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In-service Physics teachers’ content knowledge: A critical reflection on the case of the Upthrust concept
Get PDFPhysics educators must possess a strong foundation in content knowledge to effectively promote scientific inquiry-based learning in line with the national curriculum goals. However, factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge gaps can impede meaningful teaching and learning of Physics. This study explores the use of the Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) model to assess in-service Physics educators’ understanding of “Upthrust.” The research involved 23 participants from a professional development programme in Mauritius. Data were collected through task-based worksheets and focus group discussions and validated using Rasch modelling. The findings indicate that while educators are somewhat familiar with Upthrust, their knowledge must be improved for making accurate predictions and providing detailed scientific explanations, particularly when disparities between predicted and observed outcomes occur. Additionally, educators’ reliance on formula-driven methods, influenced by their limited exposure to experimental practices, underscores the need for change. This study underscores the importance of fostering conceptual understanding over memorisation in Physics education. By challenging and broadening the beliefs of prospective Physics educators and promoting inquiry-based teaching, these efforts can significantly enhance Physics education, student engagement, and achievement in secondary schools in Mauritius
A review of control strategies for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells and water electrolysers: From automation to autonomy
Get PDFProton exchange membrane (PEM) based electrochemical systems have the capability to operate in fuel cell (PEMFC) and water electrolyser (PEMWE) modes, enabling efficient hydrogen energy utilisation and green hydrogen production. In addition to the essential cell stacks, the system of PEMFC or PEMWE consists of four sub-systems for managing gas supply, power, thermal, and water, respectively. Due to the system's complexity, even a small fluctuation in a certain sub-system can result in an unexpected response, leading to a reduced performance and stability. To improve the system's robustness and responsiveness, considerable efforts have been dedicated to developing advanced control strategies. This paper comprehensively reviews various control strategies proposed in literature, revealing that traditional control methods are widely employed in PEMFC and PEMWE due to their simplicity, yet they suffer from limitations in accuracy. Conversely, advanced control methods offer high accuracy but are hindered by poor dynamic performance. This paper highlights the recent advancements in control strategies incorporating machine learning algorithms. Additionally, the paper provides a perspective on the future development of control strategies, suggesting that hybrid control methods should be used for future research to leverage the strength of both sides. Notably, it emphasises the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing control strategies, demonstrating its significant potential in facilitating the transition from automation to autonomy.UK EPSRC under grant numbers EP/W018969/2, EP/V042432/1 and EP/V011863/2; and the Leverhulme Trust under grant number PLP-2022-001
Leadership in early childhood education and care: Insider perspectives
Get PDFThis thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Education and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThis research investigates the intricate landscape of Early Childhood Education and
Care (ECEC), seeking to explore the factors that influence good leadership through
the perspective of fifteen professionals. The study navigates the contested terrain of
ECEC's purpose, acknowledging diverse perspectives influenced by contextual
factors. Current literature suggests multifaceted notions of leadership in ECEC,
encompassing pedagogical, entrepreneurial, and social justice dimensions.
Recognising the need to capture the unique essence of the sector, this research
employs a participatory methodological framework, merging feminist-pragmatism,
praxeology, and phenomenology.
Through a lens of experience-centered narrative research, this research unfolds the
collective purpose of ECEC and its leadership, exploring the responsibilities vested
in all stakeholders. The chosen methodological framework fosters trust and
openness, allowing participants to share nuanced stories, contributing to the
identification of layers of meaning. Thematic analysis reveals essential insights,
paving the way for a deeper understanding of leadership challenges and good
leadership within the ECEC workforce.
