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Learning to argue and arguing to learn: Unpacking the nature of criticality development in English for academic purposes for political science in a Thai university context
No full textThis study investigates the nature of criticality development in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) for Political Science at a Thai public university, focusing on how argumentation and critical thinking evolve. Guided by an interpretivist research paradigm, it employs a qualitative case study approach to explore educators' conceptualisations of criticality, examine pedagogical practices through classroom observations, and analyse discourse patterns and linguistic demands in argumentative writing. Drawing on Johnston et al.'s (2011) model of developmental criticality and integrating frameworks such as “Learning to Argue” and “Arguing to Learn,” the research highlights the progression from foundational argumentative skills to advanced critical engagement.Key findings indicate that the development of criticality is deeply intertwined with argumentation practices, as revealed through interviews, classroom observations, and argument analysis. Interviews with educators shed light on varying conceptualisations of criticality, influencing pedagogical approaches and expectations. Observations of classroom interactions reveal that while structured guidance is crucial for developing foundational argumentative skills, it is also essential to balance this with opportunities for students to explore and critically engage with complex, discipline-specific issues. The analysis highlights how students develop from using simple argument structures to employing advanced techniques, such as effectively countering opposing views and presenting well-supported arguments, reflecting a higher level of critical engagement and understanding of the subject matter. Collectively, these findings suggest the multifaceted nature of criticality and show that effective argumentation encompasses both foundational skills and advanced, discipline-specific inquiry.The study identifies distinct stages in criticality development, from early guided practices to autonomous, sophisticated argumentation and demonstrates how argumentation skills develop alongside criticality. It highlights the importance of structured pedagogical frameworks and the role of disciplinary content in shaping critical practices. This thesis contributes to a nuanced understanding of criticality development and suggests that EAP should better support students in bridging language proficiency with disciplinary knowledge. It calls for future research to further explore how instructional strategies and interdisciplinary approaches can enhance criticality across various academic contexts
Remote awareness of image quality for multiweek shore-launched AUV surveys
No full textVisual seafloor imaging using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) has become an established method for seafloor mapping and monitoring. With AUVs now achieving multiweek endurance and several hundred kilometers of range on a single charge, image quality assessment (IQA) on-board vehicles in the field is necessary for robust data acquisition given the sensitivity of underwater imaging surveys to environmental conditions. This research develops a metric to assess seafloor image quality in situ, and demonstrates its use for quality assurance during a 21-day, shore-launched AUV campaign that visited three sites up to 170 km from shore. The metric was transmitted via satellite communication along with vehicle telemetry to shore-based AUV operators during regular surfacing intervals without relying on physical vehicle recovery. The method was implemented on the seafloor laser scan and strobed imaging system BioCam, deployed on the Autosub Long Range (ALR) AUV (also known as Boaty McBoatface) in the North Sea. Several tens of hectares of seafloor imagery were collected, and image quality scores were transmitted. This information was used to retask the AUV and maximize the quality of acquired images within operational constraints. Data products generated from the collected imagery show the improvements achieved that would otherwise have been missed. This highlights the importance of remote awareness of data quality to facilitate longer and consecutive mapping missions without reliance on physical vehicle recovery
Paranoia, functioning, and the moderating effect of well‐being in a community sample of adolescents
No full textIntroduction: paranoid ideation is a relatively common experience in adolescence, yet it has not been well-explored in relation to psychological well-being and functioning in general population samples of youth. The current study aimed to investigate the relations between paranoia (operationalized as “persecutory ideation”), well-being, and two domains of functioning, social (e.g., interpersonal relationships) and role (e.g., school and home responsibilities), in adolescence. Methods: this nonclinical sample of adolescents (n = 462, aged 14–17 years, 50% male, 50% female) was recruited from the United Kingdom and the United States via an online survey in 2022. Results: correlations indicated significant associations between persecutory ideation, in the negative direction, and well-being, in the positive direction, with both social and role functioning. With respect to social, but not