bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application, validation and comparison in different geographical contexts of an integrated model for the design of ecological networks
Authors: Fichera Carmelo Riccardo , Laudari Luigi , Modica Giuseppe
Published: June 2015

The issue of the fragmentation of natural habitats is increasingly at the core of the scientific debate, but often not taken into due consideration in planning tools, with particular reference to the dynamism and complexity of landscapes. As it has been recognised at a European level, in order to allow different species to remain in good functional status, a network of green infrastructures should be implemented. The concept of ecological island is no longer sufficient to protect adequately the fauna and the ecosystem it lives in. Consequently, ecological islands must turn into ecological networks. The ecological connectivity refers to the way habitats are physically connected to each other and how easy it is for species to move in. Good ecological connectivity is fundamental to the effective conservation of biodiversity considering that most species and ecological functions provided by ecosystems (ecosystem services) require a much wider space than that available within the boundaries of a single protected area. The main objective of this paper is to critically compare the application of a dedicated model for the design of ecological networks to two very different environmental contexts. This model was first tested in a Mediterranean area (the province of Reggio Calabria) in 2008 and updated in 2010. The main goal was to integrate the traditional (physiographic and functional) approaches into the design of ecological networks by taking into account biological and orographic elements as well as the anthropic structure of the territory. In 2011, within the ECONNECT European project, the same model was applied to the Pilot region of South- Western Alps (including the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and the Italian regions Piedmont and Liguria), which is one of the richest transnational districts in Europe in terms of biodiversity. In such a region, the issue of multidisciplinary ecological connectivity was tackled in order to provide a series of proposals aiming at the development of the ecological potential of the area. The two applications allowed to further investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the implemented model by integrating its validation also by means of information on faunal presence, which obviated one of the major limitations occurred in the first application.
Editorial
Authors: Alessandrello Anna
Published: June 2015

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Mitotic crossover promotes leukemogenesis in children born with TEL-AML1 via the generation of loss of heterozygosity at 12p
Authors: Ivanovski Ivan , Garavelli Livia , Djurić Olivera , Ćirović Aleksandar , Škorić Dejan , Ivanovski Petar I.
Published: June 2015

TEL-AML1 (ETV6-RUNX1) fusion gene which is formed prenatally in 1% of the newborns, is a common genetic abnormality in childhood Bcell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. But only one child out of a hundred children born with this fusion gene develops leukemia (bottleneck phenomenon) later in its life, if contracts the second mutation. In other words, out of a hundred children born with TEL-AML1 only one child is at risk for leukemia development, which means that TEL-AML1 fusion gene is not sufficient for overt leukemia. There is a stringent requirement for a second genetic abnormality for leukemia development and this is the real or the ultimate cause of the leukemia bottleneck phenomenon. In most cases of TEL-AML1+ leukemia, the translocation t(12;21) is complemented with the loss of the normal TEL gene, not involved in the translocation, on the contralateral 12p. The loss of the normal TEL gene, i.e. loss of heterozygosity at 12p, occurs postnatally during the mitotic proliferation of TEL-AML1+ cell in the mitotic crossing over process. Mitotic crossing over is a very rare event with a frequency rate of 10–6 in a 10 kb region. The exploration and identification of the environmental exposure(s) that cause(s) proliferation of the TELAML1+ cell in which approximately 106 mitoses are generated to cause 12p loss of heterozygosity, i.e. TEL gene deletion, may contribute to the introduction of preventive measures for leukemia.
Teaching Health Care Administration in Athletic Training: A Unique Approach
Authors: Sage Bradley W.
Published: June 2015

Health care administration is a challenging topic to teach due to the inability for students to directly engage in many of the activities such as insurance billing, inventory, and ordering equipment and supplies. The objective of this article is to describe how a discussion-based meeting format can be used to engage students in health care administration. Athletic training is a profession requiring a vast array of hands-on psychomotor skills. Students who enroll in professional athletic training programs are often kinesthetic learners who are best suited for hands-on learning. Although many classes in athletic training curricula offer an opportunity for these learners, in general the content area of health care administration does not. This creates challenging circumstances for the athletic training educator. A discussion-based business meeting environment was created to engage students in health care administration content. Students were required to complete meeting briefings before discussions during 25 meetings. Students engaged in open discussions that sparked expression of insightful personal opinions. Furthermore, students shared their clinical experiences and discussed openly the challenges and opportunities facing the profession of athletic training. This format allowed the presentation of this information to be conducted in a more stimulating and engaging way, better coinciding with the learning style of the students. This pedagogical approach to teaching health care administration appears to be an effective way to deliver this important material to athletic training students. Challenges still exist in respect to evaluating student participation and finding comfort in this teaching style. Both anecdotal student feedback and objectives scores on the Student Instructional Report (SIR) II course evaluation report show this method has been successful in engaging students in a difficult subject matter and improving learning outcomes.
iPadagogy 101: Using Clinical ORthopedic Exam (C.O.R.E.) to Facilitate Evidence-Based Practice in the Orthopaedic Evaluation Classroom
Authors: Hamson-Utley J. Jordan , Stiller-Ostrowski Jennifer L.
Published: June 2015

