6,895 research outputs found
Faith-ful citizens? Christian churches and social cohesion in Scotland
No full textThe issue of social cohesion in Scotland (or the lack of it) has been thrown into sharp perspective by the attempted bombing of Glasgow Airport in 2007. Cecilia Clegg asks what Christian churches are doing to aid the integration of people so that positive social cohesion can be promoted and violence, particularly religiously-motivated violence, becomes less likely.Publisher PD
Characterisation of Neopeptides in Equine Articular Cartilage Degradation
No full textOsteoarthritis is characterized by a loss of extracellular matrix which leads to cartilage degradation and joint space narrowing. Specific proteases including the aggrecanases ADAMTS-4 and matrix metalloproteinase 3 are important in initiating and promoting cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. This study investigated protease specific and disease specific cleavage patterns of particular extracellular matrix proteins by comparing new peptide fragments; neopeptides, in specific exogenous protease driven digestion of a crude cartilage proteoglycan extract and an in-vitro model of early osteoarthritis. Additionally equine cartilage explants were treated with interleukin-1 and the media collected. Proteolytic cleavage products following trypsin digestion were then identified using tandem mass spectrometry. Complete sequences of proteolytically cleaved neopeptides were determined for the major cartilage proteoglycans aggrecan, biglycan, decorin, fibromodulin plus cartilage oligomeric matrix protein. The generation of neopeptides varied with enzyme specificity; however some peptides were common to all samples. Previous known and novel cleavage sites were identifies. The identification of novel peptide fragments provides a platform for the development of antibodies which could assist in the identification of biomarkers for OA, as well as identifying basic biochemical processes underlying OA
Auto-Affection
No full textIn sculpture, painting, and video, Auto-Affection playfully examines the possibility of self-relation through lenses of philosophy, art, and popular culture. Setting principles of Derridean Deconstruction against the contemporary landscape and aesthetics of self-affection, masturbation, and self-care, this exhibition (and this supplemental document) utilize auto-theory as a research-creation methodology, seeking to define an art of auto-affection.Master of Arts (MA)Master of Fine ArtsUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/177017/1/Clegg-Sally-Stamps-MFA-2020.pd
Implications of the Improvement of Teaching Quality for Professional Development (PD) of Academics at the Colleges of Applied Sciences (CASs) in the Sultanate of Oman
No full textThe Oman Accreditation Council (OAC), which is called later the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA), designed a higher education institution (HEI) Quality Assurance (QA) framework for Omani public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), starting with a quality audit process in 2008. The Colleges of Applied Sciences (CASs), as a public HEI, are required to ensure the quality of all services and activities to meet particular national standards (specified in the framework) in order to gain a HEI and programme certificate. In line with a quality audit scope, the quality of the fields of PD and related teaching quality should be ensured and enhanced by the promotion and contribution of the former field to the maintenance and improvement of the latter one.
The chief purpose of this study was to identify the uptake and implications of the growing requirement to improve teaching quality and the PD of academics at the CASs in the Sultanate of Oman especially in the context of the application of the QA framework. The study focused on examining the academics’ participation in professional development programmes (PDPs) and current perceptions of PD with respect to the improvement of teaching quality improvement at these colleges. The current study also dealt with a reorganization and prioritization of academics’ PD needs, barriers to effective PD, and factors to enhance PD of academics regarding teaching quality improvement in the colleges.
Based on the purpose and research objectives, the current study adopted both positivist (quantitative) and interpretive (qualitative) research paradigms. Because the study perused quantitative and qualitative data regarding certain variables, it chose a mixed-research design. The researcher designed survey questionnaire to collect quantitative data and a semi-structured interview and a focus group discussion to probe and interpret quantitative findings. After fulfillment of the validity and reliability measurements, a self-completion questionnaire was distributed to a stratified random sample of academics (170) over the six CASs. A total of 150 questionnaires (out of 170) were completed and returned and the response-rate reached 88.2%. The quantitative data was analyzed by appropriate analysis using the Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS), while the qualitative data was analyzed by appropriate qualitative analysis.
