bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Touching virtual trauma: Performative empathics in Second Life
Authors: Trezise Bryoni
Published: December 2011

Trauma has entered the virtual domain of Second Life. Unsanctioned memorials to 9/11 and re-imaginings of a digitized Guantanamo Bay are but some of the more recent installations of traumatic memory to be found in this relatively new online territory. This article seeks to understand how Second Life participates in an affective economy of performative empathy through remediating the traumas of ‘those’ who have suffered ‘elsewhere’. In contemplating one particular online Holocaust museum – the US Holocaust Museum’s Kristallnacht in Second Life, it examines how Second Life participates in the circulation of a range of ‘wound culture’ affects in problematic ways.
Grape seed proanthocyanidins inhibit the invasive potential of head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells by targeting EGFR expression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Sun Qian , Prasad Ram , Rosenthal Eben , Katiyar Santosh K
Published: December 2011

Background

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is responsible for over 20,000 deaths every year in United States. Most of the deaths are due, in large part, to its propensity to metastasize. We have examined the effect of bioactive component grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) on human cutaneous HNSCC cell invasion and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects using SCC13 cell line as an in vitro model.

Methods

The therapeutic effects of GSPs on cancer cell invasion were studied using Boyden chamber and wound healing assays. The effects of GSPs on the levels of various proteins related with cancer cell invasion were determined using western blot analysis.

Results

Using in vitro cell invasion assays, we observed that treatment of SCC13 cells with GSPs resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of cell invasion of these cells, which was associated with a reduction in the levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Treatment of cells with gefitinib and erlotinib, inhibitors of EGFR, or transient transfection of SCC13 cells with EGFR small interfering RNA, also inhibited invasion of these cells. The inhibition of cell invasion by GSPs was associated with the inhibition of the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, a member of mitogen-activated protein kinase family. Treatment of cells with UO126, an inhibitor of MEK, also inhibited the invasion potential of SCC13 cells. Additionally, inhibition of human cutaneous HNSCC cell invasion by GSPs was associated with reversal of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which resulted in an increase in the levels of epithelial biomarker (E-cadherin) while loss of mesenchymal biomarkers (vimentin, fibronectin and N-cadherin) in cells. Similar effect on EMT biomarkers was also observed when cells were treated with erlotinib.

Conclusion

The results obtained from this study indicate that grape seed proanthocyanidins have the ability to inhibit the invasion of human cutaneous HNSCC cells by targeting the EGFR expression and reversing the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These data suggest that GSPs can be developed as a complementary and alternative medicine for the prevention of invasion/metastasis of HNSCC cells.
Micro-regional planning: evidence-based community buy-in for health development in five of Mexico’s poorest rural districts
Authors: Arrizón Ascencio Villegas , Andersson Neil , Ledogar Robert J
Published: December 2011

Background

Community participation was a core tenet of Primary Health Care as articulated in the 1970s. How this could be generated and maintained was less clear. This historical article describes development of protocols for evidence-based community mobilisation in five local administrative units (municipios) in the Mexican state of Guerrero between 1992 and 1995.

Methods

A sample of five to eight sentinel sites represented each of the most impoverished municipalities of the poorest five of the state's seven regions. A 1992 baseline survey of diarrhoea and its actionable determinants provided the substrate for discussion with local planners and communities. Municipal planners used different strategies to promote participation. In one municipality, new health committees took control of water quality. In another, municipal authorities hired health promoters; a song promoted oral rehydration, and house-to-house interpersonal discussions promoted chlorination. In the poorest and most mountainous municipality, radio casera (home-made radio) soap operas used local "stars". In the largest and most disparate municipality, a child-to-family scheme relied on primary and secondary school teachers. The research team assessed outcomes at intervals and used the results to reinforce local planning and action.

Results

Diarrhoea rates declined in all five municipalities, and there were several positive intermediate outcomes from the communication strategies – changing knowledge, household practices and uptake of services. There was a strong link between specific contents of the communication package and the changing knowledge or practices.

Conclusions

Apart from these evidence-based interventions, other factors probably contributed to the decline of childhood diarrhoea. But, by monitoring implementation of planning decisions and the impact this has at community level, micro-regional planning can stimulate and reinforce actions likely to improve the health of communities. The process empowered municipalities to get access to more resources from the state government and international agencies.
Spleen rates and infant parasite rates as surveillance tool for malaria control in remote hard to reach areas of central India
Authors: Shukla Manmohan , Singh Neeru , Singh Mrigendra P
Published: December 2011

Background

Malaria due to both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax is a major public health problem in India. The quantification of malaria transmission for the classification of malaria risk has long been a concern for epidemiologists. Results are presented from 30 cross-sectional surveys which measured spleen rates (SR) and infant parasite rates (IPR) in the forested districts of Madhya Pradesh during malaria outbreaks to assess whether both IPR and SR can still be used as indicators of malaria endemicity as spleen examination has lost much of its value as an epidemiological indicator in areas where anti-malarials drugs are widely used.

