Developing student competence through peer assessment: the role of feedback, self-regulation and evaluative judgement

© 2019, The Author(s). How can students’ competence be developed through peer assessment? This paper focuses on how relevant variables such as participation, evaluative judgement and the quality of the assessment interact and influence peer assessment. From an analysis of 4 years of data from undergraduate classes in project management, it develops a model of causal relationships validated using the PLS-SEM method. It demonstrates relationships between these variables and considerers the influence of students’ competence and the mediating nature of feedback and self-regulation on the process. It points to how peer assessment practices can be improved whilst highlighting how evaluative judgement and feedback are two key elements that can be addressed to deliver the effective development of students’ competence

Semiclassical analysis of the phases of 4d SU(2) Higgs gauge systems with cutoff at the Gribov horizon

We present an analytical study of continuum 4d SU(2) gauge-Higgs models with a single Higgs field with fixed length in either the fundamental or adjoint representation. We aim at analytically probing the renowned predictions of Fradkin and Shenker on the phase diagram in terms of confinement versus Higgs behavior, obtained for the lattice version of the model. We work in the Landau version of the ' t Hooft R xi gauges in which case we can access potential nonperturbative physics related to the existence of the Gribov copies. In the fundamental case, we clearly show that in the perturbative regime of small gauge coupling constant g and large Higgs vacuum expectation value (vev) nu, there is a Higgs phase with Yukawa gauge boson propagators without Gribov effects. For a small value of the Higgs vev nu and/or large g, we enter a region with Gribov-type propagators that have no physical particle interpretation: the gauge bosons are as such confined. The transition between both behaviors is found to be continuous. In the adjoint case, we find evidence of a more drastic transition between the different behaviors for the propagator of the off- diagonal gauge bosons, whereas the "photon,'' i.e. the diagonal component of the gauge field, displays a propagator of the Gribov-type. In the limit of infinite Higgs condensate, we show that a massless photon is recovered. We compare our findings with those of Fradkin and Shenker as well as with more recent numerical lattice simulations of the fundamental Higgs model. We also carefully discuss in which region of the parameter space (nu, g) our approximations are trustworthy

Nonlinear Supersymmetry as a Hidden Symmetry

Ver abstrac

Assessing health and well-being among older people in rural South Africa

Background: The population in developing countries is ageing, which is likely to increase the burden of noncommunicable diseases and disability. Objective: To describe factors associated with self-reported health, disability and quality of life (QoL) of older people in the rural northeast of South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional survey of 6,206 individuals aged 50 and over. We used multivariate analysis to examine relationships between demographic variables and measures of self-reported health (Health Status), functional ability (WHODASi) and quality of life (WHOQoL). Results: About 4,085 of 6,206 people eligible (65.8%) completed the interview. Women (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% CI 1.09, 1.55), older age (OR2.59, 95% CI 1.97, 3.40), lower education (OR1.62, 95% CI 1.31,2.00), single status (OR1.18, 95% CI 1.01, 1.37) and not working at present (OR1.29, 95% CI 1.06, 1.59) were associated with a low health status. Women were also more likely to report a higher level of disability (OR1.38, 95% CI 1.14, 1.66), as were older people (OR2.92, 95% CI 2.25, 3.78), those with no education (OR1.57, 95% CI 1.26, 1.97), with single status (OR1.25, 95% CI 1.06, 1.46) and not working at present (OR1.33, 95% CI 1.06, 1.66). Older age (OR1.35, 95% CI 1.06, 1.74), no education (OR1.39, 95% CI 1.11, 1.73), single status (OR1.28, 95% CI 1.10, 1.49), a low household asset score (OR1.52, 95% CI 1.19, 1.94) and not working at present (OR1.32; 95% CI 1.07, 1.64) were all associated with lower quality of life. Conclusions: This study presents the first population-based data from South Africa on health status, functional ability and quality of life among older people. Health and social services will need to be restructured to provide effective care for older people living in rural South Africa with impaired functionality and other health problems

On multi-scale asymptotic structure of eigenfunctions in a boundary value problem with concentrated masses near the boundary

We construct two-term asymptotics ?? k = ?m?2(M + ??k + O(?3/2)) of eigenvalues of a mixed boundary-value problem in ? R2 with many heavy (m > 2) concentrated masses near a straight part of the boundary ? . ? is a small positive parameter related to size and periodicity of the masses; k ? N. The main term M > 0 is common for all eigenvalues but the correction terms ?k , which are eigenvalues of a limit problem with the spectral Steklov boundary conditions on , exhibit the effect of asymptotic splitting in the eigenvalue sequence enabling the detection of asymptotic forms of eigenfunctions. The justification scheme implies isolating and purifying singularities of eigenfunctions and leads to a new spectral problem in weighed spaces with a "strongly" singular weight.This research work has been partially supported by Spanish MINECO, MTM2013-44883-P. Also, the research work of the first author has been partially supported by Russian Foundation of Basic research (project 15–01–02175)

Urban Heat Island and Vulnerable Population. The Case of Madrid

The Urban Heat Island effect shows the differences among temperatures in urban areas and the surrounding rural ones. Previous studies have demonstrated that temperature differences could be up to 8 °C during the hottest periods of summer in Madrid , and that it varies according to the urban structure. Associated to this effect, the impact of temperature increase over dwelling indoor thermal comfort seems to double cooling energy demand . In Madrid, fuel poor households already suffering from inadequate indoor temperatures can face important overheating problems and, as a consequence, relevant health problems could become more frequent and stronger. This poses an increment in mortality rates in risk groups that should be evaluated. This research is aimed at establishing the geospatial connection between the urban heat island and the most vulnerable population living in the city of Madrid. Hence, those areas most in need for an urban intervention can be detected and prioritized

Síndrome erosivo ulceroso gástrico asociado a estrés en una danta (Tapirus terrestris): Reporte de un caso en Venezuela

The aim of this study was to report of gastric ulcer syndrome associated with erosive stress in Venezuela in a Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) Sex male, 6 years old with a history of anorexia, depression, collapse, shock and death. It is practical histology (necropsy and histopathology). Under conditions of captivity at the Zoo "El Pinar"; in Caracas, Venezuela. Sections of gastric mucosa were taken in all regions (cardiac, fundic and pyloric), being set at 10% formalin, processed by conventional methods of histological processing. The results were macroscopic gaseous gastric dilation, chronic erosive, gastritis and ulcer focal line type of the cardiac region and of the bottom of the stomach, focal parakeratotic hyperkeratosis in the cardiac region. The histology of gastric mucosa showed erosive gastritis and chronic with ulcer characterized by lymphocytic infiltration in the (lamina propria), with varying degree of exposure of the submucosa. The morphometric study revealed gastric mucosal epithelial loss gastric fundic region. The average damage was 220.21 ± 30.28 µm. In conclusion a case was reported chronic erosive gastritis in a tapir associated with stress.Con el objetivo de describir y reportar el síndrome erosivo ulceroso gástrico asociado a estrés en Venezuela en una danta (Tapirus terrestris) de sexo macho, de 6 años de edad, con antecedentes de anorexia, depresión, colapso, shock y muerte. Se practico un estudio anatomopatológico (técnica de necropsia e histopatología). Bajo condiciones de cautiverio en el Zoológico "El Pinar" de Caracas, Venezuela. Secciones de mucosas gástrica fueron tomadas en todas sus regiones (cardial, fundica y pilórica), siendo fijadas a formalina al 10%, procesándolas por los métodos convencionales de procesamiento histológico. Los resultados macroscópicos fueron dilatación gástrica gaseosa, gastritis crónica erosiva con microulceras focales y ulceras tipo lineales desde la región cardial hasta el fondo del estomago, hiperqueratosis paraqueratotica focal en la región cardial. Los cortes histológicos de mucosa gástrica evidenciaron gastritis crónica erosiva y ulcerosa caracterizada por un infiltrado linfocitario en la (lamina propia), con grado variable de exposición de la submucosa. El estudio morfométrico de mucosa gástrica revelo pérdida del epitelio gástrico en la región fundica. El promedio de daño fue de 220,21± 30,28 µm. En conclusión se reporto un caso gastritis crónica erosiva ulcerosa en una danta asociado a estrés

The pharmaceutical use of permethrin: Sources and behavior during municipal sewage treatment

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.Permethrin entered use in the 1970s as an insecticide in a wide range of applications, including agriculture, horticultural, and forestry, and has since been restricted. In the 21st century, the presence of permethrin in the aquatic environment has been attributed to its use as a human and veterinary pharmaceutical, in particular as a pedeculicide, in addition to other uses, such as a moth-proofing agent. However, as a consequence of its toxicity to fish, sources of permethrin and its fate and behavior during wastewater treatment are topics of concern. This study has established that high overall removal of permethrin (approximately 90%) was achieved during wastewater treatment and that this was strongly dependent on the extent of biological degradation in secondary treatment, with more limited subsequent removal in tertiary treatment processes. Sources of permethrin in the catchment matched well with measured values in crude sewage and indicated that domestic use accounted for more than half of the load to the treatment works. However, removal may not be consistent enough to achieve the environmental quality standards now being derived in many countries even where tertiary treatment processes are applied.United Utilities PL

Cooperative coupling of ultracold atoms and surface plasmons

Cooperative coupling between optical emitters and light fields is one of the outstanding goals in quantum technology. It is both fundamentally interesting for the extraordinary radiation properties of the participating emitters and has many potential applications in photonics. While this goal has been achieved using high-finesse optical cavities, cavity-free approaches that are broadband and easy to build have attracted much attention recently. Here we demonstrate cooperative coupling of ultracold atoms with surface plasmons propagating on a plane gold surface. While the atoms are moving towards the surface they are excited by an external laser pulse. Excited surface plasmons are detected via leakage radiation into the substrate of the gold layer. A maximum Purcell factor of $\eta_\mathrm{P}=4.9$ is reached at an optimum distance of $z=250~\mathrm{nm}$ from the surface. The coupling leads to the observation of a Fano-like resonance in the spectrum.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure