A Meta-analysis of the Relationship Between Sexual Victimization and Risk Perception: A Review from 1990 to 2013.

Sexual victimization is a growing problem among women. Sexual victimization can be described as an event where an individual undergoes an unwanted sexual experience. There are many factors that could increase a woman’s risk for sexual victimization. One of the most important factors is risk perception. Risk perception is embedded in the way individuals perceive, interpret, and react to a risky situation. Sexual victimization and risk perception has been an area of focus for many during the past few years. Although, there is a large body of evidence in this area, many of the studies are inconsistent and currently only one literature review exists. Therefore, there is a need for a meta-analysis study to try to understand the sexual victimization and risk perception relationship from a quantitative perspective, as well as to detect the types of moderator variables that may influence it. This study sought to analyze and synthesize the empirical findings of the relationship between sexual victimization and risk perception from 1990 through March 2013. A secondary goal is to better understand the relationship between sexual victimization and risk perception. A tertiary purpose was to understand the moderating influence of a number of factors on this relationship. Consistent with the guidelines and procedures for a meta-analysis set forth by Cooper in 2010, 51 studies were identified producing a total 116 effect sizes. These effect sizes were not calculated independently. Instead, the effect sizes from each study were averaged in order to form a mean effect size per study. The mean effects were then averaged to form the omnibus mean effect size. The omnibus mean effect size from the 51 studies was of g = 0.167, p < .001, demonstrating a small-sized effect. This effect size was more modest in magnitude; however, it demonstrated a relationship between sexual victimization and risk perception. All the moderators with the exception of alcohol and design quality were significant contributors to the variance in the effect sizes. In addition to examining the omnibus mean effect size and potential moderators, limitations and implications for practice and future research were discussed

Progresión de las concepciones de los futuros maestros/as de primaria acerca de la naturaleza de los modelos

Se analiza la progresión de las concepciones que manejan futuros maestros/as de educación primaria en torno a la naturaleza de los modelos a través de una experiencia de aprendizaje de 12 sesiones basada en la modelización. El instrumento utilizado para recoger la información fue un cuestionario tipo Likert en torno a cinco dimensiones que intenta caracterizar el concepto de modelo. El cuestionario fue cumplimentado como pretest y como postest por 106 alumnos. Los resultados estadísticos obtenidos de las respuestas dadas por los estudiantes durante el pretest y el postest revelaron una buena consistencia a raíz de sus valores del coeficiente de fiabilidad. Por otro lado, se observa de manera generalizada, una progresión favorable en las concepciones de los alumnos en torno a la comprensión de la naturaleza de los modelos tras la secuencia didáctica desarrollada

Transcriptional inhibition of type I collagen gene expression in scleroderma fibroblasts by the antineoplastic drug ecteinascidin 743.

We previously showed that COL1A1 expression is up-regulated at the transcriptional level in systemic sclerosis (SSc) fibroblasts and that the CCAAT-binding factor (CBF) is involved in this increased expression. Ecteinascidin 743 (ET-743) is a chemotherapeutic agent that binds with sequence specificity to the minor groove of DNA and inhibits CBF-mediated transcriptional activation of numerous genes. Therefore, we examined the effects of ET-743 on the increased COL1A1 expression in SSc fibroblasts. The drug caused a potent and dose-dependent inhibition of type I collagen biosynthesis, which reached 70-90% at 700 pM without affecting cell viability. The same drug concentration caused 60-80% reduction in COL1A1 mRNA levels. The stability of the corresponding transcripts was not affected. In vitro nuclear transcription assays demonstrated a 54% down-regulation of COL1A1 transcription. Transient transfections with COL1A1 promoter constructs containing the specific CBF binding sequence into SSc cells previously treated with 700 pM ET-743 failed to show an effect on COL1A1 promoter activity. Furthermore, ET-743 did not affect the binding of CBF or Sp1 transcription factors to their cognate COL1A1 elements. However, treatment with 700 pM ET-743 of stably transfected NIH 3T3 cells expressing a human type II procollagen gene under the control of the human COL1A1 promoter caused a greater than 50% reduction in the production of type II procollagen and a similar decrease in the corresponding type II procollagen transcripts. These results indicate that ET-743 is a potent inhibitor of COL1A1 transcription. However, this effect cannot be explained by a direct effect on CBF binding to the COL1A1 promoter. Although the exact mechanisms responsible for the transcriptional inhibition of COL1A1 by ET-743 are not apparent, our observations suggest that the drug may be an effective agent to decrease collagen overproduction in SSc and other fibrotic diseases

