Unmasking Hybridity in Popular Performance

This paper explores cultural hybridization in popular music and the eroticization of the exotic eastern aesthetic. Using musicology and anthropology as tools, the paper examines varying perspectives of the artists, audience and marginalized groups. Although cultural appropriation has been used recently as a blanket buzzword in mainstream dialogue, it does provide a platform to discuss complex issues on gender, race and sexuality that has been muddled by colonial mentalities

Development of an early warning system of crop moisture conditions using passive microwave

Emissivities were calculated from the Nimbus 5 electrically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR) over 25 km grid cells for the southern Great Plains includin the western two-thirds of Kansas and Oklahoma and northwest Texas. These emissivities, normalized for seasonal temperature changes, were in excellent agreement with theory and measurements made from aircraft and truck sensors at the 1.55 cm wavelength of ESMR. These emissivities were related to crop moisture conditions of the winter wheat in the major wheat producing counties of the three states. High correlations were noted between emissitivity and an antecedent precipitation index (API) used to infer soil moisture for periods when the soils were essentially bare. The emissivities from ESMR were related through API and actual crop condition reports to progress of fall planting, adequacy of crop moisture for stand establishment, and periods of excessive moisture that necessitated replanting. Periods of prolonged frozen soil in the winter were observable at several grid points. The average emissivities of the canopy/soil surface during the maximum canopy development times in the spring showed a good agreement with moisture stress inferred from rainfall and yield data

Hansenula polymorpha: An attractive model organism for molecular studies of peroxisome biogenesis and function

In wild-type Hansenula polymorpha the proliferation of peroxisomes is induced by various unconventional carbon- and nitrogen sources. Highest induction levels, up to 80% of the cytoplasmic volume, are observed in cells grown in methanol-limited chemostat cultures. Based on our accumulated experience, we are now able to precisely adjust both the level of peroxisome induction as well as their protein composition by specific adaptations in growth conditions. During the last few years a series of peroxisome-deficient (per) mutants of H. polymorpha have been isolated and characterized. Phenotypically these mutants are characterized by the fact that they are not able to grow on methanol. Three mutant phenotypes were defined on the basis of morphological criteria, namely: (a) mutants completely lacking peroxisomes (Per-; 13 complementation groups); (b) mutants containing few small peroxisomes which are partly impaired in the peroxisomal import of matrix proteins (Pim-; five complementation groups); and (c) mutants with aberrations in the peroxisomal substructure (Pss-; two complementation groups). In addition, several conditional Per-, Pim- and Pss- mutants have been obtained. In all cases the mutant phenotype was shown to be caused by a recessive mutation in one gene. However, we observed that different mutations in one gene may cause different morphological mutant phenotypes. A detailed genetic analysis revealed that several PER genes, essential for peroxisome biogenesis, are tightly linked and organized in a hierarchical fashion. The use of both constitual and conditional per mutants in current and future studies of the molecular mechanisms controlling peroxisome biogenesis and function is discussed.

Stratosphere aerosol and cloud measurements at McMurdo Station Antarctica during the spring of 1987

Measurements of stratospheric aerosols with balloonborne optical particle counters on 6 occasions at McMurdo Station (78 deg S) in the spring of 1986 indicated subsidence of the stratospheric sulfate layer during the time that the ozone hole was forming (Hofmann et al., 1988). Since dynamic models of ozone depletion involving upwelling in the spring polar vortex would suggest the opposite, we repeated the measurements with an increased frequency (about one sounding per week) in 1987. During 3 of the aerosol soundings in 1986, temperatures in the 15 to 20 km range were low enough (less than 80 C) for HNO3 to co-condense with water according to several theories of polar stratospheric cloud formation. However, particles were not observed with the characteristic size suggested by theory (approx. 0.5 microns). For this reason, it was proposed that polar stratospheric clouds may predominantly consist of large (approx. 5 to 50 microns) ice crystals at very low (approx. 10 sup 4- 10 sup 3 cm cubed) concentrations (Rosen et al., 1988). The particle counter employed would be relatively insensitive to these low concentrations. With the increased frequency of soundings in 1987, and adding additional size discrimination in the 1 to 2 micron region, this hypothesis could be verified if suitably low temperatures were encountered

Communication of Experimenter Expectancy as a Function of the Internal-External Locus of Control

Several studies suggest) that experimenters may influence subjects in experimental situations and thereby obtain the predicted results (Rosenthal, 1966). Thus, the results obtained in research may reflect (1) independent vatfiabl.es, and (2) bi. resulting from the communication of expectancies by the experimenter. Although numerous investiga^ ons have considered characteristics of experir nters and subjects that facilitate expectancy communication, the experimenter effect remains inadequately explained (Fode, 1967). It was felt that the Investigation of an additional variable, internal-external locus of ontrol, (Rotter, 1954) might contribute further informationL Past research suggested that internal subjects are better influencers (Pharos, 1965), and that they are also more resistant to external influence (Crowne & Liverant, 1963). Ninety-six subjects were asked to rate ten pictured individuals (previously standardized to be neutral) on a success-failure continuum. A 2 x 2 x 3 design was used, with two types of experimenteres (internal and external), two types of subjects (internal and external), and three treatment conditions (+5, -5, no bias). Twelve experimenters were assigned to a +5 expectancy, a -5 expectancy, or a no expectancy condition and ran four internal and four external subjects. It was expected that internal experimenters would obtain more biasing than would external experimenters. Further, external subjects would be more susceptible to bias than internal subjects. The dependent va . Lable was tl. mean photo rating of each subject. A three-way analysis of variance supported none \u27of the hypotheses. However, there was a tendency for internal subjects to ate photos more positively than external subjects