Evidence-based practice (EBP) and educational technology have become fundamental skills within athletic training programs. The objective of this article is to share experiences implementing clinical orthopaedic evaluation applications (“apps”) that can be integrated into classroom and clinical education to enhance students' proficiency and efficiency utilizing and interpreting special test findings. Today's entry-level allied health professional is expected to have a deeper understanding of special tests than ever before. In addition to developing proficiency in clinical skills, these future clinicians must understand validity statistics in order to select appropriate special tests and interpret the results. The Clinical ORthopedic Exam (C.O.R.E.) application is a database of nearly 250 special tests with descriptions of the test, a video of the special test being performed, and statistical support for the use of the test in reported sensitivity/specificity and likelihood ratios. The series of anatomy applications developed by 3D4Medical.com allows the user to view, zoom, and rotate the joint in 3 dimensions, providing cross-sectional views and virtual layer removal (revealing muscles, connective tissue, bones, vessels, and nerves). Textbooks that overview clinical special tests are not updated often enough to reflect the growing body of research surrounding these techniques. Students and clinicians require the most up-to-date information in order to make sound clinical decisions. The C.O.R.E. application provides access to the most recent peer-reviewed validity statistics. Patient education is also highly valued; the series of applications by 3D4Medical provides vivid anatomical images that can aid in explanation of injury to patients. With EBP a required educational content area within athletic training education and with medical technology becoming commonplace in allied health settings, it is essential that athletic training programs engage students in the use of technology during their classroom and clinical experiences.
Using a Critical Appraisal Assignment to Infuse Evidence-Based Practice into a Therapeutic Modality Course
Authors: Zwart Mary Beth , Olson Bernadette
Published: June 2015

Context

It is the responsibility of athletic training educators, through curriculum and clinical experiences, to engage students towards adopting evidence-based practice (EBP) into their practice. The initial task of implementing EBP into a curriculum or course can seem like a large task for educators and students. As a way to start scaffolding EBP concepts across the curriculum, a modified critical appraisal assignment was developed to teach therapeutic modality concepts.

Objective

The purpose of this action research project was to demonstrate how a modified critical appraisal assignment can be used to introduce the process and aspects of critical appraisal and begin scaffolding the development of critical appraisal skills over time. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the students' ability to (1) successfully locate relevant research needed to answer clinical questions and (2) successfully appraise the literature according to basic EBP strategy. From a program perspective, the modified critical appraisal assignment was a starting point from which to include EBP principles into didactic coursework.

Design

Seventeen athletic training students completed 3 modified critical appraisal assignments pertaining to the use of therapeutic modalities. Each paper included 5 sections: (1) clinical question, (2) key clinical findings, (3) clinical applicability based on information from the appraisal and significance of results, (4) article comparison table, and (5) implications for clinical practice, patient education, and future research. The instructor evaluated the assignments blind.

Conclusions

Students were generally able to complete the critical appraisal assignment; however, students had difficulty locating research that answered the clinical question. Students struggled to relate the key clinical findings of the research articles and implications for clinical practice to the given clinical question. Findings from this study have informed faculty teaching, including introducing EBP skills earlier in the curriculum and inserting assignments that stress various aspects of the critical appraisal process.
Evaluating Evidence-Informed Clinical Reasoning Proficiency in Oral Practical Examinations
Authors: Geisler Paul R. , Hummel Chris , Piebes Sarah
Published: June 2015

Clinical reasoning is the specific cognitive process used by health care practitioners to formulate accurate diagnoses for complex patient problems and to set up and carry out effective care. Athletic training students and practitioners need to develop and display effective clinical reasoning skills in the assessment of injury and illness as a first step towards evidence-based functional outcomes. In addition to the proper storage of and access to appropriate biomedical knowledge, an equally important component of effective clinical reasoning is the ability to select and interpret various conclusions from the mounting quantity of evidence-based medicine (EBM) sources. In assessing injury and illness, this competency is particularly reliant upon experience, skill execution, and available evidence pertaining to the diagnostic accuracy and utility of various special tests and physical examination procedures. In order to both develop and assess the ability of our students to integrate EBM into their clinical reasoning processes, we have designed exercises and evaluations that pertain to evidence-based clinical decision making during oral practical examinations in our assessment of athletic injury labs. These integrated oral practical examinations are designed to challenge our students' thinking and clinical performance by providing select key features of orthopaedic case pattern presentations and asking students to pick the most fitting diagnostic tests to fit that particular case. Students must not only match the appropriate special/functional tests, etc, to the case's key features, but also choose and explain how useful the chosen tests are for the differential diagnosis process, relative to the best diagnostic evidence. This manuscript will present a brief theoretical framework for our model and will discuss the process we use to evaluate our students' ability to properly select, perform, and explain various orthopaedic examination skills and the relevant evidence available. Specific examples of oral practical exam modules are also provided for elucidation.
Considerations for the Use of the Observation Experience to Aid in Early Socialization and Retention of Athletic Training Students
Authors: Mazerolle Stephanie M. , Dodge Thomas
Published: June 2015

Context

Retention of quality students in athletic training programs (ATPs) is important. Many factors contribute to retention of students, including their motivation level, peer support, positive interactions with instructors, clinical integration, and mentorship.

