Digital Commons @Brockport usage information for October 2012

Summary of monthly usage and upload information for Digital Commons @Brockport for October 2012. Includes activity update from the Arts and Humanities Commons, Education Commons, and the Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Representations in Mathematics Textbooks, Learning and Teaching: Multiple perspectives.

Held by Textbooks of the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), in partnership with the Center for Advanced Research in Education (CIAE) and the Center for Mathematical Modeling (CMM) of the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Mathematics (FCFM)postprin

The views of five participating undergraduate students of the Student Associates Scheme in England

This paper reports findings from a study which explored undergraduate perceptions of the Student Associates Scheme in England (SAS). The scheme was established by the Training and Development Agency for Schools in an attempt to increase the number of graduates entering the teaching profession, particularly in shortage subjects such as the physical sciences and mathematics. The scheme places undergraduate students on short-term placements in secondary schools throughout England to provide them with experiences that may encourage them to consider teaching as a career option. Findings show that the SAS school placements were a positive experience for the students participating in this study. However, a question emerged as to whether or not the scheme is targeting students who have yet to decide upon teaching as a career or just reinforcing the existing aspirations of students who have already decided to teach. As the scheme is attempting to increase the number of teachers entering the profession this question has important implications for this study and further work which will focus on undergraduates who think that their career ambitions would not be fulfilled by teaching

The iterative method for quantum double-well and symmetry-breaking potentials, 2017

Numerical solutions of quantum mechanical problems have witnessed tremendous advances over the past years. In this thesis, we develop an iterative approach to problems of double-well potentials and their variants with parity-time-reversal symmetry- breaking perturbations. We show that the method provides an efficient scheme for obtaining accurate energies and wave functions. We discuss in this thesis potential applications to a variety of related topics such as phase transitions, symmetry breaking, and external field-induced effects. KEY TERMS: Quantum Mechanics, Energy, Symmetry, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physics, Quantum Physic

Followership and sustainability of school leadership for Science and Mathematics: A distributive perspective

In leadership-followership relationships, roles are exchangeable, portraying followers as co-constructors of school leadership processes. Leadership literature largely focuses on the effectiveness of leaders and neglects the role of followership. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of followership in the construction of leadership processes for secondary school Science and Mathematics. We used a narrative inquiry in the form of a single school case study purposefully selected for being a top performing school in Physical Sciences and Mathematics. Narratives were elicited from seven participants who included positional leaders and teachers. Follower role identities and the leader-follower trade (LFT) were used as conceptual frameworks. An active follower role identity enabled teachers to co-construct and sustain leadership processes for Science and Mathematics. Significant teaching experience, subject expertise and proven records of good results in learner attainments activated the identity. The teachers co-constructed and sustained leadership processes for Science and Mathematics through participative leadership, continuous teacher learning and classroom practice

The internationalization of the Polish academic profession. A comparative European approach

The internationalization of the Polish academic profession is studied quantitatively in a comparative European context. A micro-level (individual) approach relying on primary data collected in a consistent, internationally comparable format is used (N = 17 211 cases). The individual academic is the unit of analysis, rather than a national higher education system or an individual institution. The authors\u27 study shows that research productivity of Polish academics (consistent with European patterns) is strongly correlated with international collaboration: the average productivity of Polish academics involved in international collaboration ("internationalists") is consistently higher than that of Polish "locals" in all academic fields. Polish academics are less internationalized in research than the European average but the research productivity of Polish "internationalists" is much higher than that of Polish "locals". The impact of international collaboration on average productivity is much higher in Poland than in the other European countries studied, a finding with important policy implications. (DIPF/Orig.

Book Review: How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics

If you think about it, mathematics is really just one big analogy. For one example, the very concept of the number three is an drawing an analogy between a pile with three rocks, a collection of three books, and a plate with three carrots on it. For another, the idea of a group is drawing an analogy between adding real numbers, multiplying matrices, and many other mathematical structures. So much of what we do as mathematicians involves abstracting concrete things, and what is abstraction other than a big analogy? [excerpt

