Our Musical School: Ethnographic Methods and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Elementary General Music

The current study has uncovered the complexities of childhood musical culture in a rural public school in Maryland with a diverse student population. Through daily interaction with her students, the researcher learned about their particular culture, including musical preferences, practices of music consumption and expression, and how students conceptualize music. The breadth and depth of knowledge the investigator was able to discover through participant observation during teaching duties demonstrates the usefulness of ethnographic methods in learning about students' musical culture for classroom music teachers. The use of this information proved to be productive in developing culturally relevant lessons that students responded to positively. In conclusion, the researcher found that pursuing an ethnographic project in order to create a culturally relevant pedagogy for her students was a worthwhile undertaking as an elementary general music educator

Desarrollo experimental de prototipos de techo solar de bajo costo

Se presenta el desarrollo experimental de los primeros prototipos de un nuevo diseño conceptual de techo solar configurable, cuya innovación radica en proveer de calefacción solar y refrigeración natural a las viviendas, mediante redistribución de agua. El estudio experimental ha demostrado la factibilidad de su construcción empleando técnicas y materiales de construcción convencionales. Se discuten sus costos, que podrían ser similares a los de un techo convencional de similar calidad térmica, y que por lo tanto permitirían aplicar este sistema sobre toda la superficie del techado. Resultados preliminares permiten estimar que en condiciones de clima patagónico se podrían obtener eficiencias como colector solar en el rango del 30% al 50%. Se discute las fortalezas y debilidades de este diseño y otras posibles variantes del mismo también en estudio, que podrían servir para mejorar su desempeño y generalizar su aplicación a techos preexistentes y/o inclinados.The experimental development of prototypes relates a new conceptual design of a configurable solar roof is presented. Its innovation involve a solution for the solar heating and natural cooling of houses, by means of water redistribution. The feasibility of concept by using standard constructions materials and techniques is checked. The cost analyze shows this roof could achieve similar cost than conventional roofs. Preliminary, initial results have shown than efficiencies as solar collector ranging from 30% to 50% could be achievable in this configuration. The strengths and weaknesses of this design are discussed, together with other possible variations of this original design. These variations could be useful for implementing this solar roof onto older and (or) titled roofs.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Protein Partial Molar Volumes in Multicomponent Solutions from the Perspective of Inverse Kirkwood–Buff Theory

Inverse Kirkwood–Buff (KB) solution theory can be used to relate macroscopic quantities with molecular scale interactions and correlation functions, in the form of KB integrals. Protein partial specific volumes (V̂2) from high-precision density measurements can be used to quantify solvent–solute and solute–solute KB integrals. Currently, general expressions for V̂2 as a function of cosolute concentration (<i>c</i>₃) have been provided for only binary and ternary solutions. We derive a general multicomponent expression for V̂2 in terms of the relevant KB integrals for the case of low (infinite dilution) protein concentration but arbitrary cosolute concentrations. To test the utility of treating a quaternary system with a pseudoternary approximation, α-Chymotrypsinogen (aCgn) solutions with a series of solutes (NaCl, sucrose, and trehalose) were compared as a function of solute concentration with and without buffer present. Comparison between those ternary and quaternary solutions shows equivalent results within experimental uncertainty and suggests the pseudoternary approximation may be reasonable. In the case of aCgn, doing so also revealed that the preferential interactions can depend on pH. Analysis of steric contributions also provides an example that illustrates how KB integrals allow one to interpret V̂2 in terms of contributions from molecular volume, excluded volume, and hydration/solvation effects