Harvesting Intelligence in Multimedia Social Tagging Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannakidou, Eirini; Kaklidou, Foteini; Chatzilari, Elisavet; Kompatsiaris, Ioannis; Vakali, Athena

As more people adopt tagging practices, social tagging systems tend to form rich knowledge repositories that enable the extraction of patterns reflecting the way content semantics is perceived by the web users. This is of particular importance, especially in the case of multimedia content, since the availability of such content in the web is very high and its efficient retrieval using textual annotations or content-based automatically extracted metadata still remains a challenge. It is argued that complementing multimedia analysis techniques with knowledge drawn from web social annotations may facilitate multimedia content management. This chapter focuses on analyzing tagging patterns and combining them with content feature extraction methods, generating, thus, intelligence from multimedia social tagging systems. Emphasis is placed on using all available "tracks" of knowledge, that is tag co-occurrence together with semantic relations among tags and low-level features of the content. Towards this direction, a survey on the theoretical background and the adopted practices for analysis of multimedia social content are presented. A case study from Flickr illustrates the efficiency of the proposed approach.

Early Childhood Educators' Understanding of Early Communication: Application to Their Work with Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brebner, Chris; Jovanovic, Jessie; Lawless, Angela; Young, Jessica

2016-01-01

Young children need rich learning experiences to maximize their potential. Early childhood educators (ECEs) working in childcare have knowledge of individual children as well as skills and professional knowledge that afford opportunities to provide language-rich environments for learning. To successfully work in partnership with ECEs,…

Towards a Knowledge-Rich Learning Environment in Preparatory Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Schaik, Martijn; van Oers, Bert; Terwel, Jan

2011-01-01

In this case study a novel educational programme for students in preparatory vocational education was studied. The research questions were: (1) Which teaching/learning processes occur in a simulated workplace using the concept of a "knowledge-rich" workplace? (2) What is the role of models and modelling in the teaching/learning…

International collaborations in learning and teaching: perspectives from a visiting professorship.

PubMed

Spring, Hannah; Kunkel, Marita; Gilman, Isaac; Henderson, Nancy; White, John

2016-09-01

This article provides a reflection on the outcomes of an international collaboration between health librarians and academics at York St John University and Pacific University Oregon. In particular, it describes how a month-long visiting professorship from an academic with a clinical librarian background at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences helped to develop and inform teaching practice in the areas of information literacy and evidence-based health practice on health programmes at Pacific University. Perspectives are offered from both institutions on the rich exchange of knowledge and practice that took place during the visit and the ongoing impact it has had on teaching practices. H. S. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

"Genetic regulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a lipid-rich environment".

PubMed

Aguilar-Ayala, Diana A; Palomino, Juan Carlos; Vandamme, Peter; Martin, Anandi; Gonzalez-Y-Merchand, Jorge A

2017-11-01

Tuberculosis (TB) remains as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among infectious diseases worldwide. Although lipids (mainly fatty acids and cholesterol) have been reported to play an important role during active and latent infection of M. tuberculosis, there are other molecular aspects of bacterial response to those substrates that are not fully understood, involving gene regulation background. This review highlights recent insights on pathogen gene expression: regulation during its active growth, during survival in presence of lipids and under variable hostile host microenvironments. We also propose several application options of this knowledge that may contribute for improved TB control. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative tests of ectoparasite species richness in seabirds

PubMed Central

Hughes, Joseph; Page, Roderic DM

2007-01-01

Background The diversity of parasites attacking a host varies substantially among different host species. Understanding the factors that explain these patterns of parasite diversity is critical to identifying the ecological principles underlying biodiversity. Seabirds (Charadriiformes, Pelecaniformes and Procellariiformes) and their ectoparasitic lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) are ideal model groups in which to study correlates of parasite species richness. We evaluated the relative importance of morphological (body size, body weight, wingspan, bill length), life-history (longevity, clutch size), ecological (population size, geographical range) and behavioural (diving versus non-diving) variables as predictors of louse diversity on 413 seabird hosts species. Diversity was measured at the level of louse suborder, genus, and species, and uneven sampling of hosts was controlled for using literature citations as a proxy for sampling effort. Results The only variable consistently correlated with louse diversity was host population size and to a lesser extent geographic range. Other variables such as clutch size, longevity, morphological and behavioural variables including body mass showed inconsistent patterns dependent on the method of analysis. Conclusion The comparative analysis presented herein is (to our knowledge) the first to test correlates of parasite species richness in seabirds. We believe that the comparative data and phylogeny provide a valuable framework for testing future evolutionary hypotheses relating to the diversity and distribution of parasites on seabirds. PMID:18005412

Semantics driven approach for knowledge acquisition from EMRs.

PubMed

Perera, Sujan; Henson, Cory; Thirunarayan, Krishnaprasad; Sheth, Amit; Nair, Suhas

2014-03-01

Semantic computing technologies have matured to be applicable to many critical domains such as national security, life sciences, and health care. However, the key to their success is the availability of a rich domain knowledge base. The creation and refinement of domain knowledge bases pose difficult challenges. The existing knowledge bases in the health care domain are rich in taxonomic relationships, but they lack nontaxonomic (domain) relationships. In this paper, we describe a semiautomatic technique for enriching existing domain knowledge bases with causal relationships gleaned from Electronic Medical Records (EMR) data. We determine missing causal relationships between domain concepts by validating domain knowledge against EMR data sources and leveraging semantic-based techniques to derive plausible relationships that can rectify knowledge gaps. Our evaluation demonstrates that semantic techniques can be employed to improve the efficiency of knowledge acquisition.

Cuckoos vs. top predators as prime bioindicators of biodiversity in disturbed environments.

PubMed

Morelli, Federico; Mousseau, Timothy A; Møller, Anders Pape

2017-10-01

We studied the abundance of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus L. little cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus L. and Asian cuckoo Cuculus saturatus L. and avian top predators as indicators of bird species richness (surrogate of biodiversity) in disturbed environments caused by radioactive contamination in Chernobyl, Ukraine and Fukushima, Japan, comparing their efficiency as indicators of local biodiversity hotspots. Bird species richness and birds abundance were quantified in each sample site during the breeding seasons between 2006 and 2015 and the level of background radiation was measured at every site. The correlation between number of cuckoos, top predators, land use composition and level of background radiation with bird species richness as response variable were examined using Generalized Linear Mixed Models. The strength of correlation between species richness and abundance and the covariates obtained from the model outputs were used as measure of the efficiency of each predictor, as well as the AIC of each model. Background radiation was negatively correlated with bird species richness and bird abundance in both countries, while number of top predators and cuckoos were both positively correlated with bird species richness and abundance. However, model with number of cuckoos was more performant than model with number of avian top predators. These differences in performance supports the hypothesis that cuckoos are a largely superior bioindicator than top predators. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal studies in Baluchi tribes: A case study in Mt. Taftan, southeastern Iran.

PubMed

Maleki, Tahereh; Akhani, Hossein

2018-05-10

From ancient times, the applied use of herbs has been common among indigenous people throughout the world. The present survey is a regional ethnobotanical study of Baluchi tribes living in the Mt. Taftan area, Sistan and Baluchistan Province, southeastern Iran. The aim of this study was to document all traditional knowledge and analyze the medicinal plants used in area and also to identify significant plant species for future pharmacological study. Local knowledge was obtained through semi structured and open interviews, in which 51 informants were interviewed. Data were analyzed with Informant Agreement Relative (IAR) and Frequency of Citation (FC) indices. A total number of 106 taxa of medicinal plants were collected from ten villages from the surrounding plains and highlands of Mt. Taftan, out of 446 plant taxa collected or reported as native in the area. Most plants belong to the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region in which Asteraceae (15%), Lamiaceae (11%), Fabaceae (8%), Rosaceae (7%), Apiaceae (7%) and Brassicaceae (5%) are those predominantly used. The regression analysis shows that families Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Solanaceae and Rosaceae are more highly used as medicinal than species rich families such as Asteraceae and Fabaceae, which are the richest families in the Iranian flora. The highest FC was recorded for Artemisia spp. (41) and Berberis integerrima (40). The highest IAR Index was obtained for stings (0.86), followed by disorders in the circulatory system (0.7), dental problems (0.70) and injuries (0.69). Comparing our data with major ethnobotanical references in Iran revealed that medicinal applications of 34 taxa have not been cited, including Hyoscyamus malekianus, a local endemic plant using for ailments of toothache and worms. The toxicity of the endemic Semenovia suffruticosa is also reported. As a result of this study we conclude that Taftan area harbours many plant species for which indigenous knowledge provides a background of medicinal importance. The high percentage of medicinal plants proportional to the native flora is 23.8%, compared to the world percentage of 17.1%, is an indication of the rich knowledge and relationship of isolated Baluchi tribes living in Mt. Taftan to the local flora growing in their surroundings. This rich knowledge should be highly regarded as a cultural and ethnobotanical heritage. Furthermore, ethnobotanical results show some weak interrelation between Baluchi tribes living in Iran and Pakistan, probably because of a different flora and/or unfavourable environmental conditions and perhaps local conflicts which might have reduced active cultural exchange. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Systems: Terrestrial Observation and Prediction Using Remote Sensing Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coughlan, Joseph C.

2005-01-01

NASA has made science and technology investments to better utilize its large space-borne remote sensing data holdings of the Earth. With the launch of Terra, NASA created a data-rich environment where the challenge is to fully utilize the data collected from EOS however, despite unprecedented amounts of observed data, there is a need for increasing the frequency, resolution, and diversity of observations. Current terrestrial models that use remote sensing data were constructed in a relatively data and compute limited era and do not take full advantage of on-line learning methods and assimilation techniques that can exploit these data. NASA has invested in visualization, data mining and knowledge discovery methods which have facilitated data exploitation, but these methods are insufficient for improving Earth science models that have extensive background knowledge nor do these methods refine understanding of complex processes. Investing in interdisciplinary teams that include computational scientists can lead to new models and systems for online operation and analysis of data that can autonomously improve in prediction skill over time.

Building and Activating Students' Background Knowledge: It's What They Already Know That Counts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Douglas; Frey, Nancy; Lapp, Diane

2012-01-01

Students enter the middle grades with varying amounts of background knowledge. Teachers must assess student background knowledge for gaps or misconceptions and then provide instruction to build on that base. This article discusses effective strategies for assessing and developing students' background knowledge so they can become independent…

Reasoning about procedural knowledge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Georgeff, M. P.

1985-01-01

A crucial aspect of automated reasoning about space operations is that knowledge of the problem domain is often procedural in nature - that is, the knowledge is often in the form of sequences of actions or procedures for achieving given goals or reacting to certain situations. In this paper a system is described that explicitly represents and reasons about procedural knowledge. The knowledge representation used is sufficiently rich to describe the effects of arbitrary sequences of tests and actions, and the inference mechanism provides a means for directly using this knowledge to reach desired operational goals. Furthermore, the representation has a declarative semantics that provides for incremental changes to the system, rich explanatory capabilities, and verifiability. The approach also provides a mechanism for reasoning about the use of this knowledge, thus enabling the system to choose effectively between alternative courses of action.

General aptitude and the assumption of truth in deductively rational reasoning about probable but false antecedent to consequent relations

PubMed Central

Schroyens, Walter; Fleerackers, Lieve; Maes, Sunile

2010-01-01

Two experiments (N1 = 117 and N2 = 245) on reasoning with knowledge-rich conditionals showed a main effect of logical validity, which was due to the negative effect of counter-examples being smaller for valid than for invalid arguments. These findings support the thesis that some people tend to inhibit background inconsistent with the hypothetical truth of the premises, while others tend to abandon the implicit truth-assumption when they have factual evidence to the contrary. Findings show that adhering to the truth-assumption in the face of conflicting evidence to the contrary requires an investment of time and effort which people with a higher general aptitude are more likely to do. PMID:21228921

Biofortified Cassava with Pro-Vitamin A Is Sensory and Culturally Acceptable for Consumption by Primary School Children in Kenya

PubMed Central

Talsma, Elise F.; Melse-Boonstra, Alida; de Kok, Brenda P. H.; Mbera, Gloria N. K.; Mwangi, Alice M.; Brouwer, Inge D.

2013-01-01

Background Biofortification of cassava with pro-vitamin A can potentially reduce vitamin A deficiency in low-income countries. However, little is known about consumer acceptance of this deep yellow variety of cassava compared to the commonly available white varieties. We aimed to determine the sensory and cultural acceptability of the consumption of pro-vitamin A rich cassava in order to identify key factors predicting the intention to consume pro-vitamin A rich cassava by families with school-aged children in Eastern Kenya. Methods Sensory acceptability was measured by replicated discrimination tests and paired preference tests among 30 children (7–12 yr) and 30 caretakers (18–45 yr) in three primary schools. Cultural acceptability was assessed with a questionnaire based on the combined model of The Theory of Planned Behavior and The Health Belief Model in one primary school among 140 caretakers of children aged 6 to 12 years. Correlations and multivariate analyses were used to determine associations between summed scores for model constructs. Results Caretakers and children perceived a significant difference in taste between white and pro-vitamin A rich cassava. Both preferred pro-vitamin A rich cassava over white cassava because of its soft texture, sweet taste and attractive color. Knowledge about pro-vitamin A rich cassava and it's relation to health (‘Knowledge’ ((β = 0.29, P = <.01)) was a strong predictor of ‘Health behavior identity’. Worries related to bitter taste and color (‘Perceived barriers 1’ (β = −0.21, P = .02)), the belief of the caretaker about having control to prepare cassava (‘Control beliefs’ (β = 0.18, P = .02)) and activities like information sessions about pro-vitamin A rich cassava and recommendations from health workers (‘Cues to action’(β = 0.51, P = <.01)) were the best predictors of intention to consume pro-vitamin A rich cassava. Conclusions Pro-vitamin A rich cassava is well accepted by school children in our study population. PMID:24023681

Integrative relational machine-learning for understanding drug side-effect profiles.

PubMed

Bresso, Emmanuel; Grisoni, Renaud; Marchetti, Gino; Karaboga, Arnaud Sinan; Souchet, Michel; Devignes, Marie-Dominique; Smaïl-Tabbone, Malika

2013-06-26

Drug side effects represent a common reason for stopping drug development during clinical trials. Improving our ability to understand drug side effects is necessary to reduce attrition rates during drug development as well as the risk of discovering novel side effects in available drugs. Today, most investigations deal with isolated side effects and overlook possible redundancy and their frequent co-occurrence. In this work, drug annotations are collected from SIDER and DrugBank databases. Terms describing individual side effects reported in SIDER are clustered with a semantic similarity measure into term clusters (TCs). Maximal frequent itemsets are extracted from the resulting drug x TC binary table, leading to the identification of what we call side-effect profiles (SEPs). A SEP is defined as the longest combination of TCs which are shared by a significant number of drugs. Frequent SEPs are explored on the basis of integrated drug and target descriptors using two machine learning methods: decision-trees and inductive-logic programming. Although both methods yield explicit models, inductive-logic programming method performs relational learning and is able to exploit not only drug properties but also background knowledge. Learning efficiency is evaluated by cross-validation and direct testing with new molecules. Comparison of the two machine-learning methods shows that the inductive-logic-programming method displays a greater sensitivity than decision trees and successfully exploit background knowledge such as functional annotations and pathways of drug targets, thereby producing rich and expressive rules. All models and theories are available on a dedicated web site. Side effect profiles covering significant number of drugs have been extracted from a drug ×side-effect association table. Integration of background knowledge concerning both chemical and biological spaces has been combined with a relational learning method for discovering rules which explicitly characterize drug-SEP associations. These rules are successfully used for predicting SEPs associated with new drugs.

Accurate reconstruction of viral quasispecies spectra through improved estimation of strain richness

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Estimating the number of different species (richness) in a mixed microbial population has been a main focus in metagenomic research. Existing methods of species richness estimation ride on the assumption that the reads in each assembled contig correspond to only one of the microbial genomes in the population. This assumption and the underlying probabilistic formulations of existing methods are not useful for quasispecies populations where the strains are highly genetically related. The lack of knowledge on the number of different strains in a quasispecies population is observed to hinder the precision of existing Viral Quasispecies Spectrum Reconstruction (QSR) methods due to the uncontrolled reconstruction of a large number of in silico false positives. In this work, we formulated a novel probabilistic method for strain richness estimation specifically targeting viral quasispecies. By using this approach we improved our recently proposed spectrum reconstruction pipeline ViQuaS to achieve higher levels of precision in reconstructed quasispecies spectra without compromising the recall rates. We also discuss how one other existing popular QSR method named ShoRAH can be improved using this new approach. Results On benchmark data sets, our estimation method provided accurate richness estimates (< 0.2 median estimation error) and improved the precision of ViQuaS by 2%-13% and F-score by 1%-9% without compromising the recall rates. We also demonstrate that our estimation method can be used to improve the precision and F-score of ShoRAH by 0%-7% and 0%-5% respectively. Conclusions The proposed probabilistic estimation method can be used to estimate the richness of viral populations with a quasispecies behavior and to improve the accuracy of the quasispecies spectra reconstructed by the existing methods ViQuaS and ShoRAH in the presence of a moderate level of technical sequencing errors. Availability http://sourceforge.net/projects/viquas/ PMID:26678073

Background Knowledge in Learning-Based Relation Extraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Do, Quang Xuan

2012-01-01

In this thesis, we study the importance of background knowledge in relation extraction systems. We not only demonstrate the benefits of leveraging background knowledge to improve the systems' performance but also propose a principled framework that allows one to effectively incorporate knowledge into statistical machine learning models for…

Reusing Design Knowledge Based on Design Cases and Knowledge Map

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yang, Cheng; Liu, Zheng; Wang, Haobai; Shen, Jiaoqi

2013-01-01

Design knowledge was reused for innovative design work to support designers with product design knowledge and help designers who lack rich experiences to improve their design capacity and efficiency. First, based on the ontological model of product design knowledge constructed by taxonomy, implicit and explicit knowledge was extracted from some…

Activation of Background Knowledge for Inference Making: Effects on Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elbro, Carsten; Buch-Iversen, Ida

2013-01-01

Failure to "activate" relevant, existing background knowledge may be a cause of poor reading comprehension. This failure may cause particular problems with inferences that depend heavily on prior knowledge. Conversely, teaching how to use background knowledge in the context of gap-filling inferences could improve reading comprehension in…

Teachers' literacy-related knowledge and self-perceptions in relation to preparation and experience.

PubMed

Spear-Swerling, Louise; Brucker, Pamela Owen; Alfano, Michael P

2005-12-01

After rating their own literacy-related knowledge in three areas (knowledge about reading/reading development, phonemic awareness/phonics, and morpheme awareness/structural analysis), graduate teacher-education students completed five tasks intended to measure their actual disciplinary knowledge in these areas. Teachers with high levels of prior background (i.e., course preparation and experience) rated themselves as significantly more knowledgeable than did low-background teachers in all areas; high-background participants also significantly outperformed low-background participants on all tasks. However, even high-background teachers scored well below ceiling on the tasks. Regression analyses indicated that teachers' self-perceptions and knowledge were positively influenced by both level of preparation and teaching experience, although the influences on teachers' knowledge differed by task. Teachers had some accurate perceptions of their own knowledge, especially in the area of phonics. Results suggest that differentiating levels of preparation may be useful in studying teacher knowledge, and also support the notion of a substantial gap between research on reading and teacher preparation in reading.

Promoting Students' Problem Solving Skills and Knowledge of STEM Concepts in a Data-Rich Learning Environment: Using Online Data as a Tool for Teaching about Renewable Energy Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thurmond, Brandi

2011-01-01

This study sought to compare a data-rich learning (DRL) environment that utilized online data as a tool for teaching about renewable energy technologies (RET) to a lecture-based learning environment to determine the impact of the learning environment on students' knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts related…

Effect of daily consumption of ß-cryptoxanthin-rich tangerines and ß-carotene-rich sweet potatoes on vitamin A and carotenoid concentrations in plasma and breast milk of Bangladeshi women with low vitamin A status

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: The potential of ß-cryptoxanthin-rich foods to form vitamin A (VA) in humans is not well understood. Objective: To measure the effects of consuming ß-cryptoxanthin (CX) and ß-carotene-rich (BC) foods on breast milk and plasma VA and carotenoids in VA deficient lactating women. Design: Su...

Co-op students' access to shared knowledge in science-rich workplaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munby, Hugh; Taylor, Jennifer; Chin, Peter; Hutchinson, Nancy L.

2007-01-01

Wenger's (1998) concepts community of practice, brokering, and transfer explain the challenges co-operative (co-op) education students face in relating the knowledge learned in school with what they learn while participating as members of a workplace. The research for this paper is set within the contexts of the knowledge economy and increased collaboration in the workplace. The paper draws on several qualitative studies of work-based education to examine the similarities and differences between learning in the workplace and learning in school, with a focus on science education and science-rich workplaces. Barriers to connecting school knowledge and workplace knowledge include the nature of science (its purpose, accountability, and substance), the structure of knowledge in each setting, the form content knowledge takes, the sequence that the curriculum is presented in, and the gatekeeping that occurs when knowledge is accessed. The paper addresses implications for interventions in school and the workplace, with attention to the transition from school to work, and concludes by pointing to profound obstacles to connecting school knowledge with workplace knowledge.

A comparison of traditional healers' medicinal plant knowledge in the Bolivian Andes and Amazon.

PubMed

Vandebroek, Ina; Van Damme, Patrick; Van Puyvelde, Luc; Arrazola, Susana; De Kimpe, Norbert

2004-08-01

Medicinal plant knowledge of two groups of traditional healers was thoroughly studied during a 2-year ethnobotanical survey in the Bolivian Andes (Quechua farmers from Apillapampa) and Amazon rainforest (Yuracaré-Trinitario slash-and-burn cultivators from Isiboro-Sécure National Park), respectively. Both areas represent ecologically and culturally diverse zones, differing in floristic diversity, physical accessibility to health care and degree of modernization, the latter evidenced by presence or intensity in use of modern services such as electricity, water distribution, and materials for house construction. It is generally believed that indigenous people have an impressive knowledge of useful plant species and that this knowledge reflects the plant wealth of their living environment. However, the present study shows that healers' knowledge of collected medicinal plants (expressed as percentage of plants known by name and use by the majority of healers) is higher in the Andean area characterised by a long history of anthropogenic activity, than in the biodiversity-rich rainforest (protected since 1965). Therefore, medicinal plant knowledge does not seem to depend on the level of plant diversity, degree of modernization or absence of Western health care infrastructure. Indeed, although Andean healers live in a floristically poorer environment, have adopted more modern services and have easier access to primary health care facilities, they are more knowledgeable about medicinal plants than rainforest healers who live isolated in an environment with considerable floristic/ecological variation and lack of Western health care. It is hypothesised that social factors underlying traditional medical practices (background of extensive family in traditional medicine) play an important role in transmission--and hence survival of knowledge on medicinal plants.

Developmental localization and the role of hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins during somatic embryogenesis of banana (Musa spp. AAA)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) are implicated to have a role in many aspects of plant growth and development but there is limited knowledge about their localization and function during somatic embryogenesis of higher plants. In this study, the localization and function of hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins in embryogenic cells (ECs) and somatic embryos of banana were investigated by using immunobloting and immunocytochemistry with monoclonal JIM11 and JIM20 antibodies as well as by treatment with 3,4-dehydro-L-proline (3,4-DHP, an inhibitor of extensin biosynthesis), and by immunomodulation with the JIM11 antibody. Results Immunofluorescence labelling of JIM11 and JIM20 hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein epitopes was relatively weak in non-embryogenic cells (NECs), mainly on the edge of small cell aggregates. On the other hand, hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein epitopes were found to be enriched in early embryogenic cells as well as in various developmental stages of somatic embryos. Embryogenic cells (ECs), proembryos and globular embryos showed strong labelling of hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein epitopes, especially in their cell walls and outer surface layer, so-called extracellular matrix (ECM). This hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein signal at embryo surfaces decreased and/or fully disappeared during later developmental stages (e.g. pear-shaped and cotyledonary stages) of embryos. In these later developmental embryogenic stages, however, new prominent hydroxyproline rich glycoprotein labelling appeared in tri-cellular junctions among parenchymatic cells inside these embryos. Overall immunofluorescence labelling of late stage embryos with JIM20 antibody was weaker than that of JIM11. Western blot analysis supported the above immunolocalization data. The treatment with 3,4-DHP inhibited the development of embryogenic cells and decreased the rate of embryo germination. Embryo-like structures, which developed after 3,4-DHP treatment showed aberrant non-compact epidermis with discontinuous ECM at the outer surface as well as much less immunolabelling with the JIM11 antibody. This treatment also decreased the plant regeneration capacity in embryogenic banana cultures. Finally, immunomodulation of surface hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins by co-culture of embryos with the JIM11 antibody resulted in a much lower germination capacity of these embryos. Conclusions These results suggest that hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins play an important developmental role, especially in the process of regeneration and germination of embryos during plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis. Proper content and localization of hydroxyproline rich glycoproteins seem to be essential for the formation and regeneration of banana somatic embryos. PMID:21349190

Beta-Cryptoxanthin- and alpha-carotene-rich foods have greater apparent bioavailability than beta-carotene-rich foods in Western diets

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Beta-carotene (BC), beta-cryptoxanthin (CX) and alpha-carotene (AC) are common carotenoids that form vitamin A (VA). Conversion ratios for VA formation have been set at 12:1 for BC- and 24:1 for CX- and AC-rich foods, respectively. These conversion ratios are based on chemical structure...

Activating Event Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hare, Mary; Jones, Michael; Thomson, Caroline; Kelly, Sarah; McRae, Ken

2009-01-01

An increasing number of results in sentence and discourse processing demonstrate that comprehension relies on rich pragmatic knowledge about real-world events, and that incoming words incrementally activate such knowledge. If so, then even outside of any larger context, nouns should activate knowledge of the generalized events that they denote or…

iSMART: Ontology-based Semantic Query of CDA Documents

PubMed Central

Liu, Shengping; Ni, Yuan; Mei, Jing; Li, Hanyu; Xie, Guotong; Hu, Gang; Liu, Haifeng; Hou, Xueqiao; Pan, Yue

2009-01-01

The Health Level 7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) is widely accepted as the format for electronic clinical document. With the rich ontological references in CDA documents, the ontology-based semantic query could be performed to retrieve CDA documents. In this paper, we present iSMART (interactive Semantic MedicAl Record reTrieval), a prototype system designed for ontology-based semantic query of CDA documents. The clinical information in CDA documents will be extracted into RDF triples by a declarative XML to RDF transformer. An ontology reasoner is developed to infer additional information by combining the background knowledge from SNOMED CT ontology. Then an RDF query engine is leveraged to enable the semantic queries. This system has been evaluated using the real clinical documents collected from a large hospital in southern China. PMID:20351883

Expanding color design methods for architecture and allied disciplines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linton, Harold E.

2002-06-01

The color design processes of visual artists, architects, designers, and theoreticians included in this presentation reflect the practical role of color in architecture. What the color design professional brings to the architectural design team is an expertise and rich sensibility made up of a broad awareness and a finely tuned visual perception. This includes a knowledge of design and its history, expertise with industrial color materials and their methods of application, an awareness of design context and cultural identity, a background in physiology and psychology as it relates to human welfare, and an ability to problem-solve and respond creatively to design concepts with innovative ideas. The broadening of the definition of the colorists's role in architectural design provides architects, artists and designers with significant opportunities for continued professional and educational development.

Enhancing Practice through Clinically Rich Methods Courses in Physical Education: Perceptions of Preservice Teachers and Their Cooperating Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flory, Sara Barnard; Burns, Rebecca West

2017-01-01

Similar to other teacher education disciplines, Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) must adjust to calls for clinically rich teacher preparation because knowledge learned in PETE does not easily transfer to cultures of schools, classrooms, and gymnasia. Opportunity exists to understand more about clinically rich PETE courses, particularly…

Knowledge, language and subjectivities in a discourse community: Ideas we can learn from elementary children about science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurth, Lori Ann

2000-10-01

In light of continuing poor performance by American students in school science, feminists and sociocultural researchers have demonstrated that we need to look beyond content to address the science needs of all school children. In this study I examined issues of discourse norms, knowledge, language and subjectivities (meaning personal and social observations and characteristics) in elementary science. Over a two-year period, I used an interpretive methodological approach to investigate science experiences in two first-second and second grade classrooms. I first established some of the norms and characteristics of the discourse communities through case studies of new students attempting to gain entry to whole class conversations. I then examined knowledge, a central focus of science education addressed by a variety of theoretical approaches. In these classrooms students co-constructed and built knowledge in their whole class science conversations sometimes following convergent (similar knowledge) and, at other times, divergent (differing knowledge) paths allowing for broader discourse. In both paths, there was gendered construction of knowledge in which same gender students elaborated the reasoning of previous speakers. In conjunction with these analyses, I examined what knowledge sources the students used in their science conversations. Students drew on a variety of informal and formal knowledge sources including personal experiences, other students, abstract logic and thought experiments, all of which were considered valid. In using sources from both in and out of school, students' knowledge bases were broader than traditional scientific content giving greater access and richness to their conversations. The next analysis focused on students' use of narrative and paradigmatic language forms in the whole class science conversations. Traditionally, only paradigmatic language forms have been used in science classrooms. The students in this study used both narrative and paradigmatic language by drawing on stories of personal experience as well as canonical scientific argument. As had the varied knowledge paths and sources, the use of both language forms contributed to a broader and richer scientific discourse. Finally, in studying students' written discourse through their journals, I found that students had expanded views of science as they incorporated many aspects of their subjective selves including self and human elements, thinking, emotions, etc. in their writing and drawing. The enactment of knowledge, language and subjectivities in these discourse communities was unique, rich and meaningful highlighting a broader, more accessible vision of science. I advocate that knowledge, language and subjectivities should be central concepts in the practices of science communities as demonstrated in these classrooms. In establishing and integrating these concepts, the use of alternative and traditional modes of expression should be supported as both necessary and complementary. Students and teachers must also jointly construct classroom discourse norms, talk and writing in specific ways in order to provide a safe, comfortable and meaningful learning environment. Many teachers, students and scientists would benefit from broader visions of science, which enrich scientific knowledge and practice and engage and value participants from many backgrounds.

Oral Skills and Knowledge of Languages: A Resource in Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negussie, Birgit

Ethiopia is a country with an old and rich oral tradition. The older generation is more knowledgeable than the younger in oral literature, and there is a need to document such knowledge before it is lost. Traditional health knowledge has come into focus as self-care for ailments has become more prevalent. Indigenous knowledge and its transmission…

The Utility of Reflective Writing after a Palliative Care Experience: Can We Assess Medical Students' Professionalism?

PubMed Central

Gill, Anne C.; Teal, Cayla R.; Morrison, Laura J.

2013-01-01

Abstract Background Medical education leaders have called for a curriculum that proactively teaches knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for professional practice and have identified professionalism as a competency domain for medical students. Exposure to palliative care (PC), an often deeply moving clinical experience, is an optimal trigger for rich student reflection, and students' reflective writings can be explored for professional attitudes. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the merit of using student reflective writing about a PC clinical experience to teach and assess professionalism. Methods After a PC patient visit, students wrote a brief reflective essay. We explored qualitatively if/how evidence of students' professionalism was reflected in their writing. Five essays were randomly chosen to develop a preliminary thematic structure, which then guided analysis of 30 additional, randomly chosen essays. Analysts coded transcripts independently, then collaboratively, developed thematic categories, and selected illustrative quotes for each theme and subtheme. Results Essays revealed content reflecting more rich information about students' progress toward achieving two professionalism competencies (demonstrating awareness of one's own perspectives and biases; demonstrating caring, compassion, empathy, and respect) than two others (displaying self-awareness of performance; recognizing and taking actions to correct deficiencies in one's own behavior, knowledge, and skill). Conclusions Professional attitudes were evident in all essays. The essays had limited use for formal summative assessment of professionalism competencies. However, given the increasing presence of PC clinical experiences at medical schools nationwide, we believe this assessment strategy for professionalism has merit and deserves further investigation. PMID:23937062

Modeling science: Supporting a more authentic epistemology of science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svoboda, Julia Marie

In this dissertation I argue that model-based inquiry has the potential to create experiences for students to consider how scientific knowledge is generated and evaluated - that is, for students to consider the epistemology of science. I also argue that such epistemically rich experiences can lead to shifts in students' conceptions of the nature of scientific knowledge. The context of this work is a yearlong biological modeling traineeship for undergraduate mathematics and biology majors called Collaborative Learning at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology (CLIMB). I used an ethnographically-based approach to collect detailed field notes, video, documents and interviews with faculty and students in CLIMB. The resulting dataset provides a rich description of the CLIMB program as well as students experiences in this program. Analysis of the CLIMB curriculum revealed that the degree to which students were treated as independent scholars and challenged with authentic problems influenced the productivity of their activity. A more detailed analysis of the nature of modeling tasks revealed that only when models were at the center of their activity did students have opportunities to consider epistemic themes relating to how knowledge is created and critiqued in science. Finally, a case study that followed a single student described how rich epistemically rich experiences with modeling have the potential to shift the ways in which students conceive of scientific knowledge and practice. It also provided evidence that supports the theory that students have complex multidimensional epistemic ecologies as opposed to static views about science. As a whole, this dissertation provides a rich description of how model-based inquiry can support learning about the epistemology of science and suggests that scientific modeling should have a more central role in science education.

Creating Vocabulary Item Types That Measure Students' Depth of Semantic Knowledge. Research Report. ETS RR-14-02

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deane, Paul; Lawless, René R.; Li, Chen; Sabatini, John; Bejar, Isaac I.; O'Reilly, Tenaha

2014-01-01

We expect that word knowledge accumulates gradually. This article draws on earlier approaches to assessing depth, but focuses on one dimension: richness of semantic knowledge. We present results from a study in which three distinct item types were developed at three levels of depth: knowledge of common usage patterns, knowledge of broad topical…

Using CoRes to Develop the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Early Career Science and Technology Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, John; Lockley, John

2012-01-01

Research has shown that one of the factors that enable effective teachers is their rich "Pedagogical Content Knowledge" (PCK), a special blend of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge that is built up over time and experience. This form of professional knowledge, first theorized by Shulman (1987), is topic-specific, unique to each…

LGI1 antibody encephalitis and psychosis.

PubMed

Wang, Dahai; Hao, Qinjian; He, Lan; Wang, Qiang

2018-05-01

To describe a case of leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1 antibody-encephalitis presenting with psychosis. Case report. A young man with leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1-antibody encephalitis initially presented with acute psychotic symptoms, short-term memory loss and faciobrachial dystonic seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed hippocampal lesions. Electroencephalography revealed frontotemporal slowing of background activity. Increased awareness of leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1-antibody encephalitis may promote early recognition and treatment.

Personal Background Knowledge Influences Cross-Cultural Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Xiaodong; Bransford, John D.

2010-01-01

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study was to investigate how two types of videos, personal background knowledge (PBK) and general background knowledge (GBK), affect people's interpretation of a classroom problem case that involved a disconnection between a foreign college professor and her students. The PBK video described the professor's…

Investigation on vitamin D knowledge, attitude and practice of university students in Nanjing, China.

PubMed

Zhou, Ming; Zhuang, Weiwei; Yuan, Yunyun; Li, Zhong; Cai, Yunqing

2016-01-01

To investigate university students' knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) regarding vitamin D. The students were requested to answer a questionnaire related to vitamin D and sun exposure. The consumption frequency of foods rich in vitamin D was assessed. Additionally, the intake of vitamin D-containing supplements was recorded. A medical university in Nanjing, China. Five hundred and fifteen medical students were included. The highest rate of correct responses for the quiz was 68·0 %, while the lowest was 9·6 %. Most students lacked sun exposure because they did not want to get tanned; 82·7 % of students used some sun protection and sunscreen use was more popular in the female group. The consumption frequency of foods rich in vitamin D was low and 5·6 % of the students used vitamin D supplements. The students' knowledge on vitamin D was derived mainly from the media and health professionals. Most of the students were interested to know more about vitamin D. The present study suggested that medical students had little knowledge and unfavourable behaviours. They should get more health education through the media and health professionals. It is advisable to increase their consumption of foods rich in vitamin D.

Local suppression of collectivity in the N=80 isotones at the Z=58 subshell closure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, C.; Rainovski, G.; Pietralla, N.; Bianco, D.; Blazhev, A.; Bloch, T.; Bönig, S.; Damyanova, A.; Danchev, M.; Gladnishki, K. A.; Kröll, T.; Leske, J.; Lo Iudice, N.; Möller, T.; Moschner, K.; Pakarinen, J.; Reiter, P.; Scheck, M.; Seidlitz, M.; Siebeck, B.; Stahl, C.; Stegmann, R.; Stora, T.; Stoyanov, Ch.; Tarpanov, D.; Vermeulen, M. J.; Voulot, D.; Warr, N.; Wenander, F.; Werner, V.; De Witte, H.

2013-08-01

Background: Recent data on N=80 isotones have suggested that the proton π(1g7/2) subshell closure at Z=58 has an impact on the properties of low-lying collective states.Purpose: Knowledge of the B(E2;21+→01+) value of 140Nd is needed in order to test this conjecture.Method: The unstable, neutron-rich nucleus 140Nd was investigated via projectile Coulomb excitation at the REX-ISOLDE facility with the MINIBALL spectrometer.Results: The B(E2) value of 33(2) W.u. expands the N=80 systematics beyond the Z=58 subshell closure.Conclusions: The measurement demonstrates that the reduced collectivity of 138Ce is a local effect possibly due to the Z=58 subshell closure and requests refined theoretical calculations. The latter predict a smoothly increasing trend.

Strategies for Teaching Healthy Behavior Conceptual Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kloeppel, Tiffany; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges

2012-01-01

By definition, conceptual knowledge is rich in relationships and understanding the kind of knowledge that may be transferred between situations. Despite the lack of importance that Conceptual Physical Education has been given in previous physical education reform efforts, research findings have shown that Conceptual Physical Education along with…

Social organization influences the exchange and species richness of medicinal plants in Amazonian homegardens.

PubMed

2016-03-01

Medicinal plants provide indigenous and peasant communities worldwide with means to meet their healthcare needs. Homegardens often act as medicine cabinets, providing easily accessible medicinal plants for household needs. Social structure and social exchanges have been proposed as factors influencing the species diversity that people maintain in their homegardens. Here, we assess the association between the exchange of medicinal knowledge and plant material and medicinal plant richness in homegardens. Using Tsimane' Amazonian homegardens as a case study, we explore whether social organization shapes exchanges of medicinal plant knowledge and medicinal plant material. We also use network centrality measures to evaluate people's location and performance in medicinal plant knowledge and plant material exchange networks. Our results suggest that social organization, specifically kinship and gender relations, influences medicinal plant exchange patterns significantly. Homegardens total and medicinal plant species richness are related to gardeners' centrality in the networks, whereby people with greater centrality maintain greater plant richness. Thus, together with agroecological conditions, social relations among gardeners and the culturally specific social structure seem to be important determinants of plant richness in homegardens. Understanding which factors pattern general species diversity in tropical homegardens, and medicinal plant diversity in particular, can help policy makers, health providers, and local communities to understand better how to promote and preserve medicinal plants in situ. Biocultural approaches that are also gender sensitive offer a culturally appropriate means to reduce the global and local loss of both biological and cultural diversity.

Effects of Working Memory Capacity and Domain Knowledge on Recall for Grocery Prices.

PubMed

Bermingham, Douglas; Gardner, Michael K; Woltz, Dan J

2016-01-01

Hambrick and Engle (2002) proposed 3 models of how domain knowledge and working memory capacity may work together to influence episodic memory: a "rich-get-richer" model, a "building blocks" model, and a "compensatory" model. Their results supported the rich-get-richer model, although later work by Hambrick and Oswald (2005) found support for a building blocks model. We investigated the effects of domain knowledge and working memory on recall of studied grocery prices. Working memory was measured with 3 simple span tasks. A contrast of realistic versus fictitious foods in the episodic memory task served as our manipulation of domain knowledge, because participants could not have domain knowledge of fictitious food prices. There was a strong effect for domain knowledge (realistic food-price pairs were easier to remember) and a moderate effect for working memory capacity (higher working memory capacity produced better recall). Furthermore, the interaction between domain knowledge and working memory produced a small but significant interaction in 1 measure of price recall. This supported the compensatory model and stands in contrast to previous research.

Mapping Literacy-Rich Environments: Geospatial Perspectives on Literacy and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jocson, Korina M.; Thorne-Wallington, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Background: Literacy-rich environments (LREs) reflect characteristics such as abundance of materials, daily literacy routine, and layout conducive for reading and writing. Shifting from previous conceptualizations, LREs are not confined to schools but are ubiquitous in formal and informal educational settings; they include libraries, museums,…

Learning Ecosystem Complexity: A Study on Small-Scale Fishers' Ecological Knowledge Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garavito-Bermúdez, Diana

2018-01-01

Small-scale fisheries are learning contexts of importance for generating, transferring and updating ecological knowledge of natural environments through everyday work practices. The rich knowledge fishers have of local ecosystems is the result of the intimate relationship fishing communities have had with their natural environments across…

Indigenous Knowledges and the Story of the Bean

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brayboy, Bryan McKinley Jones; Maughn, Emma

2009-01-01

In this article, Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy and Emma Maughn explore epistemic tensions within an Indigenous teacher preparation program where students question Western systems for creating, producing, reproducing, and valuing knowledge. Grounding their argument in a rich understanding of Indigenous Knowledge Systems, the authors advocate for an…

Documenting Reproduction and Inequality: Revisiting Jean Anyon's "Social Class and School Knowledge"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luke, Allan

2010-01-01

Jean Anyon's (1981) "Social Class and School Knowledge" was a landmark work in North American educational research. It provided a richly detailed qualitative description of differential, social class-based constructions of knowledge and epistemological stance. This essay situates Anyon's work in two parallel traditions of critical educational…

Domain-Specific Knowledge and General Skills in Reading Comprehension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhara-Kojima, Keiko; Hatano, Giyoo

A study examined whether the reading comprehension of students with rich domain-specific knowledge will be better than that of students without it and whether assessed general skills will be correlated significantly with reading comprehension performance for students without specific knowledge, but negligible for the students with much specific…

Science, Ideology, and "Reading, Writing and Riches."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nock, David A.; Nelson, Randle W.

1982-01-01

Responds to criticisms of "Reading, Writing and Riches." Treats the following topics: the interrelationship between knowledge, science, and ideology; the multiplicity of paradigms within sociology; the continuing debate between idealists and materialists; the dimensions of socioeconomic class and power; and the use of the comparative…

Awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid among non-pregnant Korean women of childbearing age

PubMed Central

Kim, Min Ji; Kim, Jihyun; Hwang, Eun Joung; Song, YoonJu; Kim, Heon

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. The purposes of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid supplements along with their associated factors among non-pregnant Korean women of childbearing age. SUBJECTS/METHODS From August 2012 to March 2013, 704 women aged 19–45 years completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid as well as questions to identify risk of inadequate folate intake. RESULTS Approximately 67% of women reported that they had heard of folic acid, and 23.7% had knowledge of both the role of folic acid in preventing birth defects and appropriate time for taking folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects. However, only 9.4% of women took folic acid supplements at the time of the survey. Women aged 19–24 years, unmarried women, and women who had never been pregnant were less likely to be aware and knowledgeable of folic acid or take folic acid supplements. In addition, women at high risk of inadequate folate intake were less likely to take folic acid supplements. In a multivariate analysis, women aged 19–24 years, women with a high school diploma or lower education level, and unmarried women were less likely to be aware and have knowledge of folic acid. The percentage of women taking folic acid supplements was significantly higher among knowledgeable women than among unknowledgeable women. CONCLUSIONS These results support our hypothesis that women with knowledge of folic acid are more likely to take folic acid supplements. Therefore, educational programs or campaigns to improve knowledge regarding the importance of folic acid and to promote consumption of folic acid supplements as well as folate-rich foods are needed to target young, less educated, and unmarried women. PMID:29399300

Investigating the Effects of Background Knowledge on Chinese Word Processing during Text Reading: Evidence from Eye Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jian, Yu-Cin; Ko, Hwa-Wei

2014-01-01

This study investigates the effects of background knowledge on Chinese word processing during silent reading by monitoring adult readers' eye movements. Both higher knowledge (physics major) and lower knowledge (nonphysics major) graduate students were given physics texts to read. Higher knowledge readers spent less time rereading and had…

Cluster richness-mass calibration with cosmic microwave background lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geach, James E.; Peacock, John A.

2017-11-01

Identifying galaxy clusters through overdensities of galaxies in photometric surveys is the oldest1,2 and arguably the most economical and mass-sensitive detection method3,4, compared with X-ray5-7 and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect8 surveys that detect the hot intracluster medium. However, a perennial problem has been the mapping of optical `richness' measurements onto total cluster mass3,9-12. Emitted at a conformal distance of 14 gigaparsecs, the cosmic microwave background acts as a backlight to all intervening mass in the Universe, and therefore has been gravitationally lensed13-15. Experiments such as the Atacama Cosmology Telescope16, South Pole Telescope17-19 and the Planck20 satellite have now detected gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background and produced large-area maps of the foreground deflecting structures. Here we present a calibration of cluster optical richness at the 10% level by measuring the average cosmic microwave background lensing measured by Planck towards the positions of large numbers of optically selected clusters, detecting the deflection of photons by structures of total mass of order 1014 M⊙. Although mainly aimed at the study of larger-scale structures, the Planck estimate of the cosmic microwave background lensing field can be used to recover a nearly unbiased lensing signal for stacked clusters on arcminute scales15,21. This approach offers a clean measure of total cluster masses over most of cosmic history, largely independent of baryon physics.

Marine Biodiversity in Japanese Waters

PubMed Central

Fujikura, Katsunori; Lindsay, Dhugal; Kitazato, Hiroshi; Nishida, Shuhei; Shirayama, Yoshihisa

2010-01-01

To understand marine biodiversity in Japanese waters, we have compiled information on the marine biota in Japanese waters, including the number of described species (species richness), the history of marine biology research in Japan, the state of knowledge, the number of endemic species, the number of identified but undescribed species, the number of known introduced species, and the number of taxonomic experts and identification guides, with consideration of the general ocean environmental background, such as the physical and geological settings. A total of 33,629 species have been reported to occur in Japanese waters. The state of knowledge was extremely variable, with taxa containing many inconspicuous, smaller species tending to be less well known. The total number of identified but undescribed species was at least 121,913. The total number of described species combined with the number of identified but undescribed species reached 155,542. This is the best estimate of the total number of species in Japanese waters and indicates that more than 70% of Japan's marine biodiversity remains un-described. The number of species reported as introduced into Japanese waters was 39. This is the first attempt to estimate species richness for all marine species in Japanese waters. Although its marine biota can be considered relatively well known, at least within the Asian-Pacific region, considering the vast number of different marine environments such as coral reefs, ocean trenches, ice-bound waters, methane seeps, and hydrothermal vents, much work remains to be done. We expect global change to have a tremendous impact on marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Japan is in a particularly suitable geographic situation and has a lot of facilities for conducting marine science research. Japan has an important responsibility to contribute to our understanding of life in the oceans. PMID:20689840

Comparative homegarden medical ethnobotany of Naxi healers and farmers in Northwestern Yunnan, China

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Homegardens are ecologically and culturally important systems for cultivating medicinal plants for wellbeing by healers and farmers in Naxi communities of the Sino Himalayan region. The cultivation of medicinal plants in Naxi communities and associated ethnomedical knowledge base for maintaining and utilizing these resources is at risk with expanded commercialization of natural resources, development policies and rapid socio-economic change in China. Research is needed to understand the medicinal plant species maintained in Naxi homegardens, their use and contribution to community wellbeing, and how these practices and knowledge base varies between Naxi healers and farmers in order to develop plans for biodiversity conservation and preservation of ethnomedical practices. The main objective of this study is to document and compare medicinal plant species in Naxi homegardens and associated ethnomedical knowledge between Naxi healers and farmers. Methods Ethnobotanical homegarden surveys were conducted with three Naxi healers and 28 farmer households in two Naxi communities in Lijiang Prefecture in Northwest Yunnan Province of China. Surveys included inventories of medicinal plants in homegardens and semi-structured interviews with homegarden managers to document traditional medicinal uses of inventoried plants. Inventoried plants were classified into 13 ‘usage categories’ of medical condition groupings that impact a system of the body. Finally, plant species richness was calculated for each homegarden and species richness was compared between healers and farmers as well as between study sites using a Least Square Means Tukey HSD function. Results Ethnobotanical surveys at the study sites found that 13% of households rely exclusively on traditional Naxi medicine, 26% exclusively use Western medicine and 61% use a combination of traditional Naxi and Western medicine. A total of 106 medicinal plants were inventoried in Naxi homegardens representing 50 botanical families. Over 85% of inventoried medicinal plants were herbaceous. The most represented families were Asteraceae (12.8%), Ranunculaceae (8.3%), Apiaceae (8.3%), and Polygonaceae (7.3%). The primary medical functions of inventoried plants were to treat inflammation (73 species), circulatory system disorders (62), nervous system disorders (41), detoxification (39), digestive system disorders (33), muscular-skeletal system disorders (26), genitourinary system disorders (26), skin conditions (23), respiratory systems disorders (22), and cold and flu (20). Local herbal experts maintained greater medicinal plant species richness in their homegardens compared to local farmers as well as had greater knowledge of medicinal functions of plants. Healers maintained medicinal plants primarily for healing while farmer households maintained approximately 90% of the medicinal plants in their homegardens for commercialization and the remaining for household healthcare. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of biodiversity and traditional ecological and medical knowledge for human wellbeing and livelihoods in Naxi communities. Conservation efforts and policies are necessary to preserve the ecological and cultural base that maintains medicinal plant use by both healers and farmers in Naxi homegardens of the Sino Himalayan region. PMID:24410825

The Long History of Iron in the Universe and in Health and Disease

PubMed Central

Sheftel, Alex D.; Mason, Anne B.; Ponka, Prem

2011-01-01

Background Not long after the Big Bang, iron began to play a central role in the Universe and soon became mired in the tangle of biochemistry that is the prima essentia of life. Since life’s addiction to iron transcends the oxygenation of the Earth’s atmosphere, living things must be protected from the potentially dangerous mix of iron and oxygen. The human being possesses grams of this potentially toxic transition metal, which is shuttling through his oxygen-rich humor. Since long before the birth of modern medicine, the blood—vibrant red from a massive abundance of hemoglobin iron—has been a focus for health experts. Scope of Review We describe the current understanding of iron metabolism, highlight the many important discoveries that accreted this knowledge, and describe the perils of dysfunctional iron handling. General Significance Isaac Newton famously penned, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants”. We hope that this review will inspire future scientists to develop intellectual pursuits by understanding the research and ideas from many remarkable thinkers of the past. Major Conclusions The history of iron research is a long, rich story with early beginnings, and is far from being finished. PMID:21856378

Learning and Consolidation of New Spoken Words in Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Lisa; Powell, Anna; Gaskell, M. Gareth; Norbury, Courtenay

2014-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by rich heterogeneity in vocabulary knowledge and word knowledge that is not well accounted for by current cognitive theories. This study examines whether individual differences in vocabulary knowledge in ASD might be partly explained by a difficulty with consolidating newly learned spoken words…

Building Faculty Capacity through the Learning Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moy, Elizabeth; O'Sullivan, Gerard; Terlecki, Melissa; Jernstedt, Christian

2014-01-01

Discoveries in the learning sciences (especially in neuroscience) have yielded a rich and growing body of knowledge about how students learn, yet this knowledge is only half of the story. The other half is "know how," i.e. the application of this knowledge. For faculty members, that means applying the discoveries of the learning sciences…

Negotiating Knowledge Contribution to Multiple Discourse Communities: A Doctoral Student of Computer Science Writing for Publication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Yongyan

2006-01-01

Despite the rich literature on disciplinary knowledge construction and multilingual scholars' academic literacy practices, little is known about how novice scholars are engaged in knowledge construction in negotiation with various target discourse communities. In this case study, with a focused analysis of a Chinese computer science doctoral…

Searching for Synergy: Integrating Traditional and Scientific Ecological Knowledge in Environmental Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimmerer, Robin Wall

2012-01-01

Scientific ecological knowledge (SEK) is a powerful discipline for diagnosing and analyzing environmental degradation, but has been far less successful in devising sustainable solutions which lie at the intersection of nature and culture. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of indigenous and local peoples is rich in prescriptions for the…

Improving Low-Income Preschoolers' Word and World Knowledge: The Effects of Content-Rich Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neuman, Susan B.; Kaefer, Tanya; Pinkham, Ashley M.

