4,319 research outputs found

    Toward a script theory of guidance in computer-supported collaborative learning

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    This article presents an outline of a script theory of guidance for computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). With its four types of components of internal and external scripts (play, scene, role, and scriptlet) and seven principles, this theory addresses the question how CSCL practices are shaped by dynamically re-configured internal collaboration scripts of the participating learners. Furthermore, it explains how internal collaboration scripts develop through participation in CSCL practices. It emphasizes the importance of active application of subject matter knowledge in CSCL practices, and it prioritizes transactive over non-transactive forms of knowledge application in order to facilitate learning. Further, the theory explains how external collaboration scripts modify CSCL practices and how they influence the development of internal collaboration scripts. The principles specify an optimal scaffolding level for external collaboration scripts and allow for the formulation of hypotheses about the fading of external collaboration scripts. Finally, the article points towards conceptual challenges and future research questions

    Stability of rotating states in a weakly-interacting Bose-Einstein condensate

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    We investigate the lowest state of a rotating, weakly-interacting Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a harmonic confining potential that is driven by an infinitesimally asymmetric perturbation. Although in an axially-symmetric confining potential the gas has an axially-symmetric single-particle density distribution, we show that in the presence of the small asymmetric perturbation its lowest state is the one given by the mean-field approximation, which is a broken-symmetric state. We also estimate the rate of relaxation of angular momentum when the gas is no longer driven by the asymmetric perturbation and identify two regimes of "slow" and "fast" relaxation. States of certain symmetry are found to be more robust.Comment: 6 pages, RevTe

    Chemotherapy with or without avelumab followed by avelumab maintenance versus chemotherapy alone in patients with previously untreated epithelial ovarian cancer (JAVELIN Ovarian 100): an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial

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    BACKGROUND: Although most patients with epithelial ovarian cancer respond to frontline platinum-based chemotherapy, around 70% will relapse within 3 years. The phase 3 JAVELIN Ovarian 100 trial compared avelumab (anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody) in combination with chemotherapy followed by avelumab maintenance, or chemotherapy followed by avelumab maintenance, versus chemotherapy alone in patients with treatment-naive epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: JAVELIN Ovarian 100 was a global, open-label, three-arm, parallel, randomised, phase 3 trial run at 159 hospitals and cancer treatment centres in 25 countries. Eligible women were aged 18 years and older with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer (following debulking surgery, or candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy), and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) via interactive response technology to receive chemotherapy (six cycles; carboplatin dosed at an area under the serum-concentration-time curve of 5 or 6 intravenously every 3 weeks plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every 3 weeks or 80 mg/m2 once a week [investigators' choice]) followed by avelumab maintenance (10 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks; avelumab maintenance group); chemotherapy plus avelumab (10 mg/kg intravenously every 3 weeks) followed by avelumab maintenance (avelumab combination group); or chemotherapy followed by observation (control group). Randomisation was in permuted blocks of size six and stratified by paclitaxel regimen and resection status. Patients and investigators were masked to assignment to the two chemotherapy groups without avelumab at the time of randomisation until completion of the chemotherapy phase. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival assessed by blinded independent central review in all randomly assigned patients (analysed by intention to treat). Safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02718417. The trial was fully enrolled and terminated at interim analysis due to futility, and efficacy is no longer being assessed. FINDINGS: Between May 19, 2016 and Jan 23, 2018, 998 patients were randomly assigned (avelumab maintenance n=332, avelumab combination n=331, and control n=335). At the planned interim analysis (data cutoff Sept 7, 2018), prespecified futility boundaries were crossed for the progression-free survival analysis, and the trial was stopped as recommended by the independent data monitoring committee and endorsed by the protocol steering committee. Median follow-up for progression-free survival for all patients was 10·8 months (IQR 7·1-14·9); 11·1 months (7·0-15·3) for the avelumab maintenance group, 11·0 months (7·4-14·5) for the avelumab combination group, and 10·2 months (6·7-14·0) for the control group. Median progression-free survival was 16·8 months (95% CI 13·5-not estimable [NE]) with avelumab maintenance, 18·1 months (14·8-NE) with avelumab combination treatment, and NE (18·2 months-NE) with control treatment. The stratified hazard ratio for progression-free survival was 1·43 (95% CI 1·05-1·95; one-sided p=0·99) with the avelumab maintenance regimen and 1·14 (0·83-1·56; one-sided p=0·79) with the avelumab combination regimen, versus control treatment. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were anaemia (69 [21%] patients in the avelumab maintenance group, 63 [19%] in the avelumab combination group, and 53 [16%] in the control group), neutropenia (91 [28%], 99 [30%], and 88 [26%]), and neutrophil count decrease (49 [15%], 45 [14%], and 59 [18%]). Serious adverse events of any grade occurred in 92 (28%) patients in the avelumab maintenance group, 118 (36%) in the avelumab combination group, and 64 (19%) in the control group. Treatment-related deaths occurred in one (<1%) patient in the avelumab maintenance group (due to atrial fibrillation) and one (<1%) patient in the avelumab combination group (due to disease progression). INTERPRETATION: Although no new safety signals were observed, results do not support the use of avelumab in the frontline treatment setting. Alternative treatment regimens are needed to improve outcomes in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. FUNDING: Pfizer and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

    Using Intervention Mapping to develop an occupational advice intervention to aid return to work following hip and knee replacement in the United Kingdom

