Geometry of Deformed Boson Algebras

Phase-space realisations of an infinite parameter family of quantum deformations of the boson algebra in which the $q$-- and the $qp$--deformed algebras arise as special cases are studied. Quantum and classical models for the corresponding deformed oscillators are provided. The deformation parameters are identified with coefficients of non-linear terms in the normal forms expansion of a family of classical Hamiltonian systems. These quantum deformations are trivial in the sense that they correspond to non-unitary transformations of the Weyl algebra. They are non-trivial in the sense that the deformed commutators consistently quantise a class of non-canonical classical Poisson structures.Comment: 20 pages, late

Quantisation on the Two-Handled Sphere

この論文は国立情報学研究所の電子図書館事業により電子化されました。研究会報告There is a class of polygonal billiards which can be mapped into classical flows on the surface of a g-handled sphere. In particular the π/3-rhombus billiard flow is equivalent to a flow on the surface of a two-handled sphere. The quantisation of this system is as yet an unsolved problem

"Tribes" and the people who read books: Managing history in Colonial Zambia

African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 22 July, 199

The rules of the game: the political location of women in northwestern Zambia

Paper presented at the Wits History Workshop: Democracy, Popular Precedents, Practice and Culture, 13-15 July, 1994

Exploring the impact of career models on teacher motivation

The Education for All movement has resulted in a rapid expansion in primary school places across the developing world. However, this expansion has not been accompanied by an equally rapid increase in the number of qualified teachers. It has led, instead, to the recruitment of increasing numbers of unqualified teachers, lowering the status and worsening the working conditions of teachers in many countries. Some authors have been prompted to talk of a crisis in teacher motivation. This literature review explores the contribution of teacher career models to this motivational crisis, and asks whether a change in their administration could improve the quality of teaching in schools by motivating teachers to improve, and increasing the appeal of the profession. This is in line with the suggested post-2015 education goal that ‘By 2030, all governments ensure that all learners are taught by qualified, professionally-trained, motivated and well-supported teachers’. The most common career structure in both developed and developing countries is the single salary structure, in which teachers’ pay increases yearly, irrespective of teaching quality. The only other factors taken into account in calculating pay are additional qualifications, and promotions to administrative positions. Problems with this structure include: a lack of correlation between the factors used for promotion (certificates and experience) and teacher effectiveness; a lack of accountability for quality of teaching; the demotivating effect on colleagues of less-dedicated teachers receiving automatic promotion; a flat salary structure that makes the profession less attractive to the most able; a lack of career progression opportunities for teachers who do not wish to leave the classroom; and the limited sense of self-determination among teachers. In a search for alternative structures, this report addresses the following research questions by reviewing psychological research on motivation, and examining the models of teacher career structure used in different countries: How are motivation and the organization of careers linked, What are the specific problems linked to the organization of teacher careers in developing countries?, What are the different models of teacher career organization around the world?, Which are the most successful, according to the available research?, What are the lessons for the design and implementation of career ladder systems

Evaluation of 'TRY': an algorithm for neonatal continuous positive airways pressure in low-income settings

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive respiratory support using bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) is useful in treating babies with respiratory distress syndrome. Despite its proven clinical and cost-effectiveness, implementation is hampered by the inappropriate administration of bCPAP in low-resource settings. A clinical algorithm-'TRY' (based on Tone: good; Respiratory distress; Yes, heart rate above 100 beats/min)-has been developed to correctly identify which newborns would benefit most from bCPAP in a teaching hospital in Malawi. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reliability, sensitivity and specificity of TRY when employed by nurses in a Malawian district hospital. METHODS: Nursing staff in a Malawian district hospital baby unit were asked, over a 2-month period, to complete TRY assessments for every newly admitted baby with the following inclusion criteria: clinical evidence of respiratory distress and/or birth weight less than 1.3 kg. A visiting paediatrician, blinded to nurses' assessments, concurrently assessed each baby, providing both a TRY assessment and a clinical decision regarding the need for CPAP administration. Inter-rater reliability was calculated comparing nursing and paediatrician TRY assessment outcomes. Sensitivity and specificity were estimated comparing nurse TRY assessments against the paediatrician's clinical decision. RESULTS: Two hundred and eighty-seven infants were admitted during the study period; 145 (51%) of these met the inclusion criteria, and of these 57 (39%) received joint assessments. The inter-rater reliability was high (kappa 0.822). Sensitivity and specificity were 92% and 96%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: District hospital nurses, using the TRY-CPAP algorithm, reliably identified babies that might benefit from bCPAP and thus improved its effective implementation

A profile of elderly fallers referred for physiotherapy in the emergency department of a Dublin teaching hospital.

Ireland has an ageing population and the elderly are over-represented in Emergency Departments (ED)--a quarter of these presentations resulting from falls. A prospective study design was employed using a convenience sample to profile elderly fallers referred for physiotherapy in ED. Forty-subjects were assessed over 14 weeks. Mean age was 84.88 years (s.d. 7.3) and 31 (77.5%) were female. All demonstrated slow walking speed and 26 (65%) demonstrated poor grip strength. A quarter of subjects reported fear of falling and 30 (75%) were classified as frail. Elderly fallers in ED are a frail group of socially vulnerable patients who demonstrate a risk of further falls. Osteoporosis had been diagnosed in 9 (22.5%) subjects--a low prevalence compared with international research, but 25 (62.5%) subjects had never had a DEXA scan. The prevalence of frailty in the sample of elderly fallers in this study was very high (75%)