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Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a serious clinical condition where leakage of blood into the subarachnoid space causes an acute rise in intracranial pressure and reduces cerebral blood flow, which may lead to delayed cerebral ischemia and poor outcome. In experimental SAH, we have previously shown that the outcome can be significantly improved by early inhibition of the MAPK/ERK kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK1/2) pathway. The aim of this study was to apply mass spectrometry to investigate the overall late effects of experimental SAH on cerebrovascular protein expression. SAH was induced in rats that were treated with the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 or vehicle. Neurological outcome was assessed using a battery of behavioral tests. Specific protein expression of large cerebral arteries was analyzed quantitatively with high-throughput tandem mass spectrometry. SAH resulted in a marked reduction of neurological scores, which was counteracted by U0126 treatment. Mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated regulation of 184 proteins after SAH, regulations that were in part prevented by U0126 treatment. Network analysis identified several protein networks including a strong structural network centered around 14-3-3. Additionally, protein networks with functions in mRNA metabolism and protein folding were identified. Treatment with U0126 inhibited cerebral vessel wall pERK1/2 expression and significantly improved outcome of the rats. In conclusion, we show that SAH induces a broad array of specific changes in the overall protein networks in cerebral artery smooth muscle cells and suggest that this is essential for understanding the vascular pathophysiology after SAH. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12031-017-0944-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

miRNAs are small 22 nucleotide RNAs that can post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. It has been proposed that dietary plant miRNAs can enter the human bloodstream and regulate host transcripts, however these findings have been widely disputed. We here conduct the first comprehensive meta-study in the field, surveying the presence and abundances of cross-species miRNAs (xenomiRs) in 824 sequencing datasets from various human tissues and body fluids. We find that xenomiRs are commonly present in tissues (17%) and body fluids (69%), however the abundances are low, comprising 0.001% of host human miRNA counts. Further, we do not detect a significant enrichment of xenomiRs in sequencing data originating from tissues and body fluids that are exposed to dietary intake (such as liver). Likewise, there is no significant depletion of xenomiRs in tissues and body fluids that are relatively separated from the main bloodstream (such as brain and cerebro-spinal fluids). Interestingly, the majority (81%) of body fluid xenomiRs stem from rodents, which are rare human dietary contributions, but common laboratory animals. Body fluid samples from the same studies tend to group together when clustered by xenomiR compositions, suggesting technical batch effects. Last, we performed carefully designed and controlled animal feeding studies, in which we detected no transfer of plant miRNAs into rat blood, or bovine milk sequences into piglet blood. In summary, our comprehensive computational and experimental results indicate that xenomiRs originate from technical artifacts rather than dietary intake.

This is an Open Access article published in NorDiNa. The article can be found on publisher's web page by following this link: https://www.journals.uio.no/index.php/nordina/index This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. I denne studien undersøkes elevers bruk av metaforer i kreative tekster om kjemiske reaksjoner. I norsk skole har det etter innføring av læreplanen for kunnskapsløftet (LK06) vært fokus på de grunnleggende ferdighetene å kunne lese og uttrykke seg muntlig og skriftlig. Skriving i naturfag har i stor grad vært preget av at elevene svarer på oppgaver i læreboka og av avskrift fra ulike kilder (Solheim, Larsen, & Torvatn, 2010; Torvatn, 2008). Skriveoppdrag som utfordrer eleven til å uttrykke sin forståelse med egne ord kan se ut til å være lite utnyttet. Kreativ skriving er en slik skrivesjanger der elevene uttrykker seg med egne ord i et ikke-vitenskapelig språk, samtidig som et kriterium for skriveoppdraget er at teksten skal være faglig korrekt. I denne studien undersøkes mer spesifikt de metaforene som elever på 8. trinn bruker for å skape mening om begrepet kjemisk binding på submikroskopisk nivå. Forskningsspørsmålet er: • Hvilke typer metaforer bruker elever om abstrakte begreper (kjemisk binding) i kreative tekster og hvordan kan disse metaforene gi informasjon om elevens forestillingsskjemaer og mentale modeller?

