The acceptability of lies: A comparison of Ecuadorians and Euro-Americans

This study examined differences between Ecuadorian and Euro-American college students in the perceived acceptability of lies. Six different lie domains were examined: flattery, impression management, conflict avoidance, enhancement of others’ self-esteem, self-aggrandizement, and instrumental lies. Overall, Euro-Americans rated lies as more acceptable than Ecuadorians. In both cultures, lies motivated by a desire to benefit others were considered to be more acceptable than lies that primarily benefited the self. Additionally, lying to the outgroup was perceived as being more acceptable than lying to the ingroup. These results were interpreted in light of the findings that Ecuadorians scored higher on measures of uncertainty avoidance and power distance, whereas Euro-Americans scored higher on levels of independence. The implications of these findings for intercultural relations and future directions for research are discussed.     

Muscle morphology of the vastus lateralis is strongly related to ergometer performance,sprint capacity and endurance capacity in Olympic rowers

Rowers need to combine high sprint and endurance capacities. Muscle morphology largely explains muscle power generating capacity, however, little is known on how muscle morphology relates to rowing performance measures. The aim was to determine how muscle morphology of the vastus lateralis relates to rowing ergometer performance, sprint and endurance capacity of Olympic rowers. Eighteen rowers (12♂, 6♀, who competed at 2016 Olympics) performed an incremental rowing test to obtain maximal oxygen consumption, reflecting endurance capacity. Sprint capacity was assessed by Wingate cycling peak power. M. vastus lateralis morphology (volume, physiological cross-sectional area, fascicle length and pennation angle) was derived from 3-dimensional ultrasound imaging. Thirteen rowers (7♂, 6♀) completed a 2000-m rowing ergometer time trial. Muscle volume largely explained variance in 2000-m rowing performance (R² = 0.85), maximal oxygen consumption (R² = 0.65), and Wingate peak power (R² = 0.82). When normalized for differences in body size, maximal oxygen consumption and Wingate peak power were negatively related in males (r = ?0.94). Fascicle length, not physiological cross-sectional area, attributed to normalized peak power. In conclusion, vastus lateralis volume largely explains variance in rowing ergometer performance, sprint and endurance capacity. For a high normalized sprint capacity, athletes may benefit from long fascicles rather than a large physiological cross-sectional area.     

Machine learning for people detection in guidance functionality of enabling health applications by means of cascaded SVM classifiers

Electronic assistance devices for visually impaired people often require pedestrian detection functionality. Due to the fact that these devices have only low computational processing capabilities, it is necessary to use realtime algorithms that meet these requirements.We thus propose application of a cascaded support vector machine (SVM) classifier with linear and combined cascading of SVMs based on histogram of oriented gradients (HOGs) and Fisher score preselection. Proposed algorithms are evaluated on the basis of the INRIA database and compared to the state of the art procedure with HOG-features in combination with a standard SVM.     

Influence of substrate pore size distribution,poultice type,and application technique on the desalination of medium-porous stones

This paper studies the influence of poultice type and application techniques on the desalination efficiency of two limestone substrates having similar porosities (22–25%) but different pore size distributions: microporous Bateig Novelda and macro porous Tosca Rocafort stones. Three poultice types are compared: pure sepiolite (fine porous), sepiolite and aggregate (medium porous), and pure cellulose powder (coarse porous). Four application techniques are studied: (i) direct application on the stone, (ii) pre-wetting before poultice application, (iii) Japanese paper before application, and (iv) pre-wetting?+?Japanese paper before application. Samples were taken from poultices on the one hand, and from substrates at different depths on the other hand. Their content in soluble salts was estimated by ionic conductivity measurements. After three application runs, the best result for both substrates is achieved with the combined application of coarse- and fine-porous poultices (FPs) (desalination depth: 4.5/6?cm for macro/micro-porous substrates). The FP is also able to extract salts properly, but the desalination depth achieved is less important (3?cm). A direct poultice application without pre-wetting nor Japanese paper is to be preferred for both stone types.     

Educational reform and the public: Two case studies of Poland and Saskatchewan (Canada)

The involvement of the public in educational reform processes in modern democratic societies primarily serves the purpose of politically legitimizing the reform agenda. This study examines the rationales implicitly or explicitly submitted to the public to explain why educational reforms in the two countries should be endorsed. Although differences in the political culture caution against a hasty comparison of the two case studies, a number of politico-economic similarities allow for a valid juxtaposition. In Poland the context of socio-political and economic renewal prompted the reformers to emphasize the human-capital model which heightened public awareness and participation in the debate surrounding the reform. Public involvement in Saskatchewan was negatively affected for mainly two reasons. First, the government evidently manipulated public input by various means and thereby appears to have predetermined the outcome. Second, the rationale for the reform, based on a free-market model, tightened the linkage between the needs of the labour market and the mandate of the schools. As a result, public interest and participation was greatly diminished.

