Culture shapes preschoolers’ emotion recognition but not emotion comprehension: a cross-cultural study in Germany and Singapore

Contemporary approaches suggest that emotions are shaped by culture. Children growing up in different cultures experience culture-specific emotion socialization practices. As a result, children growing up in Western societies (e.g., US or UK) rely on explicit, semantic information, whereas children from East Asian cultures (e.g., China or Japan) are more sensitive towards implicit, contextual cues when confronted with others’ emotions. The aim of the present study was to investigate two aspects of preschoolers’ emotion understanding (emotion recognition and emotion comprehension) in a cross-cultural setting. To this end, Singaporean and German preschoolers were tested with an emotion recognition task employing European-American and East Asian child’s faces and the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC; Pons et al., 2004). In total, 129 German and Singaporean preschoolers (mean age 5.34 years) participated. Results indicate that preschoolers were able to recognize emotions of child’s faces above chance level. In line with previous findings, Singaporean preschoolers were more accurate in recognizing emotions from facial stimuli compared to German preschoolers. Accordingly, Singaporean preschoolers outperformed German preschoolers in the Recognition component of the TEC. The overall performance in TEC did not differ between the two samples. Findings of this study provide further evidence that emotion understanding is culturally shaped in accordance with culture-specific emotion socialization practices

Ice thickness distribution and hydrothermal structure of Elfenbeinbreen and Sveigbreen, eastern Spitsbergen, Svalbard

In recent decades, Svalbard glaciers have been widely radioecho sounded. The earliest extensive surveys of ice thickness were the airborne echo soundings carried out in the 1970s and 1980s (Macheret and Zhuravlev, 1982; Dowdeswell and others, 1984). These studies used low-accuracy radar and positioning systems and mostly consisted of a single profile along the centre line of each glacier. Subsequent radar campaigns, mostly ground-based but sometimes also airborne, used increasingly improved radar and positioning systems providing a wider coverage of the glacier surfaces by radar profiles. A complete summary of glaciers on Svalbard with readily available radio-echo sounded ice-thickness data can be found in Martín-Español and others (2015)

Aspergillus niger Spores Are Highly Resistant to Space Radiation

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is one of the main contaminants of the International Space Station (ISS). It forms highly pigmented, airborne spores that have thick cell walls and low metabolic activity, enabling them to withstand harsh conditions and colonize spacecraft surfaces. Whether A. niger spores are resistant to space radiation, and to what extent, is not yet known. In this study, spore suspensions of a wild-type and three mutant strains (with defects in pigmentation, DNA repair, and polar growth control) were exposed to X-rays, cosmic radiation (helium- and iron-ions) and UV-C (254 nm). To assess the level of resistance and survival limits of fungal spores in a long-term interplanetary mission scenario, we tested radiation doses up to 1000 Gy and 4000 J/m2. For comparison, a 360-day round-trip to Mars yields a dose of 0.66 ± 0.12 Gy. Overall, wild-type spores of A. niger were able to withstand high doses of X-ray (LD90 = 360 Gy) and cosmic radiation (helium-ion LD90 = 500 Gy; and iron-ion LD90 = 100 Gy). Drying the spores before irradiation made them more susceptible toward X-ray radiation. Notably, A. niger spores are highly resistant to UV-C radiation (LD90 = 1038 J/m2), which is significantly higher than that of other radiation-resistant microorganisms (e.g., Deinococcus radiodurans). In all strains, UV-C treated spores (1000 J/m2) were shown to have decreased biofilm formation (81% reduction in wild-type spores). This study suggests that A. niger spores might not be easily inactivated by exposure to space radiation alone and that current planetary protection guidelines should be revisited, considering the high resistance of fungal spores

Learning physics in the context of linguistic diversity

In diesem Beitrag wird das Forschungsprojekt „Physikunterricht im Kontext sprachlicher Diversität“ (PhyDiv) vorgestellt. Dieses zielt darauf ab, exemplarisch für den Physikunterricht Unterrichtsansätze zu entwickeln und zu evaluieren, die die sprachliche Zusammensetzung von Lerngruppen besonders berücksichtigen. Untersucht werden soll die Frage, ob und unter welchen Bedingungen eine sprachförderliche Gestaltung des Fachunterrichts sowie der systematische Einbezug vorhandener mehrsprachiger Fähigkeiten in den Unterricht den fachlichen Lernerfolg von Schüler*innen im Fach Physik unterstützen. Dazu wird im Rahmen einer experimentellen Interventionsstudie qualitätsvoller Physikunterricht zum physikalischen Basiskonzept „Energie“ in drei Unterrichtsvarianten entwickelt und durchgeführt. In der ersten Interventionsvariante wird fachliches Lernen mit sprachlichem Lernen durch sprachexpliziten Fachunterricht (SEU) verknüpft. In der zweiten Interventionsvariante wird der sprachexplizite Fachunterricht um das Merkmal „Mehrsprachigkeit“ erweitert (SEUM). Zwei- oder mehrsprachige Lernende werden dazu angeregt, ihre herkunftssprachlichen Kompetenzen in bestimmten Unterrichtsphasen aktiv einzusetzen. Eine Kontrollgruppe erhält Physikunterricht, in dem sprachliches Lernen nicht explizit berücksichtigt wird (K). Das Projekt soll Grundlagen für die Entwicklung von Unterricht liefern, der zur Verbesserung des Lernerfolgs lebensweltlich mehrsprachiger Schüler*innen und einsprachig deutscher Lernender mit geringen bildungssprachlichen Fähigkeiten beiträgt. (DIPF/Orig.)This contribution introduces the research project “Physics Education in the Context of Linguistic Diversity” (PhyDiv). The aim of the project is to develop and evaluate teaching approaches that consider the linguistic composition of learners in a classroom. The question to be investigated is whether and under what conditions a language-supportive lesson design with a focus on academic language and the systematic integration of pupils’ multilingual skills in teaching support the subject-related learning success of pupils in physics. For this purpose, three variants of high-quality physics lessons on the basic concept of “energy” have been developed and implemented as part of an experimental intervention study. In the first intervention variant, subject and language learning are combined through so-called language-explicit instruction (SEU). In the second intervention variant, language-explicit subject teaching is extended by the inclusion of multilingualism (SEUM): Multilingual learners are encouraged to actively use their home language in certain phases of the lesson. A control group (K) received physics lessons in which language was not explicitly addressed. The project aims to provide a basis for the development of teaching strategies that can contribute to the improvement of the learning success of multilingual pupils and monolingual German learners with low(er) academic language skills. (DIPF/Orig.

