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In nineteenth-century Cuba, the increasing and uneven use of passports for maritime travel generated confusion about their authority and encouraged their falsification. This essay explores the forgery and misuse of travel papers alongside the fabrications of an official colonial record that concealed the illegal transatlantic slave trade as it implemented documentary procedures for legal travel. Cuban officials pursued individuals who traveled without passports, with other people's passports, or lacked other papers, with a disproportionate focus on the circulation of free people of African descent. At the same time, the limited reach of government decrees and policies complicated strict determinations of transgression. Rather than taking this as evidence of a broken system, recognizing how various actors created the conditions for a collective susceptibility both to the authority conferred by passports and to plausible falsehoods lets us view borders, individual identity, and Caribbean mobility in new light. The essay calls on historians to approach the archival record of passports and mobility by balancing our retrospective recognition of falsifications with an awareness of fluctuating estimations of documentary veracity in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a trend towards increasing inequality has been detected in both developed and developing countries. Most of these studies have been focusing on formal monetary variables, since capitalism is a socioeconomic system where monetary relations play a paramount role. However, the distribution of non-monetary assets is also very important, especially so in less developed countries. This paper applies a PCA methodology to analyse the distribution of non-monetary wealth in Cuba, a socialist country where the role of monetary relations is relatively minor. Utilizing the MICS-UNICEF 'microdata', the paper provides for the first time an estimation of wealth distribution for three years (2006, 2011, 2014), by area and region. The main results show a non-monotonic wealth inequality reduction. The initial worsening (2006–11) is more than counterbalanced by a recent improvement (2011–14). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic fibrosis (CF), an autosomal recessive disease, is caused by variants in both alleles of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. A new assay based on allele-specific polymerase chain reaction and high-resolution melting analysis was developed for the detection of 18 CF-causing CFTR variants previously identified in Cuba and Latin America. The assay is also useful for zygosity determination of mutated alleles and includes internal controls. The reaction mixtures were normalized and evaluated using blood samples collected on filter paper. The evaluation of analytical parameters demonstrated the specificity and sensitivity of the method to detect the included CFTR variants. Internal and external validations yielded a 100% agreement between the new assay and the used reference tests. This assay can complement CF newborn screening not only in Cuba but also in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Indies can be considered as a laboratory of biogeography and evolution, and the Caribbean Islands constitute one of the planet's biodiversity hotspots. Within the region, Cuba is the largest island and is crucial to gaining an understanding of the origin and evolutionary history of Caribbean flora and fauna. This paper provides an introduction to a Special Issue of the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society on current Cuban plant and animal biodiversity, with an emphasis on evolutionary biology and biogeography. The present issue includes 10 contributions and addresses a wide diversity of species and taxonomic groups, study levels, and research tools. This collection of articles not only provides an integrative vision of Cuba's biodiversity and the potential patterns and processes involved in its evolutionary history, but could also provide food for future research on its biodiversity from an evolutionary perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents case studies on how Cuban universities have increasingly become directly involved with the economic and social development of the country. The paper shows how Cuban universities, from the late 1980s and early 1990s, started reorientation and organization of their scientific research, becoming more directly and intensely involved in the economic and social development of the country. In this connection, special reference is made to the case of a research group at the University of Havana: the Laboratory of Synthetic Antigens. This group developed the first synthetic vaccine for human use approved in the world. In the article, public policies involved in this success as well as different obstacles are discussed. These obstacles demonstrate the difficulties and challenges that universities face when carrying out research and innovation activities related to economic and social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 7 February 2002 the White House stated that both Al Qaeda and Taliban members held in the US Guantanamo Bay prison facilities following the 11 September 2001 attacks were not entitled to POW status but were all ‘unlawful combatants’. Over a year after the statement no charge has been formally brought against the detainees, who number over 600. In this paper it is contended that those Guantanamo detainees who are members of the Taliban armed forces must be presumed to be lawful combatants and, upon capture, have the right to POW status. Therefore the US refusal to grant them POW status places the US in violation of Article 5 of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 requiring, in case of doubt, that POW status be granted until a ‘competent tribunal’ has made a final determination. As for Al Qaeda detainees treated by the US as ‘unlawful combatants’, they may not be held indefinitely in custody without charge. As ‘unlawful combatants’ they are civilians protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and enjoy its judicial safeguards. The protection of the Fourth Geneva Convention may also extend to civilians having the nationality of neutral or cobelligerent states when they take up arms against a friendly state. In any case, ‘unlawful combatants’ continue to be protected by Article 3 common to the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949, the customary rule corresponding to Article 75 of 1977 First Additional Protocol as well as human rights rules. Finally the paper discusses the decision handed down by the US Appeals Court for the District of Columbia on 11 March 2003 in Al Odah and Others, which denied the jurisdiction of US courts over the legality of detention of those held at Guantanamo because the territory over which they are detained is not subject to US but Cuban sovereignty. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An increasing number of emerging economies (among others China, India, Russia, South Africa, and Brazil) have recently introduced R&D tax credit schemes to support the innovative activities of their domestic firms. Drawing insights from these international experiences, this paper proposes a new R&D fiscal incentive system in Cuba. We argue that, to take the specific characteristics of a transition economy like that of Cuba into account, the new program should have a mixed character: it should be volume-based for large State-owned enterprises and incremental for the emerging group of smaller private companies. The fiscal incentive system should allow firms to receive relatively high super-deductions in order to provide an effective stimulus to their innovation and imitation activities. The new R&D policy would contribute to addressing the structural weaknesses which characterize the Cuban national innovation system, and thus enable firms to reap the opportunities provided by the changing international context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to meet the goal of internationalizing the curriculum and equipping students for the twenty-first century and beyond, schools have engaged themselves in a myriad of study abroad programs. These programs, in keeping with many of these schools' missions, are intended to encircle students with a more critical global awareness. While study abroad programs are promoted as self-identity discovery tools, through which students can construct new national identities that transcend national borders, this paper, based on interviews conducted with College of Charleston students who studied in Cuba during spring 2007 and 2009 semesters, explores the relationship between the study abroad experience and identity formation. We argue that these encounters not only allow students to interrogate what it means to 'be American' beyond the emotional, physical, and intellectual bounds of the United States, but also how their previous conceptions of self and nation can strengthen, not contradict, a global context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critique of the laws of war (and international law in general) coming out of America as the war on terror began seemed to have emerged as a response to the horror of 9/11 and the belief that the United States was now engaged in a “new paradigm” of warfare. However, the Bush administration’s argument needs to be situated in a wider historical context. The source of the arguments against applying the Geneva Conventions to the prisoners caught in Afghanistan emerged well before 9/11 and can be traced to the end of the Cold War. These doctrines emerged out of the work of the “new sovereigntists” and out of the frustrations guided by coalition warfare. This paper seeks to trace the origin of these arguments which challenge the traditional division between jus ad bellum (the law governing the resort to force) and jus in bello (the law governing tactics in warfare). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on Cuban rebellion and the initiative of the United States in 1875. In 1875, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant was concerned on the response of Spain to the rebellion in Cuba. The U.S. government started an initiative for the formation of a coalition with other European countries with the purpose forcing Spain to stop the war in Cuba. However, there was an irony in the initiative as it was contrary to the Monroe Doctrine being adopted by the U.S.

