Accelerating Cognitive Development Using a Mathematical Thinking Skills Course to Target Metacognitive Processes

Seramai 300 orang pelajar telah mengikuti satu kursus untuk meningkatkan lagi kemahiran pemikiran matematik mereka. Kumpulan ini telah dibandingkan dengan satu kumpulan kawalan melalui ujian awal (pre-test), ujian akhir (post-test) dan temuduga berstruktur. Alat-alat untuk menilai tahap perkembangan kognitif and kebolehan menggunakan kemah iran metakognitif dan strategik telah direka oleh pelapor. Pelajarpelajar yang mengikuti kursus ini telah mendapat keputusan yang lebih tinggi dan signifikan di dalam ujian akhir metakognitif dan kognitif apabila dibanding dengan kumpulan kawalan. Walaupun kemahiran kognitif tidak diajar secara langsung dalam kursus ini, boleh diandaikan bahawa pengajaran kemahiran metakognitif bolehmembantu meningkatkan lagi kemahiran kognitif para pelajar

The Photosynthetic Function of Manganese and Chloride

Author Institution: Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Yellow Springs, Ohi

Superiority of semiclassical over quantum mechanical calculations for a three-dimensional system

In systems with few degrees of freedom modern quantum calculations are, in general, numerically more efficient than semiclassical methods. However, this situation can be reversed with increasing dimension of the problem. For a three-dimensional system, viz. the hyperbolic four-sphere scattering system, we demonstrate the superiority of semiclassical versus quantum calculations. Semiclassical resonances can easily be obtained even in energy regions which are unattainable with the currently available quantum techniques.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Phys. Lett.

Choosing Further Mathematics

'Education in the UK is failing to provide the increases in the numbers of school-leavers with science and mathematics qualifications required by industry, business and the research community to assure the UK's future economic competitiveness' (The Royal Society, 2008: 17). Furthermore, the proportion of students in Wales following mathematics courses post 16 is lower than in England (GSR, 2014). In particular, although the situation has improved, fewer students in Wales choose to study further mathematics (FM). This paper explores the reasons for student choices in mathematics and FM in order to make recommendations about how to increase participation. Phase one of the study used a questionnaire to access the opinions of students studying mathematically based courses in sixth forms and colleges to explore the reasons behind their choices and the factors influencing their progression or otherwise in mathematics. In phase two, small focus groups of students in selected schools and colleges were interviewed to enrich the questionnaire data and provide further insight into their decisions. The study identified a lack of information from peers, siblings, parents and teachers about FM as a factor restricting choice. Current models of delivery contribute to the false perception that FM is harder than mathematics and only suitable for the most talented mathematicians. We suggest: developing teachers' knowledge and skills so that whenever possible students can be offered FM as a fully timetabled subject; promoting FM to parents; and establishing student champions to encourage participation

The Changing Epidemiology of Malaria in Ifakara Town, Southern Tanzania.

Between 1995 and 2000 there were marked changes in the epidemiology of malaria in Ifakara, southern Tanzania. We documented these changes using parasitological and clinical data from a series of community- and hospital-based studies involving children up to the age of 5 years. There was a right shift and lowering in the age-specific parasite prevalence in the community-based cohort studies. The incidence of clinical malaria in placebo-receiving infants in additional study cohorts dropped from 0.8 in 1995 to 0.43 episodes per infant per year in 2000, an incidence rate ratio of 0.53 (95% confidence interval: 0.404, 0.70, P<0.0001). At the same time, there was an increase in the total number of malaria admissions and a marked right shift in the age pattern of these admissions (median age in 1995 1.55 years vs. 2.33 in 2000, P<0.0001). However, the burden of malaria deaths remained in infants. We discuss how these dramatic changes in the epidemiology of malaria may have arisen from the use of currently available malaria control tools. Caution is required in the interpretation of hospital-based data as it is likely to underestimate the impact of anaemia on mortality in the community, where most paediatric deaths occur. Even in low/moderate malaria transmission settings, where older children suffer most malaria episodes, targeting effective malaria control at infants may produce important reductions in infant mortality caused by malaria

Three small planets transiting the bright young field star K2-233

We report the detection of three small transiting planets around the young K3 dwarf K2-233 (2MASS J15215519-2013539) from observations during Campaign 15 of the K2 mission. The star is relatively nearby ($d$ = 69 pc) and bright ($V$ = 10.7 mag, $K_s$ = 8.4 mag), making the planetary system an attractive target for radial velocity follow-up and atmospheric characterization with the James Webb Space Telescope. The inner two planets are hot super-Earths ($R_b$ = 1.40 $\pm$ 0.06 R$_\oplus$, $R_c$ = 1.34 $\pm$ 0.08 R$_\oplus$), while the outer planet is a warm sub-Neptune ($R_d$ = 2.6 $\pm$ 0.1 R$_\oplus$). We estimate the stellar age to be 360$^{+490}_{-140}$ Myr based on rotation, activity, and kinematic indicators. The K2-233 system is particularly interesting given recent evidence for inflated radii in planets around similarly-aged stars, a trend potentially related to photo-evaporation, core-cooling, or both mechanisms.Comment: Accepted to AJ. 15 pages, 6 figures, 3 table

Final report to Becta concerning the use of video-stimulated reflective dialogue for professional development in ICT

This report concerns one of the Becta Research Grants 2008-9, intended for self-contained research in the area of technology for learning, and in support of the Harnessing Technology strategy. The project sought to evaluate the efficacy of video-stimulated reflective dialogue as a school based professional development tool for improving pedagogy in the use of ICT to support dialogic teaching in mathematics and science classrooms

A radium assay technique using hydrous titanium oxide adsorbent for the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

As photodisintegration of deuterons mimics the disintegration of deuterons by neutrinos, the accurate measurement of the radioactivity from thorium and uranium decay chains in the heavy water in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) is essential for the determination of the total solar neutrino flux. A radium assay technique of the required sensitivity is described that uses hydrous titanium oxide adsorbent on a filtration membrane together with a beta-alpha delayed coincidence counting system. For a 200 tonne assay the detection limit for 232Th is a concentration of 3 x 10^(-16) g Th/g water and for 238U of 3 x 10^(-16) g U/g water. Results of assays of both the heavy and light water carried out during the first two years of data collection of SNO are presented.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure