Diseño y evaluación del interfaz gráfico de un curso web

El presente trabajo describe las experiencias durante el proceso de diseiño del interfaz de un curso Web para el autoestudio de Fortran 90, un lenguaje de programación. Se realizó un análisis sistemático y cuantitativo. El curso fue evaluado por un grupo de 12 usuarios, modificado en base a los resultados obtenidos y evaluado de nuevo. Se demuestra que las modificaciones mejoraron la puntuación de la evaluación significativamente y se destaca la importancia de la incorporación de usuarios "reales" durante todo el proceso de desarrollo

The Tradeoff between Redistribution and Effort: Evidence from the Field and from the Lab

Redovita primjena mineralnih dušičnih gnojiva danas je uobičajena i nezamjenjiva praksa. Poznavanje doprinosa N gnojidbe na varijabilnost organskog ugljika u tlu od iznimne je važnosti kako bi se mjerama održivog gospodarenja tlom očuvala klimatsko regulacijska uloga tla. Cilj ovog rada bio je utvrditi utjecaj dubine tla, rastućih doza dušične gnojidbe i prisutnosti ratarskih kultura na vertikalnu varijabilnost organskog ugljika u pseudogleju. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo analizu uzoraka tla prikupljenih u 2007. (vegetaciji kukuruza) i 2008. godini (vegetaciji pšenice) sa višegodišnjeg poljskog pokusa smještenog u centralnom dijelu RH sa četiri rastuća gnojidbena tretmana u rasponu od 0-300 kg N/ha. Rezultati ukazuju da su rastuće doze apliciranog dušika značajno utjecale na povećanje organskog ugljika što je osobito bilo izraženo u površinskom sloju tla gdje je sadržaj ugljika varirao od 0,826 na N0 tretmanu do 1,797 % na N300 tretmanu u 2007. godini, te od 0,841 % na N0 tretmanu do 1,796 % na N300 tretmanu u 2008. godini. Vertikalna raspodjela organskog ugljika do dva metra dubine također je bila značajna i njegov sadržaj se smanjivao sa porastom dubine. Rezultati ukazuju da je u 2007. godini na tretmanu sa 300 kg/ha apliciranog dušika u tlu bilo pohranjeno 160,1 t/ha organskog ugljika, a godinu dana kasnije na tom istom tretmanu 196,6 t/ha. Sve ukupno istraživanje ukazuje na pozitivan doprinos dušične gnojidbe na sadržaj organskog ugljika u tla kao i na visok potencijal pseudogleja za pohranu ugljika.Regular application of mineral nitrogen fertilizers is a common and irreplaceable practice today. Knowledge of the contribution of N fertilization to soil organic carbon variability is very important in order to preserve the climate-regulating role of soil through measures of sustainable soil management. The aim of this master's thesis was to determine the influence of soil depth, increasing doses of nitrogen fertilization, and the presence of test crops on the vertical variability of organic carbon in stagnosol. The study included analysis of soil samples collected in 2007 (maize vegetation) and 2008 (wheat vegetation) from a field trial located in the central part of the Republic of Croatia with four nitrogen treatments in the range of 0-300 kg N/ha. The results indicate that increasing doses of applied nitrogen significantly influenced on increment of organic carbon, which was particularly pronounced in surface soil layer, where the carbon content varied from 0.826 at the N0 treatment to 1.797% at the N300 treatment in 2007 and from 0,841% on N0 treatment to 1,796% on N300 treatment in 2008. The vertical distribution of organic carbon up to two meters deep was also significant and its content decreased with increasing depth. The results indicate that in 2007, at treatment with 300 kg / ha of applied nitrogen, 160.1 t/ha of organic carbon was stored in the soil up to 2 m depth and one year later at the same treatment 196.6 t/ha organic carbon was recorded. Overall it pointed out positive contribution of nitrogen fertilization to soil organic carbon content and to the high potential of carbon storage of stagnosol

Evaluation report : second short course in social housing management

50, 33 leaves ; 28 cm

Handbook for managers of social housing

Report : vii, 126 p. : ill. ; 18 cm

Wound healing-promoting effects stimulated by extracellular calcium and calcium-releasing nanoparticles on dermal fibroblasts

