Taming the Chaos: Nature, Sovereignty, and the Politics of Writing in Modern Latin America.

This dissertation examines the relation between nature and sovereignty in 19th and 20th-century Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay by focusing on the cultural production (literary and visual) related to the rainforest regions of these three countries: the Amazon and Paraná. It privileges the concept of nature as something historically produced in opposition to traditional notions that regard it as an immutable substratum of reality. In this sense, nature is conceived of as a discursive practice that erases history in order to generate the ‘natural’ preconditions—broadly defined to include the realm of the non-human, instinctual human drives or violence not monopolized by the State —that support the need to impose social control. While this work demonstrates how certain cultural mediations of sovereignty in Latin America rest on the articulation between the natural and the political, it also illustrates processes in which literature opens spaces of critical and ethical reflection that reorient politics away from the control of sovereignty. This study combines readings of works by canonical figures (Euclides da Cunha, José de Alencar, José Eustasio Rivera, Augusto Roa Bastos) and less well-known authors (Lope de Aguirre, Alberto Rangel, Rafael Barrett) with analyses of monumental architecture, landscape painting, photography, and cinema. Theoretically, it draws on early modern theories of natural law (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau), critical approaches to the concept of sovereignty (Schmitt, Benjamin, Foucault, Agamben), recent discussions on the production of nature and the body-politic in science studies (Haraway, Latour), and contemporary Latin American cultural theory.Ph.D.Romance Languages & Literatures: SpanishUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89749/1/aquin_1.pd

(post) literatura, mercado y espectáculo en la escritura de ef raim medina reyes

En este artículo propongo leer la producción narrativa de Efraim Medina Reyes como un tipo de escritura que surge de un espacio narrativo postliterario caracterizado por el choque de la institución literaria con el mercado y la industria cultural. Este nuevo espacio representa el agotamiento, no sólo del tradicional impulso autonómico de la literatura como expresión artística, sino también de las antiguas correspondencias entre nación, cultura y territorio. Sin embargo, el sucumbir a la inmanencia del mercado y al lenguaje de la industria cultural no impide que la narrativa de Medina Reyes sea también crítica e irónica respecto a los mismos elementos que contiene y reproduce

Perfil fitoquímico, actividad antimicrobiana y antioxidante de extractos de Gnaphalium oxyphyllum y Euphorbia maculata nativas de Sonora, México

The use of synthetic chemical compounds to preserve foods or treat diseases of bacterial origin is limited because they can cause health damage. Therefore, the food and livestock industries seek natural strategies to preserve foods and preserve the health of animals intended for human consumption. In this sense, some extracts of plant from Sonora, Mexico could be an alternative due to the great diversity of plants and the fact that some of them are traditionally used to treat diseases. On the other hand, there are few studies that support the biological activity of ethanolic extracts of Gnaphalium oxyphyllum (E1) and Euphorbia maculata (E2). In this study, phytochemical content was determined by spectrophotometry, antimicrobial activity was determined by agar diffusion and antioxidant activity was evaluated by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP. The results showed that the E1 and E2 extracts had total phenols, total flavonoids, flavones and flavonols, total flavanones and dihydroflavonols, as well as total tannins, total chlorogenic acid and total polysaccharides. In addition, both extracts showed higher antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 when 1 mg ml-1 was used (P<0.05). In addition, they presented antioxidant activity by the methods of ABTS, DPPH and FRAP. Therefore, the antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of these plants represents a natural alternative to control some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the livestock industry, as well as for food preservation.El uso de compuestos químicos sintéticos para conservar alimentos o tratar enfermedades de origen bacteriano está limitado debido a que pueden ocasionar daños en la salud. Por ello, las industrias alimentaria y pecuaria buscan estrategias naturales para conservar alimentos y mantener la salud de los animales destinados a consumo humano. En este sentido, algunos extractos de plantas provenientes de Sonora, México podrían ser una alternativa debido a la gran diversidad de plantas y que algunas de ellas se utilizan tradicionalmente para tratar enfermedades. Por otro lado, son pocos los estudios que sustentan la actividad biológica de los extractos etanólicos de Gnaphalium oxyphyllum (E1) y Euphorbia maculata (E2). En este estudio, el contenido de fitoquímicos se determinó por espectrofotometría, la actividad antimicrobiana se determinó por difusión en agar y la actividad antioxidante se evaluó por ABTS, DPPH y FRAP. Los resultados mostraron que los extractos E1 y E2 presentaron fenoles totales, flavonoides totales, flavonas y flavonoles, flavanonas y dihidroflavonoles totales, así como, taninos totales, ácido clorogénico total y polisacáridos totales. Además, ambos extractos mostraron mayor actividad antimicrobiana contra Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19115, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 y Salmonella entérica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 14028 cuando se utilizó 1 mg ml-1 (P<0.05). Además, presentaron actividad antioxidante por los métodos de ABTS, DPPH y FRAP. Por lo anterior, el potencial antimicrobiano y antioxidante de estas plantas representa una alternativa natural para controlar algunas bacterias Gram positivas y Gram negativas en la industria pecuaria, así como para la conservación de alimentos

