Odnos između prihvaćanja i razumijevanja teorije evolucije različitih skupina nastavnika

In this paper a comparison is made among various groups of Serbian teachers (kindergarten teachers, primary school teachers, biologists, physicists, chemists) in terms of the following factors: acceptance and the understanding of evolution theory. In order to accomplish the tasks of this paper, the specific questionnaire model with parallel groups of teachers was applied (involving 341 teachers). The aim was to identify and measure differences in those factors among these large groups of teachers. The results show that biology teachers performed better on accepting and understanding the evolution theory in comparison with other groups of teachers. Also, we determined that there is a positive correlation between the acceptance and understanding the evolution theory for all groups of teachers. The findings indicate a necessity to enhance the evolution teaching contents in the Serbian system of education for groups of teachers who participated in this investigation. Modern teaching processes, at all levels of education, should involve adequate didactically prepared evolution teaching contents and courses.U radu je napravljena usporedba različitih skupina nastavnika iz Srbije (odgajatelji, učitelji, nastavnici biologije, fizike i kemije) u pogledu prihvaćanja i razumijevanje teorije evolucije.Primijenjen je model posebnog upitnika s paralelnim skupinama nastavnika (ukupno 341 nastavnik). Cilj je bio utvrditi i izmjeriti razlike. Rezultati pokazuju da nastavnici biologije pokazuju bolje rezultate u prihvaćanju i razumijevanju teorije evolucije u odnosu na druge skupine nastavnika. Utvrdili smo da postoji pozitivna korelacija između prihvaćanja i razumijevanja teorije evolucije za sve skupine nastavnika.Rezultati pokazuju nužnost poboljšanja nastavnog sadržaja evolucije u obrazovnom sustavu Srbije za skupine nastavnika koji su sudjelovali u istraživanju. Moderna nastava na svim razinama obrazovanja treba uključiti odgovarajuće didaktičkie pripremljene nastavne sadržaje i tečajeve o teoriji evolucije

Chelator-free/chelator-mediated radiolabeling of colloidally stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical imaging

The aim of this study was to develop a bioimaging probe based on magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs) surface functionalized with the copolymer (p(MAA-g-EGMA)), which were radiolabeled with the positron emitter Gallium-68. The synthesis of the hybrid MIONs was realized by hydrolytic condensation of a single ferrous precursor in the presence of the copolymer. The synthesized MagP MIONs displayed an average D-h of 87 nm, suitable for passive targeting of cancerous tissues through the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect after intravenous administration, while their particularly high magnetic content ascribes strong magnetic properties to the colloids. Two different approaches were explored to develop MIONs radiolabeled with Ga-68: the chelator-mediated approach, where the chelating agent NODAGA-NHS was conjugated onto the MIONs (MagP-NODAGA) to form a chelate complex with Ga-68, and the chelator-free approach, where Ga-68 was directly incorporated onto the MIONs (MagP). Both groups of NPs showed highly efficient radiolabeling with Ga-68, forming constructs which were stable with time, and in the presence of PBS and human serum. Ex vivo biodistribution studies of [Ga-68]Ga- MIONs showed high accumulation in the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) organs and satisfactory blood retention with time. In vivo PET imaging with [Ga-68]Ga-MagP MIONs was in accordance with the ex vivo biodistribution results. Finally, the MIONs showed low toxicity against 4T1 breast cancer cells. These detailed studies established that [Ga-68]Ga- MIONs exhibit potential for application as tracers for early cancer detection.Web of Science117art. no. 167

Development and validation of a framework for the assessment of school curricula on the presence of evolutionary concepts (FACE)

Evolution is a key concept of biology, fundamental to understand the world and address important societal problems, but research studies show that it is still not widely understood and accepted. Several factors are known to influence evolution acceptance and understanding, but little information is available regarding the impacts of the curriculum on these aspects. Very few curricula have been examined to assess the coverage of biological evolution. The available studies do not allow comparative analyses, due to the different methodologies employed by the authors. However, such an analysis would be useful for research purposes and for the development of appropriate educational policies to address the problem of a lack of evolution acceptance in some countries. In this paper we describe the steps through which we developed a valid and reliable instrument for curricula analysis known as FACE: “Framework to Assess the Coverage of biological Evolution by school curricula.” This framework was developed based on the “Understanding Evolution Conceptual Framework” (UECF). After an initial pilot study, our framework was reformulated based on identified issues and experts’ opinions. To generate validity and reliability evidence in support of the framework, it was applied to four European countries’ curricula. For each country, a team of a minimum of two national and two foreign coders worked independently to assess the curriculum using this framework for content analysis. Reliability evidence was estimated using Krippendorf's alpha and resulted in appropriate values for coding the examined curricula. Some issues that coders faced during the analysis were discussed and, to ensure better reliability for future researchers, additional guidelines and one extra category were included in the framework. The final version of the framework includes six categories and 34 subcategories. FACE is a useful tool for the analysis and the comparison of curricula and school textbooks regarding the coverage of evolution, and such results can guide curricula development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Correction to: Development and validation of a framework for the assessment of school curricula on the presence of evolutionary concepts (FACE)

