Bacteriological quality of individually quick-frozen (IQF) raw and cooked readyto- eat shrimp produced from farm raised black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon

One thousand, two hundred and sixty four samples of individually quick-frozen (IQF) peeled and deveined raw and 914 samples of cooked ready to eat shrimp samples produced from farm raised black tiger (Penaeus monodon) obtained from a seafood unit working under HACCP concept were analysed for total aerobic plate count (APC), coliform count, Escherichia coli, coagulase positive Staphylococci and Salmonella. The overall bacteriological quality of the product was found to be good. Of the frozen raw shrimp, 96% of samples showed APC below 105 while 99% of the frozen cooked ready-to-eat samples showed APC less than 104. The APC ranged from 1·0´102 to 4·2´106 cfu/gm in frozen raw shrimp and from 1·0´102 to 6·4´104 cfu/gm in the frozen cooked shrimp. Prevalences of coliforms in raw shrimp and cooked shrimp samples were 14·4% and 2·9% respectively. The coliform count in raw products ranged from 1·0´101 to 2·5´103 cfu/gm and in the cooked products, from 1·0 ´101 to 1·8´102 cfu/gm. Although all the cooked shrimp samples were free of coagulase positive staphylococci, E. coli and Salmonella, 1·0, 2·0 and 0·1% of the frozen raw shrimp samples tested positive for coagulase positive Staphylococci, E. coli and Salmonella respectively. The Salmonella strain was identified as Salmonella typhimurium. The results of the present study highlight the importance of implementation of HACCP system in the seafood industry to ensure consistent quality of frozen seafood

What is Abstinence? Definitions and Examples of Abstinence, to Prevent the Sexual Transmission of the HIV Virus, According to Spanish University Students

Research carried out in several Anglo-Saxon countries shows that many undergraduates identify oral sex and anal sex as examples of abstinent behaviour, while many others consider kissing and masturbation as examples of having sex. The objective of this research was to investigate whether a sample of Spanish students gave similar replies. Seven hundred and fifty undergraduates (92% aged under 26, 67.6% women) produced examples or definitions of the term ‘abstinence’. Spanish students made similar errors to those observed in the Anglo-Saxon samples, in that behaviours that were abstinent from a preventive point of view (masturbating and sex without penetration) were not considered as such, while a number of students reported oral sex as abstinent behaviour. The results suggest that the information on risky and preventive sexual behaviour should cease to use ambiguous or euphemistic expressions and use vocabulary that is clear and comprehensible to everyone

Higher Education Quality and Guidance : efficacy of a career celf-management seminar for undergraduates

Monogr??fico con el t??tulo: "Calidad en la Educaci??n Superior: una visi??n en perspectiva"

¿Puede un modelo educativo intercultural combatir la discriminación y la xenofobia? = Can an intercultural education model combat discrimination and xenophobia?

In this article we present a qualitative study conducted with six indigenous and six mestizos from Intercultural University of Chiapas. The aim of the study is to exemplify the mutual perception between different ethno-linguistic groups, as well as the possible change occurred after the admission to the University. That is, opinions about the other group after and before entering the University. We conclude that a higher education intercultural model can promote mutual understanding and relationship between indigenous and mestizos and thus combat prejudices and stereotypes

¿Qué entienden los jóvenes universitarios por monogamia y sexo sin penetración, como estrategias preventivas de la transmisión sexual del virus del SIDA? = What university students understand by monogamy and sex without penetration as preventive strategies of sexual transmission of AIDS virus?

Monogamy and sex without penetration are behaviors recommended by the WHO to avoid AIDS virus sexual transmission. Seven hundred and fifty university students from 18 to 25 years (67.7% women) were surveyed and they were asked to give a maximum of three free definitions of the words monogamy and sex without penetration to prevent AIDS virus sexual transmission. Their participation was voluntary and anonymous. Although the majority of the answers was correct, there was a considerable percentage of wrong answers, either for monogamy (3.7% masturbation; 2.1% to have many partners; 0.9% homosexual relations), or for sex without penetration (20.5% oral sex; 1.1% anal coitus; 0.8% coitus without orgasm; 0.4% coitus interruptus). Some definitions or examples differ by gender. The amount of wrongs or incomplete answers put researchers on the alert about insufficient preventive knowledge in a population with a high educational level

Planeamento e orientação de uma equipa de Basquetbol do escalão de juniores "B" ao longo da época 2010/2011

