Science for development: failure in Ghana

The deplorable situation in almost all Third World countries with respect to diseases, poverty, housing and sanitation has prompted governments in these countries to look to science and technology as the panacea to their problems. Their belief rests on the evidence that science is an integral part of modern western society and that the levels of utilization of technology are directly related to their scientific progress. Science and science education are therefore considered to be the vehicles to uplift the Third World countries from their deplorable living conditions. Various strategies have been advanced and introduced by concerned international organizations including UNESCO. The ‘Science for Development' model has been highlighted and practiced since the 1960s.Unfortunately realistic results have not been fort-coming. The factors for the seemingly intractable failures of the ‘Science for Development' model have been identified in this paper .Among these is the fact that cultural perspectives have been ignored in the implementation of the imported model which is based on western worldview. The recommended constructivist approach to teaching and learning is also based on western worldview. The Ghanaian worldview has been discussed and recommendations made as to how to incorporate this worldview into the teaching and learning of science. African Journal of Educational Studies in Mathematics and Sciences Vol. 2(2) 2004: 11-3

A hierarchical finite element Monte Carlo method for stochastic two-scale elliptic equations

We consider two-scale elliptic equations whose coefficients are random. In particular, we study two cases: in the first case, the coefficients are obtained from an ergodic dynamical system acting on a probability space, and in the second the case, the coefficients are periodic in the microscale but are random. We suppose that the coefficients also depend on the macroscopic slow variables. While the effective coefficient of the ergodic homogenization problem is deterministic, to approximate it, it is necessary to solve cell equations in a large but finite size “truncated" cube and compute an approximated effective coefficient from the solution of this equation. This approximated effective coefficient is, however, realization dependent; and the deterministic effective coefficient of the homogenization problem can be approximated by taking its expectation. In the periodic random setting, the effective coefficient for each realization are obtained from the solutions of cell equations which are posed in the unit cube, but to compute its average by the Monte Carlo method, we need to consider many uncorrelated realizations to accurately approximate the average. Straightforward employment of finite element approximation and the Monte Carlo method to compute this expectation with the same level of finite element resolution and the same number of Monte Carlo samples at every macroscopic point is prohibitively expensive. We develop a hierarchical finite element Monte Carlo algorithm to approximate the effective coefficients at a dense hierarchical network of macroscopic points. The method requires an optimal level of complexity that is essentially equal to that for computing the effective coefficient at one macroscopic point, and achieves essentially the same accuracy. The levels of accuracy for solving cell problems and for the Monte Carlo sampling are chosen according to the level in the hierarchy that the macroscopic points belong to. Solutions and the effective coefficients at the points where the cell problems are solved with higher accuracy and the effective coefficients are approximated with a larger number of Monte Carlo samples are employed as correctors for the effective coefficient at those points at which the cell problems are solved with lower accuracy and fewer Monte Carlo samples. The method combines the hierarchical finite element method for solving cell problems at a dense network of macroscopic points with the optimal complexity developed in D. L. Brown, Y. Efendiev and V. H. Hoang, Multiscale Model. Simul. 11 (2013), with a hierarchical Monte Carlo sampling algorithm that uses different number of samples at different macroscopic points depending on the level in the hierarchy that the macroscopic points belong to. Proof of concept numerical examples confirm the theoretical results

Factors affecting penicillium roquefortii (penicillium glaucum) in internally mould ripened cheeses: implications for pre-packed blue cheeses

The amount and vivid colour of blue veins of internally mould ripened cheeses are desirable quality characteristics. It is therefore important that there is a sufficient amount of veining and that it maintains its blue appearance to be appealing to consumers therefore leading to maximised sales potential and profit for the manufacturing company. Optimum in vitro growth mimicking the conditions typically found in prepacked blue cheeses, and using lactose as the sole carbon source, was facilitated by a gas mixture of 5% oxygen ⁄0% carbon dioxide ⁄ balance nitrogen). The work undertaken in this study determined that the factors for optimum in vitro growth of Penicillium roquefortii (strain PRB6) were: a temperature of 20 ± 1 �C, pH of 6.0 ± 0.1, and a relative humidity of 70 ± 0.1%. Further in vitro studies have also shown that the increasing ‘in-pack’ carbon dioxide concentration not only depresses the growth of P. roquefortii but also affects immature conidiospore pigmentation (no effect has been seen on mature conidiospore pigmentation). The implications of this study suggest that the majority of pre-packed internally mould ripened blue cheeses on sale in supermarkets are packaged in inappropriate materials. For some cheeses (e.g. the Roquefort-type cheeses) this is not an issue since these are packed in a much more mature state and some loss of veining colour is not appreciably noticeable

Single-Peaked Preferences over Multidimensional Binary Alternatives

Single-peaked preferences are important throughout social choice theory. In this article, we consider single-peaked preferences over multidimensional binary alternative spaces—that is, alternative spaces of the form {0, 1}n for some integer n ≥ 2. We show that preferences that are single-peaked with respect to a normalized separable base order are nonseparable except in the most trivial cases. We establish that two distinct base orders can induce the same single-peaked preference order if any only if they differ by a transposition of their two central elements. We then use this result to enumerate single-peaked binary preference orders over a separable base order

Hybrid bounds for twisted L-functions

The aim of this paper is to derive bounds on the critical line Rs 1/2 for L- functions attached to twists f circle times chi of a primitive cusp form f of level N and a primitive character modulo q that break convexity simultaneously in the s and q aspects. If f has trivial nebentypus, it is shown that L(f circle times chi, s) << (N vertical bar s vertical bar q)(epsilon) N-4/5(vertical bar s vertical bar q)(1/2-1/40), where the implied constant depends only on epsilon > 0 and the archimedean parameter of f. To this end, two independent methods are employed to show L(f circle times chi, s) << (N vertical bar s vertical bar q)(epsilon) N-1/2 vertical bar S vertical bar(1/2)q(3/8) and L(g,s) << D-2/3 vertical bar S vertical bar(5/12) for any primitive cusp form g of level D and arbitrary nebentypus (not necessarily a twist f circle times chi of level D vertical bar Nq(2))

Effects of counterion fluctuations in a polyelectrolyte brush

We investigate the effect of counterion fluctuations in a single polyelectrolyte brush in the absence of added salt by systematically expanding the counterion free energy about Poisson-Boltzmann mean field theory. We find that for strongly charged brushes, there is a collapse regime in which the brush height decreases with increasing charge on the polyelectrolyte chains. The transition to this collapsed regime is similar to the liquid-gas transition, which has a first-order line terminating at a critical point. We find that for monovalent counterions the transition is discontinuous in theta solvent, while for multivalent counterions the transition is generally continuous. For collapsed brushes, the brush height is not independent of grafting density as it is for osmotic brushes, but scales linear with it.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure

The spirit of sport: the case for criminalisation of doping in the UK

This article examines public perceptions of doping in sport, critically evaluates the effectiveness of current anti-doping sanctions and proposes the criminalisation of doping in sport in the UK as part of a growing global movement towards such criminalisation at national level. Criminalising doping is advanced on two main grounds: as a stigmatic deterrent and as a form of retributive punishment enforced through the criminal justice system. The ‘spirit of sport’ defined by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as being based on the values of ethics, health and fair-play is identified as being undermined by the ineffectiveness of existing anti-doping policy in the current climate of doping revelations, and is assessed as relevant to public perceptions and the future of sport as a whole. The harm-reductionist approach permitting the use of certain performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is considered as an alternative to anti-doping, taking into account athlete psychology, the problems encountered in containing doping in sport through anti-doping measures and the effect of these difficulties on the ‘spirit of sport’. This approach is dismissed in favour of criminalising doping in sport based on the offence of fraud. It will be argued that the criminalisation of doping could act as a greater deterrent than existing sanctions imposed by International Federations, and, when used in conjunction with those sanctions, will raise the overall ‘price’ of doping. The revelations of corruption within the existing system of self-governance within sport have contributed to a disbelieving public and it will be argued that the criminalisation of doping in sport could assist in satisfying the public that justice is being done and in turn achieve greater belief in the truth of athletic performances

Endogenous growth and property rights over renewable resources

We study how different regimes of access rights to renewable natural resources - namely, open access versus full property rights – affect sustainability, growth and welfare in the context of modern endogenous growth theory. Resource exhaustion may occur under both regimes but is more likely to arise under open access. Moreover, under full property rights, positive resource rents increase expenditures on manufacturing goods and temporarily accelerate productivity growth, but also yield a higher resource price at least in the short-to-medium run. We characterize analytically and quantitatively the model’s dynamics to assess the welfare implications of differences in property rights enforcement

Seroepidemiology of Human Enterovirus 71, Singapore

Human enterovirus 71 has caused outbreaks in many parts of the world, especially Southeast Asia, with some fatal cases. The epidemiology of this viral infection is not well understood. We conducted a serologic survey in Singapore children, and the results indicate that infection occurs largely in preschool settings

Personalisation and recommender systems in digital libraries

Widespread use of the Internet has resulted in digital libraries that are increasingly used by diverse communities of users for diverse purposes and in which sharing and collaboration have become important social elements. As such libraries become commonplace, as their contents and services become more varied, and as their patrons become more experienced with computer technology, users will expect more sophisticated services from these libraries. A simple search function, normally an integral part of any digital library, increasingly leads to user frustration as user needs become more complex and as the volume of managed information increases. Proactive digital libraries, where the library evolves from being passive and untailored, are seen as offering great potential for addressing and overcoming these issues and include techniques such as personalisation and recommender systems. In this paper, following on from the DELOS/NSF Working Group on Personalisation and Recommender Systems for Digital Libraries, which met and reported during 2003, we present some background material on the scope of personalisation and recommender systems in digital libraries. We then outline the working group’s vision for the evolution of digital libraries and the role that personalisation and recommender systems will play, and we present a series of research challenges and specific recommendations and research priorities for the field