Methods

Rapid fever surveys were carried out from door to door and all suspected malaria cases in the entire population of a village were screened for malaria parasites on the basis of clinical symptoms such as fever, chill, rigor, headache and body ache etc. Children between 2 and 9 years were examined for enlarged spleen according to Hacketts method. Finger prick blood smears were collected from all children with enlarged spleen with or without fever after obtaining written informed consent following institutional ethical guidelines. Infants less than 1 year were also screened for malaria with or without fever.

Results

Since malaria is local and focal, in some areas the outbreak waned quickly in few months and in some areas continued for 3 to 4 years. The analysis of trend revealed that when IPR decline over the years as a result of malaria intervention measures, SR also decline. In case splenomegaly continues without diminution in size, it is probably due to recrudescence or relapse, although it is not possible to separate malaria parasite species on the basis of SR.

Conclusion

Both the tools are of immense value in evaluating and assessing the malaria situation especially in remote areas where sophisticated molecular and serological techniques are difficult to establish. Therefore, in forested areas malaria surveillance system will require adoption of multiple approaches that have proven effective now or in the past.
Temporal Control of Gene Deletion in Sensory Ganglia Using a Tamoxifen-Inducible Advillin-CreERT2 Recombinase Mouse
Authors: Lau Joanne , Minett Michael S , Zhao Jing , Dennehy Ulla , Wang Fan , Wood John N , Bogdanov Yury D
Published: December 2011

Background:

Tissue-specific gene deletion has proved informative in the analysis of pain pathways. Advillin has been shown to be a pan-neuronal marker of spinal and cranial sensory ganglia. We generated BAC transgenic mice using the Advillin promoter to drive a tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2 recombinase construct in order to be able to delete genes in adult animals. We used a floxed stop ROSA26LacZ reporter mouse to examine functional Cre expression, and analysed the behaviour of mice expressing Cre recombinase.

Results:

We used recombineering to introduce a CreERT2 cassette in place of exon 2 of the Advillin gene into a BAC clone (RPCI23-424F19) containing the 5' region of the Advillin gene. Transgenic mice were generated using pronuclear injection. The resulting AvCreERT2 transgenic mice showed a highly specific expression pattern of Cre activity after tamoxifen induction. Recombinase activity was confined to sensory neurons and no expression was found in other organs. Less than 1% of neurons showed Cre expression in the absence of tamoxifen treatment. Five-day intraperitoneal treatment with tamoxifen (2 mg per day) induced Cre recombination events in ≈90% of neurons in dorsal root and cranial ganglia. Cell counts of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from transgenic animals with or without tamoxifen treatment showed no neuronal cell loss. Sensory neurons in culture showed ≈70% induction after 3 days treatment with tamoxifen. Behavioural tests showed no differences between wildtype, AvCreERT2 and tamoxifen-treated animals in terms of motor function, responses to light touch and noxious pressure, thermal thresholds as well as responses to inflammatory agents.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that the inducible pan-DRG AvCreERT2 deleter mouse strain is a useful tool for studying the role of individual genes in adult sensory neuron function. The pain phenotype of the Cre-induced animal is normal; therefore any alterations in pain processing can be unambiguously attributed to loss of the targeted gene.
DnaA and the timing of chromosome replication in Es-cherichia coli as a function of growth rate
Authors: Grant Matthew AA , Saggioro Chiara , Ferrari Ulisse , Bassetti Bruno , Sclavi Bianca , Cosentino Lagomarsino Marco
Published: December 2011

Background

In Escherichia coli, overlapping rounds of DNA replication allow the bacteria to double in faster times than the time required to copy the genome. The precise timing of initiation of DNA replication is determined by a regulatory circuit that depends on the binding of a critical number of ATP-bound DnaA proteins at the origin of replication, resulting in the melting of the DNA and the assembly of the replication complex. The synthesis of DnaA in the cell is controlled by a growth-rate dependent, negatively autoregulated gene found near the origin of replication. Both the regulatory and initiation activity of DnaA depend on its nucleotide bound state and its availability.

Results

In order to investigate the contributions of the different regulatory processes to the timing of initiation of DNA replication at varying growth rates, we formulate a minimal quantitative model of the initiator circuit that includes the key ingredients known to regulate the activity of the DnaA protein. This model describes the average-cell oscillations in DnaA-ATP/DNA during the cell cycle, for varying growth rates. We evaluate the conditions under which this ratio attains the same threshold value at the time of initiation, independently of the growth rate.

Conclusions

We find that a quantitative description of replication initiation by DnaA must rely on the dependency of the basic parameters on growth rate, in order to account for the timing of initiation of DNA replication at different cell doubling times. We isolate two main possible scenarios for this, depending on the roles of DnaA autoregulation and DnaA ATP-hydrolysis regulatory process. One possibility is that the basal rate of regulatory inactivation by ATP hydrolysis must vary with growth rate. Alternatively, some parameters defining promoter activity need to be a function of the growth rate. In either case, the basal rate of gene expression needs to increase with the growth rate, in accordance with the known characteristics of the dnaA promoter. Furthermore, both inactivation and autorepression reduce the amplitude of the cell-cycle oscillations of DnaA-ATP/DNA.
The submental flap for oral cavity reconstruction: Extended indications and technical refinements
Authors: Amin Ayman A , Sakkary Mostafa A , Khalil Ashraf A , Rifaat Mohammmed A , Zayed Sherif B
Published: December 2011

Background and purpose

The submental flap is gaining popularity as a simple technique for reconstruction of small to moderate size defects of the oral cavity. However, its role in composite defects involving the jaw is not clearly defined. Indeed, controversy exists about the flap's interference with an oncologically sound neck dissection

Patients and Methods

A total of 21 patients with oral cavity cancers over a three year period were included. All patients underwent surgical resection and immediate reconstruction with submental flap except one patient who had delayed reconstruction with reversed flap. The flap was used for reconstruction of intra-oral soft tissue defect in 13 patients and composite defects in 8 patients.