RESUMO:O Basquetebol como desporto global, sendo visualizado e praticado em variados contextos e realidades, deve igualmente perceber-se que existem diferentes formas de vê-lo e treiná-lo. Não existe assim uma forma correta ou incorreta, mas sim várias maneiras de entender o jogo. Neste relatório, no âmbito do Mestrado em Treino Desportivo, expomos a nossa maneira de pensar o jogo bem como as decisões e ações tomadas no processo de treino dos jovens jogadores da equipa de Basquetebol de Juniores “B” Masculinos dos Salesianos Oficinas de São José (OSJ) durante a época desportiva de 2010/2011. A Escola de Basquetebol dos Salesianos OSJ surgiu há cerca de vinte anos, e é um clube integrante e sólido da formação em basquetebol na região de Lisboa. O planeamento foi estruturado num macrociclo, dividido em dois mesociclos, apresentando cada os seus pressupostos e objetivos. O primeiro mesociclo constituído por doze microciclos e o segundo mesociclo por oito microciclos, num total de cento e cinco unidades de treino. A equipa era constituída por treze atletas, com idades compreendidas entre os quinze e os dezanove anos. Relativamente aos jogadores e à equipa consideramos que os objetivos traçados foram alcançados com sucesso, sendo que os jogadores evoluíram significativamente como jogadores e pessoas, e que a equipa atingiu as classificações ambicionadas. Como Treinador considero que foi uma época enriquecedora, que proporcionou vários momentos de reflexão, sendo que estes deverão fazer parte da nossa maneira de estar no desporto, pois só através deles poderemos enriquecer a condução do processo de treino. ABSTRACT: Basketball as a global sport, being viewed and practiced in various contexts and realities, should also realize that are different ways of watching and training it. However, there’s no correct or incorrect way, but many ways of understanding the game. In this report, under the Master of Sports Training, we present our way of thinking the game and the decisions and actions taken in the process of training young basketball players from the Salesianos Oficinas de São José (OSJ) Junior “B” men´s team, during the 2010/2011 sports season. The Salesianos OSJ Basketball School was created about twenty years ago and it’s a strong team member of Young Basketball Training in the Lisbon Region. The team plan was structured in a macrocycle, divided in two mesocycles and each one has its own assumptions and goals. The first mesocycle is composed by twelve microcycles and the second one by eight microcycles, in a total of one hundred and five training sessions. The team is composed by thirteen players, aged between fifteen and nineteen years old. Relating to the players and the team, we believe that the goals were successfully achieved, and the players have evolved meaningly not only as players but also as people, and the team’s coveted standings. As a coach, I think it was an enriching season, which provided many reflective moments and these should be part of our way of being in sport, because only through them we can enrich the process of conducting the training.

Understanding Demographic and Behavioral Mechanisms that Guide Responses of Neotropical Migratory Birds to Urbanization: a Simulation Approach

Although studies often report that densities of many forest birds are negatively related to urbanization, the mechanisms guiding this pattern are poorly understood. Our objective was to use a population simulation to examine the relative influence of six demographic and behavioral processes on patterns of avian abundance in urbanizing landscapes. We constructed an individual-based population simulation model representing the annual cycle of a Neotropical migratory songbird. Each simulation was performed under two landscape scenarios. The first scenario had similar proportions of high- and low-quality habitat across the urban to rural gradient. Under the first scenario, avian density was negatively related to urbanization only when rural habitats were perceived to be of higher quality than they actually were. The second landscape scenario had declining proportions of high-quality habitat as urbanization increased. Under the second scenario, each mechanism generated a negative relationship between density and urbanization. The strongest effect on density resulted when birds preferentially selected habitats in landscapes from which they fledged or were constrained from dispersing. The next strongest patterns occurred when birds directly evaluated habitat quality and accurately selected the highest-quality available territories. When birds selected habitats based on the presence of conspecifics, the density–urbanization relationship was only one-third the strength of other habitat selection mechanisms and only occurred under certain levels of population survival. Although differences in adult or nest survival in the face of random habitat selection still elicited reduced densities in urban landscapes, the relationships between urbanization and density were weaker than those produced by the conspecific attraction mechanism. Results from our study identify key predictions and areas for future research, including assessing habitat quality in urban and rural areas in order to determine if habitats in urban areas are underutilized.

