The use at school of the cultural heritage in Social Sciences and the contribution of the digital aspects: several research lines in Quebec

El propósito de este artículo es ofrecer una perspectiva sobre investigaciones realizadas en Québec desde los últimos siete años sobre el uso escolar del patrimonio cultural y medios o recursos digitales en colaboración, en su mayor parte, con organizaciones culturales, incluyendo museos de diferentes sectores disciplinarios y centros de documentación, tales como archivos. Trabajos hechos por la autora de este artículo y colegas suyos están presentados. El interés de la autora por la intervención educativa en el campo de las ciencias sociales, y a veces en las artes, se ha materializado a través del desarrollo colaborativo de dispositivos de mediación cultural que implica a menudo las plataformas digitales. La voluntad de un número creciente de instituciones patrimoniales y culturales para considerar semejante integración a sus prácticas de mediación cultural (Goldman, 2011; SMQ, 2011) incitó a la autora a emprender algunas investigaciones-desarrollo (o "research and investigation") (Van Der Maren, 1996) de tipo colaborativo. Así, docentes e interlocutores museísticos o culturales forman parte de los colaboradores, en el contexto de asociación con institutiones como el Museo de Bellas Artes de Montréal, el Museo McCord, el Museo Boréalis, la Biblioteca y archivos nationales de Quebec y Télé-Québec. El objetivo general sigue siendo establecer vínculos entre la cultura y la educación, y contribuir así a actualizar la misión esencialmente cultural de la escuela, usando los recursos de los organismos culturales.The purpose of this article is to offer a perspective on research carried out in Québec since the last seven years on the school use of cultural heritage and digital media or resources in collaboration, for the most part, with cultural organizations, including galleries, libraries, archives and museums from different disciplinary fields. Works done by the author of this article and some of her colleagues are presented. The author's interest in educational intervention in the field of social sciences, and sometimes in the arts, has materialized through the collaborative development of cultural mediation devices that often involve digital platforms. The willingness of a growing number of heritage and cultural institutions to consider such integration to their cultural mediation practices (Goldman, 2011; SMQ, 2011) prompted the author to undertake some research-development (or "research and investigation") (Van Der Maren, 1996) of a collaborative nature. Thus, teachers and museum or cultural actors are part of the collaborators, in the context of association with institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts of Montréal, the McCord Museum, the Boréalis Museum, the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, and Télé-Québec. The general objective remains to establish links between culture and education, and thus contribute to update the essentially cultural mission of the school, using the resources of cultural organizations.peerReviewe

The “Who?” Question in the Hate Speech Debate: Part 1: Consistency, Practical, and Formal Approaches

This two-part article addresses the “Who?” question in the hate speech debate: namely, which characteristics, social identities or statuses should or should not be treated as protected characteristics within a body of hate speech laws? Using United Kingdom incitement to hatred laws as a focal point, the article outlines and critically appraises five broad approaches to specification. Part 1 deals with consistency specification, which highlights norms of consistency both within incitement to hatred law itself and in relation to other laws, practical specification, which focuses on the ostensible goals or apparent aims of incitement to hatred laws, and formal specification, which looks at the formal qualities of the characteristics themselves and to the different forms of people’s relationships with those characteristics. And Part 2 considers functional specification, which concentrates on the underlying or real functions, purposes or objectives of incitement to hatred laws, and democratic specification, which appeals to democratic procedures as well as to democratic values, norms and principles that speak to the proper scope of incitement to hatred laws. Along the way I shall also critically assess a range of substantive arguments about which particular characteristics should or should not be covered by incitement to hatred laws given the aforementioned approaches. My main conclusion shall be that each of the approaches has its strengths and weakness and that, partly because of this, no single approach is adequate by itself as a tool for specifying the proper scope of incitement to hatred laws, but also, by the same token, no approach should be ruled out entirely. Instead, the best strategy is one that combines together all five approaches in reasonable ways given the law, the characteristic and the context

High-throughput estimation of incident light, light interception and radiation-use efficiency of thousands of plants in a phenotyping platform

International audienceWe developed a non-invasive method to measure light interception and radiation-use efficiency (RUE) in thousands of maize (Zea mays) plants at the PHENOARCH phenotyping platform.Different models were interfaced to estimate (i) the amount of light reaching each plant from hemispherical images, (ii) light intercepted by each plant via a functional-structural plant model, (iii) RUE, as the ratio of plant biomass to intercepted light. The inputs of these models were leaf area, biomass and architecture estimated from plant images and environmental data collected with a precise spatial and temporal resolution. We have tested this method by comparing two experiments performed in autumn and winter/spring.Biomass and leaf area differed between experiments showing a high G×E interaction. Difference in biomass between experiments was entirely accounted for by the difference in intercepted light. Hence, the mean RUE was common to both experiments and genotypes ranked similarly.The methods presented here allowed dissecting the differences between experiments into (i) genotypic traits that did not differ between experiments but had a high genetic variability, namely plant architecture and RUE (ii) environmental differences, essentially incident light, that affected both biomass and leaf area, (iii) plant traits that differed between experiments due to environmental variables, in particular leaf growth

