Cognitive,social and teaching presence in a virtual world and a text chat

Using a framework of cognitive, social, and teaching presence, the nature of learning experiences in a three-dimensional virtual world environment (Second Life) and a text-chat learning environment without visuals (TeachNet) were investigated. A mixed method of code frequencies, coherence graphs, interviews, and a survey was used. The results revealed that the TeachNet debates included more cognitive presence codes that indicate higher levels of cognitive processing than in SL debates. The teams were significantly different from each other in the collaboration style for developing arguments and in the ways to use utterances associated with cognitive, social, and teaching presences, and the groups’ collaboration style became more established with more experience with the tasks. The three critical factors–tool, tasks and group cohesion–that affect cognitive, teaching, and social presence are discussed.     

4D Printing of Multi-Stimuli Responsive Protein-Based Hydrogels for Autonomous Shape Transformations

Stimuli responsive hydrogels that can change shape in response to applied external stimuli are appealing for soft robotics, biomedical devices, drug delivery, and actuators. However, existing 3D printed shape morphing materials are non-biodegradable, which limits their use in biomedical applications. Here, 3D printed protein-based hydrogels are developed and applied for programmable structural changes under the action of temperature, pH, or an enzyme. Key to the success of this strategy is the use of methacrylated bovine serum albumin (MA–BSA) as a biodegradable building block to Pickering emulsion gels in the presence of N-isopropylacrylamide or 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate. These shear-thinning gels are ideal for direct ink write (DIW) 3D printing of multi-layered stimuli-responsive hydrogels. While poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) introduce temperature and pH-responsive properties into the printed objects, a unique feature of this strategy is an enzyme-triggered shape transformation based on the degradation of the bovine serum albumin network. To highlight this technique, protein-based hydrogels that reversibly change shape based on environmental temperature and pH are fabricated, and irreversibly altered by enzymatic degradation, which demonstrates the complexity that can be introduced into 4D printed systems.     

Selective excitation of LP01 mode in multimode fiber using solid-core photonic crystal fiber

To address the overwhelming bandwidth increase in premise backbones, an attractive alternative for selective mode excitation in multimode fiber (MMF) using solid-core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is presented. The power coupling efficiency, differential mode delay, and bit-error rate performance of several structural designs of solid-core PCF waveguides are investigated for the selective excitation of mode LP01 in a MMF. The achieved coupling efficiency into mode LP01 is above 90% for PCF profiles with seven rings.     

Uranium reduction and resistance to reoxidation under iron-reducing and sulfate-reducing conditions

Oxidation and mobilization of microbially-generated U(IV) is of great concern for in situ uranium bioremediation. This study investigated the reoxidation of uranium by oxygen and nitrate in a sulfate-reducing enrichment and an iron-reducing enrichment derived from sediment and groundwater from the Field Research Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Both enrichments were capable of reducing U(VI) rapidly. 16S rRNA gene clone libraries of the two enrichments revealed that Desulfovibrio spp. are dominant in the sulfate-reducing enrichment, and Clostridium spp. are dominant in the iron-reducing enrichment. In both the sulfate-reducing enrichment and the iron-reducing enrichment, oxygen reoxidized the previously reduced uranium but to a lesser extent in the iron-reducing enrichment. Moreover, in the iron-reducing enrichment, the reoxidized U(VI) was eventually re-reduced to its previous level. In both, the sulfate-reducing enrichment and the iron-reducing enrichment, uranium reoxidation did not occur in the presence of nitrate. The results indicate that the Clostridium-dominated iron-reducing communities created conditions that were more favorable for uranium stability with respect to reoxidation despite the fact that fewer electron equivalents were added to these systems. The likely reason is that more of the added electrons are present in a form that can reduce oxygen to water and U(VI) back to U(IV).     

Ferroelectromagnetic characteristic of Na-doped 0.75BiFeO3–0.25BaTiO3 multiferroic ceramics

BiFeO₃-based materials are expected to have both ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism simultaneously. In this study, effects of Na-doping (0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0 mol%) on ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties of 0.75BiFeO₃–0.25BaTiO₃ ceramics which have been fabricated by the solid state reaction technique are studied. The effects of Na-doped 0.75BiFeO₃–0.25BaTiO₃ ceramics on the crystal structure, and magnetic and electrical properties were investigated and discussed. Rhombohedrally distorted 0.75BiFeO₃–0.25BaTiO₃ showed weak ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties. In addition, ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties of 0.75BiFeO₃–0.25BaTiO₃ have been controlled by Na doping, and the maximum values of magnetization and polarization were observed at 5.0 mol%.     

Real-time holographic backlighting positioning sensor for enhanced power coupling efficiency into selective launches in multimode fiber

This paper presents a qualitative, real-time backlighting positioning sensor for the alignment of an optical beam to a minutely deviated diffraction order axis to increase the power coupling efficiency into a multimode fiber in selective launches. Results show that the technique facilitates the alignment of the lenses to the first diffraction order axis and improves the power coupling efficiency into a multimode fiber.     

Reduction of uranium(VI) by soluble iron(II) conforms with thermodynamic predictions

Soluble Fe(II) can reduce soluble U(VI) at rapid rates and in accordance with thermodynamic predictions. This was established by initially creating acidic aqueous solutions in which the sole oxidants were soluble U(VI) species and the sole reductants were soluble Fe(II) species. The pH of the solution was then increased by stepwise addition of OH(-), thereby increasing the potential for electron transfer from Fe(II) to U(VI). For each new pH value resulting from addition of base, values of ΔG for the Fe(II)-mediated reduction of U(VI) were calculated using the computed distribution of U and Fe species and possible half reaction combinations. For initial conditions of pH 2.4 and a molar ratio of Fe(II) to U(VI) of 5:1 (1 mM Fe(II) and 0.2 mM U(VI)), ΔG for U(VI) reduction was greater than zero, and U(VI) reduction was not observed. When sufficient OH(-) was added to exceed the computed equilibrium pH of 5.4, ΔG for U(VI) reduction was negative and soluble Fe(II) species reacted with U(VI) in a molar ratio of ～2:1. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy confirmed production of U(IV). A decrease in pH confirmed production of acidity as the reaction advanced. As solution pH decreased to the equilibrium value, the rate of reaction declined, stopping completely at the predicted equilibrium pH. Initiation of the reaction at a higher pH resulted in a higher final ratio of U(IV) to U(VI) at equilibrium.