En torno al principio de diferencia de john rawls

Este ensayo trata de demostrar que la crítica comunitarista de Michael Sandel al principio de diferencia de Rawls -cuyo propósito es mostrar que este último está comprometido con cuna concepción de la comunidad que no puede justificar desde su posición deontológica liberal- puede ser soslayado si es posible entender dicho principio como un principio que involucra el reconocimiento de la realidad social del individuo. Mi posición es que esta realidad no requiere de una justificación

Mímesis del poder: cuerpo político, biopolítica y repetición

La asociación de la mimesis con modalidades ingenuas de representación es una herencia de la ontología platónica quesigue teniendo vigencia en la época contemporánea. Este artículo cuestiona algunos de los presupuestos conceptualesde dicha asociación para favorecer una concepción más compleja de la mimesis, fundada en la noción de “similitudes nosensoriales” y en la voluntad de poder implícita en el acto mimético. En términos más generales, el artículo explora lasinscripciones miméticas subyacentes a las teorías modernas del cuerpo político y al modo biopolítico de gobernabilidad

Actividad antimicrobiana de plantas nativas de Sonora, México, contra bacterias patógenas aisladas de leche de vacas diagnosticadas con mastitis

Bovine mastitis is a disease caused by pathogenic bacteria that infect the mammary gland of dairy cattle, which generates significant economic losses, in addition, due to the excessive use of antibiotics to treat this disease, microorganisms have created resistance to these drugs, therefore, new alternatives are sought for this purpose. The objective was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of extracts of plant native to Sonora against pathogenic bacteria isolated from cows diagnosed with mastitis. Seventeen ethanolic extracts were obtained from plants native to Sonora, and their antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the agar diffusion method against seven pathogens isolated from milk from cows with mastitis, using a concentration of 50 mg/ml of each extract. The content of total phenols and flavonoids was determined by spectrophotometry. The results showed that extracts of Ibervillea sonorae (wereke, tuber), Populus alba (poplar, leaves), Ambrosia ambrosioides (chicura, stems), Krameria sonorae (cosahui, roots) and Prosopis velutina (mesquite, leaves) were effective in eliminating S. aureus, Streptococcus spp., E. coli, Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp., Shigella spp. and Citrobacter spp. (P<0.05). In addition, extracts high in total phenols and flavonoids (wereke, poplar, chicura, cosahui and mesquite) showed an inverse correlation with respect to pH (r= -0.94, r= -0.92, respectively) (P<0.05) and had greater antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogens. Therefore, the extracts of plants from Sonoran could represent an alternative for the control of Gram (+) and Gram (-) pathogens that infect the mammary gland of dairy cattle.La mastitis bovina es una enfermedad causada por bacterias patógenas que infectan la glándula mamaria del ganado lechero, lo cual genera pérdidas económicas importantes, además, debido al uso excesivo de antibióticos para tratar esta enfermedad, los microorganismos han creado resistencia a estos fármacos, por ello, se buscan nuevas alternativas para este fin. El objetivo fue evaluar el efecto antimicrobiano de extractos de plantas nativas de Sonora contra bacterias patógenas aisladas de vacas diagnosticadas con mastitis. Se obtuvieron 17 extractos etanólicos de plantas nativas de Sonora, y se evaluó su actividad antimicrobiana por el método de difusión en agar contra siete patógenos aislados de leche de vacas con mastitis utilizando una concentración de 50 mg/ml de cada extracto. El contenido de fenoles y flavonoides totales se determinó mediante espectrofotometría. Los resultados mostraron que los extractos de Ibervillea sonorae (wereke, tubérculo), Populus alba (álamo, hojas), Ambrosia ambrosioides (chicura, tallos), Krameria sonorae (cosahui, raíces) y Prosopis velutina (mezquite, hojas) fueron eficaces para eliminar a S. aureus, Streptococcus spp., E. coli, Enterobacter spp., Proteus spp., Shigella spp. y Citrobacter spp. (P<0.05). Además, los extractos con alto contenido de fenoles y flavonoides totales (wereke, álamo, chicura, cosahui y mezquite)  mostraron una correlación inversa con respecto al pH (r = -0.94, r = -0.92, respectivamente) (P<0.05) y presentaron mayor actividad antimicrobiana contra los patógenos probados. Por lo anterior, los extractos de las plantas de Sonora podrían  representar una alternativa para el control de patógenos  Gram (+) y Gram (-) que infectan la glándula mamaria del ganado lechero

