From policy to practice : the anthropology of condom use

AIDS and HIV infection rates are climbing amongst young people in South Africa in the last decades, despite various intervention initiatives by National Government and Non-governmental organisations alike. This dissertation explores the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards condom use amongst young people in the Northern and Western Cape in an attempt at understanding some of the cultural factors that inform sexual behaviour. It aims to explore issues of knowledge and the institutional culture of the clinic that invariably impacts on the sexual practices of individuals being targeted by such policies. It also hoped to investigate and offer an insight into the persistence of high-risk sexual practices amongst young people despite their having access to barrier contraceptive methods, condoms. I illustrate my argument through the analysis of data acquired in fieldwork earned out in two government clinics through the use of multi-faceted methodologies. The research applied anthropological, qualitative and quantitative research methods including focus group discussions, participant observation and in-depth follow-up interviews through the use of a detailed questionnaire. The questionnaire lent itself to the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data, through its structured, semi structured and open-ended questions. The overall findings of this research show that firstly, young men chose to use condoms selectively and the type of relationship they find themselves in appears to impact directly on this selection process. Secondly, younger women in this study seem to use condoms more regularly than their older counterparts and there appears to be a general dis-use of condoms within 'stable' relationships. Thirdly, lack of empowerment amongst women has a direct impact on their ability to negotiate condom use within sexual relationships. This research has also shown that there are some real and perceived challenges and constraints facing intervention strategies in terms of condom procurement and overall access to reproductive health services. Lastly, the overall aims of this research attempts to highlight the important contributions applied anthropology can make to the understanding of the various beliefs, practices and culture of condom use so as to better inform existing policies in the field of AIDS and HIV

Socioemotional wealth : an obstacle or a springboard to creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in family firms?

This chapter takes a socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective to explain how families influence the sensing and seizing of entrepreneurial opportunities in family firms. Specifically, this model proposes that some aspects of the family's SEW are conducive to opportunity recognition, while others impair it. Moreover, the presence of SEW goals leads family owners to favor certain entrepreneurial outcomes because there is a socioemotional reward for the family, even if there are no clear economic advantages. It is also suggested that family ownership negatively affects firms' transforming capacity in innovation. The end goal of this presentation is to enhance understanding of the positive and negative aspects of the family dimension on entrepreneurship and to guide future research in this area

Is nepotism so bad for family firms? A socioemotional wealth approach

This paper focuses on the issue of nepotism or the practice of hiring and managing family members in family firms. Extant research suggests that while nepotism is related to numerous problems, it also offers some unique advantages to family owned firms. We use a socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective to develop a theoretical framework that explains how nepotism influences firm performance. In doing so, we rely upon a nuanced conceptualization of SEW to clarify why some family firms are more likely to engage in nepotism than others, as well as explain the contingencies under which nepotism may prove beneficial or detrimental for family firms. Finally, we explore how human resource practices might impact the interplay between nepotism, environmental contingencies, and firm performance

Contributions to the debate on autonomy and freedom of expression in convergence times and Open Education

[PT] O objetivo deste texto é apresentar um contributo das novas formas de comunicação, expressão, interação, colaboração e integração para as potencialidades da construção do conhecimento, por meio dos recursos educacionais abertos, na atual cultura da mThis paper aims to present a contribution of new forms of communication, expression, interaction, collaboration and integration for the potential construction of knowledge, through open educational resources, in the current culture of mobility and conver

Commercial squids: Characterization, assessment of potential health benefits/risks and discrimination based on mineral, lipid and vitamin E concentrations

The most consumed squid species worldwide were characterized regarding their concentrations of minerals, fatty acids, cholesterol and vitamin E. Interspecific comparisons were assessed among species and geographical origin. The health benefits derived from squid consumption were assessed based on daily minerals intake and on nutritional lipid quality indexes. Squids contribute significantly to daily intake of several macro (Na, K, Mg and P) and micronutrients (Cu, Zn and Ni). Despite their low fat concentration, they are rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentanoic (EPA) acids, with highly favorable ω-3/ω-6 ratios (from 5.7 to 17.7), reducing the significance of their high cholesterol concentration (140–549 mg/100 g ww). Assessment of potential health risks based on minerals intake, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks indicated that Loligo gahi (from Atlantic Ocean), Loligo opalescens (from Pacific Ocean) and Loligo duvaucelii (from Indic Ocean) should be eaten with moderation due to the high concentrations of Cu and/or Cd. Canonical discriminant analysis identified the major fatty acids (C14:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:3ω-3, C20:4ω-6 and C22:5ω-6), P, K, Cu and vitamin E as chemical discriminators for the selected species. These elements and compounds exhibited the potential to prove authenticity of the commercially relevant squid species

Biofilm Formation by Listeria monocytogenes 15G01, a Persistent Isolate from a Seafood-Processing Plant, Is Influenced by Inactivation of Multiple Genes Belonging to Different Functional Groups

