If You Had My Brain, Where Would I Be? Children''s Understanding of the Brain and Identity

When do children distinguish a person's subjective identity from their outward bodily characteristics? As adults this distinction is evident in our commonsense recognition that a hypothetical brain transplant would entail a transplant of the mind or self. 4 studies were conducted to examine children's judgments about hypothetical body part transplants, including transplants of the brain, heart, mouth, and face. The results showed that during the elementary school years children are acquiring a firm understanding of the brain as the primary locus of psychological attributes and identity. The early school years, between the ages of 5 and 7 years, appeared to be a transitional phase, with performance being variable and subject to task conditions. While children this age readily imagined the consequences of transplants between themselves and another character of categorically different status (i.e., a pig or baby), they had great difficulty with proposed transplants between themselves and another child of the same status. Knowledge about categorical differences appeared to provide a needed framework for children's budding thinking about psychological differences.     

The relationship between linguistic characteristics and reading/writing performances of Norwegian children

The relations between different word categories and children's reading and writing performances were examined in twenty 9-year-old children. Results indicated for Norwegian, which is more regular than English but less regular than Finnish, that the length and the frequency of words and their interactions are factors substantially related both to children's reading, writing time (writing velocity), and spelling performances, whereas the regularity factor affected children's spelling only. Significant intercorrelations among reading and writing (accuracy and spelling) measures were found.     

A Realistic Evaluation of Two Training Programs on Implementing Skin-to-Skin as a Standard of Care

The authors used realistic evaluation to examine the real-world effectiveness of two 5-day training techniques on sustained optimal skin-to-skin practices that support Step 4 of the revised Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). The authors found that education alone was insufficient to effect sustainable practice change. Exposure to the 5-day immersion model (Practice, Reflection, Education and training, Combined with Ethnography for Sustainable Success, or PRECESS) alone or combined with education was an effective strategy to change and sustain the standard of care for skin-to-skin practice (p < 0.00001). The intended outcome of sustained practice change toward implementation of skin-to-skin care through immersion or a combined approach shows promise and should be repeated in other localities.     

Authenticity work in higher education learning environments: a double-edged sword?

Higher Education - Educational authenticity occupies a strong position in higher education research and reform, building on the assumption that correspondence between higher education learning...     

Internationalisation in the Swedish nurse education from the perspective of teachers involved: An interview study

This paper presents results from an interview investigation with teachers in Swedish nurse education especially interested in internationalising the education. The aim has been to study teachers’ understandings and experiences of internationalisation against the backdrop of the strong concern for internationalisation expressed in policy documents. The results are seen in the context of globalisation, constraints to educational change, in a cultural perspective, and in relation to the need of a curriculum theory. The teachers united the global, in the form of personal experiences of other countries and cultures, with the national and local. Their experiences abroad were a basis for their interest in, and choice of content in, their teaching, considered to represent internationalisation of the education. The teachers were interpreting internationalisation in line with there understanding of nursing and the general approach to nursing in the education, without making any clear distinction concerning what specifically was internationalisation. The teachers seem to represent an important resource in internationalising the education. However, their understanding of and approach to internationalisation did not represent a shared culture and there was no shared curriculum including a distinct understanding of internationalisation. This is seen as a big challenge to both policy makers and teachers.     

To Play the Fool: Can Environmental Conservation and Democracy Survive Social Capital?

Two community-based conservation processes in the United States provide comparative case studies to examine how social capital relates to democracy. Following a summary of social capital research, we describe the cases: one designed to preserve an endangered species and the other to restore water quality. We discuss how social capital dampened democratic practice in one case, while invigorating it in the other. We conclude that, by relying indiscriminately on social capital in the absence of complementary state structures, conservationists risk losing the very nature they seek to defend, and all citizens risk losing the energy and space essential to democracy.     

Harmonic coauthor credit: A parsimonious quantification of the byline hierarchy

In this paper the accuracy of five current approaches to quantifying the byline hierarchy of a scientific paper is assessed by measuring the ability of each to explain the variation in a composite empirical dataset. Harmonic credit explained 97% of the variation by including information about the number of coauthors and their position in the byline. In contrast, fractional credit, which ignored the byline hierarchy by allocating equal credit to all coauthors, explained less than 40% of the variation in the empirical dataset. The nearly 60% discrepancy in explanatory power between fractional and harmonic credit was accounted for by equalizing bias associated with the omission of relevant information about differential coauthor contribution. Including an additional parameter to describe a continuum of intermediate formulas between fractional and harmonic provided a negligible or negative gain in predictive accuracy. By comparison, two parametric models from the bibliometric literature both had an explanatory capacity of approximately 80%. In conclusion, the results indicate that the harmonic formula provides a parsimonious solution to the problem of quantifying the byline hierarchy. Harmonic credit allocation also accommodates specific indications of departures from the basic byline hierarchy, such as footnoted information stating that some or all coauthors have contributed equally or indicating the presence of a senior author.     

Local synthesis of carbon nanotubes for direct integration in Si microsystems - design considerations

The integration of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes （CNTs） into microsystems is highly desirable, in order to make use of the unique nanomaterial properties in real devices. However, the CNTtomicrosystem integration is challenging to implement in a manufacturable, cost effective industrial process. This paper presents our work towards a process for making complete, integrated CMOS / MEMS systems with integrated CNT. We demonstrate the feasibility of the process, using roomtemperature process ing, lowcost equipment and consumables, and electrical control with automation possibilities. CNTs are directly integrated at the desired positions in the Si microsystem, forming closed Si / CNT / Si circuits. We explore different designs with the aim to obtain uniform and welldefined CNT synthesis conditions, and show that simplified designs can perform comparably to more complex ones. The Si / CNT / Si circuits obtained can show rectifying （Schottky like） or nearohmic behavior. Gas sensing possibilities are demonstrated, indicating the possibility of monitoring aging/ fermenting of food. Functionalization of CNTs is demon strated, using thermal evaporation of Sn and Pd, opening for selective and sensitive sensors for various gases and ana lytes. Detailed microscopic characterization of the obtained CNTs are presented.     

Aging of running shoes and its effect on mechanical and biomechanical variables: implications for runners

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of running shoes’ aging on mechanical and biomechanical parameters as a function of midsole materials (viscous, intermediate, elastic) and ground inclination. To this aim, heel area of the shoe (under calcaneal tuberosity) was first mechanically aged at realistic frequency and impact magnitudes based on a 660 km training plan. Stiffness (ST) and viscosity were then measured on both aged and matching new shoes, and repercussions on biomechanical variables (joint kinematics, muscular pre-activation, vertical ground reaction force and tibial acceleration) were assessed during a leg-extended stepping-down task designed to mimic the characteristics of running impacts. Shoes’ aging led to increased ST (means: from 127 to 154 N ? mm^?1) and decreased energy dissipation (viscosity) (means: from 2.19 to 1.88 J). The effects induced by mechanical changes on body kinematics were very small. However, they led with the elastic shoe to increased vastus lateralis pre-activation, tibial acceleration peak (means: from 4.5 g to 5.2 g) and rate. Among the three shoes tested, the shoe with intermediate midsole foam provided the best compromise between viscosity and elasticity. The optimum balance remains to be found for the design of shoes regarding at once cushioning, durability and injury prevention.