40 research outputs found
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Integrating constructive feedback in personalised e-learning
When using e-learning material some students progress readily, others have difficulties. In a traditional classroom the teacher would identify those with difficulties and direct them to additional resources. This support is not easily available within e-learning. A new approach to providing constructive feedback is developed that will enable an e-learning system to identify areas of weakness and provide guidance on further study. The approach is based on the tagging of learning material with appropriate keywords that indicate the contents. Thus if a student performs poorly on an assessment on topic X, there is a need to suggest further study of X and participation in activities related to X such as forums. As well as supporting the learner this type of constructive feedback can also inform other stakeholders. For example a tutor can monitor the progress of a cohort; an instructional designer can monitor the quality of learning objects in facilitating the appropriate knowledge across many learners
Monte Carlo Methods for Estimating Interfacial Free Energies and Line Tensions
Excess contributions to the free energy due to interfaces occur for many
problems encountered in the statistical physics of condensed matter when
coexistence between different phases is possible (e.g. wetting phenomena,
nucleation, crystal growth, etc.). This article reviews two methods to estimate
both interfacial free energies and line tensions by Monte Carlo simulations of
simple models, (e.g. the Ising model, a symmetrical binary Lennard-Jones fluid
exhibiting a miscibility gap, and a simple Lennard-Jones fluid). One method is
based on thermodynamic integration. This method is useful to study flat and
inclined interfaces for Ising lattices, allowing also the estimation of line
tensions of three-phase contact lines, when the interfaces meet walls (where
"surface fields" may act). A generalization to off-lattice systems is described
as well.
The second method is based on the sampling of the order parameter
distribution of the system throughout the two-phase coexistence region of the
model. Both the interface free energies of flat interfaces and of (spherical or
cylindrical) droplets (or bubbles) can be estimated, including also systems
with walls, where sphere-cap shaped wall-attached droplets occur. The
curvature-dependence of the interfacial free energy is discussed, and estimates
for the line tensions are compared to results from the thermodynamic
integration method. Basic limitations of all these methods are critically
discussed, and an outlook on other approaches is given
The Cancer Genome Atlas Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Renal cell carcinoma(RCC) is not a single disease, but several histologically defined cancers with different genetic drivers, clinical courses, and therapeutic responses. The current study evaluated 843 RCC from the three major histologic subtypes, including 488 clear cell RCC, 274 papillary RCC, and 81 chromophobe RCC. Comprehensive genomic and phenotypic analysis of the RCC subtypes reveals distinctive features of each subtype that provide the foundation for the development of subtype-specific therapeutic and management strategies for patients affected with these cancers. Somatic alteration of BAP1, PBRM1, and PTEN and altered metabolic pathways correlated with subtype-specific decreased survival, while CDKN2A alteration, increased DNA hypermethylation, and increases in the immune-related Th2 gene expression signature correlated with decreased survival within all major histologic subtypes. CIMP-RCC demonstrated an increased immune signature, and a uniform and distinct metabolic expression pattern identified a subset of metabolically divergent (MD) ChRCC that associated with extremely poor survival
The Extended Chandra Deep Field-South Survey: Chandra Point-Source Catalogs
We present Chandra pointâsource catalogs for the Extended Chandra Deep FieldâSouth (EâCDFâS) survey. The EâCDFâS consists of four contiguous 250 ks Chandra observations covering an approximately square region of total solid angle â0.3 deg2, which flank the existing â1 Ms Chandra Deep FieldâSouth (CDFâS). The survey reaches sensitivity limits of â and â ergs cmâ2 sâ1 for the 0.5â2.0 and 2â8 keV bands, respectively. We detect 762 distinct Xâray point sources within the EâCDFâS exposure; 589 of these sources are new (i.e., not previously detected in the â1 Ms CDFâS). This brings the total number of Xâray point sources detected in the EâCDFâS region to 915 (via the EâCDFâS and â1 Ms CDFâS observations). Source positions are determined using matchedâfilter and centroiding techniques; the median positional uncertainty is â035. The basic Xâray and optical properties of these sources indicate a variety of source types, although absorbed active galactic nuclei (AGNs) seem to dominate. In addition to our main Chandra catalog, we constructed a supplementary source catalog containing 33 lower significance Xâray point sources that have bright optical counterparts (R < 23). These sources generally have Xârayâtoâoptical flux ratios expected for normal and starburst galaxies, which lack a strong AGN component. We present basic numberâcount results for our main Chandra catalog and find good agreement with the â1 Ms CDFâS for sources with 0.5â2.0 and 2â8 keV fluxes greater than and ergs cmâ2 sâ1, respectively. Furthermore, three extended sources are detected in the 0.5â2.0 keV band, which are found to be likely associated with galaxy groups or poor clusters at ; these have typical restâframe 0.5â2.0 keV luminosities of ergs sâ1
The Extended Chandra Deep Field-South Survey: Optical Spectroscopy of Faint X-ray Sources with the VLT and Keck
We present the results of a program to acquire high-quality optical spectra
of X-ray sources detected in the E-CDF-S and its central area. New
spectroscopic redshifts are measured for 283 counterparts to Chandra sources
with deep exposures (t~2-9 hr per pointing) using multi-slit facilities on both
the VLT and Keck thus bringing the total number of spectroscopically-identified
X-ray sources to over 500 in this survey field. We provide a comprehensive
catalog of X-ray sources detected in the E-CDF-S including the optical and
near-infrared counterparts, and redshifts (both spectroscopic and photometric)
that incorporate published spectroscopic catalogs thus resulting in a final
sample with a high fraction (80%) of X-ray sources having secure
identifications. We demonstrate the remarkable coverage of the Lx-z plane now
accessible from our data while emphasizing the detection of AGNs that
contribute to the faint end of the luminosity function at 1.5<z<3. Our redshift
catalog includes 17 type 2 QSOs that significantly increases such samples (2x).
With our deepest VIMOS observation, we identify "elusive" optically-faint
galaxies (R~25) at z~2-3 based upon the detection of interstellar absorption
lines; we highlight one such case, an absorption-line galaxy at z=3.208 having
no obvious signs of an AGN in its optical spectrum. In addition, we determine
distances to eight galaxy groups with extended X-ray emission. Finally, we
measure the physical extent of known large-scale structures (z~0.7) evident in
the CDF-S. While a thick sheet (radial size of 67.7 Mpc) at z~0.67 extends over
the full field, the z~0.73 structure is thin (18.8 Mpc) and filamentary as
traced by both AGNs and galaxy groups. In the appendix, we provide
spectroscopic redshifts for 49 counterparts to fainter X-ray sources detected
only in the 1 and 2 Ms catalogs, and 48 VLA radio sources not detected in
X-rays.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJS; 20 pages; 12 figures; High-level
data products including redshift catalogs are available from
http://member.ipmu.jp/john.silverman/CDFS.htm
U.S. Prison Seminaries: Structural Charity, Religious Establishment, and Neoliberal Corrections
Using archival and site-based research, this article explores operational practices at six U.S. prison seminary programs regarding concepts of religious establishment. Further highlighted is a shift toward faith-based volunteerism as a âstructural charityâ in correctional budgeting. While religious programs offer powerfully transformative access to social capital for many inmates, the recent insertion of Christian âseminariesâ into U.S. prisons arguably fosters religious establishment in four key areas: a lack of state neutrality toward religion, excessive state entanglement with religious service providers, inadequate solicitation of alternative programming, and a de facto measure of coercion in delivery of services