12,954 research outputs found
Empowering teachers and learners: Strategies to maximise curriculum potential and counter disadvantage in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, through the Khanyisa initiative
This paper first provides a discussion on disadvantage and what that means in an educational context. It then proposes a theoretical conceptualisation of curriculum highlighting that curriculum advantages some learners more than others on several levels. Finally, discussion then turns to an evaluative study of an initiative that is ongoing in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, involving disadvantaged learners and their teachers in under-resourced schools. Key findings from the study include effective ways the initiative found (a) to assist teachers in disadvantaged schools to keep abreast of changes to curriculum; (b) to empower teachers to promote their learnersâ capacity to access the physical science, higher level mathematics, and the business studies curriculum; and (c) to support learners to substantially increase their grades in what they term âthe killer subjectsâ. This paper has a strong focus on mathematics as it is here that there have been the most marked increases in learnersâ grades. These outcomes in turn have allowed learners to escape from the poverty trap and the disadvantage in which they had been situated
Are speed enforcement cameras more effective than other speed management measures? The impact of speed management schemes on 30mph roads.
This paper presents the results of an evaluation of the impact of various types of speed management schemes on both traffic speeds and accidents. The study controls for general trends in accidents, regression-to-mean effects and migration, separately estimating the accident
changes attributable to the impact of the schemes on traffic speed and on traffic volume. It was found that, when judged in absolute terms, all types of speed management scheme have remarkably similar effects on accidents, with an average fall in personal injury accidents of about 1 accident/km/year. In terms of the percentage accident reduction, however, engineering schemes incorporating vertical deflections (such as
speed humps or cushions) offer the largest benefits: at 44%, the average reduction in personal injury accidents attributable to such schemes, is twice that at sites where safety cameras were used to control speeds (22%) and they were the only type of scheme to have a significant
impact on fatal and serious accidents. Other types of engineering scheme (with a fall of 29% in personal injury accidents) were on average less effective in reducing accidents than schemes with vertical features but more effective than cameras. All types of scheme were generally
effective in reducing speeds, with the largest reductions tending to be obtained with vertical deflections and the smallest with other types of engineering schemes
A MOSAIC of methods: Improving ortholog detection through integration of algorithmic diversity
Ortholog detection (OD) is a critical step for comparative genomic analysis
of protein-coding sequences. In this paper, we begin with a comprehensive
comparison of four popular, methodologically diverse OD methods: MultiParanoid,
Blat, Multiz, and OMA. In head-to-head comparisons, these methods are shown to
significantly outperform one another 12-30% of the time. This high
complementarity motivates the presentation of the first tool for integrating
methodologically diverse OD methods. We term this program MOSAIC, or Multiple
Orthologous Sequence Analysis and Integration by Cluster optimization. Relative
to component and competing methods, we demonstrate that MOSAIC more than
quintuples the number of alignments for which all species are present, while
simultaneously maintaining or improving functional-, phylogenetic-, and
sequence identity-based measures of ortholog quality. Further, we demonstrate
that this improvement in alignment quality yields 40-280% more confidently
aligned sites. Combined, these factors translate to higher estimated levels of
overall conservation, while at the same time allowing for the detection of up
to 180% more positively selected sites. MOSAIC is available as python package.
MOSAIC alignments, source code, and full documentation are available at
http://pythonhosted.org/bio-MOSAIC
An economic analysis of five selected LANDSAT assisted information systems in Oregon
A comparative cost analysis was performed on five LANDSAT-based information systems. In all cases, the LANDSAT system was found to have cost advantages over its alternative. The information sets generated by LANDSAT and the alternative method are not identical but are comparable in terms of satisfying the needs of the sponsor. The information obtained from the LANDSAT system in some cases is said to lack precision and detail. On the other hand, it was found to be superior in terms of providing information on areas that are inaccessible and unobtainable through conventional means. There is therefore a trade-off between precision and detail, and considerations of costs. The projects examined were concerned with locating irrigation circles in Morrow County; monitoring tansy ragwort infestation; inventoring old growth Douglas fir near Spotted Owl habitats; inventoring vegetation and resources in all state-owned lands; and determining and use for Columbia River water policies
Applying the proto-theory of design to explain and modify the parameter analysis method of conceptual design
This article reports on the outcomes of applying the notions provided by the reconstructed proto-theory of design, based on Aristotleâs remarks, to the parameter analysis (PA) method of conceptual design. Two research questions are addressed: (1) What further clarification and explanation to the approach of PA is provided by the proto-theory? (2) Which conclusions can be drawn from the study of an empirically derived
design approach through the proto-theory regarding usefulness, validity and range of that theory? An overview of PA and an application example illustrate its present model and unique characteristics. Then, seven features of the proto-theory are explained and demonstrated through geometrical problem solving and analogies are drawn between these features and the corresponding ideas in modern design thinking.
Historical and current uses of the terms analysis and synthesis in design are also outlined and contrasted, showing that caution should be exercised when applying them. Consequences regarding the design moves, process and strategy of PA allow proposing modifications to its model, while demonstrating how the ancient method of analysis can contribute to better understanding of contemporary design-theoretic issues
Representation results for defeasible logic
The importance of transformations and normal forms in logic programming, and
generally in computer science, is well documented. This paper investigates
transformations and normal forms in the context of Defeasible Logic, a simple
but efficient formalism for nonmonotonic reasoning based on rules and
priorities. The transformations described in this paper have two main benefits:
on one hand they can be used as a theoretical tool that leads to a deeper
understanding of the formalism, and on the other hand they have been used in
the development of an efficient implementation of defeasible logic.Comment: 30 pages, 1 figur
Continuous repetition rate tuning with timing window independent self-seeding of a gain-switched Fabry-PĂrot Laser
In this work, we propose a novel self-seeding technique that yields timing window independent operation allowing continuous repetition rate tuning of the self-seeded gain-switched (SSGS) laser. This is achieved by employing a highly linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating (LC FBG) as a wavelength selective element. The reflected gain-switched pulses are dispersed to such an extent, that temporal overlap occurs between them. This overlap creates a pseudo continues wave like signal that is re-injected into the gain-switched laser
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