Reflections on Seminar Attendance, Lecture Capture, and Other Factor Impacts on Postgraduate Student Performance

There are several factors which may influence student (exam) performance, some of which have been investigated, though there is little consensus in the results. This paper uses the unusual context of a face-to-face taught postgraduate (rather than undergraduate) Business Economics module taken by students on a variety of different Business/Management orientated MSc programmes. It explores the impact of seminar (but not lecture) attendance, lecture recording views, Disability Access Plans (DAPs) for students with mental/physical disabilities/health-issues, and other factors including prior subject experience and attainment in formative coursework. We find performance is positively associated with seminar attendance and weakly, with moderate use of lecture recordings. Use of an interim Formative Assessment was positively associated with performance, and this association was stronger for students towards the middle of the grade distribution. Prior experience demonstrates no association with performance, and neither does a DAP, although this actually suggests that DAPs work as intended

HAPTIC: Haptic Anatomical Positioning to Improve Clinical Monitoring

Hospitals are inundated by the sounds of patient monitoring devices and alarms. These are meant to help, yet also create a stressful environment for physicians and patients. To address this issue, we consider the possibility of delivering complementary haptic alarm stimuli via a wearable tactile display. This may reduce the necessity for the plethora of audible alarms in the Intensive Care Unit and Operating Room, potentially decreasing fatigue among clinicians, and improving sleep quality for patients. The study described here sought to determine a suitable anatomical location where such a tactile display could be worn. Although the wrist is an obvious default, based on the success of smartwatches and fitness monitors, wearable devices below the elbow are disallowed in aseptic procedural environments. We hypothesized that haptic perception would be approximately equivalent at the wrist and ankle, and confirmed this experimentally. Thus, for a healthcare setting, we suggest that the ankle is a suitable alternative for the placement of a tactile display

The dynamics of the impact and coalescence of droplets on a solid surface.

A simple experimental setup to study the impact and coalescence of deposited droplets is described. Droplet impact and coalescence have been investigated by high-speed particle image velocimetry. Velocity fields near the liquid-substrate interface have been observed for the impact and coalescence of 2.4 mm diameter droplets of glycerol∕water striking a flat transparent substrate in air. The experimental arrangement images the internal flow in the droplets from below the substrate with a high-speed camera and continuous laser illumination. Experimental results are in the form of digital images that are processed by particle image velocimetry and image processing algorithms to obtain velocity fields, droplet geometries, and contact line positions. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations by the lattice Boltzmann method

The estimation of black-hole masses in distant radio galaxies

We have estimated the masses of the central supermassive black holes of 2442 radio galaxies froma catalog compiled using data from the NED, SDSS, and CATS databases. Mass estimates based on optical photometry and radio data are compared. Relationships between the mass of the central black hole $M_p^{bh}$ and the redshift $z_p$ are constructed for both wavelength ranges. The distribution of the galaxies in these diagrams and systematic effects influencing estimation of the black-hole parameters are discussed. Upperenvelope cubic regression fits are obtained using the maximum estimates of the black-hole masses. The optical and radio upper envelopes show similar behavior, and have very similar peaks in position, $z_p \simeq 1.9$, and amplitude, $\log M_p^{bh}$ = 9.4. This is consistent with a model in which the growth of the supermassive black holes is self-regulating, with this redshift corresponding to the epoch when the accretion-flow phase begins to end and the nuclear activity falls off.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Etendeka volcanic rocks from SWA Namibia

The volcanic rocks of the Etendeka Formation from north-west SWA/Namibia have a present-day coverage of 70,000 km² and comprise a series of interbedded basalts, latites and quartz latites, together with four varieties of intrusive dolerite. Apart from one group of dolerites (regional dolerites) which have mineralogical and geochemical similarities to the Lesotho Formation lavas from the Central area, the Etendeka volcanics differ from all other Karoo volcanics by virtue of their Cretaceous age, stratigraphy, mineralogy, geochemistry, and range in mineralogical, elemental and isotopic compositions for the basaltic rocks

PICALM modulates autophagy activity and tau accumulation.

Genome-wide association studies have identified several loci associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including proteins involved in endocytic trafficking such as PICALM/CALM (phosphatidylinositol binding clathrin assembly protein). It is unclear how these loci may contribute to AD pathology. Here we show that CALM modulates autophagy and alters clearance of tau, a protein which is a known autophagy substrate and which is causatively linked to AD, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, altered CALM expression exacerbates tau-mediated toxicity in zebrafish transgenic models. CALM influences autophagy by regulating the endocytosis of SNAREs, such as VAMP2, VAMP3 and VAMP8, which have diverse effects on different stages of the autophagy pathway, from autophagosome formation to autophagosome degradation. This study suggests that the AD genetic risk factor CALM modulates autophagy, and this may affect disease in a number of ways including modulation of tau turnover.We are grateful for funding from a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellowship (D.C.R.), a Wellcome Trust/MRC Strategic Grant on Neurodegeneration (D.C.R., C.J.O’.K.), a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award to Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Studentship (E.Z.), the Alzheimer’s disease Biomedical Research Unit and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, the Tau Consortium, a fellowship from University of Granada (A.L.R.), a V Foundation/Applebee’s Research Grant (D.S.W.) and NCI R01 CA 109281 (D.S.W.).This is the final published version. It is also available from Nature Publishing at http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2014/140922/ncomms5998/full/ncomms5998.html

Es Dolç (Colònia de Sant Jordi, ses Salines, Mallorca). Cavitat litoral amb influències hipogèniques excavada a les Eolianites quaternàries i als materials del Pliocè

