Dialogic Communication in Collaborative Problem Solving Groups

Discourse, especially dialogic communication between students in collaborative problem-solving groups, plays a central role in educational reforms informed by learning science. This study examined the quality of discourse in problem-based learning groups in a university course. The study found a low incidence of high quality dialogue (dialogic communication, elaboration and co-construction of ideas, productive disciplinary discourse) in 12 one-hour planning meetings. The most competent students took leadership in groups and made the majority of the conceptual contributions. Although there was a reasonable amount of time spent connecting theories to cases, there was little time spent in high-level analysis and very few instances of true dialogic discourse. The majority of time was devoted to activities involving organizing, planning and logistics and organizing the presentation. There was very little off-task behavior. Key Words: Classroom Discourse, undergraduate education, learning science

The face-to-face principle: science, trust, democracy and the internet

Remote communication is replacing face-to-face interaction in ways that could be disastrous for democracy and for the idea of truth. This book shows why face-to-face communication still matters and why it is essential for the survival of pluralist democracies. The nature of face-to-face interactions in small groups and society as a whole, and from primary socialisation to specialist training, is examined via examples including field studies, network analysis, blockchain and the malicious use of disinformation. The deep trust that face-to-face enables is contrasted with the ‘illusion of intimacy’ created by remote communication. The example of science is particularly important. As the institution most directly concerned with creating truth, it demonstrates the essential role of face-to-face interaction in the creation of knowledge and the values that are needed to sustain this. In protecting and promoting democracy, the challenge is relearning how to trust scientific experts and the other elite institutions that form the essential checks and balances of democratic society. Here we offer the simple rule: trust expert institutions that depend on small group interaction and that endorse the values of pluralist democracy

LEMUR: Large European Module for solar Ultraviolet Research. European contribution to JAXA's Solar-C mission

Understanding the solar outer atmosphere requires concerted, simultaneous solar observations from the visible to the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft X-rays, at high spatial resolution (between 0.1" and 0.3"), at high temporal resolution (on the order of 10 s, i.e., the time scale of chromospheric dynamics), with a wide temperature coverage (0.01 MK to 20 MK, from the chromosphere to the flaring corona), and the capability of measuring magnetic fields through spectropolarimetry at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Simultaneous spectroscopic measurements sampling the entire temperature range are particularly important. These requirements are fulfilled by the Japanese Solar-C mission (Plan B), composed of a spacecraft in a geosynchronous orbit with a payload providing a significant improvement of imaging and spectropolarimetric capabilities in the UV, visible, and near-infrared with respect to what is available today and foreseen in the near future. The Large European Module for solar Ultraviolet Research (LEMUR), described in this paper, is a large VUV telescope feeding a scientific payload of high-resolution imaging spectrographs and cameras. LEMUR consists of two major components: a VUV solar telescope with a 30 cm diameter mirror and a focal length of 3.6 m, and a focal-plane package composed of VUV spectrometers covering six carefully chosen wavelength ranges between 17 and 127 nm. The LEMUR slit covers 280" on the Sun with 0.14" per pixel sampling. In addition, LEMUR is capable of measuring mass flows velocities (line shifts) down to 2 km/s or better. LEMUR has been proposed to ESA as the European contribution to the Solar C mission.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures. To appear on Experimental Astronom

Elastin is Localised to the Interfascicular Matrix of Energy Storing Tendons and Becomes Increasingly Disorganised With Ageing

Tendon is composed of fascicles bound together by the interfascicular matrix (IFM). Energy storing tendons are more elastic and extensible than positional tendons; behaviour provided by specialisation of the IFM to enable repeated interfascicular sliding and recoil. With ageing, the IFM becomes stiffer and less fatigue resistant, potentially explaining why older tendons become more injury-prone. Recent data indicates enrichment of elastin within the IFM, but this has yet to be quantified. We hypothesised that elastin is more prevalent in energy storing than positional tendons, and is mainly localised to the IFM. Further, we hypothesised that elastin becomes disorganised and fragmented, and decreases in amount with ageing, especially in energy storing tendons. Biochemical analyses and immunohistochemical techniques were used to determine elastin content and organisation, in young and old equine energy storing and positional tendons. Supporting the hypothesis, elastin localises to the IFM of energy storing tendons, reducing in quantity and becoming more disorganised with ageing. These changes may contribute to the increased injury risk in aged energy storing tendons. Full understanding of the processes leading to loss of elastin and its disorganisation with ageing may aid in the development of treatments to prevent age related tendinopathy

