La concepció política de la mediació cultural

La mediació cultural és una figura institucionalitzada a Quebec, però força desconeguda a Catalunya. A través de les pràctiques culturals busca fomentar una participació civíca ciutadana, millorar la cohesió social i el risc d'exclusió. Aquest treball investiga la mediació cultural des d'una perspectiva política, defensant que hi ha tres formes de percebre un acte de mediació. Metodològicament, s'analitzen pràctiques de mediació cultural a Montreal utilitzant com a marc interpretatiu tres models de ciutadania: liberal, comunitarista i republicà.

Global Bioethics and Cultural Anthropology

Análisis del Protocolo de 1995 sobre reclamaciones colectivas como instrumento quasijurisdiccional de control sobre el cumplimiento de la Carta Social Europea.

Global Bioethics and Cultural Anthropology

Análisis del Protocolo de 1995 sobre reclamaciones colectivas como instrumento quasijurisdiccional de control sobre el cumplimiento de la Carta Social Europea.

Biological exposure indicators: quantification of biological variability using toxicokinetic modeling

Compartmental and physiologically based toxicokinetic modeling coupled with Monte Carlo simulation were used to quantify the impact of biological variability (physiological, biochemical, and anatomic parameters) on the values of a series of bio-indicators of metal and organic industrial chemical exposures. A variability extent index and the main parameters affecting biological indicators were identified. Results show a large diversity in interindividual variability for the different categories of biological indicators examined. Measurement of the unchanged substance in blood, alveolar air, or urine is much less variable than the measurement of metabolites, both in blood and urine. In most cases, the alveolar flow and cardiac output were identified as the prime parameters determining biological variability, thus suggesting the importance of workload intensity on absorbed dose for inhaled chemicals.

Spatial variability of tree hight at treeline ecotones in the Pyrenees.

We describe the spatial distribution of tree height of Pinus uncinata at two undisturbed altitudinal treeline ecotones in the southern Pyrenees (Ordesa, O, and Tessó, T). At each site, a rectangular plot (30 x 140 m) was located with its longest side parallel to the slope and encompassing treeline and timberline. At site O, height increased abruptly going downslope with a high spatial autocorrelation at short distances. In contrast, the changes of tree height across the ecotone at site T were gradual, and tree height was less spatially autocorrelated. These results can be explained by the greater importance of wind and snow avalanches at sites O and T, respectively.

Genetic variability of Brazilian phytoplasma and spiroplasma isolated from maize plants

The objective of this work was to characterize the genetic variability of phytoplasma and Spiroplasma kunkelii isolated from maize plants showing symptoms of stunt collected from different Brazilian geographic regions. A DNA fragment of 500 base pairs (bp) was amplified from the spiralin gene in S. kunkelii and one fragment of 1,200 bp was generated from 16S rDNA gene in phytoplasma. The partial sequences of the spiralin gene showed similarity of 98% among the isolates of S. kunkelii analyzed. These sequences were compared with the sequence of the spiralin gene from other Spiroplasma species deposited in the GenBank, resulting in a similarity varying from 76.9% to 88.1%. The 16S rDNA sequence from the phytoplasma were completely similar within the Brazilian isolates and showed up to 98% of the similarity with sequences already found from other phytoplasmas. A very narrow genetic variability was detected by these gene fragments within phytoplasma and Spiroplasma analyzed. However, other genomic regions with higher polymorphic levels shall be identified in order to better evaluate the genetic diversity within these microorganisms population.

