中学生的性别—理科刻板印象及其影响因素

Gender stereotype has a great effect on an individual’s cognition and behavior. Notably, stereotyped cognition about gender and science exerts an influence on an individual’s academic or career choice. In order to weaken the negative effect of gender-science stereotype and facilitate girls’ participation in science, this study examined the development of implicit gender-science stereotype and influence factors with implicit association test and questionnaires in a sample of secondary school students. The present work showed that: Firstly, there were no gender differences and gender predominance in performance of math and physics during secondary school years. However, girls tended to attribute success in math and physics to unstable factors, or the failure to stable factors. The reverse was true for boys’ attribution. This gender difference in attribution was especially evident in their study of physics. Secondly, 7th to 11th grade students implicitly regarded science as male domain, with the exception of 7th grade boys, who thought both boys and girls can study science well. On the whole, this gender-science stereotype was more and more evident as the specialization of science subjects’ progresses through secondary school, and this inclination decreased with increasing grade. Thirdly, the negative correlation between explicit and implicit stereotype which appeared in girls from 8th grade grew stronger with increasing grade and became significant in 10th grade. On the contrary, the significantly positive correlation existed in 7th -11th boys. Fourthly, the experience including attitude toward science, science interests and self –efficacy in math and physics had significantly negative effect on girls’ implicit gender-science stereotype, and significantly positive effect on boys’. It was showed that gender moderated the effect of experience in the study of science and implicit gender-science stereotype, and the attitude toward science mediated the relationship between science interests, self-efficacy and implicit gender-science stereotype. Fifthly, the perceived teacher’s class behaviours by students and the perceived parents’ gender stereotype by children had strong predictive power on students’ implicit gender-science stereotype. And the perceived teachers’ and parents’ performance expectancies can influence gender-science stereotype indirectly through self-efficacy in related subjects and attitude toward science. In conclusion, the present study showed that cognitive bias about gender and science existed in Chinese secondary school students. The information conveyed from teachers and parents interacting with students’ experience in the study of science affect the formation of stereotyped cognition.

On the formation of vertically oriented MCM-22 zeolite crystal films

Growth of MCM-22 zeolite films on glass substrates was studied with the focus on the understanding of the unusual vertical crystal orientation. The films formed were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Separate thin disk-like MCM-22 crystals were found vertically oriented at the early crystallization stage. With crystallization the crystals grew into thick disks and finally into continuous films. The vertically oriented MCM-22 thin crystals could be developed from the orientation of columnar MCM-22 nuclei, which have larger parameters in their c-directions than those in a and b directions. The preferred orientation of MCM-22 nuclei and the fast growth rate in the layer direction are responsible for the vertical growth of MCM-22 zeolite films. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Foundations of Actor Semantics

The actor message-passing model of concurrent computation has inspired new ideas in the areas of knowledge-based systems, programming languages and their semantics, and computer systems architecture. The model itself grew out of computer languages such as Planner, Smalltalk, and Simula, and out of the use of continuations to interpret imperative constructs within A-calculus. The mathematical content of the model has been developed by Carl Hewitt, Irene Greif, Henry Baker, and Giuseppe Attardi. This thesis extends and unifies their work through the following observations. The ordering laws postulated by Hewitt and Baker can be proved using a notion of global time. The most general ordering laws are in fact equivalent to an axiom of realizability in global time. Independence results suggest that some notion of global time is essential to any model of concurrent computation. Since nondeterministic concurrency is more fundamental than deterministic sequential computation, there may be no need to take fixed points in the underlying domain of a power domain. Power domains built from incomplete domains can solve the problem of providing a fixed point semantics for a class of nondeterministic programming languages in which a fair merge can be written. The event diagrams of Greif's behavioral semantics, augmented by Baker's pending events, form an incomplete domain. Its power domain is the semantic domain in which programs written in actor-based languages are assigned meanings. This denotational semantics is compatible with behavioral semantics. The locality laws postulated by Hewitt and Baker may be proved for the semantics of an actor-based language. Altering the semantics slightly can falsify the locality laws. The locality laws thus constrain what counts as an actor semantics.

The Symbolic Revolution: The Russian Nobility and February 1917

Rendle, Matthew, 'The Symbolic Revolution: The Russian Nobility and February 1917', Revolutionary Russia (2005) 18(1) pp.23-46 RAE2008

Salicylate accumulation inhibits growth at chilling temperature in Arabidopsis

Ian M. Scott, Shannon M. Clarke, Jacqueline E. Wood and Luis A.J. Mur (2004). Salicylate accumulation inhibits growth at chilling temperature in Arabidopsis. Plant Physiology, 135(2), 1040-1049. RAE2008

Saúde Mental e Necessidades nos Cuidadores de Familiares com Demência

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia, especialização em Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde.

