Learning Spanish online : emotions and identity in role-play settings : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Second Language Teaching, Massey University

This study focuses on the dynamic interaction between the learner, the context, and the target language using as its framework the learner-context interface model (White 1999, 2003, 2005; White, Direnzo & Bortolotto, 2016). The research considers the online learning context as social, collaborative, interactive and dynamic. Using Spanish as the target language, the analysis is guided by one research question: How do emotions and identity contribute to the construction of the learner-context interface in online Spanish role-plays? Data for this research was gathered from a series of voluntary, non-assessed Adobe Connect online technology role-play sessions for Intermediate Spanish distance students at Massey University in New Zealand, and from two Stimulated recall interviews, where the use of the web-cam became significant for the analysis. The data set consisted of Stimulated recall sessions, students’ questionnaires and diaries, and a teacher’s journal. The four role-play sessions took place over a period of two weeks: two sessions of one hour duration each week. Four students participated and all of them had at least an intermediate level of competence in the Spanish language, as well as previous experience in online learning settings. Making use of the rich data collected the study records and analyses the moment-by-moment interactive emergence of emotions -with salience of humour- and identities and how these impact L2 (second language) learning in a technology-mediated L2 classroom. Insights from this research will offer a contribution to the growing study of emotions in L2 learning, as well as to the study of the complex dynamics of identity and language learning, particularly in relation to role-play settings

Protégé career aspirations: The influence of formal e-mentor networks and family-based role models

Using longitudinal data from a nine-month e-mentoring program, we analyzed the influence of formal e-mentor networks and family-based role models on increases in both psychosocial and career-related outcomes. Findings indicate that e-mentor network relationship quality positively influenced general- and career-based self-efficacy which, in turn, enhanced the objective career aspirations of underprivileged youth. Moreover, we address both the compensatory and complementary perspectives of social capital to assess the moderating influence that access to educational role models within the family has on this process. Implications of the findings and areas for future research are discussed

Boundary conditions of the emotional exhaustion-unsafe behavior link: the dark side of group norms and personal control

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/sI0490-015-9455-7This study focuses on the conditions under which emotional exhaustion leads to employee unsafe behavior. In a sample of 592 construction workers nested in 33 groups, we found that both emotional exhaustion and unsafe behavior norms were positively related to unsafe behavior by employees. Unsafe behavior norms moderated the relationship between emotional exhaustion and unsafe behavior, such that high group unsafe behavior norms strengthened the emotional exhaustion-employee unsafe behavior link. Furthermore, results indicated a three-way interaction effect in which employees with high emotional exhaustion conducted the highest levels of unsafe behavior when both group unsafe behavior norms and personal control over work were high. This paper provides important implications on understanding the influence of group norms on employee unsafe behavior, as well as its magnifying effect with personal control on the emotional exhaustion-unsafe behavior link.National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaFulbright ScholarshipCenter for Statistical Science, Peking UniversityKey Laboratory of Mathematical Economics and Quantitative Finance (Peking University, Ministry of EducationGrant no. 10901010Grant No. 7150217

Fighting a losing battle: Vigorous immune response countered by pathogen suppression of host defenses in the chytridiomycosis-susceptible frog Atelopus zeteki

The emergence of the disease chytridiomycosis caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been implicated in dramatic global amphibian declines. Although many species have undergone catastrophic declines and/or extinctions, others appear to be unaffected or persist at reduced frequencies after Bd outbreaks. The reasons behind this variance in disease outcomes are poorly understood: differences in host immune responses have been proposed, yet previous studies suggest a lack of robust immune responses to Bd in susceptible species. Here, we sequenced transcriptomes from clutchmates of a highly susceptible amphibian, Atelopus zeteki, with different infection histories. We found significant changes in expression of numerous genes involved in innate and inflammatory responses in infected frogs despite high susceptibility to chytridiomycosis. We show evidence of acquired immune responses generated against Bd, including increased expression of immunoglobulins and major histocompatibility complex genes. In addition, fungal-killing genes had significantly greater expression in frogs previously exposed to Bd compared with Bd-naïve frogs, including chitinase and serine-type proteases. However, our results appear to confirm recent in vitro evidence of immune suppression by Bd, demonstrated by decreased expression of lymphocyte genes in the spleen of infected compared with control frogs. We propose susceptibility to chytridiomycosis is not due to lack of Bd-specific immune responses but instead is caused by failure of those responses to be effective. Ineffective immune pathway activation and timing of antibody production are discussed as potential mechanisms. However, in light of our findings,suppression of key immune responses by Bd is likely an important factor in the lethality of this fungus

