The JP Morgan apologists of CNBC - Felix Salmon

The JP Morgan apologists of CNBC - Felix Salmon http://reut.rs/15C5R4A

The New Normal? Slower R&D Spending

The New Normal? Slower R&D Spending

http://macroblog.typepad.com/macroblog/2013/09/the-new-normal-slower-r-and-d-spending.html

In case you need more to worry about, try this: the pace of research and development (R&D) spending has slowed. The National Science Foundation defines R&D as “creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge” and application of this knowledge toward new applications. (The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) used to treat R&D as an intermediate input in current production. But the latest benchmark revision of the national accounts recorded R&D spending as business investment expenditure. See here for an interesting implication of this change.)
The following chart shows the BEA data on total real private R&D investment spending (purchased or performed on own-account) over the last 50 years, on a year-over-year percent change basis. (For a snapshot of R&D spending across states in 2007, see here.)

Notice the unusually slow pace of R&D spending in recent years. The 50-year average is 4.6 percent. The average over the last 5 years is 1.1 percent. This slower pace of spending has potentially important implications for overall productivity growth, which has also been below historic norms in recent years.
R&D spending is often cited as an important source of productivity growth within a firm, especially in terms of product innovation. But R&D is also an inherently risky endeavor, since the outcome is quite uncertain. So to the extent that economic and policy uncertainty has helped make businesses more cautious in recent years, a slow pace of R&D spending is not surprising. On top of that, the federal funding of R&D activity remains under significant budget pressure. See, for example, here.
So you can add R&D spending to the list of things that seem to be moving more slowly than normal. Or should we think of it as normal?
By John Robertson, vice president and senior economist in the Atlanta Fed’s research department

September 26, 2013 

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 The New Normal? Slower R&D Spending:

Research article

Guava pomace: a new source of anti-inflammatory and analgesic bioactives

Carina Denny, Priscilla Melo, Marcelo Franchin, Adna P Massarioli, Keityane B Bergamaschi, Severino M de Alencar and Pedro L Rosalen

• http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/13/235/abstract

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BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013, 13:235 doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-235
Published: 24 September 2013

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Guava pomace is an example of the processing waste generated after the manufacturing process from the juice industry that could be a source of bioactives. Thus, the present investigation was carried out in order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive potential and determinate the main phenolic compounds of a guava pomace extract (GPE).

Methods

The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by carrageenan, dextran, serotonin, histamine-induced paw edema and neutrophils migration in the peritoneal cavity models. Acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing and formalin test were performed to investigate the antinociceptive effects. In addition, the content of total phenolic and of individual phenolic compounds was determined by GC/MS.

Results

GPE showed anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenan, dextran, serotonin, histamine-induced paw edema and neutrophils migration in the peritoneal cavity models (p < 0.05). GPE also demonstrated antinociceptive activity by acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing and formalin test (p < 0.05). The total phenolic value was 3.40 +/- 0.09 mg GAE/g and epicatechin, quercetin, myricetin, isovanilic and gallic acids were identified by GC/MS analysis.

Conclusions

The presence of bioactive phenolic compounds as well as important effects demonstrated in animal models suggest that guava pomace could be an interesting source of anti-inflammatory and analgesic substances.

