Assessment worlds colliding? Negotiating between discourses of assessment on an online open course

Using the badged open course, Taking your first steps into Higher Education, this case study examines how assessment on online open courses draws on concepts of assessment used within formal and informal learning. Our experience was that assessment used within open courses, such as massive open online courses, is primarily determined by the requirements of quality assurance processes to award a digital badge or statement of participation as well as what is technologically possible. However, this disregards much recent work in universities that use assessment in support of learning. We suggest that designers of online open courses should pay greater attention to the relationship of assessment and learning to improve participant course completion

Interleukin-1 inhibits glucose-induced Ca2+ uptake by islets of Langerhans

AbstractRecombinant interleukin-1 (rIL-1) is known to inhibit glucose-induced insulin secretion by islets of Langerhans, a novel target tissue of cytokine. We have investigated whether rIL-1 pretreatment affects biochemical mechanisms known to be involved in the regulation of Ca2+ homeostasis during glucose-induced insulin secretion. Glucose-induced Ca2+ uptake by intact islets through the plasma membrane was dramatically inhibited (96%) by rIL-1 (2 nM). rIL-1, however, did not affect Ca2+ uptake by, or Ins 1,4,5-P3-induced Ca2+ efflux from, the endoplasmic reticulum in digitonin-permeabilized islets, although glucose-induced accumulation of inositol trisphosphates was inhibited (38%). These results suggest that perturbation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis in islets is involved in inhibition of insulin secretion by rIL-1

Interleukin-1 induces rapid and transient expression of the c-fos proto-oncogene in isolated pancreatic islets and in purified β-cells

AbstractThe effect of interleukin-1β (IL-1) on expression of c-fos mRNA in isolated rat pancreatic islets was examined. Accumulation of c-fos mRNA was demonstrable after 30 min of exposure to IL-1, peaked by 60 min, and declined thereafter. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) of dispersed islet cells was employed to localize the accumulation of c-fos mRNA to the β-cell. Cycloheximide did not influence the induction of c-fos mRNA by IL-1. Accumulation of c-fos mRNA therefore appears to be an early signal transduction event in the β-cell and a component of the cellular mechanism(s) by which IL-1 influences β-cell function

Infrared Properties of High Redshift and X-ray Selected AGN Samples

The NASA/ISO Key Project on active galactic nuclei (AGN) seeks to better understand the broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these sources from radio to X-rays, with particular emphasis on infrared properties. The ISO sample includes a wide variety of AGN types and spans a large redshift range. Two subsamples are considered herein: 8 high-redshift (1 < z < 4.7) quasars; and 22 hard X-ray selected sources. The X-ray selected AGN show a wide range of IR continuum shapes, extending to cooler colors than the optical/radio sample of Elvis et al. (1994). Where a far-IR turnover is clearly observed, the slopes are < 2.5 in all but one case so that non-thermal emission remains a possibility. The highest redshift quasars show extremely strong, hot IR continua requiring ~ 100 solar masses of 500 - 1000 Kelvin dust with ~ 100 times weaker optical emission. Possible explanations for these unusual properties include: reflection of the optical light from material above/below a torus; strong obscuration of the optical continuum; or an intrinsic deficit of optical emission.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures (2 color), to be published in the Springer Lecture Notes of Physics Series as part of the proceedings for "ISO Surveys of a Dusty Universe," a workshop held at Ringberg Castle, Germany, November 8 - 12, 1999. Requires latex style files for this series: cl2emult.cls, cropmark.sty, lnp.sty, sprmindx.sty, subeqnar.sty (included with submission

HABITAT COMPLEXITY INFLUENCES CASCADING EFFECTS OF MULTIPLE PREDATORS

Although multiple predator effects and trophic cascades have both been demonstrated in a wide variety of ecosystems, ecologists have yet to incorporate these studies into an experimental framework that also manipulates a common and likely important factor, spatial heterogeneity. We manipulated habitat complexity, the presence of two top predators (toadfish and blue crabs), and one intermediate predator (mud crabs) to determine whether habitat complexity influences the strength of multiple predator interactions across multiple trophic levels in experimental oyster reef communities. In the absence of toadfish, blue crabs caused significant mud crab mortality. Despite also directly consuming mud crabs, toadfish indirectly benefited this intermediate predator by decreasing blue crab consumption of mud crabs. Toadfish suppression of mud crab foraging activity, and thus decreased mud crab encounters with blue crabs, is likely responsible for this counterintuitive result. Contrary to previous investigations which suggest that more complex habitats reduce interference interactions among predators, reef complexity strengthened emergent multiple predator effects (MPEs) on mud crabs. The degree to which these MPEs cascaded down to benefit juvenile oysters (basal prey) depended on both habitat complexity and nonconsumptive effects derived from predator-predator interactions. Habitat complexity reduced the foraging efficiency of each crab species individually but released crab interference interactions when together, so that the two crabs collectively consumed more oysters on complex reefs. Regardless of reef complexity, toadfish consistently decreased consumption of oysters by both crab species individually and when together. Therefore, interactions between predator identity and habitat complexity structure trophic cascades on oyster reefs. Furthermore, these cascading effects of multiple predators were largely mediated by nonconsumptive effects in this system

