bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasmodium falciparum susceptibility to anti-malarial drugs in Dakar, Senegal, in 2010: an ex vivo and drug resistance molecular markers study
Authors: Fall Bécaye , Pascual Aurélie , Sarr Fatoumata D , Wurtz Nathalie , Richard Vincent , Baret Eric , Diémé Yaya , Briolant Sébastien , Bercion Raymond , Wade Boubacar , Tall Adama , Pradines Bruno
Published: March 2013

Background

In 2006, the Senegalese National Malaria Control Programme recommended artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria. Since the introduction of ACT, there have been very few reports on the level of resistance of P. falciparum to anti-malarial drugs. To determine whether parasite susceptibility has been affected by the new anti-malarial policies, an ex vivo susceptibility and drug resistance molecular marker study was conducted on local isolates obtained from the Centre de santé Elizabeth Diouf (Médina, Dakar, Senegal).

Methods

The prevalence of genetic polymorphisms in genes associated with anti-malarial drug resistance, i.e., pfcrt, pfdhfr, pfdhps and pfmdr1, were evaluated for a panel of 165 isolates collected from patients recruited from 17 August 2010 to 6 January 2011. The malaria isolates were assessed for susceptibility to chloroquine (CQ); quinine (QN); monodesethylamodiaquine (MDAQ), the active metabolite of amodiaquine; mefloquine (MQ); lumefantrine (LMF); dihydroartemisinin (DHA), the active metabolite of artemisinin derivatives; and doxycycline (DOX) using the Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) ELISA.

Results

The prevalence of the in vitro resistant isolates, or isolates with reduced susceptibility, was 62.1% for MQ, 24.2% for CQ, 10.3% for DOX, 11.8% MDAQ, 9.7% for QN, 2.9% for LMF and 0% for DHA. The Pfcrt 76T mutation was identified in 43.6% of the samples. The pfmdr1 86Y, 184F and 1246Y mutations were found in 16.2%, 50.0% and 1.6% of the samples, respectively. The pfdhfr 108N, 51I and 59R mutations were identified in 81.9%, 77.4% and 79.4% of the samples, respectively. The double mutant (108N and 51I) was detected in 75.5% of the isolates, and the triple mutant (108N, 51I and 59R) was detected in 73.6% of the isolates. The pfdhps 437G, 436A and 613S mutations were found in 54.4%, 38.6% and 1.2% of the samples, respectively. There was only one double mutant, 437G and 540E, and one quintuple mutant, pfdhfr 108N, 51I and 59R and pfdhps 437G and 540E. The prevalence of the quadruple mutant (pfdhfr 108N, 51I and 59R and pfdhps 437G) was 36.7%.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that an intensive surveillance of the in vitro P. falciparum susceptibility to anti-malarial drugs must be conducted in Senegal.
The roles of integrin β1 in phenotypic maintenance and dedifferentiation in chondroid cells differentiated from human adipose-derived stem cells
Authors: Luo Simin , Shi Qiping , Zha Zhengang , Yao Ping , Lin Hongsheng , Liu Ning , Wu Hao , Cai Jiye , Sun Shangyun
Published: March 2013

Objective

The aim of this study is to probe the intrinsic mechanism of chondroid cell dedifferentiation in order to provide a feasible solution for this in cell culture.

Methods

Morphological and biomechanical properties of cells undergoing chondrogenic differentiation from human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were measured at the nanometer scale using atomic force microscopy and laser confocal scanning microscopy. Gene expression was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The expression of COL II, SOX9, and Aggrecan mRNA began to increase gradually at the beginning of differentiation and reach a peak similar to that of normal chondrocytes on the 12th day, then dropped to the level of the 6th day at 18th day. Cell topography and mechanics trended resembled those of the genes’ expression. Integrin β1 was expressed in ADSCs and rapidly upregulated during differentiation but downregulated after reaching maturity.

Conclusions

The amount and distribution of integrin β1 may play a critical role in mediating both chondroid cell maturity and dedifferentiation. Integrin β1 is a possible new marker and target for phenotypic maintenance in chondroid cells.
Novel approaches to minimize ventilator-induced lung injury
Authors: Fan Eddy , Villar Jesus , Slutsky Arthur S
Published: March 2013

Despite over 40 years of research, there is no specific lung-directed therapy for the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Although much has evolved in our understanding of its pathogenesis and factors affecting patient outcome, supportive care with mechanical ventilation remains the cornerstone of treatment. Perhaps the most important advance in ARDS research has been the recognition that mechanical ventilation, although necessary to preserve life, can itself aggravate or cause lung damage through a variety of mechanisms collectively referred to as ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). This improved understanding of ARDS and VILI has been important in designing lung-protective ventilatory strategies aimed at attenuating VILI and improving outcomes. Considerable effort has been made to enhance our mechanistic understanding of VILI and to develop new ventilatory strategies and therapeutic interventions to prevent and ameliorate VILI with the goal of improving outcomes in patients with ARDS. In this review, we will review the pathophysiology of VILI, discuss a number of novel physiological approaches for minimizing VILI, therapies to counteract biotrauma, and highlight a number of experimental studies to support these concepts.
Identification of diverse full-length endogenous betaretroviruses in megabats and microbats
Authors: Hayward Joshua A , Tachedjian Mary , Cui Jie , Field Hume , Holmes Edward C , Wang Lin-Fa , Tachedjian Gilda
Published: March 2013

Background

Betaretroviruses infect a wide range of species including primates, rodents, ruminants, and marsupials. They exist in both endogenous and exogenous forms and are implicated in animal diseases such as lung cancer in sheep, and in human disease, with members of the human endogenous retrovirus-K (HERV-K) group of endogenous betaretroviruses (βERVs) associated with human cancers and autoimmune diseases. To improve our understanding of betaretroviruses in an evolutionarily distinct host species, we characterized βERVs present in the genomes and transcriptomes of mega- and microbats, which are an important reservoir of emerging viruses.

