8,315 research outputs found
Critical relationship between climate change awareness and action: An origin-based perspective
While it is now widely accepted by scientists and governments that human activity contributes to climate change, there is a lack of understanding whether this realisation is now gaining greater attraction with the general public than it had 5 or 10 years ago. Additional gaps in knowledge relate to the link between awareness and action, which could be hypothesised to have become stronger in light of evidence being produced of some projected climate changes occurring already. This article examines climate change awareness and the link with travel-related decision-making by adopting an under-utilised origin perspective in Wellington, New Zealand. The findings, generated by a household mail survey, indicate that the majority of the respondents are aware of tourism’s contribution to climate change and think that it is likely that their lives in New Zealand will be negatively affected by climate change. However, when examining the respondents’ recent holiday decision-making, it is evident that for the overwhelming majority, climate change awareness does not appear to influence travel-related decisions. This article concludes by discussing demand-focused measures aimed at reducing the GHG emissions generated by tourism
Negotiating the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement
Difficult and sensitive issues will command the attention of US and Korean officials as they negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). The United States will have to put long-standing US barriers to Korean exports of textiles, apparel, and steel on the table and resolve problems with South Korean access to the US visa waiver program. In turn, South Korea will have to open new opportunities for US goods and services, including autos, beef, and rice. Such a deal will pose a stiff political challenge for Korean officials. However, they will be under pressure in any event to reform their farm programs--either in the context of a final deal in the WTO talks or in response to Chinese initiatives in the region, which Korea will need to match. Both Korea and the United States also have important foreign policy interests in the FTA, particularly enhanced security on the Korean peninsula. South Korea would like the FTA to promote the policy of constructive engagement with North Korea, which the former has been pursuing by extending trade preferences to goods produced in the Kaesong industrial complex in North Korea. However, such a request would put the entire negotiation in jeopardy since the US Congress would reject preferences for the North Korean regime.
Technology Reading Programs and Their Impact on Listening Comprehension
Abstract
This qualitative study explores the impact technology reading programs have on second grade students’ listening comprehension as well as, their experiences with the programs. Student participants used three reading programs daily on an iPad to assess student listening comprehension through five question assessments. The three programs used in this study were RazKids, TumbleBooks and Bookflix. Data were collected for a 5-week period using observational notes, assessment results, from all three reading programs, and student interviews. Results suggest that student engaging student body language, specific program features and student preference of reading program impacted listening comprehension results. Additional research should be conducted to determine benefits of specific reading programs for student literacy learning.
Key words: Listening comprehension, technology, RazKids, TumbleBooks, Bookflix, assessment
Finite-Dimensional Calculus
We discuss topics related to finite-dimensional calculus in the context of
finite-dimensional quantum mechanics. The truncated Heisenberg-Weyl algebra is
called a TAA algebra after Tekin, Aydin, and Arik who formulated it in terms of
orthofermions. It is shown how to use a matrix approach to implement analytic
representations of the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra in univariate and multivariate
settings. We provide examples for the univariate case. Krawtchouk polynomials
are presented in detail, including a review of Krawtchouk polynomials that
illustrates some curious properties of the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra, as well as
presenting an approach to computing Krawtchouk expansions. From a mathematical
perspective, we are providing indications as to how to implement in finite
terms Rota's "finite operator calculus".Comment: 26 pages. Added material on Krawtchouk polynomials. Additional
references include
On Computational Complexity of Clifford Algebra
After a brief discussion of the computational complexity of Clifford
algebras, we present a new basis for even Clifford algebra Cl(2m) that
simplifies greatly the actual calculations and, without resorting to the
conventional matrix isomorphism formulation, obtains the same complexity. In
the last part we apply these results to the Clifford algebra formulation of the
NP-complete problem of the maximum clique of a graph introduced in a previous
paper.Comment: 13 page
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