Results

Of 21 patients 12 were males and 9 were females, age ranged from 32 to 83 years. The primary tumor sites included buccal mucosa (7), tongue (4), alveolar margin (3), floor of mouth (5) and lip (2). Eventually in this study, we adopted completing the neck dissection first before flap harvest. Complete flap loss occurred in 2 whereas 3 patients had partial flap loss. Follow up ranged from 3 to 44 months, one patient died from metastatic disease. Four patients developed neck recurrences.

Conclusion

The submental flap is a valid option for reconstruction of intra-oral soft tissue as well as composite oral defects particularly in elderly patients. However, oncologically sound neck dissection should be assured.
Ultrasound in the evaluation of enthesitis: status and perspectives
Authors: Gandjbakhch Frédérique , Terslev Lene , Joshua Fredrick , Wakefield Richard J , Naredo Esperanza , D'Agostino Maria Antonietta ,   OMERACT Ultrasound Task Force
Published: December 2011

Introduction

An increasing number of studies have applied ultrasound to the evaluation of entheses in spondyloarthritis patients. However, no clear agreement exists on the definition of enthesitis, on the number and choice of entheses to examine and on ultrasound technique, which may all affect the results of the examination. The objectives of this study were to first determine the level of homogeneity in the ultrasound definitions for the principal lesions of enthesitis in the published literature and second, to evaluate the metric properties of ultrasound for detecting enthesitis according to the OMERACT filter.

Methods

Search was performed in PUBMED and EMBASE. Both grey-scale and Doppler definitions of enthesitis, including describing features of enthesitis, were collected and metrological qualities of studies were assessed.

Results

After selection, 48 articles were analyzed. The definition of ultrasound enthesitis and elementary features varied among authors. Grey-scale enthesitis was characterized by increasing thickness (94% of studies), hypoechogenicity (83%), enthesophytes (69%), erosions (67%), calcifications (52%), associated bursitis (46%) and cortical irregularities (29%). Only 46% of studies reported the use of Doppler. High discrepancies were observed on frequency, type of probe and Doppler mode used. Face and content validity were the most frequently evaluated criteria (43%) followed by reliability (29%) and responsiveness (19%).

Conclusions

Ultrasound has evidence to support face, content validity and reliability for the evaluation of enthesitis, though there is a lack of well-reported methodology in most of the studies. Consensus on elementary lesions and standardization of exam is needed to determine the ultrasound definition of enthesitis in grey-scale and in Doppler for future applications.
Constitutive immune function in European starlings,Sturnus vulgaris, is decreased immediately after an endurance flight in a wind tunnel
Authors: Nebel Silke , Bauchinger Ulf , Buehler Deborah M. , Langlois Lillie A. , Boyles Michelle , Gerson Alexander R. , Price Edwin R. , McWilliams Scott R. , Guglielmo Christopher G.
Published: December 2011

Life-history theory predicts that animals face a trade-off in energy allocation between performing strenuous exercise, such as migratory flight, and mounting an immune response. We experimentally tested this prediction by studying immune function in European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, flown in a wind tunnel. Specifically, we predicted that constitutive immune function decreases in response to training and, additionally, in response to immediate exercise. We compared constitutive immune function among three groups: (1) ‘untrained’ birds that were kept in cages and were not flown; (2) ‘trained’ birds that received flight training over a 15 day period and performed a 1-4 h continuous flight, after which they rested for 48 h before being sampled; and (3) ‘post-flight’ birds that differed from the ‘trained’ group only in being sampled immediately after the final flight. A bird in our trained group represents an individual during migration that has been resting between migratory flights for at least 2 days. A bird in our post-flight group represents an individual that has just completed a migratory flight and has not yet had time to recover. Three of our four indicators (haptoglobin, agglutination and lysis) showed the predicted decrease in immune function in the post-flight group, and two indicators (haptoglobin, agglutination) showed the predicted decreasing trend from the untrained to trained to post-flight group. Haptoglobin levels were negatively correlated with flight duration. No effect of training or flight was detected on leukocyte profiles. Our results suggest that in European starlings, constitutive immune function is decreased more as a result of immediate exercise than of exercise training. Because of the recent emergence of avian-borne diseases, understanding the trade-offs and challenges faced by long-distance migrants has gained a new level of relevance and urgency.
Total recoil: perch compliance alters jumping performance and kinematics in green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis)
Authors: Gilman Casey A. , Bartlett Michael D. , Gillis Gary B. , Irschick Duncan J.
Published: December 2011

