"Art for the sake of life" : the critical aesthetics of Vernon Lee.

PhDEMBARGOED UNTIL 01/06/2014This thesis explores the critical aesthetics of Vernon Lee (Violet Paget 1856-1935) and the ways in which her theory of aesthetic harmony informed these studies. Arguing for a more inclusive view of her interest in aesthetics, this thesis takes as its focus the ways in which Lee applied her aesthetic methodologies to the questions of aesthetics with which she was concerned – What is the relationship between the artist and his or her art, and between the artist and the aesthetic critic? How do the various art forms differ and how do these differences impact on the aesthetic experience? How does the mind, the body, and the emotions work together in the aesthetic experience? And ultimately, what is the relationship between art and life, and between beauty and the ideal? This study argues that these questions are evident in essays that are not usually associated with aesthetics. Whilst studies on Lee tend to divide her varied interests into phases in her career, such as her fiction, literary criticism, historical writings, travel writings, and psychological aesthetics, the current study argues that an investigation into the ways in which these studies can be seen to interact leads to a more thorough and fulfilling engagement with her impressive body of work. This thesis fills a critical gap in Lee studies by approaching her writings through the lens of her interest in aesthetics and by suggesting a way of reading her work that takes into consideration the ways in which her aesthetic theories influenced the writing style through which she experimented with, expressed, and in some cases, performed her aesthetic theories

Rastreo de la actividad antifúngica de plantas del noreste de México, contra los principales agentes causales de micosis pulmonar en la región

Tesis (Maestría en Ciencias con Orientación Terminal en Química Biomédica) UANL.UANLhttp://www.uanl.mx

Expresión cuantitativa de citocinas pro y anti inflamatorias en granulomas de conejos infectados con Encephalitozoon cuniculi mediante PCR en tiempo real.

Encephalitozoon cuniculi es un importante patógeno microsporidiano, zoonótico y emergente que puede infectar a individuos clínicamente sanos e inmunocomprometidos. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar la expresión de ARNm local de TNF-, IL-4 e IL-10, así como las respuestas de apoptosis y óxido nítrico en cerebro y riñones de conejos inmunocompetentes e inmunosuprimidos infectados naturalmente con Encephalitozoon cuniculi. La infección promueve la expresión de TNF- en los riñones de conejos infectados, principalmente en el grupo que recibió tratamiento con corticosteroides, (Grupo B), mostrando una diferencia significativa (p≤0.001). Esto es paralelo a la respuesta del óxido nítrico en los mismos grupos de animales, lo que sugiere que la eliminación de esporas de Encephalitozoon cuniculi es inducida por TNF-. La interleucina-4 se expresa de forma similar tanto en el cerebro como en los riñones, independientemente del estado inmunológico del conejo, no muestra diferencia significativa (p≥0.05) La mayor expresión de ARNm de IL-10 en el cerebro de conejos infectados presenta una diferencia significativa (p≤0.01) entre el grupo A y los conejos inmunocompetentes del grupo C y D, esto sugiere un control equilibrado de TNF- por la respuesta inmune del huésped o por Encephalitozoon cuniculi. Por el contrario, la expresión de TNF- regula la expresión de IL-10 en los riñones ya que no existe diferencia significativa entre los grupos (p≥0.05). La infección indujo células positivas a apoptosis en conejos infectados (Grupo A), pero mayor en los animales infectados-inmunosuprimidos (Grupo B). Bajo un efecto inmunosupresor, la infección por Encephalitozoon cuniculi induce la apoptosis de células de tipo mononuclear en granulomas. Así mismo, los niveles de ON se incrementaron en animales infectados con Encephalitozoon cuniculi, presentándose mayor concentración en cerebro. Es posible proponer que el aumento de la modulación de la respuesta de ON por Encephalitozoon cuniculi contribuye a la supervivencia del parásito dentro de las células fagocíticas en granulomas por un mecanismo aún desconocido

