Collaborative pedagogy and digital scholarship: a case study of 'Media Culture 2020'

This paper presents an educational case study of ‘Media Culture 2020’, an EU Erasmus Intensive Programme that utilised a range social media platforms and computer software to create open, virtual spaces where students from different countries and fields could explore and learn together. The multi-disciplinary project featured five universities from across Europe and was designed to develop new pedagogical frameworks to encourage collaborative approaches to teaching and learning in the arts. The main objective of the project was to break down classroom and campus walls by creating digital learning environments that facilitated new forms of production, transmission and representation of knowledge. Media Culture 2020 was designed to pilot a novel mode of ‘blended learning’, demonstrating a number of ways in which ‘Web 2.0’ networked technologies might be adopted by academics to encourage open and collaborative modes of practice. The project utilised a number of social media platforms (including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Google Hangout, Google Docs and Blogger) to enhance the learning experiences of a diverse set of students from different cultural and international contexts. In doing so, Media Culture 2020 enabled participants with a diverse range skills and cultural experiences to develop new working practices that respond to the convergence of digital media and art, as well as the internationalisation of media production and business, through the use of open, interactive software

Standardisierter T1w/T2w-Quotient als Marker für mikrostrukturelle Gewebeschäden bei neurologischen Erkrankungen

Introduction Microstructural tissue damage in neurological disorders is typically measured using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as diffusion-based or quantitative imaging, that require additional scan time and expertise in post-processing, limiting their feasibility in the clinical routine. The ratio of T1-weighted to T2-weighted images (T1w/T2w ratio) was proposed as an alternative to measure tissue microstructure, as it uses scans typically acquired in clinical routine and has simple post-processing. This dissertation investigates the feasibility of a standardized T1w/T2w ratio method and its sensitivity to microstructural tissue damage in multiple sclerosis (MS) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Methods In Study I, the standardized and conventional T1w/T2w ratios in the gray and white matter were compared between 47 MS patients and healthy controls (matched for age and sex) and clinical correlates (e.g. lesion load, disease severity) were investigated. Study II investigated longitudinal changes in standardized T1w/T2w ratio in the white matter from the first clinical presentation of 102 MS patients and evaluated its association with cortical thickness and disease activity, defined using the No Evidence of Disease Activity (NEDA-3) criteria. Study III investigated whether standardized T1w/T2w ratio values in the middle cerebellar peduncle differed between 28 MSA patients and healthy controls matched for age and sex. Results The standardized T1w/T2w ratio was shown to reduce variability of white matter values and enhance sensitivity to normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) damage in MS patients (Study I). We showed that NAWM standardized T1w/T2w ratio values did not significantly differ from controls in early MS at first clinical presentation but that these values were significantly associated with increasing lesion volume and decreasing cortical thickness over time, mediated by disease activity (Study II). In MSA we showed that the middle cerebellar peduncle standardized T1w/T2w ratio had a high sensitivity and specificity to classify MSA patients compared to controls (Study III). Conclusions This dissertation demonstrates that the standardized T1w/T2w ratio is a valid and more sensitive marker of microstructural tissue damage compared to the conventional T1w/T2w ratio. Furthermore, the standardized T1w/T2w ratio can be used to investigate microstructural damage in neurological disorders such as MS and MSA, corroborating and expanding on findings from more established measures of microstructural damage, such as diffusion tensor imaging. The standardized T1w/T2w ratio represents an important and promising measure of microstructural damage in settings where additional scan time is limited or for retrospective studies where quantitative or diffusion-based MRI data are not available.Mikrostrukturelle Gewebeschäden