Proyecto "mete" (mathematics education traditions of europe): el foco matemático

Este artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio sobre las tradiciones de enseñanza en cuatro países europeos: Bélgica (Flandes), Inglaterra, Hungría y España. Se trata de un estudio a pequeña escala en el que se emplean métodos cuantitativos y cualitativos, y que, en lugar de pretender obtener generalizaciones, está orientado a arrojar alguna luz que posibilite la mejora de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de las matemáticas. Establece comparaciones con los resultados de los test TIMSS y PISA y extrae alguna conclusión para la formación inicial de maestros y profesores de matemáticas. Extraemos de éste los resultados relativos a los datos cuantitativos y nos centramos en el foco matemático.

Integrating personnel movement simulation into preliminary ship design

Traditionally, when designing a ship the driving issues are seen to be powering, stability, strength and seakeeping. Issues related to ship operations and evolutions are investigated later in the design process, within the constraint of a fixed layout. This can result in operational inefficiencies and limitations, excessive crew numbers and potentially hazardous situations. University College London and the University of Greenwich are in the final year of a three year EPSRC funded research project to integrate the simulation of personnel movement into early stage ship design. This allows the assessment of onboard operations while the design is still amenable to change. The project brings together the University of Greenwich developed maritimeEXODUS personnel movement simulation software and the SURFCON implementation of the Design Building Block approach to early stage ship design, which originated with the UCL Ship Design Research team. Central to the success of this project is the definition of a suitable series of Naval Combatant Human Performance Metrics which can be used to assess the performance of the design in different operational scenarios. The paper outlines the progress made on deriving the human performance metric from human factors criteria measured in simulations and their incorporation into a Behavioural Matrix for analysis. It describes the production of a series of SURFCON ship designs based on the RN Type 22 Batch 3 frigate, and their analysis using the PARAMARINE and maritimeEXODUS software. Conclusions to date will be presented on the integration of personnel movement simulation into the preliminary ship design process.

Integrating personnel movement simulation into prelimary ship design

Traditionally, when designing a ship the driving issues are seen to be powering, stability, strength and seakeeping. Issues related to ship operations and evolutions are investigated later in the design process, within the constraint of a fixed layout. This can result in operational inefficiencies and limitations, excessive crew numbers and potentially hazardous situations. This paper summarises work by University College London and the University of Greenwich prior to the completion of a three year EPSRC funded research project to integrate the simulation of personnel movement into early stage ship design. This integration is intended to facilitate the assessment of onboard operations while the design is still highly amenable to change. The project brings together the University of Greenwich developed maritimeEXODUS personnel movement simulation software and the SURFCON implementation of the Design Building Block approach to early stage ship design, which originated with the UCL Ship Design Research team and has been implemented within the PARAMARINE ship design system produced by Graphics Research Corporation. Central to the success of this project is the definition of a suitable series of Performance Measures (PM) which can be used to assess the human performance of the design in different operational scenarios. The paper outlines the progress made on deriving the PM from human dynamics criteria measured in simulations and their incorporation into a Human Performance Metric (HPM) for analysis. It describes the production of a series of SURFCON ship designs, based on the Royal Navy’s Type 22 Batch 3 frigate, and their analysis using the PARAMARINE and maritimeEXODUS software. Conclusions on the work to date and for the remainder of the project are presented addressing the integration of personnel movement simulation into the preliminary ship design process.

The promised land

Examines the House of Lords ruling in Thorner v Curtis on whether the claimant could rely on proprietary estoppel against the estate of the deceased, who had died intestate, based on an assurance given by the deceased that the claimant would inherit the deceased's farm. Reviews case law on proprietary estoppel and testamentary promises, and considers the possible application of constructive trust doctrine in similar cases.

Expectations and promises

Discusses the Chancery Division judgment in Thorner v Curtis on a claim by an unpaid farm worker, who was led to expect that he would inherit the farm. Examines whether proprietary estoppel could be proved even if the deceased landowner made no express promise. Reviews case law on proprietary estoppel.

Testamentary promises

Comments on the Court of Appeal ruling in Thorner v Curtis on whether, where the owner of a farm died intestate, the claimant, who had worked on the farm for years and had come to believe that he would inherit the farm, could rely on proprietary estoppel based on hints and remarks made over the years by the deceased, even though the deceased had made no express promise. Reviews case law on proprietary estoppel.

A clear direction

Comments on the House of Lords decision in Thorner v Curtis, also referred to as Thorner v Major, on whether an unpaid farm labourer could rely on assurances made by the farmer that he would inherit the farm, to establish proprietary estoppel when the farmer died intestate. Considers whether the assurances had been clear and whether the property to be inherited could be specifically identified. Notes the Lords' consideration of the possible existence of a constructive trust. [From Legal Journals Index]

Southern Ocean biogeography and taxonomic resolution: what's in the name?

