An inside story: tracking experiences, challenges and successes in a joint specialist performing arts college

In England the government’s specialist schools initiative is transforming the nature of secondary education. A three-year longitudinal case study tracked the effects of specialist performing arts college status on two schools. The sites were a mainstream school drawing pupils from an area of high social deprivation and disadvantage, and a special school catering for pupils with profound and \ud multiple learning difficulties, which were awarded joint performing arts college status. The government’s \ud preferred criterion for judging the success of specialist schools is improvement in whole-school examination results. The authors argue that this is a crude and inappropriate measure for these case study schools and probably others. Using questionnaires, interviews and documentation they tell an ‘inside story’ of experiences, challenges and achievements, from the perspectives of the schools’ mangers, staff and pupils. Alternative ‘value-added’ features emerged that were positive indicators of enrichment and success in both schools

Learning with other health professions in the United Kingdom MPharm degree:Multidisciplinary and placement education

This paper reviews the approach to multidisciplinary and placement education in UK schools of pharmacy. The methodology involved triangulation of course documentation, staff interviews and a final year student survey. Staff members were supportive of multidisciplinary learning. The advantages were development of a wider appreciation of the students? future professional role and better understanding of the roles of other professional groups. The barriers were logistics (student numbers; multiple sites; different timetables), the achievement of balanced numbers between disciplines and engagement of students from all participating disciplines. Placement education was offered by all schools, predominantly in hospital settings. Key problems were funding and the lack of staff resources. Currently, multidisciplinary learning within the UK for pharmacy students is inadequate and is coupled with relatively low levels of placement education. In order for things to change, there should be a review of funding and support from government and the private sector employers

Orchestrated transcription of biological processes in the marine picoeukaryote Ostreococcus exposed to light/dark cycles

Background: Picoeukaryotes represent an important, yet poorly characterized component of marine phytoplankton. The recent genome availability for two species of Ostreococcus and Micromonas has led to the emergence of picophytoplankton comparative genomics. Sequencing has revealed many unexpected features about genome structure and led to several hypotheses on Ostreococcus biology and physiology. Despite the accumulation of genomic data, little is known about gene expression in eukaryotic picophytoplankton. Results: We have conducted a genome-wide analysis of gene expression in Ostreococcus tauri cells exposed to light/dark cycles (L/D). A Bayesian Fourier Clustering method was implemented to cluster rhythmic genes according to their expression waveform. In a single L/D condition nearly all expressed genes displayed rhythmic patterns of expression. Clusters of genes were associated with the main biological processes such as transcription in the nucleus and the organelles, photosynthesis, DNA replication and mitosis. Conclusions: Light/Dark time-dependent transcription of the genes involved in the main steps leading to protein synthesis (transcription basic machinery, ribosome biogenesis, translation and aminoacid synthesis) was observed, to an unprecedented extent in eukaryotes, suggesting a major input of transcriptional regulations in Ostreococcus. We propose that the diurnal co-regulation of genes involved in photoprotection, defence against oxidative stress and DNA repair might be an efficient mechanism, which protects cells against photo-damage thereby, contributing to the ability of O. tauri to grow under a wide range of light intensities

Surface Stress, Morphological Development, and Dislocation Nucleation During SixGe1-x Epitaxy

Utilizing Ge marker layer experiments combined with atomic number contrast (Z-contrast) imaging, we have studied the evolving surface morphology of SixGe1-x alloys during growth by molecular beam epitaxy. The marker layers map out the instability transition between planar two-dimensional (2D) growth and three-dimensional (3D) growth. The transition occurs via the gradual formation of a surface ripple as anticipated from instability theory. However, these undulations rapidly develop into crack-like surface instabilities which we simulate and explain by the mechanism of stress-driven surface diffusion. Finally, we model the large stresses associated with these features within a fracture mechanics formalism. This analysis demonstrates that crack-like instabilities provide ideal candidate sites for the nucleation of misfit dislocations

Nonlinear evolution of surface morphology in InAs/AlAs superlattices via surface diffusion

