XML Technologies in Computer Assisted Learning and Testing Systems

The learning and assessment activities have undergone major changes due to the development of modern technologies. The computer-assisted learning and testing has proven a number of advantages in the development of modern educational system. The paper suggests a solution for the computer-assisted testing, which uses XML technologies, a solution that could make the basis for developing a learning computer-assisted system.Comment: 6 pages, exposed on 5th International Conference "Actualities and Perspectives on Hardware and Software" - APHS2009, Timisoara, Romani

Value systems as motivational forces for the suppression of ageism towards older people amongst young adults: An analysis across countries

peer reviewedWhat explains ageism towards older people? Several answers exist in the literature, but it is still unclear whether the ageism people express has been altered by motivational forces (i.e. factors which carry or enact motivation, leading to action or thought) or whether an original, primal ageism can be expressed directly. Investigating populations of young adults (45 and younger), this article suggests that value systems are sources of internal and external motivational forces which work to either suppress or to justify both subtle and blatant forms of ageism. It was hypothesised that, at the individual level, values precede any threat perception and negative stereotypical beliefs associated with older people, leading to forms of ageism which match the motivational goals of a person's values. It was further expected that, at the cultural level, values represent the climate in which people express ageist beliefs. It was found that self-transcendence values can bypass the negative effects of threat perception and negative stereotypes, resulting in less-negative forms of ageism. A sample comprising a clear majority of hierarchical, non-Western cultures showed that self-enhancement values also contributed motivational strength for the suppression of blatant ageism. A practical implication of these findings is the possibility of further developing existing strategies of combating ageism by working to effect appropriate long-term changes in the values of young adults

Stereotype accommodation concerning older people

peer reviewedFrom a cultural learning perspective, immigrants can integrate novel stereotypes learned in host countries into pre-existing stereotypes. Research has not previously addressed this possibility in relation to stereotypes specifically about older people. This cross-sectional study examines whether cultural differences concerning stereotypes about older people, duration of stay in the host culture and cultural orientation affect stereotype accommodation amongst immigrants from 40 host countries. In two multinational, country-representative datasets-the European Social Survey (ESS) and the World Value Survey (WVS)-stereotype accommodation is measured along dimensions of warmth and competence and operationalised as absolute differences between the meta-beliefs of immigrants and the corresponding average meta-beliefs of the general population in host countries and countries of origin. Complex regressions that corrected beta-coefficients at the individual level for country effects show that more meaningful cross-cultural differences in the stereotype about the social warmth of older people predicted that immigrants' meta-beliefs were less similar to the origin culture than the host culture. This finding is a first step towards understanding the effect that moving from one culture to another has on the stereotypes about old age held by immigrants, and, potentially, how this will impact their own well-being when they become old

Overall and Contextually-Bound Well-Being: Life Satisfaction of Romanian Migrant Emerging Adults as the Outcome of a Mediated Association Acculturation-Adaptation

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Predicted as observed? How to identify empirically adequate theoretical constructs

The identification of an empirically adequate theoretical construct requires determining whether a theoretically predicted effect is sufficiently similar to an observed effect. To this end, we propose a simple similarity measure, describe its application in different research designs, and use computer simulations to estimate the necessary sample size for a given observed effect. As our main example, we apply this measure to recent meta-analytical research on precognition. Results suggest that the evidential basis is too weak for a predicted precognition effect of d = 0.20 to be considered empirically adequate. As additional examples, we apply this measure to object-level experimental data from dissonance theory and a recent crowdsourcing hypothesis test, as well as to meta-analytical data on the correlation of personality traits and life outcomes.Die Autor*innen schlagen ein simples Ähnlichkeitsmaß vor, beschreiben seine Anwendung in verschiedenen Forschungsdesigns und verwenden Computersimulationen, um die erforderliche Stichprobengröße für einen bestimmten beobachteten Effekt zu schätzen

Nanoscale local modification of PMMA refractive index by tip-enhanced femtosecond pulsed laser irradiation

Investigation techniques based on tip-enhanced optical effects, capable to yield spatial resolutions down to nanometers level, have enabled a wide palette of important discoveries over the past twenty years. Recently, their underlying optical setups are beginning to emerge as useful tools to modify and manipulate matter with nanoscale spatial resolution. We try to contribute to these efforts by reporting a method that we found viable to modify the surface refractive index of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), an acrylic polymer material. The changes in the refractive index are accomplished by focusing a femtosecond pulsed near-infrared laser beam on the apex of a metalized nano-sized tip, traditionally used in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) applications. The adopted illumination strategy yields circular-shaped modifications of the refractive index occurring at the surface of the PMMA sample, exhibiting a lateral size <200 nm, under 790 nm illumination, representing a four-fold increase in precision compared to the current state-of-the-art. The light intensity enhancement effects taking place at the tip apex makes possible achieving refractive index changes at low laser pulse energies (<0.5 nJ), which represents two orders of magnitude advantage over the current state-of-the art. The presented nanoimprinting method is very flexible, as it can be used with different power levels and can potentially be operated with other materials. Besides enabling modifications of the refractive index with high lateral resolution, this method can pave the way towards other important applications such the fabrication of photonic crystal lattices or surface waveguides

