875 research outputs found
Human rights and public education
This article attempts a contrast to the contribution by Hugh Starkey. Rather than his account of the inexorable rise of human rights discourse, and of the implementation of human rights standards, human rights are here presented as always and necessarily scandalous and highly contested. First, I explain why the UK has lagged so far behind its European neighbours in implementing citizenship education. Second, a comparison with France shows that the latest UK reforms bring us up to 1789. Third, the twentieth-century second-generation social and economic rights are still anathema in the UK. Fourth, the failure to come to terms with Empire and especially the slave trade means that the UKâs attitude to third-generation rights, especially the right of peoples to self-determination, is heavily compromised. Taking into account the points I raise, citizenship education in the UK might look very different
Stationarity-conservation laws for certain linear fractional differential equations
The Leibniz rule for fractional Riemann-Liouville derivative is studied in
algebra of functions defined by Laplace convolution. This algebra and the
derived Leibniz rule are used in construction of explicit form of
stationary-conserved currents for linear fractional differential equations. The
examples of the fractional diffusion in 1+1 and the fractional diffusion in d+1
dimensions are discussed in detail. The results are generalized to the mixed
fractional-differential and mixed sequential fractional-differential systems
for which the stationarity-conservation laws are obtained. The derived currents
are used in construction of stationary nonlocal charges.Comment: 28 page
Regulation of skeletal muscle sucrose, non-fermenting 1/AMP-activated protein kinase-related kinase (SNARK) by metabolic stress and diabetes
Increased gravitational force reveals the mechanical, resonant nature of physiological tremor
Human physiological hand tremor has a resonant component. Proof of this is that its frequency can be modified by adding mass. However, adding mass also increases the load which must be supported. The necessary force requires muscular contraction which will change motor output and is likely to increase limb stiffness. The increased stiffness will partly offset the effect of the increased mass and this can lead to the erroneous conclusion that factors other than resonance are involved in determining tremor frequency. Using a human centrifuge to increase head-to-foot gravitational field strength, we were able to control for the increased effort by increasing force without changing mass. This revealed that the peak frequency of human hand tremor is 99% predictable on the basis of a resonant mechanism. We ask what, if anything, the peak frequency of physiological tremor can reveal about the operation of the nervous system.This work was funded by a BBSRC Industry Interchange Award
to J.P.R.S. and R.F.R. C.J.O. was funded by BBSRC grant
BB/I00579X/1. C.A.V. was funded by AâMidex (Aix-Marseille
Initiative of Excellence
Towards a framework for critical citizenship education
Increasingly countries around the world are promoting forms of "critical" citizenship in the planned curricula of schools. However, the intended meaning behind this term varies markedly and can range from a set of creative and technical skills under the label "critical thinking" to a desire to encourage engagement, action and political emancipation, often labelled "critical pedagogy". This paper distinguishes these manifestations of the "critical" and, based on an analysis of the prevailing models of critical pedagogy and citizenship education, develops a conceptual framework for analysing and comparing the nature of critical citizenship
Eroding market stability by proliferation of financial instruments
We contrast Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT), the theoretical basis for the
development of financial instruments, with a dynamical picture of an
interacting market, in a simple setting. The proliferation of financial
instruments apparently provides more means for risk diversification, making the
market more efficient and complete. In the simple market of interacting traders
discussed here, the proliferation of financial instruments erodes systemic
stability and it drives the market to a critical state characterized by large
susceptibility, strong fluctuations and enhanced correlations among risks. This
suggests that the hypothesis of APT may not be compatible with a stable market
dynamics. In this perspective, market stability acquires the properties of a
common good, which suggests that appropriate measures should be introduced in
derivative markets, to preserve stability.Comment: 26 pages, 8 figure
Scale calculus and the Schrodinger equation
We introduce the scale calculus, which generalizes the classical differential
calculus to non differentiable functions. The new derivative is called the
scale difference operator. We also introduce the notions of fractal functions,
minimal resolution, and quantum representation of a non differentiable
function. We then define a scale quantization procedure for classical
Lagrangian systems inspired by the Scale relativity theory developped by
Nottale. We prove that the scale quantization of Newtionian mechanics is a non
linear Schrodinger equation. Under some specific assumptions, we obtain the
classical linear Schrodinger equation.Comment: 49 page
Fractional differentiability of nowhere differentiable functions and dimensions
Weierstrass's everywhere continuous but nowhere differentiable function is
shown to be locally continuously fractionally differentiable everywhere for all
orders below the `critical order' 2-s and not so for orders between 2-s and 1,
where s, 1<s<2 is the box dimension of the graph of the function. This
observation is consolidated in the general result showing a direct connection
between local fractional differentiability and the box dimension/ local Holder
exponent. Levy index for one dimensional Levy flights is shown to be the
critical order of its characteristic function. Local fractional derivatives of
multifractal signals (non-random functions) are shown to provide the local
Holder exponent. It is argued that Local fractional derivatives provide a
powerful tool to analyze pointwise behavior of irregular signals.Comment: minor changes, 19 pages, Late
'We don't learn democracy, we live it!' : consulting the pupil voice in Scottish schools
As the education for citizenship agenda continues to impact on schools, there is a need to begin the discussion around examining the kind of initiatives that can push it forward. In Scotland the proposals should, it is argued, permeate the curriculum throughout the school. Yet there is the fear that the responsibility of all can become the responsibility of none. This paper examines, through case study research carried out by the authors, initiatives in schools designed to take forward the citizenship agenda in the light of children's rights. The first two relate to firstly the impact of pupil councils in primary schools and secondly the impact of discussing controversial issues in the primary classroom. The third outlines the impact on values and dispositions of developing more participatory, democratic practice in the classroom. The paper concludes by calling for both more initiatives of this type and more evaluation of their worth
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