Call for Nominations: Lurie Prize in the Biomedical Sciences

Call for Nominations: Lurie Prize in the Biomedical Sciences

Posted: 17 Sep 2013 04:59 AM PDT

Call for Nominations: Lurie Prize in the Biomedical Sciences
Nomination Deadline: October 1, 2013 1:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
In 2014, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) will present the second annual Lurie Prize, an award recognizing outstanding achievement by a promising young scientist in biomedical research. The Prize amount is $100,000, to be used as the awardee chooses. It is made possible by a generous gift from FNIH board member Ann Lurie. The 2013 Lurie Prize was awarded to Ruslan M. Medzhitov, Ph.D., David W. Wallace Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
The awardee will be selected by a jury of six distinguished biomedical researchers, chaired by Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., Distinguished Service Professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacology & Psychiatry, The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The Award will be presented to the selected scientist in spring, 2014.
Nomination Criteria
Nominations are broadly solicited and can be made by any member of an accredited educational and/or scientific institution. There is no limitation on the number of nominations that may be made by a single nominator or institution. No institutional approval is required.
Nominations are to be for an outstanding young biomedical investigator, who must be 52 years of age or younger as of January 1, 2014. A candidate nominated in a previous year may be nominated again as long as he or she still meets the age requirement.
Nomination materials must be in English.
Nominations will not be accepted for candidates whose current location or permanent residence is in countries sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control. See the current list of sanctions at http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx.
No self-nominations will be accepted.
If the nominee is a U.S. federal government employee or anyone else whose receipt of personal cash awards MAY be restricted, the nominator must confirm with the appropriate authority the nominee’s eligibility to receive this award. (For NIH employees, that authority is the NIH Ethics Office.)
Nominations must include the following information:
The name and full contact information of the candidate (name, professional title, institutional affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address, earned degrees, birthdate).
The name and full contact information of the nominator (name, professional title, institutional affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail address, highest degree).
A 50 word citation of the basis for nomination.
A 250 word description of the candidate’s contributions.
The candidate's curriculum vitae (CV) including no more than 10 citations of publications on which the nomination is based.
Nominations submitted with CVs listing more than 10 publications will be rejected. Those nominations may be resubmitted in accordance with the guidelines IF the submission deadline has not passed.
Questions? Please contact us at lurieprizeinfo@fnih.org.

Pope says unemployed should fight for work

PHILIP PULLELLA

Reuters

September 22, 2013

Pope Francis made one of his strongest attacks on the global economic system on Sunday, saying it could no longer be based on a "god called money" and urged the unemployed to fight for work.
Francis, at the start of a day-long trip to the Sardinian capital, Cagliari, put aside his prepared text at a meeting with unemployed workers, including miners in hard hats who told him of their situation, and improvised for nearly 20 minutes.
"I find suffering here ... It weakens you and robs you of hope," he said. "Excuse me if I use strong words, but where there is no work there is no dignity."

- See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/09/22/Pope-Francis-Says-Unemployed-Need-Fight-Work#sthash.kAvbKqJv.dpuf

Monsanto Protection Act of ‘No Concern’ to Senate?

Monsanto Protection Act of ‘No Concern’ to Senate?

Are our Senators hard of hearing?

Hundreds of thousands of people signed petitions and called their representatives and senators when word first surfaced of a law designed to give biotech firms immunity from federal prosecution for illegally growing GMO crops. The Farmers Assurance Provision, dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act,” was nonetheless, in March, quietly and without debate slipped into the Continuing Resolution, a bill to fund the government through September 30.

Now, with a new deadline looming for another possible government shutdown, the Monsanto Protection Act is back, thanks to House Republicans who have kept it in their version of the new Continuing Resolution (H.J.RES.59). Once again, the public is up in arms over this blatant gift to the biotech industry, and slap in the face to the public.

But according to a Jennifer Hing, a spokeswoman for the House Appropriations Committee, all of our protests have fallen on deaf ears. Hing told the Huffington Post that she doesn’t expect the Senate to reject the Monsanto Protection Act: "We have received no indication that this is a concern," she said.

Wow. Speechless. No indication of concern? Okay, let’s keep trying. Please call your senator and ask him or her to vote no on the new Continuing Resolution (H.J.RES.59) unless the Farmers Assurance Provision, aka Monsanto Protection Act, is removed. Then send your Senator a note. And while you’re at it, call your representative, too.


TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Vote No on the Continuing Resolution unless the Monsanto Protection Act is removed

Journal agrees to retract paper after university found study was never done

The University of Queensland has asked the European Journal of Neurology to retract a research paper after finding no evidence that the study described was ever carried out.

The lead author of the paper, which was published online in October 2011, is Bruce Murdoch, the founding head of the university’s Centre for Neurogenic Communication Disorders and former head of the university’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

The paper described a technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation, which the authors claimed would help patients with Parkinson’s disease regain some of their ability to speak.

BMJ 2013; 347 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f5500 (Published 6 September 2013)

Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f5500

Ancient Drugs: Pharmacology Across the Ancient World

Ancient Drugs: Pharmacology Across the Ancient World. Oct. 18, 2013. Philadelphia, PA. This symposium from the University of Pennsylvania Center for Ancient Studies will feature speakers including Alain Touwaide, Mark Plotkin, Robert Ritner, Pierce Salguero, Steve Tinney, Laurence Totelin, Douglas Emery, and William Noel. Free and open to the public. More information.

