bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bilateral Pedicled Superficial Inferior Epigastric Artery Flap in the Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Authors: Hoang Don , Chen Vivi , Saber Sepideh , Patel Ketan , Carey Joseph
Published: August 2016

The authors present a new technique in surgically treating hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a debilitating skin condition. In HS, surgical treatment is often the best option because of the high recurrence rates despite extensive medical treatment. A commonly successful surgical method is using skin flaps after excision of the affected area. A superficial inferior epigastric artery flap is demonstrated here as a new alternative approach to treating a case of extensive HS of the groin. By using the pedicled superficial inferior epigastric artery flap for groin reconstruction, inguinal HS can be widely excised and reconstructed with minimal donor-site morbidity and a good aesthetic outcome.
Progressive Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Atrophy Associated With Enlarging Peripapillary Pit
Authors: Lee Eun Ji , Kim Tae-Woo
Published: August 2016

Purpose:

To report a case in which progressive retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) atrophy was observed along with enlargement of the peripapillary pit.

Patients and Methods:

A 34-year-old male was diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma and followed up for 4 years with regular ophthalmic examinations. Both eyes were myopic (−10 D, OD and −10.5 D, OS), and untreated intraocular pressures were 18 mm Hg (OD) and 16 mm Hg (OS).

Results:

A subtle depression of the superotemporal peripapillary area was deepened and emerged as a peripapillary pit during the follow-up period. With the enlargement of the peripapillary pit, a RNFL defect at the location of pit widened and thinned continuously. The enlargement of the pit was documented by the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography posterior pole scanning.

Conclusions:

Progressive RNFL atrophy was observed with enlargement of the peripapillary pit. The finding suggests that tensile stress derived from the scleral stretching may have significant influence on the integrity of the RNFL.
Biomechanical Perspectives on Concussion in Sport
Authors: Rowson Steven , Bland Megan L. , Campolettano Eamon T. , Press Jaclyn N. , Rowson Bethany , Smith Jake A. , Sproule David W. , Tyson Abigail M. , Duma Stefan M.
Published: August 2016

Concussions can occur in any sport. Often, clinical and biomechanical research efforts are disconnected. This review paper analyzes current concussion issues in sports from a biomechanical perspective and is geared toward Sports Med professionals. Overarching themes of this review include the biomechanics of the brain during head impact, role of protective equipment, potential population-based differences in concussion tolerance, potential intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of injury, and common biomechanical misconceptions.
Macrolide Resistance in Treponema pallidum Correlates With 23S rDNA Mutations in Recently Isolated Clinical Strains
Authors: Molini Barbara J. , Tantalo Lauren C. , Sahi Sharon K. , Rodriguez Veronica I. , Brandt Stephanie L. , Fernandez Mark C. , Godornes Charmie B. , Marra Christina M. , Lukehart Sheila A.
Published: August 2016

Background

High rates of 23S rDNA mutations implicated in macrolide resistance have been identified in Treponema pallidum samples from syphilis patients in many countries. Nonetheless, some clinicians have been reluctant to abandon azithromycin as a treatment for syphilis, citing the lack of a causal association between these mutations and clinical evidence of drug resistance. Although azithromycin resistance has been demonstrated in vivo for the historical Street 14 strain, no recent T. pallidum isolates have been tested. We used the well-established rabbit model of syphilis to determine the in vivo efficacy of azithromycin against 23S rDNA mutant strains collected in 2004 to 2005 from patients with syphilis in Seattle, Wash.

Methods

Groups of 9 rabbits were each infected with a strain containing 23S rDNA mutation A2058G (strains UW074B, UW189B, UW391B) or A2059G (strains UW228B, UW254B, and UW330B), or with 1 wild type strain (Chicago, Bal 3, and Mexico A). After documentation of infection, 3 animals per strain were treated with azithromycin, 3 were treated with benzathine penicillin G, and 3 served as untreated control groups. Treatment efficacy was documented by darkfield microscopic evidence of T. pallidum, serological response, and rabbit infectivity test.

Results

Azithromycin uniformly failed to cure rabbits infected with strains harboring either 23S rDNA mutation, although benzathine penicillin G was effective. Infections caused by wild type strains were successfully treated by either azithromycin or benzathine penicillin G.

