The quantum compass chain in a transverse magnetic field

We study the magnetic behaviors of a spin-1/2 quantum compass chain (QCC) in a transverse magnetic field, by means of the analytical spinless fermion approach and numerical Lanczos method. In the absence of the magnetic field, the phase diagram is divided into four gapped regions. To determine what happens by applying a transverse magnetic field, using the spinless fermion approach, critical fields are obtained as a function of exchanges. Our analytical results show, the field-induced effects depend on in which one of the four regions the system is. In two regions of the phase diagram, the Ising-type phase transition happens in a finite field. In another region, we have identified two quantum phase transitions in the ground state magnetic phase diagram. These quantum phase transitions belong to the universality class of the commensurate-incommensurate phase transition. We also present a detailed numerical analysis of the low energy spectrum and the ground state magnetic phase diagram. In particular, we show that the intermediate state ($h_{c_{1}}<h<h_{c_{2}}$) is gapful, describing the spin-flop phase.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1008.211

Digitalization of climate adaptation planning: the potential of simulation software tools for landscape design

Climate change plays a significant role in the landscape architecture discipline seeking to solve the problems related to floods and heatwaves. Climate adaptation planning deals with a high level of uncertainty while precipitating future climate events to prepare adaptable landscape designs. However, digital technologies are rarely implemented into landscape design projects with deep environmental concerns. Meanwhile, digital tools have the potential to improve climate adaptation planning while calculating and simulating the adaptive capacity of design. Therefore, this research investigates the capabilities and limitations of software tools suitable for climate adaptation projects. The software tools are evaluated using the ISO 25010 framework comparing their capabilities. The main method used for this research is based on objective experiments while implementing different software tools to conceptual landscape design on a case study project. The experiment revealed that the implementation process deals with many limitations including interoperability and data loss. Moreover, this research conducted in-depth interviews with project stakeholders including planners and clients to identify their problems, needs and expectations regarding software tools. Finally, the roadmap on the software selection resulting from this research provides the guidelines on how to select the most suitable tool for various climate adaptation projects

BIM for landscape design improving climate adaptation planning: the evaluation of software tools based on the ISO 25010 standard

This paper investigates the capabilities and limitations of different software tools simulating landscape design adaptability. The evaluation of tools is based on the ISO 25010 framework, which investigates software functionality, reliability, performance efficiency, usability, compatibility, and information quality. These quality characteristics of software are analysed during objective experiments where five software tools are used for a case study project at the conceptual design phase. These experiments reveal that the existing software tools for climate adaptation planning are focused on different aspects of climate adaptability, generating different types of information. Moreover, all tools deal with some limitations in terms of compatibility, performance efficiency, and functional operations. The ISO 25010 quality model provides a comprehensive framework to compare the capabilities of different software tools for climate adaptation planning. This paper is part of a wider study including an analysis of the needs of project stakeholders regarding climate adaptation software tools. However, this article focuses on technical capabilities of current climate adaptation software tools

Effective Teaching

این مقاله به منظور تعیین برخی ویژگیهای تدریس مؤثر در نظام آموزش عالی بویژه دانشگاههای علوم پزشکی در رشته تحصیلی پرستاری تدوین شده است. در طی تدوین مقاله ، ابتدا ویژگیهای تدریس مؤثر بطور اعم و سپس در رشته پرستاری بطور اخص مورد توجه قرار گرفته است در نهایت با تأکید بر تجدید نظر در ارتباط بین معلم و دانشجو در حیطه آموزش نظری و عملی ، برخی از ویژگیهای تدریس مؤثر معلمین پرستاری بویژه از دیدگاه دانشجو، از جمله : سبک بین فردی معلم، استراتژی های تدریس ، سبک ارتباطی ، بکارگیری تجارب تدریس ، ارزشیابی و استفاده از بازخورد تعیین شده است. بعلاوه بر ایجاد طرز فکر تازه در معلمین پرستاری در زمینه اعتقاد به فعال نمودن هر چه بیشتر دانشجویان در طی آموزش های نظری و عملی تأکید گردیده اس

Exploring Metacognitive Online Reading Strategies of Non-Native English-Speaking Translation Students

International students, a growing population in US universities, need to possess excellent reading skills in order to succeed. American universities also benefit from admitting students who do not require remedial English classes. Reading online has become an integrated part of college education, which requires students to have additional skills. Awareness and usage of online reading strategies, known as metacognitive online reading strategies, are proven tools to enhance reading skills in online environments. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to investigate the metacognitive online reading strategies employed by highly proficient non-native English-speaking graduate students of Translation, Interpretation and Language Education at Middlebury Institute of International Studies to find out the types of reading strategies students report using, and how they use them when reading an academic text online on a laptop. Two conceptual frameworks were employed to analyze the data: metacognition theory and metacognition model. Quantitative data were collected from 46 students through the Online Survey of Reading Strategies (OSORS). Qualitative data were obtained through recording think-aloud sessions with six volunteers who individually read a TOEFL practice passage and said what they thought as they read the passage. The quantitative findings revealed that students used most of OSORS strategies in the three categories or Global strategies, Problem-solving strategies, and Support strategies. They used problem-solving strategies the most and support strategies the least. The qualitative data analysis revealed that students used most of the strategies that were relevant to the reading task. Moreover, they gave precedence to focusing and maintaining a steady reading pace over other strategies, and bundled related strategies to understand difficult text. Strategies such as slowing the speed of reading, rereading, reading aloud, and guessing meanings were activated together. Data also showed that they students decided on using various computer skills depending on their reading needs, engaging in a parallel metacognitive processing to their reading. Finally, the participants valued reading as part of their career, and made comments on contents of the passage in relation with the real world. Thus, comprehension was not the last step in the metacognitive process, internalizing and remembering the new information was

