Relational pedagogy for student engagement and success at university

The Australian Government's policy to transform higher education by 2020 includes plans to significantly raise the levels of undergraduate enrolment by people of low socio-economic status. In light of this policy direction, this article examines how a group of undergraduate students of low socio-economic status work to maintain their desire for learning and to remain included in the university system despite experiencing cultural processes of exclusion. As the students reflect on the cultural and pedagogical conditions that promote, support and enhance their participation and engagement in higher education, a picture emerges of the importance of students' relationships with academics. Whilst positive relationships help students to remain engaged, negative experiences work against continuing participation and engagement. Given the desire of the Australian government to increase participation in higher education by students from under-represented groups, this research identifies some challenges and possibilities for both universities and academics

Range safety signal attenuation by the Space Shuttle main engine exhaust plumes

An analysis of attenuation of the range safety signal at 416.5 MHz observed after SRB separation and ending at hand over to Bermuda, during which transmission must pass through the LOX/H2 propelled main engine exhaust plumes, is summarized. Absorption by free electrons in the exhaust plume can account for the nearly constant magnitude of the observed attenuation during this period; it does not explain the short term transient increases that occur at one or more times during this portion of the flight. It is necessary to assume that a trace amount (about 0.5 ppm) of easily ionizable impurity must be present in the exhaust flow. Other mechanisms of attenuation, such as scattering by turbulent fluctuations of both free and bound electrons and absorption by water vapor, were examined but found to be inadequate to explain the observations

A marine environmental monitoring and assessment program

The need for the use of modern, extremely sensitive techniques to aid in rapidly and synoptically assessing the relative health and production of coastal waters and estuaries is reported. Major emphasis is placed on establishing a solid foundation for the use of remote sensing in basic oceanographic studies and the management of human wastes

Intellectual challenge is as necessary as breathing: an interview with Laurence Wright

Professor Laurence Wright is Director of the Institute for the Study of English in Africa at Rhodes University. In 2009, he will have completed 25 years of research, teaching and scholarship at Rhodes University and this interview marks the occasion. A Rhodes Scholar and a Commonwealth Scholar, he studied at the universities of Rhodes, Warwick and Oxford. He is also Honorary Life President of the Shakespeare Society of Southern Africa. He has published widely in literary studies and is the Managing Editor of two academic journals as well as of the poetry magazine New Coin. He currently serves on the Council of the English Academy and is a co-opted member of the English National Language Body. He has taken a broad interest in the role of English in this country, ranging from language policy and teacher education matters, to archival research and the role of the humanities in public life. I thought that it would be worthwhile to interview him as his knowledge of literature is substantial, while his incisive and engaging thoughts on a range of topics are worth hearing. The interview was conducted intermittently by email between July and October, 2008

Three-leg correlations in the two component spanning tree on the upper half-plane

We present a detailed asymptotic analysis of correlation functions for the two component spanning tree on the two-dimensional lattice when one component contains three paths connecting vicinities of two fixed lattice sites at large distance $s$ apart. We extend the known result for correlations on the plane to the case of the upper half-plane with closed and open boundary conditions. We found asymptotics of correlations for distance $r$ from the boundary to one of the fixed lattice sites for the cases $r\gg s \gg 1$ and $s \gg r \gg 1$.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

Integrals of Motion for Critical Dense Polymers and Symplectic Fermions

We consider critical dense polymers ${\cal L}(1,2)$. We obtain for this model the eigenvalues of the local integrals of motion of the underlying Conformal Field Theory by means of Thermodynamic Bethe Ansatz. We give a detailed description of the relation between this model and Symplectic Fermions including the indecomposable structure of the transfer matrix. Integrals of motion are defined directly on the lattice in terms of the Temperley Lieb Algebra and their eigenvalues are obtained and expressed as an infinite sum of the eigenvalues of the continuum integrals of motion. An elegant decomposition of the transfer matrix in terms of a finite number of lattice integrals of motion is obtained thus providing a reason for their introduction.Comment: 53 pages, version accepted for publishing on JSTA

On the structure of the scalar mesons f0(975)f_0(975) and a0(980)a_0(980)

We investigate the structure of the scalar mesons $f_0(975)$ and $a_0(980)$ within realistic meson-exchange models of the $\pi\pi$ and $\pi\eta$ interactions. Starting from a modified version of the J\"ulich model for $\pi\pi$ scattering we perform an analysis of the pole structure of the resulting scattering amplitude and find, in contrast to existing models, a somewhat large mass for the $f_0(975)$ ($m_{f_0}=1015$ MeV, $\Gamma_{f_0}=30$ MeV). It is shown that our model provides a description of $J/\psi\rightarrow\phi\pi\pi/\phi KK$ data comparable in quality with those of alternative models. Furthermore, the formalism developed for the $\pi\pi$ system is consistently extended to the $\pi\eta$ interaction leading to a description of the $a_0(980)$ as a dynamically generated threshold effect (which is therefore neither a conventional $q\overline{q}$ state nor a $K\overline{K}$ bound state). Exploring the corresponding pole position the $a_0(980)$ is found to be rather broad ($m_{a_0}=991$ MeV, $\Gamma_{a_0}=202$ MeV). The experimentally observed smaller width results from the influence of the nearby $K\overline{K}$ threshold on this pole.Comment: 25 pages, 15 Postscript figure

Attitudes Towards Sports Concussion in Australian Exercise Science Students. Does the Type and Level of Participation in Sport Matter?

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(5): 739-753, 2018. Concussion in sport is a growing public health issue. However, research suggests that under-reporting of concussion by student-athlete cohorts reflects conflicting attitudes compared to the wider community. Interestingly, previous studies have focused on the attitudes and beliefs irrespective of the type or level of sport played at. This study explored concussion beliefs and attitudes in a cohort of Australian exercise science students, analyzing responses based upon the type and the level of sport participated. Two-hundred and ninety-four students (m = 208; f = 86; age 22 ± 5.2 years) responded to a series of statements regarding their personal attitudes and beliefs towards concussion, risk playing with a concussion, and their views on elite/professional athletes who continue to play after a concussion. Data was compared between the type of sport played (team and individual, contact and non-contact) and the level of sport played at (elite, regional and recreational). Significant differences were reported in those experiencing a concussion, and the number of concussions sustained between different types of sports. Specifically, significant differences in attitudes between team-contact versus individual non-contact sports were found. Similarly, significant differences in attitudes were observed between team contact and individual non-contact sports. Conversely, similar attitudes were found between team contact, team non-contact and individual contact. Irrespective of the level of competition, no differences were found in previous concussion history and the number of concussions, reflecting similar attitudes. The data from this study suggests that concussion awareness programs should be delivered across all sports and to all levels

The advantages of political affiliation : dependent and independent small-island profiles

It appears that the independence candle for islands has been snuffed, at least for the moment. The current status is regarded as the best of both worlds. Island jurisdictions wield many of the benefits associated with political sovereignty while they are delegating responsibilities to, and enjoying the security and reaping the material benefits of remaining in association with, a larger, and typically richer, patron (Baldacchino,2004).peer-reviewe