Clue Insensitivity in Remote Associates Test Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Steven M.; Sifonis, Cynthia M.; Angello, Genna

2012-01-01

Does spreading activation from incidentally encountered hints cause incubation effects? We used Remote Associates Test (RAT) problems to examine effects of incidental clues on impasse resolution. When solution words were seen incidentally 3-sec before initially unsolved problems were retested, more problems were resolved (Experiment 1). When…

Morphological Analysis in Context versus Isolation: Use of a Dynamic Assessment Task with School-Age Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ram, Gayatri; Marinellie, Sally A.; Benigno, Joann; McCarthy, John

2013-01-01

Purpose: The current study investigated the ability of typically developing children in Grades 3 and 5 to use morphological analysis to determine the meanings of derived words with and without context clues. Also of interest was the relation between children's reading practices and their performance in determining the meanings of derived words.…

Significant long-term, but not short-term, hippocampal-dependent memory impairment in adult rats exposed to alcohol in early postnatal life.

PubMed

Goodfellow, Molly J; Lindquist, Derick H

2014-09-01

In rodents, ethanol exposure in early postnatal life is known to induce structural and functional impairments throughout the brain, including the hippocampus. Herein, rat pups were administered one of three ethanol doses over postnatal days (PD) 4-9, a period of brain development comparable to the third trimester of human pregnancy. As adults, control and ethanol rats were trained and tested in a variant of hippocampal-dependent one-trial context fear conditioning. In Experiment 1, subjects were placed into a novel context and presented with an immediate footshock (i.e., within ∼8 sec). When re-exposed to the same context 24 hr later low levels of conditioned freezing were observed. Context pre-exposure 24 hr prior to the immediate shock reversed the deficit in sham-intubated and unintubated control rats, enhancing freezing behavior during the context retention test. Even with context pre-exposure, however, significant dose-dependent reductions in contextual freezing were seen in ethanol rats. In Experiment 2, the interval between context pre-exposure and the immediate shock was shortened to 2 hr, in addition to the standard 24 hr. Ethanol rats trained with the 2 hr, but not 24 hr, interval displayed retention test freezing levels roughly equal to controls. Results suggest the ethanol rats can encode a short-term context memory and associate it with the aversive footshock 2 hr later. In the 24 hr ethanol rats the short-term context memory is poorly transferred or consolidated into long-term memory, we propose, impeding the memory's subsequent retrieval and association with shock. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Extensive testing or focused testing of patients with elevated liver enzymes.

PubMed

Tapper, Elliot B; Saini, Sameer D; Sengupta, Neil

2017-02-01

Many patients have elevated serum aminotransferases reflecting many underlying conditions, both common and rare. Clinicians generally apply one of two evaluative strategies: testing for all diseases at once (extensive) or just common diseases first (focused). We simulated the evaluation of 10,000 adult outpatients with elevated with alanine aminotransferase to compare both testing strategies. Model inputs employed population-based data from the US (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) and Britain (Birmingham and Lambeth Liver Evaluation Testing Strategies). Patients were followed until a diagnosis was provided or a diagnostic liver biopsy was considered. The primary outcome was US dollars per diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included doctor visits per diagnosis, false-positives per diagnosis and confirmatory liver biopsies ordered. The extensive testing strategy required the lowest monetary cost, yielding diagnoses for 54% of patients at $448/patient compared to 53% for $502 under the focused strategy. The extensive strategy also required fewer doctor visits (1.35 vs. 1.61 visits/patient). However, the focused strategy generated fewer false-positives (0.1 vs. 0.19/patient) and more biopsies (0.04 vs. 0.08/patient). Focused testing becomes the most cost-effective strategy when accounting for pre-test probabilities and prior evaluations performed. This includes when the respective prevalence of alcoholic, non-alcoholic and drug-induced liver disease exceeds 51.1%, 53.0% and 13.0%. Focused testing is also the most cost-effective strategy in the referral setting where assessments for viral hepatitis, alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease have already been performed. Testing for elevated liver enzymes should be deliberate and focused to account for pre-test probabilities if possible. Many patients have elevated liver enzymes reflecting one of many possible liver diseases, some of which are very common and some of which are rare. Tests are widely available for most causes but it is unclear whether clinicians should order them all at once or direct testing based on how likely a given disease may be given the patient's history and physical exam. The tradeoffs of both approaches involve the money spent on testing, number of office visits needed, and false positive results generated. This study shows that if there are no clues available at the time of evaluation, testing all at once saves time and money while causing more false positives. However, if there are strong clues regarding the likelihood of a particular disease, limited testing saves time, money and prevents false positives. Copyright © 2016 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Situational relevance: Context as a factor in serial overshadowing of taste aversion learning.

PubMed

Kwok, Dorothy W S; Boakes, Robert A

2017-08-31

In a serial overshadowing procedure a target stimulus, A, is followed after an interval by a potentially interfering stimulus, B, and this is then followed by an unconditioned stimulus, US. Revusky (1977) proposed that the degree to which B overshadows conditioning of A depends on whether or not the two events take place in the same context. To test this proposal two experiments used a 1-trial long-delay conditioned taste aversion (CTA) procedure; sucrose served as the target taste (A) and dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) as the overshadowing taste (B), with lithium chloride injection providing the US. In Experiment 1 these tastes were novel; weaker overshadowing by HCl of an aversion to sucrose was found when the two tastes were presented in different contexts. Experiment 2 tested whether the effect of pre-exposure to HCl, thereby rendering it less effective in overshadowing a sucrose aversion, was also context-dependent. In the conditioning session rats again received either context-same or context-different presentations of sucrose and HCl. However, for some rats HCl was pre-exposed in the same context to which it was later presented during conditioning (Consistent), while others were pre-exposed to HCl in a different context to the one in which it was presented during conditioning (Inconsistent). The Inconsistent group produced greater overshadowing than the Consistent group and thus confirmed that the latent inhibition effect was also context dependent. This study supports Revusky's (1977) idea of situational relevance.

Face Memory: Implications for theories of binding items to context

PubMed Central

Reder, L. M.; Victoria, L. W.; Manelis, A.; Oates, J. M.; Dutcher, J. M.; Bates, J. T.; Cook, S.; Aizenstein, H. A.; Quinlan, J.; Gyulai, F.

2014-01-01

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that it is easier to bind a stimulus to context when the stimulus already has a stable (i.e., pre-existing) memory representation by comparing episodic memory of faces of celebrities vs. unknown individuals. Each face was superimposed on a picture of a well-known location (e.g., Eiffel Tower) during encoding and at a later unexpected recognition test but the background could change from encoding to test. Although recognition was to be based on the face, irrespective of background, performance was better when encoding context was reinstated. Further, a given background could be shown with many faces ("high fan") or only a few ("low fan") and this variable modulated the value added of context reinstatement. Importantly, manipulations of context only mattered for famous faces. As predicted, these effects were observed in recollection ("Remember") responses not in familiarity (“Know”) responses. Experiment 2 used the same design except that half of the subjects were administered midazolam, a drug that produces temporary anterograde amnesia, prior to encoding faces and backgrounds. Subjects injected with saline (control condition) showed the same pattern as Experiment 1; however subjects injected with midazolam showed a large decrease in the use of the "Remember" responses for famous faces and neither context reinstatement nor background fan affected performance. These results support the view that it is easier to bind stimuli to context when stimuli have a pre-existing, stable memory representation (e.g., faces of people whose identity we know) than when stimuli do not have pre-existing, stable memory representations. PMID:23395827

NMDA receptor antagonism disrupts the acquisition and retention of the Context Preexposure Facilitation Effect in adolescent rats

PubMed Central

Heroux, Nicholas A.; Robinson-Drummer, Patrese A.; Rosen, Jeffrey B.; Stanton, Mark E.

2016-01-01

The context preexposure facilitation effect (CPFE) is a contextual fear conditioning paradigm in which learning about the context, acquiring the context-shock association, and retrieving/expressing contextual fear are temporally dissociated. The current study investigated the involvement of NMDA receptors in contextual fear acquisition, retention, and expression across all phases of the CPFE in adolescent rats. In Experiment 1 systemic injections of 0.1 mg/kg MK-801, a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, given before multiple context preexposure disrupted the acquisition of a context representation. In Experiment 2, pre-training MK-801 disrupted both immediate acquisition of contextual fear measured by postshock freezing, as well as retention test freezing 24 hours later. Experiment 3 showed that expression of contextual fear via a 24hr retention freezing test does not depend on NMDA receptors, indicating that MK-801 disrupts learning rather than performance of freezing behavior. In Experiment 4, consolidation of contextual information was partially disrupted by post-preexposure MK-801 whereas consolidation of contextual fear was not disrupted by post-training MK-801. Finally, Experiment 5 employed a dose-response design and found that a pre-training dose of 0.1 mg/kg MK-801 disrupted both postshock and retention test freezing while lower pre-training doses of MK-801 (0.025 or 0.05 mg/kg) only disrupted retention freezing. This is the first study to distinguish the role of NMDA receptors in acquisition (post-shock freezing), retention, expression, and consolidation of context vs. context-shock learning using the CPFE paradigm in adolescent rats. The findings provide a foundation for similar developmental studies examining these effects from early ontogeny through adulthood. PMID:26711910

Predictive value of the "clue cells" investigation and the amine volatilization test in vaginal infections caused by Gardnerella vaginalis.

PubMed Central

Marquez-Davila, G; Martinez-Barreda, C E

1985-01-01

Although still controversial, an etiologic role of Gardnerella vaginalis is imputed in vaginitis. Besides isolation of the organism by culture, two alternative diagnostic procedures have been claimed to be useful: the investigation of "clue cells" in clinical specimens and the amine volatilization test or fishy odor perception in genital secretions. Herein we report on the findings of the simultaneous use of G. vaginalis isolation, the clue cell test and amine volatilization perception in specimens from 1,263 consecutive female patients referred to our clinic. Our results show that the simultaneous use of both alternative tests is very useful as a screening procedure. A negative result of both tests predicts a negative culture result in 99% of the cases. However, a positive result of either or both should be considered as an indication to proceed to culture and not as diagnostic of infection. PMID:3878365

Bringing Back Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervetti, Gina; Barber, Jacqueline

2009-01-01

How can you connect, supplement, and extend students' firsthand investigations? Look toward your bookshelves for a clue. Books and other textual materials can serve the following roles in support of scientific inquiry: providing context, modeling, supporting firsthand inquiry, supporting secondhand inquiry, and delivering content. Each of these…

Free Fall Misconceptions: Results of a Graph Based Pre-Test of Sophomore Civil Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montecinos, Alicia M.

2014-01-01

A partially unusual behaviour was found among 14 sophomore students of civil engineering who took a pre test for a free fall laboratory session, in the context of a general mechanics course. An analysis contemplating mathematics models and physics models consistency was made. In all cases, the students presented evidence favoring a correct free…

Investigating Pre-Service Teacher Motivation across Cultures Using the Teachers' Ten Statements Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klassen, Robert M.; Al-Dhafri, Said; Hannok, Wanwisa; Betts, Shea M.

2011-01-01

Motivations for choosing teaching as a career were investigated in 200 pre-service teachers from Canada and Oman. We used a novel structured qualitative approach and two theoretical models to analyze how pre-service teacher career-choice motivation varied according to cultural context. The results of the study showed that Canadian participants…

Adolescent and Adult Rats Differ in the Amnesic Effects of Acute Ethanol in Two Hippocampus-Dependent Tasks: Trace and Contextual Fear Conditioning

PubMed Central

Hunt, Pamela S.; Barnet, Robert C.

2015-01-01

Experience-produced deficits in trace conditioning and context conditioning have been useful tools for examining the role of the hippocampus in learning. It has also been suggested that learning in these tasks is especially vulnerable to neurotoxic effects of alcohol during key developmental periods such as adolescence. In five experiments we systematically examined the presence and source of age-dependent vulnerability to the memory-disrupting effects of acute ethanol in trace conditioning and contextual fear conditioning. In Experiment 1a pre-training ethanol disrupted trace conditioning more strongly in adolescent (postnatal day, PD30-35) than adult rats (PD65-75). In Experiment 1b when pre-training ethanol was accompanied by pre-test ethanol no deficit in trace conditioning was observed in adolescents, suggesting that state-dependent retrieval failure mediated ethanol's disruption of trace conditioning at this age. Experiments 2a and 2b examined the effect of ethanol pretreatment on context conditioning. Here, adult but not adolescent rats were impaired in conditioned freezing to context cues. Experiment 2c explored state-dependency of this effect. Pre-training ethanol continued to disrupt context conditioning in adults even when ethanol was also administered prior to test. Collectively these findings reveal clear age-dependent and task-dependent vulnerabilities in ethanol's disruptive effects on hippocampus-dependent memory. Adolescents were more disrupted by ethanol in trace conditioning than adults, and adults were more disrupted by ethanol in context conditioning than adolescents. We suggest that adolescents may be more susceptible to changes in internal state (state-dependent retrieval failure) than adults and that ethanol disrupted performance in trace and context conditioning through different mechanisms. Relevance of these findings to theories of hippocampus function is discussed. PMID:26192910

Understanding Artful Behavior as a Human Proclivity: Clues from a Pre-Kindergarten Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blatt-Gross, Carolina

2011-01-01

Concurrent to the present reduction of arts education in mainstream American schools, many evolutionary-minded scholars are asserting that artistic behavior contributes significantly to cognition, has been advantageous for our survival, and satisfies psychological needs that are biologically embedded. Supported by long-term and wide-spread art…

When to suspect tinea; a histopathologic study of 103 cases of PAS-positive tinea.

PubMed

Elbendary, Amira; Valdebran, Manuel; Gad, AbdAllah; Elston, Dirk M

2016-10-01

The histopathologic features of tinea vary widely and its diagnosis could be easily missed if the index of suspicion is not high. We aimed in this study to detect histopathologic features that could be a clue for diagnosis We retrospectively reviewed 103 cases of tinea, confirmed by Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. For each case, gender, biopsy site, and pre-biopsy suspicion were recorded. The presence or absence of 17 microscopic features was noted. Concordance between pre-biopsy and histopathologic diagnosis was noted in 57.28% of cases, suggesting that the diagnosis is often not suspected clinically. Among the histopathologic features studied, a compact stratum corneum (either uniform or forming a layer beneath a basket weave stratum corneum), parakeratosis, mild spongiosis and neutrophils in the stratum corneum and within the blood vessels were the most frequent features noted. This study suggests histopathologic clues that should prompt the pathologist to order a PAS stain, especially when diagnosis is not suspected clinically. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pre-exposure to food temptation reduces subsequent consumption: A test of the procedure with a South-African sample.

PubMed

Duh, Helen Inseng; Grubliauskiene, Aiste; Dewitte, Siegfried

2016-01-01

It has been suggested that the consumption of unhealthy Westernized diet in a context of poverty and resultant food insecurity may have contributed to South-Africa's status of the third fattest country in the World. Considering that a number of South-Africans are reported to have experienced, or are still experiencing food insecurity, procedures which have been shown to reduce the consumption of unhealthy food in higher income countries may be ineffective in South-Africa. We thus tested the robustness of the so called pre-exposure procedure in South-Africa. We also tested the moderating role of childhood poverty in the pre-exposure procedure. With the pre-exposure procedure, a respondent is exposed to a tempting unhealthy food (e.g. candy) in a context that is designed such that eating the food interferes with a task goal. The typical result is that this procedure spills over and reduces consumption of similar tempting food later on. An experimental study conducted in a South-African laboratory showed that the pre-exposure effect is robust even with a sample, where food insecurity prevails. Childhood poverty did not moderate the effect. This study proves that behavioral procedures aimed at reducing the consumption of unhealthy food would be valuable in less rich non-Western countries. Further testing of the robustness of the pre-exposure effect is however recommended in other poorer food insecure countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural relationships of pre-Tertiary rocks in the Nevada Test Site region, southern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cole, James C.; Cashman, Patricia Hughes

1999-01-01

This report contains a synthesis and interpretation of structural and stratigraphic data for pre-Tertiary rocks in a large area of southern Nevada within and near the Nevada Test Site. Its presents descriptive and interpretive information from discontinuously exposed localities in the context of a regional model that integrates stratigraphy, sedimentology, crustal structure, and deformational style and timing. Evidence is given for substantial strike-slip faults, for modest excursion on low-angle faults, and for pre-Oligocene formation of the regional oroclinal flexure in neighboring mountain ranges.

Uncovering trends in gene naming

PubMed Central

Seringhaus, Michael R; Cayting, Philip D; Gerstein, Mark B

2008-01-01

We take stock of current genetic nomenclature and attempt to organize strange and notable gene names. We categorize, for instance, those that involve a naming system transferred from another context (for example, Pavlov’s dogs). We hope this analysis provides clues to better steer gene naming in the future. PMID:18254929

Trade Related Reading Packets for Disabled Readers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Beverly; Woodruff, Nancy S.

Six trade-related reading packets for disabled readers are provided for these trades: assemblers, baking, building maintenance, data entry, interior landscaping, and warehousing. Each packet stresses from 9 to 14 skills. Those skills common to most packets include context clues, fact or opinion, details, following directions, main idea,…

Resources for Teaching Word Identification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schell, Leo M., Ed.; And Others

Only materials specifically designed to teach one or more of the following word identification skills were included in this booklet: sight words, context clues, phonic analysis, structural analysis, and dictionary skills. Materials for grades one through six are stressed, although a few materials suitable for secondary school students are listed.…

Using Cognates to Scaffold Context Clue Strategies for Latino ELs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montelongo, Jose A.; Hernandez, Anita C.; Herter, Roberta J.; Cuello, Jaime

2011-01-01

Latino English learners (ELs) come to elementary classrooms with many English-Spanish cognates in their listening, speaking, reading, and writing vocabularies. Cognates are words that are orthographically, semantically, and syntactically similar in two languages because of a shared etymology. Some cognates are identical in both English and…

Academic Motivations of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ariogul, Sibel

2009-01-01

This study examines the academic motivation, in a Turkish context, of Turkish pre-service English teachers to contribute field research. Students (n=287) completed the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA, independent sample t-test, and Pearson product…

Language Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment: An Egyptian Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gebril, Atta

2017-01-01

The current study investigates the assessment conceptions of both pre-service and in-service English teachers within a high-stakes, test-driven context in Egypt. For this purpose, 170 Egyptian pre-service and in-service teachers completed an assessment conceptions questionnaire. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis were employed to answer…

Impaired contextual fear-conditioning in MAM rodent model of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Gill, Kathryn M; Miller, Sarah A; Grace, Anthony A

2018-05-01

The methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) rodent neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia exhibits aberrant dopamine system activation attributed to hippocampal dysfunction. Context discrimination is a component of numerous behavioral and cognitive functions and relies on intact hippocampal processing. The present study explored context processing behaviors, along with dopamine system activation, during fear learning in the MAM model. Male offspring of dams treated with MAM (20mg/kg, i.p.) or saline on gestational day 17 were used for electrophysiological and behavioral experiments. Animals were tested on the immediate shock fear conditioning paradigm, with either different pre-conditioning contexts or varying amounts of context pre-exposure (0-10 sessions). Amphetamine-induced locomotor activity and dopamine neural activity was measured 1-week after fear conditioning. Saline, but not MAM animals, demonstrated enhanced fear responses following a single context pre-exposure in the conditioning context. One week following fear learning, saline rats with 2 or 7min of context pre-exposure prior to fear conditioning also demonstrated enhanced amphetamine-induced locomotor response relative to MAM animals. Dopamine neuron recordings showed fear learning-induced reductions in spontaneous dopamine neural activity in MAM rats that was further reduced by amphetamine. Apomorphine administration confirmed that reductions in dopamine neuron activity in MAM animals resulted from over excitation, or depolarization block. These data show a behavioral insensitivity to contextual stimuli in MAM rats that coincide with a less dynamic dopamine response after fear learning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing Students' Ideas of the Principle of Equivalence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bandyopadhyay, Atanu; Kumar, Arvind

2011-01-01

The principle of equivalence was the first vital clue to Einstein in his extension of special relativity to general relativity, the modern theory of gravitation. In this paper we investigate in some detail students' understanding of this principle in a variety of contexts, when they are undergoing an introductory course on general relativity. The…

Student Teachers' Perceived Use of Online Reading Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amer, Aly; Al Barwani, Thuwayba; Ibrahim, Mahmoud

2010-01-01

Effective use of reading strategies has been recognized as an important means to increase reading comprehension. Many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) studies have produced lists of paper-reading strategies (e.g. having a purpose for reading; using context clues). In contrast, few studies have investigated…

Empowering Students with Word-Learning Strategies: Teach a Child to Fish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Michael F.; Schneider, Steven; Ringstaff, Cathy

2018-01-01

This article on word-learning strategies describes a theory- and research-based set of procedures for teaching students to use word-learning strategies--word parts, context clues, the dictionary, and a combined strategy--to infer the meanings of unknown words. The article begins with a rationale for teaching word-learning strategies, particularly…

Fuselets: an agent based architecture for fusion of heterogeneous information and data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyerer, Jürgen; Heizmann, Michael; Sander, Jennifer

2006-04-01

A new architecture for fusing information and data from heterogeneous sources is proposed. The approach takes criminalistics as a model. In analogy to the work of detectives, who attempt to investigate crimes, software agents are initiated that pursue clues and try to consolidate or to dismiss hypotheses. Like their human pendants, they can, if questions beyond their competences arise, consult expert agents. Within the context of a certain task, region, and time interval, specialized operations are applied to each relevant information source, e.g. IMINT, SIGINT, ACINT,..., HUMINT, data bases etc. in order to establish hit lists of first clues. Each clue is described by its pertaining facts, uncertainties, and dependencies in form of a local degree-of-belief (DoB) distribution in a Bayesian sense. For each clue an agent is initiated which cooperates with other agents and experts. Expert agents support to make use of different information sources. Consultations of experts, capable to access certain information sources, result in changes of the DoB of the pertaining clue. According to the significance of concentration of their DoB distribution clues are abandoned or pursued further to formulate task specific hypotheses. Communications between the agents serve to find out whether different clues belong to the same cause and thus can be put together. At the end of the investigation process, the different hypotheses are evaluated by a jury and a final report is created that constitutes the fusion result. The approach proposed avoids calculating global DoB distributions by adopting a local Bayesian approximation and thus reduces the complexity of the exact problem essentially. Different information sources are transformed into DoB distributions using the maximum entropy paradigm and considering known facts as constraints. Nominal, ordinal and cardinal quantities can be treated within this framework equally. The architecture is scalable by tailoring the number of agents according to the available computer resources, to the priority of tasks, and to the maximum duration of the fusion process. Furthermore, the architecture allows cooperative work of human and automated agents and experts, as long as not all subtasks can be accomplished automatically.

Exotic Members of Southern Alaska's Jurassic Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, E.; Jones, J. V., III; Karl, S. M.; Box, S.; Haeussler, P. J.

2017-12-01

The Jurassic Talkeetna arc and contemporaneous plutonic rocks of the Alaska-Aleutian Range batholith (ARB) are key components of the Peninsular terrane of southern Alaska. The Talkeetna arc, considered to be a type example of an intra-oceanic arc, was progressively accreted to northwestern North America in the Jurassic to Late Cretaceous, together with associated components of the Wrangellia Composite terrane. Older Paleozoic and Mesozoic rock successions closely associated with the ARB suggest that at least part of the Peninsular terrane might be an overlap succession built on pre-existing crust, possibly correlative with the Wrangellia terrane to the east. However, the relationship between the Talkeetna arc, ARB, and any pre-existing crust remains incompletely understood. Field investigations focused on the petrogenesis of the ARB near Lake Clark National Park show that Jurassic to Late Cretaceous plutonic rocks commonly host a diverse range of mineralogically distinct xenolith inclusions, ranging in size from several cm to hundreds of meters. The modal fraction of these inclusions ranges from <1% to >50% in some outcrops. They are generally mafic in composition and, with few exceptions, are more mafic than host plutonic rocks, although they are observed as both igneous (e.g., gabbro cumulate, diorite porphyry) and metamorphic types (e.g., amphibolite, gneiss and quartzite). Inclusion shapes range from angular to rounded with sharp to diffuse boundaries and, in some instances, are found as planar, compositionally distinct bands or screens containing high-temperature ductile shear fabrics. Other planar bands are more segmented, consistent with lower-temperature brittle behavior. Comparison of age, geochemical fractionation trends, and isotope systematics between the inclusions and host plutons provides a critical test of whether they are co-genetic with host plutons. Where they are related, mafic inclusions provide clues about magmatic evolution and fractionation history of the Jurassic arc. In cases where they are not related, inclusion composition and texture provides important clues about of pre-existing basement and insights into its possible tectonic affinities, and some host-inclusion textures provide evidence for both partial melting of, and physical mingling with, preexisting crust.

The Role of Collective Efficacy, Cognitive Quality, and Task Cohesion in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Shu-Ling; Hwang, Gwo-Jen

2012-01-01

Research has suggested that CSCL environments contain fewer social context clues, resulting in various group processes, performance or motivation. This study thus attempts to explore the relationship among collective efficacy, group processes (i.e. task cohesion, cognitive quality) and collaborative performance in a CSCL environment. A total of 75…

PHONICS WITH CONTEXT CLUES, PRIMARY LEVEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GUFFEY, MARY DEMAREE

A SIMPLIFIED METHOD OF PHONICS UTILIZING THE GESTALT METHOD OF LEARNING IS PRESENTED. THE WORDS IN THIS COURSE IN PHONICS ARE TO BE TAUGHT AT A TIME DIFFERENT FROM THE READING CLASSES, BUT THE PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED ARE TO BE APPLIED DURING THE READING CLASSES. THE COURSE CAN BE USED WITH ANY BASIC TEXT AND STRESSES THE ABILITY OF CHILDREN TO…

The Effect of Altering the Context Clues in Prose on Reading Rate in a Search Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coke, Esther U.

1977-01-01

To determine whether the connectedness of prose passages had any effect on the behavior of readers who searched for information in the passages, the behavior of readers who saw the normal arrangement of a passage was contrasted with the behavior of readers who saw the random arrangement of the passage. (HOD)

All in the family: Clueing into the link between metabolic syndrome and hematologic malignancies.

PubMed

Karmali, Reem; Dalovisio, Andrew; Borgia, Jeffrey A; Venugopal, Parameswaran; Kim, Brian W; Grant-Szymanski, Kelly; Hari, Parameswaran; Lazarus, Hillard

2015-03-01

Metabolic syndrome constitutes a constellation of findings including central obesity, insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia and hypertension. Metabolic syndrome affects 1 in 4 adults in the United States and is rapidly rising in prevalence, largely driven by the dramatic rise in obesity and insulin resistance/DM. Being central to the development of metabolic syndrome and its other related diseases, much focus has been placed on identifying the mitogenic effects of obesity and insulin resistance/DM as mechanistic clues of the link between metabolic syndrome and cancer. Pertinent mechanisms identified include altered lipid signaling, adipokine and inflammatory cytokine effects, and activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and RAS/RAF/MAPK/ERK pathways via dysregulated insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling. Through variable activation of these multiple pathways, obesity and insulin resistance/DM pre-dispose to hematologic malignancies, imposing the aggressive and chemo-resistant phenotypes typically seen in cancer patients with underlying metabolic syndrome. Growing understanding of these pathways has identified druggable cancer targets, rationalizing the development and testing of agents like PI3K inhibitor idelalisib, mTOR inhibitors everolimus and temsirolimus, and IGF-1 receptor inhibitor linsitinib. It has also led to exploration of obesity and diabetes-directed therapies including statins and oral hypoglycemic for the management of metabolic syndrome-related hematologic neoplasms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Double Phonemic Representation in Bilingual Speakers of Spanish and English: An Electrophysiological Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Sierra, Adrian; Ramirez-Esparza, Nairan; Silva-Pereyra, Juan; Siard, Jennifer; Champlin, Craig A.

2012-01-01

Event Related Potentials (ERPs) were recorded from Spanish-English bilinguals (N = 10) to test pre-attentive speech discrimination in two language contexts. ERPs were recorded while participants silently read magazines in English or Spanish. Two speech contrast conditions were recorded in each language context. In the "phonemic in English"…

Ground Characterization Studies in Canakkale Pilot Site of LIQUEFACT Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozcep, F.; Oztoprak, S.; Aysal, N.; Bozbey, I.; Tezel, O.; Ozer, C.; Sargin, S.; Bekin, E.; Almasraf, M.; Cengiz Cinku, M.; Ozdemir, K.

2017-12-01

The our aim is to outline the ground characterisation studies in Canakkale test site. Study is based on the EU H2020 LIQUEFACT project entitled "Liquefact: Assessment and mitigation of liquefaction potential across Europe: a holistic approach to protect structures / infrastructures for improved resilience to earthquake-induced liquefaction disasters". Objectives and extent of ground characterization for Canakkale test site includes pre-existing soil investigation studies and complementary field studies. There were several SPT and geophysical tests carried out in the study area. Within the context of the complementary tests, six (6) study areas in the test site were chosen and complementary tests were carried out in these areas. In these areas, additional boreholes were opened and SPT tests were performed. It was decided that additional CPT (CPTU and SCPT) and Marchetti Dilatometer (DMT) tests should be carried out within the scope of the complementary testing. Seismic refraction, MASW and micro tremor measurements had been carried out in pre-existing studies. Shear wave velocities obtained from MASW measurements were evaluated to the most rigorous level. These tests were downhole seismic, PS-logging, seismic refraction, 2D-ReMi, MASW, micro tremor (H/V Nakamura method), 2D resistivity and resonance acoustic profiling (RAP). RAP is a new technique which will be explained briefly in the relevant section. Dynamic soil properties had not been measured in pre-existing studies, therefore these properties were investigated within the scope of the complementary tests. Selection of specific experimental tests of the complementary campaign was based on cost-benefit considerations Within the context of complementary field studies, dynamic soil properties were measured using resonant column and cyclic direct shear tests. Several sieve analyses and Atterberg Limits tests which were documented in the pre-existing studies were evaluated. In the complementary study carried out, additional sieve analyses and Atterberg Limit tests were carried out. It was aimed to make some correlations between geophysical measurements and other field measurements; such as SPT, blow count values.

The Effectiveness of Peer Tutoring in Remedying Misconceptions of Operating System Concepts: A Design-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çakiroglu, Ünal; Öngöz, Sakine

2017-01-01

This study attempted to examine students' experiences on collaborative work with peer tutoring in projects. The study also focused impact of peer tutoring on remedying misconceptions. The study was conducted in the context of an operating system course in which 30 pre-service ICT teachers are the participants. Data were gathered from pre-tests,…

Development of an Identification Procedure for a Large Urban School Corporation: "Identifying Culturally Diverse and Academically Gifted Elementary Students"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Rebecca L.; Adams, Cheryll M.; Neumeister, Kristie L. Speirs; Cassady, Jerrell C.; Dixon, Felicia A.; Cross, Tracy L.

2006-01-01

This paper describes the identification process of a Priority One Jacob K. Javits grant, Clustering Learners Unlocks Equity (Project CLUE), a university-school partnership. Project CLUE uses a "sift-down model" to cast the net widely as the talent pool of gifted second-grade students is formed. The model is based on standardized test scores, a…

Utility of the clue - From assessing the investigative contribution of forensic science to supporting the decision to use traces.

PubMed

Bitzer, Sonja; Albertini, Nicola; Lock, Eric; Ribaux, Olivier; Delémont, Olivier

2015-12-01

In an attempt to grasp the effectiveness of forensic science in the criminal justice process, a number of studies introduced some form of performance indicator. However, most of these indicators suffer from different weaknesses, from the definition of forensic science itself to problems of reliability and validity. We suggest the introduction of the concept of utility of the clue as an internal evaluation indicator of forensic science in the investigation. Utility of the clue is defined as added value of information, gained by the use of traces. This concept could be used to assess the contribution of the trace in the context of the case. By extension, a second application of this concept is suggested. By formalising and considering, a priori, the perceived utility of using traces, we introduce the notion of expected utility that could be used as decision factor when choosing which traces to use, once they have been collected at the crime scene or from an object in the laboratory. In a case-based approach, utility can be assessed in the light of the available information to evaluate the investigative contribution of forensic science. In the decision-making process, the projection or estimation of the utility of the clue is proposed to be a factor to take into account when triaging the set of traces. Copyright © 2015 The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Allergic reaction to mint leads to asthma

PubMed Central

Barnett, Tisha

2011-01-01

Respiratory and cutaneous adverse reactions to mint can result from several different mechanisms including IgE-mediated hypersensitivity, delayed-type hypersensitivity (contact dermatitis), and nonimmunologic histamine release. Reactions to cross-reacting plants of the Labiatae family, such as oregano and thyme, as well as to the chemical turpentine, may clue the clinician in on the diagnosis of mint allergy. Contact dermatitis can result from menthol in peppermint. Contact allergens have been reported in toothpastes, which often are mint-flavored. Allergic asthma from mint is less well-recognized. A case of a 54-year-old woman with dyspnea on exposure to the scent of peppermint is presented in whom mint exposure, as seemingly innocuous as the breath of others who had consumed Tic Tac candies, exacerbated her underlying asthma. This case highlights the importance of testing with multiple alternative measures of specific IgE to mint, including skin testing with mint extract, and skin testing with fresh mint leaves. Additionally, this cases suggests that asthma can result from inhaling the scent of mint and gives consideration to obtaining confirmatory pre- and postexposure pulmonary function data by both impulse oscillometry and spirometry. PMID:22852115

Age differences in fear retention and extinction in male Sprague-Dawley rats: Effects of ethanol challenge during conditioning

PubMed Central

Broadwater, Margaret; Spear, Linda P.

2013-01-01

Pavlovian fear conditioning is an ideal model to investigate how learning and memory are influenced by alcohol use during adolescence because the neural mechanisms involved have been studied extensively. In Exp 1, adolescent and adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were non-injected or injected with saline, 1 or 1.5 g/kg ethanol intraperitoneally 10 minutes prior to tone or context conditioning. Twenty-four hours later, animals were tested for tone or context retention and extinction, with examination of extinction retention conducted 24 hours thereafter. In Exp 2, a context extinction session was inserted between the tone conditioning and the tone fear retention/extinction days to reduce pre-CS baseline freezing levels at test. Basal levels of acquisition, fear retention, extinction, and extinction retention after tone conditioning were similar between adolescent and adult rats. In contrast adolescents showed faster context extinction than adults, while again not differing from adults during context acquisition, retention or extinction retention. In terms of ethanol effects, adolescents were less sensitive to ethanol-induced context retention deficits than adults. No age differences emerged in terms of tone fear retention, with ethanol disrupting tone fear retention at both ages in Exp1, but at neither age in Exp 2, a difference seemingly due to group differences in pre-CS freezing during tone testing in Exp 1, but not Exp 2. These results suggest that age differences in the acute effects of ethanol on cognitive function are task-specific, and provide further evidence for age differences cognitive functioning in a task thought to be hippocampally-related. PMID:23810415

Confucian States and Learning Life: Making Scholar-Officials and Social Learning a Political Contestation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, SoongHee

2013-01-01

This paper describes how the way the concept of learning is identified and managed in a societal context can provide a crucial clue to explaining how a form of culture as a complex mental organism is constructed and interwoven. Specifically, I argue the point by illustrating that the discourse of Confucianism has fabricated a specific form of…

PHONICS WITH CONTEXT CLUES AS APPLIED TO LANGUAGE ARTS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GUFFEY, MARY DEMAREE

A SIMPLIFIED METHOD OF PHONICS UTILIZING THE GESTALT METHOD OF LEARNING IS PRESENTED. THE WORDS IN THIS COURSE IN PHONICS ARE TO BE TAUGHT AT A TIME DIFFERENT FROM THE READING CLASSES, BUT THE PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED ARE TO BE APPLIED WITHIN THE READING CLASSES. THE COURSE CAN BE USED WITH ANY BASIC TEXT AND STRESSES THE ABILITY OF CHILDREN TO…

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CLASSIFICATION SCHEME OF CONTEXTUAL AIDS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AMES, WILBUR S.

A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE FROM THE VERBAL RESPONSES OF READERS THE TYPES OF CONTEXTUAL AIDS THAT SERVE AS CLUES TO THE MEANINGS THAT MIGHT BE ATTACHED TO SIMULATED WORDS AND TO CLASSIFY THESE CONTEXTUAL AIDS ON THE BASIS OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE VERBAL CONTEXT THAT WAS UTILIZED BY THE READER. AN INTROSPECTIVE TECHNIQUE WAS USED IN…

An Investigation of Three Methods of Teaching Vocabulary at the Junior High Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiger, Evangeline Drury

This study of methods of teaching vocabulary in the junior high school investigated three approaches: use of a programed text in vocabulary development that emphasized context clues, use of the programed text augmented by listening assistance, and use of the programed text augmented by a word-analysis supplement. Over 300 students with I.Q.'s…

Mining Specific and General Features in Both Positive and Negative Relevance Feedback. QUT E-Discovery Lab at the TREC󈧍 Relevance Feedback Track

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

relevance feedback algo- rithm. Four methods, εMap [1], MapA , P10A, and StatAP [2], were used in the track to measure the performance of Phase 2 runs...εMap and StatAP were applied to the runs us- ing the testing set of only ClueWeb09 Category-B, whereas MapA and P10A were applied to those using the...whole ClueWeb09 English set. Because our experiments were based on only ClueWeb09 Category-B, measuring our per- formance by MapA and P10A might not

The Use of Reported Speech in Children's Narratives: A Priming Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serratrice, Ludovica; Hesketh, Anne; Ashworth, Rachel

2015-01-01

This study investigated the long-term effects of structural priming on children's use of indirect speech clauses in a narrative context. Forty-two monolingual English-speaking 5-year-olds in two primary classrooms took part in a story-retelling task including reported speech. Testing took place in three individual sessions (pre-test, post-test 1,…

Learning Desert Geomorphology Virtually versus in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stumpf, Richard J., II; Douglass, John; Dorn, Ronald I.

2008-01-01

Statistical analyses of pre-test and post-test results, as well as qualitative insight obtained by essays, compared introductory physical geography college students who learned desert geomorphology only virtually, in the field and both ways. With the exception of establishing geographic context, the virtual field trip was statistically…

Pre-Service Physics Teachers’ Concept Mastery and the Challenges of Game Development on Physics Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saprudin, S.; Liliasari, L.; Prihatmanto, A. S.

2017-09-01

This study is a survey that aims to describe pre-service physics teachers’ concept mastery at a university in Ternate. Data were collected through test standard instrument for physics which used in the teacher certification program. Data were analyzed by using quantitative descriptive technique. Based on the results of data analysis, it was concluded that generally pre-service physics teachers’ concept mastery can be categorized on low category (25.4%). The map of concept mastery will be used as a reference to developing game design in the physics learning context for pre-service physics teachers.

Observations give us CLUES to Cosmic Flows' origins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorce, Jenny; Courtois, H.; Gottloeber, S.; Hoffman, Y.; Pomarede, D.; Tully, R. B.; Flows, Cosmic; CLUES

2014-01-01

In an era where the wealth of telescope-data and the development of computer superclusters keep increasing, the knowledge of Large Scale Structures' formation and evolution constitutes a tremendous challenge. Within this context the project Cosmic Flows has recently produced a catalog of peculiar velocities up to 150 Mpc. These velocities, obtained from direct distance measurements, are ideal markers of the underlying gravitational potential. They form a fantastic input to perform constrained simulations of the Local Universe within the CLUES project. A new method has recently been elaborated to achieve these simulations which prove to be excellent replicas of our neighborhood. The Wiener-Filter, the Reverse Zel'dovich Approximation and the Constrained Realization techniques are combined to build Initial Conditions. The resulting second generation of constrained simulations presents us the formidable history of the Great Attractor's and nearby supercluster's formation.

WISDOM GPR investigations in a Mars-analog environment during the SAFER rover operation simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorizon, S.; Ciarletti, V.; Plettemeier, D.; Vieau, A.-J.; Benedix, W.-S.; Mütze, M.; Hassen-Kodja, R.; Humeau, O.

2014-04-01

The WISDOM (Water Ice Subsurface Deposits Observations on Mars) Ground Penetrating Radar has been selected to be onboard the ExoMars 2018 rover mission [1]. This instrument will investigate the Martian shallow subsurface and provide the geological context of the mission, by characterizing the subsurface in terms of structure, stratigraphy and potential buried objects. It will also quantify the geoelectrical properties of the medium, which are directly related to its nature, its water or salts content and its hardness [2]. WISDOM data will provide important clues to guide the drilling operations to location of potential exobiological interest. A prototype available in LATMOS, France, is currently tested in a wide range of natural environments. In this context, the WISDOM team participated in the SAFER (Sample Acquisition Field Experiment with a Rover) field trial that occurred from 7th to 13th October 2013 in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Designed to gather together scientists and engineers in a context of a real Martian mission with a rover, the SAFER trial was the opportunity to use three onboard ExoMars instruments, namely CLUPI (Close- UP Imager), PANCAM (Panoramic Camera) and WISDOM, to investigate the chosen area. We present the results derived from WISDOM data acquired over the SAFER trial site to characterize the shallow subsurface of the area.

Voyages of the Zodiac, an Impenitent Traveller across Lands and Ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmonte, Juan Antonio

2015-05-01

The zodiac is one of humankind's oldest astronomical heritages. Indeed, it has a long history and had an impressive cultural influence in the past that could be traced from the steppes of Mesopotamia to the wilderness of the Roman frontiers in Great Britain. In the present essay, we will discuss the origin of the zodiacal constellations in ancient Mesopotamia from their possible prehistoric ancestors in the pre-ceramic context of the 10,000-year-old site of Göbleki Tepe. Later on, we will discuss the role that the zodiac played in the development of the new cult established by King Antiochos I of Commagene in his hierothesion at Nemrud Dag, where a planetary conjunction in Leo has played a role in the clues to understand the enigmas of such an impressive monument. This will be followed by the analysis of its southwards travel to the Valley of the Nile, where we will study the famous Zodiac of Dendera. Then we will travel westwards to discuss the astronomical aspects of a new religion where astronomical eras and the zodiac ought to play a most relevant role, Mithraism. Finally, new ideas for future research in this most interesting topic will briefly be sketched.

Analyzing the Role of Visual Cues in Developing Prediction-Making Skills of Third- and Ninth-Grade English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Emily; Cuba, Melissa

2015-01-01

The goal of this action research is to increase student awareness of context clues, with an emphasis on student use of visual cues in making predictions. Visual cues in the classroom were used to differentiate according to the needs of student demographics (Herrera, Perez, & Escamilla, 2010). The purpose of this intervention was to improve…

Approaching Source Illiteracy, or How a Source Is Like a Frog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Nora G.

2016-01-01

Just as fluency isn't knowing every word in a language, source literacy isn't knowing every source. It is, instead, the ability to interpret from context, to know what to ask, to read the clues, and to use the understanding brought from knowing about other sources. A person fluent in source literacy is able to do this automatically, the way you…

A Study on the Effects of Meditation on Anxiety and Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Önem, E. E.

2015-01-01

This study aimed to find whether meditation can be effective in terms of anxiety and vocabulary learning in a foreign language learning context. To test this, an experimental pre-test and post-test study was designed. 61 students (14 male-47 female) from the English Language Teaching Department of a state university in Turkey were assigned into…

Evaluating Values-Centred Pedagogies in Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Paul; Douglas-Dunbar, Andrew; Murray, Sheran

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report an attempt to quantitatively evaluate pedagogies designed to help learners clarify their personal values systems in a sustainability context. Design/methodology/approach A pre-test/post-test survey was used to assess shifts in values orientations among 113 undergraduates from the same discipline,…

The Effect of Learner Constructed, Fill in the Map Concept Map Technique, and Summarizing Strategy on Iranian Pre-University Students' Reading Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soleimani, Hassan; Nabizadeh, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

Concept maps (CM) are powerful tools which have different uses in educational contexts; however, this study limited its extension and explored its impact on the reading comprehension skill of Iranian EFL students. To this purpose, a proficiency test was employed and 90 intermediate pre-university students were chosen and divided into three groups:…

Reduced Performance During a Sentence Repetition Task by Continuous Theta-Burst Magnetic Stimulation of the Pre-supplementary Motor Area.

PubMed

Dietrich, Susanne; Hertrich, Ingo; Müller-Dahlhaus, Florian; Ackermann, Hermann; Belardinelli, Paolo; Desideri, Debora; Seibold, Verena C; Ziemann, Ulf

2018-01-01

The pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) is engaged in speech comprehension under difficult circumstances such as poor acoustic signal quality or time-critical conditions. Previous studies found that left pre-SMA is activated when subjects listen to accelerated speech. Here, the functional role of pre-SMA was tested for accelerated speech comprehension by inducing a transient "virtual lesion" using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS). Participants were tested (1) prior to (pre-baseline), (2) 10 min after (test condition for the cTBS effect), and (3) 60 min after stimulation (post-baseline) using a sentence repetition task (formant-synthesized at rates of 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 syllables/s). Speech comprehension was quantified by the percentage of correctly reproduced speech material. For high speech rates, subjects showed decreased performance after cTBS of pre-SMA. Regarding the error pattern, the number of incorrect words without any semantic or phonological similarity to the target context increased, while related words decreased. Thus, the transient impairment of pre-SMA seems to affect its inhibitory function that normally eliminates erroneous speech material prior to speaking or, in case of perception, prior to encoding into a semantically/pragmatically meaningful message.

Reduced Performance During a Sentence Repetition Task by Continuous Theta-Burst Magnetic Stimulation of the Pre-supplementary Motor Area

PubMed Central

Dietrich, Susanne; Hertrich, Ingo; Müller-Dahlhaus, Florian; Ackermann, Hermann; Belardinelli, Paolo; Desideri, Debora; Seibold, Verena C.; Ziemann, Ulf

2018-01-01

The pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) is engaged in speech comprehension under difficult circumstances such as poor acoustic signal quality or time-critical conditions. Previous studies found that left pre-SMA is activated when subjects listen to accelerated speech. Here, the functional role of pre-SMA was tested for accelerated speech comprehension by inducing a transient “virtual lesion” using continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS). Participants were tested (1) prior to (pre-baseline), (2) 10 min after (test condition for the cTBS effect), and (3) 60 min after stimulation (post-baseline) using a sentence repetition task (formant-synthesized at rates of 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 syllables/s). Speech comprehension was quantified by the percentage of correctly reproduced speech material. For high speech rates, subjects showed decreased performance after cTBS of pre-SMA. Regarding the error pattern, the number of incorrect words without any semantic or phonological similarity to the target context increased, while related words decreased. Thus, the transient impairment of pre-SMA seems to affect its inhibitory function that normally eliminates erroneous speech material prior to speaking or, in case of perception, prior to encoding into a semantically/pragmatically meaningful message. PMID:29896086

ClueNet: Clustering a temporal network based on topological similarity rather than denseness.

PubMed

Crawford, Joseph; Milenković, Tijana

2018-01-01

Network clustering is a very popular topic in the network science field. Its goal is to divide (partition) the network into groups (clusters or communities) of "topologically related" nodes, where the resulting topology-based clusters are expected to "correlate" well with node label information, i.e., metadata, such as cellular functions of genes/proteins in biological networks, or age or gender of people in social networks. Even for static data, the problem of network clustering is complex. For dynamic data, the problem is even more complex, due to an additional dimension of the data-their temporal (evolving) nature. Since the problem is computationally intractable, heuristic approaches need to be sought. Existing approaches for dynamic network clustering (DNC) have drawbacks. First, they assume that nodes should be in the same cluster if they are densely interconnected within the network. We hypothesize that in some applications, it might be of interest to cluster nodes that are topologically similar to each other instead of or in addition to requiring the nodes to be densely interconnected. Second, they ignore temporal information in their early steps, and when they do consider this information later on, they do so implicitly. We hypothesize that capturing temporal information earlier in the clustering process and doing so explicitly will improve results. We test these two hypotheses via our new approach called ClueNet. We evaluate ClueNet against six existing DNC methods on both social networks capturing evolving interactions between individuals (such as interactions between students in a high school) and biological networks capturing interactions between biomolecules in the cell at different ages. We find that ClueNet is superior in over 83% of all evaluation tests. As more real-world dynamic data are becoming available, DNC and thus ClueNet will only continue to gain importance.

A Study Examining the Impact of Vocabulary Instruction on the Vocabulary Growth and Acquisition of Adults Enrolled in a Community College Developmental Reading Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robson, Jodi McGeary

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of four instructional methods--context clues, definition, elaboration technique, or word parts and word families--on the vocabulary growth and acquisition of adults enrolled in a community college developmental reading course. The study investigated whether performance in any or all of the four…

Exploring Mars for Evidence of Past or Present Life: Roles of Robotic and Human Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farmer, Jack D.

1996-01-01

During the coming decade, robotic field science will play a fundamental role in exploring Mars for evidence of past life and/or prebiotic chemistry. To create a context for such exploration, we especially need to understand the mineralogy and chemistry of the Martian surface. We have learned that the preservation of biological signatures in rocks on Earth is favored by rapid mineralization processes that are restricted to a comparatively small number of geological settings. Thus, a detailed knowledge of surface mineralogy will provide valuable clues about past Martian environments as a necessary context for future exobiological exploration.

HIV pre-test information, discussion or counselling? A review of guidance relevant to the WHO European Region.

PubMed

Bell, Stephen A; Delpech, Valerie; Raben, Dorthe; Casabona, Jordi; Tsereteli, Nino; de Wit, John

2016-02-01

In the context of a shift from exceptionalism to normalisation, this study examines recommendations/evidence in current pan-European/global guidelines regarding pre-test HIV testing and counselling practices in health care settings. It also reviews new research not yet included in guidelines. There is consensus that verbal informed consent must be gained prior to testing, individually, in private, confidentially, in the presence of a health care provider. All guidelines recommend pre-test information/discussion delivered verbally or via other methods (information sheet). There is agreement about a minimum standard of information to be provided before a test, but guidelines differ regarding discussion about issues encouraging patients to think about implications of the result. There is heavy reliance on expert consultation in guideline development. Referenced scientific evidence is often more than ten years old and based on US/UK research. Eight new papers are reviewed. Current HIV testing and counselling guidelines have inconsistencies regarding the extent and type of information that is recommended during pre-test discussions. The lack of new research underscores a need for new evidence from a range of European settings to support the process of expert consultation in guideline development. © The Author(s) 2015.

The evolving role of physiotherapists in pre-employment screening for workplace injury prevention: are functional capacity evaluations the answer?

PubMed

Legge, Jennifer

2013-10-01

Musculoskeletal injuries account for the largest proportion of workplace injuries. In an attempt to predict, and subsequently manage, the risk of sprains and strains in the workplace, employers are turning to pre-employment screening. Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) are increasing in popularity as a tool for pre-employment screening despite limited published evidence for their validity in healthy working populations. This narrative review will present an overview of the state of the evidence for pre-employment functional testing, propose a framework for decision-making to determine the suitability of assessment tools, and discuss the role and potential ethical challenges for physiotherapists conducting pre-employment functional testing. Much of the evidence surrounding the validity of functional testing is in the context of the injured worker and prediction of return to work. In healthy populations, FCE components, such as aerobic fitness and manual handling activities, have demonstrated predictability of workplace injury in a small number of studies. This predictability improves when workers' performance is compared with the job demands. This job-specific approach is also required to meet anti-discrimination requirements. There are a number of practical limitations to functional testing, although these are not limited to the pre-employment domain. Physiotherapists need to have a clear understanding of the legal requirements and potential ethical challenges that they may face when conducting pre-employment functional assessments (PEFAs). Further research is needed into the efficacy of pre-employment testing for workplace injury prevention. Physiotherapists and PEFAs are just one part of a holistic approach to workplace injury prevention.

Adaptation of the Tool to Estimate Patient Costs Questionnaire into Indonesian Context for Tuberculosis-affected Households.

PubMed

Fuady, Ahmad; Houweling, Tanja A; Mansyur, Muchtaruddin; Richardus, Jan H

2018-01-01

Indonesia is the second-highest country for tuberculosis (TB) incidence worldwide. Hence, it urgently requires improvements and innovations beyond the strategies that are currently being implemented throughout the country. One fundamental step in monitoring its progress is by preparing a validated tool to measure total patient costs and catastrophic total costs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends using a version of the generic questionnaire that has been adapted to the local cultural context in order to interpret findings correctly. This study is aimed to adapt the Tool to Estimate Patient Costs questionnaire into the Indonesian context, which measures total costs and catastrophic total costs for tuberculosis-affected households. the tool was adapted using best-practice guidelines. On the basis of a pre-test performed in a previous study (referred to as Phase 1 Study), we refined the adaptation process by comparing it with the generic tool introduced by the WHO. We also held an expert committee review and performed pre-testing by interviewing 30 TB patients. After pre-testing, the tool was provided with complete explanation sheets for finalization. seventy-two major changes were made during the adaptation process including changing the answer choices to match the Indonesian context, refining the flow of questions, deleting questions, changing some words and restoring original questions that had been changed in Phase 1 Study. Participants indicated that most questions were clear and easy to understand. To address recall difficulties by the participants, we made some adaptations to obtain data that might be missing, such as tracking data to medical records, developing a proxy of costs and guiding interviewers to ask for a specific value when participants were uncertain about the estimated market value of property they had sold. the adapted Tool to Estimate Patient Costs in Bahasa Indonesia is comprehensive and ready for use in future studies on TB-related catastrophic costs and is suitable for monitoring progress to achieve the target of the End TB Strategy.

A forensic science perspective on the role of images in crime investigation and reconstruction.

