Hanging Pictures or Searching the Web: Informing the Design of a Decision-Making System that Empowers Teachers to Appropriate Educational Resources to Their School’s Infrastructure

In this paper, we report work in designing a decision-making system that aims to support teachers in appropriating to their practice innovative scenarios that employ uses of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning. To this end, we break down educational scenarios into micro-activities, and connect them to required and alternative infrastructure. We argue that micro-activities is a unit of analysis of educational scenarios that is compatible with the role of teachers as designers who select, decompose, combine, enact and revise different pieces of resources. This paper offers a reflective viewpoint on integrating ICT in existing scenarios and investigates how teaching objectives make use, or not, of the potential of digital technologies

Strategies, methods and tools for managing nanorisks in construction

This paper presents a general overview of the work carried out by European project SCAFFOLD (GA 280535) during its 30 months of life, with special emphasis on risk management component. The research conducted by SCAFFOLD is focused on the European construction sector and considers 5 types of nanomaterials (TiO2, SiO2, carbon nanofibres, cellulose nanofibers and nanoclays), 6 construction applications (Depollutant mortars, selfcompacting concretes, coatings, self-cleaning coatings, fire resistant panels and insulation materials) and 26 exposure scenarios, including lab, pilot and industrial scales. The document focuses on the structure, content and operation modes of the Risk Management Toolkit developed by the project to facilitate the implementation of "nano-management" in construction companies. The tool deploys and integrated approach OHSAS 18001 - ISO 31000 and is currently being validated on 5 industrial case studies.Research carried out by project SCAFFOLD was made possible thanks to funding from the European Commission, through the Seventh Framework Programme (GA 280535

P21-PARP-1 pathway is involved in cigarette smoke-induced lung DNA damage and cellular senescence

Persistent DNA damage triggers cellular senescence, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cigarette smoke (CS)-induced lung diseases. Both p21(CDKN1A) (p21) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) are involved in DNA damage and repair. However, the role of p21-PARP-1 axis in regulating CS-induced lung DNA damage and cellular senescence remains unknown. We hypothesized that CS causes DNA damage and cellular senescence through a p21-PARP-1 axis. To test this hypothesis, we determined the levels of γH2AX (a marker for DNA double-strand breaks) as well as non-homologous end joining proteins (Ku70 and Ku80) in lungs of mice exposed to CS. We found that the level of γH2AX was increased, whereas the level of Ku70 was reduced in lungs of CS-exposed mice. Furthermore, p21 deletion reduced the level of γH2AX, but augmented the levels of Ku70, Ku80, and PAR in lungs by CS. Administration of PARP-1 inhibitor 3-aminobenzamide increased CS-induced DNA damage, but lowered the levels of Ku70 and Ku80, in lungs of p21 knockout mice. Moreover, 3-aminobenzamide increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity, but decreased the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen in mouse lungs in response to CS. Interestingly, 3-aminobenzamide treatment had no effect on neutrophil influx into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by CS. These results demonstrate that the p21-PARP-1 pathway is involved in CS-induced DNA damage and cellular senescence

The use of olive cake by-product in ruminant diets

The Mediterranean countries produce the 98% of olive oil worldwide and generate large quantities of olive byproducts that could be considered as alternative feedstuffs with the intention to reduce both the feeding costs and the environmental impacts associated with waste accumulation. Among these by-products, olive cake (OC) is the most abundant containing nutrients and bioactive compounds that vary according to the cultivation conditions (geographic origin, year, season), the process of oil extraction (three or two phase centrifugation), or form and preservation method (crude, partly-destoned, dried or ensiled). With regards to nutrition, OC has a high fibre content, an attribute that makes its inclusion in ruminant diets as a replacement of forages, particularly useful in areas with roughage scarcity. However, its low protein and energy content, or the seasonal availability, possible rancidity and the need for processing may hinder its regular application. In the present review, data from the literature will be presented from earlier and recent studies conducted in ruminants evaluating the effects of various forms of processed OC on milk yield and composition as well as on the lipid profile of meat, milk and dairy products. Then, the proposed underline mechanisms of OC effects on intake, ruminal fermentation, metabolism and milk and dairy products quality will be discussed, suggesting possible ways of this by-product utilisation in ruminant diets

The use of olive cake by-product in ruminant diets

The Mediterranean countries produce the 98% of olive oil worldwide and generate large quantities of olive byproducts that could be considered as alternative feedstuffs with the intention to reduce both the feeding costs and the environmental impacts associated with waste accumulation. Among these by-products, olive cake (OC) is the most abundant containing nutrients and bioactive compounds that vary according to the cultivation conditions (geographic origin, year, season), the process of oil extraction (three or two phase centrifugation), or form and preservation method (crude, partly-destoned, dried or ensiled). With regards to nutrition, OC has a high fibre content, an attribute that makes its inclusion in ruminant diets as a replacement of forages, particularly useful in areas with roughage scarcity. However, its low protein and energy content, or the seasonal availability, possible rancidity and the need for processing may hinder its regular application. In the present review, data from the literature will be presented from earlier and recent studies conducted in ruminants evaluating the effects of various forms of processed OC on milk yield and composition as well as on the lipid profile of meat, milk and dairy products. Then, the proposed underline mechanisms of OC effects on intake, ruminal fermentation, metabolism and milk and dairy products quality will be discussed, suggesting possible ways of this by-product utilisation in ruminant diets

A 1.9 mW 250 MHz Bandwidth Continuous-Time ΣΔ Modulator for Ultra-Wideband Applications

This paper proposes an architecture design approach for a wideband continuous-time (CT) ΣΔ modulator with ultra-low oversampling ratio (OSR). The ultra-low OSR is beneficial in terms of power consumption for both the clock distribution network and the subsequent decimation filter. In this work, three signal feedforward paths and an additional feedback path are used to reduce the power consumption. Extensive system-level simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions. Furthermore, this work verifies the proposed methods by transistor-level design and simulations of a 2 GHz 4th-order CT ΣΔ modulator achieving an SNDR of 46 dB in a signal band of 250 MHz while consuming only 1.91 mW of power in 40 nm CMOS. The proposed solutions enable CT ΣΔ modulators for low power ultra-wideband (UWB) applications

Hanging Pictures or Searching the Web

Part 3: Teachers’ Education and Professional DevelopmentInternational audienceIn this paper, we report work in designing a decision-making system that aims to support teachers in appropriating to their practice innovative scenarios that employ uses of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning. To this end, we break down educational scenarios into micro-activities, and connect them to required and alternative infrastructure. We argue that micro-activities is a unit of analysis of educational scenarios that is compatible with the role of teachers as designers who select, decompose, combine, enact and revise different pieces of resources. This paper offers a reflective viewpoint on integrating ICT in existing scenarios and investigates how teaching objectives make use, or not, of the potential of digital technologies