Let’s Think Secondary Science: Evaluation report and executive summary

Let’s Think Secondary Science (LTSS) aims to develop students’ scientific reasoning by teaching them scientific principles such as categorisation, probability and experimentation LTSS was evaluated using a randomised controlled trial with over 8000 students in 53 schools. Schools were randomly allocated to deliver either the programme or their ‘business as usual’ science teaching. It should be considered an effectiveness trial, as it aimed to test a scalable intervention under realistic conditions in a large number of schools. The primary outcome measure was an age-appropriate science test based on a Key Stage 3 SATs paper, and the secondary measures were English and maths tests provided by GL Assessment. The process evaluation consisted of lesson observations, surveys and interviews with staff, and surveys and focus groups with students. The trial started in September 2013 and ended in July 2015.This evaluation provided no evidence that Let’s Think Secondary Science improved the science attainment of students by the end of Year 8

Получение наноразмерных плёнок LiPON высокочастотным магнетронным напылением

Описана конструкция лабораторной установки для получения наноразмерных аморфных плёнок фосфор-оксинитрида лития (LiPON) методом высокочастотного магнетронного напыления. Каждый блок установки был модернизирован, чтобы основные параметры напыления (ВЧ-мощность, температура подложки, время напыления, давление рабочего газа) можно было регулировать в широком диапазоне. Установлена взаимосвязь между режимами напыления и микроструктурой плёнок LiPON. Установлено, что полученные плёнки LiPON характеризуются высокой величиной ионной проводимости при комнатной температуре (3,2•10⁻⁶ Ом⁻¹ •см⁻¹) и энергией активации 0,27 эВ. Изготовлен композиционный твёрдый электролит LIPON/LLTO/LIPON, который обладает высокой химической стойкостью при контакте с металлическим литиевым анодом, высокой ионной проводимостью и может быть использован в электрохимических устройствах.Описано конструкцію лабораторної установки для одержання нанорозмірних, аморфних плівок фосфор-оксинітриду літію (LiPON) методою високочастотного магнетронного напорошення. Кожен блок установки було модернізовано, щоб основні параметри напорошення (ВЧ-потужність, температура підложжя, час напорошення, тиск робочого газу) можна було реґулювати в широкому діяпазоні. Встановлено взаємозв’язок між режимами напорошення та мікроструктурою плівок LiPON. Встановлено, що одержані плівки LiPON характеризуються високою величиною йонної провідности за кімнатної температури (3,2•10⁻⁶ Ом⁻¹ •см⁻¹) та енергією активації у 0,27 еВ. Виготовлено композиційний твердий електроліт LIPON/LLTO/LIPON, який має високу хімічну стійкість при контакті з металевим літієвим анодом, високу йонну провідність і може бути використаний в електрохімічних пристроях.The construction of laboratory installation for fabrication of nanoscale amorphous films of lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) by highfrequency magnetron sputtering is described. Each unit of the installation is modified in such a way that the basic parameters of deposition (HF power, substrate temperature, deposition time, pressure of working gas) could be adjusted over a wide range. The relationship between the deposition parameters and the microstructure of the LiPON films is determined. As found, the deposited LiPON films are characterized by a high ionic conductivity at room temperature (3,2•10⁻⁶ Ом⁻¹ •см⁻¹) and conductivity activation energy of 0.27 eV. The fabricated LIPON/LLTO/LIPON composite solid electrolyte has a high chemical stability in contact with a lithium anode, high ionic conductivity, and can be used in electrochemical devices

Marine ecosystem services: Linking indicators to their classification

© 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. There is a multitude of ecosystem service classifications available within the literature, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Elements of them have been used to tailor a generic ecosystem service classification for the marine environment and then for a case study site within the North Sea: the Dogger Bank. Indicators for each of the ecosystem services, deemed relevant to the case study site, were identified. Each indicator was then assessed against a set of agreed criteria to ensure its relevance and applicability to environmental management. This paper identifies the need to distinguish between indicators of ecosystem services that are entirely ecological in nature (and largely reveal the potential of an ecosystem to provide ecosystem services), indicators for the ecological processes contributing to the delivery of these services, and indicators of benefits that reveal the realized human use or enjoyment of an ecosystem service. It highlights some of the difficulties faced in selecting meaningful indicators, such as problems of specificity, spatial disconnect and the considerable uncertainty about marine species, habitats and the processes, functions and services they contribute to