2016-01-01

This study examined the efficacy of a shared book-reading approach to integrating literacy and science instruction. The purpose was to determine whether teaching science vocabulary using information text could improve low-income preschoolers' word knowledge, conceptual development, and content knowledge in the life sciences. Teachers in 17…

The Cognitive Relevance of Indigenous and Rural: Why Is It Critical to Survival?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kassam, Karim-Aly S.; Avery, Leanne M.; Ruelle, Morgan L.

2017-01-01

Using two case studies of children's knowledge, this paper sheds light on the value, diversity, and necessity of Indigenous and place-based knowledge to science and engineering curricula in rural areas. Rural contexts are rich environments for cultivating contextual knowledge, hence framing a critical pedagogy of teaching and learning. Indigenous…

Experiences with food insecurity and risky sex among low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in a resource-rich setting

PubMed Central

Whittle, Henry J; Palar, Kartika; Napoles, Tessa; Hufstedler, Lee Lemus; Ching, Irene; Hecht, Frederick M; Frongillo, Edward A; Weiser, Sheri D

2015-01-01

Background Forty-nine million individuals are food insecure in the United States, where food insecurity and HIV/AIDS are prevalent among the urban poor. Food insecurity is associated with risky sexual behaviours among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). No qualitative studies, however, have investigated the mechanisms underlying this relationship either in a resource-rich setting or among populations that include men who have sex with men (MSM). Methods Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 34 low-income PLHIV receiving food assistance in the San Francisco Bay Area. The interviews explored experiences with food insecurity and perceived associations with sexual risk behaviours. Interviews were conducted in English, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analyzed according to content analysis methods using an inductive-deductive approach. Results Food insecurity was reported to be a strong contributor to risky sexual practices among MSM and female participants. Individuals described engaging in transactional sex for food or money to buy food, often during times of destitution. Participants also explained how food insecurity could lead to condomless sex despite knowledge of and desire to use safe sexual practices, largely because the need to obtain food in the short term was prioritized over the desire to use barrier protection. Conclusions Our data extend previous research by demonstrating that food insecurity contributes to transactional and unprotected sex among urban poor individuals in a resource-rich setting, including among MSM. These findings underscore the importance of public health and social intervention efforts focused on structural inequalities. PMID:26546789

Leadership for a Technology-Rich Educational Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riedl, Richard; Smith, Tracy; Ware, Anita; Wark, Alan; Yount, Peter

This paper emphasizes the importance of exploring the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that will enable individuals in educational leadership positions to function effectively and to provide support to create and maintain technology-rich educational systems. The discussion is guided by the following five elements, the understanding of which are…

Pre-Existing Background Knowledge Influences Socioeconomic Differences in Preschoolers' Word Learning and Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaefer, Tanya; Neuman, Susan B.; Pinkham, Ashley M.

2015-01-01

The goal of the current study is to explore the influence of knowledge on socioeconomic discrepancies in word learning and comprehension. After establishing socioeconomic differences in background knowledge (Study 1), the authors presented children with a storybook that incorporates this knowledge (Study 2). Results indicated that middle-income…

Structuring and extracting knowledge for the support of hypothesis generation in molecular biology

PubMed Central

Roos, Marco; Marshall, M Scott; Gibson, Andrew P; Schuemie, Martijn; Meij, Edgar; Katrenko, Sophia; van Hage, Willem Robert; Krommydas, Konstantinos; Adriaans, Pieter W

2009-01-01

Background Hypothesis generation in molecular and cellular biology is an empirical process in which knowledge derived from prior experiments is distilled into a comprehensible model. The requirement of automated support is exemplified by the difficulty of considering all relevant facts that are contained in the millions of documents available from PubMed. Semantic Web provides tools for sharing prior knowledge, while information retrieval and information extraction techniques enable its extraction from literature. Their combination makes prior knowledge available for computational analysis and inference. While some tools provide complete solutions that limit the control over the modeling and extraction processes, we seek a methodology that supports control by the experimenter over these critical processes. Results We describe progress towards automated support for the generation of biomolecular hypotheses. Semantic Web technologies are used to structure and store knowledge, while a workflow extracts knowledge from text. We designed minimal proto-ontologies in OWL for capturing different aspects of a text mining experiment: the biological hypothesis, text and documents, text mining, and workflow provenance. The models fit a methodology that allows focus on the requirements of a single experiment while supporting reuse and posterior analysis of extracted knowledge from multiple experiments. Our workflow is composed of services from the 'Adaptive Information Disclosure Application' (AIDA) toolkit as well as a few others. The output is a semantic model with putative biological relations, with each relation linked to the corresponding evidence. Conclusion We demonstrated a 'do-it-yourself' approach for structuring and extracting knowledge in the context of experimental research on biomolecular mechanisms. The methodology can be used to bootstrap the construction of semantically rich biological models using the results of knowledge extraction processes. Models specific to particular experiments can be constructed that, in turn, link with other semantic models, creating a web of knowledge that spans experiments. Mapping mechanisms can link to other knowledge resources such as OBO ontologies or SKOS vocabularies. AIDA Web Services can be used to design personalized knowledge extraction procedures. In our example experiment, we found three proteins (NF-Kappa B, p21, and Bax) potentially playing a role in the interplay between nutrients and epigenetic gene regulation. PMID:19796406

Species richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: associations with grassland plant richness and biomass.

PubMed

Hiiesalu, Inga; Pärtel, Meelis; Davison, John; Gerhold, Pille; Metsis, Madis; Moora, Mari; Öpik, Maarja; Vasar, Martti; Zobel, Martin; Wilson, Scott D

2014-07-01

Although experiments show a positive association between vascular plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) species richness, evidence from natural ecosystems is scarce. Furthermore, there is little knowledge about how AMF richness varies with belowground plant richness and biomass. We examined relationships among AMF richness, above- and belowground plant richness, and plant root and shoot biomass in a native North American grassland. Root-colonizing AMF richness and belowground plant richness were detected from the same bulk root samples by 454-sequencing of the AMF SSU rRNA and plant trnL genes. In total we detected 63 AMF taxa. Plant richness was 1.5 times greater belowground than aboveground. AMF richness was significantly positively correlated with plant species richness, and more strongly with below- than aboveground plant richness. Belowground plant richness was positively correlated with belowground plant biomass and total plant biomass, whereas aboveground plant richness was positively correlated only with belowground plant biomass. By contrast, AMF richness was negatively correlated with belowground and total plant biomass. Our results indicate that AMF richness and plant belowground richness are more strongly related with each other and with plant community biomass than with the plant aboveground richness measures that have been almost exclusively considered to date. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Traditional knowledge and use of wild mushrooms by Mixtecs or Ñuu savi, the people of the rain, from Southeastern Mexico.

PubMed

Santiago, Faustino Hernández; Moreno, Jesús Pérez; Cázares, Beatriz Xoconostle; Suárez, Juan José Almaraz; Trejo, Enrique Ojeda; de Oca, Gerardo Mata Montes; Aguilar, Irma Díaz

2016-09-05

Mexico is an important global reservoir of biological and cultural richness and traditional knowledge of wild mushrooms. However, there is a high risk of loss of this knowledge due to the erosion of traditional human cultures which is related with the rapid acculturation linked to high migration of rural populations to cities and the U.S.A., and the loss of natural ecosystems. The Mixtec people, the third largest native group in Mexico only after the Nahua and the Maya, maintain ancient traditions in the use and knowledge of wild mushrooms. Paradoxically, there are few studies of the Mixtec ethnomycology. This study shows our ethnomycological research, mainly focused on knowledge and use of wild mushrooms in communities of the Mixteca Alta, in southeastern Mexico. We hypothesized that among the studied communities those with a combination of higher vegetation cover of natural pine and oak forests, lower soil erosion and higher economic margination had a greater richness and knowledge of wild mushrooms. Our study therefore aimed to record traditional knowledge, use, nomenclature and classification of wild mushrooms in four Mixtec communities and to analyze how these aspects vary according to environmental and cultural conditions among the studied communities. In order to analyze the cultural significance of wild mushrooms for the Mixtec people, 116 non-structured and semi-structured interviews were performed from 2009 to 2014. Information about the identified species, particularly the regional nomenclature and classification, their edibility, toxicity and ludic uses, the habitat of useful mushrooms, traditional recipes and criteria to differentiate between toxic and edible species, and mechanisms of knowledge transmission were studied. The research had the important particularity that the first author is Mixtec, native of the study area. A comparative qualitative analysis between the richness of fungal species used locally and the official information of the natural vegetation cover, soil erosion and economic marginalization in each of the studied communities was conducted. A total of 106 species of mushrooms were identified growing in pine and oak forest, deciduous tropical forest and grassland; among the identified mushrooms we recorded 26 species locally consumed, 18 considered toxic, 6 having ludic uses and the remaining 56 species not being used in the studied areas but some of them having potential as food (56 species) or medicine (28 species). We recorded that 80, 22 and 4 species are ectomycorrhizal, saprotrophic and parasites, respectively. Our study shows that a complex and accurate knowledge related with the use, nomenclature, classification, ecology, gastronomy of wild mushrooms has been developed by Mixtecs; and that there is a relation between natural vegetation cover, lower soil erosion and higher economic marginalization and richness, knowledge and use of mushrooms in the studied communites. Our study showed that conservation and adaptation of ancestral mycological knowledge survives mainly through oral transmition, maintenance of cultural identity, forest protection, preservation native language and also paradoxically through the current socieconomical marginality among the Mixtec people. We also found that those studied communities with a combination of higher vegetation cover of natural pine and oak forests, lower soil erosion and higher economic marginalization showed a greater richness and knowledge of wild mushrooms. Use and sustainable management of wild mushrooms can be an alternative for local integrated development, but local knowledge and traditional worldview should be included into the regional programs of Mixtec biocultural conservation.

Deregulation upon DNA damage revealed by joint analysis of context-specific perturbation data

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Deregulation between two different cell populations manifests itself in changing gene expression patterns and changing regulatory interactions. Accumulating knowledge about biological networks creates an opportunity to study these changes in their cellular context. Results We analyze re-wiring of regulatory networks based on cell population-specific perturbation data and knowledge about signaling pathways and their target genes. We quantify deregulation by merging regulatory signal from the two cell populations into one score. This joint approach, called JODA, proves advantageous over separate analysis of the cell populations and analysis without incorporation of knowledge. JODA is implemented and freely available in a Bioconductor package 'joda'. Conclusions Using JODA, we show wide-spread re-wiring of gene regulatory networks upon neocarzinostatin-induced DNA damage in Human cells. We recover 645 deregulated genes in thirteen functional clusters performing the rich program of response to damage. We find that the clusters contain many previously characterized neocarzinostatin target genes. We investigate connectivity between those genes, explaining their cooperation in performing the common functions. We review genes with the most extreme deregulation scores, reporting their involvement in response to DNA damage. Finally, we investigate the indirect impact of the ATM pathway on the deregulated genes, and build a hypothetical hierarchy of direct regulation. These results prove that JODA is a step forward to a systems level, mechanistic understanding of changes in gene regulation between different cell populations. PMID:21693013

Nanomaterials Versus Ambient Ultrafine Particles: An Opportunity to Exchange Toxicology Knowledge

PubMed Central

Miller, Mark R.; Clift, Martin J.D.; Elder, Alison; Mills, Nicholas L.; Møller, Peter; Schins, Roel P.F.; Vogel, Ulla; Kreyling, Wolfgang G.; Alstrup Jensen, Keld; Kuhlbusch, Thomas A.J.; Schwarze, Per E.; Hoet, Peter; Pietroiusti, Antonio; De Vizcaya-Ruiz, Andrea; Baeza-Squiban, Armelle; Teixeira, João Paulo; Tran, C. Lang; Cassee, Flemming R.

2017-01-01

Background: A rich body of literature exists that has demonstrated adverse human health effects following exposure to ambient air particulate matter (PM), and there is strong support for an important role of ultrafine (nanosized) particles. At present, relatively few human health or epidemiology data exist for engineered nanomaterials (NMs) despite clear parallels in their physicochemical properties and biological actions in in vitro models. Objectives: NMs are available with a range of physicochemical characteristics, which allows a more systematic toxicological analysis. Therefore, the study of ultrafine particles (UFP, <100 nm in diameter) provides an opportunity to identify plausible health effects for NMs, and the study of NMs provides an opportunity to facilitate the understanding of the mechanism of toxicity of UFP. Methods: A workshop of experts systematically analyzed the available information and identified 19 key lessons that can facilitate knowledge exchange between these discipline areas. Discussion: Key lessons range from the availability of specific techniques and standard protocols for physicochemical characterization and toxicology assessment to understanding and defining dose and the molecular mechanisms of toxicity. This review identifies a number of key areas in which additional research prioritization would facilitate both research fields simultaneously. Conclusion: There is now an opportunity to apply knowledge from NM toxicology and use it to better inform PM health risk research and vice versa. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP424 PMID:29017987

Rural Households' Attitude and Economic Strategies Toward the Conversion of Cropland to Forest and Grassland Program (CCFG): A Case Study in Qira, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Hua; Lu, Yonglong; Xing, Ying; He, Guizhen; Sun, Yamei

2009-06-01

The Conversion of Cropland to Forest and Grassland Program (CCFG), which was initiated by the Chinese government in 1999, is a cropland retirement program with integrated objectives for ecological preservation and local development. The purpose of this article was to study the influencing factors of attitude and economic strategies in rural households toward the CCFG. Rural households’ knowledge, attitude and economic strategies toward the CCFG were investigated through a questionnaire survey in Qira, China. Influencing factors of attitude and strategies of households were analyzed using a logit model technique. The analysis indicated that household’s income level, environmental knowledge of the program, and program implementation were significant influencing factors in a household’s attitude toward the CCFG, while major influencing factors of household strategies were their regional background and availability of income generation sources. Meaningful association was not found between attitude and strategy choices. Rich households had more strategy choices, while poor households were usually confined to low input strategies with uncertain income. To sustain their livelihood, the poor need extra assistances in marketing, loan granting, employment training, information, and technical services.

Word add-in for ontology recognition: semantic enrichment of scientific literature

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In the current era of scientific research, efficient communication of information is paramount. As such, the nature of scholarly and scientific communication is changing; cyberinfrastructure is now absolutely necessary and new media are allowing information and knowledge to be more interactive and immediate. One approach to making knowledge more accessible is the addition of machine-readable semantic data to scholarly articles. Results The Word add-in presented here will assist authors in this effort by automatically recognizing and highlighting words or phrases that are likely information-rich, allowing authors to associate semantic data with those words or phrases, and to embed that data in the document as XML. The add-in and source code are publicly available at http://www.codeplex.com/UCSDBioLit. Conclusions The Word add-in for ontology term recognition makes it possible for an author to add semantic data to a document as it is being written and it encodes these data using XML tags that are effectively a standard in life sciences literature. Allowing authors to mark-up their own work will help increase the amount and quality of machine-readable literature metadata. PMID:20181245

Automated Knowledge Generation with Persistent Surveillance Video

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-26

5 2.1 Artificial Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.1 Formal Logic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2.1.2...background of Artificial Intelligence and the reasoning engines that will be applied to generate knowledge from data. Section 2.2 discusses background on...generation from persistent video. 4 II. Background In this chapter, we will discuss the background of Artificial Intelligence, Semantic Web, image

Developing the Next Generation of International Safeguards and Nonproliferation Experts: Highlights of Select Activities at the National Laboratories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reed, J; Mathews, C; Kirk, B

2010-03-31

With many safeguards experts in the United States at or near retirement age, and with the growing and evolving mission of international safeguards, attracting and educating a new generation of safeguards experts is an important element of maintaining a credible and capable international safeguards system. The United States National Laboratories, with their rich experience in addressing the technical and policy challenges of international safeguards, are an important resource for attracting, educating, and training future safeguards experts. This presentation highlights some of the safeguards education and professional development activities underway at the National Laboratories. These include university outreach, summer courses, internships,more » mid-career transition, knowledge retention, and other projects. The presentation concludes with thoughts on the challenge of interdisciplinary education and the recruitment of individuals with the right balance of skills and backgrounds are recruited to meet tomorrow's needs.« less

Evidence-based periodontal therapy: An overview

PubMed Central

Vijayalakshmi, R.; Anitha, V.; Ramakrishnan, T.; Sudhakar, Uma

2008-01-01

Dentists need to make clinical decisions based on limited scientific evidence. In clinical practice, a clinician must weigh a myriad of evidences every day. The goal of evidence-based dentistry is to help practitioners provide their patients with optimal care. This is achieved by integrating sound research evidence with personal clinical expertise and patient values to determine the best course of treatment. Periodontology has a rich background of research and scholarship. Therefore, efficient use of this wealth of research data needs to be a part of periodontal practice. Evidence-based periodontology aims to facilitate such an approach and it offers a bridge from science to clinical practice. The clinician must integrate the evidence with patient preference, scientific knowledge, and personal experience. Most important, it allows us to care for our patients. Therefore, evidence-based periodontology is a tool to support decision-making and integrating the best evidence available with clinical practice. PMID:20142947

Limb Sensing, on the Path to Better Weather Forecasting.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordley, L. L.; Marshall, B. T.; Lachance, R. L.; Fritts, D. C.; Fisher, J.

2017-12-01

Earth limb observations from orbiting sensors have a rich history. The cold space background, long optical paths, and limb geometry provide formidable advantages for calibration, sensitivity and retrieval of vertically well-resolved geophysical parameters. The measurement of limb ray refraction now provides temperature and pressure profiles unburdened by requirements of spectral calibration or gas concentration knowledge, leading to reliable long-term trends. This talk discusses those advantages and our relevant achievements with data from the SOFIE instrument on the AIM satellite. We then describe a path to advances in calibration, sensitivity, profile fidelity, and synergy between limb sensors and nadir sounders. These advances also include small-sat compatible size, elimination of on-board calibration systems and simple static designs, dramatically reducing risk, complexity and cost. Finally, we show how these advances, made possible by modern ADCS, FPA and GPS capabilities, will lead to improvements in weather forecasting and climate observation.

A collaboration among health sciences schools to enhance faculty development in teaching.

PubMed

Sicat, Brigitte L; O'Kane Kreutzer, Kathy; Gary, Judy; Ivey, Carole K; Marlowe, Elizabeth P; Pellegrini, Joan M; Shuford, Veronica P; Simons, Dianne F

2014-06-17

Those involved in providing faculty development may be among only a few individuals for whom faculty development is an interest and priority within their work setting. Furthermore, funding to support faculty development is limited. In 2010, an interprofessional, self-formed, faculty learning community on faculty development in teaching was established to promote collaboration on faculty development initiatives that have transference to faculty members across disciplines and to share expertise and resources for wider impact. The organic structure and processes of the faculty learning community created an environment that has not only resulted in an increased offering of faculty development opportunities and resources across the health science campus, but has created a rich environment that combines the knowledge, innovation, and experience to promote collaborative efforts that benefit all. The background, structure, processes, successes, and lessons learned of the interprofessional faculty learning community on faculty development in teaching are described.

Clinical innovation for promoting family care in paediatric intensive care: demonstration, role modelling and reflective practice.

PubMed

Tomlinson, Patricia S; Thomlinson, Elizabeth; Peden-McAlpine, Cynthia; Kirschbaum, Mark

2002-04-01

To explore family caregiving problems in paediatric crisis care and methods that could be applied to move the abstraction of family care to development of specific family interventions. Family centred care has been accepted as the ideal philosophy for holistic health care of children, but methods for its implementation are not well established. In paediatric health crises, family care requires special sensitivity to family needs and a type of complex nursing care for which many practitioners are not sufficiently prepared. Developing family sensitive models of intervention and finding a strategy for transfer of this knowledge to clinical practice is an important challenge facing family nursing today. Social learning theory provides a rich background to explore these issues. Specific techniques of role modelling and reflective practice are suggested as effective approaches to teach family sensitive care in clinical settings where families are part of the care environment.

Diversity is maintained by seasonal variation in species abundance

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Some of the most marked temporal fluctuations in species abundances are linked to seasons. In theory, multispecies assemblages can persist if species use shared resources at different times, thereby minimizing interspecific competition. However, there is scant empirical evidence supporting these predictions and, to the best of our knowledge, seasonal variation has never been explored in the context of fluctuation-mediated coexistence. Results Using an exceptionally well-documented estuarine fish assemblage, sampled monthly for over 30 years, we show that temporal shifts in species abundances underpin species coexistence. Species fall into distinct seasonal groups, within which spatial resource use is more heterogeneous than would be expected by chance at those times when competition for food is most intense. We also detect seasonal variation in the richness and evenness of the community, again linked to shifts in resource availability. Conclusions These results reveal that spatiotemporal shifts in community composition minimize competitive interactions and help stabilize total abundance. PMID:24007204

Antiproton identification below threshold with the AMS-02 RICH detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zi-Yuan; Delgado Mendez, Carlos Jose; Giovacchini, Francesca; Haino, Sadakazu; Hoffman, Julia

2017-05-01

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), which is installed on the International Space Station (ISS), has been collecting data successfully since May 2011. The main goals of AMS-02 are the search for cosmic anti-matter, dark matter and the precise measurement of the relative abundance of elements and isotopes in galactic cosmic rays. In order to identify particle properties, AMS-02 includes several specialized sub-detectors. Among these, the AMS-02 Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector (RICH) is designed to provide a very precise measurement of the velocity and electric charge of particles. We describe a method to reject the dominant electron background in antiproton identification with the use of the AMS-02 RICH detector as a veto for rigidities below 3 GV. A ray tracing integration method is used to maximize the statistics of p¯ with the lowest possible e- background, providing 4 times rejection power gain for e- background with respect to only 3% of p¯ signal efficiency loss. By using the collected cosmic-ray data, e- contamination can be well suppressed within 3% with β ≈ 1, while keeping 76% efficiency for p¯ below the threshold. Supported by China Scholarship Council (CSC) under Grant No.201306380027.

Creating Connections: Using the Internet to Support Struggling Readers' Background Knowledge. Issues in Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karchmer, Rachel A.

2004-01-01

Background knowledge plays an important role in one?s ability to learn. We learn new knowledge by relating it to our prior knowledge, which in turn provides concrete understanding (Piaget, 1969). Rosenblatt (1996) explained, "The reader brings to the work personality traits, memories of past events, present needs and preoccupations, a…

Microbial Quality, Nutritional Knowledge and Food Hygienic Practices among Street Food Vendors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gowri, B.; Vasantha Devi, K. P.; Sivakumar, M.

2011-01-01

Since all categories of people from different socio-economic sectors purchase street foods; the street foods should not only be cheap but also hygienic and rich in nutrition. The investigators with their nutrition knowledge had an urge to study the nutrition knowledge of the vendors, whether the foods prepared are nutritionally sound or not?, are…

Development of an Inquiry-Based Learning Support System Based on an Intelligent Knowledge Exploration Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Ji-Wei; Tseng, Judy C. R.; Hwang, Gwo-Jen

2015-01-01

Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is an effective approach for promoting active learning. When inquiry-based learning is incorporated into instruction, teachers provide guiding questions for students to actively explore the required knowledge in order to solve the problems. Although the World Wide Web (WWW) is a rich knowledge resource for students to…

Digital Technology in Teaching International Business: Is a Tradeoff between Richness and Reach Required?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wymbs, Cliff; Kijne, Hugo

2003-01-01

This analysis extends the traditional marketing tradeoffs between richness (depth of knowledge) and reach (geographic area coverage) to the emerging technology-mediated education industry, and then specifically evaluates their effect on the teaching of international business. It asserts that interactive learning, particularly as it applies to team…

The Brink of Change: Gender in Technology-Rich Collaborative Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Jessica; Puntambeka, Sadhana

2004-01-01

This study was designed to contribute to a small but growing body of knowledge on the influence of gender in technology-rich collaborative learning environments. The study examined middle school students attitudes towards using computers and working in groups during scientific inquiry. Students attitudes towards technology and group work were…

Current Concepts of Maternal Nutrition

PubMed Central

Lowensohn, Richard I.; Stadler, Diane D.; Naze, Christie

2016-01-01

Background A nutrient-rich maternal diet before and during pregnancy is associated with improved fetal health, more appropriate birth weight, and increased rates of maternal and infant survival. Physicians need a better understanding of the role of diet in shaping fetal outcomes. Given this background, we reviewed and summarized articles on maternal nutrition found in MEDLINE since 1981, written in English, and limited to human subjects. For the Offspring Maternal diets high in sugar and fat lead to an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life. Folic acid should be supplemented prior to conception and continued through at least the first 28 days of fetal life to prevent neural tube defects, and vitamin C should be given to women who smoke to lower the incidence of asthma and wheezing in the children. Iodine deficiency is increasing, and iodine should be included in prenatal supplements. If the maternal hemoglobin is 7 g/dL or more, there is no evidence that iron supplementation is needed. Fish intake during pregnancy is protective against atopic outcomes, whereas high-meat diets contribute to elevated adult blood pressure and hypersecretion of cortisol. For the Mother Calcium supplementation lowers the risk of preeclampsia and hypertensive disease in pregnancy. Conclusions Given the limits of our current knowledge, a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and selected fish is desirable for the best outcomes. Diets high in sugar and fat lead to higher rates of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Folic acid, iodine, and calcium in all pregnant women and vitamin C in smokers are the only supplements so far shown to be of value for routine use. The physician treating a pregnant woman should be ready to advise a healthy diet for the benefit of the fetus. Target Audience Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians Learning Objectives After participating in this activity, the obstetricians, gynecologists, and family physicians should be better able to discuss the role of various diets in helping with healthy fetal development; understand the role of diet prior to conception and throughout the pregnancy; and develop knowledge of the role of the maternal diet in affecting the risk for development of diabetes, cardiac disease, cancer, and allergic disease in the offspring. PMID:27436176

Is There Any Interaction between Background Knowledge and Language Proficiency That Affects "TOEFL iBT"® Reading Performance? TOEFL iBT® Research Report. TOEFL iBT-18. ETS Research Report RR-12-22

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Yao Zhang; Liu, Ou Lydia

2012-01-01

This study investigated the effect of the interaction between test takers' background knowledge and language proficiency on their performance on the "TOEFL iBT"® reading section. Test takers with the target content background knowledge (the focal groups) and those without (the reference groups) were identified for each of the 5 selected…

Ethnomedicinal plants used to treat human ailments in the prehistoric place of Harla and Dengego valleys, eastern Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Traditional medicines remained as the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary health care system among diverse communities in Ethiopia. The Oromo community living in the prehistoric Harla and Dengego valleys has long history of ethnomedicinal know-how and practice against human and livestock ailments. However, this rich ethnomedicinal knowledge had been remained unexplored hitherto. This study focus on the comprehensive ethnomedicinal investigation in an attempt to safeguard the deteriorating ethnomedicinal knowledge that can be used as a steppingstone for phytochemical and pharmacological analysis. Methods Fifty five (44 male and 11 female) systematically selected informants including ten traditional herbalists (key informants) were participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews, discussions and guided field walk constituted the data collection methods. Factor of informant consensus (Fic), frequency of citation (F%), and binomial test were employed in data analysis. Medicinal plant specimens were collected, identified and kept at Herbarium of Haramaya University (HHU). Results A total of 83 traditional medicinal plant species against human ailments in 70 genera and 40 Families were recorded. Twelve medicinal plants were marketable in open market places of the nearby towns. Formulations recorded added to 140 remedies for 81 human ailments. Concoction accounts 50.7% of the total preparations followed by fluids extraction (10.7%) and infusion (6.4%). Fifteen different plant parts were used for remedies preparation wherein leaves accounted 46.4%, stem 9.2%, fruits and roots each 7.8%. Most of the remedies (90.7%) were prepared from single plant species like, aphrodisiac fresh rhizome of Kleinia abyssinica (A. Rich.) A. Berger chewed and swallowed few hours before sexual performance for a man having problem of erectile dysfunction. The Fic value ranges between 1.0 (gastritis and heartburn/pyrosis) and 0.77 (swollen body part). Aloe harlana Reynolds was reported to be used for the highest number of ailments treating swollen body part locally called GOFLA, colon cleaner, snake bite, liver swelling, spleen swelling/splenomegaly, fungal infections and inflammation of skin. Conclusion Such documentation of comprehensive ethnomedicinal knowledge is very valuable and needs to be scaled-up so that it could be followed up with phytochemical and pharmacological analyses in order to give scientific ground to the ethnomedicinal knowledge. PMID:24499509

Herbaceous species composition and richness of mesophytic cove forests in the southern Appalachians: synthesis and knowledge gaps

Treesearch

Katherine J. Elliott; James M. Vose; Duke Rankin

2014-01-01

We synthesized the current information on mesophytic cove forests in the southern Appalachians, assessed the range of variation in herb species composition and diversity in stands with different disturbance histories and environmental conditions, identified key knowledge gaps, and suggested approaches to fill these knowledge gaps. The purpose of this synthesis was to...

Knowledge Acquisition: A Review of Tools and Ideas.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

tools. However, none could be applied directly to solving the problem of acquiring knowledge for the ASPA. RECOMMENDATIONS Develop a tool based on...the social sciences. BACKGROUND Because of the newness and complexity of the knowledge acquisition problem, the background of the knowledge...4. Minimal (does not incorporate any unnecessary complexities ) 5. Expected (experts are not in disagreement over any important aspect) (Grover 1983

Advanced Networks in Dental Rich Online MEDiA (ANDROMEDA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elson, Bruce; Reynolds, Patricia; Amini, Ardavan; Burke, Ezra; Chapman, Craig

There is growing demand for dental education and training not only in terms of knowledge but also skills. This demand is driven by continuing professional development requirements in the more developed economies, personnel shortages and skills differences across the European Union (EU) accession states and more generally in the developing world. There is an excellent opportunity for the EU to meet this demand by developing an innovative online flexible learning platform (FLP). Current clinical online systems are restricted to the delivery of general, knowledge-based training with no easy method of personalization or delivery of skill-based training. The PHANTOM project, headed by Kings College London is developing haptic-based virtual reality training systems for clinical dental training. ANDROMEDA seeks to build on this and establish a Flexible Learning Platform that can integrate the haptic and sensor based training with rich media knowledge transfer, whilst using sophisticated technologies such as including service-orientated architecture (SOA), Semantic Web technologies, knowledge-based engineering, business intelligence (BI) and virtual worlds for personalization.

Dynamic neural architecture for social knowledge retrieval

PubMed Central

Wang, Yin; Collins, Jessica A.; Koski, Jessica; Nugiel, Tehila; Metoki, Athanasia; Olson, Ingrid R.

2017-01-01

Social behavior is often shaped by the rich storehouse of biographical information that we hold for other people. In our daily life, we rapidly and flexibly retrieve a host of biographical details about individuals in our social network, which often guide our decisions as we navigate complex social interactions. Even abstract traits associated with an individual, such as their political affiliation, can cue a rich cascade of person-specific knowledge. Here, we asked whether the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) serves as a hub for a distributed neural circuit that represents person knowledge. Fifty participants across two studies learned biographical information about fictitious people in a 2-d training paradigm. On day 3, they retrieved this biographical information while undergoing an fMRI scan. A series of multivariate and connectivity analyses suggest that the ATL stores abstract person identity representations. Moreover, this region coordinates interactions with a distributed network to support the flexible retrieval of person attributes. Together, our results suggest that the ATL is a central hub for representing and retrieving person knowledge. PMID:28289200

Dynamic neural architecture for social knowledge retrieval.

PubMed

Wang, Yin; Collins, Jessica A; Koski, Jessica; Nugiel, Tehila; Metoki, Athanasia; Olson, Ingrid R

2017-04-18

Social behavior is often shaped by the rich storehouse of biographical information that we hold for other people. In our daily life, we rapidly and flexibly retrieve a host of biographical details about individuals in our social network, which often guide our decisions as we navigate complex social interactions. Even abstract traits associated with an individual, such as their political affiliation, can cue a rich cascade of person-specific knowledge. Here, we asked whether the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) serves as a hub for a distributed neural circuit that represents person knowledge. Fifty participants across two studies learned biographical information about fictitious people in a 2-d training paradigm. On day 3, they retrieved this biographical information while undergoing an fMRI scan. A series of multivariate and connectivity analyses suggest that the ATL stores abstract person identity representations. Moreover, this region coordinates interactions with a distributed network to support the flexible retrieval of person attributes. Together, our results suggest that the ATL is a central hub for representing and retrieving person knowledge.

Ethnobotanical knowledge on indigenous fruits in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions in Northern Namibia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Indigenous communities in Namibia possess a rich indigenous knowledge expressed within many practices of these communities. Indigenous wild edible fruits are available along the Namibian 13 regions of which it forms a rich source of vitamins, fibres, minerals and a heterogeneous collection of bioactive compounds referred to as phytochemicals for indigenous people’s diet. The aim of this study was to record the different IKS practices on the indigenous fruit trees in Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions of Namibia. Methods An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken to collect information from local communities from 23-29 October 2011. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires and personal interviews during field trips in the Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions. A total of 65 respondents were interviewed; 54%; women, 38%; men and 8%; both in group interviews. Results The majority of the people interviewed were in their thirty’s, with the youngest being 18 years old and the oldest being 98 years old. Forty three plant specimens were collected from the two regions; these specimens belong to 20 genera and 25 species. Regarding to the indigenous knowledge; 87%; of the respondents indicated that their knowledge on indigenous fruits was learnt mainly through their parent. Indigenous people’s perception on declining indigenous fruits revealed that 56.3%; of the respondents reported that indigenous fruits were declining. Only a 42.2%; indicated that the indigenous fruits populations are increasing. Regarding to the management practices to improve the production of these indigenous fruit trees; 38.6%; reported that there are some efforts on management practices; on the other hand 61.4%; reported there are no management practices on the indigenous fruit trees in their areas. Four species were found to be the most frequently used and mentioned fruits which need to be given high preference in terms of conservation are: Berchemia discolor, Hyphaene petersiana, Sclerocarya birrea and Diospyros mespiliformis. The following diseases and ailments have been reported to be treated by the indigenous fruit trees which include: toothache, diarrhoea, cough, tonsillitis, burns, skin allergy, stomach ache, snake bit, constipation, etc. 28%; of the respondents mentioned an ethno veterinary use(s) of these fruits, e.g. the use of the Ziziphus mucronata roots to treat diarrhoea in cattle, the bark of eembe (Berchemia discolor) to treat calf weakness. Conclusions The local communities in Oshikoto and Ohangwena regions have relatively good knowledge and practices regarding the indigenous fruit. This study enhances our understanding on the indigenous fruit in Namibia and their uses by local communities. PMID:23697554

C3: The Compositional Construction of Context. A New, More Effective and Efficient Way to Marshal Inferences from Background Knowledge

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

quarter. Deep natural language understanding , efficient inference, pragmatics, background knowledge U U U SAR 4 Dr. David McDonald (781) 718-1964 C3...effective and efficient way to marshal inferences from background knowledge ’ N00014-13-1-0228 Dr. David McDonald Smart Information Flow Technologies, dba...for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data

The Medawar Lecture 2001 Knowledge for vision: vision for knowledge

PubMed Central

Gregory, Richard L

2005-01-01

An evolutionary development of perception is suggested—from passive reception to active perception to explicit conception—earlier stages being largely retained and incorporated in later species. A key is innate and then individually learned knowledge, giving meaning to sensory signals. Inappropriate or misapplied knowledge produces rich cognitive phenomena of illusions, revealing normally hidden processes of vision, tentatively classified here in a ‘peeriodic table’. Phenomena of physiology are distinguished from phenomena of general rules and specific object knowledge. It is concluded that vision uses implicit knowledge, and provides knowledge for intelligent behaviour and for explicit conceptual understanding including science. PMID:16147519

Using background knowledge for picture organization and retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintana, Yuri

1997-01-01

A picture knowledge base management system is described that is used to represent, organize and retrieve pictures from a frame knowledge base. Experiments with human test subjects were conducted to obtain further descriptions of pictures from news magazines. These descriptions were used to represent the semantic content of pictures in frame representations. A conceptual clustering algorithm is described which organizes pictures not only on the observable features, but also on implicit properties derived from the frame representations. The algorithm uses inheritance reasoning to take into account background knowledge in the clustering. The algorithm creates clusters of pictures using a group similarity function that is based on the gestalt theory of picture perception. For each cluster created, a frame is generated which describes the semantic content of pictures in the cluster. Clustering and retrieval experiments were conducted with and without background knowledge. The paper shows how the use of background knowledge and semantic similarity heuristics improves the speed, precision, and recall of queries processed. The paper concludes with a discussion of how natural language processing of can be used to assist in the development of knowledge bases and the processing of user queries.

The Effects of Lesson Screen Background Color on Declarative and Structural Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clariana, Roy B.; Prestera, Gustavo E.

2009-01-01

This experimental investigation replicates previous investigations of the effects of left margin screen background color hue to signal lesson sections on declarative knowledge and extends those investigations by adding a measure of structural knowledge. Participants (N = 80) were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 computer-based lesson treatments…

Bacterial Community Assembly and Turnover within the Intestines of Developing Zebrafish

PubMed Central

Yan, Qingyun; van der Gast, Christopher J.; Yu, Yuhe

2012-01-01

Background The majority of animal associated microorganisms are present in digestive tract communities. These intestinal communities arise from selective pressures of the gut habitats as well as host's genotype are regarded as an extra ‘organ’ regulate functions that have not evolved wholly on the host. They are functionally essential in providing nourishment, regulating epithelial development, and influencing immunity in the vertebrate host. As vertebrates are born free of microorganisms, what is poorly understood is how intestinal bacterial communities assemble and develop in conjunction with the development of the host. Methodology/Principal Findings Set within an ecological framework, we investigated the bacterial community assembly and turnover within the intestinal habitats of developing zebrafish (from larvae to adult animals). Spatial and temporal species-richness relationships and Mantel and partial Mantel tests revealed that turnover was low and that richness and composition was best predicted by time and not intestinal volume (habitat size) or changes in food diet. We also observed that bacterial communities within the zebrafish intestines were deterministically assembled (reflected by the observed low turnover) switching to stochastic assembly in the later stages of zebrafish development. Conclusions/Significance This study is of importance as it provides a novel insight into how intestinal bacterial communities assemble in tandem with the host's development (from early to adult stages). It is our hope that by studying intestinal microbiota of this vertebrate model with such or some more refined approaches in the future could well provide ecological insights for clinical benefit. In addition, this study also adds to our still fledgling knowledge of how spatial and temporal species-richness relationships are shaped and provides further mounting evidence that bacterial community assembly and dynamics are shaped by both deterministic and stochastic considerations. PMID:22276219

Visualizing Access: Knowledge Development in University-Community Partnerships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strier, Roni; Shechter, Dorit

2016-01-01

This article tackles the need to democratize processes of knowledge production in the context of university-community partnerships. These partnerships, which are a rich source of academic research, allow universities to create more reciprocal relationships with communities, especially those affected by social inequalities. Through their social…

Researching Student Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkaabi, Sultan Ali R.; Alkaabi, Warda; Vyver, Glen

2017-01-01

Motivation has been studied by different scientists in different fields of knowledge such as biology, psychology, and education for a long period, which has cultivated a wealth of knowledge in these disciplines. The richness in motivation theories poses complexity in motivation research. Due to these complexities, many researchers focus on using a…

Understanding Adults' Strong Problem-Solving Skills Based on PIAAC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hämäläinen, Raija; De Wever, Bram; Nissinen, Kari; Cincinnato, Sebastiano

2017-01-01

Purpose: Research has shown that the problem-solving skills of adults with a vocational education and training (VET) background in technology-rich environments (TREs) are often inadequate. However, some adults with a VET background do have sound problem-solving skills. The present study aims to provide insight into the socio-demographic,…

Reexamining the Relationship between Verbal Knowledge Background and Keyword Training for Vocabulary Acquisition

PubMed

Hogben; Lawson

1997-07-01

The literature on keyword training presents a confusing picture of the usefulness of the keyword method for foreign language vocabulary learning by students with strong verbal knowledge backgrounds. This paper reviews research which notes the existence of conflicting sets of findings concerning the verbal background-keyword training relationship and presents the results of analyses which argue against the assertion made by McDaniel and Pressley (1984) that keyword training will have minimal effect on students with high verbal ability. Findings from regression analyses of data from two studies did not show that the relationship between keyword training and immediate recall performance was moderated by verbal knowledge background. The disparate sets of findings related to the keyword training-verbal knowledge relationship and themes emerging from other research suggest that this relationship requires further examination.

Knowledge management for systems biology a general and visually driven framework applied to translational medicine

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To enhance our understanding of complex biological systems like diseases we need to put all of the available data into context and use this to detect relations, pattern and rules which allow predictive hypotheses to be defined. Life science has become a data rich science with information about the behaviour of millions of entities like genes, chemical compounds, diseases, cell types and organs, which are organised in many different databases and/or spread throughout the literature. Existing knowledge such as genotype - phenotype relations or signal transduction pathways must be semantically integrated and dynamically organised into structured networks that are connected with clinical and experimental data. Different approaches to this challenge exist but so far none has proven entirely satisfactory. Results To address this challenge we previously developed a generic knowledge management framework, BioXM™, which allows the dynamic, graphic generation of domain specific knowledge representation models based on specific objects and their relations supporting annotations and ontologies. Here we demonstrate the utility of BioXM for knowledge management in systems biology as part of the EU FP6 BioBridge project on translational approaches to chronic diseases. From clinical and experimental data, text-mining results and public databases we generate a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) knowledge base and demonstrate its use by mining specific molecular networks together with integrated clinical and experimental data. Conclusions We generate the first semantically integrated COPD specific public knowledge base and find that for the integration of clinical and experimental data with pre-existing knowledge the configuration based set-up enabled by BioXM reduced implementation time and effort for the knowledge base compared to similar systems implemented as classical software development projects. The knowledgebase enables the retrieval of sub-networks including protein-protein interaction, pathway, gene - disease and gene - compound data which are used for subsequent data analysis, modelling and simulation. Pre-structured queries and reports enhance usability; establishing their use in everyday clinical settings requires further simplification with a browser based interface which is currently under development. PMID:21375767

Does Perception of Dietary Fiber Mediate the Impact of Nutrition Knowledge on Eating Fiber-Rich Bread?

PubMed Central

Królak, Maria; Jeżewska-Zychowicz, Marzena; Sajdakowska, Marta; Gębski, Jerzy

2017-01-01

The average daily intake of fiber is still too low in relation to nutritional recommendations, as was found in several studies. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend ways to increase fiber intake in the diet. Increasing the consumption of bread rich in fiber as a substitute of white bread is one of the ways to increase fiber intake. The aim of this study was to find out whether nutrition knowledge and perception of dietary fiber affected the frequency of eating wholemeal bread and white bread fortified with fiber. The data were collected in 2014 through a cross-sectional quantitative survey that was performed under the Bioproduct project among a group of 1013 Polish adults. The associations between variables were investigated using multiple regression analysis. The respondents’ general knowledge on nutrition influenced their knowledge on fiber intake (correlation coefficient r = 0.30). Respondents with a greater knowledge perceived higher benefits of consuming cereal products that were fortified with fiber (r = 0.78), and attached greater importance to the information on the label (r = 0.39) as well. The nutrition knowledge determined the familiarity with fiber-enriched bread and the consumption of this product (r = 0.40) to a greater degree than the frequency of wholemeal bread consumption (r = −0.10). The respondents’ perception of dietary fiber was observed to play a partial mediation role between the knowledge on nutrition and the consumption of both kinds of breads, suggesting that it can be an important predictor of bread consumption. To increase the consumption of bread that is rich in fiber, emphasis should be laid on specific information on fiber, referring to food products as well as on individual’s perception of those products. The said information should be reinforced along with overall communication regarding nutrition to influence the bread-related decisions. PMID:29144429

Does Perception of Dietary Fiber Mediate the Impact of Nutrition Knowledge on Eating Fiber-Rich Bread?

PubMed

Królak, Maria; Jeżewska-Zychowicz, Marzena; Sajdakowska, Marta; Gębski, Jerzy

2017-11-16

The average daily intake of fiber is still too low in relation to nutritional recommendations, as was found in several studies. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend ways to increase fiber intake in the diet. Increasing the consumption of bread rich in fiber as a substitute of white bread is one of the ways to increase fiber intake. The aim of this study was to find out whether nutrition knowledge and perception of dietary fiber affected the frequency of eating wholemeal bread and white bread fortified with fiber. The data were collected in 2014 through a cross-sectional quantitative survey that was performed under the Bioproduct project among a group of 1013 Polish adults. The associations between variables were investigated using multiple regression analysis. The respondents' general knowledge on nutrition influenced their knowledge on fiber intake (correlation coefficient r = 0.30). Respondents with a greater knowledge perceived higher benefits of consuming cereal products that were fortified with fiber ( r = 0.78), and attached greater importance to the information on the label ( r = 0.39) as well. The nutrition knowledge determined the familiarity with fiber-enriched bread and the consumption of this product ( r = 0.40) to a greater degree than the frequency of wholemeal bread consumption ( r = -0.10). The respondents' perception of dietary fiber was observed to play a partial mediation role between the knowledge on nutrition and the consumption of both kinds of breads, suggesting that it can be an important predictor of bread consumption. To increase the consumption of bread that is rich in fiber, emphasis should be laid on specific information on fiber, referring to food products as well as on individual's perception of those products. The said information should be reinforced along with overall communication regarding nutrition to influence the bread-related decisions.

Porifera of Greece: an updated checklist

PubMed Central

Bailly, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Abstract Background The checklist of Porifera of Greece was created in the framework of the Greek Taxon Information System (GTIS), an initiative of the LifeWatchGreece Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) that has resumed efforts to compile a complete checklist of species recorded from Greece. An updated checklist of Porifera was created on the basis of a list of the Aegean Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha published one decade ago. All records of species known to occur in Greek waters were taxonomically validated and cross-checked for possible inaccuracies and omissions. Then, all recent publications were reviewed and the species recorded from 2006 to date were added to the list. New information The updated checklist of Porifera of Greece comprises 215 species, classified to 111 genera, 65 families, 24 orders, and 4 classes. In total, 34 new additions were made to the previous species list (8 Calcarea, 17 Demospongiae, 1 Hexactinellida, and 6 Homoscleromorpha) with Calcarea being listed for the first time from the area. The demosponge orders Poecilosclerida, Dictyoceratida, Tetractinellida, Haplosclerida, and Suberitida have the highest number of species covering 62% of the known Greek sponge species richness. It is worth mentioning that 8 species have been first described from Greek waters, 7 of which are considered endemic to this area. Our bibliographic overview also revealed knowledge gaps with regard to specific habitats typically rich in sponge diversity, and marine sectors of Greece. PMID:27932903

Radio Recombination Lines at Decametre Wavelengths. Prospects for the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-15

dark matter decay) can produce either an absorption or emission H  signal relative to the cosmic microwave background (CMB). At least three distinct...and 2). Most observations have focussed on sightlines towards known bright background sources or pass- ing through gas-rich regions along the inner...combina- tion of the Galactic synchrotron emission and the extragalactic background but is likely to be dominated by the former (Bridle, 1967). The

A remote sensing research agenda for mapping and monitoring biodiversity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoms, D. M.; Estes, J. E.