Predators, environment and host characteristics influence the probability of infection by an invasive castrating parasite

Not all hosts, communities or environments are equally hospitable for parasites. Direct and indirect interactions between parasites and their predators, competitors and the environment can influence variability in host exposure, susceptibility and subsequent infection, and these influences may vary across spatial scales. To determine the relative influences of abiotic, biotic and host characteristics on probability of infection across both local and estuary scales, we surveyed the oyster reef-dwelling mud crab Eurypanopeus depressus and its parasite Loxothylacus panopaei, an invasive castrating rhizocephalan, in a hierarchical design across >900 km of the southeastern USA. We quantified the density of hosts, predators of the parasite and host, the host's oyster reef habitat, and environmental variables that might affect the parasite either directly or indirectly on oyster reefs within 10 estuaries throughout this biogeographic range. Our analyses revealed that both between and within estuary-scale variation and host characteristics influenced L. panopaei prevalence. Several additional biotic and abiotic factors were positive predictors of infection, including predator abundance and the depth of water inundation over reefs at high tide. We demonstrate that in addition to host characteristics, biotic and abiotic community-level variables both serve as large-scale indicators of parasite dynamics

Microenvironmental regulation of telomerase isoforms in human embryonic stem cells

Recent evidence points to extra-telomeric, noncanonical roles for telomerase in regulating stem cell function. In this study, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were cultured in 20% or 2% O2 microenvironments for up to 5 days and evaluated for telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression and telomerase activity. Results showed increased cell survival and maintenance of the undifferentiated state with elevated levels of nuclear TERT in 2% O 2-cultured hESCs despite no significant difference in telomerase activity compared with their high-O2-cultured counterparts. Pharmacological inhibition of telomerase activity using a synthetic tea catechin resulted in spontaneous hESC differentiation, while telomerase inhibition with a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide telomere mimic did not. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed variations in transcript levels of full-length and alternate splice variants of TERT in hESCs cultured under varying O2 atmospheres. Steric-blocking of Δα and Δβ hTERT splicing using morpholino oligonucleotides altered the hTERT splicing pattern and rapidly induced spontaneous hESC differentiation that appeared biased toward endomesodermal and neuroectodermal cell fates, respectively. Together, these results suggest that post-transcriptional regulation of TERT under varying O2 microenvironments may help regulate hESC survival, self-renewal, and differentiation capabilities through expression of extra-telomeric telomerase isoforms. © 2014, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc

Genetic by environmental variation but no local adaptation in oysters ( Crassostrea virginica )

Functional trait variation within and across populations can strongly influence population, community, and ecosystem processes, but the relative contributions of genetic vs. environmental factors to this variation are often not clear, potentially complicating conservation and restoration efforts. For example, local adaptation, a particular type of genetic by environmental (G*E) interaction in which the fitness of a population in its own habitat is greater than in other habitats, is often invoked in management practices, even in the absence of supporting evidence. Despite increasing attention to the potential for G*E interactions, few studies have tested multiple populations and environments simultaneously, limiting our understanding of the spatial consistency in patterns of adaptive genetic variation. In addition, few studies explicitly differentiate adaptation in response to predation from other biological and environmental factors. We conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment of first-generation eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) juveniles from six populations across three field sites spanning 1000 km in the southeastern Atlantic Bight in both the presence and absence of predation to test for G*E variation in this economically valuable and ecologically important species. We documented significant G*E variation in survival and growth, yet there was no evidence for local adaptation. Condition varied across oyster cohorts: Offspring of northern populations had better condition than offspring from the center of our region. Oyster populations in the southeastern Atlantic Bight differ in juvenile survival, growth, and condition, yet offspring from local broodstock do not have higher survival or growth than those from farther away. In the absence of population-specific performance information, oyster restoration and aquaculture may benefit from incorporating multiple populations into their practices

Optimal local implementation of non-local quantum gates

We investigate the minimal resources that are required in the local implementation of non-local quantum gates in a distributed quantum computer. Both classical communication requirements and entanglement consumption are investigated. We present general statements on the minimal resource requirements and present optimal procedures for a number of important gates, including CNOT and Toffoli gates. We show that one bit of classical communication in each direction is both necessary and sufficient for the non-local implementation of the quantum CNOT, while in general two bits in each direction is required for the implementation of a general two bit quantum gate. In particular, the state-swapper requires this maximum classical communication overhead. Extensions of these ideas to multi-party gates are presented.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; Replaced with published version, correcting minor typo