3,809 research outputs found
Strength in diversity: enhancing learning in vocationally-orientated, master's level courses
Postgraduate education in geography, especially at the Master’s level, is undergoing significant changes in the developed world. There is an expansion of vocationally-oriented degree programmes, increasing recruitment of international students, integration of work place skills, and the engagement of non-traditional postgraduate students as departments respond to policies for a more ‘inclusive’ higher education. This paper sets the context by outlining some programmatic changes in selected countries (Australia, the UK, and the USA). We briefly reflect on how postgraduate ‘bars’ or ‘levels’ are defined and explore in detail what ‘diversity’ or ‘heterogeneity’ means in these new postgraduate settings. The paper then explores some examples of practice drawn from our own experiences, whilst recognising that relevance will vary in other contexts. Finally we consider how diversity can be harnessed as a strength that has potential to enhance taught elements of contemporary postgraduate education in and beyond the discipline
Estimating the Integrated Bispectrum from Weak Lensing Maps
We use a recently introduced statistic called {\em Integrated Bispectrum}
(IB) to probe the gravity-induced non-Gaussianity at the level of the
bispectrum from weak lensing convergence or maps. We generalize the
concept of the IB to spherical coordinates. This result is next connected to
the response function approach. Finally, we use the Euclid Flagship simulations
to compute the IB as a function of redshift and wave number. We also outline
how the IB can be computed using a variety of analytical approaches including
the ones based on Effective Field Theory (EFT), {\em Halo models} and models
based on the {\em Separate Universe approach} in projection or two-dimension
(2D). Comparing these results against simulations we find that the existing
theoretical models tend to over-predict the numerical value of the IB. We
emphasize the role of the finite volume effect in the numerical estimation of
the IB. We introduced the concept of squeezed and collapsed tripsectrum for 2D
maps. We derive the IB for many parameterized theories of modified
gravity including the Horndeskii and beyond-Horndeskii theories specifically
for the non-degenerate scenarios that are also known as the
Gleyzes-Langlois-Piazza-Venizzi or GPLV theories. In addition, the cosmological
models with clustering quintessence and models involving massive neutrinos are
also derived.Comment: 49 pages, 8 figures, To appear in JCA
Structured Smoking Cessation Training for Medical Students: a prospective study
Introduction: Physician adherence to guideline recommendations regarding the provision of counseling and support for smokers willing to quit is low. A lack of training during undergraduate medical education has been identified as a potential cause. This prospective intervention study evaluated a novel teaching module for medical students.
Methods: As part of a 6-week cardiovascular course, 125 fourth-year undergraduate medical students received a multimodal and interactive teaching module on smoking cessation, including online learning material, lectures, seminars, and practical skills training. Short- and medium-term effects on knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-reported practice were measured using written examinations and an objective structured clinical examination at the end of the module and 6 months later. Results were compared to data obtained from a historical control cohort (n = 70) unexposed to the intervention.
Results: At the 6-month follow-up, scores in the knowledge test were significantly higher in the intervention than the control group (61.1% vs. 51.7%; p < .001). A similar pattern was observed in the objective structured clinical examination (71.5% vs. 60.5%; p < .001). More students in the intervention than control group agreed that smoking was a chronic disease (83.1% vs. 68.1%; p = .045). The control group was more likely to report recording smoking status (p = .018), but no group difference was detected regarding the report of advising to quit (p = .154).
Conclusions: A novel teaching module for undergraduate medical students produced a sustained learning outcome in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes but not self-reported practice.
Implications: Studies across the world have identified considerable knowledge gaps and deficits in practical training with regard to smoking cessation counseling in undergraduate medical students. This paper describes a teaching intervention informed by current recommendations for the design of educational activities aimed at enabling medical students to deliver adequate behavior change counseling. The teaching module was tailored to the needs of a specific healthcare system. Given its effectiveness as demonstrated in this prospective study, a rollout of this intervention in medical schools might have the potential to substantially improve medical students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes in relation to smoking cessation counseling
Position-Dependent Correlation Function of Weak Lensing Convergence
We provide a systematic study of the position-dependent correlation function
in weak lensing convergence maps and its relation to the squeezed limit of the
three-point correlation function (3PCF) using state-of-the-art numerical
simulations. We relate the position-dependent correlation function to its
harmonic counterpart, i.e., the position-dependent power spectrum or
equivalently the integrated bispectrum. We use a recently proposed improved
fitting function, BiHalofit, for the bispectrum to compute the theoretical
predictions as a function of source redshifts. In addition to low redshift
results () we also provide results for maps inferred from lensing
of the cosmic microwave background, i.e., . We include a {\em
Euclid}-type realistic survey mask and noise. In agreement with the recent
studies on the position-dependent power spectrum, we find that the results from
simulations are consistent with the theoretical expectations when appropriate
corrections are included.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Zero field ambient pressure quantum criticality in the stoichiometric non fermi liquid system CeRhBi
We present the spin dynamics study of a stoichiometric non-Fermi liquid (NFL) system CeRhBi, using low-energy inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and muon spin relaxation (μSR) measurements. It shows evidence for an energy-temperature (E=T) scaling in the INS dynamic response and a time-field (t=Hη) scaling of the μSR asymmetry function indicating a quantum critical behavior in this compound. The E=T scaling reveals a local character of quantum criticality consistent with the power-law divergence of the magnetic susceptibility, logarithmic divergence of the magnetic heat capacity and T-linear resistivity at low temperature. The occurrence of NFL behavior and local criticality over a very wide dynamical range at zero field and ambient pressure without any tuning in this stoichiometric heavy fermion compound is striking, making CeRhBi a model system amenable to in-depth studies for quantum criticality. ©2018 The Physical Society of Japa
Measurements of the Crab Pulsar's Giant Radio Pulse Amplitude Power-Law Index Using Low-Frequency Arecibo and Green Bank Telescope Observations
We report two low-frequency measurements of the power-law index for the
amplitudes of giant radio pulses from the Crab pulsar. The two observations
were taken with the Arecibo and Green Bank radio telescopes at center
frequencies of 327 MHz and 350 MHz, respectively. We find best-fit values for
the differential power-law index (where and
is pulse amplitude) of and from the Arecibo and
Green Bank data sets, respectively. Both values are broadly consistent with
other values previously measured for the Crab pulsar at low radio frequencies.
These reported values may be useful in future giant pulse studies of the Crab
pulsar.Comment: 7 pages with 1 table and 1 figure. Accepted by The Astrophysical
Journa
Instability of reconstruction of the low CMB multipoles
We discuss the problem of the bias of the Internal Linear Combination (ILC)
CMB map and show that it is closely related to the coefficient of
cross-correlation K(l) of the true CMB and the foreground for each multipole l.
We present analysis of the cross-correlation for the WMAP ILC quadrupole and
octupole from the first (ILC(I)) and the third (ILC(III)) year data releases
and show that these correlations are about -0.52-0.6. Analysing 10^4 Monte
Carlo simulations of the random Gaussian CMB signals, we show that the
distribution function for the corresponding coefficient of the
cross-correlation has a polynomial shape P(K,l)\propto(1-K^2)^(l-1). We show
that the most probable value of the cross-correlation coefficient of the ILC
and foreground quadrupole has two extrema at K ~= +/-0.58$. Thus, the ILC(III)
quadrupole represents the most probable value of the coefficient K. We analyze
the problem of debiasing of the ILC CMB and pointed out that reconstruction of
the bias seems to be very problematic due to statistical uncertainties. In
addition, instability of the debiasing illuminates itself for the quadrupole
and octupole components through the flip-effect, when the even (l+m) modes can
be reconstructed with significant error. This error manifests itself as
opposite, in respect to the true sign of even low multipole modes, and leads to
significant changes of the coefficient of cross-correlation with the
foreground. We show that the CMB realizations, whose the sign of quadrupole
(2,0) component is negative (and the same, as for all the foregrounds), the
corresponding probability to get the positive sign after implementation of the
ILC method is about 40%.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
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