4,242 research outputs found
Wiki-based Collaborative Learning Experience in a Foreign Language Blended Course
The article emphasizes the educational potential of wikis for learning foreign languages. It focuses on studentsâ collaboration based on integration of different types of activities within a highly motivating blended learning environment where learners can interact and share their ideas. The study aims to understand if wikis could enhance online collaboration and positively affect studentsâ attitudes to group work. It tries to explore the level of participation and contribution of students in wiki-based activities, as well as their attitude to this type of online collaboration
Adaptation of eye and hand movements to target displacements of different size
Previous work has documented that the direction of eye and hand movements can be adaptively modified using the double-step paradigm. Here we report that both motor systems adapt not only to small direction steps (5° gaze angle) but also to large ones (28° gaze angle). However, the magnitude of adaptation did not increase with step size, and the relative magnitude of adaptation therefore decreased from 67% with small steps to 15% with large steps. This decreasing efficiency of adaptation may reflect the participation of directionally selective neural circuits in double-step adaptation
Baryon Stopping and Charged Particle Distributions in Central Pb+Pb Collisions at 158 GeV per Nucleon
Net proton and negative hadron spectra for central \PbPb collisions at 158
GeV per nucleon at the CERN SPS were measured and compared to spectra from
lighter systems. Net baryon distributions were derived from those of net
protons, utilizing model calculations of isospin contributions as well as data
and model calculations of strange baryon distributions. Stopping (rapidity
shift with respect to the beam) and mean transverse momentum \meanpt of net
baryons increase with system size. The rapidity density of negative hadrons
scales with the number of participant nucleons for nuclear collisions, whereas
their \meanpt is independent of system size. The \meanpt dependence upon
particle mass and system size is consistent with larger transverse flow
velocity at midrapidity for \PbPb compared to \SS central collisions.Comment: This version accepted for publication in PRL. 4 pages, 3 figures.
Typos corrected, some paragraphs expanded in response to referee comments, to
better explain details of analysi
The Many Faces of Fear: Comparing the Pathways and Impacts of Nonconsumptive Predator Effects on Prey Populations
Background: Most ecological models assume that predator and prey populations interact solely through consumption: predators reduce prey densities by killing and consuming individual prey. However, predators can also reduce prey densities by forcing prey to adopt costly defensive strategies. Methodology/Principal Findings: We build on a simple Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model to provide a heuristic tool for distinguishing between the demographic effects of consumption (consumptive effects) and of anti-predator defenses (nonconsumptive effects), and for distinguishing among the multiple mechanisms by which anti-predator defenses might reduce prey population growth rates. We illustrate these alternative pathways for nonconsumptive effects with selected empirical examples, and use a meta-analysis of published literature to estimate the mean effect size of each pathway. Overall, predation risk tends to have a much larger impact on prey foraging behavior than measures of growth, survivorship, or fecundity. Conclusions/Significance: While our model provides a concise framework for understanding the many potential NCE pathways and their relationships to each other, our results confirm empirical research showing that prey are able to partially compensate for changes in energy income, mitigating the fitness effects of defensive changes in time budgets. Distinguishing the many facets of nonconsumptive effects raises some novel questions, and will help guide both empirica
Strangeness from 20 AGeV to 158 AGeV
New results from the energy scan programme of NA49, in particular kaon
production at 30 AGeV and phi production at 40 and 80 AGeV are presented. The
K+/pi+ ratio shows a pronounced maximum at 30 AGeV; the kaon slope parameters
are constant at SPS energies. Both findings support the scenario of a phase
transition at about 30 AGeV beam energy. The phi/pi ratio increases smoothly
with beam energy, showing an energy dependence similar to K-/pi-. The measured
particle yields can be reproduced by a hadron gas model, with chemical
freeze-out parameters on a smooth curve in the T-muB plane. The transverse
spectra can be understood as resulting from a rapidly expanding, locally
equilibrated source. No evidence for an earlier kinetic decoupling of heavy
hyperons is found.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of "Strangeness in Quark Matter 2003"
(March 2003, Atlantic Beach NC, USA), to be published in Journal of Physics
G. 11 pages, 14 figure
