New extended superconformal sigma models and Quaternion Kahler manifolds

Quaternion Kahler manifolds are known to be the target spaces for matter hypermultiplets coupled to N=2 supergravity. It is also known that there is a one-to-one correspondence between 4n-dimensional quaternion Kahler manifolds and those 4(n+1)-dimensional hyperkahler spaces which are the target spaces for rigid superconformal hypermultiplets (such spaces are called hyperkahler cones). In this paper we present a projective-superspace construction to generate a hyperkahler cone M^{4(n+1)}_H of dimension 4(n+1) from a 2n-dimensional real analytic Kahler-Hodge manifold M^{2n}_K. The latter emerges as a maximal Kahler submanifold of the 4n-dimensional quaternion Kahler space M^{4n}_Q such that its Swann bundle coincides with M^{4(n+1)}_H. Our approach should be useful for the explicit construction of new quaternion Kahler metrics. The results obtained are also of interest, e.g., in the context of supergravity reduction N=2 --> N=1, or alternatively from the point of view of embedding N=1 matter-coupled supergravity into an N=2 theory.Comment: 30 page

D-instantons and twistors: some exact results

We present some results on instanton corrections to the hypermultiplet moduli space in Calabi-Yau compactifications of Type II string theories. Previously, using twistor methods, only a class of D-instantons (D2-instantons wrapping A-cycles) was incorporated exactly and the rest was treated only linearly. We go beyond the linear approximation and give a set of holomorphic functions which, through a known procedure, capture the effect of D-instantons at all orders. Moreover, we show that for a sector where all instanton charges have vanishing symplectic invariant scalar product, the hypermultiplet metric can be computed explicitly.Comment: 32 pages, 3 figures, uses JHEP3.cls; some changes in section 3.3.3; corrected formula for the contact potentia

The Intuitive Bioclimatism and Embedded Sustainability of Cypriot Vernacular Farmhouses, as Principles for their Strategic Restoration and Reuse

This research aims to investigate the bioclimatic design, sustainability and environmental behaviour of Cypriot vernacular farmhouses, as part of small-scale family-owned farmsteads. These farmhouses, located in village outskirts, are still in operation, greatly supporting the primary sector of Cypriot economy. Current uses have conduced arbitrary modifications in their morphology, layout, construction and usage, which in the past had contributed positively to thermal comfort and household autonomy. In the present, these modifications caused farmhouses to become climatically inept, devoid of Bioclimatism and Sustainability. This research employs multiple case studies with a fully-integrated mixed-methods design. Findings are drawn via triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data from ethnographic participant observation, post-occupancy evaluation survey, interviews, in-situ documentation and environmental monitoring. Initial findings show that there is a tangible and intangible relationship between the dwelling, its inhabitants and the environment, strengthened in time due to tradition, accumulated knowledge and experience, and born out of necessity, scarcity and practicality. It is an interdependent, dynamic and adaptive reciprocity, induced by the complex interplay of socio-cultural, economic, technological, aesthetic and environmental factors. The end result was for bioclimatic design to be applied intuitively and sustainability to be embedded in the form, configuration, construction and operational modes of farmhouses. As Cyprus attempts to conform to its EU obligations regarding the sustainable development of rural environments and make the transition towards nearly-zero energy buildings, the Cypriot vernacular farmhouse can offer valuable lessons in building design and performance, whilst provide clear guidance for its strategic restoration and reuse

The Pedagogy of Freedom in the Paradigmatic Space of Humanistic Upbringing Systems

The research deals with the conceptual foundations of the pedagogy of freedom as a qualitatively new direction of alternative pedagogy, which successfully functions in the paradigmatic space of upbringing systems of humanistic orientation. The historical retrospective of the formation and development of the philosophical and pedagogical ideas of upbringing by freedom and the main directions in which ideas of free upbringing are developing have been outlined. The system of invariant principles that constitute the conceptual basis of the pedagogy of freedom and the parametric model of the types of upbringing environment in which the humanistic positions of the leading representatives of free upbringing are localized, as well as the possibilities and practical experience of the introducing and functioning of the concept of the pedagogy of freedom in domestic educational and upbringing space of today, are presented. It is proved that the pedagogy of freedom, being the most thorough and integral concept among the humanistic educational systems, deduces the idea of upbringing by freedom onto the level of integrated realization in contemporary socio-cultural conditions and may become the theoretical basis for the reconstruction of the modern upbringing system of Ukraine, aimed at the development of an individual as a unique personality, the subject of his/her own lif

Self-Explanation for Effective Learning in Engineering Chemistry: An Exploratory Study for Incoming Freshmen

New students in engineering and science typically face difficulties in adapting their learning strategies to the requirements and challenges of college education. One of the major factors that challenges students engaged in this transition is their ability to build and successfully use deepreasoning skills. To address this challenges instructors need to employ instructional strategies that shift students\u27 focus from memorization of procedures and equations toward the integrative use of prior and new knowledge introduced in the classroom. In this paper, self-explanation was proposed as the core element of such instructional strategies because it relies on the explanation a learner generates on his or her own as opposed to the explanations provided by an external source such as an instructor or a book. The primary goal of this study was to explore to what degree the use of self-explanation strategies improve students\u27 performance on basic chemistry problems. Because self-explanation involves proper use of prior knowledge, a second goal of this study was to find if the level of prior knowledge influences the effectiveness of self-explanation. A number of 52 incoming freshmen students enrolled in the introductory chemistry module of a three-week summer learning program participated in the two-group between subjects completely randomized experiment used in this study. The results of this exploratory study suggest that engaging students in a self-explanation behavior using guiding questions can be an effective tool in chemistry learning. However, the effectiveness of this strategy is diminished if students did not reach the threshold of domainspecific prior knowledge required by the complexity of the task. This strategy can be easily adapted to increase the effectiveness of tutoring sessions, review sessions, or short transfer story problems. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2009