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In an inquiry-based discussion, learners take responsibility for their learning, create meaning in a group, and learn from the group. In a physical classroom, instructors can model moderator and discussant skills and have learners practice those skills in the presence of the instructor. Using a stop-action approach, instructors can stop the discussion and provide feedback. Learners can then practice the skill and continue with the discussion. In an online environment, instructors may not be able to have a group stop action. Frequent interruptions by the instructor might disrupt the rhythm of the discussion, especially when the discourse occurs in text-based chat rooms. In a synchronous, continually flowing chat space, consideration needs to be given to the difficulty of modeling behaviors. Too much intervention or modeling on the part of the instructor, even in the guise of a student, might disrupt the natural flow of ideas. It may be that the speed and flow of a synchronous chat make it impractical for an instructor to be the only voice of guidance. Learners in chat environments need time to reflect, practice, and receive guidance on effective moves made during their discussions. Coaching, rather than modeling or direct instruction, may be an appropriate intervention for improving learner-led text-based chats. In this article, the authors will first discuss the idea of e-coaching and then describe how academic chats are used in their course. A third section will describe the framework for the e-coaching and feedback process. The article concludes with recommendations for practice derived from the authors' experience with electronic coaching and feedback.

Online learning discussion formats provide an opportunity for learners to share their experiences, negotiate meaning, and take ownership of the subject matter. Chat rooms also provide learners with anyplace and real-time ways to participate in academic discussions. Shared understanding occurs when individual experience mediated through group discourse becomes collective thought that emerges from the exploration and analysis of personal experience, text material, and the construction of ideas from critical group dialogue. Shared understanding is the blending of private thought with public dialogue. Increasing the understanding of how shared meaning develops through computer-mediated, real-time communication may help instructors design and facilitate discussions that lead to higher-order thinking in online inquiry-based environments. In this article the authors will first discuss the framework for using academic text-based chats in their course. A second section will describe the process the learners use to create shared meaning. In the concluding section, they will present recommendations for practice, an outcome of lessons learned from their experience in designing academic chat spaces.

IN HIS FAMED 1845 BOOK The Condition of the Working Class in England, Friedrich Engels (1987, 119) described how police treated the surplus workers in Manchester who struggled for subsistence [...]

This study investigated whether video lectures instructed by a heightened level of expressiveness instructor were better than those instructed by a conventional level of expressiveness instructor or audio-only in promoting students' online learning, and what kind of effects do instructor's facial expressions have on students' learning. Three different types of video lectures (one with a heightened level of expressiveness instructor, one with a conventional level of expressiveness instructor and one with the instructor' audio only) were used to study the effects of instructor's facial expressions. Sixty-nine participants from Chinese Normal University were selected to learn with these video lectures. Results of this study indicated that video lectures with a heightened level of expressiveness instructor were better than those with a conventional level of expressiveness instructor and audio-only ones with regard to improving students' arousal level and learning satisfaction. Instructor's facial expressions had no significant influence on participants' short-term recall (p = 0.90), while instructor's facial expressions did influence students' medium-term recall (p = 0.03). Instructor's facial expressions played a key role in students' online learning.

Obesity-induced insulin resistance (IR) is known to influence hepatic cytokines (hepatokines), including fibroblast growth factor (FGF-21), fetuin-A, and chemerin. This study aimed to investigate the association between hepatokines and markers of endothelial dysfunction and vascular reactivity in obese adolescents. A total of 45 obese adolescents were categorized into three groups based on glucose tolerance: normal glucose tolerance (NGT), prediabetes (PD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We examined the relationships between FGF-21, fetuin-A, and chemerin with endothelial markers (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 [PAI-1], intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1], and vascular cell adhesion marker-1 [VCAM-1]) and vascular surrogates (brachial artery reactivity testing [BART] and peak reactive hyperemia [PRH]). Obese adolescents (age 16.2±1.2 years; 62 % female, 65 % Hispanic) with NGT (n=20), PD (n=14), and T2D (n=11) had significant differences between groups in BMI; waist-hip ratio (p=0.05), systolic BP (p=0.008), LDL-C (p=0.02), PAI-1 (p<0.001). FGF-21 pg/mL (mean±SD: NGT vs. PD vs. T2D 54±42; 266±286; 160±126 p=0.006) and fetuin-A ng/mL (266±80; 253±66; 313±50 p=0.018), were significantly different while chemerin ng/mL (26±5; 31±10; 28±2) did not significantly differ between the groups. Positive correlations were found between chemerin and both PAI-1 (r=0.6; p=0.05) and ICAM-1 (r=0.6; p=0.05), FGF-21 and PAI-1 (r=0.6; p<0.001), and fetuin-A with TNFα (r=−0.4; p=0.05). Negative correlations were found between chemerin and PRH (r= −0.5; p=0.017) and fetuin-A and PRH (r=−0.4; p=0.05). In our cohort, IR predicted higher FGF-21 levels suggesting a linear relationship may exist between the two parameters. Hepatokines can augment alterations in the microvascular milieu in obese adolescents as demonstrated by their associations with the markers PAI-1, ICAM-1, and PRH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe genomic heterogeneity of HIV-1 impedes the ability of consensus sequences in vaccines to elicit effective antiviral immune responses. AGS-004 amplifies translation-competent RNA molecules encoding for Gag, Rev, Vpr, and Nef from the patient's autologous virus and loads them into dendritic cells.MethodsThis phase IIB, multicenter, 2:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 54 HIV-1-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy with viral loads (VLs) 450 cells per cubic millimeter, and nadir counts >200 cells per cubic millimeter, to receive intradermal injections of study product into the axillary lymph node region every 4 weeks. At week 16, a 12-week analytical treatment interruption (ATI) was undertaken.ResultsThere was no difference in the end-of-ATI VL (average of values from weeks 11 and 12) between the 2 arms of the study [4.39 (4.17, 4.69) vs. 4.47 (3.76, 4.64) log10 HIV-1 RNA; P = 0.73]. Between arms, no change between pre-antiretroviral therapy VL and the end-of-ATI VL [-0.06 (0.24, -0.32) vs. -0.17 (0.17, -0.32) log10 HIV-1 RNA; P = 0.43] was observed. When interferon-γ, interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor α, CD107a, and granzyme b expressions were measured by multicolor flow cytometry, a greater percentage of AGS-004 than of placebo recipients had multifunctional cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses induced in the CD28+/CD45RA-CD8 effector/memory T-cell population to dendritic cells electroporated with autologous antigens. Adverse events consisted of transient, mild (grade 1) local injection site reactions.ConclusionsDespite the induction of HIV-specific effector/memory CD8 T-cell responses, no antiviral effect was seen after the administration of AGS-004 when compared with placebo.

BackgroundThe genomic heterogeneity of HIV-1 impedes the ability of consensus sequences in vaccines to elicit effective antiviral immune responses. AGS-004 amplifies translation-competent RNA molecules encoding for Gag, Rev, Vpr, and Nef from the patient's autologous virus and loads them into dendritic cells.MethodsThis phase IIB, multicenter, 2:1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 54 HIV-1-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy with viral loads (VLs) 450 cells per cubic millimeter, and nadir counts >200 cells per cubic millimeter, to receive intradermal injections of study product into the axillary lymph node region every 4 weeks. At week 16, a 12-week analytical treatment interruption (ATI) was undertaken.ResultsThere was no difference in the end-of-ATI VL (average of values from weeks 11 and 12) between the 2 arms of the study [4.39 (4.17, 4.69) vs. 4.47 (3.76, 4.64) log10 HIV-1 RNA; P = 0.73]. Between arms, no change between pre-antiretroviral therapy VL and the end-of-ATI VL [-0.06 (0.24, -0.32) vs. -0.17 (0.17, -0.32) log10 HIV-1 RNA; P = 0.43] was observed. When interferon-γ, interleukin-2, tumor necrosis factor α, CD107a, and granzyme b expressions were measured by multicolor flow cytometry, a greater percentage of AGS-004 than of placebo recipients had multifunctional cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses induced in the CD28+/CD45RA-CD8 effector/memory T-cell population to dendritic cells electroporated with autologous antigens. Adverse events consisted of transient, mild (grade 1) local injection site reactions.ConclusionsDespite the induction of HIV-specific effector/memory CD8 T-cell responses, no antiviral effect was seen after the administration of AGS-004 when compared with placebo.

