Slim Epistemology with a Thick Skin

The distinction between ‘thick’ and ‘thin’ value concepts, and its importance to ethical theory, has been an active topic in recent meta-ethics. This paper defends three claims regarding the parallel issue about thick and thin epistemic concepts. (1) Analogy with ethics offers no straightforward way to establish a good, clear distinction between thick and thin epistemic concepts. (2) Assuming there is such a distinction, there are no semantic grounds for assigning thick epistemic concepts priority over the thin. (3) Nor does the structure of substantive epistemological theory establish that thick epistemic concepts enjoy systematic theoretical priority over the thin. In sum, a good case has yet to be made for any radical theoretical turn to thicker epistemology

Informe final del projecte: Estratègies per afavorir l’aprenentatge autònom de l’estudiant (PID 2015)

Aquest projecte pretén definir estratègies degudament aplicades i contrastades que estimulin i permetin a l’alumnat desenvolupar el seu aprenentatge autònom i està a càrrec del grup Trans.edu que estudia i du a terme projectes d'innovació docent transversals, que estan relacionats amb diferents ensenyaments de la Universitat de Barcelona

Actividades de evaluación continua: percepción de los estudiantes. Un estudio multidisciplinar

Este trabajo analiza la percepción que los estudiantes tienen de diversas actividades de evaluación continua, diseñadas tanto en forma individual como en grupo. Es un enfoque plurisdiciplinar realizado sobre siete asignaturas de siete grados distintos durante 3 años. La elaboración de una encuesta común ha permitido obtener resultados para una muestra de más de mil estudiantes. Los resultados demuestran que los estudiantes valoran positivamente la evaluación continua, sobre todo en lo relativo a su proceso de aprendizaje autónomo

Conclusions de la sessió de treball “Què estem aprenent de l’avaluació continuada?” (20/11/2012)

Els membres del grup d’innovació docent Trans.edu vam organitzar una sessió de treball sobre avaluació continuada que tingué lloc el dimarts 20 de novembre de 2012 al matí. En aquesta sessió vam presentar el treball que hem desenvolupat al llarg del darrer any i mig –basat en un treball previ de dos anys- en el si del grup sobre diversos aspectes de l’avaluació continuada en l’ensenyament superior. El treball es basa en l’anàlisi de les experiències d’avaluació continuada desenvolupades en vuit assignatures de titulacions diferents. Vam poder contrastar les conclusions d’aquest treball amb responsables d’altres grups d’innovació docent de la UB que treballen també sobre aquesta mateixa qüestió, per beneficiar-nos tots de l’intercanvi d’idees i experiències. La sessió de treball s’emmarcà en el projecte “Avaluació continuada: disseny de bones pràctiques i establiment d'un sistema de garantia de la qualitat”, en el que participen tots els membres del grup. Aquest projecte va rebre un ajut en la darrera convocatòria d’ajuts a projectes de millora de la qualitat docent de la Generalitat de Catalunya (2010MQD00098).Generalitat de Catalunya (2010MQD00098

Expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 as a marker of mammary stem cells in benign and malignant breast lesions of Ghanaian women

BACKGROUND: Breast cancers that are negative for the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR), and the HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) marker are more prevalent among African women, and the biologically aggressive nature of these triple‐negative breast cancers (TNBCs) may be attributed to their mammary stem cell features. Little is known about expression of the mammary stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) in African women. Novel data are reported regarding ALDH1 expression in benign and cancerous breast tissue of Ghanaian women. METHODS: Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded specimens were transported from the Komfo Anoyke Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana to the University of Michigan for centralized histopathology study. Expression of ER, PR, HER2, and ALDH1 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. ALDH1 staining was further characterized by its presence in stromal versus epithelial and/or tumor components of tissue. RESULTS: A total of 173 women contributed to this study: 69 with benign breast conditions, mean age 24 years, and 104 with breast cancer, mean age 49 years. The proportion of benign breast conditions expressing stromal ALDH1 (n = 40, 58%) was significantly higher than those with cancer (n = 44, 42.3%) ( P = .043). Among the cancers, TNBC had the highest prevalence of ALDH1 expression, either in stroma or in epithelial cells. More than 2‐fold higher likelihood of ALDH1 expression was observed in TNBC cases compared with other breast cancer subtypes (odds ratio = 2.38, 95% confidence interval 1.03‐5.52, P = .042). CONCLUSIONS: ALDH1 expression was higher in stromal components of benign compared with cancerous lesions. Of the ER‐, PR‐, and HER2‐defined subtypes of breast cancer, expression of ALDH1 was highest in TNBC. Cancer 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society. Mammary stem cells, as identified by cells expressing the marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), appear to be correlated with malignant transformation and progression of breast tissue into biologically aggressive phenotypes. This study reveals increased expression of ALDH1 in benign and malignant tissue of women from the western sub‐Saharan African nation of Ghana, a population known to have higher frequency of triple‐negative breast cancer, and ALDH1 expression in the malignant specimens was found to be associated with risk of triple‐negative breast cancer.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96403/1/27737_ftp.pd

