Just a small bunch of flowers: the botanical knowledge of students and the positive effects of courses in plant identification at German universities

Background In the light of the ongoing loss of species the knowledge about and the ability to identify species becomes increasingly important for effective monitoring and conservation measures. Learning about identifying biodiversity is a central task for future biologists and biology teachers and universities play an important role in educating future experts and multipliers. It builds one basis for conservation literacy. Methods We analyzed undergraduate students’ prior knowledge on plant species, identification and their knowledge gain from introductory plant identification courses at eight German universities. Using the Visual Classification Method—a combination of a presentation and standardized questionnaires—we evaluated the learning success of more than 500 students regarding (a) ‘declarative species knowledge’ of plant species names and (b) ‘taxonomic concept knowledge’, which is seen as knowledge on a higher level of complexity. From comparison of paired pre- and post-tests we calculated the individual knowledge gain. Using Linear Mixed Effects Models (LMMs) we analyzed effects of knowledge levels, learner-specific resources and learning environment on the knowledge gain. Results We found that university course instructors have to start teaching at an almost zero level with respect to undergraduates’ prior knowledge: on average 2.6 of 32 common plant species were known. Overall, the introductory courses resulted in a significant but weak knowledge gain. We detected a higher knowledge gain in ‘taxonomic concept knowledge’ than in ‘declarative species knowledge’. We showed that the learning success was influenced by learner-specific resources, such as prior knowledge or aspects of motivation towards the subject matter, and by learning environment such as teaching methodology. Discussion We discuss didactical demands and aspects of teaching methodologies that could facilitate learning the complex task of plant identification in university courses. Plant identification should be taught and supervised by experienced, highly motivated course instructors with profound expertise and outstanding didactical skills. In order to qualify future generations of biologists, biology teachers, or conservationists universities should aim at and encourage high-quality teaching

Playing and Listening to Tailor-Made Notched Music: Cortical Plasticity Induced by Unimodal and Multimodal Training in Tinnitus Patients

Background. The generation and maintenance of tinnitus are assumed to be based on maladaptive functional cortical reorganization. Listening to modified music, which contains no energy in the range of the individual tinnitus frequency, can inhibit the corresponding neuronal activity in the auditory cortex. Music making has been shown to be a powerful stimulator for brain plasticity, inducing changes in multiple sensory systems. Using magnetoencephalographic (MEG) and behavioral measurements we evaluated the cortical plasticity effects of two months of (a) active listening to (unisensory) versus (b) learning to play (multisensory) tailor-made notched music in nonmusician tinnitus patients. Taking into account the fact that uni- and multisensory trainings induce different patterns of cortical plasticity we hypothesized that these two protocols will have different affects. Results. Only the active listening (unisensory) group showed significant reduction of tinnitus related activity of the middle temporal cortex and an increase in the activity of a tinnitus-coping related posterior parietal area. Conclusions. These findings indicate that active listening to tailor-made notched music induces greater neuroplastic changes in the maladaptively reorganized cortical network of tinnitus patients while additional integration of other sensory modalities during training reduces these neuroplastic effects

Uso de minería de datos para identificar comportamientos erráticos en el sistema de liquidación de haberes en el Gobierno de la Provincia de Catamarca

En la actualidad la Minería de Datos (Data Mining) permite, a partir de diversos datos, obtener información sumamente relevante. Por otra parte, la liquidación de haberes es una de las actividades más importante en cualquier empresa y/u organización, la cual está sujeta a posibles errores al momento de efectuarla. Es por ello que la motivación de este trabajo es la de encontrar todas las posibles fallas o comportamientos erráticos, en la emisión de la Liquidación de Haberes de los empleados de la Administración Pública de la Provincia de Catamarca los cuales, debido al gran volumen de datos que se manejan, son difíciles de detectar y solucionar en forma manual. A partir de lo antes expuesto, se muestra la utilidad que brindan los procesos de la Minería de Datos en la búsqueda de conocimientos ocultos (fallas, comportamientos erróneos o anómalos) en las Bases de Datos del Sistema de Liquidación de Haberes; demostrándose de esta manera que, si la Dirección de Liquidación de Haberes, del Gobierno de la Provincia de Catamarca, aplicara en un futuro dicho proceso podría minimizar fallas en el proceso de liquidación de haberes.Eje: Base de datos y minería de datosRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Uso de minería de datos para identificar comportamientos erráticos en el sistema de liquidación de haberes en el Gobierno de la Provincia de Catamarca

