Investigating the baseline skills of research students using a competency-based self-assessment method

Recent government-led initiatives are changing the nature of the UK PhD to support the greater development of transferable skills. There are similar initiatives internationally. A key requirement and challenge is to effectively assess the `baseline' skills of a cohort on entry to a research programme and then monitor their progress in personal development. This article describes an innovative methodology that combines competence model and training needs analysis theory to create an effective self-assessment tool: the Development Needs Analysis (DNA), for collection of baseline data. The DNA provides a means for effective self-assessment of skills, and is capable of highlighting particular needs of students grouped by, for example, date of birth and home vs. overseas status. The methodology is broadly applicable in determination of the baseline skills of students and allows practitioners to tailor learning and teaching to the requirements of a cohort

GW170817 falsifies dark matter emulators

On August 17, 2017 the LIGO interferometers detected the gravitational wave (GW) signal (GW170817) from the coalescence of binary neutron stars. This signal was also simultaneously seen throughout the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. We point out that this simultaneous detection of GW and EM signals rules out a class of modified gravity theories, termed “dark matter emulators,” which dispense with the need for dark matter by making ordinary matter couple to a different metric from that of GW. We discuss other kinds of modified gravity theories which dispense with the need for dark matter and are still viable. This simultaneous observation also provides the first observational test of Einstein’s weak equivalence principle (WEP) between gravitons and photons. We estimate the Shapiro time delay due to the gravitational potential of the total dark matter distribution along the line of sight (complementary to the calculation by Abbott et al. [Astrophys. J. Lett. 848, L13 (2017)]) to be about 400 days. Using this estimate for the Shapiro delay and from the time difference of 1.7 seconds between the GW signal and gamma rays, we can constrain violations of the WEP using the parametrized post-Newtonian parameter γ, and it is given by jγGW − γEMj < 9.8 × 10−8

Position-specific Performance Indicators that Discriminate between Successful and Unsuccessful Teams in Elite Women’s Indoor Field Hockey: Implications for Coaching

The aim of this investigation was to establish median performance profiles for the six playing positions in elite women’s indoor hockey and then identify whether these position-specific profiles could discriminate between qualifying (top four), mid-table and relegated teams in the 2011-12 England Hockey premier league. Successful passing in relegated teams was significantly lower (p<0.008) than in mid-table and qualifying teams in four of the five outfield positions. Furthermore, the right backs of qualifying teams demonstrated significantly fewer (p<0.008) unsuccessful passes (x̃=15.5 ±CLs 15.0 and 10.0 respectively) and interceptions (x̃=4.0 ±CLs 4.0 and 3.0 respectively) than relegated teams (x̃=19.5 ±CLs 21.0 and 17.0; x̃=7.5 ±CLs 8.0 and 6.0 respectively). Finally, the right forwards of relegated teams demonstrated significantly fewer (p<0.008) successful interceptions (x̃=4.0 ±CLs 5.0 and 4.0 respectively) than qualifying teams (x̃=5.0 ±CLs 6.0 and 3.0 respectively) and significantly more (p<0.008) unsuccessful interceptions (x̃=5.5 ±CLs 6.0 and 4.0 respectively) than mid-table teams (x̃=3.0 ±CLs 3.0 and 2.0 respectively). Based on these findings, coaches should adapt tactical strategies and personnel deployment accordingly to enhance the likelihood of preparing a qualifying team. Research should build from these data to examine dribbling, pressing and patterns of play when outletting

The dental values scale: development and validation

Publisher's version/PDFThe purpose of this study was to produce a valid scale for use in measuring the values of dental students and practitioners—the lack of which has impeded research on professionalism in dentistry. Following standard scale development procedures, we had focus groups of dental practitioners (N=23) develop a ninety-nine-item pool of value terms related to dentistry. Next, Canadian dentists (N=449) rated the relevance of each item through an online survey. They also rated the values in a generic values measure, Schwartz’s Values Scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified twenty-five items representing five values: Altruism, Personal Satisfaction, Conscientiousness, Quality of Life, and Professional Status. These values correlate with related dimensions from Schwartz’s measure; they also correspond to the values in the American Dental Education Association’s statement on professionalism. We then administered the new Dental Values Scale to dental students (N=96) to determine the relationship between practitioner and student values. First-year students were higher in Conscientiousness, Altruism, and Personal Satisfaction than practitioners, but these values decreased over time to those held by the dentists. We discuss the implication of these results and the potential value of the new scale for dental education

A New Era in the Quest for Dark Matter

There is a growing sense of `crisis' in the dark matter community, due to the absence of evidence for the most popular candidates such as weakly interacting massive particles, axions, and sterile neutrinos, despite the enormous effort that has gone into searching for these particles. Here, we discuss what we have learned about the nature of dark matter from past experiments, and the implications for planned dark matter searches in the next decade. We argue that diversifying the experimental effort, incorporating astronomical surveys and gravitational wave observations, is our best hope to make progress on the dark matter problem.Comment: Published in Nature, online on 04 Oct 2018. 13 pages, 1 figur

Methemoglobinemia presenting in a circumcised baby following application of prilocaine: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Local anesthesia with prilocaine has become a routine part of ambulatory circumcision procedures. Methemoglobinemia is a rare but potentially lethal complication of local anesthetics.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 40-day-old Turkish boy who presented with cyanosis after receiving local anesthesia with prilocaine. His methemoglobin level revealed severe methemoglobinemia (methemoglobin = 44%). His cyanosis resolved after intravenous administration of methylene blue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the association between prilocaine use and methemoglobinemia has generally restricted the use of prilocaine in babies, it is still widely used in ambulatory procedures, especially during circumcision in the neonatal period. Prilocaine should not be used in babies who are less than 3 months old because of the risk of methemoglobinemia; other local anesthetics may be used for this age group. Furthermore, general anesthesia by mask ventilation may be favored for babies less than 3 months of age instead of local anesthetics.</p