The use of an e-learning constructivist solution in workplace learning

We wished to investigate whether an e-learning approach which uses constructivist principles can be successfully applied to train employees in a highly specialised skill thought to require expert individuals and extensive prolonged training. The approach involved the development of an e-learning package which included simulations and interactivity, then experimental testing in a case study workplace environment with the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the effectiveness of the package. Our study shows that this e-learning strategy improved the skills of the inexperienced operator significantly. We therefore propose that such programmes could be used as a work based training aid and used as a model system for the training of employees in complex skilled tasks in the workplace. This research demonstrates that the e-learning can be applied outside the traditional learning environment to train unskilled employees to undertake complex practical tasks which traditionally would involve prohibitively expensive instruction. This work also illustrates that simulations and interactivity are powerful tools in the design of successful e-learning packages in preparing learners for real world practical situations. Finally this study shows that workplace learners can be better served by elearning environments rather than conventional training as they allow asynchronous learning and private study which are valued by employees who have other demands on their time and are more comfortable receiving tuition privately Relevance to industry: E-learning using constructivist principles, and incorporating simulations and interactivity can be used successfully in the training of highly specialised and skilled tasks required in the modern workplace

Modèle macroéconomique de déséquilibre avec délais d’attente

Le but de cet article est de présenter un modèle macroéconomique de déséquilibre dans lequel des ajustements partiels vers l’équilibre peuvent se produire par l’intermédiaire des délais d’attente. Le modèle comporte trois biens : la monnaie, deux biens de consommation substituables et deux agents : un producteur et un consommateur. Dans un premier temps, la dynamique du modèle est indiquée. Puis le calcul des agents économiques, à l’intérieur de chaque période, est décrit. Enfin, la forme réduite du modèle et les conditions d’unicité d’équilibre sont données.The purpose of this paper is to present a macro-disequilibrium model in which some partial adjustments towards equilibrium can happen by means of waiting delays. We consider an economy with three commodities: money, two commodities which are substituable and two agents: a consumer and a producer. At first, the dynamics of this model is given. Then the agents' behaviors are explained. At last, the reduced form of this model and the conditions for uniqueness are provided

Modèle macroéconomique de déséquilibre avec délais d’attente

The purpose of this paper is to present a macro-disequilibrium model in which some partial adjustments towards equilibrium can happen by means of waiting delays. We consider an economy with three commodities: money, two commodities which are substituable and two agents: a consumer and a producer. At first, the dynamics of this model is given. Then the agents' behaviors are explained. At last, the reduced form of this model and the conditions for uniqueness are provided. Le but de cet article est de présenter un modèle macroéconomique de déséquilibre dans lequel des ajustements partiels vers l’équilibre peuvent se produire par l’intermédiaire des délais d’attente. Le modèle comporte trois biens : la monnaie, deux biens de consommation substituables et deux agents : un producteur et un consommateur. Dans un premier temps, la dynamique du modèle est indiquée. Puis le calcul des agents économiques, à l’intérieur de chaque période, est décrit. Enfin, la forme réduite du modèle et les conditions d’unicité d’équilibre sont données.

Nano/biosensors Based On Large-Area Graphene

Two dimensional materials have properties that make them ideal for applications in chemical and biomolecular sensing. Their high surface/volume ratio implies that all atoms are exposed to the environment, in contrast to three dimensional materials with most atoms shielded from interactions inside the bulk. Graphene additionally has an extremely high carrier mobility, even at ambient temperature and pressure, which makes it ideal as a transduction device. The work presented in this thesis describes large-scale fabrication of Graphene Field Effect Transistors (GFETs), their physical and chemical characterization, and their application as biomolecular sensors. Initially, work was focused on developing an easily scalable fabrication process. A large-area graphene growth, transfer and photolithography process was developed that allowed the scaling of production of devices from a few devices per single transfer in a chip, to over a thousand devices per transfer in a full wafer of fabrication. Two approaches to biomolecules sensing were then investigated, through nanoparticles and through chemical linkers. Gold and platinum Nanoparticles were used as intermediary agents to immobilize a biomolecule. First, gold nanoparticles were monodispersed and functionalized with thiolated probe DNA to yield DNA biosensors with a detection limit of 1 nM and high specificity against noncomplementary DNA. Second, devices are modified with platinum nanoparticles and functionalized with thiolated genetically engineered scFv HER3 antibodies to realize a HER3 biosensor. Sensors retain the high affinity from the scFv fragment and show a detection limit of 300 pM. We then show covalent and non-covalent chemical linkers between graphene and antibodies. The chemical linker 1-pyrenebutanoic acid succinimidyl ester (pyrene) stacks to the graphene by Van der Waals interaction, being a completely non-covalent interaction. The linker 4-Azide-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoic acid, succinimidyl ester (azide) is a photoactivated perfluorophenyl azide that covalently binds to graphene. A comparison is shown for genetically engineered scFv HER3 antibodies and show a low detection limit of 10 nM and 100 pM for the pyrene and azide, respectively. Finally, we use the azide linker to demonstrate a large-scale fabrication of a multiplexed array for Lyme disease. Simultaneous detection of a mixture of two target proteins of the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burgdorferi), this is done by separating the antibodies corresponding to each target in the mixture to different regions of the chip. We show we can differentiate concentrations of the two targets

