Determination of potentials of farming and forestry of the Municipality of Guisa, Cuba

En consonancia con las nuevas regulaciones establecidas por el Gobierno cubano para la entrega en usufructo de tierras ociosas para la producción de alimentos, a personas o grupos de personas, se desarrolla en Cuba un acelerado proceso de reocupación del espacio rural, no siempre tomando en cuenta las potencialidades reales de las tierras, ni las regulaciones y normativas ambientales vigentes para la ocupación de dichos espacios. Esta investigación parte de la obtención de mapas de cobertura mediante el tratamiento digital de imágenes Landsat TM, la modelación en SIG de las variables y el análisis las normativas ambientales vigentes para cada uso propuesto. Ofrece para el municipio de Guisa un escenario de potenciales agropecuarios y silvícolas para su adecuado aprovechamiento en función de la producción de alimentos, determinándose que el territorio, a pesar de ser montañoso en un 70%, cuenta con los lugares adecuados para tal desarrollo sin comprometer la protección del medio ambiente.Cuban government has established new regulations to handover in usufruct idle lands for food production to people or groups of people. In agreement with these, a rapid process of occupying again the rural area is being developed in Cuba, but the real potentialities of lands and the current environmental regulations for the occupation of these areas are not always taken into account. This research aims to obtain coverage maps by means of digital editing of Landsat TM images, the creation of models in GIS (Geographic Information System) and the current environmental regulations analysis for each proposed use. Furthermore, this study offers to the municipality of Guisa an outlook of potentials of farming and forestry for its right use according to food production. Finally, this article establishes that the territory, even though 70 % of it is mountainous, counts on suitable places for food production without endangering the protection of the environment.Fil: Ramón Puebla, Adonis M.. Universidad de La Habana (Cuba)Fil: Martínez Quintana, Leusnier. Universidad de La Habana (Cuba)Fil: Suárez García, Célida. Universidad de La Habana (Cuba)Fil: López Suárez, Orlando. Universidad de La Habana (Cuba)Fil: Salinas Chávez, Eduardo. Universidad de La Habana (Cuba

Evaluation of a hybrid dryer for the production of apple chips

Published ArticleThe paper highlights the design, development and evaluation of a hybrid convective-far-infrared (FIR) dehydrator for the purpose of drying fruit. The methodology followed is based on an experimental and practical approach. The application of the dryer for this study is aimed at the production of apple chips as well as other types of fruit chips and the more common dried fruit. The fruit dryer proposed uses both infrared energy and convective heating to effectively and efficiently dehydrate apple slices to produce dried apple chips. The apple chips are produced in very short time frames and accomplished by using relatively low heater power. These types of apple chip snacks also contribute to the more healthy variety of snacks available on the market

Physician decision making in selection of second-line treatments in immune thrombocytopenia in children.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired autoimmune bleeding disorder which presents with isolated thrombocytopenia and risk of hemorrhage. While most children with ITP promptly recover with or without drug therapy, ITP is persistent or chronic in others. When needed, how to select second-line therapies is not clear. ICON1, conducted within the Pediatric ITP Consortium of North America (ICON), is a prospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study of 120 children from 21 centers starting second-line treatments for ITP which examined treatment decisions. Treating physicians reported reasons for selecting therapies, ranking the top three. In a propensity weighted model, the most important factors were patient/parental preference (53%) and treatment-related factors: side effect profile (58%), long-term toxicity (54%), ease of administration (46%), possibility of remission (45%), and perceived efficacy (30%). Physician, health system, and clinical factors rarely influenced decision-making. Patient/parent preferences were selected as reasons more often in chronic ITP (85.7%) than in newly diagnosed (0%) or persistent ITP (14.3%, P = .003). Splenectomy and rituximab were chosen for the possibility of inducing long-term remission (P < .001). Oral agents, such as eltrombopag and immunosuppressants, were chosen for ease of administration and expected adherence (P < .001). Physicians chose rituximab in patients with lower expected adherence (P = .017). Treatment choice showed some physician and treatment center bias. This study illustrates the complexity and many factors involved in decision-making in selecting second-line ITP treatments, given the absence of comparative trials. It highlights shared decision-making and the need for well-conducted, comparative effectiveness studies to allow for informed discussion between patients and clinicians

Pre‐service teacher training and special educational needs in England 1970–2008: is government learning the lessons of the past or is it experiencing a groundhog day?