The natural radioactivity of some building materials commonly used in Cuba was measured by gamma spectrometry. Typical concentrations encountered so far encountered are in the ranges: 47-2511 Bq kg-1 for 40K; 9-71 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra; and 2-38 Bq kg-1 for 232Th. The external gamma ray absorbed doses in indoor air and the corresponding effective dose-equivalents in a typical dwelling are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Surveys for intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) often involve samples from three sampling dates analysed by various microscopy techniques. However, analysis of three samples per individual is a huge burden on time and resources. We compared the value from analysing three or fewer samples. Methods In this cross-sectional study, three faecal samples were collected every other day from 332 children from two locations in Guantanamo province, Cuba. Samples were analysed by wet mount with Lugol stain, Willis flotation method and Kato–Katz thick smear. Results Most parasites were detected by wet mount, although helminth eggs not found by wet smear were detected by the Willis flotation method (in particular) and Kato–Katz smear. Blastocystis spp. was the most commonly detected parasite (about 65%), then Giardia duodenalis and then Entamoeba spp. Although analysis of two stool samples significantly increased occurrence data for Blastocystis , this was not so for the other parasites. For none of the protozoan parasites were results from analysing three samples significantly higher than results from analysing just two samples. Conclusions Analysing two faecal samples by wet mount and the Willis flotation method provides useful data for estimating the prevalence of IPIs in relatively high prevalence settings. Analysing further samples provides limited additional information and adds an extra burden in terms of time and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstructing deep-time biogeographic histories is limited by the comparatively recent diversification of most extant lineages. Ray-finned fishes, which include nearly half of all living vertebrates, are no exception. Although most lineages of ray-finned fishes radiated around the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, a handful of ancient, species-poor clades still persist. These lineages can illuminate very old biogeographic trends, but their low species richness can also limit the reconstruction of these patterns. The seven extant species of gars distributed in freshwater habitats in North America and Cuba are an old clade with a fossil record spanning over 150 million years of Earth history. Using a genomic data set of DNA sequences of 1105 exons for the seven living species and an updated morphological matrix of all extant and extinct taxa, we infer the phylogenetic relationships of gars and test how divergence times and biogeographic reconstructions are influenced by sequential and joint estimation and the effect on these inferences when using different taxon sets based on fossil completeness. Our analyses consistently show that the two extant gar genera Atractosteus and Lepisosteus diverged approximately 105 million years ago and many of the inferred divergences in the gar time-calibrated phylogeny closely track major Mesozoic tectonic events, including the separation of the Americas, the expansion of the early Atlantic, and the Cretaceous reorganization of North American river systems. The crown clades Atractosteus and Lepisosteus originated in the Cenozoic of eastern North America, implying that this region has served as both the origin of extant gar diversity and the refugium of this iconic ancient lineage. These results exemplify how combining phylogenomics with the fossil record provides congruence around the evolutionary history of ancient clades like gars and can reveal long-lost biogeographic patterns. [Lepisosteidae; fossilized birth death; biogeography; phylogenomics; paleontology.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 1 November 1989, when the third edition of la Bienal de la Habana opened its doors, the show included ink paintings from North Korea called chosŏnhwa (literally 'Korean paintings'). By that time, the Korean–Cuban friendship had lasted for more than three decades, following its formation after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, and based on the principle of Third World solidarity. But this encounter in 1989 illustrates that their contemporary art was out of sync with one another. The Korean presentation contrasted with the more installation‐oriented, inter‐media works submitted by Cuban artists who were part of the 'New Cuban art' wave. As an archeological study on these two starkly different visions of 'contemporary art', this essay sustains a bifurcated view onto Pyongyang and Havana as a method with which to reassess the culture of Third World politics and post‐coloniality at the Cold War's end, and to propose a translocational, South‐to‐South method of art history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the abolition of the transatlantic trade in African captives, slave traders from France, Spain and Cuba devised strategies of concealment to perpetuate and even expand their enterprise. A close reading of the unexpurgated logbooks and business correspondence of the Jeune Louis , a French ship that transported more than three hundred captives from the Bight of Biafra to Havana in 1825, identifies three decisive innovations in the Franco-Cuban branch of the illegal slave trade. Transnational business structure, risk management through honour-based marine insurance policies, and redacted record keeping transformed the wider Atlantic slave-trading sector into one capable of eluding attempts at international suppression. The clandestine techniques that this transnational slaving network developed to skirt the law also distorted the archival record of that traffic. Accounting for the resulting distortions and disappearances will enable future researchers to better navigate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the intersection of class, race and culture in attempting to explain the forced repatriation of Haitians from Cuba during the 1930s. Experiences of Haitian and British West Indian immigrant workers in Cuba between the 1910s and 1930s; Arguments against the analysis of black people exclusively in terms of race; Differences between the black populations in Cuba.