Geology of the Nevado Coropuna volcanic complex

The Nevado Coropuna volcanic complex (NCVC), located in the northernmost CAVZ (15°3’ S, 72º39’ W), includes several edifices, aligned WNW-ESE above Neogene ignimbrites. Adjacent composite volcanoes include the Late Pliocene, eroded Sunjillpa to the WNW and the glacially eroded, 0.6-0.25 Ma-old Cunciacha to the ESE. Located on the west flank of the Western Cordillera, the asymmetric volcanic complex shows stubby lava flows overlying the NE, 4500 m-high plateau, contrasting with long, inverted lava flows and debris-avalanche deposits filling deep valleys draining the steep SW flanks. The central, highest NCVC is a cluster of five, aligned lava domes reaching 6160 and 6330 masl. The dome cluster and its voluminous lava flows overlie an old stratovolcano with inverted lava flows dated at 1.02 Ma. The 0.4 Ma-old base of dome cluster is overlain by lower lava flows c. 270 - 254 ka, middle lava flows c. 118 - 108 ka, and the uppermost lava domes 70 – 60 ka. A high-spatial resolution DEM shows six vents on the domes and one collapse scar open to the south. NCVC has grown atop a caldera as shown by AMS data collected on Early Quaternary ignimbrites dipping away west, south and east of NCVC, and by abnormal contacts with both adjacent volcanoes to the WNW and the ESE. All lavas show two major compositional fields of high-K andesites and dacites (SiO2 57-67%wt). Harker diagrams and trace elements suggest AFC magmatic processes. Although CNVC tephra and PDC deposits represent a small volume, we observed Late Glacial Plinian fallout are scattered and Holocene ashfall layers are associated with three lava flows, the youngest being 1700 to 2400 yr old. The Nevado Coropuna ice cap c. 44.1 km2 is arguably the largest in the world tropical belt

Pollen preferences of stingless bees in the Amazon region and southern highlands of Ecuador by scanning electron microscopy and morphometry.

peer reviewedStingless bees are effective pollinators of native tropical flora. Their environmental service maintains flow of pollen through pollination, increase reproductive success and influence genetic structure in plants. The management of stingless bees "meliponiculture", is an activity limited to the countryside in Ecuador. The lack of knowledge of their managers about pollen resources can affect the correct maintenance/production of nests. The objective is to identify botanical families and genera of pollen grains collected by stingless bees by morphological features and differentiate potential species using geometric morphometry. Thirty-six pot pollen samples were collected from three Ecuadorian provinces located in two climatically different zones. Pollen type identification was based on the Number, Position, Character system. Using morphological features, the families and genera were established. Morphometry landmarks were used to show variation for species differentiation. Abundance, diversity, similarity and dominance indices were established by counting pollen grains, as well as spatial distribution relationships by means of Poisson regression. Forty-six pollen types were determined in two study areas, classified into 27 families and 18 genera. In addition, it was possible to identify more than one species, classified within the same family and genus, thanks to morphometric analysis. 1148 ± 799 (max 4211; min 29) pollen grains were counting in average. The diversity showed a high richness, low dominance and similarity between pollen resources. Families Melastomataceae and Asteraceae, genera Miconia and Bidens, were found as the main pollen resources. The stingless bee of this study are mostly generalist as shown the interaction network. The results of the present survey showed that stingless bees do not collect pollen from a single species, although there is evidence of a predilection for certain plant families. The diversity indexes showed high richness but low uniformity in the abundance of each family identified. The results of the study are also meaningful to the meliponiculture sector as there is a need to improve management practices to preserve the biodiversity and the environment

Estudio geológico preliminar del complejo volcánico nevado Coropuna

El Complejo Volcánico Nevado Coropuna (CVNC) está ubicado en el extremo norte de la Zona Volcánica de los Andes Centrales (15 ° 3 ‘S, 72º39 ‘O), incluye varios edificios alineados en dirección ONO-ESE y emplazados sobre ignimbritas del Neogeno (13-2 Ma). Adyacente al CVNC se tienen dos volcanes, el estratovolcán Sunjillpa del Plioceno tardío en su extremo occidental, y el estratovolcán Cuncaicha de hace 0,6 -0,25 Ma, en su extremo oriental. El CVNC es típicamente asimétrico, está en el borde de la Cordillera Occidental y está conformado principalmente por flujos de lava, domos, domo « cluster » y domo-coladas. Los flujos de lava de corto recorrido, normalmente de menos de 7 km, cubren la meseta NE, N y NO, pero flujos de lava de mayor recorrido, entre 10 y 16 km, se han emplazados en los valles profundos ubicados al sur. También en la zona sur se han dentificado importantes depósitos de avalanchas de escombros, rellenando valles profundos a más de 20 km de distancia. En la parte central y más alta del CVNC se han identifi cado al menos 05 “clusters” de domos, de este a oeste, son el Yanaranra (6305 msnm), Coropuna (6160 msnm), Paiche (6330 msnm), Casulla (6377 msnm) y Escalera (6171 msnm). Recientes dataciones obtenidas en el marco de este proyecto arrojaron edades alrededor de 0.4 Ma para lavas ubicadas en la base, las cuales están cubiertas por lavas con edades entre 270-254 ka. En la parte media se han datado lavas entre 118-108 ka, y en la parte superior de los “clusters” de domos se han obtenido edades entre 70 - 60 ka. En base a un modelo de elevación digital (DEM) de 3 m de resolución, se han identifi cado al menos 6 centro de emisión, 5 domos « cluster », una escarpa de colapso principal abierta en dirección sur. Las lavas son andesitas y dacitas, con concentraciones de SiO2 que varían entre 57 a 67 % wt. Todas presentan alto contenido de K. Los diagramas de Harker sugieren un importante proceso de diferenciación magmática, así como procesos de AFC