The paper outlines the findings from a literature review of the English government’s response to the issue of training pre‐service teachers in the delivery of effective special educational needs support. The review’s findings detail that although educational practice in mainstream classrooms has changed considerably since the 1970s the training of pre‐service teachers with regards to special educational needs has seemingly changed very little. The paper argues that the government needs to re‐think radically its policy of inclusion to ensure that a coherent plan is formulated which enables higher education institutions’ initial teacher training programmes to train students who are competent and confident in their abilities to work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities

Growth, Yield, and Postharvest Characteristics of Grafted Bitter Gourd using Different Sponge Gourd Rootstocks

Grafting is an emerging technology that addresses adverse agricultural problems in both soil and climatic conditions. The study was conducted to evaluate the growth, yield, and fruit quality of bitter gourd or ampalaya (Momordica charantia L.) grafted with different sponge gourd or patola (Luffa cylindrica L.) rootstocks. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with four treatments replicated thrice. The treatments were as follows: T0–Control (ungrafted), T1–Hybrid patola (var. Mutya), T2–Open-pollinated variety (var. Esmeralda), and T3-Bureau of Plant Industry bacterial wilt–resistant variety patola rootstock (BPI BW resistant var.). Results revealed that grafted ampalaya plants markedly produced female flowers first rather than male. Generally, nongrafted plants produced more laterals, longer vines on the early weeks from transplanting, more marketable fruits per plant, as well as higher total soluble solids (TSS) and electrical conductivity (EC). Nevertheless, nongrafted plants also exhibited more non-marketable fruits, greatest disease incidence, and lower percent free-radical scavenging activity (%FRSA). On the other hand, grafted ampalaya plants have lesser disease incidence, minimal percent weightloss, delayed color changes, firmness, and initial pH readings after the eighth harvest. Postharvest life or shelf life and visual quality rating of grafted ampalaya were extended but were not statistically different with the nongrafted fruits. However, grafted ampalaya fruits have higher chlorophyll a and b and carotenoid content and significantly had the highest %FRSA. These findings imply that improvement of ampalaya plant through grafting, specifically into different patola rootstocks, were compatible, reduced disease incidence, and have more nutritious fruits compared to nongrafted ampalaya plants

Revolution from above in English schools: neoliberalism, the democratic commons and education

The ideas of the New Left and the recently emerged alter-globalisation movements are marginal within current policy debates concerning the English education system. Here I seek to demonstrate the interconnections between the New Left and the alter-globalisation movement and suggest that these ideas contain a powerful corrective to the increasingly authoritarian present. The next part of the article considers the development of neoliberalism both in a theoretical context and since the arrival of the new Conservative–Liberal government in the UK. Here I outline the rapid transformation of English schools under the academies programme and look at how it has been explicitly linked to ideas of ‘moral collapse’ evident in the popular discourse of ‘Broken Britain’. Especially significant in this respect has been the labelling of comprehensive schools as ‘failures’ and the explicit imposition of more authoritarian understandings of pedagogy. I seek to explore both the rapidity of this transformation in the context of the dissatisfaction with the idea of comprehensive schools shown by the political Right and the Third Way’s reworking of socialism. Finally I briefly consider more progressive alternatives for schools and education by returning to the idea of the democratic commons. In this respect, the cultural Left needs to explore more radical alternatives beyond the defence of comprehensive schooling which sounds both nostalgic and misplaced within our global times

Compendio de artículos basados en las tesis doctorales 2007-2013. Proyecto de Desarrollo Profesional Docente para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias Particulares de la Universidad de Camagüey y la Universidad APEC

