Showing papers by "University of Sussex published in 2000"

Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work

Abstract: Background. This paper explores the conceptual and methodological problems arising from several empirical investigations of professional education and learning in the workplace. Aims. 1. To clarify the multiple meanings accorded to terms such as ‘ non-formal learning’, ‘ implicit learning’ and ‘ tacit knowledge’, their theoretical assumptions and the range of phenomena to which they refer. 2. To discuss their implications for professional practice. Method. A largely theoretical analysis of issues and phenomena arising from empirical investigations. Analysis. The author's typology of non-formal learning distinguishes between implicit learning, reactive on-the-spot learning and deliberative learning. The significance of the last is commonly overemphasised. The problematic nature of tacit knowledge is discussed with respect to both detecting it and representing it. Three types of tacit knowledge are discussed: tacit understanding of people and situations, routinised actions and the tacit rules that underpin intuitive decision-making. They come together when professional performance involves sequences of routinised action punctuated by rapid intuitive decisions based on tacit understanding of the situation. Four types of process are involved-reading the situation, making decisions, overt activity and metacognition-and three modes of cognition-intuitive, analytic and deliberative. The balance between these modes depends on time, experience and complexity. Where rapid action dominates, periods of deliberation are needed to maintain critical control. Finally the role of both formal and informal social knowledge is discussed; and it is argued that situated learning often leads not to local conformity but to greater individual variation as people's careers take them through a series of different contexts. This abstract necessarily simplifies a more complex analysis in the paper itself. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1348/000709900158001/abstract)

Nature over nurture: temperament, personality, and life span development.

Abstract: Temperaments are often regarded as biologically based psychological tendencies with intrinsic paths of development. It is argued that this definition applies to the personality traits of the five-factor model. Evidence for the endogenous nature of traits is summarized from studies of behavior genetics, parent-child relations, personality structure, animal personality, and the longitudinal stability of individual differences. New evidence for intrinsic maturation is offered from analyses of NEO Five-Factor Inventory scores for men and women age 14 and over in German, British, Spanish, Czech, and Turkish samples (N = 5,085). These data support strong conceptual links to child temperament despite modest empirical associations. The intrinsic maturation of personality is complemented by the culturally conditioned development of characteristic adaptations that express personality; interventions in human development are best addressed to these.

A New approach to the evolution of cosmological perturbations on large scales

Abstract: We discuss the evolution of linear perturbations about a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background metric, using only the local conservation of energy momentum. We show that on sufficiently large scales the curvature perturbation on spatial hypersurfaces of uniform density is conserved when the non-adiabatic pressure perturbation is negligible. This is the first time that this result has been demonstrated independently of the gravitational field equations. A physical picture of long-wavelength perturbations as being composed of separate Robertson-Walker universes gives a simple understanding of the possible evolution of the curvature perturbation, in particular clarifying the conditions under which super-horizon curvature perturbations may vary.

From eye movements to actions: how batsmen hit the ball.

Abstract: In cricket, a batsman watches a fast bowler's ball come toward him at a high and unpredictable speed, bouncing off ground of uncertain hardness. Although he views the trajectory for little more than half a second, he can accurately judge where and when the ball will reach him. Batsmen's eye movements monitor the moment when the ball is released, make a predictive saccade to the place where they expect it to hit the ground, wait for it to bounce, and follow its trajectory for 100−200 ms after the bounce. We show how information provided by these fixations may allow precise prediction of the ball's timing and placement. Comparing players with different skill levels, we found that a short latency for the first saccade distinguished good from poor batsmen, and that a cricket player's eye movement strategy contributes to his skill in the game.

Contesting global governance : multilateral economic institutions and global social movements

Abstract: This book argues that increasing engagement between international institutions and sectors of civil society is producing a new form of global governance. The authors investigate 'complex multilateralism' by studying the relationship between three multilateral economic institutions (the IMF, World Bank, and World Trade Organization), and three global social movements (environmental, labour and women's movements). They provide a rich comparative analysis of the institutional response to social movement pressure, tracing institutional change, policy modification and social movement tactics as they struggle to influence the rules and practices governing trade, finance and development regimes. The contest to shape global governance is increasingly being conducted upon a number of levels and amongst a diverse set of actors. Analysing a unique breadth of institutions and movements, this book charts an important part of that contest.

Quintessence arising from exponential potentials

Abstract: We demonstrate how the properties of the attractor solutions of exponential potentials can lead to models of quintessence with the currently observationally favored equation of state. Moreover, we show that these properties hold for a wide range of initial conditions and for natural values of model parameters.

Collective action and psychological change: the emergence of new social identities.