bei neurologischen Erkrankungen werden typischerweise mit fortschrittlichen Magnetresonanztomographie-Techniken (MRT) wie diffusionsbasierte oder quantitative Verfahren gemessen, die zusätzliche Scan-Zeit und Expertise in der Nachbearbeitung erfordern, was ihre Durchführbarkeit in der klinischen Routine einschränkt. Das Verhältnis von T1-gewichteten zu T2-gewichteten Bildern (T1w/T2w-Verhältnis) wurde als Alternative zur Messung der Gewebemikrostruktur vorgeschlagen, da es Scans verwendet, die im klinischen Alltag aufgenommen werden und eine einfache Nachbearbeitung ermöglichen. Diese Dissertation untersucht die Durchführbarkeit einer standardisierten T1w/T2w-Ratio-Methode und ihre Sensitivität für mikrostrukturelle Schäden bei Multipler Sklerose (MS) und Multipler Systematrophie (MSA). Methoden In Studie I wurden die standardisierten und konventionellen T1w/T2w-Verhältniswerte in der grauen und weißen Substanz zwischen 47 MS Patienten und gematchten gesunden Kontrollen (gematcht für Alter und Geschlecht) verglichen sowie klinische Korrelate (wie z.B. Läsionslast, Krankheitsschwere) untersucht. Studie II untersuchte longitudinale Veränderungen des standardisierten T1w/T2w-Verhältnisses in der weißen Substanz ab der ersten klinischen Präsentation von 102 MS Patienten und bewertete ihre Assoziation mit der kortikalen Dicke und der Krankheitsaktivität, definiert anhand der “No Evidence of Disease Activity” (keine Hinweise auf Krankheitsaktivität; NEDA-3) Kriterien. In Studie III wurde untersucht, ob sich die standardisierten T1w/T2w-Verhältniswerte im mittleren Kleinhirnstiel zwischen 28 MSA Patienten und für Alter und Geschlecht gematchten gesunden Kontrollen unterscheiden. Ergebnisse Es wurde gezeigt, dass das standardisierte T1w/T2w-Verhältnis die Variabilität der Werte der weißen Substanz reduziert und die Sensitivität für normal erscheinende Schäden der weißen Substanz bei MS Patienten erhöht (Studie I). Wir konnten zeigen, dass sich die Werte des standardisierten T1w/T2w-Verhältnisses der normal erscheinenden weißen Substanz bei der ersten klinischen Präsentation der MS nicht signifikant von denen der Kontrollgruppe unterscheiden, dass diese Werte jedoch signifikant mit dem zunehmenden Läsionsvolumen und der abnehmenden kortikalen Dicke im Laufe der Zeit verbunden sind, was durch die Krankheitsaktivität vermittelt wird (Studie II). Bei MSA zeigten wir, dass das standardisierte T1w/T2w-Verhältnis des mittleren Kleinhirnstiels eine hohe Sensitivität und Spezifität zur Klassifizierung von MSA Patienten im Vergleich zu Kontrollen aufweist (Studie III). Schlussfolgerungen Diese Dissertation zeigt, dass das standardisierte T1w/T2w-Verhältnis ein valider und sensitiverer Marker für mikrostrukturelle Schäden im Vergleich zum konventionellen T1w/T2w-Verhältnis ist. Darüber hinaus kann das standardisierte T1w/T2w-Verhältnis zur Untersuchung mikrostruktureller Schäden bei neurologischen Erkrankungen (MS und MSA) verwendet werden und bestätigt und erweitert die Ergebnisse etablierter Maße für mikrostrukturelle Schäden wie diffusionsbasierte MRT Verfahren. Das standardisierte T1w/T2w-Verhältnis stellt ein wichtiges und vielversprechendes Maß für mikrostrukturelle Gewebeschäden in Situationen dar, in denen zusätzliche Scan-Zeit begrenzt ist oder für retrospektive Studien, in denen quantitative oder diffusionsbasierte MRT-Daten nicht verfügbar sind

Broad Shoulders, Hidden Voices: The Legacy of Integration at New Orleans\u27 Benjamin Franklin High School

This paper seeks to insert the voices of students into the historical discussion of public school integration in New Orleans. While history tends to ignore the memories of children that experienced integration firsthand, this paper argues that those memories can alter our understanding of that history. In 1963, Benjamin Franklin High School was the first public high school in New Orleans to integrate. Black students knowingly made sacrifices to transfer to Ben Franklin, as they were socially and politically conscious teenagers. Black students formed alliances with some white teachers and students to help combat the racist environment that still dominated their school and city. Ben Franklin students were maturing adolescents worked to establish their identities in this newly integrated, intellectually advanced space. This paper explores the way in which students – of differing racial, socio-economic, religious, educational, and political upbringings – all struggled to navigate self and space in this discordant society

Broad Shoulders, Hidden Voices: The Legacy of Integration at New Orleans\u27 Benjamin Franklin High School