Stereotype-based faultlines and out-group derogation in diverse teams: The moderating roles of task stereotypicality and need for cognition.

peer reviewedAlignment of individuals on more than one diversity attribute (i.e., faultlines) may lead to intergroup biases in teams, disrupting the efficiency expectancies. Research has yet to examine if this can be a consequence of a stereotypical consistency between social and information attributes of diversity. The present study tests the hypothesis that, in a team with a stereotype-based faultline (a stereotypical consistency between gender and skills), there is increased out-group derogation compared to a team with a stereotype-inconsistent faultline. Furthermore, the study proposes that tasks can activate stereotypes, and the need for cognition dictates whether stereotypes are applied. The findings confirm the hypothesis and additionally provide evidence that tasks that activate gender stereotypes emphasize out-group derogation, especially for team members with low need for cognition

Strengthening Urban Resilience: Understanding the Interdependencies of Outer Space and Strategic Planning for Sustainable Smart Environments

The conventional approach to urban planning has predominantly focused on horizontal dimensions, disregarding the potential risks originating from outer space. This paper aims to initiate a discourse on the vertical dimension of cities, which is influenced by outer space, as an essential element of strategic urban planning. Through an examination of a highly disruptive incident in outer space involving a collision between the Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251 satellites, this article elucidates the intricate interdependencies between urban areas and outer space infrastructure and services. Leveraging the principles of critical infrastructure protection, which bridge the urban and outer space domains, and employing simulation methods and software, this study articulates the intricate governance complexities of urban security and presents viable solutions for its enhancement. Consequently, the study contributes to the ongoing deliberations regarding the spatial integration of security practices by providing scholarly discourse on urban governance with potential strategies for cultivating sustainable smart cities. In essence, the intrinsic resilience of urban areas heavily relies on the interconnections between cities and outer space, necessitating urban strategists to acknowledge and comprehend these intricate interdependencies. To ensure sustainable urban development, it is imperative to fortify smart cities’ resilience against space debris through the implementation of more stringent regulations

Gestión empresarial en acuaponia

The aim of the paper is to present a model of entrepreneurial management for aquaponics activities, to provide a financial planning and analysis tool. This model can also be of assistance to land-based farmers who want to more thoroughly utilize their water resources by developing small-scale aquaponics systems to provide supplementary income. Aquaponics is an innovative approach located within two concepts based on multifunctional agriculture and aquaculture. This integrated management of the production system can satisfy human food needs and enhance environmental quality by producing crops using environmentally friendly practices that minimize water and nutrient waste discharges to the environment.&nbsp; &nbsp;El objetivo del documento es presentar un modelo de gestión empresarial para actividades acuapónicas, para proporcionar una herramienta de análisis y planificación financiera. Este modelo también puede ser útil para los agricultores terrestres que desean utilizar sus recursos hídricos más a fondo mediante el desarrollo de sistemas acuapónicos a pequeña escala para proporcionar ingresos suplementarios. Aquaponica es un enfoque innovador ubicado en dos conceptos basados ​​en la agricultura multifuncional y la acuicultura. Esta gestión integrada del sistema de producción puede satisfacer las necesidades de alimentos humanos y mejorar la calidad ambiental produciendo cultivos que utilizan prácticas respetuosas con el medio ambiente que minimizan las descargas de desechos de agua y nutrientes al medio ambiente

A New Empirical Approach to Intercultural Comparisons of Value Preferences Based on Schwartz's Theory.

peer reviewedEmpirical tests of Schwartz's theory of culture-level value priorities have predominantly been performed using an averaging approach-as values of the average individual in a culture. However, from a theory of measurement standpoint such an approach seems inadequate. We argue that the averaging approach is an insufficiently accurate methodology in capturing the compatibilities-incompatibilities between values of individuals within cultures. We propose an approach based on the distribution of values of individuals in a given culture-the distribution approach. Using data from two rounds of the European Social Survey, we show how frequencies of specific individual value priorities in a culture can be used toward the description of culture-level value preferences. We recommend a re-conceptualization of Schwartz's culture-level value theory to an orthogonal two-dimensional structure, namely as Alteration vs. Preservation and Amenability vs. Dominance, which we explain based on heterogeneity in socioecological indicators across countries. We conclude that societal challenges may influence the cultural value climate across countries