miRNAs are small 22-nucleotide RNAs that can post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. It has been proposed that dietary plant miRNAs can enter the human bloodstream and regulate host transcripts; however, these findings have been widely disputed. We here conduct the first comprehensive meta-study in the field, surveying the presence and abundances of cross-species miRNAs (xenomiRs) in 824 sequencing data sets from various human tissues and body fluids. We find that xenomiRs are commonly present in tissues (17%) and body fluids (69%); however, the abundances are low, comprising 0.001% of host human miRNA counts. Further, we do not detect a significant enrichment of xenomiRs in sequencing data originating from tissues and body fluids that are exposed to dietary intake (such as liver). Likewise, there is no significant depletion of xenomiRs in tissues and body fluids that are relatively separated from the main bloodstream (such as brain and cerebro-spinal fluids). Interestingly, the majority (81%) of body fluid xenomiRs stem from rodents, which are a rare human dietary contribution but common laboratory animals. Body fluid samples from the same studies tend to group together when clustered by xenomiR compositions, suggesting technical batch effects. Last, we performed carefully designed and controlled animal feeding studies, in which we detected no transfer of plant miRNAs into rat blood, or bovine milk sequences into piglet blood. In summary, our comprehensive computational and experimental results indicate that xenomiRs originate from technical artifacts rather than dietary intake.

This longitudinal study aims to provide greater insight into how students' understanding of matter and chemical reactions develops over time and how their knowledge structures are restructured. Four case-study students in a Norwegian primary school were followed for two years from age 10–11 to age 12–13. Researchers were responsible for implementation of science teaching promoting systematic development of students' understanding of the nature of matter and chemical reactions in many contexts across science disciplines. The four case-study students' expressed understanding was recorded and analyzed throughout the period. Results indicate that students develop fragmented and incomplete understanding, and drawing wrong conclusions may be necessary steps in the learning process. Moreover, students seem to develop a somewhat more integrated and cohesive understanding of the nature of matter and chemical reactions, indicating that the students restructure and reorganize their knowledge structures (i.e. differentiation, coalescence and promoting).

miRNAs are small 22-nucleotide RNAs that can post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. It has been proposed that dietary plant miRNAs can enter the human bloodstream and regulate host transcripts; however, these findings have been widely disputed. We here conduct the first comprehensive meta-study in the field, surveying the presence and abundances of cross-species miRNAs (xenomiRs) in 824 sequencing data sets from various human tissues and body fluids. We find that xenomiRs are commonly present in tissues (17%) and body fluids (69%); however, the abundances are low, comprising 0.001% of host human miRNA counts. Further, we do not detect a significant enrichment of xenomiRs in sequencing data originating from tissues and body fluids that are exposed to dietary intake (such as liver). Likewise, there is no significant depletion of xenomiRs in tissues and body fluids that are relatively separated from the main bloodstream (such as brain and cerebro-spinal fluids). Interestingly, the majority (81%) of body fluid xenomiRs stem from rodents, which are a rare human dietary contribution but common laboratory animals. Body fluid samples from the same studies tend to group together when clustered by xenomiR compositions, suggesting technical batch effects. Last, we performed carefully designed and controlled animal feeding studies, in which we detected no transfer of plant miRNAs into rat blood, or bovine milk sequences into piglet blood. In summary, our comprehensive computational and experimental results indicate that xenomiRs originate from technical artifacts rather than dietary intake.