Die Zukunft der bezahlten und unbezahlten Arbeit: drei Szenarien

Die in diesem Diskussionspapier zusammengefassten Beiträge von Carsten Stahmer (Halbtagsgesellschaft: konkrete Utopie für eine zukunftsfähige Grundsicherung), Ronald Schettkat (Dienstleistungen zwischen Eigenarbeit und Professionalisierung) und Gerhard Scherhorn (Demokratisierung des Wohlstands) beruhen auf einer Reihe von Veranstaltungen im Rahmen des Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Kolloquiums des Wuppertal Instituts. In dieser von Ronald Schettkat im Jahr 2007 organisierten Seminarreihe wurden am Wuppertal Institut ausgewählte Fragestellungen im Spannungsfeld von Wirtschaftswachstum und Nachhaltiger Entwicklung diskutiert. Mit der Präsentation seines Konzeptes einer Halbtagsgesellschaft, die einen radikalen Bruch mit konventionellen Arbeitsarrangements und eine drastische Ausweitung informeller Versorgungssysteme (informelle Arbeit, räumliche Substitution, Zeittauschringe) vorsieht, hatte Carsten Stahmer einen Stein ins Wasser geworfen. Die drei hier skizzierten Szenarien machen deutlich, dass verschiedene Zukünfte der Arbeit vorstellbar sind. Sie sind von unterschiedlichen Wertvorstellungen geprägt und mit verschiedenartigen Gestaltungsansätzen verbunden. Gesellschaft und Politik sind aufgerufen zu diskutieren, welche Entwicklungsrichtung wahrscheinlicher und welche zukunftsfähiger erscheint. Dazu wollen die drei Beiträge Impulse setzen. -- This discussion paper outlines articles from Carsten Stahmer (Halbtagsgesellschaft: konkrete Utopie für eine zukunftsfähige Grundsicherung / Part-time society: concrete utopia for a sustainable provision of basic social security), Ronald Schettkatt (Dienstleistungen zwischen Eigenarbeit und Professionalisierung / Supply of services between one's own work and professionalising) and Gerhard Scherhorn (Demokratisierung des Wohlstands / Democratisation of wealth), which are based on a series of events organised in the context of the Wuppertal Institute's scientific colloquium on economics. The lecture series organised by Ronald Schettkat at the Wuppertal Institute in 2007 dealt with discussions about selected questions in the conflicting fields of economic growth and sustainable development. The three scenarios, presented in this paper, demonstrate the possibility of different future work models. They are based on different moral concepts and on diverse conceptual approaches and want to give an impetus to society and policy to discuss which of the trends seems more likely and which of them seems more sustainable.

In search of the authentic nation: landscape and national identity in Canada and Switzerland

While the study of nationalism and national identity has flourished in the last decade, little attention has been devoted to the conditions under which natural environments acquire significance in definitions of nationhood. This article examines the identity-forming role of landscape depictions in two polyethnic nation-states: Canada and Switzerland. Two types of geographical national identity are identified. The first – what we call the ‘nationalisation of nature’– portrays zarticular landscapes as expressions of national authenticity. The second pattern – what we refer to as the ‘naturalisation of the nation’– rests upon a notion of geographical determinism that depicts specific landscapes as forces capable of determining national identity. The authors offer two reasons why the second pattern came to prevail in the cases under consideration: (1) the affinity between wild landscape and the Romantic ideal of pure, rugged nature, and (2) a divergence between the nationalist ideal of ethnic homogeneity and the polyethnic composition of the two societies under consideration

Rabies virus in slaughtered dogs for meat consumption in Ghana: A potential risk for rabies transmission

Dog-mediated rabies is responsible for approximately 60,000 human deaths annually worldwide. Although dog slaughter for human consumption and its potential risk for rabies transmission has been reported, mainly in some parts of Western Africa and South-East Asia, more information on this and factors that influence dog meat consumption is required for a better understanding from places like Ghana where the practice is common. We tested 144 brain tissues from apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption for the presence of rabies viruses using a Lyssavirus-specific real-Time RT-PCR. Positive samples were confirmed by virus genome sequencing. We also administered questionnaires to 541 dog owners from three regions in Ghana and evaluated factors that could influence dog meat consumption. We interacted with butchers and observed slaughtering and meat preparation procedures. Three out of 144 (2.1%) brain tissues from apparently healthy dogs tested positive for rabies virus RNA. Two of the viruses with complete genomes were distinct from one another, but both belonged to the Africa 2 lineage. The third virus with a partial genome fragment had high sequence identity to the other two and also belonged to the Africa 2 lineage. Almost half of the study participants practiced dog consumption [49% (265/541)]. Males were almost twice (cOR = 1.72, 95% CI (1.17-2.52), p-value = .006) as likely to consume dog meat compared to females. Likewise, the Frafra tribe from northern Ghana [cOR = 825.1, 95% CI (185.3-3672.9), p-value < .0001] and those with non-specific tribes [cOR = 47.05, 95% CI (10.18-217.41), p-value < .0001] presented with higher odds of dog consumption compared to Ewes. The butchers used bare hands in meat preparation. This study demonstrates the presence of rabies virus RNA in apparently healthy dogs slaughtered for human consumption in Ghana and suggests a potential risk for rabies transmission. Veterinary departments and local assemblies are recommended to monitor and regulate this practice

1936 The Freshman, vol. 3, no. 12

The Freshman was a weekly, student newsletter issued on Mondays throughout the academic year. The newsletter included calendar notices, coverage of campus social events, lectures, and athletic teams. The intent of the publication was to create unity, a sense of community, and class spirit among first year students

1936 The Freshman, vol. 3, no. 4

The Freshman was a weekly, student newsletter issued on Mondays throughout the academic year. The newsletter included calendar notices, coverage of campus social events, lectures, and athletic teams. The intent of the publication was to create unity, a sense of community, and class spirit among first year students