Subliminal galvanic-vestibular stimulation influences ego- and object-centred components of visual neglect

Neglect patients show contralesional deficits in egocentric and object-centred visuospatial tasks. The extent to which these different phenomena are modulated by sensory stimulation remains to be clarified. Subliminal galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) induces imperceptible, polarity-specific changes in the cortical vestibular systems without the unpleasant side effects (nystagmus, vertigo) induced by caloric vestibular stimulation. While previous studies showed vestibular stimulation effects on egocentric spatial neglect phenomena, such effects were rarely demonstrated in object-centred neglect. Here, we applied bipolar subsensory GVS over the mastoids (mean intensity: 0.7. mA) to investigate its influence on egocentric (digit cancellation, text copying), object-centred (copy of symmetrical figures), or both (line bisection) components of visual neglect in 24 patients with unilateral right hemisphere stroke. Patients were assigned to two patient groups (impaired vs. normal in the respective task) on the basis of cut-off scores derived from the literature or from normal controls. Both groups performed all tasks under three experimental conditions carried out on three separate days: (a) sham/baseline GVS where no electric current was applied, (b) left cathodal/right anodal (CL/AR) GVS and (c) left anodal/right cathodal (AL/CR) GVS, for a period of 20. min per session. CL/AR GVS significantly improved line bisection and text copying whereas AL/CR GVS significantly ameliorated figure copying and digit cancellation. These GVS effects were selectively observed in the impaired- but not in the unimpaired patient group. In conclusion, subliminal GVS modulates ego- and object-centred components of visual neglect rapidly. Implications for neurorehabilitation are discussed

Teaching Music Theory and History with Collaborative Awareness

The disciplines of music history and music theory are integrally linked: One cannot be studied without the other. Courses in these disciplines are at the core of many undergraduate music degree programs, and upon completing a graduate degree in music at Andrews University, students are expected to demonstrate the ability to synthesize their knowledge in both disciplines. The path towards successfully teaching these skills of synthesis involves awareness and collaboration between teachers in both disciplines, and it involves active inclusion of students’ own choices and goals in the music they study

A geometric model of tube categories

We give a geometric model for a tube category in terms of homotopy classes of oriented arcs in an annulus with marked points on its boundary. In particular, we interpret the dimensions of extension groups of degree 1 between indecomposable objects in terms of negative geometric intersection numbers between corresponding arcs, giving a geometric interpretation of the description of an extension group in the cluster category of a tube as a symmetrized version of the extension group in the tube. We show that a similar result holds for finite dimensional representations of the linearly oriented quiver of type A-double-infinity.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures. Discussion of maximal rigid objects and triangulations at end of Section 3. Minor correction

Serological demonstration and manipulation of passenger cells (PC) in pancreas islet grafts

No abstract availabl

Categorification of a frieze pattern determinant

Broline, Crowe and Isaacs have computed the determinant of a matrix associated to a Conway-Coxeter frieze pattern. We generalise their result to the corresponding frieze pattern of cluster variables arising from the Fomin-Zelevinsky cluster algebra of type A. We give a representation-theoretic interpretation of this result in terms of certain configurations of indecomposable objects in the root category of type A.Comment: 14 pages; 8 figures. Sections 1-3 rewritten, postponing the cluster interpretation until Section 3. Minor correction

Potential increasing dominance of heterotrophy in the global ocean

Autotrophy is largely resource-limited in the modern ocean. Paleo evidence indicates this was not necessarily the case in warmer climates, and modern observations as well as standard metabolic theory suggest continued ocean warming could shift global ecology towards heterotrophy, thereby reducing autotrophic nutrient limitation. Such a shift would entail strong nutrient recycling in the upper ocean and high rates of net primary production (NPP), yet low carbon export to the deep ocean and sediments. We demonstrate transition towards such a state in the early 22nd century as a response to business-as-usual representative concentration pathway forcing (RCP8.5) in an intermediate complexity Earth system model in three configurations; with and without an explicit calcifier phytoplankton class and calcite ballast model. In all models nutrient regeneration in the near-surface becomes an increasingly important driver of primary production. The near-linear relationship between changes in NPP and global sea surface temperature (SST) found over the 21st century becomes exponential above a 2–4${\;}^{\circ }{\rm{C}}$ global mean SST change. This transition to a more heterotrophic ocean agrees roughly with metabolic theory

Nachhaltige Landschaftsentwicklung an Hoch-/Schulen fördern - Ein Umsetzungsbeispiel im Studiengang Primarstufe

