OER Evidence Report 2013-2014

The Open Educational Resources Research Hub (OER Research Hub) provides a focus for research, designed to give answers to the overall question ‘What is the impact of OER on learning and teaching practices?’ and identify the particular influence of openness. We do this by working in collaboration with projects across four education sectors (K12, college, higher education and informal) extending a network of research with shared methods and shared results. The project combines: – Targeted research collaboration with high profile OER projects – A programme of international fellowship – Global networking and expertise in OER implementation and evaluation – A hub for research data and excellence in practice This report is an interim review of evidence recorded against the key hypotheses that focus the research of the OER Research Hub project

High power impulse magnetron sputtering discharges: Instabilities and plasma self-organization

We report on instabilities in high power impulse magnetron sputtering plasmas which are likely to be of the generalized drift wave type. They are characterized by well defined regions of high and low plasma emissivity along the racetrack of the magnetron and cause periodic shifts in floating potential. The azimuthal mode number m depends on plasma current, plasma density, and gas pressure. The structures rotate in × direction at velocities of ∼10 km s−1 and frequencies up to 200 kHz. Collisions with residual gas atoms slow down the rotating wave, whereas increasing ionization degree of the gas and plasma conductivity speeds it up

The human area postrema and other nuclei related to the emetic reflex express cAMP phosphodiesterases 4B and 4D

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, i.e. rolipram, are being extensively investigated as therapeutic agents in several diseases. Emesis is one of the most common side effects of PDE4 inhibitors. Given the fact that the area postrema is considered the chemoreceptor trigger zone for vomiting, the present study investigates the regional distribution and cellular localization of the four gene transcripts of the PDE4 subfamily (PDE4A, PDE4B, PDE4C and PDE4D) in human brainstem. In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to locate the mRNA distribution of the four PDE4 subfamilies in the area postrema and related nuclei of human postmortem brainstem. We have found that in the brainstem PDE4B and PDE4D mRNA expression is abundant and distributed not only in neuronal cells, but also in glial cells, and on blood vessels. The hybridization signals for PDE4B and PDE4D mRNAs in the area postrema were stronger than those in any other nuclei in the brainstem. They were also found in vomiting-related nuclei such as the nucleus of the solitary tract and the dorsal vagal motor nucleus. These findings suggest that cAMP signaling modification in the area postrema could mediate the emetic effects of PDE4 inhibitors in human brainstem.This work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (SAF2006-10243). F.M. was on sabbatical leave from Hirosaki University School of Medicine. S.P.-T. was recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from CIRIT (Generalitat de Catalunya).Peer Reviewe

In situ assessment of carbon nanotube diameter distribution with photoelectron spectroscopy

7 págs.; 6 figs.; 1 tab. ; PACS numberssd: 73.22.2f, 79.60.Jv, 61.46.1wIn situ UV-photoelectron spectroscopy (He I and He II) was performed on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with clearly differentiated diameter distributions. A significant dependence of valence- and conduction-band characteristics on the mean CNT diameter was observed, which was determined by high-resolution TEM and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The decrease of relative intensity of the π states at -3 eV in the He II experiments, indicative of increasing rehybridization between orbitals, was directly correlated with decreasing mean diameters. Furthermore, a progressive broadening of the unoccupied σ* band at 7.6 eV was found in the He I spectra. © 2005 The American Physical Society.J.W.S. is grateful to the Centre Interdisciplinaire de Microscopie Electronique sCIMEd at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne sEPFLd for access to TEM and technical support. We also thank the National Centre of Competence in Research for Nanosciences NCCRd and the Swiss National Foundation for financial support.Peer Reviewe

Variations of training load, monotony, and strain and dose-response relationships with maximal aerobic speed, maximal oxygen uptake, and isokinetic strength in professional soccer players

This study aimed to identify variations in weekly training load, training monotony, and training strain across a 10-week period (during both, pre- and in-season phases); and to analyze the dose-response relationships between training markers and maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal oxygen uptake, and isokinetic strength. Twenty-seven professional soccer players (24.9±3.5 years old) were monitored across the 10-week period using global positioning system units. Players were also tested for maximal aerobic speed, maximal oxygen uptake, and isokinetic strength before and after 10 weeks of training. Large positive correlations were found between sum of training load and extension peak torque in the right lower limb (r = 0.57, 90%CI[0.15;0.82]) and the ratio agonist/antagonist in the right lower limb (r = 0.51, [0.06;0.78]). It was observed that loading measures fluctuated across the period of the study and that the load was meaningfully associated with changes in the fitness status of players. However, those magnitudes of correlations were small-to-large, suggesting that variations in fitness level cannot be exclusively explained by the accumulated load and loading profile