PubMed

Milliet, Quentin; Delémont, Olivier; Margot, Pierre

2014-12-01

This article presents a global vision of images in forensic science. The proliferation of perspectives on the use of images throughout criminal investigations and the increasing demand for research on this topic seem to demand a forensic science-based analysis. In this study, the definitions of and concepts related to material traces are revisited and applied to images, and a structured approach is used to persuade the scientific community to extend and improve the use of images as traces in criminal investigations. Current research efforts focus on technical issues and evidence assessment. This article provides a sound foundation for rationalising and explaining the processes involved in the production of clues from trace images. For example, the mechanisms through which these visual traces become clues of presence or action are described. An extensive literature review of forensic image analysis emphasises the existing guidelines and knowledge available for answering investigative questions (who, what, where, when and how). However, complementary developments are still necessary to demystify many aspects of image analysis in forensic science, including how to review and select images or use them to reconstruct an event or assist intelligence efforts. The hypothetico-deductive reasoning pathway used to discover unknown elements of an event or crime can also help scientists understand the underlying processes involved in their decision making. An analysis of a single image in an investigative or probative context is used to demonstrate the highly informative potential of images as traces and/or clues. Research efforts should be directed toward formalising the extraction and combination of clues from images. An appropriate methodology is key to expanding the use of images in forensic science. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The first stars: our evolving theoretical picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromm, V.

This brief review will discuss what we have learned about the formation, properties, evolution and death of the first stars, the so-called Population III (Pop III). It is crucial to embed the problem into its proper cosmological context, including insights into the particle-physics nature of dark matter. This is a good time to reflect on where we are, just ahead of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launch, and of the imminent arrival of a suite of next-generation observational facilities. How can we test our emerging theoretical picture with observations both in-situ, at high redshifts, and in our local cosmic neighborhood? This may indeed be our main challenge for the near future, given that individual Pop III stars cannot be directly observed, unless we get very lucky, and catch them at the moment of their death as transient events. We therefore need powerful diagnostics that make use of an increasingly rich data set of indirect clues.

Adolescent mice are less sensitive to the effects of acute nicotine on context pre-exposure than adults.

PubMed

Kutlu, Munir Gunes; Braak, David C; Tumolo, Jessica M; Gould, Thomas J

2016-07-01

Adolescence is a critical developmental period associated with both increased vulnerability to substance abuse and maturation of certain brain regions important for learning and memory such as the hippocampus. In this study, we employed a hippocampus-dependent learning context pre-exposure facilitation effect (CPFE) paradigm in order to test the effects of acute nicotine on contextual processing during adolescence (post-natal day (PND) 38) and adulthood (PND 53). In Experiment 1, adolescent or adult C57BL6/J mice received either saline or one of three nicotine doses (0.09, 0.18, and 0.36mg/kg) prior to contextual pre-exposure and testing. Our results demonstrated that both adolescent and adult mice showed CPFE in the saline groups. However, adolescent mice only showed acute nicotine enhancement of CPFE with the highest nicotine dose whereas adult mice showed the enhancing effects of acute nicotine with all three doses. In Experiment 2, to determine if the lack of nicotine's effects on CPFE shown by adolescent mice is specific to the age when they are tested, mice were either given contextual pre-exposure during adolescence or adulthood and received immediate shock and testing during adulthood after a 15day delay. We found that both adolescent and adult mice showed CPFE in the saline groups when tested during adulthood. However, like Experiment 1, mice that received contextual pre-exposure during adolescence did not show acute nicotine enhancement except at the highest dose (0.36mg/kg) whereas both low (0.09mg/kg) and high (0.36mg/kg) doses enhanced CPFE in adult mice. Finally, we showed that the enhanced freezing response found with 0.36mg/kg nicotine in the 15-day experiment may be a result of decreased locomotor activity as mice that received this dose of nicotine traveled shorter distances in an open field paradigm. Overall, our results indicate that while adolescent mice showed normal contextual processing when tested both during adolescence and adulthood, they are less sensitive to the enhancing effects of nicotine on contextual processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Multiple Intelligences Activities on Writing Skill Development in an EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gündüz, Zennure Elgün; Ünal, Ismail Dogan

2016-01-01

This study aims at exploring the effects of multiple intelligences activities versus traditional method on English writing development of the sixth grade students in Turkey. A quasi-experimental research method with a pre-test post-test design was applied. The participants were 50 sixth grade students at a state school in Ardahan in Turkey. The…

Testing the Impact of a Pre-Instructional Digital Game on Middle-Grade Students' Understanding of Photosynthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culp, Katherine McMillan; Martin, Wendy; Clements, Margaret; Lewis Presser, Ashley

2015-01-01

Rigorous studies of the impact of digital games on student learning remain relatively rare, as do studies of games as supports for learning difficult, core curricular concepts in the context of normal classroom practices. This study uses a blocked, cluster randomized controlled trial design to test the impact of a digital game, played as homework…

Reading Instruction Affects the Cognitive Skills Supporting Early Reading Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGeown, Sarah P.; Johnston, Rhona S.; Medford, Emma

2012-01-01

This study examined the cognitive skills associated with early reading development when children were taught by different types of instruction. Seventy-nine children (mean age at pre-test 4;10 (0.22 S.D.) and post-test 5;03 (0.21 S.D.)) were taught to read either by an eclectic approach which included sight-word learning, guessing from context and…

Learning Strategies in CLIL Classrooms: How Does Strategy Instruction Affect Reading Competence over Time?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz de Zarobe, Yolanda; Zenotz, Victoria

2018-01-01

This article reports on an intervention study of reading comprehension among young learners of English as a third language (L3) in a multilingual (Spanish-Basque-English) context in the Basque Country. The study involves a pre-test post-test design, with an intervention of 7 weeks using two intact groups of participants that served as experimental…

Know thy neighbor: stromal cells can contribute oncogenic signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tlsty, T. D.; Hein, P. W.

2001-01-01

Although the stroma within carcinogenic lesions is known to be supportive and responsive to tumors, new data increasingly show that the stroma also has a more active, oncogenic role in tumorigenesis. Stromal cells and their products can transform adjacent tissues in the absence of pre-existing tumor cells by inciting phenotypic and genomic changes in the epithelial cells. The oncogenic action of distinctive stromal components has been demonstrated through a variety of approaches, which provide clues about the cellular pathways involved.

Exposure ethics: does HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis raise ethical problems for the health care provider and policy maker?

PubMed

Venter, Francois; Allais, Lucy; Richter, Marlise

2014-07-01

The last few years have seen dramatic progress in the development of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). These developments have been met by ethical concerns. HIV interventions are often thought to be ethically difficult. In a context which includes disagreements over human rights, controversies over testing policies, and questions about sexual morality and individual responsibility, PrEP has been seen as an ethically complex intervention. We argue that this is mistaken, and that in fact, PrEP does not raise new ethical concerns. Some of the questions posed by PrEP are not specific to HIV prophylaxis, but simply standard public health considerations about resource allocation and striking a balance between individual benefit and public good. We consider sexual disinhibition in the context of private prescriptions, and conclude that only unjustified AIDS-exceptionalism or inappropriate moralism about sex supports thinking that PrEP raises new ethical problems. This negative conclusion is significant in a context where supposed ethical concerns about PrEP have been raised, and in the context of HIV exceptionalism. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The evolving role of physiotherapists in pre-employment screening for workplace injury prevention: are functional capacity evaluations the answer?

PubMed Central

Legge, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Background Musculoskeletal injuries account for the largest proportion of workplace injuries. In an attempt to predict, and subsequently manage, the risk of sprains and strains in the workplace, employers are turning to pre-employment screening. Functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) are increasing in popularity as a tool for pre-employment screening despite limited published evidence for their validity in healthy working populations. Objectives This narrative review will present an overview of the state of the evidence for pre-employment functional testing, propose a framework for decision-making to determine the suitability of assessment tools, and discuss the role and potential ethical challenges for physiotherapists conducting pre-employment functional testing. Major Findings Much of the evidence surrounding the validity of functional testing is in the context of the injured worker and prediction of return to work. In healthy populations, FCE components, such as aerobic fitness and manual handling activities, have demonstrated predictability of workplace injury in a small number of studies. This predictability improves when workers' performance is compared with the job demands. This job-specific approach is also required to meet anti-discrimination requirements. There are a number of practical limitations to functional testing, although these are not limited to the pre-employment domain. Physiotherapists need to have a clear understanding of the legal requirements and potential ethical challenges that they may face when conducting pre-employment functional assessments (PEFAs). Conclusions Further research is needed into the efficacy of pre-employment testing for workplace injury prevention. Physiotherapists and PEFAs are just one part of a holistic approach to workplace injury prevention. PMID:24124346

ClueNet: Clustering a temporal network based on topological similarity rather than denseness

PubMed Central

Milenković, Tijana

2018-01-01

Network clustering is a very popular topic in the network science field. Its goal is to divide (partition) the network into groups (clusters or communities) of “topologically related” nodes, where the resulting topology-based clusters are expected to “correlate” well with node label information, i.e., metadata, such as cellular functions of genes/proteins in biological networks, or age or gender of people in social networks. Even for static data, the problem of network clustering is complex. For dynamic data, the problem is even more complex, due to an additional dimension of the data—their temporal (evolving) nature. Since the problem is computationally intractable, heuristic approaches need to be sought. Existing approaches for dynamic network clustering (DNC) have drawbacks. First, they assume that nodes should be in the same cluster if they are densely interconnected within the network. We hypothesize that in some applications, it might be of interest to cluster nodes that are topologically similar to each other instead of or in addition to requiring the nodes to be densely interconnected. Second, they ignore temporal information in their early steps, and when they do consider this information later on, they do so implicitly. We hypothesize that capturing temporal information earlier in the clustering process and doing so explicitly will improve results. We test these two hypotheses via our new approach called ClueNet. We evaluate ClueNet against six existing DNC methods on both social networks capturing evolving interactions between individuals (such as interactions between students in a high school) and biological networks capturing interactions between biomolecules in the cell at different ages. We find that ClueNet is superior in over 83% of all evaluation tests. As more real-world dynamic data are becoming available, DNC and thus ClueNet will only continue to gain importance. PMID:29738568

LocExpress: a web server for efficiently estimating expression of novel transcripts.

PubMed

Hou, Mei; Tian, Feng; Jiang, Shuai; Kong, Lei; Yang, Dechang; Gao, Ge

2016-12-22

The temporal and spatial-specific expression pattern of a transcript in multiple tissues and cell types can indicate key clues about its function. While several gene atlas available online as pre-computed databases for known gene models, it's still challenging to get expression profile for previously uncharacterized (i.e. novel) transcripts efficiently. Here we developed LocExpress, a web server for efficiently estimating expression of novel transcripts across multiple tissues and cell types in human (20 normal tissues/cells types and 14 cell lines) as well as in mouse (24 normal tissues/cell types and nine cell lines). As a wrapper to RNA-Seq quantification algorithm, LocExpress efficiently reduces the time cost by making abundance estimation calls increasingly within the minimum spanning bundle region of input transcripts. For a given novel gene model, such local context-oriented strategy allows LocExpress to estimate its FPKMs in hundreds of samples within minutes on a standard Linux box, making an online web server possible. To the best of our knowledge, LocExpress is the only web server to provide nearly real-time expression estimation for novel transcripts in common tissues and cell types. The server is publicly available at http://loc-express.cbi.pku.edu.cn .

The design and testing of a caring teaching model based on the theoretical framework of caring in the Chinese Context: a mixed-method study.

PubMed

Guo, Yujie; Shen, Jie; Ye, Xuchun; Chen, Huali; Jiang, Anli

2013-08-01

This paper aims to report the design and test the effectiveness of an innovative caring teaching model based on the theoretical framework of caring in the Chinese context. Since the 1970's, caring has been a core value in nursing education. In a previous study, a theoretical framework of caring in the Chinese context is explored employing a grounded theory study, considered beneficial for caring education. A caring teaching model was designed theoretically and a one group pre- and post-test quasi-experimental study was administered to test its effectiveness. From Oct, 2009 to Jul, 2010, a cohort of grade-2 undergraduate nursing students (n=64) in a Chinese medical school was recruited to participate in the study. Data were gathered through quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the caring teaching model. The caring teaching model created an esthetic situation and experiential learning style for teaching caring that was integrated within the curricula. Quantitative data from the quasi-experimental study showed that the post-test scores of each item were higher than those on the pre-test (p<0.01). Thematic analysis of 1220 narratives from students' caring journals and reports of participant class observation revealed two main thematic categories, which reflected, from the students' points of view, the development of student caring character and the impact that the caring teaching model had on this regard. The model could be used as an integrated approach to teach caring in nursing curricula. It would also be beneficial for nursing administrators in cultivating caring nurse practitioners. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Storylines Embedded within the Context-Based Approach on Pre-Service Primary School Teachers' Conceptions of Matter and Its States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demircioglu, Hülya; Ayas, Alipasa; Demircioglu, Gökhan; Özmen, Haluk

2015-01-01

In this study, the effect of the context-based approach on pre-service primary school teachers' understanding of matter and its states and their attitude towards chemistry was investigated. Using a simple experimental design, the study was conducted with 35 pre-service primary school teachers who were exposed to context-based material with…

Normal Aging and Linguistic Decrement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Olga B.

A study investigated language patterning, as an indication of synthetic mental activity, in comparison groups of normal pre-middle-aged adults (30-42 years), normal elderly adults (75-93), and elderly adults (71-91) with Alzheimer's dementia. Semiotic theory was used as the conceptual context. Linguistic measures included the Token Test, the…

Gender and Perception of Profession

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ünal, Fatma; Tarhan, Sinem; Köksal, Eda Çürükvelioglu

2018-01-01

There are negative impacts of gender stereotypes particularly on the education of girls and women. The purpose of this study is to examine pre-service teachers' profession perceptions within the context of gender using word association test technique and to identify the definition of the concept of "profession" depending on sex. This…

Brain and Addiction

MedlinePlus

... build your own monster neuron. CSI Web Adventures Test your forensics knowledge—find clues to unlock the mysteries of drug abuse. Blog Posts Say What? "Habituation" February 05, 2018 / The NIDA ...

Task-based learning versus problem-oriented lecture in neurology continuing medical education.

PubMed

Vakani, Farhan; Jafri, Wasim; Ahmad, Amina; Sonawalla, Aziz; Sheerani, Mughis

2014-01-01

To determine whether general practitioners learned better with task-based learning or problem-oriented lecture in a Continuing Medical Education (CME) set-up. Quasi-experimental study. The Aga Khan University, Karachi campus, from April to June 2012. Fifty-nine physicians were given a choice to opt for either Task-based Learning (TBL) or Problem Oriented Lecture (PBL) in a continuing medical education set-up about headaches. The TBL group had 30 participants divided into 10 small groups, and were assigned case-based tasks. The lecture group had 29 participants. Both groups were given a pre and a post-test. Pre/post assessment was done using one-best MCQs. The reliability coefficient of scores for both the groups was estimated through Cronbach's alpha. An item analysis for difficulty and discriminatory indices was calculated for both the groups. Paired t-test was used to determine the difference between pre- and post-test scores of both groups. Independent t-test was used to compare the impact of the two teaching methods in terms of learning through scores produced by MCQ test. Cronbach's alpha was 0.672 for the lecture group and 0.881 for TBL group. Item analysis for difficulty (p) and discriminatory indexes (d) was obtained for both groups. The results for the lecture group showed pre-test (p) = 42% vs. post-test (p) = 43%; pre- test (d) = 0.60 vs. post-test (d) = 0.40. The TBL group showed pre -test (p) = 48% vs. post-test (p) = 70%; pre-test (d) = 0.69 vs. post-test (d) = 0.73. Lecture group pre-/post-test mean scores were (8.52 ± 2.95 vs. 12.41 ± 2.65; p < 0.001), where TBL group showed (9.70 ± 3.65 vs. 14 ± 3.99; p < 0.001). Independent t-test exhibited an insignificant difference at baseline (lecture 8.52 ± 2.95 vs. TBL 9.70 ± 3.65; p = 0.177). The post-scores were not statistically different lecture 12.41 ± 2.65 vs. TBL 14 ± 3.99; p = 0.07). Both delivery methods were found to be equally effective, showing statistically insignificant differences. However, TBL groups' post-test higher mean scores and radical increase in the post-test difficulty index demonstrated improved learning through TBL delivery and calls for further exploration of longitudinal studies in the context of CME.

Integrating quantitative thinking into an introductory biology course improves students' mathematical reasoning in biological contexts.

PubMed

Hester, Susan; Buxner, Sanlyn; Elfring, Lisa; Nagy, Lisa

2014-01-01

Recent calls for improving undergraduate biology education have emphasized the importance of students learning to apply quantitative skills to biological problems. Motivated by students' apparent inability to transfer their existing quantitative skills to biological contexts, we designed and taught an introductory molecular and cell biology course in which we integrated application of prerequisite mathematical skills with biology content and reasoning throughout all aspects of the course. In this paper, we describe the principles of our course design and present illustrative examples of course materials integrating mathematics and biology. We also designed an outcome assessment made up of items testing students' understanding of biology concepts and their ability to apply mathematical skills in biological contexts and administered it as a pre/postcourse test to students in the experimental section and other sections of the same course. Precourse results confirmed students' inability to spontaneously transfer their prerequisite mathematics skills to biological problems. Pre/postcourse outcome assessment comparisons showed that, compared with students in other sections, students in the experimental section made greater gains on integrated math/biology items. They also made comparable gains on biology items, indicating that integrating quantitative skills into an introductory biology course does not have a deleterious effect on students' biology learning.

Integrating Quantitative Thinking into an Introductory Biology Course Improves Students’ Mathematical Reasoning in Biological Contexts

PubMed Central

Hester, Susan; Buxner, Sanlyn; Elfring, Lisa; Nagy, Lisa

2014-01-01

Recent calls for improving undergraduate biology education have emphasized the importance of students learning to apply quantitative skills to biological problems. Motivated by students’ apparent inability to transfer their existing quantitative skills to biological contexts, we designed and taught an introductory molecular and cell biology course in which we integrated application of prerequisite mathematical skills with biology content and reasoning throughout all aspects of the course. In this paper, we describe the principles of our course design and present illustrative examples of course materials integrating mathematics and biology. We also designed an outcome assessment made up of items testing students’ understanding of biology concepts and their ability to apply mathematical skills in biological contexts and administered it as a pre/postcourse test to students in the experimental section and other sections of the same course. Precourse results confirmed students’ inability to spontaneously transfer their prerequisite mathematics skills to biological problems. Pre/postcourse outcome assessment comparisons showed that, compared with students in other sections, students in the experimental section made greater gains on integrated math/biology items. They also made comparable gains on biology items, indicating that integrating quantitative skills into an introductory biology course does not have a deleterious effect on students’ biology learning. PMID:24591504

After the clinic? Researching sexual health technology in context.

PubMed

Davis, Mark

2015-01-01

There is great interest in what testing, pharmaceutical, information and social media technology can do for sexual health. Much programmatic and research activity is focused on assessing how these technologies can be used to best effect. Less obvious are analyses that place technology into historical, political and real-world settings. Developing an 'in-context' analysis of sexual health technology, this paper draws on interviews with leading community advocates, researchers and clinicians in Australia, Canada and the UK and looks across examples, including social media, rapid HIV testing, pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV and polymerase chain reaction Chlamydia testing. The analysis is framed by studies of techno-society and the dialectics of sex-affirmative advocacy with biomedical authority and attends to: the rationalistic and affective dimensions of the imaginary associated with technology; the role of technology in the re-spatialisation and re-temporalisation of the sexual health clinic; and the re-invention of technology in its real-world contexts. This in-context approach is important for: the effective implementation of new technology; strengthening the social science contribution to the field; and enriching social theory in general on life in techno-societies.

Ideas, Creencias, Actitudes. Primer Modulo de una Serie para Maestros de Escuela Elemental (Ideas, Beliefs, Attitudes. First Module of a Series for Elementary Teachers).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molina, Carmen Eneida, Ed.; And Others

This guide for teachers, in English and Spanish, examines the role of stereotypes within the context of contemporary beliefs, ideas, and attitudes. A pre-test and post-test are included to measure the user's awareness of stereotypes. Object lessons cover the following topics: (1) definition of stereotypes; (2) racial and ethnic stereotypes; (3)…

Bedtime Stories in English: Field-Testing Comprehensible Input Materials for Natural Second-Language Acquisition in Japanese Pre-School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Robert

2014-01-01

In this study, the prototype of a new type of bilingual picture book was field-tested with two sets of mother-son subject pairs. This picture book was designed as a possible tool for providing children with comprehensible input during their critical period for second language acquisition. Context is provided by visual cues and both Japanese and…

Content Analysis of Informed Consent for Whole Genome Sequencing Offered by Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Companies.

PubMed

Niemiec, Emilia; Borry, Pascal; Pinxten, Wim; Howard, Heidi Carmen

2016-12-01

Whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) have become increasingly available in the research and clinical settings and are now also being offered by direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing (GT) companies. This offer can be perceived as amplifying the already identified concerns regarding adequacy of informed consent (IC) for both WES/WGS and the DTC GT context. We performed a qualitative content analysis of Websites of four companies offering WES/WGS DTC regarding the following elements of IC: pre-test counseling, benefits and risks, and incidental findings (IFs). The analysis revealed concerns, including the potential lack of pre-test counseling in three of the companies studied, missing relevant information in the risks and benefits sections, and potentially misleading information for consumers. Regarding IFs, only one company, which provides opportunistic screening, provides basic information about their management. In conclusion, some of the information (and related practices) present on the companies' Web pages salient to the consent process are not adequate in reference to recommendations for IC for WGS or WES in the clinical context. Requisite resources should be allocated to ensure that commercial companies are offering high-throughput sequencing under responsible conditions, including an adequate consent process. © 2016 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

Canker Sores

MedlinePlus

... a good clue. Your doctor may recommend performing culture testing or a biopsy to be certain. Q: ... 27, 2018 2018 EAOM Annual Meeting Category: Allied Organization Events Sat Nov 10, 2018 2018 AAOM Fall ...

The Multidimensionality of Multicultural Service Learning: The Variable Effects of Social Identity, Context and Pedagogy on Pre-Service Teachers' Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Shih-pei; Anagnostopoulos, Dorothea; Omae, Hilda

2011-01-01

Multicultural service learning (MSL) seeks to develop pre-service teachers' capacities and commitment to teach diverse student populations. We use multiple regression analyses of survey data collected from 212 pre-service teachers engaged in 22 MSL sites to assess the effects of pre-service teachers' social identities, MSL contexts, and university…

Chameleons: Electrocardiogram Imitators of ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

PubMed

Nable, Jose V; Lawner, Benjamin J

2015-08-01

The imperative for timely reperfusion therapy for patients presenting with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) underscores the need for clinicians to have an understanding of how to distinguish patterns of STEMI from its imitators. These imitating diagnoses may confound an evaluation, potentially delaying necessary therapy. Although numerous diagnoses may mimic STEMI, several morphologic clues may allow the physician to determine if the pattern is concerning for either STEMI or a mimicking diagnosis. Furthermore, obtaining a satisfactory history, comparing previous electrocardiograms, and assessing serial tests may provide valuable clues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Generalized role for the cerebellum in encoding internal models: evidence from semantic processing.

PubMed

Moberget, Torgeir; Gullesen, Eva Hilland; Andersson, Stein; Ivry, Richard B; Endestad, Tor

2014-02-19

The striking homogeneity of cerebellar microanatomy is strongly suggestive of a corresponding uniformity of function. Consequently, theoretical models of the cerebellum's role in motor control should offer important clues regarding cerebellar contributions to cognition. One such influential theory holds that the cerebellum encodes internal models, neural representations of the context-specific dynamic properties of an object, to facilitate predictive control when manipulating the object. The present study examined whether this theoretical construct can shed light on the contribution of the cerebellum to language processing. We reasoned that the cerebellum might perform a similar coordinative function when the context provided by the initial part of a sentence can be highly predictive of the end of the sentence. Using functional MRI in humans we tested two predictions derived from this hypothesis, building on previous neuroimaging studies of internal models in motor control. First, focal cerebellar activation-reflecting the operation of acquired internal models-should be enhanced when the linguistic context leads terminal words to be predictable. Second, more widespread activation should be observed when such predictions are violated, reflecting the processing of error signals that can be used to update internal models. Both predictions were confirmed, with predictability and prediction violations associated with increased blood oxygenation level-dependent signal in the posterior cerebellum (Crus I/II). Our results provide further evidence for cerebellar involvement in predictive language processing and suggest that the notion of cerebellar internal models may be extended to the language domain.

Developing Culturally Responsive Youth Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, Ann; Grant, Samantha

2011-01-01

Culturally Responsive Youth Work: The Journey Matters is based on the theory that when knowledge and skills are found within the lived experiences and cultural contexts of youth, they are more meaningful and more engaging and are learned more easily (Gay, 2000). The program was evaluated using a retrospective pre-then-post test evaluation and…

Hippocampal damage causes retrograde but not anterograde memory loss for context fear discrimination in rats.

PubMed

Lee, Justin Q; Sutherland, Robert J; McDonald, Robert J

2017-09-01

There is a substantial body of evidence that the hippocampus (HPC) plays and essential role in context discrimination in rodents. Studies reporting anterograde amnesia (AA) used repeated, alternating, distributed conditioning and extinction sessions to measure context fear discrimination. In addition, there is uncertainty about the extent of damage to the HPC. Here, we induced conditioned fear prior to discrimination tests and rats sustained extensive, quantified pre- or post-training HPC damage. Unlike previous work, we found that extensive HPC damage spares context discrimination, we observed no AA. There must be a non-HPC system that can acquire long-term memories that support context fear discrimination. Post-training HPC damage caused retrograde amnesia (RA) for context discrimination, even when rats are fear conditioned for multiple sessions. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the role of HPC in long-term memory. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Role of pretest counseling sessions on increasing subjective knowledge about HIV and hepatitis transmission among the beneficiaries of a free of charge, voluntary counseling and testing program in Constanta, Romania.

PubMed

Schweitzer, A-M; Bogdan, M; Corduneanu, A; Ciocea, I

2018-02-01

To describe the characteristics of clients who enrolled into of an opt-in, HIV, HBV & HCV Voluntary Counseling and Testing Program in Dobrogea Region, Romania (VCT) and to identify the utility of the pre-test counseling sessions in increasing subjective perception regarding transmission knowledge for the clients attending the VCT program. Cross sectional data collection, between August 2015 and September 2016. Sociodemographic and behavioral information were collected for the clients who enrolled at two Baylor centers. Counselors were trained regarding the delivery of standardized information during the session, to reduce variation. After the pre-test session clients evaluated the subjective level of knowledge (SK) increase regarding viral transmission. 3065 clients were screened at the two centers and completed the SK increase assessment after the pre-test session. About 9% of all persons tested had reactive results to any of the infections in the context of high exposure risks for 62% and low hepatitis B vaccination rates (8%). 78% of attendees perceived that their knowledge regarding HIV and viral hepatitis transmission increasing with more than 60% as the result of the pretest counselling; more information was gained about hepatitis transmission compared with HIV. Cumulative prevalence in Dobrogea community is high. The NGO-run VCT program is helping the healthcare system to efficiently screen for undiagnosed HIV and hepatitis cases. Pre-test counselling is directly contributing to increasing SK among attendees. Routine HIV and hepatitis integrated pre-test counseling should be considered as a good-practice even in settings where it is not compulsory by law. © 2018 British HIV Association.

Enhanced Eyeblink Conditioning in Behaviorally Inhibited Individuals is Disrupted by Proactive Interference Following US Alone Pre-exposures.

PubMed

Allen, Michael Todd; Miller, Daniel P

2016-01-01

Anxiety vulnerable individuals exhibit enhanced acquisition of conditioned eyeblinks as well as enhanced proactive interference from conditioned stimulus (CS) or unconditioned stimulus (US) alone pre-exposures (Holloway et al., 2012). US alone pre-exposures disrupt subsequent conditioned response (CR) acquisition to CS-US paired trials as compared to context pre-exposure controls. While Holloway et al. (2012) reported enhanced acquisition in high trait anxiety individuals in the context condition, anxiety vulnerability effects were not reported for the US alone pre-exposure group. It appears from the published data that there were no differences between high and low anxiety individuals in the US alone condition. In the work reported here, we sought to extend the findings of enhanced proactive interference with US alone pre-exposures to determine if the enhanced conditioning was disrupted by proactive interference procedures. We also were interested in the spontaneous eyeblinks during the pre-exposure phase of training. We categorized individuals as anxiety vulnerability or non-vulnerable individuals based scores on the Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (AMBI). Sixty-six participants received 60 trials consisting of 30 US alone or context alone pre-exposures followed by 30 CS-US trials. US alone pre-exposures not only disrupted CR acquisition overall, but behaviorally inhibited (BI) individuals exhibited enhanced proactive interference as compared to non-inhibited (NI) individuals. In addition, US alone pre-exposures disrupted the enhanced acquisition observed in BI individuals as compared to NI individuals following context alone pre-exposures. Differences were also found in rates of spontaneous eyeblinks between BI and NI individuals during context pre-exposure. Our findings will be discussed in the light of the neural substrates of eyeblink conditioning as well as possible factors such as hypervigilance in the amygdala and hippocampal systems, and possible learned helplessness. Applications of these findings of enhanced proactive interference in BI individuals to pre-exposure therapies to reduce anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be discussed.

Enhanced Eyeblink Conditioning in Behaviorally Inhibited Individuals is Disrupted by Proactive Interference Following US Alone Pre-exposures

PubMed Central

Allen, Michael Todd; Miller, Daniel P.

2016-01-01

Anxiety vulnerable individuals exhibit enhanced acquisition of conditioned eyeblinks as well as enhanced proactive interference from conditioned stimulus (CS) or unconditioned stimulus (US) alone pre-exposures (Holloway et al., 2012). US alone pre-exposures disrupt subsequent conditioned response (CR) acquisition to CS-US paired trials as compared to context pre-exposure controls. While Holloway et al. (2012) reported enhanced acquisition in high trait anxiety individuals in the context condition, anxiety vulnerability effects were not reported for the US alone pre-exposure group. It appears from the published data that there were no differences between high and low anxiety individuals in the US alone condition. In the work reported here, we sought to extend the findings of enhanced proactive interference with US alone pre-exposures to determine if the enhanced conditioning was disrupted by proactive interference procedures. We also were interested in the spontaneous eyeblinks during the pre-exposure phase of training. We categorized individuals as anxiety vulnerability or non-vulnerable individuals based scores on the Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition (AMBI). Sixty-six participants received 60 trials consisting of 30 US alone or context alone pre-exposures followed by 30 CS-US trials. US alone pre-exposures not only disrupted CR acquisition overall, but behaviorally inhibited (BI) individuals exhibited enhanced proactive interference as compared to non-inhibited (NI) individuals. In addition, US alone pre-exposures disrupted the enhanced acquisition observed in BI individuals as compared to NI individuals following context alone pre-exposures. Differences were also found in rates of spontaneous eyeblinks between BI and NI individuals during context pre-exposure. Our findings will be discussed in the light of the neural substrates of eyeblink conditioning as well as possible factors such as hypervigilance in the amygdala and hippocampal systems, and possible learned helplessness. Applications of these findings of enhanced proactive interference in BI individuals to pre-exposure therapies to reduce anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be discussed. PMID:27014001

"We don't know her history, her background": adoptive parents' perspectives on whole genome sequencing results.

PubMed

Crouch, Julia; Yu, Joon-Ho; Shankar, Aditi G; Tabor, Holly K

2015-02-01

Exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing (ES/WGS) can provide parents with a wide range of genetic information about their children, and adoptive parents may have unique issues to consider regarding possible access to this information. The few papers published on adoption and genetics have focused on targeted genetic testing of children in the pre-adoption context. There are no data on adoptive parents' perspectives about pediatric ES/WGS, including their preferences about different kinds of results, and the potential benefits and risks of receiving results. To explore these issues, we conducted four exploratory focus groups with adoptive parents (N = 26). The majority lacked information about their children's biological family health history and ancestry, and many viewed WGS results as a way to fill in these gaps in knowledge. Some expressed concerns about protecting their children's future privacy and autonomy, but at the same time stated that WGS results could possibly help them be proactive about their children's health. A few parents expressed concerns about the risks of WGS in a pre-adoption context, specifically about decreasing a child's chance of adoption. These results suggest that issues surrounding genetic information in the post-adoption and ES/WGS contexts need to be considered, as well as concerns about risks in the pre-adoption context. A critical challenge for ES/WGS in the context of adoption will be balancing the right to know different kinds of genetic information with the right not to know. Specific guidance for geneticists and genetic counselors may be needed to maximize benefits of WGS while minimizing harms and prohibiting misuse of the information in the adoption process.

“We don’t know her history, her background”: Adoptive parents’ perspectives on whole genome sequencing results

PubMed Central

Crouch, Julia; Yu, Joon-Ho; Shankar, Aditi G.; Tabor, Holly K.

2014-01-01

Exome sequencing and whole genome sequencing (ES/WGS) can provide parents with a wide range of genetic information about their children, and adoptive parents may have unique issues to consider regarding possible access to this information. The few papers published on adoption and genetics have focused on targeted genetic testing of children in the pre-adoption context. There are no data on adoptive parent perspectives about pediatric ES/WGS, including their preferences about different kinds of results, and the potential benefits and risks of receiving results. To explore these issues, we conducted four exploratory focus groups with adoptive parents (N=26). The majority lacked information about their children’s biological family health history and ancestry, and many viewed WGS results as a way to fill in these gaps in knowledge. Some expressed concerns about protecting their children’s future privacy and autonomy, but at the same time stated that WGS results could possibly help them be proactive about their children’s health. A few parents expressed concerns about the risks of WGS in a pre-adoption context, specifically about decreasing a child’s chance of adoption. These results suggest that issues surrounding genetic information in the post-adoption and ES/WGS contexts need to be considered, as well as concerns about risks in the pre-adoption context. A critical challenge for ES/WGS in the context of adoption will be balancing the right to know different kinds of genetic information with the right not to know. Specific guidance for geneticists and genetic counselors may be needed to maximize benefits of WGS while minimizing harms and prohibiting misuse of the information in the adoption process. PMID:25011977

Mere exposure effect: A consequence of direct and indirect fluency-preference links.

PubMed

Willems, Sylvie; Van der Linden, Martial

2006-06-01

In three experiments, picture quality between test items was manipulated to examine whether subjects' expectations about the fluency normally associated with these different stimuli might influence the effects of fluency on preference or familiarity-based recognition responses. The results showed that fluency due to pre-exposure influenced responses less when objects were presented with high picture quality, suggesting that attributions of fluency to preference and familiarity are adjusted according to expectations about the different test pictures. However, this expectations influence depended on subjects' awareness of these different quality levels. Indeed, imperceptible differences seemed not to induce expectations about the test item fluency. In this context, fluency due to both picture quality and pre-exposure influenced direct responses. Conversely, obvious, and noticed, differences in test picture quality did no affect responses, suggesting that expectations moderated attributions of fluency only when fluency normally associated with these different stimuli was perceptible but difficult to assess.

Examining evolving performance on the Force Concept Inventory using factor analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semak, M. R.; Dietz, R. D.; Pearson, R. H.; Willis, C. W.

2017-06-01

The application of factor analysis to the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has proven to be problematic. Some studies have suggested that factor analysis of test results serves as a helpful tool in assessing the recognition of Newtonian concepts by students. Other work has produced at best ambiguous results. For the FCI administered as a pre- and post-test, we see factor analysis as a tool by which the changes in conceptual associations made by our students may be gauged given the evolution of their response patterns. This analysis allows us to identify and track conceptual linkages, affording us insight as to how our students have matured due to instruction. We report on our analysis of 427 pre- and post-tests. The factor models for the pre- and post-tests are explored and compared along with the methodology by which these models were fit to the data. The post-test factor pattern is more aligned with an expert's interpretation of the questions' content, as it allows for a more readily identifiable relationship between factors and physical concepts. We discuss this evolution in the context of approaching the characteristics of an expert with force concepts. Also, we find that certain test items do not significantly contribute to the pre- or post-test factor models and attempt explanations as to why this is so. This may suggest that such questions may not be effective in probing the conceptual understanding of our students.

From theory to 'measurement' in complex interventions: methodological lessons from the development of an e-health normalisation instrument.

PubMed

Finch, Tracy L; Mair, Frances S; O'Donnell, Catherine; Murray, Elizabeth; May, Carl R

2012-05-17

Although empirical and theoretical understanding of processes of implementation in health care is advancing, translation of theory into structured measures that capture the complex interplay between interventions, individuals and context remain limited. This paper aimed to (1) describe the process and outcome of a project to develop a theory-based instrument for measuring implementation processes relating to e-health interventions; and (2) identify key issues and methodological challenges for advancing work in this field. A 30-item instrument (Technology Adoption Readiness Scale (TARS)) for measuring normalisation processes in the context of e-health service interventions was developed on the basis on Normalization Process Theory (NPT). NPT focuses on how new practices become routinely embedded within social contexts. The instrument was pre-tested in two health care settings in which e-health (electronic facilitation of healthcare decision-making and practice) was used by health care professionals. The developed instrument was pre-tested in two professional samples (N=46; N=231). Ratings of items representing normalisation 'processes' were significantly related to staff members' perceptions of whether or not e-health had become 'routine'. Key methodological challenges are discussed in relation to: translating multi-component theoretical constructs into simple questions; developing and choosing appropriate outcome measures; conducting multiple-stakeholder assessments; instrument and question framing; and more general issues for instrument development in practice contexts. To develop theory-derived measures of implementation process for progressing research in this field, four key recommendations are made relating to (1) greater attention to underlying theoretical assumptions and extent of translation work required; (2) the need for appropriate but flexible approaches to outcomes measurement; (3) representation of multiple perspectives and collaborative nature of work; and (4) emphasis on generic measurement approaches that can be flexibly tailored to particular contexts of study.

Developing a Social Autopsy Tool for Dengue Mortality: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Arauz, María José; Ridde, Valéry; Hernández, Libia Milena; Charris, Yaneth; Carabali, Mabel; Villar, Luis Ángel

2015-01-01

Background Dengue fever is a public health problem in the tropical and sub-tropical world. Dengue cases have grown dramatically in recent years as well as dengue mortality. Colombia has experienced periodic dengue outbreaks with numerous dengue related-deaths, where the Santander department has been particularly affected. Although social determinants of health (SDH) shape health outcomes, including mortality, it is not yet understood how these affect dengue mortality. The aim of this pilot study was to develop and pre-test a social autopsy (SA) tool for dengue mortality. Methods and Findings The tool was developed and pre-tested in three steps. First, dengue fatal cases and ‘near misses’ (those who recovered from dengue complications) definitions were elaborated. Second, a conceptual framework on determinants of dengue mortality was developed to guide the construction of the tool. Lastly, the tool was designed and pre-tested among three relatives of fatal cases and six near misses in 2013 in the metropolitan zone of Bucaramanga. The tool turned out to be practical in the context of dengue mortality in Colombia after some modifications. The tool aims to study the social, individual, and health systems determinants of dengue mortality. The tool is focused on studying the socioeconomic position and the intermediary SDH rather than the socioeconomic and political context. Conclusions The SA tool is based on the scientific literature, a validated conceptual framework, researchers’ and health professionals’ expertise, and a pilot study. It is the first time that a SA tool has been created for the dengue mortality context. Our work furthers the study on SDH and how these are applied to neglected tropical diseases, like dengue. This tool could be integrated in surveillance systems to provide complementary information on the modifiable and avoidable death-related factors and therefore, be able to formulate interventions for dengue mortality reduction. PMID:25658485

What Is Genetic Ancestry Testing?

MedlinePlus

... what they can learn from relatives or from historical documentation. Examination of DNA variations can provide clues ... female ancestors that may be lost from the historical record because of the way surnames are often ...

If ‘we’ can succeed, ‘I’ can too: Identity-based motivation and gender in the classroom

PubMed Central

Elmore, Kristen C.; Oyserman, Daphna

2011-01-01

Gender matters in the classroom, but not in the way people may assume; girls are outperforming boys. Identity-Based Motivation (IBM) theory explains why: People prefer to act in ways that feel in-line with important social identities such as gender. If a behavior feels identity-congruent, difficulty is interpreted as meaning that the behavior is important, not impossible, but what feels identity-congruent is context-dependent. IBM implies that boys (and girls) scan the classroom for clues about how to be male (or female); school effort will feel worthwhile if successful engagement with school feels gender-congruent, not otherwise. A between-subjects experimental design tested this prediction, manipulating whether gender and success felt congruent, incongruent, or not linked (control). Students in the success is gender-congruent condition described more school-focused possible identities, rated their likely future academic and occupational success higher, and tried harder on an academic task (this latter effect was significant only for boys). PMID:22711971

Navigating recurrent abdominal pain through clinical clues, red flags, and initial testing.

PubMed

Noe, Joshua D; Li, B U K

2009-05-01

Recurrent abdominal pain is a common chronic complaint that presents to your office. The constant challenge is one of detecting those with organic disease from the majority who have a functional pain disorder including functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal pain, and abdominal migraine. Beginning with a detailed history and physical exam, you can: 1) apply the symptom-based Rome III criteria to positively identify a functional disorder, and 2) filter these findings through the diagnostic clues and red flags that point toward specific organic disease and/or further testing. Once a functional diagnosis has been made or an organic disease is suspected, you can initiate a self-limited empiric therapeutic trial. With this diagnostic approach, you should feel confident navigating through the initial evaluation, management, and consultation referral for a child or adolescent with recurrent abdominal pain.

Simulating land-use changes by incorporating spatial autocorrelation and self-organization in CLUE-S modeling: a case study in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, Zhixiong; Wu, Hao; Li, Shiyun

2018-06-01

The Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent (CLUE-S), which is a widely used model for land-use simulation, utilizes logistic regression to estimate the relationships between land use and its drivers, and thus, predict land-use change probabilities. However, logistic regression disregards possible spatial autocorrelation and self-organization in land-use data. Autologistic regression can depict spatial autocorrelation but cannot address self-organization, while logistic regression by considering only self-organization (NElogistic regression) fails to capture spatial autocorrelation. Therefore, this study developed a regression (NE-autologistic regression) method, which incorporated both spatial autocorrelation and self-organization, to improve CLUE-S. The Zengcheng District of Guangzhou, China was selected as the study area. The land-use data of 2001, 2005, and 2009, as well as 10 typical driving factors, were used to validate the proposed regression method and the improved CLUE-S model. Then, three future land-use scenarios in 2020: the natural growth scenario, ecological protection scenario, and economic development scenario, were simulated using the improved model. Validation results showed that NE-autologistic regression performed better than logistic regression, autologistic regression, and NE-logistic regression in predicting land-use change probabilities. The spatial allocation accuracy and kappa values of NE-autologistic-CLUE-S were higher than those of logistic-CLUE-S, autologistic-CLUE-S, and NE-logistic-CLUE-S for the simulations of two periods, 2001-2009 and 2005-2009, which proved that the improved CLUE-S model achieved the best simulation and was thereby effective to a certain extent. The scenario simulation results indicated that under all three scenarios, traffic land and residential/industrial land would increase, whereas arable land and unused land would decrease during 2009-2020. Apparent differences also existed in the simulated change sizes and locations of each land-use type under different scenarios. The results not only demonstrate the validity of the improved model but also provide a valuable reference for relevant policy-makers.

Hybrid context aware recommender systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Rajshree; Tyagi, Jaya; Singh, Sandeep Kumar; Alam, Taj

2017-10-01

Recommender systems and context awareness is currently a vital field of research. Most hybrid recommendation systems implement content based and collaborative filtering techniques whereas this work combines context and collaborative filtering. The paper presents a hybrid context aware recommender system for books and movies that gives recommendations based on the user context as well as user or item similarity. It also addresses the issue of dimensionality reduction using weighted pre filtering based on dynamically entered user context and preference of context. This unique step helps to reduce the size of dataset for collaborative filtering. Bias subtracted collaborative filtering is used so as to consider the relative rating of a particular user and not the absolute values. Cosine similarity is used as a metric to determine the similarity between users or items. The unknown ratings are calculated and evaluated using MSE (Mean Squared Error) in test and train datasets. The overall process of recommendation has helped to personalize recommendations and give more accurate results with reduced complexity in collaborative filtering.

Leisure Activities for the Development of Creative Intelligence in Mathematical Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro, Angélica Mercedes Tumbaco; Guerra, Galo Ernestro Cabanilla; Brito, Christian Antonio Pavón; Chávez, Tannia Gabriela Acosta

2018-01-01

The present work studies the influence of leisure activities on the creative intelligence of the students. An experimental pre- and post-test design was carried out with individuals selected in a sampling process. The design identifies the ease of students to place themselves in possible contexts and solve them mathematically through Polya's…

12 CFR Appendix C to Part 3 - Capital Adequacy Guidelines for Banks: Internal-Ratings-Based and Advanced Measurement Approaches

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... Excluded mortgage exposure means any one- to four-family residential pre-sold construction loan for a... model development. In this context, backtesting is one form of out-of-sample testing. Bank holding... one party (the protection purchaser) to transfer the credit risk of one or more exposures (reference...

Problem-Based Learning in an Online Course: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheaney, James D.; Ingebritsen, Thomas S.

2005-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is the use of a "real world" problem or situation as a context for learning. The present study explores the use of PBL in an online biotechnology course. In the PBL unit, student groups dealt with the ethical, legal, social, and human issues surrounding pre-symptomatic DNA testing for a genetic disease. Issues…

Disrupted adenovirus-based vaccines against small addictive molecules circumvent anti-adenovirus immunity.

PubMed

De, Bishnu P; Pagovich, Odelya E; Hicks, Martin J; Rosenberg, Jonathan B; Moreno, Amira Y; Janda, Kim D; Koob, George F; Worgall, Stefan; Kaminsky, Stephen M; Sondhi, Dolan; Crystal, Ronald G

2013-01-01

Adenovirus (Ad) vaccine vectors have been used for many applications due to the capacity of the Ad capsid proteins to evoke potent immune responses, but these vectors are often ineffective in the context of pre-existing anti-Ad immunity. Leveraging the knowledge that E1(-)E3(-) Ad gene transfer vectors are potent immunogens, we have developed a vaccine platform against small molecules by covalently coupling analogs of small molecules to the capsid proteins of disrupted Ad (dAd5). We hypothesized that the dAd5 platform would maintain immunopotency even in the context of anti-Ad neutralizing antibodies. To test this hypothesis, we coupled cocaine and nicotine analogs, GNE and AM1, to dAd5 capsid proteins to generate dAd5GNE and dAd5AM1, respectively. Mice were pre-immunized with Ad5Null, resulting in high titer anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies comparable to those observed in the human population. The dAd5GNE and dAd5AM1 vaccines elicited high anti-cocaine and anti-nicotine antibody titers, respectively, in both naive and Ad5-immune mice, and both functioned to prevent cocaine or nicotine from reaching the brain of anti-Ad immune mice. Thus, disrupted Ad5 evokes potent humoral immunity that is effective in the context of pre-existing neutralizing anti-Ad immunity, overcoming a major limitation for current Ad-based vaccines.

CLARIPED: a new tool for risk classification in pediatric emergencies.

PubMed

Magalhães-Barbosa, Maria Clara de; Prata-Barbosa, Arnaldo; Alves da Cunha, Antonio José Ledo; Lopes, Cláudia de Souza

2016-09-01

To present a new pediatric risk classification tool, CLARIPED, and describe its development steps. Development steps: (i) first round of discussion among experts, first prototype; (ii) pre-test of reliability, 36 hypothetical cases; (iii) second round of discussion to perform adjustments; (iv) team training; (v) pre-test with patients in real time; (vi) third round of discussion to perform new adjustments; (vii) final pre-test of validity (20% of medical treatments in five days). CLARIPED features five urgency categories: Red (Emergency), Orange (very urgent), Yellow (urgent), Green (little urgent) and Blue (not urgent). The first classification step includes the measurement of four vital signs (Vipe score); the second step consists in the urgency discrimination assessment. Each step results in assigning a color, selecting the most urgent one for the final classification. Each color corresponds to a maximum waiting time for medical care and referral to the most appropriate physical area for the patient's clinical condition. The interobserver agreement was substantial (kappa=0.79) and the final pre-test, with 82 medical treatments, showed good correlation between the proportion of patients in each urgency category and the number of used resources (p<0.001). CLARIPED is an objective and easy-to-use tool for simple risk classification, of which pre-tests suggest good reliability and validity. Larger-scale studies on its validity and reliability in different health contexts are ongoing and can contribute to the implementation of a nationwide pediatric risk classification system. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Maximizing the Potential of Mentoring: A Framework for Pre-Service Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambrosetti, Angelina; Knight, Bruce Allen; Dekkers, John

2014-01-01

Within the professional placement component of pre-service teacher education, mentoring has become a strategy that is used during the practical application of learning to teach. In this paper, we examine mentoring in the pre-service teacher education context by proposing a theoretically based framework for mentoring in this context. Firstly, the…

How Do Pre-Service Teachers' Reflective Processes Differ in Relation to Different Contexts?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaasila, Raimo; Lauriala, Anneli

2012-01-01

Reflective practice represents a central theme in teacher education. The focus of this study is to look at pre-service teachers' reflection processes and their breadth and depth in four different contexts. Our research data consist of 53 pre-service teachers' mathematics portfolios, from which three were selected for closer scrutiny. The chosen…

Inhabiting the "Tragic Gap": Pre-Service Teachers Practicing Racial Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosley, Melissa; Rogers, Rebecca

2011-01-01

Set in the context of a teacher education program, this study examined how three White pre-service teachers participate in book club discussions of children's literature. We asked: When White pre-service teachers are in a context that enables talk about race, racism and anti-racism, what do they talk about? What conceptual and discursive tools do…

Drug- and herb-induced liver injury: Progress, current challenges and emerging signals of post-marketing risk

PubMed Central

Raschi, Emanuel; De Ponti, Fabrizio

2015-01-01

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and herb-induced liver injury is a hot topic for clinicians, academia, drug companies and regulators, as shown by the steadily increasing number of publications in the past 15 years. This review will first provide clues for clinicians to suspect idiosyncratic (unpredictable) DILI and succeed in diagnosis. Causality assessment remains challenging and requires careful medical history as well as awareness of multifaceted aspects, especially for herbs. Drug discontinuation and therapy reconciliation remain the mainstay in patent’s management to minimize occurrence of acute liver failure. The second section will address novel agents associated with liver injury in 2014 (referred to as “signals”), especially in terms of clinical, research and drug development implications. Insights will be provided into recent trends by highlighting the contribution of different post-marketing data, especially registries and spontaneous reporting systems. This literature scrutiny suggests: (1) the importance of post-marketing databases as tools of clinical evidence to detect signals of DILI risk; and (2) the need for joining efforts in improving predictivity of pre-clinical assays, continuing post-marketing surveillance and design ad hoc post-authorization safety studies. In this context, ongoing European/United States research consortia and novel pharmaco-epidemiological tools (e.g., specialist prescription event monitoring) will support innovation in this field. Direct oral anticoagulants and herbal/dietary supplements appear as key research priorities. PMID:26167249

Drug- and herb-induced liver injury: Progress, current challenges and emerging signals of post-marketing risk.

PubMed

Raschi, Emanuel; De Ponti, Fabrizio

2015-07-08

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) and herb-induced liver injury is a hot topic for clinicians, academia, drug companies and regulators, as shown by the steadily increasing number of publications in the past 15 years. This review will first provide clues for clinicians to suspect idiosyncratic (unpredictable) DILI and succeed in diagnosis. Causality assessment remains challenging and requires careful medical history as well as awareness of multifaceted aspects, especially for herbs. Drug discontinuation and therapy reconciliation remain the mainstay in patent's management to minimize occurrence of acute liver failure. The second section will address novel agents associated with liver injury in 2014 (referred to as "signals"), especially in terms of clinical, research and drug development implications. Insights will be provided into recent trends by highlighting the contribution of different post-marketing data, especially registries and spontaneous reporting systems. This literature scrutiny suggests: (1) the importance of post-marketing databases as tools of clinical evidence to detect signals of DILI risk; and (2) the need for joining efforts in improving predictivity of pre-clinical assays, continuing post-marketing surveillance and design ad hoc post-authorization safety studies. In this context, ongoing European/United States research consortia and novel pharmaco-epidemiological tools (e.g., specialist prescription event monitoring) will support innovation in this field. Direct oral anticoagulants and herbal/dietary supplements appear as key research priorities.

Chromosome Connections: Compelling Clues to Common Ancestry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flammer, Larry

2013-01-01

Students compare banding patterns on hominid chromosomes and see striking evidence of their common ancestry. To test this, human chromosome no. 2 is matched with two shorter chimpanzee chromosomes, leading to the hypothesis that human chromosome 2 resulted from the fusion of the two shorter chromosomes. Students test that hypothesis by looking for…

Historical Perspective on Mitochondrial Medicine

PubMed Central

DiMauro, Salvatore; Garone, Caterina

2010-01-01

In this review, we trace the origins and follow the development of mitochondrial medicine from the pre-molecular era (1962-1988) based on clinical clues, muscle morphology, and biochemistry into the molecular era that started in 1988 and is still advancing at a brisk pace. We have tried to stress conceptual advances, such as endosymbiosis, uniparental inheritance, intergenomic signaling and its defects, and mitochondrial dynamics. We hope that this historical review also provides an update on mitochondrial medicine, although we fully realize that the speed of progress in this area makes any such endeavor akin to writing on water. PMID:20818724

Clues to patients' explanations and concerns about their illnesses. A call for active listening.

PubMed

Lang, F; Floyd, M R; Beine, K L

2000-03-01

Most patients who experience illness symptoms develop an explanatory model. More frequently than physicians realize, these attributions involve serious and potentially life-threatening medical conditions. Only a minority of patients spontaneously disclose or "offer" their ideas, concerns, and expectations. Often patients suggest or imply their ideas through "clues." Active listening is a skill for recognizing and exploring patients' clues. Without this communication skill, patients' real concerns often go unrecognized by health care professionals. Qualitative techniques including videotape analysis, postinterviewing debriefing, and interpersonal process recall were used to identify types of clues. We propose a taxonomy of clues that includes (1) expression of feelings (especially concern or worry), (2) attempts to understand or explain symptoms, (3) speech clues that underscore particular concerns of the patient, (4) personal stories that link the patient with medical conditions or risks, and (5) behaviors suggestive of unresolved concerns or unmet expectations. This clue taxonomy will help physicians recognize patients' clues more readily and thereby improve their active listening skills. A deeper understanding of the true reasons for the visit should result in increased patient satisfaction and improved outcomes.

Lupus erythematosus cells in bone marrow: the only clue to a previously unsuspected diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

PubMed

Pujani, Mukta; Kushwaha, Shivani; Sethi, Neha; Beniwal, Anu; Shukla, Shailaja

2013-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune multisystem disease characterized by the development of antinuclear antibodies. Nowadays considered outdated, lupus erythematosus (LE) cell preparation served as a screening test for SLE for decades. However, the importance of discovering LE cells on routine cytology cannot be overemphasized. We report the case of a 30-year-old female in whom bone marrow aspiration (BMA) was performed during an investigative workup for pyrexia of unknown origin. The observation of LE cells in direct bone marrow smears (without the use of an anticoagulant) raised the suspicion of SLE, which was later confirmed by antinuclear antibody testing. In the present case, LE cells were observed on BMA performed for the investigation of fever of unknown origin. The unexpected observation of LE cells in BMA smears emphasizes the fact that good morphological observation of marrow aspirates can provide crucial clues to a previously unsuspected diagnosis.

The role of peripheral vision in saccade planning: learning from people with tunnel vision.

PubMed

Luo, Gang; Vargas-Martin, Fernando; Peli, Eli

2008-12-22

Both visually salient and top-down information are important in eye movement control, but their relative roles in the planning of daily saccades are unclear. We investigated the effect of peripheral vision loss on saccadic behaviors in patients with tunnel vision (visual field diameters 7 degrees-16 degrees) in visual search and real-world walking experiments. The patients made up to two saccades per second to their pre-saccadic blind areas, about half of which had no overlap between the post- and pre-saccadic views. In the visual search experiment, visual field size and the background (blank or picture) did not affect the saccade sizes and direction of patients (n = 9). In the walking experiment, the patients (n = 5) and normal controls (n = 3) had similar distributions of saccade sizes and directions. These findings might provide a clue about the large extent of the top-down mechanism influence on eye movement control.

Role of peripheral vision in saccade planning: Learning from people with tunnel vision

PubMed Central

Luo, Gang; Vargas-Martin, Fernando; Peli, Eli

2008-01-01

Both visually salient and top-down information are important in eye movement control, but their relative roles in the planning of daily saccades are unclear. We investigated the effect of peripheral vision loss on saccadic behaviors in patients with tunnel vision (visual field diameters 7°–16°) in visual search and real-world walking experiments. The patients made up to two saccades per second to their pre-saccadic blind areas, about half of which had no overlap between the post- and pre-saccadic views. In the visual search experiment, visual field size and the background (blank or picture) did not affect the saccade sizes and direction of patients (n=9). In the walking experiment, the patients (n=5) and normal controls (n=3) had similar distributions of saccade sizes and directions. These findings might provide a clue about the extent of the top-down mechanism influence on eye movement control. PMID:19146326

Comprehension as a Basis for Metacognitive Judgments: Effects of Effort after Meaning on Recall and Metacognition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaromb, Franklin M.; Karpicke, Jeffrey D.; Roediger, Henry L., III

2010-01-01

We examined free recall and metacognitive judgments of ambiguous sentences studied with and without clues to facilitate their comprehension. Sentences were either studied without clues, with clues meaningfully embedded, or with clues following a 10-s interval delay. After presentation, subjects made judgments of comprehension (JCOMPs) or judgments…

Orthographic Analogies and Early Reading: Evidence from a Multiple Clue Word Paradigm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Robert S.; Deault, Louise; Daki, Julia; Aouad, Julie

2011-01-01

Two experiments using a variation of the clue word analogy task (Goswami, 1986) explored whether children can make orthographic analogies when given multiple clue words, beyond the known effects of purely phonological activation. In Experiment 1, 42 children (mean age 6 years and 8 months) were first taught 3 "clue" words (e.g.,…

How and How Much Do Biases Resulting from Regression to the Mean Affect Outcome Evaluations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tallmadge, G. Kasten

The question of regression to the mean is discussed in the contexts of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) and the Bilingual Education Evaluation System (BEES), both of which involve assessing the achievement growth of project students from pre- to post-test. The correction formula recommended for use with TIERS was designed to…

Evaluating the Impact of the Erasmus Programme: Skills and European Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobone, Vittoria; Moro, Giuseppe

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this study lies in the evaluation of what students acquire from studies abroad in the context of credit mobility, in terms of competence development and personal growth, compared with that gained by students completing their study or internship in their home country. A pre-post test design, with both an experimental group…

The Effect of WhatsApp Chat Group in Enhancing EFL Learners' Verbal Interaction outside Classroom Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minalla, Amir Abdalla

2018-01-01

This study was mainly conducted to examine the possibility of utilizing "WhatsApp Group" in enhancing EFL learners' verbal interaction. To do this experimental and descriptive methods were used to achieve the objective of this study. A questionnaire and pre- and post-test were adopted as tools for data collection. Samples of two groups…

An Integrated Approach to Introducing Biofuels, Flash Point, and Vapor Pressure Concepts into an Introductory College Chemistry Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Adam R.; Britton, Stephanie L.; Cadwell, Katie D.; Walz, Kenneth A.

2011-01-01

Students explore the fundamental chemical concepts of vapor pressure and flash point in a real-world technical context, while gaining insight into the contemporary societal issue of biofuels. Lab activities were developed using a closed-cup instrument to measure the flash point of various biodiesel samples. Pre- and post-tests revealed that the…

Enhancing students' science literacy using solar cell learning multimedia containing science and nano technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliyawati, Sunarya, Yayan; Mudzakir, Ahmad

2017-05-01

This research attempts to enhance students' science literacy in the aspects of students' science content, application context, process, and students' attitude using solar cell learning multimedia containing science and nano technology. The quasi-experimental method with pre-post test design was used to achieve these objectives. Seventy-two students of class XII at a high school were employed as research's subject. Thirty-six students were in control class and another thirty-six were in experiment class. Variance test (t-test) was performed on the average level of 95% to identify the differences of students' science literacy in both classes. As the result, there were significant different of learning outcomes between experiment class and control class. Almost half of students (41.67%) in experiment class are categorized as high. Therefore, the learning using solar cell learning multimedia can improve students' science literacy, especially in the students' science content, application context, and process aspects with n-gain(%) 59.19 (medium), 63.04 (medium), and 52.98 (medium). This study can be used to develop learning multimedia in other science context.

Anesthesiologists' and surgeons' perceptions about routine pre-operative testing in low-risk patients: application of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify factors that influence physicians' decisions to order pre-operative tests.

PubMed

Patey, Andrea M; Islam, Rafat; Francis, Jill J; Bryson, Gregory L; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2012-06-09

Routine pre-operative tests for anesthesia management are often ordered by both anesthesiologists and surgeons for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgery. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was developed to investigate determinants of behaviour and identify potential behaviour change interventions. In this study, the TDF is used to explore anaesthesiologists' and surgeons' perceptions of ordering routine tests for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgery. Sixteen clinicians (eleven anesthesiologists and five surgeons) throughout Ontario were recruited. An interview guide based on the TDF was developed to identify beliefs about pre-operative testing practices. Content analysis of physicians' statements into the relevant theoretical domains was performed. Specific beliefs were identified by grouping similar utterances of the interview participants. Relevant domains were identified by noting the frequencies of the beliefs reported, presence of conflicting beliefs, and perceived influence on the performance of the behaviour under investigation. Seven of the twelve domains were identified as likely relevant to changing clinicians' behaviour about pre-operative test ordering for anesthesia management. Key beliefs were identified within these domains including: conflicting comments about who was responsible for the test-ordering (Social/professional role and identity); inability to cancel tests ordered by fellow physicians (Beliefs about capabilities and social influences); and the problem with tests being completed before the anesthesiologists see the patient (Beliefs about capabilities and Environmental context and resources). Often, tests were ordered by an anesthesiologist based on who may be the attending anesthesiologist on the day of surgery while surgeons ordered tests they thought anesthesiologists may need (Social influences). There were also conflicting comments about the potential consequences associated with reducing testing, from negative (delay or cancel patients' surgeries), to indifference (little or no change in patient outcomes), to positive (save money, avoid unnecessary investigations) (Beliefs about consequences). Further, while most agreed that they are motivated to reduce ordering unnecessary tests (Motivation and goals), there was still a report of a gap between their motivation and practice (Behavioural regulation). We identified key factors that anesthesiologists and surgeons believe influence whether they order pre-operative tests routinely for anesthesia management for a healthy adults undergoing low-risk surgery. These beliefs identify potential individual, team, and organisation targets for behaviour change interventions to reduce unnecessary routine test ordering.

Investigating the Effect of Contextual Clues on the Processing of Unfamiliar Words in Second Language Listening Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Wei; Lee, Benny P. H.

2010-01-01

This study examines the effect of contextual clues on the use of strategies (inferencing and ignoring) and knowledge sources (semantics, morphology, world knowledge, and others) for processing unfamiliar words in listening comprehension. Three types of words were investigated: words with local co-text clues, global co-text clues and extra-textual…

Cloze Listening Test (Form Lisbon and Form Waco).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowdidge, John S.

Designed to measure recall of specific information, ability to grasp the thought of a passage as a whole, and ability to apply various contextual clues while listening to a passage of aural communication, each of the alternate forms of the cloze listening test consists of an audio tape recording of approximately twenty minutes duration and a…

Determining the Effects of Pre-College STEM Contexts on STEM Major Choices in 4-Year Postsecondary Institutions Using Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Ahlam

2013-01-01

Many STEM studies have focused on traditional learning contexts, such as math- and science-related learning factors, as pre-college learning predictors for STEM major choices in colleges. Few studies have considered a progressive learning activity embedded within STEM contexts. This study chose computer-based learning activities in K-12 math…

NMDA receptors in the avian amygdala and the premotor arcopallium mediate distinct aspects of appetitive extinction learning.

PubMed

Gao, Meng; Lengersdorf, Daniel; Stüttgen, Maik C; Güntürkün, Onur

2018-05-02

Extinction learning is an essential mechanism that enables constant adaptation to ever-changing environmental conditions. The underlying neural circuit is mostly studied with rodent models using auditory cued fear conditioning. In order to uncover the variant and the invariant neural properties of extinction learning, we adopted pigeons as an animal model in an appetitive sign-tracking paradigm. The animals firstly learned to respond to two conditioned stimuli in two different contexts (CS-1 in context A and CS-2 in context B), before conditioned responses to the stimuli were extinguished in the opposite contexts (CS-1 in context B and CS-2 in context A). Subsequently, responding to both stimuli was tested in both contexts. Prior to extinction training, we locally injected the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist 2-Amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) in either the amygdala or the (pre)motor arcopallium to investigate their involvement in extinction learning. Our findings suggest that the encoding of extinction memory required the activation of amygdala, as visible by an impairment of extinction acquisition by concurrent inactivation of local NMDARs. In contrast, consolidation and subsequent retrieval of extinction memory recruited the (pre)motor arcopallium. Also, the inactivation of arcopallial NMDARs induced a general motoric slowing during extinction training. Thus, our results reveal a double dissociation between arcopallium and amygdala with respect to acquisition and consolidation of extinction, respectively. Our study therefore provides new insights on the two key components of the avian extinction network and their resemblance to the data obtained from mammals, possibly indicating a shared neural mechanism underlying extinction learning shaped by evolution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to reduce context-dependent learning in people with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Lee, Ya-Yun; Fisher, Beth E

2017-05-22

Compared with age-matched non-disabled adults, people with Parkinson's disease (PD) demonstrated greater context-dependent learning, a phenomenon in which an individual shows inferior motor performance when the testing environmental context is different from the original practice context. Additionally, enhanced context- dependency has been shown to be associated with an increased activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). This study aimed to determine whether context-dependent learning in people with PD could be reduced by decreasing DLPFC activation with low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Quasi-experimental pre-post test controlled study. University laboratory. Twenty-seven participants (18 individuals with PD and 9 age-matched non- disabled adults) were recruited into the PD, PD_rTMS (PD participants who received low frequency rTMS), and Control groups. All participants practiced a finger sequence task containing 3 sequences embedded within specific contexts (colored circles and spatial location on a computer screen) on the first day. On day 2, the participants were tested under the SWITCH and SAME conditions. In the SWITCH condition, the sequence-context association changed from that of practice; in the SAME condition, the sequence-context association remained the same as practice. The PD_rTMS group received 1 Hz rTMS applied over the left DLPFC on the second day before the testing conditions. Switch cost, the performance difference between the SWITCH and SAME conditions, was calculated to indicate context-dependency. All participants improved throughout practice on the first day. Analysis of the switch cost revealed a significant group main effect (p = 0.050). Post-hoc analysis revealed that the PD_rTMS group had significantly smaller switch cost than the PD group (p = 0.031) but not the Control group. Low frequency rTMS applied over DLPFC reduced context-dependency in people with PD. The findings provide a preliminary evidence of using low frequency rTMS as an adjuvant intervention approach to facilitate individuals with PD to generalize a learned motor task from one environmental context to another.

Disrupted Adenovirus-Based Vaccines Against Small Addictive Molecules Circumvent Anti-Adenovirus Immunity

PubMed Central

De, Bishnu P.; Pagovich, Odelya E.; Hicks, Martin J.; Rosenberg, Jonathan B.; Moreno, Amira Y.; Janda, Kim D.; Koob, George F.; Worgall, Stefan; Kaminsky, Stephen M.; Sondhi, Dolan

2013-01-01

Abstract Adenovirus (Ad) vaccine vectors have been used for many applications due to the capacity of the Ad capsid proteins to evoke potent immune responses, but these vectors are often ineffective in the context of pre-existing anti-Ad immunity. Leveraging the knowledge that E1−E3− Ad gene transfer vectors are potent immunogens, we have developed a vaccine platform against small molecules by covalently coupling analogs of small molecules to the capsid proteins of disrupted Ad (dAd5). We hypothesized that the dAd5 platform would maintain immunopotency even in the context of anti-Ad neutralizing antibodies. To test this hypothesis, we coupled cocaine and nicotine analogs, GNE and AM1, to dAd5 capsid proteins to generate dAd5GNE and dAd5AM1, respectively. Mice were pre-immunized with Ad5Null, resulting in high titer anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies comparable to those observed in the human population. The dAd5GNE and dAd5AM1 vaccines elicited high anti-cocaine and anti-nicotine antibody titers, respectively, in both naive and Ad5-immune mice, and both functioned to prevent cocaine or nicotine from reaching the brain of anti-Ad immune mice. Thus, disrupted Ad5 evokes potent humoral immunity that is effective in the context of pre-existing neutralizing anti-Ad immunity, overcoming a major limitation for current Ad-based vaccines. PMID:23140508

Pre-attentive, context-specific representation of fear memory in the auditory cortex of rat.

PubMed

Funamizu, Akihiro; Kanzaki, Ryohei; Takahashi, Hirokazu

2013-01-01

Neural representation in the auditory cortex is rapidly modulated by both top-down attention and bottom-up stimulus properties, in order to improve perception in a given context. Learning-induced, pre-attentive, map plasticity has been also studied in the anesthetized cortex; however, little attention has been paid to rapid, context-dependent modulation. We hypothesize that context-specific learning leads to pre-attentively modulated, multiplex representation in the auditory cortex. Here, we investigate map plasticity in the auditory cortices of anesthetized rats conditioned in a context-dependent manner, such that a conditioned stimulus (CS) of a 20-kHz tone and an unconditioned stimulus (US) of a mild electrical shock were associated only under a noisy auditory context, but not in silence. After the conditioning, although no distinct plasticity was found in the tonotopic map, tone-evoked responses were more noise-resistive than pre-conditioning. Yet, the conditioned group showed a reduced spread of activation to each tone with noise, but not with silence, associated with a sharpening of frequency tuning. The encoding accuracy index of neurons showed that conditioning deteriorated the accuracy of tone-frequency representations in noisy condition at off-CS regions, but not at CS regions, suggesting that arbitrary tones around the frequency of the CS were more likely perceived as the CS in a specific context, where CS was associated with US. These results together demonstrate that learning-induced plasticity in the auditory cortex occurs in a context-dependent manner.

Pre-test and post-test evaluation of students' perceptions of a collaborative clinical education model on the learning environment.

PubMed

Henderson, Amanda; Heel, Alison; Twentyman, Michelle; Lloyd, Belinda

2006-01-01

This study investigated the impact of a collaborative clinical education model on students' perception of the psycho-social learning environment. A pre-test and post-test quasi experimental design. A tertiary referral centre. Second and third year undergraduate nursing students were asked to rate their perceptions of the psycho-social learning environment at the completion of the clinical practicum. TOOL: The tool used to measure psycho-social perceptions of the clinical learning environment was the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory previously validated in Australian health care contexts. A collaborative arrangement with the university and ward staff where eight students are placed on a ward and a ward staff member is paid by the university to be 'off-line' from a clinical workload to supervise the students. This is in contrast to the standard facilitation model where students are placed with registered nurses in different localities under the supervision of a 'roving' registered nurse paid by the university. No significant differences were found in pre-test mean scores when comparing wards. Significant differences in post-test scores for the intervention group were identified in the sub scales of Student Involvement, Satisfaction, Personalisation and Task Orientation. The adoption of a collaborative clinical education model where students are integrated into the ward team and the team is responsible for student learning can positively enhance capacity for student learning during their clinical practicum.

Distance education for tobacco reduction with Inuit frontline health workers.

PubMed

Collins, Rob; Hammond, Merryl; Carry, Catherine L; Kinnon, Dianne; Killulark, Joan; Nevala, Janet

2013-01-01

Tobacco reduction is a major priority in Canadian Inuit communities. However, many Inuit frontline health workers lacked the knowledge, confidence and support to address the tobacco epidemic. Given vast distances, high costs of face-to-face training and previous successful pilots using distance education, this method was chosen for a national tobacco reduction course. To provide distance education about tobacco reduction to at least 25 frontline health workers from all Inuit regions of Canada. Promising practices globally were assessed in a literature survey. The National Inuit Tobacco Task Group guided the project. Participants were selected from across Inuit Nunangat. They chose a focus from a "menu" of 6 course options, completed a pre-test to assess individual learning needs and chose which community project(s) to complete. Course materials were mailed, and trainers provided intensive, individualized support through telephone, fax and e-mail. The course ended with an open-book post-test. Follow-up support continued for several months post-training. Of the 30 participants, 27 (90%) completed the course. The mean pre-test score was 72% (range: 38-98%). As the post-test was done using open books, everyone scored 100%, with a mean improvement of 28% (range: 2-62%). Although it was often challenging to contact participants through phone, a distance education approach was very practical in a northern context. Learning is more concrete when it happens in a real-life context. As long as adequate support is provided, we recommend individualized distance education to others working in circumpolar regions.

Memory accuracy predicts hippocampal mTOR pathway activation following retrieval of contextual fear memory.

PubMed

Gafford, Georgette M; Parsons, Ryan G; Helmstetter, Fred J

2013-09-01

Prior work suggests that hippocampus-dependent memory undergoes a systems consolidation process such that recent memories are stored in the hippocampus, while older memories are independent of the hippocampus and instead dependent on cortical areas. One problem with interpreting these studies is that memory for the contextual stimuli weakens as time passes between the training event and testing and older memories are often less detailed, making it difficult to determine if memory storage in the hippocampus is related to the age or to the accuracy of the memory. Activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is known to be important for controlling protein translation necessary for both memory consolidation after initial learning and for the reconsolidation of memory after retrieval. We tested whether p70s6 kinase (p70s6K), a key component of the mTOR signaling pathway, is activated following retrieval of context fear memory in the dorsal hippocampus (DH) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) at 1, 10, or 36 days after context fear conditioning. We also tested whether strengthening memory for the contextual stimuli changed p70s6K phosphorylation in these structures 36 days after training. We show that under standard training conditions retrieval of a recently formed memory is initially precise and involves the DH. Over time it loses detail, becomes independent of the DH and depends on the ACC. In a subsequent experiment, we preserved the accuracy of older memories through pre-exposure to the training context. We show that remote memory still involved the DH in animals given pre-exposure. These data support the notion that detailed memories depend on the DH regardless of their age. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Short Study Abroad Experience: The Case of Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llanes, Angels

2012-01-01

This study examines to what extent L2 gains obtained during a study abroad (SA) experience are durable. Participants were 16 Catalan/Spanish bilingual children, learning English as an L2, who were distributed into two groups depending on their learning context (SA vs. at home [AH]). Participants completed a pre-test before the SA participants'…

Motivations and Concerns: Voices from Pre-Service Language Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavanoz, Suzan; Yüksel, Hatice G.

2017-01-01

Contemporary interactionist theories conceive identity formation as a dynamic process that is continuously co-constructed within a social context. For pre-service language teachers, teacher education programs constitute the context in which their professional identities are formed. This cross-sectional qualitative study aims at exploring…

Role of assessment tests in the stability of intelligence scoring of pre-school children with uneven/delayed cognitive profile.

PubMed

Yang, P; Jong, Y-J; Hsu, H-Y; Lung, F-W

2011-05-01

As part of an ongoing clinical service programme for pre-school children with developmental delay in an Asian developing country, we analysed the effect of three assessment tests, that is, Bayley Scale of Infant Development-II, Leiter International Performance Scale - Revised and Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised - Chinese, on the stability of intelligence quotient (IQ) of children from pre-school through early childhood. The participants were 313 Taiwanese pre-school children with uneven or delayed cognitive profile and they were followed through early childhood. IQ stability was explored by different tests and among children of different clinical diagnosis: 168 children with non-autistic intellectual disability, 73 children with autism spectrum disorder, 58 children with mixed receptive-expressive language disorder and 14 children of other heterogeneous diagnoses. Stability of scores was evaluated using the r-squared for Pearson's coefficients to see the correlation between initial IQ (IQ1) and follow-up IQ (IQ2). Multiple linear regressions were also applied to see whether IQ1 had predictive ability for IQ2 and test-test difference in the total 313 children and each diagnostic subgroup. Results revealed that mean IQ1 was 65.8 ± 15.4 while mean IQ2 was 73.2 ± 17.9 for the total 313 children. The IQs were stable across an average follow-up duration of 38.6 ± 22.1 month from pre-school into early childhood. Patterns of positive correlations between IQ1 and IQ2 were noted by all the tests (r-squared = 0.43-0.5, all P < 0.001) and in the majority of diagnostic subgroups. Multiple regressions analysis also revealed that IQ1 could predict IQ2 significantly in all the tests (all P < 0.001). After careful choice of appropriate initial test, stability of IQ in children with developmental delay was noted from pre-school through early childhood. In addition, the translated version of cognitive assessment was valid for the required context of an Asian developing country. With the current emphasis on early identification and intervention for pre-school children with developmental delay, this information bears merit in clinical practice. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Evolution of specific 3'-5'-linkages in RNA in pre-biotic soup: a new hypothesis.

PubMed

Kumar, Vaijayanti A

2016-11-02

This article reviews the different possibilities towards progression of the formation of DNA/RNA in the chemical world, before life, in enzyme-free conditions. The advent of deoxyribo- and ribopentose-sugars, nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides in the prebiotic soup is briefly discussed. Further, the formation of early single stranded oligomers, base-pairing possibilities and information transfer based on the stability parameters of the derived duplexes is reviewed. Each theory has its own merits and demerits which we have elaborated upon. Lastly, using clues from this literature, a possible explanation for the specific 3'-5'-linkages in RNA is proposed.

The use of engineering design scenarios to assess student knowledge of global, societal, economic, and environmental contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna, Ann F.; Hynes, Morgan M.; Johnson, Amy M.; Carberry, Adam R.

2016-07-01

Product archaeology as an educational approach asks engineering students to consider and explore the broader societal and global impacts of a product's manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal on people, economics, and the environment. This study examined the impact of product archaeology in a project-based engineering design course on student attitudes and perceptions about engineering and abilities to extend and refine knowledge about broader contexts. Two design scenarios were created: one related to dental hygiene and one related to vaccination delivery. Design scenarios were used to (1) assess knowledge of broader contexts, and (2) test variability of student responses across different contextual situations. Results from pre- to post-surveying revealed improved student perceptions of knowledge of broader contexts. Significant differences were observed between the two design scenarios. The findings support the assumption that different design scenarios elicit consideration of different contexts and design scenarios can be constructed to target specific contextual considerations.

Socioscientific Argumentation of Pre-Service Teachers about Genetically Modified Organisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herawati, D.; Ardianto, D.

2017-09-01

This study aims to investigate socioscientific argumentation of pre-service teachers of science and non-science major regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) issue. We used descriptive study and involved second-year pre-service teachers from two major, 28 pre-service science teachers (PSTs) and 28 pre-service non-science teachers (PNSTs) as participants. Paper and pencil test was administered in order to obtain the data of PSTs’ and PNSTs’ argument about GMOs. All of the data were analyzed by descriptive analysis. We applied Toulmin Argumentation Pattern (TAP) as a basic framework to identify the argumentation component. The result showed that both PSTs and PNSTs were able to propose an argument with a claim, data, and/or warrant.. Most of their argument contain data which provided in the text, without any further reasoning or relevant scientific knowledge. So, the coherency between argumentation component in both PSTs and PNSTs was limited. However, PSTs are more able to propose coherent arguments than PNSTs. These findings indicated that educational background and learning experiences may influence to pre-service teacher argumentation in the context of GMOs. Beside that, teaching and learning process which focused on the socioscientific issues is necessary to develop pre-service teachers’ argumentation

The effectiveness of a fundamental motor skill intervention in pre-schoolers with motor problems depends on gender but not environmental context.

PubMed

Bardid, Farid; Deconinck, Frederik J A; Descamps, Sofie; Verhoeven, Liesbeth; De Pooter, Greet; Lenoir, Matthieu; D'Hondt, Eva

2013-12-01

This study evaluated the effect of a 10-week fundamental motor skill programme in pre-schoolers with motor problems. Alongside the general effect of the intervention, we also explored possible gender differences and the role of the environmental context (living community, socio-economic status, and recreational space inside/outside the house). The intervention group (n=47; 20 ♂ and 27 ♀) received twenty 60-min motor skill sessions (2 per week) in addition to the regular physical education curriculum for pre-schoolers; the control group (n=46; 21 ♂ and 25 ♀) did not receive additional practice. General motor competence, and locomotor and object control subscales, were assessed before and after the intervention using the Test of Gross Motor Development 2nd edition (TGMD-2). Data regarding environmental factors were gathered through a questionnaire. A Group×Gender×Time ANOVA revealed that the intervention group benefited significantly from the intervention and scored better than the control group at the post-test for general motor competence and both sub-categories (locomotor and object control skill). Moreover, the intervention programme was found to be effective in helping 49% of the intervention group to achieve an average motor skill level, according to the TGMD-2 norms, while a further decline in motor competence was observed in the control group. Interestingly, the effect appeared to be gender-specific, since object control skill improved only in girls of the intervention group. Considering the environmental context, none of the above-mentioned factors was found to have an influence on the effectiveness of the intervention. The present study highlights the need for an early motor skill programme with a gender-specific approach in order to help low skilled boys and girls master a diverse set of motor skills. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Math You Need, When You Need It: Student-Centered Web Resources Designed to Decrease Math Review and Increase Quantitative Geology in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenner, J. M.; Baer, E. M.

2007-12-01

Introductory geoscience courses are rife with quantitative concepts from graphing to rates to unit conversions. Recent research suggests that supplementary mathematical instruction increases post-secondary students' retention and performance in science courses. Nonetheless, many geoscience faculty feel that they do not have enough time to cover all the geoscience content, let alone covering the math they often feel students should have learned before reaching their classes. We present our NSF-funded effort to create web modules for students that address these concerns. Our web resources focus on both student performance and faculty time issues by building students' quantitative skills through web-based, self-paced modular tutorials. Each module can be assigned to individual students who have demonstrated on a pre-test that they are in need of supplemental instruction. The pre-test involves problems that place mathematical concepts in a geoscience context and determines the students who need the most support with these skills. Students needing support are asked to complete a three-pronged web-based module just before the concept is needed in class. The three parts of each tutorial include: an explanation of the mathematics, a page of practice problems and an on-line quiz that is graded and sent to the instructor. Each of the modules is steeped in best practices in mathematics and geoscience education, drawing on multiple contexts and utilizing technology. The tutorials also provide students with further resources so that they can explore the mathematics in more depth. To assess the rigor of this program, students are given the pre-test again at the end of the course. The uniqueness of this program lies in a rich combination of mathematical concepts placed in multiple geoscience contexts, giving students the opportunity to explore the way that math relates to the physical world. We present several preliminary modules dealing with topics common in introductory geoscience courses. We seek feedback from faculty teaching all levels of geoscience addressing several questions: In what math/geoscience topics do you feel students need supplemental instruction? Where do students come up against quantitative topics that make them drop the class or perform poorly? Would you be willing to review or help us to test these modules in your class?

Supervising an International Teaching Practicum: Building Partnerships in Postcolonial Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Jae; Santoro, Ninetta

2016-01-01

Teaching practicum experiences, including those in international contexts, are based on partnerships between institutions and host schools, and the partnership between the pre-service teacher, the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor. This article explores the relationship between pre-service teachers and cooperating teachers in an…

Environmental impact of geometric earthwork construction in pre-Columbian Amazonia.

PubMed

Carson, John Francis; Whitney, Bronwen S; Mayle, Francis E; Iriarte, José; Prümers, Heiko; Soto, J Daniel; Watling, Jennifer

2014-07-22

There is considerable controversy over whether pre-Columbian (pre-A.D. 1492) Amazonia was largely "pristine" and sparsely populated by slash-and-burn agriculturists, or instead a densely populated, domesticated landscape, heavily altered by extensive deforestation and anthropogenic burning. The discovery of hundreds of large geometric earthworks beneath intact rainforest across southern Amazonia challenges its status as a pristine landscape, and has been assumed to indicate extensive pre-Columbian deforestation by large populations. We tested these assumptions using coupled local- and regional-scale paleoecological records to reconstruct land use on an earthwork site in northeast Bolivia within the context of regional, climate-driven biome changes. This approach revealed evidence for an alternative scenario of Amazonian land use, which did not necessitate labor-intensive rainforest clearance for earthwork construction. Instead, we show that the inhabitants exploited a naturally open savanna landscape that they maintained around their settlement despite the climatically driven rainforest expansion that began ∼2,000 y ago across the region. Earthwork construction and agriculture on terra firme landscapes currently occupied by the seasonal rainforests of southern Amazonia may therefore not have necessitated large-scale deforestation using stone tools. This finding implies far less labor--and potentially lower population density--than previously supposed. Our findings demonstrate that current debates over the magnitude and nature of pre-Columbian Amazonian land use, and its impact on global biogeochemical cycling, are potentially flawed because they do not consider this land use in the context of climate-driven forest-savanna biome shifts through the mid-to-late Holocene.

Environmental impact of geometric earthwork construction in pre-Columbian Amazonia

PubMed Central

Carson, John Francis; Whitney, Bronwen S.; Mayle, Francis E.; Iriarte, José; Prümers, Heiko; Soto, J. Daniel; Watling, Jennifer

2014-01-01

There is considerable controversy over whether pre-Columbian (pre-A.D. 1492) Amazonia was largely “pristine” and sparsely populated by slash-and-burn agriculturists, or instead a densely populated, domesticated landscape, heavily altered by extensive deforestation and anthropogenic burning. The discovery of hundreds of large geometric earthworks beneath intact rainforest across southern Amazonia challenges its status as a pristine landscape, and has been assumed to indicate extensive pre-Columbian deforestation by large populations. We tested these assumptions using coupled local- and regional-scale paleoecological records to reconstruct land use on an earthwork site in northeast Bolivia within the context of regional, climate-driven biome changes. This approach revealed evidence for an alternative scenario of Amazonian land use, which did not necessitate labor-intensive rainforest clearance for earthwork construction. Instead, we show that the inhabitants exploited a naturally open savanna landscape that they maintained around their settlement despite the climatically driven rainforest expansion that began ∼2,000 y ago across the region. Earthwork construction and agriculture on terra firme landscapes currently occupied by the seasonal rainforests of southern Amazonia may therefore not have necessitated large-scale deforestation using stone tools. This finding implies far less labor—and potentially lower population density—than previously supposed. Our findings demonstrate that current debates over the magnitude and nature of pre-Columbian Amazonian land use, and its impact on global biogeochemical cycling, are potentially flawed because they do not consider this land use in the context of climate-driven forest–savanna biome shifts through the mid-to-late Holocene. PMID:25002502

Finding the Right Candidate for the Right Position: A Fast NMR-Assisted Combinatorial Method for Optimizing Nucleic Acids Binders.

PubMed

Jiménez-Moreno, Ester; Montalvillo-Jiménez, Laura; Santana, Andrés G; Gómez, Ana M; Jiménez-Osés, Gonzalo; Corzana, Francisco; Bastida, Agatha; Jiménez-Barbero, Jesús; Cañada, Francisco Javier; Gómez-Pinto, Irene; González, Carlos; Asensio, Juan Luis

2016-05-25

Development of strong and selective binders from promiscuous lead compounds represents one of the most expensive and time-consuming tasks in drug discovery. We herein present a novel fragment-based combinatorial strategy for the optimization of multivalent polyamine scaffolds as DNA/RNA ligands. Our protocol provides a quick access to a large variety of regioisomer libraries that can be tested for selective recognition by combining microdialysis assays with simple isotope labeling and NMR experiments. To illustrate our approach, 20 small libraries comprising 100 novel kanamycin-B derivatives have been prepared and evaluated for selective binding to the ribosomal decoding A-Site sequence. Contrary to the common view of NMR as a low-throughput technique, we demonstrate that our NMR methodology represents a valuable alternative for the detection and quantification of complex mixtures, even integrated by highly similar or structurally related derivatives, a common situation in the context of a lead optimization process. Furthermore, this study provides valuable clues about the structural requirements for selective A-site recognition.

Pre-migration Trauma Exposure and Psychological Distress for Asian American Immigrants: Linking the Pre- and Post-migration Contexts.

PubMed

Li, Miao; Anderson, James G

2016-08-01

Drawing on the life course perspective and the assumptive world theory, this paper examines whether pre-migration trauma exposure is associated with psychological distress through post-migration perceived discrimination for Asian American immigrants. The study is based on cross-sectional data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (N = 1639). Structural equation model is used to estimate the relationship between pre-migration trauma, post-migration perceived discrimination, and psychological distress. Additional models are estimated to explore possible variations across ethnic groups as well as across different types of pre-migration trauma experience. Pre-migration trauma exposure is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, both directly and indirectly through higher level of perceived discrimination, even after controlling for demographic/acculturative factors and post-migration trauma exposure. This pattern holds for the following sub-types of pre-migration trauma: political trauma, crime victimization, physical violence, accidental trauma, and relational trauma. Multi-group analyses show that this pattern holds for all Asian immigrant subgroups except the Vietnamese. Studies of immigrant mental health primarily focus on post-migration stressors. Few studies have considered the link between pre- and post-migration contexts in assessing mental health outcomes. The study illustrates the usefulness of bridging the pre- and post-migration context in identifying the mental health risks along the immigrant life course.

Characters and clues: Factors affecting children’s extension of knowledge through integration of separate episodes

PubMed Central

Bauer, Patricia J.; King, Jessica E.; Larkina, Marina; Varga, Nicole L.; White, Elizabeth A.

2012-01-01

Children build up knowledge about the world and also remember individual episodes. How individual episodes during which children learn new things become integrated with one another to form general knowledge is only beginning to be explored. Integration between separate episodes is called on in educational contexts and in everyday life as a major means of extending knowledge and organizing information. Bauer and San Souci (2010) provided an initial demonstration that 6-year-olds extend their knowledge by integrating between separate but related episodes; the episodes shared a high level of surface similarity. Experiments 1A and 1B of the current research were tests of integration under low and high levels of surface similarity, respectively. In Experiment 1A, when surface similarity of the episodes was low, 6-year-olds integrated between passages of text, yet their performance was not as robust as observed previously. In Experiment 1B, when surface similarity of the episodes was high, a replication of Bauer and San Souci’s results was observed. In Experiment 2, we tested whether a “hint” to consult the information learned in the passages improved performance even when surface level similarity was low. The hint had a strong facilitating effect. Possible mechanisms of integration between separate yet related episodes are discussed. PMID:22153911

Advances in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Genomics, Biomarkers, and Antiplatelet Therapy

PubMed Central

Barbato, Emanuele; Lara-Pezzi, Enrique; Stolen, Craig; Taylor, Angela; Barton, Paul J.; Bartunek, Jozef; Iaizzo, Paul; Judge, Daniel P.; Kirshenbaum, Lorrie; Blaxall, Burns C.; Terzic, Andre; Hall, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

The Journal provides the clinician and scientist with the latest advances in discovery research, emerging technologies, pre-clinical research design and testing, and clinical trials. We highlight advances in areas of induced pluripotent stem cells, genomics, biomarkers, multi-modality imaging and antiplatelet biology and therapy. The top publications are critically discussed and presented along with anatomical reviews and FDA insight to provide context. PMID:24659088

Teaching Linear Functions in Context with Graphics Calculators: Students' Responses and the Impact of the Approach on Their Use of Algebraic Symbols

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardini, Caroline; Pierce, Robyn U.; Stacey, Kaye

2004-01-01

This study analyses some of the consequences of adopting a functional/modelling approach to the teaching of algebra. The teaching of one class of 17 students was observed over five weeks, with 15 students undertaking both pre- and post-tests and 6 students and the teacher being interviewed individually. Use of graphics calculators made the…

Anesthesiologists’ and surgeons’ perceptions about routine pre-operative testing in low-risk patients: application of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify factors that influence physicians’ decisions to order pre-operative tests

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Routine pre-operative tests for anesthesia management are often ordered by both anesthesiologists and surgeons for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgery. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was developed to investigate determinants of behaviour and identify potential behaviour change interventions. In this study, the TDF is used to explore anaesthesiologists’ and surgeons’ perceptions of ordering routine tests for healthy patients undergoing low-risk surgery. Methods Sixteen clinicians (eleven anesthesiologists and five surgeons) throughout Ontario were recruited. An interview guide based on the TDF was developed to identify beliefs about pre-operative testing practices. Content analysis of physicians’ statements into the relevant theoretical domains was performed. Specific beliefs were identified by grouping similar utterances of the interview participants. Relevant domains were identified by noting the frequencies of the beliefs reported, presence of conflicting beliefs, and perceived influence on the performance of the behaviour under investigation. Results Seven of the twelve domains were identified as likely relevant to changing clinicians’ behaviour about pre-operative test ordering for anesthesia management. Key beliefs were identified within these domains including: conflicting comments about who was responsible for the test-ordering (Social/professional role and identity); inability to cancel tests ordered by fellow physicians (Beliefs about capabilities and social influences); and the problem with tests being completed before the anesthesiologists see the patient (Beliefs about capabilities and Environmental context and resources). Often, tests were ordered by an anesthesiologist based on who may be the attending anesthesiologist on the day of surgery while surgeons ordered tests they thought anesthesiologists may need (Social influences). There were also conflicting comments about the potential consequences associated with reducing testing, from negative (delay or cancel patients’ surgeries), to indifference (little or no change in patient outcomes), to positive (save money, avoid unnecessary investigations) (Beliefs about consequences). Further, while most agreed that they are motivated to reduce ordering unnecessary tests (Motivation and goals), there was still a report of a gap between their motivation and practice (Behavioural regulation). Conclusion We identified key factors that anesthesiologists and surgeons believe influence whether they order pre-operative tests routinely for anesthesia management for a healthy adults undergoing low-risk surgery. These beliefs identify potential individual, team, and organisation targets for behaviour change interventions to reduce unnecessary routine test ordering. PMID:22682612

Predictive genetic testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer: psychological distress and illness representations 1 year following disclosure.

PubMed

Claes, E; Evers-Kiebooms, G; Denayer, L; Decruyenaere, M; Boogaerts, A; Philippe, K; Legius, E

2005-10-01

This prospective study evaluates emotional functioning and illness representations in 68 unaffected women (34 carriers/34 noncarriers) 1 year after predictive testing for BRCA1/2 mutations when offered within a multidisciplinary approach. Carriers had higher subjective risk perception of breast cancer than noncarriers. Carriers who did not have prophylactic oophorectomy had the highest risk perception of ovarian cancer. No differences were found between carriers and noncarriers regarding perceived seriousness and perceived control of breast and ovarian cancer. Mean levels of distress were within normal ranges. Only few women showed an overall pattern of clinically elevated distress. Cancer-specific distress and state-anxiety significantly decreased in noncarriers from pre- to posttest while general distress remained about the same. There were no significant changes in distress in the group of carriers except for ovarian cancer distress which significantly decreased from pre- to posttest. Our study did not reveal adverse effects of predictive testing when offered in the context of a multidisciplinary approach.

Content Area Vocabulary Videos in Multiple Contexts: A Pedagogical Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, C. Lorraine; Kapavik, Robin Robinson

2015-01-01

The authors challenged pre-service teachers to digitally define a social studies or mathematical vocabulary term in multiple contexts using a digital video camera. The researchers sought to answer the following questions: 1. How will creating a video for instruction affect pre-service teachers' attitudes about teaching with technology, if at all?…

An odor identification approach based on event-related pupil dilation and gaze focus.

PubMed

Aguillon-Hernandez, Nadia; Naudin, Marine; Roché, Laëtitia; Bonnet-Brilhault, Frédérique; Belzung, Catherine; Martineau, Joëlle; Atanasova, Boriana

2015-06-01

Olfactory disorders constitute a potential marker of many diseases and are considered valuable clues to the diagnosis and evaluation of progression for many disorders. The most commonly used test for the evaluation of impairments of olfactory identification requires the active participation of the subject, who must select the correct name of the perceived odor from a list. An alternative method is required because speech may be impaired or not yet learned in many patients. As odor identification is known to be facilitated by searching for visual clues, we aimed to develop an objective, vision-based approach for the evaluation of odor identification. We used an eye tracking method to quantify pupillary and ocular responses during the simultaneous presentation of olfactory and visual stimuli, in 39 healthy participants aged from 19 to 77years. Odor presentation triggered an increase in pupil dilation and gaze focus on the picture corresponding to the odor presented. These results suggest that odorant stimuli increase recruitment of the sympathetic system (as demonstrated by the reactivity of the pupil) and draw attention to the visual clue. These results validate the objectivity of this method. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sleep and alertness in North Sea helicopter operations.

PubMed

Simons, Ries; Wilschut, Ellen S; Valk, Pierre J L

2011-07-01

Dutch North Sea helicopter operations are characterized by multiple sector flights to offshore platforms under difficult environmental conditions. In the context of a Ministry of Transport program to improve safety levels of helicopter operations, we assessed effects of pre-duty sleep, pre-duty travel time, and workload factors on the alertness and vigilance of pilots. Data of 24 pilots comprising 224 duty days were analyzed. Pilots performed 10-min test sessions after wake up, pre-duty, halfway-duty, end-duty, and at bedtime during normal duty rosters. Test sessions included completion of a vigilance task, vigor and sleepiness ratings, and questions on sleep and operational characteristics. Pilots wore an actometer to objectify sleep data. Vigor scores were high and sleepiness levels were low during the entire flight duty periods (FDPs), while vigilance was impaired only 6.8% in the course of the FDPs. Pre-duty sleep before morning duties was 1.5 h shorter than sleep before duties starting after midday. Longer pre-duty travel time was correlated with shorter pre-duty sleep and lower vigilance levels during duty. During the FDPs, pilots maintained alertness and vigilance levels that may be considered safe in terms of alertness-related flight safety. This favorable outcome may be attributed to reasonable length of FDPs, favorable circadian start and end times of duties, sufficient opportunities for restorative pre-duty sleep, and relatively good weather conditions. Appropriate FDP scheduling is an important measure to optimize alertness of helicopter pilots who have to cope with adverse environmental conditions and limited landing and air traffic control facilities.

Sensorimotor-Independent Prefrontal Activity During Response Inhibition

PubMed Central

Cai, Weidong; Cannistraci, Christopher J.; Gore, John C.; Leung, Hoi-Chung

2015-01-01

A network of brain regions involving the ventral inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula (vIFG/AI), presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and basal ganglia has been implicated in stopping impulsive, unwanted responses. However, whether this network plays an equal role in response inhibition under different sensorimotor contexts has not been tested systematically. Here, we conducted an fMRI experiment using the stop signal task, a sensorimotor task requiring occasional withholding of the planned response upon the presentation of a stop signal. We manipulated both the sensory modality of the stop signal (visual versus auditory) and the motor response modality (hand versus eye). Results showed that the vIFG/AI and the preSMA along with the right middle frontal gyrus were commonly activated in response inhibition across the various sensorimotor conditions. Our findings provide direct evidence for a common role of these frontal areas, but not striatal areas in response inhibition independent of the sensorimotor contexts. Nevertheless, these three frontal regions exhibited different activation patterns during successful and unsuccessful stopping. Together with the existing evidence, we suggest that the vIFG/AI is involved in the early stages of stopping such as triggering the stop process while the preSMA may play a role in regulating other cortical and subcortical regions involved in stopping. PMID:23798325

The Influence of an Extensive Inquiry-Based Field Experience on Pre-Service Elementary Student Teachers' Science Teaching Beliefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Sumita; Volk, Trudi; Lumpe, Andrew

2009-06-01

This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre service elementary teachers’ personal agency beliefs, a composite measure of context beliefs and capability beliefs related to teaching science. The research combined quantitative and qualitative approaches and included an experimental group that utilized the inquiry method and a control group that used traditional teaching methods. Pre- and post-test scores for the experimental and control groups were compared. The context beliefs of both groups showed no significant change as a result of the experience. However, the control group’s capability belief scores, lower than those of the experimental group to start with, declined significantly; the experimental group’s scores remained unchanged. Thus, the inquiry-based field experience led to an increase in personal agency beliefs. The qualitative data suggested a new hypothesis that there is a spiral relationship among teachers’ ability to establish communicative relationships with students, desire for personal growth and improvement, ability to implement multiple instructional strategies, and possession of substantive content knowledge. The study concludes that inquiry-based student teaching should be encouraged in the training of elementary school science teachers. However, the meaning and practice of the inquiry method should be clearly delineated to ensure its correct implementation in the classroom.

Guestworker migration, remittances and the extended family: evidence from Pakistan.

PubMed

Ilahi, N; Jafarey, S

1999-04-01

"The paper places migration in the context of the extended family. It models informal loans between migrant and extended family for financing the costs of international labor migration. To show repayments to extended family is important; we trace the effects of such loans on migrant savings and remittance to the immediate family. We employ a standard life-cycle approach, which predicts that the demand for extended family financing rises with migration costs and falls with pre-migration wealth. Remittance to the immediate family and savings retained abroad both fall with the pre-migration loan." These hypotheses are tested using data from a survey of return migrants to Pakistan carried out in 1986. excerpt

Learning Center: Introducing "Sherman" the Sow Bug.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Beverly; Moore, Charlotte

1982-01-01

Offers suggestions for using sow bugs in the classroom, including maintenance, source (found virtually everywhere in damp soil), background information, bibliography, and bulletin board idea. Includes instructions and materials (clue cards) for a fact-finding and hypothesis-testing game in which students determine what kind of an animal…

Evaluating psycho-educational interventions for informal carers of patients receiving cancer care or palliative care: strengths and limitations of different study designs.

PubMed

Schildmann, Eva K; Higginson, Irene J

2011-06-01

Despite evidence of negative psychological sequelae and unmet needs, there are few evaluated interventions for informal caregivers in cancer and palliative care. The aim of this article is to debate the strengths and limitations of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and other designs that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions. Psycho-educational interventions are used as example for this debate article, as a number of studies of various designs evaluating this type of intervention have been published. Systematic searching in Medline and the bibliography of a relevant systematic review identified five RCTs, one pre-test/post-test study with a control group and six one-group pre-test/post-test studies of psycho-educational interventions for caregivers. The methodological strengths and weaknesses were assessed. RCTs are seen as the gold standard, but can have important limitations in the context of carer intervention research, including biased recruitment and low generalizability, problems with blinding and attrition. Pre-test/post-test studies with a control group may be more feasible and more generalizable. Their crucial limitation is selection bias. Before-after studies are compromised by additional specific biases and therefore are the weakest of all discussed designs. After analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the mentioned study designs, this paper presents strategies to address the limitations of RCTs evaluating psycho-educational interventions for carers in cancer or palliative care. © The Author(s) 2011

An Experimental Test of the Roles of Audience Involvement and Message Frame in Shaping Public Reactions to Celebrity Illness Disclosures.

PubMed

Myrick, Jessica Gall

2018-04-13

Much research has investigated what happens when celebrities disclose an illness (via media) to the public. While audience involvement (i.e., identification and parasocial relationships) is often the proposed mechanism linking illness disclosures with audience behavior change, survey designs have prevented researchers from understanding if audience involvement prior to the illness disclosure actually predicts post-disclosure emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. Rooted in previous work on audience involvement as well as the Extended Parallel Process Model, the present study uses a national online experiment (N = 1,068) to test how pre-disclosure audience involvement may initiate post-disclosure effects for the message context of skin cancer. The data demonstrate that pre-disclosure audience involvement as well as the celebrity's framing of the disclosure can shape emotional responses (i.e., fear and hope), and that cognitive perceptions of the illness itself also influence behavioral intentions.

Distance education for tobacco reduction with Inuit frontline health workers

PubMed Central

Collins, Rob; Hammond, Merryl; Carry, Catherine L.; Kinnon, Dianne; Killulark, Joan; Nevala, Janet

2013-01-01

Background Tobacco reduction is a major priority in Canadian Inuit communities. However, many Inuit frontline health workers lacked the knowledge, confidence and support to address the tobacco epidemic. Given vast distances, high costs of face-to-face training and previous successful pilots using distance education, this method was chosen for a national tobacco reduction course. Objective To provide distance education about tobacco reduction to at least 25 frontline health workers from all Inuit regions of Canada. Design Promising practices globally were assessed in a literature survey. The National Inuit Tobacco Task Group guided the project. Participants were selected from across Inuit Nunangat. They chose a focus from a “menu” of 6 course options, completed a pre-test to assess individual learning needs and chose which community project(s) to complete. Course materials were mailed, and trainers provided intensive, individualized support through telephone, fax and e-mail. The course ended with an open-book post-test. Follow-up support continued for several months post-training. Results Of the 30 participants, 27 (90%) completed the course. The mean pre-test score was 72% (range: 38–98%). As the post-test was done using open books, everyone scored 100%, with a mean improvement of 28% (range: 2–62%). Conclusions Although it was often challenging to contact participants through phone, a distance education approach was very practical in a northern context. Learning is more concrete when it happens in a real-life context. As long as adequate support is provided, we recommend individualized distance education to others working in circumpolar regions. PMID:23984270

Dendritic spine dynamics in synaptogenesis after repeated LTP inductions: Dependence on pre-existing spine density

PubMed Central

Oe, Yuki; Tominaga-Yoshino, Keiko; Hasegawa, Sho; Ogura, Akihiko

2013-01-01

Not only from our daily experience but from learning experiments in animals, we know that the establishment of long-lasting memory requires repeated practice. However, cellular backgrounds underlying this repetition-dependent consolidation of memory remain largely unclear. We reported previously using organotypic slice cultures of rodent hippocampus that the repeated inductions of LTP (long-term potentiation) lead to a slowly developing long-lasting synaptic enhancement accompanied by synaptogenesis distinct from LTP itself, and proposed this phenomenon as a model system suitable for the analysis of the repetition-dependent consolidation of memory. Here we examined the dynamics of individual dendritic spines after repeated LTP-inductions and found the existence of two phases in the spines' stochastic behavior that eventually lead to the increase in spine density. This spine dynamics occurred preferentially in the dendritic segments having low pre-existing spine density. Our results may provide clues for understanding the cellular bases underlying the repetition-dependent consolidation of memory. PMID:23739837

Transequatorial Propagation and Depletion Precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, E. S.; Bust, G. S.; Kaeppler, S. R.; Frissell, N. A.; Paxton, L. J.

2014-12-01

The bottomside equatorial ionosphere in the afternoon and evening sector frequently evolves rapidly from smoothly stratified to violently unstable with large wedges of depleted plasma growing through to the topside on timescales of a few tens of minutes. These depletions have numerous practical impacts on radio propagation, including amplitude scintillation, field-aligned irregularity scatter, HF blackouts, and long-distance transequatorial propagation at frequencies above the MUF. Practical impacts notwithstanding, the pathways and conditions under which depletions form remain a topic of vigorous inquiry some 80 years after their first report. Structuring of the pre-sunset ionosphere---morphology of the equatorial anomalies and long-wavelength undulations of the isodensity contours on the bottomside---are likely to hold some clues to conditions that are conducive to depletion formation. The Conjugate Depletion Experiment is an upcoming transequatorial forward-scatter HF/VHF experiment to investigate pre-sunset undulations and their connection with depletion formation. We will present initial results from the Conjugate Depletion Experiment, as well as a companion analysis of a massive HF propagation data set.

Pre-processing of data coming from a laser-EMAT system for non-destructive testing of steel slabs.

PubMed

Sgarbi, Mirko; Colla, Valentina; Cateni, Sivia; Higson, Stuart

2012-01-01

Non destructive test systems are increasingly applied in the industrial context for their strong potentialities in improving and standardizing quality control. Especially in the intermediate manufacturing stages, early detection of defects on semi-finished products allow their direction towards later production processes according to their quality, with consequent considerable savings in time, energy, materials and work. However, the raw data coming from non destructive test systems are not always immediately suitable for sophisticated defect detection algorithms, due to noise and disturbances which are unavoidable, especially in harsh operating conditions, such as the ones which are typical of the steelmaking cycle. The paper describes some pre-processing operations which are required in order to exploit the data coming from a non destructive test system. Such a system is based on the joint exploitation of Laser and Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer technologies and is applied to the detection of surface and sub-surface cracks in cold and hot steel slabs. Copyright © 2011 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex position, marital status, and HIV risk among Indian men who have sex with men: clues to optimizing prevention approaches.

PubMed

Hemmige, Vagish; Snyder, Hannah; Liao, Chuanhong; Mayer, Kenneth; Lakshmi, Vemu; Gandham, Sabitha R; Orunganti, Ganesh; Schneider, John

2011-12-01

A divide exists between categories of men who have sex with men (MSM) in India based on their sex position, which has consequences for the design of novel HIV prevention interventions. We examine the interaction between sex position and other attributes on existing HIV risk including previous HIV testing, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), and HIV serostatus among MSM recruited from drop-in centers and public cruising areas in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, India. A survey was administered by trained research assistants and minimally invasive HIV testing was performed by finger-stick or oral testing. HIV seropositive MSM underwent CD4+ lymphocyte count measurement. In our sample (n = 676), 32.6% of men were married to women, 22.2% of receptive only participants were married, and 21.9% of men were HIV seropositive. In bivariate analysis, sex position was associated with previous HIV testing, UAI, HIV serostatus, and CD4+ lymphocyte count at diagnosis. In multivariate analysis with interaction terms, dual unmarried men were more likely to have undergone an HIV test than insertive unmarried men (odds ratio [OR] 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-6.5), a relationship that did not hold among married men. Conversely, dual married men were less likely than insertive married men to engage in UAI (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1-0.6), a relationship that did not hold among unmarried men. Further implementation research is warranted in order to best direct novel biologic and behavioral prevention interventions towards specific risk behaviors in this and other similar contexts.

Comparison of machine learned approaches for thyroid nodule characterization from shear wave elastography images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Carina; Dighe, Manjiri; Alessio, Adam M.

2018-02-01

Various Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems have been developed that characterize thyroid nodules using the features extracted from the B-mode ultrasound images and Shear Wave Elastography images (SWE). These features, however, are not perfect predictors of malignancy. In other domains, deep learning techniques such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have outperformed conventional feature extraction based machine learning approaches. In general, fully trained CNNs require substantial volumes of data, motivating several efforts to use transfer learning with pre-trained CNNs. In this context, we sought to compare the performance of conventional feature extraction, fully trained CNNs, and transfer learning based, pre-trained CNNs for the detection of thyroid malignancy from ultrasound images. We compared these approaches applied to a data set of 964 B-mode and SWE images from 165 patients. The data were divided into 80% training/validation and 20% testing data. The highest accuracies achieved on the testing data for the conventional feature extraction, fully trained CNN, and pre-trained CNN were 0.80, 0.75, and 0.83 respectively. In this application, classification using a pre-trained network yielded the best performance, potentially due to the relatively limited sample size and sub-optimal architecture for the fully trained CNN.

Mixed Messages: How Primary Agents of Socialization Influence Adolescent Females Who Identify as Multiracial-Bisexual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Alissa R.

2013-01-01

The goals of this study were to highlight the often stigmatized and invisible identities of six female participants who identify as multiracial/biracial-bisexual/pansexual, focusing on the pre-college context. Findings, using in-depth interviews, indicated that the primary socializing agents within the pre-college context strongly influenced…

IR-Raman Correlation of Shocked Minerals in Csátalja Meteorite — Clues for Shock Stages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyollai, I.; Kereszturi, A.; Fintor, K.; Kereszty, Zs.; Szabo, M.; Walter, H.

2017-11-01

The analyzed meteorite called Csátalja is an H chondrite (H4, S2, W2), and based on the differences between its certain parts, probably it is a breccia. The aim of methodological testing is characterizing shock deformation and heterogeneity.

Reframing implementation as an organisational behaviour problem.

PubMed

Clay-Williams, Robyn; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report on a process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) intervention study that tested the effectiveness of classroom- and simulation-based crew resource management courses, alone and in combination, and identifies organisational barriers and facilitators to implementation of team training programmes in healthcare. The RCT design consisted of a before and after study with a team training intervention. Quantitative data were gathered on utility and affective reactions to training, and on teamwork knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of the learners. A sample of participants was interviewed at the conclusion of the study. Interview responses were analysed, alongside qualitative elements of the classroom course critique, to search for evidence, context, and facilitation clues to the implementation process. The RCT method provided scientifically robust data that supported the benefits of classroom training. Qualitative data identified a number of facilitators to implementation of team training, and shed light on some of the ways that learning was diffused throughout the organisation. Barriers to successful implementation were also identified, including hospital time and resource constraints and poor organisational communication. Quantitative randomised methods have intermittently been used to evaluate team training interventions in healthcare. Despite two decades of team training trials, however, the authors do not know as well as the authors would like what goes on inside the "black box" of such RCTs. While results are usually centred on outcomes, this study also provides insight into the context and mechanisms associated with those outcomes and identifies barriers and facilitators to successful intervention implementation.

Sequence Segmentation with changeptGUI.

PubMed

Tasker, Edward; Keith, Jonathan M

2017-01-01

Many biological sequences have a segmental structure that can provide valuable clues to their content, structure, and function. The program changept is a tool for investigating the segmental structure of a sequence, and can also be applied to multiple sequences in parallel to identify a common segmental structure, thus providing a method for integrating multiple data types to identify functional elements in genomes. In the previous edition of this book, a command line interface for changept is described. Here we present a graphical user interface for this package, called changeptGUI. This interface also includes tools for pre- and post-processing of data and results to facilitate investigation of the number and characteristics of segment classes.

Structural insights into the inactivation of CRISPR-Cas systems by diverse anti-CRISPR proteins.

PubMed

Zhu, Yuwei; Zhang, Fan; Huang, Zhiwei

2018-03-19

A molecular arms race is progressively being unveiled between prokaryotes and viruses. Prokaryotes utilize CRISPR-mediated adaptive immune systems to kill the invading phages and mobile genetic elements, and in turn, the viruses evolve diverse anti-CRISPR proteins to fight back. The structures of several anti-CRISPR proteins have now been reported, and here we discuss their structural features, with a particular emphasis on topology, to discover their similarities and differences. We summarize the CRISPR-Cas inhibition mechanisms of these anti-CRISPR proteins in their structural context. Considering anti-CRISPRs in this way will provide important clues for studying their origin and evolution.

Association of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum with some indicators of nonspecific vaginitis.

PubMed

Cedillo-Ramírez, L; Gil, C; Zago, I; Yáñez, A; Giono, S

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the isolation rates of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum from three populations of women and also to relate the presence of these microorganisms with some indicators of nonspecific vaginitis. Three hundred vaginal swabs were taken from delivery, pregnant and control (not pregnant) women. Cultures were done in E broth supplemented with arginine or urea. M. hominis was isolated in 5% at delivery, 12% from pregnant and 5% from control women and U. urealyticum was isolated in 21%, 31% and 28% respectively. There was statistical difference in the isolation rate of M. hominis in pregnant women respect to the other groups. Both microorganisms were more frequently isolated in women with acid vaginal pH, amine-like odor in KOH test, clue cells and leucorrhea. M. hominis was isolated in 17% and U. urealyticum in 52% from women with nonspecific vaginitis. M. hominis was isolated in 2% and U. urealyticum in 13% from women without nonspecific vaginitis. Although the presence of clue cells and amine-like odor in KOH test have relationship with Gardnerella vaginalis, these tests could also suggest the presence of these mycoplasmas.

Fear memory for cue and context: opposite and time-dependent effects of a physiological dose of corticosterone in male BALB/c and C57BL/6J mice.

PubMed

Diamantopoulou, Anastasia; Oitzl, Melly S; Grauer, Ettie

2012-07-23

Highly emotional, stress reactive BALB/c mice secrete more corticosterone in response to fear conditioning than the low stress reactive C57BL/6J mice. Fear memory to cue and context differs between the strains. We injected corticosterone at physiological concentrations (250 μg/kg i.p.) 30 min before fear conditioning. Fear memory was tested 48 and 72 h later. Although corticosterone had little effect on acquisition, it differentially affected fear memories in strain dependent manner: while BALB/c mice decreased freezing during cue and context episodes, C57BL/6J mice showed an overall increase in freezing. BALB/c mice showed extinction over days while no such extinction was seen in C57BL/6J mice. Evaluation of these data in the perspective of previous studies using the same fear conditioning paradigm with corticosterone injections 5 min before or immediately after acquisition, revealed the impact of corticosterone during conditioning on the strength of fear memories. In C57BL/6J mice the overall increase in fear memories was higher if corticosterone was injected 30 min pre acquisition than if injected 5 min pre. In contrast, BALB/c mice showed reduced fear memories when injected 30 min pre compared to that seen 5 min pre acquisition. Both strains showed decreased fear memories compared to vehicle if corticosterone was administered immediately after acquisition. We conclude that the timing of physiologically relevant, stress levels increase in corticosterone is essential for the processing of aversive events and the formation of fear memories. However, the quality of the effect depends on the genetic background. These findings contribute to the understanding of the etiology of stress-related disorders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The 'dark side' and 'bright side' of personality: when too much conscientiousness and too little anxiety are detrimental with respect to the acquisition of medical knowledge and skill.

PubMed

Ferguson, Eamonn; Semper, Heather; Yates, Janet; Fitzgerald, J Edward; Skatova, Anya; James, David

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that personality traits evolved to have costs and benefits, with the effectiveness of a trait dependent on how these costs and benefits relate to the present circumstances. This suggests that traits that are generally viewed as positive can have a 'dark side' and those generally viewed as negative can have a 'bright side' depending on changes in context. We test this in a sample of 220 UK medical students with respect to associations between the Big 5 personality traits and learning outcomes across the 5 years of a medical degree. The medical degree offers a changing learning context from pre-clinical years (where a more methodical approach to learning is needed) to the clinical years (where more flexible learning is needed, in a more stressful context). We argue that while trait conscientiousness should enhance pre-clinical learning, it has a 'dark side' reducing the acquisition of knowledge in the clinical years. We also suggest that anxiety has a 'bright side' enhancing the acquisition of skills in the clinical years. We also explore if intelligence enhances learning across the medical degree. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling we show that medical skills and knowledge assessed in the pre-clinical and clinical years are psychometrically distinguishable, forming a learning 'backbone', whereby subsequent learning outcomes are predicted by previous ones. Consistent with our predictions conscientiousness enhanced preclinical knowledge acquisition but reduced the acquisition of clinical knowledge and anxiety enhanced the acquisition of clinical skills. We also identified a curvilinear U shaped association between Surgency (extraversion) and pre-clinical knowledge acquisition. Intelligence predicted initial clinical knowledge, and had a positive total indirect effect on clinical knowledge and clinical skill acquisition. For medical selection, this suggests that selecting students high on conscientiousness may be problematic, as it may be excluding those with some degree of moderate anxiety.

The ‘Dark Side’ and ‘Bright Side’ of Personality: When Too Much Conscientiousness and Too Little Anxiety Are Detrimental with Respect to the Acquisition of Medical Knowledge and Skill

PubMed Central

Ferguson, Eamonn; Semper, Heather; Yates, Janet; Fitzgerald, J. Edward; Skatova, Anya; James, David

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that personality traits evolved to have costs and benefits, with the effectiveness of a trait dependent on how these costs and benefits relate to the present circumstances. This suggests that traits that are generally viewed as positive can have a ‘dark side’ and those generally viewed as negative can have a ‘bright side’ depending on changes in context. We test this in a sample of 220 UK medical students with respect to associations between the Big 5 personality traits and learning outcomes across the 5 years of a medical degree. The medical degree offers a changing learning context from pre-clinical years (where a more methodical approach to learning is needed) to the clinical years (where more flexible learning is needed, in a more stressful context). We argue that while trait conscientiousness should enhance pre-clinical learning, it has a ‘dark side’ reducing the acquisition of knowledge in the clinical years. We also suggest that anxiety has a ‘bright side’ enhancing the acquisition of skills in the clinical years. We also explore if intelligence enhances learning across the medical degree. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling we show that medical skills and knowledge assessed in the pre-clinical and clinical years are psychometrically distinguishable, forming a learning ‘backbone’, whereby subsequent learning outcomes are predicted by previous ones. Consistent with our predictions conscientiousness enhanced preclinical knowledge acquisition but reduced the acquisition of clinical knowledge and anxiety enhanced the acquisition of clinical skills. We also identified a curvilinear U shaped association between Surgency (extraversion) and pre-clinical knowledge acquisition. Intelligence predicted initial clinical knowledge, and had a positive total indirect effect on clinical knowledge and clinical skill acquisition. For medical selection, this suggests that selecting students high on conscientiousness may be problematic, as it may be excluding those with some degree of moderate anxiety. PMID:24586353

Students’ understanding of forces: Force diagrams on horizontal and inclined plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirait, J.; Hamdani; Mursyid, S.

2018-03-01

This study aims to analyse students’ difficulties in understanding force diagrams on horizontal surfaces and inclined planes. Physics education students (pre-service physics teachers) of Tanjungpura University, who had completed a Basic Physics course, took a Force concept test which has six questions covering three concepts: an object at rest, an object moving at constant speed, and an object moving at constant acceleration both on a horizontal surface and on an inclined plane. The test is in a multiple-choice format. It examines the ability of students to select appropriate force diagrams depending on the context. The results show that 44% of students have difficulties in solving the test (these students only could solve one or two items out of six items). About 50% of students faced difficulties finding the correct diagram of an object when it has constant speed and acceleration in both contexts. In general, students could only correctly identify 48% of the force diagrams on the test. The most difficult task for the students in terms was identifying the force diagram representing forces exerted on an object on in an inclined plane.

Effect of electro-acupuncture intervention on cognition attention bias in heroin addiction abstinence-a dot-probe-based event-related potential study.

PubMed

Jiang, Ying-Ping; Liu, Hao; Xu, Ping; Wang, Yan; Lu, Guang-Hua

2011-04-01

To study the changes of cognitive attention-related brain function in the heroin addicts before and after electro-acupuncture (EA) intervention for exploring the concerned neuro-mechanism of addictive relapse and the central action role of EA intervention. Adopting event-related potential (ERP) technique, the ERP at 64 electrode spots in 10 heroin addicts (test group) were recorded before and after EA intervention with dot-probe experimental form during implementing cognitive task on positive emotional clue (PEC), negative emotional clues (NEC), and heroin-related clue (HRC). The P200 amplitude components on the selected observation points (Fz, Cz, and Pz) were analyzed and compared with those obtained from 10 healthy subjects as the control. Before EA, the ERP of attention on HRC in the test group was higher than that on PEC and NEC (P<0.05) and significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); after EA, the P200 amplitude of attention on HRC at Cz and Pz was significantly lowered (P<0.05) and that on PEC at Fz was significantly elevated (P<0.05). After EA, the P200 amplitude at Pz was ranked as NEC > PEC > HRC, but in the control group, it showed PEC > HRC at all three observation points and PEC > NEC at Pz. Heroin addicts show attention bias to HRC, which could be significantly reduced by EA intervention, illustrating that EA could effectively inhibit the attention bias to heroin and so might have potential for lowering the relapse rate.

Clinical prediction of Gardnerella vaginalis in general practice

PubMed Central

O'Dowd, T.C.; West, R.R.

1987-01-01

In a study of 162 women with vaginal symptoms the clinical features of increased discharge, yellow discharge, 'high cheese' odour and pH greater than 5 were statistically strongly associated with the presence of Gardnerella vaginalis, confirmed by microbiological culture. The sensitivities and specificities of these clinical tests, although not as high as those of previously described sideroom tests using the amine test and microscopy for 'clue cells' nevertheless allow the clinician to predict G. vaginalis reliably and initiate treatment at first consultation. PMID:3499508

The inclusion of 'then-test' questions in post-test questionnaires alters post-test responses: a randomized study of bias in health program evaluation.

PubMed

Nolte, Sandra; Elsworth, Gerald R; Sinclair, Andrew J; Osborne, Richard H

2012-04-01

Program evaluations are frequently based on 'then-test' data, i.e., pre-test collected in retrospect. While the application of the then-test has practical advantages, little is known about the validity of then-test data. Because of the collection of then-test in close proximity to post-test questions, this study was aimed at exploring whether the presence of then-test questions in post-test questionnaires influenced subjects' responses to post-test. To test the influence of then-test questions, we designed a randomized three-group study in the context of chronic disease self-management programs. Interventions had comparable goals and philosophies, and all 949 study participants filled out identical Health Education Impact Questionnaires (heiQ) at pre-test. At post-test, participants were then randomized to one of the following three groups: Group A responded to post-test questions only (n = 331); Group B filled out transition questions in addition to post-test (n = 304); and Group C filled out then-test questions in addition to post-test (n = 314). Significant post-test differences were found in six of eight heiQ scales, with respondents who filled out then-test questions reporting significantly higher post-test scores than respondents of the other groups. This study provides evidence that the inclusion of then-test questions alters post-test responses, suggesting that change scores based on then-test data be interpreted with care.

Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers on Mentor Teachers' Roles in Promoting Inclusive Practicum: Case Studies in U.S. Elementary School Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddamsetti, Jihea

2018-01-01

This case study examines a Chinese and Korean-Chinese pre-service teachers' perceptions of their mentor teachers' role in supporting inclusive practicum experiences in USA elementary school contexts. The findings demonstrate that a mentor teacher's open conversations and willingness to host those students bring positive influence on their learning…

Vets and Videos: Student Learning from Context-Based Assessment in a Pre-Clinical Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seddon, Jennifer

2008-01-01

To increase the perceived relevance of pre-clinical science courses to undergraduates, a context-based assessment item was introduced to a genetics course that occurs early within a five-year veterinary science programme. The aim was to make a direct link between genetic concepts and the future clinical profession of the students. In the…

Investigating the Stress Levels of Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Pre-Service Teachers during Teaching Practicum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geng, Gretchen; Midford, Richard; Buckworth, Jenny

2015-01-01

This study investigated stress levels of pre-service teachers (PSTs) across three categories of teaching context: early childhood, primary and secondary. This paper focused on exploring the stressors in the completion of tasks in teaching practicum in the three categories of teaching context and an awareness of and access to support systems. The…

Interactive laboratory classes enhance neurophysiological knowledge in Thai medical students.

PubMed

Wongjarupong, Nicha; Niyomnaitham, Danai; Vilaisaktipakorn, Pitchamol; Suksiriworaboot, Tanawin; Qureshi, Shaun Peter; Bongsebandhu-Phubhakdi, Saknan

2018-03-01

Interactive laboratory class (ILC) is a two-way communication teaching method that encourages students to correlate laboratory findings with materials from lectures. In Thai medical education, active learning methods are uncommon. This paper aims to establish 1) if ILCs would effectively promote physiology learning; 2) if effectiveness would be found in both previously academically high-performing and low-performing students; and 3) the acceptability of ILCs to Thai medical students as a novel learning method. Two hundred seventy-eight second-year medical students were recruited to this study. We conducted three ILC sessions, which followed corresponding lectures. We carried out multiple-choice pre- and post-ILC assessments of knowledge and compared by repeated-measures ANOVA and unpaired t-test. Subgroup analysis was performed to compare high-performance (HighP) and low-performance (LowP) students. After the ILCs, participants self-rated their knowledge and satisfaction. Post-ILC test scores increased significantly compared with pre-ILC test scores in all three sessions. Mean scores of each post-ILC test increased significantly from pre-ILC test in both LowP and HighP groups. More students self-reported a "very high" and "high" level of knowledge after ILCs. Most students agreed that ILCs provided more discussion opportunity, motivated their learning, and made lessons more enjoyable. As an adjunct to lectures, ILCs can enhance knowledge in medical students, regardless of previous academic performance. Students perceived ILC as useful and acceptable. This study supports the active learning methods in physiology education, regardless of cultural context.

Economic crisis and blood donation: How are donors' motivations changing?

PubMed

Alfieri, Sara; Guiddi, Paolo; Marta, Elena; Saturni, Vincenzo

2016-06-01

The economic crisis has exasperated people's feelings of loneliness; job instability often does not allow people to commit to voluntary work. The present work proposes to examine whether the motivations to donate blood have changed before and during the period of economic crisis, taking into consideration donors' gender. We adopted Omoto & Snyder's functionalist approach, which states that blood donation serves different functions for any one person, who may have different motivations from those held by other people. We compared six-year pre-post (t1 "pre-crisis": 2008 - t2 "during the crisis": 2014) data on a sample of blood donors in a single blood donation center situated in Northern Italy. T-test was used for data analysis. Three hundred thirty donors (age range 18-60, M = 32.6, SD = 9.53; 54.5% male) were administered a survey at t1 and 444 (age range 18-60, M = 37.8, SD = 10.16; 68% male) six years later at t2. In both surveys, participants were administered a questionnaire with socio-demographic items and a version of Omoto & Snyder's Motivations to Volunteer scale adapted to blood donation. Donors' motivation priorities did not vary over time. Values and Self-enhancement motivations are the most prevalent. Knowledge and Ego-protection motivations decreased with the upsurge of the crisis. Women, in general, report higher mean values than men do for Values and Ego-protection motivations. These results can offer valuable clues for the agencies that manage blood collection. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Mixed-Methods Comparison of Classroom Context During Food, Health & Choices, a Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention.

PubMed

Burgermaster, Marissa; Koroly, Jenna; Contento, Isobel; Koch, Pamela; Gray, Heewon L

2017-11-01

Schools are frequent settings for childhood obesity prevention; however, intervention results are mixed. Classroom context may hold important clues to improving these interventions. We used mixed methods to examine classroom context during a curriculum intervention taught by trained instructors in fifth grade classrooms. We identified classrooms with high and low buy-in using cluster analysis and compared intervention delivery and reception, student energy balance-related behavior, and student perceptions about supports and barriers to energy balance. Delivery and reception did not differ between the groups. Between-group differences in unhealthy behaviors were smaller at posttest, due to improvement in low buy-in classes. Although student perceptions of supports and barriers to energy balance were similar across groups, students in high buy-in classes indicated food preferences as a support while students in low buy-in classes indicated food preferences as a barrier. Neighborhood environment emerged as a universal barrier. Trained instructors may improve intervention delivery and reception regardless of classroom context. Social norms could explain high levels of unhealthy behavior in low buy-in classes at baseline; improvement at posttest suggests that the curriculum may have motivated change. All children need more strategies and supportive policies to overcome a challenging food environment. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Fighting experience affects fruit fly behavior in a mating context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teseo, Serafino; Veerus, Liisa; Mery, Frédéric

2016-06-01

In animals, correlations exist among behaviors within individuals, but it is unclear whether experience in a specific functional context can affect behavior across different contexts. Here, we use Drosophila melanogaster to investigate the effects of conflict-induced behavioral modifications on male mating behavior. In D. melanogaster, males fight for territories and experience a strong winner-loser effect, meaning that winners become more likely to win subsequent fights compared to losers, who continue to lose. In our protocol, males were tested for courtship intensity before and after fighting against other males. We show that male motivation to copulate before fights cannot predict the fight outcomes, but that, afterwards, losers mate less than before and less than winner and control males. Contrarily, winners show no differences between pre- and post-fight courtship intensity, and do not differ from control males. This suggests that the physiological modifications resulting from fight outcomes indirectly affect male reproductive behavior.

Role of gyrB Mutations in Pre-extensively and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Thai Clinical Isolates

PubMed Central

Disratthakit, Areeya; Prammananan, Therdsak; Tribuddharat, Chanwit; Thaipisuttikul, Iyarit; Doi, Norio; Leechawengwongs, Manoon

2016-01-01

DNA gyrase mutations are a major cause of quinolone resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. We therefore conducted the first comprehensive study to determine the diversity of gyrase mutations in pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR) (n = 71) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) (n = 30) Thai clinical tuberculosis (TB) isolates. All pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB isolates carried at least one mutation within the quinolone resistance-determining region of GyrA (G88A [1.1%], A90V [17.4%], S91P [1.1%], or D94A/G/H/N/V/Y [72.7%]) or GyrB (D533A [1.1%], N538D [1.1%], or E540D [2.2%]). MIC and DNA gyrase supercoiling inhibition assays were performed to determine the role of gyrase mutations in quinolone resistance. Compared to the MICs against M. tuberculosis H37Rv, the levels of resistance to all quinolones tested in the isolates that carried GyrA-D94G or GyrB-N538D (8- to 32-fold increase) were significantly higher than those in isolates bearing GyrA-D94A or GyrA-A90V (2- to 8-fold increase) (P < 0.01). Intriguingly, GyrB-E540D led to a dramatic resistance to later-generation quinolones, including moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, and sparfloxacin (8- to 16-fold increases in MICs and 8.3- to 11.2-fold increases in 50% inhibitory concentrations [IC50s]). However, GyrB-E540D caused low-level resistance to early-generation quinolones, including ofloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin (2- to 4-fold increases in MICs and 1.5- to 2.0-fold increases in IC50s). In the present study, DC-159a was the most active antituberculosis agent and was little affected by the gyrase mutations described above. Our findings suggest that although they are rare, gyrB mutations have a notable role in quinolone resistance, which may provide clues to the molecular basis of estimating quinolone resistance levels for drug and dose selection. PMID:27297489

Design, Progressive Modeling, Manufacture, and Testing of Composite Shield for Turbine Engine Blade Containment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binienda, Wieslaw K.; Sancaktar, Erol; Roberts, Gary D. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

An effective design methodology was established for composite jet engine containment structures. The methodology included the development of the full and reduced size prototypes, and FEA models of the containment structure, experimental and numerical examination of the modes of failure clue to turbine blade out event, identification of materials and design candidates for future industrial applications, and design and building of prototypes for testing and evaluation purposes.

When the face says it all: dysmorphology in identifying syndromic causes of epilepsy.

PubMed

Dixit, Abhijit; Suri, Mohnish

2016-04-01

Identifying the underlying cause of epilepsy often helps in choosing the appropriate management, suggests the long-term prognosis and clarifies the risk of the same condition in relatives. Epilepsy has many causes and a small but significant proportion of affected people have an identifiable genetic cause. Here, we discuss the role of genetic testing in adults with epilepsy, focusing on dysmorphic features noticeable on physical examination that might provide a strong clue to a specific genetic syndrome. We give illustrative examples of recognisable facial 'gestalt'. An astute clinician can recognise such clues and significantly shorten the process of making the underlying diagnosis in their patient. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Hospitalizations of the elderly in the United States for non-specific gastrointestinal diseases: A search for etilogical clues

EPA Science Inventory

Nonspecific gastrointestinal (GI) disease is a common cause of GI-related hospitalizations in U.S. elderly (82.9% of all cases) and it peaks concurrently with viral enteritis, suggesting a lack of diagnostic testing. The lack of etiological specificity in the current coding syste...

Remedial Placements Found to Be Overused

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Sarah D.

2013-01-01

At a time when more high schools are looking to their graduates' college-remediation rates as a clue to how well they prepare students for college and careers, new research findings suggest a significant portion of students who test into remedial classes don't actually need them. Separate studies from Teachers College, Columbia University, and the…

Improvements in anatomy knowledge when utilizing a novel cyclical "Observe-Reflect-Draw-Edit-Repeat" learning process.

PubMed

Backhouse, Mark; Fitzpatrick, Michael; Hutchinson, Joseph; Thandi, Charankumal S; Keenan, Iain D

2017-01-01

Innovative educational strategies can provide variety and enhance student learning while addressing complex logistical and financial issues facing modern anatomy education. Observe-Reflect-Draw-Edit-Repeat (ORDER), a novel cyclical artistic process, has been designed based on cognitivist and constructivist learning theories, and on processes of critical observation, reflection and drawing in anatomy learning. ORDER was initially investigated in the context of a compulsory first year surface anatomy practical (ORDER-SAP) at a United Kingdom medical school in which a cross-over trial with pre-post anatomy knowledge testing was utilized and student perceptions were identified. Despite positive perceptions of ORDER-SAP, medical student (n = 154) pre-post knowledge test scores were significantly greater (P < 0.001) with standard anatomy learning methods (3.26, SD = ±2.25) than with ORDER-SAP (2.17, ±2.30). Based on these findings, ORDER was modified and evaluated in the context of an optional self-directed gross anatomy online interactive tutorial (ORDER-IT) for participating first year medical students (n = 55). Student performance was significantly greater (P < 0.001) with ORDER-IT (2.71 ± 2.17) when compared to a control tutorial (1.31 ± 2.03). Performances of students with visual and artistic preferences when using ORDER were not significantly different (P > 0.05) to those students without these characteristics. These findings will be of value to anatomy instructors seeking to engage students from diverse learning backgrounds in a research-led, innovative, time and cost-effective learning method, in the context of contrasting learning environments. Anat Sci Educ 10: 7-22. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

Understanding Legitimate Teacher Authority in a Cross-Cultural Teaching Context: Pre-Service Chinese Language Teachers Undertaking Teaching Practicum in International Schools in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Chun; Gu, Mingyue; Hu, Jingjing

2015-01-01

Legitimate teacher authority is fundamental to effective teaching, but is often a thorny issue that teachers need to grapple with when teaching in cross-cultural teaching contexts. By interviewing 18 pre-service Chinese language teachers on their understanding of legitimate teacher authority throughout teaching practicum at international schools…

Early Professional Development in the Scottish Context: Pre-Service High School Teachers and the Management of Behaviour in Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Lorna

2015-01-01

This paper gives an account of an exploratory piece of research focused on understanding more fully the nature of pre-service teachers' developing approaches to classroom behaviour management on a one-year postgraduate teacher education programme in the Scottish context. Drawing on individual and focus group interviews as well as journaling of…

Could Practicum Placements in Contrasting Contexts Support the Preparation of Pre-Service Teachers for an Envisaged Inclusive Education System? A South African Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rusznyak, Lee; Walton, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

In contexts where inclusive education is nascent, teacher educators face the challenge of preparing pre-service teachers for a system that does not yet exist. While this might be possible through university-based coursework, difficulties arise when so few sites that model inclusive pedagogies are available for practicum placements. This article…

Clues to the Past

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Julie K.

2010-01-01

Students love a mystery. So what do America's most majestic bird, a bag of habitat clues, and a soft-shelled egg have in common? This easy-to-do inquiry activity engages students as they connect clues to problem-solve how the bald eagle reached the brink of extinction in the 1960s in the lower 48 states. It was designed to give students an…

Clues in Histopathological Diagnosis of Panniculitis.

PubMed

Llamas Velasco, Mar; Pérez-Gónzalez, Yosmar Carolina; Kempf, Werner; Paredes, Bruno Emilio; Cerroni, Lorenzo; Fernández Figueras, María Teresa

2018-03-01

Panniculitides comprise a group of heterogeneous inflammatory diseases. Nevertheless, histopathological study along with clinicopathological correlation usually led to a specific diagnosis. In most textbooks, the first step in the diagnosis is to classify them as mostly septal or lobular depending on where the inflammatory infiltrate is located. The second step is deciding if vasculitis is present or not. Finally, the third step is further characterizing the inflammatory infiltrate. However, in addition to the algorithmic approach to panniculitis diagnosis, some subtle changes may help to the diagnosis. To review some clues in panniculitis dermatopathological diagnosis such as presence of granulation tissue, sclerotic connective tissue septa, small granulomas arranged around a central clear space, so-called ghost adipocytes, needle-shaped crystals, small lobules with a proliferation of capillaries, Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon, refractile microspheres, neutrophilic infiltrates, granulomas and fibroplasia or presence of adipose tissue in dermis. We have compiled 12 clues based in our personal experience in this field. Specificity and sensibility of every clue may vary and these clues are a guide to correct diagnoses that should rely in clinicopathological correlation. Knowledge of these 12 clues will help to increase the diagnostic accuracy in panniculitis diagnosis.

School Readiness: The Views of Pre-Service Preschool Teachers and Pre-Service Primary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin Sak, Ikbal Tuba

2016-01-01

This study compares the views of the concept of school readiness held by 50 pre-service preschool teachers and 50 pre-service primary teachers. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview protocol, and the word-list and key-words-in-context techniques were used for qualitative data analysis. Findings show that pre-service preschool…

An approach to integrating interprofessional education in collaborative mental health care.

PubMed

Curran, Vernon; Heath, Olga; Adey, Tanis; Callahan, Terrance; Craig, David; Hearn, Taryn; White, Hubert; Hollett, Ann

2012-03-01

This article describes an evaluation of a curriculum approach to integrating interprofessional education (IPE) in collaborative mental health practice across the pre- to post-licensure continuum of medical education. A systematic evaluation of IPE activities was conducted, utilizing a combination of evaluation study designs, including: pretest-posttest control group; one-group pre-test-post-test; and one-shot case study. Participant satisfaction, attitudes toward teamwork, and self-reported teamwork abilities were key evaluative outcome measures. IPE in collaborative mental health practice was well received at both the pre- and post-licensure levels. Satisfaction scores were very high, and students, trainees, and practitioners welcomed the opportunity to learn about collaboration in the context of mental health. Medical student satisfaction increased significantly with the introduction of standardized patients (SPs) as an interprofessional learning method. Medical students and faculty reported that experiential learning in practice-based settings is a key component of effective approaches to IPE implementation. At a post-licensure level, practitioners reported significant improvement in attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration in mental health care after participation in IPE. IPE in collaborative mental health is feasible, and mental health settings offer practical and useful learning experiences for students, trainees, and practitioners in interprofessional collaboration.

Post-weaning social and cognitive performance of piglets raised pre-weaning either in a complex multi-suckling group housing system or in a conventional system with a crated sow.

PubMed

van Nieuwamerongen, S E; Mendl, M; Held, S; Soede, N M; Bolhuis, J E

2017-09-01

We studied the social and cognitive performance of piglets raised pre-weaning either in a conventional system with a sow in a farrowing crate (FC) or in a multi-suckling (MS) system in which 5 sows and their piglets could interact in a more physically enriched and spacious environment. After weaning at 4 weeks of age, 8 groups of 4 litter-mates per pre-weaning housing treatment were studied under equal and enriched post-weaning housing conditions. From each pen, one pair consisting of a dominant and a submissive pig was selected, based on a feed competition test (FCT) 2 weeks post-weaning. This pair was used in an informed forager test (IFT) which measured aspects of spatial learning and foraging strategies in a competitive context. During individual training, submissive (informed) pigs learned to remember a bait location in a testing arena with 8 buckets (the same bucket was baited in a search visit and a subsequent relocation visit), whereas dominant (non-informed) pigs always found the bait in a random bucket (search visits only). After learning their task, the informed pigs' individual search visit was followed by a pairwise relocation visit in which they were accompanied by the non-informed pig. Effects of pre-weaning housing treatment were not distinctly present regarding the occurrence of aggression in the FCT and the learning performance during individual training in the IFT. During paired visits, informed and non-informed pigs changed their behaviour in response to being tested pairwise instead of individually, but MS and FC pigs showed few distinct behavioural differences.

Pre-Adolescents' Peer-Relational Schemas and Social Goals across Relational Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmivalli, Christina; Peets, Katlin

2009-01-01

Current theorists stress the context-specificity of social behaviors and social cognitions. Although researchers have started to investigate the relationship as one context that might influence social cognitions, relatively little is known about the influence of relational context on the social goals endorsed by children and adolescents. The…

Property Criteria for Automotive Al-Mg-Si Sheet Alloys

PubMed Central

Prillhofer, Ramona; Rank, Gunther; Berneder, Josef; Antrekowitsch, Helmut; Uggowitzer, Peter J.; Pogatscher, Stefan

2014-01-01

In this study, property criteria for automotive Al-Mg-Si sheet alloys are outlined and investigated in the context of commercial alloys AA6016, AA6005A, AA6063 and AA6013. The parameters crucial to predicting forming behavior were determined by tensile tests, bending tests, cross-die tests, hole-expansion tests and forming limit curve analysis in the pre-aged temper after various storage periods following sheet production. Roping tests were performed to evaluate surface quality, for the deployment of these alloys as an outer panel material. Strength in service was also tested after a simulated paint bake cycle of 20 min at 185 °C, and the corrosion behavior was analyzed. The study showed that forming behavior is strongly dependent on the type of alloy and that it is influenced by the storage period after sheet production. Alloy AA6016 achieves the highest surface quality, and pre-ageing of alloy AA6013 facilitates superior strength in service. Corrosion behavior is good in AA6005A, AA6063 and AA6016, and only AA6013 shows a strong susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. The results are discussed below with respect to the chemical composition, microstructure and texture of the Al-Mg-Si alloys studied, and decision-making criteria for appropriate automotive sheet alloys for specific applications are presented. PMID:28788119

The Cloud Detection and Ultraviolet Monitoring Experiment (CLUE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbier, Louis M.; Loh, Eugene C.; Krizmanic, John F.; Sokolsky, Pierre; Streitmatter, Robert E.

2004-01-01

In this paper we describe a new balloon instrument - CLUE - which is designed to monitor ultraviolet (uv) nightglow levels and determine cloud cover and cloud heights with a CO2 slicing technique. The CO2 slicing technique is based on the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua and Terra spacecraft. CLUE will provide higher spatial resolution (0.5 km) and correlations between the uv and the cloud cover.

Evaluating attentional and affective changes following an acute exercise bout using a modified dot-probe protocol

PubMed Central

BARNES, ROBERT T.; COOMBES, STEPHEN A.; ARMSTRONG, NICOLE B.; HIGGINS, TORRANCE J.; JANELLE, CHRISTOPHER M.

2011-01-01

A large body of literature advocates exercise as a successful intervention for increasing positive affect while also reducing negative affect and anxiety. Questions concerning the mechanisms driving these effects remain unanswered, particularly considering theorized attentional adaptations that may be elicited by acute exercise bouts. We investigated pre- and post-exercise attentional bias to examine possible attentional explanations that may account for these reported changes in affect. On separate visits to the laboratory, 30 high trait anxious participants completed 30 min of exercise on a cycle ergometer at 70% of their heart rate reserve, or completed a 30-min quiet rest protocol. During each intervention, pre-test and post-test modified dot-probe assessments of attentional bias were completed, as were a series of self-report anxiety and affect questionnaires. Attentional bias scores and reaction times were calculated. Post-exercise dot probe performance did not vary significantly as a function of the affective valence of presented stimuli. As hypothesized, however, positive affect and reaction time improved significantly following exercise compared with the pre- and post-rest conditions and the pre-exercise condition, suggesting that exercise facilitates a broadening of attentional scope. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed within the context of traditional and contemporary theories of dispositional affect and state-specific emotional responses. PMID:20686994

Ape gestures and language evolution

PubMed Central

Pollick, Amy S.; de Waal, Frans B. M.

2007-01-01

The natural communication of apes may hold clues about language origins, especially because apes frequently gesture with limbs and hands, a mode of communication thought to have been the starting point of human language evolution. The present study aimed to contrast brachiomanual gestures with orofacial movements and vocalizations in the natural communication of our closest primate relatives, bonobos (Pan paniscus) and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). We tested whether gesture is the more flexible form of communication by measuring the strength of association between signals and specific behavioral contexts, comparing groups of both the same and different ape species. Subjects were two captive bonobo groups, a total of 13 individuals, and two captive chimpanzee groups, a total of 34 individuals. The study distinguished 31 manual gestures and 18 facial/vocal signals. It was found that homologous facial/vocal displays were used very similarly by both ape species, yet the same did not apply to gestures. Both within and between species gesture usage varied enormously. Moreover, bonobos showed greater flexibility in this regard than chimpanzees and were also the only species in which multimodal communication (i.e., combinations of gestures and facial/vocal signals) added to behavioral impact on the recipient. PMID:17470779

Context clues: the importance of stem cell-material interactions

PubMed Central

Murphy, William L.

2014-01-01

Understanding the processes by which stem cells give rise to de novo tissues is an active focus of stem cell biology and bioengineering disciplines. Instructive morphogenic cues surrounding the stem cell during morphogenesis create what is referred to as the stem cell microenvironment. An emerging paradigm in stem cell bioengineering involves “biologically driven assembly,” in which stem cells are encouraged to largely define their own morphogenesis processes. However, even in the case of biologically driven assembly, stem cells do not act alone. The properties of the surrounding microenvironment can be critical regulators of cell fate. Stem cell-material interactions are among the most well-characterized microenvironmental effectors of stem cell fate, and they establish a signaling “context” that can define the mode of influence for morphogenic cues. Here we describe illustrative examples of cell-material interactions that occur during in vitro stem cell studies, with an emphasis on how cell-material interactions create instructive contexts for stem cell differentiation and morphogenesis. PMID:24369691

Small solar system bodies as granular systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hestroffer, Daniel; Campo Bagatín, Adriano; Losert, Wolfgang; Opsomer, Eric; Sánchez, Paul; Scheeres, Daniel J.; Staron, Lydie; Taberlet, Nicolas; Yano, Hajime; Eggl, Siegfried; Lecomte, Charles-Edouard; Murdoch, Naomi; Radjai, Fahrang; Richardson, Derek C.; Salazar, Marcos; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Tanga, Paolo

2017-06-01

Asteroids and other Small Solar System Bodies (SSSBs) are currently of great scientific and even industrial interest. Asteroids exist as the permanent record of the formation of the Solar System and therefore hold many clues to its understanding as a whole, as well as insights into the formation of planetary bodies. Additionally, SSSBs are being investigated in the context of impact risks for the Earth, space situational awareness and their possible industrial exploitation (asteroid mining). In all these aspects, the knowledge of the geophysical characteristics of SSSB surface and internal structure are of great importance. Given their size, constitution, and the evidence that many SSSBs are not simple monoliths, these bodies should be studied and modelled as self-gravitating granular systems in general, or as granular systems in micro-gravity environments in particular contexts. As such, the study of the geophysical characteristics of SSSBs is a multi-disciplinary effort that lies at the crossroads between Granular Mechanics, Celestial Mechanics, Soil Mechanics, Aerospace Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Context-dependent discrimination and the evolution of mimicry.

PubMed

Holen, Øistein Haugsten; Johnstone, Rufus A

2006-03-01

Many mimetic organisms have evolved a close resemblance to their models, making it difficult to discriminate between them on the basis of appearance alone. However, if mimics and models differ slightly in their activity patterns, behavior, or use of microhabitats, the exact circumstances under which a signaler is encountered may provide additional clues to its identity. We employ an optimality model of mimetic discrimination in which signal receivers obtain information about the relative risk of encountering mimics and models by observing an external background cue and flexibly adjust their response thresholds. Although such flexibility on the part of signal receivers has been predicted by theory and is supported by empirical evidence in a range of biological settings, little is known about the effects it has on signalers. We show that the presence of external cues that partly reveal signaler identity may benefit models and harm mimics, harm both, or even benefit both, depending on ecological circumstances. Moreover, if mimetic traits are costly to express, or mimics are related to their neighbors, context-dependent discrimination can dramatically alter the outcome of mimetic evolution. We discuss context-dependent discrimination among signal receivers in relation to small-scale synchrony in model and mimic activity patterns.

Clues to Ceres' Internal Structure

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-26

This frame from an animation shows Ceres as seen by NASA's Dawn spacecraft from its high-altitude mapping orbit at 913 miles (1,470 kilometers) above the surface. The colorful map overlaid at right shows variations in Ceres' gravity field measured by Dawn, and gives scientists hints about the dwarf planet's internal structure. Red colors indicate more positive values, corresponding to a stronger gravitational pull than expected, compared to scientists' pre-Dawn model of Ceres' internal structure; blue colors indicate more negative values, corresponding to a weaker gravitational pull. The animation was created by projecting a map of Ceres onto a rotating sphere. The image scale is about 450 feet (140 meters) per pixel. The animations are available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22083

Sex Position, Marital Status, and HIV Risk Among Indian Men Who Have Sex with Men: Clues to Optimizing Prevention Approaches

PubMed Central

Hemmige, Vagish; Snyder, Hannah; Liao, Chuanhong; Mayer, Kenneth; Lakshmi, Vemu; Gandham, Sabitha R.; Orunganti, Ganesh

2011-01-01

Abstract A divide exists between categories of men who have sex with men (MSM) in India based on their sex position, which has consequences for the design of novel HIV prevention interventions. We examine the interaction between sex position and other attributes on existing HIV risk including previous HIV testing, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), and HIV serostatus among MSM recruited from drop-in centers and public cruising areas in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, India. A survey was administered by trained research assistants and minimally invasive HIV testing was performed by finger-stick or oral testing. HIV seropositive MSM underwent CD4+ lymphocyte count measurement. In our sample (n=676), 32.6% of men were married to women, 22.2% of receptive only participants were married, and 21.9% of men were HIV seropositive. In bivariate analysis, sex position was associated with previous HIV testing, UAI, HIV serostatus, and CD4+ lymphocyte count at diagnosis. In multivariate analysis with interaction terms, dual unmarried men were more likely to have undergone an HIV test than insertive unmarried men (odds ratio [OR] 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2–6.5), a relationship that did not hold among married men. Conversely, dual married men were less likely than insertive married men to engage in UAI (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.1–0.6), a relationship that did not hold among unmarried men. Further implementation research is warranted in order to best direct novel biologic and behavioral prevention interventions towards specific risk behaviors in this and other similar contexts. PMID:21682588

Current approach in the diagnosis and management of posterior uveitis

PubMed Central

Sudharshan, S; Ganesh, Sudha K; Biswas, Jyotrimay

2010-01-01

Posterior uveitic entities are varied entities that are infective or non-infective in etiology. They can affect the adjacent structures such as the retina, vitreous, optic nerve head and retinal blood vessels. Thorough clinical evaluation gives a clue to the diagnosis while ancillary investigations and laboratory tests assist in confirming the diagnosis. Newer evolving techniques in the investigations and management have increased the diagnostic yield. In case of diagnostic dilemma, intraocular fluid evaluation for polymerase chain testing for the genome and antibody testing against the causative agent provide greater diagnostic ability. PMID:20029144

Unilateral inactivation of the basolateral amygdala attenuates context-induced renewal of Pavlovian-conditioned alcohol-seeking

PubMed Central

Chaudhri, N.; Woods, C. A.; Sahuque, L.L.; Gill, T. M.; Janak, P.H.

2014-01-01

Environmental contexts associated with drug use promote craving in humans and drug-seeking in animals. We hypothesized that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) itself, as well as serial connectivity between the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens core (NAC core), were required for context-induced renewal of Pavlovian-conditioned alcohol-seeking. Male, Long-Evans rats were trained to discriminate between two conditioned stimuli (CS) - a CS+ that was paired with ethanol (EtOH, 20%, v/v) delivery into a fluid port (0.2 ml/CS+, 3.2 ml/session) and a CS− that was not. Entries into the port during each CS were measured. Next, rats received extinction in a different context where both cues were presented without EtOH. At test, responding to the CS+ and CS− without EtOH was evaluated in the prior training context. Control subjects showed a selective increase in CS+ responding relative to extinction, indicative of renewal. This effect was blocked by pre-test, bilateral inactivation of the BLA using a solution of gamma-amino-butyric-acid receptor agonists (0.1 mM muscimol and 1.0 mM baclofen; M/B; 0.3 µl/side). Renewal was also attenuated following unilateral injections of M/B into the BLA, combined with either M/B, the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (0.6 µg/side), or saline infusion in the contralateral NAC core. Hence, unilateral BLA inactivation was sufficient to disrupt renewal, highlighting a critical role for functional activity in the BLA in enabling the reinstatement of alcohol-seeking driven by an alcohol context. PMID:23758059

Social cognition in schizophrenia and healthy aging: differences and similarities.

PubMed

Silver, Henry; Bilker, Warren B

2014-12-01

Social cognition is impaired in schizophrenia but it is not clear whether this is specific for the illness and whether emotion perception is selectively affected. To study this we examined the perception of emotional and non-emotional clues in facial expressions, a key social cognitive skill, in schizophrenia patients and old healthy individuals using young healthy individuals as reference. Tests of object recognition, visual orientation, psychomotor speed, and working memory were included to allow multivariate analysis taking into account other cognitive functions Schizophrenia patients showed impairments in recognition of identity and emotional facial clues compared to young and old healthy groups. Severity was similar to that for object recognition and visuospatial processing. Older and younger healthy groups did not differ from each other on these tests. Schizophrenia patients and old healthy individuals were similarly impaired in the ability to automatically learn new faces during the testing procedure (measured by the CSTFAC index) compared to young healthy individuals. Social cognition is distinctly impaired in schizophrenia compared to healthy aging. Further study is needed to identify the mechanisms of automatic social cognitive learning impairment in schizophrenia patients and healthy aging individuals and determine whether similar neural systems are affected. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of the Contact Lens User Experience: CLUE Scales

PubMed Central

Wirth, R. J.; Edwards, Michael C.; Henderson, Michael; Henderson, Terri; Olivares, Giovanna; Houts, Carrie R.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose The field of optometry has become increasingly interested in patient-reported outcomes, reflecting a common trend occurring across the spectrum of healthcare. This article reviews the development of the Contact Lens User Experience: CLUE system designed to assess patient evaluations of contact lenses. CLUE was built using modern psychometric methods such as factor analysis and item response theory. Methods The qualitative process through which relevant domains were identified is outlined as well as the process of creating initial item banks. Psychometric analyses were conducted on the initial item banks and refinements were made to the domains and items. Following this data-driven refinement phase, a second round of data was collected to further refine the items and obtain final item response theory item parameters estimates. Results Extensive qualitative work identified three key areas patients consider important when describing their experience with contact lenses. Based on item content and psychometric dimensionality assessments, the developing CLUE instruments were ultimately focused around four domains: comfort, vision, handling, and packaging. Item response theory parameters were estimated for the CLUE item banks (377 items), and the resulting scales were found to provide precise and reliable assignment of scores detailing users’ subjective experiences with contact lenses. Conclusions The CLUE family of instruments, as it currently exists, exhibits excellent psychometric properties. PMID:27383257

The enhanced Aussie Optimism Positive Thinking Skills Program: The relationship between internalizing symptoms and family functioning in children aged 9–11 years old

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Patricia; Rooney, Rosanna M.; Kane, Robert T.; Hassan, Sharinaz; Nesa, Monique

2015-01-01

The family context plays a critical role in the health of the child. This was the first study to examine the usefulness of the General Functioning subscale of the Family Assessment Device (FAD-GF) in assessing family functioning and its relationship to internalizing symptoms in school-aged children aged between 9 and 11 years of age. Eight hundred and forty-seven year 4 and 5 students from 13 schools (607 intervention students, and 240 control students) participated in the Aussie Optimism Positive Thinking Skills Program (AO-PTS) – a universal school-based program targeting internalizing symptoms. Students rated how ‘healthy’ they perceived their family to be at pre-test and at 6-months follow-up. Although some aspects of validity and reliability could be improved, results indicated that perceptions of family functioning at pre-test were predictive of internalizing symptoms at the 6-months follow-up. The FAD-GF therefore showed promise as a potential measure of family functioning for children as young as 9 years old. Regardless of children’s pre-test levels of perceived family functioning, no intervention effects were found on the anxiety and depression scales; this finding suggests that child perceptions of family functioning may act as a general protective factor against internalizing symptomology. PMID:25983698

Applicability of the pre-death grief concept to dementia family caregivers in Asia.

PubMed

Liew, Tau Ming

2016-07-01

Pre-death grief is prevalent among dementia family caregivers. When unaddressed, it produces adverse outcomes. With its research primarily conducted in Caucasians, its applicability to non-Caucasians is uncertain. We explore the existence and the characteristics of pre-death grief in a multi-ethnic Asian population using an established pre-death grief scale-Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI). Seventy-two dementia family caregivers were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Existence of pre-death grief was shown by its measurability on MM-CGI, together with good internal consistency reliability and construct validity. Characteristics of pre-death grief were explored through multivariate linear regression of MM-CGI and by comparing MM-CGI scores with those from the original US study using one-sample T-test. In the Asian context, pre-death grief was measurable in a reliable and valid manner. Risk factors of pre-death grief included caring for patients with severe dementia, spousal relationship and secondary or below education. Influence of culture was palpable-Asians had more worries and felt isolation, and certain ethnicity showed more pre-death grief. Pre-death grief is applicable even to the non-Caucasian population. It bears much similarity to that in Caucasians. Yet, its expression is modified by culture. Clinicians working with non-Caucasian populations need to be sensitive to its presence and to the influence of culture on its expression. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Taboo: Working memory and mental control in an interactive task

PubMed Central

Hansen, Whitney A.; Goldinger, Stephen D.

