Competences for democratic culture: An empirical study of an intercultural citizenship project in language pedagogy

This article reports on a pedagogical intervention in foreign language teaching in higher education. It analizes the competences developed by Argentinian and UK-based students as they used Skype to design a leaflet that addressed a real world issue: the Argentinian military dictatorship and its manipulation of the 1978 Football World Cup. The data consists of students’ discussions of this highly disturbing human rights issue. A first level of analysis focused on identifying evidence of competences using the Council of Europe’s conceptual model of ‘competences for democratic culture’ (2016). In a second level of analysis, the data was categorized within the framework of Article 2.2 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training (2011). This research study provides an empirical test of these two frameworks in the field of language education, an aspect that has not been investigated before. It also contributes to our understanding of the potential of intercultural citizenship projects in achieving the goals of human rights education in foreign language teaching. Results indicate the development of substantial competences for democratic culture defined in the Council of Europe’s model

Competences for democratic culture: An empirical study of an intercultural citizenship project in language pedagogy

This article reports on a pedagogical intervention in foreign language teaching in higher education. It analizes the competences developed by Argentinian and UK-based students as they used Skype to design a leaflet that addressed a real world issue: the Argentinian military dictatorship and its manipulation of the 1978 Football World Cup. The data consists of students’ discussions of this highly disturbing human rights issue. A first level of analysis focused on identifying evidence of competences using the Council of Europe’s conceptual model of ‘competences for democratic culture’ (2016). In a second level of analysis, the data was categorized within the framework of Article 2.2 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training (2011). This research study provides an empirical test of these two frameworks in the field of language education, an aspect that has not been investigated before. It also contributes to our understanding of the potential of intercultural citizenship projects in achieving the goals of human rights education in foreign language teaching. Results indicate the development of substantial competences for democratic culture defined in the Council of Europe’s model

The effects of particle injections on the ring current development during the 7-8 September 2017 geomagnetic storm

In this study we investigate the role of particle injections on the ring current development during the 7-8 September 2017 geomagnetic storm by applying a temporally and spatially varying data-driven outer boundary condition in numerical simulations of the ring current with the Comprehensive Inner Magnetosphere-Ionosphere model. We quantify the role of particle injections by comparing the results from two simulation runs: one with the model outer boundary condition defined by measurements at their original time cadence, namely, 1.5 min, and one with the same boundary condition smoothed in time with a 2-h running average window. The comparison between these two runs reveals that the observed particle injections enhanced the electric field remarkably, which had a significant effect on the ring current development, namely, they 1) strengthened the ring current, 2) skewed the ring current distribution dawnward, 3) delayed the formation of the symmetric ring current by prolonging the duration of the partial ring current, and 4) caused a O+-richer ring current with a O+ dominant ring current distribution at the inner edge. Furthermore, these effects enhanced the energy deposition to the plasmasphere and ionosphere via heating by the ring current ions

GOLLUM: a next-generation simulation tool for electron, thermal and spin transport

We have developed an efficient simulation tool 'GOLLUM' for the computation of electrical, spin and thermal transport characteristics of complex nanostructures. The new multi-scale, multi-terminal tool addresses a number of new challenges and functionalities that have emerged in nanoscale-scale transport over the past few years. To illustrate the flexibility and functionality of GOLLUM, we present a range of demonstrator calculations encompassing charge, spin and thermal transport, corrections to density functional theory such as LDA+U and spectral adjustments, transport in the presence of non-collinear magnetism, the quantum-Hall effect, Kondo and Coulomb blockade effects, finite-voltage transport, multi-terminal transport, quantum pumps, superconducting nanostructures, environmental effects and pulling curves and conductance histograms for mechanically-controlled-break-junction experiments.Comment: 66 journal pages, 57 figure

Astroglial Ca2+-Dependent Hyperexcitability Requires P2Y1 Purinergic Receptors and Pannexin-1 Channel Activation in a Chronic Model of Epilepsy