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Genetic prediction of ICU hospitalization and mortality in COVID-19 patients using artificial neural networks

There is an unmet need of models for early prediction of morbidity and mortality of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). We aimed to a) identify complement-related genetic variants associated with the clinical outcomes of ICU hospitalization and death, b) develop an artificial neural network (ANN) predicting these outcomes and c) validate whether complement-related variants are associated with an impaired complement phenotype. We prospectively recruited consecutive adult patients of Caucasian origin, hospitalized due to COVID-19. Through targeted next-generation sequencing, we identified variants in complement factor H/CFH, CFB, CFH-related, CFD, CD55, C3, C5, CFI, CD46, thrombomodulin/THBD, and A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS13). Among 381 variants in 133 patients, we identified 5 critical variants associated with severe COVID-19: rs2547438 (C3), rs2250656 (C3), rs1042580 (THBD), rs800292 (CFH) and rs414628 (CFHR1). Using age, gender and presence or absence of each variant, we developed an ANN predicting morbidity and mortality in 89.47% of the examined population. Furthermore, THBD and C3a levels were significantly increased in severe COVID-19 patients and those harbouring relevant variants. Thus, we reveal for the first time an ANN accurately predicting ICU hospitalization and death in COVID-19 patients, based on genetic variants in complement genes, age and gender. Importantly, we confirm that genetic dysregulation is associated with impaired complement phenotype.- Pfizer Pharmaceuticals(undefined

