The trouble with assimilation: Social dominance and the emergence of hostility against immigrants

In exploring the “status boundary enforcement hypothesis,” Thomsen, Green and Sidanius (2008) theorized and confirmed that Social Dominance Orientation would be more strongly correlated with a general willingness to aggress against immigrants when respondents are primed with an immigrant who is eager to assimilate into the dominant culture than when they are primed with an immigrant who prefers cultural isolation (separation). However, because assimilation differs from separation on both the home culture component and the host culture component, the actual source of this effect remains unclear. By using an assimilation versus integration contrast that differ only on the home culture component, the present study confirmed and extended Thomsen et al.’s findings. We were able to conclude that this counter intuitive effect, at odds with most research in this area, is primarily driven by people with high SDO having more negative reactions to immigrants’ willing to abandon their original cultures rather than to immigrants wanting to maintain contact with the host culture. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Effects of dynamic resistance training on fascicle length and isometric strength

The aims of this study were to assess changes in muscle architecture, isometric and dynamic strength of the leg extensor muscles, resulting from dynamic resistance training, and the relationships between strength and muscle architecture variables. The participants (n = 30) were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The training group (n = 16; age 21.8 +/- 2.3 years, body mass 74.8 +/- 9.2 kg, height 1.75 +/- 0.08 m) performed dynamic resistance training for 13 weeks. The control group (n = 14; age 19.9 +/- 1.5 years, body mass 74.0 +/- 8.5 kg, height 1.76 +/- 0.05 m) did not perform any resistance training. Maximal dynamic and isometric strength were tested in both groups, before and after the training period. The members of the training group used the free-weight squat lift (90 degrees ) as their training exercise. The concentric phase of the squat was performed explosively. Skeletal muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis was visualized using ultrasonography. At the end of the study, significant increases in vastus lateralis muscle thickness (+6.9%, P < 0.001), fascicle length (+10.3%, P < 0.05), one-repetition maximum (+8.2%, P < 0.05), rate of force development (+23.8%, P < 0.05) and average force produced in the first 500 ms (+11.7%, P < 0.05) were seen only in the training group. Adaptations to the muscle architecture in the training group limited the loss of fibre force, and improved the capacity for developing higher velocities of contraction. The architectural changes in the training group were similar to those seen in studies where high-speed training was performed. In conclusion, dynamic resistance training with light loads leads to increases in muscle thickness and fascicle length, which might be related to a more efficient transmission of fibre force to the tendon.     

Predefined-time robust contour tracking of robotic manipulators

Robotic tasks are primarily defined to comply to spatial and time constraints, and in several of such tasks, it is required to track a nominal contour depending just on spatial coordinates, without involving the time variable in the definition of such a contour, in contrast to conventional trajectory tracking schemes. With the aim to satisfy the salient requirements of these robotic tasks, this paper presents an integrated robust controller. The contour is encoded by using a robust velocity field, such that, any particle immerse in such field converges in predefined-time to a predefined vicinity of the given contour. Then, a robust controller is proposed to enforce the velocity field, in turns, in predefined-time. In this sense, a predefined-time-precision contour tracking is assured, by considering a robust controller that does not assume the exact knowledge of the robot parameters for its real-time implementation. Numerical simulations are conducted to highlight the reliability of the proposed scheme.     

Modeling educational choices. A binomial logit model applied to the demand for Higher Education

This paper presents a microeconomic analysis of the choice of universitydegree course that individuals make on finishing their Secondary studies(four-year university degree or three-year university degree), andcontains the theoretical framework as well as empirical results. Themodel selected for our analysis is a binomial logit model. This model,which can be seen as a special case of a general model of utilitymaximization, deals with those aspects of the economics of educationalchoice that are regarded as important in the literature of this subject:academic aptitude, the social background in which the students havegrown up, family income, employment prospects, etc. By using survey dataon educational choices of Spanish High School graduates (cross-sectionaldata), we investigate to what extent the theoretical determinants areconfirmed in practice. The results of the estimation by maximumlikelihood of the logit model, and which allow us to analyze theinfluence of the explanatory variables on the probability of choosing afour-year university degree, show how social background, family earningsand scholastic ability explain, mainly, the educational choice ofstudents. The students from higher socioeconomic status as well as thosewith the best High School curricula are more likely to follow auniversity degree of greater duration.     

Epistemological understanding in science learning: the consistency of representations across contexts

This article addresses the extent to which written diagnostic questions can be used to assess science students' representations of the nature of science. The responses of 731 European science students in upper secondary school and undergraduate programmes to two written diagnostic questions are analysed for consistency. The written questions yielded some insights into students' views. There is evidence that the majority of students in this sample draw upon different epistemological representations in different contexts. The paper concludes with a discussion of the use of data from such questions in science education, and the significance of models of students' epistemological knowledge.     

From Innovation to Change: Forging A Physics Education Reform Agenda for the 21st Century

Education reform cannot be limited to what goes on in the classroom. Innovation does not inevitably lead to change until and unless the innovators take back control over factors exogenous to the classroom, factors like pre-college selection, outside testing, accreditation requirements, and class size. If nothing else changes, even the most promising of the curricular, pedagogical, laboratory, and classroom innovations will fail, unless the input/output flow of students is changed as well.