Showing posts with label test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label test. Show all posts

Ants Know Friend or Foe by Scent

If you are human, knowing one's enemies is easy. The brain evaluates another person as to whether he/she is friendly or not. It may be necessary to work alongside an enemy but the enemy tag still remains. Insects do not have have such advanced brain power to discriminate friend or foe.

Ants need a frame of reference to identify who they have to attack. When an ant from a colony meets an ant from another and they fight, the ants keep a memory of the enemies' odor. This occurs even though they may be of the same species. The "smell of fear" is passed on to fellow ants in the same colony. Ants also use scent to know other ants in their colony.

In tests individual ants were familiarized with individuals from another colony. They could see each other. Actual contact was prevented. When 20 intruders were placed near to the other colony they were attacked despite attackers knowing the other ants.
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Entomology
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Yoghurt Prevents Heart Disease

While some doctors are not in favor of yoghurt saying it is just milk gone sour, others are now claiming it assists in the prevention of heart disease. Apparently, it slows the build up of plaque in the arteries.

Daily consumption of yoghurt in moderate amounts reduces the thickness of artery walls. Consuming cheese and milk had no effect. Tests were only done on elderly women, but the effects are believed to be the same for men.

Not much research has been done into the effects of dairy products in regard to disease prevention. The positive result of yoghurt has increased interest in dairy food and more tests will be done.
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Food
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Eat Pork and Lose Weight

For many years it was believed that pork was fatty and if eaten regularly would lead to weight gain. A new study has shown the opposite to be true. Overweight people were split into two groups. One group was given 1050g of lean pork each week. The other group was provided with 750g a week. Even with this little difference in pork intake, after six months there was a noticeable change in the high-intake group.

Those eating more pork actually lost fat from their abdomens. Waists were narrower. Body composition improved over the whole body. So weight can be lost without dieting if you eat more pork. A further benefit from eating more pork is the high thiamine level. Many overweight people have type 2 diabetes which can lead to thiamine deficiency.

Tests are now being done with chicken and beef to compare with pork. It could be that the high-protein diet due to eating the pork was beneficial. Maybe similar results in regard to weight loss will eventuate from eating more chicken and beef. Findings will be released in January 2012.
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Health
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Taxi Licence Test Is Too Difficult

Making entry tests for such things as taxi driver licences or new residents has really gone off course. This is not restricted to Australia. The US test for residency has been shown to have incorrect answers to key questions. New migrants to Australia complain about the relevancy of some questions. In regard to the test for a taxi licence in Queensland one in six is failing despite many being Australian born.

The Queensland test is extensive with reading, writing, numeracy. speaking and listening all being evaluated. Just how this improves taxi service and safety is unclear. It should be adequate for drivers to understand what customers are saying and to be able to communicate satisfactorily in return. It seems the whole job is tested as well. Map reading, following verbal directions, determining fares, giving change and solving situational problems are all thoroughly checked. It is known that many people are stressed and nervous doing such examinations. Even normally intelligent and adaptable people can fail.

Queensland taxi drivers are saying the test is too extensive and unnecessary. Even Australian born drivers with decades of experience are not passing. Many say it is a show test, a gimmick developed by bureaucrats. Many things tested for can only be learned on the job, after drivers have a licence to use. Experienced drivers are also being caught out because they must sit the examination when renewing their licences. One driver who had driven taxis for most of his life failed and said that's the end for me I will have to live off the pension now.
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Society
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Memorization Is Still Useful at University

It has been said that memorizing answers is not good preparation for university. This is based on the premise that much tertiary work is research and evaluation. But what about exams? Semester examinations can contribute from 10 to 50 per cent of a subject, depending on who creates the "set up" of a course.

Lecturers set exams based upon their own knowledge. They can't help themselves. It is like an artist who paints a crowd. On close perusal of the picture you can see many instances of little artists everywhere. In other words painters tend to create images of themselves. University lecturers test students on their own knowledge - they have their own pet areas.

Students can benefit from this. They can take a recording device into lectures. Indeed, many institutions record lectures for students who miss them for unforeseen reasons. It is possible to buy devices that play back speech very fast. They have a tone control to normalize the pitch. Students can play lectures over and over again at their leisure to memorize lecturers' favorite areas of knowledge. You can virtually guarantee this will be tested for in exams.

Just about every subject has a political dimension - economics, political science, sociology, anthropology and historiography. Determine where on the political spectrum a lecturer is positioned. Write assignments that support their view. Then you will get good marks.
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