Journal articles on the topic 'Shipping, cuba'

Abstract: Parmi les familles de la Guinée côtière qui ont été profondément impliqués dans le commerce des esclaves et qui passeront au commerce légitime au cours du XIXe siècle, la famille Lightbourn de Farenya dans le Haut Rio Pongo a obtenu un taux de réussite et d'intégration qui était inhabituel chez EurAfricans. L'histoire de cette famille et de ses fondateurs - dont l'un a vécu pendant près d'un siècle - et leur famille et leurs relations d'affaires en Afrique de l'Ouest, Caroline du Sud, aux îles du Cap-Vert, Cuba, et les Bermudes, souligne la complexité de commerce dans le monde atlantique centrée sur et le long des côtes américaines et africaines. Elle démontre que, bien que des initiatives européennes pourraient avoir été des catalyseurs nécessaires pour le changement, la vitesse de la transition vers une nouvelle et différente commerce et le degré de conformité à ces initiatives a été décidé par des personnes et des familles résidant sur la côte africaine. La famille Lightbourn a relié des systèmes qui impliquaient un commerce caravanier dominé par des Mande et Fula, avec l'exportation et le commerce entre l'Afrique, l'Europe et les Amériques, et avec un commerce intermédiaire sur la côte africaine. C'était ce rôle qui a permis à ces systèmes d'interagir et de s'épanouir. Dans ce cas, on en sait plus sur la partie africaine du partenariat Lightbourn que sur le côté américain. L'histoire de la famille Lightbourn illustre également le caractère transnational des unités familiales car ils « ont profité des similitudes » (Gundaker, 125) et parce que ces étrangers récemment arrivées en Afrique ont également évolué, et de marchands d'esclaves aux commerçants légitimes dans un contexte mondial. Among families of coastal Guinea that were deeply involved in slave trading and that transitioned to legitimate commerce during the nineteenth century, the Lightbourn family of Farenya in the Upper Rio Pongo obtained a level of success and integration that was unusual among EurAfricans. The history of this family and of its founders -- one of whom lived for nearly a century -- and their family and business connections in West Africa, South Carolina, Cape Verde Islands, Cuba, and Bermuda, underscores the complexity of commerce in the Atlantic-centered world and along the American and African coasts. It demonstrates that, although European initiatives may have been necessary catalysts for change, the speed of transition to a new and different commerce and the degree of compliance to those initiatives was decided by persons and families residing on the African coast. The Lightbourns bridged differences between systems that involved Mande and Fula dominated caravan commerce between Africa's interior and the coast, shipping and marketing commerce between Africa, Europe, and the Americas, and an intermediate commerce on the African coast that allowed those systems to interact and flourish. In this case, more is known about the African side of the Lightbourn partnership than about the American side. Lightbourn history also illustrates the transnational character of family units as they "made the most of similarities" (Gundaker, 125) and adjusted from outsiders to newcomers in the African context and from slave traders to legitimate traders in the global context.

Warehouse has an important role in supply chain management and has many complex activities that require special attention. This study aims to improve warehouse efficiency performance. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method is employed to obtain the level of efficiency and benchmarking on five indicators, namely financial, productivity, utilization, quality, and cycle time along with five business processes in warehousing, i.e. receiving, put away, storage, order picking, and shipping. The decision making unit is a warehouse in four retailers in Yogyakarta province, in Indonesia. The input and output variables are selected based on the highest priority weight using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The most important variable for receiving is productivity (receipt per man-hour), variable for put away is cycle time (put away cycle time), variable for storage is utilization (% location and cube occupied), variable for order picking is cycle time (order picking cycle time) and variable for shipping is productivity (order prepared for shipment per man-hour). The research results show that the benchmarking model with DEA can be used to increase warehouse efficiency performance by up to 22% by increasing receiving and shipping productivity, increasing storage utilization and reducing cycle time at put away and order picking.

During the past few years product mechanical shock fragility analysis has become an accepted part of the product design cycle at Wang Laboratories, Inc. This analysis is used to insure that the product has sufficient strength to work in the user environment without problem, and to survive the shipping environment from Wang to the customer without requiring excessively expensive shipping packaging. In some cases it is possible to make relatively inexpensive changes in the product which increase the mechanical shock resistance of that product. The cost of these changes is weighed against the cost of the amount of cushioning and related recurring costs needed in the shipping package to provide protection for the lower shock level the unmodified product is capable of withstanding. If the cost of product modification is lower than the cost of the increased package materials, freight and storage (increased cube), the modification is made to the product. A brief background of shock testing products is given, with particular attention to the use of ASTM D 3332. This process is presented as a specific case study on a recently developed CRT monitor.

As a part of the Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has joined the efforts to better understand and monitor the effects of anthropogenic noise on marine environmental quality. Since 2017, underwater acoustic observatories were put in place across endangered whale habitats leading to the acquisition of big underwater acoustic dataset to process and analyze. In the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, underwater noise has been continuously monitored at 13 locations (6 to 10 simultaneously) between 2018 and 2023 at sampling rate up to 256 ksps in order to better understand the effect of shipping noise on marine environmental quality of the endangered St. Lawrence estuary beluga habitat. In this presentation, the data analysis pipeline from in situ sampling to processing is detailed, including recording schemes, data quality and control, soundscape cube, source separation, multi-scale statistics on noise levels and risk of impacts on habitat quality and visualization. These steps are used to identify, characterize and quantify daily to interannual spectral variability of underwater noise and their relationship with local environmental forcings such as shipping, wind, ice, tides, and currents at targeted locations. Ultimately, these results are used to provide support to (1) marine conservation and spatial planning initiatives from DFO and the Saguenay St. Lawrence Marine Parc; and (2) assess the predictability power of the outputs of soundscape modeling.

Abstract The angular response setup of PMOD/WRC was modified to facilitate measurements of the narrow field of view of radiometers for direct solar irradiance. First, The pointing of the JTSIM-DARA radiometer was measured four times during its construction in the optic laboratory of PMOD/WRC. The final offset of the pointing before shipping relative to the optical axis, defined by a removable alignment cube, is 1.07° / 0.67° (β/γ-axis) for the four-quadrant sensor and 0.095°/-0.017° for the radiometer cavity A. Next to JTSIM-DARA the DARA for the occulter of the satellite Proba-3 was characterised at PMOD/WRC. First tests of the pointing have been carried out and the final pointing characterization will be carried out in summer 2021. Finally, the angular response setup was also used the angular responsivity of solar direct irradiance filter radiometers. The first test was carried out using Precision Filter Radiometer (PFR) F-064.

