Determining Correlations Between Library Usage and Student Success at the Durban University of Technology: A Pilot Study

Thorpe et al. (2016: 373) note that there is a growing trend for academic libraries to adopt measures that demonstrate the value of the library in the context of student success. While it may seem intuitive to librarians that students who engage more with library services and resources learn more, Oakleaf (2017) cautions that providing reliable evidence to support this is not straightforward. Librarians are aware of the numerous activities students engage with in the library, and, according to Soria, Fransen and Nackerud (2013), it is important to examine the differences of each of those interactions in relation to student success. To provide reliable and contemporary evidence of associations of library usage and student success, a multi-phase quantitative student success project was undertaken at a single site library, BM Patel Library, at the start of the first semester of 2017. The first phase of the project provided a comprehensive view of the use of physical and virtual library services at BM Patel Library by undergraduate Faculty of Management Sciences students. Five service points were identified that provided the data for this study. Statistics were collected from library entrance points, library book loans, computer use, laptop use, and off-campus use. The sample consisted of students enrolled in three departments: Marketing and Retail Management, Public Management and Economics, and Human Resource Management. These departments were selected based on the analysis of library visits of all students who visited the BM Patel Library in the first semester. According to the ACRL findings on academic library impact on student success, there is compelling evidence that library use and information literacy (IL) attendance increases student success (Burrows 2011). There are limited local studies that attempt to determine the impact of IL training on student success. This could be due to challenges in the collection of relevant data and/or the use of the data to draw correlations to student success reliably. This paper reports on the second phase of the project, which goes beyond the data from service points and incorporates data from three additional sources: IL attendance, IL assessment results, as well as semester marks of students in the selected departments

Fitting Graphical DSS to Task Characteristics

Previous research has found the use of graphical Decision Support Systems (DSS) to be more effective than tabular DSS in some decision situations, but not in others [8, 9]. This paper presents the results of two laboratory experiments testing the hypothesis that the features provided by graphical DSS may best fit some tasks, while those of tabular DSS best fit other tasks. The first experiment, which examined decision outcomes, found that a tabular DSS better fit a less complex task, while a graphical DSS better fit a more complex task with high information load in which decision makers needed to understand relationships among data elements. The second experiment, which examined decision processes, found that decision makers using graphical DSS tended to use less information in making their decisions than those using tabular DSS

Assistive tool for collaborative learning of conceptual structures

The final publication is available at link.springer.comThere is a demand for computational methods assisting learners to generate relevantassociations for current context. Many concepts in natural language have ambiguous meaningsimplying alternative ways to define associations for them. It is crucial to develop collaborativemethods that support free experiments with promising conceptual structures in learning.Methods for evaluating these structures in respect to the person’s needs are also required. Wepropose a new collaborative ideation scheme and based on that we have implemented anassistive tool for learning conceptual structures in a collaborative Web environment.Peer reviewe

Structural basis for CRISPR RNA-guided DNA recognition by Cascade

The CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) immune system in prokaryotes uses small guide RNAs to neutralize invading viruses and plasmids. In Escherichia coli, immunity depends on a ribonucleoprotein complex called Cascade. Here we present the composition and low-resolution structure of Cascade and show how it recognizes double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) targets in a sequence-specific manner. Cascade is a 405-kDa complex comprising five functionally essential CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins (CasA1B2C6D1E1) and a 61-nucleotide CRISPR RNA (crRNA) with 5′-hydroxyl and 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate termini. The crRNA guides Cascade to dsDNA target sequences by forming base pairs with the complementary DNA strand while displacing the noncomplementary strand to form an R-loop. Cascade recognizes target DNA without consuming ATP, which suggests that continuous invader DNA surveillance takes place without energy investment. The structure of Cascade shows an unusual seahorse shape that undergoes conformational changes when it binds target DNA.

Schools and the legacy of hybrid buildings

Learning from the past, collecting data on the Italian condition of school buildings, our R&D work aimed to question the design process of school buildings in Italy introducing an innovative model of school, which turned the conventional and isolated, mono-functional and rigid school buildings into interior urban public spaces and porous community hubs to empower the communities around them and to become manifestos of sustainability. Through some built examples of school buildings designed in Italy, the paper discusses the outputs and impact of the introduction of new design layouts, participation projects with different stakeholders and sustainability. The research has guided the introduction of the new Italian guide-lines for school building design, approved in 2013. A future perspective to be explored is the reconsideration of exporting the strategy in different contexts and to design reconsider other public infrastructures turning the mono-functional use of public buildings into hybrid and multifunctional ones

A review of the polygraph: history, methodology and current status

The history of research into psychophysiological measurements as an aid to detecting lying, widely known as the ‘lie detector’ or polygraph is the focus of this review. The physiological measurements used are detailed and the debates that exist in regards to its role in the investigative process are introduced. Attention is given to the main polygraph testing methods, namely the Comparative Question Test and the Concealed Information Test. Discussion of these two central methods, their uses and problems forms the basis of the review. Recommendations for future research are made specifically in regards to improving current polygraph technology and exploring the role of the polygraph in combination with other deception detection techniques

Enhanced therapeutic effect using sequential administration of antigenically distinct oncolytic viruses expressing oncostatin M in a Syrian hamster orthotopic pancreatic cancer model

The limited efficacy of current treatments against pancreatic cancer has prompted the search of new alternatives such as virotherapy. Activation of the immune response against cancer cells is emerging as one of the main mechanisms of action of oncolytic viruses (OV). Direct oncolysis releases tumor antigens, and viral replication within the tumor microenvironment is a potent danger signal. Arming OV with immunostimulatory transgenes further enhances their therapeutic effect. However, standard virotherapy protocols do not take full advantage of OV as cancer vaccines because repeated viral administrations may polarize immune responses against strong viral antigens, and the rapid onset of neutralizing antibodies limits the efficacy of redosing. An alternative paradigm based on sequential combination of antigenically distinct OV has been recently proposed