The findings of the study showed that the level of academics’ participation in PDPs to improve teaching quality in the last two years in the CASs seems to be unsatisfactorily low. The current perceptions of the PD situations in the colleges, relating to teaching quality improvement, signified a shortage in the number of available PDPs and/or a discouragement of academics’ participation in these programmes in the last two years. The study also revealed all the 22 PD needs of academics regarding the improvement of teaching quality are significantly demanded by participants; the higher rated needs focused on a development of ‘student centred’ skills, such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the study illustrated that the highest significant perceived barriers to effective PD in the CASs, as related to teaching quality improvement, focus on a lack of a clear institutional PD policy and a lack of appropriately systematic PD plans. The study also revealed all 10 perceived factors to enhance PD regarding teaching quality improvement are very important. The most significant factors represented and stressed particular problematic issues (the high rated barriers) and a reduction of a heavy workload to enhance academics’ participation in PD regarding the improvement of teaching quality.
Conclusions drawn from the discussion of the findings of study include a lack of a clear PD policy at national and institutional levels and absence of a particular authority/unit concerning PD issues in Omani HEIs. The two problematic issues resulted in a lack of systematic and realistic PD plans in the CASs, involving a lack of academics’ involvement in PD plans, a misconnection of academics’ PD needs to PD, inappropriate facilities and resources allocation, and inappropriate evaluation processes of PD. In addition, the conclusions also include that PD of academics regarding the improvement of teaching quality in the colleges requires more attention and focus to manage particular significant issues perceived by participants as both barriers and potential facilitators relating to PD of academics.
Based on identified conclusions, particular implications for policy and practice to enhance PD to improve teaching quality were set at three levels: governmental, institutional, and individual. Moreover, achievements of the current study according to the research questions were identified and contributions of the study to the fields of PD, teaching quality, and the context of QA and quality audit in HE were addressed. Based on the findings and conclusions, particular directions and recommended issues were suggested to be studied by further research to benefit the enhancement of PD and related teaching quality improvement
Characterization and dynamics of [Pd(L-L)H(solv)]+, [Pd(L-L)(CH2CH3)]+, and [Pd(L-L)(C(O)Et)(THF)]+ (L-L = 1,2- CH2PBu2t)2C6H4 ): Key intermediates in the catalytic methoxycarbonylation of ethene to methylpropanoate
No full textA detailed spectroscopic study has allowed the solution structure and dynamic properties of all the intermediates in the Pd-catalyzed methoxycarbonylation of ethene to be established. [Pd(L-L)H(solv)]+ 1 (L-L = 1,2-(CH2PBu2t)2C6H4 ; solv = MeOH, 1a; PrnOH, 1b; THF, 1c; EtCN, 1d) is static, and the two inequivalent P atoms do not become equivalent through solvent exchange over all the temperatures studied. [Pd(L-)(CH2CH3)]+, 2, contains a strong β-agostic C-H interaction which is remarkably stable and is not displaced even in strongly coordinating solvents such as EtCN. Cα and Cβ of the ethyl group in 2 become equivalent via a stereospecific interchange involving [Pd(L-L)H(η2-C2H4)]+ without making the two P atoms equivalent; at higher temperatures these two inequivalent P atoms do become equivalent probably via a T-shaped intermediate. For [Pd(L-L)(C(O)Et)(solv)]+, 6, there is no β-agostic C-H interaction and multiple 13C-labeling of the C(O)Et group shows that the inequivalent P atoms become equivalent via movement of the intact C(O)Et group. The crystal structure of the related complex [Pd(L-L)(C(O)Et)Cl] cocrystallized with dibenzylacetone has been determined
Book review: Singing Simpkin and other bawdy jigs: musical comedy on the Shakespearian stage—scripts, music and context, by Roger Clegg and Lucy Skeaping
No full textBook review of: Singing Simpkin and other bawdy jigs, edited by Roger Clegg and Lucie Skeaping. Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2014; ISBN: 9780859898782 (£30.00)Publisher PD
Fullerene-like WS<sub>2</sub> supported Pd catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction
No full textHydrogen is the most desirable green energy carrier and electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) from water is a promising route for hydrogen production. The search for efficient, low-cost HER catalysts is a challenging and attracting topic. In this work, we report that inorganic fullerene-like WS2 supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd/WS2), with Pd loading of 0.76 wt%, are active for electrocatalytic HER conducted in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution, with overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 current density of ~130 mV and Tafel slope of 82.4 mV dec−1, which is comparable to that of Pt/WS2 (0.88 wt% Pt loading) with higher costs. Characteristic results indicate that WO3 impurities were in-situ produced on the WS2 surface and the Pd NPs are primarily located inside the WS2 nanocages. Contrasting experiments suggest that the WO3 impurities play a crucial role in generating Hads intermediate and the Pd NPs are active sites of H2 production, and a reaction mechanism is proposed. The Pd/WS2 catalyst also shows good long-term stability owing to the location of Pd NPs inside the WS2 cages. The high HER activity, low costs and good stability make the Pd catalyst a potential alternative to Pt catalyst for HER.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Micro and Nano Engineerin
The clinical effectiveness of diabetes education models for Type 2 diabetes: a systematic review
No full textObjective: To examine the clinical effectiveness of patient education models for adults with Type 2 diabetes.Data sources: Electronic databases were searched from 2002 to January 2007.Review methods: A systematic review of the literature on educational interventions in diabetes was undertaken. This was an update of a previous systematic review.Results: Including studies identified in the previous systematic review, there were 13 published studies. Eight studies of education on multiple aspects of diabetes self-management were identified that provided education that was focused on a particular aspect of self-management. The quality of reporting and methodology of the studies was variable. Studies of multi-component educational interventions yielded mixed results. Some trials reported significant improvements on measures of diabetic control but others did not. Positive effects may be attributable to longer-term interventions with a shorter duration between the end of the intervention and the follow-up evaluation point. There may also be an effect of having a multi-professional team delivering the educational programme. Studies of focused educational interventions did not yield consistent results. Some effects were shown on measures of diabetic control in studies that focused on diet or exercise alone. Although the effects shown were generally small, those that were present did appear to be relatively long-lasting. This update review does not substantially alter the conclusions of the previous systematic review; for each outcome, the proportion of studies that demonstrated significant effects of education was similar.Conclusions: Based on the evidence, it would seem that education delivered by a team of educators, with some degree of reinforcement of that education made at additional points of contact, may provide the best opportunity for improvements in patient outcomes. Educators need to have time and resources to fulfil the needs of any structured educational programme. There is also a need for education to have a clear programme at the outset. From the evidence reported it is unclear what resources would need to be directed at the educators themselves to ensure that they can deliver programmes successfully. Any future research should consider patient education within the context of overall diabetes care and as such follow guidelines for the development and evaluation of complex interventions. Good-quality, longer-term studies would be desirable, but these would require careful consideration around the nature of any control group. Information is needed to clarify the sensitivity of diabetes education programmes to the performance of the diabetes educators, in order to ensure success and cost-effectiveness of education programmes.<br/
Characterization of Neopeptides in Equine Articular Cartilage Degradation
No full textOsteoarthritis is characterized by a loss of extracellular matrix that leads to cartilage degradation and joint space
narrowing. Specific proteases, including the aggrecanases ADAMTS-4 and matrix metalloproteinase 3, are important in initiating and
promoting cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. This study investigated protease-specific and disease-specific cleavage patterns of
particular extracellular matrix proteins by comparing new peptide fragments, neopeptides, in specific exogenous protease-driven
digestion of a crude cartilage proteoglycan extract and an in-vitro model of early osteoarthritis. Additionally, equine cartilage explants
were treated with interleukin-1 and the media collected. Proteolytic cleavage products following trypsin digestion were then identified
using tandem mass spectrometry. Complete sequences of proteolytically cleaved neopeptides were determined for the major cartilage
proteoglycans aggrecan, biglycan, decorin, fibromodulin plus cartilage oligomeric matrix protein. The generation of neopeptides varied
with enzyme specificity; however, some peptides were common to all samples. Previous known and novel cleavage sites were identifies.
The identification of novel peptide fragments provides a platform for the development of antibodies that could assist in the
identification of biomarkers for osteoarthritis (OA), as well as the identification of basic biochemical processes underlying O
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