1,763 research outputs found
Cosmological Evolution of Heavy Element and Molecular Hydrogen Abundances
Spectroscopic observations of distant quasars have resulted in the detection
of molecular hydrogen in intervening damped Lyman-alpha absorption clouds
(DLAs). We use observations compiled from different experimental groups to show
that the molecular hydrogen abundance exhibits a dramatic increase over a
cosmological time period corresponding to 13% to 24% of the age of the
universe. We also tentatively show that the heavy element abundances in the
same gas clouds exhibit a faster and more well-defined cosmological evolution
compared to the general DLA population over the same time baseline. We argue
that this latter point is unsurprising, because the general DLA population
arises in a wide variety of galaxy types and environments, and thus a spans
broad range of ISM gas-phases and abundances at the same cosmic time. DLAs
exhibiting H2 absorption may therefore circumvent this problem, efficiently
identifying a narrower class of objects, and provide a more sensitive probe of
cosmological chemical evolution.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Accepted by MNRAS Letters. v2: Added table
summarizing H2-bearing DLA properties, added figure showing [Fe/H] vs.
redshift, added more discussio
Experiments in terabyte searching, genomic retrieval and novelty detection for TREC 2004
In TREC2004, Dublin City University took part in three tracks, Terabyte (in collaboration with University College Dublin), Genomic and Novelty. In this paper we will discuss each track separately and present separate conclusions from this work. In addition, we present a general description of a text retrieval engine that we have developed in the last year to support our experiments into large scale, distributed information retrieval, which underlies all of the track experiments described in this document
Learning to teach (LETS): developing curricular and cross curricular competences in becoming a 'good' secondary teacher: executive summary
The aim of this research, the Learning to Teach Study (LETS), the first of its kind on
the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in Ireland, funded by the Department
of Education and Skills (DES), was to develop and implement a study of initial
teacher education in the PGDE in post-primary education, in the School of
Education, University College Cork. Its aim was to identify the individual and
contextual dynamics of how student teachers develop curricular and cross-curricular
competences during initial teacher education (ITE). Within an overall framework that
explores how student teachers develop their skills, competences and identity as
teachers, it focuses on curricular competences in mathematics, science and
language teaching, and on the cross-curricular competences of reading and digital
literacy and the development of inclusive teaching practices. LETS is the first
programme level research on the PGDE, familiarly known to generations of student
teachers and teachers as ‘the Dip’ or ‘the HDip’.
Drawing on research on teacher education both in Ireland and internationally, the
LETS report is divided into six sections encompassing thirteen chapters. Section 1
includes the review of literature and study aims in Chapter 1 and the research
methodology in Chapter 2. Adopting an interpretive approach, LETS involved the
collaborative development of three interviews protocols and a survey by the research
team. Seventeen (n=17) students were interviewed three times over the course of
PGDE programme, and one hundred and thirty three students completed a detailed
survey on their learning to teach experience (n=133, i.e. response rate of 62.7% of
the 212 students in the PGDE 2008/09 cohort). The four chapters in Section 2 focus
on professional identity as a central dimension of learning to teach. Among the
dimensions of learning to teach addressed in this section are the role of observation
and cultural scripts in becoming a teacher, the visibility/invisibility of PGDE students
as learners and the relationships between emotions, resilience and commitment to
teaching. The three chapters in Section 3 focus on mathematics, modern languages
and science respectively in the context of conventional and reform-oriented visions of
good teaching. A number of common as well as subject-specific themes emerged in
this section in relation to subject matter teaching. Section 4 focuses on PGDE
students’ experience of inclusion (chapter 10) and reading literacy (chapter 11) while
learning to teach. Section 5 focuses on a key aspect of initial teacher education,
namely, the school-university partnership. The final section provides a summary of
the findings, identifies seven key issues emerging from these findings, makes
Learning to Teach Study (LETS)
recommendations under four headings (system, teacher education institutions,
partnerships in ITE and further research) and discusses some implications for
research, policy and practice in initial teacher education.
Among the main findings emerging from the study are: (i) schools provide valuable
support for PGDE students but this typically does not focus on classroom pedagogy,
(ii) PGDE students typically felt that they had to be ‘invisible’ as learners in schools to
gain and maintain authority and status, (iii) inherited cultural scripts about what it
means to be a ‘good’ subject teacher shaped teacher identity and classroom
practice, and (iv) as PGDE students begin to feel competent as teachers of maths,
modern languages and science, this feeling of competence typically does not include
their capacity to teach for inclusion and reading literacy within their subject teaching.
