275 research outputs found
Mismanagement, ambiguity and delusion : training primary teachers in Greece
Preparing primary teachers in Greece is an area of great ambiguity
and frustration for many students. This paper seeks to show the influence of social
origins, characteristics and qualifications of entrants to primary teaching and its
role in social mobility. The paper is based on original research with first year
student teachers along with unpublished research from government sources.
Outcomes of the research demonstrate a greater need for creative and strategic
planning in the training of primary teachers.peer-reviewe
Cultural myopia : a challenge to Spanish education
This paper considers current thinking about intercultural attitudes in
Spain. It attempts to demonstrate reasons why the Spanish approach to
interculturalism, particularly in schools, has not been at the forefront of societal,
governmental, or educational thinking. Until the 1980s Spain's emigration
exceeded those entering the country. Today, trends have changed. Following a
brief historical account of Spain's pluralistic cultural roots, contemporary views
are debated concerning the impact of recent immigration, signalling the dangers
of ignoring immigrants' needs and abilities within the community. It is argued by
the writers that opportunities are being missed in education (and elsewhere) by the
cultural myopia influencing Spanish schools and society. The increasing inspection,
linguistically and culturally, is diminishing opportunities for the celebration of
the wider cultural diversity that exists. This paper seeks to rouse those in education,
whose predispositions lie in societal hierarchy and cultural introversion.peer-reviewe
CEA systems: the means to achieve future food security and environmental sustainability?
As demand for food production continues to rise, it is clear that in order to meet the challenges of the future in terms of food security and environmental sustainability, radical changes are required throughout all levels of the global food system. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) (a.k.a. indoor farming) has an advantage over conventional farming methods in that production processes can be largely separated from the natural environment, thus, production is less reliant on environmental conditions, and pollution can be better restricted and controlled. While output potential of conventional farming at a global scale is predicted to suffer due to the effects of climate change, technological advancements in this time will drastically improve both the economic and environmental performance of CEA systems. This article summarizes the current understanding and gaps in knowledge surrounding the environmental sustainability of CEA systems, and assesses whether these systems may allow for intensive and fully sustainable agriculture at a global scale. The energy requirements and subsequent carbon footprint of many systems is currently the greatest environmental hurdle to overcome. The lack of economically grown staple crops which make up the majority of calories consumed by humans is also a major limiting factor in the expansion of CEA systems to reduce the environmental impacts of food production at a global scale. This review introduces the concept of Integrated System CEA (ISCEA) in which multiple CEA systems can be deployed in an integrated localized fashion to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impacts of food production. We conclude that it is feasible that with sufficient green energy, that ISCEA systems could largely negate most forms of environmental damage associated with conventional farming at a global scale (e.g., GHGs, deforestation, nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticide use, etc.). However, while there is plenty of research being carried out into improving energy efficiency, renewable energy and crop diversification in CEA systems, the circular economy approach to waste is largely ignored. We recommend that industries begin to investigate how nutrient flows and efficiencies in systems can be better managed to improve the environmental performance of CEA systems of the future
Paediatric radiology seen from Africa. Part I: providing diagnostic imaging to a young population
Article approval pendingPaediatric radiology requires dedicated equipment, specific precautions related to ionising radiation, and specialist knowledge. Developing countries face difficulties in providing adequate imaging services for children. In many African countries, children represent an increasing proportion of the population, and additional challenges follow from extreme living conditions, poverty, lack of parental care, and exposure to tuberculosis, HIV, pneumonia, diarrhoea and violent trauma. Imaging plays a critical role in the treatment of these children, but is expensive and difficult to provide. The World Health Organisation initiatives, of which the World Health Imaging System for Radiography (WHIS-RAD) unit is one result, needs to expand into other areas such as the provision of maintenance servicing. New initiatives by groups such as Rotary and the World Health Imaging Alliance to install WHIS-RAD units in developing countries and provide digital solutions, need support. Paediatric radiologists are needed to offer their services for reporting, consultation and quality assurance for free by way of teleradiology. Societies for paediatric radiology are needed to focus on providing a volunteer teleradiology reporting group, information on child safety for basic imaging, guidelines for investigations specific to the disease spectrum, and solutions for optimising imaging in children
CEA systems: the means to achieve future food security and environmental sustainability?
