16 research outputs found
Postmoderne wetenschapscommunicatie: zijn wetenschappers er klaar voor?
No full textThis article reports the findings of a qualitative study on the attitudes and behaviour of Flemish university researchers regarding science communication. The hypothesis we would like to put forward, and would like to substantiate, on the base of the data we got from in-depth interviews, is that the type of science communication, classical or interactive, depends on the knowledge paradigm from which a researcher is working. A positivistic researcher is inclined to use classical communication models, whereas a researcher, departing from a constructivistic approach of knowledge production, will be more inclined to use interactive and participative forms of communication. If our hypothesis is correct, however, a problem arises. The fact is that we got from our research about the attitudes of researchers on science communication strong indications that many of the researchers are thinking in terms of the modernity paradigm, with little interference and interaction with society. Whereas we on the other hand noticed that for the new trends in science communication a post-modern approach is needed, with more interaction and dialogue between researchers and society, in which it is more likely that truth claims are put into perspective and in which one has an eye for contradictions and uncertainties. Here, we are confronting a dilemma
Estimating potential soil erosion for environmental services in a sugarcane growing area using multisource remote sensing data
No full textAutomatic analysis of Swift-XRT data
No full textThe Swift spacecraft detects and autonomously observes ∼100 Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) per year, ∼96% of which are detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT). GRBs are accompanied by optical transients and the field of ground-based follow-up of GRBs has expanded significantly over the last few years, with rapid response instruments capable of responding to Swift triggers on timescales of minutes. To make the most efficient use of limited telescope time, follow-up astronomers need accurate positions of GRBs as soon as possible after the trigger. Additionally, information such as the X-ray light curve, is of interest when considering observing strategy. The Swift team at Leicester University have developed techniques to improve the accuracy of the GRB positions available from the XRT, and to produce science-grade X-ray light curves of GRBs. These techniques are fully automated, and are executed as soon as data are available
Recognizing Workshop Activity Using Body Worn Microphones and Accelerometers
No full textThe paper presents a technique to automatically track the progress of maintenance or assembly tasks using body worn sensors. The technique is based on a novel way of combining data from accelerometers with simple frequency matching sound classifcation. This includes the intensity analysis of signals from microphones at different body locations to correlate environmental sounds with user activity. To evaluate our method we apply it to activities in a wood shop. On a simulated assembly task our system can successfully segment and identify most shop activities in a continuous data stream with zero false positives and 84.4% accuracy
Private sector adaptive capacity to climate change impacts in the food system : food security implications for South Africa and Brazil
No full textAchieving food security under climate change is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. The challenge becomes even greater when contextualised within our current limited understanding of how the food system functions as a complex, adaptive socio-ecological system, with food security as one of its outcomes. Adding climate change into this already complex and uncertain mix creates a ‘wicked problem’ that must be solved through the development of adaptive food governance. The thesis has 4 key aims: 1. To move beyond an understanding of food security that is dependent solely on agricultural production, and therefore the reliance of future food security predictions on production data based on climate model inputs.2. To ground the theoretical aspects of complex adaptive systems with empirical data from multi-level case studies.3. To investigate the potential role of the private sector in food system futures.4. To analyse food system dynamics across scales and levels. In order to realise these aims, a complex adaptive system (CAS) approach within the GECAFS food system framework is employed to multilevel case studies in South Africa and Brazil. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the private sector and how these vital actors, comprising a powerful component of the global food system, can be mobilized towards building adaptive capacity for a more resilient food system. Critically, the private sector is often left out of academic discussions on adaptation, which tend to focus more on civil society and governmental capacity to adapt. This thesis provides novel insight into how the power of the private sector can be harnessed to build adaptive capacity. The findings of the thesis showed that applying CAS to issues of governance has three important implications: The first is that in a complex system, it is critical to maintain diversity. This can translate into appreciating a multiplicity of viewpoints in order to reflect a range of decision-making options. This finding makes the case for closer synergy between the public and private sectors around areas like product development and distribution that includes an emphasis on enhancing food security under climate change. In the developing country context, the inclusion of smallholders and local entrepreneurs is also vital for building adaptive capacity. In this sense, it is possible for business to help achieve development goals by developing the capacity of those most vulnerable to socio-economic and environmental shocks. Secondly, adapting to climate change and other environmental and economic pressures will require a shift in mind-set that embraces the uncertainty of the future: ‘managing for uncertainty rather than against it’. This entails a shift in governance mindset away from linear thinking to a decision-making paradigm that is more flexible to deal with unexpected shocks. The third implication for governance is the need to understand the complex interplay of multiple interlinking processes and drivers that function across many levels and sometimes have exponential positive feedbacks in the food system. Adaptive governance is an iterative process, but as more is learnt and information is retained in the system, the ideal is that the beneficial processes that lower inequality and increase food security will start to be reinforced over those that entrench the current inequality in the food system.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
Efficient ablation of <i>Twist1</i> expression in conditional knockout embryos.
