6,439 research outputs found
Teacher Perceptions of an Online Extensive Reading Platform
Extensive reading (ER) has been shown to have a number of positive effects on learning a foreign language. Improvements in vocabulary size, reading fluency and comprehension, and grammatical accuracy are just some of the outcomes of extensive reading programs. Since 2011, extensive reading at Sojo University has been carried out through the use of graded readers, typically in the form of physical books made available to students either in class or through the Self-Access Learning Center (SALC). Recently, the popularity of reading texts in digital format has increased with the ubiquitous ownership of portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, and lightweight laptops. In April 2018, all second-year students at Sojo University were required to purchase a subscription to a website known as Xreading (www.xreading.com), which offers hundreds of graded readers in digital format. This study examines teacher perceptions of the platform. A total of nine teachers participated in the study, including the authors of the paper, and the results appear to indicate that teachers feel extensive reading in general is a worthwhile activity but difficult to implement in this context. Results also show that teachers feel the online platform, Xreading, needs to improve in several areas before providing a significant advantage over physical books
First constraints on the magnetic field strength in extra-Galactic stars: FORS2 observations of Of?p stars in the Magellanic Clouds
Massive O-type stars play a dominant role in our Universe, but many of their
properties remain poorly constrained. In the last decade magnetic fields have
been detected in all Galactic members of the distinctive Of?p class, opening
the door to a better knowledge of all O-type stars. With the aim of extending
the study of magnetic massive stars to nearby galaxies, to better understand
the role of metallicity in the formation of their magnetic fields and
magnetospheres, and to broaden our knowledge of the role of magnetic fields in
massive star evolution, we have carried out spectropolarimetry of five
extra-Galactic Of?p stars, as well as a couple of dozen neighbouring stars. We
have been able to measure magnetic fields with typical error bars from 0.2 to
1.0 kG, depending on the apparent magnitude and on weather conditions. No
magnetic field has been firmly detected in any of our measurements, but we have
been able to estimate upper limits to the field values of our target stars. One
of our targets, 2dFS 936, exhibited an unexpected strengthening of emission
lines. We confirm the unusual behaviour of BI 57, which exhibits a 787 d period
with two photometric peaks and one spectroscopic maximum. The observed
strengthening of the emission lines of 2dFS 936, and the lack of detection of a
strong magnetic field in a star with such strong emission lines is at odd with
expectations. Together with the unusual periodic behaviour of BI 57, it
represents a challenge for the current models of Of?p stars. The limited
precision that we obtained in our field measurements (in most cases as a
consequence of poor weather) has led to field-strength upper limits that are
substantially larger than those typically measured in Galactic magnetic O
stars. Further higher precision observations and monitoring are clearly
required.Comment: Accepted by A&
Surface abundances of ON stars
Massive stars burn hydrogen through the CNO cycle during most of their
evolution. When mixing is efficient, or when mass transfer in binary systems
happens, chemically processed material is observed at the surface of O and B
stars. ON stars show stronger lines of nitrogen than morphologically normal
counterparts. Whether this corresponds to the presence of material processed
through the CNO cycle or not is not known. Our goal is to answer this question.
We perform a spectroscopic analysis of a sample of ON stars with atmosphere
models. We determine the fundamental parameters as well as the He, C, N, and O
surface abundances. We also measure the projected rotational velocities. We
compare the properties of the ON stars to those of normal O stars. We show that
ON stars are usually helium-rich. Their CNO surface abundances are fully
consistent with predictions of nucleosynthesis. ON stars are more chemically
evolved and rotate - on average - faster than normal O stars. Evolutionary
models including rotation cannot account for the extreme enrichment observed
among ON main sequence stars. Some ON stars are members of binary systems, but
others are single stars as indicated by stable radial velocities. Hence, mass
transfer is not a simple explanation for the observed chemical properties. We
conclude that ON stars show extreme chemical enrichment at their surface,
consistent with nucleosynthesis through the CNO cycle. Its origin is not clear
at present.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures (+ appendix). A&A accepte
Growing spaces : an evaluation of the mental health recovery programme using mixed methods
Background: Therapeutic horticulture is a nature-based method which includes a range of green activities such as gardening to promote wellbeing. It is believed that therapeutic horticulture provides a person-centred approach that can reduce social isolation for people with mental health problems.
Aims: The aim of the project was to evaluate the impact of a mental health recovery programme that used therapeutic horticulture as an intervention to reduce social inclusion and improve engagement for people with mental health problems.
Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used and data from four semi-structured focus group interviews, 11 exit interviews and 20 recovery star datasets were collected from September 2015 to October 2017. Qualitative data from the interviews were thematically analysed and quantitative data based on a recovery star outcomes tool were analysed using descriptive statistics to demonstrate trends and progression. The findings were then triangulated to provide a rich picture of the impact of the mental health recovery programme.