Jumping is a common form of locomotion for many arboreal animals. Many species of the arboreal lizard genus Anolis occupy habitats in which they must jump to and from unsteady perches, e.g. narrow branches, vines, grass and leaves. Anoles therefore often use compliant perches that could alter jump performance. In this study we conducted a small survey of the compliance of perches used by the arboreal green anole Anolis carolinensis in the wild (N=54 perches) and then, using perches within the range of compliances used by this species, investigated how perch compliance (flexibility) affects the key jumping variables jump distance, takeoff duration, takeoff angle, takeoff speed and landing angle in A. carolinensis in the laboratory (N=11). We observed that lizards lost contact with compliant horizontal perches prior to perch recoil, and increased perch compliance resulted in decreased jump distance and takeoff speed, likely because of the loss of kinetic energy to the flexion of the perch. However, the most striking effect of perch compliance was an unexpected one; perch recoil following takeoff resulted in the lizards being struck on the tail by the perch, even on the narrowest perches. This interaction between the perch and the tail significantly altered body positioning during flight and landing. These results suggest that although the use of compliant perches in the wild is common for this species, jumping from these perches is potentially costly and may affect survival and behavior, particularly in the largest individuals.
Functional properties and cell type specific distribution ofIh channels in leech neurons
Authors: Gerard Ednan , Hochstrate Peter , Dierkes Paul-Wilhelm , Coulon Philippe
Published: December 2011

The hyperpolarisation-activated cation current (Ih) has been described in many vertebrate and invertebrate species and cell types. In neurons, Ih is involved in rhythmogenesis, membrane potential stabilisation and many other functions. In this work, we investigate the distribution and functional properties of Ih in identified leech neurons of intact segmental ganglia. We found Ih in the mechanosensory touch (T), pressure (P) and noxious (N) neurons, as well as in Retzius neurons. The current displayed its largest amplitude in P neurons and we investigated its biophysical and pharmacological properties in these cells. Ih was half-maximally activated at –65 mV and fully activated at –100 mV. The current mutually depended on both Na+ and K+ with a permeability ratio pNa/pK of ∼0.21. The reversal potential was approximately –35 mV. The time course of activation could be approximated by a single time constant of ∼370 ms at –60 mV, but required two time constants at –80 mV of ∼80 and ∼560 ms. The current was half-maximally blocked by 0.3 mmol l–1 Cs+ but was insensitive to the bradycardic agent ZD7288. The physiological function of this channel could be a subtle alteration of the firing behaviour of mechanosensory neurons as well as a stabilisation of the resting membrane potential.
Activity of extrinsic limb muscles in dogs at walk, trot and gallop
Authors: Deban Stephen M. , Schilling Nadja , Carrier David R.
Published: December 2011

The extrinsic limb muscles perform locomotor work and must adapt their activity to changes in gait and locomotor speed, which can alter the work performed by, and forces transmitted across, the proximal fulcra of the limbs where these muscles operate. We recorded electromyographic activity of 23 extrinsic forelimb and hindlimb muscles and one trunk muscle in dogs while they walked, trotted and galloped on a level treadmill. Muscle activity indicates that the basic functions of the extrinsic limb muscles – protraction, retraction and trunk support – are conserved among gaits. The forelimb retains its strut-like behavior in all gaits, as indicated by both the relative inactivity of the retractor muscles (e.g. the pectoralis profundus and the latissimus dorsi) during stance and the protractor muscles (e.g. the pectoralis superficialis and the omotransversarius) in the first half of stance. The hindlimb functions as a propulsive lever in all gaits, as revealed by the similar timing of activity of retractors (e.g. the biceps femoris and the gluteus medius) during stance. Excitation increased in many hindlimb muscles in the order walk–trot–gallop, consistent with greater propulsive impulses in faster gaits. Many forelimb muscles, in contrast, showed the greatest excitation at trot, in accord with a shorter limb oscillation period, greater locomotor work performed by the forelimb and presumably greater absorption of collisional energy.
The influence of surface energy on the self-cleaning of insect adhesive devices
Authors: Orchard M. J. , Kohonen M. , Humphries S.
Published: December 2011

The ability of insects to adhere to surfaces is facilitated by the use of adhesive organs found on the terminal leg segments. These adhesive pads are inherently ‘tacky’ and are expected to be subject to contamination by particulates, leading to loss of function. Here, we investigated the self-cleaning of ants and beetles by comparing the abilities of both hairy and smooth pad forms to self-clean on both high and low energy surfaces after being fouled with microspheres of two sizes and surface energies. We focused on the time taken to regain adhesive potential in unrestrained Hymenopterans (Polyrhachis dives and Myrmica scabrinodis) and Coccinellids (Harmonia axyridis and Adalia bipunctata) fouled with microspheres. We found that the reattainment of adhesion is influenced by particle type and size in Hymenopterans, with an interaction between the surface energy of the contaminating particle and substrate. In Coccinellids, reattainment of adhesion was only influenced by particle size and substrate properties. The adhesive organs of Coccinellids appear to possess superior self-cleaning abilities compared with those of Hymenopterans, although Hymenopterans exhibit better adhesion to both surface types.
A Branch-and-Cut Algorithm for the Double Traveling Salesman Problem with Multiple Stacks
Authors: Alba Martínez Manuel A. , Cordeau Jean-François , Dell'Amico Mauro , Iori Manuel
Published: December 2011

