Promoting Metacognition and Motivation of Exceptional Children

Metacognition fosters independent learning by providing personal insight into one's own thinking. Such awareness can lead to flexible and confident problem solving as well as feelings of self-efficacy and pride. This is especially important for students who encounter difficulty in school because they do not understand how to appraise and manage their own resources for learning. Too often, students develop debilitating expectations and behavior that undermine learning in school and inhibit transfer of effective learning strategies. We describe four general kinds of instruction that help students learn to think: metacognitive explanation, scaffolded instruction, cognitive coaching, and cooperative learning. Teachers can adapt and combine these methods to teach students how to think as they read, write, and compute in classrooms.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69089/2/10.1177_074193259001100604.pd

Properties of continuous Fourier extension of the discrete cosine transform and its multidimensional generalization

A versatile method is described for the practical computation of the discrete Fourier transforms (DFT) of a continuous function $g(t)$ given by its values $g_{j}$ at the points of a uniform grid $F_{N}$ generated by conjugacy classes of elements of finite adjoint order $N$ in the fundamental region $F$ of compact semisimple Lie groups. The present implementation of the method is for the groups SU(2), when $F$ is reduced to a one-dimensional segment, and for $SU(2)\times ... \times SU(2)$ in multidimensional cases. This simplest case turns out to result in a transform known as discrete cosine transform (DCT), which is often considered to be simply a specific type of the standard DFT. Here we show that the DCT is very different from the standard DFT when the properties of the continuous extensions of these two discrete transforms from the discrete grid points $t_j; j=0,1, ... N$ to all points $t \in F$ are considered. (A) Unlike the continuous extension of the DFT, the continuous extension of (the inverse) DCT, called CEDCT, closely approximates $g(t)$ between the grid points $t_j$. (B) For increasing $N$, the derivative of CEDCT converges to the derivative of $g(t)$. And (C), for CEDCT the principle of locality is valid. Finally, we use the continuous extension of 2-dimensional DCT to illustrate its potential for interpolation, as well as for the data compression of 2D images.Comment: submitted to JMP on April 3, 2003; still waiting for the referee's Repor

An adaptive prefix-assignment technique for symmetry reduction

This paper presents a technique for symmetry reduction that adaptively assigns a prefix of variables in a system of constraints so that the generated prefix-assignments are pairwise nonisomorphic under the action of the symmetry group of the system. The technique is based on McKay's canonical extension framework [J.~Algorithms 26 (1998), no.~2, 306--324]. Among key features of the technique are (i) adaptability---the prefix sequence can be user-prescribed and truncated for compatibility with the group of symmetries; (ii) parallelizability---prefix-assignments can be processed in parallel independently of each other; (iii) versatility---the method is applicable whenever the group of symmetries can be concisely represented as the automorphism group of a vertex-colored graph; and (iv) implementability---the method can be implemented relying on a canonical labeling map for vertex-colored graphs as the only nontrivial subroutine. To demonstrate the practical applicability of our technique, we have prepared an experimental open-source implementation of the technique and carry out a set of experiments that demonstrate ability to reduce symmetry on hard instances. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the implementation effectively parallelizes to compute clusters with multiple nodes via a message-passing interface.Comment: Updated manuscript submitted for revie

Ergodic properties of a generic non-integrable quantum many-body system in thermodynamic limit

We study a generic but simple non-integrable quantum {\em many-body} system of {\em locally} interacting particles, namely a kicked $t-V$ model of spinless fermions on 1-dim lattice (equivalent to a kicked Heisenberg XX-Z chain of 1/2 spins). Statistical properties of dynamics (quantum ergodicity and quantum mixing) and the nature of quantum transport in {\em thermodynamic limit} are considered as the kick parameters (which control the degree of non-integrability) are varied. We find and demonstrate {\em ballistic} transport and non-ergodic, non-mixing dynamics (implying infinite conductivity at all temperatures) in the {\em integrable} regime of zero or very small kick parameters, and more generally and important, also in {\em non-integrable} regime of {\em intermediate} values of kicked parameters, whereas only for sufficiently large kick parameters we recover quantum ergodicity and mixing implying normal (diffusive) transport. We propose an order parameter (charge stiffness $D$) which controls the phase transition from non-mixing/non-ergodic dynamics (ordered phase, $D>0$) to mixing/ergodic dynamics (disordered phase, D=0) in the thermodynamic limit. Furthermore, we find {\em exponential decay of time-correlation function} in the regime of mixing dynamics. The results are obtained consistently within three different numerical and analytical approaches: (i) time evolution of a finite system and direct computation of time correlation functions, (ii) full diagonalization of finite systems and statistical analysis of stationary data, and (iii) algebraic construction of quantum invariants of motion of an infinite system, in particular the time averaged observables.Comment: 18 pages in REVTeX with 14 eps figures included, Submitted to Physical Review

Управление операциями с пластиковыми картами в коммерческом банке

Работа посвящена управлению операциями с банковскими картами в коммерческом банке. Рассматриваются виды банковских карт, классификация операций с ними и изучение современных тенденций развития пластиковых карт в Российской Федерации. В конце работы даются рекомендации по развитию операций с пластиковыми картами в коммерческом банке.The work is dedicated to the management of card transactions in the commercial bank. Consider the types of bank cards , the classification of transactions with them and study modern trends in the development of plastic cards in the Russian Federation . At the end of the paper provides recommendations on the development of operations with plastic cards in a commercial bank

Inhibition of HMG CoA reductase reveals an unexpected role for cholesterol during PGC migration in the mouse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the embryonic precursors of the sperm and eggs. Environmental or genetic defects that alter PGC development can impair fertility or cause formation of germ cell tumors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We demonstrate a novel role for cholesterol during germ cell migration in mice. Cholesterol was measured in living tissue dissected from mouse embryos and was found to accumulate within the developing gonads as germ cells migrate to colonize these structures. Cholesterol synthesis was blocked in culture by inhibiting the activity of HMG CoA reductase (HMGCR) resulting in germ cell survival and migration defects. These defects were rescued by co-addition of isoprenoids and cholesterol, but neither compound alone was sufficient. In contrast, loss of the last or penultimate enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis did not alter PGC numbers or position in vivo. However embryos that lack these enzymes do not exhibit cholesterol defects at the stage at which PGCs are migrating. This demonstrates that during gestation, the cholesterol required for PGC migration can be supplied maternally.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In the mouse, cholesterol is required for PGC survival and motility. It may act cell-autonomously by regulating clustering of growth factor receptors within PGCs or non cell-autonomously by controlling release of growth factors required for PGC guidance and survival.</p