Deriving Hydrological Response Units (HRUs) using a Web Processing Service implementation based on GRASS GIS

QGIS releases equal to or newer than 0.7 can easily connected to GRASS GIS by means of a toolbox that provides a wide range of standard GRASS modules you can launch – albeit only on data coming from GRASS. This QGIS plugin is expandable through XML configurations describing the assignment of options and inputs for a certain module. But how about embedding a precise workflow where the several processes don’t consist of a single GRASS module by force? Especially for a sequence of dependent tasks it makes sense to merge relevant GRASS functionality into an own and encapsulated QGIS extension. Its architecture and development is tested and combined with the Web Processing Service (WPS) for remote execution using the concept of hydrological response units (HRUs) as an example. The results of this assay may be suitable for discussing and planning other wizard-like geoprocessing plugins in QGIS that also should make use of an additional GRASS server

Temporal regularity effects on pre-attentive and attentive processing of deviance

Temporal regularity allows predicting the temporal locus of future information thereby potentially facilitating cognitive processing. We applied event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to investigate how temporal regularity impacts pre-attentive and attentive processing of deviance in the auditory modality. Participants listened to sequences of sinusoidal tones differing exclusively in pitch. The inter-stimulus interval (ISI) in these sequences was manipulated to convey either isochronous or random temporal structure. In the pre-attentive session, deviance processing was unaffected by the regularity manipulation as evidenced in three event-related-potentials (ERPs): mismatch negativity (MMN), P3a, and reorienting negativity (RON). In the attentive session, the P3b was smaller for deviant tones embedded in irregular temporal structure, while the N2b component remained unaffected. These findings confirm that temporal regularity can reinforce cognitive mechanisms associated with the attentive processing of deviance. Furthermore, they provide evidence for the dynamic allocation of attention in time and dissociable pre-attentive and attention-dependent temporal processing mechanisms

An Examination of How One University is Preparing Elementary and Middle Level Education Majors for Common Core Mathematics

In 2010 the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for mathematics and English Language Arts were introduced into K – 12 classrooms (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2015b). The standards for mathematics focus on having students demonstrate and explain understanding more than the standards have in the past (Burns, 2013). McCallum (2011) divides the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice into four main themes: reasoning and explaining, modeling and using tools, seeing structure and generalizing, and overarching habits of mind of a productive mathematical thinker. These four themes encompass what a mathematics classroom should look like when utilizing the CCSS for mathematics. With this shift in the standards it creates a need for teachers to have a strong content knowledge and pedagogical understanding (Zhang, 2014). One place to look and see whether teachers are prepared for these new standards is the university level with teacher preparation programs. Methods courses have long been the place where preservice teachers gain pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987) and gain methods of teaching mathematics that can be carried into their own classrooms someday (Ball, 1990). This qualitative, phenomenological study examines how one large, midwestern university has addressed the CCSS for mathematics within their mathematics methods courses. Interviews, surveys, and document analysis were used to deeply explore one university’s experiences with Common Core standards for mathematics. Data looked at how the professors were addressing the CCSS for mathematics within their methods courses as well as how the preservice teachers described their experiences with the CCSS for mathematics within these methods courses. Findings showed that the CCSS were mostly being addressed through classroom assignments as add-ons to created lesson plans. Student expectations and language were also being addressed within some of the methods courses

A conceptual framework for integrating the home into patient-centered healthcare processes: Analysis, solution strategies and realization using health enabling technologies

