The Importance of Teacher Interpersonal Behaviour for Student Attitudes in Brunei Primary Science Classes

This study investigated relationships between students' perceptions of their teachers' interpersonal behaviour and their subject-related attitude in primary science classes in Brunei. Teacher-student interpersonal behaviour was mapped with the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) and reported in terms of two independent dimensions called Influence (teacher dominance vs submission) and Proximity (teacher cooperation vs opposition). While prior research using the QTI mainly focused on secondary education, the present study was one of the first in Brunei and in primary education and one of few studies to use multilevel analysis. Data from 1305 students from 64 classes were used in this study. Results indicated strong and positive effects of Influence and Proximity on students' enjoyment of their science class and supported findings of earlier work with the QTI

Stellar Kinematics and Structural Properties of Virgo Cluster Dwarf Early-Type Galaxies from the SMAKCED Project. I. Kinematically Decoupled Cores and Implications for Infallen Groups in Clusters

We present evidence for kinematically decoupled cores (KDCs) in two dwarf early-type (dE) galaxies in the Virgo cluster, VCC 1183 and VCC 1453, studied as part of the SMAKCED stellar absorption-line spectroscopy and imaging survey. These KDCs have radii of 1.8'' (0.14 kpc) and 4.2'' (0.33 kpc), respectively. Each of these KDCs is distinct from the main body of its host galaxy in two ways: (1) inverted sense of rotation; and (2) younger (and possibly more metal-rich) stellar population. The observed stellar population differences are probably associated with the KDC, although we cannot rule out the possibility of intrinsic radial gradients in the host galaxy. We describe a statistical analysis method to detect, quantify the significance of, and characterize KDCs in long-slit rotation curve data. We apply this method to the two dE galaxies presented in this paper and to five other dEs for which KDCs have been reported in the literature. Among these seven dEs, there are four significant KDC detections, two marginal KDC detections, and one dE with an unusual central kinematic anomaly that may be an asymmetric KDC.The frequency of occurence of KDCs and their properties provide important constraints on the formation history of their host galaxies. We discuss different formation scenarios for these KDCs in cluster environments and find that dwarf-dwarf wet mergers or gas accretion can explain the properties of these KDCs. Both of these mechanisms require that the progenitor had a close companion with a low relative velocity. This suggests that KDCs were formed in galaxy pairs residing in a poor group environment or in isolation whose subsequent infall into the cluster quenched star formation.Comment: 14 pages, accepted for publication in Ap

Barred Galaxies in the Coma Cluster

We use ACS data from the HST Treasury survey of the Coma cluster (z~0.02) to study the properties of barred galaxies in the Coma core, the densest environment in the nearby Universe. This study provides a complementary data point for studies of barred galaxies as a function of redshift and environment. From ~470 cluster members brighter than M_I = -11 mag, we select a sample of 46 disk galaxies (S0--Im) based on visual classification. The sample is dominated by S0s for which we find an optical bar fraction of 47+/-11% through ellipse fitting and visual inspection. Among the bars in the core of the Coma cluster, we do not find any very large (a_bar > 2 kpc) bars. Comparison to other studies reveals that while the optical bar fraction for S0s shows only a modest variation across low-to-intermediate density environments (field to intermediate-density clusters), it can be higher by up to a factor of ~2 in the very high-density environment of the rich Coma cluster core.Comment: Proceedings of the Bash symposium, to appear in the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, eds. L. Stanford, L. Hao, Y. Mao, J. Gree

Rapportage onderzoeksproject Genieten aan tafel : een toegepast onderzoek naar maaltijdbeleving in verpleeghuizen

Er komen steeds meer ouderen in Nederland. Zij doen over het algemeen een groter beroep op de gezondheidszorg, wat tot stijgende zorgkosten leidt en een lagere kwaliteit van leven. Eten en drinken speelt een belangrijke rol bij de preventie van ziekte. Hoewel er steeds meer aandacht is voor de voedingsstatus van ouderen en screeningsprocedures steeds meer toegepast worden, laten de laatste metingen in Nederland zien dat 17% van de cliënten in instellingen ondervoed is en dat 28% risico loopt op ondervoeding. Om ziekte en daarmee verhoogde zorgkosten te voorkomen, en om de kwaliteit van leven te optimaliseren, is preventie van ondervoeding bij ouderen noodzakelijk. Het onderzoek ‘Genieten aan tafel’ beoogde de maaltijdbeleving van verpleeghuiscliënten te optimaliseren, met als doel om eetlust, voedingsstatus, functionele status en kwaliteit van leven te verbeteren en zo zorgkosten te verminderen