Two distinct lithium diffusive species for polymer gel electrolytes containing LiBF₄, propylene carbonate (PC) and PVDF

Polymer gel electrolytes have been prepared using lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF₄), propylene carbonate (PC) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) at 20% and 30% concentration by mass. Self diffusion coefficients have been measured using pulse field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) for the cation and anion using ⁷Li and ¹⁹F resonant frequencies respectively. It was found that lithium ion diffusion was slow compared to the much larger fluorine anion likely resulting from a large solvation shell of the lithium. Lithium ion diffusion measurements exhibited two distinct diffusive species, whereas the fluorine ions exhibited only a single diffusive species

Considerações acerca do processo de compras verdes aplicadas às empresas públicas e privadas

O presente artigo delineia-se sobre um aspecto da Logística que vem sendo estudado e tem apresentado grande avanço nos últimos anos, principalmente nas organizações públicas. Entende-se “Compras Verdes”, como o processo de aquisição de bens e serviços, baseado na análise dos impactos ambientais gerados, desde o nascimento até o descarte final, dentro da Cadeia de Suprimentos. O presente artigo busca evidenciar o problema de implantação do Green Procurement nas organizações públicas e privadas baseada em estudos de caso nos dois setores, avaliar a implantação do processo nas organizações estudadas e analisar as principais barreiras existentes.Uma empresa que investe na Green Purchasing influencia o crescimento sustentável, a competitividade e o avanço tecnológico da região. A empresa, ao optar em priorizar a compra de forma Sustentável deve saber analisar criticamente e definir os requisitos ambientais do fornecedor em um contrato. Essa busca agrega valor, tanto para a saúde humana quanto ambiental, pois são produtos de alta qualidade, projetados para terem maior durabilidade e minimizar o seu impacto sobre a sociedade e o meio ambiente. Sendo assim, o artigo mostra que as Compras Públicas têm grande impacto e influência econômica, porque quando se faz uma licitação, o mercado se movimentar absurdamente devido a grandeza da compra. Já no setor privado, a burocracia para se conseguir o apoio político para o budget necessário para a mudança dos processos, ou até mesmo, a cultura pouco acostumada com o novo sistema, pode dificultar a adoção de práticas ambientalmente sustentáveis

PERFIL METABÓLICO DE PORTADORES DO HIV - HOSPITAL DE CLÍNICAS DE CURITIBA

Objetivos: Avaliar e comparar o perfil lipídico e a glicemia de pacientes portadores do HIV em uso de inibidores de protease (IP) e de inibidores da transcriptase reversa não nucleosídeos (ITRNN). Material e Métodos: Série de casos. Elegíveis 126 pacientes HIV-positivo, transmissão horizontal, acompanhados, no mínimo, 24 meses no ambulatório de Infectologia HC-UFPR. Incluídos 52 pacientes que completaram 5 avaliações no serviço, quando foram coletadas informações sobre data do diagnóstico, esquema de tratamento, lipidograma, glicemia de jejum, contagem de células CD4, carga viral e comorbidades. Os pacientes que permaneceram em uso da mesma classe de antirretroviral foram separados em dois grupos: os que utilizavam ITRN-IP e os tratados com ITRN-ITRNN. Comparou-se as observações entre os grupos na primeira e na quinta consulta e, a evolução dos pacientes que completaram as cinco avaliações. Resultados: Na primeira avaliação, os grupos ITRN-IP (n=18) e ITRN-ITRNN (n=34) foram semelhantes, exceto quanto aos valores médios de HDL-colesterol (mg/dL): 40,63±10,18 versus 50,28±17,67, p=0,0249, respectivamente. Na quinta avaliação, observou-se menores valores médios de triglicerídeos (mg/dL) no grupo ITRN-ITRNN, 145,16±83,13, em relação ao ITRN-IP, 191,00±82,63, p=0,0590. E ainda, o nível sérico de LDL-colesterol foi menor do que 70 mg/dL somente entre 3 (11,11%) pacientes do grupo ITRN-ITRNN, enquanto que no grupo ITRN-IP todos apresentaram LDL-colesterol maior do que 70 mg/dL, p=0,0459. Conclusão: Neste estudo não foram observadas alterações significativas no perfil metabólico de pacientes sob TARV, em uso de IP ou ITRNN. Entretanto, observou-se perfil lipídico mais próximo da meta estabelecida para pacientes HIV-positivo naqueles em uso de regimes contendo ITRNN

