and safe abortion access policy. Methods: The project combined research and training to generate a virtuous circle of knowledge production, decision-making, and the fostering of an informed healthcare policy. The project used a pre-post design of three phases: baseline, intervention, and evaluation. It was conducted in two public hospitals. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire (n = 157) and semi-structured interviews (n = 27) were applied to gather information about tacit knowledge about the regulatory framework; personal opinions regarding abortion and its decriminalization; opinions on the requirements needed to carry out legal abortions; and service’s responses to women in need of an abortion. Results: Firstly, a fairly high percentage of health care providers lack accurate information on current legal framework. This deficit goes side by side with a restrictive understanding of both health and rape indications. Secondly, while a great majority of health care providers support abortion under the circumstances consider in the Penal Code, most of them are reluctant towards unrestricted access to abortion. Thirdly, health care providers’ willingness to perform abortions is noticeably low given that only half of them are ready to perform an abortion when a woman’s life is at risk. Willingness is even lower for each of the other current legal indications. Conclusions: Findings suggest that there are important challenges for the implementation of a legal abortion policy. Results of the study call for specific strategies targeting health care providers in order to better inform about current legal abortion regulations and to sensitize them about abortion social determinants. The interpretation of the current legal framework needs to be broadened in order to reflect a comprehensive view of the health indication, and stereotypes regarding women’s sexuality and abortion decisions need to be dismantled.

Hss, Stroop y Stangl: Verdugos profesionales. Estudio comparativo sobre los perpetradores del Holocausto a la luz de sus propias palabras

El presente trabajo es un estudio comparativo sobre perpetradores del Holocausto. Luego de una breve introducción sobre el fenómeno nazi en su contexto, se analizan los casos de tres de sus protagonistas: Rudolf Hss, Jrgen Stroop y Franz Stangl; comandante del campo de exterminio Auschwitz, responsable de la liquidación del gueto de Varsovia y comandante del campo de exterminio de Treblinka respectivamente. El caso de Hss es estudiado a partir de su autobiografía, mientras que los dos restantes a partir de las entrevistas e investigaciones de Kazimierz Moczarski y Gitta Sereny. Hss, Stangl y Stroop fueron condenados por las muertes de 1.100.000, entre 750.00 y 900.00 y 350.000 personas respectivamente. En este sentido una premisa de este trabajo es que ninguno de ellos puede ser considerado hombre corriente o persona común; por el contrario siguiendo a Raul Hilberg se los piensa como sujetos totalmente identificados e impregnados de la cosmovisión y la ideología del nacionalsocialismo y las SS que desde un marco de referencia previo agresivo y violento eventualmente fueron transformándose en asesinos en masa. Como sostiene Gustavo Cosacov estos sujetos serían dueños de una "santidad maligna o invertida" que había reemplazado sus valores éticos y morales cristiano-occidentales; permitiéndoles cometer crímenes en forma sistemática. A pesar de que la cuestión de los victimarios ha sido menos abordada que la de las victimas, en el campo historiográfico existen sólidos aportes. Basta nombrar a Christopher Browning, Peter Longerich o Raul Hilberg para explicitar la corriente de investigación a la que este texto reconoce y aspira. En este sentido el objetivo de las siguientes páginas primero es describir y explicar algunos de los mecanismos históricos, psicológicos y sociológicos que producen a perpetradores de asesinatos en serie de personas tan distantes como desconocidas; como así descifrar a también su marco de referencia. Para ello se hará un repaso crítico por las fuentes históricas a la luz de múltiples disciplinas sociales, analizando sus discursos, sus argumentos, tratando de delinear las voluntades y motivaciones de Hss, Stangl y Stroop. Un concepto clave de esta investigación es "burocracia" en el sentido de Max Weber. En un segundo lugar se reflexionará sobre la violencia nazi, en el sentido de una violencia autotélica contradictoria con respecto al paradigma social liberal y al estado de derecho. En ambos casos se priorizará recrear e interpretar el punto de vista de los perpetradores. Buscando amplitud historiográfica, se utilizarán obras clásicas como también publicaciones recientes sobre el tema. No se busca obtener conclusiones ni respuestas absolutas sino reflexionar, repensar y complejizar a los protagonistas de, acaso, el hecho más oscuro de la historia humana

La educación estatal en Argentina durante el peronismo : El caso de la provincia de Buenos Aires (1946-1955)

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el proceso de formulación y desarrollo de las políticas educativas durante el peronismo, teniendo en cuenta en qué medida intervinieron los actores estatales y no estatales. Nuestro ámbito de observación empírica, la provincia de Buenos Aires, nos permite dialogar con los trabajos efectuados desde un enfoque nacional. Nos interesa realizar un análisis histórico de la interacción entre estado y la sociedad, que tenga en cuenta no solo a los ejecutores sino a sus destinatarios. Se considera que los complejos procesos que rodearon la formulación de las políticas educativas durante esta etapa, se generaron en un contexto en que el gobierno provincial debió adecuar sus acciones a las presiones y demandadas no sólo de diversos actores externos, sino también de las facciones que integraban su trama política interna

Cómplices y coautores del hecho : Delitos sexuales "en grupo" en la Provincia de Buenos Aires (1863-1903)

Los crímenes sexuales en general, y la violación en particular, suelen concebirse como una situación que involucra únicamente a dos personas: la víctima y su atacante. Sin embargo, los expedientes judiciales vinculados a estos delitos muestran un universo complejo de actores, que no ;se agota en aquel binomio. El presente trabajo se enfoca en algunas de esas ocasiones donde aquella lógica se demuestra incorrecta, mostrando cómo la justicia lidia con aquel desafío desde el discurso jurídico, analizando imágenes y concepciones que abogados y médicos expresan, afirman ;o discuten en relación al comportamiento esperado de hombres y mujeres, así como la situación de la justicia frente a crímenes que se alejan de la "normalidad" reconocida