$40,000 one-year postdoctoral grant

The American Fund for Alternatives to Animal Research and the New England Anti-Vivisection Society are offering a $40,000 one-year postdoctoral grant for 2014-15 (with possible renewal) to a woman committed to developing, validating, or using alternatives to animal methods in the investigation of women’s health or sex differences. Applicants should send a cover letter explaining their commitment to alternative research methods and career goals along with a CV, research proposal, and three letters of recommendation (including one from their mentor) by October 31 to afaar@neavs.org.

Job insecurity and health Health risk from job insecurity needs to be mitigated in these “VUCA times”

Health risk from job insecurity needs to be mitigated in these “VUCA times” | BMJ http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5504

Virtanen and colleagues’ meta-analysis provides high level evidence of a modest link between job insecurity and risk of ischaemic heart disease.1 The association between unemployment and raised morbidity and mortality is known, but few studies have examined measures of health in employees at risk of unemployment,2 some notable studies being reviewed in the meta-analysis.

Ethnovet -- horses

Potential treatments for insulin resistance in the horse: A comparative multi-species review

KD Tinworth, PA Harris, MN Sillence, GK Noble - The Veterinary Journal, 2010 - Elsevier

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia increase the risk of laminitis and horse owners
and veterinarians should attempt to enhance insulin sensitivity in at-risk groups. In obese
animals this may be achieved, in part, by promoting weight loss and increasing exercise, ...

 

[HTML] Medicinal animals used in ethnoveterinary practices of the'Cariri Paraibano', NE Brazil

WMS Souto, JS Mourão, RRD Barboza… - … of ethnobiology and …, 2011 - ethnobiomed.com

Keep up to date with the latest news and articles from Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
and BioMed Central. ... For all author emails, please log on. ... © 2011 Souto et al; licensee
BioMed Central Ltd. ... This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the ...

 

Society for Public Health Education awards and scholarships

Call for Applications: Society for Public Health Education Graduate Student Research Paper Award Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:44 AM PDT Call for Applications: Society for Public Health Education Graduate Student Research Paper Award Deadline for Application: December 13, 2013 The Society for Public Health Education is accepting applications for its annual award for graduate research in health education and health promotion. The purpose of this award is to foster quality graduate student research and provide a mechanism by which to recognize outstanding graduate students for creative and innovative research. The recipient of this award is encouraged to submit the paper for review to one of SOPHE’s two journals, Health Education and Behavior or Health Promotion Practice. The winning paper will be recognized as follows: • $250 cash award • Award certificate • Complimentary registration at the upcoming SOPHE Annual Meeting • Presentation at the SOPHE Annual Meeting (student is responsible for travel expenses) of the research upon which the award is based • Recognition of the award in SOPHE’s newsletter, News & Views and website. ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS 1. Academic Requirements: Students enrolled in a graduate degree program in health education within two years of the submission deadline are eligible for this award. 2. National SOPHE Membership or chapter SOPHE member at time of application (visit http://www.sophe.org to join). 3. The research must be submitted for consideration of publication in the form of a manuscript suitable for publication in either Health Education & Behavior (http://www.sophe.org/Health_Education.cfm) or Health Promotion Practice (http://www.sophe.org/Health_Promotion_Practice.cfm) Publication guidelines are included in each journal issue and online. 4. Faculty Sponsorship Form from the student’s faculty advisor, who must be a SOPHE member in good standing. The form must verify: a. The student is following a course of study in health education or has completed degree requirements within the past two years b. The submitted paper represents the student’s original work c. The research was conducted in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Health Education Profession, Article V: Responsibility in Research and Evaluation. 5. Applicants must indicate their willingness to present the paper at the SOPHE Annual Meeting (student is responsible for travel expenses). REVIEW CRITERIA Papers will be reviewed by the SOPHE Awards Committee for their scientific rigor and contribution to health education research and practice. Specific criteria include: • Problem: Importance of the research question • Ideas: Theoretical base and conceptual contribution • Approach: Adequacy and sensitivity of research design and methods, and adherence to ethical standards including demonstration of Institutional Review Board approval • Findings: Contribution to existing knowledge • Presentation of data: Clear presentation of quantitative or qualitative data linked to the research objectives and research problem • Organization: Logical organization of the manuscript • Contribution to health education research • Contribution to health education Note that winners are not automatically published. Award recipients must submit their manuscript to the Editorial Boards of the journals for review. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS • Application materials must be received by the SOPHE office on the due date. Application materials must be must be assembled by the applicant and delivered as a single submission. Materials may be mailed or faxed: Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) 10 G Street, N.E, Suite 605 Washington, DC 20002 Fax: 202/408-9815 Questions: Celena NuQuay cnuquay@sophe.org Awards are recommended by the SOPHE Awards Committee and approved by the Executive Committee.

