Expatriates’ intention to send surgical masks to their native countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

The main purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the factors that determine behavioral intention of expatiates living in Taiwan to send surgical masks to their native country following the Covid-19 outbreak. To achieve this, the study builds a research model by extending Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) with Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) and Risk perception conceptions, incorporating Covid-19 related factors such as knowledge, fear, and risk perception and situational factors such as perceived mask scarcity. An online questionnaire was administered with 83 respondents participating. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was used to evaluate the collected data. We found that no significant relationship between both Covid-19 risk perception, and fear and expatiates’ attitudes to send surgical masks back home. Results further reveal that Covid-19 knowledge is the only factor that significantly influence expatriates’ attitudes, which in turn impact their on the intention to send surgical masks to their native countries. Perceived mask scarcity found to positively moderate relationship between attitude and intention. This study contributes to the growing body of literature and research focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, and offers some implications for future research on the correlations between knowledge and scarcity in the context of the theory of reasoned action. Although the current study examines a contemporary critical issue, it presents a key example of personal protective equipment (PPE)

Adult basic education and disability. Discussing the relationship between the pedagogical mandate, individual abilities and professional teaching activities by the example of numeracy

Numeralität als Teil der Grundbildung Erwachsener und Gegenstand von professionellem Vermittlungshandeln im Kontext von Behinderung wurde in pädagogischen Praxis- und Wissenschaftsdiskussionen bislang nur rudimentär berücksichtigt. An diesem Befund setzt der Beitrag an und setzt bildungstheoretische Grundannahmen mit dem Behinderungsbegriff der Disability Studies sowie dem Ansatz von Numeralität als soziale Praxis in Beziehung. Auf der Grundlage empirischer Daten eines qualitativ und partizipativ angelegten Forschungsprojektes zu Menschen mit Lernschwierigkeiten wird nach den Potentialen und Grenzen der professionellen Unterstützung in der Anwendung von Numeralität im Alltag der Lebensbereiche von Arbeit, Beruflicher Bildung und Wohnen gefragt. Die Befunde konturieren den Ansatz einer subjektorientierten Grundbildung, die ressourcenorientiert arbeitet und pädagogisches Handeln als Vermittlungshandeln unter Paradoxien der Moderne systematisiert. (DIPF/Orig.)The paper argues that so far little attention has been paid to numeracy in the field of adult basic education and the subjects of professional teaching activities in the context of disability. Considering this, the paper encounters scholarly work on the anthropological idea of human \u27Bildsamkeit\u27, on the understanding of disability proposed by disability studies and a social practice view on numeracy. Based on empirical data from a qualitative and participatory research project on people with learning disabilities, the benefits and limitations of professional support in the application of numeracy in everyday contexts of work, education and living will be investigated. The findings bring nuance to a subject-oriented approach to basic adult education that argues for a resource-oriented perspective and that systematises, in the wake of modernity\u27s paradoxes, professional activities as a teaching-learning dialogue. (DIPF/Orig.

Sustainability and Inclusion at Higher Education as a Place of Learning: Discussing the Contribution of Participatory Courses Aiming a Fairer Access to the Infrastructures of Lifelong Learning

Der Beitrag diskutiert das Phänomen der Digitalität aus erwachsenenbildungswissenschaftlicher Perspektive am Lernort Hochschule und in besonderem Bezug auf eine nachhaltige und diversitätssensible Gestaltung von hochschulischen Lehr-Lernformaten. Aktuelle Studien betonen Erwerb und Entfaltung digitaler Kompetenzen als Voraussetzung und Schlüsselfähigkeit von Subjekten für die Teilnahme (an Lernen und Bildung) und Teilhabe an einer Kultur der Digitalität. Dies unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit einer Professionalisierung von Lehrenden wie Lernenden für das interdisziplinäre Handlungsfeld von Erwachsenenbildung, Medien- und Inklusionspädagogik sowie unter Leitmotiven von Gerechtigkeit, Diversität und Inklusion sowie Nachhaltigkeit. Entlang des Spannungsfeldes des digital divide, insbesondere des digital disability divide, nimmt der Beitrag eine Analyse und kritische Reflexion des empirischen Beispiels eines partizipativ ausgerichteten hochschulischen Lehr-Lernformats vor (der Partizipativen Forschungswerkstatt an der Universität Hamburg). Dieses hat Forschendes Lernen von Teilnehmenden mit und ohne Lernschwierigkeiten (auch als sog. geistige Behinderung bezeichnet) unter Nutzung sowohl analoger als auch digitaler Tools durchgeführt und evaluiert. Ziel ist, das Potenzial solcher Formate für gerechtere Zugänge zu Infrastrukturen des Lebenslangen Lernens über den Aspekt der reinen Zugänglichkeit hinaus herauszuarbeiten und entlang von Systematisierungsebenen einer Unterscheidung in Inhalte, Prozesse und Strukturen in den Transferbedingungen für pädagogische Handlungsfelder zu prüfen. Hieraus lassen sich Überlegungen zu einer interdisziplinären Verschränkung von Erwachsenenbildung, Inklusions- und Medienpädagogik ableiten.This article puts up for debate the phenomenon of the digital age from the perspective of adult education academia and uses the example of higher education as a place of learning which will be considered under the aims of unfolding sustainable and diversity-sensitive ways of teaching and learning. This is related to the findings of recent studies that emphasized acquiring and developing digital competencies as a premise and core ability for participating in learning and the digital society. It raises the quest for a digital-wise professional attitude of teachers and learners under the leitmotifs of equality, diversity and inclusion as well as sustainability. Considering the contested terrain of not only the digital divide, but in particular the digital disability divide, the article argues for an analysis and critical reflection of a participatory research workshop in higher education. This has been implemented in the form of a research-based learning course, involving participants with and without learning difficulties (also termed as intellectual disability) and using diverse analogue and digital tools. The authors aim, first, to showcase the potential of such courses for establishing a fairer access to the infrastructures of lifelong learning beyond the issue of pure accessibility and they present a further systematisation in order to reflect on its transfer into pedagogical practice. Second, it contributes to the debate on an interdisciplinary encounter between adult education, inclusive education and media education

