Prognostic indices in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era: an analysis of the UK National Cancer Research Institute R-CHOP 14 versus 21 phase 3 trial

We compared the International Prognostic Index (IPI), Revised (R)‐IPI and age‐adjusted (aa)‐IPI as prognostic indices for patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the UK National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) R‐CHOP 14 versus 21 trial (N = 1080). The R‐IPI and aa‐IPI showed no marked improvement compared to the IPI for overall and progression‐free survival, in terms of model fit or discrimination. Similar results were observed in exploratory analyses incorporating the Grupo Español de Linfomas/Transplante de Médula Ósea (GELTAMO)‐IPI, where baseline β2‐microglobulin data were available (N = 655). Although our findings support current use of the IPI, a novel prognostic tool to better delineate a high‐risk DLBCL group in the rituximab era is needed

"The extreme penalty of the law": mercy and the death penalty as aspects of state power in colonial Nyasaland, c. 1903-47

Open access article.Capital punishment was the pinnacle of the colonial judicial system and its use of state violence, but has previously been neglected as a topic of historical research in Africa. This article is based on the case files and legal records of over 800 capital trials – predominantly for murder – dating between 1900 and 1947. It outlines the functioning of the legal system in Nyasaland and the tensions between “violence” and “humanitarianism” in the use and reform of the death penalty. Capital punishment was a political penalty as much as a judicial punishment, with both didactic and deterrent functions: it operated through mercy and the sparing of condemned lives as well as through executions. Mercy in Nyasaland was consistent with colonial political objectives and cultural values: it was decided not only on the facts of cases, but according to British conceptions of “justice”, “order”, “criminality”, and “African” behaviour. This article analyses the use of mercy in Nyasaland to provide a lens on the nature of colonial governance, and the tensions between African and colonial understandings of violence.Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) and the Beit Fund, University of Oxfor

A possible association of the new VHE gamma-ray source HESS J1825--137 with the pulsar wind nebula G18.0--0.7

We report on a possible association of the recently discovered very high-energy $\gamma$-ray source HESS J1825--137 with the pulsar wind nebula (commonly referred to as G 18.0--0.7) of the $2.1\times 10^{4}$ year old Vela-like pulsar PSR B1823--13. HESS J1825--137 was detected with a significance of 8.1 $\sigma$ in the Galactic Plane survey conducted with the H.E.S.S. instrument in 2004. The centroid position of HESS J1825--137 is offset by 11\arcmin south of the pulsar position. \emph{XMM-Newton} observations have revealed X-ray synchrotron emission of an asymmetric pulsar wind nebula extending to the south of the pulsar. We argue that the observed morphology and TeV spectral index suggest that HESS J1825--137 and G 18.0--0.7 may be associated: the lifetime of TeV emitting electrons is expected to be longer compared to the {\it XMM-Newton} X-ray emitting electrons, resulting in electrons from earlier epochs (when the spin-down power was larger) contributing to the present TeV flux. These electrons are expected to be synchrotron cooled, which explains the observed photon index of $\sim 2.4$, and the longer lifetime of TeV emitting electrons naturally explains why the TeV nebula is larger than the X-ray size. Finally, supernova remnant expansion into an inhomogeneous medium is expected to create reverse shocks interacting at different times with the pulsar wind nebula, resulting in the offset X-ray and TeV $\gamma$-ray morphology.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letter

Faulting and volcanism in the axial valley of the slow-spreading center of the Mariana back arc basin from Wadatsumi side-scan sonar images

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 6 (2005): Q05006, doi:10.1029/2004GC000881.We analyzed in detail the geology of the median valley floor of the Mariana Basin slow-spreading ridge using sea surface geophysical data and a high-resolution deep-tow side-scan sonar survey over one spreading segment. Analysis of surface magnetic data indicates highly asymmetric accretion, with the half-spreading rate on the western side of the basin being two to three times larger than on the eastern side. Surface magnetic and reflectivity data together suggest that asymmetric spreading is accomplished through eastward ridge jumps of ∼10 km of amplitude. Deep-tow backscatter data indicate along-axis variations of the volcanic processes with the emplacement of smooth and hummocky flows at the segment center and end, respectively. This variation likely relates to changes in the effusion rate due to the deepening or even disappearance of the magma chamber toward the segment end. Concerning tectonic processes, we find a power law distribution of the fractures, with an exponent of 1.74. This suggests that within the inner valley floor, fracture growth prevails over fracture nucleation and coalescence and that fractures accommodate less than 8% of the strain. According to our calculation based on a ratio of 0.02 to 0.03 between the vertical displacement and the length of faults, the amount of tectonic strain accommodated in the inner valley floor would consistently be ∼1.1–3.4%. Data also show two distinct sets of fractures. One trend is parallel to the rift direction at the segment center (∼N160°E) and perpendicular to the plate separation direction. Another set trends ∼17° oblique to this direction (∼N175°E) and is located over the eastern part of the valley, in the vicinity of a major bounding fault also trending ∼N175°E, that is, obliquely to the direction of plate motion. We modeled the stress field near a major fault that is oblique to the regional stress field associated with plate separation using a three-dimensional boundary element approach. We found that the orientation of the predicted fissuring near the oblique fault is locally rotated by ∼15° due to a flexure of the bending plate close to this fault.The KR03-12 cruise was funded by both JAMSTEC and ORI. This research was supported by the Postdoctoral Scholar Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, with funding provided by the United States Geological Survey

