The use of solved example problems for fostering strategies of self-regulated learning in journal writing

Roelle J, Krüger S, Jansen C, Berthold K. The use of solved example problems for fostering strategies of self-regulated learning in journal writing. Education Research International. 2012;2012: 751625 .Writing learning journals is a powerful tool to integrate self-regulated learning in classrooms. However, to exploit the full potential of journal writing, instructional support is needed that addresses the students’ deficits in the use of self-regulated learning strategies. A promising means to foster learning strategies in learning journals is the provision of solved example problems along with prompts. In a quasiexperimental field study, we provided fifth-grade students (N = 48) with solved example problems along with prompts either right from the beginning of writing their journals or after they had already written two learning journal entries. We found that the provision of solved example problems along with prompts right from the beginning of the journal writing process fostered the quality of both cognitive and metacognitive strategies and conceptual knowledge in the initial phase. The delayed provision of solved example problems after an initial phase of journal writing yielded a detrimental effect on the quality of cognitive strategies and a beneficial effect on the quality of metacognitive strategies. In sum, our results suggest that the provision of solved example problems along with prompts right from the beginning of journal writing can effectively support fifth-grade students in overcoming deficits in the use of self-regulated learning strategies

Impact of North Atlantic SST and Jet Stream anomalies on European Heat Waves

European heat waves have increased during the two recent decades. Particularly 2015 and 2018 were characterized by a widespread area of cold North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in early summer as well as positive surface temperature anomalies across large parts of the European continent during later summer. The European heat wave of 2018 is further suggested to be induced by a quasi-stationary and high-amplified Rossby wave pattern associated with the so-called quasi-resonant amplification (QRA) mechanism. In this study, we evaluate the North Atlantic SST anomalies and the QRA theory as potential drivers for European heat waves for the first time in combination by using the ERA-5 reanalysis product. A composite and correlation study reveals that cold North Atlantic SST anomalies in early summer favour a more undulating jet stream and a preferred trough-ridge pattern in the North Atlantic–European sector. Further we found that cold North Atlantic SSTs promote a stronger double jet occurrence in this sector. Thus, favorite conditions for a QRA signature are evident together with a necessary preconditioning of a double jet. However, our wave analysis covering two-dimensional probability density distributions of phase speed and amplitude does not confirm a relationship between cold North Atlantic SSTs and the QRA theory, compositing cold SSTs, high double jet indices (DJIs) or both together. Instead, we can show that cold North Atlantic SST events enhance the dominance of transient waves. In the presence of a trough during cold North Atlantic events, we obtain a slow-down of the transient waves, but not necessarily an amplification or stationarity. The deceleration of the transient waves result in a longer duration of a trough over the North Atlantic accompanied by a ridge downstream over Europe, triggering European heat episodes. Although a given DJI preconditioning may also be subject to the onset of certain QRA events, our study found no general relation between cold North Atlantic SST events and the QRA diagnostics. Our study highlights the relevance of cold North Atlantic SSTs for the onset of high European temperatures by affecting travelling jet stream undulations (but without involving QRA in general). Further attention should be drawn not only to the influence of North Atlantic SST year-to-year variability, but also to the effect of the North Atlantic warming hole as a negative SST anomaly in the long term, which is projected to evolve through climate change

Examining patient preferences in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis using a discrete-choice approach

Background: Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) used in second-line treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are administered parenterally. However, so-called targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) – developed more recently – offer alternative (ie, oral) administration forms in second-line treatment. Since bDMARDs and tsDMARDs can be regarded as equal in terms of efficacy, the present study examines whether such characteristics as route of administration drive RA patients’ treatment choice. This may ultimately suggest superiority of some second-line DMARDs over equally effective options, at least according to RA-patient preferences. Objective: The current study assessed the importance of oral administration among other treatment characteristics differing between available second-line DMARDs for RA patients’ preferences using a discrete-choice experiment (DCE). Materials and methods: The DCE involved scenarios of three hypothetical treatment options in a d-efficient design with varying levels of key attributes (route and frequency of administration, time till onset of drug effect, combination therapy, possible side effects), as defined by focus groups. Further patient characteristics were recorded by an accompanying questionnaire. In the DCE, patients were asked to choose best and worst options (best–worst scaling). Results were analyzed by count analysis and adjusted regression analysis. Results: A total of 1,588 subjects completed the DCE and were eligible for final analyses. Across all characteristics included in the DCE, “oral administration” was most desired and “intravenous infusion” was most strongly rejected. This was followed by “no combination with methotrexate” being strongly preferred and “intake every 1–2 weeks” being strongly rejected. On average, levels of route of administration showed strongest influences on patients’ decisions in post hoc bootstrapping analysis. Conclusion: According to the results, an oral DMARD that does not have to be combined with methotrexate and is not administered (only) every 1–2 weeks appears a highly favorable treatment option for patients with RA. DMARDs meeting these preferences may increase compliance and adherence in RA treatment

