Goal Setting to Achieve Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Rich

2012-01-01

Both districts and individual schools have a very clear set of goals and skills for their students to achieve and master. In fact, except in rare cases, districts and schools develop very detailed goals they wish to pursue. In most cases, unfortunately, only the teachers and staff at a particular school or district-level office are aware of the…

A Conceptual Framework for Achieving Good Governance at Open and Distance Learning Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khanna, Pankaj

2017-01-01

This paper describes a good governance architecture framework that would bring significant improvements in the overall working of open and distance learning institutions in a well-structured and systematic way. The good governance framework is articulated with seven basic principles which are performance, transparency, accountability,…

Raising the Achievement of White Working Class Pupils: Good Practice in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Kirstin; Demie, Feyisa

2015-01-01

This research identifies strategies that schools have used to raise achievement among white working class pupils in multiracial schools. The methodological approach comprises case studies of schools and focus group interviews to ascertain the views of teachers, parents and children about strategies that worked to raise achievement. The study…

Notification: Review of Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Grant Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Project #OA-FY12-0606, July 16, 2012. EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) plans to begin preliminary research for an audit of grants awarded under EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program.

Learning How Much Quality Is Necessary to Get to Good Results for Children. NCRECE In Focus. Volume 1, Issue 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goffin, Stacie G.

2010-01-01

How good does an early childhood program have to be in order to achieve school readiness outcomes for children? This is known as the "threshold question," and policy makers and others have wanted an answer to this question since the onset of public investments in early care and education (ECE) programs. With expansion of Head Start and…

Mathematics beliefs and achievement of elementary school students in Japan and the United States: results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study.

PubMed

House, J Daniel

2006-03-01

Student self-beliefs are significantly related to several types of academic achievement. In addition, results from international assessments have indicated that students in Japan have typically scored above international averages (D. L. Kelly, I. V. S. Mullis, & M. O. Martin, 2000). In this study, the author examined relationships between mathematics beliefs and achievement of elementary school-aged students in the United States and Japan. The students had participated in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS; A. E. Beaton et al., 1996). The author examined several self-beliefs and used variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs. The author identified a number of significant relationships between self-beliefs and mathematics achievement. Students who attributed success in mathematics to controllable factors (e.g., hard work, studying at home) showed higher test scores whereas students who attributed success in mathematics at school to external factors (e.g., good luck) tended to earn lower mathematics test scores. These results extend the findings of previous research results because the author examined large national samples of students in cross-cultural settings as part of a comprehensive international assessment.

Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement

PubMed Central

Wagner, Lisa; Ruch, Willibald

2015-01-01

Character strengths have been found to be substantially related to children’s and adolescents’ well-being. Initial evidence suggests that they also matter for school success (e.g., Weber and Ruch, 2012). The present set of two studies aimed at replicating and extending these findings in two different age groups, primary school students (N = 179; mean age = 11.6 years) and secondary school students (N = 199; mean age = 14.4 years). The students completed the VIA-Youth (Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth), a self-report measure of the 24 character strengths in the VIA classification. Their teachers rated the students’ positive behavior in the classroom. Additionally, school achievement was assessed: For the primary school students (Study 1), teachers rated the students’ overall school achievement and for the secondary school students (Study 2), we used their grades as a measure of school achievement. We found that several character strengths were associated with both positive classroom behavior and school achievement. Across both samples, school achievement was correlated with love of learning, perseverance, zest, gratitude, hope, and perspective. The strongest correlations with positive classroom behavior were found for perseverance, self-regulation, prudence, social intelligence, and hope. For both samples, there were indirect effects of some of the character strengths on school achievement through teacher-rated positive classroom behavior. The converging findings from the two samples support the notion that character strengths contribute to positive classroom behavior, which in turn enhances school achievement. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and for school interventions based on character strengths. PMID:26029144

Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement.

PubMed

Wagner, Lisa; Ruch, Willibald

2015-01-01

Character strengths have been found to be substantially related to children's and adolescents' well-being. Initial evidence suggests that they also matter for school success (e.g., Weber and Ruch, 2012). The present set of two studies aimed at replicating and extending these findings in two different age groups, primary school students (N = 179; mean age = 11.6 years) and secondary school students (N = 199; mean age = 14.4 years). The students completed the VIA-Youth (Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth), a self-report measure of the 24 character strengths in the VIA classification. Their teachers rated the students' positive behavior in the classroom. Additionally, school achievement was assessed: For the primary school students (Study 1), teachers rated the students' overall school achievement and for the secondary school students (Study 2), we used their grades as a measure of school achievement. We found that several character strengths were associated with both positive classroom behavior and school achievement. Across both samples, school achievement was correlated with love of learning, perseverance, zest, gratitude, hope, and perspective. The strongest correlations with positive classroom behavior were found for perseverance, self-regulation, prudence, social intelligence, and hope. For both samples, there were indirect effects of some of the character strengths on school achievement through teacher-rated positive classroom behavior. The converging findings from the two samples support the notion that character strengths contribute to positive classroom behavior, which in turn enhances school achievement. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for future research and for school interventions based on character strengths.

Secondary Students' Writing Achievement Goals: Assessing the Mediating Effects of Mastery and Performance Goals on Writing Self-Efficacy, Affect, and Writing Achievement

PubMed Central

Yilmaz Soylu, Meryem; Zeleny, Mary G.; Zhao, Ruomeng; Bruning, Roger H.; Dempsey, Michael S.; Kauffman, Douglas F.

2017-01-01

The two studies reported here explored the factor structure of the newly constructed Writing Achievement Goal Scale (WAGS), and examined relationships among secondary students' writing achievement goals, writing self-efficacy, affect for writing, and writing achievement. In the first study, 697 middle school students completed the WAGS. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good fit for this data with a three-factor model that corresponds with mastery, performance approach, and performance avoidance goals. The results of Study 1 were an indication for the researchers to move forward with Study 2, which included 563 high school students. The secondary students completed the WAGS, as well as the Self-efficacy for Writing Scale, and the Liking Writing Scale. Students also self-reported grades for writing and for language arts courses. Approximately 6 weeks later, students completed a statewide writing assessment. We tested a theoretical model representing relationships among Study 2 variables using structural equation modeling including students' responses to the study scales and students' scores on the statewide assessment. Results from Study 2 revealed a good fit between a model depicting proposed relationships among the constructs and the data. Findings are discussed relative to achievement goal theory and writing. PMID:28878707

Female teachers' math anxiety affects girls' math achievement.

PubMed

Beilock, Sian L; Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Ramirez, Gerardo; Levine, Susan C

2010-02-02

People's fear and anxiety about doing math--over and above actual math ability--can be an impediment to their math achievement. We show that when the math-anxious individuals are female elementary school teachers, their math anxiety carries negative consequences for the math achievement of their female students. Early elementary school teachers in the United States are almost exclusively female (>90%), and we provide evidence that these female teachers' anxieties relate to girls' math achievement via girls' beliefs about who is good at math. First- and second-grade female teachers completed measures of math anxiety. The math achievement of the students in these teachers' classrooms was also assessed. There was no relation between a teacher's math anxiety and her students' math achievement at the beginning of the school year. By the school year's end, however, the more anxious teachers were about math, the more likely girls (but not boys) were to endorse the commonly held stereotype that "boys are good at math, and girls are good at reading" and the lower these girls' math achievement. Indeed, by the end of the school year, girls who endorsed this stereotype had significantly worse math achievement than girls who did not and than boys overall. In early elementary school, where the teachers are almost all female, teachers' math anxiety carries consequences for girls' math achievement by influencing girls' beliefs about who is good at math.

Typewriting Methodology 1977: Eight Basic Principles for Good Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winger, Fred E.

1977-01-01

The eight basic principles of teaching methodology discussed are as follows: Stress position and technique, stress skill building, stress the pretest/practice/posttest method, stress action research, stress true production skills, stress good proofreading skills, stress performance goals, and stress individualized instruction. (TA)

Is Alcohol Consumption Associated with Poor Academic Achievement in University Students?

PubMed Central

El Ansari, Walid; Stock, Christiane; Mills, Claire

2013-01-01

Background: We assessed associations between educational achievement and alcohol consumption. Methods: We employed five alcohol consumption measures (length of time of and amount consumed during most recent drinking occasion, frequency of alcohol consumption, heavy episodic drinking, problem drinking); and three educational achievement indicators (students’ subjective importance of achieving good grades, students’ appraisal of their academic performance in comparison with peers, students’ actual module mark). Results: Males were positively associated with all five alcohol consumption measures. Age was negatively associated with three alcohol consumption measures. While students´ importance of good grades was negatively associated with three alcohol consumption measures, academic performance in comparison with peers was negatively associated with heavy episodic drinking. Actual module mark was not associated with any alcohol consumption measure. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption showed negative associations with motivation for and subjectively achieved academic performance. University alcohol prevention activities might have positive impact on students’ academic success. PMID:24319558

The challenges of achieving good electrical and mechanical properties when making structural supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciocanel, C.; Browder, C.; Simpson, C.; Colburn, R.

2013-04-01

The paper presents results associated with the electro-mechanical characterization of a composite material with power storage capability, identified throughout the paper as a structural supercapacitor. The structural supercapacitor uses electrodes made of carbon fiber weave, a separator made of Celgard 3501, and a solid PEG-based polymer blend electrolyte. To be a viable structural supercapacitor, the material has to have good mechanical and power storage/electrical properties. The literature in this area is inconsistent on which electrical properties are evaluated, and how those properties are assessed. In general, measurements of capacitance or specific capacitance (i.e. capacitance per unit area or per unit volume) are made, without considering other properties such as leakage resistance and equivalent series resistance of the supercapacitor. This paper highlights the significance of these additional electrical properties, discusses the fluctuation of capacitance over time, and proposes methods to improve the stability of the material's electric properties over time.

Good is not good enough: the culture of low expectations and the leader's challenge.

PubMed

Kerfoot, Karlene M

2009-01-01

When people believe that what they do is "good enough," excellence will never occur. As the demand for better health care escalates every year, achieving a ranking of very good doesn't count because it leaves many disenfranchised staff, errors, and dissatisfied patients. A leader can not be successful unless the culture of low expectations is eliminated. If there isn't a sense of caring, serving, and being an exemplar of the change, the leader won't succeed in moving the culture. When there is a sense of ownership and commitment to the mission and to patients, the culture of low expectations cannot exist.

DEEP U BAND AND R IMAGING OF GOODS-SOUTH: OBSERVATIONS, DATA REDUCTION AND FIRST RESULTS ,

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nonino, M.; Cristiani, S.; Vanzella, E.

2009-08-01

We present deep imaging in the U band covering an area of 630 arcmin{sup 2} centered on the southern field of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS). The data were obtained with the VIMOS instrument at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope. The final images reach a magnitude limit U {sub lim} {approx} 29.8 (AB, 1{sigma}, in a 1'' radius aperture), and have good image quality, with full width at half-maximum {approx}0.''8. They are significantly deeper than previous U-band images available for the GOODS fields, and better match the sensitivity of other multiwavelength GOODS photometry. The deepermore » U-band data yield significantly improved photometric redshifts, especially in key redshift ranges such as 2 < z < 4, and deeper color-selected galaxy samples, e.g., Lyman break galaxies at z {approx} 3. We also present the co-addition of archival ESO VIMOS R-band data, with R {sub lim} {approx} 29 (AB, 1{sigma}, 1'' radius aperture), and image quality {approx}0.''75. We discuss the strategies for the observations and data reduction, and present the first results from the analysis of the co-added images.« less

[Good agricultural practice (GAP) of Chinese materia medica (CMM) for ten years: achievements, problems and proposals].

PubMed

Guo, Lan-Ping; Zhang, Yan; Zhu, Shou-Dong; Wang, Gui-Hua; Wang, Xiu; Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Chen, Mei-Lan; He, Ya-Li; Han, Bang-Xing; Chen, Nai-Fu; Huang, Lu-Qi

2014-04-01

This paper aims to summarize the achievements during the implementation process of good agricultural practice (GAP) in Chinese Materia Medica (CMM), and on basis of analyzing the existing problems of GAP, to propose further implementation of GAP in TCM growing. Since the launch of GAP in CMM growing ten years ago, it has acquired great achievements, including: (1) The promulgation of a series of measures for the administration of the GAP approval in the CMM growing; (2) The expanded planting area of CMM; (3) The increased awareness of standardized CMM growing among farmers and enterprises; (4) The establishment of GAP implementation bases for CMM growing; (5) The improvement of theory and methodology for CMM growing; (6) The development of a large group of experts and scholars in GAP approval for CMM production. The problems existing in the production include: (1) A deep understanding of GAP and its certification is still needed; (2) The distribution of the certification base is not reasonable; (3) The geo-economics effect and the backward farming practices are thought to be the bottlenecks in the standardization of CMM growing and the scale production of CMM; (4) Low comparative effectiveness limits the development of the GAP; (5) The base of breeding improved variety is blank; (6) The immature of the cultivation technique lead to the risk of production process; (7) The degradation of soil microbial and the continuous cropping obstacle restrict the sustainable development of the GAP base. To further promote the health and orderly GAP in the CMM growing, the authors propose: (1) To change the mode of production; (2) To establish a sound standard system so as to ensure quality products for fair prices; (3) To fully consider the geo-economic culture and vigorously promote the definite cultivating of traditional Chinese medicinal materials; (4) To strengthen the transformation and generalization of basic researches and achievements, in order to provide technical

Educating for Good Work: From Research to Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mucinskas, Daniel; Gardner, Howard

2013-01-01

Launched in 1995, the GoodWork Project is a long-term, multi-site effort to understand the nature of good work across the professional landscape and to promote its achievement by relevant groups of students and professionals. In this essay, the authors review the goals and methods of the initial research project and its most salient findings. They…

Good breastfeeding policies -- good breastfeeding rates.

PubMed

1998-01-01

In Norway, where breast-feeding policies protecting breast-feeding women's needs have been in place since the 1970s, approximately 97% of women breast feed when leaving the hospital, 80% are breast feeding at 3 months, and 20% beyond 12 months. Government family policies play an important role in enabling women to achieve good breast-feeding rates. In Norway: maternity leave is 42 weeks with full pay or 52 weeks with 80% of salary; flexible part-time is available for women from 2 months after giving birth with income supplemented from maternity benefits; after returning to work, women are entitled to 1- to 1.5-hour breaks to return home to breast feed, or to have the child brought to work. "Breast feeding is so normal," writes Hege Jacobson Lepri, "it's more embarrassing to bring out the feeding bottle in public." full text

What is a good result after clubfoot treatment? A Delphi-based consensus on success by regional clubfoot trainers from across Africa.

PubMed

Smythe, Tracey; Wainwright, Andrew; Foster, Allen; Lavy, Christopher

2017-01-01

Congenital talipes equino-varus (CTEV), also known as clubfoot, is one of the most common congenital musculoskeletal malformations. Despite this, considerable variation exists in the measurement of deformity correction and outcome evaluation. This study aims to determine the criteria for successful clubfoot correction using the Ponseti technique in low resource settings through Africa. Using the Delphi method, 18 experienced clubfoot practitioners and trainers from ten countries in Africa ranked the importance of 22 criteria to define an 'acceptable or good clubfoot correction' at the end of bracing with the Ponseti technique. A 10cm visual analogue scale was used. They repeated the rating with the results of the mean scores and standard deviation of the first test provided. The consistency among trainers was determined with the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). From the original 22 criteria, ten criteria with a mean score >7 and SD <2 were identified and were rated through a second Delphi round by 17 different clubfoot treatment trainers from 11 countries in Africa. The final definition consisted of all statements that achieved strong agreement, a mean score of >9 and SD<1.5. The consensus definition of a successfully treated clubfoot includes: (1) a plantigrade foot, (2) the ability to wear a normal shoe, (3) no pain, and (4) the parent is satisfied. Participants demonstrated good consistency in rating these final criteria (ICC 0.88; 0.74,0.97). The consistency of Ponseti technique trainers from Africa in rating criteria for a successful outcome of clubfoot management was good. The consensus definition includes basic physical assessment, footwear use, pain and parent satisfaction.

Decreased Sperm Motility Retarded ICSI Fertilization Rate in Severe Oligozoospermia but Good-Quality Embryo Transfer Had Achieved the Prospective Clinical Outcomes.

PubMed

Zheng, Jufeng; Lu, Yongning; Qu, Xianqin; Wang, Peng; Zhao, Luiwen; Gao, Minzhi; Shi, Huijuan; Jin, Xingliang

.26% clinical pregnancy, 25.74% implantation and 36.32% live birth, which gave live birth to 252 girls and 252 boys. The reduction of motile spermatozoa in severe oligozoospermia decreased the rates of fertilization and good-quality embryo. Obtaining and transfer of good-quality embryos was the good prognostic to achieve prospective clinical outcomes regardless of the severity of oligozoospermia.

Technical Excellence: A Requirement for Good Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Paul S.; Vaughan, William W.

2008-01-01

Technical excellence is a requirement for good engineering. Technical excellence has many different ways of expressing itself within engineering. NASA has initiatives that address the enhancement of the Agency's technical excellence and thrust to maintain the associated high level of performance by the Agency on current programs/projects and as it moves into the Constellation Program and the return to the Moon with plans to visit Mars. This paper addresses some of the key initiatives associated with NASA's technical excellence thrust. Examples are provided to illustrate some results being achieved and plans to enhance these initiatives.

The global public good concept: a means of promoting good veterinary governance.

PubMed

Eloit, M

2012-08-01

At the outset, the concept of a 'public good' was associated with economic policies. However, it has now evolved not only from a national to a global concept (global public good), but also from a concept applying solely to the production of goods to one encompassing societal issues (education, environment, etc.) and fundamental rights, including the right to health and food. Through their actions, Veterinary Services, as defined by the Terrestrial Animal Health Code (Terrestrial Code) of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), help to improve animal health and reduce production losses. In this way they contribute directly and indirectly to food security and to safeguarding human health and economic resources. The organisation and operating procedures of Veterinary Services are therefore key to the efficient governance required to achieve these objectives. The OIE is a major player in global cooperation and governance in the fields of animal and public health through the implementation of its strategic standardisation mission and other programmes for the benefit of Veterinary Services and OIE Member Countries. Thus, the actions of Veterinary Services and the OIE deserve to be recognised as a global public good, backed by public investment to ensure that all Veterinary Services are in a position to apply the principles of good governance and to comply with the international standards for the quality of Veterinary Services set out in the OIE Terrestrial Code (Section 3 on Quality of Veterinary Services) and Aquatic Animal Health Code (Section 3 on Quality of Aquatic Animal Health Services).

Achieving Good Perioperative Outcomes After Pancreaticoduodenectomy in a Low-Volume Setting: A 25-Year Experience

PubMed Central

Chedid, Aljamir D.; Chedid, Marcio F.; Winkelmann, Leonardo V.; Filho, Tomaz J. M. Grezzana; Kruel, Cleber D. P.

2015-01-01

Perioperative mortality following pancreaticoduodenectomy has improved over time and is lower than 5% in selected high-volume centers. Based on several large literature series on pancreaticoduodenectomy from high-volume centers, some defend that high annual volumes are necessary for good outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy. We report here the outcomes of a low annual volume pancreaticoduodenectomy series after incorporating technical expertise from a high-volume center. We included all patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy performed by a single surgeon (ADC.) as treatment for periampullary malignancies from 1981 to 2005. Outcomes of this series were compared to those of 3 high-volume literature series. Additionally, outcomes for first 10 cases in the present series were compared to those of all 37 remaining cases in this series. A total of 47 pancreaticoduodenectomies were performed over a 25-year period. Overall in-hospital mortality was 2 cases (4.3%), and morbidity occurred in 23 patients (48.9%). Both mortality and morbidity were similar to those of each of the three high-volume center comparison series. Comparison of the outcomes for the first 10 to the remaining 37 cases in this series revealed that the latter 37 cases had inferior mortality (20% versus 0%; P = 0.042), less tumor-positive margins (50 versus 13.5%; P = 0.024), less use of intraoperative blood transfusions (90% versus 32.4%; P = 0.003), and tendency to a shorter length of in-hospital stay (20 versus 15.8 days; P = 0.053). Accumulation of surgical experience and incorporation of expertise from high-volume centers may enable achieving satisfactory outcomes after pancreaticoduodenectomy in low-volume settings whenever referral to a high-volume center is limited. PMID:25875555

Assessment Results and Student Achievement; a Correlation Study Regarding Ability Grouping

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slonaker, Richard V.

2013-01-01

School leaders face increased pressure to identify instructional and administrative practices that increase student achievement. However, achievement gaps persist between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged student groups. This study highlighted relationships between ability grouping and academic achievement in a suburban school district.…

Examining Cultural Capital and Student Achievement: Results of a Meta-Analytic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Cheng Yong

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis summarized the relationships between cultural capital and student achievement (155 effect sizes involving 685,393 K-12 students) published in education journals between 1981 and 2015. Results showed a small-to-medium overall mean effect size, and larger individual effect sizes for parental education and parental expectations…

A Tale of Two Models: Sources of Confusion in Achievement Testing. Research Report. ETS RR-17-44

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reckase, Mark D.

2017-01-01

A common interpretation of achievement test results is that they provide measures of achievement that are much like other measures we commonly use for height, weight, or the cost of goods. In a limited sense, such interpretations are correct, but some nuances of these interpretations have important implications for the use of achievement test…

Reply to Rouder (2014): good frequentist properties raise confidence.

PubMed

Sanborn, Adam N; Hills, Thomas T; Dougherty, Michael R; Thomas, Rick P; Yu, Erica C; Sprenger, Amber M

2014-04-01

Established psychological results have been called into question by demonstrations that statistical significance is easy to achieve, even in the absence of an effect. One often-warned-against practice, choosing when to stop the experiment on the basis of the results, is guaranteed to produce significant results. In response to these demonstrations, Bayes factors have been proposed as an antidote to this practice, because they are invariant with respect to how an experiment was stopped. Should researchers only care about the resulting Bayes factor, without concern for how it was produced? Yu, Sprenger, Thomas, and Dougherty (2014) and Sanborn and Hills (2014) demonstrated that Bayes factors are sometimes strongly influenced by the stopping rules used. However, Rouder (2014) has provided a compelling demonstration that despite this influence, the evidence supplied by Bayes factors remains correct. Here we address why the ability to influence Bayes factors should still matter to researchers, despite the correctness of the evidence. We argue that good frequentist properties mean that results will more often agree with researchers' statistical intuitions, and good frequentist properties control the number of studies that will later be refuted. Both help raise confidence in psychological results.

Switch for Good Community Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, Tabitha; Amran, Martha

2013-11-19

Switch4Good is an energy-savings program that helps residents reduce consumption from behavior changes; it was co-developed by Balfour Beatty Military Housing Management (BB) and WattzOn in Phase I of this grant. The program was offered at 11 Navy bases. Three customer engagement strategies were evaluated, and it was found that Digital Nudges (a combination of monthly consumption statements with frequent messaging via text or email) was most cost-effective. The program was delivered on-time and on-budget, and its success is based on the teamwork of local BB staff and the WattzOn team. The following graphic shows Switch4Good “by the numbers”, e.g.more » the scale of operations achieved during Phase I.« less

An Antenna with Good Electrical Properties and Artistic Shape for Lampshade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Chang; Yu, Yang; Ji, Chen

2018-06-01

An improved transparent antenna based on transparent ceramic MgAl2O4 with artistic shape which can be used as lampshade is presented in this paper. A great peak gain and good pattern can be achieved by choosing the property shape and optimizing location of the feed of the antenna. Simulation results indicate that this antenna can achieve return loss >-15dB, peak gain >8 dBi at 2 GHz and 40% relative impedance bandwidth. Both the electrical properties and artistic shape of the antenna are realized and the lampshade which made by MgAl2O4 meets the requirement for communication, decoration and high light transmission.

Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results. 2007 Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2007

2007-01-01

"Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results, 2008. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2008

2008-01-01

"Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

Higher Education Counts: Achieving Results. 2009 Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connecticut Department of Higher Education (NJ1), 2009

2009-01-01

"Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

The AKARI FU-HYU galaxy evolution program: first results from the GOODS-N field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, C. P.; Serjeant, S.; Negrello, M.; Takagi, T.; Jeong, W.-S.; Matsuhara, H.; Wada, T.; Oyabu, S.; Lee, H. M.; Im, M. S.

2010-05-01

The AKARI FU-HYU mission program carried out mid-infrared imaging of several well studied Spitzer fields preferentially selecting fields already rich in multi-wavelength data from radio to X-ray wavelengths filling in the wavelength desert between the Spitzer IRAC and MIPS bands. We present the initial results for the FU-HYU survey in the GOODS-N field. We utilize the supreme multiwavelength coverage in the GOODS-N field to produce a multiwavelength catalogue from infrared to ultraviolet wavelengths, containing more than 4393 sources, including photometric redshifts. Using the FU-HYU catalogue we present colour-colour diagrams that map the passage of PAH features through our observation bands. We find that the longer mid-infrared bands from AKARI (IRC-L18W 18 micron band) and Spitzer (MIPS24 24 micron band) provide an accurate measure of the total MIR emission of the sources and therefore their probable total mid-infrared luminosity. We also find that colours incorporating the AKARI IRC-S11 11 micron band produce a bimodal distribution where an excess at 11 microns preferentially selects moderate redshift star-forming galaxies. These powerful colour-colour diagnostics are further used as tools to extract anomalous colour populations, in particular a population of Silicate Break galaxies from the GOODS-N field showing that dusty starbursts can be selected of specific redshift ranges (z = 1.2-1.6) by mid-infrared drop-out techniques. The FU-HYU catalogue will be made publically available to the astronomical community.

Full-Day Kindergarten Results in Significant Achievement Gains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raskin, Candace F.; Haar, Jean M.

2009-01-01

In 2004, after an in-depth review of student achievement data for over 4,000 students, the administration of a school district in southern Minnesota identified the following challenges: (1) above-state-average number of special education students; (2) increasing number of English as Second Language (ESL) students; (3) increasing number of students…

Results achieved by emergency physicians in teaching basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation to secondary school students.

PubMed

Jiménez-Fábrega, Xavier; Escalada-Roig, Xavier; Sánchez, Miquel; Culla, Alexandre; Díaz, Núria; Gómez, Xavier; Villena, Olga; Rodríguez, Esther; Gaspar, Alberto; Molina, José Emilio; Salvador, Jordi; Miró, Oscar

2009-06-01

We investigated the results obtained with a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (b-CPR) program (PROCES) specifically designed for secondary school students (14-16 years old) and taught by emergency physicians. We used a multiple-choice test with 20 questions (10 on theory and 10 on skills) answered before and immediately after and 1 year after receiving the b-CPR course. Satisfactory learning was considered when at least 8 out of 10 skill questions were correctly answered. We investigated student variables associated with better immediate and deferred (1 year after) PROCES performance. We compared the results with those obtained using a more standardized program to teach b-CPR to police cadets. We enrolled 600 high school students. PROCES achieved significant improvement in overall, theory and skill marks immediately after the course (P<0.001), with a significant decay in all of them 1 year after the course (P<0.001). Satisfactory learning was achieved by 57% of school students immediately after PROCES and by 37% when assessed 1 year later. Students without pending study subjects (P=0.001) and those from private schools (P<0.01) achieved significantly better performance immediately after PROCES and only female students achieved greater performance 1 year after the course (P<0.05). With respect to police cadets instructed through a standardized course, immediate satisfactory learning of school students was lower (79 vs. 57%, respectively; P<0.001), whereas deferred satisfactory learning was higher (23 vs. 37%, respectively; P<0.05). Emergency physicians can satisfactorily instruct secondary school students in b-CPR using PROCES, and this specific program achieves a reasonable amount of satisfactory learning.

Exemplar pediatric collaborative improvement networks: achieving results.

PubMed

Billett, Amy L; Colletti, Richard B; Mandel, Keith E; Miller, Marlene; Muething, Stephen E; Sharek, Paul J; Lannon, Carole M

2013-06-01

A number of pediatric collaborative improvement networks have demonstrated improved care and outcomes for children. Regionally, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Physician Hospital Organization has sustained key asthma processes, substantially increased the percentage of their asthma population receiving "perfect care," and implemented an innovative pay-for-performance program with a large commercial payor based on asthma performance measures. The California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative uses its outcomes database to improve care for infants in California NICUs. It has achieved reductions in central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), increased breast-milk feeding rates at hospital discharge, and is now working to improve delivery room management. Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS) has achieved significant improvements in adverse drug events and surgical site infections across all 8 Ohio children's hospitals, with 7700 fewer children harmed and >$11.8 million in avoided costs. SPS is now expanding nationally, aiming to eliminate all events of serious harm at children's hospitals. National collaborative networks include ImproveCareNow, which aims to improve care and outcomes for children with inflammatory bowel disease. Reliable adherence to Model Care Guidelines has produced improved remission rates without using new medications and a significant increase in the proportion of Crohn disease patients not taking prednisone. Data-driven collaboratives of the Children's Hospital Association Quality Transformation Network initially focused on CLABSI in PICUs. By September 2011, they had prevented an estimated 2964 CLABSI, saving 355 lives and $103,722,423. Subsequent improvement efforts include CLABSI reductions in additional settings and populations.

Going GLP: Conducting Toxicology Studies in Compliance with Good Laboratory Practices.

PubMed

Carroll, Erica Eggers

2016-01-01

Good laboratory practice standards are US federal regulations enacted as part of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (40 CFR Part 160), the Toxic Substance Control Act (40 CFR Part 792), and the Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies (21 CFR Part 58) to support protection of public health in the areas of pesticides, chemicals, and drug investigations in response to allegations of inaccurate data acquisition. Essentially, good laboratory practices (GLPs) are a system of management controls for nonclinical research studies involving animals to ensure the uniformity, consistency, reliability, reproducibility, quality, and integrity of data collected as part of chemical (including pharmaceuticals) tests, from in vitro through acute to chronic toxicity tests. The GLPs were established in the United States in 1978 as a result of the Industrial Bio-Test Laboratory scandal which led to congressional hearings and actions to prevent fraudulent data reporting and collection. Although the establishment of infrastructure for GLPs compliance is labor-intensive and time-consuming, achievement and maintenance of GLP compliance ensures the accuracy of the data collected from each study, which is critical for defending results, advancing science, and protecting human and animal health. This article describes how and why those in the US Army Medical Department responsible for protecting the public health of US Army and other military personnel made the policy decision to have its toxicology laboratory achieve complete compliance with GLP standards, the first such among US Army laboratories. The challenges faced and how they were overcome are detailed.

Wide-undermining neck liposuction: tips and tricks for good results.

PubMed

Innocenti, Alessandro; Andretto Amodeo, Chiara; Ciancio, Francesco

2014-08-01

Neck rejuvenation is one of the most sought after procedures in the restoration of the facial contour. Numerous techniques to improve the aesthetic outcome and reduce downtime have been described. In our experience, wide undermining and local anesthesia are key to obtaining good results in selected patients who want a quick recovery. This article presents our experience with liposuction of the neck and proposes some tips and tricks to master wide-undermining neck liposuction. From January 2005 to September 2012, a total of 118 patients (34 males, 84 females) underwent neck liposuction. Patient selection was based mainly on age and neck-aging features. The procedure was performed with the patients under local anesthesia. A wide rhomboid-shaped skin undermining of the submandibular and neck area was performed and a very thin fat layer was preserved. Dressing was applied for 3 days. Improvement of the neck's contour was observed in all patients. Redefinition of the cervicomandibular angle and skin redraping of the cervical area occurred in all cases. No further touch-ups were needed. Edema and ecchymosis resolved in a few days. No major complications were observed. Our results show that wide-undermining neck liposuction performed under local anesthesia is an effective and safe procedure. Patient selection based on age and anatomical features was fundamental to obtain impressive improvement of neck contour. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Good practices in transportation evacuation preparedness and response : results of the FHWA workshop series.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

This document provides an overview of the good practices identified during a series of multi-state workshops on Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response in four regions across the United States. Good practices are not presented in priority...

Good practices in transportation evacuation preparedness and response : results of the FHWA Workshop Series

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

This document provides an overview of the good practices identified during a series of multi-state workshops on Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response in four regions across the United States. Good practices are not presented in priority...

Inattention in primary school is not good for your future school achievement-A pattern classification study.

PubMed

Lundervold, Astri J; Bøe, Tormod; Lundervold, Arvid

2017-01-01

Inattention in childhood is associated with academic problems later in life. The contribution of specific aspects of inattentive behaviour is, however, less known. We investigated feature importance of primary school teachers' reports on nine aspects of inattentive behaviour, gender and age in predicting future academic achievement. Primary school teachers of n = 2491 children (7-9 years) rated nine items reflecting different aspects of inattentive behaviour in 2002. A mean academic achievement score from the previous semester in high school (2012) was available for each youth from an official school register. All scores were at a categorical level. Feature importances were assessed by using multinominal logistic regression, classification and regression trees analysis, and a random forest algorithm. Finally, a comprehensive pattern classification procedure using k-fold cross-validation was implemented. Overall, inattention was rated as more severe in boys, who also obtained lower academic achievement scores in high school than girls. Problems related to sustained attention and distractibility were together with age and gender defined as the most important features to predict future achievement scores. Using these four features as input to a collection of classifiers employing k-fold cross-validation for prediction of academic achievement level, we obtained classification accuracy, precision and recall that were clearly better than chance levels. Primary school teachers' reports of problems related to sustained attention and distractibility were identified as the two most important features of inattentive behaviour predicting academic achievement in high school. Identification and follow-up procedures of primary school children showing these characteristics should be prioritised to prevent future academic failure.

Competition in Healthcare: Good, Bad or Ugly?

PubMed Central

Goddard, Maria

2015-01-01

The role of competition in healthcare is much debated. Despite a wealth of international experience in relation to competition, evidence is mixed and contested and the debate about the potential role for competition is often polarised. This paper considers briefly some of the reasons for this, focusing on what is meant by "competition in healthcare" and why it is more valuable to think about the circumstances in which competition is more and less likely to be a good tool to achieve benefits, rather than whether or not it is "good" or "bad," per se.M PMID:26340484

Beyond "Job-Embedded": Ensuring That Good Professional Development Gets Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, 2012

2012-01-01

Two recent studies by Biancarosa et al. and by Saunders et al. have finally demonstrated that "job-embedded, sustained professional development" can significantly improve student achievement. But there's a catch. In both studies, effective professional development (PD) strategies were successful only under certain circumstances or only in some…

Next Generation Scientists, Next Opportunities: EPA's Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, M.

2004-12-01

Scientific research is one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding and protecting our environment. It provides the foundation for what we know about our planet, how it has changed, and how it could be altered in the future. The National Center for Environmental Research (NCER) in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) supports high-quality, extramural research by the nation's leading scientists and engineers to strengthen the basis for decisions about local and national environmental issues. NCER works with academia, state and local governments, other federal agencies, and scientists in EPA to increase human knowledge of how to protect our health and natural resources through its three major programs: · Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Grants · Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) · Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships STAR, NCER's primary program, funds research grants and graduate fellowships in environmental science and engineering. Developing the next generation of environmental scientists and engineers is one of NCER's most important objectives. Each year, NCER helps between 80 and 160 students achieve Master's or Ph.D. degrees in environmental science and engineering through its STAR and Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) fellowships. Some of these students have moved on to careers in government while others are now full-time professors and researchers. Still others are working for state environmental agencies or furthering their studies through postdoctoral positions at universities. Since the inception of the NCER program, STAR fellowships (along with grants and SBIR projects) have been awarded in every state in the country. With the help of STAR, current and future scientists and engineers have been able to explore ways to preserve and protect human health and our precious resources.

Testing for Results: Helping Families, Schools and Communities Understand and Improve Student Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC. Office of the Under Secretary.

Redefining the federal government's role in kindergarten through grade 12 education, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is designed to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers. The act is based on four principles, the first of which is stronger accountability for results, entailing creation of…

'It's a matter of patient safety': understanding challenges in everyday clinical practice for achieving good care on the surgical ward - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Jangland, Eva; Nyberg, Berit; Yngman-Uhlin, Pia

2017-06-01

Surgical care plays an important role in the acute hospital's delivery of safe, high-quality patient care. Although demands for effectiveness are high in surgical wards quality of care and patient safety must also be secured. It is therefore necessary to identify the challenges and barriers linked to quality of care and patient safety with a focus on this specific setting. To explore situations and processes that support or hinder good safe patient care on the surgical ward. This qualitative study was based on a strategic sample of 10 department and ward leaders in three hospitals and six surgical wards in Sweden. Repeated reflective interviews were analysed using systematic text condensation. Four themes described the leaders' view of a complex healthcare setting that demands effectiveness and efficiency in moving patients quickly through the healthcare system. Quality of care and patient safety were often hampered factors such as a shift of care level, with critically ill patients cared for without reorganisation of nurses' competencies on the surgical ward. There is a gap between what is described in written documents and what is or can be performed in clinical practice to achieve good care and safe care on the surgical ward. A shift in levels of care on the surgical ward without reallocation of the necessary competencies at the patient's bedside show consequences for quality of care and patient safety. This means that surgical wards should consider reviewing their organisation and implementing more advanced nursing roles in direct patient care on all shifts. The ethical issues and the moral stress on nurses who lack the resources and competence to deliver good care according to professional values need to be made more explicit as a part of the patient safety agenda in the surgical ward. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

How to Achieve Better Results Using Pass-Based Virtual Screening: Case Study for Kinase Inhibitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pogodin, Pavel V.; Lagunin, Alexey A.; Rudik, Anastasia V.; Filimonov, Dmitry A.; Druzhilovskiy, Dmitry S.; Nicklaus, Mark C.; Poroikov, Vladimir V.

2018-04-01

Discovery of new pharmaceutical substances is currently boosted by the possibility of utilization of the Synthetically Accessible Virtual Inventory (SAVI) library, which includes about 283 million molecules, each annotated with a proposed synthetic one-step route from commercially available starting materials. The SAVI database is well-suited for ligand-based methods of virtual screening to select molecules for experimental testing. In this study, we compare the performance of three approaches for the analysis of structure-activity relationships that differ in their criteria for selecting of “active” and “inactive” compounds included in the training sets. PASS (Prediction of Activity Spectra for Substances), which is based on a modified Naïve Bayes algorithm, was applied since it had been shown to be robust and to provide good predictions of many biological activities based on just the structural formula of a compound even if the information in the training set is incomplete. We used different subsets of kinase inhibitors for this case study because many data are currently available on this important class of drug-like molecules. Based on the subsets of kinase inhibitors extracted from the ChEMBL 20 database we performed the PASS training, and then applied the model to ChEMBL 23 compounds not yet present in ChEMBL 20 to identify novel kinase inhibitors. As one may expect, the best prediction accuracy was obtained if only the experimentally confirmed active and inactive compounds for distinct kinases in the training procedure were used. However, for some kinases, reasonable results were obtained even if we used merged training sets, in which we designated as inactives the compounds not tested against the particular kinase. Thus, depending on the availability of data for a particular biological activity, one may choose the first or the second approach for creating ligand-based computational tools to achieve the best possible results in virtual screening.

38 CFR 21.6054 - Criteria for determining good employment potential.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Stabilization of medical conditions or substance abuse problems. (6) Participation in therapeutic work programs... good potential for achieving employment does not exist, a personal interview will be scheduled, and the...

"Everyone just ate good food": 'Good food' in Islamabad, Pakistan.

PubMed

Hasnain, Saher

2018-08-01

In recent years, consumption of alternatively produced foods has increased in popularity in response to the deleterious effects of rapidly globalising and industrialised food systems. Concerns over food safety in relation to these changes may result from elevated levels of risk and changing perceptions associated with food production practices. This paper explores how the middle class residents of Islamabad, Pakistan, use the concept of 'good food' to reconnect themselves with nature, changing food systems, and traditional values. The paper also demonstrates how these ideas relate to those of organic, local, and traditional food consumption as currently used in more economically developed states in the Global North. Through research based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews, this paper illustrates that besides price and convenience, purity, freshness, association with specific places, and 'Pakistani-ness' were considered as the basis for making decisions about 'good food'. The results show that while individuals are aware of and have some access to imported organic and local food, they prefer using holistic and culturally informed concepts of 'good food' instead that reconnect them with food systems. I argue that through conceptualisations of 'good food', the urban middle class in Islamabad is reducing their disconnection and dis-embeddedness from nature, the food systems, and their social identities. The paper contributes to literature on food anxieties, reconnections in food geography, and 'good food' perceptions, with a focus on Pakistan. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Cultivating Hope through Learning for the Common Good

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwen, Rhonda M.; Herman, Wayne R.; Himes, Brant M.

2016-01-01

This article examines how an orientation toward "hope" can guide institutions of higher education in achieving their ultimate purpose of providing education for the common good of society. In today's cultural context, colleges and universities must navigate a multitude of challenges and competing philosophies, many of which question the…

The Effects of CSCOPE on Student Achievement as Measured by Both TAKS and STAAR Test Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helm, Maricela Robledo

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of CSCOPE curriculum on student achievement. CSCOPE is a curriculum management system used in 750 of the 1,039 school districts in the state of Texas. Student achievement is based on the results acquired from the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the new version of the state…

Good work - how is it recognised by the nurse?

PubMed

Christiansen, Bjørg

2008-06-01

The aim of this paper is to shed light on how nurses describe situations that reflect achievement and provide confirmation that they have done good work. Nurses' recognition of good work does not seem to have been the object of direct investigation, but is indirectly reflected in studies focusing on nurses' perceptions on work environments and the multifaceted nature of nursing. However, acknowledging high-quality performance in professional nurses can facilitate nurses in maintaining and strengthening the goals and values of the profession. This in turn can help nurses shoulder the multifaceted responsibilities they have to patients and next of kin. This paper is part of the Professional Learning in a Changing Society project, Institute of Educational Research, University of Oslo, funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project involves four professional groups. This paper, however, focuses on a group of 10 nurses, nine of whom work in hospitals and one in an outpatient clinic. A qualitative approach was chosen to gain insight into how nurses, as well as the other professional groups in the project, engage in processes of knowledge production and quality assurance work. Data presented in this paper derive from semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted during spring 2005 and focuses on the recognition of good work. The following themes were identified as essential in confirming that one did good work: securing fundamental needs of patients and next of kin; managing the flow of responsibilities; positive feedback. CONCLUSIONS. Good work seems to be related to specific situations and a sense of achievement by the respondents. Recognition of good work is not only rewarding and enjoyable; it may also serve as a source of consciousness raising for professional and ethical guidelines in the work place.

Alternative Methods for Estimating Achievement Trends and School Effects: When Is Simple Good Enough?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warkentien, Siri; Silver, David

2016-01-01

Public schools with impressive records of serving lower-performing students are often overlooked because their average test scores, even when students are growing quickly, are lower than scores in schools that serve higher-performing students. Schools may appear to be doing poorly either because baseline achievement is not easily accounted for or…

Emerging Good Practices for Transforming Value Assessment: Patients' Voices, Patients' Values.

PubMed

Perfetto, Eleanor M; Harris, Jason; Mullins, C Daniel; dosReis, Susan

2018-04-01

Patient engagement is a transformative strategy for improving value assessment. US value framework developers have increased engagement activities, but more needs to be learned about how to best achieve meaningful patient engagement in value assessment. The objective was to glean good practices in patient engagement emerging from patient community experiences, to be used in value assessment. The National Health Council Value Workgroup conducted a survey and held a focus group with its member advocacy organizations to gather experiences with value framework developers and views on emerging good practices. Ten of 13 organizations completed the survey; reporting 13 interactions with four framework developers. Most rated experiences as "good" to "very good." Emerging good practices included (1) engage early; (2) engage a range of patients; (3) leverage patient-provided information, data resources, and outreach mechanisms; (4) be transparent; and (5) appreciate and accommodate resource constraints. Twelve of 13 organizations participated in the focus group, and this produced 30 emerging good practices in four areas: (1) timing; (2) methodology and data; (3) partnering; and (4) characterizing engagement. Patient engagement was limited in early development of value frameworks but has increased in the past few years. Patient groups report positive experiences that can serve as emerging good practices. These groups also reported experienced challenges in their interactions and recommended good practices to mitigate those challenges. The growing pool of patient engagement experiences can be translated into good practices to advance a patient-centered, value-driven health care ecosystem. Lessons learned from these early experiences can help establish recommend emerging good practices that can eventually result in best practices and standards in the field. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc

The Value of Full Correction: Achieving Excellent and Affordable Results.

