ONLINE LEARNING CHALLENGES: NEED FOR EVOLVING MODELS

This paper proposes that online learning theory can be enhanced by looking at research outside of education.Models such as the Community of Inquiry and the Transactional Distance Theoretical Model provide a utility toward structuring, conceptualizing, understanding, and analyzing online education. The ongoing research based on these models continues to explore and recommend as practice that the instructor holds "the keys" as to how the online learning environment will be formulated, shaped, and conducted. The assertion from this perspective continues that instructors through proper or improper structuring, guidance, and/or facilitation and design of their online learning environments may or may not be successful in their teaching. Research outside of education explores implications for online education from a biological and human behavior perspective, which includes analysis of innate brain wiring and emergent research regarding student emotional responses. If we think in terms of the online learning context and the apparent innate desire by all while learning to "connect" to one another, mirroring neurons and the advancement of their understanding could and should be monitored closely as more information and evidence emerges that may have valuable revelations about improving learning and learning outcomes within asynchronous learning environments. "Setting up" the space for learning is not enough for an online educator to understand. Having insight into one's own and others' personal relational dynamics and group dynamics is critical in facilitating online learning environments. Understanding the psyche of individuals and having the ability to intuit human behavior is equally important

ONLINE LEARNING CHALLENGES: NEED FOR EVOLVING MODELS

This paper proposes that online learning theory can be enhanced by looking at research outside of education.Models such as the Community of Inquiry and the Transactional Distance Theoretical Model provide a utility toward structuring, conceptualizing, understanding, and analyzing online education. The ongoing research based on these models continues to explore and recommend as practice that the instructor holds "the keys" as to how the online learning environment will be formulated, shaped, and conducted. The assertion from this perspective continues that instructors through proper or improper structuring, guidance, and/or facilitation and design of their online learning environments may or may not be successful in their teaching. Research outside of education explores implications for online education from a biological and human behavior perspective, which includes analysis of innate brain wiring and emergent research regarding student emotional responses. If we think in terms of the online learning context and the apparent innate desire by all while learning to "connect" to one another, mirroring neurons and the advancement of their understanding could and should be monitored closely as more information and evidence emerges that may have valuable revelations about improving learning and learning outcomes within asynchronous learning environments. "Setting up" the space for learning is not enough for an online educator to understand. Having insight into one's own and others' personal relational dynamics and group dynamics is critical in facilitating online learning environments. Understanding the psyche of individuals and having the ability to intuit human behavior is equally important

Self-organising management of Grid environments

This paper presents basic concepts, architectural principles and algorithms for efficient resource and security management in cluster computing environments and the Grid. The work presented in this paper is funded by BTExacT and the EPSRC project SO-GRM (GR/S21939)

Risk factor control and adherence to treatment in patients with coronary heart disease in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005–2006

Introduction: European treatment guidelines in persons with known coronary heart disease (CHD) focus on adherence to antiplatelet therapy, beta-blockers, ACE/ARBs, and lipid-lowering agents, with goals for blood pressure (BP) of < 140/90 mm Hg and LDL cholesterol of < 3.0 mmol/l. Data on adherence to these measures in Eastern Europe are limited. Material and methods: The Third Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Coronary Prevention Study (ROSCOPS III) was conducted in 2005-2006 at 10 primary heath care centres in 601 patients (36% female, mean age 55 years) with CHD including acute myocardial infarction or ischaemia, coronary artery bypass graft, or angioplasty who were examined and interviewed at least 6 months after the event. We examined the proportion of subjects on recommended treatments and at goal for BP, LDL-C, and non-smoking. Results: The proportion of subjects on recommended treatments included 61% for beta-blockers, 79% for ACE/ARBs, 63% for lipid-lowering agents and 74% for antiplatelet therapy. Only 30% of subjects were on all four of these treatments. 59% of subjects had BP at goal of < 140/90 mm Hg and 33% were controlled to < 130/80 mm Hg, 41% for LDL-C, and 88% were non-smokers. Improvements were seen in lipid-lowering and ACE/ARB drug use and non-smoking status from an earlier survey (ROSCOPS II) in 2002-2003. Conclusions: Our data show, despite improvement over recent years, that many persons with CHD in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina are neither on recommended treatments nor at target for BP and/or LDL-C. Improved efforts targeted at both physicians and patients to address these issues are needed