Conclusions

A macrolide resistant phenotype was demonstrated for all strains harboring a 23S rDNA mutation, demonstrating that either A2058G or A2059G mutation confers in vivo drug resistance.
Controlled cobalt doping in the spinel structure of magnetosome magnetite: new evidences from element- and site-specific X-ray magnetic circular dichroism analyses
Authors: Li Jinhua , Menguy Nicolas , Arrio Marie-Anne , Sainctavit Philippe , Juhin Amélie , Wang Yinzhao , Chen Haitao , Bunau Oana , Otero Edwige , Ohresser Philippe , Pan Yongxin
Published: August 2016

The biomineralization of magnetite nanocrystals (called magnetosomes) by magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) has attracted intense interest in biology, geology and materials science due to the precise morphology of the particles, the chain-like assembly and their unique magnetic properties. Great efforts have been recently made in producing transition metal-doped magnetosomes with modified magnetic properties for a range of applications. Despite some successful outcomes, the coordination chemistry and magnetism of such metal-doped magnetosomes still remain largely unknown. Here, we present new evidences from X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) for element- and site-specific magnetic analyses that cobalt is incorporated in the spinel structure of the magnetosomes within
Magnetospirillum magneticum
AMB-1 through the replacement of Fe
2+
ions by Co
2+
ions in octahedral (
O
h
) sites of magnetite. Both XMCD at Fe and Co
L
2,3
edges, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy on transmission electron microscopy analyses reveal a heterogeneous distribution of cobalt occurring either in different particles or inside individual particles. Compared with non-doped one, cobalt-doped magnetosome sample has lower Verwey transition temperature and larger magnetic coercivity, related to the amount of doped cobalt. This study also demonstrates that the addition of trace cobalt in the growth medium can significantly improve both the cell growth and the magnetosome formation within
M. magneticum
AMB-1. Together with the cobalt occupancy within the spinel structure of magnetosomes, this study indicates that MTB may provide a promising biomimetic system for producing chains of metal-doped single-domain magnetite with an appropriate tuning of the magnetic properties for technological and biomedical applications.
The telomeric protein AKTIP interacts with A- and B-type lamins and is involved in regulation of cellular senescence
Authors: Burla Romina , Carcuro Mariateresa , Torre Mattia La , Fratini Federica , Crescenzi Marco , D'Apice Maria Rosaria , Spitalieri Paola , Raffa Grazia Daniela , Astrologo Letizia , Lattanzi Giovanna , Cundari Enrico , Raimondo Domenico , Biroccio Annamaria , Gatti Maurizio , Saggio Isabella
Published: August 2016

AKTIP is a shelterin-interacting protein required for replication of telomeric DNA. Here, we show that AKTIP biochemically interacts with A- and B-type lamins and affects lamin A, but not lamin C or B, expression. In interphase cells, AKTIP localizes at the nuclear rim and in discrete regions of the nucleoplasm just like lamins. Double immunostaining revealed that AKTIP partially co-localizes with lamin B1 and lamin A/C in interphase cells, and that proper AKTIP localization requires functional lamin A. In mitotic cells, AKTIP is enriched at the spindle poles and at the midbody of late telophase cells similar to lamin B1. AKTIP-depleted cells show senescence-associated markers and recapitulate several aspects of the progeroid phenotype. Collectively, our results indicate that AKTIP is a new player in lamin-related processes, including those that govern nuclear architecture, telomere homeostasis and cellular senescence.
A drug-compatible and temperature-controlled microfluidic device for live-cell imaging
Authors: Chen Tong , Gomez-Escoda Blanca , Munoz-Garcia Javier , Babic Julien , Griscom Laurent , Wu Pei-Yun Jenny , Coudreuse Damien
Published: August 2016

Monitoring cellular responses to changes in growth conditions and perturbation of targeted pathways is integral to the investigation of biological processes. However, manipulating cells and their environment during live-cell-imaging experiments still represents a major challenge. While the coupling of microfluidics with microscopy has emerged as a powerful solution to this problem, this approach remains severely underexploited. Indeed, most microdevices rely on the polymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which strongly absorbs a variety of molecules commonly used in cell biology. This effect of the microsystems on the cellular environment hampers our capacity to accurately modulate the composition of the medium and the concentration of specific compounds within the microchips, with implications for the reliability of these experiments. To overcome this critical issue, we developed new PDMS-free microdevices dedicated to live-cell imaging that show no interference with small molecules. They also integrate a module for maintaining precise sample temperature both above and below ambient as well as for rapid temperature shifts. Importantly, changes in medium composition and temperature can be efficiently achieved within the chips while recording cell behaviour by microscopy. Compatible with different model systems, our platforms provide a versatile solution for the dynamic regulation of the cellular environment during live-cell imaging.
Modelling tooth–prey interactions in sharks: the importance of dynamic testing
Authors: Corn Katherine A. , Farina Stacy C. , Brash Jeffrey , Summers Adam P.
Published: August 2016

