The construction and validation of a spatail test, using diagrammatic material based on projections and sections of solid objects

An important development in mental testing has been the construction of tests for measuring the ability to obtain,and utilise, visual spatial imagery. These spatial tests have proved valuable in predicting subsequent success in such spheres as engineering apprenticeships, technical drawing and woodwork. They have also been employed successfully i n selection for secondary schools. Although a limited number of such tests already existed, it was felt that a new test based on three-dimensionalmaterial, and particularly projections and sections of this material, could prove of value. Two hundred possible test items, of thirteen types, were therefore prepared and "tried-out" on a representative sample of school children. An item analysis of the resulting dataprovided indices of Facility and Discrimination which were used to select the one hundred most suitable items. The selected items were then organised into a revised draft which was inserted into the selection examination for the entire ten-year-old population of a city. This large- scale trial, as well as showing that the test and instructions are suitable for the age group, provided information from which tables for converting raw scores to standardised scores were constructed; enabled a second, confirmatory item analysis to be made; showing a significant difference in mean scores for boys and girls, a recognised property of spatial tests; and provided the following figures: Range: 1 - 99 Mean: 42.1 Standard Deviation: 20.745 Reliability: 0.9642 In an investigation with 85 boys the test correlated more highly with a recognised spatial test than with a verbal test, and was a better predictor of success in metalwork than was the verbal test. Extended validation, notably a four year follow-up of the 85 boys, and a factor-analysis are required before it can be certain that the test is truly "spatial" with the uses associated with such tests

Breaking Out: Film in the MFL Classroom

This chapter examines the advantages of integrating the use of film into foreign language lessons and shows how it can be exploited to meet the requirements of the new national curriculum. It shows how film can address a variety of objectives, such as the provision of cultural input, the development of listening skills and creative speaking and writing. It is argued that the use of film need not be separate from a programme of study and reserved for special occasions, but rather integrated into planning so that it contributes to learners’ progress in the language. The case is made for exploiting film material and responding creatively to it in the target language, so that skills in language production are enhanced. The theoretical aspects are supported by a description of good practice in this area. This includes an outline of the film project which is part of the UCL Institute of Education’s languages PGCE course in collaboration with the British Film Institute. There is also an account of a former PGCE student teacher’s use in the classroom of the materials produced for this project

Absence of ferromagnetism in Co and Mn substituted polycrystalline ZnO

We discuss the properties of semiconducting bulk ZnO when substituted with the magnetic transition metal ions Mn and Co, with substituent fraction ranging from $x$ = 0.02 to $x$ = 0.15. The magnetic properties were measured as a function of magnetic field and temperature and we find no evidence for magnetic ordering in these systems down to $T$ = 2 K. The magnetization can be fit by the sum of a Curie-Weiss term with a Weiss temperature of $\Theta\gg$100 K and a Curie term. We attribute this behavior to contributions from both \textit{t}M ions with \textit{t}M nearest neighbors and from isolated spins. This particular functional form for the susceptibility is used to explain why no ordering is observed in \textit{t}M substituted ZnO samples despite the large values of the Weiss temperature. We also discuss in detail the methods we used to minimize any impurity contributions to the magnetic signal.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures (revised

The role of alkane coordination in C–H bond cleavage at a Pt(II) center

The rates of CFormula H bond activation for various alkanes by [(N–N)Pt(Me)(TFEd3)]+ (N Formula N = ArFormula NFormula C(Me)Formula C(Me)Formula NFormula Ar; Ar = 3,5-di-tert-butylphenyl; TFE-d3 = CF3CD2OD) were studied. Both linear and cyclic alkanes give the corresponding alkene-hydride cation [(N–N)Pt(H)(alkene)]+ via (i) rate determining alkane coordination to form a CFormula H {sigma} complex, (ii) oxidative cleavage of the coordinated CFormula H bond to give a platinum(IV) alkyl-methyl-hydride intermediate, (iii) reductive coupling to generate a methane {sigma} complex, (iv) dissociation of methane, and (v) beta-H elimination to form the observed product. Second-order rate constants for cycloalkane activation (CnH2n), are proportional to the size of the ring (k ~ n). For cyclohexane, the deuterium kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD) of 1.28 (5) is consistent with the proposed rate determining alkane coordination to form a CFormula H {sigma} complex. Statistical scrambling of the five hydrogens of the Pt-methyl and the coordinated methylene unit, via rapid, reversible steps ii and iii, and interchange of geminal CFormula H bonds of the methane and cyclohexane CFormula H {sigma} adducts, is observed before loss of methane

Ibrutinib inhibits SDF1/CXCR4 mediated migration in AML

Pharmacological targeting of BTK using ibrutinib has recently shown encouraging clinical activity in a range of lymphoid malignancies. Recently we reported that ibrutinib inhibits human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast proliferation and leukemic cell adhesion to the surrounding bone marrow stroma cells. Here we report that in human AML ibrutinib, in addition, functions to inhibit SDF1/CXCR4-mediated AML migration at concentrations achievable in vivo. It has previously been shown that SDF1/CXCR4-induced migration is dependent on activation of downstream BTK in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma. Here we show that SDF-1 induces BTK phosphorylation and downstream MAPK signalling in primary AML blast. Furthermore, we show that ibrutinib can inhibit SDF1-induced AKT and MAPK activation. These results reported here provide a molecular mechanistic rationale for clinically evaluating BTK inhibition in AML patients and suggests that in some AML patients the blasts count may initially rise in response to ibrutinib therapy, analgous to similar clinical observations in CLL