Society for Public Health Education Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarship Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:28 AM PDT Society for Public Health Education Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarship Deadline: December 13, 2013 The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is proud to be able to offer two student scholarships each year of $1,500 to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in the field of health education. As part of the criteria for this award, potential recipients must provide evidence of financial need. To this end, we are requesting that the department chair or financial aid office of the applicant’s institution complete the official Demonstrated Financial Need Form and either stamp with the department/institution seal or attached to official institution letterhead. Please mail form directly to the National SOPHE office. Society for Public Health Education / Awards 10 G Street NE, Suite 605 Washington, DC 20002

Society for Public Health Education 21st Century Student Scholarship for Conference Support Posted: 11 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT Society for Public Health Education 21st Century Student Scholarship for Conference Support Health Education Advocacy Summit (Feb. 22-24, 2014; Washington, DC) - Deadline: December 6, 2013 Annual Meeting (March 19-21, 2014-Baltimore, MD) - Deadline: December 13, 2013 This award provides conference support to full-time undergraduate and graduate level students to attend the SOPHE Health Education Advocacy Summit, or Annual Meeting. Conference support can include any combination of registration fee to the conference and any real and reasonable travel expenses incurred, as per federal per diem, and lodging at the official conference hotel or a substitute hotel, not to exceed the cost of the assigned conference hotel. SOPHE also encourages and allows conference support funds to be used for supplemental SOPHE chapter membership. Total support cannot exceed $500 and will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts and required travel reimbursement form following the event. Eligibility: 1. Students must be sponsored by a faculty member in the student’s program. The faculty member must be a current member of National SOPHE. 2. The faculty member must complete a Faculty Sponsorship Form to verify that the student: a) is currently an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled full-time and in good academic standing in a health education or health education related major, b) has excelled in health education-related courses, and c) has been involved in health education research and/or practice. 3. Students must be members in good standing in National SOPHE and/or a SOPHE chapter at the time of application. 4. Students may NOT have received a SOPHE 21st Student Scholarship for Conference Support within the previous 2 years. Preference will be given to students who have never received this award. 5. Sponsored students who receive a SOPHE 21 Century Student Scholarship for Conference Support are not eligible for the Vivian Drenckhahn Student Scholarship Award during that calendar year January – December). Application Instructions: • Application materials must be received by the SOPHE office on the due date. • Application materials may be mailed or faxed: 21st Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Century Student Scholarship Application 10 G Street, N.E, Suite 605 Washington, DC 20002 Fax: (202) 408-9815 Questions: Celena T. NuQuay, MA CAE Director, Membership & Marketing Terms and Conditions: • Students may expect to be notified of award decisions within 4-6 weeks after the application deadline. • Event registration is required and separate from this application. Students must register and apply for reimbursement as part of their overall expense reimbursement associated with this award. Please visit the SOPHE website at www.sophe.org to obtain instructions for registering to attend the event. • For the Annual Meeting, students receiving support must attend all meetings and events sponsored by the Student and New Professional Community of Practice. • Every recipient of support will be required to complete a reflection essay (800-1,000 words) and submit it to the National SOPHE office along with the expense reimbursement form and receipts, within 30 days after the event. This essay should address the following: o The benefits of attending a SOPHE conference o Lessons learned o How the information was/will be shared with fellow students or otherwise used The SOPHE Student Scholarship Program is sponsored by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) through the 21st Century Fund.

