The Benefits of Peer Review and a Multisemester Capstone Writing Series on Inquiry and Analysis Skills in an Undergraduate Thesis.

This study examines the relationship between the introduction of a four-course writing-intensive capstone series and improvement in inquiry and analysis skills of biology senior undergraduates. To measure the impact of the multicourse write-to-learn and peer-review pedagogy on student performance, we used a modified Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education rubric for Inquiry and Analysis and Written Communication to score senior research theses from 2006 to 2008 (pretreatment) and 2009 to 2013 (intervention). A Fisher-Freeman-Halton test and a two-sample Student's t test were used to evaluate individual rubric dimensions and composite rubric scores, respectively, and a randomized complete block design analysis of variance was carried out on composite scores to examine the impact of the intervention across ethnicity, legacy (e.g., first-generation status), and research laboratory. The results show an increase in student performance in rubric scoring categories most closely associated with science literacy and critical-thinking skills, in addition to gains in students' writing abilities

Static inconsistencies in certain axiomatic higher-order shear deformation theories for beams, plates and shells

AbstractStatic inconsistencies that arise when modelling the flexural behaviour of beams, plates and shells with clamped boundary conditions using a certain class of axiomatic, higher-order shear deformation theory are discussed. The inconsistencies pertain to displacement-based theories that enforce conditions of vanishing shear strain at the top and bottom surfaces a priori. First it is shown that the essential boundary condition of vanishing Kirchhoff rotation perpendicular to an edge (w,x=0 or w,y=0) is physically inaccurate, as the rotation at a clamped edge may in fact be non-zero due to the presence of transverse shear rotation. As a result, the shear force derived from constitutive equations erroneously vanishes at a clamped edge. In effect, this boundary condition overconstrains the structure leading to underpredictions in transverse bending deflection and overpredictions of axial stresses compared to high-fidelity 3D finite element solutions for thick and highly orthotropic plates. Generalised higher-order theories written in the form of a power series, as in Carrera’s Unified Formulation, do not produce this inconsistency. It is shown that the condition of vanishing shear tractions at the top and bottom surfaces need not be applied a priori, as the transverse shear strains inherently vanish if the order of the theory is sufficient to capture all higher-order effects. Finally, the transverse deflection of the generalised higher-order theories is expanded in a power series of a non-dimensional parameter and used to derive a material and geometry dependent shear correction factor that provides more accurate solutions of bending deflection than the classical value of 5/6

Disjunction, Conjunction and Categories

This paper examines some taken-for-granted themes from an unusual angle. It might be analytical, but (it is hoped) none the worse for that. We cannot deal only in single instances. Our brains would be overwhelmed. So, we take refuge in generalisations of one kind or another that can be containers into which single instances can conveniently be put. This paper explores some of the containers we use: sets; categories; norms; rules; principles. With an eye on the notion of a ‘common law method’, it attempts to illuminate their characteristics and usages. In so doing, it must confront: (i) separation-combination ambiguity and (ii) conceptions of similarity and difference. Although concentrating on the ‘how?’ of categorisation, this paper also suggests that, in the necessary categorisation process, we overestimate the separateness, and underestimate the malleability and temporality, of the categories we contrive. In short, the process and its resulting categories are — despite their appearances and common attitudes to them — mind-dependent and not Platonistic

Doctrine and Decisions: Towards Virtuous Decision-Making

The complexity of circumstances and the interpretivity of the language that labels ethical and legal principles combine to impose responsibility on decision-makers who are confronted by dilemmas (issues about which reasonable and unreasonable people disagree and which have no securely established ‘right answer’). For example, is ‘best interests’ or ‘significant harm’ the proper test for potentially overriding parental decisions about their children’s care? And what, if anything, turns on the difference between those two formulations of an essentially consequentialist concept when set against more deontological conceptions of: parental duties and rights; the private realm; and sanctity of life? The resurgence (over the last four decades) of interest in virtue ethics — and, more recently, in emotion, empathy and imagination — highlights the role, attitudes and behaviour of decision-makers, whether they be judges or, for example, doctors. Ex hypothesi, their decisions cannot secure majority acceptance by dint only of their decisions’ substantive outcomes. Similarly, decision-makers’ choices and interpretations of justificatory principles will not always convince those whose interests the decisions do not favour. Nevertheless, through ‘virtuous’ processes of (factual) investigation and (normative) consideration — individual and collective open-mindedness — decisions can attract a measure of legitimacy. Given that principles are essentially contested concepts that often overlap and conflict ─ and that there are deep tensions between rule-based and consequentialist justifications — we look for virtuous judging and virtuous doctoring. Arguably, such virtue consists in processes that — case-by-case — bring imagination to bear. This is not merely the sympathy — or Daniel Kahneman’s ‘fast thinking’ — that comes upon us from ‘being in the same boat’. Rather, it is Kahneman’s ‘slow thinking’ — empathic, effortful reflection that entails ‘imagination’ — ‘the ability to compound things and to resolve them by imagination, to build and to destroy’ (William Fullbeke, 1600)

Oscillatory approach to the singularity in vacuum T2T^2 symmetric spacetimes

A combination of qualitative analysis and numerical study indicates that vacuum $T^2$ symmetric spacetimes are, generically, oscillatory.Comment: 2 pages submitted to the Ninth Marcel Grossmann Proceedings; v2, "all known cases" changed to "various known cases" in the first paragrap

Reflection Spectra as a Basis for Studying Extraterrestrial Life Semiannual Report, May 1 - Oct. 31, 1966

Planetary reflection spectroscopy for studying extraterrestrial lif

Thermal neutrinos from pre-supernova

We would like to discuss prospects for neutrino observations of the core-collapse supernova progenitor during neutrino-cooled stage. We will present new theoretical results on thermal neutrino and antineutrino spectra produced deep inside the pre-supernova core. Three competing processes: pair-, photo and plasma-neutrino production, are taken into account. The results will be used to estimate signal in existing and future neutrino detectors. Chance for supernova prediction is estimated, with possible aid to core-collapse neutrino and gravitational wave detectors in the form of early warning.Comment: 1 page, Contribution to the Proceedings of Neutrino 2006 Conferenc

Infrared molecular emissions from comets

The possibility of detecting IR molecular line emission from cometary parent molecules is explored. Due to the non-LTE conditions in the inner coma and the large amount of near IR solar flux, IR fluorescence will be a significant source of cometary emission and, in fact, will dominate the grain radiation in a sufficiently high resolution instrument. The detection of this line emission will be difficult due to absorption in the terrestrial atmosphere, but it appears possible to measure cometary H2O emission from airplane altitudes. As IR molecular line emission represents one of the few promising methods of detecting cometary parent molecules directly, further research on this problem should be vigorously pursued

The Xpress Transfer Protocol (XTP): A tutorial (expanded version)

The Xpress Transfer Protocol (XTP) is a reliable, real-time, light weight transfer layer protocol. Current transport layer protocols such as DoD's Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and ISO's Transport Protocol (TP) were not designed for the next generation of high speed, interconnected reliable networks such as fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) and the gigabit/second wide area networks. Unlike all previous transport layer protocols, XTP is being designed to be implemented in hardware as a VLSI chip set. By streamlining the protocol, combining the transport and network layers and utilizing the increased speed and parallelization possible with a VLSI implementation, XTP will be able to provide the end-to-end data transmission rates demanded in high speed networks without compromising reliability and functionality. This paper describes the operation of the XTP protocol and in particular, its error, flow and rate control; inter-networking addressing mechanisms; and multicast support features, as defined in the XTP Protocol Definition Revision 3.4