User-modelled ambient feedback for self-regulated learning

A fundamental objective of human-computer interaction research is to make systems that are seamlessly integrated into daily life activities. Hence, the challenge is not only to make information available to people at any time, at any place, and in any form, but specifically to say the right thing at the right time in the right way. On the other hand, the proliferation of sensor technology is facilitating the scaffolding and customization of smart learning environments. This manuscript presents an ecology of resources comprising NFC, BLE and Arduino technology, orchestrated in the context of a learning environment to provide smoothly integrated feedback via ambient displays. This ecology is proposed as a suitable solution for self-regulated learning, providing support for setting goals, setting aside time to learn, tracking study time and monitoring the progress. Hereby, the ecology is described and intriguing research questions are introduced

Key Action Extraction for Learning Analytics

Proceedings of: 7th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2012): 21st Century Learning for 21st Century Skills. Saarbrücken, Germany, September 18-21, 2012.Analogous to keywords describing the important and relevant content of a document we extract key actions from learners' usage data assuming that they represent important and relevant parts of their learning behaviour. These key actions enable the teachers to better understand the dynamics in their classes and the problems that occur while learning. Based on these insights, teachers can intervene directly as well as improve the quality of their learning material and learning design. We test our approach on usage data collected in a large introductory C programming course at a university and discuss the results based on the feedback of the teachers.Work partially funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 231396 (ROLE project), the Learn3 project (TIN2008-05163/TSI), the eMadrid project (S2009/TIC-1650), and the Acci´on Integrada DE2009-0051.Publicad

3-D Ultrastructure of O. tauri: Electron Cryotomography of an Entire Eukaryotic Cell

The hallmark of eukaryotic cells is their segregation of key biological functions into discrete, membrane-bound organelles. Creating accurate models of their ultrastructural complexity has been difficult in part because of the limited resolution of light microscopy and the artifact-prone nature of conventional electron microscopy. Here we explored the potential of the emerging technology electron cryotomography to produce three-dimensional images of an entire eukaryotic cell in a near-native state. Ostreococcus tauri was chosen as the specimen because as a unicellular picoplankton with just one copy of each organelle, it is the smallest known eukaryote and was therefore likely to yield the highest resolution images. Whole cells were imaged at various stages of the cell cycle, yielding 3-D reconstructions of complete chloroplasts, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula, Golgi bodies, peroxisomes, microtubules, and putative ribosome distributions in-situ. Surprisingly, the nucleus was seen to open long before mitosis, and while one microtubule (or two in some predivisional cells) was consistently present, no mitotic spindle was ever observed, prompting speculation that a single microtubule might be sufficient to segregate multiple chromosomes

Measuring conditions for second order X-ray Bragg-spectrometry

The KL2,3 (α)1,2-lines of 19K, the L3M4,5 (α)1,2-lines of 48Cd, and the M5N6,7 (α)1,2-lines of 92U are lines of comparable energy in the region of approximately 3 keV. In none of these cases were we able to resolve the three doublets when recording the spectra in first order Bragg spectrometry using a PET crystal as the dispersing element. For the purpose of enhancing the resolving power of the spectrometer, the three α spectra were recorded in second order reflection, thereby transferring the lines into another spectral region dominated by X-ray quanta of half the energy. In order to achieve high net peak intensities as well as a high peak-to-background ratio and, consequently, a high level of detection capability, the discriminator settings should be optimized quite carefully. In this manner, we were able to resolve the three α doublets and estimate α2/α1 intensity ratios. Inexplicably, current monographs, e.g., by Goldstein et al, do not contain any indications about the rational use of high order spectrometry. Only a few rather old monographs contain some hints in this regard

Sirolimus and kidney growth in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

BACKGROUND: In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), aberrant activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is associated with progressive kidney enlargement. The drug sirolimus suppresses mTOR signaling. METHODS: In this 18-month, open-label, randomized, controlled trial, we sought to determine whether sirolimus halts the growth in kidney volume among patients with ADPKD. We randomly assigned 100 patients between the ages of 18 and 40 years to receive either sirolimus (target dose, 2 mg daily) or standard care. All patients had an estimated creatinine clearance of at least 70 ml per minute. Serial magnetic resonance imaging was performed to measure the volume of polycystic kidneys. The primary outcome was total kidney volume at 18 months on blinded assessment. Secondary outcomes were the glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin excretion rate at 18 months. RESULTS: At randomization, the median total kidney volume was 907 cm(3) (interquartile range, 577 to 1330) in the sirolimus group and 1003 cm(3) (interquartile range, 574 to 1422) in the control group. The median increase over the 18-month period was 99 cm(3) (interquartile range, 43 to 173) in the sirolimus group and 97 cm(3) (interquartile range, 37 to 181) in the control group. At 18 months, the median total kidney volume in the sirolimus group was 102% of that in the control group (95% confidence interval, 99 to 105; P=0.26). The glomerular filtration rate did not differ significantly between the two groups; however, the urinary albumin excretion rate was higher in the sirolimus group. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with ADPKD and early chronic kidney disease, 18 months of treatment with sirolimus did not halt polycystic kidney growth. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00346918.

Diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with a zero calcium score

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 64-slice CT coronary angiography (CT-CA) for the detection of significant coronary artery stenosis in patients with zero on the Agatston Calcium Score (CACS). We enrolled 279 consecutive patients (96 male, mean age 48±12 years) with suspected coronary artery disease. Patients were symptomatic (n=208) or asymptomatic (n=71), and underwent conventional coronary angiography (CAG). For CT-CA we administered an IV bolus of 100 ml of iodinated contrast material. CT-CA was compared to CAG using a threshold for significant stenosis of ≤50%. The prevalence of disease demonstrated at CAG was 15% (1.4% in asymptomatic). The population at CAG showed no or non-significant disease in 85% (238/279), single vessel disease in 9% (25/279), and multi-vessel disease in 6% (16/279). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of CT-CA vs. CAG on the patient level were 100%, 95%, 76%, and 100% in the overall population and 100%, 100%, 100%, and 100% in asymptomatic patients, respectively. CT-CA proves high diagnostic performance in patients with or without symptoms and with zero CACS. The prevalence of significant disease detected by CT-CA was not negligible in asymptomatic patients. The role of CT-CA in asymptomatic patients remains uncertain

Business cycles, velocity and asset prices in a Wicksellian banking time economy

This thesis collects three interrelated pieces of theoretical work, which are connected to each other in the sense of being rooted in an analysis and examination of a specific type of monetary general equilibrium model which is of a cash-in-advance nature. All of the three contributions extend the usual quantity-theoretic cash-in-advance (CIA) constraint to a more general exchange constraint, in that they include the possibility of allowing the representative household to pay for the consumption good using a (self-)produced alternative means-of-exchange, costly credit. The first two pieces extend the cash costly-credit production-based monetary RBC framework to include habit persistence in consumption and adjustment costs to investment. Most of the stochastic dynamic analysis emphasizes the role of a goods-sector productivity structural shock on/t/, so the thesis focuses on telling a story of a "Wicksellian" Banking time economy, in which it is predominantly this shock alone - and its effect on the Wicksellian equilibrium real rate of interest - that is driving both real and nominal variables in the economy. The growth rate of money is assumed to be of deterministic "k-percent" Friedman-type nature, so as to allow a more focused analysis of the endogenous variation in the demand for money. While the first piece discusses how the chosen modeling framework can success fully account for some factually observed measures related to consumption-money velocity, the second piece uses a similar model setup, but instead discusses the conditional behaviour of key real and nominal variables over the business cycle. Money balances, real quantities, real and nominal rates, as well as (expected) inflation rate series move conditionally over a Solow residual-driven business cycle, so as to closely mimick some of the salient features of a stylized monetary business cycle. Noteably, the additional introduction of credit production shocks allow the artificial economy to closely mimick the breakdown of a stable money demand relationship which is such a pertinent feature of the U.S. monetary business cycle in post-1980 data. Finally, the third piece deviates marginally from the first two contributions in that it constitutes a discussion of a labour-only economy. Here, credit production is de-centralized and produced subject to a debt- (or collateral-) requirement. Specifically, the decentralized financial intermediary is assumed to retain an amount of short-term government debt equal in value to credit on it's balances sheet, which it eventually pays out as a dividend to the household, reimbursing the latter for the cost of credit. The money market rate (obtained on a one-period saving deposit) is generally lower than the usual intertemporal risk-free rate, where the difference is always equal to the banking wage bill, which varies endogenously over the business cycle. This model setup and the implied banking wage tax levied on short-term saving deposits can help to explain some of the unconditional as well as conditional behaviour of the low risk-free, the equity premium, and the unconditional shape of the term structure of interest rates

Editing of the urease gene by CRISPR-Cas in the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

Background: CRISPR-Cas is a recent and powerful addition to the molecular toolbox which allows programmable genome editing. It has been used to modify genes in a wide variety of organisms, but only two alga to date. Here we present a methodology to edit the genome of Thalassiosira pseudonana, a model centric diatom with both ecological significance and high biotechnological potential, using CRISPR-Cas. Results: A single construct was assembled using Golden Gate cloning. Two sgRNAs were used to introduce a precise 37 nt deletion early in the coding region of the urease gene. A high percentage of bi-allelic mutations (≤61.5%) were observed in clones with the CRISPR-Cas construct. Growth of bi-allelic mutants in urea led to a significant reduction in growth rate and cell size compared to growth in nitrate. Conclusions: CRISPR-Cas can precisely and efficiently edit the genome of T. pseudonana. The use of Golden Gate cloning to assemble CRISPR-Cas constructs gives additional flexibility to the CRISPR-Cas method and facilitates modifications to target alternative genes or species

The inclusion of Slovak Roma pupils in secondary school: contexts of language policy and planning

The arrival of large numbers of Slovak Roma to Sheffield over a relatively short period has inserted two new languages (Slovak and Romani) into an already diverse, multilingual school environment. Schools face challenges in welcoming the new migrant children, inducting and integrating them and facilitating access to the English school curriculum. This paper draws on longitudinal ethnolinguistic research in one secondary school in Sheffield that has experienced this migration and language situation and responded in a variety of ways. Utilizing an analytical framework based upon “language-in-education planning” (LEP, [Kaplan & Baldauf, 1997, Language planning. From practice to theory. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters]) and “micro language planning” (MLP, [Liddicoat & Taylor-Leech, 2014, Micro language planning for multilingual education: Agency in local contexts. Current Issues in Language Planning, 15(3), 237–244]), the various emergent practices are examined. Findings show that the school is engaging in various “unplanned” practices to surmount the language and pedagogical issues, thus highlighting the role of MLP as a necessary part of more macro LEP processes