Variation in Educational Outcomes and Policies Across Countries and of Schools within Countries

This study examines the variation in educational outcomes across and within countries using the TIMSS mathematics tests. It documents the wide cross-country variation in the level and dispersion of test scores. Countries with the highest test scores are those with the least inequality in scores, which suggests a "virtuous" equity-efficiency trade-off in improving educational outcomes. Analyzing the association of gender, immigrant status, and family background factors with scores, we find large cross-country differences in the relation between those factors and scores.Educational attainment, schools, inequality

Fabrication of mirror templates in silica with micron-sized radii of curvature

We present the fabrication of exceptionally small-radius concave microoptics on fused silica substrates using CO2 laser ablation and subsequent reactive ion etching. The protocol yields on-axis near-Gaussian depressions with radius of curvature $\lesssim5$ microns at shallow depth and low surface roughness of 2 angstroms. This geometry is appealing for cavity quantum electrodynamics where small mode volumes and low scattering losses are desired. We study the optical performance of the structure within a tunable Fabry-Perot type microcavity, demonstrate near-coating-limited loss rates (F = 25,000) and small focal lengths consistent with their geometrical dimensions.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

School and family effects on educational outcomes across countries

This study analyses the link between student test scores and the school students attend, the policies and practices of the schools, students' family background and their parents' involvement in their education using data from the 2009 wave of the Program for International Student Assessment. We find that (1) a substantial proportion of the variation of test scores within countries is associated with the school students attend; (2) a sizeable proportion of the school fixed effects is associated with school policies and teaching practices beyond national policies or other mechanisms that sort students of differing abilities among schools; (3) school fixed effects are a major pathway for the link between family background and test scores. The implication is that what schools do is important in the level and dispersion of test scores, suggesting the value of further analysis of what goes on in schools to pin down causal links between policies and practices and test score outcomes. — Richard B. Freeman and Martina Viareng

Defining next-generation additive manufacturing applications for the Ministry of Defence (MoD)

“Additive Manufacturing” (AM) is an emerging, highly promising and disruptive technology which is catching the attention of the Defence sector due to the versatility it is offering. Through the combination of design freedom, technology compactness and high deposition rates, technology stakeholders can potentially exploit rapid, delocalized and flexible production. Having the capability to produce highly tailored, fully dense, potentially optimized products, on demand and next to the point of use makes this emerging and immature technology a game changer in the “Defence Support Service” (DS2) sector. Furthermore, if the technology is exploited for the Royal Navy, featured with extended and disrupted supply chains, the benefits are very promising. While most of the AM research and efforts are focusing on the manufacturing/process and design opportunities/topology optimization, this paper aims to provide a creative but educated and validated forecast on what AM can do for the Royal Navy in the future. This paper aims to define the most promising next generation Additive Manufacturing applications for the Royal Navy in the 2025 – 2035 decade. A multidisciplinary methodology has been developed to structure this exploratory applied research study. Moreover, different experts of the UK Defence Value Chain have been involved for primary research and for verification/validation purposes. While major concerns have been raised on process/product qualification and current AM capabilities, the results show that there is a strong confidence on the disruptive potential of AM to be applied in front-end of DS2 systems to support “Complex Engineering Systems” in the future. While this paper provides only next-generation AM applications for RN, substantial conceptual development work has to be carried out to define an AM based system which is able to, firstly satisfy the “spares demands” of a platform and secondly is able to perform in critical environments such as at sea

Скарны и послескарновые метасоматиты северной части Саралинского рудного поля

В статье рассматривается геологическая позиция скарнов и послескарновых метасоматитов. Даются краткие петрографические, геохимические характеристики и устанавливается их генетическая связь с более молодой, незолотоносной интрузией гранит-гранодиоритового состава

Animal Welfare Guidelines for Beef Producing Farms

End of Project ReportsThe scientific consideration of farm animal welfare is important, due to ethical obligation to maximise health and well-being and eliminate suffering in animals that are under human stewardship, fulfil the requirements and demands of the general community and improve the efficiency of animal agriculture by optimising animal health and productivity. The welfare guidelines are intended to enable farmers to adopt the highest standards of animal health and welfare.The welfare guidelines are intended to enable farmers to adopt the highest standards of animal health and welfare

Mouse conventional dendritic cells can be universally classified based on the mutually exclusive expression of XCR1 and SIRPα

Since the identification of mouse dendritic cells (DC) in the early 70s, all attempts to consistently classify the identified functional DC subpopulations according to their surface molecule expression failed. In the absence of DC lineage markers, a great variety of non-congruent surface molecules were used instead. Recent advances in the understanding of the involvement of transcription factors in the differentiation of DC subpopulations, together with the identification of a lineage marker for cross-presenting DC, have now allowed to establish a consistent and unified DC classification in the mouse. We demonstrate in the present article that all conventional DC in the mouse can be universally subdivided into either XCR1+ (“cross-presenting”) DC or SIRPα+ DC, irrespective of their activation status. This advancement will greatly facilitate future work on the biology of mouse DC. We discuss this new classification in view of current DC classification systems in the mouse and the human

Variation in Educational Outcomes and Policies across Countries and of Schools within Countries

This study examines the variation in educational outcomes across and within countries using the TIMSS mathematics tests. It documents the wide cross-country variation in the level and dispersion of test scores. Countries with the highest test scores are those with the least inequality in scores, which suggests a “virtuous” equity-efficiency trade-off in improving educational outcomes. Analyzing the association of gender, immigrant status, and family background factors with scores, we find large cross-country differences in the relation between those factors and scores.

Chronic stress experience in young physicians: impact of person- and workplace-related factors

Objectives: The objectives of the present study are to investigate and compare the relative impact of workplace-related factors and personal characteristics on chronic psychosocial stress experience in young physicians. Methods: In a prospective study, a cohort of Swiss medical school graduates was followed up, beginning in 2001. In their fourth and eighth year after graduation, 443 physicians assessed their workplace conditions, the experienced effort-reward imbalance, the received professional and emotional support as well as their personal characteristics. The chronic stress experience was measured by the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress-Screening Subscale of Chronic Stress (TICS-SCSS), 7years after graduation. The model of influencing factors on chronic stress experience was tested with a hierarchical regression analysis. Results: The mean in chronic stress (TICS-SCSS) in our study sample is significantly higher (p<0.001) compared to an age-matched population representative sample. In the prediction of chronic stress, the workplace-related factor effort-reward imbalance as well as the personal characteristic overcommitment turned out to be the most important risk factors. Stress protective are high satisfaction with career support, sense of coherence and occupational self-efficacy. The whole set of variables used in the regression model explains 51% of the variance of chronic stress experience. In the prediction of chronic stress, gender has no significant moderator effect. Conclusions: It is a matter of concern that young physicians report to feel chronically stressed early in their professional career. Actions have to be taken to reduce the stress level mainly in regard to re-establish reciprocity between perceived effort invested and rewards received, in the form of esteem, monetary gain and career opportunities including job securit