Psychological factors in virtual classroom situations: a pilot study for a model of learning through technological devices

Multimedia Communication Systems (MMCS) are particularly promising for the realization of advanced virtual classroom situations, in which people spatially distributed can communicate in real time using text, voice, sound, still and moving pictures. They could provide the opportunity to improve flexibility of learning and cooperation in the learning team. On the other hand, there is evidence that the availability of MMCS in a distance learning situation does not ensure their use and adoption by the users. Among the barriers to the diffusion of these forms of distance learning, human factors, in particular psychological factors, may play a prominent role. On these topics further theoretical and experimental work is needed. In order to examine these topics a new tool has been implemented at Fondazione Ugo Bordoni (Roma): the distance learning laboratory (DLL). This tool is being utilized in an investigation concerning the use of virtual classroom situation realised using multimedia systems. The present paper is related to the explorative phase of the investigation. In particular its main obectives are: a) to present a pilot study (realised using the DLL) to gain some insights on the psychological variables that can affect performance in virtual classroom situations; b) to propose a Model of Learning through Technological devices (MLT) in a virtual classroom situation. This model has been developed from previous research on computer acceptance, attitudes, social learning, and from the outcomes of our pilot study.     

Synthesis of conjugated bile acids by means of a peptide coupling reagent

The conditions for the preparation of conjugated bile acids by means of N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline are described. Conjugation is obtained in one step via the intermediary formation of mixed carbonic-carboxylic acid anhydrides.     

Dissociation of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity from the overall rate of cholesterol synthesis in the liver following the intravenous administration of lipid

After the intravenous administration to the intact rat of triglyceride carried in either intestinal lipoproteins or in an artificial fat emulsion, the enzymatic activities of microsomal beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity in the liver assayed in vitro became markedly elevated. This elevation of enzyme activity was not associated with a corresponding change in the overall rate of cholesterol synthesis in the rat liver slice as measured by the incorporation of either [3H]water or [1-14C]octanoate into nonsaponifiable lipids or into digitonin-precipitable sterols. The degree of dissociation of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity from the overall rate of cholesterol synthesis correlated closely with the amount of lipid administered to the animal, the level of circulating lipids, and the level of ketone synthesis manifest in the liver cell suggesting that this phenomenon might be the consequence of a detergent effect of elevated cellular levels of fatty acids. In any event, under these experimental circumstances hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA redutase activity no longer reflects the rate at which the liver cell is synthesizing cholesterol.     

Vaccination of melanoma patients with peptide- or tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cells

Metal-containing novel heterocyclic antibiotics, micacocidin A (1), B (2), and C (3) have been isolated from the culture filtrate of Pseudomonas sp. No. 57-250. The structure and absolute configuration of micacocidin A, an octahedral Zn2+ complex, was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. And then, the structures of the two congeners, micacocidin B (Cu2+ complex) and C (Fe3+ complex) were investigated by employing one dimensional and two dimensional homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopies and mass spectrometry.     

Insulin-stimulated cell growth in insulin receptor substrate-1-deficient ZR-75-1 cells is mediated by a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-independent pathway

The projections of enteric neurons to the circular muscle of the guinea pig gastric corpus were investigated systematically by using the retrogradely transported fluorescent carbocyanine dye 1,1'-didodecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl indocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI), applied to the muscle layer or myenteric plexus in vitro. DiI-labeled motor neuron cell bodies were located up to 6.3 mm aboral, 17 mm oral, and up to 20 mm circumferential to the DiI application site. Labeled nerve fibers ran for long distances from the DiI application site toward the greater and lesser curvatures, where they coursed parallel to the bundles of the "gastric sling" muscle. The majority of labeled cells were located toward the lesser curvature of the stomach. Nerve cell bodies that were aboral to the DiI application site were usually small, immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase, and, thus, were likely to be excitatory motor neurons. Neurons that were located orally were larger, fewer in number, and immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase and, thus, were likely to be inhibitory motor neurons. Application of DiI directly to the myenteric plexus filled neurons up to 15 mm aborally and up to 21 mm orally but labeled few neurons circumferentially. All nerve cells that were filled from either the circular muscle or the myenteric plexus had Dogiel type I morphological features. These results demonstrate a clear polarity of projection of inhibitory and excitatory motor neurons and a functionally continuous innervation of the circular and gastric sling muscle layers. Nonmotor neurons in the myenteric plexus were demonstrated, but neurons with Dogiel type II morphological features are apparently absent.     

Strategies for Water Quality Assessment: A Multiparametric Analysis of Microbiological Changes in River Waters

River waters are classified worldwide in relation to their chemical quality status, which is assessed by the presence of inorganic and organic pollutants. Meanwhile, microbiological quality evaluations are based mainly on the occurrence of pathogens and faecal contaminants, which are indirectly retrieved by standard cultivation methods. In this study, the structural dynamics of a riverine bacterioplankton community were investigated through a quantitative single‐cell approach with the use of flow cytometry for the quantification of total, viable and active cells. Furthermore, catalyzed reporter deposition (CARD)‐FISH was used for the evaluation of Proteobacteria and Cytophaga–Flavobacteria bacterial classes. The aim was to identify the major cytometric and phylogenetic cell groups that most representatively reflect the physical and chemical changes occurring in an upland‐to‐lowland transect along a human‐impacted river (the Foglia River, Italy). The use of CARD‐FISH to obtain cell abundance measurements of specific taxonomic clusters enabled different microbial propagation dynamics along the river transects to be identified. Furthermore, our results highlighted that the multiparametric approach with flow cytometry produces basic microbiological parameters in a reasonable time span that is consistent with the requirements for an early warning monitoring strategy with respect to integrated riverine water quality assessments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ROLE OF SUPPORT STRUCTURE ON KINETIC PARAMETER ESTIMATIONS IN A SHELL CATALYST

The kinetic parameters for VOC oxidation by a shell catalyst are generally obtained from the experimental data of conversion-temperature in a laboratory scale isothermal fixed bed reactor. The kinetics of these reactions are often represented by a bi-molecular Langmuir-Hinshelwood expresion. With the help of experimental data for n-hexane, the present study showed that the values of the kinetic parameters estimated depend significantly upon the location and width of the active catalyst layer as well as value of the effective diffusivity of the reactant within the porous structure. The present analysis showed that accurate a priori assessment of these parameters is very important for the reliable estimations of the kinetic parameters.     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 10

The cover image, by Bruna A. Bregadiolli et al., is based on the Research Article Towards the synthesis of poly(azafulleroid)s: main chain fullerene oligomers for organic photovoltaic devices, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5419 .

     

Smiling in the face of adversity: The interpersonal and intrapersonal functions of smiling.

This study examined hypothesized interpersonal and intrapersonal functions of smiling in positive and negative affective contexts. Smiles were measured during a lab-based monologue task following either happy or sad emotion-evoking films. Psychological adjustment and social integration were measured longitudinally using data obtained in years prior to and after the experimental task. Duchenne (genuine) smiles predicted better long-term adjustment and this effect was mediated independently by both social integration and undoing of negative emotion during the monologue. These effects were observed only in the negative affective context. Non-Duchenne smiles were not related to psychological adjustment. Neither Duchenne nor non-Duchenne smiles during the monologue task were related to personality variables assessed in this study. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)