Multi-Parameter Analysis of Biobanked Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Shows Little Influence for Donor Age and Mild Comorbidities on Phenotypic and Functional Properties

Heterogeneous populations of human bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSC) are among the most frequently tested cellular therapeutics for treating degenerative and immune disorders, which occur predominantly in the aging population. Currently, it is unclear whether advanced donor age and commonly associated comorbidities affect the properties of ex vivo-expanded BMSCs. Thus, we stratified cells from adult and elderly donors from our biobank (n = 10 and n = 13, mean age 38 and 72 years, respectively) and compared their phenotypic and functional performance, using multiple assays typically employed as minimal criteria for defining multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). We found that BMSCs from both cohorts meet the standard criteria for MSC, exhibiting similar morphology, growth kinetics, gene expression profiles, and pro-angiogenic and immunosuppressive potential and the capacity to differentiate toward adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic lineages. We found no substantial differences between cells from the adult and elderly cohorts. As positive controls, we studied the impact of in vitro aging and inflammatory cytokine stimulation. Both conditions clearly affected the cellular properties, independent of donor age. We conclude that in vitro aging rather than in vivo donor aging influences BMSC characteristics

Molecular detection of Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp. and Yersinia pestis in ectoparasites of endemic and domestic animals in southwest Madagascar

Little is known about the presence of vector-borne bacteria in southwest Madagascar. Anthropogenic alteration of natural habitats represents an important driver for the emergence of new diseases. Especially the involvement of livestock and the involuntary maintaining of invasive synanthropic animals (particularly rats) facilitate disease transmission from wildlife to humans and associated animals and vice versa. The dissemination or acquisition of ectoparasites is most likely in regions where human/wildlife contact is increasing. Little is known about the presence of vector-borne bacteria in southwest Madagascar. In 2016 and 2017, ectoparasites were collected from various introduced (cattle and goats, cats, dogs and chicken, rats and mice) and native animal species (mouse lemurs [Microcebus griseorufus], Grandidier's mongooses [Galidictis grandidieri], bastard big-footed mice [Macrotarsomys bastardi], greater hedgehog tenrecs [Setifer setosus] and lesser hedgehog tenrecs [Echinops telfairi]) in the northern portion of Tsimanampetsotsa National Park and the adjacent littoral region. Thirteen species of blood-feeding ectoparasites (235 individuals of ticks [5 species], 414 lice [4 spp.] and 389 fleas [4 spp.]) were investigated for the presence and identity of rickettsiae, borreliae, bartonellae and Yersinia pestis using PCR techniques. Rickettsia spp. were detected in every single ectoparasite species (Amblyomma variegatum, A. chabaudi, Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis simplex, Argas echinops, Ctenocephalides felis, Echidnophaga gallinacea, Pulex irritans, Xenopsylla cheopis, Haematopinus quadripertusus, Linognathus africanus, L. vituli, Lemurpediculus verruculosus). Lice and ticks were found harboring rickettsiae identified as Rickettsia africae, while Rickettsia felis-like bacteria were associated with fleas. Borrelia spp. were detected in 5% of H. simplex and 1% of R. microplus ticks. Bartonella spp. were detected in 40% of H. quadripertusus pools and in 5% of L. verruculosus pools. Y. pestis was detected in X. cheopis and E. gallinacea fleas collected from a rat. This study presents the detection of a broad spectrum of vector-borne bacteria including potential pathogens, and an unexpected finding of Y. pestis far off the known plague foci in Madagascar

