Widely linear estimation for multisensor quaternion systems with mixed uncertainties in the observations

The optimal widely linear state estimation problem for quaternion systems with multiple sensors and mixed uncertainties in the observations is solved in a unified framework. For that, we devise a unified model to describe the mixed uncertainties of sensor delays, packet dropouts and uncertain observations by using three Bernoulli distributed quaternion random processes. The proposed model is valid for linear discrete-time quaternion stochastic systems measured by multiple sensors and it allows us to provide filtering, prediction and smoothing algorithms for estimating the quaternion state through a widely linear processing. Simulation results are employed to show the superior performance of such algorithms in comparison to standard widely linear methods when mixed uncertainties are present in the observations.     

Tackling early school leaving: Principals’ insights into Portuguese upper secondary schools

This article addresses Early School Leaving (ESL) as a phenomenon that is identified in the EU and European countries such as Portugal as being the result of school disaffection that can be associated with social and educational problems. The relevance of this problem at the European level is highlighted by the large number of European guidelines on the matter and by the inclusion of ESL as one of the main questions to be addressed by the Horizon 2020. Based on interviews, this article questions possible relationships between how principals perceive both ESL and the measures to deal with it and the culture of the school as an identity of differentia specifica (ethos). It should be emphasised that the approaches of these principals to ESL and the school‐based practices addressing it are quite diverse and relate to the ethos of the schools; students’ trajectories and the complex relationship between education and the labour market. The principals manifest their investment and implication in the provision of adequate measures for their specific contexts and see teachers and external partners as key actors.     

Do teaching innovation projects make a difference? Assessing the impact of small-scale funding

Tertiary Education and Management - This article presents the outcomes of a research study carried out during 2015–2016 at the University of Valencia (Spain) to understand the factors...     

Interpersonal dynamics and relative positioning to scoring target of performers in 1 vs. 1 sub-phases of team sports

Abstract

In this study, we examined the effects of relative positioning of attacker–defender dyads to the basket on interpersonal coordination tendencies in basketball. To achieve this aim, four right-hand dominant basketball players performed in a 1 vs. 1 sub-phase, at nine different playing locations relative to the basket (from 0° to 180°, in 20° increments). Performers’ movement displacement trajectories were video-recorded and digitized in 162 trials. Results showed that interpersonal coordination tendencies changed according to the scaling of the relative position of performers to the basket.

Stable in-phase modes of coordination were observed between performers’ longitudinal and lateral displacements (50.47% and 43.02%) on the left side of the court. On the right side of the court, a shift in the dominant mode of coordination was observed to a defender lead-lag of ?30°, both for longitudinal and lateral displacements (30.51% and 32.65%). These results suggest how information about dribbler hand dominance and relative position to the basket may have constrained attacker–defender coordination tendencies in 1 vs. 1 sub-phases of basketball.     

Description of the finger mechanical load of climbers of different levels during different hand grips in sport climbing

Abstract

Currently, direct empirical evidence exists about the amount of mechanical load that climbers apply to each finger during several hand grips specific to sport climbing, but not yet in a specific hanging position.

The objectives of this study are a) to draw and build a solid and rigid support that simulates the real action of a hand grip in a hanging position in sport climbing, to enable the measurement of the mechanical load endured by the fingers in a hanging position and in addition, b) to describe the distribution of mechanical load among fingers as a function of the level of climbing during different hand grips in a hanging position.

Thirty young male participants took part in the initial phase of reliability of the measurements, while another 64 male climbers participated in the subsequent study phase to check the relations between independent and dependent variables. The level of on sight climbing and the total practice experience were used to define the groups. The research task consisted of performing hanging positions on the created support in order to measure the mechanical load endured by the fingers in the three most characteristic hand grips in climbing (crimp, half crimp and slope). It has been concluded that the performance level of the climbers had no influence on the production of a pattern of differentiated finger mechanical load during the research task.     

Journal coverage of the Emerging Sources Citation Index

The Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) was created recently, in 2015, but few assessments of its journal coverage have been made. The present study tries to fill that gap by comparing its coverage with that of other international abstracting and indexing (A&I) databases. Using this measure, it is feasible to benchmark this index against the other citation indexes for acceptance criteria. We analysed 6,296 ESCI‐indexed journals, 8,889 Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), 3,258 Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), 1,784 Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), and 22,749 Scopus journals as indexed in July 2017 to determine their inclusion in 105 databases. We found that 19.3% of the ESCI journals are not covered by any other A&I databases, a high figure compared with only 0.5% SCIE, 0.3% SSCI, 0.3% AHCI, and 5.5% Scopus journals. This low coverage suggests that the selection criteria for ESCI journals are not consistent with the overall trend in the other classical citation indexes.     

Promoting Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success: Evidence from a four‐wave longitudinal study

Low schooling, high non‐attendance and school dropout rates are critical phenomena within disadvantaged groups, especially among the Gypsy community. For example, in the UK, 10%–25% of Gypsy children do not attend school regularly and have significantly higher levels of overall absence from school (percentage of half‐day sessions missed) than pupils from other ethnic groups. In Portugal, available data on Gypsy children is sparse, yet data from one geographic region of the country reports high school failure (45%) and dropout rates (15%) among this population. The present study assessed the efficacy of a four‐year intervention to promote Gypsy children's behavioural engagement and school success. Gypsy communities were contacted and 30 children participating in the four waves were randomly distributed into control and experimental groups. Every school day throughout four years, 16 children in the experimental group were called at home and invited to go to school. The effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated in four waves (at the end of each of the four school years), assessing behavioural engagement (i.e. school non‐attendance, classroom behaviour) and school achievement (i.e. mathematics achievement, student progression). Findings show the efficacy of the intervention on promoting behaviour engagement and academic success without devaluing Gypsy people's culture.     

«¿Cómo conseguir que Juan realice su tarea?» Algunas ideas generales sobre la motivación de logro y su modificación

Resumen

En este artículo se describen los conceptos y mecanismos motivacionales básicos relacionados con el logro y el aprendizaje. Se explican losiconceptos de motivación extrínseca e intrínseca. Se exponen los determinantes básicos de la motivación de logro, de acuerdo con la teoría de Atkinson, y su significación para la intervención. De modo similar, se describe el concepto de atribución y se comenta el papel de las atribuciones en la conducta, así como la significación que puede tener el hecho de iniciar un proceso atribucional tras el fracaso o, por el contrario, iniciar la busqueda activa de los medios para encontrar la solución. Se subraya la necesidad de considerar las posibles repercusiones que el desarrollo cognitivo y social puede tener sobre la motivación de logro, así como la importancia de diseñar procedimientos para la identificación de los sujetos que presenten patrones atribucionales maladaptativos.     

Higher education inclusivity: when the disability enriches the university

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the perspectives of faculty members on disability in higher education. Their testimonies give value to the attitudes and qualities of university students with disabilities and show how they influence their professional and personal development. We carried out a qualitative study, through interviews with 119 faculty members of different fields from 10 Spanish universities, who were nominated by students with disabilities for developing inclusive pedagogy. We conducted a progressive analysis of the data using a system of categories and codes. The results describe the motivations that drove the participants to respond to the needs of students with disabilities, the personal and professional impact posed by the challenge of adjusting the teaching and learning processes, and the perceptions of the faculty members toward the contributions of these students to the university. In the conclusions section, we delve into the need of universities to embrace inclusivity. The data provided by this study reveal that disability can be a valuable asset in a university context that dissociates from the deficit lens and acknowledges that all students are important and able to learn when the attitudes and conditions are appropriate.