Statistical Problem Posing, Problem Refining, and Further Reflection in Grade 6

This report is based on an activity completed by 89 Grade 6 students carryingout a statistical investigation with a focus on posing an initial question given acontext and then refining it for a chosen data set. Having reached a conclusionbased on evidence from their data analysis, students were given additionalinformation on the context and asked to reconsider their conclusionsand degree of certainty associated with them. Data from student workbookswere used to assess students’ capacity to engage in the extensions of a statisticalinvestigation not usually encountered at the school level. Results showedapproximately 70% of students were able to carry out the complete investigationand justify a meaningful decision

Fourier, hyperbolic and relativistic heat transfer equations: a comparative analytical study

[EN] Parabolic heat equation based on Fourier's theory (FHE), and hyperbolic heat equation (HHE), has been used to mathematically model the temperature distributions of biological tissue during thermal ablation. However, both equations have certain theoretical limitations. The FHE assumes an infinite thermal energy propagation speed, whereas the HHE might possibly be in breach of the second law of thermodynamics. The relativistic heat equation (RHE) is a hyperbolic-like equation, whose theoretical model is based on the theory of relativity and which was designed to overcome these theoretical impediments. In this study, the three heat equations for modelling of thermal ablation of biological tissues (FHE, HHE and RHE) were solved analytically and the temperature distributions compared. We found that RHE temperature values were always lower than those of the FHE, while the HHE values were higher than the FHE, except for the early stages of heating and at points away from the electrode. Although both HHE and RHE are mathematically hyperbolic, peaks were only found in the HHE temperature profiles. The three solutions converged for infinite time or infinite distance from the electrode. The percentage differences between the FHE and the other equations were larger for higher values of thermal relaxation time in HHE.This work received financial support from the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Ref. TEC2011-27133-C02-01).López Molina, JA.; Rivera Ortun, MJ.; Berjano, E. (2014). Fourier, hyperbolic and relativistic heat transfer equations: a comparative analytical study. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 470:1-16. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2014.0547S11647

Correlation Functions in 2-Dimensional Integrable Quantum Field Theories

In this talk I discuss the form factor approach used to compute correlation functions of integrable models in two dimensions. The Sinh-Gordon model is our basic example. Using Watson's and the recursive equations satisfied by matrix elements of local operators, I present the computation of the form factors of the elementary field $\phi(x)$ and the stress-energy tensor $T_{\mu\nu}(x)$ of the theory.Comment: 19pp, LATEX version, (talk at Como Conference on ``Integrable Quantum Field Theories''

An introduction to immunology and immunopathology

In basic terms, the immune system has two lines of defense: innate immunity and adaptive immunity. Innate immunity is the first immunological, non-specific (antigen-independent) mechanism for fighting against an intruding pathogen. It is a rapid immune response, occurring within minutes or hours after aggression, that has no immunologic memory. Adaptive immunity, on the other hand, is antigen-dependent and antigen-specific; it has the capacity for memory, which enables the host to mount a more rapid and efficient immune response upon subsequent exposure to the antigen. There is a great deal of synergy between the adaptive immune system and its innate counterpart, and defects in either system can provoke illness or disease, such as autoimmune diseases, immunodeficiency disorders and hypersensitivity reactions. This article provides a practical overview of innate and adaptive immunity, and describes how these host defense mechanisms are involved in both health and illness

A Study of Problem Solving Using Blocks Vehicle in a STEAM Course for Lower Elementary Levels

STEAM education is currently one of the most important parts of the elementary school curriculum. If STEAM learning can cultivate good problem-solving ability, it will also help improve judgment and thinking abilities. Several voices in the literature have argued for cooperative learning in STEAM courses. Although the effectiveness of course learning often is evaluated using course feedback forms, there is comparatively little emphasis on whether a course succeeds in realizing cooperative learning. For a course involving self-propelled toy-brick cars, there is little research on the application of low-grade pupils. Therefore, based on the integration of STEAM courses into self-propelled toy-brick car learning, this study applied two learning strategies of cooperative learning and individual learning to low-grade pupils in the second grade in elementary schools. After completing the course problem-solving ability indicators were measured and analyzed using the problem-solving ability test. The results show that the mean score of the experimental group in the problem-solving ability test was higher than that of the control group. In the problem-solving ability test, the scores of the two groups were also significantly different, which suggests that cooperative learning is more effective than individual learning strategies.acceptedVersio

Family composition and age at menarche: findings from the international Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study

This research was funded by The University of St Andrews and NHS Health Scotland.Background Early menarche has been associated with father absence, stepfather presence and adverse health consequences in later life. This article assesses the association of different family compositions with the age at menarche. Pathways are explored which may explain any association between family characteristics and pubertal timing. Methods Cross-sectional, international data on the age at menarche, family structure and covariates (age, psychosomatic complaints, media consumption, physical activity) were collected from the 2009–2010 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample focuses on 15-year old girls comprising 36,175 individuals across 40 countries in Europe and North America (N = 21,075 for age at menarche). The study examined the association of different family characteristics with age at menarche. Regression and path analyses were applied incorporating multilevel techniques to adjust for the nested nature of data within countries. Results Living with mother (Cohen’s d = .12), father (d = .08), brothers (d = .04) and sisters (d = .06) are independently associated with later age at menarche. Living in a foster home (d = −.16), with ‘someone else’ (d = −.11), stepmother (d = −.10) or stepfather (d = −.06) was associated with earlier menarche. Path models show that up to 89% of these effects can be explained through lifestyle and psychological variables. Conclusions Earlier menarche is reported amongst those with living conditions other than a family consisting of two biological parents. This can partly be explained by girls’ higher Body Mass Index in these families which is a biological determinant of early menarche. Lower physical activity and elevated psychosomatic complaints were also more often found in girls in these family environments.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

The impact of emotional well-being on long-term recovery and survival in physical illness: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis synthesized studies on emotional well-being as predictor of the prognosis of physical illness, while in addition evaluating the impact of putative moderators, namely constructs of well-being, health-related outcome, year of publication, follow-up time and methodological quality of the included studies. The search in reference lists and electronic databases (Medline and PsycInfo) identified 17 eligible studies examining the impact of general well-being, positive affect and life satisfaction on recovery and survival in physically ill patients. Meta-analytically combining these studies revealed a Likelihood Ratio of 1.14, indicating a small but significant effect. Higher levels of emotional well-being are beneficial for recovery and survival in physically ill patients. The findings show that emotional well-being predicts long-term prognosis of physical illness. This suggests that enhancement of emotional well-being may improve the prognosis of physical illness, which should be investigated by future research

Effects of auditory-motor synchronization on 400-m sprint performance: An applied study

There is a conspicuous dearth of empirical research regarding the ergogenic and psychological effects of synchronous music when applied in a sports training context. The main purpose of this longitudinal intervention study was to investigate the ergogenic and psychological effects of synchronous music applied over a one-month period of speed endurance training. Twelve participants (six women and six men; 21.1 ± 1.7 years) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (sprint training coordinated with synchronous music) or a control group (conventional sprint training). Immediately after each training session and each time trial, the Feeling Scale, CR-10 Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale, and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale were administered to each participant. No significant interaction effect of Group × Time for Rating of Perceived Exertion ( p = .898) or Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale ( p = .411) was identified during the training sessions. A significant Group × Time interaction was identified for Feeling Scale scores ( p = .007). Nonetheless, following Bonferroni adjustment for pairwise comparisons, the between-group differences in Feeling Scale scores did not reach significance. No significant interaction effect of Group × Time or main effect of group was identified for sprint performance, although the latter effect was associated with a large effect size (ηp2 = 0.35). Experimental group participants executed the 400-m time trials 5.07% faster than control group participants. This finding is noteworthy from an applied perspective, given the potential ergogenic effects associated with auditory-motor synchronization. </jats:p