1993-01-01

A remote sensing research agenda designed to expand the knowledge of the spatial distribution of species richness and its ecological determinants and to predict its response to global change is proposed. Emphasis is placed on current methods of mapping species richness of both plants and animals, hypotheses concerning the biophysical factors believed to determine patterns of species richness, and anthropogenic processes causing the accelerating rate of extinctions. It is concluded that biodiversity should be incorporated more prominently into the global change and earth system science paradigms.

Integrating the New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into K- 6 teacher training and curricula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinter, S.; Carlson, S. J.

2017-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards is an initiative, adopted by 26 states, to set national education standards that are "rich in content and practice, arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education." Educators now must integrate these standards into existing curricula. Many grade-school (K-6) teachers face a particularly daunting task, as they were traditionally not required to teach science or only at a rudimentary level. The majority of K-6 teachers enter teaching from non-science disciplines, making this transition even more difficult. Since the NGSS emphasizes integrated and coherent progression of knowledge from grade to grade, prospective K-6 teachers must be able to deliver science with confidence and enthusiasm to their students. CalTeach/MAST (Mathematics and Science Teaching Program) at the University of California Davis, has created a two-quarter sequence of integrated science courses for undergraduate students majoring in non-STEM disciplines and intending to pursue multiple-subject K-6 credentials. The UCD integrated science course provides future primary school teachers with a basic, but comprehensive background in the physical and earth/space sciences. Key tools are taught for improving teaching methods, investigating complex science ideas, and solving problems relevant to students' life experiences that require scientific or technological knowledge. This approach allows prospective K-6 teachers to explore more effectively the connections between the disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and scientific and engineering practices, as outlined in the NGSS. In addition, they develop a core set of science teaching skills based on inquiry activities and guided lab discussions. With this course, we deliver a solid science background to prospective K-6 teachers and facilitate their ability to teach science following the standards as articulated in the NGSS.

Digital Accessible Knowledge and well-inventoried sites for birds in Mexico: baseline sites for measuring faunistic change

PubMed Central

Navarro-Sigüenza, Adolfo G.; Martínez-Meyer, Enrique

2016-01-01

Background Faunal change is a basic and fundamental element in ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology, yet vanishingly few detailed studies have documented such changes rigorously over decadal time scales. This study responds to that gap in knowledge, providing a detailed analysis of Digital Accessible Knowledge of the birds of Mexico, designed to marshal DAK to identify sites that were sampled and inventoried rigorously prior to the beginning of major global climate change (1980). Methods We accumulated DAK records for Mexican birds from all relevant online biodiversity data portals. After extensive cleaning steps, we calculated completeness indices for each 0.05° pixel across the country; we also detected ‘hotspots’ of sampling, and calculated completeness indices for these broader areas as well. Sites were designated as well-sampled if they had completeness indices above 80% and >200 associated DAK records. Results We identified 100 individual pixels and 20 broader ‘hotspots’ of sampling that were demonstrably well-inventoried prior to 1980. These sites are catalogued and documented to promote and enable resurvey efforts that can document events of avifaunal change (and non-change) across the country on decadal time scales. Conclusions Development of repeated surveys for many sites across Mexico, and particularly for sites for which historical surveys document their avifaunas prior to major climate change processes, would pay rich rewards in information about distributional dynamics of Mexican birds. PMID:27651986

Effects of Classical Background Music on Stress, Anxiety, and Knowledge of Filipino Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

PubMed

Evangelista, Kevin; Macabasag, Romeo Luis A; Capili, Brylle; Castro, Timothy; Danque, Marilee; Evangelista, Hanzel; Rivero, Jenica Ana; Gonong, Michell Katrina; Diño, Michael Joseph; Cajayon, Sharon

2017-10-28

Previous work on the use of background music suggests conflicting results in various psychological, behavioral, and educational measures. This quasi-experiment examined the effect of integrating classical background music during a lecture on stress, anxiety, and knowledge. A total of 42 nursing students participated this study. We utilized independent sample t-test and multivariate analysis of variance to examine the effect of classical background music. Our findings suggest that the presence or absence of classical background music do not affect stress, anxiety, and knowledge scores (Λ = 0.999 F(3, 78) = 0.029, p = 0.993). We provided literature to explain the non-significant result. Although classical music failed to establish a significant influence on the dependent variables, classical background music during lecture hours can be considered a non-threatening stimulus. We recommend follow up studies regarding the role of classical background music in regulating attention control of nursing students during lecture hours.

Fully integrated high-speed intravascular optical coherence tomography/near-infrared fluorescence structural/molecular imaging in vivo using a clinically available near-infrared fluorescence-emitting indocyanine green to detect inflamed lipid-rich atheromata in coronary-sized vessels.

PubMed

Lee, Sunki; Lee, Min Woo; Cho, Han Saem; Song, Joon Woo; Nam, Hyeong Soo; Oh, Dong Joo; Park, Kyeongsoon; Oh, Wang-Yuhl; Yoo, Hongki; Kim, Jin Won

2014-08-01

Lipid-rich inflamed coronary plaques are prone to rupture. The purpose of this study was to assess lipid-rich inflamed plaques in vivo using fully integrated high-speed optical coherence tomography (OCT)/near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) molecular imaging with a Food and Drug Administration-approved indocyanine green (ICG). An integrated high-speed intravascular OCT/NIRF imaging catheter and a dual-modal OCT/NIRF system were constructed based on a clinical OCT platform. For imaging lipid-rich inflamed plaques, the Food and Drug Administration-approved NIRF-emitting ICG (2.25 mg/kg) or saline was injected intravenously into rabbit models with experimental atheromata induced by balloon injury and 12- to 14-week high-cholesterol diets. Twenty minutes after injection, in vivo OCT/NIRF imaging of the infrarenal aorta and iliac arteries was acquired only under contrast flushing through catheter (pullback speed up to ≤20 mm/s). NIRF signals were strongly detected in the OCT-visualized atheromata of the ICG-injected rabbits. The in vivo NIRF target-to-background ratio was significantly larger in the ICG-injected rabbits than in the saline-injected controls (P<0.01). Ex vivo peak plaque target-to-background ratios were significantly higher in ICG-injected rabbits than in controls (P<0.01) on fluorescence reflectance imaging, which correlated well with the in vivo target-to-background ratios (P<0.01; r=0.85) without significant bias (0.41). Cellular ICG uptake, correlative fluorescence microscopy, and histopathology also corroborated the in vivo imaging findings. Integrated OCT/NIRF structural/molecular imaging with a Food and Drug Administration -approved ICG accurately identified lipid-rich inflamed atheromata in coronary-sized vessels. This highly translatable dual-modal imaging approach could enhance our capabilities to detect high-risk coronary plaques. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Describing functional requirements for knowledge sharing communities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrett, Sandra; Caldwell, Barrett

2002-01-01

Human collaboration in distributed knowledge sharing groups depends on the functionality of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support performance. Since many of these dynamic environments are constrained by time limits, knowledge must be shared efficiently by adapting the level of information detail to the specific situation. This paper focuses on the process of knowledge and context sharing with and without mediation by ICT, as well as issues to be resolved when determining appropriate ICT channels. Both technology-rich and non-technology examples are discussed.

Learning stoichiometry: A comparison of text and multimedia instructional formats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Karen L.

Even after multiple instructional opportunities, first year college chemistry students are often unable to apply stoichiometry knowledge in equilibrium and acid-base chemistry problem solving. Cognitive research findings suggest that for learning to be meaningful, learners need to actively construct their own knowledge by integrating new information into, and reorganizing, their prior understandings. Scaffolded inquiry in which facts, procedures, and principles are introduced as needed within the context of authentic problem solving may provide the practice and encoding opportunities necessary for construction of a memorable and usable knowledge base. The dynamic and interactive capabilities of online technology may facilitate stoichiometry instruction that promotes this meaningful learning. Entering college freshmen were randomly assigned to either a technology-rich or text-only set of cognitively informed stoichiometry review materials. Analysis of posttest scores revealed a significant but small difference in the performance of the two treatment groups, with the technology-rich group having the advantage. Both SAT and gender, however, explained more of the variability in the scores. Analysis of the posttest scores from the technology-rich treatment group revealed that the degree of interaction with the Virtual Lab simulation was significantly related to posttest performance and subsumed any effect of prior knowledge as measured by SAT scores. Future users of the online course should be encouraged to engage with the problem-solving opportunities provided by the Virtual Lab simulation through either explicit instruction and/or implementation of some level of program control within the course's navigational features.

Adult learning principles for effective teaching in radiology programmes: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Arogundade, R A

2011-01-01

Adult learning processes of acquisition of new knowledge, behaviours, skills, values or preferences generally occur as part of personal professional development. There is need for radiology residency trainers to understand the basic adult learning principles for effective teaching processes. To review the different adult learning styles, learning theories and educational practice as a guide for radiology residency trainers. Literature materials from journals, web articles and reputable textbooks in the last 20 years on adult learning principles in general and radiology in particular were reviewed. Most medical educators, including radiologists, lack appropriate formal training background in educational practice. The adult residency trainee brings to the learning environment high quantity and quality of experiences and some amount of control. Connection of this rich adult experience base to the learning process requires facilitation and motivation by the radiology educator, who must be familiar with the use of appropriate learning theories and educational practices. there is a general agreement about the content of good practice in adult education but a definite comprehensive list does not seem to exist in the literature. Nonetheless, understanding of the basic adult learning principles would aid the concept of guided training, where the adult residency trainee shoulders the bulk of the training responsibilities of acquisition of knowledge.

Higher Education Decisions in Peru: On the Role of Financial Constraints, Skills, and Family Background

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Juan F.; Yamada, Gustavo; Arias, Omar

2016-01-01

This paper analyzes the relative importance of short-term financial constraints "vis-a-vis" skills and other background factors when explaining higher education access in Peru. We focus on the disparities in university enrollment between rich and poor households. We use a novel household survey that includes special tests to measure…

Factors influencing consumption of nutrient rich forest foods in rural Cameroon.

PubMed

Fungo, Robert; Muyonga, John H; Kabahenda, Margaret; Okia, Clement A; Snook, Laura

2016-02-01

Studies show that a number of forest foods consumed in Cameroon are highly nutritious and rich in health boosting bioactive compounds. This study assessed the knowledge and perceptions towards the nutritional and health promoting properties of forest foods among forest dependent communities. The relationship between knowledge, perceptions and socio-demographic attributes on consumption of forest foods was also determined. A total of 279 females in charge of decision making with respect to food preparation were randomly selected from 12 villages in southern and eastern Cameroon and interviewed using researcher administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors affecting consumption of forest foods. Baillonella toxisperma (98%) and Irvingia gabonesis (81%) were the most known nutrient rich forest foods by the respondents. About 31% of the respondents were aware of the nutritional value and health benefits of forest foods. About 10%-61% of the respondents expressed positive attitudes to questions related with health benefits of specific forest foods. Consumption of forest foods was found to be higher among polygamous families and also positively related to length of stay in the forest area and age of respondent with consumption of forest foods. Education had an inverse relationship with use of forest foods. Knowledge and positive attitude towards the nutritional value of forest foods were also found to positively influence consumption of forest foods. Since knowledge was found to influence attitude and consumption, there is need to invest in awareness campaigns to strengthen the current knowledge levels among the study population. This should positively influence the attitudes and perceptions towards increased consumption of forest foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The development and piloting of electronic standardized measures on nursing work: combining engineering and nursing knowledge.

PubMed

Bragadóttir, Helga; Gunnarsdóttir, Sigrún; Ingason, Helgi T

2013-05-01

This paper describes the development and piloting of electronic standardized measures on nursing work (e-SMNW) for rich data gathering on the work and work environment of registered nurses (RNs) and practical nurses (PNs). Efficient and valid methods are needed to measure nursing work to enhance the optimal use of the nursing workforce for safe patient care. The study combined human factors engineering (HFE) and nursing knowledge to develop electronic standardized measures for observational studies on nursing work in acute care. The work and work environment of RNs and PNs in acute care medical and surgical inpatient units was successfully measured using e-SMNW. With predetermined items of work activities and influencing factors in the work of nurses, and full use of computer technology, multi-layered rich standardized data were gathered, analysed and displayed. The combination of nursing knowledge, HFE and computer technology enables observational data collection for a rich picture of the complex work of nursing. Information collected by standardized and multi-layered measures makes it easier to identify potential improvements, with regard to influencing factors and management of the work and work environment of nurses. Further use of computer technology in health services research is encouraged. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Adolescents' Theories about Economic Inequality: Why Are Some People Poor While Others Are Rich?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flanagan, Constance A.; Kim, Taehan; Pykett, Alisa; Finlay, Andrea; Gallay, Erin E.; Pancer, Mark

2014-01-01

Open-ended responses of an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample of 593 12- to 19-year-olds (M = 16 years old, SD = 1.59) were analyzed to explain why some people in the United States are poor and others are rich. Adolescents had more knowledge and a more complex understanding of wealth than of poverty and older adolescents had more…

The Development of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching for Quantitative Reasoning Using Video-Based Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Charles David

2017-01-01

Quantitative reasoning (P. W. Thompson, 1990, 1994) is a powerful mathematical tool that enables students to engage in rich problem solving across the curriculum. One way to support students' quantitative reasoning is to develop prospective secondary teachers' (PSTs) mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT; Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008)…

Elementary Education Pre-Service Teachers' Development of Mathematics Technology Integration Skills in a Technology Integration Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polly, Drew

2015-01-01

Preparing pre-service teachers to effectively integrate technology in the classroom requires rich experiences that deepen their knowledge of technology, pedagogy, and content and the intersection of these aspects. This study examined elementary education pre-service teachers' development of skills and knowledge in a technology integration course…

Supporting Collocation Learning with a Digital Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Shaoqun; Franken, Margaret; Witten, Ian H.

2010-01-01

Extensive knowledge of collocations is a key factor that distinguishes learners from fluent native speakers. Such knowledge is difficult to acquire simply because there is so much of it. This paper describes a system that exploits the facilities offered by digital libraries to provide a rich collocation-learning environment. The design is based on…

Transforming Data into Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Lane

2006-01-01

School systems can be data rich and information poor if they do not understand and manage their data effectively. The task for school leaders is to put existing data into a format that lends itself to answering questions and improving outcomes for the students. Common barriers to transforming data into knowledge in education settings often include…

Teacher Research on Funds of Knowledge: Learning from Households. Educational Practice Report: 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Norma; And Others

The conceptualization of working-class Latino students' households as being rich in funds of knowledge has engendered transformative consequences for teachers, parents, students, and researchers. The qualitative study of their own students' households by teachers is a viable method for bridging the gap between school and community. An assumption…

Examining the Relative Contributions of Content Knowledge and Strategic Processing to Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aukerman, Maren; Brown, Rachel; Mokhtari, Kouider; Valencia, Sheila; Palincsar, Annemarie

2015-01-01

The essays below were prepared following the LRA session organized by Janice Almasi entitled, "Examining the relative contributions of content knowledge and strategic processing to comprehension." What unites these essays are the personal and historical stances that each writer has taken; in addition, the essays are rich with…

When Supervision Is Conflated with Evaluation: Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Their Novice Supervisor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Rebecca West; Badiali, Bernard J.

2015-01-01

Preparing teachers in clinically rich contexts requires teacher educators who are skilled and knowledgeable about university coursework as well as the complexities of classrooms. Retired teachers or principals have often assumed the role of field supervisor, bringing to their work extensive practitioner knowledge but often lacking theoretical…

Tropical Rainforests: A Case Study of UK, 13-Year-Olds' Knowledge and Understanding of These Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dove, Jane

2012-01-01

Tropical rainforests are biologically rich ecosystems, which are threatened by a variety of different human activities. This study focuses on students' knowledge and understanding of rainforest locations, their reasons for protecting these environments and their familiarity with selected concepts about rainforest vegetation and soil. These…

Who is Amazonia? The ‘salt of the matter’ for indigenous sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heckenberger, Michael

2013-12-01

The recent article ‘Ash salts and bodily affects: Witoto environmental knowledge as sexual education’ (Echeverri and Román-Jitdutjaãno 2013 Environ. Res. Lett. 8 015008) considers indigenous people and their distinctive knowledge systems in the western Amazon. These complex systems provide richly detailed practical knowledge about life in these tropical forests, which today many see as well populated and rich in cultural heritage. Through a careful analysis of ash salts and salt-making and the technologies and bodily affects associated with it, the authors suggest native Amazonian peoples see environmental knowledge not in terms of natural resources but instead how they interact with and produce human bodies in social networks, as a form of sexual education and, by extension, public health. It also highlights the critical importance of social relations as part of research, and the politics of nature, with important implications for contemporary debate and research on biodiversity, sustainability, climate change and human rights, specifically what types of agreements are entailed in scientific research that is not only robust but socially responsible.

Arabinogalactan proteins in root and pollen-tube cells: distribution and functional aspects

PubMed Central

Nguema-Ona, Eric; Coimbra, Sílvia; Vicré-Gibouin, Maïté; Mollet, Jean-Claude; Driouich, Azeddine

2012-01-01

Background Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are complex proteoglycans of the cell wall found in the entire plant kingdom and in almost all plant organs. AGPs encompass a large group of heavily glycosylated cell-wall proteins which share common features, including the presence of glycan chains especially enriched in arabinose and galactose and a protein backbone particularly rich in hydroxyproline residues. However, AGPs also exhibit strong heterogeneities among their members in various plant species. AGP ubiquity in plants suggests these proteoglycans are fundamental players for plant survival and development. Scope In this review, we first present an overview of current knowledge and specific features of AGPs. A section devoted to major tools used to study AGPs is also presented. We then discuss the distribution of AGPs as well as various aspects of their functional properties in root tissues and pollen tubes. This review also suggests novel directions of research on the role of AGPs in the biology of roots and pollen tubes. PMID:22786747

Characterization of RNase MRP RNA and novel snoRNAs from Giardia intestinalis and Trichomonas vaginalis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Eukaryotic cells possess a complex network of RNA machineries which function in RNA-processing and cellular regulation which includes transcription, translation, silencing, editing and epigenetic control. Studies of model organisms have shown that many ncRNAs of the RNA-infrastructure are highly conserved, but little is known from non-model protists. In this study we have conducted a genome-scale survey of medium-length ncRNAs from the protozoan parasites Giardia intestinalis and Trichomonas vaginalis. Results We have identified the previously 'missing' Giardia RNase MRP RNA, which is a key ribozyme involved in pre-rRNA processing. We have also uncovered 18 new H/ACA box snoRNAs, expanding our knowledge of the H/ACA family of snoRNAs. Conclusions Results indicate that Giardia intestinalis and Trichomonas vaginalis, like their distant multicellular relatives, contain a rich infrastructure of RNA-based processing. From here we can investigate the evolution of RNA processing networks in eukaryotes. PMID:22053856

Interoperability-oriented Integration of Failure Knowledge into Functional Knowledge and Knowledge Transformation based on Concepts Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koji, Yusuke; Kitamura, Yoshinobu; Kato, Yoshikiyo; Tsutsui, Yoshio; Mizoguchi, Riichiro

In conceptual design, it is important to develop functional structures which reflect the rich experience in the knowledge from previous design failures. Especially, if a designer learns possible abnormal behaviors from a previous design failure, he or she can add an additional function which prevents such abnormal behaviors and faults. To do this, it is a crucial issue to share such knowledge about possible faulty phenomena and how to cope with them. In fact, a part of such knowledge is described in FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) sheets, function structure models for systematic design and fault trees for FTA (Fault Tree Analysis).

Intracultural variation of knowledge about wild plant uses in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Leading scholars in ethnobiology and ethnomedicine continuously stress the need for moving beyond the bare description of local knowledge and to additionally analyse and theorise about the characteristics and dynamics of human interactions with plants and related local knowledge. Analyses of the variation of local knowledge are thereby perceived as minimal standard. In this study we investigate the distribution and variation of wild plant knowledge in five domains: food, drinks, human medicine, veterinary medicine and customs. We assess relations between the wild plant knowledge of informants and their socio-demographic as well as geographic background. Method Research was conducted in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal, Austria. Structured questionnaires were used to inquire wild plant knowledge from 433 informants with varying socio-demographic and geographic background. Children assisted in the data collection. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and generalized linear models. Results and discussion A majority of respondents is familiar with wild plant uses, however to varying degrees. Knowledge variations depend on the socio-demographic and geographic background of the informants as well as on the domains of knowledge under investigation: women, older informants and homegardeners report more human medicinal applications and applications in drinks than men, younger informants and non-homegardeners; farmers know a greater variety of veterinary medicinal applications than non-farmers; the place of residence relates significantly to food and veterinary uses. Customs are difficult to investigate in standardized matrices. The household-related distribution of work and the general socio-cultural context are especially helpful in order to explain intracultural variation of knowledge in the Grosses Walsertal. Conclusions Research on the intracultural variation of local knowledge exposes cultural characteristics and highlights the cultural embeddedness of local knowledge. The impact of socio-cultural developments on local knowledge may be anticipated from understanding the intracultural variation of knowledge. PMID:22770375

The Integration of Javanese Indigenous Knowledge in Biology Learning Resources Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anazifa, D.; Hadi, R. F.

2017-02-01

The student’s difficulties in learning and understanding Biology concepts are caused by the adoption of scientific phenomenon that not suitable with the environment they live in. Students who comes from the Javanese background sometimes find the Biology concepts hard to understand. Science content that comes from the West sometimes is not suitable with the student’s background, because the cultural and geographical background that underlining the science development are different. It can potentially cause the clash in constructing knowledge of students. The proportion of western knowledge and indigenous knowledge has to be balanced, in order to give the scientific rationale of the natural phenomenon that faced by students in everyday life. The ethnoscience experienced by student is still in the form of concrete experience as a result of the interaction with the nature. As one of the largest tribe in Indonesia, Javanese has many unique cultures that can be adopted in science classroom especially in Biology class. The role on ethnoscience in the context of developing Biology learning resources is to connect the science concept with the real world situation. By considering indigenous knowledge as one of learning resources, teachers can start to adjust the Javanese indigenous knowledge into the curriculum. This paper is literature review which will present the background, rationale, and procedure in integrating Javanese indigenous knowledge into Biology classroom as learning resources. The integration of Javanese indigenous knowledge in Biology learning resources development is necessary in order to connect the Biology concept into real situation.

Incorporating linguistic knowledge for learning distributed word representations.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Liu, Zhiyuan; Sun, Maosong

2015-01-01

Combined with neural language models, distributed word representations achieve significant advantages in computational linguistics and text mining. Most existing models estimate distributed word vectors from large-scale data in an unsupervised fashion, which, however, do not take rich linguistic knowledge into consideration. Linguistic knowledge can be represented as either link-based knowledge or preference-based knowledge, and we propose knowledge regularized word representation models (KRWR) to incorporate these prior knowledge for learning distributed word representations. Experiment results demonstrate that our estimated word representation achieves better performance in task of semantic relatedness ranking. This indicates that our methods can efficiently encode both prior knowledge from knowledge bases and statistical knowledge from large-scale text corpora into a unified word representation model, which will benefit many tasks in text mining.

Incorporating Linguistic Knowledge for Learning Distributed Word Representations

PubMed Central

Wang, Yan; Liu, Zhiyuan; Sun, Maosong

2015-01-01

Combined with neural language models, distributed word representations achieve significant advantages in computational linguistics and text mining. Most existing models estimate distributed word vectors from large-scale data in an unsupervised fashion, which, however, do not take rich linguistic knowledge into consideration. Linguistic knowledge can be represented as either link-based knowledge or preference-based knowledge, and we propose knowledge regularized word representation models (KRWR) to incorporate these prior knowledge for learning distributed word representations. Experiment results demonstrate that our estimated word representation achieves better performance in task of semantic relatedness ranking. This indicates that our methods can efficiently encode both prior knowledge from knowledge bases and statistical knowledge from large-scale text corpora into a unified word representation model, which will benefit many tasks in text mining. PMID:25874581

Education and Knowledge Production in Workers' Struggles: Learning to Resist, Learning from Resistance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choudry, Aziz; Bleakney, David

2013-01-01

Trade unions and other sites of community-labour organizing such as workers centres are rich, yet contested spaces of education and knowledge production in which both non-formal and informal / incidental forms of learning occur. Putting forward a critique of dominant strands of worker education, the authors ask what spaces exist for social…

Preservice Science Teachers' Collaborative Knowledge Building through Argumentation on Healthy Eating in a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Namdar, Bahadir

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice science teachers' collaborative knowledge building through socioscientific argumentation on healthy eating in a multiple representation-rich computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. This study was conducted with a group of preservice science teachers (n = 18) enrolled in…

What Is Excellence in Practice? Empirical Explorations of Vocational Bildung and Practical Wisdom through Case Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyson, Ruhi

2018-01-01

The approach of vocational Bildung didactics has been developed to investigate practical knowledge in matters of education for Bildung and phronesis (practical wisdom). Case narratives of unusual richness or success are at the core of the approach, each case representing an articulation of someone's practical knowledge. The concept of a practice…

Local Knowledge and Conservation of Seagrasses in the Tamil Nadu State of India

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Local knowledge systems are not considered in the conservation of fragile seagrass marine ecosystems. In fact, little is known about the utility of seagrasses in local coastal communities. This is intriguing given that some local communities rely on seagrasses to sustain their livelihoods and have relocated their villages to areas with a rich diversity and abundance of seagrasses. The purpose of this study is to assist in conservation efforts regarding seagrasses through identifying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) from local knowledge systems of seagrasses from 40 coastal communities along the eastern coast of India. We explore the assemblage of scientific and local traditional knowledge concerning the 1. classification of seagrasses (comparing scientific and traditional classification systems), 2. utility of seagrasses, 3. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of seagrasses, and 4. current conservation efforts for seagrass ecosystems. Our results indicate that local knowledge systems consist of a complex classification of seagrass diversity that considers the role of seagrasses in the marine ecosystem. This fine-scaled ethno-classification gives rise to five times the number of taxa (10 species = 50 local ethnotaxa), each with a unique role in the ecosystem and utility within coastal communities, including the use of seagrasses for medicine (e.g., treatment of heart conditions, seasickness, etc.), food (nutritious seeds), fertilizer (nutrient rich biomass) and livestock feed (goats and sheep). Local communities are concerned about the loss of seagrass diversity and have considerable local knowledge that is valuable for conservation and restoration plans. This study serves as a case study example of the depth and breadth of local knowledge systems for a particular ecosystem that is in peril. Key words: local health and nutrition, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), conservation and natural resources management, consensus, ethnomedicine, ethnotaxa, cultural heritage PMID:22112297

The globular cluster systems of 54 Coma ultra-diffuse galaxies: statistical constraints from HST data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amorisco, N. C.; Monachesi, A.; Agnello, A.; White, S. D. M.

2018-04-01

We use data from the HST Coma Cluster Treasury program to assess the richness of the globular cluster systems (GCSs) of 54 Coma ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs), 18 of which have a half-light radius exceeding 1.5 kpc. We use a hierarchical Bayesian method tested on a large number of mock data sets to account consistently for the high and spatially varying background counts in Coma. These include both background galaxies and intra-cluster globular clusters (ICGCs), which are disentangled from the population of member globular clusters (GCs) in a probabilistic fashion. We find no candidate for a GCS as rich as that of the Milky Way, our sample has GCSs typical of dwarf galaxies. For the standard relation between GCS richness and halo mass, 33 galaxies have a virial mass Mvir ≤ 1011 M⊙ at 90 per cent probability. Only three have Mvir > 1011 M⊙ with the same confidence. The mean colour and spread in colour of the UDG GCs are indistinguishable from those of the abundant population of ICGCs. The majority of UDGs in our sample are consistent with the relation between stellar mass and GC richness of `normal' dwarf galaxies. Nine systems, however, display GCSs that are richer by a factor of 3 or more (at 90 per cent probability). Six of these have sizes ≲1.4 kpc. Our results imply that the physical mechanisms responsible for the extended size of the UDGs and for the enhanced GC richness of some cluster dwarfs are at most weakly correlated.

Ethnoveterinary plants of Ankober District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Traditional herbal preparations for addressing veterinary problems have been applied in Ankober District, Ethiopia, for generations. However, the millennia-old ethnoveterinary knowledge of the community, and the plants are subjected to loss without being scientifically documented due to anthropogenic and environmental threats. Hence, this study aims at providing a comprehensive documentation on ethnoveterinary plant knowledge of the people in order to preserve the fast-eroding knowledge and resources of the area. Methods Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and walk-in-the-woods methods were used to gather ethnoveterinary data. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Fidelity level (FL) values were calculated using quantitative approaches so as to check the level of informants' agreement on plant use and healing potential of ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species, respectively. Indigenous knowledge on use of medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary purposes among different informant groups was compared using One-way ANOVA and t-tests. Results A total of 51 plant species representing 50 genera and 35 botanical families used in the treatment of 33 different ailments were identified. Medicinal plant species belonging to families Asteraceae, Asclepiadaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Ranunculaceae were reported to be of frequent use in the local ethnoveterinary medical system. Roots (65%, 33 species) were most often utilized for remedy preparation. Highest ICF values were recorded for gastro-intestinal (0.71) ailments depicting best agreement on knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat aliments in this category. Embelia schimperi Vatke showed highest fidelity level value (90%) to treat gastro-intestinal diseases showing conformity of knowledge on this species' healing potential. Significant difference (P<0.05) was observed in average number of therapeutic plants reported by senior members of the community than younger groups. Embelia schimperi Vatke and Rubus steudnerii Schweinf. were the most-preferred species to treat diarrhoea. Conclusion The study indicated that indigenous knowledge on ethnoveterinary medicinal plant use is still rich and active in the District. Species with recorded highest consensus for curative role are a useful pool for further phytochemical and pharmacological validation for better utilization. Declining wild medicinal flora of the area calls for implementation of a coordinated complementary in situ and ex situ conservation strategy. PMID:24517385

A new technique for testing distribution of knowledge and to estimate sampling sufficiency in ethnobiology studies.

PubMed

Araújo, Thiago Antonio Sousa; Almeida, Alyson Luiz Santos; Melo, Joabe Gomes; Medeiros, Maria Franco Trindade; Ramos, Marcelo Alves; Silva, Rafael Ricardo Vasconcelos; Almeida, Cecília Fátima Castelo Branco Rangel; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

2012-03-15

We propose a new quantitative measure that enables the researcher to make decisions and test hypotheses about the distribution of knowledge in a community and estimate the richness and sharing of information among informants. In our study, this measure has two levels of analysis: intracultural and intrafamily. Using data collected in northeastern Brazil, we evaluated how these new estimators of richness and sharing behave for different categories of use. We observed trends in the distribution of the characteristics of informants. We were also able to evaluate how outliers interfere with these analyses and how other analyses may be conducted using these indices, such as determining the distance between the knowledge of a community and that of experts, as well as exhibiting the importance of these individuals' communal information of biological resources. One of the primary applications of these indices is to supply the researcher with an objective tool to evaluate the scope and behavior of the collected data.

Ethnoveterinary study of medicinal plants in Malakand Valley, District Dir (Lower), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Malakand valley of District Dir (Lower) is endowed with a diverse plant wealth. Ethnoveterinary knowledge provides the traditional medicines of livestock that are cheaper than standard treatment and are easily accessible. Methods The present study was conducted to document the traditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary practices in Malakand valley, District Dir (Lower). Data was collected from February 2012 to January 2013 by interviewing 120 inhabitants through semi-structured questionnaires. Different questions were asked to collect appropriate data regarding the use of plants for livestock treatment. Direct matrix ranking (DMR) was carried out to find out the use diversity of medicinal plants. Findings A total of 28 plants belonging to 23 families were collected and identified for the treatment of livestock in the study area. Majority of the plants were collected from wild (68%) habitat and very few from cultivated sources. The leaves (28%) were identified as the major plant part for herbal preparations. The most frequent ailments of livestocks in the study area were stomach disorders and Charmaikh (local disease name). Various ingredients were used along with ethnoveterinary medicines i.e. sugar, flour, milk etc. The elder people of the village had a rich knowledge as compared to the young generation. According to DMR output, Monotheca buxifolia ranked first and Dalbergia sisso and Melia azedarach ranked second due to high multipurpose uses among all species and was found most threatened in the study area. Conclusion It has been concluded that the native of the region heavily dependent on medicinal plants for the treatment of variety of livestock ailments. Traditional knowledge always provides a baseline for further phytochemical and pharmacological investigation. The documentation of the ethnoveterinary practices in study area was necessary before this precious knowledge is lost forever due to rapid socioeconomic, environmental and technological changes. PMID:24580769

Ethnotaxonomical considerations and usage of ichthyofauna in a fishing community in Ceará State, Northeast Brazil

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Artisanal fishery is one of the most important economic activities for human populations living in coastal areas. The traditional knowledge that fishermen have of fishes is of utmost importance for the establishment of conservation strategies for many species. This study aimed to analyse the knowledge of and utilization of fishes by the artisanal fishermen in a fishing community on the coast of Ceará State (Northeast Brazil). Methods In 2011, a number of semi-structured interviews were performed with fishermen with more than 20 years of fishery experience. The interviews were about fisheries (collecting spots, artefacts, etc.) and fish use. The fishes cited by the fishermen were identified scientifically and ethnotaxonomically. Results Considered masters of fishery, they cited 162 vernacular names of fishes, which corresponded to 290 different species, also including other animals such as dolphins, porpoises, whales and manatees. The criteria for the classification of the fishes were well known and utilised by the fishermen, and they were based on morphology, behaviour, habitat and the importance of commercial and fishing activities. Four hierarchical categories were identified in their classification system: kingdom, life-form, generic and specific. The fish nomenclature created by the fishermen was mostly composed of generic and monotypic names. The main uses of fish were for food and commercial purposes. Conclusions The results stress the richness and complexity of the knowledge of the artisanal fishermen of Redonda Beach, and they provide support for the possibility of future studies and for the development of management plans and the management of wildlife resources. PMID:23497491

Sexual selection predicts species richness across the animal kingdom.

PubMed

Janicke, Tim; Ritchie, Michael G; Morrow, Edward H; Marie-Orleach, Lucas

2018-05-16

Our improving knowledge of the animal tree of life consistently demonstrates that some taxa diversify more rapidly than others, but what contributes to this variation remains poorly understood. An influential hypothesis proposes that selection arising from competition for mating partners plays a key role in promoting speciation. However, empirical evidence showing a link between proxies of this sexual selection and species richness is equivocal. Here, we collected standardized metrics of sexual selection for a broad range of animal taxa, and found that taxonomic families characterized by stronger sexual selection on males show relatively higher species richness. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that sexual selection elevates species richness. This could occur either by promoting speciation and/or by protecting species against extinction. © 2018 The Author(s).

Conservation and valorization of the historical heritage through laser scanner tecnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzzetti, F.; Cattaneo, N.; Toso, F.; Privitera, A.

2013-10-01

In Italy there is a very widespread multitude of buildings important and interesting in the field of Cultural Heritage. Several of them have been abandoned in the last decades and now they show all the deterioration and the structural damages due to abandon. This is also the case of about forty traditional farmsteads located in the close suburbs of the city of Milano and belonging to the local administration. Among these farmsteads, Cascina Linterno, for its rich historical background going back to the 14th century and earlier, was chosen to carry out a test in the planning process with the participation of local associations under the supervision of a group of experts in the field of structural assessment, preservation and design from Politecnico of Milan. Time and resources saving and effectiveness of appropriate activities is the main guideline of this process, where the first step consists necessarily on the topographical survey. The choice of Terrestrial Laser Scanner to carry out the survey complied naturally most necessities, but it was also meant to provide new challenges in the fruition of the point cloud by groups of experts without topographical knowledge. The aim is to analyze the procedures and the output needed by the different specialists involved in this kind of intervention on Cultural Heritage, in order to provide friendly tools to work directly on the point cloud, taking advantage of its rapidity in acquisition and of its richness of details, thus avoiding the production of traditional "lossy" layouts.

Knowledge Discovery from Climate Data using Graph-Based Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinhaeuser, K.

2012-04-01

Climate and Earth sciences have recently experienced a rapid transformation from a historically data-poor to a data-rich environment, thus bringing them into the realm of the Fourth Paradigm of scientific discovery - a term coined by the late Jim Gray (Hey et al. 2009), the other three being theory, experimentation and computer simulation. In particular, climate-related observations from remote sensors on satellites and weather radars, in situ sensors and sensor networks, as well as outputs of climate or Earth system models from large-scale simulations, provide terabytes of spatio-temporal data. These massive and information-rich datasets offer a significant opportunity for advancing climate science and our understanding of the global climate system, yet current analysis techniques are not able to fully realize their potential benefits. We describe a class of computational approaches, specifically from the data mining and machine learning domains, which may be novel to the climate science domain and can assist in the analysis process. Computer scientists have developed spatial and spatio-temporal analysis techniques for a number of years now, and many of them may be applicable and/or adaptable to problems in climate science. We describe a large-scale, NSF-funded project aimed at addressing climate science question using computational analysis methods; team members include computer scientists, statisticians, and climate scientists from various backgrounds. One of the major thrusts is in the development of graph-based methods, and several illustrative examples of recent work in this area will be presented.

Diversity and distribution of the Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) of Ecuador

PubMed Central

Holzenthal, Ralph W.; Huisman, Jolanda; Thomson, Robin; Rázuri-Gonzales, Ernesto

2017-01-01

Background Aquatic insects and other freshwater animals are some of the most threatened forms of life on Earth. Caddisflies (Trichoptera) are highly biodiverse in the Neotropics and occupy a wide variety of freshwater habitats. In Andean countries, including Ecuador, knowledge of the aquatic biota is limited, and there is a great need for baseline data on the species found in these countries. Here we present the first list of Trichoptera known from Ecuador, a country that harbors two global biodiversity “hotspots.” Methods We conducted a literature review of species previously reported from Ecuador and supplemented these data with material we collected during five recent field inventories from about 40 localities spanning both hotspots. Using species presence data for each Ecuadorian province, we calculated the CHAO 2 species estimator to obtain the minimum species richness for the country. Results We recorded 310 species, including 48 new records from our own field inventories for the country. CHAO 2 calculations showed that only 54% of the species have been found. Hydroptilidae and Hydropsychidae were the most species rich families. We report the family Xiphocentronidae for the first time from Ecuador as well as several new records of genera from different families. Discussion As in the neighboring Andean countries of Colombia and Peru, it is common to find undescribed species of caddisflies. There are vast areas of Ecuador and the northern Andes that are completely unexplored, and we expect that hundreds of new species are yet to be discovered. PMID:28097062

The High Plains: Land of Extremes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capron, Ranel Stephenson; And Others

1996-01-01

Provides rich background information about unique High Plains ecosystems. Focuses on water, plant, animal, and energy resources. Describes hands-on activities related to ground water movement and energy resources. Contains 18 references. (DDR)

Species-richness patterns of the living collections of the world's botanic gardens: a matter of socio-economics?

PubMed Central

Golding, Janice; Güsewell, Sabine; Kreft, Holger; Kuzevanov, Victor Y.; Lehvävirta, Susanna; Parmentier, Ingrid; Pautasso, Marco

2010-01-01

Background and Aims The botanic gardens of the world are now unmatched ex situ collections of plant biodiversity. They mirror two biogeographical patterns (positive diversity–area and diversity–age relationships) but differ from nature with a positive latitudinal gradient in their richness. Whether these relationships can be explained by socio-economic factors is unknown. Methods Species and taxa richness of a comprehensive sample of botanic gardens were analysed as a function of key ecological and socio-economic factors using (a) multivariate models controlling for spatial autocorrelation and (b) structural equation modelling. Key Results The number of plant species in botanic gardens increases with town human population size and country Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person. The country flora richness is not related to the species richness of botanic gardens. Botanic gardens in more populous towns tend to have a larger area and can thus host richer living collections. Botanic gardens in richer countries have more species, and this explains the positive latitudinal gradient in botanic gardens' species richness. Conclusions Socio-economic factors contribute to shaping patterns in the species richness of the living collections of the world's botanic gardens. PMID:20237117

Using Modern Technologies to Capture and Share Indigenous Astronomical Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Martin; Hamacher, Duane W.; Warren, John; Byrne, Alex; Pagnucco, Maurice; Harley, Ross; Venugopal, Srikumar; Thorpe, Kirsten; Neville, Richard; Bolt, Reuben

2014-06-01

Indigenous Knowledge is important for Indigenous communities across the globe and for the advancement of our general scientific knowledge. In particular, Indigenous astronomical knowledge integrates many aspects of Indigenous Knowledge, including seasonal calendars, navigation, food economics, law, ceremony, and social structure. Capturing, managing, and disseminating this knowledge in the digital environment poses a number of challenges, which we aim to address using a collaborative project emerging between experts in the higher education, library, archive and industry sectors. Using Microsoft's WorldWide Telescope and Rich Interactive Narratives technologies, we propose to develop software, media design, and archival management solutions to allow Indigenous communities to share their astronomical knowledge with the world on their terms and in a culturally sensitive manner.

Diversity of use and local knowledge of wild edible plant resources in Nepal

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Wild edible plants (WEP) provide staple and supplement foods, as well as cash income to local communities, thus favouring food security. However, WEP are largely ignored in land use planning and implementation, economic development, and biodiversity conservation. Moreover, WEP-related traditional knowledge is rapidly eroding. Therefore, we designed this study to fulfill a part of the knowledge gap by providing data on diversity, traditional knowledge, economic potential, and conservation value of WEP from Nepal. Methods The information was collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Percentage of general utility of the plants among the study communities was evaluated using the Chi-square (χ2) test of homogeneity. High priority species were identified after consultation with the local stakeholders followed by scoring based on defined criteria. Pairwise ranking was used to assess ethnoecological knowledge to identify the threats to WEP. Results We documented 81 species belonging to Angiosperms (74), Pteridophytes (5), and Fungi (2). Most of the species were used as fruits (44 species) followed by vegetables (36). Almost half of the species (47%) were also used for purposes other than food. From the species with market value (37% of the total), 10 were identified as high priority species. Pairwise ranking revealed that WEP are threatened mostly by habitat destruction, land-use change and over-harvesting. Some of these plants are crop wild relatives and could thus be used for crop improvement. Interestingly, our study also revealed that young people who spend most of the time in the forest as herdsmen are particularly knowledgeable of wild fruit plants. Conclusion We provide empirical evidence from a relatively large area of Nepal about diversity and status of WEP, as well as methodological insights about the proper knowledge holders to consult. Regarding the unique and important knowledge they have on WEP, young people should be included when recruiting participants to ethnobotanical studies or to any type of consultation about WEP. The habit of using wild edible plants is still alive and is a traditional culinary practice that demonstrates rich traditional knowledge of local people. WEP were found to be important for livelihood as well as showing great potential for crop improvement. Priority species should be promoted for income generation activities through sustainable collection and trade. Communities should engage in minimizing the threats to these valuable resources. PMID:22546349

Building Content Knowledge in Elementary English Language Arts: How a Shift in Curriculum Affects Teacher Perception of Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, Raquel

2017-01-01

Desert Elementary is a suburban Phoenix K-5 school. The school has undergone a significant change in its approach to reading instruction due to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) instructional shift of building knowledge through content rich nonfiction. Teachers implemented this shift in their classrooms through a 16-month professional…

Deploying the Post-Colonial Predicaments of Researching on/with "Asia" in Education: A Standpoint from a Rich Peripheral Country

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takayama, Keita

2016-01-01

Against the current infatuation with Asia in Australian education, this article rearticulates the notion of "Asia literacy" to explore new ways of researching on/with/through Asia. Drawing on the post-colonial critique of Western social science knowledge, I first demonstrate the problematic nature of Australian knowledge production on…

Putting More "Modern" in Modern Physics Education: A Knowledge Building Approach Using Student Questions and Ideas about the Universe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Glenn

2017-01-01

Student-generated questions and ideas about our universe are the start of a rich and highly motivating learning environment. Using their curiosity-driven questions and ideas, students form Knowledge Building groups or "communities" where they plan, set goals, design questions for research, and assess the progress of their work, tasks…

The History of the Discovery of Blood Circulation: Unrecognized Contributions of Ayurveda Masters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patwardhan, Kishor

2012-01-01

Ayurveda, the native healthcare system of India, is a rich resource of well-documented ancient medical knowledge. Although the roots of this knowledge date back to the Vedic and post-Vedic eras, it is generally believed that a dedicated branch for healthcare was gradually established approximately between 400 BCE and 200 CE. Probably because the…

Models of Micro-Organisms: Children's Knowledge and Understanding of Micro-Organisms from 7 to 14 Years Old

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Jenny

2011-01-01

This paper describes the expressed models that children aged 7, 11, and 14 years have about micro-organisms and microbial activity. These were elicited using a variety of data collection techniques that complemented each other, resulting in a rich dataset, and provided information about the level of knowledge and progression of ideas across the…

Tapping into Basic 7-9 Science and Technology Teachers' Conceptions of Indigenous Knowledge in Imo State, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh-Pillay, Asheena; Alant, Busisiwe P.; Nwokocha, Godson

2017-01-01

The discussion on how to integrate African indigenous knowledge (IK) into mainstream Science and Technology schooling prevails. Nigeria's colonised school curriculum is antithetical to its rich IK heritage. Guided by postcolonial theory, and the need for a culturally relevant and decolonised curriculum, this paper sought to explore seven basic 7-9…

Beta-decay measurements of neutron-rich thallium, lead, and bismuth by means of resonant laser ionisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franchoo, S.; de Witte, H.; Andreyev, A. N.; Cederka¨Ll, J.; Dean, S.; de Smet, A.; Eeckhaudt, S.; Fedorov, D. V.; Fedosseev, V. N.; G´Rska, M.; Huber, G.; Huyse, M.; Janas, Z.; Ko¨Ster, U.; Kurcewicz, W.; Kurpeta, J.; Mayer, P.; Płchocki, A.; van de Vel, K.; van Duppen, P.; Weissman, L.; Isolde Collaboration

2004-04-01

Neutron-rich thallium, lead, and bismuth isotopes were investigated at the ISOLDE facility. After mass separation and resonant laser ionisation of the produced activity, new spectroscopic data were obtained for 215,218Bi and 215Pb. An attempt to reach heavy thallium had to be abandoned because of a strong francium component in the beam that gave rise to a neutron background through (α,n) reactions on the aluminium walls of the experimental chamber.

Notes about the uses of plants by one of the last healers in the Basilicata Region (South Italy)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The paper refers to the knowledge and uses of plants and to the linked ritual practices as referred by Matteo (It.‘Zì Matteo’, En. ‘Uncle Matthew’), one of the last elder healers in the Basilicata Region (South Italy). Particular attention is also paid to the uses of ‘Vruca’ (Tamarix gallica L.) as a medicinal and magical plant used to heal common warts on various parts of the body. Methods After obtaining prior informed consent, we collected data through an open interview about the uses of the plants and on the associated ritual practices. For each species, data were collected that included the vernacular names, preparation, plant parts utilized and their method of use. Results The uses of 52 taxa are described. Among these, 43 are or were employed medicinally, eight as culinary foodstuffs, and 4 for domestic, handicraft or ethnoveterinary uses. Among the major findings: the ritual and magical use of Tamarix gallica L. to heal warts is described in detail; so far, no records of similar use were found in any Italian ethnobotanical studies conducted in southern Italy. Conclusion Phytotherapy in the Basilicata region is practiced by elderly people who resort to medicinal plants for mild illnesses; we interviewed one of those traditional healers who is very experienced in the field, and possesses rich ethno-pharmacological knowledge. PMID:22546322

Nonfiction Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredericks, Anthony D.

2007-01-01

Test scores across the country show American students are far more able to read narrative than nonfiction text. Some research speculates this is due to a great lack in the background knowledge of many children. Librarians are beginning to realize that a unique fit for the school librarian is as a provider of background knowledge materials for…

Some Aspects of Developing Background Knowledge in Second Language Acquisition Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zashchitina, Galina; Moysyak, Natalia

2017-01-01

The article focuses on defining how background knowledge impacts on second-language acquisition by giving a brief overview of schema theory, the interaction of the basic modes of information processing. A challenge of dealing with culturally specific texts in second language acquisition is also touched upon. Different research-supported views on…

Background Knowledge and the Magazine Reading Students Choose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabriel, Rachael; Allington, Richard; Billen, Monica

2012-01-01

Can students read difficult but self-selected texts--and if so, how? In this article we describe what we learned about middle school students' use of background knowledge and specific vocabulary from interviews and surveys in our longitudinal study of magazine reading habits. Then we discuss the implications of these findings for structuring…

Building Background Knowledge To Improve Reading Comprehension through Use of Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Iyla

This study describes a program designed to increase student background knowledge in order to improve reading comprehension. The targeted first grade class is located in a Midwest, middle class, metropolitan community. More than half of the school's population is identified as low-income. Evidence for the existence of the problem was obtained…

Schema Theory: Teaching U.S. History to Beginning Amnesty Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chervenick, Ellen Cecelia

In order to study for citizenship tests, amnesty students need to be able to read U.S. history material, although they usually have no background knowledge for it. According to schema theory, background knowledge is important for reading comprehension. Research has shown significant improvement in the reading comprehension of intermediate level…

Re-Examining the Associations between Family Backgrounds and Children's Cognitive Developments in Early Ages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tu, Yu-Kang; Law, Graham R.