Relative proportions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons differ between accumulation bioassays and chemical methods to predict bioavailability

Chemical methods to predict the bioavailable fraction of organic contaminants are usually validated in the literature by comparison with established bioassays. A soil spiked with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was aged over six months and subjected to butanol, cyclodextrin and tenax extractions as well as an exhaustive extraction to determine total PAH concentrations at several time points. Earthworm (Eisenia fetida) and rye grass root (Lolium multiflorum) accumulation bioassays were conducted in parallel. Butanol extractions gave the best relationship with earthworm accumulation (r2 ≤ 0.54, p ≤ 0.01); cyclodextrin, butanol and acetone–hexane extractions all gave good predictions of accumulation in rye grass roots (r2 ≤ 0.86, p ≤ 0.01). However, the profile of the PAHs extracted by the different chemical methods was significantly different (p < 0.01) to that accumulated in the organisms. Biota accumulated a higher proportion of the heavier 4-ringed PAHs. It is concluded that bioaccumulation is a complex process that cannot be predicted by measuring the bioavailable fraction alone. The ability of chemical methods to predict PAH accumulation in Eisenia fetida and Lolium multiflorum was hindered by the varied metabolic fate of the different PAHs within the organisms.

Environmental factors and vegetation composition, Lefka Ori Massif, Crete, S. Aegean

Aim The aim of this study was to explore the environmental factors that determine the spatial distribution of oro-mediterranean and alti-mediterranean plant communities in Crete. Location The paper provides a quantitative analysis of vegetation-environment relationships for two study areas within the Lefka Ori massif Crete, a proposed Natura 2000 site. Methods Eleven environmental variables were recorded: altitude, slope, aspect, percentage of bare rock, percentage of unvegetated ground, soil depth, pH, organic matter content and percentages of sand, silt and clay content. Classification of the vegetation was based on twinspan, while detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to identify environmental gradients linked to community distribution. Results One hundred and twenty-five species were recorded from 120 plots located within the two study areas. Forty-seven of the recorded species are endemic, belonging to 35 families. Hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes were the most frequent, suggesting a typical oro-mediterranean life form spectrum. The samples were classified into five main community types and one transitional. The main gradients, identified by CCA, were altitude and surface cover type in the North-west site, while in the Central site the gradients were soil formation-development and surface cover type. Main conclusions The use of classification in combination with ordination techniques resulted in a good discrimination between plant communities and a greater understanding of controlling environmental factors. The methodology adopted can be employed for improving baseline information on plant community ecology and distribution in Mediterranean mountain zones.

Organic farming in isolated landscapes does not benefit flower-visiting insects and pollination

Organic farming has often been found to provide benefits for biodiversity, but the benefits can depend on the species considered and characteristics of the surrounding landscape. In an intensively farmed area of Northeast Italy we investigated whether isolated organic farms, in a conventionally farmed landscape, provided local benefits for insect pollinators and pollination services. We quantified the relative effects of local management (i.e. the farm system), landscape management (proportion of surrounding uncultivated land) and interactions between them. We compared six organic and six conventional vine fields. The proportion of surrounding uncultivated land was calculated for each site at radii of 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 m. The organic fields did not differ from the conventional in their floral resources or proportion of surrounding uncultivated land. Data were collected on pollinator abundance and species richness, visitation rates to, and pollination of experimental potted plants. None of these factors were significantly affected by the farming system. The abundance of visits to the potted plants in the conventional fields tended to be negatively affected by the proportion of surrounding uncultivated land. The proportion fruit set, weight of seeds per plant and seed weight in conventional and organic fields were all negatively affected by the proportion of surrounding uncultivated land. In vine fields the impact of the surrounding landscape was stronger than the local management. Enhancement of biodiversity through organic farming should not be assumed to be ubiquitous, as potential benefits may be offset by the crop type, organicmanagement practices and the specific habitat requirements in the surrounding landscape.

A temporal limit to the association between flag leaf life extension by fungicides and wheat yields

Three field experiments, each repeated over two or three seasons, on winter wheat investigated a possible limit to the association between grain yield and flag leaf life, as extended by fungicide application. The experiments involved up to six cultivars and different application rates, timings and frequencies of the strobilurin azoxystrobin and the triazole epoxiconazole. In the 2000/01 and 2001/02 seasons, the relationships between the thermal time to 37 % green flag leaf area (m) and yield deviated from linearity. 'Broken stick' models were fitted to cultivar x experiment combinations within each season and the limit to the benefit to yield associated with extending flag leaf life was 700 degrees C days (S.E. = 20.7) and 725 degrees C days (S.E. = 9.33) after anthesis in 2000/01 and 2001/02, respectively. In 2002/03, the relationship between yield and in did not deviate significantly (P > 0.05) from linearity, but in this latter year the fungicide application failed to increase In past 700 degrees C days. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional significance of the signal transduction pathways Akt and Erk in ovarian follicles: in vitro and in vivo studies in cattle and sheep

