Eurocentrism and its Effects: A manifesto from Colombia

This manifesto was first made public in Bogotá, Colombia, on 4 January, 2001 with reference to local creativity and self-esteem. It had considerable regional repercussions. The present is a revised and updated version as a contribution to the current debate on Eurocentrism and its effects in the world. We are Colombian exponents of the natural and the social sciences who want to share our concern for certain types of distortions produced when there is not enough attention given to our contacts and scientific exchanges with colleagues from advanced countries. Our points of view are as follows.     

Recreating blood-brain barrier physiology and structure on chip: A novel neurovascular microfluidic bioreactor

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical structure that serves as the gatekeeper between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. It is the responsibility of the BBB to facilitate the entry of required nutrients into the brain and to exclude potentially harmful compounds; however, this complex structure has remained difficult to model faithfully in vitro. Accurate in vitro models are necessary for understanding how the BBB forms and functions, as well as for evaluating drug and toxin penetration across the barrier. Many previous models have failed to support all the cell types involved in the BBB formation and/or lacked the flow-created shear forces needed for mature tight junction formation. To address these issues and to help establish a more faithful in vitro model of the BBB, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic device that is comprised of both a vascular chamber and a brain chamber separated by a porous membrane. This design allows for cell-to-cell communication between endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes and independent perfusion of both compartments separated by the membrane. This NeuroVascular Unit (NVU) represents approximately one-millionth of the human brain, and hence, has sufficient cell mass to support a breadth of analytical measurements. The NVU has been validated with both fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran diffusion and transendothelial electrical resistance. The NVU has enabled in vitro modeling of the BBB using all human cell types and sampling effluent from both sides of the barrier.     

Shared and distinctive origins and correlates of adult attachment representations: the developmental organization of romantic functioning

To test proposals regarding the hierarchical organization of adult attachment, this study examined developmental origins of generalized and romantic attachment representations and their concurrent associations with romantic functioning. Participants (N = 112) in a 35‐year prospective study completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and Current Relationship Interview (CRI). Two‐way analysis of variance tested interactive associations of AAI and CRI security with infant attachment, early parenting quality, preschool ego resiliency, adolescent friendship quality, and adult romantic functioning. Both representations were associated with earlier parenting and core attachment‐related romantic behavior, but romantic representations had distinctive links to ego resiliency and relationship‐specific romantic behaviors. Attachment representations were independent and did not interactively predict romantic functioning, suggesting that they confer somewhat distinctive benefits for romantic functioning.     

Virtual internal thermal work evaluation in the multifield variational statements for the analysis of multilayered structures

The principle of virtual displacements (PVDs) extended to elasto-thermo-electric problems includes virtual internal elastic, thermal and electric works. The governing equations have displacement vector, temperature and electric potential as primary variables of the problem, and the elasto-thermal, elasto-electric and pure elastic problems are obtained as particular cases by deleting the appropriate contributions in the general elasto-thermo-electric variational statement. The most sensitive issue is given by thermal coupling because the thermo-elastic and thermo-electric effects change depending on the type of load and analysis considered (mechanical load, temperature or electric potential imposed and free vibration analysis). This feature means that the form of the virtual internal thermal work in such variational statements changes depending on the analysis performed and the load applied. Results about multilayered plates and shells suggest the appropriate extension of the variational statement for each analysis, and they give an exhaustive explanation for several forms of the PVD proposed.     

How Valid are the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Assessments for Predicting the Quality of Actual Classroom Teaching and Learning? Results of Six Mini Case Studies

Six mini case studies of teachers certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) were completed using systematic classroom observations, individual teacher interviews, and semi-structured individual and focus group interviews with school site administrators and colleague teachers. Classroom teaching practices of six teachers (2 elementary, 2 middle/Jr. High, 2 High School) in a large southeastern urban district were assessed by two trained observers, and semi-structured interviews with school-site personnel were completed by two additional trained researchers. The findings clearly showed considerable variation among these teachers in the quality of teaching and learning in their daily practices. Two teachers were clearly exemplary, two were rather average, and two were considered rather ineffective in the quality of classroom teaching and learning. Interviews with school-site personnel were somewhat mixed in corroborating findings from actual classroom observations and assessments. Implications of the findings for the validity of NBPTS certification in everyday practice, the meaning of NBPTS certification, and policy decisions such as performance-based pay supplements for NBPTS certified teachers are discussed.     

Issues Related to the Restoration of Mirrors of the Wooden paliotto della chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso all’Albergheria,Sicily (Italy)

In this work, the decision-making process involved in the restoration of the eighteenth century paliotto ligneo (wooden altar frontal) della chiesa del Santissimo Crocifisso all’Albergheria of Palermo is presented. Earlier research concerning mirror restoration was based on only a few case studies and the proposed techniques were not suitable for the artwork here. As a consequence, it was necessary to re-examine theories and protocols of modern restoration to plan an appropriate intervention of the altar frontal. Since in this artwork the role of mirrors is not to give back images, as usual, but rather to create special light effects and play of lights, this work aims to find an approach to the restoration of the altar frontal and its decorations that allows a homogeneous overview of the piece. Thus, the mirrors were not substituted or re-created. Only a visual integration of the damaged ancient mirrors was proposed, with the use of metallic-polymeric films, permitting a completely reversible restoration.     

Stimulating resources to cope with challenging times and new realities: effectiveness of a career intervention

A career intervention based on life design approach was devised for a group of young adults at risk for the process of career construction. It was aimed at fostering a series of resources useful to cope with career transitions, to encourage reflection on the future, to identify one’s own strengths, and to plan future projects. Results of the study provided evidence for effectiveness of the career intervention across at several methods of change assessment (statistical significance, clinical significance, and social validity) and highlighted the potential of the career intervention.     

Retrospectives on factors influencing inclusive opportunities for college students with extensive support needs

Current U.S. legislation calls for students with disabilities to be involved and make progress in general education curriculum. Despite the legislation, students with extensive support needs continue to be segregated from their peers and post-school outcomes remain dismal for this population of students. The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the perceptions of two students with extensive support needs and their caregivers regarding factors that contributed to their involvement and progress in the general education curriculum and eventual enrolment in four-year, post-secondary institutions in the United States. Findings related to the role of participants’ perceptions of self, participants’ engagement in advocacy roles and activities, and specific human and material supports that both facilitated and acted as barriers to education in the general curriculum emerged as recurrent themes. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research and practice are presented.