Warehouse performance measurement is needed to improve performance of logistics system. In order to improve warehouse performance, it is necessary to identify Key Performance Indicator (KPI). Different warehouses have different KPI, therefore this research aims to identify the most important KPI of warehouse so that warehouse manager can determine corrective actions in their warehouse efficiently and effectively. In this research, 25 KPI of warehouse are identified in five warehouse activities based on Frazelle model. The most important KPI are then determined in each warehouse activity using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Warehouse performance are measured and final score is determined using SNORM. Improvement steps are proposed base on benchmarking among warehouses. Warehouse performance measurement is conducted in 5 construction’s material warehouses located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. From this study, it is found that most important KPI for receiving is productivity (receive per man-hour), KPI for put away is cycle time (put away cycle time), KPI for storage is utilization (% location and cube occupied), KPI for order picking is cycle time (order picking cycle time) and KPI for shipping is productivity (order prepared for shipment per man-hour). Improving warehouse performance could be done by comparing warehouse performance with the best performance among peer group.

Buildings are the largest consumers of energy, accounting for nearly 40% of all energy used. Therefore, an effective method of reducing energy consumption is to create and design more efficient buildings. In this paper details of a sustainable and green building design for a small residential home are presented. This design is unique in that it is built to Passive house standards, and using shipping containers. The structure will use four 20 ft. (6.1 m) high and one 40 ft. (12.2 m) high cube containers, with the four 20 ft. (6.1 m) making up the main floor and the 40 ft. (12.2 m) forming the second floor. The size is a modest 820 sq. ft. (76.2 m2) designed for a family with one or two children. The goal for the building is to be as self-sufficient as possible which makes it ideally suited to an ‘off-grid’ rural setting. However, it can be adapted to be ‘on-grid’ as well. Solar energy will provide all the electricity needs through a photovoltaic battery system, and warm water with a solar water heater. The site will be water neutral by utilising rainwater harvesting and on site waste water treatment. The results from energy modelling, using HOT2000, are presented, as well as an in-depth analysis on different insulation types and strategies. Finally, a cost estimate exercise is conducted and results compared to other passive houses and traditional code compliance buildings.

22 Background: Prescription drug out-of-pocket (OOP) costs remain a major source of financial toxicity in hematology/oncology (heme/onc). Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) sells generic drugs directly to patients, bypassing insurance. The purchase cost is equal to drug cost (manufacturing cost, 15% markup, $3 pharmacy fee) and $5 shipping fee. Research shows MCCPDC provides potential savings for Medicare beneficiaries, but its benefit for the commercially insured remains unknown. We assess OOP savings if the eight MCCPDC drugs with heme/onc indications were purchased directly from MCCPDC instead of commercial insurance. Methods: MCCPDC purchase costs were matched with equivalent drugs claims in IBM Marketscan (2021) based on name, strength, formulation, and amount dispensed, using claims with the most frequent days’ supply. Potential OOP savings were calculated by subtracting insurance claim OOP costs (copay + coinsurance + deductible) from MCCPDC purchase cost. Outcomes included % claims with cost savings and amount saved. Savings were calculated for brand-name drugs for which a MCCPDC generic may often be appropriately substituted. Results: Of 145,403 claims, 6.8-24.5% of generic antineoplastics approved post-1990 in MCCPDC and 26% of deferasirox claims would have OOP savings if purchased through MCCPDC, with median savings $63-$561 (Table). 14.8% of brand-name 2nd generation antiandrogen claims would save switching to abiraterone, with median (IQR) saving of $1045 (345, 2010). 43.2% of brand-name 1st/2nd generation BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) claims would save switching to imatinib, with median (IQR) saving of $116 (31, 1286). The share of newer generic antineoplastic claims with savings varied by insurance: high deductible health plan (HDHP) (28.1%), health maintenance organization (HMO) (23.5%), and preferred provider organization (PPO) (13.2%) (p<0.001). Conclusions: Some patients can save hundreds or thousands of dollars per fill by purchasing heme/onc drugs through MCCPDC instead of commercial insurance, with greater savings for HDHP/HMO and from brand-name antineoplastics to appropriately substitutable generics. MCCPDC is a new avenue to decrease financial toxicity. [Table: see text]

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are hunted throughout most of their range. In addition to hunting, polar bears of the Beaufort Sea region are exposed to mineral and hydrocarbon extraction and related human activities such as shipping, road building, and seismic testing. As human populations increase and demands for polar bears and other arctic resources escalate, reliable estimates of survivorship of polar bears are needed to predict and manage the impacts of those activities. We used the Kaplan–Meier model to estimate annual survival (with 95% confidence intervals) for radio-collared female polar bears and their dependent young that were followed during a 12-year study in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. Survival of adult female polar bears was higher than had been previously thought: Ŝ = 0.969 (range 0.952–0.983). If human-caused mortalities were deleted, the computed survival rate was 0.996 (0.990–1.002). Survival of young from den exit to weaning was 0.676 (0.634–0.701). Survival during the second year of life, 0.860 (0.751–0.903), was substantially higher than during the first year, 0.651 (0.610–0.675). Shooting by local hunters accounted for 85% of the documented deaths of adult female polar bears. Conversely, 90% of documented losses of young accompanying radio-collared females were not directly caused by humans. Deaths of dependent young were independent of litter size (P = 0.36), indicating that parental investment in single cubs was not different from investment in litters of two or more. Precise estimates of the survival of independent juveniles and adult males still need to be developed.

Dredging is essential to maintain suitable depth for shipping by removing dredged sediments from sea and river banks. It is also an important process to supply construction material. In Pahang, increasing flood cases is occurring due to increased sea and river bed level. Thus, dredging is needed to be performed in this location. In addition, the rapid growth of the construction industry requires a sustainable approach. The reuse of dredged sediments as construction material could be a sustainable approach. Therefore, this research aims to study the engineering properties of dredged sediments and to compare the strength of concrete made from dredged sediments with conventional concrete. The samples for this research obtained from the location of this study at Sungai Pekan. Laboratory testing was performed to determine the engineering properties of dredged sediments and compressive strength of concrete produced from the dredged sediments. The highest average compressive strength of the concrete cube produced from Sample 1 is 9.2 N/mm² for seven days and 11.9 N/mm² for 28 days curing period. Comparatively, Sample 3 has the lowest average compressive strength that is 2.1 N/mm² for seven days and 2.7 N/mm² for 28 days curing period. The strength that is required to be achieved is 14 N/mm² for curing seven days and 20 N/mm² for curing period of 28 days. In conclusion, the concrete cubes made from dredged sediment taken at the sampling area are unable to produce concrete that satisfies the minimum strength for the C20 concrete mix. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is the minimal potential use of dredged sediments taken from the location of this study for the production of concrete in the construction industry.