Intracellular Expression of an Ice Nucleation Protein Reduces Cryoinjury in Insect Cells

Exposure of insect cells to subzero temperatures typically leads to cell membrane disruption and lethal intracellular ice formation. This study seeks to examine the cryoprotective value of trangenically expressing a bacterial ice nucleation protein (INP) in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf-21) cells. The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae naturally produces a membrane-bound INP (inaZ), capable of structuring water and initiating ice formation at temperatures as high as -2 °C. I hypothesized that intracellular expression of an altered form of inaZ (PsINP) in Sf-21 cells will mediate highly regulated ice nucleation when cells are cooled to -80 °C in a slow, controlled manner, and that cells expressing PsINP (Sf-21-PsINP) will maintain cell membrane integrity in greater proportions than wildtype cells (Sf-21-WT). Following one freeze-thaw cycle, 60% of Sf-21-WT cell membranes remained intact, while 72% of Sf-21-PsINP cells maintained membrane integrity. This difference is statistically significant, and suggests that PsINP expression helps to prevent cryoinjury during freezing, and positively impacts cell viability following thawing

A Comparison of the Effects of Timeout, Punishment and Extinction on an Aggressive Behavior in Children

Ulrich and Flavell (1970) note that although aggression is more a problem today than it has ever been, and although there have been centuries of concern, little has been done to develop effective controls. One conceptual framework for explaining the occurrence and control of aggressive behavior is social learning theory. Bandura (1973) suggests that aggressive behaviors that are reinforced will be strengthened. Several studies with children support this notion (Cowan & Walters, 1963; Davitz, 1952, & Lovaas, 1961). Those aggressive behaviors that are punished or unrewarded will be weakened or eliminated. Hawkins, Peterson, Schweid, and Bijou (1966) suggested that extinction is one effective technique for eliminating aggressive behavior. Pendergrass (1971) suggested that timeout can be an effective technique for suppression of aggressive, verbal behavior. Support for the effectiveness of punishment as a technique for suppressing aggression was offered by Deur and Parke (1970). There has been no comprehensive study to compare the effectiveness of these three methods. The present study compared the effectiveness of punishment, timeout, and extinction in suppressing an aggressive response in children. In addition, two levels of both timeout and punishment were compared in order to explore the effects of intensity of these two treatments. The subjects were 61 first, second and third grade males. There were three phases in the study. In the first phase, the acquisition phase, the subjects were trained in an aggressive response (punching a clown\u27s face). After a two minute period in which the subjects acquainted themselves with the apparatus, they received 10 CRT reinforcements (M & M’s), and five FR3 reinforcements for punching. In the second phase of the experiment, the treatment phase, the subjects were exposed to one of five treatments: 30 second timeout, 60 second timeout, low punishment, high punishment, or extinction. None of the subjects received reinforcement during the treatment phase. In the timeout groups a door covered the punching apparatus contingent on each response for a period of either 30 or 60 seconds. The punishment groups received a tone of either low or high intensity contingent on each response. The subjects in the extinction group were allowed to continue to punch as in the previous phase, but they received no reinforcement. The subjects were continued in the treatment phase until they requested to stop (suppressed) or until 30 minutes had passed. All subjects were seen in a follow-up phase one week later in order to assess the persistence of the suppression. The subjects received no reinforcement during this phase and were allowed to punch until they suppressed or until 10 minutes had passed. Several hypotheses were made. First, it was hypothesized that there would be a difference in the suppression of aggressive responding produced by the treatment methods in the treatment phase. More specifically, it was hypothesized that extinction would lead to less suppression than would either timeout or punishment during the treatment phase. Further, high levels of punishment and timeout were hypothesized to lead to more suppression than low levels. Secondly, it was hypothesized that timeout would lead to more persistence of suppression in the follow-up phase than would punishment. Third, extinction was hypothesized to lead to less persistence of suppression in the follow-up phase than would either timeout or punishment. The primary hypotheses of this study were only partially supported. Timeout produced more efficient suppression than either punishment or suppression. However, punishment did not produce more suppression than extinction. Further, there were no differences in the suppression produced by high and low levels of either timeout or punishment. Timeout required fewer trials before suppression than did the other treatment methods. There was a tendency for timeout to require more time in treatment before suppression than other treatments. However, more research is necessary to clarify this tendency. It was suggested that the lack of difference between the two levels of timeout may indicate that short durations of timeout are as effective as longer durations in producing suppression. There were no significant differences between punishment and extinction on any of the measures of suppression during the treatment phase. The lack of effectiveness of punishment was attributed to the absence of cognitive or verbal structuring accompanying the buzzers. This finding stresses the importance of cognitive structuring in the effectiveness of treatments with humans. Also, it suggests that punishment may not be effective without verbal structuring with human subjects. Further research seems to be necessary to determine whether the impact of punishment comes from the physical act, the instructions accompanying that act, or from some interaction between these two. Contrary to the third hypothesis there were no significant differences in the persistence of the suppression produced by any of the treatment methods. In spite of the efficiency of the suppression produced by the timeout during the treatment phase, it did not appear to produce more persistent suppression than the other treatments