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This article explores how power relations are constructed in the governance of higher education institutions. It examines and deconstructs, from a Foucauldian perspective, power relations and mechanisms in the relationship between the state and higher education institutions, and between academic and management staff. This research article originates from a benchmarking project. The data was collected by a structured questionnaire that was developed to allow the research team to map the governance structures and processes on four main governance areas: internal and external stakeholders; decision-making bodies and actors; quality of governance; and key performance indicators. The surprising finding is that governments have used their authority to influence and shape the governance structures of their higher education institutions, but also their decision-making processes. We suggest that, as the external and internal environments of higher education institutions are not the same, there is no "one-size-fits-all" model of "good governance" for higher education.

In a context of re-definition of what is Agroecology, we reflect on the characteristics of an agroecological education for food sovereignty (AEFS). To do this, we analyse four courses self-claiming to have a food sovereignty focus in the formal and non-formal spheres in Brazil and Spain by answering three questions: "from where" (motivations and actors promoting it), "who" (teachers, students), and "how" (pedagogies). We describe the commonalities and differences among them and show that in developing AEFS, the most important question is the from where. However, important differences may exist between the formal and non-formal spheres, mostly in the who and the how. AEFS in the classroom is based on diálogo de saberes , participatory methodologies and dynamics with a rotational focus (alternancia) on learning from the dialectic between theory and practice and reflection and action. Furthermore, the emotional and organizational spaces are as important as the "official" content of the course. We conclude that despite existing barriers to follow some of pedagogical tools in the formal sphere, it is possible to develop AEFS with a focus on transformative education. • In a resignification context of Agroecology, agroecological education is another terrain in dispute. • Agroecological Education for Food Sovereignty (AEFS) aims at transforming power relationships. • In AEFS the who and from where are as important as the how. • In AEFS, the emotional and organizational spaces are as important as the "official" content of the course. • In the formal context, despit some barriers exist, it is possible to develop AEFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the main ubiquitous compounds released from plastics in the environment. This compound, considered an endocrine disruptor, poses a risk to aquatic wildlife and human population, being included in multiple environmental monitoring programmes. Following the regulations restricting BPA use in the last years, BPA-like chemicals have been produced and used as BPA substitutes. However, they are not commonly included in monitoring programs yet and their presence is thus misrepresented, despite showing similar endocrine disrupting potential. In this work, an analytical method for analysing bisphenol A and five of its analogues (Bisphenol S, B, F, AF and Tetrabromobisphenol A) is described, validated for water (riverine, sea and wastewater), sediment, and biota (fish and biofilm) and applied to monitor their presence in the Ebro River Delta (NE Spain). In addition, plastic litter was also collected to evaluate their role as potential source of bisphenols. All compounds except BPF were detected in the analysed samples. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were discarded as major sources of BPs into the natural aquatic environment, as no BPs were detected in treated effluents. Indeed, the high levels of BPs in the natural environment could be related with direct discharge of raw wastewater from small rural population nucleus. The analysis of riverine plastic leachates yielded 4 out of the 6 BPs analysed, strengthening the hypothesis that plastic debris are also a source of BPs in the natural environment. Whereas Bisphenol S and BPA were detected in water and, to a limited extent, in biota, less polar analogues (mainly BPAF and TBBPA) were not found in any of the water samples. Instead, these hydrophobic BPs were found in fish tissues and biofilm, pointing out plastics and microplastics as their possible vectors. Finally, biofilm demonstrated its potential as sentinel of chemical contamination in freshwater environment. [Display omitted] • Bisphenols were studied in biotic and non-biotic fluvial compartments. • Polar bisphenols detected in all environmental compartments. • Less polar bisphenol analogues only found in fish tissues and fluvial biofilm. • Plastic litter pointed out as a source of bisphenol contamination in river. • Fluvial biofilm as a sentinel for bisphenols monitoring in the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unusual exchange of princesses that, in January 1729, brought the two Iberian courts together at the border at Caia, between Elvas and Badajoz, was unprecedented in terms of pomp and the desire of both parties to outdo each other. Although it has aroused great interest among historians and art historians in both countries, the event has not been subject to a critical comparison by either discipline. This article will analyse many of these aspects in depth and will also shed new light provided by important and hitherto unseen documents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) entails managing dynamic data that pose an analytical challenge. Thus, methods that assume proportional hazards to investigate prognosis entail a risk of misinterpreting or overlooking key traits or time-varying effects. We examined the AGAMENON registry, which collects data from 2,129 patients with advanced gastric cancer. An accelerated failure time (AFT) multistate model and flexible competing risks regression were used to scrutinize the time-varying effect of CAT, as well as to estimate how covariates dynamically predict cumulative incidence. The AFT model revealed that thrombosis shortened progression-free survival and overall survival with adjusted time ratios of 0.72 and 0.56, respectively. Nevertheless, its prognostic effect was nonproportional and disappeared over time if the subject managed to survive long enough. CAT that occurred later had a more pronounced prognostic effect. In the flexible competing risks model, multiple covariates were seen to have significant time-varying effects on the cumulative incidence of CAT (Khorana score, secondary thromboprophylaxis, high tumor burden, and cisplatin-containing regimen), whereas other predictors exerted a constant effect (signet ring cells and primary thromboprophylaxis). The model that assumes proportional hazards was incapable of capturing the effect of these covariates and predicted the cumulative incidence in a biased way. This study evinces that flexible and multistate models are a useful and innovative method to describe the dynamic effect of variables associated with CAT and should be more widely used., Competing Interests: None declared., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: Resection of intact primary tumor is controversial in metastatic breast cancer patients. The aim of this study is to review the impact of surgical resection of primary tumor on overall survival and to assess the role of timing of surgery on survival rates., Methods: 208 patients with metastatic breast cancer diagnosed between 1982 and 2005 in the Hospital Clinico of Valencia (Spain) were analysed. Exclusion criteria were age >80, PS 3-4, Charlson score 3 or follow-up < 90 days. 123 of these underwent surgery and 85 did not. In order to assess the role of timing, the "surgery" cohort was divided into two sub-groups: "before" (n = 78) or "after" (n = 45) diagnosis of disseminated disease., Results: In the surgery group, patients underwent mastectomy with axillary dissection (82.9%), without axillary dissection (8.9%) and conservative surgery (8.1%). After a median follow-up of 29.68 months, median OS in the "surgery" and the "non-surgery" groups were, 40.4 and 24.3 months. Removal of the primary tumor therefore had a significant positive impact on survival rates (p < 0.001). Benefits of surgery were observed mainly in patients with visceral disease (p = 0.005); no statistical differences were found in those with bone disease (p = 0.79). Univariate analysis for overall survival (OS) identified surgery, performance status, clinical T stage, hormone receptors and number and type of metastases as variables that impacted on survival. In the multivariate test, only resection of primary tumor and estrogen receptors maintained statistical significance, surgery having a protective effect with an HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.35-0.77). No differences in survival were found between the two sub-groups according to the timing of surgery: "before" vs "after"(p = 0.996)., Conclusions: Resection of primary tumor should be considered not only as a palliative or preventive strategy but also as an approach that possibly contributes to the control of the disease in selected patients., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)