Ковчег Ноя: рух матерії у Сонячній системі та на ядерних рівнях Землі

У Стародавньому світі пророку Мойсею було відкрито таємницю створення світу. Як науковий геній свого часу, Мойсей зашифрував у алегоричну форму в родоводі Адама і Потопі прикладну науку про будову ядра Землі, Сонячної системи і рухи космічної водневої і сонячної вуглецевої матерій (енергій) крізь Землю.В Древнем мире пророку Моисею была открыта тайна создания мира. Как научный гений своего времени Моисей зашифровал в форму аллегории в родословной Адама и Потопе прикладную науку о строении ядра Земли, Солнечной системы и движениях космической водородной и солнечной углеродной материи (энергии) сквозь Землю.In the Ancient history the mystery of the Creation of the world was revealed to the Prophet Moses. As a scientific genius of that époque Moses codified in allegoric way in the genealogy of Adam and The Flood the applied science on the structure of the Earth core, of the Solar System and motion of cosmic hydrogenous and solar carbonic substance (energy) through the Earth

THE HST/ACS COMA CLUSTER SURVEY. VIII. BARRED DISK GALAXIES IN THE CORE OF THE COMA CLUSTER

We use high-resolution (~0. ��1) F814W Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) images from the Hubble Space Telescope ACS Treasury survey of the Coma cluster at z ~ 0.02 to study bars in massive disk galaxies (S0s), as well as low-mass dwarf galaxies in the core of the Coma cluster, the densest environment in the nearby universe. Our study helps to constrain the evolution of bars and disks in dense environments and provides a comparison point for studies in lower density environments and at higher redshifts. Our results are: (1) we characterize the fraction and properties of bars in a sample of 32 bright (MV � -18, M* > 109.5M�) S0 galaxies, which dominate the population of massive disk galaxies in the Coma core. We find that the measurement of a bar fraction among S0 galaxies must be handled with special care due to the difficulty in separating unbarred S0s from ellipticals, and the potential dilution of the bar signature by light from a relatively large, bright bulge. The results depend sensitively on the method used: the bar fraction for bright S0s in the Coma core is 50% ± 11%, 65% ± 11%, and 60% ± 11% based on three methods of bar detection, namely, strict ellipse fit criteria, relaxed ellipse fit criteria, and visual classification. (2)We compare the S0 bar fraction across different environments (the Coma core, A901/902, and Virgo) adopting the critical step of using matched samples and matched methods in order to ensure robust comparisons. We find that the bar fraction among bright S0 galaxies does not show a statistically significant variation (within the error bars of ±11%) across environments which span two orders of magnitude in galaxy number density (n ~ 300–10,000 galaxies Mpc-3) and include rich and poor clusters, such as the core of Coma, the A901/902 cluster, and Virgo. We speculate that the bar fraction among S0s is not significantly enhanced in rich clusters compared to low-density environments for two reasons. First, S0s in rich clusters are less prone to bar instabilities as they are dynamically heated by harassment and are gas poor as a result of ram pressure stripping and accelerated star formation. Second, high-speed encounters in rich clusters may be less effective than slow, strong encounters in inducing bars. (3) We also take advantage of the high resolution of the ACS (~50 pc) to analyze a sample of 333 faint (MV > -18) dwarf galaxies in the Coma core. Using visual inspection of unsharp-masked images, we find only 13 galaxies with bar and/or spiral structure. An additional eight galaxies show evidence for an inclined disk. The paucity of disk structures in Coma dwarfs suggests that either disks are not common in these galaxies or that any disks present are too hot to develop instabilities

Efficient loading of dendritic cells following cryo and radiofrequency ablation in combination with immune modulation induces anti-tumour immunity