Objective

Highlight the use of the observation period for preparatory athletic training students as a means to promote retention.

Background

Many ATPs require a period of observation as part of or as a precursor to application for admission. The experience gives students initial exposure to the profession while allowing the ATP to evaluate the student's potential for admission and success within the program and as a young professional. The roles of an athletic trainer are complex and challenging; therefore, ATPs need to ensure they are preparing their students for professional practice.

Synthesis

A review of the retention literature was conducted and specific applications suggested based upon the authors' professional experiences.

Results

Early socialization into the profession is helpful for understanding an athletic trainer's role. Diversity during the observation period can facilitate a student's understanding, plausibly improving persistence.

Recommendations

Athletic training programs are encouraged to provide the preparatory student with structured, required observations of athletic trainers. Specifically, students should be exposed to diverse clinical employment settings and the different domains of clinical practice for the athletic trainer. This exposure could plausibly facilitate retention.

Conclusions

It is important to identify strategies to help retain quality students in order to promote and advance the professional stature of athletic training. Focusing on clinical experiences, rather than quantity of hours, may benefit students who are evaluating their futures as athletic trainers.
Building Professional Competence by Design or Just Marking Time: Suggestions for Educational Reform in Athletic Therapy Education in Canada
Authors: Lafave Mark R. , Bergeron Glen
Published: June 2015

Context and Background

Athletic therapy postsecondary education and certification requirements in Canada have reached considerable milestones throughout their history. The most important of these accomplishments was administration of the first Canadian Athletic Therapists' Association (CATA) certification examination in 1975. At that time, there were three basic exam eligibility requirements: (1) core curricular courses; (2) 1800 practical hours; and (3) a valid first aid certificate. The only significant change to these certification requirements occurred in 1976, when the 1800-hour internship requirement was reduced to 1200 hours. However, a documented rationale for this change could not be determined. The noteworthy milestone occurred when the CATA approved a policy stating that, as of September 1999, all future athletic therapy candidates would have to be enrolled in a Canadian accredited program at a postsecondary institution. Although this policy significantly advanced the CATA's postsecondary academic/curricular requirements, the 1200-hour internship requirement has remained unchanged for almost four decades.

Objective

The purpose of this commentary is to stimulate discussion about the linkage between the practical-hour requirements and teaching, evaluating, and achieving clinical competence.

Recommendations

Recommendations for change are based on lessons learned by other organizations for medical educators and allied health care professions, such as the National Athletic Trainers' Association. One suggestion for change is to hold students accountable for achieving a predetermined level of clinical competence before they move through or graduate from a program. In order to accomplish this goal, students must be assessed with valid and reliable evaluation tools.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is important to establish a group of stakeholders who can identify issues and articulate a plan to guide the future of postsecondary athletic therapy education in Canada.
Understanding students’ misconceptions: An analysis of final Grade 12 examination questions in geometry
Authors: Luneta Kakoma
Published: June 2015

The role geometry plays in real life makes it a core component of mathematics that students must understand and master. Conceptual knowledge of geometric concepts goes beyond the development of skills required to manipulate geometric shapes. This study is focused on errors students made when solving coordinate geometry problems in the final Grade 12 examination in South Africa. An analysis of 1000 scripts from the 2008 Mathematics examination was conducted. This entailed a detailed analysis of one Grade 12 geometry examination question. Van Hiele levels of geometrical thought were used as a lens to understand students’ knowledge of geometry. Studies show that Van Hiele levels are a good descriptor of current and future performance in geometry. This study revealed that whilst students in Grade 12 are expected to operate at level 3 and level 4, the majority were operating at level 2 of Van Hiele’s hierarchy. The majority of students did not understand most of the basic concepts in Euclidian transformation. Most of the errors were conceptual and suggested that students did not understand the questions and did not know what to do as a result. It is also noted that when students lack conceptual knowledge the consequences are so severe that they hardly respond to the questions in the examination.
Problematising current forms of legitimised participation in the examination papers for Mathematical Literacy
Authors: North Marc , Christiansen Iben M.
Published: June 2015

In this article we argue that in South Africa the current format of legitimised participation and practice in the examination papers for Mathematical Literacy restricts successful apprenticeship in the discipline of scientific mathematics and limits empowered preparation for real-world functioning. The currency of the subject, then, is brought into question. We further argue that the positioning of the subject as a compulsory alternative to Mathematics and the differential distribution of these two subjects to differing groups of learners facilitates the (re)production and sustainment of educational disadvantage. We draw on Dowling’s theoretical constructs of differing domains of mathematical practice and positions and focus analysis on a collection of nationally set exemplar Grade 12 examination papers to identify legitimised forms of participation in the subject. We conclude by arguing for a reconceptualised structure of knowledge and participation in Mathematical Literacy and make preliminary recommendations in this regard.
Equilíbrio estático de escolares ouvintes e com perda auditiva sensorioneural
Authors: Melo Renato de Souza , Freire Maryelly Evelly Araújo , Santos Sônia Elvira dos , Damasceno Hélio Anderson Melo , Raposo Maria Cristina Falcão
Published: June 2015

