bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphism in a cohort of Egyptian primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients
Authors: Fathy Mona , Darweesh Arwa M. , Sharaf Sahar , El-Hanafi Hadeel M. , Ghaleb Fayek M. , Fahmy Iman A. , Hussein Shadia M.
Published: April 2020

Background

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) that is the most prevalent type. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family synthesized by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Disturbance of axonal transport of neurotrophins with optic nerve dystrophy results in deprivation of BDNF support to the RGCs inducing glaucomatous retinal cell death.

Materials and methods

This case-control study was conducted on 50 POAG patients (mean age 55 ± 10) and 50 healthy control subjects (mean age 40 ± 11). Both groups underwent full ophthalmological examination. Genomic DNA was extracted followed by BDNF rs2030324 genotyping by real time PCR.

Results

Correlation coefficient analysis showed significant positive correlation between age and right and left cup to disc ratio (r = 0.448, p = 0.001; r = 0.283, p = 0.004 respectively) and significant negative correlation between intraocular pressure and right and left VA (r = − 0.212, p = 0.034; r = − 0.258, p = 0.009 respectively). No significant difference between the 2 groups was found as regards genotype or alleles frequency distribution (p = 0.722).

Conclusion

This study did not succeed to illustrate the role of BDNF gene polymorphism (SNP rs2030324) as a risk factor for POAG occurrence. The mechanism of glaucoma development according to the BDNF polymorphism remains unclear.
On the Shoulders of Giants: The Evolution of Renal Cell Carcinoma Treatment—Cytokines, Targeted Therapy, and Immunotherapy
Authors: Dutcher Janice P. , Flippot Ronan , Fallah Jaleh , Escudier Bernard
Published: April 2020

The treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has evolved dramatically over the past 30 years, as has a better understanding of the biology of the disease, knowledge of multiple subtypes with distinct molecular abnormalities, and improved comprehension of the perturbed pathways that lead to the development and growth of RCC. This is no longer a monolithic disease, although the majority of tumors are of the clear cell subtype. However, progress is being made in other subtypes as well, as molecular profiles are better understood and as new agents show activity. Immunotherapies remain a major category of treatment, from cytokines to checkpoint inhibitors to ex vivo activated cellular therapy. Antiangiogenesis tyrosine kinase inhibitors are also an important part of the armamentarium. Because these approaches have evolved, we are now in the era of combination therapy using agents of differing mechanisms to try to achieve synergy to increase response rates and create durable responses leading to prolonged survival. Renal cell carcinoma as a tumor is unique in that there has always been a subset of patients who achieve complete responses that last for many years without subsequent treatment. Thus, the goal of further development is to enlarge this subset using new therapeutic approaches and to achieve further durable responses and treatment-free survival.
Cold Exposure Distinctively Modulates Parathyroid and Thyroid Hormones in Cold-Acclimatized and Non-Acclimatized Humans
Authors: Kovaničová Zuzana , Kurdiová Tímea , Baláž Miroslav , Štefanička Patrik , Varga Lukáš , Kulterer Oana C , Betz Matthias J , Haug Alexander R , Burger Irene A , Kiefer Florian W , Wolfrum Christian , Ukropcová Barbara , Ukropec Jozef
Published: April 2020

Cold-induced activation of thermogenesis modulates energy metabolism, but the role of humoral mediators is not completely understood. We aimed to investigate the role of parathyroid and thyroid hormones in acute and adaptive response to cold in humans. Examinations were performed before/after 15 minutes of ice-water swimming (n = 15) or 120 to 150 minutes of cold-induced nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) applied to cold-acclimatized (n = 6) or non-acclimatized (n = 11) individuals. Deep-neck brown adipose tissue (BAT) was collected from non-acclimatized patients undergoing elective neck surgery (n = 36). Seasonal variations in metabolic/hormonal parameters of ice-water swimmers were evaluated. We found that in ice-water swimmers, PTH and TSH increased and free T3, T4 decreased after a 15-minute winter swim, whereas NST-inducing cold exposure failed to regulate PTH and free T4 and lowered TSH and free T3. Ice-water swimming-induced increase in PTH correlated negatively with systemic calcium and positively with phosphorus. In non-acclimatized men, NST-inducing cold decreased PTH and TSH. Positive correlation between systemic levels of PTH and whole-body metabolic preference for lipids as well as BAT volume was found across the 2 populations. Moreover, NST-cooling protocol-induced changes in metabolic preference for lipids correlated positively with changes in PTH. Finally, variability in circulating PTH correlated positively with UCP1/UCP1, PPARGC1A, and DIO2 in BAT from neck surgery patients. Our data suggest that regulation of PTH and thyroid hormones during cold exposure in humans varies by cold acclimatization level and/or cold stimulus intensity. Possible role of PTH in NST is indicated by its positive relationships with whole-body metabolic preference for lipids, BAT volume, and UCP1 content.
Endocrinological Features of Hartsfield Syndrome in an Adult Patient With a Novel Mutation of FGFR1
Authors: Kobayashi Sachiko , Tanigawa Junpei , Kondo Hidehito , Nabatame Shin , Maruoka Azusa , Sho Hiroyuki , Tanikawa Kazuko , Inui Ryoko , Otsuki Michio , Shimomura Iichiro , Ozono Keiichi , Hashimoto Kunihiko
Published: April 2020

