In the last thirty years, a large number of studies have researched the destination image that visitors, travel industry representatives, students, and general consumers have of tourist destinations. However, few studies have analyzed the perceptions that local residents have of their own countries as tourist destinations. Local residents can provide valuable information about their countries as tourism destinations and can help tourism marketers determine how to represent local culture in more authentic and sustainable ways. Local residents can also provide valuable information about how to improve tourism development based on their experiences living in the area. Residents can further provide information and services to visitors and are themselves an integral part of tourism at a destination. This study focused on understanding how destination marketing portrays the people and places of a destination and how residents perceive the visuals used in destination marketing and promotion. Using a visual qualitative approach, the study analyzed the images of recent promotional campaigns employed by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. The study then interviewed Puerto Rican residents regarding their attitudes toward tourism development in general and toward the specific imagery used in the campaigns. Overall, residents had rather positive opinions of tourism in Puerto Rico. They also had largely positive attitudes toward the visual imagery used to market the destination. However, they felt the portrayal was incomplete and did not reflect the modern way of Puerto Rican daily life.

Introducción: Existen evidencias científicas que validan la eficacia in vitro del PRP sobre el metabolismo de los tenocitos y condrocitos, pero hay muy pocos estudios in vivo que muestren este efecto metabólico positivo sobre los tejidos blandos y articulaciones y que hagan uso de los biomarcadores para la monitorización de los efectos clínicos del PRP. Objetivos: a) Evaluar la progresión clínica de las lesiones de distintos tejidos blandos (TFDS, TFDP, LATFDP, y LS) y articulaciones con OA tratados con inyecciones intralesionales e intraarticulares de PRP, b) Documentar los resultados en términos de porcentajes de recuperación del nivel atlético previo (NAP) y de recaídas (R) en los grupos tratados en comparación con los respectivos grupos control, c) Evaluar los efectos de la administración del PRP en tejidos blandos y articulaciones sobre algunos biomarcadores (GAGs, COMP y AH), d) Obtener las conclusiones que orienten un protocolo de tratamiento y e) Evaluar la inocuidad del tratamiento de las lesiones de tejidos blandos y articulaciones con PRP obtenido por el método de tubo y doble centrifugación.Material y métodos: Durante un periodo de 4 años (2004 a 2008) se ha evaluado la terapia con PRP sobre una población de 191 caballos que presentaban lesiones de tejidos blandos (72 caballos con lesiones del TFDS, 61 agudas y 11 crónicas; 10 del TFDP, 9 agudas y 1 crónica; 7 del LATFDP, 6 agudas y 1 crónica; 36 del LS: 11 de la PPLS, 7 agudas y 4 crónicas, 6 del CLS, 4 agudas y 2 crónicas y 19 de las RLS, 7 agudas y 12 crónicas) y articulaciones (42 caballos); otros 24 caballos, con diversas lesiones de tejidos blandos (TB) y articulaciones (A), se han utilizado para estudiar los efectos del PRP sobre los biomarcadores. Los grupos control se constituyeron con 9 caballos con lesiones del TFDS, 3 agudas y 6 crónicas; 4 del TFDP, 2 agudas y 2 crónicas; 3 del LATFDP, 1 aguda y 2 crónicas; 16 del LS: 9 del PPLS, 5 agudas y 4 crónicas, 2 del CLS, 1 aguda y 1 crónica, 5 de las RLS, todas crónicas. Todos los grupos estaban predominantemente integrados por caballos trotadores de carreras y algunos de salto, doma y recreo. Se realizó un examen de cojera de todos los caballos, incluyendo bloqueos anestésicos, radiografías digitales y ecografías. Las lesiones de los TB se clasificaron en 6 categorías (escala Rantanen) y las lesiones de las A según los signos clínicos, cronicidad y cambios radiológicos clásicos de la OA. Los pacientes se reexaminaron