2014-01-01

Individual differences in working memory (WM) predict principled variation in tasks of reasoning, response time, memory, and other abilities. Theoretically, a central function of WM is keeping task-relevant information easily accessible while suppressing irrelevant information. The present experiment was a novel study of mental control, using performance in the game Taboo as a measure. We tested effects of WM capacity on several indices, including perseveration errors (repeating previous guesses or clues) and taboo errors (saying at least part of a taboo or target word). By most measures, high-span participants were superior to low-span participants: High-spans were better at guessing answers, better at encouraging correct guesses from teammates, and less likely to either repeat themselves or produce taboo clues. Differences in taboo errors occurred only in an easy control condition. The results suggest that WM capacity predicts behavior in tasks requiring mental control, extending this finding to an interactive group setting. PMID:19827699

Pre-Columbian floristic legacies in modern homegardens of Central Amazonia.

PubMed

Lins, Juliana; Lima, Helena P; Baccaro, Fabricio B; Kinupp, Valdely F; Shepard, Glenn H; Clement, Charles R

2015-01-01

Historical ecologists have demonstrated legacy effects in apparently wild landscapes in Europe, North America, Mesoamerica, Amazonia, Africa and Oceania. People live and farm in archaeological sites today in many parts of the world, but nobody has looked for the legacies of past human occupations in the most dynamic areas in these sites: homegardens. Here we show that the useful flora of modern homegardens is partially a legacy of pre-Columbian occupations in Central Amazonia: the more complex the archaeological context, the more variable the floristic composition of useful native plants in homegardens cultivated there today. Species diversity was 10% higher in homegardens situated in multi-occupational archaeological contexts compared with homegardens situated in single-occupational ones. Species heterogeneity (β-diversity) among archaeological contexts was similar for the whole set of species, but markedly different when only native Amazonian species were included, suggesting the influence of pre-conquest indigenous occupations on current homegarden species composition. Our findings show that the legacy of pre-Columbian occupations is visible in the most dynamic of all agroecosystems, adding another dimension to the human footprint in the Amazonian landscape.

Pulling PreK into a K-12 Orbit: The Evolution of PreK in the Age of Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graue, M. Elizabeth; Ryan, Sharon; Nocera, Amato; Northey, Kaitlin; Wilinski, Bethany

2017-01-01

We might call this decade the era of early childhood. In the US, federal and state governments invest in the creation of public pre-kindergarten (preK) programs and create standards that articulate goals for practice and benchmarks that can be used to evaluate success. How have these trends provided a context for the evolution of preK curriculum?…

Beyond English Proficiency: Rethinking Immigrant Integration

PubMed Central

Akresh, Ilana Redstone; Massey, Douglas S.; Frank, Reanne

2014-01-01

We develop and test a conceptual model of English language acquisition and the strength of the latter in predicting social and cultural assimilation. We present evidence that the path to English proficiency begins with exposure to English in the home country and on prior U.S. trips. English proficiency, then, has direct links to the intermediate migration outcomes of occupational status in the U.S., the amount of time in the U.S. since the most recent trip, and the co-ethnic residential context in the U.S. In turn, pre-migration characteristics and the intermediate characteristics work in tandem with English proficiency to determine social assimilation in the U.S., while cultural assimilation is primarily determined by pre-migration habits. A shift in focus to English use is desirable in studies of immigrant integration. PMID:24576636

X-ray and EUV Observations of CME Eruption Onset

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sterling, A. C.

2004-01-01

Why Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) erupt is a major outstanding puzzle of solar physics. Signatures observable at the earliest stages of eruption onset may hold precious clues about the onset mechanism. We present observations from SOHO/EIT and from TRACE in EUV, and from Yohkoh/SXT in soft X-rays of the pre-eruption and eruption phases of CME expulsion, along with the eruption's magnetic setting found from SOHO/MDI magnetograms. Most of our events involve clearly-observable filament eruptions and multiple neutral lines, and we use the magnetic settings and motions of the filaments to help infer the geometry and behavior of the associated erupting magnetic fields. Pre-eruption and early-eruption signatures include a relatively slow filament rise prior to eruption, and intensity "dimmings" and brightenings, both in the immediate neighborhood of the "core" (location of greatest magnetic shear) of the erupting fields and at locations remote from the core. These signatures and their relative timings place observational constraints on eruption mechanisms; our recent work has focused on implications for the so-called "tether cutting" and "breakout" models, but the same observational constraints are applicable to any model.

Pre-inflationary clues from String Theory?

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

Kitazawa, N.; Sagnotti, A., E-mail: kitazawa@phys.se.tmu.ac.jp, E-mail: sagnotti@sns.it

2014-04-01

''Brane supersymmetry breaking'' occurs in String Theory when the only available combinations of D-branes and orientifolds are not mutually BPS and yet do not introduce tree-level tachyon instabilities. It is characterized by the emergence of a steep exponential potential, and thus by the absence of maximally symmetric vacua. The corresponding low-energy supergravity admits intriguing spatially-flat cosmological solutions where a scalar field is forced to climb up toward the steep potential after an initial singularity, and additional milder terms can inject an inflationary phase during the ensuing descent. We show that, in the resulting power spectra of scalar perturbations, an infraredmore » suppression is typically followed by a pre-inflationary peak that reflects the end of the climbing phase and can lie well apart from the approximately scale invariant profile. A first look at WMAP9 raw data shows that, while the χ{sup 2} fits for the low-ℓ CMB angular power spectrum are clearly compatible with an almost scale invariant behavior, they display nonetheless an eye-catching preference for this type of setting within a perturbative string regime.« less

Enabling Agile Testing through Continuous Integration

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

Stolberg, Sean E.

2009-08-24

A Continuous Integration system is often considered one of the key elements involved in supporting an agile software development and testing environment. As a traditional software tester transitioning to an agile development environment it became clear to me that I would need to put this essential infrastructure in place and promote improved development practices in order to make the transition to agile testing possible. This experience report discusses a continuous integration implementation I lead last year. The initial motivations for implementing continuous integration are discussed and a pre and post-assessment using Martin Fowler's "Practices of Continuous Integration" is provided alongmore » with the technical specifics of the implementation. Finally, I’ll wrap up with a retrospective of my experiences implementing and promoting continuous integration within the context of agile testing.« less

Identifying Program Characteristics for Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akiba, Motoko

2011-01-01

Background/Context: Educating pre-service teachers to develop multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills for teaching diverse students is a major responsibility of teacher education program coordinators and teacher educators. Numerous studies have discussed and explored the characteristics of teacher preparation that improve pre-service…

Encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of contextual memory: differential involvement of dorsal CA3 and CA1 hippocampal subregions.

PubMed

Daumas, Stéphanie; Halley, Hélène; Francés, Bernard; Lassalle, Jean-Michel

2005-01-01

Studies on human and animals shed light on the unique hippocampus contributions to relational memory. However, the particular role of each hippocampal subregion in memory processing is still not clear. Hippocampal computational models and theories have emphasized a unique function in memory for each hippocampal subregion, with the CA3 area acting as an autoassociative memory network and the CA1 area as a critical output structure. In order to understand the respective roles of the CA3- and CA1-hippocampal areas in the formation of contextual memory, we studied the effects of the reversible inactivation by lidocaine of the CA3 or CA1 areas of the dorsal hippocampus on acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval of a contextual fear conditioning. Whereas infusions of lidocaine never impaired elementary tone conditioning, their effects on contextual conditioning provided interesting clues about the role of these two hippocampal regions. They demonstrated first that the CA3 area is necessary for the rapid elaboration of a unified representation of the context. Secondly, they suggested that the CA1 area is rather involved in the consolidation process of contextual memory. Third, they showed that CA1 or CA3 inactivation during retention test has no effect on contextual fear retrieval when a recognition memory procedure is used. In conclusion, our findings point as evidence that CA1 and CA3 subregions of the dorsal hippocampus play important and different roles in the acquisition and consolidation of contextual fear memory, whereas they are not required for context recognition.

COCAINE AND PAVLOVIAN FEAR CONDITIONING: DOSE-EFFECT ANALYSIS

PubMed Central

Wood, Suzanne C.; Fay, Jonathon; Sage, Jennifer R.; Anagnostaras, Stephan G.

2007-01-01

Emerging evidence suggests that cocaine and other drugs of abuse can interfere with many aspects of cognitive functioning. The authors examined the effects of 0.1 – 15 mg/kg of cocaine on Pavlovian contextual and cued fear conditioning in mice. As expected, pre-training cocaine dose-dependently produced hyperactivity and disrupted freezing. Surprisingly, when the mice were tested off-drug later, the group pre-treated with a moderate dose of cocaine (15 mg/kg) displayed significantly less contextual and cued memory, compared to saline control animals. Conversely, mice pre-treated with a very low dose of cocaine (0.1 mg/kg) showed significantly enhanced fear memory for both context and tone, compared to controls. These results were not due to cocaine’s anesthetic effects, as shock reactivity was unaffected by cocaine. The data suggest that despite cocaine’s reputation as a performance-enhancing and anxiogenic drug, this effect is seen only at very low doses, whereas a moderate dose disrupts hippocampus and amygdala-dependent fear conditioning. PMID:17098299

Cocaine and Pavlovian fear conditioning: dose-effect analysis.

PubMed

Wood, Suzanne C; Fay, Jonathan; Sage, Jennifer R; Anagnostaras, Stephan G

2007-01-25

Emerging evidence suggests that cocaine and other drugs of abuse can interfere with many aspects of cognitive functioning. The authors examined the effects of 0.1-15mg/kg of cocaine on Pavlovian contextual and cued fear conditioning in mice. As expected, pre-training cocaine dose-dependently produced hyperactivity and disrupted freezing. Surprisingly, when the mice were tested off-drug later, the group pre-treated with a moderate dose of cocaine (15mg/kg) displayed significantly less contextual and cued memory, compared to saline control animals. Conversely, mice pre-treated with a very low dose of cocaine (0.1mg/kg) showed significantly enhanced fear memory for both context and tone, compared to controls. These results were not due to cocaine's anesthetic effects, as shock reactivity was unaffected by cocaine. The data suggest that despite cocaine's reputation as a performance-enhancing and anxiogenic drug, this effect is seen only at very low doses, whereas a moderate dose disrupts hippocampus and amygdala-dependent fear conditioning.

From single-use to multi-use: Study of consumers' behavior toward consumption of reusable containers.

PubMed

Ertz, Myriam; Huang, Rong; Jo, Myung-Soo; Karakas, Fahri; Sarigöllü, Emine

2017-05-15

This study advances the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to identify the mechanism that underlies the consumption of reusable containers. A questionnaire including context, motivation, subjective norms, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, intentions and behavior items was developed and pre-tested on 180 students in a Canadian and a Chinese university respectively. Subsequently, the questionnaire was implemented in the form of an online survey and 1221 effective responses were collected from Western (n = 549) and Asian (n = 672) consumers. The findings revealed that the context and motivation variables are important antecedents to several TPB constructs. Context strongly impacts perceived behavioral control and motivations as well as attitudes. Motivation is clearly distinct from intentions and has a significant influence on both attitudes and intentions. In addition to the standard variables of perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and attitudes, motivation does have a significant impact on intentions. Furthermore, there are cultural differences in the way context impacts intentions and behavior in that Asians (Westerners) are influenced by context to increase reusable containers consumption through motivation (attitudes). Attitude is a significantly stronger predictor of intentions for Westerners than Asians. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Breaking HIV News to Clients: SPIKES Strategy in Post-Test Counseling Session.

PubMed

Emadi-Koochak, Hamid; Yazdi, Farhad; Haji Abdolbaghi, Mahboubeh; Salehi, Mohammad Reza; Shadloo, Behrang; Rahimi-Movaghar, Afarin

2016-05-01

Breaking bad news is one of the most burdensome tasks physicians face in their everyday practice. It becomes even more challenging in the context of HIV+ patients because of stigma and discrimination. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the quality of giving HIV seroconversion news according to SPIKES protocol. Numbers of 154 consecutive HIV+ patients from Imam Khomeini Hospital testing and counseling center were enrolled in this study. Patients were inquired about how they were given the HIV news and whether or not they received pre- and post-test counseling sessions. Around 51% of them were men, 80% had high school education, and 56% were employed. Regarding marital status, 32% were single, and 52% were married at the time of the interview. Among them, 31% had received the HIV news in a counseling center, and only 29% had pre-test counseling. SPIKES criteria were significantly met when the HIV news was given in an HIV counseling and testing center (P.value<0.05). Low coverage of HIV counseling services was observed in the study. SPIKES criteria were significantly met when the HIV seroconversion news was given in a counseling center. The need to further train staff to deliver HIV news seems a priority in the field of HIV care and treatment.

Biomedical HIV Prevention Including Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and Opiate Agonist Therapy for Women Who Inject Drugs: State of Research and Future Directions.

PubMed

Page, Kimberly; Tsui, Judith; Maher, Lisa; Choopanya, Kachit; Vanichseni, Suphak; Mock, Philip A; Celum, Connie; Martin, Michael

2015-06-01

Women who inject drugs (WWID) are at higher risk of HIV compared with their male counterparts as a result of multiple factors, including biological, behavioral, and sociostructural factors, yet comparatively little effort has been invested in testing and delivering prevention methods that directly target this group. In this article, we discuss the need for expanded prevention interventions for WWID, focusing on 2 safe, effective, and approved, yet underutilized biomedical prevention methods: opiate agonist therapy (OAT) and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Although both interventions are well researched, they have not been well examined in the context of gender. We discuss the drivers of women injectors' higher HIV risk, review the effectiveness of OAT and PrEP interventions among women, and explain why these new HIV prevention tools should be prioritized for WWID. There is substantial potential for impact of OAT and PrEP programs for WWID in the context of broader gender-responsive HIV prevention initiatives. Although awaiting efficacy data on other biomedical approaches in the HIV prevention research "pipeline," we propose that the scale-up and implementation of these proven, safe, and effective interventions are needed now.

Children's Behavioral Adjustment in Pre-Primary Schools in Tanzania: A Multilevel Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shavega, Theresia J.; Brugman, Daniel; van Tuijl, Cathy

2014-01-01

Research Findings: The present study concerns children's behavioral adjustment in the context of pre-primary schools in Tanzania. Twenty teachers and 320 children from 20 pre-primary schools participated in the study. Teacher-child relationships, children's behavioral adjustment, and teachers' cultural beliefs were reported by teachers; classroom…

TESOL in Context: Authentic Workplace Learning for Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomsett, Janeen; Leggett, Bridget; Ainsworth, Sharon

2011-01-01

The action research project entitled "Engaging pre-service TESOL teachers in authentic workplace learning" aimed to enhance the TESOL practicum experience of pre-service teachers in the Graduate Diploma of Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. Integrated into the relevant TESOL curriculum unit was the…

Promoting Experiential Learning in Pre-Service Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong

2015-01-01

This report introduces the experiential learning initiative at a major university in Hong Kong that prepares pre-service teachers with experience of engaging with social and cultural issues in teaching. It calls on teacher educators in different contexts to work together on similar initiatives that help pre-service teachers grow professionally…

A Pre- and Co-Knockdown of RNAseT Enzyme, Eri-1, Enhances the Efficiency of RNAi Induced Gene Silencing in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Jadiya, Pooja; Nazir, Aamir

2014-01-01

Background The approach of RNAi mediated gene knockdown, employing exogenous dsRNA, is being beneficially exploited in various fields of functional genomics. The immense utility of the approach came to fore from studies with model system C. elegans, but quickly became applicable with varied research models ranging from in vitro to various in vivo systems. Previously, there have been reports on the refractoriness of the neuronal cells to RNAi mediated gene silencing following which several modulators like eri-1 and lin-15 were described in C. elegans which, when present, would negatively impact the gene knockdown. Methodology/Principal Findings Taking a clue from these findings, we went on to screen hypothesis-driven- methodologies towards exploring the efficiency in the process of RNAi under various experimental conditions, wherein these genes would be knocked down preceding to, or concurrently with, the knocking down of a gene of interest. For determining the efficiency of gene knockdown, we chose to study visually stark phenotypes of uncoordinated movement, dumpy body morphology and blistered cuticle obtained by knocking down of genes unc-73, dpy-9 and bli-3 respectively, employing the RNAi-by-feeding protocol in model system C. elegans. Conclusions/Significance Our studies led to a very interesting outcome as the results reveal that amongst various methods tested, pre-incubation with eri-1 dsRNA synthesizing bacteria followed by co-incubation with eri-1 and gene-of-interest dsRNA synthesizing bacteria leads to the most efficient gene silencing as observed by the analysis of marker phenotypes. This provides an approach for effectively employing RNAi induced gene silencing while working with different genetic backgrounds including transgenic and mutant strains. PMID:24475317

Propeller Belts of Saturn

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-05-10

This view from NASA's Cassini spacecraft is the sharpest ever taken of belts of the features called propellers in the middle part of Saturn's A ring. The propellers are the small, bright features that look like double dashes, visible on both sides of the wave pattern that crosses the image diagonally from top to bottom. The original discovery of propellers in this region in Saturn's rings was made using several images taken from very close to the rings during Cassini's 2004 arrival at Saturn. Those discovery images were of low resolution and were difficult to interpret, and there were few clues as to how the small propellers seen in those images were related to the larger propellers Cassini observed later in the mission. This image, for the first time, shows swarms of propellers of a wide range of sizes, putting the ones Cassini observed in its Saturn arrival images in context. Scientists will use this information to derive a "particle size distribution" for propeller moons, which is an important clue to their origins. The image was taken using the Cassini spacecraft's narrow-angle camera on April 19. The view was has an image scale of 0.24 mile (385 meters) per pixel, and was taken at a sun-ring-spacecraft angle, or phase angle, of 108 degrees. The view looks toward a point approximately 80,000 miles (129,000 kilometers) from Saturn's center. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21448

Reactive aggression and peer victimization from pre-kindergarten to first grade: accounting for hyperactivity and teacher-child conflict.

PubMed

Runions, Kevin C

2014-12-01

The role of reactive aggression in the development of peer victimization remains unclear due in part to a failure to account for confounding problems of behavioural undercontrol (e.g., hyperactivity). As well, the school social context has rarely been examined to see whether these risks are mediated by relationships with teachers. This study tests the prospective relations between reactive aggression, hyperactivity, victimization, and teacher-child (T-C) relationship, to determine whether conflict mediates the relationships between externalizing problems and victimization. A sample of 1,114 Australian students were followed from pre-kindergarten through first grade. Cross-lagged path analyses were conducted, with comparison of gender-moderating models and autocorrelation models. Full-information maximum likelihood was deployed to account for missingness. Best fitting models found that the relationship of early externalizing problems to later victimization was mediated by T-C conflict. No evidence of victimization increasing externalizing problems nor gender differences were observed. T-C conflict in kindergarten predicted subsequent increases in victimization, reactive aggression, and hyperactivity. Understanding the processes whereby externalizing problems confer risk of victimization involves understanding the whole social context of classrooms, including relationships with teachers. Finer-grained research is needed to better understand how peer dynamics may be influenced by observation of T-C relationships. Pre-service teacher education needs to ensure a focus on the potential social impact of teacher's relationships with students. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Influence of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre-service elementary student teachers' science teaching beliefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Sumita

This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre-service elementary teachers' personal agency beliefs (PAB) about teaching science and their ability to effectively implement science instruction. The research combined quantitative and qualitative approaches within an ethnographic research tradition. A comparison was made between the pre and posttest scores for two groups. The experimental group utilized the inquiry method; the control group did not. The experimental group had the stronger PAB pattern. The field experience caused no significant differences to the context beliefs of either groups, but did to the capability beliefs. The number of college science courses taken by pre-service elementary teachers' was positively related to their post capability belief (p = .0209). Qualitative information was collected through case studies which included observation of classrooms, assessment of lesson plans and open-ended, extended interviews of the participants about their beliefs in their teaching abilities (efficacy beliefs), and in teaching environments (context beliefs). The interview data were analyzed by the analytic induction method to look for themes. The emerging themes were then grouped under several attributes. Following a review of the attributes a number of hypotheses were formulated. Each hypothesis was then tested across all the cases by the constant comparative method. The pattern of relationship that emerged from the hypotheses testing clearly suggests a new hypothesis that there is a spiral relationship among the ability to establish communicative relationship with students, desire for personal growth and improvement, and greater content knowledge. The study concluded that inquiry based student teaching should be encouraged to train school science teachers. But the meaning and the practice of the inquiry method should be clearly delineated to ensure its correct implementation in the classroom. A survey should be undertaken to ascertain the extent to which what is currently being practiced, as the inquiry method is indeed the inquiry method. Practicing the inquiry method is greatly more demanding than traditional methods of teacher training. A widespread adoption of the method will require considerable changes in these factors.

A deeper view into the significance of simple sequence repeats in pre-miRNAs provides clues for its possible roles in determining the function of microRNAs.

PubMed

Joy, Nisha; Maimoonath Beevi, Y P; Soniya, E V

2018-05-09

The central tenet of 'genome content' has been that the 'non-coding' parts are highly enriched with 'microsatellites' or 'Simple Sequence Repeats' (SSRs). We presume that the presence and change in number of repeat unit (n) of SSRs in different genomic locations may or may not become beneficial, depending on the position of SSRs in a gene. Very few studies have looked into the existence of SSRs in the hair-pin precursors of miRNAs (pre-miRNAs). The interplay between SSRs and miRNAs is not yet clearly understood. Considering the potential significance of SSRs in pre-miRNAs, we analysed the miRNA hair-pin precursors of 171 organisms, which revealed a noticeable (29.8%) existence of SSRs in their pre-miRNAs. The maintenance of SSRs in pre-miRNAs even in the complex, highly evolved phyla like Chordata and Magnoliophyta shed light upon its diverse functions. Putative effects of SSRs in either regulating the biogenesis or function of miRNAs were more underlined based on computational and experimental analysis. A preliminary computational analysis to explore the relevance of such SSRs maintained in pre-miRNA sequences led to the detection of splicing regulatory elements (SREs) either in or near to the SSRs. The absence of SSRs correspondingly decreased the detection of SREs. The present study is the first implication for the possible involvement of SSRs in shaping the SREs to undergo Alternative Splicing events to produce miRNA isoforms in accordance with different stress environments. This part of work well demonstrates the importance of studying such consistently maintained SSRs residing in pre-miRNAs and can enhance more and more research towards deciphering the exact function of SSRs in the near future.

Toward a Theory of Childhood Learning Disorders, Hyperactivity, and Aggression

PubMed Central

Mawson, Anthony R.

2012-01-01

Learning disorders are often associated with persistent hyperactivity and aggression and are part of a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. A potential clue to understanding these linked phenomena is that physical exercise and passive forms of stimulation are calming, enhance cognitive functions and learning, and are recommended as complementary treatments for these problems. The theory is proposed that hyperactivity and aggression are intense stimulation-seeking behaviors (SSBs) driven by increased brain retinergic activity, and the stimulation thus obtained activates opposing nitrergic systems which inhibit retinergic activity, induce a state of calm, and enhance cognition and learning. In persons with cognitive deficits and associated behavioral disorders, the retinergic system may be chronically overactivated and the nitrergic system chronically underactivated due to environmental exposures occurring pre- and/or postnatally that affect retinoid metabolism or expression. For such individuals, the intensity of stimulation generated by SSB may be insufficient to activate the inhibitory nitrergic system. A multidisciplinary research program is needed to test the model and, in particular, to determine the extent to which applied physical treatments can activate the nitrergic system directly, providing the necessary level of intensity of sensory stimulation to substitute for that obtained in maladaptive and harmful ways by SSB, thereby reducing SSB and enhancing cognitive skills and performance. PMID:23762766

IR Variability During a Shell Ejection of Eta Carinae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Nathan

2006-02-01

Every 5.5 years, η Carinae experiences a dramatic ``spectroscopic event'' when high-excitation lines in its UV, optical, and IR spectrum disappear, and its hard X-ray and radio continuum flux crash. This periodicity has been attributed to a very eccentric binary system with a shell ejection occurring at periastron. Mid-IR images and spectra with T-ReCS are needed to measure changes in the current bolometric luminosity and to trace dust formation episodes. This will provide a direct estimate of the mass ejected. Near-IR emission lines trace related changes in the post-event wind and ionization changes in the circumstellar environment needed to test specific models for the cause of η Car's variability as it recovers from its recent ``event''. High resolution near-IR spectra with GNIRS will continue the important work of HST/STIS, investigating changes in the direct and reflected spectrum of the stellar wind, and ionization changes in the nebula. The complex kinematic structure of η Car's ejecta also holds important clues to its mass ejection history, and is essential for interpreting other data. Phoenix can provide a unique kinematic map of the complex density and time-variable ionization structure of η Car's nebula, which is our best example of the pre-explosion environment of very massive stars.

Toward a theory of childhood learning disorders, hyperactivity, and aggression.

PubMed

Mawson, Anthony R

2012-01-01

Learning disorders are often associated with persistent hyperactivity and aggression and are part of a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. A potential clue to understanding these linked phenomena is that physical exercise and passive forms of stimulation are calming, enhance cognitive functions and learning, and are recommended as complementary treatments for these problems. The theory is proposed that hyperactivity and aggression are intense stimulation-seeking behaviors (SSBs) driven by increased brain retinergic activity, and the stimulation thus obtained activates opposing nitrergic systems which inhibit retinergic activity, induce a state of calm, and enhance cognition and learning. In persons with cognitive deficits and associated behavioral disorders, the retinergic system may be chronically overactivated and the nitrergic system chronically underactivated due to environmental exposures occurring pre- and/or postnatally that affect retinoid metabolism or expression. For such individuals, the intensity of stimulation generated by SSB may be insufficient to activate the inhibitory nitrergic system. A multidisciplinary research program is needed to test the model and, in particular, to determine the extent to which applied physical treatments can activate the nitrergic system directly, providing the necessary level of intensity of sensory stimulation to substitute for that obtained in maladaptive and harmful ways by SSB, thereby reducing SSB and enhancing cognitive skills and performance.

The Cloud Detection and UV Monitoring Experiment (CLUE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbier, L.; Loh, E.; Sokolsky, P.; Streitmatter, R.

2004-01-01

We propose a large-area, low-power instrument to perform CLoud detection and Ultraviolet monitoring, CLUE. CLUE will combine the W detection capabilities of the NIGHTGLOW payload, with an array of infrared sensors to perform cloud slicing measurements. Missions such as EUSO and OWL which seek to measure UHE cosmic-rays at 1W20 eV use the atmosphere as a fluorescence detector. CLUE will provide several important correlated measurements for these missions, including: monitoring the atmospheric W emissions &om 330 - 400 nm, determining the ambient cloud cover during those W measurements (with active LIDAR), measuring the optical depth of the clouds (with an array of narrow band-pass IR sensors), and correlating LIDAR and IR cloud cover measurements. This talk will describe the instrument as we envision it.

HDAC I inhibition in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus differentially modulates predator-odor fear learning and generalization.

PubMed

Yuan, Robin K; Hebert, Jenna C; Thomas, Arthur S; Wann, Ellen G; Muzzio, Isabel A

2015-01-01

Although predator odors are ethologically relevant stimuli for rodents, the molecular pathways and contribution of some brain regions involved in predator odor conditioning remain elusive. Inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the dorsal hippocampus has been shown to enhance shock-induced contextual fear learning, but it is unknown if HDACs have differential effects along the dorso-ventral hippocampal axis during predator odor fear learning. We injected MS-275, a class I HDAC inhibitor, bilaterally in the dorsal or ventral hippocampus of mice and found that it had no effects on innate anxiety in either region. We then assessed the effects of MS-275 at different stages of fear learning along the longitudinal hippocampal axis. Animals were injected with MS-275 or vehicle after context pre-exposure (pre-conditioning injections), when a representation of the context is first formed, or after exposure to coyote urine (post-conditioning injections), when the context becomes associated with predator odor. When MS-275 was administered after context pre-exposure, dorsally injected animals showed enhanced fear in the training context but were able to discriminate it from a neutral environment. Conversely, ventrally injected animals did not display enhanced learning in the training context but generalized the fear response to a neutral context. However, when MS-275 was administered after conditioning, there were no differences between the MS-275 and vehicle control groups in either the dorsal or ventral hippocampus. Surprisingly, all groups displayed generalization to a neutral context, suggesting that predator odor exposure followed by a mild stressor such as restraint leads to fear generalization. These results may elucidate distinct functions of the dorsal and ventral hippocampus in predator odor-induced fear conditioning as well as some of the molecular mechanisms underlying fear generalization.

Perceptions of Prospective Pre-School Teachers Regarding Children's Right to Participate in Classroom Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koran, Nihan; Avci, Neslihan

2017-01-01

This study investigates the behaviours of pre-school teachers working with children aged between 4 and 6 years with regard to their right to participate in classroom activities. In this context, pre-school teacher's negative or positive applications regarding children's participation rights were revealed. Furthermore, preschool teachers'…

Emotional Climate of a Pre-Service Science Teacher Education Class in Bhutan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rinchen, Sonam; Ritchie, Stephen M.; Bellocchi, Alberto

2016-01-01

This study explored pre-service secondary science teachers' perceptions of classroom emotional climate in the context of the Bhutanese macro-social policy of Gross National Happiness. Drawing upon sociological perspectives of human emotions and using Interaction Ritual Theory this study investigated how pre-service science teachers may be…

Making Pre-K Count: Improving Math Instruction in New York City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Pamela A.; Mattera, Shira K.; Maier, Michelle F.

2016-01-01

In the context of a persistent achievement lag among low-income children despite substantial investments in early education, policymakers and practitioners continue to seek ways to improve the quality of children's preschool experiences. The Making Pre-K Count study addresses whether strengthening prekindergarten (pre-K) instruction in math,…

An Analysis of the Reasoning Skills of Pre-Service Teachers in the Context of Mathematical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavuz Mumcu, Hayal; Aktürk, Tolga

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to address and analyse pre-service teachers' mathematical reasoning skills in relation to mathematical thinking processes. For these purposes, pre-service teachers' mathematical reasoning skills namely generalising/abstraction/modelling, ratiocination, development and creative thinking skills and the relationships among…

A versatile system for biological and soil chemical tests on a planetary landing craft. II - Hardware development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. P.; Kok, B.; Radmer, R.

1976-01-01

A system has been under development which is designed to seek remotely for clues to life in planetary soil samples. The basic approach is a set of experiments, all having a common sensor, a gas analysis mass spectrometer which monitors gas composition in the head spaces above sealed, temperature controlled soil samples. Versatility is obtained with up to three preloaded, sealed fluid injector capsules for each of eleven soil test cells. Tests results with an engineering model has demonstrated performance capability of subsystem components such as soil distribution, gas sampling valves, injector mechanisms, temperature control, and test cell seal.

The effects of postnatal alcohol exposure and galantamine on the context pre-exposure facilitation effect and acetylcholine efflux using in vivo microdialysis.

PubMed

Perkins, Amy E; Fadel, Jim R; Kelly, Sandra J

2015-05-01

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are characterized by damage to multiple brain regions, including the hippocampus, which is involved in learning and memory. The acetylcholine neurotransmitter system provides major input to the hippocampus and is a possible target of developmental alcohol exposure. Alcohol (3.0 g/kg/day) was administered via intubation to male rat pups (postnatal day [PD] 2-10; ethanol-treated [ET]). Controls received a sham intubation (IC) or no treatment (NC). Acetylcholine efflux was measured using in vivo microdialysis (PD 32-35). ET animals were not different at baseline, but had decreased K(+)/Ca(2+)-induced acetylcholine efflux compared to NC animals and an enhanced acetylcholine response to galantamine (acetylcholinesterase inhibitor; 2.0 mg/kg) compared to both control groups. A separate cohort of animals was tested in the context pre-exposure facilitation effect task (CPFE; PD 30-32) following postnatal alcohol exposure and administration of galantamine (2.0 mg/kg; PD 11-30). Neither chronic galantamine nor postnatal alcohol exposure influenced performance in the CPFE task. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that neither alcohol exposure nor behavioral testing significantly altered the density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter or alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in the ventral hippocampus (CA1). In the medial septum, the average number of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT+) cells was increased in ET animals that displayed the context-shock association; there were no changes in IC and NC animals that learned the context-shock association or in any animals that were in the control task that entailed no learning. Taken together, these results indicate that the hippocampal acetylcholine system is significantly disrupted under conditions of pharmacological manipulations (e.g., galantamine) in alcohol-exposed animals. Furthermore, ChAT was up‑regulated in ET animals that learned the CPFE, which may account for their ability to perform this task. In sum, developmental alcohol exposure may disrupt learning and memory in adolescence via a cholinergic mechanism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Images and Meaning-Making in a World of Resemblance: The Bavarian-Saxon Kidney Stone Affair of 1580

PubMed Central

Stein, Claudia

2015-01-01

This article de-constructs and re-constructs the dynamic of a sixteenth-century political dispute between the Catholic Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V and the Protestant Saxon Elector August I. By focusing on the visual imagery which ignited the dispute, the paper explores sixteenth-century ‘ways of seeing’ and the epistemic role realistic images played in the production of knowledge about the natural world. While the peculiar dynamic of the affair is based on a specific understanding of the evidential role of images, the paper also argues that the wider socio-cultural context, in particular certain strategies of truth-telling, provide further clues as to the dynamic and closure of the affair. PMID:26290618

Human osteopontin splicing isoforms: known roles, potential clinical applications and activated signaling pathways.

PubMed

Gimba, E R; Tilli, T M

2013-04-30

Human osteopontin is subject to alternative splicing, which generates three isoforms, termed OPNa, OPNb and OPNc. These variants show specific expression and roles in different cell contexts. We present an overview of current knowledge of the expression profile of human OPN splicing isoforms (OPN-SIs), their tissue-specific roles, and the pathways mediating their functional properties in different pathophysiological conditions. We also describe their putative application as biomarkers, and their potential use as therapeutic targets by using antibodies, oligonucleotides or siRNA molecules. This synthesis provides new clues for a better understanding of human OPN splice variants, their roles in normal and pathological conditions, and their possible clinical applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Images and Meaning-Making in a World of Resemblance: The Bavarian-Saxon Kidney Stone Affair of 1580.

PubMed

Stein, Claudia

2013-04-01

This article de-constructs and re-constructs the dynamic of a sixteenth-century political dispute between the Catholic Bavarian Duke Wilhelm V and the Protestant Saxon Elector August I. By focusing on the visual imagery which ignited the dispute, the paper explores sixteenth-century 'ways of seeing' and the epistemic role realistic images played in the production of knowledge about the natural world. While the peculiar dynamic of the affair is based on a specific understanding of the evidential role of images, the paper also argues that the wider socio-cultural context, in particular certain strategies of truth-telling, provide further clues as to the dynamic and closure of the affair.

Ancient Magnetic Reversals: Clues to the Geodynamo.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Kenneth A.

1988-01-01

Discusses the question posed by some that the earth's magnetic field may reverse. States that rocks magnetized by ancient fields may offer clues to the underlying reversal mechanism in the earth's core. (TW)

Dermoscopic 'Chaos and Clues' in the diagnosis of melanoma in situ.

PubMed

Ramji, Rajan; Valdes-Gonzalez, Guillermo; Oakley, Amanda; Rademaker, Marius

2017-11-02

To describe the dermoscopic features of melanoma in situ using the Chaos and Clues method. Histologically proven primary melanoma in situ (MIS) diagnosed through a specialist teledermoscopy clinic were reviewed by three dermatologists. By consensus they agreed on the global dermoscopic pattern, colours, presence of chaos (asymmetry of colour and structure and more than one pattern), and each of the nine clues described for malignancy. One hundred MIS in 92 patients of European ethnicity (45 males) were assessed. Mean age was 67.3 years (range 20-95). The mean dimensions of the lesions were 11.1 × 12.0 mm (range 2.5-31.3 × 2.3-32.3 mm). Using pattern analysis, 82% of the lesions had three or more patterns (multicomponent) and the rest had 2 patterns. Colours included light brown (100%), dark brown (98%) and grey (75%). All MIS demonstrated chaos. The most prevalent clues were thick lines (88%), eccentric structureless areas (88%), and grey or blue structures (75%). Dermoscopy can be very helpful in the early diagnosis of melanoma and MIS. The Chaos and Clues method is simple to use. Its unambiguous descriptors can be successfully used to describe MIS. The presence of chaos and clues to malignancy (including thick lines, eccentric structureless areas, and blue/grey structures) should raise a red flag and lead to referral or excision. © 2017 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

Boundary Crossing during Pre-service Teacher Training: empowering or hampering professional growth?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Christine

2017-10-01

Yuli Rahmawati's paper presents an auto-ethnographic inquiry into her lived experiences as a science teacher in different countries. Through her reflections and analysis of events, Yuli captures and builds a model of her identity and explores the influence of inter- and intra-cultural perspectives in shaping how she recognizes herself and brings meaning to her professional life. Yuli's insights and explanations of teaching within different cultural contexts highlight the importance of personally relevant and meaningful knowledge, where expectations and accepted norms, that might fit well within one community, may be seen quite differently in another. While for Yuli, this led to professional growth as she inquired and made sense of her new context, my concern is that the social and cultural change could, in some instances, lead to disengagement rather than professional growth. My concern is that the conflict that arises from boundary crossing may be experienced even stronger by inexperienced professionals, such as pre-service teachers. The learning trajectory of pre-service teachers is steep; they need to gain stronger knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy and an awareness of how their students learn. They also need to build confidence in their professional self and what they can do to support and trigger student learning. For this to happen, in the tight time frames available on teacher education courses, pre-service teachers need to understand and engage with the new community that they are placed in very quickly, to make sense of both their role and that of others within the community. This paper suggests that pre-service providers should carefully consider the learning opportunities offered by school contexts, that may vary dramatically from the social and cultural contexts experienced by their teachers as part of their own education, to prevent disengagement or misunderstanding hampering professional growth.

Assessment of clinical reasoning: A Script Concordance test designed for pre-clinical medical students.

PubMed

Humbert, Aloysius J; Johnson, Mary T; Miech, Edward; Friedberg, Fred; Grackin, Janice A; Seidman, Peggy A

2011-01-01

The Script Concordance test (SCT) measures clinical reasoning in the context of uncertainty by comparing the responses of examinees and expert clinicians. It uses the level of agreement with a panel of experts to assign credit for the examinee's answers. This study describes the development and validation of a SCT for pre-clinical medical students. Faculty from two US medical schools developed SCT items in the domains of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, and histology. Scoring procedures utilized data from a panel of 30 expert physicians. Validation focused on internal reliability and the ability of the SCT to distinguish between different cohorts. The SCT was administered to an aggregate of 411 second-year and 70 fourth-year students from both schools. Internal consistency for the 75 test items was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha = 0.73). The SCT successfully differentiated second- from fourth-year students and both student groups from the expert panel in a one-way analysis of variance (F(2,508) = 120.4; p < 0.0001). Mean scores for students from the two schools were not significantly different (p = 0.20). This SCT successfully differentiated pre-clinical medical students from fourth-year medical students and both cohorts of medical students from expert clinicians across different institutions and geographic areas. The SCT shows promise as an easy-to-administer measure of "problem-solving" performance in competency evaluation even in the beginning years of medical education.

[The Effect of Structured Group Reminiscence Therapy on the Life Satisfaction of Institutionalized Elderly].

PubMed

Chen, Shu-Mei; Kuo, Chien-Lin; Chen, Mei-Rong; Lee, Lai-Ling; Lee, Pi-Yueh; Wang, Shu-Fen

2016-08-01

Long-term care institutions have become an option for older people who are dependent in daily living. However, insufficient attention has been focused on assessing the life satisfaction of those currently residing in these institutions in Taiwan. Previous research indicates that group reminiscence may improve the life satisfaction of older adults. However, there is currently no consensus regarding the implementation and evaluation of reminiscence interventions. To examine the effect of a structured group reminiscence protocol on the life satisfaction of institutionalized older adults. The study used a quasi-experimental design. A total of 48 older adults were conveniently recruited from two long-term care institutions in southern Taiwan. The experimental group (n = 23) received 8 weeks of structured-group reminiscence for 40 minutes weekly, while the control group (n = 25) received routine care from the institution. Both groups were evaluated using a life-satisfaction questionnaire before and after the intervention and again four weeks later. Life satisfaction scores were statistically similar on the pre-test and significantly different on both post-test questionnaires for the two groups. The scores for the experimental and control groups were pre-test: 24.22 vs 23.36 (p = .063); post-test I: 27.22 vs 23.32 (p < .001); and post-test II: 26.43 vs 23.00 (p < .001). The mean post-test scores for the experimental group were significantly higher than the pre-test score (p < .001). The generalized estimating equation test showed that the overall score of life satisfaction for the experimental group increased by 0.85-points (p = .042) more than the control group, which is a significant difference. The results support that the 8-week structured group reminiscence protocol effectively enhances life satisfaction in older adults. The results of this study may be referenced in the continuing education of nurses working in long-term care institutions in the context of helping nurses organize, facilitate, and evaluate this protocol.

Reducing child abuse amongst adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: A pre-post trial in South Africa.

PubMed

Cluver, Lucie; Meinck, Franziska; Yakubovich, Alexa; Doubt, Jenny; Redfern, Alice; Ward, Catherine; Salah, Nasteha; De Stone, Sachin; Petersen, Tshiamo; Mpimpilashe, Phelisa; Romero, Rocio Herrero; Ncobo, Lulu; Lachman, Jamie; Tsoanyane, Sibongile; Shenderovich, Yulia; Loening, Heidi; Byrne, Jasmina; Sherr, Lorraine; Kaplan, Lauren; Gardner, Frances

2016-07-13

No known studies have tested the effectiveness of child abuse prevention programmes for adolescents in low- or middle-income countries. 'Parenting for Lifelong Health' ( http://tiny.cc/whoPLH ) is a collaborative project to develop and rigorously test abuse-prevention parenting programmes for free use in low-resource contexts. Research aims of this first pre-post trial in South Africa were: i) to identify indicative effects of the programme on child abuse and related outcomes; ii) to investigate programme safety for testing in a future randomised trial, and iii) to identify potential adaptations. Two hundred thirty participants (adolescents and their primary caregivers) were recruited from schools, welfare services and community-sampling in rural, high-poverty South Africa (no exclusion criteria). All participated in a 12-week parenting programme, implemented by local NGO childcare workers to ensure real-world external validity. Standardised pre-post measures with adolescents and caregivers were used, and paired t-tests were conducted for primary outcomes: abuse (physical, emotional abuse and neglect), adolescent behaviour problems and parenting (positive and involved parenting, poor monitoring and inconsistent discipline), and secondary outcomes: mental health, social support and substance use. Participants reported high levels of socio-economic deprivation, e.g. 60 % of adolescents had either an HIV-positive caregiver or were orphaned by AIDS, and 50 % of caregivers experienced intimate partner violence. i) indicative effects: Primary outcomes comparing pre-test and post-test assessments showed reductions reported by adolescents and caregivers in child abuse (adolescent report 63.0 % pre-test to 29.5 % post-test, caregiver report 75.5 % pre-test to 36.5 % post-test, both p < 0.001) poor monitoring/inconsistent discipline (p < .001), adolescent delinquency/aggressive behaviour (both p < .001), and improvements in positive/involved parenting (p < .01 adolescent report, p < .001 caregiver report). Secondary outcomes showed improved social support (p < .001 adolescent and caregiver reports), reduced parental and adolescent depression (both p < .001), parenting stress (p < .001 caregiver report) and caregiver substance use (p < .002 caregiver report). There were no changes in adolescent substance use. No negative effects were detected. ii) Programme acceptability and attendance was high. There was unanticipated programme diffusion within some study villages, with families initiating parenting groups in churches, and diffusion through school assemblies and religious sermons. iii) potential adaptations identified included the need to strengthen components on adolescent substance use and to consider how to support spontaneous programme diffusion with fidelity. The programme showed no signs of harm and initial evidence of reductions in child abuse and improved caregiver and adolescent outcomes. It showed high acceptability and unexpected community-level diffusion. Findings indicate needs for adaptations, and suitability for the next research step of more rigorous testing in randomised trials, using cluster randomization to allow for diffusion effects.

The fragility of omics risk and benefit perceptions.

PubMed

Börner, Franziska U; Schütz, Holger; Wiedemann, Peter

2011-03-25

How do individuals judge the risks and benefits of toxicogenomics, an emerging field of research which is completely unfamiliar to them? The hypothesis is that individuals' perceptions of the risks and benefits of toxicogenomics are fragile and can by influenced by different issues and context framings as a technology. The researchers expected that the effects on risk and benefit judgements would differ between lay individuals and experts in toxicogenomics. A 2×2×2 experiment that encompassed three factors was conducted. The first factor, issue framing incorporated the field of application for the technology (therapy vs. diagnosis setting). The second factor, context framing included organisations and institutions that would profit from the technology (companies vs. regulatory agencies) and the third factor encompasses the quality of individuals' level of knowledge, for example lay vs. expert knowledge. Research results suggest the differential power of framing effects. It seems that the clues provided by context frames - but not by issue frames - are able to influence the ways in which lay people and experts process information. The findings are interpreted in the line of the fuzzy trace theory that predicts reliance on fuzzy gist representations formed by stereotypes on a wide range of judgement problem including risk and benefit perceptions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial soil community analyses for forensic science: Application to a blind test.

PubMed

Demanèche, Sandrine; Schauser, Leif; Dawson, Lorna; Franqueville, Laure; Simonet, Pascal

2017-01-01

Soil complexity, heterogeneity and transferability make it valuable in forensic investigations to help obtain clues as to the origin of an unknown sample, or to compare samples from a suspect or object with samples collected at a crime scene. In a few countries, soil analysis is used in matters from site verification to estimates of time after death. However, up to date the application or use of soil information in criminal investigations has been limited. In particular, comparing bacterial communities in soil samples could be a useful tool for forensic science. To evaluate the relevance of this approach, a blind test was performed to determine the origin of two questioned samples (one from the mock crime scene and the other from a 50:50 mixture of the crime scene and the alibi site) compared to three control samples (soil samples from the crime scene, from a context site 25m away from the crime scene and from the alibi site which was the suspect's home). Two biological methods were used, Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (RISA), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing with Illumina Miseq, to evaluate the discriminating power of soil bacterial communities. Both techniques discriminated well between soils from a single source, but a combination of both techniques was necessary to show that the origin was a mixture of soils. This study illustrates the potential of applying microbial ecology methodologies in soil as an evaluative forensic tool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 1066.420 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1066.420 Section 1066.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Test § 1066.420 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) Follow the...

40 CFR 1066.420 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1066.420 Section 1066.420 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Test § 1066.420 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) Follow the...

Cytotoxicity and binding profiles of activated Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab to three insect cell lines

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

While Cry1Ac has been known to bind with larval midgut proteins cadherin, APN (amino peptidase N), ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and ABCC2 (ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily C2), little is known about the receptors of Cry2Ab. To provide a clue to the receptors of Cry2Ab, we tested the baselin...

Are medical students being taught anatomy in a way that best prepares them to be a physician?

PubMed

Meral Savran, Mona; Tranum-Jensen, Jørgen; Frost Clementsen, Paul; Hastrup Svendsen, Jesper; Holst Pedersen, Jesper; Seier Poulsen, Steen; Arendrup, Henrik; Konge, Lars

2015-07-01

Reasoning in a clinical context is an attribute of medical expertise. Clinical reasoning in medical school can be encouraged by teaching basic science with a clinical emphasis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether anatomy is being taught in a way that facilitates the development of clinical reasoning. Two multiple-choice tests on thoracic anatomy were developed using a modified Delphi approach with groups of four clinical consultants and four teachers, respectively, expressing their opinions about knowledge relevant to thoracic anatomy. Validity was assessed by administering the tests to clinical consultants, anatomy teachers, and pre-course medical students. Post-course medical students took both tests to explore the focus of the course, i.e., whether it facilitated clinical reasoning. The pre-course students scored significantly lower than the teachers and post-course students on both tests and lower than the consultants on the consultants' test (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). The teachers significantly outperformed the consultants (P = 0.03 on the consultants' test, P < 0.001 on the teachers' test) and the medical students (P < 0.001 on both tests). The post-course students scored significantly lower on the consultants' test (P = 0.001) and significantly higher on the teachers' test (P = 0.02) than the consultants. This study demonstrates poor performances by medical students on a test containing clinically relevant anatomy, implying that the teaching they have received has not encouraged clinical reasoning. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An early start to STEM education among year 1 primary students through project-based inquiry learning in the context of a magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safiee, N.; Jusoh, Z. M.; Noor, A. M. H. M.; Tek, O. E.; Salleh, S. M.

2018-01-01

For the needs of the 21st century, the Government of Malaysia has conceptualized the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 which embodies 11 strategic and operational shifts. In Shift 1, it is emphasized that the quality of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education will be enhanced. This study employed the mixed-method approach using the “one-group pre-test and post-test design”. Accordingly, this paper describes the pedagogical practice of Project-based Inquiry Learning (PIL) which promotes STEM Education among Year 1 students in the move to progress in tandem with Shift 1. Specifically, using the context of a magnet which has been stipulated in the Primary School Standard Curriculum, Year 1 students experienced the STEM Education through the STEM Pedagogy in which they raised questions upon the presentation of a relevant stimulus (Inquiry Phase), explored the ways in which a train carriage or coach could be assembled by means of recycled materials and magnets (Exploration Phase), designed a train carriage (Design Phase), and ultimately reflected on their inventions (Reflection Phase). The cognitive and affective impacts through the use of this Project-based Inquiry Learning are presented. Implications for the teaching and learning of science are discussed within the context of STEM Education.

Democratic Values and Teacher Self-Efficacy Perceptions: A Case of Pre-Service English Language Teachers in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topkaya, Ece Zehir; Yavu, Aysun

2011-01-01

This study investigated democratic values of pre-service English language teachers in relation to their teacher self-efficacy perceptions in a Turkish context. It also examined the possible relationships between gender, grade and democratic values and self-efficacy perceptions. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 294 pre-service teachers.…

Pre-Service Teachers' Development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in the Context of a Secondary Science Teacher Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Habowski, Thomas; Mouza, Chrystalla

2014-01-01

This study investigates pre-service teachers' TPACK development in a secondary science teacher education program that combined a content-specific technology integration course with extensive field experience. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Quantitative data were collected through a pre-post administration of the…

Modeling the Determinants of Pre-Service Teachers' Perceived Usefulness of E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Timothy

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of pre-service teachers' perceived usefulness of e-learning for teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 189 pre-service teachers completed a survey questionnaire measuring their responses to four constructs which explain perceived usefulness in the context of…

Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers' Competencies in the Laboratory: A Cross-Grade Study in Solution Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karatas, F. O.

2016-01-01

One of the prerequisites for chemistry teacher candidates is to demonstrate certain laboratory skills. This article aims to determine and discuss the competencies of pre-service chemistry teachers in a chemistry laboratory context working with solution chemistry content. The participants in this study consisted of a group of pre-service chemistry…

Discourses in Conflict: The Relationship between Gen Y Pre-Service Teachers, Digital Technologies and Lifelong Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnison, Sharn

2009-01-01

This paper analyses Gen Y pre-service primary school teachers' conceptualisations of lifelong learning. It is situated within a context of improving the provision and delivery of pre-service teacher education. This paper argues that Gen Y's understanding of lifelong learning has been influenced by their engagements with digital technologies and…

Pre-amplification in the context of high-throughput qPCR gene expression experiment.

PubMed

Korenková, Vlasta; Scott, Justin; Novosadová, Vendula; Jindřichová, Marie; Langerová, Lucie; Švec, David; Šídová, Monika; Sjöback, Robert

2015-03-11

With the introduction of the first high-throughput qPCR instrument on the market it became possible to perform thousands of reactions in a single run compared to the previous hundreds. In the high-throughput reaction, only limited volumes of highly concentrated cDNA or DNA samples can be added. This necessity can be solved by pre-amplification, which became a part of the high-throughput experimental workflow. Here, we focused our attention on the limits of the specific target pre-amplification reaction and propose the optimal, general setup for gene expression experiment using BioMark instrument (Fluidigm). For evaluating different pre-amplification factors following conditions were combined: four human blood samples from healthy donors and five transcripts having high to low expression levels; each cDNA sample was pre-amplified at four cycles (15, 18, 21, and 24) and five concentrations (equivalent to 0.078 ng, 0.32 ng, 1.25 ng, 5 ng, and 20 ng of total RNA). Factors identified as critical for a success of cDNA pre-amplification were cycle of pre-amplification, total RNA concentration, and type of gene. The selected pre-amplification reactions were further tested for optimal Cq distribution in a BioMark Array. The following concentrations combined with pre-amplification cycles were optimal for good quality samples: 20 ng of total RNA with 15 cycles of pre-amplification, 20x and 40x diluted; and 5 ng and 20 ng of total RNA with 18 cycles of pre-amplification, both 20x and 40x diluted. We set up upper limits for the bulk gene expression experiment using gene expression Dynamic Array and provided an easy-to-obtain tool for measuring of pre-amplification success. We also showed that variability of the pre-amplification, introduced into the experimental workflow of reverse transcription-qPCR, is lower than variability caused by the reverse transcription step.

New Materials for the Undergraduate Classroom to Build Pre-Service Teachers' NGSS Skills and Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egger, A. E.; Awad, A. A.; Baldwin, K. A.; Birnbaum, S. J.; Bruckner, M. Z.; DeBari, S. M.; Dechaine, J.; Ebert, J. R.; Gray, K. R.; Hauge, R.; Linneman, S. R.; Monet, J.; Thomas, J.; Varrella, G.