Hartsfield syndrome (HS: OMIM 615465) is a rare congenital disease associated with a mutation of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 gene (FGFR1) with the main features of holoprosencephaly and ectrodactyly. Patients with HS also present with endocrinological deficits, such as isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and central diabetes insipidus. Although there are several studies on infancy/childhood history, there is no study of infant/childhood/adolescent/young adult HS natural history and endocrinological findings. Here, we report a male patient with HS associated with a novel de novo FGFR1 mutation (c. 1868A > C). The endocrinological profile was evaluated at ages 1 and 31 years. This long-term follow-up study highlights functional changes in the posterior pituitary gland and features of bone metabolism disorder. We also describe the anterior pituitary function. To our knowledge this is the first description of the natural history of an HS patient through birth to young adult age. Although the HS infants reported in the literature develop central diabetes insipidus, little is known about the serial changes in pituitary gland function during growth in HS patients. In this study we describe an adult patient with HS who showed improvement of hypernatremia during early adulthood. In addition, we emphasize the importance of prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in HS.
Lithium and coronaviral infections. A scoping review.
Authors: Nowak Jan K. , Walkowiak Jarosław
Published: April 2020

The current rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for a rapid response from the research community. Lithium is widely used to treat bipolar disorder, but has been shown to exhibit antiviral activity. This brief review took a systematic approach to identify sixin vitrostudies reporting on the influence of lithium on coronaviral infections. We propose mechanistic investigation of the influence of lithium – alone and with chloroquine – on the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Brincadeira livre como promotora da habilidade comunicativa intencional de bebês
Authors: Costa Ana Cristina Ramos , Braz-Aquino Fabíola De Sousa
Published: April 2020

Essa pesquisa investigou a habilidade de comunicação intencional infantil em contexto de brincadeira livre na interação mãe-bebê nos dois primeiros anos de vida. O objetivo principal foi analisar as modalidades de brincadeiras e o uso de gestos comunicativos intencionais de bebês durante situações de brincadeira livre. Participaram deste estudo seis díades mãe-bebê com idades de nove, doze e quinze meses. A análise dos episódios suscitou em três eixos gerais de análise: tipos de interações; tipos de brincadeiras realizadas entre as díades em cada período; e, atos comunicativos intencionais dos bebês durante o uso dos brinquedos e/ou objetos nas interações. Os resultados assinalaram variações nas habilidades de comunicação intencional dos bebês, nos tipos de uso de brinquedos e modalidades de brincadeiras nos três períodos interativos estudados, como também a importância do papel mediador do adulto no desenvolvimento de habilidades sociocognitivas e linguísticas. Ressalta-se a contribuição desta pesquisa no sentido de produzir conhecimento que possa subsidiar programas de intervenção de profissionais que atuam em contextos de educação e de saúde com foco na promoção de desenvolvimento sociocognitivo e linguístico nos anos iniciais da vida do bebê.
Análise de aprendizagem expansiva em intervenção formativa: a inclusão de alunos com deficiência nas séries finais do ensino fundamental em foco
Authors: Cenci Adriane , Vilas Bôas Daniela , Damiani Magda Floriana
Published: April 2020

O artigo examina uma intervenção formativa, realizada em uma escola, com um grupo de professores que estreava na inclusão de alunos com deficiência em suas turmas e estava apresentando dificuldades. A intervenção buscou ampliar a compreensão sobre inclusão e, consequentemente, a mudança das práticas em relação aos alunos incluídos. Foram realizadas 10 sessões, de março a dezembro de 2014, planejadas a partir da proposta de aprendizagem expansiva, definida por Engeström. A análise foi organizada com base nas ações do ciclo de aprendizagem expansiva: questionamento, análise, modelagem da nova solução, exame do novo modelo, implementação do novomodelo, reflexão sobre o processo e consolidação da nova prática. Foram desenvolvidas, durante a intervenção, três ações capazes de produzir a aprendizagem expansiva: protocolo de organização da inclusão na escola, agenda para os alunos incluídos e estabelecimento de trabalho coordenado entre professores da sala regular e da sala de recursos. Ao final da intervenção, constatou-se que nenhuma das três consolidou-se. Concluiu-se que, para haver transformação, seria necessário desenvolvimento de agency, de engajamento dos sujeitos no processo de mudança, o que não aconteceu.
Recursos personales y contextuales predictors de afectos positivo y negativo en adolescentes
Authors: Barros Soares Ana Sofia , Pais-Ribeiro José Luís , Silva Isabel Maria Lopes
Published: April 2020

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo explorar la relación entre la experiencia de recursos del desarrollo —Developmental Assets®— personales y contextuales y los afectos positivo y negativo. Fue evaluada una muestra de conveniencia constituida por 503 estudiantes, entre los años escolares 9° y 12°, con edades comprendidas entre los 13 y los 19 años (M = 15,92; dp = 1,17), mayoritariamente del género femenino (63 %). Los resultados indican que los adolescentes que experimentan un mayor número de recursos tienden a revelar una experiencia superior de afecto positivo e inferior de afecto negativo. Los datos sugieren el impacto de los subconjuntos de recursos del desarrollo en la predicción de los afectos positivo y negativo (explicando el 30 y el 31 % de varianza en los resultados, respectivamente). Ambos recursos, internos y externos, contribuyeron con la varianza de los resultados, y constituyeron los recursos internos predictores más fuertes. Se sugiere la utilidad del modelo de recursos de desarrollo para comprender la experiencia de afecto positivo y afecto negativo en la adolescencia, con el propósito de promover un desarrollo exitoso.
Calibración de un banco de Ítems mediante el modelo de Rasch para medir razonamiento numérico, verbal y espacial
Authors: Ghio Fernanda Belén , Morán Valeria Estefanía , Garrido Sebastian Jesús , Azpilicueta Ana Estefanía , Cortéz Franco , Cupani Marcos
Published: April 2020