Prosjektet ”Bedre læringsstrategier i realfag”, et samarbeidprosjekt mellom Nes kommune i Akershus og Høgskolen i Hedmark, startet som et skole-foreldreinitiativ for å oppnå bedre læringsresultater og utjevne sosiale forskjeller i Nes-skolen. Initiativet kom som følge av gjentatte nedslående resultater fra de internasjonale undersøkelsene PISA (OECD, 2003) og TIMSS (Grønmo, Bergem, Kjærnsli, Lie, & Turmo, 2004). Prestasjonene til norske elever i naturfag og matematikk er nå under det gjennomsnittlige OECD-resultatet (Kjærnsli, Lie, Olsen, & Roe, 2007). Tidligere har det blitt rapportert at elevene har et begrenset repertoar av læringsstrategier (Kjærnsli, Lie, Olsen, Roe, & Turmo, 2004; Lie, Kjærnsli, Roe, & Turmo, 2001). Som følge av funn i disse internasjonale undersøkelsene har begrepet læringsstrategier fått aktualitet og blitt løftet frem som en mulig vei til bedre læring (Elstad & Turmo, 2006). Den siste PISA-undersøkelsen (Kjærnsli et al., 2007) gir bare svak støtte til at bedre oppøving av gode læringsstrategier vil fremme elevenes læring i faget. Hvordan læringsstrategier tilpasset situasjoner og fag vil kunne fremme læring, er noe av det vi vil studere nærmere i dette prosjektet.

This article reports research in three Nottingham schools, concerned with (1) ‘The school as fertile ground: how the ethos of a school enables everyone in it to benefit from the presence of artists in class’; (2) ‘Children on the edge: how the arts reach those children who otherwise exclude themselves from class activities, for any reason’ and (3) ‘Children's voices and choices: how even very young children can learn to express their wishes, and then have them realised through arts projects’. The research methodology was rooted in two modes of inquiry, philosophical investigation and action research. The article draws on this research to argue that arts-based work in school has helped disadvantaged and/or disaffected children to engage in activities (both arts-based and others), and to be able to lay the groundwork for exercising voice and agency as they did so. If social justice is to flourish there is a need for particular kinds of public spaces and a need to create conditions such that child...

175 Background: Patients with incurable cancer often experience marked anxiety that is associated with poor quality of life (QOL), high symptom burden, and complications with medical treatment. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a mobile app-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention to treat anxiety symptoms in patients with incurable cancer. Methods: From 2/15 to 8/16, 145 patients with incurable cancers (e.g., advanced lung, breast, GI/GU, sarcoma, melanoma) who screened positive for at least mild anxiety symptoms (Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale, HADS-A > 7) were randomized 1:1 at two cancer centers to receive either the CBT mobile app for anxiety or a mobile health education program (control), delivered via tablet computers. The CBT app consisted of 7 modules teaching skills to relax the body, reduce worry, stay present-focused, improve communication, and plan/pace activities, which patients completed over 12 weeks. To assess anxiety, mood, and QOL, we administered the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), HADS, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General at baseline and 12 weeks. General linear models were used to assess the effect of the intervention on patient outcomes over time. Results: The sample was predominantly female (73.8%) and white (91.7%), with a mean age of 56.45 ( SD= 11.30) years. Both study groups reported significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and QOL from baseline to post-assessment (all p-values < .002), with no differences in the improved outcomes between groups. Secondary analyses revealed interaction effects on anxiety between the intervention and baseline HAM-A scores. Among patients with higher baseline anxiety, those randomized to the CBT app had greater improvements on the HAM-A ( p= .043), CGI ( p= .048), and HADS-A ( p= .001) compared to the health education control group. Conclusions: Patients with incurable cancer who received either a CBT mobile app intervention or mobile health education program reported improvements in anxiety, depression, and QOL. However, the CBT mobile app had better outcomes than health education for patients with higher baseline anxiety. Clinical trial information: NCT02286466.

Øyehaug, A. B. and A. Holt (2013). Sammenhengen mellom naturvitenskapelig produkt og prosess - En studie av dialoger fra utforskende arbeid i naturfag relatert til stoffer og stoffers endringer. NorDiNa : Nordic Studies in Science Education 9(1): 33-49. This paper reports from a study where a teacher and researchers collaborated on designing science teaching promoting scientific inquiry (processes of science) and science content (product of science) for a group of students (age 11 – 13). A wide range of data from students’ performance in combining science product and processes were collected during a two year period. Results indicate that students combined product (matter and change of matter) and processes of science (making hypotheses, suggesting research design and evaluating evidence) and that these aspects support each other in science learning. The ability of linking product and process differed among students and varied from one scientific method to the other. To succeed in linking science content and processes of science it is important to scaffold student understanding, like providing templates and asking rich and relevant questions.