The high increases in freight transportation costs worldwide have generated a container crisis, impacting the global supply chains due to fast-increasing product prices. This situation could raise the global international inflation rate, provoking the devaluation of different currencies against the dollar. The increased cost of maritime transport will affect some products, impacting their added value. For instance, some furniture, textile, handcraft, artisanal candles, clothing, and leather products could lose their competitive advantage for their emerging producer economies. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, maritime freight rates are expected to remain high for at least one year, affecting economic trade and demand worldwide and causing a shortage of several products. Such a situation is a critical effect of the lockdowns that slowed down industrial activity. The vertiginous increase in freight transportation rates is due to a multiplicity of factors, the vast majority of them having to do with the pandemic, and it is not yet clear how long this crisis could last. This ongoing crisis is known as the "container crisis" and entails an unusual shortage of available space to transport products from Asia to the rest of the world. Besides the lack of containers and high shipping costs, there have been port jams and temporary shutdowns in some terminals due to strict measures to control the new covid-19 strains. We hope that the massive vaccine rollout worldwide could improve the maritime transportation flow, which moves 99% of the total load (in tons) worldwide. The Colombian industry has suffered a shortage of raw materials, over-production costs, and long delays in lead times, forcing some small- and medium-sized companies to shut down due to inputs being unavailable for their average production. Editorial Note The Journal Cuadernos de Administración needs to thank Prof. Carlos Hernan Gonzales for his invaluable years' long work as an editor that allowed the Journal significant achievements. Among the most significant achievements is the Journal being categorized in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI). We hope that Prof. Carlos Hernan will continue supporting the Journal through his participation in the editorial board team. The Journal brings new, significant changes seeking to increase its visibility and ranking: Calls for papers for each volume will be relinquished, and a permanent call for papers will be in place. The Journal will have a "Forthcoming Papers" section, papers that will have been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication but are not yet published because final changes are pending and still need to be assigned a volume or issue. The order they are published does not indicate the order of their final assignment to a volume. These papers can be cited as forthcoming papers. According to the following link, papers must meet a minimum level of English above the 75th percentile https://secure.aje.com/en/researcher/grammar-check. This 71st issue of the Journal Cuadernos de Administración corresponds to the September-December 2021 period. The eight papers published in issue 71 come from the previous call, whose authors submitted their manuscripts to our editorial process from several countries and different regions of Colombia. The Journal thanks our reviewers, who supported us through their experience and expertise in assessing each paper. The eight research papers published attest to the high quality of several aspects in business, marketing, finance, and social responsibility, among other areas. The first paper, called "Visual neuromarketing strategies in two shopping malls in the city of Cúcuta, Colombia," seeks to describe the visual neuromarketing practices present in two shopping malls in the city of Cúcuta (Colombia). A quantitative study with a descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional design using an observation guide and a questionnaire is implemented. The second paper, called "Case Analysis: Financial viability for the commercialization of physicochemical testing services at the Antioquia Liquor and Alcohol Factory (ALAF)," studies market profitability for physicochemical testing of alcoholic beverages according to the transformation in its legal nature. The proposed approach includes the costing of tests by using accounting and the analytical procedures used by the laboratory. The paper "A framework explaining the entrepreneurial intentions of engineering students in public universities" seeks to explain the Entrepreneurial Intent (EI) of university students enrolled in engineering programs at the public university of the state of Guanajuato (Mexico). The proposed approach combines the Theory of Planned Behavior, formal and informal institutional factors, and two individual traits. The fourth paper, "Corporate Governance and Organizational Social Responsibility: discussion about the Multilatinas case," explores the relationship between Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility. This relationship is analyzed considering the interest of the majority-owners-block-family and CEO about the firm outlays for the Organizational Social Responsibility. The paper "Announcements Effect of Corporate Bond Issuance on Stock Returns: Evidence from Chile" measures the effect of announcing a corporate bond issuance on stock returns for companies listed on the Santiago de Chile Stock Exchange (BCS). An event study measures the effect of announcing a corporate bond issuance on stock return, and this methodology calculates abnormal returns for the days of the event. In the work "Internationalization and open innovation in SMEs from the horticultural sector in Colombia," the authors empirically assess the relationship between open innovation, exploration, and exploitation activities in the context of internationalization of horticultural-sector SMEs' from Northern Valle del Cauca, Colombia. The study is based on a sample of 102 SMEs and the determination of a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to test a series of research hypotheses. The last research paper, "Sustainable segmentation for ecological personal hygiene products in the hard discount format," considers the issue of sustainable consumption of personal hygiene products in countries like Colombia. A quantitative approach with a descriptive correlational scope was employed to analyze the relationship between consumers' environmental practices and their intention of purchasing personal hygiene products. Finally, the last paper, a reflection paper called "Bank financing management with a value chain approach in Cuba," tackles the value chain concepts and the value chain approach from productive articulation. The methodology used in this work includes the analysis, synthesis, and deduction of the theoretical-methodological aspects of bank financing management. The Universidad del Valle's Faculty of Administration's 71st issue of Cuadernos de Administración consolidates us as a prestigious Journal for disseminating scientific knowledge in several areas. The Journal wishes to thank the authors of each of these eight papers and the peer reviewers who supported our editorial process, always bearing in mind that each article's content is its authors' responsibility.

Purpose. In the recent years, horizontal rotation methods have been widely used for bridge construction, particularly for constructing overpass bridges on highways, railways, and shipping. However, bridges constructed using the swivel construction method bear several types of loads during the rotation process. Furthermore, the bridge turntable, which is the core force-bearing component of the structure, bears considerably large vertical pressure and horizontal frictional resistance. The present research proposes three strengthening methods when applying ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC) materials to the turntable of a spherical hinge to improve structural reliability. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of the structure are evaluated using a unidirectional compressive strength test to provide a theoretical and experimental basis for the application of the UHPC material. Design/Methodology/Approach. To evaluate the mechanical performance of the turntable of a spherical hinge, scale models of six sets of UHPC turntables—steel tube-UHPC, stirrup-UHPC, and directional steel fiber UHPC—were constructed in the study. The compressive strengths of the turntable specimens were calculated after theoretical analysis. After obtaining the load-displacement curves of the cube specimens, the force characteristics of the turntable and the failure mechanism of the structure were analyzed by observing the failure mode of the specimens. Findings. The compressive strength of the steel tube-UHPC turntable was 207 MPa, which can completely replace the traditional steel turntable. In addition, the stirrup-UHPC turntable demonstrated a significant loading effect. However, the effect of the restraint radius of the stirrup needs to be considered during the design; otherwise, the loading effect is poor. Furthermore, a directional steel fiber UHPC turntable can improve the compressive strength to a certain extent. We summarize the failure mechanism of the spherical hinge turntable specimens that are expected to play a role in UHPC spherical hinge in engineering applications and construction monitoring. Originality/Value. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to employ the UHPC, steel tube-UHPC, stirrup-UHPC, and directional steel fiber spherical hinge turntables in the swivel construction of bridges. The compressive strength and mechanical characteristics of the UHPC structure meet the requirements of the turntable, and more importantly, the manufacturing process (on-site pouring) of the aforementioned UHPC turntable structures is relatively simple. Finally, the manufacturing cost of the turntables is expected to be reduced by more than 50% compared to those of traditional turntables.

