Arts-based assessment in educational settings

Arts-based assessment is an objective measure that incorporates artistic experience or artistic materials into the assessment process and enables to get unique contributions about pupils. The current survey focused on arts-based assessment in the Czech Republic to explore the following issues: how did arts therapists assess suitability of therapy for pupils; which areas of therapeutic process were evaluated and what made the process of arts-based assessments specific in educational institutions. A mixed methods study used a statistical analysis of a survey with “The Practice in Arts Therapies questionnaire” (n = 142 arts therapists) and an inductive analysis of qualitative interviews (n = 10 arts therapists). Results revealed that arts-based assessments were more likely to be characterized by qualitative nonstandardized assessments based on observation, analysis of artistic products/artistic process and reflexive techniques and are related to prevalent humanistic orientation. Educational environment influenced the assessments mainly in the content and organization of the process. On this basis, there is a need to support the usage of standardized arts-based assessments and to develop standards for the implementation of arts-based assessment suitable for educational institutions. More advanced training in this area should be included into professional courses and further education of arts therapists

The ancient function of RB-E2F Pathway: insights from its evolutionary history

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The RB-E2F pathway is conserved in most eukaryotic lineages, including animals and plants. E2F and RB family proteins perform crucial functions in cycle controlling, differentiation, development and apoptosis. However, there are two kinds of E2Fs (repressive E2Fs and active E2Fs) and three RB family members in human. Till now, the detail evolutionary history of these protein families and how RB-E2F pathway evolved in different organisms remain poorly explored.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We performed a comprehensive evolutionary analysis of E2F, RB and DP (dimerization partners of E2Fs) protein family in representative eukaryotic organisms. Several interesting facts were revealed. First, orthologues of RB, E2F, and DP family are present in several representative unicellular organisms and all multicellular organisms we checked. Second, ancestral E2F, RB genes duplicated before placozoans and bilaterians diverged, thus E2F family was divided into E2F4/5 subgroup (including repressive E2Fs: E2F4 and E2F5) and E2F1/2/3 subgroup (including active E2Fs: E2F1, E2F2 and E2F3), RB family was divided into RB1 subgroup (including RB1) and RBL subgroup (including RBL1 and RBL2). Third, E2F4 and E2F5 share more sequence similarity with the predicted E2F ancestral sequence than E2F1, E2F2 and E2F3; E2F4 and E2F5 also possess lower evolutionary rates and higher purification selection pressures than E2F1, E2F2 and E2F3. Fourth, for RB family, the RBL subgroup proteins possess lower evolutionary rates and higher purification selection pressures compared with RB subgroup proteins in vertebrates,</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Protein evolutionary rates and purification selection pressures are usually linked with protein functions. We speculated that function conducted by E2F4/5 subgroup and RBL subgroup proteins might mainly represent the ancient function of RB-E2F pathway, and the E2F1/2/3 subgroup proteins and RB1 protein might contribute more to functional diversification in RB-E2F pathway. Our results will enhance the current understanding of RB-E2F pathway and will also be useful to further functional studies in human and other model organisms.</p> <p>Reviewers</p> <p>This article was reviewed by Dr. Pierre Pontarotti, Dr. Arcady Mushegian and Dr. Zhenguo Lin (nominated by Dr. Neil Smalheiser).</p

NeBula: Team CoSTAR's robotic autonomy solution that won phase II of DARPA Subterranean Challenge

This paper presents and discusses algorithms, hardware, and software architecture developed by the TEAM CoSTAR (Collaborative SubTerranean Autonomous Robots), competing in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. Specifically, it presents the techniques utilized within the Tunnel (2019) and Urban (2020) competitions, where CoSTAR achieved second and first place, respectively. We also discuss CoSTAR¿s demonstrations in Martian-analog surface and subsurface (lava tubes) exploration. The paper introduces our autonomy solution, referred to as NeBula (Networked Belief-aware Perceptual Autonomy). NeBula is an uncertainty-aware framework that aims at enabling resilient and modular autonomy solutions by performing reasoning and decision making in the belief space (space of probability distributions over the robot and world states). We discuss various components of the NeBula framework, including (i) geometric and semantic environment mapping, (ii) a multi-modal positioning system, (iii) traversability analysis and local planning, (iv) global motion planning and exploration behavior, (v) risk-aware mission planning, (vi) networking and decentralized reasoning, and (vii) learning-enabled adaptation. We discuss the performance of NeBula on several robot types (e.g., wheeled, legged, flying), in various environments. We discuss the specific results and lessons learned from fielding this solution in the challenging courses of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge competition.The work is partially supported by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004), and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)

