Comparing the Effectiveness of Phrase-Focused Exercises. A Partial Replication of Boers, Demecheleer, Coxhead, and Webb (2014)

In a recent article, Boers, Demecheleer, Coxhead, and Webb (2014) deplored the lack of effectiveness for the learning of verb-noun collocations of a number of exercise formats which they sampled from EFL textbooks and put to the test in a series of quasi-experimental trials. The authors called for further investigations into possible improvements to such exercise formats. The present article is a response to that call. It also addresses methodological issues which may have affected Boers et al.’s (2014) findings and which rendered their conclusions tentative. In the quasi-experiment reported here, EFL learners were given fill-in-the-blank exercises on verb-noun phrases in one of three formats: (1) choose the appropriate verb, (2) complete the verb by using a first-letter cue, and (3) choose the appropriate intact phrase. A delayed post-test gauged the learners’ ability to recall the meaning of the phrases as well as their verb-noun partnership. In both regards the exercise where learners worked with intact phrases generated the best results. We then evaluate the extent to which exercises for phrase learning in ten recent EFL textbooks accord with recommendations that follow from the quasi-experimental findings

On the choice of the parameter control mechanism in the (1+(λ, λ)) genetic algorithm

The self-adjusting (1 + (λ, λ)) GA is the best known genetic algorithm for problems with a good fitness-distance correlation as in OneMax. It uses a parameter control mechanism for the parameter λ that governs the mutation strength and the number of offspring. However, on multimodal problems, the parameter control mechanism tends to increase λ uncontrollably. We study this problem and possible solutions to it using rigorous runtime analysis for the standard Jumpk benchmark problem class. The original algorithm behaves like a (1+n) EA whenever the maximum value λ = n is reached. This is ineffective for problems where large jumps are required. Capping λ at smaller values is beneficial for such problems. Finally, resetting λ to 1 allows the parameter to cycle through the parameter space. We show that this strategy is effective for all Jumpk problems: the (1 + (λ, λ)) GA performs as well as the (1 + 1) EA with the optimal mutation rate and fast evolutionary algorithms, apart from a small polynomial overhead. Along the way, we present new general methods for bounding the runtime of the (1 + (λ, λ)) GA that allows to translate existing runtime bounds from the (1 + 1) EA to the self-adjusting (1 + (λ, λ)) GA. Our methods are easy to use and give upper bounds for novel classes of functions

Beef cattle genetic and breeding projects in Vietnam and the future direction

Vietnam’s current and future human population estimates are presented. Present per capita ruminant and non-ruminant meat consumption is also reported. Based on this information, projected demand for meat from both ruminant and non-ruminant sources in 2010 will outstrip supply. It is estimated that Vietnam has the capacity to supply a high proportion of these projected shortfalls through improvement and development of its existing production systems. Specifically, this paper is focussed on describing the beef cattle breeds in Vietnam and their respective production characteristics. Further, factors that are preventing the development of coordinated beef cattle breeding strategies to improve productivity and profitability are identified and ACIAR and AusAID projects developed to improve the profitability of farmers’ beef production systems are discussed. Finally, recommendations to ensure the future development of coordinated beef cattle breeding strategies that will assist in improving the profitability of farmers’ beef enterprises are presented

Country statistical capacity: a recent assessment tool and further reflections on the way forward

A country's statistical capacity takes an indispensable part in its development. We offer a comprehensive comparison between the World Bank's Statistical Performance Indicators and Index (SPI) and its predecessor, the Statistical Capacity Index (SCI) regarding different conceptual and empirical aspects. We further examine the relationships of the two indexes with some agriculture development indicators such as food security, food sustainability and productivity as well as other key indicators including headcount poverty, GDP per capita, and an SDG progress index. Our analysis employs the latest SPI data update in 2022, which were not available in previous studies. We also propose clear guidelines on how the SPI can be maintained and updated in the future to ensure that this process is transparent, replicable, safeguarded with high quality, and provides comparable data over time

Protocol development to overcome bioprocess bottlenecks in the large-scale expansion of high quality hIPSC aggregates in vertical-wheel bioreactors