Marcus Wood; Slavery, Empathy, and Pornography (Lynn M. Festa)Michèle Praeger; The Imaginary Caribbean and Caribbean Imaginary (Celia Britton)Charles V. Carnegie; Postnationalism Prefigured: Caribbean Borderlands (John Collins)Mervyn C. Alleyne; The Construction and Representation of Race and Ethnicity in the Caribbean and the World (Charles V. Carnegy)Jerry Gershenhorn; Melville J. Herskovits and the Racial Politics of Knowledge (Richard Price)Sally Cooper Coole; Ruth Landes: A Life in Anthropology (Olivia Maria Gomes Da Cunha)Maureen Warner Lewis; Central Africa in the Caribbean: Transcending Time, Transforming Cultures (Robert W. Slenes)Gert Oostindie (ed.); Facing up to the Past: Perspectives on the Commemoration of Slavery from Africa, the Americas and Europe (Gad Heuman)Gert Oostindie, Inge Klinkers; Decolonising the Caribbean: Dutch Policies in a Comparative Perspective (Paul Sutton)Kirk Peter Meigho; Politics in a ‘Half-Made Society’: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2001 (Douglas Midgett)Linden Lewis (ed.); The Culture of Gender and Sexuality in the Caribbean (David A.B. Murray)Gertrude Aub-Buscher, Beverly Ormerod Noakes (eds.); The Francophone Caribbean Today: Literature, Language, Culture (Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw)Sally Lloyd-Evans, Robert B. Potter; Gender, Ethnicity and the Iinformal Sector in Trinidad (Katherine E. Browne)STeve Striffler, Mark Moberg (eds.); Banana Wars: Power, Production and History in the Americas (Peter Clegg)Johannes Postma, Victor Enthoven (eds.); Riches from Atlantic Commerce: Dutch Transatlantic Trade and Shipping, 1585-1817 (Gert J. Oostindie)Phil Davison; Volcano in Paradise: Death and Survival on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat (Bonham C. Richardson)Ernest Zebrowski jr; The Last Days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster that Claimed Thirty Thousand Lives (Bernard Moitt)Beverley A. Steele; Grenada: A History of Its People (Jay R. Mandle)Walter C. Soderlund (ed.); Mass Media and Foreign Policy: Post-Cold War Crises in the Caribbean (Jason Parker)Charlie Whitham; Bitter Rehearsal: British and American Planning for a Post-War West Indies (Jason Parker)Douglas V. Amstrong; Creole Transformation from Slavery to Freedom: Historical Archaeology of the East End Community, St. John, Virgin Islands (Karin Fog Olwig)H.U.E. Thoden van Velzen; Een koloniaal drama: De grote staking van de Marron vrachtvaarders, 1921 (Chris de Beet)Joseph F. Callo; Nelson in the Caribbean: The Hero Emerges, 1784-1787 (Carl E. Swanson)Jorge Duany; The Puerto Rican Nation on the Move: Identities on the Island and in the United States (Juan Flores)Raquel Z. Rivera; New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone (Halbert Barton)Alfonso J. García Osuna; The Cuban Filmography, 1897 through 2001 (Ann Marie Stock)Michael Aceto, Jeffrey P. Williams (eds.); Contact Englishes of the Eastern Caribbean (Geneviève Escure)In: New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids (NWIG) 79 (2005), no. 1 & 2

Marcus Wood; Slavery, Empathy, and Pornography (Lynn M. Festa)Michèle Praeger; The Imaginary Caribbean and Caribbean Imaginary (Celia Britton)Charles V. Carnegie; Postnationalism Prefigured: Caribbean Borderlands (John Collins)Mervyn C. Alleyne; The Construction and Representation of Race and Ethnicity in the Caribbean and the World (Charles V. Carnegy)Jerry Gershenhorn; Melville J. Herskovits and the Racial Politics of Knowledge (Richard Price)Sally Cooper Coole; Ruth Landes: A Life in Anthropology (Olivia Maria Gomes Da Cunha)Maureen Warner Lewis; Central Africa in the Caribbean: Transcending Time, Transforming Cultures (Robert W. Slenes)Gert Oostindie (ed.); Facing up to the Past: Perspectives on the Commemoration of Slavery from Africa, the Americas and Europe (Gad Heuman)Gert Oostindie, Inge Klinkers; Decolonising the Caribbean: Dutch Policies in a Comparative Perspective (Paul Sutton)Kirk Peter Meigho; Politics in a ‘Half-Made Society’: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2001 (Douglas Midgett)Linden Lewis (ed.); The Culture of Gender and Sexuality in the Caribbean (David A.B. Murray)Gertrude Aub-Buscher, Beverly Ormerod Noakes (eds.); The Francophone Caribbean Today: Literature, Language, Culture (Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw)Sally Lloyd-Evans, Robert B. Potter; Gender, Ethnicity and the Iinformal Sector in Trinidad (Katherine E. Browne)STeve Striffler, Mark Moberg (eds.); Banana Wars: Power, Production and History in the Americas (Peter Clegg)Johannes Postma, Victor Enthoven (eds.); Riches from Atlantic Commerce: Dutch Transatlantic Trade and Shipping, 1585-1817 (Gert J. Oostindie)Phil Davison; Volcano in Paradise: Death and Survival on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat (Bonham C. Richardson)Ernest Zebrowski jr; The Last Days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster that Claimed Thirty Thousand Lives (Bernard Moitt)Beverley A. Steele; Grenada: A History of Its People (Jay R. Mandle)Walter C. Soderlund (ed.); Mass Media and Foreign Policy: Post-Cold War Crises in the Caribbean (Jason Parker)Charlie Whitham; Bitter Rehearsal: British and American Planning for a Post-War West Indies (Jason Parker)Douglas V. Amstrong; Creole Transformation from Slavery to Freedom: Historical Archaeology of the East End Community, St. John, Virgin Islands (Karin Fog Olwig)H.U.E. Thoden van Velzen; Een koloniaal drama: De grote staking van de Marron vrachtvaarders, 1921 (Chris de Beet)Joseph F. Callo; Nelson in the Caribbean: The Hero Emerges, 1784-1787 (Carl E. Swanson)Jorge Duany; The Puerto Rican Nation on the Move: Identities on the Island and in the United States (Juan Flores)Raquel Z. Rivera; New York Ricans from the Hip Hop Zone (Halbert Barton)Alfonso J. García Osuna; The Cuban Filmography, 1897 through 2001 (Ann Marie Stock)Michael Aceto, Jeffrey P. Williams (eds.); Contact Englishes of the Eastern Caribbean (Geneviève Escure)In: New West Indian Guide / Nieuwe West-Indische Gids (NWIG) 79 (2005), no. 1 & 2