En el ámbito educativo, las pruebas de inteligencia son consideradas una de las mejores predictoras del rendimiento académico de los estudiantes. El propósito de este estudio es la adaptación de un grupo de reactivos y la conformación de un banco de ítems (BI) que permita evaluar de manera precisa y objetiva algunas aptitudes cognitivas específicas (razonamiento verbal, numérico y espacial) y generar un indicador general de inteligencia. Para ello, se seleccionaron, tradujeron y administraron 255 preguntas del BI propuesto por los autores Russell y Carter. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 1140 estudiantes pertenecientes a la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina), 616 del sexo femenino, 392 del sexo masculino y 132 que no reportaron el sexo, con edades comprendidas entre los 17 y 49 años (M = 20.29; DE = 3.25). Los datos se analizaron mediante el modelo de Rasch. Los resultados expresan que los ítems, en general, poseen adecuadas propiedades psicométricas tanto para las aptitudes específicas, como para los ítems que conforman un indicador general de inteligencia. Se recomienda la utilización del modelo de Rasch para la construcción o adaptación de pruebas y se discuten las implicancias de la utilización de este modelo en las pruebas de aptitudes cognitivas.
Incentives and Gaming in Collaborative Projects Under Risk-Sharing Partnerships
Authors: Song Ju Myung , Zhao Yao , Xu Xin
Published: April 2020

Problem definition: This article explores the incentive issues and gaming behaviors of firms under risk-sharing partnerships in a project management setting motivated by real-life examples. Academic/practical relevance: Collaboration prevails in projects within diverse industries. The risk-sharing partnership, in which each partner pays for its own cost and shares the outcome (either reward or loss) on project completion, is one of the most popular ways to manage collaborations in practice. However, the risk-sharing partnership may lead to project failure in the forms of excessive delays and cost overruns, but the driving forces (for example, incentives) and mechanisms (for example, gaming behaviors) in project management settings are not yet fully understood. Methodology: Relative to the one-firm-does-all strategy, we studied how risk-sharing partnerships may affect firms’ incentives in project execution and thus, project metrics (duration and cost) for various project networks (serial versus parallel), risk levels (deterministic versus stochastic duration), and information status (symmetry versus asymmetry). Results: We found that risk-sharing partnerships may encourage deliberate delays and cost overruns through various mechanisms, such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma, the Supplier’s Dilemma, and the Coauthor’s Dilemma. Counterintuitively, information asymmetry may outperform information symmetry on project metrics for both deterministic and stochastic duration, contingent on the network structure, cost parameters, and partners’ beliefs. Managerial implications: By connecting theory to practice, we provide insights into the incentive issues of some real-life projects and justifications for several mitigation strategies to avoid such gaming behaviors in practice.
La importància de la informació audiovisual en l’adquisició del llenguatge
Authors: Birulés Joan , Pons Ferran
Published: April 2020

Tot i que els adults generalment mirem als ulls quan ens parlen, quan ens costa d’entendre allò que diuen movem l’atenció visual a la zona de la boca per ajudar-nos a comprendre millor el missatge. D’aquesta manera, integrem millor les pistes visuals (i. e. moviments articulatoris que encaixen temporalment i acústicament) amb els sons que escoltem, i formem un percepte audiovisual que ens és més senzill d’entendre que un percepte auditiu sol. Així mateix, els infants també centren la mirada en la boca d’un parlant a partir de la segona meitat del primer any de vida, la qual cosa s’ha interpretat com un reflex de l’ús creixent de les pistes audiovisuals, que els ajuda en el procés d’adquisició del llenguatge. En aquest article revisarem els estudis experimentals més destacats sobre el paper de la informació audiovisual en el desenvolupament i l’adquisició del llenguatge, així com els factors que poden modular el processament de les pistes audiovisuals.
Del trastorn específic del llenguatge (TEL) al trastorn del desenvolupament del llenguatge (TDL): un canvi de concepció sobre els trastorns del llenguatge
Authors: Aguilar-Mediavilla Eva , Buil-Legaz Lucía , Esteller-Cano Àngels , Pérez-Castelló Josep A.
Published: April 2020

