115 research outputs found
The Symmetry of Partner Modelling
© 2016, International Society of the Learning Sciences, Inc. Collaborative learning has often been associated with the construction of a shared understanding of the situation at hand. The psycholinguistics mechanisms at work while establishing common grounds are the object of scientific controversy. We postulate that collaborative tasks require some level of mutual modelling, i.e. that each partner needs some model of what the other partners know/want/intend at a given time. We use the term “some model” to stress the fact that this model is not necessarily detailed or complete, but that we acquire some representations of the persons we interact with. The question we address is: Does the quality of the partner model depend upon the modeler’s ability to represent his or her partner? Upon the modelee’s ability to make his state clear to the modeler? Or rather, upon the quality of their interactions? We address this question by comparing the respective accuracies of the models built by different team members. We report on 5 experiments on collaborative problem solving or collaborative learning that vary in terms of tasks (how important it is to build an accurate model) and settings (how difficult it is to build an accurate model). In 4 studies, the accuracy of the model that A built about B was correlated with the accuracy of the model that B built about A, which seems to imply that the quality of interactions matters more than individual abilities when building mutual models. However, these findings do not rule out the fact that individual abilities also contribute to the quality of modelling process
Span of control in supervision of rail track work
The supervision of engineering work on the railways has received relatively little examination despite being both safety-critical in its own right and having wider implications for the successful running of the railways. The present paper is concerned with understanding the factors that make different engineering works perceived as easier or harder to manage. We describe an approach building on notions of ‘span of control’, through which we developed the TOECAP inventory (Team, Organisation, Environment, Communication, Activity and Personal). This tool was validated through both interviews and questionnaires. As well as identifying the physical factors involved, the work also emphasised the importance of collaborative and attitudinal factors. We conclude by discussing limitations of the present work and future directions for development
No advantage for remembering horizontal over vertical spatial locations learned from a single viewpoint
Previous behavioral and neurophysiological research has shown better memory for horizontal than for vertical locations. In these studies, participants navigated toward these locations. In the present study we investigated whether the orientation of the spatial plane per se was responsible for this difference. We thus had participants learn locations visually from a single perspective and retrieve them from multiple viewpoints. In three experiments, participants studied colored tags on a horizontally or vertically oriented board within a virtual room and recalled these locations with different layout orientations (Exp. 1) or from different room-based perspectives (Exps. 2 and 3). All experiments revealed evidence for equal recall performance in horizontal and vertical memory. In addition, the patterns for recall from different test orientations were rather similar. Consequently, our results suggest that memory is qualitatively similar for both vertical and horizontal two-dimensional locations, given that these locations are learned from a single viewpoint. Thus, prior differences in spatial memory may have originated from the structure of the space or the fact that participants navigated through it. Additionally, the strong performance advantages for perspective shifts (Exps. 2 and 3) relative to layout rotations (Exp. 1) suggest that configurational judgments are not only based on memory of the relations between target objects, but also encompass the relations between target objects and the surrounding room—for example, in the form of a memorized view
Activation of mGlu3 Receptors Stimulates the Production of GDNF in Striatal Neurons
Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors have been considered potential targets
for the therapy of experimental parkinsonism. One hypothetical advantage
associated with the use of mGlu receptor ligands is the lack of the adverse
effects typically induced by ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, such as
sedation, ataxia, and severe learning impairment. Low doses of the mGlu2/3
metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist, LY379268 (0.25–3 mg/kg, i.p.)
