EDITORIAL.TECHNOLOGY AS A SUPPORT TO TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT PRACTICES

Assessment in education is under pressure to change. Some drivers for change result from new ways of thinking about assessment and its educational purposes. Other drivers are external and are the result of wider changes in society. Technology falls into this second category. This special issue is concerned with change at the intersection of assessment and technology in education

Competence Development and Portfolios: Promoting Reflection through Peer Review

Portfolios are widely used in higher education to support students' com-petence development, especially in professional disciplines. A claimed strength is that by actively engaging in portfolio construction, and in reflecting on and assessing their current competences and future de-velopment, students will grow as self-regulating professionals. How-ever, researchers argue that students require coaches to support their reflections. Yet coaching is time-consuming, and research shows that it often undermines the very reflective processes that it is meant to help develop. This article investigates peer review as an alternative ap-proach to supporting reflection. Education students identified three competences and justified and evidenced them in a portfolio. They then reviewed the competence claims of peers and received feedback on their own claims from peers. Findings showed that both reviewing and receipt prompted deep reflective thinking as evidenced by changes in the students\u2019 portfolios. The discussion focuses on the value of peer review in promoting reflection, on ways of extending this method, and on its relationship to coaching practices

Cardiovascular computed tomography imaging for coronary artery disease risk: plaque, flow and fat

Cardiac imaging is central to the diagnosis and risk stratification of coronary artery disease, beyond symptoms and clinical risk factors, by providing objective evidence of myocardial ischaemia and characterisation of coronary artery plaque. CT coronary angiography can detect coronary plaque with high resolution, estimate the degree of functional stenosis and characterise plaque features. However, coronary artery disease risk is also driven by biological processes, such as inflammation, that are not fully reflected by severity of stenosis, myocardial ischaemia or by coronary plaque features. New cardiac CT techniques can assess coronary artery inflammation by imaging perivascular fat, and this may represent an important step forward in identifying the ‘residual risk’ that is not detected by plaque or ischaemia imaging. Coronary artery disease risk assessment that incorporates clinical factors, plaque characteristics and perivascular inflammation offers a more comprehensive individualised approach to quantify and stratify coronary artery disease risk, with potential healthcare benefits for prevention, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Furthermore, identifying new biomarkers of cardiovascular risk has the potential to refine early-life prevention strategies, before atherosclerosis becomes established

Recognizing the Continuous Nature of Expression Heterogeneity and Clinical Outcomes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been previously classified into putative discrete prognostic subtypes by gene expression profiling. To investigate the robustness of these proposed subtype classifications, we evaluated 12 public datasets, together with a new dataset of 265 ccRCC gene expression profiles. Consensus clustering showed unstable subtype and principal component analysis (PCA) showed a continuous spectrum both within and between datasets. Considering the lack of discrete delineation and continuous spectrum observed, we developed a continuous quantitative prognosis score (Continuous Linear Enhanced Assessment of RCC, or CLEAR score). Prognostic performance was evaluated in independent cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n = 414) and EMBL-EBI (n = 53), CLEAR score demonstrated both superior prognostic estimates and inverse correlation with anti-angiogenic tyrosine-kinase inhibition in comparison to previously proposed discrete subtyping classifications. Inverse correlation with high-dose interleukin-2 outcomes was also observed for the CLEAR score. Multiple somatic mutations (VHL, PBRM1, SETD2, KDM5C, TP53, BAP1, PTEN, MTOR) were associated with the CLEAR score. Application of the CLEAR score to independent expression profiling of intratumoral ccRCC regions demonstrated that average intertumoral heterogeneity exceeded intratumoral expression heterogeneity. Wider investigation of cancer biology using continuous approaches may yield insights into tumor heterogeneity; single cell analysis may provide a key foundation for this approach