Results

A diverse range of full-length βERVs were discovered in mega- and microbat genomes and transcriptomes including the first identified intact endogenous retrovirus in a bat. Our analysis revealed that the genus Betaretrovirus can be divided into eight distinct sub-groups with evidence of cross-species transmission. Betaretroviruses are revealed to be a complex retrovirus group, within which one sub-group has evolved from complex to simple genomic organization through the acquisition of an env gene from the genus Gammaretrovirus. Molecular dating suggests that bats have contended with betaretroviral infections for over 30 million years.

Conclusions

Our study reveals that a diverse range of betaretroviruses have circulated in bats for most of their evolutionary history, and cluster with extant betaretroviruses of divergent mammalian lineages suggesting that their distribution may be largely unrestricted by host species barriers. The presence of βERVs with the ability to transcribe active viral elements in a major animal reservoir for viral pathogens has potential implications for public health.
Bilateral central pain sensitization in rats following a unilateral thalamic lesion may be treated with high doses of ketamine
Authors: Castel Aude , Hélie Pierre , Beaudry Francis , Vachon Pascal
Published: March 2013

Background

Central post-stroke pain is a neuropathic pain condition caused by a vascular lesion, of either ischemic or hemorrhagic origin, in the central nervous system and more precisely involving the spinothalamocortical pathway responsible for the transmission of painful sensations. Few animal models have been developed to study this problem. The objectives of this study were to evaluate different modalities of pain in a central neuropathic pain rat model and to assess the effects of ketamine administered at different doses. Animals were evaluated on the rotarod, Hargreaves, Von Frey and acetone tests. A very small hemorrhage was created by injecting a collagenase solution in the right ventral posterolateral thalamic nucleus. Following the establishment of the neuropathy, ketamine was evaluated as a therapeutic drug for this condition.

Results

Histopathological observations showed a well localized lesion with neuronal necrosis and astrocytosis following the collagenase injection that was localized within the VPL. No significant change in motor coordination was observed following surgery in either the saline or collagensae groups. In the collagenase group, a significant decrease in mechanical allodynia threshold was observed. A sporadic and transient cold allodynia was also noted. No thermal hyperalgesia was seen following the collagenase injection. Ketamine was then tested as a potential therapeutic drug. A significant decrease in motor coordination was seen only following the administration of 25 mg/kg of ketamine in both groups. An alleviation of mechanical allodynia was achieved only with the high ketamine dose. The minimal effective ketamine serum concentration (150 ng/mL) was only achieved in animals that received 25 mg/kg.

Conclusions

An intrathalamic hemorrhage induced a bilateral mechanical allodynia in rats. Cold hyperalgesia was observed in 60% of these animals. Mechanical allodynia was alleviated with high doses of ketamine which corresponded with therapeutic plasmatic concentrations.
Developmental time rather than local environment regulates the schedule of epithelial polarization in the zebrafish neural rod
Authors: Girdler Gemma C , Araya Claudio , Ren Xiaoyun , Clarke Jonathan DW
Published: March 2013

Background

Morphogenesis requires developmental processes to occur both at the right time and in the right place. During neural tube formation in the zebrafish embryo, the generation of the apical specializations of the lumen must occur in the center of the neural rod after the neural cells have undergone convergence, invagination and interdigitation across the midline. How this coordination is achieved is uncertain. One possibility is that environmental signaling at the midline of the neural rod controls the schedule of apical polarization. Alternatively, polarization could be regulated by a timing mechanism and then independent morphogenetic processes ensure the cells are in the correct spatial location.

Results

Ectopic transplantation demonstrates the local environment of the neural midline is not required for neural cell polarization. Neural cells can self-organize into epithelial cysts in ectopic locations in the embryo and also in three-dimensional gel cultures. Heterochronic transplants demonstrate that the schedule of polarization and the specialized cell divisions characteristic of the neural rod are more strongly regulated by time than local environmental signals. The cells’ schedule for polarization is set prior to gastrulation, is stable through several rounds of cell division and appears independent of the morphogenetic movements of gastrulation and neurulation.

