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Knowledge systems and social philosophies from Indigenous communities in the Global South have long promoted non-violence through a sense of shared humanity and community building, and as such are valid counter-hegemonic alternatives to the existing colonial, Eurocentric model of knowledge production in use. This article details the contributions made by two specific Indigenous wisdom traditions -- ubuntu and Buen Vivir -- to a non-violence education teacher training programme in Chile framed within decolonial epistemologies. Using participatory workshops as a method, this study sought to offer Chilean trainee teachers a set of tools to explore issues of discrimination and exclusion and to deal with tensions arising from these issues informed by non-violent approaches. Participants read and reflected on how these wisdom traditions could contribute to their own teaching practice and later planned and facilitated a session with their peers to help them develop awareness on the principles of ubuntu and Buen Vivir. Results show paradigm shifts in three areas: individual versus collective action; their perception of human interconnectedness and of our interconnectedness with the environment; and how these perspectives could inform their teaching practice to foster greater inclusiveness.

Higher-education classroom practices in Chile have historically followed the Eurocentric model in which the student is an 'empty vessel' and the instructor the one who fills it. This has led to the perpetuation of a specific model of knowledge creation and transmission that has historically ignored both non-Western cultures and knowledges but has also neglected attempts at developing practices that might foster greater critical thinking skills or that view education as a way of increasing consciousness, advocating social changes and challenging inequalities present in the classroom. Drawing on a number of different perspectives, from Orientalism, Critical Pedagogy and indigenous knowledge, this paper is written as a way to challenge existing systems and methods, in order to suggest a framework of action anchored in non-Eurocentric approaches and that are further rooted in participatory action research.

Language teacher identity has been at the forefront of pedagogical research in recent years; this has become particularly important due to the demographic changes seen throughout the world since 2015; since then, there have been significant changes in the cultural landscape of schools in general and language teaching in particular, which presents unique challenges for teachers in their process of identity construction. This study aims to explore the transformative nature of language teacher identity in two settings: teaching in online classrooms in one's home country, and teaching in online classroom abroad. The research will explore how cultural identity shapes an educators' relationship with students, how one's own cultural identity influences methodological and pedagogical choices, how these can improve literacy in the young adult classroom, as well touching upon the relevance of cultural identity is in a developing teacher. The findings revealed a general consensus on the need to gear pedagogical practices towards a student-centered approach; they further showed a general split in how teachers view the role that cultural identity plays in the classroom: while some felt that local cultures hindered their approach to teaching, others felt it helped build rapport and understanding between teachers and learners.

Much of social research in language learning in the past twenty years has been devoted to explore issues of identity construction and its sociological implications in terms of mobility and inclusiveness. There are a large number of studies on the areas of culture and identity, and how they relate to the investment and empowerment of language learners (Dörnyei, 2005; Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2011; Norton, 1997, 2000, 2013, 2015; Norton & Davin, 2015; Ushioda, 2011). Some of these have been pivotal in the development of identity research for the past two decades and have laid the foundation upon which further research has been done: Norton (1995) proposed her Classroom-Based Social Research, in which learners become ethnographers of sorts under the encouragement of teachers; Brunton and Jeffrey (2014) examined some of the factors that might lead to empowerment with foreign students in New Zealand (2013), Diaz, Cochran, and Karlin (2016) conducted a study in American classrooms to investigate the impact of teachers' behavior and communication strategies on students' achievement and feeling of empowerment, and more recently Howard (2018) investigated the impact of teachers' attitudes in the construction of sociocultural identities in African-American students. Such research has provided a wealth of insight and suggested practices, but in this researcher's opinion they have come short in providing any definite answers as to how to implement them or the outcomes they might yield. The purpose of this paper is to shed new light on how the aforementioned dimensions of identity construction, empowerment and investment can result in greater social inclusion for second-language learners. The paper analyzes each dimension separately, provides a theoretical background that links them to language learning, and then discusses some possible implications for teachers and researchers on how to further recruit students' investment and enhance their sense of empowerment and inclusion.

My personal experience as a teacher in Japan has raised questions about the usefulness of both summative and formative assessment, the possible benefits of non-traditional approaches to classroom instruction, and the influence of assessment measures in the success of Japanese students. For instance, the use of collaborative, inquiry, task or project-based learning in Japanese high schools is nearly non-existent because of the structure of government-led educational standards, which mostly focus on preparing students for university entrance examinations. By critically looking at the latest existing literature on the uses and impact of assessment in Japanese education, this paper aims to further contribute to the discussion on the topic by elucidating possible implications for teachers and researchers who are interested in the context of Japan or similar educational settings. This paper also attempts to look at Japan's current educational practices and how cultural tradition is woven into the integration of teaching philosophy.

