Studies on Incompatibility Pollination and Floral Morphological Polymorphism of Carambola (Averrhoa Corambola L)

The objectives of this study were to elucidate the physiological basis of selfincompatibility system and the floral morphological polymorphism in carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.). Within 30 minutes after pollination, pollen degradation and hydration commenced on the stigma surface. Pollen tubes subsequently emerged from colpal furrow and crawled into apertures of vesicles. The pollen tubes reached the base of the transmitting tract of the style on legitimate pollinations in pin and thrum morphs at 8.0 h after pollinations. Pollen tubes were uniformly inhibited at the middle of the style in pin illegitimate pollinations, however, tubes occasionally penetrated to the base of the transmitting tract of the style. futhrum illegitimate pollinations, tubes were inhibited at the junction between stigmatic and stylar tissues. Result of illegitimate pollination confirmed the partial loss of incompatibility in pin as opposed to the strong incompatibility in thrum as shown by both fluorescence microscopic observation and the field controlled pollinations study. Ripen fruits from pin illegitimate pollinations were significantly smaller and contained less seed compared to legitimate pollinations. Carambola flower consisted of 5 rose-pink sepals, a pistil, 5 stamens and 5 staminoids. Pistil length was significantly longer in pin than in thrum morphs. On the other hand, the stamen length was significantly longer in thrum than in pin morphs. Pollen grain shape of pin and thrum morphs was oblate spherical and tricolporate. Pollen diameter was significantly larger in thrum than in pin morphs. Foveolate pattern of pollen exine sculpturing was more intense in pin than in thrum morphs. Each of the five stylar tissues terminated in a capitate stigma. The stigma receptive surface surrounded the stylar tip, except for a strip along the abaxial part between the middle and base of stylar tissues. Vesicle was a dewdrop-shaped cell. Stigma and vesicles sizes were significantly greater in pin than in thrum morphs. Result of measurements of the various floral morphological parts revealed highly significant variations even among the various clones within the same morphs

School self-evaluation for quality improvement: investigating the practice of the policy in Kenya

This thesis investigates the emerging policy vision and assumptions underlying the promotion of school self-evaluation (SSE) as an innovative strategy for school improvement in Kenya, and the ways in which they are understood and practiced by various stakeholders. My professional involvement in SSE policy development led me to think that too little was known about its practice. Therefore, I specifically explored the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of this evaluation process, focusing on social interaction and contextual factors at the school/community level through an exploratory qualitative case study and continuous professional reflection. By critically questioning linear, top-down policy assumptions, I sought multiple stakeholder viewpoints within contextual specificities in order to capture and understand the realities – complex, diverse and organic processes – on the ground. Accordingly, I employed interactionist and constructivist paradigms, and utilised interviews, observations and documentary analysis as sources. The findings suggest that there is a considerable gap between SSE policy expectations and its practice on the ground, while also highlighting some positive experiences and future potential. Stakeholders at all levels largely understand and accept the idea of participatory, inclusive and democratic SSE conceptually, but they have not yet embraced it practically. The education authority’s monopoly on the power to evaluate schools is identified as a key systemic bottleneck that effectively restricts meaningful SSE practice on the part of school-level stakeholders who follow instructions from above in a regime of professional legitimacy. Conversely, study findings indicate that both collective and individual SSE approaches promoted in Kenya are feasible, policymakers’ paternalistic concerns notwithstanding. Teachers were found to demonstrate their collective ability to apply the prescriptive SSE tool to fit their unique contexts and assess school quality. They also successfully engaged with individual SSE (action research) which, the thesis contends, can initiate a ‘positive spiral of change’ through which teachers build their confidence based on small but real successes, transform perspectives and professional attitudes, and ultimately engage in self-reflective practices for school improvement. However, the thesis concludes that the Kenyan policy assumption of evidence-based school development remains largely theoretical, schools tending to engage in ad-hoc improvement through unsophisticated planning in the absence of systematic SSE. Overall, I argue that it is important to acknowledge and utilise the education authority’s power and influence (i.e. the leadership of the Ministry of Education, and its Quality Assurance and Standards Directorate) in a positive manner that will lead to a more realistic and pragmatic approach to SSE promotion. Contending that institutionalising a ‘culture of learning’ is the way forward, I present a scenario whereby SSE may lead to sustained school improvement with two key strategies: (i) merging individual and collective SSE; and (ii) combining internal and external school evaluation. Moreover, I argue that the education authority’s monopoly on school evaluation should also be tackled so that an integrated system for quality improvement can be realised in Kenya. Based on the study findings, the thesis presents a number of policy recommendations including formal utilisation of the SSE tool; substantial stakeholder participation; enhanced teacher training; external quality assurance to validate SSE results; strengthened district-level peer learning and school leadership; and improved policy coordination and dissemination. Finally, I reflect on my professional position with renewed commitment to contribute to the achievement of quality education for all children

