Human Rights, Trans Athletes and Intersex Athletes in Sport

Postprin

Formality and informality in the summative assessment of motor vehicle apprentices: a case study

This article explores the interaction of formal and informal attributes of competence‐based assessment. Specifically, it presents evidence from a small qualitative case study of summative assessment practices for competence‐based qualifications within apprenticeships in the motor industry in England. The data are analysed through applying an adaptation of a framework for exploring the interplay of formality and informality in learning. This analysis reveals informal mentoring as a significant element which influences not only the process of assessment, but also its outcomes. We offer different possible interpretations of the data and their analysis, and conclude that, whichever interpretation is adopted, there appears to be a need for greater capacity‐building for assessors at a local level. This could acknowledge a more holistic role for assessors; recognise the importance of assessors’ informal practices in the formal retention and achievement of apprentices; and enhance awareness of inequalities that may be reinforced by both informal and formal attributes of assessment practices

Assessing the impact of a national clinical guideline for the management of chronic pain on opioid prescribing rates:a controlled interrupted time series analysis

Background: Opioids can be effective analgesics, but long-term use may be associated with harms. In 2013, the first national, comprehensive, evidence-based pain management guideline was published, from the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN 136: Management of Chronic Pain) with key recommendations on analgesic prescribing. This study aimed to examine the potential impact on national opioid prescribing rates in Scotland. Methods: Trends in national and regional community opioid prescribing data for Scotland were analysed from quarter one (Q1) 2005 to Q2 2020. Interrupted time series regression examined the association of SIGN 136 publication with prescribing rates for opioid-containing drugs. Gabapentinoid prescribing was used as a comparison drug. Results: After a positive prescribing trend pre-publication, the timing of SIGN 136 publication was associated with a negative change in the trend of opioid prescribing rates (−2.82 items per 1000 population per quarter [PTPPQ]; P < 0.01). By Q2 2020, the relative reduction in the opioid prescribing rate was −20.67% (95% CI: −23.61, −17.76). This persisted after correcting for gabapentinoid prescribing and was mainly driven by the reduction in weak opioids, whereas strong opioid prescribing rates continued to rise. Gabapentinoid prescribing showed a significant rise in level (8.00 items per 1000 population; P = 0.01) and trend (0.27 items PTPPQ; P = 0.01) following SIGN 136 publication. Conclusions: The publication of SIGN 136 was associated with a reduction in opioid prescribing rates. This suggests that changes in clinical policy through evidence-based national clinical guidelines may affect community opioid prescribing, though this may be partially replaced by gabapentinoids, and other factors may also contribute

Effects of Lattice and Molecular Phonons on Photoinduced Neutral-to-Ionic Transition Dynamics in Tetrathiafulvalene-pp-Chloranil

For electronic states and photoinduced charge dynamics near the neutral-ionic transition in the mixed-stack charge-transfer complex tetrathiafulvalene-$p$-chloranil (TTF-CA), we review the effects of Peierls coupling to lattice phonons modulating transfer integrals and Holstein couplings to molecular vibrations modulating site energies. The former stabilizes the ionic phase and reduces discontinuities in the phase transition, while the latter stabilizes the neutral phase and enhances the discontinuities. To reproduce the experimentally observed ionicity, optical conductivity and photoinduced charge dynamics, both couplings are quantitatively important. In particular, strong Holstein couplings to form the highly-stabilized neutral phase are necessary for the ionic phase to be a Mott insulator with large ionicity. A comparison with the observed photoinduced charge dynamics indicates the presence of strings of lattice dimerization in the neutral phase above the transition temperature.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in J. Phys. Soc. Jp

Teachers' classroom feedback: still trying to get it right

This article examines feedback traditionally given by teachers in schools. Such feedback tends to focus on children's acquisition and retrieval of externally prescribed knowledge which is then assessed against mandated tests. It suggests that, from a sociocultural learning perspective, feedback directed towards such objectives may limit children's social development. In this article, I draw on observation and interview data gathered from a group of 27 9- to 10-year olds in a UK primary school. These data illustrate the children's perceived need to conform to, rather than negotiate, the teacher's feedback comments. They highlight the children's sense that the teacher's feedback relates to school learning but not to their own interests. The article also includes alternative examples of feedback which draw on children's own inquiries and which relate to the social contexts within which, and for whom, they act. It concludes by suggesting that instead of looking for the right answer to the question of what makes teachers' feedback effective in our current classrooms, a more productive question might be how a negotiation can be opened up among teachers and learners themselves, about how teachers' feedback could support children's learning most appropriately

