Reversal of opinion: the implications of the work of Acemoglu and Robinson for marxist thought

This paper describes the implications for Marxist thought of the work of Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. In the first two periods of this they explained how the rise of democracy brought prosperity to Europe  and why the same process had not worked in Latin America because of the possibility of coups. The implication is that mass poverty can better be alleviated by safeguarding democracy rather than moving to socialism. In the last period A and R have formalized doubts about the efficacy of democracy in this role. The implication here is that Marxists should work to find a system of government that is immune to elite dominance. Hugo Chávez is taken as an example.

Parametric analysis of different compact tension specimens for fracture toughness characterisation in woven composite materials

Estudi elaborat a partir d’una estada a l’ Imperial College London, entre juliol i novembre de 2006. En aquest treball s’ha investigat la geometria més apropiada per a la caracterització de la tenacitat a fractura intralaminar de materials compòsits laminats amb teixit. L’objectiu és assegurar la propagació de l’esquerda sense que la proveta falli abans per cap altre mecanisme de dany per tal de permetre la caracterització experimental de la tenacitat a fractura intralaminar de materials compòsits laminats amb teixit. Amb aquesta fi, s’ha dut a terme l’anàlisi paramètrica de diferents tipus de provetes mitjançant el mètode dels elements finits (FE) combinat amb la virtual crack closure technique (VCCT). Les geometries de les provetes analitzades corresponen a la proveta de l’assaig compact tension (CT) i diferents variacions com la extended compact tension (ECT), la proveta widened compact tension (WCT), tapered compact tension (TCT) i doubly-tapered compact tension (2TCT). Com a resultat d’aquestes anàlisis s’han derivat diferents conclusions per obtenir la geometria de proveta més apropiada per a la caracterització de la tenacitat a fractura intralaminar de materials compòsits laminats amb teixit. A més, també s’han dut a terme una sèrie d’assaigs experimentals per tal de validar els resultats de les anàlisis paramètriques. La concordança trobada entre els resultats numèrics i experimentals és bona tot i la presència d’efectes no previstos durant els assaigs experimentals.

Utilidad de las evaluaciones en el ámbito gubernamental y los factores que obstaculizan su utilización en salud pública

La situación actual de la evaluación de las políticas públicas y dentro de ellas de los programas públicos de salud, es cada vez más preocupante para las administraciones públicas presentes. La necesidad de los gobiernos por determinar cómo se han ido desarrollando, ejecutando y cumpliendo los objetivos de estos programas en las políticas públicas que los contienen, constituye una de las preocupaciones tanto del Estado, como de la ciudadanía. Este estudio tiene el propósito de presentar una visión general del estado teórico actual y brevemente práctico de cómo la utilización de las evaluaciones se está desarrollando en el presente, y revelar cuales son los factores que obstaculizan esta utilización en el sector de salud pública. Para ello, esta investigación ción se ha dividido en tres Capítulos. El primero, entrega una visión amplia y actual de la evaluación y su utilidad, junto con los factores principales que limitan este uso; el segundo, se enfoca en el área de la salud e intenta mostrar la realidad existente en la utilidad de las evaluaciones y qué factores afectan esta utilidad, y por último el tercero y final, realiza un análisis de los factores que obstaculizan la utilidad de las evaluaciones encontrados en salud, aplicando el marco conceptual del primer capítulo, dando para terminar algunas conclusiones y apreciaciones que permiten reflexionar sobre la realidad encontrada.

OpenSpires : Opening up Oxford like never before

Oxford University learning technologies group offer a model for effective practice in creating and using OER in research-led teaching environments where academic practice includes dissemination of research which aids/supplements teaching but is not primarily designed as a teaching resource. The University is perceived by many people to be an exclusive institution. It is certainly unique and complex, with characteristics and traditions established over 900 years. An Oxford education offers an exciting combination of privilege and open-mindedness. The role and sustainability of open education technologies in this environment is subtle. Any strategy to effectively encourage the uptake of OERs must be informed by original thinking and reflection about the culture of the organisation. The OpenSpires project was a successful initiative to establish a sustainable set of policies and workflows that would allow departments from across the University of Oxford to regularly publish high quality open content material for global reuse.

AMADEUS: advanced manipulation for deep underwater sampling

AMADEUS is a dexterous subsea robot hand incorporating force and slip contact sensing, using fluid filled tentacles for fingers. Hydraulic pressure variations in each of three flexible tubes (bellows) in each finger create a bending moment, and consequent motion or increase in contact force during grasping. Such fingers have inherent passive compliance, no moving parts, and are naturally depth pressure-compensated, making them ideal for reliable use in the deep ocean. In addition to the mechanical design, development of the hand has also considered closed loop finger position and force control, coordinated finger motion for grasping, force and slip sensor development/signal processing, and reactive world modeling/planning for supervisory `blind grasping¿. Initially, the application focus is for marine science tasks, but broader roles in offshore oil and gas, salvage, and military use are foreseen. Phase I of the project is complete, with the construction of a first prototype. Phase I1 is now underway, to deploy the hand from an underwater robot arm, and carry out wet trials with users.

