Grinder's Group Mastery Theory : scientific research and its application to classroom teaching

Estudi centrat en el paper de la comunicació no verbal com a eina docent per a la gestió de l’aula, prenent com a referència el model de comunicació de Michael Grinder (Pentimento), basat en la Programació Neuro-lingüística (PNL). Aquest model s’analitza i es compara amb altres models i estudis sobre la comunicació no verbal, per establir-ne similituds i diferències. Per tal d’avaluar l’eficàcia de les tècniques de gestió de l’aula a través de la comunicació no verbal proposades per Grinder en un context educatiu real, s’inclouen i s’analitzen enregistraments de la implementació de diferents tècniques en un institut de secundària de Catalunya. Tota la informació recollida i analitzada permet valorar i ressaltar com és de significatiu tot allò que s’expressa més enllà del llenguatge, i per tant, com són d’importants i d’útils les habilitats comunicatives d’un professor en la seva tasca d’ensenyar.

Statistical learning theory for geospatial data. Case study: Aral sea

In recent years there has been an explosive growth in the development of adaptive and data driven methods. One of the efficient and data-driven approaches is based on statistical learning theory (Vapnik 1998). The theory is based on Structural Risk Minimisation (SRM) principle and has a solid statistical background. When applying SRM we are trying not only to reduce training error ? to fit the available data with a model, but also to reduce the complexity of the model and to reduce generalisation error. Many nonlinear learning procedures recently developed in neural networks and statistics can be understood and interpreted in terms of the structural risk minimisation inductive principle. A recent methodology based on SRM is called Support Vector Machines (SVM). At present SLT is still under intensive development and SVM find new areas of application (www.kernel-machines.org). SVM develop robust and non linear data models with excellent generalisation abilities that is very important both for monitoring and forecasting. SVM are extremely good when input space is high dimensional and training data set i not big enough to develop corresponding nonlinear model. Moreover, SVM use only support vectors to derive decision boundaries. It opens a way to sampling optimization, estimation of noise in data, quantification of data redundancy etc. Presentation of SVM for spatially distributed data is given in (Kanevski and Maignan 2004).

Prevalence of hyperuricemia and relation of serum uric acid with cardiovascular risk factors in a developing country.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hyperuricemia has rarely been investigated in developing countries. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of hyperuricemia and the association between uric acid levels and the various cardiovascular risk factors in a developing country with high average blood pressures (the Seychelles, Indian Ocean, population mainly of African origin). METHODS: This cross-sectional health examination survey was based on a population random sample from the Seychelles. It included 1011 subjects aged 25 to 64 years. Blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, total and HDL cholesterol, serum triglycerides and serum uric acid were measured. Data were analyzed using scatterplot smoothing techniques and gender-specific linear regression models. RESULTS: The prevalence of a serum uric acid level >420 micromol/L in men was 35.2% and the prevalence of a serum uric acid level >360 micromol/L was 8.7% in women. Serum uric acid was strongly related to serum triglycerides in men as well as in women (r = 0.73 in men and r = 0.59 in women, p < 0.001). Uric acid levels were also significantly associated but to a lesser degree with age, BMI, blood pressure, alcohol and the use of antihypertensive therapy. In a regression model, triglycerides, age, BMI, antihypertensive therapy and alcohol consumption accounted for about 50% (R2) of the serum uric acid variations in men as well as in women. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the prevalence of hyperuricemia can be high in a developing country such as the Seychelles. Besides alcohol consumption and the use of antihypertensive therapy, mainly diuretics, serum uric acid is markedly associated with parameters of the metabolic syndrome, in particular serum triglycerides. Considering the growing incidence of obesity and metabolic syndrome worldwide and the potential link between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular complications, more emphasis should be put on the evolving prevalence of hyperuricemia in developing countries.

Antiretroviral drug toxicity in relation to pharmacokinetics, metabolic profile and pharmacogenetics.