This article presents the design and production work carried out jointly by Vitesco Technologies and the CEA in order to build a Self-Reconfigurable Battery (SRB) demonstrator representative of an electric vehicle traction battery pack. The literature demonstrates that the use of an SRB allows for individual bypassing or serialization of each cell in a battery pack, enabling control of the voltage output and dynamic balancing of the battery pack during all phases of vehicle use. The simulations and tests presented in this article confirm that the use of an SRB results in a 6% reduction in energy consumption compared to a Conventional Battery Pack (CBP) on a driving profile based on WLTP cycles. Additionally, an SRB enhances fast charging performance, with a charging time that is 22% faster than a CBP. Furthermore, it is shown that an SRB without a voltage inversion capability can still be connected directly to the AC grid for charging without the need for a dedicated converter, using only a single diode bridge rectifier for the whole system.

Abstract Animal vision is important for mediating multiple complex behaviors. In Heliconius butterflies, vision guides fundamental behaviors such as oviposition, foraging, and mate choice. Color vision in Heliconius involves ultraviolet (UV), blue and long‐wavelength‐sensitive photoreceptors (opsins). Additionally, Heliconius possess a duplicated UV opsin, and its expression varies widely within the genus. In Heliconius erato, opsin expression is sexually dimorphic; only females express both UV‐sensitive opsins, enabling UV wavelength discrimination. However, the selective pressures responsible for sex‐specific differences in opsin expression and visual perception remain unresolved. Female Heliconius invest heavily in finding suitable hostplants for oviposition, a behavior heavily dependent on visual cues. Here, we tested the hypothesis that UV vision is important for oviposition in H. erato and Heliconius himera females by manipulating the availability of UV in behavioral experiments under natural conditions. Our results indicate that UV does not influence the number of oviposition attempts or eggs laid, and the hostplant, Passiflora punctata, does not reflect UV wavelengths. Models of H. erato female vision suggest only minimal stimulation of the UV opsins. Overall, these findings suggest that UV wavelengths do not directly affect the ability of Heliconius females to find suitable oviposition sites. Alternatively, UV discrimination could be used in the context of foraging or mate choice, but this remains to be tested.

Here, the authors study adaptation to altitude in 518 whole genomes from two species of tropical butterflies. They find repeated genetic differentiation within species, little molecular parallelism between these species, and introgression from closely related species, concluding that standing genetic variation promotes parallel local adaptation.

The excavations carried out in 2009, in the Canche Valley, at La Calotterie revealed the presence, in an area considered to be the presumed localization of Quentovic's port and commercial facilities, of over a thousand structures attributable to the Early Middle Ages (7th-9th centuries), on an area of 1.5 hectares. An extensive network of paths and ditches delineates plots in which pole buildings have been erected according to a strict organization of space. They are accompanied by numerous pits for domestic or artisanal purposes and twenty-six wells. Archaeological furniture, consisting mainly of ceramic shards, wildlife remains, metal objects, fragments of glass, cob and artefacts made of stone and bone, and accompanied by imported products, exogenous materials and '' a specific coinage, illustrates not only the daily life and the activities of the portus but testifies to the exchanges at more or less long distances in particular within the Manche-North.

Abstract Background Pathologic myopia is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness. Case presentation We report a case of an immediate post partum macular subretinal bleeding observed in a highly myopic patient. A 30-years-old woman presented two days after childbirth for sudden loss of vision in her right eye. Multimodal imaging showed macular hemorrhage masking a subtle yellowish linear lesion corresponding to lacker crack. Due to the lack of evidence for choroidal neovascularization, a simple clinical and imaging monitoring was recommended. Six weeks later, we noted an improvement in her best-corrected visual acuity and a decreased in size of the macular hemorrhage. Conclusions This is the first case reporting a macular subretinal bleeding on macular lacquer cracks in a highly myopic patient in immediate post partum. Valsalva maneuver associated with vaginal delivery could explain the occurrence of the hemorrhage associated with lacquer crack. However, natural history of pathological myopia could not be excluded.

While the variation of pedagogies has evolved over time in public school settings, there has also been a significant growth of alternative pedagogies over the mainstream circuit (Bodinet, 2016). One of lesser known pedagogical approaches within those, Contemplative Pedagogy, as well as its applications, have been explored in mostly-independent schools. The question arises: would it gain acceptance in mainstream education? The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible applications of Contemplative Pedagogy in an evidence-based international context, through the analysis of various Mindfulness training techniques and exercises aimed at heightening student awareness and self-knowledge within their larger societal context, and to analyze the impact of this approach within mainstream learning environments.

Chemical defences against predators underlie the evolution of aposematic coloration and mimicry, which are classic examples of adaptive evolution. Surprisingly little is known about the roles of ecological and evolutionary processes maintaining defence variation, and how they may feedback to shape the evolutionary dynamics of species. Cyanogenic Heliconius butterflies exhibit diverse warning color patterns and mimicry, thus providing a useful framework for investigating these questions. We studied intraspecific variation in de novo biosynthesized cyanogenic toxicity and its potential ecological and evolutionary sources in wild populations of Heliconius erato along environmental gradients, in common-garden broods and with feeding treatments. Our results demonstrate substantial intraspecific variation, including detectable variation among broods reared in a common garden. The latter estimate suggests considerable evolutionary potential in this trait, although predicting the response to selection is likely complicated due to the observed skewed distribution of toxicity values and the signatures of maternal contributions to the inheritance of toxicity. Larval diet contributed little to toxicity variation. Furthermore, toxicity profiles were similar along steep rainfall and altitudinal gradients, providing little evidence for these factors explaining variation in biosynthesized toxicity in natural populations. In contrast, there were striking differences in the chemical profiles of H. erato from geographically distant populations, implying potential local adaptation in the acquisition mechanisms and levels of defensive compounds. The results highlight the extensive variation and potential for adaptive evolution in defense traits for aposematic and mimetic species, which may contribute to the high diversity often found in these systems.

A new hybrid adsorbent material for the efficient removal of heavy metals from natural real water solutions (Moroccan river water samples) was prepared by the immobilization of a new conjugated β-ketoenol–pyridine–furan ligand onto a silica matrix. The thermodynamical properties including pH, adsorption isotherms, competitive adsorption, selectivity and regeneration were studied to investigate the effect of ketoenol–pyridine–furan–silica (SiNL) on the removal of Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. An increase in adsorption as a function of pH and fast adsorption was reached within 25 min. The maximum sorption capacities for Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) were 96.17, 47.07, 48.30 and 32.15 mg·g−1, respectively. Furthermore, the material proved to be very stable – its adsorption capacity remained greater than 98% even after five cycles of adsorption/desorption. Compared to literature results, this material can be considered a high-performing remediation adsorbent for the extraction of Zn(II) from natural real water solution.

Variants of the TTLL5 gene, which encodes tubulin tyrosine ligase-like family member five, are a rare cause of cone dystrophy (COD) or cone-rod dystrophy (CORD). To date, only a few TTLL5 patients have been clinically and genetically described. In this study, we report five patients harbouring biallelic variants of TTLL5. Four adult patients presented either COD or CORD with onset in the late teenage years. The youngest patient had a phenotype of early onset severe retinal dystrophy (EOSRD). Genetic analysis was performed by targeted next generation sequencing of gene panels and assessment of copy number variants (CNV). We identified eight variants, of which six were novel, including two large multiexon deletions in patients with COD or CORD, while the EOSRD patient harboured the novel homozygous p.(Trp640*) variant and three distinct USH2A variants, which might explain the observed rod involvement. Our study highlights the role of TTLL5 in COD/CORD and the importance of large deletions. These findings suggest that COD or CORD patients lacking variants in known genes may harbour CNVs to be discovered in TTLL5, previously undetected by classical sequencing methods. In addition, variable phenotypes in TTLL5-associated patients might be due to the presence of additional gene defects.

Olfactory communication can be of critical importance for mate choice decisions. Lepidoptera are key model systems for understanding olfactory communication, particularly considering sex pheromone signaling in the context of sexual selection. Solvent extraction or rinsing of pheromone-producing structures is a widespread method for quantifying sex pheromones, but such measures reflect what is stored and may not represent what is actually emitted by an individual during courtship. Here, we address this point for the first time by quantifying the components of the male sex pheromone (MSP) of interacting Bicyclus anynana butterflies, a species for which much information is available onthe role played by MSPs in affecting mating success. Using headspace sampling during courtship and solvent extraction after completion of experiments using the same males, we were able to track individual traits. Our results show that solvent extracts do not reflect quantities of MSP components emitted by live butterflies. We further show that MSP amounts obtained using headspace sampling correlated with male mating success, but solvent extracts did not. Our results further strongly suggest that males actively control MSP emission when faced with increased male-male competition. Common practice solvent extracts may thus not serve as an adequate proxy for male sex pheromone signaling as they are perceived by choosy females. Our study serves as a proof of principle that quantification of male sex pheromone components depends on the method of collection, which could apply to many other insects using short-range chemical signals. This affects our understanding of how sexual selection shapes the evolution of sexually-selected chemical traits.

