Collaborative dispositions, knowledge co-construction and monitoring in collaborative problem solving

Abstract. Dispositions are trends or frequencies of acts performed consciously, habitually and automatically, influenced by beliefs, attitudes, personal values or commitments (Katz & Raths, 1985; NCATE, 2002). Thus, collaborative learning dispositions are students’ commitments, beliefs, contributions, or attitudes towards collaboration (Wu, Ho, Lin, Chang, & Chen, 2013). In a similar context, a person who has a certain level of disposition will display certain behaviors, so dispositions can be used to predict behaviors that may occur (Katz & Raths, 1985). To enhance learners’ collaborative learning skill, it is necessary to start from teacher students’ collaborative learning dispositions, which may potentially have impacts on their future students’ learning opportunities. This study aims to investigate what kinds of activities students focus on during collaborative learning processes. Also, the research explores whether there is any difference in the way students demonstrate and contribute diversely in group work when they possess different collaborative disposition scores, measured by questionnaires, which were based on research by Wang, MacCann, Zhuang, Liu and Roberts (2009). Videos from five groups of teacher students (N = 14) were collected and observed. First, the process-oriented qualitative analysis was carried out to assign meaningful events to separate categories of knowledge co-construction and monitoring activities. Then, quantitative analyses were conducted to explore activities executed most regularly as well as correlation between collaborative disposition scores and students’ contributions. The results of video data, gathered from the PREP21 project indicate that participants were actively sharing ideas, showing approval or disapproval about members’ contributions. Also, they frequently monitored how group tasks had progressed, then suggested following actions. Unexpectedly, there was no considerable relationship between measured collaborative disposition levels and enacted individual level collaborative problem-solving contributions. However, in a case study analysis, active and passive students displayed differently. Additionally, interconnection between knowledge co-construction and monitoring was shown

Forager and farmer evolutionary adaptations to malaria evidenced by 7000 years of thalassemia in Southeast Asia

Acknowledgements We would like to thank Dr. Ngo Anh Son, Mr. Bui Van Khanh and Ms. Nellissa Ling for their assistance with the radiographs. We are grateful to Dr. Dr. Nguyen Gia Doi for permission to extract histological samples. This work was supported by a National Geographic Early Career Grant (EC-54332R-18);Royal Society of New Zealand Skinner Fund Grant; University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship; Australian Research Council DP110101097 and FT120100299. Histologicalprocessing was funded by the Australian Research Council (DE190100068).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Genome-wide association mapping for root traits in a panel of rice accessions from Vietnam

Background: Despite recent sequencing efforts, local genetic resources remain underexploited, even though they carry alleles that can bring agronomic benefits. Taking advantage of the recent genotyping with 22,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers of a core collection of 180 Vietnamese rice varieties originating from provinces from North to South Vietnam and from different agrosystems characterized by contrasted water regimes, we have performed a genome-wide association study for different root parameters. Roots contribute to water stress avoidance and are a still underexploited target for breeding purpose due to the difficulty to observe them. Results: The panel of 180 rice varieties was phenotyped under greenhouse conditions for several root traits in an experimental design with 3 replicates. The phenotyping system consisted of long plastic bags that were filled with sand and supplemented with fertilizer. Root length, root mass in different layers, root thickness, and the number of crown roots, as well as several derived root parameters and shoot traits, were recorded. The results were submitted to association mapping using a mixed model involving structure and kinship to enable the identification of significant associations. The analyses were conducted successively on the whole panel and on its indica (115 accessions) and japonica (64 accessions) subcomponents. The two associations with the highest significance were for root thickness on chromosome 2 and for crown root number on chromosome 11. No common associations were detected between the indica and japonica subpanels, probably because of the polymorphism repartition between the subspecies. Based on orthology with Arabidopsis, the possible candidate genes underlying the quantitative trait loci are reviewed. Conclusions: Some of the major quantitative trait loci we detected through this genome-wide association study contain promising candidate genes encoding regulatory elements of known key regulators of root formation and development

Dispersible microporous di-block co-polymer Nanoparticles via polymerisation-induced self-assembly

Microporous materials are predominantly formed as insoluble powders which means that they can be difficult to process. Here we report a new class of solvent-dispersible porous polymers synthesised by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer mediated polymerisation-induced self-assembly (RAFT-mediated PISA), formed from a PEG macro-CTA polymerised with divinylbenzene and fumaronitrile. The particles have a dual morphology consisting of smaller spheres of 24-29 nm aggregated into larger particles of 204 - 262 nm. Gas sorption analysis showed the particles to have BET surface areas of 274 to 409 m2/g with internal pore sizes centred around 1.8 nm and further larger pores arising from the sphere packing of the aggregates. The particles were found to be photoluminescent (emission λmax = 326 nm) when exposed to UV light which could be quenched by the addition of nitroaromatic compounds. For example, 99% if the emission was quenched in the presence of 38 ppm of picric acid

BRCA2 polymorphic stop codon K3326X and the risk of breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers

Background: The K3326X variant in BRCA2 (BRCA2*c.9976A>T; p.Lys3326*; rs11571833) has been found to be associated with small increased risks of breast cancer. However, it is not clear to what extent linkage disequilibrium with fully pathogenic mutations might account for this association. There is scant information about the effect of K3326X in other hormone-related cancers. Methods: Using weighted logistic regression, we analyzed data from the large iCOGS study including 76 637 cancer case patients and 83 796 control patients to estimate odds ratios (ORw) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for K3326X variant carriers in relation to breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer risks, with weights defined as probability of not having a pathogenic BRCA2 variant. Using Cox proportional hazards modeling, we also examined the associations of K3326X with breast and ovarian cancer risks among 7183 BRCA1 variant carriers. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results: The K3326X variant was associated with breast (ORw = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.40, P = 5.9x10- 6) and invasive ovarian cancer (ORw = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.43, P = 3.8x10-3). These associations were stronger for serous ovarian cancer and for estrogen receptor–negative breast cancer (ORw = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.70, P = 3.4x10-5 and ORw = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.28 to 1.76, P = 4.1x10-5, respectively). For BRCA1 mutation carriers, there was a statistically significant inverse association of the K3326X variant with risk of ovarian cancer (HR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.22 to 0.84, P = .013) but no association with breast cancer. No association with prostate cancer was observed. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that the K3326X variant is associated with risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers independent of other pathogenic variants in BRCA2. Further studies are needed to determine the biological mechanism of action responsible for these associations

Quark-mass dependence in ω→3π\omega\to3\pi decays

We study the quark-mass dependence of $\omega\to3\pi$ decays, based on a dispersion-theoretical framework. We rely on the quark-mass-dependent scattering phase shift for the pion-pion $P$-wave extracted from unitarized chiral perturbation theory. The dispersive representation then takes into account the final-state rescattering among all three pions. The described formalism may be used as an extrapolation tool for lattice QCD calculations of three-pion decays, for which $\omega\to3\pi$ can serve as a paradigm case.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures; v2: added two references, version published in EPJ

Risk Factors of Streptococcus suis Infection in Vietnam. A Case-Control Study

Background: Streptococcus suis infection, an emerging zoonosis, is an increasing public health problem across South East Asia and the most common cause of acute bacterial meningitis in adults in Vietnam. Little is known of the risk factors underlying the disease. Methods and Findings: A case-control study with appropriate hospital and matched community controls for each patient was conducted between May 2006 and June 2009. Potential risk factors were assessed using a standardized questionnaire and investigation of throat and rectal S. suis carriage in cases, controls and their pigs, using real-time PCR and culture of swab samples. We recruited 101 cases of S. suis meningitis, 303 hospital controls and 300 community controls. By multivariate analysis, risk factors identified for S. suis infection as compared to either control group included eating "high risk" dishes, including such dishes as undercooked pig blood and pig intestine (OR1 = 2.22; 95% CI = [1.15-4.28] and OR2 = 4.44; 95% CI = [2.15-9.15]), occupations related to pigs (OR1 = 3.84; 95% CI = [1.32-11.11] and OR2 = 5.52; 95% CI = [1.49-20.39]), and exposures to pigs or pork in the presence of skin injuries (OR1 = 7.48; 95% CI = [1.97-28.44] and OR2 = 15.96; 95% CI = [2.97-85.72]). S. suis specific DNA was detected in rectal and throat swabs of 6 patients and was cultured from 2 rectal samples, but was not detected in such samples of 1522 healthy individuals or patients without S. suis infection. Conclusions: This case control study, the largest prospective epidemiological assessment of this disease, has identified the most important risk factors associated with S. suis bacterial meningitis to be eating 'high risk' dishes popular in parts of Asia, occupational exposure to pigs and pig products, and preparation of pork in the presence of skin lesions. These risk factors can be addressed in public health campaigns aimed at preventing S. suis infectio

Prevalence and correlates of zinc deficiency in pregnant Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City

Background: Although Vietnam is a region with a plant-based diet that has a high zinc deficiency, epidemiological data showing how this affects pregnant women are limited. This study explores the prevalence of zinc deficiency and possible correlates in pregnant Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City. Methods: This was a crosssectional study conducted at a general hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All pregnant women who came to their first antenatal care visit from November 2011 to June 2012 were recruited. Those taking a vitamin and/or mineral supplement were excluded. Serum zinc concentrations, determined by a standard colorimetric method, of 10.7 mol/L-17.5 mol/L (70.0 g/dL-114 g/dL) were classified as normal and under 10.7 mol/L (70.0 g/dL) as zinc deficient. Results: In total, 254 pregnant women were invited and 107 (42%) participated. The mean age of participants was 29 years, and mean gestational age was 10 weeks. Median zinc concentration in serum was 13.6 mol/L, and the prevalence of zinc deficiency was 29% (95% CI=21%-39%). The daily intake of a milk product supplement was the only significant correlate of zinc deficiency of the items investigated (adjusted OR=0.40, p=0.049). Discussion: This is the first study reporting that more than 25% of pregnant Vietnamese women in Ho Chi Minh City are zinc deficient. Further academic and clinical input is needed to confirm the scale of this neglected issue and to investigate the potential of milk product supplementation in this population

Viral Etiology of Encephalitis in Children in Southern Vietnam: Results of a One-Year Prospective Descriptive Study

Viral encephalitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality in Vietnam. However little is known about the causes of the disease due to a lack of diagnostic facilities in this relatively resource-poor setting. Knowledge about the etiologies and clinical outcome of viral encephalitis is necessary for future design of intervention studies targeted at improvement of clinical management, treatment and prevention of the disease. We report the viral agents, clinical outcome and prognostic factors of mortality of encephalitis in children admitted to a referral hospital for children in southern Vietnam. We show that about one third of the enrolled patients die acutely, and that mortality is independently associated with patient age and Glasgow Coma Scale on admission. Japanese encephalitis, dengue virus and enterovirus (including enterovirus 71) are the major viruses detected in our patients. However, more than half of the patients remain undiagnosed, while mortality in this group is as high as in the diagnosed group. This study will benefit clinicians and public health in terms of clinical management and prevention of childhood encephalitis in Vietnam