Strategies for building distributed information retrieval systems

In this article we discuss the need for distributed information retrieval Systems. A number of possible configurations are presented. A general approach to the design of such systems is discussed. A prototype implementation is described together with the experiences gained from this implementation.     

Patents and incentives to invent

The laws which govern the grant of patents for inventions are assumed to serve two useful ends. Firstly, they are conceived as an incentive to inventors to make and then disclose their inventions. Secondly they are viewed as providing an appropriate means for facilitating a division of resources between those who make inventions and those who exploit them. Both these presumed functions are examined in this article, which raises questions as to the utility of current laws in the achievement of these ends.     

The Ladies of Stone

Britain’s Oldest Road A friend and I recently cycled the Ridgeway,which follows a ridge of chalk hills from the small town of Streatley on the River Thames to the village of Avebury in Wiltshire.Unlike many countries in Europe,including Scotland,people are not allowed to walk wherever they like in the countryside of England and Wales.We can only use footpaths and so forth,which have been specially marked.The Ridgeway is thought of as Britain’s oldest     

Introduction to the special issue on practitioner knowledge to support reading and writing: new directions and approaches

Reading and Writing -     

‘It is like putting fire in the children’s hands’: a comparative case study of pre-service teachers’ knowledge of and beliefs about education for democracy in an established and emerging post-conflict democracy

This report documents and compares two cases of pre-service elementary teachers’ beliefs about democracy and education for democracy in the USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina along with contextual factors influencing the similarities and differences among these beliefs. Findings suggest that US pre-service elementary teachers have a self-proclaimed lack of knowledge about democracy and primarily view citizenship education as a means to teach children how to get along. Conversely, Bosnian pre-service teachers hold more nuanced views of democracy and education for democracy, formed while their country transitioned from socialism towards democracy following a devastating civil war. Consequently, they focus on teaching children the skills and dispositions necessary for successful democratic citizenship to preserve their country. These divergent understandings of democracy within the two cases may hold potential benefits to teachers in both emergent and established democracies. Implications of these and other findings are discussed, as well as potential future research.     

Magnetic compass orientation in C57BL/6J mice

We report evidence for a robust magnetic compass response in C57BL/6J mice. Mice were trained to build their nests in one of four magnetic directions by creating a light gradient along the long axis of a rectangular cage and positioning a nest box at the opposite (dark) end. The mice were then tested overnight in a circular, visually symmetrical arena in one of four magnetic field alignments. The positions of the nests built in the test arena showed strong unimodal orientation in the magnetic direction coinciding with the dark end of the training cage.