Abstract: The study comprises an analysis of processes of psychological change among participants at an environmental protest. A participant observation study found evidence of a radicalized self concept among a number of crowd members, and indicates a link between radicalization, an asymmetry of categorical representations between protesters and the police, and the subsequent interaction premised on these divergent representations. The analysis supports an elaborated social identity model of crowd behaviour (Reicher, 1996, 1997a, 1997b; Stott & Reicher, 1998). It is argued that, in order to account for both social determination and social change in collective behaviour, it is necessary to analyse crowd events as developing interactions between groups. Where crowd members hold a different understanding of their social position to that held by an out-group (e.g. the police) and where the out-group has the power to treat crowd members in terms of its understandings, then those members who act on the basis of one understanding of their social relations find themselves in an unexpected and novel set of social relations. This then provides the basis for a series of changes, including the self-understanding of crowd members.

Structure and electronic properties of MoS2 nanotubes

Abstract: Structural and electronic properties as well as the stability of MoS2 nanotubes are studied using the density-functional-based tight-binding method. It is found that MoS2 zigzag ( n,0) nanotubes exhibit a narrow direct band gap and MoS2 armchair ( n,n) possess a nonzero moderate direct gap. Interestingly, the ( n,n) tubes show a small indirect gap similar to the direct gap of ( n,0) nanotubes. Simulated electron diffraction patterns confirm the existence of armchair and zigzag disulphide nanotubes. The structure of the MoS2 nanotube tips is explained by introducing topological defects which produce positive and negative curvature.

Socioeconomic inequalities in child mortality: comparisons across nine developing countries

Abstract: This paper generates and analyses survey data on inequalities in mortality among infants and children aged under five years by consumption in Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, and Viet Nam. The data were obtained from the Living Standards Measurement Study and the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey. Mortality rates were estimated directly where complete fertility histories were available and indirectly otherwise. Mortality distributions were compared between countries by means of concentration curves and concentration indices: dominance checks were carried out for all pairwise intercountry comparisons; standard errors were calculated for the concentration indices; and tests of intercountry differences in inequality were performed.

The Concept of Information in Biology

Abstract: It is clear from these quotations that there is something to talk about. I shall be concerned only with the use of information concepts in genetics, evolution and development, and not in neurobiology, which I am not competent to discuss.

New metallic allotropes of planar and tubular carbon

Abstract: We propose a new family of layered sp(2)-like carbon crystals, incorporating five-, six-, and seven-membered rings in 2D Bravais lattices. These periodic sheets can be rolled so as to generate nanotubes of different diameter and chirality. We demonstrate that these sheets and tubes are metastable and more favorable than C-60, and it is also shown that their mechanical properties are similar to those of graphene. Density of states calculations of all structures revealed an intrinsic metallic behavior, independent of orientation, tube diameter, and chirality.

Particulate pollution capture by urban trees: effect of species and windspeed.

Abstract: Particulate pollution is a serious health problem throughout the world, exacerbating a wide range of respiratory and vascular illnesses in urban areas. The use of trees to reduce the effects of these pollutants has been addressed in the literature, but has rarely been quantified. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effectiveness of five tree species ? pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima), cypress ( × Cupressocyparis leylandii), maple (Acer campestre), whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia), poplar (Populus deltoides × trichocarpa'Beaupre') ? in capturing pollutant particles. This was achieved by exposing them to NaCl droplets of approximately 1 ?m diameter at a range of windspeeds in two windtunnels. The deposition velocity (Vg) and particle trapping efficiency (Cp) were calculated from these exposures. In addition, a variable dependent on foliage structure [Stokes number (St)] was correlated with Cp to gauge the effect of tree morphology on particle capture. Maximum Cp values ranged from 2.8% for P. nigra, to 0.12% and 0.06% for P. trichocarpa×deltoides and A. campertre, respectively. The finer, more complex structure of the foliage of the two conifers (P. nigra and C. leylandii) explained their much greater effectiveness at capturing particles. The data presented here will be used to model the effectiveness of tree planting schemes in improving urban air quality by capturing pollutant particles.

Coalescence of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract: The coalescence of single-walled nanotubes is studied in situ under electron irradiation at high temperature in a transmission electron microscope. The merging process is investigated at the atomic level, using tight-binding molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations. Vacancies induce coalescence via a zipper-like mechanism, imposing a continuous reorganization of atoms on individual tube lattices along adjacent tubes. Other topological defects induce the polymerization of tubes. Coalescence seems to be restricted to tubes with the same chirality, explaining the low frequency of occurrence of this event.