S’han fet exploracions i estudis per part del Grup Nord de Mallorca al llarg dels anys 2011, 2012 i 2013 que han suposat 90 dies d’immersions. La cavitat, de direcció general SW-NE, compta amb tres esfondraments naturals que permeten accedir al sistema, que posseeix un recorregut de 4.100 m, amb un desnivell que supera els 36 m i una fondària màxima de 27 m. La distància lineal, si se segueix la cova, entre l’entrada més propera a la mar i la part interior més allunyada és de 1.444 m. Pràcticament tota la cova, llevat les entrades, és subaquàtica. La troballa i documentació de la cavitat suposa donar a conèixer l’existència d’una important formació endocàrstica als materials del Quaternari i del Pliocè. La cova es pot considerar, com una megaforma constituïda per un sistema de cavitats de planta ramiforme, és a dir, una planta divagant a on els plans d’estratificació i les sales d’esfondrament han assolit un paper important en el desenvolupament d’algunes zones de la cavitat. La formació de la cova ha estat una combinació dels factors genètics hipogènics, freàtics litorals i amb fortes influències del drenatge de les aigües subterrànies cap a la mar. La cavitat consta de dos nivells molt diferenciats: per una part, galeries hipogèniques ascendents que constitueixen les zones més fondes de la cavitat, i que s’inicien dins dels materials del Pliocè i, per altra banda, les galeries horitzontals i d’aspecte freàtic, excavades a les eolianites del Quaternari. Els estudis morfomètrics denoten una disposició consistent en un conjunt de galeries de dimensions relativament amples (>4 m), desenvolupades a unes fondàries bastant constants entre -6 i -12 m. Els passatges de major profunditat estan prou ben representats (gairebé un 25% de la cova discorre entre -14 i -26 m) en relació amb l’existència de conductes ascendents lligats a l’alimentació profunda del sistema de drenatge. L’absència de morfologies secundàries o de precipitació és, llevat de poques excepcions, un dels trets més distintius de la cavitat, ja que són molt pocs els indrets on hi són presents. Els materials propis de la dinàmica sedimentària de la cavitat consisteixen en nivells arenosos fins, amb grans carbonatats probablement procedents de la desagregació i rentat mecànic de les eolianites de les parets. Els nivells molt llimosos de color vermellós que, a part de minerals de les argiles, incorporen elevades quantitats de quars, correspondrien a elements procedents de la infiltració superficial. Destaquen dipòsits obscurs amb presència d’importants quantitats de ferro i especialment manganès que pot arribar a valors del 40%. Els centenars de metres més propers a la mar són freqüentats per espècies marines de vertebrats i invertebrats que presenten elevada tolerància a les aigües més dolces. El descobriment més sorprenent i interessant a nivell faunístic ha estat la troballa de nombrosos espècimens del crustaci misidaci Burrimysis palmeri que només es coneixia fins ara de la cova des Burrí, cavitat de l’illa de Cabrera. S’ha recuperat dins la cavitat una àmfora del tipus MGS V, també denominada grecoitàlica arcaica de la variant LWa. La cronologia d’aquest tipus de produccions oscil•laria entre finals del segle IV i inicis del III aC. L’abocament de les aigües residuals, provinents de la depuradora de la Colònia de Sant Jordi, suposa la contaminació de les aigües subterrànies i alhora la destrucció progressiva d’una cavitat excepcional, que drena cap a la mar, amb uns valors patrimonials naturals geològics i biològics de primer ordr

Halloween, Organization, and the Ethics of Uncanny Celebration

This article examines the relationship between organizational ethics, the uncanny, and the annual celebration of Halloween. We begin by exploring the traditional and contemporary organizational function of Halloween as ‘tension-management ritual’ (Etzioni, Sociol Theory 18(1):44–59, 2000) through which collective fears, anxieties, and fantasies are played out and given material expression. Combining the uncanny with the folkloric concept of ostension, we then examine an incident in which UK supermarket retailers made national news headlines for selling offensive Halloween costumes depicting ‘escaped mental patients’. Rather than treating this incident as a problem of moral hygiene—in which products are removed, apologies made, and lessons learned—we consider the value of Halloween as a unique and disruptive ethical encounter with the uncanny Other. Looking beyond its commercial appeal and controversy, we reflect on the creative, generous, and disruptive potential of Halloween as both tension-management ritual and unique organizational space of hospitality through which to receive and embrace alterity and so discover the homely within the unheimlich

Determinants of Cross-Border M&As and Shareholder Wealth Effects in a Globalized World

We analyze theoretical insights and empirical regularities related to factors determining the cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and impact of M&As on shareholder value of acquires and targets. The analysis of cross-border M&As is a relatively new subject and only recently received rigorous attention in academic research. Within this nascent literature, the survey pays particular attention to the emerging markets, which, in line with their growing role of in the global economy, became an increasingly important arena for cross-border M&As. The existing evidence point out to prevailing challenges in studying cross-border M&As by emerging markets firms. The results are often contradictory and tend to focus on a single country falling short of formally testing existing theories or developing comprehensive theories for emerging economies. We show that the type of factors increasing the value enhancing effects of M&As tends to be similar to the factors affecting the likelihood of M&As transactions. The remaining methodological challenges for the existing studies are related to strong evidence with respect to nonrandom selection of acquisition targets, which, among other “selection issues,” has important implications for choosing counterfactual evidence in order to appropriately compare pre- and postacquisition performance of firms