“Milady’s bodice”: desire and taboo in Avant et après by Jacqueline Harpman

Réflexion teintée d’humour quoique sérieuse sur les manières dont sont vécus les échanges érotiques et amoureux hors normes dans les pays occidentaux, Avant et après suppose implicitement la révision des archétypes touchant à la séduction et la déconstruction des tabous qui planent sur la satisfaction du désir à travers les propos échangés par des couples circonstanciels lors de rencontres éphémères

Longitudinal data analysis with structural equations

In this paper we review different structural equation models for the analysis of longitudinal data: (a) univariate models of observable variables, (b) multivariate models of observable variables, (c) models with latent variables, (d) models that are unconditioned or conditioned to other variables (depending on the variability of the independent variables: time-varying or time-invariant, and depending on the type of independent variables: of latent variables or of observable variables), (e) models with interaction of variables, (f) models with non-linear variables, (g) models with a constant, (h) with single level and multilevel measurement, and (i) other advances in SEM of longitudinal data (latent growth curve model, latent difference score, etc.). We have paid more attention to the interaction of variables and to non-linear transformations of variables because they are not frequently used in empirical investigation. They do, however, offer interesting possibilities to researchers who wish to verify relations between the variables they obtain. Potential applications are described, with their advantages and disadvantages

China and Brazil Productive Structure and Economic Growth Compared: 1980’s to 2000’s

China and Brazil are two countries with continental dimensions, with differences in availability of natural resources, population sizes, and which have adopted different strategies of economic growth in the past. China has been following consistently a strategy of Export Led Growth (ELG), while Brazil, until the mid 1990s had a strategy based on Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) with a relatively closed economy to the external market; however, recently Brazil has been switching to a more open economy, based on primary goods exports. In the mid 1980s the Gross National Income measured in US$ using purchasing power parity rates (GNI-PPP) of China and Brazil were at approximately the same level, but by the mid 2000s the GNI-PPP of China was around 4 times greater than Brazil’s. By looking at a series of input-output tables and their indicators, like multipliers and linkages, for China (1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007) and Brazil (1985, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007), we analyze, and compare the productive structures, and their changes over time, for these two countries. From the results, we are able to show the differences between these two countries and the results of the development strategies used by them.China, Brazil, Input-Output, Productive Structure, Economic Growth

La cultura de aprendizaje de las organizaciones educativas: instrumentos de diagnóstico y evaluación

La investigación educativa desarrollada a partir de experiencias, de modo creciente, ha puesto de manifiesto la mejora educativa cuando las escuelas funcionan como Organizaciones que aprenden. Promover procesos de mejora debe tener, como punto de partida, un “diagnóstico” de la situación actual de la organización. En este trabajo se revisan los mejores instrumentos de diagnóstico con que contamos sobre las Organizaciones que Aprenden, su categorización y adaptación al contexto español. El Cuestionario sobre las “Dimensiones de una Organización que Aprende”, desde su propuesta por Watkins y Marsick (1997) ha tenido una amplia aceptación, siendo objeto de adaptación y validación transcultural en muchos países. Por eso, se hace un extenso análisis, más específicamente de la adaptación y validación en el ámbito hispanoamericano (Colombia y Venezuela). En el estudio en que nos basamos hemos hecho (Bolívar, 2011) nuestra propia traducción y una adaptación al contexto escolar, particularmente de su versión abreviada (Yang, 2003). A su vez, se formulan líneas para completar el diagnóstico con instrumentos cualitativos y en una dimensión de Comunidad Profesional de Aprendizaj

