A Professional Community of Science Teachers and Researchers for Enacting Change in Classroom Assessment

This paper aims to specify conditions that seem fruitful for enacting change in schools. It addresses a project involving teachers from lower secondary and primary schools. The project aims to develop formative assessment within science inquiry-based teaching methods. The elements underpinning this project are described. The effects on teacher conceptions and practices are shown. Data results from an analysis of the project material and of focus groups with the teachers involved. The methodology is based on the activity theory framework. The results are aligned with other research that showed how fruitful it is to involve teachers within cooperative settings where they can reflect about specific professional questions and tackle complex problems with other colleagues, researchers and teacher educators from university

Artificial Keys to the Genera of Living Stalked Crinoids (Echinodermata)

Two practical, illustrated, dichotomous keys to the 29 genera of living stalked crinoids are provided: one for entire animals and one for stalk ossicles and fragments. These are accompanied by (1) an overview of taxonomically important morphology, and (2) an alphabetical list by family and genus of the ∼95 nominal living species and their distribution by region. This is the first compilation of such data for all living stalked crinoids since Carpenter (1884) recognized 27 species in six genera in his monograph based on the H.M.S. CHALLENGER Expedition collection

Revision of the Pentacrinid Stalked Crinoids of the Genus Endoxocrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea), with a Study of Environmental Control of Characters and Its Consequences for Taxonomy

A revision of the stalked crinoid species attributed to the genus Endoxocrinus A.H. Clark, 1908 (Diplocrininae, Pentacrinitidae, Crinoidea, Echinodermata) is conducted using studies on phenotype variation and its relation with environment. Specimens collected via submersible at five sites in the Bahamas exhibit distinct phenotypes that correlate with different apparent ecological niches and serve as references for interpreting specimens dredged in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans where detailed information on their benthic environment is unknown. Documentation of ecophenotypic convergences or divergences allows us to distinguish between adaptive characters and those revealing genetic affinities, and to discuss allopatric evolution and bathymetric zonation. The results suggest the following taxonomy: the genus Endoxocrinus is subdivided into two subgenera, i.e., Endoxocrinus A.H. Clark, 1908 and Diplocrinus Döderlein, 1912 (Annacrinus A. H. Clark, 1923 becomes a junior synonym of Diplocrinus); the subgenus Endoxocrinus is monospecific with E. (E.) parrae [Gervais (in Guérin, 1835)] from the western tropical Atlantic; the subgenus Diplocrinus includes E. (D.) alternicirrus (Carpenter, 1882) from the western and central Pacific, E. (D.) maclearanus (Thomson, 1872) from the western tropical Atlantic, and E. (D.) wyvillethomsoni (Jeffreys, 1870) from the northeastern Atlantic. Endoxocrinus (E.) parrae includes three subspecies adapted to different habitats and depths: E. (E.) parrae parrae usually in 154–518 m with moderate to high current velocity and moderate turbulence to laminar flow, E. (E.) parrae carolinae (A.H. Clark, 1934) in 504–724 m with moderate current velocity and high turbulence, and E. (E.) parrae prionodes H.L. Clark, 1941 in 402–832 m with high current velocity in laminar flow. E. (D.) alternicirrus includes two subspecies, E. (D.) alternicirrus alternicirrus in 625–1476 m and E. (D.) alternicirrus sibogae (Döderlein, 1907) usually in 364–800 m. E. (D.) maclearanus has a depth range of 432–878 m and occurs as a dwarf variety minimus n. var. in high current velocities and high turbulence. E. (D.) wyvillethomsoni from depths of 1214–2070 m lives on various substrates under a variety of hydrodynamic conditions

Overexpression, purification and characterization of a hexahistidine-tagged recombinant extended nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) of the Cryptosporidium parvum CpABC3 for rational drug design

International audienceIts natural resistance to antiprotozoal chemotherapy characterizes the intestinal protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum and the P-glycoprotein-related multidrug resistance proteins such as CpABC3 could be involved. In order to design and study specific inhibitors of the CpABC3 nucleotide-binding domain, a hexahistidine-tagged recombinant protein encompassing the N-terminal cytosolic NBD1 domain was over-expressed in E. coli and purified. The 45 kDa H6-NBD1 displayed intrinsic fluorescent properties consistent with the presence of two Trp residues in a hydrophobic environment. The binding of ATP and the fluorescent analogue TNP-ATP produced a dose-dependent quenching as well as progesterone and the flavone quercetin. The extrinsic fluorescence of TNP-ATP was enhanced upon binding to H6-NBD1, which was only partially displaced by the natural substrate ATP. The recombinant protein hydrolyzed ATP (K m = 145.4 ± 18.2 M), but ADP (K m = 4.3 ± 0.6 mM) and AMP (K m = 5.4 ± 1.5 M) were also substrates. TNP-ATP is a competitive inhibitor of the catalytic activity (K i = 36.6 ± 4.5 M), but quercetin and progesterone were not inhibitors, evidencing different binding sites. The recombinant C. parvum H6-NBD1 should be a valuable tool for rational drug design and will allow the discrimination between specific inhibitors of the catalytic site and molecules binding to other sites