Tractor Test 884: Ford 2000 Gas 4-Speed

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of the tests in this booklet, and available test reports is to provide users with data for comparisons of performance among tractor models. General Tractors are tested at the University of Nebraska according to test procedures of the OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development), the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International and the ASABE (American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers). The three codes are technically equivalent, but do differ slightly. For the past 10 years, the majority of tests have been performed according to the OECD codes. The manufacturer selects the tractor to be tested from its production line, provides the specifications, and certifies that the tractor is a stock model. Each tractor is equipped with the common energy consuming accessories (power steering, PTO, implement lifts, etc.). Any power consuming accessory may be disconnected when the means for doing so can be reached from the operator position. A manufacturer\u27s representative is present during the tests to as certain that the tractor gives its optimum performance. Weight can be added to the tractor to improve drawbar performance in certain tests. Static tire loads and inflation pressures must conform to the specifications of the Tire and Rim Association or to weight limits set by the manufacturer. Specifications All manufacturers provide the Laboratory with detailed specifications which are required for the tests. The Nebraska Tractor Test report provides only a limited amount of data due to space constraints. Preparation for Test The tractor is required to have been limbered up by the manufacturer for a sufficient number of hours; if this was not done, this limber- up is performed at the Tractor Test Lab. Adjustments are permitted during this period. After the start of the official test, no adjustments can be made. Any adjustments. repairs, alterations or replacements are mentioned in the final Nebraska Tractor Test report. At this time, instrumentation for measuring engine rpm, fan speed, temperatures and pressures is installed on the tractor. The tractor is also provided with connections to the Lab\u27s fuel supply. PTO Performance The tractor PTO is connected to a dynamometer, which is a device for putting a load on the tractor and measuring the power generated by the tractor. During the preliminary runs, the manufacturer is allowed to make some adjustments to optimize the performance. These adjustments, which include the injection pump volume and timing and the high idle set within the specified range, will remain during the whole test program and must be settings guaranteed by the manufacturer. The tests are performed while maintaining an ambient temperature of 75°F (24°C) and at a barometer reading above 28.5 inches Hg (96.6 kPa). Data are taken at intervals after the tractor performance has stabilized. Inlet fuel temperatures are also maintained at a predetermined level. The throttle being set for maximum no-load rpm (High Idle), an increasing load is applied to the PTO by the dynamometer along the operating curve of the engine. The full test report will show the torque, rpm, power and fuel consumption data obtained at Rated Engine speed, Standard PTO speed (either 1000 or 540 rpm), the maximum power on the curve and the torque rise. Drawbar Performance Tests are performed in all gears between one gear below the one at Which 15% slip occurs and a maximum speed of 10 mph (16.1 km/h). In each gear, the throttle is set for maximum speed (High Idle) and the drawbar load increased until maximum drawbar power is obtained. The drawbar load is created by towing load units behind the test-and- measurement vehicle which, itself, is hitched to the tested tractor\u27s drawbar. For each load, measurements and calculations are made to determine drawbar pull, speed, drawbar power, slip and fuel consumption. All measurements are recorded at intervals after the tractor\u27s condition is stabilized. No operational limits set by the manufacturer can be exceeded. A second test series investigates the part loads at 75% and 50% of the drawbar load at Rated Engine Speed in a gear close to 4.6 mph (7.5 km/h) and in the gear where maximum drawbar power was obtained. Sound Measurement Sound measurement is made on the test track in two locations-at the driver\u27s ear and in a location representing bystander noise. The tests at the driver\u27s ear are performed in several gears and under a number of conditions, but only the maximum level is reported. The bystander sound test is performed with the microphone located at 25 ft (7.5 m) from the centerline of the tractor which is accelerating from a lower speed to full speed in its top gear. The OECD procedure differs. The SAE/ASABE procedures and only the numbers for the same gears and same load conditions can be compared. The SAE/ASABE procedure measures sound in only one gear under different load conditions, whereas the GECD procedure measures sound in different gears between High Idle and Rated Engine speed. For tractors with Mechanical Front Wheel Drive, operator- ear measurements are made with the front-wheel drive engaged and disengaged. Hydraulic Lift Capacity and Flow Hydraulic lift capacity is measured in a special test stand. A frame is fitted to the three-point hitch lift links. Measurements of lift capacity are taken at the hitch points and at a point 24 (610 mm) behind the hitch points when the lower links are horizontal. The load is applied with a hydraulic cylinder and the arms move stepwise through the lift range. The number which is reported is 90% of the load which can be carried throughout the lift range. The booklet reports the lift capacity at 24 (610 mm) behind the hitch points. A second test determines the pressure/flow relationship and performance of the hydraulic system for supplying power to external hydraulic cylinders or hydraulic motors. The Nebraska report provides data on delivery rate, pressure and available powe