Extracellular calcium has been proved to influence the healing process of injuries and could be used as a novel therapy for skin wound healing. However, a better understanding of its effect, together with a system to obtain a controlled release is needed. In this study, we examined whether the ionic dissolution of the calcium–phosphate-based ormoglass nanoparticles coded SG5 may produce a similar stimulating effect as extracellular calcium (from CaCl2) on rat dermal fibroblast in vitro. Cells were cultured in the presence of medium containing different calcium concentrations, normally ranging from 0.1 to 3.5 mM Ca2+. A concentration of 3.5 mM of CaCl2 increased metabolic activity, in vitro wound closure, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) activity, collagen synthesis and cytokine expression, and reduced cell contraction capacity. Interestingly, the levels of migration and contraction capacity measured followed a dose-dependent behavior. In addition, media conditioned with SG5 stimulated the same activities as media conditioned with CaCl2, but undesired effects in chronic wound healing such as inflammatory factor expression and MMP activity were reduced compared to the equivalent CaCl2 concentration. In summary, calcium-releasing particles such as SG5 are potential biological-free biostimulators to be applied in dressings for chronic wound healing.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Deletion of the Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) alpha-subunit but not the BK-beta-1-subunit leads to progressive hearing loss

The large conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated potassium (BK) channel has been suggested to play an important role in the signal transduction process of cochlear inner hair cells. BK channels have been shown to be composed of the pore-forming alpha-subunit coexpressed with the auxiliary beta-1-subunit. Analyzing the hearing function and cochlear phenotype of BK channel alpha-(BKalpha–/–) and beta-1-subunit (BKbeta-1–/–) knockout mice, we demonstrate normal hearing function and cochlear structure of BKbeta-1–/– mice. During the first 4 postnatal weeks also, BKalpha–/– mice most surprisingly did not show any obvious hearing deficits. High-frequency hearing loss developed in BKalpha–/– mice only from ca. 8 weeks postnatally onward and was accompanied by a lack of distortion product otoacoustic emissions, suggesting outer hair cell (OHC) dysfunction. Hearing loss was linked to a loss of the KCNQ4 potassium channel in membranes of OHCs in the basal and midbasal cochlear turn, preceding hair cell degeneration and leading to a similar phenotype as elicited by pharmacologic blockade of KCNQ4 channels. Although the actual link between BK gene deletion, loss of KCNQ4 in OHCs, and OHC degeneration requires further investigation, data already suggest human BK-coding slo1 gene mutation as a susceptibility factor for progressive deafness, similar to KCNQ4 potassium channel mutations. © 2004, The National Academy of Sciences. Freely available online through the PNAS open access option

C-fiber-related EEG-oscillations induced by laser radiant heat stimulation of capsaicin-treated skin

Nociceptive input reaches the brain via two different types of nerve fibers, moderately fast A-delta and slowly conducting C-fibers, respectively. To explore their distinct roles in normal and inflammatory pain we used laser stimulation of normal and capsaicin treated skin at proximal and distal arm sites in combination with time frequency transformation of electroencephalography (EEG) data. Comparison of phase-locked (evoked) and non-phase-locked (total) EEG to laser stimuli revealed three significant pain-related oscillatory responses. First, an evoked response in the delta-theta band, mediated by A-fibers, was reduced by topical capsaicin treatment. Second, a decrease of total power in the alpha-to-gamma band reflected both an A- and C-nociceptor-mediated response with only the latter being reduced by capsaicin treatment. Finally, an enhancement of total power in the upper beta band was mediated exclusively by C-nociceptors and appeared strongly augmented by capsaicin treatment. These findings suggest that phase-locking of brain activity to stimulus onset is a critical feature of A-delta nociceptive input, allowing rapid orientation to salient and potentially threatening events. In contrast, the subsequent C-nociceptive input exhibits clearly less phase coupling to the stimulus. It may primarily signal the tissue status allowing more long-term behavioral adaptations during ongoing inflammatory events that accompany tissue damage