The double traveling salesman problem with multiple stacks is a variant of the pickup and delivery traveling salesman problem in which all pickups must be completed before any delivery. In addition, items can be loaded on multiple stacks in the vehicle, and each stack must obey the last-in-first-out policy. The problem consists of finding the shortest Hamiltonian cycles covering all pickup and delivery locations while ensuring the feasibility of the loading plan. We formulate the problem as two traveling salesman problems linked by infeasible path constraints. We also introduce several strengthenings of these constraints, which are used within a branch-and-cut algorithm. Computational results performed on instances from the literature show that the algorithm outperforms existing exact algorithms. Instances with up to 28 requests (58 nodes) have been solved to optimality.
Research Note—Do Electronic Linkages Reduce the Bullwhip Effect? An Empirical Analysis of the U.S. Manufacturing Supply Chains
Authors: Yao Yuliang , Zhu Kevin Xiaoguo
Published: December 2011

The bullwhip effect is a major source of supply chain inefficiency. Whereas prior literature has identified a number of potential contributing factors and recommended such remedies as information sharing enabled by information technology (IT) or electronic linkage (EL), few studies have provided empirical support. We use industry-level data to examine whether EL use with buyer and supplier industries helps reduce the bullwhip effect as measured by inventory–demand variance ratio. Our major findings are that (1) EL use with supplier industries reduces the bullwhip effect, whereas (2), surprisingly, EL use with buyer industries increases it, but (3) this adverse effect tends to be mitigated by IT use. These findings point to the possible asymmetric effects of EL use in supply chains and provide a different perspective to the existing conclusions in the literature that EL use improves performance. Combining the above results, we have learned that the use of EL tends to behave differently depending on whether it is used upstream or downstream in the supply chain. This also sheds light on the conditions under which such investment may be more (or less) beneficial.
Policy makers’ perceptions on the use of evidence from evaluations
Authors: Cameron Ailsa , Salisbury Chris , Lart Rachel , Stewart Kate , Peckham Stephen , Calnan Michael , Purdy Sarah , Thorp Helen
Published: December 2011

Using data from the Department of Health funded study ‘Making the most of policy evaluations’, this paper explores the views of those working within the policy process about the role of evidence. It highlights a tension between formative and summative uses of research, which appeared to be exacerbated by a lack of clarity surrounding the objectives that policy leads had for the research. Additionally, the data reveal an uncertainty about the status of ‘pathfinder’, ‘demonstration’ and ‘pilot’ sites within the policy process.
Pharmacokinetic Effects of Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Edwards Allan , Ensom Mary HH
Published: December 2011

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the effect of bariatric surgery on the pharmacokinetics of medications.

DATA SOURCES:

EMBASE (1980-September 2011), PubMed (1947-September 2011), MEDLINE (1948-September 2011), and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts(1970-September 2011) were searched for the following terms: gastric bypass or stomach bypass or bariatric surgery, and pharmacokinetic.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:

All English-language primary literature that reported pharmacokinetic parameters for orally dosed medications in post–bariatric surgery patients was evaluated, with the exception of studies involving the jejunoileal bypass method.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Worldwide, the incidence of obesity is increasing and so are options for managing it, including bariatric surgery. Major alterations to the physical structure of the gastrointestinal tract may cause changes in pharmacokinetic parameters of oral medications, which theoretically could lead to increased or decreased drug exposure. We reviewed 11 prospective trials, 5 of which were available only as abstracts and all of which were small with relatively low power (n = 6-36). The studies were split almost equally between using subjects as their own controls or using separate control subjects; 1 study used historical data as the control. Results were varied, highlighting the multifactorial nature of pharmacokinetics. Drugs such as atorvastatin, which undergo presystemic intestinal metabolism via CYP3A, may show increased bioavailability, whereas those such as amoxicillin, which rely on transport mediators, may be decreased. Most of the studies lacked sufficient power to show significant changes in post–bariatric surgery patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Bariatric surgical procedures may result in altered pharmacokinetic parameters, but the literature is lacking in sufficient quantity and quality of studies to make solid conclusions and recommendations. Until more studies of sufficient power are completed, clinicians should closely monitor these patients in the immediate and distant postsurgical period for signs of both drug efficacy and toxicity and adjust their medications as required.
What is 'known' in community music in higher education? Engagement, emotional learning and an ecology of ideas from the student perspective
Authors: MELLOR LIZ
Published: December 2011

This article aims to make explicit the evolving ecology of ideas in the field of community music and higher education that are particular to a context yet transferable across respective fields of enquiry - music education, community music, music therapy and community music therapy.
This is contextualized in two ways: (1) through a consideration of what learning through 'community music' might represent in terms of 'knowledge' in higher education, and (2) a case study of community music within one university setting. The research draws from a series of research projects,
including a community music focus group comprising undergraduate and postgraduate music students. It adopts a reflexive research approach between participants and researchers. The findings present a set of considerations for community music in higher education and five emergent themes from
the student perspective. By applying Barnett's theory of knowing and being, the discussion leads to a reconsideration of what might be considered 'legitimate' knowledge in community music in higher education to include dispositions of engagement and qualities of emotional learning.
Music for Life: An interview with Roy Ernst
Authors: VEBLEN KARI
Published: December 2011

