865 research outputs found
Formality and informality in the summative assessment of motor vehicle apprentices: a case study
This article explores the interaction of formal and informal attributes of competenceâbased assessment. Specifically, it presents evidence from a small qualitative case study of summative assessment practices for competenceâbased qualifications within apprenticeships in the motor industry in England. The data are analysed through applying an adaptation of a framework for exploring the interplay of formality and informality in learning. This analysis reveals informal mentoring as a significant element which influences not only the process of assessment, but also its outcomes. We offer different possible interpretations of the data and their analysis, and conclude that, whichever interpretation is adopted, there appears to be a need for greater capacityâbuilding for assessors at a local level. This could acknowledge a more holistic role for assessors; recognise the importance of assessorsâ informal practices in the formal retention and achievement of apprentices; and enhance awareness of inequalities that may be reinforced by both informal and formal attributes of assessment practices
Effects of Foreground Contamination on the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy Measured by MAP
We study the effects of diffuse Galactic, far-infrared extragalactic source,
and radio point source emission on the cosmic microwave background (CMB)
anisotropy data anticipated from the MAP experiment. We focus on the
correlation function and genus statistics measured from mock MAP
foreground-contaminated CMB anisotropy maps generated in a spatially-flat
cosmological constant dominated cosmological model. Analyses of the simulated
MAP data at 90 GHz (0.3 deg FWHM resolution smoothed) show that foreground
effects on the correlation function are small compared with cosmic variance.
However, the Galactic emission, even just from the region with |b| > 20 deg,
significantly affects the topology of CMB anisotropy, causing a negative genus
shift non-Gaussianity signal. Given the expected level of cosmic variance, this
effect can be effectively reduced by subtracting existing Galactic foreground
emission models from the observed data. IRAS and DIRBE far-infrared
extragalactic sources have little effect on the CMB anisotropy. Radio point
sources raise the amplitude of the correlation function considerably on scales
below 0.5 deg. Removal of bright radio sources above a 5 \sigma detection limit
effectively eliminates this effect. Radio sources also result in a positive
genus curve asymmetry (significant at 2 \sigma) on 0.5 deg scales. Accurate
radio point source data is essential for an unambiguous detection of CMB
anisotropy non-Gaussianity on these scales. Non-Gaussianity of cosmological
origin can be detected from the foreground-subtracted CMB anisotropy map at the
2 \sigma level if the measured genus shift parameter |\Delta\nu| >= 0.02 (0.04)
or if the measured genus asymmetry parameter |\Delta g| >= 0.03 (0.08) on a 0.3
(1.0) deg FWHM scale.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for Publication in Astrophysical
Journal (Some sentences and figures modified
Two-Dimensional Topology of the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey
We study the topology of the publicly available data released by the 2dFGRS.
The 2dFGRS data contains over 100,000 galaxy redshifts with a magnitude limit
of b_J=19.45 and is the largest such survey to date. The data lie over a wide
range of right ascension (75 degree strips) but only within a narrow range of
declination (10 degree and 15 degree strips). This allows measurements of the
two-dimensional genus to be made.
The NGP displays a slight meatball shift topology, whereas the SGP displays a
bubble like topology. The current SGP data also have a slightly higher genus
amplitude. In both cases, a slight excess of overdense regions are found over
underdense regions. We assess the significance of these features using mock
catalogs drawn from the Virgo Consortium's Hubble Volume LCDM z=0 simulation.
We find that differences between the NGP and SGP genus curves are only
significant at the 1 sigma level. The average genus curve of the 2dFGRS agrees
well with that extracted from the LCDM mock catalogs.
We compare the amplitude of the 2dFGRS genus curve to the amplitude of a
Gaussian random field with the same power spectrum as the 2dFGRS and find,
contradictory to results for the 3D genus of other samples, that the amplitude
of the GRF genus curve is slightly lower than that of the 2dFGRS. This could be
due to a a feature in the current data set or the 2D genus may not be as
sensitive as the 3D genus to non-linear clustering due to the averaging over
the thickness of the slice in 2D. (Abridged)Comment: Submitted to ApJ A version with Figure 1 in higher resolution can be
obtained from http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~hoyle
A New Microlensing Event in the Doubly-Imaged Quasar Q0957+561
We present evidence for ultraviolet/optical microlensing in the
gravitationally lensed quasar Q0957+561. We combine new measurements from our
optical monitoring campaign at the United States Naval Observatory, Flagstaff
(USNO) with measurements from the literature and find that the
time-delay-corrected r-band flux ratio m_A - m_B has increased by ~0.1
magnitudes over a period of five years beginning in the fall of 2005. We apply
our Monte Carlo microlensing analysis procedure to the composite light curves,
obtaining a measurement of the optical accretion disk size, log
{(r_s/cm)[cos(i)/0.5]^{1/2}} = 16.2^{+0.5}_{-0.6}, that is consistent with the
quasar accretion disk size - black hole mass relation.Comment: Replaced with accepted version. Minor adjustments to text but
conclusions unchanged. Data in Table 2 have been updated and table now
includes additional observation
Optical monitoring of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q2237+0305 from APO between June 1995 and January 1998
We present a data set of images of the gravitationally lensed quasar
Q2237+0305, that was obtained at the Apache Point Observatory (APO) between
June 1995 and January 1998. Although the images were taken under variable,
often poor seeing conditions and with coarse pixel sampling, photometry is
possible for the two brighter quasar images A and B with the help of exact
quasar image positions from HST observations. We obtain a light curve with 73
data points for each of the images A and B. There is evidence for a long (>~
100 day) brightness peak in image A in 1996 with an amplitude of about 0.4 to
0.5 mag (relative to 1995), which indicates that microlensing has been taking
place in the lensing galaxy. Image B does not vary much over the course of the
observation period. The long, smooth variation of the light curve is similar to
the results from the OGLE monitoring of the system (Wozniak et al. 2000a).Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; accepted for publication in A&
