Poor Health: Adding Insult to Injury for HOPE VI Families

Examines the poor overall health status and debilitating medical conditions reported by many residents in the HOPE VI housing program. Based on surveys of residents at five Hope VI public housing sites

Hacia la construcción de un sistema nacional de rendición de cuentas y fiscalización superior en México

Abstract. Accountability and superior auditing of public resources are basic conditions of modern democracies and part of the state reform. To reinforce accountability and superior audit institutions it is proposed to integrate a National System of Accountability and Superior Auditing. This System is meant to enhance the effectiveness of the internal and external controls and to promote the efficiency, efficacy, ethics, legality and austerity in the use of public resources. It is necessary to implement strategies to assure the superior audit institutions, at the Federal and state level, with financial independence and administrative autonomy, training and civil service granted in the Political Constitution. Part of the System will be the National Institute of Accountability and Superior Audit. This Institute will promote training, the best audit and evaluation techniques and the accountability and austerity culture. Finally, the Citizen Accountability Consultative Council, will provide a forum of discussion, opinion and free expression regarding accountability and the correctuse of public resources.Key words: Accountability, control mechanisms, democracy, superior auditingResumen. La rendición de cuentas y la fiscalización de los recursos públicos son factores indispensables en las democracias modernas y forman parte de la reforma del Estado. Para fortalecer la rendición de cuentas y la fiscalización se propone integrar un Sistema Nacional de Rendición de Cuentas y Fiscalización Superior, que impulse la eficacia de los sistemas de control interno, externo y de evaluación y promueva la cultura de la rendición de cuentas. Sus accionesestarán dirigidas a que los actos de gobierno se realicen con eficiencia, eficacia, ética, legalidad y austeridad. Se deben instrumentar estrategias para que los órganos de fiscalización superior del Congreso de la Unión, del distrito Federal y de las entidades federativas, cuenten con independencia, autonomía, servicio profesional de carrera y capacitación permanente. Como parte del Sistema se propone conformar el Instituto Nacional de Rendición de Cuentas y Fiscalización Superior, que debe promover: la capacitación; la cultura de rendición de cuentas y austeridad; la adopción de las mejores técnicas de auditoría; y herramientas de evaluación. El  Sistema debe fortalecerse con un Consejo Consultivo Ciudadano de Rendición de Cuentas. Éste será un organismo plural, en el cual puedan expresarse las distintas opiniones de la sociedad en relación con la administración de los recursos públicos, el gasto presupuestal y la fiscalización.Palabras claves: Democracia, fiscalización superior, mecanismos de control, rendición de cuenta

Ética pública & buen gobierno = Public ethics & good government.

Abstract. Modern societies demand governments promoting equitable and sustainable development and combating corruption. In the different areas of the public administration, factors such as transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, economy, human rights and respect to the legal framework are of great relevance for a good government. In Mexico it is necessary to reinforce the ethical aspect in the public administration to diminish the level of corruption. The ethical behavior of the public servant is related to integrity, honesty, transparency, expertise and leadership, it is part of the social capital of a country and a necessary condition to a good government and to eradicate corruption. It is essential to establish efficient systems, programs and mechanisms to promote the importance of ethics in government and society. Finally, society must vote to punish or reward the government performance, recognize its social duties and rights, demand the equal exercise of the law and always act ethically. Resumen. Las sociedades modernas exigen gobiernos promotores de un desarrollo sustentable y equitativo y que disminuyan la corrupción. En las diversas áreas de la administración pública destacan los siguientes factores como elementos clave de un buen gobierno: transparencia, eficiencia, eficacia, austeridad, rendición de cuentas, respeto a losderechos humanos y legalidad. En México es necesario reforzar la ética pública para abatir los altos niveles de corrupción. El comportamiento ético del servidor público se relaciona con integridad, honestidad, transparencia, capacidad y liderazgo, es parte del capital social de un país y condición necesaria para mejorar el servicio que ofrecen los gobiernos y para abatir la corrupción. Es imprescindible establecer sistemas, programas y mecanismos eficientes que promuevan la importancia de la ética pública. Finalmente, se destaca que la sociedad debe premiar o castigar en las urnas el desempeño del gobierno; ejercer sus derechos y cumplir con sus obligaciones sociales; exigir la aplicación indiscriminada de la ley y; observar, en todo momento, un comportamiento ético