En la actualidad la Minería de Datos (Data Mining) permite, a partir de diversos datos, obtener información sumamente relevante. Por otra parte, la liquidación de haberes es una de las actividades más importante en cualquier empresa y/u organización, la cual está sujeta a posibles errores al momento de efectuarla. Es por ello que la motivación de este trabajo es la de encontrar todas las posibles fallas o comportamientos erráticos, en la emisión de la Liquidación de Haberes de los empleados de la Administración Pública de la Provincia de Catamarca los cuales, debido al gran volumen de datos que se manejan, son difíciles de detectar y solucionar en forma manual. A partir de lo antes expuesto, se muestra la utilidad que brindan los procesos de la Minería de Datos en la búsqueda de conocimientos ocultos (fallas, comportamientos erróneos o anómalos) en las Bases de Datos del Sistema de Liquidación de Haberes; demostrándose de esta manera que, si la Dirección de Liquidación de Haberes, del Gobierno de la Provincia de Catamarca, aplicara en un futuro dicho proceso podría minimizar fallas en el proceso de liquidación de haberes.Eje: Base de datos y minería de datosRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Enhancing Inhibition-Induced Plasticity in Tinnitus – Spectral Energy Contrasts in Tailor-Made Notched Music Matter

Chronic tinnitus seems to be caused by reduced inhibition among frequency selective neurons in the auditory cortex. One possibility to reduce tinnitus perception is to induce inhibition onto over-activated neurons representing the tinnitus frequency via tailor-made notched music (TMNM). Since lateral inhibition is modifiable by spectral energy contrasts, the question arises if the effects of inhibition-induced plasticity can be enhanced by introducing increased spectral energy contrasts (ISEC) in TMNM. Eighteen participants suffering from chronic tonal tinnitus, pseudo randomly assigned to either a classical TMNM or an ISEC-TMNM group, listened to notched music for three hours on three consecutive days. The music was filtered for both groups by introducing a notch filter centered at the individual tinnitus frequency. For the ISEC-TMNM group a frequency bandwidth of 3/8 octaves on each side of the notch was amplified, additionally, by about 20 dB. Before and after each music exposure, participants rated their subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness on a visual analog scale. During the magnetoencephalographic recordings, participants were stimulated with either a reference tone of 500 Hz or a test tone with a carrier frequency representing the individual tinnitus pitch. Perceived tinnitus loudness was significantly reduced after TMNM exposure, though TMNM type did not influence the loudness ratings. Tinnitus related neural activity in the N1m time window and in the so called tinnitus network comprising temporal, parietal and frontal regions was reduced after TMNM exposure. The ISEC-TMNM group revealed even enhanced inhibition-induced plasticity in a temporal and a frontal cortical area. Overall, inhibition of tinnitus related neural activity could be strengthened in people affected with tinnitus by increasing spectral energy contrast in TMNM, confirming the concepts of inhibition-induced plasticity via TMNM and spectral energy contrasts

Uso de minería de datos para identificar comportamientos erráticos en el sistema de liquidación de haberes en el Gobierno de la Provincia de Catamarca

En la actualidad la Minería de Datos (Data Mining) permite, a partir de diversos datos, obtener información sumamente relevante. Por otra parte, la liquidación de haberes es una de las actividades más importante en cualquier empresa y/u organización, la cual está sujeta a posibles errores al momento de efectuarla. Es por ello que la motivación de este trabajo es la de encontrar todas las posibles fallas o comportamientos erráticos, en la emisión de la Liquidación de Haberes de los empleados de la Administración Pública de la Provincia de Catamarca los cuales, debido al gran volumen de datos que se manejan, son difíciles de detectar y solucionar en forma manual. A partir de lo antes expuesto, se muestra la utilidad que brindan los procesos de la Minería de Datos en la búsqueda de conocimientos ocultos (fallas, comportamientos erróneos o anómalos) en las Bases de Datos del Sistema de Liquidación de Haberes; demostrándose de esta manera que, si la Dirección de Liquidación de Haberes, del Gobierno de la Provincia de Catamarca, aplicara en un futuro dicho proceso podría minimizar fallas en el proceso de liquidación de haberes.Eje: Base de datos y minería de datosRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Tinnitus loudness ratings.

<p>Averaged ratings (across all three days) on a visual analog scale (VAS) of the subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness before (grey bar) and after (red bar) tailor-made notched music (TMNM) exposure for the increased spectral energy (ISEC) TMNM (left) and the classical TMNM (right) group. Error bars denote one standard error of the mean. Stars denote significance values of <i>F</i>-test depicting a significant main effect (** = <i>p</i> <. 01) of <i>Session</i> (pre vs. post music exposure) and a non-significant (<i>ns</i>) interaction effect <i>Session</i> x <i>Group</i>.</p

Study procedure.

<p>Tinnitus frequency was estimated before beginning of the training. The training session consisted of a hearing threshold determination for the reference tone of 500 Hz (RT). Ratings on the visual analog scale (VAS) were done before and after MEG measurements. Classical or ISEC tailor-made notched music (TMNM) was presented for 3 hours in between two VAS/MEG/VAS sessions. The training session was repeated on the next two days.</p