1,189 research outputs found
The youth Digital Skills Indicator: Report on the conceptualisation and development of the ySKILLS digital skills measure
The âBlueprintâ framework for career management skills: a critical exploration
This article examines the Blueprint framework for career management skills as it has been revealed across sequential implementations in the USA, Canada and Australia. It is argued that despite its lack of an empirical basis, the framework forms a useful and innovative means through which career theory, practice and policy can be connected. The framework comprises both core elements (learning areas, learning model and levels) and contextual elements (resources, community of practice, service delivery approach and policy connection). Each of these elements is explored
Entanglement in the quantum Ising model
We study the asymptotic scaling of the entanglement of a block of spins for
the ground state of the one-dimensional quantum Ising model with transverse
field. When the field is sufficiently strong, the entanglement grows at most
logarithmically in the number of spins. The proof utilises a transformation to
a model of classical probability called the continuum random-cluster model, and
is based on a property of the latter model termed ratio weak-mixing. Our proof
applies equally to a large class of disordered interactions
Data-driven models of dominantly-inherited Alzheimerâs disease progression
Dominantly-inherited Alzheimer's disease is widely hoped to hold the key to developing interventions for sporadic late onset Alzheimer's disease. We use emerging techniques in generative data-driven disease-progression modelling to characterise dominantly-inherited Alzheimerâs disease progression with unprecedented resolution, and without relying upon familial estimates of years until symptom onset (EYO). We retrospectively analysed biomarker data from the sixth data freeze of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network observational study, including measures of amyloid proteins and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, regional brain volumes and cortical thicknesses, brain glucose hypometabolism, and cognitive performance from the Mini-Mental State Examination (all adjusted for age, years of education, sex, and head size, as appropriate). Data included 338 participants with known mutation status (211 mutation carriers: 163 PSEN1; 17 PSEN2; and 31 APP) and a baseline visit (age 19â66; up to four visits each, 1·1±1·9 years in duration; spanning 30 years before, to 21 years after, parental age of symptom onset). We used an event-based model to estimate sequences of biomarker changes from baseline data across disease subtypes (mutation groups), and a differential-equation model to estimate biomarker trajectories from longitudinal data (up to 66 mutation carriers, all subtypes combined). The two models concur that biomarker abnormality proceeds as follows: amyloid deposition in cortical then sub-cortical regions (approximately 24±11 years before onset); CSF p-tau (17±8 years), tau and AÎČ42 changes; neurodegeneration first in the putamen and nucleus accumbens (up to 6±2 years); then cognitive decline (7±6 years), cerebral hypometabolism (4±4 years), and further regional neurodegeneration. Our models predicted symptom onset more accurately than EYO: root-mean-squared error of 1·35 years versus 5·54 years. The models reveal hidden detail on dominantly-inherited Alzheimer's disease progression, as well as providing data-driven systems for fine-grained patient staging and prediction of symptom onset with great potential utility in clinical trials
Alpha scattering and capture reactions in the A = 7 system at low energies
Differential cross sections for He- scattering were measured in
the energy range up to 3 MeV. These data together with other available
experimental results for He and H scattering were
analyzed in the framework of the optical model using double-folded potentials.
The optical potentials obtained were used to calculate the astrophysical
S-factors of the capture reactions HeBe and
HLi, and the branching ratios for the transitions into
the two final Be and Li bound states, respectively. For
HeBe excellent agreement between calculated and
experimental data is obtained. For HLi a value
has been found which is a factor of about 1.5 larger than the adopted value.
For both capture reactions a similar branching ratio of has been obtained.Comment: submitted to Phys.Rev.C, 34 pages, figures available from one of the
authors, LaTeX with RevTeX, IK-TUW-Preprint 930540
The deepwater horizon oil spill coast guard cohort study: A cross-sectional study of acute respiratory health symptoms
Introduction Over 8500 United States Coast Guard (USCG) personnel were deployed in response to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill; however, human respiratory effects as a result of spill-related exposures are relatively unknown. Methods USCG personnel who responded to the DWH oil spill were queried via survey on exposures to crude oil and oil dispersant, and acute respiratory symptoms experienced during deployment. Adjusted log binomial regressions were used to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), investigating the associations between oil spill exposures and respiratory symptoms. Results 4855 USCG personnel completed the survey. More than half (54.6%) and almost one-fourth (22.0%) of responders were exposed to crude oil and oil dispersants, respectively. Coughing was the most prevalent symptom (19.4%), followed by shortness of breath (5.5%), and wheezing (3.6%). Adjusted analyses showed an exposure-response relationship between increasing deployment duration and likelihood of coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing in the pre-capping period. A similar pattern was observed in the post-capping period for coughing and wheezing. Adjusted analyses revealed increased PRs for coughing (PR=1.92), shortness of breath (PR=2.60), and wheezing (PR=2.68) for any oil exposure. Increasing frequency of inhalation of oil was associated with increased likelihood of all three respiratory symptoms. A similar pattern was observed for contact with oil dispersants for coughing and shortness of breath. The combination of both oil and oil dispersants presented associations that were much greater in magnitude than oil alone for coughing (PR=2.72), shortness of breath (PR=4.65), and wheezing (PR=5.06). Conclusions Results from the present study suggested strong relationships between oil and oil dispersant exposures and acute respiratory symptoms among disaster responders. Future prospective studies will be needed to confirm these findings
Dynamic Separation of Chaotic Signals in the Presence of Noise
The problem of separation of an observed sum of chaotic signals into the
individual components in the presence of noise on the path to the observer is
considered. A noise threshold is found above which high-quality separation is
impossible. Below the threshold, each signal is recovered with any prescribed
accuracy. This effect is shown to be associated with the information content of
the chaotic signals and a theoretical estimate is given for the threshold.Comment: PDF, 12 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study
A cohort study among Coast Guard personnel involved in the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill response and non-responders was established to investigate potential acute and longterm health effects from oil spill response work exposures. Results showed positive associations between crude oil exposure and various acute physical symptoms among responders, as well as longer term health effects
Research Diary: A Tool for Scaffolding
Diaries have long been seen as tools for reflection in learning languages, and learning about teaching. Despite this recognition of the importance of narratives in diary writing, little attention has been paid to the role of research diaries in the process of learning about research, and learning how to be a researcher. During the author\u27s own research into the construction of teaching knowledge by pre-service trainees, she became aware that her research diary was scaffolding her own construction of research knowledge. In this article the author discusses the role of a research diary based on a socio-cultural theory of learning. The diary acts as the expert other in the scaffolding of research knowledge by the novice researcher. The discussion of the nature of the scaffolding and the role of diary writing draws on examples from the author\u27s research diary written during her doctoral studies
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