a los 15, 30, 45 días, 2 meses y 4 meses y se realizó un seguimiento a lo largo de 1 ½ a 3 ½ años. La preparación del PRP se realizó manualmente por el sistema de tubo y doble centrifugación; se registraron los recuentos plaquetarios. Se utilizaron métodos de análisis estadísticos según cada caso (Paired T-test, T-Test, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis) y ANOVA para evaluar la influencia de los factores "lesión aguda/crónica" (A/C), "lesión en los polos de la sección del TFDS" (LP), "categoría ecográfica de las lesiones" (CATL) de los tejidos blandos, "cambios radiológicos articulares" (CRA) y "número de dosis de PRP" (ND). Se consideró significativo un p<0,05.Resultados: Todos los caballos tratados progresaron significativamente mejor que (vs) los grupos control y mejoraron los porcentajes obtenidos con la medicina reparativa y documentados en la literatura, tanto en lo que concierne a la recuperación del nivel atlético previo (NAP) como a las recaídas (R). Para el TFDS: NAP, 75,7-79,5% vs 40-50%; R, 20-24% vs 43-93%. Para el TFDP: NAP, 100% vs 0%; R, 16,6%. Para el LATFDP: NAP, 100% vs 44%; R, 0% vs 16%. Para el LS: NAP, 100%; R, 22,2%. Para las articulaciones: NAP, 70-75% vs 0% grupo control casos crónicos; R, 9,5-33%. En el caso de los TB, el factor A/C no afectó al resultado del tratamiento; los factores LP, CATL y ND afectaron significativamente al tiempo de recuperación del NAP (t50%CatII y t90%CatII) y al porcentaje de R. En el caso de las articulaciones, el factor CRA influenció significativamente los porcentajes de NAP y R. Los recuentos plaquetarios oscilaron entre 94.103 y 289.103 con media= 160,9.103 ± 38,4.103 SD, pero este factor no tuvo influencia en los resultados. La administración intrasinovial (articular o tendinosa) de PRP estimula la síntesis de GAGs, que se refleja con un incremento significativo de su concentración, detectable en el suero y líquido sinovial. Este estímulo tiene una duración aproximada de 14 ± 5 días. La administración de PRP provoca una disminución de la COMP degradada, que se refleja con una disminución significativa de su concentración detectable en el suero y en el líquido sinovial. Se han administrado 358 dosis de PRP y no se han observado reacciones adversas.Discusión: Los resultados de este estudio clínico indican una mejoría de los índices de recuperación del NAP y de R, cuando se comparan con otros estudios clínicos orientados al pronóstico El estudio de los biomarcadores refleja un balance metabólico anabólico. Todo ello contribuye a validar la utilización del PRP como modalidad de tratamiento regenerativo.Conclusiones: El PRP constituye un tratamiento seguro, efectivo que alivia el dolor y estimula la curación de los TB y A, tal como han evidenciado los exámenes de cojera, los parámetros clínicos y los resultados deportivos. Se recomiendan 2 ó más dosis de PRP para la mayoría de la lesiones, administradas en intervalos de 15 días. / Introduction: There is in vitro scientific evidence that proves the efficacy of PRP on tenocyte and chondrocyte metabolism, but there are very few in vivo studies that validate this positive metabolic effect on soft tissue structures and joints and none to our knowledge using biomarkers to monitor the effects of treatment. Objectives: a) Evaluate clinical progression of different soft tissue injuries (SDFT, DDFT, ALDDFT, and SL) and OA affected joints treated by intra lesional or intra-articular PRP injection, b) Document results in terms of rate of return to competition or previous level of performance (RC/PLP) and rate of re injury (R) when compared with control groups, c) Evaluate the effects of PRP administration on certain biomarkers (GAGs, COMP and HA), d) Obtain information that may lead to a more objective treatment protocol, e) Evaluate safety of treatment of soft tissue and joint injuries with PRP obtained by the tube method and double centrifugation. Materials and methods: During a 4 year period (2004 a 2008) a clinical study evaluating the effects of PRP therapy has been conducted in a population of 191 horses that