Talks about the visit of North American evangelicals to Cuba on the eve of the first Cuban Evangelical Celebration conducted with government approval. Why speaker Josh McDowell was denied entry to Cuba at the Havana airport; Highlights of the Evangelical Festival; Topic discussed at the meeting of Roman Catholic leaders on June 22, 1999 in Matanzas.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the articles "The Association Between Living Through A Prolonged Economic Depression and The Male:Female Birth Ratio-a Longitudinal Study From Cuba, 1960-2008," by AJ Wilcox and DD Baird and "Invited Commentary: Natural Versus Unnatural Sex Ratios-a Quandary Of Modern Times," by SJ Fernández and colleagues in the December 15, 2011 issue.

This article examines Chinese-Afro-Cuban interaction in mid-nineteenth-century Cuba. Tens of thousands of Chinese indentured laborers arrived on the island during this period and labored next to and much like African slaves. Thousands of Chinese gained their freedom, but they too experienced oppression similar to that of free people of color. Although Chinese and Afro-Cubans had similar experiences of exploitation and marginalization, it is clear that they developed an equivocal relationship in which disunity (including violence) was just as common, if not more common, than unity. This article contends that the dual nature of this relationship was rooted in the contradictory nature of Chinese indentured labor itself. On the one hand, cultural differences and the ambivalent racialization of Chinese produced division and hostility because it encouraged both groups to assert difference and attempt to actualize superiority over the other. On the other hand, similar experiences of oppression could produce collaboration and solidarity in terms of family, business, and resistance. Examining this ambivalent relationship reveals the centrality of Asians to the durability and weakness of slavery and forced labor, racial hierarchy, and colonialism in Cuba during the second half of the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ghost orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii, is a rare, leafless epiphyte native to southern Florida and Cuba. Populations of D. lindenii in southern Florida and Cuba are separated by c. 600 km and occur in different habitats. We describe D. lindenii in its natural habitats in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba. Population size, fungal endophytes and seedling recruitment are also discussed. In total, 116 individuals of D. lindenii were recorded in Florida during July 2015, whereas only 16 specimens were known to occur there previously. In Cuba, 241 individuals were counted, nearly one-third (30.3%) of which were seedlings (nearly double the percentage of seedlings documented in Florida; 16.4%). In Florida, D. lindenii grew on just two host tree species, Fraxinus caroliniana and Annona glabra, most (69%) on the former, whereas in Cuba 18 tree species acted as hosts, primarily Maba crassinervis (16.2%), Erythroxylum aerolatum (15.4%) and Comocladia dentata (14.9%). More than half (55.2%) of D. lindenii individuals in Florida (55.2%) and Cuba (52.7%) were documented on the north-facing (NW, N, NE) bark of host trees. Significant differences (P = 0.035) were detected in directional orientation between the two sites, with Cuban orchids preferring NE, N and E and those in Florida preferring NW, NE and SW surfaces. Roots from mature D. lindenii in Florida yielded an endophyte identified as a strain of Ceratobasidium. We propose that D. lindenii colonizes host trees with moist, corrugated or semi-corrugated bark harbouring Ceratobasidium for seed germination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fractional-dose administration of inactivated poliovirus vaccine (fIPV) could increase IPV affordability and stretch limited supplies. We assessed immune responses following fIPV administered intradermally, compared with full-dose IPV administered intramuscularly, among adults with a history of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) receipt.Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled noninferiority trial in Cuba. fIPV or IPV were administered on days 0 and 28; serum was collected on days 0, 7, 28, and 56 for analysis by a neutralization assay. The primary end point was seroconversion or a ≥4-fold rise in antibody titer. The noninferiority limit was 10%. The secondary end point was safety, assessed by the number and intensity of adverse reactions.Results: A total of 503 of 534 enrolled participants (94.2%) completed all study requirements. Twenty-eight days after the first dose, 94.8%, 98.0%, and 98.0% of fIPV recipients had an immune response to poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively, compared with 98.1% (P = .06), 98.0% (P = 1.00), and 99.2% (P = .45) in the IPV arm. Noninferiority was achieved on days 7, 28, and 56 for all serotypes. No serious adverse events were reported.Conclusion: fIPV induced similar boosting immune responses, compared with full-dose IPV. This suggests that fIPV would be an effective strategy to boost population immunity in an outbreak situation.Clinical Trials Registration: ACTRN12615000305527. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 1959 and 1962, children played a highly visible role in the dramatic realignment of revolutionary Cuba’s diplomatic relations. This article demonstrates that Fidel Castro’s government consistently deployed discourses and images of childhood as well as actual children within a broader campaign to liberate themselves from U.S. domination even as it sought to strengthen ties between Cuba, the U.S.S.R. and the socialist world. At the same time, the Castro regime also made use child-centered images, texts and speeches in order to negotiate the contradictions between the Revolution’s claims to have fulfilled the islands’ long-frustrated aspirations towards national sovereignty even as it sought to justify its reinvention as “la niña adorada del mundo socialista,” dependent for its survival on the protection and largesse of the Soviet Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses on "Slavery in Cuba," a pamphlet which related proceedings of a December 13, 1872 convention in New York wherein crowds of black USAAmerican citizens and Cuban exiles showed their support for the Cuban Liberation Army's anti-colonial revolution against Spain. Topics discussed include the role played by the Cuban Anti-Slavery Committee as well as the firm of Powers, McGowan, and Slipper in publishing the pamphlet, and the position of the U.S. on the Cuban Revolution.

The article provides news briefs on church-state affairs. The Belgium Council of State has ruled that a student of Indian descent can wear a turban to school. The first Catholic church in Cuba since 1959 is being built in the town of Sandino. A terrorist attack took place in Paris, France, on January 7, 2015 at the office of the magazine "Charlie Hebdo."