Objetivo. Comparar o desempenho do equilíbrio estático entre esco­lares ouvintes e com perda auditiva sensórioneural do mesmo gênero e faixa etária. Método. Estudo de corte transversal que avaliou 96 escolares, sendo 48 ouvintes e 48 com perda auditiva sensórioneural de ambos os gêneros e na faixa etária entre 7-18 anos. A avaliação do equilíbrio estático foi realizada utilizando-se o teste de apoio unipodal, que avalia o equilíbrio estático em quatro condições sensoriais dis­tintas: apoio unipodal sobre o membro inferior direito com os olhos abertos e fechados e apoio unipodal sobre o membro inferior esquer­do com os olhos abertos e fechados. Resultados. Os escolares com perda auditiva apresentaram uma maior ocorrência de alterações no desempenho do equilíbrio estático quando comparado aos ouvintes em todas as condições analisadas (p< 0,001). Conclusão. Os escolares com perda auditiva apresentaram maior ocorrência de alterações no desempenho do equilíbrio estático que os ouvintes, possivelmente, em decorrência de alterações no sistema vestibular, em virtude da lesão na orelha interna.
Comparação da avaliação neuromotora em pré-escolares de instituição pública e privada
Authors: Faria Tereza Cristina Carbonari de , Sousa Ligia de Sousa , Silva Josie Resende Torres da , Borges Juliana Bassalobre Carvalho , Parisi Julia Risso
Published: June 2015

Objetivo. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o desenvolvimento neuromotor em crianças de três a seis anos, de uma Escola Privada e de uma Creche. Método. Foram avaliadas 80 crianças, sendo 40 crianças de cada instituição. Foi aplicado um protocolo de avaliação basea­do no Exame Neurológico Evolutivo do autor Lefèvre, que avaliou o Equilíbrio, Coordenação, Persistência Motora e Sensibilidade. Resul­tados. Aos três anos, pôde-se observar que o equilíbrio estático teve pontuação máxima entre as escolas avaliadas. Quanto ao equilíbrio dinâmico e coordenação apendicular, mais crianças da escola privada apresentaram pontuação máxima, com diferença significante entre as escolas. Aos quatro anos, todas as avaliações mostraram maiores pon­tuações em crianças de escola privada, porém, apenas a coordenação apendicular e a persistência motora mostraram diferença significante entre as escolas. Aos cinco anos, não foi possível observar diferença significante entre as escolas. Aos seis anos, apenas a avaliação de equi­líbrio dinâmico mostrou diferença significante entre grupos, sendo que as crianças de creche apresentaram maior pontuação. Conclusão. Conclui-se que não houve diferença significante na comparação do desenvolvimento neuromotor nas pontuações globais da avaliação. Apenas observou-se diferenças significantes em algumas habilidades avaliadas o que não apontou prejuízos no desenvolvimento dos grupos de crianças avaliadas.
Deficits in upper limbs after stroke
Authors: Soares Antonio Vinicius , Borges Júnior Noé Gomes , Domenech Susana Cristina , Loch Monique da Silva Gevaerd
Published: June 2015

Objective. To verify whether the functional hemispheric asymmetries exert influence over the deficits on upper limbs of hemiparetic stroke patients. Method. 42 right-handed patients participated in the study, 18 women and 24 men, average age 61.7±10 years, average time le­sion 22±15.1 months. The instruments of measurements: Handgrip Dynamometer, Esthesiometer, Box and Blocks Test, Nine Hole and Peg Test, Barthel Index, Movements Hand Scale and the Modified Ashworth Scale. Results. All tests showed a difference between the paretic and non-paretic sides. Between men and women there was a difference only in the handgrip (p=0.001 paretic side and p<0.000 non paretic side). As hemispheric dominance was different in the pa­retic limb, with the best performance in Box and Blocks Test on the dominant side (p=0.016). Conclusion: In hemiparetic patients the contralateral alterations are global and more severe, and the ipsilateral are related to the manual dexterity. The evaluation and the rehabilita­tion planning of these patients have to consider global approaches and not only limited to the contralateral deficits.
Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Humans, Domestic Animals, and Village Water Sources in Rural India
Authors: Daniels Miles E. , Shrivastava Arpit , Smith Woutrina A. , Sahu Priyadarshi , Odagiri Mitsunori , Misra Pravas R. , Panigrahi Pinaki , Suar Mrutyunjay , Clasen Thomas , Jenkins Marion W.
Published: June 2015

Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia are zoonotic enteric protozoa of significant health concern where sanitation, hygiene, and water supplies are inadequate. We examined 85 stool samples from diarrhea patients, 111 pooled fecal samples by species across seven domestic animal types, and water from tube wells (N = 207) and ponds (N = 94) across 60 villages in coastal Odisha, India, for Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts to measure occurrence, concentration/shedding, and environmental loading rates. Oocysts/cysts were detected in 12% of diarrhea patients. Detection ranged from 0% to 35% for Cryptosporidium and 0% to 67% for Giardia across animal hosts. Animal loading estimates indicate the greatest contributors of environmental oocysts/cysts in the study region are cattle. Ponds were contaminated with both protozoa (oocysts: 37%, cysts: 74%), as were tube wells (oocysts: 10%, cysts: 14%). Future research should address the public health concern highlighted from these findings and investigate the role of domestic animals in diarrheal disease transmission in this and similar settings.
Evaluation of Polysaccharide-Based Latex Agglutination Assays for the Rapid Detection of Antibodies to Burkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Suttisunhakul Vichaya , Chantratita Narisara , Wikraiphat Chanthiwa , Wuthiekanun Vanaporn , Douglas Zakiya , Day Nicholas P. J. , Limmathurotsakul Direk , Brett Paul J. , Burtnick Mary N.
Published: June 2015

Melioidosis is a severe disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Diagnosis of melioidosis currently relies on the isolation of B. pseudomallei from clinical samples, which can take several days. An indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) is widely used for serodiagnosis, but it has a short shelf life, is poorly standardized, and requires a viable bacteria culture performed in a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratory. To improve the diagnostic methods, we have developed two rapid latex agglutination tests based on purified B. pseudomallei O-polysaccharide (OPS) and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) antigens. The immunodiagnostic potential of these tests was evaluated using serum from culture-confirmed melioidosis patients (N = 143) and healthy donors from either endemic (N = 199) or non-endemic areas (N = 90). The sensitivity of the OPS-based latex agglutination assay (OPS-latex; 84.4%) was significantly higher than both the CPS-latex (69.5%) (P < 0.001) and IHA (69.5%) (P = 0.001). When evaluated with Thai donor serum, the OPS-latex had comparable specificity (56.9%) to the CPS-latex (63.8%) (P = 0.053), but was significantly lower than the IHA (67.6%) (P = 0.002). In contrast, all tests with U.S. donor serum were highly specific (≥ 97.8%). These results suggest that polysaccharide-based latex agglutination assays may be useful for serodiagnosis of melioidosis in non-endemic areas.
Looking forward towards peace by remembering the past: Recycling war and lived histories in contemporary Mozambican art
Authors: Schwartzott Amy
Published: June 2015

Contemporary Mozambican artists who use detritus as media create artworks that chronicle their culture through bits and pieces of its discarded histories. By using culturally specific and symbolically charged recyclia, these artists create art that is quintessentially Mozambican, as the materials they use become potent signifiers of Mozambique. Contemporary artists’ use of recycling, in particular the recycling of weapons in the Transforming Arms into Plowshares/Transformação de Armas em Enxadas (TAE) project allows recycling to emerge as a paradigm in contemporary African art, and as a potent tool for cultural investigation. Utilizing recycling as a tool develops a broad, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary framework to investigate complex issues within divergent African and global societies. Artists in Mozambique who recycle are not only connected to cultural and artistic practices of the past, they continue these traditions within contemporary contexts. By creating artwork from cast-off materials, artists who utilize unwanted debris in Mozambique illustrate how recycling permeates all levels of society, including its broad expansion into art making, and how the use of reprocessed materials by artists both inspires and instills a sense of pride in artistic practices.
Cultural nationalism in Mashingaidze Gomo's A Fine Madness
Authors: Makombe Rodwell
Published: June 2015

For many years, African countries have struggled to develop an ideological framework that suits the dynamics of the African context. From the writings of literary artists to those of political figures such as Kwame Nkrumah, the call has remained consistent: Africa needs to formulate its own path of development and disentangle from the tentacles of colonialism and neocolonialism. While négritude, as a cultural movement, was a direct response to the impact of Western civilisation on Africans in the aftermath of colonization, Gomo’s A Fine Madness may be read as a response to the West’s dominance in the neoliberal global order. It interrogates the relationship between Europe and Africa in light of persistent war and instability in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Like négritude, Gomo’s work advocates the promotion of African ways of doing things politically, economically and culturally and shuns neocolonial relationships of exploitation. Adopting an anti-imperialist position, A Fine Madness holds the West responsible for fuelling conflict in some African countries for commercial gain. The article interrogates the concept of cultural nationalism as it has been appropriated in Gomo’s work. Focusing on selected poems, the article argues that A Fine Madness is a militant intervention in African politics, and a voice of resistance to the obtaining neoliberal global order.
Mqhayi's chapter and verse: Kees van die Kalahari becoming u-Adonisi wasentlango
Authors: Krog Antjie , Magona Sindiwe
Published: June 2015

