The impact of social motivation on cooperative learning and assessment preferences

This study explores the assessment preferences of 453 postgraduate business students in New Zealand, Australia, and Thailand using a survey linking motivational and educational preferences. This study compares the needs of Western students (Australian and New Zealand), Asian (Thai) and international students (predominantly Chinese and Indian students) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC). One major finding is that students from these three countries who are socially motivated prefer 'cooperative learning'. Further, the study specifically shows that students from Thailand are more socially motivated than students from Australia and New Zealand (ANZAC) while International ANZAC students have the greatest desire for cooperative learning. It also shows that group assessment poses quite significant challenges for local ANZAC students and therefore, remedial intervention from universities is essential if group assessments are to remain relevant and useful in achieving meaningful teaching and learning outcomes. © 2011 eContent Management

A preliminary study of brain macrovascular reactivity in impaired glucose tolerance and type-2 diabetes: Quantitative internal carotid artery blood flow using magnetic resonance phase contrast angiography.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were (1) to examine cerebrovascular autoregulation in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes and (2) to clarify whether cardiovascular autonomic nerve function is associated with abnormal cerebrovascular autoregulation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Totally, 46 subjects were recruited (12 = impaired glucose tolerance, 17 = type 2 diabetes and 17 = healthy volunteers). Arterial blood flow was assessed within the internal carotid artery at baseline and 20 min after intravenous pharmacological stress (1 g acetazolamide), using quantitative magnetic resonance phase-contrast angiography. Internal carotid artery vascular reactivity and pulsatility index was determined. All subjects underwent baroreceptor reflex sensitivity assessment. RESULTS: Subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes had significantly lower internal carotid artery vascular reactivity [40.2%(19.8) and 41.5%(18.7)], respectively, compared with healthy volunteers [57.0%(14.2); analysis of variance, p = 0.02]. There was no significant difference in internal carotid artery vascular reactivity between type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance groups (p = 0.84). There was a significant positive correlation between baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (low frequency:high frequency) with cardiac rhythm variability (ρ = 0.47, p = 0.04) and PI (ρ = 0.46, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated significant cerebrovascular haemodynamic abnormalities in subjects with type 2 diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance. This was associated with greater sympathovagal imbalance. This may provide an important mechanistic explanation for increased risk of cerebrovascular disease in diabetes. It also highlights that these abnormalities may already be present in prediabetes

Fibrometabolism-An emerging therapeutic frontier in pulmonary fibrosis

Fibrosis is the final pathological outcome and major cause of morbidity and mortality in many common and chronic inflammatory, immune-mediated, and metabolic diseases. Despite the growing incidence of fibrotic diseases and extensive research efforts, there remains a lack of effective therapies that improve survival. The application of omics technologies has revolutionized our approach to identifying previously unknown therapeutic targets and potential disease biomarkers. The application of metabolomics, in particular, has improved our understanding of disease pathomechanisms and garnered a wave of scientific interest in the role of metabolism in the biology of myofibroblasts, the key effector cells of the fibrogenic response. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations in metabolism not only are a feature of but also may play an influential role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, most notably in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most rapidly progressive and fatal of all fibrotic conditions. This review will detail the role of key metabolic pathways, their alterations in myofibroblasts, and the potential this new knowledge offers for the development of antifibrotic therapeutic strategies

Studies on Longshore Sediment Transport Along Coast of Nagapattinam, India

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Model Study of River Cooum in Chennai, India

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Microvascular Perfusion Abnormalities of the Thalamus in Painful but Not Painless Diabetic Polyneuropathy: A clue to the pathogenesis of pain in type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE The pathogenesis of painful diabetic neuropathy (DN) remains undetermined, with both central and peripheral mechanisms implicated. This study investigates whether thalamic perfusion abnormalities occur in painful DN. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eighteen subjects with type 1 diabetes (no DN = 6, painful DN = 5, painless DN = 7) and six healthy volunteers (HV) were recruited. Microvascular perfusion characteristics (relative cerebral blood volume [rCBV], flow [rCBF], and transit time [ttFM]) of the thalamus and caudate nucleus were assessed using magnetic resonance perfusion imaging. The caudate nucleus was chosen to serve as an in vivo control region. RESULTS Subjects with painful DN had significantly greater thalamic rCBV (means [SD]; painful DN, 228.7 [19.5]; no DN, 202.3 [25.8]; painless DN, 216.5 [65.5]; HV, 181.9 [51.7]; P = 0.04) and the longest ttFM(s) (painful DN, 38.4 [3.6]; no DN, 35.3 [13.2]; painless DN, 35.9 [13.7]; HV, 33.7 [14.9]; P = 0.07). There was no significant difference in markers of caudate nucleus perfusion. CONCLUSIONS Painful DN is associated with increased thalamic vascularity. This may provide an important clue to the pathogenesis of pain in DN

Comparative review of human and canine osteosarcoma: morphology, epidemiology, prognosis, treatment and genetics

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a rare cancer in people. However OSA incidence rates in dogs are 27 times higher than in people. Prognosis in both species is poor, with five year osteosarcoma survival rates in people not having improved in decades. For dogs, one year survival rates are only around ~45%. Improved and novel treatment regimens are urgently required to improve survival in both humans and dogs with OSA. Utilising information from genetic studies could assist in this in both species, with the higher incidence rates in dogs contributing to the dog population being a good model of human disease. This review compares the clinical characteristics, gross morphology and histopathology, aetiology, epidemiology, and genetics of canine and human osteosarcoma. Finally, the current position of canine osteosarcoma genetic research is discussed and areas for additional work within the canine population are identified

Recombinant HIV Envelope Proteins Fail to Engage Germline Versions of Anti-CD4bs bNAbs

Vaccine candidates for HIV-1 so far have not been able to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) although they express the epitopes recognized by bNAbs to the HIV envelope glycoprotein (Env). To understand whether and how Env immunogens interact with the predicted germline versions of known bNAbs, we screened a large panel (N:56) of recombinant Envs (from clades A, B and C) for binding to the germline predecessors of the broadly neutralizing anti-CD4 binding site antibodies b12, NIH45-46 and 3BNC60. Although the mature antibodies reacted with diverse Envs, the corresponding germline antibodies did not display Env-reactivity. Experiments conducted with engineered chimeric antibodies combining the mature and germline heavy and light chains, respectively and vice-versa, revealed that both antibody chains are important for the known cross-reactivity of these antibodies. Our results also indicate that in order for b12 to display its broad cross-reactivity, multiple somatic mutations within its VH region are required. A consequence of the failure of the germline b12 to bind recombinant soluble Env is that Env-induced B-cell activation through the germline b12 BCR does not take place. Our study provides a new explanation for the difficulties in eliciting bNAbs with recombinant soluble Env immunogens. Our study also highlights the need for intense efforts to identify rare naturally occurring or engineered Envs that may engage the germline BCR versions of bNAbs