Results: The recovery star data indicated that participants were working towards self-reliance. Qualitative data from the exit interview and semi-structured focus groups found similar results. The triangulated findings highlight that the mental health recovery programme enabled participant
integration into the community through providing a space to grow and build self-confidence while re-engaging with society. The results suggest that using therapeutic horticulture as an intervention within the mental health recovery programme can support people with mental health problems to re-engage socially. Nature-based activities could be used within the ‘social prescribing’ movement to encourage partnership working between the NHS and voluntary sector organisations which
can complement existing mental health services
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Implementation of an interior point source in the ultra weak variational formulation through source extraction
The Ultra Weak Variational Formulation (UWVF) is a powerful numerical method for the approximation of acoustic, elastic and electromagnetic waves in the time-harmonic regime. The use of Trefftz-type basis functions incorporates the known wave-like behaviour of the solution in the discrete space, allowing large reductions in the required number of degrees of freedom for a given accuracy, when compared to standard finite element methods. However, the UWVF is not well disposed to the accurate approximation of singular sources in the interior of the computational domain. We propose an adjustment to the UWVF for seismic imaging applications, which we call the Source Extraction UWVF. Differing fields are solved for in subdomains around the source, and matched on the inter-domain boundaries. Numerical results are presented for a domain of constant wavenumber and for a domain of varying sound speed in a model used for seismic imaging
The Influence of Stellar Wind Variability on Measurements of Interstellar O VI Along Sightlines to Early-Type Stars
A primary goal of the FUSE mission is to understand the origin of the O VI
ion in the interstellar medium of the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. Along
sightlines to OB-type stars, these interstellar components are usually blended
with O VI stellar wind profiles, which frequently vary in shape. In order to
assess the effects of this time-dependent blending on measurements of the
interstellar O VI lines, we have undertaken a mini-survey of repeated
observations toward OB-type stars in the Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud.
These sparse time series, which consist of 2-3 observations separated by
intervals ranging from a few days to several months, show that wind variability
occurs commonly in O VI (about 60% of a sample of 50 stars), as indeed it does
in other resonance lines. However, in the interstellar O VI 1032
region, the O VI 1038 wind varies only in 30% of the cases. By
examining cases exhibiting large amplitude variations, we conclude that
stellar-wind variability {\em generally} introduces negligible uncertainty for
single interstellar O VI components along Galactic lines of sight, but can
result in substantial errors in measurements of broader components or blends of
components like those typically observed toward stars in the Large Magellanic
Cloud. Due to possible contamination by discrete absorption components in the
stellar O VI line, stars with terminal velocities greater than or equal to the
doublet separation (1654 km/s) should be treated with care.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Lette
Could Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) be the new weapon in our fight against Necrotising Enterocolitis?
There is no ideal single gut tissue or inflammatory biomarker available to help to try and identify Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) before its clinical onset. Neonatologists are all too familiar with the devastating consequences of NEC, and despite many advances in neonatal care the mortality and morbidity associated with NEC remains significant. In this article we review Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) as a method of measuring regional gut tissue oxygenation. We discuss its current and potential future applications, including considering its effectiveness as a possible new weapon in the early identification of NEC
Biomarkers of gut injury in neonates – where are we in predicting necrotising enterocolitis?
Despite advances in neonatal care Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC) continues to have a significant mortality and morbidity rate, and with increasing survival of those more immature infants the population at risk of NEC is increasing. Ischaemia, reperfusion, and inflammation underpin diseases affecting intestinal blood flow causing gut injury including Necrotising Enterocolitis. There is increasing interest in tissue biomarkers of gut injury in neonates, particularly those representing changes in intestinal wall barrier and permeability, to determine whether these could be useful biomarkers of gut injury. This article reviews current and newly proposed markers of gut injury, the available literature evidence, recent advances and considers how effective they are in clinical practice. We discuss each biomarker in terms of its effectiveness in predicting NEC onset and diagnosis or predicting NEC severity and then those that will aid in surveillance and identifying those infants are greatest risk of developing NEC
Of?p stars: a class of slowly rotating magnetic massive stars
Only 5 Of?p stars have been identified in the Galaxy. Of these, 3 have been
studied in detail, and within the past 5 years magnetic fields have been
detected in each of them. The observed magnetic and spectral characteristics
are indicative of organised magnetic fields, likely of fossil origin, confining
their supersonic stellar winds into dense, structured magnetospheres. The
systematic detection of magnetic fields in these stars strongly suggests that
the Of?p stars represent a general class of magnetic O-type stars.Comment: Proceedings of IAUS 272: Active OB star
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