School readiness of moderately preterm children at preschool age

The study investigates the preschool readiness of moderately preterm children and, in particular, the likely presence of learning disabilities at preschool age. Its theoretical model detects linguistic comprehension and expression; memory-related metacognition and cognition skills; orientation and motor coordination skills; premathematics and preliteracy ones. The research project involved an experimental group made up of 55 moderately preterm children (mean age?=?62 months, mean gestational age?=?34.6 weeks), without any clinical neonatal complications, and low birth weight (M?=?2,100 g, SD?=?350 g); a control group made up of 55 full-term children without pre- and perinatal complications. The children’s primary school reference teachers were given a questionnaire (Observative Questionnaire for Early Identification of Learning Disabilities), which was aimed at identifying any likely social and cognitive skill deficits at preschool age. The data, submitted to nonparametric univariate variance, show how scores of moderately preterm children in the metacognition [U _{(n1 e?n2?=?55)}?=?35, p?=?0.04, r?=?0.49] are statistically lower, other cognitive skills (memory, orientation, and visual–motor coordination) [U _{(n1?e?n2?=?55)}?=?32, p?=?0.02, r?=?0.45], premathematics [U _{(n1?e?n2?=?55)}?=?32, p?=?0.02, r?=?0.44], and the total score [U _{(n1?e?n2?=?55)}?=?31, p?=?0.02, r?=?0.12]. Such data would seem to suggest the need for hypothesizing preventive training and educational paths as a prerequisite for the development of the school abilities.     

Forty ways to survive IL instruction overload; or,how to avoid teacher burnout

Teaching information literacy (IL) sessions can be emotionally exhausting, especially when faced with a heavy instructional workload that requires repeating similar course content multiple times. This article lists forty practical, how-to strategies for avoiding burnout and thriving when teaching.     

Innovation and network multiplexity: R&D and the concurrent effects of two collaboration networks in an emerging economy

This study focuses on the multiplexity of firm R&D networks, and it investigates two types of boundary-spanning networks: the bipartite network between firms and government-sponsored institutions (GSIs), and the traditional firm–firm network. We apply a social network perspective to examine the effects that these kinds of networks have on firm innovativeness, in relation to the effects of the firm’s internal R&D efforts. We define the firm-GSI network as bipartite, and we investigate how the structural characteristics of this network (cohesion and centrality) affect innovativeness. We then decompose the innovational effects of firm–firm networks into two categories (intra- and inter-sector) to distinguish the effects of these collaboration networks. Furthermore, we investigate how these various external collaborative networks interact with a firm’s internal R&D efforts for driving innovativeness. Our empirical study of 420 manufacturing firms in Mexico evaluates evidence from surveys and secondary data. The findings indicate that the structural properties of both firm–GSI and firm–firm networks have positive effects on innovativeness, but firm–GSI network cohesion has a stronger negative interaction with R&D in influencing firm innovativeness. Moreover, intra-sector centrality in a firm–firm network has a stronger negative interaction with R&D than inter-sector centrality does in driving firm innovativeness. We contribute to the literature by integrating insights from the perspectives of network multiplexity, social embeddedness, and resource complementarity in regard to inter-organizational behavior. Our study also provides meaningful guidelines for both managers and policy makers. The study’s findings are robust to concerns of common method bias and alternative model specifications.     

Historical evolution of technological diversification

A positive relationship exists between national technological size and technological diversification across fields of innovative activity. This paper shows how the nature of this relationship has changed historically. There has been a downward structural shift in the cross-country size-diversification frontier since 1965—for any given size countries have become less diversified or more narrowly concentrated in their technological specialisation. One explanation is that international technology sourcing by MNEs has led locations to focus on what they do best. A supporting factor may be a rise in technological interrelatedness, which encourages focus upon a specific selection of complementary combinations.     

Evaluation of body composition with bioimpedence. A comparison between athletic and non-athletic children

Purpose: Conventional Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) or Bioelectrical Impedance Vector Analysis (BIVA) can provide direct evaluations of body composition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate lean and fat mass (FM), and hydration of children involved in daily competitive sports. Methods: 190 non-athletic [8.2–10.5 years] and 29 competitive children [8.0–10.5 years] were enrolled. They were evaluated: at baseline (t0), 6 months (t1) and one year (t2). Anthropometric, BIA and BIVA, lean and FM, and hydration evaluations were performed. Results: Resistance (R/h) and reactance (Xc/h) were lower at t0 in competitive individuals when compared to controls. Xc/h (+3.28) significantly increases in competitive when compared to non-competitive individuals (+0.66, p for difference: 0.011), while phase angle (PA) was lower at t0 (5.72 vs. 6.17, p?<?.001) and after 6 months (p?=?.001). Total body water adjusted for height (TBW/h) significantly increased only in non-athletes (+0.50?±?0.13, p?<?.001) between t0 and t1. At t1, extracellular water (ECW) significantly decreased (p?=?.026) in the two groups: ?0.45?±?0.19% in non-competitive, ?1.63?±?0.49% in competitive subjects, while intracellular water (ICW) increased. At one-year follow-up (t2), there were no statistically significant differences in R/h, Xc/h and PA in competitive individuals when compared to baseline and t1. Furthermore, we observed at t2 that hours/week of training, age, male gender and body mass index can influence FFM/h and FM/h in both competitive and non-competitive subjects. In particular, a direct correlation was for hours/week and FFM/h, inverse for hours/week and FM/h. Conclusions: Body mass index does not allow evaluating differences in lean body mass and FM between athletes and non-athletes. BIA and BIVA can give more reliable details about body composition differences in competitive adolescents and non-competitive, outlining a progressive decline in ECW and increase in ICW without affecting TBW composition of athletes.     

