Search

Education for sustainability demands transformative knowledge, which can be obtained through problem-based, project-organized learning (PBL). However, the integration of PBL and sustainability in higher education has not yet met the needs required due to the lack of application of a systemic perspective and strategy. In this literature review, we present an overview of research trends being developed with PBL in education for sustainability and how PBL is being used to educate students for sustainability. The scientific production of the last 22 years is analyzed, and we verify that the use of PBL as a methodology for education in sustainability is a rather recent innovation, with an emphasis on the environmental dimension. Learning assessment methodologies are based on summative approaches using traditional methods like scoring tests. There is an explicit preference to integrate PBL and sustainability in undergraduate and graduate courses, mainly in engineering. We observe that most of the time, the subject of interdisciplinarity is not discussed. We concluded that there are a few concerns with research on education for sustainability using PBL. Although PBL proposes an innovative form of education, its implementation in education for sustainability has not been fully explored to its full potential, especially concerning the development of sustainability skills, transformative and holistic education, but rather as a form of content-based assessment.

Despite an emerging emphasis on the role of engineers in achieving the SDGs, there is still a lack of agreement on which competencies should be prioritised to prepare them to tackle future sustainability challenges. By formulating a theoretical framework of key sustainable competencies based on prior studies, this study investigated engineering students' subjective views on which competencies they considered as the most important to support them in becoming sustainable engineers/designers. Using Q methodology, views were collected from 26 master students in a Sustainable Design programme in a Danish systemic problem- and project-based (PBL) context. Three key competencies were identified: collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and systemic thinking. Competences within the 'doing' and 'being' dimensions were represented the strongest. There is a hierarchy between the competencies, with collaboration being the highest level, as it demonstrates that it is transversal to the others. These results emphasised the role of PBL in developing competencies for sustainability and in reinforcing the value of Education for Sustainable Development.

This study investigated the low contact resistivity and Schottky barrier characteristics in p-GaN by modifying the thickness and doping levels of a p-InGaN cap layer. A comparative analysis with highly doped p-InGaN revealed the key mechanisms contributing to low-resistance contacts. Atomic force microscopy inspections showed that the surface roughness depends on the doping levels and cap layer thickness, with higher doping improving the surface quality. Notably, increasing the doping concentration in the p++-InGaN cap layer significantly reduced the specific contact resistivity to 6.4 ± 0.8 × 10−6 Ω·cm2, primarily through enhanced tunneling. Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics indicated that the cap layer’s surface properties and strain-induced polarization effects influenced the Schottky barrier height and reverse current. The reduction in barrier height by approximately 0.42 eV in the p++-InGaN layer enhanced hole tunneling, further lowering the contact resistivity. Additionally, polarization-induced free charges at the metal–semiconductor interface reduced band bending, thereby enhancing carrier transport. A transition in current conduction mechanisms was also observed, shifting from recombination tunneling to space-charge-limited conduction across different voltage ranges. This research underscores the importance of doping, cap layer thickness, and polarization effects in achieving ultra-low contact resistivity, offering valuable insights for improving the performance of p-GaN-based power devices.

Nuevas particularidades de la ultraderecha en América Latina le han permitido ganar poder durante el último par de décadas. Si bien las ideas de fascismo y nazismo reflejaron adecuadamente el desarrollo de fuerzas ideológicas autoritarias, xenófobas y populistas durante la primera mitad del siglo 20, hoy son obsoletas para referirse a las tácticas e impactos de esta nueva ultraderecha. Aunque los marcos conceptuales sobre la cuestión invitan a (re)clasificar las nuevas vertientes ultra de la derecha, el artículo propone una perspectiva relacional que identifica dinámicas, evoluciones y posicionamientos de diferentes expresiones de ultraderecha. Luego de un recorrido conceptual e histórico por las relaciones entre la nueva ultraderecha y el fascismo, proponemos dos avenidas de investigación futuras. Primero, explicamos que el crecimiento de la nueva ultraderecha depende, en gran medida, de la evolución de las relaciones y disputas entre las expresiones institucionales de la derecha, en sus versiones más radicales y moderadas. Segundo, mostramos que explorar el desarrollo de la sociedad civil de ultraderecha en relación con la política institucional es fundamental para entender su reciente expansión.