The shape of shark teeth varies among species, but traditional testing protocols have revealed no predictive relationship between shark tooth morphology and performance. We developed a dynamic testing device to quantify cutting performance of teeth. We mimicked head-shaking behaviour in feeding large sharks by attaching teeth to the blade of a reciprocating power saw fixed in a custom-built frame. We tested three tooth types at biologically relevant speeds and found differences in tooth cutting ability and wear. Teeth from the bluntnose sixgill (
Hexanchus griseus
) showed poor cutting ability compared with tiger (
Galeocerdo cuvier
), sandbar (
Carcharhinus plumbeus
) and silky (
C. falciformis
) sharks, but they also showed no wear with repeated use. Some shark teeth are very sharp at the expense of quickly dulling, while others are less sharp but dull more slowly. This demonstrates that dynamic testing is vital to understanding the performance of shark teeth.
Finding flowers in the dark: nectar-feeding bats integrate olfaction and echolocation while foraging for nectar
Authors: Gonzalez-Terrazas Tania P. , Martel Carlos , Milet-Pinheiro Paulo , Ayasse Manfred , Kalko Elisabeth K. V. , Tschapka Marco
Published: August 2016

Nectar-feeding bats depend mainly on floral nectar to fulfil their energetic requirements. Chiropterophilous flowers generally present strong floral scents and provide conspicuous acoustic echoes to attract bats. While floral scents are assumed to attract bats over long distances, acoustic properties of flower structures may provide detailed information, thus supporting the localization of a flower at close ranges. So far, to our knowledge, there is no study trying to understand the relative importance as well as the combination of these generally coupled cues for detection (presence) and localization (exact position) of open flowers in nature. For a better comprehension of the significance of olfaction and echolocation in the foraging behaviour of nectar-feeding bats, we conducted two-choice experiments with
Leptonycteris yerbabuenae
. We tested the bats' behaviour in three experimental scenarios with different cues: (i) olfaction versus echolocation, (ii) echolocation versus echolocation and olfaction, and (iii) olfaction versus echolocation and olfaction. We used the floral scent of the bat-pollinated cactus
Pachycereus pringlei
as olfactory cue and an acrylic paraboloid as acoustic cue. Additionally, we recorded the echolocation behaviour of the bats and analysed the floral scent of
P. pringlei
. When decoupled cues were offered, bats displayed no preference in choice for any of the two cues. However, bats reacted first to and chose more often the coupled cues. All bats echolocated continuously and broadcast a long terminal group before a successful visit. The floral scent bouquet of
P. pringlei
is composed of 20 compounds, some of which (e.g. methyl benzoate) were already reported from chiropterophilous plants. Our investigation demonstrates for the first time to our knowledge, that nectar-feeding bats integrate over different sensory modes for detection and precise localization of open flowers. The combined information from olfactory and acoustic cues allows bats to forage more efficiently.
Hibernation in a primate: does sleep occur?
Authors: Blanco Marina B. , Dausmann Kathrin H. , Faherty Sheena L. , Klopfer Peter , Krystal Andrew D. , Schopler Robert , Yoder Anne D.
Published: August 2016

During hibernation, critical physiological processes are downregulated and thermogenically induced arousals are presumably needed periodically to fulfil those physiological demands. Among the processes incompatible with a hypome tabolic state is sleep. However, one hibernating primate, the dwarf lemur
Cheirogaleus medius
, experiences rapid eye movement (REM)-like states during hibernation, whenever passively reaching temperatures above 30°C, as occurs when it hibernates in poorly insulated tree hollows under tropical conditions. Here, we report electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings, temperature data and metabolic rates from two related species (
C. crossleyi
and
C. sibreei
), inhabiting high-altitude rainforests and hibernating underground, conditions that mirror, to some extent, those experienced by temperate hibernators. We compared the physiology of hibernation and spontaneous arousals in these animals to
C. medius
, as well as the much more distantly related non-primate hibernators, such as Arctic, golden-mantled and European ground squirrels. We observed a number of commonalities with non-primate temperate hibernators including: (i) monotonous ultra-low voltage EEG during torpor bouts in these relatively cold-weather hibernators, (ii) the absence of sleep during torpor bouts, (iii) the occurrence of spontaneous arousals out of torpor, during which sleep regularly occurred, (iv) relatively high early EEG non-REM during the arousal, and (v) a gradual transition to the torpid EEG state from non-REM sleep. Unlike
C. medius
, our study species did not display sleep-like states during torpor bouts, but instead exclusively exhibited them during arousals. During these short euthermic periods, non-REM as well as REM sleep-like stages were observed. Differences observed between these two species and their close relative,
C. medius
, for which data have been published, presumably reflect differences in hibernaculum temperature.
Homology of the cranial vault in birds: new insights based on embryonic fate-mapping and character analysis
Authors: Maddin Hillary C. , Piekarski Nadine , Sefton Elizabeth M. , Hanken James
Published: August 2016