Introduction: Generic pharmaceuticals account for the majority of the $359 billion US pharmaceutical market, including for cardiology drugs. Amidst a lack of price transparency and administrative inefficiencies, generic drug prices are high, causing an undue burden on patients.Methods: We identified the 50 most used generic cardiology drugs by volume per the 2020 Medicare Part D spending data. We extracted cost per dose of each drug from the Marc Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) website and estimated the aggregate cost savings if MCCPDC were employed on a national scale by calculating the difference between this cost and Medicare spending.Results: Medicare spent $7.7 billion on the 50 most used generic cardiology drugs by volume in 2020 according to Medicare Part D data. Pharmacy and shipping costs accounted for a substantial portion of expenditures. Per our most conservative estimate, $1.3 billion (17% of total) savings were available on 16 of 50 drugs. A slightly less conservative estimate suggested $2.9 billion (38%) savings for 35 of 50 drugs.Discussion: There is enormous potential for cost savings in the US market for generic cardiology drugs. By encouraging increased competition, decreasing administrative costs, and advocating for our patients to compare prices between the MCCPDC and other generic pharmaceutical dispensers, we have the potential to improve access to care and corresponding outcomes for cardiology patients.

Increasing interactions of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) with human activity, combined with impacts of climate change, are of critical concern for the conservation of the species. Our study quantifies and describes initial reactions and behaviors of polar bears observed from an icebreaker during summer 1991 at two exploratory drilling sites (near sites drilled in 2015) located in the Chukchi Sea 175 km and 312 km west of Barrow, Alaska. Polar bear behavior was described using continuous sampling of six predetermined focal group behavior states (walking, running, swimming, resting, feeding or foraging, unknown) and six behavioral reaction events (no reaction, walking away, running away, approaching, vigilance [i.e., watching], unknown). Forty-six bears in 34 groups were monitored from the Robert LeMeur (an Arctic Class 3 icebreaker) for periods of five minutes to 16.1 hours. Significantly more bear groups reacted to icebreaker presence (79%) than not (21%), but no relationship was found between their reactions and distance to or activity of the icebreaker. Reactions were generally brief; vigilance was the most commonly observed reaction, followed by walking or running away for short (< 5 minutes) periods and distances (< 500 m). Eleven percent of bear groups approached the vessel. No significant difference was found between reactions when cubs were present and those when cubs were absent. Despite the limited sample sizes, these findings are relevant to assessing potential impacts of resource development and shipping activities on polar bears, especially given the sparsity of such information in the face of growing human activity in the Arctic offshore areas. Overall, climate change is leading to longer and more extensive open-water seasons in the Arctic and therefore to increasing marine traffic—more vessels (including icebreakers) for a longer time each year over a wider area.

Abstract Introduction With its stated goal “to end ridiculous drug prices,” the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) launched in January 2022 with over 100 generic prescription drugs available to be mailed directly to patients without the involvement of health insurance. To promote drug cost transparency, all drugs are priced at the cost to manufacture the drug with a 15% administrative markup, a $3 pharmacist fee, and a $5 shipping fee. Prior research has focused on the theoretical savings MCCPDC could offer if Medicare purchased drugs at MCCPDC prices with studies reporting a potential $3.3 billion in savings for Medicare. Prescription drug spending is continuing to rise in the United States and providers are increasingly considering patient’s out-of-pocket costs. MCCPDC touts a transparent, consistent pricing model, but it is unclear if this pricing model will actually translate to cost savings for patients. Objective We sought to analyze if Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC) can offer savings directly to patients compared with other mail-order pharmacies, local pharmacies (based on zip code of our urology clinic) and with patients using health insurance to fill prescriptions for their sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil. Methods Out of the approximately 100 generic drugs available on MCCPDC website, we analyzed the 3 drugs that are prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. We analyzed drug prices of 30 and 90-day prescriptions at the same dose of each medication. Using Good Rx prescription drug search engine, we compared the drug prices of the cheapest mail order and local in person pharmacies near our zip code. We also included prices for the recently started telemedicine company Roman. To compare if MCCPDC could offer savings to patients using health insurance to fill their prescriptions, we extracted the out-of-pocket drug costs for patients from the 2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS; a national survey that compiles data from both the pharmacy and the survey respondent to determine the exact cost of each prescription filled during that year) and the 2020 Medicare Part D spending data. Medicare Part D spending data was used to estimate the out-of-pocket cost for each medication, which is approximately a 25% copayment for Medicare prescriptions. Results MCCPDC offered the lowest direct-to-consumer price on sildenafil and tadalafil 90-day prescriptions (Table 1). MCCPDC saved patients approximately $10 per sildenafil and tadalafil prescription compared with the next cheapest option. We found additional, although smaller, savings at 30-day prescriptions for sildenafil and tadalafil. MCCPDC was not the cheapest option for vardenafil. Compared with Roman, MCCPDC offered cheaper prescriptions for sildenafil and tadalafil by over $300 and $900, respectively. Conclusions MCCPDC can offer significant cost savings to patients, especially considering the high number of sildenafil and tadalafil prescriptions each year. The transparency and consistency in pricing with MCCPDC can be utilized by providers when counseling patients on medical therapy options for erectile dysfunction. Disclosure No.