El trastorn específic del llenguatge (TEL) es va definir com una alteració greu en l’adquisició i el desenvolupament del llenguatge, que podia afectar tant la comprensió com l’expressió, en absència de determinades causes i condicions. No obstant això, en els darrers anys els estudis han constatat que les dificultats del llenguatge rarament són aïllades, sinó que van acompanyades d’altres dificultats cognitives relacionades amb les habilitats de processament del llenguatge. A més, els requisits diagnòstics tant restrictius del TEL han fet que, en l’àmbit clínic, molts infants no es puguin diagnosticar d’aquest trastorn tot i les seves mancances, i que, per tant, no puguin rebre l’atenció que necessiten. Això ha fet que recentment es promogués un estudi de consens en l’àmbit anglosaxó (el projecte CATALISE) que ha comportat un canvi en l’etiqueta diagnòstica, de TEL a trastorn del desenvolupament del llenguatge (TDL), però també, i més important, un canvi de perspectiva diagnòstica, que ha passat d’estar enfocada en el diagnòstic estàtic a una de més dinàmica, basada en criteris de persistència temporal i en les necessitats d’intervenció. Aquest fet ha comportat, de manera secundària, un canvi en la classificació de les dificultats del llenguatge, que ha passat de basar-se en característiques diagnòstiques a basar-se en el tipus d’intervenció que requereix cadascuna d’aquestes dificultats. En aquest article abordarem, des d’aquesta nova concepció, la definició i els criteris diagnòstics d’aquest trastorn, les seves característiques i els seus signes precoços d’alerta.
Weak and strong coupling of photons and excitons in planar meso-cavities
Authors: Belonovski Alexey V. , Levitskii Iaroslav V. , Morozov Konstantin M. , Pozina Galia , Kaliteevski Mikhail A.
Published: April 2020

The interaction of an exciton and cavity modes is considered in planar meso-cavities, which have lateral sizes corresponding to few wavelengths. In meso-cavities, the frequency interval between the optical modes is comparable or smaller than the value of the Rabi splitting between the exciton and the optical modes. The Hamiltonian of the interaction between the exciton and the cavity modes is constructed, and it is shown that such an interaction between the cavity modes and the exciton can occur both in weak and in strong coupling regimes. The latter case can be accompanied by a pronounced splitting of the emission peaks as shown for modelled meso-cavities of triangular, square and hexagonal shapes, where it is demonstrated that Q-factors for the adjacent cavity modes as well as the strength of interaction with excitons can differ by few orders of magnitude.
Terahertz time-domain polarimetry (THz-TDP) based on the spinning E-O sampling technique: determination of precision and calibration
Authors: Xu Kuangyi , Bayati Elyas , Oguchi Kenichi , Watanabe Shinichi , Winebrenner Dale P. , Hassan Arbab M.
Published: April 2020

We have developed a terahertz time-domain polarimetry (THz-TDP) system by applying frequency modulation to electro-optic sampling detection in a nonlinear crystal. We characterized the precision of this system in determining the polarization angles to be 1.3° for fixed time delay, and 0.5° for complete time-domain waveform. Furthermore, we calculated the Jones matrix of the optical components used for beam propagation to calibrate the induced systematic error. The advantages of employing this calibration approach are demonstrated on a sapphire crystal investigated at different sample test positions in transmission configuration, and using high resistivity Si, AlN and quartz in reflection geometry. The new THz-TDP technique has the advantage of not using any external polarizers, and therefore is not constrained by their optical performance limitations, such as restricted bandwidths and frequency-dependent extinction ratio. Finally, the THz-TDP technique can be easily implemented on existing time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) systems.
Remote broadband RF signal down-conversion with stable phase and high efficiency using a sideband optical phase-locked loop
Authors: Li Baiyu , Wei Wei , Han Daming , Xie Weilin , Dong Yi
Published: April 2020

We propose a phase-stable high-efficiency down-conversion approach for broadband radio frequency signals transmitted from a remote site. A high power coherent optical local oscillator signal is used at the local site to increase the conversion gain and the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) at the same time. A sideband optical phase-locked loop ensures the suppression of the phase noise induced by the fiber transmission and the relative frequency drift of the remote and local lasers, which are essential for the signal transmission and the down-conversion. We first experimentally demonstrate the down-conversion of a single frequency signal at 16.45 GHz to a 250 MHz intermediate frequency (IF) signal with 3 dB gain and 103 dB/Hz2/3 SFDR after 10 km fiber transmission. Then we show the broadband down-conversion capability by down-converting a 1 GHz wide linear frequency modulated pulse signal centered at 11 GHz to 1 GHz with 3 dB gain. Along with a positive gain, the SFDR of the IF signal down-converted from 5 GHz to 40 GHz has reached 97.6 dB/Hz2/3 on average. This approach is suitable for weak broadband remote signal down-conversion with a simple-structured remote end.
Dual-frequency dual orthogonal polarization wave multiplexing using decoupled pixels based on Holographic technique
Authors: Movahhedi Mostafa , Komjani Nader
Published: April 2020

The holographic technique is a promising way to manipulate light distribution and wave-front in the optical regime. In recent years, many researchers have extended this concept to microwave regime to manipulate phase, amplitude, and polarization of waves in a convenient way revealing diverse intriguing applications. Unlike the previous studies with optimization-based schemes, in this paper, we propose a simple route to design dual frequency dual-polarization holographic metasurfaces with negligible interference between the operating (lower and upper) frequencies. For this purpose, a Jerusalem-shape unit-cell is used to realize two distinct impedance distributions which yield two decoupled field profiles over the aperture of the metasurface at each frequency band. Consequently, the proposed metasurface radiator can operate in two frequency bands, independently. Each set of horizontal (vertical) cross-bars of the Jerusalem-shape unit-cell is illuminated by a vertical (horizontal) feeding network from one side of the metasurface. Side feeding has a null-free advantage, this undesired null emerges in central feeding metasurfaces and leads to an undesirable rabbit’s ears phenomenon. As the proof-of-concept, a prototype of the metasurface radiator for operating at 11.5 GHz and 14 GHz is fabricated and measured. The experimental results depict a good agreement with the full-wave simulations.
Mid-infrared widely tunable single-mode interband cascade lasers based on V-coupled cavities
Authors: Yang Hanting , Yang Rui Q. , Gong Jingli , He Jian-Jun
Published: April 2020

We demonstrate widely tunable single-mode V-coupled-cavity lasers
emitting at wavelengths near 3 µm based on a type-II interband cascade
(IC) structure. The mode selection is achieved using a half-wave
V-coupler designed for the IC structure in the mid-infrared range. The
laser waveguides and cavity structure are deeply etched in a single
etching step, without any grating. By changing the injection current
at a fixed heat-sink temperature, a tuning range over 35 nm can be
achieved with a side-mode suppression-ratio up to 28 dB. The tuning
range can be extended to 60 nm when combined with the adjustments of
the heat-sink temperature.
L'image, la trace et la mémoire pratique. Pratiques sociales coutumières et les mémoires de la violence dans le Moyen Magdalena, Colombie
Authors: Serna-Dimas Adrián
Published: April 2020

La crisis del mito entrañó una ruptura que arrojó las cosas a la naturaleza, las palabras a la ciencia y la imagen hacia el arte. Esta crisis original del mito, sobre la cual se estableció la racionalidad de Occidente, se expresa en los estudios de la memoria social. La ciencia privilegia la memoria social que une el mundo social a la palabra (resaltando la facticidad y la representación en el concepto contra la ilusión de las imágenes), mientras que el arte privilegia la memoria imaginaria que une el mundo social a la imagen (resaltando la imaginación contra el reduccionismo del concepto). Las prácticas sociales, modos de habitar el mundo social construido y de construir el mundo social habitado, forman unas memorias en las cuales las imágenes tienen grabadas bajo forma codificada los procesos históricos sucedidos. Esta memoria práctica permite identificar de manera transfigurada los impactos más profundos de las contradicciones y los conflictos, como aquellos donde la violencia parece parte de la cultura.
Absolventi středních odborných škol a jejich přechod na trh práce
Authors: Trhlíková Jana
Published: April 2020

Příspěvek se zabývá vybranými aspekty přechodu absolventů středních odborných škol na trh práce. Zaměřuje se přitom na srovnání absolventů učebních a maturitních oborů středních odborných škol v období tří let od ukončení střední školy. Cílem příspěvku je informovat o výsledcích průzkumu absolventů středních odborných škol, který byl realizován v roce 2018 na vzorku cca 1000 respondentů v Národním ústavu pro vzdělávání jako významná zpětná vazba o přechodu absolventů na trh práce. Metody výzkumu: Výzkumné šetření je koncipováno jako longitudinální kvantitativní dotazníkové šetření. II. etapa, která je předmětem tohoto článku, se zaměřila zejména na úspěšnost přechodu na trh práce a uplatnění ve vystudovaném oboru. Výsledky přinášejí informace o refl exi vzdělávací a profesní dráhy absolventů odborných škol, zejména umožňují srovnání spokojenosti a uplatnění absolventů učebních a maturitních oborů. Závěry výzkumného šetření umožňují identifi kovat problémy, potřeby a bariéry v rámci kariérové volby, slabá místa ve vzdělání z pohledu absolventů, jejich připravenost pro trh práce i terciární vzdělávání.
Konstrukční výzkum učebnice pro výuku angličtiny pro specifické účely: Hodnocení pilotní verze učebnice
Authors: Ellederová Eva
Published: April 2020

Abstrakt: Studie představuje metodologii konstrukčního výzkumu učebnice pro výuku angličtiny pro specifické účely (dále jen ESP) a seznamuje čtenáře s prvními výsledky výzkumného šetření. Cílem je vyhodnotit kvalitu pilotní verze učebnice a následně formulovat konstrukční principy týkající se změn, které je nutné provést v její celkové koncepci, a to za současné validace a vývoje teorií designu učebních materiálů pro výuku ESP. Pro sběr dat byly zvoleny dva typy metod: (1) dotazníkové šetření zaměřené na hodnocení učebnice učiteli a studenty a (2) pre-testování a post-testování znalostí a dovedností studentů před a po používání dané učebnice. Výsledky: Z výzkumného šetření vyplývají požadavky na přepracování učebnice tak, aby co nejlépe vyhovovala jako učební prostředek cílové skupině studentů, a také určité rozdílné a společné priority učitelů a studentů při volbě vhodných učebních materiálů. Dále výsledky výzkumu potvrdily některé z teorií designu učebnic pro výuku ESP. Závěry: Výsledky výzkumu představují východiska pro přepracování učebnice, po kterém bude její nová verze opět implementována do výuky a stejným postupem hodnocena její kvalita. Pro všechny autory učebních materiálů vyplývá doporučení ověřit kvalitu jejich pilotní verze prostřednictvím zpětné vazby ze strany učitelů, studentů a dalších zúčastněných, kteří se podílejí na tvorbě kurikula, popřípadě ověřováním znalostí a dovedností, které studenti používáním těchto materiálů získali.