Bones of the cranial vault appear to be highly conserved among tetrapod vertebrates. Moreover, bones identified with the same name are assumed to be evolutionarily homologous. However, recent developmental studies reveal a key difference in the embryonic origin of cranial vault bones between representatives of two amniote lineages, mammals and birds, thereby challenging this view. In the mouse, the frontal is derived from cranial neural crest (CNC) but the parietal is derived from mesoderm, placing the CNC–mesoderm boundary at the suture between these bones. In the chicken, this boundary is located within the frontal. This difference and related data have led several recent authors to suggest that bones of the avian cranial vault are misidentified and should be renamed. To elucidate this apparent conflict, we fate-mapped CNC and mesoderm in axolotl to reveal the contributions of these two embryonic cell populations to the cranial vault in a urodele amphibian. The CNC–mesoderm boundary in axolotl is located between the frontal and parietal bones, as in the mouse but unlike the chicken. If, however, the avian frontal is regarded instead as a fused frontal and parietal (i.e. frontoparietal) and the parietal as a postparietal, then the cranial vault of birds becomes developmentally and topologically congruent with those of urodeles and mammals. This alternative hypothesis of cranial vault homology is also phylogenetically consistent with data from the tetrapod fossil record, where frontal, parietal and postparietal bones are present in stem lineages of all extant taxa, including birds. It further implies that a postparietal may be present in most non-avian archosaurs, but fused to the parietal or supraoccipital as in many extant mammals.
On a possible methodology for identifying the initiation of damage of a class of polymeric materials
Authors: Alagappan P. , Kannan K. , Rajagopal K. R.
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we provide a possible methodology for identifying the initiation of damage in a class of polymeric solids. Unlike most approaches to damage that introduce a damage parameter, which might be a scalar, vector or tensor, that depends on the stress or strain (that requires knowledge of an appropriate reference configuration in which the body was stress free and/or without any strain), we exploit knowledge of the fact that damage is invariably a consequence of the inhomogeneity of the body that makes the body locally ‘weak’ and the fact that the material properties of a body invariably depend on the density, among other variables that can be defined in the current configuration, of the body. This allows us to use density, for a class of polymeric materials, as a means to identify incipient damage in the body. The calculations that are carried out for the biaxial stretch of an inhomogeneous multi-network polymeric solid bears out the appropriateness of the thesis that the density of the body can be used to forecast the occurrence of damage, with the predictions of the theory agreeing well with experimental results. The study also suggests a meaningful damage criterion for the class of bodies being considered.
Cation distribution and magnetic structure of M-type BaTiMnFe10O19 examined by synchrotron X-ray and neutron studies
Authors: Okube Maki , Yoshizaki Jumpei , Toyoda Takeshi , Sasaki Satoshi
Published: August 2016

Combinational studies of synchrotron X-rays and neutrons have been performed to determine the site occupancy, valence state and magnetic structure of M-type BaTiMnFe10O19. X-ray resonant scattering studies have revealed the site preference, where Ti and Mn ions are distributed evenly over the Fe1, Fe2 and Fe3 sites of five independent Fe sites. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) results for BaTiMnFe10O19 are similar to those of BaFe12O19 at the Fe K absorption edge. Clear chemical shifts exist at both the Mn and Fe edges, suggestive of a mixed valence of Mn and Fe ions. The Mn K XANES resembles Mn–Zn ferrite, where the observed fourfold peak is explained as the presence of four-coordinated Mn ions, on the basis of the self-consistent calculation of relativistic density functional theory. This can be explained by the presence of spinel substructures within the S block layer. Satellite reflections of 002 ± τ and 004 − τ (τ = 2/3) on 00l were observed at a temperature of 8 K in neutron powder diffraction, due to magnetic scattering on the helicoidal arrangement of ordered spins with a propagation period of c/τ. The magnetic structure observed in the neutron powder diffraction and the XMCD results explain the decreasing uniaxial magnetization from BaFe12O19.
Anin situatomic force microscope for normal-incidence nanofocus X-ray experiments
Authors: Vitorino M. V. , Fuchs Y. , Dane T. , Rodrigues M. S. , Rosenthal M. , Panzarella A. , Bernard P. , Hignette O. , Dupuy L. , Burghammer M. , Costa L.
Published: August 2016

A compact high-speed X-ray atomic force microscope has been developed forin situuse in normal-incidence X-ray experiments on synchrotron beamlines, allowing for simultaneous characterization of samples in direct space with nanometric lateral resolution while employing nanofocused X-ray beams. In the present work the instrument is used to observe radiation damage effects produced by an intense X-ray nanobeam on a semiconducting organic thin film. The formation of micrometric holes induced by the beam occurring on a timescale of seconds is characterized.
Large-surface-area diamond (111) crystal plates for applications in high-heat-load wavefront-preserving X-ray crystal optics
Authors: Stoupin Stanislav , Antipov Sergey , Butler James E. , Kolyadin Alexander V. , Katrusha Andrey
Published: August 2016

