Ca2+-Calmodulin Dependent Inactivation of TRPM2

The interaction of Ca2+-calmodulin is known to promote Ca2+-dependent negative feedback on the activity of various Ca permeable channels through Ca -dependent inactivation. Our laboratory has previously observed a progressive, time-dependent inactivation of TRPM2 (melastatin-related transient receptor potential channel 2). Currents were evoked from HEK 293T cells stably expressing TRPM2, through-the intracellular application of ADPR. TRPM2-mediated currents developed rapidly, reaching a peak and decaying to a steady state in the continued presence of extracellular Ca2+. Full recovery of TRPM2 channels from inactivation was dependent on ADPR concentration. Inactivation was reduced at more depolarized membrane potentials, consistent with a reduced driving force and influx of Ca2+. The extent of inactivation was dependent on extra- and intracellular Ca2+. Exogenous application of calmodulin results in a slower recovery of TRPM2 channels, in addition to increased inactivation. In conclusion, I have shown that TRPM2 channels are susceptible to Ca2+-dependent inactivation involving calmodulin

Effective design of online intercultural exchanges among successful EFL teachers in Slovakia

This mixed-method research examined the reasons, challenges, and use of online intercultural exchanges (OIEs) among Slovak English as foreign language (EFL) teachers in order to maximize the potential of OIEs for English language learning. The study collected data from an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and artifact analysis. The key findings of this study demonstrate that Slovak EFL teachers engage in OIEs to develop their learners’ intercultural competence and to collaborate with other European teachers despite the time-consuming nature of the OIEs. Based on the results of the study, effective OIE projects include clear task instructions, information-exchange, and collaborative tasks. In these projects, experienced teachers demonstrate flexibility, cultivate agency, and lead their English learners to create meaningful and engaging end-products. One recommendation is that the role of language be more explicit and intentional in order to leverage the linguistic potential of OIEs for English language instruction

