Sino the Times: three spoken drama productions on the Beijing stage

Today's modern theatre in Beijing shows new talents and directions as well as problems that are part of the uncertainties of Chinese society — in what may be the most intriguing transitional period in Chinese history

A Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (SDM) to the modelling of trophic interactions, with a focus on estuarine eutrophication scenarios

In the face of global change, declines in environmental quality are of increasing concern, especially in shallow coastal areas, densely populated and commonly affected by nutrient enrichment. The warm temperate Mondego estuary (Western Portugal), in common with many other shallow estuarine areas, is exhibiting increased macroalgal growth due to nutrient enrichment. The increase of macroalgal biomass and possible shift of other primary producers resulting from eutrophication, may have profound effects on estuarine trophic chain. The present paper examined the performance of a holistic Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (SDM) in predicting the tendencies of three representative trophic levels as a response to the increase of nutrient concentrations. Therefore, the proposed methodology has been developed by focusing on the interactions between conceptually isolated key-components, such as primary producers (macroalgae and seagrass), some relevant benthic macroinvertebrates, wading birds and changes in local physicochemical conditions. The dynamic model developed was preceded by a conventional multivariate statistical procedure (stepwise multiple regression analysis) performed to discriminate the significant relationships between prevailing biological and environmental variables. Since this statistical analysis is static, the dataset recorded from the field included true gradients of habitat changes. The data used in the model construction was sampled between January 1993 and September 1995 in three areas of the estuary mudflats for benthic macroinvertebrates, macroalgae, environmental and physicochemical factors and from October 1993 to October 1994 for wading birds. The model validation was based on independent data collected in two different periods, from January 1996 to January 1997 and from February 1999 to April 2000 for all the variables selected. Overall, the simulation results are encouraging since they seem to demonstrate the model reliability in capturing the trophic dynamics of the studied estuary by predicting the behavioural pattern for the most part of the components selected under a very complex and variable environmental scenario.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6W87-4GKW799-1/1/ab5142848de94cfd92f687763783f2a

Biological Relationships among Siberians: Craniometric, Serological, and Dermatoglyphic Approaches

Siberian people, residing in the wide range bounded by the Urals to the West, Beringia to the East, Mongolia to the South, and Arctic to the North, form an important link between Asia, Europe and people in the New World. However, biological contribution of Siberians to Asians, Europeans and people in the New World were not sufficiently studied until recently. Previous extensive Siberian studies were mainly conducted by Russians and Japanese researchers, most of whom agreed that Siberians were clearly classified by typology. However, their typology is problematic when explaining tribes i.e., Evenks and Evens, who are exchanging genes and culture with their neighbors. Previous studies also contain problems such as methodology and lack of data especially for westerners because of political barriers between the U.S. and Russia. This study attempts to reveal biological relationships among Siberians. The extensive data, including 647 crania, more than 3000 fingerprints, and over 340 blood samples, are available from the wide Siberian regions. Biological variation is evaluated with Fst, and biological patterning is summarized with UPGMA clusters and contour maps. Furthermore, matrix comparisons between geography and biological data sets are investigated with Mantel t-test. Siberian biological variation in this study shows low variation except for crania. High cranial variation may have resulted from the selection of measurements, environmental influences, selection and genetic drift. Low variation in dermatolyphics and blood may have been related to less environmental effects, and nature or function of blood and dermatoglyphic systems which are used in this study. Siberian biological relationships are patterned primarily regionally and linguistically. Southern Siberian Altaic speakers, for instance, are biologically close to one another. Such regional and linguistic patterning matches Russian typology. However, this study also showed three forces of Siberian population structure, reflecting Siberian history: a north-south connection reflecting dispersions of occupants through prehistory, a west-east connection indicating the migration and diffusion of Bronze cultures, and east and west influences in the Baikal regions reflecting cultural and political influences. Such distributions and migration patterns were insufficiently demonstrated by previous typological studies. Significant correlations between geography and finger ridge counts, fingers and blood, crania and blood, as well as crania and finger ridge counts indicate a common N-S connection. Today, the investigation of origins and divergence of Siberians are more difficult due to heavy admixture with Russians and decrease of pure indigenous tribes. This study provides useful biological information of Siberian indigenous populations and their history