2010-01-01

A recent English study found that children from poor families who did well in cognitive tests at age three are expected to be overtaken in the cognitive test by the age of seven by children from rich families who did poorly in cognitive tests at age three. The conclusion was that family background seems to have a dominant influence on a child's…

Electronic Mail and Organizational Knowledge: Media use in a Global Corporation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

in a message , without subjecting these marginal parties to the burdens of interruption and information overload. Thi2 d:.-~ , for Publicý QPP’Oved...richness: (a) the availability of instant feedback, (b) the capacity of the medium to transmit multiple cues, (c) the use of natural language, and (d) the...complex, emotional , and social interaction. Both the media richness and social presence theories lead to a congruency hypothesis that people whose jobs

Horatio Alger in the Newsroom: Social Origins of American Editors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Jack R.

1976-01-01

Concludes that American newspaper editors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries came from elite social backgrounds, which is contrary to the rags-to-riches image fostered by previous historians. (RB)

The distribution of cultural and biological diversity in Africa.

PubMed Central

Moore, Joslin L; Manne, Lisa; Brooks, Thomas; Burgess, Neil D; Davies, Robert; Rahbek, Carsten; Williams, Paul; Balmford, Andrew

2002-01-01

Anthropologists, biologists and linguists have all noted an apparent coincidence in species diversity and human cultural or linguistic diversity. We present, to our knowledge, one of the first quantitative descriptions of this coincidence and show that, for 2 degrees x 2 degrees grid cells across sub-Saharan Africa, cultural diversity and vertebrate species diversity exhibit marked similarities in their overall distribution. In addition, we show that 71% of the observed variation in species richness and 36% in language richness can be explained on the basis of environmental factors, suggesting that similar factors, especially those associated with rainfall and productivity, affect the distributions of both species and languages. Nevertheless, the form of the relationships between species richness and language richness and environmental factors differs, and it is unlikely that comparable mechanisms underpin the similar patterns of species and language richness. Moreover, the fact that the environmental factors considered here explain less than half of the variation in language richness indicates that other factors, many of which are likely to be historical or social, also influence the distribution of languages. PMID:12204124

Abundances in red giant stars - Carbon and oxygen isotopes in carbon-rich molecular envelopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wannier, P. G.; Sahai, R.

1987-01-01

Millimeter-wave observations have been made of isotopically substituted CO toward the envelopes of 11 carbon-rich stars. In every case, C-13O was detected and model calculations were used to estimate the C-12/C-13 abundance ratio. C-17O was detected toward three, and possibly four, envelopes, with sensitive upper limits for two others. The CO-18 variant was detected in two envelopes. New results include determinations of oxygen isotopic ratios in the two carbon-rich protoplanetary nebulae CRL 26688 and CRL 618. As with other classes of red giant stars, the carbon-rich giants seem to be significantly, though variably, enriched in O-17. These results, in combination with observations in interstellar molecular clouds, indicate that current knowledge of stellar production of the CNO nuclides is far from satisfactory.

Is knowing believing? The role of event plausibility and background knowledge in planting false beliefs about the personal past.

PubMed

Pezdek, Kathy; Blandon-Gitlin, Iris; Lam, Shirley; Hart, Rhiannon Ellis; Schooler, Jonathan W

2006-12-01

False memories are more likely to be planted for plausible than for implausible events, but does just knowing about an implausible event make individuals more likely to think that the event happened to them? Two experiments assessed the independent contributions o f plausibility a nd background knowledge to planting false beliefs. In Experiment 1, subjects rated 20 childhood events as to the likelihood of each event having happened to them. The list included the implausible target event "received an enema," a critical target event of Pezdek, Finger, and Hodge (1997). Two weeks later, subjects were presented with (1) information regarding the high prevalence rate of enemas; (2) background information on how to administer an enema; (3) neither type of information; or (4) both. Immediately or 2 weeks later, they rated the 20 childhood events again. Only plausibility significantly increased occurrence ratings. In Experiment 2, the target event was changed from "barium enema administered in a hospital" to "home enema for constipation"; significant effects of both plausibility and background knowledge resulted. The results suggest that providing background knowledge can increase beliefs about personal events, but that its impact is limited by the extent of the individual's familiarity with the context of the suggested target event.

Nutrition knowledge, outcome expectations, self-efficacy, and eating behaviors by calcium intake level in Korean female college students.

PubMed

Kim, Min Ju; Kim, Kyung Won

2015-10-01

Calcium is important but deficient in diets of young adult women. This study aimed to examine if cognitive factors and eating behaviors differ according to calcium intake based on the Social Cognitive Theory. Subjects were female college students in Seoul, Korea. Three hundred students completed the questionnaire regarding calcium intake, nutrition knowledge, outcome expectations, self-efficacy and eating behaviors. Data on 240 students were analyzed using t-test or χ(2)-test. Subjects were categorized into two groups, high calcium intake (HC, ≥ 650 mg/day) and low calcium intake (LC, < 650 mg/day), according to recommended intakes of calcium for women aged 19-29 years. The LC group constituted 77.9% of total subjects. Nutrition knowledge was not different according to calcium intake. Three out of 12 outcome expectations items were significantly different between the HC and LC groups. Subjects in the HC group agreed more strongly with the practical benefits of consuming calcium-rich foods, including 'taste' (P < 0.01) and 'going well with other snacks' (P < 0.05), compared to those in the LC group. Negative expectations of 'indigestion' were stronger in the LC group than HC group (P < 0.001). Among self-efficacy items, perceived ability of 'eating dairy foods for snacks' (P < 0.001), 'eating dairy foods every day' (P < 0.01), and 'eating calcium-rich side dishes at meals' (P < 0.05) differed significantly between the HC and LC groups. Eating behaviors including more frequent consumption of dairy foods, fruits or fruit juice (P < 0.001), anchovy, seaweeds, green vegetables, protein-rich foods (P < 0.05), and less frequent consumption of sweets or soft drinks (P < 0.01) were significantly related to calcium intake. This study found that outcome expectations, self-efficacy in consuming calcium-rich foods, and eating behaviors are important in explaining calcium intake. Nutrition education needs to address practical benefits, reduce negative expectations of calcium-rich foods, increase self-efficacy, and modify eating behaviors contributing to calcium intake.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of two band-winged grasshoppers, Gastrimargus marmoratus and Oedaleus asiaticus

PubMed Central

Ma, Chuan; Liu, Chunxiang; Yang, Pengcheng; Kang, Le

2009-01-01

Background The two closely related species of band-winged grasshoppers, Gastrimargus marmoratus and Oedaleus asiaticus, display significant differences in distribution, biological characteristics and habitat preferences. They are so similar to their respective congeneric species that it is difficult to differentiate them from other species within each genus. Hoppers of the two species have quite similar morphologies to that of Locusta migratoria, hence causing confusion in species identification. Thus we determined and compared the mitochondrial genomes of G. marmoratus and O. asiaticus to address these questions. Results The complete mitochondrial genomes of G. marmoratus and O. asiaticus are 15,924 bp and 16,259 bp in size, respectively, with O. asiaticus being the largest among all known mitochondrial genomes in Orthoptera. Both mitochondrial genomes contain a standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and an A+T-rich region in the same order as those of the other analysed caeliferan species, but different from those of the ensiferan species by the rearrangement of trnD and trnK. The putative initiation codon for the cox1 gene in the two species is ATC. The presence of different sized tandem repeats in the A+T-rich region leads to size variation between their mitochondrial genomes. Except for nad2, nad4L, and nad6, most of the caeliferan mtDNA genes exhibit low levels of divergence. In phylogenetic analyses, the species from the suborder Caelifera form a monophyletic group, as is the case for the Ensifera. Furthermore, the two suborders cluster as sister groups, supporting the monophyly of Orthoptera. Conclusion The mitochondrial genomes of both G. marmoratus and O. asiaticus harbor the typical 37 genes and an A+T-rich region, exhibiting similar characters to those of other grasshopper species. Characterization of the two mitochondrial genomes has enriched our knowledge on mitochondrial genomes of Orthoptera. PMID:19361334

Knowledge Management for Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

interfaces relies on rich visual and conceptual understanding of what is sketched, rather than the pattern-recognition technologies that most systems use...recognizers) required by other approaches. • The underlying conceptual representations that nuSketch uses enable it to serve as a front end to knowledge...constructing enemy-intent hypotheses via mixed visual and conceptual analogies. II.C. Multi-ViewPoint Clustering Analysis (MVP-CA) technology To

The Intention to Share: Professionals' Knowledge Sharing Behaviors in Online Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alajmi, Bibi M.

2011-01-01

Since the 1990s, the rise of some online communities as well as the decline of others has caught the attention of academia as well as of practice. One assumption for the decline of some online communities is the lack of the rich knowledge content that is believed to be the source of competitiveness and sustainability of any online community.…

Education and Technology in the 21st Century Experiences of Adult Online Learners Using Web 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Wanda L.

2014-01-01

The emergence of a knowledge-based and technology-driven economy has prompted adults to seek additional knowledge and skills that will enable them to participate effectively in society. The rapid growth and popularity of the internet tools such as Web 2.0 tools have revolutionized adult learning. Through the rich support of Web 2.0 tools, adult…

Traditional use of medicinal plants in the boreal forest of Canada: review and perspectives

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The boreal forest of Canada is home to several hundred thousands Aboriginal people who have been using medicinal plants in traditional health care systems for thousands of years. This knowledge, transmitted by oral tradition from generation to generation, has been eroding in recent decades due to rapid cultural change. Until now, published reviews about traditional uses of medicinal plants in boreal Canada have focused either on particular Aboriginal groups or on restricted regions. Here, we present a review of traditional uses of medicinal plants by the Aboriginal people of the entire Canadian boreal forest in order to provide comprehensive documentation, identify research gaps, and suggest perspectives for future research. Methods A review of the literature published in scientific journals, books, theses and reports. Results A total of 546 medicinal plant taxa used by the Aboriginal people of the Canadian boreal forest were reported in the reviewed literature. These plants were used to treat 28 disease and disorder categories, with the highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal disorders, followed by musculoskeletal disorders. Herbs were the primary source of medicinal plants, followed by shrubs. The medicinal knowledge of Aboriginal peoples of the western Canadian boreal forest has been given considerably less attention by researchers. Canada is lacking comprehensive policy on harvesting, conservation and use of medicinal plants. This could be explained by the illusion of an infinite boreal forest, or by the fact that many boreal medicinal plant species are widely distributed. Conclusion To our knowledge, this review is the most comprehensive to date to reveal the rich traditional medicinal knowledge of Aboriginal peoples of the Canadian boreal forest. Future ethnobotanical research endeavours should focus on documenting the knowledge held by Aboriginal groups that have so far received less attention, particularly those of the western boreal forest. In addition, several critical issues need to be addressed regarding the legal, ethical and cultural aspects of the conservation of medicinal plant species and the protection of the associated traditional knowledge. PMID:22289509

Ethnomedicinal study of plants used for human ailments in Ankober District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Ankober District has long been inhabited by people who have a long tradition of using medicinal plants to treat human ailments. Overexploitation of medicinal plants coupled with an ever-increasing population growth, deforestation and agricultural land expansion threatens plants in the area. Hence, this study aimed at documenting and analyzing the plant-based ethnomedicinal knowledge of the people in order to preserve the dwindling indigenous knowledge. Methods Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and walk-in-the-woods. Quantitative approaches were used to determine Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Fidelity level (FL) values. Statistical tests were used to compare the indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants among different informant categories. Results A total of 135 medicinal plant species belonging to 128 genera and 71 botanical families were reported to treat human diseases in the District. Families Asteraceae (12 species, 9%) and Fabaceae (10, 7.4%) were found to be best represented in the area. About 44% of preparations were reported to be obtained from roots. Significant difference (P < 0.05) was observed on the mean number of medicinal plants reported by groups of respondents compared within age, literacy level and experience parameters. Highest ICF values were recorded for gastro-intestinal & parasitic and dermatological disease categories (0.70 each) indicating best agreement among informants knowledge on medicinal plants used to treat aliments in these categories. Highest fidelity level values were recorded for Zehneria scabra (95%) and Hagenia abyssinica (93.75%) showing conformity of knowledge on species of best healing potential. Podocarpus falcatus was ranked first in a direct matrix ranking exercise of multipurpose medicinal plants. The output of preference ranking exercise indicated that Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata was the most preferred species to treat atopic eczema. Conclusion The study revealed that Ankober District is rich in medicinal plant diversity and associated indigenous knowledge. However, anthropogenic factors coupled with acculturation and very poor conservation efforts threaten medicinal plant survival in the area. Promoting a complementary in situ and ex situ conservation strategy for medicinal plants of the District is highly recommended. PMID:23984919

The Enigma of Soil Animal Species Diversity Revisited: The Role of Small-Scale Heterogeneity

PubMed Central

Nielsen, Uffe N.; Osler, Graham H. R.; Campbell, Colin D.; Neilson, Roy; Burslem, David F. R. P.; van der Wal, René

2010-01-01

Background “The enigma of soil animal species diversity” was the title of a popular article by J. M. Anderson published in 1975. In that paper, Anderson provided insights on the great richness of species found in soils, but emphasized that the mechanisms contributing to the high species richness belowground were largely unknown. Yet, exploration of the mechanisms driving species richness has focused, almost exclusively, on above-ground plant and animal communities, and nearly 35 years later we have several new hypotheses but are not much closer to revealing why soils are so rich in species. One persistent but untested hypothesis is that species richness is promoted by small-scale environmental heterogeneity. Methodology/Principal Findings To test this hypothesis we manipulated small-scale heterogeneity in soil properties in a one-year field experiment and investigated the impacts on the richness of soil fauna and evenness of the microbial communities. We found that heterogeneity substantially increased the species richness of oribatid mites, collembolans and nematodes, whereas heterogeneity had no direct influence on the evenness of either the fungal, bacterial or archaeal communities or on species richness of the large and mobile mesostigmatid mites. These results suggest that the heterogeneity-species richness relationship is scale dependent. Conclusions Our results provide direct evidence for the hypothesis that small-scale heterogeneity in soils increase species richness of intermediate-sized soil fauna. The concordance of mechanisms between above and belowground communities suggests that the relationship between environmental heterogeneity and species richness may be a general property of ecological communities. PMID:20644639

The Influence of Religion-Specific Background Knowledge on the Listening Comprehension of Adult Second-Language Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markham, Paul; Latham, Michael

1987-01-01

Assesses the influence of religious-specific background knowledge on adult ESL listening comprehension. Sixteen Moslems, 20 Christians, and 28 religion-neutral students listened to two passages, one on prayer rituals of Islam and one on those of Christianity. Students better recalled and understood the passage related to their respective religious…

Content Familiarity and Gender-Neutral Texts in Foreign Language Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jalilehvand, Maryam; Samuel, Moses

2014-01-01

Based on the schema theory, it has been found that the background knowledge of males and females differs. This difference in background knowledge can affect the students' reading comprehension. In Iran, although boys and girls study in different schools, they follow the same curricula and syllabuses in all the schools. The present article reports…

Topic and Background Knowledge Effects on Performance in Speaking Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khabbazbashi, Nahal

2017-01-01

This study explores the extent to which topic and background knowledge of topic affect spoken performance in a high-stakes speaking test. It is argued that evidence of a substantial influence may introduce construct-irrelevant variance and undermine test fairness. Data were collected from 81 non-native speakers of English who performed on 10…

Using a "Primer Unit" in an Introductory Biology Course: "A Soft Landing"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marbach-Ad, Gili; Ribke, Melina; Gershoni, Jonathan M.

2006-01-01

This study aimed to facilitate students' entrance to an introductory cell biology course for biology majors. The most prominent difficulty in this introductory course, is students' poor background-knowledge, such as a lack of understanding of very basic concepts and terms, and the huge differences in students' background knowledge. In order to…

Source apportionment of aerosol particles near a steel plant by electron microscopy.

PubMed

Ebert, Martin; Müller-Ebert, Dörthe; Benker, Nathalie; Weinbruch, Stephan

2012-12-01

The size, morphology and chemical composition of 37,715 individual particles collected over 22 sampling days in the vicinity of a large integrated steel production were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Based on the morphology, chemistry and beam stability the particles were classified into the following fourteen groups: silicates, sea salt, calcium sulfates, calcium carbonates, carbonate-silicate mixtures, sulfate-silicate mixtures, iron oxides, iron mixtures, metal oxide-metals, complex secondary particles, soot, Cl-rich particles, P-rich particles, and other particles. The majority of iron oxide (≈85%) and metal oxide-metal (≈70%) particles as well as ≈20% of the silicate particles are fly ashes from high temperature processes. The emissions from the steel work are dominated by iron oxide particles. For source apportionment, seven source categories and two sectors of local wind direction (industrial and urban background) were distinguished. In both sectors PM₁₀ consists of four major source categories: 35% secondary, 20% industrial, 17% soil and 16% soot in the urban background sector compared to 45% industrial, 20% secondary, 13% soil, and 9% soot in the industrial sector. As the secondary and the soot components are higher in the urban background sector than in the industrial sector, it is concluded that both components predominantly originate from urban background sources (traffic, coal burning, and domestic heating). Abatement measures should not only focus on the steel work but should also include the urban background aerosol.

Ultrasensitive detection of uranyl by graphene oxide-based background reduction and RCDzyme-based enzyme strand recycling signal amplification.

PubMed

Li, Ming-Hui; Wang, Yong-Sheng; Cao, Jin-Xiu; Chen, Si-Han; Tang, Xian; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Zhu, Yu-Feng; Huang, Yan-Qin

2015-10-15

We proposed a novel strategy which combines graphene oxide-based background reduction with RCDzyme-based enzyme strand recycling amplification for ultrahigh sensitive detection of uranyl. The RCDzyme is designed to contain a guanine (G)-rich sequence that replaces the partial sequence in an uranyl-specific DNAzyme. This multifunctional probe can act as the target recognition element, DNAzyme and the primer of signal amplification. The presence of UO2(2+) can induce the cleavage of the substrate strands in RCDzyme. Then, each released enzyme strand can hybridize with another substrate strands to trigger many cycles of the cleavage by binding uranyl, leading to the formation of more G-quadruplexes by split guanine-rich oligonucleotide fragments. The resulting G-quadruplexes could bind to N-methyl-mesoporphyrin IX (NMM), causing an amplified detection signal for the target uranyl. Next, graphene oxide-based background reduction strategy was further employed for adsorbing free ssDNA and NMM, thereby providing a proximalis zero-background signal. The combination of RCDzyme signal amplification and proximalis zero-background signal remarkably improves the sensitivity of this method, achieving a dynamic range of two orders of magnitude and giving a detection limit down to 86 pM, which is much lower than those of related literature reports. These achievements might be helpful in the design of highly sensitive analytical platform for wide applications in environmental and biomedical fields. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Knowledge of Sexually Transmitted infections among High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nsuami, M. Jacques; Sanders, Ladatra S.; Taylor, Stephanie N.

2010-01-01

Background: It has not been determined conclusively whether greater knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is associated with lower rates of STIs. Purpose: This study sought to determine STI knowledge among high school students and factors associated with such knowledge, and to determine whether poor STI knowledge is associated with…

Experience of dietary advice among Pakistani-born persons with type 2 diabetes in Oslo.

PubMed

Fagerli, Rønnaug Aa; Lien, Marianne E; Wandel, Margareta

2005-12-01

Experience and implementation of dietary advice are influenced by various factors including ethnic, cultural and religious background. The aim is to explore how ethnic minority persons with diabetes experience dietary advice given by Norwegian health-workers, which strategies they have in response to the advice and how they explain their actions. In-depth interviews were performed with 15 Pakistani-born persons with type 2 diabetes living in Oslo. The analyses are based on the principles of Giorgi's interpretation of phenomenology. The participants expressed great concern to follow the advice. However, narratives about constraints were numerous. These concerned different life-situational factors, but more importantly they were related to communication problems arising from discontinuities between universalising medical knowledge and lay knowledge, as well as between different types of culturally defined lay knowledge. As a consequence, advice was generally experienced as inadequately based on the participant's food-cultural background, leaving the person with diabetes to do the translation between different levels of knowledge. In general health-workers would benefit from expanding their knowledge of the many positive aspects of their patients' cultural background, and apply their knowledge thereafter, whether it concerns (food)-culture or the impact of religion in everyday life.

Oral vocabulary training program for Spanish third-graders with low socio-economic status: A randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Simpson, Ian Craig; Valle, Araceli; Defior, Sylvia

2017-01-01

Although the importance of vocabulary training in English speaking countries is well recognized and has been extensively studied, the same is not true for Spanish–few evidence based vocabulary studies for Spanish-speaking children have been reported. Here, two rich oral vocabulary training programs (definition and context), based on literature about vocabulary instruction for English-speaking children, were developed and applied in a sample of 100 Spanish elementary school third-graders recruited from areas of predominantly low socio-economic status (SES). Compared to an alternative read-aloud method which served as the control, both explicit methods were more effective in teaching word meanings when assessed immediately after the intervention. Nevertheless, five months later, only the definition group continued to demonstrate significant vocabulary knowledge gains. The definition method was more effective in specifically teaching children word meanings and, more broadly, in helping children organize and express knowledge of words. We recommend the explicit and rich vocabulary instruction as a means to fostering vocabulary knowledge in low SES children. PMID:29186175

Cultural significance of the flora of a tropical dry forest in the Doche vereda (Villavieja, Huila, Colombia).

PubMed

Rosero-Toro, Jeison Herley; Romero-Duque, Luz Piedad; Santos-Fita, Dídac; Ruan-Soto, Felipe

2018-03-22

In Colombia, ethnobotanical studies regarding plant cultural significance (CS) in tropical dry forests are scarce and mainly focused on the Caribbean region. Different authors have indicated that the plants with the most uses are those of greater cultural importance. Additionally, gender differences in knowledge and interest in natural resources has been widely recorded. This study evaluated the cultural significance of plants in the Doche community, in the Department of Huila. Furthermore, it evaluates the richness of plant knowledge among local inhabitants, looking for testing the hypothesis that the CS of plants positively correlates to the number of uses people inform about, and that there are significant differences on the richness of ethnobotanical knowledge between men and women in this community. The ethnobotanical categories: "food," "condiment," "economy," "fodder," "firewood," "timber", "medicine," and "others" were established to carry out semi-structured interviews, social cartography, and ethnobotanical walks. The frequency of mention was calculated as a measure of CS. The richness of knowledge of each collaborator was obtained. Non-parametric tests were performed to determine whether differences between the numbers of mentioned species existed between genders and ethnobotanical categories. Finally, Pearson correlation tests determined the relationship between CS and the number of ethnobotanical categories. A hundred useful species were registered in crops and forests. The most abundant categories were medicinal (45 species), firewood (30), and fodder (28). The most culturally significant species according to frequency of mention were Pseudosamanea guachapele, Guazuma ulmifolia, Manihot esculenta, and Musa balbisiana. The species with the most registered uses (five) were Guazuma ulmifolia and Gliricidia sepium. We found a correlation between CS and the number of uses per ethnobotanical category, but no significant difference between genders regarding ethnobotanical knowledge. Frequency of mention provides relevant information about the CS of species. Furthermore, it aids to establish sustainable use of tropical dry forests without loss of resources parting from strategies designed from within the Doche community and based on their ethnobotanical knowledge. We found that the number of uses of a plant is correlated with its degree of cultural importance. On the other hand, no significant differences were found between genders regarding ethnobotanical knowledge; that is, both men and women have similar roles in the community, which allows them to recognize the same uses per species.

Fluctuations in microwave background radiation due to secondary ionization of the intergalactic gas in the universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunyayev, R. A.

1979-01-01

Secondary heating and ionization of the intergalactic gas at redshifts z approximately 10-30 could lead to the large optical depth of the Universe for Thomson scattering and could smooth the primordial fluctuations formed at z approximately 1500. It is shown that the gas motions connected with the large scale density perturbations at z approximately 10-15 must lead to the generation of secondary fluctuations of microwave background. The contribution of the rich clusters of galaxies and young galaxies to the fluctuations of microwave background is also estimated.

Solutions to the Cocktail Party Problem in Insects: Selective Filters, Spatial Release from Masking and Gain Control in Tropical Crickets

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Arne K. D.; Römer, Heiner

2011-01-01

Background Insects often communicate by sound in mixed species choruses; like humans and many vertebrates in crowded social environments they thus have to solve cocktail-party-like problems in order to ensure successful communication with conspecifics. This is even more a problem in species-rich environments like tropical rainforests, where background noise levels of up to 60 dB SPL have been measured. Principal Findings Using neurophysiological methods we investigated the effect of natural background noise (masker) on signal detection thresholds in two tropical cricket species Paroecanthus podagrosus and Diatrypa sp., both in the laboratory and outdoors. We identified three ‘bottom-up’ mechanisms which contribute to an excellent neuronal representation of conspecific signals despite the masking background. First, the sharply tuned frequency selectivity of the receiver reduces the amount of masking energy around the species-specific calling song frequency. Laboratory experiments yielded an average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of −8 dB, when masker and signal were broadcast from the same side. Secondly, displacing the masker by 180° from the signal improved SNRs by further 6 to 9 dB, a phenomenon known as spatial release from masking. Surprisingly, experiments carried out directly in the nocturnal rainforest yielded SNRs of about −23 dB compared with those in the laboratory with the same masker, where SNRs reached only −14.5 and −16 dB in both species. Finally, a neuronal gain control mechanism enhances the contrast between the responses to signals and the masker, by inhibition of neuronal activity in interstimulus intervals. Conclusions Thus, conventional speaker playbacks in the lab apparently do not properly reconstruct the masking noise situation in a spatially realistic manner, since under real world conditions multiple sound sources are spatially distributed in space. Our results also indicate that without knowledge of the receiver properties and the spatial release mechanisms the detrimental effect of noise may be strongly overestimated. PMID:22163041

Novel insights into freshwater hydrocarbon-rich sediments using metatranscriptomics: Opening the black box.

PubMed

Reid, Thomas; Chaganti, Subba Rao; Droppo, Ian G; Weisener, Christopher G

2018-06-01

Baseline biogeochemical surveys of natural environments is an often overlooked field of environmental studies. Too often research begins once contamination has occurred, with a knowledge gap as to how the affected area behaved prior to outside (often anthropogenic) influences. These baseline characterizations can provide insight into proposed bioremediation strategies crucial in cleaning up chemical spill sites or heavily mined regions. Hence, this study was conducted to survey the in-situ microbial activity within freshwater hydrocarbon-rich environments cutting through the McMurray formation - the geologic strata constituting the oil sands. We are the first to report in-situ functional variations among these freshwater microbial ecosystems using metatranscriptomics, providing insight into the in-situ gene expression within these naturally hydrocarbon-rich sites. Key genes involved in energy metabolism (nitrogen, sulfur and methane) and hydrocarbon degradation, including transcripts relating to the observed expression of methane oxidation are reported. This information provides better linkages between hydrocarbon impacted environments, closing knowledge gaps for optimizing not only oil sands mine reclamation but also enhancing microbial reclamation strategies in various freshwater environments. These finding can also be applied to existing contaminated environments, in need of efficient reclamation efforts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Salt-Rich Selenium for Prevention and Control Children with Kashin-Beck Disease: a Meta-analysis of Community-Based Trial.

PubMed

Yu, Fang-fang; Han, Jing; Wang, Xi; Fang, Hua; Liu, Huan; Guo, Xiong

2016-03-01

Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in western China is not well controlled. The objective of this study is to evaluate prevention and control children with KBD through a meta-analysis of a community-based trial. Web of knowledge, PubMed, Elsevier, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP and Wanfang data had been electronically searched up to February 2015. Search terms included the trial terms "Salt rich selenium" and "Kashin-Beck disease." Eligible studies were prospective trials of salt-rich selenium in endemic villages. Data extraction was performed by two authors using predefined data fields that also included quality evaluation. Of 292 potentially relevant articles initially screened, reporting 11 community-based trials with a total enrollment of 2652 participants were included, from five provinces in China. The pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) of primary prevention in healthy children were 0.16 and 0.08∼0.33, respectively. The OR and 95 % CI of clinical improvement in KBD children were 6.57 and 3.33∼12.93, respectively. The OR of repairing rate of metaphysis lesions was 5.53 (95 % CI 2.92∼10.47) based on X-ray film, which was statistically significantly different in favor of salt-rich selenium. The combined standard mean difference (SMD) of selenium content in hair was 2.54 (95 % CI 1.21∼3.87) which was significantly higher in selenium group. Current evidence showed that supplement salt-rich selenium was effective in reducing new incidence in healthy children and clinical improvement including repairing metaphysis lesions instead of repairing distal end of phalanx lesions in KBD children.

Selenium uptake by edible oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus sp.) from selenium-hyperaccumulated wheat straw.

PubMed

Bhatia, Poonam; Prakash, Ranjana; Prakash, N Tejo

2013-01-01

In an effort to produce selenium (Se)-fortifying edible mushrooms, five species of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sp.), were cultivated on Se-rich wheat straw collected from a seleniferous belt of Punjab, India. Total selenium was analyzed in the selenium hyperaccumulated wheat straw and the fruiting bodies. Significantly high levels (p<0.0001) of Se uptake were observed in fruiting bodies of all mushrooms grown on Se-rich wheat straw. To the best of our knowledge, accumulation and quantification of selenium in mushrooms has hitherto not been reported with substrates naturally enriched with selenium. The results demonstrate the potential of selenium-rich agricultural residues as substrates for production of Se-enriched mushrooms and the ability of different species of oyster mushrooms to absorb and fortify selenium. The study envisages potential use of selenium-rich agricultural residues towards cultivation of Se-enriched mushrooms for application in selenium supplementation or neutraceutical preparations.

Knowledge-Based Software Development Tools

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

GREEN, C., AND WESTFOLD, S. Knowledge-based programming self-applied. In Machine Intelligence 10, J. E. Hayes, D. Mitchie, and Y. Pao, Eds., Wiley...Technical Report KES.U.84.2, Kestrel Institute, April 1984. [181 KORF, R. E. Toward a model of representation changes. Artificial Intelligence 14, 1...Artificial Intelligence 27, 1 (February 1985), 43-96. Replinted in Readings in Artificial Intelligence and Software Engineering, C. Rich •ad R. Waters

Karl Brown's Hardscrabble Roots Prepared Him for His Medicaid Mission.

PubMed

Diamond, Frank

2018-04-01

The CMO of Molina Healthcare of Utah grew up, let's say, not rich. He says that and a varied background-including a stint in the Air Force-helps him deal with changing policies involving a challenging population.

Transformations in the Recognition of Visual Forms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charness, Neil; Bregman, Albert S.

1973-01-01

In a study which required college students to learn to recognize four flexible plastic shapes photographed on different backgrounds from different angles, the importance of a context-rich environment for the learning and recognition of visual patterns was illustrated. (Author)

Teachers' Knowledge and Views on the Use of Learners' Socio-Cultural Background in Teaching Natural Sciences in Grade 9 Township Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mavuru, Lydia; Ramnarain, Umesh

2017-01-01

This article explores teachers' knowledge and views on the role of learners' socio-cultural background when teaching Natural Sciences to Grade 9 learners at three South African township schools. Within a socio-cultural framework, the research investigated how teachers accommodate learners' cultural norms and values, religion and beliefs,…

Demographic attributes and knowledge acquisition among graduate-entry medical students.

PubMed

Finucane, Paul; Flannery, Denise; McGrath, Deirdre; Saunders, Jean

2013-01-01

Recent changes to undergraduate (basic) medical education in Ireland have linked an expansion of student numbers with wide-ranging reforms. Medical schools have broadened access by admitting more mature students from diverse backgrounds and have increased their international student numbers. This has resulted in major changes to the demographic profile of students at Irish medical schools. To determine whether the demographic characteristics of students impact on their academic performance and specifically on their rate of knowledge acquisition. As a formative assessment exercise, we administered a progress test to all students twice each year during a 4 year graduate-entry medical programme. We compared scores over time between students from different age cohorts, of different gender, of different nationalities and from different academic backgrounds. In the 1143 tests taken by 285 students to date, there were no significant differences in the rate of knowledge acquisition between the various groups. Early in the course, students from a non-biological science background performed less well than others but outperformed their peers by the time of graduation. Neither age, gender, nationality nor academic background impacts on the rate of knowledge acquisition among graduate-entry medical students.

Exploiting Surface Albedos Products to Bridge the Gap Between Remote Sensing Information and Climate Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinty, Bernard; Andredakis, Ioannis; Clerici, Marco; Kaminski, Thomas; Taberner, Malcolm; Stephen, Plummer

2011-01-01

We present results from the application of an inversion method conducted using MODIS derived broadband visible and near-infrared surface albedo products. This contribution is an extension of earlier efforts to optimally retrieve land surface fluxes and associated two- stream model parameters based on the Joint Research Centre Two-stream Inversion Package (JRC-TIP). The discussion focuses on products (based on the mean and one-sigma values of the Probability Distribution Functions (PDFs)) obtained during the summer and winter and highlight specific issues related to snowy conditions. This paper discusses the retrieved model parameters including the effective Leaf Area Index (LAI), the background brightness and the scattering efficiency of the vegetation elements. The spatial and seasonal changes exhibited by these parameters agree with common knowledge and underscore the richness of the high quality surface albedo data sets. At the same time, the opportunity to generate global maps of new products, such as the background albedo, underscores the advantages of using state of the art algorithmic approaches capable of fully exploiting accurate satellite remote sensing datasets. The detailed analyses of the retrieval uncertainties highlight the central role and contribution of the LAI, the main process parameter to interpret radiation transfer observations over vegetated surfaces. The posterior covariance matrix of the uncertainties is further exploited to quantify the knowledge gain from the ingestion of MODIS surface albedo products. The estimation of the radiation fluxes that are absorbed, transmitted and scattered by the vegetation layer and its background is achieved on the basis of the retrieved PDFs of the model parameters. The propagation of uncertainties from the observations to the model parameters is achieved via the Hessian of the cost function and yields a covariance matrix of posterior parameter uncertainties. This matrix is propagated to the radiation fluxes via the model’s Jacobian matrix of first derivatives. A definite asset of the JRC-TIP lies in its capability to control and ultimately relax a number of assumptions that are often implicit in traditional approaches. These features greatly help understand the discrepancies between the different data sets of land surface properties and fluxes that are currently available. Through a series of selected examples, the inverse procedure implemented in the JRC-TIP is shown to be robust, reliable and compliant with large scale processing requirements. Furthermore, this package ensures the physical consistency between the set of observations, the two-stream model parameters and radiation fluxes. It also documents the retrieval of associated uncertainties. The knowledge gained from the availability of remote sensing surface albedo products can be expressed in quantitative terms using a simple metric. This metric helps identify the geographical locations and periods of the year where the remote sensing products fail in reducing the uncertainty on the process model parameters as can be specified from current knowledge.

Large-scale extraction of accurate drug-disease treatment pairs from biomedical literature for drug repurposing

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A large-scale, highly accurate, machine-understandable drug-disease treatment relationship knowledge base is important for computational approaches to drug repurposing. The large body of published biomedical research articles and clinical case reports available on MEDLINE is a rich source of FDA-approved drug-disease indication as well as drug-repurposing knowledge that is crucial for applying FDA-approved drugs for new diseases. However, much of this information is buried in free text and not captured in any existing databases. The goal of this study is to extract a large number of accurate drug-disease treatment pairs from published literature. Results In this study, we developed a simple but highly accurate pattern-learning approach to extract treatment-specific drug-disease pairs from 20 million biomedical abstracts available on MEDLINE. We extracted a total of 34,305 unique drug-disease treatment pairs, the majority of which are not included in existing structured databases. Our algorithm achieved a precision of 0.904 and a recall of 0.131 in extracting all pairs, and a precision of 0.904 and a recall of 0.842 in extracting frequent pairs. In addition, we have shown that the extracted pairs strongly correlate with both drug target genes and therapeutic classes, therefore may have high potential in drug discovery. Conclusions We demonstrated that our simple pattern-learning relationship extraction algorithm is able to accurately extract many drug-disease pairs from the free text of biomedical literature that are not captured in structured databases. The large-scale, accurate, machine-understandable drug-disease treatment knowledge base that is resultant of our study, in combination with pairs from structured databases, will have high potential in computational drug repurposing tasks. PMID:23742147

Identification of histone modifications in biomedical text for supporting epigenomic research

PubMed Central

Kolářik, Corinna; Klinger, Roman; Hofmann-Apitius, Martin

2009-01-01

Background Posttranslational modifications of histones influence the structure of chromatine and in such a way take part in the regulation of gene expression. Certain histone modification patterns, distributed over the genome, are connected to cell as well as tissue differentiation and to the adaption of organisms to their environment. Abnormal changes instead influence the development of disease states like cancer. The regulation mechanisms for modifying histones and its functionalities are the subject of epigenomics investigation and are still not completely understood. Text provides a rich resource of knowledge on epigenomics and modifications of histones in particular. It contains information about experimental studies, the conditions used, and results. To our knowledge, no approach has been published so far for identifying histone modifications in text. Results We have developed an approach for identifying histone modifications in biomedical literature with Conditional Random Fields (CRF) and for resolving the recognized histone modification term variants by term standardization. For the term identification F1 measures of 0.84 by 10-fold cross-validation on the training corpus and 0.81 on an independent test corpus have been obtained. The standardization enabled the correct transformation of 96% of the terms from training and 98% from test the corpus. Due to the lack of terminologies exhaustively covering specific histone modification types, we developed a histone modification term hierarchy for use in a semantic text retrieval system. Conclusion The developed approach highly improves the retrieval of articles describing histone modifications. Since text contains context information about performed studies and experiments, the identification of histone modifications is the basis for supporting literature-based knowledge discovery and hypothesis generation to accelerate epigenomic research. PMID:19208128

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN TRIBES OF TRIPURA IN NORTHEAST, INDIA

PubMed Central

Debbarma, Maria; Pala, Nazir A.; Kumar, Munesh; Bussmann, Rainer W.

2017-01-01

Background: The present study was carried out in Mandwi area and its outskirts of Tripura district of tribal areas Autonomous district council to document the available ethno-medicinal plants and their traditional application among Mandwi tribes. Methodology: Field explorations were carried out during the months of March-June 2013. The ethno-medicinal survey was conducted particularly with Tripuri tribe in Mandai area, with the help of local medicine men, locally known as bhoidho (Tripuri). Data were collected through structure questionnaires and observations during the field visits. Results: In the present study the local population used a total of 51 plant species belonging to 32 families to cure a variety of diseases. Of the 51 plants, 21 were herbs, followed by trees (17) and shrubs (8). Climbers and ferns had reported 2 species for each one grass species was found. Fabaceae was the dominant family with the highest number of species (6) followed by Asteracae (4 species) and Lamiaceae (5 species). Seven other families had 2 species each and 22 families were represented by a single species. In case single diseases, the highest number of plants (7 species) was used for dysentery, followed by body pain (6 species), cough (6 species) and toothache (6 species). Conclusion: The present study concluded that, the Tripuri tribes of the study area possess rich knowledge on the medicinal plants and their utilization. Thus the present study focuses on the documentation of the traditional knowledge of these valuable plants, which could enhance the potential of these medicinal plants to other communities as well and by understanding the importance, other communities can also be helpful for conservation of these resources for further use. PMID:28638879

New challenges for text mining: mapping between text and manually curated pathways

PubMed Central

Oda, Kanae; Kim, Jin-Dong; Ohta, Tomoko; Okanohara, Daisuke; Matsuzaki, Takuya; Tateisi, Yuka; Tsujii, Jun'ichi

2008-01-01

Background Associating literature with pathways poses new challenges to the Text Mining (TM) community. There are three main challenges to this task: (1) the identification of the mapping position of a specific entity or reaction in a given pathway, (2) the recognition of the causal relationships among multiple reactions, and (3) the formulation and implementation of required inferences based on biological domain knowledge. Results To address these challenges, we constructed new resources to link the text with a model pathway; they are: the GENIA pathway corpus with event annotation and NF-kB pathway. Through their detailed analysis, we address the untapped resource, ‘bio-inference,’ as well as the differences between text and pathway representation. Here, we show the precise comparisons of their representations and the nine classes of ‘bio-inference’ schemes observed in the pathway corpus. Conclusions We believe that the creation of such rich resources and their detailed analysis is the significant first step for accelerating the research of the automatic construction of pathway from text. PMID:18426550

VisRseq: R-based visual framework for analysis of sequencing data

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Several tools have been developed to enable biologists to perform initial browsing and exploration of sequencing data. However the computational tool set for further analyses often requires significant computational expertise to use and many of the biologists with the knowledge needed to interpret these data must rely on programming experts. Results We present VisRseq, a framework for analysis of sequencing datasets that provides a computationally rich and accessible framework for integrative and interactive analyses without requiring programming expertise. We achieve this aim by providing R apps, which offer a semi-auto generated and unified graphical user interface for computational packages in R and repositories such as Bioconductor. To address the interactivity limitation inherent in R libraries, our framework includes several native apps that provide exploration and brushing operations as well as an integrated genome browser. The apps can be chained together to create more powerful analysis workflows. Conclusions To validate the usability of VisRseq for analysis of sequencing data, we present two case studies performed by our collaborators and report their workflow and insights. PMID:26328469

Antimicrobial activity of polyphenol-rich fractions from Sida alba L. (Malvaceae) against co-trimoxazol-resistant bacteria strains

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The increased resistance of microorganisms to the currently used antimicrobials has lead to the evaluation of other agents that might have antimicrobial activity. Medicinal plants are sources of phytochemicals which are able to initiate different biological activities including antimicrobials Materials and methods In vitro antibacterial (MIC, MBC and time-kill studies) of polyphenol-rich fractions from Sida alba L. (Malvaceae) was assessed using ten bacteria strains (Gram-negative and Gram-positive). Results All test bacteria were susceptible to the polyphenol-rich fractions. Time-kill results showed that after 5 h exposition there was no viable microorganism in the initial inoculum and the effect of polyphenol-rich fractions was faster on Enterococcus faecalis (Gram-positive bacterium) comparatively to the other bacteria strains. Conclusion The data analysis indicates that the tested of polyphenol-rich fractions has significant effects when compared with the standard antibiotic. These results therefore justify the traditional use of sida alba L., alone or in combination with other herbs to treat bacterial infections. PMID:22364123

University Students' Meta-Modelling Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krell, Moritz; Krüger, Dirk

2017-01-01

Background: As one part of scientific meta-knowledge, students' meta-modelling knowledge should be promoted on different educational levels such as primary school, secondary school and university. This study focuses on the assessment of university students' meta-modelling knowledge using a paper-pencil questionnaire. Purpose: The general purpose…

Proposing a Knowledge Base for Teaching Academic Content to English Language Learners: Disciplinary Linguistic Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turkan, Sultan; De Oliveira, Luciana C.; Lee, Okhee; Phelps, Geoffrey

2014-01-01

Background/Context: The current research on teacher knowledge and teacher accountability falls short on information about what teacher knowledge base could guide preparation and accountability of the mainstream teachers for meeting the academic needs of ELLs. Most recently, research on specialized knowledge for teaching has offered ways to…

Toward equality of biodiversity knowledge through technology transfer.

PubMed

Böhm, Monika; Collen, Ben

2015-10-01

To help stem the continuing decline of biodiversity, effective transfer of technology from resource-rich to biodiversity-rich countries is required. Biodiversity technology as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a complex term, encompassing a wide variety of activities and interest groups. As yet, there is no robust framework by which to monitor the extent to which technology transfer might benefit biodiversity. We devised a definition of biodiversity technology and a framework for the monitoring of technology transfer between CBD signatories. Biodiversity technology within the scope of the CBD encompasses hard and soft technologies that are relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, or make use of genetic resources, and that relate to all aspects of the CBD, with a particular focus on technology transfer from resource-rich to biodiversity-rich countries. Our proposed framework introduces technology transfer as a response indicator: technology transfer is increased to stem pressures on biodiversity. We suggest an initial approach of tracking technology flow between countries; charting this flow is likely to be a one-to-many relationship (i.e., the flow of a specific technology from one country to multiple countries). Future developments should then focus on integrating biodiversity technology transfer into the current pressure-state-response indicator framework favored by the CBD (i.e., measuring the influence of technology transfer on changes in state and pressure variables). Structured national reporting is important to obtaining metrics relevant to technology and knowledge transfer. Interim measures, that can be used to assess biodiversity technology or knowledge status while more in-depth indicators are being developed, include the number of species inventories, threatened species lists, or national red lists; databases on publications and project funding may provide measures of international cooperation. Such a pragmatic approach, followed by rigorous testing of specific technology transfer metrics submitted by CBD signatories in a standardized manner may in turn improve the focus of future targets on technology transfer for biodiversity conservation. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Sphenostylis stenocarpa (ex. A. Rich.) Harms., a Fading Genetic Resource in a Changing Climate: Prerequisite for Conservation and Sustainability

PubMed Central

Nnamani, Catherine Veronica; Ajayi, Sunday Adesola; Oselebe, Happiness Ogba; Atkinson, Christopher John; Igboabuchi, Anastasia Ngozi

2017-01-01

The southeastern part of Nigeria is one of the major hotspots of useful plant genetic resources. These endemic species are associated with a rich indigenous knowledge and cultural diversity in relation to their use and conservation. Sphenostylis stenocarpa (ex. A. Rich.) Harms., (African Yam Bean (AYB)), is one such crop within the family of Fabaceae. Its nutritional and eco-friendly characteristics have value in ameliorating malnutrition, hidden hunger and environmental degradation inherent in resource-poor rural and semi-rural communities throughout Africa. However, lack of information from the custodians of this crop is limiting its sustainable development. Therefore, ethnobotanical surveys on the diversity, uses, and constraints limiting the cultivation and use of the crop in southeastern Nigeria were carried out. Five-hundred respondents were randomly selected and data collected through oral interviews and focused group discussion (FGD). Semi-structured questionnaires (SSQ) were also used to elicit information from a spectrum of AYB users comprising community leaders, farmers, market women and consumers in five States. Results showed that the majority of the respondents lacked formal education and were of the age group of 40–50 years, while the female gender dominated with limited access to land and extension officers. Seed coat colour largely determined utilization. Long cooking time, requirement for staking materials, aging of farmers and low market demand were among the major constraints limiting further cultivation and utilization of AYB. In-situ conservation was by hanging dried fruits by the fireside, beside the house, storing in earthenware, calabash gourds, cans and bottles. It is concluded that there is urgent need to scale up conservation through robust linkages between contemporary scientific domains and indigenous peoples in order to harness and incorporate the rich indigenous knowledge in local communities for enhanced scientific knowledge, biodiversity conservation and its sustainable utilization for food security. PMID:28704944

Sphenostylis stenocarpa (ex. A. Rich.) Harms., a Fading Genetic Resource in a Changing Climate: Prerequisite for Conservation and Sustainability.

PubMed

Nnamani, Catherine Veronica; Ajayi, Sunday Adesola; Oselebe, Happiness Ogba; Atkinson, Christopher John; Igboabuchi, Anastasia Ngozi; Ezigbo, Eucharia Chizoba

2017-07-12

The southeastern part of Nigeria is one of the major hotspots of useful plant genetic resources. These endemic species are associated with a rich indigenous knowledge and cultural diversity in relation to their use and conservation. Sphenostylis stenocarpa ( e x. A. Rich.) Harms., (African Yam Bean (AYB)), is one such crop within the family of Fabaceae. Its nutritional and eco-friendly characteristics have value in ameliorating malnutrition, hidden hunger and environmental degradation inherent in resource-poor rural and semi-rural communities throughout Africa. However, lack of information from the custodians of this crop is limiting its sustainable development. Therefore, ethnobotanical surveys on the diversity, uses, and constraints limiting the cultivation and use of the crop in southeastern Nigeria were carried out. Five-hundred respondents were randomly selected and data collected through oral interviews and focused group discussion (FGD). Semi-structured questionnaires (SSQ) were also used to elicit information from a spectrum of AYB users comprising community leaders, farmers, market women and consumers in five States. Results showed that the majority of the respondents lacked formal education and were of the age group of 40-50 years, while the female gender dominated with limited access to land and extension officers. Seed coat colour largely determined utilization. Long cooking time, requirement for staking materials, aging of farmers and low market demand were among the major constraints limiting further cultivation and utilization of AYB. In-situ conservation was by hanging dried fruits by the fireside, beside the house, storing in earthenware, calabash gourds, cans and bottles. It is concluded that there is urgent need to scale up conservation through robust linkages between contemporary scientific domains and indigenous peoples in order to harness and incorporate the rich indigenous knowledge in local communities for enhanced scientific knowledge, biodiversity conservation and its sustainable utilization for food security.

Combining Task Execution and Background Knowledge for the Verification of Medical Guidelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hommersom, Arjen; Groot, Perry; Lucas, Peter; Balser, Michael; Schmitt, Jonathan

The use of a medical guideline can be seen as the execution of computational tasks, sequentially or in parallel, in the face of patient data. It has been shown that many of such guidelines can be represented as a 'network of tasks', i.e., as a number of steps that have a specific function or goal. To investigate the quality of such guidelines we propose a formalization of criteria for good practice medicine a guideline should comply to. We use this theory in conjunction with medical background knowledge to verify the quality of a guideline dealing with diabetes mellitus type 2 using the interactive theorem prover KIV. Verification using task execution and background knowledge is a novel approach to quality checking of medical guidelines.

Advances in Taxonomy, Ecology, and Biogeography of Dirivultidae (Copepoda) Associated with Chemosynthetic Environments in the Deep Sea

PubMed Central

Gollner, Sabine; Ivanenko, Viatcheslav N.; Arbizu, Pedro Martínez; Bright, Monika

2010-01-01

Background Copepoda is one of the most prominent higher taxa with almost 80 described species at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The unique copepod family Dirivultidae with currently 50 described species is the most species rich invertebrate family at hydrothermal vents. Methodology/Principal Findings We reviewed the literature of Dirivultidae and provide a complete key to species, and map geographical and habitat specific distribution. In addition we discuss the ecology and origin of this family. Conclusions/Significance Dirivultidae are only present at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and along the axial summit trough of midocean ridges, with the exception of Dirivultus dentaneus found associated with Lamellibrachia species at 1125 m depth off southern California. To our current knowledge Dirivultidae are unknown from shallow-water vents, seeps, whale falls, and wood falls. They are a prominent part of all communities at vents and in certain habitat types (like sulfide chimneys colonized by pompei worms) they are the most abundant animals. They are free-living on hard substrate, mostly found in aggregations of various foundation species (e.g. alvinellids, vestimentiferans, and bivalves). Most dirivultid species colonize more than one habitat type. Dirivultids have a world-wide distribution, but most genera and species are endemic to a single biogeographic region. Their origin is unclear yet, but immigration from other deep-sea chemosynthetic habitats (stepping stone hypothesis) or from the deep-sea sediments seems unlikely, since Dirivultidae are unknown from these environments. Dirivultidae is the most species rich family and thus can be considered the most successful taxon at deep-sea vents. PMID:20838422

An intuitive Python interface for Bioconductor libraries demonstrates the utility of language translators

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Computer languages can be domain-related, and in the case of multidisciplinary projects, knowledge of several languages will be needed in order to quickly implements ideas. Moreover, each computer language has relative strong points, making some languages better suited than others for a given task to be implemented. The Bioconductor project, based on the R language, has become a reference for the numerical processing and statistical analysis of data coming from high-throughput biological assays, providing a rich selection of methods and algorithms to the research community. At the same time, Python has matured as a rich and reliable language for the agile development of prototypes or final implementations, as well as for handling large data sets. Results The data structures and functions from Bioconductor can be exposed to Python as a regular library. This allows a fully transparent and native use of Bioconductor from Python, without one having to know the R language and with only a small community of translators required to know both. To demonstrate this, we have implemented such Python representations for key infrastructure packages in Bioconductor, letting a Python programmer handle annotation data, microarray data, and next-generation sequencing data. Conclusions Bioconductor is now not solely reserved to R users. Building a Python application using Bioconductor functionality can be done just like if Bioconductor was a Python package. Moreover, similar principles can be applied to other languages and libraries. Our Python package is available at: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/rpy2-bioconductor-extensions/ PMID:21210978

Ethnobotanical survey in Canhane village, district of Massingir, Mozambique: medicinal plants and traditional knowledge

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Medicinal plants are used by 80% of people from developing countries to fulfill their primary health needs, occupying a key position on plant research and medicine. Taking into account that, besides their pharmaceutical importance, these plants contribute greatly to ecosystems' stability, a continuous documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge is a priority. The objective of this study was to organize a database of medicinal plants including their applications and associated procedures in Canhane village, district of Massingir, province of Gaza, Mozambique. Methods In order to gather information about indigenous medicinal plants and to maximize the collection of local knowledge, eleven informants were selected taking into account the dimension of the site and the fact that the vegetation presents a great homogeneity. The data were collected through intensive structured and semi-structured interviews performed during field research. Taxonomical identification of plant species was based on field observations and herbarium collections. Results A total of 53 plant species have been reported, which were used to treat 50 different human health problems. More than half of the species were used for stomach and intestine related disturbances (including major diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery). Additionally, four species with therapeutic applications were reported for the first time, whose potential can further be exploited. The great majority of the identified species was also associated with beliefs and myths and/or used as food. In general, the community was conscientious and motivated about conservational issues and has adopted measures for the rational use of medicinal plants. Conclusions The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the Canhane village. The local community had a rich ethnobotanical knowledge and adopted sound management conservation practices. The data compiled in this study show the social importance of the surveyed plants being a contribution to the documentation of PGR at the national and regional level. PMID:21129187

Teacher Characteristics and School-Based Professional Development in Inclusive STEM-focused High Schools: A Cross-case Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spillane, Nancy Kay

Within successful Inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused High Schools (ISHSs), it is not only the students who are learning. Teachers, with diverse backgrounds, training, and experience, share and develop their knowledge through rich, embedded professional development to continuously shape their craft, improve their teaching, and support student success. This study of four exemplars of ISHSs (identified by experts in STEM education as highly successful in preparing students underrepresented in STEM for STEM majors in college and future STEM careers) provides a rich description of the relationships among the characteristics of STEM teachers, their professional development, and the school cultures that allow teachers to develop professionally and serve the needs of students. By providing a framework for the development of teaching staffs in ISHSs and contributing to the better understanding of STEM teaching in any school, this study offers valuable insight, implications, and information for states and school districts as they begin planning improvements to STEM education programs. A thorough examination of an existing data set that included site visits to four ISHSs along with pre- and post-visit data, provided the resource for this multiple case study with cross-case analysis of the teachers and their teacher professional development experiences. Administrators in these ISHSs had the autonomy to hire teachers with strong content backgrounds, philosophical alignment with the school missions, and a willingness to work collaboratively toward achieving the schools' goals. Ongoing teacher professional development began before school started and continued throughout the school day and year through intense and sustained, formal and informal, active learning experiences. Flexible professional development systems varied, but aligned with targeted school reforms and teacher and student needs. Importantly, collaborative teacher learning occurred within a school-wide culture of collaboration. Teachers were guided in establishing open lines of communication that supported regular engagement with others and the free flow of ideas, practices, and concerns. As a result of this collaboration, in conjunction with intentional pathways to teacher leadership, teacher professionalization was deliberately and successfully fostered creating an environment of shared mission and mutual trust, and a shared sense of responsibility for school-wide decision-making and school outcomes.

On the Significance of a Carbon-Rich Background in Plasma-Based Graphene Oxide Reduction

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-02

can lead to the formation of defects and vacancies. We find that methane provides not only hydrogen but also the carbon necessary to restore the...Graphene oxide Reduction Plasma Argon Hydrogen Methane Office of Naval Research One Liberty Center 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 1425 Arlington, VA...electron-beam generated plasmas produced in argon/ methane (Ar/CH4) backgrounds. However, unlike other reduction approaches [14] the process was found to

The biology of mass extinction: a palaeontological view

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jablonski, D.; Raup, D. M. (Principal Investigator)

1989-01-01

Extinctions are not biologically random: certain taxa or functional/ecological groups are more extinction-prone than others. Analysis of molluscan survivorship patterns for the end-Cretaceous mass extinctions suggests that some traits that tend to confer extinction resistance during times of normal ('background') levels of extinction are ineffectual during mass extinction. For genera, high species-richness and possession of widespread individual species imparted extinction-resistance during background times but not during the mass extinction, when overall distribution of the genus was an important factor. Reanalysis of Hoffman's (1986) data (Neues Jb. Geol. Palaont. Abh. 172, 219) on European bivalves, and preliminary analysis of a new northern European data set, reveals a similar change in survivorship rules, as do data scattered among other taxa and extinction events. Thus taxa and adaptations can be lost not because they were poorly adapted by the standards of the background processes that constitute the bulk of geological time, but because they lacked--or were not linked to--the organismic, species-level or clade-level traits favoured under mass-extinction conditions. Mass extinctions can break the hegemony of species-rich, well-adapted clades and thereby permit radiation of taxa that had previously been minor faunal elements; no net increase in the adaptation of the biota need ensue. Although some large-scale evolutionary trends transcend mass extinctions, post extinction evolutionary pathways are often channelled in directions not predictable from evolutionary patters during background times.

Does cross-taxon analysis show similarity in diversity patterns between vascular plants and bryophytes? Some answers from a literature review.

PubMed

Bagella, Simonetta

2014-04-01

The objective of this study was to clarify the taxon surrogacy hypothesis relative to vascular plants and bryophytes. A literature review was conducted to obtain papers that met the following criteria: (i) they examined species richness values; or (ii) they evaluated the species richness within the same study sites, or under the same spatial variation conditions. Twenty-seven papers were accessed. The richness of the two taxa, compared in 32 cases, positively co-varied in about half of the comparisons. The response to the spatial variation in environmental or human-induced factors of the two taxa in terms of species richness was rather variable. Based on current knowledge, the main documented findings regard forest habitats and nival gradients. In forest habitats, co-variation in species richness is likely when similar environments are analysed and seems to be strengthened for boreal forests. Along the nival gradient, a different response in terms of richness of the two taxa suggests that vascular plants cannot be considered good surrogates for bryophytes. Copyright © 2014 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

MedTxting: Learning based and Knowledge Rich SMS-style Medical Text Contraction

PubMed Central

Liu, Feifan; Moosavinasab, Soheil; Houston, Thomas K.; Yu, Hong

2012-01-01

In mobile health (M-health), Short Message Service (SMS) has shown to improve disease related self-management and health service outcomes, leading to enhanced patient care. However, the hard limit on character size for each message limits the full value of exploring SMS communication in health care practices. To overcome this problem and improve the efficiency of clinical workflow, we developed an innovative system, MedTxting (available at http://medtxting.askhermes.org), which is a learning-based but knowledge-rich system that compresses medical texts in a SMS style. Evaluations on clinical questions and discharge summary narratives show that MedTxting can effectively compress medical texts with reasonable readability and noticeable size reduction. Findings in this work reveal potentials of MedTxting to the clinical settings, allowing for real-time and cost-effective communication, such as patient condition reporting, medication consulting, physicians connecting to share expertise to improve point of care. PMID:23304328

Perception and knowledge about stem cell and tissue engineering research: a survey amongst researchers and medical practitioners in perinatology.

PubMed

Gucciardo, Léonardo; De Koninck, Philip; Verfaillie, Catherine; Lories, Rik; Deprest, Jan

2014-08-01

Stem cell and tissue engineering (SC&TE) research remain controversial. Polemics are potential hurdles for raising public funds for research and clinical implementation. In view of future applications of SC&TE in perinatal conditions, we aimed to measure the background knowledge, perceptions or beliefs on SC&TE research among clinicians and academic researchers with perinatal applications on the department's research agenda. We polled three professional categories: general obstetrician gynecologists, perinatologists and basic or translational researchers in development and regeneration. The survey included questions on demographics, work environment, educational background, general knowledge, expectations, opinions and ethical reflections of the respondent about SC&TE. The response rate was 39 %. Respondents were mainly female (54 %) and under 40 years (63 %). The general background knowledge about SC&TE is low. Respondents confirm that remaining controversies still arise from the confusion that stem cell research coincides with embryo manipulation. Clinicians assume that stem cell research has reached the level of clinical implementation, and accept the risks associated of purposely harvesting fetal amniotic cells. Researchers in contrast are more cautious about both implementation and risks. Professionals in the field of perinatology may benefit of a better background knowledge and information on current SC & TE research. Though clinicians may be less aware of the current state of knowledge, they are open to clinical implementation, whereas dedicated researchers remain cautious. In view of the clinical introduction of SC & TE, purposed designed informative action should be taken and safety studies executed, hence avoid sustaining needless polemics.

Creating Research-Rich Learning Experiences and Quantitative Skills in a 1st Year Earth Systems Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, P. L.; Eggins, S.; Jones, S.

2014-12-01

We are creating a 1st year Earth Systems course at the Australian National University that is built around research-rich learning experiences and quantitative skills. The course has top students including ≤20% indigenous/foreign students; nonetheless, students' backgrounds in math and science vary considerably posing challenges for learning. We are addressing this issue and aiming to improve knowledge retention and deep learning by changing our teaching approach. In 2013-2014, we modified the weekly course structure to a 1hr lecture; a 2hr workshop with hands-on activities; a 2hr lab; an assessment piece covering all face-to-face activities; and a 1hr tutorial. Our new approach was aimed at: 1) building student confidence with data analysis and quantitative skills through increasingly difficult tasks in science, math, physics, chemistry, climate science and biology; 2) creating effective learning groups using name tags and a classroom with 8-person tiered tables; 3) requiring students to apply new knowledge to new situations in group activities, two 1-day field trips and assessment items; 4) using pre-lab and pre-workshop exercises to promote prior engagement with key concepts; 5) adding open-ended experiments to foster structured 'scientific play' or enquiry and creativity; and 6) aligning the assessment with the learning outcomes and ensuring that it contains authentic and challenging southern hemisphere problems. Students were asked to design their own ocean current experiment in the lab and we were astounded by their ingenuity: they simulated the ocean currents off Antarctica; varied water density to verify an equation; and examined the effect of wind and seafloor topography on currents. To evaluate changes in student learning, we conducted surveys in 2013 and 2014. In 2014, we found higher levels of student engagement with the course: >~80% attendance rates and >~70% satisfaction (20% neutral). The 2014 cohort felt that they were more competent in writing and data analysis skills, working quantitatively using spreadsheets; deriving equations to describe nature; using the scientific method; and research processes. Assessment strategies are challenging and we plan to test a grading approach based on the "three Cs": content, correctness and creativity.

Exploring the Effect of Background Knowledge and Text Cohesion on Learning from Texts in Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasparinatou, Alexandra; Grigoriadou, Maria

2013-01-01

In this study, we examine the effect of background knowledge and local cohesion on learning from texts. The study is based on construction-integration model. Participants were 176 undergraduate students who read a Computer Science text. Half of the participants read a text of maximum local cohesion and the other a text of minimum local cohesion.…

Knowledge about dietary fibre and its health benefits: A cross-sectional survey of 2536 residents from across Croatia.

PubMed

Ljubicic, Marija; Saric, Marijana Matek; Rumbak, Ivana; Baric, Irena Colic; Komes, Drazenka; Satalic, Zvonimir; Guiné, Raquel P F

2017-08-01

This cross-sectional study is aimed at identifying the level of understanding of the health benefits of dietary fibre in the prevention of disease, as well as the association between that understanding and fibre consumption in the Croatian population. We believe that nutritional knowledge is important for the consumption of healthy food which includes also a positive reflection on food habits and health. Only well-informed consumers can shop effectively for food rich in dietary fibre and thereby derive the health benefits that fibre can offer. We suppose the association between that understanding and fibre consumption in the Croatian population. However, this knowledge is not the only important determinant; food purchases are influenced by socioeconomic and demographic factors. Our hypothesis is that the level of knowledge about fibre and fibre consumption varies with age, gender, education level and urban or rural environment. It is our assumption that life styles, environmental conditions and education can affect the level of knowledge and perception about healthy eating habits. If this assumption is accurate, targeted education campaigns to educate and sensitise the population about fibre-rich foods and the health benefits of fibre is a priority. Public health programmes are urgently needed, particularly in rural areas, to sensitise the population to fulfill the recommended fibre intake, high-fibre food sources and the mechanisms by which fibre can help prevent disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparing kids for the new baby.

PubMed

Storr, G B; Robinson, P

1998-03-01

Sibling prenatal classes are a natural extension of nursing's interest and expertise in childbirth preparation for expectant couples. From parents' perspective, these classes have the potential to decrease sibling rivalry and facilitate parental coping with older children's concerns about a new baby. From a nurse educator's perspective, sibling prenatal classes offer a rich learning experience for students by providing an opportunity to integrate knowledge about pregnancy and birth with communication skills and child development knowledge.

Effects of Improved Content Knowledge on Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Student Performance in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iserbyt, Peter; Ward, Phillip; Li, Weidong

2017-01-01

Background: Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is an interaction of several knowledge bases upon which the teacher makes decisions about what and how to teach. To date, there are no studies in physical education directly documenting relationships between specialized content knowledge (SCK) and PCK. Such relationships have not been empirically…

The Influence of Prior Knowledge on the Retrieval-Directed Function of Note Taking in Prior Knowledge Activation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetzels, Sandra A. J.; Kester, Liesbeth; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Broers, Nick J.

2011-01-01

Background: Prior knowledge activation facilitates learning. Note taking during prior knowledge activation (i.e., note taking directed at retrieving information from memory) might facilitate the activation process by enabling learners to build an external representation of their prior knowledge. However, taking notes might be less effective in…

Cross-Country Generalizability of the Role of Metacognitive Knowledge in Students' Strategy Use and Reading Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Artelt, Cordula; Schneider, Wolfgang

2015-01-01

Background/Context: Because metacognitive knowledge includes knowledge about adequate learning strategies, and because an effective use of learning strategies is associated with higher levels of performance, substantial relationships can be assumed between metacognitive knowledge, strategic behavior, and performance. However, such a pattern of…

Treatment of Partial Rotator Cuff Tear with Ultrasound-guided Platelet-rich Plasma

PubMed Central

Sengodan, Vetrivel Chezian; Kurian, Sajith; Ramasamy, Raghupathy

2017-01-01

Background: The treatment of symptomatic partial rotator cuff tear has presented substantial challenge to orthopaedic surgeons as it can vary from conservative to surgical repair. Researches have established the influence of platelet rich plasma in healing damaged tissue. Currently very few data are available regarding the evidence of clinical and radiological outcome of partial rotator cuff tear treated with ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection in English literature. Materials and Methods: 20 patients with symptomatic partial rotator cuff tears were treated with ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection. Before and after the injection of platelet rich plasma scoring was done with visual analogue score, Constant shoulder score, and UCLA shoulder score at 8 weeks and third month. A review ultrasound was performed 8 weeks after platelet rich plasma injection to assess the rotator cuff status. Results: Our study showed statistically significant improvements in 17 patients in VAS pain score, constant shoulder score and UCLA shoulder score. No significant changes in ROM were noted when matched to the contra-lateral side (P < 0.001) at the 3 month follow-up. The study also showed good healing on radiological evaluation with ultrasonogram 8 weeks after platelet rich plasma injection. Conclusion: Ultrasound guided platelet rich plasma injection for partial rotator cuff tears is an effective procedure that leads to significant decrease in pain, improvement in shoulder functions, much cost-effective and less problematic compared to a surgical treatment. PMID:28900553

Higher dietary flavonoid intakes are associated with lower objectively measured body composition in women: evidence from discordant monozygotic twins.

PubMed

Jennings, Amy; MacGregor, Alex; Spector, Tim; Cassidy, Aedín

2017-03-01

Background: Although dietary flavonoid intake has been associated with less weight gain, there are limited data on its impact on fat mass, and to our knowledge, the contribution of genetic factors to this relation has not previously been assessed. Objective: We examined the associations between flavonoid intakes and fat mass. Design: In a study of 2734 healthy, female twins aged 18-83 y from the TwinsUK registry, intakes of total flavonoids and 7 subclasses (flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, flavones, polymers, and proanthocyanidins) were calculated with the use of food-frequency questionnaires. Measures of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived fat mass included the limb-to-trunk fat mass ratio (FMR), fat mass index, and central fat mass index. Results: In cross-sectional multivariable analyses, higher intake of anthocyanins, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins were associated with a lower FMR with mean ± SE differences between extreme quintiles of -0.03 ± 0.02 ( P -trend = 0.02), -0.03 ± 0.02 ( P -trend = 0.03), and -0.05 ± 0.02 ( P -trend < 0.01), respectively. These associations were not markedly changed after further adjustment for fiber and total fruit and vegetable intakes. In monozygotic, intake-discordant twin pairs, twins with higher intakes of flavan-3-ols ( n = 154, P = 0.03), flavonols ( n = 173, P = 0.03), and proanthocyanidins ( n = 172, P < 0.01) had a significantly lower FMR than that of their co-twins with within-pair differences of 3-4%. Furthermore, in confirmatory food-based analyses, twins with higher intakes of flavonol-rich foods (onions, tea, and pears; P = 0.01) and proanthocyanidin-rich foods (apples and cocoa drinks; P = 0.04) and, in younger participants (aged <50 y) only, of anthocyanin-rich foods (berries, pears, grapes, and wine; P = 0.01) had a 3-9% lower FMR than that of their co-twins. Conclusions: These data suggest that higher habitual intake of a number of flavonoids, including anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols, and proanthocyanidins, are associated with lower fat mass independent of shared genetic and common environmental factors. Intervention trials are needed to further examine the effect of flavonoid-rich foods on body composition.

Current concepts in platelet transfusion

PubMed Central

Mohanty, Dipika

2009-01-01

This is the era of component therapy. Therefore there is a need for rational use of platelet concentrate. Lot of knowledge has been added recently in the field of platelet specially about the platelet rich plasma and its application in clinical practice. The current review focuses on improvement in preparation of platelet rich plasma, the procedure to make the same more safe and its rational use. Furthermore newer aspects of platelet concentrate use in surgical practice and for regenerative medicine has also been discussed. It also covers some progress and hurdles in preparation of platelet substitutes. PMID:20041092

Linking Indigenous Knowledge and Observed Climate Change Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, Chief Clarence; Bynum, Nora; Johnson, Liz; King, Ursula; Mustonen, Tero; Neofotis, Peter; Oettle, Noel; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Sakakibara, Chie; Shadrin, Chief Vyacheslav;

Evaluation of a discussion forum for knowledge sharing among emergency practitioners: a social network approach.

PubMed

Curran, Janet; Abidi, Syed Sibte Raza

2006-01-01

Peer to peer knowledge sharing is recognized as a key contributor to the development of expert practice for health care professionals. Emergency departments with access to extensive expertise, such as in urban hospital settings, present greater potential for rich collaborative learning opportunities as compared with rural settings where expertise is at times scarce. Collaborative technologies such as electronic discussion boards may assist in leveling the "knowledge" playing field and increase opportunities for the growth of a strong social network for emergency clinicians. A social network perspective is used to explore the effectiveness of a discussion forum to support knowledge sharing among emergency practitioners in rural and urban emergency departments in Nova Scotia.

Intrathecal Infusion of Hydrogen-Rich Normal Saline Attenuates Neuropathic Pain via Inhibition of Activation of Spinal Astrocytes and Microglia in Rats

PubMed Central

Sun, Xuejun; Xiang, Zhenghua; Yang, Liqun; Huang, Shengdong; Lu, Zhijie; Sun, Yuming; Yu, Wei-Feng

2014-01-01

Background Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are key molecules that mediate neuropathic pain. Although hydrogen is an established antioxidant, its effect on chronic pain has not been characterized. This study was to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of hydrogen-rich normal saline induced analgesia. Methodology/Principal findings In a rat model of neuropathic pain induced by L5 spinal nerve ligation (L5 SNL), intrathecal injection of hydrogen-rich normal saline relieved L5 SNL-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Importantly, repeated administration of hydrogen-rich normal saline did not lead to tolerance. Preemptive treatment with hydrogen-rich normal saline prevented development of neuropathic pain behavior. Immunofluorochrome analysis revealed that hydrogen-rich normal saline treatment significantly attenuated L5 SNL-induced increase of 8-hydroxyguanosine immunoreactive cells in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn. Western blot analysis of SDS/PAGE-fractionated tyrosine-nitrated proteins showed that L5 SNL led to increased expression of tyrosine-nitrated Mn-containing superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in the spinal cord, and hydrogen-rich normal saline administration reversed the tyrosine-nitrated MnSOD overexpression. We also showed that the analgesic effect of hydrogen-rich normal saline was associated with decreased activation of astrocytes and microglia, attenuated expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the spinal cord. Conclusion/Significance Intrathecal injection of hydrogen-rich normal saline produced analgesic effect in neuropathic rat. Hydrogen-rich normal saline-induced analgesia in neuropathic rats is mediated by reducing the activation of spinal astrocytes and microglia, which is induced by overproduction of hydroxyl and peroxynitrite. PMID:24857932

Effectiveness of Biologic Factors in Shoulder Disorders

PubMed Central

Giotis, Dimitrios; Aryaei, Ashkan; Vasilakakos, Theofanis; Paschos, Nikolaos K.

2017-01-01

Background: Shoulder pathology can cause significant pain, discomfort, and loss of function that all interfere with activities of daily living and may lead to poor quality of life. Primary osteoarthritis and rotator cuff diseases with its sequalae are the main culprits. Management of shoulder disorders using biological factors gained an increasing interest over the last years. This interest reveals the need of effective treatments for shoulder degenerative disorders, and highlights the importance of a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the rapidly increasing knowledge in the field. Methods: This study will describe most of the available biology-based strategies that have been recently developed, focusing on their effectiveness in animal and clinical studies. Results: Data from in vitro work will also be briefly presented; in order to further elucidate newly acquired knowledge regarding mechanisms of tissue degeneration and repair that would probably drive translational work in the next decade. The role of platelet rich-plasma, growth factors, stem cells and other alternative treatments will be described in an evidence-based approach, in an attempt to provide guidelines for their clinical application. Finally, certain challenges that biologic treatments face today will be described as an initiative for future strategies. Conclusion: The application of different growth factors and mesenchymal stem cells appears as promising approaches for enhancing biologic repair. However, data from clinical studies are still limited, and future studies need to improve understanding of the repair process in cellular and molecular level and evaluate the effectiveness of biologic factors in the management of shoulder disorders. PMID:28400884

Medicinal plants used by traditional healers from South-West Algeria: An ethnobotanical study

PubMed Central

Benarba, Bachir

2016-01-01

Background/Aim: This study aimed to document and analyzes the local knowledge of medicinal plants’ use by traditional healers in South-west Algeria. Methods: The ethnobotanical survey was conducted in two Saharian regions of South-west of Algeria: Adrar and Bechar. In total, 22 local traditional healers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire and open questions. Use value (UV), fidelity level (FL), and informant consensus factor (FIC) were used to analyze the obtained data. Results: Our results showed that 83 medicinal plants species belonging to 38 families are used by traditional healers from South-west of Algeria to treat several ailments. Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, and Fabaceae were the most dominant families with 13, 8, 6, and 4 species, respectively. Leaves were the plant parts mostly used (36%), followed by seeds (18%), aerial parts (17%) and roots (12%). Furthermore, a decoction was the major mode of preparation (49%), and oral administration was the most preferred (80%). Thymus vulgaris L. (UV = 1.045), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (UV = 0.863), Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (UV=0.590), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (UV = 0.545), and Ruta chalepensis L. (UV = 0.5) were the most frequently species used by local healers. A great informant consensus has been demonstrated for kidney (0.727), cancer (0.687), digestive (0.603), and respiratory diseases. Conclusion: This study revealed rich ethnomedicinal knowledge in South-west Algeria. The reported species with high UV, FL, and FIC could be of great interest for further pharmacological studies. PMID:27757260

From hospital information system components to the medical record and clinical guidelines & protocols.

PubMed

Veloso, M; Estevão, N; Ferreira, P; Rodrigues, R; Costa, C T; Barahona, P

1997-01-01

This paper introduces an ongoing project towards the development of a new generation HIS, aiming at the integration of clinical and administrative information within a common framework. Its design incorporates explicit knowledge about domain objects and professional activities to be processed by the system together with related knowledge management services and act management services. The paper presents the conceptual model of the proposed HIS architecture, that supports a rich and fully integrated patient data model, enabling the implementation of a dynamic electronic patient record tightly coupled with computerised guideline knowledge bases.

Detritus utilization by Mytilus edulis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Phil

1981-06-01

Feeding expriments showed that salt marsh vascular plant detritus is a poor food for Mytilus edulis. In laboratory experiment tissue weight of mussels increased slightly when Spartina foliosa and Salicornia virginica detritus was added to background seawater rich in organic matter. However, mussels lost weight when detritus was added to background seawater with a lower organic matter content. Aged and unaged plant material were equally poor in food value for M. edulis. Mussels in the Tijuana Estuary grew substantially during the period of the laboratory experiments.

Indigenous and traditional plants: South African parents’ knowledge, perceptions and uses and their children’s sensory acceptance

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The dietary shift from indigenous and traditional plants (ITPs) to cash crops and exotic plant food sources increases the risk of malnutrition and other nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, especially in poor rural communities. Farm communities in South Africa have been associated with poor nutritional status and extreme poverty. ITPs have been found to be affordable sources of several micronutrients. However, knowledge of and the use of these plants are declining, and little is known about the child’s acceptance of dishes prepared with ITPs. This knowledge can be used to improve the general acceptance of ITPs. This study aimed to gain insight into parents’ knowledge and perceptions and their use of ITPs in a farming community in the North West Province and to assess children’s acceptance of and preference for dishes made with African leafy vegetables (ALVs) and Swiss chard. Methods Parents (n = 29) responsible for food preparation for children in grade 2 to 4 in two schools were purposively selected for four focus group discussions. A sensory evaluation assessed the children’s (n = 98) acceptance of, preference for and intended consumption of dishes made with leafy vegetables. The dishes were made of Amaranthus spp., Cleome gynandra, Cucurbita maxima, Vigna unguiculata and Beta vulgaris. Results Parents mentioned 30 edible ITPs during the focus group discussions. Parents had knowledge of available ITPs and their use as food. Location, seasonal variation and rainfall affected the availability of and access to ITPs. Sun-dried ITPs were stored in sacks for later use. ITPs were perceived as healthy, affordable and delicious, hence acceptable to the parents. The children also evaluated the dishes made with ALVs as acceptable in terms of colour, smell and taste. Swiss chard was preferred, most likely because of the children’s exposure to this vegetable. Children indicated that they would like to eat these leafy vegetables twice a week. Conclusion These results look promising for the promotion of ITPs as a strategy to reduce malnutrition in rural farm communities and for potential inclusion of these micronutrient-rich ALVs in school feeding programmes to improve the nutritional status of children. PMID:24274394

AGB stars in Leo P and their use as metallicity probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chien-Hsiu

2016-09-01

Leo P is the most metal-poor yet star-forming galaxy in the local volume, and has the potential to serve as a local counterpart to interpret the properties of distant galaxies in the early universe. We present a comprehensive search of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in Leo P using deep infrared imaging. AGB stars are the major dust contributors; the metal poor nature of Leo P can help to shed light on the dust formation process in very low-metallicity environments, similar to the early Universe. We select and classify oxygen-rich and carbon-rich candidate AGB stars using J - K versus K colour-magnitude diagram. To filter out contaminations from background galaxies, we exploit the high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope imaging and identify 9 oxygen-rich AGBs and 13 carbon-rich AGB stars in Leo P. We then use the ratio of carbon-rich and oxygen-rich AGB stars (C/M ratio) as an indicator of on-site metallicity and derive the global metallicity [Fe/H] = -1.8 dex for Leo P, in good agreement with previous studies using isochrone fitting. Follow-up observations of these Leo P AGB stars in the mid-infrared [e.g. Spitzer, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)] will be invaluable to measure the dust formation rates using Spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting.

X-ray emission from a complete sample of Abell clusters of galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briel, Ulrich G.; Henry, J. Patrick

1993-11-01

The ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) is used to investigate the X-ray properties of a complete sample of Abell clusters with measured redshifts and accurate positions. The sample comprises the 145 clusters within a 561 square degree region at high galactic latitude. The mean redshift is 0.17. This sample is especially well suited to be studied within the RASS since the mean exposure time is higher than average and the mean galactic column density is very low. These together produce a flux limit of about 4.2 x 10-13 erg/sq cm/s in the 0.5 to 2.5 keV energy band. Sixty-six (46%) individual clusters are detected at a significance level higher than 99.7% of which 7 could be chance coincidences of background or foreground sources. At redshifts greater than 0.3 six clusters out of seven (86%) are detected at the same significance level. The detected objects show a clear X-ray luminosity -- galaxy count relation with a dispersion consistent with other external estimates of the error in the counts. By analyzing the excess of positive fluctuations of the X-ray flux at the cluster positions, compared with the fluctuations of randomly drawn background fields, it is possible to extend these results below the nominal flux limit. We find 80% of richness R greater than or = 0 and 86% of R greater than or = 1 clusters are X-ray emitters with fluxes above 1 x 10-13 erg/sq cm/s. Nearly 90% of the clusters meeting the requirements to be in Abell's statistical sample emit above the same level. We therefore conclude that almost all Abell clusters are real clusters and the Abell catalog is not strongly contaminated by projection effects. We use the Kaplan-Meier product limit estimator to calculate the cumulative X-ray luminosity function. We show that the shape of the luminosity functions are similiar for different richness classes, but the characteristic luminosities of richness 2 clusters are about twice those of richness 1 clusters which are in turn about twice those of richness 0 clusters. This result is another manifestation of the luminosity -- richness elation for Abell clusters.

Sexual health knowledge and behaviour of young Sudanese Queenslanders: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Dean, Judith; Mitchell, Marion; Stewart, Donald; Debattista, Joseph

2017-06-01

Background Forced migration is associated with sexual vulnerability. However, little is known about the sexual health literacy and needs of refugee-background youth post resettlement. Conducted in partnership with the Queensland Sudanese community, this study used a cross-sectional survey to explore the sexual health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a convenience sample of 16- to 24-year-old Sudanese-background youth in Australia (n=229). Sexually transmissible infection (STI) and HIV knowledge scores were generally low, although they were found to significantly improve the longer participants had lived in Australia (P<0.001). Female participants reported significantly higher levels of both STI and HIV knowledge compared with the male cohort (P<0.001). The aggregated sexual risk behaviour score suggests generally low levels of risk-taking behaviour. However, of the 140 sexually active participants, 3.1% reported a STI diagnosis, 9.0% reported sex leading to a pregnancy and 33.1% reported they had experienced unwanted sex. Participants also reported engaging in behaviours such as anal sex (33%) and sharing injecting drug equipment. Patterns of sexual behaviour among this predominately refugee-background group are not dissimilar to those of other young Australians. Nonetheless, the self-reported patterns of risk behaviour combined with the low and inaccurate levels of sexual health knowledge suggest this group of young people remain sexually vulnerable, particularly early within their resettlement experience. Culturally and contextually informed sexual health interventions are needed early within the resettlement experience.

Communication in Collaborative Discovery Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saab, Nadira; van Joolingen, Wouter R.; van Hout-Wolters, Bernadette H. A. M.

2005-01-01

Background: Constructivist approaches to learning focus on learning environments in which students have the opportunity to construct knowledge themselves, and negotiate this knowledge with others. "Discovery learning" and "collaborative learning" are examples of learning contexts that cater for knowledge construction processes. We introduce a…

Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Experts and Novices--What Knowledge Do They Activate When Analyzing Science Lessons?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krepf, Matthias; Plöger, Wilfried; Scholl, Daniel; Seifert, Andreas

2018-01-01

In the current debate on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), the term is used to refer to the context-specific knowledge that teachers activate when reflecting on practice. Against the background of this debate, we conducted an empirical study and sought to answer the question of which knowledge experts and novices activated in assessing a…

Deconstructing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Knowledge: Objective and Perceived Knowledge in Males' Intentions to Receive the HPV Vaccine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krawczyk, Andrea; Stephenson, Ellen; Perez, Samara; Lau, Elsa; Rosberger, Zeev

2013-01-01

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was recently approved for men. To effectively tailor HPV education efforts toward men, it is important to understand what men know about HPV and how this knowledge relates to their decision to receive the vaccine. This study examines how objective HPV knowledge, objective HPV vaccine knowledge,…

Is Practical Subject Matter Knowledge Still Important? Examining the Siedentopian Perspective on the Role of Content Knowledge in Physical Education Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herold, Frank; Waring, Michael

2017-01-01

Background: The role that content knowledge, an important component of practical subject matter knowledge, plays for pre-service teachers (PSTs) in physical education teacher education (PETE) remains contested and unclear. Whilst some researchers emphasise the facilitative nature of such knowledge, others criticise that too much focus on content…

Provoking Contingent Moments: Knowledge for "Powerful Teaching" at the Horizon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurst, Chris

2017-01-01

Background: Teacher knowledge continues to be a topic of debate in Australasia and in other parts of the world. There have been many attempts by mathematics educators and researchers to define the knowledge needed by teachers to teach mathematics effectively. A plethora of terms, such as mathematical content knowledge, pedagogical content…

Learning outside the Laboratory: Ability and Non-Ability Influences on Acquiring Political Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hambrick, David Z.; Meinz, Elizabeth J.; Pink, Jeffrey E.; Pettibone, Jonathan C.; Oswald, Frederick L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify sources of individual differences in knowledge acquired under natural conditions. Through its direct influence on background knowledge, crystallized intelligence (Gc) had a major impact on political knowledge, acquired over a period of more than 2 months, but there were independent influences of…

Nudging toward Inquiry: Awakening and Building upon Prior Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fontichiaro, Kristin, Comp.

2010-01-01

"Prior knowledge" (sometimes called schema or background knowledge) is information one already knows that helps him/her make sense of new information. New learning builds on existing prior knowledge. In traditional reporting-style research projects, students bypass this crucial step and plow right into answer-finding. It's no wonder that many…

Assessing the Effects of Teachers' Reading Knowledge on Students' Achievement Using Multilevel Propensity Score Stratification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelcey, Ben

2011-01-01

This study investigated the relationship of teachers' reading knowledge with students' reading achievement using a direct teacher knowledge assessment rather than indirect proxies (e.g., certification). To address the inequitable distribution of teachers' knowledge resulting from differences in teachers' backgrounds and the disparities in how…

Michael Polanyi on the Education and Knowledge of Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Struan

Rich in insights, groundbreaking in its interpretations, Personal Knowledge deserves to be better known. Modestly contributing to this end, the present paper explains why teachers addressing the nature of science should spend time on Polanyi. Outlining his intellectual career (from medicine to the cutting edge of chemical research, to the analysis of science and society), his ideas on education of scientists, on research and knowledge are then examined. Much of what he found in science - personal knowledge, intellectual passion, faith, trust, tacit understanding, method rules embodied in practice but seldom amenable to formulation - contradicted the orthodox understanding of it. He presaged Kuhn, Feyerabend, and the constructivists, yet insisted that science produces true knowledge about reality. Tension between tradition and innovation characterizes Polanyi's thought, as it does Polanyian scientific research.

Knowledge sharing and organizational learning in the context of hospital infection prevention.

PubMed

Rangachari, Pavani

2010-01-01

Recently, hospitals that have been successful in preventing infections have labeled their improvement approaches as either the Toyota Production System (TPS) approach or the Positive Deviance (PD) approach. PD has been distinguished from TPS as being a bottom-up approach to improvement, as against top-down. Facilities that have employed both approaches have suggested that PD may be more effective than TPS for infection prevention. This article integrates organizational learning, institutional, and knowledge network theories to develop a theoretical framework for understanding the structure and evolution of effective knowledge-sharing networks in health care organizations, that is, networks most conducive to learning and improvement. Contrary to arguments put forth by hospital success stories, the framework suggests that networks rich in brokerage and hierarchy (ie, top-down, "TPS-like" structures) may be more effective for learning and improvement in health care organizations, compared with a networks rich in density (ie, bottom-up, "PD-like" structures). The theoretical framework and ensuing analysis help identify several gaps in the literature related to organization learning and improvement in the infection prevention context. This, in turn, helps put forth recommendations for health management research and practice.

Metalliferous sediments from Eolo Seamount (Tyrrhenian Sea): Hydrothermal deposition and re-deposition in a zone of oxygen depletion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dekov, V.M.; Kamenov, George D.; Savelli, C.; Stummeyer, Jens; Thiry, M.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Willingham, A.L.; Boycheva, T.B.; Rochette, P.; Kuzmann, E.; Fortin, D.; Vertes, A.

2009-01-01

A sediment core taken from the south-east slope of the Eolo Seamount is composed of alternating red-brown and light-brown to bluish-grey layers with signs of re-deposition in the middle-upper section. The red-brown layers are Fe-rich metalliferous sediments formed as a result of low-temperature (??? 77????C) hydrothermal discharge, whereas the bluish-grey layers most probably originated from background sedimentation of Al-rich detrital material. The metalliferous layers are composed mainly of Si-rich goethite containing some Al. Co-precipitation of hydrothermally released SiO44- and Fe2+ as amorphous or poorly crystalline Fe-Si-oxyhydroxides explains the high Si concentration in goethite. The elevated Al content of the goethite is fairly unusual, but reflects the extremely high background Al content of the Tyrrhenian seawater due to the high eolian terrigenous flux from the Sahara desert. The Sr and Nd isotope data suggest that the Eolo metalliferous sediments are the product of a 3-component mixture: hydrothermal fluid, seawater, and detrital material (Saharan dust and Aeolian Arc material). The enrichment in Fe, P, As, Mo, Cd, Be, Sb, W, Y, V, depletion in REE and transition elements (Cu, Co, Ni, Zn) and the REE distribution patterns support the low-temperature hydrothermal deposition of the metalliferous layers. The hydrothermal field is located in a seawater layer of relative O2 depletion, which led to a significant fractionation of the hydrothermally emitted Fe and Mn. Fe-oxyhydroxides precipitated immediately around the vents whereas Mn stayed in solution longer and the Mn-oxides precipitated higher up on the seamount slope in seawater with relatively higher O2 levels. High seismic activity led to sediment re-deposition and slumping of the Mn-rich layers down slope and mixing with the Fe-rich layers. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Species richness alone does not predict cultural ecosystem service value

PubMed Central

Graves, Rose A.; Pearson, Scott M.; Turner, Monica G.

2017-01-01

Many biodiversity-ecosystem services studies omit cultural ecosystem services (CES) or use species richness as a proxy and assume that more species confer greater CES value. We studied wildflower viewing, a key biodiversity-based CES in amenity-based landscapes, in Southern Appalachian Mountain forests and asked (i) How do aesthetic preferences for wildflower communities vary with components of biodiversity, including species richness?; (ii) How do aesthetic preferences for wildflower communities vary across psychographic groups?; and (iii) How well does species richness perform as an indicator of CES value compared with revealed social preferences for wildflower communities? Public forest visitors (n = 293) were surveyed during the summer of 2015 and asked to choose among images of wildflower communities in which flower species richness, flower abundance, species evenness, color diversity, and presence of charismatic species had been digitally manipulated. Aesthetic preferences among images were unrelated to species richness but increased with more abundant flowers, greater species evenness, and greater color diversity. Aesthetic preferences were consistent across psychographic groups and unaffected by knowledge of local flora or value placed on wildflower viewing. When actual wildflower communities (n = 54) were ranked based on empirically measured flower species richness or wildflower viewing utility based on multinomial logit models of revealed preferences, rankings were broadly similar. However, designation of hotspots (CES values above the median) based on species richness alone missed 27% of wildflower viewing utility hotspots. Thus, conservation priorities for sustaining CES should incorporate social preferences and consider multiple dimensions of biodiversity that underpin CES supply. PMID:28320953

Species richness alone does not predict cultural ecosystem service value.

PubMed

Graves, Rose A; Pearson, Scott M; Turner, Monica G

2017-04-04

Many biodiversity-ecosystem services studies omit cultural ecosystem services (CES) or use species richness as a proxy and assume that more species confer greater CES value. We studied wildflower viewing, a key biodiversity-based CES in amenity-based landscapes, in Southern Appalachian Mountain forests and asked ( i ) How do aesthetic preferences for wildflower communities vary with components of biodiversity, including species richness?; ( ii ) How do aesthetic preferences for wildflower communities vary across psychographic groups?; and ( iii ) How well does species richness perform as an indicator of CES value compared with revealed social preferences for wildflower communities? Public forest visitors ( n = 293) were surveyed during the summer of 2015 and asked to choose among images of wildflower communities in which flower species richness, flower abundance, species evenness, color diversity, and presence of charismatic species had been digitally manipulated. Aesthetic preferences among images were unrelated to species richness but increased with more abundant flowers, greater species evenness, and greater color diversity. Aesthetic preferences were consistent across psychographic groups and unaffected by knowledge of local flora or value placed on wildflower viewing. When actual wildflower communities ( n = 54) were ranked based on empirically measured flower species richness or wildflower viewing utility based on multinomial logit models of revealed preferences, rankings were broadly similar. However, designation of hotspots (CES values above the median) based on species richness alone missed 27% of wildflower viewing utility hotspots. Thus, conservation priorities for sustaining CES should incorporate social preferences and consider multiple dimensions of biodiversity that underpin CES supply.

Student Perceptions of Small-Group Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florez, Ida Rose; McCaslin, Mary

2008-01-01

Background/Context: Elementary school teachers regularly arrange students in small groups for learning activities. A rich literature discusses various types of small-group learning formats and how those formats affect achievement. Few studies, however, have examined students' perceptions of small-group learning experiences. Our work extends the…

Impact of novel sorghum bran diets on DSS-induced colitis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background. Repeated bouts of inflammation are known to promote colon cancer. We have reported that polyphenol-rich sorghum bran diets decrease formation of colon aberrant crypt foci, however, little is known regarding their effect during colonic inflammation. Objective. We hypothesized that sorgh...

Linguistic Knowledge and Reasoning for Error Diagnosis and Feedback Generation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delmonte, Rodolfo

2003-01-01

Presents four sets of natural language processing-based exercises for which error correction and feedback are produced by means of a rich database in which linguistic information is encoded either at the lexical or the grammatical level. (Author/VWL)

Research and development for Onboard Navigation (ONAV) ground based expert/trainer system: ONAV entry knowledge requirements specification update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bochsler, Daniel C.

1988-01-01

A revised version of expert knowledge for the onboard navigation (ONAV) entry system is given. Included is some brief background information together with information describing the knowledge that the system does contain.

Knowledge Importance in Rehabilitation Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leahy, Michael J.; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined differences among certified rehabilitation counselors (n=1,535) in level of importance attributed to various knowledge domains. Found that grouping respondents according to employment setting and job title accounted for most frequent differences in knowledge importance among all variables examined. Respondents' educational background and…

[Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus Infection and the Possibilities for Prevention among 13- to 21-Year-Old Students from Fulda, Hessen].

PubMed

Stumm, C; Hahn, D; Heberlein, I; Doherr, F; Hofmann, W

2017-05-01

Study Aim: The aim of this investigation was to assess awareness and knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccination in a sample of female and male students from Fulda. Further vaccination uptake was investigated. Methods: In 2011 a regional cross-sectional survey of 13- to 21-year-old students (n=1 515) was conducted by using a standardised questionnaire. Results: Overall, the awareness and knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) was poor. 29% of the sample had heard of HPV. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that females as well as Christians knew HPV better than males and Muslims. Mean HPV knowledge score was 7.8 of 21 (SD=3.3). None of the tested sociodemographic variables was a predictor for better HPV knowledge. 77% of the sample was aware of the HPV vaccination. Females, persons without migration background as well as persons with middle or higher education knew HPV vaccination better than males, persons with migration background and lower educational level. Mean HPV vaccination knowledge score of the female students was 2.9 of 5 (SD=1.3). Older female students had a better level of knowledge than younger ones. 30% of the females had received at least one dose. Higher age, no migration background and middle or higher education status were tested as significant predictors of vaccine uptake. Conclusion: School lessons and consultations would be appropriate places to transfer knowledge in order to prevent health inequalities caused by social determinants. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Developing a kidney and urinary pathway knowledge base

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Chronic renal disease is a global health problem. The identification of suitable biomarkers could facilitate early detection and diagnosis and allow better understanding of the underlying pathology. One of the challenges in meeting this goal is the necessary integration of experimental results from multiple biological levels for further analysis by data mining. Data integration in the life science is still a struggle, and many groups are looking to the benefits promised by the Semantic Web for data integration. Results We present a Semantic Web approach to developing a knowledge base that integrates data from high-throughput experiments on kidney and urine. A specialised KUP ontology is used to tie the various layers together, whilst background knowledge from external databases is incorporated by conversion into RDF. Using SPARQL as a query mechanism, we are able to query for proteins expressed in urine and place these back into the context of genes expressed in regions of the kidney. Conclusions The KUPKB gives KUP biologists the means to ask queries across many resources in order to aggregate knowledge that is necessary for answering biological questions. The Semantic Web technologies we use, together with the background knowledge from the domain’s ontologies, allows both rapid conversion and integration of this knowledge base. The KUPKB is still relatively small, but questions remain about scalability, maintenance and availability of the knowledge itself. Availability The KUPKB may be accessed via http://www.e-lico.eu/kupkb. PMID:21624162

Hydro-edaphic conditions defining richness and species composition in savanna areas of the northern Brazilian Amazonia.

PubMed

Araújo, Maria Aparecida de Moura; da Rocha, Antônio Elielson Sousa; Miranda, Izildinha de Souza; Barbosa, Reinaldo Imbrozio

2017-01-01

Studies on plant communities in the Amazon have reported that different hydro-edaphic conditions can affect the richness and the species composition of different ecosystems. However, this aspect is poorly known in the different savanna habitats. Understanding how populations and plant communities are distributed in these open vegetation areas is important to improve the knowledge about which environmental variables influence the occurrence and diversity of plants in this type of regional ecosystem. Thus, this study investigated the richness and composition of plant species in two savanna areas of the northern Brazilian Amazonia, using the coverage (%) of the different life forms observed under different hydro-edaphic conditions as a structural reference. We report 128 plant species classified in 34 botanical families distributed in three savanna habitats with different levels of hydro-edaphic restrictions. In this study, the habitats are conceptually presented and they integrate environmental information (edaphic factors and drainage type), which determines differences between floristic composition, species richness and coverage (%) of plant life forms.

Treatment resistance and psychodynamic psychiatry: concepts psychiatry needs from psychoanalysis.

PubMed

Plakun, Eric

2012-06-01

Over the last 30 years psychiatry and psychoanalysis have moved in substantially divergent directions. Psychiatry has become rich in methodology but conceptually limited, with a drift toward biological reductionism. Psychoanalysis has remained relatively limited in methodology, but conceptually rich. The rich methodology of psychiatry has led to major contributions in discovering gene by environment interactions, the importance of early adversity, and to recognition of the serious problem posed by treatment resistance. However, psychiatry's biologically reductionistic conceptual focus interferes with the development of a nuanced clinical perspective based on emerging knowledge that might help more treatment resistant patients become treatment responders. This article argues that recognition of the problem of treatment resistance in psychiatry creates a need for it to reconnect with the conceptual richness of psychoanalysis in order to improve patient care. Psychodynamic psychiatry is defined as the relevant intersection of psychiatry and psychoanalysis where this reconnection can occur. I will suggest selected aspects of psychoanalysis that are especially relevant to psychiatry in improving outcomes in work with treatment resistant patients.

