Bio-inspired multifunctional metallic foams through the fusion of different biological solutions

Nature is a school for scientists and engineers. Inherent multiscale structures of biological materials exhibit multifunctional integration. In nature, the lotus, the water strider, and the flying bird evolved different and optimized biological solutions to survive. In this contribution, inspired by the optimized solutions from the lotus leaf with superhydrophobic self-cleaning, the water strider leg with durable and robust superhydrophobicity, and the lightweight bird bone with hollow structures, multifunctional metallic foams with multiscale structures are fabricated, demonstrating low adhesive superhydrophobic self-cleaning, striking loading capacity, and superior repellency towards different corrosive solutions. This approach provides an effective avenue to the development of water strider robots and other aquatic smart devices floating on water. Furthermore, the resultant multifunctional metallic foam can be used to construct an oil/water separation apparatus, exhibiting a high separation efficiency and long-term repeatability. The presented approach should provide a promising solution for the design and construction of other multifunctional metallic foams in a large scale for practical applications in the petro-chemical field. Optimized biological solutions continue to inspire and to provide design idea for the construction of multiscale structures with multifunctional integration. Inspired by the optimized biological solutions from the lotus leaf with superhydrophobic self-cleaning, the water strider leg with durable and robust superhydrophobicity, and the lightweight bird bone with hollow structures, multifunctional metallic foams with multiscale structures are fabricated, demonstrating low adhesive superhydrophobic self-cleaning, striking loading capacity, stable corrosion resistance, and oil/water separation.

Evaluation of collaborative assessment of work integrated learning

The international trend towards an increasingly standards-based approach to higher education and the resultant focus on the assurance of learning in tertiary programs have generated a strong emphasis on the assessment of outcomes across the higher education sector. In legal education, curriculum reform is highly prevalent internationally as a result of various reviews of legal education. As legal education focuses more on the attainment of a broader set of outcomes encompassing soft skills, capabilities and attributes, more authentic assessment will need to be developed appropriate to this new environment, meaning that modes of assessment with strong application in real-life settings should be preferred.

Green Falcon IV: An Unmanned Aerial System and an integrated Wireless Sensor Network for remote sensing tasks

This report summarises the development of an Unmanned Aerial System and an integrated Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), suitable for the real world application in remote sensing tasks. Several aspects are discussed and analysed to provide improvements in flight duration, performance and mobility of the UAV, while ensuring the accuracy and range of data from the wireless sensor system.

Analytical modelling of integrated solar drying system

The drying of fruit and vegetables is a subject of great importance. Dried fruit and vegetables have gained commercial importance, and their growth on a commercial scale has become an important sector of the agricultural industry. However, food drying is one of the most energy intensive processes of the major industrial process and accounts for up to 15 % of all industrial energy usage. Due to increasingly high electricity prices and environmental concern, a dryer using traditional energy sources is not a feasible option anymore. Therefore, an alternative/renewable energy source is needed. In this regard, an integrated solar drying system that includes highly efficient double-pass counter flow v-groove solar collector, conical-shaped rock-bed thermal storage, auxiliary heater, the centrifugal fan and the drying chamber has been designed and constructed. Mathematical model for all the individual components as well as an integrated model combining all components of the drying system has been developed. Mathematical equations were solved using MATLAB program. This paper presents the analytical model and key finding of the simulation.

Student perception of a new integrated anatomy practical program: Does students' prior learning make a difference?

While there is evidence that science and non-science background students display small differences in performance in basic and clinical sciences, early in a 4-year, graduate entry medical program, this lessens with time. With respect to anatomy knowledge, there are no comparable data as to the impact previous anatomy experience has on the student perception of the anatomy practical learning environment. A study survey was designed to evaluate student perception of the anatomy practical program and its impact on student learning, for the initial cohort of a new medical school. The survey comprised 19 statements requiring a response using a 5-point Likert scale, in addition to a free text opportunity to provide opinion of the perceived educational value of the anatomy practical program. The response rate for a total cohort of 82 students was 89%. The anatomy practical program was highly valued by the students in aiding their learning of anatomy, as indicated by the high mean scores for all statements (range: 4.04-4.7). There was a significant difference between the students who had and had not studied a science course prior to entering medicine, with respect to statements that addressed aspects of the course related to its structure, organization, variety of resources, linkage to problem-based learning cases, and fairness of assessment. Nonscience students were more positive compared to those who had studied science before (P levels ranging from 0.004 to 0.035). Students less experienced in anatomy were more challenged in prioritizing core curricular knowledge. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.