Driving student-centred calculus: results of a comprehensive case study for Kaizen learning in the Sultanate of Oman

The art of teaching freshmen students is undergoing a rapid paradigm change. Classical forms of teaching are not applicable any more and an unmanageable offer of new multimedia tools and concepts is glutting the market. Moreover, compared to previous courses, the class size triples. In view of these challenges, we implemented a new teaching concept best described as Kaizen learning. By Kaizen learning, we define a teaching philosophy that is based on a concise mix of short learning units (with feedback loops and tests) and of carefully chosen repetitions (also with feedback loops and tests) to calibrate a course for the students. Here, this intensive blended, student-centred learning paradigm is analysed together with its direct impact on the students’ performance. This case study leads to easy-to-implement key drivers for successfully teaching science in Oman, such as (1) human–human interaction, (2) clearly communicated expectations, (3) avoidance of a short-term learning attitude, (4) a no-calculator policy, (5) continuous Kaizen learning, and (6) balanced combination of traditional teaching and e-learning.     

On the existence of a solution of a second‐order singular initial value problem

In this paper, we consider a class of second‐order initial value problems. We extend the family of second‐order initial value problems for which the existence and uniqueness of a solution is known. To handle the singularity, we introduce the more general Caratheodory type of restrictions. The solvability results of the Emden–Fowler type of equations is established as a special case.Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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通过计算得出EAST快动探针交换装置所用材料的理论厚度,运用CATIA绘图软件建立交换装置4mm盒形和筒形结构设计模型。将模型导入ANSYS软件进行前期处理和网格划分,运用有限元法对模型进行整体强度分析,获得了最大应力和应变数据。通过增加设计壁厚,建立了5mm不带加强筋筒形和盒形结构进行了有限元分析。通过对分析结果的优化和比较,得到5mm筒形不带加强筋方案的最大应力和应变最小,结构设计最优。最后,对模型制造了预研件并进行真空捡漏测试,测试结果满足设计要求。     

内陆水体叶绿素a含量定量检测的研究

以武汉东湖为实验基地,通过对其水体的多次检测,获得了从2006年6月到9月4个月的东湖水体透射光谱,并与蒸馏水透射光谱进行比较,对东湖水富营养化程度进行了定性分析.采用一种新的测量方法得到叶绿素a浓度与677 nm和703 nm处相对强度的差值和比值有很好的线性相关性,建立了东湖水体叶绿素a含量的准确定量检测模型,为实现对东湖水实时、快速、准确监测提供了基础,为高精度遥感水质分析提供了参考.     

“东北水三七”中化学元素的分析

用原子吸收光谱法测下了“东北水三七”根、茎、叶的21种化学元素,结果表明,不同部位的元素含量有一定差别。     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION WITH A COMPREHENSIVE CHEMICAL TRANSPORT MODEL OF NITRATE, SULFATE, AND AMMONIUM AEROSOL DISTRIBUTIONS OVER EAST ASIA

The transport and chemical production processes of nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium aerosols over East Asia were investigated by use of the Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality （CMAQ） modeling system coupled with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System （RAMS）. For the evaluation of the model＇s ability in depicting their 3-dimensional concentration distributions and temporal variations, modeled concentrations of nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium aerosols are compared with the observations obtained at a ground station in Japan in March 2001 and onboard of an aircraft DC-8 on 18 and 21 March 2001 during the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific （TRACE-P） field campaign. Comparison shows that simulated values of nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium aerosols are generally in good agreement with their observed data, and the model captures most important observed features, and reproduces temporal and spatial variations of nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium aerosol concentrations reasonably well, e.g., the timing and locations of the concentration spikes of nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium aerosols are well reproduced, but large discrepancies between observed and simulated values are also clearly seen at some points and some times due to the coarse grid resolution and uncertainties of the emissions used in this study. This comparison results indicate that CMAQ is able to simulate the distributions of nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium aerosols and their related species in the troposphere over East Asia reasonably well.     

MODELING OF ORGANIC CARBON AEROSOL DISTRIBUTIONS OVER EAST ASIA IN THE SPRINGTIME

1. Introduction Atmospheric aerosols are a chemical mixture of solid and liquid particles suspended in ambient air. They range in size from the smallest superfine particles, having di-ameters of a few nano-meters (nm), to coarse mode parti-cles, with diameters of several micrometers (mm) or more. From a climatic point of view, probably the most critical subset of atmospheric aerosols are those in the fine or accumulation mode, having diameters ranging from about 0.1 mm to a few micrometers. Th…     

Virtual Screening of Artemisia annua Phytochemicals as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Enzyme

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a human coronaviruses that emerged in China at Wuhan city, Hubei province during December 2019. Subsequently, SARS-CoV-2 has spread worldwide and caused millions of deaths around the globe. Several compounds and vaccines have been proposed to tackle this crisis. Novel recommended in silico approaches have been commonly used to screen for specific SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors of different types. Herein, the phytochemicals of Pakistani medicinal plants (especially Artemisia annua) were virtually screened to identify potential inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme. The X-ray crystal structure of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 with an N3 inhibitor was obtained from the protein data bank while A. annua phytochemicals were retrieved from different drug databases. The docking technique was carried out to assess the binding efficacy of the retrieved phytochemicals; the docking results revealed that several phytochemicals have potential to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme. Among the total docked compounds, the top-10 docked complexes were considered for further study and evaluated for their physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The top-3 docked complexes with the best binding energies were as follows: the top-1 docked complex with a −7 kcal/mol binding energy score, the top-2 docked complex with a −6.9 kcal/mol binding energy score, and the top-3 docked complex with a −6.8 kcal/mol binding energy score. These complexes were subjected to a molecular dynamic simulation analysis for further validation to check the dynamic behavior of the selected top-complexes. During the whole simulation time, no major changes were observed in the docked complexes, which indicated complex stability. Additionally, the free binding energies for the selected docked complexes were also estimated via the MM-GB/PBSA approach, and the results revealed that the total delta energies of MMGBSA were −24.23 kcal/mol, −26.38 kcal/mol, and −25 kcal/mol for top-1, top-2, and top-3, respectively. MMPBSA calculated the delta total energy as −17.23 kcal/mol (top-1 complex), −24.75 kcal/mol (top-2 complex), and −24.86 kcal/mol (top-3 complex). This study explored in silico screened phytochemicals against the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 virus; however, the findings require an experimentally based study to further validate the obtained results.     

Dirichlet and Neumann problems to critical Emden–Fowler type equations

We describe recent results on attainability of sharp constants in the Sobolev inequality, the Sobolev–Poincaré inequality, the Hardy–Sobolev inequality and related inequalities. This gives us the solvability of boundary value problems to critical Emden–Fowler equations.