Conclusions

Time rather than local environment regulates the schedule of epithelial polarization in zebrafish neural rod.
Anteroposterior and dorsoventral patterning are coordinated by an identical patterning clock
Authors: Hashiguchi Megumi , Mullins Mary C.
Published: March 2013

Establishment of the body plan in vertebrates depends on the temporally coordinated patterning of tissues along the body axes. We have previously shown that dorsoventral (DV) tissues are temporally patterned progressively from anterior to posterior by a BMP signaling pathway. Here we report that DV patterning along the zebrafish anteroposterior (AP) axis is temporally coordinated with AP patterning by an identical patterning clock. We altered AP patterning by inhibiting or activating FGF, Wnt or retinoic acid signaling combined with inhibition of BMP signaling at a series of developmental time points, which revealed that the temporal progression of DV patterning is directly coordinated with AP patterning. We investigated how these signaling pathways are integrated and suggest a model for how DV and AP patterning are temporally coordinated. It has been shown that in Xenopus dorsal tissues FGF and Wnt signaling quell BMP signaling by degrading phosphorylated (P) Smad1/5, the BMP pathway signal transducer, via phosphorylation of the Smad1/5 linker region. We show that in zebrafish FGF/MAPK, but not Wnt/GSK3, phosphorylation of the Smad1/5 linker region localizes to a ventral vegetal gastrula region that could coordinate DV patterning with AP patterning ventrally without degrading P-Smad1/5. Furthermore, we demonstrate that alteration of the MAPK phosphorylation sites in the Smad5 linker causes precocious patterning of DV tissues along the AP axis during gastrulation. Thus, DV and AP patterning are intimately coordinated to allow cells to acquire both positional and temporal information simultaneously.
Role of oxygen consumption in hypoxia protection by translation factor depletion
Authors: Scott Barbara , Sun Chun-Ling , Mao Xianrong , Yu Cong , Vohra Bhupinder P. S. , Milbrandt Jeffrey , Crowder C. Michael
Published: March 2013

Reduction of protein synthesis has been associated with resistance to hypoxic cell death. Which components of the translation machinery control hypoxic sensitivity and the precise mechanism has not been systematically investigated although a reduction in oxygen consumption has been widely assumed to be the mechanism. Using genetic reagents in C. elegans, we examined the effect on organismal survival after hypoxia of knockdown of ten factors functioning at the three principal steps in translation. Reduction-of-function of all ten translation factors significantly increased hypoxic survival to varying degrees, not fully accounted for by the level of translational suppression. Measurement of oxygen consumption found that strong hypoxia resistance was possible without a significant decrease in oxygen consumption. Hypoxic sensitivity had no correlation with lifespan or reactive oxygen species sensitivity, two phenotypes associated with reduced translation. Resistance to tunicamycin, which produces misfolded protein toxicity, was the only phenotype that significantly correlated with hypoxic sensitivity. Translation factor knockdown was also hypoxia protective for mouse primary neurons. These data show that translation factor knockdown is hypoxia protective in both C. elegans and mouse neurons and that oxygen consumption does not necessarily determine survival; rather, mitigation of misfolded protein toxicity is more strongly associated with hypoxic protection.
Identification and characterisation of functional aquaporin water channel (Anomala cuprea DRIP) in a coleopteran insect
Authors: Nagae Tomone , Miyake Seiji , Kosaki Shiho , Azuma Masaaki
Published: March 2013

Water transport across the plasma membrane depends on the presence of the water channel aquaporin (AQP), which mediates the bulk movement of water through osmotic and pressure gradients. In terrestrial insects, which are solid/plant feeders, the entrance and exit of water is primarily executed along the alimentary tract, where the hindgut, particularly the rectum, is the major site of water conservation. A cDNA encoding the homologue of the water-specific Drosophila AQP (Drosophila integral protein: DRIP) was identified through the RT-PCR of RNA isolated from the rectum of the cupreous chafer larvae, Anomala cuprea, a humus and plant root feeder. This gene (Anocu AQP1) has a predicted molecular mass of 26.471 kDa similar to the DRIP clade of insect AQPs characterised from caterpillars, flies and several liquid-feeding insects. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, Anocu AQP1 showed the hallmarks of aquaporin-mediated water transport but no glycerol nor urea permeability, and the reversible inhibition of elevated water transport through 1 mM HgCl2. This is the first experimental demonstration of the presence of a water-specific AQP, namely DRIP, in the Coleoptera. The genome of the model beetle, Tribolium castaneum, contains six putative AQP sequences, one of which (Trica-1a, XP_972862) showed the highest similarity to Anocu AQP1 (~60% amino acid identity). Anocu AQP1 is predominantly expressed in the rectum. Using a specific antibody raised against DRIP in the silkworm, Bombyx mori (AQP-Bom1), Anocu AQP1 was localised to the apical plasma membrane of rectal epithelial cells, and lacking in the midgut and gastric caecal epithelia. Based on the BeetleBase prediction, there are three putative AQPs (Trica-3a, 3b, 3c: XP_970728, 970912, 970791) that are homologous to B. mori aquaglyceroporin (AQP-Bom2 [GLP]). The immunocytochemical studies using the specific anti-peptide antibody against AQP-Bom2 revealed the presence of the GLP homologue at the apical plasma membrane of enterocytes in the midgut and gastric caeca. Thus, DRIP (Anocu AQP1) and the putative GLP share epithelial fluid-transporting roles along the alimentary tract in cupreous chafer larvae.
Capital-Skill Complementarity and the Skill Premium in a Quantitative Model of Trade
Authors: Parro Fernando
Published: March 2013