were presented with soft tissues (72 horses with SDFT, 61 acute y 11 chronic; 10 of DDFT, 9 acute and 1 chronic; 7 ALDDFT, 6 acute y 1 chronic; 36 of the SL: 11 proximal SL, 7 acute and 4 chronic, 6 of the body of the SL, 4 acute and 2 chronic, and 19 of the branches of the SL, 7 acute and 12 chronic) and joints (42 horses) problems; another 24 horses, with various soft tissue and joint lesions were used to study the effects of PRP administration on 3 biomarkers. The control groups were formed of 9 horses with SDFT, 3 acute and 6 chronic; 4 of the DDFT, 2 acute and 2 chronic; 3 of the ALDDFT, 1 acute and 2 chronic; 16 of the SL: 9 proximal LS, 5 acute and 4 chronic, 2 of the body of the SL, 1 acute and 1 chronic, 5 of the branches of the SL, all chronic. All groups were formed by predominantly trotters, and then show-jumpers, dressage horses and pleasure riding horses. A complete lameness examination was performed in all horses, including digital radiography, ultrasonographic exams and nerve and joints blocks every time it was deemed necessary. Soft tissue injuries were classified on a scale from 0 to 6 according to Rantanen, and the joints were classified according to loss of function, chronicity and presence of classic OA radiographic changes. Patients were reexamined at 15, 30, 45 days, 2 months and 4 months with rechecks up to 1 ½ and 3 ½ years. PRP preparation was done manually with the tube method and double centrifugation. Platelet counts were registered in all cases. Statistical analysis: Different tests were used as needed: Paired T-test, T-Test, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis, or an ANOVA to test the influence of the factors "acute lesion vs chronic" (A/C), "location of lesion at the poles of the SDFT cross-section" (PL), soft tissue ultrasonographic lesion category (LCAT), presence of joint radiographic changes (JRC), number of PRP administrations (NA). Level of significance was set at p<0,05.Results: All treated horses progressed significantly better than controls and also better than what has been reported in the literature with reparative medicine, both in rate of return to competition (RC/PLP) and in rate of re injury (R). For the SDFT: RC/PLP, 75,7-79,5% vs 40-50%; R, 20-24% vs 43-93%. For the DDFT: RC/PLP, 100% vs 0%; R, 16,6%. For the ALDDFT: RC/PLP, 100% vs 44%; R, 0% vs 16%. For the LS: RC/PLP,100%; R, 22,2%. For the joints: RC/PLP, 70-75% vs 0% control group of chronic cases; R, 9,5-33%. When considering soft tissues, the factor (A/C) did not affect the result of treatment; the factors (PL), (LCAT) and ND significantly affected time needed by 50% and 90% of cases to reach ultrasonographic cathegory II (t50%CatII and t90%CatII), time of recovery of RC/PLP as well as rate of R. In the case of the joints, presence of (JRC) significantly affected RC/PLP and R. Platelet counts ranged from 94.103 to 289.103 with a median of 160,9.103 ± 38,4.103 SD, but this did not influence results significantly. Intra synovial injection (joint and tendon sheath) of PRP stimulates GAG synthesis which is reflected by a significant increase of their concentration in serum and in synovial fluid. This is observed for approximately 14 ± 5 days. Following PRP administration, degraded COMP concentrations decrease both in serum and in synovial fluid. A total of 358 injections of PRP were performed with no adverse effects noted.Discussion: The results of this clinical study indicate an improvement of the rates of return to previous athletic level and a decrease in rate of re injury when compared to retrospective clinical studies looking at prognosis. The study of the effects on biomarkers concentrations in relation to treatment shows an anabolic balance. Both these observations support the use of PRP.Conclusions: PRP therapy is a safe treatment option that alleviates pain and stimulates soft tissue and joint healing, evidenced by improvement in lameness scores, clinical signs and performance results. At least 2 or more dosages of PRP are recommended for the majority of lesions with at least 15 day intervals.

