A Case Study of Using Online Communities and Virtual Environment in Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) as a Learning and Teaching Tool for Second Language Learners

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) create large virtual communities. Online gaming shows potential not just for entertaining, but also in education. This research investigates the use of commercial MMORPGs to support second language teaching. MMORPGs offer virtual safe spaces in which students can communicate by using their target second language with global players. Using a mix of ethnography and action research, this study explores the students’ experiences of language learning and performing while playing MMORPGs. The results show that the use of MMORPGs can facilitate language development by offering fun, informal, individualised and secure virtual spaces for students to practise their language with native and other second language speakers

Moving between virtual and real worlds: second language learning through massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs)

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) bring players together in a large virtual community. This type of online gaming can serve many purposes such as entertainment, social interaction, information exchange and education and is now an integral part of many people's lives particularly the younger generation. This research study investigates the use of openly available MMORPGs to supplement second language teaching for higher education students. MMORPGs provide informal virtual worlds in which students can communicate in their second language with people from across the globe. The research approach combines ethnography and action research in the virtual and real worlds. In the real world the researcher observes the interaction with the MMORPGs by the students both through their informal discussion in the classroom and through screen video captures of their game play in the MMORPG. In addition the researcher takes on the role of a character within the MMORPG allowing for observation inside the virtual world from the viewpoint of another game character. Through action research, the researcher observes, plans and then interacts with the students' MMORPG characters within the game. This enables the researcher to provide anonymous but tailored support to the students including advice on the game play, a confidence boost where needed, a friendly face where needed and some support around language issues. In the real world, action research is also used to provide tutorial exercises and discussions based on the students' experiences with the MMORPG, facilitating further enhancement opportunities for their language development. This paper concludes that MMORPGs provide a safe, relaxed and engaging environment in which students can practice and improve their language skills

Using massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) to support second language learning: Action research in the real and virtual world

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) create large virtual communities. Online gaming shows potential not just for entertaining, but also for education. The aim of this research project is to investigate the use of commercial MMORPGs to support second language teaching. MMORPGs offer a digital safe space in which students can communicate by using their target language with global players. This qualitative research based on ethnography and action research investigates the students’ experiences of language learning and performing while they play in the MMORPGs. Research was conducted in both the real and virtual worlds. In the real world the researcher observes the interaction with the MMORPGs by the students through actual discussion, and screen video captures while they are playing. In the virtual world, the researcher takes on the role of a character in the MMORPG enabling the researcher to get an inside point of view of the students and their own MMORPG characters. This latter approach also uses action research to allow the researcher to provide anonymous/private support to the students including in-game instruction, confidence building, and some support of language issues in a safe and friendly way. Using action research with MMORPGs in the real world facilitates a number of opportunities for learning and teaching including opportunities to practice language and individual and group experiences of communicating with other native/ second language speakers for the students. The researcher can also develop tutorial exercises and discussion for teaching plans based on the students’ experiences with the MMORPGs. The results from this research study demonstrate that MMORPGs offer a safe, fun, informal and effective learning space for supporting language teaching. Furthermore the use of MMORPGs help the students’ confidence in using their second language and provide additional benefits such as a better understanding of the culture and use of language in different contexts

Modification of Low Density Lipoprotein and the Effects of Modified Low Density Lipoproteins on the Endocytic and Secretory Repertoire of the Macrophage

This study examines two aspects of the complex interaction between modified low density lipoprotein (LDL) and macrophages in the initiation and development of the atherosclerotic lesion. The first of these concerns the observed biological modification of LDL that leads to its subsequent enhanced uptake by macrophages, and the role of oxidation in that process. The second aspect of this thesis studies the effects of modified LDL on the functions of macrophages. Studies on the oxidation of LDL showed that LDL isolated from human plasma anticoagulated with EDTA (EDTA-LDL) was 4-fold more resistant to oxidation by reagent H2O2, as measured by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay, than LDL prepared from plasma anticoagulated with citrate (CDP-LDL). The LDLsrequired 1-3 mM H2O2 for maximal oxidation by this assay, and ED50s were 1.7 x 10-3 M for EDTA-LDL and 4.5 x 10-4 M for CDP-LDL. Oxidation was enhanced 2.3-fold by Cu2+ ions. Rabbit endothelial cell line monolayers released three orders of magnitude less H2O2 than was required to oxidize LDL and failed to induce TBA reactivity in either EDTA-LDL or CDP-LDL after a 24-hour coincubation. However, this LDL was subsequently degraded by mouse macrophages more rapidly than untreated LDL. Freshly isolated human monocytes (2 x 106 cells per ml), with or without phorbol myristate acetate (100 ng/ml) to trigger the respiratory burst, did not oxidize LDL in the TBA assay, despite producing large amounts of reactive oxygen intermediates. EDTA-LDL, CDP-LDL, and acetoacetylated LDL failed to trigger H2O2 release from human monocytes or macrophages. These results separate oxidation of LDL as measured by TBA assay from the modification of LDL by a rabbit aortic endothelial cell line that leads to its subsequent enhanced degradation by macrophages. Mouse peritoneal macrophages were lipid-loaded by three regimens modeling loading through the scavenger receptor (Ac-LDL cells), by extracellular matrix-bound LDL (DS-LDL cells), and conditions of reduced cholesterol acceptors in the medium (LS/01 cells). Increased cholesterol levels in all three regimens were measured by cholesterol determination, Oil Red 0 staining of fixed cells, and extraction of Oil Red 0 from cells and determination of OD530. Lipid-laden cells were equal to control macrophages in binding and ingesting immunoglobulin-coated sheep erythrocytes, reflecting Fc-mediated endocytosis. Cellular proteins appeared largely unchanged, but alterations in the secreted protein profile were observed by metabolic labeling with 35s-methionine. DS-LDL loaded cells and LS/01 loaded cells showed increases in a 68 kD protein, and decreases in apo E secretion. Ac-LDL loaded cells showed significant enhancement in apo E secretion. The lipid-laden cells were compared to control cells for three secretory functions of macrophages that could be important in the atherosclerotic plaque. They were still capable of producing all secretory products examined, but the quantities of H2O2 and arachidonic acid metabolites are reduced in some cases, and plasminogen activator appeared to be increased. However, we have lipid-loaded the cells for only two days, and foam cells in vivo may be exposed to these conditions for months or years. The different loading regimens result in different changes, which we have separated, but in vivo the cells would be exposed to a complex mixture of native and biologically modified LDL, and LDL complexed glcosaminoglycans and with proteins of the extracellular matrix. It is premature to predict what changes in the macrophage\u27s large repertoire would occur in vivo

