Leadership for equity and excellence : crossing the divide in Cyprus's diverse schools

Leaders in Cyprus face a daunting challenge in their quest to create positive\ud change in schools: how to lead across difference. As schools face the challenges\ud of demographic shifts thereby contributing to new patterns of diverse schools this\ud thesis fills a growing need for empirical research of this recent history and its\ud effects on leadership. Leadership for equity and excellence examines how\ud principals pursue equity and excellence in the schools of Cyprus. It is argued that\ud illuminating the relationship between diversity and leadership can advance\ud understanding of how leadership for equity and excellence happens in practice.\ud Given the importance of investigating further this relationship, preparing leaders\ud for a changing world is needed. Without such preparation, these leaders stand to\ud enter schools ill equipped for participation in diverse environments. Using a case\ud study research design, the study draws upon interview, observation and survey\ud data from four schools to develop four richly detailed case studies. From withincase\ud and cross-case analysis of the four cases, elements integral to leading these\ud schools are highlighted. The study found a number of practices that constitute\ud core leadership principles: using values and principles as a guidance system for\ud self and others, fighting complacency, mobilising and inspiring followers in\ud collective action, and engaging in social identity issues to eliminate conflict.\ud They are concerned with bringing all groups together without eliminating their\ud differences. The study highlights the main limitations of Cyprus's current\ud leadership programme and proposes new ways of creating and implementing\ud effective programmes for developing expert school leaders. Finally, the study\ud calls for studies that employ different research methods and factors influencing\ud leadership experience in diverse schools thereby equipping researchers with the\ud tools to better explain how diversity influences leadership practices.\u

Optimization Models in WindFarm Design: The case of a routing-location problem

Wind energy can lead to a great socio-economic impact in Europe nowadays, while the installed capacity of wind power is estimated to be doubled by 2030.In order to generate power from the wind, a set of wind turbines is needed. A set of turbines is called a wind farm. The turbines of a wind farm are all connected via cables to the main power station. For an optimal design of wind farms, accurate models are needed. Computational models on wind farm design vary in the existing literature and they have been developed by engineers and scientists with different backgrounds in order to meet all requirements. This thesis investigates the contribution of Operations Research scientists to these mathematical models. More specifically, an Integer Linear Model from literature has been taken as a starting point. This model aims to minimize the cabling costs for offshore farms. In order to understand the existing model, the structure has been modified and more requirements are considered. Besides the objective to optimize the cable routing, a sub-problem arose to facilitate the model by relaxing a specific type of constraints (i.e. the planarity constraint). The addition of a node in the existing grid turns out to be beneficial for specific cases, taking into account the fixed costs arising from the installation and maintenance.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. TIN2015-66680-c2-2-

A Cross-Cultural Mediated Model Analysis of Parent Responsiveness, Child Social Competence, and Child Emergent Literacy

The current study analyzed data from the Even Start Classroom Literacy Interventions and Outcomes Study (CLIO) to examine the linkages between parent responsiveness, child social competence, and child emergent literacy skills and to determine whether the proposed mediated model is moderated by cultural group membership. The sample of 1140 low-income families included 25% White, 11% Black, 15% English-Speaking Hispanic, and 49% Spanish-Speaking Hispanic parent-child dyads. Path analysis and nested model fit analysis confirmed cross-cultural variation in the proposed mediated model based on ethnicity and home language. With the exception of Spanish-Speaking Hispanic families, there was limited evidence that child social competence mediated the relation between parent responsiveness and child emergent literacy. Support for the predictive role of parent responsiveness on child social competence was found only within the Hispanic groups, regardless of home language status. Study findings did, however, indicate consistent support for the predictive role of parent responsiveness and child social competence on the development of child emergent literacy skills across all cultural groups. Cultural variations were also found in the linkages between study covariates and child outcomes, including child age and gender, maternal education, household income, family mobility, and number of adults in household.Doctor of Philosoph

