A composite pseudospectral method for solving multi-delay optimal control problems involving piecewise constant delay functions

An adaptive numerical method for solving multi-delay optimal control problems with piecewise constant delay functions is introduced. The proposed method is based on composite pseudospectral method using the well-known Legendre–Gauss–Lobatto points. In this approach, the main problem converts to a mathematical optimization problem whose solution is much more easier than the original one. The necessary conditions of optimality associated to nonlinear piecewise constant delay systems are derived. The method is easy to implement and provides very accurate results.     

Pritchard,Alan (2014) Ways of learning. Routledge (London & New York) isbn 978‐0‐415‐83493‐3 143 pp £19.99 https://www.routledge.com/products/9780415834933

Written for teachers, who generally lack a sufficient knowledge of how people learn, Pritchard's book aims at enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of education through raising teachers' understanding of learning theory. However, it does not do so very effectively: even if you are a keen teacher, you will probably find only parts of much interest or use. Mohammad Ali Salmani Nodoushan     

Learning communities and fair trade in doctorates and development: report of a collaborative project

This article reports the second stage of a study examining an academic partnership in which Bangladeshi doctoral students in a western university focus their research in the grounded context of Bangladesh and investigate the processes for change. After briefly outlining the previous published stage which examined the academic trade in higher education with developing countries, the article builds on the concept of fair academic trade to critically reflect on the development of a doctoral learning community, a publication project and three specific doctoral studies. The methodological approach is one of participatory action research, with focus on critical reflection on practice.     

Nonlinear model-predictive control with disturbance rejection property using adaptive neural networks

In this paper, a method is proposed to reject disturbances in the model predictive control (MPC) strategy. In addition, uncertainties in the system parameters (i.e., internal disturbances) are considered as well. To achieve these goals, adaptive neural networks are designed as the predictor model and as the nonlinear disturbance observer, respectively. The disturbances are rejected via the optimization problem of the MPC. Stability of the closed-loop system is studied based on the Input-to-State Stability method. The proposed method is applied to the pH neutralization process and CSTR system and its effectiveness in optimal rejection of the disturbances and satisfying the system constrains is compared with the feed-forward control method.     

Reducing test anxiety among school-aged adolescents: a field experiment

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a multimodal and information technology (IT)-delivered intervention for test anxiety. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention or waiting list group. Test anxiety was measured pre- and post-intervention and academic buoyancy, a construct that refers to students’ capacity to withstand academic challenge and pressure, as a covariate. In the intervention group, 13.7% of participants completed the full intervention programme comprising six sessions; 25.5% partially completed the programme (one or more sessions); and 60.8% of participants chose not to complete any sessions. Results showed that, after completing the intervention and when controlling for academic buoyancy, highly test anxious students showed a reduction in the worry and tension components of test anxiety, relative to those who did not complete the intervention. The findings suggest that the intervention may offer highly test anxious students a means of reducing their anxiety that does not rely on face-to-face delivery.     

Genetic Polymorphism of CYP2C9 Among Sistani Ethnic Group in Gorgan

Cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) is involved in metabolism of many important drugs and its genotype variations is thought to affect drug efficacy and the treatment process. The aim of this study was to assess the distribution of CYP2C9 allele and genotypic variants in Sistani ethnic group, living in Gorgan, South East of Caspian Sea and North East of Iran. This study included 140 Sistani, referred to the health center of Gorgan. CYP2C9 genotyping was carried out by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. The allele frequency of CYP2C9*1, CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 was 76.1, 16.1 and 7.8%, respectively. The frequency of CYP2C9*1/*1, CYP2C9*1/*2, CYP2C9*1/*3, CYP2C9*2/*2, CYP2C9*2/*3 and CYP2C9*3/*3 genotypes was 53.9, 22.1, 11.4, 2.9, 4.3% and nil, respectively. In this study the genotypic variations of the CYP2C9 allele among the Sistani ethnic group was investigated and great differences were observed in comparison to other populations. Our findings suggest that different genotypes of CYP2C9 may influence the pharmacokinetics of some drugs. More studies on the pharmacokinetic effects of CYP2C9 genotypes may help physicians choose optimal dosage of some drugs for treatment and prevention of their side effects. Since different ethnic groups from all over the world use medications, it suggests to investigate the pharmacokinetic effects of CYP2C9 genotypes in different populations.     