role, functioning, these associations remained significant in linear regression analyses controlling for the effects of depression, past-year bullying/victimization, and past-year adverse life events. A subsequent analysis indicated that the association between persecutory ideation and social functioning was moderated by well-being. Persecutory ideation was significantly associated with social functioning at the lowest level of well-being (1 SD below the mean), but not at moderate (mean) or high (1 SD above the mean) levels of well-being.Conclusions: results suggest that among adolescents, persecutory ideation is negatively associated with functioning. Furthermore, novel findings suggest that well-being may buffer the association between persecutory ideation and social functioning. Therapeutic interventions targeting well-being may be helpful for youth experiencing paranoia, especially with respect to maintaining relationships and social connectedness.</p
SN 2023xwi: forbidden line emission in the peak spectrum of a Ca-strong transient
No full textWe present an extensive optical photometric and spectroscopic investigation into the calcium-rich supernova (SN) - SN2023xwi. Observations from a variety of ground-based telescopes follow the SN from 8 days pre-peak brightness to 87 days post-peak, covering both early-time (photospheric) and late-time (nebular) phases of the supernova. Objects of this class are characterised by nebular spectra that are dominated by [Ca II] λλ 7291, 7324 emission. SN 2023xwi displays a unique peculiarity in that its forbidden [Ca II] feature is visible in its peak photospheric spectrum - far earlier than expected in current models. This is one of the strongest and earliest detections of this feature in Ca-rich SNe in photospheric-phase spectra. We investigate the velocity evolution of this spectral feature and show that it cannot be easily explained by conventional progenitor systems. From our observations, we propose a SN progenitor embedded in an environment polluted by a recurrent He-nova AM CVn system
Chromatic acclimation shapes phytoplankton biogeography
No full textMarine photoautotrophs have evolved to exploit the ocean’s variable light conditions, with chromatic acclimators being able to adjust their pigment content to better match the ambient light color. The impact of chromatic acclimation on phytoplankton distribution and competition is not well understood despite its global importance. This study explores chromatic acclimation’s role in shaping the biogeography of Synechococcus, a widespread cyanobacterium. We integrated three pigment types into a global ecosystem model: a green-light specialist, a blue-light specialist, and a chromatic acclimator. Laboratory studies defined each type’s specific absorption properties. Our results indicate that chromatic acclimation offers an evolutionary advantage by enabling Synechococcus to adapt to varying light environments. This ability to mimic blue- and green-light specialists and enhance absorption at intermediate states, particularly in areas with high seasonal light variations, increases Synechococcus distribution and biomass. Thus, chromatic acclimation affects ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical processes in the ocean
Optical analog of black and white gravitational holes
No full textIn general relativity, a gravitational “white hole” is a hypothetical region of space that cannot be entered from outside. It is the reverse of a “black hole” from which light and information cannot escape. We report an optical device exhibiting intriguing similarities to these objects. It will either totally absorb (optical black hole) or totally reject (optical white hole) light of any wavelength, depending on its polarization. The device’s functionality is based on the formation of a standing wave from the wavefront of spatially coherent incident radiation. Interaction of the standing wave with a thin absorber enables coherent perfect absorption and transmission, whereas polarization sensitivity arises from the geometrical phase of the interfering beams. We provide experimental proof-of-principle demonstrations and show that the device operates as a black and white hole for orthogonal polarizations of the incident light. From a remote point, it will look similar to a gravitational black or white hole depending on the polarization of light. In principle, the optical black and white hole device can operate as a deterministic absorber or rejector throughout the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Broadband absorbers and rejectors can be useful for energy harvesting, detection, stealth technologies, and redistribution of light.</p
Procalcitonin-guided duration of antibiotic treatment in children hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection in the UK (BATCH): a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, two-arm, individually randomised, controlled trial
