Reflections on Ireland\u27s Education/Training Policy Making-Process Leading to the National Framework of Qualifications: National and International Influences

This paper reflects on the various influences, especially from the 1980s, that shaped Ireland’s policy direction leading to the National Framework of Qualifications which was launched in 2003. The paper also provides a broad overview on Ireland’s economic development especially from the 1960s, citing the influence of higher education and training structures in this regard. Among the matters explored in the paper are: the policy-making process; the national, EU and international influences that shaped the policy direction: ‘policy-borrowing’ and policy networks; linkages between the political process, employer needs and education/training structures; and the Bologna process. The range of influences is highlighted in the flurry of policy initiatives during the 1990s

An Examination Into the Use of Compact Fluorescent Lamps in the Domestic Environment

The Irish government, UK government and European Commission have recently passed a ban on the sale of all incandescent/GLS lamps above 1 OOW. This commenced in September 2009, with smaller wattages to be phased out by 2012. This paper sets out to investigate if compact f luorescent lamps (CFLs) are an adequate, su itable and appropriate replacement for GLS lamps in domestic environments. An overview of CFL performance is undertaken, initially t hrough a literature review and then through laboratory measurements. The findings of this are insightful for all readers using CFLs in their homes. In-depth research was carried out to examine CFLs, power factor, harmonic distortion and their likely effects on the national grid. The possible risk of an overloaded three-phase neutral conductor are also evaluated, which provides useful information for electrical services design engineers

The 2012 SLL Code for Lighting: the Impact on Design and Commissioning

In March 2012, the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) published a new edition of the Code for Lighting. This revision includes a number of changes, which are discussed in detail. Among these changes are a recommendation for mean cylindrical illuminance within enclosed spaces and increased room surface reflectances. A method has been proposed by others to perform in-field measurement of cylindrical illuminance without a dedicated meter. Research in a small test space is undertaken to validate this proposed methodology and comment on its accuracy and practicality. Using the same test space, room surface reflectances are altered to demonstrate their impact on the visual environment. The proposed method for recording cylindrical illuminance is found to be accurate, but tedious and time-consuming to implement. Room surface reflectances were increased and the effect on illuminance on surfaces, luminance, horizontal illuminance, cylindrical illuminance and modelling index was significant for the test room used

Physical simulation for monocular 3D model based tracking

The problem of model-based object tracking in three dimensions is addressed. Most previous work on tracking assumes simple motion models, and consequently tracking typically fails in a variety of situations. Our insight is that incorporating physics models of object behaviour improves tracking performance in these cases. In particular it allows us to handle tracking in the face of rigid body interactions where there is also occlusion and fast object motion. We show how to incorporate rigid body physics simulation into a particle filter. We present two methods for this based on pose and force noise. The improvements are tested on four videos of a robot pushing an object, and results indicate that our approach performs considerably better than a plain particle filter tracker, with the force noise method producing the best results over the range of test videos

Evaluting Domestic Lighting: an Investigation into the Use of Compact Fluorescent Lamps in the Domestic Environment

The Irish government, UK Government and European Commission have recently passed a ban on the sale of all incandescent/GLS lamps above 100W, which commenced in September 209 with smaller Wattages to be phased out by 2012. This paper sets out to investigate if CFLs are an adequate, suitable and appropriate replacement for GLS lamps in domestic environments. The main areas examined are power factor and total harmonic distortion, but other CFL characteristics are also investigated by means of literature review, to provide a complete overview of CFL performance. The measured power factor of all CFLS averaged 0.57 and ranged between 0.52 and 0.62. The effects of harmonic distortion on the current waveform of CFL circuit was significant and reached levels up to 80% of the fundamental frequency. However, this large harmonic distortion is returned on the waveform of a smaller current than would be drawn by a GLS lamp and hence, effects on the national grid and risks of an overloaded three phase neutral conductor are less than sometimes claimed by researchers

The Story of the Dublin Institute of Technology

The Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) was statutorily established as an autonomous institution on 1 January 1993, under the Dublin Instute of Technology Act (1992). It was constituted from the six higher education colleges of the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee. This book describes the evolution and accomplishments of the Institute from its beginnings 113 years ago, and includes its rapid academic developments over the past thirty years. The DIT is now a multi-level higher education institution with the largest enrolment of all the higher education institutions in the state - about 22,000 (10,500 full-time students, 4,000 apprentices and some 7,500 other part-time students).https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ditpress/1000/thumbnail.jp

Teaching silvics: Student performance and evaluations in web-based and traditional classroom courses

There is interest in Web delivery of lower-division forestry courses at Northern Arizona University to accommodate transfer students and scheduling conflicts. We have taught “Trees and Forests of North America,” a sophomore-level required course for forestry majors, for five years with good results as measured by student performance on exams and student evaluations. Fall semester 2001 marks our first completely Web- based version of the course; 25 students enrolled with 30% of the class residing outside of the Flagstaff area. Students covered the course material using a combination of linked Web sites and a commercially available dendrology CD set following a weekly schedule based on the classroom course. We used student evaluations and identical test questions to compare student performance in the Web-based and classroom courses. These data provide a preliminary indication of the feasibility of using a self-directed, Web-based approach to teaching silvics in forestry curricula

Author Q and A with editor Phil Crockett Thomas and contributors on abolition science fiction

In this author Q&A, Rémy-Paulin Twahirwa speaks to editor Phil Crockett Thomas and contributors about their recent collection, Abolition Science Fiction, a collection of short science fiction stories written by activists and scholars involved in prison abolition and transformative justice in the UK

Non-perturbative monodromies in N=2 heterotic string vacua

We address non-perturbative effects and duality symmetries in $N=2$ heterotic string theories in four dimensions. Specifically, we consider how each of the four lines of enhanced gauge symmetries in the perturbative moduli space of $N=2$ $T_2$ compactifications is split into 2 lines where monopoles and dyons become massless. This amounts to considering non-perturbative effects originating from enhanced gauge symmetries at the microscopic string level. We show that the perturbative and non-perturbative monodromies consistently lead to the results of Seiberg-Witten upon identication of a consistent truncation procedure from local to rigid $N=2$ supersymmetry.Comment: 41 pages, Latex (minor changes in text and note added

Center for Progressive Reform Report: Protecting Workers In A Pandemic--What The Federal Government Should Be Doing

The re-opening of the American economy while the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating puts workers at heightened risk of contracting the deadly virus. In some blue-collar industries, the risk is particularly acute because of the inherent nature of the work itself and of the workplaces in which it is conducted. And the risk, for a variety of reasons, falls disproportionately on people of color and low-income workers. With governors stay-at-home orders and other pandemic safety restrictions, Center for Progressive Reform Member Scholars Thomas McGarity, Michael Duff, and Sidney Shapiro examine the federal government\u27s many missed opportunities to stem the spread of the virus in the nation\u27s workplaces, and make recommendations for what needs to happen next to protect employees on the job