Call for Nominations: Society for Public Health Education Chapter Award for Excellence Posted: 11 Sep 2013 06:56 AM PDT Call for Nominations: Society for Public Health Education Chapter Award for Excellence Deadline for Nominations: December 13, 2013 The Society for Public Health Education is accepting nominations for the annual Chapter Award for Excellence. The purpose of this award is to recognize and publicize creative, effective and replicable methods implemented by chapters to deliver one or more core member services. • The chapter selected as the recipient will receive a cash award of $250.00 ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS 1. Any chapter with active designation status in National SOPHE may be nominated. 2. The innovation must be designed for effective delivery of one or more of the following chapter core services: membership, fiscal management, board and leadership development, communications, continuing education, alignment of chapter and national strategic plans, and/or bylaws and policies. 3. The innovation must be implemented (initially or as part of an ongoing activity) during the SOPHE fiscal year in which the chapter is nominated for this award. 4. A nomination letter must be submitted and signed by at least three National SOPHE members in good standing. 5. While it is desirable for at least one of the nominators and a representative of the chapter selected as the award recipient to attend the Awards Celebration at the SOPHE Annual Meeting, it is recognized that this may not be possible and therefore is not required. However, if they cannot attend, both the nominators and the chapter must designate an individual who is willing and able to represent them at the Awards Celebration. Nomination Letter Requirements: 1. Identify measurable objectives for the innovation. 2. Specify which core member service(s) the innovation addresses (membership, fiscal management, board and leadership development, communications, continuing education, alignment of chapter and national strategic plans, and/or bylaws and policies). 3. Provide a clear, detailed description of the innovation as well as how and by whom (i.e., chapter board, committees and/or membership) it was planned, implemented and evaluated. 4. Document the effectiveness of the innovation in achieving its objectives. 5. State how the innovation may be replicated/adapted by other SOPHE chapters with similar needs/challenges. 6. State that the innovation is consistent with the Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession and Chapter. 7. Letter must be signed by at least three national SOPHE members in good standing (these individuals may or may not be members of the nominated chapter). 8. Include, if any other group or organization had a major role in planning, implementing or evaluating the innovation, a letter of support from that group or organization. 9. May include up to five pages of written materials related to the implementation of the innovation (optional). NOMINATION INSTRUCTIONS • Nomination materials must be received by the SOPHE office on the due date. • All nomination materials must be assembled by the lead nominator and delivered as a single submission. Materials may be mailed or faxed: Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) 10 G Street, N.E, Suite 605 Washington, DC 20002 Fax: 202/408-9815 Questions: Celena NuQuay cnuquay@sophe.org Awards are recommended by the SOPHE Awards Committee and approved by the Executive Committee

Call for Nominations: Society for Public Health Education Dorothy B. Nyswander Open Society Award Posted: 11 Sep 2013 06:44 AM PDT Call for Nominations: Society for Public Health Education Dorothy B. Nyswander Open Society Award Deadline: December 13, 2013 This award will be given each year to recognize an individual or group who embodies and promotes an Open Society, through research, practice, and/or teaching. Dr. Dorothy B. Nyswander pioneered health education, mentored many public health leaders, and had an illustrious career spanning more than six decades at international, national, regional, and community levels. As illustrated in the quote above Dr. Nyswander was ahead of her time in advocating for equality and justice for ALL people, and was one of the first to introduce the concept of an “Open Society.” One of her first community health initiatives included setting up day care centers during World War II for women working in defense plants. Dr. Nyswander passed away on December 18, 1998, at the age of 104. This individual or group uses activism in institutionalizing an Open Society that: -- Actively engages in initiatives that promote equality and justice for all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, or physical ability; -- Advocates for and initiates dialogue and action to address health injustices affecting marginalized communities; -- Participates in activities that endorse education as a means of individual and community advancement and growth and; -- Views poverty as a societal responsibility and from an ecological perspective. Eligibility Criteria 1. Applies health education and promotion processes to catalyze and significantly advance social change that fosters access to quality healthcare and health promoting initiatives for marginalized populations. 2. Possesses practitioner acumen and demonstrates strong communication capacity for learning about and addressing the ecological factors that make system changes and demonstrate evidence of improving a community’s quality of life. 3. Creates and actively endorses internal policies and/or infrastructures that lead collective teams of professionals in significant strides toward the reduction of health disparities as well as advocate for inclusion and equality. 4. Serves as a visionary, courageous leader that advocates for, and gives voice to health injustices that affect marginalized communities. 5. Nominators must be National SOPHE members; nominees are not required to be National SOPHE members. Membership status can be verified through the National SOPHE office, (202) 408-9804. Monetary Award The award recipient(s) will receive a one-year membership in National SOPHE (for non-SOPHE members) and a $250 monetary award, which may be used to further the work of the individual or group. Awards will be given at the SOPHE Awards Celebration at the Annual Meeting. Awards are recommended by the SOPHE Awards Committee and approved by the Executive Committee.