국제교류수업을 통한 초등학생들의 문화 간 의사소통능력과 의사소통에 참여하려는 태도 탐구

학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 사범대학 외국어교육과(영어전공), 2021.8. 최서용.The present study explores how online intercultural exchanges (OIEs) impact Korean elementary school students intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and willingness to communicate (WTC) and seeks to reveal students perception of ICC and WTC during OIEs. As no previous studies of OIEs in the Korean context have focused on interactions with non-native partners, the current study examines OIEs with Japanese and Indian peers. In addition, while many researchers have quantitatively analyzed the effects of OIEs on language learners, there remains a relative lack of qualitative analysis. Therefore, this study aims to enable a deeper understanding by mixing quantitative and qualitative analyses of the impact of OIEs on students' ICC and WTC. For the purpose of the study, 61 Korean EFL elementary school students in Seongnam, Korea completed an Intercultural Communicative Scale (ICS) survey and WTC questionnaire before OIEs. Subsequently, the OIEs instruction was implemented for ten sessions using the regular English curriculum. After completing all of the intercultural telecollaboration, surveys and interviews related to participants ICC and WTC were conducted. This study has identified that OIEs have a significant impact on Korean elementary school students ICC. Regarding students ICC before and after OIEs, the result of the paired samples t-test revealed statistically significant differences. In addition, a qualitative analysis of participants' interviews showed a variety of pedagogical implications throughout the four related topics (Interaction Engagement and Enjoyment, Respect of Cultural Differences, Interaction Confidence and Interaction Attentiveness). Similarly, OIEs turned out to have positive effects with Korean elementary school students WTC. The paired samples t-test also revealed that there were statistically significant differences in students WTC before and after intercultural telecollaboration. Furthermore, the post-test interviews for participants WTC discovered that they showed active willingness to communicate, voluntary efforts for communication, and willingness to communicate with non-native partners. Hence, it could conceivably be hypothesized that when Korean EFL elementary school students participate in OIEs, their ICC and WTC can be improved. To develop a full picture of OIEs, however, additional studies that focus more attention on a variety of telecollaborative activities and student-centered OIEs lesson plans will be needed.본 연구는 한국 초등학생 영어 학습자들이 온라인을 활용한 문화간 국제교류수업을 받았을 때, 그들의 문화 간 의사소통능력과 의사소통에 참여하려는 태도에 어떠한 영향이 있는지 알아보기 위해 수행되었다. 영어를 모국어로 사용하지 않는 비원어민 파트너와의 국제교류수업에 대한 기존의 연구가 드물었다는 점과 이전 연구들이 대부분 양적 연구에 치우쳐 있었다는 점을 발견하고, 비원어민 파트너와의 국제교류수업 환경을 조성하고 질적 연구와 결합한 연구방법을 사용하였다. 대한민국 성남시 소재의 초등학교에 재학중인 6학년 61명의 학생들을 대상으로 실시된 본 연구에서 학생들은 국제교류수업 전에 문화 간 의사소통능력과 의사소통에 참여하려는 태도에 관한 설문을 실시하였다. 그리고 10번(80분 수업)의 국제교류수업을 정규 영어교육과정 수업 시간을 활용하여 진행하였다. 연구 참여자들은 모든 국제교류수업을 마치고 다시 한번 동일한 문화 간 의사소통능력과 의사소통에 참여하려는 태도에 관한 설문을 실시하고 인터뷰에 참여하였다. 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 온라인을 활용한 문화 간 국제교류수업이 한국 초등학생 영어 학습자들의 문화간 의사소통 능력에 유의미한 영향을 미치는 것으로 드러났다. 대응표본 t검정을 통해 국제교류수업 전과 후에 연구 참여자들의 문화간 의사소통 능력에 통계적으로 유의미한 차이가 있음이 밝혀졌다. 더불어 학생들의 인터뷰를 질적으로 분석한 결과, 4가지 관련 주제 (상호작용 참여와 즐거움, 문화적 차이의 존중, 상호작용 자신감, 상호작용 주의력)를 통해 다양한 교육적 함의가 도출되었다. 둘째, 온라인을 활용한 문화 간 국제교류수업이 한국 초등학생 영어 학습자들의 의사소통에 참여하려는 의지에 유의미한 영향을 미친다는 결과를 얻었다. 대응표본 t검정을 통해 국제교류수업 전과 후에 연구 참여자들의 의사소통에 참여하려는 의지 역시 통계적으로 유의미한 차이가 있음이 드러났다. 더불어 학생들의 인터뷰를 질적으로 분석한 결과, 3가지 관련 주제 (적극적인 의사소통의지, 의사소통의지를 위한 자발적인 노력, 비원어민 파트너와의 의사소통 의지)를 통하여 학생들의 의사소통에 참여하려는 의지를 깊이 있게 이해할 수 있었다. 본 연구는 한국의 초등학생 영어 학습자가 온라인을 활용한 문화 간 국제교류수업에 참여했을 때, 그들의 문화 간 의사소통능력과 의사소통에 참여하려는 의지가 향상될 수 있음을 밝혀냈다. 이는 비원어민 파트너와의 국제교류수업이 가치 있는 영어교수방법 중 하나의 대안이 될 수 있으며, 학생 개개인의 특성을 고려한 국제교류수업 계획이 중요함을 시사한다. 이에 따라 온라인을 활용한 문화 간 국제교류수업에 대한 추가적인 연구와 교육 현장에서의 다양한 국제교류활동의 개발을 통해 한국 초등학생 영어 학습자들의 문화 간 의사소통 능력과 의사소통에 참여하려는 의지가 더욱 발전될 수 있을 것이다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Background of the Study 1 1.2. Purpose of the Study 4 1.3. Research Questions 7 1.4. Organization of the Thesis 7 Chapter 2. Literature Review 9 2.1. Online Intercultural Exchanges (OIEs) 9 2.2. Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) 14 2.3. Willingness to Communicate (WTC) 19 2.4. Previous Studies on Online Intercultural Exchanges 25 2.4.1. Intercultural Communicative Competence in OIEs 26 2.4.2. Willingness to Communicate in OIEs 28 2.4.3. OIEs in Korean EFL Context 30 Chapter 3. Methodology 33 3.1. Participants 33 3.2. Instruments 36 3.3. Procedures 40 3.4. OIEs Instruction 42 3.5. Data Analysis 45 Chapter 4. Results and Discussion 47 4.1. The Effects of OIEs on Students ICC 47 4.2. The Effects of OIEs on Students WTC 52 4.3. Students Perception of ICC during OIEs 56 4.3.1. Interaction Engagement and Enjoyment 57 4.3.2. Respect of Cultural Differences 60 4.3.3. Interaction Confidence 64 4.3.4. Interaction Attentiveness 67 4.4. Students Perception of WTC during OIEs 69 4.4.1. Active Willingness to Communicate 69 4.4.2. Voluntary Efforts for Willingness to Communicate 71 4.4.3. Willingness to Communicate with Non-native Peers 72 Chapter 5. Conclusion 77 5.1. Summary of the Major Findings 77 5.2. Pedagogical Implications 80 5.3. Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research 82 References 84 Appendices 96 국 문 초 록 103석

