Revisiting the floruit of Anastasius of Sinai

Modern scholarship commonly places the floruit of Anastasius of Sinai between ca. 640 et ca. 700 CE, that is, in the first decades after the Muslim conquest of Egypt. This dating perhaps relies on, and combines information from, several writings of (or attributed to) Anastasius, but does not seem to do full justice to his career as polemicist. Through a close re-examination and contextualisation of Anastasius’ defence of Chalcedonian doctrine and of dyothelitism, I argue that Anastasius could not have died “shortly after 700”, as is generally believed

Small punch test size reduction to enable high flux irradiation

Screening and qualification of new nuclear materials with superior irradiation resistance requires expensive irradiation exposure and post-irradiation examination before consideration into industrial nuclear structural components. The development of miniaturized test methods is needed for enhanced cost/time efficient testing, while enabling comparative and robust material property estimation in a timely and high throughput manner. The Small Punch Test (SPT) is drawing much interest, especially since the publication of an European standard. Motivated by this standard, a new SP test sample geometry is proposed in order to reduce the material volume to be tested, hences increasing the number of samples that can be introduced in an irradiation rig is proposed. The modified sample diameter has been reduced from 8 to 5.35 mm. The qualification of this new design is described here together with a detailed description of the SPT setup modification as compared to the reference setup of the EN standard. Finite element analyses and a series of experiments have been conducted using both standard and reduced size SP samples to demonstrate that the modified test gives estimates of the basic mechanical properties with the same magnitude of error and validates the modified sample geometry for usage in irradiated material testing

Experiencing MOOCs in English: A proficiency-based perspective

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were initially designed to democratize education by providing free, flexible learning opportunities to a broad audience. However, this promise remains largely unmet, as reflected in high dropout rates (Crossley et al., 2016; Goopio & Cheung, 2021). Contributing factors include limited feedback, scarce participant interaction, and unclear instructions (Topali et al., 2020; Liu, 2017). Another significant, yet underexplored, obstacle is the language of instruction: approximately 75% of MOOCs are offered in English, despite most learners being non-native English speakers (Weinhardt & Sitzmann, 2019; Uchidiuno et al., 2018). Language and cultural barriers – such as difficulties processing video content without visual aids and low confidence in language proficiency – can hinder engagement and learning outcomes (Duru et al., 2019; Liyanagunawardena et al., 2013). Therefore, understanding non-native English speakers’ experiences is essential to enhance the inclusivity and effectiveness of English-taught MOOCs. However, existing research mainly examines language-learning MOOCs (LMOOCs) (e.g. “Conversational English Skills”) rather than disciplinary MOOCs (e.g. “Data Science” or “International Law”) (Uchidiuno et al., 2018; Hsu, 2023). Moreover, they rarely differentiate between learners at different English proficiency levels, despite evidence from English-Medium Instruction (EMI) indicating that proficiency shapes participant engagement and success (Evans & Morrison, 2018). Against this backdrop, this study investigates the experiences of non-native participants enrolled in disciplinary MOOCs taught in English (henceforth ‘English MOOCs’), based on their self-assessed proficiency level (B1, B2, C1, C2). The study focuses on three key dimensions: motivations for enrolling, attitudes toward MOOCs and themselves, and challenges encountered. Data were collected via a survey combining 7-point Likert scale items (e.g. “I take MOOCs in English to improve my English skills”) and open-ended questions (e.g. “Are there other reasons for you to take MOOCs in English?”). The survey also gathers demographic information, prior MOOC experience, and self-assessed English proficiency. A pilot study with 87 participants recruited through Prolific (Jadoulle et al., forthcoming) revealed preliminary trends. For example, the absence of equivalent courses in other languages appeared as a primary motivator to enroll in an English MOOC. Participants generally perceived these MOOCs as high-quality and prestigious, and report limited difficulties in comprehension or expression. However, analysis by proficiency revealed nuanced differences. For example, B2-level participants were more likely than C2-level participants to pursue MOOCs to enhance their English proficiency, and report using language support tools (e.g. dictionaries, DeepL) more frequently. While these preliminary results offer valuable insights into non-native speakers’ experiences in English MOOCs, the relatively small, non-representative sample limits generalizability. Therefore, an ongoing larger-scale study employs the same survey on Qualtrics, targeting approximately 600 non-native English speakers from seven countries (China, Morocco, Japan, Spain, Poland, Brazil, Indonesia) who completed an English MOOC within the last two years. If findings confirm pilot trends, they would underscore the heterogeneity of MOOC participants, and challenge the tendency to treat non-native English speakers as a monolithic group. Recognizing proficiency-level differences would then reveal critical to developing more inclusive MOOCs, by adapting, for example, materials, instructions, or support tools to learners’ specific linguistic needs. Crossley, S., Paquette, L., Dascalu, M., McNamara, D. & Baker, R. (2016). Combining click-stream data with NLP tools to better understand MOOC completion. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge, New York, 6-14. Duru, I., Sunar, A.S., White, S., Diri, B. & Dogan, G. (2019). A case study on English as a Second Language speakers for sustainable MOOC study. Sustainability, 11(10), 2808. Evans, S. & Morrison, B. (2018). Adjusting to higher education in Hong Kong: The influence of school medium of instruction. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21(8), 1016-1029. Goopio, J. & Cheung, C. (2021). The MOOC dropout phenomenon and retention strategies. Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism, 21(2). Hsu, L. (2023). What makes good LMOOCs for EFL learners? Learners’ personal characteristics and information system success model. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(1-2), 1-25. Jadoulle, P., Dubois, T., Degrave, P. & Paquot, M. (forthcoming). Developing a survey on motivations, attitudes, and challenges of non-native participants in English-taught MOOCs. Proceedings of the Twentieth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, Newcastle and Durham. Liu, L. (2017). An empirical analysis of Chinese college learners’ obstacles to MOOC learning in an English context. English Language Teaching, 10(3), 136-150. Liyanagunawardena, T., Williams, S. & Adams, A. (2023). The impact and reach of MOOCs: a developing countries’ perspective. eLearning Papers, 33. Topali, P., Ortega‐Arranz, A., Martínez‐Monés, A. & Villagrá‐Sobrino, S. (2020). “Houston, we have a problem”: Revealing MOOC practitioners’ experiences regarding feedback provision to learners facing difficulties. Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 29(4), 769-785. Uchidiuno, J., Ogan, A., Yarzebinski, E. & Hammer, J. (2018). Understanding ESL students’ motivations to increase MOOC accessibility. Proceedings of the Third (2016) ACM Conference on Learning @ Scale, New York, 169-172. Weinhardt, J. & Sitzmann, T. §2019). Revolutionizing training and education? Three questions regarding massive open online courses (MOOCs). Human Resource Management Review, 29(2), 218-225

Innovative molecules and delivery technologies enabling the future of GLP-1-based therapies.

The multiple physiological effects of gut hormones in different metabolic tissues make them attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases. Currently, only GLP-1 receptor-based agonists and oral DPP-4 inhibitors are available on the market. Despite their positive clinical outcomes across a range of indications these treatments present several clinical challenges, including high costs, the need for peptide injections, and requirements for repeated administration. These limitations have driven research into improved GLP-1-based therapies, such as oral small-molecule agonists and novel drug delivery strategies based on emerging GLP-1 medicines. This article describes the challenges in clinical application and development of GLP-1-based pharmacotherapies. We review the development of oral small-molecule agonists and various drug delivery technologies, including ultralong-acting injectable technologies, continuous-acting implantable pumps, smart-acting electronic devices, nutrient-induced cell therapies, and noninvasive delivery systems. We discuss the current state of research, challenges to overcome, and opportunities to improve patient compliance and clinical outcomes. Additionally, we explore how endocrinological effects and patient-oriented needs can guide the development of advanced GLP-1 medicines

Le climat et la sagesse humaine

Editoria