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The issue of transitional justice in Mexico, through the Special Prosecutor's Office that functioned between 2001 and 2006, continues to be ignored in academia. Most existing studies assume that the Special Prosecutor's Office was created to generate results to contribute to the consolidation of Mexican democracy, in particular truth and justice. They also point out that this institution failed because it did not achieve truth or justice. They do not agree, however, on the reasons for this failure, such as lack of political will, lack of trained personnel, and clumsy legal strategies. This article moves away from these interpretations and traces the genealogy of the Special Prosecutor's Office. It critically analyzes the crucial role played in transitional justice by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), an institution that has so far been ignored in studies on the subject. The argument framing this research is that, in Mexico, transitional justice was designed by the CNDH in such a way that it contributed to the perpetuation of injustice. This article seeks to show that it is not that the Special Prosecutor's Office has failed on the ground, but that from its inception was designed to generate impunity. Keywords: human rights; Mexico; transitional justice; authoritarian rule; democracy El tema de la justicia transicional mexicana, materializado a traves de una Fiscalia Especial que funciono entre 2001 y 2006, sigue siendo ignorado en la academia. La mayoria de los estudios existentes supone que la Fiscalia Especial fue creada para generar resultados que contribuirian a la consolidation de la democracia mexicana: particularmente, verdad y justicia. Tambien senalan que esta institution fracaso, porque no obtuvo verdad ni justicia. No coinciden, sin embargo, sobre las razones detras de dicho fracaso: falta de voluntad politica, ausencia de personal capacitado, elaboration de estrategias juridicas torpes. Este articulo se aleja de estas interpretaciones y rastrea la genealogia de la Fiscalia Especial. Para hacerlo, analiza criticamente el papel crucial que desempeno en la justicia transicional la Comision Nacional de los Derechos Humanos (CNDH), institution que hasta ahora ha sido ignorada en los estudios sobre el tema. El argumento que enmarca esta investigacion es que, en Mexico, la justicia transicional fue disenada por la CNDH de tal manera que contribuye) a perpetuar la injusticia. Este articulo busca mostrar que no es que la Fiscalia Especial haya fracasado en la marcha, sino que desde su origen fue pensada para otorgar un indulto a los perpetradores de crimenes. Palabras clave: derechos humanos; Mexico; justicia transicional; regimen autoritario; democracia, Mexico alcanzo formalmente la democracia en 2000. Ese ano, el triunfo electoral de Vicente Fox, candidato presidencial del Partido Accion Nacional (PAN), puso fin a setenta anos de regimen autoritario [...]

The quality of mabe pearls from pearl oysters, Pteria sterna, produced in the Chone River Estuary, Ecuador, was evaluated. Adult oysters (70-75 mm total length) were graited with half-pearl nuclei and then maintained in suspended culture conditions in lantern nets at a density of 20 organisms/level. Results showed that the culture conditions generated a great negative influence on the development of nucleated organisms, which resulted in high mortalities and little pearl production. Despite the high mortality, the oysters that managed to survive the second month (22%), produced mabe pearls with nacre thickness deposited on the top of the implanted nucleus close to 0.70mm, the majority (>25%) being of intermediate quality (A and B), according to classic classification criteria (size, luster, impurities, roundness), followed by noncommercial pearls (10%-27%) and 15% high-AA quality mabe pearls. A small fraction was considered as gems ( KEY WORDS: Pteriidae, pearl culture, feasibility, performance, gems, Ecuador, Pteria sterna, INTRODUCTION Pearl production is limited to bivalve molluscs of the genera Pinctada and Pieria (Southgate et al. 2008). The pearl oyster Pieria sterna (Gould 1851) is a species distributed on [...]

