More than Math: On the Affective Domain in Developmental Mathematics

Students at a large urban community college enrolled in fourteen sections of a developmental algebra class. While cognitive variables are often used to place students, affective characteristics may also influence their success. To explore the impact of affective variables, students took ACT’s Engage survey measuring motivation, academic-related skills and social engagement, as well as the ATMI (Attitudes Toward Math Inventory) survey. Student performance on the course was measured by a common 25 question multiple choice final exam. Of the affective variables measured, ATMI Motivation was statistically significant in positive correlation with final exam score, and ATMI Confidence had a statistically significant negative correlation. More general measures of motivation and confidence were not significant suggesting a potential difference affective measures for mathematics learning. Longer term persistence models indicated ATMI Value of Mathematics and Engage Academic Discipline were positive predictors of success

Students' difficulties, conceptions and attitudes towards learning algebra : an intervention study to improve teaching and learning

The skills necessary to identify and analyse errors and misconceptions made by students are needed by teachers of all levels especially at the lower secondary school level in Malaysia. If students are to be successful in tackling mathematical problems later in their schooling, the one prerequisite is the mastery of basic concepts in algebra. Despite the best efforts of the teachers, students still develop algebra misconceptions. Is it possible to reduce or eliminate these misconceptions? The research involved a survey of 14 year-old students in Form 2 (Grade 8) in the Penampang district of Sabah, East Malaysia. The focus of this study lies in students’ difficulties, conceptions and attitudes towards learning algebra in the framework of conceptual change. A possible way to help students overcome their learning difficulties and misconceptions is by implementing diagnostic teaching involving conflict to foster conceptual change. The study involved evaluating the efficacy of a conceptual change instructional programme involving cognitive conflict in (1) facilitating Form 2 students’ understanding of algebra concepts, and (2) assessing changes in students’ attitudes towards learning mathematics, in a mixed quantitativequalitative research design.A 24-item Algebra Diagnostic Test and a 20-item Test of Mathematics-Related Attitudes (TOMRA) questionnaire were administered as a pretest and a posttest to 39 students in each of a heterogeneous high-achieving class and a below-average achieving class. In addition 9 students were purposefully selected to participate in the interview.The results of the study indicated that students’ difficulties and misconceptions from both classes fell into five broad areas: (1) basic understanding of letters and their place in mathematics, (2) manipulation of these letters or variables, (3) use of rules of manipulation to solve equations, (4) use of knowledge of algebraic structure and syntax to form equations, and (5) generalisation of rule for repetitive patterns or sequences of shapes.The results also showed that there was significant improvement in students’ achievement in mathematics. Further, students’ attitude towards inquiry of mathematics lessons showed significant positive improvement. Enjoyment remained high even though enjoyment of mathematics lesson showed no change. Also, changes in students’ understanding (from unintelligible to intelligible, intelligible to plausible, plausible to fruitful) illustrated the extent of changes in their conceptions.Different pedagogies can affect how conceptual change and challenge of misconceptions occurs. Therefore, knowledge of the origin of different types of misconceptions can be useful in selecting more effective pedagogical techniques for challenging particular misconceptions. Also, for teachers to create an effective learning experience they should be aware of and acknowledge students’ prior knowledge acquired from academic settings and from everyday previous personal experiences. Since all learning involves transfer from prior knowledge and previous experiences, an awareness and understanding of a student’s initial conceptual framework and/or topic can be used to formulate more effective teaching strategies. If this idea is taken a step further, it could be said that, because misconceptions comprise part of a conceptual framework, then understanding origins of misconceptions would further facilitate development of effective teaching strategies.Further research is needed to help teachers to understand how students experience conflict, how students feel when they experience conflict, and how these experiences are related to their final responses because cognitive conflict has both constructive and destructive potential. Thus, by being able to interpret, recognise and manage cognitive conflict, a teacher can then successfully interpret his/her students’ cognitive conflict and be able to make conceptual change more likely or help students to have meaningful learning experiences in secondary school algebra

Anticancer Activity and Biophysical Reactivity of Copper Complexes of 2-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-5-ylmethylene)-N-Alkylhydrazinecarbothioamides

A series of copper complexes were synthesized from benzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carbaldehyde (piperonal) thiosemicarbazones (RHpTSC where R = H, CH3, C2H5 or C6H5 (Ph)). The complexes show interesting variations in geometry depending on the thiosemicarbazone; a dinuclear complex [Cu(HpTSC)Cl]2, a mononuclear complex [Cu(RHpTSC)2Cl2] (R = CH3 or C2H5) and another mononuclear complex [Cu(PhHpTSC)(PhpTSC)Cl] was generated. The complexes bind in a moderately strong fashion to DNA with binding constants on the order of 104 M− 1. They are also strong binders of human serum albumin with binding constants near 104 M− 1. The complexes show good in vitro cytotoxic profiles against two human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT29) and two human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) with IC50 values in the low millimolar concentration range

Solution Equilibrium Studies of Anticancer Ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene Complexes of Pyridinecarboxylic Acids