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    Background There are increasing numbers of total hip replacements (THR) and total knee replacements (TKR) being performed in patients of working age. Providing patients undergoing TKR and THR with return to work advice might facilitate return to work. The aim of this paper is to report on the process used to systematically develop an occupational advice intervention to be delivered in hospital for those undergoing arthroplasty. Methods The six-step Intervention Mapping (IM) approach to development, implementation and evaluation of a theory and evidence-based interventions was followed. This paper reports on the development of the intervention covered by steps 1 to 4 of the IM process. Steps 1-3 gathered data on current practice and barriers to change using a mixed methods approach (cohort study of patients undergoing THR or TKR, stakeholder interviews, survey of practice, evidence synthesis) and provided a theoretical framework for intervention development. Step 4 used information from steps 1-3 in combination with a Delphi consensus process to develop the intervention and the associated tools and materials to facilitate its delivery. Results The final intervention identified included a number of core principles including: early patient identification; delivery of key information to patients and their employers; assessment and support by a member of the orthopaedic team; procedures for escalation based on patient need; mechanisms to support communication; and training and support for the clinical teams delivering care. A total of 13 patient and 20 staff performance objectives as delivery requirements, supported by a range of tools, roles and training resources. The intervention addressed outcomes based at the individual and interpersonal levels of the ecological model. Conclusions Following the IM approach resulted in a structured and justified occupational intervention for delivery in secondary care for patients undergoing total hip and knee replacement. The feasibility of the intervention will subsequently be tested alongside further investigation to establish its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Key Words Intervention Mapping Return to Work Occupational advice Arthroplasty Hip Kne

    Study of Bc+B_c^+ decays to the K+Kπ+K^+K^-\pi^+ final state and evidence for the decay Bc+χc0π+B_c^+\to\chi_{c0}\pi^+

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    A study of Bc+K+Kπ+B_c^+\to K^+K^-\pi^+ decays is performed for the first time using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb1\mathrm{fb}^{-1} collected by the LHCb experiment in pppp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 77 and 88 TeV. Evidence for the decay Bc+χc0(K+K)π+B_c^+\to\chi_{c0}(\to K^+K^-)\pi^+ is reported with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations, resulting in the measurement of σ(Bc+)σ(B+)×B(Bc+χc0π+)\frac{\sigma(B_c^+)}{\sigma(B^+)}\times\mathcal{B}(B_c^+\to\chi_{c0}\pi^+) to be (9.83.0+3.4(stat)±0.8(syst))×106(9.8^{+3.4}_{-3.0}(\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.8(\mathrm{syst}))\times 10^{-6}. Here B\mathcal{B} denotes a branching fraction while σ(Bc+)\sigma(B_c^+) and σ(B+)\sigma(B^+) are the production cross-sections for Bc+B_c^+ and B+B^+ mesons. An indication of bˉc\bar b c weak annihilation is found for the region m(Kπ+)<1.834GeV ⁣/c2m(K^-\pi^+)<1.834\mathrm{\,Ge\kern -0.1em V\!/}c^2, with a significance of 2.4 standard deviations.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-022.html, link to supplemental material inserted in the reference

    Measurement of the mass and lifetime of the Ωb\Omega_b^- baryon

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    A proton-proton collision data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb1^{-1} collected by LHCb at s=7\sqrt{s}=7 and 8 TeV, is used to reconstruct 63±963\pm9 ΩbΩc0π\Omega_b^-\to\Omega_c^0\pi^-, Ωc0pKKπ+\Omega_c^0\to pK^-K^-\pi^+ decays. Using the ΞbΞc0π\Xi_b^-\to\Xi_c^0\pi^-, Ξc0pKKπ+\Xi_c^0\to pK^-K^-\pi^+ decay mode for calibration, the lifetime ratio and absolute lifetime of the Ωb\Omega_b^- baryon are measured to be \begin{align*} \frac{\tau_{\Omega_b^-}}{\tau_{\Xi_b^-}} &= 1.11\pm0.16\pm0.03, \\ \tau_{\Omega_b^-} &= 1.78\pm0.26\pm0.05\pm0.06~{\rm ps}, \end{align*} where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic and from the calibration mode (for τΩb\tau_{\Omega_b^-} only). A measurement is also made of the mass difference, mΩbmΞbm_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-}, and the corresponding Ωb\Omega_b^- mass, which yields \begin{align*} m_{\Omega_b^-}-m_{\Xi_b^-} &= 247.4\pm3.2\pm0.5~{\rm MeV}/c^2, \\ m_{\Omega_b^-} &= 6045.1\pm3.2\pm 0.5\pm0.6~{\rm MeV}/c^2. \end{align*} These results are consistent with previous measurements.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-008.htm

    BB flavour tagging using charm decays at the LHCb experiment

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    An algorithm is described for tagging the flavour content at production of neutral BB mesons in the LHCb experiment. The algorithm exploits the correlation of the flavour of a BB meson with the charge of a reconstructed secondary charm hadron from the decay of the other bb hadron produced in the proton-proton collision. Charm hadron candidates are identified in a number of fully or partially reconstructed Cabibbo-favoured decay modes. The algorithm is calibrated on the self-tagged decay modes B+J/ψK+B^+ \to J/\psi \, K^+ and B0J/ψK0B^0 \to J/\psi \, K^{*0} using 3.0fb13.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1} of data collected by the LHCb experiment at pppp centre-of-mass energies of 7TeV7\mathrm{\,TeV} and 8TeV8\mathrm{\,TeV}. Its tagging power on these samples of BJ/ψXB \to J/\psi \, X decays is (0.30±0.01±0.01)%(0.30 \pm 0.01 \pm 0.01) \%.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at http://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-027.htm
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