Inclusive assessment for linguistically diverse learners in higher education

As classrooms become increasingly diverse in higher education, educators are emphasising inclusive practices in teaching and learning to accommodate the needs of diverse learners. There is also an emerging need for an inclusive approach in assessment for accessibility, opportunity, relevance and engagement. This study, using design-based research guidelines with student–faculty partnership, designed, developed, implemented and evaluated contextually sensitive assessment protocol as inclusive and fair assessment. Data from students’ reflections and face-to-face interviews with open-ended questions suggested that, despite concerns such as potential bias, time and accommodation challenges, such assessment practices can make valuable contributions in creating a positive learning environment, improving relatedness and self-esteem and motivating and engaging students for better effort and effective learning. Implications for higher education practitioners with diverse learners are discussed.     

Culture-specificity of teacher demotivation: Iranian junior high school teachers caught in the newly-introduced CLT trap!

Research has shown that lack of motivation on either students or teachers’ part negatively influences language learning. The latter case is a serious problem in this regard, since an unmotivated teacher will extinguish his learners’ enthusiasm and energy for learning. This study employed a mixed-method approach to investigate the demotivating factors for Iranian junior high school teachers. For the quantitative stage of the study, a questionnaire on demotivation was distributed among 105 participant teachers to find out the dominant demotivating factors. In the qualitative stage, and in order to gain a better picture of the salient demotivating factors and the reasons behind them, a set of semi-structured interviews with 10 volunteer teachers were conducted. The results indicated that lack of social recognition and respect, few adequate rewards, lack of supports or understanding regarding English education, and a large number of students in a single English class were the major demotivating factors for Iranian teachers. In the interviews, it was found that the participants perceived the first two items as specific to Iranian educational context. Finally, the implications for policy-makers and material developers and suggestions for future researchers are discussed.     

Investigation and evaluation of ultrasound reactor for reduction of fungi from sewage

The objective of the investigation was to study the application of ultrasound reactor technology （USRT） as a disinfectant for reduction of fungi from sewage effluent. Fungi are carbon heterotrophs that require preformed organic compounds as carbon sources. USRT is an attractive means to improve water quality because of the system simplicity and no production of toxic by-products. An ultrasound reactor produces strong cavitation in aqueous solution causing shock waves and reactive free radicals by the violent collapse of the cavitation bubble. These effects should contribute to the physical disruption of microbial structures and inactivation of organisms. There was significant reduction in fungal growth, with decreased fungal growth with increasing USRT. In this study, ultrasound irradiation at a frequency of 42 kHz was used to expose suspensions of fungi to evaluate the disinfection efficacy of the ultrasound reactor. Also, this study showed that in this system more than 99% reduction of sewage fungi was achieved after 60 min.     

The study of the success indicators for pre-implementation activities of Iran's E-Government development projects

E-Government and E-Government development project studies have been conducted in most industrialized societies, as well as in Iran. Due to their nature and structure, E-Government development projects have numerous political, social, and economic impacts on society. Given the incorporation of significant capital, human resources, information, and political commitments, these projects are considered quite vital to society. Following the systematic pre-implementation activities of E-Government development projects is critical for the success of such projects; ignoring such issues leads to various problems during E-Government project implementation. This research aims to explore and detect the success indicators for pre-implementation activities of E-Government development projects, evaluate the validity of these indicators, and investigate the indicators' status in the Fuel Smart Card Project. The researcher has also provided some suggestions on the successful implementation of E-Government development projects.