An important hiring criterion maintained by some school districts is that school counselors possess a teaching certificate and prior teaching experience. The present study examined the actual job performance of novice school counselor (interns) in relation to whether they had teacher certification and at least two years of teaching experience, or entered the school counseling profession as non-teachers. Results showed that standardized supervisors' evaluations of counselor interns' performance in four main skill areas (Professional Behavior, Clinical Skills, Teaching Skills, Hireability) were not associated with prior teacher training and/or experience. However, male, novice counselors were rated somewhat lower on the domain of Professional Behavior than female counselors. The methodological advantages of studying the teacher-counselor question using novice counselors and expert supervisor-evaluators are discussed. The implications for graduate program training, and hiring practices are summarized. (Contains 2 tables.)

In a movement toward workforce development as an academic entity, the identity of adult education as projects for inquiry is troubled. In some academic programs, adult education has been termed adult learning in the service of promoting teaching and learning for the workplace. However, adult education's inquiry, its projects, might be more than just teaching adults or researching how adults' learn. This paper presents an argument that adult education projects might have a social justice focus. Adult education might serve as a critique of social, educational, and political policies concerning work and the workplace.

Type I interferons (IFN-I) are essential antiviral cytokines produced upon microbial infection. IFN-I elicits this activity through the upregulation of hundreds of IFN-I-stimulated genes (ISGs). The full breadth of ISG induction demands activation of a number of cellular factors including the IκB kinase epsilon (IKKε). However, the mechanism of IKKε activation upon IFN receptor signaling has remained elusive. Here we show that TRIM6, a member of the E3-ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif (TRIM) family of proteins, interacted with IKKε and promoted induction of IKKε-dependent ISGs. TRIM6 and the E2-ubiquitin conjugase UbE2K cooperated in the synthesis of unanchored K48-linked polyubiquitin chains, which activated IKKε for subsequent STAT1 phosphorylation. Our work attributes a previously unrecognized activating role of K48-linked unanchored polyubiquitin chains in kinase activation and identifies the UbE2K-TRIM6-ubiquitin axis as critical for IFN signaling and antiviral response.

Both the accounts of Abraham’s three visitors (Gen 18:1-15) and of Jacob’s nighttime intruder (32:23- 33) are famous interpretive cruxes. This article shows why the plain sense is that both Abraham and Jacob recognize right away that the newly introduced figures represent their deity. It does this by: (1) accounting for the place of messengers in the mental life of ancient Israel; (2) recovering an under-appreciated yet cognitively based narrative convention regarding messengers; (3) setting the starting point of each narrative with care; (4) attending to the semantics and pragmatics of the main noun in both accounts; and (5) emulating the online processing of language that an audience’s mind automatically employs, which is incremental and prediction-driven. In the emulation exercise, the audience’s mental parser arrives at a “recipient recognition” (RR) construal quickly-already before the end of 18:2, and by the end of 32:25. Furthermore, handling 32:25 in this manner resolves a third crux at the same time (32:2-3). An RR construal is cognitively favored because it yields a coherent and informative text, unlike the “obscured origin” (OO) construal that theologians presently favor. Meanwhile, the emulation validates a previously proposed hypothesis that the noun אִישׁ ’îš functions as the generic label for designating an “agent”-that is, someone who is representing the interests of another party. All told, this article employs a variety of cognitive factors as keys to plain-sense interpretation. Finally, it touches upon the theological implications of the RR construal of the two passages under study.

The Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School is an application-based magnet program utilizing a curriculum focused on science, mathematics, and computer science catering to interested, talented, and eager to learn students in Montgomery County, Maryland. This article identifies and discusses some of the unique aspects of the Magnet Program that promote effective teaching and learning in a school-within-a-school magnet model. These signature qualities that make the Magnet Program a success align with the goal of providing a unique educational experience to highly able learners. The authors hope to provide insight into how effective magnet programs can support both the needs of their students and the larger school community.