O autêntico e o banal

Os Estudos sobre o turismo passaram por modelos vários, desde os mais tradicionais, até aos que a posmodernidade questionou. A introdução de elementos novos dentro da investigação, como cultura, património, turismo sustentável, e novos espaços de fruição, obrigaram a modelos inovadores na indústria turística. Contudo, acreditamos que estes novos modelos não poderão levar por diante uma correcta abordagem do turismo, se não incluirem nas suas preocupações uma perspectiva antropológica. Tourism studies have undergone various approaches, from the more traditional ones to those questioned by postmodernity. The introduction of new elements such as culture, heritage, sustaining tourism, and others, into the research inevitably caused the emergence of innovative modes in tourism industry. Thus we believe that these new modes will not be able to take forward a correct approach to tourism if they do not take into account an anthropological perspective.

The Spirit of Proclamation

sermon text; MS Word document

Gismo: A Generator of Internet Streaming Media Objects and Workloads

This paper presents a tool called Gismo (Generator of Internet Streaming Media Objects and workloads). Gismo enables the specification of a number of streaming media access characteristics, including object popularity, temporal correlation of request, seasonal access patterns, user session durations, user interactivity times, and variable bit-rate (VBR) self-similarity and marginal distributions. The embodiment of these characteristics in Gismo enables the generation of realistic and scalable request streams for use in the benchmarking and comparative evaluation of Internet streaming media delivery techniques. To demonstrate the usefulness of Gismo, we present a case study that shows the importance of various workload characteristics in determining the effectiveness of proxy caching and server patching techniques in reducing bandwidth requirements.

"Networking is IPC": A Guiding Principle to a Better Internet

This position paper outlines a new network architecture, i.e., a style of construction that identifies the objects and how they relate. We do not specify particular protocol implementations or specific interfaces and policies. After all, it should be possible to change protocols in an architecture without changing the architecture. Rather we outline the repeating patterns and structures, and how the proposed model would cope with the challenges faced by today's Internet (and that of the future). Our new architecture is based on the following principle: Application processes communicate via a distributed inter-process communication (IPC) facility. The application processes that make up this facility provide a protocol that implements an IPC mechanism, and a protocol for managing distributed IPC (routing, security and other management tasks). Existing implementation strategies, algorithms, and protocols can be cast and used within our proposed new structure.

Wavelength division multiplexing at 2μm

This paper shows, for the first time, the implementation of a WDM subsystem at the 2μm wavelength window with mixed formats. Three wavelength channels were directly modulated withBPSK Fast-OFDM at 5Gbit/s per channel, with a fourth channel NRZ-OOK externally modulated at8.5Gbit/s giving a total capacity in excess of 20 Gbit/s.

Empirical analysis and improved modelling of natural gas demand in Ireland

Countries across the world are being challenged to decarbonise their energy systems in response to diminishing fossil fuel reserves, rising GHG emissions and the dangerous threat of climate change. There has been a renewed interest in energy efficiency, renewable energy and low carbon energy as policy‐makers seek to identify and put in place the most robust sustainable energy system that can address this challenge. This thesis seeks to improve the evidence base underpinning energy policy decisions in Ireland with a particular focus on natural gas, which in 2011 grew to have a 30% share of Ireland’s TPER. Natural gas is used in all sectors of the Irish economy and is seen by many as a transition fuel to a low-carbon energy system; it is also a uniquely excellent source of data for many aspects of energy consumption. A detailed decomposition analysis of natural gas consumption in the residential sector quantifies many of the structural drives of change, with activity (R2 = 0.97) and intensity (R2 = 0.69) being the best explainers of changing gas demand. The 2002 residential building regulations are subject to an ex-post evaluation, which using empirical data finds a 44 ±9.5% shortfall in expected energy savings as well as a 13±1.6% level of non-compliance. A detailed energy demand model of the entire Irish energy system is presented together with scenario analysis of a large number of energy efficiency policies, which show an aggregate reduction in TFC of 8.9% compared to a reference scenario. The role for natural gas as a transition fuel over a long time horizon (2005-2050) is analysed using an energy systems model and a decomposition analysis, which shows the contribution of fuel switching to natural gas to be worth 12 percentage points of an overall 80% reduction in CO2 emissions. Finally, an analysis of the potential for CCS in Ireland finds gas CCS to be more robust than coal CCS for changes in fuel prices, capital costs and emissions reduction and the cost optimal location for a gas CCS plant in Ireland is found to be in Cork with sequestration in the depleted gas field of Kinsale.