In the context of research on teacher education, many of the findings are not unique
to the PGDE or to UCC but reflect perennial dilemmas and emerging challenges in
initial teacher education. This fact is important in setting a context for the wider
dissemination2 of the Learning to Teach Study
Complementary network-based approaches for exploring genetic structure and functional connectivity in two vulnerable, endemic ground squirrels
The persistence of small populations is influenced by genetic structure and functional connectivity. We used two network-based approaches to understand the persistence of the northern Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) and the southern Idaho ground squirrel (U. endemicus), two congeners of conservation concern. These graph theoretic approaches are conventionally applied to social or transportation networks, but here are used to study population persistence and connectivity. Population graph analyses revealed that local extinction rapidly reduced connectivity for the southern species, while connectivity for the northern species could be maintained following local extinction. Results from gravity models complemented those of population graph analyses, and indicated that potential vegetation productivity and topography drove connectivity in the northern species. For the southern species, development (roads) and small-scale topography reduced connectivity, while greater potential vegetation productivity increased connectivity. Taken together, the results of the two network-based methods (population graph analyses and gravity models) suggest the need for increased conservation action for the southern species, and that management efforts have been effective at maintaining habitat quality throughout the current range of the northern species. To prevent further declines, we encourage the continuation of management efforts for the northern species, whereas conservation of the southern species requires active management and additional measures to curtail habitat fragmentation. Our combination of population graph analyses and gravity models can inform conservation strategies of other species exhibiting patchy distributions
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Immunity to the Melanoma Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein (ML-IAP; livin) in Patients with Malignant Melanoma
Therapeutic targeting of melanoma antigens frequently focuses on the melanocyte differentiation or cancer-testis families. Antigen-loss variants can often result, as these antigens are not critical for tumor cell survival. Exploration of functionally relevant targets has been limited. The melanoma inhibitor of apoptosis protein (ML-IAP; livin) is overexpressed in melanoma, contributing to disease progression and treatment resistance. Improved understanding of the significance of ML-IAP immune responses in patients has possible therapeutic applications. We found ML-IAP frequently expressed in melanoma metastases by immunohistochemistry. To assess spontaneous immunity to ML-IAP, an overlapping peptide library representing full-length protein was utilized to screen cellular responses in stage I–IV patients and healthy controls by ELISPOT. A broad array of and cellular responses against ML-IAP was observed with novel class I and class II epitopes identified. Specific HLA-A*0201 epitopes were analyzed further for frequency of reactivity. The generation of specific and cytotoxic T cells revealed potent functional capability including cytokine responsiveness to melanoma cell lines and tumor cell killing. In addition, recombinant ML-IAP protein used in an ELISA demonstrated high titer antibody responses in a subset of patients. Several melanoma patients who received CTLA-4 blockade with ipilimumab developed augmented humoral immune responses to ML-IAP as a function of treatment which was associated with beneficial clinical outcomes. High frequency immune responses in melanoma patients, associations with favorable treatment outcomes, and its essential role in melanoma pathogenesis support the development of ML-IAP as a disease marker and therapeutic target
Relationships between affiliative social behavior and hair cortisol concentrations in semi-free ranging rhesus monkeys
Sociality is a fundamental aspect of human behavior and health. One benefit of affiliative social relationships is reduced short-term levels of glucocorticoids (GCs), which are indicative of physiological stress. Less is known, however, about chronic GC production in relation to affiliative social behavior. To address this issue, we studied a semi-free ranging troop of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and collected hair samples to measure hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs), as a measure of chronic GC production, during routine biannual exams. We collected social behavior (both aggressive and affiliative) and hair samples for 32 adult female rhesus macaques over one year (Experiment 1). Our results indicated that adult females who initiated higher levels of social affiliation had significantly lower levels of HCCs. Neither the initiation nor the receipt of aggression were significantly related to HCCs in this study. In a second experiment we studied 28 mother-infant dyads for the first 90 days postpartum to examine mother-infant facial interactions (i.e. mutual gazing). We analyzed HCCs during weaning approximately one year later, which is a major transitional period. We found that infants that engaged in higher levels of mutual gazing in the first 90 days postpartum had significantly lower levels of HCCs during weaning. Finally, we studied 17 infant rhesus macaques (13 males) to examine whether social behavior (such as play) in the first five months of life correlated with infant HCCs over those months (Experiment 3). We found that infant males that engaged in more social play had significantly lower levels of HCCs. By relying on an animal model, our study shows that affiliative social traits are associated with lower long-term GC production. Future research should address the complex interactions between social behavior, chronic GC production, and mental and physical health
Justifying the constitutional regulation of political parties : a framework for analysis
What are the main reasons behind the regulation of political parties by contemporary constitutional practices? This article presents a framework for analysis which identifies types of justifications and actors involved in the process of regulation and their further influence on the outcomes of constitutionalization. The empirical focus is on the revelatory case of Luxembourg, which amended the constitution for the sole reason of giving parties constitutional status. The analysis suggests that the constitutional regulation of political parties depends on their current interests and power status. Additionally, the paper draws attention to the involvement of external actors and nevertheless to the changing nature of contemporary constitutionalism
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