Introduction Immunosuppression in the solid tumor microenvironment (TME) impedes T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Tumors evade host adaptive immune responses by inducing [CD8.sup.+] T cell dysfunction, a hypofunctional state characterized by [...], [CD8.sup.+] T cell dysfunction impedes antitumor immunity in solid cancers, but the underlying mechanisms are diverse and poorly understood. Extracellular matrix (ECM) composition has been linked to impaired T cell migration and enhanced tumor progression; however, impacts of individual ECM molecules on T cell function in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are only beginning to be elucidated. Upstream regulators of aberrant ECM deposition and organization in solid tumors are equally ill-defined. Therefore, we investigated how ECM composition modulates [CD8.sup.+] T cell function in undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), an immunologically active desmoplastic tumor. Using an autochthonous murine model of UPS and data from multiple human patient cohorts, we discovered a multifaceted mechanism wherein the transcriptional coactivator YAP1 promotes collagen VI (COLVI) deposition in the UPS TME. In turn, COLVI induces [CD8.sup.+] T cell dysfunction and immune evasion by remodeling fibrillar collagen and inhibiting T cell autophagic flux. Unexpectedly, collagen I (COLI) opposed COLVI in this setting, promoting [CD8.sup.+] T cell function and acting as a tumor suppressor. Thus, [CD8.sup.+] T cell responses in sarcoma depend on oncogene-mediated ECM composition and remodeling.

Child welfare professionals support the complex population of children and youth with prenatal alcohol exposure or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and their families. Yet societal resources are not yet [...]

Introduction Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is negative for hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone) and comprises cells overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) (Kohler et al. 2015), is [...], Mitochondria modify their function and morphology to satisfy the bioenergetic demand of the cells. Cancer cells take advantage of these features to sustain their metabolic, proliferative, metastatic, and survival necessities. Understanding the morphological changes to mitochondria in the different grades of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) could help to design new treatments. Consequently, this research explored mitochondrial morphology and the gene expression of some proteins related to mitochondrial dynamics, as well as proteins associated with oxidative and non-oxidative metabolism in metastatic and non-metastatic TNBC. We found that mitochondrial morphology and metabolism are different in metastatic and non-metastatic TNBC. In metastatic TNBC, there is overexpression of genes related to mitochondrial dynamics, fatty-acid metabolism, and glycolysis. These features are accompanied by a fused mitochondrial morphology. By comparison, in non-metastatic TNBC, there is a stress-associated mitochondrial morphology with hyperfragmented mitochondria, accompanied by the upregulated expression of genes associated with the biogenesis of mitochondria; both of which are characteristics related to the higher production of reactive oxygen species observed in this cell line. These differences between metastatic and non-metastatic TNBC should provide a better understanding of metastasis and contribute to the development of improved specific and personalized therapies for TNBC. Key words: triple-negative breast cancer, metastasis, mitochondria morphology, cancer metabolism. Les mitochondries adaptent leur fonction et leur morphologie pour satisfaire la demande bioenergetique des cellules. Les cellules cancereuses profitent de ces caracteristiques pour repondre a leurs besoins metaboliques, proliferatifs, metastatiques et de survie. Ainsi, la comprehension des changements morphologiques mitochondriaux des differents grades de cancer du sein triple negatif (CSTN) pourrait etre utile pour la conception de nouveaux traitements. Par consequent, cette recherche visait a explorer la morphologie des mitochondries et l'expression genique de certaines proteines liees a la dynamique mitochondriale ainsi que des proteines liees au metabolisme oxydatif et non oxydatif du CSTN meta-statique et non metastatique. Les auteurs ont constate que la morphologie et le metabolisme des mitochondries des CSTN metastatiques et non metastatiques sont differents. Le CSTN metastatique montrait une surexpression des genes lies a la dynamique mitochondriale, aux acides gras et au metabolisme glycolytique. Ces caracteristiques etaient accompagnees d'une morphologie mitochondriale fusionnee. En revanche, le CSTN non metastatique presentait une morphologie mito-chondriale associee au stress, des mitochondries hyperfragmentees et une expression regulee a la hausse des genes lies a la biogenese mitochondriale, deux caracteristiques liees a la production plus elevee de DRO observee dans cette lignee cellu-laire. Ces differences observees entre les CSTN metastatiques et non metastatiques permettront de mieux comprendre le processus de metastase et d'ameliorer le developpement d'unetherapiespecifiqueet personnaliseedu CSTN. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: cancer du sein triple negatif, metastases, morphologie des mitochondries, metabolisme du cancer.