Xhosa’s best and most well-known imbongi and poet, S. E. K. Mqhayi, once translated an Afrikaans book Kees van die Kalahari into Xhosa—a story about the trials and tribulations of a leader baboon and his tribe. The Xhosa translation had been prescribed for generations of pupils and became one of the language’s most well-known texts. As part of a larger project which will compare the two texts in their totality, this essay is a preliminary exercise to determine the history of the translated text and more specifically to explore what Mqhayi’s possible translation strategies could have been which rendered the book so ‘home- grown’. According to Sindiwe Magona, ‘It was prescribed to me in high school and I taught it, but neither I, nor my colleagues, realised that it was a translation. And even now, there is no feeling that behind this text there is another one, it feels so authentic!’ There are in fact two other texts: the original English text which spawned the well-known Afrikaans book Kees van die Kalahari, written/translated by the brothers S. B. and G. C. Hobson. The Afrikaans text won the coveted Afrikaans Hertzog Prize for prose and was reprinted 33 times.
Peter Blum and Italy: ‘Italië het ons aangegryp’
Authors: Voss Tony
Published: June 2015

Early readers of the two volumes of verse—Steenbok tot poolsee (“Capricorn to Polar Sea”, 1955) and Enklaves van die lig (“Enclaves of the Light”, 1958)—of Peter Blum (1925–90) recognised his original and distinctive grasp of Afrikaans, although he was not a native speaker, and acknowledged that his work brought to the language a strong sense of European culture and history. Within that Europeanness, the Italian dimension of Blum’s work is explored here. There are some biographical sources for the sensitivity to and knowledge of Italy revealed in the poetry. This paper explores particularly Blum’s “Kaapse sonnette” (“Cape Sonnets”), versions of some of the Sonetti Romaneschi of G. G. Belli (1791–1863), transposed to Cape Town of the 1950s, and “Die klok in die newel: ’n narrasie in twee episodes” (“The Bell in the Mist: A Narration in Two Episodes”), an autobiographical mini-epic that brings together Blum’s adolescence and young manhood in an account of his calling as a poet. Although Blum chose Afrikaans as his poetic medium, and rejected his native German, his embrace of Italy was largely mediated by his reading of Goethe.
Breyten Breytenbach se uitbeelding van die gevangenis
Authors: Crous Marius
Published: June 2015

This article examines Breyten Breytenbach’s representation of the prison, particularly in his collection of prison poems, Die ongedanste dans (“The undanced dance”, 2005). Using Foucault’s seminal work on the birth of the prison as a theoretical point of departure, this analysis shows how Breytenbach describes the buildings, life within prison, past-times in prison, as well as indicate to what extent the language and expressions used by the prisoners have influenced his writing. A central aspect of Foucault’s writing on the prison is the concept of panopticism and in Breytenbach’s poetry there is a definite reference to elements pertaining to this such as constant surveillance and the omnipresence of the wardens. In his poems written in prison there is a definite awareness of the spacing of the body and the exertion of power over the body of the prisoner as other by the wardens, who with their guns and batons are the one wielding the power in prison.
Schrijven na Auschwitz, na apartheid, na de digital turn
Authors: T'Sjoen Yves
Published: June 2015

In this paper I discuss the concept of “engaged poetry” and the position of poetry with a so-called ethic dimension in the digital era. Taking the famous aphorism by Theodor W. Adorno as a starting point—“Nach Auschwitz ein Gedicht zu schreiben, ist barbarisch” (“After Auschwitz writing poetry is barbaric”)—and the two different interpretations of that statement formulated by the philosopher himself, I consider the relevance of the term “engaged literature”. I am aware that this article not only summarizes Adorno’s points of view, but I also present my own personal poetics as an academic and as a reader of modern poetry. I refer to contemporary poetry of Afrikaans in South Africa and Dutch, more particularly literature in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, to illustrate my point.
Milk yield prediction at late lactation in reproductive rabbit does
Authors: Arnau-Bonachera Alberto , Cervera Concha , Blas Enrique , Pascual Juan José
Published: June 2015

Separating kits and mother to determine milk yield at 4th wk of lactation (MY4) could have negative consequences on the training and development of young rabbits. In this work, a total of 313 lactation curves (28 d long), taken from 2 different trials, were used to fit regression models to estimate MY4. In both trials, females were subjected to a semi-intensive reproductive rhythm [insemination at 11 d post-partum (dpp) and weaning at 28 dpp], but diets, genetic types, parity order and day of controls were slightly different. The models included variables which, according to the bibliography, are related to milk yield and are often recorded in joint management (without separation of litters  rom mothers), such as litter size at weaning (LSW; both linear and quadratic), joint energy intake of doe plus litter at 4th wk of lactation (JEI; both linear and quadratic), perirenal fat thickness change (ΔPFTd) and milk yield at 3rd wk (MY3). The overlapping degree (OL) between current lactation and next pregnancy was included as a dummy variable, as well as their interactions with quantitative traits. To fit these models, 3  procedures were proposed to obtain accurate equations with biological meaning: Eq1, multiple linear regression (MLR) of data; Eq2, MLR with previous smoothing of sample distribution; and Eq3, MLR with previous smoothing and avoiding redundant samples and collinearities among variables. MY3 had a positive and relevant linear effect on MY4 for the 3 equations obtained (responsible for 39 to 50% of MY4 prediction). JEI had also a relevant role in MY4 prediction (28 to 61%), its positive effect being linear on Eq1, quadratic on Eq2 and both linear and quadratic on Eq3. ΔPFTd and LSW related traits were only included in Eq3, with a low relative weight, and OL inclusion did not improve prediction in any equation. Predicting MY4 was possible with the variables used, although certain precautions must be taken. Traditional MLR seems to predict central values properly, but extreme values poorly, whereas pre-treatment of data to smooth the dependent variable distribution appears to improve prediction of extreme values.
Effect of human menopausal gonadotropin on testicular morphometry, gonadal and extragonadal sperm reserves of rabbit bucks
Authors: Ansa Anietie Archibong , Imasuen James A.
Published: June 2015

