Perspectives: Towards a language for mapping relationships among taxonomic concepts

Abstract

Taxonomic concepts (sensu Berendsohn) embody the underlying meanings of scientific names as stated in a particular publication, thus offering a new way to resolve semantic ambiguities that result from multiple revisions of a taxonomic name. This paper presents a comprehensive and powerful language for representing the relationships among taxonomic concepts. The language features terms and symbols for concept relationships within a single taxonomic hierarchy, or between two related but independently published hierarchies. Taxonomic concepts pertaining to a single hierarchy are characterised by parent/child relationships, whereas those pertaining to two independent hierarchies may have the following basic relationships: congruence, inclusion (non‐symmetrical, relative to the side of comparison), overlap, and exclusion. The relationships are asserted by specialists who have the option to add or subtract concepts on one or both sides of a relationship equation in order to reconcile differences between non‐congruent taxonomic perspectives. The terms ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘not’ are available, respectively, to connect multiple simultaneously or alternatively valid relationship assessments, or to explicitly negate the validity of a relationship. The language also permits the decomposition of a relationship according to the intensional (property referencing) and ostensive (member pointing) aspects of the compared taxonomic concepts. Adopting the concept relationship language will facilitate a more precise documentation of similarities and differences in multiple succeeding taxonomic perspectives, thereby preparing the stage for an ontology‐based integration of taxonomic and related biological information.     

Puerperal morbidity: A neglected area of maternal health in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Data on women with at least two children are used to examine how the breastfeeding experience with the first child affects whether subsequent children are breastfed. Our results indicate that women most often repeat with later children the feeding decision they made with their first child. That is, those who breastfed their first child are very likely to breastfeed a later child and those who did not breastfeed their firstborn are unlikely to breastfeed a later‐bom. Among those who did not breastfeed their first child, education beyond high school increases the likelihood that they will switch to breastfeeding with a later‐born. Those who breastfed their first child are less likely to breastfeed a later‐born if the first breastfeeding experience was of short duration or was perceived to be unsuccessful or unsatisfactory or if the woman had not gone beyond high school or received anesthesia at the later birth. Hence, educational differences are greater at higher parities than at first parity.     

CBL教学模式在细胞研究进展教学中的应用效果

目的:探讨案例式教学(CBL)教学模式在细胞研究进展教学中的应用效果。方法:选择我校2013~2015级选修"细胞研究进展"的学生80人为研究对象,按选修课程时间的不同分为实验组及常规组各40例。常规组实施传统的教学模式(LBL),实验组实施CBL教学模式,调查两组学生的教学效果并比较两组学生考试得分情况。结果:实验组学生分析问题的能力、临床思维的建立、课堂积极性及教学满意度得分均高于常规组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。实验组学生临床案例分析及临床操作能力得分均高于常规组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:对选修细胞研究进展课程的学生采用CBL模式进行教学,有助于其建立临床思维,提高临床操作能力,提高学生对教学的满意度。     

Does Arts Education Develop School Readiness? Teachers’ and Artists’ Points of View on an Art Education Project

More than 98 percent of children in Finland attend preschool, where different kinds of projects are carried out in order to strengthen the children's abilities. This article focuses on the effects of one arts education project from a school readiness point of view. The main question was, How did the Helsinki arts education project affect the children's learning skills and attitudes? The target groups were children aged three to nine years who participated in the arts project in day care centers and schools. A multidimensional evaluation method was used for the analyses. The research data consisted of interviews of the program artists and educators (n = 23), follow-up reports (n = 9), and other materials. The results show that the program motivated children and aroused their interest in thinking, problem-solving, practicing, and learning. It offered children opportunities to experience success, which increased their self-confidence and skills. The project also strengthened their abilities in listening, goal-oriented work, evaluating others’ work, and receiving feedback, which are all abilities required for school entrance. The subject matter of their school courses was also integrated into their achievements.     

In Lieu of an Introduction

Nikolai Veresov: Tatiana, in this volume of our journal we publish a selection of your articles. Two of your other articles were published in Soviet Psychology in the 1970s. Introducing you to the readers of that journal, James Wertsch (1978) wrote: "The author … is one of the leading young investigators from the Luria school of neurolinguistics. She has studied and conducted extensive research both with Luria and with A. A. Leontiev, a major figure in Soviet psycholinguistics. Her analysis of inner speech as a mechanism in speech production reveals the strong influence that L. S. Vygotsky has had on Soviet psychology."¹ But first of all, I suppose our readers would be interested in learning more about your life, about events that preceded your scientific achievements. Could you please tell us briefly about your childhood and your family? How did your parents influence your course of life and your occupational choice? What did they do?     

