Working memory (WM) impairment is a common feature in individuals with schizophrenia and high-risk for psychosis and a promising target for early intervention strategies. However, it is unclear to ...what extent WM impairment parallels specific behavioral symptoms along the psychosis continuum. To address this issue, the current study investigated the relation of WM capacity with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in a large Swedish population sample (N = 1012) of adolescents and young adults (M = 24.4 years, range 12-35). WM was assessed with two online computer tasks: a task where participants had to identify and remember the location of an odd shape and a task of remembering and following instructions. PLE scores were derived from a translated symptom questionnaire (Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences), which includes positive, negative, and depressive symptom scales. Positive and negative symptom scales were further subdivided into symptom clusters based on factor analyses. The results showed that low WM capacity was modestly associated with increased reports of bizarre experiences (BE) and depressive symptoms, after controlling for age, gender, and global symptom scores. Interestingly, when analyses were repeated for separate age groups, low WM was exclusively associated with a higher frequency of BE for young adults (20-27 years) and with depressive symptoms for older adults (28-35 years). These findings suggest that specific PLEs can be indicative of reduced WM capacity in early adulthood, which in turn may reflect an increased risk for psychosis and a greater need for targeted intervention. In contrast, during adolescence individual differences in cognitive development may influence the strength of the relationships and thereby mask potential vulnerabilities for psychopathology.
Territorial space exhibits multiple functional attributes, which comprise production, living, and ecological functions usually. Optimizing the production-living-ecological space (PLES) has become the ...key to territorial and spatial planning; the scientific identification of the PLES lays a foundation for space optimization and has important guiding significance in territorial spatial zoning. To achieve the integration of macro-scale and micro-scale PLES, with the Urban Agglomeration in Central Yunnan as the research area in this study, the PLES functional identification systems from the administrative unit scale and the grid scale are constructed. The types of PLES are determined by integrating qualitative and quantitative evaluation results and using an improved primacy index model from a composite spatial perspective. On that basis, the division of comprehensive zoning is achieved for land use functions through kernel density analysis. As indicated by the results, the model is capable of reflecting the macro background of the PLES functions in administrative regions while characterizing the micro differences at the grid level in administrative units. There are significant differences in the production, living, and ecological functional spaces in the Urban Agglomeration. Production functions are concentrated in the central and northeastern, living functions are concentrated in the central, and ecological functions are concentrated in the western and northeastern, with significantly consistent or complementary spatial distributions of each other. The PLES of Urban Agglomeration includes production space (PS), ecological space (ES), production-living space (P-LS), production-ecological space (P-ES), living-ecological space (L-ES), and production-living-ecological space (P-L-ES), placing a focus on ES, P-ES, and P-L-ES, which marks significant differences in spatial distribution among different spatial types. The study area is divided into 24 functional zones, which are classified into 6 categories, and optimization paths are proposed. This study will provide a reference for territorial and spatial planning in spatial functional zoning, spatial pattern optimization, and land management applications.
Spatial heterogeneity is a fundamental property of any natural ecosystems, including hot spring and human microbiomes. Two important scales that spatial heterogeneity exhibits are population and ...community scales, and Taylor's power law (PL) and its extensions (PLEs) offer ideal quantitative models to assess population‐ and community‐level heterogeneities. Here we analyse 165 hot spring microbiome samples at the global scale that cover a wide range of temperatures (7.5–99°C) and pH levels (3.3–9). We explore a question of fundamental importance for measuring the spatial heterogeneity of the hot‐spring microbiome and further discuss their ecological implications: How do critical environmental factors such as temperature and pH influence the scaling of community spatial heterogeneity? We are particularly interested in the existence of a universal scaling model that is independent of environmental gradients. By applying PL and PLEs, we were able to obtain such scaling parameters of the hot spring at both community and population levels, which are temperature‐ and pH‐invariant. These findings suggest that while the hot‐spring microbiomes located at different regions may have different environmental conditions, they share a fundamental heterogeneity scaling parameter, analogically similar to the gravitational acceleration on Earth, which may vary slightly depending on altitude and latitude, but is invariant overall. In contrast, similar to the physics of the Moon and Earth, which have different gravitational accelerations, the hot spring and human microbiomes can have different scaling parameters as demonstrated in this study.
Production–living–ecological space (PLES) is a recent research hotspot on land planning and regional sustainable development in China. Taking the Yangtze River Delta agglomerations as a case study, ...this paper establishes a spatial-conflict index to identify the PLES conflicts, and then builds a cellular-automaton (CA) Markov model to simulate the PLES pattern in 2030 and to evaluate the influence on PLES conflicts under two scenarios. Results showed that the ecological space (ES) and the living–productive space (LPS) of the Yangtze River Delta agglomerations showed a descending tendency in 2010–2015, whereas ecological–productive space (EPS) and productive–ecological space (PES) reflected a small increase. EPS and PES had squeezed ES and LPS with urbanization and industrial development in this region. Meanwhile, the spatial conflicts of PLES worsened during the period, with the average of the spatial-conflict index (SCI) shifting from 0.283 to 0.522, and seemed to gain momentum. On the basis of scenario analysis for 2030, it was concluded that the “ecological red line policy”, appropriate restriction of urban expansion, and ecological management of the bank of the Yangtze River are helpful in alleviating PLES conflicts, and contribute to spatial structure and harmonizing. The results of this study are expected to provide valuable implications for spatial planning and sustainable development in the Yangtze River delta agglomerations.
In this study, college students in a large public university in the U.S. were surveyed regarding what technologies they use most frequently for learning, what technologies they value for learning, ...and how they perceive technology effectiveness to support their learning. The results revealed that technology use and value were closely aligned with laptops and these were detailed as the most used and valued for learning, which underscores the importance of mobile and portable devices in supporting anytime anywhere learning. In terms of using software for learning, search engines, file-sharing tools, digital libraries, videos, and wikis obtained the best results, suggesting that students are adopting self-directed, approaches to their learning. Additionally, collaboration tools were perceived as the most important for learning which highlights the need to design better teaching strategies and learning interactions to support collaborative practices that use technology. Overall, the majority of participants perceived that technology was effective in fostering discussion, collaboration, and interaction. This enable experiential learning, supporting organization, planning, and resource management, and facilitating a personalized learning experience. The results also revealed statistically significant differences between the experiences of undergraduate and graduate students about the effectiveness of technology. Implications for integrating Web 2.0 technologies into teaching and learning practices are discussed.
(1) Background: Clarify the coordinated development level of production, living, and ecological spaces in the underdeveloped areas of China and their relationship with the intensity of human ...activity. Explore and address the problems that are likely to be faced when developing these areas and improve the quality of China’s new urbanization development. Promote the coordinated and sustainable development of the economy, society and ecology in underdeveloped areas. Guizhou Province is located in southwest China; the landform is broken and complex. Its economic development level is low. It is one of the representatives of underdeveloped areas in China. Therefore, Guizhou Province of China was selected as the study area. (2) Methods: This paper constructs the evaluation index system of the production–living–ecological space (PLES) functional system in China’s underdeveloped areas, and uses the coupling coordination degree model to measure the development coordination level of the study area. The human activity intensity model was used to calculate the human activity intensity in the study area. Response index is introduced to analyze the relationship between the spatial function coupling coordination degree and the intensity of human activities. (3) Results: Before 2015, the level of functional coupling coordination degree of production–living–ecological space (PLES) in the study area fluctuated, and after 2015, it showed a stable and coordinated development trend. The intensity of human activity continues to increase, and the interaction between human activity and local production–living–ecological space (PLES) function coupling coordination is intense. (4) Conclusions: human activity is a significant factor affecting regional, coordinated and sustainable development. In less developed areas, the impact of human activity is more obvious. Human activity, in combination with the theory of the human–land relationship and the moderate intensity of human activity, are important ways to improve the coordinated and sustainable development of underdeveloped regions.
In this paper I look back at the emergence of the idea of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) and consider why they have failed to be widely adapted. I say there was a failure to understand the ...role of technology in the growing commodification and managerialism in education. I point to the links between MOOCs, Open Educational Resources and Open Education and PLEs. I point to a contradiction between commodification and managerialism, with increasingly standardized curricula and credentials and the flourishing of opportunities for learning especially for adults. I say progress in researching, developing and implementing PLEs has to be viewed within the context of the wider development of educational technology and of the education and training system as a whole. Indeed, even this may be too narrow a perspective: one ambition for PLEs has been to support learning outside the formal education system and outside the classroom. I look at the growing use of Learning Analytics and Artificial Intelligence in education and consider how this might support PLEs. Finally, I refer to Neil Selwyn’s idea of Ed-Tech Within Limits’ which would foreground the need to plan future education technology use with a primary aim of ‘coping with finiteness’” and “seek to re-establish technology use in education as a shared and communal activity” as a response to the climate crisis. I suggest this could provide a point of reference for us to rethink Personal Learning Environment encompassing the ideas of equity and encompassing both radical pedagogies and the perspectives of previously marginalized interests and non-powerful groups.