Study of vascular risk in Navarre: objectives and design. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and of vascular risk factors

BACKGROUND: To determine in a representative sample of the population the prevalence of risk factors and metabolic syndrome; their association with sub-clinical atherosclerotic lesions and their impact on cardiocerebrovascular disease 10 years after. MATERIAL AND METHODS: (Phase 1) Cross sectional survey of a random sample stratified by age and sex of the population of Navarre aged between 35 and 84. Antecedents, risk factors, physical and analytical exploration. (Phase II) Ten year follow-up cohort study, in 500 exposed to MS and 500 not exposed persons, aged between 45 and 74 years; with an 82.25% power to detect a risk ratio of 2; with analytical and image markers of sub-clinical atherosclerosis. (Phase III) Follow up of vascular events at ten years. RESULTS: The subjects recruited were 6,553; excluded or not found 871; the final sample was 5,682 (2,644 men and 3,038 women); 4,168 (73,4%) took part in the study. The prevalence of MS was 22.1% (95%CI 20.5 - 23.7) for men and 17,2% (95%CI 15.8 - 18.5) for women. The main cardiovascular RF were high compared to other geographical areas except for HDL cholesterol. The rate was 8.5% (95%CI 7.4 - 9.6) for men and 1.7% (95%CI 1.3 - 2.2) CONCLUSIONS: There are important differences in risk between sex, being worst for men. The high figures for HDL cholesterol and the low prevalence of MS might mean a lower risk of vascular events in Navarra

New limits on nucleon decays into invisible channels with the BOREXINO Counting Test Facility

The results of background measurements with the second version of the BOREXINO Counting Test Facility (CTF-II), installed in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory, were used to obtain limits on the instability of nucleons, bounded in nuclei, for decays into invisible channels ($inv$): disappearance, decays to neutrinos, etc. The approach consisted of a search for decays of unstable nuclides resulting from $N$ and $NN$ decays of parents $^{12}$C, $^{13}$C and $^{16}$O nuclei in the liquid scintillator and the water shield of the CTF. Due to the extremely low background and the large mass (4.2 ton) of the CTF detector, the most stringent (or competitive) up-to-date experimental bounds have been established: $\tau(n \to inv) > 1.8 \cdot 10^{25}$ y, $\tau(p \to inv) > 1.1 \cdot 10^{26}$ y, $\tau(nn \to inv) > 4.9 \cdot 10^{25}$ y and $\tau(pp \to inv) > 5.0 \cdot 10^{25}$ y, all at 90% C.L.Comment: 22 pages, 3 figures,submitted to Phys.Lett.

An agent-based intelligent tutoring system for nurse education

This report describes the development of a teaching environment that uses agents to support learning. An Intelligent Tutoring System will be described, that guides students during learning. This system is meant for nurse education in the first place, but it is generic in the sense that the core is separated from the exercise modules and user interfaces. This means that the system can also be used for other (non-nursing) exercises. Exercises can be provided to the system in the form of XML data-files. A user interface can be text-based or 2D, but it can also be a 3D virtual reality environment. An application of the teaching environment for nurse training is described

Large-area deposition of protective (Ti,Al)N coatings onto polycarbonate

Polycarbonate (PC) and protective (Ti,Al)N coatings exhibit extremely different material properties, specifically crystal structure, thermal stability, elastic and plastic behavior as well as thermal expansion coefficients. These differences present formidable challenges for the deposition process development as low-temperature synthesis routes have to be explored to avoid a thermal overload of the polymer substrate. Here, a large-area sputtering process is developed to address the challenges by systematically adjusting target peak power density and duty cycle. Adhering (Ti,Al)N coatings with a critical residual tensile stress of 2.2 +/- 0.2 GPa are obtained in the pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering range, whereas depositions at higher target peak power densities, realized by high power pulsed magnetron sputtering, lead to stress-induced adhesive and/or cohesive failure. The stress-optimized (Ti,Al)N coatings deposited onto PC with a target peak power density of 0.036 kW cm-2 and a duty cycle of 5.3% were investigated by cross-cut test confirming adhesion. By investigating the bond formation at the PC | (Ti,Al)N interface, mostly interfacial CNx bonds and a small fraction of (C-O)-(Ti,Al) bonds are identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicating reactions at the hydrocarbon and the carbonate groups during deposition. Nanoindentation reveals an elastic modulus of 296 +/- 18 GPa for the (Ti,Al)N coating, while a Ti-Al-O layer is formed during electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a borate buffer solution, indicating protective passivation. This work demonstrates that the challenge posed by the extremely different material properties at the interface of soft polymer substrates and hard coatings can be addressed by systematical variation of the pulsing parameters to reduce the residual film stress