22 research outputs found
Hands-on Science. Celebrating Science and Science Education
The book herein aims to contribute to the improvement of Science Education in our schools and to an effective implementation of a sound widespread scientific literacy at all levels of society
Hands-on science. Rethinking STEAM education in times of uncertainty
After over two years of major constraints imposed by the COVID pandemic, the education world is still trying to find ways to adapt in order to keep providing, in an effective way, its crucial contribution to the world’ development our societies need and expect
Ultrasensitive detection of toxocara canis excretory-secretory antigens by a nanobody electrochemical magnetosensor assay.
peer reviewedHuman Toxocariasis (HT) is a zoonotic disease caused by the migration
of the larval stage of the roundworm Toxocara canis in the human host.
Despite of being the most cosmopolitan helminthiasis worldwide, its
diagnosis is elusive. Currently, the detection of specific immunoglobulins
IgG against the Toxocara Excretory-Secretory Antigens (TES), combined
with clinical and epidemiological criteria is the only strategy to diagnose
HT. Cross-reactivity with other parasites and the inability to distinguish
between past and active infections are the main limitations of this
approach. Here, we present a sensitive and specific novel strategy to
detect and quantify TES, aiming to identify active cases of HT. High
specificity is achieved by making use of nanobodies (Nbs), recombinant
single variable domain antibodies obtained from camelids, that due to
their small molecular size (15kDa) can recognize hidden epitopes not
accessible to conventional antibodies. High sensitivity is attained by the
design of an electrochemical magnetosensor with an amperometric readout
with all components of the assay mixed in one single step. Through
this strategy, 10-fold higher sensitivity than a conventional sandwich
ELISA was achieved. The assay reached a limit of detection of 2 and15
pg/ml in PBST20 0.05% or serum, spiked with TES, respectively. These
limits of detection are sufficient to detect clinically relevant toxocaral
infections. Furthermore, our nanobodies showed no cross-reactivity
with antigens from Ascaris lumbricoides or Ascaris suum. This is to our
knowledge, the most sensitive method to detect and quantify TES so far,
and has great potential to significantly improve diagnosis of HT. Moreover,
the characteristics of our electrochemical assay are promising for the
development of point of care diagnostic systems using nanobodies as a
versatile and innovative alternative to antibodies. The next step will be the
validation of the assay in clinical and epidemiological contexts
SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION PATTERN DUE TO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN KAMPONG HOUSE
ABSTRACT Kampung houses are houses in kampung area of the city. Kampung House oftenly transformed into others use as urban dynamics. One of the transfomation is related to the commercial activities addition by the house owner. It make house with full private space become into mixused house with more public spaces or completely changed into full public commercial building. This study investigate the spatial transformation pattern of the kampung houses due to their commercial activities addition. Site observations, interviews and questionnaires were performed to study the spatial transformation. This study found that in kampung houses, the spatial transformation pattern was depend on type of commercial activities and owner perceptions, and there are several steps of the spatial transformation related the commercial activity addition.
Keywords: spatial transformation pattern; commercial activity; owner perception, kampung house; adaptabilit
Hands-on science: science education with and for society
The decisive importance of Science on the development of modern societies gives Science
Education a role of special impact.
Society sets the requirements rules and procedures of Education defining what concepts and
competencies citizens must learn and how this learning should take place. Educational
policies set by governments, elected and or imposed, not always reflects the will and ruling of
Society.
The School as pivotal element of our modern educational system must look behind and
beyond imposed rules and regulations and persistently seek a permanent and open relation
with Society, in all its dimensions, assuming and defending its crucial role on the
development of Society and humankind.
Aiming to contribute to an effective implementation of a sound widespread scientific literacy
and effective Science Education in our Schools and Society at large, the Hands-on Science
Network promotes a number of meetings and conferences open to the widest range of
contributions on different pedagogic approaches with the common goal of promoting an
effective learning of Science.
This book gathers a number of interesting works presented at the 11th International
Conference on Hands-on Science held in Aveiro, Portugal, July 21 to 25, 2014. The different
chapters covers a wide range of topics including different strategies on connecting school’
science education with society and on synergetic relations between Society and Science
Education, reports on good practices on formal as well as non-formal or informal science
education, ICT tools, IBSE, active learning and hands-on pedagogy. We believe that the
materials herein are a rather useful tool to assist teachers and educators as well as all
interested in Science Education and its impact on the development of our Societies