The sound of street corner society: UK grime music as ethnography

This article explores the ways in which popular music can be linked to ethnography. While there is a tradition of connecting popular music with sociology, this article posits a further resonance that is not so much theoretical as methodological. The article suggests that forms of contemporary popular music parallel key facets of ethnography, not simply in terms of sociological analysis, but with regard to popular music as an ethnographic resource, as ‘data’, and as the reflexive expression of Paul Willis’ conception of the ‘ethnographic imagination’; and the article argues that contemporary British hip-hop in the form of ‘grime’ is a potent exemplar. This is due to the resolutely cultural, spatial nature of grime music: a factor that marks out grime as a distinctive musical genre and a distinctive ethnographic form, as it is an experientially rooted music about urban locations, made from within those urban locations

Esophageal cooling for protection during left atrial ablation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Thermal damage to the esophagus is a risk from radiofrequency (RF) ablation of the left atrium for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). The most extreme type of thermal injury results in atrio-esophageal fistula (AEF) and a correspondingly high mortality rate. Various strategies for reducing esophageal injury have been developed, including power reduction, esophageal deviation, and esophageal cooling. One method of esophageal cooling involves the direct instillation of cold water or saline into the esophagus during RF ablation. Although this method provides limited heat-extraction capacity, studies of it have suggested potential benefit. We sought to perform a meta-analysis of published studies evaluating the use of esophageal cooling via direct liquid instillation for the reduction of thermal injury during RF ablation. METHODS: We searched PubMed for studies that used esophageal cooling to protect the esophagus from thermal injury during RF ablation. We then performed a meta-analysis using a random effects model to calculate estimated effect size with 95% confidence intervals, with an outcome of esophageal lesions stratified by severity, as determined by post-procedure endoscopy. RESULTS: A total of 9 studies were identified and reviewed. After excluding preclinical and mathematical model studies, 3 were included in the meta-analysis, totaling 494 patients. Esophageal cooling showed a tendency to shift lesion severity downward, such that total lesions did not show a statistically significant change (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.15 to 2.38). For high-grade lesions, a significant OR of 0.39 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.89) in favor of esophageal cooling was found, suggesting that esophageal cooling, even with a low-capacity thermal extraction technique, reduces the severity of lesions resulting from RF ablation. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal cooling reduces the severity of the lesions that may result from RF ablation, even when relatively low heat extraction methods are used, such as the direct instillation of small volumes of cold liquid. Further investigation of this approach is warranted, particularly with higher heat extraction capacity techniques

Long-term visual outcomes and side effects of ruthenium plaque brachytherapy in 310 eyes with small choroidal melanoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To report the long-term visual outcomes and side effects in patients with small choroidal melanoma (CM) undergoing ruthenium-106 (Ru-106) plaque brachytherapy. METHODS: Retrospective, interventional, consecutive series of small CM ≤2.5 mm in height and ≤16 mm in largest basal diameter treated with Ru-106 plaque with a median radiation dose of 100 Gy prescribed to tumour apical height. RESULTS: 310 patients (160 men) with a mean (SD) age of 58.4±14.1 years met the study inclusion criteria. The median follow-up was 57.5 (range 3.4–170.5) months. The mean tumour baseline thickness was 1.9±0.4 (range 0.4–2.5) mm. The mean baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.21±0.4 (Snellen equivalent 6/9; range −0.1 to 1.5). Mean final BCVA was ≤0.3 logMAR (Snellen equivalent 6/12) in 161 patients (54.2%), better than 1.0 logMAR (Snellen equivalent 6/60) and <0.3 logMAR in 59 patients (19.9%), and ≥1.0 logMAR in 77 patients (25.9%). Kaplan-Meier estimates of poor final VA (≥1.0 logMAR) were 13.2% at 5 years and 54.5% at 10 years. Early and late complications developed in 20.6% and 42.6% of cases, respectively. Radiation maculopathy was the most frequent late side effect (29% of patients) with Kaplan-Meier rates of 18.2%, 31.7% and 42.1% at 3, 5 and 10 years, respectively. Older age, lipofuscin, proximity to fovea, final tumour elevation and radiation maculopathy predicted visual loss ≥5 Snellen lines. CONCLUSION: Despite early and late complications in 20.6% and 42.6% of cases, Ru-106 brachytherapy for small CM allows retention of BCVA ≤0.3 logMAR in half of the eyes

Meningkatkan Motivasi Belajar Fisika Siswa Kelas X MS 6 DI SMA Negeri 2 Banjarmasin Melalui Strategi ARCS Dalam Setting Pengajaran Langsung

Tidak tuntasnya pelaksanaan model pembelajaran di kelas X MS 6 SMAN 2 Banjarmasin menyebabkan rendahnya motivasi belajar siswa. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan (1) keterlaksanaan RPP, (2) aktivitas siswa, (3) hasil belajar kognitif siswa, dan (4) motivasi belajar siswa. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah model penelitian tindakan kelas Kurt Lewin, dimana setiap siklus terdiri atas tahap perencanaan, pelaksanaan, pengamatan, dan refleksi. Subjek penelitian adalah 32 siswa. Teknik pengumpulan data berupa tes hasil belajar, lembar pengamatan, angket, dan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dengan menerapkan strategi ARCS dalam setting pengajaran langsung (1) keterlaksanaan RPP pada siklus I dan II berkategori sangat baik, (2) aktivitas siswa mengalami peningkatan pada setiap aspeknya dengan kategori baik, kecuali aspek menyampaikan pendapat dan mengajukan pertanyaan pada siklus I berkategori cukup baik, (3) ketuntasan hasil belajar siswa meningkat, secara berturut-turut persentase ketuntasan individual pada siklus I dan II sebesar 81,48% dan 92,59%, (4) motivasi belajar siswa pada aspek ARCS mengalami peningkatan berkategori baik. Diperoleh simpulan bahwa untuk meningkatkan motivasi belajar siswa dapat dilakukan dengan salah satu caranya yaitu menampilkan video yang berbeda-beda untuk setiap pokok bahasan baru