Health-status outcomes with invasive or conservative care in coronary disease

BACKGROUND In the ISCHEMIA trial, an invasive strategy with angiographic assessment and revascularization did not reduce clinical events among patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate or severe ischemia. A secondary objective of the trial was to assess angina-related health status among these patients. METHODS We assessed angina-related symptoms, function, and quality of life with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) at randomization, at months 1.5, 3, and 6, and every 6 months thereafter in participants who had been randomly assigned to an invasive treatment strategy (2295 participants) or a conservative strategy (2322). Mixed-effects cumulative probability models within a Bayesian framework were used to estimate differences between the treatment groups. The primary outcome of this health-status analysis was the SAQ summary score (scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better health status). All analyses were performed in the overall population and according to baseline angina frequency. RESULTS At baseline, 35% of patients reported having no angina in the previous month. SAQ summary scores increased in both treatment groups, with increases at 3, 12, and 36 months that were 4.1 points (95% credible interval, 3.2 to 5.0), 4.2 points (95% credible interval, 3.3 to 5.1), and 2.9 points (95% credible interval, 2.2 to 3.7) higher with the invasive strategy than with the conservative strategy. Differences were larger among participants who had more frequent angina at baseline (8.5 vs. 0.1 points at 3 months and 5.3 vs. 1.2 points at 36 months among participants with daily or weekly angina as compared with no angina). CONCLUSIONS In the overall trial population with moderate or severe ischemia, which included 35% of participants without angina at baseline, patients randomly assigned to the invasive strategy had greater improvement in angina-related health status than those assigned to the conservative strategy. The modest mean differences favoring the invasive strategy in the overall group reflected minimal differences among asymptomatic patients and larger differences among patients who had had angina at baseline

Initial invasive or conservative strategy for stable coronary disease

BACKGROUND Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, whether clinical outcomes are better in those who receive an invasive intervention plus medical therapy than in those who receive medical therapy alone is uncertain. METHODS We randomly assigned 5179 patients with moderate or severe ischemia to an initial invasive strategy (angiography and revascularization when feasible) and medical therapy or to an initial conservative strategy of medical therapy alone and angiography if medical therapy failed. The primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, or resuscitated cardiac arrest. A key secondary outcome was death from cardiovascular causes or myocardial infarction. RESULTS Over a median of 3.2 years, 318 primary outcome events occurred in the invasive-strategy group and 352 occurred in the conservative-strategy group. At 6 months, the cumulative event rate was 5.3% in the invasive-strategy group and 3.4% in the conservative-strategy group (difference, 1.9 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8 to 3.0); at 5 years, the cumulative event rate was 16.4% and 18.2%, respectively (difference, 121.8 percentage points; 95% CI, 124.7 to 1.0). Results were similar with respect to the key secondary outcome. The incidence of the primary outcome was sensitive to the definition of myocardial infarction; a secondary analysis yielded more procedural myocardial infarctions of uncertain clinical importance. There were 145 deaths in the invasive-strategy group and 144 deaths in the conservative-strategy group (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.32). CONCLUSIONS Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, we did not find evidence that an initial invasive strategy, as compared with an initial conservative strategy, reduced the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events or death from any cause over a median of 3.2 years. The trial findings were sensitive to the definition of myocardial infarction that was used