PubMed

Kaplan, Julie Bass

2016-01-01

Patients often come to medical aesthetic offices with hopes to fully correct lost facial volume and achieve a natural appearance. Unfortunately, the cost per syringe of dermal filler can be a barrier to desired outcomes. Many aesthetic practitioners do the best they can with the amount of product the patient can afford, often falling short of the "wow" effect for the patient. This article describes what one office implemented to solve the conundrum of affordability while still allowing offices to cover its own financial realities. This tool can help patients achieve beautiful, natural, and affordable outcomes while helping offices advance in manufacturer's tiers, improve word-of-mouth advertising, and increase job satisfaction.

78 FR 9033 - Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Results of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-07

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-570-943] Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2010-2011 AGENCY: Import Administration, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. DATES: Effective February 6, 2013. FOR...

Modern psychometrics for assessing achievement goal orientation: a Rasch analysis.

PubMed

Muis, Krista R; Winne, Philip H; Edwards, Ordene V

2009-09-01

A program of research is needed that assesses the psychometric properties of instruments designed to quantify students' achievement goal orientations to clarify inconsistencies across previous studies and to provide a stronger basis for future research. We conducted traditional psychometric and modern Rasch-model analyses of the Achievement Goals Questionnaire (AGQ, Elliot & McGregor, 2001) and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale (PALS, Midgley et al., 2000) to provide an in-depth analysis of the two most popular instruments in educational psychology. For Study 1, 217 undergraduate students enrolled in educational psychology courses participated. Thirty-four were male and 181 were female (two did not respond). Participants completed the AGQ in the context of their educational psychology class. For Study 2, 126 undergraduate students enrolled in educational psychology courses participated. Thirty were male and 95 were female (one did not respond). Participants completed the PALS in the context of their educational psychology class. Traditional psychometric assessments of the AGQ and PALS replicated previous studies. For both, reliability estimates ranged from good to very good for raw subscale scores and fit for the models of goal orientations were good. Based on traditional psychometrics, the AGQ and PALS are valid and reliable indicators of achievement goals. Rasch analyses revealed that estimates of reliability for items were very good but respondent ability estimates varied from poor to good for both the AGQ and PALS. These findings indicate that items validly and reliably reflect a group's aggregate goal orientation, but using either instrument to characterize an individual's goal orientation is hazardous.

Good practices and health policy analysis in European sports stadia: results from the 'Healthy Stadia' project.

PubMed

Drygas, Wojciech; Ruszkowska, Joanna; Philpott, Matthew; Björkström, Olav; Parker, Mike; Ireland, Robin; Roncarolo, Federico; Tenconi, Maria

2013-06-01

Sport plays an important role within society and sports stadia provide significant settings for public health strategies. In addition to being places of mass gathering, stadia are often located in less affluent areas and are traditionally attended by 'harder to reach' communities. Unfortunately sports stadia and the clubs they host are rarely perceived as places that promote healthy lifestyles. Fast food, alcohol and tobacco are commonly advertized, served and consumed during sports games giving the spectators and TV fans contradictory messages concerning healthy choices. As part of a wider programme of work part-funded by the European Union, a study was therefore designed to explore current 'good practice' relating to positive health interventions in sports stadia across a number of European countries. Using a specially designed questionnaire, information about health policies and good practices relating to food offerings in stadia, physical activity promotion among local communities, tobacco policy, positive mental health initiatives, environmental sustainability practices and social responsibility policies were collected in 10 European countries (England and Northern Ireland, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Spain and Sweden) involving 88 stadia. The audit results show that stadia health policies differ considerably between specific countries and sports. Based on the literature analysed, the examples of good practices collected through the study, and the subsequent instigation of a European Healthy Stadia Network, it shows that there is considerable potential for stadia to become health promoting settings.

Reconsidering the "Good Divorce"

PubMed

Amato, Paul R; Kane, Jennifer B; James, Spencer

2011-12-01

This study attempted to assess the notion that a "good divorce" protects children from the potential negative consequences of marital dissolution. A cluster analysis of data on postdivorce parenting from 944 families resulted in three groups: cooperative coparenting, parallel parenting, and single parenting. Children in the cooperative coparenting (good divorce) cluster had the smallest number of behavior problems and the closest ties to their fathers. Nevertheless, children in this cluster did not score significantly better than other children on 10 additional outcomes. These findings provide only modest support for the good divorce hypothesis.

Pulmonary function in pubertal synchronized swimmers: 1-year follow-up results and its relation to competitive achievement.

PubMed

Gabrilo, Goran; Peric, Mia; Stipic, Marija

2011-03-01

Pulmonary function (PF) is particularly important in synchronized swimming, considering the characteristics of this sport. However, the sanitizing agents (chlorine) used in pools can have a possible negative influence on the PF parameters. In this study, we observed 24 swimmers (all women, 14 to 16 years of age) and measured their PF and competitive achievement. PF was measured before and after a 1-year period and included standard spirometric variables. Competitive achievement was evidenced during the National Championship. The t-test showed significant increases in body height and weight of the participants and a resulting increase in most of the absolute respiratory flows and pulmonary capacities. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume (both in proportion to norm for body height, gender, and age) increased significantly within the study period. FVC significantly predicted the competitive achievement of young swimmers, most probably because artists have to achieve exceptional breath control when upside down underwater. In conclusion, we found no evidence for the eventual negative influence of chlorine and its compounds on the PF of swimmers, and results showed that regular synchronized swim training could improve the PF of young artists.

[What everybody should know about good clinical practices].

PubMed

Osorio, Lyda

2015-01-01

An increasing number of countries are adopting good clinical practices guidelines as part of the regulation of clinical studies to register pharmaceutical products and other health-related products. Consequently, all parties involved in the research and development of these products should know them, implement them and ensure their compliance. However, good clinical practices guidelines are just one of the initiatives seeking to achieve the highest ethical and scientific standards in health research and in other areas where humans are research subjects. This review defines such practices and their objectives presenting in a practical manner their legal framework in Colombia, and clarifying their application in studies where interventions use no medications or those that are not clinical trials. Finally, the work discusses the challenges to ensure that good clinical practices contribute to the protection of research participants, the education of trustworthy health professionals, and a culture of respect for human beings.

Volunteering leads to rock-paper-scissors dynamics in a public goods game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semmann, Dirk; Krambeck, Hans-Jürgen; Milinski, Manfred

2003-09-01

Collective efforts are a trademark of both insect and human societies. They are achieved through relatedness in the former and unknown mechanisms in the latter. The problem of achieving cooperation among non-kin has been described as the `tragedy of the commons', prophesying the inescapable collapse of many human enterprises. In public goods experiments, initial cooperation usually drops quickly to almost zero. It can be maintained by the opportunity to punish defectors or the need to maintain good reputation. Both schemes require that defectors are identified. Theorists propose that a simple but effective mechanism operates under full anonymity. With optional participation in the public goods game, `loners' (players who do not join the group), defectors and cooperators will coexist through rock-paper-scissors dynamics. Here we show experimentally that volunteering generates these dynamics in public goods games and that manipulating initial conditions can produce each predicted direction. If, by manipulating displayed decisions, it is pretended that defectors have the highest frequency, loners soon become most frequent, as do cooperators after loners and defectors after cooperators. On average, cooperation is perpetuated at a substantial level.

Food Science for the Public Good

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Cassandra

If you are interested in food science, looking for a meaningful career path, and are motivated by the desire to make a difference, you may find that a career working for the public good can be very rewarding. Often, such opportunities address issues of social responsibility, sustainability, public health, and/or economic development. Food scientists who choose this path typically have an interest in social and public health issues, and are usually driven by the achievement of some sort of social, health, or societal gain. As food science in itself is a very broad discipline, applying this knowledge for the public good can also take a variety of paths. Whether you're interested in manufacturing, food safety, nutrition, food policy, product development, quality control, marketing and sales, or any other discipline that makes up the diverse field of food science, various opportunities exist to make a difference to society.

Application of Marketing Principles to Recruitment of Students Achieves Phenomenal Returns on Low Investment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de los Santos, Gilberto

1984-01-01

A project to improve Pan American's recruitment efforts in student markets already being served, rather than seeking new markets, is described. The project had two target groups: students accepted but not enrolled, and students who had left the university in good academic standing before graduating. Favorable results were achieved at low cost.…

Does achievement motivation mediate the semantic achievement priming effect?

PubMed

Engeser, Stefan; Baumann, Nicola

2014-10-01

The aim of our research was to understand the processes of the prime-to-behavior effects with semantic achievement primes. We extended existing models with a perspective from achievement motivation theory and additionally used achievement primes embedded in the running text of excerpts of school textbooks to simulate a more natural priming condition. Specifically, we proposed that achievement primes affect implicit achievement motivation and conducted pilot experiments and 3 main experiments to explore this proposition. We found no reliable positive effect of achievement primes on implicit achievement motivation. In light of these findings, we tested whether explicit (instead of implicit) achievement motivation is affected by achievement primes and found this to be the case. In the final experiment, we found support for the assumption that higher explicit achievement motivation implies that achievement priming affects the outcome expectations. The implications of the results are discussed, and we conclude that primes affect achievement behavior by heightening explicit achievement motivation and outcome expectancies.

Achieving Consensus on Principles of Good Practice for School Health in Independent Schools: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Miguel G.; Allegrante, John P.

2017-01-01

Background: Although the 8 components of the coordinated school health (CSH) framework have been implemented to various degrees in the nation's public schools, principles of good practice (PGPs) to guide health promotion efforts in independent schools do not exist. The purpose of this study was to generate PGPs and rate their feasibility of…

Use the Good Mind! An Interview with Freida Jacques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonelli, Richard

1997-01-01

Freida Jacques, Onondaga clan mother, discusses the discipline of the "good mind," which involves becoming aware of your thoughts, examining the intent of your actions, and deciding whether your intent is based on love or fear and anger. Peace and healing must be achieved through forgiveness and respect. Sidebars discuss Native American…

Good death in Japanese cancer care: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Hirai, Kei; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Morita, Tatsuya; Sanjo, Makiko; Uchitomi, Yosuke

2006-02-01

One of the most important goals of palliative care is achieving a "good death" or a "good dying process." The primary aim of this study was to identify the components of a Japanese "good death" through qualitative interviews with cancer patients, their families, physicians, and nurses. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Thirteen advanced cancer patients, 10 family members of such patients, 20 physicians, and 20 nurses were recruited from five regional cancer institutions in Japan. Content analysis was applied to answers, and 58 attributes were extracted and classified into 17 categories as follows: Freedom from pain or physical/psychological symptoms, Having a good family relationship, Dying in one's favorite place/environment, Having a good relationship with medical staff, Not being a burden to others, Maintaining dignity, Completion of life, Maintaining a sense of control, Fighting against cancer, Maintaining hope, Not prolonging life, Contributing to others, Control of future, Not being aware of death, Appreciating others, Maintaining pride, and Having faith. The most frequently cited category was "Freedom from pain or physical/psychological symptoms" and the least common was "Having faith." This study identified important components of a good death in Japan. A future quantitative survey is planned to clarify the generalizability of these findings as the primary endpoint of palliative care in Japan.

Correlates of Academic Procrastination and Mathematics Achievement of University Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akinsola, Mojeed Kolawole; Tella, Adedeji; Tella, Adeyinka

2007-01-01

Procrastination is now a common phenomenon among students, particularly those at the higher level. And this is doing more harm to their academic achievement than good. Therefore, this study examined the correlates between academic procrastination and mathematics achievement among the university mathematics undergraduate students. The study used a…

Predictors for good functional outcome after neurocritical care

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction There are only limited data on the long-term outcome of patients receiving specialized neurocritical care. In this study we analyzed survival, long-term mortality and functional outcome after neurocritical care and determined predictors for good functional outcome. Methods We retrospectively investigated 796 consecutive patients admitted to a non-surgical neurologic intensive care unit over a period of two years (2006 and 2007). Demographic and clinical parameters were analyzed. Depending on the diagnosis, we grouped patients according to their diseases (cerebral ischemia, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), meningitis/encephalitis, epilepsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and myasthenia gravis (MG), neurodegenerative diseases and encephalopathy, cerebral neoplasm and intoxication). Clinical parameters, mortality and functional outcome of all treated patients were analyzed. Functional outcome (using the modified Rankin Scale, mRS) one year after discharge was assessed by a mailed questionnaire or telephone interview. Outcome was dichotomized into good (mRS ≤ 2) and poor (mRS ≥ 3). Logistic regression analyses were calculated to determine independent predictors for good functional outcome. Results Overall in-hospital mortality amounted to 22.5% of all patients, and a good long-term functional outcome was achieved in 28.4%. The parameters age, length of ventilation (LOV), admission diagnosis of ICH, GBS/MG, and inoperable cerebral neoplasm as well as Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS)-28 on Day 1 were independently associated with functional outcome after one year. Conclusions This investigation revealed that age, LOV and TISS-28 on Day 1 were strongly predictive for the outcome. The diagnoses of hemorrhagic stroke and cerebral neoplasm leading to neurocritical care predispose for functional dependence or death, whereas patients with GBS and MG are more likely to recover after neurocritical care. PMID:20646313

Time series models of environmental exposures: Good predictions or good understanding.

PubMed

Barnett, Adrian G; Stephen, Dimity; Huang, Cunrui; Wolkewitz, Martin

2017-04-01

Time series data are popular in environmental epidemiology as they make use of the natural experiment of how changes in exposure over time might impact on disease. Many published time series papers have used parameter-heavy models that fully explained the second order patterns in disease to give residuals that have no short-term autocorrelation or seasonality. This is often achieved by including predictors of past disease counts (autoregression) or seasonal splines with many degrees of freedom. These approaches give great residuals, but add little to our understanding of cause and effect. We argue that modelling approaches should rely more on good epidemiology and less on statistical tests. This includes thinking about causal pathways, making potential confounders explicit, fitting a limited number of models, and not over-fitting at the cost of under-estimating the true association between exposure and disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effective Teaching Results in Increased Science Achievement for All Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Carla C.; Kahle, Jane Butler; Fargo, Jamison D.

2007-01-01

This study of teacher effectiveness and student achievement in science demonstrated that effective teachers positively impact student learning. A general linear mixed model was used to assess change in student scores on the Discovery Inquiry Test as a function of time, race, teacher effectiveness, gender, and impact of teacher effectiveness in…

Good match exploration for infrared face recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Changcai; Zhou, Huabing; Sun, Sheng; Liu, Renfeng; Zhao, Ji; Ma, Jiayi

2014-11-01

Establishing good feature correspondence is a critical prerequisite and a challenging task for infrared (IR) face recognition. Recent studies revealed that the scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) descriptor outperforms other local descriptors for feature matching. However, it only uses local appearance information for matching, and hence inevitably leads to a number of false matches. To address this issue, this paper explores global structure information (GSI) among SIFT correspondences, and proposes a new method SIFT-GSI for good match exploration. This is achieved by fitting a smooth mapping function for the underlying correct matches, which involves softassign and deterministic annealing. Quantitative comparisons with state-of-the-art methods on a publicly available IR human face database demonstrate that SIFT-GSI significantly outperforms other methods for feature matching, and hence it is able to improve the reliability of IR face recognition systems.

Learning How to Tell a Good Story: The Development of Content and Language in Children's Telling of One Tale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenning, Keith; Michell, Lynn

1985-01-01

Reports the results of a study showing that one stylistic feature, the inclusion of connectives other than "and/then" is a good predictor of explanation in five- to ten-year-olds, but a straightforward lack of linguistic resources is not necessarily what limits older children's achievement of explanatory narrative. (HTH)

One of the Good Guys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiley, H. S.

I was talking with some younger colleagues at a meeting last month when the subject of career goals came up. These colleagues were successful in that they had recently received tenure at top research universities and had some grants and good students. Thus, the early career pressure to simply survive was gone. So now what motivated them? Solving challenging and significant scientific problems was at the top of their lists. Interestingly, they were also motivated by a desire to become one of the “good guys” in science. The fact that being an important contributor to the scientific community can bemore » fulfilling should not come as a surprise to anyone. However, what I do consider surprising is how rarely this seems to be discussed with students and postdocs. What we do discuss are either those issues that are fundamental aspects of the job (get a grant, get tenure, do research in an important field) or those that are important to our institutions. Knowing how to do our jobs well is indeed essential for any kind of professional success. However, achieving the right balance in our ambitions is also important for our happiness.« less

An apparent contradiction: increasing variability to achieve greater precision?

PubMed

Rosenblatt, Noah J; Hurt, Christopher P; Latash, Mark L; Grabiner, Mark D

2014-02-01

To understand the relationship between variability of foot placement in the frontal plane and stability of gait patterns, we explored how constraining mediolateral foot placement during walking affects the structure of kinematic variance in the lower-limb configuration space during the swing phase of gait. Ten young subjects walked under three conditions: (1) unconstrained (normal walking), (2) constrained (walking overground with visual guides for foot placement to achieve the measured unconstrained step width) and, (3) beam (walking on elevated beams spaced to achieve the measured unconstrained step width). The uncontrolled manifold analysis of the joint configuration variance was used to quantify two variance components, one that did not affect the mediolateral trajectory of the foot in the frontal plane ("good variance") and one that affected this trajectory ("bad variance"). Based on recent studies, we hypothesized that across conditions (1) the index of the synergy stabilizing the mediolateral trajectory of the foot (the normalized difference between the "good variance" and "bad variance") would systematically increase and (2) the changes in the synergy index would be associated with a disproportionate increase in the "good variance." Both hypotheses were confirmed. We conclude that an increase in the "good variance" component of the joint configuration variance may be an effective method of ensuring high stability of gait patterns during conditions requiring increased control of foot placement, particularly if a postural threat is present. Ultimately, designing interventions that encourage a larger amount of "good variance" may be a promising method of improving stability of gait patterns in populations such as older adults and neurological patients.

Adaptive and bounded investment returns promote cooperation in spatial public goods games.

PubMed

Chen, Xiaojie; Liu, Yongkui; Zhou, Yonghui; Wang, Long; Perc, Matjaž

2012-01-01

The public goods game is one of the most famous models for studying the evolution of cooperation in sizable groups. The multiplication factor in this game can characterize the investment return from the public good, which may be variable depending on the interactive environment in realistic situations. Instead of using the same universal value, here we consider that the multiplication factor in each group is updated based on the differences between the local and global interactive environments in the spatial public goods game, but meanwhile limited to within a certain range. We find that the adaptive and bounded investment returns can significantly promote cooperation. In particular, full cooperation can be achieved for high feedback strength when appropriate limitation is set for the investment return. Also, we show that the fraction of cooperators in the whole population can become larger if the lower and upper limits of the multiplication factor are increased. Furthermore, in comparison to the traditionally spatial public goods game where the multiplication factor in each group is identical and fixed, we find that cooperation can be better promoted if the multiplication factor is constrained to adjust between one and the group size in our model. Our results highlight the importance of the locally adaptive and bounded investment returns for the emergence and dominance of cooperative behavior in structured populations.

Adaptive and Bounded Investment Returns Promote Cooperation in Spatial Public Goods Games

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiaojie; Liu, Yongkui; Zhou, Yonghui; Wang, Long; Perc, Matjaž

2012-01-01

The public goods game is one of the most famous models for studying the evolution of cooperation in sizable groups. The multiplication factor in this game can characterize the investment return from the public good, which may be variable depending on the interactive environment in realistic situations. Instead of using the same universal value, here we consider that the multiplication factor in each group is updated based on the differences between the local and global interactive environments in the spatial public goods game, but meanwhile limited to within a certain range. We find that the adaptive and bounded investment returns can significantly promote cooperation. In particular, full cooperation can be achieved for high feedback strength when appropriate limitation is set for the investment return. Also, we show that the fraction of cooperators in the whole population can become larger if the lower and upper limits of the multiplication factor are increased. Furthermore, in comparison to the traditionally spatial public goods game where the multiplication factor in each group is identical and fixed, we find that cooperation can be better promoted if the multiplication factor is constrained to adjust between one and the group size in our model. Our results highlight the importance of the locally adaptive and bounded investment returns for the emergence and dominance of cooperative behavior in structured populations. PMID:22615836

Political Economy of Infant Mortality Rate: Role of Democracy Versus Good Governance.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Dina Y

2018-01-01

Despite numerous studies on whether democracy reduces the infant mortality rate (IMR), the empirical results remain mixed at best. In this article, I perform several theoretical and empirical exercises that help explain why and under what conditions we should expect politics to matter most for a decrease in IMR. First, I capitalize on the epidemiological view that IMR - the most commonly used indicator of health in social sciences - is better suited to reflect public health micromanagement than overall social development. Second, I theorize that autocrats have incentives to invest in health up to a certain point, which could lead to a reduction in IMR. Third, I introduce an omitted variable - good governance - that trumps the importance of a political regime for IMR: (1) it directly affects public health micromanagement, and (2) many autocrats made inroads in achieving good governance. Finally, for the first time in such research, I use a disaggregated IMR approach to corroborate my hypotheses.

Good Education, the Good Teacher, and a Practical Art of Living a Good Life: A Catholic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermans, Chris

2017-01-01

What is good education? We value education for reasons connected to the good provided by education in society. This good is connected to be the pedagogical aim of education. This article distinguishes five criteria for good education based on the concept of "Bildung". Next, these five criteria are used to develop the idea of the good…

What Makes a Good Student? How Emotions, Self-Regulated Learning, and Motivation Contribute to Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mega, Carolina; Ronconi, Lucia; De Beni, Rossana

2014-01-01

The authors propose a theoretical model linking emotions, self-regulated learning, and motivation to academic achievement. This model was tested with 5,805 undergraduate students. They completed the Self-Regulated Learning, Emotions, and Motivation Computerized Battery (LEM-B) composed of 3 self-report questionnaires: the Self-Regulated Learning…

Is Early Ability Grouping Good for High-Achieving Students' Psychosocial Development? Effects of the Transition into Academically Selective Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Michael; Neumann, Marko; Tetzner, Julia; Böse, Susanne; Knoppick, Henrike; Maaz, Kai; Baumert, Jürgen; Lehmann, Rainer

2014-01-01

The present study investigates school context effects on psychosocial characteristics (academic self-concept, peer relations, school satisfaction, and school anxiety) of high-achieving and gifted students. Students who did or did not make an early transition from elementary to secondary schools for high-achieving and gifted students in 5th grade…

Good manufacturing practices for medicinal products for human use.

PubMed

Gouveia, Bruno G; Rijo, Patrícia; Gonçalo, Tânia S; Reis, Catarina P

2015-01-01

At international and national levels, there are public and private organizations, institutions and regulatory authorities, who work and cooperate between them and with Pharmaceutical Industry, in order to achieve a consensus of the guidelines and laws of the manufacturing of medicinal products for human use. This article includes an explanation of how operate and cooperate these participants, between them and expose the current regulations, following the line of European Community/European Economic Area, referencing, wherever appropriate, the practiced guidelines, outside of regulatory action of space mentioned. In this way, it is intended to achieve quality, security and effectiveness exceptional levels in the manufacturing of health products. Good Manufacturing Practice aim the promotion of the human health and consequently, to the improvement of quality of life. For achieve the proposed objectives, it is necessary to ensure the applicability of the presented concepts and show the benefits arising from this applicability.

Good manufacturing practices for medicinal products for human use

PubMed Central

Gouveia, Bruno G.; Rijo, Patrícia; Gonçalo, Tânia S.; Reis, Catarina P.

2015-01-01

At international and national levels, there are public and private organizations, institutions and regulatory authorities, who work and cooperate between them and with Pharmaceutical Industry, in order to achieve a consensus of the guidelines and laws of the manufacturing of medicinal products for human use. This article includes an explanation of how operate and cooperate these participants, between them and expose the current regulations, following the line of European Community/European Economic Area, referencing, wherever appropriate, the practiced guidelines, outside of regulatory action of space mentioned. In this way, it is intended to achieve quality, security and effectiveness exceptional levels in the manufacturing of health products. Good Manufacturing Practice aim the promotion of the human health and consequently, to the improvement of quality of life. For achieve the proposed objectives, it is necessary to ensure the applicability of the presented concepts and show the benefits arising from this applicability. PMID:25883511

Challenges in developing e-government for good governance in North Sumatra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siahaan, AY

2017-01-01

E-government as one form of public administration reform in Indonesia is increasingly related to the pursuance of good governance. This paper examines the relationship between of e-government and good governance by utilizing the case study design on the implementation of e-procurement in North Sumatra. It reveals centrality of local politics and business culture in understanding resistances of both local government officials and local business which creates loopholes’ for the practice of ‘bad governance’ in all phases of e-procurement in North Sumatra province. Data transparency does not equate and guarantee the realization of good governance. Public knowledge and understanding on government decision making processes and accountability (process and policy transparency) are central to achieve good governance through e-procurement. E-procurement system does not automatically change organizational and working culture of the implementers and suppliers. This paper provides insight to the attitude and the perception of private sector engage in e-procurement towards government in implementing e-government. Resistance, digital divide and local politics interrelatedly obstruct the realization of pursuing good governance through e-procurement.

Reconsidering the “Good Divorce”

PubMed Central

Amato, Paul R.; Kane, Jennifer B.; James, Spencer

2011-01-01

This study attempted to assess the notion that a “good divorce” protects children from the potential negative consequences of marital dissolution. A cluster analysis of data on postdivorce parenting from 944 families resulted in three groups: cooperative coparenting, parallel parenting, and single parenting. Children in the cooperative coparenting (good divorce) cluster had the smallest number of behavior problems and the closest ties to their fathers. Nevertheless, children in this cluster did not score significantly better than other children on 10 additional outcomes. These findings provide only modest support for the good divorce hypothesis. PMID:22125355

Evaluation of a community-based sex offender treatment program using a good lives model approach.

PubMed

Harkins, Leigh; Flak, Vanja E; Beech, Anthony R; Woodhams, Jessica

2012-12-01

In this study the authors assessed a Good Lives model (GLM) approach to sex offender treatment and compare it to a standard Relapse Prevention program. The comparisons examined (a) attrition rates, (b) treatment change in areas targeted in treatment and achievement of a posttreatment treated profile, and (c) views of offenders and facilitators. There were no differences in the attrition rates or the rates of treatment change between the two programs, indicating that they were equally effective at retaining participants and achieving change on areas targeted within treatment. Both facilitators and program participants reported the Good Lives approach module's impact in a positive, future-focused manner. In contrast, those who attended the Relapse Prevention module did not report their perceptions and motivations in a manner that was focused on the positives in their future as frequently as those who attended the module with the Good Lives model approach.

How good is μ- τ symmetry after results on non-zero θ 13?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Shivani; Joshipura, Anjan S.; Patel, Ketan M.

2013-09-01

Viability of the μ- τ interchange symmetry imposed as an approximate symmetry (1) on the neutrino mass matrix in the flavour basis (2) simultaneously on the charged lepton mass matrix M l and the neutrino mass matrix M ν and (3) on the underlying Lagrangian is discussed in the light of recent observation of a non-zero reactor mixing angle θ 13. In case (1), μ- τ symmetry breaking may be regarded as small (less than 20-30%) only for the inverted or quasidegenerate neutrino mass spectrum and the normal hierarchy would violate it by a large amount. The case (2) is more restrictive and the requirement of relatively small breaking allows only the quasidegenerate spectrum. If neutrinos obtain their masses from the type-I seesaw mechanism then small breaking of the μ- τ symmetry in the underlying Lagrangian may result in a large breaking in and even the hierarchical neutrino spectrum may also be consistent with mildly broken μ- τ symmetry of the Lagrangian. Neutrinoless double beta decay provides a good means of distinguishing above scenarios. In particular, non-observation of signal in future experiments such as GERDA would rule out scenarios (1) and (2).

Punishment and reputation in spatial public goods games.

PubMed

Brandt, Hannelore; Hauert, Christoph; Sigmund, Karl

2003-05-22

The puzzle of the emergence of cooperation between unrelated individuals is shared across diverse fields of behavioural sciences and economics. In this article we combine the public goods game originating in economics with evolutionary approaches traditionally used in biology. Instead of pairwise encounters, we consider the more complex case of groups of three interacting individuals. We show that territoriality is capable of promoting cooperative behaviour, as in the case of the Prisoner's Dilemma. Moreover, by adding punishment opportunities, the readiness to cooperate is greatly enhanced and asocial strategies can be largely suppressed. Finally, as soon as players carry a reputation for being willing or unwilling to punish, highly cooperative and fair outcomes are achieved. This group-beneficial result is obtained, intriguingly, by making individuals more likely to exploit their co-players if they can get away with it. Thus, less-cooperative individuals make more-cooperative societies.

Tolerance-based punishment in continuous public goods game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jia; Li, Zhi; Cong, Rui; Wang, Long

2012-08-01

Altruistic punishment for defectors is considered as a key motive for the explanation of cooperation. However, there is no clear border between the cooperative and defective behaviors in a continuous strategy game. We propose a model to study the effect of punishment on the evolution of cooperation in continuous public goods game, wherein individuals have the traits to punish the co-players based on social tolerance. We show that a reasonable punishment with a uniform tolerance can spur individuals to make more investments. Additionally, for a fixed punishment cost and a fixed fine, a moderate value of tolerance can result in the best promotion of cooperation. Furthermore, we investigate the coevolutionary dynamics of investment and tolerance. We find that the population splits into two branches: high-tolerance individuals who make high investments and low-tolerance individuals who make low investments. A dynamic equilibrium is achieved between these two types of individuals. Our work extends punishment to continuous cooperative behaviors and the results may enhance the understanding of altruistic punishment in the evolution of human cooperation.

High-risk population health management--achieving improved patient outcomes and near-term financial results.

PubMed

Lynch, J P; Forman, S A; Graff, S; Gunby, M C

2000-07-01

A managed care organization sought to achieve efficiencies in care delivery and cost savings by anticipating and better caring for its frail and least stable members. Time sequence case study of program intervention across an entire managed care population in its first year compared with the prior baseline year. Key attributes of the intervention included predictive registries of at-risk members based on existing data, relentless focus on the high-risk group, an integrated clinical and psychosocial approach to assessments and are planning, a reengineered care management process, secured Internet applications enabling rapid implementation and broad connectivity, and population-based outcomes metrics derived from widely used measures of resource utilization and functional status. Concentrating on the highest-risk group, which averaged just 1.1% prevalence in the total membership, yielded bottom line results. When the year before program implementation (July 1997 through June 1998) was compared with the subsequent year, the total population's annualized commercial admission rate was reduced 5.3%, and seniors' was reduced 3.0%. A claims-paid analysis exclusively of the highest-risk group revealed that their efficiencies and savings overwhelmingly contributed to the membershipwide effect. This subgroup's costs dropped 35.7% from preprogram levels of $2590 per member per month (excluding pharmaceuticals). During the same time, patient-derived cross-sectional functional status rose 12.5%. A sharply focused, Internet-deployed case management strategy achieved economic and functional status results on a population basis and produced systemwide savings in its first year of implementation.

Lay responder naloxone access and Good Samaritan law compliance: postcard survey results from 20 Indiana counties.

PubMed

Watson, Dennis P; Ray, Bradley; Robison, Lisa; Huynh, Philip; Sightes, Emily; Walker, La Shea; Brucker, Krista; Duwve, Joan

2018-04-06

To reduce fatal drug overdoses, two approaches many states have followed is to pass laws expanding naloxone access and Good Samaritan protections for lay persons with high likelihood to respond to an opioid overdose. Most prior research has examined attitudes and knowledge among lay responders in large metropolitan areas who actively use illicit substances. The present study addresses current gaps in knowledge related to this issue through an analysis of data collected from a broader group of lay responders who received naloxone kits from 20 local health departments across Indiana. Postcard surveys were included inside naloxone kits distributed in 20 Indiana counties, for which 217 returned cards indicated the person completing it was a lay responder. The survey captured demographic information and experiences with overdose, including the use of 911 and knowledge about Good Samaritan protections. Few respondents had administered naloxone before, but approximately one third had witnessed a prior overdose and the majority knew someone who had died from one. Those who knew someone who had overdosed were more likely to have obtained naloxone for someone other than themselves. Also, persons with knowledge of Good Samaritan protections or who had previously used naloxone were significantly more likely to have indicated calling 911 at the scene of a previously witnessed overdose. Primary reasons for not calling 911 included fear of the police and the person who overdosed waking up on their own. Knowing someone who has had a fatal or non-fatal overdose appears to be a strong motivating factor for obtaining naloxone. Clarifying and strengthening Good Samaritan protections, educating lay persons about these protections, and working to improve police interactions with the public when they are called to an overdose scene are likely to improve implementation and outcomes of naloxone distribution and opioid-related Good Samaritan laws.

The Cardiovascular Health of Urban African-Americans: Dietary Results from the Genes, Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness and Spiritual Growth (GoodNEWS) Trial

PubMed Central

Carson, Jo Ann S.; Michalsky, Linda; Latson, Bernadette; Banks, Kamakki; Tong, Liyue; Gimpel, Nora; Lee, Jenny J.; DeHaven, Mark J.

2012-01-01

African-Americans have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than Americans in general and are thus prime targets for efforts to reduce CVD risk. Dietary intake data were obtained from African-Americans participating in the GoodNEWS trial. The 286 females and 71 males had a mean age of 49 years; 53% had hypertension, 65% had dyslipidemia and 51% met criteria for metabolic syndrome. Their dietary intakes were compared to American Heart Association and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute nutritional parameters to identify areas for improvement to reduce CVD risk in this group of urban church members in Dallas, Texas. Results from administration of the Dietary History Questionnaire (DHQ) indicated median daily intakes of 33.6 % of energy from total fat, 10.3% of energy from saturated fat, 171 mg cholesterol, 16.3 g dietary fiber, and 2453 mg sodium. A beneficial median intake of 2.9 cups of fruits and vegetable/day was coupled with only 2.7 oz fish/week and an excessive intake of 13 tsp added sugar/day. These data indicate several changes needed to bring the diets of these individuals, and likely many other urban African-Americans, in line with national recommendations: reduction of saturated fat, sodium and sugar intake, while increasing intake of fatty fish and whole grains. The frequent inclusion of vegetables should be encouraged in ways that promote achievement of recommended intakes of energy, fat, fiber and sodium. PMID:22995059

Achieving across-laboratory replicability in psychophysical scaling

PubMed Central

Ward, Lawrence M.; Baumann, Michael; Moffat, Graeme; Roberts, Larry E.; Mori, Shuji; Rutledge-Taylor, Matthew; West, Robert L.

2015-01-01

It is well known that, although psychophysical scaling produces good qualitative agreement between experiments, precise quantitative agreement between experimental results, such as that routinely achieved in physics or biology, is rarely or never attained. A particularly galling example of this is the fact that power function exponents for the same psychological continuum, measured in different laboratories but ostensibly using the same scaling method, magnitude estimation, can vary by a factor of three. Constrained scaling (CS), in which observers first learn a standardized meaning for a set of numerical responses relative to a standard sensory continuum and then make magnitude judgments of other sensations using the learned response scale, has produced excellent quantitative agreement between individual observers’ psychophysical functions. Theoretically it could do the same for across-laboratory comparisons, although this needs to be tested directly. We compared nine different experiments from four different laboratories as an example of the level of across experiment and across-laboratory agreement achievable using CS. In general, we found across experiment and across-laboratory agreement using CS to be significantly superior to that typically obtained with conventional magnitude estimation techniques, although some of its potential remains to be realized. PMID:26191019

Do good actions inspire good actions in others?

PubMed

Capraro, Valerio; Marcelletti, Alessandra

2014-12-12

Actions such as sharing food and cooperating to reach a common goal have played a fundamental role in the evolution of human societies. Despite the importance of such good actions, little is known about if and how they can spread from person to person to person. For instance, does being recipient of an altruistic act increase your probability of being cooperative with a third party? We have conducted an experiment on Amazon Mechanical Turk to test this mechanism using economic games. We have measured willingness to be cooperative through a standard Prisoner's dilemma and willingness to act altruistically using a binary Dictator game. In the baseline treatments, the endowments needed to play were given by the experimenters, as usual; in the control treatments, they came from a good action made by someone else. Across four different comparisons and a total of 572 subjects, we have never found a significant increase of cooperation or altruism when the endowment came from a good action. We conclude that good actions do not necessarily inspire good actions in others. While this is consistent with the theoretical prediction, it challenges the majority of other experimental studies.

Behavioral Patterns in Special Education. Good Teaching Practices.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Dorta, Manuela; Borges, África

2017-01-01

Providing quality education means to respond to the diversity in the classroom. The teacher is a key figure in responding to the various educational needs presented by students. Specifically, special education professionals are of great importance as they are the ones who lend their support to regular classroom teachers and offer specialized educational assistance to students who require it. Therefore, special education is different from what takes place in the regular classroom, demanding greater commitment by the teacher. There are certain behaviors, considered good teaching practices, which teachers have always been connected with to achieve good teaching and good learning. To ensure that these teachers are carrying out their educational work properly it is necessary to evaluate. This means having appropriate instruments. The Observational Protocol for Teaching Functions in Primary School and Special Education (PROFUNDO-EPE, v.3., in Spanish) allows to capture behaviors from these professionals and behavioral patterns that correspond to good teaching practices. This study evaluates the behavior of two special education teachers who work with students from different educational stages and educational needs. It reveals that the analyzed teachers adapt their behavior according the needs and characteristics of their students to the students responding more adequately to the needs presented by the students and showing good teaching practices. The patterns obtained indicate that they offer support, help and clear guidelines to perform the tasks. They motivate them toward learning by providing positive feedback and they check that students have properly assimilated the contents through questions or non-verbal supervision. Also, they provide a safe and reliable climate for learning.

Improving Achievement in Low-Performing Schools: Key Results for School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Randolph E.; Burke, Mary Ann

2004-01-01

As accountability in schools becomes more crucial, educators are looking for comprehensive and innovative management practices that respond to challenges and realities of student academic achievement. In order to improve academic performance and the quality of instruction, the entire school community needs to be involved. This book provides six…

Heterogeneous multi-layered IF steel with simultaneous high strength and good ductility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ling; Jiang, Xiaojuan; Wang, Yuhui; Chen, Qiang; Chen, Zhen; Zhang, Yonghong; Huang, Tianlin; Wu, Guilin

2017-07-01

Multi-layered IF steel samples were designed and fabricated by hot compression followed by cold forging of an alternating stack of cold-rolled and annealed IF steel sheets, with an aim to improve the strength of the material without losing much ductility. A very good combination of strength and ductility was achieved by proper annealing after deformation. Microstructural analysis by electron back-scatter diffraction revealed that the good combination of strength and ductility is related to a characteristic hierarchical structure that is characterized by layered and lamella structures with different length scales.

Why Evaluations Fail: To Achieve Meaningful Results, Address These Common Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killion, Joellen

2017-01-01

Evaluation of professional learning illuminates the interactions that occur in the implementation of planned learning experiences and the necessary supports designed to improve professional practice and its effects on students. It investigates how a set of actions designed to achieve defined short- and long-term outcomes occur over time and how…

Influence of Student–Teacher and Parent–Teacher Relationships on Lower Achieving Readers’ Engagement and Achievement in the Primary Grades

PubMed Central

Hughes, Jan; Kwok, Oi-man

2007-01-01

Participants were 443 (52.6% male, 47.4% female) ethnically diverse, 1st-grade, lower achieving readers attending 1 of 3 school districts in Texas. Using latent variable structural equation modeling, the authors tested a theoretical model positing that (a) the quality of teachers’ relationships with students and their parents mediates the associations between children’s background characteristics and teacher-rated classroom engagement and that (b) child classroom engagement, in turn, mediates the associations between student–teacher and parent–teacher relatedness and child achievement the following year. The hypothesized model provided a good fit to the data. African American children and their parents, relative to Hispanic and Caucasian children and their parents, had less supportive relationships with teachers. These differences in relatedness may be implicated in African American children’s lower achievement trajectories in the early grades. Implications of these findings for teacher preparation are discussed. PMID:18084625

Medical records. Enhancing privacy, preserving the common good.

PubMed

Etzioni, A

1999-01-01

Personal medical information is now bought and sold on the open market. Companies use it to make hiring and firing decisions and to identify customers for new products. The justification for providing such access to medical information is that doing so benefits the public by securing public safety, controlling costs, and supporting medical research. And individuals have supposedly consented to it. But we can achieve the common goods while better protecting privacy by making institutional changes in the way information is maintained and protected.

Evaluating the Good Ontology Design Guideline (GoodOD) with the Ontology Quality Requirements and Evaluation Method and Metrics (OQuaRE)

PubMed Central

Duque-Ramos, Astrid; Boeker, Martin; Jansen, Ludger; Schulz, Stefan; Iniesta, Miguela; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2014-01-01

Objective To (1) evaluate the GoodOD guideline for ontology development by applying the OQuaRE evaluation method and metrics to the ontology artefacts that were produced by students in a randomized controlled trial, and (2) informally compare the OQuaRE evaluation method with gold standard and competency questions based evaluation methods, respectively. Background In the last decades many methods for ontology construction and ontology evaluation have been proposed. However, none of them has become a standard and there is no empirical evidence of comparative evaluation of such methods. This paper brings together GoodOD and OQuaRE. GoodOD is a guideline for developing robust ontologies. It was previously evaluated in a randomized controlled trial employing metrics based on gold standard ontologies and competency questions as outcome parameters. OQuaRE is a method for ontology quality evaluation which adapts the SQuaRE standard for software product quality to ontologies and has been successfully used for evaluating the quality of ontologies. Methods In this paper, we evaluate the effect of training in ontology construction based on the GoodOD guideline within the OQuaRE quality evaluation framework and compare the results with those obtained for the previous studies based on the same data. Results Our results show a significant effect of the GoodOD training over developed ontologies by topics: (a) a highly significant effect was detected in three topics from the analysis of the ontologies of untrained and trained students; (b) both positive and negative training effects with respect to the gold standard were found for five topics. Conclusion The GoodOD guideline had a significant effect over the quality of the ontologies developed. Our results show that GoodOD ontologies can be effectively evaluated using OQuaRE and that OQuaRE is able to provide additional useful information about the quality of the GoodOD ontologies. PMID:25148262

Behavioral Patterns in Special Education. Good Teaching Practices

PubMed Central

Rodríguez-Dorta, Manuela; Borges, África

2017-01-01

Providing quality education means to respond to the diversity in the classroom. The teacher is a key figure in responding to the various educational needs presented by students. Specifically, special education professionals are of great importance as they are the ones who lend their support to regular classroom teachers and offer specialized educational assistance to students who require it. Therefore, special education is different from what takes place in the regular classroom, demanding greater commitment by the teacher. There are certain behaviors, considered good teaching practices, which teachers have always been connected with to achieve good teaching and good learning. To ensure that these teachers are carrying out their educational work properly it is necessary to evaluate. This means having appropriate instruments. The Observational Protocol for Teaching Functions in Primary School and Special Education (PROFUNDO-EPE, v.3., in Spanish) allows to capture behaviors from these professionals and behavioral patterns that correspond to good teaching practices. This study evaluates the behavior of two special education teachers who work with students from different educational stages and educational needs. It reveals that the analyzed teachers adapt their behavior according the needs and characteristics of their students to the students responding more adequately to the needs presented by the students and showing good teaching practices. The patterns obtained indicate that they offer support, help and clear guidelines to perform the tasks. They motivate them toward learning by providing positive feedback and they check that students have properly assimilated the contents through questions or non-verbal supervision. Also, they provide a safe and reliable climate for learning. PMID:28512437

Reading Achievement State by State, 1999. Goal 3: Student Achievement and Citizenship.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Goals Panel (ED), Washington, DC.

Noting that performance at the highest levels of achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is evidence that students have demonstrated competency over challenging subject matter and achieved the third National Educational Goal, this report presents the most up-to-date results in reading achievement for the states and…

The Effect of Language Learning Strategies on Proficiency, Attitudes and School Achievement

PubMed Central

Habók, Anita; Magyar, Andrea

2018-01-01

This study examines language learning strategy (LLS) use in connexion with foreign language attitude, proficiency and general school achievement among lower secondary students in Years 5 and 8 (n = 868) in Hungary. An adapted version of the Strategies Inventory for Language Learning questionnaire was used for data collection. The results showed that Hungarian students mainly engage in metacognitive strategies in both years. Differences between more and less proficient language learners’ strategy use have also been found. With regard to the effect of LLS on foreign language attitude, the foreign language mark and school achievement, path analysis indicated a good fit in both years. The metacognitive, social and memory strategies primarily influenced foreign language attitudes and marks in Year 5. The metacognitive strategies had a slight impact on school achievement as well as on foreign language marks. We demonstrated the dominant effect of metacognitive strategies and the low effect of memory strategies in Year 8. In addition, metacognitive strategies also influenced foreign language marks. The effect of foreign language marks on school achievement was also remarkable. There was a strong impact on the children’s attitudes through these variables. PMID:29379461

The Effect of Language Learning Strategies on Proficiency, Attitudes and School Achievement.

