Perceptions of Chinese students in an Australian university: Are we meeting their needs?

This short-term longitudinal study sought to identify the issues faced by a group of international Chinese students undertaking study in an Australian university. While the focus was on educational issues, socio-cultural and personal factors were also examined in an attempt to identify the sorts of strategies students used in settling into anew socio-cultural and educational context. Interviews conducted at the beginning and end of the first semester of study indicate a range of issues that are supported by previous studies. What has not previously been highlighted, however, is the emphasis on speaking and listening skills which students reported they needed to improve. Lack of proficiency in these areas was seen by students as hampering their active participation in class, leading to lack of confidence in approaching Australian students, and resulting in their inability to benefit from the “Australian experience”. Many existing academic support structures in Australian universities tend to emphasize support with written and study skills. While this is important because of the direct impact on assessment, it is perhaps now opportune to place some emphasis on developing strategies and programmes that will support the development of students’ speaking and listening skills, with a focus on intercultural communication

An extended hybrid magnetohydrodynamics gyrokinetic model for numerical simulation of shear Alfv\'en waves in burning plasmas

Adopting the theoretical framework for the generalized fishbonelike dispersion relation, an extended hybrid magnetohydrodynamics gyrokinetic simulation model has been derived analytically by taking into account both thermal ion compressibility and diamagnetic effects in addition to energetic particle kinetic behaviors. The extended model has been used for implementing an eXtended version of Hybrid Magnetohydrodynamics Gyrokinetic Code (XHMGC) to study thermal ion kinetic effects on Alfv\'enic modes driven by energetic particles, such as kinetic beta induced Alfv\'en eigenmodes in tokamak fusion plasmas

Marketing a tourism industry in late stage decline: The case of the Isle of Man

Qualitative interviews in the Isle of Man uncovered local perceptions of a tourism industry in late stage decline. Social impacts of decline are pronounced including facilities loss, cultural changes and a heightening of perceived peripherality: which taken together undermine local identity. Tourists are welcomed as they help to affirm the pride residents have in their island in creating a more active atmosphere, provide social interaction opportunities and to combat negative stereotyping. Thus findings emphasise the diverse, unique and persistent benefits of tourism in the Isle of Man, despite its decline. Destination marketing recommendations are therefore made to better address the experiences and desires of communities experiencing decline

Influence of laser-lok surface on immediate functional loading of implants in single-tooth replacement: a 2-year prospective clinical study.

he purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of a Laser-Lok microtexturing surface on clinical attachment level and crestal bone remodeling around immediately functionally loaded implants in single-tooth replacement. Seventy-seven patients were included in a prospective, randomized study and divided into two groups. Group 1 (control) consisted of non-Laser-Lok type implants (n = 39), while in group 2 (test), Laser-Lok type implants were used (n = 39). Crestal bone loss (CBL) and clinical parameters including clinical attachment level (CAL), Plaque Index (PI), and bleeding on probing were recorded at baseline examinations and at 6, 12, and 24 months after loading with the final restoration. One implant was lost in the control group and one in the test group, giving a total survival rate of 96.1% after 2 years. PI and BOP outcomes were similar for both implant types without statistical differences. A mean CAL loss of 1.10 ± 0.51 mm was observed during the first 2 years in group 1, while the mean CAL loss observed in group 2 was 0.56 ± 0.33 mm. Radiographically, group 1 implants showed a mean crestal bone loss of 1.07 ± 0.30 mm compared with 0.49 ± 0.34 mm for group 2. The type of implant did not influence the survival rate, whereas Laser-Lok implants resulted in greater CAL and in shallower radiographic peri-implant CBL than non-Laser-Lok implants

Nonlinear dynamics of beta induced Alfv\'en eigenmode driven by energetic particles

Nonlinear saturation of beta induced Alfv\'en eigenmode, driven by slowing down energetic particles via transit resonance, is investigated by the nonlinear hybrid magnetohyrodynamic gyro-kinetic code (XHMGC). Saturation is characterized by frequency chirping and symmetry breaking between co- and counter-passing particles, which can be understood as the the evidence of resonance-detuning. The scaling of the saturation amplitude with the growth rate is also demonstrated to be consistent with radial resonance detuning due to the radial non-uniformity and mode structure

New Extinction and Mass Estimates from Optical Photometry of the Very Low Mass Brown Dwarf Companion CT Chamaeleontis B with the Magellan AO System

We used the Magellan adaptive optics (MagAO) system and its VisAO CCD camera to image the young low mass brown dwarf companion CT Chamaeleontis B for the first time at visible wavelengths. We detect it at r', i', z', and Ys. With our new photometry and Teff~2500 K derived from the shape its K-band spectrum, we find that CT Cha B has Av = 3.4+/-1.1 mag, and a mass of 14-24 Mj according to the DUSTY evolutionary tracks and its 1-5 Myr age. The overluminosity of our r' detection indicates that the companion has significant Halpha emission and a mass accretion rate ~6*10^-10 Msun/yr, similar to some substellar companions. Proper motion analysis shows that another point source within 2" of CT Cha A is not physical. This paper demonstrates how visible wavelength AO photometry (r', i', z', Ys) allows for a better estimate of extinction, luminosity, and mass accretion rate of young substellar companions.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ; 6 figure