A Wolf in Sheep���s Clothing? An analysis of student engagement with virtual learning environments.

The article is freely available on-line via The Higher Education Academy website.The growth in the use of virtual learning environments to support learning and teaching should be accompanied by research to examine their effectiveness. The aim of this study was twofold: a) To explore the views, opinions and experiences of student engagement or non-engagement in online learning activities; b) To use this knowledge to develop learning and teaching strategies that enhance student engagement with online learning activities. Focus groups were conducted with students studying leisure and tourism degree programmes to explore reasons for usage and non-usage of the online activities in the Wolverhampton Online Learning Framework (WOLF). Results identified issues related to student awareness, motivation, behaviour and learning approaches, assessment and technical factors. Findings from the study have implications for practice, including how to enhance the relevance of information, technical factors, enhancing awareness and links with assessment

Information system diffusion in organizations - a control mechanism perspective

Research streams emphasize that after the excitement of adopting a new IS innovation, most do not employ the innovation to its full potential thus creating an assimilation gap. The failure of an IS to be fully diffused in an organization are, in most cases, due to employees resisting and not accepting the implemented innovation. The analysis of control mechanisms in IS research has proved to be a valuable approach to elucidate IS implementation and success experienced by organizations. The control mechanisms can be exercised thro ugh formal and informal modes. However, control mechanism theory have not yet been adopted to examine the process of IS diffusion in organizations. Therefore, there is a need to study the ways in which implemented control mechanisms impacts on the pro cess of diffusion of a Management Information System (MIS). Cooper and Zmud (1990) six stage IS implementation model will be applied to the research to illustrate and investigate the process of diffusion of the MIS. The research method will be an in-depth case study. It is anticipated that investigating IS diffusion from the perspective of control will considerably provide fresh insights in the understanding process of IS diffusion in organizations

The effects of Kenyanization on personal saving: preliminary report on data collection and some tentative conclusions

The replacement of foreigners by Kenyans in the Kenya economy (Kenyanization) is expected to affect personal savings. This paper is a preliminary report on the collection of data and on changes in personal saving

Lipid keratopathy in the dog

Naturally occurring lipid keratopathy in the dog has been investigated using a variety of examination techniques. The same procedures have also been followed for a group of normal dogs matched to the clinical cases by age, sex and breed and for a third group of unmatched, normal, animals.Investigations have included general clinical and ophthalmoscopic examination and detailed examination of the anterior segment, including tonometry, temperature measurement and fluorescein angiography. Laboratory examination has largely concentrated on serum lipid and lipoprotein analysis.A number of microscopic methods have been applied to normal and diseased corneas. A comprehensive selection of histochemical techniques for identification of lipids have been used in conjunction with light, polarising, interference contrast and phase contrast microscopy. The physical properties of lipids have been explored using squash or imprint preparations, a heated microscope stage and polarised light (with a mica plate and a first order red gypsum accessory plate). A variety of other non-1ipid methods have also been used.Ultrastructural studies complemented those of light microscopy, employing both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and utilising a limited number of ultrahistochemical staining techniques with the latter.The results of this study indicate that lipid keratopathy may be associated with a variety of conditions involving the anterior segment and that abnormalities of the serum lipids and lipoproteins can often be demonstrated in affected animals. These findings are of significance for diseases of lipid metabolism in other species

The diffusion of management information systems in organizations - an organizational sub-culture perspective

The success of deploying Information Systems (IS) by organizations is dependent on the full integration of the new innovation into their existing processes (Diffusion). The failure of an IS to be fully diffused in an organization is, in most cases, not due to any inadequacy of the technological innovation, but rather due to conflict and a lack of acceptance within the organization attempting to implement the change. The analysis of organizational sub-cultures in IS research has proved to be a valuable approach to generate deeper insights regarding IS usage and success experienced by organizations. However, organizational subculture, and specifically the fragmentation sub-culture have not yet been used to investigate the diffusion process of IS in organizations. This paper tries to fill this gap by adopting Martin’s (1992) sub-culture framework to explore the process of diffusion of a Management Information System (MIS). The six stage IS implementation model by Cooper and Zmud (1990) will be applied to the research to illustrate and investigate the process of diffusion of the MIS. The research method will be an in-depth case study. It is anticipated that investigating IS diffusion from the theoretical lens of sub-culture will significantly advance our understanding of the diffusion process of IS

Effectiveness of 4 Pulpotomy Techniques—Randomized Controlled Trial

Pulpotomy is the accepted therapy for the management of cariously exposed pulps in symptom-free primary molars; however, evidence is lacking about the most appropriate technique. The aim of this study was to compare the relative effectiveness of the Er:YAG laser, calcium hydroxide, and ferric sulfate techniques with that of dilute formocresol in retaining such molars symptom-free. Two hundred primary molars in 107 healthy children were included and randomly allocated to one of the techniques. The treated teeth were blindly re-evaluated after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Descriptive data analysis and logistic regression analysis, accounting for each patient's effect by a generalized estimating equation (GEE), were used. After 24 months, the following total and clinical success rates were determined (%): formocresol 85 (96), laser 78 (93), calcium hydroxide 53 (87), and ferric sulfate 86 (100). Only calcium hydroxide performed significantly worse than formocresol (p = 0.001, odds ratio = 5.6, 95% confidence interval 2.0-15.5). In conclusion, calcium hydroxide is less appropriate for pulpotomies than is formocresol

Itinéraire d’une œuvre

Generation of a stable, soluble mimic of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimer on the virion surface has been considered an important first step for developing a successful HIV-1 vaccine. Recently, a soluble native-like Env trimer (BG505 SOSIP.664) has been described. This protein has facilitated major advances in the HIV-1 vaccine field, since it was the first Env immunogen that induced consistent neutralizing antibodies against a neutralization-resistant (tier 2) virus. Moreover, BG505 SOSIP.664 enabled elucidation of the atomic resolution structure of the Env trimer and facilitated the isolation and characterization of new broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1. Here, we designed and characterized the BG505 SOSIP.664 trimer fused to fluorescent superfolder GFP (sfGFP), a GFP variant that allows efficient folding (BG505 SOSIP.664-sfGFP). Despite the presence of the sfGFP, the Env protein largely retained its morphology, antigenicity, glycan composition, and thermostability. In addition, we show that BG505 SOSIP.664-sfGFP can be used for fluorescence-based assays, such as flow cytometry.</p