Student Evaluation of Teaching

The analysis of factors which influence student valuations of teaching is the subject of this paper. An empirical test, using the evaluations carried out in the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University shows that the grades granted by instructors do not relate significantly to the evaluations of that instructor by students. Factors which do relate to higher evaluations include: early morning classes, small classes, optional subjects, and senior classes. From a survey of how faculty react to the evaluations, it appears that most faculty do not find the evaluations useful in making improvements in their own teaching.La présente communication a pour butd 'analyser les facteurs qui influencent les étudiants dans leur évaluation des professeurs. Une étude, basée sur des sondages effectués au School of Business and Economies de Wilfrid Laurier University, montre que l'opinion des étudiants ne semble pas proportionnelle aux notes attribuées par les professeurs. Les évaluations positives sont reliées aux facteurs suivants: heure matinale du cours, petites classes, matières facultatives et cours avancés. Un autre sondage semble montrer que la plupart des professeurs ne trouvent pas les évaluations très utiles pour perfectionner leur enseignement

Effect of selenium supplementation on CD4 T-cell recovery, viral suppression, morbidity and quality of life of HIV-infected patients in Rwanda: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Low levels of serum selenium are associated with increased risk of mortality among HIV+ patients in East Africa. We aim to assess the effect of selenium supplementation on CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, opportunistic infections, and quality of life in HIV-infected patients in Rwanda.</p> <p>Methods and Design</p> <p>A 24-month, multi-centre, patient and provider-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 300 pre-antiretroviral therapy (ART) HIV-infected patients will be carried out at two sites in Rwanda. Patients ≥ 21 years of age with documented HIV infection, CD4 cell count of 400-650 cells/mm³, and not yet on ART will be recruited. Patients will be randomized at each study site using a randomized block design to receive either the selenium micronutrient supplement or an identically appearing placebo taken once daily. The primary outcome is a composite of time from baseline to reduction of CD4 T lymphocyte count below 350 cells/mm³ (confirmed by two measures at least one week apart), or start of ART, or the emergence of a documented CDC-defined AIDS-defining illness. An intention-to-treat analysis will be conducted using stepwise regression and structural equation modeling.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Micronutrient interventions that aim to improve CD4 cell count, decrease opportunistic infections, decrease HIV viral load, and ultimately delay initiation of more costly ART may be beneficial, particularly in resource-constrained settings, such as sub-Saharan Africa. Additional trials are needed to determine if micro-supplementation can delay the need for more costly ART among HIV-infected patients. If shown to be effective, selenium supplementation may be of public health importance to HIV-infected populations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and other resource-constrained settings.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p><a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01327755">NCT01327755</a></p

The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) Mission Concept Study Final Report

The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory, or HabEx, has been designed to be the Great Observatory of the 2030s. For the first time in human history, technologies have matured sufficiently to enable an affordable space-based telescope mission capable of discovering and characterizing Earthlike planets orbiting nearby bright sunlike stars in order to search for signs of habitability and biosignatures. Such a mission can also be equipped with instrumentation that will enable broad and exciting general astrophysics and planetary science not possible from current or planned facilities. HabEx is a space telescope with unique imaging and multi-object spectroscopic capabilities at wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near-IR. These capabilities allow for a broad suite of compelling science that cuts across the entire NASA astrophysics portfolio. HabEx has three primary science goals: (1) Seek out nearby worlds and explore their habitability; (2) Map out nearby planetary systems and understand the diversity of the worlds they contain; (3) Enable new explorations of astrophysical systems from our own solar system to external galaxies by extending our reach in the UV through near-IR. This Great Observatory science will be selected through a competed GO program, and will account for about 50% of the HabEx primary mission. The preferred HabEx architecture is a 4m, monolithic, off-axis telescope that is diffraction-limited at 0.4 microns and is in an L2 orbit. HabEx employs two starlight suppression systems: a coronagraph and a starshade, each with their own dedicated instrument

The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) Mission Concept Study Final Report

The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory, or HabEx, has been designed to be the Great Observatory of the 2030s. For the first time in human history, technologies have matured sufficiently to enable an affordable space-based telescope mission capable of discovering and characterizing Earthlike planets orbiting nearby bright sunlike stars in order to search for signs of habitability and biosignatures. Such a mission can also be equipped with instrumentation that will enable broad and exciting general astrophysics and planetary science not possible from current or planned facilities. HabEx is a space telescope with unique imaging and multi-object spectroscopic capabilities at wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to near-IR. These capabilities allow for a broad suite of compelling science that cuts across the entire NASA astrophysics portfolio. HabEx has three primary science goals: (1) Seek out nearby worlds and explore their habitability; (2) Map out nearby planetary systems and understand the diversity of the worlds they contain; (3) Enable new explorations of astrophysical systems from our own solar system to external galaxies by extending our reach in the UV through near-IR. This Great Observatory science will be selected through a competed GO program, and will account for about 50% of the HabEx primary mission. The preferred HabEx architecture is a 4m, monolithic, off-axis telescope that is diffraction-limited at 0.4 microns and is in an L2 orbit. HabEx employs two starlight suppression systems: a coronagraph and a starshade, each with their own dedicated instrument.Comment: Full report: 498 pages. Executive Summary: 14 pages. More information about HabEx can be found here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/habex

withdrawn 2017 hrs ehra ecas aphrs solaece expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation

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Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead