An exploratory study to determine students' perceptions of the value of interaction in an Australian classroom context and the perceived impact on learning outcomes

Interaction has long been a defining and critical component of the educational process, whatever the classroom context (Anderson 2003). This paper presents findings of a study to explore the attitudes of students at an Australian university towards various types interactivity in the classroom. The study also investigates students perceptions of how interactivity in the classroom impacts on cognitive, affective and behavioural learning outcomes. In a recent review of the literature Muirhead & Juwah (2003) argue that interactivity is critical in underpinning the learning process in face-to-face, campus based and distance and online education. They say that interactions serve a diverse range of functions in the educational process, which include learner to learner, learner to content, learner to tutor, learner to technology, tutor to content, tutor to technology, content to content. These functions promote and enhance the quality of active, participative learning in a learning environment. However, literature indicates that attitudes towards active learning involving greater interactivity varies across students and between students and lecturers (Billings, Connors, & Skiba 2001). Investigation into student attitudes of the value and effectiveness of interaction is of particular interest for educators who are adapting the learning of a diverse range of students, including oncampus, distance, international, under and postgradute students. Much of the existing research into classroom interaction was grounded in the behaviourist and cognitive sciences approach to learning and teaching, where traditional classroom interaction placed the teacher at the centre of all activities as transmitter of knowledge and co-coordinator of student interaction (McLoughlin 2002). Those studies predate the recent application of constructivism (Bonk and Cunningham 1998) and social learning theory (Bandura (1977), and the emphasis on building life long learning skills. This research will contribute to current discussion about the role of interaction in learning, based on a constructivist approach to developing life long learning skills. This paper will present the findings of an exploratory study of students’ attitudes to various types of interaction in a classroom context. The first step of this exploratory study will employ a focus group approach to gather data from on campus students to identify the key issues that emerge from this data. These findings will be used to design a survey instrument to implement a follow-up research project

Who approves/pays for additional monitoring?

Major considerations in the provision of healthcare are availability, affordability, accessibility, and appropriateness, especially in the setting of heart failure where disease burden is growing, developments have been rapid and newer biomarkers, diagnostic and imaging techniques, monitoring systems, devices, procedures, and drugs have all been developed in a relatively short period of time. Many monitoring and diagnostic systems have been developed but the disproportionate cost of conducting trials of their effectiveness has limited their uptake. There are added complexities, in that the utilization of doctors for the supervision of the monitoring results may be optimal in one setting and not in another because of differences in the characteristics of organization of healthcare provision, making even interpretation of the trials we have had, still difficult to interpret. New technologies are continuously changing the approach to healthcare and will reshape the structure of the healthcare systems in the future. Mobile technologies can empower patients and carers by giving them more control over their health and social care needs and reducing their dependence on healthcare professionals for monitoring their health, but a significant problem is the integration of the multitude of monitored parameters with clinical data and the recognition of intervention thresholds. Digital technology can help, but we need to prove its cost/efficacy and how it will be paid for. Governments in many European countries and worldwide are trying to establish frameworks that promote the convergence of standards and regulations for telemedicine solutions and yet simultaneously health authorities are closely scrutinizing healthcare spending, with the objective of reducing and optimizing expenditure in the provision of health services. There are multiple factors to be considered for the reimbursement models associated with the implementation of physiological monitoring yet it remains a challenge in cash-strapped health systems

Contrast nephropathy in patients with impaired renal function: High versus low osmolar media

Contrast nephropathy in patients with impaired renal function: High versus low osmolar media. Prescription of low osmolar contrast to prevent nephrotoxicity in subjects with pre-existing renal impairment is costly and has not been clearly shown to be effective. We entered 249 subjects with a pre-contrast serum creatinine greater than 120 /xmol/liter (1.35 mg/dl) having cardiac catheterization or intravenous contrast into a randomized controlled trial comparing high and low osmolar contrast. The outcome assessed was a rise in serum creatinine repeated 48 to 72 hours after contrast. A further 117 patients entered the non-randomized prospective arm of the study. In the randomized study the serum creatinine rose by at least 25% after contrast in 8 of 117 (6.8%) given high and in 5 of 132 (3.8%) given low osmolar contrast (P > 0.05, one-tailed 95% confidence interval for the difference 3 to 7.8%). More severe renal failure (greater than 50% increase in serum creatinine) after contrast was uncommon (3.4% with high and 1.5% with low osmolar contrast). A rise in serum creatinine after contrast was significantly associated with the severity of the pre-contrast renal impairment and the presence of diabetes mellitus, but not with type of contrast. Diabetics with a serum creatinine greater than 200 µl/liter (2.25 mg/dl) pre-contrast had a highest risk of deterioration in renal function after contrast. We conclude that in patients with pre-existing renal impairment the incidence of contrast nephropathy was not significantly different comparing high osmolar and nonionic contrast. The potential benefit of nonionic contrast in moderate renal impairment is likely to be small, but trials in diabetics with severe renal impairment should be undertaken urgently

