16,254 research outputs found
Designing a mixed mode Masters module in Science Education to support shared construction of knowledge and critical reflection
Foundations of Science Education is a core module in the Masters in Science Education course. The main purpose of this module is to promote critical reflection in the main aspects of science education incorporating teaching, learning, philosophy and policy. This paper reports on the purpose and development of a mixed-mode (blended) course in which online discussions and tasks complement and extend face to face teaching and discussions. It discusses how the re-structured module is designed to support the construction of knowledge and critical review of that knowledge through the dimensions of shared practice. Most of the course participants are science educators, mainly London-based but with some international students, and the course draws on their growing theoretical knowledge in combination with shared experiences. In this paper we discuss the possibilities and constraints of the course design
PAC learning and genetic programming
Genetic programming (GP) is a very successful type of learning algorithm that is hard to understand from a theoretical point of view. With this paper we contribute to the computational complexity analysis of genetic programming that has been started recently. We analyze GP in the well-known PAC learning framework and point out how it can observe quality changes in the the evolution of functions by random sampling. This leads to computational complexity bounds for a linear GP algorithm for perfectly learning any member of a simple class of linear pseudo-Boolean functions. Furthermore, we show that the same algorithm on the functions from the same class finds good approximations of the target function in less time.Timo Kötzing, Frank Neumann and Reto Spöhe
Performance of a centrifugal pump running in inverse mode
This paper presents the functional characterization of a centrifugal pump used as a turbine. It shows the characteristics of the machine involved at several rotational speeds, comparing the respective flows and heads. In this way, it is possible to observe the influence of the rotational speed on efficiency, as well as obtaining the characteristics at constant head and runaway speed. Also, the forces actuating on the impeller were studied. An uncertainty analysis was made to assess the accuracy of the results. The research results indicate that the turbine characteristics can be predicted to some extent from the pump characteristics, that water flows out of the runner free of swirl flow at the best efficiency point, and that radial stresses are lower than in pump mode
Influence of tailored MLI for complex surface geometries on heat transfer
Complex, non-developable surfaces require a tailored multi-layer insulation (MLI) for lowest heat load. The most experiments showing the heat transfer through MLI are performed under quasi-ideal conditions determining the principle insulation quality. But the surface to be insulated in real cryostats implies feed-throughs and other non-developable surface parts. The thermal performance of MLI is degraded significantly at cutting points. To investigate this degrading effect a LN-filled cylinder with a diameter of 219 mm and a length of 1820 mm was insulated with MLI and the heat load was measured by means of calorimetry. In addition the heat load to an insulated cylinder with eighteen branches was measured. Both cylinders have the same surface of 1.37 m for a comparison of the results. This article describes the experiments with different ways of tailoring the MLI for the cylinder with branches and discusses their results. It was shown that the cutting points at the branches have a significant degrading influence on the thermal performance of MLI
On the Job Search and the Wage Distribution
Estimates of the structural parameters of a job separation model derived from the theory of on-the-job search are reported in this paper. Given that each employer pays the same wage to observably equivalent workers but wages are dispersed across employers, the theory implies that an employer's separation flow is the sum of an exogenous outflow unrelated to the wage paid and a job-to-job flow that decreases with the employer's wage. The specification estimated allows worker search effort to depend on the wage currently earned. The empirical results imply that search effort declines with the wage paid, as the theory predicts, using Danish IDA data for the years 1994-1995. Furthermore, the estimates for the full sample and four occupational sub-samples explain the employment effect, defined as the horizontal difference between the distribution of wages earned and the distribution of wages offered.
