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While increasing emphasis has been placed on computer science (CS) and computational thinking (CT) little is known about these topics in elementary classrooms. Significant equity gaps exist within CS/CT at the elementary level, with a major contributor being the lack of highly qualified CS/CT elementary teachers. Professional development (PD) for inservice teachers who already teach in high need CS schools or for preservice teachers planning to teach in high need schools is a viable solution. The research presented was part of an ongoing university/elementary school Teacher-Researcher Partnership designed to address the CS/CT PD needs of elementary educators. An exploratory, descriptive case study was conducted to better understand the experiences of 4th grade inservice teacher partners co-designing and implementing a robotics event serving over 100 4th grade students, along with the experiences of preservice teachers facilitating the event. Inservice teacher partners (n=5) were participants generating data through co-design session recordings, co-designed artifacts, and a final reflective interview. Data from preservice teacher facilitators (n=14) were anonymous reflections. Thematic analysis found inservice teachers gained increased confidence and ownership over CS/CT activities. Moreover, inservice and preservice teachers both reported student benefits such as growth in Technology and Engineering Education (T&EE) problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. The emergence of joyfulness from CS/CT engagement was an important finding, particularly given T&EE intentionally capitalizes on the benefits of appealing, minds-on/hands-on experiences for young learners. This research provides insights for other T&EE researchers who are exploring PD approaches that help build CS, CT, problem-solving, and other related T&EE skills and dispositions.

Phlebia tremelloidea is a rare, poorly known boreonemoral species producing resupinate basidiomata on fallen trunks. This species has been proposed to be synonymous with Pseudophlebia lindtneri (Pilát) C.L. Zhao, despite the long-standing nomenclatural history conflicts with the priority of Giacomo Bresadola (1920). Phlebia tremelloidea has been reported from several European Countries, but its distribution range appears shifted towards North-East Europe with very scattered or no records elsewhere. A specimen of P. tremelloidea was found in May 2023 (re-surveyed in 2024) in the State Strict Natural Reserve Bosco Siro Negri along the Ticino River. It represents the unique record in Italy (Pavia province) even including possible synonyms. The available exsiccata have been conserved in the University of Pavia and in Annarosa Bernicchia’s private herbarium. Molecular barcode (ITS region) performed on the dried basidioma confirmed the macro- and micromorphological identification; besides, sequences from LSU, SSU and two sub-regions in RPB2 have been deposited as well in GenBank for the first time. This study increases the knowledge about distribution and ecology of P. tremelloidea and provides new molecular data in support of the taxonomic debate on this species and its relatives.

The Spigelian hernia is a abdominal wall hernia that originates from a discontinuity of the Spigelian fascia located lateral to the rectus abdominis muscle. It can be acquired in adults or congenital in newborns. In very rare cases in male it can be associated with cryptorchidism, in which case it is known as “Spigellian-Cryptorchidism Syndrome”. It can be clinically highlighted with abdominal swelling wall along the semilunar line and intestinal obstruction. The diagnosis, as in all pediatric emergencies, must be timely and the method of choice is ultrasound which allows a rapid localization of the hernia breach and herniated structures. The treatment of choice is surgical with herniopexy and repositioning of the testicle into the scrotal sac, or orchipessy in cases of testicular necrosis. We describe ultrasound characteristics of Spigellian-cryptorchidism syndrome presenting with acute intestinal obstruction in a newborn.

Higher Education Institutions face a highly competitive climate nowadays. Thus, these institutions need to increase their market orientation and, a key factor, stakeholders' loyalty. In this paper, a model of high predictive power of loyalty is tested for a medium-sized European university, using a sample of 4023 individuals, including students, social entities and the general population. The results suggest that satisfaction and reputation are the antecedents of loyalty, although the importance of each varies depending on the stakeholder in question, since stakeholders respond to different strategic patterns. Thus, in the case of students, satisfaction is clearly the predominant variable, while for social entities, reputation is more relevant. The present work contributes to the theory of marketing for higher education institutions by defining a model that includes a reputation as an explanatory variable of the antecedents of loyalty and applying it to the main stakeholders: students, local social entities and the population.

Analyzing how participants learn from each other during online forums on discussion boards or social media platforms is often challenging. One of the predominant methods of analyzing such learning is through qualitative content analysis or interaction analysis. The Interaction Analysis Model (IAM), developed by Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson which qualitatively examines five levels of social construction of knowledge in online discussions has gained traction among researchers as a viable model for assessing how participants learn from each other. However, analyzing large amounts of textual data using this model can be time consuming. Therefore, this study explores how a social learning analytic method based on text analysis can be used to quantitatively analyze the five levels of knowledge construction stipulated in the IAM. Automating the analysis process will enable researchers and instructors to develop a snapshot of the process of social construction of knowledge in online discussions, and thereby make improvements to discussions to enhance collaborative learning as it unfolds.

A section of 512 strains from 106 species of wood decay fungi (WDF) collected in Italy is included within MicUNIPV, the reseach culture collection of University of Pavia (Italy). The number of detained strains has been continuously updated since 2010, when this core collection started. The strains are representative of the remarkable variety in habitat, climate and land use in Italy, including 59 different plant hosts, either living or dead, as well as different degradation stages and modes. Polyporales, Hymenochaetales and Corticiales are the main wood-decay orders included in this core collection. Few examples of rare or strictly localized species in Italy are Ganoderma pfeifferi, G. valesiacum, Hericium flagellum, Perenniporia meridionalis and Punctularia strigosozonata. Besides these ones, Laricifomes officinalis especially rises conservation issues. The wide taxonomic and ecological spectrum provides with a variety of subjects for different studies in both systematics and applied mycology, as well as for exchanges with other mycologists and private partners in research projects.

La educación en línea, o e-learning, se ha convertido en una herramienta crucial en el panorama educativo actual, ofreciendo flexibilidad y accesibilidad a los estudiantes en diferentes programas académicos. Este estudio se enfoca en investigar las perspectivas de los estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas-México en tres programas educativos impartidos completamente en línea, recopilando datos numéricos mediante un enfoque metodológico cuantitativo para comprender las experiencias y percepciones de los estudiantes en entornos virtuales de formación. Se aplicó un cuestionario estructurado a una muestra de 158 estudiantes para capturar una visión general de las tendencias y opiniones de los participantes. Los resultados revelaron que los estudiantes valoran positivamente la flexibilidad y la disponibilidad de materiales en la educación en línea, aunque también identificaron desafíos como dificultades comunicativas y de comprensión. Se destacan recomendaciones para fortalecer la comunicación, diversificar las herramientas educativas y apoyar la adaptación a la modalidad virtual. En conclusión, este estudio proporciona una visión detallada de las experiencias de los estudiantes en la educación en línea y ofrece recomendaciones prácticas para mejorar su efectividad y calidad.

Functionalized porous silica materials were synthesized in alkaline conditions by post-grafting method using hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as templating agent, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica precursors and trialkoxysilanes functionalised with different organic groups. Textural features, halfway between microporosity and mesoporosity, combined with the surface physico-chemical ones related to various organic groups, determined different CO2 storage properties highlighting a strong interaction with the precursor 3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane. NMR spectroscopy also showed how physisorption is the mainstream mechanism for CO2 adsorption in all the sorbents, except for the aforementioned organic group in which an important chemisorption contribution occurs. Diffusion and molecular mobility analysis revealed that at least two species coexist within the micro-/meso-pores of the sorbents, namely, CO2 molecules powerfully interacting with the pore surface (pore-surface CO2) and “bulk-like” CO2 filling the central region of the pores. Furthermore, the post functionalization suppresses the diffusion of CO2 molecules through the pore channels with all the functionalized materials exhibiting a single self-diffusion coefficient. On the other side, D// strictly depends on the average pore size of the sorbent.

Wheat grain yield is a complex trait resulting from a trade-off among many distinct components. During wheat evolution, domestication events and then modern breeding have strongly increased the yield potential of wheat plants, by enhancing spike fertility. To address the genetic bases of spike fertility in terms of spikelet number per spike and floret number per spikelet, a population of 110 recombinant inbred lines (RILS) obtained crossing a Triticum turgidum ssp. durum cultivar (Latino) and a T. dicoccum accession (MG5323) was exploited. Being a modern durum and a semi-domesticated genotype, respectively, the two parents differ for spike architecture and fertility, and thus the corresponding RIL population is the ideal genetic material to dissect genetic bases of yield components. The RIL population was phenotyped in four environments. Using a high-density SNP genetic map and taking advantage of several genome sequencing available for Triticeae, a total of 94 QTLs were identified for the eight traits considered; these QTLs were further reduced to 17 groups, based on their genetic and physical co-location. QTLs controlling floret number per spikelet and spikelet number per spike mapped in non-overlapping chromosomal regions, suggesting that independent genetic factors determine these fertility-related traits. The physical intervals of QTL groups were considered for possible co-location with known genes functionally involved in spike fertility traits and with yield-related QTLs previously mapped in tetraploid wheat. The most interesting result concerns a QTL group on chromosome 5B, associated with spikelet number per spike, since it could host genes still uncharacterized for their association to spike fertility. Finally, we identified two different regions where the trade-off between fertility related traits and kernel weight is overcome. Further analyses of these regions could pave the way for a future identification of new genetic loci contributing to fertility traits essential for yield improvement in durum wheat.