Fred Magdoff speaks on climate emergency: Vancouver, Sept. 23

Fred Magdoff speaks on climate emergency: Vancouver, Sept. 23 http://climateandcapitalism.com/2013/09/09/fred-magdoff-speaks-climate-emergency-vancouver-sept-23-2/


MONEY AND THE EPISTEMOLOGIES OF IGNORANCE CONCERNING CLIMATE CHANGE by Cheryl Lans http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EDAJ6K/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_lCfmsb0AGZ8XA via @amazon

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine has an increased Impact Factor of 2.42.

  


Dear Colleague,

I am delighted to announce that Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine has an increased Impact Factor of 2.42.

This is great news for the journal's reputation and is due to the hard work and commitment of the journal's editorial team. It also demonstrates the visibility and ease of citation provided by open access. Thank you for your continued support!

Please read some of the most highly accessed articles that have contributed to the journal's success:

	Editorial Recollections, reflections, and revelations: ethnobiologists and their "First Time" in the field Justin Nolan, Andrea Pieroni Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2013, 9:12 (20 February 2013) Abstract | Full Text | PDF
	Research article Ethno-medicinal study of plants used for treatment of human and livestock ailments by traditional healers in South Omo, Southern Ethiopia Ketema Tolossa, Etana Debela, Spiridoula Athanasiadou, Adugna Tolera, Gebeyehu Ganga, Jos GM Houdijk Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2013, 9:32 (16 May 2013) Abstract | Full Text | PDF
	Research article Medicinal plants in the southern region of the State of Nuevo León, México Eduardo Estrada-Castillón, Brianda Soto-Mata, Miriam Garza-López, José Villarreal-Quintanilla, Javier Jiménez-Pérez, Marisela Pando-Moreno, Jaime Sánchez-Salas, Laura Scott-Morales, Mauricio Cotera-Correa Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2012, 8:45 (11 December 2012) Abstract | Full Text | PDF

I hope that you continue to enjoy the content in the journal and that you will submit your next manuscript to Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.

Harvard Business School Case Study: Gender Equity

Harvard Business School Case Study: Gender Equity

An aggressive program intended to foster female success brought improvements, but also resentment and uncertainty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/08/education/harvard-case-study-gender-equity.html?src=me&ref=general&_r=0&smid=pl-share

Create Dangerously 2013 Congress of Black Writers and Artists

Create Dangerously

2013 Congress of Black Writers and Artists

18-20 October 2013

McGill University, Montreal

The first international Congress of Black Writers and Artists was held in 1956 at Sorbonne University in Paris, bringing together Black intellectuals representing three different continents to examine, discuss and debate Black culture and identity in all its diversity.  The Congress was initiated by Alioune Diop, founder of the journal and publishing house Présence Africaine.  Participants included Aimé Césaire, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Jean Price- Mars, Richard Wright and James Baldwin, Amadou Hampaté Bâ and George Lamming, Mercer Cook and James Ivy, Frantz Fanon, Edouard Glissant and René Depestre, Cheikh Anta Diop, Abdoulaye Wadé and Josephine Baker.^[1]
Following in this tradition and developing out of the intellectual activities of the Caribbean Conference Committee, the 1968 Congress of Black Writers at McGill University brought together well-known Black thinkers and activists from Canada, the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean, including C.L.R. James, Stokely Carmichael, Miriam Makeba, Rocky Jones, and Walter Rodney.  As had the first Congress, the event took place during a historic moment of transnational social and political change and featured rigorous debates about Black culture, politics and identity.^[2]
This fall marks the 45th anniversary of the 1968 Black Writers Congress held at McGill.  Community-University Talks (C-Uni-T) and the Black Canadian Studies Association (BCSA)^[3] will be marking the occasion by welcoming Black writers and artists to Montreal from Friday, October 18th- Sunday, October 20th.  The theme of the 2013 Congress, “Create Dangerously” is inspired by Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat’s Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work (Princeton University Press, 2010). Danticat took her title from the last public lecture given by Albert Camus, “Create Dangerously,” in which Camus declared, “For the person with creative potential there is no wholeness except in using it.”^[4]
We invite the members of the Black Canadian Studies Association listserv to join us in the realization of this historical event. The event is free and open to the public, however registration in advance is mandatory: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1SoTUpeuRMGmS8WnSjwcdGxAXLdGyRHpoH1yd47ZxsQU/viewform
For more information you can reach the Congress working group at: black.congress.2013@gmail.com
-------------------------