AMADEUS: advanced manipulation for deep underwater sampling

AMADEUS is a dexterous subsea robot hand incorporating force and slip contact sensing, using fluid filled tentacles for fingers. Hydraulic pressure variations in each of three flexible tubes (bellows) in each finger create a bending moment, and consequent motion or increase in contact force during grasping. Such fingers have inherent passive compliance, no moving parts, and are naturally depth pressure-compensated, making them ideal for reliable use in the deep ocean. In addition to the mechanical design, development of the hand has also considered closed loop finger position and force control, coordinated finger motion for grasping, force and slip sensor development/signal processing, and reactive world modeling/planning for supervisory `blind grasping¿. Initially, the application focus is for marine science tasks, but broader roles in offshore oil and gas, salvage, and military use are foreseen. Phase I of the project is complete, with the construction of a first prototype. Phase I1 is now underway, to deploy the hand from an underwater robot arm, and carry out wet trials with users.

Coherent stochastic resonance

We consider Brownian motion on a line terminated by two trapping points. A bias term in the form of a telegraph signal is applied to this system. It is shown that the first two moments of survival time exhibit a minimum at the same resonant frequency.

First-passage-time statistics for diffusion processes with an external random force

We present exact equations and expressions for the first-passage-time statistics of dynamical systems that are a combination of a diffusion process and a random external force modeled as dichotomous Markov noise. We prove that the mean first passage time for this system does not show any resonantlike behavior.

Contemporary engagements within corridors of the past: temporal elasticity, graffiti, and the materiality of St. Rock Street, Barcelona

In a medieval Barcelonan side-street, urine, rubbish, and a bewildering array of graphic imagery splatters the narrowing walls between two major thoroughfares. A contemporary conflict between residents, unknown artists and others is played out using banners, bottles, stickers, posters, stencils, spray paint, and bodily substances. In this shadowed liminality, local and global debates are superimposed upon substructures constructed from disease, prostitution, and the Saint of the Plague. The continuing urban struggle constitutes temporal statements of dirt and purity, violence and humour, dominance and resistance, death and salvation. Like the renovated facades masking the crumbling remains of structures long neglected, the government’s literal whitewashing of the art is a temporal cover-up of a discursive symptom stretching from deeply embedded preconditions. However, from his niche in the angular bend of the alley bearing his name, the statue of St. Rock remains unblinkingly staring, raised above the contestations expressed below.

Task complexity, the Cognition Hypothesis and second language learning and performance

In this paper we describe a taxonomy of task demands which distinguishes between Task Complexity, Task Condition and Task Difficulty. We then describe three theoretical claims and predictions of the Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson 2001, 2003b, 2005a) concerning the effects of task complexity on: (a) language production; (b) interaction and uptake of information available in the input to tasks; and (c) individual differences-task interactions. Finally we summarize the findings of the empirical studies in this special issue which all address one or more of these predictions and point to some directions for continuing, future research into the effects of task complexity on learning and performance.

Effects of manipulating Task Complexity on self-repairs during L2 oral production

This paper analyses the effects of manipulating the cognitive complexity of L2 oral tasks on language production. It specifically focuses on self-repairs, which are taken as a measure of accuracy since they denote both attention to form and an attempt at being accurate. By means of a repeated measures de- sign, 42 lower-intermediate students were asked to perform three different tasks types (a narrative, and instruction-giving task, and a decision-making task) for which two degrees of cognitive complexity were established. The narrative task was manipulated along +/− Here-and-Now, an instruction-giving task ma- nipulated along +/− elements, and the decision-making task which is manipu- lated along +/− reasoning demands. Repeated measures ANOVAs are used for the calculation of differences between degrees of complexity and among task types. One-way ANOVA are used to detect potential differences between low- proficiency and high-proficiency participants. Results show an overall effect of Task Complexity on self-repairs behavior across task types, with different be- haviors existing among the three task types. No differences are found between the self-repair behavior between low and high proficiency groups. Results are discussed in the light of theories of cognition and L2 performance (Robin- son 2001a, 2001b, 2003, 2005, 2007), L1 and L2 language production models (Levelt 1989, 1993; Kormos 2000, 2006), and attention during L2 performance (Skehan 1998; Robinson, 2002).