Klíčová slova: konstrukční výzkum, učebnice pro výuku angličtiny pro specifické účely, iterace, konstrukční principy, kategoriální systém hodnoticích kritérií, dotazníkové šetření, didaktický test.
Ethical and Moral Aspects of School Education: The situation in the Czech Republic
Authors: Mareš Jiří
Published: April 2020

Abstract: This review study focuses on ethical and moral aspects of school education in the Czech Republic after 1989, when change occurred not only in the political regime but also in all spheres of social life, including education. The study is based on publications by Czech authors and is structured into six parts. The fi rst part describes the broader context of the chosen issue: it describes the basic philosophical concepts of ethics and morality and reminds offi cial materials (starting with the International Teachers’ Charter, through materials created by the Ministry of Education, to the school rules of individual schools). The second part provides an overview of publications dealing with the ethical and moral education of children and adolescents from the perspective of various scientific disciplines: philosophy, theology, sociology, and psychology. The third part presents the organizational form of ethical and moral education at Czech basic and secondary schools. In terms of its content and conception, ethics education as a subject taught in Czech schools is based on the concept of prosocial education (Roche-Olivar, 1992), adapted by the Slovak author Ladislav Lencz (1995). The fourth part is devoted to a specifi c genre, review studies which provide information about Czech and foreign research studies, and evaluates them. The fifth and most extensive part reports on selected Czech empirical studies that deal with the ethical and moral aspects of education. It presents research on cyberbullying addressed to both pupils and teachers and mobbing and bossing in schools, examines the course and outcomes of teaching ethical topics, researches the power relations between teachers and their pupils, and examines the tendencies for teachers and pupils to be manipulated at school, cheating by pupils at school, and pupils helping one another. The sixth and last part of the study describes assessment tools with the help of which the ethical and moral aspects of school education are determined. The study concludes that one-off transversal research studies predominate in the studies, while longitudinal research studies are not conducted at all; mainstream research focuses on real-life research and no intervention studies are undertaken; researchers’ attention is focused mainly on negative ethical and moral situations, while research into positive phenomena is neglected.

Keywords: ethics education, moral education, school, teachers, pupils, research, Czech Republic
Nitrate assimilation pathway in higher plants: critical role in nitrogen signalling and utilization
Authors: Ali Ahmad
Published: April 2020

The process of nitrate assimilation is a very crucial pathway for the sustainable growth and productivity of higher plants. This process is catalysed by two enzymes, nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase. Both the enzymes differ from each other with respect to their structural organisation, subcellular location, catalytic efficiencies and regulatory mechanisms. Nitrate reductase catalyses the rate limiting step of nitrate assimilation process. The genes and proteins of this enzyme have been isolated and characterised from many higher plants. The additional role of NR in the production of nitric oxide has been also reported in last several years. The reduced ammonium is assimilated into carbon skeleton, ?-ketoglutarate, by the concerted action of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase. Glutamine and glutamate are the transportable forms of nitrogen among various tissues and metabolic processes. The rate of nitrate assimilation is regulated by the rate of uptake of nitrate by nitrate transporters, availability of carbon skeleton, accumulation of nitrogenous end products, light and the rate of photosynthesis. The partitioning of metabolites and resources between carbon and nitrogen metabolism is an important factor for the growth and yield of plants. During the last several decades excess use of nitrogen fertiliser has caused environmental pollution. Efforts have been made to increase the nitrogen use efficiency of plants to reduce the cost on fertiliser and nitrate pollution, increase the productivity and protein content of several commonly used crops. This review discusses the process of nitrate assimilation and its interaction with the carbon metabolism.
Unlocking the mystery of plants’ survival capability under waterlogging stress
Authors: Bashar Kazi Khayrul , Tareq Md. Zablul , Islam Md. Shahidul
Published: April 2020

Waterlogging is a major abiotic stress affecting crop plants throughout the world, which hampers crop growth and causes yield loss. There are various types of responses in plants under this stress through the combined operation of different signaling and physiological pathways. However, the correlation between these pathways is extremely limited and not well described in the published papers. Therefore, the complex waterlogging stress-tolerance mechanisms need to be presented most coherently for a comprehensive understanding of this stress. Here, we present sequential responses in plants under oxygen-deprivation stress. The regulation of the N-end rule pathway may be treated as the initial signaling in plants after facing waterlogging stress, but still, it remains a controversial topic. All the pathways under waterlogging stress are directly or indirectly related to glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, programmed cell death (PCD) and removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Scientists may consider alanine aminotransferase as the main controlling switch for surviving of plants under waterlogging stress. Triggering the genes responsible for alanine aminotransferase may act as a crucial one to develop a waterlogging tolerant plant due to its ability to control anaerobic fermentation, TCA cycle and efficient utilization of carbons.
Aristotle on Motion in Incomplete Animals
Authors: Coren Daniel
Published: April 2020

I explain what Aristotle means when, after puzzling about the matter of motion in incomplete animals (those without sight, smell, hearing), he suggests inDe AnimaIII 11.433b31–434a5 that just as incomplete animals are moved indeterminately, desire andphantasiaare present in those animals, but present indeterminately. I argue that self-motion and its directing faculties in incomplete animals differ in degree but not in kind from those of complete animals. I examine how an object of desire differs for an incomplete animal. Using a comparison with Aristotle’s account of recollection, especially in unfavorable circumstances, I describe indeterminate self-motion. Finally, I discuss implications for our understanding of Aristotle’s accounts of the faculties of the soul and incomplete animals.
Inference for the Analysis of Ordinal Data with Spatio-Temporal Models
Authors: Peraza-Garay F. , Márquez-Urbina J. U. , González-Farías G.
Published: April 2020