Animals in school frame: primary pupils' and teachers notions about animals

The study focuses on Greek Primary School pupils' and teachers' concepts, classifications, values and views about animals. In the concept study, 26 primary school pupils and 10 teachers were interviewed on the meaning of concept "animal", by means of interview about instances technique. Data were analyzed with constant comparative method. Results showed that the meaning of pupils' and teachers' concept "animal" is restricted and anthropocentric. Both pupils and teachers exclude human from animals, pupils also exclude some small invertebrates. The concept's meaning is anthropocentric means that they are making judgments and giving reasons using the human being as a point of reference. In the classification study, for the investigation of biological categories' presence, were used oral oddity tasks (both pupils and teachers) and paper and pencil tasks about personal taxonomies (teachers), that means: forming groups of animals and giving names to the groups formed, sorting an animal out of a given group and sorting an animal into a given group. The study of personal taxonomies was conducted with 108 teachers and student teachers. Results showed that in primary school pupils non-taxonomic categories are predominant. The use of taxonomic groups is significantly higher in teachers, but the meaning and the content of these categories is more similar to Folk Biology categories than to scientific concepts. The influence of anthropocentric thinking is clear in pupils' and teachers' decision making, as they use categories - criteria that are based in entity's relation with human beings and the idea that human beings have ontological differences with animals. In the values and views study the same, as in concept study, pupils and teachers were interviewed on their notions about the use and the protection of the animals. The research tool was a semi-structured interview and data were analyzed again with constant comparative method. In pupils' and teachers' notions, utilitarian values are easily detected, especially in notions concerning farm animals and pets. In contrast to anthropocentric values detected in previous case, notions about wild species are strongly influenced by moralistic and ecological values. Pupils' and teachers' concept "animal" meanings and the related notions are similar with historic ideas like Aristotle's "human as the rule" and the "Great Chain of Being". Additionally the concepts' content and meaning is more similar to Folk Biology's concepts and taxonomies. All this findings have educational implications related to Biology teaching and in Greek Primary School. They also have implications to interdisciplinary projects, like these of Environmental Education.Στην παρούσα εργασία διερευνήθηκαν: α) η σημασία την οποία αποδίδουν παιδιά σχολικής ηλικίας και εκπαιδευτικοί της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης στην έννοια "ζώο" β) Οι επιμέρους ταξινομήσεις των ζώων & αντιλήψεις οι οποίες σχετίζονται με αυτές τις ταξινομήσεις γ) Αντιλήψεις - αξίες σχετιζόμενες με τα ζώα. Η σημασία της έννοιας "ζώο" διερευνήθηκε σε μαθητές και μαθήτριες, 10 και 11 χρόνων, αστικών και αγροτικών Δημοτικών Σχολείων, και σε εκπαιδευτικούς της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης οι οποίοι/ες είχαν ποικίλη διδακτική υπηρεσία. Για τη συλλογή των δεδομένων χρησιμοποιήθηκε η τεχνική της συνέντευξης αναγνώρισης παραδειγμάτων. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων έγινε με τη μέθοδο της διαρκούς σύγκρισης. Τα ευρήματα της μελέτης δείχνουν ότι η σημασία που αποδίδουν παιδιά και εκπαιδευτικοί στην έννοια ζώο, είναι περιορισμένη και ανθρωποκεντρική. Παιδιά και εκπαιδευτικοί εξαιρούν τον άνθρωπο από το εύρος της έννοιας ζώο. Στον ανθρωποκεντρισμό του εύρους της έννοιας ζώο, προστίθεται το ανθρωποκεντρικό πλαίσιο αναφοράς των παιδιών. Επιπλέον παιδιά και εκπαιδευτικοί επικαλούνται ανθρωποκεντρικές κατηγορίες/κριτήρια, για τη λήψη της ταξινομικής τους απόφασης. Η ύπαρξη και η σύνθεση των βιολογικών κατηγοριών διερευνήθηκε με προφορικά έργα τριάδων (παιδιών - εκπαιδευτικών) και γραπτά έργα δόμησης προσωπικών ταξινομήσεων και αναγνώρισης ομοιότητας και διαφοράς. Στα προφορικά έργα συμμετείχαν τα παιδιά και οι εκπαιδευτικοί που συμμετείχαν και στη διερεύνηση της έννοιας "ζώο". Στην περαιτέρω διερεύνηση των ταξινομήσεων των εκπαιδευτικών με γραπτά έργα, συμμετείχαν 108 εκπαιδευτικοί της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης. Τα ευρήματα της έρευνας αποκαλύπτουν: στα παιδιά περιορισμένη παρουσία βιολογικών ταξινομήσεων, στους εκπαιδευτικούς χρήση των βιολογικών ταξινομικών κατηγοριών, το περιεχόμενο των οποίων προσεγγίζει περισσότερο τις λαϊκές βιολογικές κατηγορίες, παρά τις επιστημονικές. Ανθρωποκεντρικές αντιλήψεις επηρεάζουν τις ταξινομικές αποφάσεις, παιδιών και εκπαιδευτικών, οι οποίες βασίζονται σε κατηγορίες - κριτήρια που δηλώνουν τη σχέση των οντοτήτων με τον άνθρωπο όπως και τη διαφορετικότητα του ανθρώπου. Οι αντιλήψεις και οι αξίες οι οποίες αφορούν τη σχέση του ανθρώπου με τα άλλα ζώα, και πιο συγκεκριμένα τη χρήση και την προστασία των ζώων, διερευνήθηκαν στον ίδιο πληθυσμό στον οποίο έγινε και η διερεύνηση της έννοιας. Η συλλογή των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε με ημιδομημένη συνέντευξη και η ανάλυση των δεδομένων και πάλι με τη μέθοδο της διαρκούς σύγκρισης. Στις αντιλήψεις εκπαιδευτικών και παιδιών είναι εμφανέστατες οι χρησιμοθηρικές αντιλήψεις (ωφελιμιστικό επιχείρημα). Κυρίως τα παραγωγικά ζώα, αλλά δεν απουσιάζει και από τις αντιλήψεις που σχετίζονται με τα ζώα συντροφιάς. Αντίθετα με τον ανθρωποκεντρισμό που καταγράφεται στις αντιλήψεις παιδιών και εκπαιδευτικών σε σχέση με τα παραγωγικά ζώα και τα ζώα συντροφιάς, στη σχέση του ανθρώπου με την άγρια ζωή, εμφανίζονται ισχυρά ηθικά, αλλά κυρίως οικολογικά επιχειρήματα, χωρίς όμως να απουσιάζει παντελώς και από αυτά η ανθρωποκεντρική χροιά. Οι σημασιοδοτήσεις και οι αντιλήψεις παιδιών και εκπαιδευτικών παραπέμπουν σε ιστορικές καταγραφές, όπως ο αριστοτελικός "άνθρωπος ως γνωμονικός τύπος" και η "Μεγάλη Αλυσίδα των Όντων". Επιπλέον το περιεχόμενο και οι σημασιοδοτήσεις των εννοιών αντιστοιχεί σ’ εκείνο των λαϊκών βιολογικών εννοιών. Τέλος αναδεικνύεται η αναγκαιότητα εμπλουτισμού των αναλυτικών προγραμμάτων και του διδακτικού υλικού της Βιολογίας, στην Πρωτοβάθμια Εκπαίδευση, με την αξιοποίηση των ευρημάτων της παρουσιαζόμενης έρευνας, όπως και η διεύρυνση της θεματικής των εκπαιδευτικών προγραμμάτων, στα οποία διαχέεται η Βιολογία, μεταξύ των οποίων συγκαταλέγεται και η Περιβαλλοντική Εκπαίδευση