1934: Abilene Christian College Bible Lectures - Full Text
INTRODUCTION
The theme for the Lectures for 1934, âThe New Testament Church in History,â is a very timely one and follows naturally the theme of the 1933 Lectures, âThe Church We Read About in the New Testament.â There is no subject that is so vital in our work as Christians today as a proper understanding of the great spiritual kingdom of our Savior, the church which was built by Jesus Christ. It is a hard lesson to teach because all people are so dull of hearing concerning things spiritual. Just as Nicodemus marveled when the Christ told him of the spiritual kingdom so do people today wonder and marvel when they are told that there is only one great church, the spiritual kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that all the saved of earth belong to that church and that belonging to anything else profits little, and is unnecessary. Not only are numbers of denominational churches and people who have no religious affiliation ignorant of the true meaning of the church, but even those who claim to be members of the one body are lacking in understanding concerning the kingdom of Christ. It is therefore the purpose of the Abilene College Lectures last year, this year and next year to arouse a greater interest in the study and the teaching of this very vital matter. In this particular volume much valuable information is brought together on the trials and struggles of the church from its foundations to the present. The speakers have made careful preparation on their subjects and have given lessons that should prove helpful to all who desire to have a better understanding of the church. Our prayer is that these Lectures may be read by many and that they may do much good in the name of the Christ.
Jas. F. Cox,President, Abilene Christian College.
Nov. 6, 1934
Topology from the Simulated Sloan Digital Sky Survey
We measure the topology (genus curve) of the galaxy distribution in a mock
redshift catalog designed to resemble the upcoming Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS). The catalog, drawn from a large N-body simulation of a Lambda-CDM cos-
mological model, mimics the anticipated spectroscopic selection procedures of
the SDSS in some detail. Sky maps, redshift slices, and 3-D contour maps of the
mock survey reveal a rich and complex structure, including networks of voids
and superclusters that resemble the patterns seen in the CfA redshift survey
and the Las Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS). The 3-D genus curve can be
measured from the simulated catalog with superb precision; this curve has the
general shape predicted for Gaussian, random phase initial conditions, but the
error bars are small enough to demonstrate with high significance the subtle
departures from this shape caused by non-linear gravitational evolution. These
distortions have the form predicted by Matsubara's (1994) perturbative anal-
ysis, but they are much smaller in amplitude. We also measure the 3-D genus
curve of the radial peculiar velocity field measured by applying distance-
indicator relations (with realistic errors) to the mock catalog. This genus
curve is consistent with the Gaussian random phase prediction, though it is of
relatively low precision because of the large smoothing length required to
overcome noise in the measured velocity field. Finally, we measure the 2-D
topology in redshift slices, similar to early slices from the SDSS and to
slices already observed in the LCRS. The genus curves of these slices are
consistent with the observed genus curves of the LCRS, providing further
evidence in favor of the inflationary CDM model with Omega_M~0.4. The catalog
is publicly available at http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~dhw/sdss.html.Comment: ASTeX 4.0 Preprint Style, 5 GIF figures (Figs 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 6; see
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~wcolley/SDSS_Top/ for PostScript versions), 7
PostScript figures. Figure 5 and Table 1 have minor corrections since
publicatio
Development of strategies for effective communication of food risks and benefits across Europe: Design and conceptual framework of the FoodRisC project
The FoodRisC project is funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (CORDIS FP7) of the European Commission; Grant agreement no.: 245124. Copyright @ 2011 Barnett et al.BACKGROUND: European consumers are faced with a myriad of food related risk and benefit information and it is regularly left up to the consumer to interpret these, often conflicting, pieces of information as a coherent message. This conflict is especially apparent in times of food crises and can have major public health implications. Scientific results and risk assessments cannot always be easily communicated into simple guidelines and advice that non-scientists like the public or the media can easily understand especially when there is conflicting, uncertain or complex information about a particular food or aspects thereof. The need for improved strategies and tools for communication about food risks and benefits is therefore paramount. The FoodRisC project ("Food Risk Communication - Perceptions and communication of food risks/benefits across Europe: development of effective communication strategies") aims to address this issue. The FoodRisC project will examine consumer perceptions and investigate how people acquire and use information in food domains in order to develop targeted strategies for food communication across Europe.METHODS/DESIGN: This project consists of 6 research work packages which, using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, are focused on development of a framework for investigating food risk/benefit issues across Europe, exploration of the role of new and traditional media in food communication and testing of the framework in order to develop evidence based communication strategies and tools. The main outcome of the FoodRisC project will be a toolkit to enable coherent communication of food risk/benefit messages in Europe. The toolkit will integrate theoretical models and new measurement paradigms as well as building on social marketing approaches around consumer segmentation. Use of the toolkit and guides will assist policy makers, food authorities and other end users in developing common approaches to communicating coherent messages to consumers in Europe.DISCUSSION: The FoodRisC project offers a unique approach to the investigation of food risk/benefit communication. The effective spread of food risk/benefit information will assist initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of food-related illness and disease, reducing the economic impact of food crises and ensuring that confidence in safe and nutritious food is fostered and maintained in Europe.This article is available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund
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