This interview explores the thinking and work of US music educator and lifespan music advocate Roy Ernst. Ernst's pioneering work with the New Horizons Bands programme embodies his convictions that the window of opportunity for musical expression and learning extends far beyond childhood;
people of all ages can be musical.
Using the FAR Guide to Teach Simulations: An Example with Natural Selection
Authors: Sickel Aaron J. , Friedrichsen Patricia J.
Published: December 2011

Engaging students in a predator–prey simulation to teach natural selection is a common activity in secondary biology classrooms. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the authors have changed their approach to teaching this activity from a laboratory investigation to a class-constructed simulation. Specifically, the authors drew upon a research-based teaching tool (FAR guide) to help students understand how the simulation is analogous to what happens in nature. Teaching the activity in this way can help students connect the parts of the simulation to four basic components of natural selection.
The Discovery of Insulin: A Case Study of Scientific Methodology
Authors: Stansfield William D.
Published: December 2011

The nature of scientific research sometimes involves a trial-and-error procedure. Popular reviews of successful results from this approach often sanitize the story by omitting unsuccessful trials, thus painting the rosy impression that research simply follows a direct route from hypothesis to experiment to scientific discovery. The discovery of insulin is a classical case study in this genre that begs for an explanation to our students because it is so often ignored or misrepresented even in biology and physiology textbooks.
Understanding the Thermodynamics of Biological Order
Authors: Peterson Jacob
Published: December 2011

By growth in size and complexity (i.e., changing from more probable to less probable states), plants and animals appear to defy the second law of thermodynamics. The usual explanation describes the input of nutrient and sunlight energy into open thermodynamic systems. However, energy input alone does not address the ability to organize and create complex structures or explain life cycles – in particular, growth regulation and dying in the presence of adequate nutrients. Understanding the roles of macromolecules such as DNA, with their apparent information-processing capability, affords opportunity to understand biological order.
From Phenotype to Genotype: Exploring Middle School Students' Understanding of Genetic Inheritance in a Web-Based Environment
Authors: Williams Michelle , Montgomery Beronda L. , Manokore Viola
Published: December 2011

Research shows that students face challenges as they learn about genetic inheritance. The challenges could emanate from the fact that genetic inheritance involves unseen processes at different organizational levels. We explored students' understanding of heredity and related concepts such as cells and reproduction using a Web-based Science Inquiry Environment (WISE) curriculum unit that was developed to help middle school students learn about genetic inheritance. Our findings suggest that students made significant gains from pretest to posttest. However, despite overall gains, some students struggled to explain the importance of mitotic and meiotic divisions in transferring genetic information.
A Method for Careful Study: A Proposal for Reforming the Child Pornography Guidelines
Authors: Stabenow Troy
Published: December 2011

