181 research outputs found
Action research and democracy
This contribution explores the relationship between research and learning democracy. Action research is seen as being compatible with the orientation of educational and social work research towards social justice and democracy. Nevertheless, the history of action research is characterized by a tension between democracy and social engineering. In the social-engineering approach, action research is conceptualized as a process of innovation aimed at a specific Bildungsideal. In a democratic approach action research is seen as research based on cooperation between research and practice. However, the notion of democratic action research as opposed to social engineering action research needs to be theorized. So called democratic action research involving the implementation by the researcher of democracy as a model and as a preset goal, reduces cooperation and participation into instruments to reach this goal, and becomes a type of social engineering in itself. We argue that the relationship between action research and democracy is in the acknowledgment of the political dimension of participation: âa democratic relationship in which both sides exercise power and shared control over decision-making as well as interpretationâ. This implies an open research design and methodology able to understand democracy as a learning process and an ongoing experiment
Uncanny Objects and the Fear of the Familiar:Hiding from Akan Witches in New York City
This article examines the cosmology and secret practices of West African traditional priests in New York City in preventing the spread of witchcraft, an evil invisible spirit transmitted between female members of the Akan matrilineage. Explored is an uncanny dynamic as everyday habitus becomes increasingly strange in the world of a young Ghanaian woman in the Bronx, who has become petrified of insinuations of witchcraft from close family members. In trying to hide the young woman from infection by her fellow witches, Akan priests attempt to âcaptureâ her habits and everyday routines, calling upon the iconic magic of New York City in order to âmisplaceâ familiarity within the anonymity of Manhattan. In this process, the transmission of the witchâs spirit to the intended victim is disturbed as the victimâs life and things are moved. Nowhere to be found, the witch shifts her attention to other victims
The Kalimantacin Polyketide Antibiotics Inhibit Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Staphylococcus aureus by Targeting the Enoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Binding Site of FabI
Halloween, Organization, and the Ethics of Uncanny Celebration
This article examines the relationship between organizational ethics, the uncanny, and the annual celebration of Halloween. We begin by exploring the traditional and contemporary organizational function of Halloween as âtension-management ritualâ (Etzioni, Sociol Theory 18(1):44â59, 2000) through which collective fears, anxieties, and fantasies are played out and given material expression. Combining the uncanny with the folkloric concept of ostension, we then examine an incident in which UK supermarket retailers made national news headlines for selling offensive Halloween costumes depicting âescaped mental patientsâ. Rather than treating this incident as a problem of moral hygieneâin which products are removed, apologies made, and lessons learnedâwe consider the value of Halloween as a unique and disruptive ethical encounter with the uncanny Other. Looking beyond its commercial appeal and controversy, we reflect on the creative, generous, and disruptive potential of Halloween as both tension-management ritual and unique organizational space of hospitality through which to receive and embrace alterity and so discover the homely within the unheimlich
Governing Education Through Anticipation:Or, how to avoid being a useful idiot when talking about educational futures
The insect pathogenic bacterium Xenorhabdus innexi has attenuated virulence in multiple insect model hosts yet encodes a potent mosquitocidal toxin
Applications of yeast flocculation in biotechnological processes
A review on the main aspects associated with yeast flocculation and its application
in biotechnological processes is presented. This subject is addressed following three
main aspects â the basics of yeast flocculation, the development of ânewâ flocculating yeast
strains and bioreactor development. In what concerns the basics of yeast flocculation, the
state of the art on the most relevant aspects of mechanism, physiology and genetics of yeast
flocculation is reported. The construction of flocculating yeast strains includes not only the
recombinant constitutive flocculent brewerâs yeast, but also recombinant flocculent yeast
for lactose metabolisation and ethanol production. Furthermore, recent work on the
heterologous ÎČ-galactosidase production using a recombinant flocculent Saccharomyces
cerevisiae is considered. As bioreactors using flocculating yeast cells have particular properties,
mainly associated with a high solid phase hold-up, a section dedicated to its operation is
presented. Aspects such as bioreactor productivity and culture stability as well as bioreactor
hydrodynamics and mass transfer properties of flocculating cell cultures are considered.
Finally, the paper concludes describing some of the applications of high cell density
flocculation bioreactors and discussing potential new uses of these systems.Fundação para a CiĂȘncia e a Tecnologia (FCT) â PRAXIS XXI - BD11306/97
ââBeet-ingââ the Mountain: A Review of the Physiological and Performance Effects of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation at Simulated and Terrestrial Altitude
Exposure to altitude results in multiple physiological consequences. These include, but are not limited to, a reduced maximal oxygen consumption, drop in arterial oxygen saturation, and increase in muscle metabolic perturbations at a fixed sub-maximal work rate. Exercise capacity during fixed work rate or incremental exercise and time-trial performance are also impaired at altitude relative to sea-level. Recently, dietary nitrate (NO3-) supplementation has attracted considerable interest as a nutritional aid during altitude exposure. In this review, we summarise and critically evaluate the physiological and performance effects of dietary NO3- supplementation during exposure to simulated and terrestrial altitude. Previous investigations at simulated altitude indicate that NO3- supplementation may reduce the oxygen cost of exercise, elevate arterial and tissue oxygen saturation, improve muscle metabolic function, and enhance exercise capacity/ performance. Conversely, current evidence suggests that NO3- supplementation does not augment the training response at simulated altitude. Few studies have evaluated the effects of NO3- at terrestrial altitude. Current evidence indicates potential improvements in endothelial function at terrestrial altitude following NO3- supplementation. No effects of NO3- supplementation have been observed on oxygen consumption or arterial oxygen saturation at terrestrial altitude, although further research is warranted. Limitations of the present body of literature are discussed, and directions for future research are provided
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