This paper seeks to insert the voices of students into the historical discussion of public school integration in New Orleans. While history tends to ignore the memories of children that experienced integration firsthand, this paper argues that those memories can alter our understanding of that history. In 1963, Benjamin Franklin High School was the first public high school in New Orleans to integrate. Black students knowingly made sacrifices to transfer to Ben Franklin, as they were socially and politically conscious teenagers. Black students formed alliances with some white teachers and students to help combat the racist environment that still dominated their school and city. Ben Franklin students were maturing adolescents worked to establish their identities in this newly integrated, intellectually advanced space. This paper explores the way in which students – of differing racial, socio-economic, religious, educational, and political upbringings – all struggled to navigate self and space in this discordant society

Digital learning environments and collaborative pedagogy: Media Culture 2020

This paper presents an educational case study of Media Culture 2020, an EU Erasmus Intensive Programme (EU ERASMUS project number 2012-1-FI1-ERA10-09673) that utilised a range of social media platforms and interactive computer software to create open, virtual learning environments where students from different countries and fields could explore and learn together. The multi-disciplinary project featured five universities from across Europe: the University of Vic (Spain), Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Liepaja University (Latvia), the University of Lincoln (United Kingdom) and HKU Hilversum (Netherlands) – and was designed to develop new pedagogical frameworks that might encourage collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. This paper will focus primarily on the implementation of a number of digital tools during the pre-workshop phase, in addition to highlighting the key educational aspects of the project

Directed cycles and related structures in random graphs: II--Dynamic properties

We study directed random graphs (random graphs whose edges are directed) as they evolve in discrete time by the addition of nodes and edges. For two distinct evolution strategies, one that forces the graph to a condition of near acyclicity at all times and another that allows the appearance of nontrivial directed cycles, we provide analytic and simulation results related to the distributions of degrees. Within the latter strategy, in particular, we investigate the appearance and behavior of the strong components that were our subject in the first part of this study.Comment: submitted to Physica

Development of a 3D printer using scanning projection stereolithography

We have developed a system for the rapid fabrication of low cost 3D devices and systems in the laboratory with micro-scale features yet cm-scale objects. Our system is inspired by maskless lithography, where a digital micromirror device (DMD) is used to project patterns with resolution up to 10 µm onto a layer of photoresist. Large area objects can be fabricated by stitching projected images over a 5cm2 area. The addition of a z-stage allows multiple layers to be stacked to create 3D objects, removing the need for any developing or etching steps but at the same time leading to true 3D devices which are robust, configurable and scalable. We demonstrate the applications of the system by printing a range of micro-scale objects as well as a fully functioning microfluidic droplet device and test its integrity by pumping dye through the channels

Competencies Needed to be Successful County Agents and County Supervisors

This study describes the competencies that county agents and county supervisors in Arkansas believe are important for future success. Participants identified 57 core competencies, with character traits being the top-rated items. Having a farm background and 4-H experience were not ranked as highly important. The competency area Faculty/Staff Relations was rated as the most important for both agents and supervisors. Management Skills were ranked more important for supervisors, while Public Relations and Work Habits were rated more important for agents. Training should be provided to increase agent and supervisor competencies in those areas identified as very important

Pain in NMOSD and MOGAD: A Systematic Literature Review of Pathophysiology, Symptoms, and Current Treatment Strategies

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) are autoimmune inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system (CNS). Pain is highly prevalent and debilitating in NMOSD and MOGAD with a severe impact on quality of life, and there is a critical need for further studies to successfully treat and manage pain in these rare disorders. In NMOSD, pain has a prevalence of over 80%, and pain syndromes include neuropathic, nociceptive, and mixed pain, which can emerge in acute relapse or become chronic during the disease course. The impact of pain in MOGAD has only recently received increased attention, with an estimated prevalence of over 70%. These patients typically experience not only severe headache, retrobulbar pain, and/or pain on eye movement in optic neuritis but also neuropathic and nociceptive pain. Given the high relevance of pain in MOGAD and NMOSD, this article provides a systematic review of the current literature pertaining to pain in both disorders, focusing on the etiology of their respective pain syndromes and their pathophysiological background. Acknowledging the challenge and complexity of diagnosing pain, we also provide a mechanism-based classification of NMOSD- and MOGAD-related pain syndromes and summarize current treatment strategies

Measurement of chest wall forces on coughing with the use of human cadavers

Letter commenting on an article by Magovern et al.peer-reviewe