Análise da estrutura fatorial dos Testes de Torrance em estudantes portugueses

In order to verify the factorial structures of the Torrance verbal and figural tests, two activities of each instrument were applied with 193 students from the 10th and 12th years of education in Portugal. We tried to demonstrate that the collinearity of the fluency and flexibility variables could create methodological artifacts that hinder the understanding of the internal structure underlying the test. The principal component analysis without control of collinearity indicated a solution composed of four basic factors that separeted activities. Controlling for collinearity, we found a new solution, which also contained four factors that, unlike the previous result, grouped variables with similar processes but of different activities. The verbal and figural content is also an important element in the factor structure. This new arrangement makes more sense with the theory that underlies the instruments separating the different processes and content which are being measured by the activities.Com a finalidade de verificar a estrutura fatorial dos testes de Torrance, duas atividades verbais e duas figurais foram aplicadas em 193 estudantes do 10º e 12º ano do ensino secundário de Portugal. Tentou-se demonstrar que a colinearidade das variáveis fluência e flexibilidade podem criar artefatos metodológicos que dificultam o entendimento da estrutura interna subjacente ao teste. A análise fatorial dos componentes principais, sem controle da colinearidade, indicou uma solução composta por quatro fatores que separam basicamente as atividades. Controlando-se a colinearidade, encontrou-se uma nova solução, também composta por quatro fatores, que, diferentemente da anterior, organizou variáveis com processos semelhantes, mas de diferentes atividades. O tipo de conteúdo, verbal e figural, mostrou-se ainda um importante elemento na organização dos fatores. Esse novo arranjo fez mais sentido diante da teoria que embasa os instrumentos, ao separar os diferentes processos e conteúdos por eles avaliados

Phase diagram of the Hubbard chain with two atoms per cell

We obtain the quantum phase diagram of the Hubbard chain with alternating on-site energy at half filling. The model is relevant for the ferroelectric perovskites and organic mixed-stack donor-acceptor crystals. For any values of the parameters, the band insulator is separated from the Mott insulator by a dimer phase. The boundaries are determined accurately by crossing of excited levels with particular discrete symmetries. We show that these crossings coincide with jumps of charge and spin Berry phases with a clear geometrical meaning.Comment: 5 pages including 2 figures To be published in Phys. Rev. B (Rapid Communications

Observation of insulator-metal transition in EuNiO3_{3} under high pressure

The charge transfer antiferromagnetic (T$_{N}$ =220 K) insulator EuNiO$_{3}$ undergoes, at ambient pressure, a temperature-induced metal insulator MI transition at T$_{MI}$=463 K. We have investigated the effect of pressure (up to p~20 GPa) on the electronic, magnetic and structural properties of EuNiO$_{3}$ using electrical resistance measurements, {151}^Eu nuclear resonance scattering of synchrotron radiation and x-ray diffraction, respectively. With increasing pressure we find at p$_{c}$ =5.8 GPa a transition from the insulating state to a metallic state, while the orthorhombic structure remains unchanged up to 20 GPa. The results are explained in terms of a gradual increase of the electronic bandwidth with increasing pressure, which results in a closing of the charge transfer gap. It is further shown that the pressure-induced metallic state exhibits magnetic order with a lowervalue of T$_{N}$ (T$_{N}$ ~120 K at 9.4 GPa) which disappears between 9.4 and 14.4 GPa.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Destruction of density-wave states by a pseudo-gap in high magnetic fields: application to (TMTSF)2_2ClO4_4

A model is presented for the destruction of density-wave states in quasi-one-dimensional crystals by high magnetic fields. The model is consistent with previously unexplained properties of the organic conductors (TMTSF)$_2$ClO$_4$ and (BEDT-TTF)$_2$MHg(SCN)$_4$ (M=K,Rb,Tl). As the magnetic field increases quasi-one-dimensional density-wave fluctuations increase, producing a pseudo-gap in the electronic density of states near the transition temperature. When the pseudo-gap becomes larger than the mean-field transition temperature formation of a density-wave state is not possible.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX, 2 figures in uuencoded compressed tar file. Small changes to text and Figure 1. Final version to appear in Physical Review Letter

Antiferromagnetic Phases of One-Dimensional Quarter-Filled Organic Conductors

The magnetic structure of antiferromagnetically ordered phases of quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors is studied theoretically at absolute zero based on the mean field approximation to the quarter-filled band with on-site and nearest-neighbor Coulomb interaction. The differences in magnetic properties between the antiferromagnetic phase of (TMTTF)$_2$X and the spin density wave phase in (TMTSF)$_2$X are seen to be due to a varying degrees of roles played by the on-site Coulomb interaction. The nearest-neighbor Coulomb interaction introduces charge disproportionation, which has the same spatial periodicity as the Wigner crystal, accompanied by a modified antiferromagnetic phase. This is in accordance with the results of experiments on (TMTTF)$_2$Br and (TMTTF)$_2$SCN. Moreover, the antiferromagnetic phase of (DI-DCNQI)$_2$Ag is predicted to have a similar antiferromagnetic spin structure.Comment: 8 pages, LaTeX, 4 figures, uses jpsj.sty, to be published in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 66 No. 5 (1997