Evolution or Revolution? An Analysis of the Changing Faces of Development Education in the United Kingdom.

The following paper investigates whether and to what extent there may have been an ideological shift in the realisation of development education policy and practice over the past three decades. Using the United Kingdom as a case study, the paper provides a review of the literature in the field and investigates the extent to which the introduction of the Primary School Curriculum through the Education Reform Act (1988) may have had an effect on the teaching and learning of development issues within schools. Using a conceptual framework loosely based on the work of Andriotti (2008) which interrogates the narrative used in policy formation, the paper provides a comparative analysis of policy and curriculum documents. The overt and subliminal ideological perspectives adopted in these documents are interrogated to determine the relative positioning regarding how best development issues might be addressed. A critical analysis of findings is then used as the basis to determine whether there has been a de-radicalisation of the ways in which development education policy and content is addressed particularly in the contexts of formal education

Structure–property relationship of recycled carbon fibres revealed by pyrolysis recycling process

The structure-property relationship for recycled carbon fibres is investigated by characterisation of the structure changes induced by the pyrolysis recycling process. Two important factors influencing the properties of recycled carbon fibres are identified for various recycling processes: oxidative effect and thermal effect. The oxidative effect results in surface defects, and the surface defects causes a reduction in tensile strength and lateral crystallite size. The thermal effect of the recycling process results in an expansion in the distance between graphite layers and a decrease in surface oxygen concentration, which would lead to a drop in interfacial shear strength with epoxy resins. The tensile strength of recycled carbon fibres has a strong correlation with the intensity ratio of the D and G bands of the Raman spectra (ID/IG). With an increase in ID/IG, the tensile strength of recycled carbon fibre decreases linearly

Estimating Maximum Performance: Effects of Intraindividual Variation

Researchers often estimate the performance capabilities of animals using a small number of trials per individual. This procedure inevitably underestimates maximum performance, but few studies have examined the magnitude of this effect. In this study we explored the effects of intraindividual variation and individual sample size on the estimation of locomotor performance parameters. We measured sprint speed of the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis at two temperatures (20 degrees C and 35 degrees C), obtaining 20 measurements per individual. Speed did not vary temporally, indicating no training or fatigue effects. About 50% of the overall variation in speed at each temperature was due to intraindividual variation. While speed was repeatable, repeatability decreased slightly with increasing separation between trials. Speeds at 20 degrees C and 35 degrees C were positively correlated, indicating repeatability across temperatures as well. We performed statistical sampling experiments in which we randomly drew a subset of each individual\u27s full set of 20 trials. As expected, the sample\u27s maximum speed increased with the number of trials per individual; for example, five trials yielded an estimate averaging 89% of the true maximum. The number of trials also influenced the sample correlation between mean speeds at 20 degrees C and 35 degrees C; for example, five trials yielded a correlation coefficient averaging 90% of the true correlation. Therefore, intraindividual variation caused underestimation of maximal speed and the correlation between speeds across temperatures. These biases declined as the number of trials per individual increased, and depended on the magnitude of intraindividual variation, as illustrated by running sampling experiments that used modified data sets

Probing Nuclear Effects at the T2K Near Detector Using Single-Transverse Kinematic Imbalance

In order to make precision measurements of neutrino oscillations using few-GeV neutrino beams a detailed understanding of nuclear effects in neutrino scattering is essential. Recent studies have revealed that single-transverse kinematic imbalance (STKI), defined in the plane transverse to an incoming neutrino beam, can act as a unique probe of these nuclear effects. This work first illustrates that an exclusive measurement of STKI at the off-axis near detector of the T2K experiment (ND280) is expected to distinguish the presence of interactions with two nucleons producing two holes (2p-2h) from alterations of the predominant underlying cross-section parameter (MA- the nucleon axial mass). Such a measurement is then demonstrated with fake data, showing substantial nuclear model separation potential

VibCo Engineering Test Bench

The VIBCO Engineering Test Bench was designed to be an all-inclusive, easy-to-use testing station for use by VIBCO’s engineering team. It features both loaded and unloaded testing areas, precision data acquisition instruments, and numerous sensors. The test bench was designed with convenience in mind. The main goal was to create an easy-to-use station where the majority of VIBCO’s small electric and pneumatic units can be quickly set up and tested with minimal user training. The test bench is constructed almost fully out of steel. It utilizes 2”x2”x1/4” angle steel and 1/4” steel plates. The height and other dimensions were carefully selected for ease of operation. A portion of the bench is vibration isolated using four Firestone air mounts. The bench is relatively portable, with heavy-duty casters allowing it to be transported from one area of VIBCO’s shop to another. Several modular mounting plates were designed to attach many different VIBCO models to the isolated portion of the test bench. These plates can accommodate over 60 different units each. They attach to mounting rails affixed the isolated bench top section using ¾”cap screws. Using AstroNova’s DAXUS data acquisition system and associated software, various sensors were interfaced to collect the necessary data from VIBCO’s vibration units. A thermocouple measures temperature data. A current clamp measures current draw of electric units. A tri-axial accelerometer measures acceleration of the vibrating assembly, which is in turn used to calculate both vibration speed (VPM) and force outputted by the unit

Brainstem Sources of Cardiac Vagal Tone and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia

KEY POINTS: Cardiac vagal tone is a strong predictor of health, although its central origins are unknown. Respiratory‐linked fluctuations in cardiac vagal tone give rise to respiratory sinus arryhthmia (RSA), with maximum tone in the post‐inspiratory phase of respiration. In the present study, we investigated whether respiratory modulation of cardiac vagal tone is intrinsically linked to post‐inspiratory respiratory control using the unanaesthetized working heart‐brainstem preparation of the rat. Abolition of post‐inspiration, achieved by inhibition of the pontine Kolliker‐Fuse nucleus, removed post‐inspiratory peaks in efferent cardiac vagal activity and suppressed RSA, whereas substantial cardiac vagal tone persisted. After transection of the caudal pons, part of the remaining tone was removed by inhibition of nucleus of the solitary tract. We conclude that cardiac vagal tone depends upon at least 3 sites of the pontomedullary brainstem and that a significant proportion arises independently of RSA. ABSTRACT: Cardiac vagal tone is a strong predictor of health, although its central origins are unknown. The rat working heart‐brainstem preparation shows strong cardiac vagal tone and pronounced respiratory sinus arrhythmia. In this preparation, recordings from the cut left cardiac vagal branch showed efferent activity that peaked in post‐inspiration, ∼0.5 s before the cyclic minimum in heart rate (HR). We hypothesized that respiratory modulation of cardiac vagal tone and HR is intrinsically linked to the generation of post‐inspiration. Neurons in the pontine Kölliker‐Fuse nucleus (KF) were inhibited with bilateral microinjections of isoguvacine (50–70 nl, 10 mm) to remove the post‐inspiratory phase of respiration. This also abolished the post‐inspiratory peak of cardiac vagal discharge (and cyclical HR modulation), although a substantial level of activity remained. In separate preparations with intact cardiac vagal branches but sympathetically denervated by thoracic spinal pithing, cardiac chronotropic vagal tone was quantified by HR compared to its final level after systemic atropine (0.5 μm). Bilateral KF inhibition removed 88% of the cyclical fluctuation in HR but, on average, only 52% of the chronotropic vagal tone. Substantial chronotropic vagal tone also remained after transection of the brainstem through the caudal pons. Subsequent bilateral isoguvacine injections into the nucleus of the solitary tract further reduced vagal tone: remaining sources were untraced. We conclude that cardiac vagal tone depends on neurons in at least three sites of the pontomedullary brainstem, and much of it arises independently of respiratory sinus arrhythmia

Fluid flow and heat transfer analysis of TEFC machine end regions using more realistic end-winding geometry

Here, a typical small low-voltage totally enclosed fan-cooled (TEFC) motor (output power ∼10 kW) has been studied using computational fluid dynamics. The complexity of the end-winding geometries, often consisting of several insulated copper strands bound together, provides a challenge to the modelling and analysis of heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena occurring in the end region, which typically is an area of most interest for thermal management. Approximated geometries are usually employed in order to model the end windings to reduce the analysis time and cost. This paper presents a comparison of two cases, a typical simplified geometry and a more realistic geometry of end windings, and uses these cases to highlight the challenges and impact on predicted heat transfer. A comparison of the two models indicate that the different representations of end winding geometries can affect the heat dissipation rate through the outer housing by up to 45%

E2F1 induces phosphorylation of p53 that is coincident with p53 accumulation and apoptosis

It has been proposed that the E2F1 transcription factor serves as a link between the Rb/E2F proliferation pathway and the p53 apoptosis pathway by inducing the expression of p19ARF, a protein that regulates p53 stability. We find that although p19ARF contributes to p53 accumulation in response to E2F expression, p19ARF is not required for E2F1-mediated apoptosis. E2F1 can signal p53 phosphorylation in the absence of p19ARF, similar to the observed modifications to p53 in response to DNA damage. These modifications are not observed in the absence of p19ARF following expression of E2F2, an E2F family member that does not induce apoptosis in mouse embryo fibroblasts but can induce p19ARF and p53 protein expression. p53 modification is found to be crucial for E2F1-mediated apoptosis, and this apoptosis is compromised when E2F1 is coexpressed with a p53 mutant lacking many N- and C-terminal phosphorylation sites. Additionally, E2F1-mediated apoptosis is abolished in the presence of caffeine, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases that phosphorylate p53. These findings suggest that p53 phosphorylation is a key step in E2F1-mediated apoptosis and that this modification can occur in the absence of p19ARF

Comparative LCA of different graphene production routes

This study is an LCA of three graphene production routes: electrochemical exfoliation of graphite rods, chemical oxidation and subsequent chemical or thermal reduction and chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Different processes for each route are analysed and their cradle-to-gate LCA is presented. A comparative LCA of the least impacting processes for each route is also presented showing that the chemical oxidation process followed by thermal reduction is the least impacting to produce large quantities of graphene when lab equipment is used to its full potential.A prospective LCA on a likely commercial scale of the least impacting processes is also presented and shows that almost all processes benefit from a scale-up activity and that the least impacting material route remains the chemical oxidation followed by thermal reduction. An optimistic scenario in which all electricity comes from renewable sources is also presented. While this last scenario promotes the more energy intensive processes, the least impacting technology to produce large quantities of graphene remains the chemical oxidation followed by thermal reduction