An exploratory investigation of teaching innovations and learning factors in a lean manufacturing systems engineering course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choomlucksana, Juthamas; Doolen, Toni L.

2017-11-01

The use of collaborative activities and simulation sessions in engineering education has been explored previously. However, few studies have investigated the relationship of these types of teaching innovations with other learner characteristics, such as self-efficacy and background knowledge. This study explored the effects of collaborative activities and simulation sessions on learning and the relationships between self-efficacy beliefs, background knowledge, and learning. Data were collected from two different terms in an upper division engineering course entitled Lean Manufacturing Systems Engineering. Findings indicated that the impact of collaborative activities and simulation sessions appears to be different, depending on the concepts being taught. Simulation sessions were found to have a significant effect on self-efficacy beliefs, and background knowledge had a mixed effect on learning. Overall the results of this study highlight the complex set of relationships between classroom innovations, learner characteristics, and learning.

Multiple dimensions of biodiversity and ecosystem processes: Exploring the joint influence of intraspecific, specific and interspecific diversity.

PubMed

Eduardo, Anderson A

2016-09-07

The positive influence of biodiversity on ecosystem processes was the focus of intense debate in ecology throughout the recent decades, becoming accepted and treated as a new paradigm in contemporary ecology. However, the available literature in this research field extensively explores species richness as an unidimensional measure for biodiversity. The present study explores how different components of biological diversity (number of genotypes, species, and functional groups) can influence an ecosystem process (biomass fixation). A mathematical model was employed and the simulation results showed that species richness per se does not affect the ecosystem productivity. Genotypic richness affected positively the ecosystem, but only if the genotypes are functionally complementary. The functional groups richness always affected positively the simulated ecosystem process. When together, richness at the different components of biological diversity showed stronger effect on ecosystem, and the scenarios with high species, genotypes and functional groups richness were the most productive ones. The results also allowed to observe that the ecosystems which are diverse in terms of functional groups and genotypes can be less susceptible to species loss. Finally, it is argued that a multiple dimension approach to biodiversity is relevant to advance the current knowledge on the relation between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Revised Sexual Knowledge Assessment Tool for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Is Sexual Knowledge Related to Sexual Offending Behaviour?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbot, T. J.; Langdon, Peter E.

2006-01-01

Background: The aim of the current study was to update an existing short measure of sexual knowledge and generate some initial reliability and normative data. Comparisons of sexual knowledge across several groups were made to examine whether or not a lack of sexual knowledge is related to sexual offending. Methods: The Bender Sexual Knowledge…

X-Ray Background Survey Spectrometer (XBSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, W. T. (Principal Investigator); Paulos, R. J.

1996-01-01

The objective of this investigation was to perform a spectral survey of the low energy diffuse X-ray background using the X-ray Background Survey Spectrometer (XBSS) on board the Space Station Freedom (SSF). XBSS obtains spectra of the X-ray diffuse background in the 11-24 A and 44-84 A wavelength intervals over the entire sky with 15 deg spatial resolution. These X-rays are almost certainly from a very hot (10(exp 6) K) component of the interstellar medium that is contained in regions occupying a large fraction of the interstellar volume near the Sun. Astrophysical plasmas near 10(exp 6) K are rich in emission lines, and the relative strengths of these lines, besides providing information about the physical conditions of the emitting gas, also provide information about its history and heating mechanisms.

Genetic Knowledge Among Participants in the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative.

PubMed

Schmidlen, Tara J; Scheinfeldt, Laura; Zhaoyang, Ruixue; Kasper, Rachel; Sweet, Kevin; Gordon, Erynn S; Keller, Margaret; Stack, Cathy; Gharani, Neda; Daly, Mary B; Jarvis, Joseph; Christman, Michael F

2016-04-01

Genetic literacy is essential for the effective integration of genomic information into healthcare; yet few recent studies have been conducted to assess the current state of this knowledge base. Participants in the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative (CPMC), a prospective study assessing the impact of personalized genetic risk reports for complex diseases and drug response on behavior and health outcomes, completed genetic knowledge questionnaires and other surveys through an online portal. To assess the association between genetic knowledge and genetic education background, multivariate linear regression was performed. 4 062 participants completed a genetic knowledge and genetic education background questionnaire. Most were older (mean age: 50), Caucasian (90 %), female (59 %), highly educated (69 % bachelor's or higher), with annual household income over $100 000 (49 %). Mean percent correct was 76 %. Controlling for demographics revealed that health care providers, participants previously exposed to genetics, and participants with 'better than most' self-rated knowledge were significantly more likely to have a higher knowledge score (p < 0.001). Overall, genetic knowledge was high with previous genetic education experience predictive of higher genetic knowledge score. Education is likely to improve genetic literacy, an important component to expanded use of genomics in personalized medicine.

Estimating the Richness of a Population When the Maximum Number of Classes Is Fixed: A Nonparametric Solution to an Archaeological Problem

PubMed Central

Eren, Metin I.; Chao, Anne; Hwang, Wen-Han; Colwell, Robert K.

2012-01-01

Background Estimating assemblage species or class richness from samples remains a challenging, but essential, goal. Though a variety of statistical tools for estimating species or class richness have been developed, they are all singly-bounded: assuming only a lower bound of species or classes. Nevertheless there are numerous situations, particularly in the cultural realm, where the maximum number of classes is fixed. For this reason, a new method is needed to estimate richness when both upper and lower bounds are known. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we introduce a new method for estimating class richness: doubly-bounded confidence intervals (both lower and upper bounds are known). We specifically illustrate our new method using the Chao1 estimator, rarefaction, and extrapolation, although any estimator of asymptotic richness can be used in our method. Using a case study of Clovis stone tools from the North American Lower Great Lakes region, we demonstrate that singly-bounded richness estimators can yield confidence intervals with upper bound estimates larger than the possible maximum number of classes, while our new method provides estimates that make empirical sense. Conclusions/Significance Application of the new method for constructing doubly-bound richness estimates of Clovis stone tools permitted conclusions to be drawn that were not otherwise possible with singly-bounded richness estimates, namely, that Lower Great Lakes Clovis Paleoindians utilized a settlement pattern that was probably more logistical in nature than residential. However, our new method is not limited to archaeological applications. It can be applied to any set of data for which there is a fixed maximum number of classes, whether that be site occupancy models, commercial products (e.g. athletic shoes), or census information (e.g. nationality, religion, age, race). PMID:22666316

Enhancing Adolescents' Comprehension of Text by Building Vocabulary Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swanson, Elizabeth; Vaughn, Sharon; Wexler, Jade

2017-01-01

This article describes the importance of vocabulary knowledge in adolescents' reading comprehension, particularly for students with disabilities. Students with stronger vocabularies tend to have better background knowledge and improved understanding of content-area texts. We describe evidence-based vocabulary instructional practices that…

A Knowledge-Based Approach to Information Fusion for the Support of Military Intelligence

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

and most reliable an appropriate picture of the battlespace. The presented approach of knowledge based information fusion is focussing on the...incomplete and imperfect information of military reports and background knowledge can be supported substantially in an automated system. Keywords

Glyphosate sorption/desorption on biochars – Interactions of physical and chemical processes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

BACKGROUND: Biochar, a carbon-rich product of biomass pyrolysis, could limit glyphosate transport in soil and remediate contaminated water. The present study investigates the sorption/desorption behavior of glyphosate on biochars prepared from different hardwoods at temperatures ranging from 350°C t...

Design, implementation and evaluation of innovative science teaching strategies for non-formal learning in a natural history museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çil, Emine; Maccario, Nihal; Yanmaz, Durmuş

2016-09-01

Background: Museums are useful educational resources in science teaching. Teaching strategies which promote hands-on activities, student-centred learning, and rich social interaction must be designed and implemented throughout the museum visit for effective science learning.

Publisher Correction: Cluster richness-mass calibration with cosmic microwave background lensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geach, James E.; Peacock, John A.

2018-03-01

Owing to a technical error, the `Additional information' section of the originally published PDF version of this Letter incorrectly gave J.A.P. as the corresponding author; it should have read J.E.G. This has now been corrected. The HTML version is correct.

Interdisciplinary Characterizations of Models and the Nature of Chemical Knowledge in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erduran, Sibel; Duschl, Richard A.

2004-01-01

In this paper, the authors argue that chemical knowledge in the classroom will be enriched by the application of characterizations of models drawn from a range of disciplinary backgrounds. This discussion highlights two important issues relating to chemical knowledge in the classroom: (1) the status of chemical knowledge in the classroom,…

Iterating between Lessons on Concepts and Procedures Can Improve Mathematics Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rittle-Johnson, Bethany; Koedinger, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Background: Knowledge of concepts and procedures seems to develop in an iterative fashion, with increases in one type of knowledge leading to increases in the other type of knowledge. This suggests that iterating between lessons on concepts and procedures may improve learning. Aims: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the…

General Nutrition Knowledge among Carers at Group Homes for People with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamzaid, N. H.; Flood, V. M.; Prvan, T.; O'Connor, H. T.

2018-01-01

Background: Good nutrition knowledge among carers of people with intellectual disability (ID) living in group homes is essential as they have a primary role in food provision for residents. Research on the nutrition knowledge of carers is limited. Method: This cross-sectional study assessed the level of general nutrition knowledge in a convenience…

Interplay of Secondary Pre-Service Teacher Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and Attitudes Regarding Scientific Inquiry Teaching within Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smit, Robbert; Weitzel, Holger; Blank, Robert; Rietz, Florian; Tardent, Josiane; Robin, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Background: Beginning teachers encounter several constraints with respect to scientific inquiry. Depending on their prior beliefs, knowledge and understanding, these constraints affect their teaching of inquiry. Purpose: To investigate quantitatively the longitudinal relationship between pre-service teachers' knowledge and attitudes on scientific…

Ecological periodic tables: in principle and practice (in OIKOS)

EPA Science Inventory

“Science is organized knowledge.” Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Ecological periodic tables are an information organizing system with categorical habitat types as elements and predictably recurring (periodic) properties of a target biotic community, such as its relative species rich...

Thoughts on Expertise.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaser, Robert

This paper briefly reviews research on tasks in knowledge-rich domains including developmental studies, work in artificial intelligence, studies of expert/novice problem solving, and information processing analysis of aptitude test tasks that have provided increased understanding of the nature of expertise. Particularly evident is the finding that…

Teachers' Learning While Constructing Technology-Based Instructional Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polly, Drew

2011-01-01

Grounded in a constructionist paradigm, this study examined elementary school teachers' learning while creating technology-rich instructional materials. Sixteen teachers at an elementary school were interviewed about their experience. Using the components of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge as an analytical framework, inductive…

iSTEM: Tinkering with Buoyancy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mi Yeon

2014-01-01

In the technology-rich twenty-first century, students are required to actively construct their knowledge and collaboratively engage in problem solving by using such skills as adaptability, communication, self-management, and systematic thinking. In accordance with this necessity, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education…

22 CFR 305.4 - Selection standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

.... (b) Productive competence. The intelligence and educational background to meet the needs of the... skills needed to carry out the assignment. (3) Knowledge. Adequate knowledge of the culture and history...

Multivariate characterization of elements accumulated in King Bolete Boletus edulis mushroom at lowland and high mountain regions.

PubMed

Falandysz, J; Kunito, T; Kubota, R; Bielawski, L; Frankowska, A; Falandysz, Justyna J; Tanabe, S

2008-12-01

Based on ICP-MS, ICP-OES, HG-AAS, CV-AAS and elementary instrumental analysis of King Bolete collected from four sites of different soil bedrock geochemistry considered could be as mushroom abundant in certain elements. King's Bolete fruiting bodies are very rich in K (> 20 mg/g dry weight), rich in Ca, Mg, Na, Rb and Zn (> 100 microg/g dw), and relatively also rich in Ag, Cd, Cs, Cu, Fe, Mn and Se (> 10 microg/g dw). The caps of King Bolete when compared to stipes around two-to three-fold more abundant are in Ag, Cd, Cs, Cu, Hg, K, Mg, Mo, N, Rb, Se and Zn. King Bolete collected at the lowland and mountain sites showed Ag, Ba, Co, Cr, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo and Na in caps in comparable concentrations, and specimens from the mountain areas accumulated more Cd and Sb. Elements such as Al, Pb and Rb occurred at relatively elevated concentration in King Bolete picked up at the metal ores-rich region of the Sudety Mountains. Because of high bioconcentration potential King Bolete at the background sites accumulate in fruiting bodies great concentrations of problematic elements such as Cd, Pb and Hg, i.e. up to nearly 20, 3 and 5 microg/g dw, on the average, respectively. The interdependence among determined mineral elements examined were using the principal components analysis (PCA) method. The PCA explained 56% of the total variance. The metals tend to cluster together (Ba, Cd, Cs, Cr, Ga, Rb, Se, Sr and V; K and Mg; Cu and Mo). The results provided useful environmental and nutritional background level information on 26 minerals as the composition of King Bolete from the sites of different bedrock soil geochemistry.

Disentangling Biodiversity and Climatic Determinants of Wood Production

PubMed Central

Vilà, Montserrat; Carrillo-Gavilán, Amparo; Vayreda, Jordi; Bugmann, Harald; Fridman, Jonas; Grodzki, Wojciech; Haase, Josephine; Kunstler, Georges; Schelhaas, MartJan; Trasobares, Antoni

2013-01-01

Background Despite empirical support for an increase in ecosystem productivity with species diversity in synthetic systems, there is ample evidence that this relationship is dependent on environmental characteristics, especially in structurally more complex natural systems. Empirical support for this relationship in forests is urgently needed, as these ecosystems play an important role in carbon sequestration. Methodology/Principal Findings We tested whether tree wood production is positively related to tree species richness while controlling for climatic factors, by analyzing 55265 forest inventory plots in 11 forest types across five European countries. On average, wood production was 24% higher in mixed than in monospecific forests. Taken alone, wood production was enhanced with increasing tree species richness in almost all forest types. In some forests, wood production was also greater with increasing numbers of tree types. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that the increase in wood production with tree species richness was largely mediated by a positive association between stand basal area and tree species richness. Mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation affected wood production and species richness directly. However, the direction and magnitude of the influence of climatic variables on wood production and species richness was not consistent, and vary dependent on forest type. Conclusions Our analysis is the first to find a local scale positive relationship between tree species richness and tree wood production occurring across a continent. Our results strongly support incorporating the role of biodiversity in management and policy plans for forest carbon sequestration. PMID:23437038

UMass at TREC WEB 2014: Entity Query Feature Expansion using Knowledge Base Links

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

bears 270 sun tzu 274 golf instruction 291 sangre de cristo mountains 263 evidence for evolution 300 how to find the mean 262 balding cure 280 view my...internet history 294 flowering plants (b) Worst Query Title 264 tribe formerly living in alabama 295 how to tie a windsor knot 283 hayrides in pa 252...work we leverage the rich semantic knowledge available through these links to understand relevance of documents for a query. We fo- cus on the ad hoc

Integrating developed and developing world knowledge into global discussions and strategies for sustainability. 2. Economics and governance.

PubMed

Ramaswami, Anu; Zimmerman, Julie B; Mihelcic, James R

2007-05-15

Knowledge transfer from the developing to the developed world is described in the domain of economics and governance for sustainable development. Three system areas are explored: the structure of commons governance institutions, the process of community-based participatory action research, and the role of microfinance and microenterprise for the development, adoption, and diffusion of sustainable technologies. Case studies from both the developed and developing world demonstrate the effectiveness of social networks and community cooperative strategies in a wide range of sectors. Developing world experiences are shown to be particularly rich in the application of local knowledge and social capital toward sustainable development.

The globalization of epidemiology: introductory remarks.

PubMed

Pearce, Neil

2004-10-01

We are all living in the era of globalization, and like it or not, it is going to change the way we practice epidemiology, the kinds of questions we ask, and the methods we use to answer them. Increasingly, pubic health problems are being shifted from rich countries to poor countries and from rich to poor populations within Western countries. There is increasing interest and concern about the situation in non-Western populations on the part of Western epidemiologists, with regards to collaborative research, skills transfer, and 'volunteerism' to enable the 'benefits' of Western approaches to epidemiology to be shared by the non-Western world. However, most existing collaborations benefit Western epidemiologists rather than the countries in which the research is conducted. Even when research in non-Western populations is conducted as a genuine collaboration, it can too often 'export failure' from the West. On the other hand, non-Western epidemiologists are increasingly developing new and innovative approaches to health research that are more appropriate to the global public health issues they are addressing. These include recognition of the importance of context and the importance of diversity and local knowledge, and a problem-based approach to addressing the major public health problems using appropriate technology. These debates formed the background for a plenary session on 'International Epidemiology and International Health' at the recent International Epidemiological Association (IEA) meeting in Montreal, and the papers from this session are presented here. The development of a truly global epidemiology can not only better address the public health problems in non-Western populations, but can shed light on the current limitations of epidemiology in addressing the major public health problems in the West.

How Knowledge Powers Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemov, Doug

2017-01-01

Recent research shows that reading comprehension relies heavily on prior knowledge. Far more than generic "reading skills" like drawing inferences, making predictions, and knowing the function of subheads, how well students learn from a nonfiction text depends on their background knowledge of the text's subject matter. And in a cyclical…

Knowledge Engineering (Or, Catching Black Cats in Dark Rooms).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruyle, Kim E.

1993-01-01

Discusses knowledge engineering, its relationship to artificial intelligence, and possible applications to developing expert systems, job aids, and technical training. The educational background of knowledge engineers is considered; the role of subject matter experts is described; and examples of flow charts, lists, and pictorial representations…

Reading and the Development of Intelligence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahn, Lorynne D.

Through the meaningful interpretation of sensory data and a background in language experiences, an individual can build more effective knowledge structures. With more effective knowledge structures, one can react more discriminatingly to the written and printed word. Sound knowledge structures involve not only the ability to organize and…

Andean rural children's views of the environment: A qualitative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurial, Mahia

Andean rural children's drawings and narratives about their crops and the immediate biological environment are rich tools to understand local views of the environment. Children's drawings and narratives were collected and linked to interviews as well as participant observation gathered from parents, leaders and teachers. The research sites are the community of Willca and the school of Mayu. Fieldwork was completed in 1998. In the conceptual framework I distinguish between two dissimilar knowledges, school knowledge and local knowledge. These knowledges produce two dissimilar views of the environment. I further analyze relationships of knowledge and power and argue that school knowledge overpowers local knowledge. Concomitantly, I studied set of ideas associated with two knowledges aforementioned: superacion (surpass) and regeneration (Apffel-Marglin 1995). Although these ideas coexist in peoples' minds they are not linked or effectively connected. In order to link local knowledge and school knowledge together, I propose the integration of environmental studies and art education to enhance a local sense of place (Blandy et. al 1993) in Andean and other schools. This will contribute to grassroots educational policy.

Attitude toward, acceptance of and knowledge about female sterilization as a method of contraception.

PubMed

Erlenwein, J; Kundu, S; Schippert, C; Soergel, P; Hillemanns, P; Staboulidou, I

2015-02-01

Surgical sterilization via tubal ligation or the disconnection of the tubes is a method of permanent contraception. The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitude, acceptance and knowledge of women about female sterilization as a method of contraception in terms of the social and cultural backgrounds of those women. Prospective study based on an anonymous questionnaire that analyzed background knowledge, attitude, influence factors and motivation regarding sterilization, as well as the reasons for declining. The questionnaire also attempted to evaluate the effects on the self-esteem of the women, as well as the impact of religious dogma and the related beliefs. One thousand, eight hundred questionnaires were distributed, and 1247 women completed the questionnaire—a response rate of 69.3%. There were mainly positive attitudes toward sterilization as a contraceptive method. Cultural background, including religion and faith; the mother's experiences and point of view; knowledge; family planning and the actual life situation have an influence on the attitudes toward and acceptance of sterilization as a contraceptive method and on the final choice of a contraceptive method. Cultural background and present life situation have a great impact on the attitude toward and acceptance of sterilization as a method of contraception, thus influencing the final choice of a contraceptive method. Detailed counselling about this topic is essential and should be improved. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global diversity patterns in sandy beach macrofauna: a biogeographic analysis.

PubMed

Barboza, Francisco Rafael; Defeo, Omar

2015-09-28

Unlike the advances generated on land, the knowledge of global diversity patterns in marine ecosystems is limited to a small number of studies. For sandy beaches, which dominate the world's ocean shores, previous meta-analyses highlighted the role of beach morphodynamics in explaining species richness patterns. Oceanographic variables and historical processes have not been considered, even though they could be main predictors of community structure. Our work, based on 256 sandy beaches around the world, analysed species richness considering for the first time temperature, salinity and primary productivity. Biogeographic units (realms, provinces and ecoregions) were used to incorporate historical factors in modelling processes. Ecoregions, which implicitly include isolation and coastal complexity among other historical geographic factors, best represented trends in species richness worldwide. Temperature was a main predictor of species richness, which increased from temperate to tropical sandy beaches. Species richness increased with tide range and towards wide beaches with gentle slopes and fine grains, which is consistent with the hypothesis that habitat availability has an important role in structuring sandy beach communities. The role of temperature and habitat availability suggests that ocean warming and sea level rise could affect the distribution of obligate species living in these narrow ecosystems.

Global diversity patterns in sandy beach macrofauna: a biogeographic analysis

PubMed Central

Rafael Barboza, Francisco; Defeo, Omar

2015-01-01

Unlike the advances generated on land, the knowledge of global diversity patterns in marine ecosystems is limited to a small number of studies. For sandy beaches, which dominate the world’s ocean shores, previous meta-analyses highlighted the role of beach morphodynamics in explaining species richness patterns. Oceanographic variables and historical processes have not been considered, even though they could be main predictors of community structure. Our work, based on 256 sandy beaches around the world, analysed species richness considering for the first time temperature, salinity and primary productivity. Biogeographic units (realms, provinces and ecoregions) were used to incorporate historical factors in modelling processes. Ecoregions, which implicitly include isolation and coastal complexity among other historical geographic factors, best represented trends in species richness worldwide. Temperature was a main predictor of species richness, which increased from temperate to tropical sandy beaches. Species richness increased with tide range and towards wide beaches with gentle slopes and fine grains, which is consistent with the hypothesis that habitat availability has an important role in structuring sandy beach communities. The role of temperature and habitat availability suggests that ocean warming and sea level rise could affect the distribution of obligate species living in these narrow ecosystems. PMID:26411697

Healing of donor site in bone-tendon-bone ACL reconstruction accelerated with plasma rich in growth factors: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Seijas, Roberto; Rius, Marta; Ares, Oscar; García-Balletbó, Montserrat; Serra, Iván; Cugat, Ramón

2015-04-01

To determine whether the use of plasma rich in growth factors accelerates healing of the donor site in bone-tendon-bone anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (patellar graft). The use of the patellar graft presents post-operative problems such as anterior knee pain, which limits its use and leads to preference being taken for alternative grafts. A double-blind, randomized, clinical trial was performed comparing two groups of patients who underwent ACL reconstruction using patellar tendon graft and comparing the use of plasma rich in growth factors at the donor site after graft harvest in terms of local regeneration by ultrasound assessment. The plasma rich in growth factors group shows earlier donor site regeneration in comparison with the control group (2 months earlier), with significant differences in the first 4 months of the follow-up. The application of plasma rich in growth factors shows accelerated tissue regeneration processes with respect to the control group. This fact, together with the previously published with similar conclusions, can create a knowledge basis in order to set out new recovery guidelines following ACL reconstruction. Therapeutic study, Level I.

Physicians' lack of knowledge - a possible reason for red blood cell transfusion overuse?

PubMed

Rahav Koren, Roni; Suriu, Celia; Yakir, Orly; Akria, Luiza; Barhoum, Masad; Braester, Andrei

2017-12-12

A significant percentage of red blood cell transfusions are inappropriately overused. This study investigated physicians from the western Galilee in terms of their knowledge of transfusion medicine as a potential reason for red blood cell overuse, and assessed the influence of personal background characteristics on their knowledge. Data were collected via anonymous questionnaires. The questionnaires included a personal background section and a professional section. Study participants were grouped according to field of specialty, seniority, and location of medical school graduation, in order to correlate participant characteristics with knowledge. Scores were calculated on a 0-100 scale. The overall knowledge of the study population was low (mean score 47.8 ± 18.6). Knowledge regarding basic physiology of red blood cell transfusion was also low. Internal medicine physicians and senior physicians had significantly greater overall knowledge scores and were more familiar with a restrictive blood management policy than were surgeons and residents, respectively. Comparing knowledge scores, no difference was found regarding indications for transfusion. General and fundamental knowledge in transfusion medicine is lacking among physicians in the non-operating room setting, which may play a role in red blood cell transfusion overuse. Field of specialty and professional status influenced knowledge of transfusion medicine. Educational programs and increased physicians' awareness might help decrease unnecessary transfusions. Not applicable.

Pictures Speak Louder than Words in ESP, Too!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erfani, Seyyed Mahdi

2012-01-01

While integrating visual features can be among the most important characteristics of English language textbooks, reviewing the current locally-produced English for Specific Purposes (ESP) ones reveals that they lack such a feature. Enjoying a rich theoretical background including Paivio's dual coding theory as well as Sert's educational semiotics,…

Rich Schools, Poor Schools. Hidden Resource Inequalities between Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poesen-Vandeputte, Mayke; Nicaise, Ides

2015-01-01

Background: There has been relatively little analysis of school context including a large number of elements from the broader social, political and economic influences. However, primary schools in Flanders (Belgium) are supposed to consider their school context when implementing the Flemish policy on equal opportunities in education. Purpose: In…

Practicing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Shawna; Sternod, Brandon M.

2011-01-01

As a result of continuous global immigration to the United States, several microcultures coexist within the country. Today's classroom should provide an interface where individuals from different cultural backgrounds have the potential for sharing a rich place of learning--a place where the teacher embraces and celebrates individual differences,…

From Thoughts to Words.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaus, Marlene

The activities presented in this book, designed to help children translate their thoughts into spoken and written words, can supplement an elementary teacher's own language arts lessons. Objectives for each activity are listed, with the general focus of the many oral activities being to develop a rich verbal background for future written work. The…

Trajectories of Mathematics and Technology Education Pointing to Engineering Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daugherty, Jenny L.; Reese, George C.; Merrill, Chris

2010-01-01

A brief examination and comparison of mathematics and technology education provides the background for a discussion of integration. In particular, members of each field have responded to the increasing pressures to better prepare students for the technologically rich, globally competitive future. Approaches based within each discipline are varied…

Campus Insurgency: Evolution or Revolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muirhead, Peter P.

Today's younger generation is unique. Many are the products of affluence and many others come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Both sense a frustration and feel disillusioned with a society that rewards the rich and denies opportunities to the poor. They are also children of an electronic age and the exposure to instantaneous experiences reinforces…

A Teaching Makeover Improves Learning for Diverse Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doubet, Kristina J.; Hockett, Jessica A.; Brighton, Catherine M.

2016-01-01

In many primary classrooms, the prospect of addressing standards threatens to rob young children of the joy of learning. Teachers who feel pressed to move students of all backgrounds toward mastery of increasingly complex standards may abandon rich curriculum and move toward isolated "skill drills." This may be counterproductive. The…

Models for Building Knowledge in a Technology-Rich Setting: Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKinnon, Gregory R.; Aylward, M. Lynn

2009-01-01

Technology offers promising opportunities for creating new types of classroom learning environments. This paper describes three technology models used by teacher education interns: electronic portfolios, negotiative concept mapping, cognote-supported electronic discussions. As implemented in the current study, these models invoke graduated…

78 FR 35038 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-11

..., reliable, and transparent method for identifying high-quality programs that can receive continuing five... the system is working. The study will employ a mixed-methods design that integrates and layers administrative and secondary data sources, observational measures, and interviews to develop a rich knowledge...

Alterations in lipids & lipid peroxidation in rats fed with flavonoid rich fraction of banana (Musa paradisiaca) from high background radiation area.

PubMed

Krishnan, Kripa; Vijayalakshmi, N R

2005-12-01

A group of villages in Kollam district of Kerala, southern part of India are exposed to a higher dose of natural radiation than global average. Yet no adverse health effects have been found in humans, animals and plants in these areas. The present study was carried out to understand whether radiation affects the quantity and quality of flavonoids in plants grown in this area of high radiation, and to assess the effect of feeding flavonoid rich fraction (FRF) of the two varieties of banana to rats on their biochemical parameters like lipids, lipid peroxides and antioxidant enzyme levels. A total of 42 albino rats were equally divided into 7 groups. Rats fed laboratory diet alone were grouped under group I (normal control). Groups II and V received flavonoid rich fraction (FRF) from the fruits of two varieties of Musa paradisiaca, Palayamkodan and Rasakadali respectively from normal background radiation area (Veli) and treated as controls. Rats of groups III and IV received FRF of Palayamkodan from high background radiation areas (HBRAs) - Neendakara and Karunagappally respectively while groups VI and VII received FRF of Rasakadali from HBRAs. At the end of the experimental period of 45 days, lipids, lipid peroxides and antioxidant enzymes from liver, heart and kidney were analyzed. FRF of Palayamkodan and Rasakadali varieties showed significant hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activities. But these activities were found to be lowered in plants grown in HBRAs, particularly in Karunagappally area. Of the two, Palayamkodan variety was more effective in reducing lipids and lipid peroxides. MDA and hydroperoxides were significantly diminished in rats given FRF of banana from Veli (control area) only. FRF from plants grown in HBRAs exerted inhibition in the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the liver of rats and this inhibitory effect was maximum in rats fed FRF from Karunagappally. Banana grown in HBRAs is of lower quality with less efficient antioxidant system. Palayamkodan was superior with its effect on hypolipidaemic and antioxidant activities. High background radiation seems to have no enhancing effect on the radioprotective action of flavonoids of banana and thereby to those consuming these fruits.

Climate and soil texture influence patterns of forb species richness and composition in big sagebrush plant communities across their spatial extent in the western US

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pennington, Victoria E.; Palmquist, Kyle A.; Bradford, John B.; Lauenroth, William K.

2017-01-01

Article for outlet: Plant Ecology. Abstract: Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) plant communities are widespread non-forested drylands in western North American and similar to all shrub steppe ecosystems world-wide are composed of a shrub overstory layer and a forb and graminoid understory layer. Forbs account for the majority of plant species diversity in big sagebrush plant communities and are important for ecosystem function. Few studies have explored the geographic patterns of forb species richness and composition and their relationships with environmental variables in these communities. Our objectives were to examine the small and large-scale spatial patterns in forb species richness and composition and the influence of environmental variables. We sampled forb species richness and composition along transects at 15 field sites in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, built species-area relationships to quantify differences in forb species richness at sites, and used Principal Components Analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling to identify relationships among environmental variables and forb species richness and composition. We found that species richness was most strongly correlated with soil texture, while species composition was most related to climate. The combination of climate and soil texture influences water availability, with important consequences for forb species richness and composition, which suggests climate-change induced modification of soil water availability may have important implications for plant species diversity in the future. Our paper is the first to our knowledge to examine forb biodiversity patterns in big sagebrush ecosystems in relation to environmental factors across the big sagebrush region.

Species richness and trophic diversity increase decomposition in a co-evolved food web.

PubMed

Baiser, Benjamin; Ardeshiri, Roxanne S; Ellison, Aaron M

2011-01-01

Ecological communities show great variation in species richness, composition and food web structure across similar and diverse ecosystems. Knowledge of how this biodiversity relates to ecosystem functioning is important for understanding the maintenance of diversity and the potential effects of species losses and gains on ecosystems. While research often focuses on how variation in species richness influences ecosystem processes, assessing species richness in a food web context can provide further insight into the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning and elucidate potential mechanisms underpinning this relationship. Here, we assessed how species richness and trophic diversity affect decomposition rates in a complete aquatic food web: the five trophic level web that occurs within water-filled leaves of the northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. We identified a trophic cascade in which top-predators--larvae of the pitcher-plant mosquito--indirectly increased bacterial decomposition by preying on bactivorous protozoa. Our data also revealed a facultative relationship in which larvae of the pitcher-plant midge increased bacterial decomposition by shredding detritus. These important interactions occur only in food webs with high trophic diversity, which in turn only occur in food webs with high species richness. We show that species richness and trophic diversity underlie strong linkages between food web structure and dynamics that influence ecosystem functioning. The importance of trophic diversity and species interactions in determining how biodiversity relates to ecosystem functioning suggests that simply focusing on species richness does not give a complete picture as to how ecosystems may change with the loss or gain of species.

Species Richness and Trophic Diversity Increase Decomposition in a Co-Evolved Food Web

PubMed Central

Baiser, Benjamin; Ardeshiri, Roxanne S.; Ellison, Aaron M.

2011-01-01

Ecological communities show great variation in species richness, composition and food web structure across similar and diverse ecosystems. Knowledge of how this biodiversity relates to ecosystem functioning is important for understanding the maintenance of diversity and the potential effects of species losses and gains on ecosystems. While research often focuses on how variation in species richness influences ecosystem processes, assessing species richness in a food web context can provide further insight into the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning and elucidate potential mechanisms underpinning this relationship. Here, we assessed how species richness and trophic diversity affect decomposition rates in a complete aquatic food web: the five trophic level web that occurs within water-filled leaves of the northern pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea. We identified a trophic cascade in which top-predators — larvae of the pitcher-plant mosquito — indirectly increased bacterial decomposition by preying on bactivorous protozoa. Our data also revealed a facultative relationship in which larvae of the pitcher-plant midge increased bacterial decomposition by shredding detritus. These important interactions occur only in food webs with high trophic diversity, which in turn only occur in food webs with high species richness. We show that species richness and trophic diversity underlie strong linkages between food web structure and dynamics that influence ecosystem functioning. The importance of trophic diversity and species interactions in determining how biodiversity relates to ecosystem functioning suggests that simply focusing on species richness does not give a complete picture as to how ecosystems may change with the loss or gain of species. PMID:21673992

The relative importance of vertical soil nutrient heterogeneity, and mean and depth-specific soil nutrient availabilities for tree species richness in tropical forests and woodlands.

PubMed

Shirima, Deo D; Totland, Ørjan; Moe, Stein R

2016-11-01

The relative importance of resource heterogeneity and quantity on plant diversity is an ongoing debate among ecologists, but we have limited knowledge on relationships between tree diversity and heterogeneity in soil nutrient availability in tropical forests. We expected tree species richness to be: (1) positively related to vertical soil nutrient heterogeneity; (2) negatively related to mean soil nutrient availability; and (3) more influenced by nutrient availability in the upper than lower soil horizons. Using a data set from 60, 20 × 40-m plots in a moist forest, and 126 plots in miombo woodlands in Tanzania, we regressed tree species richness against vertical soil nutrient heterogeneity, both depth-specific (0-15, 15-30, and 30-60 cm) and mean soil nutrient availability, and soil physical properties, with elevation and measures of anthropogenic disturbance as co-variables. Overall, vertical soil nutrient heterogeneity was the best predictor of tree species richness in miombo but, contrary to our prediction, the relationships between tree species richness and soil nutrient heterogeneity were negative. In the moist forest, mean soil nutrient availability explained considerable variations in tree species richness, and in line with our expectations, these relationships were mainly negative. Soil nutrient availability in the top soil layer explained more of the variation in tree species richness than that in the middle and lower layers in both vegetation types. Our study shows that vertical soil nutrient heterogeneity and mean availability can influence tree species richness at different magnitudes in intensively utilized tropical vegetation types.

Weak and strong novice readers of English as a foreign language: effects of first language and socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Kahn-Horwitz, Janina; Shimron, Joseph; Sparks, Richard L

2006-06-01

This study examined individual differences among beginning readers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The study concentrated on the effects of underlying first language (L1) knowledge as well as EFL letter and vocabulary knowledge. Phonological and morphological awareness, spelling, vocabulary knowledge, and word reading in Hebrew L1, in addition to knowledge of EFL letters and EFL vocabulary, were measured. The study also investigated the effect of socioeconomic background (SES) on beginning EFL readers. Participants included 145 fourth graders from three schools representing two socioeconomic backgrounds in the north of Israel. The results indicate that knowledge of English letters played a more prominent role than knowledge of Hebrew L1 components in differentiating between strong and weak EFL readers. The Linguistic Coding Differences Hypothesis was supported by L1 phonological awareness, word reading, and vocabulary knowledge appearing as part of discriminating functions. The presence of English vocabulary knowledge as part of the discriminant functions provides support for English word reading being more than just a decoding task for EFL beginner readers. Socioeconomic status differentiated the groups for EFL word recognition but not for EFL reading comprehension.

Conditional Reasoning in Autism: Activation and Integration of Knowledge and Belief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, Rebecca; Evans, Jonathan St. B. T.; Handley, Simon J.

2010-01-01

Everyday conditional reasoning is typically influenced by prior knowledge and belief in the form of specific exceptions known as counterexamples. This study explored whether adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; N = 26) were less influenced by background knowledge than typically developing adolescents (N = 38) when engaged in conditional…

Internal Medicine Residents Do Not Accurately Assess Their Medical Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Roger; Panda, Mukta; Desbiens, Norman

2008-01-01

Background: Medical knowledge is essential for appropriate patient care; however, the accuracy of internal medicine (IM) residents' assessment of their medical knowledge is unknown. Methods: IM residents predicted their overall percentile performance 1 week (on average) before and after taking the in-training exam (ITE), an objective and well…

Sources of Knowledge Acquisition: Perspectives of the High School Teacher/Coach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Laurie M.; Bloom, Gordon A.; Harvey, William J.

2010-01-01

Background: Research on coach development and knowledge acquisition has traditionally focused on those working at either university or Olympic levels. Despite the large body of research using these participants, there are relatively few empirical studies on the knowledge development of high school coaches, in particular, physical education…

The Assessment of Athletics "Knowledge" with Written and Video Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Vuuren-Cassar, Gemma; Lamprianou, Iasonas

2006-01-01

Background: Athletics programmes for secondary schools include a variety of skills, knowledge and cognitive abilities, which are currently assessed through written, practical, oral and/or video-based tests. Skills are traditionally taught in practice-based sessions, while the knowledge aspect is often reinforced in class-based sessions with…

Understanding Sources of Knowledge for Coaches of Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDonald, Dany J.; Beck, Katie; Erickson, Karl; Côté, Jean

2016-01-01

Background: Recent research has investigated development of coaching knowledge; however, less research has investigated the development of coaches who coach athletes with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study was to understand how coaches of athletes with intellectual disabilities gain their knowledge. Method: Forty-five Special…

Knowledge of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection In Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCann-Sanford, Thurma; And Others

1982-01-01

This study assessed elementary school students' knowledge of upper respiratory tract infection and correlated it with parental socioeconomic status, ethnic background, and school absences. Schools chosen for the study represented different socioeconomic and ethnic populations. Students had a general knowledge of the etiology, symptoms, treatment,…

Authentic, Dialogical Knowledge Construction: A Blended and Mobile Teacher Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruhalahti, Sanna; Korhonen, Anne-Maria; Rasi, Päivi

2017-01-01

Background: Knowledge construction and technology have been identified as critical for an understanding of the future of teacher education. Knowledge is discovered, applied and created collaboratively from authentic starting points. Today's new mobile and blended learning environments create increased opportunities for such processes, including…

Orchid Species Richness along Elevational and Environmental Gradients in Yunnan, China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Shi-Bao; Chen, Wen-Yun; Huang, Jia-Lin; Bi, Ying-Feng; Yang, Xue-Fei

2015-01-01

The family Orchidaceae is not only one of the most diverse families of flowering plants, but also one of the most endangered plant taxa. Therefore, understanding how its species richness varies along geographical and environmental gradients is essential for conservation efforts. However, such knowledge is rarely available, especially on a large scale. We used a database extracted from herbarium records to investigate the relationships between orchid species richness and elevation, and to examine how elevational diversity in Yunnan Province, China, might be explained by mid-domain effect (MDE), species–area relationship (SAR), water–energy dynamics (WED), Rapoport’s Rule, and climatic variables. This particular location was selected because it is one of the primary centers of distribution for orchids. We recorded 691 species that span 127 genera and account for 88.59% of all confirmed orchid species in Yunnan. Species richness, estimated at 200-m intervals along a slope, was closely correlated with elevation, peaking at 1395 to 1723 m. The elevational pattern of orchid richness was considerably shaped by MDE, SAR, WED, and climate. Among those four predictors, climate was the strongest while MDE was the weakest for predicting the elevational pattern of orchid richness. Species richness showed parabolic responses to mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP), with maximum richness values recorded at 13.7 to 17.7°C for MAT and 1237 to 1414 mm for MAP. Rapoport’s Rule also helped to explain the elevational pattern of species richness in Yunnan, but those influences were not entirely uniform across all methods. These results suggested that the elevational pattern of orchid species richness in Yunnan is collectively shaped by several mechanisms related to geometric constraints, size of the land area, and environments. Because of the dominant role of climate in determining orchid richness, our findings may contribute to a better understanding of the potential effects of climate change on orchid diversity, and the development of conservation strategies for orchids. PMID:26555336

How scientific experiments are designed: Problem solving in a knowledge-rich, error-rich environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Lisa M.

While theory formation and the relation between theory and data has been investigated in many studies of scientific reasoning, researchers have focused less attention on reasoning about experimental design, even though the experimental design process makes up a large part of real-world scientists' reasoning. The goal of this thesis was to provide a cognitive account of the scientific experimental design process by analyzing experimental design as problem-solving behavior (Newell & Simon, 1972). Three specific issues were addressed: the effect of potential error on experimental design strategies, the role of prior knowledge in experimental design, and the effect of characteristics of the space of alternate hypotheses on alternate hypothesis testing. A two-pronged in vivo/in vitro research methodology was employed, in which transcripts of real-world scientific laboratory meetings were analyzed as well as undergraduate science and non-science majors' design of biology experiments in the psychology laboratory. It was found that scientists use a specific strategy to deal with the possibility of error in experimental findings: they include "known" control conditions in their experimental designs both to determine whether error is occurring and to identify sources of error. The known controls strategy had not been reported in earlier studies with science-like tasks, in which participants' responses to error had consisted of replicating experiments and discounting results. With respect to prior knowledge: scientists and undergraduate students drew on several types of knowledge when designing experiments, including theoretical knowledge, domain-specific knowledge of experimental techniques, and domain-general knowledge of experimental design strategies. Finally, undergraduate science students generated and tested alternates to their favored hypotheses when the space of alternate hypotheses was constrained and searchable. This result may help explain findings of confirmation bias in earlier studies using science-like tasks, in which characteristics of the alternate hypothesis space may have made it unfeasible for participants to generate and test alternate hypotheses. In general, scientists and science undergraduates were found to engage in a systematic experimental design process that responded to salient features of the problem environment, including the constant potential for experimental error, availability of alternate hypotheses, and access to both theoretical knowledge and knowledge of experimental techniques.

Managing Conflict during Divorce

MedlinePlus

... focus is on building an agreement. In the “evaluative mediation” model, the mediator, using background knowledge of ... will be sharing their unique perspectives, knowledge, and research findings in a crowdsourced effort to update our ...

Raman scattering in HfxZr1-xO2 nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Richard D.; Tang, Jing; Steigerwald, Michael L.; Brus, Louis E.; Herman, Irving P.

2005-03-01

Raman spectroscopy demonstrates that ˜5nm dimension HfxZr1-xO2 nanocrystals prepared by a nonhydrolytic sol-gel synthesis method are solid solutions of hafnia and zirconia, with no discernable segregation within the individual nanoparticles. Zirconia-rich particles are tetragonal and ensembles of hafnia-rich particles show mixed tetragonal/monoclinic phases. Sintering at 1200 °C produces larger particles (20-30 nm) that are monoclinic. A simple lattice dynamics model with composition-averaged cation mass and scaled force constants is used to understand how the Raman mode frequencies vary with composition in the tetragonal HfxZr1-xO2 nanoparticles. Background luminescence from these particles is minimized after oxygen treatment, suggesting possible oxygen defects in the as-prepared particles. Raman scattering is also used to estimate composition and the relative fractions of tetragonal and monoclinic phases. In some regimes there are mixed phases, and Raman analysis suggests that in these regimes the tetragonal phase particles are relatively rich in zirconium and the monoclinic phase particles are relatively rich in hafnium.

Exploiting Phenylpropanoid Derivatives to Enhance the Nutraceutical Values of Cereals and Legumes

PubMed Central

Dwivedi, Sangam L.; Upadhyaya, Hari D.; Chung, Ill-Min; De Vita, Pasquale; García-Lara, Silverio; Guajardo-Flores, Daniel; Gutiérrez-Uribe, Janet A.; Serna-Saldívar, Sergio O.; Rajakumar, Govindasamy; Sahrawat, Kanwar L.; Kumar, Jagdish; Ortiz, Rodomiro

2016-01-01

Phenylpropanoids are a diverse chemical class with immense health benefits that are biosynthesized from the aromatic amino acid L-phenylalanine. This article reviews the progress for accessing variation in phenylpropanoids in germplasm collections, the genetic and molecular basis of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and the development of cultivars dense in seed-phenylpropanoids. Progress is also reviewed on high-throughput assays, factors that influence phenylpropanoids, the site of phenylpropanoids accumulation in seed, Genotype × Environment interactions, and on consumer attitudes for the acceptance of staple foods rich in phenylpropanoids. A paradigm shift was noted in barley, maize, rice, sorghum, soybean, and wheat, wherein cultivars rich in phenylpropanoids are grown in Europe and North and Central America. Studies have highlighted some biological constraints that need to be addressed for development of high-yielding cultivars that are rich in phenylpropanoids. Genomics-assisted breeding is expected to facilitate rapid introgression into improved genetic backgrounds by minimizing linkage drag. More research is needed to systematically characterize germplasm pools for assessing variation to support crop genetic enhancement, and assess consumer attitudes to foods rich in phenylpropanoids. PMID:27375635

Observing the First Stars in Luminous, Red Galaxies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heap, Sally; Lindler, Don

2010-01-01

Modern cosmological simulations predict that the first stars are to be found today in luminous, red galaxies. Although observing such stars individually against a background of younger, metal-rich stars is impossible, the first stars should make their presence known by their strong, line-free ultraviolet flux. We have found evidence for a UV-bright stellar population in Sloan spectra of LRG's at z=0.4-0.5. We present arguments for interpreting this UV-bright stellar population as the oldest stars, rather than other types of stellar populations (e.g. young stars or blue straggler stars in the dominant, metal-rich stellar population

Spectra from the IRS of Bright Oxygen-Rich Evolved Stars in the SMC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraemer, Kathleen E.; Sloan, Greg; Wood, Peter

2016-06-01

We have used Spitzer's Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) to obtain spectra of stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The targets were chosen from the Point Source Catalog of the Mid-Course Space Experiment (MSX), which detected the 243 brightest infrared sources in the SMC. Our SMC sample of oxygen-rich evolved stars shows more dust than found in previous samples, and the dust tends to be dominated by silicates, with little contribution from alumina. Both results may arise from the selection bias in the MSX sample and our sample toward more massive stars. Additionally, several sources show peculiar spectral features such as PAHs, crystalline silicates, or both carbon-rich and silicate features. The spectrum of one source, MSX SMC 145, is a combination of an ordinary AGB star and a background galaxy at z~0.16, rather than an OH/IR star as previously suggested.

Effect of Gender on the Knowledge of Medicinal Plants: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Torres-Avilez, Wendy; de Medeiros, Patrícia Muniz

2016-01-01

Knowledge of medicinal plants is not only one of the main components in the structure of knowledge in local medical systems but also one of the most studied resources. This study uses a systematic review and meta-analysis of a compilation of ethnobiological studies with a medicinal plant component and the variable of gender to evaluate whether there is a gender-based pattern in medicinal plant knowledge on different scales (national, continental, and global). In this study, three types of meta-analysis are conducted on different scales. We detect no significant differences on the global level; women and men have the same rich knowledge. On the national and continental levels, significant differences are observed in both directions (significant for men and for women), and a lack of significant differences in the knowledge of the genders is also observed. This finding demonstrates that there is no gender-based pattern for knowledge on different scales. PMID:27795730

A report on the medieval mining and ore processing complex: Zilan valley, Van, Turkey.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ateş, Yusuf; Kılıη, Sinan

Literature has records of the use of obsidian that shows the existence of a knowledge base on raw material resources around Lake Van extending to very ancient times. Against this background, very little information can be obtained from literature about accurate location of historical mining activities in the region today. An ancient mining and processing complex, located northwest of the city of Van (Turkey) has been discovered by chance in 2007. The purpose of this article is to describe this historical mining area. The site contains mining structures such as shafts and galleries, and heaves of stone chips indicating some ore enrichment activities taking place there. The XRD and chemical analyses show the samples taken from the ore vein are rich in Manganese (Mn) and Barium (Ba), and it is concluded that the Zilan Valley Mining and Processing Complex was for Pyrolusite (MnO2), Barium or both. The site is being described for the first time in the literature and offers an opportunity to fulfill the gap in literature regarding mining history. The discovery and the description of the site would also have implications in a wide multidisciplinary scientific community, including metallurgy, archeology, and world heritage.

