Groupwork and computers: task type and children's performance

Abstract In the majority of British primary schools, children use the computer in groups of two or three. This is partly due to the lack of resources, that is, most classrooms still only have one or two computers to share between around 30 children. Groupwork on computers is also justified for pedagogic reasons. Previous research comparing children working in groups or alone has revealed an advantage for children working in groups although the work undertaken has generally been problem solving tasks. This investigation examined the performance of pairs and individual 6-year old children on a drill and practice program using a pre-test, intervention, post-test design. In comparison to the problem solving evidence, individuals were found to have a significant advantage over pairs during the computer-based task.     

Coherence coding for photonic code-division multiple accessnetworks

We analyze a code-division multiple access technique where information is optically encoded by manipulating the coherence between a pair of transmitted signals. Key features are intrinsic security, operation of the receiver at only the bit rate of a single channel, and reconfiguration without switching optical delays, which are considerable advantages compared to previously proposed CDMA schemes. Experimental results demonstrating the basic operation of the scheme are presented. The performance limitations are calculated and novel implementations are proposed     

DRY-RO membranes from cellulose acetate carbamates

Cellulose acetate carbamates (CACs) are the polymers which result when organic isocyanates are reacted with the free hydroxyl groups of cellulose acetate (CA). CACs are more hydrolytically stable and exhibit physical properties which are superior to those of their CA mixed ester analogs. Two synthetic approaches to CACs have been utilized in this study: (1) preformation, i.e., separate synthesis of such polymers prior to their inclusion in solutions for membrane casting; and (2) in situ formation, i.e., the inclusion of blocked isocyanates in standard dry process casting solutions of CA followed by thermal activation of the resultant dry membranes leading to regeneration of free isocyanate and subsequent CAC formation. Preformed CAC polymers have been prepared utilizing phenyl-, 3-chloropropyl-, 3-bromopropyl-, and 3-bromopropyl-(isothio)-, isocyanates. Polymers containing omega-halocarbamate moieties were quaternized with dimethylbenzylamine to produce ionogenic (QCAC) polymers containing quaternary ammonium groups. DRY-RO membranes from the QCACs exhibit flux/rejection values varying between 6–8 gfd at 98% rejection and 20 gfd at 90% rejection (0.5% NaCl feed at 400 psi and 25°C). In situ formation of CAC membranes has been effected with tolylene- and hexamethylene-diisocyantes, with quaternized isocyanate monomers employed for the preformed CAC polymers, and with specially tailored diisocyanates containing ionogenic groups. Crosslinking rendered all of the membranes acetone insoluble. Inasmuch as in situ formation substitutes the easy synthesis of blocked isocyanate monomers for the more difficult separate synthesis of preformed CAC polymers, it is anticipated that the former will replace the latter.     

Antiplasticization. III. Characteristics and properties of antiplasticizable polymers

Antiplasticization is applicable to polymers which contain rigid, polar groups and stiff chains, such as many bisphenol polycarbonates and polyesters, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol polycarbonates and polyesters, cellulose triacetate, and a commercial poly(sulfone ether). The stiffness, hardness, and tensile strength of these polymers are increased by antiplasticizers, and the elongation, impact strength, and heat-distortion temperature are decreased. The stiffness of antiplasticized polymers can be further increased by crystallization. A clear, hard, stiff, tough, self-extinguishing molding plastic with good electrical properties and improved resistance to stress cracking is obtained by antiplasticizing bisphenol A polycarbonate with 20% Aroclor 5460.     

An ion-exchange process with thermal regeneration XVI oxygen-resistant polyamine resins

The rate of oxidation (by dissolved oxygen) of a number of weakly basic ion-exchange resins has been determined at 80°C. Polystyrene-based systems with only tertiary or only secondary amino groups are the most resistant to oxidation. The presence of a mixture of primary, secondary and tertiary amino groups or of hydroxyalkylamino groups increases the rates of oxidation by about a factor of five. The more basic high capacity allylamine-type resins oxidize even faster and, within this series, the higher the basicity the greater the rate of oxidation. Also within this series, the greater the amount of residual unsaturation — from the presence of pendant allyl groups — the greater the rate of oxidation. The oxidation occurs by a free radical chain process but the chains are very short and therefore the oxidation cannot be significantly inhibited by antioxidants. Certain polymeric backbone structures favour resins which are more resistant to oxidation than allylamine systems. Of the former, only those with polyether backbones are suitable for thermally regenerable ion-exchange systems. Resins with a polyether backbone were prepared by crosslinking polyepichlorohydrin and aminating with secondary amines. The predicted capacities for thermally regenerable systems made by combining these oxygen-resistant resins with polyacrylic acid are comparable with those for the polyallylamine resin systems.     