No full text<p>(A) qRT-PCR analysis of RNA from anterior (A) and posterior (P) halves of forelimb buds collected E11.5 from mothers injected with tamoxifen at E9.5. n = 4 pairs of forelimb buds per genotype. (B–E, B′–E′.) Immunostaining with anti-Twist1 monoclonal antibody (green) of cryosectioned wild type (fl/wt) (B, C, B′, C′) and conditional knockout (CKO) (D, E, D′, E′) E11.5 forelimb buds of embryos harvested from mothers injected with tamoxifen at E10.5. (C, C′, E, E′) Merged images showing counterstaining with DAPI (blue). (B′–E′) Higher magnification images of the boxed regions in B–E.</p
Whole mount in situ hybridization of the forelimb bud. Expression of <i>Ptch1</i> (A, B, G, H), <i>Hand2</i> (C, D, I, J) and <i>Hoxd13</i> (E, F, K, L) in wild-type (fl/wt) or heterozygous (fl/del) embryos (A, C, E, G, I, K) were compared to CKO embryos (B, D, F, H, J, L) collected at E11.5 (A–F) or E10.5 (G–L).
No full text<p>Asterisk indicates ectopic anterior expression domains that may correspond to the site of formation of the extra digits.</p
Comparison of <i>Twist1</i>:<i>Ubc</i>-CreERT2 CKO embryo forelimb phenotype after tamoxifen injection at E9.5 with embryos that overexpress Twist1 monomer or Twist1-Hand2, Twist1-E12 or Twist1-Twist1 tethered dimers. [30].
No full text<p>Comparison of <i>Twist1</i>:<i>Ubc</i>-CreERT2 CKO embryo forelimb phenotype after tamoxifen injection at E9.5 with embryos that overexpress Twist1 monomer or Twist1-Hand2, Twist1-E12 or Twist1-Twist1 tethered dimers. <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0098945#pone.0098945-Firulli2" target="_blank">[30]</a>.</p
Comparison of <i>Twist1</i>:<i>Ubc</i>-CreERT2 CKO forelimb skeletal phenotypes, from mothers injected at E9.5–E12.5 with <i>Twist1</i>: <i>Mesp1</i>-Cre and <i>Prrx1</i>-Cre CKO embryos and s<i>ka10</i> (<i>charlie chaplin</i>) mutant embryos.
No full text<p>Y, presence of phenotype; N/A: published work, not applicable,</p><p>References: <i>Mesp1</i>-Cre data <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0098945#pone.0098945-Loebel1" target="_blank">[15]</a>; <i>Prrx1</i>-Cre, <i>ska10</i> data <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0098945#pone.0098945-Krawchuk1" target="_blank">[13]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0098945#pone.0098945-Zhang1" target="_blank">[14]</a>.</p
Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of gene expression in forelimb buds.
No full text<p>Pairs of forelimb buds dissected from control (fl/wt) or conditional knockout (cko) E11.5 embryos harvested from mothers injected with tamoxifen at E9.5 were dissected into anterior (A) and posterior (P) halves and qRT-PCR was performed for <i>Hoxd10</i> (A), <i>Hoxd11</i> (B), <i>Hoxd13</i> (C), <i>Hand2</i> (D), <i>Grem1</i> (E) and <i>Ptch1</i> (F). Asterisk indicates p<0.05 in two-tailed t-test between anterior halves of fl/wt and cko limb buds. Reference gene was <i>Polr2a</i>. n = 4 embryos for each tissue and genotype.</p