Patient-rated satisfaction and improvement following hip and knee replacements: Development of prediction models

Rationale: Effective preoperative assessments of determinants of health status and function may improve postoperative outcomes. Aims and Objectives: We developed risk scores of preoperative patient factors and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as predictors of patient-rated satisfaction and improvement following hip and knee replacements. Patients and Methods: Prospectively collected National Health Service and independent sector patient data (n = 30,457), including patients' self-reported demographics, comorbidities, PROMs (Oxford Hip/Knee score (OHS/OKS) and European Quality of Life (EQ5D index and health-scale), were analysed. Outcomes were defined as patient-reported satisfaction and improvement following surgery at 7-month follow-up. Univariable and multivariable-adjusted logistic regressions were undertaken to build prediction models; model discrimination was evaluated with the concordance index (c-index) and nomograms were developed to allow the estimation of probabilities. Results: Of the 14,651 subjects with responses for satisfaction following hip replacements 564 (3.8%) reported dissatisfaction, and 1433 (9.2%) of the 15,560 following knee replacement reported dissatisfaction. A total of 14,662 had responses for perceived improvement following hip replacement (lack of improvement in 391; 2.7%) and 15,588 following knee replacement (lack of improvements in 1092; 7.0%). Patients reporting poor outcomes had worse preoperative PROMs. Several factors, including age, gender, patient comorbidities and EQ5D, were included in the final prediction models: C-indices of these models were 0.613 and 0.618 for dissatisfaction and lack of improvement, respectively, for hip replacement and 0.614 and 0.598, respectively, for knee replacement. Conclusions: Using easily accessible preoperative patient factors, including PROMs, we developed models which may help predict dissatisfaction and lack of improvement following hip and knee replacements and facilitate risk stratification and decision-making processes

HST Spectroscopy of Spot 1 on the Circumstellar Ring of SN 1987A

We present ultraviolet and optical spectra of the first bright spot (PA = 29 degrees) on Supernova 1987A's equatorial circumstellar ring taken with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph. We interpret this spot as the emission produced by radiative shocks that occur where the supernova blast wave strikes an inward protrusion of the ring. The observed line widths and intensity ratios indicate the presence of radiative shocks with velocities ranging from 100 to 250 km s^-1 entering dense (> 10^4 cm^-3) gas. These observations, and future observations of the development of the spectra and line profiles, provide a unique opportunity to study the hydrodynamics of radiative shocks.Comment: Accepted by ApJL on Aug. 3, 200

Transplantation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells in Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE: Transplantation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells offers the potential for benefit in macular degeneration. Previous trials have reported improved visual acuity (VA), but lacked detailed analysis of retinal structure and function in the treated area. DESIGN: Phase 1/2 open-label dose-escalation trial to evaluate safety and potential efficacy (clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT01469832). PARTICIPANTS: Twelve participants with advanced Stargardt disease (STGD1), the most common cause of macular degeneration in children and young adults. METHODS: Subretinal transplantation of up to 200 000 hESC-derived RPE cells with systemic immunosuppressive therapy for 13 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end points were the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cell administration. We also investigated evidence of the survival of transplanted cells and measured retinal structure and function using microperimetry and spectral-domain OCT. RESULTS: Focal areas of subretinal hyperpigmentation developed in all participants in a dose-dependent manner in the recipient retina and persisted after withdrawal of systemic immunosuppression. We found no evidence of uncontrolled proliferation or inflammatory responses. Borderline improvements in best-corrected VA in 4 participants either were unsustained or were matched by a similar improvement in the untreated contralateral eye. Microperimetry demonstrated no evidence of benefit at 12 months in the 12 participants. In one instance at the highest dose, localized retinal thinning and reduced sensitivity in the area of hyperpigmentation suggested the potential for harm. Participant-reported quality of life using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire indicated no significant change. CONCLUSIONS: Subretinal hyperpigmentation is consistent with the survival of viable transplanted hESC-derived RPE cells, but may reflect released pigment in their absence. The findings demonstrate the value of detailed analysis of spatial correlation of retinal structure and function in determining with appropriate sensitivity the impact of cell transplantation and suggest that intervention in early stage of disease should be approached with caution. Given the slow rate of progressive degeneration at this advanced stage of disease, any protection against further deterioration may be evident only after a more extended period of observation