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have generated a great deal of attention owing to their capacity for self-renewal and trilineage differentiation. hiPSCs are cultured as adherent colonies at small scale, which is sufficient to generate cells for experimental purposes but impractical to achieve large quantities for clinical applications. Bioreactor-based processes are the method of choice for efficient expansion and differentiation of cells. Current protocols for the expansion of hiPSCs, however, utilize horizontal impeller, paddle, or rocking wave mixing method bioreactors which require large static cell-culture starting populations and achieve only moderate cell fold increases within the bioreactor. We have recently demonstrated that the vertical-wheel bioreactor produces a unique fluid flow pattern that results in a homogeneous distribution of hydrodynamic forces, making it the opportune environment for systematic bioprocess optimization of hiPSC expansion. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Computational fluid dynamic characterization of vertical-wheel bioreactors used for effective scale-up of human induced pluripotent stem cell aggregate culture

Innovations in engineering and bioprocess development have accelerated the transition of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) cultivation and use from the bench-top to large-scale clinical manufacturing. Owing to their potency, proliferation capabilities, and ability to overcome the challenges associated with traditional sources of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), iPSCs have generated significant interest in the field of regenerative medicine for more than a decade. However, traditional bench scale methods to expand iPSCs, including petri dishes and T-flasks, are insufficient to achieve clinically relevant numbers. For iPSC treatments, cell dosages will range from 109 – 1012 cells per patient depending on the therapeutic target. To achieve the required number of cells in an effective and scalable manner, bioreactors will need to be used. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have proven to be extremely sensitive to the bioreactor hydrodynamic environment, making the use of suspension bioreactors to produce quality-assured cells at clinical and commercial scales very challenging. The PBS vertical-wheel (VW) bioreactor combines radial and axial flow components to produce uniform hydrodynamic force distributions, making it a promising platform to overcome the scale-up challenges associated with iPSCs. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Economic Outlook for Lakeshore Advantage: Getting to 2030

Lakeshore Advantage, a nonprofit economic development organization serving businesses in Allegan and Ottawa counties, teamed up with the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research to better understand the long-term economic health of its region. The Upjohn Institute conducted an analysis of Allegan and Ottawa counties to hone in on the strengths of these communities and offer insights on where improvements are needed to grow the region and achieve Lakeshore Advantage’s 2030 goals which include ranking at or above selected comparative communities for median household income, average annual pay, total employment growth, and educational attainment. This study includes an examination of the region’s population, income, employment, mobility, and migration and examines how these factors interconnect in achieving Lakeshore Advantage’s 2030 goals. A literature review of features common to successful communities additionally reveals a needed special focus on industry diversification and specialization, educational attainment, and broadband services. The report also reveals several conclusions and key takeaways concerning the Lakeshore Advantage Region. Key aspects from each section of the report are noted here in the Executive Summary, as well as recommendations

Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 at the interface of injury, inflammation, infection, and malignancy

In humans, esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) is encoded by four exons in the c2orf40 locus of chromosome 2. Translation of ECRG4 messenger ribonucleic acid produces a 148 amino acid-secreted 17 KDa protein that is then processed to 14, ten, eight, six, four, and two KDa peptides, depending on the cell in which the gene is expressed. As hypermethylation at the c2orf40 locus inhibits ECRG4 gene expression in many epithelial cancers, several investigators have speculated that ECRG4 is a candidate tumor suppressor. Indeed, overexpression of ECRG4 inhibits cell proliferation in vitro, but it also has a wide range of effects in vivo beyond its antitumor activity. ECRG4 overexpression affects apoptosis, senescence, cell migration, inflammation, injury, and infection responsiveness. ECRG4 activities also depend on its cellular localization, secretion, and post-translational processing. These cytokine/chemokine-like characteristics argue that ECRG4 is not a traditional candidate tumor suppressor gene, as originally predicted by its downregulation in cancer. We review how insights into the regulation of ECRG4 gene expression, knowledge of its primary structure, and the study of its emerging physiological functions come together to support a much more complex role for ECRG4 at the interface of inflammation, infection, and malignancy