Responsible research and innovation in science education: insights from evaluating the impact of using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values

The European Commission policy approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining momentum in European research planning and development as a strategy to align scientific and technological progress with socially desirable and acceptable ends. One of the RRI agendas is science education, aiming to foster future generations' acquisition of skills and values needed to engage in society responsibly. To this end, it is argued that RRI-based science education can benefit from more interdisciplinary methods such as those based on arts and digital technologies. However, the evidence existing on the impact of science education activities using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values remains underexplored. This article comparatively reviews previous evidence on the evaluation of these activities, from primary to higher education, to examine whether and how RRI-related learning outcomes are evaluated and how these activities impact on students' learning. Forty academic publications were selected and its content analysed according to five RRI values: creative and critical thinking, engagement, inclusiveness, gender equality and integration of ethical issues. When evaluating the impact of digital and arts-based methods in science education activities, creative and critical thinking, engagement and partly inclusiveness are the RRI values mainly addressed. In contrast, gender equality and ethics integration are neglected. Digital-based methods seem to be more focused on students' questioning and inquiry skills, whereas those using arts often examine imagination, curiosity and autonomy. Differences in the evaluation focus between studies on digital media and those on arts partly explain differences in their impact on RRI values, but also result in non-documented outcomes and undermine their potential. Further developments in interdisciplinary approaches to science education following the RRI policy agenda should reinforce the design of the activities as well as procedural aspects of the evaluation research

Transparencia gubernamental y acceso a la información en México (2002-2010): un análisis exploratorio

Se explora el estado actual de la transparencia y el acceso a la información pública en México, como parte inicial del proceso democrático de rendición de cuentas. Para abordar con mayor precisión el tema, primero se incursiona en el contexto político del que surge la política de transparencia gubernamental en México, luego se evalúa el alcance que han tenido las diferentes leyes que dan origen a dicha política de transparencia, y finalmente se analiza su avance a partir del instituto encargado de operarla. La idea central es conocer hasta dónde, cómo y bajo qué ideas centrales se ha estado materializando la transparencia y el acceso a la información en México, desde la expedición de la Ley respectiva en 2002 y hasta el "Programa de Rendición de Cuentas, Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública" de 2008

La transparencia y el acceso a la información a nivel local: el caso del municipio de Metepec, Estado de México

El objetivo del presente artículo es conocer el alcance que ha tenido la política de transparencia a nivel local en México, tomando como estudio de caso el municipio de Metepec y apoyándonos en las aproximaciones teóricas actuales sobre la rendición de cuentas, la transparencia y acceso a la información. El argumento que guía el artículo sostiene que en el nivel local de gobierno es donde puede estar impactando en mayor medida y con más efectividad la política de transparencia (tanto federal como estatal), en virtud de la cercanía de los ciudadanos con los poderes públicos, y de éstos con los grupos sociales que componen el municipio. Para respaldar este argumento aportamos tres evidencias: dos entrevistas semiestructuradas de informantes clave; datos electrónicos y documentales sobre las solicitudes de información gubernamental (280) de agosto de 2009 a diciembre de 2010; y datos que arrojó una encuesta realizada por una empresa privada cuyo objetivo fue conocer el talante de la población respecto a la administración actual de Metepec

Computing the phase diagram of binary mixtures: a patchy particle case study

We investigate the phase behaviour of 2D mixtures of bi-functional and three-functional patchy particles and 3D mixtures of bi-functional and tetra-functional patchy particles by means of Monte Carlo simulations and Wertheim theory. We start by computing the critical points of the pure systems and then we investigate how the critical parameters change upon lowering the temperature. We extend the Successive Umbrella Sampling method to mixtures to make it possible to extract information about the phase behaviour of the system at a fixed temperature for the whole range of densities and compositions of interest.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figure

Dangling and hydrolyzed ligand arms in [Mn3] and [Mn6] coordination assemblies: synthesis, characterization, and functional activity

Two flexible, branched, and sterically constrained di- and tripodal side arms around a phenol backbone were utilized in ligands H3L1 and H5L2 to isolate {Mn6} and {Mn3} coordination aggregates. 2,6-Bis{(1-hydroxy-2-methylpropan-2-ylimino)methyl}-4-methylphenol (H3L1) gave trinuclear complex [Mn3(μ-H2L1)2(μ1,3-O2CCH3)4(CH3OH)2](ClO4)2·4CH3OH (1), whereas 2,6-bis[{1-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)butan-2-ylimino}methyl]-4-methylphenol (H5L2) provided hexanuclear complex [Mn6(μ4-H2L2)2(μ-HL3)2(μ3-OH)2(μ1,3-O2CC2H5)4](ClO4)2·2H2O (2). Binding of acetates and coordination of {H2L1}− provided a linear MnIIIMnIIMnIII arrangement in 1. A MnIII6 fused diadamantane-type assembly was obtained in 2 from propionate bridges, coordination of {H2L2}3–, and in situ generated {HL3}2–. The magnetic characterization of 1 and 2 revealed the properties dominated by intramolecular anti-ferromagnetic exchange interactions, and this was confirmed using density functional theory calculations. Complex 1 exhibited field-induced slow magnetic relaxation at 2 K due to the axial anisotropy of MnIII centers. Both the complexes show effective solvent-dependent catechol oxidation toward 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol in air. The catechol oxidation abilities are comparable from two complexes of different nuclearity and structure

Regulation of tight junction assembly and epithelial morphogenesis by the heat shock protein Apg-2

Background: Tight junctions are required for epithelial barrier formation and participate in the regulation of signalling mechanisms that control proliferation and differentiation. ZO-1 is a tight junction-associated adaptor protein that regulates gene expression, junction assembly and epithelial morphogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that the heat shock protein Apg-2 binds ZO-1 and thereby regulates its role in cell proliferation. Here, we addressed the question whether Apg-2 is also important for junction formation and epithelial morphogenesis.Results: We demonstrate that depletion of Apg-2 by RNAi in MDCK cells did not prevent formation of functional tight junctions. Similar to ZO-1, however, reduced expression of Apg-2 retarded de novo junction assembly if analysed in a Ca-switch model. Formation of functional junctions, as monitored by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance, and recruitment of tight and adherens junction markers were retarded. If cultured in three dimensional extracellular matrix gels, Apg-2 depleted cells, as previously shown for ZO-1 depleted cells, did not form hollow polarised cysts but poorly organised, irregular structures.Conclusion: Our data indicate that Apg-2 regulates junction assembly and is required for normal epithelial morphogenesis in a three-dimensional culture system, suggesting that Apg-2 is an important regulator of epithelial differentiation. As the observed phenotypes are similar to those previously described for ZO-1 depleted cells and depletion of Apg-2 retards junctional recruitment of ZO-1, regulation of ZO-1 is likely to be an important functional role for Apg-2 during epithelial differentiation

Serving followers or family? A trickle down model of how servant leadership shapes employee work performance

So far, little research attention has been given to the effects of servant leadership displayed by leaders across an organization’s hierarchy. Using a matched sample of employees and their supervisors from three companies in the Dominican Republic, multilevel structural equation modeling results show that manager servant leadership trickles down to inspire supervisor servant leadership, which increases employee prosocial motivation and subsequent work performance. Furthermore, supervisor family motivation buffered the trickle-down mechanism, so that the effect on employee work performance is weaker for supervisors with high levels of family motivation. Our research sheds light on how and when servant leadership tickles down to shape employee work performance

Label-free Optical Biosensing on a single chip.

Combining semiconductor technology with photonics, optics, and biochemistry leads to sensors with improved biomedical diagnostic capability