Autophagy and Redox Homeostasis in Parkinson’s:A Crucial Balancing Act

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are generated primarily from endogenous biochemical reactions in mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and peroxisomes. Typically, ROS/RNS correlate with oxidative damage and cell death; however, free radicals are also crucial for normal cellular functions, including supporting neuronal homeostasis. ROS/RNS levels influence and are influenced by antioxidant systems, including the catabolic autophagy pathways. Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal degradation process by which invasive, damaged, or redundant cytoplasmic components, including microorganisms and defunct organelles, are removed to maintain cellular homeostasis. This process is particularly important in neurons that are required to cope with prolonged and sustained operational stress. Consequently, autophagy is a primary line of protection against neurodegenerative diseases. Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDANs), resulting in progressive disruption of the nigrostriatal pathway, leading to motor, behavioural, and cognitive impairments. Mitochondrial dysfunction, with associated increases in oxidative stress, and declining proteostasis control, are key contributors during mDAN demise in Parkinson’s. In this review, we analyse the crosstalk between autophagy and redoxtasis, including the molecular mechanisms involved and the detrimental effect of an imbalance in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s

“Nunca nos beneficiamos a costa de otros sectores”: industria privada costarricense frente a la crisis económica (1978-1985)

La crisis económica de 1980 expuso las fallas del modelo de desarrollo intervencionista que se venía practicando en nuestro país, especialmente desde la entrada al Mercado Común Centroamericano (MCCA) en 1963, que implicó una política fuerte de fomento de la industria, para alcanzar la sustitución de importaciones y dejar de depender tanto de los productos agrícolas. Pero, a pesar de los incentivos industriales, para la década de 1970 todavía no se vislumbraba un sector fuerte, capaz de competir y dejar de depender de los estímulos gubernamentales. Llegada la crisis, muchos tecnócratas aprovecharon para señalar a la industria como la principal culpable de la recesión, esta última reflejada en el desequilibrio de la balanza de pagos. Expuesto esto, nuestro estudio tiene como objetivo mostrar la versión de los industriales ante la crisis y las críticas de otros sectores ¿Cómo se defendieron? ¿Qué pensaban de la crisis? ¿Cuál consideraban que era su papel en la economía nacional

Con el nopal pegado en la frente: A psychosocial study of prejudice and discrimination among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans in Arizona

In this thesis I develop a psychosocial approach to prejudice and discrimination among the Mexican-origin population in the U.S. state of Arizona. I argue that although the Mexican-origin population has been oppressed and discriminated against by the dominant white population for centuries, this minority group has its own history of intra-group prejudice and discrimination. Moreover, I argue that the attitudes and behaviours of Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans, and the interactions between them, are influenced by three main elements: 1) structural factors (such as exploitation and inequality); 2) dominant ideologies (such as colonisation and white supremacy/superiority) and; 3) cultural commonalities between Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans (in particular, the Spanish language). Within this context, I employed approximately thirty free association narrative interviews, notes based on ethnographic and participant observations, amongst other data sources (such as newspaper articles and informal interviews), to reveal much about the unconscious dynamics and processes under which Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans interact. In the first half of the thesis I describe the social and political context of Arizona, which includes the history of the Mexican-origin population in that state as well as the implementation of the anti-immigration law, Senate Bill 1070 and its effects on the Mexican-origin population. In addition to this, I describe the methodology I used to conduct this research (participants, types of interviews and analysis of the collected data). In the second half of the thesis, I analyse prejudice and discrimination coming from ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ the Mexican-origin population with the use of psychoanalytic (Freud, Klein, Dalal), sociological (Douglas, Jimenez, Clarke) and post-colonial theories (Fanon, Memmi, Bhabha). In conclusion, I argue that the phenomenon of prejudice and discrimination among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans in Arizona cannot be reduced to psychological nor sociological explanations but that it needs to be addressed and approached by several disciplines

Analysis of the development of the transportation of fluvial load in the sections of the port of Barranquilla to Barrancabermeja

En el desarrollo de la recuperación del Río Grande de la Magdalena dentro los tramos del puerto de Barranquilla hasta Barrancabermeja, se ha evidenciado que ha pasado por diferentes problemas en el proceso de la contratación del proyecto denominado Asociación Pública Privada (APP), debido a diferentes irregularidades con el contratista, teniendo en cuenta los malos manejos de los recursos, compra de material irregular lo cual ha originado un deterioro en los puerto y dragados del rio Magdalena, generado una disminución en el transporte de carga por medio del modo fluvial. El objetivo principal del artículo, es identificar el desarrollo del rio magdalena y el medio de transporte de carga dentro de los tramos del puerto de Barranquilla y Barrancabermeja apoyando la investigación con fuentes bibliográficas, principalmente tomadas de internet, utilizando artículos, documentos institucionales y documentos de entidades estatales (Cormagdalena y Ministerio de Transporte) dentro de los años 2012 al 2018 y así conocer las falencias que se han presentado con el proyecto que el gobierno ha puesto en marcha y que a la fecha se encuentran suspendidos y pendientes de nuevas aprobaciones.In the development of the recovery of the Magdalena River within the stretches of the port of Barranquilla to Barrancabermeja, has shown that it has gone through different problems in the process of contracting the project called APP, due to different irregularities with the contractor, taking into account account for the poor management of resources, purchase of irregular material which has caused a deterioration in the ports and dredging of the Magdalena River, generating a decrease in the transport of cargo through the fluvial mode. The main objective of the article is to identify the causes and development of freight transport by the river supporting research with bibliographic sources, mainly taken from the internet, using articles, institutional documents and documents from state entities (Cormagdalena and Ministry of Transport) within from the years 2012 to 2018 and thus know the shortcomings that have arisen with the project that the government has launched and that to date are suspended and pending new approvals

Variabilidad espacio temporal de la biomasa de los grupos funcionales del fitoplancton frente a la costa peruana (2000-2009)

El Norte del Ecosistema de la Corriente de Humboldt (NECH), localizado a lo largo del Sudeste del Océano Pacífico, frente a Perú, es considerado uno de los sistemas naturales más productivos en el mundo, por ello de gran relevancia el estudio del fitoplancton como base de la trama trófica marina. Basados en las relaciones entre la superficie celular, biovolumen y máxima dimensión lineal de las células de las especies del fitoplancton, se encontraron 140 especies en el grupo funcional ‘R’ (especies ruderales, adaptables a condiciones de alta mezcla); 133 especies en el grupo funcional ‘S’ (especies estrés-tolerantes, predominantes en condiciones oligotróficas y de alta luz) y 19 especies en el grupo funcional ‘C’ (especies competitivas, oportunistas, predominantes en condiciones mesotróficas y de alta luz). En el grupo funcional R destacaron las diatomeas elongadas, pennadas, dispuestas en cadenas; en el S se encontraron dinoflagelados, diatomeas centrales grandes y silicoflagelados; mientras que, en el grupo funcional C destacaron cocolitofóridos, algunos dinoflagelados mixotróficos y nanoflagelados. Los porcentajes de coincidencia entre la clasificación morfométrica de grupos funcionales del presente estudio y la clasificación ecológica, estuvieron entre 52 y 90 %. Se propone el uso de estos grupos para evaluar variaciones espacio-temporales del fitoplancton y su relación con condiciones ambientales en el NECH.The Northern Humboldt Current Ecosystem, located along the Southeastern Pacific off Peru, is considered as one of the most productive natural system in the world, being of great relevance the study of phytoplankton as the basis of the marine trophic web. Based on the relationships between the cell surface, biovolume and maximum linear dimension of the cells of the phytoplankton species, 140 species were found in the functional group 'R' (ruderal species, adaptable to high mixing conditions); 133 species in functional group 'S' (stress-tolerant species, predominant in oligotrophic and high light conditions) and 19 species in functional group 'C' (competitive, opportunistic species, predominant in mesotrophic and high light conditions). These three groups are respectively composed of elongated, pennate, and chain-forming diatoms (group R); dinoflagellates, large central diatoms and silicoflagellates (group S) and coccolithophores, some mixotrophic dinoflagellates and phytoflagellates (group C). Coincidence percentages between the functional groups classification of the present study and the ecological classification were between 52% and 90 %. The use of functional groups is proposed to evaluate the spatio-temporal variations of phytoplankton and its relation with environmental conditions in the Northern Humboldt Current Ecosystem