Introduction: Besides therapeutic effectiveness, drug tolerability is a key issue for treatments that must be taken indefinitely. Given the high prevalence of toxicity in HIV therapy, the factors implicated in drug-induced morbidities should be identified in order to improve the safety, tolerability and adherence to the treatments. Current approaches have focused almost exclusively on parent drug concentrations; whereas recent evidence suggests that drug metabolites resulting from complex genetic and environmental influences can also contribute to treatment outcome. Pharmacogenetic variations have shown to play a relevant role in the variability observed in antiretroviral drug exposure, clinical response and sometimes toxicity. The integration of pharmacokinetic, pharmacogenetic and metabolic determinants will more probably address current therapeutic needs in patients. Areas covered: This review offers a concise description of three classes of antiretroviral drugs. The review looks at the metabolic profile of these drugs and gives a comprehensive summary of the existing literature on the influence of pharmacogenetics on their pharmacokinetics and metabolic pathways, and the associated drug or metabolite toxicity. Expert opinion: Due to the high prevalence of toxicity and the related risk of low adherence to the treatments, association of kinetic, genetic and metabolic markers predictive of therapeutic or toxicity outcomes could represent a more complete approach for optimizing antiretroviral therapy.

Le développement des interactions triadiques mère-père-enfant = The development of mother-father-child triadic interactions

Cet article présente un état des lieux des recherches menées selon le paradigme de « l'alliance familiale » sur le développement des interactions triadiques mère-père-enfant lors de la transition à la parentalité. Ces recherches ont montré tout d'abord que la qualité des interactions triadiques tend à être stable au cours des deux premières années de vie de l'enfant, et qu'elle peut être anticipée durant la grossesse par l'observation d'interactions dans une simulation de jeu triadique. Ensuite, elles ont montré qu'une altération de ces interactions a une influence sur le développement de l'enfant qui se manifeste tout au long des cinq premières années, tant au niveau affectif que cognitif (par exemple : la capacité d'attention triangulaire lors des premiers mois, ou le développement de la théorie de l'esprit et les difficultés de comportements à cinq ans). Cette influence s'exerce en plus de celle d'autres variables comme la relation d'attachement mère-enfant, ou la personnalité de l'enfant lui-même évaluée selon son tempérament. La triade constitue donc un contexte de développement en soi qui doit être pris en compte dans la prise en charge et l'intervention auprès de jeunes enfants.This paper presents the main results of researches on the development of mother-father-child triadic interactions during the transition to parenthood, according to the « family alliance » model. First, these researches have shown that the quality of triadic interactions tends to be stable through the first two years, and that it can be predicted during pregnancy by observation of a simulated triadic play. Then, they have shown that disturbances in triadic interactions have an impact on several affective and cognitive developmental outcomes for the child throughout the first five years (for example, the triangular attention capacity during the first months, or the development of theory of mind and externalized behaviors at age five). This impact is specific, and triadic interactions exert an influence on the development of the child over and above other variables like the mother-child attachment relationship, or the personality of the child assessed in terms of temperament. The triad constitutes then a context of development per se which has to be taken into account when working clinically with young children.

Nuclear well logging in soils. Calibration of slim hole nuclear tools gamma-gamma and neutron-thermal neutron.

The calculation of elasticity parameters by sonic and ultra sonic wave propagation in saturated soils using Biot's theory needs the following variables : forpiation density and porosity (p, ø), compressional and shear wave velocities (Vp, Vs), fluid density, viscosity and compressibility (Pfi Ilfi Ki), matrix density and compressibility (p" K), The first four parameters can be determined in situ using logging probes. Because fluid and matrix characteristics are not modified during core extraction, they can be obtained through laboratory measurements. All parameters necessitate precise calibrations in various environments and for specific range of values encountered in soils. The slim diameter of boreholes in shallow geophysics and the high cost of petroleum equipment demand the use of specific probes, which usually only give qualitative results. The measurement 'of density is done with a gamma-gamma probe and the measurement of hydrogen index, in relation to porosity, by a neutron probe. The first step of this work has been carried out in synthetic formations in the laboratory using homogeneous media of known density and porosity. To establish borehole corrections different casings have been used. Finally a comparison between laboratory and in situ data in cored holes of known geometry and casing has been performed.

Relation véritable de ce qui s'est fait et passé à Gravelines

[Mazarinade. 1652]

Energy investment in gynes of the Argentine ant Iridomyrmex humilis (Mayr) in relation to the mode of colony founding in ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

The increase in weight, fat and energy content of queens was studied in Iridomyrmex humilis (Mayr) in relation to the mode of colony founding in ants. The increase in energy content of gynes during the time between emergence and mating reaches only 80% in this species in which queens found colonies with the help of workers (dependent mode), whereas it can reach 470% in species in which queens found colonies without the help of workers (independent mode). These results are discussed with regard to the investment in energy required by each mode of colony founding.