The mass and radius of the M-dwarf in the short period eclipsing binary RR Caeli

We present new photometry and spectroscopy of the eclipsing white dwarf - M-dwarf binary star RR Cae. We use timings of the primary eclipse from white-light photo-electric photometry to derive a new ephemeris for the eclipses. We find no evidence for any period change greater than Pdot/P ~ 5E-12 over a timescale of 10 years. We have measured the effective temperature of the white dwarf, T_WD, from an analysis of two high resolution spectra of RR Cae and find T_WD = (7540 +- 175)K. We estimate a spectral type of M4 for the companion from the same spectra. We have combined new spectroscopic orbits for the white dwarf and M-dwarf with an analysis of the primary eclipse and cooling models for helium white dwarfs to measure the mass and radius of the M-dwarf. The mass of the M-dwarf is (0.182 - 0.183) +- 0.013 Msun and the radius is (0.203 - 0.215) +- 0.013 Rsun, where the ranges quoted for these values reflect the range of white dwarf models used. In contrast to previous studies, which lacked a spectroscopic orbit for the white dwarf, we find that the mass and radius of the M-dwarf are normal for an M4 dwarf. The mass of the white dwarf is (0.440 +-0.022) Msun. With these revised masses and radii we find that RR Cae will become a cataclysmic variable star when the orbital period is reduced from its current value of 7.3 hours to 121 minutes by magnetic braking in 9-20 Gyr. We note that there is night-to-night variability of a few seconds in the timing of primary eclipse caused by changes to the shape of the primary eclipse. We speculate as to the possible causes of this phenomenon. (Abridged)Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. The paper contains 10 figures and 3 table

When is the Haar measure a Pietsch measure for nonlinear mappings?

We show that, as in the linear case, the normalized Haar measure on a compact topological group $G$ is a Pietsch measure for nonlinear summing mappings on closed translation invariant subspaces of $C(G)$. This answers a question posed to the authors by J. Diestel. We also show that our result applies to several well-studied classes of nonlinear summing mappings. In the final section some problems are proposed

Graduate School Professors' Motivation and Teaching Effectiveness: An Ex-Post Facto Analysis

In this research study, the intricate relationship between the motivations of graduate school professors and their effectiveness as educators in the dynamic context of graduate education is explored. Employing an ex-post facto research design, pre-existing data were analyzed to investigate the multifaceted connections between professors' motivations and teaching effectiveness. The study encompassed survey data from a diverse sample of professors representing various academic disciplines, including inquiries regarding motivations for teaching, teaching practices, and institutional demographics. The findings unveiled the coexistence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations among professors, underscoring the complexity of their commitment to teaching. Intrinsic motivations, grounded in a profound passion for teaching and a genuine desire to positively impact students, emerged as robust predictors of effective teaching. Conversely, extrinsic motivations, such as career advancement and institutional recognition, also played a role but were less influential. Through correlation and regression analyses, the research demonstrated a positive and significant relationship between professors' intrinsic motivations and teaching effectiveness, even after controlling for covariates such as years of teaching experience and academic discipline. The identified discipline-specific variations underscored the necessity for tailored approaches to faculty development and support. These findings carry profound implications for graduate education institutions, administrators, and policymakers. They emphasize the pivotal role of intrinsic motivations in shaping effective teaching practices and highlight the importance of cultivating a teaching-centric culture. The study's implications call for faculty development programs that nurture and cultivate intrinsic motivations, discipline-specific approaches to support professors, and recognition and reward systems that celebrate teaching excellence. This research contributes significantly to our understanding of the vital connection between professors' motivations and teaching effectiveness within the context of graduate education. It underscores the significance of nurturing these motivations to foster a dynamic and responsive educational environment, benefiting both educators and learners in their pursuit of teaching excellence

E-Learning Development as an E-Teaching Innovation in Graduate Education

The rapid evolution of technology has brought about transformative changes in the landscape of higher education, prompting institutions to explore innovative pedagogical approaches. This case study examines the implementation of e-learning as an e-teaching innovation within the graduate education programs at Guimaras State University. The research adopts a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to comprehensively assess the impact of e-learning on graduate students and faculty members. The quantitative phase reveals a positive perception of e-learning, with a significant majority of respondents recognizing its usefulness and ease of use. This favorable attitude translates into a strong intention to use e-learning resources and a notable increase in actual usage. The qualitative phase provides deeper insights, highlighting the enhancement of student engagement, flexibility, and accessibility as key benefits of e-learning. However, it also identifies challenges, including technical issues and the need for faculty training and support. The study's findings underscore the importance of continued investment in technological infrastructure, faculty development, and institutional support. Clear e-learning policies and guidelines are recommended to ensure effective integration, and opportunities for collaboration and networking with other institutions are encouraged. By addressing challenges and capitalizing on the benefits of e-teaching innovations, Guimaras State University can further enhance the quality of graduate education and position itself as a progressive institution responsive to the evolving needs of learners and educators in the digital age. This case study contributes to the broader discourse on e-learning development and adoption in higher education

