The Effectiveness of a Proposed Enrichment Program Based on Problem-Solving and Problem Posing in Developing the Ability of Mathematical Reasoning and Sense-Making among Grade Ten High Achievers

This study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of a proposed enrichment program based on problem-solving and problem posing in developing the ability of the mathematical reasoning and sense making among students of high achievement. To achieve this goal, an enrichment training program was designed to focus on a set of mathematical ideas and skills in mathematics using problem-solving and problem- posing strategies to solve and pose non-routine mathematical problems for students of high achievement to develop their mathematical reasoning and sense making ability. The researcher designed a test to measure the mathematical reasoning and sense making. In addition, the Test of Mathematical Abilities (TOMA-3) was used to measure the students' mathematical abilities before the experiment. The sample of the study consisted of 63 grade ten high achievers randomly selected from South Batinah governorate, which was divided into control and experimental groups. For testing the study hypothesis, data was analyzed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in which eta squared was obtained. The results showed that the proposed program was effective and the mathematical reasoning and sense making skills were highly achieved

Improved Stack-Slide Searches for Gravitational-Wave Pulsars

We formulate and optimize a computational search strategy for detecting gravitational waves from isolated, previously-unknown neutron stars (that is, neutron stars with unknown sky positions, spin frequencies, and spin-down parameters). It is well known that fully coherent searches over the relevant parameter-space volumes are not computationally feasible, and so more computationally efficient methods are called for. The first step in this direction was taken by Brady & Creighton (2000), who proposed and optimized a two-stage, stack-slide search algorithm. We generalize and otherwise improve upon the Brady-Creighton scheme in several ways. Like Brady & Creighton, we consider a stack-slide scheme, but here with an arbitrary number of semi-coherent stages and with a coherent follow-up stage at the end. We find that searches with three semi-coherent stages are significantly more efficient than two-stage searches (requiring about 2-5 times less computational power for the same sensitivity) and are only slightly less efficient than searches with four or more stages. We calculate the signal-to-noise ratio required for detection, as a function of computing power and neutron star spin-down-age, using our optimized searches.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, RevTeX

Kemauan Dan Kemampuan Bertanya Sebagai Ciri Daya Kreativitas Dalam Hubungan Dengan Iklim Belajar Mengajar

The will to ask questions and the ability to formulate the questions are two features of creativeness which might be related to the teaching-learning climate and the pattern of how the children are brought up within the family. The sample comprisses 401 students, 401 parents and 9 teachers. From the analysis it is evident that the will to ask actual-verbal questions is low, though the will to ask is potentially high. There are low correlations between the teaching-learning climate and the will to ask questions, between the pattern of how they are brought up by parents and the will to ask questions, as well as between the will to ask and the ability to formulate the questions

Contribution à l'étude du régime alimentairedu barbeau (Barbus barbus callensis Valenciennes, 1842) d'un cours d'eau du Moyen-Atlas (Maroc) : Oued Boufekrane

L'étude du régime alimentaire du barbeau (Barbus barbus callensis Valenciennes, 1842) de l'Oued Boufekrane a été réalisée sur 1 021 poissons, capturés entre janvier 1998 et juin 1999. Cette espèce présente un rythme saisonnier d'activité alimentaire. Ainsi, avec des faibles taux de vacuité, l'été et le printemps sont les saisons de forte activité alimentaire. Cette dernière diminue durant l'automne et l'hiver. Le caractère omnivore du barbeau est vérifié ; son régime alimentaire se compose essentiellement de larves d'Insectes et de débris de végétaux. Les jeunes individus (moins de 13 cm de longueur) ont une tendance zoophage, dominée par les larves de Diptères et d'Éphéméroptères. En revanche, les plus âgés présentent une tendance phytophage qui reflète l'opportunisme de ce poisson et explique ainsi, son adaptation aux conditions trophiques du milieu, caractérisées par une pauvreté en benthos.The diet of the barbel (Barbus barbus callensis Vallenciennes, 1842) in Boufekrane stream was studied on 1021 fish catched between January 1998 and June 1999.This species presented a seasonal rhythm. So, with the low rate of vacuity index, the summer and the spring were the seasons of intense alimentary activity. This activity regressed during automn and winter. The omnivorous character of the barbel was verified. The diet was composed essentially from insect larvae and plant's sherd. The young barbel (length is less than 13 cm) have zoophagous tendency. Their diet was dominated by Diptera and Ephemeroptera larvae. But, the old ones present a phytophagous tendency the opportunism of this species and the plasicity of its diet. This behavior explain the adaptability of this species to trophic conditions in the stream which contained low density of benthic fauna

Occupational health and safety risks: Towards the integration into project management

Project management in industrial settings in many cases is deficient with respect to integrating OHS risks. This deficiency manifests itself as problems affecting the safety of industrial practices and is explained generally by poor knowledge of OHS within organizations and project teams. We present, through this paper, a critical review and provide an overview of research and industrial practices aimed at systematic integration of OHS risks into the execution of projects, based on published scientific literature. We thus introduce some of the tools, methods and approaches being developed or adapted to integrate OHS and a general description of the current status of this integration in various fields. Our focus includes, in fact, laws, management systems, OHS risk management throughout project life cycle and efforts to integrate OHS risk management to industrial safety practices including approaches using historical data and industrial interventions. We conclude that publications identified are mainly derived from the construction industry and we stress that the objectives, methodologies and results are largely heterogeneous. The integration of OHS risk is not systematic in all industrial fields despite the changing and improving laws and management systems. In order to complete the overview of OHS integration, we will suggest future reviews and research that specifically investigates other innovative OHS applications and many analyses of recent industrial accidents. Complete synopsis will give opportunities for researchers to use or improve methods and approaches to promote OHS risk management in the manufacturing sector that suffer from lack of knowledge in this area

