Optoelectrofluidic field separation based on light-intensity gradients

Optoelectrofluidic field separation (OEFS) of particles under light -intensity gradient (LIG) is reported, where the LIG illumination on the photoconductive layer converts the short-ranged dielectrophoresis (DEP) force to the long-ranged one. The long-ranged DEP force can compete with the hydrodynamic force by alternating current electro-osmosis (ACEO) over the entire illumination area for realizing effective field separation of particles. In the OEFS system, the codirectional illumination and observation induce the levitation effect, compensating the attenuation of the DEP force under LIG illumination by slightly floating particles from the surface. Results of the field separation and concentration of diverse particle pairs (0.82–16 μm) are well demonstrated, and conditions determining the critical radius and effective particle manipulation are discussed. The OEFS with codirectional LIG strategy could be a promising particle manipulation method in many applications where a rapid manipulation of biological cells and particles over the entire working area are of interest.     

Longitudinal trends in networks of university-industry-government relations in South Korea: The role of programmatic incentives

This study examines the longitudinal trend of systemness in networked research relations in South Korea using a triple helix (TH) indicator of university-industry-government (UIG) relations. The data were harvested from the Science Citation Index (SCI) and its counterparts in the social sciences (SSCI) and the arts and humanities (A&HCI). The total number of Korean SCI publications has grown rapidly since 1965. However, the TH indicator shows that the network dynamics have varied considerably according to the research policies of the national government. The collaboration patterns, as measured by co-authorship relations in the SCI noticeably increased, with some variation, from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. However, inter-institutional collaboration in the first decade of the 21st century was negatively influenced by the new national science and technology (S&T) research policies that evaluated domestic scientists and research groups based on their international publication numbers rather than on the level of cooperation among academic, private, and public domains. The results reveal that Korea has failed to boost its national research capacity by neglecting the network effects in science, technology, and industry.     

Improved stabilization criteria for fuzzy systems under variable sampling

This paper investigates the problem of stabilization for fuzzy sampled-data systems with variable sampling. A novel Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional (LKF) is introduced to the fuzzy systems. The benefit of the new approach is that the LKF develops more information about actual sampling pattern of the fuzzy sampled-data systems. In addition, some symmetric matrices involved in the LKF are not required to be positive definite. Based on a recently introduced Wirtinger-based integral inequality that has been shown to be less conservative than Jensen’s inequality, much less conservative stabilization conditions are obtained. Then, the corresponding sampled-data controller can be synthesized by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, an illustrative example is given to show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Education in the New Millennium: The Case for Design‐Based Learning

This article focuses on current examples of project or design‐based learning at the secondary school level in the context of the increasing importance of creativity and innovative thinking in the twenty‐first century. The authors argue that students today learn more effectively in pedagogical practices that emphasise holistic thinking, active learning, visual media and problem‐solving. Design‐based learning presents new ways for realising long‐term goals and learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to investigate best practices of design education in the community and to propose instructional resource examples on design to K‐12 school teachers. This article points out the importance of systemised process for the work of design‐based teachers and learners, addresses the study of design as a subject of investigation and a mode of inquiry that engages a variety of student learning styles and makes direct connections between subjects and problem‐solving in daily life. Our belief is that the case studies explored in this article represent the seeds of a new model of education based on creative and applied learning. The exemplar communities chosen for onsite research are the education department of the Cooper‐Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, USA.     

Advanced stability criteria for linear systems with time-varying delays

This paper investigates a stability problem for linear systems with time-varying delays. By constructing suitable augmented Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, improved stability criteria under various conditions of time-varying delays are derived within the framework of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Moreover, to reduce the computational burden caused by the non-convex term including h²(t), how to deal with it is applied by estimating it to the convex term including h(t). Finally, three illustrative examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed criteria.     

A Preliminary Analysis of the Factors Affecting Satisfaction with the Police Practicum Credit Program in South Korea

Numerous studies have been conducted about criminal justice internship programs in western countries, but few have addressed similar types of programs conducted in Eastern countries. To fill this gap in the literature, this study preliminarily analyzed the factors affecting satisfaction with the police practicum credit program in South Korea using data collected from 208 participating students and police officers. The results showed that participants were generally satisfied with the program but had different perceptions about each program component. Focusing on the crucial elements affecting overall satisfaction with the program, the study examined the following factors: the curriculum; the period and practice time; the proportion of on-site practice; teaching material; credits; and police officers’ preparedness, attitudes and information offerings. Our results suggest that the curriculum and preparedness of the officers in charge were significant factors affecting the participants’ satisfaction. Based on the findings, implications for policy recommendations are discussed.     

Improved approaches to stability criteria for neural networks with time-varying delays

In this paper, the problem of stability analysis for neural networks with time-varying delays is considered. By the use of a newly augmented Lyapunov functional and some novel techniques, sufficient conditions to guarantee the asymptotic stability of the concerned networks are established in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Three numerical examples are given to show the improved stability region of the proposed works.     

Components of Conceptual Ecologies

The theory of conceptual change is criticized because it focuses only on supposed underlying logical structures and rational process processes, and lacks attention to affective aspects as well as motivational constructs in students’ learning science. This is a vast underestimation of the complexity and diversity of one’s change of conceptions. The notion of conceptual ecology provides a context for understanding individuals’ conceptual change learning, as it is the environment through which all information is interpreted. This research investigated how high school students’ statements, made in answering questions, reflect selected components of their conceptual ecologies. Data for this study was collected from six interviews in which seven students took part. The data also include the science teacher’s profiles of each student, the students’ personal journals, their assignments, and their examinations and answers in class. The analysis presented will here include only those components that were represented in the discourse of the seven high school students who were interviewed. When students were asked questions, there was evidence of the engagement of the various components of conceptual ecologies. These components include: epistemological commitments, metaphysical beliefs, the affective domain and emotional aspects, the nature of knowledge, the nature of learning, the nature of conceptions, and past experience. Evidence from this study suggests that these components might function as constraints to learning. This study contributes to the field by expanding our knowledge of the components of high school students’ conceptual ecologies through its definition of the categories and themes associated with those components. In examining across the range of components, the study illustrates the variety and sources of science conceptions within high school students’ conceptual ecologies.