Small Ponds: The Challenges Facing Gifted Students in Rural Communities

Gifted students in rural schools often face academic and personal challenges not faced by their urban and suburban counterparts, a result of the unique educational and community environment of rural settings. New technologies and programs have had some success in mitigating the effect of the lack of academic resources and opportunities available to gifted ruralites, but challenges arising from the educational, socioeconomic, and cultural environments of rural communities remain. This paper examines several studies of the educational and affective development of gifted ruralites, with reference to the author\u27s experience as a student and teacher in rural and remote educational settings. It describes, and examines the causes of, the academic and socio-emotional issues facing gifted ruralites. The paper aims to raise teachers\u27 awareness of these issues and link educational theory with in-practice examples that will help rural teachers educate and counsel gifted students in their classrooms

Activity-composition relations in the system CaCO3-MgCO3 predicted from static structure energy calculations and Monte Carlo simulations

Thermodynamic mixing properties and subsolidus phase relations of the rhombohedral carbonate system, (1 - x) CaCO3 - x MgCO3, were modelled in the temperature range of 623-2023 K with static structure energy calculations based on well-parameterised empirical interatomic potentials. Relaxed static structure energies of a large set of randomly varied structures in a 4 x 4 x 1 supercell of R3c calcite (a = 19.952A , c = 17.061A ) were calculated with the General Utility Lattice Program (GULP). These energies were cluster expanded in a basis set of 12 pair-wise effective interactions. Temperature-dependent enthalpies of mixing were calculated by the Monte Carlo method. Free energies of mixing were obtained by thermodynamic integration of the Monte Carlo results. The calculated phase diagram is in good agreement with experimental phase boundaries

Smartphones and Social Health: Does Reduced Phone Use Lead to Better Social Health Outcomes?

Within the past decade, smartphones have become a necessity for modern life. However, there has been little to no experimental scientific research on how problematic use of these devices influences social health. Problematic smartphone use (PSU) may reduce our ability to communicate and understand one another, thereby reducing our ability to bond together, connect, and improve relationships. Research has examined many social health correlates of PSU, including technology’s impact on emotional intelligence, relationship satisfaction, and loneliness. However, these studies have been limited in causal validity by their survey-based approach. We propose the use of a pre-test/post-test experiment designed to reduce PSU in the treatment group to explore whether reducing PSU improves social health over time. We plan to help people reduce their phone use through an educational intervention over five weeks while tracking and analyzing their smartphone usage over that time. During these five weeks, we will measure social health indicators including emotional intelligence, empathy, social sensitivity, social anxiety, and loneliness

Interface states in CoFe2O4 spin-filter tunnel junctions

Spin-filter tunneling is a promising way to generate highly spin-polarized current, a key component for spintronics applications. In this work we explore the tunneling conductance across the spin-filter material CoFe2O4 interfaced with Au electrodes, a geometry which provides nearly perfect lattice matching at the CoFe2O4/Au(001) interface. Using density functional theory calculations we demonstrate that interface states play a decisive role in controlling the transport spin polarization in this tunnel junction. For a realistic CoFe2O4 barrier thickness, we predict a tunneling spin polarization of about -60%. We show that this value is lower than what is expected based solely on considerations of the spin-polarized band structure of CoFe2O4, and therefore that these interface states can play a detrimental role. We argue this is a rather general feature of ferrimagnetic ferrites and could make an important impact on spin-filter tunneling applications.Comment: 5 pages, 4 Figures plus 1 page supplemen

Student Evaluations of Teaching: Understanding Limitations and Advocating for a Gold Standard for Measuring Teaching Effectiveness

The arbitrator’s decision in Ryerson University v Ryerson Faculty Association [2018] CanLII 58446 (ON LA) rejected use of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) for academic confirmation and promotion purposes. SETs provide largely quantitative data in response to pre-determined institutional, generic questions using a Likert scale applicable to all teaching modes. SETs may be efficient, but commonly low response rates mean the data is often statistically invalid. Studies of SETs suggest gender, age, race, and other biases are widespread, and they discourage teaching innovation because academics fear student backlash in SET scores. Consequently, SETs are of little value to academics for their professional development, confirmation or promotion, or as evidence for teaching grant or awards processes. The continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on traditional models of teaching has forced many changes in teaching, learning and pedagogy, often with a temporary suspension of SETs to allow teachers to innovate without negative impact on professional development measures. This presents a unique opportunity for us to revisit how the effectiveness of teaching and learning is measured. Academic teaching staff still need evidence of teaching effectiveness, as do sessional staff looking for continued employment and/or a career in academia. This paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of SETs; seeks to equip law academics to advocate for other measures of teaching effectiveness that better reflect their contribution to student learning; and to pave the way for law discipline and institutional level changes that support a gold standard in measuring teaching effectiveness beyond reliance on SETs, for the benefit of teachers in law and other disciplines