Abstract Introduction The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company (CPD) is an online retailer launched in January 2022 that sells generic prescription medications directly to consumers at cost of ingredients and manufacturing plus a fixed 15% margin in addition to a small pharmacy dispensing fee and shipping fee. GoodRx is an online tool which offers coupons redeemable at pharmacies for discounts on prescription medications. The combination of these two tools offers physicians a way to provide prescription medications to patients at lower costs, which may lead to improved medication adherence and lower medication expenditures nationally. Objective To compare the cost of various erectile dysfunction medications when purchased through retail pharmacies, reimbursed through Medicare, or obtained utilizing CPD and GoodRx. Methods A review of publicly available data from CPD and GoodRx was performed to obtain average retail and discounted prices for generic sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil. GoodRx prices were obtained using prices from Costco, CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart pharmacies in the most from populous zip code from each of the 3 most populous U.S. states: California, New York, and Texas. Prices were adjusted to account for dosage and prescribed quantity to estimate an average cost per dosage unit ($/adu). The Medicare Part D Drug Spending and Utilization data from 2021 were used to report the average spending per dosage unit and total expenditure for each of the listed medications. These data were compared to create an estimate of average national savings after use of CPD or GoodRx. Results Average spending per dosage unit for sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil was less when GoodRx or CPD were used (0.28 $/adu, 0.31 $/adu, and 6.17 $/adu respectively), compared to Medicare pricing (2.14 $/adu, 8.08 $/adu, and 27.84 $/adu respectively) or retail pricing (0.52 $/adu, 2.82 $/adu, and 8.35 $/adu respectively). When adjusted for total dosage units, use of CPD over Medicare pricing for the three medications would result in a combined annual national saving of $149M. Use of either CPD or GoodRx compared to retail pricing would similarly result in a combined annual nation saving of $40M. Conclusions The utilization of CPD and GoodRx in the prescription of common erectile dysfunction medications may lead to significant reductions in pricing compared to retail and Medicare estimates. Knowledge of these prescription tools may lead to significant reductions in national expenditures on medications and decreased cost burden for patients seeking treatment. Disclosure Any of the authors act as a consultant, employee or shareholder of an industry for: Advisory board and speaker for Coloplast; consultant for Cynosure; advisory board and speaker for Halozyme; intellectual property with Masimo; advisory board for Promescent; consultant for Sprout; advisory board for Xialla.

“As the old technologies become automatic and invisible, we find ourselves more concerned with fighting or embracing what’s new”—Dennis Baron, From Pencils to Pixels: The Stage of Literacy Technologies What constitutes a computer, as we have come to expect it? Are they necessarily monolithic “beige boxes”, connected to computer monitors, sitting on computer desks, located in computer rooms or computer labs? In order for a device to be considered a true computer, does it need to have a keyboard and mouse? If this were 1991 or earlier, our collective perception of what computers are and are not would largely be framed by this “beige box” model: computers are stationary, slab-like, and heavy, and their natural habitats must be in rooms specifically designated for that purpose. In 1992, when Apple introduced the first PowerBook, our perception began to change. Certainly there had been other portable computers prior to that, such as the Osborne 1, but these were more luggable than portable, weighing just slightly less than a typical sewing machine. The PowerBook and subsequent waves of laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and so-called smart phones from numerous other companies have steadily forced us to rethink and redefine what a computer is and is not, how we interact with them, and the manner in which these tools might be used in the classroom. However, this reconceptualization of computers is far from over, and is in fact steadily evolving as new devices are introduced, adopted, and subsequently adapted for uses beyond of their original purpose. Pat Crowe’s Book Reader project, for example, has morphed Nintendo’s GameBoy and GameBoy Advance into a viable electronic book platform, complete with images, sound, and multi-language support. (Crowe, 2003) His goal was to take this existing technology previously framed only within the context of proprietary adolescent entertainment, and repurpose it for open, flexible uses typically associated with learning and literacy. Similar efforts are underway to repurpose Microsoft’s Xbox, perhaps the ultimate symbol of “closed” technology given Microsoft’s propensity for proprietary code, in order to make it a viable platform for Open Source Software (OSS). However, these efforts are not forgone conclusions, and are in fact typical of the ongoing battle over who controls the technology we own in our homes, and how open source solutions are often at odds with a largely proprietary world. In late 2001, Microsoft launched the Xbox with a multimillion dollar publicity drive featuring events, commercials, live models, and statements claiming this new console gaming platform would “change video games the way MTV changed music”. (Chan, 2001) The Xbox launched with the following technical specifications: 733mhz Pentium III 64mb RAM, 8 or 10gb internal hard disk drive CD/DVD ROM drive (speed unknown) Nvidia graphics processor, with HDTV support 4 USB 1.1 ports (adapter required), AC3 audio 10/100 ethernet port, Optional 56k modem (TechTV, 2001) While current computers dwarf these specifications in virtually all areas now, for 2001 these were roughly on par with many desktop systems. The retail price at the time was $299, but steadily dropped to nearly half that with additional price cuts anticipated. Based on these features, the preponderance of “off the shelf” parts and components used, and the relatively reasonable price, numerous programmers quickly became interested in seeing it if was possible to run Linux and additional OSS on the Xbox. In each case, the goal has been similar: exceed the original purpose of the Xbox, to determine if and how well it might be used for basic computing tasks. If these attempts prove to be successful, the Xbox could allow institutions to dramatically increase the student-to-computer ratio in select environments, or allow individuals who could not otherwise afford a computer to instead buy and Xbox, download and install Linux, and use this new device to write, create, and innovate . This drive to literally and metaphorically “open” the Xbox comes from many directions. Such efforts include Andrew Huang’s self-published “Hacking the Xbox” book in which, under the auspices of reverse engineering, Huang analyzes the architecture of the Xbox, detailing step-by-step instructions for flashing the ROM, upgrading the hard drive and/or RAM, and generally prepping the device for use as an information appliance. Additional initiatives include Lindows CEO Michael Robertson’s $200,000 prize to encourage Linux development on the Xbox, and the Xbox Linux Project at SourceForge. What is Linux? Linux is an alternative operating system initially developed in 1991 by Linus Benedict Torvalds. Linux was based off a derivative of the MINIX operating system, which in turn was a derivative of UNIX. (Hasan 2003) Linux is currently available for Intel-based systems that would normally run versions of Windows, PowerPC-based systems that would normally run Apple’s Mac OS, and a host of other handheld, cell phone, or so-called “embedded” systems. Linux distributions are based almost exclusively on open source software, graphic user interfaces, and middleware components. While there are commercial Linux distributions available, these mainly just package the freely available operating system with bundled technical support, manuals, some exclusive or proprietary commercial applications, and related services. Anyone can still download and install numerous Linux distributions at no cost, provided they do not need technical support beyond the community / enthusiast level. Typical Linux distributions come with open source web browsers, word processors and related productivity applications (such as those found in OpenOffice.org), and related tools for accessing email, organizing schedules and contacts, etc. Certain Linux distributions are more or less designed for network administrators, system engineers, and similar “power users” somewhat distanced from that of our students. However, several distributions including Lycoris, Mandrake, LindowsOS, and other are specifically tailored as regular, desktop operating systems, with regular, everyday computer users in mind. As Linux has no draconian “product activation key” method of authentication, or digital rights management-laden features associated with installation and implementation on typical desktop and laptop systems, Linux is becoming an ideal choice both individually and institutionally. It still faces an uphill battle in terms of achieving widespread acceptance as a desktop operating system. As Finnie points out in Desktop Linux Edges Into The Mainstream: “to attract users, you need ease of installation, ease of device configuration, and intuitive, full-featured desktop user controls. It’s all coming, but slowly. With each new version, desktop Linux comes closer to entering the mainstream. It’s anyone’s guess as to when critical mass will be reached, but you can feel the inevitability: There’s pent-up demand for something different.” (Finnie 2003) Linux is already spreading rapidly in numerous capacities, in numerous countries. Linux has “taken hold wherever computer users desire freedom, and wherever there is demand for inexpensive software.” Reports from technology research company IDG indicate that roughly a third of computers in Central and South America run Linux. Several countries, including Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, have all but mandated that state-owned institutions adopt open source software whenever possible to “give their people the tools and education to compete with the rest of the world.” (Hills 2001) The Goal Less than a year after Microsoft introduced the The Xbox, the Xbox Linux project formed. The Xbox Linux Project has a goal of developing and distributing Linux for the Xbox gaming console, “so that it can be used for many tasks that Microsoft don’t want you to be able to do. ...as a desktop computer, for email and browsing the web from your TV, as a (web) server” (Xbox Linux Project 2002). Since the Linux operating system is open source, meaning it can freely be tinkered with and distributed, those who opt to download and install Linux on their Xbox can do so with relatively little overhead in terms of cost or time. Additionally, Linux itself looks very “windows-like”, making for fairly low learning curve. To help increase overall awareness of this project and assist in diffusing it, the Xbox Linux Project offers step-by-step installation instructions, with the end result being a system capable of using common peripherals such as a keyboard and mouse, scanner, printer, a “webcam and a DVD burner, connected to a VGA monitor; 100% compatible with a standard Linux PC, all PC (USB) hardware and PC software that works with Linux.” (Xbox Linux Project 2002) Such a system could have tremendous potential for technology literacy. Pairing an Xbox with Linux and OpenOffice.org, for example, would provide our students essentially the same capability any of them would expect from a regular desktop computer. They could send and receive email, communicate using instant messaging IRC, or newsgroup clients, and browse Internet sites just as they normally would. In fact, the overall browsing experience for Linux users is substantially better than that for most Windows users. Internet Explorer, the default browser on all systems running Windows-base operating systems, lacks basic features standard in virtually all competing browsers. Native blocking of “pop-up” advertisements is still not yet possible in Internet Explorer without the aid of a third-party utility. Tabbed browsing, which involves the ability to easily open and sort through multiple Web pages in the same window, often with a single mouse click, is also missing from Internet Explorer. The same can be said for a robust download manager, “find as you type”, and a variety of additional features. Mozilla, Netscape, Firefox, Konqueror, and essentially all other OSS browsers for Linux have these features. Of course, most of these browsers are also available for Windows, but Internet Explorer is still considered the standard browser for the platform. If the Xbox Linux Project becomes widely diffused, our students could edit and save Microsoft Word files in OpenOffice.org’s Writer program, and do the same with PowerPoint and Excel files in similar OpenOffice.org components. They could access instructor comments originally created in Microsoft Word documents, and in turn could add their own comments and send the documents back to their instructors. They could even perform many functions not yet capable in Microsoft Office, including saving files in PDF or Flash format without needing Adobe’s Acrobat product or Macromedia’s Flash Studio MX. Additionally, by way of this project, the Xbox can also serve as “a Linux server for HTTP/FTP/SMB/NFS, serving data such as MP3/MPEG4/DivX, or a router, or both; without a monitor or keyboard or mouse connected.” (Xbox Linux Project 2003) In a very real sense, our students could use these inexpensive systems previously framed only within the context of entertainment, for educational purposes typically associated with computer-mediated learning. Problems: Control and Access The existing rhetoric of technological control surrounding current and emerging technologies appears to be stifling many of these efforts before they can even be brought to the public. This rhetoric of control is largely typified by overly-restrictive digital rights management (DRM) schemes antithetical to education, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Combined,both are currently being used as technical and legal clubs against these efforts. Microsoft, for example, has taken a dim view of any efforts to adapt the Xbox to Linux. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who has repeatedly referred to Linux as a cancer and has equated OSS as being un-American, stated, “Given the way the economic model works - and that is a subsidy followed, essentially, by fees for every piece of software sold - our license framework has to do that.” (Becker 2003) Since the Xbox is based on a subsidy model, meaning that Microsoft actually sells the hardware at a loss and instead generates revenue off software sales, Ballmer launched a series of concerted legal attacks against the Xbox Linux Project and similar efforts. In 2002, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft simultaneously sued Lik Sang, Inc., a Hong Kong-based company that produces programmable cartridges and “mod chips” for the PlayStation II, Xbox, and Game Cube. Nintendo states that its company alone loses over $650 million each year due to piracy of their console gaming titles, which typically originate in China, Paraguay, and Mexico. (GameIndustry.biz) Currently, many attempts to “mod” the Xbox required the use of such chips. As Lik Sang is one of the only suppliers, initial efforts to adapt the Xbox to Linux slowed considerably. Despite that fact that such chips can still be ordered and shipped here by less conventional means, it does not change that fact that the chips themselves would be illegal in the U.S. due to the anticircumvention clause in the DMCA itself, which is designed specifically to protect any DRM-wrapped content, regardless of context. The Xbox Linux Project then attempted to get Microsoft to officially sanction their efforts. They were not only rebuffed, but Microsoft then opted to hire programmers specifically to create technological countermeasures for the Xbox, to defeat additional attempts at installing OSS on it. Undeterred, the Xbox Linux Project eventually arrived at a method of installing and booting Linux without the use of mod chips, and have taken a more defiant tone now with Microsoft regarding their circumvention efforts. (Lettice 2002) They state that “Microsoft does not want you to use the Xbox as a Linux computer, therefore it has some anti-Linux-protection built in, but it can be circumvented easily, so that an Xbox can be used as what it is: an IBM PC.” (Xbox Linux Project 2003) Problems: Learning Curves and Usability In spite of the difficulties imposed by the combined technological and legal attacks on this project, it has succeeded at infiltrating this closed system with OSS. It has done so beyond the mere prototype level, too, as evidenced by the Xbox Linux Project now having both complete, step-by-step instructions available for users to modify their own Xbox systems, and an alternate plan catering to those who have the interest in modifying their systems, but not the time or technical inclinations. Specifically, this option involves users mailing their Xbox systems to community volunteers within the Xbox Linux Project, and basically having these volunteers perform the necessary software preparation or actually do the full Linux installation for them, free of charge (presumably not including shipping). This particular aspect of the project, dubbed “Users Help Users”, appears to be fairly new. Yet, it already lists over sixty volunteers capable and willing to perform this service, since “Many users don’t have the possibility, expertise or hardware” to perform these modifications. Amazingly enough, in some cases these volunteers are barely out of junior high school. One such volunteer stipulates that those seeking his assistance keep in mind that he is “just 14” and that when performing these modifications he “...will not always be finished by the next day”. (Steil 2003) In addition to this interesting if somewhat unusual level of community-driven support, there are currently several Linux-based options available for the Xbox. The two that are perhaps the most developed are GentooX, which is based of the popular Gentoo Linux distribution, and Ed’s Debian, based off the Debian GNU / Linux distribution. Both Gentoo and Debian are “seasoned” distributions that have been available for some time now, though Daniel Robbins, Chief Architect of Gentoo, refers to the product as actually being a “metadistribution” of Linux, due to its high degree of adaptability and configurability. (Gentoo 2004) Specifically, the Robbins asserts that Gentoo is capable of being “customized for just about any application or need. ...an ideal secure server, development workstation, professional desktop, gaming system, embedded solution or something else—whatever you need it to be.” (Robbins 2004) He further states that the whole point of Gentoo is to provide a better, more usable Linux experience than that found in many other distributions. Robbins states that: “The goal of Gentoo is to design tools and systems that allow a user to do their work pleasantly and efficiently as possible, as they see fit. Our tools should be a joy to use, and should help the user to appreciate the richness of the Linux and free software community, and the flexibility of free software. ...Put another way, the Gentoo philosophy is to create better tools. When a tool is doing its job perfectly, you might not even be very aware of its presence, because it does not interfere and make its presence known, nor does it force you to interact with it when you don’t want it to. The tool serves the user rather than the user serving the tool.” (Robbins 2004) There is also a so-called “live CD” Linux distribution suitable for the Xbox, called dyne:bolic, and an in-progress release of Slackware Linux, as well. According to the Xbox Linux Project, the only difference between the standard releases of these distributions and their Xbox counterparts is that “...the install process – and naturally the bootloader, the kernel and the kernel modules – are all customized for the Xbox.” (Xbox Linux Project, 2003) Of course, even if Gentoo is as user-friendly as Robbins purports, even if the Linux kernel itself has become significantly more robust and efficient, and even if Microsoft again drops the retail price of the Xbox, is this really a feasible solution in the classroom? Does the Xbox Linux Project have an army of 14 year olds willing to modify dozens, perhaps hundreds of these systems for use in secondary schools and higher education? Of course not. If such an institutional rollout were to be undertaken, it would require significant support from not only faculty, but Department Chairs, Deans, IT staff, and quite possible Chief Information Officers. Disk images would need to be customized for each institution to reflect their respective needs, ranging from setting specific home pages on web browsers, to bookmarks, to custom back-up and / or disk re-imaging scripts, to network authentication. This would be no small task. Yet, the steps mentioned above are essentially no different than what would be required of any IT staff when creating a new disk image for a computer lab, be it one for a Windows-based system or a Mac OS X-based one. The primary difference would be Linux itself—nothing more, nothing less. The institutional difficulties in undertaking such an effort would likely be encountered prior to even purchasing a single Xbox, in that they would involve the same difficulties associated with any new hardware or software initiative: staffing, budget, and support. If the institutional in question is either unwilling or unable to address these three factors, it would not matter if the Xbox itself was as free as Linux. An Open Future, or a Closed one? It is unclear how far the Xbox Linux Project will be allowed to go in their efforts to invade an essentially a proprietary system with OSS. Unlike Sony, which has made deliberate steps to commercialize similar efforts for their PlayStation 2 console, Microsoft appears resolute in fighting OSS on the Xbox by any means necessary. They will continue to crack down on any companies selling so-called mod chips, and will continue to employ technological protections to keep the Xbox “closed”. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, in all likelihood Microsoft continue to equate any OSS efforts directed at the Xbox with piracy-related motivations. Additionally, Microsoft’s successor to the Xbox would likely include additional anticircumvention technologies incorporated into it that could set the Xbox Linux Project back by months, years, or could stop it cold. Of course, it is difficult to say with any degree of certainty how this “Xbox 2” (perhaps a more appropriate name might be “Nextbox”) will impact this project. Regardless of how this device evolves, there can be little doubt of the value of Linux, OpenOffice.org, and other OSS to teaching and learning with technology. This value exists not only in terms of price, but in increased freedom from policies and technologies of control. New Linux distributions from Gentoo, Mandrake, Lycoris, Lindows, and other companies are just now starting to focus their efforts on Linux as user-friendly, easy to use desktop operating systems, rather than just server or “techno-geek” environments suitable for advanced programmers and computer operators. While metaphorically opening the Xbox may not be for everyone, and may not be a suitable computing solution for all, I believe we as educators must promote and encourage such efforts whenever possible. I suggest this because I believe we need to exercise our professional influence and ultimately shape the future of technology literacy, either individually as faculty and collectively as departments, colleges, or institutions. Moran and Fitzsimmons-Hunter argue this very point in Writing Teachers, Schools, Access, and Change. One of their fundamental provisions they use to define “access” asserts that there must be a willingness for teachers and students to “fight for the technologies that they need to pursue their goals for their own teaching and learning.” (Taylor / Ward 160) Regardless of whether or not this debate is grounded in the “beige boxes” of the past, or the Xboxes of the present, much is at stake. Private corporations should not be in a position to control the manner in which we use legally-purchased technologies, regardless of whether or not these technologies are then repurposed for literacy uses. I believe the exigency associated with this control, and the ongoing evolution of what is and is not a computer, dictates that we assert ourselves more actively into this discussion. We must take steps to provide our students with the best possible computer-mediated learning experience, however seemingly unorthodox the technological means might be, so that they may think critically, communicate effectively, and participate actively in society and in their future careers. About the Author Paul Cesarini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Communication & Technology Education, Bowling Green State University, Ohio Email: pcesari@bgnet.bgsu.edu Works Cited http://xbox-linux.sourceforge.net/docs/debian.php>.Baron, Denis. “From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies.” Passions Pedagogies and 21st Century Technologies. Hawisher, Gail E., and Cynthia L. Selfe, Eds. Utah: Utah State University Press, 1999. 15 – 33. 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"“Opening” the Xbox" M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture <http://www.media-culture.org.au/0406/08_Cesarini.php>. APA Style Cesarini, P. (2004, Jul1). “Opening” the Xbox. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, 7, <http://www.media-culture.org.au/0406/08_Cesarini.php>