High Harmonic Generation in Two-Dimensional Mott Insulators

With a combination of numerical methods, including quantum Monte Carlo, exact diagonalization, and a simplified dynamical mean-field model, we consider the attosecond charge dynamics of electrons induced by strong-field laser pulses in two-dimensional Mott insulators. The necessity to go beyond single-particle approaches in these strongly correlated systems has made the simulation of two-dimensional extended materials challenging, and we contrast their resulting high-harmonic emission with more widely studied one-dimensional analogues. As well as considering the photo-induced breakdown of the Mott insulating state and magnetic order, we also resolve the time and ultra-high frequency domains of emission, which are used to characterize both the photo-transition, and the sub-cycle structure of the electron dynamics. This extends simulation capabilities and understanding of the photo-melting of these Mott insulators in two-dimensions, at the frontier of attosecond non-equilibrium science of correlated materials.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Driven Imposters: Controlling Expectations in Many-Body Systems

We present a framework to control and track the observables of a general solid state system driven by an incident laser field. The main result is a non-linear equation of motion for tracking an observable, together with a constraint on the size of expectations which may be reproduced via tracking. Among other applications, this model provides a potential route to the design of laser fields which cause photo-induced superconductivity in materials above their critical temperature. As a first test, the strategy is used to make the expectation value of the current conform to an arbitrary function under a range of model parameters. Additionally, using two reference spectra for materials in the conducting and insulating regimes respectively, the tracking algorithm is used to make each material mimic the optical spectrum of the other.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, will be accompanied by an extended submissio

Enhancing public awareness and promoting co-responsibility for marine litter in Europe: The challenge of MARLISCO

Marine litter is a pervasive and complex societal problem but has no simple solution. Inadequate practices at all levels of production–use–disposal contribute to accumulation of waste on land and at sea. Enhanced societal awareness but also co-responsibility across different sectors and improved interactions between stakeholders are necessary. MARLISCO was a European initiative, which developed and implemented activities across 15 countries. It worked towards raising societal awareness and engagement on marine litter, through a combination of approaches: public exhibitions in over 80 locations; a video competition involving 2100 students; and a legacy of educational and decision-supporting tools. 12 national participatory events designed to facilitate dialogue on solutions brought together 1500 stakeholders and revealed support for cross-cutting, preventive measures. Evaluation during implementation shows that these activities are effective in improving individuals' perceptions about the problem but also commitment in being part of the solution. This paper summarises MARLISCO's approach and highlights a selection of outcomes

The Impact of Architecture in the Hospitality Industry: The Decision Choice in the Case of Cyprus Island

In an increasingly competitive market, hospitality architecture design can be significant for tourism and destinations. This article addresses the role of hotel architecture in tourism destinations and the case of Cyprus Island. The tourist market is dominated by international groups and brands, which develop modern architecture and design for the hotels industry creating a new attraction based on architectural design. This paper examines the role of architecture in hospitality accommodation by considering the demand side. The survey was based on a questionnaire and applied multinomial regression models. The results show that hotel architecture impact can influence the selection of the destination for a visit in a way, but it is not the decisive criterion. A tourist destination choice depends on a bundle of factors, such as the location, budget, and facilities. Therefore, hotel architecture in Cyprus does not seem to influence the visitor's choice significantly. The building facilities and proximity to attractions are more critical factors for tourism on the island

An endocytic signal for the potassium channel KCNK3

Membrane trafficking is a major cellular mechanism for the regulation of surface expression of plasma membrane proteins. Recently, a carboxyl terminus motif, FREKLAYAIA, has been shown to control the internalization of the dopamine transporter (DAT), a critical protein in synaptic transmission. Sequence comparison across BLAST identified a similar carboxyl motif, SREKLQYSIP, in the leak potassium channel KCNK3. The current study tested whether this motif was necessary and sufficient for the internalization of the channel. Our results suggest that the carboxyl terminus of KCNK3 is sufficient for the internalization of an endocytic deficient reporter molecule (Tac), and that the SREKLQYSIP motif may be necessary for this internalization