Role of Social Media In Business Management Students’ Communication Skills

This study explores the role of social media in business management students' communication skills. Specifically, the study aims to answer ten research questions related to social media use, benefits and challenges, perceptions, improvements, engagement, workplace attitudes, communication patterns and behaviours, training strategies, and academic performance. Quantitative and qualitative methods, such as surveys, interviews, and social media analysis, were utilized to gather data from business management students. The findings suggest that social media is widely used by business management students for communication purposes, with a preference for certain platforms. Business management students recognize the benefits of social media but also acknowledge challenges such as privacy and security concerns. The use of social media in communication positively influences engagement among students, but improvements in multimedia content creation and knowledge of privacy and security settings are needed. The survey findings suggest that business management students can benefit from several recommendations to effectively use social media for professional purposes. They should prioritize engaging in conversations, invest in multimedia content creation and promotions, increase their knowledge of privacy settings, improve their proficiency in social media analytics, participate in online courses, and seek opportunities to collaborate. By following these recommendations, students can leverage social media in their professional lives, enhance their communication skills, and adapt to changes in the business environment

Graduate School Professor’s Perception Towards Teaching Public Ethics

In the dynamic landscape of higher education, the teaching of public ethics in graduate programs has gained increasing significance. Graduate school professors play a pivotal role in shaping the ethical perspectives and practices of future professionals and leaders. This study delves into the attitudes, beliefs, practices, and challenges encountered by these professors in the domain of public ethics education. A mixed-method research approach was employed, encompassing surveys and in-depth interviews with a diverse group of graduate school professors. The study explored their attitudes towards public ethics education, the perceived relevance of ethics across academic disciplines, pedagogical approaches employed, and challenges faced in integrating ethics into their curriculum. The study employed thematic analysis to uncover nuanced insights from qualitative data and statistical analysis to derive quantitative trends. Quantitative analysis revealed a prevailing positive attitude among graduate school professors towards the importance of teaching public ethics. However, variations in perceived relevance across academic disciplines were observed. Professors reported diverse pedagogical approaches, ranging from case studies to ethical discussions, highlighting a rich educational landscape. Challenges included resource constraints and time limitations. The results underscore the commitment of graduate school professors to ethics education and the need for tailored approaches to address disciplinary variations. Diverse pedagogical approaches enrich the educational experience, while challenges present opportunities for institutional support and resource allocation. Interdisciplinary collaboration is recommended to bridge the gap between ethics education and various academic disciplines. This study illuminates the crucial role of graduate school professors in shaping ethical competencies among graduate students. Their positive attitudes, diverse teaching practices, and commitment to ethics education form a solid foundation for the continued integration of public ethics into graduate programs. Addressing challenges and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration will be instrumental in advancing ethics education and fostering ethically responsible professionals and leaders

Innovation and Development of Public Fiscal Administration Through E-Learning

In an era characterized by rapid technological advancement and the growing importance of effective public fiscal administration, this study explores the integration of e-learning technologies at the Guimaras State University (GSU) to enhance education and professional development in the field. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to investigate the impact of e-learning on students and professionals engaged in public fiscal administration programs at GSU. Quantitative results reveal that a significant majority of participants perceived e-learning as highly useful and user-friendly. The findings align with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), emphasizing the importance of perceived usefulness and ease of use in e-learning adoption. Moreover, participants reported a positive impact on their learning experiences, citing the flexibility of e-learning, multimedia resources, and interactive elements as key contributors to improved knowledge acquisition. Qualitative insights from interviews underscored the convenience of remote access, the ability to self-pace learning, and the interactive nature of e-learning materials. Challenges such as technical issues and the need for effective support services were also identified. This study's conclusions highlight the potential of e-learning to enhance public fiscal administration education and professional development. Recommendations include enhancing technical support services, providing ongoing training for faculty, expanding e-learning content and resources, fostering an online learning community, conducting longitudinal studies on career outcomes, and sharing best practices with other institutions. Guimaras State University's experience in innovating public fiscal administration education through e-learning offers valuable lessons for higher education institutions seeking to harness technology for academic and professional advancement in critical fields. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on the role of e-learning in higher education and professional development, emphasizing the need for continued adaptation and improvement to meet evolving learner needs and challenges

A formal analysis of why heuristic functions work

AbstractMany optimization problems in computer science have been proven to be NP-hard, and it is unlikely that polynomial-time algorithms that solve these problems exist unless P=NP. Alternatively, they are solved using heuristics algorithms, which provide a sub-optimal solution that, hopefully, is arbitrarily close to the optimal. Such problems are found in a wide range of applications, including artificial intelligence, game theory, graph partitioning, database query optimization, etc. Consider a heuristic algorithm, A. Suppose that A could invoke one of two possible heuristic functions. The question of determining which heuristic function is superior, has typically demanded a yes/no answer—one which is often substantiated by empirical evidence. In this paper, by using Pattern Classification Techniques (PCT), we propose a formal, rigorous theoretical model that provides a stochastic answer to this problem. We prove that given a heuristic algorithm, A, that could utilize either of two heuristic functions H1 or H2 used to find the solution to a particular problem, if the accuracy of evaluating the cost of the optimal solution by using H1 is greater than the accuracy of evaluating the cost using H2, then H1 has a higher probability than H2 of leading to the optimal solution. This unproven conjecture has been the basis for designing numerous algorithms such as the A* algorithm, and its variants. Apart from formally proving the result, we also address the corresponding database query optimization problem that has been open for at least two decades. To validate our proofs, we report empirical results on database query optimization techniques involving a few well-known histogram estimation methods