^[1] See Lumières Noires, a film about the Paris Congress produced and directed by Bob Swaim (2006), available here: http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/4828/Lumi–res-Noires 

^[2] See David Austin’s Fear of a Black Nation: Race, Sex and Security in Sixties Montreal (Between the Lines, 2013) http://www.btlbooks.com/book/fear-of-a-black-nation

^[3] For more information see http://c-uni-t.org and http://bcsa.wordpress.com

^[4] K. Nagy and L. McConnell (2012). “Interview. Create Dangerously: A Conversation with Edwidge Danticat” http://www.wildriverreview.com/Literature/Interview/Edwidge-Danticat/Create-Dangerously/Nagy/McConnell/January-2012

--

Malinda S. Smith, PhD

Associate Professor & Associate Chair (Graduate Studies)

Department of Political Science

University of Alberta 

Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H4

Chair -  AASUA Equity Committee

Telephone: 780.492.5380

Email: malinda.smith@ualberta.ca

Observations on ethnoveterinary medicines in Trinidad and Tobago. Cited in: Synthesis and anti-tumour activities of sulphated polysaccharide obtained from Momordica c... Authors: Lingxiao Guan Natural product research 11/2011 26(14):1303-9. View

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22077268   Nat Prod Res. 2012;26(14):1303-9. doi: 10.1080/14786419.2011.571214. Epub 2011 Nov 11. Synthesis and anti-tumour activities of sulphated polysaccharide obtained from Momordica charantia. Guan L. Source College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia Teachers' University, Guyuan 756000, China. guanlingxiao2006@163.com Abstract A native polysaccharide (MCP2) was extracted and isolated from Momordica charantia. Four sulphated derivatives of MCP2 were prepared by chlorosulphonic acid method. The structures of the sulphated derivatives were characterised by FT-IR spectra. Depending on the reaction conditions, the sulphated derivatives showed different degree of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.56 to 1.10, and different weight-average molecular mass (Mw) ranging from 7.2 to 9.3 KDa. It implied the efficient substitution of hydroxyl groups in the polysaccharides by sulphated groups with degradation. The effects of the sulphated derivatives on inhibiting the growth of HepG2 cells and Hela cells in vitro were compared with taking non-modified MCP2 as control. The sulphated derivatives inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells and Hela cells in vitro significantly, which indicated that sulphated modification could enhance the anti-tumour activity of MCP2.

Call for Abstracts: Fifteenth Annual Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award in Virology

Call for Abstracts: Fifteenth Annual Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award in Virology