BACKGROUND: The intracellular signalling mechanisms that regulate ovarian follicle development are unclear; however, we have recently shown differences in the Akt and Erk signalling pathways in dominant compared to subordinate follicles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inhibiting Akt and Erk phosphorylation on IGF- and gonadotropin- stimulated granulosa and theca cell function in vitro, and on follicle development in vivo. METHODS: Bovine granulosa and theca cells were cultured for six days and stimulated with FSH and/or IGF, or LH in combination with PD98059 (Erk inhibitor) and/or LY294002 (Akt inhibitor) and their effect on cell number and hormone secretion (estradiol, activin-A, inhibin-A, follistatin, progesterone and androstenedione) determined. In addition, ovarian follicles were treated in vivo with PD98059 and/or LY294002 in ewes on Day 3 of the cycle and follicles were recovered 48 hours later. RESULTS: We have shown that gonadotropin- and IGF-stimulated hormone production by granulosa and theca cells is reduced by treatment with PD98059 and LY294002 in vitro. Furthermore, treatment with PD98059 and LY294002 reduced follicle growth and oestradiol production in vivo. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate an important functional role for the Akt and Erk signalling pathways in follicle function, growth and development.

The significance of "nonsignificance" in randomized controlled studies: a discussion inspired by a double-blinded study on St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) for premenstrual symptoms

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of St. John's wort extract (SJW) as a treatment for premenstrual symptoms. Design: The study was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, with two parallel treatment groups. After a no-treatment baseline cycle, volunteers were randomized to either SJW or placebo for a further two menstrual cycles. Settings/location: A postal trial conducted from The University of Reading, Berkshire, England. Subjects: One hundred and sixty-nine (169) normally menstruating women who experienced recurrent premenstrual symptoms were recruited onto the study. One hundred and twenty-five (125) completed the protocol and were included in the analysis. Interventions: Six hundred milligrams (600) mg of SJW (standardized to contain 1800 mug of hypericin) or placebo (containing lactose and cellulose). Outcome measure: A menstrual diary was used to assess changes in premenstrual symptoms. The anxiety-related subgroup of symptoms of this instrument was used as the primary outcome measure. Results: After averaging the effects of treatment over both treatment cycles it was found that there was a trend for SJW to be superior to placebo. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The possibility that this nonsignificant finding resulted from insufficient statistical power in the study, rather than a lack of efficacy of SJW, is discussed. Following this discussion the recommendation is made that, in future, similar studies should be powered to detect a minimum clinically relevant difference between treatments.

Educational value of different types of exhibits in an interactive science and technology center

This study analyzes the short-term consequences of visitors' use of different types of exhibits (i.e., "exemplars of phenomena" and "analogy based") together with the factors affecting visitors' understanding of and their evaluation of the use of such exhibits. One hundred and twenty five visitors (either alone or in groups) were observed during their interaction and interviewed immediately afterwards. Findings suggest that the type of exhibit constrains the nature of the understanding achieved. The use of analogical reasoning may lead to an intended causal explanation of an exhibit that is an exemplar of a phenomenon, but visitors often express misconceptions as a consequence of using this type of exhibit. Analogy-based exhibits are often not used as intended by the designer. This may be because visitors do not access the source domain intended; are unaware of the use of analogy per se (in particular, when the exhibit is of the subtype "only showing similarities between relationships"); only acquire fragmentary knowledge about the target; or fail to use analogical reasoning of which they were capable. Furthermore, exhibits related to everyday world situations are recognized to have an immediate educative value for visitors. Suggestions for enhancing the educative value of exhibits are proposed.

The significance of "nonsignificance" in randomized controlled studies: a discussion inspired by a double-blinded study on St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) for premenstrual symptoms

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of St. John's wort extract (SJW) as a treatment for premenstrual symptoms. Design: The study was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, with two parallel treatment groups. After a no-treatment baseline cycle, volunteers were randomized to either SJW or placebo for a further two menstrual cycles. Settings/location: A postal trial conducted from The University of Reading, Berkshire, England. Subjects: One hundred and sixty-nine (169) normally menstruating women who experienced recurrent premenstrual symptoms were recruited onto the study. One hundred and twenty-five (125) completed the protocol and were included in the analysis. Interventions: Six hundred milligrams (600) mg of SJW (standardized to contain 1800 mug of hypericin) or placebo (containing lactose and cellulose). Outcome measure: A menstrual diary was used to assess changes in premenstrual symptoms. The anxiety-related subgroup of symptoms of this instrument was used as the primary outcome measure. Results: After averaging the effects of treatment over both treatment cycles it was found that there was a trend for SJW to be superior to placebo. However, this finding was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The possibility that this nonsignificant finding resulted from insufficient statistical power in the study, rather than a lack of efficacy of SJW, is discussed. Following this discussion the recommendation is made that, in future, similar studies should be powered to detect a minimum clinically relevant difference between treatments.