<i>WhatsApp</i> use among African international distance education (IDE) students: transferring, translating and transforming educational experiences

Much of the research on how social media is embedded into the educational practices of higher education students has a Western orientation. In concentrating on a case study of the varied ways in which African International Distance Education (IDE) students actively use social media to shape their learning experiences, we discuss an under-researched group. The paper draws on analysis of 1295 online questionnaires and 165 in-depth interviews with IDE students at UNISA, South Africa, one of the largest providers of IDE globally. WhatsApp emerges as ‘the’ key social media tool that opens up opportunities for IDE students to transfer, translate and transform their educational journey when studying ‘at a distance’. Although WhatsApp does provide a ‘space of opportunity’ for some students, this is framed through socio-technical marginalisation, itself a reflection of demographic legacies of inequality. Exploring social media practices though the case of African IDE students places these students centre stage and adds to the awareness of the multiple centres from which international education is practiced

Exploring the Oversight of Risk Management in UK Higher Education Institutions: The Case of Audit Committees

We explore how audit committees (ACs) oversee risk management in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), using semi-structured interviews, attendance at AC meetings and documentary analysis. We find that the AC’s oversight seems constrained by a fixation on the process of risk management, an over-reliance on risk registers, and varying levels of emphasis on operational risks. Theoretically, the AC’s oversight reflects different shades of symbolic and substantive activities designed to maintain the HEI’s legitimacy and that of its governing board, hence providing a symbolic representation. We raise concerns as to the AC’s ability to monitor effectively the HEIs’ risk management practices

Carnitine in muscle, serum, and urine of nonprofessional athletes: Effects of physical exercise, training, and L\u2010carnitine administration

Efficient utilization of fatty acids to sustain prolonged physical efforts is thought to be dependent on the carnitine shuttle of muscle. A study has been carried out in 24 athletes (13 long\u2010distance runners and 11 sprinters). These subjects received placebo or L\u2010carnitine (1 g/orally b.i.d.) during a 6\u2010month period of training. In endurance athletes, training induced lowering of total and free muscle carnitine. Increase of esterified muscle carnitine was also observed. Post\u2010exertional overflow of acetylcarnitine and long chain acylcarnitine, as well as reduction of the free fraction was also noticed in the blood. Fasting plasma carnitine levels, however, were not affected in carnitine\u2010treated atheletes at rest. These changes were likely related with the significantly increased urinary excretion of esterified and total carnitine which occurred after physical exercise. In the sprinters only, a decrease in free and total carnitine of muscle was detected after training. Both these potentially unfavourable effects were prevented by oral administration of L\u2010carnitine. Our data suggest that training in endurance athletes, and to a lesser extent, in sprinters, is associated with a decrease in free and total carnitine of muscle, due to an increased overflow of short\u2010chain carnitine esters in urine. Copyright \ua9 1991 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Fatal familial insomnia: clinical, neuropathological, and genetic description of a Spanish family

The clinical presentation and evolution, neuropathological findings, and genotyping of three members of a Spanish family affected with fatal familial insomnia are reported. The mother and two of her offspring developed a rapidly evolving disease with insomnia and behavioural disorders as the initial symptoms and died between 5 and 10 months after the onset of the illness. Frontal brain biopsy in the mother disclosed only non-significant spongiosis, and full neuropathological examination of her offspring showed thalamic and olivary degeneration with isolated focal cortical spongiosis. Genetic examination could only be performed in the contemporary patients and both harboured the prion protein (PrP) 178Asn mutation and homozygous 129 Met/Met genotype.