Studies examining the initial response of the United States to Cuba’s revolution largely ignore the role of Congress, an oversight reflecting both a scholarly trend emphasizing the actions of the presidency in regards to American foreign policy making and the separation of powers in the U.S. constitution. Redressing the balance, this article examines how members of Congress reacted to the course of U.S.-Cuban relations throughout the crisis years of 1959–1963. Illuminating Cuba’s place in domestic debates about foreign affairs it also looks at the politics surrounding the American response to the Cuban revolution. Lawmakers quickly emerged at the forefront of those calling for a strong stance toward Cuba. In turn, congressional pressure to confront Fidel Castro both helped and hindered presidents Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy. For Kennedy, in particular, domestic politics and actions by Congress were major concerns that tempered his actions in dealing with the Cuban revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: With the aim to characterize the HCV genotype distribution in Cuba, sera were collected from two subgroups: HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV co-infected patients. A combination of reverse transcription-PCR using genotype-specific primers, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing was used to determine the genotype of 84 samples. Seventy-nine (94%) showed single infections (10 [12%] were genotype 1a and 69 [82%] genotype 1b) and 5 (6%) samples corresponded to mixed infections (2 [2%] with genotypes 1a/3a and 1 sample [1%] each with 1b/3a, 1b/4a and 1a/1b/3a). HCV/HIV co-infected subjects had a higher frequency of mixed infections (p=0.08), infection with genotype 3a (p=0.18) and for the first time genotype 4a was found. There was no association of any demographic characteristics with any specific genotype although HCV/HIV co-infected patients showed a tendency to have mixed genotypes in those older than 45 years of age (p=0.11). Phylogenetic analysis showed that HCV isolates clustered with subtypes 1b (n=15, maximal genetic distance 2.51%) and 1a (n=2, maximal genetic distance 0.35%). This report presents the prevalence of HCV genotypes in monoinfected and HIV co-infected patients, mixed HCV infections in HCV/HIV co-infected men who have sex with men with high-risk sexual practices and for the first time identifies that the uncommon genotype 4a can be present in a patient co-infected with HIV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An essay is presented that argues that the concept of American religious mission was a prominent component of U.S. intervention in Cuba during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The article discusses religious culture in the U.S. and the origins of the Spanish-American War. It also discusses the political debate in the U.S. between Congress and then-U.S. president William McKinley, particularly the religious and moral aspects of the arguments.

SUMMARY The joint inversion of Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion and receiver functions has been used to study the crust and upper mantle structure at eight seismic stations in Cuba. Receiver functions have been computed from teleseismic recordings of earthquakes at epicentral (angular) distances in the range from 30° to 90° and Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion relations have been taken from earlier surface wave tomographic studies in the Caribbean area. The thickest crust (∼30 km) below Cuban stations is found at Cascorro (CCC) and Maisí (MAS) whereas the thinnest crust (∼18 km) is found at stations Río Carpintero (RCC) and Guantánamo Bay (GTBY), in the southeastern part of Cuba; this result is in agreement with the southward gradual thinning of the crust revealed by previous studies. In the crystalline crust, the S-wave velocity varies between ∼2.8 and ∼3.9 km s-1 and, at the crust-mantle transition zone, the shear wave velocity varies from ∼4.0 and ∼4.3 km s-1. The lithospheric thickness varies from ∼65 km, in the youngest lithosphere, to ∼150 km in the northeastern part of the Cuban island, below Maisí (MAS) and Moa (MOA) stations. Evidence of a subducted slab possibly belonging to the Caribbean plate is present below the stations Las Mercedes (LMG), RCC and GTBY whereas earlier subducted slabs could explain the results obtained below the Soroa (SOR), Manicaragua (MGV) and Cascorro (CCC) station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research conducted in order to assess the relationships between relative abundance and environmental variables of the scorpion, Microtityus jaumei in Sierra de Canasta, Cuba. It discusses an increase in activity over the year by assessing the population dynamics of Microtityus. The study revealed the relation of the abundance of scorpions with density of the canopy and thickness of the substrate.