PubMed

Habók, Anita; Magyar, Andrea

2017-01-01

This study examines language learning strategy (LLS) use in connexion with foreign language attitude, proficiency and general school achievement among lower secondary students in Years 5 and 8 ( n = 868) in Hungary. An adapted version of the Strategies Inventory for Language Learning questionnaire was used for data collection. The results showed that Hungarian students mainly engage in metacognitive strategies in both years. Differences between more and less proficient language learners' strategy use have also been found. With regard to the effect of LLS on foreign language attitude, the foreign language mark and school achievement, path analysis indicated a good fit in both years. The metacognitive, social and memory strategies primarily influenced foreign language attitudes and marks in Year 5. The metacognitive strategies had a slight impact on school achievement as well as on foreign language marks. We demonstrated the dominant effect of metacognitive strategies and the low effect of memory strategies in Year 8. In addition, metacognitive strategies also influenced foreign language marks. The effect of foreign language marks on school achievement was also remarkable. There was a strong impact on the children's attitudes through these variables.

Correlates of midlife career achievement among women physicians.

PubMed

Graves, P L; Thomas, C B

1985-08-09

In the context of a longitudinal study, we explored factors contributing to midlife career achievement among 108 women physicians. Three groups were formed, based on medical specialty, specialty board certification, and professorial appointment. Using analysis of variance procedures, the career groups were compared on measures obtained during medical school and on marital status, family size, and three health measures in midlife. Of the youthful measures, academic standing, father's socioeconomic status, and early family (specifically father-daughter) relationships were found to be associated with midlife achievement. Furthermore, a clear association was observed between success and good health in midlife. Married women formed the majority in all groups; no differences in family size were found. We conclude that career achievement among women physicians is influenced less by marriage and family size than by motivational and personality factors shaped in early life.

Results of operative treatment of the pectus carinatum.

PubMed

Nowacki, Wiesław; Kruczyński, Jacek; Futyma, Jacek; Stencel, Piotr

2008-01-01

Evaluation of the efficiency of the operative treatment for pectus carinatum depending on the type of deformity. 65 subjects following surgical procedures due to pectus carinatum deformity between 1997 and 2003 were analyzed. Surgical correction of the deformity depended on the localization of the sternal protrusion, grade of asymmetry and severity of the deformity. Radiological severity index of the deformity (Haller's index-HI) and patients' subjective evaluation were collected to assess the grade of deformity and the results of treatment. Very good or good results were achieved after a mean period of 38 months of follow-up in all subjects who undergone surgical procedure. It was proven that stabilization of the osteotomy sternum site with a non-absorbable suture sufficiently enough protects against relapses of the malformation and hypercorrection.

Good soldiers and good actors: prosocial and impression management motives as interactive predictors of affiliative citizenship behaviors.

PubMed

Grant, Adam M; Mayer, David M

2009-07-01

Researchers have discovered inconsistent relationships between prosocial motives and citizenship behaviors. We draw on impression management theory to propose that impression management motives strengthen the association between prosocial motives and affiliative citizenship by encouraging employees to express citizenship in ways that both "do good" and "look good." We report 2 studies that examine the interactions of prosocial and impression management motives as predictors of affiliative citizenship using multisource data from 2 different field samples. Across the 2 studies, we find positive interactions between prosocial and impression management motives as predictors of affiliative citizenship behaviors directed toward other people (helping and courtesy) and the organization (initiative). Study 2 also shows that only prosocial motives predict voice-a challenging citizenship behavior. Our results suggest that employees who are both good soldiers and good actors are most likely to emerge as good citizens in promoting the status quo.

Falls, Cognitive Impairment, and Gait Performance: Results From the GOOD Initiative

PubMed Central

Allali, Gilles; Launay, Cyrille P.; Blumen, Helena M.; Callisaya, Michele L.; De Cock, Anne-Marie; Kressig, Reto W.; Srikanth, Velandai; Steinmetz, Jean-Paul; Verghese, Joe; Beauchet, Olivier

2017-01-01

Objectives Falls are highly prevalent in individuals with cognitive decline. The complex relationship between falls and cognitive decline (including both subtype and severity of dementia) and the influence of gait disorders have not been studied. This study aimed to examine the association between the subtype (Alzheimer disease [AD] versus non-AD) and the severity (from preclinical to moderate dementia) of cognitive impairment and falls, and to establish an association between falls and gait parameters during the course of dementia. Design Multicenter cross-sectional study. Setting “Gait, cOgnitiOn & Decline” (GOOD) initiative. Participants A total of 2496 older adults (76.6 ± 7.6 years; 55.0% women) were included in this study (1161 cognitively healthy individuals [CHI], 529 patients with mild cognitive impairment [MCI], 456 patients with mild dementia, and 350 with moderate dementia) from 7 countries. Measurements Falls history was collected retrospectively at baseline in each study. Gait speed and stride time variability were recorded at usual walking pace with the GAITRite system. Results The prevalence of individuals who fall was 50% in AD and 64% in non-AD; whereas it was 25% in CHIs. Only mild and moderate non-AD dementia were associated with an increased risk for falls in comparison with CHI. Higher stride time variability was associated with falls in older adults without dementia (CHI and each MCI subgroup) and mild non-AD dementia, whereas lower gait speed was associated with falls in all participant groups, except in mild AD dementia. When gait speed was adjusted for, higher stride time variability was associated with falls only in CHIs (odds ratio 1.14; P = .012), but not in MCI or in patients with dementia. Conclusions These findings suggest that non-AD, but not AD dementia, is associated with increased falls in comparison with CHIs. The association between gait parameters and falls also differs across cognitive status, suggesting different

When It Is Bad to Be Too Good.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cappon, Daniel

1980-01-01

Excessive "too-goodness" in a child can lead to obsessive neuroses which result in compulsions or ruminations. The only effective treatment is early prevention, culturally, socially, and behaviorally. Children must understand that all excesses are bad. Being bad is sometimes good. Being too good can be unhealthy. (Author/BEF)

It Feels Good to Learn Where I Belong: School Belonging, Academic Emotions, and Academic Achievement in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Un Fong; Chen, Wei-Wen; Zhang, Jingqi; Liang, Ting

2015-01-01

This study examined the relationships between school belonging, academic emotions, and academic achievement in Macau adolescents. A survey of 406 junior high school students in Macau was used to collect information on the extent to which these students felt accepted and respected in their schools (school belonging), the emotions they experienced…

A Good Samaritan inspired foundation for a fair health care system.

PubMed

Frangenberg, Elmar H

2011-02-01

Distributive justice on the income and on the service aspects is the most vexing modern day problem for the creation and maintenance of an all inclusive health care system. A pervasive problem of all current schemes is the lack of effective cost control, which continues to result in increasing burdens for all public and private stakeholders. This proposal posits that the responsibility and financial obligation to achieve an ideal outcome of equal and affordable access and benefits for all citizens is misplaced. The Good Samaritan demonstrated basic ethical principles, which are revisited, elaborated and integrated into a new approach to health care. The participants are limited to individual contributors and beneficiaries and organized as a citizen carried, closed, independent, and self-sufficient self-governing cooperative for their own and the benefit of a minority of disadvantaged health care consumers. The government assumes oversight, provides arbitration, enforces democratic decision making, a scheme of progressive taxation, a separate and transparent accounting system, and a balance between income and reinvestment in health care. The results are a fair distribution of cost, its effective control, and increased individual motivation to take on responsibility for personal health as a private good and a sharpened focus towards community health. At the sociopolitical level the government as well as employers are released from the inappropriate burden of catering to individual health.

The experience of a good day: a phenomenological study to explain a good day as experienced by a newly qualified RN.

PubMed

Jackson, Carole

2005-04-01

The main aim of this study was to provide an explanation of the newly qualified nurse's experience and description of a good day. Secondly, it sought to provide an explanation of how a good day made them feel about nursing. By identifying the main components of a good day and what positively effects the experience of a working day for a newly qualified nurse, it may be possible to move towards an increase in the occurrence of the components and emulation of a good day. While there is evidence to suggest that positive experiences within nursing increase job satisfaction and aid retention to the profession, the experience of a good day and what constitutes a good day for a newly qualified nurse has not been explored. The main components of a good day have not been identified and no work has been carried out to ascertain how these days make nurses feel about their chosen career. The aims of the study lent themselves to a phenomenological descriptive approach to research, the objective of which is identification of the essence of behaviour. Eight newly qualified nurses agreed to take part in the research. Each participant was interviewed twice, and in addition one group interview was arranged to clarify themes. The interviews, which were audio taped, were informal allowing the participants to answer in an open and unstructured manner. Once completed, all the tapes were transcribed and immersion and analysis of the data led to 5 themes naturally emerging as the components of a good day. The identified themes were, doing something well, good relationships with patients, feeling that you've achieved something, getting the work done and you need team work. In addition, although not a theme of a good day but of great importance was the description of 'that wonderful feeling at the end of a good day'. These themes contributed to feelings of job satisfaction and the pleasure of nursing. More specifically the concept of knowing the patient both from a personal level and

Virtual goods recommendations in virtual worlds.

PubMed

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods.

Virtual Goods Recommendations in Virtual Worlds

PubMed Central

Chen, Kuan-Yu; Liao, Hsiu-Yu; Chen, Jyun-Hung; Liu, Duen-Ren

2015-01-01

Virtual worlds (VWs) are computer-simulated environments which allow users to create their own virtual character as an avatar. With the rapidly growing user volume in VWs, platform providers launch virtual goods in haste and stampede users to increase sales revenue. However, the rapidity of development incurs virtual unrelated items which will be difficult to remarket. It not only wastes virtual global companies' intelligence resources, but also makes it difficult for users to find suitable virtual goods fit for their virtual home in daily virtual life. In the VWs, users decorate their houses, visit others' homes, create families, host parties, and so forth. Users establish their social life circles through these activities. This research proposes a novel virtual goods recommendation method based on these social interactions. The contact strength and contact influence result from interactions with social neighbors and influence users' buying intention. Our research highlights the importance of social interactions in virtual goods recommendation. The experiment's data were retrieved from an online VW platform, and the results show that the proposed method, considering social interactions and social life circle, has better performance than existing recommendation methods. PMID:25834837

Nanostructured titanium-silver coatings with good antibacterial activity and cytocompatibility fabricated by one-step magnetron sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Long; Hang, Ruiqiang; Gao, Ang; Zhang, Xiangyu; Huang, Xiaobo; Wang, Yueyue; Tang, Bin; Zhao, Lingzhou; Chu, Paul K.

2015-11-01

Bacterial infection and loosing are serious complications for biomedical implants in the orthopedic, dental, and other biomedical fields and the ideal implants should combine good antibacterial ability and bioactivity. In this study, nanostructured titanium-silver (Ti-Ag) coatings with different Ag contents (1.2 to 21.6 at%) are prepared on Ti substrates by magnetron sputtering. As the Ag concentration is increased, the coatings change from having dense columnar crystals to sparse ones and eventually no columnar structure. The Ti-Ag coatings can effectively kill Staphylococcus aureus during the first few days and remain moderately antibacterial after immersion for 75 days. Compared to pure Ti, the Ti-Ag coatings show good cytocompatibility as indicated by good osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, intracellular total protein synthesis, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. In addition, cell spreading, collagen secretion, and extracellular matrix mineralization are promoted on the coatings with the proper Ag contents due to the nanostructured morphological features. Our results indicate that favorable antibacterial activity and osseointegration ability can be simultaneously achieved by regulating the Ag contents in Ti-Ag coatings.

Applying TOGAF for e-government implementation based on service oriented architecture methodology towards good government governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodijah, A.; Sundari, S.; Nugraha, A. C.

2018-05-01

As a Local Government Agencies who perform public services, General Government Office already has utilized Reporting Information System of Local Government Implementation (E-LPPD). However, E-LPPD has upgrade limitation for the integration processes that cannot accommodate General Government Offices’ needs in order to achieve Good Government Governance (GGG), while success stories of the ultimate goal of e-government implementation requires good governance practices. Currently, citizen demand public services as private sector do, which needs service innovation by utilizing the legacy system as a service based e-government implementation, while Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) to redefine a business processes as a set of IT enabled services and Enterprise Architecture from the Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) as a comprehensive approach in redefining business processes as service innovation towards GGG. This paper takes a case study on Performance Evaluation of Local Government Implementation (EKPPD) system on General Government Office. The results show that TOGAF will guide the development of integrated business processes of EKPPD system that fits good governance practices to attain GGG with SOA methodology as technical approach.

Cambodian Early Adolescents' Academic Achievement: The Role of Social Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eng, Sothy

2013-01-01

This study examined the associations of parents' cultural beliefs and attitudes with respect to fate, traditional gender roles, aspirations, and involvement in children's academic achievement in Cambodia. Based on Coleman's social capital theory, a good parent-child relationship enables children's school success because resources are created as a…

Hemostasis of the liver, spleen, and bone achieved by electrocautery greased with lidocaine gel.

PubMed

Petroianu, Andy

2011-02-01

Despite advances in surgical techniques, achieving hemostasis of the liver, spleen, and bone during major surgery, especially after trauma, is still difficult. I describe a new procedure my colleagues and I devised to achieve parenchymatous hemostasis using electrocautery greased with lidocaine gel. After achieving good results in experimental studies and obtaining approval from our ethics committee, we used electrocautery greased with lidocaine gel for hemostasis in the following 36 procedures: multisegmental hepatectomy to remove hepatic tumors (n = 6); partial hepatectomy to allow hepatojejunostomy for intrahepatic biliary obstruction (n = 10); laparoscopic liver biopsy (n = 4); subtotal splenectomy (n = 8; for portal hypertension in 5 patients, splenic ischemia in 2, and Gaucher's disease in 1); laparoscopic splenic biopsy (n = 1); and bone resection (n = 7; as pelvic-femoral resection in 6 patients and to remove a rectal tumor invading the coccyx in 1). This procedure was easy to perform and achieved complete hemostasis of the minor blood vessels in all patients. No postoperative bleeding occurred and the follow-up course was satisfactory. Electrocautery greased with lidocaine gel is an inexpensive, readily available, and efficient method to achieve hemostasis of minor vessels in hepatic, splenic, and bone operations.

19 CFR 10.605 - Goods classifiable as goods put up in sets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.605 Goods classifiable as goods... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Goods classifiable as goods put up in sets. 10.605 Section 10.605 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY...

Evaluating the Good Ontology Design Guideline (GoodOD) with the ontology quality requirements and evaluation method and metrics (OQuaRE).

PubMed

Duque-Ramos, Astrid; Boeker, Martin; Jansen, Ludger; Schulz, Stefan; Iniesta, Miguela; Fernández-Breis, Jesualdo Tomás

2014-01-01

To (1) evaluate the GoodOD guideline for ontology development by applying the OQuaRE evaluation method and metrics to the ontology artefacts that were produced by students in a randomized controlled trial, and (2) informally compare the OQuaRE evaluation method with gold standard and competency questions based evaluation methods, respectively. In the last decades many methods for ontology construction and ontology evaluation have been proposed. However, none of them has become a standard and there is no empirical evidence of comparative evaluation of such methods. This paper brings together GoodOD and OQuaRE. GoodOD is a guideline for developing robust ontologies. It was previously evaluated in a randomized controlled trial employing metrics based on gold standard ontologies and competency questions as outcome parameters. OQuaRE is a method for ontology quality evaluation which adapts the SQuaRE standard for software product quality to ontologies and has been successfully used for evaluating the quality of ontologies. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of training in ontology construction based on the GoodOD guideline within the OQuaRE quality evaluation framework and compare the results with those obtained for the previous studies based on the same data. Our results show a significant effect of the GoodOD training over developed ontologies by topics: (a) a highly significant effect was detected in three topics from the analysis of the ontologies of untrained and trained students; (b) both positive and negative training effects with respect to the gold standard were found for five topics. The GoodOD guideline had a significant effect over the quality of the ontologies developed. Our results show that GoodOD ontologies can be effectively evaluated using OQuaRE and that OQuaRE is able to provide additional useful information about the quality of the GoodOD ontologies.

Student perceptions of a good teacher: the gender perspective.

PubMed

Jules, V; Kutnick, P

1997-12-01

A large-scale survey of pupils' perceptions of a good teacher in the Caribbean republic of Trinidad and Tobago is reported. An essay-based, interpretative mode of research was used to elicit and identify constructs used by boys and girls. The study explores similarities and differences between boys and girls in their perceptions of a good teacher, in a society where girls achieve superior academic performance (than boys). A total of 1756 pupils and students aged between 8 and 16 provided the sample, which was proportional, stratified, clustered. Within these constraints classrooms were randomly selected to be representative of primary and secondary schools across the two islands. Altogether 1539 essays and 217 interviews were content analysed, coded for age development and compared between boys and girls. Content items identified by the pupils were logically grouped into: physical and personal characteristics of the teacher, quality of the relationship between the teacher and pupil, control of behaviour by the teacher, descriptions of the teaching process, and educational and other outcomes obtained by pupils due to teacher efforts. Female pupils identified more good teacher concepts at all age levels than males. There was some commonality between the sexes in concepts regarding interpersonal relationships and inclusiveness in the good teachers' teaching practices and boys showed significantly greater concerns regarding teacher control and use of punishment. Males as young as 8 years stated that good teachers should be sensitive to their needs. Only among the 16-year-old males were males noted as good teachers. Consideration is given to the roles of male and female teachers, how their classroom actions may set the basis for future success (or failure) of their pupils, and the needs of pupils with regard to teacher support within developing and developed countries.

Fifteen Years of Collaborative Innovation and Achievement: NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 15-Year Program Performance and Results Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaaf, Michaela M.; Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Avery, Shelly; Carstenson, Larry; Dugan, James; Farritor, Shane; Joyce, James; Rebrovich, Barb

2003-01-01

Condensing five years of significant work into a brief narrative fitting PPR requirements gave the affiliates of the Nebraska Space Grant a valuable chance for reflection. Achievements of Space Grant in Nebraska were judiciously chosen for this document that best illustrate the resultant synergism of this consortium, keeping in mind that these examples are only a representation of greater activity throughout the state. Following are highlights of many of the finer and personal achievements for Nebraska Space Grant. The Consortium welcomes inquiries to elaborate on any of these accomplishments.

Recognising `good at mathematics': using a performative lens for identity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darragh, Lisa

2015-03-01

Many students do not recognise in themselves positive learner identities in mathematics and thus exclude themselves from further mathematics education, limiting their life opportunities. In this study, I use a performance metaphor for identity, drawing on G.H. Mead, Erving Goffman and Judith Butler to analyse interviews with students, taken at four time points as they make the transition from primary to secondary school. The question I focus on is `How do you recognise someone who is "good at mathematics"?' The students' responses reveal that there is a wide variety of scripts available when enacting the role of `good at mathematics', and these include getting high marks, knowing the answer quickly, helping others and demonstrating the confidence to put up their hand to answer questions. Despite the variety of ways in which to demonstrate `good at mathematics', most of the students did not recognise themselves in their own descriptions. This goes some way towards explaining why students may opt out of further study in mathematics, despite high achievement in this subject.

Domestic Appliances and Industrial Design: The Italian White-Goods Industry during the 1950s and 1960s.

PubMed

Paris, Ivan

The white-goods sector was one of the industries that led economic development in Italy following World War II and featured companies that achieved notable results in foreign markets. According to the literature on the subject, price competitiveness generated mainly by the lower cost of labor was the key to this success. This article explores the as-yet unstudied role played by industrial design, and not only for its ability to significantly facilitate the reduction of production costs. It shows how industrial design played a wider and more decisive role in reinventing Italian white goods by differentiating the products of Italian producers from those of their main foreign competitors. Therefore the article contributes to understanding how and why certain products and technologies are reworked, assimilated, and diffused in the ways they are.

Usage of Computers and Calculators and Students' Achievement: Results from TIMSS 2003

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonijevic, Radovan

2007-01-01

The paper deals with the facts obtained from TIMSS 2003 (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). This international comparative study, which includes 47 participant countries worldwide, explores dependence between eighth grade students' achievement in the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and geography, and basic…

"Good mothering" or "good citizenship"?

PubMed

Porter, Maree; Kerridge, Ian H; Jordens, Christopher F C

2012-03-01

Umbilical cord blood banking is one of many biomedical innovations that confront pregnant women with new choices about what they should do to secure their own and their child's best interests. Many mothers can now choose to donate their baby's umbilical cord blood (UCB) to a public cord blood bank or pay to store it in a private cord blood bank. Donation to a public bank is widely regarded as an altruistic act of civic responsibility. Paying to store UCB may be regarded as a "unique opportunity" to provide "insurance" for the child's future. This paper reports findings from a survey of Australian women that investigated the decision to either donate or store UCB. We conclude that mothers are faced with competing discourses that force them to choose between being a "good mother" and fulfilling their role as a "good citizen." We discuss this finding with reference to the concept of value pluralism.

Reconsidering the "Good Divorce"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amato, Paul R.; Kane, Jennifer B.; James, Spencer

2011-01-01

This study attempted to assess the notion that a "good divorce" protects children from the potential negative consequences of marital dissolution. A cluster analysis of data on postdivorce parenting from 944 families resulted in three groups: cooperative coparenting, parallel parenting, and single parenting. Children in the cooperative coparenting…

Good Laboratory Practice. Part 3. Implementing Good Laboratory Practice in the Analytical Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedlich, Richard C.; Pires, Amanda; Fazzino, Lisa; Fransen, Joseph M.

2013-01-01

Laboratories submitting experimental results to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in support of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) nonclinical laboratory studies must conduct such work in compliance with the GLP regulations. To consistently meet these requirements, lab managers employ a "divide…

Minnesota Developmental Achievement Centers: 1987 Survey Results. Policy Analysis Series, No. 28.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities, St. Paul.

This paper presents data collected from rehabilitation centers serving individuals with developmental disabilities in Minnesota, called Developmental Achievement Centers (DACs). The data focus on finances, programs, and clients, and are compared with data from previous years. All 97 providers of adult services in Minnesota completed the survey,…

A Dataset from TIMSS to Examine the Relationship between Computer Use and Mathematics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadijevich, Djordje M.

2015-01-01

Because the relationship between computer use and achievement is still puzzling, there is a need to prepare and analyze good quality datasets on computer use and achievement. Such a dataset can be derived from TIMSS data. This paper describes how this dataset can be prepared. It also gives an example of how the dataset may be analyzed. The…

Factors Predicting a Good Symptomatic Outcome After Prostate Artery Embolisation (PAE).

PubMed

Maclean, D; Harris, M; Drake, T; Maher, B; Modi, S; Dyer, J; Somani, B; Hacking, N; Bryant, T

2018-02-26

As prostate artery embolisation (PAE) becomes an established treatment for benign prostatic obstruction, factors predicting good symptomatic outcome remain unclear. Pre-embolisation prostate size as a predictor is controversial with a handful of papers coming to conflicting conclusions. We aimed to investigate if an association existed in our patient cohort between prostate size and clinical benefit, in addition to evaluating percentage volume reduction as a predictor of symptomatic outcome following PAE. Prospective follow-up of 86 PAE patients at a single institution between June 2012 and January 2016 was conducted (mean age 64.9 years, range 54-80 years). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess strength of association between clinical improvement (change in IPSS) and other variables, of any statistical correlation, through Pearson's bivariate analysis. No major procedural complications were identified and clinical success was achieved in 72.1% (n = 62) at 12 months. Initial prostate size and percentage reduction were found to have a significant association with clinical improvement. Multiple linear regression analysis (r 2  = 0.48) demonstrated that percentage volume reduction at 3 months (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) had the strongest correlation with good symptomatic improvement at 12 months after adjusting for confounding factors. Both the initial prostate size and percentage volume reduction at 3 months predict good symptomatic outcome at 12 months. These findings therefore aid patient selection and counselling to achieve optimal outcomes for men undergoing prostate artery embolisation.

Career Beginnings: Helping Disadvantaged Youth Achieve Their Potential. Fastback 293.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloomfield, William

Career Beginnings (CB) is a national program begun in 1985 to increase the likelihood of minority and other disadvantaged urban students to participate in postsecondary education or to obtain a good job. CB unites high schools, businesses, and local colleges in working partnerships to develop the potential of moderately-achieving high school…

Confidence in Science and Achievement Outcomes of Fourth-Grade Students in Korea: Results from the TIMSS 2011 Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

House, J. Daniel; Telese, James A.

2017-01-01

Findings from assessments of fourth-grade science have indicated that students in Korea scored higher than international averages. Research results have also shown that attitudes toward science were related to achievement outcomes for Korean students. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between confidence in science and…

The Effectiveness of the SSHA in Improving Prediction of Academic Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wikoff, Richard L.; Kafka, Gene F.

1981-01-01

Investigated the effectiveness of the Survey of Study Habits (SSHA) in improving prediction of achievement. The American College Testing Program English and mathematics subtests were good predictors of gradepoint average. The SSHA subtests accounted for an additional 3 percent of the variance. Sex differences were noted. (Author)

Good coercion: patients' moral evaluation of coercion in mental health care.

PubMed

Lorem, Geir F; Hem, Marit H; Molewijk, Bert

2015-06-01

The use of coercion in mental health care is not self-evident and requires moral justification. A joint understanding is difficult to achieve, because patients and health professionals often evaluate coercion differently. The present study aims to discuss patients' 'moral' evaluation of coercion. We believe that such a focus can form the basis for a better and more differentiated understanding of how we evaluate coercion. This is a qualitative study based on participant observation and interviews with patients. In order to focus specifically on the moral evaluation of coercion, we looked within patients' narratives to examine whether we could differentiate between how they experienced coercion and how they morally evaluated its use, and how they envision/describe good coercion. We found that patients differentiated implicitly between experiences and moral evaluation. The findings have been ordered into three types of reactions: agreeing and accepting, fighting or resisting, and resignation. Further reflection upon patients' positive and negative moral evaluations of coercion resulted in the formulation of different concrete elements at three levels: threshold elements, process elements, and empathic elements. These elements helped us to understand what these patients considered 'good coercion'. The implications are that good clinical practice cannot be separated from the formal, moral evaluation of coercion. A differentiated moral understanding of coercion can form the basis for better and more sensitive communication about coercion among all those involved. A more respectful dialogue on the moral evaluation of coercion might also raise awareness during both the decision-making process and the actual practising of coercion. © 2014 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

[Ethical use of antibiotics in the era of multiresistance: a common good for the individual or the society?].

PubMed

Mazzon, Davide

2016-02-01

Common goods refer to goods that may be used by anyone belonging to the community that has use rights over a commons and are fundamental to people's lives. Appropriate measures for safeguarding common goods should be undertaken, also for the benefit of future generations. Drugs in general, and antibiotics in particular, should be considered a common good as well. However, antibiotic use confined to the individual health benefit not only leads to less favorable outcomes for the society but also results in the development of antimicrobial resistance in the individual patient. This phenomenon is termed "tragedy of the commons" and identifies the impossibility of achieving over time the optimal treatment for each individual subject/patient. As a consequence, pursuing individual interests may lead to societal detriment. Conversely, restricting antibiotic prescriptions (e.g., avoiding overuse or misuse of last-generation antibiotics for the treatment of an infection) is not harmful for the individual, would benefit society with increased efficacy, and does not favor the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In this editorial, several suggestions as to how antibiotics should be appropriately used are provided in accordance with distributive justice principles, where individual and social interests meet.

Mathematics beliefs and achievement of adolescent students in Japan: results from the TIMSS 1999 assessment.

PubMed

House, J Daniel

2005-12-01

A recent study (1) of undergraduate students in a precalculus course indicated that they expressed slightly positive attitudes toward mathematics. It is important, however, to examine relationships between students' initial attitudes and achievement outcomes. The present purpose was to assess the relationship between self-beliefs and mathematics achievement for a large national sample of students from the TIMSS 1999 international sample (eighth graders) from Japan. Several significant relationships between mathematics beliefs and test scores were noted. In addition, the overall multiple regression equation that assessed the joint significance of the complete set of self-belief variables was significant (F7.65 = 159.48, p < .001) and explained 20.6% of the variance in mathematics achievement test scores.

Good documentation practice in clinical research.

PubMed

Bargaje, Chitra

2011-04-01

One of the most common inspection findings in investigator site inspections is lack of reliable, accurate and adequate source documentation. This also happens to be the most common pitfall identified during sponsor audits. The importance of good documentation practice needs to be emphasized to investigator sites to ensure that the study results are built on the foundation of credible and valid data. This article focuses on the key principles of good documentation practice and offers suggestions for improvement.

From Great to Good: Principals' Sensemaking of Student Performance Decline in Formerly High Achieving High Poverty Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darbonne, Deborah

2016-01-01

School level leadership is second only to effective instruction as essential to high student achievement (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson & Wahlstrom, 2004). Although factors such as socioeconomic levels and parental involvement contribute to the academic success of students, school leadership outweighs the impact of those factors. In the era of…

Mister Sandman, bring me good marks! On the relationship between sleep quality and academic achievement.

PubMed

Baert, Stijn; Omey, Eddy; Verhaest, Dieter; Vermeir, Aurélie

2015-04-01

There is growing evidence that health factors affect tertiary education success in a causal way. This study assesses the effect of sleep quality on academic achievement at university. To this end, we surveyed 804 students about their sleep quality by means of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) before the start of their first exam period in December 2013 at Ghent University. PSQI scores were merged with course marks in this exam period. Instrumenting PSQI scores by sleep quality during secondary education, we find that increasing total sleep quality with one standard deviation leads to 4.85 percentage point higher course marks. Based on this finding, we suggest that higher education providers might be incentivised to invest part of their resources for social facilities in professional support for students with sleep and other health problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Manufacturing of glassy thin shell for adaptive optics: results achieved

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poutriquet, F.; Rinchet, A.; Carel, J.-L.; Leplan, H.; Ruch, E.; Geyl, R.; Marque, G.

2012-07-01

Glassy thin shells are key components for the development of adaptive optics and are part of future & innovative projects such as ELT. However, manufacturing thin shells is a real challenge. Even though optical requirements for the front face - or optical face - are relaxed compared to conventional passive mirrors, requirements concerning thickness uniformity are difficult to achieve. In addition, process has to be completely re-defined as thin mirror generates new manufacturing issues. In particular, scratches and digs requirement is more difficult as this could weaken the shell, handling is also an important issue due to the fragility of the mirror. Sagem, through REOSC program, has recently manufactured different types of thin shells in the frame of European projects: E-ELT M4 prototypes and VLT Deformable Secondary Mirror (VLT DSM).

Critical mass of public goods and its coevolution with cooperation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Dong-Mei; Wang, Bing-Hong

2017-07-01

In this study, the enhancing parameter represented the value of the public goods to the public in public goods game, and was rescaled to a Fermi-Dirac distribution function of critical mass. Public goods were divided into two categories, consumable and reusable public goods, and their coevolution with cooperative behavior was studied. We observed that for both types of public goods, cooperation was promoted as the enhancing parameter increased when the value of critical mass was not very large. An optimal value of critical mass which led to the best cooperation was identified. We also found that cooperations emerged earlier for reusable public goods, and defections became extinct earlier for the consumable public goods. Moreover, we observed that a moderate depreciation rate for public goods resulted in an optimal cooperation, and this range became wider as the enhancing parameter increased. The noise influence on cooperation was studied, and it was shown that cooperation density varied non-monotonically as noise amplitude increased for reusable public goods, whereas decreased monotonically for consumable public goods. Furthermore, existence of the optimal critical mass was also identified in other three regular networks. Finally, simulation results were utilized to analyze the provision of public goods in detail.

Is a flat-line a good thing? On the privatization of Israel's healthcare system.

PubMed

Seidman, Guy I

2010-01-01

Israel presents an intriguing conundrum: on the one hand, it provides quality healthcare in a near-universal healthcare system; on the other, it has maintained healthcare costs level at approximately 7.7% of GDP. This comes at a time when all western nations struggle with one or both sides of the equation: how to offer affordable, good quality health care to the population while curbing the sharp rise in health related costs. This paper explains both how Israel has achieved this 'flat line" effect and the social and political costs of this achievement.

Good initialization model with constrained body structure for scene text recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Anna; Wang, Guoyou; Dong, Yangbo

2016-09-01

Scene text recognition has gained significant attention in the computer vision community. Character detection and recognition are the promise of text recognition and affect the overall performance to a large extent. We proposed a good initialization model for scene character recognition from cropped text regions. We use constrained character's body structures with deformable part-based models to detect and recognize characters in various backgrounds. The character's body structures are achieved by an unsupervised discriminative clustering approach followed by a statistical model and a self-build minimum spanning tree model. Our method utilizes part appearance and location information, and combines character detection and recognition in cropped text region together. The evaluation results on the benchmark datasets demonstrate that our proposed scheme outperforms the state-of-the-art methods both on scene character recognition and word recognition aspects.

Students' and teachers' cognitions about good teachers.

PubMed

Beishuizen, J J; Hof, E; van Putten, C M; Bouwmeester, S; Asscher, J J

2001-06-01

Good teachers have been studied ever since Plato described how Socrates taught by asking questions of his audience. Recent findings shed light on two characteristics of good teachers: their personality and their ability. However, more attention has been paid to teachers' practices and opinions than to students' views. The study reported here attempted to deepen our understanding of what students think about good teachers. Students of four age groups (7, 10, 13, and 16 years of age) and teachers from primary and secondary schools were asked to write an essay on the good teacher. The correspondence between conceptual items in the essays was investigated by determining the extent to which they were used in the same essays to describe good teachers. Correspondence analysis revealed two dimensions. The first dimension reflected the preference of students and teachers for describing the good teacher in terms of either personality or ability characteristics. The second dimension was interpreted as an orientation in the essays towards either attachment to, detachment from or commitment to school and teachers. Students and teachers were compared to establish the amount of (dis)agreement about what makes a good teacher. Primary school students described good teachers primarily as competent instructors, focusing on transfer of knowledge and skills, whereas secondary school students emphasised relational aspects of good teachers. Teachers, however, considered good teachers in the first place a matter of establishing personal relationships with their students. Consequently, primary school students and teachers disagreed about the characteristics of good teachers. In secondary education, disagreements between teachers and students were relatively small. The research method of collecting free essays and utilising correspondence analysis to represent conceptual items and groups of participants seems promising as long as a theoretical framework is available to interpret the

Physical activity and academic achievement across the curriculum: Results from a 3-year cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Donnelly, Joseph E; Hillman, Charles H; Greene, Jerry L; Hansen, David M; Gibson, Cheryl A; Sullivan, Debra K; Poggio, John; Mayo, Matthew S; Lambourne, Kate; Szabo-Reed, Amanda N; Herrmann, Stephen D; Honas, Jeffery J; Scudder, Mark R; Betts, Jessica L; Henley, Katherine; Hunt, Suzanne L; Washburn, Richard A

2017-06-01

We compared changes in academic achievement across 3years between children in elementary schools receiving the Academic Achievement and Physical Activity Across the Curriculum intervention (A+PAAC), in which classroom teachers were trained to deliver academic lessons using moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to a non-intervention control. Elementary schools in eastern Kansas (n=17) were cluster randomized to A+PAAC (N=9, target ≥100min/week) or control (N=8). Academic achievement (math, reading, spelling) was assessed using the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III) in a sample of children (A+PAAC=316, Control=268) in grades 2 and 3 at baseline (Fall 2011) and repeated each spring across 3years. On average 55min/week of A+PACC lessons were delivered each week across the intervention. Baseline WIAT-III scores (math, reading, spelling) were significantly higher in students in A+PAAC compared with control schools and improved in both groups across 3years. However, linear mixed modeling, accounting for baseline between group differences in WIAT-III scores, ethnicity, family income, and cardiovascular fitness, found no significant impact of A+PAAC on any of the academic achievement outcomes as determined by non-significant group by time interactions. A+PAAC neither diminished or improved academic achievement across 3-years in elementary school children compared with controls. Our target of 100min/week of active lessons was not achieved; however, students attending A+PAAC schools received an additional 55min/week of MVPA which may be associated with both physical and mental health benefits, without a reduction in time devoted to academic instruction. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Good documentation practice in clinical research

PubMed Central

Bargaje, Chitra

2011-01-01

One of the most common inspection findings in investigator site inspections is lack of reliable, accurate and adequate source documentation. This also happens to be the most common pitfall identified during sponsor audits. The importance of good documentation practice needs to be emphasized to investigator sites to ensure that the study results are built on the foundation of credible and valid data. This article focuses on the key principles of good documentation practice and offers suggestions for improvement. PMID:21731856

An empirical examination of the effects of family commitment in education on student achievement in seventh grade science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianjun; Wildman, Louis

A national data base from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) was employed to examine the effects of family commitment in education on student achievement in seventh grade science. The backward elimination procedure in the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) was adopted in this study to select significant variables of family commitment at = .05. The results show that around 22% of the variance in student science achievement can be explained by the selected significant LSAY variables. An analysis of the impact of family commitment seems to indicate that parental education and encouragement are important factors in the improvement of student achievement. However, educators, including school personnel and parents, should exercise caution regarding how they help students with their homework and how they reward students for good grades.Received: 14 June 1994; Revised: 31 October 1994;

Are School Uniforms a Good Fit? Results from the ECLS-K and the NELS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeung, Ryan

2009-01-01

One of the most common proposals put forth for reform of the American system of education is to require school uniforms. Proponents argue that uniforms can make schools safer and also improve school attendance and increase student achievement. Opponents contend that uniforms have not been proven to work and may be an infringement on the freedom of…

Middle Fossa Approach for Vestibular Schwannoma: Good Hearing and Facial Nerve Outcomes with Low Morbidity.

PubMed

Raheja, Amol; Bowers, Christian A; MacDonald, Joel D; Shelton, Clough; Gurgel, Richard K; Brimley, Cameron; Couldwell, William T

2016-08-01

The middle fossa approach (MFA) is not used as frequently as the traditional translabyrinthine and retrosigmoid approaches for accessing vestibular schwannomas (VSs). Here, MFA was used to remove primarily intracanalicular tumors in patients in whom hearing preservation is a goal of surgery. A retrospective chart review was performed to identify consecutive adult patients who underwent MFA for VS. Demographic profile, perioperative complications, pre- and postoperative hearing, and facial nerve outcomes were analyzed with linear regression analysis to identify factors predicting hearing outcome. Among 78 identified patients (mean age, 49 years; 53% female; mean tumor size, 7.5 mm), 78% had functional hearing preoperatively (American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery class A/B). Follow-up audiologic data were available for 60 patients overall (mean follow-up, 15.1 months). The hearing preservation rate was 75.5% (37/49) at last known follow-up for patients with functional hearing preoperatively. Other than preoperative hearing status (P < 0.001), none of the factors assessed, including demographic profile, size of tumor, and fundal fluid cap, predicted hearing preservation (P > 0.05). Good functional preservation of the facial nerve (House-Brackmann class I/II) was achieved in 90% of patients. The only operative complications were 3 wound infections (3.8%). Preliminary results from this single-center retrospective study of patients undergoing MFA for resection of VS showed that good hearing preservation and facial nerve outcomes could be achieved with few complications. These results suggest that resection via the MFA is a rational alternative to watchful waiting or stereotactic radiosurgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Good Practices for Learning to Recognize Actions Using FV and VLAD.

PubMed

Wu, Jianxin; Zhang, Yu; Lin, Weiyao

2016-12-01

High dimensional representations such as Fisher vectors (FV) and vectors of locally aggregated descriptors (VLAD) have shown state-of-the-art accuracy for action recognition in videos. The high dimensionality, on the other hand, also causes computational difficulties when scaling up to large-scale video data. This paper makes three lines of contributions to learning to recognize actions using high dimensional representations. First, we reviewed several existing techniques that improve upon FV or VLAD in image classification, and performed extensive empirical evaluations to assess their applicability for action recognition. Our analyses of these empirical results show that normality and bimodality are essential to achieve high accuracy. Second, we proposed a new pooling strategy for VLAD and three simple, efficient, and effective transformations for both FV and VLAD. Both proposed methods have shown higher accuracy than the original FV/VLAD method in extensive evaluations. Third, we proposed and evaluated new feature selection and compression methods for the FV and VLAD representations. This strategy uses only 4% of the storage of the original representation, but achieves comparable or even higher accuracy. Based on these contributions, we recommend a set of good practices for action recognition in videos for practitioners in this field.

Return on research investments: personal good versus public good

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, P. A.

2017-12-01

For some time the outputs, i.e. what's produced, of publicly and privately funded research while necessary, are far from sufficient, when considering an overall return on (research) investment. At the present time products such as peer-reviewed papers, websites, data, and software are recognized by funders on timescales related to research awards and reporting. However, from a consumer perspective impact and value are determined at the time a product is discovered, accessed, assessed and used. As is often the case, the perspectives of producer and consumer communities can be distinct and not intersect at all. We contrast personal good, i.e. credit, reputation, with that of public good, e.g. interest, leverage, exploitation, and more. This presentation will elaborate on both the metaphorical and idealogical aspects of applying a "return on investment" frame for the topic of assessing "good".

Learning-related skills and academic achievement in academically at-risk first graders

PubMed Central

Cerda, Carissa A.; Im, Myung Hee; Hughes, Jan N.

2015-01-01

Using an academically at-risk, ethnically diverse sample of 744 first-grade children, this study tested a multi-method (i.e., child performance measures, teacher ratings, and peer ratings) measurement model of learning-related skills (i.e., effortful control [EC], behavioral self-regulation [BSR], and social competence [SC]), and their shared and unique contributions to children's reading and math achievement, above the effect of demographic variables. The hypothesized correlated factor measurement model demonstrated relatively good fit, with BSR and SC correlated highly with one another and moderately with EC. When entered in separate regression equations, EC and BSR each predicted children's reading and math achievement; SC only predicted reading achievement. When considered simultaneously, neither EC, BSR, nor SC contributed independently to reading achievement; however, EC had a direct effect on math achievement and an indirect effect on reading achievement via both BSR and SC. Implications for research and early intervention efforts are discussed. PMID:25908886

Predictors for good functional outcome after neurocritical care.

PubMed

Kiphuth, Ines C; Schellinger, Peter D; Köhrmann, Martin; Bardutzky, Jürgen; Lücking, Hannes; Kloska, Stephan; Schwab, Stefan; Huttner, Hagen B

2010-01-01

There are only limited data on the long-term outcome of patients receiving specialized neurocritical care. In this study we analyzed survival, long-term mortality and functional outcome after neurocritical care and determined predictors for good functional outcome. We retrospectively investigated 796 consecutive patients admitted to a non-surgical neurologic intensive care unit over a period of two years (2006 and 2007). Demographic and clinical parameters were analyzed. Depending on the diagnosis, we grouped patients according to their diseases (cerebral ischemia, intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), meningitis/encephalitis, epilepsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and myasthenia gravis (MG), neurodegenerative diseases and encephalopathy, cerebral neoplasm and intoxication). Clinical parameters, mortality and functional outcome of all treated patients were analyzed. Functional outcome (using the modified Rankin Scale, mRS) one year after discharge was assessed by a mailed questionnaire or telephone interview. Outcome was dichotomized into good (mRS ≤ 2) and poor (mRS ≥ 3). Logistic regression analyses were calculated to determine independent predictors for good functional outcome. Overall in-hospital mortality amounted to 22.5% of all patients, and a good long-term functional outcome was achieved in 28.4%. The parameters age, length of ventilation (LOV), admission diagnosis of ICH, GBS/MG, and inoperable cerebral neoplasm as well as Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS)-28 on Day 1 were independently associated with functional outcome after one year. This investigation revealed that age, LOV and TISS-28 on Day 1 were strongly predictive for the outcome. The diagnoses of hemorrhagic stroke and cerebral neoplasm leading to neurocritical care predispose for functional dependence or death, whereas patients with GBS and MG are more likely to recover after neurocritical care.

Achieving hard X-ray nanofocusing using a wedged multilayer Laue lens

DOE PAGES

Huang, Xiaojing; Conley, Raymond; Bouet, Nathalie; ...

2015-05-04

We report on the fabrication and the characterization of a wedged multilayer Laue lens for x-ray nanofocusing. The lens was fabricated using a sputtering deposition technique, in which a specially designed mask was employed to introduce a thickness gradient in the lateral direction of the multilayer. X-ray characterization shows an efficiency of 27% and a focus size of 26 nm at 14.6 keV, in a good agreement with theoretical calculations. These results indicate that the desired wedging is achieved in the fabricated structure. We anticipate that continuous development on wedged MLLs will advance x-ray nanofocusing optics to new frontiers andmore » enrich capabilities and opportunities for hard X-ray microscopy.« less

Achieving hard X-ray nanofocusing using a wedged multilayer Laue lens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Xiaojing; Conley, Raymond; Bouet, Nathalie

We report on the fabrication and the characterization of a wedged multilayer Laue lens for x-ray nanofocusing. The lens was fabricated using a sputtering deposition technique, in which a specially designed mask was employed to introduce a thickness gradient in the lateral direction of the multilayer. X-ray characterization shows an efficiency of 27% and a focus size of 26 nm at 14.6 keV, in a good agreement with theoretical calculations. These results indicate that the desired wedging is achieved in the fabricated structure. We anticipate that continuous development on wedged MLLs will advance x-ray nanofocusing optics to new frontiers andmore » enrich capabilities and opportunities for hard X-ray microscopy.« less

[Qualitative evaluation of employer requirements associated with occupational health and safety as good practice in small-scale enterprises].