Проект системы теплоснабжения рабочего цеха АО "КМЗ" г. Кемерово

Объектом исследования является рабочий цех АО «КМЗ». Цель работы – разработка системы теплоснабжения цеха с подбором отопительного оборудования. Температурный график – 90/70 оС. В процессе исследования проводилось изучении ограждающих конструкций здания, климатические характеристики района строительства. В результате исследования был произведен теплотехнический расчет ограждающих конструкций, расчет тепловых потерь для цеха. На основании произведенных расчетов разработан план и аксонометрическая схема системы отопления, проведен тепловой расчет отопительный приборов и гидравлический расчет системы отопления. Произведен подбор отопительного оборудования, расчет теплового баланса котельного агрегата.The object of the research is the working plant of JSC "KMZ". The work purpose – development of system of a heat supply plant with the selection of heating equipment. Temperature chart – 90/70 operating system. In the process the study was conducted the study of the building envelope, climatic characteristics of the construction area. The study was produced by the thermal design of building envelopes, heat loss calculation for the shop. On the basis of the calculations developed a plan and axonometric scheme of the heating system carried out thermal design of heaters and hydraulic calculation of the heating system. Promoted the selection of heating equipment, the calculation of the heat balance boiler unit

Impact of axial active magnetic bearing stiffness coefficient on resonance frequencies of reaction wheel rotor

Разработана математическая модель системы «ротор - электромагнитные подшипники» для электродвигателя-маховика системы ориентации и стабилизации космического аппарата. Модель учитывает собственные частоты изгибных колебаний ротора и коэффициенты жесткости электромагнитных подшипников. Предложен способ повышения угловой жесткости системы путем применения многополюсного осевого электромагнитного подшипника и рассмотрено влияние его коэффициента жесткости на собственные частоты системы.The paper presents the mathematical model of «rotor - active magnetic bearings» system for reaction wheel used in spacecraft attitude control system. Developed model consider the natural frequencies of rotor bending oscillations and stiffness parameters of electromagnetic bearing. Method of angular stiffness increasing by using multipolar axial magnetic bearing is suggested and the results of impact analysis of multipolar axial magnetic bearing stiffness on resonance frequencies of system is considered

Evaluating Depressive Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Psychometric Comparison of the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

Background: The aim of this study was to compare two measures of depression in patients with schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorder, including patients with delusional and schizoaffective disorder, to conclude implications for their application. Sampling and Methods: A total of 278 patients were assessed using the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was also applied. At admission and discharge, a principal component analysis was performed with each depression scale. The two depression rating scales were furthermore compared using correlation and regression analyses. Results: Three factors were revealed for the CDSS and HAMD-17 factor component analysis. A very similar item loading was found for the CDSS at admission and discharge, whereas results of the loadings of the HAMD-17 items were less stable. The first two factors of the CDSS revealed correlations with positive, negative and general psychopathology. In contrast, multiple significant correlations were found for the HAMD-17 factors and the PANSS sub-scores. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the HAMD-17 accounted more for the positive and negative symptom domains than the CDSS. Conclusions:The present results suggest that compared to the HAMD-17, the CDSS is a more specific instrument to measure depressive symptoms in schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorder, especially in acutely ill patients. Copyright (c) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Downregulation of miR-92a Is Associated with Aggressive Breast Cancer Features and Increased Tumour Macrophage Infiltration

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs involved in the regulation of gene expression on a posttranscriptional level. These regulatory RNAs have been implicated in numerous cellular processes and are further deregulated in different cancer types, including breast cancer. MiR-92a is part of the miR-17∼92 cluster, which was first reported to be linked to tumourigenesis. However, little is known about the expression of miR-92a in breast cancer and potential associations to tumour properties. The expression of miR-92a was therefore characterized in 144 invasive breast cancer samples using in situ hybridization and related to clinico-pathological data as well as to selected key properties of the tumour stroma, including the presence of macrophages (CD68) and cancer activated fibroblasts (alpha-SMA). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To measure miR-92a levels, an in situ hybridisation protocol was developed and validated using cell lines and miR-92a inhibitors. The expression in the tumour samples was objectively evaluated using digital image analysis program subtracting background activities. We found that the miR-92a expression varied between tumours and was inversely correlated to tumour grade (r = -0.276, p = 0.003) and recurrence-free survival (p = 0.008) and provided independent prognostic information in multivariate Cox analysis (HR: 0.375, CI: 0.145-0.972, p = 0.043). MiR-92a was moreover inversely correlated to the number of infiltrating macrophages in the tumour stroma (r = -0.357, p<0.001), and downregulation of miR-92a promoted cell migration (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that downregulation of miR-92a in breast cancer is linked to key epithelial and stromal properties as well as clinical outcome