Metabolomic Response of Calotropis procera Growing in the Desert to Changes in Water Availability

Water availability is a major limitation for agricultural productivity. Plants growing in severe arid climates such as deserts provide tools for studying plant growth and performance under extreme drought conditions. The perennial species Calotropis procera used in this study is a shrub growing in many arid areas which has an exceptional ability to adapt and be productive in severe arid conditions. We describe the results of studying the metabolomic response of wild C procera plants growing in the desert to a one time water supply. Leaves of C. procera plants were taken at three time points before and 1 hour, 6 hours and 12 hours after watering and subjected to a metabolomics and lipidomics analysis. Analysis of the data reveals that within one hour after watering C. procera has already responded on the metabolic level to the sudden water availability as evidenced by major changes such as increased levels of most amino acids, a decrease in sucrose, raffinose and maltitol, a decrease in storage lipids (triacylglycerols) and an increase in membrane lipids including photosynthetic membranes. These changes still prevail at the 6 hour time point after watering however 12 hours after watering the metabolomics data are essentially indistinguishable from the prewatering state thus demonstrating not only a rapid response to water availability but also a rapid response to loss of water. Taken together these data suggest that the ability of C. procera to survive under the very harsh drought conditions prevailing in the desert might be associated with its rapid adjustments to water availability and losses

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Pakistan: where do we stand?

Context: From the 1970s till the mid 1990s, hepatitis B was the most common etiological factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Pakistan. Afterwards, a shift in HCC etiology was observed with a steady rise in hepatitis C virus (HCV) related HCC cases. HCV-3a, which is the most prevalent genotype, is also most frequent in HCV related HCC. There was an increase in the proportion of non-B non-C (NBNC) HCC cases as well, which might be attributed to an increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Evidence Acquisition: The age-standardized rate for HCC is 7.64/100 000 in males and 2.8/100 000 in females. Male to female ratio is 3.6:1. Usual age of presentation is in the fifth and sixth decade. Most patients present with advanced disease, as they are not in a regular surveillance program. This is more so for patients with NBNC chronic liver disease. As many sonologists in Pakistan are practicing without sufficient training to pick up early lesions, alpha-fetoprotein is still recommended to compliment ultrasound in the surveillance of HCC. Results: Majority of HCC patients present with nonresectable disease. Interventions such as transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, resection and chemotherapy including sorafenib are available in selected centers. Pakistan appears to be in an area of intermediate endemicity for HCC. There is a need for population based epidemiological studies to estimate the exact disease burden. Conclusions: Measures to prevent the spread of hepatitis C and B can slow down the epidemic rise in the incidence of HCC in the coming decades. There is a need to implement a proper surveillance program to identify HCC cases at an early stage

Adhesion Molecules Associated with Female Genital Tract Infection

Altres ajuts: Marie Curie Career Integration Grant i una beca Fundació Dexeus Salut de la DonaEfforts to develop vaccines that can elicit mucosal immune responses in the female genital tract against sexually transmitted infections have been hampered by an inability to measure immune responses in these tissues. The differential expression of adhesion molecules is known to confer site-dependent homing of circulating effector T cells to mucosal tissues. Specific homing molecules have been defined that can be measured in blood as surrogate markers of local immunity (e.g. α4β7 for gut). Here we analyzed the expression pattern of adhesion molecules by circulating effector T cells following mucosal infection of the female genital tract in mice and during a symptomatic episode of vaginosis in women. While CCR2, CCR5, CXCR6 and CD11c were preferentially expressed in a mouse model of Chlamydia infection, only CCR5 and CD11c were clearly expressed by effector T cells during bacterial vaginosis in women. Other homing molecules previously suggested as required for homing to the genital mucosa such as α4β1 and α4β7 were also differentially expressed in these patients. However, CD11c expression, an integrin chain rarely analyzed in the context of T cell immunity, was the most consistently elevated in all activated effector CD8+ T cell subsets analyzed. This molecule was also induced after systemic infection in mice, suggesting that CD11c is not exclusive of genital tract infection. Still, its increase in response to genital tract disorders may represent a novel surrogate marker of mucosal immunity in women, and warrants further exploration for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes

Fabrication of Microbicidal Silver Nanoparticles: Green Synthesis and Implications in the Containment of Bacterial Biofilm on Orthodontal Appliances

Among various metal-based nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) manifest superior inhibitory effects against several microorganisms. In fact, the AgNP-based treatment has been reported to inhibit both sensitive and resistant isolates of bacteria and other disease-causing microbes with equal propensity. Keeping this fact into consideration, we executed bio-mediated synthesis of AgNPs employing extract of flower and various other parts (such as bud and leaf) of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant. The physicochemical characterization of as-synthesized AgNPs was executed employing transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy, etc. The as-synthesized AgNPs demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with equal propensity. The as-synthesized AgNPs successfully inhibited Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), one of the main causative bacteria responsible for dental caries. Considering the fact that orthodontic appliances facilitate infliction of the oral cavity with a range of microbes including S. mutans, we determined the growth inhibitory and anti-adherence activities of AgNPs on orthodontic appliances. We performed microbiological assays employing AgNPs adsorbed onto the surface of nickel–titanium (Ni-Ti) orthodontic wires. A topographic analysis of the decontaminated Ni-Ti orthodontic wires was performed by scanning electron microscopy. In addition to antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities against oral S. mutans, the as-fabricated AgNPs demonstrated significant inhibitory and anti-biofilm properties against other biofilm-forming bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes