Exploring critical reflection in cooperative education: a case study

 This research identifies the challenges facing students who are learning how to critically reflect while learning through reflection. Factors enabling one students’ development of critical reflection may constrain another. These influencing factors are found within the learning environment, workplace and personal experiences, students’ attitudes and critical reflection processes

Wireless Power Transfer Through Coupled Magnetic Resonance With Conventional and Superconducting Metamaterials/ Transferência de energia sem fio através de Ressonância Magnética Acoplada com Metamateriais Convencionais e Supercondutores

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) is an option to gain mobility and convenience while charging electrical devices. Metamaterials are used to increase the energy transmission efficiency by coupled magnetic resonance. A WPT system was implemented in a 3D electromagnetic solver, where three configurations were simulated: initially without Metamaterials, with Split Ring Resonators, and with a superconductor spiral line (superconducting Metamaterials) that was designed in this work. An investigation of the power and efficiency of these systems was carried out through simulations. The distance between the coils was increased from 4 until 10 cm, and the horizontal misalignment varied up to 3 cm. The metamaterials showed themselves efficient as can be seen in the results

Environmental Studies Senior Seminar 2003: Invasive Species

The class of 2003 was the first to graduate with Environmental Studies degrees from the University of Richmond. At that time, the Senior Seminar was a two-semester class, ENVR 391 and 392. It was taught by a pair of professors; Stephen P. Nash, Journalism, and Peter D. Smallwood, Biology. Students chose the problem of invasive species for their focus. With tremendous help from the staff of the Virginia chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and from Delegate James Dillard, the students proposed legislation to help Virginia deal with this environmental problem. Students wrote opinion pieces for local papers throughout Virginia in support of the bill, and spoke to several organizations (e.g., Virginia Master Gardeners Club, Virginia Master Naturalists). Students and faculty lobbied members of the Virginia General Assembly for this bill, eventually securing its passage. It was signed into law by Governor Mark Warner in April 2003. After the bill was passed, the class spent the rest of the semester researching volunteer programs for early detection of invasive species. One of the more pernicious problems of invasive species is that once they have spread far enough, eradication becomes extremely difficult. Thus the best hope for controlling invasive species is to detect them as early as possible. Each student found a particular volunteer program, investigated its strengths and weaknesses, and wrote up their findings in a manual, meant as a resource for land managers in Virginia and other states. As of this writing, the manual is still available through the National Invasive Species Council (here) Included in this folder are: Virginia Code Chapter 433 (the text of the act as signed into law by Governor Warner) Virginia Invasive Species 2003 (a poster describing the work to pass the bill) Early Detectives – Invasive Species 2003 (the manual describing volunteer programs for early detection of invasive species)

Business reputation and social media: A primer on threats and responses

With the emergence of the interactive web (or Web 2.0), social media applications gained enormous popularity among internet users, forcing businesses to adapt their marketing strategies and engage with social media as part of their marketing toolbox. Social media has empowered the public and weakened the position of businesses by exposing them to negative publicity, customer attacks and reputation damage. This study analyses the threat of social media to corporate reputation, which can be damaged by three different actors: the customer, the employee and the corporation itself. We review the literature on the impact of each of these actors and assess the findings by means of real-life cases. On the basis of these findings, social media reputation threats are discussed in light of corporate response strategies. The results indicate that organizations need to develop a portfolio of response strategies with several approaches, specifically relating to each of the three actors of reputation damage — the best policy for businesses to successfully manage their reputation is to create an organization capable of managing the risks to corporate reputation arising from employees and the corporation itself. The real-life cases indicate a lack of organizational knowledge on how to manage social media risks effectively, highlighting the need for businesses to update their knowledge on using social media as part of their marketing toolbox. Finally, the various response strategies are classified according to the source of the reputation threat

New early Eocene tapiromorph perissodactyls from the Ghazij Formation of Pakistan, with implications for mammalian biochronology in Asia

Early Eocene mammals from Indo-Pakistan have only recently come under study. Here we describe the first tapiromorph perissodactyls from the subcontinent. Gandheralophus minor n. gen. and n. sp. and G. robustus n. sp. are two species of Isectolophidae differing in size and in reduction of the anterior dentition. Gandheralophus is probably derived from a primitive isectolophid such as Orientolophus hengdongensis from the earliest Eocene of China, and may be part of a South Asian lineage that also contains Karagalax from the middle Eocene of Pakistan. Two specimens are referred to a new, unnamed species of Lophialetidae. Finally, a highly diagnostic M3 and a molar fragment are described as the new eomoropid chalicothere Litolophus ghazijensis sp. nov. The perissodactyls described here, in contrast to most other mammalian groups published from the early Eocene of Indo-Pakistan, are most closely related to forms known from East and Central Asia. Tapiromorpha are diverse and biochronologically important in the Eocene there and our results allow the first biochronological correlation between early Eocene mammal faunas in Indo-Pakistan and the rest of Asia. We suggest that the upper Ghazij Formation of Pakistan is best correlated with the middle or late part of the Bumbanian Asian Land-Mammal Age, while the Kuldana and Subathu Formations of Pakistan and India are best correlated with the Arshantan Asian Land-Mammal Age

Design of a transmission-line metamaterial with a negative index of refraction at S-Band / Concepção de um metamaterial de linha de transmissão com um índice negativo de refracção na banda S

A metamaterial based on a two-dimensional transmission-line network loaded with inductors and capacitors enabling to achieve negative-refractive-index (NRI) is developed. The dispersion characteristics are calculated by their equivalent circuit model and an operating frequency of 2.95 GHz in which there is impedance matching with free space is chosen in the S-Band. This NRI metamaterial supports transverse electric (TE) waves, thus it can be used in applications such as lensing. A metamaterial based on a two-dimensional transmission-line network loaded with inductors and capacitors enabling to achieve negative-refractive-index (NRI) is developed. The dispersion characteristics are calculated by their equivalent circuit model and an operating frequency of 2.95 GHz in which there is impedance matching with free space is chosen in the S-Band. This NRI metamaterial supports transverse electric (TE) waves, thus it can be used in applications such as lensing

Clinical predictors of seizure threshold in electroconvulsive therapy: a prospective study

At the start and during the course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), estimation of the seizure threshold (ST) is useful in weighing the expected effectiveness against the risks of side effects. Therefore, this study explores clinical factors predicting initial ST (IST) and levels of ST during the ECT course. This prospective observational study included patients aged ≥18 years receiving ECT without contraindications for dose titration. At the first and every sixth consecutive ECT session, ST level was measured. Using multivariate linear regression and multilevel models, predictors for IST and change in ST levels were examined. A total of 91 patients (mean age, 59.1 ± 15.0 years; 37 % male; 97 % diagnosis of depression) were included. In multivariable analysis, higher age (β = 0.24; P = 0.03) and bifrontotemporal (BL) electrode placement (β = 0.42; P < 0.001) were independent predictors for higher IST, explaining 49 % of its variation. Also, these two variables independently predicted higher ST levels at different time points during the course. Using multilevel models, absence of a previous ECT course(s) predicted a steeper rise in ST during the course (P = 0.03 for the interaction term time*previous ECT). The age-adjusted dose-titration method is somewhat crude, resulting in some measurement error. Concomitant medication use could have influenced ST levels. Increasing age and BL electrode placement predicted higher (I)ST, which should be taken into account when selecting ECT dosage. Previous ECT course(s) may avoid an increase in ST during the course of ECT

Prevention of depression and anxiety in community-dwelling older adults: the role of physical activity

Background: With the growth of the elderly population in Brazil and the increasing impact of depression and anxiety, the importance of preventing these disorders has been highlighted. Studies have shown an inverse relationship between rates of depression/anxiety and physical activity, pointing out its role as a possible protective factor. Objectives: To conduct a randomized study with elderly adults in the community, who present with subsyndromal depression and anxiety, that will evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity with a collaborative stepped-care strategy; and to compare the effectiveness of physical activity in preventing subsyndromal depression and anxiety, with regard to the usual care group. Methods: The article contains the methodological description of an arm of a large study entitled “Prevention and Treatment of Depression in Elderly”, in which 2,566 Brazilian older adults were screened to identify clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms. Those with clinically significant depressive or anxiety symptoms, not meeting criteria for depressive or anxiety disorder, will be invited to participate in a randomized clinical trial with 2 intervention groups: a step-by-step preventive care programme using physical activity, and usual care. The effectiveness of physical activity in the prevention of depressive and anxiety disorders will be evaluated. Discussion: New health policies could be implemented, aiming to reduce the number of elderly people with depression and anxiety in primary care. In addition, training may be implemented for family health teams so that screening tools could be used to make an early identification of individuals with (or at risk of developing) mental disorders

Reaction Kinetics of an Industrial Front‐End Acetylene Hydrogenation Catalyst Using the Advanced TEMKIN Reactor

The front‐end process integration of the selective acetylene hydrogenation provides several advantages over the tail‐end option. But extensive knowledge of the process and reaction kinetics are required. This work combines the ideal conditions of the advanced TEMKIN reactor in a laboratory plant for gradient‐free kinetic analysis of eggshell catalyst under industrially relevant front‐end conditions. With this system an industrial state of the art Pd‐Ag/Al₂O₃ eggshell catalyst is investigated and the temperature dependent data under various feed compositions including information on the formation of C₄‐species are reported

Impact of the Siena College Tech Valley Scholars Program on Student Outcomes

The experimental group for this study included 38 students who entered the Tech Valley Scholars (TVS) program over the course of three academic years, from 2009-10 through 2011-12. Two groups of controls were used: a randomly selected sample of STEM students who matriculated in the same time frame; and a matched sample. The TVS students and controls were compared on two primary outcome variables: graduation (or retention to senior year), and final cumulative GPA. The major findings of this study are that (1) the TVS students had better outcomes than both the randomly selected comparison group and the matched control group, (2) unmet financial need is an important risk factor for non-retention, (3) students with moderately high unmet need can be academically successful if retained, and (4) the TVS program is having a positive impact on at-risk students. Recommendations for effective and efficient allocation of scholarship funds are given and future statistical studies are recommended