BackgroundChronic pain significantly impacts quality of life and poses substantial public health challenges. Buprenorphine, a synthetic analog of thebaine, is recognized for its potential in managing moderate to severe chronic pain with fewer side effects and a lower incidence of tolerance compared to traditional opioids.ObjectiveThis retrospective study aimed to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of buprenorphine transdermal patches in patients with moderate and severe chronic pain, with a focus on pain relief sustainability and tolerance development.MethodsThis retrospective observational study involved 246 patients prescribed buprenorphine transdermal patches. We evaluated changes in pain intensity using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), assessed opioid tolerance based on FDA guidelines for morphine-equivalent doses, and measured patient-reported outcomes through the Patients’ Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Any adverse events were also recorded.ResultsOver the 36-month period, there was a significant reduction in NRS scores for both moderate and severe pain patients, demonstrating buprenorphine’s sustained analgesic effect. Tolerance measurement indicated that no patients required increases in morphine-equivalent doses that would meet or exceed the FDA’s threshold for opioid tolerance (60 mg/day of morphine or equivalent). Additionally, patient satisfaction was high, with the PGIC reflecting significant improvements in pain management and overall wellbeing. The side effects were minimal, with skin reactions and nausea being the most commonly reported but manageable adverse events.ConclusionThe study findings validate the long-term use of buprenorphine transdermal patches as an effective and safe option for chronic pain management, maintaining efficacy without significant tolerance development. These results support the continued and expanded use of buprenorphine in clinical settings, emphasizing its role in reducing the burdens of chronic pain and opioid-related side effects. Further research is encouraged to refine pain management protocols and explore buprenorphine’s full potential in diverse patient populations.

Demixing signals in transcranial videos of neuronal calcium flux across the cerebral hemispheres is a key step before mapping features of cortical organization. Here we demonstrate that independent component analysis can optimally recover neural signal content in widefield recordings of neuronal cortical calcium dynamics captured at a minimum sampling rate of 1.5×106 pixels per one-hundred millisecond frame for seventeen minutes with a magnification ratio of 1:1. We show that a set of spatial and temporal metrics obtained from the components can be used to build a random forest classifier, which separates neural activity and artifact components automatically at human performance. Using this data, we establish functional segmentation of the mouse cortex to provide a map of ~115 domains per hemisphere, in which extracted time courses maximally represent the underlying signal in each recording. Domain maps revealed substantial regional motifs, with higher order cortical regions presenting large, eccentric domains compared with smaller, more circular ones in primary sensory areas. This workflow of data-driven video decomposition and machine classification of signal sources can greatly enhance high quality mapping of complex cerebral dynamics.

Objective Acute visual impairment is the most feared complication of giant cell arteritis (GCA) but is challenging to predict. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluates orbital pathology not visualized by an ophthalmologic examination. This study combined orbital and cranial vessel wall MRI to assess both orbital and cranial disease activity in patients with GCA, including patients without visual symptoms. Methods Patients with suspected active GCA who underwent orbital and cranial vessel wall MRI were included. In 14 patients, repeat imaging over 12 months assessed sensitivity to change. Clinical diagnosis of ocular or nonocular GCA was determined by a rheumatologist and/or ophthalmologist. A radiologist masked to clinical data scored MRI enhancement of structures. Results Sixty‐four patients with suspected GCA were included: 25 (39%) received a clinical diagnosis of GCA, including 12 (19%) with ocular GCA. Orbital MRI enhancement was observed in 83% of patients with ocular GCA, 38% of patients with nonocular GCA, and 5% of patients with non‐GCA. MRI had strong diagnostic performance for both any GCA and ocular GCA. Combining MRI with a funduscopic examination reached 100% sensitivity for ocular GCA. MRI enhancement significantly decreased after treatment (P