María de los Ángeles Legañoa Ferrá (biografía): La coordinadora científica de esta publicación es doctora en ciencias pedagógicas. Tiene un máster en educación superior y una licenciatura en educación con especialidad en física. Es profesora titular del Centro de Estudios de Ciencias de la Educación “Enrique José Varona” de la Universidad de Camagüey “Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz”. Su experiencia laboral abarca más de 40 años de docencia en los que ha educado a estudiantes de grado, posgrado, maestría y doctorado. Ha publicado más de 20 artículos y participado en más de 50 congresos internacionales. Ha sido profesora invitada en varias universidades de México como conferencista, profesora de maestría y asesora de doctorados. En República Dominicana coordinó el Programa de Desarrollo Profesional Docente para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias Particulares (en UNAPEC) y ha sido consultora del Ministerio de Educación para la revisión curricular de la modalidad en artes. Sus investigaciones se desarrollan en los campos de formación en competencias, desarrollo profesional docente, procesos educacionales y gestión del conocimiento en base a las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación.Como resultado de la implementación de una atinada política de cooperación internacional e interuniversitaria, la Universidad de Camagüey "Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz" (Cuba) y la Universidad APEC (República Dominicana) diseñaron y ejecutaron el "Programa de Desarrollo Profesional Docente para la Enseñanza de las Ciencias Particulares", destinado a elevar las competencias docentes e investigativas de los profesores de UNAPEC en sus áreas especialización profesional. De todos los profesores y directivos favorecidos con dicho proyecto (más de 360, que realizaron al menos un diplomado en las áreas de formación pedagógica general y metodología de la enseñanza de la matemática o metodología de la enseñanza de las ciencias particulares), 15 alcanzaron el grado de doctor en ciencias pedagógicas por la Universidad de Camagüey. El libro que aquí se presenta contiene artículos que ellos prepararon sobre la base de sus tesis doctorales, que plantearon todas -a partir de investigaciones científicas- posibles soluciones y recursos para mejorar y perfeccionar la gestión y la docencia en esta universidad. Los artículos del libro Proyección de las ciencias pedagógicas en UNAPEC están distribuidos en cinco secciones que estudian aspectos nodales de la enseñanza superior: la gestión universitaria y su papel para contribuir a que la institución cumpla su misión en los órdenes de la formación, la investigación y la extensión; el correcto diseño curricular para que los estudiantes puedan adquirir las competencias generales y profesionales necesarias que contribuyan a su exitosa incursión en el mundo; la incorporación inteligente de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en el sistema educativo; el modo de formar y evaluar adecuadamente las competencias en los programas académicos impartidos; y la enseñanza de las matemáticas como herramienta cognitiva fundamental en una sociedad global altamente tecnificada. Con esta publicación, que es fruto de un trabajo a largo plazo por la elevación de la calidad del quehacer universitario, se espera contribuir al debate académico en torno a algunas de las más acuciantes problemáticas que inciden en las instituciones de educación superior dominicanas y latinoamericanas.Universidad APE

Global pressures, specific responses: effects of nutrient enrichment in streams from different biomes

Fil: Artigas, Joan. Clermont Université. Université Blaise Pascal. Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement; FranceFil: García-Berthou, Emili. Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Girona; SpainFil: Bauer, Delia Elena. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet (ILPLA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Maria I.. Department of Biology. National University of Colombia. Bogotá DC; ColombiaFil: Cochero, Joaquín. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet (ILPLA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Colautti, Darío César. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet (ILPLA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cortelezzi, Agustina. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet (ILPLA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La PlataFil: Donato, John C.. Department of Biology. National University of Colombia. Bogotá DC; ColombiaFil: Elosegi, Arturo. Faculty of Science and Technology. The University of the Basque Country. Bilbao; SpainFil: Feijoó, Claudia S.. INEDES. Department of Basic Sciences. National University of Luján. Luján; ArgentinaFil: Giorgi, Adonis. INEDES. Department of Basic Sciences. National University of Luján. Luján; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Nora. Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Girona; SpainFil: Leggieri, Leonardo. Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Girona; SpainFil: Muñoz, Isabel. Department of Ecology. University of Barcelona. Barcelona; SpainFil: Rodrigues Capítulo, Alberto. Instituto de Limnología Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet (ILPLA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Romaní, Anna M.. Institute of Aquatic Ecology. University of Girona. Girona; SpainFil: Sabater, Sergi. Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA). Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona. Girona; Spai