Estimating the effect of music and arts coursework on college admissions outcomes

The purpose of this study was to examine postsecondary admissions outcomes for music and arts students as compared to their non-arts peers using nationally representative data (N = 14,900) from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002. Controlling for certain observable differences between students who do and do not elect arts courses, music students were more likely to apply to college and to attend college than their non-arts peers. Arts students were similar to non-arts students in terms of college selectivity and pursued science, technology, mathematics, and engineering majors at similar rates to non-arts students. This analysis suggests taking arts coursework in high school does not hinder successful college admissions outcomes as may be feared by well-intentioned guidance counselors or parents. Implications for college admission and local policies are considered.     

Interactants and activities on Facebook,Instagram, and Twitter: Associations between social media use and social adjustment to college

ABSTRACT

Research shows use of social media (SM) has important implications for college adjustment. However, most studies only focused on Facebook and did not attend to specific use patterns. Drawing on the activity-audience framework of social media use and literature of college adjustment, we examined the associations between use of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and college social adjustment. Regression and cluster analyses of survey data from 257 undergraduates (M_age?=?19.48) showed that SM interactants had stronger and more consistent associations with social adjustment than did activities. Using Facebook and Instagram with on-campus friends and family were related to better social adjustment; using Instagram with strangers was related to poorer adjustment. Students who frequently used all three SM to interact with off-campus friends were less adjusted than those who rarely used the platforms to interact with strangers. Some associations were moderated by SM activities. Implications of college students’ development in the digital age are discussed.     

Effects of Animal-Assisted Activities with Guinea Pigs in the Primary School Classroom

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of a classroom-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) program with guinea pigs on the social functioning of primary school children. We hypothesized that participants in the experimental condition (n = 64), compared with a waitlist control group (n = 64), would demonstrate improvements in social functioning following the program. Parents and teachers used the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to evaluate the social skills and problem behaviors of 128 participating children (age range = 4.8 to 12.7 years) before and after an 8-week period. Teachers also rated academic competence at both time points. Children who participated in the AAA program demonstrated significantly greater improvements in social functioning than their control group peers, as defined by greater increases in social skills (teacher SSRS) and decreases in problem behaviors (parent and teacher SSRS). There were no significant differences between the groups in academic competence. AAA participants demonstrated significant increases in social skills and decreases in problem behaviors from pre- to post-program on the teacher version of the SSRS. Control group participants did not show significant changes on these measures. These findings suggest that an AAA program with guinea pigs may be a feasible addition to the primary school classroom in order to improve social functioning. Further component analysis will be necessary to determine whether the animal is the active ingredient in AAA programs of this nature.     

On the causal relationship between participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging

It is often theoretically argued that participation in national commemorations increases feelings of national belonging. Previous studies have also empirically demonstrated that participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging are positively related. We are uncertain, however, about the direction of this relationship. Does participating in national commemorations increase feelings of national belonging (increase hypothesis) or do people who attend such ceremonies feel a greater sense of national belonging compared to people who not attend (selection hypothesis)? Using an innovative research design, this study sheds more light on the direction of the relationship between participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging. We collected data from respondents before (n?=?469), during (n?=?50) and after (n?=?226) the national ceremony on Remembrance Day in 2015 in the Netherlands. In this study, we found support for the selection hypothesis, but not for the increase hypothesis.     

Beyond the Movie Screen: An Antarctic Adventure

Movies depicting science-related issues often capture the attention of today's youth. As an instructional tool, movies can take us beyond the drama and action and thrilling scenes. In this article we share our experiences of using the movie Eight Below as a centerpiece for developing high school students’ understanding of basic chemistry concepts. In addition to the science concepts developed using the context of the movie, we engaged students in thinking about the ethical dilemmas embedded in the movie.     