La dimensión educativa de las bibliotecas públicas de Tijuana 2017-2018

ABSTRACT: This paper is based on qualitative research that analyses and interprets the experience of users, librarians and library coordinators in public libraries in Tijuana, Baja California during 2017-2018. The goal is to find out if libraries have an educational dimension. Empirical data was gathered via interviews, observation and dedicated survey. The concepts displayed are “educational”, “subjectivation processes”, “social practices” and proposes the notion of “library practices” to describe the diverse interactions amongst participating social actors. Some of the findings are: the number of public libraries and personnel asigned to them was unchanged from 2006 to 2018; most of the librarians have been working as such for over 20 years. There is a diverse motivation for people going to the libraries. For users, libraries are a place of encounter, learning and play, becoming in essence a “third place” distinct from their home or work. A third place where they feel comfortable and included. There is a resignification of the use of public libraries deriving from those diverse motivations, the librarian’s initiatives and the precarius conditions in which they operate. For librarians, their role is perceived as promoting Reading, despite most of them having to asume cleaning and maintenance activities. Due to sustained neglect, they have stopped expecting support and investment to the libraries from local authorities. Despite that, librarians have developed important projects for the communities they serve. The experience of ex library coordinators shows a chronic lack of funding and personnel and the need to foster alliances with institutions and groups in order to support the development of library services in the city. Key words: Tijuana, Baja California, Public libraries, educational dimension, library practices, librarians

Social Validity evaluation of the FRIENDS for Life Program with Mexican Children

This study is the first social validity evaluation of the Spanish version of the FRIENDS for Life program with Mexican children. FRIENDS for Life is a cognitive-behavioral intervention aimed at increasing social and emotional competence and decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms in children. The program is designed to empower children and families by teaching relaxation techniques, coping and interpersonal skills, and positive thinking. Participants were 498 students, ages 9 to 11. Upon completion of the program, students, parents, and teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions on the utility and enjoyability, and their global satisfaction. Results indicate that students, parents, and teachers evaluate the program as helpful and enjoyable. Gender differences were found, girls reported the program as more useful and enjoyable than boys. The skill that students and parents found more useful was changing negative thoughts into positive, and positive correlations were also found between level of satisfaction and outcome measures

Blackboard and the teaching process from the virtual tutor's perception

Los espacios virtuales de enseñanza, representados por modelos educativos innovadores trabajan bajo un diseño e-learning, en este sentido, se desarrolla el presente trabajo, cuyo propósito es analizar la percepción del tutor virtual al interactuar con la plataforma Blackboard, mediante un instrumento que ayude a identificar las posibles áreas de oportunidad. Se utiliza el tipo de metodología cuantitativa, recolectándose datos a través de Microsoft Forms, iniciando tratamiento a la información por medio del Software estadístico SPSS 24. Con los resultados obtenidos se identifican las áreas para mejora, aportando el presente datos importantes, relacionados con la interacción, comunicación, evaluación y retroalimentación. Las plataformas educativas en ocasiones no responden al 100% a las necesidades de los centros educativos, razón por la cual es relevante realizar este análisis para la elaboración de una propuesta que fortalezca procesos, optimizando el modelo de enseñanza y aprendizaje virtual.The virtual teaching spaces, represented by innovative educational models, work under an e-learning design. In this regard, the present work is developed, which aims to analyze the perception of the virtual tutor when interacting with Blackboard through an instrument that helps to identify possible areas for improvement. A quantitative methodology was applied by collecting data through Microsoft Forms and analyzing the information through the Statistical Software SPSS 24. Through the obtained results, the areas for improvement are identified which provides important data that is related to interaction, communication, evaluation and feedback. Educational platforms sometimes do not respond perfectly to the needs of educational centers. For this reason, it is relevant to carry out this analysis for the development of a proposal that strengthens processes, optimizing the virtual teaching and learning model

