278177 research outputs found
Sort by
Developing specialised ways of seeing as mathematics teacher educators
No full textThis chapter is about the interrelated expertise of mathematics teachers and mathematics teacher educators (MTEs), written by three MTEs who all teach or have taught on the same initial teacher education programme for secondary mathematics teachers in the southwest of England. The chapter tells a ‘then and now’ story focusing on the developing expertise of one of the authors, Tracy, by drawing on data from her PhD studies as a novice MTE (then) and from a recent research project working with three in-service mathematics teachers (now). In the first section, we use extracts from Tracy’s PhD to set the scene of the novice MTE in search of conviction and to introduce some of key ideas informing our conceptualisation of expertise. In section two, we draw on concepts from enactivism, including the link between perception and action and Rosch’s basic-level categories, to set up expertise as specialised ways of seeing linked to actions. In the third section, we present a recent dialogue between Tracy and three in-service mathematics teachers, to demonstrate their interrelated ways of seeing and to show how Tracy’s ways of seeing as an MTE have developed over time. Throughout this story of developing expertise, we focus on the way in which one principle, there is not one way of teaching mathematics, becomes a way of seeing for Tracy as an MTE, supported by the other two authors, Laurinda and Alf, and how this principle is a joint purpose for them in their ways of working with mathematics teachers
Bumper Drone:Elastic Morphology Design for Aerial Physical Interaction
No full textAerial robots are evolving from avoiding obstacles to exploiting the environmental contact interactions for navigation, exploration and manipulation. A key challenge in such aerial physical interactions lies in handling uncertain contact forces on unknown targets, which typically demand accurate sensing and active control. We present a drone platform with elastic horns that enables touch-and-go manoeuvres -- a self-regulated, consecutive bumping motion that allows the drone to maintain proximity to a wall without relying on active obstacle avoidance. It leverages environmental interaction as a form of embodied control, where low-level stabilisation and near-obstacle navigation emerge from the passive dynamic responses of the drone-obstacle system that resembles a mass-spring-damper system. Experiments show that the elastic horn can absorb impact energy while maintaining vehicle stability, reducing pitch oscillations by 38\% compared to the rigid horn configuration. The lower horn arrangement was found to reduce pitch oscillations by approximately 54\%. In addition to intermittent contact, the platform equipped with elastic horns also demonstrates stable, sustained contact with static objects, relying on a standard attitude PID controller
Governance Coordination Challenges in the UK’s ‘Mission-Led Government’
No full textThis article assesses the extent to which ‘mission-led government’ offers solutions to the UK’s governance coordination challenges. By setting goals that stimulate multi-actor responses, mission-led government aims to tackle cross-cutting societal challenges, such as public ill-health, environmental degradation, and stalling growth. Through analysis of policy documents, using the government’s health mission as a core example, this article considers this agenda against five governance coordination challenges: (i) over time, (ii) between policy priorities, (iii) across government agencies, (iv) across different tiers of government, and (v) between state and non-state actors. The impact of mission-led government varies across these challenges: there are examples of progress in coordination over time and across government tiers, but significant limitations and ambiguities across the agenda. A core problem is that mission-oriented policymaking is interpreted as a solution to coordination challenges, when it is better understood as a framework within which solutions can be develope
A Man with a Plan:William Waynflete and the Provision of Books for Magdalen College Library
No full textThis article examines the meticulous planning and design of Magdalen College Library, established in the fifteenth century by William Waynflete, bishop of Winchester. Using documentary evidence, the study highlights Waynflete’s extensive attention to detail, particularly regarding his substantial donation of at least eight hundred books to the library’s founding. Whilst previous scholarship has documented Waynflete’s architectural ambitions for his library, there has been little focus on the selection of the founding collection, as no inventory from its earliest years has survived. The article challenges assessments suggesting that Waynflete’s collection lacked a cohesive plan or that his gift could not have included as many as eight hundred books. Instead, it advocates for a more optimistic interpretation of Waynflete’s intentions, asserting that contemporary accounts of the eight hundred figure should be taken seriously and that he likely curated the collection to align with his educational objectives and vision for the college. By analysing surviving books, archival documentation, and Waynflete’s potential influence on benefactions, this study reconstructs the typology of books that might have composed Magdalen’s founding collection, shedding light on the intellectual environment he aimed to establish. The findings indicate that Waynflete’s ambitions extended beyond architectural grandeur, reflecting a deliberate effort to ensure the library served as a vital resource for the academic pursuits of Magdalen scholars and as a cornerstone of the college’s educational mission
Balsam, Bitumen, and Soap:Late Second Temple Jewish attitudes to healing and the Herodian trade of luxury medical ingredients
