Traditional engineering instruction is deductive, beginning with theories and progressing to the applications of those theories Alternative teaching approaches are more inductive Topics are introduced by presenting specific observations, case studies or problems, and theories are taught or the students are helped to discover them only after the need to know them has been established This study reviews several of the most commonly used inductive teaching methods, including inquiry learning, problem-based learning, project-based learning, case-based teaching, discovery learning, and just-in-time teaching The paper defines each method, highlights commonalities and specific differences, and reviews research on the effectiveness of the methods While the strength of the evidence varies from one method to another, inductive methods are consistently found to be at least equal to, and in general more effective than, traditional deductive methods for achieving a broad range of learning outcomes

Inductive Teaching and Learning Methods: Definitions, Comparisons, and Research Bases

https://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/14053/1/file.pdf

Natural–origin polymers as carriers and scaffolds for biomolecules and cell delivery in tissue engineering applications

/pdf/why-so-few-women-in-science-technology-engineering-and-e22p3s90ly.pdf

Why so Few Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

‘Water is life,’ so central to human life, yet over one billion people across the world have no access to safe drinking water. Of late, there has been increasing global attention focused on resolving water quality problems especially in developing countries, as the lack of access to clean water denies the most essential of all rights, the right to life. The latest estimates suggest that around 200 million people, from among 25 nations the world over, are under the dreadful fate of fluorosis. India and China, the two most populous countries of the world, are the worst affected. India is plagued with numerous water quality problems due to prolific contaminants mainly of geogenic origin and fluoride stands first among them. The weathering of primary rocks and leaching of fluoride-containing minerals in soils yield fluoride rich groundwater in India which is generally associated with low calcium content and high bicarbonate ions. The unfettered ground water tapping exacerbates the failure of drinking water so...

Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Review on the Status and Stress Effects

Acellular vascular tissues: natural biomaterials for tissue repair and tissue engineering

Effect of applied uniaxial stress on rate and mechanical effects of cross-linking in tissue-derived biomaterials

Implications of Findings Results of this study showed that there was little difference in the degree of identification as an engineer between men and women, at least in the firstand sophomore year. However, men were more likely to perceive engineering as the application of math and science (that is, highly technical) and to prioritize “building” as a design activity, while women were more likely than men to prioritize “seeking information” in their first year. These differences suggest that, when men and women express their degree of identification with engineering, they are actually identifying with a slightly different set of activities.

https://www.engr.washington.edu/caee/CAEE_Briefs_PDFs/BeingandBecoming_Chachra_ASEE08.pdf

Being And Becoming: Gender And Identity Formation Of Engineering Students

Municipal water fluoridation has notably reduced the incidence of dental caries and is widely considered a public health success. However, ingested fluoride is sequestered into bone, as well as teeth, and data on the long-term effect of exposure to these very low doses of fluoride remain inconclusive. Epidemiological studies suggest that effects of fluoride on bone are minimal. We hypothesized that the direct measurement of bone tissue from individuals residing in municipalities with and without fluoridated water would reveal a relationship between fluoride content and structural or mechanical properties of bone. However, consonant with the epidemiological data, only a weak relationship among fluoride exposure, accumulated fluoride, and the physical characteristics of bone was observed. Analysis of our data suggests that the variability in heterogenous urban populations may be too high for the effects, if any, of low-level fluoride administration on skeletal tissue to be discerned.

The long-term effects of water fluoridation on the human skeleton.

This review focuses on the interaction of fluoride with the material properties of bone and teeth, which is of clinical, scientific, and public health interest. These tissues are composed primarily of collagen (protein) and hydroxyapatite (mineral), and their mechanical function depends on the properties of the constituents, their proportions, the interface, and the three-dimensional structure. Changing any of these may have clinical consequences. Fluoride interacts with mineralized tissues in a number of ways. At low doses, the fluoride may be passively incorporated into the mineral, stabilizing it against dissolution; this is one of the mechanisms by which municipally fluoridated water reduces the incidence of dental caries. At higher doses, such as those used for treatment of osteoporosis, the fluoride may alter the amount and structure of tissue present, including altering the interface between the collagen and mineral. At very high doses, skeletal and dental fluorosis occurs, characterized by debilitating changes in the skeleton and by marked mottling and discoloration of teeth, which may be accompanied by increased wear of the enamel. These effects have been observed in communities where the local drinking water has naturally high fluoride levels. Understanding the influence of fluoride on mineralized tissues is, therefore, of considerable significance.

Fluoride and mineralized tissues.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of estrogen replacement, in concert with three different progestin regimens, on the mechanical properties of rat lumbar vertebrae. Ninety-two Sprague-Dawley rats (11 months old) were divided into six groups for treatment. The first group was an intact control, the second group (OVX) was ovariectomized only, and the third group (estrogen-only) was ovariectomized and received continuous estrogen through a 17 beta-estradiol implant. The remaining groups were ovariectomized and received estrogen and progestin (norethindrone, NET) therapy; 3 micrograms of NET was injected daily (estrogen plus continuous NET), or 6 micrograms of NET was injected for 14 consecutive days of a 28-day cycle (estrogen plus cyclic NET), or for 3 consecutive days of a 6-day cycle (estrogen plus interrupted NET). The animals were sacrificed after 6 months, and the vertebrae were dissected out. The vertebral processes of the fourth lumbar vertebrae were removed, and the density of the vertebral bodies was determined. They were then subjected to compression testing. We found that all three estrogen/progestin regimens maintain bone density and all mechanical properties at a level indistinguishable from the control. However, the cyclic and continuous NET treatment results were, with the exception of density, also indistinguishable from those of the ovariectomized group. The estrogen plus interrupted NET group on the other hand, has a significantly greater compressive modulus and density than the ovariectomized group. In conclusion, with respect to the ovariectomized group, the estrogen plus interrupted NET treatment resulted in a superior density and compressive modulus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Debbie Chachra

Papers

Effect of applied uniaxial stress on rate and mechanical effects of cross-linking in tissue-derived biomaterials

Being And Becoming: Gender And Identity Formation Of Engineering Students

The long-term effects of water fluoridation on the human skeleton.

Fluoride and mineralized tissues.

The effect of different hormone replacement therapy regimens on the mechanical properties of rat vertebrae.