Student engagement and disengagement in TEL - The role of gaming, gender and non-native students

Student engagement is critical for learning. However, little is known about engagement and disengagement and particular social groups. Recent research has alerted that engagement in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) settings may manifest differently than engagement in analogue learning settings. This study explores how different social groups of upper secondary school students (n= 410) engage and disengage when learning with digital technologies. We used an instrument to approach dimensions of engagement and disengagement in TEL. Using thematic analysis, we identified cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social aspects of engagement and disengagement in eight-student interviews which together with theory, informed a questionnaire. Using statistical methods, we explored the relationship between engagement, disengagement and the social categories: gamers, gender and non-native speakers. We found significant differences between the groups. For example: that high-frequency gaming students were not as easily distracted as students reporting low-frequency gaming, that female students engaged in TEL in different ways than male students, and that non-native speakers displayed significantly fewer tendencies to engage in unauthorised uses of digital technologies than native speakers. Identifying indicators reflecting engagement and disengagement in TEL in social groups can inform successful practices that stimulate student engagement and can be used to avoid, or redeem, group-specific challenges that trigger disengagement

Learning Analytics for Blended Learning: A Systematic Review of Theory, Methodology, and Ethical Considerations

Learning Analytics (LA) approaches in Blended Learning (BL) research is becoming an established field. In the light of previous critiqued toward LA for not being grounded in theory, the General Data Protection and a renewed focus on individuals’ integrity, this review aims to explore the use of theories, the methodological and analytic approaches in educational settings, along with surveying ethical and legal considerations. The review also maps and explores the outcomes and discusses the pitfalls and potentials currently seen in the field. Journal articles and conference papers were identified through systematic search across relevant databases. 70 papers met the inclusion criteria:  they applied LA within a BL setting, were peer-reviewed, full-papers, and if they were in English. The results reveal that the use of theoretical and methodological approaches was disperse, we identified approaches of BL not included in categories of BL in existing BL literature and suggest these may be referred to as hybrid blended learning, that ethical considerations and legal requirements have often been overlooked. We highlight critical issues that contribute to raise awareness and inform alignment for future research to ameliorate diffuse applications within the field of LA

Headspace Solid-Phase Micro-Extraction Method Optimization and Evaluation for the Volatile Compound Extraction of Bronchoalveolar Lung Lavage Fluid Samples

Headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) is a prevalent technique in metabolomics and volatolomics research. However, the performance of HS-SPME can vary considerably depending on the sample matrix. As a result, fine-tuning the parameters for each specific sample matrix is crucial to maximize extraction efficacy. In this context, we conducted comprehensive HS-SPME optimization for bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples using two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-ToFMS). Our exploration spanned several HS-SPME parameters, including vial size, dilution factor, extraction time, extraction temperature, and ionic strength. The 10 mL vial size, no sample dilution, extraction time of 50 min, extraction temperature of 45 °C, and 40% salt were identified as the optimized parameters. The optimized method was then evaluated by a pair-wise comparison of ten sets of samples. The results revealed that the optimized method yielded an increase of 340% in total peak area and an increase of 80% in total peak number. Moreover, enhancements were observed across nine major chemical classes in both peak area and number. Notably, the optimized method also doubled the number of volatile compounds consistently detected across BALF samples, from 52 to 108.Applied Science, Faculty ofNon UBCChemical and Biological Engineering, Department ofReviewedFacult

Prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy in pregnant women with diabetes—time to individualize photo screening frequency

AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy including macular oedema in pregnant women with diabetes and to identify women in whom the frequency of retinal screening can be reduced to minimize the burden of health care visits. METHODS: A cohort study of 348 women with pre‐existing diabetes were routinely screened with retinal photo in early (12 weeks) and late pregnancy (27 weeks). Diabetic retinopathy was classified in five stages in accordance with National Danish Guidelines based on the eye with the highest retinopathy level. Sight‐threatening retinopathy was defined as the presence of proliferative retinopathy and/or clinically significant macular oedema (CSMO). RESULTS: Retinopathy was present in 52% (116/223) vs. 14% (17/125), with sight‐threatening retinopathy in 16% (35/223) vs. 6% (7/125) of women with type 1 and type 2, respectively. Women without retinopathy in early and late pregnancy were characterized by shorter diabetes duration (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.008) and predominance of type 2 diabetes. Amongst the 50% (175/348) of the cohort having no retinopathy in early pregnancy and HbA1c<53 mmol/mol (7.0%), none developed sight‐threatening retinopathy and 94% (165/175) remained without any retinopathy during pregnancy. Development of sight‐threatening retinopathy was mainly observed in women with retinopathy in early pregnancy. Treatment for sight‐threatening retinopathy was given to a minority (2.7 and 2.4%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Good glycaemic control and no retinopathy was seen in a large proportion of women in early pregnancy and none of these women developed sight‐threatening retinopathy. The frequency of retinal screening can probably be safely reduced during pregnancy in these women

Tracking data highlight the importance of human-induced mortality for large migratory birds at a flyway scale

Human-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation.publishedVersio

Automated, miniaturized, and scalable screening of healthcare workers, first responders, and students for SARS-CoV-2 in San Diego County

Background Successful containment strategies for SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the COVID-19 pandemic, have involved widespread population testing that identifies infections early and enables rapid contact tracing. In this study, we developed a rapid and inexpensive RT- qPCR testing pipeline for population-level SARS-CoV-2 detection, and used this pipeline to establish a clinical laboratory dedicated to COVID-19 testing at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) with a processing capacity of 6,000 samples per day and next-day result turnaround times. Methods and findings Using this pipeline, we screened 6,786 healthcare workers and first responders, and 21,220 students, faculty, and staff from UCSD. Additionally, we screened 6,031 preschool-grade 12 students and staff from public and private schools across San Diego County that remained fully or partially open for in-person teaching during the pandemic. Between April 17, 2020 and February 5, 2021, participants provided 161,582 nasal swabs that were tested for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Overall, 752 positive tests were obtained, yielding a test positivity rate of 0.47%. While the presence of symptoms was significantly correlated with higher viral load, most of the COVID-19 positive participants who participated in symptom surveys were asymptomatic at the time of testing. The positivity rate among preschool-grade 12 schools that remained open for in-person teaching was similar to the positivity rate at UCSD and lower than that of San Diego County, with the children in private schools being less likely to test positive than the adults at these schools. Conclusions Most schools across the United States have been closed for in-person learning for much of the 2020-2021 school year, and their safe reopening is a national priority. However, as there are no vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 currently available to the majority of school-aged children, the traditional strategies of mandatory masking, physical distancing, and repeated viral testing of students and staff remain key components of risk mitigation in these settings. The data presented here suggest that the safety measures and repeated testing actions taken by participating healthcare and educational facilities were effective in preventing outbreaks, and that a similar combination of risk-mitigation strategies and repeated testing may be successfully adopted by other healthcare and educational systems