Interobserver and intraobserver variability of apparent diffusion coefficient measurements in treated malignant hepatic lesions: measurements in the whole lesion versus in the area with the most restricted diffusion

Purpose: The increase of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in treated hepatic malignancies compared to pre-therapeutic values has been interpreted as treatment success; however, the variability of ADC measurements remains unknown. Furthermore, ADC has been usually measured in the whole lesion, while measurements should be probably centered on the area with the most restricted diffusion (MRDA) as it represents potential tumoral residue. Our objective was to compare the inter/intraobserver variability of ADC measurements in the whole lesion and in MRDA. Material and methods: Forty patients previously treated with chemoembolization or radiofrequency were evaluated (20 on 1.5T and 20 on 3.0T). After consensual agreement on the best ADC image, two readers measured the ADC values using separate regions of interest that included the whole lesion and the whole MRDA without exceeding their borders. The same measurements were repeated two weeks later. Spearman test and the Bland-Altman method were used. Results: Interobserver correlation in ADC measurements in the whole lesion and MRDA was as follows: 0.962 and 0.884. Intraobserver correlation was, respectively, 0.992 and 0.979. Interobserver limits of variability (mm2/sec*10-3) were between -0.25/+0.28 in the whole lesion and between -0.51/+0.46 in MRDA. Intraobserver limits of variability were, respectively: -0.25/+0.24 and -0.43/+0.47. Conclusion: We observed a good inter/intraobserver correlation in ADC measurements. Nevertheless, a limited variability does exist, and it should be considered when interpreting ADC values of hepatic malignancies.

Proceedings of the 2014 Iowa Tribal Summit on Cultural Preservation and Transportation, 2014

The 2014 Iowa Tribal Summit on Cultural Preservation and Transportation was a three day event held in Ames, Iowa, where Tribal officials, transportation officials, and preservation partners sat down to discuss various topics of interest related to consultation under the National Historical Preservation Act. The goal of this Summit was for these groups to discuss and develop effective project consultation. These proceeding provide a summary of the event, as well as recommendations for how to approach similar events in the future. In sum, 13 tribal officials, 16 transportation officials, 10 preservation partners, and two moderators attended all parts of the Summit. The 2014 Summit was a successful event when assessed in terms of group participation and attendee feedback. However, all attendees agree that events such as this Summit are most effective when they occur on a somewhat regular basis, where consulting parties can have regular dialog and interaction regarding all aspects of consultation under the National Historical Preservation Act. Recommendations offered herein can be applied to various consultation situations. -- Summary, page iii

Diversitat cultural i matemàtiques

En aquesta recerca es presenten els resultats i les conclusions d’unes entrevistes realitzades a pares i mares d’alumnes de quart de primària de diferents orígens culturals, amb l’objectiu de descobrir el valor que cada família dóna a les matemàtiques, d’observar amb quines dificultats es troben els pares i mares quan han d’ajudar als seus fills i filles a fer els deures de matemàtiques, a més d’esbrinar quins recursos i/o estratègies tenen per ajudar-los. Per altra banda, també es vol saber si les experiències que tenen els adults en relació amb les matemàtiques afecta a l’ensenyament-aprenentatge dels seus fills i filles.

Isozymic variability in a Brazilian collection of annatto (Bixa orellana L.)

The objectives of this work were to optimize the isozyme electrophoresis technique for Bixa orellana, and use isozyme markers for a preliminary survey on the genetic variability in Brazilian annatto germplasm accessions. Collection consisted of seed samples from sixty open pollinated trees, representing two Northern and four Southern geographic provenances. The extraction, electrophoresis, and interpretation of annatto isozymes are described. Three out of the twenty-one identified isozyme loci were polymorphic in the collection. The percentage of polymorphic loci (P = 21.05) and the expected heterozygosity in annatto (H T = 0.064) were low, compared to other tropical woody species. A UPGMA phenogram, constructed with Nei's genetic distances, clearly separated the germplasm provenant from North and Central Brazil. Variability was significantly higher among the accessions from Maranhão. A sharp genetic differentiation was detected between accessions from Maranhão and Pará States, despite their geographical proximity. The distinctive isozyme polymorphism, observed in the accessions from Maranhão, together with reports on local morphological heterogeneity in annatto fruit shape, color, and pubescence, calls for more detailed genetic and taxonomic investigation.