Potential Flood Mapping by Height Above Nearest Drainage

This presentation was given as part of the GIS Day@KU symposium on November 15, 2017. For more information about GIS Day@KU activities, please see http://gis.ku.edu/gisday/2017/PLATINUM SPONSORS: KU Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science KU Institute for Policy & Social Research GOLD SPONSORS: KU Libraries State of Kansas Data Access & Support Center (DASC) SILVER SPONSORS: Bartlett & West Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program KU Center for Global and International Studies BRONZE SPONSORS: Boundles

Investigation of an LNG fuel system for a Norwegian coast guard ship: Undersøkelse av LNG drivstoffsystem for skip i den norske kystflåten

This report examines the reasons behind Natural Gas (NG) engine de-loading on LNG fuelled vessels. Two instances of NG engine de-loading due to low tank pressure have been document on KV Bergen in the Norwegian Coast Guard. Results from this study revealed that NG engine de-loading was caused by the disruption of the liquid surface layer in the LNG tank initiated by tank sloshing. Research found that when the surface layer between the bulk liquid and vapor in the tank was modified by sloshing the rate of vapor condensation increased faster than the mass flow rate produced by the Pressure Build Up (PBU) circuit inside the Vaporizer. Using the difference between the mass flow rate entering the vapor region and exiting through condensation, the time which a NG engine de-loading situation occurs was predicted. These conclusions were drawn from different models and calculations which analyzed factors affecting tank pressure. One model calculated the PBU mass flow rate by balancing the change in pressure in each section of the PBU. Another model developed an idealized set of equations for the time required to pressurize the LNG tank. A mixing model was also produced which calculated the lowest fall in tank pressure possible if the liquid in the tank mixed completely with the vapor in the tank. These mixing calculations proved the criteria for NG engine de-loading can be met if there is enough interaction between the liquid and vapor in the tank. A measurement campaign was carried out to understand how the different sub-components of the LNG system (LNG tank, PBU, Evaporator, and water glycol circuit) behaved during normal operations. The goal of the measurement campaign was to find real values which may be used to predict the conditions leading to NG engine de-loading. Using a heat balance from the different streams entering and leaving the Vaporizer, the average mass flow rate through the PBU circuit was determined to be 0.16 kg/s. This vapor mass flow rate is an indication of the PBU s ability to build up the tank pressure. The time required to build up the tank pressure from 295 kPa to 495 kPa was measured to be approximately 18 minutes on MF Korsfjord the morning after bunkering.The calculated and measured results were combined to draw conclusions about the main factors leading to gas engine de-loading. By comparing the idealized and actual amount of time required to pressurize the tank, it was possible to estimate that 66.2% of the vapor mass flow from the PBU condensed while the tank was being pressurized. Using the rate of vapor condensation, it was possible to calculate that the thickness of an effective conduction layer, representative of the surface layer, is 1.71 mm in undisturbed conditions. The thickness of an undisturbed tank was used as a base case to examine how modifying the thickness of the surface layer and area of the vapor liquid interface changes the rate of vapor condensation. In situations where the vapor condensation exceeded the PBU mass flow rate, the difference was used to calculate how quickly the tank pressure fell. This report also includes items for further research which would provide additional understanding of the factors leading to NG engine de-loading. Included is a detailed description of an experimental rig which may be used to find the relationship between disturbances occurring outside the tank and sloshing happening inside. Different abatement technologies are also discussed to improve the reliability of LNG systems on LNG fueled vessels

Non-perturbative Landau gauge and infrared critical exponents in QCD

We discuss Faddeev-Popov quantization at the non-perturbative level and show that Gribov's prescription of cutting off the functional integral at the Gribov horizon does not change the Schwinger-Dyson equations, but rather resolves an ambiguity in the solution of these equations. We note that Gribov's prescription is not exact, and we therefore turn to the method of stochastic quantization in its time-independent formulation, and recall the proof that it is correct at the non-perturbative level. The non-perturbative Landau gauge is derived as a limiting case, and it is found that it yields the Faddeev-Popov method in Landau gauge with a cut-off at the Gribov horizon, plus a novel term that corrects for over-counting of Gribov copies inside the Gribov horizon. Non-perturbative but truncated coupled Schwinger-Dyson equations for the gluon and ghost propagators $D(k)$ and $G(k)$ in Landau gauge are solved asymptotically in the infrared region. The infrared critical exponents or anomalous dimensions, defined by $D(k) \sim 1/(k^2)^{1 + a_D}$ and $G(k) \sim 1/(k^2)^{1 + a_G}$ are obtained in space-time dimensions $d = 2, 3, 4$. Two possible solutions are obtained with the values, in $d = 4$ dimensions, $a_G = 1, a_D = -2$, or $a_G = [93 - (1201)^{1/2}]/98 \approx 0.595353, a_D = - 2a_G$.Comment: 26 pages. Modified 2.25.02 to update references and to clarify Introduction and Conclusio

The cost-effectiveness of naloxone programs for the treatment of heroin overdose in the ‘street’: a 2-years data collection by the Street Unit of the Villa Maraini Foundation

The mortality rate of opioid users is about 5 to 10 times greater than that of the general population, and the overdose represents the most common cause of death. When timely treated with the opioid antagonist naloxone, the opioid overdose is rarely lethal. Unfortunately, many opioid overdoses occur in isolated, hidden, hard to reach location. To circumvent this problem, Villa Maraini Foundation in Rome has created a rescue team, the Street Unit, to provide basic life support and administer naloxone for the treatment of opioid overdose in urban environments. The aim of this paper is to review the cost-effectiveness of our Street Unit. We evaluated the cost of 90 overdose interventions provided by the Street Unit to that provided by the Accident & Emergency departments of the Italian National Health System. The Street Unit not only successfully treated all overdoses but also provided a dramatic reduction in costs, ranging from €123,367.05 (best-case scenario) to €203,377.05 (worst-case scenario). This finding suggests that the treatment of opioid overdose in the street context represents a safe and cost-effective strategy to reduce opioid overdose related mortality

Implementation and preliminary clinical outcomes of a pharmacist-managed venous thromboembolism clinic for patients treated with rivaroxaban post emergency department discharge

Objective To describe the implementation, work flow, and differences in outcomes between a pharmacist-managed clinic for the outpatient treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) using rivaroxaban versus care by a primary care provider. Interventions Patients in the studied health system that are diagnosed with low-risk VTE in the emergency department are often discharged without hospital admission. These patients are treated with rivaroxban and follow up either in a pharmacist-managed VTE clinic or with their primary care provider. Pharmacists in the VTE clinic work independently under a collaborative practice agreement. An evaluation of thirty-four patients, seventeen in each treatment arm, was conducted to compare the differences in treatment-related outcomes of rivaroxaban when managed by a pharmacist versus a primary care provider. Results The primary endpoint was a six month composite of anticoagulation treatment-related complications that included a diagnosis of major bleeding, recurrent thromboembolism, or fatality due to either major bleeding or recurrent thromboembolism. Secondary endpoints included number of hospitalizations, adverse events, and medication adherence. There was no difference in the primary endpoint between groups with one occurrence of the composite endpoint in each treatment arm (p=1.000), both of which were recurrent thromboembolic events. Medication adherence assessment was formally performed in 8 patients in the pharmacist group versus 0 patients in the control group. No differences were seen amongst other secondary endpoints. Conclusions The pharmacist-managed clinic is a novel expansion of clinical pharmacy services that treats patients with low-risk VTEs with rivaroxaban in the outpatient setting. The evaluation of outcomes provides support that pharmacist-managed care utilizing standardized protocols under a collaborative practice agreement may be as safe as care by a primary care provider