Work in Progress - Peer Directed Learning in a Project Based Model

Iron Range Engineering is a new, unique, undergraduate program using problem-based learning. One guiding principle is student responsibility for learning. In order to facilitate learning, faculty and students alike have come up with several learning methods. Learning modes may include self-directed learning, peer-directed learning, one-on-one faculty directed learning, or industry mentored learning. Peer directed learning often manifests in the form of learning groups (a group of students learning similar competencies), led by either a faculty member or a student who has previously excelled in that competency and has taken an interest in pursuing advanced credit. Recently, Iron Range Engineering has begun to incorporate student written and student led model eliciting activities. These show promise for creating engagement, exposing misconceptions, and providing high-level learning opportunities for peer-students and peer-teachers. The initial results of these methods have been very positive. A high level of engagement and a high level of desire to complete self-directed learning have been observed from peer-teachers and students. Students getting the opportunity to lead these learning groups comment on a newfound interest and clarity in the subject matter. Both sides are able to gain metacognitive knowledge which will help them as a student, engineer, and in future academic careers

Self-interacting Dark Matter and Invisibly Decaying Higgs

Self-interacting dark matter has been suggested in order to overcome the difficulties of the Cold Dark Matter model on galactic scales. We argue that a scalar gauge singlet coupled to the Higgs boson, which could lead to an invisibly decaying Higgs, is an interesting candidate for this self-interacting dark matter particle. We also present estimates on the abundance of these particles today as well as consequences to non-Newtonian forces.Comment: 4 pages, Revte

Unexpected school reform: academisation of primaryschools in England

The change of government in 2010 provoked a large structural change in the English education landscape. Unexpectedly, the new government offered primary schools the chance to have ‘the freedom and the power to take control of their own destiny’, with better performing schools given a green light to convert to become an academy school on a fast track. In England, schools that become academies have more freedom over many ways in which they operate, including the curriculum, staff pay, the length of the school day and the shape of the academic year. However, the change to allow primary school academisation has been controversial. In this paper, we study the effect for the first primary schools that became academies. While the international literature provides growing evidence on the effects of school autonomy in a variety of contexts, little is known about the effects of autonomy on primary schools (which are typically much smaller than secondary schools) and in contexts where the school is not deemed to be failing or disadvantaged. The key finding is that schools did change their modes of operation after the exogenous policy change, but at the primary phase of schooling, academisation did not lead to improved pupil performance

Computational Model of a Left Ventricle: Showing the Effects of Inertia on Cardiac Dyssynchrony

In an effort to research heart failure, a leading cause of death in the industrialized world, this research team has developed a segmented lumped parameter model of the left ventricle. The computations model developed focuses on dyssynchrony, a heart condition where some regions of the heart vary significantly in properties like internal muscle resistance, mass, or elastance. Inertial effects are often assumed as negligible by cardiovascular models. One primary function of this model is to investigate inertial effects as they relate to mechanical cardiac dyssynchrony. An added dimension of this analysis is to observe the thermodynamics of the cardiac cycle as one long term indicator of heart failure. This model was developed using an electrical analog to the hemodynamic system. The parameters of a heart wall segment were represented by resistance, inductance, and capacitance. The calculations were done using state space and programmed into Matlab for simulation. This research shows waveforms of volume outputs as well as pressure volume loops for synchronous waveforms as well as dyssychronous waveforms caused by a time delay, varied resistance, varied elastance, and varied mass. The variation seen in the mass dyssynchrony waveforms suggest that inertial effect may be a significant factor in modeled cardiovascular systems

Attitudes towards Prosthodontic Clinical Decision-Making for Edentulous Patients among South West Deanery Dental Foundation Year One Dentists

The aim of this study was to describe Dental Foundation year one dentists’ attitudes towards prosthodontic decision making for edentulous patients, and identify whether there are gender differences in these attitudes. All South West Deanery trainees were invited to take part in the study between May and June 2011 and a previously piloted questionnaire was administered to the trainees by their training programme directors. The questionnaire posed questions based upon a clinical scenario of discussing treatment options with patients. Seventy-two questionnaires were used in the analysis (91% overall response rate). Trainees perceived their own values to be less important than the patient’s values (p < 0.001) in decision making, but similar to the patient’s friend’s/relative’s values (p = 0.1). In addition, the trainees perceived the patient’s values to be less important than their friend’s/relatives (p < 0.001). Sixty-six per cent of trainees acknowledged an influence from their own personal values on their presentation of material to patients who are in the process of choosing among different treatment options, and 87% thought their edentulous patients were satisfied with the decision making process when choosing among different treatment options. Fifty-eight per cent of trainees supported a strategy of negotiation between patients and clinicians (shared decision making). There was no strong evidence to suggest gender had an influence on the attitudes towards decision making. The finding of a consensus towards shared decision making in the attitudes of trainees, and no gender differences is encouraging and is supportive of UK dental schools’ ability to foster ethical and professional values among dentists

Train in vain? Skills, tasks, and training in the UK labour market

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt pledged that measures in the budget would help break down barriers that stop people working. One issue is how to ensure we have the skills the economy needs. The UK has faced – and is facing – a change in the nature of work. Nye Cominetti, Rui Costa, Andrew Eyles, Kathleen Henehan and Sandra McNally present an analysis of how the skills needed in the labour market have changed over the past decades and how well placed our system of training and particularly on-the-job training is to help us adapt to these changes

Decrease in Myelin-Associated Lipids Precedes Neuronal Loss and Glial Activation in the CNS of the Sandhoff Mouse as Determined by Metabolomics

Sandhoff disease (SD) is a lysosomal disease caused by mutations in the gene coding for the β subunit of β-hexosaminidase, leading to deficiency in the enzymes β-hexosaminidase (HEX) A and B. SD is characterised by an accumulation of gangliosides and related glycolipids, mainly in the central nervous system, and progressive neurodegeneration. The underlying cellular mecha-nisms leading to neurodegeneration and the contribution of inflammation in SD remain unde-fined. The aim of the present study was to measure global changes in metabolism over time that might reveal novel molecular pathways of disease. We used liquid chromatography-mass spec-trometry and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy to profile intact lipids and aqueous metabolites, respectively. We examined spinal cord and cerebrum from healthy and Hexb -/- mice, a mouse model of SD, at ages one, two, three and four months. We report decreased concentrations in lipids typical of the myelin sheath, galactosylceramides and plasmalogen-phosphatidylethanolamines, suggesting that reduced synthesis of myelin lipids is an early event in the development of disease pathology. Reduction in neuronal density is pro-gressive, as demonstrated by decreased concentrations of N-acetylaspartate and amino acid neurotransmitters. Finally, microglial activation, indicated by increased amounts of myo-inositol correlates closely with the late symptomatic phases of the disease

Isocyanate-functionalised graphene oxide and poly(vinyl alcohol) nacre-mimetic inspired freestanding films

Nacre mimetic films based on 2-Ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone (UPy) functionalised graphene oxide (GO) and poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) were readily prepared by self-assembly using a vacuum filtration method. The isocynate (UPy) functionalisation of the PVA was confirmed from a combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and changes in d-spacing from X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and, of the GO by solid-state NMR measurements reported by the authors previously. This is the first example of nacre mimetic structures where both the nanoplatelet (GO) and polymer (PVA) components are functionalised with complimentary groups. The resulting films displayed substantial increases in Young’s modulus (E) of 392% (GO1/PVA1), ultimate tensile strength (UTS, σ) of 535% (GO1/PVA1), elongation at break (εmax) of 598% (GO10/PVA5) and tensile toughness (UT) of 1789% (GO1/PVA10) compared to the un-functionalised GO analogues. The binding of UPy to both the GO and the PVA provides multiple routes by which these freestanding nacre mimetic films can dissipate applied loads