Global economic costs of herpetofauna invasions

Biological invasions by amphibian and reptile species (i.e. herpetofauna) are numerous and widespread and have caused severe impacts on ecosystems, the economy and human health. However, there remains no synthesised assessment of the economic costs of these invasions. Therefore, using the most comprehensive database on the economic costs of invasive alien species worldwide (InvaCost), we analyse the costs caused by invasive alien herpetofauna according to taxonomic, geographic, sectoral and temporal dimensions, as well as the types of these costs. The cost of invasive herpetofauna totaled 17.0 billion US$ between 1986 and 2020, divided between 6.3 billion US$ for amphibians, 10.4 billion US$ for reptiles and 334 million US$ for mixed classes. However, these costs were associated predominantly with only two species (brown tree snake Boiga irregularis and American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus), with 10.3 and 6.0 billion US$ in costs, respectively. Costs for the remaining 19 reported species were relatively minor (< 0.6 billion US$), and they were entirely unavailable for over 94% of known invasive herpetofauna worldwide. Also, costs were positively correlated with research effort, suggesting research biases towards well-known taxa. So far, costs have been dominated by predictions and extrapolations (79%), and thus empirical observations for impact were relatively scarce. The activity sector most affected by amphibians was authorities-stakeholders through management (> 99%), while for reptiles, impact was reported mostly through damages to mixed sectors (65%). Geographically, Oceania and Pacific Islands recorded 63% of total costs, followed by Europe (35%) and North America (2%). Cost reports have generally increased over time. A greater effort in studying the costs of invasive herpetofauna is necessary for a more complete understanding of invasion impacts of these species. We emphasise the need for greater control and prevention policies concerning the spread of current and future invasive herpetofauna.

COOPERATION VS. COMPETITION. APPROACHES ON THE INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH SEN

Solving learning tasks, among students, is usually done in the context of an interaction based on competition or cooperation. Either of the two types of interaction - cooperation and competition - has different effects in terms of the students' mutual attitudes, the degree of involvement, and the degree of participation in the performance of school tasks and individual school performance. The success of the school inclusion of students with SEN implies the cooperation between all the factors involved in this process. Special education is a part of the Romanian education system and should support educational programs for pupils with SEN suitable for their harmonious development. We started in our research from the application of a questionnaire to which teachers from Bihor County responded. If, in the preceding article, this working instrument was applied to a number of 163 teachers from mass education, to mixed classes that had in their composition and children with special educational requirements, in this article we extract the data that we have collected from to a number of 63 teachers in special education. The questionnaire comprises a total of 46 items referring to the atmosphere of cooperation and competition and comprises two parts. The first part includes questions regarding seniority in work, educational grade, age, number of the group of students they work with, etc.

Human lipoproteins comprise at least 12 different classes that are 1 lognormally distributed.

Lipoproteins in medical samples have been measured by enzymatic methods that coincide with conventional ultracentrifugation. However, the high gravity and time required for ultracentrifugation can cause sample degradation. This study presents the results of HPLC, a gentler and rapid separation method, for 55 human serum samples. The elution patterns were analysed parametrically, and the attribute of each class was confirmed biochemically. Human samples contained 12 classes of lipoproteins, each of which may consist primarily of proteins. There are three classes of VLDLs. The level of each class was distributed lognormally, and the standard amount and the 95% range were estimated. Enzymatic methods measure the levels of several mixed classes. This lognormal character suggests that the levels are controlled by the synergy of multiple factors.

Advances in Membranous Nephropathy

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a rare auto-immune disease where the glomerulus is targeted by circulating auto-antibodies mostly against podocyte antigens, which results in the formation of electron-dense immune complexes, activation of complement and massive proteinuria. MN is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults leading to severe thrombotic complications and kidney failure. This review is focused on the recent therapeutic and pathophysiological advances that occurred in the last two years. For a long time, we were lacking a head-to-head comparison between cyclophosphamide considered as the gold standard therapy and other medications, notably rituximab. Substantial progress has been achieved owing to three randomized controlled trials. MENTOR (Membranous Nephropathy Trial of Rituximab) and STARMEN (Sequential Therapy with Tacrolimus and Rituximab in Primary Membranous Nephropathy) conclusively established that calcineurin inhibitor-based regimens are slower to result in an immunologic response than rituximab or cyclophosphamide, achieve fewer complete clinical remissions, and are less likely to maintainremission. Rituximab Versus Steroids and Cyclophosphamide in the Treatment of Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy (RI-CYCLO) suggested that competition between cyclophosphamide and rituximab remains open. Given the technological leap combining laser microdissection of glomeruli and mass spectrometry of solubilized digested proteins, four “new antigens” were discovered including NELL-1 and Semaphorin 3B in so-called primary MN, and exostosins 1 and 2 and NCAM 1 in lupus MN. NELL-1 is associated with about 8% of primary MN and is characterized by segmental immune deposits and frequent association with cancer (30%). Semaphorin 3B-associated MN usually occurs in children, often below the age of two years, where it is the main antigen, representing about 16% of non-lupus MN in childhood. Exostosins 1/2 and NCAM 1 are associated with 30% and 6% of lupus MN, respectively. Exostosins 1/2 (EXT1/2) staining is associated with a low rate of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) even in mixed classes III/IV+V. These findings already lead to revisiting the diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms toward more personalized medicine.