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Zusammenfassung Die Beteiligung der Öffentlichkeit an Reformen auf dem Gebiet der Erziehung in den modernen demokratischen Gesellschaften dient hauptsächlich der politischen Legitimierung der Reformpläne. In dieser Studie werden die der Bevölkerung offen oder unterschwellig vermittelten Gründe untersucht, warum den erzieherischen Reformen in beiden Ländern zugestimmt werden sollte. Obwohl die Unterschiede in der politischen Kultur Anlaß zur Vorsicht vor einem voreiligen Vergleich der beiden Fallstudien geben, so sprechen einige wirtschaftspolitische Ähnlichkeiten für eine sinnvolle Nebeneinanderstellung. In Polen führte der Zusammenhang sozialpolitischer und wirtschaftlicher Erneuerung dazu, daß die Reformer das Modell des menschlichen Kapitals, das das öffentliche Bewußtsein und die Teilnahme an der Debatte über die Reformen verstärkte, besonders betonten. Die öffentliche Beteiligung in Saskatchewan bekam aus zwei Gründen einen negativen Beigeschmack. Erstens manipulierte die Regierung offensichtlich in verschiedener Hinsicht die Beiträge der Öffentlichkeit, und sie scheint damit das Ergebnis vorbestimmt zu haben. Zweitens stärkten die Gründe für die auf ein Modell der freien Marktwirtschaft gegründeten Reformen die Verbindungen zwischen dem Bedarf des Arbeitsmarktes und dem Mandat der Schulen. Als Folge davon reduzierte sich das öffentliche Interesse und die Beteiligung erheblich.

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Résumé La participation du public aux processus de réforme éducative dans les sociétés démocratiques modernes sert essentiellement à légitimation politique du calendrier de réforme. Cette étude examine la raison d'être soumise implicitement ou explicitement au public et analyse pourquoi les réformes éducatives doivent être adoptées dans les deux pays. Bien que les divergences de cultures politiques mettent en garde contre une comparaison hâtive des deux études de cas, certaines correspondances politico-économiques permettent une juxtaposition valide. En Pologne, le contexte de la rénovation socio-politique et économique a pressé les réformateurs à mettre en valeur le modèle de capital humain qui a rehaussé l'information et la participation du public dans le débat autour de la réforme. La participation du public dans le Saskatchewan a été entravée pour deux raisons. Premièrement, il semblerait que le gouvernement ait manipulé les investissements publics de différentes manières et qu'il ait par cela prédéterminé le résultat obtenu. Deuxièmement, la légitimité de la réforme, orientée vers un modèle de marché libre, a renforcé les liens entre les besoins du marché de l'emploi et le mandat des écoles. Par conséquent, l'intérêt et la participation du public ont été considérablement affaiblis.

     

Teaching About National Socialism and the Holocaust: Narrative Approaches to Holocaust Education

The article outlines a deficit in Holocaust education: The motives of the perpetrators and bystanders are often not dealt with. In order to explore these motives, interviews with former Nazis were conducted and evaluated in the Geschichte und Erinnerung (History and Memory) research project; two of the findings are presented here. Subsequently the question of how these findings can be applied in school teaching about National Socialism and the Holocaust is discussed. The author recommends teachers not to expose students to whole narrations of former Nazis, but to use brief excerpts from those narrations in order to develop an analysis of the Nazis’ motives. Ultimately, teaching about the topic of National Socialism and the Holocaust should be integrated with students’ own narrations, with their knowledge of the topic based on family stories, family secrets, and other sources.     

Didactising: Continuing the work of Leen Streefland

In this paper we present three cases of instructional design that illustrates both horizontal didactising, the activity of using already established principles to design instruction, and vertical didactising the activity of developing new tools and principles for instructional design. The first case illustrates horizontal didactising by elaborating how the constructs chains of signification and models were used to design an instructional sequence involving linear growth. The second and third cases illustrate vertical didactising by developing argumentation analyses and generative listening, respectively, as instructional design tools. In the second case, argumentation analyses emerge as a tool that other designers can use to anticipate the quality of conversations that can occur as students engage in tasks prior to implementing the instructional sequence. The third case develops the notion of generative listening as a conceptual tool within the context of designing differential equations instruction to gain insights into what are, for students, experientially-real starting points that are mathematical in nature and to provide inspirations for revisions to instructional sequences. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparing State SAT Scores: Problems, Biases, and Corrections

Comparing SAT scores among states using regression analysis leads to biased results because states differ in the proportion of students taking the exam. When the proportion of students taking the exam is included in the regression equation, the results can be biased because of misspecifieation bias. A method intended to correct for selection bias is presented, and empirical results suggest that sample selection bias is present in SAT score regressions. Regression equations and state rankings are compared between the selection-corrected equation and equations for which the selection problem is not addressed. The proposed method is one of many available as possible solutions to the selection problem. Alternative methods may produce different results     

Dropouts in Swiss vocational education and the effect of training companies’ trainee selection methods

In the Swiss vocational education system, which is often called a ‘Dual System’, trainees enter into an apprenticeship contract with a training company. On average, 25% of those contracts are terminated prematurely (PCT). This article examines the relationship between training companies’ selection methods and PCTs. The investigation is based on a quantitative study with a cross-sectional design and on qualitative interviews. Trainers and operations managers (N = 335) of Swiss training companies for cooks and painters were surveyed. Half of the companies have been affected by a PCT in the past and the other half have not. The findings indicate that a certain amount of the explained variance between companies with and without reported PCTs can be explained by the companies’ selection process. Companies that were affected by a PCT use a job interview and a company visit significantly less often in their selection process than companies without a PCT.