Technological change has reduced the relative price of capital goods. Reductions in trade costs make it cheaper to import capital goods. With capital-skill complementarity, both can increase the skill premium. I construct a general-equilibrium trade model with capital-skill complementarity to study the impact of changing worldwide trade costs and technologies on the skill premium. The impacts of trade costs and technical change are comparable, especially in developing countries, and much larger than Stolper-Samuelson effects. I find that both skilled and unskilled labor gain from trade, and that larger gains from trade are associated with larger increases in the skill premium. (JEL E22, F11, F16, J24, O33)
Multiple sensors ensure guide strand selection in human RNAi pathways
Authors: Noland Cameron L. , Doudna Jennifer A.
Published: March 2013

Small RNAs guide RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs) to bind to cognate mRNA transcripts and trigger silencing of protein expression during RNA interference (RNAi) in eukaryotes. A fundamental aspect of this process is the asymmetric loading of one strand of a short interfering RNA (siRNA) or microRNA (miRNA) duplex onto RISCs for correct target recognition. Here, we use a reconstituted system to determine the extent to which the core components of the human RNAi machinery contribute to RNA guide strand selection. We show that Argonaute2 (Ago2), the endonuclease that binds directly to siRNAs and miRNAs within RISC, has intrinsic but substrate-dependent RNA strand selection capability. This activity can be enhanced substantially when Ago2 is in complex with the endonuclease Dicer and the double-stranded RNA-binding proteins (dsRBPs)—trans-activation response (TAR) RNA-binding protein (TRBP) or protein activator of PKR (PACT). The extent to which human Dicer/dsRBP complexes contribute to strand selection is dictated by specific duplex parameters such as thermodynamics, 5′ nucleotide identity, and structure. Surprisingly, our results also suggest that strand selection for some miRNAs is enhanced by PACT-containing complexes but not by those containing TRBP. Furthermore, overall mRNA targeting by miRNAs is disfavored for complexes containing TRBP but not PACT. These findings demonstrate that multiple proteins collaborate to ensure optimal strand selection in humans and reveal the possibility of delineating RNAi pathways based on the presence of TRBP or PACT.
Intense pulsed light treatment of chronic mid-body Achilles tendinopathy
Authors: Hutchison A. M. , Pallister I. , Evans R. M. , Bodger O. , Topliss C. J. , Williams P. , Beard D. J.
Published: March 2013

We conducted a randomised controlled trial to determine whether active intense pulsed light (IPL) is an effective treatment for patients with chronic mid-body Achilles tendinopathy. A total of 47 patients were randomly assigned to three weekly therapeutic or placebo IPL treatments. The primary outcome measure was the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment – Achilles (VISA-A) score. Secondary outcomes were a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS) and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). Outcomes were recorded at baseline, six weeks and 12 weeks following treatment. Ultrasound assessment of the thickness of the tendon and neovascularisation were also recorded before and after treatment.

There was no significant difference between the groups for any of the outcome scores or ultrasound measurements by 12 weeks, showing no measurable benefit from treatment with IPL in patients with Achilles tendinopathy.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:504–9.
Exam Corner – April 2013
Authors: Khanduja V.
Published: March 2013

The FRCS (Tr & Orth) examination has three components: MCQs, Vivas and Clinical Examination. The Vivas are further divided into four sections comprising Basic Science, Adult Pathology, Hands and Children’s Orthopaedics and Trauma. The Clinical Examination section is divided into Upper and Lower limb cases. The aim of this section in the Journal is to focus specifically on the trainees preparing for the exam and to cater to all the sections of the exam. The vision is to complete the cycle of all relevant exam topics (as per the syllabus) in four years.
Emotion Skills as a Protective Factor for Risky Behaviors Among College Students
Authors: Rivers Susan E. , Brackett Marc A. , Omori Mika , Sickler Cole , Bertoli Michelle C. , Salovey Peter
Published: March 2013

Involvement in health-endangering behaviors is considered a reflection of college students' psychosocial development; however, not all students participate in these activities. Emotion skills, such as the ability to interpret and manage emotions, may serve as a protective factor against risk-taking behavior among emerging adults. We compared the contributions of emotional intelligence and self-esteem, a commonly studied risk factor, to engagement in risk-taking behaviors among undergraduates (N = 243). Structural equation modeling revealed that emotional intelligence, but not self-esteem, was related significantly to risky behaviors. These findings lend support to the literature showing that emotional intelligence may serve as a protective factor for college student risk taking.
Predictors of Collegiate Student-Athletes' Susceptibility to Stereotype Threat
Authors: Feltz Deborah L. , Schneider Richard , Hwang Seunghyun , Skogsberg Nikolaus J.
Published: March 2013