The simultaneous occurrence of electric-field controlled superconductivity and spin-orbit interaction makes two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) constructed from perovskite transition metal oxides promising candidates for the next generation of spintronics and quantum computing. It is, however, essential to understand the electronic bands thoroughly and verify the predicted electronic states experimentally in these 2DES to advance technological applications. Here, we present insights into the electronic states of the 2DES at oxide interfaces through comprehensive investigations of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations in three different systems: EuO/KTaO_{3}, LaAlO_{3}/SrTiO_{3}, and amorphous-LaAlO_{3}/KTaO_{3}. To accurately resolve these oscillations, we conducted transport measurements in high magnetic fields up to 60 T and low temperatures down to 100 mK. For 2D confined electrons at these interfaces, we observed a progressive increase of oscillations frequency and cyclotron mass with the magnetic field. We interpret these universal and intriguing findings by considering the existence of nontrivial electronic bands, for which the E−k dispersion incorporates both linear and parabolic relations. In addition to providing experimental evidence for nonparabolic electronic states in KTaO_{3} and SrTiO_{3} 2DES, the unconventional oscillations presented in this study establish a paradigm for quantum oscillations in 2DES based on perovskite transition metal oxides, where the oscillation frequencies in 1/B exhibit quadratic dependence on the magnetic field.

Résumé : Exaltant pour l’imagination, l’invention de planètes imaginaires est une thématique qui laisse entrevoir l'idée que la création littéraire, en général, tient, pour une part importante, à la découverte, à l’exploration de territoires insolites. En effet, beaucoup de romanciers s’y adonnent. Leurs oeuvres intéressent toujours. Toutefois, celle de Pierre Bordage retient ici l’attention en raison de son style porté vers l’homme, la spiritualité et la tradition orale. Son cycle de space opéra intitulé Griots célestes est une véritable immersion dans des mondes aux caractéristiques variables. Désertiques, aquatiques, silencieuses, bruyantes, luxuriantes, pauvres,… ou mêlant plusieurs traits à la fois, les planètes nées de son imagination se situent sur une ligne temporelle absconse, indéfinie. Aussi, y trouve-t-on des occupants de tout acabit : des animaux mystérieux, des monstres reptiliens et des griots célestes interagissent autour d’une humanité en perdition. Avec la narratologie comme méthode, la présente analyse démontre que la science-fiction est féconde en matière d'invention de monde à l’instar de l'hyperespace bordagien. Somme toute, le diptyque définit, peu ou prou, un antagonisme opposant les sombres pulsions du dragon écarlate aux aspirations à la lumière des griots célestes. Cette métaphore du Bien et le Mal est une invite, non pas à devenir parfait, mais plutôt à s’accepter tel qu'on est ; en s'efforçant à mieux se connaître de sorte à comprendre les autres. Mots-clés : planètes - imaginaires - science-fiction - espace - dysphorie

From a cohort of 167 infertile patients suffering from multiple morphological abnormalities of the flagellum (MMAF), pathogenic bi-allelic mutations were identified in the CCDC146 gene. In somatic cells, CCDC146 is located at the centrosome and at multiple microtubule-related organelles during mitotic division, suggesting that it is a microtubule-associated protein (MAP). To decipher the molecular pathogenesis of infertility associated with CCDC146 mutations, a Ccdc146 knock-out (KO) mouse line was created. KO male mice were infertile, and sperm exhibited a phenotype identical to CCDC146 mutated patients. CCDC146 expression starts during late spermiogenesis. In the spermatozoon, the protein is conserved but is not localized to centrioles, unlike in somatic cells, rather it is present in the axoneme at the level of microtubule doublets. Expansion microscopy associated with the use of the detergent sarkosyl to solubilize microtubule doublets suggests that the protein may be a microtubule inner protein (MIP). At the subcellular level, the absence of CCDC146 impacted all microtubule-based organelles such as the manchette, the head–tail coupling apparatus (HTCA), and the axoneme. Through this study, a new genetic cause of infertility and a new factor in the formation and/or structure of the sperm axoneme were characterized.

Abstract In alkaline freshwater systems, the apparent absence of carbon limitation to gross primary production (GPP) at low CO2 concentrations suggests that bicarbonates can support GPP. However, the contribution of bicarbonates to GPP has never been quantified in lakes along the seasons. To detect the origin of the inorganic carbon maintaining GPP, we analyze the daily stoichiometric ratios of CO2–O2 and alkalinity–O2 in a deep hardwater lake. Results show that aquatic primary production withdraws bicarbonate from the alkalinity pool for two‐thirds of the year. Alkalinity rather than CO2 is the dominant inorganic carbon source for GPP throughout the stratified period in both the littoral and pelagic environments. This study sheds light on the neglected role of alkalinity in the freshwater carbon cycle throughout an annual cycle.