Smart precision agriculture but resource constrained farmers: Is service provision a potential solution? Farmer's willingness to pay for laser-land leveling services in Nepal

Farmers commonly split large, undulating crop fields, even those at similar elevation range or contour, into a patchwork of small sub-plots in plane areas of Nepal. Specifically, to ensure irrigation or rainwater throughout their cultivated rice or wheat growing areas, structures like bunds, dikes, and ditches are commonly built. These structures not only require significant labor hours to build but also incur loss of some portion of productive crop areas. Laser-land leveling (LLL) is one of the precision technologies that can prevent these area losses, save labor costs, and enhance water utilization. However, purchase of LLL system requires significant capital which could be beyond the access of low resource farmers. In this study, we examined the potential of LLL adoption in a form of service provision or fee-for-service basis among farmers in Nepal. Using an appropriate contingent valuation that maintains efficient estimation and consistent response, we found that Nepali farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for LLL services averages 1,550 Nepalese Rupees per hour. However, WTP is heterogeneous across farm size—top quantile farmers with relatively higher land acreages have 47% higher WTP for LLL than bottom quantile farmers. Additionally, our interval regression results show positive association of WTP with low irrigation access and with the opportunity cost of land area occupied by bunds and dikes. The results suggest for service provision support programs in LLL adoption to enhance market development of this precision technology in Nepal, specifically focusing land holders with low irrigation access in plane areas

On-chip pressure measurements and channel deformation after oil absorption

Microfluidic channels moulded from the soft polymer poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are widely used as a platform for mimicking biological environments, and can be used for the simulation of fluid filled structures such as blood and lung vessels. The control of pressure and flow rate within these structures is vital to mimic physiological conditions. The flexibility of PDMS leads to pressure-induced deformation under flow, leading to variable flow profiles along a device. Here, we investigate the change in Young’s modulus of microfluidic channels due to infiltration of mineral oil, a PDMS permeable fluid, and how this affects the resulting pressure profile using a novel pressure measurement method. We found a 53% decrease in Young’s modulus of PDMS due to mineral oil absorption over the course of 3 h accounted for lower internal pressure and larger channel deformation compared to fresh PDMS at a given flow rate. Confocal fluorescence microscopy used to image channel profiles before and after the introduction of mineral oil showed a change in pressure-induced deformation after infiltration of the oil. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation was used to measure Young’s modulus of PDMS before (2.80±0.032.80±0.03 MPa) and after (1.32±0.041.32±0.04 MPa) mineral oil absorption. Raman spectroscopy showed the infiltration of mineral oil into PDMS from channel walls and revealed the diffusion coefficient of mineral oil in PDMS

Crop Updates 2011 - Farming Systems

This session covers twelve papers from different authors: 1. Fallowing 50% of the farm each year – does it pay? Janette Drew and Rob Grima Department of Agriculture and Food 2. How crop sequences affect the productivity and resilience of cropping systems in two Western Australian environments, Bob French, Raj Malik, Mark Seymour, Department of Agriculture and Food 3. When is continuous wheat or barley sustainable? Christine Zaicou-Kunesch and Rob Grima Department of Agriculture and Food 4. Identifying constraints to bridging the yield gap, Glenn McDonald, Department of Agriculture and Food 5. Land constraints limiting wheat yields in the Bridging the Yield Gap project area, Brendan Nicholas and Dennis van Gool, Department of Agriculture and Food 6. Can livestock have a long-term role in no-till cropping systems? James Fisher1, Peter Tozer2, and Doug Abrecht3, 1Désirée Futures, York, WA, 2PRT Consulting, West Wyalong, NSW and 3Department of Agriculture and Food 7. Pros and cons of dry seeding to counter variable seasonal breaks, Michael Robertson1, Cameron Weeks2, Michael O’Connor1, Doug Abrecht3, Rob Grima3, Peter Newman3, 1CSIRO, 2PlanFarm, 3Department of Agriculture and Food 8. Defining economic optimum plant densities of open pollinated and hybrid canola in WA, Mark Seymour, Department of Agriculture and Food 9. Alternative uses for unproductive soils examined in the North Eastern Agricultural Region (NEAR), Mike Clarke and Andrew Blake, Department of Agriculture and Food MARKETS 10. What the world wants from Australian wheat, Gordon MacAulay, Principal Economist, BRI Australia, Emeritus Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Sydney 11. Effect of lupin flour incorporation on the physical and sensory quality of pasta, Vijay Jayasena1,2 and Syed M. Nasar-Abbas1,2, 1Food Science and Technology, School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, 2Centre for Food and Genomic Medicine 12. Wheat quality requirements for Saudi Arabia: baking quality and blending potential of some Australian exporting grades, Larisa Cato1, Robert Loughman1 and Ken Quail2, 1Department of Agriculture and Food, 2BRI Australi

Protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility trial of exercise rehabilitation for people with postural tachycardia syndrome: the PULSE study

Background: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is an autonomic nervous system disorder causing an abnormal cardiovascular response to upright posture. It affects around 0.2% of the population, most commonly women aged 13 to 50 years. POTS can be debilitating; prolonged episodes of pre-syncope and fatigue can severely affect activities of daily living and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Medical treatment is limited and not supported by randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence. Lifestyle interventions are first-line treatment, including increased fluid and salt intake, compression tights and isometric counter-pressure manoeuvres to prevent fainting. Observational studies and small RCTs suggest exercise training may improve symptoms and HRQoL in POTS, but evidence quality is low. Methods: Sixty-two people (aged 18–40 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of POTS will be invited to enrol on a feasibility RCT with embedded qualitative study. The primary outcome will be feasibility; process-related measures will include the number of people eligible, recruited, randomised and withdrawn, along with indicators of exercise programme adherence and acceptability. Secondary physiological, clinical and health-related outcomes including sub-maximal recumbent bike exercise test, active stand test and HRQoL will be measured at 4 and 7 months post-randomisation by researchers blinded to treatment allocation. The PostUraL tachycardia Syndrome Exercise (PULSE) intervention consists of (1) individual assessment; (2) 12-week, once to twice-weekly, supervised out-patient exercise training; (3) behavioural and motivational support; and (4) guided lifestyle physical activity. The control intervention will be best-practice usual care with a single 30-min, one-to-one practitioner appointment, and general advice on safe and effective physical activity. For the embedded qualitative study, participants (n = 10 intervention, n = 10 control) will be interviewed at baseline and 4 months post-randomisation to assess acceptability and the feasibility of progressing to a definitive trial. Discussion: There is very little high-quality research investigating exercise rehabilitation for people with POTS. The PULSE study will be the first randomised trial to assess the feasibility of conducting a definitive multicentre RCT testing supervised exercise rehabilitation with behavioural and motivational support, compared to best-practice usual care, for people with POTS. Trial registration: ISRCTN45323485 registered on 7 April 2020

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Histatin peptides: Pharmacological functions and their applications in dentistry

YesThere are many human oral antimicrobial peptides responsible for playing important roles including maintenance, repairing of oral tissues (hard or soft) and defense against oral microbes. In this review we have highlighted the biochemistry, physiology and proteomics of human oral histatin peptides, secreted from parotid and submandibular salivary glands in human. The significance of these peptides includes capability for ionic binding that can kill fungal Candida albicans. They have histidine rich amino acid sequences (7–12 family members; corresponding to residues 12–24, 13–24, 12–25, 13–25, 5–11, and 5–12, respectively) for Histatin-3. However, Histatin-3 can be synthesized proteolytically from histatin 5 or 6. Due to their fungicidal response and high biocompatibility (little or no toxicity), these peptides can be considered as therapeutic agents with most probable applications for example, artificial saliva for denture wearers and salivary gland dysfunction conditions. The objectives of current article are to explore the human histatin peptides for its types, chemical and biological aspects. In addition, the potential for therapeutic bio-dental applications has been elaborated.King Saud Universit