Deriving a theory of learning from social movement practices. A systematic literature review

The field of Adult Education is rich with general theories of learning but limited in terms of theories that inform social movement learning (SML). Today, there are several conceptualizations of SML, but little learning theory development based directly on empirical studies of SML. This article aims to present findings from a systematic literature review of empirical studies on social movement learning (SML). We collected and identified 69 empirical studies focusing on adult learning and education within social movements for this literature review. We purposely focused on empirical research studies and did not include works that conceptualise or theorise social movement learning outside of actual empirical studies of SML. From our review of empirical studies, we have identified five elements we believe could serve as the foundation of a theory of learning and education in social movements. (DIPF/Orig.

Microwave bonding of thin film metal coated substrates

Bonding of materials such as MEMS materials is carried out using microwaves. High microwave absorbing films are placed within a microwave cavity containing other less microwave absorbing materials, and excited to cause selective heating in the skin depth of the films. This causes heating in one place more than another. This thereby minimizes unwanted heating effects during the microwave bonding process

Microwave bonding of MEMS component

Bonding of MEMs materials is carried out using microwave. High microwave absorbing films are placed within a microwave cavity, and excited to cause selective heating in the skin of the material. This causes heating in one place more than another. Thereby minimizing the effects of the bonding microwave energy

Youth and Adult Education in the Context of Student Movements: The Cases of Egypt, Puerto Rico, and Chile

Participants of the student movements in Egypt, Puerto Rico, and Chile present on their experiential learning in the context of the social movements that took place between 2005 and 2019

Measuring deliberate reflection in residents: validation and psychometric properties of a measurement tool

PURPOSE: Reflective capacity is the ability to understand critical analysis of knowledge and experience to achieve deeper meaning. In medicine, there is little provision for post-graduate medical education to teach deliberate reflection. The feasibility, scoring characteristics, reliability, validation, and adaptability of a modified previously validated instrument was examined for its usefulness assessing reflective capacity in residents as a step toward developing interventions for improvement. METHODS: Third-year residents and fellows from four anesthesia training programs were administered a slightly modified version of the Reflection Evaluation for Learners\u27 Enhanced Competencies Tool (REFLECT) in a prospective, observational study at the end of the 2019 academic year. Six written vignettes of imperfect anesthesia situations were created. Subjects recorded their perspectives on two randomly assigned vignettes. Responses were scored using a 5-element rubric; average scores were analyzed for psychometric properties. An independent self-report assessment method, the Cognitive Behavior Survey: Residency Level (rCBS) was used to examine construct validity. Internal consistency (ICR, Cronbach\u27s alpha) and interrater reliability (weighted kappa) were examined. Pearson correlations were used between the two measures of reflective capacity. RESULTS: 46/136 invited subjects completed 2/6 randomly assigned vignettes. Interrater agreement was high (k = 0.85). The overall average REFLECT score was 1.8 (1-4 scale) with good distribution across the range of scores. ICR for both the REFLECT score (mean 1.8, sd 0.5; α = 0.92) and the reflection scale of the rCBS (mean 4.5, sd 1.1; α = 0.94) were excellent. There was a significant correlation between REFLECT score and the rCBS reflection scale (r = .44, p \u3c 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates feasibility, reliability, and sufficiently robust psychometric properties of a modified REFLECT rubric to assess graduate medical trainees\u27 reflective capacity and established construct/convergent validity to an independent measure. The instrument has the potential to assess the effectiveness of interventions intended to improve reflective capacity

Combined use of steady-state fluorescence emission and anisotropy of merocyanine 540 to distinguish crystalline, gel, ripple, and liquid crystalline phases in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers

The various lamellar phases of dipalmitoylphosphadtidylcholine bilayers with and without cholesterol were used to assess the versatility of the fluorescent probe merocyanine 540 through simultaneous measurements of emission intensity, spectral shape, and steady-state anisotropy. Induction of the crystalline phase (Lc') by pre-incubation at 4°C produced a wavelength dependence of anisotropy which was strong at 15 and 25°C, weak at 38°C, and minimal above the main transition (>~41.5°C) or after returning the temperature from 46 to 25°C. The profile of anisotropy values across this temperature range revealed the ability of the probe to detect crystalline, gel (Lβ'), and liquid crystalline (Lα) phases. The temperature dependence of fluorescence intensity was additionally able to distinguish between the ripple (Pβ') and gel phases. In contrast, the shape of the emission spectrum, quantified as the ratio of merocyanine monomer and dimer peaks (585 and 621 nm), was primarily sensitive to the crystalline and gel phases because dimer fluorescence requires a highly-ordered environment. This requirement also explained the diminution of anisotropy wavelength dependence above 25°C. Repetition of experiments with vesicles containing cholesterol allowed creation of a phase map. Superimposition of data from the three simultaneous measurements provided details about the various phase regions in the map not discernible from any one of the three alone. The results were applied to assessment of calcium-induced membrane changes in living cells

Low-level prenatal lead exposure and infant sensory function

Abstract Background Lead is a pervasive neurotoxicant that has been associated with poorer cognitive, behavioral, and motor outcomes in children. The effects of lead on sensory function have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of prenatal lead exposure on infant sensory function, as measured by auditory brainstem response (ABR) and grating visual acuity (VA). Methods Lead was measured in maternal blood in mid- and late-pregnancy (mean gestational age = 15.5 and 39.0 weeks, respectively) and umbilical cord blood in a cohort of full-term infants in rural northeastern China. ABR latencies (peaks I, III, V) were measured in newborns during unsedated sleep (n = 315). The ABR central-to-peripheral (C-P) ratio was calculated as the ratio between the III-V and I-III interpeak intervals. VA was measured in 6-week-olds using Teller Acuity Cards (n = 1019) and assigned as the narrowest grid the infant fixated on. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate relationships between tertiles of mid-pregnancy, late-pregnancy, or cord lead and newborn ABR or 6-week VA. Results Higher late-pregnancy lead levels were associated with higher ABR C-P ratios and lower VA. In covariate-adjusted analyses, mean C-P ratios were 4.6 and 3.2 % higher in infants whose mothers had lead > 3.8 μg/dL and lead = 2–3.8 μg/dL, respectively, than for infants whose mothers had lead  3.8 μg/dL and lead = 2–3.8 μg/dL, respectively, compared to lead < 2 μg/dL (p-trend =0.009). Conclusion Auditory and visual systems maturation appears delayed in infants with higher prenatal lead exposure during late-pregnancy, even at relatively low levels. Both systems start myelinating in late gestation and mature rapidly in infancy. Higher ABR C-P ratio and lower grating VA scores suggest effects of low-level lead exposure on sensory system myelination.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/136085/1/12940_2016_Article_148.pd

System and Methods for Deploying Payloads

Embodiments of the present invention include systems for launching primary or secondary payloads or actuating other launch vehicle or payload or instrumentation devices. The system includes an adapter assembly and at least one sequencer mounted to the adapter assembly. The sequencer includes: controller boards, each of the controller boards having a controller for controlling deployment of the payloads and data files; output ports coupled to the controller boards and configured to transmit signals from the controller boards to dispensers therethrough, deployment mechanisms containing the payloads, the adapter assembly having channels for accommodating the dispensers; and a detector coupled to the controller boards and adapted to detect an external signal and, in response to the external signal, to send an initiation signal to the controller boards. The system also includes at least one power supply coupled to the sequencer and adapted to provide an electrical power to the sequencer