Author(s): Johanna Y. Andrews-Trevino [sup.1], Patrick Webb [sup.1], Gerald Shively [sup.2], Beatrice Rogers [sup.1], Kedar Baral [sup.3], Dale Davis [sup.4], Krishna Paudel [sup.5], Ashish Pokharel [sup.4], Robin Shrestha [sup.1], Jia-Sheng [...], Background Aflatoxins are found in diverse foods widely consumed worldwide. This study investigated the association between aflatoxin exposure and (a) consumption of specific foods, (b) dietary diversity (DD), and (c) seasonality. Methods Women enrolled in the AflaCohort Study in Banke, Nepal (n = 1648) were asked how often they ate certain food items in the past 7 days and 24 h. Serum aflatoxin B.sub.1-lysine (AFB.sub.1-lys) adduct levels, measured during pregnancy, were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariable ordinary least squares and quantile regression models were used to examine incremental increases in AFB.sub.1-lys adduct levels per frequency of food consumption and the relationship between DD, seasonality, and increases in AFB.sub.1-lys adduct. Results Roughly 94% of women were exposed to aflatoxin (geometric mean 1.37 pg/mg). Women in the 30th, 50th, and 70th quantiles of aflatoxin exposure who reported one more occasion of maize consumption in the past week showed increases in AFB.sub.1-lys adduct levels: 0.094, 0.112, and 0.109 pg/mg (p < 0.05, all). Women in the 30th, 50th, 70th, and 90th quantiles of exposure who reported one more occasion of groundnut consumption in the past week also showed increases in AFB.sub.1-lys adduct levels: 0.058 (p < 0.001), 0.085 (p < 0.01), 0.133 (p < 0.001), and 0.133 (p < 0.001) pg/mg. Winter month recruitment was positively associated with AFB.sub.1-lys adduct levels at all quantiles of aflatoxin exposure (range: 0.313-1.101 pg/mg, p < 0.001). DD was not predictive of aflatoxin exposure. Conclusions Our findings justify integrated approaches to aflatoxin reduction, including regulatory, agricultural, and food safety interventions across the value chain and at the household level.

This article analyses the film Up in the Air (2009) to explore one of the ways in which mobilities are reflected in twenty-first century cinema. The film's main character, played by George Clooney, is presented as a hypermobile traveller who has adopted a rootless, nomadic lifestyle that enables him to move at will. Combining contemporary critical theories on mobility with close textual analysis, this article examines the specific type of mobility embodied by the film's protagonist, based on weightlessness and incessant, frictionless movement, as well as the effects that large-scale mobility has on people's identities and on the ways in which they relate to others. As will be argued, the representation of the protagonist's mobility changes in the course of the film, in ways that call attention to the shortcomings of his highly mobile lifestyle. Keywords: Up in the Air; mobility; mobile elite; mobile intimacy; George Clooney; gender Este articulo utiliza la pelicula Up in the Air (2009) para explorar una de las maneras en las que el cine contemporaneo refleja el mundo altamente movil en el que vivimos. El personaje principal, interpretado por George Clooney, se presenta como un viajero hipermovil que ha adoptado un estilo de vida nomada que le permite moverse a voluntad. Combinando las teorias criticas actuales sobre movilidad con el analisis textual, este articulo examina el tipo de movilidad encarnado por el protagonista de la pelicula, el cual se basa en la ingravidez y el movimiento incesante y sin friccion, asi como los efectos que tiene la movilidad a gran escala en la identidad de las personas y en la manera en que estas se relacionan con otras personas. Este articulo explora como la representacion de este tipo de movilidad varia en el transcurso de la pelicula, llamando la atencion sobre las limitaciones de la vida movil del personaje. Palabras clave: Up in the Air; movilidad; elite movil; intimidad movil; George Clooney; genero, Volando solo: La movilidad en Up in the Air 1. INTRODUCTION For some people, air travel is a hassle. Travelling by plane can be rather uncomfortable, expensive and time-consuming. You [...]