The present investigation sought to determine the extent to which collegiate student-athletes are susceptible to stereotype threat and the factors that predict it. We proposed a structural equation model (SEM) by which a perceived coach's positive regard for an athlete's academic ability, athletic identity, and academic identity predicts the degree of perceived stereotype threat while controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, type of sport, and division level. Also hypothesized, athletic and academic identities mediate the coach's attitude toward academics in predicting susceptibility to stereotype threat. Survey responses from 318 collegiate athletes showed the coach's regard for an athlete's academic ability emerged as a significant predictor of stereotype threat. A coach's regard for academic ability had a significant negative relationship with athletic identity, which, in turn, had a significant positive relationship with stereotype threat.
Comparison of Student Self-Reported and Administrative Data Regarding Intercession Into Alcohol Misuse Among College Freshmen Dormitory Residents
Authors: Novik Melinda G. , Boekeloo Bradley O.
Published: March 2013

Intercession into collegiate alcohol misuse by the Department of Resident Life (DRL) in freshmen dormitories at one large Mid-Atlantic, diverse, public university was examined. Freshmen dormitory resident drinkers ( n = 357), 71% of whom reported alcohol misuse, were surveyed. Student self-report and DRL documentation, respectively, revealed that 6.4% and 7.8% ( κ = .77) of drinkers were documented with an alcohol violation, 4.2% and 3.4% ( κ = .81) lost housing priority points, 1.4% and .6% ( κ = .28) were referred for alcohol counseling, and 1.4% and .3% ( κ = .33) were taken to the emergency room. DRL infrequently interceded into alcohol misuse, perhaps because most misuse occurred off campus.
Comparisons of Adult and Traditional College-Age Student Mothers: Reasons for College Enrollment and Views of How Enrollment Affects Children
Authors: Wilsey Stephanie A.
Published: March 2013

Women are an increasingly large presence in undergraduate education, and many female students are mothers in addition to their role as college students. To compare and contrast 2 groups of student mothers (adult and traditional college-age), we administered a 39-item survey to 95 student mothers. We assessed demographic variables, reasons for college enrollment, and views of how mothers' college enrollment affects children. Results reflect both possibility and problems for student mothers of all ages. Traditional college-age mothers evidenced particular challenges in terms of maintaining grades and accessing student support services. Recommendations for institutions seeking to support student mothers in balancing school, work, and family are presented.
Do Reasons for Attending College Affect Academic Outcomes?: A Test of a Motivational Model From a Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Authors: Guiffrida Douglas A. , Lynch Martin F. , Wall Andrew F. , Abel Darlene S.
Published: March 2013

A survey of 2,520 college students was conducted to test relationships between academic success and college student motivational orientation, conceptualized from a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, while also considering the moderating effects of background characteristics such as gender, socioeconomic status, race/ ethnicity, and institutional type. Findings indicated that going to college to fulfill intrinsic motivation needs for autonomy and competence was positively associated with intention to persist and GPA but that motivation geared toward the fulfillment of relatedness needs had a more nuanced relationship to the outcome variables. Implications for recognizing the importance of motivational orientation in student affair research, theory, and practice are provided.
Does Alcohol Use Mediate the Association Between Consequences Experienced in High School and Consequences Experienced During the First Semester of College?
Authors: Romosz Ann Marie , Quigley Brian M.
Published: March 2013

Approximately 80% of college students drink alcohol; almost half of these students reporting that they drink to get drunk and over 22% engage in heavy episodic drinking. Heavy alcohol consumption during the transition from high school to college is associated with negative personal and academic consequences. Sixty-seven freshmen volunteered to participate. We measured alcohol use during high school and since entering university, negative consequences of alcohol use, and academic functioning. College weekly drinking mediates the relationship between high school and college consequences associated with alcohol use. This is true for overall consequences and specifically for academic consequences related to alcohol.
Relational Aggression and Victimization in College Students
Authors: Dahlen Eric R. , Czar Katherine A. , Prather Emily , Dyess Christy
Published: March 2013

For this study we explored relational aggression and victimization in a college sample (N = 307), examining potential gender and race differences, correlates, and the link between relational aggression and common emotional and behavioral problems, independent of relational victimization. Gender and race differences were observed on relational aggression and victimization. Relational aggression in peer and intimate relationships was positively correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and alcohol problems. Independent of gender, race, and relational victimization, peer relational aggression was predicted by anxiety, trait anger, and personal problems related to alcohol use.
The Fronts Students Use: Facebook and the Standardization of Self-Presentations
Authors: Birnbaum Matthew G.
Published: March 2013

This empirical study explored the impression management techniques and standardized performances college students use on their Facebook profiles to ensure their peers believe they are fully participating in the undergraduate experience. Employing an ethnographic research design and data collected using participant-observation and interview methods, I considered the texts and images that appear repeatedly on Facebook profiles from a dramaturgical framework. I found that participants in this study identified at least 6 standardized fronts that students use to help ensure they give peers the impression of conforming to appropriate undergraduate norms.
Literatura e educação para os valores ambientais: Os Contos da Mata dos Medos , de Álvaro Magalhães
Authors: Nogueira Carlos
Published: March 2013