In this work, we propose a spatio-temporal Markovian-like model for ordinal observations to predict in time the spread of disease in a discrete rectangular grid of plants. This model is constructed from a logistic distribution and some simple assumptions that reflect the conditions present in a series of studies carried out to understand the dissemination of a particular infection in plants. After constructing the model, we establish conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of the model parameters. In addition, we show that, under further restrictions based on Partially Ordered Markov Models (POMMs), the MLE of the model is consistent and normally asymptotic. We then employ the MLE’s asymptotic normality to propose methods for testing spatio-temporal and spatial dependencies. The model is estimated from the real data on plants that inspired the model, and we used its results to construct prediction maps to better understand the transmission of plant illness in time and space.
Development and Validation of Processing Maps for Hot Deformation of Modified AISI 321 Austenitic Stainless Steel
Authors: Anoop C. R. , Singh R. K. , Kumar Ravi Ranjan , Miyala Jayalakshmi , Murty S. V. S. Narayana , Tharian K. Thomas
Published: April 2020

Hot deformation studies and optimization of hot working parameters and corresponding microstructure evolution were explored in a modified AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel. Hot compression tests were carried out in the temperature range of 800°C–1,100°C and five different strain rates (0.001–10 s−1). Processing maps were developed based on the results of hot compression tests, employing the principles of dynamic materials model and various domains of microstructure evolution were identified. The stable and unstable domains, as well as various domains indicating other microstructural reconstitutive mechanisms, including dynamic recrystallization (DRx), were identified with the aid of a processing map. The domain for DRx was confirmed by microstructural analysis of deformed specimens and also from the inflections in hardening curves. The processing regime for microstructural control was identified, and the results were validated by actual forging trials on a 1,000-T hydraulic forging press. The grain size of laboratory-tested hot-compressed samples and industrially forged billets exhibited excellent correlation. Constitutive equation for hot deformation was also developed for the steel based on hot compression test results.
A Model to Study NMDA Receptors in Early Nervous System Development
Authors: Zoodsma Josiah D. , Chan Kelvin , Bhandiwad Ashwin A. , Golann David R. , Liu Guangmei , Syed Shoaib A. , Napoli Amalia J. , Burgess Harold A. , Sirotkin Howard I. , Wollmuth Lonnie P.
Published: April 2020

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate-gated ion channels that play critical roles in neuronal development and nervous system function. Here, we developed a model to study NMDARs in early development in zebrafish, by generating CRISPR-mediated lesions in the NMDAR genes,grin1aandgrin1b, which encode the obligatory GluN1 subunits. While receptors containinggrin1aorgrin1bshow high Ca2+permeability, like their mammalian counterpart,grin1ais expressed earlier and more broadly in development thangrin1b. Bothgrin1a−/−andgrin1b−/−zebrafish are viable. Unlike in rodents, where thegrin1knockout is embryonic lethal,grin1double-mutant fish (grin1a−/−; grin1b−/−), which lack all NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission, survive until ∼10 d dpf (days post fertilization), providing a unique opportunity to explore NMDAR function during development and in generating behaviors. Many behavioral defects in thegrin1double-mutant larvae, including abnormal evoked responses to light and acoustic stimuli, prey-capture deficits, and a failure to habituate to acoustic stimuli, are replicated by short-term treatment with the NMDAR antagonist MK-801, suggesting that they arise from acute effects of compromised NMDAR-mediated transmission. Other defects, however, such as periods of hyperactivity and alterations in place preference, are not phenocopied by MK-801, suggesting a developmental origin. Together, we have developed a unique model to study NMDARs in the developing vertebrate nervous system.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTRapid communication between cells in the nervous system depends on ion channels that are directly activated by chemical neurotransmitters. One such ligand-gated ion channel, the NMDAR, impacts nearly all forms of nervous system function. It has been challenging, however, to study the prolonged absence of NMDARs in vertebrates, and hence their role in nervous system development, due to experimental limitations. Here, we demonstrate that zebrafish lacking all NMDAR transmission are viable through early development and are capable of a wide range of stereotypic behaviors. As such, this zebrafish model provides a unique opportunity to study the role of NMDAR in the development of the early vertebrate nervous system.
DeFord Bailey in Country Music's Multiracial Canon
Authors: Parler Samuel
Published: April 2020

DeFord Bailey (1899–1982), an African American harmonica virtuoso, performed regularly on the Grand Ole Opry radio program from 1926 to 1941 and afterward fell into obscurity. Decades later, however, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (2005), overseen by the Country Music Association (CMA), amid calls to diversify a predominantly white country music canon. Motivated by racially progressive ideals and seeking to rehabilitate the genre's image, many fans and industry advocates misrepresented Bailey's achievements in the surrounding conversations, or they relied upon essentializing notions of black music in their advocacy on his behalf. Resistance to his candidacy for the Hall was cited as evidence of the industry's institutionalized racism. While his eventual induction allowed the CMA some room in which to refute that charge and promote a multiracial narrative for the genre's history, consistent with its long-standing desire to cultivate middle-class respectability, that same multiracial narrative obscured Bailey's role in the production of a distinctly white image for country music in the 1920s and 1930s. Highlighting this discrepancy, this article compares the historical and contemporary reception of Bailey's music and legacy, drawing upon newspaper accounts, Opry promotional materials, archival interviews, and commercial recordings. Opry broadcasts played host to blues, blackface, and other racially coded repertoires; Bailey's blues-based style did not distinguish him from his white Opry peers. Opry marketing worked assiduously to present a singular white image for the show and its repertoire, marginalizing or obscuring Bailey's racial identity in its programming and publicity. In this manner, Bailey's career has paradoxically been made to serve narratives asserting both the whiteness and the multiracialism of country music.
RESPONS PERTUMBUHAN DAN AKTIVITAS ENZIM AMILASE BENIH IKAN BANDENG (Chanos chanos Forsskal) YANG DIBERI PAKAN DENGAN KANDUNGAN KARBOHIDRAT YANG BERBEDA
Authors: Marzuqi Muhammad , Kasa I Wayan , Giri Nyoman Adiasmara
Published: April 2020

