13,811 research outputs found
THE IMPACT OF FEDERALISM ON EDUCATION FINANCE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS *
Drawing on the implications suggested by several recent studies in comparative public policy, this article examines the impact of the structure of intergovernmental relations on the patterns of distribution of educational funds. The fundamental hypothesis underlying this analysis is that differences in this structure, and in particular the distinction between federal and unitary systems of government, are systematically related to differences in distribution across and within nations. The variations in total educational allocations among eighteen nations in Europe and North America are considered in order to discover whether the aggregate funding of education, relative to a nation's wealth, is related to the structure of intergovernmental relations. Then, in a more intensive analysis, the intranational patterns of distribution are compared in four federal and four unitary systems. This analysis suggests that there is a significant difference between the two types of system in the degree to which educational policy outputs equalize the territorial disparities in wealth and effect a redistribution of funds within the nation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74630/1/j.1475-6765.1974.tb00752.x.pd
The first WASP public data release
The WASP (wide angle search for planets) project is an exoplanet transit survey that has been automatically taking wide field images since 2004. Two instruments, one in La Palma and the other in South Africa, continually monitor the night sky, building up light curves of millions of unique objects. These light curves are used to search for the characteristics of exoplanetary transits. This first public data release (DR1) of the WASP archive makes available all the light curve data and images from 2004 up to 2008 in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. A web interface () to the data allows easy access over the Internet. The data set contains 3 631 972 raw images and 17 970 937 light curves. In total the light curves have 119 930 299 362 data points available between them
Security-first thinking and educational practices for young children in foster care in Sweden and England: A think piece
While the education of looked after children has attracted considerable policy attention in Europe and North America, and globally the early education of preschool aged children is the subject of substantial investment, the early education of young children in foster care is neglected in both research and policy. This paper is a cross-national think piece to stimulate research and debate about young children in foster care. We present findings from two studies, one in England and one in Sweden, exploring foster carers’ views and practices with young children. We argue that there is a perceived tension, in foster care policy and practice, between education and emotional wellbeing such that young children's attachment relationships and sense of security is privileged over their engagement in educational practices. Attachment relationships are a necessary but insufficient condition for optimal development of fostered children
The nature of solar brightness variations
The solar brightness varies on timescales from minutes to decades.
Determining the sources of such variations, often referred to as solar noise,
is of importance for multiple reasons: a) it is the background that limits the
detection of solar oscillations, b) variability in solar brightness is one of
the drivers of the Earth's climate system, c) it is a prototype of stellar
variability which is an important limiting factor for the detection of
extra-solar planets. Here we show that recent progress in simulations and
observations of the Sun makes it finally possible to pinpoint the source of the
solar noise. We utilise high-cadence observations from the Solar Dynamic
Observatory and the SATIRE model to calculate the magnetically-driven
variations of solar brightness. The brightness variations caused by the
constantly evolving cellular granulation pattern on the solar surface are
computed with the MURAM code. We find that surface magnetic field and
granulation can together precisely explain solar noise on timescales from
minutes to decades, i.e. ranging over more than six orders of magnitude in the
period. This accounts for all timescales that have so far been resolved or
covered by irradiance measurements. We demonstrate that no other sources of
variability are required to explain the data. Recent measurements of Sun-like
stars by CoRoT and Kepler uncovered brightness variations similar to that of
the Sun but with much wider variety of patterns. Our finding that solar
brightness variations can be replicated in detail with just two well-known
sources will greatly simplify future modelling of existing CoRoT and Kepler as
well as anticipated TESS and PLATO data.Comment: This is the submitted version of the paper published in Nature
Astronom
The Angular Momentum Evolution of Very Low Mass Stars
We present theoretical models of the angular momentum evolution of very low
mass stars (0.1 - 0.5 M_sun) and solar analogues (0.6 - 1.1 M_sun). We
investigate the effect of rotation on the effective temperature and luminosity
of these stars. We find that the decrease in T_eff and L can be significant at
the higher end of our mass range, but becomes negligible below 0.4 M_sun.
Formulae for relating T_eff to mass and v_rot are presented.
We compare our models to rotational data from young open clusters of
different ages to infer the rotational history of low mass stars, and the
dependence of initial conditions and rotational evolution on mass. We find that
the qualitative conclusions for stars below 0.6 M_sun do not depend on the
assumptions about internal angular momentum transport, which makes these low
mass stars ideal candidates for the study of the angular momentum loss law and
distribution of initial conditions. We find that neither models with solid body
nor differential rotation can simultaneously reproduce the observed stellar
spin down in the 0.6 to 1.1 M_sun mass range and for stars between 0.1 and 0.6
M_sun. The most likely explanation is that the saturation threshold drops more
steeply at low masses than would be predicted with a simple Rossby scaling. In
young clusters there is a systematic increase in the mean rotation rate with
decreased temperature below 3500 K (0.4 M_sun). This suggests either
inefficient angular momentum loss or mass-dependent initial conditions for
stars near the fully convective boundary. (abridged)Comment: To appear in the May 10, 2000 Ap
Rational, yet simple, design and synthesis of an antifreeze-protein inspired polymer for cellular cryopreservation
Antifreeze (glyco) proteins AF(G)Ps are potent ice recrystallization inhibitors, which is a desirable property to enhance cryopreservation of donor tissue/cells. Here we present the rational synthesis of a new, biomimetic, ice-recrystallization inhibiting polymer derived from a cheap commodity polymer, based on an ampholyte structure. The polymer is used to enhance the cryopreservation of red blood cells, demonstrating a macromolecular solution to tissue storage
An active-architecture approach to COTS integration
Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software products are increasingly used as standard components within integrated information systems. This creates challenges since both their developers and source code are not usually available, and the ongoing development of COTS cannot be predicted. The ArchWare Framework approach recognises COTS products as part of the ambient environment of an information system and therefore an important part of development is incorporating COTS as effective system components. This integration of COTS components, and the composition of components, is captured by an active architecture model which changes as the system evolves. Indeed the architecture modelling language used enables it to express the monitoring and evolution of a system. This active architecture model is structured using control system principles. By modelling both integration and evolution it can guide the system’s response to both predicted and emergent changes that arise from the use of COTS products.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
Methodology for cokemaking technology selection for operating conditions and expansion of iron and steel works
Selection of cokemaking technology within an Iron & Steel Works (I&SW) setting is a complicated problem, involving analysis of coal quality, coke demand and supply, environmental regulations, and the plant energy balance. The methodology involves coal blend selection, preparation, charging, cokemaking and quenching technology selection to meet the blast furnaces’ coke quality requirements and the I&SW energy balance. Hatch’s mass and energy balance, OPEX, CAPEX, Energy/CO2 and Financial Models provide the client with NPV/IRR ranking and sensitivity analysis to assist in selecting the best strategy amongst by-product or heat recovery ovens, charging and quenching systems for replacement or expansion programs
Measurement of Orbital Decay in the Double Neutron Star Binary PSR B2127+11C
We report the direct measurement of orbital period decay in the double
neutron star pulsar system PSR B2127+11C in the globular cluster M15 at the
rate of , consistent with the prediction of
general relativity at the level. We find the pulsar mass to be and the companion mass . We also report long-term pulse timing results for the pulsars PSR
B2127+11A and PSR B2127+11B, including confirmation of the cluster proper
motion.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
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