Conceptual ecology of the evolution acceptance among Greek education students: knowledge, religious practices and social influences.

International audienceIn this study, we explored some of the factors related to the acceptance of evolutionary theory among Greek university students training to be teachers in Early Childhood Education, using conceptual ecology for biological evolution as a theoretical framework. We examined the acceptance of evolutionary theory and we also looked into the relationship between the acceptance and parents' educational level, thinking dispositions and frequency of religious practice as independent variables. Students' moderate acceptance of evolutionary theory is positively correlated with the frequency of religious practising and thinking dispositions. Our findings indicate that studying a controversial issue such as the acceptance of evolutionary theory in a multivariate fashion, using conceptual ecology as a theoretical lens to interpret the findings, is informative. They also indicate the differences that exist between societies and how socio-cultural factors such as the nature of religion, as part of the conceptual ecology, influence acceptance of evolution and have an influence on evolution education

Sedimentary facies around a low-standing volcano: micropalaeontological, palaeoecological and structural geology analysis during the pliocene and pleistocene at the Sousaki volcanic centre, Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

Sousaki basin presents composite stratigraphy due to constant alternation of depositional environments and complex tectonics. The purpose of this thesis is to identify and record the stratigraphic sequence of sediments adjacent to the volcanic rocks of the Sousaki volcano and study the factors that affect the evolution of the palaeoenvironment. For this purpose micropalaeontological analysis– mainly by using Ostracodes-and palynological analysis were conducted. Also the chronostratigraphic and tectonic evolution of the study area were examined and sediments rich in organic minerals were analysed. The stratigraphic columns of the studied sections, were constructed and correlated. These consist of alternations of marly sediments, sand layers and conglomerates with intercalations of organic–rich sediments, gypsum layers and diatomites. In order to understand the evolution of Sousaki basin, regional factors that affect the sedimentary environments (lagoonal or continental) –such as magmatism and tectonics- were correlated to known periodic climate changes. The sedimentary sequence is of Gelasian-Calabrian age and shows distinct cyclicity.Η λεκάνη του Σουσακίου παρουσιάζει πολύπλοκη στρωματογραφία εξαιτίας της συνεχούς πλευρικής αλλαγής των περιβαλλόντων απόθεσης και της σύνθετης τεκτονικής. Σκοπός της διατριβής είναι η καταγραφή και εξακρίβωση της στρωματογραφικής ακολουθίας των ιζημάτων που γειτνιάζουν με ομάδα ηφαιστειακών πετρωμάτων που προέρχονται από το ηφαίστειο του Σουσακίου, η ανάλυση των παραγόντων που επηρέασαν το παλαιοπεριβάλλον απόθεσής τους, χρησιμοποιώντας μικροπαλαιοντολογική ανάλυση – με χρήση κυρίως της ομάδας των Οστρακωδών- και παλυνολογική ανάλυση, καθώς και η χρονοστρωματογραφική και τεκτονική ανάλυση της περιοχής μελέτης και η ανάλυση των οργανογενών ιζημάτων. Κατασκευάστηκαν και συσχετίστηκαν οι στρωματογραφικές στήλες των τομών μελέτης, οι οποίες αποτελούνται κυρίως από εναλλαγές μαργαϊκών ιζημάτων, άμμων και κροκαλοπαγών με παρεμβολές οργανογενών ιζημάτων, στρωμάτων γύψου και διατομιτών. Για την κατανόηση της εξέλιξης της λεκάνης του Σουσακίου έγινε προσπάθεια συσχετισμού τοπικών παραγόντων που επηρέασαν τα χερσαία και λιμνοθαλάσσια περιβάλλοντα ιζηματογένεσης -όπως ο μαγματισμός και η τεκτονική- και παραγόντων όπως οι περιοδικές αλλαγές του κλίματος. Τα ιζήματα αυτά έχουν ηλικία Γελάσιο-Κ. Καλάβριο και παρουσιάζουν κυκλικότητα