Understanding wettability changes from practical plasma functionalization of carbon nanotubes

Combining continuous wave and pulsed plasma modes enables strong interfacial bonding of high levels of desired surface functional groups. The method has been applied to a thin film of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, a nanostructured and relatively inert material, using N₂ + H₂ plasma. A high density of primary amine groups (~2.6%) was achieved without damaging the tube surface. Contact angle measurements, using different probe liquids, plus model calculations of surface energy agree well with the spectroscopy and electron microscope results, i.e., the polar part shows significant changes while the non-polar part was unchanged. These results indicate that the wettability changes in the thin film of carbon nanotubes by the plasma treatment are due to the changes in surface chemistry. This confirms the effectiveness and practicality of the improved plasma method that should greatly help the use of nanotubes in applications from biomaterials to nanocomposites.

The use of insects and associated arthropods in legal cases : a historical and practical perspective

 Forensic entomology has generally been recognised among law enforcement and the wider community as a science employed in the estimation of time since death. The utility of this science in contributing to the provision of time frames resulting in the focusing of valuable investigative resources has certainly been of the greatest importance. However, arthropods have been exploited extensively for their ability to provide information in a multitude of other situations, including cases of neglect, the food industry, and information relating to the cause and manner of death. This chapter will discuss the realm of information obtainable from insects and related groups in the forensic context, including and beyond the recognised time since death applications. Two areas of current research, molecular forensic entomology and entomotoxicology, will be discussed for their potential impact in the field.

A fish out of water? Legal practitioner - practitioner teacher? Bourdieu, the legal field and the scholarship of teaching in practical legal training

It is surprising to discover during early doctoral research that there is a paucity of Australian scholarship using Bourdieu’s theoretical tools in the field of law, and in the sub-field of post-graduate pre-admission practical legal training. This article introduces Bourdieu’s conceptions of habitus, field, categories of capital, symbolic violence, and misrecognition. It describes how Bourdieu applied these tools to identify structural hostility between legal academics and practitioners, and the struggles for control in the field of law. Review of three North American studies that used Bourdieu’s theories follows, involving law students’ habitus in transition, class stratification in legal education, and gender stratification in law firm partnerships. Drawing on three internally connected ‘moments’ necessary to use Bourdieu’s tools, together with four critical questions concerning teachers’ engagement with the scholarship of teaching, this article identifies new questions for investigation. These questions will frame further research to discover whether the objective structures of the practical legal training field and the habitus of legal practitioners constrains them to act as ‘fish out of water’ in the context of a scholarship of teaching.

Learning leadership is in your hands : toward a scholarship of teaching in practical legal training

A scholarship of teaching in post-graduate pre-admission practical legal training is germane to perceptions of the quality of accreditation of young Australian lawyers practicing in a globalised profession. Traditional forms of teaching scholarship in law have been identified as influencing the well being of law students and practitioners. This article reviews literature that frames a definition and prerequisites for a scholarship of teaching, its traditional and potential forms, and its subject matter. It considers the present position of a scholarship of teaching in practical legal training, and the historical and organisational epistemological approaches to professional practical training (compared to academic education) that shape that position. Problems of validity, measurement, performativity, and engagement in teaching scholarship are introduced, followed by consideration of possible methodological approaches drawing on Schon’s conception of action research, together with emergent methodologies, technologies and practical considerations that enable individual practitioners to pursue and lead a scholarship of teaching in practical legal training. The article frames questions for further doctoral research in relation to practical legal training teachers’ engagement with the scholarship of teaching.

Teaching primary science : emotions, identity and the use of practical activities

This paper uses cultural historical activity theory to examine the interactions between the choices primary teachers make in the use of practical activities in their teaching of science and the purposes they attribute to these; their emotions, background and beliefs; and the construction of their identities as teachers of science. It draws on four case studies of science lessons taught over a term by four exemplary teachers of primary science. The data collected includes video recordings of science lessons, interviews with each teacher and some of their students, student work, teachers’ planning documents and observation notes. In this paper, we examine the reflexive relationship between emotion and identity, and the teachers’ objectives for their students’ learning; the purposes (scientific and social) the teachers attributed to practical activities; and the ways in which the teachers incorporated practical activities into their lessons. The findings suggest that it is not enough to address content knowledge, pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge in teacher education, but that efforts also need to be made to influence prospective primary teachers’ identities as scientific thinkers and their emotional commitment to their students’ learning of science.

Internet and distributed computing advancements : theoretical frameworks and practical applications

This book is a vital compendium of chapters on the latest research within the field of distributed computing, capturing trends in the design and development of Internet and distributed computing systems that leverage autonomic principles and techniques. The chapters provided within this collection offer a holistic approach for the development of systems that can adapt themselves to meet requirements of performance, fault tolerance, reliability, security, and Quality of Service (QoS) without manual intervention.

Is the lecturer in the room? a study of student satisfaction with online discussions in practical legal training

Reports an exploratory practitioner-initiated study that developed and implemented an online questionnaire to collect data from PLT students in three states, regarding their satisfaction with online discussions. Students’ perceptions of ‘community of inquiry framework’ elements, Marzano and Kendall’s ‘self-system’ factors, and other contextual aspects, were investigated and tested for correlations.The study found student satisfaction with the online discussions was most closely associated with ‘teaching presence’. Students’ satisfaction with student-student interactions was closely associated with ‘self-system’ factors.

Learning leadership is in your hands : toward a scholarship of teaching in practical legal training

This article seeks to promote discussion about scholarship of teaching in Australian postgraduate pre-admission practical legal training (PLT). This is germane to perceptions of the quality of accreditation of young Australian lawyers practicing in a globalised profession. The article gives a definition and outlines the prerequisites for scholarship of teaching. The present position of teacher engagement with scholarship of teaching in Australian PLT is considered, together with the historical and organisational epistemological approaches to professional practical training. Problems of validity, measurement, performativity, and engagement in teaching scholarship are discussed. Possible methodological approaches, including Schön’s conception of action research, together with other methodologies, technologies, and practical considerations, are considered. These discussion points are directed toward future exploration of PLT teachers’ engagement with, and leadership in, the scholarship of teaching in PLT.

A content analysis of early childhood teachers’ theoretical and practical experiences with infants and toddlers in Australian teacher education programs

 In Australia, the growth in the provision of early childhood services for very young children aged birth to three years has placed increased demands on pre-service teachers as new policy stipulates the need for qualified early childhood teachers. While many teacher education programs offer early childhood courses, they have traditionally had a greater focus on kindergarten and the formal years of schooling. Less is known about the amount of time devoted to developing the specialist educational capacity for teaching and caring for infants and toddlers. This paper explores 55 Australian early childhood teacher undergraduate education programs to provide data regarding what pre-service teachers learn about children from birth to three years of age during their formal program of study. It explores: if pre-service teachers engage in practical experiences with this age range; what content they learn; and how knowledge for this age range is assessed. Utilising information from fully accessible public program websites, data in the form of course details were examined to reveal the extent and nature of courses inclusive of teaching and learning focusing on children aged from birth to three years. Of the 55 programs, 18 programs provided practical experience with infants and toddlers, and to a lesser extent content was evident and assessed. Most of the programs which included a focus on birth to three years of age were delivered by Victorian institutions. Findings are important for the future of early childhood teacher education in Australia and hold key messages for teacher registration bodies.