Promoting independent learning skills using video on digital language laboratories

This is the author's PDF version of an article published in Computer assisted language learning ©2006. The definitive version is available at http://www.informaworld.com/The article discusses the potential for developing independent learning skills using the digital language laboratory with particular reference to exploiting the increasingly available resource of digital video. It investigates the potential for recording and editing video clips from online sources and digitalising clips from analogue recordings and reflects on the current status quo regarding the complex copyright regulations in this area. It describes two pilot self-access programmes based on video clips which were undertaken with University College Chester undergraduates and reflects on the value of the experience for students in developing a wide range of language skills as well as independent learning skills using their feedback on the experience

Testing a model of global citizenship in higher education institutions in the SADC region

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) equip the labour force with the necessary skills and knowledge to engage effectively as global citizens. The aim of this study was to test the Reysen and Katzarska-Miller (2013) model of global citizenship identity in the context of HEIs in the SADC region. This study approaches global citizenship from a social identity perspective in which identification as a global citizen is at the center. Identification as a global citizen is theorised to follow a Normative Environment and Global Awareness as antecedents. In turn global citizen identification (GCI) produces six prosocial outcomes. This model proposes nine domains of Global Citizenship including two antecedents, an identification as a global citizen and six prosocial outcomes. Participants included 242 students and staff from universities across seven countries participating in the UNESCO #OpenUpYourThinking Researchers Challenge. Participants completed an online version of the Global Citizenship Scale. In this study, the antecedents and outcomes of GC were all positively and significantly correlated demonstrating a linear relationship between all domains. The results provided empirical support for this model in the context of HEIs in the SADC region. GCI was significantly predicted by normative environment and global awareness. In turn, GCI significantly predicted the six prosocial outcomes. Indirect prediction effects between normative environment, global awareness and GCI significantly predicted the six prosocial outcomes

Hepatitis C virus genotypes in liver transplant recipients: Impact on posttransplant recurrence, infections, response to interferon-α therapy and outcome

Background. End-stage liver disease due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common indication for liver transplantation in U.S. veterans. We investigated the influence of HCV genotypes on the incidence and timing of recurrent HCV hepatitis, survival, infectious morbidity, and response to interferon-α therapy in this unique patient population. Methods. HCV genotype was determined by direct sequencing of the NS5 region of HCV with type-specific primers. Results. Genotype 1a (66%, 32/47) was the predominant genotype. Type 1b was found in 25% (12/47) of patients and type 2b was found in 9% (4/47). His topathologically recurrent HCV hepatitis developed in 53% (25/47) of the patients after transplantation. This group included 45% (14/31) of the patients with type 1a, 67% (8/12) of the patients with type 1b, and 25% (1/4) of the patients with type 2b (P>0.5). The time to recurrence and the severity of HCV recurrence as defined by aminotransferase levels or Knodell scores were not different among the three genotypes. There was a trend toward a higher incidence of major infections in patients with type 1b (75%) versus type 1a (48%) and type 2b (50%) (P=0.11). The response to interferon-α therapy did not differ significantly among the genotypes. Mortality at 5 years was 16% (5/31) in patients with genotype 1a, 42% (5/12) in patients with genotype 1b, and 50% (2/4) in patients with genotype 2b (P=0.06). Conclusions. The incidence, time to recurrence, and response to interferon-α therapy did not differ be tween the various genotypes in our liver transplant recipients. However, there was a trend toward higher infectious morbidity and overall mortality in patients with genotype 1b after transplantation

A high incidence of native portal vein thrombosis in veterans undergoing liver transplantation

The incidence of native portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver transplant recipients has been reported to range from 2.1 to 13.8%. We have identified an inordinately high incidence of PVT in a consecutive series of U.S. veterans receiving liver transplants. Between October 1989 and February 1994, 88 consecutive U.S. veterans received 99 orthotopic liver transplants under primary Tacrolimus (Prograf, formerly FK506) based immunosuppression. A number of clinical features were examined in an effort to identify risk factors for PVT and outcome was compared to patients without PVT. Native PVT was present in 23/88 (26%) patients. All of these patients were male U.S. veterans with a mean age of 47 years. When compared to the 65 patients without PVT, we found no significant difference with respect to underlying liver disease, age, Childs-Pugh score (mean = 12), UNOS status as defined prior to April 1995 (95% UNOS 3 or 4), previous abdominal surgery, or liver volume. Median blood loss for patients with PVT (21 units of packed red blood cells) was greater than for those without PVT (14 units, P = 0.04). Portal thrombectomy was performed in 11 patients, 11 patients required mesoportal jump grafts, and 1 patient had an interposition graft. Standard veno-venous bypass was used in 10 patients with single bypass utilized for the remainder. Actuarial patient survival for all patients at 1, 2, and 4 years was 88, 85, and 79%, respectively. There was no significant difference in patients with or without PVT. Patients with PVT had poorer graft survival than patients without PVT (86% vs 65%, 1 year; 81% vs 65%, 2 years; 81% vs 61%, 4 years; P = 0.03); however, this was not related to technical problems with the portal venous inflow. PVT occurred in 26% of U.S. veterans undergoing liver transplantation. These patients bad significantly higher operative blood loss and poorer graft survival. The high incidence of postnecrotic cirrhosis in a predominantly male group of patients with advanced disease, as is evident by the high mean Childs-Pugh score and UNOS status, perhaps accounts for our observations