No full textBackground: procalcitonin is a rapid response biomarker specific for bacterial infection, which is not routinely used in the UK National Health Service. We aimed to assess whether using a procalcitonin-guided algorithm would safely reduce the duration of antibiotic therapy compared with usual care, in which C-reactive protein is the commonly used biomarker. Methods: the BATCH trial was a pragmatic, multicentre, open-label, parallel, two-arm, individually randomised, controlled trial conducted in 15 hospitals in England and Wales. Children aged 72 h to 18 years who were admitted to hospital and were being treated with intravenous antibiotics for suspected or confirmed bacterial infection and who were expected to remain on intravenous antibiotics for more than 48 h were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either current clinical management alone (usual care group) or clinical management with the addition of a procalcitonin test guided algorithm (procalcitonin group). Participants were randomly assigned by minimisation, with site and age group (0–6 months, 6 months to 2 years, 2–5 years, and older than 5 years) as minimisation factors and a random element to reduce predictability. Participants were randomly assigned remotely using a secure 24 h web-based randomisation programme. The coprimary outcomes were duration of intravenous antibiotic use, assessed for superiority, and a composite safety measure, assessed for non-inferiority (non-inferiority margin 5%). The primary analysis sample for each coprimary endpoint included all randomly assigned participants with available outcome data. This trial is registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry, ISRCTN11369832. Findings: between June 11, 2018, and Oct 12, 2022, 15 282 children were screened for eligibility, 1949 of whom were randomly assigned to receive procalcitonin-guided antibiotic therapy (n=977) or usual care (n=972). The median intravenous antibiotic duration was 96·0 h (IQR 59·5–155·5) in the procalcitonin group and 99·7 h (61·2–153·8) in the usual care group (hazard ratio 0·96 [95% CI 0·87–1·05]). 78 (9%) of 917 participants in the procalcitonin group and 85 (9%) of 904 participants in the usual care group had at least one event covered by the composite safety outcome measure (estimated adjusted risk difference –0·81% [95% CI upper bound 1·11]). Interpretation: in children with suspected or confirmed bacterial infection admitted to hospitals in England and Wales for intravenous antibiotic treatment of at least 48 h, the introduction of a procalcitonin-guided algorithm did not reduce duration of intravenous antibiotics treatment and is non-inferior to usual care for safety outcomes. Therefore, evidence does not support the use of procalcitonin-guided algorithms where robust effective paediatric antibiotic stewardship programmes are established. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research.</p
Serious games for ethical preference elicitation
No full textAutonomous agents acting on behalf of humans must act according to their ethical preferences. However, ethical preferences are latent and abstract and thus it is challenging to elicit them. To address this, we present a serious game that helps elicit ethical preferences in a more dynamic and engaging way than traditional methods such as questionnaires or simple dilemmas
Features of intermediate and late dry age-related macular degeneration on adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy: Pinnacle Study Report 8
No full textBackground/Objectives: adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy (AOO) has the potential to provide insights into AMD pathology and to assess the risk of progression. We aim to utilise AOO to describe detailed features of intermediate AMD and to characterise microscopic changes during atrophy development.Subjects/Methods: patients with intermediate AMD were recruited into PINNACLE, a prospective observational cohort study. Participants underwent flood-illumination AOO using the commercially available rtx1 camera. AOO images were qualitatively assessed and correlated with clinical imaging including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and infrared scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.Results: the visibility of cone mosaic was generally compromised in eyes with intermediate AMD. We observed an association between the visibility of cone mosaic on AOO and the detection of a well-defined normal interdigitation zone on OCT. Drusen subtypes were identified on AOO as variations in reflectance at the edge and/or the centre of the druse. The absence of a hyperreflective margin was associated with the loss of the overlying ellipsoid zone on OCT prior to the collapse of the druse. With progressive attenuation of the retinal pigment epithelium and loss of photoreceptor layers, the drusenoid lesion appeared more hyperreflective with very distinctive edges.Conclusions: this cross-sectional study supports the potential value of AOO for providing information on intermediate AMD and the development of atrophic lesions that cannot be seen in conventional imaging modalities. The ongoing longitudinal PINNACLE study is assessing the significance of the described findings
Pride in place - Beyond the metrics: Insights from the Feeling Towns project
Get PDFThis brief uses insights from Feeling Towns to make recommendations for UK Government, local authorities and cultural-heritage bodies about the significance of understanding pride in shaping and evaluating policy.This is a newer version of the document Marsh, Nicky, Howcroft, Michael J and Owen, Joseph (2024) "Pride in place" beyond the metrics: insights from the Feeling Towns project (AHRC Place Programme Policy Brief Series) Arts and Humanities Research Council 3pp.https://doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.32192
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