Discovery of rare variants associated with blood pressure regulation through meta-analysis of 1.3 million individuals

Genetic studies of blood pressure (BP) to date have mainly analyzed common variants (minor allele frequency > 0.05). In a meta-analysis of up to ~1.3 million participants, we discovered 106 new BP-associated genomic regions and 87 rare (minor allele frequency ≤ 0.01) variant BP associations (P < 5 × 10−8), of which 32 were in new BP-associated loci and 55 were independent BP-associated single-nucleotide variants within known BP-associated regions. Average effects of rare variants (44% coding) were ~8 times larger than common variant effects and indicate potential candidate causal genes at new and known loci (for example, GATA5 and PLCB3). BP-associated variants (including rare and common) were enriched in regions of active chromatin in fetal tissues, potentially linking fetal development with BP regulation in later life. Multivariable Mendelian randomization suggested possible inverse effects of elevated systolic and diastolic BP on large artery stroke. Our study demonstrates the utility of rare-variant analyses for identifying candidate genes and the results highlight potential therapeutic targets. © 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc. There are 286 authors of this articles not all are listed in this record

What is cost-efficient phenotyping? Optimizing costs for different scenarios

Progress in remote sensing and robotic technologies decreases the hardware costs of phenotyping. Here, we first review cost-effective imaging devices and environmental sensors, and present a trade-off between investment and manpower costs. We then discuss the structure of costs in various real-world scenarios. Hand-held low-cost sensors are suitable for quick and infrequent plant diagnostic measurements. In experiments for genetic or agronomic analyses, (i) major costs arise from plant handling and manpower; (ii) the total costs per plant/microplot are similar in robotized platform or field experiments with drones, hand-held or robotized ground vehicles; (iii) the cost of vehicles carrying sensors represents only 5–26% of the total costs. These conclusions depend on the context, in particular for labor cost, the quantitative demand of phenotyping and the number of days available for phenotypic measurements due to climatic constraints. Data analysis represents 10–20% of total cost if pipelines have already been developed. A trade-off exists between the initial high cost of pipeline development and labor cost of manual operations. Overall, depending on the context and objsectives, “cost-effective” phenotyping may involve either low investment (“affordable phenotyping”), or initial high investments in sensors, vehicles and pipelines that result in higher quality and lower operational costs

IFNG +874T/A polymorphism is not associated with American tegumentary leishmaniasis susceptibility but can influence Leishmania induced IFN-γ production

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Interferon-gamma is a key cytokine in the protective responses against intracellular pathogens. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in the first intron of the human IFN-γ gene can putatively influence the secretion of cytokine with an impact on infection outcome as demonstrated for tuberculosis and other complex diseases. Our aim was to investigate the putative association of IFNG+874T/A SNP with American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) and also the influence of this SNP in the secretion of IFN-γ <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Brazilian ATL patients (78 cutaneous, CL, and 58 mucosal leishmaniasis, ML) and 609 healthy volunteers were evaluated. The genotype of +874 region in the IFN-γ gene was carried out by Amplification Refractory Mutational System (ARMS-PCR). <it>Leishmania</it>-induced IFN-γ production on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) culture supernatants was assessed by ELISA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There are no differences between +874T/A SNP frequency in cases and controls or in ML versus CL patients. Cutaneous leishmaniasis cases exhibiting AA genotype produced lower levels of IFN-γ than TA/TT genotypes. In mucosal cases, high and low IFN-γ producers were clearly demonstrated but no differences in the cytokine production was observed among the IFNG +874T or A carriers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that +874T/A polymorphism was not associated with either susceptibility or severity to leishmaniasis. Despite this, IFNG +874T/A SNP could be involved in the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis by influencing the amount of cytokine released by CL patients, although it could not prevent disease development. On the other hand, it is possible that in ML cases, other potential polymorphic regulatory genes such as TNF-α and IL-10 are also involved thus interfering with IFN-γ secretion.</p