SUMMARY Simulations of strong ground motion within the Santiago de Chile Metropolitan area were carried out by means of 3-D deterministic wave propagation tool based on the spectral element method. The simulated events take into account the pronounced interface between the low-velocity sedimentary basin and the bedrock as well as topography of the area. To verify our model we simulated a regional earthquake recorded by a dense network installed in the city of Santiago for recording aftershock activity after the 2010 February 27 Maule main shock. The results proof the alluvial basin amplification effects and show a strong dependence of spectral amplification in the basin on the local site conditions. Moreover, we studied the seismic response due to a hypothetical Mw= 6.0 event occurring along the active San Ramón Fault, which is crossing the eastern edge of the city. The scenario earthquakes exhibit that an unfavourable interaction between fault rupture, radiation mechanism and complex geological and topographic conditions in the near-field region may give rise to large values of peak ground velocity in the basin. Finally, 3-D numerical predictions of ground motion are compared with the one computed according to ground motion prediction equations selected among the next generation attenuation relationships, in terms of ground motion peak values and spectral acceleration. The comparison underlines that the 3-D scenario simulations predict a significantly higher level of ground motion in the Santiago basin, especially over deep alluvial deposits. Moreover, also the location of the rupture nucleation largely influences the observed shaking pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fidelity research can help to answer essential questions about the diffusion process of innovative health interventions and provide insights for further scaling-up and institutionalization. This study assessed fidelity and reinvention in the implementation of a community-based control strategy for Aedes aegypti control. The intervention was implemented in 16 study areas in La Lisa, a municipality of Havana, Cuba. Its major components were: organization & management, capacity-building, community work and surveillance. A participatory assessment of process data was performed to determine whether the components and subcomponents were implemented, not-implemented or modified. Frequencies were tabulated over all circumscriptions (lowest level of local government) and the average was calculated for the four components. Spearman Rank correlation coefficients were calculated to explore the relationships between components. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with co-ordinators of the strategy at different levels to identify difficulties encountered in the strategy’s implementation. Surveillance was the most implemented component (72.9%) followed by capacity-building (54.7%). Community work and organization & management were less implemented or modified (50% and 45%, respectively). Apart from surveillance and capacity-building, all components are significantly and strongly correlated (Spearman Rank correlation coefficient > 0.70, P < 0.01). If one component is implemented in a circumscription, the other components are also likely to be implemented. It is noticeable that areas which did not undergo organizational changes commonly did not implement community work activities. Within the whole strategy, few activities were added. Scarcely implemented subcomponents were the most innovative. The difficulties encountered during implementation were related to appropriate training and skills, available time, lack of support and commitment to the strategy, lack of motivation of local leadership, and integration of actors and resources. The study showed a wide variability of fidelity in the implementation of the intervention and highlighted challenges for scaling-up and institutionalization of the community-based intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The story of the St. Louis, as that narrative has evolved over the decades, often includes as much myth as it does history. Focusing on American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee negotiator Lawrence Berenson, the author brings to light the often overlooked influence of key actors' attitudes and demeanor on the episode's outcome. He then traces the diplomatic exchange that followed the failure of negotiations to land the St. Louis passengers in Cuba. In conclusion, he calls for the St. Louis crisis to be read in a way that takes into account the United States' domestic and international political context at the time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article looks at debates over the protection of human rights in domestic and international law following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Particular focus is given to the study and teaching of human rights issues related to U.S. government responses to the attacks. The author suggests that with the proper focus and background information, such a study can help students understand an important moment in U.S. history and analyze the failures and successes of human rights standards. Details on efforts to check alleged human rights abuses at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility in Cuba and other human rights issues surrounding detention, interrogation, and due process are presented. Other topics include military tribunals and the relationship between war and terrorism.

Background. As part of an evaluation of strategies to make inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) affordable for developing countries, we conducted a clinical trial of fractional doses of IPV in Cuba. Methods. We compared the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of fractional-dose IPV (0.1 mL, or 1/5 of a full dose) given intradermally using a needle-free jet injector device compared with full doses given intramuscularly. Subjects were randomized at birth to receive IPV at 6, 10, and 14 weeks. Results. A total of 471 subjects were randomized to the 2 study groups, and 364 subjects fulfilled the study requirements. No significant differences at baseline were detected. Thirty days after completing the 3-dose schedule of IPV, 52.9%, 85.0%, and 69.0% of subjects in the fractional-dose IPV arm seroconverted for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively, whereas 89.3%, 95.5%, and 98.9% of subjects in the full-dose IPV arm seroconverted for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3, respectively (all comparisons, P < .001). The median titers of each poliovirus serotype were significantly lower in the intradermal arm than in the intramuscular arm (P < .001). Only minor local adverse effects and no moderate or serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions. This large-scale evaluation demonstrates the feasibility of fractional doses of IPV given intradermally as an antigen-sparing strategy but also shows that IPV given to infants at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age results in suboptimal immunogenicity (especially for the fractional-dose arm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mainstream accounts of refugee women and children have habitually portrayed their objects of study as ‘generic’ passive victims of war and/or famine. In stark contrast, however, since the early 1980s Sahrawi refugee women and children have been invoked as active agents constructing and maintaining their camps. In the first part of this article I explore the nature of a selection of mutually-reinforcing images produced by the Polisario Front (the Sahrawi refugees’ ‘representatives’ and camp managers) for a European audience. Their distinctive content could appear to be diametrically opposed, and perhaps designed to offer a corrective to the ‘universalizing representational practice’ identified by Malkki (1995: 11). In the remainder of the article, however, I argue that these and other portrayals of Sahrawi refugee women and children are in essence motivated by the same political and politicized priorities as those of ‘generic’, passive and victimized ‘womenandchildren’ (Enloe 1990, 1991). Examining three apparently paradoxical accounts of one context of Sahrawi displacement (Sahrawi refugee youth’s ‘educational displacement’ to Cuba), I highlight the extent to which Sahrawi women and children are consistently, if differently, mobilized by Morocco, Polisario and members of Spanish civil society to secure support from a range of state and non-state actors. Moving away from the external projection of these images, I conclude the article by highlighting how the Cuban scholarship programme has been conceptualized and negotiated within the camps, with reference to tensions between Cuban-educated women, their families, and Polisario veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article recounts the involvement of U Thant, Secretary General of the United Nations in 1962, with the Cuban Missile Crisis. U.S. President John F. Kennedy had learned of the existence of nuclear warheads in Cuba which had been provided by the Soviet Union. The U.S. and the Soviet Union began days of diplomatic and military posturing with war seeming likely. The author contends Thant was instrumental in preventing war and has not been given credit by the existing histories of the event. Thant acted as an intermediary between the stakeholders and offered valuable advice and recommendations.

