MILO: Models of innovation in learning online at Key Stage 3 and 14-19: Final report

The report presents and analyses eight case studies, which reflect a wide range of models of online learning, each of which has been developed for specific reasons, largely in relation to visions of how technology can transform learning, but also to solve practical problems such as re-engaging disaffected learners and coping with rising pupil numbers

MILO: Models of innovation in learning online at Key Stage 3 and 14-19: Final report appendices

This document contains the appendices to the main report, which presents case studies, which reflect a wide range of models of online learning, each of which has been developed for specific reasons, largely in relation to visions of how technology can transform learning, but also to solve practical problems such as re-engaging disaffected learners and coping with rising pupil numbers

MILO: Models of innovation in learning online at Key Stage 3 and 14-19: Final report executive summary

This summary report presents and analyses the key findings from eight case studies, which reflect a wide range of models of online learning, each of which has been developed for specific reasons, largely in relation to visions of how technology can transform learning, but also to solve practical problems such as re-engaging disaffected learners and coping with rising pupil numbers

Shale gas governance in the United Kingdom and the United States : Opportunities for public participation and the implications for social justice

Questions abound about the appropriate governance systems to manage the risks of unconventional oil and gas development, and the ability for citizens to engage and participate in those systems. In this paper, we map the development of shale gas governance in the US and UK; we highlight the contrasting systems of land ownership and mineral rights, compare the opportunities that these systems of governance present the general public to participate and become involved in shale gas decisions and consider the implications on issues of social justice. We conclude that in both countries, that despite government and industry engagement rhetoric and associated processes, the publics’ influence on shale gas decisions is perceived to be minimal or not at all. We argue that the implications of the observed institutional governance systems, with few opportunities for citizen influence, are developments which inherently lack social justice, procedural fairness, and ultimately, a social license to operate

Stakeholder Participation in the Environmental Clean Up of Radioactive Wastes in the United Kingdom, Japan and United States

We review our program of research on stakeholder participation with environmental cleanup from radioactive wastes in the United States, Japan and United Kingdom (e.g., [21,26,27,66]). Citizen participation programs in all three countries are at different stages: mature in the US, starting in Japan, and becoming operational in the UK. The US issue at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina (SC) had been focused on citizens encouraging Federal (Department of Energy, or DOE; Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA) and State (SC's Department of Health and Environmental Compliance, or DHEC) agencies to aggressively pursue "Plug-in-RODs" at SRS to reduce the paperwork involved in order to accelerate the closure of seepage basins at SRS. The issue in Japan is an effective division of labor among participants and the representation of different perspectives in the deliberation process, including citizens. The UK issue is centered around effective citizen participation with the UK's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Looking at our program of research, our hope is that a review of the programs in these three countries may improve citizen advisory programs

Participant Perceptions on the Nature of Stakeholder Dialogue Carried Out by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)

The engagement of stakeholders in a dialogue on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the retrieval and treatment of nuclear waste in the UK has proved challenging. The action orientated research presented here has used a mixed methodological approach to examine participants’ perceptions regarding the nature of dialogue being carried out by the NDA National Stakeholder Group (NSG), with the emancipatory aim of raising participant awareness regarding their role and the nature of the dialogue used. Exploration of the emergent theme of fairness has enabled the researcher to provide a contribution to stakeholder theory. This research adds to the theory of the deliberative institution (Reed, 2008), providing evidence for why the effective influence of stakeholders on decision making, communication about this influence, and the institutionalization of stakeholder participation is as important as the engagement itself. The work also provides an important epistemological contribution regarding the role of dialogue within the concept of social sustainability

IFHA Global Summit on Equine Safety & Technology: What veterinary scientists want from racing

Everyone involved in racing, whether they be veterinary surgeons, scientists, regulatory authorities, employees and supporters are acutely aware of the increasing degree of public scrutiny under which racing operates. The welfare of horses in our joint care has always been massively important, but the general public’s view on what constitutes the acceptable management and use of horses in sport is rapidly changing. It is therefore more crucial than ever that veterinary science and the racing industry dovetail to make racing safer for horses under our care, but also to show that positive change is happening

Förster energy transfer between neighbouring chromophores in C-phycocyanin trimers

The excitation-energy transfer in C-phycocyanin (C-PC) trimers and monomers isolated from phycobilisomes of Mastigocladus laminosus has been studied by polarization femtosecond laser spectroscopy. Excitation with 70-fs pulses at 615 nm gave rise to a 500-fs energy-transfer process that was observed only in trimeric preparations. The rate of the process is in agreement with earlier calculated Förster energy transfer rates between neighbouring α-84 and β-84 chromophores of different monomeric subunits. This process is most clearly seen in the anisotropy decay kinetics. As a result of femtosecond excitation-energy transfer, the anisotropy relaxes from 0.4 to 0.23. The final anisotropy value is in fair agreement with the results of calculations based on the crystal structure and spectroscopic data of C-PC trimers. Our results support the conclusion that Förster energy transfer can occur between excitonically coupled chromophores

Genetic architecture of EEG power spectra in early life

We measured the electroencephalogram (EEG) in 209 5 year old monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs to estimate the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to EEG power spectra in early life. Data from same-sex and from opposite-sex twin pairs were used to test for sex differences in genetic influences. Results showed high concordance for EEGs of MZ twins for absolute and relative power in δ, θ, α1, α2, β1 and β2 bands. A model with additive genetic and unique environmental influences explained individual differences in both absolute and relative power in almost all bands and all electrode positions. Heritability of EEG power spectra was high. For absolute power the highest heritabilities were observed in θ, α1, α2 and β1 power bands (mean heritability 81, 81, 78, and 73%, respectively). Somewhat lower heritabilities were found in δ and β2 bands (mean heritability 55 and 64%, respectively). For relative power heritabilities were 63, 76, 71, 72, 68, and 65 for δ, θ, α1, α2, β1, and β2, respectively. Virtually no sex differences in heritability were found. These findings indicate that the background EEG is one of the most heritable characteristics in early life