Over the past few years, our learning environment is changing due to the advent of new information and communication technologies. One of the most important and interesting issues is to explore the ways in which we select and/or combine different modes of communication, such as face-to-face communication (FTF) and computer-mediated-communication (CMC). Concurrently, when we consider that our le...

Synthesis of single-wavelength temporal phase-shifting algorithms (PSA) for interferometry is well-known and firmly based on the frequency transfer function (FTF) paradigm. Here we extend the single-wavelength FTF-theory to dual and multi-wavelength PSA-synthesis when several simultaneous laser-colors are present. The FTF-based synthesis for dual-wavelength (DW) PSA is optimized for high signal...

BACKGROUND The impact of flat-line funding in the global scale up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected patients in Africa has not yet been well described. METHODS We evaluated ART-eligible patients and patients starting ART at a prototypical scale up ART clinic in Mbarara, Uganda between April 1, 2009 and May 14, 2010 where four stakeholders sponsor treatment - two PEPFAR implemen...

This paper is primarily based on a research project on blended teaching and learning. This emerging teaching and learning mode is gaining popularity in tertiary institutions because the new technologies have integrated the classroom and online teaching and learning into a potentially productive environment. The research project adopts a discourse analysis approach and intends to investigate the...

Liver receptor homolog 1 (nuclear receptor LRH-1, NR5A2) is an essential regulator of gene transcription, critical for maintenance of cell pluripotency in early development and imperative for the proper functions of the liver, pancreas, and intestines during the adult life. Although physiological hormones of LRH-1 have not yet been identified, crystallographic and biochemical studies demonstrat...

We previously demonstrated that coexpressing retinoic acid (RA) receptor gamma and liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH1 or NR5A2) with OCT4, MYC, KLF4, and SOX2 (4F) rapidly reprograms mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs) into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Here, we further explore the role of RA in reprogramming and report that the six factors (6F) efficiently and directly reprogram MEFs...

BACKGROUND The introduction of the smartphone with high-quality, built-in digital cameras and easy-to-install software may make it more convenient to perform teledermatology. In this study we looked at the feasibility of using a smartphone (iPhone 4(®)) with an installed application especially developed for teledermatology (iDoc24(®)) and a dermoscope (FotoFinder Handyscope(®)) that is customiz...

Communication has a role of heart in all kinds of educational interactions, with the popularization of computer technology for home and office use, teaching methods have changed communication styles from plain lectures to multimedia presentations. These new trends in education are in their infancy, online learning or E-learning, and are quickly becoming an important aspect of education in our f...

Monte Carlo event generators assume that protons split into (uu)-diquarks and d-quarks with a probability of 1=3 in strong interactions. It is shown in this paper that using a value of 1=6 for the probability allows one to describe at a semi-quantitative level the NA49 Collaboration data for pþ p → pþ X reactions at 158 GeV=c. The Fritiof (FTF) model of Geant4 was used to simulate the reactions...

In recent years, thanks to the development of information and communication technologies, the computer and internet have been used widely in higher education. Internet-based education is impacting traditional higher education as online components increasingly become integrated into facetoface (FTF) courses. The goal of combined internet-based and traditional education is to take full advantage ...