Treatment of port wastes according to the paradigm of the circular economy

The problem of the presence of waste in the marine environment has recently taken on the dimensions of a complex and global challenge. In an effort to reduce both the economic and environmental costs of managing port waste, many ports are looking for sustainable solutions for marine waste management. Plasma-assisted gasification (PAG) is an innovative combination of two technologies, namely plasma treatment and gasification, which can be used to efficiently convert carbon-containing wastes to a clean syngas (H2 + CO). The latter can be used to generate electricity directly in gas engines, dual-fuel generators, gas turbines or fuel cells. PAG provides several key benefits which allow removing all the environmental, regulatory and commercial risks typically associated with the potential eco-toxicity of leachable bottom ash produced by incinerators or other thermal processes. PAG does not produce any waste (zero waste), reduces the need for landfilling of waste, and produces a high-value construction material (Plasmarok) which is recognized as a product. All these reasons make PAG a technology capable of optimally solving waste management in ports in line with a circular economy logic. This study is based upon the IMPATTI-NO Project (Interreg IT-FR Maritime Program 2014–2020) which implements several laboratory applications aimed at the chemical-physical treatment of the non-recyclable waste containing plastics deriving from the collection of beached waste and wastes collected by fishermen’s trawls and passenger ships. To demonstrate the effectiveness of PAG for the treatment of port waste, IMPATTI-NO performs experimental tests that simulate PAG pilot plants using artificial samples representative of port waste. This paper describes the research path developed so far and the preparatory elements that led to the definition of specifications for the sampling and collection of port waste

Early growth response gene-2 (Egr-2) regulates the development of B and T cells

The study was supported by Arthritis Research UK. Copyright @ 2011 Li et al.BACKGROUND: Understanding of how transcription factors are involved in lymphocyte development still remains a challenge. It has been shown that Egr-2 deficiency results in impaired NKT cell development and defective positive selection of T cells. Here we investigated the development of T, B and NKT cells in Egr-2 transgenic mice and the roles in the regulation of distinct stages of B and T cell development. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The expression of Egr1, 2 and 3 were analysed at different stages of T and B cell development by RT-PCT and results showed that the expression was strictly regulated at different stages. Forced expression of Egr-2 in CD2+ lymphocytes resulted in a severe reduction of CD4+CD8+ (DP) cells in thymus and pro-B cells in bone marrow, which was associated with reduced expression of Notch1 in ISP thymocytes and Pax5 in pro-B cells, suggesting that retraction of Egr-2 at the ISP and pro-B cell stages is important for the activation of lineage differentiation programs. In contrast to reduction of DP and pro-B cells, Egr-2 enhanced the maturation of DP cells into single positive (SP) T and NKT cells in thymus, and immature B cells into mature B cells in bone marrow. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that Egr-2 expressed in restricted stages of lymphocyte development plays a dynamic, but similar role for the development of T, NKT and B cells.This article is provided by the Brunel Open Access publishing fund

Impact and process assessment of the seven CITYLAB implementations

CITYLAB focuses on four axes that call for improvement and intervention: •Highly fragmented last-mile deliveries in city centres •Inefficient deliveries to large freight attractors and public administrations •Urban waste, return trips and recycling •Logistics sprawl Within these axes, the project supports seven implementations that are being tested, evaluated and rolled out. An implementation is defined as the process of preparing, testing and putting into practice a new service or a new way of operating or organising logistics activities. The objective of this report is to present an assessment of the effects and consequences of the implementations as they are conducted. For each case, we summarise the process leading to the application of a specific technical and managerial solution, and present the outcomes. For each implementation, we present •Problem and aim •Description of the solution •Implementation process •Effects and consequences •Challenges ahead •Lessons and generalisation of results This deliverable provides a complete picture of the evolvement of the implementations during the CITYLAB project and final versions of the process and impact assessment

Metagenomic and Metatranscriptomic Analysis of Microbial Community Structure and Gene Expression of Activated Sludge

The present study applied both metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approaches to characterize microbial structure and gene expression of an activated sludge community from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Hong Kong. DNA and cDNA were sequenced by Illumina Hi-seq2000 at a depth of 2.4 Gbp. Taxonomic analysis by MG-RAST showed bacteria were dominant in both DNA and cDNA datasets. The taxonomic profile obtained by BLAST against SILVA SSUref database and annotation by MEGAN showed that activated sludge was dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia phyla in both DNA and cDNA datasets. Global gene expression annotation based on KEGG metabolism pathway displayed slight disagreement between the DNA and cDNA datasets. Further gene expression annotation focusing on nitrogen removal revealed that denitrification-related genes sequences dominated in both DNA and cDNA datasets, while nitrifying genes were also expressed in relative high levels. Specially, ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxidase demonstrated the high cDNA/DNA ratios in the present study, indicating strong nitrification activity. Enzyme subunits gene sequences annotation discovered that subunits of ammonia monooxygenase (amoA, amoB, amoC) and hydroxylamine oxygenase had higher expression levels compared with subunits of the other enzymes genes. Taxonomic profiles of selected enzymes (ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxygenase) showed that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria present mainly belonged to Nitrosomonas and Nitrosospira species and no ammonia-oxidizing Archaea sequences were detected in both DNA and cDNA datasets