A afirmação da grandeza de tudo o que constitui a natureza, e a necessidade de nos concebermos numa relação de igualdade e respeito em relação a ela, é o tema dos Contos da Mata dos Medos . Nesta série de quatro narrativas, publicada entre 2003 e 2010, Álvaro Magalhães concilia o seu modo de ver a infância com ética animal, ecologia e consciência ambiental. O autor, partindo de personagens-animais que ilustram a biodiversidade de uma área do litoral do concelho de Almada (distrito de Lisboa), celebra a natureza e convida-nos a assumir perspectivas e comportamentos ecocêntricos. O Coelho, o Ouriço, o Chapim, a Toupeira, a Coruja ou o Caracol não têm como única função explicar o Homem. Estes animais aparecem-nos como seres que têm a sua dignidade própria e direito à vida como qualquer ser humano. Dotados de características próprias, eles procuram sobreviver num ambiente natural que lhes satisfaz todas as necessidades biológicas e oferece todos os bens materiais e espirituais, mas que, por ação do Homem, pode ser profundamente hostil.
Spanish Rhotics: More Evidence of Gradience in the System
Authors: Shelton Michael
Published: March 2013

The present study examines the nature of the Spanish rhotics experimentally, investigating the possibilities that the trill is best understood as deriving from an underlying geminate or that the tap and trill may be separate phonemes. In order to explore these two theories, a behavioral task was designed exploiting the absence of native words in Spanish containing a final trill onset that carry antepenultimate stress. The geminate view of Spanish rhotics argues that this pattern is absent because it is prohibited by the synchronic phonological grammar, while two-phoneme approaches consider it a diachronic gap. A nonword naming task tested the representation of this nonextant word shape by comparing trisyllabic nonce forms containing trills to other controlled sequences in theoretically banned (antepenultimate) and permitted (penultimate) stress conditions. The results of the experiment are interpreted as evidence against a geminate analysis of Spanish taps and trills. The data also suggest gradience in phonemic categorization and are considered within an emergent conception of the lexicon.
Guaraní y quechua desde el cine en las propuestas de Lucía Puenzo, El niño pez , y Claudia Llosa, La teta asustada
Authors: Cisneros Vitelia
Published: March 2013

En este artículo se propone un análisis comparativo entre las películas El niño pez de la directora argentina Lucía Puenzo y La teta asustada de la peruana Claudia Llosa, ambas producidas en el año 2009. La comparación se justifica en coincidencias importantes que permiten deducir un modo compartido de percibir a la mujer hablante de lengua indígena (guaraní y quechua respectivamente). La concurrencia se expresa en el uso de situaciones traumáticas por crímenes de abuso sexual en ambos filmes, así como en la figuración del canto en lengua indígena como elemento de fascinación sobre centros capitalinos e hispanohablantes. En recientes décadas, cambios sociales y acontecimientos políticos han otorgado a diferentes comunidades indígenas una posición más notoria en la atención pública, una situación de la cual ambas cintas han cosechado un importante beneficio. Sin embargo, a través de sus diferencias es posible ilustrar dos opciones divergentes en la capacidad de expresión y acción con la que estos sujetos subalternos se representan. En ambos trabajos las conexiones y separaciones se plasmarán en la posición y rol otorgados a las lenguas indígenas a través de opciones técnicas y narrativas con las que los largometrajes plantean la recuperación de un pasado aniquilador.
The Effects of Processing Instruction with and without Output: Acquisition of the Spanish Subjunctive in Three Conjunctional Phrases
Authors: Kirk Rachel W.
Published: March 2013

This study examines the effects of processing instruction (PI) alone versus PI and output (O) on the acquisition of three conjunctional and infinitival phrases in Spanish. Seventy intermediate and advanced-intermediate high school participants received: 1) PI on three consecutive days (PI + PI + PI); 2) PI for two days and meaning-based output practice on the third (PI + PI + O); 3) PI on the first and third days, and output on the second (PI + O + PI); or 4) PI one day, followed by two days of output (PI + O + O). Results of a pre-test and two post-tests demonstrated positive effects from PI in both interpretation and production abilities. The provision of output generally did not enhance or hinder the effects of PI, except when more days were devoted to output than to PI. When students dedicated more time to output-oriented class activities than they did to PI, the interpretation results were significantly lower.
The Self Inside and Out: Authenticity and Disability in Mar adentro and Yo, también
Authors: Rivera-Cordero Victoria
Published: March 2013

Spanish filmmakers Alejándro Amenábar, Antonio Naharro, and Álvaro Pastor have recently focused on disability and personal identity by presenting the disabled subject in the foreground and by posing an array of ethical questions. This essay explores representations of disability as they appear in Mar adentro and Yo, también and contrasts each film’s argument about human will, authenticity, and the larger political agenda of tolerance and acceptance. In Amenábar’s film, disability is presented as an obstacle to personal will and identity, which, for the protagonist, must be eliminated through destruction of the body. For Pastor and Naharro, disability is a fully normal state, which need neither generate rejection nor suppose any kind of obstacle to societal integration. Disability therefore constitutes a personal identity to be embraced in this film.
Teaching Afro–Latin American Culture through Film: Raíces de mi corazón and Cuba’s Guerrita de los Negros
Authors: Watson Sonja
Published: March 2013