No full textCritical spin fluctuations across the superconducting dome in La<sub>2-<i>x</i></sub>Sr<sub><i>x</i></sub>CuO<sub>4</sub>
Get PDFOverdoped cuprate superconductors are strange metals above their superconducting transition temperature. In such materials, the electrical resistivity has a strong linear dependence on temperature (T) and electrical current is not carried by electron quasiparticles as in conventional metals. Here we demonstrate that the strange metal behavior co-exists with strongly temperature-dependent critical spin fluctuations showing dynamical scaling across the cuprate phase diagram. Our neutron scattering observations and the strange metal behavior are consistent with a spin density wave quantum phase transition in a metal with spatial disorder in the tuning parameter. Numerical computations on a Yukawa-Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model yield an extended `Griffiths phase' with scaling properties in agreement with observations, establishing that low-energy spin excitations and spatial disorder are central to the strange metal behavior
Design Opportunities at the Intersection of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Cystic Fibrosis, and Technology
No full textSex differences in cystic fibrosis (CF) affect symptom manifestation, severity, and life expectancy. Female hormonal fluctuations, both cyclical and lifelong, can exacerbate lung function issues, increase susceptibility to chronic infections, and lead to earlier mortality. With recent advances in modulator therapy, people with CF are living longer and encountering later phases of female sexual and reproductive health (SRH), from pregnancy to menopause. This longevity introduces new convergences between SRH and CF management. While technological innovations have begun to address aspects of female SRH and chronic condition management, they often overlook the unique complexities of these intersecting issues. Our qualitative study examines the experiences of people with CF across different female SRH, from menstruation to menopause, exploring their daily challenges and interactions with care. We discuss pluralistic approaches to FemTech, online communities, AI, and clinical technologies, providing implications for technologies to address the complexities of the intersection of CF and SRH
Touching Emotions, Smelling Shapes: Exploring Tactile, Olfactory and Emotional Cross-sensory Correspondences in Preschool Aged Children
No full textThe use of a wide range of sensory modalities is increasingly central to technologies for learning, communication, and affective regulation. During the preschool years, sensory integration develops rapidly, shaping how children perceive and make sense of their environments. A key component of this process is cross-sensory correspondence: the systematic ways in which perceptions in different sensory modalities influence one another. Despite its relevance, little is known about cross-sensory correspondences in preschool-aged children (2-4 years). We present a study with 26 preschoolers examining smell-touch-emotion correspondences through playful tasks. We found significant correspondences both between sensory modalities and between sensory modalities and affective judgements. Further analysis revealed association strategies underpinning these mappings. We contribute empirical insights into cross-sensory correspondences in early childhood, design guidelines that align with how preschoolers relate sensory input, and a replicable method for probing cross-sensory cognition in this age group
Surgical complications are common following hip fracture in Zimbabwe:a prospective cohort study
No full textAims:Hip fractures are an emerging public health challenge in Africa. Data on surgical outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are important to inform service delivery but are scarce. We aimed to characterise perioperative care, complications, and determine associations between the presence of complications and HRQoL among patients undergoing hip fracture in Zimbabwe. Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled patients aged ≥40 years with a surgically managed hip fracture in either of the two public or five-private hospitals in Harare, between October 2021 and October 2022. Patients were followed-up for 12-months. Outcomes included complications, disability and HRQoL measured using the WHODAS and EQ-5D instruments. Concordance with surgical guidelines and differences between public and private sector care were also evaluated. Trajectories of EQ-5D utility scores were estimated using non-linear mixed-effects models. Results:Of 116 patients, 59.5% were age ≥70 years and 47.9%(n=57) were female. Most (82.8%) were treated in public hospitals. Median time from injury to surgery was 25 days (IQR:10–45) including a median 16 days (IQR:8-27) between admission and surgery (with marked differences by hospital type (public: 20 days (10-30) vs. private: 4 days (2-7.5);p<0.001). Postoperative stays were short [median 3 (IQR:2-6) days]. Over half (55.2%) experienced one or more complications, most commonly pressure sores (24.1%), surgical site infection (22.9%) and delirium (9.5%). Prolonged admission (≥19 days) [OR=3.0;95%CI:1.15,7.81], delayed surgery (≥16 days after admission) [OR=2.46; 95%CI:1.16,5.21], and female sex [OR=2.96;95%CI:1.20, 7.30], were associated with complications in univariate analyses. Patients with complications reported lower HRQoL [β=-0.04; 95%CI:-0.07,-0.003] throughout follow-up. Conclusion:Patients with hip fracture in Zimbabwe experience long delays to surgery and high complication rates, particularly in public hospitals. Poorer outcomes were strongly associated with surgical delay. Standardising care delivery, reducing time to surgery, and expanding post-discharge care, are essential to improve outcome