A mining project is a field of risks: A systematic and preliminary portrait of mining risks

Due to the current economic situation and the growth in world demand, the mining industry is undergoing a period of spectacular development. The current need to increase production at mine sites coincides with the development of managerial capacities, the use of new industrial methods and equipment, and increased use of skilled workforce. Despite such developments, a number of researchers view the mining sector among the world’s most uncertain and hazardous industries. Although the sector utilizes risk management tools appropriately, several large-scale mining projects have failed as a result of neglect or underestimation of hazards. Total risk management of a new project remains a goal to be attained so as to enhance reliability of decisions and make mining organizations safer and more secure. The intent of this paper is to provide researchers and practitioners a preliminary portrait of the risks related to new mining projects. To attain this objective, the authors have primarily used results from research undertaken in the field. They completed this portrait using the results of hazard identification studies that they conducted in an open-pit mining project in Quebec. During this study, a number of data-gathering techniques were used, including documentation analysis, collaborative field observations, and interviews with managers and workers. This work demonstrates the possibility of identifying a number of categories of known risks and uncertainties not recently taken into account in any systemic or systematic way in mining project risk management. In this paper, identified risks are categorized hierarchically to show the impact and possibility of occurrence of each for every project phase. Despite having a number of limitations, this study enables construction of a risks portrait indispensable for completing a reliable and rapid assessment of mining project hazards

A new practical approach to risk management for underground mining project in Quebec

The mining industry worldwide is currently experiencing an economic boom that is contributing to economic recovery and social progress in many countries. For this to continue, the mining industry must meet several challenges associated with the start-up of new projects. In a highly complex and uncertain environment, rigorous management of risks remains indispensable in order to repel threats to the success of mining. In this article, a new practical approach to risk management in mining projects is presented. This approach is based on a novel concept called “hazard concentration” and on the multi-criteria analysis method known as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The aim of the study is to extend the use of this approach to goldmines throughout Quebec. The work is part of a larger research project of which the aim is to propose a method suitable for managing practically all risks inherent in mining projects. This study shows the importance of taking occupational health and safety (OHS) into account in all operational activities of the mine. All project risks identified by the team can be evaluated. An adaptable database cataloguing about 250 potential hazards in an underground goldmine was constructed. In spite of limitations, the results obtained in this study are potentially applicable throughout the Quebec mining sector

Proposal of a risk-factor-based analytical approach for integrating occupational health and safety into project risk evaluation

Excluding occupational health and safety (OHS) from project management is no longer acceptable. Numerous industrial accidents have exposed the ineffectiveness of conventional risk evaluation methods as well as negligence of risk factors having major impact on the health and safety of workers and nearby residents. Lack of reliable and complete evaluations from the beginning of a project generates bad decisions that could end up threatening the very existence of an organization. This article supports a systematic approach to the evaluation of OHS risks and proposes a new procedure based on the number of risk factors identified and their relative significance. A new concept called risk factor concentration along with weighting of risk factor categories as contributors to undesirable events are used in the analytical hierarchy process multi-criteria comparison model with Expert Choice© software. A case study is used to illustrate the various steps of the risk evaluation approach and the quick and simple integration of OHS at an early stage of a project. The approach allows continual reassessment of criteria over the course of the project or when new data are acquired. It was thus possible to differentiate the OHS risks from the risk of drop in quality in the case of the factory expansion project

Identification and categorization of hazards in the mining industry: A systematic review of the literature

Control of OHS risks in the mining industry has been attracting increasing attention in recent years. Because of their great diversity in a complex system, hazards can be difficult to identify and classify, especially when system components interact. Risk cannot be managed successfully without comprehensive investigation of all its aspects. A coherent and integrated classification for identifying and categorizing all hazards is currently lacking in mining. We propose an integrated system classification of OHS hazards in mining based on our review of 44 studies retrieved using PRISMA. Considering Canadian and international standards, regulations and conventions, new hazard categories are proposed and hazard prevention is discussed from 12 perspectives: physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, accident and psychosocial risks, as well as policy, legislation, management, design, geography, and uncertainty, with reference to each of the four phases of a typical mine life cycle, the hazards were shown in a portrait. This paper provides suitable categories based on rational data for creating a portrait in order to OHS hazards prevention in life cycle activity in mine

Integration of OHS into risk management in an open-pit mining project in Quebec (Canada)

Despite undeniable progress, the mining industry remains the scene of serious accidents revealing disregard for occupational health and safety (OHS) and leaving open the debate regarding the safety of its employees. The San José mine last collapse near Copiapó, Chile on 5 August 2010 and the 69-day rescue operation that followed in order to save 33 miners trapped underground show the serious consequences of neglecting worker health and safety. The aim of this study was to validate a new approach to integrating OHS into risk management in the context of a new open-pit mining project in Quebec, based on analysis of incident and accident reports, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and collaborative field observations. We propose a new concept, called hazard concentration, based on the number of hazards and their influence. This concept represents the weighted fraction of each category of hazards related to an undesirable event. The weight of each category of hazards is calculated by AHP, a multicriteria method. The proposed approach included the creation of an OHS database for facilitating expert risk management. Reinforcing effects between hazard categories were identified and all potential risks were prioritized. The results provided the company with a rational basis for choosing a suitable accident prevention strategy for its operational activities