PubMed

Kuroki, Naomi; Miyashita, Nana; Hino, Yoshiyuki; Kayashima, Kotaro; Fujino, Yoshihisa; Takada, Mikio; Nagata, Tomohisa; Yamataki, Hajime; Sakuragi, Sonoko; Kan, Hirohiko; Morita, Tetsuya; Ito, Akiyoshi; Mori, Koji

2009-09-01

The purpose of this study was to identify what motivates employers to promote good occupational health and safety practices in small-scale enterprises. Previous studies have shown that small-scale enterprises generally pay insufficient attention to issues of occupational health and safety. These findings were mainly derived from questionnaire based surveys. Nevertheless, some small-scale enterprises in which employers exercise good leadership do take a progressive approach to occupational health and safety. Although good practices can be identified in small-scale enterprises, it remains unclear what motivates employers in small-scale enterprises to actively implement occupational health and safety practices. We speculated that identifying employer motivations in promoting occupational health would help to spread good practices among small-scale enterprises. Using a qualitative approach based on the KJ methods, we interviewed ten employers who actively promote occupational health and safety in the workplace. The employers were asked to discuss their views of occupational health and safety in their own words. A semi-structured interview format was used, and transcripts were made of the interviews. Each transcript was independently coded by two or more researchers. These transcripts and codes were integrated and then the research group members discussed the heading titles and structural relationships between them according to the KJ method. Qualitative analysis revealed that all the employers expressed a strong interest in a "good company" and "good management". They emphasized four elements of "good management", namely "securing human resources", "trust of business partners", "social responsibility" and "employer's health condition itself", and considered that addressing occupational health and safety was essential to the achievement of these four elements. Consistent with previous findings, the results showed that implementation of occupational health and safety

Taking advantage of ground data systems attributes to achieve quality results in testing software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sigman, Clayton B.; Koslosky, John T.; Hageman, Barbara H.

1994-01-01

During the software development life cycle process, basic testing starts with the development team. At the end of the development process, an acceptance test is performed for the user to ensure that the deliverable is acceptable. Ideally, the delivery is an operational product with zero defects. However, the goal of zero defects is normally not achieved but is successful to various degrees. With the emphasis on building low cost ground support systems while maintaining a quality product, a key element in the test process is simulator capability. This paper reviews the Transportable Payload Operations Control Center (TPOCC) Advanced Spacecraft Simulator (TASS) test tool that is used in the acceptance test process for unmanned satellite operations control centers. The TASS is designed to support the development, test and operational environments of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) operations control centers. The TASS uses the same basic architecture as the operations control center. This architecture is characterized by its use of distributed processing, industry standards, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software components, and reusable software. The TASS uses much of the same TPOCC architecture and reusable software that the operations control center developer uses. The TASS also makes use of reusable simulator software in the mission specific versions of the TASS. Very little new software needs to be developed, mainly mission specific telemetry communication and command processing software. By taking advantage of the ground data system attributes, successful software reuse for operational systems provides the opportunity to extend the reuse concept into the test area. Consistency in test approach is a major step in achieving quality results.

How Good Are Statistical Models at Approximating Complex Fitness Landscapes?

PubMed Central

du Plessis, Louis; Leventhal, Gabriel E.; Bonhoeffer, Sebastian

2016-01-01

Fitness landscapes determine the course of adaptation by constraining and shaping evolutionary trajectories. Knowledge of the structure of a fitness landscape can thus predict evolutionary outcomes. Empirical fitness landscapes, however, have so far only offered limited insight into real-world questions, as the high dimensionality of sequence spaces makes it impossible to exhaustively measure the fitness of all variants of biologically meaningful sequences. We must therefore revert to statistical descriptions of fitness landscapes that are based on a sparse sample of fitness measurements. It remains unclear, however, how much data are required for such statistical descriptions to be useful. Here, we assess the ability of regression models accounting for single and pairwise mutations to correctly approximate a complex quasi-empirical fitness landscape. We compare approximations based on various sampling regimes of an RNA landscape and find that the sampling regime strongly influences the quality of the regression. On the one hand it is generally impossible to generate sufficient samples to achieve a good approximation of the complete fitness landscape, and on the other hand systematic sampling schemes can only provide a good description of the immediate neighborhood of a sequence of interest. Nevertheless, we obtain a remarkably good and unbiased fit to the local landscape when using sequences from a population that has evolved under strong selection. Thus, current statistical methods can provide a good approximation to the landscape of naturally evolving populations. PMID:27189564

Knowledge for the good of the individual and society: linking philosophy, disciplinary goals, theory, and practice.

PubMed

McCurry, Mary K; Revell, Susan M Hunter; Roy, Sr Callista

2010-01-01

Nursing as a profession has a social mandate to contribute to the good of society through knowledge-based practice. Knowledge is built upon theories, and theories, together with their philosophical bases and disciplinary goals, are the guiding frameworks for practice. This article explores a philosophical perspective of nursing's social mandate, the disciplinary goals for the good of the individual and society, and one approach for translating knowledge into practice through the use of a middle-range theory. It is anticipated that the integration of the philosophical perspective and model into nursing practice will strengthen the philosophy, disciplinary goal, theory, and practice links and expand knowledge within the discipline. With the focus on humanization, we propose that nursing knowledge for social good will embrace a synthesis of the individual and the common good. This approach converges vital and agency needs described by Hamilton and the primacy of maintaining the heritage of the good within the human species as outlined by Maritain. Further, by embedding knowledge development in a changing social and health care context, nursing focuses on the goals of clinical reasoning and action. McCubbin and Patterson's Double ABCX Model of Family Adaptation was used as an example of a theory that can guide practice at the community and global level. Using the theory-practice link as a foundation, the Double ABCX model provides practising nurses with one approach to meet the needs of individuals and society. The integration of theory into nursing practice provides a guide to achieve nursing's disciplinary goals of promoting health and preventing illness across the globe. When nursing goals are directed at the synthesis of the good of the individual and society, nursing's social and moral mandate may be achieved.

SETI: A good introductory physics topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobson, Art

1997-04-01

If America is to achieve the science literacy that is essential to industrialized democracy, all students must study such topics as scientific methodology, pseudoscience, ozone depletion, and global warming. My large-enrollment liberal-arts physics course covers the great principles of physics along with several such philosophical and societal topics. It is easy to include the interdisciplinary context of physics in courses for non-scientists, because these courses are flexible, conceptual, and taught to students whose interests span a broad range. Students find these topics relevant and fascinating, leading to large enrollments by non-scientists even in courses labeled ''physics.'' I will discuss my approach to teaching the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence (SETI), a topic with lots of good physics and with connections to scientific methodology and pseudoscience. A textbook for this kind of course has been published, Physics: Concepts and Connections (Prentice-Hall, 1995).

Individuals Achieve More Accurate Results with Meters That Are Codeless and Employ Dynamic Electrochemistry

PubMed Central

Rao, Anoop; Wiley, Meg; Iyengar, Sridhar; Nadeau, Dan; Carnevale, Julie

2010-01-01

Background Studies have shown that controlling blood glucose can reduce the onset and progression of the long-term microvascular and neuropathic complications associated with the chronic course of diabetes mellitus. Improved glycemic control can be achieved by frequent testing combined with changes in medication, exercise, and diet. Technological advancements have enabled improvements in analytical accuracy of meters, and this paper explores two such parameters to which that accuracy can be attributed. Methods Four blood glucose monitoring systems (with or without dynamic electrochemistry algorithms, codeless or requiring coding prior to testing) were evaluated and compared with respect to their accuracy. Results Altogether, 108 blood glucose values were obtained for each system from 54 study participants and compared with the reference values. The analysis depicted in the International Organization for Standardization table format indicates that the devices with dynamic electrochemistry and the codeless feature had the highest proportion of acceptable results overall (System A, 101/103). Results were significant when compared at the 10% bias level with meters that were codeless and utilized static electrochemistry (p = .017) or systems that had static electrochemistry but needed coding (p = .008). Conclusions Analytical performance of these blood glucose meters differed significantly depending on their technologic features. Meters that utilized dynamic electrochemistry and did not require coding were more accurate than meters that used static electrochemistry or required coding. PMID:20167178

Mentoring Graduate Students: The Good, Bad, and Gray

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballantine, Jeanne H.; Jolly-Ballantine, John-Andrew

2015-01-01

Good mentoring of graduate students influences their perseverance and success to completion, whereas bad mentoring can result in negative outcomes, including delayed degree completion or non-completion. What the authors refer to as the gray zone is that which falls between good and bad mentoring. Examples are partial mentoring or changes in…

The Parent Perspective: “Being a Good Parent” When Making Critical Decisions in the PICU

PubMed Central

October, Tessie W.; Fisher, Kiondra R.; Feudtner, Chris; Hinds, Pamela S.

2015-01-01

Objective To identify factors important to parents making decisions for their critically ill child. Design Prospective cross-sectional study. Setting Single center, tertiary care PICU. Subjects Parents making critical treatment decisions for their child. Intervention One-on-one interviews that used the Good Parent Tool-2 open-ended question that asks parents to describe factors important for parenting their ill child and how clinicians could help them achieve their definition of “being a good parent” to their child. Parent responses were analyzed thematically. Parents also ranked themes in order of importance to them using the Good Parent Ranking Exercise. Measurement and Main Results Of 53 eligible parents, 43 (81%) participated. We identified nine themes through content analysis of the parent’s narrative statements from the Good Parent Tool. Most commonly (60% of quotes) components of being a good parent described by parents included focusing on their child’s quality of life, advocating for their child with the medical team, and putting their child’s needs above their own. Themes key to parental decision making were similar regardless of parent race and socioeconomic status or child’s clinical status. We identified nine clinician strategies identified by parents as helping them fulfill their parenting role, most commonly, parents wanted to be kept informed (32% of quotes). Using the Good Parent Ranking Exercise, fathers ranked making informed medical decisions as most important, whereas mothers ranked focusing on the child’s health and putting their child’s needs above their own as most important. However, mothers who were not part of a couple ranked making informed medical decisions as most important. Conclusion These findings suggest a range of themes important for parents to “be a good parent” to their child while making critical decisions. Further studies need to explore whether clinician’s knowledge of the parent’s most valued factor

School Climate, Peer Victimization, and Academic Achievement: Results from a Multi-Informant Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Weijun; Vaillancourt, Tracy; Brittain, Heather L.; McDougall, Patricia; Krygsman, Amanda; Smith, David; Cunningham, Charles E.; Haltigan, J. D.; Hymel, Shelley

2014-01-01

School-level school climate was examined in relation to self-reported peer victimization and teacher-rated academic achievement (grade point average; GPA). Participants included a sample of 1,023 fifth-grade children nested within 50 schools. Associations between peer victimization, school climate, and GPA were examined using multilevel modeling,…

Gender and Student Achievement in English Schools. CEE DP 58

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machin, Stephen; McNally, Sandra

2006-01-01

In the UK, there is a marked gender gap in the educational attainment of boys and girls. At the end of compulsory education, 10 per cent fewer boys achieve 5 or more good GCSEs. This gap is by no means confined to GCSE. It is evident at all Key Stages. Furthermore, some indicators suggest that the gap has widened over time. In this paper, we…

The Good Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly

2003-01-01

Examines the working lives of geneticists and journalists to place into perspective what lies behind personal ethics and success. Defines "good work" as productive activity that is valued socially and loved by people engaged in it. Asserts that certain cultural values, social controls, and personal standards are necessary to maintain good work and…

The Measurement Structure, Stability and Mediating Effects of Achievement Goals in Math with Middle-School Student Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Yu-Tzu; Lin, Sunny S. J.

2014-01-01

This study examined the measurement structure, cross-year stability of achievement goals, and mediating effects of achievement goals between self-efficacy and math grades in a national sample of Taiwan middle school students. The measurement model with factorial structure showed good fit to the data. In the panel data (N?=?343), four achievement…

Papillary Thyroid Cancer: The Good and Bad of the "Good Cancer".

PubMed

Randle, Reese W; Bushman, Norah M; Orne, Jason; Balentine, Courtney J; Wendt, Elizabeth; Saucke, Megan; Pitt, Susan C; Macdonald, Cameron L; Connor, Nadine P; Sippel, Rebecca S

2017-07-01

Papillary thyroid cancer is often described as the "good cancer" because of its treatability and relatively favorable survival rates. This study sought to characterize the thoughts of papillary thyroid cancer patients as they relate to having the "good cancer." This qualitative study included 31 papillary thyroid cancer patients enrolled in an ongoing randomized trial. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants at the preoperative visit and two weeks, six weeks, six months, and one year after thyroidectomy. Grounded theory was used, inductively coding the first 113 interview transcripts with NVivo 11. The concept of thyroid cancer as "good cancer" emerged unprompted from 94% (n = 29) of participants, mostly concentrated around the time of diagnosis. Patients encountered this perception from healthcare providers, Internet research, friends, and preconceived ideas about other cancers. While patients generally appreciated optimism, this perspective also generated negative feelings. It eased the diagnosis of cancer but created confusion when individual experiences varied from expectations. Despite initially feeling reassured, participants described feeling the "good cancer" characterization invalidated their fears of having cancer. Thyroid cancer patients expressed that they did not want to hear that it's "only thyroid cancer" and that it's "no big deal," because "cancer is cancer," and it is significant. Patients with papillary thyroid cancer commonly confront the perception that their malignancy is "good," but the favorable prognosis and treatability of the disease do not comprehensively represent their cancer fight. The "good cancer" perception is at the root of many mixed and confusing emotions. Clinicians emphasize optimistic outcomes, hoping to comfort, but they might inadvertently invalidate the impact thyroid cancer has on patients' lives.

Patients’ conceptions of their own influence on good treatment response to biological therapy in chronic inflammatory arthritis

PubMed Central

Larsson, Ingrid

2017-01-01

Background Biological therapies are common in the treatment of patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA). However, despite the fact that many patients respond well to their biological therapies, there are still a number of nonresponders. In order to design the best care for patients, it is important to understand how they conceive their own role in their treatment response. Objective To explore how patients with CIA conceive their own influence on a good treatment response to biological therapy. Methods This study had an exploratory and descriptive design with a phenomenographic approach. Interviews were conducted with 25 patients (11 women and 14 men) aged 17–79 years, with CIA who were undergoing biological therapy and who had low disease activity or were in remission. Results Patients with CIA undergoing biological therapy conceived their own influence on good treatment response in terms of adherence, physical activity, mental attitude, social support, and self-awareness. Adherence was described as the foundation for the patients’ own influence on good treatment response. Physical activity, mental attitude, and social support reflected three essential ways of understanding patients’ influence on good treatment response where the patients spoke about physical strength, mental strength, and social strength. Self-awareness reflected a comprehensive way of influencing good treatment response in which patients balanced their physical, mental, and social resources in partnership with health care professionals. Conclusion Patients conceived that they had a responsibility for adhering to the treatment as well as achieving balance in life in order to ensure good treatment response. Self-awareness was essential for maintaining a good treatment response, and this reflected the patients’ awareness of the complexity of living their lives with a chronic illness. PMID:28706444

Cooperation and the common good.

PubMed

Johnstone, Rufus A; Rodrigues, António M M

2016-02-05

In this paper, we draw the attention of biologists to a result from the economic literature, which suggests that when individuals are engaged in a communal activity of benefit to all, selection may favour cooperative sharing of resources even among non-relatives. Provided that group members all invest some resources in the public good, they should refrain from conflict over the division of these resources. The reason is that, given diminishing returns on investment in public and private goods, claiming (or ceding) a greater share of total resources only leads to the actor (or its competitors) investing more in the public good, such that the marginal costs and benefits of investment remain in balance. This cancels out any individual benefits of resource competition. We illustrate how this idea may be applied in the context of biparental care, using a sequential game in which parents first compete with one another over resources, and then choose how to allocate the resources they each obtain to care of their joint young (public good) versus their own survival and future reproductive success (private good). We show that when the two parents both invest in care to some extent, they should refrain from any conflict over the division of resources. The same effect can also support asymmetric outcomes in which one parent competes for resources and invests in care, whereas the other does not invest but refrains from competition. The fact that the caring parent gains higher fitness pay-offs at these equilibria suggests that abandoning a partner is not always to the latter's detriment, when the potential for resource competition is taken into account, but may instead be of benefit to the 'abandoned' mate. © 2016 The Author(s).

Cooperation and the common good

PubMed Central

Johnstone, Rufus A.; Rodrigues, António M. M.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we draw the attention of biologists to a result from the economic literature, which suggests that when individuals are engaged in a communal activity of benefit to all, selection may favour cooperative sharing of resources even among non-relatives. Provided that group members all invest some resources in the public good, they should refrain from conflict over the division of these resources. The reason is that, given diminishing returns on investment in public and private goods, claiming (or ceding) a greater share of total resources only leads to the actor (or its competitors) investing more in the public good, such that the marginal costs and benefits of investment remain in balance. This cancels out any individual benefits of resource competition. We illustrate how this idea may be applied in the context of biparental care, using a sequential game in which parents first compete with one another over resources, and then choose how to allocate the resources they each obtain to care of their joint young (public good) versus their own survival and future reproductive success (private good). We show that when the two parents both invest in care to some extent, they should refrain from any conflict over the division of resources. The same effect can also support asymmetric outcomes in which one parent competes for resources and invests in care, whereas the other does not invest but refrains from competition. The fact that the caring parent gains higher fitness pay-offs at these equilibria suggests that abandoning a partner is not always to the latter's detriment, when the potential for resource competition is taken into account, but may instead be of benefit to the ‘abandoned’ mate. PMID:26729926

Examples of Holistic Good Practices in Promoting and Protecting Mental Health in the Workplace: Current and Future Challenges

PubMed Central

Sivris, Kelly C.; Leka, Stavroula

2015-01-01

Background While attention has been paid to physical risks in the work environment and the promotion of individual employee health, mental health protection and promotion have received much less focus. Psychosocial risk management has not yet been fully incorporated in such efforts. This paper presents good practices in promoting mental health in the workplace in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidance by identifying barriers, opportunities, and the way forward in this area. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 experts who were selected on the basis of their knowledge and expertise in relation to good practice identified tools. Interviewees were asked to evaluate the approaches on the basis of the WHO model for healthy workplaces. Results The examples of good practice for Workplace Mental Health Promotion (WMHP) are in line with the principles and the five keys of the WHO model. They support the third objective of the WHO comprehensive mental health action plan 2013–2020 for multisectoral implementation of WMHP strategies. Examples of good practice include the engagement of all stakeholders and representatives, science-driven practice, dissemination of good practice, continual improvement, and evaluation. Actions to inform policies/legislation, promote education on psychosocial risks, and provide better evidence were suggested for higher WMHP success. Conclusion The study identified commonalities in good practice approaches in different countries and stressed the importance of a strong policy and enforcement framework as well as organizational responsibility for WMHP. For progress to be achieved in this area, a holistic and multidisciplinary approach was unanimously suggested as a way to successful implementation. PMID:26929841

EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Centers for Water Research on National Priorities Related to a Systems View of Nutrient Management

EPA Science Inventory

This poster describes the missions and objectives of four newly-awarded Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Centers. There is also a description of how the projects fit together to meet solicitation research questions.

Nuclear transformation of eukaryotic microalgae: historical overview, achievements and problems.

PubMed

León, Rosa; Fernández, Emilio

2007-01-01

Transformation of microalgae is a first step in their use for biotechnological applications involving foreign protein production or molecular modifications of specific cell metabolic pathways. Since the first reliable achievements of nuclear transformation in Chlamydomonas, other eukaryotic microalgae have become transformed with molecular markers that allow a direct selection. Different methods--glass beads, electroporation, particle bombardment, or Agrobacterium--and constructions have been set up in several organisms and successfully used. However, some problems associated with efficiency, integration, or stability of the transgenes still persist and are analysed herein. Though the number of microalgae species successfully transformed is not very high, prospects for transformation of many more are good enough on the basis of what has been achieved so far.

Science Achievement of Elementary and Secondary School Students in Japan: The Results of the IEA Study. NIER Occasional Paper 01/89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyake, Misao

This document reports the state of science achievement of Japanese students based on the Second International Science study conducted in 1983-84. Results are compared to the first study conducted in 1970. The target populations, samples, and structure of the second study are described. Test results including score distribution and high and low…

Monetary incentives in support of academic achievement: results of a randomized field trial involving high-achieving, low-resource, ethnically diverse urban adolescents.

PubMed

Spencer, Margaret Beale; Noll, Elizabeth; Cassidy, Elaine

2005-06-01

Significant resources have been directed at understanding and alleviating the achievement gap in education. Most programs focused on this aim rely on a top-down approach, including funding for infrastructure improvement, curriculum development, class size, and teacher salaries. This article presents findings from a randomized field trial that evaluates a bottom-up approach in which high-achieving students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds from poor families are given monetary incentives to maintain their academic standing. The evaluation was designed to explore the role of monetary incentives as a mechanism for promoting resiliency in the face of poverty-related challenge. Discussion of what motivates students to learn is framed as a function of normal cognitive and socioemotional development in challenging environments. Evaluation findings indicate that monetary incentives are effective in promoting academic success to different degrees and for different reasons depending on students' perception of the meaning of the incentive in relation to their emergent identity.

"Good Citizen" Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Placer Hills Union Elementary School District, Meadow Vista, CA.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: The "Good Citizen" Program was developed for many reasons: to keep the campus clean, to reward students for improvement, to reward students for good deeds, to improve the total school climate, to reward students for excellence, and to offer staff members a method of reward for positive…

Preference of Chinese general public and healthcare providers for a good death.

PubMed

Haishan, Huang; Hongjuan, Liu; Tieying, Zeng; Xuemei, Pu

2015-03-01

Westerners and found some differences, which suggested that cultural difference should be an important consideration to achieve a good death in China. We also found that healthcare providers see good death differently from general public, indicating that the criteria for good death warrant further study. © The Author(s) 2014.

Simple and fast polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) patterning using a cutting plotter and vinyl adhesives to achieve etching results.

PubMed

Hyun Kim; Sun-Young Yoo; Ji Sung Kim; Zihuan Wang; Woon Hee Lee; Kyo-In Koo; Jong-Mo Seo; Dong-Il Cho

2017-07-01

Inhibition of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymerization could be observed when spin-coated over vinyl substrates. The degree of polymerization, partially curing or fully curing, depended on the PDMS thickness coated over the vinyl substrate. This characteristic was exploited to achieve simple and fast PDMS patterning method using a vinyl adhesive layer patterned through a cutting plotter. The proposed patterning method showed results resembling PDMS etching. Therefore, patterning PDMS over PDMS, glass, silicon, and gold substrates were tested to compare the results with conventional etching methods. Vinyl stencils with widths ranging from 200μm to 1500μm were used for the procedure. To evaluate the accuracy of the cutting plotter, stencil designed on the AutoCAD software and the actual stencil widths were compared. Furthermore, this method's accuracy was also evaluated by comparing the widths of the actual stencils and etched PDMS results.

Student Achievement in Edison Schools: Mixed Results in an Ongoing Enterprise. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Federation of Teachers, Washington, DC.

A study examined student achievement in selected Edison schools through an analysis of test-score data. To qualify for the study, each school had to be in operation for more than 1 year and had to have solid student testing data from a solid evaluation design. Eight schools were selected, and their reading data were compared with those of…

Trees are good, but…

Treesearch

E.G. McPherson; F. Ferrini

2010-01-01

We know that “trees are good,” and most people believe this to be true. But if this is so, why are so many trees neglected, and so many tree wells empty? An individual’s attitude toward trees may result from their firsthand encounters with specific trees. Understanding how attitudes about trees are shaped, particularly aversion to trees, is critical to the business of...

Public goods and private interests: The role of voluntary green power demand in achieving environmental improvements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiser, Ryan Hayes

This dissertation explores the role of consumer purchasing behavior in providing public, environmental goods. It does so by empirically evaluating one market---voluntary demand for renewable energy. The dissertation addresses the following five research questions: (1) What does early experience with green power marketing tell us about the prospects for this market to deliver environmental benefits? (2) What product design and marketing approaches might be used to increase voluntary demand? (3) What motivates non-residential customers to voluntarily purchase green power? (4) What role might public policy play in the creation of the green power market? (5) What preferences do individuals hold on the most appropriate forms of support for renewable energy? By helping to answer these questions, this dissertation seeks to better understand the gap between widespread positive attitudes for the environment and an often-anemic response to green product offerings. It contributes to not only the public goods and environmental marketing literatures, but also to contingent valuation methodology and to an emerging literature on the motivations of firms to contribute to environmental causes. The analysis performed is diverse, and includes: a literature review, a mail survey of green power marketers, a mail survey of non-residential green power customers, and contingent valuation and opinion surveys of U.S. residents. Detailed statistical analysis is performed on the data collected from the residential and non-residential surveys. The analysis reveals that customer participation in green power programs to date has been weak. The possibility that the traditional economic concept of "free riding" may explain this low response is raised, and the dissertation identifies a number of marketing approaches that might be used to partially combat this problem. Analysis of survey data shows that non-residential green power purchases have been motivated principally by altruistic concerns

Making Employee Recognition a Tool for Achieving Improved Performance: Implication for Ghanaian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amoatemaa, Abena Serwaa; Kyeremeh, Dorcas Darkoah

2016-01-01

Many organisations are increasingly making use of employee recognition to motivate employees to achieve high performance and productivity. Research has shown that effective recognition occurs in organisations that have strong supportive culture, understand the psychology of praising employees for their good work, and apply the principles of…

A Good Suit Beats a Good Idea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machiavelli, Nick

1992-01-01

Inspired by Niccolo Machiavelli, this column offers beleaguered school executives advice on looking good, dressing well, losing weight, beating the proper enemy, and saying nothing. Administrators who follow these simple rules should have an easier life, jealous colleagues, well-tended gardens, and respectful board members. (MLH)

Are Affective Factors a Good Predictor of Science Achievement? Examining the Role of Affective Factors Based on PISA 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozel, Murat; Caglak, Serdar; Erdogan, Mehmet

2013-01-01

This study investigated how affective factors like attitude and motivation contribute to science achievement in PISA 2006 using linear structural modeling. The data set of PISA 2006 collected from 4942 fifteen-year-old Turkish students (2290 females, 2652 males) was used for the statistical analyses. A total of 42 selected items on a four point…

Achievement Goals and Achievement Emotions: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chiungjung

2011-01-01

This meta-analysis synthesized 93 independent samples (N = 30,003) in 77 studies that reported in 78 articles examining correlations between achievement goals and achievement emotions. Achievement goals were meaningfully associated with different achievement emotions. The correlations of mastery and mastery approach goals with positive achievement…

Toward a global geroethics - gerontology and the theory of the good human life.

PubMed

Ehni, Hans-Joerg; Kadi, Selma; Schermer, Maartje; Venkatapuram, Sridhar

2018-05-01

Gerontologists have proposed different concepts for ageing well such as 'successful ageing', 'active ageing', and 'healthy ageing'. These conceptions are primarily focused on maintaining health and preventing disease. But they also raise the questions: what is a good life in old age and how can it be achieved? While medical in origin, these concepts and strategies for ageing well also contain ethical advice for individuals and societies on how to act regarding ageing and old age. This connection between gerontology and ethics is overlooked by both schools of thought. We thus develop this research programme for a systematic geroethics in four steps. First, we analyze 'successful ageing' as put forward by Rowe and Kahn as a paradigmatic example of a gerontological conception of ageing well. Then, in a second step, we move from criticisms within gerontology to an ethical perspective; in particular, we want to clarify the problem of the claim of universal validity of conceptions of the good life. In a third constructive step, we explain how the 'capabilities approach' could be applied in this context as a normative foundation for the implicit normative assumptions of gerontological conceptions of ageing well, such as a particular choice of functionings, the ethical relevance of human agency, and the resulting claims of individuals towards society. Finally, using a concept developed by the German philosopher Ursula Wolf, we systematically develop the different aspects of the connection between ageing well and the theory of the good life in their full complexity and show their interconnectedness. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Educational Achievement Gap as a Social Justice Issue for Teacher Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collopy, Rachel; Bowman, Connie; Taylor, David A.

2012-01-01

The educational achievement gap is a critical social justice issue. Catholic and Marianist conceptions of social justice in particular call people to work with others in their spheres of life to transform institutions in order to further human rights while promoting the common good. Drawing on key elements of Catholic teaching on social justice,…

Achieving Benchmark Results for Neonatal Palliation of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Related Anomalies in an Emerging Program.

PubMed

Dodge-Khatami, Ali; Chancellor, William Z; Gupta, Bhawna; Seals, Samantha R; Ebeid, Makram R; Batlivala, Sarosh P; Taylor, Mary B; Salazar, Jorge D

2015-07-01

Results of surgical management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and related anomalies are often compared to published benchmark data which reflect the use of a variety of surgical and hybrid protocols. We report encouraging results achieved in an emerging program, despite a learning curve at all care levels. Rather than relying on a single preferred protocol, surgical management was based on matching surgical strategy to individual patient factors. From 2010 to 2014, a total of 47 consecutive patients with HLHS or related anomalies with ductal-dependent systemic circulation underwent initial surgical palliation, including 30 Norwood stage I, 8 hybrid stage I, and 9 salvage-to-Norwood procedures. True hybrid procedures entailed bilateral pulmonary artery banding and ductal stenting. In the salvage-to-Norwood strategy, ductal stenting was withheld in favor of continued prostaglandin infusion in anticipation of a deferred Norwood procedure. Cardiac comorbidities (obstructed pulmonary venous return, poor ventricular function, and atrioventricular valve regurgitation) and noncardiac comorbidities influenced the choice of treatment strategies and were analyzed as potential risk factors for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support or in-hospital mortality. Overall hospital survival was 81% (Norwood 83.3%, hybrid 88%, "salvage" 67%; P = .4942). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support was used for eight (17%) patients with two survivors. For cases with obstructed pulmonary venous return (n = 10, 21%), management choices favored a hybrid or salvage strategy (P = .0026). Aortic atresia (n = 22, 47%) was treated by a Norwood or salvage-to-Norwood. No cardiac, noncardiac, or genetic comorbidities were identified as independent risk factors for ECMO or discharge mortality in a multivariable analysis. Our emerging program achieved outcomes that compare favorably to published benchmark data with respect to hospital survival. These results reflect rigorous

Good Health at Low Cost 25 years on: lessons for the future of health systems strengthening.

PubMed

Balabanova, Dina; Mills, Anne; Conteh, Lesong; Akkazieva, Baktygul; Banteyerga, Hailom; Dash, Umakant; Gilson, Lucy; Harmer, Andrew; Ibraimova, Ainura; Islam, Ziaul; Kidanu, Aklilu; Koehlmoos, Tracey P; Limwattananon, Supon; Muraleedharan, V R; Murzalieva, Gulgun; Palafox, Benjamin; Panichkriangkrai, Warisa; Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Penn-Kekana, Loveday; Powell-Jackson, Timothy; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj; McKee, Martin

2013-06-15

In 1985, the Rockefeller Foundation published Good health at low cost to discuss why some countries or regions achieve better health and social outcomes than do others at a similar level of income and to show the role of political will and socially progressive policies. 25 years on, the Good Health at Low Cost project revisited these places but looked anew at Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which have all either achieved substantial improvements in health or access to services or implemented innovative health policies relative to their neighbours. A series of comparative case studies (2009-11) looked at how and why each region accomplished these changes. Attributes of success included good governance and political commitment, effective bureaucracies that preserve institutional memory and can learn from experience, and the ability to innovate and adapt to resource limitations. Furthermore, the capacity to respond to population needs and build resilience into health systems in the face of political unrest, economic crises, and natural disasters was important. Transport infrastructure, female empowerment, and education also played a part. Health systems are complex and no simple recipe exists for success. Yet in the countries and regions studied, progress has been assisted by institutional stability, with continuity of reforms despite political and economic turmoil, learning lessons from experience, seizing windows of opportunity, and ensuring sensitivity to context. These experiences show that improvements in health can still be achieved in countries with relatively few resources, though strategic investment is necessary to address new challenges such as complex chronic diseases and growing population expectations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparing Three Models of Achievement Goals: Goal Orientations, Goal Standards, and Goal Complexes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senko, Corwin; Tropiano, Katie L.

2016-01-01

Achievement goal theory (Dweck, 1986) initially characterized mastery goals and performance goals as opposites in a good-bad dualism of student motivation. A later revision (Harackiewicz, Barron, & Elliot, 1998) contended that both goals can provide benefits and be pursued together. Perhaps both frameworks are correct: Their contrasting views…

Nebraska STARS: Achieving Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roschewski, Pat; Isernhagen, Jody; Dappen, Leon

2006-01-01

In 2000, the state of Nebraska passed legislation requiring the assessment of student performance on content standards, but its requirements were very different from those of any other state. Nebraska created what has come to be known as STARS (School-based Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System). Under STARS, each of Nebraska's nearly 500…

Parental Involvement and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Sarah Christine

2015-01-01

This research study examined the correlation between student achievement and parent's perceptions of their involvement in their child's schooling. Parent participants completed the Parent Involvement Project Parent Questionnaire. Results slightly indicated parents of students with higher level of achievement perceived less demand or invitations…

Public goods games on adaptive coevolutionary networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pichler, Elgar; Shapiro, Avi M.

2017-07-01

Productive societies feature high levels of cooperation and strong connections between individuals. Public Goods Games (PGGs) are frequently used to study the development of social connections and cooperative behavior in model societies. In such games, contributions to the public good are made only by cooperators, while all players, including defectors, reap public goods benefits, which are shares of the contributions amplified by a synergy factor. Classic results of game theory show that mutual defection, as opposed to cooperation, is the Nash Equilibrium of PGGs in well-mixed populations, where each player interacts with all others. In this paper, we explore the coevolutionary dynamics of a low information public goods game on a complex network in which players adapt to their environment in order to increase individual payoffs relative to past payoffs parameterized by greediness. Players adapt by changing their strategies, either to cooperate or to defect, and by altering their social connections. We find that even if players do not know other players' strategies and connectivity, cooperation can arise and persist despite large short-term fluctuations.

Public goods games on adaptive coevolutionary networks.

PubMed

Pichler, Elgar; Shapiro, Avi M

2017-07-01

Productive societies feature high levels of cooperation and strong connections between individuals. Public Goods Games (PGGs) are frequently used to study the development of social connections and cooperative behavior in model societies. In such games, contributions to the public good are made only by cooperators, while all players, including defectors, reap public goods benefits, which are shares of the contributions amplified by a synergy factor. Classic results of game theory show that mutual defection, as opposed to cooperation, is the Nash Equilibrium of PGGs in well-mixed populations, where each player interacts with all others. In this paper, we explore the coevolutionary dynamics of a low information public goods game on a complex network in which players adapt to their environment in order to increase individual payoffs relative to past payoffs parameterized by greediness. Players adapt by changing their strategies, either to cooperate or to defect, and by altering their social connections. We find that even if players do not know other players' strategies and connectivity, cooperation can arise and persist despite large short-term fluctuations.

Overpunishing is not necessary to fix cooperation in voluntary public goods games.

PubMed

Dercole, Fabio; De Carli, Marco; Della Rossa, Fabio; Papadopoulos, Alessandro V

2013-06-07

The fixation of cooperation among unrelated individuals is one of the fundamental problems in biology and social sciences. It is investigated by means of public goods games, the generalization of the prisoner's dilemma to more than two players. In compulsory public goods games, defect is the dominant strategy, while voluntary participation overcomes the social dilemma by allowing a cyclic coexistence of cooperators, defectors, and non-participants. Experimental and theoretical research has shown how the combination of voluntary participation and altruistic punishment-punishing antisocial behaviors at a personal cost-provides a solution to the problem, as long as antisocial punishment-the punishing of cooperators-is not allowed. Altruistic punishment can invade at low participation and pave the way to the fixation of cooperation. Specifically, defectors are overpunished, in the sense that their payoff is reduced by a sanction proportional to the number of punishers in the game. Here we show that qualitatively equivalent results can be achieved with a milder punishing mechanism, where defectors only risk a fixed penalty per round-as in many real situations-and the cost of punishment is shared among the punishers. The payoffs for the four strategies-cooperate, defect, abstain, and cooperate-&-punish-are derived and the corresponding replicator dynamics analyzed in full detail. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of chronic achievement motivation and achievement primes on the activation of achievement and fun goals.

PubMed

Hart, William; Albarracín, Dolores

2009-12-01

This research examined the hypothesis that situational achievement cues can elicit achievement or fun goals depending on chronic differences in achievement motivation. In 4 studies, chronic differences in achievement motivation were measured, and achievement-denoting words were used to influence behavior. The effects of these variables were assessed on self-report inventories, task performance, task resumption following an interruption, and the pursuit of means relevant to achieving or having fun. Findings indicated that achievement priming (vs. control priming) activated a goal to achieve and inhibited a goal to have fun in individuals with chronically high-achievement motivation but activated a goal to have fun and inhibited a goal to achieve in individuals with chronically low-achievement motivation.

The Effects of Chronic Achievement Motivation and Achievement Primes on the Activation of Achievement and Fun Goals

PubMed Central

Hart, William; Albarracín, Dolores

2013-01-01

This research examined the hypothesis that situational achievement cues can elicit achievement or fun goals depending on chronic differences in achievement motivation. In 4 studies, chronic differences in achievement motivation were measured, and achievement-denoting words were used to influence behavior. The effects of these variables were assessed on self-report inventories, task performance, task resumption following an interruption, and the pursuit of means relevant to achieving or having fun. Findings indicated that achievement priming (vs. control priming) activated a goal to achieve and inhibited a goal to have fun in individuals with chronically high-achievement motivation but activated a goal to have fun and inhibited a goal to achieve in individuals with chronically low-achievement motivation. PMID:19968423

Good Concrete Activity Is Good Mental Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonough, Andrea

2016-01-01

Early years mathematics classrooms can be colourful, exciting, and challenging places of learning. Andrea McDonough and fellow teachers have noticed that some students make good decisions about using materials to assist their problem solving, but this is not always the case. These experiences lead her to ask the following questions: (1) Are…

Changes in Beliefs Regarding Good Teachers and the Characteristics of Child Development of Primary Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitulic, Helena Smrtnik; Lesar, Irena

2017-01-01

In a longitudinal study, we determine the beliefs of primary education students regarding the factors of academic achievement, good teachers, and the developmental characteristics of children, and we present which experiences mostly shape these beliefs. The same group of students (N = 59) completed the same questionnaire at the beginning of their…

Students’ Achievement Goals, Learning-Related Emotions and Academic Achievement

PubMed Central

Lüftenegger, Marko; Klug, Julia; Harrer, Katharina; Langer, Marie; Spiel, Christiane; Schober, Barbara

2016-01-01

In the present research, the recently proposed 3 × 2 model of achievement goals is tested and associations with achievement emotions and their joint influence on academic achievement are investigated. The study was conducted with 388 students using the 3 × 2 Achievement Goal Questionnaire including the six proposed goal constructs (task-approach, task-avoidance, self-approach, self-avoidance, other-approach, other-avoidance) and the enjoyment and boredom scales from the Achievement Emotion Questionnaire. Exam grades were used as an indicator of academic achievement. Findings from CFAs provided strong support for the proposed structure of the 3 × 2 achievement goal model. Self-based goals, other-based goals and task-approach goals predicted enjoyment. Task-approach goals negatively predicted boredom. Task-approach and other-approach predicted achievement. The indirect effects of achievement goals through emotion variables on achievement were assessed using bias-corrected bootstrapping. No mediation effects were found. Implications for educational practice are discussed. PMID:27199836

Effect of the depreciation of public goods in spatial public goods games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Dong-Mei; Zhuang, Yong; Wang, Bing-Hong

2012-02-01

In this work, the depreciation effect of public goods is considered in the public goods games, which is realized by rescaling the multiplication factor r of each group as r‧=r( (β≥0). It is assumed that each individual enjoys the full profit r of the public goods if all the players of this group are cooperators. Otherwise, the value of public goods is reduced to r‧. It is found that compared with the original version (β=0), the emergence of cooperation is remarkably promoted for β>0, and there exist intermediate values of β inducing the best cooperation. Particularly, there exists a range of β inducing the highest cooperative level, and this range of β broadens as r increases. It is further presented that the variation of cooperator density with noise has close relations with the values of β and r, and cooperation at an intermediate value of β=1.0 is most tolerant to noise.

Avoiding or restricting defectors in public goods games?

PubMed

Han, The Anh; Pereira, Luís Moniz; Lenaerts, Tom

2015-02-06

When creating a public good, strategies or mechanisms are required to handle defectors. We first show mathematically and numerically that prior agreements with posterior compensations provide a strategic solution that leads to substantial levels of cooperation in the context of public goods games, results that are corroborated by available experimental data. Notwithstanding this success, one cannot, as with other approaches, fully exclude the presence of defectors, raising the question of how they can be dealt with to avoid the demise of the common good. We show that both avoiding creation of the common good, whenever full agreement is not reached, and limiting the benefit that disagreeing defectors can acquire, using costly restriction mechanisms, are relevant choices. Nonetheless, restriction mechanisms are found the more favourable, especially in larger group interactions. Given decreasing restriction costs, introducing restraining measures to cope with public goods free-riding issues is the ultimate advantageous solution for all participants, rather than avoiding its creation. © 2014 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Individuals achieve more accurate results with meters that are codeless and employ dynamic electrochemistry.

PubMed

Rao, Anoop; Wiley, Meg; Iyengar, Sridhar; Nadeau, Dan; Carnevale, Julie

2010-01-01

Studies have shown that controlling blood glucose can reduce the onset and progression of the long-term microvascular and neuropathic complications associated with the chronic course of diabetes mellitus. Improved glycemic control can be achieved by frequent testing combined with changes in medication, exercise, and diet. Technological advancements have enabled improvements in analytical accuracy of meters, and this paper explores two such parameters to which that accuracy can be attributed. Four blood glucose monitoring systems (with or without dynamic electrochemistry algorithms, codeless or requiring coding prior to testing) were evaluated and compared with respect to their accuracy. Altogether, 108 blood glucose values were obtained for each system from 54 study participants and compared with the reference values. The analysis depicted in the International Organization for Standardization table format indicates that the devices with dynamic electrochemistry and the codeless feature had the highest proportion of acceptable results overall (System A, 101/103). Results were significant when compared at the 10% bias level with meters that were codeless and utilized static electrochemistry (p = .017) or systems that had static electrochemistry but needed coding (p = .008). Analytical performance of these blood glucose meters differed significantly depending on their technologic features. Meters that utilized dynamic electrochemistry and did not require coding were more accurate than meters that used static electrochemistry or required coding. 2010 Diabetes Technology Society.

Too good to be true: when overwhelming evidence fails to convince.

PubMed

Gunn, Lachlan J; Chapeau-Blondeau, François; McDonnell, Mark D; Davis, Bruce R; Allison, Andrew; Abbott, Derek

2016-03-01

Is it possible for a large sequence of measurements or observations, which support a hypothesis, to counterintuitively decrease our confidence? Can unanimous support be too good to be true? The assumption of independence is often made in good faith; however, rarely is consideration given to whether a systemic failure has occurred. Taking this into account can cause certainty in a hypothesis to decrease as the evidence for it becomes apparently stronger. We perform a probabilistic Bayesian analysis of this effect with examples based on (i) archaeological evidence, (ii) weighing of legal evidence and (iii) cryptographic primality testing. In this paper, we investigate the effects of small error rates in a set of measurements or observations. We find that even with very low systemic failure rates, high confidence is surprisingly difficult to achieve; in particular, we find that certain analyses of cryptographically important numerical tests are highly optimistic, underestimating their false-negative rate by as much as a factor of 2 80 .

5 a day Achievement Badge for African-American Boy Scouts: pilot outcome results.