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous foodborne pathogen that results in a high rate of mortality in sensitive and immunocompromised people. Contamination of food with L. monocytogenes is thought to occur during food processing, most often as a result of the pathogen producing a biofilm that persists in the environment and acting as the source for subsequent dispersal of cells onto food. A survey of seafoodprocessing plants in New Zealand identified the persistent strain 15G01, which has a high capacity to form biofilms. In this study, a transposon library of L. monocytogenes 15G01 was screened for mutants with altered biofilm formation, assessed by a crystal violet assay, to identify genes involved in biofilm formation. This screen identified 36 transposants that showed a significant change in biofilm formation compared to the wild type. The insertion sites were in 27 genes, 20 of which led to decreased biofilm formation and seven to an increase. Two insertions were in intergenic regions. Annotation of the genes suggested that they are involved in diverse cellular processes, including stress response, autolysis, transporter systems, and cell wall/membrane synthesis. Analysis of the biofilms produced by the transposants using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy showed notable differences in the structure of the biofilms compared to the wild type. In particular, inactivation of uvrB and mltD produced coccoid-shaped cells and elongated cells in long chains, respectively, and the mgtB mutant produced a unique biofilm with a sandwich structure which was reversed to the wild-type level upon magnesium addition. The mltD transposant was successfully complemented with the wild-type gene, whereas the phenotypes were not or only partially restored for the remaining mutants. IMPORTANCE The major source of contamination of food with Listeria monocytogenes is thought to be due to biofilm formation and/or persistence in food-processing plants. By establishing as a biofilm, L. monocytogenes cells become harder to eradicate due to their increased resistance to environmental threats. Understanding the genes involved in biofilm formation and their influence on biofilm structure will help identify new ways to eliminate harmful biofilms in food processing environments. To date, multiple genes have been identified as being involved in biofilm formation by L. monocytogenes; however, the exact mechanism remains unclear. This study identified four genes associated with biofilm formation by a persistent strain. Extensive microscopic analysis illustrated the effect of the disruption of mgtB, clsA, uvrB, and mltD and the influence of magnesium on the biofilm structure. The results strongly suggest an involvement in biofilm formation for the four genes and provide a basis for further studies to analyze gene regulation to assess the specific role of these biofilm-associated genes.Peer reviewe

Cellulolytic ability of Penicillium strains isolated from soil of the Brazilian Atlantic forest

Penicillium spp. are capable of degrading plant wastes by producing large amounts of enzymes such as cellulases. These form a complex capable of acting on cellulosic materials and producing sugars with industrial interest (e.g., ethanol production). Cellulases are also used for (a) pulp and paper industry (b) in the textile industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cellulolytic capability of 17 strains of Penicillium isolated from soil of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and conserved under mineral oil at the URM Culture Collection. All strains were re-grown from mineral oil and re-identifiied. Each strain was grown in synthetic medium with carboxymethylcellulose as the carbon source and incubated for 5 days at 28°C. Strains were subjected to heat shock for 16h at 50°C. Thereafter, onto each colony was added 5 ml of Congo red stain solution in Tris-HCl. After 30 min this solution was removed and the cultures were washed and submerged under 0.1 M NaCl aqueous solution for 5 min. Finally, an enzymatic index was calculated from the ratio of the diameter of the halo around each colony to the diameter of the colony. All of the 17 strains tested showed a halo of cellulose degradation, indicating enzyme production. The enzymatic ratios varied between 0.2 (Penicillium brevicompactum URM5994) and 3.3 (Penicillium glabrum URM6009). Thus, Penicillium glabrum URM6009 is evaluated as a high producer of cellulase. It was selected for quantitative production of this enzyme and additional studies are taking place in order to verify potential industrial application for clarification of fruit juices

Accurate and Wide-Field-of-View MEMS-Based Sun Sensor for Industrial Applications

This paper describes the design, fabrication, sim- ulation, and experimental results of an improved miniaturized two-axis sun sensor for industrial applications, created by adapt- ing a technology used previously in satellite applications. The sensor for each axis is composed of six photodiodes integrated in a crystalline-silicon substrate and a layer of cover glass, which is used to protect the silicon and to hold the windows. The high precision is obtained by the subdivision of the field of view, which is ± 60 ◦ , with a resolution of 0.1 ◦ . Each region is controlled by an independent high-precision solar sensor. The sensor can be used for sun-tracking applications in a photovoltaic system, heliostat concentration plants, and lighting applications.Gobierno de España. AYA2009- 07188-E, ACI2010-1094, AIC-B-2011-0702 (Sensosol project)Junta de Andalucía (España) P08-TIC-03590 (Satsol project

DIFICULDADES E DESAFIOS PARA O ENSINO DE DANÇA, NAS AULAS DE EDUCAÇÃO FÍSICA, NO ENSINO FUNDAMENTAL II

Investigou-se as dificuldades pedagógicas que professores de Educação Física enfrentampara ensinar dança, no Ensino Fundamental II, em escolas estaduais de S. J. dos QuatroMarcos/MT. O estudo é qualitativo-descritivo. Aplicou-se roteiro de entrevista semiestruturadacom três professores, organizado em: a) perfil pessoal; b) formação profissional;c) atuação profissional; d) o ensino de dança. Encontraram-se dados sobre a formaçãoprofissional dos professores; a presença de estereótipos sobre a dança como elemento daformação educacional; e as dificuldades pedagógicas. A investigação contribuiu paradiscussão da dança numa perspectiva emancipatória, que ultrapasse a dimensão técnicaprocedimentalda aprendizagem do movimento