A FOUNDATION FOR OPEN INFORMATION ENVIRONMENTS

Traditionally, information systems were developed within organizations for use by known audiences for known purposes. Advances in information technology have changed this landscape dramatically. The reach of information systems frequntly extends beyond organizational boundaries for use by unknown audiences and for purposes not originally anticipated. Individuals and informal communities can generate and use information in ways previously restricted to formal organizations. We term applications with these characteristics open information environments (OIEs). OIEs are marked by diversity of information available, flexibility in accommodating new sources, users and uses, and information management with minimal controls on structure, content, and access. This creates opportunities to generate new information and use it in unexpected ways. However, OIEs also come with challenges in managing the semantic diversity, flexibility of use, and information quality issus arising from the range of users and lack of controls. In this paper, we propose a set of principles for managing OIEs effectively. We outline a research program to examine the potential of OIEs, the challenges they present, and how to design OIEs to realize the benefits while mitigating the challenges. We highlight our ongoing research in this area, and conclude with a call for more research on this important phenomenon

Pathwise solvability of stochastic integral equations with generalized drift and non-smooth dispersion functions

We study one-dimensional stochastic integral equations with non-smooth dispersion coefficients, and with drift components that are not restricted to be absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure. In the spirit of Lamperti, Doss and Sussmann, we relate solutions of such equations to solutions of certain ordinary integral equations, indexed by a generic element of the underlying probability space. This relation allows us to solve the stochastic integral equations in a pathwise sense.Comment: Accepted for publication: Annales de l'Institut Henri Poincar\'

Tidal Marsh Erosion by Geese, St. Lawrence Estuary, Québec

Damage by geese to tidal marsh substrates are evident in the St. Lawrence Estuary, Québec. Erosion is significantly increased by geese activity in autumn and spring. Rapid destruction of the vegetative cover in autumn leads to a reduction of the protective effects against waves and currents. Walking and probing in the soft sediment cover destabilize the mud surface and induce subsequent erosion. In search of rhizomes, geese dig many thousands of small holes in the substrate causing an average 10 cm lowering of the lower tidal marsh. As a consequence, erosion by waves of the upper marsh bluff is increased. In addition, geese contribute to the enlargment of shallow marsh depressions, to the destruction of peat blocks, and to the retreat of the lower marsh margins. Although wave, current and ice processes are prevailing, it is suggested that recent erosion of the tidal marsh in the Montmagny area is partly related to geese activity.Les oies causent des dommages au substrat des marais intertidaux (schorres) du Saint-Laurent. Leur activité printanière et automnale contribue ainsi à augmenter et à accélérer l'érosion par les agents naturels. La destruction précoce du couvert végétal à l'automne à la suite de l'arrivée massive des oies réduit son rôle protecteur contre l'érosion par les vagues et les courants de la vase fraîche déposée durant l'été. La surface vaseuse intensément picorée et piétinée par les oies est alors déstabilisée et sujette à une érosion subséquente plus importante. À la recherche des rhizomes, les oies creusent dans le substrat des milliers de petits trous, ce qui entraîne par la suite un démaigrissement de la surface du schorre inférieur d'une dizaine de centimètres d'épaisseur. Cette modification du profil a pour conséquence d'augmenter l'épaisseur de la nappe d'eau au-dessus de cette zone, de sorte qu'il y a augmentation de l'érosion par les vagues de la micro-falaise du schorre supérieur. De plus, les oies, en broutant le pourtour des mares, les agrandissent. De même, elles détruisent les radeaux du schorre et grugent le rebord du schorre inférieur et le font reculer. Même si les vagues, les courants et les glaces demeurent les principaux agents d'érosion du marais intertidal, on croit qu'une partie de l'érosion récente qui affecte le shorre de Montmagny est liée à l'action des oies

Analysis of Russian UGS capacity in Europe

Gas is the fuel of choice in Europe for heating, and many expect that gas consumption will continue to increase in the future. On the contrary, European indigenous production decreases, yielding needs to import natural gas primarily from Russia. Travelling long distances from production sites, gas deliveries come by pipelines. Most of them, having operated for decades, have almost depleted their design lifetime, and before long will tend (or have already implemented) to reduce nominal flow pressure and thus flow capacities. To compensate sufficiently for gas peak demands avoiding long, costly and sometimes not practical procedures of changing out pipes, it is suggested to examine the effect of gas storage at European strategic locations to ensure the balance between gas demand and supply. Along with storing gas in a liquid form as LNG, stipulated by need in spacious plants and infrastructure, Underground Gas Storages (UGS) near to the customers are studied and are seen as the most practical way of natural gas preservation in a gaseous form. Conditions provided, pressurized gas is held in underground facilities at key locations, so that it can rapidly be transported to desired regions. Depending on a number of factors, and to suit the different gas supply needs, various types of UGSs are distinguished as follows: • Gas storage in depleted fields. • Gas storages in a water-bearing structures. • Gas storages in salt dome formations. The paper outlooks UGSs across Western and Eastern Europe with focus on the available capacity of the biggest gas supplier to EU- Gazprom Group Company and its storage capacities. An investigation is done to demonstrate the recent change in storage volumes rented and owned, and change in the geography of storages involved. Applying technical and economic criteria, the study shows a need of Russian gas to urope and a need of European UGS facilities for Russian gas