Karbohidrat dalam pakan memiliki peranan penting untuk menunjang pertumbuhan ikan bandeng sehingga perlu diketahui kandungan yang optimal. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh kandungan dektrin sebagai sumber karbohidrat dalam pakan terhadap laju pertumbuhan, efisiensi pakan, dan aktivitas enzim amilase ikan bandeng. Pakan percobaan mempunyai kandungan karbohidrat berbeda yaitu 3,4%; 12,4%; 21,4%; 30,4%; 39,4%; dan pakan dibuat dalam bentuk pelet kering dengan diameter 2,1-3,1 mm. Ikan uji yang digunakan yaitu benih ikan bandeng berbobot 1,5 ± 0,5 g dengan panjang total 8,0 ± 0,5 cm, ditebar dengan kepadatan 20 ekor/bak. Wadah yang digunakan berupa 15 bak polikarbonat bervolume 400 liter dan dilengkapi aerasi dengan sistem air mengalir. Percobaan dirancang dengan rancangan acak lengkap, lima perlakuan dan tiga ulangan. Parameter yang diamati adalah laju pertumbuhan, efisiensi pakan, dan aktivitas enzim amilase. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis secara statistik dengan menggunakan analisis keragaman (ANOVA). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan kandungan karbohidrat dalam pakan berpengaruh terhadap laju pertumbuhan, efisiensi pakan, dan aktivitas enzim amilase benih ikan bandeng (P<0,05). Pakan dengan karbohidrat 30,4% optimal untuk mendukung laju pertumbuhan (0,364 g/hari), efisiensi pakan (110,69%), dan aktivitas enzim amilase diperoleh sebesar 2,614 unit/menit.mL pada lambung dan 2,605 unit/menit.mL pada usus benih ikan bandeng.Carbohydrates in commercial diets for milkfish fry have an important role in supporting the growth of the fish. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of different dectrine contents in feed as a source of carbohydrate on the growth response, feed efficiency, and amylase enzyme activity of milkfish fry. The experimental feed was formulated in form of 2.1 – 3.1 mm diameter of dry pellets containing different carbohydrate contents, namely 3.4%, 12.4%, 21.4%, 30.4%, 39.4%. The fish used was milkfish fry with an average weight of 1.5 ± 0.5 g and length of 8.0 ± 0.5 cm and stocked with a density of 20 fish/tank. The experiment used 15 polycarbonate tanks filled with 400 liters of seawater and aerated with a flowing water system. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. The parameters observed were growth rate, feed efficiency, and amylase enzyme activity. The results showed that carbohydrate differences in the diets affected the growth rate, feed efficiency, and amylase enzyme activity of milkfish fry. The diet with 30.4% carbohydrate content produced the optimum finfish fry growth rate (0.364 g/day), and feed efficiency (110.69%). The measured amylase enzyme activity was 2.614 units/minute mL in the stomach and 2,605 units/minute.mL in the intestine milkfish fry.
A Teoria do Capital Humano e a noção e empregabilidade: um estudo comparativo.
Authors: Da Fonseca Janilson Gomes , Dos Santos Ferreira Maria Aparecida
Published: April 2020

Este artigo propõe refletir acerca da teoria do capital humano emergida  na década de 70 e cotejá-la com a noção de empregabilidade dos dias atuais. A primeira concebida sob o ideário liberal e a segunda sob o do neoliberalismo, respectivamente. Trata-se de pesquisa exploratória, qualitativa e descritiva. Tem como referencial teórico a abordagem sócio crítica da realidade e como fio condutor a dialética. A metodologia utilizada foi revisão bibliográfica em alguns autores pesquisadores da temática. Os resultados alcançados foram que a noção de empregabilidade é a face moderna da teoria do capital humano. Ambas, se apresentam em períodos históricos distintos, porém, com uma mesma ideologia: a educação e a qualificação profissional garantidora de inserção e/ou permanência no mundo do trabalho.
SpeakCode: Uma Ferramenta de Acessibilidade para Pessoas com Deficiência Visual
Authors: Pache Marcio Carneiro Brito , Costa Aline Bezerra da , Souza Sandro Rodrigues , Negri Lucas Hermann
Published: April 2020

Este artigo descreve o desenvolvimento do aplicativo SpeakCode, voltado para a leitura e transcrição do conteúdo de Códigos QR em áudio. O aplicativo, implementado para dispositivos Android, possibilita que usuários com deficiência visual possam identificar objetos previamente marcados, facilitando a realização de tarefas cotidianas e profissionais. O aplicativo foi validado através de testes com usuários especialistas e um usuário final (pessoa com deficiência visual), obtendo uma avaliação positiva e a sugestão da expansão e implantação do projeto em maior escala.