increased glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) mRNA and protein
levels in the mouse brain, as assessed by in situ
hybridization, real-time PCR, immunoblotting, and immunohistochemistry. This
increase was prominent in the striatum, but was also observed in the cerebral
cortex. GDNF mRNA levels peaked at 3 h and declined afterwards, whereas GDNF
protein levels progressively increased from 24 to 72 h following LY379268
injection. The action of LY379268 was abrogated by the mGlu2/3 receptor
antagonist, LY341495 (1 mg/kg, i.p.), and was lost in mGlu3 receptor knockout
mice, but not in mGlu2 receptor knockout mice. In pure cultures of striatal
neurons, the increase in GDNF induced by LY379268 required the activation of the
mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase pathways, as
shown by the use of specific inhibitors of the two pathways. Both in
vivo and in vitro studies led to the conclusion
that neurons were the only source of GDNF in response to mGlu3 receptor
activation. Remarkably, acute or repeated injections of LY379268 at doses that
enhanced striatal GDNF levels (0.25 or 3 mg/kg, i.p.) were highly protective
against nigro-striatal damage induced by
1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in mice, as assessed by
stereological counting of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the pars
compacta of the substantia nigra. We speculate that selective mGlu3 receptor
agonists or enhancers are potential candidates as neuroprotective agents in
Parkinson's disease, and their use might circumvent the limitations
associated with the administration of exogenous GDNF
Hospital service areas – a new tool for health care planning in Switzerland
BACKGROUND: The description of patient travel patterns and variations in health care utilization may guide a sound health care planning process. In order to accurately describe these differences across regions with homogeneous populations, small area analysis (SAA) has proved as a valuable tool to create appropriate area models. This paper presents the methodology to create and characterize population-based hospital service areas (HSAs) for Switzerland. METHODS: We employed federal hospital discharge data to perform a patient origin study using small area analysis. Each of 605 residential regions was assigned to one of 215 hospital provider regions where the most frequent number of discharges took place. HSAs were characterized geographically, demographically, and through health utilization indices and rates that describe hospital use. We introduced novel planning variables extracted from the patient origin study and investigated relationships among health utilization indices and rates to understand patient travel patterns for hospital use. Results were visualized as maps in a geographic information system (GIS). RESULTS: We obtained 100 HSAs using a patient origin matrix containing over four million discharges. HSAs had diverse demographic and geographic characteristics. Urban HSAs had above average population sizes, while mountainous HSAs were scarcely populated but larger in size. We found higher localization of care in urban HSAs and in mountainous HSAs. Half of the Swiss population lives in service areas where 65% of hospital care is provided by local hospitals. CONCLUSION: Health utilization indices and rates demonstrated patient travel patterns that merit more detailed analyses in light of political, infrastructural and developmental determinants. HSAs and health utilization indices provide valuable information for health care planning. They will be used to study variation phenomena in Swiss health care
Quercetin-induced miR-200b-3p regulates the mode of self-renewing divisions in pancreatic cancer
Cancer mortality in a Chinese population surrounding a multi-metal sulphide mine in Guangdong province: an ecologic study
Histone H4 Lysine 12 Acetylation Regulates Telomeric Heterochromatin Plasticity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Recent studies have established that the highly condensed and transcriptionally silent heterochromatic domains in budding yeast are virtually dynamic structures. The underlying mechanisms for heterochromatin dynamics, however, remain obscure. In this study, we show that histones are dynamically acetylated on H4K12 at telomeric heterochromatin, and this acetylation regulates several of the dynamic telomere properties. Using a de novo heterochromatin formation assay, we surprisingly found that acetylated H4K12 survived the formation of telomeric heterochromatin. Consistently, the histone acetyltransferase complex NuA4 bound to silenced telomeric regions and acetylated H4K12. H4K12 acetylation prevented the over-accumulation of Sir proteins at telomeric heterochromatin and elimination of this acetylation caused defects in multiple telomere-related processes, including transcription, telomere replication, and recombination. Together, these data shed light on a potential histone acetylation mark within telomeric heterochromatin that contributes to telomere plasticity
Quantifying the effectiveness of climate change mitigation through forest plantations and carbon sequestration with an integrated land-use model
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Carbon plantations are introduced in climate change policy as an option to slow the build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentrations. Here we present a methodology to evaluate the potential effectiveness of carbon plantations. The methodology explicitly considers future long-term land-use change around the world and all relevant carbon (C) fluxes, including all natural fluxes. Both issues have generally been ignored in earlier studies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two different baseline scenarios up to 2100 indicate that uncertainties in future land-use change lead to a near 100% difference in estimates of carbon sequestration potentials. Moreover, social, economic and institutional barriers preventing carbon plantations in natural vegetation areas decrease the physical potential by 75–80% or more.</p> <p>Nevertheless, carbon plantations can still considerably contribute to slowing the increase in the atmospheric CO<sub>2 </sub>concentration but only in the long term. The most conservative set of assumptions lowers the increase of the atmospheric CO<sub>2 </sub>concentration in 2100 by a 27 ppm and compensates for 5–7% of the total energy-related CO<sub>2 </sub>emissions. The net sequestration up to 2020 is limited, given the short-term increased need for agricultural land in most regions and the long period needed to compensate for emissions through the establishment of the plantations. The potential is highest in the tropics, despite projections that most of the agricultural expansion will be in these regions. Plantations in high latitudes as Northern Europe and Northern Russia should only be established if the objective to sequester carbon is combined with other activities.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Carbon sequestration in plantations can play an important role in mitigating the build-up of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub>. The actual magnitude depends on natural and management factors, social barriers, and the time frame considered. In addition, there are a number of ancillary benefits for local communities and the environment. Carbon plantations are, however, particularly effective in the long term. Furthermore, plantations do not offer the ultimate solution towards stabilizing CO<sub>2 </sub>concentrations but should be part of a broader package of options with clear energy emission reduction measures.</p
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