Planning and governance under the LGA: Lessons from the RMA experience.

The purpose of this report is to identify ways in which experiences gained from the RMA as a devolved and co-operative planning mandate can enable local and central government and other stakeholders to more effectively implement the LGA. The report is based on findings from the FRST-funded research programme on Planning under Co-operative Mandates (PUCM). We argue in this report that the experiences gained from the RMA can inform effective implementation of the LGA in three important respects: Preparation and implementation of LTCCPs; The community consultation process for formulating community outcomes; and Māori participation in planning and governance

Developmental biology: an array of new possibilities

Microarrays offer biologists comprehensive and powerful tools to analyze the involvement of genes in developmental processes at an unprecedented scale. Microarrays that employ defined sequences will permit us to elucidate genetic relationships and responses, while those that employ undefined DNA sequences (ESTs, cDNA, or genomic libraries) will help us to discover new genes, relate them to documented gene networks, and examine the way in which genes (and the process that they themselves control) are regulated. With access to broad new avenues of research come strategic and logistical headaches, most of which are embodied in the reams of data that are created over the course of an experiment. The solutions to these problems have provided interesting computational tools, which will allow us to compile huge data sets and to construct a genome-wide view of development. We are on the threshold of a new vista of possibilities where we might consider in comprehensive and yet specific detail, for example, the degree to which diverse organisms utilize similar genetic networks to achieve similar ends. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved

Abelian Magnetic Monopoles and Topologically Massive Vector Bosons in Scalar-Tensor Gravity with Torsion Potential

A Lagrangian formulation describing the electromagnetic interaction - mediated by topologically massive vector bosons - between charged, spin-(1/2) fermions with an abelian magnetic monopole in a curved spacetime with non-minimal coupling and torsion potential is presented. The covariant field equations are obtained. The issue of coexistence of massive photons and magnetic monopoles is addressed in the present framework. It is found that despite the topological nature of photon mass generation in curved spacetime with isotropic dilaton field, the classical field theory describing the nonrelativistic electromagnetic interaction between a point-like electric charge and magnetic monopole is inconsistent.Comment: 18 pages, no figure

Friction Stir Processing of SSM356 Aluminium Alloy

AbstractThe aim of this experiment was to improve the mechanical properties of SSM 356 aluminum alloys by friction stir processing, a solid-state technique for microstructural modification using the heat from a friction and stirring. The parameters of friction stir processing for SSM 356 aluminum alloys were studied at three different travelling speeds: 80, 120 and 160mm/min under three different rotation speeds 1320, 1480 and 1750rpm. The hardness and tensile strength properties were increased by friction stir processing. The hardness of friction stir processing was 64.55 HV which was higher than the base metal (40.58 HV). The tensile strengths of friction stir processing were increased about 11.8% compared to the base metal. The optimal processing parameter was rotation speed at 1750rpm with the travelling speed at 160mm/min. Consequently, the application of the friction stir processing is a very effective method for the mechanical improvement of semi-solid metal aluminum alloys

Should cable television channels be offered à la carte?

Why do cable TV companies force people to purchase channels they don’t even like? Wouldn’t consumers be better off if they could purchase channels individually rather than only as part of large packages? Not necessarily. This research shows that channel prices would be higher on average if they were offered individually, and if the increase in prices is large enough it can more than offset the benefits of unbundling

Upsilon \bar BB Couplings, Slope of the Isgur-Wise Function and Improved Estimate of \boldmath{V_{cb}$}}

We estimate the sum of the $\Upsilon \bar BB$ couplings using QCD Spectral Sum Rules (QSSR). Our result implies the phenomenological bound $\xi'(vv'=1) \geq -1.04$ for the slope of the Isgur-Wise function. An analytic estimate of the (physical) slope to two loops within QSSR leads to the accurate value $\xi'(vv'=1) \simeq -(1.00 \pm 0.02)$ due to the (almost) complete cancellations between the perturbative and non-perturbative corrections at the stability points. Then, we deduce, from the present data, the improved estimate \vert V_{cb} \vert \simeq \ga 1.48 \mbox{ps}/\tau_B \dr ^{1/2}(37.3 \pm 1.2 \pm 1.4)\times 10^{-3} where the first error comes from the data analysis and the second one from the different model parametrizations of the Isgur-Wise function.Comment: {{\bf $\bf 10 pages, Latex, (1 Figure on request), CERN-TH-7103/93 (Phys. Lett. B in press

Coherent states \`a la Klauder-Perelomov for the P\"oschl-Teller potentials

In this paper we present a scheme for constructing the coherent states of Klauder-Perelomov's type for a particle which is trapped in P\"oschl-Teller potentials

Critical thinking in PBL: Development of a bespoke tool for critical thinking

[EN] As an active learning strategy, problem based learning (PBL) puts the emphasis on students being responsible for their learning (Hmelo-Silver and Barrows 2006). Although it is student-centred, PBL facilitators can help students achieve deep learning through strategies which allow them to check their understanding and engage in critical thinking skills (Wood, 2003; Azer et al,. 2013). However enabling students to engage in critical thinking skills and assessing their learning requires the use of innovative strategies (Azer et al., 2013). This paper describes the development of a learning tool to allow students undertake their own-self assessment. It was developed on the principles of ill-structured problems which encourage the utilization of critical thinking skills (Kek and Huijser, 2011). Thus the aim of the research was to assess whether the tool would allow the students to engage in critical thinking skills such as deep understanding and application of knowledge. Results show students found the tool to be effective for their learning where they were able to apply their knowledge and test understanding. This suggested that the developed tool proved to be useful in engaging students in critical thinking skills and as a means to check student understanding.Ali, N.; Crawford, R.; Horn, M. (2019). Critical thinking in PBL: Development of a bespoke tool for critical thinking. En HEAD'19. 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 513-520. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD19.2019.9366OCS51352

FeatureExplorer: Interactive Feature Selection and Exploration of Regression Models for Hyperspectral Images

Feature selection is used in machine learning to improve predictions, decrease computation time, reduce noise, and tune models based on limited sample data. In this article, we present FeatureExplorer, a visual analytics system that supports the dynamic evaluation of regression models and importance of feature subsets through the interactive selection of features in high-dimensional feature spaces typical of hyperspectral images. The interactive system allows users to iteratively refine and diagnose the model by selecting features based on their domain knowledge, interchangeable (correlated) features, feature importance, and the resulting model performance.Comment: To appear in IEEE VIS 2019 Short Paper