28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

Prefrontal Neurons Encode a Solution to the Credit-Assignment Problem

PubMed Central

Perge, János A.; Eskandar, Emad N.

2017-01-01

To adapt successfully to our environments, we must use the outcomes of our choices to guide future behavior. Critically, we must be able to correctly assign credit for any particular outcome to the causal features which preceded it. In some cases, the causal features may be immediately evident, whereas in others they may be separated in time or intermingled with irrelevant environmental stimuli, creating a potentially nontrivial credit-assignment problem. We examined the neuronal representation of information relevant for credit assignment in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) of two male rhesus macaques performing a task that elicited key aspects of this problem. We found that neurons conveyed the information necessary for credit assignment. Specifically, neuronal activity reflected both the relevant cues and outcomes at the time of feedback and did so in a manner that was stable over time, in contrast to prior reports of representational instability in the dlPFC. Furthermore, these representations were most stable early in learning, when credit assignment was most needed. When the same features were not needed for credit assignment, these neuronal representations were much weaker or absent. These results demonstrate that the activity of dlPFC neurons conforms to the basic requirements of a system that performs credit assignment, and that spiking activity can serve as a stable mechanism that links causes and effects. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Credit assignment is the process by which we infer the causes of our successes and failures. We found that neuronal activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex conveyed the necessary information for performing credit assignment. Importantly, while there are various potential mechanisms to retain a “trace” of the causal events over time, we observed that spiking activity was sufficiently stable to act as the link between causes and effects, in contrast to prior reports that suggested spiking representations were unstable over time. In addition, we observed that this stability varied as a function of learning, such that the neural code was more reliable over time during early learning, when it was most needed. PMID:28634307

Unifying Temporal and Structural Credit Assignment Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian K.; Tumer, Kagan

2004-01-01

Single-agent reinforcement learners in time-extended domains and multi-agent systems share a common dilemma known as the credit assignment problem. Multi-agent systems have the structural credit assignment problem of determining the contributions of a particular agent to a common task. Instead, time-extended single-agent systems have the temporal credit assignment problem of determining the contribution of a particular action to the quality of the full sequence of actions. Traditionally these two problems are considered different and are handled in separate ways. In this article we show how these two forms of the credit assignment problem are equivalent. In this unified frame-work, a single-agent Markov decision process can be broken down into a single-time-step multi-agent process. Furthermore we show that Monte-Carlo estimation or Q-learning (depending on whether the values of resulting actions in the episode are known at the time of learning) are equivalent to different agent utility functions in a multi-agent system. This equivalence shows how an often neglected issue in multi-agent systems is equivalent to a well-known deficiency in multi-time-step learning and lays the basis for solving time-extended multi-agent problems, where both credit assignment problems are present.

98. (Credit BLV) Detail of gravity, flow conduit intake at ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

98. (Credit BLV) Detail of gravity, flow conduit intake at cross Lake dam Cribbing supports extra suction intake installed in 1930. - McNeil Street Pumping Station, McNeil Street & Cross Bayou, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA

12 CFR 701.14 - Change in official or senior executive officer in credit unions that are newly chartered or are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... means: (i) A federal credit union that has been assigned a 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by NCUA; or (ii) A federally insured, state-chartered credit union that has been assigned a 4 or 5 CAMEL composite... union that has been assigned a 4 or 5 CAMEL rating by NCUA; or (ii) A federally insured, state-chartered...

QUICR-learning for Multi-Agent Coordination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian K.; Tumer, Kagan

2006-01-01

Coordinating multiple agents that need to perform a sequence of actions to maximize a system level reward requires solving two distinct credit assignment problems. First, credit must be assigned for an action taken at time step t that results in a reward at time step t > t. Second, credit must be assigned for the contribution of agent i to the overall system performance. The first credit assignment problem is typically addressed with temporal difference methods such as Q-learning. The second credit assignment problem is typically addressed by creating custom reward functions. To address both credit assignment problems simultaneously, we propose the "Q Updates with Immediate Counterfactual Rewards-learning" (QUICR-learning) designed to improve both the convergence properties and performance of Q-learning in large multi-agent problems. QUICR-learning is based on previous work on single-time-step counterfactual rewards described by the collectives framework. Results on a traffic congestion problem shows that QUICR-learning is significantly better than a Q-learner using collectives-based (single-time-step counterfactual) rewards. In addition QUICR-learning provides significant gains over conventional and local Q-learning. Additional results on a multi-agent grid-world problem show that the improvements due to QUICR-learning are not domain specific and can provide up to a ten fold increase in performance over existing methods.