Astrocytes from the hippocampus of chronic epileptic rats exhibit an abnormal pattern of intracellular calcium oscillations, characterized by an augmented frequency of long lasting spontaneous Ca2+ transients, which are sensitive to purinergic receptor antagonists but resistant to tetrodotoxin. The above suggests that alterations in astroglial Ca2+-dependent excitability observed in the epileptic tissue could arise from changes in astrocyte-to-astrocyte signaling, which is mainly mediated by purines in physiological and pathological conditions. In spite of that, how purinergic signaling contributes to astrocyte dysfunction in epilepsy remains unclear. Here, we assessed the possible contribution of P2Y1R as well as pannexin1 and connexin43 hemichannels—both candidates for non-vesicular ATP-release—by performing astroglial Ca2+ imaging and dye uptake experiments in hippocampal slices from control and fully kindled rats. P2Y1R blockade with MRS2179 decreased the mean duration of astroglial Ca2+ oscillations by reducing the frequency of slow Ca2+ transients, and thereby restoring the balance between slow (ST) and fast transients (FT) in the kindled group. The potential contribution of astroglial pannexin1 and connexin43 hemichannels as pathways for purine release (e.g., ATP) was assessed through dye uptake experiments. Astrocytes from kindled hippocampi exhibit three-fold more EtBr uptake than controls, whereby pannexin1 hemichannels (Panx1 HCs) accounts for almost all dye uptake with only a slight contribution from connexin43 hemichannels (Cx43 HCs). Confirming its functional involvement, Panx1 HCs inhibition decreased the mean duration of astroglial Ca2+ transients and the frequency of slow oscillations in kindled slices, but had no noticeable effects on the control group. As expected, Cx43 HCs blockade did not have any effects over the mean duration of astroglial Ca2+ oscillations. These findings suggest that P2Y1R and Panx1 HCs play a pivotal role in astroglial pathophysiology, which would explain the upregulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the epileptic brain and thus represents a new potential pharmacological target for the treatment of drug-refractory epilepsy

A Case Study on the Origin of Near- Earth Plasma

This study presents simulations of the coupled space environment during a geomagnetic storm that separates the different sources of near- Earth plasma. These simulations include separate fluids for solar wind and ionospheric protons, ionospheric oxygen, and the plasmasphere. Additionally, they include the effects of both a hot ring current population and a cold plasmaspheric population simultaneously for a geomagnetic storm. The modeled ring current population represents the solution of bounce- averaged kinetic solution; the core plasmaspheric model assumes a fixed temperature of 1- eV and constant pressure along the field line. We find that during the storm, ionospheric protons can be a major contributor to the plasmasheet and ring current and that ionospheric plasma can largely displace solar wind protons in much of the magnetosphere under certain conditions. Indeed, the ionospheric source of plasma cannot be ignored. Significant hemispheric asymmetry is found between the outflow calculated in the summer and winter hemispheres, consistent with past observations. That asymmetric outflow is found to lead to asymmetric filling of the lobes, with the northern (summer) lobe receiving more outflow that has a higher proportion of O+ and the southern (winter) lobe receiving less outflow with a higher proportion of H+. We moreover find that the inclusion of the plasmasphere can have a system- wide impact. Specifically, when the plasmasphere drainage plume reaches the magnetopause, it can reduce the reconnection rate, suppress ionospheric outflow and change its composition, change the composition in the magnetosphere, and reduce the ring current intensity.Key PointsIonospheric H+ is a critically important contributor to the magnetosphere during a stormSeasonal effect on outflow create asymmetric filling of the lobesThe inclusion of an additional plasmaspheric fluid has system- wide effectsPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163439/2/jgra56048.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163439/1/jgra56048_am.pd

“Trunk-like” heavy ion structures observed by the Van Allen Probes

Dynamic ion spectral features in the inner magnetosphere are the observational signatures of ion acceleration, transport, and loss in the global magnetosphere. We report “trunk-like” ion structures observed by the Van Allen Probes on 2 November 2012. This new type of ion structure looks like an elephant's trunk on an energy-time spectrogram, with the energy of the peak flux decreasing Earthward. The trunks are present in He+ and O+ ions but not in H+. During the event, ion energies in the He+ trunk, located at L = 3.6–2.6, magnetic local time (MLT) = 9.1–10.5, and magnetic latitude (MLAT) = −2.4–0.09°, vary monotonically from 3.5 to 0.04 keV. The values at the two end points of the O+ trunk are energy = 4.5–0.7 keV, L = 3.6–2.5, MLT = 9.1–10.7, and MLAT = −2.4–0.4°. Results from backward ion drift path tracings indicate that the trunks are likely due to (1) a gap in the nightside ion source or (2) greatly enhanced impulsive electric fields associated with elevated geomagnetic activity. Different ion loss lifetimes cause the trunks to differ among ion species

Optimizing the use of pressurized bladders for the assembly of HL-LHC MQXFB magnets

The use of pressurized bladders for stress control of superconducting magnets was firstly proposed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in the early 2000s. Since then, the so-called bladders and keys procedure has become one of the reference techniques for the assembly of high-field accelerator magnets and demonstrators. Exploiting the advantages of this method is today of critical importance for Nb3Sn-based accelerator magnets, whose production requires the preservation of tight stress targets in the superconducting coils to limit the effects of the strain sensitivity and brittleness of the conductor. The present manuscript reports on the results of an experimental campaign focused on the optimization of the bladders and keys assembly process in the MQXFB quadrupoles. These 7.2 m long magnets shall be among the first Nb3Sn cryomagnets to be installed in a particle accelerator as a part of the High Luminosity upgrade of the LHC. One of the main practical implications of the bladders technique, especially important when applied to long magnets like MQXFB, is that to insert the loading keys, the opening of a certain clearance in the support structure is required. The procedure used so far for MQXF magnets involved an overstress in the coils during bladder inflation. The work presented here shows that such an overshoot can be eliminated thanks to additional bladders properly positioned in the structure. This optimized method was validated in a short model magnet and in a full-length mechanical model, becoming the new baseline for the series production at CERN. Furthermore, the results are supported by numerical predictions using Finite Element models

Cardiometabolic characterization in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease

BackgroundTo better understand the patient's heterogeneity in fatty liver disease (FLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was proposed by international experts as a new nomenclature for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular risk, assessed through coronary artery calcium (CAC) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), of patients without FLD and patients with FLD and its different subtypes. MethodsCross sectional study of 370 patients. Patients with FLD were divided into 4 groups: FLD without metabolic dysfunction (non-MD FLD), MAFLD and the presence of overweight/obesity (MAFLD-OW), MAFLD and the presence of two metabolic abnormalities (MAFLD-MD) and MAFLD and the presence of T2D (MAFLD-T2D). MAFLD-OW included two subgroups: metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUHO). The patients without FLD were divided into 2 groups: patients without FLD and without MD (non-FLD nor MD; reference group) and patients without FLD but with MD (non-FLD with MD). EAT and CAC (measured through the Agatston Score) were determined by computed tomography. ResultsCompared with the reference group (non-FLD nor MD), regarding EAT, patients with MAFLD-T2D and MAFLD-MUHO had the highest risk for CVD (OR 15.87, 95% CI 4.26-59.12 and OR 17.60, 95% CI 6.71-46.20, respectively), patients with MAFLD-MHO were also at risk for CVD (OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.83-7.16), and patients with non-MD FLD did not have a significantly increased risk (OR 1.77; 95% CI 0.67-4.73). Regarding CAC, patients with MAFLD-T2D had an increased risk for CVD (OR 6.56, 95% CI 2.18-19.76). Patients with MAFLD-MUHO, MAFLD-MHO and non-MD FLD did not have a significantly increased risk compared with the reference group (OR 2.54, 95% CI 0.90-7.13; OR 1.84, 95% CI 0.67-5.00 and OR 2.11, 95% CI 0.46-9.74, respectively). ConclusionMAFLD-T2D and MAFLD-OW phenotypes had a significant risk for CVD. MAFLD new criteria reinforced the importance of identifying metabolic phenotypes in populations as it may help to identify patients with higher CVD risk and offer a personalized therapeutic management in a primary prevention setting

Clinical and Metagenomic Characterization of Neurological Infections of People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the Peruvian Amazon.

BACKGROUND: Neurological opportunistic infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but are difficult to diagnose. METHODS: One hundred forty people with HIV with acute neurological symptoms from Iquitos, Peru, were evaluated for cerebral toxoplasmosis with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and for cryptococcal meningitis with cryptococcal antigen test (CrAg) in serum or CSF. Differences between groups were assessed with standard statistical methods. A subset of samples was evaluated by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of CSF to compare standard diagnostics and identify additional diagnoses. RESULTS: Twenty-seven participants were diagnosed with cerebral toxoplasmosis by qPCR and 13 with cryptococcal meningitis by CrAg. Compared to participants without cerebral toxoplasmosis, abnormal Glasgow Coma Scale score (P = .05), unilateral focal motor signs (P = .01), positive Babinski reflex (P = .01), and multiple lesions on head computed tomography (CT) (P = .002) were associated with cerebral toxoplasmosis. Photophobia (P = .03) and absence of lesions on head CT (P = .02) were associated with cryptococcal meningitis. mNGS of 42 samples identified 8 cases of cerebral toxoplasmosis, 7 cases of cryptococcal meningitis, 5 possible cases of tuberculous meningitis, and incidental detections of hepatitis B virus (n = 1) and pegivirus (n = 1). mNGS had a positive percentage agreement of 71% and a negative percentage agreement of 91% with qPCR for T gondii. mNGS had a sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 100% for Cryptococcus diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: An infection was diagnosed by any method in only 34% of participants, demonstrating the challenges of diagnosing neurological opportunistic infections in this population and highlighting the need for broader, more sensitive diagnostic tests for central nervous system infections