Atomic layer deposition of copper for CMOS interconnects

This work concerns the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of copper. ALD is a technique that allows conformal coating of difficult topographies such as narrow trenches and holes or even shadowed regions. However, the deposition of pure metals has so far been less successful than the deposition of oxides except for a few exceptions. Challenges include difficulties associated with the reduction of the metal centre of the precursor at reasonable temperatures and the tendency of metals to agglomerate during the growth process. Cu is a metal of special technical interest as it is widely used for interconnects on CMOS devices. These interconnects are usually fabricated by electroplating, which requires the deposition of thin Cu seed layers onto the trenches and vias. Here, ALD is regarded as potential candidate for replacing the current PVD technique, which is expected to reach its limitations as the critical dimensions continue to shrink. This work is separated into two parts. In the first part, a laboratory-scale ALD reactor was constructed and used for the thermal ALD of Cu. In the second part, the potentials of the application of Cu ALD on industry scale fabrication were examined in a joint project with Applied Materials and Intel. Within this project precursors developed by industrial partners were evaluated on a 300 mm Applied Materials metal-ALD chamber modified with a direct RF-plasma source. A feature that makes ALD a popular technique among researchers is the possibility to produce high- level thin film coatings for micro-electronics and nano-technology with relatively simple laboratory- scale reactors. The advanced materials and surfaces group (AMSG) at Tyndall National Institute operates a range of home-built ALD reactors. In order to carry out Cu ALD experiments, modifications to the normal reactor design had to be made. For example a carrier gas mechanism was necessary to facilitate the transport of the low-volatile Cu precursors. Precursors evaluated included the readily available Cu(II)-diketonates Cu-bis(acetylacetonate), Cu-bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-hepta-3,5-dionate) and Cu-bis(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoacetylacetonate) as well as the Cu-ketoiminate Cu-bis(4N-ethylamino- pent-3-en-2-onate), which is also known under the trade name AbaCus (Air Liquide), and the Cu(I)- silylamide 1,3-diisopropyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene Cu(I) hexamethyldisilazide ([NHC]Cu(hmds)), which was developed at Carleton University Ottawa. Forming gas (10 % H2 in Ar) was used as reducing agent except in early experiments where formalin was used. With all precursors an extreme surface selectivity of the deposition process was observed and significant growth was only achieved on platinum-group metals. Improvements in the Cu deposition process were obtained with [NHC]Cu(hmds) compared with the Cu(II) complexes. A possible reason is the reduced oxidation state of the metal centre. Continuous Cu films were obtained on Pd and indications for saturated growth with a rate of about 0.4 Å/cycle were found for deposition at 220 °C. Deposits obtained on Ru consisted of separated islands. Although no continuous films could be obtained in this work the relatively high density of Cu islands obtained was a clear improvement as compared to the deposits grown with Cu(II) complexes. When ultra-thin Pd films were used as substrates, island growth was also observed. A likely reason for this extreme difference to the Cu films obtained on thicker Pd films is the lack of stress compensation within the thin films. The most likely source of stress compensation in the thicker Pd films is the formation of a graded interlayer between Pd and Cu by inter-diffusion. To obtain continuous Cu films on more materials, reduction of the growth temperature was required. This was achieved in the plasma assisted ALD experiments discussed in the second part of this work. The precursors evaluated included the AbaCus compound and CTA-1, an aliphatic Cu-bis(aminoalkoxide), which was supplied by Adeka Corp.. Depositions could be carried out at very low temperatures (60 °C Abacus, 30 °C CTA-1). Metallic Cu could be obtained on all substrate materials investigated, but the shape of the deposits varied significantly between the substrate materials. On most materials (Si, TaN, Al2O3, CDO) Cu grew in isolated nearly spherical islands even at temperatures as low as 30 °C. It was observed that the reason for the island formation is the coalescence of the initial islands to larger, spherical islands instead of forming a continuous film. On the other hand, the formation of nearly two-dimensional islands was observed on Ru. These islands grew together forming a conductive film after a reasonably small number of cycles. The resulting Cu films were of excellent crystal quality and had good electrical properties; e.g. a resistivity of 2.39 µΩ cm was measured for a 47 nm thick film. Moreover, conformal coating of narrow trenches (1 µm deep 100/1 aspect ratio) was demonstrated showing the feasibility of the ALD process.

The Islamic commercial crisis: Institutional roots of economic underdevelopment in the Middle East

During the second millennium, the Middle East's commerce with Western Europe fell increasingly under European domination. Two factors played critical roles. First, the Islamic inheritance system, by raising the costs of dissolving a partnership following a partner's death, kept Middle Eastern commercial enterprises small and ephemeral. Second, certain European inheritance systems facilitated large and durable partnerships by reducing the likelihood of premature dissolution. The upshot is that European enterprises grew larger than those of the Islamic world. Moreover, while ever larger enterprises propelled further organizational transformations in Europe, persistently small enterprises inhibited economic modernization in the Middle East.