Living up to our students’ expectations – using student voice to influence the way academics think about their undergraduates learning and their own teaching

Understanding the student learning experience is essential if Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are to provide an education for the 21st century. This study investigated students’ perspectives on their learning experiences and offered undergraduates a chance to influence the way academics think about learning and teaching.Participants were drawn from two UK HEIs and a semi structured focus group approach was adopted. A total of nine focus groups consisting of 3-7 participants were drawn from across all Sport degree year groups in both institutions. Assessment, pedagogy and teacher characteristics emerged as primary concerns across both institutions. Assessment was appreciated by all students as key to their learning but was exposed as being overly traditional and rigid in its application. Students were unanimous in their support for small group pedagogies, rejecting traditional powerpoint dominated lecturing styles. The emphasis on the behaviour of, and delivery by, tutors was noteworthy.Students appraised the development of their academic skills and confidence, linking these to motivation, knowledge, self-awareness and critical reflection. In doing so they understood the impact of inconsistencies in tutors’ teaching practices. The onus is on every tutor to combine imaginative assessment with dynamic and relational experiences in order to provide a strong foundation for flexible, reflective and creative graduates

Cyclotron waves in a collisionless plasma

Plasma waves with resonances near electron cyclotron frequency investigated in long collisionless plasma column - wavelength dispersion curves and relation

Experimental investigation of the fundamental modes of a collisionless plasma quarterly report no. 3, sep. 11 - dec. 10, 1964

Plasma waves between electron cyclotron frequency and upper hybrid frequency in collisionless hydrogen plasm

Tracking career destinations of sports graduates 2000-2015:a longitudinal exploration of destinations and preparedness for the workplace

The advent of the TEF means that universities will be expected to evidence the impact of curriculum interactions on graduate destinations and social mobility. Over a third of sport employees are graduates but little data charts their career journeys. Key objectives: • track all Abertay sport graduates from the programmes’ inception • compare Honours and non-Honours graduates’ destination data • examine career trajectories • explore preparedness for the workplace • utilise demographic data to contextualise findings. 452 graduates were e-mailed.123 responded to the survey, 84% being in identifiable graduate level jobs. Across time, increasing proportions of students were Honours' graduates. Social class, gender and disability did not impact on this but articulation from FE was a significant factor (χ2 =84.68, p<0.01). Very few respondents (n=13) felt that their degree had not equipped them for working life. 'Placement' and 'research methods skills' were of most benefit in preparing for the workplace

Phenomenological model for predicting the energy resolution of neutron-damaged coaxial HPGe detectors

The peak energy resolution of germanium detectors deteriorates with increasing neutron fluence. This is due to hole capture at neutron-created defects in the crystal which prevents the full energy of the gamma-ray from being recorded by the detector. A phenomenological model of coaxial HPGe detectors is developed that relies on a single, dimensionless parameter that is related to the probability for immediate trapping of a mobile hole in the damaged crystal. As this trap parameter is independent of detector dimensions and type, the model is useful for predicting energy resolution as a function of neutron fluence.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

AS-204/LM-1 launch vehicle operational flight trajectory

Apollo Saturn-204/LM-1 launch vehicle operational flight trajector

Endothelium-derived microparticles from chronically thromboembolic pulmonary hypertensive patients facilitate endothelial angiogenesis.

11 p.-4 fig.-1 tab.Background: Increased circulating levels of endoglin+ endothelial microparticles (EMPs) have been identified in several cardiovascular disorders, related to severity. Endoglin is an auxilary receptor for transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) important in the regulation of vascular structure.Results: We quantified the number of microparticles in plasma of six patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and age- and sex-matched pulmonary embolic (PE) and healthy controls and investigated the role of microparticle endoglin in the regulation of pulmonary endothelial function in vitro. Results show significantly increased levels of endoglin+ EMPs in CTEPH plasma, compared to healthy and disease controls. Co-culture of human pulmonary endothelial cells with CTEPH microparticles increased intracellular levels of endoglin and enhanced TGF-β-induced angiogenesis and Smad1,5,8 phosphorylation in cells, without affecting BMPRII expression. In an in vitro model, we generated endothelium-derived MPs with enforced membrane localization of endoglin. Co-culture of these MPs with endothelial cells increased cellular endoglin content, improved cell survival and stimulated angiogenesis in a manner similar to the effects induced by overexpressed protein.Conclusions: Increased generation of endoglin+ EMPs in CTEPH is likely to represent a protective mechanism supporting endothelial cell survival and angiogenesis, set to counteract the effects of vascular occlusion and endothelial damage.This research was supported by a project grant (PG 11/13/28765) from the British Heart Foundation and by grants from Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain (SAF2013-43421-R to CB)Peer reviewe

Experimental investigation of the fundamental modes of a collisionless plasma Final report, 10 Mar. 1964 - 31 Oct. 1967

Propagation of electron cyclotron waves and effects of low frequency noise in collisionless plasm

VLA Observations of Single Pulses from the Galactic Center Magnetar

We present the results of a 7-12 GHz phased-array study of the Galactic center magnetar J1745-2900 with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). Using data from two 6.5 hour observations from September 2014, we find that the average profile is comprised of several distinct components at these epochs and is stable over $\sim$day timescales and $\sim$GHz frequencies. Comparison with additional phased VLA data at 8.7 GHz shows significant profile changes on longer timescales. The average profile at 7-12 GHz is dominated by the jitter of relatively narrow pulses. The pulses in each of the four main profile components seen in September 2014 are uncorrelated in phase and amplitude, though there is a small but significant correlation in the occurrence of pulses in two of the profile components. Using the brightest pulses, we measure the dispersion and scattering parameters of J1745-2900. A joint fit of 38 pulses gives a 10 GHz pulse broadening time of $\tau_{\rm sc, 10} = 0.09 \pm 0.03~\rm ms$ and a dispersion measure of ${\rm DM} = 1760^{+2.4}_{-1.3}~{\rm pc~cm}^{-3}$. Both of these results are consistent with previous measurements, which suggests that the scattering and dispersion measure of J1745-2900 may be stable on timescales of several years.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, published in Ap

Recent advances in pulmonary arterial hypertension [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disorder with a high mortality rate. Treatment options have improved in the last 20 years, but patients still die prematurely of right heart failure. Though rare, it is heterogeneous at the genetic and molecular level, and understanding and exploiting this is key to the development of more effective treatments. BMPR2 , encoding bone morphogenetic receptor type 2, is the most commonly affected gene in both familial and non-familial PAH, but rare mutations have been identified in other genes. Transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic studies looking for endophenotypes are under way. There is no shortage of candidate new drug targets for PAH, but the selection and prioritisation of these are challenges for the research community