Teacher–Artist Partnership Framework Within School Makerspaces to Foster Students’ Creativity

Creativity is a fundamental skill to prepare individuals to work and live in a changing world. Educators have recognised its value and advocate that schools can provide an environment for fostering the creative thinking skills of students. Makerspaces are emerging in school contexts, and they carry great opportunities for engaging students in creative thinking processes. The school makerspace also offers a professional learning space for teachers and artists to collaborate to support students’ creative potential through making activities linked to the curriculum. This paper proposes a teacher–artist partnership framework within the makerspace to support mutual professional growth and opportunities to foster a learning environment conducive to creative expressions. The framework consists of three non-linear and iterative processes, namely (a) developing craft knowledge, (b) co-constructing knowledge, and (c) reflection and researching, supported by a community of practice and internal and external communities. Expected outcomes from the partnership for students, teachers and artists, and recommendations are discussed

Two-Photon absorption cross-section measurement by thermal lens and nonlinear transmission methods in organic materials at 532 nm and 1064 nm laser excitations

Experimental results concerning two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section measurement using nonlinear transmission (NLT) method and a new pump-probe mode-mismatched thermal lens (TL) scheme, in picosecond regime are reported. Both methods are used in a prospect of comparison. Values of the TPA coefficient and cross-section in three common solvents (Chloroform, Benzene and Nitrobenzene) and new synthesized perylenediimide derivatives (PDI) at 532nm and 1064nm wavelengths are given

New cyclopropano 70 fullerene derivatives for the photovoltaic application

New cyclopropano 70 fullerenes derivatives were synthesised for photovoltaic (PV) application. The organic PV cells realized with these molecules blended with RR-P3HT polymer provided improved characteristics: 1.5% conversion efficiency (eta%), 9.29 mA/cm2 current density, 0.51 V open circuit voltage and 0.34 fill factor. The IPCE spectrum for P3HT: cyclopropano 70 fullerene cells shows a new peak around 430 nm with 71% external quantum efficiency. This explains the increased current density

Study of Two-Photon absorption in Organic Materials by thermal lensing and nonlinear transmission measurements

Experimental investigations of two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-section using nonlinear transmission (NLT) and a new pump-probe mode-mismatched thermal lens (TL) scheme, in the picosecond regime are reported. Both methods are used in a prospect of comparison. Values of the TPA coefficient and cross-section in perylenediimide derivatives (PDI) at 532 nm and 1064 nm wavelengths are given

Study of multiphoton absorption processes in a perylenediimide derivative using thermal lensing technique Study of multiphoton absorption processes in a perylenediimide derivative using thermal lensing technique

Two multiphoton absorption processes were revealed in a perylenediimide derivative, at the wavelength of 1064 nm, by using the thermal lens technique. One of the observed multiphoton processes is two photon absorption (TPA) while the second is a four photons process. The value of the measured TPA coefficientis β=0.12×10-10 cm W-

Estimating Cost of Air Pollution Abatement for Road Transport in India: Case Studies of Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh

This paper provides a method of estimation of physical and monetary accounts of air pollution from the road transport. Using the data from the secondary sources and a vehicular survey, estimates of annual air pollution abatement cost for the vehicles (passenger cars, trucks, buses and two wheelers) complying with Euro norms are made for the road transport sector in Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Himachal Pradesh HP) states. The pollution abatement cost of each vehicle comprises the cost of upgrading the vehicular technology and the cost of improving fuel quality. For example, this cost estimate is Rs. 32309.54 million for AP in the year 2001-2002 and Rs. 3688. 72 million for HP in the year 2002-2003 at current prices and it forms 2.134 percent and 5.88 percent of State Domestic Product of the respective states

Age-related delay in information accrual for faces: Evidence from a parametric, single-trial EEG approach

Background: In this study, we quantified age-related changes in the time-course of face processing by means of an innovative single-trial ERP approach. Unlike analyses used in previous studies, our approach does not rely on peak measurements and can provide a more sensitive measure of processing delays. Young and old adults (mean ages 22 and 70 years) performed a non-speeded discrimination task between two faces. The phase spectrum of these faces was manipulated parametrically to create pictures that ranged between pure noise (0% phase information) and the undistorted signal (100% phase information), with five intermediate steps. Results: Behavioural 75% correct thresholds were on average lower, and maximum accuracy was higher, in younger than older observers. ERPs from each subject were entered into a single-trial general linear regression model to identify variations in neural activity statistically associated with changes in image structure. The earliest age-related ERP differences occurred in the time window of the N170. Older observers had a significantly stronger N170 in response to noise, but this age difference decreased with increasing phase information. Overall, manipulating image phase information had a greater effect on ERPs from younger observers, which was quantified using a hierarchical modelling approach. Importantly, visual activity was modulated by the same stimulus parameters in younger and older subjects. The fit of the model, indexed by R2, was computed at multiple post-stimulus time points. The time-course of the R2 function showed a significantly slower processing in older observers starting around 120 ms after stimulus onset. This age-related delay increased over time to reach a maximum around 190 ms, at which latency younger observers had around 50 ms time lead over older observers. Conclusion: Using a component-free ERP analysis that provides a precise timing of the visual system sensitivity to image structure, the current study demonstrates that older observers accumulate face information more slowly than younger subjects. Additionally, the N170 appears to be less face-sensitive in older observers

Visual acuity measured with luminance-modulated and contrast-modulated noise letter stimuli in young adults and adults above 50 years old

The human visual system is sensitive in detecting objects that have different luminance level from their background, known as first-order or luminance-modulated (LM) stimuli. We are also able to detect objects that have the same mean luminance as their background, only differing in contrast (or other attributes). Such objects are known as second-order or contrast-modulated (CM), stimuli. CM stimuli are thought to be processed in higher visual areas compared to LM stimuli, and may be more susceptible to ageing. We compared visual acuities (VA) of five healthy older adults (54.0±1.83 years old) and five healthy younger adults (25.4±1.29 years old) with LM and CM letters under monocular and binocular viewing. For monocular viewing, age had no effect on VA [F(1, 8)= 2.50, p> 0.05]. However, there was a significant main effect of age on VA under binocular viewing [F(1, 8)= 5.67, p< 0.05]. Binocular VA with CM letters in younger adults was approximately two lines better than that in older adults. For LM, binocular summation ratios were similar for older (1.16±0.21) and younger (1.15±0.06) adults. For CM, younger adults had higher binocular summation ratio (1.39±0.08) compared to older adults (1.12±0.09). Binocular viewing improved VA with LM letters for both groups similarly. However, in older adults, binocular viewing did not improve VA with CM letters as much as in younger adults. This could reflect a decline of higher visual areas due to ageing process, most likely higher than V1, which may be missed if measured with luminance-based stimuli alone