2014-12-01

As part of InTeGrate, teams of 3 instructors at 3 different institutions developed modules that help prepare pre-service teachers to teach Earth science aligned with the NGSS. Modules were evaluated against a rubric, which addresses InTeGrate's five guiding principles, learning objectives and outcomes, assessment and measurement, resources and materials, instructional strategies and alignment. As all modules must address one or more Earth-related grand challenge facing society, develop student ability to address interdisciplinary problems, improve student understanding of the methods of geoscience, use authentic geoscience data, and incorporate systems thinking, they align well with the NGSS. Once modules passed the rubric, they were tested by the authors in their classrooms. Testing included pre- and post-assessment of geoscience literacy and assessment of student learning towards the module goal; materials were revised based on the results of testing. In "Exploring Geoscience Methods with Secondary Education Students," pre-service science teachers compare geoscientific thinking with the classic (experimental) scientific method, investigate global climate change and its impacts on human systems, and prepare an interdisciplinary lesson plan that addresses geoscience methods in context of a socioscientific issue. In "Soils and Society," pre-service elementary teachers explore societal issues where soil is important, develop skills to describe and test soil properties, and create a standards-based Soils and Society Kit that consists of lessons and supporting materials to teach K-8 students about a soil-and-society issue. In "Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity," students explore the effects of running water on shaping Earth's surface both over geologic time and through short-term flooding events, and produce a brochure to inform citizens of the impact of living near a river. The modules are freely available at http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/modules_courses.html and include Instructor Stories, where each author describes how they adapted the module to their teaching environment. The goal of showing different implementations of the materialst is to facilitate adoption and adaption beyond the team of authors.

Combining motivational and volitional approaches to reducing excessive alcohol consumption in pre-drinkers: a theory-based intervention protocol.

PubMed

Caudwell, Kim M; Mullan, Barbara A; Hagger, Martin S

2016-01-16

Pre-drinking refers to the consumption of alcohol at home or a private residence prior to attending a subsequent social event. We present the study protocol of an online theory-based intervention to reduce pre-drinking and related harm in pre-drinking undergraduates, using behavior change techniques targeting the motivational and volitional phases of behaviour. A fully randomized 2 (autonomy support: present vs. absent) x 2 (implementation intention: present vs. absent) between-participants design will be used to ascertain the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing pre-drinking alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm. Participants will complete a range of theory-based measures prior to being allocated to one of the four experimental conditions. Four weeks later, participants will complete a follow-up questionnaire comprised of theoretical and behavioral measures. The main and interactive effects of the intervention components in reducing our primary dependent variables, namely, pre-drinking alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm at four-week follow-up will be tested. Baseline alcohol consumption and demographic information will be included in the analysis as covariates. This online intervention is the first to be developed to reduce pre-drinking alcohol consumption, a behaviour linked to increased risk of alcohol-related harm. The intervention targets motivational and volitional components of the behaviour change process and is therefore likely to lead to greater reductions in pre-drinking alcohol consumption and experience of alcohol-related harm compared to either approach in isolation. If successful, the intervention can be implemented across various contexts and in populations where pre-drinking is prevalent. ACTRN12614001102662 . Registered 16 October 2014.

Paleoclimatological context and reference level of the 2°C and 1.5°C Paris Agreement long-term temperature limits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüning, Sebastian; Vahrenholt, Fritz

2017-12-01

The Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015 during the COP21 conference stipulates that the increase in the global average temperature is to be kept well below 2°C above “pre-industrial levels” and that efforts are pursued to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above “pre-industrial levels”. In order to further increase public acceptance of these limits it is important to transparently place the target levels and their baselines in a paleoclimatic context of the past 150,000 years (Last Interglacial, LIG) and in particular of the last 10,000 years (Holocene; Present Interglacial, PIG). Intense paleoclimatological research of the past decade has firmed up that pre-industrial temperatures have been highly variable which needs to be reflected in the pre-industrial climate baseline definitions. The currently used reference level 1850-1900 represents the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA).The LIA represents the coldest phase of the last 10,000 years when mean temperatures deviated strongly negatively from the Holocene average and which therefore are hard to justify as a representative pre-industrial baseline. The temperature level reached during the interval 1940-1970 may serve as a better reference level as it appears to roughly correspond to the average pre-industrial temperature of the past two millennia. Placing the climate limits in an enlarged paleoclimatic context will help to demonstrate that the chosen climate targets are valid and represent dangerous extremes of the known natural range of Holocene temperature variability.

OSIRIS-REx Solar Array Illumination Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-05

Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, illumination testing is underway on the power-producing solar arrays for the agency’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Targeted for liftoff Sept. 8, 2016, OSIRIS-Rex will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The asteroid, Bennu, may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of water and organic molecules found on Earth.

OSIRIS-REx Solar Array Illumination Test

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-05

Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, illumination testing is underway on the power -producing solar arrays for the agency’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer, or OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Targeted for liftoff Sept. 8, 2016, OSIRIS-Rex will be the first U.S. mission to sample an asteroid, retrieve at least two ounces of surface material and return it to Earth for study. The asteroid, Bennu, may hold clues to the origin of the solar system and the source of water and organic molecules found on Earth.

Lead aVR: beyond 'No man's land'.

PubMed

Singh, Bhupinder; Ali, Amjad; Singla, Vivek; Gowda, Sadananda K

2014-04-25

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Treadmill test is a very useful non-invasive test to diagnose and stratify the risk of CAD. Lead aVR is usually a neglected lead while reading the ECG. We describe a case demonstrating the importance of subtle changes in lead aVR that has got a direct angiographic correlation with left main CAD. Therefore picking up the subtle clues on ECG may help in stratifying the risk and optimal treatment of the patient in a timely fashion.

Materials Examination of the Vertical Stabilizer from American Airlines Flight 587

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, Matthew R.; Schultheisz, Carl R.; Reeder, James R.; Jensen, Brian J.

2005-01-01

The first in-flight failure of a primary structural component made from composite material on a commercial airplane led to the crash of American Airlines Flight 587. As part of the National Transportation Safety Board investigation of the accident, the composite materials of the vertical stabilizer were tested, microstructure was analyzed, and fractured composite lugs that attached the vertical stabilizer to the aircraft tail were examined. In this paper the materials testing and analysis is presented, composite fractures are described, and the resulting clues to the failure events are discussed.

TV Crime Reporter Missed Clues | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

MedlinePlus

... JavaScript on. Feature: Women and Heart Disease TV Crime Reporter Missed Clues Past Issues / Spring 2016 Table ... heart attack at the age of 36. A crime reporter for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., ...

Going Global: A Model for Evaluating Empirically Supported Family-Based Interventions in New Contexts.

PubMed

Sundell, Knut; Ferrer-Wreder, Laura; Fraser, Mark W

2014-06-01

The spread of evidence-based practice throughout the world has resulted in the wide adoption of empirically supported interventions (ESIs) and a growing number of controlled trials of imported and culturally adapted ESIs. This article is informed by outcome research on family-based interventions including programs listed in the American Blueprints Model and Promising Programs. Evidence from these controlled trials is mixed and, because it is comprised of both successful and unsuccessful replications of ESIs, it provides clues for the translation of promising programs in the future. At least four explanations appear plausible for the mixed results in replication trials. One has to do with methodological differences across trials. A second deals with ambiguities in the cultural adaptation process. A third explanation is that ESIs in failed replications have not been adequately implemented. A fourth source of variation derives from unanticipated contextual influences that might affect the effects of ESIs when transported to other cultures and countries. This article describes a model that allows for the differential examination of adaptations of interventions in new cultural contexts. © The Author(s) 2012.

Data Driven Quality Improvement of Health Professions Education: Design and Development of CLUE - An Interactive Curriculum Data Visualization Tool.

PubMed

Canning, Claire Ann; Loe, Alan; Cockett, Kathryn Jane; Gagnon, Paul; Zary, Nabil

2017-01-01

Curriculum Mapping and dynamic visualization is quickly becoming an integral aspect of quality improvement in support of innovations which drive curriculum quality assurance processes in medical education. CLUE (Curriculum Explorer) a highly interactive, engaging and independent platform was developed to support curriculum transparency, enhance student engagement, and enable granular search and display. Reflecting a design based approach to meet the needs of the school's varied stakeholders, CLUE employs an iterative and reflective approach to drive the evolution of its platform, as it seeks to accommodate the ever-changing needs of our stakeholders in the fast pace world of medicine and medical education today. CLUE exists independent of institutional systems and in this way, is uniquely positioned to deliver a data driven quality improvement resource, easily adaptable for use by any member of our health care professions.

40 CFR 1065.520 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1065.520 Section 1065.520 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Specified Duty Cycles § 1065.520 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) If your...

40 CFR 1065.520 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1065.520 Section 1065.520 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Specified Duty Cycles § 1065.520 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) If your...

40 CFR 1065.520 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1065.520 Section 1065.520 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Specified Duty Cycles § 1065.520 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) For...

40 CFR 1065.520 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1065.520 Section 1065.520 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Specified Duty Cycles § 1065.520 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) If your...

40 CFR 1065.520 - Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 33 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. 1065.520 Section 1065.520 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... Specified Duty Cycles § 1065.520 Pre-test verification procedures and pre-test data collection. (a) If your...

Measuring reward assessment in a semi-naturalistic context

PubMed Central

Machado, Christopher J.; Bachevalier, Jocelyne

2007-01-01

Studying the neural mechanisms underlying complex goal-directed behaviors, such as social behavior, reward seeking or punishment avoidance, has become increasingly tractable in humans, nonhuman primates and rodents. In most experiments, however, goal-directed behaviors are measured in a laboratory setting, which is vastly different from the context in which these behaviors naturally occur. This study adapted a reward assessment paradigm, previously conducted with nonhuman primates in the controlled environment of a WGTA (Machado and Bachevalier, 2007), to a more naturalistic context. We used this new paradigm to examine the effects of bilateral amygdaloid, hippocampal or orbital frontal cortex lesions on established food and nonfood preferences. Behavioral modification following reinforcer devaluation was also measured. Consistent with our previous study, none of the lesions produced changes in preference for palatable foods relative to pre-surgery, but animals with amygdala lesions displayed heightened preference for unpalatable foods that control or other operated animals typically avoided. In contrast to several previous WGTA-based experiments, nonfood preference was not affected by any of the lesions. Finally, animals with orbital frontal cortex lesions continued to select preferred foods after satiation, but those with amygdala, hippocampal or sham lesions altered their foraging behavior appropriately and selected less of the sated food. These findings parallel food devaluation results obtained with these same animals when tested in the WGTA. Overall, this study stresses the importance of testing context when measuring decision-making abilities in nonhuman primates with selective brain lesions. PMID:17693034

Coevolution study of mitochondria respiratory chain proteins: toward the understanding of protein--protein interaction.

PubMed

Yang, Ming; Ge, Yan; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Yu, Jun

2011-05-20

Coevolution can be seen as the interdependency between evolutionary histories. In the context of protein evolution, functional correlation proteins are ever-present coordinated evolutionary characters without disruption of organismal integrity. As to complex system, there are two forms of protein--protein interactions in vivo, which refer to inter-complex interaction and intra-complex interaction. In this paper, we studied the difference of coevolution characters between inter-complex interaction and intra-complex interaction using "Mirror tree" method on the respiratory chain (RC) proteins. We divided the correlation coefficients of every pairwise RC proteins into two groups corresponding to the binary protein--protein interaction in intra-complex and the binary protein--protein interaction in inter-complex, respectively. A dramatical discrepancy is detected between the coevolution characters of the two sets of protein interactions (Wilcoxon test, p-value = 4.4 × 10(-6)). Our finding reveals some critical information on coevolutionary study and assists the mechanical investigation of protein--protein interaction. Furthermore, the results also provide some unique clue for supramolecular organization of protein complexes in the mitochondrial inner membrane. More detailed binding sites map and genome information of nuclear encoded RC proteins will be extraordinary valuable for the further mitochondria dynamics study. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Can fat explain the human brain's big bang evolution?-Horrobin's leads for comparative and functional genomics.

PubMed

Erren, T C; Erren, M

2004-04-01

When David Horrobin suggested that phospholipid and fatty acid metabolism played a major role in human evolution, his 'fat utilization hypothesis' unified intriguing work from paleoanthropology, evolutionary biology, genetic and nervous system research in a novel and coherent lipid-related context. Interestingly, unlike most other evolutionary concepts, the hypothesis allows specific predictions which can be empirically tested in the near future. This paper summarizes some of Horrobin's intriguing propositions and suggests as to how approaches of comparative genomics published in Cell, Nature, Science and elsewhere since 1997 may be used to examine his evolutionary hypothesis. Indeed, systematic investigations of the genomic clock in the species' mitochondrial DNA, the Y and autosomal chromosomes as evidence of evolutionary relationships and distinctions can help to scrutinize associated predictions for their validity, namely that key mutations which differentiate us from Neanderthals and from great apes are in the genes coding for proteins which regulate fat metabolism, and particularly the phospholipid metabolism of the synapses of the brain. It is concluded that beyond clues to humans' relationships with living primates and to the Neanderthals' cognitive performance and their disappearance, the suggested molecular clock analyses may provide crucial insights into the biochemical evolution-and means of possible manipulation-of our brain.

What is the value of routinely testing full blood count, electrolytes and urea, and pulmonary function tests before elective surgery in patients with no apparent clinical indication and in subgroups of patients with common comorbidities: a systematic review of the clinical and cost-effective literature.

PubMed

Czoski-Murray, C; Lloyd Jones, M; McCabe, C; Claxton, K; Oluboyede, Y; Roberts, J; Nicholl, J P; Rees, A; Reilly, C S; Young, D; Fleming, T

2012-12-01

The evidence base which supported the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published Clinical Guideline 3 was limited and 50% was graded as amber. However, the use of tests as part of pre-operative work-up remains a low-cost but high-volume activity within the NHS, with substantial resource implications. The objective of this study was to identify, evaluate and synthesise the published evidence on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the routine use of three tests, full blood counts (FBCs), urea and electrolytes tests (U&Es) and pulmonary function tests, in the pre-operative work-up of otherwise healthy patients undergoing minor or intermediate surgery in the NHS. The aims of this study were to estimate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of routine pre-operative testing of FBC, electrolytes and renal function and pulmonary function in adult patients classified as American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) grades 1 and 2 undergoing elective minor (grade 1) or intermediate (grade 2) surgical procedures; to compare NICE recommendations with current practice; to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of mandating or withdrawing each of these tests in this patient group; and to identify the expected value of information and whether or not it has value to the NHS in commissioning further primary research into the use of these tests in this group of patients. The following electronic bibliographic databases were searched: (1) BIOSIS; (2) Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; (3) Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; (4) Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; (5) EMBASE; (6) MEDLINE; (7) MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations; (8) NHS Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects; (9) NBS Health Technology Assessment Database; and (10) Science Citation Index. To identify grey and unpublished literature, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, National Research Register Archive, National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network Portfolio database and the Copernic Meta-search Engine were searched. A large routine data set which recorded the results of tests was obtained from Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. A systematic review of the literature was carried out. The searches were undertaken in March to April 2008 and June 2009. Searches were designed to retrieve studies that evaluated the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of routine pre-operative testing of FBC, electrolytes and renal function and pulmonary function in the above group of patients. A postal survey of current practice in testing patients in this group pre-operatively was undertaken in 2008. An exemplar cost-effectiveness model was constructed to demonstrate what form this would have taken had there been sufficient data. A large routine data set that recorded the results of tests was obtained from Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. This was linked to individual patient data with surgical outcomes, and regression models were estimated. A comprehensive and systematic search of both the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness literature identified a large number of potentially relevant studies. However, when these studies were subjected to detailed review and quality assessment, it became clear that the literature provides no evidence on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these specific tests in the specific patient groups. The postal survey had a 17% response rate. Results reported that in ASA grade 1, patients aged < 40 years with no comorbidities undergoing minor surgery did not have routine tests for FBC, electrolytes and renal function and pulmonary function. The results from the regression model showed that the frequency of test use was not consistent with the hypothesis of their routine use. FBC tests were performed in only 58% of patients in the data set and U&E testing was carried out in only 57%. Systematic searches of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness literature found that there is no evidence on the clinical effectiveness or cost-effectiveness of these tests in this specific clinical context for the NHS. A survey of NHS hospitals found that respondent trusts were implementing current NICE guidance in relation to pre-operative testing generally, and a de novo analysis of routine data on test utilisation and post-operative outcome found that the tests were not be used in routine practice; rather, use was related to an expectation of a more complex clinical case. The paucity of published evidence is a limitation of this study. The studies included relied on non-UK health-care systems data, which may not be transferable. The inclusion of non-randomised studies is associated with an increased risk of bias and confounding. Scoping work to establish the likely mechanism of action by which tests would impact upon outcomes and resource utilisation established that the cause of an abnormal test result is likely to be a pivotal determinant of the cost-effectiveness of a pre-operative test and therefore evaluations would need to consider tests in the context of the underlying risk of specific clinical problems (i.e. risk guided rather than routine use). The time of universal utilisation of pre-operative tests for all surgical patients is likely to have passed. The evidence we have identified, though weak, indicates that tests are increasingly utilised in patients in whom there is a reason to consider an underlying raised risk of a clinical abnormality that should be taken into account in their clinical management. It is likely that this strategy has led to substantial resource savings for the NHS, although there is not a published evidence base to establish that this is the case. The total expenditure on pre-operative tests across the NHS remains significant. Evidence on current practice indicates that clinical practice has changed to such a degree that the original research question is no longer relevant to UK practice. Future research on the value of these tests in pre-operative work-up should be couched in terms of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in the identification of specific clinical abnormalities in patients with a known underlying risk. We suggest that undertaking a multicentre study making use of linked, routinely collected data sets would identify the extent and nature of pre-operative testing in this group of patients. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Assessment of hemispheric dominance for receptive language in pediatric patients under sedation using magnetoencephalography.

PubMed

Rezaie, Roozbeh; Narayana, Shalini; Schiller, Katherine; Birg, Liliya; Wheless, James W; Boop, Frederick A; Papanicolaou, Andrew C

2014-01-01

Non-invasive assessment of hemispheric dominance for receptive language using magnetoencephalography (MEG) is now a well-established procedure used across several epilepsy centers in the context of pre-surgical evaluation of children and adults while awake, alert and attentive. However, the utility of MEG for the same purpose, in cases of sedated patients, is contested. Establishment of the efficiency of MEG is especially important in the case of children who, for a number of reasons, must be assessed under sedation. Here we explored the efficacy of MEG language mapping under sedation through retrospective review of 95 consecutive pediatric patients, who underwent our receptive language test as part of routine clinical evaluation. Localization of receptive language cortex and subsequent determination of laterality was successfully completed in 78% (n = 36) and 55% (n = 27) of non-sedated and sedated patients, respectively. Moreover, the proportion of patients deemed left hemisphere dominant for receptive language did not differ between non-sedated and sedated patients, exceeding 90% in both groups. Considering the challenges associated with assessing brain function in pediatric patients, the success of passive MEG in the context of the cases reviewed in this study support the utility of this method in pre-surgical receptive language mapping.

Assessment of hemispheric dominance for receptive language in pediatric patients under sedation using magnetoencephalography

PubMed Central

Rezaie, Roozbeh; Narayana, Shalini; Schiller, Katherine; Birg, Liliya; Wheless, James W.; Boop, Frederick A.; Papanicolaou, Andrew C.

2014-01-01

Non-invasive assessment of hemispheric dominance for receptive language using magnetoencephalography (MEG) is now a well-established procedure used across several epilepsy centers in the context of pre-surgical evaluation of children and adults while awake, alert and attentive. However, the utility of MEG for the same purpose, in cases of sedated patients, is contested. Establishment of the efficiency of MEG is especially important in the case of children who, for a number of reasons, must be assessed under sedation. Here we explored the efficacy of MEG language mapping under sedation through retrospective review of 95 consecutive pediatric patients, who underwent our receptive language test as part of routine clinical evaluation. Localization of receptive language cortex and subsequent determination of laterality was successfully completed in 78% (n = 36) and 55% (n = 27) of non-sedated and sedated patients, respectively. Moreover, the proportion of patients deemed left hemisphere dominant for receptive language did not differ between non-sedated and sedated patients, exceeding 90% in both groups. Considering the challenges associated with assessing brain function in pediatric patients, the success of passive MEG in the context of the cases reviewed in this study support the utility of this method in pre-surgical receptive language mapping. PMID:25191260

Biomedical HIV prevention including pre-exposure prophylaxis and opiate agonist therapy for women who inject drugs: State of research and future directions

PubMed Central

Page, Kimberly; Tsui, Judith; Maher, Lisa; Choopanya, Kachit; Vanichseni, Suphak; Mock, Philip A.; Celum, Connie; Martin, Michael

2015-01-01

Women who inject drugs are at higher risk of HIV compared to their male counterparts as a result of multiple factors including biological, behavioral and socio-structural, yet comparatively little effort has been invested in testing and delivering prevention methods that directly target this group. In this paper, we discuss the need for expanded prevention interventions for women who inject drugs, focusing on two safe, effective, and approved, yet underutilized biomedical prevention methods: opiate agonist therapy (OAT) and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). While both interventions are well researched they have not been well examined in the context of gender. We discuss the drivers of women injectors’ higher HIV risk, review the effectiveness of OAT and PrEP interventions among women, and explain why these new HIV prevention tools should be prioritized for women who inject drugs. There is substantial potential for impact of OAT and PrEP programs for women who inject drugs in the context of broader gender-responsive HIV prevention initiatives. While awaiting efficacy data on other biomedical approaches in the HIV prevention research ‘pipeline’, we propose that the scale up and implementation of these proven, safe, and effective interventions are needed now. PMID:25978484

Heritability Maps May Hold Clues to Delayed Onset of Mental Disorders

MedlinePlus

... Office 301-443-4536 NIMHpress@nih.gov More Science News about Brain Anatomy and Physiology Genetics Contact ... the Field News from the Field NIMH-Funded Science on EurekAlert Researchers find clues to treating psychoses ...

The Effect of TMPT Program on Pre-School Children's Social Problem Solving Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gur, Cagla; Kocak, Nurcan

2018-01-01

Purpose: Starting Thinking Training at an early age is important. However, few studies were found regarding Thinking Training programs for pre-school children and the contributions of these programs to children's social problem-solving. In this context, the TMPT Program was developed for pre-school children and the effect of the program on 5-6…

Exploring Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge of and Ability to Use Text Messaging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geng, Gretchen; Disney, Leigh

2014-01-01

This study aimed to assess the pre-service teachers' knowledge of and ability to use text messaging, and assist their use of this technology in the classroom teaching context. Data were gathered by means of a questionnaire and text message exercises. Fifty-three pre-service teachers participated in the study. It was found that although different…

An Evaluation of the Empathy Levels of Pre-Service Social Studies Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaya, Baris

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to determine the factors that affect the empathy levels of pre-service teachers studying in the Department of Social Studies Teaching. The research questions developed in this context aimed to determine the roles of gender, age and being a member of a school club in the empathy levels of pre-service teachers. The study…

The Challenges of Science Inquiry Teaching for Pre-Service Teachers in Elementary Classrooms: Difficulties on and under the Scene

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Hye-Gyoung; Joung, Yong Jae; Kim, Mijung

2012-01-01

In the context of the emphasis on inquiry teaching in science education, this study looks into how pre-service elementary teachers understand and practice science inquiry teaching during field experience. By examining inquiry lesson preparation, practice, and reflections of pre-service elementary teachers, we attempt to understand the difficulties…

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Make Connections between Geometry and Algebra through the Use of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohr, Doris J.

2008-01-01

In a geometry content course for pre-service elementary teachers, technology was utilized to assist students in making sense of shapes. They learned to write simple procedures in Logo that would program a turtle to draw various quadrilaterals. In the context of writing these procedures, the pre-service teachers used variables to represent the…

Motivations for Choosing Teaching as a Career: A Perspective of Pre-Service Teachers from a Turkish Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yüce, Kemal; Sahin, Esin Y.; Koçer, Ömer; Kana, Fatih

2013-01-01

As teaching is a nation-building profession, the career motivations of pre-service teachers are worth exploring. This study examines the career motivations of 283 Turkish pre-service teachers who have chosen teaching as a career. Accordingly, they were asked questions about deciding to teach, career perceptions, and major expectations. A profile…

Update Your Status: Exploring Pre-Service Teacher Identities in an Online Discussion Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Yolanda; Curwood, Jen Scott

2015-01-01

A substantial body of research indicates that a teacher's identity is an essential aspect of their professional practice. As this body of research grows, researchers have increasingly sought to investigate the nature of pre-service teacher identities. This paper reports on a study that examined identities in the context of a pre-service cohort's…

Dynamic Scaffolding in a Cloud-Based Problem Representation System: Empowering Pre-Service Teachers' Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chwee Beng; Ling, Keck Voon; Reimann, Peter; Diponegoro, Yudho Ahmad; Koh, Chia Heng; Chew, Derwin

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to argue for the need to develop pre-service teachers' problem solving ability, in particular, in the context of real-world complex problems. Design/methodology/approach: To argue for the need to develop pre-service teachers' problem solving skills, the authors describe a web-based problem representation…

Subsurface characterization by the ground penetrating radar WISDOM/ExoMars 2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hervé, Y.; Ciarletti, V.; Le Gall, A. A.; Oudart, N.; Loizeau, D.; Guiffaut, C.; Dorizon, S.

2017-12-01

The main objective of the ExoMars 2020 mission is to search for signs of past and/or present life on Mars. Toward this goal, a rover was designed to investigate the shallow subsurface which is the most likely place where signs of life may be preserved, beneath the hostile surface of Mars. The rover of the ExoMars 2020 mission has on board a polarimetric ground penetrating radar called WISDOM (Water Ice Subsurface Deposits Observation on Mars). Thanks to its large frequency bandwidth of 2.5 GHz, WISDOM is able to probe down to a depth of approximately 3 m on sedimentary rock with a vertical resolution of a few centimeters.The main scientific objectives of WISDOM are to characterize the shallow subsurface of Mars, to help understand the local geological context and to identify the most promising location for drilling. The WISDOM team is currently working on the preparation of the scientific return of the ExoMars 2020 mission. In particular, tools are developed to interpret WISDOM experimental data and, more specifically, to extract information from the radar signatures of expected buried reflectors. Insights into the composition of the ground (through the retrieval of its permittivity) and the geological context of the site can be inferred from the radar signature of buried rocks since the shape and the density of rocks in the subsurface is related to the geological processes that have shaped and placed them there (impact, fluvial processes, volcanism). This paper presents results obtained by automatic detection of structures of interest on a radargram, especially radar signature of buried rocks. The algorithm we developed uses a neural network to identify the position of buried rocks/blocs and then a Hough transform to characterize each signature and to estimate the local permittivity of the medium. Firstly, we will test the performances of the algorithm on simulated data constructed with a 3D FDTD code. This code allows us to simulate radar operation in realistic environments. Secondly, we will test our algorithm on experimental data acquired in a semi-controlled environment. Lastly, we will present experimental data acquired during a recent field campaign (July 2017) in the south of France and we will validate our method and illustrate the ability of WISDOM to provide clues about the geological context of a site.

Quality Assurance in Biobanking for Pre-Clinical Research

PubMed Central

Simeon-Dubach, Daniel; Zeisberger, Steffen M.; Hoerstrup, Simon P.

2016-01-01

It is estimated that not less than USD 28 billion are spent each year in the USA alone on irreproducible pre-clinical research, which is not only a fundamental loss of investment and resources but also a strong inhibitor of efficiency for upstream processes regarding the translation towards clinical applications and therapies. The issues and cost of irreproducibility has mainly been published on pre-clinical research. In contrast to pre-clinical research, test material is often being transferred into humans in clinical research. To protect treated human subjects and guarantee a defined quality standard in the field of clinical research, the manufacturing and processing infrastructures have to strictly follow and adhere to certain (inter-)national quality standards. It is assumed and suggested by the authors that by an implementation of certain quality standards within the area of pre-clinical research, billions of USD might be saved and the translation phase of promising pre-clinical results towards clinical applications may substantially be improved. In this review, we discuss how an implementation of a quality assurance (QA) management system might positively improve sample quality and sustainability within pre-clinically focused biobank infrastructures. Biobanks are frequently positioned at the very beginning of the biomedical research value chain, and, since almost every research material has been stored in a biobank during the investigated life cycle, biobanking seems to be of substantial importance from this perspective. The role model of a QA-regulated biobank structure can be found in biobanks within the context of clinical research organizations such as in regenerative medicine clusters. PMID:27781023

Meaning-making intervention during breast or colorectal cancer treatment improves self-esteem, optimism, and self-efficacy.

PubMed

Lee, Virginia; Robin Cohen, S; Edgar, Linda; Laizner, Andrea M; Gagnon, Anita J

2006-06-01

Existential issues often accompany a diagnosis of cancer and remain one aspect of psychosocial oncology care for which there is a need for focused, empirically tested interventions. This study examined the efficacy of a novel psychological intervention specifically designed to address existential issues through the use of meaning-making coping strategies on psychological adjustment to cancer. Eighty-two breast or colorectal cancer patients were randomly chosen to receive routine care (control group) or up to four sessions that explored the meaning of the emotional responses and cognitive appraisals of each individual's cancer experience within the context of past life events and future goals (experimental group). This paper reports the results from 74 patients who completed and returned pre- and post-test measures for self-esteem, optimism, and self-efficacy. After controlling for baseline scores, the experimental group participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of self-esteem, optimism, and self-efficacy compared to the control group. The results are discussed in light of the theoretical and clinical implications of meaning-making coping in the context of stress and illness.

Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) as a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) in Qatar: a Perspective from Grade 10 Chemistry Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treagust, David F.; Qureshi, Sheila S.; Vishnumolakala, Venkat Rao; Ojeil, Joseph; Mocerino, Mauro; Southam, Daniel C.

2018-04-01

Educational reforms in Qatar have seen the implementation of inquiry-based learning and other student-centred pedagogies. However, there have been few efforts to investigate how these adopted western pedagogies are aligned with the high context culture of Qatar. The study presented in this article highlights the implementation of a student-centred intervention called Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) in selected independent Arabic government schools in Qatar. The study followed a theoretical framework composed of culturally relevant pedagogical practice and social constructivism in teaching and learning. A mixed method research design involving experimental and comparison groups was utilised. Carefully structured learning materials when implemented systematically in a POGIL intervention helped Grade 10 science students improve their perceptions of chemistry learning measured from pre- and post-tests as measured by the What Is Happening In this Class (WIHIC) questionnaire and school-administered achievement test. The study further provided school-based mentoring and professional development opportunities for teachers in the region. Significantly, POGIL was found to be adaptable in the Arabic context.

Effects of `Environmental Chemistry' Elective Course Via Technology-Embedded Scientific Inquiry Model on Some Variables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Çalik, Muammer; Özsevgeç, Tuncay; Ebenezer, Jazlin; Artun, Hüseyin; Küçük, Zeynel

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of `environmental chemistry' elective course via Technology-Embedded Scientific Inquiry (TESI) model on senior science student teachers' (SSSTs) conceptions of environmental chemistry concepts/issues, attitudes toward chemistry, and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) levels. Within one group pre-test-post-test design, the study was conducted with 117 SSSTs (68 females and 49 males—aged 21-23 years) enrolled in an `environmental chemistry' elective course in the spring semester of 2011-2012 academic-years. Instruments for data collection comprised of Environmental Chemistry Conceptual Understanding Questionnaire, TPACK survey, and Chemistry Attitudes and Experiences Questionnaire. Significant increases in the SSSTs' conceptions of environmental chemistry concepts/issues, attitudes toward chemistry, and TPACK levels are attributed to the SSSTs learning how to use the innovative technologies in the contexts of the `environmental chemistry' elective course and teaching practicum. The study implies that the TESI model may serve a useful purpose in experimental science courses that use the innovative technologies. However, to generalize feasibility of the TESI model, it should be evaluated with SSSTs in diverse learning contexts.

Investigating Image Formation with a Camera Obscura: a Study in Initial Primary Science Teacher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muñoz-Franco, Granada; Criado, Ana María; García-Carmona, Antonio

2018-04-01

This article presents the results of a qualitative study aimed at determining the effectiveness of the camera obscura as a didactic tool to understand image formation (i.e., how it is possible to see objects and how their image is formed on the retina, and what the image formed on the retina is like compared to the object observed) in a context of scientific inquiry. The study involved 104 prospective primary teachers (PPTs) who were being trained in science teaching. To assess the effectiveness of this tool, an open questionnaire was applied before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the educational intervention. The data were analyzed by combining methods of inter- and intra-rater analysis. The results showed that more than half of the PPTs advanced in their ideas towards the desirable level of knowledge in relation to the phenomena studied. The conclusion reached is that the camera obscura, used in a context of scientific inquiry, is a useful tool for PPTs to improve their knowledge about image formation and experience in the first person an authentic scientific inquiry during their teacher training.

The effects of postnatal alcohol exposure and galantamine on the context pre-exposure facilitation effect and acetylcholine efflux using in vivo microdialysis

PubMed Central

Perkins, Amy E.; Fadel, Jim R.; Kelly, Sandra J.

2015-01-01

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) affect 2–5% of children. FASD have been shown to cause damage to multiple brain regions, but damage to the hippocampus specifically may explain deficits in learning and memory that are hallmark symptoms of FASD. The acetylcholine neurotransmitter system is a major input to the hippocampus and is a possible target of developmental alcohol exposure. Alcohol (3.0 g/kg/day) was administered via intragastric intubation to developing male rat pups (postnatal day [PD] 2–10; ethanol-treated [ET]), with controls receiving a sham intubation (IC) or no treatment (NC). In Experiment 1, in vivo microdialysis was used to measure acetylcholine efflux in adolescents (PD 32–35). During microdialysis, the effects of a high K+/Ca2+ aCSF solution (PD 32–33) and an acute galantamine (acetylcholinesterase [AChE] inhibitor) injection (2.0 mg/kg; PD 34–35) on acetylcholine efflux were measured. Alcohol-exposed animals did not differ in acetylcholine efflux at baseline. However, alcohol-exposed animals had a decrease in K+/Ca2+-induced acetylcholine efflux compared to non-treated controls, and an enhanced acetylcholine response to galantamine compared to both control groups. Experiment 2 tested whether chronic administration of galantamine (2.0 mg/kg; PD 11–30) could attenuate alcohol-induced learning deficits in the context pre-exposure facilitation effect (CPFE; PD 30–32). Neither chronic galantamine nor postnatal alcohol exposure influenced performance in the CPFE task. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; medial septum), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (vAChT; ventral CA1), and the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR; ventral CA1) following microdialysis (Exp. 1) or chronic galantamine and behavioral testing (Exp. 2). Neither alcohol exposure nor behavioral testing significantly altered the density of vAChT or α7 nAChRs in the ventral CA1 region of the hippocampus. The average number of ChAT+ cells was increased in the ET animals that displayed the context-shock association; there were no changes in the IC and NC animals that learned the context-shock association or in any of the animals that were in the control task that entailed no learning. Taken together, these results indicate that the hippocampal acetylcholine system is significantly disrupted under conditions of pharmacological manipulations (e.g., galantamine) in alcohol-exposed animals. Furthermore, ChAT was up-regulated in alcohol-exposed animals that learned to associate the context and shock, which may account for their ability to perform this task. Developmental alcohol exposure may disrupt learning and memory in adolescence via a cholinergic mechanism. PMID:25837482

From Visual Exploration to Storytelling and Back Again.

PubMed

Gratzl, S; Lex, A; Gehlenborg, N; Cosgrove, N; Streit, M

2016-06-01

The primary goal of visual data exploration tools is to enable the discovery of new insights. To justify and reproduce insights, the discovery process needs to be documented and communicated. A common approach to documenting and presenting findings is to capture visualizations as images or videos. Images, however, are insufficient for telling the story of a visual discovery, as they lack full provenance information and context. Videos are difficult to produce and edit, particularly due to the non-linear nature of the exploratory process. Most importantly, however, neither approach provides the opportunity to return to any point in the exploration in order to review the state of the visualization in detail or to conduct additional analyses. In this paper we present CLUE (Capture, Label, Understand, Explain), a model that tightly integrates data exploration and presentation of discoveries. Based on provenance data captured during the exploration process, users can extract key steps, add annotations, and author "Vistories", visual stories based on the history of the exploration. These Vistories can be shared for others to view, but also to retrace and extend the original analysis. We discuss how the CLUE approach can be integrated into visualization tools and provide a prototype implementation. Finally, we demonstrate the general applicability of the model in two usage scenarios: a Gapminder-inspired visualization to explore public health data and an example from molecular biology that illustrates how Vistories could be used in scientific journals. (see Figure 1 for visual abstract).

From Visual Exploration to Storytelling and Back Again

PubMed Central

Gratzl, S.; Lex, A.; Gehlenborg, N.; Cosgrove, N.; Streit, M.

2016-01-01

The primary goal of visual data exploration tools is to enable the discovery of new insights. To justify and reproduce insights, the discovery process needs to be documented and communicated. A common approach to documenting and presenting findings is to capture visualizations as images or videos. Images, however, are insufficient for telling the story of a visual discovery, as they lack full provenance information and context. Videos are difficult to produce and edit, particularly due to the non-linear nature of the exploratory process. Most importantly, however, neither approach provides the opportunity to return to any point in the exploration in order to review the state of the visualization in detail or to conduct additional analyses. In this paper we present CLUE (Capture, Label, Understand, Explain), a model that tightly integrates data exploration and presentation of discoveries. Based on provenance data captured during the exploration process, users can extract key steps, add annotations, and author “Vistories”, visual stories based on the history of the exploration. These Vistories can be shared for others to view, but also to retrace and extend the original analysis. We discuss how the CLUE approach can be integrated into visualization tools and provide a prototype implementation. Finally, we demonstrate the general applicability of the model in two usage scenarios: a Gapminder-inspired visualization to explore public health data and an example from molecular biology that illustrates how Vistories could be used in scientific journals. (see Figure 1 for visual abstract) PMID:27942091

New vision based navigation clue for a regular colonoscope's tip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mekaouar, Anouar; Ben Amar, Chokri; Redarce, Tanneguy

2009-02-01

Regular colonoscopy has always been regarded as a complicated procedure requiring a tremendous amount of skill to be safely performed. In deed, the practitioner needs to contend with both the tortuousness of the colon and the mastering of a colonoscope. So, he has to take the visual data acquired by the scope's tip into account and rely mostly on his common sense and skill to steer it in a fashion promoting a safe insertion of the device's shaft. In that context, we do propose a new navigation clue for the tip of regular colonoscope in order to assist surgeons over a colonoscopic examination. Firstly, we consider a patch of the inner colon depicted in a regular colonoscopy frame. Then we perform a sketchy 3D reconstruction of the corresponding 2D data. Furthermore, a suggested navigation trajectory ensued on the basis of the obtained relief. The visible and invisible lumen cases are considered. Due to its low cost reckoning, such strategy would allow for the intraoperative configuration changes and thus cut back the non-rigidity effect of the colon. Besides, it would have the trend to provide a safe navigation trajectory through the whole colon, since this approach is aiming at keeping the extremity of the instrument as far as possible from the colon wall during navigation. In order to make effective the considered process, we replaced the original manual control system of a regular colonoscope by a motorized one allowing automatic pan and tilt motions of the device's tip.

Identification of suicidal ideations with the help of projective tests: a review.

PubMed

Kumar, Devvarta; Nizamie, S Haque; Abhishek, Priyadarshee; Prasanna, Lavanya Tumkur

2014-12-01

Identification of the presence of suicidal ideations in an individual is crucial for the timely intervention. However, these ideations may remain unidentified as an individual with serious intentions of self-harm may not express them explicitly. Various projective tests can provide crucial clues to clinicians about the presence of suicidal ideations in an individual's mind. The present review is intended to update clinicians working in the field of suicide prevention about salient findings on these tests which can serve as a ready reckoner for them. We also highlight the status of research in this domain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Clinical Approach to Encephalitis.

PubMed

Piquet, Amanda L; Cho, Tracey A

2016-05-01

Encephalitis has various etiologies, but viral infections and autoimmune disorders are the most commonly identified. Clinical signs, geographical clues, and diagnostic testing-including cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities and magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities-can be helpful in identifying the cause. Certain forms of encephalitis have specific treatments; hence, establishing a diagnosis rapidly and accurately is crucial. Here, we describe the clinical approach to diagnosing several common etiologies of encephalitis as well as treatment strategies.

Detection of the Number of Changes in a Display in Working Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Nelson; Hardman, Kyle; Saults, J. Scott; Blume, Christopher L.; Clark, Katherine M.; Sunday, Mackenzie A.

2016-01-01

Here we examine a new task to assess working memory for visual arrays in which the participant must judge how many items changed from a studied array to a test array. As a clue to processing, on some trials in the first 2 experiments, participants carried out a metamemory judgment in which they were to decide how many items were in working memory.…

Long-term contextual memory in infant rats as evidenced by an ethanol conditioned tolerance procedure.

PubMed

Castelló, Stefanía; Molina, Juan Carlos; Arias, Carlos

2017-08-14

Conditioned tolerance can be conceptualized as a particular case of Pavlovian conditioning in which contextual cues play the role of the conditioned stimulus. Although the evidence is contradictory, it is frequently assumed that long-term contextual conditioning in pre-weanling rats is weak or even absent. This hypothesis comes from and is sustained mainly by behavioral studies that explored different contextual effects in 16-18day-old rats using a fear-conditioning paradigm, but their conclusions are stated in terms of an immature (hippocampal-dependent) declarative memory system. The main goal of the present manuscript was based on a recent antecedent from our laboratory, to analyze whether context-dependent tolerance induced by ethanol during the pre-weanling period persists over time. Results showed that the context was able to modulate ethanol-induced tolerance in 2- and 3-week-old rats. Interestingly, contextual conditioned tolerance was stronger (in terms of persistence) during the third than during the second postnatal week. When subjects were tested 8days after training, when the context presumably lost its influence over tolerance, the opposite effect emerged (sensitization). These results are important for the ethanol literature, adding new evidence of long-term retention of ethanol effects acquired during infancy, whilst also showing striking ontogenetic differences in the sensitivity to ethanol between the 2nd and 3rd postnatal weeks. Importantly, contextual information modulates the expression of these ethanol effects even eight days after training, a result that is particularly relevant to the discussion of the ontogeny of contextual memory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vibration-induced nystagmus in patients with vestibular schwannoma: Characteristics and clinical implications.

PubMed

Lee, Jeon Mi; Kim, Mi Joo; Kim, Jin Won; Shim, Dae Bo; Kim, Jinna; Kim, Sung Huhn

2017-07-01

To investigate the clinical significance of vibration-induced nystagmus (VIN) in unilateral vestibular asymmetry and vestibular schwannoma. Thirteen patients with vestibular schwannoma underwent the VIN test, in which stimulation was applied to the mastoid processes and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles on the ipsilateral and contralateral sides of lesions. Preoperative VIN was measured, and changes in VIN were followed up for 6months after tumor removal. Significance of VIN was determined by evaluation of its sensitivity, correlation with vestibular function tests and tumor volume, and postoperative changes. The overall pre and postoperative sensitivities of VIN were 92.3% and 100%, respectively, considering stimulation at all four sites. Maximum slow-phase velocity (MSPV) of VIN was linearly correlated with caloric weakness and tumor volume, especially when stimulation was applied to the SCM muscle. Postoperative MSPV of VIN exhibited stronger linear correlation with postoperative changes in canal paresis value and inverse correlation with tumor size upon stimulation of the ipsilateral SCM muscle than upon stimulation of other sites. During the 6-month follow-up period, persistence of VIN without changes in MSPV was observed even after vestibular compensation. Evoking VIN by stimulation of the mastoid processes and SCM muscles is effective for detecting vestibular asymmetry. It could also help determine the degree of vestibular asymmetry and volume of vestibular schwannoma if stimulation is applied to the SCM muscle. The results of this study could provide clues for the basic application of VIN in patients with vestibular loss and vestibular schwannoma. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pedagogy of Science Teaching Tests: Formative assessments of science teaching orientations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Skjold, Brandy Ann; Zeynep Muğaloğlu, Ebru; Bentz, Amy; Sparks, Kelly

2014-09-01

A critical aspect of teacher education is gaining pedagogical content knowledge of how to teach science for conceptual understanding. Given the time limitations of college methods courses, it is difficult to touch on more than a fraction of the science topics potentially taught across grades K-8, particularly in the context of relevant pedagogies. This research and development work centers on constructing a formative assessment resource to help expose pre-service teachers to a greater number of science topics within teaching episodes using various modes of instruction. To this end, 100 problem-based, science pedagogy assessment items were developed via expert group discussions and pilot testing. Each item contains a classroom vignette followed by response choices carefully crafted to include four basic pedagogies (didactic direct, active direct, guided inquiry, and open inquiry). The brief but numerous items allow a substantial increase in the number of science topics that pre-service students may consider. The intention is that students and teachers will be able to share and discuss particular responses to individual items, or else record their responses to collections of items and thereby create a snapshot profile of their teaching orientations. Subsets of items were piloted with students in pre-service science methods courses, and the quantitative results of student responses were spread sufficiently to suggest that the items can be effective for their intended purpose.

An unusual otoscopic finding associated with a type II first branchial cleft anomaly.

PubMed

Ebelhar, A J; Potts, K

2012-03-01

We report an interesting case involving a child with a branchial cleft anomaly with two fistulous tracts, one of which was associated with an unusual otoscopic finding. A seven-year-old girl presented with an apparent type II first branchial cleft cyst after an acute infection. Parotidectomy and excision of the tract were performed, with subsequent development of pre-auricular swelling three months later. Further surgery was performed to remove a second duplication anomaly of the external auditory canal. Otomicroscopy showed a fibrous band arising from the wall of the canal and attached to the tympanic membrane at the umbo. Otoscopic findings on physical examination can be important diagnostic clues in the early recognition of branchial cleft anomalies. The classification system proposed by Work may fail to describe some branchial cleft lesions.

Six Classroom Exercises to Teach Natural Selection to Undergraduate Biology Students

PubMed Central

Kalinowski, Steven T.; Leonard, Mary J.; Andrews, Tessa M.; Litt, Andrea R.

2013-01-01

Students in introductory biology courses frequently have misconceptions regarding natural selection. In this paper, we describe six activities that biology instructors can use to teach undergraduate students in introductory biology courses how natural selection causes evolution. These activities begin with a lesson introducing students to natural selection and also include discussions on sexual selection, molecular evolution, evolution of complex traits, and the evolution of behavior. The set of six topics gives students the opportunity to see how natural selection operates in a variety of contexts. Pre- and postinstruction testing showed students’ understanding of natural selection increased substantially after completing this series of learning activities. Testing throughout this unit showed steadily increasing student understanding, and surveys indicated students enjoyed the activities. PMID:24006396

Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Pre-Test Effect in National Curriculum Science Assessment Development in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyle, Katie; Jones, Emily; Williams, Chris; Morrison, Jo

2009-01-01

Background: All national curriculum tests in England are pre-tested as part of the development process. Differences in pupil performance between pre-test and live test are consistently found. This difference has been termed the pre-test effect. Understanding the pre-test effect is essential in the test development and selection processes and in…

Towards an understanding of nuclear morphogenesis.

PubMed

Georgatos, S D

1994-05-01

In the age of "virtual reality," the imperfect microscopic silhouettes of cells and organelles are gradually being replaced by calligraphic computer drawings. In this context, textbooks and introductory slides often depict the cell nucleus as a smooth-shaped, featureless object. However, in reality, the nuclei of different cells possess distinct sizes and morphological features which develop in a programmed fashion as each cell differentiates. To dissect this complex morphogenetic process, we need to identify the basic elements that determine nuclear architecture and the regulatory factors involved. Recently, clues about the identity of these components have been obtained both by systematic analysis and by serendipity. This review summarizes a few recent findings and ideas that may serve as a first forum for future discussions and, I hope, for further work on this topic.

Word recognition and phonetic structure acquisition: Possible relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, James

2002-05-01

Several accounts of possible relations between the emergence of the mental lexicon and acquisition of native language phonological structure have been propounded. In one view, acquisition of word meanings guides infants' attention toward those contrasts that are linguistically significant in their language. In the opposing view, native language phonological categories may be acquired from statistical patterns of input speech, prior to and independent of learning at the lexical level. Here, a more interactive account will be presented, in which phonological structure is modeled as emerging consequentially from the self-organization of perceptual space underlying word recognition. A key prediction of this model is that early native language phonological categories will be highly context specific. Data bearing on this prediction will be presented which provide clues to the nature of infants' statistical analysis of input.

Cancer Risk Information Sharing: The Experience of Individuals Receiving Genetic Counseling for BRCA1/2 Mutations

PubMed Central

Chopra, Ishveen; Kelly, Kimberly M.

2017-01-01

Genetic counseling and testing for familial cancer is a unique context for the communication of risk information in the family. This study utilized a theoretical framework based on the family systems perspective to understand intra-familial cancer risk communication patterns in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Individuals (n=120) at an elevated risk for BRCA1/2 mutations were included. Change in communication patterns over time was assessed using McNemar tests. Associations with communication patterns were assessed with multivariable logistic regression. Overall, the proportion of participants encouraged by others significantly (P<0.001) increased from pre- to post-genetic counseling. A higher proportion of participants were encouraged by female family members compared to male family members. Participants who were older, had no personal history of cancer, and had a higher cancer risk perception were more likely to be encouraged by others for genetic testing. Participant’s intent to encourage family members for genetic testing from pre-counseling to post-receipt of genetic test results decreased by 16.7%. Participants who had no personal history of cancer and had informative test results for a BRCA1/2 mutation were more likely to encourage other family members for genetic testing. In addition, qualitative findings suggested that closeness among family members, concern for family, especially future generations, and cognizance about cancer risk facilitates information sharing and encouragement for genetic testing. Our findings indicate that intra-familial cancer risk communication varies with structure of family relationships, where genetic counseling played an important role in improving intra-familial cancer risk communication. PMID:28112991

Sonographic features of invasive ductal breast carcinomas predictive of malignancy grade

PubMed Central

Gupta, Kanika; Kumaresan, Meenakshisundaram; Venkatesan, Bhuvaneswari; Chandra, Tushar; Patil, Aruna; Menon, Maya

2018-01-01

Context: Assessment of individual sonographic features provides vital clues about the biological behavior of breast masses and can assist in determining histological grade of malignancy and thereby prognosis. Aims: Assessment of individual sonographic features of biopsy proven invasive ductal breast carcinomas as predictors of malignancy grade. Settings and Design: A retrospective analysis of sonographic findings of 103 biopsy proven invasive ductal breast carcinomas. Materials and Methods: Tumor characteristics on gray-scale ultrasound and color flow were assessed using American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) Atlas Fifth Edition. The sonographic findings of masses were individually correlated with their histopathologic grades. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi square test, ordinal regression, and Goodman and Kruskal tau test. Results: Breast mass showing reversal/lack of diastolic flow has a high probability of belonging to histological high grade tumor (β 1.566, P 0.0001). The masses with abrupt interface boundary are more likely grade 3 (β 1.524, P 0.001) in comparison to masses with echogenic halos. The suspicious calcifications present in and outside the mass is a finding associated with histologically high grade tumors. The invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) with complex solid and cystic echotexture are more likely to be of high histological grade (β 1.146, P 0.04) as compared to masses with hypoechoic echotexture. Conclusions: Certain ultrasound features are associated with tumor grade on histopathology. If the radiologist is cognizant of these sonographic features, ultrasound can be a potent modality for predicting histopathological grade of IDCs of the breast, especially in settings where advanced tests such as receptor and molecular analyses are limited. PMID:29692540

Investigating Pre-Service EFL Teachers' Self-Concepts within the Framework of Teaching Practicum in Turkish Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Cevdet

2018-01-01

The present study aimed at understanding the nature and potential dynamism of five pre-service EFL teachers' self-concepts in the domain of English as a foreign language (EFL). To this end, the effects of pre-service teachers' experiences gained alongside the practicum on their EFL self-concept development were also discussed. Data were generated…

A primary care based healthy-eating and active living education session for weight reduction in the pre-diabetic population.

PubMed

Weir, Daniala L; Johnson, Steven T; Mundt, Clark; Bray, Dianne; Taylor, Lorian; Eurich, Dean T; Johnson, Jeffrey A

2014-12-01

Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of primary prevention strategies in type 2 diabetes, however, questions remain around the feasibility of high resource, intensive interventions within a healthcare setting. We report the results of a dietitian-led pre-diabetes education session targeting healthy eating and active living as strategies for weight reduction. Participants were asked to complete a baseline questionnaire prior to completing the pre-diabetes education session and were sent follow-up questionnaires at 3 and 6 months. Differences between participants at baseline, 3 and 6 months were determined using χ(2), t-tests and ANOVA. Of the 211 participants asked to fill out baseline questionnaires, 45 participants completed questionnaires at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Although we observed general trends towards improvements in diet, physical activity and weight related behaviours among the 45 completers, no significant changes were observed among participants between questionnaire periods. A "one-off", theory-guided group education session may be insufficient to support lifestyle modifications in the context of weight management in a pre-diabetic population. Further evaluation of the efficacy and feasibility of the PCN as a setting for lifestyle intervention is required. Copyright © 2014 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data processing pipeline for Herschel HIFI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipman, R. F.; Beaulieu, S. F.; Teyssier, D.; Morris, P.; Rengel, M.; McCoey, C.; Edwards, K.; Kester, D.; Lorenzani, A.; Coeur-Joly, O.; Melchior, M.; Xie, J.; Sanchez, E.; Zaal, P.; Avruch, I.; Borys, C.; Braine, J.; Comito, C.; Delforge, B.; Herpin, F.; Hoac, A.; Kwon, W.; Lord, S. D.; Marston, A.; Mueller, M.; Olberg, M.; Ossenkopf, V.; Puga, E.; Akyilmaz-Yabaci, M.