Testicular morphometry, gonadal and extragonadal sperm reserves of rabbit bucks treated with Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin (Menogon®) were studied. Twenty-four crossbred rabbit bucks weighing 1.3-1.6 kg at 15-17 wk were randomised into 4 treatment doses of 0 (control), 7.5, 15.0, and 22.5 I.U. in a completely randomised design with 6 bucks per group. A vial of Menogon® was reconstituted in 1 mL of physiological saline solution and administered intramuscularly at 72 h intervals for 56 d prior to commencement of sample collection. Parameters evaluated were ejaculate concentration, testicular morphometry, gonadal and extragonadal sperm concentrations. Results for ejaculate concentration (86, 110, 186, and 135×106/mm3) revealed a significantly (P<0.05) higher difference in the 15.0 I.U. group. Gonadal and extragonadal sperm reserve indices were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by the treatment. Testicular morphometry results showed that paired testis volume (cm3), testis circumference (cm), ductus deferens length (cm) and epididymal length (cm) were significantly (P<0.05) different, with a progressive increase that corresponds to increased Menogon® administration. High and positive correlations (P<0.01) were observed between testis weight and gonadal sperm reserves (r=0.99) and body weight and gonadal sperm reserves (r=0.99). Similarly, correlations between epididymal weight and epididymal sperm reserves (r=0.85), testis weight and ejaculate concentration (r=0.97), body weight and ejaculate concentration (r=0.96), body weight and testis weight (r=0.97), testis volume and ejaculate concentration (r=0.97), testis volume and gonadal sperm reserve (r=0.91), testis volume and testis weight (r=0.96), and testis volume and body weight (r=0.90) were positive and significant (P<0.05). Taking all the reported results into consideration, controlling the amount of Menogon® administration at 15.0 I.U. for rabbit bucks could be a promising approach to regulating testosterone synthesis and secretion, thereby affording a potential method of enhancing fertility.
Toxicity of Amoxicillin and Erythromycin to Fish and Mosquito
Authors: El-Nahhal Yasser , El-Dahdouh Nabila
Published: June 2015

This study characterized the toxicity of Amoxicillin (AM), Erythromycin (ER) and Endosulfan (EN) to fish and mosquito larvae obtained from a certified fish farm and from Wadi Gaza. The acute toxicity tests were determined by calculating mortality percentage of fish and mosquitoes through a gradient concentration of the tested compounds. Mortality percentage, exposure time, LC50 and LT50 were taken as indicators of toxicity. The results showed that AM was the potent compound against fish with LC50 value lower that EN. Toxicity to fish is in the following order: AM > EN > ER whereas the toxicity to mosquitoes is in the following order: ER > EN > AM. Fish are more sensitive to AM than mosquitoes whereas mosquitoes are more sensitive to ER than fish. The interesting outcome of the study is the calculated LC50 values are far below the concentration found in different water systems. Mixture toxicity of the tested antibiotics indicates antagonistic effect on both fish and mosquitoes.
In vivo and in vitro inhibition of cholinesterase activity in Colossoma macropomum (tambaqui) fingerlings by the herbicide trifluralin
Authors: Silva J.M. , Santos F.L.B. , Tenório H.A. , Pereira H.J.V. , Costa J.G. , Santana A.E.G. , Machado Sonia Salgueiro , Abreu F.C. de
Published: June 2015

The Amazonian fish Colossoma macropomum (tambaqui) is farmed intensively in rice paddies around the São Francisco River delta in northeast Brazil, where the herbicide trifluralin is regularly used. The aims of this study were to evaluate the inhibitory effects of trifluralin on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) of brain and muscle from C. macropomum in order to assess the value of this species as a sentinel for herbicide contamination. Trifluralin was highly toxic to fingerlings in vivo (96 h-LC50 = 0.42 mg L-1). Cholinesterase activity in cell-free extracts of brain was associated with two isoforms, AChE and BChE, although the former predominated. The specific activity of brain AChE was reduced significantly (p < 0.05) following 96.h exposure of fingerlings to trifluralin at 0.5 and 0.75 mg L-1, but increased by 30% after exposure to 1.0 mg L-1 of herbicide. Muscle AChE was not affected by exposure to trifluralin. Km and Vmax values of brain AChE were 0.043 ±.0.015 mmol L-1 and 0.301.±.0.014 mmol min-1 mg-1protein, respectively. Brain AChE was moderately sensitive to trifluralin (IC50 = 0.78 mg L-1), but was very sensitive to the anticholinesterase agent eserine (IC50 = 0.043 mg L-1). AChE inhibition in C. macropomum may be employed as a biomarker for biomonitoring trifluralin contamination in water bodies.
Effect of retreating sea ice on Arctic cloud cover in simulated recent global warming
Authors: Abe M. , Nozawa T. , Ogura T. , Takata K.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. This study investigates the effect of sea ice reduction on Arctic cloud cover in historical simulations with the coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model MIROC5. During simulated global warming since the 1970s, the Arctic sea ice extent has reduced substantially, particularly in September. This simulated reduction is consistent with satellite observation results. However, the Arctic cloud cover increases significantly during October at grids with significant reductions in sea ice because of the enhanced heat and moisture flux from the underlying ocean. Cloud fraction increases in the lower troposphere. However, the cloud fraction in the surface thin layers just above the ocean decreases despite the increased moisture because the surface air temperature rises strikingly in the thin layers and the relative humidity decreases. As the cloud cover increases, the cloud radiative effect in surface downward longwave radiation (DLR) increases by approximately 40–60 % compared to a change in clear-sky surface DLR. These results suggest that an increase in the Arctic cloud cover as a result of a reduction in sea ice could further melt the sea ice and enhance the feedback processes of the Arctic amplification in future projections.
A unified parameterization of clouds and turbulence using CLUBB and subcolumns in the Community Atmosphere Model
Authors: Thayer-Calder K. , Gettelman A. , Craig C. , Goldhaber S. , Bogenschutz P. A. , Chen C.-C. , Morrison H. , Höft J. , Raut E. , Griffin B. M. , Weber J. K. , Larson V. E. , Wyant M. C. , Wang M. , Guo Z. , Ghan S. J.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Most global climate models parameterize separate cloud types using separate parameterizations. This approach has several disadvantages, including obscure interactions between parameterizations and inaccurate triggering of cumulus parameterizations. Alternatively, a unified cloud parameterization uses one equation set to represent all cloud types. Such cloud types include stratiform liquid and ice cloud, shallow convective cloud, and deep convective cloud. Vital to the success of a unified parameterization is a general interface between clouds and microphysics. One such interface involves drawing Monte Carlo samples of subgrid variability of temperature, water vapor, cloud liquid, and cloud ice, and feeding the sample points into a microphysics scheme. This study evaluates a unified cloud parameterization and a Monte Carlo microphysics interface that has been implemented in the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) version 5.3. Results describing the mean climate and tropical variability from global simulations are presented. The new model shows a degradation in precipitation skill but improvements in short-wave cloud forcing, liquid water path, long-wave cloud forcing, precipitable water, and tropical wave simulation. Also presented are estimations of computational expense and investigation of sensitivity to number of subcolumns.
PARALLEL CREATION OF VARIO-SCALE DATA STRUCTURES FOR LARGE DATASETS
Authors: Meijers M. , Šuba R. , van Oosterom P.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Processing massive datasets which are not fitting in the main memory of computer is challenging. This is especially true in the case of map generalization, where the relationships between (nearby) features in the map must be considered. In our case, an automated map generalization process runs offline to produce a dataset suitable for visualizing at arbitrary map scale (vario-scale) and efficiently enabling smooth zoom user interactions over the web. Our solution to be able to generalize such large vector datasets is based on the idea of subdividing the workload according to the Fieldtree organization: a multi-level structure of space. It subdivides space regularly into fields (grid cells), at every level with shifted origin. Only features completely fitting within a field are processed. Due to the Fieldtree organization, features on the boundary at a given level will be contained completely in one of the fields of the higher levels. Every field that resides at the same level in the Fieldtree can be processed in parallel, which is advantageous for processing on multicore computer systems. We have tested our method with datasets with upto 880 thousand objects on a machine with 16 cores, resulting in a decrease of runtime with a factor 27 compared to a single sequential process run. This more than linear speed-up indicates also an interesting algorithmic side-effect of our approach.
Authenticity and Imitation in Translating Exposition: A Corpus-Based Study
Authors: Elmgrab Ramadan Ahmed
Published: June 2015

Many Western scholars such as Dryden show little interest in imitations, and express their preference for translations, i.e. paraphrases that are faithful to the sense of the source text. However, they consider imitations as a viable category of translation. It is the degree of freedom, or departure from the original, that differentiates a translation from an imitation. This paper is concerned with issues that are central to the understanding of English-Arabic translation errors when rendering expository text. Not surprisingly, when translating exposition, errors recur especially those relating to the linguistic competence of the students. But not all errors were the same neither was their distribution. Each text-type shows different idiosyncrasies and error distributions which indicate that performance in translation depends largely on the type of text and the rhetorical purposes as well as patterns which follow from the source text. To this end, an error corpus of linguistic structure was collected from the translation project of students majoring in translation. Syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and discoursal criteria were used to judge imitation and authenticity strategies adopted by the students during the translation process. Implications for increasing students’ awareness of the pragmatic and syntactic constraints in translating structures will also be provided.