Properties of Two Novel Esterases Identified from Culture Supernatant of Penicillium purpurogenum Grown on Sugar Beet Pulp

PubMed Central

Oleas, Gabriela; Callegari, Eduardo; Sepulveda, Romina; Eyzaguirre, Jaime

2017-01-01

Background The filamentous fungus Penicillium purpurogenum grows on a variety of natural carbon sources, such as sugar beet pulp, and secretes to the medium a large number of enzymes that degrade the carbohydrate components of lignocellulose. Sugar beet pulp is rich in pectin, and the purpose of this work is to identify novel esterases produced by the fungus, which may participate in pectin degradation. Methods and findings Partially purified culture supernatants of the fungus grown on sugar beet pulp were subjected to mass spectrometry analysis. Peptides thus identified, which may be part of potential esterases were probed against the proteins deduced from the fungal genome sequence. The cDNAs of two putative esterases identified were expressed in Pichia pastoris and their properties studied. One of these enzymes, named FAET, is a feruloyl esterase, while the other, PE, is classified as a pectin methyl esterase. Conclusions These findings add to our knowledge of the enzymology of pectin degradation by Penicillium purpurogenum, and define properties of two novel esterases acting on de-esterification of pectin. Their availability may be useful as tools for the study of pectin structure and degradation. PMID:28828411

Atmospheric monitoring at abandoned mercury mine sites in Asturias (NW Spain).

PubMed

Loredo, Jorge; Soto, Jorge; Alvarez, Rodrigo; Ordóñez, Almudena

2007-07-01

Mercury concentrations are usually significant in historic Hg mining districts all over the world, so the atmospheric environment is potentially affected. In Asturias, northern Spain, past mining operations have left a legacy of ruins and Hg-rich wastes, soils and sediments in abandoned sites. Total Hg concentrations in the ambient air of these abandoned mine sites have been investigated to evaluate the impact of the Hg emissions. This paper presents the synthesis of current knowledge about atmospheric Hg contents in the area of the abandoned Hg mining and smelting works at 'La Peña-El Terronal' and La Soterraña, located in Mieres and Pola de Lena districts, respectively, both within the Caudal River basin. It was found that average atmospheric Hg concentrations are higher than the background level in the area (0.1 microg Nm(-3)), reaching up to 203.7 microg Nm(-3) at 0.2 m above the ground level, close to the old smelting chimney at El Terronal mine site. Data suggest that past Hg mining activities have big influences on the increased Hg concentrations around abandoned sites and that atmospheric transfer is a major pathway for Hg cycling in these environments.

The play of transference: some reflections on enactment in the psychoanalytic situation.

PubMed

McLaughlin, J T

1987-01-01

The incessant play of nonverbal activity between patient and analyst actualizes and amplifies the primary verbal data of the psychoanalytic dialogue. Both parties must inevitably register this kinesic level of communication, and react with capacities acquired in and elaborated from earliest childhood. The analyst's apperceptive (unfocused) looking, as part of his freely hovering attentiveness, utilizes these capabilities gradually to perceive and organize patterns combining the verbal and nonverbal data. It is through the recognizing and eventual understanding of these gestalts that the analyst builds up his knowledge of his patients. In these patterns can be identified: (a) conspicuous behaviors, idiosyncratic for the individual, which often yield to psychoanalytic inquiry to reveal their dynamic-historical antecedents; and (b) inconspicuous background kinesics, habitual to the individual, which ordinarily are opaque to analytic exploration, yet hold rich meaning. Observing these small behaviors in relation to verbal content provides evidence of their linkage to, and enactment of, pregenital- and genital-level conflicts over diadic and triadic object relations, even in highly structured personalities. These enactments combine elements of play, miming, and drama to constitute an experiential dimension that actualizes and externalizes the patients' inner life of conflict and relation to objects.

Preparing future teachers to anticipate student difficulties in physics in a graduate-level course in physics, pedagogy, and education research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, John R.; Christensen, Warren M.; Wittmann, Michael C.

2011-06-01

We describe courses designed to help future teachers reflect on and discuss both physics content and student knowledge thereof. We use three kinds of activities: reading and discussing the literature, experiencing research-based curricular materials, and learning to use the basic research methods of physics education research. We present a general overview of the two courses we have designed as well as a framework for assessing student performance on physics content knowledge and one aspect of pedagogical content knowledge—knowledge of student ideas—about one particular content area: electric circuits. We find that the quality of future teachers’ responses, especially on questions dealing with knowledge of student ideas, can be successfully categorized and may be higher for those with a nonphysics background than those with a physics background.

Nurses' knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention, staging, and description.

PubMed

Pieper, B; Mott, M

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine registered nurses' (N = 228) knowledge of pressure ulcer prevention, pressure ulcer staging, and wound description. A 47-item, true-false Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test was developed for he study. Nurses' knowledge was significantly higher the more recently they had heard a lecture or read an article about pressure ulcers. Knowledge scores were not related to educational background, age, or years of work experience.

Smartphones as Multimodal Communication Devices to Facilitate Clinical Knowledge Processes: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Mateescu, Magdalena; Zahn, Carmen; Genewein, Urs

2013-01-01

Background Despite the widespread use and advancements of mobile technology that facilitate rich communication modes, there is little evidence demonstrating the value of smartphones for effective interclinician communication and knowledge processes. Objective The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different synchronous smartphone-based modes of communication, such as (1) speech only, (2) speech and images, and (3) speech, images, and image annotation (guided noticing) on the recall and transfer of visually and verbally represented medical knowledge. Methods The experiment was conducted from November 2011 to May 2012 at the University Hospital Basel (Switzerland) with 42 medical students in a master’s program. All participants analyzed a standardized case (a patient with a subcapital fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone) based on a radiological image, photographs of the hand, and textual descriptions, and were asked to consult a remote surgical specialist via a smartphone. Participants were randomly assigned to 3 experimental conditions/groups. In group 1, the specialist provided verbal explanations (speech only). In group 2, the specialist provided verbal explanations and displayed the radiological image and the photographs to the participants (speech and images). In group 3, the specialist provided verbal explanations, displayed the radiological image and the photographs, and annotated the radiological image by drawing structures/angle elements (speech, images, and image annotation). To assess knowledge recall, participants were asked to write brief summaries of the case (verbally represented knowledge) after the consultation and to re-analyze the diagnostic images (visually represented knowledge). To assess knowledge transfer, participants analyzed a similar case without specialist support. Results Data analysis by ANOVA found that participants in groups 2 and 3 (images used) evaluated the support provided by the specialist as significantly more positive than group 1, the speech-only group (group 1: mean 4.08, SD 0.90; group 2: mean 4.73, SD 0.59; group 3: mean 4.93, SD 0.25; F 2,39=6.76, P=.003; partial η2=0.26, 1–β=.90). However, significant positive effects on the recall and transfer of visually represented medical knowledge were only observed when the smartphone-based communication involved the combination of speech, images, and image annotation (group 3). There were no significant positive effects on the recall and transfer of visually represented knowledge between group 1 (speech only) and group 2 (speech and images). No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding verbally represented medical knowledge. Conclusions The results show (1) the value of annotation functions for digital and mobile technology for interclinician communication and medical informatics, and (2) the use of guided noticing (the integration of speech, images, and image annotation) leads to significantly improved knowledge gains for visually represented knowledge. This is particularly valuable in situations involving complex visual subject matters, typical in clinical practice. PMID:24284080

Estimating Species Richness and Modelling Habitat Preferences of Tropical Forest Mammals from Camera Trap Data

PubMed Central

Rovero, Francesco; Martin, Emanuel; Rosa, Melissa; Ahumada, Jorge A.; Spitale, Daniel

2014-01-01

Medium-to-large mammals within tropical forests represent a rich and functionally diversified component of this biome; however, they continue to be threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Assessing these communities implies studying species’ richness and composition, and determining a state variable of species abundance in order to infer changes in species distribution and habitat associations. The Tropical Ecology, Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) network fills a chronic gap in standardized data collection by implementing a systematic monitoring framework of biodiversity, including mammal communities, across several sites. In this study, we used TEAM camera trap data collected in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania, an area of exceptional importance for mammal diversity, to propose an example of a baseline assessment of species’ occupancy. We used 60 camera trap locations and cumulated 1,818 camera days in 2009. Sampling yielded 10,647 images of 26 species of mammals. We estimated that a minimum of 32 species are in fact present, matching available knowledge from other sources. Estimated species richness at camera sites did not vary with a suite of habitat covariates derived from remote sensing, however the detection probability varied with functional guilds, with herbivores being more detectable than other guilds. Species-specific occupancy modelling revealed novel ecological knowledge for the 11 most detected species, highlighting patterns such as ‘montane forest dwellers’, e.g. the endemic Sanje mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei), and ‘lowland forest dwellers’, e.g. suni antelope (Neotragus moschatus). Our results show that the analysis of camera trap data with account for imperfect detection can provide a solid ecological assessment of mammal communities that can be systematically replicated across sites. PMID:25054806

Agoraphobia and the Modern Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dron, Jon; Anderson, Terry

2014-01-01

Read/write social technologies enable rich pedagogies that centre on sharing and constructing content but have two notable weaknesses. Firstly, beyond the safe, nurturing environment of closed groups, students participating in more or less public network- or set-oriented communities may be insecure in their knowledge and skills, leading to…

GIS Enabled PBl Pedagogy: The Effects on Students' Learning in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Yan; Laxman, Kumar

2009-01-01

In efforts aimed at acquainting learners with "how to learn" skills rather than static content knowledge, more student centric instructional approaches are being increasingly adopted in informing curriculum design and delivery. Technology-rich problem solving environments offer great promise in scaffolding and facilitating…

Bigrams and the Richness of the Stimulus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kam, Xuan-Nga Cao; Stoyneshka, Iglika; Tornyova, Lidiya; Fodor, Janet D.; Sakas, William G.

2008-01-01

Recent challenges to Chomsky's "poverty of the stimulus" thesis for language acquisition suggest that children's primary data may carry "indirect evidence" about linguistic constructions despite containing no instances of them. Indirect evidence is claimed to suffice for grammar acquisition, without need for innate knowledge. This article reports…

America's Culturally Different Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donelson, Kenneth, Ed.

1969-01-01

To maintain within a national unity the richness of cultural diversity that has made America great, school curriculums should develop in the child a knowledge of the country's varying cultures. Teachers should initiate for children meaningful experiences with other cultures to help them appreciate the differences and similarities among people. One…

Dimensions of Drug Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, Mark E.

2011-01-01

The high number, heterogeneity, and inadequate integration of drug information resources constitute barriers to many drug information usage scenarios. In the biomedical domain there is a rich legacy of knowledge representation in ontology-like structures that allows us to connect this problem both to the very mature field of library and…

Constructing Virtual Worlds: Tracing the Historical Development of Learner Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barab, Sasha A.; Hay, Kenneth E.; Barnett, Michael; Squire, Kurt

2001-01-01

Explored learning and instruction within a technology-rich, collaborative, participatory learning environment by tracking the emergence of shared understanding and products through student and teacher practices. Found that becoming knowledgeably skillful with respect to a particular practice or concept is a multigenerational process, evolving in…

Promoting Transfer of Ecosystems Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Yawen; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.; Jordan, Rebecca; Eberbach, Catherine; Sinha, Suparna

2016-01-01

This study examines to what extent students transferred their knowledge from a familiar aquatic ecosystem to an unfamiliar rainforest ecosystem after participating in a technology-rich inquiry curriculum. We coded students' drawings for components of important ecosystems concepts at pre- and posttest. Our analysis examined the extent to which each…

Patterns of orchid bee species diversity and turnover among forested plateaus of central Amazonia

PubMed Central

Machado, Carolina de Barros; Galetti, Pedro Manoel; Oliveira, Marcio; Dirzo, Rodolfo; Fernandes, Geraldo Wilson

2017-01-01

The knowledge of spatial pattern and geographic beta-diversity is of great importance for biodiversity conservation and interpreting ecological information. Tropical forests, especially the Amazon Rainforest, are well known for their high species richness and low similarity in species composition between sites, both at local and regional scales. We aimed to determine the effect and relative importance of area, isolation and climate on species richness and turnover in orchid bee assemblages among plateaus in central Brazilian Amazonia. Variance partitioning techniques were applied to assess the relative effects of spatial and environmental variables on bee species richness, phylogeny and composition. We hypothesized that greater abundance and richness of orchid bees would be found on larger plateaus, with a set of core species occurring on all of them. We also hypothesized that smaller plateaus would possess lower phylogenetic diversity. We found 55 bee species distributed along the nine sampling sites (plateaus) with 17 of them being singletons. There was a significant decrease in species richness with decreasing size of plateaus, and a significant decrease in the similarity in species composition with greater distance and climatic variation among sampling sites. Phylogenetic diversity varied among the sampling sites but was directly related to species richness. Although not significantly related to plateau area, smaller or larger PDFaith were observed in the smallest and the largest plateaus, respectively. PMID:28410432

Patterns of orchid bee species diversity and turnover among forested plateaus of central Amazonia.

PubMed

Antonini, Yasmine; Machado, Carolina de Barros; Galetti, Pedro Manoel; Oliveira, Marcio; Dirzo, Rodolfo; Fernandes, Geraldo Wilson

2017-01-01

The knowledge of spatial pattern and geographic beta-diversity is of great importance for biodiversity conservation and interpreting ecological information. Tropical forests, especially the Amazon Rainforest, are well known for their high species richness and low similarity in species composition between sites, both at local and regional scales. We aimed to determine the effect and relative importance of area, isolation and climate on species richness and turnover in orchid bee assemblages among plateaus in central Brazilian Amazonia. Variance partitioning techniques were applied to assess the relative effects of spatial and environmental variables on bee species richness, phylogeny and composition. We hypothesized that greater abundance and richness of orchid bees would be found on larger plateaus, with a set of core species occurring on all of them. We also hypothesized that smaller plateaus would possess lower phylogenetic diversity. We found 55 bee species distributed along the nine sampling sites (plateaus) with 17 of them being singletons. There was a significant decrease in species richness with decreasing size of plateaus, and a significant decrease in the similarity in species composition with greater distance and climatic variation among sampling sites. Phylogenetic diversity varied among the sampling sites but was directly related to species richness. Although not significantly related to plateau area, smaller or larger PDFaith were observed in the smallest and the largest plateaus, respectively.

Effect of plant diversity on the diversity of soil organic compounds.

PubMed

El Moujahid, Lamiae; Le Roux, Xavier; Michalet, Serge; Bellvert, Florian; Weigelt, Alexandra; Poly, Franck

2017-01-01

The effect of plant diversity on aboveground organisms and processes was largely studied but there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the link between plant diversity and soil characteristics. Here, we analyzed the effect of plant identity and diversity on the diversity of extractible soil organic compounds (ESOC) using 87 experimental grassland plots with different levels of plant diversity and based on a pool of over 50 plant species. Two pools of low molecular weight organic compounds, LMW1 and LMW2, were characterized by GC-MS and HPLC-DAD, respectively. These pools include specific organic acids, fatty acids and phenolics, with more organic acids in LMW1 and more phenolics in LMW2. Plant effect on the diversity of LMW1 and LMW2 compounds was strong and weak, respectively. LMW1 richness observed for bare soil was lower than that observed for all planted soils; and the richness of these soil compounds increased twofold when dominant plant species richness increased from 1 to 6. Comparing the richness of LMW1 compounds observed for a range of plant mixtures and for plant monocultures of species present in these mixtures, we showed that plant species richness increases the richness of these ESOC mainly through complementarity effects among plant species associated with contrasted spectra of soil compounds. This could explain previously reported effects of plant diversity on the diversity of soil heterotrophic microorganisms.

Effect of plant diversity on the diversity of soil organic compounds

PubMed Central

El Moujahid, Lamiae; Michalet, Serge; Bellvert, Florian; Weigelt, Alexandra; Poly, Franck

2017-01-01

The effect of plant diversity on aboveground organisms and processes was largely studied but there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the link between plant diversity and soil characteristics. Here, we analyzed the effect of plant identity and diversity on the diversity of extractible soil organic compounds (ESOC) using 87 experimental grassland plots with different levels of plant diversity and based on a pool of over 50 plant species. Two pools of low molecular weight organic compounds, LMW1 and LMW2, were characterized by GC-MS and HPLC-DAD, respectively. These pools include specific organic acids, fatty acids and phenolics, with more organic acids in LMW1 and more phenolics in LMW2. Plant effect on the diversity of LMW1 and LMW2 compounds was strong and weak, respectively. LMW1 richness observed for bare soil was lower than that observed for all planted soils; and the richness of these soil compounds increased twofold when dominant plant species richness increased from 1 to 6. Comparing the richness of LMW1 compounds observed for a range of plant mixtures and for plant monocultures of species present in these mixtures, we showed that plant species richness increases the richness of these ESOC mainly through complementarity effects among plant species associated with contrasted spectra of soil compounds. This could explain previously reported effects of plant diversity on the diversity of soil heterotrophic microorganisms. PMID:28166250

Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal): a comparative study

PubMed Central

Pardo-de-Santayana, Manuel; Tardío, Javier; Blanco, Emilio; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Lastra, Juan José; San Miguel, Elia; Morales, Ramón

2007-01-01

Background We compare traditional knowledge and use of wild edible plants in six rural regions of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula as follows: Campoo, Picos de Europa, Piloña, Sanabria and Caurel in Spain and Parque Natural de Montesinho in Portugal. Methods Data on the use of 97 species were collected through informed consent semi-structured interviews with local informants. A semi-quantitative approach was used to document the relative importance of each species and to indicate differences in selection criteria for consuming wild food species in the regions studied. Results and discussion The most significant species include many wild berries and nuts (e.g. Castanea sativa, Rubus ulmifolius, Fragaria vesca) and the most popular species in each food-category (e.g. fruits or herbs used to prepare liqueurs such as Prunus spinosa, vegetables such as Rumex acetosa, condiments such as Origanum vulgare, or plants used to prepare herbal teas such as Chamaemelum nobile). The most important species in the study area as a whole are consumed at five or all six of the survey sites. Conclusion Social, economic and cultural factors, such as poor communications, fads and direct contact with nature in everyday life should be taken into account in determining why some wild foods and traditional vegetables have been consumed, but others not. They may be even more important than biological factors such as richness and abundance of wild edible flora. Although most are no longer consumed, demand is growing for those regarded as local specialties that reflect regional identity. PMID:17555572

The challenges of clinical education in a baccalaureate surgical technology students in Iran: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Zardosht, Roghayeh; Razavi, Mohammad Etezad; Ahmady, Soleiman

2018-01-01

Background Clinical education is an integral part of the surgical technology curriculum, in which students combine and integrate knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and philosophies of the profession. It is difficult to learn and adapt to different types of skills and roles in the operating room environment. Objective This qualitative study examines the difference between the clinical education of Surgical Technology and other clinical settings, and the challenges faced by students in the field, within the course. Methods This was a qualitative content analysis study conducted in 2016. The participants in this study were 16 baccalaureate surgical technology students of the University for Medical Sciences in Khorasan Razavi province. A semi-structured interview method was run to collect the required data. The sampling was initially purposive, then in the snowball method which continued until data saturation. All interviews were recorded, then transcribed, and analyzed using a continuous comparative method and conventional qualitative content analysis method. Results From the deep and rich descriptions of the participants, three themes including “stressful environment”, “controversy between anticipation of role and reality”, and “humiliating experiences” as well as a general theme of “bitter education” were obtained. Conclusion Students’ orientation before attending the operating room, accompanying, supporting, and a full-time attendance of the specialist instructor, strengthening the prerequisite knowledge and skills for the students in this field, teaching ethics, and professional interactions, play an important role in the student’s acceptance of the operating room, in the surgery team and the improvement of the quality of clinical education of these students. PMID:29629066

Prenatal screening for congenital anomalies: exploring midwives’ perceptions of counseling clients with religious backgrounds

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In the Netherlands, prenatal screening follows an opting in system and comprises two non-invasive tests: the combined test to screen for trisomy 21 at 12 weeks of gestation and the fetal anomaly scan to detect structural anomalies at 20 weeks. Midwives counsel about prenatal screening tests for congenital anomalies and they are increasingly having to counsel women from religious backgrounds beyond their experience. This study assessed midwives’ perceptions and practices regarding taking client’s religious backgrounds into account during counseling. As Islam is the commonest non-western religion, we were particularly interested in midwives’ knowledge of whether pregnancy termination is allowed in Islam. Methods This exploratory study is part of the DELIVER study, which evaluated primary care midwifery in the Netherlands between September 2009 and January 2011. A questionnaire was sent to all 108 midwives of the twenty practices participating in the study. Results Of 98 respondents (response rate 92%), 68 (69%) said they took account of the client’s religion. The two main reasons for not doing so were that religion was considered irrelevant in the decision-making process and that it should be up to clients to initiate such discussions. Midwives’ own religious backgrounds were independent of whether they paid attention to the clients’ religious backgrounds. Eighty midwives (82%) said they did not counsel Muslim women differently from other women. Although midwives with relatively many Muslim clients had more knowledge of Islamic attitudes to terminating pregnancy in general than midwives with relatively fewer Muslim clients, the specific knowledge of termination regarding trisomy 21 and other congenital anomalies was limited in both groups. Conclusion While many midwives took client’s religion into account, few knew much about Islamic beliefs on prenatal screening for congenital anomalies. Midwives identified a need for additional education. To meet the needs of the changing client population, counselors need more knowledge of religious opinions about the termination of pregnancy and the skills to approach religious issues with clients. PMID:25037919

Radical Conversations: Part Two--Cultivating Social-Constructivist Learning Methods in ABE Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muth, Bill; Kiser, Madeline

2008-01-01

In many U.S. prisons an overuse of individualized instruction silences literacy learners and reinforces oppressive notions about what knowledge is and whose knowledge counts. In these classrooms, methods that invite learners to tap their background knowledge, reflect on their worlds, and dialogue with others to construct meaning--commonplace in…

Teacher Knowledge and Instructional Quality of Beginning Teachers: Growth and Linkages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desimone, Laura; Hochberg, Eric D.; McMaken, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Background/Context: We lack strong and consistent information about which measures of knowledge matter most for good teaching and student learning, and what are trajectories of improvement for novice teachers. Research Questions: We explore the level, variation, and change in teacher knowledge and instruction in the first two years of teaching,…

Exploring the Associations among Nutrition, Science, and Mathematics Knowledge for an Integrative, Food-Based Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stage, Virginia C.; Kolasa, Kathryn M.; Díaz, Sebastián R.; Duffrin, Melani W.

2018-01-01

Background: Explore associations between nutrition, science, and mathematics knowledge to provide evidence that integrating food/nutrition education in the fourth-grade curriculum may support gains in academic knowledge. Methods: Secondary analysis of a quasi-experimental study. Sample included 438 students in 34 fourth-grade classrooms across…

Enabling Integrated Decision Making for Electronic-Commerce by Modelling an Enterprise's Sharable Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Henry M.

2000-01-01

An enterprise model, a computational model of knowledge about an enterprise, is a useful tool for integrated decision-making by e-commerce suppliers and customers. Sharable knowledge, once represented in an enterprise model, can be integrated by the modeled enterprise's e-commerce partners. Presents background on enterprise modeling, followed by…

Network Search: A New Way of Seeing the Education Knowledge Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFarland, Daniel; Klopfer, Eric

2010-01-01

Background: The educational knowledge domain may be understood as a system composed of multiple, co-evolving networks that reflect the form and content of a cultural field. This paper describes the educational knowledge domain as having a community structure (form) based in relations of production (authoring) and consumption (referencing), and a…

Knowledge at the Core: Don Hirsch, Core Knowledge, and the Future of the Common Core

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finn, Chester E., Jr., Ed.; Petrilli, Michael J., Ed.

2014-01-01

Children cannot be truly literate without knowing about history, science, art, music, literature, civics, geography, and more. Indeed, they cannot satisfactorily comprehend what they read unless they possess the background knowledge that makes such comprehension possible. Yet most American primary schools have been marching in the opposite…

Examining Professional Development and Teacher's Learning about Literacy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxwell, Melanie

2017-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative case study (Merriam, 1988; Stake, 1994) was to understand how teacher perceptions of their knowledge, practice and students' knowledge change in a professional development learning opportunity that is based on their background knowledge in literacy instruction and what is determined to be their zone of proximal…

The Bridge of Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dong, Yu Ren

2014-01-01

Although many English language learners (ELLs) in the United States have knowledge gaps that make it hard for them to master high-level content and skills, ELLs also often have background knowledge relevant to school learning that teachers neglect to access, this author argues. In the Common Core era, with ELLs being the fastest growing population…

Knowledge Building and Mathematics: Shifting the Responsibility for Knowledge Advancement and Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Joan; Beatty, Ruth

2010-01-01

Three classrooms of Grade 4 students from different schools and diverse backgrounds collaborated in early algebra research to solve a series of linear and quadratic generalizing problems. Results revealed that high- and low-achieving students were able to solve problems of recognized difficulty. We discuss Knowledge Building principles and…

Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes of Men with Intellectual Disability Who Sexually Offend

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunsky, Yona; Frijters, Jan; Griffiths, Dorothy M.; Watson, Shelley L.; Williston, Stephanie

2007-01-01

Background: Various explanations of sexual offending in men with intellectual disability (ID) have stressed sexual deviance and a lack of developmental socio-sexual knowledge. Method: Using the normative dataset of people with ID from the development of the "Socio-Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Assessment Tool--Revised" (SSKAAT-R:…

Breast Cancer Knowledge among College Students: Influencing Factors and Resultant Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Justice, Mary F.; King, Keith A.; Vidourek, Rebecca A.; Merianos, Ashley L.

2018-01-01

Background: Many misconceptions about breast cancer exist. College students have the opportunity to perform breast cancer risk-reducing behaviors. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess breast cancer knowledge among university students and examine the influence of breast cancer knowledge on health behaviors for breast cancer prevention.…

Development of a Comprehensive Heart Disease Knowledge Questionnaire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergman, Hannah E.; Reeve, Bryce B.; Moser, Richard P.; Scholl, Sarah; Klein, William M. P.

2011-01-01

Background: Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States, yet a comprehensive and evidence-based heart disease knowledge assessment is currently not available. Purpose: This paper describes the two-phase development of a novel heart disease knowledge questionnaire. Methods: After review and critique of the…

Third-Grade Students' Mental Models of Energy Expenditure during Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasco, Denis; Ennis, Catherine D.

2015-01-01

Background: Students' prior knowledge plays an important role in learning new knowledge. In physical education (PE) and physical activity settings, studies have confirmed the role of students' prior knowledge. According to Placek and Griffin, these studies demonstrate that: "our students are not empty balls waiting to be filled with knowledge…

Attenuation of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Airway Mucus Production by Hydrogen-Rich Saline in Rats

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jingxi; Dong, Yuchao; Xu, Wujian; Li, Qiang

2013-01-01

Background Over-production of mucus is an important pathophysiological feature in chronic airway disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Cigarette smoking (CS) is the leading cause of COPD. Oxidative stress plays a key role in CS-induced airway abnormal mucus production. Hydrogen protected cells and tissues against oxidative damage by scavenging hydroxyl radicals. In the present study we investigated the effect of hydrogen on CS-induced mucus production in rats. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham control, CS group, hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment group and hydrogen-rich saline control group. Lung morphology and tissue biochemical changes were determined by immunohistochemistry, Alcian Blue/periodic acid-Schiff staining, TUNEL, western blot and realtime RT-PCR. Results Hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment attenuated CS-induced mucus accumulation in the bronchiolar lumen, goblet cell hyperplasia, muc5ac over-expression and abnormal cell apoptosis in the airway epithelium as well as malondialdehyde increase in the BALF. The phosphorylation of EGFR at Tyr1068 and Nrf2 up-regulation expression in the rat lungs challenged by CS exposure were also abrogated by hydrogen-rich saline. Conclusion Hydrogen-rich saline pretreatment ameliorated CS-induced airway mucus production and airway epithelium damage in rats. The protective role of hydrogen on CS-exposed rat lungs was achieved at least partly by its free radical scavenging ability. This is the first report to demonstrate that intraperitoneal administration of hydrogen-rich saline protected rat airways against CS damage and it could be promising in treating abnormal airway mucus production in COPD. PMID:24376700

[Consumer knowledge about dietary fibre -- Results of a national questionnaire survey].

PubMed

Szűcs, Viktória; Harangozó, Júlia; Guiné, Raquel P F

2016-02-21

Dietary fibres are key elements of healthy and balanced diet. The aim of the present study was to explore consumers' knowledge considering fibre, their role in the purchasing decisions, and the cognition of the currently used as well as the possible information sources to encourage the fibre consumption. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 303 respondents. Knowledge about the fibre sources has showed a kind of uncertainty of the respondents, while knowledge about their possible health effects was relatively profound. Internet appeared as a remarkable information source in the topic; however, results pointed out the importance of education, too. Participants more often consuming foodstuffs rich in fibre, women and respondents over 45 years old showed conscious attitudes regarding fibres. Guidelines and education containing authentic information and practical elements are essential, and as a result, consumers' latent knowledge will appear in their conscious food choice decisions.

Solutions to the cocktail party problem in insects: selective filters, spatial release from masking and gain control in tropical crickets.

PubMed

Schmidt, Arne K D; Römer, Heiner

2011-01-01

Insects often communicate by sound in mixed species choruses; like humans and many vertebrates in crowded social environments they thus have to solve cocktail-party-like problems in order to ensure successful communication with conspecifics. This is even more a problem in species-rich environments like tropical rainforests, where background noise levels of up to 60 dB SPL have been measured. Using neurophysiological methods we investigated the effect of natural background noise (masker) on signal detection thresholds in two tropical cricket species Paroecanthus podagrosus and Diatrypa sp., both in the laboratory and outdoors. We identified three 'bottom-up' mechanisms which contribute to an excellent neuronal representation of conspecific signals despite the masking background. First, the sharply tuned frequency selectivity of the receiver reduces the amount of masking energy around the species-specific calling song frequency. Laboratory experiments yielded an average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of -8 dB, when masker and signal were broadcast from the same side. Secondly, displacing the masker by 180° from the signal improved SNRs by further 6 to 9 dB, a phenomenon known as spatial release from masking. Surprisingly, experiments carried out directly in the nocturnal rainforest yielded SNRs of about -23 dB compared with those in the laboratory with the same masker, where SNRs reached only -14.5 and -16 dB in both species. Finally, a neuronal gain control mechanism enhances the contrast between the responses to signals and the masker, by inhibition of neuronal activity in interstimulus intervals. Thus, conventional speaker playbacks in the lab apparently do not properly reconstruct the masking noise situation in a spatially realistic manner, since under real world conditions multiple sound sources are spatially distributed in space. Our results also indicate that without knowledge of the receiver properties and the spatial release mechanisms the detrimental effect of noise may be strongly overestimated.

Promoting Students' Problem Solving Skills and Knowledge of STEM Concepts in a Data-Rich Learning Environment: Using Online Data as a Tool for Teaching about Renewable Energy Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thurmond, Brandi

This study sought to compare a data-rich learning (DRL) environment that utilized online data as a tool for teaching about renewable energy technologies (RET) to a lecture-based learning environment to determine the impact of the learning environment on students' knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) concepts related to renewable energy technologies and students' problem solving skills. Two purposefully selected Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science teachers were included in the study. Each teacher taught one class about RET in a lecture-based environment (control) and another class in a DRL environment (treatment), for a total of four classes of students (n=128). This study utilized a quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest, control-group design. The initial hypothesis that the treatment group would have a significant gain in knowledge of STEM concepts related to RET and be better able to solve problems when compared to the control group was not supported by the data. Although students in the DRL environment had a significant gain in knowledge after instruction, posttest score comparisons of the control and treatment groups revealed no significant differences between the groups. Further, no significant differences were noted in students' problem solving abilities as measured by scores on a problem-based activity and self-reported abilities on a reflective questionnaire. This suggests that the DRL environment is at least as effective as the lecture-based learning environment in teaching AP Environmental Science students about RET and fostering the development of problem solving skills. As this was a small scale study, further research is needed to provide information about effectiveness of DRL environments in promoting students' knowledge of STEM concepts and problem-solving skills.

Portuguese Coaches' Perceptions of and Preferences for Knowledge Sources Related to their Professional Background.

PubMed

Mesquita, Isabel; Isidro, Sofia; Rosado, António

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse Portuguese coaches' perceptions of, and preferences for, knowledge sources as related to professional background; namely academic education level, coach education level and coaching experience. The study's participants comprised 336 Portuguese coaches from twenty-two sports. A questionnaire was used to identify coaches' demographic characteristics and representations about their preferred sources of coaching knowledge. MANOVA using Tukey's HSD test was used to compare groups. The results highlighted that coaches perceived that coaching knowledge is built from a broad range of sources from personal coaching and playing experiences to more explicit formal, informal and non-formal learning situations. Results indicated that the coaches ascribed more importance to experiential sources such as working with experts, learning by doing, interacting with peer coaches and attending informal seminars and clinics, than to the formal learning situations provided by the national coaching certification programs. Differences, however, were found in that coaches who had a greater background within higher education (physical) and sport valued informal and non-formal learning sources more than did coaches who were defined as not coming from an academic background. The findings point to the importance of developing new learning, experientially-based, opportunities within the Portuguese context, where curricula content continues to be delivered via didactic means. Key pointsCoaches recognized that learning is obtained from a broad range of sources of coaching knowledge and each source has a particular role in the development of a coach.Experiential guided sources reached more importance to coaches as working with experts, learning by doing, attending seminars/clinics outside of the formal system and interaction with peers were the most acknowledged.The only source that is related to formal learning, national certification programs, was recognized as the less importance than all informal and non-formal learning situations.The profile of the source of coaching knowledge showed to be stable among coaches as only the academic education level differentiated the coaches' perceptions.

Portuguese Coaches’ Perceptions of and Preferences for Knowledge Sources Related to their Professional Background

PubMed Central

Mesquita, Isabel; Isidro, Sofia; Rosado, António

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyse Portuguese coaches’ perceptions of, and preferences for, knowledge sources as related to professional background; namely academic education level, coach education level and coaching experience. The study’s participants comprised 336 Portuguese coaches from twenty-two sports. A questionnaire was used to identify coaches’ demographic characteristics and representations about their preferred sources of coaching knowledge. MANOVA using Tukey’s HSD test was used to compare groups. The results highlighted that coaches perceived that coaching knowledge is built from a broad range of sources from personal coaching and playing experiences to more explicit formal, informal and non-formal learning situations. Results indicated that the coaches ascribed more importance to experiential sources such as working with experts, learning by doing, interacting with peer coaches and attending informal seminars and clinics, than to the formal learning situations provided by the national coaching certification programs. Differences, however, were found in that coaches who had a greater background within higher education (physical) and sport valued informal and non-formal learning sources more than did coaches who were defined as not coming from an academic background. The findings point to the importance of developing new learning, experientially-based, opportunities within the Portuguese context, where curricula content continues to be delivered via didactic means. Key points Coaches recognized that learning is obtained from a broad range of sources of coaching knowledge and each source has a particular role in the development of a coach. Experiential guided sources reached more importance to coaches as working with experts, learning by doing, attending seminars/clinics outside of the formal system and interaction with peers were the most acknowledged. The only source that is related to formal learning, national certification programs, was recognized as the less importance than all informal and non-formal learning situations. The profile of the source of coaching knowledge showed to be stable among coaches as only the academic education level differentiated the coaches’ perceptions. PMID:24149644

A Quantitative and Comparative Research on Chinese and English Numerical Phrases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Peijun

2010-01-01

Numerical phases have rich cultural connotations and connect closely with culture. Along with the extension of China's reform and opening up policy, cross-cultural communication tends to be wider. The comparative research on cross-cultural languages is very important. Because of different cultural backgrounds, the cultural connotations of Chinese…

A Response to Intervention Model to Promote School Attendance and Decrease School Absenteeism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kearney, Christopher A.; Graczyk, Patricia

2014-01-01

Background: Regular school attendance is foundational to children's success but school absenteeism is a common, serious, and highly vexing problem. Researchers from various disciplines have produced a rich yet diverse literature for conceptualizing problematic absenteeism that has led to considerable confusion and lack of consensus about a…

Structural Relationships of Environments, Individuals, and Learning Outcomes in Korean Online University Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Keol; Kang, Minseok; Park, Sung Youl

2016-01-01

This study examines relationships of instructional environments, learner traits, and learning outcomes in the context of an online university course in Korea which has an advanced information technology background and rich e-learning experiences. However, the educational heritage of the country adheres to directive instruction with little…

Career Preparation: A Curriculum in Mental Health and Aging for Service Providers. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rich, Thomas A.; And Others

This document contains a final report of a project which developed a model multidisciplinary graduate curriculum in mental health and aging. The introductory chapter, "Career Preparation: A Curriculum in Mental Health and Aging for Service Providers" (Thomas A. Rich, et al.), includes background information and discussions of the curriculum…

Communication and Empowerment: A Place for Rich and Multiple Media?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunning, Karen; Heath, Becky; Minnion, Andy

2009-01-01

Background: Project @pple (Access & Participation for People with intellectual disability in Learning Environments) was about exploring the terms on which young people with intellectual disability access and participate with e-Learning and the Web. The current study is one of a number of related studies. It explores the culture of information and…

A diet containing a nonfat dry milk matrix significantly alters systemic endocannabinoids and oxylipins in diet-induced obese mice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

BACKGROUND: Diets rich in dairy and/or calcium (Ca) have been associated with reductions in adiposity and inflammation, but the mechanisms underlying this remain to be fully elucidated. Oxylipins and endocannabinoids are bioactive lipids, which influence energy homeostasis, adipose function, insuli...

Teaching About Women in Hispanic Literature: Current Methods and Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maier, Carol

Awareness of a new and altered method of teaching literature, similar to that described by Adrienne Rich, grew from the experience of teaching a small introductory course in twentieth century Hispanic women writers to students with diverse language, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Although about half the students were native Spanish speakers,…

Appalachian Literature and Culture: A Teaching Unit for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brennan, Joan M.

A 10-week unit of study of Appalachian literature and culture, focusing on Harriette Arnow's novel, "The Dollmaker," is designed to deepen Appalachian students' awareness of their rich cultural heritage as well as to encourage non-Appalachians' appreciation of backgrounds different from their own. One week is allotted for…

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

inventory provided the first substantial evidence that attested to the high species richness of the IRL Home › About Us › Indian River Lagoon Species Inventory Project Background An Overview of the IRL Species Inventory Project The geographical position of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), straddling the zone

The Educational System of Tunisia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, DC.

An overview of the basic system of education in Tunisia is presented in this booklet. Since Tunisia's independence in 1956, the government has emphasized the role of education as a major factor in building a modern nation. The educational system in Tunisia is based on both the nation's own rich cultural background and also on the linguistic and…

The University-Innovation Nexus in Singapore. Go8 Backgrounder 28

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Group of Eight (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

Singapore, like Australia, is one of the world's most prosperous countries. However, the basis for Singapore's prosperity is quite different from that of Australia's and for this reason it provides an interesting and complementary case study. While much of Australia's current affluence flows from its rich endowment of mineral resources,…

Three forms of assessment of prior knowledge, and improved performance following an enrichment programme, of English second language biology students within the context of a marine theme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feltham, Nicola F.; Downs, Colleen T.

2002-02-01

The Science Foundation Programme (SFP) was launched in 1991 at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in an attempt to equip a selected number of matriculants from historically disadvantaged schools with the skills, resources and self-confidence needed to embark on their tertiary studies. Previous research within the SFP biology component suggests that a major contributor to poor achievement and low retention rates among English second language (ESL) students in the Life Sciences is the inadequate background knowledge in natural history. In this study, SFP student background knowledge was assessed along a continuum of language dependency using a set of three probes. Improved student performance in each of the respective assessments examined the extent to which a sound natural history background facilitated meaningful learning relative to ESL proficiency. Student profiles and attitudes to biology were also examined. Results indicated that students did not perceive language to be a problem in biology. However, analysis of the student performance in the assessment probes indicated that, although the marine course provided the students with the background knowledge that they were initially lacking, they continued to perform better in the drawing and MCQ tools in the post-tests, suggesting that it is their inability to express themselves in the written form that hampers their development. These results have implications for curriculum development within the constructivist framework of the SFP.

Making the Most of Mobility: Virtual Mentoring and Education Practitioner Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Hazel D.

2015-01-01

Learning provision, including professional learning, needs to embrace mobility (of knowledge, cultures and contexts--physical and cerebral) to enable education practitioners to interact locally and globally, engage with new literacies, access rich contexts, and to question, co-construct and collaborate. Virtual mentoring, also known as distance,…

Aging Memories: Differential Decay of Episodic Memory Components

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talamini, Lucia M.; Gorree, Eva

2012-01-01

Some memories about events can persist for decades, even a lifetime. However, recent memories incorporate rich sensory information, including knowledge on the spatial and temporal ordering of event features, while old memories typically lack this "filmic" quality. We suggest that this apparent change in the nature of memories may reflect a…

Problem-Solving: Scaling the "Brick Wall"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benson, Dave

2011-01-01

Across the primary and secondary phases, pupils are encouraged to use and apply their knowledge, skills, and understanding of mathematics to solve problems in a variety of forms, ranging from single-stage word problems to the challenge of extended rich tasks. Amongst many others, Cockcroft (1982) emphasised the importance and relevance of…

"Under the Radar": Educators and Cyberbullying in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassidy, Wanda; Brown, Karen; Jackson, Margaret

2012-01-01

Educators play an important role in preventing cyberbullying and encouraging positive online behaviour. In this article we report on the educator portion of a study of cyberbullying at two large, technology-rich secondary schools in Canada. We discuss 17 educators' experiences with cyberbullying, their knowledge of social networking technology,…

Usability Evaluation of an Adaptive 3D Virtual Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewais, Ahmed; De Troyer, Olga

2013-01-01

Using 3D virtual environments for educational purposes is becoming attractive because of their rich presentation and interaction capabilities. Furthermore, dynamically adapting the 3D virtual environment to the personal preferences, prior knowledge, skills and competence, learning goals, and the personal or (social) context in which the learning…

Chemistry Education: Ten Facets to Shape Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talanquer, Vicente

2013-01-01

The chemistry knowledge that we want our students to develop is rich, complex, and multifaceted. However, some teachers and instructors at the secondary school and college levels approach it in rather rigid and unidimensional ways. The central goal of this contribution is to describe and discuss 10 different complementary perspectives or…

Interactive Multimedia in Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishra, Sanjaya, Ed.; Sharma, Ramesh C., Ed.

2005-01-01

"Interactive Multimedia in Education and Training" emerges out of the need to share information and knowledge on the research and practices of using multimedia in various educational settings. The book discusses issues related to planning, designing and development of interactive multimedia in a persuasive tone and style, offering rich research…

78 FR 49760 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-15

... transparent method for identifying high-quality programs that can receive continuing five-year grants without... will employ a mixed-methods design that integrates and layers administrative and secondary data sources, observational measures, and interviews to develop a rich knowledge base about what the DRS accomplishes and how...

Cross-Cutting Interoperability in an Earth Science Collaboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynnes, Christopher; Ramachandran, Rahul; Kuo, Kuo-Sen

2011-01-01

An Earth Science Collaboratory is: A rich data analysis environment with: (1) Access to a wide spectrum of Earth Science data, (3) A diverse set of science analysis services and tools, (4) A means to collaborate on data, tools and analysis, and (5)Supports sharing of data, tools, results and knowledge

Chapter Three: A Child's Tale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Maryanne; Gottwald, Stephanie

2016-01-01

Maryanne Wolf's early literacy knowledge is based on her research into deep reading and on periods of enlightened linguistic processes. In her own rich language of conveyance, she brought great inspiration to the Montessori teachers at the Columbia, South Carolina conference. Her presentation on the research of early reading, the acquisition of…

Entrepreneurship Education in the Caribbean: Learning and Teaching Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pounder, Paul A.

2016-01-01

This article reports on research that took place over two academic years (September 2013-April 2015). It provides a rich understanding of entrepreneurship education based on experiential knowledge and best practices from five entrepreneurship educators who have all worked as consultants to entrepreneurs, advisors to the government on…

Content-Rich Instruction in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neuman, Susan B.

2014-01-01

Universal preschool has the potential to close the knowledge gap--but only if we consider how to best teach preschoolers. Unbridled enthusiasm for universal preschool must be balanced with thoughtful consideration of what goes on in these classrooms, and what activities will most support children's learning. Content-centered classrooms help…

Keepers of the Seals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Momatiuk, Yva; Eastcott, John

1998-01-01

The Pribilof Islands Stewardship Program aims to preserve the rich species diversity of the islands and recover the sense of connectedness that once linked local Aleuts and their environment. The summer program draws on both science and traditional knowledge, offering Aleut youth the chance to assist scientists, protect the seals, and participate…

Three-Dimensional Printing: A Journey in Visualization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poetzel, Adam; Muskin, Joseph; Munroe, Anne; Russell, Craig

2012-01-01

Imagine high school students glued to computer screens--not playing video games but applying their mathematical knowledge of functions to the design of three-dimensional sculptures. Imagine these students engaging in rich discourse as they transform functions of their choosing to design unique creations. Now, imagine these students using…

Implementing Anchored Instruction: Guiding Principles for Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLarty, Kim; And Others

A curriculum based on "anchored instruction" was developed to enhance students' literacy development and acquisition of knowledge. The curriculum was designed to create a rich, shared environment that generates interest and enables students to identify and define problems while they explore the content from many perspectives. Based on…

Effects of cooking methods on starch and sugar composition of sweetpotato storage roots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sweet potato has rich nutrition, good ecological adaptability and high yield. There was a lack of knowledge about the relationship among cooking methods, sugar components and cultivars. The objective of this study was to determine sugar composition of four sweet potato cultivars under three cooking ...

Teaching Women's Studies: Exploring Student Engagement in Technology-Rich Classroom Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staking, Kimberlee

2013-01-01

Although university students are key participants in knowledge-making processes, their insights about learning are sparsely documented, and too rarely considered in contemporary conversations in higher education. In centering the insights and experiences of students enrolled in two women's studies courses at the University of Maryland, this…

The Transformation of Malaysian Society through Technological Advantage: ICT and Education in Malaysia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bajunid, Ibrahim Ahmad

2001-01-01

Describes efforts by Malaysian society to transform itself using technology into an information-rich knowledge society founded on positive universal values. Locates contemporary educational development within the framework of four government-driven initiatives that provide the direction and resources for educational change. Discusses issues…

Multi-Media and Databases for Historical Enquiry: A Report from the Trenches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillis, Peter

2003-01-01

The Victorian period produced a diverse and rich range of historical source materials including census returns, photographs, film, personal reminiscences, music, cartoons, and posters. Recent changes to the history curriculum emphasise the acquisition of enquiry skills alongside developing knowledge and understanding, which necessitates reference…

Multidimensionality of Cultural Practices: Implications for Culturally Relevant Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ares, Nancy

2011-01-01

Alfred Schademan's close and systematic analysis of the sociohistorical and science-related practices developed by African American men goes a long way in disrupting deficit-based notions of such students' capabilities. The rich resources he identifies open many possibilities for connecting peer and classroom knowledges. This response offers some…

Serious Fun: Life-Deep Learning of Koi Hobbyists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Chi-Chang

2012-01-01

Hobby activities can be viewed through the lens of informal, free-choice learning. A wide range of hobbies combine fun and learning-intensive practices, and can contribute to scientific literacy. Hobby learning involves clear goal orientation, persistence and effort, and often results in more richly and strongly connected knowledge; traits highly…

Organizational Storytelling among Academic Reference Librarians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colón-Aguirre, Mónica

2015-01-01

This study focuses on the roles of organizational stories among librarians who work at the reference desk. Twenty librarians employed in four academic institutions were interviewed. Most of the organizational stories shared among the participants and their colleagues were rich in tacit knowledge and can be classified according to four main roles:…

Science Learning via Multimedia Portal Resources: The Scottish Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elliot, Dely; Wilson, Delia; Boyle, Stephen

2014-01-01

Scotland's rich heritage in the field of science and engineering and recent curricular developments led to major investment in education to equip pupils with improved scientific knowledge and skills. However, due to its abstract and conceptual nature, learning science can be challenging. Literature supports the role of multimedia technology in…

Pedagogical Dramas and Transformational Play: Narratively Rich Games for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barab, Sasha A.; Dodge, Tyler; Ingram-Goble, Adam; Pettyjohn, Patrick; Peppler, Kylie; Volk, Charlene; Solomou, Maria

2010-01-01

Although every era is met with the introduction of powerful technologies for entertainment and learning, videogames represent a new contribution binding the two and bearing the potential to create sustained engagement in a curricular drama where the player's knowledgeable actions shape an unfolding fiction within a designed world. Although…

Long-term nitrogen addition leads to loss of species richness due to litter accumulation and soil acidification in a temperate steppe.

PubMed

Fang, Ying; Xun, Fen; Bai, Wenming; Zhang, Wenhao; Li, Linghao

2012-01-01

Although community structure and species richness are known to respond to nitrogen fertilization dramatically, little is known about the mechanisms underlying specific species replacement and richness loss. In an experiment in semiarid temperate steppe of China, manipulative N addition with five treatments was conducted to evaluate the effect of N addition on the community structure and species richness. Species richness and biomass of community in each plot were investigated in a randomly selected quadrat. Root element, available and total phosphorus (AP, TP) in rhizospheric soil, and soil moisture, pH, AP, TP and inorganic N in the soil were measured. The relationship between species richness and the measured factors was analyzed using bivariate correlations and stepwise multiple linear regressions. The two dominant species, a shrub Artemisia frigida and a grass Stipa krylovii, responded differently to N addition such that the former was gradually replaced by the latter. S. krylovii and A. frigida had highly-branched fibrous and un-branched tap root systems, respectively. S. krylovii had higher height than A. frigida in both control and N added plots. These differences may contribute to the observed species replacement. In addition, the analysis on root element and AP contents in rhizospheric soil suggests that different calcium acquisition strategies, and phosphorus and sodium responses of the two species may account for the replacement. Species richness was significantly reduced along the five N addition levels. Our results revealed a significant relationship between species richness and soil pH, litter amount, soil moisture, AP concentration and inorganic N concentration. Our results indicate that litter accumulation and soil acidification accounted for 52.3% and 43.3% of the variation in species richness, respectively. These findings would advance our knowledge on the changes in species richness in semiarid temperate steppe of northern China under N deposition scenario.