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the A horizon (topsoil) exhibits stratification across two depths, 1 cm and 4 cm. Two sites in San Antonio, TX, were chosen to address this question. The first was on the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word. The second was adjacent to the university in the Headwaters Sanctuary. At each locality, soil samples were analyzed in order to examine the morphological diversity of bacteria across site and depth. Preliminary results suggest that the bacterial biodiversity is different when depths are considered as a single entity versus individually. These finding have implications for investigations into soil biodiversity and suggest that in order to gain an accurate estimate of bacterial biodiversity in topsoil multiple depths within this layer of soil should be examined. Keywords: 16S rRNA, biodiversity, bacteria, topsoil, stratification, A horizon, In any ecosystem, terrestrial or aquatic, microorganisms, such as bacteria or fungi, are the most prevalent and diverse organisms present (Whitman et al. 1998; Torsvik et al. 2002; Kemp & [...]

Introduction Immunotherapy targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory axis has produced spectacular results in the treatment of a wide variety of tumors (1-9). The current paradigm dictates that [CD8.sup.+] T cells are [...], Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitory axis has produced remarkable results in the treatment of several types of cancer. Whereas cytotoxic T cells are known to provide important antitumor effects during checkpoint blockade, certain cancers with low MHC expression are responsive to therapy, suggesting that other immune cell types may also play a role. Here, we employed several mouse models of cancer to investigate the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade on NK cells, a population of cytotoxic innate lymphocytes that also mediate antitumor immunity. We discovered that PD-1 and PD-L1 blockade elicited a strong NK cell response that was indispensable for the full therapeutic effect of immunotherapy. PD-1 was expressed on NK cells within transplantable, spontaneous, and genetically induced mouse tumor models, and PD-L1 expression in cancer cells resulted in reduced NK cell responses and generation of more aggressive tumors in vivo. PD-1 expression was more abundant on NK cells with an activated and more responsive phenotype and did not mark NK cells with an exhausted phenotype. These results demonstrate the importance of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in inhibiting NK cell responses in vivo and reveal that NK cells, in addition to T cells, mediate the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy.

Abstract. Our study offers an understanding of how middle managers may use routines as tools to induce their subordinates to engage in widespread unethical behavior. We conducted a 15-month ethnography [...]

During the past few decades, the consumption of fish has increased in many European countries, particularly in Spain. In this country, fish consumption has been traditionally based on marine species, [...], An inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry method was optimized and validated for the determination of major elements (Ca, K, Mg, Na and P) in cultivated freshwater fish (rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss). The method was validated by analysis of a Certified Reference Material, consisting in a frozen tissue homogenate from lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush namaycush). The linearity of this method was very good, as evidenced by the coefficients of correlation (r) for calibration graphs that were higher than 0.9999 in all cases and by linearity test (response factor Keywords: inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, microwave digestion, major element determination, method and validation, fish, rainbow trout, food composition, Oncorhynchus mykiss

This article studies the role of personality in choice under risk and uncertainty. We explore the hypothesis that personality plays a role in decision making in situations of uncertainty but not in situations of risk. In addition to offering support for this main hyfpothesis, we explore the various pathways through which personality exerts its influence. What we find is that in uncertain environments, where decision makers are able to acquire information about the unknown probability distributions they face, personality variables influence the type of information people acquire, which then influences their choice. Our experimental design brings in two novel aspects of choice under uncertainty: information acquisition and advice. The findings indicate that indeed, under uncertainly, personality matters for choice in a way it does not under risk. Furthermore, the results suggest that personality can play a role at multiple levels, such as people's preferences for certain types of information and the likelihood of following advice. (JEL C90, D03, D81), I. INTRODUCTION The economics of decision making under risk leaves little room for personality. Differences between people are typically summarized as differences in their risk aversion parameter, so this parameter [...]