Abstract The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be a transformative experiment for gravitational wave astronomy, and, as such, it will offer unique opportunities to address many key astrophysical questions in a completely novel way. The synergy with ground-based and space-born instruments in the electromagnetic domain, by enabling multi-messenger observations, will add further to the discovery potential of LISA. The next decade is crucial to prepare the astrophysical community for LISA’s first observations. This review outlines the extensive landscape of astrophysical theory, numerical simulations, and astronomical observations that are instrumental for modeling and interpreting the upcoming LISA datastream. To this aim, the current knowledge in three main source classes for LISA is reviewed; ultra-compact stellar-mass binaries, massive black hole binaries, and extreme or interme-diate mass ratio inspirals. The relevant astrophysical processes and the established modeling techniques are summarized. Likewise, open issues and gaps in our understanding of these sources are highlighted, along with an indication of how LISA could help making progress in the different areas. New research avenues that LISA itself, or its joint exploitation with upcoming studies in the electromagnetic domain, will enable, are also illustrated. Improvements in modeling and analysis approaches, such as the combination of numerical simulations and modern data science techniques, are discussed. This review is intended to be a starting point for using LISA as a new discovery tool for understanding our Universe.

Male infertility is common and complex, presenting a wide range of heterogeneous phenotypes. Although about 50% of cases are estimated to have a genetic component, the underlying cause often remains undetermined. Here, from whole-exome sequencing on samples from 168 infertile men with asthenoteratozoospermia due to severe sperm flagellum, we identified homozygous ZMYND12 variants in four unrelated patients. In sperm cells from these individuals, immunofluorescence revealed altered localization of DNAH1, DNALI1, WDR66, and TTC29. Axonemal localization of ZMYND12 ortholog TbTAX-1 was confirmed using the Trypanosoma brucei model. RNAi knock-down of TbTAX-1 dramatically affected flagellar motility, with a phenotype similar to the sperm from men bearing homozygous ZMYND12 variants. Co-immunoprecipitation and ultrastructure expansion microscopy in T. brucei revealed TbTAX-1 to form a complex with TTC29. Comparative proteomics with samples from Trypanosoma and Ttc29 KO mice identified a third member of this complex: DNAH1. The data presented revealed that ZMYND12 is part of the same axonemal complex as TTC29 and DNAH1, which is critical for flagellum function and assembly in humans, and Trypanosoma. ZMYND12 is thus a new asthenoteratozoospermia-associated gene, bi-allelic variants of which cause severe flagellum malformations and primary male infertility.

Purpose Through this study, the researchers aimed to determine which skills were developed during a short-term project PBL-like event named Expin-48. Methods A descriptive evaluative study involving participant observation, questionnaires and focus groups enabled comparisons between observations of mentors and the perceptions of students on the nature of skill development in a short-term problem-oriented project. Results Leadership and teamwork were the skills which stood out as critical for success in collaborative student-centered projects. Conclusion PBL in the form of short-term project can work as an efficient educative learning event. Activation of essential skills required for engineering projects was evident in the learning process and outcomes.