La tecnología educativa en América Latina en la década de los setenta

Se pasa revista a los progresos que se han realizado en América latina, durante los años 1970-1980, en el campo de la Tecnología Educativa, entendida como la aplicación de conocimientos organizados a los problemas prácticos. Esta aplicación se hace teniendo en cuenta los aspectos psicológicos, como el fenómeno de la comunicación y la teoría de sistemas; el equilibrio entre estas tres dimensiones es lo que asegura el acierto tecnológico. La acción tecnológico-educacional se ha desarrollado en varias áreas. Una es la de entrenamiento a centenares de personas, especialistas y técnicos en varios países, y a más de 6.000 personas a través de seminarios y talleres de corta duración. Varias instituciones han otorgado títulos a nivel de licenciatura. Otra son las publicaciones, que se cuentan por centenares de libros, además de varias publicaciones periódicas. Una innovación importante ha sido la Televisión Educativa, llegando a funcionar hasta 14 sistemas de este tipo de TV, entre los cuales los hay menos formales, como los "telepostas" o "telescuelas" que llevan la enseñanza adonde no alcanzan las instituciones de educación formal. También se ha desarrollado la enseñanza con video-cassettes y sistemas de grabación portátil (50 proyectos). La Radio Educativa ha llegado a contar con 70 proyectos en América latina, transmitiendo programas de alfabetización, educación sanitaria, ganadería, enseñanzas del hogar y de agricultura. Existen muchos proyectos que usan información en forma de material audiovisual (son los llamados sonovisos, diaporamas etc.), aplicables a los distintos niveles escolares. La llamada Educación a Distancia se ha empleado, a nivel universitario, en el perfeccionamiento del profesorado, y se ha utilizado también en la educación de adultos; existen en las zonas rurales maestros que ejercen sin haber concluido sus estudios, y por este medio pueden completarlos. Conviene atender a las bases psicológicas que condicionan la aplicación de los medios didácticos tecnológicos, y fomentar la participación de los alumnos en las decisiones sobre el contenido, la forma, el proceso y la evaluación de esos medios.It gives a review of the progress that has been achieved in Latin America during 1970-1980 in the field of Educational Technology, understood as the application of organised knowledge to practica1 problems. This is made, taking into account, the psychological aspects like the phenomenon of communication and the theory of systems; the balance between these three dimensions is what assures the technological success. Educational Technology has been developed in various areas. One is the training of hundreds of people, specialists and technicians in different countries, and of more than 6.000 people through seminares andiwork-shops of short duration. Some institutions have presented diplomas at Bachelor level. Another is the publication which includes hundreds of books and also various periodical publications. An important innovation has been Educational Television, with up to 14 systems of this type, among them some less formal such as the "telepost" or "teleschools" which bring teaching where the formal systems of education do not reach. Teaching with videocassettes and systems of portable recording (50 projects) has also developed. The Educational Radio has 70 projects in Latin America, transmitting programmes on illeteracy, health education, stock breeding, domestic training and agriculture. Many projects which use information in the form of audiovisua1 material exist (sonovisos, diaporamas, etc.), applicable to different scholastic levels. That called ccEducation from a Distancen has been used at university level in the training of teachers and has also been used in adult education; in rural zones there primary teachers who are working without having finished their studies, and they are able to complete them with this method. It is important to pay attention to the psychological bases which condition the didactic technological methods, and to encourage the participation of the students in the decisions on the content, the form and the process and evaluation of these methods