Recent developments in research into the Cyathostominae and Anoplocephala perfoliata

Intestinal helminths are an important cause of equine disease. Of these parasites, the Cyathostominae are the commonest group that infect horses. These nematodes consist of a complex tribe of 51 species, although individual horses tend to harbour 10 or so common species, in addition to a few rarer species. The Cyathostominae can be extremely pathogenic, and high levels of infection result in clinical symptoms ranging from chronic weight loss to colic, diarrhoea and death. As part of their life cycle, immature cyathostomins penetrate the large intestinal wall, where they can enter a state of inhibited larval development. These larvae can exist in this state for months to years, after which they subsequently re-emerge. If larvae re-emerge in large numbers (i.e. several million), severe pathological consequences ensue. The inhibited larvae are also relatively refractory to several of the currently available anthelmintics, so that horses treated previously with anthelmintics can still carry life-threatening burdens of these parasitic stages. Little is known about the cyathostomin larvae during their mucosal phase, and current research efforts are focused on investigating the biology of these stages. Much of the research described here highlights this area of research and details studies aimed at investigating the host immune responses that the mucosal larvae invoke. As part of this research effort, molecular tools have been developed to facilitate the identification of larval and egg stages of cyathostomins. These molecular tools are now proving very useful in the investigation of the relative contributions that individual, common cyathostomin species make to the pathology and epidemiology of mixed helminth infections. At the more applied level, research is also in progress to develop an immunodiagnostic test that will allow numbers of mucosal larvae to be estimated. This test utilises antigen-specific IgG(T) serum antibody responses as markers of infection. As anthelmintic resistance will be the major constraint on the future control of the Cyathostominae, researchers are now actively investigating this area and studies aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance are described. Another parasite which has assumed a clinically important role in horses is the tapeworm, Anoplocephala perfoliata. This parasite is prevalent world-wide and has been shown to be a significant cause of equine colic. Because previous methods of estimating the infection intensity of tapeworm were inaccurate, recent research has been directed at developing an immunodiagnostic ELISA for these cestodes. Specific IgG(T) responses to antigens secreted by adult tapeworms have been shown to provide a reasonable indication of infection intensity. An ELISA based on these responses is now commercially available. The steps involved in the development of this ELISA are described here. In addition to these recent advances in research, this review also outlines the principle areas for future research into these important equine parasites

Experiencia y cuestiones pendientes para la interpelación en la docencia universitaria : Estudio de caso: caso UNMDP

En esta oportunidad, el objetivo es una interpelación de las características de los/as docentes universitarios, sus condiciones de trabajo, el impacto de su salud, los cambios en la carrera docente y un nuevo paradigma que se ha generado a partir de nuestro grupo de investigación, dentro UNMDP con la Agremiación docente Marplatense Universitaria (ADUM) esto permitió una construcción de coherencia entre lo denominado “académico” y las prácticas cotidianas. La defensa de los derechos de las/os trabajadores docentes universitarios, no suele ser una postura habitual en el ámbito de investigación universitaria, sin embargo, es posible, deseable y necesaria. Así, la articulación entre la teoría y la práctica deviene en la construcción de un conocimiento científico no encorsetado, sino que se transforma en un permanente devenir crítico, superador y dialéctico dónde la teoría se hace carne en las/os trabajadores/as y éstas y éstos indican el camino a seguir.Especialización en Docencia Universitari

A new species of the genus Cyathura from the Lake Kasumigaura, Ibaraki Prefecture, middle Japan