The article examines the state of habeas corpus and extraterritorial jurisdiction after the case Boumediene v Bush in which the U.S. Supreme Court decided against aspects of the detention schemes of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. It presents an analysis of the Guantanamo Bay litigation in the U.S. Supreme Court. It examines the case's approach to extraterritoriality which affirms the primacy of effective control of territory or the person over jurisdiction over de jure foreign territory.

The article presents the case of The Queen (Al-Rawi and others) v. Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and another (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees intervening), which was heard by the United Kingdom Court of Appeal in July 2006. The case involved the detention of three British-recognized Convention refugees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The relevant facts, legal issues, and court ruling are summarized.

The article focuses on the controversy involving an 1899 marriage law in Cuba. The marriage law known as Military Order No. 66 is described, offering political and historical context for its claims that marriage was a fundamentally civil contract and only marriages performed by a secular authority would be recognized by the state. Extensive discussion is then given to the response by the Catholic Church through Bishop Manuel Santander against the move, noting the resultant tension between church and state relations and jurisdiction in the nation.

Postcolonial scholars show how knowledge practices participate in the production and reproduction of international hierarchy. A common effect of such practices is to marginalize Third World and other subaltern points of view. For three decades, analysis of the Cuban missile crisis was dominated by a discursive framing produced in the ExComm, one in which Cuba was invisible. The effort to produce a critical oral history enabled Cuban voices—long excluded from interpretive debates about the events of October 1962—to challenge the myth of the crisis as a superpower affair. Despite the oral history project’s postcolonial intervention, however, and greater attention to Cuba’s role in the crisis, this framing persists and is reproduced in the micro-practices of scholarship. Decolonizing the crisis, and by extension the discipline itself, is not easy to do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the development of the musical activities of Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier in Havana, Cuba and Paris, France. It says that the early years of the musical career of Carpentier received little attention. It tells that he conducted the first concerts of new music and wrote scenarios on Afro-Cuban subjects in Havana in 1920s. It states that he joined to sign the Minorista manifesto which is the same with the propagation of the ideals of avant-garde. It mentions that he met and become close to various musical and literary artists on his travel. It also presents a little background about his life.