Recognizing the Continuous Nature of Expression Heterogeneity and Clinical Outcomes in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been previously classified into putative discrete prognostic subtypes by gene expression profiling. To investigate the robustness of these proposed subtype classifications, we evaluated 12 public datasets, together with a new dataset of 265 ccRCC gene expression profiles. Consensus clustering showed unstable subtype and principal component analysis (PCA) showed a continuous spectrum both within and between datasets. Considering the lack of discrete delineation and continuous spectrum observed, we developed a continuous quantitative prognosis score (Continuous Linear Enhanced Assessment of RCC, or CLEAR score). Prognostic performance was evaluated in independent cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (n = 414) and EMBL-EBI (n = 53), CLEAR score demonstrated both superior prognostic estimates and inverse correlation with anti-angiogenic tyrosine-kinase inhibition in comparison to previously proposed discrete subtyping classifications. Inverse correlation with high-dose interleukin-2 outcomes was also observed for the CLEAR score. Multiple somatic mutations (VHL, PBRM1, SETD2, KDM5C, TP53, BAP1, PTEN, MTOR) were associated with the CLEAR score. Application of the CLEAR score to independent expression profiling of intratumoral ccRCC regions demonstrated that average intertumoral heterogeneity exceeded intratumoral expression heterogeneity. Wider investigation of cancer biology using continuous approaches may yield insights into tumor heterogeneity; single cell analysis may provide a key foundation for this approach

Constant photocurrent method to probe the sub-bandgap absorption in wide bandgap semiconductor films : the case of α-Ga2O3

The optical absorption coefficient is one of the fundamental properties of semiconductors and is critical to the development of optical devices. Herein, a revival of the constant photocurrent method is presented to measure sub-bandgap absorption in wide bandgap semiconductor films. The method involves maintaining a constant photocurrent by continually adjusting the impinging photon flux across the energy spectrum. Under such conditions, the reciprocal of the photon flux for uniformly absorbed light is proportional to the absorption coefficient. This method is applied to α-Ga 2O 3 and reveals that it can access the absorption coefficient from 1 × 10 5 cm −1 at the band edge (5.3 eV) to 0.8 cm −1 close to mid-bandgap (2.7 eV). Changes in the steepness of the absorption curve in the sub-bandgap region are in excellent agreement with defect states of α-Ga 2O 3 reported by deep level transient spectroscopy, indicating that the technique shows promise as a probe of energetically distributed defect states in thin film wide bandgap semiconductors

Deep-Learning for Epicardial Adipose Tissue Assessment with Computed Tomography: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk Prediction

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume is a marker of visceral obesity that can be measured in coronary computed tomography angiograms (CCTA). The clinical value of integrating this measurement in routine CCTA interpretation has not been documented./ Objectives: This study sought to develop a deep-learning network for automated quantification of EAT volume from CCTA, test it in patients who are technically challenging, and validate its prognostic value in routine clinical care./ Methods: The deep-learning network was trained and validated to autosegment EAT volume in 3,720 CCTA scans from the ORFAN (Oxford Risk Factors and Noninvasive Imaging Study) cohort. The model was tested in patients with challenging anatomy and scan artifacts and applied to a longitudinal cohort of 253 patients post-cardiac surgery and 1,558 patients from the SCOT-HEART (Scottish Computed Tomography of the Heart) Trial, to investigate its prognostic value./ Results: External validation of the deep-learning network yielded a concordance correlation coefficient of 0.970 for machine vs human. EAT volume was associated with coronary artery disease (odds ratio [OR] per SD increase in EAT volume: 1.13 [95% CI: 1.04-1.30]; P = 0.01), and atrial fibrillation (OR: 1.25 [95% CI:1.08-1.40]; P = 0.03), after correction for risk factors (including body mass index). EAT volume predicted all-cause mortality (HR per SD: 1.28 [95% CI: 1.10-1.37]; P = 0.02), myocardial infarction (HR: 1.26 [95% CI:1.09-1.38]; P = 0.001), and stroke (HR: 1.20 [95% CI: 1.09-1.38]; P = 0.02) independently of risk factors in SCOT-HEART (5-year follow-up). It also predicted in-hospital (HR: 2.67 [95% CI: 1.26-3.73]; P ≤ 0.01) and long-term post–cardiac surgery atrial fibrillation (7-year follow-up; HR: 2.14 [95% CI: 1.19-2.97]; P ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: Automated assessment of EAT volume is possible in CCTA, including in patients who are technically challenging; it forms a powerful marker of metabolically unhealthy visceral obesity, which could be used for cardiovascular risk stratification

Ni/Au contacts to corundum α-Ga2O3

The structural, chemical and electrical properties of Ni/Au contacts to atomic layer deposited α-Ga2O3 were investigated. Ni forms a Schottky contact with α-Ga2O3, irrespectively of the post-annealing temperature. No sign of metal oxidation was observed at the metal-semiconductor interface (unlike what is observed for other metals like Ti), and instead, the metallurgical processes of the Ni-Au bilayer dominate the electrical properties. It is found that 400-450oC is the optimal annealing temperature, which allows for metal diffusion to heal gaps at the metal/semiconductor interface, but is not sufficient for Ni and Au to significantly interdiffuse and form an alloy with compositional inhomogeneities

Improvements in forecasting intense rainfall: results from the FRANC (forecasting rainfall exploiting new data assimilation techniques and novel observations of convection) project

The FRANC project (Forecasting Rainfall exploiting new data Assimilation techniques and Novel observations of Convection) has researched improvements in numerical weather prediction of convective rainfall via the reduction of initial condition uncertainty. This article provides an overview of the project’s achievements. We highlight new radar techniques: correcting for attenuation of the radar return; correction for beams that are over 90% blocked by trees or towers close to the radar; and direct assimilation of radar reflectivity and refractivity. We discuss the treatment of uncertainty in data assimilation: new methods for estimation of observation uncertainties with novel applications to Doppler radar winds, Atmospheric Motion Vectors, and satellite radiances; a new algorithm for implementation of spatially-correlated observation error statistics in operational data assimilation; and innovative treatment of moist processes in the background error covariance model. We present results indicating a link between the spatial predictability of convection and convective regimes, with potential to allow improved forecast interpretation. The research was carried out as a partnership between University researchers and the Met Office (UK). We discuss the benefits of this approach and the impact of our research, which has helped to improve operational forecasts for convective rainfall event

Ciudad Bolívar e o teleférico: expressões e trajetórias da cidade segregada

This article reflects on the impacts of the TransMiCable cable car project in Ciudad Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia. It reflects a fieldwork experience in the context of teacher training that allows relating theoretical aspects, from urban geography and geographic education, from the study of urban segregation, urban transformation of neighborhoods, elements of urban landscape and the incipient phenomenon of touristification. It presents a process of observation, collaborative work and urban tour that aims to relate the debates of the university scenario with the study of the trajectory of social organization of the neighborhoods of southern Bogota.El presente artículo reflexiona sobre los impactos del proyecto de cable aéreo TransMiCable en la localidad de Ciudad Bolívar de Bogotá, Colombia. Se refleja una experiencia de trabajo de campo en el contexto de la formación docente que permite relacionar aspectos teóricos, desde la geografía urbana y la educación geográfica, a partir del estudio de la segregación urbana, la transformación urbana de los barrios, los elementos del paisaje urbano y el fenómeno incipiente de turistificación. Se presenta un proceso de observación, trabajo colaborativo y recorrido urbano que pretende relacionar los debates del escenario universitario con el estudio de la trayectoria de organización social de los barrios del sur de Bogotá.Este artigo reflete sobre os impactos do projeto do teleférico TransMiCable em Ciudad Bolívar, Bogotá, Colômbia. Ela reflete uma experiência de trabalho de campo no contexto da formação de professores que permite relacionar aspectos teóricos, da geografia urbana e da educação geográfica, do estudo da segregação urbana, da transformação urbana dos bairros, dos elementos da paisagem urbana e do fenômeno incipiente da turistificação. Ele apresenta um processo de observação, trabalho colaborativo e visita urbana que visa relacionar os debates do cenário universitário com o estudo da trajetória de organização social dos bairros do sul de Bogotá