En esta investigación se aplica el análisis institucional al estudio de la creación de empresas en Puerto Rico. El estudio fue estructurado en tres niveles de análisis: 1) el marco macro económico de la estructura de los establecimientos comerciales y la creación de empresas, 2) el estudio de los factores condicionantes formales y 3) el estudio de los factores condicionantes informales. En los tres niveles de análisis se aplicó una metodología cuantitativa, aunque la fase de entrevistas personales que se incluyó en el segundo nivel de análisis proveyó un toque cualitativo al estudio. En la primera fase de la investigación se analizó la estructura de los establecimientos comerciales categorizados por tamaño según el número de empleados, así como la tendencia del nivel de actividad en la creación de empresas en las últimas dos décadas y la relación entre la creación de empresas y una serie de indicadores macro económicos seleccionados. El indicador de nivel de actividad en la creación de empresas se calculó como la tasa de crecimiento anual en el número de establecimientos. Las estadísticas de establecimientos comerciales se obtuvieron de la base de datos del censo económico para Puerto Rico.El objetivo del segundo nivel de análisis fue determinar cuál es el entorno institucional formal relacionado con la creación de empresas en Puerto Rico. En esta fase se recopiló información detallada de las leyes, los reglamentos, las entidades reguladoras y las organizaciones concernientes. Como parte de esta segunda fase también se estudió el conocimiento y valoración que tienen los empresarios fundadores de empresas nuevas sobre las organizaciones y los servicios de apoyo. Empresas nuevas fueron definidas como aquellas fundadas hace cinco años o menos. Se realizaron entrevistas a una muestra de 50 empresarios.El tercer nivel de la investigación estuvo dirigido al análisis de las percepciones y actitudes de la población puertorriqueña en torno al proceso de creación de empresas y al empresario. En esta fase se realizó una encuesta a dos muestras. El primer grupo lo compone una muestra de 500 personas representativa de la población puertorriqueña mayor de 21 años de edad. El segundo grupo lo compone una muestra de 435 estudiantes universitarios. El estudio concluye que en los últimos dos períodos estudiados se ha dado un aumento significativo en la tasa de creación de empresas en Puerto Rico. No obstante, una parte importante de dicha actividad empresarial se está llevando a cabo por los extranjeros propietarios de los establecimientos comerciales. Por otro lado, los factores condicionantes que obstaculizan el proceso de creación de empresas en Puerto Rico se hallan fundamentalmente en el entorno formal, contrario a la percepción general de que el puertorriqueño carece de espíritu empresarial. / In this research the institutional analysis is applied to the study of new venture creation in Puerto Rico. The research was structured in three levels of analysis: 1) the macroeconomic level of new venture creation; 2) the formal environmental constraints level and 3) the informal environmental constraints level. A quantitative methodology was applied in all levels of analysis although the phase of personal interviews included in the second level provided a qualitative touch to the study. In the first level of the research the structure of commercial establishments categorized by size according to the number of employees was analyzed. The trend in the business start-up activity during the last two decades and the relationship between the start-ups index and several macro economic indicators selected were also studied. The business start-ups index was calculated from 1980 to 1997 as the annual growth rate of commercial establishments. The Economic Census for Puerto Rico and the Economic Report to the Governor were used as database in the first level of analysis. The objective of the second level of analysis was to determine which are the formal environmental constraints related to new venture creation in Puerto Rico. Formal environmental constraints were studied through the compilation of detailed information of the laws and regulations related to business creation and operation in Puerto Rico. The knowledge and valuation that entrepreneurs founders of new ventures have concerning support institutions was also studied. New ventures were defined as those founded since 5 years or less. Interviews were conducted to a sample of 50 entrepreneurs. The third level of analysis was oriented towards the study of the perceptions and attitudes that Puerto Ricans have towards new venture creation and the entrepreneur. In this phase a survey was conducted to two samples of the Puerto Rican society: 500 persons from the general population older than 21 years and 435 university students majoring in business administration, economics and engineering. The research concludes that in the last two periods studied a significant increase in new venture creation has taken place in Puerto Rico. However, an important part of the entrepreneurial activity increase is being carried out by foreign owners of the commercial establishments. On the other hand, the environmental factors that inhibit the process are basically formal, opposed to the general perception that Puerto Ricans lack entrepreneurial spirit.