Fabrication and results of high-resolution X-ray topography characterization of diamond single-crystal plates with large surface area (10 mm × 10 mm) and (111) crystal surface orientation for applications in high-heat-load X-ray crystal optics are reported. The plates were fabricated by laser-cutting of the (111) facets of diamond crystals grown using high-pressure high-temperature methods. The intrinsic crystal quality of a selected 3 mm × 7 mm crystal region of one of the studied samples was found to be suitable for applications in wavefront-preserving high-heat-load crystal optics. Wavefront characterization was performed using sequential X-ray diffraction topography in the pseudo plane wave configuration and data analysis using rocking-curve topography. The variations of the rocking-curve width and peak position measured with a spatial resolution of 13 µm × 13 µm over the selected region were found to be less than 1 µrad.
Synthesis, structure, thermostability and luminescence properties of ZnIIand CdIIcoordination polymers based on dimethysuccinate and flexible 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene ligands
Authors: Liu Yang , Feng Yong-Lan , Fu Wei-Wei
Published: August 2016

The design and synthesis of functional coordination polymers is motivated not only by their structural beauty but also by their potential applications. ZnIIand CdIIcoordination polymers are promising candidates for producing photoactive materials because thesed10metal ions not only possess a variety of coordination numbers and geometries, but also exhibit luminescence properties when bound to functional ligands. It is difficult to predict the final structure of such polymers because the assembly process is influenced by many subtle factors. Bis(imidazol-1-yl)-substituted alkane/benzene molecules are good bridging ligands because their flexibility allows them to bend and rotate when they coordinate to metal centres. Two new ZnIIand CdIIcoordination polymers based on mixed ligands, namely, poly[[μ2-1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene-κ2N3:N3′]bis(μ3-2,2-dimethylbutanoato-κ3O1:O4:O4′)dizinc(II)], [Zn2(C6H8O4)2(C14H14N4)]n, and poly[[μ2-1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene-κ2N3:N3′]bis(μ3-2,2-dimethylbutanoato-κ5O1,O1′:O4,O4′:O4)dicadmium(II)], [Cd2(C6H8O4)2(C14H14N4)]n, have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Both complexes crystallize in the monoclinic space groupC2/cwith similar unit-cell parameters and feature two-dimensional structures formed by the interconnection of S-shaped Zn(Cd)–2,2-dimethylsuccinate chains with 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene bridges. However, the CdIIand ZnIIcentres have different coordination numbers and the 2,2-dimethylsuccinate ligands display different coordination modes. Both complexes exhibit a blue photoluminescence in the solid state at room temperature.
How to name and order convex polyhedra
Authors: Voytekhovsky Yury L.
Published: August 2016

In this paper a method is suggested for naming any convex polyhedron by a numerical code arising from the adjacency matrix of its edge graph. A polyhedron is uniquely fixed by its name and can be built using it. Classes of convexn-acra (i.e.n-vertex polyhedra) are strictly ordered by their names.
Miniaturized beamsplitters realized by X-ray waveguides
Authors: Hoffmann-Urlaub Sarah , Salditt Tim
Published: August 2016

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of X-ray waveguide beamsplitters. The waveguide channels were manufactured by electron-beam lithography, reactive ion etching and wafer bonding techniques, with an empty (air) channel forming the guiding layer and silicon the cladding material. A focused synchrotron beam is efficiently coupled into the input channel. The beam is guided and split into two channels with a controlled (and tunable) distance at the exit of the waveguide chip. After free-space propagation and diffraction broadening, the two beams interfere and form a double-slit interference pattern in the far-field. From the recorded far-field, the near-field was reconstructed by a phase retrieval algorithm (error reduction), which was found to be extremely reliable for the two-channel setting. By numerical propagation methods, the reconstructed field was then propagated along the optical axis, to investigate the formation of the interference pattern from the two overlapping beams. Interestingly, phase vortices were observed and analysed.
CHALLENGES FACING THE OPEN UNIVERSITY: THE CASE OF THE KOREA NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
Authors: Park Duck-Jay , Kim Sung-Soo
Published: August 2016

Although the KNOU has successful history, it has been in a difficult situation, recently. By comparing the statistical figures of the university in the early 1990s and 2000s, we can delineate the followings as the major difficulties. First, there was a sharp decrease in the number of the applicants and students. Second, there was a continuous downward trend of the enrollment rate of the admitted students. Third, there were feminization and aging of the student population. Forth, the academic departments with students less than the quotas increased and the gaps in student numbers between the department widened. In terms of policy implications to the Open Universities, we propose the followings based on the experiences of the KNOU: we should maintain the number of students within a reasonable limit; the Open University needs to do its best to improve quality in education.
A TRACER STUDY OF A COHORT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN OUSL: PERCEIVED BENEFITS FROM PARTICIPATION IN DEGREE PROGRAMMES
Authors: Lekamge G.D. , Weerasinghe Tamara , Ratnayake Rohana
Published: August 2016

An exploratory study involving students enrolled in Law and Science degree programmers of The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) was conducted to identify students' progression in the programmers, the perceived benefits in terms of occupational and social mobility, and economic returns, and any other non-pecuniary benefits. Especially developedquestionnaire was administered to a sample of students to get. their views on the benefits obtained. Results of this study unveiled crucial information of perceived and non-perceived benefits of the OUSL degree programmers. It could be observed that a substantial number of students have experienced a change in their employment and a huge increase in their income after completing the programs. Other interesting feature is that the number of students, who were in the lowest income level, had decreased substantially.
THE STUDY AND PRACTICE OF WEB-BASED LEARNING ASSESSMENT IN OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
Authors: Xiaotang Yang , Nuersan Rehati
Published: August 2016

Learning assessment is defined as assessment and evaluation of the learners' learning activities, process and outcomes. In recent years, as the Internet access is increasingly available, a majority of distance education providers in China have succeeded in delivering programs and support services through modern communications technology, in particular, the Internet. However, as far as the education assessment mode is concerned, the conventional paper-pencil test or endof-course assessment is still overwhelmingly employed for measuring learning outcomes. Therefore, the exploration of web-based learning assessment mode is not only the practical need for conducting open distance instruction and assessment reform at China Central Radio and Television University (CRTVUS), but also has become a hot research topic in the whole sphere of distance education. Under this circumstance, the Examination Center in CCRTVU began to show research interests in exploring web-based assessment mode. As a consequence, in 2005, the Center applied for and launched research project "Practice and research on web-based learning assessment in open and distance education", which is approved by Ministry of Education as a key project program of 2005. This article reports the important research contents of the project. This article first describes the core achievements of the project-namely, design and implementation of the web-based assessment system, principles in creating assessment scheme for the mode, and the mechanism. Then it moves on to report feedback from the pilot population about the application of the web-based learning assessment mode in the two semesters of year 2005. The article ends with the discussion of innovations the research has made.
UNIVERSITAS TERBUKA TOWARDS THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE: VIEWED FROM PARTNERSHIPS, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Sembiring Maximus Gorky , Haryanto Yan , Pantow Johanna BS.
Published: August 2016

Partnerships, public relations and institutional development at Universitas Terbuka UT (Indonesia Open University) are discussed in this paper. The discussion is aimed at elucidating the way of Universitas Terbuka pursuing its vision, i.e. to be one of center of excellence in distance higher education institutions in Asia by 2010 and the world by 2020. Short history, development and the future of higher education system in general are also described; specifically the development, role and contribution of distance higher education, run by Universitas Terbuka, in Indonesia. Partnerships are designed to be the way Universitas Terbuka improves its delivery and instructional processes. Public relations are aimed at constructing institutional image not only in the national level but also in regional and even in the global context. Institutional development is intended to be the systematic and comprehensive ways to adopt the turbulence as a result of rapid change internally and externally. Besides, historical development of Universitas Terbuka, which now has more than 482.000 active students registered at the four faculties, is also explicated in relations to the need of discussions of the importance of partnerships, public relations and institutional development. The discussion on partnerships will be more elaborated on how to empower the 37 regional centers, almost 3000 exam sites in 527 cities and more than 8000 study groups all over the country to initiate and maintain partnerships with local state and some selected private universities in the use of common resources. The argument on public relations will be developed on how the central and regional offices build the institutional image in association with maintaining current student body and pursuing larger prospective students. The discussion on institutional development will be expanded specifically on how to develop strategic and operational planning documents with respect to maintaining and assuring academic and administrative quality at Universitas Terbuka. The paper finally explains where partnerships, public relations and institutional development aspects are positioned in the strategic and operational planning of Universitas Terbuka within its three main focuses, i.e. the improvement of academic quality, the expansion of students participation and service points, and the enhancement of internal management comprehensively.
STUDENTS' EVALUATION OF SUCCESS IN AN ONLINE MENTORING PROGRAM
Authors: Asgari Mahboubeh
Published: August 2016

This paper examines the contributors to a successful online educational program. In particular, it focuses on an online mentoring program called Tracking Canada's Past (TCP) which was implemented in three high schools in British Columbia, Canada, in 2003. Tracking Canada's Past investigated the application of online mentoring in the high school history curriculum through the use of Knowledge Forum® software–a web-based group workspace in which students could share and discuss their ongoing research with their online mentors and other students. The goal of TCP project was to help students understand the concept of history as a discipline through online mentoring and the use of “primary” sources, in addition to standard textbooks. There were 72 students and 16 online mentors involved in this study, approximately one mentor for each group of 5-11 students. Through a series of pre- and post-program surveys and interviews, data were collected on the students' backgrounds, expectations for specific mentoring functions, affective responses to mentoring, and the mentoring functions they recognized receiving. Volunteer mentors were also asked about the mentoring functions and the type of advice they would offer to their students. Findings from this study indicated that students' judgments of a successful online mentoring program were best predicted by the helpfulness of the questions mentors asked, the usefulness of the reading materials and/or web resources they recommended, the helpfulness of mentors in developing questions or ideas to investigate, the level of trust students placed in their mentors, and the helpfulness of the online workspace where students and mentors shared their ideas. These findings suggest that the most important determinants of a successful online mentoring program are those that online program designers have the ability to refine over time.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF CONCEPTUAL MODEL INSTANCE (CMI) DATA FOR E-LEARNING MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS IN SCORM RUN-TIME ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Khor Ean-Teng , Chung Sheng-Hung
Published: August 2016