National Party Politics and Supranational Politics in the European Union: New Evidence from the European Parliament

Political parties play an important role in structuring political competition at different levels of governance in the European Union (EU). The political parties that contest national elections also participate in the EU legislative institutions, with the governing parties at the national level participating in the Council of Ministers and a broad range of national parties represented in the European Parliament (EP). Recent research indicates that national parties in the EP have formed ideological coalitions -- party groups -- that represent transnational political interests. These party groups appear to manage legislative behavior such that national interests -- which dominate the Council of Ministers -- are subjugated to ideological conflict. In this paper, we demonstrate that the roll-call vote evidence for the impact of party groups in the EP is misleading. Because party groups have incentives to select votes for roll call so as to hide or feature particular voting patterns, the true character of political conflict is never revealed in roll calls.

Variation in small sapling density, understory cover, and resource availability in four neotropical forests

Even though many forest plants spend all or a significant portion of their lives in the forest understoty, few studies have compared understory composition, structure, and resource availability among forests. We used standardized transect-based methods to compare small sapling densities (10-50 cm tall), understory vegetation cover, canopy openness, and nutrient availability in non-gap portions of four lowland Neotropical forests: La Selva, Costa Rica (LS), Barro Colorado Island, Panama (BCI), Cocha Cashu, Peru (CC), and north of Manaus, Brazil (KM41). Sites differed significantly in all variables except canopy openness. LS had high palm and non-fern herb cover and low density of small saplings (0.7-1.6/m2) compared to other sites. CC had high fern cover, whereas BCI had low cover in all categories of understory vegetation (palms, ferns, and non-fern herbaceous plants). BCI, CC, and KM41 had similar small sapling densities, ranging from 4.8-7.5/m 2. Within each forest, cation (Ca, Mg, K, and Na) availability was usually higher on more fertile soil orders (Inceptisols, Alfisols, and Entisols) than on more weathered soil types (Ultisols and Oxisols). Extractable P was highest at LS and CC and lowest on BCI (no data for KM41). Spatial autocorrelation was present for some variables in some transects to distances beyond our detection ability (\u3e25 m). Understory palm cover was negatively correlated with small sapling density at fine (1 m2 quadrat) and coarse spatial scales (among forests), although across forests the effect of palms was due entirely to the difference between LS and the other three forests. These results provide cross-site support for the hypothesis that understory cover by palms decreases the density of small saplings that comprise the advance regeneration of the forest

Seven ways a warming climate can kill the southern boreal forest

The southern boreal forests of North America are susceptible to large changes in composition as temperate forests or grasslands may replace them as the climate warms. A number of mechanisms for this have been shown to occur in recent years: (1) Gradual replacement of boreal trees by temperate trees through gap dynamics; (2) Sudden replacement of boreal overstory trees after gradual understory invasion by temperate tree species; (3) Trophic cascades causing delayed invasion by temperate species, followed by moderately sudden change from boreal to temperate forest; (4) Wind and/or hail storms removing large swaths of boreal forest and suddenly releasing temperate understory trees; (4) Compound disturbances: wind and fire combination; (5) Long, warm summers and increased drought stress; (6) Insect infestation due to lack of extreme winter cold; (7) Phenological disturbance, due to early springs, that has the potential to kill enormous swaths of coniferous boreal forest within a few years. Although most models project gradual change from boreal forest to temperate forest or savanna, most of these mechanisms have the capability to transform large swaths (size range tens to millions of square kilometers) of boreal forest to other vegetation types during the 21st century. Therefore, many surprises are likely to occur in the southern boreal forest over the next century, with major impacts on forest productivity, ecosystem services, and wildlife habitat