Biotechnology for Preventive Conservation: Development of Bionanomaterials for Antimicrobial Coating of Outdoor Sculptures

ABSTRACT

Outdoor sculptures are part of the sociocultural identity of cities, but are extremely vulnerable to deterioration due to exposure to harsh environmental conditions and climate change. Furthermore, deterioration by micro-organisms renders urgent the need to design protective coatings. This research proposes an integrated methodology for the development of innovative and sustainable nanofilms for applications in the area of art conservation, very specifically in the preventive conservation of outdoor sculptures. Gathering objective data for the characterization of the surface microbiota is important in order to design strategies that make use of bio or nanotechnology innovative coatings. Methodologies for the characterization of the microbiota present in a granite outdoor sculpture, followed by preliminary results on the application of protective antimicrobial coatings for surfaces of cultural objects are described.     

Letter names, phonological awareness and the phonetization of writing

Following several studies on the relationship between phonological awareness, children’s knowledge of letter names and their understanding of the alphabetic code, we pose the hypothesis that children’s knowledge of letter names may contribute to their analysis of the oral segments of words, thereby enabling them to produce writing in which some of the sounds are represented by appropriate letters. The participants were 80-syllabic 5-year-old kindergarten children, who were assigned to 2 experimental and 2 control groups and submitted to phonological and letter knowledge tests. We asked the children in the experimental groups to write a set of words in which either the initial sound (Exp. G. 1) or the middle sound (Exp. G. 2) coincided with the name of a letter known by the child; the children in the control groups were asked to write a set of control words. The results show that the introduction of facilitating words prompts syllabic children to produce writing in which some of the sounds are represented by appropriate letters; Exp. G. 1 gave better results than Exp. G. 2. Finally, there is a positive relationship between the results achieved by children in phonological and letter name tests and the number of sounds they write phonetically.     

Phonological abilities and writing among portuguese preschool children

The objective of this study was to identify causal relationships between the development of phonological abilities and progress in writing in preschool children. The participants were 44 children, with an average age of 5 years and 6 months, and whose writing was syllabic with phonetization. The children were divided into three groups. They were subjected to a pre-test and a post-test that were intended to evaluate both their writing and their phonological skills. In between the two tests experimental group 1 underwent a writing training program designed to lead them to produce syllabic-alphabetic/alphabetic writing, while experimental group 2 was subjected to a phonological training program designed to work on phonetic units. The third group served as a control group. The number of letters known and the level of intelligence were controlled. The children in the two experimental groups achieved results that revealed a similar degree of progress (greater than the control group) in both their writing and their phonological abilities.     

Factors Influencing Postsecondary STEM Students’ Views of the Public Communication of an Emergent Technology: a Cross-National Study from Five Universities

Recent efforts in the science education community have highlighted the need to integrate research and theory from science communication research into more general science education scholarship. These synthesized research perspectives are relatively novel but serve an important need to better understand the impacts that the advent of rapidly emerging technologies will have on a new generation of scientists and engineers including their formal communication with engaged citizenry. This cross-national study examined postsecondary science and engineering students’ (n?=?254 from five countries: Austria, Finland, France, Israel, and USA) perspectives on the role of science communication in their own formal science and engineering education. More broadly, we examined participants’ understanding of their perceived responsibilities of communicating science and engineering to the general public when an issue contains complex social and ethical implications (SEI). The study is contextualized in the emergent technology of nanotechnology for which SEI are of particular concern and for which the general public often perceives conflicting risks and benefits. Findings indicate that student participants’ hold similar views on the need for their own training in communication as future scientists and engineers. When asked about the role that ethics and risk perception plays in research, development, and public communication of nanotechnology, participants demonstrate similar trajectories of perspectives that are, however, often anchored in very different levels of beginning concern. Results are discussed in the context of considerations for science communication training within formal science education curricula globally.     

Book reviews

Galmés de Fuentes, Aivara. Toponimia de Alicante (La oronimia). Alicante: Universidad de Alicante, 1990.91 pp., index of names; paperback.

Arié, Rachel. L'Occident musulman au Bas Moyen Age. Paris: De Boccard, 1992.131 pp.

Lev, Yaacov. State and Society in Fatimid Egypt (Arab History and Civilization: Studies and Texts, 1) Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1991. x+217 pp. Hfl. 110.‐

Melville, Charles and Ubaydli, Ahmad, eds. Christians and Moors in Spain, vol. III: Arabic Sources (711–1501). Warminsten Aris & Phillips, 1992. xviii+202 pp. £35 (cloth), £11.95 (paperback).

