A Wikipedia Literature Review

This paper was originally designed as a literature review for a doctoral dissertation focusing on Wikipedia. This exposition gives the structure of Wikipedia and the latest trends in Wikipedia research

Microstructure and growth of the lenses of schizochroal trilobite eyes

Lenses within the schizochroal eyes of phacopine trilobites are made principally of calcite and characterisation of them using light microscopy and high-resolution electron imaging and diffraction has revealed an array of microstructural arrangements that suggest a common original pattern across the suborder. The low convexity lenses of Odontochile hausmanni and Dalmanites sp. contain calcite fibres termed trabeculae. The c axis of trabecular calcite lies parallel to the lens axis, and adjacent trabeculae are distinguished by small differences in their a axis orientations. Despite the common alignment, the boundaries between trabeculae cross-cut the c axis as they fan out towards the lens base. Trabeculae are absent from the lens immediately beneath the visual surface and instead a radial fringe is present and is composed of micrometre-thick sheets of calcite whose c axes are oriented at a low angle to the visual surface. High convexity lenses are more common than those of lower convexity among the species studied, and they have a much thicker radial fringe. Beneath this fringe all of the lens calcite is oriented with its c axis parallel to the lens axis and it lacks trabeculae. We propose that both the high and low convexity lenses formed by rapid growth of calcite from a surface that migrated inwards from the cornea, and they may have had an amorphous calcium carbonate precursor. The trabeculae and radial fringes are unlikely to have had any beneficial effect on the transmission or focusing of light but rather are the outcomes of an elegant solution to the problem of how to construct a biconvex lens from a crystalline solid

The effectiveness of orally applied L-menthol on exercise performance in the heat

During exercise in the heat, increasing thermal load leads to thermo-behavioural adjustments in exercise performance, due to greater perceptual and physiological strain. Behavioural reductions in exercise intensity in the heat are initially mediated via rises in skin temperature, which alter thermal perception (comfort and sensation) and later by rises in core temperature, which increase cardiovascular strain and perceived exertion. Therefore, thermoregulation may be ordered and dependant on the magnitude, timing and/or prioritisation of afferent signals. Non-thermal cooling via L-menthol has been shown to enhance exercise performance in the early and latter stages when delivered orally at a concentration of 0.01%. Indeed, during periods of progressive thermal stress, imposed by the combination of maximal exercise and environmental heat and humidity, L-menthol has been shown to offer an immediate cooling stimulus thus extending exercise capacity. However, repeated administration of L-menthol during exercise in the heat, as thermal load increases, is unable to recover a decline in work rate. Therefore, it is unclear whether the potency of L-menthol is sustained upon frequent application and what strategies are needed in both sporting and occupational settings to optimise its effectiveness. In this part of the symposium we will consider oral delivery of L-menthol and its potential for reducing an individual’s perception of heat stress with associated effects on exercise tolerance in the heat. We will also examine the frequency of use, optimal concentration, timing and novelty of L-menthol in a sporting and occupational context

Oral application of L-menthol in the heat: From pleasure to performance

When menthol is applied to the oral cavity it presents with a familiar refreshing sensation and cooling mint flavour. This may be deemed hedonic in some individuals, but may cause irritation in others. This variation in response is likely dependent upon trigeminal sensitivity toward cold stimuli, suggesting a need for a menthol solution that can be easily personalised. Menthol’s characteristics can also be enhanced by matching colour to qualitative outcomes; a factor which can easily be manipulated by practitioners working in athletic or occupational settings to potentially enhance intervention efficacy. This presentation will outline the efficacy of oral menthol application for improving time trial performance to date, either via swilling or via co-ingestion with other cooling strategies, with an emphasis upon how menthol can be applied in ecologically valid scenarios. Situations in which performance is not expected to be enhanced will also be discussed. An updated model by which menthol may prove hedonic, satiate thirst and affect ventilation will also be presented, with the potential performance implications of these findings discussed and modelled. Qualitative reflections from athletes that have implemented menthol mouth swilling in competition, training and maximal exercise will also be included

Factors Influencing Special Education Teachers\u27 Mathematics Teaching Efficacy

This research examined the relationship between secondary special education teachers’ mathematics teaching efficacy and the number of years of teaching experience, years of co-teaching experience, and number of math content coursework taken at the undergraduate level. Students with special needs continue to score significantly lower than their general education peers on Virginia’s standards of learning mathematics tests. A quantitative, non-experimental correlational research design was used in this study. The targeted sample consisted of approximately 120 collaborating special education teachers in two school districts in southeastern Virginia. The Mathematics Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (MTEBI) was measure mathematics teaching efficacy and teacher mathematics content knowledge was measured by a survey of courses taken. A Spearman’s rho correlation test was used to determine if a statistically significant relationship existed among the variables. The study found a positive relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and years of mathematics co-teaching experience rs = .451, p = .01 and a positive relationship between mathematics teaching efficacy and total math courses taken rs = .297, p = .014. There was no relationship found between mathematics teaching efficacy and years of teaching experience. Results support increased efforts are needed to provide content specific education for special education teachers in the area of secondary mathematics

Schools in control? Questions about the development of the teaching of cybernetics

The paper considers the role of he teaching of cybernetics and control technology in the National Curriculum (Technology) in England and Wales, and the limitations of its horizons. The scope of software currently available to schools is surveyed and the range of possibilities of this software is considered. Alternatives to current practice drawn from modern technologies which embody their own design methodologies are considered. These methods include object oriented methods, machine learning and neural computing. The fact that these systems are based on clear conceptual design methodologies should make them attractive to educators. The paper concludes that there is a need to develop new curriculum methods to accommodate newer methods