The first all-sky mid-/far-infrared survey by IRAS in the 1980s, has been followed by only two more, by AKARI, from 2006, and WISE in 2010. I discuss some features of the WISE survey, and highlight some key results from early extragalactic observations that have been made by the science team during the operation of the telescope, and the post-operation proprietary period during which the public release data products were being generated. The efficient survey strategy and very high-data rate from WISE produced a catalogue of 530 million objects that was released to the public in March 2012. The WISE survey strategy naturally provided the deepest coverage at the ecliptic poles, where matched comparison fields were obtained using Spitzer, and where AKARI also observed deep fields. I describe some of the follow-up work that has been carried out based on the WISE survey, and the prospects for enhancing the WISE data by combining the AKARI survey results are also discussed. While the all-sky AKARI survey is less deep than the WISE catalogue, and is still being worked on by the AKARI science team, it includes a larger number of bands, extends to longer wavelengths, and in particular has very complementary band passes to WISE in the mid-infrared waveband, which will provide enhanced spectral information for relatively bright targets.

This study investigates the collaborative task of dictogloss, which can be described as a communicative based activity which allows for the focus of form. The current study employed two dictogloss tasks in immediate repetition, and an examination was done concerning the ability of learners to notice recently taught target lexical items (TLIs) as they occurred during the individual and collaborative activities of the tasks. Fifty three Korean EFL learners enrolled as second year students in the English Department of a university in Seoul, South Korea, participated in the study. The results indicated that learners can successfully notice and attend to TLIs in addition to other grammatical forms during both individual and collaborative activity, and that immediate repetition of the dictogloss showed to increase these instances of noticing. The pedagogical implications of dictogloss as an effective learning procedure for promoting vocabulary noticing are discussed, in addition to the benefits of immediate repetition to further increase new vocabulary noticing.

Since its establishment in the year 2001, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has assumed the role of primary governmental entity addressing human rights issues in the country. In addition to investigating complaints of human rights violations and discrimination, the NHRCK has a policy advisory function, and engages in research, education, and publicizing of human rights issues. This article examines the role of the NHRCK, which came into being in part due to the advocacy of victim rights groups, in promoting and protecting victim rights. It addresses both the rights of crime victims and the rights of victims of human rights abuses. The article analyzes the different ways in which the NHRCK has addressed victim issues, while offering concluding observations as to how the NHRCK can more effectively promote and protect victim rights in the future.

Due to the highly instrumental, test-driven, learning that occurs in secondary education in Korea, EFL teachers at tertiary level face students who, while differing in terms of proficiencies, majors, and learning needs, tend to share a lack of English performance skills. Communicative competence is not yet part of the university entrance exam, so it receives little attention in secondary education, leavingtertiary educators the task of fostering this skill. This paper describes a Freshman English program which attempted to do this by applying recent findings in the fields of cognitive, affective and social learning, and by catering to differing learning needs and multiple intelligences. In order to do this, the researchers put together a student-centered program which encouraged students to take responsibility for their learning through making performance projects, assessing their performance skills, and continuously reflecting on their learning needs, goals and achievements. The program was in effect for four years, and results showed improvement in student confidence, motivation, and attitudes to learning, in addition to communicative competence and autonomy. In conclusion, it is suggested that the humanistic goals of the 7th National Curriculum are achievable at tertiary level. This will, however, involve teacher-training and reform of the test-driven learning environment.

Significant advances in mechanical testing for hard materials are discussed in this paper. There are three specific areas that are covered. In the measurement of fracture toughness factors such as the control of slow crack growth to produce strating cracks, and evaluating reproducibility and repeatability of tests have been recently examined. The miniaturization of tests reduces the amount of material that is used in testing, improves the throughput of tests, and also improves cost effectiveness. New techniques such as stepwise testing and micro scratch testing have contributed to significant additions to the knowledge of the wear mechanisms that operate in these materials.

CACTA is a class 2 transposon superfamily found exclusively in plants. In this study, we have applied CACTA-TD technique to study the genetic diversity among 90 waxy corn inbred lines. While CACTA-TD fragments ranged approximately from 100 to 650 bp in si