“Las clases siempre van de aquí para allá”: permanencias y cambios en los espacios para la escuela primaria en Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil (1883-1928)

The state of Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil, following the international guidelines and models related to implementation, dissemination and improvements of primary education, undertook, between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, initiatives that responded to the need for the construction of school facilities. The objective of this paper is to analyze the ideas and actions that marked the continuities and the transformations related to government intervention in school spaces. For this purpose we will use a model of a school building, from 1883; a standard design project, from 1899; a model of an agricultural school, from 1919; and a competition for school constructions, from 1928. The documentary research, of a historiographical character, uses as primary sources the reports by the Direction of Public Instruction and Public Works of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The paper shows the permanence throughout these decades of certain aspects, especially those concerning the need for tax revenue to pay for the building of schools, their location in the cities and villages, hygienist issues, the teachers' places of residence, and the graded school system. Among the main transformations, we highlight the design of cornerless, adaptable rooms; mixed classes; rooms for different activities, such as museums, laboratories, administrative rooms, libraries, and spaces for school movie theaters and radio stations. These new state prescriptions were partially aligned with the New School principles, which were introduced in Brazil especially throughout the decade of 1920; in keeping with this movement, it was thought that the design of school spaces should consider the central role that children would play in the educational process, taking into account their needs and curiosities.

Organization of Inclusive Education in China

The article is devoted to the problem of organizing inclusive education in China, the ways of mastering the education by students with special educational needs, developing their personal qualities, ability to social interaction, achieving equality in education and social justice. Since the proclamation of the Salamanca Declaration in 1994, many countries around the world, including China, have been moving towards inclusive education. The article examines the history and directions of inclusive education in China. The author examines the experience of teachers in the organization of inclusive education, barriers and problems of development and implementation of Chinese inclusive education. The purpose of the article is to determine the main prerequisites for the organization of inclusive education in China. The main methods used in this study are the analysis and synthesis of scientific literature and open government regulations in the field of inclusive education in China. The results. The author found that despite all the measures taken by the Chinese government, inclusive education still lags behind European countries, where children with disabilities are full members of society and are not perceived by others as "others". It is determined that special attention is paid to the study of inclusive education and the development of plans for the development of inclusive education. Given the need for inclusive education, which is a priority, inclusive education institutes and resource centers are being set up across the country. Conclusions. The main preconditions for the organization of inclusive education in China include the following: the inclusion of all children with different educational needs in traditional general secondary education institutions, which they could attend if they did not have a disability; the lack of "sorting" and selection of children, learning in mixed classes; the distribution of children with physical and mental characteristics by classes, according to their age; the situationally conditioned bulk interaction and coordination of resources and teaching methods; the use of decentralized learning models.

Formation of socio-communicative competence of the future teacher

The article is devoted to the problem of the formation of a teacher's social and communicative readiness to solve professional problems as one of the basic pedagogical competencies in the context of the digitalization of education. The problem of creating conditions for the formation and development of a digital learning culture is considered from the point of view of the updated conceptual apparatus of modern pedagogy, the introduction of such concepts as digital learning, mixed classes, network interaction. Potential educational opportunities and risks of organizing the pedagogical process using digital means and technologies are identified. Consideration of the essential characteristics and structure of social and communicative competence made it possible to reveal the practice-oriented features of the teacher's professional readiness, focused on the active use of distance learning technologies. The analysis of the structures and content of models for the formation of social and communicative competence in the system of training pedagogical personnel allows us to variably present the algorithms and mechanisms for mastering the «new culture of learning» in the realities of the digital society.