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Clinical-year veterinary students are most likely to be confident and competent in calving procedures after blending simulator practicals with videos
Get PDFBackground: Veterinary students require safer practice of calving scenarios;
however, the effects of a high-fidelity calving simulator (SIM) practical and/or
videos (computer-assisted learning [CAL]) on student calving confidence
(CONF) and competence (COMP) are unknown.
Methods: Fourth-year veterinary students received no teaching beyond previous lectures (LEC, n = 60), CAL (n = 59), SIM (n = 96) or CAL&SIM (n =
85). Students scored their CONF in 13 individual calving tasks before and
after teaching delivery and were subsequently skill tested by internal (faculty)
or external/peer/technical OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination)
assessors (non-faculty).
Results: Higher cumulative CONF scores required practical exposure (SIM
42.3 [95% confidence interval, CI 40.9–43.8], CAL&SIM 44.3 [95% CI 42.8–45.7]
vs. LEC 33.3 [95% CI 31.2–35.5] and CAL 35.4 [95% CI 33.5–37.4]; p < 0.05),
while videos already improved the OSCE pass rate (CAL 73%, SIM 84%,
CAL&SIM 87% vs. LEC 40%; p < 0.05).
Blending CAL&SIM achieved the highest odds of students being ‘confident/very confident’ (odds ratio [OR] 18.5, p < 0.001) and passing the OSCE
(OR 11.8, p < 0.001) with smaller positive effects of experience and baseline
confidence on CONF or non-faculty assessors on COMP (OR 2‒4, p < 0.01).
Limitations: Benefits of improved student CONF and COMP in real-life
calving scenarios are likely but unknown.
Conclusions: Best preparation for managing calving scenarios is blending
simulator videos with the practical
Temperature-sensitive incubation, transmissibility, and risk of Aedes albopictus-borne chikungunya virus in Europe
No full textChikungunya virus (CHIKV) has been reported in over 10 European countries. Despite the temperature sensitivity of mosquito-borne viruses, there are no specific models describing the temperature–trait relationship for the extrinsic incubation period (EIP) and vector competence (VC) of CHIKV within Aedes albopictus. This limits our understanding of how temperature influences CHIKV transmission risk in Europe. We used trait data obtained from a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-guided literature review to model the temperature–trait relationships for EIP and VC. These relationships were then integrated into a temperature-dependent basic reproduction number, R0T , EIP50 to generate climate-based risk maps and seasonal suitability. We estimate a maximum of 8.7 days at 18°C, a minimum of 1.7 days at 30°C. The vector competence range spans 13.8–31.8°C, peaking at 25.6°C. Moreover, CHIKV is transmissible at lower temperatures than previously recognized, suggesting plausible transmission across most of Europe in July and August, with extended suitability from May to November in southern regions. CHIKV transmission is possible across a broad thermal range, placing large parts of Europe at risk—especially southern regions. Understanding which transmission areas receive the most incursions from trade and tourism during this period can further delineate risk areas for management
Module structure of Weyl algebras
No full textThe seminal paper (Stafford, J. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 18 (1978), no. 3, 429–442) was a major step forward in our understanding of Weyl algebras. Beginning with Serre’s Theorem on free summands of projective modules and Bass’ Stable Range Theorem in commutative algebra, we attempt to trace the origins of this work and explain how it led to Stafford’s construction of non-holonomic simple modules over Weyl algebras. We also describe Bernstein–Lunts’ geometric construction of infinite families of non-holonomic simple modules. We recall more recent developments related to Weyl algebras, especially that of parametrising right ideals in the first Weyl algebra andits relation to Calogero–Moser spaces. Finally, we revisit Stafford’s results in the context of quantised symplectic singularities, where they lead naturally to open problems on the behaviour of simple modules
Solution-phase decoupled water electrolysis in a flow cell with a simple size exclusion membrane separator
No full textPerfluorosulfonic acid membranes are currently the state-of-the-art in terms of electrolytes for proton exchange membrane electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen using renewably-generated power. This is because such materials are chemically robust, have low resistance, and importantly because they greatly reduce the mixing of the hydrogen and oxygen products of electrolysis. However, these materials are also acknowledged to have a number of drawbacks for large-scale use, including high cost, supply shortages and the fact that perfluoro compounds are “forever chemicals” that persist in the environment and are difficult to recycle. In decoupled electrolysis, the hydrogen and oxygen products can be generated in entirely different spaces at entirely different times, and so (at least in theory), gas-impermeable perfluorosulfonic acid membranes are not required in order to prevent gas mixing. However, the use of alternative membranes in solution-phase decoupled electrolysis has received very little attention to date. Herein, we show that a (gas-permeable) simple cellulose-based membrane can be employed in a solution-phase decoupled electrolysis flow system across a range of current densities (25–500 mA/cm²) for 5 h, without evidence for any significant gas mixing. Although optimisation of the membranes for more extended operation is required, this work serves to show that cheap and simple size exclusion membranes are viable for safe water electrolysis in a decoupled system, potentially allowing the replacement of perfluorosulfonic acid membranes in a number of electrolysis applications