PubMed

Baranowski, Tom; Baranowski, Janice; Cullen, Karen W; deMoor, Carl; Rittenberry, LaTroy; Hebert, David; Jones, Lovell

2002-03-01

Boy Scouts are an important channel to complement school-based programs to enable boys to eat more fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables (FJV) for chronic disease prevention. The "5 a Day Achievement Badge" program was presented on a pilot study basis to African-American Boy Scout troops in Houston. Troops were the unit of recruitment and random assignment to treatment and control groups. The badge program was presented in Fall 1997 by trained dietitians and included activities to increase availability and accessibility of fruit and vegetables at scouts' homes, increase preferences for vegetables, and train in the preparation of FaSST (fast, simple, safe, and tasty) recipes. Weekly comic books demonstrated and reinforced what scouts were expected to do at home. A weekly newsletter with recipes was sent to parents. The program was revised and presented to the control group in Winter 1998. Two 24-h recalls were the primary assessment tools. Telephone interviews were conducted with parents. The intervention resulted in a 0.8 FJV serving difference (post values of treatment versus control groups with pre value covaried). The changes obtained suggest that the intervention was effective in promoting dietary change. (C)2002 American Health Foundation and Elsevier Science (USA).

Good-quality diet in the early years may have a positive effect on academic achievement.

PubMed

Nyaradi, Anett; Li, Jianghong; Foster, Jonathan K; Hickling, Siobhan; Jacques, Angela; O'Sullivan, Therese A; Oddy, Wendy H

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between early diet and academic performance during childhood. Participants were from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study (n = 2287). Frequency of consumption of food and beverages was collected at the one-, two- and three-year follow-ups, using a 24-hour food recall. Diet scores were developed from the number of eating occasions. The Western Australian Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (WALNA) data from grades five (age 10) and seven (age 12) were linked to the Raine study using The Western Australian Data Linkage System. The association between diet scores and WALNA scores was assessed using multivariate linear regression models. A higher (i.e. better quality) diet score at one year of age was associated with significantly higher scores in mathematics, reading, writing and spelling at both grades five and seven. Associations were observed between a higher diet score at two years and academic scores for mathematics, writing and spelling at grade seven. Higher dairy consumption at ages one, two and three, and higher fruit consumption at age one were associated with higher academic scores at all ages. Quality of early diet may be a predictor for later academic achievement. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Effects of Homework Activities and Teaching Strategies for New Mathematics Topics on Achievement of Adolescent Students in Japan: Results from the TIMSS 1999 Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

House, J. Daniel

2004-01-01

The importance of homework activities for student achievement has been extensively discussed. Research has indicated that, in general, students who spend more time on homework tend to show higher levels of academic achievement. For instance, results from the Third International Mathematics Study (TIMSS) indicated that adolescent students in Japan…

Correlates of Achieving the Guidelines of Four Forms of Physical Activity, and the Relationship between Guidelines Achievement and Academic Performance: Undergraduate Students in Finland.

PubMed

El Ansari, Walid; Suominen, Sakari; Draper, Steve

2017-06-01

We surveyed and compared, by gender, the levels and correlates of achieving the international guidelines of four forms of physical activity (PA): moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), moderate or vigorous PA (MVPA), and muscle strengthening PA (MSPA). The study assessed the associations between achieving the guidelines of the four PA forms and a range of socio-demographic, health and academic performance variables. Data was collected across the seven faculties of the University of Turku (2013-2014 from a representative sample of 1,189 undergraduates). An English language online self-administered questionnaire assessed frequency and duration of PA/week for each form of PA. We employed cut-offs for the guidelines in accordance with the American Heart Association. Chi-square statistic tested the differences in PA, socio-demographic variables and academic performance between males and females. Binary logistic regression examined the factors associated with achieving the four PA guidelines and linear regression examined the association between the frequency of PA and academic performance. Achievement of PA guidelines was relatively low across the sample. Female students were less likely to achieve the VPA or MSPA guidelines, but were more health conscious and in generally exhibited better academic performace than males. High health awareness and excellent/very good self-rated health were the strongest predictors of achieving all forms of PA. Parents' education level was positively related to likelihood of achieving the VPA, MVPA and MSPA guidelines. Achieving the MPA guidelines (but not VPA or MSPA) was positively associated with subjective perceptions of better academic performance. Achievement of PA guidelines was generally low for this sample of Finnish students, and was associated with positive health status and high health awareness. Universities need a holistic approach to improve awareness of health and promote PA in students' lifestyles. Copyright© by the

Achieving Good Outcomes for Asthma Living (GOAL): mixed methods feasibility and pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of a practical intervention for eliciting, setting and achieving goals for adults with asthma.

PubMed

Hoskins, Gaylor; Williams, Brian; Abhyankar, Purva; Donnan, Peter; Duncan, Edward; Pinnock, Hilary; van der Pol, Marjon; Rauchhaus, Petra; Taylor, Anne; Sheikh, Aziz

2016-12-08

Despite being a core component of self-management, goal setting is rarely used in routine care. We piloted a primary care, nurse-led intervention called Achieving Good Outcomes for Asthma Living (GOAL) for adults with asthma. Patients were invited to identify and prioritise their goals in preparation for discussing and negotiating an action/coping plan with the nurse at a routine asthma review. The 18-month mixed methods feasibility cluster pilot trial stratified and then randomised practices to deliver usual care (UC) or a goal-setting intervention (GOAL). Practice asthma nurses and adult patients with active asthma were invited to participate. The primary outcome was asthma-specific quality of life. Semi-structured interviews with a purposive patient sample (n = 14) and 10 participating nurses explored GOAL perception. The constructs of normalisation process theory (NPT) were used to analyse and interpret data. Ten practices participated (five in each arm), exceeding our target of eight. However, only 48 patients (target 80) were recruited (18 in GOAL practices). At 6 months post-intervention, the difference in mean asthma-related quality of life (mAQLQ) between intervention and control was 0.1 (GOAL 6.20: SD 0.76 (CI 5.76-6.65) versus UC 6.1: SD 0.81 (CI 5.63-6.57)), less than the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 0.5. However, change from baseline was stronger in the intervention group: at 6 months the change in the emotions sub-score was 0.8 for intervention versus 0.2 for control. Costs were higher in the intervention group by £22.17. Routine review with goal setting was considered more holistic, enhancing rapport and enabling patients to become active rather than passive participants in healthcare. However, time was a major barrier for nurses, who admitted to screening out patient goals they believed were unrelated to asthma. The difference in AQLQ score from baseline is larger in the intervention arm than the control, indicating the

The Effects of Learning Strategy Instruction on Achievement, Attitude, and Achievement Motivation in a Physics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sezgin Selçuk, Gamze; Sahin, Mehmet; Açıkgöz, Kamile Ün

2011-01-01

This article reports on the influence of learning strategy instruction on student teachers' physics achievement, attitude towards physics, and achievement motivation. A pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design with matching control group was used in the study. Two groups of student teachers ( n = 75) who were enrolled in an introductory physics course participated in the study. In the experimental group, questioning, summarizing, and graphic organizers were taught. The control group did not receive any presentation on strategy learning. Data were collected via the pre- and post-administration of the Physics Course Achievement Test, the Scale of Attitudes towards Physics, and the Achievement Motivation Scale. Univariate and multivariate analyses of variance on the data revealed no significant differences in the attitude and achievement motivation between the strategy and control groups. However, the strategy group students were observed to have a tendency of more positive attitude and motivation than the control group students. Results also showed that explicit learning strategy instruction was more effective than traditional instruction in improving physics achievement of the participating students. The implications of these results for physics education are discussed.

The Impact of Motivation on Student's Academic Achievement and Learning Outcomes in Mathematics among Secondary School Students in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tella, Adedeji

2007-01-01

In our match towards scientific and technological advancement, we need nothing short of good performance in mathematics at all levels of schooling. In an effort to achieve this, this study investigated the impact of motivation on students' school academic achievement in mathematics in secondary schools using motivation for academic preference…

Factor Structure and Predictive Utility of the 2 x 2 Achievement Goal Model in a Sample of Taiwan Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Yu-Tzu; Yeh, Yu-Chen; Lin, Sunny S. J.; Hwang, Fang-Ming

2011-01-01

This study examined structure and predictive utility of the 2 x 2 achievement goal model among Taiwan pre-university school students (ages 10 to 16) who learned Chinese language arts. The confirmatory factor analyses of Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Chinese version provided good fitting between the factorial and dimensional structures with the…

Practical Strategies for Integrating Final Ecosystem Goods and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The concept of Final Ecosystem Goods and Services (FEGS) explicitly connects ecosystem services to the people that benefit from them. This report presents a number of practical strategies for incorporating FEGS, and more broadly ecosystem services, into the decision-making process. Whether a decision process is in early or late stages, or whether a process includes informal or formal decision analysis, there are multiple points where ecosystem services concepts can be integrated. This report uses Structured Decision Making (SDM) as an organizing framework to illustrate the role ecosystem services can play in a values-focused decision-process, including: • Clarifying the decision context: Ecosystem services can help clarify the potential impacts of an issue on natural resources together with their spatial and temporal extent based on supply and delivery of those services, and help identify beneficiaries for inclusion as stakeholders in the deliberative process. • Defining objectives and performance measures: Ecosystem services may directly represent stakeholder objectives, or may be means toward achieving other objectives. • Creating alternatives: Ecosystem services can bring to light creative alternatives for achieving other social, economic, health, or general well-being objectives. • Estimating consequences: Ecosystem services assessments can implement ecological production functions (EPFs) and ecological benefits functions (EBFs) to link decision alt

The Variation in Student Achievement and Behavior within a Portfolio Management Model: Early Results from New Orleans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEachin, Andrew J.; Welsh, Richard Osbourne; Brewer, Dominic James

2016-01-01

A growing number of states experimented with alternative governance structures in response to pressure to raise student achievement. Post-Katrina experimentation in New Orleans was widely regarded as a model example of new governance reforms and provided a unique opportunity to learn about the variation in student achievement and behavior within…

Identification of Effects of Regulatory Actions on Air Quality in Goods Movement Corridors in California.

PubMed

Su, Jason G; Meng, Ying-Ying; Pickett, Melissa; Seto, Edmund; Ritz, Beate; Jerrett, Michael

2016-08-16

Few studies have assessed the impact of regulatory actions on air quality improvement through a comprehensive monitoring effort. In this study, we designed saturation sampling of nitrogen oxides (NOX) for the counties of Los Angeles and Alameda (San Francisco Bay) before (2003-2007) and after (2008-2013) implementation of goods movement actions in California. We further separated the research regions into three location categories, including goods movement corridors (GMCs), nongoods movement corridors (NGMCs), and control areas (CTRLs). Linear mixed models were developed to identify whether reductions in NOX were greater in GMCs than in other areas, after controlling for potential confounding, including weather conditions (e.g., wind speed and temperature) and season of sampling. We also considered factors that might confound the relationship, including traffic and cargo volumes that may have changed due to economic downturn impacts. Compared to the pre-policy period, we found reductions of average pollutant concentrations for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and NOX in GMCs of 6.4 and 21.7 ppb. The reductions were smaller in NGMCs (5.9 and 16.3 ppb, respectively) and in CTRLs (4.6 and 12.1 ppb, respectively). After controlling for potential confounding from weather conditions, season of sampling, and the economic downturn in 2008, the linear mixed models demonstrated that reductions in NO2 and NOX were significantly greater in GMCs compared to reductions observed in CTRLs; there were no statistically significant differences between NGMCs and CTRLs. These results indicate that policies regulating goods movement are achieving the desired outcome of improving air quality for the state, particularly in goods movement corridors where most disadvantaged communities live.

Motivational Techniques for Good Human Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Betty J.

Negative motivators like threats, intimidation, criticism, denigration, the withholding of information, and the exercise of power produce temporary results but engender resentment and close the door of communication. Good leaders use positive motivators to meet people's needs, enhance efficiency, and improve working relationships. Some of these…

Achieving high value care for all and the perverse incentives of 340B price agreements.

PubMed

Whittington, Melanie D; Campbell, Jonathan D; McQueen, R Brett

2018-04-01

Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act requires drug manufacturers to enter into price agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services. These agreements result in variation in the price paid to acquire a drug by sector, which complicates the price used in cost-effectiveness analyses. We describe the transactions and sectors in a 340B agreement using a multiple sclerosis drug. Cost-effectiveness estimates were calculated for the drug using drug prices from the manufacturer and payer perspective. We found the amount paid to the manufacturer (340B price) was a good value ($118,256 per quality-adjusted life-year); however, from the payer drug cost perspective, good value ($196,683 per quality-adjusted life-year) was not achieved. Given that emerging value frameworks incorporate cost-effectiveness, these price variations may have downstream negative consequences, including inaccurate coverage and reimbursement policy recommendations. Upcoming policy changes to the 340B program should incentivize pricing schemes hinged on transparency and value.

[Perthes disease--results of a containment-oriented therapy concept].

PubMed

Rühmann, O; Lazović, D; Wirth, C J; Gossé, F; Franke, J

1997-01-01

In a retrospective study a treatment concept for Perthes' disease dependent on the containment was applied. 49 hips of 41 children (9 female, 32 male) were treated between 01. 01. 1990 and 31. 12. 1995. In our concept of treatment a varus femoral osteotomy was performed in 28 cases with not contained hips or less than 4/5 coverage of the femoral head (X-ray/MRI). The other 21 well contained hips with 4/5 coverage or more were treated conservatively with physiotherapy and in case of joint effusion and pain additionally with the use of crutches (partial weight bearing) and anti-inflammatory medication. The average age in the non-operative group at the time of first investigation was 4 years and 9 months (3 y./1 m. to 7 y./1 m.) and 6 years and 3 months (4 y/2 m. to 10 y/0 m.) at our last examination (mean follow up 17.7 months, range of 6 to 72 months). At the time of indication for a varus femoral osteotomy the patients had an average age 6 years and 1 month (3 y./6 m. to 10 y./2 m.), the mean age at the last postoperative examination was 7 years and 11 months (4 y./8 m. to 12 y./5 m.) with an average follow up of 21.5 months (6 to 77 months). For the conservatively treated children we achieved good results (still well contained hips with 4/5 coverage, no decrease of function, no increase of pain) in 85.7% (18 of 21 cases). In 85.7% (24 of 28 cases) we found good results (well contained hips, increase of coverage, no decrease of function, no increase of pain) in the operation group. The presented concept of therapy in Perthes' disease was practicable for all patients and included the possibility of decision for operative or non-operative treatment. In both groups we achieved good results in 85.7% of the cases.

The Achievement Ideology and Whiteness: "Achieving Whiteness" or "Achieving Middle Class?"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Ricky Lee

Over the past few decades, social reproduction theorists have criticized achievement ideology as a dominant and dominating myth that hides the true nature of class immobility. Social reproductionists' primary criticism of achievement ideology is that it blinds the working class, regardless of race or gender, to the possibilities of collective…

The officials’ efforts to set up a good government

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suardini, D.; Mariana, D.; Sjoraida, D. F.

2018-03-01

This study investigates the Government of Bogor City’s efforts in disseminating the values of good governance to its bureaucracy. This is based on the fact that the enforcement of good governance is a challenge and an opportunity to be concerned because there are many who do not know the impact of it. Internal impacts would be felt in the employment sector competition while the external impact would be related to the competition in terms of the governance qualities from another region examined by the internal affair officials. With descriptive and qualitative approaches, this study finds that many officials of the local government of Bogor City are still not ready to face the culture of good governance. Such unpreparedness results from the fact that an understanding of good governance is not evenly spread among the officials. It is because that the government itself has not put this good governance issue as a top priority. Finally, there is the absence of a comprehensive evaluation process of good government socialization activities.

Mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherman, Brian F.; Wither (Post.), David P.

2003-09-01

This paper is a distillation of the major result from the 1998 Ph.D. thesis of the late David Wither. It details a longitudinal study over five years of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and mathematics achievement. It starts from the already well documented negative correlation between the two, and seeks to establish one of the three hypotheses—that mathematics anxiety causes an impairment of mathematics achievement; that lack of mathematics achievement causes mathematics anxiety; or that there is a third underlying cause of the two.

Achievement goal profiles and developments in effort and achievement in upper elementary school.

PubMed

Hornstra, Lisette; Majoor, Marieke; Peetsma, Thea

2017-12-01

The multiple goal perspective posits that certain combinations of achievement goals are more favourable than others in terms of educational outcomes. This study aimed to examine longitudinally whether students' achievement goal profiles and transitions between profiles are associated with developments in self-reported and teacher-rated effort and academic achievement in upper elementary school. Participants were 722 fifth-grade students and their teachers in fifth and sixth grade (N = 68). Students reported on their achievement goals and effort in language and mathematics three times in grade 5 to grade 6. Teachers rated students' general school effort. Achievement scores were obtained from school records. Goal profiles were derived with latent profile and transition analyses. Longitudinal multilevel analyses were conducted. Theoretically favourable goal profiles (high mastery and performance-approach goals, low on performance-avoidance goals), as well as transitions from less to more theoretically favourable goal profiles, were associated with higher levels and more growth in effort for language and mathematics and with stronger language achievement gains. Overall, these results provide support for the multiple goal perspective and show the sustained benefits of favourable goal profiles beyond effects of cognitive ability and background characteristics. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Education Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Defining the Good Reading Teacher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kupersmith, Judy; And Others

In the quest for a definition of the good reading teacher, a review of the literature shows that new or copious materials, one specific teaching method, and static teaching behaviors are not responsible for effective teaching. However, observations of five reading teachers, with good references and good reputations but with widely divergent…

Achievement as Resistance: The Development of a Critical Race Achievement Ideology among Black Achievers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Dorinda J.

2008-01-01

In this article, Dorinda Carter examines the embodiment of a critical race achievement ideology in high-achieving black students. She conducted a yearlong qualitative investigation of the adaptive behaviors that nine high-achieving black students developed and employed to navigate the process of schooling at an upper-class, predominantly white,…

Assessing the sense of `good at' and `not good at' toward learning topics of mathematics with conjoint analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izuta, Giido; Nishikawa, Tomoko

2017-05-01

Over the past years, educational psychology and pedagogy communities have focused on the metacognition formalism as a helpful approach to carry out investigations on the feeling of difficulty in mastering some classroom materials that students acquire through their subjective experiences of learning in schools. Motivated by hitherto studies, this work deals with the assessment of the awareness of `good at' and `not good at' that Japanese junior high school students have towards the main learning modules in their three years of mathematics. More specifically, the aims here are (i) to shed some light into how the awareness varies across the grades and gender; (ii) to get some insights into the extent to what the conjoint analysis can be applied to understand the students' feelings toward learning activities. To accomplish them, a conjoint analysis survey with three conjoint attributes, each with two levels, were designed to assess the learners' perceptions of `good at' and `not good at' with respect to arithmetic (algebraic operations), geometry and functions, which make up the three major modules of their curricula. The measurements took place in a public junior high school with 616 school children. It turned out that the conjoint analyses for boys and girls of each grade generated the partial utility and importance graphs which along with a pre-established precision of measurement allowed us to form groups of pupils according to their `sense of being good at' characteristics. Moreover, the results showed that the number of groups obtained differed for boys and girls as well as grades when the gender and school years were considered for comparisons. These findings suggesting that female students outnumbers their peers in number of `good at' despite the low number of females pursuing careers in mathematics and related fields imply that investigation on the causes of this juxtaposition has to be taken into account in the future.

Good life good death according to Christiaan Barnard.

PubMed

Toledo-Pereyra, Luis H

2010-06-01

Christiaan Barnard (1922-2002), pioneering heart transplant surgeon, introduced his ideas on euthanasia in a well-written and researched book, Good Life Good Death. A Doctor's Case for Euthanasia and Suicide, published in 1980. His courage in analyzing this topic in a forthright and clear manner is worth reviewing today. In essence, Barnard supported and practiced passive euthanasia (the ending of life by indirect methods, such as stopping of life support) and discussed, but never practiced, active euthanasia (the ending of life by direct means). Barnard believed that "the primary goal of medicine was to alleviate suffering-not merely to prolong life-he argued that advances in modern medical technology demanded that we evaluate our view of death and the handling of terminal illness." Some in the surgical community took issue with Barnard when he publicized his personal views on euthanasia. We discuss Barnard's beliefs and attempt to clarify some misunderstandings regarding this particular controversial area of medicine.

The relation between perceived parent-created sport climate and competitive male youth hockey players' good and poor sport behaviors.

PubMed

LaVoi, Nicole M; Stellino, Megan Babkes

2008-09-01

The authors examined achievement goal orientation (J. L. Duda & J. G. Nicholls, 1992), parental influence (M. L. Babkes & M. R. Weiss, 1999), and the parent-initiated motivational climate (S. A. White, 1996, 1998) in combination to broaden understanding of competitive male youth hockey players' (N = 259) perceptions of the parent-created sport climate and its relation to their self-reported good and poor sport behaviors (GPSB). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a multidimensional measure of GPSB. Multiple regression analyses indicated that athletes' GPSB were significantly predicted by different forms of parental influence. Canonical correlations revealed a complex picture of the contributions of goal orientation and the parent-created sport climate on boys' GPSB in youth hockey. Results expand knowledge of the influence that parents have in youth sport and emphasize the importance of understanding how children's interpretations of parental beliefs and behaviors affect their choices to engage in good and poor sport behaviors.

Methods and Costs to Achieve Ultra Reliable Life Support

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry W.

2012-01-01

A published Mars mission is used to explore the methods and costs to achieve ultra reliable life support. The Mars mission and its recycling life support design are described. The life support systems were made triply redundant, implying that each individual system will have fairly good reliability. Ultra reliable life support is needed for Mars and other long, distant missions. Current systems apparently have insufficient reliability. The life cycle cost of the Mars life support system is estimated. Reliability can be increased by improving the intrinsic system reliability, adding spare parts, or by providing technically diverse redundant systems. The costs of these approaches are estimated. Adding spares is least costly but may be defeated by common cause failures. Using two technically diverse systems is effective but doubles the life cycle cost. Achieving ultra reliability is worth its high cost because the penalty for failure is very high.

Early Intervention and Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hormes, Mridula T.

2009-01-01

The United States Department of Education has been rigorous in holding all states accountable with regard to student achievement. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 clearly laid out federal mandates for all schools to follow. K-12 leaders of public schools are very aware of the fact that results in terms of student achievement need to improve…

What Are Good Universities?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connell, Raewyn

2016-01-01

This paper considers how we can arrive at a concept of the good university. It begins with ideas expressed by Australian Vice-Chancellors and in the "league tables" for universities, which essentially reproduce existing privilege. It then considers definitions of the good university via wish lists, classic texts, horror lists, structural…

19 CFR 10.303 - Originating goods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... in General Note 3(c), HTSUS; (2) Transformed with a change in classification. The goods have been transformed by a processing which results in a change in classification and, if required, a sufficient value-content, as set forth in General Note 3(c), HTSUS; or (3) Transformed without a change in classification...

19 CFR 10.303 - Originating goods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... in General Note 3(c), HTSUS; (2) Transformed with a change in classification. The goods have been transformed by a processing which results in a change in classification and, if required, a sufficient value-content, as set forth in General Note 3(c), HTSUS; or (3) Transformed without a change in classification...

Teacher’s Stimulus Helps Students Achieve Mathematics Reasoning and Problem Solving Competences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayah, Isti; Pujiastuti, Emi; Chrisna, Jeanet Eva

2017-04-01

The students’ problem-solving ability in mathematics learning still becomes a challenge for teachers, especially in primary education. The scientific approach, with its activities including observing, asking, collecting information/experimenting/trying, associating/analysing information/reasoning, communicating/presenting/ networking is expected to be able to help students to achieve their competence of reasoning and problem-solving. The Missouri Mathematics Project learning by using student worksheet and manipulative (classical and group) have helped students achieved problem-solving competence. The implementation of scientific approach in the activities of observing, experimenting, and communicating are good. However, the questioning and associating activities are still less promoted. The result of observation towards four meetings of learning by using teaching aids shows that the expected activity which did not emerge during the learning is “students ask questions from the factual thing to hypothetical thing, starting with guidance from teacher until they can do by themselves”. The result of analysis towards theoretical background and research result conclude that the students’ asking and thinking abilities can be developed gradually by delivering stimuli in the form of tasks which have been designed by the teacher. The task could be a problem or a clue; then the students determine things such as: “what the question?”, “facts from pictures/text/graphs/tables”, “find the hidden question”, what’s extra?”, “what’s missing?”, “what’s wrong?”, alternatively, “make up the problem.

19 CFR 102.12 - Fungible goods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... RULES OF ORIGIN Rules of Origin § 102.12 Fungible goods. When fungible goods of different countries of origin are commingled the country of origin of the goods: (a) Is the countries of origin of those... the origin of the commingled good is not practical, the country or countries of origin may be...

Mandatory vaccination: understanding the common good in the midst of the global polio eradication campaign.

PubMed

Gostin, Lawrence O

2018-01-03

The detection of wild poliovirus in Israeli sewage in May 2013 led the health authorities to vaccinate children with OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine). Shelly Kamin-Friedman explored the legal and ethical dimensions of this policy. This commentary makes three claims: (1) Mandatory vaccination is a valid exercise of the state's police powers to protect the common good. (2) A disease eradication campaign is a sufficient ground for the exercise of those powers. (3) The state is obliged to use the least restrictive/invasive measure to achieve community-wide vaccine coverage, but need not use less effective measures; further, determining which measure is most effective is a fact-specific determination. This commentary offers grounds to support state powers to protect the public's health and safety. It shows why governments have both the duty and power to safeguard the collective good. State powers also have limits, whose boundaries are determined by the public health necessity. If the state is reasonably using the least restrictive intervention to achieve an important public health objective, it is well within the limits of its authority. The commentary uses legal and ethical norms and evidence to support its conclusions. Governments have a duty and power to achieve population-based vaccine coverage sufficient to stem the spread of infectious diseases, including in isolated geographical areas with high numbers of individuals claiming religious and/or conscientious exemptions to vaccine requirements. Governments are obliged to reasonably seek the least restrictive/invasive measure to achieve valid public health objectives; and governments are not obliged to use less effective measures simply because they are voluntary or less invasive. Finding the most effective, least invasive intervention is fact-specific. The essence of public health law is to recognize the state's power and duty to safeguard the public's health and safety, and to establish and enforce limits on those powers

Anesthesiology residents' perspective about good teaching--a qualitative needs assessment.

PubMed

Ortwein, Heiderose; Blaum, Wolf E; Spies, Claudia D

2014-01-01

Germany, like many other countries, will soon have a shortage of qualified doctors. One reason for the dissatisfaction amongst medical residents are the relatively unstructured residency training programs despite increasing importance of outcome-based education. The aim of our study was to identify characteristics and requirements for good teaching during anesthesiology residency training from the resident's point of view. A consensus workshop with residents from all medical universities in Germany was held. Participants were allocated to one of the three topics, chosen based on a 2009 nationwide evaluation of residency. The three topics were (A) characteristics of helpful/good teachers, (B) characteristics of helpful/good conditions and (C) characteristics of helpful/good curricular structure. Each group followed a nominal group technique consensus process to define and rank characteristics for a good residency. 31 (79.5%) resident representatives were present. The consented results put emphasis on the importance of structured curricula including transparent goals and objectives, in training formative assessments and quality assurance measures for the program. Residents further long for trained trainers with formal teaching qualifications and protected teaching time. Good residency training requires careful consideration of all stakeholders' needs. Results reflect and extend previous findings and are at least to some degree easily implemented. These findings are an important step to establish a broader consensus within the discipline.

Pigeons can discriminate "good" and "bad" paintings by children.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shigeru

2010-01-01

Humans have the unique ability to create art, but non-human animals may be able to discriminate "good" art from "bad" art. In this study, I investigated whether pigeons could be trained to discriminate between paintings that had been judged by humans as either "bad" or "good". To do this, adult human observers first classified several children's paintings as either "good" (beautiful) or "bad" (ugly). Using operant conditioning procedures, pigeons were then reinforced for pecking at "good" paintings. After the pigeons learned the discrimination task, they were presented with novel pictures of both "good" and "bad" children's paintings to test whether they had successfully learned to discriminate between these two stimulus categories. The results showed that pigeons could discriminate novel "good" and "bad" paintings. Then, to determine which cues the subjects used for the discrimination, I conducted tests of the stimuli when the paintings were of reduced size or grayscale. In addition, I tested their ability to discriminate when the painting stimuli were mosaic and partial occluded. The pigeons maintained discrimination performance when the paintings were reduced in size. However, discrimination performance decreased when stimuli were presented as grayscale images or when a mosaic effect was applied to the original stimuli in order to disrupt spatial frequency. Thus, the pigeons used both color and pattern cues for their discrimination. The partial occlusion did not disrupt the discriminative behavior suggesting that the pigeons did not attend to particular parts, namely upper, lower, left or right half, of the paintings. These results suggest that the pigeons are capable of learning the concept of a stimulus class that humans name "good" pictures. The second experiment showed that pigeons learned to discriminate watercolor paintings from pastel paintings. The subjects showed generalization to novel paintings. Then, as the first experiment, size reduction test

Counterstereotypic Identity among High-Achieving Black Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harpalani, Vinay

2017-01-01

This article examines how racial stereotypes affect achievement and identity formation among low income, urban Black adolescents. Specifically, the major question addressed is: how do high-achieving Black students succeed academically despite negative stereotypes of their intellectual abilities? Results indicate that high-achieving Black youth,…

Degree of Availability of Good Teacher Characteristics among the English Language (EL) Teachers of Basic Stage Schools from Their Principals' Views in Tafila Governorate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alroud, Attalla; Qomoul, Mohammad

2017-01-01

The study aimed to investigate the Degree of Availability of Good Teacher Characteristics Among English Language (EL) Teachers of Basic Stage Schools from Their Principals' views in Tafila Governorate. This could be achieved through answering the following questions: 1-What is the degree of availability of good teacher characteristics among…

Bounded rationality in volunteering public goods games.

PubMed

Xu, Zhaojin; Wang, Zhen; Zhang, Lianzhong

2010-05-07

It is one of the fundamental problems in biology and social sciences how to maintain high levels of cooperation among selfish individuals. Theorists present an effective mechanism promoting cooperation by allowing for voluntary participation in public goods games. But Nash's theory predicts that no one can do better or worse than loners (players unwilling to join the public goods game) in the long run, and that the frequency of participants is independent of loners' payoff. In this paper, we introduce a degree of rationality and investigate the model by means of an approximate best response dynamics. Our research shows that the payoffs of the loners have a significant effect in anonymous voluntary public goods games by this introduction and that the dynamics will drive the system to a fixed point, which is different from the Nash equilibrium. In addition, we also qualitatively explain the existing experimental results. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rainmakers: why bad weather means good productivity.

PubMed

Lee, Jooa Julia; Gino, Francesca; Staats, Bradley R

2014-05-01

People believe that weather conditions influence their everyday work life, but to date, little is known about how weather affects individual productivity. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we predict and find that bad weather increases individual productivity and that it does so by eliminating potential cognitive distractions resulting from good weather. When the weather is bad, individuals appear to focus more on their work than on alternate outdoor activities. We investigate the proposed relationship between worse weather and higher productivity through 4 studies: (a) field data on employees' productivity from a bank in Japan, (b) 2 studies from an online labor market in the United States, and (c) a laboratory experiment. Our findings suggest that worker productivity is higher on bad-, rather than good-, weather days and that cognitive distractions associated with good weather may explain the relationship. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our research. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

"Act in Good Faith."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Robert B.

1979-01-01

It is argued that the Supreme Court's Bakke decision overturning the University of California's minority admissions program is good for those who favor affirmative action programs in higher education. The Supreme Court gives wide latitude for devising programs that take race and ethnic background into account if colleges are acting in good faith.…

Achievement goals, self-handicapping, and performance: a 2 x 2 achievement goal perspective.

PubMed

Ntoumanis, Nikos; Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Smith, Alison L

2009-11-01

Elliot and colleagues (2006) examined the effects of experimentally induced achievement goals, proposed by the trichotomous model, on self-handicapping and performance in physical education. Our study replicated and extended the work of Elliot et al. by experimentally promoting all four goals proposed by the 2 x 2 model (Elliot & McGregor, 2001), measuring the participants' own situational achievement goals, using a relatively novel task, and testing the participants in a group setting. We used a randomized experimental design with four conditions that aimed to induce one of the four goals advanced by the 2 x 2 model. The participants (n = 138) were undergraduates who engaged in a dart-throwing task. The results pertaining to self-handicapping partly replicated Elliot and colleagues' findings by showing that experimentally promoted performance-avoidance goals resulted in less practice. In contrast, the promotion of mastery-avoidance goals did not result in less practice compared with either of the approach goals. Dart-throwing performance did not differ among the four goal conditions. Personal achievement goals did not moderate the effects of experimentally induced goals on self-handicapping and performance. The extent to which mastery-avoidance goals are maladaptive is discussed, as well as the interplay between personal and experimentally induced goals.

A Pretty Good Paper about Pretty Good Privacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCollum, Roy

With today's growth in the use of electronic information systems for e-mail, data development and research, and the relative ease of access to such resources, protecting one's data and correspondence has become a great concern. "Pretty Good Privacy" (PGP), an encryption program developed by Phil Zimmermann, may be the software tool that…

42 CFR 93.210 - Good faith.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Good faith. 93.210 Section 93.210 Public Health... MISCONDUCT Definitions § 93.210 Good faith. Good faith as applied to a complainant or witness, means having a... allegation or cooperation with a research misconduct proceeding is not in good faith if made with knowing or...

42 CFR 93.210 - Good faith.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Good faith. 93.210 Section 93.210 Public Health... MISCONDUCT Definitions § 93.210 Good faith. Good faith as applied to a complainant or witness, means having a... allegation or cooperation with a research misconduct proceeding is not in good faith if made with knowing or...

42 CFR 93.210 - Good faith.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Good faith. 93.210 Section 93.210 Public Health... MISCONDUCT Definitions § 93.210 Good faith. Good faith as applied to a complainant or witness, means having a... allegation or cooperation with a research misconduct proceeding is not in good faith if made with knowing or...

The etiology of mathematical self-evaluation and mathematics achievement: understanding the relationship using a cross-lagged twin study from age 9 to 12

PubMed Central

Luo, Yu L.L.; Kovas, Yulia; Haworth, Claire M.A.; Plomin, Robert

2011-01-01

The genetic and environmental origins of individual differences in mathematical self-evaluation over time and its association with later mathematics achievement were investigated in a UK sample of 2138 twin pairs at ages 9 and 12. Self-evaluation indexed how good children think they are at mathematical activities and how much they like those activities. Mathematics achievement was assessed by teachers based on UK National Curriculum standards. At both ages self-evaluation was approximately 40% heritable, with the rest of the variance explained by non-shared environment. The results also suggested moderate reciprocal associations between self-evaluation and mathematics achievement across time, with earlier self-evaluation predicting later performance and earlier performance predicting later self-evaluation. These cross-lagged relationships were genetically rather than environmentally mediated. PMID:22102781

Public Goods and Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zicht, Barbara, Ed.; And Others

1982-01-01

This document includes an introduction to the role of government in the production of public goods and services and 3 brief teaching units. The introduction describes the nature of a mixed economy and points out why most people identify the production of goods and services with private enterprise rather than government. It develops a rationale for…

Productivity and Capital Goods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zicht, Barbara, Ed.; And Others

1981-01-01

Providing teacher background on the concepts of productivity and capital goods, this document presents 3 teaching units about these ideas for different grade levels. The grade K-2 unit, "How Do They Do It?," is designed to provide students with an understanding of how physical capital goods add to productivity. Activities include a field trip to…

["Good dying"--definition and current state of research].

PubMed

Hutter, Nico; Stößel, Ulrich; Meffert, Cornelia; Körner, Mirjam; Bozzaro, Claudia; Becker, Gerhild; Baumeister, Harald

2015-08-01

The advances of modern medicine did not only result in prolongation of life expectancy, but also led to a shift from dying at home to dying in public institutions. In western countries most people die at advanced age in medical facilities. Hence, the question regarding the conditions, which should be provided by society and especially medicine, to allow terminally ill people to experience "good dying" is substantial. For this purpose, an examination of patients', family members' and health care providers' understanding of the term " good dying" is required. The present paper aims at shedding light on the term "good dying" and to summarize the current state of research. Therefore, the attributes of "good dying" will be described from the perspectives of patients, family members and health care providers, which are discussed and examined in current medical-sociological research. These attributes can be illustrated on three dimensions: Quality of life at the end of life (e. g. pain relief, mental well-being), quality of dying (e. g. avoiding prolonged dying, autonomy, presence of relatives) and quality of health care at the end of life (e. g. patient-oriented health care, positive communication between health care providers and patients, availability of guidelines). Although the attributes of "good dying" are described in detail in the existing literature, further studies have to clarify the relevance and impact of these attributes as predictors of "good dying". © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The influence of achievement goals on the constructive activity of low achievers during collaborative problem solving.

PubMed

Gabriele, Anthony J

2007-03-01

Previous research on small-group learning has found that level of constructive activity (solving or explaining how to solve problems using ideas stated or implied in the explanation provided by a partner) was a better predictor of post-test achievement than either a student's prior achievement or the quality of help received (Webb, Troper, & Fall, 1995). The purpose of this study was to extend this research by examining the influence of additional factors, in particular, achievement goals and comprehension monitoring, on low achieving students' constructive activity after receiving help from a high achieving peer. Thirty-two low achieving upper elementary students from an urban school district in the mid-west of the United States were paired with high achieving partners. Videotape data from a previously reported study on peer collaboration were transcribed and reanalyzed. In that study, dyads were randomly assigned instructions designed to induce either a learning or performance goal and were videotaped as they worked together to solve a set of mathematical word problems. The following day, students were individually post-tested on problems similar to the ones worked on in pairs. Consistent with previous research, low achieving students' level of constructive activity predicted post-test performance. In addition, constructive activity was found to mediate the relationship between achievement goals and learning. However, achievement goals were not related to low achievers constructive use of help. Instead, achievement goals were related to low achievers' relative accuracy in comprehension monitoring, which in turn was related to level of constructive activity. The meaning of these results for understanding the processes by which low achievers learn from peer help and implications for classroom practice are discussed.

Cortical activity predicts good variation in human motor output.

PubMed

Babikian, Sarine; Kanso, Eva; Kutch, Jason J

2017-04-01

Human movement patterns have been shown to be particularly variable if many combinations of activity in different muscles all achieve the same task goal (i.e., are goal-equivalent). The nervous system appears to automatically vary its output among goal-equivalent combinations of muscle activity to minimize muscle fatigue or distribute tissue loading, but the neural mechanism of this "good" variation is unknown. Here we use a bimanual finger task, electroencephalography (EEG), and machine learning to determine if cortical signals can predict goal-equivalent variation in finger force output. 18 healthy participants applied left and right index finger forces to repeatedly perform a task that involved matching a total (sum of right and left) finger force. As in previous studies, we observed significantly more variability in goal-equivalent muscle activity across task repetitions compared to variability in muscle activity that would not achieve the goal: participants achieved the task in some repetitions with more right finger force and less left finger force (right > left) and in other repetitions with less right finger force and more left finger force (left > right). We found that EEG signals from the 500 milliseconds (ms) prior to each task repetition could make a significant prediction of which repetitions would have right > left and which would have left > right. We also found that cortical maps of sites contributing to the prediction contain both motor and pre-motor representation in the appropriate hemisphere. Thus, goal-equivalent variation in motor output may be implemented at a cortical level.

'She sort of shines': midwives' accounts of 'good' midwifery and 'good' leadership.

PubMed

Byrom, Sheena; Downe, Soo

2010-02-01

to explore midwives' accounts of the characteristics of 'good' leadership and 'good' midwifery. a phenomenological interview survey. Participants were asked about what made both good and poor midwives and leaders. two maternity departments within National Health Service trusts in the North West of England. qualified midwives, selected by random sampling stratified to encompass senior and junior grades. thematic analysis, carried out manually. ten midwives were interviewed. Sixteen codes and six sub-themes were generated. Across the responses, two clear dimensions (themes) were identified, relating on the one hand to aspects of knowledge, skill and competence (termed 'skilled competence'), and on the other hand to specific personality characteristics (termed 'emotional intelligence'). This study suggests that the ability to act knowledgeably, safely and competently was seen as a basic requirement for both clinical midwives and midwife leaders. The added element which made both the midwife and the leader 'good' was the extent of their emotional capability. this small-scale in-depth study could form the basis for hypothesis generation for larger scale work in this area in future. The findings offer some reinforcement for the potential applicability of theories of transformational leadership to midwifery management and practice. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[A case of obstruction due to right-sided colon cancer in which good quality of life was achieved after colonic stenting].

PubMed

Nakao, Shigetomi; Hori, Takeshi; Miura, Kotaro; Tendo, Masashige; Nakata, Bunzo; Ishikawa, Tetsuro; Hirakawa, Kosei

2013-11-01

We report a case of a 60-year-old woman with abdominal distension who was treated with self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement in the proximal transverse colon. She was found to have severe bowel obstruction due to advanced transverse colon cancer on plain computed tomography (CT) and colonoscopy. We performed colonic stenting safely, and the symptom promptly improved. Defecation and flatus were observed on the same day of stenting, and the patient was able to start drinking and eating on the next day. Enhanced abdominal CT revealed multiple liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, ascites, and cystic ovarian tumor. After treatment with 1 course of 5-fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6), the patient was discharged on day 14 after admission. The rapidly enlarging ovarian tumors and primary colonic lesion with SEMS were surgically removed after treatment with mFOLFOX6 for 4 months in an outpatient basis. The patient has been alive with a good quality of life (QOL) and being treated with bevacizumab plus mFOLFOX6/Leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and irinotecan( FOLFIRI) for 6 months. SEMS placement could be safe and effective for the treatment of obstruction of the right colon, and could maintain a good QOL in patients.

Classroom Instruction and Science Achievement in Japan, Hong Kong, and Chinese Taipei: Results from the TIMSS 1999 Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

House, J. Daniel

2005-01-01

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study represents the most comprehensive international assessment of educational contexts and student achievement yet conducted. As part of the examination of the effects of contextual factors on student achievement, a model was constructed that considered the effects of variables such as…

The importance of working memory for school achievement in primary school children with intellectual or learning disabilities.

PubMed

Maehler, Claudia; Schuchardt, Kirsten

2016-11-01

Given the well-known relation between intelligence and school achievement we expect children with normal intelligence to perform well at school and those with intelligence deficits to meet learning problems. But, contrary to these expectations, some children do not perform according to these predictions: children with normal intelligence but sub-average school achievement and children with lower intelligence but average success at school. Yet, it is an open question how the unexpected failure or success can be explained. This study examined the role of working memory sensu Baddeley (1986) for school achievement, especially for unexpected failure or success. An extensive working memory battery with a total of 14 tasks for the phonological loop, the visual-spatial sketchpad and central executive skills was presented in individual sessions to four groups of children differing in IQ (normal vs. low) and school success (good vs. poor). Results reveal that children with sub-average school achievement showed deficits in working memory functioning, irrespective of intelligence. By contrast, children with regular school achievement did not show deficits in working memory, again irrespective of intelligence. Therefore working memory should be considered an important predictor of academic success that can lead both to unexpected overachievement and failure at school. Individual working memory competencies should be taken into account with regard to diagnosis and intervention for children with learning problems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between basic numerical abilities and mathematics achievement.

PubMed

Sasanguie, Delphine; De Smedt, Bert; Defever, Emmy; Reynvoet, Bert

2012-06-01

Various measures have been used to investigate number processing in children, including a number comparison or a number line estimation task. The present study aimed to examine whether and to which extent these different measures of number representation are related to performance on a curriculum-based standardized mathematics achievement test in kindergarteners, first, second, and sixth graders. Children completed a number comparison task and a number line estimation task with a balanced set of symbolic (Arabic digits) and non-symbolic (dot patterns) stimuli. Associations with mathematics achievement were observed for the symbolic measures. Although the association with number line estimation was consistent over grades, the association with number comparison was much stronger in kindergarten compared to the other grades. The current data indicate that a good knowledge of the numerical meaning of Arabic digits is important for children's mathematical development and that particularly the access to the numerical meaning of symbolic digits rather than the representation of number per se is important. © 2011 The British Psychological Society.

Relationship between the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test.

PubMed

Smith, T D; Smith, B L

1998-12-01

The present study examined the relationship between the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test for a sample of children with learning disabilities in two rural school districts. Data were collected for 87 school children who had been classified as learning disabled and placed in special education resource services. Pearson product-moment correlations between scores on the two measures were significant and moderate to high; however, mean scores were not significantly different on Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtests of the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 compared to those for the basic Reading, Spelling, and Mathematics Reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. Although there were significant mean differences between scores on Reading and Reading Comprehension and on Arithmetic and Numerical Operations, magnitudes were small. It appears that the two tests provide similar results when screening for reading, spelling, and arithmetic.

Good Health Before Pregnancy: Preconception Care

MedlinePlus

... Advocacy For Patients About ACOG Good Health Before Pregnancy: Preconception Care Home For Patients Search FAQs Good ... FAQ056, April 2017 PDF Format Good Health Before Pregnancy: Preconception Care Pregnancy What is a preconception care ...

A Multigrade, Multiyear Statewide Examination of Reading Achievement: Examination of Reading Achievement Examining Variability between Districts, Schools, and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adelson, Jill L.; Dickinson, Emily R.; Cunningham, Brittany C.

2016-01-01

This brief examined the patterns of reading achievement using statewide data from all students (Grades 3-10) in multiple years to examine gaps based on student, school, and district characteristics. Results indicate reading achievement varied most between students within schools and that students' prior achievement was the strongest predictor of…

The School Climate-Student Achievement Connection: If We Want Achievement Gains, We Need to Begin by Improving the Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shindler, John; Jones, Albert; Williams, A. Dee; Taylor, Clint; Cardenas, Hermenia

2016-01-01

This study examined the relationship between school climate and student achievement ratings in urban school districts in five states (N = 230). Many educators view school climate and student achievement as separate considerations. However the results of this study suggest that climate and student achievement were highly related. In fact, the…

Evolutionary stability in continuous nonlinear public goods games.

PubMed

Molina, Chai; Earn, David J D

2017-01-01

We investigate a type of public goods games played in groups of individuals who choose how much to contribute towards the production of a common good, at a cost to themselves. In these games, the common good is produced based on the sum of contributions from all group members, then equally distributed among them. In applications, the dependence of the common good on the total contribution is often nonlinear (e.g., exhibiting synergy or diminishing returns). To date, most theoretical and experimental studies have addressed scenarios in which the set of possible contributions is discrete. However, in many real-world situations, contributions are continuous (e.g., individuals volunteering their time). The "n-player snowdrift games" that we analyze involve continuously varying contributions. We establish under what conditions populations of contributing (or "cooperating") individuals can evolve and persist. Previous work on snowdrift games, using adaptive dynamics, has found that what we term an "equally cooperative" strategy is locally convergently and evolutionarily stable. Using static evolutionary game theory, we find conditions under which this strategy is actually globally evolutionarily stable. All these results refer to stability to invasion by a single mutant. We broaden the scope of existing stability results by showing that the equally cooperative strategy is locally stable to potentially large population perturbations, i.e., allowing for the possibility that mutants make up a non-negligible proportion of the population (due, for example, to genetic drift, environmental variability or dispersal).

28 CFR 523.14 - Industrial good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.14 Industrial good time. Extra good time... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Industrial good time. 523.14 Section 523... Industries is not awarded industrial good time until actually employed. ...

28 CFR 523.14 - Industrial good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.14 Industrial good time. Extra good time... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Industrial good time. 523.14 Section 523... Industries is not awarded industrial good time until actually employed. ...

28 CFR 523.14 - Industrial good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.14 Industrial good time. Extra good time... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Industrial good time. 523.14 Section 523... Industries is not awarded industrial good time until actually employed. ...

28 CFR 523.14 - Industrial good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.14 Industrial good time. Extra good time... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Industrial good time. 523.14 Section 523... Industries is not awarded industrial good time until actually employed. ...

28 CFR 523.14 - Industrial good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.14 Industrial good time. Extra good time... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Industrial good time. 523.14 Section 523... Industries is not awarded industrial good time until actually employed. ...

Computer-Based Training in Math and Working Memory Improves Cognitive Skills and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children: Behavioral Results

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia; Castillo, Alejandro; López-López, José A.; Pina, Violeta; Puga, Jorge L.; Campoy, Guillermo; González-Salinas, Carmen; Fuentes, Luis J.

2018-01-01

Student academic achievement has been positively related to further development outcomes, such as the attainment of higher educational, employment, and socioeconomic aspirations. Among all the academic competences, mathematics has been identified as an essential skill in the field of international leadership as well as for those seeking positions in disciplines related to science, technology, and engineering. Given its positive consequences, studies have designed trainings to enhance children's mathematical skills. Additionally, the ability to regulate and control actions and cognitions, i.e., executive functions (EF), has been associated with school success, which has resulted in a strong effort to develop EF training programs to improve students' EF and academic achievement. The present study examined the efficacy of a school computer-based training composed of two components, namely, working memory and mathematics tasks. Among the advantages of using a computer-based training program is the ease with which it can be implemented in school settings and the ease by which the difficulty of the tasks can be adapted to fit the child's ability level. To test the effects of the training, children's cognitive skills (EF and IQ) and their school achievement (math and language grades and abilities) were evaluated. The results revealed a significant improvement in cognitive skills, such as non-verbal IQ and inhibition, and better school performance in math and reading among the children who participated in the training compared to those children who did not. Most of the improvements were related to training on WM tasks. These findings confirmed the efficacy of a computer-based training that combined WM and mathematics activities as part of the school routines based on the training's impact on children's academic competences and cognitive skills. PMID:29375442

Computer-Based Training in Math and Working Memory Improves Cognitive Skills and Academic Achievement in Primary School Children: Behavioral Results.

PubMed

Sánchez-Pérez, Noelia; Castillo, Alejandro; López-López, José A; Pina, Violeta; Puga, Jorge L; Campoy, Guillermo; González-Salinas, Carmen; Fuentes, Luis J

2017-01-01

Student academic achievement has been positively related to further development outcomes, such as the attainment of higher educational, employment, and socioeconomic aspirations. Among all the academic competences, mathematics has been identified as an essential skill in the field of international leadership as well as for those seeking positions in disciplines related to science, technology, and engineering. Given its positive consequences, studies have designed trainings to enhance children's mathematical skills. Additionally, the ability to regulate and control actions and cognitions, i.e., executive functions (EF), has been associated with school success, which has resulted in a strong effort to develop EF training programs to improve students' EF and academic achievement. The present study examined the efficacy of a school computer-based training composed of two components, namely, working memory and mathematics tasks. Among the advantages of using a computer-based training program is the ease with which it can be implemented in school settings and the ease by which the difficulty of the tasks can be adapted to fit the child's ability level. To test the effects of the training, children's cognitive skills (EF and IQ) and their school achievement (math and language grades and abilities) were evaluated. The results revealed a significant improvement in cognitive skills, such as non-verbal IQ and inhibition, and better school performance in math and reading among the children who participated in the training compared to those children who did not. Most of the improvements were related to training on WM tasks. These findings confirmed the efficacy of a computer-based training that combined WM and mathematics activities as part of the school routines based on the training's impact on children's academic competences and cognitive skills.

The Relationship between Gender, Motivation and Achievement in Learning English as a Foreign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becirovic, Senad

2017-01-01

This study deals with the research into the relationship between gender, motivation and achievement in learning English as a foreign language. A good command of English is of paramount importance for an individual to be successful in numerous aspects of life such as professional, personal and educational. The aim of this research was to determine…

The Relation of Self-Image to Academic Placement and Achievement in Hearing-Impaired Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gans, Jennifer

The relationship between self-image and academic placement and achievement was studied with 1,072 Colorado students (ages 5-20) with hearing impairments. It was found that students who are hearing impaired with good English language skills have a more positive self-image than those whose language skills are below average. The relation between…

Exploring the Effects of Rater Linking Designs and Rater Fit on Achievement Estimates within the Context of Music Performance Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wind, Stefanie A.; Engelhard, George, Jr.; Wesolowski, Brian

2016-01-01

When good model-data fit is observed, the Many-Facet Rasch (MFR) model acts as a linking and equating model that can be used to estimate student achievement, item difficulties, and rater severity on the same linear continuum. Given sufficient connectivity among the facets, the MFR model provides estimates of student achievement that are equated to…

Design and Application of Automatic Falling Device for Different Brands of Goods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xudong; Ge, Qingkuan; Zuo, Ping; Peng, Tao; Dong, Weifu

2017-12-01

The Goods-Falling device is an important device in the intelligent sorting goods sorting system, which is responsible for the temporary storage and counting of the goods, and the function of putting the goods on the conveyor belt according to certain precision requirements. According to the present situation analysis and actual demand of the domestic goods sorting equipment, a vertical type Goods - Falling Device is designed and the simulation model of the device is established. The dynamic characteristics such as the angular error of the opening and closing mechanism are carried out by ADAMS software. The simulation results show that the maximum angular error is 0.016rad. Through the test of the device, the goods falling speed is 7031/hour, the good of the falling position error within 2mm, meet the crawl accuracy requirements of the palletizing robot.

Falls, Cognitive Impairment, and Gait Performance: Results From the GOOD Initiative.

PubMed

Allali, Gilles; Launay, Cyrille P; Blumen, Helena M; Callisaya, Michele L; De Cock, Anne-Marie; Kressig, Reto W; Srikanth, Velandai; Steinmetz, Jean-Paul; Verghese, Joe; Beauchet, Olivier

2017-04-01

Falls are highly prevalent in individuals with cognitive decline. The complex relationship between falls and cognitive decline (including both subtype and severity of dementia) and the influence of gait disorders have not been studied. This study aimed to examine the association between the subtype (Alzheimer disease [AD] versus non-AD) and the severity (from preclinical to moderate dementia) of cognitive impairment and falls, and to establish an association between falls and gait parameters during the course of dementia. Multicenter cross-sectional study. "Gait, cOgnitiOn & Decline" (GOOD) initiative. A total of 2496 older adults (76.6 ± 7.6 years; 55.0% women) were included in this study (1161 cognitively healthy individuals [CHI], 529 patients with mild cognitive impairment [MCI], 456 patients with mild dementia, and 350 with moderate dementia) from 7 countries. Falls history was collected retrospectively at baseline in each study. Gait speed and stride time variability were recorded at usual walking pace with the GAITRite system. The prevalence of individuals who fall was 50% in AD and 64% in non-AD; whereas it was 25% in CHIs. Only mild and moderate non-AD dementia were associated with an increased risk for falls in comparison with CHI. Higher stride time variability was associated with falls in older adults without dementia (CHI and each MCI subgroup) and mild non-AD dementia, whereas lower gait speed was associated with falls in all participant groups, except in mild AD dementia. When gait speed was adjusted for, higher stride time variability was associated with falls only in CHIs (odds ratio 1.14; P = .012), but not in MCI or in patients with dementia. These findings suggest that non-AD, but not AD dementia, is associated with increased falls in comparison with CHIs. The association between gait parameters and falls also differs across cognitive status, suggesting different mechanisms leading to falls in older individuals with dementia in comparison

How insurance affects altruistic provision in threshold public goods games.

PubMed

Zhang, Jianlei; Zhang, Chunyan; Cao, Ming

2015-03-13

The occurrence and maintenance of cooperative behaviors in public goods systems have attracted great research attention across multiple disciplines. A threshold public goods game requires a minimum amount of contributions to be collected from a group of individuals for provision to occur. Here we extend the common binary-strategy combination of cooperation and defection by adding a third strategy, called insured cooperation, which corresponds to buying an insurance covering the potential loss resulted from the unsuccessful public goods game. Particularly, only the contributing agents can opt to be insured, which is an effort decreasing the amount of the potential loss occurring. Theoretical computations suggest that when agents face the potential aggregate risk in threshold public goods games, more contributions occur with increasing compensation from insurance. Moreover, permitting the adoption of insurance significantly enhances individual contributions and facilitates provision, especially when the required threshold is high. This work also relates the strategy competition outcomes to different allocation rules once the resulted contributions exceed the threshold point in populations nested within a dilemma.

Adaptive play stabilizes cooperation in continuous public goods games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Te; Wang, Long

2018-04-01

We construct a model to study the effects of repeated interaction on the evolution of cooperation in continuous public goods games. Instead of preassigning the duration of repeatedness, the likelihood of group entering next round interaction is positively dependent on the group's current cooperativeness. Meanwhile, when the disturbance happens, the interaction terminates. Under rare mutations, we show that such adaptive play can lead to the dominance of full cooperative state for weak disturbance. For fairly strong disturbance, all-or-none cooperative states share higher fractions of time in the long run, results similar to the ones reported in the study (Pinheiro et al., 2014) while differing from the ones reported in another relevant study (Van Segbroeck et al., 2012), although only strategy space and way determining next round vary. Our results remain valid when groups enter next round with a given probability independent of groups' cooperativeness. In the synergic public goods games, the positive effects of repeated interactions on promoting cooperation is further strengthened. In the discounted public goods game, only very weak disturbance can lead to the dominance of full cooperative state while fairly strong disturbance can favor both full cooperative state and a partially cooperative state. Our study thus enriches the literature on the evolution of cooperation in repeated public goods games.

Life insurance and genetic test results: a mutation carrier's fight to achieve full cover.

PubMed

Keogh, Louise A; Otlowski, Margaret F A

2013-09-02

Currently, there is debate about life insurance companies' use of genetic information for assessing applicants. In his early 20s, James (pseudonym) was denied full life insurance cover because he revealed that he had discussed genetic testing with a genetic counsellor. He was later tested and found to carry a mutation in the MSH6 gene; after disclosing this, he was denied cover for cancer by two other life insurance companies. Unsatisfied with the insurance companies' risk assessments, and based on his understanding that regular colonoscopy significantly reduced his risk of cancer, James made a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission. After informing the third insurance company that he had done so, he was offered full coverage, which suggests that the company did not have actuarial data to justify its decision. This case provides evidence of the high level of initiative and proactivity required for a consumer to achieve a fair result. Few Australians would be in a position to pursue the level of research and advocacy undertaken by James (a professional with scientific training). We call on a collaborative approach between industry, government and researchers to address the issues that James's case raises about genetic testing and life insurance.

Countdown to 2015: comparing progress towards the achievement of the health Millennium Development Goals in Ethiopia and other sub-Saharan African countries.

PubMed

Accorsi, Sandro; Bilal, Nejmudin Kedir; Farese, Pasquale; Racalbuto, Vincenzo

2010-05-01

Mid-way 2007 reports indicate that many low-income countries, at current rates of progress, are unlikely to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015. In Ethiopia, a decline was observed in under-five mortality rates from 204 to 123 per 1000 live births between 1990 and 2005, showing good progress towards the achievement of MDG4. A downward trend was observed in the maternal mortality ratio; however, because of the high degree of sampling variability, it is not possible to reach any firm conclusion about the possibility of achieving MDG5. Regarding MDG6, good progress was observed in controlling HIV/AIDS and malaria, whereas MDG indicators related to tuberculosis are still below international standards. Therefore, performance was not uniform across programmes. In general, interventions that can be routinely scheduled, such as immunisation, had much higher coverage than those that rely on functional health systems and clinical services proximate to households with 24h availability, such as skilled care at birth. These mixed results highlight that, although MDGs focus on specific diseases and conditions, targets cannot be achieved without strengthening health systems. It is for this reason that the strategic health plan in Ethiopia is focusing on high-impact and cost-effective health interventions and on health systems strengthening. Copyright 2009 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

African-American college student attitudes toward physics and their effect on achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, Carl Timothy

. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between a good attitude toward physics and achievement in the class. The result of the analysis implied that 18.9% of the grade could be explained by the domain scales.

Results of Ponseti Brasil Program: Multicentric Study in 1621 Feet: Preliminary Results.

PubMed

Nogueira, Monica P; Queiroz, Ana C D B F; Melanda, Alessandro G; Tedesco, Ana P; Brandão, Antonio L G; Beling, Claudio; Violante, Francisco H; Brandão, Gilberto F; Ferreira, Laura F A; Brambila, Leandro S; Leite, Leopoldina M; Zabeu, Jose L; Kim, Jung H; Fernandes, Kalyana E; Arima, Marcia A S; Aguilar, Maria D P Q; Farias Filho, Orlando C D; Oliveira Filho, Oscar B D A; Pinho, Solange D S; Moulin, Paulo; Volpi, Reinaldo; Fox, Mark; Greenwald, Miles F; Lyle, Brandon; Morcuende, Jose A

The Ponseti method has been shown to be the most effective treatment for congenital clubfoot. The current challenge is to establish sustainable national clubfoot treatment programs that utilize the Ponseti method and integrate it within a nation's governmental health system. The Brazilian Ponseti Program (Programa Ponseti Brasil) has increased awareness of the utility of the Ponseti method and has trained >500 Brazilian orthopaedic surgeons in it. A group of 18 of those surgeons had been able to reproduce the Ponseti clubfoot treatment, and compiled their initial results through structured spreadsheet. The study compiled 1040 patients for a total of 1621 feet. The average follow-up time was 2.3 years with an average correction time of approximately 3 months. Patients required an average of 6.40 casts to achieve correction. This study demonstrates that good initial correction rates are reproducible after training; from 1040 patients only 1.4% required a posteromedial release. Level IV.

[Good practice guidelines for health information].

PubMed

2016-01-01

Evidence-based health information is distinguished by the provision of an unbiased and trustworthy description of the current state of medical knowledge. It enables people to learn more about health and disease, and to make health-related decisions - on their own or together with others - reflecting their attitudes and lifestyle. To adequately serve this purpose, health information must be evidence-based. A working group from the German Network for Evidence-based Medicine (Deutsches Netzwerk Evidenzbasierte Medizin) has developed a first draft of good practice guidelines for health information (Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation) with the aim of providing support for authors and publishers of evidence-based health information. The group included researchers, patient representatives, journalists and developers of health information. The criteria for evidence-based health information were developed and agreed upon within this author group, and then made available for public comment. All submitted comments were documented and assessed regarding the need to revise or amend the draft. Changes were subsequently implemented following approval by the author group. Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation calls for a transparent methodological approach in the development of health information. To achieve this, evidence-based information must be based on (a) a systematic literature search, (b) a justified selection of evidence, (c) unbiased reporting of relevant results, (d) appropriate factual and linguistic communication of uncertainties, (e) either avoidance of any direct recommendations or a strict division between the reporting of results and the derivation of recommendations, (f) the consideration of current evidence on the communication of figures, risks and probabilities, and (g) transparent information about the authors and publishers of the health information, including their funding sources. Gute Praxis Gesundheitsinformation lists a total of 16 aspects to be addressed

What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Abdulghani, Hamza M; Al-Drees, Abdulmajeed A; Khalil, Mahmood S; Ahmad, Farah; Ponnamperuma, Gominda G; Amin, Zubair

2014-04-01

Medical students' academic achievement is affected by many factors such as motivational beliefs and emotions. Although students with high intellectual capacity are selected to study medicine, their academic performance varies widely. The aim of this study is to explore the high achieving students' perceptions of factors contributing to academic achievement. Focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out with 10 male and 9 female high achieving (scores more than 85% in all tests) students, from the second, third, fourth and fifth academic years. During the FGDs, the students were encouraged to reflect on their learning strategies and activities. The discussion was audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Factors influencing high academic achievement include: attendance to lectures, early revision, prioritization of learning needs, deep learning, learning in small groups, mind mapping, learning in skills lab, learning with patients, learning from mistakes, time management, and family support. Internal motivation and expected examination results are important drivers of high academic performance. Management of non-academic issues like sleep deprivation, homesickness, language barriers, and stress is also important for academic success. Addressing these factors, which might be unique for a given student community, in a systematic manner would be helpful to improve students' performance.

Working Memory as a Predictor of Reading Achievement in Orally Educated Hearing-Impaired Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daneman, Meredyth; And Others

1995-01-01

This study found that three measures of working memory capacity (processing and storage capacity, reading and listening span, and visual shape span) were good predictors of reading achievement in 30 orally educated children (ages 5 to 14) with hearing impairments as well as in an age-matched hearing control group. Degree of hearing loss did not…

Safety and efficacy of aneurysm treatment with WEB: results of the WEBCAST study.

PubMed

Pierot, Laurent; Costalat, Vincent; Moret, Jacques; Szikora, Istvan; Klisch, Joachim; Herbreteau, Denis; Holtmannspötter, Markus; Weber, Werner; Januel, Anne-Christine; Liebig, Thomas; Sychra, Vojtech; Strasilla, Christoph; Cognard, Christophe; Bonafé, Alain; Molyneux, Andrew; Byrne, James V; Spelle, Laurent

2016-05-01

OBJECT WEB is an innovative intrasaccular treatment for intracranial aneurysms. Preliminary series have shown good safety and efficacy. The WEB Clinical Assessment of Intrasaccular Aneurysm Therapy (WEBCAST) trial is a prospective European trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of WEB in wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms. METHODS Patients with wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms for which WEB treatment was indicated were included in this multicentergood clinical practices study. Clinical data including adverse events and clinical status at 1 and 6 months were collected and independently analyzed by a medical monitor. Six-month follow-up digital subtraction angiography was also performed and independently analyzed by a core laboratory. Success was defined at 6 months as complete occlusion or stable neck remnant, no worsening in angiographic appearance from postprocedure, and no retreatment performed or planned. RESULTS Ten European neurointerventional centers enrolled 51 patients with 51 aneurysms. Treatment with WEB was achieved in 48 of 51 aneurysms (94.1%). Adjunctive implants (coils/stents) were used in 4 of 48 aneurysms (8.3%). Thromboembolic events were observed in 9 of 51 patients (17.6%), resulting in a permanent deficit (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] Score 1) in 1 patient (2.0%). Intraoperative rupture was not observed. Morbidity (mRS score > 2) and mortality were 2.0% (1 of 51 patients, related to rupture status on entry to study) and 0.0% at 1 month, respectively. Success was achieved at 6 months in 85.4% of patients treated with WEB: 23 of 41 patients (56.1%) had complete occlusion, 12 of 41 (29.3%) had a neck remnant, and 6 of 41 (14.6%) had an aneurysm remnant. CONCLUSIONS The WEBCAST study showed good procedural and short-term safety of aneurysm treatment with WEB and good 6-month anatomical results.

Group differences in adult simple arithmetic: good retrievers, not-so-good retrievers, and perfectionists.

PubMed

Hecht, Steven A

2006-01-01

We used the choice/no-choice methodology in two experiments to examine patterns of strategy selection and execution in groups of undergraduates. Comparisons between choice and no-choice trials revealed three groups. Some participants good retrievers) were consistently able to use retrieval to solve almost all arithmetic problems. Other participants (perfectionists) successfully used retrieval substantially less often in choice-allowed trials than when strategy choices were prohibited. Not-so-good retrievers retrieved correct answers less often than the other participants in both the choice-allowed and no-choice conditions. No group differences emerged with respect to time needed to search and access answers from long-term memory; however, not-so-good retrievers were consistently slower than the other subgroups at executing fact-retrieval processes that are peripheral to memory search and access. Theoretical models of simple arithmetic, such as the Strategy Choice and Discovery Simulation (Shrager & Siegler, 1998), should be updated to include the existence of both perfectionist and not-so-good retriever adults.

[Why are some high achievers on the course final exam unsuccessful on the proficiency exam in English?].

PubMed

Matsunuma, Mitsuyasu

2009-04-01

This study examined why some high achievers on the course final exam were unsuccessful on the proficiency exam in English. We hypothesized that the learning motives and learning behaviors (learning strategy, learning time) had different effects on the outcomes of the exams. First, the relation between the variables was investigated using structural equation modeling. Second, the learning behaviors of students who got good marks on both exams were compared with students who did well only on the course final exam. The results were as follows. (a) Learning motives influenced test performance via learning behaviors. (b) Content-attached motives influenced all variables concerning learning behaviors. (c) Content-detached motives influenced all variables concerning learning behaviors that were related only to the course final exam. (d) The students who got good marks on both exams performed the learning behaviors that were useful on the proficiency exam more frequently than the students who did well only on the course final exam.

The Benefits of Good Teaching Extend beyond Course Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loes, Chad N.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

2015-01-01

This paper synthesizes research from the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education, the National Study on Student Learning, and the Research on Iowa Student Experiences study that estimates the influence of certain effective instructional practices on a range of student outcomes. Student perceptions of two specific teacher…

Economic and Educational Correlates of TIMSS Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikk, Jaan

2005-01-01

The good knowledge of the correlates of educational achievement highlights the ways to the efficient use of economic and human capital in raising the efficiency of education. The present paper investigates the correlates and compares the values of the correlates for the Republic of Lithuania with the average international values. The data for the…

What Good Are Warfare Models?

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

PROFESSIONAL PAPER 306 / May 1981 WHAT GOOD ARE WARFARE MODELS? Thomas E. Anger DTICS E LECTE ,JUN 2198 1 j CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES 81 6 19 025 V...WHAT GOOD ARE WARFARE MODELS? Thomas E. /Anger J Accession For !ETIS GRA&I DTIC TAB thonnounceldŕ 5 By-C Availability Codes iAva il aand/or Di1st...least flows from a life-or-death incenLive to make good guesses when choosing weapons, forces, or strategies. It is not surprising, however, that

When "Good Enough" Is Not Good Enough

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacTaggart, Terry

2009-01-01

Achieving high performance in tough times is the most serious challenge facing presidents and trustees during this recession, when the temptation may be to substitute "getting by" for truly outstanding governance. Defining victory as making it through the fiscal year, with little thought to where the institution should be positioned in…

The Achiever. Volume 6, Number 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashby, Nicole, Ed.

2007-01-01

"The Achiever" is a monthly publication for parents and community leaders from the Office of Communications and Outreach, U.S. Department of Education. This issue contains the following articles: (1) President Seeks to Build on Law's Results; (2) Bridging the Gap: Ohio Charter School Surmounts Age, Achievement Barriers; (3) Spellings'…

How do you deliver a good obstetrician? Outcome-based evaluation of medical education.

PubMed

Asch, David A; Nicholson, Sean; Srinivas, Sindhu K; Herrin, Jeph; Epstein, Andrew J

2014-01-01

The goal of medical education is the production of a workforce capable of improving the health and health care of patients and populations, but it is hard to use a goal that lofty, that broad, and that distant as a standard against which to judge the success of schools or training programs or particular elements within them. For that reason, the evaluation of medical education often focuses on elements of its structure and process, or on the assessment of competencies that could be considered intermediate outcomes. These measures are more practical because they are easier to collect, and they are valuable when they reflect activities in important positions along the pathway to clinical outcomes. But they are all substitutes for measuring whether educational efforts produce doctors who take good care of patients.The authors argue that the evaluation of medical education can become more closely tethered to the clinical outcomes medical education aims to achieve. They focus on a specific clinical outcome-maternal complications of obstetrical delivery-and show how examining various observable elements of physicians' training and experience helps reveal which of those elements lead to better outcomes. Does it matter where obstetricians trained? Does it matter how much experience they have? Does it matter how good they were to start? Each of these questions reflects a component of the production of a good obstetrician and, most important, defines a good obstetrician as one whose patients in the end do well.

Pay for performance of Estonian family doctors and impact of different practice- and patient-related characteristics on a good outcome: A quantitative assessment.

PubMed

Merilind, Eero; Salupere, Rauno; Västra, Katrin; Kalda, Ruth

2016-01-01

Several practice- and patient-related characteristics are reported to have an influence on a good quality outcome. Estonia started the pay-for-performance (P4P) system for family doctors (FDs) in 2006. Every year the number of FDs participating in P4P has increased, but only half of the FDs achieved good outcome. The aim of this study was to find out which practice- and patient-related characteristics could have an impact on a good outcome. The study was conducted using the database from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. All working FDs were divided into two groups (with "good" and "poor" outcomes) according their achievements in P4P. We chose characteristics which described structure (practice list size, number of doctors, composition of FDs list: age, number of chronically ill patients) during the observation period 2006-2012. During the observation period 2006-2012, the number of FDs with a good outcome in P4P increased from 6% (2006) to 53% (2012). The high number of FDs in primary care teams, longer experience of participation in P4P and the smaller number of patients on FDs' lists all have an impact on a good outcome. The number of chronically ill patients in FDs lists has no significant effect on an outcome, but P4P increases the number of disease-diagnosed patients. Different practice and patient-related characteristics have an impact on a good outcome. As workload increases, smaller lists of FDs patients or increased staff levels are needed in order to maintain a good outcome. Copyright © 2016 The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

The characteristics of a good clinical teacher as perceived by resident physicians in Japan: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Kikukawa, Makoto; Nabeta, Hiromi; Ono, Maiko; Emura, Sei; Oda, Yasutomo; Koizumi, Shunzo; Sakemi, Takanobu

2013-07-25

It is not known whether the characteristics of a good clinical teacher as perceived by resident physicians are the same in Western countries as in non-Western countries including Japan. The objective of this study was to identify the characteristics of a good clinical teacher as perceived by resident physicians in Japan, a non-Western country, and to compare the results with those obtained in Western countries. Data for this qualitative research were collected using semi-structured focus group interviews. Focus group transcripts were independently analyzed and coded by three authors. Residents were recruited by maximum variation sampling until thematic saturation was achieved. Twenty-three residents participated in five focus group interviews regarding the perceived characteristics of a good clinical teacher in Japan. The 197 descriptions of characteristics that were identified were grouped into 30 themes. The most commonly identified theme was "provided sufficient support", followed by "presented residents with chances to think", "provided feedback", and "provided specific indications of areas needing improvement". Using Sutkin's main categories (teacher, physician, and human characteristics), 24 of the 30 themes were categorized as teacher characteristics, 6 as physician characteristics, and none as human characteristics. "Medical knowledge" of teachers was not identified as a concern of residents, and "clinical competence of teachers" was not emphasized, whereas these were the two most commonly recorded themes in Sutkin's study. Our results suggest that Japanese and Western resident physicians place emphasis on different characteristics of their teachers. We speculate that such perceptions are influenced by educational systems, educational settings, and culture. Globalization of medical education is important, but it is also important to consider differences in educational systems, local settings, and culture when evaluating clinical teachers.

Online High School Achievement versus Traditional High School Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blohm, Katherine E.

2017-01-01

The following study examined the question of student achievement in online charter schools and how the achievement scores of students at online charter schools compare to achievement scores of students at traditional schools. Arizona has seen explosive growth in charter schools and online charter schools. A study comparing how these two types of…

Why I Believe I Achieve Determines Whether I Achieve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegle, Del; McCoach, D. Betsy; Roberts, Anne

2017-01-01

The beliefs and values students hold toward themselves, given tasks, and achievement itself can influence what tasks students seek, and whether they are able to obtain them. On the basis of previous research on underachievement and motivation, we developed the Achievement Orientation Model (AOM) to explore the issue of student achievement. The…

Spatial dilemmas of diffusible public goods

PubMed Central

Allen, Benjamin; Gore, Jeff; Nowak, Martin A

2013-01-01

The emergence of cooperation is a central question in evolutionary biology. Microorganisms often cooperate by producing a chemical resource (a public good) that benefits other cells. The sharing of public goods depends on their diffusion through space. Previous theory suggests that spatial structure can promote evolution of cooperation, but the diffusion of public goods introduces new phenomena that must be modeled explicitly. We develop an approach where colony geometry and public good diffusion are described by graphs. We find that the success of cooperation depends on a simple relation between the benefits and costs of the public good, the amount retained by a producer, and the average amount retained by each of the producer’s neighbors. These quantities are derived as analytic functions of the graph topology and diffusion rate. In general, cooperation is favored for small diffusion rates, low colony dimensionality, and small rates of decay of the public good. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.01169.001 PMID:24347543

Advances in participatory occupational health aimed at good practices in small enterprises and the informal sector.

PubMed

Kogi, Kazutaka

2006-01-01

Participatory programmes for occupational risk reduction are gaining importance particularly in small workplaces in both industrially developing and developed countries. To discuss the types of effective support, participatory steps commonly seen in our "work improvement-Asia" network are reviewed. The review covered training programmes for small enterprises, farmers, home workers and trade union members. Participatory steps commonly focusing on low-cost good practices locally achieved have led to concrete improvements in multiple technical areas including materials handling, workstation ergonomics, physical environment and work organization. These steps take advantage of positive features of small workplaces in two distinct ways. First, local key persons are ready to accept local good practices conveyed through personal, informal approaches. Second, workers and farmers are capable of understanding technical problems affecting routine work and taking flexible actions leading to solving them. This process is facilitated by the use of locally adjusted training tools such as local good examples, action checklists and group work methods. It is suggested that participatory occupational health programmes can work in small workplaces when they utilize low-cost good practices in a flexible manner. Networking of these positive experiences is essential.

Operative tactics and results of treatment of patients with coxarthrosis secondary to congenital high luxation of hip joints.

PubMed

Król, Roman; Rojewski, Marek; Kamiński, Adam; Popławski, Tomasz

2007-01-01

Treatment of the sequelae of congenital high luxation of the hip joint is a major challenge in prosthetic surgery, demanding from the operator thorough familiarity with the problem and experience in hop reconstructive surgery. The results of 4 years observation, of the treatment of 14 woman in the average age of 38 years old with 18 hip joints with congenital high luxation are presented. In all cases cementless total hip arthroplasty was made. Acetabular component of the prosthesis was implanted correctly and stable in its physiological placement. Femur was shortened average 4 cm and stabilized by cementless press-fit stem of prosthesis. The place of femur osteotomy was covered with autogenic spongy bone from resected caput of femur. The union was achieved after average 10 weeks. In clinical assessment there were obtained 10 very good, 5 good and 3 satisfactory clinical results. There were no superficial or deep infections, no neurological disorders and no loosening of components of implanted prostheses observed. 1. Careful planning and carrying out the operative procedures allow to insert the acetabular component of the prosthesis in its physiological place and achieve good results. 2. Shortening of femur and repositioning of components of prosthesis in 90 degrees knee flexion and also position on broken bed after operative procedure allowed to avoid neurological disorders. 3. Cementless and hydroxyapatite-covered femoral component of the prosthesis correctly stabilize place of femur osteotomy.

The effects of good glycaemic control on left ventricular and coronary endothelial functions in patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Erdogan, Dogan; Akcay, Salaheddin; Yucel, Habil; Ersoy, I Hakkı; Icli, Atilla; Kutlucan, Ali; Arslan, Akif; Yener, Mahmut; Ozaydin, Mehmet; Tamer, M Numan

2015-03-01

Diabetics are at risk for developing overt heart failure and subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Also, impaired coronary flow reserve (CFR) reflecting coronary microvascular dysfunction is common in diabetics. However, no substantial data regarding the effects of good glycaemic control on subclinical LV dysfunction and CFR are available. To investigate whether good glycaemic control had favourable effects on subclinical LV dysfunction and CFR. Prospective, open-label, follow-up study. Diabetics (n = 202) were classified based on baseline HbA1C levels: patients with good (group 1) (<7·0%) and poor glycaemic control (≥7·0%). All patients underwent echocardiographic examination at baseline evaluation, and it was repeated at months 6 and 12. Based on HbA1C levels obtained at month 6, the patients with poor glycaemic control were divided into two groups: achieved (group 2) and not achieved good glycaemic control (group 3). The groups were comparable with respect to diastolic function parameters including left atrium diameter, mitral E/A, Sm , Em /Am , E/E' and Tei index, and these parameters did not significantly change at follow-up in the groups. At baseline, CFR was slightly higher in group 1 than in group 2 and group 3, but it did not reach statistically significant level. At follow-up, CFR remained unchanged in group 1 (P = 0·58) and group 3 (P = 0·86), but increased in group 2 (P = 0·02: month 6 vs baseline and P = 0·004: month 12 vs baseline). Diabetics with poor and good glycaemic control were comparable with respect to echocardiographic parameters reflecting subclinical LV dysfunction, and good glycaemic control did not affect these parameters. However, good glycaemic control improved CFR. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An Introduction to Goodness of Fit for PMU Parameter Estimation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Riepnieks, Artis; Kirkham, Harold

2017-10-01

New results of measurements of phasor-like signals are presented based on our previous work on the topic. In this document an improved estimation method is described. The algorithm (which is realized in MATLAB software) is discussed. We examine the effect of noisy and distorted signals on the Goodness of Fit metric. The estimation method is shown to be performing very well with clean data and with a measurement window as short as a half a cycle and as few as 5 samples per cycle. The Goodness of Fit decreases predictably with added phase noise, and seems to be acceptable evenmore » with visible distortion in the signal. While the exact results we obtain are specific to our method of estimation, the Goodness of Fit method could be implemented in any phasor measurement unit.« less

Maximum current density and beam brightness achievable by laser-driven electron sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippetto, D.; Musumeci, P.; Zolotorev, M.; Stupakov, G.

2014-02-01

This paper discusses the extension to different electron beam aspect ratio of the Child-Langmuir law for the maximum achievable current density in electron guns. Using a simple model, we derive quantitative formulas in good agreement with simulation codes. The new scaling laws for the peak current density of temporally long and transversely narrow initial beam distributions can be used to estimate the maximum beam brightness and suggest new paths for injector optimization.

The ethics of good communication in a complex research partnership.

PubMed

Sodeke, Stephen; Turner, Timothy; Tarver, Will

2010-08-01

The tripartite partnership among Morehouse School of Medicine, Tuskegee University, and University of Alabama at Birmingham is complex. In 2005, the three schools--with different institutional cultures, characters, and resources--agreed to collaborate in efforts to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in cancer burdens. Pursuing this laudable aim predictably involved some miscommunication. The Bioethics Shared Resource (BSR) group foresaw such challenges and monitored interactions to prevent harm, noting that while effective communication is critical to the achievement of mutual goals, an understanding and prudent use of proven communication principles is a sine qua non for success. In this commentary, we share the undergirding moral concepts, communication approaches, and lessons learned. This experience has led us to propose an ethics of good communication for others to consider.

The Ethics of Good Communication in a Complex Research Partnership

PubMed Central

Sodeke, Stephen; Turner, Timothy; Tarver, Will

2013-01-01

The tripartite partnership among Morehouse School of Medicine, Tuskegee University, and University of Alabama at Birmingham is complex. In 2005, the three schools—with different institutional cultures, characters, and resources—agreed to collaborate in efforts to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in cancer burdens. Pursuing this laudable aim predictably involved some miscommunication. The Bioethics Shared Resource (BSR) group foresaw such challenges and monitored interactions to prevent harm, noting that while effective communication is critical to the achievement of mutual goals, an understanding and prudent use of proven communication principles is a sine qua non for success. In this commentary, we share the undergirding moral concepts, communication approaches, and lessons learned. This experience has led us to propose an ethics of good communication for others to consider. PMID:20675944

Achieving Metacognition through Cognitive Strategy Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apaydin, Marina; Hossary, Mohamad

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present hands-on techniques that could help achieve higher forms of cognitive work of Bloom's learning taxonomy and progress toward self-actualization, the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These results can be achieved by the combination of Apaydin's 3A approach and integrative learning.…

GOODS Far Infrared Imaging with Herschel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frayer, David T.; Elbaz, D.; Dickinson, M.; GOODS-Herschel Team

2010-01-01

Most of the stars in galaxies formed at high redshift in dusty environments, where their energy was absorbed and re-radiated at infrared wavelengths. Similarly, much of the growth of nuclear black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN) was also obscured from direct view at UV/optical and X-ray wavelengths. The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey Herschel (GOODS-H) open time key program will obtain the deepest far-infrared view of the distant universe, mapping the history of galaxy growth and AGN activity over a broad swath of cosmic time. GOODS-H will image the GOODS-North field with the PACS and SPIRE instruments at 100 to 500 microns, matching the deep survey of GOODS-South in the guaranteed time key program. GOODS-H will also observe an ultradeep sub-field within GOODS-South with PACS, reaching the deepest flux limits planned for Herschel (0.6 mJy at 100 microns with S/N=5). GOODS-H data will detect thousands of luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies out to z=4 or beyond, measuring their far-infrared luminosities and spectral energy distributions, and providing the best constraints on star formation rates and AGN activity during this key epoch of galaxy and black hole growth in the young universe.

Globalizing Students Acting for the Common Good

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bencze, Larry; Carter, Lyn

2011-01-01

It is apparent that many of us live in a hyper-economized world, in which personal identities and routine practices are significantly oriented towards production and consumption of for-profit goods and services. Extreme consumerism resulting from this orientation often is associated with many personal, social, and environmental problems.…

Current Results of NEUTRINO-4 Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrov, A.; Ivochkin, V.; Samoilov, R.; Fomin, A.; Polyushkin, A.; Zinoviev, V.; Neustroev, P.; Golovtsov, V.; Chernyj, A.; Zherebtsov, O.; Martemyanov, V.; Tarasenkov, V.; Aleshin, V.; Petelin, A.; Izhutov, A.; Tuzov, A.; Sazontov, S.; Ryazanov, D.; Gromov, M.; Afanasiev, V.; Zaytsev, M.; Chaikovskii, M.

2017-12-01

The main goal of experiment “Neutrino-4” is to search for the oscillation of reactor antineutrino to a sterile state. Experiment is conducted on SM-3 research reactor (Dimitrovgrad, Russia). Data collection with full-scale detector with liquid scintillator volume of 3m3 was started in June 2016. We present the results of measurements of reactor antineutrino flux dependence on the distance in range 6- 12 meters from the center of the reactor. At that distance range, the fit of experimental dependence has good agreement with the law 1/L2. Which means, at achieved during the data collecting accuracy level oscillations to sterile state are not observed. In addition, the spectrum of prompt signals of neutrino-like events at different distances have been presented.

Recent Results with CVD Diamond Trackers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, W.; Bauer, C.; Berdermann, E.; Bergonzo, P.; Bogani, F.; Borchi, E.; Brambilla, A.; Bruzzi, M.; Colledani, C.; Conway, J.; Dabrowski, W.; Delpierre, P.; Deneuville, A.; Dulinski, W.; van Eijk, B.; Fallou, A.; Fizzotti, F.; Foulon, F.; Friedl, M.; Gan, K. K.; Gheeraert, E.; Grigoriev, E.; Hallewell, G.; Hall-Wilton, R.; Han, S.; Hartjes, F.; Hrubec, J.; Husson, D.; Kagan, H.; Kania, D.; Kaplon, J.; Karl, C.; Kass, R.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Krammer, M.; Logiudice, A.; Lu, R.; Manfredi, P. F.; Manfredotti, C.; Marshall, R. D.; Meier, D.; Mishina, M.; Oh, A.; Pan, L. S.; Palmieri, V. G.; Pernicka, M.; Peitz, A.; Pirollo, S.; Polesello, P.; Pretzl, K.; Procario, M.; Re, V.; Riester, J. L.; Roe, S.; Roff, D.; Rudge, A.; Runolfsson, O.; Russ, J.; Schnetzer, S.; Sciortino, S.; Speziali, V.; Stelzer, H.; Stone, R.; Suter, B.; Tapper, R. J.; Tesarek, R.; Trawick, M.; Trischuk, W.; Vittone, E.; Walsh, A. M.; Wedenig, R.; Weilhammer, P.; White, C.; Ziock, H.; Zoeller, M.; RD42 Collaboration

1999-08-01

We present recent results on the use of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) diamond microstrip detectors for charged particle tracking. A series of detectors was fabricated using 1 x 1 cm 2 diamonds. Good signal-to-noise ratios were observed using both slow and fast readout electronics. For slow readout electronics, 2 μs shaping time, the most probable signal-to-noise ratio was 50 to 1. For fast readout electronics, 25 ns peaking time, the most probable signal-to-noise ratio was 7 to 1. Using the first 2 x 4 cm 2 diamond from a production CVD reactor with slow readout electronics, the most probable signal-to-noise ratio was 23 to 1. The spatial resolution achieved for the detectors was consistent with the digital resolution expected from the detector pitch.

Adjuvant therapy sparing in rectal cancer achieving complete response after chemoradiation

PubMed Central

García-Albéniz, Xabier; Gallego, Rosa; Hofheinz, Ralf Dieter; Fernández-Esparrach, Gloria; Ayuso-Colella, Juan Ramón; Bombí, Josep Antoni; Conill, Carles; Cuatrecasas, Miriam; Delgado, Salvadora; Ginés, Angels; Miquel, Rosa; Pagés, Mario; Pineda, Estela; Pereira, Verónica; Sosa, Aarón; Reig, Oscar; Victoria, Iván; Feliz, Luis; María de Lacy, Antonio; Castells, Antoni; Burkholder, Iris; Hochhaus, Andreas; Maurel, Joan

2014-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the long-term results of conventional chemoradiotherapy and laparoscopic mesorectal excision in rectal adenocarcinoma patients without adjuvant therapy. METHODS: Patients with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum staged cT3-T4 by endoscopic ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging received neoadjuvant continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil for five weeks and concomitant radiotherapy. Laparoscopic surgery was planned after 5-8 wk. Patients diagnosed with ypT0N0 stage cancer were not treated with adjuvant therapy according to the protocol. Patients with ypT1-2N0 or ypT3-4 or N+ were offered 5-fluorouracil-based adjuvant treatment on an individual basis. An external cohort was used as a reference for the findings. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy six patients were treated with induction chemoradiotherapy and 170 underwent total mesorectal excision. Cancer staging of ypT0N0 was achieved in 26/170 (15.3%) patients. After a median follow-up of 58.3 mo, patients with ypT0N0 had five-year disease-free and overall survival rates of 96% (95%CI: 77-99) and 100%, respectively. We provide evidence about the natural history of patients with localized rectal cancer achieving a complete response after preoperative chemoradiation. The inherent good prognosis of these patients will have implications for clinical trial design and care of patients. CONCLUSION: Withholding adjuvant chemotherapy after complete response following standard neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and laparoscopic mesorectal excision might be safe within an experienced multidisciplinary team. PMID:25400468

Why good ideas and good science do not always make it into the marketplace

Treesearch

Charles R. Frihart

2007-01-01

Good ideas and good science are not sufficient in and of themselves for successful commercialization of new technology. Understanding the barriers to commercialization so that ways around, under, over, or through them can be found is also crucial to success. Barriers can include market needs, technology push versus market pull, availability of a window of opportunity,...