This article presents an innovative self-reconfigurable battery (SRB) architecture, which is able to generate directly at its output any waveform signals. Thanks to that specific characteristic of the proposed system, it is even possible to dispense with any AC charger. Although the individual ability of each cell in the battery pack to perform an efficient active cell balancing has been already studied in the literature, the system presented in this article is the first of its kind. This article describes a real prototype of a high frequency SRB of 128 cells and demonstrates that it can be charged without any dedicated charger directly on the electrical grid, by generating a sinusoidal waveform voltage, while perfectly balancing the cells in real time.

In this paper, we propose a green route to prepare insoluble poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) cast films with potential application as antimicrobial packaging. First PVOH films were cast from different aqueous solutions and analyzed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) to determine their physical properties under two storage conditions. In order to obtain insoluble films, PVOH was then crosslinked by citric acid (CTR) as confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses. The crosslinking reaction parameters (curing time, crosslinker content) were studied by comparing the characteristics of PVOH/CTR films, such as free COOH content and glass transition temperature (Tg) value, as well as the impact of the crosslinking reaction on mechanical properties. It was found that for 40 and 10 wt% CTR contents, 120 and 40 min of crosslinking times were necessary to bind all CTR respectively. Brittle films were obtained for 40 wt% CTR whereas 10 wt% CTR content led to ductile films. Finally, films containing hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), chosen as a potential vector of antimicrobial agent, were prepared. The obtained results show that the incorporation of HPβCD in the PVOH matrix does not mainly influence the physical and mechanical properties of the films.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4α) nuclear receptor is a master regulator of hepatocyte development, nutrient transport and metabolism. HNF4α is regulated both at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels by different mechanisms. Several kinases (PKA, PKC, AMPK) were shown to phosphorylate and decrease the activity of HNF4α. Activation of the ERK1/2 signalling pathway, inducing proliferation and survival, inhibits the expression of HNF4α. However, based on our previous results we hypothesized that HNF4α is also regulated at the post-transcriptional level by ERK1/2. Here we show that ERK1/2 is capable of directly phosphorylating HNF4α in vitro at several phosphorylation sites including residues previously shown to be targeted by other kinases, as well. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that phosphorylation of HNF4α leads to a reduced trans-activational capacity of the nuclear receptor in luciferase reporter gene assay. We confirm the functional relevance of these findings by demonstrating with ChIP-qPCR experiments that 30-minute activation of ERK1/2 leads to reduced chromatin binding of HNF4α. Accordingly, we have observed decreasing but not disappearing binding of HNF4α to the target genes. In addition, 24-hour activation of the pathway further decreased HNF4α chromatin binding to specific loci in ChIP-qPCR experiments, which confirms the previous reports on the decreased expression of the HNF4a gene due to ERK1/2 activation. Our data suggest that the ERK1/2 pathway plays an important role in the regulation of HNF4α-dependent hepatic gene expression.

Plane wave propagation in an elastic lattice material follows regular patterns as dictated by the nature of the lattice symmetry and the mechanical configuration of the unit cell. A unique feature pertains to the loss of elastodynamic isotropy at frequencies where the wavelength is on the order of the lattice spacing or shorter. Anisotropy may also be realized at lower frequencies with the inclusion of local resonators, especially when designed to exhibit directionally non-uniform connectivity and/or cross-sectional geometry. In this paper, we consider free and driven waves within a plate-like lattice−with and without local resonators−and examine the effects of damping on the isofrequency dispersion curves. We also examine, for free waves, the effects of damping on the frequency-dependent anisotropy of dissipation. Furthermore, we investigate the possibility of engineering the dissipation anisotropy by tuning the directional properties of the prescribed damping. The results demonstrate that uniformly applied damping tends to reduce the intensity of anisotropy in the isofrequency dispersion curves. On the other hand, lattice crystals and metamaterials are shown to provide an excellent platform for direction-dependent dissipation engineering which may be realized by simple changes in the spatial distribution of the damping elements.