Dendritic cells (DC) are professional antigen-presenting cells that play a pivotal role in the induction of immunity. Ex vivo-generated, tumour antigen-loaded mature DC are currently exploited as cancer vaccines in clinical studies. However, antigen loading and maturation of DC directly in vivo would greatly facilitate the application of DC-based vaccines. We formerly showed in murine models that radiofrequency-mediated tumour destruction can provide an antigen source for the in vivo induction of anti-tumour immunity, and we explored the role of DC herein. In this paper we evaluate radiofrequency and cryo ablation for their ability to provide an antigen source for DC and compare this with an ex vivo-loaded DC vaccine. The data obtained with model antigens demonstrate that upon tumour destruction by radiofrequency ablation, up to 7% of the total draining lymph node (LN) DC contained antigen, whereas only few DC from the conventional vaccine reached the LN. Interestingly, following cryo ablation the amount of antigen-loaded DC is almost doubled. Analysis of surface markers revealed that both destruction methods were able to induce DC maturation. Finally, we show that in situ tumour ablation can be efficiently combined with immune modulation by anti-CTLA-4 antibodies or regulatory T-cell depletion. These combination treatments protected mice from the outgrowth of tumour challenges, and led to in vivo enhancement of tumour-specific T-cell numbers, which produced more IFN-γ upon activation. Therefore, in situ tumour destruction in combination with immune modulation creates a unique, ‘in situ DC-vaccine' that is readily applicable in the clinic without prior knowledge of tumour antigens

The HST/ACS Coma Cluster Survey - X. Nuclear star clusters in low-mass early-type galaxies: scaling relations

We present scaling relations between structural properties of nuclear star clusters and their host galaxies for a sample of early-type dwarf galaxies observed as part of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Coma Cluster Survey. We have analysed the light profiles of 200 early-type dwarf galaxies in the magnitude range 16.0 < mF814W < 22.6 mag, corresponding to -19.0 < MF814W < -12.4 mag. Nuclear star clusters are detected in 80 per cent of the galaxies, thus doubling the sample of HST-observed early-type dwarf galaxies with nuclear star clusters.We confirm that the nuclear star cluster detection fraction decreases strongly towards faint magnitudes. The luminosities of nuclear star clusters do not scale linearly with host galaxy luminosity. A linear fit yields Lnuc ~ L0.57±0.05 gal. The nuclear star cluster–host galaxy luminosity scaling relation for low-mass early-type dwarf galaxies is consistent with formation by globular cluster (GC) accretion. We find that at similar luminosities, galaxies with higher S´ersic indices have slightly more luminous nuclear star clusters. Rounder galaxies have on average more luminous clusters. Some of the nuclear star clusters are resolved, despite the distance of Coma. We argue that the relation between nuclear star cluster mass and size is consistent with both formation by GC accretion and in situ formation. Our data are consistent with GC inspiralling being the dominant mechanism at low masses, although the observed trend with S´ersic index suggests that in situ star formation is an important second-order effect

Spitzer-IRS Study of the Antennae Galaxies NGC 4038/39

Using the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope, we observed the Antennae galaxies obtaining spectral maps of the entire central region and high signal-to-noise 5-38 um spectra of the two galactic nuclei and six infrared-luminous regions. The total infrared luminosity of our six IR peaks plus the two nuclei is L_IR = 3.8x10^10 L_o, with their derived star formation rates ranging between 0.2 and 2 M_o/yr, with a total of 6.6 M_o/yr. The hardest and most luminous radiation originates from two compact clusters in the southern part of the overlap region, which also have the highest dust temperatures. PAH emission and other tracers of softer radiation are spatially extended throughout and beyond the overlap region, but regions with harder and intenser radiation field show a reduced PAH strength. The strong H_2 emission is rather confined around the nucleus of NGC 4039, where shocks appear to be the dominant excitation mechanism, and the southern part of the overlap region, where it traces the most recent starburst activity. The luminosity ratio between the warm molecular gas (traced by the H_2 lines) and the total far-IR emission is ~1.6x10^-4, similar to that found in many starburst and ULIRGs. The total mass of warm H_2 in the Antennae is 2.5x10^7 M_o, with a fraction of warm to total H_2 gas mass of about 0.35%. The average warm H_2 temperature is 302+/-26 K and appears anti-correlated with the radiation field hardness, possibly due to an evolution of the PDR morphology. The previously reported tight correlation between the H_2 and PAH emission was not found but higher total PAH emission to continuum ratios were found in PDRs with warmer gas.Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, accepted by ApJ, full resolution version at http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~brandl/ngc4038_brandl.pd