Where Have All the Good Men Gone?: An Analysis of Gender Differences in Achievement Growth in Eighth and Ninth Grade Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plue, Kevin Eric

2011-01-01

The growing epidemic of male underachievement has spawned a great deal of research in the recent past. This body of research has been inconclusive in determining the causes of the problem. This Capstone Project looked at six factors to determine if any of them had a significant effect on the math achievement of either gender. This study was…

28 CFR 523.11 - Meritorious good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.11 Meritorious good time. (a) Staff are responsible for recommending meritorious good time based upon work performance. Each recommendation must... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Meritorious good time. 523.11 Section 523...

28 CFR 523.11 - Meritorious good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.11 Meritorious good time. (a) Staff are responsible for recommending meritorious good time based upon work performance. Each recommendation must... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Meritorious good time. 523.11 Section 523...

28 CFR 523.11 - Meritorious good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.11 Meritorious good time. (a) Staff are responsible for recommending meritorious good time based upon work performance. Each recommendation must... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Meritorious good time. 523.11 Section 523...

28 CFR 523.11 - Meritorious good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.11 Meritorious good time. (a) Staff are responsible for recommending meritorious good time based upon work performance. Each recommendation must... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Meritorious good time. 523.11 Section 523...

28 CFR 523.11 - Meritorious good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.11 Meritorious good time. (a) Staff are responsible for recommending meritorious good time based upon work performance. Each recommendation must... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Meritorious good time. 523.11 Section 523...

19 CFR 10.770 - Originating goods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Rules of Origin § 10.770 Originating goods. (a) General. A good will be considered an originating good... provided for in a heading or subheading of the HTSUS that is not covered by the product-specific rules set... the product-specific rules set forth in General Note 27(h), HTSUS, and: (i)(A) Each of the non...

Understanding and benchmarking health service achievement of policy goals for chronic disease

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Key challenges in benchmarking health service achievement of policy goals in areas such as chronic disease are: 1) developing indicators and understanding how policy goals might work as indicators of service performance; 2) developing methods for economically collecting and reporting stakeholder perceptions; 3) combining and sharing data about the performance of organizations; 4) interpreting outcome measures; 5) obtaining actionable benchmarking information. This study aimed to explore how a new Boolean-based small-N method from the social sciences—Qualitative Comparative Analysis or QCA—could contribute to meeting these internationally shared challenges. Methods A ‘multi-value QCA’ (MVQCA) analysis was conducted of data from 24 senior staff at 17 randomly selected services for chronic disease, who provided perceptions of 1) whether government health services were improving their achievement of a set of statewide policy goals for chronic disease and 2) the efficacy of state health office actions in influencing this improvement. The analysis produced summaries of configurations of perceived service improvements. Results Most respondents observed improvements in most areas but uniformly good improvements across services were not perceived as happening (regardless of whether respondents identified a state health office contribution to that improvement). The sentinel policy goal of using evidence to develop service practice was not achieved at all in four services and appears to be reliant on other kinds of service improvements happening. Conclusions The QCA method suggested theoretically plausible findings and an approach that with further development could help meet the five benchmarking challenges. In particular, it suggests that achievement of one policy goal may be reliant on achievement of another goal in complex ways that the literature has not yet fully accommodated but which could help prioritize policy goals. The weaknesses of QCA can be

Learning Organisation Review--A "Good" Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santa, Mijalce

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to perform integrative literature review of the learning organisation (LO) concept, on the basis of the results of the literature review to assess the concept on the principles of "good" theory, and provide future avenues for LO concept clarification and development. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Phonological Coding in Good and Poor Readers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs, Pamela; Underwood, Geoffrey

1982-01-01

A set of four experiments investigates the relationship between phonological coding and reading ability, using a picture-word interference task and a decoding task. Results with regard to both adults and children suggest that while poor readers possess weak decoding skills, good and poor readers show equivalent evidence of direct semantic and…

The impact of generic language about ability on children's achievement motivation.

PubMed

Cimpian, Andrei

2010-09-01

Nuances in how adults talk about ability may have important consequences for children's sustained involvement and success in an activity. In this study, I tested the hypothesis that children would be less motivated while performing a novel activity if they were told that boys or girls in general are good at this activity (generic language) than if they were told that a particular boy or girl is good at it (non-generic language). Generic language may be detrimental because it expresses normative societal expectations regarding performance. If these expectations are negative, they may cause children to worry about confirming them; if positive, they may cause worries about failing to meet them. Moreover, generic statements may be threatening because they imply that performance is the result of stable traits rather than effort. Ninety-seven 4- to 7-year-olds were asked to play a game in which they succeeded at first but then made a few mistakes. Since young children remain optimistic in achievement situations until the possibility of failure is made clear, I hypothesized that 4- and 5-year-olds would not be affected by the implications of generic language until after they made mistakes; 6- and 7-year-olds, however, may be susceptible earlier. As expected, the older children who heard that boys or girls are good at this game displayed lower motivation (e.g., more negative emotions, lower perceived competence) from the start, while they were still succeeding and receiving praise. Four- and 5-year-olds who heard these generic statements had a similar reaction, but only after they made mistakes. These findings demonstrate that exposure to generic language about ability can be an obstacle to children's motivation and, potentially, their success.

NEUROBIOLOGY OF ECONOMIC CHOICE: A GOOD-BASED MODEL

PubMed Central

Padoa-Schioppa, Camillo

2012-01-01

Traditionally the object of economic theory and experimental psychology, economic choice recently became a lively research focus in systems neuroscience. Here I summarize the emerging results and I propose a unifying model of how economic choice might function at the neural level. Economic choice entails comparing options that vary on multiple dimensions. Hence, while choosing, individuals integrate different determinants into a subjective value; decisions are then made by comparing values. According to the good-based model, the values of different goods are computed independently of one another, which implies transitivity. Values are not learned as such, but rather computed at the time of choice. Most importantly, values are compared within the space of goods, independent of the sensori-motor contingencies of choice. Evidence from neurophysiology, imaging and lesion studies indicates that abstract representations of value exist in the orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortices. The computation and comparison of values may thus take place within these regions. PMID:21456961

7 CFR 51.1011 - Good green color.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Standards for Persian (Tahiti) Limes Definitions § 51.1011 Good green color. Good green color means that the skin of the lime is of a good green color characteristic of the Persian variety. ... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Good green color. 51.1011 Section 51.1011 Agriculture...

7 CFR 51.1011 - Good green color.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Standards for Persian (Tahiti) Limes Definitions § 51.1011 Good green color. Good green color means that the skin of the lime is of a good green color characteristic of the Persian variety. ... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good green color. 51.1011 Section 51.1011 Agriculture...

7 CFR 51.1011 - Good green color.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Good green color. 51.1011 Section 51.1011 Agriculture... Standards for Persian (Tahiti) Limes Definitions § 51.1011 Good green color. Good green color means that the skin of the lime is of a good green color characteristic of the Persian variety. ...

Designing Process Improvement of Finished Good On Time Release and Performance Indicator Tool in Milk Industry Using Business Process Reengineering Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dachyar, M.; Christy, E.

2014-04-01

To maintain position as a major milk producer, the Indonesian milk industry should do some business development with the purpose of increasing customer service level. One strategy is to create on time release conditions for finished goods which will be distributed to customers and distributors. To achieve this condition, management information systems of finished goods on time release needs to be improved. The focus of this research is to conduct business process improvement using Business Process Reengineering (BPR). The deliverable key of this study is a comprehensive business strategy which is the solution of the root problems. To achieve the goal, evaluation, reengineering, and improvement of the ERP system are conducted. To visualize the predicted implementation, a simulation model is built by Oracle BPM. The output of this simulation showed that the proposed solution could effectively reduce the process lead time and increase the number of quality releases.

Academic Self-Concept, Achievement Goals, and Achievement: Is Their Relation the Same for Academic Achievers and Underachievers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preckel, Franzis; Brunner, Martin

2015-01-01

This longitudinal study investigated the contribution of achievement goals and academic self-concept for the prediction of unexpected academic achievement (i.e., achievement that is higher or lower than expected with respect to students' cognitive ability) in general and when comparing groups of extreme over- and underachievers. Our sample…

What Are Good Child Outcomes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Kristin Anderson; Evans, V. Jeffery; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Roth, Jodie

This paper considers the question "What are good child outcomes?" from the perspectives of developmental psychology, economics, and sociology. Section 1 of the paper examines good child outcomes as characteristics of stage-salient tasks of development. Section 2 emphasizes the acquisition of "human capital," the development of productive traits…

Influence of Health Education and Healthy Lifestyle on Students' Academic Achievement in Biology in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babatunde, Ezekiel Olusegun

2017-01-01

The positive effects of health education and healthy lifestyle on adolescent academic achievement cannot be over emphasized as learning experiences to help students accurately assess the level of risk-taking behaviour among their peers, emphasis on the value of good health that reinforces health-enhancing attitudes and beliefs are paramount.…

12 CFR 220.6 - Good faith account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Good faith account. 220.6 Section 220.6 Banks... BY BROKERS AND DEALERS (REGULATION T) § 220.6 Good faith account. In a good faith account, a creditor...) Securities entitled to good faith margin—(1) Permissible transactions. A creditor may effect and finance...

12 CFR 220.6 - Good faith account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith account. 220.6 Section 220.6 Banks... BY BROKERS AND DEALERS (REGULATION T) § 220.6 Good faith account. In a good faith account, a creditor...) Securities entitled to good faith margin—(1) Permissible transactions. A creditor may effect and finance...

12 CFR 220.6 - Good faith account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good faith account. 220.6 Section 220.6 Banks... (CONTINUED) CREDIT BY BROKERS AND DEALERS (REGULATION T) § 220.6 Good faith account. In a good faith account...: (a) Securities entitled to good faith margin—(1) Permissible transactions. A creditor may effect and...

12 CFR 220.6 - Good faith account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good faith account. 220.6 Section 220.6 Banks... (CONTINUED) CREDIT BY BROKERS AND DEALERS (REGULATION T) § 220.6 Good faith account. In a good faith account...: (a) Securities entitled to good faith margin—(1) Permissible transactions. A creditor may effect and...

28 CFR 523.20 - Good conduct time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Good Conduct Time § 523.20 Good conduct time. (a) For inmates serving a... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Good conduct time. 523.20 Section 523.20... will award 54 days credit toward service of sentence (good conduct time credit) for each year served...

28 CFR 523.20 - Good conduct time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Good Conduct Time § 523.20 Good conduct time. (a) For inmates serving a... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Good conduct time. 523.20 Section 523.20... will award 54 days credit toward service of sentence (good conduct time credit) for each year served...

28 CFR 523.20 - Good conduct time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Good Conduct Time § 523.20 Good conduct time. (a) For inmates serving a... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Good conduct time. 523.20 Section 523.20... will award 54 days credit toward service of sentence (good conduct time credit) for each year served...

28 CFR 523.20 - Good conduct time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Good Conduct Time § 523.20 Good conduct time. (a) For inmates serving a... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Good conduct time. 523.20 Section 523.20... will award 54 days credit toward service of sentence (good conduct time credit) for each year served...

A mediation analysis of achievement motives, goals, learning strategies, and academic achievement.

PubMed

Diseth, Age; Kobbeltvedt, Therese

2010-12-01

Previous research is inconclusive regarding antecedents and consequences of achievement goals, and there is a need for more research in order to examine the joint effects of different types of motives and learning strategies as predictors of academic achievement. To investigate the relationship between achievement motives, achievement goals, learning strategies (deep, surface, and strategic), and academic achievement in a hierarchical model. Participants were 229 undergraduate students (mean age: 21.2 years) of psychology and economics at the University of Bergen, Norway. Variables were measured by means of items from the Achievement Motives Scale (AMS), the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students, and an achievement goal scale. Correlation analysis showed that academic achievement (examination grade) was positively correlated with performance-approach goal, mastery goal, and strategic learning strategies, and negatively correlated with performance-avoidance goal and surface learning strategy. A path analysis (structural equation model) showed that achievement goals were mediators between achievement motives and learning strategies, and that strategic learning strategies mediated the relationship between achievement goals and academic achievement. This study integrated previous findings from several studies and provided new evidence on the direct and indirect effects of different types of motives and learning strategies as predictors of academic achievement.

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The terms goods..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The terms goods..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The terms goods..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

Public goods and procreation.

PubMed

Anomaly, Jonathan

2014-01-01

Procreation is the ultimate public goods problem. Each new child affects the welfare of many other people, and some (but not all) children produce uncompensated value that future people will enjoy. This essay addresses challenges that arise if we think of procreation and parenting as public goods. These include whether individual choices are likely to lead to a socially desirable outcome, and whether changes in laws, social norms, or access to genetic engineering and embryo selection might improve the aggregate outcome of our reproductive choices.

The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) Spitzer Legacy Science Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, M.; GOODS Team

2004-12-01

The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) is an anthology of observing programs that are creating a rich, public, multiwavelength data set for studying galaxy formation and evolution. GOODS is observing two fields, one in each hemisphere, with extremely deep imaging and spectroscopy using the most powerful telescopes in space and on the ground. The GOODS Spitzer Legacy Science Program completes the trio of observations from NASA's Great Observatories, joining already-completed GOODS data from Chandra and Hubble. Barring unforeseen difficulties, the GOODS Spitzer observing program will have been completed by the end of 2004, and the first data products will have been released to the astronomical community. In this Special Oral Session, and in an accompanying poster session, the GOODS team presents early scientific results from this Spitzer Legacy program, as well as new research based on other GOODS data sets. I will introduce the session with a brief description of the Legacy observations and data set. Support for this work, part of the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Science Program, was provided by NASA through Contract Number 1224666 issued by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407.

29 CFR 570.141 - Good faith defense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Good faith defense. 570.141 Section 570.141 Labor... Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as Amended Enforcement § 570.141 Good faith defense. A... ships or delivers for shipment in commerce goods which he acquired in good faith in reliance on written...

29 CFR 570.141 - Good faith defense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Good faith defense. 570.141 Section 570.141 Labor... Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as Amended Enforcement § 570.141 Good faith defense. A... ships or delivers for shipment in commerce goods which he acquired in good faith in reliance on written...

29 CFR 570.141 - Good faith defense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Good faith defense. 570.141 Section 570.141 Labor... Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as Amended Enforcement § 570.141 Good faith defense. A... ships or delivers for shipment in commerce goods which he acquired in good faith in reliance on written...

29 CFR 570.141 - Good faith defense.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Good faith defense. 570.141 Section 570.141 Labor... Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as Amended Enforcement § 570.141 Good faith defense. A... ships or delivers for shipment in commerce goods which he acquired in good faith in reliance on written...

Equity, Equal Shares or Equal Final Outcomes? Group Goal Guides Allocations of Public Goods.

PubMed

Kazemi, Ali; Eek, Daniel; Gärling, Tommy

2017-01-01

In an experiment we investigate preferences for allocation of a public good among group members who contributed unequally in providing the public good. Inducing the group goal of productivity resulted in preferences for equitable allocations, whereas inducing the group goals of harmony and social concern resulted in preferences for equal final outcomes. The study makes a contribution by simultaneously treating provision and allocation of a public good, thus viewing these as related processes. Another contribution is that a new paradigm is introduced that bears closer resemblance to real life public good dilemmas than previous research paradigms do.

Good for God? Religious motivation reduces perceived responsibility for and morality of good deeds.

PubMed

Gervais, Will M

2014-08-01

Many people view religion as a crucial source of morality. However, 6 experiments (total N = 1,078) revealed that good deeds are perceived as less moral if they are performed for religious reasons. Religiously motivated acts were seen as less moral than the exact same acts performed for other reasons (Experiments 1-2 and 6). Religious motivations also reduced attributions of intention and responsibility (Experiments 3-6), an effect that fully mediated the effect of religious motivations on perceived morality (Experiment 6). The effects were not explained by different perceptions of motivation orientation (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic) across conditions (Experiment 4) and also were evident when religious upbringing led to an intuitive moral response (Experiment 5). Effects generalized across religious and nonreligious participants. When viewing a religiously motivated good deed, people infer that actually helping others is, in part, a side effect of other motivations rather than an end in itself. Thus, religiously motivated actors are seen as less responsible than secular actors for their good deeds, and their helping behavior is viewed as less moral than identical good deeds performed for either unclear or secular motivations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Sleep-readiness signals in insomniacs and good sleepers.

PubMed

Giganti, Fiorenza; Guidi, Sara; Aboudan, Samir; Baiardi, Simone; Mondini, Susanna; Cirignotta, Fabio; Salzarulo, Piero

2016-05-01

Sleep is preceded by physiological and behavioural events that inform the subject that it is time to sleep. Our hypothesis is that insomniacs do not adequately recognize such signals, thus missing the best time to go to bed. Eighty-seven chronic insomniac participants and 76 age-matched good sleeper controls were recruited. Semi-structured interviews focused on three aspects of nocturnal sleep: features, habitual activities and signals that they usually rely on in order to decide their readiness to sleep. The results showed that insomniacs relied more than good sleepers on external signals (time) than on bodily ones to decide to go to sleep. © The Author(s) 2014.

Attitude Towards Physics and Additional Mathematics Achievement Towards Physics Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veloo, Arsaythamby; Nor, Rahimah; Khalid, Rozalina

2015-01-01

The purpose of this research is to identify the difference in students' attitude towards Physics and Additional Mathematics achievement based on gender and relationship between attitudinal variables towards Physics and Additional Mathematics achievement with achievement in Physics. This research focused on six variables, which is attitude towards…

How good is crude MDL for solving the bias-variance dilemma? An empirical investigation based on Bayesian networks.

PubMed

Cruz-Ramírez, Nicandro; Acosta-Mesa, Héctor Gabriel; Mezura-Montes, Efrén; Guerra-Hernández, Alejandro; Hoyos-Rivera, Guillermo de Jesús; Barrientos-Martínez, Rocío Erandi; Gutiérrez-Fragoso, Karina; Nava-Fernández, Luis Alonso; González-Gaspar, Patricia; Novoa-del-Toro, Elva María; Aguilera-Rueda, Vicente Josué; Ameca-Alducin, María Yaneli

2014-01-01

The bias-variance dilemma is a well-known and important problem in Machine Learning. It basically relates the generalization capability (goodness of fit) of a learning method to its corresponding complexity. When we have enough data at hand, it is possible to use these data in such a way so as to minimize overfitting (the risk of selecting a complex model that generalizes poorly). Unfortunately, there are many situations where we simply do not have this required amount of data. Thus, we need to find methods capable of efficiently exploiting the available data while avoiding overfitting. Different metrics have been proposed to achieve this goal: the Minimum Description Length principle (MDL), Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), among others. In this paper, we focus on crude MDL and empirically evaluate its performance in selecting models with a good balance between goodness of fit and complexity: the so-called bias-variance dilemma, decomposition or tradeoff. Although the graphical interaction between these dimensions (bias and variance) is ubiquitous in the Machine Learning literature, few works present experimental evidence to recover such interaction. In our experiments, we argue that the resulting graphs allow us to gain insights that are difficult to unveil otherwise: that crude MDL naturally selects balanced models in terms of bias-variance, which not necessarily need be the gold-standard ones. We carry out these experiments using a specific model: a Bayesian network. In spite of these motivating results, we also should not overlook three other components that may significantly affect the final model selection: the search procedure, the noise rate and the sample size.

How Good Is Crude MDL for Solving the Bias-Variance Dilemma? An Empirical Investigation Based on Bayesian Networks

PubMed Central

Cruz-Ramírez, Nicandro; Acosta-Mesa, Héctor Gabriel; Mezura-Montes, Efrén; Guerra-Hernández, Alejandro; Hoyos-Rivera, Guillermo de Jesús; Barrientos-Martínez, Rocío Erandi; Gutiérrez-Fragoso, Karina; Nava-Fernández, Luis Alonso; González-Gaspar, Patricia; Novoa-del-Toro, Elva María; Aguilera-Rueda, Vicente Josué; Ameca-Alducin, María Yaneli

2014-01-01

The bias-variance dilemma is a well-known and important problem in Machine Learning. It basically relates the generalization capability (goodness of fit) of a learning method to its corresponding complexity. When we have enough data at hand, it is possible to use these data in such a way so as to minimize overfitting (the risk of selecting a complex model that generalizes poorly). Unfortunately, there are many situations where we simply do not have this required amount of data. Thus, we need to find methods capable of efficiently exploiting the available data while avoiding overfitting. Different metrics have been proposed to achieve this goal: the Minimum Description Length principle (MDL), Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), among others. In this paper, we focus on crude MDL and empirically evaluate its performance in selecting models with a good balance between goodness of fit and complexity: the so-called bias-variance dilemma, decomposition or tradeoff. Although the graphical interaction between these dimensions (bias and variance) is ubiquitous in the Machine Learning literature, few works present experimental evidence to recover such interaction. In our experiments, we argue that the resulting graphs allow us to gain insights that are difficult to unveil otherwise: that crude MDL naturally selects balanced models in terms of bias-variance, which not necessarily need be the gold-standard ones. We carry out these experiments using a specific model: a Bayesian network. In spite of these motivating results, we also should not overlook three other components that may significantly affect the final model selection: the search procedure, the noise rate and the sample size. PMID:24671204

Using 'payment by results' to fund the treatment of dependent drug users--proceed with care!

PubMed

Maynard, Alan; Street, Andrew; Hunter, Rachael

2011-10-01

The UK government is changing its system of payment for drug treatment services in order to reward the achievement of better patient outcomes. This is a model that may be taken up internationally. This 'payment by results' funding system will reward providers for achieving good outcomes in terms of whether clients are drug free, employed and/or not convicted of a criminal offence. Providers will also receive a payment based on health and wellbeing outcome measurement. The definition and measurement of success in achieving these outcomes is complex and challenging, as is the need to bridge treatment costs during the period in which outcomes are pursued. This experiment requires careful evaluation if the delivery of drug treatment is not to be jeopardized or fragmented. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Management of an unusual extreme extension contracture of the wrist: role of a custom-designed exercise program in achieving a good range of movement and prevention of recontraction.

PubMed

Saraiya, Hemant

2003-01-01

An extreme extension contracture of wrist with dorsal contracture of fingers 15 years after burn injury is described. Shortening of extensor tendons, secondary lengthening of flexor tendons, contracted wrist joint capsule, unusual dislocation of carpals, dorsal dislocation of metacarpophalangeal joints of fingers, and provision of sufficient amount of good-quality skin were some of the issues that had to be addressed in treatment. The contracture was released, the carpals and metacarpophalangeal joint dislocations were corrected and fixed with K wires, and the resulting defect was covered with a sheet split-thickness skin graft. An exercise program was designed that consisted of isotonic, isokinetic, and isometric resistance exercises and passive, active, and active-assistive range of motion exercises. These exercises were pursued with the intention of increasing dynamic strength, endurance, and overall functional recovery of the flexor muscles by exploiting the immature nature of early scar tissue. The resultant enhanced flexor muscle power from exercises along with the dynamic splint helped in lengthening of extensor tendons, wrist joint capsule, and split-thickness skin graft. It also helped in resisting the recontracting tendency, with further recovery of good range of wrist and fingers movements, obviating the need of tendon-lengthening surgery and flap coverage. One and half years of follow up didn't show any sign of recontracture, and the patient was able to perform his routine activities. Postburn wrist contractures of such magnitude have been seldom described. Emphasis is put on simple contracture release and a postoperative exercise program.

45 CFR 261.52 - Is there a way to waive the State's penalty for failing to achieve either of the participation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... domestic violence waivers (i.e., it provides evidence that it achieved the applicable work rates when individuals receiving federally recognized good cause domestic violence waivers of work requirements, in...

45 CFR 261.52 - Is there a way to waive the State's penalty for failing to achieve either of the participation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... domestic violence waivers (i.e., it provides evidence that it achieved the applicable work rates when individuals receiving federally recognized good cause domestic violence waivers of work requirements, in...

Mathematics Beliefs and Achievement of Elementary School Students in Japan and the United States: Results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

House, J. Daniel

2006-01-01

Student self-beliefs are significantly related to several types of academic achievement. In addition, results from international assessments have indicated that students in Japan have typically scored above international averages (D. L. Kelly, I. V. S. Mullis, & M. O. Martin, 2000). In this study, the author examined relationships between…

Separating live from dead longleaf pine seeds: good and bad news

Treesearch

James P. Barnett; R. Kasten Dumroese

2006-01-01

Of all southern pine seeds, longleaf pine (Pinus palutris Mill.) are the most difficult to collect, process, treat, and store while maintaining good seed quality. As a result, interest in techniques for separating filled dead from live longleaf pine seeds has developed. The good news is that new technologies are becoming available to evaluate seed...

Back to the Future with the Uniform Code of Military Justice: The Need to Recalibrate the Relationship Between the Military Justice System, Due Process, and Good Order and Discipline

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

successes against the Roman army, Plutarch focused on Sertorius’ ability to bring good order and discipline to the seemingly barbaric tribes of the...Roman frontier.161 Plutarch noted that after the campaigns against Rome, Sertorius was “highly honored for his introducing discipline and good order...Sertorius’ ability to achieve good order and discipline within his troops, Plutarch did not mention discipline or fear; instead, he noted that Sertorius

Qualities of a good Singaporean psychiatrist: Qualitative differences between psychiatrists and patients.

PubMed

Tor, Phern-Chern; Tan, Jacinta O A

2015-06-01

Pilot studies in Singapore established four themes (personal values, professional, relationship, academic-executive) relating to the qualities of a good psychiatrist, and suggested potential differences of opinion between patients and psychiatrists. We sought to explore differences between patients and psychiatrists regarding the qualities of a good psychiatrist. Qualitative analysis of interviews using a modified grounded theory approach with 21 voluntary psychiatric inpatients and 18 psychiatrists. One hundred thirty-one separate qualities emerged from the data. The qualities of a good psychiatrist were viewed in the context of motivations, functions, methods, and results obtained, mirroring the themes established in the pilot studies. Patients and psychiatrists mostly concurred on the qualities of a good psychiatrist, with 62.6% of the qualities emerging from both groups. However significant differences existed. Patient-specific qualities included proof of altruistic motives, diligence, clinical competence, and positive results. What the psychiatrist represented to patients in relation to gender, culture, and clinical prestige also mattered to patients. Psychiatrist-specific qualities related to societal (e.g. public protection) and professional concerns (e.g. boundary issues). The results of this study demonstrate that patients and psychiatrists have different views about the qualities of a good psychiatrist. Patients may expect proof of care, diligence, and competence from the psychiatrist, along with positive results. In addition, psychiatrists should be mindful of what they represent to patients and how that can impact the doctor-patient relationship. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The Essence of Good Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Robert R.

1986-01-01

Compares and contrasts views of what constitutes good teaching in four recent books: "My Harvard, My Yale: Memoirs of College Life by Some Notable Americans" (Dubois, 1982); "Twenty Teachers" (Macrorie, 1984); "Artistry in Teaching" (Rubin, 1985); and "The Essence of Good Teaching: Helping Students Learn and Remember What They Learn" (Eriksen,…

When is good, good enough? Methodological pragmatism for sustainable guideline development.

PubMed

Browman, George P; Somerfield, Mark R; Lyman, Gary H; Brouwers, Melissa C

2015-03-06

Continuous escalation in methodological and procedural rigor for evidence-based processes in guideline development is associated with increasing costs and production delays that threaten sustainability. While health research methodologists are appropriately responsible for promoting increasing rigor in guideline development, guideline sponsors are responsible for funding such processes. This paper acknowledges that other stakeholders in addition to methodologists should be more involved in negotiating trade-offs between methodological procedures and efficiency in guideline production to produce guidelines that are 'good enough' to be trustworthy and affordable under specific circumstances. The argument for reasonable methodological compromise to meet practical circumstances is consistent with current implicit methodological practice. This paper proposes a conceptual tool as a framework to be used by different stakeholders in negotiating, and explicitly reporting, reasonable compromises for trustworthy as well as cost-worthy guidelines. The framework helps fill a transparency gap in how methodological choices in guideline development are made. The principle, 'when good is good enough' can serve as a basis for this approach. The conceptual tool 'Efficiency-Validity Methodological Continuum' acknowledges trade-offs between validity and efficiency in evidence-based guideline development and allows for negotiation, guided by methodologists, of reasonable methodological compromises among stakeholders. Collaboration among guideline stakeholders in the development process is necessary if evidence-based guideline development is to be sustainable.

[The myth of the good savage].

PubMed

Yampey, N

1994-09-01

The conquest of the New World gave way to the myth of the Good Savage. For the Renaissance intellectuals, the ancient ideas about the Golden Age (an ideal society promising an unending bliss) seemed to be brought back to life at last. Sharply contrasting with the European exacerbated unrest of the time, America stood for a redeeming hope, a symbol of a better future. The myth of the Good Savage assumes people to be naturally good, but civilization has led them into the realm of violence, hatred, and cruelty. Besides being naturally good, nice-minded people, "good savages" were also useful, obedient people, most likely to be easily exploited by Europeans--a source for the historical drama to come. On the verge of freeing itself from the Spanish rule, Latin America--fighting its way toward independence, had three enlightened mentors: Voltaire, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. There, again, another deep contrast arose between the abstract characteristics of Latin American aims to perfection, and people's actual behaviors. The former "good savage" became the modern "Latin American" embodying an utopia as well as a hope in his eagerness for setting up a plural, and humanized culture. The myth of the Good Savage represents a deep longing for an objectivation of the ego-ideal: it has been used, so to speak, in collective mobilizations as well as dogmatic crystallizations, to escape from ignominous realities or to project alternatives for a better socially-shared life.

The Common Good in Classical Political Philosophy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, V. Bradley

2006-01-01

The term "common good" names the end (or final cause) of political and social life in the tradition of moral thought that owes its main substance to Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. It names a genuine good ("bonum honestum") and not merely an instrumental or secondary good defeasible in the face of particular goods. However, at the same time, it…

Coevolving agent strategies and network topology for the public goods games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, C. Y.; Zhang, J. L.; Xie, G. M.; Wang, L.

2011-03-01

Much of human cooperation remains an evolutionary riddle. Coevolutionary public goods games in structured populations are studied where players can change from an unproductive public goods game to a productive one, by evaluating the productivity of the public goods games. In our model, each individual participates in games organized by its neighborhood plus by itself. Coevolution here refers to an evolutionary process entailing both deletion of existing links and addition of new links between agents that accompanies the evolution of their strategies. Furthermore, we investigate the effects of time scale separation of strategy and structure on cooperation level. This study presents the following: Foremost, we observe that high cooperation levels in public goods interactions are attained by the entangled coevolution of strategy and structure. Presented results also confirm that the resulting networks show many features of real systems, such as cooperative behavior and hierarchical clustering. The heterogeneity of the interaction network is held responsible for the observed promotion of cooperation. We hope our work may offer an explanation for the origin of large-scale cooperative behavior among unrelated individuals.

Fifteen Years of Collaborative Innovation and Achievement: NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 15-Year Program Performance and Results Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaaf, Michaela M. (Editor); Bowen, Brent D.; Fink, Mary M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Avery Shelly; Calamaio, Caprice; Carstenson, Larry; Dugan, James; Farr, Lynne; Farritor, Shane

2003-01-01

This 15-year evaluation serves as a summary document highlighting the numerous and complete successes of the Nebraska Space Grant Program. Innovation has been highlighted through significant new endeavors during this 5-year period, such as placement of students and faculty at NASA Centers and the expansion of NSGC Native American Outreach Programs. While the last national program evaluation resulted in Nebraska s ranking as the top Capability Enhancement Consortium, and 5th best overall, Nebraska felt there was room for significant growth and development. This has been validated through the recent competitive attainment of Designated Grant status and has allowed for the exploration of new initiatives, as well as the expansion of already successful programs. A comprehensive strategic planning effort has involved all Nebraska representative entities and has guided Nebraska Space Grant through the evaluation period, providing a basis for continual advancement. Nebraska rigorously employs evaluation techniques to ensure that stated outcomes and metrics are achieved and that weaknesses are identified and corrected. With this coordinated approach, Nebraska expects that the next 5 years will yield new opportunities for significant achievement. Nebraska Space Grant will embrace new national endeavors, including the integration of Pender Public Schools -Nebraska s NASA Explorer School, geospatial initiatives, and the National Student Satellite Program.

[The "Compli'Asthme" therapeutic observation survey on good use of inhaled drugs for asthma: perception by general practitioners].

PubMed

Megas, F; Benmedjahed, K; Lefrançois, G; Mueser, M; Dusser, D

2004-06-01

A cross sectional survey was conducted in 2000 in coordination with the CHIESI medical representatives among 1758 French physicians caring for patients with persistent asthma (80% general practitioners, 20% specialists). This "Compli'Asthme" survey was based on a self-administered questionnaire designed to learn more about the physicians' experience with good use of inhaled drugs and to collect information on therapeutic observance, corticophobia, and use of prescribed inhalers. Poor observance was noted as an important problem by 58-85% of the participants. Most of the problems were related to inability to use the inhaler properly (children, elderly subjects) or to patients forgetting to take their medications (adults, parents). For 58% of the participating physicians, corticophobia is frequent. The patients are worried about the anabolizing effect, secondary effects, and dependence. When there is a potential problem with corticophobia, physicians generally question the patients and provide explanations to achieve good observance. Patient preference is taken into consideration by 86% of the physicians prescribing inhalation devices; 90% demonstrate use of the device at the first prescription and 68% make repeated demonstrations at subsequent consultations. For 56-87% of the physicians, poor therapeutic observance, corticophobia, and poor use of the inhaler can be detected and corrected. Patient education is an important element for 77% of the physicians for improving observance and achieving good use of the inhaler. When poor observance and poor use of the inhaler occur, the physicians responding to this questionnaire applied the currently recommended guidelines.

Leader Perceptions and Student Achievement: An Examination of Reading and Mathematics International Test Results in Korea and the USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Seon-Hi; Slater, Charles L.; Ortiz, Steve

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine what factors affect student achievement in reading and mathematics. The research questions addressed the perceptions of school principals and background characteristics related to student achievement in Korea and the USA with respect to differences among students in low, middle and high quantiles.…

Good practices in Local Government - A first overview of Portuguese reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvalhosa, P.; Portela, F.; Machado, J.; Santos, M. F.; Abelha, A.

2017-03-01

Good practices in eGov are being increasingly used by Local Governments being that it is considered by them as an advantage. The main goal is providing to the town hall a differentiation point and approximate their services to the citizens. For this, it is necessary to define and apply innovative strategies in order to increase the use of services by the citizens. This paper is framed in a research work and it presents a first overview of the existing good practices in eGov, taking in consideration the Portuguese’s reality. The good practices identified were distinguished with many awards and with a positive response from the target audience. The use of digital marketing strategies aims to increase their membership and coming closer the municipalities of its citizens through the dissemination of the good practices. At this moment the data collected are almost exclusively of good practice in Portugal, however some international practices were also identified. As a result of this study the community has a list of good practices that can be applied in their municipalities.

Implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) approach to improve student’s academic achievement and creativity on the topic of electrolyte and non-electrolyte solutions at vocational school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyu, W.; Kurnia; Syaadah, R. S.

2018-05-01

The purpose of study was to investigate the implementation of PBL to improve student’s academic achievement and creativity on the topic of electrolyte and non-electrolye solutions. This study was conducted as a descriptive method with case study design. Subject of this study consisted of 30 students in the class X. Instruments used in the study included tests and observation sheets. Student’s achievement changes is calculated using N-gain formula, hereafter, the data that have been processed then was analyzed descriptively. The results showed that generally academic achievement and creativity of students has increased as indicated by the value of N-gain (0.667; 0.656). The results of the study also showed that there was a correlation with the moderate category between the academic achievement and the student’s creative thinking as indicated by (r = 0.413), meanwhile, the relationship between academic achievement and creativity(r = 0.340) that belongs to the weak category. Implementation of PBL had a good response from students with percentage 80.3%. Based on these findings, PBL is recommended to be applied on the learning process for other chemistry topics that suitable in term of characteristics between learning materials and PBL stages in order to develop academic achievement and creativity of students.

Good Laboratory Practice. Part 1. An Introduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedlich, Richard C.; Libera, Agata E.; Pires, Amanda; Therrien, Matthew T.

2013-01-01

The Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations were put into place in 1978. They establish a standard of practice to ensure that results from the nonclinical laboratory study reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are valid and that the study report accurately reflects the conduct of the study. While the GLP regulations promulgate…

Achieving QoS for TCP Traffic in Satellite Networks with Differentiated Services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durresi, Arjan; Kota, Sastri; Goyal, Mukul; Jain, Raj; Bharani, Venkata

2001-01-01

Satellite networks play an indispensable role in providing global Internet access and electronic connectivity. To achieve such a global communications, provisioning of quality of service (QoS) within the advanced satellite systems is the main requirement. One of the key mechanisms of implementing the quality of service is traffic management. Traffic management becomes a crucial factor in the case of satellite network because of the limited availability of their resources. Currently, Internet Protocol (IP) only has minimal traffic management capabilities and provides best effort services. In this paper, we presented a broadband satellite network QoS model and simulated performance results. In particular, we discussed the TCP flow aggregates performance for their good behavior in the presence of competing UDP flow aggregates in the same assured forwarding. We identified several factors that affect the performance in the mixed environments and quantified their effects using a full factorial design of experiment methodology.

Substantial Goodness and Nascent Human Life.

PubMed

Floyd, Shawn

2015-09-01

Many believe that moral value is--at least to some extent--dependent on the developmental states necessary for supporting rational activity. My paper rejects this view, but does not aim simply to register objections to it. Rather, my essay aims to answer the following question: if a human being's developmental state and occurrent capacities do not bequeath moral standing, what does? The question is intended to prompt careful consideration of what makes human beings objects of moral value, dignity, or (to employ my preferred term) goodness. Not only do I think we can answer this question, I think we can show that nascent human life possesses goodness of precisely this sort. I appeal to Aquinas's metaethics to establish the conclusion that the goodness of a human being--even if that being is an embryo or fetus--resides at the substratum of her existence. If she possesses goodness, it is because human existence is good.

Minimally invasive treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction: a critical analysis of results.

PubMed

Eden, Christopher G

2007-10-01

To analyse the indications and long-term results of endoscopic and minimal access approaches for the treatment of ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction and to compare them to open surgery. A review of the literature from 1950 to January 2007 was conducted using the Ovid Medline database. A lack of standardisation of techniques used to diagnose UPJ obstruction and to follow up treated patients introduces a degree of inaccuracy in interpreting the success rates of the various modalities of treatment. However, there is no indication that any one of these techniques is affected by this to a greater or lesser extent than another. Open pyeloplasty achieves very good (90-100% success) results, endopyelotomy and balloon disruption of the UPJ fail to match these results by 15-20%, and minimal access pyeloplasty produces results that are at least as good as those of open surgery but with the advantages of a minimal access approach. Minimal access pyeloplasty is likely to gradually replace endopyelotomy and balloon disruption of the UPJ for the treatment of UPJ obstruction. The much higher cost of robotic pyeloplasty and greater availability of laparoscopic expertise in teaching centres are likely to limit the dissemination of robotic pyeloplasty.

Achieving definitive results in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation trials of term infants: factors for consideration.

PubMed

Meldrum, Suzanne J; Smith, Michael A; Prescott, Susan L; Hird, Kathryn; Simmer, Karen

2011-04-01

Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been undertaken to determine whether supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in infancy would improve the developmental outcomes of term infants. The results of such trials have been thoroughly reviewed with no definitive conclusion as to the efficacy of LCPUFA supplementation. A number of reasons for the lack of conclusive findings in this area have been proposed. This review examines such factors with the aim of determining whether an optimal method of investigation for RCTs of LCPUFA supplementation in term infants can be ascertained from previous research. While more research is required to completely inform a method that is likely to achieve definitive results, the findings of this literature review indicate future trials should investigate the effects of sex, genetic polymorphisms, the specific effects of LCPUFAs, and the optimal tests for neurodevelopmental assessment. The current literature indicates a docosahexaenoic acid dose of 0.32%, supplementation from birth to 12 months, and a total sample size of at least 286 (143 per group) should be included in the methodology of future trials. © 2011 International Life Sciences Institute.

Reasoning Abilities in Primary School: A Pilot Study on Poor Achievers vs. Normal Achievers in Computer Game Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dagnino, Francesca Maria; Ballauri, Margherita; Benigno, Vincenza; Caponetto, Ilaria; Pesenti, Elia

2013-01-01

This paper presents the results of preliminary research on the assessment of reasoning abilities in primary school poor achievers vs. normal achievers using computer game tasks. Subjects were evaluated by means of cognitive assessment on logical abilities and academic skills. The aim of this study is to better understand the relationship between…

Development of innovative tools for understanding marine biodiversity and assessing good environmental status, within the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borja, Angel; Uyarra, María C.

2014-05-01

and validate, on the basis of observations, innovative integrative modelling tools in order to further strengthen our understanding of ecosystem and biodiversity changes in space and time. The resultant models are being developed for implementation as operational tools for managers, decision takers and policy makers. The project is contributing (i) to enable the adaptive development of management (ecosystem-based management approach) strategies and management measures as a result of their implementation taking into account the role of industry and relevant stakeholders, (ii) to provide economic assessment of the consequences of management practices, (iii) to identify the barriers (socio-economic and legislative) that prevent the GES to be achieved (e.g. eutrophication), (iv) to provide a set of policy options for the relevant authorities. In addition the project should propose and demonstrate the utility of innovative monitoring systems capable of providing data on a range of parameters, efficiently and effectively, that may be used as indicators of good environmental status. This contribution presents a summary of most of these aspects.

[Comparative results of surgical treatment for perforating and bleeding pyloroduodenal ulcers].

PubMed

Gorbunov, V N; Sytnik, A P; Korenev, N N; Gordeev, S A; Stoliarchuk, E V; Urzhumtseva, G A

1998-01-01

Results of treatment of 1309 patients with perforated and bleeding pyloroduodenal ulcers for 20-years period have been analysed. Resection of the stomach performed in 85 cases resulted in high postoperative lethality which made up in bleeding ulcers 14.8%. Drainage operations of the stomach with excision or suturing of ulcer combined with bilateral truncal vagotomy was performed in 60 patients, postoperative lethality rate being 8.4%. 128 patients underwent selective proximal vagotomy together with pyloro- and duodenoplasty, lethality rate being 1.6%. Combined vagotomy (posterior truncal and anterior sero-muscular) with excision of ulcer, transversal pyloroplasty and duodenoplasty was carried out in 1036 patients (postoperative lethality--2.4%). Excellent and good functional results were achieved in 79.6% of the patients.

Mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies in achievement of elementary-school students in Japan: results from the TIMSS 2003 assessment.

PubMed

House, J Daniel

2007-04-01

Recent findings concerning mathematics assessment indicate that students in Japan consistently score above international averages. Researchers have examined specific mathematics beliefs and instructional strategies associated with mathematics achievement for students in Japan. This study examined relationships among self-beliefs, classroom instructional strategies, and mathematics achievement for a large national sample of students (N=4,207) from the TIMSS 2003 international sample of fourth graders in Japan. Several significant relationships between mathematics beliefs and test scores were found; a number of classroom teaching strategies were also significantly associated with test scores. However, multiple regression using the complete set of five mathematics beliefs and five instructional strategies explained only 25.1% of the variance in mathematics achievement test scores.

Achievement goals affect metacognitive judgments

PubMed Central

Ikeda, Kenji; Yue, Carole L.; Murayama, Kou; Castel, Alan D.

2017-01-01

The present study examined the effect of achievement goals on metacognitive judgments, such as judgments of learning (JOLs) and metacomprehension judgments, and actual recall performance. We conducted five experiments manipulating the instruction of achievement goals. In each experiment, participants were instructed to adopt mastery-approach goals (i.e., develop their own mental ability through a memory task) or performance-approach goals (i.e., demonstrate their strong memory ability through getting a high score on a memory task). The results of Experiments 1 and 2 showed that JOLs of word pairs in the performance-approach goal condition tended to be higher than those in the mastery-approach goal condition. In contrast, cued recall performance did not differ between the two goal conditions. Experiment 3 also demonstrated that metacomprehension judgments of text passages were higher in the performance-approach goal condition than in the mastery-approach goals condition, whereas test performance did not differ between conditions. These findings suggest that achievement motivation affects metacognitive judgments during learning, even when achievement motivation does not influence actual performance. PMID:28983496

Good Practices for Transforming Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benavente, Ana; Panchaud, Christine

2008-01-01

This text is a guide to the reading and interpretation of the "good practices" that are developing in the countries participating in this project and elsewhere. A systematic approach to the factors making up a "good practice" has enabled us to share our analyses in a more structured manner and to reflect on their potential for…

Nature of Good and Evil.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utica City School District, NY.

This humanistic curriculum project concerning good and evil is part of a model program of inservice training and curriculum redesign for grades K-12 known as Project SEARCH. Objectives of the unit are to provide students an understanding that good and evil are a reflection of man's values, a comprehension of modern scientific theories on the…

Growth trajectories of mathematics achievement: Longitudinal tracking of student academic progress.

PubMed

Mok, Magdalena M C; McInerney, Dennis M; Zhu, Jinxin; Or, Anthony

2015-06-01

A number of methods to investigate growth have been reported in the literature, including hierarchical linear modelling (HLM), latent growth modelling (LGM), and multidimensional scaling applied to longitudinal profile analysis (LPAMS). This study aimed at modelling the mathematics growth of students over a span of 6 years from Grade 3 to Grade 9. The sample comprised secondary longitudinal data collected in three waves from n = 866 Hong Kong students when they were in Grade 3, Grade 6, and Grade 9. Mathematics achievement was measured thrice on a vertical scale linked with anchor items. Linear and nonlinear latent growth models were used to assess students' growth. Gender differences were also examined. A nonlinear latent growth curve with a decelerated rate had a good fit to the data. Initial achievement and growth rate were negatively correlated. No gender difference was found. Mathematics growth from Grade 6 to Grade 9 was slower than that from Grade 3 to Grade 6. Students with lower initial achievement improved at a faster rate than those who started at a higher level. Gender did not affect growth rate. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Achieving universal health coverage goals in Thailand: the vital role of strategic purchasing.

PubMed

Tangcharoensathien, Viroj; Limwattananon, Supon; Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Thammatacharee, Jadej; Jongudomsuk, Pongpisut; Sirilak, Supakit

2015-11-01

Strategic purchasing is one of the key policy instruments to achieve the universal health coverage (UHC) goals of improved and equitable access and financial risk protection. Given favourable outcomes of Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), this study synthesized strategic purchasing experiences in the National Health Security Office (NHSO) responsible for the UCS in contributing to achieving UHC goals. The UCS applied the purchaser-provider split concept where NHSO, as a purchaser, is in a good position to enforce accountability by public and private providers to the UCS beneficiaries, through active purchasing. A comprehensive benefit package resulted in high level of financial risk protection as reflected by low incidence of catastrophic health spending and impoverished households. The NHSO contracted the District Health System (DHS) network, to provide outpatient, health promotion and disease prevention services to the whole district population, based on an annual age-adjusted capitation payment. In most cases, the DHS was the only provider in a district without competitors. Geographical monopoly hampered the NHSO to introduce a competitive contractual agreement, but a durable, mutually dependent relationship based on trust was gradually evolved, while accreditation is an important channel for quality improvement. Strategic purchasing services from DHS achieved a pro-poor utilization due to geographical proximity, where travel time and costs were minimal. Inpatient services paid by Diagnostic Related Group within a global budget ceiling, which is estimated based on unit costs, admission rates and admission profiles, contained cost effectively. To prevent potential under-provisions of the services, some high cost interventions were unbundled from closed end payment and paid on an agreed fee schedule. Executing monopsonistic purchasing power by NHSO brought down price of services given assured quality. Cost saving resulted in more patients served within a finite

Achieving universal health coverage goals in Thailand: the vital role of strategic purchasing

PubMed Central

Tangcharoensathien, Viroj; Limwattananon, Supon; Patcharanarumol, Walaiporn; Thammatacharee, Jadej; Jongudomsuk, Pongpisut; Sirilak, Supakit

2015-01-01

Strategic purchasing is one of the key policy instruments to achieve the universal health coverage (UHC) goals of improved and equitable access and financial risk protection. Given favourable outcomes of Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), this study synthesized strategic purchasing experiences in the National Health Security Office (NHSO) responsible for the UCS in contributing to achieving UHC goals. The UCS applied the purchaser–provider split concept where NHSO, as a purchaser, is in a good position to enforce accountability by public and private providers to the UCS beneficiaries, through active purchasing. A comprehensive benefit package resulted in high level of financial risk protection as reflected by low incidence of catastrophic health spending and impoverished households. The NHSO contracted the District Health System (DHS) network, to provide outpatient, health promotion and disease prevention services to the whole district population, based on an annual age-adjusted capitation payment. In most cases, the DHS was the only provider in a district without competitors. Geographical monopoly hampered the NHSO to introduce a competitive contractual agreement, but a durable, mutually dependent relationship based on trust was gradually evolved, while accreditation is an important channel for quality improvement. Strategic purchasing services from DHS achieved a pro-poor utilization due to geographical proximity, where travel time and costs were minimal. Inpatient services paid by Diagnostic Related Group within a global budget ceiling, which is estimated based on unit costs, admission rates and admission profiles, contained cost effectively. To prevent potential under-provisions of the services, some high cost interventions were unbundled from closed end payment and paid on an agreed fee schedule. Executing monopsonistic purchasing power by NHSO brought down price of services given assured quality. Cost saving resulted in more patients served within a finite

The impact of three instructional styles of teaching physics on students' achievement and attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Arfaj, Maher Mohammed

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of three instructional styles (traditional teaching, problem-based instruction, and teaching by demonstration) of teaching physics on students' attitudes and achievement. The sample consisted of 106 Saudi students in three physics classes in the second semester of the academic year 1998--1999. Three instruments were used in collecting the data for both quantitative and qualitative parts of the study. For the quantitative part, the researcher developed and pilot tested a 35-item questionnaire with versions to measure students' attitudes before the start of the experiment and then to measure students' attitudes toward the method of teaching. In addition, the researcher developed a 12-item achievement test to measure students gain scores which was administered at the beginning and the end of the treatment. For the qualitative part, the researcher constructed an interview guide consisting of five-open ended questions. The questions were geared to discover students' attitudes toward the implemented instructional style, and if this instructional style assisted them to acquire a good understanding of the studied unit. In the quantitative part, the results showed a significant correlation between students' attitudes toward the method of teaching and their achievement on the posttests. Furthermore, the findings from the one-way ANOVA indicated that there was a significant difference among the three groups in terms of achievement. The mean of achievement gain scores was highest for the problem-based group, followed by the group that was taught by demonstration, and then the traditional teaching group. The findings from the ANOVA indicated that there was also no significant difference between the three groups in terms of attitudes. In the qualitative part, the answers of the five questions revealed four themes: attitudes toward the method of teaching, reasons for liking or disliking the method of teaching, methods of

[Comparative evaluation of mastoidoplasty results in application of various plastic materials].

PubMed

Zaporoshchenko, A Iu; Kravchenko, S V

2015-01-01

The results of surgical treatment of 62 patients, suffering chronic purulent middle otitis, were analyzed. The structure of mastoid processus and attic constitutes a base for choice of middle ear surgical sanation. Sanation operation with preservation or reconstruction of external acoustical meatus posterior wall was finished with combined mastoidoplasty using autobone, spongioid bone bioimplant Tutoplast or bioceramic material "Sintekost". Achievement of a steady sanating effect have promoted in late postoperative period a trustworthy lowering of the perception threshold of the bone--conducted sounds as on vocal, and also on high frequencies, while of the air--conducted sounds--on vocal frequencies. This permits in perspective to perform a hearing--improving operations with good functional result.

Attitudes and Achievement of Bruneian Science Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dhindsa, Harkirat S.; Chung, Gilbert

2003-01-01

Evaluates attitudes towards and achievement in science of Form 3 students studying in single-sex and coeducational schools in Brunei. Results demonstrated significant differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of male and female students in single-sex schools and students in coeducational schools. (Contains 46 references.)…

Beliefs and Achievement in Seventh-Grade Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kloosterman, Peter

1991-01-01

This study highlights the correlation between seventh grade students' (n=429) beliefs about how mathematics is learned and their achievement in mathematics. Results from structural relation modeling indicate that, when beliefs are considered as a single construct, the relationship between beliefs and achievement is much stronger than when beliefs…

The Efforts to Improve Mathematics Learning Achievement Results of High School Students as Required by Competency-Based Curriculum and Lesson Level-Based Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sidabutar, Ropinus

2016-01-01

The research was aimed to investigate the effect of various, innovated teaching models to improved the student's achievement in various topic in Mathematics. The study was conduct experiment by using innovated teaching with contextual, media and web which are the compared. with conventional teaching method. The result showed the innovation in the…

Social and Musical Objectives or Experiences School Music Teachers Anticipate Their Students Will Achieve as a Result of Attending a Summer Music Camp

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Eric W.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate specific social and musical objectives or experiences school music teachers anticipate their students will achieve as a result of attending a summer music camp. A survey instrument was developed to collect demographic data and responses to questions regarding 14 specific musical and social variables.…

Cooperation, Trust, and Antagonism: How Public Goods Are Promoted.

PubMed

Parks, Craig D; Joireman, Jeff; Van Lange, Paul A M

2013-12-01

the possibility of a long-term loss (if the resource dries up). As with public goods, there is thus a conflict between, on the one hand, acting in one's best interest and taking as much as one wants all the time and, on the other, acting for the good of the group, which requires taking a lesser amount so that the replenishment rate can keep up with the rate of use. As with public goods, both cooperation and antagonism affect this decision. With these situations in mind, we can now dig deeply into the dynamics of both cooperation and antagonism. Cooperation is one of the most heavily studied aspects of human behavior, yet despite this attention, there is much that is not understood about it, including its fundamental base. There are a number of different perspectives on the base. Interdependence theory argues that cooperation is driven by how one interprets the subjective value of the outcomes that will result from various combinations of behaviors. A person who sees a potential result of "50 to you, 50 to me" as "We both would do well" is more likely to cooperate than the person who sees it as "I would not outgain the other person." Self-control theory suggests that cooperation is a function of how well a person can resist the impulse to benefit now and delay gratification. Evolutionary theory takes many forms but revolves around the extent to which cooperation is adaptive. Finally, the appropriateness framework takes a cognitive approach and assumes that cooperation is determined by a combination of social-cognitive (interpretation of self and the situation) and decision-heuristic factors. We propose that it is possible to integrate across these approaches and understand cooperation as a behavior that is influenced by all of these factors as well as other dynamics, such as cultural mores and personality traits. Antagonism, as it relates to the collective welfare, is a phenomenon with a lesser history but one that is clearly influential. A number of facets of

Dimensional oscillation. A fast variation of energy embedding gives good results with the AMBER potential energy function.

PubMed

Snow, M E; Crippen, G M

1991-08-01

The structure of the AMBER potential energy surface of the cyclic tetrapeptide cyclotetrasarcosyl is analyzed as a function of the dimensionality of coordinate space. It is found that the number of local energy minima decreases as the dimensionality of the space increases until some limit at which point equipotential subspaces appear. The applicability of energy embedding methods to finding global energy minima in this type of energy-conformation space is explored. Dimensional oscillation, a computationally fast variant of energy embedding is introduced and found to sample conformation space widely and to do a good job of finding global and near-global energy minima.

Delay, probability, and social discounting in a public goods game.

PubMed

Jones, Bryan A; Rachlin, Howard

2009-01-01

A human social discount function measures the value to a person of a reward to another person at a given social distance. Just as delay discounting is a hyperbolic function of delay, and probability discounting is a hyperbolic function of odds-against, social discounting is a hyperbolic function of social distance. Experiment 1 obtained individual social, delay, and probability discount functions for a hypothetical $75 reward; participants also indicated how much of an initial $100 endowment they would contribute to a common investment in a public good. Steepness of discounting correlated, across participants, among all three discount dimensions. However, only social and probability discounting were correlated with the public-good contribution; high public-good contributors were more altruistic and also less risk averse than low contributors. Experiment 2 obtained social discount functions with hypothetical $75 rewards and delay discount functions with hypothetical $1,000 rewards, as well as public-good contributions. The results replicated those of Experiment 1; steepness of the two forms of discounting correlated with each other across participants but only social discounting correlated with the public-good contribution. Most participants in Experiment 2 predicted that the average contribution would be lower than their own contribution.

Review: Game theory of public goods in one-shot social dilemmas without assortment.

PubMed

Archetti, Marco; Scheuring, István

2012-04-21

We review the theory of public goods in biology. In the N-person prisoner's dilemma, where the public good is a linear function of the individual contributions, cooperation requires some form of assortment, for example due to kin discrimination, population viscosity or repeated interactions. In most social species ranging from bacteria to humans, however, public goods are usually a non-linear function of the contributions, which makes cooperation possible without assortment. More specifically, a polymorphic state can be stable in which cooperators and non-cooperators coexist. The existence of mixed equilibria in public goods games is a fundamental result in the study of cooperation that has been overlooked so far, because of the disproportionate attention given to the two- and N-person prisoner's dilemma. Methods and results from games with pairwise interactions or linear benefits cannot, in general, be extended to the analysis of public goods. Game theory helps explain the production of public goods in one-shot, N-person interactions without assortment, it leads to predictions that can be easily tested and allows a prescriptive approach to cooperation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 51.605 - Good heart formation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good heart formation. 51.605 Section 51.605....605 Good heart formation. Good heart formation means that the stalk has a reasonable number of stocky inner heart branches for its size. ...

7 CFR 51.605 - Good heart formation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good heart formation. 51.605 Section 51.605....605 Good heart formation. Good heart formation means that the stalk has a reasonable number of stocky inner heart branches for its size. ...

The Role of Forgetting in Undermining Good Intentions

PubMed Central

Olson, Kristina R.; Heberlein, Andrea S.; Kensinger, Elizabeth; Burrows, Christopher; Dweck, Carol S.; Spelke, Elizabeth S.; Banaji, Mahzarin R.

2013-01-01

Evaluating others is a fundamental feature of human social interaction–we like those who help more than those who hinder. In the present research, we examined social evaluation of those who not only intentionally performed good and bad actions but also those to whom good things have happened (the lucky) and those to whom bad things have happened (the unlucky). In Experiment 1a, subjects demonstrated a sympathetic preference for the unlucky. However, under cognitive load (Experiment 1b), no such preference was expressed. Further, in Experiments 2a and 2b, when a time delay between impression formation (learning) and evaluation (memory test) was introduced, results showed that younger (Experiment 2a) and older adults (Experiment 2b) showed a significant preference for the lucky. Together these experiments show that a consciously motivated sympathetic preference for those who are unlucky dissolves when memory is disrupted. The observed dissociation provides evidence for the presence of conscious good intentions (favoring the unlucky) and the cognitive compromising of such intentions when memory fails. PMID:24236093

Shelf life of packaged bakery goods--a review.

PubMed

Galić, K; Curić, D; Gabrić, D

2009-05-01

Packaging requirements for fresh bakery goods are often minimal as many of the products are for immediate consumption. However, packaging can be an important factor in extending the shelf life of other cereal-based goods (toast, frozen products, biscuits, cakes, pastas). Some amount of the texture changes and flavor loss manifest over the shelf life of a soft-baked good can usually be minimized or delayed by effective use of packaging materials. The gains in the extension of shelf life will be application specific. It is recognized that defining the shelf life of a food is a difficult task and is an area of intense research for food product development scientists (food technologists, microbiologists, packaging experts). Proper application of chemical kinetic principles to food quality loss allows for efficiently designing appropriate shelf-life tests and maximizing the useful information that can be obtained from the resulting data. In the development of any new food product including reformulating, change of packaging, or storage/distribution condition (to penetrate into a new market), one important aspect is the knowledge of shelf life.

Essays on Educational Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ampaabeng, Samuel Kofi

2013-01-01

This dissertation examines the determinants of student outcomes--achievement, attainment, occupational choices and earnings--in three different contexts. The first two chapters focus on Ghana while the final chapter focuses on the US state of Massachusetts. In the first chapter, I exploit the incidence of famine and malnutrition that resulted to…

Modelling category goodness judgments in children with residual sound errors.

PubMed

Dugan, Sarah Hamilton; Silbert, Noah; McAllister, Tara; Preston, Jonathan L; Sotto, Carolyn; Boyce, Suzanne E

2018-05-24

This study investigates category goodness judgments of /r/ in adults and children with and without residual speech errors (RSEs) using natural speech stimuli. Thirty adults, 38 children with RSE (ages 7-16) and 35 age-matched typically developing (TD) children provided category goodness judgments on whole words, recorded from 27 child speakers, with /r/ in various phonetic environments. The salient acoustic property of /r/ - the lowered third formant (F3) - was normalized in two ways. A logistic mixed-effect model quantified the relationships between listeners' responses and the third formant frequency, vowel context and clinical group status. Goodness judgments from the adult group showed a statistically significant interaction with the F3 parameter when compared to both child groups (p < 0.001) using both normalization methods. The RSE group did not differ significantly from the TD group in judgments of /r/. All listeners were significantly more likely to judge /r/ as correct in a front-vowel context. Our results suggest that normalized /r/ F3 is a statistically significant predictor of category goodness judgments for both adults and children, but children do not appear to make adult-like judgments. Category goodness judgments do not have a clear relationship with /r/ production abilities in children with RSE. These findings may have implications for clinical activities that include category goodness judgments in natural speech, especially for recorded productions.

Parenting styles and adolescents' achievement strategies.

PubMed

Aunola, K; Stattin, H; Nurmi, J E

2000-04-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the extent to which adolescents' achievement strategies are associated with the parenting styles they experience in their families. Three hundred and fifty-four 14-year-old adolescents completed a Strategy and Attribution Questionnaire and a family parenting style inventory. Analogous questionnaires were also completed by the adolescents' parents. Based on adolescents' report of the parenting styles, four types of families were identified: those with Authoritative, Authoritarian, Permissive, and Neglectful parenting styles. The results further showed that adolescents from authoritative families applied most adaptive achievement strategies characterized by low levels of failure expectations, task-irrelevant behaviour and passivity, and the use of self-enhancing attributions. Adolescents from neglectful families, in turn, applied maladaptive strategies characterized by high levels of task-irrelevant behaviour, passivity and a lack of self-enhancing attributions. The results provide a basis for understanding some of the processes by which parenting styles may influence adolescents' academic achievement and performance.

Achievement Test Provincial Report, June 1987 Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Student Evaluation and Records Branch.

This document summarizes results of province-wide achievement tests given in Alberta, Canada in June 1987. These tests evaluated student achievement in third grade science, sixth grade mathematics, and ninth grade social studies. The test questions for each subject area reflected Alberta's curriculum specifications for that subject. The grade 3…

International trade and investment law: a new framework for public health and the common good.

PubMed

Delany, Louise; Signal, Louise; Thomson, George

2018-05-08

International trade and investment agreements can have positive outcomes, but also have negative consequences that affect global health and influence fundamental health determinants: poverty, inequality and the environment. This article proposes principles and strategies for designing future international law to attain health and common good objectives. Basic principles are needed for international trade and investment agreements that are consistent with the common good, public health, and human rights. These principles should reflect the importance of reducing inequalities, along with social and environmental sustainability. Economic growth should be recognised as a means to common good objectives, rather than an end in itself. Our favoured approach is both radical and comprehensive: we describe what this approach would include and outline the strategies for its implementation, the processes and capacity building necessary for its achievement, and related governance and corporate issues. The comprehensive approach includes significant changes to current models for trade and investment agreements, in particular (i) health, social and environmental objectives would be recognised as legitimate in their own right and implemented accordingly; (ii) changes to dispute-resolution processes, both state-to-state and investor-state; (iii) greater deference to international legal frameworks for health, environmental protection, and human rights; (iv) greater coherence across the international law framework; (v) limitations on investor privileges, and (vi) enforceable corporate responsibilities for contributing to health, environmental, human rights and other common good objectives. We also identify some limited changes that could be considered as an alternative to the proposed comprehensive approach. Future research is needed to develop a range of model treaties, and on the means by which such treaties and reforms might be achieved. Such research would focus also on

Good Teachers, Good Schools: How to Create a Successful School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, David

2009-01-01

"Good schools think 'with' people and not 'to' people" argues David Hudson in this thought provoking practical guide for those wanting to bridge the gap between middle and senior management roles, and make a difference in their schools. Accessibly and engagingly written and packed with real-life examples, this book will prove essential…

Strategic Staffing? How Performance Pressures Affect the Distribution of Teachers within Schools and Resulting Student Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grissom, Jason A.; Kalogrides, Demetra; Loeb, Susanna

2017-01-01

School performance pressures apply disproportionately to tested grades and subjects. Using longitudinal administrative data--including achievement data from untested grades--and teacher survey data from a large urban district, we examine schools' responses to those pressures in assigning teachers to high-stakes and low-stakes classrooms. We find…

Breaking the Glass Ceiling of Achievement for Low-Income Students and Students of Color. Shattering Expectations Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bromberg, Marni; Theokas, Christina

2013-01-01

Typically, achievement gaps between groups of students are measured as either differences in average scores or differences in proficiency rates. But, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers have long recognized that these approaches don't tell the whole story. Average scores, for example, are good at summarizing trends but can mask real…

19 CFR 10.451 - Originating goods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Rules of Origin § 10.451 Originating goods. A good imported into the customs territory of the United States...

The public goods game with a new form of shared reward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunyan; Chen, Zengqiang

2016-10-01

Altruistic contribution to a common good evenly enjoyed by all group members is hard to explain because of the greater benefits obtained by a defector than a cooperator. A variety of mechanisms have been proposed to resolve the collective dilemma over the years, including rewards for altruism. An underrated and easily ignored phenomenon is that the altruistic behaviors of cooperators not only directly enhance the benefits of their game opponents, but also indirectly produce good influences to other allied members in their surroundings (e.g. relatives or friends). Here we propose a shared reward, in the form of extensive benefits, to extend the traditional definition of the public goods game. Mathematical analysis using the Moran process helps us to obtain the fixation probability for one ‘mutant’ cooperator to invade and dominate the whole defecting population. Results suggest that a tunable parameter exists, above a certain critical value of which natural selection favors cooperation over defection. In addition, analytical results with replicator dynamics show that this critical value influencing the evolution of altruism is closely correlated with the population size, the gaming group size and the synergy factor of the public goods game. These results, based on an extended notion of shared reward and extensive benefits, are expected to provide novel explanations for the emergence of altruistic behaviors.

Patients' conceptions of their own influence on good treatment response to biological therapy in chronic inflammatory arthritis.

PubMed

Larsson, Ingrid

2017-01-01

Biological therapies are common in the treatment of patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA). However, despite the fact that many patients respond well to their biological therapies, there are still a number of nonresponders. In order to design the best care for patients, it is important to understand how they conceive their own role in their treatment response. To explore how patients with CIA conceive their own influence on a good treatment response to biological therapy. This study had an exploratory and descriptive design with a phenomenographic approach. Interviews were conducted with 25 patients (11 women and 14 men) aged 17-79 years, with CIA who were undergoing biological therapy and who had low disease activity or were in remission. Patients with CIA undergoing biological therapy conceived their own influence on good treatment response in terms of adherence, physical activity, mental attitude, social support, and self-awareness. Adherence was described as the foundation for the patients' own influence on good treatment response. Physical activity, mental attitude, and social support reflected three essential ways of understanding patients' influence on good treatment response where the patients spoke about physical strength, mental strength, and social strength. Self-awareness reflected a comprehensive way of influencing good treatment response in which patients balanced their physical, mental, and social resources in partnership with health care professionals. Patients conceived that they had a responsibility for adhering to the treatment as well as achieving balance in life in order to ensure good treatment response. Self-awareness was essential for maintaining a good treatment response, and this reflected the patients' awareness of the complexity of living their lives with a chronic illness.

Black Achievement in a Desegregated School District.

PubMed

Sheehan, Daniel S

1979-04-01

This study compared the achievement of black students (N = 1115) who attended segregated schools with the achievement of black students (N = 810) who attended desegregated schools. Analyses of covariance indicated that after controlling for previous achievement level, student sex, prior school experience, social status, parental involvement, and attitude toward education the segregated black students had the highest adjusted language arts, reading, and mathematics posttest scores. In addition to differences in ethnic composition between the segregated and desegregated schools, several potential confounding factors could have caused these results.

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

31 CFR 560.306 - Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. 560.306 Section 560.306 Money and... Iranian-origin goods or services; goods or services owned or controlled by the Government of Iran. (a) The..., extracted, or processed in Iran; and (2) Goods which have entered into Iranian commerce. (b) The terms...

Beam test results of the BTeV silicon pixel detector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gabriele Chiodini et al.

2000-09-28

The authors have described the results of the BTeV silicon pixel detector beam test. The pixel detectors under test used samples of the first two generations of Fermilab pixel readout chips, FPIX0 and FPIX1, (indium bump-bonded to ATLAS sensor prototypes). The spatial resolution achieved using analog charge information is excellent for a large range of track inclination. The resolution is still very good using only 2-bit charge information. A relatively small dependence of the resolution on bias voltage is observed. The resolution is observed to depend dramatically on the discriminator threshold, and it deteriorates rapidly for threshold above 4000e{sup {minus}}.

BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ACHIEVEMENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA. Graduate School of Education.

THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY LISTS MATERIAL ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF ACHIEVEMENT. APPROXIMATELY 40 UNANNOTATED REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED TO DOCUMENTS DATING FROM 1952 TO 1965. JOURNALS, BOOKS, AND REPORT MATERIALS ARE LISTED. SUBJECT AREAS INCLUDED ARE BEHAVIOR TESTS, ACHIEVEMENT BEHAVIOR, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND SOCIAL-CLASS BACKGROUND. A RELATED REPORT IS ED…

An analysis of structural relationship among achievement motive on social participation, purpose in life, and role expectations among community dwelling elderly attending day services

PubMed Central

Kyougoku, Makoto

2016-01-01

Background. Achievement motive is defined as the intention to achieve one’s goals. Achievement motive is assumed to promote clients to choices and actions toward their valuable goal, so it is an important consideration in rehabilitation. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the structural relationship among achievement motive on purpose in life, social participation, and role expectation of community-dwelling elderly people. Methods. Participants were community-dwelling elderly people in day-service centers. A total of 281 participants (male: 127, female: 154) answered the self-administered questionnaire in cross-sectional research. The questionnaire was comprised of demographic data and scales that evaluated achievement motive, social participation, purpose in life, and role expectation. We studied the structural relationship established by our hypothesized model via a structural equation modeling approach. Results. We checked the standardized path coefficients and the modification indices; the modified model’s statistics were a good fit: CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.050, 90% CI [0.044–0.055]. Achievement motive had a significantly direct effect on purpose in life (direct effect = 0.445, p value < 0.001), a significantly indirect effect on purpose in life via social participation or role expectation (indirect effect = 0.170, p value < 0.001) and a total effect on purpose in life (total effect = 0.615). Discussion. This result suggests that enhancing the intention to achieve one’s goals enables participants to feel a spirit of challenge with a purpose and a sense of fulfillment in their daily lives. PMID:26835188

An analysis of structural relationship among achievement motive on social participation, purpose in life, and role expectations among community dwelling elderly attending day services.

PubMed

Sano, Nobuyuki; Kyougoku, Makoto

2016-01-01

Background. Achievement motive is defined as the intention to achieve one's goals. Achievement motive is assumed to promote clients to choices and actions toward their valuable goal, so it is an important consideration in rehabilitation. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the structural relationship among achievement motive on purpose in life, social participation, and role expectation of community-dwelling elderly people. Methods. Participants were community-dwelling elderly people in day-service centers. A total of 281 participants (male: 127, female: 154) answered the self-administered questionnaire in cross-sectional research. The questionnaire was comprised of demographic data and scales that evaluated achievement motive, social participation, purpose in life, and role expectation. We studied the structural relationship established by our hypothesized model via a structural equation modeling approach. Results. We checked the standardized path coefficients and the modification indices; the modified model's statistics were a good fit: CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.050, 90% CI [0.044-0.055]. Achievement motive had a significantly direct effect on purpose in life (direct effect = 0.445, p value < 0.001), a significantly indirect effect on purpose in life via social participation or role expectation (indirect effect = 0.170, p value < 0.001) and a total effect on purpose in life (total effect = 0.615). Discussion. This result suggests that enhancing the intention to achieve one's goals enables participants to feel a spirit of challenge with a purpose and a sense of fulfillment in their daily lives.

Governing for the Common Good.

PubMed

Ruger, Jennifer Prah

2015-12-01

The proper object of global health governance (GHG) should be the common good, ensuring that all people have the opportunity to flourish. A well-organized global society that promotes the common good is to everyone's advantage. Enabling people to flourish includes enabling their ability to be healthy. Thus, we must assess health governance by its effectiveness in enhancing health capabilities. Current GHG fails to support human flourishing, diminishes health capabilities and thus does not serve the common good. The provincial globalism theory of health governance proposes a Global Health Constitution and an accompanying Global Institute of Health and Medicine that together propose to transform health governance. Multiple lines of empirical research suggest that these institutions would be effective, offering the most promising path to a healthier, more just world.

Achievement Goals and Discrete Achievement Emotions: A Theoretical Model and Prospective Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pekrun, Reinhard; Elliot, Andrew J.; Maier, Markus A.

2006-01-01

A theoretical model linking achievement goals to discrete achievement emotions is proposed. The model posits relations between the goals of the trichotomous achievement goal framework and 8 commonly experienced achievement emotions organized in a 2 (activity/outcome focus) x 2 (positive/negative valence) taxonomy. Two prospective studies tested…

The Phantom Collapse of Student Achievement in New York

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cronin, John; Jensen, Nate

2014-01-01

When New York state released the first results of the exams under the Common Core State Standards, many wrongly believed that the results showed dramatic declines in student achievement. A closer look at the results showed that student achievement may have increased. Another lesson from the exams is that states need to closely coordinate new data…

Phototherapy with Narrow-Band UVB in Adult Guttate Psoriasis: Results and Patient Assessment.

PubMed

Fernández-Guarino, Montserrat; Aboín-González, Sonsoles; Velázquez, Diana; Barchino, Lucia; Cano, Natividad; Lázaro, Pablo

2016-01-01

Acute guttate psoriasis (AGP) is a distinctive clinical entity with good response to treatment with narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB). To investigate the results of NB-UVB phototherapy in adult patients with adult guttate psoriasis. We carried out a prospective, open, and observational study. Patients over 18 years with more than 5% of body surface area affected were included. The PASI was assessed prior to and after treatment. The follow-up period was 18 months. After treatment, patients completed a simple questionnaire to assess their overall impression of the treatment. The 67 adult patients with AGP included in this study had an initial PASI of 8.55 (SD 5.03). Patients were treated with a mean of 19.9 sessions (SD 13.5) and mean doses of 14 mJ/cm2 (SD 10.5). Of the 67 patients, 52 achieved PASI90 with 96.15% of PASI reduction, and of these, 46 (88%) maintained PASI90 during the 18 months of follow-up. Patients were very satisfied with the treatment. AGP is a defined clinical entity with a variable course. Phototherapy with NB-UVB appears to be a very good option for treatment of AGP because of the good results obtained and patient satisfaction. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Commentary on the MID3 Good Practices Paper.

PubMed

Manolis, Efthymios; Brogren, Jacob; Cole, Susan; Hay, Justin L; Nordmark, Anna; Karlsson, Kristin E; Lentz, Frederike; Benda, Norbert; Wangorsch, Gaby; Pons, Gerard; Zhao, Wei; Gigante, Valeria; Serone, Francesca; Standing, Joseph F; Dokoumetzidis, Aris; Vakkilainen, Juha; van den Heuvel, Michiel; Mangas Sanjuan, Victor; Taminiau, Johannes; Kerwash, Essam; Khan, David; Musuamba, Flora Tshinanu; Skottheim Rusten, Ine

2017-07-01

During the last 10 years the European Medicines Agency (EMA) organized a number of workshops on modeling and simulation, working towards greater integration of modeling and simulation (M&S) in the development and regulatory assessment of medicines. In the 2011 EMA - European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) Workshop on Modelling and Simulation, European regulators agreed to the necessity to build expertise to be able to review M&S data provided by companies in their dossier. This led to the establishment of the EMA Modelling and Simulation Working Group (MSWG). Also, there was agreement reached on the need for harmonization on good M&S practices and for continuing dialog across all parties. The MSWG acknowledges the initiative of the EFPIA Model-Informed Drug Discovery and Development (MID3) group in promoting greater consistency in practice, application, and documentation of M&S and considers the paper is an important contribution towards achieving this objective. © 2017 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Which Achievement Gap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Sharon; Medrich, Elliott; Fowler, Donna

2007-01-01

From the halls of Congress to the local elementary school, conversations on education reform have tossed around the term "achievement gap" as though people all know precisely what that means. As it's commonly used, "achievement gap" refers to the differences in scores on state or national achievement tests between various…

Results of conservative treatment of achillodynia with application micro-current therapy.

PubMed

Aliyev, R; Muslimov, Q; Geiger, G

2010-10-01

Achillodynia describes it as an expression of chronic pain in the Achilles tendon. Pain in the Achilles tendon can be the cause of wear and tear in the tendon tissue, or following an inflammation of the peritendineum, the underlying bursa and/or the tendon insertion at the heel bone. It often occurs after sporting unusual stress and heal after complex conservative treatment by rest, (partial) relief and physical exercise within several weeks to months. The aim was to turn knowledge on the effectiveness of complex conservative treatment measures, in particular to gain by additional stimulation in the treatment of Achilles tendon. 20 patients with a diagnosis of achillodynia were treated 05-2009 to 12-2009 in the orthopedic outpatient therapy center with the help of the extra, micro-current therapy (CellVAS® device) and a complex conservative treatment measures. The analysis was conducted using a questionnaire, clinical examinations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a radiological examination of the Achilles tendon with the ankle joint. At the beginning and end of the intervention to the Board of subjective symptoms scores (NRS scale) and assessment of treatment results by the doctor for 4-step rating scale were collected. The study compares the treatment response in Achillodynia from a control group. The average age of patients was 46.3 years at the time of treatment. Of these patients: 14 (70%) were females and 6 (30%) male. Of 20 patients were 8 (40%) patients with very good, 7 (35%) patients with good, two (10%) patients with satisfactory and three (15%) patients with poor results. In addition, 17 of 20 patients (85%) with conservative treatment measures were satisfied, 3 patients (15%) were dissatisfied. The subjective assessment of the complaints numerical rating scale (NRS scale) improved significantly (p <0.001) from 8.9 to 2.3 points after treatment. An objective evaluation by the attending physician based on various clinical parameters was assessed in

Harnessing opportunities for good governance of health impacts of mining projects in Mongolia: results of a global partnership.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Michaela; Vanya, Delgermaa; Davison, Colleen; Lkhagvasuren, Oyunaa; Johnston, Lesley; Janes, Craig R

2017-06-27

The Sustainable Development Goals call for the effective governance of shared natural resources in ways that support inclusive growth, safeguard the integrity of the natural and physical environment, and promote health and well-being for all. For large-scale resource extraction projects -- e.g. in the mining sector -- environmental regulations and in particular environmental impact assessments (EIA) provide an important but insufficiently developed avenue to ensure that wider sustainable development issues, such as health, have been considered prior to the permitting of projects. In recognition of the opportunity provided in EIA to influence the extent to which health issues would be addressed in the design and delivery of mining projects, an international and intersectoral partnership, with the support of WHO and public funds from Canadian sources, engaged over a period of six years in a series of capacity development activities and knowledge translation/dissemination events aimed at influencing policy change in the extractives sector so as to include consideration of human health impacts. Early efforts significantly increased awareness of the need to include health considerations in EIAs. Coupling effective knowledge translation about health in EIA with the development of networks that fostered good intersectoral partnerships, this awareness supported the development and implementation of key pieces of legislation. These results show that intersectoral collaboration is essential, and must be supported by an effective conceptual understanding about which methods and models of impact assessment, particularly for health, lend themselves to integration within EIA. The results of our partnership demonstrate that when specific conditions are met, integrating health into the EIA system represents a promising avenue to ensure that mining activities contribute to wider sustainable development goals and objectives.

A good patient? How notions of 'a good patient' affect patient-nurse relationships and ART adherence in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Campbell, Catherine; Scott, Kerry; Skovdal, Morten; Madanhire, Claudius; Nyamukapa, Constance; Gregson, Simon

2015-09-30

While patient-provider interactions are commonly understood as mutually constructed relationships, the role of patient behaviour, participation in interactions, and characteristics, particularly ideals surrounding notions of 'good' and 'bad' patients, are under-examined. This article examines social representations of 'a good patient' and how these representations affect patient-healthcare provider relationships and antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV. Using thematic network analysis, we examined interview and focus group transcripts involving 25 healthcare staff, 48 ART users, and 31 carers of HIV positive children, as well as field notes from over 100 h of ethnographic observation at health centres in rural Zimbabwe. Characteristics of a good patient include obedience, patience, politeness, listening, enthusiasm for treatment, intelligence, physical cleanliness, honesty, gratitude and lifestyle adaptations (taking pills correctly and coming to the clinic when told). As healthcare workers may decide to punish patients who do not live up the 'good patient persona', many patients seek to perform within the confines of the 'good patient persona' to access good care and ensure continued access to ART. The notion of a 'good ART patient' can have positive effects on patient health outcomes. It is one of the only arenas of the clinic experience that ART patients can influence in their favour. However, for people not conforming to the norms of the 'good patient persona', the productive and health-enabling patient-nurse relationship may break down and be detrimental to the patient. We conclude that policy makers need to take heed of the social representations that govern patient-nurse relationships and their role in facilitating or undermining ART adherence.

Increasing Male Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Barbara Talbert

2008-01-01

The No Child Left Behind legislation has brought greater attention to the academic performance of American youth. Its emphasis on student achievement requires a closer analysis of assessment data by school districts. To address the findings, educators must seek strategies to remedy failing results. In a mid-Atlantic district of the Unites States,…

12 CFR 1081.108 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good faith certification. 1081.108 Section 1081... PROCEEDINGS General Rules § 1081.108 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of...

12 CFR 1081.108 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 8 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith certification. 1081.108 Section 1081... PROCEEDINGS General Rules § 1081.108 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of...

12 CFR 1209.13 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good faith certification. 1209.13 Section 1209... PROCEDURE Rules of Practice and Procedure § 1209.13 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every... warranted by existing law or a good faith, non-frivolous argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 1209.13 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good faith certification. 1209.13 Section 1209... PROCEDURE Rules of Practice and Procedure § 1209.13 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every... warranted by existing law or a good faith, non-frivolous argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 1081.108 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 8 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good faith certification. 1081.108 Section 1081... PROCEEDINGS General Rules § 1081.108 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of...

12 CFR 1209.13 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith certification. 1209.13 Section 1209... PROCEDURE Rules of Practice and Procedure § 1209.13 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every... warranted by existing law or a good faith, non-frivolous argument for the extension, modification, or...

7 CFR 51.485 - Good internal quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Good internal quality. 51.485 Section 51.485... STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Cantaloups 1 Definitions § 51.485 Good internal quality. Good internal quality means that the combined juice from the edible portion of a sample of cantaloups...

7 CFR 51.605 - Good heart formation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Good heart formation. 51.605 Section 51.605... STANDARDS) United States Consumer Standards for Celery Stalks Definitions § 51.605 Good heart formation. Good heart formation means that the stalk has a reasonable number of stocky inner heart branches for...

7 CFR 51.1011 - Good green color.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... green color. Good green color means that the skin of the lime is of a good green color characteristic of... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good green color. 51.1011 Section 51.1011 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing...

7 CFR 51.1011 - Good green color.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... green color. Good green color means that the skin of the lime is of a good green color characteristic of... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good green color. 51.1011 Section 51.1011 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing...

7 CFR 51.605 - Good heart formation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good heart formation. 51.605 Section 51.605... STANDARDS) United States Consumer Standards for Celery Stalks Definitions § 51.605 Good heart formation. Good heart formation means that the stalk has a reasonable number of stocky inner heart branches for...

7 CFR 51.605 - Good heart formation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Good heart formation. 51.605 Section 51.605... STANDARDS) United States Consumer Standards for Celery Stalks Definitions § 51.605 Good heart formation. Good heart formation means that the stalk has a reasonable number of stocky inner heart branches for...

Defining, valuing and providing ecosystem goods and services

Treesearch

Thomas C. Brown; John C. Bergstrom; John B. Loomis

2007-01-01

Ecosystem services are the specific results of ecosystem processes that either directly sustain or enhance human life (as does natural protection from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays) or maintain the qualify of ecosystem goods (as water purification maintains the quality of streamflow). "Ecosystem service" has come to represent several related topics...

The Business of Doing Good: A Creative Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsuda, Matt; Williams, David S., II

2010-01-01

In this article, the authors report on a successful collaboration between academic and student services that resulted in a Rutgers University Byrne Seminar on social entrepreneurship. The course, entitled "The Business of Doing Good: Combining Business Practices with Social Activism," was designed to inspire the next generation of change makers,…

Modeling study of air pollution due to the manufacture of export goods in China's Pearl River Delta.

PubMed

Streets, David G; Yu, Carolyne; Bergin, Michael H; Wang, Xuemei; Carmichael, Gregory R

2006-04-01

The Pearl River Delta is a major manufacturing region on the south coast of China that produces more than dollar 100 billion of goods annually for export to North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Considerable air pollution is caused by the manufacturing industries themselves and by the power plants, trucks, and ships that support them. We estimate that 10-40% of emissions of primary SO2, NO(x), RSP, and VOC in the region are caused by export-related activities. Using the STEM-2K1 atmospheric transport model, we estimate that these emissions contribute 5-30% of the ambient concentrations of SO2, NO(x), NO(z), and VOC in the region. One reason that the exported goods are cheap and therefore attractive to consumers in developed countries is that emission controls are lacking or of low performance. We estimate that state-of-the-art controls could be installed at an annualized cost of dollar 0.3-3 billion, representing 0.3-3% of the value of the goods produced. We conclude that mitigation measures could be adopted without seriously affecting the prices of exported goods and would achieve considerable human health and other benefits in the form of reduced air pollutant concentrations in densely populated urban areas.

Class Size, Academic Achievement and Public Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, Suzanne

1997-01-01

This report addresses some of the concerns surrounding smaller classes and looks at whether reduced class sizes result in higher achievement levels, and concludes that it in fact does increase student achievement, so long as classes do not exceed 17 students. But many critics question whether the high cost of reducing classes to 17 or fewer…

Subgroup Achievement and Gap Trends: New Hampshire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2009

2009-01-01

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…

12 CFR 19.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Good faith certification. 19.7 Section 19.7... PROCEDURE Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 19.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement... warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing...

12 CFR 509.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Good faith certification. 509.7 Section 509.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 509.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 747.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good faith certification. 747.7 Section 747.7... of Practice and Procedure § 747.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law; and the filing or...

12 CFR 109.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith certification. 109.7 Section 109.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 109.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 509.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith certification. 509.7 Section 509.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 509.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 509.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2014-01-01 2012-01-01 true Good faith certification. 509.7 Section 509.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 509.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 19.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good faith certification. 19.7 Section 19.7... PROCEDURE Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 19.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement... warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing...

12 CFR 509.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2013-01-01 2012-01-01 true Good faith certification. 509.7 Section 509.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 509.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 19.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith certification. 19.7 Section 19.7... PROCEDURE Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 19.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement... warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing...

12 CFR 747.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good faith certification. 747.7 Section 747.7... of Practice and Procedure § 747.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law; and the filing or...

12 CFR 109.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Good faith certification. 109.7 Section 109.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 109.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 747.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Good faith certification. 747.7 Section 747.7... of Practice and Procedure § 747.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law; and the filing or...

12 CFR 19.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good faith certification. 19.7 Section 19.7... PROCEDURE Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 19.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement... warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing...

12 CFR 747.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Good faith certification. 747.7 Section 747.7... of Practice and Procedure § 747.7 Good faith certification. (a) General requirement. Every filing or... good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law; and the filing or...

12 CFR 109.7 - Good faith certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Good faith certification. 109.7 Section 109.7... PROCEDURE IN ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDINGS Uniform Rules of Practice and Procedure § 109.7 Good faith... in fact and is warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or...

12 CFR 747.7 - Good faith certification.