Generating 3D volumetric meshes of internal and external fruit structure

International audienceTwo essential functions in determining fruit quality are the transport and accumulation of water and dry matter to various fruit tissues. Since water and carbon are delivered to fruit tissues through a complex vasculature system, the internal fruit structure and pattern of vasculature may have a significant impact on their distribution within the fruit. The aim of this work is to provide methods for generating fruit structure that can be integrated with models of fruit function and used to investigate such effects. To this end, we have developed a modelling pipeline in the OpenAlea platform that involves two steps: (1) generating a 3D volumetric mesh representation of the entire fruit, and (2) generating a complex network of vasculature that is embedded within this mesh. To create the 3D volumetric mesh, we use reconstruction algorithms from the 3D mesh generation package of the Computational Geometry Algorithms Library. To generate the pattern of vasculature within this volumetric mesh, we use an algorithmic approach from PlantScan3D software that was designed to reconstruct tree architecture from laser scanner data. We have applied our modelling pipeline to generate the internal and external geometry of a cherry tomato fruit using Magnetic Resonance Imaging data as input. These kinds of applications of our pipeline demonstrate its ability to create species-specific models of fruit structure with relatively low effort. In another work, the volumetric meshes will be combined with models of function to form integrative computational fruit models, which will help to investigate the effects of fruit structure on quality

Model-assisted estimation of the genetic variability of tomato growth physiological parameters under contrasted water conditions

Model-assisted estimation of the genetic variability of tomato growth physiological parameters under contrasted water conditions. SEB Gothenburg 201

Carbon footprint and emergy combination for eco-environmental assessment of cleaner heat production

cited By (since 1996)0; Article in PressInternational audienceThe aim of this paper is to study via environmental indicators to which extent, replacing fossil fuel with biomass for heating is an environmentally friendly solution. The environmental impact of using biomass depends mostly on the transportation process. Authors define the notion of maximum supply distance, beyond which biomass transportation becomes too environmentally intensive compared to a fossil fuel fired heating system. In this work a carbon footprint analysis and an emergy evaluation, has been chosen to study the substitution of wood for natural gas. The comparative study seeks to examine, via the two approaches, two heating systems: one is fired with wood, transported by trucks and the other one is fired with natural gas transported by pipelines. The results are expressed in terms of maximum supply distance of wood. In the emergy evaluation it represents the maximum supply distance permitting wood to be more emergy saving than natural gas. In the carbon footprint analysis, it represents the maximum supply distance permitting wood to be a carbon saving alternative to natural gas. Furthermore, the unification of carbon footprint and emergy evaluation permits to define, for both approaches, the minimum theoretical wood burner first law efficiency that allows, CO 2 or emergy to be saved, when there is no wood transport. In order to identify the impacts of the main parameters of the study a sensitivity analysis has been carried out. The case study investigated in this paper shows that there is a large gap between the results. The maximum supply distances calculated via carbon footprint and emergy evaluation are about 5000 km and 1000 km, respectively, anthe minimum theoretical wood burner efficiencies are about 5% and 54%, respectively. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Impact of a methadone maintenance program on an Aboriginal community: a qualitative study

Abstract: Background: Methadone maintenance treatment programs implemented in Aboriginal communities have proven to be beneficial for the control of opioid addiction and its associated consequences, but the perceptions and opinions of different community members about these programs remain elusive. The goal of this study was to determine the perceptions of members of a First Nation community in New Brunswick, Canada, on the implementation of a methadone maintenance treatment program and its effects on the community. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured focus group discussions with 3 distinct groups composed of health care professionals and influential community members, patients in the methadone maintenance treatment program and community members at large. Thematic analysis of discussion transcripts was performed. Results: A total of 22 partipants were included in the 3 focus groups. All groups of participants expressed that patients in the program are stigmatized and marginalized. Discussions also revealed widespread misconceptions about the program. Participants associated the program with improvements in community-level outcomes and in parenting abilities of patients, but also with difficulties preserving family unity. Interpretation: Despite being culturally adapted to the community, elements surrounding the methadone maintenance treatment program in this First Nation community appear to be misunderstood and stigmatized. It may be beneficial to provide community education on these programs to assure community buy-in for the successful implementation of harm reduction programs in Aboriginal communities