Una revolución verde en la educación: las estrategias de aprendizaje

Una "revolución verde", es propuesta para el área de la Educación, a través del desarrollo y uso de estrategias de aprendizaje. Aprender a aprender es promovido a través de estrategias cognitivas que llevan al auto-aprendizaje, estrategias afectivas detonan el uso de estrategias cognitivas de procesamiento y ejecución. Se enfatiza la meta-cognición como parte de las estrategias de aprendizaje, las cuales deben integrarse en el aula y el curriculum, cambiando metodología y contenido. Esto reduciría la deserción y repetición escolar y capacitaría al estudiante para funcionar mejor en la vida. === === ABSTRACT === === A "green revolution", is proposed in the field of Education, through the development and use of leaming strategies. Learning to learn is prornoted through cognitive strategies leading to self-leaming, affective strategies are believed to trigger the use of cognitive leaming strategies, both processing and performance strategies. Metacognition is stressed, as part of the leaming strategies. Leaming strategies need to be integrated in schools and the curricula, changing methodology and content. This would reduce desertion and repetition rates and enable the student to better function in life

La tecnología educativa en América Latina en la década de los setenta

Se pasa revista a los progresos que se han realizado en América latina, durante los años 1970-1980, en el campo de la Tecnología Educativa, entendida como la aplicación de conocimientos organizados a los problemas prácticos. Esta aplicación se hace teniendo en cuenta los aspectos psicológicos, como el fenómeno de la comunicación y la teoría de sistemas; el equilibrio entre estas tres dimensiones es lo que asegura el acierto tecnológico. La acción tecnológico-educacional se ha desarrollado en varias áreas. Una es la de entrenamiento a centenares de personas, especialistas y técnicos en varios países, y a más de 6.000 personas a través de seminarios y talleres de corta duración. Varias instituciones han otorgado títulos a nivel de licenciatura. Otra son las publicaciones, que se cuentan por centenares de libros, además de varias publicaciones periódicas. Una innovación importante ha sido la Televisión Educativa, llegando a funcionar hasta 14 sistemas de este tipo de TV, entre los cuales los hay menos formales, como los "telepostas" o "telescuelas" que llevan la enseñanza adonde no alcanzan las instituciones de educación formal. También se ha desarrollado la enseñanza con video-cassettes y sistemas de grabación portátil (50 proyectos). La Radio Educativa ha llegado a contar con 70 proyectos en América latina, transmitiendo programas de alfabetización, educación sanitaria, ganadería, enseñanzas del hogar y de agricultura. Existen muchos proyectos que usan información en forma de material audiovisual (son los llamados sonovisos, diaporamas etc.), aplicables a los distintos niveles escolares. La llamada Educación a Distancia se ha empleado, a nivel universitario, en el perfeccionamiento del profesorado, y se ha utilizado también en la educación de adultos; existen en las zonas rurales maestros que ejercen sin haber concluido sus estudios, y por este medio pueden completarlos. Conviene atender a las bases psicológicas que condicionan la aplicación de los medios didácticos tecnológicos, y fomentar la participación de los alumnos en las decisiones sobre el contenido, la forma, el proceso y la evaluación de esos medios.It gives a review of the progress that has been achieved in Latin America during 1970-1980 in the field of Educational Technology, understood as the application of organised knowledge to practica1 problems. This is made, taking into account, the psychological aspects like the phenomenon of communication and the theory of systems; the balance between these three dimensions is what assures the technological success. Educational Technology has been developed in various areas. One is the training of hundreds of people, specialists and technicians in different countries, and of more than 6.000 people through seminares andiwork-shops of short duration. Some institutions have presented diplomas at Bachelor level. Another is the publication which includes hundreds of books and also various periodical publications. An important innovation has been Educational Television, with up to 14 systems of this type, among them some less formal such as the "telepost" or "teleschools" which bring teaching where the formal systems of education do not reach. Teaching with videocassettes and systems of portable recording (50 projects) has also developed. The Educational Radio has 70 projects in Latin America, transmitting programmes on illeteracy, health education, stock breeding, domestic training and agriculture. Many projects which use information in the form of audiovisua1 material exist (sonovisos, diaporamas, etc.), applicable to different scholastic levels. That called ccEducation from a Distancen has been used at university level in the training of teachers and has also been used in adult education; in rural zones there primary teachers who are working without having finished their studies, and they are able to complete them with this method. It is important to pay attention to the psychological bases which condition the didactic technological methods, and to encourage the participation of the students in the decisions on the content, the form and the process and evaluation of these methods