Rim Pathway-Mediated Alterations in the Fungal Cell Wall Influence Immune Recognition and Inflammation

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We acknowledge Jennifer Lodge, Woei Lam, and Rajendra Upadhya for developing and sharing the chitin and chitosan MTBH assay. We thank Todd Brennan of Duke University for providing MyD88-deficient mice. We acknowledge Neil Gow for providing access to the Dionex HPAEC-PAD instrumentation. We also acknowledge Connie Nichols for critical reading of the manuscript. These experiments were supported by an NIH grant to J.A.A. and F.L.W., Jr. (R01 AI074677). C.M.L.W. was supported by a fellowship provided through the Army Research Office of the Department of Defense (no. W911NF-11-1-0136 f) (F.L.W., Jr.). J.W., L.W., and C.M. were supported by the Wellcome Trust Strategic Award in Medical Mycology and Fungal Immunology (097377) and the MRC, Centre for Medical Mycology (MR/N006364/1). FUNDING INFORMATION MRC Centre for Medical MycologyMR/N006364/1 Carol A. Munro HHS | NIH | National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) https://doi.org/10.13039/100000060R01 AI074677J. Andrew Alspaugh Wellcome https://doi.org/10.13039/100010269097377 Carol A. Munro DOD | United States Army | RDECOM | Army Research Office (ARO) https://doi.org/10.13039/100000183W911NF-11-1-0136 f Chrissy M. Leopold WagerPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Evaluation of the two-photon absorption characteristics of GaSb/GaAs quantum rings

The optical parameters describing the sub-bandgap response of GaSb/GaAs quantum rings solar cells have been obtained from photocurrent measurements using a modulated pseudomonochromatic light source in combination with a second, continuous photo-filling source. By controlling the charge state of the quantum rings, the photoemission cross-sections describing the two-photon sub-bandgap transitions could be determined independently. Temperature dependent photo-response measurements also revealed that the barrier for thermal hole emission from the quantum rings is significantly below the quantum ring localisation energy. The temperature dependence of the sub-bandgap photo-response of the solar cell is also described in terms of the photo-and thermal-emission characteristics of the quantum rings. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC

Theology, News and Notes - Vol. 57, No. 01

Theology News & Notes was a theological journal published by Fuller Theological Seminary from 1954 through 2014.https://digitalcommons.fuller.edu/tnn/1166/thumbnail.jp

Strong enhancement of spin fluctuations in the low-temperature-tetragonal phase of antiferromagnetically ordered La_{2-x-y}Eu_ySr_xCuO_4

Measurements of the static magnetization, susceptibility and ESR of Gd spin probes have been performed to study the properties of antiferromagnetically ordered La_{2-x-y}Eu_ySr_xCuO_4 (x less or equal 0.02) with the low temperature tetragonal structure. According to the static magnetic measurements the CuO_2 planes are magnetically decoupled in this structural phase. The ESR study reveals strong magnetic fluctuations at the ESR frequency which are not present in the orthorhombic phase. It is argued that this drastic enhancement of the spin fluctuations is due to a considerable weakening of the interlayer exchange and a pronounced influence of hole motion on the antiferromagnetic properties of lightly hole doped La_2CuO_4. No evidence for the stripe phase formation at small hole doping is obtained in the present study.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX, 3 EPS figures; to be published in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matte

Ensemble evaluation of hydrological model hypotheses

It is demonstrated for the first time how model parameter, structural and data uncertainties can be accounted for explicitly and simultaneously within the Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methodology. As an example application, 72 variants of a single soil moisture accounting store are tested as simplified hypotheses of runoff generation at six experimental grassland field-scale lysimeters through model rejection and a novel diagnostic scheme. The fields, designed as replicates, exhibit different hydrological behaviors which yield different model performances. For fields with low initial discharge levels at the beginning of events, the conceptual stores considered reach their limit of applicability. Conversely, one of the fields yielding more discharge than the others, but having larger data gaps, allows for greater flexibility in the choice of model structures. As a model learning exercise, the study points to a “leaking” of the fields not evident from previous field experiments. It is discussed how understanding observational uncertainties and incorporating these into model diagnostics can help appreciate the scale of model structural error