The Effects of Flow on Learning Outcomes in an Online Information Management Cou

As online courses and programs expand in business schools, it becomes increasingly important to understand the link between students\u27 experiences in these courses and learning outcomes. The study reported here investigates the relationship between students\u27 experiences of flow, a psychological state generally associated with improved task performance, and learning outcomes in an online information management course taught in an MBA program. Four learning outcomes (objective learning performance, perceived learning of the subject matter, perceived skill development, and student satisfaction) are predicted to be affected by an overall flow score, four dimensions of flow, and three characteristics of flow activities. Support is found for a relationship between flow and students\u27 perceived learning of the subject matter, students\u27 perceived skill development, and student satisfaction. The findings of the study have implications for the design and instruction of online courses offered in business schools

History Dependent Phenomena in the Transverse Ising Ferroglass: the Free Energy Landscape

In this paper we investigate the relationship between glassy and ferromagnetic phases in disordered Ising ferromagnets in the presence of transverse magnetic fields, $\Gamma$. Iterative mean field simulations probe the free energy landscape and suggest the existence of a glass transition as a function of $\Gamma$ which is distinct from the Curie temperature. New experimental field-cooled and zero-field-cooled data on LiHo$_x$Y$_{1-x}$F$_4$ provide support for our theoretical picture.Comment: 4 pages RevTex; 5 figure

Bundap Marram Durn Durn: Engagement with Aboriginal women experiencing comorbid chronic physical and mental health conditions

OBJECTIVE: To explore antecedents of health service engagement and experience among urban Aboriginal people with comorbid physical and mental health conditions. METHODS: Focus groups and interviews were conducted with Aboriginal people who had comorbid health conditions and were accessing Aboriginal and/or mainstream services. RESULTS: Nineteen participants, all women, were recruited. Participants' personal histories and prior experience of health services affected effective service utilisation. Participants' service experiences were characterised by long waiting times in the public health system and high healthcare staff turnover. Trusted professionals were able to act as brokers to other clinically and culturally competent practitioners. CONCLUSIONS: Many urban Aboriginal women attended health services with multiple comorbid conditions including chronic disease and mental health issues. Several barriers and enablers were identified concerning the capacity of services to engage and effectively manage Aboriginal patients' condition

Mathematical modeling of cell population dynamics in the colonic crypt and in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is initiated in colonic crypts. A succession of genetic mutations or epigenetic changes can lead to homeostasis in the crypt being overcome, and subsequent unbounded growth. We consider the dynamics of a single colorectal crypt by using a compartmental approach [Tomlinson IPM, Bodmer WF (1995) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 92: 11130-11134], which accounts for populations of stem cells, differential cells, and transit cells. That original model made the simplifying assumptions that each cell popuation divides synchronously, but we relax these assumptions by adopting an age-structured approach that models asynchronous cell division, and by using a continuum model. We discuss two mechanims that could regulate the growth of cell numbers and maintain the equilibrium that is normally observed in the crypt. The first will always maintain an equilibrium for all parameter values, whereas the second can allow unbounded proliferation if the net per capita growth rates are large enough. Results show that an increase in cell renewal, which is equivalent to a failure of programmed cell death or of differentiation, can lead to the growth of cancers. The second model can be used to explain the long lag phases in tumor growth, during which news, higher equilibria are reached, before unlimited growth in cell number ensues

Analyse de la prise en charge du nouveau-né dans le cadre de la stratégie nationale de subvention des accouchements et des soins obstétricaux et néonatals d’urgence au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle, Ouagadougou (Burkina Fa