Social Quality: A Way to Measure the Quality of Society

In this paper we suggest a way to measure the well-being of society based upon our own development of the Social Quality model. The Social Quality model has the advantage of being sociologically grounded as a measure of the well-being of society and the individuals within it. We test our model of Social Quality against life satisfaction as an indicator of how successful it is in delivering these aspirations. The model was tested on all European countries using the European Quality of Life Surveys in 2003 and 2007 and was found to explain a large amount of variance, which was consistent across time and space. We suggest that it is possible to operationalise this model using small number of variables, ones that are frequently used in comparative surveys and this should enable the quality of society to be measured in a parsimonious and effective way

Low-temperature co-sintering for fabrication of zirconia/ceria bi-layer electrolyte via tape casting using a Fe2O3 sintering aid

Bilayer electrolytes have potential in solid oxide cells to improve ionic conduction whilst blocking electronic conduction. GDC/YSZ bilayer electrolyte processinghas provenproblematic due to thermochemical instability at high sintering temperatures. We first match the shrinkage profile of the two bulk materials using a Fe2O3 sintering additive. Additions of 5 mol% of Fe2O3 in the GDC layer and 2 mol% of Fe2O3 in the YSZ layer prevents delamination during co-sintering. The addition of Fe2O3 promotes densification, enabling achievement of a dense bilayer at a reduced sintering temperature of 1300 ◦C; ∼150 ◦C below conventional sintering temperatures. Elemental analysis showed the compositional distribution curves across the bilayer interface to be asymmetric when Fe2O3 is employed. The Fe2O3 increases the total conductivity of the bilayer electrolyte by an order of magnitude; this is explained by the effect of Fe2O3 on reducing the resistive solid solution interlayer at YSZ/GDC interface from ∼15 to ∼5 m

Broadband impedance spectroscopy of some Li+ and Vo** conducting solid electrolytes

The solid electrolyte Li3Ti1.5(PO4)3 compound has been synthesized by solid state reaction and studied by X-ray diffraction. At room temperature the compound belongs to rhombohedral symmetry (space group R3 ̅c) with six formula units in the unit cell. Li3Ti1.5(PO4)3, Li3xLa2/3–xTiO3 (where x = 0.12) Li+-ion conducting, Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9, (ZrO2)92(Y2O3)8 with fast oxygen vacancy transport ceramic samples were investigated in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 3 GHz in the temperature interval (300-700) K by impedance spectroscopy methods. Two dispersion regions in ionic conductivity spectra for investigated ceramic samples have been found. The dispersions have been attributed to relaxation processes in grain boundaries and in grains of the ceramics

Representations of solutions of the wave equation based on relativistic wavelets

A representation of solutions of the wave equation with two spatial coordinates in terms of localized elementary ones is presented. Elementary solutions are constructed from four solutions with the help of transformations of the affine Poincar\'e group, i.e., with the help of translations, dilations in space and time and Lorentz transformations. The representation can be interpreted in terms of the initial-boundary value problem for the wave equation in a half-plane. It gives the solution as an integral representation of two types of solutions: propagating localized solutions running away from the boundary under different angles and packet-like surface waves running along the boundary and exponentially decreasing away from the boundary. Properties of elementary solutions are discussed. A numerical investigation of coefficients of the decomposition is carried out. An example of the field created by sources moving along a line with different speeds is considered, and the dependence of coefficients on speeds of sources is discussed.Comment: submitted to J. Phys. A: Math. Theor., 20 pages, 6 figure