2017-12-01

Context. The HIFI instrument on the Herschel Space Observatory performed over 9100 astronomical observations, almost 900 of which were calibration observations in the course of the nearly four-year Herschel mission. The data from each observation had to be converted from raw telemetry into calibrated products and were included in the Herschel Science Archive. Aims: The HIFI pipeline was designed to provide robust conversion from raw telemetry into calibrated data throughout all phases of the HIFI missions. Pre-launch laboratory testing was supported as were routine mission operations. Methods: A modular software design allowed components to be easily added, removed, amended and/or extended as the understanding of the HIFI data developed during and after mission operations. Results: The HIFI pipeline processed data from all HIFI observing modes within the Herschel automated processing environment as well as within an interactive environment. The same software can be used by the general astronomical community to reprocess any standard HIFI observation. The pipeline also recorded the consistency of processing results and provided automated quality reports. Many pipeline modules were in use since the HIFI pre-launch instrument level testing. Conclusions: Processing in steps facilitated data analysis to discover and address instrument artefacts and uncertainties. The availability of the same pipeline components from pre-launch throughout the mission made for well-understood, tested, and stable processing. A smooth transition from one phase to the next significantly enhanced processing reliability and robustness. Herschel was an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

Benefits of deep encoding in Alzheimer disease. Analysis of performance on a memory task using the Item Specific Deficit Approach.

PubMed

Oltra-Cucarella, J; Pérez-Elvira, R; Duque, P

2014-06-01

the aim of this study is to test the encoding deficit hypothesis in Alzheimer disease (AD) using a recent method for correcting memory tests. To this end, a Spanish-language adaptation of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test was interpreted using the Item Specific Deficit Approach (ISDA), which provides three indices: Encoding Deficit Index, Consolidation Deficit Index, and Retrieval Deficit Index. We compared the performances of 15 patients with AD and 20 healthy control subjects and analysed results using either the task instructions or the ISDA approach. patients with AD displayed deficient encoding of more than half the information, but items that were encoded properly could be retrieved later with the help of the same semantic clues provided individually during encoding. Virtually all the information retained over the long-term was retrieved by using semantic clues. Encoding was shown to be the most impaired process, followed by retrieval and consolidation. Discriminant function analyses showed that ISDA indices are more sensitive and specific for detecting memory impairments in AD than are raw scores. These results indicate that patients with AD present impaired information encoding, but they benefit from semantic hints that help them recover previously learned information. This should be taken into account for intervention techniques focusing on memory impairments in AD. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

49 CFR 219.502 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CONTROL OF ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE Pre-Employment Tests § 219.502 Pre... must comply with the following requirements: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before... the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., it must not test some covered employees and not...

Pre-Test Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Thomas

2008-01-01

Pre-tests are a non-graded assessment tool used to determine pre-existing subject knowledge. Typically pre-tests are administered prior to a course to determine knowledge baseline, but here they are used to test students prior to topical material coverage throughout the course. While counterintuitive, the pre-tests cover material the student is…

Attic or Roof? An Evaluation of Two Advanced Weatherization Packages

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

Neuhauser, Ken

2012-06-01

This project examines implementation of advanced retrofit measures in the context of a large-scale weatherization program and the archetypal Chicago brick bungalow. One strategy applies best practice air sealing methods and a standard insulation method to the attic floor. The other strategy creates an unvented roof assembly using materials and methods typically available to weatherization contractors. Through implementations of the retrofit strategies in a total of eight (8) test homes, the research found that the two different strategies achieve similar reductions in air leakage measurement (55%) and predicted energy performance (18%) relative to the pre-retrofit conditions.

Preparing for fieldwork: Students' perceptions of their readiness to provide evidence-based practice.

PubMed

Evenson, Mary E

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceptions of their confidence to use research evidence to complete a client case analysis assignment in preparation for participation in fieldwork and future practice. A convenience sample of 42 entry-level occupational therapy Masters students, included 41 females and one male, ages 24 to 35. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. Students participated in a problem-based learning approach supported by educational technology. Measures included a pre- and post-semester confidence survey, a post-semester satisfaction survey, and an assignment rubric. Based on paired t-tests and Wilcoxin Signed Ranks Tests, statistically significant differences in pre- and post-test scores were noted for all 18 items on the confidence survey (p< 0.001). Significant increases in students' confidence were noted for verbal and written communication of descriptive, assessment, and intervention evidence, along with increased confidence to effectively use assessment evidence. Results suggest that problem-based learning methods were significantly associated with students' perceptions of their confidence to use research evidence to analyze a client case. These results cannot necessarily be generalized due to the limitations of using non-standardized measures with a convenience sample, without a control group, within the context of a single course as part of one academic program curriculum.

A Sensory Bias Has Triggered the Evolution of Egg-Spots in Cichlid Fishes

PubMed Central

Theis, Anya; Salzburger, Walter

2011-01-01

Although, generally, the origin of sex-limited traits remains elusive, the sensory exploitation hypothesis provides an explanation for the evolution of male sexual signals. Anal fin egg-spots are such a male sexual signal and a key characteristic of the most species-rich group of cichlid fishes, the haplochromines. Males of about 1500 mouth-brooding species utilize these conspicuous egg-dummies during courtship – apparently to attract females and to maximize fertilization success. Here we test the hypothesis that the evolution of haplochromine egg-spots was triggered by a pre-existing bias for eggs or egg-like coloration. To this end, we performed mate-choice experiments in the basal haplochromine Pseudocrenilabrus multicolor, which manifests the plesiomorphic character-state of an egg-spot-less anal fin. Experiments using computer-animated photographs of males indeed revealed that females prefer images of males with virtual (‘in-silico’) egg-spots over images showing unaltered males. In addition, we tested for color preferences (outside a mating context) in a phylogenetically representative set of East African cichlids. We uncovered a strong preference for yellow, orange or reddish spots in all haplochromines tested and, importantly, also in most other species representing more basal lines. This pre-existing female sensory bias points towards high-quality (carotenoids-enriched) food suggesting that it is adaptive. PMID:22028784

Teaching Semantic Radicals Facilitates Inferring New Character Meaning in Sentence Reading for Nonnative Chinese Speakers

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Thi Phuong; Zhang, Jie; Li, Hong; Wu, Xinchun; Cheng, Yahua

2017-01-01

This study investigates the effects of teaching semantic radicals in inferring the meanings of unfamiliar characters among nonnative Chinese speakers. A total of 54 undergraduates majoring in Chinese Language from a university in Hanoi, Vietnam, who had 1 year of learning experience in Chinese were assigned to two experimental groups that received instructional intervention, called “old-for-new” semantic radical teaching, through two counterbalanced sets of semantic radicals, with one control group. All of the students completed pre- and post-tests of a sentence cloze task where they were required to choose an appropriate character that fit the sentence context among four options. The four options shared the same phonetic radicals but had different semantic radicals. The results showed that the pre-test and post-test score increases were significant for the experimental groups, but not for the control group. Most importantly, the experimental groups successfully transferred the semantic radical strategy to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar characters containing semantic radicals that had not been taught. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching semantic radicals for lexical inference in sentence reading for nonnative speakers, and highlight the ability of transfer learning to acquire semantic categories of sub-lexical units (semantic radicals) in Chinese characters among foreign language learners. PMID:29109694

Modeling the Spatial Dynamics of Regional Land Use: The CLUE-S Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verburg, Peter H.; Soepboer, Welmoed; Veldkamp, A.; Limpiada, Ramil; Espaldon, Victoria; Mastura, Sharifah S. A.

2002-09-01

Land-use change models are important tools for integrated environmental management. Through scenario analysis they can help to identify near-future critical locations in the face of environmental change. A dynamic, spatially explicit, land-use change model is presented for the regional scale: CLUE-S. The model is specifically developed for the analysis of land use in small regions (e.g., a watershed or province) at a fine spatial resolution. The model structure is based on systems theory to allow the integrated analysis of land-use change in relation to socio-economic and biophysical driving factors. The model explicitly addresses the hierarchical organization of land use systems, spatial connectivity between locations and stability. Stability is incorporated by a set of variables that define the relative elasticity of the actual land-use type to conversion. The user can specify these settings based on expert knowledge or survey data. Two applications of the model in the Philippines and Malaysia are used to illustrate the functioning of the model and its validation.

Modeling the spatial dynamics of regional land use: the CLUE-S model.

PubMed

Verburg, Peter H; Soepboer, Welmoed; Veldkamp, A; Limpiada, Ramil; Espaldon, Victoria; Mastura, Sharifah S A

2002-09-01

Land-use change models are important tools for integrated environmental management. Through scenario analysis they can help to identify near-future critical locations in the face of environmental change. A dynamic, spatially explicit, land-use change model is presented for the regional scale: CLUE-S. The model is specifically developed for the analysis of land use in small regions (e.g., a watershed or province) at a fine spatial resolution. The model structure is based on systems theory to allow the integrated analysis of land-use change in relation to socio-economic and biophysical driving factors. The model explicitly addresses the hierarchical organization of land use systems, spatial connectivity between locations and stability. Stability is incorporated by a set of variables that define the relative elasticity of the actual land-use type to conversion. The user can specify these settings based on expert knowledge or survey data. Two applications of the model in the Philippines and Malaysia are used to illustrate the functioning of the model and its validation.

Surface Cleaning and Disinfection: Efficacy Assessment of Four Chlorine Types Using Escherichia coli and the Ebola Surrogate Phi6.

PubMed

Gallandat, Karin; Wolfe, Marlene K; Lantagne, Daniele

2017-04-18

In the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, international organizations provided conflicting recommendations for disinfecting surfaces contaminated by uncontrolled patient spills. We compared the efficacy of four chlorine solutions (sodium hypochlorite, sodium dichloroisocyanurate, high-test hypochlorite, and generated hypochlorite) for disinfection of three surface types (stainless steel, heavy-duty tarp, and nitrile) with and without pre-cleaning practices (prewiping, covering, or both) and soil load. The test organisms were Escherichia coli and the Ebola surrogate Phi6. All tests achieved a minimum of 5.9 and 3.1 log removal in E. coli and Phi6, respectively. A 15 min exposure to 0.5% chlorine was sufficient to ensure <8 Phi6 plaque-forming unit (PFU)/cm 2 in all tests. While chlorine types were equally efficacious with and without soil load, variation was seen by surface type. Wiping did not increase disinfection efficacy and is not recommended because it generates infectious waste. Covering spills decreased disinfection efficacy against E. coli on heavy-duty tarp but does prevent splashing, which is critical in Ebola contexts. Our results support the recommendation of a 15 min exposure to 0.5% chlorine, independently of chlorine type, surface, pre-cleaning practices, and organic matter, as an efficacious measure to interrupt disease transmission from uncontrolled spills in Ebola outbreaks.

Application of validity theory and methodology to patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): building an argument for validity.

PubMed

Hawkins, Melanie; Elsworth, Gerald R; Osborne, Richard H

2018-07-01

Data from subjective patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are now being used in the health sector to make or support decisions about individuals, groups and populations. Contemporary validity theorists define validity not as a statistical property of the test but as the extent to which empirical evidence supports the interpretation of test scores for an intended use. However, validity testing theory and methodology are rarely evident in the PROM validation literature. Application of this theory and methodology would provide structure for comprehensive validation planning to support improved PROM development and sound arguments for the validity of PROM score interpretation and use in each new context. This paper proposes the application of contemporary validity theory and methodology to PROM validity testing. The validity testing principles will be applied to a hypothetical case study with a focus on the interpretation and use of scores from a translated PROM that measures health literacy (the Health Literacy Questionnaire or HLQ). Although robust psychometric properties of a PROM are a pre-condition to its use, a PROM's validity lies in the sound argument that a network of empirical evidence supports the intended interpretation and use of PROM scores for decision making in a particular context. The health sector is yet to apply contemporary theory and methodology to PROM development and validation. The theoretical and methodological processes in this paper are offered as an advancement of the theory and practice of PROM validity testing in the health sector.

Debates—Hypothesis testing in hydrology: Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blöschl, Günter

2017-03-01

This paper introduces the papers in the "Debates—Hypothesis testing in hydrology" series. The four articles in the series discuss whether and how the process of testing hypotheses leads to progress in hydrology. Repeated experiments with controlled boundary conditions are rarely feasible in hydrology. Research is therefore not easily aligned with the classical scientific method of testing hypotheses. Hypotheses in hydrology are often enshrined in computer models which are tested against observed data. Testability may be limited due to model complexity and data uncertainty. All four articles suggest that hypothesis testing has contributed to progress in hydrology and is needed in the future. However, the procedure is usually not as systematic as the philosophy of science suggests. A greater emphasis on a creative reasoning process on the basis of clues and explorative analyses is therefore needed.

Learning speed is affected by personality and reproductive investment in a songbird.

PubMed

Rivera-Gutierrez, Hector Fabio; Martens, Tine; Pinxten, Rianne; Eens, Marcel

2017-01-01

Individuals from different taxa, including songbirds, differ consistently in behaviour and personality when facing different situations. Although our understanding of animal behaviour has increased, knowledge about between-individual differences in cognitive abilities is still limited. By using an experimental approach and a free-living songbird (Parus major) as a model, we attempted to understand between-individual differences in habituation to playbacks (as a proxy of learning speed), by investigating the role of personality, age and reproductive investment (clutch size). Pre-breeding males were tested for exploration (a proxy of personality) in standardized conditions. In addition, the same individuals were exposed to three playbacks in the field during incubation. Birds significantly moved less, stayed further away and overlapped less the playback with successive playback stimulation. While a decrease in the locomotor behaviour can be explained by personality, differences in habituation of overlapping were predicted by both reproductive investment and personality. Fast explorers habituated less. Moreover, males paired to females with larger clutches did not vary the intensity of overlapping. Since habituation requires information for recognition of non-threatening signals, personality may bias information gathering. While fast explorers may collect less information from the environment, slow explorers (reactive birds) seem to pay attention to environmental clues and collect detailed information. We provided evidence that the rate of habituation of behavioural responses, a proxy of cognitive abilities, may be affected by different factors and in a complex way.

Relationship between infectious agents for vulvovaginitis and skin color.

PubMed

Nomelini, Rosekeila Simoes; Carrijo, Ana Paula Borges; Adad, Sheila Jorge; Nunes, Altacílio Aparecido; Murta, Eddie Fernando Candido

2010-12-01

Many factors influence occurrences of vulvovaginitis. The aims here were to assess skin color and age-related differences in the vaginal flora and occurrences of vulvovaginitis. Cross-sectional study; tertiary referral hospital (Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba). Healthy women who underwent routine outpatient gynecological assessments were assessed for vulvovaginitis and vaginal flora and then divided into whites (n = 13,881) and nonwhites (n = 5,295). Statistical analysis was performed using the X² test, logistic regression and odds ratios. The vaginal microflora was skin-color dependent, with greater occurrence of clue cells, Trichomonas vaginalis and coccobacilli in nonwhite women (p < 0.0001). Döderlein bacilli and cytolytic flora were more prevalent in white women (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05, respectively). The vaginal microflora was age-dependent within the skin color groups. Among the nonwhite women, clue cells were more prevalent in women aged 21 to 50 years; Trichomonas in women up to 40 years and coccobacili in women between 21 and 40 years (P < 0.05). During the proliferative and secretory phases, the nonwhite women were more likely to present clue cells, Trichomonas, Candida and coccobacilli (OR, proliferative phase: 1.31, 1.79, 1.6 and 1.25 respectively; secretory phase: 1.31, 2.88, 1.74 and 1.21 respectively), while less likely to present Döderlein flora (OR, proliferative phase: 0.76; secretory phase: 0.66), compared with white women, irrespective of age. There are differences in vulvovaginitis occurrence relating to skin color, which may be associated with variations in vaginal flora.

Integrating clinical research with the Healthcare Enterprise: from the RE-USE project to the EHR4CR platform.

PubMed

El Fadly, AbdenNaji; Rance, Bastien; Lucas, Noël; Mead, Charles; Chatellier, Gilles; Lastic, Pierre-Yves; Jaulent, Marie-Christine; Daniel, Christel

2011-12-01

There are different approaches for repurposing clinical data collected in the Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) for use in clinical research. Semantic integration of "siloed" applications across domain boundaries is the raison d'être of the standards-based profiles developed by the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) initiative - an initiative by healthcare professionals and industry promoting the coordinated use of established standards such as DICOM and HL7 to address specific clinical needs in support of optimal patient care. In particular, the combination of two IHE profiles - the integration profile "Retrieve Form for Data Capture" (RFD), and the IHE content profile "Clinical Research Document" (CRD) - offers a straightforward approach to repurposing EHR data by enabling the pre-population of the case report forms (eCRF) used for clinical research data capture by Clinical Data Management Systems (CDMS) with previously collected EHR data. Implement an alternative solution of the RFD-CRD integration profile centered around two approaches: (i) Use of the EHR as the single-source data-entry and persistence point in order to ensure that all the clinical data for a given patient could be found in a single source irrespective of the data collection context, i.e. patient care or clinical research; and (ii) Maximize the automatic pre-population process through the use of a semantic interoperability services that identify duplicate or semantically-equivalent eCRF/EHR data elements as they were collected in the EHR context. The RE-USE architecture and associated profiles are focused on defining a set of scalable, standards-based, IHE-compliant profiles that can enable single-source data collection/entry and cross-system data reuse through semantic integration. Specifically, data reuse is realized through the semantic mapping of data collection fields in electronic Case Report Forms (eCRFs) to data elements previously defined as part of patient care-centric templates in the EHR context. The approach was evaluated in the context of a multi-center clinical trial conducted in a large, multi-disciplinary hospital with an installed EHR. Data elements of seven eCRFs used in a multi-center clinical trial were mapped to data elements of patient care-centric templates in use in the EHR at the George Pompidou hospital. 13.4% of the data elements of the eCRFs were found to be represented in EHR templates and were therefore candidate for pre-population. During the execution phase of the clinical study, the semantic mapping architecture enabled data persisted in the EHR context as part of clinical care to be used to pre-populate eCRFS for use without secondary data entry. To ensure that the pre-populated data is viable for use in the clinical research context, all pre-populated eCRF data needs to be first approved by a trial investigator prior to being persisted in a research data store within a CDMS. Single-source data entry in the clinical care context for use in the clinical research context - a process enabled through the use of the EHR as single point of data entry, can - if demonstrated to be a viable strategy - not only significantly reduce data collection efforts while simultaneously increasing data collection accuracy secondary to elimination of transcription or double-entry errors between the two contexts but also ensure that all the clinical data for a given patient, irrespective of the data collection context, are available in the EHR for decision support and treatment planning. The RE-USE approach used mapping algorithms to identify semantic coherence between clinical care and clinical research data elements and pre-populate eCRFs. The RE-USE project utilized SNOMED International v.3.5 as its "pivot reference terminology" to support EHR-to-eCRF mapping, a decision that likely enhanced the "recall" of the mapping algorithms. The RE-USE results demonstrate the difficult challenges involved in semantic integration between the clinical care and clinical research contexts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intact renewal after extinction of conditioned suppression with lesions of either the retrosplenial cortex or dorsal hippocampus.

PubMed

Todd, Travis P; Jiang, Matthew Y; DeAngeli, Nicole E; Bucci, David J

2017-03-01

Extinction of fear to a Pavlovian conditioned stimulus (CS) is known to be context-specific. When the CS is tested outside the context of extinction, fear returns, or renews. Several studies have demonstrated that renewal depends upon the hippocampus, although there are also studies where renewal was not impacted by hippocampal damage, suggesting that under some conditions context encoding and/or retrieval of extinction depends upon other regions. One candidate region is the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), which is known to contribute to contextual and spatial learning and memory. Using a conditioned-suppression paradigm, Experiment 1 tested the impact of pre-training RSC lesions on renewal of extinguished fear. Consistent with previous studies, lesions of the RSC did not impact acquisition or extinction of conditioned fear to the CS. Further, there was no evidence that RSC lesions impaired renewal, indicating that contextual encoding and/or retrieval of extinction does not depend upon the RSC. In Experiment 2, post-extinction lesions of either the RSC or dorsal hippocampus (DH) also had no impact on renewal. However, in Experiment 3, both RSC and DH lesions did impair performance in an object-in-place procedure, an index of place memory. RSC and DH contributions to extinction and renewal are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facilitating conceptual change in students’ understanding of concepts related to pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozkan, Gulbin; Sezgin Selcuk, Gamze

2016-09-01

The aim of this research was to explore the effects of three different types of methods of learning physics (conceptual change-based, real life context-based and traditional learning) on high school physics students in the 11th grade in terms of conceptual change they achieved in learning about the various topics (pressure exerted by solids, pressure in stagnant liquids and gases, buoyancy, Bernoulli’s principle). In this study, a pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental method with nonequivalent control group, involving a 3 (group) × 2 (time) factorial design was used. Study group 1 were given the conceptual change texts on the mentioned subjects, study group 2 were offered a teaching approach based on real life context-based learning, whereas the control group was taught in the traditional style. Data for the research were collected with the ‘pressure conceptual test’. As a result of research, the number of misconceptions had been reduced or shifted altogether in all three groups. After the instruction, it was seen that none of the students formed new misconceptions. It was found that the most positive change could be seen in the conceptual change text group followed by context-based and lastly traditional. The fact that none of the students formed new misconceptions is important, particularly since research such as the following shows that conceptual change is tenuous and inconsistent, taking time to shift in a sustained manner.

Improving Reading in Culturally Situated Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennet, Maria; Lancaster, Julie

2012-01-01

This article explores second year pre-service teachers' ability to work with Indigenous students and their families during a small-scale project conducted in an Indigenous community. Supported field placements offered the pre-service teachers valuable opportunities to engage with the teaching of reading to Indigenous students "on their…

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Pre-Service Teachers' Technology Acceptance: A Validation Study Using Structural Equation Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teo, Timothy; Tan, Lynde

2012-01-01

This study applies the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a theory that is commonly used in commercial settings, to the educational context to explain pre-service teachers' technology acceptance. It is also interested in examining its validity when used for this purpose. It has found evidence that the TPB is a valid model to explain pre-service…

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

46 CFR 16.210 - Pre-employment testing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... test for dangerous drugs for that employer. (b) An employer may waive a pre-employment test required... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Pre-employment testing requirements. 16.210 Section 16... TESTING Required Chemical Testing § 16.210 Pre-employment testing requirements. (a) No marine employer...

Pre-service elementary teachers' understanding of scientific inquiry and its role in school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macaroglu, Esra

The purpose of this research was to explore pre-service elementary teachers' developing understanding of scientific inquiry within the context of their elementary science teaching and learning. More specifically, the study examined 24 pre-service elementary teachers' emerging understanding of (1) the nature of science and scientific inquiry; (2) the "place" of scientific inquiry in school science; and (3) the roles and responsibilities of teachers and students within an inquiry-based learning environment. Data sources consisted primarily of student-generated artifacts collected throughout the semester, including pre/post-philosophy statements and text-based materials collected from electronic dialogue journals. Individual data sources were open-coded to identify concepts and categories expressed by students. Cross-comparisons were conducted and patterns were identified. Assertions were formed with these patterns. Findings are hopeful in that they suggest pre-service teachers can develop a more contemporary view of scientific inquiry when immersed in a context that promotes this perspective. Not surprisingly, however, the prospective teachers encountered a number of barriers when attempting to translate their emerging ideas into practice. More research is needed to determine which teacher preparation experiences are most powerful in supporting pre-service teachers as they construct a framework for science teaching and learning that includes scientific inquiry as a central component.

Working Memory Capacity Limits Motor Learning When Implementing Multiple Instructions

PubMed Central

Buszard, Tim; Farrow, Damian; Verswijveren, Simone J. J. M.; Reid, Machar; Williams, Jacqueline; Polman, Remco; Ling, Fiona Chun Man; Masters, Rich S. W.

2017-01-01

Although it is generally accepted that certain practice conditions can place large demands on working memory (WM) when performing and learning a motor skill, the influence that WM capacity has on the acquisition of motor skills remains unsubstantiated. This study examined the role of WM capacity in a motor skill practice context that promoted WM involvement through the provision of explicit instructions. A cohort of 90 children aged 8 to 10 years were assessed on measures of WM capacity and attention. Children who scored in the lowest and highest thirds on the WM tasks were allocated to lower WM capacity (n = 24) and higher WM capacity (n = 24) groups, respectively. The remaining 42 participants did not participate in the motor task. The motor task required children to practice basketball shooting for 240 trials in blocks of 20 shots, with pre- and post-tests occurring before and after the intervention. A retention test was administered 1 week after the post-test. Prior to every practice block, children were provided with five explicit instructions that were specific to the technique of shooting a basketball. Results revealed that the higher WM capacity group displayed consistent improvements from pre- to post-test and through to the retention test, while the opposite effect occurred in the lower WM capacity group. This implies that the explicit instructions had a negative influence on learning by the lower WM capacity children. Results are discussed in relation to strategy selection for dealing with instructions and the role of attention control. PMID:28878701

Making Earth Science Relevant in the K-8 Classroom. The Development of an Instructional Soils Module for Pre-Service Elementary Teachers Using the Next Generation Science Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, K. A.; Hauge, R.; Dechaine, J. M.; Varrella, G.; Egger, A. E.

2013-12-01

The development and adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) raises a challenge in teacher preparation: few current teacher preparation programs prepare students to teach science the way it is presented in the NGSS, which emphasize systems thinking, interdisciplinary science, and deep engagement in the scientific process. In addition, the NGSS include more geoscience concepts and methods than previous standards, yet this is a topic area in which most college students are traditionally underprepared. Although nationwide, programmatic reform is needed, there are a few targets where relatively small, course-level changes can have a large effect. One of these targets is the 'science methods' course for pre-service elementary teachers, a requirement in virtually all teacher preparation programs. Since many elementary schools, both locally and across the country, have adopted a kit based science curriculum, examining kits is often a part of a science methods course. Unfortunately, solely relying on a kit based curriculum may leave gaps in science content curriculum as one prepares teachers to meet the NGSS. Moreover, kits developed at the national level often fall short in connecting geoscientific content to the locally relevant societal issues that engage students. This highlights the need to train pre-service elementary teachers to supplement kit curriculum with inquiry based geoscience investigations that consider relevant societal issues, promote systems thinking and incorporate connections between earth, life, and physical systems. We are developing a module that teaches geoscience concepts in the context of locally relevant societal issues while modeling effective pedagogy for pre-service elementary teachers. Specifically, we focus on soils, an interdisciplinary topic relevant to multiple geoscience-related societal grand challenges (e.g., water, food) that is difficult to engage students in. Module development is funded through InTeGrate, NSF's STEP Center in the geosciences. The module goals are: 1) Pre-service teachers will apply classification methods, testing procedures and interdisciplinary systems thinking to analyze and evaluate a relevant societal issue in the context of soils, 2) Pre-service teachers will design, develop, and facilitate a standards-based K-8 soils unit, incorporating a relevant broader societal issue that applies authentic geoscientific data, and incorporates geoscientific habits of mind. In addition, pre-service teachers will look toward the NGSS and align activities with content standards, systems thinking, and science and engineering practices. This poster will provide an overview of module development to date as well as a summary of pre-semester survey results indicating pre-service elementary teachers' ideas (beliefs, attitudes, preconceptions, and content knowledge) about teaching soils, and making science relevant in a K-8 classroom.

Stand by me: a volunteer's reflection on working on an academic palliative care unit in Germany.

PubMed

Böddeker, Andrea; Smeding, Ruthmarijke; Voltz, Raymond

2010-09-01

To relate personal experience and reflections on the tasks and role of a volunteer in an academic palliative care unit into the context of the English publications of 2009. We took a snapshot of the most recent publications as a way of placing the rather unique experiences of this German volunteer in an international context. Five recent studies were found discussing the importance of volunteers in an interdisciplinary context, but mainly focusing on the volunteer's role in the community, interacting with terminally ill patients and their caregivers. Furthermore, aspects of ethical issues, reasons for starting and continuing to volunteer for hospice and the role of male volunteers were evaluated in these studies. The studies feature on the one hand the positive recognition of volunteers, for example, two studies revealed a significant interest by the respondents of having volunteers if they were dying. Also, these articles focused on family carers, who voted for the service of hospice/palliative care volunteers; on the other hand, efforts have to be made to improve the recruitment of volunteers especially if it comes to male support. A further study, reporting on ethical issues, indicates that little is known about these issues when it comes to a volunteer's interaction with a patient in difficult situations, how these are to be managed. These studies give us valuable clues on how and where to make continuous improvements.

A smoking-related background helps moderate smokers to focus: An event-related potential study using a Go-NoGo task.

PubMed

Detandt, Sandrine; Bazan, Ariane; Schröder, Elisa; Olyff, Giulia; Kajosch, Hendrik; Verbanck, Paul; Campanella, Salvatore

2017-10-01

Cognitive impairment is a major component in addiction. However, research has been inconclusive as to whether this is also the case for smokers. The present study aims at providing electrophysiological clue for altered inhibitory control in smokers and at investigating whether reduced inhibition was more pronounced during exposure to a smoking cue. ERPs were recorded during a visual Go-NoGo task performed by 18 smokers and 23 controls, in which either a frequent Go signal (letter "M") or a rare No-Go signal ("letter W") were superimposed on three different long-lasting background contexts: black-neutral, smoking-related and non smoking-related. (1) Smokers performed worse and had an earlier NoGo-N2 latency as compared to controls and independently of context, suggesting a general inhibition impairment; (2) with smoking-related backgrounds specifically, smokers made fewer mistakes than they did in other contexts and displayed a larger NoGo P3 amplitude. These data might suggest that background cues related to addiction may help smokers to be more accurate in an inhibition task. Our results show the classical inhibitory impairment in smokers as compared to non-smokers. However, our data also suggest that a smoking-related background may bolster the inhibitory ability of smokers specifically. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring ESL students' understanding of mathematics in the early years: factors that make a difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Jodie; Warren, Elizabeth

2014-12-01

Students living in disadvantaged contexts and whose second language is English (ESL) are at risk of not succeeding in school mathematics. It has been internationally recognised that students' socioeconomic background and their achievements in mathematics is more pronounced for Australian students (Thomson et al. 2011). This gap is even more prominent for students who also have English as their second language (ESL). This paper explores the impact of the representations, oral language and engagement in mathematics (RoleM) learning experiences on ESL students' performance in mathematics in the early years (foundation-year 2). All students participating in the study are from disadvantaged contexts ( n = 461). The sample comprised 328 students who identified themselves as having English as a second language (ESL) and 133 mainstream students. Pre- and post-tests were conducted at the commencement and completion of each school year. All students demonstrated a significant improvement on their post-test scores, with ESL students displaying greater gains than the mainstream students. Additionally, students' results were meeting norm-referenced expectations for students of the same age. A hypothesised taxonomy was developed to further investigate which types of test items foundation ESL students displayed greatest gains. ESL students again outperformed the mainstream cohort on all levels of test categorisation, including questions that were linguistically and conceptually challenging for foundation students.

Field trip method as an effort to reveal student environmental literacy on biodiversity issue and context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rijal, M.; Saefudin; Amprasto

2018-05-01

Field trip method through investigation of local biodiversity cases can give educational experiences for students. This learning activity was efforts to reveal students environmental literacy on biodiversity. The aim of study were (1) to describe the activities of students get information about the biodiversity issue and its context through field trip, (2) to describe the students findings during field trip, and (3) to reveal students environmental literacy based on pre test and post test. The research method used weak-experiment and involved 34 participants at senior high school students in Bandung-Indonesia. The research instruments for collecting data were environmental literacy test, observation sheets and questionnaire sheets for students. The analysis of data was quantitative descriptive. The results show that more than 79% of the students gave positive view for each field trip activity, i.e students activity during work (97%-100%); students activity during gather information (79%- 100%); students activity during exchange information with friend (82%-100%); and students interested to Biodiversity after field trip activity (85%-100%). Students gain knowledge about the diversity of animal vertebrate and its characteristics, the status and condition of animals, and the source of animal with the cases of animal diversity. The students environmental literacy tends to be moderate level based on test. Meanwhile, the average of the attitudes and action greater than the components of knowledge and cognitive skills.

Inference: Procedures and Implications for ELT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrielatos, Costas

This paper explains the importance of inferencing to effective communication, discussing how it is achieved and focusing on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) education. Part 1, "Background," examines clues provided by speakers and writers, also looking at clues and thinking processes used by listeners and readers in order for successful…

Cles: Etes-vous bon detective?; Enigmes grammaticales; Problemes policiers; Kidnapping (Keys: Are You a Good Detective?; Grammatical Puzzles; Detective Mysteries; Kidnapping).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Debyser, Francis; And Others

1984-01-01

Four sets of French classroom activities are presented: a mystery whose clues include two postcard messages; three puzzles with grammar-related clues; a mystery contained in three comic strip frames; and the solving of a kidnapping mystery. (MSE)

Successful Educational Leadership at High Performing Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Doris L.

2011-01-01

Successful educational leadership is not a random phenomenon, but an executed success which leaves clues whereby one can discover them. These clues lead to a desired destination--higher student achievement. Essential, non-negotiable elements have been identified. That is, each element has been systemically embedded at schools that have turned from…

Clues about Reading Enrichment (CARE).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Nancy Jo; And Others

Compiled by members of the Reading Committee of the North Middlesex Regional School District (Massachusetts), this illustrated guide provides tips, suggestions, and activities that parents can follow at home to help their children read. The Clues about Reading Enrichment (CARE) guide notes that regularly reading aloud to and with children is an…

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

49 CFR 655.42 - Pre-employment alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive functions by every... test some covered employees and not others). (c) The employer must conduct the pre-employment tests...-employment alcohol test. (d) The employer must conduct all pre-employment alcohol tests using the alcohol...

Acute and long-term behavioral correlates of underwater trauma--potential relevance to stress and post-stress syndromes.

PubMed

Richter-Levin, G

1998-06-02

As a consequence of a brief but significantly extreme stressor, an individual will experience a stress response, which may sometimes develop into Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Though a rat model for ASD and PTSD is not expected to encompass the richness and complexity of the disorders in humans, it will enable the study of the common underlying mechanisms that generate the disorders, the study of pre-trauma etiological aspects of the disorders and the screening of drugs with potential relevance to the treatment of the disorders. One well-documented aspect of PTSD is the enhancing influence of contextual elements on the appearance of symptoms of the post-stress trauma. To exploit this effect, we have chosen to assess the effects of an underwater trauma in the Morris water maze since the effects of such trauma on memory and attention can be later evaluated in the context of the trauma. At both 1 h and 3 weeks after the trauma, significant behavioral deficits were observed in the water maze. The effects of the underwater trauma on the performance of rats in the water maze were context specific. Underwater trauma in a different (out-of-context) water container had no effects on the ability of rats to perform a spatial memory task in the water maze. An elevated level of anxiety was found in the plus maze test, independently of whether the trauma was performed in the water maze or in a different (out-of-context) water container. The results indicate that a within-context underwater trauma has both acute and lasting behavioral consequences which can be assessed using a spatial memory test in the context of the trauma. The results are discussed in relation to their relevance to stress and PTSD.

Realizing the cognitive potential of children 5-7 with a mathematics focus: post-test and long-term effects of a 2-year intervention.

PubMed

Shayer, Michael; Adhami, Mundher

2010-09-01

In the context of the British Government's policy directed on improving standards in schools, this paper presents research on the effects of a programme intended to promote the cognitive development of children in the first 2 years of primary school (Y1 & 2, aged 5-7 years). The programme is based on earlier work dealing with classroom-based interventions with older children at both primary and secondary levels of schooling. The hypothesis tested is that it is possible to increase the cognitive ability of children by assisting teachers towards that aim in the context of mathematics. A corollary hypothesis is that such an increase would result in an increase in long-term school achievement. The participants were 8 teachers in one local education authority (LEA) and 10 teachers in another. Data were analysed on 275 children present at Year 1 pre-test in 2002 and at long-term Key Stage 2 post-test in 2008. Two intervention methods were employed: a Y1 set of interactive activities designed around Piagetian concrete operational schemata, and mathematics lessons in both Y1 and Y2 designed from a theory-base derived from both Piaget and Vygotsky. At post-test in 2004, the mean effect sizes for cognitive development of the children - assessed by the Piagetian test Spatial Relations - were 0.71 SD in one LEA and 0.60 SD in the other. Five classes achieved a median increase of 1.3 SD. The mean gains over pre-test in 2002 for all children in Key Stage 1 English in 2004 were 0.51 SD, and at Key Stage 2 English in 2008 - the long-term effect - were 0.36 SD, an improvement of 14 percentile points. The main hypothesis was supported by the data on cognitive development. The corollary hypothesis is supported by the gains in English. The implications of this study are that relative intelligence can be increased and is not fixed, and that children can be led into collaborating with each other to the benefit of their own thinking, and that there does exist a theory-based methodology for the improvement of teaching.

Explicit argumentation instruction to facilitate conceptual understanding and argumentation skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seda Cetin, Pinar

2014-01-01

Background: Argumentation is accepted by many science educators as a major component of science education. Many studies have investigated students' conceptual understanding and their engagement in argumentative activities. However, studies conducted in the subject of chemistry are very rare. Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of argumentation-based chemistry lessons on pre-service science teachers' understanding of reaction rate concepts, their quality of argumentation, and their consideration of specific reaction rate concepts in constructing an argument. Moreover, students' perceptions of argumentation lessons were explored. Sample: There were 116 participants (21 male and 95 female), who were pre-service first-grade science teachers from a public university. The participants were recruited from the two intact classes of a General Chemistry II course, both of which were taught by the same instructor. Design and methods: In the present study, non-equivalent control group design was used as a part of quasi-experimental design. The experimental group was taught using explicit argumentation activities, and the control group was instructed using traditional instruction. The data were collected using a reaction rate concept test, a pre-service teachers' survey, and the participants' perceptions of the argumentation lessons questionnaire. For the data analysis, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, the Mann-Whitney U-test and qualitative techniques were used. Results: The results of the study indicated that an argumentation-based intervention caused significantly better acquisition of scientific reaction rate-related concepts and positively impacted the structure and complexity of pre-service teachers' argumentation. Moreover, the majority of the participants reported positive feelings toward argumentation activities. Conclusions: As students are encouraged to state and support their view in the chemistry classroom when studying reaction rate, it was observed that their understanding increased in terms of both the context and the quality of the argumentation that they produced. In light of the findings, it is suggested that argumentation activities should be developed to promote students' science content knowledge and argumentation skills.

Social Cognitive Predictors of Pre-Service Teachers' Technology Integration Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkmen, Serkan; Pamuk, Sonmez

2011-01-01

The main objective of the study was to examine interrelationships among social cognitive variables (self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and performance goals) and their role in predicting pre-service teachers' technology integration performance. Although researchers have examined the role of these variables in the teacher-education context, the…

What Guides PreK Programs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graue, Elizabeth; Ryan, Sharon; Wilinski, Bethany; Northey, Kaitlin; Nocera, Amato

2018-01-01

Background/Context: Early childhood education joined the standards movement in 2002 with the Good Start, Grow Smart initiative (Brown, 2007), with advocates arguing that standards were a tool for creating more continuity and coherence in PreK systems (Bowman, 2006; Kagan 2012). Critics posed concerns about a perceived poor fit between…

Transition Mathematics. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2007

2007-01-01

"Transition Mathematics" aims to increase 7th- through 12th-grade students' skills in applied arithmetic, pre-algebra, and pre-geometry. This one-year curriculum also addresses general application to different wordings of problems, types of numbers, and contexts for problems and aims to promote mathematical reading skills. The curriculum…

Internship: Interpreting Micropolitical Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrich, Lisa C.; Millwater, Jan

2011-01-01

Many university faculties of education across Australia employ a model of internship for final semester pre-service teacher education students to help them make a smooth transition into the teaching profession. While a growing body of research has explored pre-service teachers' experiences of their practicum, including the internship, which is the…

MAppERS experience: natural processes and preparedness in the societal context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frigerio, Simone; Schenato, Luca; Bossi, Giulia; Mantovani, Matteo; Marcato, Gianluca; Pasuto, Alessandro

2016-04-01

Within natural processes responsibilities from central authorities to local levels as first actors of civil protection is a changing pattern. Prevention and preparedness in natural hazards are long-term goals based on capacities of professional volunteers, and improving the awareness of the citizens as local inhabitants. Local people have impacts on their lives but training and involvement towards specific techniques change their role within risk communication and emergency preparedness. A collaborative user environment is useful for emergency response and support in the wake of disasters, feeding updated information on the ground directly to on-site responders. MAppERS (Mobile Application for Emergency Response and Support) is a funded project (2013-2015 Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, ECHO A5) based on human role as "crowd-sourced mappers" through smart phone application able to share GPS-localised and detailed parameters. The feedback from testing and the training courses aim to raising public awareness and participation in a networked disaster response. The project implies design and test of smart phone linked with a real-time dashboard platform for rescue services citizens and volunteers of civil protection. Two pilot sites, including trainings on modules functioning control usability and quality of the product. The synchronized platform offers the activity of cloud data collection with a central data dashboard. Information is collected in a context of floods processes, with crowdsourcing action from local population, for proper awareness with own personal flood plan and long-term preparedness. A second context tested pre-emergency actions on field with rescue team, collecting state-of-art and condition of hazards.

Genetic and environmental influences on early literacy skills across school grade contexts.

PubMed

Haughbrook, Rasheda; Hart, Sara A; Schatschneider, Christopher; Taylor, Jeanette

2017-09-01

Recent research suggests that the etiology of reading achievement can differ across environmental contexts. In the US, schools are commonly assigned grades (e.g. 'A', 'B') often interpreted to indicate school quality. This study explored differences in the etiology of early literacy skills for students based on these school grades. Participants included twins drawn from the Florida Twin Project on Reading (n = 1313 pairs) aged 4 to 10 years during the 2006-07 school year. Early literacy skills were assessed with DIBELS subtests: Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), Initial Sound Fluency (ISF), Letter Naming Fluency (LNF), and Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF). School grade data were retrieved from the Florida Department of Education. Multi-group analyses were conducted separately for subsamples defined by 'A' or 'non-A' schools, controlling for school-level socioeconomic status. Results indicated significant etiological differences on pre-reading skills (ISF, LNF, and PSF), but not word-level reading skills (ORF and NWF). There was a consistent trend of greater environmental influences on pre-reading skills in non-A schools, arguably representing 'poorer' environmental contexts than the A schools. Importantly, this is the case outside of resources linked with school-level SES, indicating that something about the direct environment on pre-reading skills in the non-A school context is more variable than for A schools. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

49 CFR 382.301 - Pre-employment testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... ALCOHOL USE AND TESTING Tests Required § 382.301 Pre-employment testing. (a) Prior to the first time a... 40 of this title, the employer shall conduct a pre-employment controlled substances test. (d) An...: (1) It must conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first performance of safety-sensitive...

Ontogenetic and life history trait changes associated with convergent ecological specializations in extinct ungulate mammals

PubMed Central

Gomes Rodrigues, Helder; Billet, Guillaume

2017-01-01

Investigating life history traits in mammals is crucial to understand their survival in changing environments. However, these parameters are hard to estimate in a macroevolutionary context. Here we show that the use of dental ontogenetic parameters can provide clues to better understand the adaptive nature of phenotypic traits in extinct species such as South American notoungulates. This recently extinct order of mammals evolved in a context of important geological, climatic, and environmental variations. Interestingly, notoungulates were mostly herbivorous and acquired high-crowned teeth very early in their evolutionary history. We focused on the variations in crown height, dental eruption pattern, and associated body mass of 69 notoungulate taxa, placed in their phylogenetic and geological contexts. We showed that notoungulates evolved higher crowns several times between 45 and 20 Ma, independently of the variation in body mass. Interestingly, the independent acquisitions of ever-growing teeth were systematically accompanied by eruption of molars faster than permanent premolars. These repeated associations of dental innovations have never been documented for other mammals and raise questions on their significance and causal relationships. We suggest that these correlated changes could originate from ontogenetic adjustments favored by structural constraints, and may indicate accelerated life histories. Complementarily, these more durable and efficient dentitions could be selected to cope with important ingestions of abrasive particles in the context of intensified volcanism and increasing aridity. This study demonstrates that assessing both life history and ecological traits allows a better knowledge of the specializations of extinct mammals that evolved under strong environmental constraints. PMID:28096389

Topics of Astronomy in Physics Teaching: the study of the oceanic tides addressed to the significant learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dos Santos Neta, Maria Luiza

2017-02-01

In the Medium Teaching when topics of Astronomy are supplied happen in Physics discipline with the use of methodologies that don't contribute to the development of the learning significant, however to turn them effective it is fundamental, for the apprehension of habitual events. By this context intends to analyze and to understand the current contributions of the use of a proposal of Teaching of Physics promoted the significant learning again, when topics of Astronomy be worked with the students of the Medium Teaching of a public school of the State Net of Teaching located in the city of Sirinhaém, in the south coast of Pernambuco. This research presented characteristic qualitative, as well as quantitative contemplating methodological procedures, such as: the application of a Pre-Test, the didactic intervention/sequences stages of the Cycle of Experience and Post-Test, following by situation-problem. As central theme one worked contents regarding the Astronomy, with prominence for the oceanic tides, being the significant learning stimulated to each stage: exhibition of videos, slides groups, discussions and activities written. The results obtained in the Pre-Test demonstrated that, the conditions of the previous knowledge presented by the students, in relation to the theme to be worked - oceanic tides - if they found inadequate to begin the study on the phenomenon. However, after the application of the didactic intervention/ sequences stages and comparing the result of the Post-Test in function of the Pre-Test was verified that, the previous knowledge are in appropriate conditions for the understanding of the event, as well as, for they be used in situation-problem that demands her understanding They suggests her that, the application of the Cycle of Experience as didactic sequence frequently happens, because it is verified that her use potentiates the construction of the significant learning.

Examining student performance in an introductory Physics for engineering course: A quantitative case study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valente, Diego; Savkar, Amit; Mokaya, Fridah; Wells, James

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has been analyzed and studied in various ways with regards to students' understanding of basic physics concepts. We present normalized learning gains and effect size calculations of FCI scores, taken in the context of large-scale classes in a 4-year public university and course instruction that incorporates elements of Just-In-Time teaching and active learning components. In addition, we will present here a novel way of using FCI pre- and post-test as a predictor of students' performance on midterm and final exams. Utilizing a taxonomy table of physics concepts, we will look at student performance broken down by topic, while also examining possible correlations between FCI post-test scores and other course assessments. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), UConn.

Trends in Trace Element Fractionation Between Foraminiferal Species and the Role of Biomineralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichart, G. J.; Nooijer, L. D.; Geerken, E.; Mezger, E.; van Dijk, I. V.; Daemmer, L. K.

2017-12-01

Reconstructions of past climate and environments are largely based on stable isotopes and trace element concentrations measured on fossil foraminiferal calcite. Their element and isotope composition roughly reflects seawater composition and physical conditions, which in turn, are related to paleoceanographic parameters. More recently, attempts are being made to infer ranges in environmental parameters using the observed differences in the composition within individual tests. Remarkably, inter-species differences in trace element incorporation are well-correlated over a wide range of environmental conditions. This is particularly remarkable knowing that different environmental factors influence incorporation of these elements at various magnitudes. Most likely the complex biomineralization of foraminifera potentially offsets trace elements similarly at all these scales and also between different species. This suggests that at least parts of the mechanisms underlying foraminiferal biomineralization are similar for all species, which in turn provides important clues on the cellular mechanisms operating during calcification. Moreover, the systematics in trace element partitioning between species could potentially provide important clues for unravelling past changes in trace element composition of the ancient ocean.

HIV, Other Blood-Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections amongst Expatriates and Travellers to Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Crawford, Gemma; Lobo, Roanna; Brown, Graham; Macri, Chloe; Smith, Hannah; Maycock, Bruce

2016-01-01

In some high-income countries, a proportion of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other blood-borne virus (BBV) or sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnoses have been reported as acquired overseas in low- and middle-income countries. A review was conducted to explore HIV, other BBV or STI related knowledge, risk behavior and acquisition amongst expatriates and travelers, particularly males, travelling from high to low- and middle-income countries. Seven academic databases were searched for 26 peer reviewed articles that met inclusion criteria. Significant variability in the studies was noted, in age, travel duration and frequency and outcomes/risk factors measured and reported on. Risk factors described included longer duration of stay; being single; travel for romance or sex; alcohol and other drug use; lack of travel advice; being male; higher number of sexual partners; and inconsistent condom use. Vaccination, pre-travel health advice, and having fewer sexual partners were described as protective. Studies are needed focusing on the social context in which risk-taking occurs. Better collaboration is essential to deliver comprehensive health promotion interventions alongside more consistent pre- and post- travel testing and advice. Policy measures are crucial, including consistent evaluation indicators to assess impacts of HIV, other BBVs or STIs in the context of mobility. Risks and responses for these epidemics are shared globally. PMID:27999275

Leaching of indium from obsolete liquid crystal displays: Comparing grinding with electrical disintegration in context of LCA

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

Dodbiba, Gjergj, E-mail: dodbiba@sys.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Nagai, Hiroki; Wang Lipang

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Two pre-treatment methods, prior to leaching of indium from obsolete LCD modules, were described. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Conventional grinding and electrical disintegration have been evaluated and compared in the context of LCA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Experimental data on the leaching capacity for indium and the electricity consumption of equipment were inputted into the LCA model in order to compare the environmental performance of each method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer An estimate for the environmental performance was calculated as the sum of six impact categories. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electrical disintegration method outperforms conventional grinding in all impact categories. - Abstract: In order to develop an effective recycling systemmore » for obsolete Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), which would enable both the leaching of indium (In) and the recovery of a pure glass fraction for recycling, an effective liberation or size-reduction method would be an important pre-treatment step. Therefore, in this study, two different types of liberation methods: (1) conventional grinding, and (2) electrical disintegration have been tested and evaluated in the context of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In other words, the above-mentioned methods were compared in order to find out the one that ensures the highest leaching capacity for indium, as well as the lowest environmental burden. One of the main findings of this study was that the electrical disintegration was the most effective liberation method, since it fully liberated the indium containing-layer, ensuring a leaching capacity of 968.5 mg-In/kg-LCD. In turn, the estimate for the environmental burden was approximately five times smaller when compared with the conventional grinding.« less

Feature-Specific Event-Related Potential Effects to Action- and Sound-Related Verbs during Visual Word Recognition

PubMed Central

Popp, Margot; Trumpp, Natalie M.; Kiefer, Markus

2016-01-01

Grounded cognition theories suggest that conceptual representations essentially depend on modality-specific sensory and motor systems. Feature-specific brain activation across different feature types such as action or audition has been intensively investigated in nouns, while feature-specific conceptual category differences in verbs mainly focused on body part specific effects. The present work aimed at assessing whether feature-specific event-related potential (ERP) differences between action and sound concepts, as previously observed in nouns, can also be found within the word class of verbs. In Experiment 1, participants were visually presented with carefully matched sound and action verbs within a lexical decision task, which provides implicit access to word meaning and minimizes strategic access to semantic word features. Experiment 2 tested whether pre-activating the verb concept in a context phase, in which the verb is presented with a related context noun, modulates subsequent feature-specific action vs. sound verb processing within the lexical decision task. In Experiment 1, ERP analyses revealed a differential ERP polarity pattern for action and sound verbs at parietal and central electrodes similar to previous results in nouns. Pre-activation of the meaning of verbs in the preceding context phase in Experiment 2 resulted in a polarity-reversal of feature-specific ERP effects in the lexical decision task compared with Experiment 1. This parallels analogous earlier findings for primed action and sound related nouns. In line with grounded cognitions theories, our ERP study provides evidence for a differential processing of action and sound verbs similar to earlier observation for concrete nouns. Although the localizational value of ERPs must be viewed with caution, our results indicate that the meaning of verbs is linked to different neural circuits depending on conceptual feature relevance. PMID:28018201

Feature-Specific Event-Related Potential Effects to Action- and Sound-Related Verbs during Visual Word Recognition.

PubMed

Popp, Margot; Trumpp, Natalie M; Kiefer, Markus

2016-01-01

Grounded cognition theories suggest that conceptual representations essentially depend on modality-specific sensory and motor systems. Feature-specific brain activation across different feature types such as action or audition has been intensively investigated in nouns, while feature-specific conceptual category differences in verbs mainly focused on body part specific effects. The present work aimed at assessing whether feature-specific event-related potential (ERP) differences between action and sound concepts, as previously observed in nouns, can also be found within the word class of verbs. In Experiment 1, participants were visually presented with carefully matched sound and action verbs within a lexical decision task, which provides implicit access to word meaning and minimizes strategic access to semantic word features. Experiment 2 tested whether pre-activating the verb concept in a context phase, in which the verb is presented with a related context noun, modulates subsequent feature-specific action vs. sound verb processing within the lexical decision task. In Experiment 1, ERP analyses revealed a differential ERP polarity pattern for action and sound verbs at parietal and central electrodes similar to previous results in nouns. Pre-activation of the meaning of verbs in the preceding context phase in Experiment 2 resulted in a polarity-reversal of feature-specific ERP effects in the lexical decision task compared with Experiment 1. This parallels analogous earlier findings for primed action and sound related nouns. In line with grounded cognitions theories, our ERP study provides evidence for a differential processing of action and sound verbs similar to earlier observation for concrete nouns. Although the localizational value of ERPs must be viewed with caution, our results indicate that the meaning of verbs is linked to different neural circuits depending on conceptual feature relevance.

