The Vibrant Traditions of Masaya: El Mestizaje as a Culture, a Process, and a State of Being

“The only constant in life is change.” What this old adage leaves out is that the processes that catalyze these changes can occur in vastly different ways which impact the product. In the case of the history of Masaya, Nicaragua, today’s dominant culture of mestizaje is the result of the arrival of the Spaniards to the Americas and the process of racial and cultural blend that followed between Spanish, indigenous and African peoples. But in this mixing process, Spaniards held disproportionate power: most of the changes they imposed were made through violent and deceptive imposition. Yet indigenous and African people still subversively preserved their traditions and left bold influences on the new mestizo culture. This essay records how these cultures amalgamated and are present in Masaya’s folklore and sense of identity, paying mind both to the influences of the cultures that mixed to form it as well as giving dignity to mestizaje is its own distinct culture. It also extends the concept of mestizaje as a process of racial and cultural syncretism that is still occurring in Masaya today. This modern mestizaje is a more balanced, natural, and equal exchange of cultures occurring through globalization and technological advances. Masaya’s traditions of folklore, which were originally products of global fusion, are now being subject to more modern fusion. This investigation also examines how Masaya is receiving these changes and modern formation and perception of mixed identity

Down Regulation with Luteal GnRH Agonist Therapy in Euploid Embryo Transfers Does Not Impact Pregnancy Rates

Introduction : Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists have been used during assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment for pituitary suppression and stimulation. Currently, clinical opinion is divided about whether GnRH agonist therapy improves pregnancy rates when used for luteal down-regulation in a frozen euploid embryo transfer (FET). This study evaluated the clinical utility of GnRH agonist down-regulation in single, euploid FET cycles. Methods : A retrospective analysis was performed, using data from patients who underwent a single, euploid FET cycle from 2012 to 2019. Patients were segregated into two cohorts: Group A: single, euploid FET with down-regulation using GnRH agonist; Group B: single, euploid FET without down-regulation using GnRH agonist. Primary outcomes include pregnancy rates among cohorts. Results : Group A demonstrated a pregnancy rate of 72.92% in 96 cycles. Group B demonstrated a pregnancy rate of 73.27% in 5,668 cycles. There was no difference in pregnancy rates between groups, X2(2, N = 5764) = .0061, p = .94. A subgroup of patients (n=5) with endometriosis in Group A achieved an 80% (4/5) pregnancy rate. Discussion : Single, euploid FET cycle pregnancy rates were not affected by the use of down-regulation with a GnRH agonist. Increased pregnancy rates found with prolonged GnRH agonist use in other studies weren’t seen with short term use for FET cycles. Future research should focus on molecular markers and gene transcription signatures to attempt to define whether there is an ideal population of patients who would benefit from GnRH agonist down-regulation prior to FET

Uses of the supernatural in the Middle Welsh Chwedyl Iarlles y Ffynnawn

This paper examines supernatural episodes in the story of the Knight of the Lion. The story has closely related versions in French (Yvain, ou le Chevalier au Lion) and in Welsh (Owein: Chwedyl Iarlles y Ffynnawn), which allow for analysis and comparison. Even without assuming which author wrote first, we can still study how each text was adapted differently for audiences in Wales and France. This essay finds eleven episodes across both texts (eight in Yvain and nine in Owein). We categorise the supernatural in these episodes as mirabilia, magicus or miraculosus, after Le Goff, Kieckhefer and Sweeney. Our final analysis shows that miraculosus dominates in the French version, presumably due to a Christianising urge of Chrétien de Troyes which emphasises the agency of God in the text. This is not the case in the Welsh version where mirabilis episodes dominate, and the supernatural elements are kept separate from the religious aspects of the text. This analysis suggests that Welsh audiences were more comfortable with secular episodes of the supernatural than French audiences.Este trabajo analiza los episodios sobrenaturales en la historia del Caballero del León, cuyas versiones en francés (Yvain, ou le Chevalier au Lion) y en galés (Owein: Chwedyl Iarlles y Ffynnawn) son muy cercanas y permiten, así, su comparación. Incluso sin asumir una postura respecto de qué autor compuso primero, es posible estudiar el modo en el que cada texto fue adaptado de forma diferente para sus respectivos públicos. Se han encontrado once episodios a lo largo de ambos textos (ocho en Yvain y nueve en Owein) cuyo elemento o aspecto sobrenatural ha sido categorizado como mirabilia, magicus o miraculosus en función de los trabajos de Le Goff, Kieckhefer y Sweeney. Nuestro estudio muestra que lo miraculosus domina en la versión francesa, probablemente debido al matiz cristiano que le impone Chrétien de Troyes y que enfatiza la agencia divina en el relato. En cambio, en la versión galesa predominan los episodios mirabilis, y los elementos sobrenaturales se mantienen separados de los aspectos religiosos del texto. Este análisis sugiere que el público galés estaría más cómodo que el francés con episodios sobrenaturales decarácter secular

Safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of rilpivirine: systematic review with an emphasis on resource-limited settings

