Developmental Routines of Oral English Ability for English Major Students:Based on Complex and Dynamic Systems Theory

This study employs a Q methodology to explore the developmental routines of oral English ability for 12 English major students in China inspired by Complex and Dynamic Systems Theory(CDST).The data analysis suggests the next findings:(1)two developmental patterns emerge as the gradual improvement and the strong phase shift influenced by internal and external factors for interactions among different subsystems;(2)guided by CDST,the study proves the importance of self-organization and initial condition in previous studies.According to the above findings,It is highly suggested for teachers to form a holistic view of students’oral English development concerning the non-linear characteristic and individual differences.

Identification Schemes for Unmanned Excavator Arm Parameters

Parameter identification is a key requirement in the field of automated control of unmanned excavators （UEs）. Furthermore, the UE operates in unstructured, often hazardous environments, and requires a robust parameter identification scheme for field applications. This paper presents the results of a research study on parameter identification for UE. Three identification methods, the Newton-Raphson method, the generalized Newton method, and the least squares method are used and compared for prediction accuracy, robustness to noise and computational speed. The techniques are used to identify the link parameters （mass, inertia, and length） and friction coefficients of the full-scale UE. Using experimental data from a full-scale field UE, the values of link parameters and the friction coefficient are identified. Some of the identified parameters are compared with measured physical values. Furthermore, the joint torques and positions computed by the proposed model using the identified parameters are validated against measured data. The comparison shows that both the Newton-Raphson method and the generalized Newton method are better in terms of prediction accuracy. The Newton-Raphson method is computationally efficient and has potential for real time application, but the generalized Newton method is slightly more robust to measurement noise. The experimental data were obtained in collaboration with QinetiQ Ltd.

Socio-ecological dynamics and challenges to the governance of Neglected Tropical Disease control

The current global attempts to control the so-called“Neglected Tropical Diseases(NTDs)”have the potential to significantly reduce the morbidity suffered by some of the world’s poorest communities.However,the governance of these control programmes is driven by a managerial rationality that assumes predictability of proposed interventions,and which thus primarily seeks to improve the cost-effectiveness of implementation by measuring performance in terms of pre-determined outputs.Here,we argue that this approach has reinforced the narrow normal-science model for controlling parasitic diseases,and in doing so fails to address the complex dynamics,uncertainty and socio-ecological context-specificity that invariably underlie parasite transmission.We suggest that a new governance approach is required that draws on a combination of non-equilibrium thinking about the operation of complex,adaptive,systems from the natural sciences and constructivist social science perspectives that view the accumulation of scientific knowledge as contingent on historical interests and norms,if more effective control approaches sufficiently sensitive to local disease contexts are to be devised,applied and managed.At the core of this approach is an emphasis on the need for a process that assists with the inclusion of diverse perspectives,social learning and deliberation,and a reflexive approach to addressing system complexity and incertitude,while balancing this flexibility with stability-focused structures.We derive and discuss a possible governance framework and outline an organizational structure that could be used to effectively deal with the complexity of accomplishing global NTD control.We also point to examples of complexity-based management structures that have been used in parasite control previously,which could serve as practical templates for developing similar governance structures to better manage global NTD control.Our results hold important wider implications for global health policy aiming to effectively control and eradicate parasitic diseases across the world.