Research findings advocate for the dissolution of barriers and the fostering of
collaboration and envisions a future where ECEC stakeholders possess enhanced
professional confidence. Such empowerment, coupled with a collective identity, holds
the potential to cultivate a more competent and cohesive ECEC sector for generations
to come
Acting on Three Arenas: A multi-dimensional approach to understanding ministerial turnover
Get PDFUnderstanding why cabinet ministers are terminated early is still underexplored. Most existing studies focus on performance on one arena. We argue that ministers operate in many different arenas and to fully understand the complex nature of ministerial termination we need to consider ministers' performance in several arenas and their relation to one another. We focus ministers' performance in three arenas; the public/electoral, the parliamentary and the cabinet. We test our argument on over 40 years of ministerial turnover in Denmark. Our results show that ministers' performance in all three arenas each have an effect on ministerial turnover (mostly the parliamentary). Moreover, adding interaction terms in our statistical models between ministers' performance in these different arenas affect the impact hereof on ministerial turnover. Our findings show the need to engage more with the competing arenas in which ministers perform to increase our understanding of ministerial turnover
Experimental validation of two numerical models of a solar-powered multiple air jets impingement tube heater
Get PDFAbstract number 131 (https://more.bham.ac.uk/ukhtc-2024/programme/).This paper validates experimentally two numerical models of solar-powered tube heater that uses air impingement jets to heat steel tubes in the powder-based coating process as they move axially. A test rig is built to evaluate the thermal performance of the tube heater and validate both, its ANSYS FLUENT Dynamic Mesh model which simulated a moving target and ANSYS FLUENT Transient Thermal model which simulated a moving heat source. Results showed the experimental results to agree with those of the numerical models with an R2-value of 0.983-0.997 and error fit of 3-10% for tube velocities of 0.033-0.1 m/s.EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Application of Solar Energy in Industrial processes (ASTEP), under grant agreement No 884411
Embedding employability into curriculum design: The impact of education 4.0
Get PDFIn recent years, there has been a change in the objectives of Higher Education (HE): the inclusion of employability. The successful inclusion of employability as a goal of HE requires a change to the sector’s teaching, learning and assessment (TLA) methods, which ought to be part of an HEI’s strategy. In particular, there needs to be an emphasis on adjustments to both curriculum design and modes of assessment, both for the inclusion of employability and also in preparation for digital transformation (Education 4.0) as well as internationalisation. Any HEI development plan should acknowledge the importance of employability. To meet national standards and keep up with evolving trends in the job market, every programme needs to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to succeed in their future careers. Every institution is obligated to provide opportunities for students from all backgrounds and capabilities to learn about work.The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
COVID Stress Factors, Willingness to be Vaccinated, and Reasons for Vaccination Hesitancy Amongst Youth and Ethnic Minorities: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis
Get PDFData availability statement: Due to the sensitive nature of the data, the actual data are not available. However, the correlation matrix is available upon request.COVID-19 has caused psychological trauma. However, it is unclear whether these stresses are comparable across ethnicities, across age groups, and vaccination hesitancy. Moreover, the relationship between the different types of stresses and their relationship to vaccination hesitancy has not been studied. Using rigorous statistical methodology (structural equation modeling), we examined the measurement invariance of five COVID stress factors: danger of contamination, socioeconomic consequences, xenophobia, traumatic stress, compulsive checking, by ethnicity and age, and investigated their relationship to vaccination hesitancy, ethnicity, age, and expectations of contracting COVID using structural equation models on a UK sample. The instrument showed measurement invariance both with respect to ethnicity and vaccination hesitancy. Subjects with more stress and worry about contracting COVID had no more enthusiasm for getting vaccinated than the less stressed. Ethnic minorities were less stressed despite suffering higher morbidity and mortality. As age increases, so does the hesitancy to be vaccinated despite younger subjects reporting more compulsive checking. Vaccination hesitancy was related to fear of side effects and safety concerns. Public health campaigns should target younger populations to address their fears about and stress due to compulsive checking for COVID-19. These campaigns should also be designed to reduce vaccination hesitancy to increase vaccination rates, decrease active and passive carriers of the virus, and ultimately attain herd immunity.The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
Observation of γγ → ττ in proton-proton collisions and limits on the anomalous electromagnetic moments of the τ lepton
Get PDFData availability statement: Release and preservation of data used by the CMS Collaboration as the basis for publications is guided by the CMS data preservation, re-use and open access policy at https://cms-docdb.cern.ch/cgi-bin/PublicDocDB/RetrieveFile?docid=6032%26filename=CMSDataPolicyV1.2.pdf%26version=2 .A preprint version of the article is available at arXiv:2406.03975v2 [hep-ex], https://arxiv.org/abs/2406.03975 . Comments: Replaced with the published version. Added the journal reference and the DOI. All the figures and tables, including additional supplementary figures, can be found at https://cms-results.web.cern.ch/cms-results/public-results/publications/SMP-23-005 (CMS Public Pages). Report number: CMS-SMP-23-005, CERN-EP-2024-127.The production of a pair of τ leptons via photon-photon fusion, γγ → ττ, is observed for the first time in proton-proton collisions, with a significance of 5.3 standard deviations. This observation is based on a data set recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb−1. Events with a pair of τ leptons produced via photon-photon fusion are selected by requiring them to be back-to-back in the azimuthal direction and to have a minimum number of charged hadrons associated with their production vertex. The τ leptons are reconstructed in their leptonic and hadronic decay modes. The measured fiducial cross section of γγ → ττ is σfidobs = 12.4 +3.8−3.1 fb. Constraints are set on the contributions to the anomalous magnetic moment (aτ) and electric dipole moments (dτ) of the τ lepton originating from potential effects of new physics on the γττ vertex: aτ = 0.0009 +0.0032−0.0031 and |dτ| < 2.9 × 10−17 ecm (95% confidence level), consistent with the standard model.SCOAP