LSST: from Science Drivers to Reference Design and Anticipated Data Products

(Abridged) We describe here the most ambitious survey currently planned in the optical, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). A vast array of science will be enabled by a single wide-deep-fast sky survey, and LSST will have unique survey capability in the faint time domain. The LSST design is driven by four main science themes: probing dark energy and dark matter, taking an inventory of the Solar System, exploring the transient optical sky, and mapping the Milky Way. LSST will be a wide-field ground-based system sited at Cerro Pach\'{o}n in northern Chile. The telescope will have an 8.4 m (6.5 m effective) primary mirror, a 9.6 deg$^2$ field of view, and a 3.2 Gigapixel camera. The standard observing sequence will consist of pairs of 15-second exposures in a given field, with two such visits in each pointing in a given night. With these repeats, the LSST system is capable of imaging about 10,000 square degrees of sky in a single filter in three nights. The typical 5$\sigma$ point-source depth in a single visit in $r$ will be $\sim 24.5$ (AB). The project is in the construction phase and will begin regular survey operations by 2022. The survey area will be contained within 30,000 deg$^2$ with $\delta<+34.5^\circ$, and will be imaged multiple times in six bands, $ugrizy$, covering the wavelength range 320--1050 nm. About 90\% of the observing time will be devoted to a deep-wide-fast survey mode which will uniformly observe a 18,000 deg$^2$ region about 800 times (summed over all six bands) during the anticipated 10 years of operations, and yield a coadded map to $r\sim27.5$. The remaining 10\% of the observing time will be allocated to projects such as a Very Deep and Fast time domain survey. The goal is to make LSST data products, including a relational database of about 32 trillion observations of 40 billion objects, available to the public and scientists around the world.Comment: 57 pages, 32 color figures, version with high-resolution figures available from https://www.lsst.org/overvie

Assistive technologies to address capabilities of people with dementia: from research to practice

Assistive technologies (AT) became pervasive and virtually present in all our life domains. They can be either an enabler or an obstacle leading to social exclusion. The Fondation Médéric Alzheimer gathered international experts of dementia care, with backgrounds in biomedical, human and social sciences, to analyse how AT can address the capabilities of people with dementia, on the basis of their needs. Discussion covered the unmet needs of people with dementia, the domains of daily life activities where AT can provide help to people with dementia, the enabling and empowering impact of technology to improve their safety and wellbeing, barriers and limits of use, technology assessment, ethical and legal issues. The capability approach (possible freedom) appears particularly relevant in person-centered dementia care and technology development. The focus is not on the solution, rather on what the person can do with it: seeing dementia as disability, with technology as an enabler to promote capabilities of the person, provides a useful framework for both research and practice. This article summarizes how these concepts took momentum in professional practice and public policies in the past fifteen years (2000-2015), discusses current issues in the design, development and economic model of AT for people with dementia, and covers how these technologies are being used and assessed

Keeping the Board in the Dark: CEO Compensation and Entrenchment

We study a model in which a CEO can entrench himself by hiding information from the board that would allow the board to conclude that he should be replaced. Assuming that even diligent monitoring by the board cannot fully overcome the information asymmetry visà- vis the CEO, we ask if there is a role for CEO compensation to mitigate the inefficiency. Our analysis points to a novel argument for high-powered, non-linear CEO compensation such as bonus pay or stock options. By shifting the CEO’s compensation into states where the firm’s value is highest, a high-powered compensation scheme makes it as unattractive as possible for the CEO to entrench himself when he expects that the firm’s future value under his management and strategy is low. This, in turn, minimizes the severance pay needed to induce the CEO not to entrench himself, thereby minimizing the CEO’s informational rents. Amongst other things, our model suggests how deregulation and technological changes in the 1980s and 1990s might have contributed to the rise in CEO pay and turnover over the same period