Chapter 34 Equity in health care finance and delivery

Abstract: The paper surveys the economics literature on equity in health care financing and delivery. The focus is, for the most part, on empirical work, especially that involving international and temporal comparisons. There is, however, some discussion of the concept and definition of equity. The empirical sections cover the literature on equity in health care financing (progressivity and horizontal equity of health care financing arrangements), equity in health care delivery (horizontal equity in the sense of treating persons in equal need similarly), and equality of health.

Facile Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Methoxy-Capped Oligo(ethylene glycol) Methacrylate in Aqueous Media at Ambient Temperature

Abstract: We report the facile atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of a commercially available hydrophilic monomer, methoxy-capped oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (OEGMA), under remarkably mild conditions. Various bromide-based initiators, in conjunction with a copper-based catalyst, allow rapid homopolymerization of OEGMA in water at 20 °C. Good living character was achieved with two ligands, namely 2,2‘-bipyridine (bpy) and 1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (HMTETA). Kinetic studies confirm that, for bpy, 90% conversion is typically achieved within 20 min, and the polymerization is first order even up to very high conversions. Molecular weight increases linearly with conversion and is close to the target molecular weight in all cases. Polydispersities remain narrow (Mw/Mn = 1.15−1.30) throughout the polymerization. It is possible to lower the copper catalyst by a factor of 10 (i.e., [Cu(I)]/[initiator] = 0.10) without significant loss of control over the polymerization, which is good eviden...

Sticky-end assembly of a designed peptide fiber provides insight into protein fibrillogenesis.

Abstract: Coiled-coil motifs provide simple systems for studying molecular self-assembly. We designed two 28-residue peptides to assemble into an extended coiled-coil fiber. Complementary interactions in the core and flanking ion-pairs were used to direct staggered heterodimers. These had sticky-ends to promote the formation of long fibers. For comparison, we also synthesized a permuted version of one peptide to associate with the other peptide and form canonical heterodimers with blunt-ends that could not associate longitudinally. The assembly of both pairs was monitored in solution using circular dichroism spectroscopy. In each case, mixing the peptides led to increased and concentration-dependent circular dichroism signals at 222 nm, consistent with the desired -helical structures. For the designed fiber-producing peptide mixture, we also observed a linear dichroism effect during flow orientation, indicative of the presence of long fibrous structures. X-ray fiber diffraction of partially aligned samples gave patterns indicative of coiled-coil structure. Furthermore, we used electron microscopy to visualize fiber formation directly. Interestingly, the fibers observed were at least several hundred micrometers long and 20 times thicker than expected for the dimeric coiled-coil design. This additional thickness implied lateral association of the designed structures. We propose that complementary features present in repeating structures of the type we describe promote lateral assembly, and that a similar mechanism may underlie fibrillogenesis in certain natural systems.

Working memory resources and children's reading comprehension.

Abstract: Working memory capacity is described as a pool of limited resources that carry out processing and storage functions. Its role has been emphasised in adults' reading comprehension. The present study had two aims: First, to study the relationship between working memory capacity and reading comprehension in fourth-grade children. Second, to study the nature of the working memory resources involved in reading comprehension, i.e., are they specific or general?To test the first point, the predictive power of working memory capacity was compared with two reading-related basic skills, vocabulary and decoding skills. To test the second point, different working memory tasks were devised using verbal, numerical and spatial materials. All the tasks were administered to 48 fourth-grade children. The results showed that working memory capacity was a direct predictor of reading comprehension when contrasted with vocabulary and decoding skills. Moreover, it seemed that working memory would be better described as a system specialised for the processing of symbolic information in that only the verbal and in a lesser extent the numerical working memory tasks were significant predictors of reading comprehension. The spatial task did not correlate with reading comprehension. The reasons accounting for the predictive power of working memory tasks were discussed.

Theory of the global state : globality as unfinished revolution

Abstract: This ambitious study rewrites the terms of debate about globalization Martin Shaw argues that the deepest meaning of globality is the growing sense of worldwide human commonality as a practical social force, arising from political struggle not technological change The book focuses upon two new concepts: the unfinished global-democratic revolution and the global-Western state Shaw shows how an internationalized, post-imperial Western state conglomerate, symbiotically linked to global institutions, is increasingly consolidated amidst worldwide democratic upheavals against authoritarian, quasi-imperial non-Western states This study explores the radical implications of these concepts for social, political and international theory, through a fundamental critique of modern ‘national-international’ social thought and dominant economistic versions of global theory Required reading for sociology and politics as well as international relations, Theory of the Global State offers a historical, theoretical and political framework for understanding state and society in the emerging global age • Major new contribution to debates about globalization, by an important scholar of international relations and sociology • The first major work from a historical sociology perspective to account for global change, and an original criticism of mainstream accounts of globalization • Will have widespread appeal to students of globalization in IR, politics, sociology and geography departments