This paper offers some insights into the experiences of mothers in their initial bonding with their children. To this end, the author offers a discussion of Winnicott’s view of the emotional development of the baby, emphasizing the process from the first drafts of the ego to the possibility of the creative act. This discussion is enriched by the addition of the other component of the bond: the mother. It is suggested that, in normal cases, together with the emotional development of the baby and through the phenomena of empathy and crossidentification, a reinforcement of the emotional development of the mother takes place.En el trabajo se plantean algunas reflexiones en torno a la vivencia de la madre en el vínculo inicial con su bebé. Con este propósito se realiza, en primer lugar, una revisión general y sintética de lo que sería para Winnicott el desarrollo emocional del bebé, haciendo hincapié en el proceso que lleva a este desde los primeros esbozos del yo hasta la posibilidad del acto creativo. Esta revisión es luego complementada a la luz de la perspectiva del otro componente del vínculo: la madre. Se sugiere que junto con el desarrollo emocional del bebé, en casos normales, y a través de los fenómenos de empatía y de identificación cruzada, se da un reforzamiento del desarrollo emocional de la madre. &nbsp

Estudio de los corales cyathópsidos (Rugosa) del Viseense superior de la Unidad de la Sierra del Castillo (Córdoba, España)

Los corales rugosos con disepimentos son frecuentes en la Unidad de la Sierra del Castillo, que comprende materiales predominantemente carbonatados del Viseense superior del Área del Guadiato (Ossa-Morena). Se han estudiado los cyathópsidos de la Sierra del Castillo, de la Sierra de la Estrella (ambas en el término de Espiel, Córdoba) y los de la zona de Antolín (en el término de Peñarroya, Córdoba) en las que se han identificado 7 especies pertenecientes a 5 géneros (Siphonophyllia, Caninia, Pseudozaphrentoides, Haplolasma y Caninophyllum). [ABSTRACT] Dissepimented rugose corals are frequent in the Sierra del Castillo Unit (Guadiato Area, Ossa Morena) which is composed mainly of Viséan limestones. Cyathopsid corals from Sierra del Castillo, Sierra de la Estrella (both near Espiel, Córdoba) and Antolín (near Peñarroya, Córdoba) have been studied. Seven species belonging to the genera Siphonophyllia, Caninia, Pseudozaphrentoides, Haplolasma and Caninophyllum have been described

Prospective PTCTC trial of myeloablative haplo-BMT with posttransplant cyclophosphamide for pediatric acute leukemias

Promising results have been reported for adult patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies undergoing haploidentical bone marrow transplant (haploBMT) with posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy). To our knowledge, we report results from the first multicenter trial for pediatric and young adult patients with high-risk acute leukemias and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in the Pediatric Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Consortium. Nine centers performed transplants in 32 patients having acute leukemias or MDS, with myeloablative conditioning (MAC), haploBMT with PTCy, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus. The median patient age was 12 years. Diagnoses included AML (15), ALL (11), mixed-lineage leukemia (1), and MDS (5). Transplant-related mortality (TRM) at 180 days was 0%. The cumulative incidence (CuI) of grade 2 acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) on day 100 was 13%. No patients developed grades 3-4 aGVHD. The CuI of moderate-to-severe chronic GVHD (cGVHD) at 1 year was 4%. Donor engraftment occurred in 27 patients (84%). Primary graft failures included 3 patients who received suboptimal bone marrow grafts; all successfully engrafted after second transplants. The CuI of relapse at 1 year was 32%, with more relapse among patients MRD positive pre-BMT vs MRD negative. Overall survival rates at 1 and 2 years were 77% and 73%, and event-free survival rate at 1 and 2 years were 68% and 64%. There was no TRM or severe aGVHD, low cGVHD, and favorable relapse and survival rates. This successful pilot trial has led to a phase 3 trial comparing MAC haploBMT vs HLA-matched unrelated donor BMT in the Children\u27s Oncology Group. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02120157