Wheels up: Spiral progression pedagogy towards creative movers using wheels

This study explored a trailblazing creative means for Physical Education (PE) preservice teachers (PSTs) to explore movement: agility, balance and coordination by embodying a reflective approach to a series of practical challenges. A novel balance-on-wheels learning and teaching spiral progression was created for this bespoke intent. The study operationalised the reflective cycle dimension by Kolb (1984) to theoretically underpin and pragmatically structure the experiential embodied learning sequence. Teacher educators implemented a series of connecting experiences using balance bikes, bicycles and tricycles, scooters, mountain and BMX bikes and made sense of these using the Kolb cycle as a pedagogical guide. In so doing, the sequencing created opportunity for the group to collectively gain competence and confidence on wheels through the creative progressions. This collective transformative experience enabled the creation of an elementary school accessible progression spiral practice document to be applied within school placement as well as into upcoming early career teaching roles. Following the connecting experiences, PSTs were invited to share insights and ideas onto a class online interactive padlet. This was collated to depict the concomitant school-ready wheels progression spiral as well as a school checklist to consider accessible wheels experiences using affordances creatively

The Animated Database Courseware (ADbC) and the Database Design Module

There is a need to extend the breadth and depth of database curricula and to find ways to incorporate newer technologies. One way to address this challenge is through supplementary instructional materials. However, very few supporting materials exist that aid in the teaching of teach database concepts. This was the motivation for constructing the Animated Database Courseware (ADbC) that is funded by NSF Grant #0717707. ADbC has four main modules: database design, SQL, database transactions and database security. The software has a low learning curve. It hasbeen made freely available and is located on the Internet at http://adbc.kennesaw.edu. This demonstration focuses on the Database Design Module

Characterization Report on Sand, Slag, and Crucible Residues and on Fluoride Residues

This paper reports on the chemical characterization of the sand, slag, and crucible (SS and C) residues and the fluoride residues that may be shipped from the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) to Savannah River Site (SRS)

Tidal influence on Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica: observations of surface flow and basal processes from closely-spaced GPS and passive seismic stations

High-resolution surface velocity measurements and passive seismic observations from Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica, 40 km upstream from the grounding line are presented. These measurements indicate a complex relationship between the ocean tides and currents, basal conditions and ice-stream flow. Both the mean basal seismicity and the velocity of the ice stream are modulated by the tides. Seismic activity increases twice during each semi-diurnal tidal cycle. The tidal analysis shows the largest velocity variation is at the fortnightly period, with smaller variations superimposed at diurnal and semi-diurnal frequencies. The general pattern of the observed velocity is two velocity peaks during each semi-diurnal tidal cycle, but sometimes three peaks are observed. This pattern of two or three peaks is more regular during spring tides, when the largest-amplitude velocity variations are observed, than during neap tides. This is the first time that velocity and level of seismicity are shown to correlate and respond to tidal forcing as far as 40 km upstream from the grounding line of a large ice stream

An experimental investigation of human mismatches in machining.

Mismatches refer to incompatibilities, inappropriateness, unsuitabilities or inconsistencies in machine operators’ actions which, if not addressed, would lead to errors. A fuller understanding of the rate at which mismatches occur and their causes would allow human aspects to be given proper consideration alongside hardware and technological issues in the design of new working environments, machines and tasks. This research highlights these human aspects of machining by examining mismatches in relation to various human characteristics. The human task–mismatch matching method was developed and applied in manual turning operations using experimental and questionnaire techniques on groups of 16 skilled and 12 unskilled operators. The skilled subjects were drawn from local industry and university technical staff. Unskilled subjects were engineering students, all of whom had some familiarity with machining through periods of industrial placement. Statistically significant relationships were established between mismatches and many of the human characteristics studied (skill, age, work experience, self-confidence and trust) when considering all the subjects as a single group, but for skilled operators alone, the only significant relationship was between self-confidence and trust. As a general conclusion, it can be confirmed that studying operators in their own workplace provides invaluable information for the design and operation of future workplaces, but that the relationships between performance and human characteristics remain difficult to establish formally

Ice stream subglacial access for ice-sheet history and fast ice flow: the BEAMISH Project on Rutford Ice Stream, West Antarctica and initial results on basal conditions

Three holes were drilled to the bed of Rutford Ice Stream, through ice up to 2154 m thick, to investigate the basal processes and conditions associated with fast ice flow and the glacial history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. A narrative of the drilling, measuring and sampling activities, as well as some preliminary results and initial interpretations of subglacial conditions, is given. These were the deepest subglacial access holes ever drilled using the hot-water drilling method. Samples of bed and englacial sediments were recovered, and a number of instruments were installed in the ice column and the bed. The ice–bed interface was found to be unfrozen, with an existing, well-developed subglacial hydrological system at high pressure, within ~1% of the ice overburden. The bed itself comprises soft, water-saturated sediments, consistent with previous geophysical interpretations. Englacial sediment quantity varies significantly between two locations ~2 km apart, and possibly over even shorter (~20 m) distances. Difficulties and unusual observations encountered while connecting to the subglacial hydrological system in one hole possibly resulted from the presence of a large clast embedded in the bottom of the ice

Graviton confinement inside hypermonopoles of any dimension

We show the generic existence of metastable massive gravitons in the four-dimensional core of self-gravitating hypermonopoles in any number of infinite-volume extra-dimensions. Confinement is observed for Higgs and gauge bosons couplings of the order unity. Provided these resonances are light enough, they realise the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati mechanism by inducing a four-dimensional gravity law on some intermediate length scales. The effective four-dimensional Planck mass is shown to be proportional to a negative power of the graviton mass. As a result, requiring gravity to be four-dimensional on cosmological length scales may solve the mass hierarchy problem.Comment: 23 pages, 6 figures, uses iopart. Misprints corrected, references added, matches published versio