In Search of Quality: Using Quality Matters to Analyze the Quality of Massive, Open, Online Courses (MOOCs)

The concept of the massive, open, online course (MOOC) is not new, but high-profile initiatives have moved MOOCs into the forefront of higher education news over the past few years. Members of institutions of higher education have mixed feelings about MOOCs, ranging from those who want to offer college credit for the successful completion of MOOCs to those who fear MOOCs are the end of the university as we know it. We set forth to investigate the quality of MOOCs by using the Quality Matters quality control framework. In this article, we present the results of our inquiry, with a specific focus on the implications the results have on day-to-day practice of designing online courses

Luminosities of H alpha emitting regions in a pair of interacting galaxies in the Bootes void

Luminosities of H alpha emission from a pair of interacting galaxies in the low density environment of the Bootes void are presented. CG 692 (IRAS 1519+5050) has an H alpha luminosity of 2 x 10(exp 42) ergs s(exp -1), indicating a star formation rate of 18.4 solar mass yr(exp -1). Individual extranuclear H alpha regions have luminosities of approximately 10(exp 40) ergs s(exp -1). These luminosities are similar to those found for H II regions in bright, late-type galaxies in more densely populated parts of the Universe

Economic sustainability of heritage conservation in Hong Kong: The impact of heritage buildings on adjacent property prices

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment Informed by the theoretical framework of sustainable development and economic theories including the cluster theory and the corollary of the Coase Theorem, this paper empirically investigates the economic impact of architectural heritage in Hong Kong. Using the hedonic price model, the research examines the economic impact of 50 publicly owned versus 50 privately owned heritage buildings on adjacent residential property prices with a sample size of over 43,240 property transaction records spanning a time period of 10 years. The research supports that heritage conservation can promote economic sustainability aside from cultural sustainability and social engagement. This research benefits government policymakers, urban planners, architects, and heritage conservationists by contributing new knowledge to the studies on sustainable urban development, heritage conservation, and cultural economics

Total Molecular Gas Masses of Planck - Herschel Selected Strongly Lensed Hyper Luminous Infrared Galaxies

We report the detection of CO(1 - 0) line emission from seven Planck and Herschel selected hyper luminous (LIR(8-1000um) > 10^13Lsun) infrared galaxies with the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). CO(1 - 0) measurements are a vital tool to trace the bulk molecular gas mass across all redshifts. Our results place tight constraints on the total gas content of these most apparently luminous high-z star-forming galaxies (apparent IR luminosities of LIR > 10^(13-14) Lsun), while we confirm their predetermined redshifts measured using the Large Millimeter Telescope, LMT (zCO = 1.33 - 3.26). The CO(1 - 0) lines show similar profiles as compared to Jup = 2 -4 transitions previously observed with the LMT. We report enhanced infrared to CO line luminosity ratios of = 110 (pm 22) Lsun(K km s^-1 pc^-2)^-1 compared to normal star-forming galaxies, yet similar to those of well-studied IR-luminous galaxies at high-z. We find average brightness temperature ratios of = 0.93 (2 sources), = 0.34 (5 sources), and = 0.18 (1 source). The r31 and r41 values are roughly half the average values for SMGs. We estimate the total gas mass content as uMH2 = (0.9 - 27.2) x 10^11(alphaCO/0.8)Msun, where u is the magnification factor and alphaCO is the CO line luminosity to molecular hydrogen gas mass conversion factor. The rapid gas depletion times are, on average, tau = 80 Myr, which reveal vigorous starburst activity, and contrast the Gyr depletion timescales observed in local, normal star-forming galaxies.Comment: published in MNRAS, 9pages, 5fig

Risk Factors for Suboptimal Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence in HIV-Infected Adolescents in Gaborone, Botswana: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: Little is known about factors associated with suboptimal antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective was to determine the level of ART adherence and predictors of non-adherence among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adolescents at the Botswana-Baylor Children\u27s Clinical Centre of Excellence in Gaborone, Botswana. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 82 HIV-infected adolescents receiving ART and their caregivers were administered a structured questionnaire. The patient\u27s clinical information was retrieved from medical records. Outcome measures included excellent pill count ART adherence (\u3e95%) and virologic suppression (HIV viral load \u3c400 copies/mL). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of ART non-adherence. Results: The overall median (interquartile range) ART adherence was 99% (96.5–100) (N = 82). Seventy-six percent of adolescents had excellent pill count ART adherence levels and 94% achieved virologic suppression. Male adolescents made up 65% of the non-adherent group (P = 0.02). Those who displayed suboptimal ART adherence were more likely to report having ever missed ART doses due to failure to pick up medication at the pharmacy (30.0% versus 9.7%, P = 0.03). In the multivariate logistic regression model, male sex (odds ratio [OR] 3.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13–9.54; P = 0.03) was the only factor which was independently associated with suboptimal ART adherence. Conclusions: A high proportion of HIV-infected adolescents studied had excellent ART adherence and virologic suppression, with male adolescents at higher risk of suboptimal adherence than females. Further research to investigate how gender relates to suboptimal adherence may aid in the design of targeted intervention strategies

The living and the dead; an investigation into the status of erasure within the floor of Bath Abbey

The floor of Bath Abbey offers a singular test of authenticity. Nineteenth century repairs and additions caused horizontal grave markers, which comprise the majority of the Abbey’s floor, to become separated from the burial sites they were intended to memorialize. A century and a half of further occupation has had the effect of removing many inscriptions as surfaces are worn smooth. The result is a patchwork of unintended edits and accidental poetry. This paper explores the notions of authenticity, essence, memorial and erasure as they pertain to the Abbey floor, in particular with regard to the role the body plays in inhabiting/eroding the floor—from both above and below. The author argues that the stones which are most out of place or worn to a state of erasure are no less authentic than their intact equivalents, but that they can be considered to have moved to another state of authenticity rich in resonance and meaning. This paper, in short, is a defense of erasure and that erosion through occupation may be considered a form of social memory; indeed, the marks of walking become the inscription. In other words, the undesigned (erasure, the cutting and repositioning of ledger stones, the missing inscriptions) becomes considered not as a form of dirt but as the positive traces of on-going and meaningful occupation

Measurement of ambient aerosol hydration state at Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the southeastern United States

We present results from two field deployments of a unique tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) configuration with two primary capabilities: identifying alternative stable or meta-stable ambient aerosol hydration states associated with hysteresis in aerosol hydration behavior and determining the actual Ambient hydration State (AS-TDMA). This data set is the first to fully classify the ambient hydration state of aerosols despite recognition that hydration state significantly impacts the roles of aerosols in climate, visibility and heterogeneous chemistry. The AS-TDMA was installed at a site in eastern Tennessee on the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for projects during the summer of 2006 and winter of 2007–2008. During the summer, 12% of the aerosols sampled in continuous AS-TDMA measurements were found to posses two possible hydration states under ambient conditions. In every case, the more hydrated of the possible states was occupied. The remaining 88% did not posses multiple possible states. In continuous measurements during the winter, 49% of the aerosols sampled possessed two possible ambient hydration states; the remainder possessed only one. Of those aerosols with multiple possible ambient hydration states, 65% occupied the more hydrated state; 35% occupied the less hydrated state. This seasonal contrast is supported by differences in the fine particulate (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) composition and ambient RH as measured during the two study periods. In addition to seasonal summaries, this work includes case studies depicting the variation of hydration state with changing atmospheric conditions