Continuum simulations of self-organized lateral compositional modulation growth in InAs/AlAs short-period superlattices on InP substrate are presented. Results of the simulations correspond quantitatively to the results of synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments. The time evolution of the compositional modulation during epitaxial growth can be explained only including a nonlinear dependence of the elastic energy of the growing epitaxial layer on its thickness. From the fit of the experimental data to the growth simulations we have determined the parameters of this nonlinear dependence. It was found that the modulation amplitude don't depend on the values of the surface diffusion constants of particular elements.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, published in Phys. Rev. Lett. http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v96/e13610

Prepyramid-to-pyramid transition of SiGe islands on Si(001)

The morphology of the first three-dimensional islands appearing during strained growth of SiGe alloys on Si(001) was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. High resolution images of individual islands and a statistical analysis of island shapes were used to reconstruct the evolution of the island shape as a function of size. As they grow, islands undergo a transition from completely unfacetted rough mounds (prepyramids) to partially {105} facetted islands and then they gradually evolve to {105} facetted pyramids. The results are in good agreement with the predictions of a recently proposed theoretical model

Novel GaAs surface phases via direct control of chemical potential

Using in situ surface electron microscopy, we show that the surface chemical potential of GaAs (001), and hence the surface phase, can be systematically controlled by varying temperature with liquid Ga droplets present as Ga reservoirs. With decreasing temperature, the surface approaches equilibrium with liquid Ga. This provides access to a regime where we find phases ultrarich in Ga, extending the range of surface phases available in this technologically important system. The same behavior is expected to occur for similar binary or multicomponent semiconductors such as InGaAs

Sub-Angstrom Microscopy Through Incoherent Imaging and Image Reconstruction

Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with a high-angle annular detector breaks the coherence of the imaging process, and provides an incoherent image of a crystal projection. Even in the presence of strong dynamical diffraction, the image can be accurately described as a convolution between an object function, sharply peaked at the projected atomic sites, and the probe intensity profile. Such an image can be inverted intuitively without the need for model structures, and therefore provides the important capability to reveal unanticipated interfacial arrangements. It represents a direct image of the crystal projection, revealing the location of the atomic columns and their relative high-angle scattering power. Since no phase is associated with a peak in the object function or the contrast transfer function, extension to higher resolution is also straightforward. Image restoration techniques such as maximum entropy, in conjunction with the 1.3 A probe anticipated for a 300 kV STEM, appear to provide a simple and robust route to the achievement of sub-Angstrom resolution electron microscopy

First principles simulations of direct coexistence of solid and liquid aluminium

First principles calculations based on density functional theory, with generalised gradient corrections and ultrasoft pseudopotentials, have been used to simulate solid and liquid aluminium in direct coexistence at zero pressure. Simulations have been carried out on systems containing up to 1000 atoms for 15 ps. The points on the melting curve extracted from these simulations are in very good agreement with previous calculations, which employed the same electronic structure method but used an approach based on the explicit calculation of free energies [L. Vo\v{c}adlo and D. Alf\`e, Phys. Rev. B, {\bf 65}, 214105 (2002).]Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.

The Role of Entrepreneur-Venture Fit in Online Home-based Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review

Home-based businesses and their founders represent an important, but under-researched facet of entrepreneurship. Far from being small, hobby-businesses with little economic impact, home-based business make significant contribution to national economies in terms of both turnover and employment. Online home-based businesses have been recognised as an important and distinct sector of the home-based business domain, offering unique opportunity for innovation and business diversity. The paper presents a systematic literature review of extant research on online home-based entrepreneurs and their businesses. The findings of the review are structured and discussed using the theoretical lens of entrepreneur-venture fit. Use of this lens allows the study to bring coherence to previously fragmented extant studies, providing a basis for future research in this domain. The study also develops a novel model of entrepreneur-venture fit in the specific case of online home-based businesses. This allows us to suggest five positive interactions between entrepreneurial and venture characteristics. It also allows us to suggest a number of previously unidentified negative interactions, which may result in entrepreneurs becoming ‘locked-in’ and suffering multiple sources of stress