The U.S. Sentencing Commission is reportedly nearing release of a much-anticipated report to Congress assessing the validity of §§ 2G2.2 as a sentencing tool. A consensus for considering reform exists. What remains uncertain is what sort of changes might be coming, and by what process they may occur. In order to merit deference and compliance, any changes to §§ 2G2.2 would need to reflect relevant and validated scientific data yet also account for common practical experiences. In this article, the author, an assistant federal public defender, proposes a specific framework for how the Sentencing Commission might reform §§ 2G2.2 to better reflect science and common experience. The proposal draws on the author's experiences prosecuting, defending, and consulting on these cases over the last twelve years, as well as analysis and discussion of available scientific studies and statistics.
Análise florística e estrutural de sistemas silviagrícolas em Tomé-Açu, Pará
Authors: Bolfe Édson Luis , Batistella Mateus
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a composição florística e estrutural de sistemas silviagrícolas em Tomé-Açu, Pará. Os dados dendrométricos foram obtidos por inventário em 40 parcelas amostrais, com três unidades cada uma, no total de 120 unidades de 10x10 m. Foi inventariada a média de 1.424,3 indivíduos por hectare, pertencentes a 27 famílias e a 54 espécies. Tendo-se considerado a variabilidade dos estágios vegetativos, os diferentes sistemas silviagrícolas (SAF) foram divididos em quatro classes hierárquicas: SAF 1, SAF 2, SAF 3, e SAF 4, para estabelecer um sistema de classificação passível de ser utilizado em outras avaliações de campo e em classificações digitais por meio do sensoriamento remoto. Espécies observadas em outros sistemas da região amazônica também foram relevantes para este estudo, especialmente Theobroma cacao, T. grandiflorum e Euterpe oleracea que, juntas, apresentaram médias de frequência relativa de 51%, densidade relativa de 69,2%, dominância relativa de 50,1% e índice de valor de importância de 56,8%. Os dados médios de diversidade florística, abundância, área basal e valor de importância indicam os sistemas silviagrícolas da região de Tomé-Açu como sistemas de produção com potencial econômico e ambiental, se adotado manejo adequado e racional.
Acúmulo de matéria seca e de nutrientes em forrageiras consorciadas com milho safrinha em função da adubação nitrogenada
Authors: Batista Karina , Duarte Aildson Pereira , Ceccon Gessi , Maria Isabella Clerici De , Cantarella Heitor
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o acúmulo de matéria seca e de nutrientes de plantas forrageiras consorciadas com o milho safrinha, em função da adubação nitrogenada. As espécies Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. ruziziensis cv. Comum e Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia, com semeadura em meados de março, foram avaliadas em quatro municípios paulistas, em consórcio com o milho. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, em parcelas subdivididas. Nas parcelas, foram avaliados os consórcios e nas subparcelas, quatro doses de nitrogênio em cobertura (0, 30, 60 e 90 kg ha-1). Foi determinado o acúmulo de matéria seca e de nutrientes pelas plantas forrageiras em três épocas: no florescimento, na maturidade fisiológica do milho e por ocasião da dessecação das forrageiras, em outubro. O acúmulo de matéria seca das forrageiras intensifica-se após a colheita do milho safrinha. Quando as forrageiras são semeadas na entrelinha do milho, a adubação nitrogenada em cobertura não interfere no acúmulo de matéria seca e de nutrientes pelas forrageiras, e o consórcio não afeta a produtividade de grãos de milho safrinha.
Conversão e balanço de energia de sistemas de produção com integração lavoura-pecuária sob plantio direto
Authors: Santos Henrique Pereira dos , Fontaneli Renato Serena , Spera Silvio Tulio , Maldaner Geórgia Luiza
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a conversão e o balanço de energia em sistemas de produção com integração lavoura-pecuária, sob plantio direto. O experimento foi conduzido de 2001 a 2008. De 2001 a 2002, foram avaliados os sistemas: 1, trigo/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta+ervilhaca/milho; 2, trigo/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta+ervilhaca+azevém/milho; 3, trigo/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta+ervilhaca/pastagem de milheto; 4, trigo/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta+ervilhaca+azevém/pastagem de milheto; 5, trigo/soja, aveia-branca/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta+ervilhaca/pastagem de milheto; 6, trigo/soja, aveia-branca/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta+ervilhaca+azevém/pastagem de milheto. De 2003 a 2008, foram avaliados os sistemas: 1, trigo/soja e ervilhaca/milho; 2, trigo/soja e pastagem de aveia-preta/milho; 3, trigo/soja e aveia-preta/soja; 4, trigo/soja e ervilha/milho; 5, trigo/soja, ervilhaca/soja e triticale de duplo propósito/soja; e 6, trigo/soja, aveia-branca de duplo propósito/soja e trigo de duplo propósito/soja. O milho apresentou o maior retorno energético, em comparação às demais culturas produtoras de grãos e às pastagens de inverno e de verão. Das culturas de cobertura de solo e de adubação verde de inverno, a ervilha foi a mais eficiente na conversão de energia. Os sistemas 1, 2 e 4, entre 2003 e 2008, foram os mais eficientes no balanço energético.
Manejo de plantas daninhas em milho safrinha em cultivo solteiro ou consorciado à braquiária ruziziensis
Authors: Adegas Fernando Storniolo , Voll Elemar , Gazziero Dionísio Luiz Pisa
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência de herbicidas pós-emergentes no controle das plantas daninhas, e sua seletividade à braquiária (Urochloa ruziziensis) e ao milho safrinha, em cultivo solteiro ou consorciado. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, em esquema fatorial 2x14: cultivo do milho consorciado ou não à braquiária e 14 tratamentos químicos, além de duas testemunhas, com ou sem controle das plantas daninhas. Avaliou-se o controle das plantas daninhas, a fitotoxicidade para braquiária e a produtividade do milho. Todos os tratamentos com herbicidas proporcionaram controle acima de 80% das plantas daninhas aos 14 dias após a aplicação. As misturas formuladas de atrazina+óleo, a 800 e a 1.200 g ha-1, compuseram o grupo de herbicidas mais seletivos a U. ruziziensis; o grupo de menor seletividade consistiu da aplicação isolada de tembotrione ou de suas associações com atrazina. A competição com a braquiária reduziu a produtividade do milho em até 45,3%. Contudo, não houve diferença entre os tratamentos nas parcelas tratadas com herbicidas.
Nutrição e produtividade de híbridos de sorgo granífero de ciclos contrastantes consorciados com capim-marandu
Authors: Crusciol Carlos Alexandre Costa , Mateus Gustavo Pavan , Pariz Cristiano Magalhães , Borghi Émerson , Costa Ciniro , Silveira João Paulo Franco da
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do consórcio com capim-marandu (Urochloa brizantha) na nutrição e produtividade de híbridos de sorgo granífero de ciclos contrastantes, em sistema plantio direto. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 2x2, com seis repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram de dois híbridos de sorgo granífero de ciclos contrastantes (P8118, ciclo médio; e P8419, ciclo precoce) e dois sistemas de cultivo (monocultivo e consórcio com capim-marandu na linha de semeadura), com semeadura no início de dezembro. Avaliou-se a nutrição, as características agronômicas, os componentes da produção e a produtividade de matéria seca e grãos da cultura do sorgo. Com exceção do potássio e do enxofre, os teores foliares dos demais nutrientes foram adequados à cultura do sorgo granífero, em todos os tratamentos. O híbrido P8118 apresentou a maior produtividade de grãos e, após o consórcio, contribuiu para a maior produtividade de matéria seca da forragem de capim-marandu, no corte realizado em outubro. O cultivo consorciado com capim-marandu não afeta a nutrição e a produtividade de matéria seca e de grãos de sorgo, em comparação ao monocultivo, independentemente do ciclo do híbrido utilizado.
Suscetibilidade diferencial de espécies de braquiária ao herbicida glifosato
Authors: Brighenti Alexandre Magno , Souza Sobrinho Fausto de , Rocha Wadson Sebastião Duarte da , Martins Carlos Eugênio , Demartini Dalmir , Costa Thiago Rodrigues
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a suscetibilidade diferencial de espécies de Urochloa ao herbicida glifosato. Dois experimentos foram implantados na Embrapa Gado de Leite, em Juiz de Fora, MG. O primeiro experimento foi realizado em vasos dispostos em bancadas, em ambiente aberto, e o segundo em campo. Em ambos os experimentos, adotou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas. Nas parcelas, foram semeadas três espécies de braquiária (U. brizantha, U. decumbens e U. ruziziensis) e, nas subparcelas, foram dispostas as doses do equivalente ácido do herbicida glifosato (0, 180, 360, 540, 720, 1.080, 1.440 g ha-1). Há variabilidade entre as espécies avaliadas de Urochloa, quanto à suscetibilidade ao herbicida glifosato, e U. ruziziensis é a mais suscetível. O conhecimento da suscetibilidade diferencial entre as espécies de Urochloa avaliadas permite uma economia de 12 a 16% na dose do herbicida glifosato.
Variáveis fisiológicas de búfalas leiteiras criadas sob sombreamento em sistemas silvipastoris
Authors: Garcia Alexandre Rossetto , Matos Leonardo Brandão , Lourenço Júnior José de Brito , Nahúm Benjamim de Souza , Araújo Cláudio Vieira de , Santos Alessandra Ximenes
Published: December 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de sistemas silvipastoris como ferramenta de manejo para manter as características fisiológicas de búfalas leiteiras e promover mais altos níveis de conforto térmico. Foram avaliadas 56 fêmeas adultas (79±44,12 meses; 575±92,90 kg): 30 em sistema silvipastoril sem sombra útil e 26 em sistema silvipastoril com 19,9% de sombra útil. Foram mensuradas semanalmente: frequência cardíaca e respiratória, temperatura retal e índice de conforto animal. As médias foram comparadas por análise de variância e as variáveis meteorológicas e fisiológicas foram correlacionadas pelo método de Pearson. O sombreamento diminuiu significativamente a frequência cardíaca e a temperatura retal. Em 71,4% das observações, os animais mantidos em sistema silvipastoril com sombreamento apresentaram índices de conforto próximos ao ideal. O sombreamento mantém os parâmetros fisiológicos de búfalas leiteiras mais próximos da normalidade e melhora o índice de conforto animal. A adoção de sistemas silvipastoris na produção de bubalinos, na região tropical, pode evitar gastos energéticos com termólise.
Avaliação de espermatozoides caprinos congelados em meio à base de água de coco em pó (ACP-101®) ou TRIS
Authors: Oliveira R.V. , Nunes J.F. , Salgueiro C.C.M. , Cavalcante J.M.M. , Brasil O.O. , Moura A.A.A.N.
Published: December 2011