On 30 December 1986, a local fisherman incidentally discovered the remains of a seventeenth-century merchantman off the coast of Rincon, a small municipality on Puerto Rico's west coast. Some days later, he and some acquaintances extracted objects from the site and stored them in a nearby restaurant. The assemblage of artifacts recovered included, among other items, pins, scissors, ordnance, pewter ware, woodworking tools, a myriad of concretions and a nautical astrolabe. It is from the last that the wreck site took its name. The operation continued for months until local authorities, alerted by a member of the salvage group, issued a cease and desist order. At that point, the whole affair entered a legal process that on the summer of 2005 had not reached its conclusion. The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, the author presents the story of the shipwreck from the moment it was found until the court ruled regarding ownership of the artifacts. Since this was the first time ownership of a shipwreck was debated in Puerto Rican courts in recent history, this gives the reader an idea of how legal precedence was established concerning the island's submerged cultural resources. Second, based on what was popularly perceived to be the site's most remarkable find, a study was developed on the sea or mariner's astrolabe, a navigation instrument that played a fundamental role in the process of European maritime expansion during the late fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The reader of this text will learn that, during the fifteenth century, Portuguese navigators saw the need to gradually depart from the traditional Mediterranean navigation technique known as "dead reckoning." As their explorations along the West African coast forced them to sail far into the Atlantic Ocean for prolonged periods, a new method was developed that consisted of measuring the angle of certain heavenly bodies above the horizon in order to determine the latitude of the observer with reasonable precision. For this purpose, instruments that traditionally belonged to the field of astronomy were adapted to be used by seamen. Among them was the astrolabe, which became the most popular by the turn of the sixteenth century. After discussing the instrument's origin and development, the author analyzes how a renewed interest on the nautical astrolabe, which emerged in Portugal in the early twentieth century, introduced the instrument to the field of modern scholarly research. This work also presents a catalogue of sixteen sea astrolabes, some of which have never been published. The catalogue shows statistics and other relevant information, while placing the artifacts in the context of the previously existing data.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Ill., 2001. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-120).

The modern insular shelf and slope of western Puerto Rico is characterized by reef carbonate and siliciclastic sedimentary environments controlled by the complex interplay of tectonic arching and faulting, vigorous erosion of the elevated island of Puerto Rico, fluvial incision and sedimentation pulses, reef growth, and rapid late Quaternary eustatic sea-level changes. For this study, I interpret 725 km of high-resolution, single-channel seismic lines that were collected over the western insular shelf and slope by the RV Isla Magueyes in 2000 to better understand tectonic, erosional, and eustatic controls on late Quaternary history. The seafloor geology of the western shelf and slope area of Puerto Rico has been well studied and mapped mainly from grab and short cores collected by geoscientists at the U.S. Geological Survey and at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagü̈ez. Because of low tectonic uplift rates from the western coast of Puerto Rico, the onland late Quaternary sedimentary history is not recorded in Quaternary coastal outcrops. The results of my seismic interpretation and correlation with multi-channel seismic data collected in 1972, reveal four main units defined by characteristic stratal reflection terminations and seismic facies. These units include: Unit 1 (basement) - a gently folded and faulted basal section correlated to the Oligocene-early Pleistocene carbonate shelf of Puerto Rico; deeper penetration, industry multi-channel seismic lines show that these rocks are deformed in a broad east-west-trending arch; Unit 2 (lowstand systems tract, LST) - chaotic channel fill deposits filling deep (~ 30 meter) incisions formed during the Last Glacial Maximum about 20 ka; Unit 3 (transgressive system tract, TST) - poorly stratified deposits truncating the top of Unit 2 and deposited during early Holocene transgression of the shelf margin; Unit 4 (highstand system tract, HST) - late Holocene, highly stratified deposits related to aggradation as the Holocene transgression began to slow. The base of unit 4 is a downlap surface interpreted as a maximum flooding surface likely formed about 8 ka. East-northeast-striking faults are observed that offset the late Quaternary units in three separate zones off the west coast of Puerto Rico. Because of a lack of wells and long cores from the shelf and slope area, age estimates for the four units are based on correlations with sea-level curves derived from dated coral samples in the Caribbean and western Atlantic region. All four units are deformed by faulting that should be considered active and possibly hazardous for the rapidly developing west coast of Puerto Rico. In one area, a large, late Holocene-slump (~ 0.016 km³) is mapped using seismic, sidescan sonar and bathymetric data. Onland continuations of these faults are likely, but have not been identified due to cultural overprint of natural scarps on late Quaternary floodplains. / text

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1986. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Joan Gussow. Dissertation Committee: Isobel Contento. Bibliography: leaves 138-143.