The Effects of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) staff in England on Prescription Patterns and Patient Satisfaction
Get PDFData: The analysis presented in this article utilises publicly accessible data.Background: In 2019, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) was introduced in England as a crucial component of the government’s manifesto pledge to enhance access to general practice. The primary objective was to recruit 26,000 extra personnel through new roles into general practice. Aim: This study aimed to analyse the effects of ARRS staff on prescription rates and patient satisfaction. Design and Setting: The study was a retrospective panel data analysis combining data from the General Workforce Minimum Dataset and National Health Service (NHS) Digital datasets about primary care practices and their activity from 2018 until 2022. The study included data from more than 6000 general practices. Methods: A linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between ARRS staff and prescription rates and patient satisfaction, controlling for patient and practice characteristics. Results: The results showed that ARSS roles tend to be more frequent in larger general practices, with fewer full-time general practitioners per patient, and with more overseas trained general practitioners. The use of ARRS staff was significantly associated with lower prescription rates (β=-0.52, p<0.000) and higher patient satisfaction (β=3.2, p<0.000), after controlling for patient and practice characteristics. Conclusion: This study suggests that ARRS has the potential to have a positive role in primary care, notably through reduced prescription rates and improved patient satisfaction. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of ARRS on primary care, including patient outcomes and health care costs, and the potential barriers to its implementation.This study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (Grant Reference Number 568). C.N. receives funding from Horizon Europe [grant number ES/T008415/1] and from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, and Consortium iNEST (Interconnected North-Est Innovation Ecosystem) funded by the European Union Next-Generation EU (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) – Missione 4 Componente 2, Investimento 1.5 – D.D. 1058 23-06-2022, ECS-00000043) S.P. received support as a NIHR Senior Investigator (NF-SI-0616-202402) and from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. CS also receives support as an NIHR Senior Investigator ((NIHR 201314)
Prevalence of medial tibial stress syndrome in the British Armed Forces: a population-based study
Get PDFWHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC:
⇒ Medial tibial stress syndrome is common in military service personnel and athletes who are highly active, with slow recovery times.
⇒ Prevalence studies to date are based on small populations, for example, recruits and specific athletic populations. The prevalence of MTSS across the UK Armed Forces population prior to our study was not known.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS:
⇒ Our study found that MTSS affected approximately 1.61% of all service personnel and 4.34% of recruits in the British Armed Forces in 2018.
⇒ The prevalence of MTSS is highest in female recruits, affecting 7.03% of female recruits in the British Armed Forces in 2018.
HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY:
⇒ Having a better understanding of MTSS can help inform policy and guideline development, clinical priorities and future health economic models.Data availability statement:
No data are available. The raw data for this study was provided by Defence Statistics. Consent was provided for the author to analyse the data, however, not to share the raw data.Supplemental material is available online at: https://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/jramc/early/2024/11/21/military-2024-002788.full.pdf?with-ds=yes . This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ.Introduction: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is common in the Armed Forces due to the physical demands placed on service personnel (SP). There are no large studies reporting the extent to which MTSS affects the Armed Forces. A retrospective cross-sectional study design was used to report the annual prevalence of MTSS in the British Armed Forces and in training units and healthcare utilisation.
Methods: Secondary data were sourced from the electronic medical records for all SP with MTSS (20 257) between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2018. Prevalence was calculated annually across the Armed Forces and in recruits. Healthcare utilisation (number of contacts and days under the care of a healthcare professional) was reported according to characteristics of SP (sex, age, ethnicity, service branch, body composition measurement and medical discharge).
Results: Over 9 years, 20 257 SP were seen for MTSS. Prevalence of MTSS decreased across the Armed Forces, from 2.19% (95% CI 2.12 to 2.26) in 2013 to 1.61% (95% CI 1.55 to 1.68) in 2018. The prevalence of MTSS was 2.7 times higher in recruits, affecting 4.34% (95% CI 4.00 to 4.69) in 2018. In 2018, the prevalence in female recruits was over four times higher (7.03%, 95% CI 5.74 to 8.32) than trained female SP (1.60%, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.81) and higher than male recruits (4%, 95% CI 3.65 to 4.35). Comparing service branches, royal marines had the least healthcare input (median contacts (IQR): 3 (1–7.5)) over the least number of days (median days (IQR): 17 (0–154)), with the royal air force receiving the most (median contacts (IQR): 5 (2–13)) over the greatest number of days (median days (IQR): 76 (4–349)).
Conclusion: The prevalence of MTSS has reduced; however, it remains high in subsections of the Armed Forces, particularly in female recruits. There is a large variation in the amount and duration of healthcare input SP received for MTSS.The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors
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