Compararam-se as características cinéticas e morfológicas de espermatozoides caprinos congelados nos meios à base de ACP-101® e TRIS. Os diluentes utilizados foram: ACP-101® (+ 2,5% gema ovo + 7% glicerol) e TRIS (+ 20% gema ovo + 6,8% glicerol). Quarenta e oito ejaculados de quatro bodes foram coletados, avaliados, divididos em duas alíquotas e diluídos nos meios ACP-101® e TRIS, respectivamente, posteriormente congelados e, após 30 dias, descongelados. A avaliação da motilidade espermática por computador foi realizada aos 5, 60 e 120 minutos pós-descongelação. As características de motilidade espermática analisadas foram: motilidade total (MT) (%) e progressiva (MP) (%), velocidades média do trajeto do espermatozoide (VAP) (µm/s) e linear (VSL) (µm/s) e população de espermatozoides rápidos (ER) (%). As avaliações de morfologia espermática quantificaram a porcentagem de espermatozoides normais (N) e as alterações da cabeça (AC), da peça intermediária (API) e do flagelo (AF), aos cinco e 120 minutos pós-descongelação. O diluente TRIS apresentou resultados cinéticos mais elevados que o ACP-101® aos 60 e 120 minutos pós-descongelação. As AC aos 120 minutos pós-descongelação foram mais altas nos espermatozoides congelados em ACP-101®. Conclui-se que o diluente TRIS promoveu maior viabilidade in vitro dos espermatozoides caprinos pós-descongelação.