Traditional Knowledge,Use, and Management of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphandra natalia</Emphasis> (Arecaceae) in Amazonian Peru

Traditional Knowledge, Use, and Management of Aphandra natalia (Arecaceae) in Amazonian Peru. Along the Pastaza and Urituyacu rivers in Peru, 100 informants in four villages knew 17 different uses of the piassaba fiber palm, Aphandra natalia (Balslev and Henderson) Barfod. Human consumption of fruits, extraction of fibers for trade, and harvesting leaves for thatch were the most frequently reported uses. Twenty uses were documented previously in the literature, and eight are reported here for the first time. Knowledge concerning the use of A. natalia among villagers varied significantly with ethnicity, village, and gender, but not with education or age; Amerindian informants knew more than non-Amerindian informants, and men knew more than women. Old and young informants knew about the same numbers of uses, and those who had little formal school training knew as many as those who had attended school for a longer time. Although 44% of our informants knew about fiber extraction, trade involving Aphandra fibers was not of great economic importance in our study area. Because fiber extraction has been documented as the most important use in all previous studies of A. natalia, it was surprising to find that people in one of the studied villages did not use A. natalia for that purpose at all. In contrast to previous observations, the extraction of fibers involved the destructive felling of the palms. We recommend implementing non-destructive extraction techniques so that local communities could exploit the fiber resource in a sustainable way. Non-destructive extraction methods involve cutting leaves from standing palms instead of felling the entire tree and leaving a few leaves on each extracted palm. However, given the limited economic incentive to the extractor, market mechanisms may be the greatest barrier to implementing sustainable extraction techniques.     

Exploring continuity equation via a modeling activity: in the context of crowd science

Abstract

Using problems from real life contexts which is related to learners’ environment or their culture plays an important role in their learning that concept. In this regard, science educators especially physics educators search for real-life domain of theoretical concepts for effective science teaching and they consider analogical and physical models as an opportunity in their instruction. In the presented activity, we worked with 66 senior pre-service science teachers from our science teaching methods course. We used crowd movements as a real-life domain of our analogical models to scientifically explain a stampede case, then utilized physical model to explore continuity equation. Real life problem based scenarios could be used while taking advantage of the 3?D modeling in teaching of scientific principle. As a result, we found that pre-service teachers were able to make scientific explanation for causes of stampedes by using modeling activity. High school teachers and upper-level instructors could benefit from including the modeling activity introduced in this study to help their students understand the concepts related to continuity equation by designing a physical model based on an analogical model. Via the physical model, students are able to make predictions, observations, interpretations and explanations of a complex and abstract scientific phenomenon.     

Cool and Crazy: Anthropological Film at the Point of Convergence between Humanities and Social Science

ABSTRACT

The use of film as a tool in anthropological fieldwork is a challenge to traditional ways of thinking about scientific research. Nevertheless, documentary filming of the informants in their own context has proved to be an interesting supplement in the exploration of what the anthropological research field actually covers. Furthermore, film work confronts the researchers with aesthetic aspects of mediation that have not been epistemically well attended to within social science. This article highlights pivotal problems in the professional no-man's-land where visual culture studies take place, as exemplified by the film Cool and Crazy.     

我国护理人力资源配置现状分析

?????? 目的 分析目前我国护理人力资源总体配置的现状,探讨在护理人力资源配置中目前存在的主要问题。方法 采用文献技术性分析方法。结果 我国护理人力资源配置量有所改善,但仍存在城乡差异大,队伍年轻化,结构欠合理;与国外主要国家比较医护比倒置,每千人口护士密度低。结论 应建立健全科学的护理人力资源配置标准,弹性排班,动态调整,合理使用护理人力资源。     

Linguistic and Activity Relativity in Cognition

Abstract

This work compares the features of cognitive processes uncovered in experimental studies undertaken to test the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis with cultural features of thinking that are shaped by activity-related factors rather than by language that have been identified by cross-cultural research into thinking. It is concluded that this latter area of research has uncovered more essential differences in cognitive processes. There is discussion of the linguistic aspect of activity-related differences in thinking, in particular the possibility of using Hymes’ idea of functional linguistic relativity in cross-cultural research. The article concludes with a discussion of possible social-psychological reasons why the linguistic-relativity phenomenon is more popular than activity-related relativity.     

On the Concept of Code in Linguistics and Biosemiotics

Biosemioticians use language and linguistic concepts as a window onto phenomena and processes on all levels of life. Like most biologists, some biosemioticians use language and linguistic concepts as metaphors for phenomena and processes on the cellular level. Even mainstream biologists may be aware that with concepts like code, information or communication on the level of the cell, they are anthropomorphizing the living things they study. The paradox of linguistics is that the object of study is at the same time the cognitive tool for its analysis. Like everyone else, biologists depend on the species-specific cognitive tool of language to study the laws and phenomena of all kinds of living organisms. Biosemioticians face both paradoxes and the challenge of mediating between the terminologies of the disciplines they navigate. At the 11^th Gatherings in Biosemiotics in New York, several papers commented on inadequate concepts in the field of linguistics and the failure of the discipline of linguistics as a whole. In this paper, I comment on some of the claims that were made specifically about the distinctive feature and the notion of code in linguistics.     