As demand for food production continues to rise, it is clear that in order to meet the challenges of the future in terms of food security and environmental sustainability, radical changes are required throughout all levels of the global food system. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) (a.k.a. indoor farming) has an advantage over conventional farming methods in that production processes can be largely separated from the natural environment, thus, production is less reliant on environmental conditions, and pollution can be better restricted and controlled. While output potential of conventional farming at a global scale is predicted to suffer due to the effects of climate change, technological advancements in this time will drastically improve both the economic and environmental performance of CEA systems. This article summarizes the current understanding and gaps in knowledge surrounding the environmental sustainability of CEA systems, and assesses whether these systems may allow for intensive and fully sustainable agriculture at a global scale. The energy requirements and subsequent carbon footprint of many systems is currently the greatest environmental hurdle to overcome. The lack of economically grown staple crops which make up the majority of calories consumed by humans is also a major limiting factor in the expansion of CEA systems to reduce the environmental impacts of food production at a global scale. This review introduces the concept of Integrated System CEA (ISCEA) in which multiple CEA systems can be deployed in an integrated localized fashion to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impacts of food production. We conclude that it is feasible that with sufficient green energy, that ISCEA systems could largely negate most forms of environmental damage associated with conventional farming at a global scale (e.g., GHGs, deforestation, nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticide use, etc.). However, while there is plenty of research being carried out into improving energy efficiency, renewable energy and crop diversification in CEA systems, the circular economy approach to waste is largely ignored. We recommend that industries begin to investigate how nutrient flows and efficiencies in systems can be better managed to improve the environmental performance of CEA systems of the future
Natural resistance to Potato virus Y in <i>Solanum tuberosum</i> Group Phureja
This work was supported by funding from the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division.A new source of genetic resistance derived from Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja against Potato virus Y (PVY) was identified and genetically characterised in three diploid biparental potato populations. Segregation data for two populations (05H1 and 08H1) suggested the presence of a single dominant gene for resistance to PVY which, following DaRT analysis of the 08H1 cross, was mapped to chromosome 9. More detailed genetic analysis of resistance utilised a well-characterised SNP-linkage map for the 06H1 population, together with newly generated marker data. In these plants, which have both S. tuberosum Group Phureja and S. tuberosum Group Tuberosum in their pedigree, the resistance was shown to map to chromosome 9 at a locus not previously associated with PVY resistance, although there is evidence for at least one other genetic factor controlling PVY infection. The resistance factor location on chromosome 9 (named as Ry(o)phu) suggests a potential role of NB-LRR genes in this resistance. Phenotypic analysis using a GUS-tagged virus revealed that a small amount of PVY replication occurred in occasional groups of epidermal cells in inoculated leaves of resistant plants, without inducing any visible hypersensitive response. However, the virus did not enter the vascular system and systemic spread was completely prevented.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
A novel determination of the local dark matter density
We present a novel study on the problem of constructing mass models for the
Milky Way, concentrating on features regarding the dark matter halo component.
We have considered a variegated sample of dynamical observables for the Galaxy,
including several results which have appeared recently, and studied a 7- or
8-dimensional parameter space - defining the Galaxy model - by implementing a
Bayesian approach to the parameter estimation based on a Markov Chain Monte
Carlo method. The main result of this analysis is a novel determination of the
local dark matter halo density which, assuming spherical symmetry and either an
Einasto or an NFW density profile is found to be around 0.39 GeV cm with
a 1- error bar of about 7%; more precisely we find a for the Einasto profile and for the NFW. This is in contrast to the
standard assumption that is about 0.3 GeV cm with an
uncertainty of a factor of 2 to 3. A very precise determination of the local
halo density is very important for interpreting direct dark matter detection
experiments. Indeed the results we produced, together with the recent accurate
determination of the local circular velocity, should be very useful to
considerably narrow astrophysical uncertainties on direct dark matter
detection.Comment: 31 pages,11 figures; minor changes in the text; two figures adde
Structural characterization and directed evolution of a novel acetyl xylan esterase reveals thermostability determinants of the carbohydrate esterase 7 family
Please read abstract in the article.The South Africa Bio-catalysis Initiative, Department of Science and Technology, the University of Pretoria Genomics Research Institute (D.A.C. and T.P.M.), the National Research Foundation (W.-D.S. and B.T.S.), the Research Development Program (T.P.M. and S.V.), and the Organization for Women in Science in the Developing World (OWSD) (F.A.A.).http://aem.asm.org2018-10-01hj2018BiochemistryGenetic
Allelic variants of a potato HEAT SHOCK COGNATE 70 gene confer improved tuber yield under a wide range of environmental conditions
Funding: This work was funded by the Scottish Government Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division as part of the Strategic Research Programme 2016‐2022, by a GCRF Foundation Awards for Global Agricultural and Food Systems Research funded by the BBSRC project BB/P022553/1 (Quickgro) and EPSRC Reference: EP/T01525X/1, GCRF Global Research Translation Awards, Food Security and Health for East Africa, 2019‐2021, and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme ADAPT (Accelerated Development of Multiple‐Stress Tolerant Potato), grant agreement No GA 2020 862‐858 and G2P‐SOL (Linking genetic resources, genomes and phenotypes of Solanaceous crops) grant agreement No 677379.Previously, we developed and applied a glasshouse screen for potato tuber yield under heat stress and identified a candidate gene (HSc70) for heat tolerance by genetic analysis of a diploid potato population. Specific allelic variants were expressed at high levels on exposure to moderately elevated temperature due to variations in gene promoter sequence. In this study, we aimed to confirm the results from the glasshouse screen in field trials conducted over several seasons and locations including those in Kenya, Malawi and the UK. We extend our understanding of the HSc70 gene and demonstrate that expression level of HSc70 correlates with tolerance to heat stress in a wide range of wild potato relatives. The physiological basis of the protective effect of HSc70 was explored and we show that genotypes carrying the highly expressed HSc70 A2 allele are protected against photooxidative damage to PSII induced by abiotic stresses. Overall, we show the potential of HSc70 alleles for breeding resilient potato genotypes for multiple environments.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
LET-99 inhibits lateral posterior pulling forces during asymmetric spindle elongation in C. elegans embryos
GPR-1/2 (regulators of Gα signaling necessary for asymmetric cell division) receives a positional cue from Let-99, resulting in its appropriate distribution around the posterior cortex
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