Reflection on-line or off-line: the role of learning technologies in encouraging students to reflect

This paper presents case studies that describe the experiences of the two authors in trying to use learning technologies to facilitate reflective thinking in their students. At the University of Leicester, a Web-based biology tutorial called ‘How Now Mad Cow’, which covers the topics of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and a new variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (nvCJD). At the University of Southampton, a web-based hyper-mail discussion list to support teaching on a first year psychosocial science module for occupational therapy and physiotherapy students has been established. In both examples, the tutors had attempted to create a learning environment that would engage students in the learning experience and facilitate reflection by helping them to create meaning from the learning experience and see things in a different way. The evaluation data from both case studies provides some evidence that the learning technologies helped to facilitate reflection for some students. However, the evidence for reflection is not overwhelming and the data provides some evidence that four key factors may have influenced how successful the use of learning technologies were in facilitating reflection. These factors are the way the learning technology is used, the nature of the student groups, the role of the tutor and student preferences for ‘off-line reflection’. These are discussed and ways forward are identified

Inlet protein aggregation: a new mechanism for lubricating film formation with model synovial fluids.

This paper reports a fundamental study of lubricant film formation with model synovial fluid components (proteins) and bovine serum (BS). The objective was to investigate the role of proteins in the lubrication process. Film thickness was measured by optical interferometry in a ball-on-disc device (mean speed range of 2-60 mm/s). A commercial cobalt-chromium (CoCrMo) metal femoral head was used as the stationary component. The results for BS showed complex time-dependent behaviour, which was not representative of a simple fluid. After a few minutes sliding BS formed a thin adherent film of 10-20 nm, which was attributed to protein absorbance at the surface. This layer was augmented by a hydrodynamic film, which often increased at slow speeds. At the end of the test deposited surface layers of 20-50 nm were measured. Imaging of the contact showed that at slow speeds an apparent 'phase boundary' formed in the inlet just in front of the Hertzian zone. This was associated with the formation of a reservoir of high-viscosity material that periodically moved through the contact forming a much thicker film. The study shows that proteins play an important role in the film-forming process and current lubrication models do not capture these mechanisms

Colloidal suspension simulates linear dynamic pressure profile

Missile nose fairings immersed in colloidal suspension prepared with various specific gravities simulate pressure profiles very similar to those encountered during reentry. Stress and deflection conditions similar to those expected during atmospheric reentry are thus attained in the laboratory

Extended matching sets questions for numeracy assessments

Extended matching sets questions (EMSQs) are a form of multiple choice question (MCQ) consisting of a stem (the question or scenario) followed by an extended number of possible answers (Wilson & Case, 1993). An EMSQ is defined here as a question with ten or more alternative answers. EMSQs have been most frequently applied to medical education (Case and Swanson, 1994; Alcolado and Mir, 2002), but can also play a valuable role in assessment of numeracy

Rapid generation of reaction permeability in the roots of black smoker systems, Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus

The deep levels of former black smoker hydrothermal systems are widespread in the Troodos ophiolite in Cyprus. They are marked by zones of hydrothermal reaction in the sheeted dyke unit close to the underlying gabbros. These zones are characterized by the presence of epidosite (epidote-quartz rock). In the reaction zones, the dykes are altered to a range of greenschist facies mineral assemblages, from a low degree of alteration with a five to seven phase metabasaltic assemblage to a high degree of alteration with a two to three phase epidosite assemblage. Individual dykes may contain the full range, with the epidosites forming yellow-green stripes within a darker background, often extending for more than several metres, parallel to the dyke margins. Field relations show that the alteration took place on a dyke-by-dyke basis and was not a regional process. SEM petrography reveals that the epidosites contain millimetre scale pores. The minerals surrounding the pores show euhedral overgrowths into the free pore space, indicating a former transient porosity of up to 20%. We conclude that the epidosites formed by reaction between newly intruded basaltic dykes and actively circulating black smoker fluid leading to extensive dissolution of primary dyke minerals. This reaction generated the porosity in the stripes and transiently led to a much increased permeability, allowing the rapid penetration of the black smoker fluid into the dykes and flow along them in fingers. As the system evolved, the same flow regime allowed mineral precipitation and partial infilling of the porosity. This mechanism allows rapid recrystallization of the rock with release of metals and other components into the fluid. This explains the depletion of these components in epidosites and their enrichment in black smoker vent fluids and the relatively constant composition of vent fluids as fresh rock is continually mined

Cementitious grouts for intermediate level nuclear waste (ILW) encapsulation - effect of compositional changes upon hydration

Grouts containing high levels of replacement by BFS are the preferred route to disposal for a large majority of ILW in the UK. A number of techniques, SEM image analysis, chemical shrinkage, ICC, TGA and XRD, have been applied to assess the rate and degree of hydration of such cementitious grouts. This study forms a base for quantifying the effects of modifications to the physical and chemical composition of both the OPC and the BFS components of the matrix in order to identify the sensitivity or otherwise of the technique to ensure that a continuity of supply is maintained

Real-time observation of fluid flows in tissue during stress relaxation using Raman spectroscopy

This paper outlines a technique to measure fluid levels in articular cartilage tissue during an unconfined stress relaxation test. A time series of Raman spectrum were recorded during relaxation and the changes in the specific Raman spectral bands assigned to water and protein were monitored to determine the fluid content of the tissue. After 1000 s unconfined compression the fluid content of the tissue is reduced by an average of 3.9% ± 1.7%. The reduction in fluid content during compression varies between samples but does not significantly increase with increasing strain. Further development of this technique will allow mapping of fluid distribution and flows during dynamic testing making it a powerful tool to understand the role of interstitial fluid in the functional performance of cartilage

Rectifiability of Optimal Transportation Plans

The purpose of this note is to show that the solution to the Kantorovich optimal transportation problem is supported on a Lipschitz manifold, provided the cost is $C^{2}$ with non-singular mixed second derivative. We use this result to provide a simple proof that solutions to Monge's optimal transportation problem satisfy a change of variables equation almost everywhere

A review of recent determinations of the composition and surface pressure of the atmos- phere of mars

Recent determinations of composition and surface pressure of Mars atmospher

Mitochondrial Dna Replacement Versus Nuclear Dna Persistence

In this paper we consider two populations whose generations are not overlapping and whose size is large. The number of males and females in both populations is constant. Any generation is replaced by a new one and any individual has two parents for what concerns nuclear DNA and a single one (the mother) for what concerns mtDNA. Moreover, at any generation some individuals migrate from the first population to the second. In a finite random time $T$, the mtDNA of the second population is completely replaced by the mtDNA of the first. In the same time, the nuclear DNA is not completely replaced and a fraction $F$ of the ancient nuclear DNA persists. We compute both $T$ and $F$. Since this study shows that complete replacement of mtDNA in a population is compatible with the persistence of a large fraction of nuclear DNA, it may have some relevance for the Out of Africa/Multiregional debate in Paleoanthropology