The Effects of Task, Task Mapping, and Layout Space on User Performance in Information-Rich Virtual Environments

How should abstract information be displayed in Information-Rich Virtual Environments (IRVEs)? There are a variety of techniques available, and it is important to determine which techniques help foster a user’s understanding both within and between abstract and spatial information types. Our evaluation compared two such techniques: Object Space and Display Space. Users strongly prefer Display Space over Object Space, and those who use Display Space may perform better. Display Space was faster and more accurate than Object Space for tasks comparing abstract information. Object Space was more accurate for comparisons of spatial information. These results suggest that for abstract criteria, visibility is a more important requirement than perceptual coupling by depth and association cues. They also support the value of perceptual coupling for tasks with spatial criteria

Prognostic factors for sperm retrieval in non-obstructive azoospermia

Testicular sperm retrieval techniques associated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection have changed the field of male infertility treatment and given many azoospermic men the chance to become biological fathers. Despite the current use of testicular sperm extraction, reliable clinical and laboratory prognostic factors of sperm recovery are still absent. The objective of this article was to review the prognostic factors and clinical use of sperm retrieval for men with non-obstructive azoospermia. The PubMed database was searched for the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms azoospermia, sperm retrieval, and prognosis. Papers on obstructive azoospermia were excluded. The authors selected articles that reported successful sperm retrieval techniques involving clinical, laboratory, or parenchyma processing methods. The selected papers were reviewed, and the prognostic factors were discussed. No reliable positive prognostic factors guarantee sperm recovery for patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. The only negative prognostic factor is the presence of AZFa and AZFb microdeletions

Physical and water properties of arable soils located in the area of a predicted depression cone of “Tomisławice” lignite open-cast mine (central Poland)

In this paper we presents the characteristics of selected physical and water properties of four arable soils situated within the range of the predicted depression cone of “Tomisławice” lignite open-cast mine. In the sampled soil material of undisturbed and disturbed structure following properties were determined: texture, particle density, bulk density, total porosity, hygroscopic moistures, maximal hygroscopic capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, potentials of water bonding in soil, total and readily available waters, total retention in the soil layers of 0-50 and 0-100 cm, drainage porosity and content of organic matter. Study soils were developed from sands, sandy loams and sapric peat material. All of the analyzed soil properties were determined by clay fraction or organic matter content in particular. In the most of the investigated soils high field water capacity and wide scopes of total and readily available water were recorded. Measured saturated hydraulic conductivity was typical for arable soils with similar origin. Study soils showed a precipitation water regime and probably won’t be exposed to drainage degradation caused by open-cast mine

Exploring Prosocial Behavior through Structured Philosophical Dialogue: A Quantitative Evaluation

The problem of bullying in schools cannot be overstated. Researchers have examined the problem of bullying in schools from a variety of perspectives and have found that bullying has serious short- and long-term effects not just for the victim but for the bully as well. A variety of interventions have been implemented, and research shows that the majority, which are monological in nature, have demonstrated minimal, if any, impact on counteracting occurrences of bullying in schools. This study uses three quantitative measures to examine the impact that an instructional method steeped in the dynamics of dialogical inquiry has on students’ attitudes and beliefs about aggression

Land use changes and landscape pattern dynamics of a peatland area under diversified human impact: the Grójec Valley (Central Poland)

The paper aims to assess the land use changes and the dynamics of the landscape pattern of the Grójec Valley in the scope of diverse anthropogenic impacts. The study site is located in the border of the Koło Basin and Kujawy Lakeland, Central Poland. This area was originally covered with wetlands. Since the beginning of the 20th century it has been influenced by intensive agricultural use, peat extraction and open-pit mining. The research is based on cartographic materials from 1941, 1981 and 2012. The most relevant finding was that in the first study period (1941–1981) the most common changes in land use (transformation of wetlands into grasslands with shrubs) took place. These were caused mainly by a change in hydrological conditions due to drainage for agricultural use (meadows and pastures) and peat extraction. The study confirmed that these land use changes significantly influenced the landscape structure in each of the analysed parameters (patch density and size, edge, shape and diversity metrics)

Chemistry around us: true or false? Chemistry in movies

L'article presenta un exemple de bona pràctica de l'ensenyament de la química mitjançant projectes a l'escola secundària superior. La temàtica del projecte és la presència de la química en la cultura. La tasca dels alumnes consistia a trobar el contingut químic en la literatura, notícies, pel·lícules i publicitat; analitzar si aquest contingut era químicament correcte, per tal de preparar preguntes de caràcter científic o d'investigació; dissenyar experiments per comprovar a la pràctica el contingut químic, i presentar els resultats en format multimèdia. L'objectiu principal d'aquest projecte era augmentar l'interès per la química en els joves i mostrar les aplicacions pràctiques de la química a la vida quotidiana. El projecte es va basar en les pel·lícules i sèries de televisió: CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Miami, Bones i MacGyver.The paper presents an example of good practice in chemistry teaching using the project method at the upper secondary school level. The subject of the project is the chemistry in culture. The students’ task was to find chemical contents in literature, news, movies and advertising, to analyze whether this content was chemically correct, to prepare scientific or research questions, to design experiments in order to check in practice the chemical content, to present results as a multimedia presentation. The main goal of this project was to raise interest in the subject among young people and to show the practical applications of chemistry in everyday life. The project was based on the movies and TV series: CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Miami, Bones and MacGyver