The vast majority of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome reside in the developing world, in settings characterized by limited health budgets, critical shortages of doctors, limited laboratory monitoring, a substantial burden of HIV in children, and high rates of coinfection, in particular tuberculosis. Therefore, the extent to which new antiretrovirals will contribute to improvements in the management of HIV globally will depend to a large extent on their affordability, ease of use, low toxicity profile, availability as pediatric formulations, and compatibility with tuberculosis and other common drugs. We undertook a systematic review of the available evidence regarding drug interactions, and the efficacy and safety of rilpivirine (also known as TMC-278), and assessed our findings in view of the needs and constraints of resource-limited settings. The main pharmacokinetic interactions relevant to HIV management reported to date include reduced bioavailability of rilpivirine when coadministered with rifampicin, rifabutin or acid suppressing agents, and reduced bioavailability of ketoconazole. Potential recommendations for dose adjustment to compensate for these interactions have not been elaborated. Trials comparing rilpivirine and efavirenz found similar outcomes up to 96 weeks in intent-to-treat analysis; failure of rilpivirine was mainly virological, whereas failure among those exposed to efavirenz was mainly related to the occurrence of adverse events. Around half of the patients who fail rilpivirine develop non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor resistance mutations. The incidence of Grade 2–4 events was lower for rilpivirine compared with efavirenz. Grade 3–4 adverse events potentially related to the drugs were infrequent and statistically similar for both drugs. No dose-response relationship was observed for efficacy or safety, and the lowest dose (25 mg) was selected for further clinical development. The potential low cost and dose of the active pharmaceutical ingredient means that rilpivirine can potentially be manufactured at a low price. Moreover, its long half-life suggests the potential for monthly dosing via nonoral routes, with promising early results from studies of a long-acting injectable formulation. These characteristics make rilpivirine an attractive drug for resource-limited settings. Future research should assess the potential to improve robustness and assess the clinical significance of interaction with antituberculosis drugs

Combler le « vide institutionnel » : Le comportement social et les performances des entreprises familiales comparés à ceux des autres entreprises des marchés émergents dans le secteur des hautes technologies.

Les entreprises familiales (EF) sont réputées prendre un soin particulier de leurs employés, avec l’objectif de créer une « communauté » interne très soudée. Leurs relations et contacts avec leurs partenaires extérieurs seraient aussi plus approfondis et personnels. Ces deux attitudes favoriseraient la viabilité d’une entreprise qui doit faire vivre la famille propriétaire, ainsi que les générations suivantes. Ces liens sociaux nous paraissent pouvoir compenser le manque de capital, de produits et d’infrastructure propre aux économies émergentes dynamiques. Cette étude, menée dans un secteur très compétitif de marché émergent, les entreprises de haute technologie en Corée, examine trois points majeurs :(1) Les relations internes et les liens avec l’extérieur sont plus développés dans les EF que dans les autres. (2) Ces relations améliorent la performance des secteurs de haute technologie dans les marchés émergents, pour lesquels il est indispensable, du fait de leur nature compétitive complexe et évolutive, de disposer d’une expertise pointue et d’un capital social à l’intérieur comme à l’extérieur de l’entreprise. (3) Les performances des EF sont plus dépendantes de ces relations communautaires et de ces liens avec l’extérieur que celles des autres entreprises, parce que dans ce cadre personnel et intime, les employés et les partenaires extérieurs ont généralement tendance à récompenser la générosité, ou au contraire à punir l’égoïsme, d’une famille propriétaire qu’ils voient à l’oeuvre de leurs propres yeux. Nos observations empiriques confirment la plupart de ces hypothèses de façon significative.We argue that family businesses (FBs) will tend to treat their employees with unusual consideration to form a cohesive internal “community”. They are also expected to develop deeper, more extensive “connections” or relationships with outside stakeholders. Both behaviors should increase the viability of a business intended to support an owning family and its later generations. Such social linkages, we believe, may compensate for the lack of capital, product and labor institutional infrastructures in dynamic emerging economies. This survey study of a most challenging emerging market sector, namely, Korean high technology businesses, largely supports these expectations

A century of warfare shoots holes in anti-Caulerpa campaign

Effort to have all varieties of the marine alga Caulerpa taxifolia listed as noxious weeds hinges on the argument that the alga's proliferation in the Mediterranean Sea is a cause and not a consequence of environmental degradation. Until now, the occurrence of two populations in a pristine part of the northern Mediterranean near the island of Porquerolles has upheld this claim. Here we show that the alga's development at Porquerolles is indeed a consequence of environmental degradation caused by military weapons' impacts on seagrass beds during the last century. The available data show that substratum enrichment plays a key role in fostering development of Caulerpa, irrespective of whether this results directly from pollution or from the impacts of pollution and other anthropogenic factors on benthic vegetation cover

Review of the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of elvitegravir with an emphasis on resource-limited settings

Integrase inhibitors represent an important new class of antiretroviral drugs. Elvitegravir, the second available integrase inhibitor to be submitted for regulatory approval appears to be a promising once-daily agent when combined with other antiretroviral drugs. Elvitegravir has demonstrated good efficacy and safety, with minimal side effects and no specific requirements in terms of laboratory monitoring. In addition, elvitegravir is available as a fixed-dose combination. However, the drug requires boosting and this leads to a number of drug–drug interactions and necessary dose adjustment when dosing with certain drugs, including dose reduction in the presence of atazanavir, lopinavir, rifabutin, and ketoconazole, and dose increase for ethinyl estradiol when co-administered with boosted elvitegravir. The main advantage of elvitegravir lies in its potential to be administered as a once-daily, single pill. Limitations include dose adjustment requirements, a relatively low genetic barrier to resistance, high price, and lack of data for use in children. Clinical trials addressing specific challenges encountered in resources-limited settings should be encouraged

Room temperature spontaneous emission enhancement from quantum dots in photonic crystal slab cavities in the telecommunications C-band

We report on the control of the spontaneous emission dynamics from InAsP self-assembled quantum dots emitting in the telecommunications C-band and weakly coupled to the mode of a double heterostructure cavity etched on a suspended InP membrane at room temperature. The quality factor of the cavity mode is 44x10^3 with an ultra-low modal volume of the order of 1.2 lambda/n)^3, inducing an enhancement of the spontaneous emission rate of up a factor of 2.8 at 300 K