Effect of clinical supervision on the faculty teaching quality at Nursing and Midwifery School in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences‏

Introduction: In recent years, professional development of teachers has become an important issue in educational system. The question of work has been the kind of supervision needed to save and secure teacher's successful performance in his/her teaching career. The present study aimed at answering this question. Methods: The study was preformed in two phase: At first a quasi-experiment on ٣٧٢ randomly selected students was done. The exposed group's teachers were under clinical supervision. In the second phase, the clinical supervision method was evaluated based on opinions of ٥٠ faculties and educational authorities. Results: In the exposed group, the rate of student's learning proved to be significantly higher (P< ,٠٠١). Those students evaluated their teacher's professional behaviors as more positive compared to teacher evaluations made by students in the control group (P< ,٠٠١). Full agreement and agreement to perform clinical supervision were expressed by ٦٢, percent of respondents in the second phase study, whereas ٩١, percent of the same attitude was found toward self-evaluation (The latter was expressed as one of the best solutions for quality problems of teaching). The majority of respondents insisted on maintaining stable environment for teaching, a decrease in number of students and proper teacher selection methods as the other solutions. Conclusion: Applying clinical supervision method had a positive effect on students learning and teachers' performance. Thus this method should be considered as one of the basic ways to develop educational system in the field of medical sciences

Influence of Environment and Genetics on Reproductive Health of Twins

Reproductive health is a dynamic part of our lives with a broad spectrum of events. Study of twins can assist to investigate the relationship between environmental and hereditary causes of reproductive diseases, which would otherwise be difficult if not impossible to study. High concordance between twin pairs suggests a strong influence for genetic factors, whereas low concordance indicates a weak influence. Preventive measures can be taken into consideration for those who are at risk of environmental influences if and only when the role of genetic is minor even though gene therapy may minimize the occurrence of genetic disease. This cross-sectional descriptive study of reproductive health of twins investigated the heritability of qualitative and quantitative measured variables related to reproductive events or behavior of adult twins. Subjects included 156 identical and 110 non-identical twins, 15 years and above who were living in urban areas of Iran and Malaysia. Basic and modern genetic analysis was adopted. Maximum likelihood analysis and model fitting analysis suggested that birth weight, weight, height, age of menarche, premenstrual symptoms, acne, hirsutism, baldness and infertility are mostly determined by genetic factors while characteristics of menstruation were more likely under the influence of environmental factors. Classical genetic analysis using Falconer’s formula suggested higher similarity between monozygotic twins than dyzyotics in relation to reproductive behaviors such as age of first pregnancy and number of pregnancies. Probandwise concordance rate analysis showed higher similarity between identical twins in adopting correct reproductive behavior such as undergoing pap smear and using family planning techniques. Model fitting analysis for the ACE model supported these findings. Same-sex twins had a higher risk of congenital abnormality, gynecological problem, and irregular menstruation than opposite sex twins. Other reproductive events were not found to be significantly different between the two groups indicating that hormonal transition from male to female may not be a valid explanation for reproductive ill health. Birth weight was not found to affect reproductive morbidity during adult life as frequency of reproductive event was found to be higher among low birth weight twins compared with normal weight twins. This finding is not consistent with fetal origin hypothesis or thrifty gene hypothesis. Reproductive ill-health influenced by environmental factors may be minimized using careful primary care evaluation, early detection and prevention while genetic predisposition can be monitored for those variables under genetic influence. Early reproductive health consultation for adolescents is recommended to avoid complications of reproductive ill-health

Refurbishment of UK school buildings: challenges of improving energy performance using BIM

UK Schools are part of the existing buildings whose operational carbon must be reduced to meet the government target of reducing carbon emissions to 80% by 2050. State funding for refurbishment is the most feasible option using two routes: Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) which is restricted to improving the physical aspects of school facilities; and Salix Energy Efficiency Fund (SEEF) aimed at energy/equipment retrofit measures. Although the use of BIM technology (underpinned by the government soft-landing (GSL) framework) together with the use of energy modelling/simulation tools have become integral to making buildings more energy efficient, they are constrained by lack of adoption. This study used primary and secondary data to investigate the effectiveness of contemporary BIM and energy simulation technologies in refurbishment of existing school buildings. Secondary data collected from 10 case studies of schools that benefitted from SEEF was supported by primary data from survey questionnaire of 126 professionals involved in refurbishment. Results showed that: (a) CIF and SEEF ought to operate in synergy due to the interaction of a building's physical envelope with heat transfer and energy used by equipment and systems; (b) refurbishment professionals are not fully adopting BIM which in turn affects managing the buildings in their operational phase; and (c) some schools are not getting technical advice on how to optimise the funds they receive from SEEF leading to non-optimal investment. Recommendations provided include: extensive training on BIM and GSL to heads of schools; upskilling of professionals on using building pathology techniques that are compatible with BIM together with COBie and NBS Toolkit; advise government agencies to reconcile the purpose of CIF and SEEF for carbon reduction solution in schools