3,607 research outputs found
Good Teaching and Learning in the Academy
This paper is based on original research at five Queensland Universities. It compared the teaching strategies of law, education and science academics in an attempt to discover any relationship between teaching strategies and subject matter. It also examined the teaching policy at each university, specifically university definitions of good teaching and its relationship to use of technology. The purpose of this research was to determine whether or not specific understandings of good teaching in the academy prevailed, and whether or not this (dis)advantaged certain faculties. From an initial case study of QUT, the basic findings from our research were as follows: • good teaching was found to have two central features: it was student centred and technologically innovative, • irrespective of discipline, all lecturers espoused the importance of student centred learning as integral to good teaching, even though, in practice, teaching style appeared to be largely determined by subject matter, • the most innovative and technological units were the least student centred We conclude that what counts as good teaching is both contested and context bound. This has major implications for monolithic definitions of good teaching as espoused by university policy and teaching units. It also has clear ramifications for university measures of effective and innovative teaching and thus standardised procedures for both academic promotion and teaching practices across the university
Technology meets Student Centred Learning: "good practice" in university teaching
In tertiary institutions across Australia, good teaching increasingly means student centred and technological. In this paper, this is demonstrated by a case study of Queensland University of Technology, where recent policy on teaching, promoted by management and supported by teaching and learning services, suggests two things. The first that it is impossible for QUT academics to educate their students without using inclusive and dialogical methods of instruction. The second, that at QUT, effective use of technology is paramount to the success of such student centred learning. This relationship, given legitimacy through the QUT focus on flexible delivery, raises larger questions about the dominant assumptions regarding ‘good practice’ within the university setting. In this context, the dominant assumption is the superiority of progressive education and this in itself assumes further a humanistic notion of the self. This paper will suggest three things. First that such assumptions should be challenged within tertiary teaching theory and practice, as they have been within the wider domain of social and cultural theory. Second that the new valorised practices of progressive education actually depend upon old derogated practices, but that this reliance is either downplayed or disregarded. Third, that the resulting unified policy on good teaching, needs rethinking
Regression of atherosclerosis : the clinical and metabolic response to cholesterol-lowering
A large number of studies have established that raised cholesterol levels increase the
probability of the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease, and that reducing
serum cholesterol will result in fewer cardiac events in the treated population, both in
those with and without evidence of pre-existing coronary disease. More direct
evidence that this is due to alteration of the progression of the atheromatous plaques
has resulted from angiographic studies demonstrating the halting of progression or
even regression of the stenotic lesions. Some workers have found a relationship
between the extent of lowering of the serum lipoproteins and the likelihood of
regression, although it has not been clear whether this continues to hold true at the
lower extremes, nor whether there may be a threshold level which requires to be
achieved before regression may take place.
The principal purpose of these studies was to investigate the effects of applying very
intensive lipid-lowering therapy, including LDL-apheresis, in a group of patients with
coronary artery disease and moderately severe hypercholesterolaemia to achieve subnormal lipoprotein levels, and comparing the effects of such treatment with those
achieved in another group of subjects treated with drug therapy to the currently
recommended therapeutic targets for such patients. The studies involved the
measurement of lipids and lipoproteins before and after apheresis and at regular
intervals throughout the two-year study period. ApoB metabolism was assessed at
baseline and following completion of the treatment period, and the data analysed
using a multicompartmental mathematical model. The patients were assessed
non-invasively by exercise electrocardiography at regular intervals, and by thallium
scintigraphy at baseline and at annual intervals. The principal end-point was the
proportion of arterial segments undergoing regression or progression in each group
assessed by computer-assisted analysis of coronary angiograms performed at baseline
and on completion of the intervention.
The results from these studies demonstrated radical differences in lipoprotein
concentration and composition during treatment. There was increased catabolism of
LDL precursors with diminished flux of apoB which may reflect up-regulation of the
LDL-receptor, but a rapid return to pre-treatment lipid levels indicated the effects on
lipoprotein metabolism were transient. There was a reduction in the progression of
coronary disease in the majority of lesions, with a small number in each group
undergoing definite regression. There were significant differences in the changes in
exercise tolerance with treatment, and the likely mechanisms for this are discussed.
The thallium scans demonstrated no difference between the groups in the number of
segments with improved perfusion, but were shown to have some value in the
non-invasive assessment of predicting angiographic changes in the proximal
segments, particularly in the right coronary artery.
The findings are put into the context of the recent publications on cholesterol
reduction in coronary disease; implications for clinical management are drawn, and
areas of potential future research are highlighted
Evolution and diversity of secretome genes in the apicomplexan parasite Theileria annulata
<b>BACKGROUND</b>: Little is known about how apicomplexan parasites have evolved to infect different host species and cell types. Theileria annulata and Theileria parva invade and transform bovine leukocytes but each species favours a different host cell lineage. Parasite-encoded proteins secreted from the intracellular macroschizont stage within the leukocyte represent a critical interface between host and pathogen systems. Genome sequencing has revealed that several Theileria-specific gene families encoding secreted proteins are positively selected at the inter-species level, indicating diversification between the species. We extend this analysis to the intra-species level, focusing on allelic diversity of two major secretome families. These families represent a well-characterised group of genes implicated in control of the host cell phenotype and a gene family of unknown function. To gain further insight into their evolution and function, this study investigates whether representative genes of these two families are diversifying or constrained within the T. annulata population. <b>RESULTS</b>: Strong evidence is provided that the sub-telomerically encoded SVSP family and the host-nucleus targeted TashAT family have evolved under contrasting pressures within natural T. annulata populations. SVSP genes were found to possess atypical codon usage and be evolving neutrally, with high levels of nucleotide substitutions and multiple indels. No evidence of geographical sub-structuring of allelic sequences was found. In contrast, TashAT family genes, implicated in control of host cell gene expression, are strongly conserved at the protein level and geographically sub-structured allelic sequences were identified among Tunisian and Turkish isolates. Although different copy numbers of DNA binding motifs were identified in alleles of TashAT proteins, motif periodicity was strongly maintained, implying conserved functional activity of these sites. <b>CONCLUSIONS</b>: This analysis provides evidence that two distinct secretome genes families have evolved under contrasting selective pressures. The data supports current hypotheses regarding the biological role of TashAT family proteins in the management of host cell phenotype that may have evolved to allow adaptation of T. annulata to a specific host cell lineage. We provide new evidence of extensive allelic diversity in representative members of the enigmatic SVSP gene family, which supports a putative role for the encoded products in subversion of the host immune response
Takeuti's Well-Ordering Proof: Finitistically Fine?