Ausgangslage: Die Geographiedidaktik, insbesondere in der Primarschule, setzt einen Schwerpunkt auf ganzheitlich vermittelte Mensch-Umwelt Beziehungen (Integrated Studies). Deshalb sind Landschaftswandel und nachhaltige Raumentwicklung Studieninhalt im schweizerischen Lehrplan 21 sowie in der Lehrer:innenbildung. Studierende des Lehramtes Primarstufe zeigen jedoch kurz vor Abschluss des Studiums ein unzureichendes fachliches und fachdidaktisches Raumverständnis. Ihre künftigen Schüler:innen lernen v. a. Räume zu betrachten im Sinne von Anschauen und Dinge verorten, jedoch weniger über die Zukunft oder Wechselwirkungen zwischen Menschen und Raum/Umwelt nachzudenken. Erschwerend für die fachdidaktische Lehre erweist sich die knappe Ausbildungszeit – in der Schweiz ein Bachelorstudium – sowie fehlende spezifische Lernmaterialien für die Primarschule. Deshalb entwickelten Forschende der Pädagogischen Hochschulen Zürich (PHZH) und Waadtland (HEP Vaud) und der Universitäten Zürich (UZH) und Lausanne (UNIL) unter Einbezug weiterer Partner:innen verschiedene Open Educational Resources (frei zugängliche Lehr-Lernmaterialien), welche auf den Wissens-Plattformen www.landschaftswissen.ch bzw. www.penser-le-paysage.ch auf Deutsch und Französisch abrufbar sind. Diese Materialien fördern ein aktiv teilhabendes und zukunftsorientiertes Raumverständnis auf der Ebene (künftiger) Lehrpersonen und auf der Ebene Primarschule. Entwicklungsprojekte: Die neu entwickelten Lehr-Lernmaterialien bestehen aus einer Wissensplattform (www.landschaftswissen.ch) mit Informationsbroschüre für Lehrpersonen, dem Bilderbuch «Ich entdecke Landschaften» für die Jahrgangsstufen 3-6, welches online und als Printversion verfügbar ist, sowie dazugehörende Lehr-Lernmaterialien und zahlreiche Links zu fachlichen Grundlagen. Die fachdidaktische Qualitätssicherung erfolgt durch eine innovative Zusammenarbeit in Form von zweimaligen Rückmelderunden aus Praxis, Fachdidaktik und Fachwissenschaft. Die multimedial gestalteten Lernmaterialien gelten gemäss Lernpsychologie als besonders geeignet, um klare kognitive Strukturen aufzubauen. Das Projekt wird von der PHZH und HEP Vaud geleitet und fachlich von den geographischen Instituten der UZH und UNIL begleitet. Finanziell beteiligen sich die beiden Pädagogischen Hochschulen, das schweizerische Bundesamt für Umwelt BAFU, éducation21 (das schweizerische Kompetenzzentrum für BNE) sowie die Ernst Göhner Stiftung. Umsetzung in der fachdidaktischen Lehre: Umgesetzt wird die Idee des didaktischen Doppeldeckers – Studierende beschäftigen sich mit dem Inhalt als Lernende und als künftige Lehrpersonen – sowie ein lernförderlich hoher Anteil an Eigenaktivitäten in der fachdidaktischen Lehre der PHZH. Studierende des Lehramtes Primarstufe (n=46) werden direkt mit den neu entwickelten Lehr-Lernmaterialien für die Primarschule konfrontiert, setzen sich damit in Gruppen auseinander und präsentieren ihre Zusammenfassungen. Beabsichtigt wird ein «doppelter» Lernzuwachs bei den Studierenden: Einerseits bauen sie gezieltes und leicht zugängliches (elementarisiertes) Fachwissen auf, andererseits erhalten sie konkrete fachdidaktische Hinweise bezüglich Umsetzung mit Lehrplanbezügen, Zielen, Unterrichtsverläufen, Lernmaterialien und Beurteilung. Beobachtungen: Die Intervention ist erfolgreich: Die beobachteten und befragten Studierenden zeigen sich interessiert. Sie schätzen die neu entwickelten Lehr-Lernmaterialien für die Primarstufe als sehr hilfreich ein, begrüssen den hohen Anteil an Eigenaktivitäten und wünschen sich noch mehr Fachwissen sowie Hinweise zur Lernbegleitung. Diskussion: Das Konzept des didaktischen Doppeldeckers bewährt sich als effizientes Format. Erfolgsversprechend für die Implementierung im (künftigen) Sachunterricht der Studierenden sind Open Educational Resources in Form von sorgfältig elementarisierten und didaktisch hochwertig aufbereiteten Lehr-Lernmaterialien der Zielstufe. Um die Mündigkeit der Studierenden im Bereich Mensch-Umwelt-Beziehungen gezielter zu fördern, bräuchte es zusätzlich zur erfolgten fachlichen und fachdidaktischen Vermittlung kritische Reflexionen im Sinne einer emanzipatorischen Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung. Das gewünschte zusätzliche domänenspezifische Wissen sowie die Arbeit an einem kritisch-emanzipatorischen Bildungsverständnis benötigen mehr Ausbildungszeit (ein Master-Studium). Initial situation: The didactics of geography, especially in elementary school, focuses on integrated studies of human-environment relations. Therefore, landscape change and sustainable spatial development are part of the Swiss “curric-ulum 21” for elementary schools as well as of teacher training. Students of primary education teacher training, however, show an insufficient understanding of space in terms of subject and subject didactics shortly before completing their studies. Their future pupils learn mainly to look at spaces in the sense of looking at and locating things, but less to think about the future or interactions between people and space/environment. The short period of education -in Switzerland a bachelor's degree -as well as the lack of specific learning materials for the elementary school are com-plicating the subject didactic teaching. Therefore, researchers from the Universities of Teacher Education in Zurich (PHZH) and Vaud (HEP Vaud) and from the Universities of Zurich (UZH) and Lausanne (UNIL), together with other partners, developed various Open Educational Resources (freely accessible teaching and learning materials), which are available on the knowledge platforms www.landschaftswissen.chand www.penser-le-paysage.chin German and French, respectively. These materials promote an actively participatory and future-oriented understanding of space at the level of (future) teachers and at the level of elementary school.Development projects: The newly developed teaching-learning materials consist of a knowledge platform (www.land-schaftswissen.ch) with an information brochure for teachers, the picture book "Ich entdecke Landschaften" (I discover landscapes) for grades 3-6, which is available online and in print, as well as associated teaching-learning materials and numerous links to subject-specific basics. The quality assurance tookplace through an innovative cooperation in the form of two rounds of feedback from practice, didactics and science. According to learning psychology, the multimedia learning materials are particularly suitable for building clear cognitive structures. The project is led by the PHZH and HEP Vaud and technically accompanied by the departments of geography of the UZH and UNIL. The two universities of teacher education, the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, éducation21 (the Swiss competence center for Education for Sustainable Development) as well as the Ernst Göhner Foundation are participating financially.Implementation in teaching: Theidea of the “didactic double-decker” is implemented: Students deal with the con-tent as learners and as future teachers -as well as a learning-promoting high proportion of self-activities in teaching at the PHZH. Students of the teaching profession elementary school (n=46) are directly confronted with the newly developed teaching-learning materials for elementary school, deal with them in groups and present their summaries. The intention is a "double" learning gain for the students: On the one hand, they build up targeted and easily accessible (elementary) subject knowledge; on the other hand, they receive concrete subject-didactic advice regarding implemen-tation with curriculum references, objectives, teaching procedures, learning materials and assessment. Observations: The intervention is successful: The observed and interviewed students show interest. They rate the newly developed teaching-learning materials for elementary school as very helpful, welcome the high proportion of self-activities and wish for even more expertise as well as guidance on learning.Discussion: The concept of the didactic double-decker proves to be an efficient format. Open Educational Resources in the form of carefully elementarized and didactically high-quality prepared teaching-learning materials of the target level are promising for the implementation in the (future) subject teaching ofthe students. In order to promote the students' maturity in the area of human-environment relations in a more targeted way, critical reflections in the sense of an emancipatory education for sustainable development would be needed in addition to the subject-specific and subject-didactic teaching that has already taken place. The desired additional domain-specific knowledge as well as the work on a critical-emancipatory understanding of education require more training time (a master's program)

