Diagram Literacy in Preservice Math Teachers, Computer Science Majors, and Typical Undergraduates: The Case of Matrices, Networks, and Hierarchies

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2000), children need to learn how to create and use mathematical diagrams to represent and reason about phenomena in the world. The author proposes a model of diagram literacy that includes six types of knowledge required for diagrammatic competence - implicit, construction, similarity, structural, metacognitive, and translational. A study is reported that examined college students' diagram literacy for three interrelated mathematical diagrams - matrices, networks, and hierarchies. Three groups of students participated: preservice, secondary-level, math teachers; computer science majors; and typical undergraduates. The results of the study are reassuring in some ways concerning the level of diagram literacy possessed by students at the culmination of current K through 12 instruction and by teachers of future secondary students. However, the results also point to areas in which preservice math teachers should be better prepared if the goals for students' diagram literacy are to be met.     

Charge manipulation and imaging of the Mn acceptor state in GaAs by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy

An individual Mn acceptor in GaAs is mapped by cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy (X-STM) at room temperature and a strongly anisotropic shape of the acceptor state is observed. An acceptor state manifests itself as a cross-like feature which we attribute to a valence hole weakly bound to the Mn ion forming the (Mn²⁺3d⁵+hole) complex. We propose that the observed anisotropy of the Mn acceptor wavefunction is due to the d-wave present in the acceptor ground state.     

Application of directed metallation in synthesis. Part 3: Studies in the synthesis of (±)-semivioxanthin and its analogues

The synthesis of several analogues of (±)-semivioxanthin including five thiophene analogues, using directed metalation are reported. The strategy consisted of the synthesis of functionalized naphthalene or benzo[b]thiophene as building blocks followed by annelation of the pyrone.     

Recent Developments in Synchrotron Mössbauer Reflectometry

Hyperfine Interactions - Synchrotron Mössbauer Reflectometry (SMR), the grazing incidence nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation, can be applied to perform depth-selective phase...     

Fitting the control parameters of a genetic algorithm: An application to technical trading systems design

This paper studies the problem of how changes in the design of the genetic algorithm (GA) have an effect on the results obtained in real-life applications. In this study, focused on the application of a GA to the tuning of technical trading rules in the context of financial markets, our tentative thesis is that the GA is robust with respect to design changes. The optimization of technical trading systems is a suitable area for the application of the GA metaheuristic, as the complexity of the problem grows exponentially as new technical rules are added to the system and as the answer time is crucial when applying the system to real-time data. Up to now, most of GAs applications to this subject obviated the question of possible “design dependence” in their results. The data we report, based on our experiments, do not allow us to refute the hypothesis of robustness of the GA to design implementation, when applying to technical trading systems tuning.     

Symmetries of BLT-Sets

We do the tentative beginnings of a study of BLT-sets of generalised quadrangles via their symmetries. In particular, the study of whorls about a line leads us to hyperbolic reflections preserving a BLT-set of Q(4, q).     

复Finsler流形上的Koppelman-Leray-Norguet公式

利用不变积分核(Berndtsson核),复Finsler度量和联系于Chern-Finsler联络的非线性联络,研究复Finsler流形上具有逐块光滑C~((1))边界的有界域上(p,q)型微分形式的积分表示,得到了(p,q)型微分形式的Koppelman-Leray-Norguet公式和■-方程的解．作为应用,利用复Finsler度量和联系于Chern-Finsler联络的非线性联络,给出了Stein流形上具有逐块光滑C~((1))边界的有界域上(p,q)型微分形式的Koppelman- Leray-Norguet公式以及■-方程的解,并且得到了Stein流形上实非退化强拟凸多面体上(p,q)型微分形式的积分表示式和■-方程的解．     

Anisotropic alpha-emission in the223Ra decay chain

Anisotropic α-emission from nuclei in the decay chain from²²³Ra to²⁰⁷Tl has been observed using low temperature nuclear orientation in combination with high resolution α-detection at 4.2 K. Information on partial wave amplitudes as well as hyperfine interactions has been extracted.