Predicting Children's Friendship Status from Their Dyadic Interaction in Structured Situations of Potential Conflict

Dyads of 8-year-old friends identified by sociometric friendship nominations were followed through the end of the school year to determine if they remained friends. These dyads as well as a control group of nonfriends were observed while participating in two structured tasks designed to simulate real life social situations of potential conflict. When negotiating the sharing of an object, friends made more proposals than nonfriends, spent more time negotiating, and compromised more in making their counterproposals. Compared with dyads in which the friendship did not continue through the end of the school year, dyads of continuing friends exhibited greater sensitivity in their negotiations. During a fast-paced, competitive game, friends engaged in more competitive behavior and followed the rules more closely than did nonfriends. However, behavior in this game was unrelated to the continuation of friendship.     

Study and Conservation of the St. Nicola's Basilica Mosaics (Bari,Italy) by Photogrammetric Survey: Mapping of Polychrome Marbles,Decorative Patterns and Past Restorations

ABSTRACT

This present work focuses on the mapping of marbles, decorative patterns and area of the mosaics of the St. Nicola’s Basilica in Bari (Italy) by their photogrammetric survey. The extraordinary importance of these mosaics is due to the stylistic uniqueness and the undisputed workmanship and to the employed materials for tesserae. These mosaics include the white and polychrome marbles, used in the Roman age and reused in medieval artistic production, and imitation stones used as substitutes during the past restorations. The digital survey was realised by the photogrammetric reconstruction of mosaics collecting a photo dataset, after the mosaics redrawing by an image processing software and finally implemented it with lithological identification marbles. It allowed to obtain a punctual mapping of materials, through which to identify original areas and restoration areas, decorative patterns, recurring geometries. The research carried out, supported by the photogrammetric reconstruction as established method for high resolution digital reproduction and mapping, not only ensures the conservation and improvement of the enjoyment of the mosaic floors of the St. Nicola’s Basilica, but allows to conduct studies on materials, decorative patterns and restoration areas directly on the digitized product.     

Learning to become an intercultural practitioner： The case of lifelong learning intensive programme Interdisciplinary Course of Intercultural Competences

This paper dates back to 2009 （it was first presented at the CRLL Conference at Stirling University） and deals with the advances in lifelong learning introduced by an ERASMUS LLP--IP named Interdisciplinary Course of Intercultural Competences （ICIC）. The programme, that involves academic and non-academic institutions concerned with higher education of six different European countries, worked out an intensive international learning pathway aimed at developing intercultural competences in three professional fields： education, social work and health care. The paper focuses on the programme＇s innovative combination of formal and informal learning as a strategic lever to： （1） enhance a holistic concept of ＂competence＂ that puts human relationship at the centre of professional skills; （2） assume intercultural competences as key competences transversal to different professions; （3） introduce social skills and reflection as key factors for developing a transformative model of lifelong learning （Jarvis, 2005） that able to match the needs of the current complex, ever-changing societies; and （4） develop experiential learning without giving up to a strong theoretical framework of reference. The programme introduces an educational model that matches the main goals of higher educational priorities started by Bologna Process and relies upon a solid theoretical framework developed in the field of intercultural research at a sociological, socio-psychological and pedagogical level （Bennett, 1993; Gudykunst ＆ Ting, 2002; Camilleri ＆ Cohen, 1989; Hall, 1959; Hofstede 2001; Beck ＆ Grande, 2006; Farr, 1984）, as well as in one of the lifelong learning （Le Boteurf, 1997; Illeris, 2005; Jarvis, 2005; Schon, 1983）.     

Tert-butyl amine borane complex: An unusual application of a reducing agent on model molecules of cellulose based materials

The need to preserve cultural heritage on paper requires the setting up of methods and treatments that can be applied to original documents. The cellulose main degradation processes are hydrolysis and oxidation. Only the first one has been widely investigated. The Istituto Centrale per la Patologia del Libro (ICPL) focused its attention on oxidation phenomena and studied a particular class of reducing agents, namely the borane-amine complexes. During the investigation it was found that the borane tert-butylamine complex, besides being the most promising reducing agent, was also able to react with carboxylic functions. In the present study ¹H and ¹³C NMR, Pulsed field gradient NMR spectroscopy as well as Raman spectroscopy were used as analytical tools to disclose the mechanism of the interaction between the borane tert-butylamine complex and the carboxylic functions. Given the complexity of the paper/environment interactions and the subsequent degradation phenomena, we worked on simplified models based on small carbohydrate molecules in order to reproduce the behavior of degraded paper after reductive restoration. Modified D-glucose and D-cellobiose were used in this first step in order to set up the analytical methods before approaching more complex systems such as microcrystalline cellulose and paper. Our results give the experimental evidence that borane tert-butylamine complex is also able to neutralize acidic functions. This finding has important perspectives in paper restoration.     

‘It’s good enough that our children are accepted’: Roma mothers’ views of children’s education post migration

The discrimination of Roma groups across Europe has been highlighted by several international organisations. For many, poverty, racism and their children’s systematic exclusion from education are ‘push’ factors when deciding to migrate. This study explores Roma mothers’ views of their children’s education post migration and their attitudes to education more broadly, by adopting an intersectional framework and examining issues of difference and belonging as experienced by Roma mothers and their children. While Roma mothers recognised the value of education for social mobility, they remained aware of the limited resources they could draw upon, in the absence of desirable economic and cultural capitals, and as a result of their ethnicity, social class, gender and ‘undesirable migrant’ status. There was a perceived hopelessness in relation to the chances that Roma children have to overcome their marginalisation through schooling, pointing to the need for dedicated policy interventions when working with Roma families.