Happiness, environmental protection and market economy
The manufacturing sector is leaving the West for Asia’s low wages and good working culture. Europe would be better off keeping these manufacturing activities, slowing down wage inflation and what is more, letting a young, cheaper workforce from the East settle down within their borders. This would aid in preserving the diverse economic structure which has been characteristic for Europe.Beside the economic growth there are two more concepts which have turned into the “holy cows” of economics during the last fifty years. One is the need to constantly improve labor productivity and the other is increasing competitiveness of nations. The high labor productivity of some countries, induces severe unemployment in the globalized world. In the other hand it is high time we understood that it is not competition, but cooperation that brings more happiness to humanity.Should we still opt for “happiness” and “sanity”, it is quite obvious that we all should, in economists’ terms, define our individual welfare functions corresponding to our own set of values, staying free from the influence of media, advertisements and fashion. The cornerstone to all this is the intelligent citizen who prefers local goods and services
A model of adaptive decision making from representation of information environment by quantum fields
We present the mathematical model of decision making (DM) of agents acting in
a complex and uncertain environment (combining huge variety of economical,
financial, behavioral, and geo-political factors). To describe interaction of
agents with it, we apply the formalism of quantum field theory (QTF). Quantum
fields are of the purely informational nature. The QFT-model can be treated as
a far relative of the expected utility theory, where the role of utility is
played by adaptivity to an environment (bath). However, this sort of
utility-adaptivity cannot be represented simply as a numerical function. The
operator representation in Hilbert space is used and adaptivity is described as
in quantum dynamics. We are especially interested in stabilization of solutions
for sufficiently large time. The outputs of this stabilization process,
probabilities for possible choices, are treated in the framework of classical
DM. To connect classical and quantum DM, we appeal to Quantum Bayesianism
(QBism). We demonstrate the quantum-like interference effect in DM which is
exhibited as a violation of the formula of total probability and hence the
classical Bayesian inference scheme.Comment: in press in Philosophical Transactions
On Spatial Consensus Formation: Is the Sznajd Model Different from a Voter Model?
In this paper, we investigate the so-called ``Sznajd Model'' (SM) in one
dimension, which is a simple cellular automata approach to consensus formation
among two opposite opinions (described by spin up or down). To elucidate the SM
dynamics, we first provide results of computer simulations for the
spatio-temporal evolution of the opinion distribution , the evolution of
magnetization , the distribution of decision times and
relaxation times . In the main part of the paper, it is shown that the
SM can be completely reformulated in terms of a linear VM, where the transition
rates towards a given opinion are directly proportional to frequency of the
respective opinion of the second-nearest neighbors (no matter what the nearest
neighbors are). So, the SM dynamics can be reduced to one rule, ``Just follow
your second-nearest neighbor''. The equivalence is demonstrated by extensive
computer simulations that show the same behavior between SM and VM in terms of
, , , , and the final attractor statistics. The
reformulation of the SM in terms of a VM involves a new parameter , to
bias between anti- and ferromagnetic decisions in the case of frustration. We
show that plays a crucial role in explaining the phase transition
observed in SM. We further explore the role of synchronous versus asynchronous
update rules on the intermediate dynamics and the final attractors. Compared to
the original SM, we find three additional attractors, two of them related to an
asymmetric coexistence between the opposite opinions.Comment: 22 pages, 20 figures. For related publications see
http://www.ais.fraunhofer.de/~fran
Mass-Temperature Relation of Galaxy Clusters: A Theoretical Study
Combining conservation of energy throughout nearly-spherical collapse of
galaxy clusters with the virial theorem, we derive the mass-temperature
relation for X-ray clusters of galaxies . The normalization factor
and the scatter of the relation are determined from first principles with
the additional assumption of initial Gaussian random field. We are also able to
reproduce the recently observed break in the M-T relation at T \sim 3 \keV,
based on the scatter in the underlying density field for a low density
CDM cosmology. Finally, by combining observational data of high
redshift clusters with our theoretical formalism, we find a semi-empirical
temperature-mass relation which is expected to hold at redshifts up to unity
with less than 20% error.Comment: 43 pages, 13 figures, One figure is added and minor changes are made.
Accepted for Publication in Ap
Lamination And Microstructuring Technology for a Bio-Cell Multiwell array
Microtechnology becomes a versatile tool for biological and biomedical
applications. Microwells have been established long but remained
non-intelligent up to now. Merging new fabrication techniques and handling
concepts with microelectronics enables to realize intelligent microwells
suitable for future improved cancer treatment. The described technology depicts
the basis for the fabrication of a elecronically enhanced microwell. Thin
aluminium sheets are structured by laser micro machining and laminated
successively to obtain registration tolerances of the respective layers of
5..10\^Am. The microwells lasermachined into the laminate are with
50..80\^Am diameter, allowing to hold individual cells within the well.
The individual process steps are described and results on the microstructuring
are given.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association
(http://irevues.inist.fr/EDA-Publishing
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