The paper aims to describe dynamic presentation generator that presents the same content in different ways through different media object and presentation layouts. The different media presentation will then display to student via Learning Management Systems (LMS). The paper also presents SCORM Compliant Learning Objects and Conceptual Model Instance (CMI). The prototype is then evaluated to demonstrate the performance of the students where the CMI data are collected for each student. The data collected include media preference, test score and time spent to study the Computer Programming subjects. The results show that with more media object used, students spent more time on the Webpages. However, the results also showed that using more media object may not produce better results in the assessment.
Implementation of Facebook study groups as supplements for learning management systems in adult ODL environments
Authors: Abeywardena Ishan Sudeera , Yoong Tham Choy
Published: August 2016

As an open and distance learning (ODL) institution, Wawasan Open University (WOU)
employs a blended approach for delivering courses to its undergraduate and postgraduate
students, who are entirely adult learners. In this approach, the use of a learning management
system (LMS) is absolutely crucial for student support as well as the enhancement of the
whole learning experience to compensate for the lack of face-to-face interaction between
the students and the academics. WawasanLearn, the open source, Moodle-based LMS
system used by WOU, is a comprehensive online tool that enables students and academics
to effectively interact in a virtual environment. However, analysis of data from several
semesters shows that the rate of student interaction on WawasanLearn is low with respect
to the sharing of knowledge.

In order to qualitatively and quantitatively identify the factors contributing to the student
participation rate in WawasanLearn, a survey was conducted among the undergraduate
students studying in various disciplines including science and technology, business
administration, liberal studies, education, languages and communication. Feedback
regarding the manner of support students expect from WawasanLearn was gathered from
close to 550 students throughout Malaysia. Another purpose of the survey was to identify
whether and why students are drawn to participate more frequently in social networking
platforms such as Facebook (facebook.com).

As a result of the findings of the survey, a pilot project was implemented to study the use of
Facebook groups as study groups for supplementing WawasanLearn. These study groups were
run in parallel to WawasanLearn for seven course modules over two consecutive semesters.
This paper discusses the findings of this pilot project with respect to the implementation of
Facebook groups as supplements to the LMS in an adult ODL environment.
Determinants of students' loyalty at Universitas Terbuka
Authors: Sembiring Maximus Gorky
Published: August 2016

Factors affecting students' loyalty were explored in this paper. The objective of the study was to identify the most important factors involved in determining students' loyalty at Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia. The research was conducted through a quantitative approach and all data were processed using the path analysis method. Respondents were students registered at the Faculty of Social and Political Science, the Faculty of Economics, and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. A proportionate simple random sampling was taken and 193 questionnaires were completed. These questionnaires explored five variables and 24 attributes through 114 valid and reliable statements using a Likert Scale ranging from 1 – 5. These instruments were used to gather responses from students to ascertain what factors determined students' loyalty at Universitas Terbuka. The respondents were students registered in the first semester of academic year of 2012. They have also been registered in least two previous semesters in the relevant program/faculty. Students' loyalty was the dependent variable. Service quality, student expectations and university image were the independent variables; student satisfaction was the intervening variable. Nine hypotheses were examined, and all were validated by the analysis. The most significant factors affecting students' loyalty were student expectations and university image.
Analysis of the cultural factors affecting the proper design of website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN
Authors: Khlaisang Jintavee
Published: August 2016

This study is to understand perspectives of administrators and instructors in higher educational institutes on cultural factors which affect website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN. It used an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to find underlying cultural factors affecting the design of website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN. Based on the factors identified, the proposed model of website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN along with the prototype were presented at the end. The research procedures included two major steps. Step 1 is based on the review of related literature and the data collection from the survey concerning cultural factors affecting website and electronic courseware. In step 2, experts' interviews were conducted to obtain their opinions concerning the proposed factors, along with discussion about readiness of Thai e-Leaning in higher education so as to become part of the ASEAN Community in 2015, and the model of website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN were presented.

The results of this study were the report of the cultural factors affecting the proper design of website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN, the proposed model, and the prototype of website and electronic courseware for e-Learning in ASEAN assimilating all the related cultural factors exquisitely.
Student Perceptions of Using a SCORM-Compliant Learning Object (SCLO) for Learning in an ODL Environment
Authors: Khor Ean-Teng
Published: August 2016

The sharable content object reference model (SCORM) has become one of the important specifications forcontent packaging and platform development in open and distance learning (ODL). SCORM-compliant learning objects(SCLO) areknowledge repositories that have been meta-tagged for SCORMcompliance.SCLO can be easily interoperated among different learning management systems (LMS) without being tied to a single content provider or authoring tool. The content can last longer because it is easier to justify ongoing compatibility with standard content. The purpose of this research is to examine student acceptance of SCLO. The involvement of students wasimportant for a successful content delivery process. Therefore,students'acceptance behavior should be assessed as this reflects whethertheywill eventually adopt SCLO in their learning. Data were collected through Davis's extended technology acceptance survey instrument. The data collected werefurther analysed and evaluated. The results of thisstudy are useful for instructors and course designers with respect to the use of SCLO in their respective courses or anycontent deliveryprocess.
Mobile Applications at a Mega University: Anadolu University Campus App
Authors: Yilmazel Ozgur , Ekin Erk
Published: August 2016

This paper explores the use of mobile applications to aid on-campus and off-campus students at a mega university. Anadolu University — with over 1,900,000 students enrolled from over 30 countries — is the world's second largest university by enrolment(List of largest universities by enrolment, 2014). From its early days, the Universityhas used various means to access its students. During the last decade,with the introduction of mobile technologies and smartphones that are connected everywhere, the expectations of students have changed. Students now expect to be in contact with their educational institutions without any barriers. Anadolu University released its first mobile campus app onaniOS platform in May 2012. Students adopted the App quickly and the mobile app user community requested new functionalities. Since then,the University has released three major and over 25 minor releases of the app on both iOS and Android smartphones. This paper describes the lifecycle of Anadolu Campus App and its evolution over the years. It has been widely acceptedby our students both on campus and off campus, andthe increasing number of users gives an insight into the high rate of adoption of smartphones.
Integration of Micro Lectures into the Blended Learning Discourse in Tertiary Education#
Authors: Zhang* Xiangyang , Xu Jie
Published: August 2016

Over the past decades, the Internet has had a profound impact on tertiary education, with the emergence of a new format of distance education. With the broadband-connected World Wide Web, students can now pursue their learning, whether formal or informal, more comfortably and effectively. Also, the rapidly emerging technologies offer academics and educational institutions much greater choice in their instructional approaches and learning environments.

Micro lectures are considered to be one of the most effective modes in blended learning. This paper examines our practice of integrating micro lectures into our English for Business course, using an exploratory case study approach. The study focuses on four fields: learning content with technology; learning support services; learning management; and students' learning experiences. The findings indicate that the great majority of students were satisfied with micro lecture learning, and that the flippedclassroom based on micro lecture learning resources can optimize the learning process. We believe that it is time to integrate micro lectures into formal learning in both online learning and face-to-face classroom teaching.
Accomplishing Education in Open Universities through the Agency of Digital Media
Authors: Saludadez* Jean A.
Published: August 2016

This paper attempts to explain why and how open universities accomplish their educational purposes. The research explores the use of the Agency Framework as a theoretical anchor for examining and explaining how education/learning is possible at a distance. The paper illustrates how digital media are agents that participate in the accomplishment of teaching and learning research online. The study employs the ventriloqual approach that involves a three-step process of: (1) collecting archived/recorded online interactions; (2) identifying markers through which digital media appear to recurrently and iteratively express themselves in the recorded interactions; and (3) understanding or hearing what the markers are made to say. Using this approach, the paper shows how digital media afford the creation of interactive activities in a graduate level research course in an open university, enabling students to go through designing and implementing research using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Surfacingthe agentive roles of digital media stagedat teacher-students interactions provides insights into why education can be accomplished at a distance.
As assistant principals enter their careers: a case for providing support
Authors: Marshall Catherine , Phelps Davidson Elizabeth
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to offer a viewpoint on the challenges that assistant principals (APs) face and to make the case for intentional mentoring, coaching, and sponsorship of individuals in these roles.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors provide a professional viewpoint based on scholarly literature and their practitioner observation.

Findings

– The authors propose that by focussing on APs, being systematic about supporting APs, and expanding and deepening understandings of the hurdles and dilemmas they face, the schools will have a more robust leadership pipeline and more satisfied and effective APs. They recommend that school districts, whether in the USA or internationally, consider adopting specific and intentional strategies to mentor, coach, and sponsor new APs, with what they call Mentor-Sponsor Models.

Originality/value

– The author recommendation for school districts to create Mentor Banks of qualified, exemplary senior principals who can sponsor and mentor new APs as an “in house” model for developing district talent is an original idea that could be easily implemented in larger school districts.