Studies have shown an absence of Afro–Latin American culture at all levels of Spanish instruction. In this essay, I propose the use of film to expand the undergraduate curriculum. Film provides both a visual and cultural narrative for the understanding of Latin American history, culture, and literature, and is an invaluable resource for teaching Afro–Latin American culture and promoting visual and multicultural literacy. This article focuses on Raíces de mi corazón , a short film that deals with the establishment of the Partido Independiente de Color , a political party that called for social reforms for Afro-Cubans and Cuba’s race war of 1912, which led to the murder of over six thousand men, women, and children of color. Raíces de mi corazón spotlights the importance of Cuba’s little known guerrita de los negros and provides a way to expand both the canon and curriculum through the incorporation of minority voices in the classroom.
El arte de hacer ficción sobre el proceso de evolución del orientalismo literario occidental en la cuentística de Ahmed Ararou
Authors: Ricci Cristián H.
Published: March 2013

A través de la cuentística de Ahmed Ararou, escritor marroquí que se expresa en castellano, este ensayo propone deconstruir la naturaleza de un nuevo paradigma de formación de identidades culturales marcadas por la hibridación de elementos semióticos: intertextualidades, palimpsestos y deconstrucciones tendientes a la elaboración de un discurso crítico y subversivo que se apropia de los “cánones literarios clásicos”, recodificándolos en el marco de la contemporaneidad y biografía del autor-narrador y su localización cultural. Se trata de un proceso de escritura que rechaza identificarse con unos pocos rasgos culturales definidos y determinantes para considerarse producto de influencias múltiples y de múltiples pertenencias. De esta manera, en este ensayo se analiza el espíritu renovador que le propina este escritor periférico a las letras castellanas con el afán de crear un nuevo discurso ficcional sobre Occidente, el mismo Oriente y, esencialmente, sobre ese espacio intersticial que está dado geográfica y mitológicamente por la Europa mediterránea, el norte de África y el mundo árabe-musulmán.
Películas dobladas en clases de español en los Estados Unidos: Un argumento a favor y ejercicios para el aula
Authors: Travalia Carolina
Published: March 2013

En este trabajo se identifica una serie de ventajas de usar películas norteamericanas dobladas al español en clases de español como lengua extranjera en los Estados Unidos. Estas películas presentan un lenguaje claro y uniforme que se acerca a la interlengua de los aprendientes, al contener muchas traducciones literales y otras características artificiales. Gracias a su lenguaje particular y al contexto familiar que representan, los filmes doblados facilitan la comprensión. También permiten la asimilación de vocabulario y estructuras y fomentan la imitación. Pueden servir, igualmente, para establecer conexiones entre la lengua origen y la lengua meta, además de las dos culturas. En el presente trabajo, proponemos actividades para acompañar la presentación de las películas dobladas en clases de español que sirven para mejorar la comprensión auditiva de los estudiantes, para enriquecer su vocabulario y para aumentar su conocimiento de las estructuras gramaticales. Argüimos que conviene volver a evaluar este recurso tradicionalmente descartado porque supone numerosos beneficios para el aprendiente y complementa las otras herramientas que se usan actualmente.
Los inmigrantes africanos en tres piezas españolas: Ignacio del Moral, Jerónimo López Mozo y José Moreno Arenas
Authors: Doll Eileen J.
Published: March 2013

Los inmigrantes indocumentados han aparecido con frecuencia en la escena española de las últimas décadas como parte de la búsqueda de una nueva identidad nacional, una que abrace una pluralidad cultural y social. Partiendo del uso del estereotipo del Otro como principio estético, los dramaturgos exploran, mediante estilos distintos, un acercamiento a los inmigrantes, en particular a los africanos indocumentados. Al analizar las siguientes piezas— La mirada del hombre oscuro (1991), de Ignacio del Moral; Ahlán (1997), de Jerónimo López Mozo; y La playa (2004), de José Moreno Arenas—se puede ver cómo cada autor utiliza estereotipos para conectar directamente con el público, ofreciéndole algo conocido pero distanciado, para luego subvertir, modificar o apoyar los mismos estereotipos, destacando el hecho de que son construcciones que piden una reevaluación. Hacen hincapié en la xenofobia persistente en la sociedad y las construcciones arbitrarias sobre las cuales se apoya.
Escollos lingüísticos de los principiantes chinos de español como lengua extranjera: Causas y sugerencias pedagógicas
Authors: Blanco Pena José Miguel
Published: March 2013

Abstract:
Dentro de la enseñanza de español como lengua extranjera (E/LE), es bien sabido que los alumnos chinos encuentran serias dificultades a la hora de afrontar numerosos aspectos de la lengua española. Estas dificultades constituyen un reto tanto para los estudiantes como para los docentes. El objetivo de este artículo es identificar con mayor concreción de lo señalado hasta ahora en qué consisten exactamente estos problemas en los niveles iniciales de aprendizaje, explicar sus causas y aportar un conjunto de estrategias didácticas útiles para el profesor. Para ello, primero, se repasarán las investigaciones más relevantes realizadas hasta ahora sobre este tema. Luego, se analizarán detalladamente tres cuestiones: 1) los problemas lingüísticos concretos de los alumnos sinófonos de E/LE principiantes, 2) las causas que subyacen a estas dificultades y 3) los posibles remedios que pueden aplicarse en el aula. Finalmente, se abordarán algunos problemas adicionales, también específicos de este tipo de estudiantes, que suelen plantearse durante la lectura y la práctica de la expresión escrita y que no han sido suficientemente destacados hasta ahora.
La retórica de la reticentia en Siglo de oro en las selvas de Erífile de Bernardo de Balbuena
Authors: Moore Charles B.
Published: March 2013

Los siglos XV y XVI en España fueron marcados por grandes cambios religiosos, sociales y culturales. Como resultado, la nobleza aristocrática, ya pacificada por el poder monárquico, tanto como los humanistas y otros grupos desplazados por la crisis buscaban reencajarse con la nueva realidad corte-sana. Para facilitar este proceso, surgieron academias literarias y certámenes poéticas que fomentaban la interacción social/intelectual y la amistad. La novela pastoril absorbió muchos de los temas discutidos y actividades celebradas en estos foros. La imitatio de la charla social irónicamente troncada por la reticentia permitió que el género entretuviera a su público mejor y jugara con el nuevo arte de la conversación renacentista. El presente artículo estudia cómo el mexicano Bernardo de Balbuena utiliza este proceso desarrollado en las grandes novelas pastoriles españolas para llevar a cabo su propio reencaje personal, social y aun territorial en su novela pastoril, Siglo de oro en las selvas de Erífile .
“Te conozco, bacalao”: Investigating the Influence of Social Stereotypes on Linguistic Attitudes
Authors: Büdenbender Eva-María Suárez
Published: March 2013

Dialectal differences are frequently cited by members of a majority group as their main means of identifying members of a minority ethnic group. However, existing stereotypes of minority language varieties and their speakers often suggest that social prejudices influence attitudes towards minority groups and their linguistic varieties. The present study examines the possible consequences of social prejudice on the attitudes towards Dominican Spanish in Puerto Rico. Dominican immigrants constitute the largest minority in Puerto Rico (Duany 2005). In spite of the linguistic similarities between Dominican and Puerto Rican Spanish (Lipski 1994) Dominican Spanish and its speakers have been found to be widely discriminated in Puerto Rico (Duany 2005; Mejía Pardo 1993). Relative to the Puerto Rican majority Dominican immigrants often have dark complexion, and less opportunities to access the educational system and a competitive work force (Duany 2005). These facts beg the question of whether and to what extent Puerto Ricans’ attitudes towards Dominican Spanish truly are based on linguistic differences. The results of the verbal guise study imply that linguistic differences play an important part in the identification of national origin. Moreover, ratings on social and educational attributes of the guise speakers are indicative of the existence of prejudicial notions of socioeconomic and educational background.
The Interplay Between Adolescent Needs and Secondary School Structures: Fostering Developmentally Responsive Middle and High School Environments Across the Transition
Authors: Ellerbrock Cheryl R. , Kiefer Sarah M.
Published: March 2013

Understanding the developmental responsiveness of secondary school environments may be an important factor in supporting students as they make the transition from one school to the next. Students’ needs may or may not be met depending on the nature of the fit between their basic and developmental needs and secondary school structures at the middle and high school levels (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Eccles & Midgley, 1989; Eccles & Roeser, 2011; Eccles et al., 1993). Continued research on secondary school structures and how middle and high school environments support students’ needs is warranted (Caskey, 2011). Specifically, there is a need for research that investigates students for an extended period of time across school contexts to gain a more detailed understanding of how their needs are met within structured and unstructured aspects of both environments. Listening to the voices of those intimately involved in the middle-to-high-school transition, including students along with their teachers and school administrators, may help to extend the literature on how such environments are responsive to the needs of today’s adolescents. The current qualitative, constructivist, multi-site case study focused on how students’ needs are met within school environments as they make the transition from middle school to high school.
High School Teachers and African American Parents: A (Not So) Collaborative Effort to Increase Student Success
Authors: Wallace Matt
Published: March 2013

This is a case study about a group of African American parents that banded together in an effort to increase their own involvement, the involvement of other African American parents, and the success of African American students at one public high school. The various ways in which this group of parents sought to accomplish their goals, however, was not entirely embraced by school faculty. Consequently, their efforts were undermined and unutilized. The findings suggest that schools require parents, even when unified and with a common purpose, to comply with a specific protocol for involvement or risk being marginalized. It is argued that parent involvement is often based on support and compliance. Parents, moreover, are frequently regarded as one homogenous group, which ignores the varied experiences, visions, and values of ethnic minority parents.
To Lift as We Climb: A Textbook Analysis of the Segregated School Experience
Authors: Pellegrino Anthony , Mann Linda , Russell William B.
Published: March 2013

In this paper we share findings of a textbook analysis in which we explored the treatment of segregated education in eight, widely-used secondary United States history and government textbooks. We positioned our findings within the historiography related to the African American school experience which challenges the notion that the lack of resources allocated to Black schools in many areas of the country necessarily equated to a substandard educational experience for Black children. In our analysis we found textbook coverage to be episodically robust, but generally lacking in sufficient context to promote students’ recognition of the complexity and nuance of the development and disintegration of African American education. Using the theoretical lens of critical race theory, we suggest that failure of teachers and teacher educators to include recognition of the African American education experience serves to enshrine an approach to learning about America’s segregated education history that may contribute to excessively abstract generalizations and perpetuation of historical racial stereotypes.