Zum Stand der ergänzenden Hilfen zur Erziehung

Seit einigen Jahren wird in der Schweiz zunehmend die Bezeichnung «Ergänzende Hilfen zur Erziehung» als Sammelbegriff für ambulante und (teil-)stationäre Leistungen für vulnerable Kinder, Jugendliche und deren Familien verwendet. Der Begriff erscheint auch in kantonalen Gesetzesinitiativen und Entwicklungsprojekten. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird hier den Fragen nachgegangen: Inwieweit und wie haben sich die ergänzenden Hilfen zur Erziehung mittlerweile etabliert? Tragen die kantonalen Initiativen und Entwicklungen dazu bei, Strukturprobleme der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe abzuschwächen

Age Affects Quantity but Not Quality of Antibody Responses after Vaccination with an Inactivated Flavivirus Vaccine against Tick-Borne Encephalitis

The impairment of immune functions in the elderly (immunosenescence) results in post-vaccination antibody titers that are significantly lower than in young individuals. It is, however, a controversial question whether also the quality of antibodies declines with age. In this study, we have therefore investigated the age-dependence of functional characteristics of antibody responses induced by vaccination with an inactivated flavivirus vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). For this purpose, we quantified TBE virus-specific IgG and neutralizing antibody titers in post-vaccination sera from groups of young and elderly healthy adults and determined antibody avidities and NT/ELISA titer ratios (functional activity). In contrast to the quantitative impairment of antibody production in the elderly, we found no age-related differences in the avidity and functional activity of antibodies induced by vaccination, which also appeared to be independent of the age at primary immunization. There was no correlation between antibody avidity and NT/ELISA ratios suggesting that additional factors affect the quality of polyclonal responses, independent of age. Our work indicates that healthy elderly people are able to produce antibodies in response to vaccination with similar avidity and functional activity as young individuals, albeit at lower titers