Ética pública & buen gobierno

Key words: Public ethics, good government, civil servant, corruption.Abstract. Modern societies demand governments promoting equitable and sustainable development and combating corruption. In the different areas of the public administration, factors such as transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, economy, human rights and respect to the legal framework are of great relevance for a good government. In Mexico it is necessary to reinforce the ethical aspect in the public administration to diminish the level of corruption. The ethical behavior of the public servant is related to integrity, honesty,transparency, expertise and leadership, it is part of the social capital of a country and a necessary condition to a good government and to eradicate corruption. It is essential to establish efficient systems, programs and mechanisms to promote the importance of ethics in government and society. Finally, society must vote to punish or reward the government performance, recognize its social duties and rights, demand the equal exercise of the law andalways act ethically.Palabras clave: Ética pública, buen gobierno, servidor público, corrupción.Resumen. Las sociedades modernas exigen gobiernos promotores de un desarrollo sustentable y equitativo y que disminuyan la corrupción. En las diversas áreas de la administración pública destacan los siguientes factores como elementos clave de un buen gobierno: transparencia, eficiencia, eficacia, austeridad, rendición de cuentas, respeto a los derechos humanos y legalidad. En México es necesario reforzar la ética pública para abatir los altos niveles de corrupción. El comportamiento ético del servidor público se relaciona conintegridad, honestidad, transparencia, capacidad y liderazgo, es parte del capital social de un país y condición necesaria para mejorar el servicio que ofrecen los gobiernos y para abatir la corrupción. Es imprescindible establecer sistemas, programas y mecanismos eficientes que promuevan la importancia de la ética pública. Finalmente, se destaca que la sociedad debe premiar o castigar en las urnas el desempeño del gobierno; ejercer sus derechos y cumplir con sus obligaciones sociales; exigir la aplicación indiscriminada de la ley y; observar, entodo momento, un comportamiento ético

Animatronic Kinect Bear

The objective of the project was to build an interactive robotic bear through the application of Computer Engineering related software and hardware concepts. Utilizing the body recognition features of XBos One Kinect, the bera will be able to mimic a user\u27s motions in real time

Dense gas and exciting sources of the molecular outflow in the AFGL 437 star-forming region

We present Very Large Array (VLA) high resolution observations of the NH3(1,1) and NH3(2,2) molecular transitions towards the high mass star forming region AFGL 437. Our aim was to investigate if the poorly collimated CO molecular outflow previously detected in the region is the result of a projection effect, with no intrinsic bipolarity, as suggested by Gomez et al. We complemented our observations with radio continuum archived data from the VLA at 2 and 3.6 cm, and with unpublished public data at 450 {\mu}m taken with Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. Ammonia emission was found mainly in three clumps located at the south and east of the position of the compact infrared cluster of AFGL 437, where the CO outflow seemed to have its origin. One of the NH3(1,1) clumps coincides with the maximum of NH3(2,2) and with a local peak of emission at 450 {\mu}m. A near infrared source (s11) is also found at that position. Our continuum map at 2 cm shows extended elongated emission associated with the infrared source AFGL 437W. This elongated morphology and its spectral index between 3.6 and 2 cm (\simeq 0.4) suggest the presence of a jet in AFGL 437W. We suggest that several molecular bipolar outflows may exist in the region. The observed CO outflow would be the superposition of those individual outflows, which would explain its low degree of collimation observed at larger scales.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted by MNRA

Microbial biocatalytic preparation of 2-furoic acid by oxidation of 2-furfuryl alcohol and 2-furanaldehyde with Nocardia corallina

The preparation of 2-furoic acid via oxidation of 2-furfuryl alcohol and 2-furanaldehyde was studied by two procedures using whole cells of Nocardia corallina B-276. We describe a comparison using a batchcultivation (3-L) versus resting cells in potassium phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.0). In the 3-L bioreactor, 2-furfuryl alcohol (1.35 g/L) was biotransformed after 24 h, to the acid with 81% yield. The bioconversionof 2-furfuryl alcohol using resting cells leads to and almost quantitative yield (98%) of 2-furoic acid in 21 h. 2-furanaldehyde was also oxidized to the 2-furoic acid in 88% yield in 8 h, the ratio substrate:cellswas 1:3.5 (w/w). This method was scaled up to 9 g/L of 2-furanaldehyde

Plant dried powders as biocatalysts: Hydrolysis of 1- phenylpropanol acetate

The hydrolytic ability of plant dried powders, lyophilized or acetone dried, was tested on the hydrolysis of racemic 1-phenylpropanol acetate. Most of the twenty powders tested showed hydrolytic activity, however the best values of conversion and enantioselectivity were reached with the lyophilized powderof nopal (27% conversion, 72% enantiomeric excess of 1-phenylpropanol) and the acetonic powders of cherry (50% conversion, 74% enantiomeric excess of 1-phenylpropanol) and red plum (27% conversion, 75% enantiomeric excess of 1-phenylpropanol)

Gambogic Acid, a Natural Product Inhibitor of Hsp90

A high-throughput screening of natural product libraries identified (−)-gambogic acid (1), a component of the exudate of Garcinia harburyi, as a potential Hsp90 inhibitor, in addition to the known Hsp90 inhibitor celastrol (2). Subsequent testing established that 1 inhibited cell proliferation, brought about the degradation of Hsp90 client proteins in cultured cells, and induced the expression of Hsp70 and Hsp90, which are hallmarks of Hsp90 inhibition. Gambogic acid also disrupted the interaction of Hsp90, Hsp70, and Cdc37 with the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase (HRI, an Hsp90-dependent client) and blocked the maturation of HRI in vitro. Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy indicated that 1 bound to the N-terminal domain of Hsp90 with a low micromolar Kd, in a manner that was not competitive with the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin (3). Molecular docking experiments supported the posit that 1 binds Hsp90 at a site distinct from Hsp90s ATP binding pocket. The data obtained have firmly established 1 as a novel Hsp90 inhibitor and have provided evidence of a new site that can be targeted for the development of improved Hsp90 inhibitors