En este artículo, miro hacia atrás en la aparición de la idea de los entornos de aprendizaje personal (PLE) y considero por qué no han podido ser ampliamente adaptados. Digo que no hubo un fracaso para comprender el papel de la tecnología en la creciente mercantilización y gestión en la educación. Señalo los vínculos entre MOOC, recursos educativos abiertos y educación abierta y ples y una contradicción entre la mercantilización y el gerencialismo, con planes de estudio y credenciales cada vez más estandarizados y el florecimiento de oportunidades de aprendizaje, especialmente para los adultos. Digo que el progreso en la investigación, el desarrollo e implementación de PLEs debe verse en el contexto del desarrollo más amplio de la tecnología educativa y del sistema de educación y capacitación en su conjunto. De hecho, incluso esto puede ser una perspectiva demasiado estrecha: una ambición para PLEs ha sido apoyar el aprendizaje fuera del sistema educativo formal y fuera del aula. Observo el uso creciente del análisis de aprendizaje y la inteligencia artificial en la educación y considero cómo esto podría apoyar a PLEs. Finalmente, me refiero a la idea de Neil Selwyn de 'ED-Tech dentro de los límites' que en primer plano la necesidad de planificar el uso de tecnología educativa futura con un objetivo principal de "hacer frente a la finura" y "buscar restablecer el uso de la tecnología en la educación como una actividad compartida y comunitaria” como respuesta a la crisis climática. Sugiero que esto podría proporcionar un punto de referencia para repensar entornos de aprendizaje personal que abarca las ideas de equidad y que abarca tanto las pedagogías radicales como las perspectivas de los intereses previamente marginados y los grupos no potentes.
The complementary value of analytical elemental and molecular data for archaeological relics recovered from a burial deposition is illustrated here with the non‐destructive analysis of bone specimens ...from an early human ancestor, known as Mrs Ples. Discovered in 1947 by Robert Broom in the Sterkfontein Cave system, forming part of the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng Province, South Africa, a skull from Australopithecus africanus dated to 2.1 Mya has been identified as a Hominidae precursor to Homo sapiens. The ability to record novel compositional and structural data from such specimens without any form of chemical or mechanical pretreatment is fundamentally necessary for the preservation of such unique relics while affording conservators the information needed to undertake restoration and the adoption of conservation strategies. Our analyses revealed information about the state of preservation of the samples as well as their depositional context. Raman microspectroscopic mapping produced data on the spatial distribution of phosphate, quartz, carbon, calcite and manganese dioxide signatures on the bone fragments. Extensive deposits of pyrolusite, manganese(II) oxide, on the bone specimens are attributed to hydrogeological processes from ground water irrigation of the skeletal remains in the depositional environment; the identification of distinct quartz‐ and calcite‐rich areas may arise from taphonomic and/or depositional processes. Raman spectroscopic signatures of the organic proteinaceous component of the prehistoric bone are not observed, indicating the degradation of endogenous organics or, if present, were masked by exogeneous materials. The identification of carbon could additionally reflect the remains of biodegradative processes that have operated in the burial site. Elemental mapping using X‐ray fluorescence and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy imaging and spatially resolved energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy provided complementary information about the samples. The result is a comprehensive characterisation of the samples' morphology, elemental and molecular composition from the micro scale to the macroscale, using entirely non‐destructive analytical techniques.
The complementary value of analytical elemental and molecular data for archaeological relics recovered from a burial deposition is illustrated here with the non‐destructive analysis of bone specimens from an early human ancestor. The ability to record novel compositional and structural data from such specimens without any form of chemical or mechanical pretreatment is fundamentally necessary for the preservation of such unique relics while affording conservators the information needed to undertake restoration and the adoption of conservation strategies.
Cities worldwide are facing the dual pressures of growing population and land expansion, leading to the intensification of conflicts in urban productive-living-ecological spaces (PLES). Therefore, ...the question of "how to dynamically judge the different thresholds of different indicators of PLES" plays an indispensable role in the studies of the multi-scenario simulation of land space changes and needs to be tackled in an appropriate way, given that the process simulation of key elements that affect the evolution of urban systems is yet to achieve complete coupling with PLES utilization configuration schemes. In this paper, we developed a scenario simulation framework combining the dynamic coupling model of Bagging-Cellular Automata (Bagging-CA) to generate various environmental element configuration patterns for urban PLES development. The key merit of our analytical approach is that the weights of different key driving factors under different scenarios are obtained through the automatic parameterized adjustment process, and we enrich the study cases for the vast southwest region in China, which is beneficial for balanced development between eastern and western regions in the country. Finally, we simulate the PLES with the data of finer land use classification, combining a machine learning and multi-objective scenario. Automatic parameterization of environmental elements can help planners and stakeholders understand more comprehensively the complex land space changes caused by the uncertainty of space resources and environment changes, so as to formulate appropriate policies and effectively guide the implementation of land space planning. The multi-scenario simulation method developed in this study has offered new insights and high applicability to other regions for modeling PLES.
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