Local atomic and electronic structures in ferromagnetic topological insulator Cr-doped (BixSb1-x) 2Te3 studied by XAFS and ab initio calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhen; Wei, Xinyuan; Wang, Jiajia; Pan, Hong; Ji, Fuhao; Ye, Mao; Yang, Zhongqin; Qiao, Shan

2015-09-01

The local atomic and electronic structures around the dopants in Cr-doped (BixSb1 -x )2Te3 are studied by x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements and first-principles calculations. Both Cr and Bi are confirmed substituting Sb sites (CrSb and BiSb). The six nearest Te atoms around Cr move towards Cr and shorten the Cr-Te bond lengths to 2.76 Å and 2.77 Å for x =0.1 and x =0.2 , respectively. Importantly, we reveal the hybridization between the Sb/Te p states and Cr d states by the presence of a pre-edge peak at Cr K -absorption edge, which is also supported by our ab initio calculations. These findings provide important clues to understand the mechanism of ferromagnetic order in this system with quantum anomalous Hall effect.

Approaches to New Endcaps for Improved Oxidation Resistance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meador, Mary Ann B.; Frimer, Aryeh A.

1999-01-01

Norbornenyl-end capped PMR polyimide resins are widely used as polymer matrix composite materials for aircraft engine applications, since they combine ease of processing with good oxidative stability up to 300 C. PMR resins are prepared by a two-step approach involving the initial formation of oligomeric pre-polymers capped at both ends by a latent reactive end cap. The end cap undergoes cross-linking during higher temperature processing, producing the desired low density, high specific strength materials, for PMR- 15. The end cap facilitates processing by controlling the molecular weight of the oligomer and allowing flow before it cross-links. However, after cross-linking, this very end cap accounts for much of the weight loss in the polymer on aging in air at elevated temperatures. Understanding this degradation provides clues for designing new end caps to slow down degradation, and prolong the lifetime of the material.

Structural evolution of the Ural-Tian Shan junction: A view from Karatau ridge, South Kazakhstan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeiev, Dmitriy V.; Cook, Harry E.; Buvtyshkin, Vasiliy M.; Golub, Lyudmila Y.

2009-02-01

The deformation history of the Late Palaeozoic Ural-Tian Shan junction is discussed for the example of the Karatau ridge in southern Kazakhstan. Three deformation events are recognized. The Late Carboniferous D1 event is characterized by Laramide-style thrust-and-fold structures on the southern margin of Kazakhstan with shortening in a NE-SW direction. The Latest Permian and Triassic D2 event is controlled by compression in an east-west direction, which reflects collisional deformation in the Urals. The main structures are submeridional folds and north-west-striking sinistral strike-slip faults. The Triassic D3 event with shortening in a north-south direction reflects collision of the Turan microcontinent against the southern margin of Kazakhstan. The main structures are north-west-striking dextral strike-slip faults. Our new data provides important clues for the reconstruction of pre-Cretaceous structures between the Urals and the Tian Shan.

Evaluation of vaginal pH for detection of bacterial vaginosis

PubMed Central

Hemalatha, R.; Ramalaxmi, Baru Anantha; Swetha, Eluru; Balakrishna, N.; Mastromarino, Paola

2013-01-01

Background & objectives: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is highly prevalent among women in reproductive age group. Little information exists on routine vaginal pH measurement in women with BV. We undertook this study to assess the utility of vaginal pH determination for initial evaluation of bacterial vaginosis. Methods: In this cross-sectional study vaginal swabs were collected from women with complaints of white discharge, back ache and pain abdomen attending a government hospital and a community health clinic, and subjected to vaginal pH determination, Gram stain, wet mount and whiff test. Nugent score and Amsel criteria were used for BV confirmation. Results: Of the 270 women included in the analysis, 154 had BV based on Nugents’ score. The mean vaginal pH in women with BV measured by pH strips and pH glove was 5 and 4.9, respectively. The vaginal pH was significantly higher in women with BV. Vaginal discharge was prevalent in 84.8 per cent women, however, only 56.8 per cent of these actually had BV by Nugent score (NS). Presence of clue cells and positive whiff test were significant for BV. Vaginal pH >4.5 by pH strips and pH Glove had a sensitivity of 72 and 79 per cent and specificity of 60 and 53 per cent, respectively to detect BV. Among the combination criteria, clue cells and glove pH >4.5 had highest sensitivity and specificity to detect BV. Interpretation & conclusions: Vaginal pH determination is relatively sensitive, but less specific in detecting women with BV. Inclusion of whiff test along with pH test reduced the sensitivity, but improved specificity. Both, the pH strip and pH glove are equally suitable for screening women with BV on outpatient basis. PMID:24135180

Mathematical Abstraction: Constructing Concept of Parallel Coordinates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurhasanah, F.; Kusumah, Y. S.; Sabandar, J.; Suryadi, D.

2017-09-01

Mathematical abstraction is an important process in teaching and learning mathematics so pre-service mathematics teachers need to understand and experience this process. One of the theoretical-methodological frameworks for studying this process is Abstraction in Context (AiC). Based on this framework, abstraction process comprises of observable epistemic actions, Recognition, Building-With, Construction, and Consolidation called as RBC + C model. This study investigates and analyzes how pre-service mathematics teachers constructed and consolidated concept of Parallel Coordinates in a group discussion. It uses AiC framework for analyzing mathematical abstraction of a group of pre-service teachers consisted of four students in learning Parallel Coordinates concepts. The data were collected through video recording, students’ worksheet, test, and field notes. The result shows that the students’ prior knowledge related to concept of the Cartesian coordinate has significant role in the process of constructing Parallel Coordinates concept as a new knowledge. The consolidation process is influenced by the social interaction between group members. The abstraction process taken place in this group were dominated by empirical abstraction that emphasizes on the aspect of identifying characteristic of manipulated or imagined object during the process of recognizing and building-with.

Rebelling for a Reason: Protein Structural “Outliers”

PubMed Central

Arumugam, Gandhimathi; Nair, Anu G.; Hariharaputran, Sridhar; Ramanathan, Sowdhamini

2013-01-01

Analysis of structural variation in domain superfamilies can reveal constraints in protein evolution which aids protein structure prediction and classification. Structure-based sequence alignment of distantly related proteins, organized in PASS2 database, provides clues about structurally conserved regions among different functional families. Some superfamily members show large structural differences which are functionally relevant. This paper analyses the impact of structural divergence on function for multi-member superfamilies, selected from the PASS2 superfamily alignment database. Functional annotations within superfamilies, with structural outliers or ‘rebels’, are discussed in the context of structural variations. Overall, these data reinforce the idea that functional similarities cannot be extrapolated from mere structural conservation. The implication for fold-function prediction is that the functional annotations can only be inherited with very careful consideration, especially at low sequence identities. PMID:24073209

Mind wandering and education: from the classroom to online learning

PubMed Central

Szpunar, Karl K.; Moulton, Samuel T.; Schacter, Daniel L.

2013-01-01

In recent years, cognitive and educational psychologists have become interested in applying principles of cognitive psychology to education. Here, we discuss the importance of understanding the nature and occurrence of mind wandering in the context of classroom and online lectures. In reviewing the relevant literature, we begin by considering early studies that provide important clues about student attentiveness via dependent measures such as physical markers of inattention, note taking, and retention. We then provide a broad overview of studies that have directly measured mind wandering in the classroom and online learning environments. Finally, we conclude by discussing interventions that might be effective at curbing the occurrence of mind wandering in educational settings, and consider various avenues of future research that we believe can shed light on this well-known but little studied phenomenon. PMID:23914183

Object-based attention modulates the discrimination of level increments in stop-consonant noise bursts

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

This study tested the hypothesis that object-based attention modulates the discrimination of level increments in stop-consonant noise bursts. With consonant-vowel-consonant (CvC) words consisting of an ≈80-dB vowel (v), a pre-vocalic (Cv) and a post-vocalic (vC) stop-consonant noise burst (≈60-dB SPL), we measured discrimination thresholds (LDTs) for level increments (ΔL) in the noise bursts presented either in CvC context or in isolation. In the 2-interval 2-alternative forced-choice task, each observation interval presented a CvC word (e.g., /pæk/ /pæk/), and normal-hearing participants had to discern ΔL in the Cv or vC burst. Based on the linguistic word labels, the auditory events of each trial were perceived as two auditory objects (Cv-v-vC and Cv-v-vC) that group together the bursts and vowels, hindering selective attention to ΔL. To discern ΔL in Cv or vC, the events must be reorganized into three auditory objects: the to-be-attended pre-vocalic (Cv–Cv) or post-vocalic burst pair (vC–vC), and the to-be-ignored vowel pair (v–v). Our results suggest that instead of being automatic this reorganization requires training, in spite of using familiar CvC words. Relative to bursts in isolation, bursts in context always produced inferior ΔL discrimination accuracy (a context effect), which depended strongly on the acoustic separation between the bursts and the vowel, being much keener for the object apart from (post-vocalic) than for the object adjoining (pre-vocalic) the vowel (a temporal-position effect). Variability in CvC dimensions that did not alter the noise-burst perceptual grouping had minor effects on discrimination accuracy. In addition to being robust and persistent, these effects are relatively general, evincing in forced-choice tasks with one or two observation intervals, with or without variability in the temporal position of ΔL, and with either fixed or roving CvC standards. The results lend support to the hypothesis. PMID:29364931

Contextual Clues Vocabulary Strategies Choice among Business Management Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Siti Nurshafezan; Muhammad, Ahmad Mazli; Kasim, Aini Mohd

2018-01-01

New trends in vocabulary learning focus on strategic vocabulary learning to create more active and independent language learners. Utilising suitable contextual clues strategies is seen as vital in enabling and equipping language learners with the skill to guess word meaning accurately, moving away from dependency on a dictionary to improve their…

New Literacies and Multimediacy: The Immersive Universe of "The 39 Clues"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sekeres, Diane Carver; Watson, Christopher

2011-01-01

"The 39 Clues" (2009) is a multimedia series produced by Scholastic for readers 7-14 years old that includes printed texts released periodically; trading cards also published periodically in print and virtually; and a complex, intriguing, and entertaining website. To fully experience the multimedia series, the publishers expect that readers can…

Got the World on a Screen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adam, Anna; Mowers, Helen

2007-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss how Google Earth provides more than a geography lesson. For starters, Google Earth is perfect for teaching geography. Subscribe to Where in the World, for example, and have their students listen to podcast clues in a find-the-location game created by students worldwide. Clues relate to math (the population of…

Lexical Stress and Reading: A Study with Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palma, Nicolas Gutierrez; Reyes, Alfonso Palma

2004-01-01

Introduction: Stress in Spanish is associated with an orthographic mark that indicates stress, but there are also other clues that point to it. Most words have the same stress (on the penultimate syllable), and closed syllables (syllables ending in a consonant) attract the stress. In this paper we study these clues, and consequently the function…

Listening for Avoidance: Narrative Form and Defensiveness in Adolescent Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Kristin L.; Bein, Edward; Huemer, Julia; Ryst, Erika; Steiner, Hans

2009-01-01

We describe a linguistic clue to speakers' states of mind that has utility for psychotherapists and counselors, and summarize the theoretical and empirical support for using this clue in clinical practice. Specifically, we posit that the degree to which people relate stressful episodes from their lives as a chronological sequence of events is…

READING SUPPLEMENT TO CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR TEXAS MIGRATORY CHILDREN.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin.

CURRICULAR GUIDES TO THE TEACHING OF READING TO MIGRANT CHILDREN IN GRADES 1 THROUGH 6 ARE PRESENTED. OBJECTIVES ARE TO TEACH SUCH ESSENTIAL SKILLS IN WORD RECOGNITION AS CONTEXTUAL CLUES, WORD FORM CLUES, PHONETIC ANALYSIS, AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS. THE TEACHING OF SUCH COGNITIVE SKILLS AS APPREHENDING THE MAIN IDEA, FINDING SUPPORTING DETAILS,…

Interaction and Uptake in Large Foreign Language Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekembe, Eric Enongene

2014-01-01

Inteaction determines and affects the conditions of language acquisition especially in contexts where exposure to the target language is limited. This is believed to be successful only within the context of small classes (Chavez, 2009). This paper examines learners' progress resulting from interaction in large classes. Using pre-, post-, and…

Heterophoria and fixation disparity: a review.

PubMed

Kommerell, G; Gerling, J; Ball, M; de Paz, H; Bach, M

2000-06-01

Heterophoria does not provide a reliable clue for ordering prisms in an asthenopic patient. The same reservation applies to associated phoria, as determined by prism correction of fixation disparity. Subjective tests for fixation disparity, even those with a fusionable fixation target, do not correctly indicate the vergence position of the eyes under natural viewing conditions. Attempts to measure fixation disparity on the basis of stereo disparity, using the "Measuring and Correction Methods of H.-J. Haase", have failed.

Evaluation of 25-Percent ATJ Fuel Blends in the John Deere 4045HF 280 Engine

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-01

25% ATJ Blend ........ 26 Figure 16 . THC Emissions, Pre-Test, Ambient Temperature ...................................................... 28 Figure...17 . THC Emissions, Pre-Test, Desert Temperature ......................................................... 28 Figure 18 . NOx Emissions, Pre-Test...Emissions, Pre-Test, Desert Temperature (Scaled) ............................................. 32 Figure 23 . THC Emissions, Post-Test, Ambient

49 CFR 238.111 - Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the times and places of the pre-revenue service tests to permit FRA observation of such tests. For... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. 238... and General Requirements § 238.111 Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. (a) Passenger...

49 CFR 238.111 - Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the times and places of the pre-revenue service tests to permit FRA observation of such tests. For... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. 238... and General Requirements § 238.111 Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. (a) Passenger...

49 CFR 238.111 - Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... the times and places of the pre-revenue service tests to permit FRA observation of such tests. For... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. 238... and General Requirements § 238.111 Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. (a) Passenger...

49 CFR 238.111 - Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... the times and places of the pre-revenue service tests to permit FRA observation of such tests. For... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. 238... and General Requirements § 238.111 Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. (a) Passenger...

49 CFR 238.111 - Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... the times and places of the pre-revenue service tests to permit FRA observation of such tests. For... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. 238... and General Requirements § 238.111 Pre-revenue service acceptance testing plan. (a) Passenger...

Control of stem cell fate by engineering their micro and nanoenvironment

PubMed Central

Griffin, Michelle F; Butler, Peter E; Seifalian, Alexander M; Kalaskar, Deepak M

2015-01-01

Stem cells are capable of long-term self-renewal and differentiation into specialised cell types, making them an ideal candidate for a cell source for regenerative medicine. The control of stem cell fate has become a major area of interest in the field of regenerative medicine and therapeutic intervention. Conventional methods of chemically inducing stem cells into specific lineages is being challenged by the advances in biomaterial technology, with evidence highlighting that material properties are capable of driving stem cell fate. Materials are being designed to mimic the clues stem cells receive in their in vivo stem cell niche including topographical and chemical instructions. Nanotopographical clues that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) in vivo have shown to regulate stem cell differentiation. The delivery of ECM components on biomaterials in the form of short peptides sequences has also proved successful in directing stem cell lineage. Growth factors responsible for controlling stem cell fate in vivo have also been delivered via biomaterials to provide clues to determine stem cell differentiation. An alternative approach to guide stem cells fate is to provide genetic clues including delivering DNA plasmids and small interfering RNAs via scaffolds. This review, aims to provide an overview of the topographical, chemical and molecular clues that biomaterials can provide to guide stem cell fate. The promising features and challenges of such approaches will be highlighted, to provide directions for future advancements in this exciting area of stem cell translation for regenerative medicine. PMID:25621104

Feasibility of spirography features for objective assessment of motor function in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Sadikov, Aleksander; Groznik, Vida; Možina, Martin; Žabkar, Jure; Nyholm, Dag; Memedi, Mevludin; Bratko, Ivan; Georgiev, Dejan

2017-09-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is currently incurable, however proper treatment can ease the symptoms and significantly improve the quality of life of patients. Since PD is a chronic disease, its efficient monitoring and management is very important. The objective of this paper was to investigate the feasibility of using the features and methodology of a spirography application, originally designed to detect early Parkinson's disease (PD) motoric symptoms, for automatically assessing motor symptoms of advanced PD patients experiencing motor fluctuations. More specifically, the aim was to objectively assess motor symptoms related to bradykinesias (slowness of movements occurring as a result of under-medication) and dyskinesias (involuntary movements occurring as a result of over-medication). This work combined spirography data and clinical assessments from a longitudinal clinical study in Sweden with the features and pre-processing methodology of a Slovenian spirography application. The study involved 65 advanced PD patients and over 30,000 spiral-drawing measurements over the course of three years. Machine learning methods were used to learn to predict the "cause" (bradykinesia or dyskinesia) of upper limb motor dysfunctions as assessed by a clinician who observed animated spirals in a web interface. The classification model was also tested for comprehensibility. For this purpose a visualisation technique was used to present visual clues to clinicians as to which parts of the spiral drawing (or its animation) are important for the given classification. Using the machine learning methods with feature descriptions and pre-processing from the Slovenian application resulted in 86% classification accuracy and over 0.90 AUC. The clinicians also rated the computer's visual explanations of its classifications as at least meaningful if not necessarily helpful in over 90% of the cases. The relatively high classification accuracy and AUC demonstrates the usefulness of this approach for objective monitoring of PD patients. The positive evaluation of computer's explanations suggests the potential use of this methodology in a decision support setting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 26.65 - Pre-access drug and alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... rely on the results of those drug and alcohol tests to meet the requirements for pre-access testing in... authorization until the drug test results are received. (2) The licensee or other entity need not conduct pre... tests; or (iii) If the individual is selected for pre-access testing under this paragraph, the licensee...

10 CFR 26.65 - Pre-access drug and alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... rely on the results of those drug and alcohol tests to meet the requirements for pre-access testing in... authorization until the drug test results are received. (2) The licensee or other entity need not conduct pre... tests; or (iii) If the individual is selected for pre-access testing under this paragraph, the licensee...

10 CFR 26.65 - Pre-access drug and alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... rely on the results of those drug and alcohol tests to meet the requirements for pre-access testing in... authorization until the drug test results are received. (2) The licensee or other entity need not conduct pre... tests; or (iii) If the individual is selected for pre-access testing under this paragraph, the licensee...

10 CFR 26.65 - Pre-access drug and alcohol testing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... rely on the results of those drug and alcohol tests to meet the requirements for pre-access testing in... authorization until the drug test results are received. (2) The licensee or other entity need not conduct pre... tests; or (iii) If the individual is selected for pre-access testing under this paragraph, the licensee...

Application of genetic algorithm to land use optimization for non-point source pollution control based on CLUE-S and SWAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingrui; Liu, Ruimin; Men, Cong; Guo, Lijia

2018-05-01

The genetic algorithm (GA) was combined with the Conversion of Land Use and its Effect at Small regional extent (CLUE-S) model to obtain an optimized land use pattern for controlling non-point source (NPS) pollution. The performance of the combination was evaluated. The effect of the optimized land use pattern on the NPS pollution control was estimated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model and an assistant map was drawn to support the land use plan for the future. The Xiangxi River watershed was selected as the study area. Two scenarios were used to simulate the land use change. Under the historical trend scenario (Markov chain prediction), the forest area decreased by 2035.06 ha, and was mainly converted into paddy and dryland area. In contrast, under the optimized scenario (genetic algorithm (GA) prediction), up to 3370 ha of dryland area was converted into forest area. Spatially, the conversion of paddy and dryland into forest occurred mainly in the northwest and southeast of the watershed, where the slope land occupied a large proportion. The organic and inorganic phosphorus loads decreased by 3.6% and 3.7%, respectively, in the optimized scenario compared to those in the historical trend scenario. GA showed a better performance in optimized land use prediction. A comparison of the land use patterns in 2010 under the real situation and in 2020 under the optimized situation showed that Shennongjia and Shuiyuesi should convert 1201.76 ha and 1115.33 ha of dryland into forest areas, respectively, which represented the greatest changes in all regions in the watershed. The results of this study indicated that GA and the CLUE-S model can be used to optimize the land use patterns in the future and that SWAT can be used to evaluate the effect of land use optimization on non-point source pollution control. These methods may provide support for land use plan of an area.

Psychosocial factors associated with the uptake of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy among BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers with newly-diagnosed breast cancer

PubMed Central

Hamilton, Jada G.; Genoff, Margaux C.; Salerno, Melissa; Amoroso, Kimberly; Boyar, Sherry R.; Sheehan, Margaret; Fleischut, Megan Harlan; Siegel, Beth; Arnold, Angela G.; Salo-Mullen, Erin E.; Hay, Jennifer L.; Offit, Kenneth; Robson, Mark E.

2017-01-01

Purpose Women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer may consider contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) to reduce their future risk of cancer in their unaffected breast. Pre-surgical BRCA1/2 genetic testing can provide valuable risk information to guide this choice. However, little is understood about why BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers, who are generally not at substantially elevated risk of contralateral disease, select CPM. Methods We examined the uptake of CPM among breast cancer patients identified as BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers (n=92) as part of a larger prospective study of the impact of pre-surgical BRCA1/2 testing. Data obtained from self-report questionnaires and patient medical records were used to examine associations between theoretically-relevant background and psychosocial factors and BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers’ decisions to undergo CPM. Results Among BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers, 25% (n=23) elected to undergo CPM. Psychosocial factors including a self-reported physician recommendation for CPM, greater perceived contralateral breast cancer risk, and greater perceived benefits of CPM were all significantly associated with the uptake of CPM. Conclusions A sizeable minority of BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers choose to undergo CPM after learning their mutation status through pre-surgical genetic testing. BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers’ cognitive perceptions and social influences appear to be important in shaping their decisions regarding CPM. This work highlights the importance of several psychosocial factors in influencing patients’ surgical decisions. Future research is needed that examines the formation of BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers’ beliefs regarding their disease and available treatment options, and that characterizes the physician-patient communication that occurs in this complex decision-making context. PMID:28150129

Adaptation and Implementation of an Intervention to Reduce HIV-Related Stigma Among Healthcare Workers in the United States: Piloting of the FRESH Workshop.

PubMed

Batey, D Scott; Whitfield, Samantha; Mulla, Mazheruddin; Stringer, Kristi L; Durojaiye, Modupeoluwa; McCormick, Lisa; Turan, Bulent; Nyblade, Laura; Kempf, Mirjam-Colette; Turan, Janet M

2016-11-01

HIV-related stigma has been shown to have profound effects on people living with HIV (PLWH). When stigma is experienced in a healthcare setting, negative health outcomes are exacerbated. We sought to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a healthcare setting stigma-reduction intervention, the Finding Respect and Ending Stigma around HIV (FRESH) Workshop, in the United States. This intervention, adapted from a similar strategy implemented in Africa, brought together healthcare workers (HW) and PLWH to address HIV-related stigma. Two pilot workshops were conducted in Alabama and included 17 HW and 19 PLWH. Participants completed questionnaire measures pre- and post-workshop, including open-ended feedback items. Analytical methods included assessment of measures reliability, pre-post-test comparisons using paired t-tests, and qualitative content analysis. Overall satisfaction with the workshop experience was high, with 87% PLWH and 89% HW rating the workshop "excellent" and the majority agreeing that others like themselves would be interested in participating. Content analysis of open-ended items revealed that participants considered the workshop informative, interactive, well-organized, understandable, fun, and inclusive, while addressing real and prevalent issues. Most pre- and post-test measures had good-excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.70 to 0.96) and, although sample sizes were small, positive trends were observed, reaching statistical significance for increased awareness of stigma in the health facility among HW (p = 0.047) and decreased uncertainty about HIV treatment among PLWH (p = 0.017). The FRESH intervention appears to be feasible and highly acceptable to HW and PLWH participants and shows great promise as a healthcare setting stigma-reduction intervention for US contexts.

Psychosocial factors associated with the uptake of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy among BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

PubMed

Hamilton, Jada G; Genoff, Margaux C; Salerno, Melissa; Amoroso, Kimberly; Boyar, Sherry R; Sheehan, Margaret; Fleischut, Megan Harlan; Siegel, Beth; Arnold, Angela G; Salo-Mullen, Erin E; Hay, Jennifer L; Offit, Kenneth; Robson, Mark E

2017-04-01

Women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer may consider contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) to reduce their future risk of cancer in their unaffected breast. Pre-surgical BRCA1/2 genetic testing can provide valuable risk information to guide this choice. However, little is understood about why BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers, who are generally not at substantially elevated risk of contralateral disease, select CPM. We examined the uptake of CPM among breast cancer patients identified as BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers (n = 92) as part of a larger prospective study of the impact of pre-surgical BRCA1/2 testing. Data obtained from self-report questionnaires and patient medical records were used to examine associations between theoretically relevant background and psychosocial factors and BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers' decisions to undergo CPM. Among BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers, 25% (n = 23) elected to undergo CPM. Psychosocial factors including a self-reported physician recommendation for CPM, greater perceived contralateral breast cancer risk, and greater perceived benefits of CPM were all significantly associated with the uptake of CPM. A sizeable minority of BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers choose to undergo CPM after learning their mutation status through pre-surgical genetic testing. BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers' cognitive perceptions and social influences appear to be important in shaping their decisions regarding CPM. This work highlights the importance of several psychosocial factors in influencing patients' surgical decisions. Future research is needed that examines the formation of BRCA1/2 mutation noncarriers' beliefs regarding their disease and available treatment options, and that characterizes the physician-patient communication that occurs in this complex decision-making context.

Modification of spasticity by transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation in individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Hofstoetter, Ursula S.; McKay, William B.; Tansey, Keith E.; Mayr, Winfried; Kern, Helmut; Minassian, Karen

2014-01-01

Context/objective To examine the effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) on lower-limb spasticity. Design Interventional pilot study to produce preliminary data. Setting Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria. Participants Three subjects with chronic motor-incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) who could walk ≥10 m. Interventions Two interconnected stimulating skin electrodes (Ø 5 cm) were placed paraspinally at the T11/T12 vertebral levels, and two rectangular electrodes (8 × 13 cm) on the abdomen for the reference. Biphasic 2 ms-width pulses were delivered at 50 Hz for 30 minutes at intensities producing paraesthesias but no motor responses in the lower limbs. Outcome measures The Wartenberg pendulum test and neurological recordings of surface-electromyography (EMG) were used to assess effects on exaggerated reflex excitability. Non-functional co-activation during volitional movement was evaluated. The timed 10-m walk test provided measures of clinical function. Results The index of spasticity derived from the pendulum test changed from 0.8 ± 0.4 pre- to 0.9 ± 0.3 post-stimulation, with an improvement in the subject with the lowest pre-stimulation index. Exaggerated reflex responsiveness was decreased after tSCS across all subjects, with the most profound effect on passive lower-limb movement (pre- to post-tSCS EMG ratio: 0.2 ± 0.1), as was non-functional co-activation during voluntary movement. Gait speed values increased in two subjects by 39%. Conclusion These preliminary results suggest that tSCS, similar to epidurally delivered stimulation, may be used for spasticity control, without negatively impacting residual motor control in incomplete SCI. Further study in a larger population is warranted. PMID:24090290

Tensions in Defining Quality Pre-School Education: The Singapore Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim-Ratnam, Christina

2013-01-01

Over the past decade, the government in Singapore has been introducing many initiatives in the early childhood sector to raise the quality of pre-school education. Educational reforms made without consideration of the perspectives and concerns of the participants in the socio-cultural milieu would only lead to superficial implementation. This…

Teachers' Perceptions Related to Characteristics of a Professional Environment for Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Mehmet; White, Arthur L.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine pre-service and in-service science and mathematics teachers' perceptions of the characteristics of a professional teaching environment. The study further investigated the relationships of field placement contexts and grade levels on pre-service teachers' perceptions of importance and availability of…

Epistemological Development in Pre-Ministry Undergraduates: A Cross-Institutional Application of the Perry Scheme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trentham, John David

2012-01-01

The intent of this study was to explore the variance of epistemological development in pre-ministry undergraduates across different institutional contexts, using the Perry Scheme as a theoretical lens. Semi-structured interviews were employed in order to elicit information from participants that revealed their personal perspectives regarding their…

The Perceived Impact of Mindfulness Instruction on Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Rachel

2017-01-01

This study explored the self-reported effects of mindfuless instruction on pre-service elementary teachers in the context of a literacy education course. Twenty female undergraduates participated in a study that occurred over the course of a single semester in one university. Analysis of the results indicated that students were not significantly…

An Analysis of the Integration of Instructional Technology in Pre-Service Teacher Education in Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chitiyo, Rodwell; Harmon, Stephen W.

2009-01-01

In the context of continuous innovations in information and communication technology (ICT) and its impact on higher education, this study explored the integration of instructional technology (IT) by university lecturers in pre-service secondary school teacher education programs in Zimbabwe. Specifically, the study examined how lecturers integrate…

Conceptions and Expectations of Mentoring Relationships in a Teacher Education Reform Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aderibigbe, Semiyu; Colucci-Gray, Laura; Gray, Donald S.

2016-01-01

Researchers indicate that prior experience and beliefs about learning and teaching held by practicing and pre-service teachers contribute significantly in shaping their mentoring relationships and, more broadly, their career outlook and aspirations. While mentoring is commonly seen as a form of support for pre-service teachers, mentoring can be…

The Role of Personal Values in Social Entrepreneurship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akar, Hüseyin; Dogan, Yildiz Burcu

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine to what extent pre-service teachers' personal values predict their social entrepreneurship characteristics. In this context, statistical analysis was conducted on the data obtained from 393 pre-service teachers studying at the Faculty of Muallim Rifat Education at Kilis 7 Aralik University in 2016-2017…

Service-Learning within Higher Education: Rhizomatic Interconnections between University and the Real World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrington, Suzanne

2011-01-01

This paper discusses Service-learning within an Australian higher education context as pedagogy to teach about inclusive education. Using Deleuze and Guattari's (1987) model of the rhizome, this study conceptualises pre-service teachers' learning experiences as multiple, hydra and continuous. Data from reflection logs of pre-service teachers…

Constructing Arguments: Investigating Pre-Service Science Teachers' Argumentation Skills in a Socio-Scientific Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertshaw, Brooke; Campbell, Todd

2013-01-01

As western society becomes increasingly reliant on scientific information to make decisions, citizens must be equipped to understand how scientific arguments are constructed. In order to do this, pre-service teachers must be prepared to foster students' abilities and understandings of scientific argumentation in the classroom. This study…

Developing a Vision of Pre-College Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Jill A.; Berland, Leema K.

2012-01-01

We report the results of a study focused on identifying and articulating an ''epistemic foundation'' underlying a pre-collegiate focus on engineering. We do so in the context of UTeach"Engineering" (UTE), a program supported in part by funding by the National Science Foundation and designed to develop a model approach to address the…

Awakening Pre-Service Teachers to Children's Social Exclusion in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gedžune, Ginta

2015-01-01

Children's social exclusion in the classroom is a threat to the sustainability of education. Teachers should be sensitised to this issue, which raises important implications for teacher education. This paper reports on an action research study in the context of pre-service teacher education aimed at enriching prospective early childhood educators'…

Inferring Pre-Service Science Teachers' Understanding of Science by Using Socially Embedded Pseudoscientific Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metin, Duygu; Ertepinar, Hamide

2016-01-01

The purposes of the present study are to elicit pre-service elementary science teachers' scientific and pseudoscientific beliefs about earthquake and to make inferences about their understandings of science. Although the subject of earthquake is not a pseudoscientific area, some pseudoscientific beliefs related to earthquake were used in this…

Potential of Service-Learning to Promote Sustainability Competencies in Pre-Service Teachers: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasen, Michelle; Tomas, Louisa; Hill, Angela

2015-01-01

This research investigates the potential of service-learning to develop a situated, embodied and critically reflective human agency for sustainability. It employs document analysis to review the intended curriculum and the institutional contexts of national and international cases wherein service-learning is a component of pre-service teacher…

Civic and Patriotic Education of Pre-School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mokeyeva, Ekaterina V.; Andreeva, Irina N.

2016-01-01

The urgency of the current research devoted to civic and patriotic education of pre-school children is determined by the contradiction between the necessity of civic-patriotic education of children in the current context, their readiness to defend their Motherland and the lack of the development of this issue both in pedagogical theory and…

Climate Change? Who Knows? A Comparison of Secondary Students and Pre-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boon, Helen J.

2010-01-01

In the context of recently published academic discrepancies between Queensland students and students from other Australian states, final year pre-service teachers were surveyed to explore their understanding and knowledge of climate change. Their responses were compared to those of secondary students to discern any significant gains in knowledge…

Statistical Analysis of TEC Anomalies Prior to M6.0+ Earthquakes During 2003-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Fuying; Su, Fanfan; Lin, Jian

2018-04-01

There are many studies on the anomalous variations of the ionospheric TEC prior to large earthquakes. However, whether or not the morphological characteristics of the TEC anomalies in the daytime and at night are different is rarely studied. In the present paper, based on the total electron content (TEC) data from the global ionosphere map (GIM), we carry out a statistical survey on the spatial-temporal distribution of TEC anomalies before 1339 global M6.0+ earthquakes during 2003-2014. After excluding the interference of geomagnetic disturbance, the temporal and spatial distributions of ionospheric TEC anomalies prior to the earthquakes in the daytime and at night are investigated and compared. Except that the nighttime occurrence rates of the pre-earthquake ionospheric anomalies (PEIAs) are higher than those in the daytime, our analysis has not found any statistically significant difference in the spatial-temporal distribution of PEIAs in the daytime and at night. Moreover, the occurrence rates of pre-earthquake ionospheric TEC both positive anomalies and negative anomalies at night tend to increase slightly with the earthquake magnitude. Thus, we suggest that monitoring the ionospheric TEC changes at night might be a clue to reveal the relation between ionospheric disturbances and seismic activities.

40 CFR 91.408 - Pre-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Pre-test procedures. 91.408 Section 91...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Gaseous Exhaust Test Procedures § 91.408 Pre-test... accordance with § 91.117. (b) Engine pre-test preparation. (1) Drain and charge the fuel tank(s) with the...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

40 CFR 91.408 - Pre-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Pre-test procedures. 91.408 Section 91...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Gaseous Exhaust Test Procedures § 91.408 Pre-test... accordance with § 91.117. (b) Engine pre-test preparation. (1) Drain and charge the fuel tank(s) with the...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

40 CFR 91.408 - Pre-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2014-07-01 2013-07-01 true Pre-test procedures. 91.408 Section 91...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Gaseous Exhaust Test Procedures § 91.408 Pre-test... accordance with § 91.117. (b) Engine pre-test preparation. (1) Drain and charge the fuel tank(s) with the...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

40 CFR 91.408 - Pre-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 21 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Pre-test procedures. 91.408 Section 91...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Gaseous Exhaust Test Procedures § 91.408 Pre-test... accordance with § 91.117. (b) Engine pre-test preparation. (1) Drain and charge the fuel tank(s) with the...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

49 CFR 199.209 - Other requirements imposed by operators.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... conducts pre-employment alcohol testing must— (1) Conduct a pre-employment alcohol test before the first... same for the purpose of pre-employment alcohol testing (i.e., you must not test some covered employees and not others); (3) Conduct the pre-employment tests after making a contingent offer of employment or...

40 CFR 91.408 - Pre-test procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Pre-test procedures. 91.408 Section 91...) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM MARINE SPARK-IGNITION ENGINES Gaseous Exhaust Test Procedures § 91.408 Pre-test... accordance with § 91.117. (b) Engine pre-test preparation. (1) Drain and charge the fuel tank(s) with the...

Pay attention to your manipulation checks! Reward impact on cardiac reactivity is moderated by task context.

PubMed

Richter, Michael

2010-05-01

Two experiments assessed the moderating impact of task context on the relationship between reward and cardiovascular response. Randomly assigned to the cells of a 2 (task context: reward vs. demand) x 2 (reward value: low vs. high) between-persons design, participants performed either a memory task with an unclear performance standard (Experiment 1) or a visual scanning task with an unfixed performance standard (Experiment 2). Before performing the task--where participants could earn either a low or a high reward--participants responded to questions about either task reward or task demand. In accordance with the theoretical predictions derived from Wright's (1996) integrative model, reactivity of pre-ejection period increased with reward value if participants had rated aspects of task reward before performing the task. If they had rated task demand, pre-ejection period did not differ as a function of reward. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Views of Pre-Service Teachers Who Take Special Teaching Course within the Context of Pedagogical Formation Certificate Program about Micro-Teaching Method and a Physics Lesson Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurbuz, Fatih

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine the views of the pre-service teachers who received training on pedagogical formation certificate program about micro-teaching method. The study was carried out with a case study method. Semi-structured interviews were used in the study as a data collection tool to gather pre-service teachers' views about…

Translational initiation in Leishmania tarentolae and Phytomonas serpens (Kinetoplastida) is strongly influenced by pre-ATG triplet and its 5' sequence context.

PubMed

Lukes, Julius; Paris, Zdenek; Regmi, Sandesh; Breitling, Reinhard; Mureev, Sergey; Kushnir, Susanna; Pyatkov, Konstantin; Jirků, Milan; Alexandrov, Kirill A

2006-08-01

To investigate the influence of sequence context of translation initiation codon on translation efficiency in Kinetoplastida, we constructed a library of expression plasmids randomized in the three nucleotides prefacing ATG of a reporter gene encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). All 64 possible combinations of pre-ATG triplets were individually stably integrated into the rDNA locus of Leishmania tarentolae and the resulting cell lines were assessed for EGFP expression. The expression levels were quantified directly by measuring the fluorescence of EGFP protein in living cells and confirmed by Western blotting. We observed a strong influence of the pre-ATG triplet on the level of protein expression over a 20-fold range. To understand the degree of evolutionary conservation of the observed effect, we transformed Phytomonas serpens, a trypanosomatid parasite of plants, with a subset of the constructs. The pattern of translational efficiency mediated by individual pre-ATG triplets in this species was similar to that observed in L. tarentolae. However, the pattern of translational efficiency of two other proteins (red fluorescent protein and tetracycline repressor) containing selected pre-ATG triplets did not correlate with either EGFP or each other. Thus, we conclude that a conserved mechanism of translation initiation site selection exists in kinetoplastids that is strongly influenced not only by the pre-ATG sequences but also by the coding region of the gene.

A rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder reproduces the hippocampal deficits seen in the human syndrome.

PubMed

Goswami, Sonal; Samuel, Sherin; Sierra, Olga R; Cascardi, Michele; Paré, Denis

2012-01-01

Despite recent progress, the causes and pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remain poorly understood, partly because of ethical limitations inherent to human studies. One approach to circumvent this obstacle is to study PTSD in a valid animal model of the human syndrome. In one such model, extreme and long-lasting behavioral manifestations of anxiety develop in a subset of Lewis rats after exposure to an intense predatory threat that mimics the type of life-and-death situation known to precipitate PTSD in humans. This study aimed to assess whether the hippocampus-associated deficits observed in the human syndrome are reproduced in this rodent model. Prior to predatory threat, different groups of rats were each tested on one of three object recognition memory tasks that varied in the types of contextual clues (i.e., that require the hippocampus or not) the rats could use to identify novel items. After task completion, the rats were subjected to predatory threat and, one week later, tested on the elevated plus maze (EPM). Based on their exploratory behavior in the plus maze, rats were then classified as resilient or PTSD-like and their performance on the pre-threat object recognition tasks compared. The performance of PTSD-like rats was inferior to that of resilient rats but only when subjects relied on an allocentric frame of reference to identify novel items, a process thought to be critically dependent on the hippocampus. Therefore, these results suggest that even prior to trauma PTSD-like rats show a deficit in hippocampal-dependent functions, as reported in twin studies of human PTSD.

42 CFR 37.95 - Specifications for performing spirometry examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... examinations must include the following: (1) Pre-test checklist. A short Spirometry Pre-Test Checklist (Form... spirometry examinations electronically with content as specified in § 37.96(b), pre-test screening checklists... spirometry examinations, pre-test checklists, and standardized respiratory assessment results in electronic...

HIV counselling in prisons.

PubMed

Curran, L; McHugh, M; Nooney, K

1989-01-01

HIV presents particular problem in penal establishments: the nature of the population; conditions in prison; media attention and misinformation; the possibility of transmission within and beyond the prison population; the extra issues that apply to female prisoners. These are discussed in the context of prison policy regarding HIV and the broad strategic approach which is being adopted to manage the problem of HIV within penal institutions. Counselling has a key role in the overall strategy. Pre- and post-test counselling with prisoners is described and the particular problems presented by inmates are discussed and illustrated by reference to case histories. Developments in counselling provision for inmates are outlined.

Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) examination characteristics of cannabis impairment.

PubMed

Hartman, Rebecca L; Richman, Jack E; Hayes, Charles E; Huestis, Marilyn A

2016-07-01

The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP) is commonly utilized in driving under the influence (DUI) cases to help determine category(ies) of impairing drug(s) present in drivers. Cannabis, one of the categories, is associated with approximately doubled crash risk. Our objective was to determine the most reliable DECP metrics for identifying cannabis-driving impairment. We evaluated 302 toxicologically-confirmed (blood Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] ≥1μg/L) cannabis-only DECP cases, wherein examiners successfully identified cannabis, compared to normative data (302 non-impaired individuals). Physiological measures, pupil size/light reaction, and performance on psychophysical tests (one leg stand [OLS], walk and turn [WAT], finger to nose [FTN], Modified Romberg Balance [MRB]) were included. Cases significantly differed from controls (p<0.05) in pulse (increased), systolic blood pressure (elevated), and pupil size (dilated). Blood collection time after arrest significantly decreased THC concentrations; no significant differences were detected between cases with blood THC <5μg/L versus ≥5μg/L. The FTN best predicted cannabis impairment (sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value, and efficiency ≥87.1%) utilizing ≥3 misses as the deciding criterion; MRB eyelid tremors produced ≥86.1% for all diagnostic characteristics. Other strong indicators included OLS sway, ≥2 WAT clues, and pupil rebound dilation. Requiring ≥2/4 of: ≥3 FTN misses, MRB eyelid tremors, ≥2 OLS clues, and/or ≥2 WAT clues produced the best results (all characteristics ≥96.7%). Blood specimens should be collected as early as possible. The frequently-debated 5μg/L blood THC per se cutoff showed limited relevance. Combined observations on psychophysical and eye exams produced the best cannabis-impairment indicators. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Everybody Is…Drinking! Interpretation Bias in Problematic Drinkers with and without Mild to Borderline Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Duijvenbode, Neomi; Didden, Robert; Korzilius, Hubert P. L. M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2016-01-01

Background: Problematic alcohol use is characterized by disrupted associative processing of environmental clues, where problematic drinkers interpret ambiguous, alcohol-relevant clues in an alcohol-related way. The present study examined the strength of this interpretation bias in a large sample (N = 230) of light and problematic drinkers with and…

Tinea imbricata as a clue to occult immunodeficiency.

PubMed

Maroñas Jiménez, Lidia; Monsálvez, Verónica; Gutiérrez García-Rodrigo, Carlota; Postigo Llorente, Concepción

2014-01-01

Tinea imbricata (TI) is a geographically restricted dermatophytosis with distinctive clinical and immunologic features. We present a case of TI occurring in a native Brazilian child with previously undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus infection. Physicians should bear in mind that diagnosis of TI may be a clinical clue to potentially serious underlying immunodeficiency. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Decline in Female Elementary Principals Since 1928: Riddles and Clues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalvelage, Joan

In 1928, 55 percent of elementary school principals were women. By 1973, only 20 percent were women. This paper examines research data for explanations of the decline of the percentage of women elementary school principals. Both incompetence and sex discrimination are rejected as explanations. Clues to the decline are traced to the decline of the…

Examination of Children Decision Making Using Clues during the Logical Reasoning Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çelik, Meryem

2017-01-01

Logical reasoning is the process of thinking about a problem and finding the most effective solution. Children's decision-making skills are part of their cognitive development and are also indicative. The purpose of this study was to examine children's decision-making skills using clues in logical reasoning based on various variables. The study…

New Classification of Impact Basins and Its Implications for Basin Evolution on the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, J.; Liu, J.; Guo, D.

2016-12-01

Large impact basins, the comprehensive results of internal and external dynamic geological processes, are the principal topographic features on the Moon. Study on evolution of those large impact basins provides important clues for understanding early history of the Moon. However, to classify the impact basins before anyone can link their characteristics to basin evolution, discrepancies occur among different classification systems, of which some did not to consider the effect of filled basalt [1] or some did not to consider the category of non-mascon basins [2, 3]. In order to clarify the ambiguous basin types caused by different classifications, we re-examined impact basins ≥ 200 km in diameter (66 in total; excluding SPA basin) using the GRAIL geophysical data, LRO DEM data and LP geochemical data from NASA Planetary Data System. We chose two major category labels: mascon or not [1, 2, 3] and the basin floor is covered by basalt/basaltic materials or not [4, 5]; plus, we considered topographic signatures as the clue of timescale. As a result, the 66 impact basins were classified into four categories: Type I (20), mascon basins with basalt or basaltic materials and most of them show well-preserved topography signature; Type II (28), mascon basins without basalt or basaltic materials, most of them are located on the farside with preserved topography signature; Type III (11), non-mascon basins with basalt or basaltic materials, most basins of this type are dated as Pre-Nectarian except for Van de Graaff basin and showing severely degraded topography; Type IV (6), non-mascon basins without basalt or basaltic materials, all basins of this type are dated as Pre-Nectarian with severely degraded topography. This new classification scheme can be easily applied to various lunar basins and help us to locate important information about early environment or thermal state of the Moon by comparison study of regional geological evolution of different basin types. References [1] N. Noriyuki N et al., 2009, Science 323(5916) . [2] P. S. Mohit and R. J. Phillips, 2006, J. Geophys. Res. 111(E12001). [3] A. J. Dombard et al., 2013, Geophys. Res. Lett. 40(1).[4] J. Arkani-Hamed, 1998, J. Geophys. Res. 103(E2).[5] G. A. Neumann et al., 1996, J. Geophys. Res 101(E7).

[What the patient's history tells us about their nonepileptic seizures].

PubMed

Reuber, M; Micoulaud-Franchi, J-A; Gülich, E; Bartolomei, F; McGonigal, A

2014-10-01

The aetiology of "psychogenic" non-epileptic seizures (NES) remains poorly understood and the differentiation of NES from epilepsy can be a difficult. In the first part of this review article we focus on recent insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of NES. We summarise a number of studies demonstrating the importance of abnormalities of emotion regulation in patients with NES. Evidence for abnormal emotion regulation comes from both self-report and experimental studies of pre-conscious cognitive processes. These studies show that NES are not the only manifestation of abnormal mental processing in these patients and that excessive social threat avoidance and emotional dysregulation are also evident between seizures and may therefore contribute to disability beyond the seizures themselves. In the second part of this review, we describe the findings of a number of studies, which have examined differences between the communication behaviour of patients with NES and those with epilepsy. We argue, that, whilst these studies initially aimed to help clinicians with the differential diagnosis of NES and epilepsy, close sociolinguistic analysis of patient's talk can also provide clues about the aetiology of NES. We conclude that the interaction of patient with NES with the doctor can be interpreted as a manifestation of avoidance and a demonstration of helplessness perhaps intended to secure active support from the doctor. In the third part of this review, we suggest that a close reading of a transcript of the interaction between a patient with NES and her doctor (and perhaps attentive listening to how patients' talk about themselves and their disorder) can yield clues to the causes of NES in individual cases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Alignment of Content and Pedagogy in an Earth Systems Course for Pre-Service Middle School Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, T.; Teed, R.; Slattery, W.

2006-12-01

In 2003 the Ohio Department of Education developed the Ohio K-12 Science Content Standards. These new science standards substantially tracked the goals and objectives of The National Research Council's National Science Education Standards. The Ohio K-12 Science Content Standards followed the National Standards in the content areas of Physical Science, Life Science and Earth and Space Science. At the same time, the state's K-12 schools were gearing up for a new high school graduation requirement, the successful passing of a high-stakes Ohio Graduation Test, given during a student's tenth grade year. Earth and Space science questions make up approximately one third of the science test items. To make it more likely that teachers have the requisite science content knowledge Ohio has recently changed from certification of K-12 teachers to a more content rich licensure standard. This new licensure requirement splits the older certification designation of K-8 into the elementary and middle school licensure areas. Under the new licensure requirements middle school licensure candidates wishing to earn a science concentration now have to take 15 semester hours of content class work in Science. The Ohio Department of Education has strongly suggested that teacher preparation institutions develop new courses for middle school educators in all four areas of concentration, including science. In response to this call for new courses science education faculty in all science areas worked together to develop a comprehensive suite of courses that would target the science content standards guidelines in the state and national standards. The newly developed Earth and Space science course is titled Earth Systems. The course carries 4.5quarter hours of credit and is intended expressly for pre-service middle school (grades 4- 9) science teachers. The content is structured around three modules of study that are designed to develop interdisciplinary science content within the context of past, present and future Earth Systems science. Because the course is created for pre-service teachers, the class models the jigsaw teaching technique, an effective and age-appropriate method of science instruction. This enables pre-service teachers to experience a technique they can use in their own classroom. Course content is aligned with all state and national 4-10 Earth/Space Science standards, which supports pre- service Middle School Science teachers by covering the content areas tested in the Praxis Middle School Science test, a requirement for graduation with licensure from Wright State University. It also helps the pre- service teachers gain experience with the content that they will need to teach to their K-12 students, so they will be able to pass the high-stakes Ohio Graduation Test. Assessment of the Earth Systems course suggests that the course leads to increased science content knowledge that leads to success in passing the Praxis Middle Childhood Science Test, and that the pedagogy modeled in the course is used by the pre- service teachers in their own K-12 teaching upon graduation.

Doing Your Own Time: Peer Integration, Aggression and Mental Health in Dutch Male Detainment Facilities

PubMed Central

Kreager, Derek A.; Palmen, Hanneke; Dirkzwager, Anja J.E.; Nieuwbeerta, Paul

2016-01-01

Background Prior research demonstrates a strong positive association between social integration (e.g., strong social ties) and individual health. However, researchers also emphasize that this correlation may vary by context and potentially reverse direction under certain conditions. In this study, we draw on competing criminological theories of peer relations to examine if social integration, measured by trust in peers, is positively or negatively associated with violence and mental health of men detained in pre-trial confinement facilities. Methods We test our hypotheses with peer network and health data from 502 Dutch male pre-trial detainees. Results Results suggest that peer trust has no direct association with reported rates of peer aggression while detained and low peer trust is generally protective for mental health. Conclusions Our study thus adds to a small body of literature finding that social integration within certain correctional settings may not operate in the same way that it does in the general population and may actually contribute to adverse mental health outcomes. PMID:26794247

Particle counter as a tool to control pre-hydrolyzed coagulant dosing and rapid filtration efficiency in a conventional treatment system.

PubMed

Gumińska, Jolanta; Kłos, Marcin

2015-01-01

Filtration efficiency in a conventional water treatment system was analyzed in the context of pre-hydrolyzed coagulant overdosing. Two commercial coagulants of different aluminum speciation were tested. A study was carried out at a water treatment plant supplied with raw water of variable quality. The lack of stability of water quality caused many problems with maintaining the optimal coagulant dose. The achieved results show that the type of coagulant had a very strong influence on the effectiveness of filtration resulting from the application of an improper coagulant dose. The overdosing of high basicity coagulant (PAC85) caused a significant increase of fine particles in the outflow from the sedimentation tanks, which could not be retained in the filter bed due to high surface charge and the small size of hydrolysis products. When using a coagulant of lower basicity (PAC70), it was much easier to control the dose of coagulant and to adjust it to the changing water quality.

Curriculum of Initial Teacher Education in Portugal: New Contexts, Old Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Maria Assuncao

2011-01-01

Initial teacher education (ITE) has attracted the attention of many researchers worldwide aiming at discussing its curriculum and rationale, but essentially its impact on the education and professional socialisation of pre-service teachers. This paper looks at the major trends in the recent ITE curriculum in the Portuguese context, as a…

Secondary Physical Science Teachers' Conceptions of Science Teaching in a Context of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Dale L.; Booth, Shirley

2015-01-01

Pre-service teachers enter initial teacher education programmes with conceptions of teaching gleaned from their own schooling. These conceptions, which include teachers' beliefs, may be resistant to change, which is a challenge in contexts where teacher educators hope that teachers will teach in ways different from their own schooling. Conceptions…

Students' Attitudes towards Learning Mathematics: Impact of Teaching in a Sporting Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchal, Anantika; Sharma, Sashi

2017-01-01

This study investigated the impact on Year 10 students' attitudes towards mathematics when learning mathematics in a sporting context. A closed ended, self-reported questionnaire with Likert type statements was used to collect data. Individual statements were analysed by comparing the percentage of students agreeing or disagreeing pre-teaching and…

Children's Spirituality with Particular Reference to a Norwegian Context: Some Hermeneutical Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagberg, Sturla

2008-01-01

Spirituality has become an issue in many domains of the Norwegian society, but this is not reflected in public education. This paper discusses why this is so, and suggests some hermeneutical approaches to understanding spirituality that can include pre-school children's spirituality, with particular reference to a Norwegian context. Central to…