A review of the unique features of HDL apoproteins

The human plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) are a heterogeneous ensemble of five proteins associated with both neutral and polar lipids. The sequences of all five proteins are known. ApoA-I and apoA-II are the major protein components; apoC-I, apoC-II and apoC-III are the minor protein components. All these apoproteins spontaneously recombine with phospholipids to give stable lipid-protein complexes and freely exchange between the two major HDL subclasses, HDL₂ and HDL₃. In addition, ApoC-I, apoC-II, and apoC-III exchange between HDL and very low density lipoproteins. Furthermore, certain HDL apoproteins are activators for plasma enzymes that are important in lipid metabolism. ApoA-I and apoC-I activate lecithin/cholesterol acyltransferase; apoC-II is an activator of lipoprotein lipase. The regions of apoC-I and apoC-II that are involved in the activation of these enzymes have been localized with synthetic peptides. Studies of synthetic and native fragments of apoA-II, apoC-I, apoC-II, and apoC-III as well as model lipid-binding peptides have identified specific regions with structural features common to lipid-binding proteins. These special properties, which include helical potential, sequences with a critical amphipathic length, and high hydrophobicity of the nonpolar side of the amphipathic helix, are the determinants of HDL structure and metabolism.     

Suppression of carbon monoxide formation in oxide-coated TZM molybdenum X-ray rotating anodes

Higher performance designs for rotating anode X-ray tubes have increased the average rotating anode temperature from below 1100 °C to well above 1300 °C. This temperature increase has accelerated the formation of carbon monoxide by reaction of carbon from the alloy substrate with oxygen from the emissive coating. The dominant carbon source is thought to be Mo₂C grain boundary precipitates in the TZM molybdenum alloy substrate. The dominant oxygen source is thought to be TiO in the emissive coating. Placement of a monocarbide-forming reactive layer between the alloy substrate and the emissive coating has been demonstrated to lower the thermodynamic activity of the carbon source and dramatically reduce the rate of formation of carbon monoxide.     

四招打开你的职场知名度

一款优秀的科技产品或一项优秀服务的成功除了需要先进的技术和理念外,一个好听易记的名字也必不可少。在此,我们选取了iPod等四大殿堂级科技产品,探究其起名的缘由。     

Wide-angle stray-light reduction for a spaceborne optical hemispherical imager

We describe a simple visible-light stray-background-reducing baffle, suitable for use on a stabilized interplanetary platform. The design is a corrallike enclosure with five concentric walls. The baffle reduces direct sunlight and reflections from illuminated portions of the spacecraft by a factor of 10(-12), provided that all these lie beyond at least a hemisphere centered on the viewing aperture. With this condition these bright sources do not directly illuminate within the outermost wall of the corral, and diffraction over the wall tops is the dominant mechanism by which light reaches the corral interior. We present design calculations for such a corral, as well as a laboratory measurement confirming the basic design assumption.     

Optimal quantization of periodic task requests on multiple identical processors

We simplify the periodic tasks scheduling problem by making a trade off between processor load and computational complexity. A set N of periodic tasks, each characterized by its density /spl rho//sub i/, contains n possibly unique values of /spl rho//sub i/. We transform N through a process called quantization, in which each /spl rho/i /spl isin/ N is mapped onto a service level s/sub j/ /spl isin/ L, where |L| = l /spl Lt/ n and /spl rho//sub i/ /spl les/ s/sub j/, (this second condition differentiates this problem from the p-median problem on the real line). We define the periodic task quantization problem with deterministic input (PTQ-D) and present an optimal polynomial time dynamic programming solution. We also introduce the problem PTQ-S (with stochastic input) and present an optimal solution. We examine, in a simulation study, the trade off penalty of excess processor load needed to service the set of quantized tasks over the original set, and find that, through quantization onto as few as 15 or 20 service levels, no more than 5 percent processor load is required above the amount requested. Finally, we demonstrate that the scheduling of a set of periodic tasks is greatly simplified through quantization and we present a fast online algorithm that schedules quantized periodic tasks.