8,477 research outputs found
Assessing schematic knowledge of introductory probability theory
[Abstract]: The ability to identify schematic knowledge is an important goal for both assessment
and instruction. In the current paper, schematic knowledge of statistical probability theory is
explored from the declarative-procedural framework using multiple methods of assessment.
A sample of 90 undergraduate introductory statistics students was required to classify 10
pairs of probability problems as similar or different; to identify whether 15 problems
contained sufficient, irrelevant, or missing information (text-edit); and to solve 10 additional
problems. The complexity of the schema on which the problems were based was also
manipulated. Detailed analyses compared text-editing and solution accuracy as a function of
text-editing category and schema complexity. Results showed that text-editing tends to be
easier than solution and differentially sensitive to schema complexity. While text-editing and
classification were correlated with solution, only text-editing problems with missing
information uniquely predicted success. In light of previous research these results suggest
that text-editing is suitable for supplementing the assessment of schematic knowledge in
development
Quantum Technology: The Second Quantum Revolution
We are currently in the midst of a second quantum revolution. The first
quantum revolution gave us new rules that govern physical reality. The second
quantum revolution will take these rules and use them to develop new
technologies. In this review we discuss the principles upon which quantum
technology is based and the tools required to develop it. We discuss a number
of examples of research programs that could deliver quantum technologies in
coming decades including; quantum information technology, quantum
electromechanical systems, coherent quantum electronics, quantum optics and
coherent matter technology.Comment: 24 pages and 6 figure
TOP-INDUCED ELECTROWEAK BREAKING IN THE MINIMAL SUPERSYMMETRIC STANDARD MODEL
Severe constraints on parameters of the minimal supersymmetric standard model
follow from a dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking mechanism dominated by
top and stop loops. In particular, the lightest Higgs boson mass is expected to
be smaller than 100 GeV.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, 6 Postcript Figure
Prediction of naturally-occurring, industrially-induced and total trans fatty acids in butter, dairy spreads and Cheddar cheese using vibrational spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis
peer-reviewedThis study investigated the use of vibrational spectroscopy [near infrared (NIR), Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR), Raman] and multivariate data analysis for (1) quantifying total trans fatty acids (TT), and (2) separately predicting naturally-occurring (NT; i.e., C16:1 t9; C18:1 trans-n, n = 6 … 9, 10, 11; C18:2 trans) and industrially-induced trans fatty acids (IT = TT – NT) in Irish dairy products, i.e., butter (n = 60), Cheddar cheese (n = 44), and dairy spreads (n = 54). Partial least squares regression models for predicting NT, IT and TT in each type of dairy product were developed using FT-MIR, NIR and Raman spectral data. Models based on NIR, FT-MIR and Raman spectra were used for the prediction of NT and TT content in butter; best prediction performance achieved a coefficient of determination in validation (R2V) ∼ 0.91–0.95, root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) ∼ 0.07–0.30 for NT; R2V ∼ 0.92–0.95, RMSEP ∼ 0.23–0.29 for TT.This project was funded by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as part of CheeseBoard 2015. Ming Zhao is a Teagasc Walsh Fellow
Frequency correlation requirements on the biphoton wavefunction in an induced coherence experiment between separate sources
There is renewed interest in using the coherence between beams generated in
separate down-converter sources for new applications in imaging, spectroscopy,
microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT). These schemes make use of
continuous wave (CW) pumping in the low parametric gain regime, which produces
frequency correlations, and frequency entanglement, between signal-idler pairs
generated in each single source. But can induced coherence still be observed if
there is no frequency correlation, so the biphoton wavefunction is factorable?
We will show that this is the case, and this might be an advantage for OCT
applications. High axial resolution requires a large bandwidth. For CW pumping
this requires the use of short nonlinear crystals. This is detrimental since
short crystals generate small photon fluxes. We show that the use of ultrashort
pump pulses allows improving axial resolution even for long crystal that
produce higher photon fluxes
Low-Metallicity Gas Clouds in a Galaxy Proto-Cluster at Redshift 2.38
We present high resolution spectroscopy of a QSO whose sight-line passes
through the halo of a pair of elliptical galaxies at redshift 2.38. This pair
of galaxies probably lies at the center of a galaxy proto-cluster, and is
embedded in a luminous extended Ly-alpha nebula.
The QSO sight-line intersects two small gas clouds within this halo. These
clouds have properties similar to those of high velocity clouds (HVCs) seen in
the halo of the Milky Way. The gas is in a cool (< 2 x 10^4 K) and at least 20%
neutral phase, with metallicities in the range -3.0 < [Fe/H] < -1.1 and neutral
hydrogen column densities of ~10^19.5 /cm^2.
The origin of these clouds is unclear. The presence of low metallicity gas
within this possible proto-cluster implies either that the intra-cluster medium
has not been enriched with metals at this redshift, or the clouds are embedded
within a hot, ionized, metal-rich gas phase.Comment: Accepted to appear in ApJ Letter
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