Social Support and Family Functioning in Chinese Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Families caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have reported poorer family functioning. Social support might strengthen family functioning, but limited research to date has focused on this association in China. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey of Chinese families that have children with ASD to examine the relationship between social support and family functioning. Caregivers of children with ASD from Sichuan province in China (N = 167) were surveyed concerning their perceived social support and family functioning. The Social Support Rating Scale was used to investigate caregivers’ perceived social support from three dimensions: subjective support, objective support, and the utilization of support. A Chinese version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale was used to investigate their perceptions of family cohesion and adaptability. The Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression were used for analyses. The results suggested that social support was positively related to family cohesion and adaptability. Of the three sub-domains of social support, both subjective support and the utilization of support were positively associated with family cohesion and adaptability. The study’s findings evidenced the importance of different types of social support and could be used to develop a targeted support service for families that have children with ASD to improve their family functioning and sustain the family unit

Comparative identification and differential expression pattern of amino acid permease genes in Elaeis guineensis

Elaeis guineensis is a tropical crop with high oil content, and the nutritional value of oil is very high. Amino acids not only affect the growth and development of plants but also act as intermediate metabolites of oils, which determine the final quality of oils. In this study, eleven amino acid permease genes (EgAAPs) in E. guineensis were identified from the amino acid transporter family. Real-time PCR results showed that seven EgAAPs (EgAAP1, EgAAP2, EgAAP3, EgAAP4, EgAAP6 EgAAP9, and EgAAP10) played an important role in vegetative growth because of their higher expression levels in roots and leaves, but EgAAP5, EgAAP7, EgAAP8 and EgAAP11 were also important for their higher expression levels in flowers or fruits. E. guineensis seedlings were treated with 20% PEG-6000 and 4 °C to induce drought stress and cold stress, respectively. The expression of six EgAAPs (EgAAP1, EgAAP2, EgAAP4, EgAAP6, EgAAP8 and EgAAP11) was decreased in both roots and leaves during cold treatment, and only the expression of EgAAP5 was increased in both roots and leaves after 6 h of cold treatment. The expression of six EgAAPs (EgAAP2, EgAAP4, EgAAP7, EgAAP8, EgAAP10 and EgAAP11) was decreased in roots but increased in leaves under PEG treatment, indicating an opposite pattern of expression levels of these EgAAPs in roots and leaves. However, only EgAAP5 had a similar pattern of expression levels between roots and leaves under PEG treatment. The findings provide information on how EgAAPs in E. guineensis are regulated during growth and development, and under various environmental stresses

Multifunctional Integrated Underwater Sound Absorption Materials: A Review

Rapid improvements in underwater vehicle technology have led to a significant increase in the demand for underwater sound absorption materials. These materials, unlike their counterparts utilized in air, must have high hydrostatic pressure resistance, corrosion resistance, and other advantageous attributes. This necessitates the development of innovative, composite sound-absorbing materials with multifunctional properties, which presents substantial challenges for researchers. In this comprehensive review, we systematically analyze and categorize the mechanisms governing underwater sound absorption, hydrostatic pressure resistance, and corrosion prevention while considering related research advances. Furthermore, we provide an extensive overview of research advancements, existing challenges, and potential solutions pertaining to multifunctional and integrated underwater sound-absorbing materials. This review aims to serve as a valuable resource for future investigations into the development and optimization of multifunctional integrated underwater sound-absorbing materials, thereby contributing to the advancement of underwater vehicle technology