Assistierende Gesundheitstechnologien (AGT) und technische Assistenzsysteme, auch ohne Medizinbezug, können das altersunabhängige Bedürfnis nach komfortablem und sicherem Wohnen in Wohlbefinden gewinnbringend adressieren. Die Einbindung der Wohnung in dieser gesamtheitlichen Perspektive ist nicht beschrieben und die Akteure der entsprechenden Professionen können, aufgrund fehlenden Wissens über sozio-technische Potentiale der Wohnung, im Aufbau von Versorgungsszenarien nicht auf ihre Fähigkeiten zurückgreifen. Ziel der Dissertation ist es, einen Rahmen aus Methoden, Lösungsstrategien und einem exemplarischen Integrationsszenario zur Einbindung der Wohnung in medizinische Versorgungsprozesse zu geben und dabei insbesondere ihre Funktion als neuartigen Gesundheitsstandort zu betrachten. Auf Basis eines sozi-technischen Rollenmetamodells wurden insgesamt elf Rollen herausgearbeitet. Die Wohnung als Messinstrument, Datenspeicher, Informationsquelle, Entscheidungsunterstützungssystem, Diagnostisches Instrument, Therapeut und Aktor, Sozialer Integrator, Präventionsinstrument, Pflegesystem, Gesundheitsmanager und Forschungssystem. Die Rollenhandlungen lassen sich aus den sechs Realisierungsprojekten in die Wirkungsfelder Komfort & Sicherheit, umfassende Pflege und erweiterte medizinische Versorgung mit den Methoden Infrastruktur, Dienstleistung und Netzwerk einteilen, eingefasst von den Prinzipien Öffentlichkeit, Nachhaltigkeit und Wissenschaft. Diese drei Dimensionen bilden das Rahmenkonzept für die "Modellstadtinitiative Braunschweig: Vision Wohnen 2031" als exemplarisches Integrationsszenario und Strategiedokument. Die Instanziierung zeigt, die Wohnung gibt Raum, handelt und verbindet. Sie schafft Beziehungen zwischen ärztlichen, pflegerischen und sozialen Akteuren inter- und multidisziplinärer Versorgungsprozesse mit dem Ziel eines mehrdimensionalen, ganzheitlichen Wohlbefindens. Sie ist transprofessionaler Akteur und Handlungsraum über die medizinische Domäne hinaus zur synergetischen Erfüllung von Zielen anderer Gewerke, wie der Energieoptimierung oder dem Gebäudeschutz.Health-enabling Technologies (HET) and assistive devices, even without medical purpose, can profitably address age-independent well-being in terms of comfortable, safe and healthy living. The integration of homes in this holistic perspective is not described and the actors of the corresponding professions cannot utilize the homes' abilities in the development of care scenarios due to a lack of knowledge about socio-technical potentials of homes. Objective of this dissertation is to provide a framework of methods, strategies and an exemplary integration scenario for integration of the home into healthcare processes and, in particular, to consider its function as a novel healthcare location. Based on a socio-technical role metamodel, a total of eleven roles were identified from six healthcare process models. The home as measuring instrument, data store, information source, decision support system, diagnostic instrument, therapist and actuator, social integrator, prevention system, nursing system, carepath manager and research system. The role actvities can be divided from the six implementation projects into the three application domains comfort & safety, comprehensive care and extended medical care, using the methods infrastructure, service and network, framed by three principles openness, sustainability and science. These three dimensions form the conceptual framework for the "Modellstadtinitiative Braunschweig: Vision Wohnen 2031" as exemplary integration scenario and strategy document. The instantiation shows, that the home gives space, takes action and connects. It creates relationships between medical, nursing and social actors in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary care processes with the aim of multidimensional, holistic well-being. It is a transprofessional actor and room for action beyond the healthcare domain to synergistically fulfill goals of other domains, such as energy optimization or building protection

Pathogenomic analysis of Lichtheimia species as a model for basal human pathogens of the order Mucorales

Despite the increasing recognition of life-threatening infections with members of the Mucorales (mucormycosis), little is known about genomics and the molecular basis of pathogenicity in these fungi. More than 20 mucoralean species are known to cause infections in humans. Although these species are only distantly related, all infections are described by the term mucormycosis and species-specific features are only rarely discussed. Moreover, research on virulence factors is mainly limited to the two derived mucoralean genera Rhizopus and Mucor. Lichtheimia species are basal mucoralean pathogens and represent the second most common cause of mucormycosis in Europe. This work focused on species of the genus Lichtheimia as novel model organisms to study human pathogenic mucoralean fungi. A combination of genomic and transcriptomic approaches was used to get first insights into general genomic features of Lichtheimia as one of the most basal human pathogenic genera among mucoralean fungi and to identify putative virulence factors. In addition, the response of human pathogenic and non-pathogenic Lichtheimia species to infection-associated stress conditions was analysed to investigate the evolution of pathogenicity in these fungi. The comprehensive genome and transcriptome data produced during this study give first insights into the stress response of basal fungi and reveal severe differences compared to other fungi. These data represent a valuable resource for future research and will help to identify virulence factors as well as targets for new antifungals