Polarization discontinuity induced two-dimensional electron gas at ZnO/Zn(Mg)O interfaces: A first-principles study

The discovery of a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in wurtzite ZnO/Zn(Mg)O heterostructures is promising for applications due to the high mobility of the carriers. In this paper, we study the formation and properties of the 2DEG at ZnO/Zn(Mg)O interfaces using first-principles calculations based on hybrid density functional theory. The 2DEG arises from the polarization discontinuity at the interface between the two materials. The uncompensated bound charge at the interface gives rise to an electric field in the bulk of ZnO which confines free carriers close to the interface. We find that the type of the confined carriers is determined by the interface termination, while the amount of charge and the confinement width could be controlled by the Mg doping and the device dimensions

Genetic diversity and genome wide association study of β-glucan content in tetraploid wheat grains

Non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) have many health benefits, including immunomodulatory activity, lowering serum cholesterol, a faecal bulking effect, enhanced absorption of certain minerals, prebiotic effects and the amelioration of type II diabetes. The principal components of the NSP in cereal grains are (1,3;1,4)-β-glucans and arabinoxylans. Although (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan (hereafter called β-glucan) is not the most representative component of wheat cell walls, it is one of the most important types of soluble fibre in terms of its proven beneficial effects on human health. In the present work we explored the genetic variability of β-glucan content in grains from a tetraploid wheat collection that had been genotyped with a 90k-iSelect array, and combined this data to carry out an association analysis. The β-glucan content, expressed as a percentage w/w of grain dry weight, ranged from 0.18% to 0.89% across the collection. Our analysis identified seven genomic regions associated with β-glucan, located on chromosomes 1A, 2A (two), 2B, 5B and 7A (two), confirming the quantitative nature of this trait. Analysis of marker trait associations (MTAs) in syntenic regions of several grass species revealed putative candidate genes that might influence β-glucan levels in the endosperm, possibly via their participation in carbon partitioning. These include the glycosyl hydrolases endo-β-(1,4)-glucanase (cellulase), β-amylase, (1,4)-β-xylan endohydrolase, xylanase inhibitor protein I, isoamylase and the glycosyl transferase starch synthase II

An implementation science systematic review of neurophysiological evidence indicates the tinnitus core network as a therapeutic target

Identifying and implementing an effective tinnitus treatment has been a challenge. Despite efforts over many decades, there is no definitive cure for tinnitus yet. Implementation science may assist audiology practitioners and end-user patients in their pursuit of a cure by identifying ways to maximize the use of research findings. Within the context of therapeutic interventions, implementation science is the study of a successful treatment–system fit evidenced by use. Research evidence for tinnitus treatment efficacy is dominated by behavioral questionnaires as they are a pragmatic source of patient-driven data. Neurophysiological evidence of the underlying neural network change correlated with these behavioral findings enhances research conclusions and potential use. This implementation science review systematically sourced and analyzed neurophysiological evidence from 29 studies to find that targeting tinnitus core network neuroplasticity may be the most effective tinnitus treatment. Narrow-band sound treatment has the greatest body of correlated neurophysiological-behavioral evidence. This is the first tinnitus implementation science systematic review. It is hoped that new or improved treatments may emerge from pivoting the evidential lens toward the pragmatic use of neurophysiological evidence.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42022335201

Magnetic tunnel junctions with ferroelectric barriers: Prediction of four resistance states from first-principles

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), composed of two ferromagnetic electrodes separated by a thin insulating barrier layer, are currently used in spintronic devices, such as magnetic sensors and magnetic random access memories. Recently, driven by demonstrations of ferroelectricity at the nanoscale, thin-film ferroelectric barriers were proposed to extend the functionality of MTJs. Due to the sensitivity of conductance to the magnetization alignment of the electrodes (tunnelling magnetoresistance) and the polarization orientation in the ferroelectric barrier (tunnelling electroresistance), these multiferroic tunnel junctions (MFTJs) may serve as four-state resistance devices. Based on first-principles calculations we demonstrate four resistance states in SrRuO3/BaTiO3/SrRuO3 MFTJs with asymmetric interfaces. We find that the resistance of such a MFTJ is significantly changed when the electric polarization of the barrier is reversed and/or when the magnetizations of the electrodes are switched from parallel to antiparallel. These results reveal the exciting prospects of MFTJs for application as multifunctional spintronic devices.Comment: To be published in Nano Letter

Study protocol : the empirical investigation of methods to correct for measurement error in biobanks with dietary assessment

Peer reviewedPublisher PD