Interpersonal perceptions of adverse peer experiences in first-grade students

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify which adverse peer experiences better predict perceived negative peer relationships among elementary school first graders according to sex. The peer experiences examined were peer rejection, peer victimization, and mutual antipathy; the interpersonal perceptions studied were perceived peer victimization, dyadic meta-perception of peer disliking, and loneliness. Methods: The participants were 809 children (Mage = 6.4 years, SD = 0.32; ngirls = 412, 50.9%) enrolled in 35 first-grade classes from 15 schools in 4 Spanish regions: Valencia, n = 276, 34.1%; Balearic Islands, n = 140, 17.3%; Andalusia, n = 199, 24.6%; Castile-Leon, n = 194, 24%. We calculated sex differences in peer experiences and interpersonal perceptions by means of one-way ANOVA for means differences and Fisher’s r-to-z transformation for correlations differences. We used a multilevel regression analysis (nesting variables: class and region) to determine whether the associations between each peer experiences and each perception were unique. Results: Each adverse peer relationship predicted each interpersonal perception differentially. Peer victimization was a good predictor of the three interpersonal perceptions, and the only predictor of perceived peer victimization. Peer rejection predicted loneliness, whereas mutual antipathies predicted dyadic meta-perception of peer disliking, although more so among girls. A significant effect at region level was found but not at class level. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that research should take into account the different levels of the social peer system when analyzing peer experiences within the classroom context. The study contributes to sensitize teachers about the greater responsiveness of 6-year-old girls to adverse peer experiences, and it could be useful for designing interventions that would help children oppose rejection and empower active bystanders to fight against peer mistreatment.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España EDU2012-35930Universitat Jaume I P1-1A2012-0

Pooled Time Series Modeling Reveals Smoking Habit Memory Pattern

Smoking is a habit that is hard to break because nicotine is highly addictive and smoking behavior is strongly linked to multiple daily activities and routines. Here, we explored the effect of gender, age, day of the week, and previous smoking on the number of cigarettes smoked on any given day. Data consisted of daily records of the number of cigarettes participants smoked over an average period of 84 days. The sample included smokers (36 men and 26 women), aged between 18 and 26 years, who smoked at least five cigarettes a day and had smoked for at least 2 years. A panel data analysis was performed by way of multilevel pooled time series modeling. Smoking on any given day was a function of the number of cigarettes smoked on the previous day, and 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 days previously, and the day of the week. Neither gender nor age influenced this pattern, with no multilevel effects being detected, thus the behavior of all participants fitted the same smoking model. These novel findings show empirically that smoking behavior is governed by firmly established temporal dependence patterns and inform temporal parameters for the rational design of smoking cessation programs

Vasculitis after blood pressure monitoring

Introducción Descripción de aparición equimosis en un brazo asociado inicialmente a la toma de presión arterial, por Vasculitis Leucocitoclástica y propuesta de utilidades alternativas de la toma de presión arterial. Caso Clínico Varón de 80 años acude a urgencias con disnea, insuficiencia cardíaca, insuficiencia renal prediálisis con hiperpotasemia e inestabilidad hemodinámica. Durante su estancia desarrolló una lesión cutánea con aspecto de púrpura palpable, marcada desde el límite inferior del manguito de presión arterial hasta la zona distal de la mano y que no desaparecía a la vitropresión, y prurito. Durante su ingreso la lesión del brazo se extendió a todos los miembros, tanto superiores como inferiores El estudio de la lesión del brazo concluyó con diagnóstico de vasculitis Leucocitoclástica por la presencia de eosinófilos, lo que sugiere probable etiología medicamentosa a un antibiótico que llevaba tomando siete días antes de la entrada a urgencias. Discusión Se plantea la necesidad de monitorización seriada de la presión arterial, y la duración de dicha monitorización en pacientes inestables frente a los efectos secundarios de esta técnica. También el estudio de otras utilidades de la toma de presión arterial.Introduction Description of ecchymoses appearance in the arm, initially associated with measurement of blood pressure, but caused by leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and proposal for alternative utility of measuring blood pressure. Clinical Case 80-year-old male came to ER with dyspnea, heart failure, renal failure predialysis with hyperkalemia and hemodynamic instability. During his stay he developed a skin lesion that looks like palpable purpura, marked from the lower limit of the blood pressure cuff to the distal area of the hand that not disappeared with vitropression, and pruritus. During admission the arm injury was extended to all members, both upper and lower. The study of the arm injury concluded with diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis given the presence of eosinophils, that which suggested probable drug etiology to an antibiotic that had been taken since seven days prior to admission to ER. Discusions The need for serial monitoring of blood pressure, and the duration of such monitoring in unstable patients considering the side effects of those techniques was questioned. In addition, the study of other utilities of measuring blood pressure