Stoichiometry and stability of antitumor ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene complexes of picolinic acid and its 6-methyl and 6-carboxylic acid derivatives were determined by pH-potentiometry, 1H NMR spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectrophotometry in aqueous solution in the presence or absence of coordinating chloride ions. The picolinates form exclusively mono-ligand complexes in which they can coordinate via the bidentate (O,N) mode and a chloride or a water molecule is found at the third binding site of the ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene moiety depending on the conditions. [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L)(H2O/Cl)] species are predominant at physiological pH in all studied cases. Hydrolysis of the aqua complex or the chlorido/hydroxido co-ligand exchange results in the formation of the mixed-hydroxido species [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L)(OH)] in the basic pH range. There is no indication for the decomposition of the mono-ligand complexes during 24 h in the ruthenium(II)-η6-p-cymene-picolinic acid system between pH 3 and 11; however, a slight dissociation with a low reaction rate was found in the other two systems leading to the appearance of the dinuclear trihydroxido-bridged species [Ru2(η6-p-cymene)2(OH)3]+ and free ligands at pH > 10. The replacement of the chlorido by an aqua ligand in [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(L)Cl] was also monitored and equilibrium constants for the exchange process were determined

Towards a better understanding of global land grabbing: an editorial introduction

ESR

Synthesis, Characterisation, and Preliminary In Vitro Studies of Vanadium(IV) Complexes with a Schiff Base and Thiosemicarbazones as Mixed Ligands

[VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(H2O)] (1, sal‐L‐tryp = N‐salicylidene‐L‐tryptophanate) was used as a precursor to produce the new complexes [VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(MeATSC)]·1.5C2H5OH [2, MeATSC = 9‐Anthraldehyde‐N(4)‐methylthiosemicarbazone], [VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(N‐ethhymethohcarbthio)]·H2O [3, N‐ethhymethohcarbthio = (E)‐N‐ethyl‐2‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)hydrazinecarbothioamide] and [VO(sal‐L‐tryp)(acetylethTSC)]·C2H5OH {4, acetylethTSC = (E)‐N‐ethyl‐2‐[1‐(thiazol‐2‐yl)ethylidene]hydrazinecarbothioamide} by reaction with the respective thiosemicarbazone. The chemical and structural properties of these ligands and complexes were characterised by elemental analysis, ESI‐MS, FTIR, UV/Vis, ESR and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and [D6]DMSO solutions of 1–4 were oxidised in air to produce vanadium(V) species, which were verified by ESI‐MS and 51V NMR spectroscopy. The anticancer properties of 2–4 were examined with three colon cancer cell lines, HTC‐116, Caco‐2 and HT‐29, and noncancerous colonic myofibroblasts, CCD18‐Co. Compounds 2–3 exhibited less inhibitory effects in the CCD‐18Co cells, which indicates a possible cytotoxic selectivity towards colon cancer cells. In general, compounds that exhibit antiproliferative activity to cancer cells but do not affect noncancerous cells may have a potential in chemotherapy

Gender equality and religion:a multi-faith exploration of young adults’ narratives

This paper presents findings from research on young adults in the UK from diverse religious backgrounds. Utilizing questionnaires, interviews, and video diaries it assesses how religious young adults understood and managed the tensions in popular discourse between gender equality as an enshrined value and aspirational narrative, and religion as purportedly instituting gender inequality. We show that, despite varied understandings, and the ambivalence and tension in managing ideal and practice, participants of different religious traditions and genders were committed to gender equality. Thus, they viewed gender-unequal practices within their religious cultures as an aberration from the essence of religion. In this way, they firmly rejected the dominant discourse that religion is inherently antithetical to gender equality

Solution Equilibria of Anticancer Ruthenium(II)-(η6-p-Cymene)-Hydroxy(thio)pyr(id)one Complexes: Impact of Sulfur vs. Oxygen Donor Systems on the Speciation and Bioactivity

Stoichiometry and stability of antitumor ruthenium(II)-eta(6)-p-cymene complexes of bidentate (0,0) hydroxypyrone and (O,S) hydroxythiopyr(id)one type ligands were determined by pH-potentiometry, H-1 NMR spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometry in aqueous solution and in dependence of chloride ion concentration. Formation of mono-ligand complexes with moderate stability was found in the case of the hydroxypyrone ligands (ethyl maltol and allomaltol) predominating at the physiological pH range. These complexes decompose to the dinuclear tri-hydroxido bridged species [(Ru-II(eta(6)-p-cymene)h(OH)(3)](+) and to the metal-free ligand at basic pH values. In addition, formation of a hydroxido [Ru-II(eta(6)-p-cymene)(L)(OH)] species was found. The hydroxythiopyr(id)one ligands (thiomaltol, thioallomaltol, 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethyl-thiopyridone) form complexes of significantly higher stability compared with the hydroxypyrones; their complexes are biologically more active, the simultaneous bi- and monodentate coordination of the ligands in the bis complexes (ML2 and ML2H) was also demonstrated. In the case of thiomaltol, formation of tris complexes is also likely at high pH. The replacement of the chlorido by the aqua ligand in the [Ru-II(eta(6)-p-cymene)(L)(CI)] species was monitored, which is an important activation step in the course of the mode of action of the complexes, facilitating binding to biological targets