Simple Summary: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are highly aggressive and heterogeneous malignancies, with standard treatments often demonstrating limited efficacy. The tumour microenvironment, particularly fibroblasts, has emerged as a key contributor to metastatic potential and therapy resistance. Using co-culture models of HNSCC cells and fibroblasts, we identified the IL-6/IL-6R/ERK signalling axis as a central driver of disease progression in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC models. In contrast, the classical IL-6/IL-6R/STAT signalling pathway was found to affect only HPV-negative HNSCC. Furthermore, radioresistant HNSCC cell lines were characterised by a stronger dependence on the IL-6/IL-6R/ERK pathway and exhibited a more pronounced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-like phenotype compared with their parental counterparts. Our findings, for the first time, establish the critical role of the IL-6/IL-6R/ERK pathway in inducing and maintaining a more invasive and radioresistant HNSCC subtype. This pathway emerges as a promising therapeutic target for addressing advanced or recurrent HNSCC in clinical settings. Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts have been reported to play a central role in driving cancer progression, promoting metastasis, and conferring resistance to therapy in HNSCC. Methods: Indirect and direct co-culture models of HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC cells with fibroblasts were developed to study the effect of fibroblasts on cancer cells. ELISA was used to measure IL-6 secretion in these models. To dissect the underlying signalling mechanisms, the effects of IL-6, an IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) inhibitor, a MAPK/ERK inhibitor, and a JAK/STAT inhibitor were evaluated. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was assessed by measuring EMT markers and conducting scratch assays and spheroid assays. Radioresistance was evaluated using clonogenic assays. Additionally, radioresistant (RR) cell lines were established from parental cells to examine the correlation between radioresistance and EMT. Results: Fibroblasts were found to drive EMT-like changes and heightened radioresistance in HNSCC cells through IL-6 secretion. Remarkably, these Fb-driven effects were robustly reversed using IL-6R and MAPK/ERK inhibitors in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative cell lines, whereas JAK/STAT inhibitors proved effective only in HPV-negative cells. RR cell lines exhibit a more aggressive phenotype than their parental counterparts, marked by pronounced EMT features and heightened resistance to radiotherapy. Importantly, these aggressive characteristics were substantially attenuated by targeting IL-6R or MAPK/ERK pathways. Conclusions: This study highlights the critical role of fibroblast-secreted IL-6 in driving and maintaining EMT and radioresistance in HNSCC, resulting in a more aggressive tumour phenotype. Targeting the IL-6/IL-6R/ERK pathway emerges as a promising therapeutic approach for combating CAF-driven tumour progression and improving clinical outcomes in patients with aggressive, therapy-resistant HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the low contact resistivity and Schottky barrier characteristics in p-GaN by modifying the thickness and doping levels of a p-InGaN cap layer. A comparative analysis with highly doped p-InGaN revealed the key mechanisms contributing to low-resistance contacts. Atomic force microscopy inspections showed that the surface roughness depends on the doping levels and cap layer thickness, with higher doping improving the surface quality. Notably, increasing the doping concentration in the p++-InGaN cap layer significantly reduced the specific contact resistivity to 6.4 ± 0.8 × 10−6 Ω·cm2, primarily through enhanced tunneling. Current–voltage (I–V) characteristics indicated that the cap layer's surface properties and strain-induced polarization effects influenced the Schottky barrier height and reverse current. The reduction in barrier height by approximately 0.42 eV in the p++-InGaN layer enhanced hole tunneling, further lowering the contact resistivity. Additionally, polarization-induced free charges at the metal–semiconductor interface reduced band bending, thereby enhancing carrier transport. A transition in current conduction mechanisms was also observed, shifting from recombination tunneling to space-charge-limited conduction across different voltage ranges. This research underscores the importance of doping, cap layer thickness, and polarization effects in achieving ultra-low contact resistivity, offering valuable insights for improving the performance of p-GaN-based power devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) was designed to conduct a survey covering 14,000 deg ^2 over 5 yr to constrain the cosmic expansion history through precise measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). The scientific program for DESI was evaluated during a 5 month survey validation (SV) campaign before beginning full operations. This program produced deep spectra of tens of thousands of objects from each of the stellar Milky Way Survey (MWS), Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS), luminous red galaxy (LRG), emission line galaxy (ELG), and quasar target classes. These SV spectra were used to optimize redshift distributions, characterize exposure times, determine calibration procedures, and assess observational overheads for the 5 yr program. In this paper, we present the final target selection algorithms, redshift distributions, and projected cosmology constraints resulting from those studies. We also present a One-Percent Survey conducted at the conclusion of SV covering 140 deg ^2 using the final target selection algorithms with exposures of a depth typical of the main survey. The SV indicates that DESI will be able to complete the full 14,000 deg ^2 program with spectroscopically confirmed targets from the MWS, BGS, LRG, ELG, and quasar programs with total sample sizes of 7.2, 13.8, 7.46, 15.7, and 2.87 million, respectively. These samples will allow exploration of the Milky Way halo, clustering on all scales, and BAO measurements with a statistical precision of 0.28% over the redshift interval z < 1.1, 0.39% over the redshift interval 1.1 < z < 1.9, and 0.46% over the redshift interval 1.9 < z < 3.5.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) completed its 5 month Survey Validation in 2021 May. Spectra of stellar and extragalactic targets from Survey Validation constitute the first major data sample from the DESI survey. This paper describes the public release of those spectra, the catalogs of derived properties, and the intermediate data products. In total, the public release includes good-quality spectral information from 466,447 objects targeted as part of the Milky Way Survey, 428,758 as part of the Bright Galaxy Survey, 227,318 as part of the Luminous Red Galaxy sample, 437,664 as part of the Emission Line Galaxy sample, and 76,079 as part of the Quasar sample. In addition, the release includes spectral information from 137,148 objects that expand the scope beyond the primary samples as part of a series of secondary programs. Here, we describe the spectral data, data quality, data products, Large-Scale Structure science catalogs, access to the data, and references that provide relevant background to using these spectra.