Foraging Behaviours of Wolverines at a Large Arctic Goose Colony

At the large Ross's goose and lesser snow goose colony at Karrak Lake, Nunavut, Canada, we saw wolverines kill two geese, take 13 eggs from 12 goose nests, and take three goose carcasses from two fox dens. Wolverines also made unsuccessful attempts to capture geese and frequently ignored eggs from nests where geese had fled the approaching wolverine. Most foods (all geese killed by wolverines and 80% of the eggs) were cached for later use, whereas few foods were eaten immediately (20% of the eggs and part of a goose taken from a fox den, which was later lost) or lost (all geese taken from fox dens). Wolverines spent little time caching foods (e.g., some foods were never covered), which suggests that recovery of these foods was not crucial to wolverines. When taking foods from fox dens, wolverines were mobbed by foxes; as a result, only one wolverine managed to consume part of a goose carcass taken from a fox den. These observations illustrate the opportunistic nature of wolverines and suggest that their scavenging success may be influenced by how well foods are defended.À l'importante colonie d'oies de Ross et de petites oies des neiges située à Karrak Lake au Nunavut (Canada), on a vu des carcajous tuer deux oies, prendre 13 oeufs dans 12 nids d'oies, et prendre trois carcasses d'oies dans deux terriers de renards. Les carcajous ont aussi essayé, sans succès, de capturer des oies et ils ignoraient souvent les oeufs des nids que les oies avaient fuis à leur approche. La plupart des aliments (toutes les oies tuées par les carcajous et 80 p. cent des oeufs) étaient dissimulés pour utilisation ultérieure, tandis que peu d'aliments étaient consommés tout de suite (20 p. cent des oeufs et une partie d'une oie prélevée dans un terrier de renard, qui a été perdue par la suite) ou perdus (toutes les oies prises dans les terriers de renards). Les carcajous passaient peu de temps à dissimuler les aliments (p. ex., certains n'étaient jamais recouverts), ce qui suggère qu'il n'est pas crucial pour eux de les retrouver. Quand les carcajous prenaient des aliments dans les terriers de renards, ils étaient assaillis par les occupants; en conséquence, un seul carcajou est parvenu à consommer une partie d'une carcasse d'oie prise dans un terrier de renard. Ces observations illustrent la nature opportuniste des carcajous et suggèrent que leur succès de récupération pourrait être influencé par la façon dont les aliments sont défendus

Building Jefferson\u27s future

2002 Annual report of Thomas Jefferson University

konflik Israel-Palestina dalam perspektif Nahdlatul Ulama dan Muhammadiyah Di Desa Takerharjo Lamongan: "analisis sosiologi pengetahuan Karl Manheim"

Dalam penelitian ini didasari oleh Konflik Israel-Palestina dan pandangan tokoh agama Nahdlatul Ulama dan Muhammadiyah yang juga turut merespon konflik Israel-Palestina. Namun dalam hal ini setiap tokoh memiliki sebuah pandangan yang berbeda dalam menyikapi konflik kedua Negara ini, oleh karena itu penting untuk memahami latarbelakang pandangan seorang terhadap sebuah masalah, sehingga pengetahuan seorang individu dapat dipahami dari berbagai latar belakang, sosial, ekonomi, politik dan budaya yang mempengaruhi pengetahuan individu tersebut. Adapun metodelogi yang digunakan adalah metode penelitian kualitatif yang dilakukan dengan wawancara dengan narasumber kemudian mendeskripsikan hasil daripada awancara dan menganalisis hasil dari data-data yang sudah dikumpulkan oleh penulis.Hasil penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa, dalam konteks permasalahan Konflik antara Israel-Palestina setiap tokoh agama memiliki pandangan yang berbeda-beda, sehingga untuk memahami pandangan tokoh agama ini perlu adanya pemahaman mealaui konteks tersebut seperti; sosial, ekonomi, politik dan budaya yang dapat mempengaruhi pengetahuan seorang individu