López Baralt, Luce. Islam in Spanish Literature from the Middle Ages to the Present. Leiden and San Juan: E.J. Brill and Universidad de Puerto Rico, 1992.323pp. Hfl. 145.‐

Baer, Eva. Ayyubid metalwork with Christian images. (Studies in Islamic Art and Architecture / Supplements to Muqarnas, 4). Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1989.55pp. 128 ills. (b/w). Hfl. 65.‐

Stroumsa, Sarah. Dāwūd Ibn Al‐Maqammis's Twenty Chapters (^cIshrūn Maqāla) (Études sur le Judaïsme Médiéval, XIII). Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1989. 320pp. Hfl. 135.‐

Cassoia, Arnold (Ed). The Biblioteca Vallicelliana Regole per la Lingua Maltese. Malta: Said International, 1992. xlviii+193 pp.     

Changes in Brazilian education policy and the rise of right-wing populism

This article shows the intersections of right-wing conservative discourse and evangelical religious proselytism in shaping right-wing populist discourse in Brazil and its implications on the education policy in the last decade. Since re-democratisation in the 1980s, the policy path sought to guarantee progressive and inclusive public education, which became under threat due to the escalation of right-wing populist activism. In the last few years, the ‘No Party School Movement’ (NPSM) and the ‘Evangelical Parliamentary Front’ (EPF) established a tactical alliance. Affiliated members have been trying to pass various bills in different states and cities, stating that educators should not rely on ideological, political and partisan views, and should respect the ‘traditional values’ of families. Othering was a fundamental articulating mechanism of right-wing populist movements and politicians’ actions to forge a discourse that attacks Paulo Freire’s pedagogy, gender ideology and ancestral African religions. Through the analysis of different types of data, this interpretative case study deepens our understanding of the importance of right-wing discourse in forging influential political alliances influencing education public policy in Brazil. Understanding how right-wing populist activism creates enemies through othering educators, women, LGBT and black people is essential to analyse its influence on recent policy changes.     

Verification policies in Croatian medical biochemistry laboratories: a survey of the practice

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to screen practices used in verification procedures for methods/analysers among medical biochemistry laboratories (MBLs) in Croatia. We hypothesized that these procedures differ widely from laboratory to laboratory and wanted to gather specific data on steps used in the verification workflow.Materials and methodsIn order to obtain data, an online survey was conducted. The survey, divided in two sections, contained 29 questions and statements addressing general characteristics and specific steps of the verification workflow of each individual MBL. The survey was disseminated among managers of all MBLs in Croatia.ResultsA total of 108/196 (55%) laboratories participated in the survey. Forty nine MBLs were excluded from the second part of the survey: 14 have not implemented verification procedures, and 35 MBLs due to the absence of answers. The most relevant results of the second part of the survey showed that: 18/59 (0.31) of the responding MBLs have difficulties when defining acceptance criteria, 27/59 (0.46) used the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocol for precision estimation; the majority of MBLs used a median of 20 samples for method/analyser comparisons and estimated bias using internal quality control samples; reference intervals provided by external sources are mainly adopted; 60% of MBLs do not include linearity verification in their protocol and do not use the national document for the estimation of measurement uncertainty.ConclusionsHeterogeneous verification protocols are routinely utilized across Croatian MBLs which clearly confirms that a national document might help in the harmonization of verification procedures.     

Music and Identity in a Postcolonial World: Radio Airplay of Lusophone Music in Public Service Broadcasting in the Portuguese- Speaking World

With music being one of the key elements of radio, and plurality one of the most important principles of public service, this article’s central argument is that one of the missions of public radio is to foster musical elements produced in the country’s national language. Focusing on traditional musical genres of the Portuguese-speaking countries, we will analyze the role of music in public radio by selecting specific musical shows focused on the Lusophone world. In order to determine the presence and impact of Lusophony in national stations, music will be the common thread for a reflection on how multicultural their programming strategies are able to be.     

Sexualities of initial teacher education applicants in the Republic of Ireland: addressing the hidden dimension of diversity in teaching

While research and policy recommendations internationally have pointed to the need to diversify teaching populations with regard to ethnicity, social class background and, to a lesser extent, dis/ability, there is a paucity of research addressing sexualities as a diversity dimension in teaching. This article explores initial teacher education (ITE) applicants’ and entrants’ (N = 746) sexualities and the intersections of sexualities with other socio-demographic background variables and career motivations. The analysis suggests that the topic of sexual orientation caused high levels of discomfort among respondents and that sexual minority student teachers are underrepresented in ITE cohorts in Ireland. The socio-demographic and motivational profiles of our non-heterosexual respondents generally mirrored those of their heterosexual counterparts. Non-heterosexual respondents reported a stronger motivation to affect social change and lower levels of participation in religious services. Findings are discussed within the context of persisting cultural and institutional barriers for sexual minority (student) teachers in Irish schools and in ITE.