Chromosomal rearrangements in cattle and pigs revealed by chromosome microdissection and chromosome painting

A pericentric inversion of chromosome 4 in a boar, as well as a case of (2q-;5p+) translocation mosaicism in a bull were analysed by chromosome painting using probes generated by conventional microdissection. For the porcine inversion, probes specific for p arms and q arms were produced and hybridised simultaneously on metaphases of a heterozygote carrier. In the case of the bovine translocation, two whole chromosome probes (chromosome 5, and derived chromosome 5) were elaborated and hybridised independently on chromosomal preparations of the bull who was a carrier of the mosaic translocation. The impossibility of differentiating chromosomes 2 and der(2) from other chromosomes of the metaphases did not allow the production of painting probes for these chromosomes. For all experiments, the quality of painting was comparable to that usually observed with probes obtained from flow-sorted chromosomes. The results obtained allowed confirmation of the interpretations proposed with G-banding karyotype analyses. In the bovine case, however, the reciprocity of the translocation could not be proven. The results presented in this paper show the usefulness of the microdissection technique for characterising chromosomal rearrangements in species for which commercial probes are not available. They also confirmed that the main limiting factor of the technique is the quality of the chromosomal preparations, which does not allow the identification of target chromosomes or chromosome fragments in all cases

Estimation of the proportion of genetically unbalanced spermatozoa in the semen of boars carrying chromosomal rearrangements using FISH on sperm nuclei

Many chromosomal rearrangements are detected each year in France on young boars candidates for reproduction. The possible use of these animals requires a good knowledge of the potential effect of the rearrangements on the prolificacy of their mates. This effect can be estimated by an accurate determination of the rate of unbalanced spermatozoa in the semen of boars which carry the rearrangements. Indeed, these spermatozoa exhibiting normal fertilizing ability are responsible for an early embryonic mortality, and then, for a decrease of the litter sizes. The "spermFISH" technique, i.e. fluorescent in situ hybridization on decondensed sperm heads, has been used on several occasions in Man, in this perspective. In livestock species, this method was formerly used mainly for semen sexing purposes. We used it, for the first time, to estimate the rates of imbalance in the semen of four boars carrying chromosomal rearrangements: two reciprocal translocations, rcp(3;15)(q27;q13) and rcp(12;14)(q13;q21), as well as two independent cases of trisomy 18 mosaicism. The rates of unbalanced gametes were relatively high for the two reciprocal translocations (47.83% and 24.33%, respectively). These values differed from the apparent effects of the rearrangements estimated using a limited number of litters: a decrease in prolificacy of 23% (estimation obtained using the results of 6 litters) and 39% (57 litters), respectively for the 3/15 and 12/14 translocations. The imbalance rates were much lower for the trisomy mosaics (0.58% and 1.13%), suggesting a very moderate effect of this special kind of chromosomal rearrangement

Recursive Polynomial Remainder Sequence and its Subresultants

We introduce concepts of "recursive polynomial remainder sequence (PRS)" and "recursive subresultant," along with investigation of their properties. A recursive PRS is defined as, if there exists the GCD (greatest common divisor) of initial polynomials, a sequence of PRSs calculated "recursively" for the GCD and its derivative until a constant is derived, and recursive subresultants are defined by determinants representing the coefficients in recursive PRS as functions of coefficients of initial polynomials. We give three different constructions of subresultant matrices for recursive subresultants; while the first one is built-up just with previously defined matrices thus the size of the matrix increases fast as the recursion deepens, the last one reduces the size of the matrix drastically by the Gaussian elimination on the second one which has a "nested" expression, i.e. a Sylvester matrix whose elements are themselves determinants.Comment: 30 pages. Preliminary versions of this paper have been presented at CASC 2003 (arXiv:0806.0478 [math.AC]) and CASC 2005 (arXiv:0806.0488 [math.AC]