Aporte de una perspectiva ética desde el marco de la teoría de Habermas

The purpose of the present work is to make a brief analysis of the recommendations that the Ministry of Education of the Nation currently proposes to use for the elaboration of curricular designs in the institu-tions that train teachers in Physical Education, and develop some ethical considerations from a Ha-bemarsian perspective on the subject, because the observation by the author of the present work, both of the practices in the primary and secondary school establishments of the La Matanza County, (Prov,off Buenos Aires) of public management, as a doctor of the Department of School Health) and as a member of a training institution for physical education teachers (National University of La Matanza), allowed him to observe and raise a disagreement between the new curricular model developed by the Ministry of Education of the Nation and the teaching methodology applied in schools ace of the area mentioned by the teachers of the discipline.El propósito de este trabajo es realizar un breve análisis sobre las recomendaciones que en la actualidad el Ministerio de Educación de la Nación propone utilizar para la elaboración de los diseños curriculares en las instituciones formadoras de profesores en Educación Física, y desarrollar algunas consideraciones éticas desde una perspectiva habemarsiana sobre el tema, debido a que la observación por parte del autor del presente trabajo, tanto de las prácticas en los establecimientos escolares del nivel primario y secundario del Partido de La Matanza, (Provincia de Buenos Aires) de gestión pública, como médico del Departamento de Salud Escolar) y como docente integrante de una institución formadora de profesores de educación física (Universidad Nacional de La Matanza), le permitió observar y plantear, una discordancia entre el nuevo modelo curricular elaborado por el Ministerio de Educación de la Nación y la metodología de enseñanza aplicadas en las escuelas del área mencionada por los docentes de la disciplina

The Impact of Anthropopreassure and Weather Conditions on the Mineral Nitrogen Content in the Organic Soils from Fen Peatlands (Stołowe Mountains, Sw Poland)

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries large peatland areas of the Stołowe Mountains were drained for the forestry use. The aim of the study was to assess the real impact of the natural (climate) and anthropogenic (forestry drainage) factors on the actual nitrogen mineralization in the shallow organic soils in the Stołowe Mountains National Park (SMNP). For the needs of the study, two research transects were established on the fen peatlands located in the central part of the SMNP. Each transect consisted of three sampling plots. The soil samples for the basic soil properties analysis were sampled in April, while undisturbed soil samples for mineral nitrogen were collected in April (spring), July (summer) and October (autumn) to show the seasonal dynamics of nitrogen mineralization. The obtained results revealed that the currently investigated fen peatland soils were rather slightly affected by the drainage network remains. A vast domination of ammonium over the nitrate form observed in the study soils during the growing season might indicate a periodical soil moisture increase limiting the mineralization process. The amount of precipitation and soil moisture had dominant impact on the N mineralization process, especially on the N-NO3 concentrations

Application of Shumann and Joosten classification in fen peatland degradation stage assessment – A case study from southern Poland

The aim of this paper was to assess the degradation stage of fen peatland located in the north-western part of the Opolskie voivodeship in accordance with “peatland degradation stages” classification. Understanding of the current state of peatland will be helpful in the future management and possible restoration. Field survey including vegetation and soil research were carried out in May 2013, soil material for laboratory analysis were collected by using “Instorf” peat sampler from four sampling points. Obtained results allowed to classify the study area (located within a larger peatland complex along the Prosna river valley) to minor stage of degrada- tion, with spontaneous changes in vegetation community and soil cover. Only few species of plants typical for fen peatlands were recorded. Moreover, soil cover research did not confirm mursh forming process, typical for strongly degraded peatland areas. Obtained results may indicate that possible future restoration will bring the expected effect. It is very likely, that fen peatland vegetation will regenerate spontaneously, provided that diaspores of the key peat-forming plant species are available in the soil

Sand Removal from Sandstone Cliffs as the Main Factor Influencing Properties of Organic Soils – a Case Study of Transitional Bog in the Stołowe Mountains

With this paper we investigate the effect of sand contribution to organic soils and direct influence of this process on the physical and physicochemical properties on the example of transitional bog in the Stołowe Mountains (the Central Sudetes), which was periodically covered by sand material from sandstone cliffs weathering. Field survey and soil sampling were conducted in August 2015 in the area of Białe Skały. Soil material for laboratory analysis was collected from three peat cores, while soil samples were collected from each soil horizon distinguished in each core. Obtained results indicate the great impact of mineral material admixture on soil properties, both physicochemical and chemical. Recorded values of each soil parameter in the organic horizons adjacent to the mineral interlayers differ considerably from those obtained in the soil profile free of sand admixtures. Preliminary study of soil cover of transitional bog will allow correct planning of palaeoecological research about genesis and evolution of this peatland.