The relation between European heat waves and North Atlantic SSTs: a two-sided composite study

The occurrence of extreme weather events has increased during the two last decades. European heat waves are responsible for social, economic and environmental damage and are projected to increase in magnitude, frequency and duration under global warming, heightening the interest about the contribution of different drivers. By using the ERA5 Re-analysis product, we performed a two-sided composite analysis to investigate a potential relation between North Atlantic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and the near-surface air temperature (T2m) over the European continent. Here, we show that in the presence of cold North Atlantic SSTs during summer, the distribution of European T2m shifts towards positive anomalies a few days later, increasing the likelihood for heat waves. During these events a predominant wave number three pattern in addition to regionally confined Rossby wave activity contribute to a trough-ridge pattern in the North Atlantic-European sector. Specifically, five of 17 European heat waves within the period of 1979 to 2019 could be related to a cold North Atlantic SST event a few days in advance. In the upstream analysis we identify eleven of 17 European heat waves co-existent with cold North Atlantic SSTs. In order to confirm the crucial role of North Atlantic SSTs for European heat waves, we analysed output from a coupled climate model, HadGEM3, with three different horizontal resolutions. The high-resolution run revealed the closest resemblance to the ERA5 data, suggesting that mechanisms on the mesoscales (<50 km) play a role in the relationship between North Atlantic SSTs and European T2m. Results also highlight the importance of using a climate model with a high horizontal resolution for the purpose of studying the variability of European heat waves. Based upon our results, conducted with ERA5 Re-analysis and HadGEM3 data, North Atlantic SSTs provide potential predictive skill of European heat waves

Fabrication of Sawfish photonic crystal cavities in bulk diamond

Color centers in diamond are quantum systems with optically active spin-states that show long coherence times and are therefore a promising candidate for the development of efficient spin-photon interfaces. However, only a small portion of the emitted photons is generated by the coherent optical transition of the zero-phonon line (ZPL), which limits the overall performance of the system. Embedding these emitters in photonic crystal cavities improves the coupling to the ZPL photons and increases their emission rate. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication process of "Sawfish" cavities, a design recently proposed that has the experimentally-realistic potential to simultaneously enhance the emission rate by a factor of 46 and couple photons into a single-mode fiber with an efficiency of 88%. The presented process allows for the fabrication of fully suspended devices with a total length of 20.5 $\mu$m and features size as small as 40 nm. The optical characterization shows fundamental mode resonances that follow the behavior expected from the corresponding design parameters and quality (Q) factors as high as 3825. Finally, we investigate the effects of nanofabrication on the devices and show that, despite a noticeable erosion of the fine features, the measured cavity resonances deviate by only 0.9 (1.2)% from the corresponding simulated values. This proves that the Sawfish design is robust against fabrication imperfections, which makes it an attractive choice for the development of quantum photonic networks.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure

Electron dynamics in planar radio frequency magnetron plasmas: I. The mechanism of Hall heating and the {\mu}-mode

The electron dynamics and the mechanisms of power absorption in radio-frequency (RF) driven, magnetically enhanced capacitively coupled plasmas (MECCPs) at low pressure are investigated. The device in focus is a geometrically asymmetric cylindrical magnetron with a radially nonuniform magnetic field in axial direction and an electric field in radial direction. The dynamics is studied analytically using the cold plasma model and a single-particle formalism, and numerically with the inhouse energy and charge conserving particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collisions code ECCOPIC1S-M. It is found that the dynamics differs significantly from that of an unmagnetized reference discharge. In the magnetized region in front of the powered electrode, an enhanced electric field arises during sheath expansion and a reversed electric field during sheath collapse. Both fields are needed to ensure discharge sustaining electron transport against the confining effect of the magnetic field. The corresponding azimuthal ExB-drift can accelerate electrons into the inelastic energy range which gives rise to a new mechanism of RF power dissipation. It is related to the Hall current and is different in nature from Ohmic heating, as which it has been classified in previous literature. The new heating is expected to be dominant in many magnetized capacitively coupled discharges. It is proposed to term it the "{\mu}-mode" to separate it from other heating modes