Certification of C-reactive Protein in Reference Material ERM-DA472/IFCC

The production and certification of ERM-DA472/IFCC, a new reference material certified for C-reactive protein (CRP), is described. ERM-DA472/IFCC was characterised using the reference material ERM-DA470 as calibrant. This achieved using a value transfer protocol that can be considered as a reference procedure. the principles used to measure the CRP concentration were immunonephelometry and immunoturbidimetry. The measurements were performed with different platform/reagent combinations (Abbott, Beckmann Immage, BN II, different Hitachi instruments, and Olympus AU640). In total 8 laboratories participated in the value assignment. The certified CRP mass concentration is 41.8 mg/L, the expanded uncertainty (k = 2) 2.5 mg/L.JRC.D.2-Reference material

ARTEFACTS: How do we want to deal with the future of our one and only planet?

The European Commission’s Science and Knowledge Service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), decided to try working hand-in-hand with leading European science centres and museums. Behind this decision was the idea that the JRC could better support EU Institutions in engaging with the European public. The fact that European Union policies are firmly based on scientific evidence is a strong message which the JRC is uniquely able to illustrate. Such a collaboration would not only provide a platform to explain the benefits of EU policies to our daily lives but also provide an opportunity for European citizens to engage by taking a more active part in the EU policy making process for the future. A PILOT PROGRAMME To test the idea, the JRC launched an experimental programme to work with science museums: a perfect partner for three compelling reasons. Firstly, they attract a large and growing number of visitors. Leading science museums in Europe have typically 500 000 visitors per year. Furthermore, they are based in large European cities and attract local visitors as well as tourists from across Europe and beyond. The second reason for working with museums is that they have mastered the art of how to communicate key elements of sophisticated arguments across to the public and making complex topics of public interest readily accessible. That is a high-value added skill and a crucial part of the valorisation of public-funded research, never to be underestimated. Finally museums are, at present, undergoing something of a renaissance. Museums today are vibrant environments offering new techniques and technologies to both inform and entertain, and attract visitors of all demographics.JRC.H.2-Knowledge Management Methodologies, Communities and Disseminatio

Deep learning-based cardiac cine segmentation: Transfer learning application to 7T ultrahigh-field MRI

Purpose Artificial neural networks show promising performance in automatic segmentation of cardiac MRI. However, training requires large amounts of annotated data and generalization to different vendors, field strengths, sequence parameters, and pathologies is limited. Transfer learning addresses this challenge, but specific recommendations regarding type and amount of data required is lacking. In this study, we assess data requirements for transfer learning to experimental cardiac MRI at 7T where the segmentation task can be challenging. In addition, we provide guidelines, tools, and annotated data to enable transfer learning approaches by other researchers and clinicians. Methods A publicly available segmentation model was used to annotate a publicly available data set. This labeled data set was subsequently used to train a neural network for segmentation of left ventricle and myocardium in cardiac cine MRI. The network is used as starting point for transfer learning to 7T cine data of healthy volunteers (n = 22; 7873 images) by updating the pre-trained weights. Structured and random data subsets of different sizes were used to systematically assess data requirements for successful transfer learning. Results Inconsistencies in the publically available data set were corrected, labels created, and a neural network trained. On 7T cardiac cine images the model pre-trained on public imaging data, acquired at 1.5T and 3T, achieved DICE$_{LV}$ = 0.835 and DICE$_{MY}$ = 0.670. Transfer learning using 7T cine data and ImageNet weight initialization improved model performance to DICE$_{LV}$ = 0.900 and DICE$_{MY}$ = 0.791. Using only end-systolic and end-diastolic images reduced training data by 90%, with no negative impact on segmentation performance (DICE$_{LV}$ = 0.908, DICE$_{MY}$ = 0.805). Conclusions This work demonstrates and quantifies the benefits of transfer learning for cardiac cine image segmentation. We provide practical guidelines for researchers planning transfer learning projects in cardiac MRI and make data, models, and code publicly available

TRAIL/NF-κB/CX3CL1 Mediated Onco-Immuno Crosstalk Leading to TRAIL Resistance of Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignant neoplasms and registers rising death rates in western countries. Due to its late detection in advanced stages, its extremely aggressive nature and the minimal effectiveness of currently available therapies, PDAC is a challenging problem in the clinical field. One characteristic of PDAC is a distinct desmoplasia consisting of fibroblasts, endothelial and immune cells as well as non-cellular components, contributing to therapy resistance. It is well established that the NF-κB signaling pathway controls inflammation, cancer progression and apoptosis resistance in PDAC. This study attempts to identify NF-κB target genes mediating therapy resistance of humane PDAC cell lines towards death ligand induced apoptosis. By using a genome wide unbiased approach the chemokine CX3CL1 was established as a central NF-κB target gene mediating therapy resistance. While no direct impact of CX3CL1 expression on cancer cell apoptosis was identified in co-culture assays it became apparent that CX3CL1 is acting in a paracrine fashion, leading to an increased recruitment of inflammatory cells. These inflammatory cells in turn mediate apoptosis resistance of PDAC cells. Therefore, our data dissect a bifunctional cross-signaling pathway in PDAC between tumor and immune cells giving rise to therapy resistance