Multiple-case study of lower division graduate student Spanish instructors

textThe ever-increasing popularity of digital media and connectivity to the World Wide Web permeates every day culture to the extent that the use of modern technologies also influences the teaching of foreign languages. In connection with the desire to implement sound pedagogical practices that align with Standards of teaching foreign languages, teachers are turning to modern technologies to incorporate into their teaching repertoire. Not only do teachers attempt to integrate the four language skills and culture into their teaching, but they are now urged to incorporate technology into their curriculum. The smart classroom offers the greatest potential for instructors to integrate technology into their curriculum, since this resource is already available across college campuses. This qualitative multiple case study explored the conceptualization and reconceptualization four lower division instructors of Spanish made as they attempted to integrate the resources their smart classrooms had to offer. Secondly, this research project also highlighted the challenges instructors faced while integrating technology into their curriculum. Lastly, this study underscored the advantages instructors believed might derive from integrating technology into their classrooms. Data for this study was collected from four main data sources. Five observations were conducted during the fall of 2005. Three semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the participants at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester. Email reflections were requested from the instructors every two to three weeks during data collection. The course syllabus, lesson plans, and class activity handouts comprised the documents data base. Findings profiled the changes instructors made over the course of the semester in terms of their conceptualizations and re-conceptualizations of the technology offered by smart classrooms. The challenges instructors faced suggest that instructors need to take advantage of more professional development opportunities, as well as enter into dialogue with their peers and other instructors. The advantages highlighted the depth and breadth of the foreign language learning experience, as well as the affordances the accessibility and availability of information stored on the Internet can hold for instructors. This study concludes with pedagogical implications and recommendations for directions of future research.Curriculum and Instructio

Spin-glass phase transition and behavior of nonlinear susceptibility in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model with random fields

The behavior of the nonlinear susceptibility $\chi_3$ and its relation to the spin-glass transition temperature $T_f$, in the presence of random fields, are investigated. To accomplish this task, the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model is studied through the replica formalism, within a one-step replica-symmetry-breaking procedure. In addition, the dependence of the Almeida-Thouless eigenvalue $\lambda_{\rm AT}$ (replicon) on the random fields is analyzed. Particularly, in absence of random fields, the temperature $T_f$ can be traced by a divergence in the spin-glass susceptibility $\chi_{\rm SG}$, which presents a term inversely proportional to the replicon $\lambda_{\rm AT}$. As a result of a relation between $\chi_{\rm SG}$ and $\chi_3$, the latter also presents a divergence at $T_f$, which comes as a direct consequence of $\lambda_{\rm AT}=0$ at $T_f$. However, our results show that, in the presence of random fields, $\chi_3$ presents a rounded maximum at a temperature $T^{*}$, which does not coincide with the spin-glass transition temperature $T_f$ (i.e., $T^* > T_f$ for a given applied random field). Thus, the maximum value of $\chi_3$ at $T^*$ reflects the effects of the random fields in the paramagnetic phase, instead of the non-trivial ergodicity breaking associated with the spin-glass phase transition. It is also shown that $\chi_3$ still maintains a dependence on the replicon $\lambda_{\rm AT}$, although in a more complicated way, as compared with the case without random fields. These results are discussed in view of recent observations in the LiHo$_x$Y$_{1-x}$F$_4$ compound.Comment: accepted for publication in PR

Amazonian Reservoir Hosts of <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em>

The epidemiology of Trypanosoma cruzi in the wild is a particular and highly dynamic scenario that needs attention due to the increased alteration of the environment caused by different factors including anthropogenic change. This chapter is an updated summary about the known reservoir hosts of T. cruzi identified in the countries that share the Amazon rainforest. This information will provide a better understanding of the ecology of T. cruzi in sylvatic environments. This chapter will also contribute to address the potential risks of T. cruzi infection in Amazonian communities who are in contact with wild animals through hunting and wild meat consumption

Caffeine supplementation and intermittent exercise: effects on white blood cells

Caffeine is a common substance in the diets of most athletes and it is appearing in energy drinks, sport gels, alcoholic beverages and diet aids. The effects of caffeine ingestion prior to endurance training have been extensively studied. However, less is known concerning the effects of caffeine ingestion prior to intermittent exercise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of caffeine ingestion prior to intermittent exercise on white blood cells in soccer players. 15 professional soccer players completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. Forty-five minutes before exercise all subjects received 5.5 mg.kg-1 of caffeine (E+C, n=8) or placebo (cellulose; E+P, n=7). The exercise protocol was composed of 12 sets with ten sprints of 20 m each. The rest interval between sprints and between sets was ten seconds and 2 minutes, respectively. Between the 6th and 7th sets the rest interval was of 15 min. Blood samples were collected before and immediately after exercise protocol and the leukocytes were counted in Micros 60 (ABX Horiba) automated hematology analyzer. Anova two-way with Tukey post hoc tests were applied (p \u3c .05). Training session resulted in significant percentage increases (p \u3c .05) in the total leukocyte count (E+C = 31.1%; E+P = 30.5%), neutrophils (E+C = 44.4%; E+P = 38.3%), and lymphocytes (E+C = 21.9%; E+P = 23.0%), with no significant differences between groups for any variable. The main finding was that the ingestion of caffeine (5.5 mg.kg-1) may not cause greater leukocytes levels above that which occurs through exercise alone

High-speed noise-free optical quantum memory

Quantum networks promise to revolutionise computing, simulation, and communication. Light is the ideal information carrier for quantum networks, as its properties are not degraded by noise in ambient conditions, and it can support large bandwidths enabling fast operations and a large information capacity. Quantum memories, devices that store, manipulate, and release on demand quantum light, have been identified as critical components of photonic quantum networks, because they facilitate scalability. However, any noise introduced by the memory can render the device classical by destroying the quantum character of the light. Here we introduce an intrinsically noise-free memory protocol based on two-photon off-resonant cascaded absorption (ORCA). We consequently demonstrate for the first time successful storage of GHz-bandwidth heralded single photons in a warm atomic vapour with no added noise; confirmed by the unaltered photon statistics upon recall. Our ORCA memory platform meets the stringent noise-requirements for quantum memories whilst offering technical simplicity and high-speed operation, and therefore is immediately applicable to low-latency quantum networks