In this paper we suggest a method for analysing curriculums in science, and we use this to investigate how the present Norwegian science curriculum prepares students for scientific informed citizenry. Science is both a body of knowledge that represents current understanding of natural systems and the process where that body of knowledge has been established and is being continually extended, refined, and revised. Both elements are truly essential, a student cannot understand science without being competent in both. Thus, there are clear recommendations about how to teach science in school, described as four strands of learning. The method analyses competence descriptions both according to the four strands and taxonomic level (depth of knowledge). The analysis shows that the Norwegian curriculum only to a certain degree correlates to recommendations about how science should be taught. Moreover, it seems like the method has potential beyond science curriculum analysis.

Most parents want more schooling for their children, and want this schooling to satisfy any unique needs that their children may possess. Quite naturally, school systems are having difficulty coping with these demands. Also, many issues are emerging in contemporary schools which are unique and difficult to resolve. Parents, teachers and the general public are being encouraged to become involved in school affairs in an effort to satisfy these new demands and to resolve difficult problems with minimal conflict. The professional literature on effective schooling indicates that a greater involvement of lay people on school management usually produces improvements in the cognitive and affective development of children. Consequently, school effectiveness in the future will be influenced by how successful school councils and governing bodies function. If parents, teachers and members of the public who become involved in school affairs do not receive adequate and on‐going in‐service training, school mana...

Dette er en vitenskapelig, fagfellevurdert artikkel som er publisert Open Access. Artikkelen ble opprinnelig publisert i Acta Didactica Norge, og du kan lese den ved å følge denne lenken: http://adno.no/index.php/adno/article/view/343 This paper reports from a study where a teacher and researchers collaborated on designing science teaching promoting scientific inquiry for a group of students (age 11 – 13). Guided by the Norwegian science curriculum, students were during a two-year intervention period regularly engaged in inquiry-based science learning. The students formed and tested hypotheses, were to various degrees engaged in developing research design and took extensively part in the evaluation of evidence. In connection with each inquiry task, students were encouraged to express their ideas about professional or formal science issues emphasized in the Norwegian science curriculum (Why do scientists form and test hypothesis? What characterizes scientific inquiry? Why do scientists compare results?). Data (video recordings of classroom instructions and interviews in addition to written tests) from four students were collected during a two year period. Results indicate that the students’ epistemological beliefs remained fairly naïve through the intervention period, in spite of intensive participation in inquiry learning. The students’ lack of epistemological development may be understood in terms of the instructional emphasis on formal epistemology, in favor of practical epistemology.

Incorporating a small amount of comonomer, sodio sulfoisophthalate, in PET produces a sharp decrease in the orientation of melt-spun fibers, but also reduces the wind-up-speed at which crystallization occurs in the spinline. This is consistent with high variations in local orientation, with crystallization in those areas where orien tation is sufficiently high. Incorporating a very small amount of an agent that ac celerates melt crystallization under quiescent conditions has no effect on spun yarn structure, because crystallization in the spinline is dominated by orientation/stress phenomena

The environmental performance of optical couplers, in this case fused biconic taper (FBT) optical couplers, is strongly a function of the packaging technology used to isolate the glass taper region from mechanical stress and contamination. Low thermal expansion metals and glasses have been used successfully as substrates in packaging FBT couplers. The development of a packaging design utilizing injection molding technology provides a low cost alternative to glass or metal packaging designs. A high performance liquid crystal polyester resin, *Vectratm, produced by Celanese Specialty Operations was chosen for this application. Over 100 couplers, utilizing this packaging technology, were environmentally tested under conditions of temperature cycling (-50°C to +85°C), temperature aging (85°C, 1000 hours), humidity (95% @ 65°C) and vibration/shock (2g's, 15g's). The tests were conducted in accordance with MIL-STD 810C. The couplers tested were three port devices using 50/125 micron fiber and a splitting ratio of 1 to 1. The couplers were fabricated at Phalo/DCC, Manchester, NH. The results of the environmental testing indicate that couplers manufactured with this packaging technology are reliable components capable of surviving harsh environmental service conditions.