Options for basing Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) on chronic disease endpoints: report from a joint US-/Canadian-sponsored working group.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are used in Canada and the United States in planning and assessing diets of apparently healthy individuals and population groups. The approaches used to establish DRIs on the basis of classical nutrient deficiencies and/or toxicities have worked well. However, it has proved to be more challenging to base DRI values on chronic disease endpoints; deviations from the traditional framework were often required, and in some cases, DRI values were not established for intakes that affected chronic disease outcomes despite evidence that supported a relation. The increasing proportions of elderly citizens, the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, and the persistently high prevalence of overweight and obesity, which predispose to chronic disease, highlight the importance of understanding the impact of nutrition on chronic disease prevention and control. A multidisciplinary working group sponsored by the Canadian and US government DRI steering committees met from November 2014 to April 2016 to identify options for addressing key scientific challenges encountered in the use of chronic disease endpoints to establish reference values. The working group focused on 3 key questions: 1) What are the important evidentiary challenges for selecting and using chronic disease endpoints in future DRI reviews, 2) what intake-response models can future DRI committees consider when using chronic disease endpoints, and 3) what are the arguments for and against continuing to include chronic disease endpoints in future DRI reviews? This report outlines the range of options identified by the working group for answering these key questions, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each option

A Fatal Case of Generalized Lysosomal Storage Disease in an Infant.

Gangliosidoses are a heterogeneous group of lysosomal storage diseases with an autosomal recessive trait, which are characterized by the intracellular accumulation of gangliosides in several tissues, mainly in neurons. This condition causes a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with varied clinical presentations. Depending on the severity of the enzymatic defect, gangliosidoses show different rates of clinical progression and organ involvement; poor residual enzyme activity is seen in more aggressive forms (infantile and juvenile subtypes) leading to early death whereas cases with better residual enzyme activity have a late onset in adult life and a milder clinical course. Autopsy findings of a 7 month-old girl with histological and ultrastructural changes consistent with gangliosidosis are presented

Exploring the enzymatic ability of strains isolated from plastic-polluted environments for enhancing synthetic and natural biopolymers’ biodegradation

Background: Renowned oil-based polymers represent an environmental nuisance, due to their well-known permanency in nature, known to disrupt ecosystems. In response, bio-based polymers have emerged as an alternative, providing a sustainable blueprint for plastic circularity1. However, despite being classified as biodegradable, these polymers can still show resistance to biodegradation when not presented with optimal environmental conditions such as specific temperature and pH, amongst other key factors in their breakdown. Due to this, microbial degradation results in an interesting path to promote biodegradation of such polymers.2 Objective: This study aims to evaluate the ability of selected strains isolated from polluted environments to improve the rate of biopolymers’ biodegradation such as Polyhydroxy butyrate (PHB), Polylactic acid (PLA), and Bacterial cellulose (BC) when exposed to strains with specific enzymatic tools to aid in its degradation. Methods: Selected strains were previously isolated from plastic-polluted soil samples. Strains were transferred to Mineral Salt media (MSM) biopolymersupplemented plates (7d, 30℃) (MSM (15 g/l Agar, 9 g/l Na2HPO4 x 12H2O, 1.5 g/l KH2PO4, 1 g/l NH4Cl, 0.2 g/l MgSO4 x 7H2O, 0.2 g/l CaCl2 x 2H2O, Fe(III)NH4-citrate 0.0012 g/l), (1-3%) biopolymers (PHB, BC, and PLA) growth and clear-zone method were used to determine strains’ possible enzymatic activity. Selected strains were transferred to flasks containing PHB, PLA, and BC films, respectively, in MSM and incubated for 20 days at 30℃, 120 rpm. Samples were washed and dried and their level of degradation was assessed by FTIR, weight loss, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The ability of the best performer strain to degrade PHB was additionally assessed using Respirometer (Echo Instruments) to determine the biodegradability of said films under a controlled temperature (25°C) with a flow rate of 500ml/min. Results: Significant weight loss was observed in samples exposed to strains, meaning biodegradability was achieved in an important percentage, proving their capability to degrade the proposed biopolymers, compared to samples lacking microbial presence.10th International Conference of MIKROBIOKOSMOS, Larissa from 30 Novewmber to 2 December 2023