Exploring different technological platforms for supporting co-located collaborative games in the classroom

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning is a pedagogical approach that can be used for deploying educational games in the classroom. However, there is no clear understanding as to which technological platforms are better suited for deploying co-located collaborative games, nor the general affordances that are required. In this work we explore two different technological platforms for developing collaborative games in the classroom: one based on augmented reality technology and the other based on multiple-mice technology. In both cases, the same game was introduced to teach electrostatics and the results were compared experimentally using a real class.     

Cover Picture: Protein Detecting Arrays Based on Cationic Polythiophene–DNA‐Aptamer Complexes (Adv. Mater. 20/2006)

The cover image depicts biochips based on responsive nanoaggregates made from stoichiometric complexes between a cationic polythiophene and an appropriate DNA aptamer. These structures undergo a conformational transition from an unfolded to a folded (G‐quadruplex) structure in the presence of a specific target protein that results in a significant increase of the fluorescence intensity, as reported on p. 2703 by Leclerc and co‐workers.     

Health burden of road traffic accidents,an analysis of clinical data on disability and mortality exposure rates in Flanders and Brussels

Statistics on road traffic accidents (RTAs) mainly come from police records. The police reported RTA statistics however are known to have a large degree of under-registration, underestimating the true risk of being injured in traffic accidents. The use of medical based datasets can provide a more accurate estimate of the actual traffic accident health risk. Exposure-based rates of the actual burden from Flanders and Brussels were calculated, comparing differences between road user, age, gender and type of injury sustained. Minimal Clinical Data (MCD) was selected for the years 2003–2007, as well as data from the mortality statistics. Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) were calculated and put into perspective with the passenger kilometres travelled.     

Nanometric Scale Investigation of Phase Transformations in Advanced Steels for Automotive Application

The current trend toward producing lighter vehicles in the automotive industry is driven by the need to conform to the new exhaust emission control regulations. This objective presents a challenge to steel manufacturers. The difficulty lies in designing new alloys with an optimum strength/formability/cost balance for the various components. Here, the key to success lies in controlling the steel microstructure and especially the phase transformations at the smallest possible scale. Among the different alloying elements, light elements such as carbon and boron are of prime importance due to their major effects on the kinetics of phase transformations. Characterization tools combining high spatial and analytical resolution such as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and field emission gun-transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used. In this article, the examples presented are as follows. (1) Boron segregation and precipitation effects to control hardenability in martensitic steels. (2) Local carbon distribution in advanced high-strength steels, with a specific emphasis on martensite tempering. Links have been established between the boron and carbon distribution and the formability.     

Thermal Resonance at the Microscale in AC Scanning Thermal Microscopy with a Thermal-Resistive Probe

Investigation of the thermal-resistive probe response in an AC scanning thermal microscope (SThM) as a function of the distance probe–material surface under ambient conditions and the current excitation frequency is presented. The analysis of temperature experimental results points out a phenomenon which can be interpreted as a thermal wave resonance. The modeling of the thermal response with the finite element method considering the surrounding medium as a thermally conducting medium tends to confirm this. This phenomenon is independent of the sample nature and is related to the thermal diffusion length of the air medium between the probe and the sample. An equivalent resonance factor is defined: it shows a linear dependence with the characteristic distance for which the thermal resonance phenomenon is an extremum. The system—probe/sample surface—behaves as a resonant cavity at the microscale. This configuration is not specific to a SThM and can occur within electronic devices.     

A linear 60 GHz 65 nm-CMOS power amplifier realization and characterization for OFDM signal

A millimeter-wave Power Amplifier (PA) based on a 65nm CMOS technology from STMicroelectronics has been designed. The targeted feature is the unlicensed band around 60 GHz suitable for wireless personal area network application (WPAN). To optimize the linearity, the PA is designed under class A biasing to have an output compression point (OCP₁) close to its saturated Power (P _sat). S-parameters and large signal measurement results are demonstrated and compared with electromagnetic simulations. The PA offers a P _sat of 8.3 dBm, an OCP₁ of 6 dBm and a gain of 6.7 dB. The die area is 0.29 mm² with pads. Considering those results, one-tone simulations are not sufficient to characterize the linearity performances of the PA in its real conditions of use. Consequently, two-tone simulations are firstly performed. After, linearity figures of merit (FoM) are discussed applying an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated signal. The PA offers an adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of 15 dB and an error vector magnitude (EVM) of 20% at PA compression operating mode.     

In-Situ Analyzing the Influence of Thermoelectromagnetic Convection on the Nucleation Ahead of the Advancing Interface During Directional Solidification

Sn-3wt%Pb alloy was directionally solidified without and with a 0.08T transverse magnetic field(TMF),and real-time recorded by in-situ synchrotron X-ray imaging.Results indicate that TMF shortened the distance from the location of nucleation to the advancing interface,and accelerated the growth rate of the equiaxed crystal,which caused the columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)finally.The thermoelectromagnetic convection(TEMC)in front of the interface and around the crystal’s dendritic branch should respond to changes of the distance and the growth rate.