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 03:27 AM PDT

Call for Abstracts: Fifteenth Annual Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award in Virology
Application Deadline: Thursday, September 12, 2013
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the NIH Virology Interest Group announce the Fifteenth Annual Norman P. Salzman Memorial Award in Virology. This award has been established to recognize outstanding research accomplishment by a post-doctoral fellow working in the field of virology at the NIH. The award honors the 40-year career of Dr. Salzman in virology research and his accomplishments in mentoring young scientists. The winning fellow will receive a plaque and an unrestricted gift of $2,500; the mentor of the awardee will receive a plaque.
Eligible candidates are postdoctoral fellows in intramural NIH, CBER, or SAIC laboratories. Candidates must have no more than 6 years of post-doctoral training as of November 7, 2013. The research submitted must have been done under the mentorship of an NIH, CBER, or SAIC scientist, and in an intramural NIH, CBER, or SAIC laboratory. Award selection will be based upon the quality and significance of the applicant's research contribution to the field of virology, with special emphasis on the creativity and the rigor with which the research has been performed. Applications will be judged by a committee of scientists from NIH and other institutions. The work submitted must have been published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, with the abstract applicant being first or joint first author on the publication. Applicants who have applied in previous years are encouraged to update their applications and resubmit, if eligible.
The award will be presented at the Fifteenth Annual Norman P. Salzman Virology Symposium, being held on Thursday, November 7, 2013, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM, in the Natcher Conference Center (Building 45) on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. The recipient will give a 20-minute presentation based on the award-winning abstract. An additional five applicants will be chosen to present their research as posters in the foyer. The symposium also will feature other prominent speakers in the field of virology. A reception will follow.
Fellows should apply by filling out an application form avilable at http://www.fnih.org/sites/all/files/documents/2013_Salzman_Award_Application_3.doc or from Peter Collins (pcollins@niaid.nih.gov). Applications that fail to follow the directions and eligibility requirements in the application form will not be considered. The deadline for receipt of applications is 5:00 PM, Thursday, September 12, 2013. Applicants will be notified whether their application has been selected on or about October 7, 2013.
For further information, please contact Peter Collins, NIAID (pcollins@niaid.nih.gov)

Article

ETHNOVETERINARY APPLICATION OF MORINDA CITRIFOLIA FRUIT PUREE ON A COMMERCIAL HEIFER REARING FACILITY WITH ENDEMIC SALMONELLOSIS

V J Brooks, T J De Wolfe, T J Paulus, J Xu, J Cai, N S Keuler, R G Godbee, S F Peek, S M Mcguirk, B J Darien

African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines (impact factor: 0.71). 01/2013; DOI:10.4314/ajtcam.v10i1.1

ABSTRACT We have previously reported that Morinda citrifolia (noni) puree modulates neonatal calves developmental maturation of the innate and adaptive immune system. In this study, the effect of noni puree on respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI), health in preweaned dairy calves on a farm with endemic salmonellosis was examined. Two clinical trials were conducted whereby each trial evaluated one processing technique of noni puree. Trials 1 and 2 tested noni versions A and B, respectively. Puree analysis and trial methods were identical to each other, with the calf as the experimental unit. Calves were designated to 1 of 3 treatment groups in each trial and received either: 0, 15 or 30 mL every 12 hr of noni supplement for the first 3 weeks of life. Health scores, weaning age, weight gain from admission to weaning, and weaned by 6 weeks, were used as clinical endpoints for statistical analysis. In trial 1, calves supplemented with 15 mL noni puree of version A every 12 hr had a higher probability of being weaned by 6 weeks of age than control calves (P = 0.04). In trial 2, calves receiving 30 mL of version B every 12 hr had a 54.5% reduction in total medical treatments by 42 days of age when compared to controls (P = 0.02). There was a trend in reduced respiratory (61%), and GI (52%) medical treatments per calf when compared to controls (P = 0.06 and 0.08, respectively). There were no differences in weight gain or mortality for any treatment group in either trial.

Organic Agriculture: African Experiences in Resilience and Sustainability

Organic Agriculture: African Experiences in Resilience and Sustainability

http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3294e/i3294e.pdf 

20 May 2013. This publication (Rome, 2013, 208 pp) demonstrates that organic management can benefit people, the economy and ecosystems and that this can be achieved in Africa, where hunger and degradation stubbornly persist, despite decades of development efforts. The work presented in this volume stems from the conference on Mainstreaming Organic Agriculture in the African Development Agenda, held in Lusaka, Zambia, from 2 to 4 May 2012.

It expands on selected research presented during the Lusaka Conference. The different chapters document sustainability experiences, including: mainstreaming organic agriculture into African development approaches; community-based livestock systems combining holistic range management; indigenous ethno-veterinary practices and new understanding of customary systems of resource management; ecofunctional intensification through management of legumes, systems of rice intensification and integrated farming; and smallholders’ knowledge harnessed through family farmers learning groups and customized information and communication technologies.

at Thursday, July 18, 2013