Frailty: measurement and utility in avian studies
Get PDFHere, I discuss the utility of the concept of frailty, which is widely used in human gerontology, for studies of ageing in wild animals and birds in particular. Frailty indices generally aim to capture the age-specific health status of individuals via relatively simple measures of whole-organism performance. I discuss why we might find frailty indices useful in studies of animal life histories, environmental factors and ageing, and how frailty might be usefully measured in birds by different methods. I also discuss limitations and caveats
Unsolvability and Beyond in Many-To-Many Non-Bipartite Stable Matching
No full textWe study the Stable Fixtures problem, a many-to-many generalisation of the classical non-bipartite Stable Roommates matching problem. Building on the foundational work of Tan on stable partitions, we extend his results to this significantly more general setting and develop a rich framework for understanding stable structures in many-to-many contexts. Our main contribution, the notion of a generalised stable partition (GSP), not only characterises the solution space of this problem, but also serves as a versatile tool for reasoning about ordinal preference systems with capacity constraints.
We show that a GSP can be computed efficiently and can provide an elegant representation of key aspects of a preference system. Leveraging a connection to stable half-matchings, we also establish a non-bipartite analogue of the Rural Hospitals Theorem for stable half-matchings and GSPs, and connect our results to recent work on near-feasible matchings, providing a simpler algorithm and tighter analysis for this problem. Beyond structural insights, we conduct the first empirical analysis of random Stable Fixtures instances, uncovering surprising results, such as the impact of capacity functions on the solvability likelihood
Comparing Feedback Practices in Higher Education: Perspectives from Academics and Students in the UK and Saudi Arabia
No full textThis full research paper compares the perspectives of academics and students on feedback practices in computer science higher education across two distinct contexts: the United Kingdom (UK) and Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study examines the frequency of feedback types, delivery preferences, current practices, and student engagement and interest in feedback. A mixed methods approach was used with 340 participants (students: 186 KSA, 67 UK; academics: 72 KSA, 15 UK), using questionnaires available in both English and Arabic. The results indicate that summative feedback is the most common, with a general preference for electronic textual formats. KSA feedback was viewed as more encouraging, while the UK feedback emphasized clarity and alignment with the assessment criteria. However, detailed feedback was often lacking. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in perceived current practices and engagement. KSA instructors rated their practices more positively than the UK instructors and their students. Additionally, students and instructors in both regions differed in how they perceived student engagement with feedback. Qualitative analysis identified four key challenges: feedback quality, communication barriers, fairness concerns, and time constraints. These findings underscore the role of cultural and institutional contexts and point to the need for inclusive and improvement-oriented feedback systems. The study also offers pedagogical insights to support a more effective feedback design in CS education
Martin Jim Aitken: 11 March 1922 - 13 June 2017
Get PDFMartin Jim Aitken was a pioneering physicist who profoundly influenced the new discipline of archaeometry, bridging physics to archaeology and revolutionizing artefact dating and analysis methods. Born and raised in Lincolnshire, he accepted a radio bursary to Wadham College, Oxford in 1941. After four years' RAF service during the Second World War, he returned to Oxford, completing BA and MA studies in physics, a DPhil and early postdoctoral research in nuclear physics at the Clarendon Laboratory. In 1957 his career shifted when he led the application of neutron activation analysis to ancient coins, sparking a lifelong devotion to archaeological science. He innovated the use of proton free precession to detect buried remains, in 1958 uncovering Romano-British kilns at Durobrivae and defensive earthen structures at Verulamium, then introduced ‘archaeomagnetism’, utilizing remanent magnetism measurements to reconstruct Earth’s magnetic field history. His greatest contribution soon followed: establishing thermoluminescence dating of pottery and burnt flints as an indispensable technique in archaeology and human origins research. He subsequently developed optically stimulated luminescence and infrared stimulated luminescence for dating sediments, transformational for both Earth sciences and prehistory. As Oxford professor of archaeometry and, for 30 years, the distinguished deputy director of the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) at Oxford, he was a passionate educator and science communicator. He founded the journal Archaeometry, established international symposia and conferences to promote knowledge-sharing, and left a deep legacy extending through his students, colleagues, the impact of RLAHA and international scientific communities, which he inspired
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