Esse trabalho busca conhecer como a avaliação educacional vem sendo retratada nas produções científicas brasileiras. Por meio da análise bibliométrica e de redes, registramos, ao longo de 19 anos (1998-2017), 49 revistas, 174 artigos, 440 autores, 290 palavras-chave e 4.283 referências. Desses dados, notamos que a maioria dos debates se caracteriza pelo enfoque no nível superior, pela autoria filiada a instituições públicas, assim como por tecer abordagens mais centradas nas validações de testes do que na qualidade da Educação. Dos resultados, destacam-se a USP como a instituição com maior número de publicações; o periódico “Ensaio: Avaliação e Políticas Públicas em Educação”, por concentrar o maior número de publicações na área de Educação e o autor Wagner Andriola, da UFC, como o pesquisador mais referenciado. Essas e outras decorrências da pesquisa apontam para a necessidade de intensificarmos estudos no campo da avaliação da Educação, a fim de melhor conhecermos nossas fragilidades para, então, propormos correção de rotas e redefinirmos metas.

Résumé : Dans Les Voyages extraordinaires, Jules Verne agrée d’inoubliables types de jeunes domestiques se caractérisant par les vertus des plus rares que sont : le dévouement, le courage, la probité… Leurs actions d’éclats sont si impressionnantes que la présente analyse en mesure l’intérêt et la portée par rapport à la réception globale de l’œuvre. Elle appréhende l'héroïsme à partir de la vertu, du sens du devoir puis de l’utilitarisme de deux valets nommés Conseil et Passepartout, respectivement dans Vingt mille lieues sous les mers et dans Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours. Il en découle que le héros juvénile vernien, outre quelques caractéristiques classiques comme la beauté physique, l'humilité et le courage, est un serviteur loyal ayant fait le choix de s’engager au service d'un idéal intransigeant. Par ailleurs, quelles peuvent être les autres attentes d’une étude sur le héros si ce n’est une invite à la redécouverte du véritable sens de l’humanité ? Mots clés : héroïsme juvénile, science-fiction, vertu, domestique, valet

EDF operates a nuclear power generation fleet made up of 56 reactors. This fleet contains 24 reactors designed as double-walled concrete containment building. The inner concrete containment vessel has no metallic liner and is a prestressed reinforced concrete building. The inner concrete containment vessel is designed to withstand a severe accident, in terms of mechanical and sealing behaviour. The tightness of the containment is tested every 10 years, by carrying out a pressurization test and by measuring the leak rate. The leak rate is required to be below a regulatory threshold to continue operation of the concrete containment building for the next ten years. Ageing of concrete due to drying, creep and shrinkage leads to increase prestress loss and then leak rate with time. For some containment buildings, the leak rate gets closer to the regulatory threshold with time, so important coating programs are planned to mitigate and limit the leak rate under the regulatory threshold. Therefore, it is very important for EDF to have a concrete containment building leak rate prediction tool. To address this issue, an important research program around a 1/3 scale concrete containment building mock-up called "VERCORS" have been launched at EDF. The mock-up is heavily instrumented, and its materials (concrete, prestressing cables) have been widely characterized and studied. An important numerical effort has also been made to implement structural computations of the mock-up and to capitalize these computations as well as their post-processing (so as to compare automatically with the monitoring data) in what can be called a digital twin of the mock-up. This digital twin is now used to predict the leakage of VERCORS mock-up before yearly pressure test, and also to optimize the repair programs on the real containments.

The influence of human activities on the role of inland waters in the global carbon (C) cycle is poorly constrained. In this study, we investigated the impact of human land use on the sources and biodegradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its potential impact on bacterial respiration in 10 independent catchments of the Lake Geneva basin. Sites were selected along a gradient of human disturbance (agriculture and urbanization) and were visited twice during the winter high-flow period. Bacterial respiration and DOM bioavailability were measured in the laboratory through standardized dark bioassays, and the influence of human land uses on DOM sources, composition and reactivity was assessed from fluorescence spectroscopy. Bacterial respiration was higher in agro-urban streams but was related to a short-term bioreactive pool (0–6 d of incubation) of autochthonous origin, whose relative contribution to the total DOM pool increased with the degree of human disturbance. On the other hand, the degradation of a long-term (6–28 d) bioreactive pool related to terrestrial DOM was independent from the catchment land use and did not contribute substantially to aquatic bacterial respiration. From a greenhouse gas emission perspective, our results suggest that human activities may have a limited impact on the net C exchanges between inland waters and the atmosphere, as most CO2 fixed by aquatic producers in agro-urban streams is cycled back to the atmosphere after biomineralization. Although seasonal and longitudinal changes in DOM sources must be considered, the implications of our results likely apply more widely as a greater proportion of autochthonous-DOM signature is a common feature in human-impacted catchments. Yet, on a global scale, the influence of human activities remains to be determined given the large diversity of effects of agriculture and urbanization on freshwater DOM depending on the local environmental context.