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Modelling the preferences of students for alternative assignment designs using the Discrete Choice Experiment methodology
This paper outlines how a discrete choice experiment (DCE) can be used to learn more about how students are willing to trade off various features of assignments such as the nature and timing of feedback and the method used to submit assignments. A DCE identifies plausible levels of the key attributes of a good or service and then presents the respondent with alternative bundles of these attributes and their levels and asks the respondent to choose between particular bundles. We report results from a DCE we conducted with undergraduate business students regarding their preferences for assignment systems. We find that the most important features of assignments are how relevant the assignments are for exam preparation and the nature of the feedback that students receive. We also find that students generally prefer online to paper assignments. We argue that the DCE approach has a lot of potential in education research. Accessed 4,497 times on https://pareonline.net from November 13, 2014 to December 31, 2019. For downloads from January 1, 2020 forward, please click on the PlumX Metrics link to the right
Restricted Full Three-Body Problem: Application to Binary System 1999 KW4
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76569/1/AIAA-30937-245.pd
Using binary stars to bound the mass of the graviton
Interacting white dwarf binary star systems, including helium cataclysmic
variable (HeCV) systems, are expected to be strong sources of gravitational
radiation, and should be detectable by proposed space-based laser
interferometer gravitational wave observatories such as LISA. Several HeCV star
systems are presently known and can be studied optically, which will allow
electromagnetic and gravitational wave observations to be correlated.
Comparisons of the phases of a gravitational wave signal and the orbital light
curve from an interacting binary white dwarf star system can be used to bound
the mass of the graviton. Observations of typical HeCV systems by LISA could
potentially yield an upper bound on the inverse mass of the graviton as strong
as km (
eV), more than two orders of magnitude better than present solar system derived
bounds.Comment: 21 pages plus 4 figures; ReVTe
Neuro-evolution Methods for Designing Emergent Specialization
This research applies the Collective Specialization Neuro-Evolution (CONE) method to the problem of evolving neural controllers in a simulated multi-robot system. The multi-robot system consists
of multiple pursuer (predator) robots, and a single evader (prey) robot. The CONE method is designed to facilitate behavioral
specialization in order to increase task performance in collective behavior solutions. Pursuit-Evasion is a task that benefits
from behavioral specialization. The performance of prey-capture strategies derived by the CONE method, are compared to those
derived by the Enforced Sub-Populations (ESP) method. Results indicate that the CONE method effectively facilitates behavioral specialization in the team of pursuer
robots. This specialization aids in the derivation of robust prey-capture strategies. Comparatively, ESP was found to be not
as appropriate for facilitating behavioral specialization and effective prey-capture behaviors
Weakly--exceptional quotient singularities
A singularity is said to be weakly--exceptional if it has a unique purely log
terminal blow up. In dimension , V. Shokurov proved that weakly--exceptional
quotient singularities are exactly those of types , , ,
. This paper classifies the weakly--exceptional quotient singularities
in dimensions and
Sub-Subgiants in the Old Open Cluster M67?
We report the discovery of two spectroscopic binaries in the field of the old
open cluster M67 -- S1063 and S1113 -- whose positions in the color-magnitude
diagram place them approximately 1 mag below the subgiant branch. A ROSAT study
of M67 independently discovered these stars to be X-ray sources. Both have
proper-motion membership probabilities greater than 97%; precise center-of-mass
velocities are consistent with the cluster mean radial velocity. S1063 is also
projected within one core radius of the cluster center. S1063 is a single-lined
binary with a period of 18.396 days and an orbital eccentricity of 0.206. S1113
is a double-lined system with a circular orbit having a period of 2.823094
days. The primary stars of both binaries are subgiants. The secondary of S1113
is likely a 0.9 Mo main-sequence star, which implies a 1.3 Mo primary star. We
have been unable to explain securely the low apparent luminosities of the
primary stars; neither binary contain stars presently limited in radius by
their Roche lobes. We speculate that S1063 and S1113 may be the products of
close stellar encounters involving binaries in the cluster environment, and may
define alternative stellar evolutionary tracks associated with mass-transfer
episodes, mergers, and/or dynamical stellar exchanges
Mark correlations: relating physical properties to spatial distributions
Mark correlations provide a systematic approach to look at objects both
distributed in space and bearing intrinsic information, for instance on
physical properties. The interplay of the objects' properties (marks) with the
spatial clustering is of vivid interest for many applications; are, e.g.,
galaxies with high luminosities more strongly clustered than dim ones? Do
neighbored pores in a sandstone have similar sizes? How does the shape of
impact craters on a planet depend on the geological surface properties? In this
article, we give an introduction into the appropriate mathematical framework to
deal with such questions, i.e. the theory of marked point processes. After
having clarified the notion of segregation effects, we define universal test
quantities applicable to realizations of a marked point processes. We show
their power using concrete data sets in analyzing the luminosity-dependence of
the galaxy clustering, the alignment of dark matter halos in gravitational
-body simulations, the morphology- and diameter-dependence of the Martian
crater distribution and the size correlations of pores in sandstone. In order
to understand our data in more detail, we discuss the Boolean depletion model,
the random field model and the Cox random field model. The first model
describes depletion effects in the distribution of Martian craters and pores in
sandstone, whereas the last one accounts at least qualitatively for the
observed luminosity-dependence of the galaxy clustering.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures. to be published in Lecture Notes of Physics,
second Wuppertal conference "Spatial statistics and statistical physics
The short term debt vs. long term debt puzzle: a model for the optimal mix
This paper argues that the existing finance literature is inadequate with respect to its coverage of capital structure of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). In particular it is argued that the cost of equity (being both conceptually ill defined and empirically non quantifiable) is not applicable to the capital structure decisions for a large proportion of SMEs and the optimal capital structure depends only on the mix of short and long term debt. The paper then presents a model, developed by practitioners for optimising the debt mix and demonstrates its practical application using an Italian firm's debt structure as a case study
A novel method to quantify fibrin-fibrin and fibrin-α2AP cross-links in thrombi formed from human trauma patient plasma.
The widespread use of the anti-fibrinolytic agent, tranexamic acid (TXA), interferes with the quantification of fibrinolysis by dynamic laboratory assays such as clot lysis, making it difficult to measure fibrinolysis in many trauma patients. At the final stage of coagulation, Factor XIIIa (FXIIIa) catalyses the formation of fibrin-fibrin and fibrin-α2-antiplasmin (α2AP) cross-links which increases clot mechanical strength and resistance to fibrinolysis. Here, we develop a method to quantify fibrin-fibrin and fibrin-α2AP cross-links that avoids the challenges posed by TXA in determining fibrinolytic resistance in conventional assays. Fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA-FGA), fibrinogen gamma chain (FGG-FGG) and FGA-α2AP cross-links were quantified using liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) in paired plasma samples from trauma patients pre- and post-fibrinogen replacement. Differences in the abundance of cross-links in trauma patients receiving cryoprecipitate (cryo) or fibrinogen concentrate (Fg-C) were analysed. The study found that the abundance of cross-links was significantly increased in trauma patients post-cryo, but not Fg-C, transfusion (p < 0.0001). The abundance of cross-links was positively correlated with the toughness of individual fibrin fibres, the peak thrombin concentration and FXIII antigen (p < 0.05). We have developed a novel method that allows us to quantify fibrin cross-links in trauma patients who have received TXA, providing an indirect measure of fibrinolytic resistance. Using this novel approach we have avoided the effect of TXA and shown that cryo increases fibrin-fibrin and fibrin-α2AP cross-linking when compared to Fg-C, highlighting the importance of FXIII in clot formation and stability in trauma patients
A model of AW UMa
The contact binary AW UMa has an extreme mass ratio, with the more massive
component (the current primary) close to the main sequence, while the low mass
star at q ~ 0.1 (the current secondary) has a much larger radius than a main
sequence star of a comparable mass. We propose that the current secondary has
almost exhausted hydrogen in its center and is much more advanced in its
evolution, as suggested by Stepien. Presumably the current secondary lost most
of its mass during its evolution with part of it transferred to the current
primary. After losing a large fraction of its angular momentum, the binary may
evolve into a system of FK Com type.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, Accepted to MNRAS, content change
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