Introduction: il s'agit d'analyser la prise en charge du nouveau-né dans le cadre de la stratégie na-tionale de subvention des accouchements etdes soins obstétricaux et néonatals d'urgence mis en place par le  gouvernement du Burkina Faso en 2006. Méthodes: nous avons menée une étude à visée descriptive et analytique comportant un volet  ré-trospectif du 01 janvier 2006 au 31 décembre 2010 portant sur les paramètres épidémiologiques, cliniques des nouveau-nés hospitalisés et un volet prospectif du 3 octobre 2011 au 29 février 2012 par une entrevue des accompagnateurs des nouveau-nés et des prestataires des services de santé. Résultats: les hospitalisations ont augmenté de 43,65% entre 2006à 2010 Le taux de mortalité néo-natale hospitalière qui était de 11,04% a connu une réduction moyenne annuelle de 3,95%. L'entrevue a porté sur 110 accompagnateurs et 76 prestataires. La majorité des prestataires (97,44%) et des ac-compagnateurs (88,18%) étaient informés de la  stratégie mais n'avait pas une connaissance exacte de sa définition. Les prestataires (94,74%) ont signalé des ruptures de médicaments,   consommables médicaux et des pannes d' appareils de laboratoire et  d'imagerie. Parmi les accompagnateurs (89%) disaient être satisfaits desservices offerts et (72,89%) trouvaient les coûts abordables mais   évoquaient les difficultés du transport. Conclusion : La subvention a amélioré la prise en charge du nou-veau-né mais son optimisation  nécessiterait une meilleur information et implication de tous les acteurs

Modularization of multi-qubit controlled phase gate and its NMR implementation

Quantum circuit network is a set of circuits that implements a certain computation task. Being at the center of the quantum circuit network, the multi-qubit controlled phase shift is one of the most important quantum gates. In this paper, we apply the method of modular structuring in classical computer architecture to quantum computer and give a recursive realization of the multi-qubit phase gate. This realization of the controlled phase shift gate is convenient in realizing certain quantum algorithms. We have experimentally implemented this modularized multi-qubit controlled phase gate in a three qubit nuclear magnetic resonance quantum system. The network is demonstrated experimentally using line selective pulses in nuclear magnetic resonance technique. The procedure has the advantage of being simple and easy to implement.Comment: to appear in Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optic

Characterizing normal crossing hypersurfaces

The objective of this article is to give an effective algebraic characterization of normal crossing hypersurfaces in complex manifolds. It is shown that a hypersurface has normal crossings if and only if it is a free divisor, has a radical Jacobian ideal and a smooth normalization. Using K. Saito's theory of free divisors, also a characterization in terms of logarithmic differential forms and vector fields is found and and finally another one in terms of the logarithmic residue using recent results of M. Granger and M. Schulze.Comment: v2: typos fixed, final version to appear in Math. Ann.; 24 pages, 2 figure

Improved identification of abdominal aortic aneurysm using the Kernelized Expectation Maximization algorithm

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) monitoring and risk of rupture is currently assumed to be correlated with the aneurysm diameter. Aneurysm growth, however, has been demonstrated to be unpredictable. Using PET to measure uptake of [18F]-NaF in calcified lesions of the abdominal aorta has been shown to be useful for identifying AAA and to predict its growth. The PET low spatial resolution, however, can affect the accuracy of the diagnosis. Advanced edge-preserving reconstruction algorithms can overcome this issue. The kernel method has been demonstrated to provide noise suppression while retaining emission and edge information. Nevertheless, these findings were obtained using simulations, phantoms and a limited amount of patient data. In this study, the authors aim to investigate the usefulness of the anatomically guided kernelized expectation maximization (KEM) and the hybrid KEM (HKEM) methods and to judge the statistical significance of the related improvements. Sixty-one datasets of patients with AAA and 11 from control patients were reconstructed with ordered subsets expectation maximization (OSEM), HKEM and KEM and the analysis was carried out using the target-to-blood-pool ratio, and a series of statistical tests. The results show that all algorithms have similar diagnostic power, but HKEM and KEM can significantly recover uptake of lesions and improve the accuracy of the diagnosis by up to 22% compared to OSEM. The same improvements are likely to be obtained in clinical applications based on the quantification of small lesions, like for example cancer

Spectral Classification; Old and Contemporary

Beginning with a historical account of the spectral classification, its refinement through additional criteria is presented. The line strengths and ratios used in two dimensional classifications of each spectral class are described. A parallel classification scheme for metal-poor stars and the standards used for classification are presented. The extension of spectral classification beyond M to L and T and spectroscopic classification criteria relevant to these classes are described. Contemporary methods of classifications based upon different automated approaches are introduced.Comment: To be published in "Principles and Perspectives in Cosmochemistry" Lecture Notes on Kodai School on Synthesis of Elements in Stars: Ed Aruna Goswami & Eswar Reddy, Springer Verlag, 2009, 17 pages, 10 figure