Application of Sturm's theorem to marginal stable circular orbits of a test body in spherically symmetric and static spacetimes

In terms of Sturm's theorem, we reexamine a marginal stable circular orbit (MSCO) such as the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) of a timelike geodesic in any spherically symmetric and static spacetime. MSCOs for some of exact solutions to the Einstein's equation are discussed. Strum's theorem is explicitly applied to the Kottler (often called Schwarzschild-de Sitter) spacetime. Moreover, we analyze MSCOs for a spherically symmetric, static and vacuum solution in Weyl conformal gravity.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, accepted by EPL (Europhysics Letters). arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1410.626

The Relationship between Individual Personality Traits (Internality-Externality) and Psychological Distress in Employees in Japan

This study examines the relationship between the internality-externality (I-E) scale as an indicator of coping styles and the Kessler 6 (K6) scale as an indicator of psychological distress and analyzes the effects of sociodemographic and employment-related factors on this relationship. Employees from Akita prefecture in Japan were invited to complete self-administered questionnaires. A uniform pattern of findings emerged in the relationship between the two scales as follows: all the significant correlations were negative, that is, as the I-E score increased, the K6 score decreased. Furthermore, significant effects were observed for the I-E scale regarding sex, age, education, employee type, and employment status and the K6 scale with multiple regression analyses. Among these, the effect of the K6 scale was significant for the I-E scale in both males and females. The results of this study may help improve mental health clinicians' understanding of psychological distress in employees

A Comparative Study of Some Pseudorandom Number Generators

We present results of an extensive test program of a group of pseudorandom number generators which are commonly used in the applications of physics, in particular in Monte Carlo simulations. The generators include public domain programs, manufacturer installed routines and a random number sequence produced from physical noise. We start by traditional statistical tests, followed by detailed bit level and visual tests. The computational speed of various algorithms is also scrutinized. Our results allow direct comparisons between the properties of different generators, as well as an assessment of the efficiency of the various test methods. This information provides the best available criterion to choose the best possible generator for a given problem. However, in light of recent problems reported with some of these generators, we also discuss the importance of developing more refined physical tests to find possible correlations not revealed by the present test methods.Comment: University of Helsinki preprint HU-TFT-93-22 (minor changes in Tables 2 and 7, and in the text, correspondingly

mChims Nam-mkha\u27-grags and the sNar-thang-pa Tradition

The bKa\u27-gdams-pa tradition stemming from the teachings of Ati\u27sa (982?-1054) is known for its significant influence on later Tibetan Buddhism, including the bKa\u27-brgyud-pa, Sa-skya-pa, and dGe-lugs-pa traditions. In particular, the scholastic tradition of the sNar-thang monastery, which succeeded to the teachings of Po-to-ba (1027/1031-1105), can be greatly considered from various viewpoints.For example, the seventh abbot of the sNar-thang monastery, mChims Nam-mkha\u27-grags (1210-1285), was known as a savant and authority on the lam rim (stages of the path) and the Abhidharmako\u27sa. He had a deep tie with the Sa-skya-pas due to his connection with \u27Phags-pa (1235-1280). mChims Nam-mkha\u27-grags\u27s disciples included sMon-lam-tshul-khrims (1219-1299), the eighth abbot of the sNar-thang monastery, and bCom-ldan Rig-ral (1227-1305), who attended the editorial project of the Tibetan Buddhist canon. This shows that he is one of the key persons in the history of Tibetan Buddhism.As part of my research on Sa-skya Pandita (1182-1251), I analyzed the relations between the thought of Thub pa\u27i dgongs gsal, which teaches the theory and practice of bodhisattava path, and the lam rim and bstan rim (stages of the doctrine) literature of the bKa\u27-gdams-pa tradition. In this paper, while developing my existing research, I considered the significance of mChims Nam-mkha\u27-grags in Tibetan Buddhism from the viewpoints listed below by using historical documents on mChims Nam-mkha\u27-grags and the recent publication bKa\u27gdams phyogs bsgrigs, edited by dPal brtsegs bod yig dpe rnying zhib \u27jug khang.1. Hearing from the teaching of masters such as mChims Blo-gros-bstan-pa, dPal -ldan-gro-mo-che, Zhang-ston Chos-kyi-bla-ma, and Sangs-rgyas-sgom-pa2. Commentarial works on the Abhidharmako\u27sa and the study of the Abhidharmako\u27sa tramsmitted by the mChims clan3. Literature on the Lam rim4. Literature on the Chos \u27byung5. Ritual of Sixteen Great Arhat