河南省县级综合医院药剂科发展现状及对策研究

目的 调查河南省县级综合医院药剂科现状,针对目前状况提出对策与建议。方法 发放调查问卷,统计河南省县级二级医院药剂科人员状况、工作室分区布局、设备配置、学术与科研、继续教育、药物咨询窗口与病房口服药物单剂量摆药等内容。结果 设备配置合理,但药剂科人员职称与学历较低,制剂室处于萎缩状态,临床药师队伍匮乏,药学继续教育和科研需要加强。结论 药剂科工作需要领导高度重视,工作要从传统的药品供应型、经营型模式向知识信息型、医药结合型转变,服务临床,加强学习,提高素质,使药学人员成为指导病人安全、有效、合理、经济用药的专家。

     

Survival after breast cancer according to participation in organised or opportunistic screening and deprivation

BackgroundMany studies have investigated the survival of women by comparing those who participated in organised screening with those who did not. However, among those who do not participate in organised screening, some women undergo opportunistic screening, but these women remain difficult to identify, particularly in France. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify opportunistic screening, and then to study survival after breast cancer separately according to participation in organised, opportunistic or no screening, and taking into account sociodemographic inequalities.MethodsThe study population was identified from 3 French cancer registries, whose data was crossed with the screening coordination centers and the National Health Data System to identify the different type of screening. The European Deprivation Index was used to define the level of deprivation. We estimated net survival using the Pohar-Perme method.ResultsThe 5-year net survival probabilities were higher for women who attended organised screening (97.0 %) than for women with opportunistic screening (94.1 %) or non-attenders (78.1 %). According to the level of deprivation, a significant difference was observed between the groups of women screened by organised and opportunistic screening, compared to the non-attenders.ConclusionThe identification of opportunistic screening is an important element in identifying women who do not screening. It enables to us to see that women who do not attend any screening have a much higher loss-of-opportunity in terms of survival than those who participate in organised or opportunistic screening, and even more so in the most deprived areas.     

北京某综合医院门诊患者购药行为影响因素调查

?????? 目的 了解患者购药行为及其影响因素。方法 对501名门诊患者进行问卷调查,了解其就诊购药行为,对调查数据进行描述性分析。结果 就诊后97.08%的调查对象选择在医院药房购药,73.33%的患者没有外出购药的意识,认为医院药品质量比零售药店药品好的有43.54%,认为药店药品更便宜的占55.83%。结论 患者的购药习惯、认识水平,医院和药品厂商对处方流动的人为限制,以及现有医疗保险制度不利于处方流动。     

Explaining Sleep Duration in Adolescents: The Impact of Socio‐Demographic and Lifestyle Factors and Working Status

Previous studies found students who both work and attend school undergo a partial sleep deprivation that accumulates across the week. The aim of the present study was to obtain information using a questionnaire on a number of variables (e.g., socio‐demographics, lifestyle, work timing, and sleep‐wake habits) considered to impact on sleep duration of working (n=51) and non‐working (n=41) high‐school students aged 14–21 yrs old attending evening classes (19:00–22:30 h) at a public school in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected for working days and days off. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the factors associated with sleep duration on weekdays and weekends. Work, sex, age, smoking, consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and physical activity were considered control variables. Significant predictors of sleep duration were: work (p < 0.01), daily work duration (8–10 h/day; p < 0.01), sex (p=0.04), age 18–21 yrs (0.01), smoking (p=0.02) and drinking habits (p=0.03), irregular physical exercise (p < 0.01), ease of falling asleep (p=0.04), and the sleep‐wake cycle variables of napping (p < 0.01), nocturnal awakenings (p < 0.01), and mid‐sleep regularity (p < 0.01). The results confirm the hypotheses that young students who work and attend school showed a reduction in night‐time sleep duration. Sleep deprivation across the week, particularly in students working 8–10 h/day, is manifested through a sleep rebound (i.e., extended sleep duration) on Saturdays. However, the different roles played by socio‐demographic and lifestyle variables have proven to be factors that intervene with nocturnal sleep duration. The variables related to the sleep‐wake cycle—naps and night awakenings—proved to be associated with a slight reduction in night‐time sleep, while regularity in sleep and wake‐up schedules was shown to be associated with more extended sleep duration, with a distinct expression along the week and the weekend. Having to attend school and work, coupled with other socio‐demographic and lifestyle factors, creates an unfavorable scenario for satisfactory sleep duration.