Differential item functional analysis on pedagogic and content knowledge (PCK) questionnaire for Indonesian teachers using RASCH model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmani, B. D.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Indonesian senior high school teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge also their perception toward curriculum changing in West Java Indonesia. The data used in this study were derived from a questionnaire survey conducted among teachers in Bandung, West Java. A total of 61 usable responses were collected. The Differential Item Functioning (DIFF) was used to analyze the data whether the item had a difference or not toward gender, education background also on school location. However, the result showed that there was no any significant difference on gender and school location toward the item response but educational background. As a conclusion, the teacher’s educational background influence on giving the response to the questionnaire. Therefore, it is suggested in the future to construct the items on the questionnaire which is coped the differences of the participant particularly the educational background.

Z-rich solar particle event characteristics 1972-1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zwickl, R. D.; Roelof, E. C.; Gold, R. E.; Krimigis, S. M.; Armstrong, T. P.

1978-01-01

It is found in the reported investigation that Z-rich solar particle events usually have large and prolonged anisotropies in addition to an extremely variable charge composition that varies not only from event to event but also throughout the event. These observations suggest that one can no longer regard the event-averaged composition of solar particle events at low energies as providing an unbiased global sample of the solar atmospheric composition. The variability from event to event and among classes of events is just too great. However, the tendency for the Z-rich events to be associated with both the low-speed solar wind at or just before the onset of solar wind streams and with active regions located in the western hemisphere, indicates that charge composition studies of solar particle events can yield a better knowledge of the flare acceleration process as well as the inhomogeneous nature of magnetic field structure and particle composition in the solar atmosphere.

NO-Rich Diet for Lifestyle-Related Diseases

PubMed Central

Kobayashi, Jun; Ohtake, Kazuo; Uchida, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

Decreased nitric oxide (NO) availability due to obesity and endothelial dysfunction might be causally related to the development of lifestyle-related diseases such as insulin resistance, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. In such situations, instead of impaired NO synthase (NOS)-dependent NO generation, the entero-salivary nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway might serve as a backup system for NO generation by transmitting NO activities in the various molecular forms including NO and protein S-nitrosothiols. Recently accumulated evidence has demonstrated that dietary intake of fruits and vegetables rich in nitrate/nitrite is an inexpensive and easily-practicable way to prevent insulin resistance and vascular endothelial dysfunction by increasing the NO availability; a NO-rich diet may also prevent other lifestyle-related diseases, including osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of NO generation through the entero-salivary pathway and discusses its safety and preventive effects on lifestyle-related diseases. PMID:26091235

Benthic harpacticoid copepods of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Lin; Li, Xinzheng

2017-09-01

The species richness of benthic harpacticoid copepod fauna in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, on the southern coast of Shandong Peninsula, has not been comprehensively studied. We present a preliminary inventory of species for this region based on material found in nine sediment samples collected from 2011 to 2012. Our list includes 15 species belonging to 15 genera in 9 families, the most speciose family was the Miraciidae Dana, 1846 (seven species); all other families were represented by single species only. Sediment characteristics and depth are determined to be important environmental determinants of harpacticoid distribution in this region. We briefly detail the known distributions of species and provide a key to facilitate their identification. Both harpacticoid species richness and the species/genus ratio in Jiaozhou Bay are lower than in Bohai Gulf and Gwangyang Bay. The poor knowledge of the distribution of benthic harpacticoids, in addition to low sampling effort in Jiaozhou Bay, likely contribute to low species richness.

Present knowledge of electronic properties and charge transport of icosahedral boron-rich solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werheit, Helmut

2009-06-01

B12 icosahedra or related structure elements determine the different modifications of elementary boron and numerous boron-rich compounds from α-rhombohedral boron with 12 to YB66 type with about 1584 atoms per unit cell. Typical are well-defined high density intrinsic defects: Jahn-Teller distorted icosahedra, vacancies, incomplete occupancies, statistical occupancies and antisite defects. The correlation between intrinsic point defects and electron deficiencies solves the discrepancy between theoretically predicted metal and experimentally proved semiconducting character. The electron deficiencies generate split-off valence states, which are decisive for the electronic transport, a superposition of band-type and hopping-type conduction. Their share depends on actual conditions like temperature or pre-excitation. The theoretical model of bipolaron hopping is incompatible with numerous experiments. Technical application of the typically p-type icosahedral boron-rich solids requires suitable n-type counterparts; doping and other possibilities are discussed.

An Imperfect Understanding: The Air Forces Transition to Diversity and Inclusion

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

background, cultural knowledge, educational background, work background, language abilities, physical abilities, philosophical/spiritual...it resulted in an over- looked second-order effect: the universally and explicitly acknowledged need to prevent discrimination, sexual harassment, and...for leaders to encourage innovation and stimulate energy in their skilled Airmen. Complemented by the building of trust, discussed later, this

Comprehending and Using Text Ideas: The Order of Processing as Affected by Reader Background and Style.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinley, Gary

1989-01-01

Examines the processing order between the comprehension of a text and the use of comprehended ideas for such thinking tasks as comparing, evaluating, and problem solving. Finds that readers with limited background knowledge read in a more linear fashion than those with extensive background, who read in a parallel manner. (RS)

CARDS: A blueprint and environment for domain-specific software reuse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallnau, Kurt C.; Solderitsch, Anne Costa; Smotherman, Catherine

1992-01-01

CARDS (Central Archive for Reusable Defense Software) exploits advances in domain analysis and domain modeling to identify, specify, develop, archive, retrieve, understand, and reuse domain-specific software components. An important element of CARDS is to provide visibility into the domain model artifacts produced by, and services provided by, commercial computer-aided software engineering (CASE) technology. The use of commercial CASE technology is important to provide rich, robust support for the varied roles involved in a reuse process. We refer to this kind of use of knowledge representation systems as supporting 'knowledge-based integration.'

In situ chemical composition measurement of individual cloud residue particles at a mountain site, southern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Qinhao; Zhang, Guohua; Peng, Long; Bi, Xinhui; Wang, Xinming; Brechtel, Fred J.; Li, Mei; Chen, Duohong; Peng, Ping'an; Sheng, Guoying; Zhou, Zhen

2017-07-01

To investigate how atmospheric aerosol particles interact with chemical composition of cloud droplets, a ground-based counterflow virtual impactor (GCVI) coupled with a real-time single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) was used to assess the chemical composition and mixing state of individual cloud residue particles in the Nanling Mountains (1690 m a. s. l. ), southern China, in January 2016. The cloud residues were classified into nine particle types: aged elemental carbon (EC), potassium-rich (K-rich), amine, dust, Pb, Fe, organic carbon (OC), sodium-rich (Na-rich) and Other. The largest fraction of the total cloud residues was the aged EC type (49.3 %), followed by the K-rich type (33.9 %). Abundant aged EC cloud residues that mixed internally with inorganic salts were found in air masses from northerly polluted areas. The number fraction (NF) of the K-rich cloud residues increased within southwesterly air masses from fire activities in Southeast Asia. When air masses changed from northerly polluted areas to southwesterly ocean and livestock areas, the amine particles increased from 0.2 to 15.1 % of the total cloud residues. The dust, Fe, Pb, Na-rich and OC particle types had a low contribution (0.5-4.1 %) to the total cloud residues. Higher fraction of nitrate (88-89 %) was found in the dust and Na-rich cloud residues relative to sulfate (41-42 %) and ammonium (15-23 %). Higher intensity of nitrate was found in the cloud residues relative to the ambient particles. Compared with nonactivated particles, nitrate intensity decreased in all cloud residues except for dust type. To our knowledge, this study is the first report on in situ observation of the chemical composition and mixing state of individual cloud residue particles in China.

Biodiversity of the Deep-Sea Continental Margin Bordering the Gulf of Maine (NW Atlantic): Relationships among Sub-Regions and to Shelf Systems

PubMed Central

Kelly, Noreen E.; Shea, Elizabeth K.; Metaxas, Anna; Haedrich, Richard L.; Auster, Peter J.

2010-01-01

Background In contrast to the well-studied continental shelf region of the Gulf of Maine, fundamental questions regarding the diversity, distribution, and abundance of species living in deep-sea habitats along the adjacent continental margin remain unanswered. Lack of such knowledge precludes a greater understanding of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and limits development of alternatives for conservation and management. Methodology/Principal Findings We use data from the published literature, unpublished studies, museum records and online sources, to: (1) assess the current state of knowledge of species diversity in the deep-sea habitats adjacent to the Gulf of Maine (39–43°N, 63–71°W, 150–3000 m depth); (2) compare patterns of taxonomic diversity and distribution of megafaunal and macrofaunal species among six distinct sub-regions and to the continental shelf; and (3) estimate the amount of unknown diversity in the region. Known diversity for the deep-sea region is 1,671 species; most are narrowly distributed and known to occur within only one sub-region. The number of species varies by sub-region and is directly related to sampling effort occurring within each. Fishes, corals, decapod crustaceans, molluscs, and echinoderms are relatively well known, while most other taxonomic groups are poorly known. Taxonomic diversity decreases with increasing distance from the continental shelf and with changes in benthic topography. Low similarity in faunal composition suggests the deep-sea region harbours faunal communities distinct from those of the continental shelf. Non-parametric estimators of species richness suggest a minimum of 50% of the deep-sea species inventory remains to be discovered. Conclusions/Significance The current state of knowledge of biodiversity in this deep-sea region is rudimentary. Our ability to answer questions is hampered by a lack of sufficient data for many taxonomic groups, which is constrained by sampling biases, life-history characteristics of target species, and the lack of trained taxonomists. PMID:21124960

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in Terai forest of western Nepal

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Nepal Himalayas have been known as a rich source for valuable medicinal plants since Vedic periods. Present work is the documentation of indigenous knowledge on plant utilization as natural remedy by the inhabitants of terai forest in Western Nepal. Methods Study was conducted during 2010–2011 following standard ethnobotanical methods. Data about medicinal uses of plants were collected by questionnaire, personal interview and group discussion with pre identified informants. Voucher specimens were collected with the help of informants, processed into herbarium following standard methods, identified with the help of pertinent floras and taxonomic experts, and submitted in Department of Botany, Butwal Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal for future references. Results During the present study 66 medicinal plant species belonging to 37 families and 60 genera has been documented. These plants were used to treat various diseases and ailments grouped under 11 disease categories, with the highest number of species (41) being used for gastro-intestinal disorders, followed by dermatological disorders (34). In the study area the informants’ consensus about usages of medicinal plants ranges from 0.93 to 0.97 with an average value of 0.94. Herbs (53%) were the primary source of medicine, followed by trees (23%). Curcuma longa (84%) and Azadirachta indica (76%) are the most frequently and popularly used medicinal plant species in the study area. Acacia catechu, Bacopa monnieri, Bombax ceiba, Drymaria diandra, Rauvolfia serpentina, and Tribulus terrestris are threatened species which needs to be conserved for future use. Conclusions The high degree of consensus among the informants suggests that current use and knowledge are still strong, and thus the preservation of today's knowledge shows good foresight in acting before much has been lost. The connections between plant use and conservation are also important ones, especially as the authors note that neither the local inhabitants nor the government is addressing the potential loss of valuable species in this region. PMID:22591592

Anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 protein and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis show distinct patterns of brain glucose metabolism in 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Pathogenic autoantibodies targeting the recently identified leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 protein and the subunit 1 of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor induce autoimmune encephalitis. A comparison of brain metabolic patterns in 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography of anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 protein and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis patients has not been performed yet and shall be helpful in differentiating these two most common forms of autoimmune encephalitis. Methods The brain 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose uptake from whole-body positron emission tomography of six anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis patients and four patients with anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 protein encephalitis admitted to Hannover Medical School between 2008 and 2012 was retrospectively analyzed and compared to matched controls. Results Group analysis of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate encephalitis patients demonstrated regionally limited hypermetabolism in frontotemporal areas contrasting an extensive hypometabolism in parietal lobes, whereas the anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 protein syndrome was characterized by hypermetabolism in cerebellar, basal ganglia, occipital and precentral areas and minor frontomesial hypometabolism. Conclusions This retrospective 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography study provides novel evidence for distinct brain metabolic patterns in patients with anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 protein and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. PMID:24950993

High-pressure compressibility and vibrational properties of (Ca,Mn)CO 3

DOE PAGES

Liu, Jin; Caracas, Razvan; Fan, Dawei; ...

2016-12-01

Knowledge of potential carbon carriers such as carbonates is critical for our understanding of the deep-carbon cycle and related geological processes within the planet. Here we investigated the high-pressure behavior of (Ca,Mn)CO 3 up to 75 GPa by synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction, laser Raman spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. MnCO 3-rich carbonate underwent a structural phase transition from the CaCO 3-I structure into the CaCO 3-VI structure at 45–48 GPa, while CaCO 3-rich carbonate transformed into CaCO 3-III and CaCO 3-VI at approximately 2 and 15 GPa, respectively. The equation of state and vibrational properties of MnCO 3-rich and CaCO 3-richmore » carbonates changed dramatically across the phase transition. The CaCO 3-VI-structured CaCO 3-rich and MnCO 3-rich carbonates were stable at room temperature up to at least 53 and 75 GPa, respectively. In conclusion, the addition of smaller cations (e.g., Mn 2+, Mg 2+, and Fe 2+) can enlarge the stability field of the CaCO 3-I phase as well as increase the pressure of the structural transition into the CaCO 3-VI phase.« less

Diet-Dependent Modular Dynamic Interactions of the Equine Cecal Microbiota

PubMed Central

Kristoffersen, Camilla; Jensen, Rasmus B.; Avershina, Ekaterina; Austbø, Dag; Tauson, Anne-Helene; Rudi, Knut

2016-01-01

Knowledge on dynamic interactions in microbiota is pivotal for understanding the role of bacteria in the gut. We herein present comprehensive dynamic models of the horse cecal microbiota, which include short-chained fatty acids, carbohydrate metabolic networks, and taxonomy. Dynamic models were derived from time-series data in a crossover experiment in which four cecum-cannulated horses were fed a starch-rich diet of hay supplemented with barley (starch intake 2 g kg−1 body weight per day) and a fiber-rich diet of only hay. Cecal contents were sampled via the cannula each h for 24 h for both diets. We observed marked differences in the microbial dynamic interaction patterns for Fibrobacter succinogenes, Lachnospiraceae, Streptococcus, Treponema, Anaerostipes, and Anaerovibrio between the two diet groups. Fluctuations and microbiota interactions were the most pronounced for the starch rich diet, with Streptococcus spp. and Anaerovibrio spp. showing the largest fluctuations. Shotgun metagenome sequencing revealed that diet differences may be explained by modular switches in metabolic cross-feeding between microbial consortia in which fermentation is linked to sugar alcohols and amino sugars for the starch-rich diet and monosaccharides for the fiber-rich diet. In conclusion, diet may not only affect the composition of the cecal microbiota, but also dynamic interactions and metabolic cross-feeding. PMID:27773914

Diet-Dependent Modular Dynamic Interactions of the Equine Cecal Microbiota.

PubMed

Kristoffersen, Camilla; Jensen, Rasmus B; Avershina, Ekaterina; Austbø, Dag; Tauson, Anne-Helene; Rudi, Knut

2016-12-23

Knowledge on dynamic interactions in microbiota is pivotal for understanding the role of bacteria in the gut. We herein present comprehensive dynamic models of the horse cecal microbiota, which include short-chained fatty acids, carbohydrate metabolic networks, and taxonomy. Dynamic models were derived from time-series data in a crossover experiment in which four cecum-cannulated horses were fed a starch-rich diet of hay supplemented with barley (starch intake 2 g kg -1 body weight per day) and a fiber-rich diet of only hay. Cecal contents were sampled via the cannula each h for 24 h for both diets. We observed marked differences in the microbial dynamic interaction patterns for Fibrobacter succinogenes, Lachnospiraceae, Streptococcus, Treponema, Anaerostipes, and Anaerovibrio between the two diet groups. Fluctuations and microbiota interactions were the most pronounced for the starch rich diet, with Streptococcus spp. and Anaerovibrio spp. showing the largest fluctuations. Shotgun metagenome sequencing revealed that diet differences may be explained by modular switches in metabolic cross-feeding between microbial consortia in which fermentation is linked to sugar alcohols and amino sugars for the starch-rich diet and monosaccharides for the fiber-rich diet. In conclusion, diet may not only affect the composition of the cecal microbiota, but also dynamic interactions and metabolic cross-feeding.

Historical and ecological drivers of the spatial pattern of Chondrichthyes species richness in the Mediterranean Sea.

PubMed

Meléndez, María José; Báez, José Carlos; Serna-Quintero, José Miguel; Camiñas, Juan Antonio; Fernández, Ignacio de Loyola; Real, Raimundo; Macías, David

2017-01-01

Chondrichthyes, which include Elasmobranchii (sharks and batoids) and Holocephali (chimaeras), are a relatively small group in the Mediterranean Sea (89 species) playing a key role in the ecosystems where they are found. At present, many species of this group are threatened as a result of anthropogenic effects, including fishing activity. Knowledge of the spatial distribution of these species is of great importance to understand their ecological role and for the efficient management of their populations, particularly if affected by fisheries. This study aims to analyze the spatial patterns of the distribution of Chondrichthyes species richness in the Mediterranean Sea. Information provided by the studied countries was used to model geographical and ecological variables affecting the Chondrichthyes species richness. The species were distributed in 16 Operational Geographical Units (OGUs), derived from the Geographical Sub-Areas (GSA) adopted by the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean Sea (GFCM). Regression analyses with the species richness as a target variable were adjusted with a set of environmental and geographical variables, being the model that links richness of Chondrichthyes species with distance to the Strait of Gibraltar and number of taxonomic families of bony fishes the one that best explains it. This suggests that both historical and ecological factors affect the current distribution of Chondrichthyes within the Mediterranean Sea.

Research on "STI +" Model in College Entrepreneurship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Maike; Xu, Shuo; Gu, Jibao

2017-01-01

The current state attaches great importance to college entrepreneurship education, but entrepreneurship education should combine with college students' professional learning. Different professional learning backgrounds have commonalities in entrepreneurship education; there may be differences, too. Various professional knowledge background and…

College Women and Breast Cancer: Knowledge, Behavior, and Beliefs regarding Risk Reduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burak, Lydia; Boone, Barbara

2008-01-01

Background: Although breast cancer prevention should begin in youth, many young women are not aware of the modifiable lifestyle risk factors for the disease. Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine the breast cancer-related knowledge, behaviors, and beliefs of young women; to determine whether knowledge about lifestyle risks was…

Why Content Is King

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirsch, E. D., Jr.; Hansel, Lisa

2013-01-01

"If you want to be able to read with comprehension, you must become knowledgeable about the topic. The more relevant knowledge you have, the less it matters whether the text is complex or not," write Hirsch and Hansel in this article. Research has shown that a student who has extensive background knowledge of a topic will find it easy to…

Investigating the Association of Health Literacy with Health Knowledge and Health Behavior Outcomes in a Sample of Urban Community College Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Hardaye Ramsaroop; Shneyderman, Yuliya; Belcastro, Philip A.

2015-01-01

Background: There is a paucity of evidence associating health literacy metrics with adults' enhanced health knowledge, health status, health practices, or health behaviors. Purpose: Investigate whether health-literate undergraduates exhibit enhanced health knowledge, health status, health practices, or behaviors compared to non-health-literate…

Impact of Extended Education/Training in Positive Behaviour Support on Staff Knowledge, Causal Attributions and Emotional Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGill, Peter; Bradshaw, Jill; Hughes, Andrea

2007-01-01

Background: This study sought to gather information about the impact of extended training in positive behaviour support on staff knowledge, causal attributions and emotional responses. Methods: Students completed questionnaires at the beginning, middle and end of a University Diploma course to measure changes in their knowledge of challenging…

A Case Study of Pedagogy of Mathematics Support Tutors without a Background in Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Richard

2017-01-01

This study investigates the pedagogical skills and knowledge of three tertiary-level mathematics support tutors in a large group classroom setting. This is achieved through the use of video analysis and a theoretical framework comprising Rowland's Knowledge Quartet and general pedagogical knowledge. The study reports on the findings in relation to…

The Combination of Just-in-Time Teaching and Wikispaces in Physics Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohottala, Hashini E.

2013-01-01

The general student population enrolled in today's physics classrooms is diverse. They come from a variety of different educational backgrounds. Some demonstrate a good knowledge of natural laws of physics with a better understanding of mathematical concepts, while others show a fair knowledge in fundamentals of physics with a minimum knowledge in…

Staff Views of the Importance of Relationships for Knowledge Development: Is Training by Specialists a Waste of Money?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradshaw, Jill; Goldbart, Juliet

2013-01-01

Background: The provision of skilled support is dependent on staff knowledge and understanding (Beadle-Brown J., Beecham J., Mansell J., Baumker T., Leigh J., Whelton R. & Richardson L, unpublished data). Influencing staff knowledge and understanding is an important component of interventions. Materials and Methods: Fourteen individual…

An Exploratory Study of the Knowledge of Personal Safety Skills among Children with Developmental Disabilities and Their Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Hannah L.; Pavlik, Kathryn M.; Kim, Min Ah; Rogers, Karen C.

2017-01-01

Background: This study assessed the knowledge of personal safety skills among children with developmental disabilities and their parents' perceptions of children's knowledge. Method: This exploratory study examined the mental health records of 37 children with developmental disabilities referred for an abuse risk reduction group in a community…

School Nurses' Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions of Role as Opinion Leader, and Professional Practice Regarding Human Papillomavirus Vaccine for Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Brittany L.; Goodson, Patricia; Thompson, Bruce; Wilson, Kelly L.

2015-01-01

Background: Because human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine rates remain low, we evaluated US school nurses' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions of their role as opinion leaders, and professional practice regarding HPV vaccine, and assessed whether knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of being an opinion leader influenced their professional…

Supporting the Development of Number Fact Knowledge in Five- and Six-Year-Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young-Loveridge, Jenny; Bicknell, Brenda

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on children's number fact knowledge from a study that explored the impact of using multiplication and division contexts for developing number understanding with 34 five- and six-year-old children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. After a series of focused lessons, children's knowledge of number facts, including…

Fe-rich and Si-rich ejecta distribution in the Cygnus Loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Hiroshi; Tsunemi, Hiroshi; Kimura, Masashi; Uchida, Hiroyuki; Katsuda, Satoru

2012-03-01

We report on the results of Suzaku observations of central region of the proto-typical middle-aged Supernova remnant (SNR) Cygnus Loop. The southeastern region of the SNR with the distance from the geometric center ranging from 10' to 55' is observed using XIS. Thanks to the low and stable background of Suzaku, the distribution maps of heavy species such as Fe, S, Si, Mg, Ne and O arereliably obtained. We found that the relatively heavier four species are confined to the small centermost region while the lighter species show uniform distribution or depressed center region. These results exhibit an onion-like metallicity structure in this SNR, which reflects the metal distribution of the progenitor.

Discovering indigenous science: Implications for science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snively, Gloria; Corsiglia, John

2001-01-01

Indigenous science relates to both the science knowledge of long-resident, usually oral culture peoples, as well as the science knowledge of all peoples who as participants in culture are affected by the worldview and relativist interests of their home communities. This article explores aspects of multicultural science and pedagogy and describes a rich and well-documented branch of indigenous science known to biologists and ecologists as traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Although TEK has been generally inaccessible, educators can now use a burgeoning science-based TEK literature that documents numerous examples of time-proven, ecologically relevant, and cost effective indigenous science. Disputes regarding the universality of the standard scientific account are of critical importance for science educators because the definition of science is a de facto gatekeeping device for determining what can be included in a school science curriculum and what cannot. When Western modern science (WMS) is defined as universal it does displace revelation-based knowledge (i.e., creation science); however, it also displaces pragmatic local indigenous knowledge that does not conform with formal aspects of the standard account. Thus, in most science classrooms around the globe, Western modern science has been taught at the expense of indigenous knowledge. However, because WMS has been implicated in many of the world's ecological disasters, and because the traditional wisdom component of TEK is particularly rich in time-tested approaches that foster sustainability and environmental integrity, it is possible that the universalist gatekeeper can be seen as increasingly problematic and even counter productive. This paper describes many examples from Canada and around the world of indigenous people's contributions to science, environmental understanding, and sustainability. The authors argue the view that Western or modern science is just one of many sciences that need to be addressed in the science classroom. We conclude by presenting instructional strategies that can help all science learners negotiate border crossings between Western modern science and indigenous science.

Multidimensionality and scale in a landscape ethnoecological partitioning of a mountainous landscape (Gyimes, Eastern Carpathians, Romania)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Traditional habitat knowledge is an understudied part of traditional knowledge. Though the number of studies increased world-wide in the last decade, this knowledge is still rarely studied in Europe. We document the habitat vocabulary used by Csángó people, and determine features they used to name and describe these categories. Study area and methods Csángó people live in Gyimes (Carpathians, Romania). The area is dominated by coniferous forests, hay meadows and pastures. Animal husbandry is the main source of living. Data on the knowledge of habitat preference of 135 salient wild plant species were collected (2908 records, 44 interviewees). Data collected indoors were counterchecked during outdoor interviews and participatory field work. Results Csángós used a rich and sophisticated vocabulary to name and describe habitat categories. They distinguished altogether at least 142–148 habitat types, and named them by 242 habitat terms. We argue that the method applied and the questions asked (‘what kind of place does species X like?’) helped the often implicit knowledge of habitats to be verbalized more efficiently than usual in an interview. Habitat names were highly lexicalized and most of them were widely shared. The main features were biotic or abiotic, like land-use, dominant plant species, vegetation structure, successional stage, disturbance, soil characteristics, hydrological, and geomorphological features. Csángós often used indicator species (28, mainly herbaceous taxa) in describing habitats of species. To prevent reduction in the quantity and/or quality of hay, unnecessary disturbance of grasslands was avoided by the Csángós. This could explain the high number of habitats (35) distinguished dominantly by the type and severity of disturbance. Based on the spatial scale and topological inclusiveness of habitat categories we distinguished macro-, meso-, and microhabitats. Conclusions Csángó habitat categories were not organized into a single hierarchy, and the partitioning was multidimensional. Multidimensional description of habitats, made the nuanced characterization of plant species’ habitats possible by providing innumerable possibilities to combine the most salient habitat features. We conclude that multidimensionality of landscape partitioning and the number of dimensions applied in a landscape seem to depend on the number of key habitat gradients in the given landscape. PMID:23388111

Assessing Statistical Competencies in Clinical and Translational Science Education: One Size Does Not Fit All

PubMed Central

Lindsell, Christopher J.; Welty, Leah J.; Mazumdar, Madhu; Thurston, Sally W.; Rahbar, Mohammad H.; Carter, Rickey E.; Pollock, Bradley H.; Cucchiara, Andrew J.; Kopras, Elizabeth J.; Jovanovic, Borko D.; Enders, Felicity T.

2014-01-01

Abstract Introduction Statistics is an essential training component for a career in clinical and translational science (CTS). Given the increasing complexity of statistics, learners may have difficulty selecting appropriate courses. Our question was: what depth of statistical knowledge do different CTS learners require? Methods For three types of CTS learners (principal investigator, co‐investigator, informed reader of the literature), each with different backgrounds in research (no previous research experience, reader of the research literature, previous research experience), 18 experts in biostatistics, epidemiology, and research design proposed levels for 21 statistical competencies. Results Statistical competencies were categorized as fundamental, intermediate, or specialized. CTS learners who intend to become independent principal investigators require more specialized training, while those intending to become informed consumers of the medical literature require more fundamental education. For most competencies, less training was proposed for those with more research background. Discussion When selecting statistical coursework, the learner's research background and career goal should guide the decision. Some statistical competencies are considered to be more important than others. Baseline knowledge assessments may help learners identify appropriate coursework. Conclusion Rather than one size fits all, tailoring education to baseline knowledge, learner background, and future goals increases learning potential while minimizing classroom time. PMID:25212569

The Relation between Assessment for Learning and Elementary Students' Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategy Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baas, Diana; Castelijns, Jos; Vermeulen, Marjan; Martens, Rob; Segers, Mien

2015-01-01

Background: Assessment for Learning (AfL) is believed to create a rich learning environment in which students develop their cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Monitoring student growth and providing scaffolds that shed light on the next step in the learning process are hypothesized to be essential elements of AfL that enhance cognitive and…

So Much More than Just a List: Exploring the Nature of Critical Questioning in Undergraduate Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedrosa-de-Jesus, Helena; Moreira, Aurora; Lopes, Betina; Watts, Mike

2014-01-01

Background: Critical thinking is one of the very highest orders of cognitive abilities and a key competency in higher education. Asking questions is an important component of rich learning experiences, structurally embedded in the operations of critical thinking. Our clear sense is that critical thinking and, within that, critical questioning, is…

Substituting whole grains for refined grains in a 6-wk randomized trial has a modest effect on gut microbiota and immune and inflammatory markers of healthy adults

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Observational studies suggest an inverse association between whole-grain (WG) consumption and inflammation. However, evidence from interventional studies is limited, and few studies have included measurements of cell-mediated immunity. Objective: We assessed the effects of diets rich in ...

MicroRNA expression profiles of bovine milk exosomes in response to Staphylococcus aureus infection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Milk exosomes are a rich source of microRNAs (miRNAs) that are protected from degradation. Ingestion of milk and subsequent absorption of miRNAs into recipient cells by endocytosis may play a role in the regulation of neonatal innate and adaptive immunity. In contrast, the miRNA content ...

Developing School Students' Identity and Engagement through Lifestyle Sports: A Case Study of Unicycling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bignold, Wendy J.

2013-01-01

This article emerges from a background of UK policy concerns about young people's participation in physical activity. It rehearses the arguments for lifestyle sports as a rich ground for enhancing students' engagement with physical education (PE). A review of the still limited literature suggests that lifestyle sports may have an under-exploited…

A Framework for Rebuilding Initial Certification and Preparation Programs in Educational Leadership: Lessons from Whole-State Reform Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Joseph; Moorman, Hunter N.; McCarthy, Martha

2008-01-01

Background/Context: This study examines the extent of reform in preparation programs in school leadership in six states employing a comprehensive, whole-state intervention design. Although no studies of these or other comprehensive reform designs are available, there is a rich context surrounding preparation reform work that informed our…

Rethinking the Effects of Classroom Activity Structure on the Engagement of Low-Achieving Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Sean; Turner, Julianne

2009-01-01

Background/Context: A common perspective found in the literature on classroom activity structures hypothesizes that a whole-class mode of instruction is linked with increased problems of achievement motivation for low-achieving students. If whole-class methods of instruction (e.g., recitation-style question-and-answer sessions) are rich in…

Growing a Circle of Courage Culture: One School's Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espiner, Deborah; Guild, Diane

2010-01-01

Mt. Richmond Special School is the first Circle of Courage school in New Zealand. The school reflects the richness of the cultural and learning diversity found in many New Zealand schools. Located in the heart of South Auckland, the school's 130 students represent a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The universal values in the Circle of Courage…

"As Real as It Gets": A Grounded Theory Study of a Reading Intervention in A Juvenile Correctional School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCray, Erica D.; Ribuffo, Cecelia; Lane, Holly; Murphy, Kristin M.; Gagnon, Joseph C.; Houchins, David E.; Lambert, Richard G.

2018-01-01

Background: The well-documented statistics regarding the academic struggles of incarcerated youth are disconcerting, and efforts to improve reading performance among this population are greatly needed. There is a dearth of research that provides rich and detailed accounts of reading intervention implementation in the juvenile corrections setting.…

itube, Youtube, Wetube: Social Media Videos in Chemistry Education and Outreach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, David K.

2014-01-01

Social media provide a unique arena in which chemists can communicate directly with an international audience from a wide range of backgrounds. In particular, YouTube offers a rich environment through which students of chemistry and members of the general public can be engaged, and chemophobia can be addressed. This article describes the…

Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Innovative Science Teaching Strategies for Non-Formal Learning in a Natural History Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çil, Emine; Maccario, Nihal; Yanmaz, Durmus

2016-01-01

Background: Museums are useful educational resources in science teaching. Teaching strategies which promote hands-on activities, student-centred learning, and rich social interaction must be designed and implemented throughout the museum visit for effective science learning. Purpose: This study aimed to design and implement innovative teaching…

Building Language Throughout the Year: The Preschool Early Literacy Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lybolt, John; Armstrong, Jennifer; Techmanski, Kristin Evans; Gottfred, Catherine

2007-01-01

For children from low-resource backgrounds, a literacy-rich preschool experience with a skilled and engaged teacher can offset risk factors and lay the groundwork for lifelong academic success. Now schools can ensure effective early literacy instruction with this field-tested, research-based curriculum for children 3 to 5 years of age. These 41…

Assessing the Importance of Cultural Capital on Post-Secondary Education Attendance in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childs, Stephen; Finnie, Ross; Mueller, Richard E.

2018-01-01

This paper extends the current literature on access to post-secondary education by investigating the role played by various family background characteristics related to the home environment and family habits and behaviours. Exploiting the extraordinary richness of the Youth in Transition Survey in this regard, we include whether the family ate…

An Application of the TROFLEI in Secondary-School Science Classes in New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koul, Rekha Bhan; Fisher, D. L.; Shaw, Toni

2011-01-01

Background and purpose: The present study reports on the findings of a study conducted in New Zealand using the actual and preferred forms of a classroom environment instrument, the Technology-Rich Outcomes-focussed Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI) and three affective outcome scales. Main aims of this study were to validate the instrument…

A Cross-Cultural Validation of the Technology-Rich Outcomes-Focused Learning Environment Inventory (TROFLEI) in Turkey and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Anita G.; Cakir, Mustafa; Peterson, Claudette M.; Ray, Chris M.

2012-01-01

Background: Studies exploring the relationship between students' achievement and the quality of the classroom learning environments have shown that there is a strong relationship between these two concepts. Learning environment instruments are constantly being revised and updated, including for use in different cultures, which requires continued…

A Specific Pathway Can Be Identified between Genetic Characteristics and Behaviour Profiles in Prader-Willi Syndrome via Cognitive, Environmental and Physiological Mechanisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodcock, K. A.; Oliver, C.; Humphreys, G. W.

2009-01-01

Background: Behavioural phenotypes associated with genetic syndromes have been extensively investigated in order to generate rich descriptions of phenomenology, determine the degree of specificity of behaviours for a particular syndrome, and examine potential interactions between genetic predispositions for behaviour and environmental influences.…

Family Inequality, School Inequalities, and Mathematics Achievement in 65 Countries: Microeconomic Mechanisms of Rent Seeking and Diminishing Marginal Returns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Ming Ming

2015-01-01

Background/Context: While many studies show that greater economic inequality widens the achievement gap between rich and poor students, recent studies indicate that countries with greater economic inequality have lower overall student achievement. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study explores whether family inequalities…

Caveolin, sterol carrier protein-2, membrane cholesterol-rich microdomains and intracellular cholesterol trafficking.

PubMed

Schroeder, Friedhelm; Huang, Huan; McIntosh, Avery L; Atshaves, Barbara P; Martin, Gregory G; Kier, Ann B

2010-01-01

While the existence of membrane lateral microdomains has been known for over 30 years, interest in these structures accelerated in the past decade due to the discovery that cholesterol-rich microdomains serve important biological functions. It is increasingly appreciated that cholesterol-rich microdomains in the plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells represent an organizing nexus for multiple cellular proteins involved in transmembrane nutrient uptake (cholesterol, fatty acid, glucose, etc.), cell-signaling, immune recognition, pathogen entry, and many other roles. Despite these advances, however, relatively little is known regarding the organization of cholesterol itself in these plasma membrane microdomains. Although a variety of non-sterol markers indicate the presence of microdomains in the plasma membranes of living cells, none of these studies have demonstrated that cholesterol is enriched in these microdomains in living cells. Further, the role of cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains as targets for intracellular cholesterol trafficking proteins such as sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) that facilitate cholesterol uptake and transcellular transport for targeting storage (cholesterol esters) or efflux is only beginning to be understood. Herein, we summarize the background as well as recent progress in this field that has advanced our understanding of these issues.

More on the Possible Composition of the Meridiani Hematite-Rich Concretions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.; Gellert, R.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.

2007-01-01

Elsewhere in these proceedings, Schneider et al. discuss compositional constraints on hematite-rich spherule (blueberry) formation at Meridiani Planum. Schneider et al. provide the background for work done to date to understand the composition and mineralogy of the spherules and devise a test of possible concretion growth processes. They also report the results of area analyses of spherules in targets analyzed with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and test several possible models for included components other than hematite. In this abstract, we use the compositional trends for spherule-rich targets to compute possible elemental compositions of the spherules. This approach differs from that of, which also used a determination of the area of spherules in APXS targets, coupled with a correction for the radial acceptance function, to try to un-mix the compositions directly, using 2 and 3-component models and mass balance. That approach contained a fair amount of uncertainty owing to problems associated with irregular and heterogeneous target geometry, unknown composition of non-spherule lithic components, and variable dust coatings on spherules. Since then, Opportunity has analyzed additional spherule-rich targets, and the compositional trends so obtained permit a more direct assessment of the data.

Sound Richness of Music Might Be Mediated by Color Perception: A PET Study.

PubMed

Satoh, Masayuki; Nagata, Ken; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2015-01-01

We investigated the role of the fusiform cortex in music processing with the use of PET, focusing on the perception of sound richness. Musically naïve subjects listened to familiar melodies with three kinds of accompaniments: (i) an accompaniment composed of only three basic chords (chord condition), (ii) a simple accompaniment typically used in traditional music text books in elementary school (simple condition), and (iii) an accompaniment with rich and flowery sounds composed by a professional composer (complex condition). Using a PET subtraction technique, we studied changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in simple minus chord, complex minus simple, and complex minus chord conditions. The simple minus chord, complex minus simple, and complex minus chord conditions regularly showed increases in rCBF at the posterior portion of the inferior temporal gyrus, including the LOC and fusiform gyrus. We may conclude that certain association cortices such as the LOC and the fusiform cortex may represent centers of multisensory integration, with foreground and background segregation occurring at the LOC level and the recognition of richness and floweriness of stimuli occurring in the fusiform cortex, both in terms of vision and audition.

Learning and consolidation of new spoken words in autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Henderson, Lisa; Powell, Anna; Gareth Gaskell, M; Norbury, Courtenay

2014-11-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by rich heterogeneity in vocabulary knowledge and word knowledge that is not well accounted for by current cognitive theories. This study examines whether individual differences in vocabulary knowledge in ASD might be partly explained by a difficulty with consolidating newly learned spoken words and/or integrating them with existing knowledge. Nineteen boys with ASD and 19 typically developing (TD) boys matched on age and vocabulary knowledge showed similar improvements in recognition and recall of novel words (e.g. 'biscal') 24 hours after training, suggesting an intact ability to consolidate explicit knowledge of new spoken word forms. TD children showed competition effects for existing neighbors (e.g. 'biscuit') after 24 hours, suggesting that the new words had been integrated with existing knowledge over time. In contrast, children with ASD showed immediate competition effects that were not significant after 24 hours, suggesting a qualitative difference in the time course of lexical integration. These results are considered from the perspective of the dual-memory systems framework. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How many dinosaur species were there? Fossil bias and true richness estimated using a Poisson sampling model

PubMed Central

Starrfelt, Jostein; Liow, Lee Hsiang

2016-01-01

The fossil record is a rich source of information about biological diversity in the past. However, the fossil record is not only incomplete but has also inherent biases due to geological, physical, chemical and biological factors. Our knowledge of past life is also biased because of differences in academic and amateur interests and sampling efforts. As a result, not all individuals or species that lived in the past are equally likely to be discovered at any point in time or space. To reconstruct temporal dynamics of diversity using the fossil record, biased sampling must be explicitly taken into account. Here, we introduce an approach that uses the variation in the number of times each species is observed in the fossil record to estimate both sampling bias and true richness. We term our technique TRiPS (True Richness estimated using a Poisson Sampling model) and explore its robustness to violation of its assumptions via simulations. We then venture to estimate sampling bias and absolute species richness of dinosaurs in the geological stages of the Mesozoic. Using TRiPS, we estimate that 1936 (1543–2468) species of dinosaurs roamed the Earth during the Mesozoic. We also present improved estimates of species richness trajectories of the three major dinosaur clades: the sauropodomorphs, ornithischians and theropods, casting doubt on the Jurassic–Cretaceous extinction event and demonstrating that all dinosaur groups are subject to considerable sampling bias throughout the Mesozoic. PMID:26977060

How many dinosaur species were there? Fossil bias and true richness estimated using a Poisson sampling model.

PubMed

Starrfelt, Jostein; Liow, Lee Hsiang

2016-04-05

The fossil record is a rich source of information about biological diversity in the past. However, the fossil record is not only incomplete but has also inherent biases due to geological, physical, chemical and biological factors. Our knowledge of past life is also biased because of differences in academic and amateur interests and sampling efforts. As a result, not all individuals or species that lived in the past are equally likely to be discovered at any point in time or space. To reconstruct temporal dynamics of diversity using the fossil record, biased sampling must be explicitly taken into account. Here, we introduce an approach that uses the variation in the number of times each species is observed in the fossil record to estimate both sampling bias and true richness. We term our technique TRiPS (True Richness estimated using a Poisson Sampling model) and explore its robustness to violation of its assumptions via simulations. We then venture to estimate sampling bias and absolute species richness of dinosaurs in the geological stages of the Mesozoic. Using TRiPS, we estimate that 1936 (1543-2468) species of dinosaurs roamed the Earth during the Mesozoic. We also present improved estimates of species richness trajectories of the three major dinosaur clades: the sauropodomorphs, ornithischians and theropods, casting doubt on the Jurassic-Cretaceous extinction event and demonstrating that all dinosaur groups are subject to considerable sampling bias throughout the Mesozoic. © 2016 The Authors.

Adaptive Grid Based Localized Learning for Multidimensional Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saini, Sheetal

2012-01-01

Rapid advances in data-rich domains of science, technology, and business has amplified the computational challenges of "Big Data" synthesis necessary to slow the widening gap between the rate at which the data is being collected and analyzed for knowledge. This has led to the renewed need for efficient and accurate algorithms, framework,…

A Feedback Model for Data-Rich Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardo, Abelardo

2018-01-01

Feedback has been identified as one of the factors with the largest potential for a positive impact in a learning experience. There is a significant body of knowledge studying feedback and providing guidelines for its implementation in learning environments. In parallel, the areas of learning analytics or educational data mining have emerged to…

A Review and Perspective on Lean in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balzer, William K.; Francis, David E.; Krehbiel, Timothy C.; Shea, Nicholas

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the accumulated body of research on Lean in higher education, draw conclusions to help guide successful Lean implementations and propose future research directions to establish a rich base of knowledge that informs both practice and research. Design/methodology/approach This literature review…

Flexibly Applying the Distributive Law--Students' Individual Ways of Perceiving the Distributive Property

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schueler-Meyer, Alexander

2016-01-01

Flexibility in transforming algebraic expressions is recognized as fundamental for a rich procedural knowledge. Here, flexibility in-depth is proposed as the ability to apply one strategy to a wide range of unfamiliar expressions. In this study, design experiments with four groups of students were conducted to support students' flexibility…

Promoting Positive Academic Dispositions Using a Web-Based PBL Environment: The GlobalEd 2 Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Scott W.; Lawless, Kimberly A.; Boyer, Mark A.

2013-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional design approach for promoting student learning, understanding and knowledge development in context rich settings. Previous PBL research has primarily focused on face-to-face learning environments, but current technologies afford PBL designers the opportunities to create online, virtual, PBL…

Evaluating Learning in the 21st Century: A Digital Age Learning Matrix

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Starkey, Louise

2011-01-01

If the purpose of secondary schooling is to educate the upcoming generation to become active participants in society, evaluation of teaching and learning in the information-rich digital age should be underpinned by relevant theories and models. This article describes an evaluation tool developed using emerging ideas about knowledge creation and…

An Overview of the Environmental Knowledge System for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xuehua, Zhang

2004-01-01

Environmental education should set different objectives for different learning subjects. At the elementary school level, the primary goal is to establish environmental awareness so that students can perceptually appreciate and comprehend how rich and colorful the environment is. In this article, the author discusses a systematic approach that can…

Contextual Effect in People with Williams Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ching-Fen; Tzeng, Ovid J.-L.

2011-01-01

This study was aimed at investigating the semantic integration ability of people with WS in building up a coherent and gist theme from the context of presented sentences. Previous studies have indicated rich lexical semantic knowledge and typical semantic priming in this clinical group, but atypical brainwave patterns have been reported in studies…

Utilization of Online Educational Resources in Teaching: A Moderated Mediation Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kio, Su Iong; Lau, Meng Chan Virgina

2017-01-01

The study builds on a newly modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to substantiate the motivation and operation of teachers' utilization of online learning resources. A "Comprehensiveness" construct is proposed in the modified TAM to reflect the breadth and depth of rich online knowledge. This new construct serves as the mediator…

Fostering Early Language with Infants and Toddlers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, Alice Sterling

2014-01-01

This articles describes the learning process of infants and toddlers and provides tips that parents and caregivers can use to promote the development of rich language skills, as well as an abiding passion for learning. From the earliest days, talking with babies encourages their knowledge of words. Singing and reading books increases their…

Probing Student Understanding of Scientific Thinking in the Context of Introductory Astrophysics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Richard N.; Cormier, Sebastien; Fernandez, Adiel

2009-01-01

Common forms of testing of student understanding of science content can be misleading about their understanding of the nature of scientific thinking. Observational astronomy integrated with related ideas of force and motion is a rich context to explore the correlation between student content knowledge and student understanding of the scientific…

Knowledge Maps for E-Literacy in ICT-Rich Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taha, Ahmed

2005-01-01

The Web-based information and communication technology (w-ICT) has become a powerful means for delivery and dissemination of digitised information among the emerging virtual learning and business communities. The w-ICT has engendered a growing cybersphere paradigm to accommodate a huge mass of e-resources cast over the Web. Such abundance of…

The Effects of a Science-Focused STEM Intervention on Gifted Elementary Students' Science Knowledge and Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Ann; Dailey, Debbie; Hughes, Gail; Cotabish, Alicia

2014-01-01

To develop Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talents, both researchers and policy developers recommend that educators begin early. In this randomized study, we document the efficacy of teacher professional development and a rich problem-based inquiry curriculum to develop the science talent of elementary students. The…

High School Students' Use of Meiosis When Solving Genetics Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wynne, Cynthia F.; Stewart, Jim; Passmore, Cindy

2001-01-01

Paints a different picture of students' reasoning with meiosis as they solved complex, computer-generated genetics problems, some of which required them to revise their understanding of meiosis in response to anomalous data. Students were able to develop a rich understanding of meiosis and can utilize that knowledge to solve genetics problems.…

Research Note--Engaged Scholarship: A Signature Research Methodology for Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delavega, Elena; Lennon-Dearing, Robin; Neely-Barnes, Susan; Soifer, Steve; Crawford, Cicely

2017-01-01

Social work has a rich tradition of engagement. Throughout its history, social work scholars have taken up questions that link knowledge production to its application in practice. Recently, other higher education fields have expressed interest in engagement. Yet, social work scholars have remained relatively silent about what they have to offer…

Gene Isolation Using Degenerate Primers Targeting Protein Motif: A Laboratory Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeo, Brandon Pei Hui; Foong, Lian Chee; Tam, Sheh May; Lee, Vivian; Hwang, Siaw San

2018-01-01

Structures and functions of protein motifs are widely included in many biology-based course syllabi. However, little emphasis is placed to link this knowledge to applications in biotechnology to enhance the learning experience. Here, the conserved motifs of nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeats (NBS-LRR) proteins, successfully used for the…

Summative and Formative Assessments in Mathematics Supporting the Goals of the Common Core Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoenfeld, Alan H.

2015-01-01

Being proficient in mathematics involves having rich and connected mathematical knowledge, being a strategic and reflective thinker and problem solver, and having productive mathematical beliefs and dispositions. This broad set of mathematics goals is central to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. High-stakes testing often drives…

Learning through Life Books: Teaching Human Growth and Development in an Emotionally Rich Community Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korsmo, John; Baker-Sennett, Jacquelyn; Nicholas, Trula

2009-01-01

One challenge experienced by many educators working in pre-professional programs involves designing courses to support students as they learn how to apply subject area knowledge to professional practice. This article describes a successful collaborative community-based project that contextualizes the often abstract and predominately linear…

Foundations of Social Work Practice: A Graduate Text.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mattaini, Mark A., Ed.; Lowery, Christine T., Ed.; Meyer, Carol H., Ed.

As social work enters its second century, dynamic developments in practice and theory, the richness offered by multiple cultures and groups, and changing political and economic climates are potent forces driving advances in social work knowledge and practice. In the context of this professional evolution, this textbook wrestles with and builds on…

Semantics of User Interface for Image Retrieval: Possibility Theory and Learning Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crehange, M.; And Others

1989-01-01

Discusses the need for a rich semantics for the user interface in interactive image retrieval and presents two methods for building such interfaces: possibility theory applied to fuzzy data retrieval, and a machine learning technique applied to learning the user's deep need. Prototypes developed using videodisks and knowledge-based software are…