If it could be shown that one of Gentzen's consistency proofs for pure number theory could be shown to be finitistically acceptable, an important part of Hilbert's program would be vindicated. This paper focuses on whether the transfinite induction on ordinal notations needed for Gentzen's second proof can be finitistically justified. In particular, the focus is on Takeuti's purportedly finitistically acceptable proof of the well-ordering of ordinal notations in Cantor normal form.
The paper begins with a historically informed discussion of finitism and its limits, before introducing Gentzen and Takeuti's respective proofs. The rest of the paper is dedicated to investigating the finitistic acceptability of Takeuti's proof, including a small but important fix to that proof. That discussion strongly suggests that there is a philosophically interesting finitist standpoint that Takeuti's proof, and therefore Gentzen's proof, conforms to
The Accuracy of Real-Time Ultrasound Measurements for Body Composition Traits with Carcass Traits in Feedlot Heifers
This study compared ultrasound measurements of body composition to carcass measurements of 145 heifers harvested in five groups. Results show that this technology can accurately measure URIBFT, UREA, and UMARB prior to slaughter. URIBFT was the trait that had the highest correlations and acceptable standard error of predictions (SEPs) and bias. The other two traits, UREA and UMARB, had lower correlation values but acceptable SEPs and bias. Real-time ultrasound is an accurate tool to measure body composition and can be used very effectively as a selection or sorting tool in the feedlot
Mapping disease data: A usability test of an internet based system of disease status disclosure
Disease maps are important tools in the management of disease. By communicating risk, disease maps can help raise awareness of disease and encourage farmers and veterinarians to employ best practice to eliminate the spread of disease. However, despite the importance of disease maps in communicating risk and the existence of various online disease maps, there are few studies that explicitly examine their usability. Where disease maps are complicated to use, it seems that they are unlikely to be used effectively. The paper outlines an attempt to create an open access, online, searchable map of incidents of bovine tuberculosis in England and Wales, and analyzes its usability among veterinarians. The paper describes the process of creating the map before describing the results of a series of usability trials. Results show the map to score highly on different measures of usability. However, the trials also revealed a number of social and technical limitations and challenges facing the use of online disease maps, including reputational dangers, role confusion, data accuracy, and data representation. The paper considers the challenges facing disease maps and their potential role in designing new methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of disease prevention initiatives
Dynamical laser spike processing
Novel materials and devices in photonics have the potential to revolutionize
optical information processing, beyond conventional binary-logic approaches.
Laser systems offer a rich repertoire of useful dynamical behaviors, including
the excitable dynamics also found in the time-resolved "spiking" of neurons.
Spiking reconciles the expressiveness and efficiency of analog processing with
the robustness and scalability of digital processing. We demonstrate that
graphene-coupled laser systems offer a unified low-level spike optical
processing paradigm that goes well beyond previously studied laser dynamics. We
show that this platform can simultaneously exhibit logic-level restoration,
cascadability and input-output isolation---fundamental challenges in optical
information processing. We also implement low-level spike-processing tasks that
are critical for higher level processing: temporal pattern detection and stable
recurrent memory. We study these properties in the context of a fiber laser
system, but the addition of graphene leads to a number of advantages which stem
from its unique properties, including high absorption and fast carrier
relaxation. These could lead to significant speed and efficiency improvements
in unconventional laser processing devices, and ongoing research on graphene
microfabrication promises compatibility with integrated laser platforms.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure
Silsesquioxane polymer as a potential scaffold for laryngeal reconstruction
Cancer, disease and trauma to the larynx and their treatment can lead to permanent loss of structures critical to voice, breathing and swallowing. Engineered partial or total laryngeal replacements would need to match the ambitious specifications of replicating functionality, outer biocompatibility, and permissiveness for an inner mucosal lining. Here we present porous polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-poly(carbonate urea) urethane (POSS-PCUU) as a potential scaffold for engineering laryngeal tissue. Specifically, we employ a precipitation and porogen leaching technique for manufacturing the polymer. The polymer is chemically consistent across all sample types and produces a foam-like scaffold with two distinct topographies and an internal structure composed of nano- and micro-pores. Whilst the highly porous internal structure of the scaffold contributes to the complex tensile behaviour of the polymer, the surface of the scaffold remains largely non-porous. The low number of pores minimise access for cells, although primary fibroblasts and epithelial cells do attach and proliferate on the polymer surface. Our data show that with a change in manufacturing protocol to produce porous polymer surfaces, POSS-PCUU may be a potential candidate for overcoming some of the limitations associated with laryngeal reconstruction and regeneration
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