The ability of communities to respond to the pressures of globalization is an important determinant of community health. Tourism is a rapidly growing industry and there is an increasing concern about its health impact on local communities. Nonetheless, little research has been conducted to identify potential mitigating measures. We therefore took advantage of the 'natural experiment' provided by the expansion of tourism in Cuba, and conducted four focus groups and key informants interviews in each of two coastal communities. Participants expressed concerns about psycho-social impacts as well as occupational and environmental concerns, and both infectious and chronic diseases. A wide array of programs that had been developed to mitigate potential negative were described. Some of the programs were national in scope and others were locally developed. The programs particularly targeted youth as the most vulnerable population at risk of addictions and sexually transmitted infections. Occupational health concerns for workers in the tourism sector were also addressed, with many of the measures implemented protecting tourists as well. The health promotion and various other participatory action initiatives implemented showed a strong commitment to address the impacts of tourism and also contributed to building capacity in the two communities. Although longitudinal studies are needed to assess the sustainability of these programs and to evaluate their long-term impact in protecting health, other communities can learn from the initiatives taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of migrant monarchs ( Danaus plexippus) from the eastern USA and south-eastern Canada migrate to Mexico; however, some of them migrate to Cuba. Cuban migrants hatch in south-east Canada and eastern USA, and then engage in a southern trip of 4000 km to this Caribbean island. In Cuba, these migrants encounter resident monarchs, which do not migrate, and instead move between plant patches looking for nectar, mating partners and host plants. These differences in flight behaviour between migrant and resident Cuban monarchs may have resulted in different selective pressures in the wing size and shape. Two modes of selection were tested, directional and stabilizing. In addition, wing condition was compared between these two groups. Monarchs were collected for 4 years in Cuba and classified as resident or migrant using two independent techniques: Thin-layer chromatography and stable hydrogen and stable carbon isotope measurements. Wing size was measured and wing condition was rated in the butterflies. Fourier analysis and wing angular measurements were used to assess wing shape differences. Migrants have significantly longer wings than residents, thus supporting the action of directional selection on wing size. In addition, directional selection acts on wing shape; that is, migrant females differ significantly from resident females in their wing angles. However, the results do not support the action of stabilizing selection: there was no significant variance between migrant and resident monarchs in their wing size or shape. Also, migrant females and males differed in wing condition as a result of differences in flight behaviour. In conclusion, eastern North American monarchs offer a good opportunity to study the selective pressures of migration on wing morphology and how different migratory routes and behaviours are linked to wing morphology and condition. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 92, 605–616. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the history of freed slaves in Cuba and how they adjusted to traditional domestic institutions. Slaves and their children were emancipated gradually in Cuba between 1868 and 1886. The author presents case studies of freemen making legal efforts to recognize the children they bore out of wedlock as slaves. He feels this evidence will force historians to reevaluate previous assumptions about family ideology and institutions. In offering a broader picture of Cuban family life during the slaveholding period, the author hopes to expose the ways in which free and enslaved people interacted, racial boundaries were transcended, and, at times, freedom was obtained.

The article discusses the status of political and economic relations between the U.S. and Cuba and the efficacy of economic sanctions imposed by the former on the latter. Since coming to power in Cuba in 1959, President Fidel Castro has overcome around five decades of sanctions and diplomatic isolation by the U.S. Questions are being raised as to why Fidel did not take any action against the embargo. He seems to be pursuing his personal interests, presenting them as that of the state.

In an attempt to estimate the effective collective dose imparted to the population of Camaguey-Ciego de Avila territory, Cuba, we have made use of the statistics from nuclear medicine examinations given to a population of 1.1 million inhabitants for the years 1995-1999. The average annual frequency of examinations was estimated to be 3.82 per 1000 population. The results show that nuclear medicine techniques of thyroid imaging with 43.73% and thyroid uptake with 43.36% are the main techniques implicated in the relative contribution to the total annual effective collective dose, which averaged 54.43 man Sv for the studied period. Radiation risks for the Camaguey-Ciego de Avila population caused by nuclear medicine examinations in the period studied were calculated: the total number of fatal and non-fatal cancers was 16.33 and the number of serious hereditary disturbance was 3.54 as a result of 21,073 nuclear medicine procedures, corresponding to a total detriment of one case per thousand examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies for the determination of radionuclide concentrations in foodstuffs, water and air were carried out in Cuba for the estimation of annual committed effective doses to members of the public as a result of environmental radionuclides via ingestion and inhalation. As a result of these studies, it was possible to determine the concentrations of 226Ra, 210Pb, 210Po, 232Th, 90Sr and 137Cs in different food groups that constitute the diet of the Cuban population, as well as the 222Rn concentrations in air. Based on these results and using previously obtained results for doses due to the 40K body content, the annual committed effective doses due to the intake of studied radionuclides were estimated. An average value of 120 ± 4 µSv y-1 was obtained for doses due to ingestion of food and water and the obtained value for 222Rn inhalation was 240 ± 1 µSv y-1. Using the representative value obtained previously for 40K (150± 40 µSv y-1) and assuming a dose of 50 ± 50 µSv y-1 for the probable contribution of 220Rn by inhalation, a representative value of 560 ± 20 µSv was estimated for the average annual committed effective doses due to ingestion and inhalation of radionuclides for the Cuban population. Obtained values are consistent with the expected results, taking into account the characteristics of Cuban exposure scenarios, with low-activity concentration levels in environmental objects and high air exchange rates in dwellings: These results are in the same order of magnitude as results obtained by other authors and the reference values established by the USNCEAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the adoption and evolution of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights's measures to insure human rights for detainees kept inside the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay. The commission can take precautionary measures to prevent irreparable harm to detainees. The Commission can also request information from the interested parties on any matter related to the adoption and observance of the precautionary measures.

Background From extensive participatory research in inner city communities in Central Havana, Cuba, we found housing to be the largest perceived source of health risk. The objective of this study, therefore, was to ascertain the feasibility of conducting a multi‐method longitudinal evaluation of the impact of housing improvements on health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]