We examined the taxonomic resolution of zooplankton data required to identify ocean basin scale biogeographic zonation in the Southern Ocean. A 2,154 km transect was completed south of Australia. Sea surface temperature (SST) measured at 1 min intervals showed that seven physical zones were sampled. Zooplankton were collected at a spatial resolution of similar to 9.2 km with a continuous plankton recorder, identified to the highest possible taxonomic resolution and enumerated. Zooplankton assemblage similarity between samples was calculated using the Bray-Curtis index for the taxonomic levels of species, genus, family, order and class after first log(10)(x + 1) (LA) and then presence/absence (PA) transformation of abundance data. Although within and between zone sample similarity increased with decreasing taxonomic resolution, for both data transformations, cluster analysis demonstrated that the biogeographic separation of zones remained at all taxonomic levels when using LA data. ANOSIM confirmed this, detecting significant differences in zooplankton assemblage structure between all seven a priori determined physical zones for all taxonomic levels when using the LA data. In the case of the PA data for the complete data set, and both LA and PA data for a crustacean only data set, no significant differences were detected between zooplankton assemblages in the Polar frontal zone (PFZ) and inter-PFZ at any taxonomic level. Loss of information at resolutions below the species level, particularly in the PA data, prevented the separation of some zones. However, the majority of physical zones were biogeographically distinct from species level to class using both LA and PA transformations. Significant relationships between SST and zooplankton community structure, summarised as NMDS scores, at all taxonomic levels, for both LA and PA transformations, and complete and crustacean only data sets, highlighted the biogeographic relevance of low resolution taxonomic data. The retention of biogeographic information in low taxonomic resolution data shows that data sets collected with different taxonomic resolutions may be meaningfully merged for the post hoc generation of Southern Ocean time series.

Coastal Zone Ecosystem Services: From science to values and decision making; a case study

This research is concerned with the following environmental research questions: socio-ecological system complexity, especially when valuing ecosystem services; ecosystems stock and services flow sustainability and valuation; the incorporation of scale issues when valuing ecosystem services; and the integration of knowledge from diverse disciplines for governance and decision making. In this case study, we focused on ecosystem services that can be jointly supplied but independently valued in economic terms: healthy climate (via carbon sequestration and storage), food (via fisheries production in nursery grounds), and nature recreation (nature watching and enjoyment). We also explored the issue of ecosystem stock and services flow, and we provide recommendations on how to value stock and flows of ecosystem services via accounting and economic values respectively. We considered broadly comparable estuarine systems located on the English North Sea coast: the Blackwater estuary and the Humber estuary. In the past, these two estuaries have undergone major land-claim. Managed realignment is a policy through which previously claimed intertidal habitats are recreated allowing the enhancement of the ecosystem services provided by saltmarshes. In this context, we investigated ecosystem service values, through biophysical estimates and welfare value estimates. Using an optimistic (extended conservation of coastal ecosystems) and a pessimistic (loss of coastal ecosystems because of, for example, European policy reversal) scenario, we find that context dependency, and hence value transfer possibilities, vary among ecosystem services and benefits. As a result, careful consideration in the use and application of value transfer, both in biophysical estimates and welfare value estimates, is advocated to supply reliable information for policy making.

Assessing the conservation status of marine habitats: thoughts from a sandflat on the Isles of Scilly.

Statutory monitoring of the fauna of the ‘mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide’ biotope complex on St Martin’s Flats, a part of the Isles of Scilly Complex Special Area of Conservation, was undertaken in 2000, 2004 and 2009. The targets set by Natural England for “characteristic biotopes” were that “composite species, abundance and diversity should not deviate significantly from an established baseline, subject to natural change”. The three specified biotopes could not be distinguished, and instead three assemblages were subjectively defined based on sediment surface features. There were statistically significant natural changes in diversity and species composition between years, especially in the association initially characterized by the razor-clam Ensis, and possible reasons for this are discussed. It is suggested that setting fixed local limits on natural variability is almost always impractical. Two possible approaches to distinguishing between natural and anthropogenic changes are suggested; a change in ecological condition as indicated by AMBI scores, and a significant change in average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) compared with expectation. The determination of species biomasses as well as abundances might also open more possibilities for assessment. The practice of setting objectives for a marine SAC feature that include the range and number of biotopes cannot be supported, in view the difficulty in ascribing assemblages to recognised biotopes. A more realistic definition of species assemblages might best be gained from examination of the species that consistently make a substantial contribution to the Bray Curtis similarity among samples collected from specific sites.

Sistema integrado para empresas de construcción en Cusco

Actualmente las empresas requieren estrategias innovadoras, que permitan gestionar de forma integral, optimizando los recursos y maximizando los resultados. Siendo el objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación, diseñar un instrumento de gestión integral (gestión de la calidad, ambiental, seguridad y salud ocupacional) para el sector construcción en Cusco. Se realizó un análisis actual de la actividad de construcción, se planteó a diferencia de otras propuestas, el diseño que inicia con el diagnóstico, planificación, organización, ejecución, supervisión y optimización del sistema integral. Los resultados están expresados en el diagnóstico de los 3 sistemas, información clave, para el planteamiento y propuesta de las etapas posteriores; estructurando el planteamiento de los subprogramas basados en el diagnóstico integral, para finalmente determinar los lineamientos estratégicos, de implementación, evaluación y verificación del sistema, teniendo en cuenta la norma ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14001:2004 y OSHAS 18001:2007; así como la legislación vigente para el Perú.