Randomized controlled phase I/II study to investigate immune stimulatory effects by low dose radiotherapy in primarily operable pancreatic cancer
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The efficiencies of T cell based immunotherapies are affected by insufficient migration and activation of tumor specific effector T cells in the tumor. Accumulating evidence exists on the ability of ionizing radiation to modify the tumor microenvironment and generate inflammation. The aim of this phase I/II clinical trial is to evaluate whether low dose single fraction radiotherapy can improve T cell associated antitumor immune response in patients with pancreatic cancer.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This trial has been designed as an investigator initiated; prospective randomised, 4-armed, controlled Phase I/II trial. Patients who are candidates for resection of pancreatic cancer will be randomized into 4 arms. A total of 40 patients will be enrolled. The patients receive 0 Gy, 0.5 Gy, 2 Gy or 5 Gy radiation precisely targeted to their pancreatic carcinoma. Radiation will be delivered by external beam radiotherapy using a 6 MV Linac with IMRT technique 48 h prior to the surgical resection. The primary objective is the determination of an active local external beam radiation dose, leading to tumor infiltrating T cells as a surrogate parameter for antitumor activity. Secondary objectives include local tumor control and recurrence patterns, survival, radiogenic treatment toxicity and postoperative morbidity and mortality, as well as quality of life. Further, frequencies of tumor reactive T cells in blood and bone marrow as well as whole blood cell transcriptomics and plasma-proteomics will be correlated with clinical outcome. An interim analysis will be performed after the enrolment of 20 patients for safety reasons. The evaluation of the primary endpoint will start four weeks after the last patient's enrolment.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will answer the question whether a low dose radiotherapy localized to the pancreatic tumor only can increase the number of tumor infiltrating T cells and thus potentially enhance the antitumor immune response. The study will also investigate the prognostic and predictive value of radiation-induced T cell activity along with transcriptomic and proteomic data with respect to clinical outcome.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov - <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01027221">NCT01027221</a></p
Search for Heavy Isosinglet Neutrino in e+e- Annihilation at LEP
We report on a search for the first generation heavy neutrino that is an
isosinglet under the standard SU(2)_L gauge group. The data collected with the
L3 detector at center-of-mass energies between 130 GeV and 208 GeV are used.The
decay channel N_e --> eW is investigated and no evidence is found for a heavy
neutrino, N_e, in a mass range between 80 GeV and 205 GeV. Upper limits on the
mixing parameter between the heavy and light neutrino are derived
Study of Z Boson Pair Production in e^+e^- Interactions at \sqrt{s}=192 - 202 GeV
The cross section for the production of Z boson pairs is measured using the
data collected by the L3 detector at LEP in 1999 in e^+e^- collisions at
centre-of-mass energies ranging from 192 GeV up to 202 GeV. Events in all the
visible final states are selected, measuring the cross section of this process.
The special case of final states containing b quarks is also investigated. All
results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions
Search for Doubly-Charged Higgs Boson Production at HERA
A search for the single production of doubly-charged Higgs bosons H^{\pm \pm}
in ep collisions is presented. The signal is searched for via the Higgs decays
into a high mass pair of same charge leptons, one of them being an electron.
The analysis uses up to 118 pb^{-1} of ep data collected by the H1 experiment
at HERA. No evidence for doubly-charged Higgs production is observed and mass
dependent upper limits are derived on the Yukawa couplings h_{el} of the Higgs
boson to an electron-lepton pair. Assuming that the doubly-charged Higgs only
decays into an electron and a muon via a coupling of electromagnetic strength
h_{e \mu} = \sqrt{4 \pi \alpha_{em}} = 0.3, a lower limit of 141 GeV on the
H^{\pm\pm} mass is obtained at the 95% confidence level. For a doubly-charged
Higgs decaying only into an electron and a tau and a coupling h_{e\tau} = 0.3,
masses below 112 GeV are ruled out.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV
A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay
channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7
TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector,
and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No
significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper
limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the
standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at
95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE
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