Author(s): Crystal L. Park [sup.1] , Kevin S. Masters [sup.2] , John M. Salsman [sup.3] , Amy Wachholtz [sup.2] [sup.4] , Andrea D. Clements [sup.5] , Elena Salmoirago-Blotcher [sup.6] , [...], Recognizing and understanding the potentially powerful roles that religiousness and spirituality (RS) may serve in the prevention and amelioration of disease, as well as symptom management and health related quality of life, significantly enhances research and clinical efforts across many areas of behavioral medicine. This article examines the knowledge established to date and suggests advances that remain to be made. We begin with a brief summary of the current knowledge regarding RS as related to three exemplary health conditions: (a) cardiovascular disease; (b) cancer; and, (c) substance abuse. We then focus on particular concerns for future investigations, emphasizing conceptual issues, possible mediators and moderators of relationships or effects, and methodology. Our discussion is framed by a conceptual model that may serve to guide and organize future investigations. This model highlights a number of important issues regarding the study of links between RS and health: (a) RS comprise many diverse constructs, (b) the mechanisms through which RS may influence health outcomes are quite diverse, and (c) a range of different types of health and health relevant outcomes may be influenced by RS. The multidimensional nature of RS and the complexity of related associations with different types of health relevant outcomes present formidable challenges to empirical study in behavioral medicine. These issues are referred to throughout our review and we suggest several solutions to the presented challenges in our summary. We end with a presentation of barriers to be overcome, along with strategies for doing so, and concluding thoughts.

Undocumented international migration in Mexico is facing a serious human rights crisis. Each year, hundreds of thousands of migrants, above all from Central America, cross Mexico to reach the United [...]

Introduction Environmental exposures during development have emerged as a significant risk factor for liver disease (Foulds et al. 2017). Some of the clearest demonstrations of the impact of early life [...], Background: Tributyltin (TBT) is a persistent and bioaccumulative environmental toxicant. Developmental exposure to TBT has been shown to cause fatty liver disease (steatosis), as well as increased adiposity in many species, leading to its characterization as an obesogen. Objective: We aimed to determine the long-term effects of developmental TBT exposure on the liver. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were exposed to a dose of TBT (0.5 mg/kg body weight per day; 3.07 [micro]M) below the current developmental no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) via drinking water, or drinking water alone, provided to the dam from preconception through lactation. Sires were exposed during breeding and lactation. Pups from two parity cycles were included in this study. Animals were followed longitudinally, and livers of offspring were analyzed by pathological evaluation, immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and RNA sequencing. Results: Developmental exposure to TBT led to increased adiposity and hepatic steatosis at 14 and 20 weeks of age and increased liver adenomas at 45 weeks of age in male offspring. Female offspring displayed increased adiposity as compared with males, but TBT did not lead to an increase in fatty liver or tumor development in female offspring. Liver tumors in male mice were enriched in pathways and gene signatures associated with human and rodent nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This includes down-regulation of growth hormone receptor (GHR) and of STAT5 signaling, which occurred in response to TBT exposure and preceded liver tumor development. Conclusions: These data reveal a previously unappreciated ability of TBT to increase risk for liver tumorigenesis in mice in a sex-specific manner. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into how early life environmental exposures contribute to liver disease in adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5414

Introduction Implementation and operational research are growing in importance and recognition. Major donors, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, the United [...], In public health, implementation research is done to improve access to interventions that have been shown to work but have not reached many of the people who could benefit from them. Researchers identify practical problems facing public health programmes and aim to find solutions that improve health outcomes. In operational research, routinely-collected programme data are used to uncover ways of delivering more effective, efficient and equitable health care. As Implementation research can address many types of questions, many research designs may be appropriate. Existing reporting guidelines partially cover the methods used In implementation and operational research, so we ran a consultation through the World Health Organization (WHO), the Alliance for Health Policy & Systems Research (AHPSR) and the Special Programme for Research and Training In Tropical Diseases (TDR) and developed guidelines to facilitate the funding, conduct, review and publishing of such studies. Our Intention Is to provide a practical reference for funders, researchers, policymakers, implementers, reviewers and editors working with Implementation and operational research. This is an evolving field, so we plan to monitor the use of these guidelines and develop future versions as required. Dans le domaine de la sante publique, des recherches sur la mise en oeuvre sont menees pour ameliorer l'acces aux interventions qui se sont revelees efficaces, mais qui n'ont pas touche toutes les personnes qui auraient pu en beneficier. Les chercheurs identifient les difficultes pratiques qui compromettent les programmes de sante publique et s'efforcent de trouver des solutions pour ameliorer les resultats sanitaires. Les donnees de programme systematiquement collectees dans le cadre des recherches operationnelles, sont utilisees pour mettre en lumiere des moyens de rendre les soins de sante plus eficaces, efficients et equltables. D'autre part, comme il est possible que les recherches sur la mise en oeuvre portent surde nombreux types de questions, differents plans de recherche peuvent s'averer appropries. Les directives existantes concernant l'etablissement de rapports traitent en partie des methodes utilisees dans le cadre des recherches sur la mise en oeuvre et des recherches operationnelles. Nous avons done mene une consultation au sein de l'Organisation mondiale de la Sante (OMS), de l'Alliance pour la recherche sur les politiques et les systemes de sante (AHPSR) et du Programme special de recherche et de formation concernant les maladies tropicales (TDR) et elabore des directives pour faciliter le financement, la conduite, la revision et la publication de ce type de recherches. Notre objectif est de fournir une reference pratique pour les bailleurs de fonds, les chercheurs, les decldeurs, les responsables de la mise en ceuvre, les reviseurs et les editeurs associes aux recherches sur la mise en oeuvre et aux recherches operationnelles. Ce domaine etant en constante evolution, nous prevoyons de suivre l'utilisation de ces directives et de rediger, si besoin est, de futures versions. En la salud publica, las investigaciones sobre la ejecucion se llevan a cabo para mejorar el acceso a las intervenciones que se ha demostrado que funcionan pero que no han llegado a una gran parte de las personas que podrian beneficiarse de ellas. Los Investigadores identifican los problemas practicos a los que se enfrentan los programas de salud publica y tratan de encontrar soluciones que mejoren los resultados sanitarios. En las Investigaciones operativas, se utilizan datos de programas recopilados rutinariamente para descubrir formas de ofrecer una atencion sanitaria mas efectiva, eficiente y equitativa. Puesto que una Investigacion sobre la ejecucion puede abordar muchos tipos de cuestiones, pueden ser apropiados muchos disenos de Investigacion. Las directrices existentes sobre la presentacion de Informes cubren parcialmente los metodos utilizados en las Investigaciones operativas y sobre la ejecucion, por lo que se llevo a cabo una consulta a traves de la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS), la Alianza para la Investigacion en Politicas y Sistemas de Salud (Alianza IPSS) y el Programa Especial de Investigaciones y Ensenanzas sobre Enfermedades Tropicales (TDR) y se desarrollaron directrices para facilitar la financiacion, realizacion, revision y publicacion de dichos estudios. El objetivo es proporcionar una referencia practica para financiadores, investigadores, responsables de la formulacion de politicas, implementadores, revisores y editores que trabajen con Investigaciones operativas y sobre la ejecucion. Se trata de un area en evolucion, por lo que prevemos supervisar el uso de estas directrices y desarrollar versiones futuras si fuera necesario.

A quantitative study of the helicoidal bubble stability (HBS) of five different HDPE bimodal resins processed under the same conditions was conducted to determine their natural frequencies and how these are related to molecular weight distribution features and typical viscoelastic data. The natural frequency [ω.sub.n], of each resin was obtained by representing the HBS phenomenon as an undamped system under the influence of a harmonic force, whose solution required force balance and Fourier series analyses of video-recorded oscillations of the bubbles. It was found that [ω.sub.n] was directly related to the stability grading on these bimodal resins established by experimental technicians running the blown film line. The same trends were observed when comparing with the entanglement index, [Mw.sub.B]/Me, the characteristic retardation time [t.sub.67%] obtained from recovery compliance data, and the cross-over point frequency (COP). These trends were not linear, indicating perhaps the existence of a percolation threshold for [ω.sub.n] with respect to the entanglement index and to the mentioned rheological parameters., INTRODUCTION Films are primarily used in the packaging industry for food and other consumer products. One method for producing films with a good balance of mechanical properties is film blowing. [...]