A new chelating matrix, SiNP, has been prepared by immobilizing 1.5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carbaldehyde on silica gel modified with 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane. This new chelating material was well characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, cross polarization magic angle spinning solid state 13C-NMR, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, BET surface area, BJH pore size, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The new product exhibits good chemical and thermal stability as determined by thermogravimetry curves (TGA). The new prepared material was used as an adsorbent for the solid-phase extraction (SPE) of Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) from aqueous solutions using a batch method, prior to their determination by flame atomic adsorption spectrometry. The adsorption capacity was investigated using kinetics and pH effects. Common coexisting ions did not interfere with separation and determination.

In this paper, we present a new Joint Source-Channel Coding (JSCC) architecture to extend the coverage of H.264/AVC High Definition (HD) video delivery over Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). The proposed solution combines low complexity H.264/AVC transrating as well as multi-carrier transmission and takes into account realistic ADSL2 specifications including all OSI layers. Both transrating and bit and power loading transmission parameters are automatically optimized in terms of end-user perceived quality, with respect to the characteristics of the given subscriber’s loop. Several originalities have been included: a new optimization algorithm has been developed, as well as a full rate-distortion modelling of the H.264/AVC transrater’s performances. Simulation results show that the proposed solution can extend the coverage area of HD video delivery up to more than one kilometre. It should allow the widespread distribution of HD video contents and increase the number of eligible subscribers.ADSL2, H.264/AVC, joint source channel coding, transrating, Quality of Experience (QoE)

Molecules bearing β-keto-enol functionality are potential candidates for coordination chemistry. Reported herein is the first synthesis and use of a novel designed ligand based on β-keto-enol group embedded with pyridine and thiophene moieties. The product was prepared in a one-step procedure by mixed Claisen condensation and was characterized by EA, m/z, FT-IR, (1H, 13C) NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The new structure was grafted onto silica particles to afford a chelating matrix which was well-characterized by EA, FT-IR, solid-state 13C-NMR, BET, BJH, SEM and TGA. The newly prepared organic-inorganic material was used as an adsorbent for efficient solid-phase extraction (SPE) of Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions and showed a capture capacity of 104.12 mg·g−1, 98.90 mg·g−1, 72.02 mg·g−1, and 65.54 mg·g−1, respectively. The adsorption capacity was investigated, in a batch method, using time of contact, pH, initial concentration, kinetics (Langmuir and Freundlich models), and thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS°) of the system effects.

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Highlights • Efficient hybrid adsorbent material for the elimination of trace elements from water. • Very stable material with a high adsorption capacity. • Top performing remediation adsorbent for the adsorption of Zn from real water solutions. Abstract Efficient hybrid materials based adsorbents are highly recommended for potentially toxic metals removal from polluted water media. Herein, novel silica particles modified with a new bispyrazolylpropane Schiff base were synthesized and characterized using relevant physical techniques. The resulting hybrid material (SiNAL3) was studied for its ability to uptake ZnII, CuII, PbII and CdII ions in aqueous solution via kinetics studies. The maximum adsorption capacities of SiNAL3 for ZnII, CuII, PbII and CdII were approximately 1.23, 0.32, 0.29 and 0.23 mmol g−1 , respectively, with an equilibrium reached after only 25 min for all metals. The adsorption process was found spontaneous and endothermic. Interestingly, our hybrid material could selectively adsorb ZnII in the presence of other metal ions from an aqueous solution, a useful property which was applied to real water samples. The adsorbent can be easily reused with no significant decrease in adsorption capacity after not less than five adsorption-desorption cycles, demonstrating its high stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety and effectiveness of hepatic transarterial embolic locoregional therapy (LRT) was assessed, including transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and transarterial radioembolization (TARE), in patients who underwent portal vein embolization (PVE) before major hepatectomy in whom surgery was then contraindicated. Adverse events (AEs) were graded according to the Society of Interventional Radiology classification of AEs. Tumor response was assessed based on the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors 1.1. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated. Fifteen patients underwent 37 transarterial LRTs (25 TACEs, 11 TAREs, and 1 bland embolization), most (73%) with hepatocellular carcinoma. Eleven AEs occurred in 7 patients, including 2 Grade 3/5 (severe) and 2 Grade 4/5 (life-threatening) events. The best response was partial response in 4 (27%) and stable disease in 10 (66%) patients. The median OS and PFS were 42 (95% CI, 35–49 months) and 33 months (95% CI, 24–42 months), respectively. In conclusion, hepatic transarterial LRT can be considered as a therapeutic option in patients with contraindicated liver surgery after PVE. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]