Assigning Publication Credit in Collaborative Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridgwater, Carol Austin; And Others

Publication credit has taken on great significance with the advent of an increasingly competitive academic job market and the decline in federal funds for psychological research. Policies regarding assignment of publication credit help to mold the careers of academic psychologists. A sample of psychologists was asked to endorse what they…

Computational simulations of frictional losses in pipe networks confirmed in experimental apparatusses designed by honors students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohlman, Nicholas A.; Hynes, Eric; Kutz, April

2015-11-01

Lectures in introductory fluid mechanics at NIU are a combination of students with standard enrollment and students seeking honors credit for an enriching experience. Most honors students dread the additional homework problems or an extra paper assigned by the instructor. During the past three years, honors students of my class have instead collaborated to design wet-lab experiments for their peers to predict variable volume flow rates of open reservoirs driven by gravity. Rather than learn extra, the honors students learn the Bernoulli head-loss equation earlier to design appropriate systems for an experimental wet lab. Prior designs incorporated minor loss features such as sudden contraction or multiple unions and valves. The honors students from Spring 2015 expanded the repertoire of available options by developing large scale set-ups with multiple pipe networks that could be combined together to test the flexibility of the student team's computational programs. The engagement of bridging the theory with practice was appreciated by all of the students such that multiple teams were able to predict performance within 4% accuracy. The challenges, schedules, and cost estimates of incorporating the experimental lab into an introductory fluid mechanics course will be reported.

13 CFR 400.210 - Assignment or transfer of loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Assignment or transfer of loans. 400.210 Section 400.210 Business Credit and Assistance EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN BOARD EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN PROGRAM Steel Guarantee Loans § 400.210 Assignment or transfer of loans. (a...

13 CFR 400.210 - Assignment or transfer of loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Assignment or transfer of loans. 400.210 Section 400.210 Business Credit and Assistance EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN BOARD EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN PROGRAM Steel Guarantee Loans § 400.210 Assignment or transfer of loans. (a...

13 CFR 400.210 - Assignment or transfer of loans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Assignment or transfer of loans. 400.210 Section 400.210 Business Credit and Assistance EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN BOARD EMERGENCY STEEL GUARANTEE LOAN PROGRAM Steel Guarantee Loans § 400.210 Assignment or transfer of loans. (a...

34 CFR 682.402 - Death, disability, closed school, false certification, unpaid refunds, and bankruptcy payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... history assigned to the loan. (3) Borrower qualification for discharge. Except as provided in paragraph (d... credit bureaus to which it previously reported the status of the loan delete all adverse credit history... delete all adverse or inaccurate credit history assigned to the loan. (v) Discharge under paragraph (e)(1...

Quicker Q-Learning in Multi-Agent Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian K.; Tumer, Kagan

2005-01-01

Multi-agent learning in Markov Decisions Problems is challenging because of the presence ot two credit assignment problems: 1) How to credit an action taken at time step t for rewards received at t' greater than t; and 2) How to credit an action taken by agent i considering the system reward is a function of the actions of all the agents. The first credit assignment problem is typically addressed with temporal difference methods such as Q-learning OK TD(lambda) The second credit assi,onment problem is typically addressed either by hand-crafting reward functions that assign proper credit to an agent, or by making certain independence assumptions about an agent's state-space and reward function. To address both credit assignment problems simultaneously, we propose the Q Updates with Immediate Counterfactual Rewards-learning (QUICR-learning) designed to improve both the convergence properties and performance of Q-learning in large multi-agent problems. Instead of assuming that an agent s value function can be made independent of other agents, this method suppresses the impact of other agents using counterfactual rewards. Results on multi-agent grid-world problems over multiple topologies show that QUICR-learning can achieve up to thirty fold improvements in performance over both conventional and local Q-learning in the largest tested systems.

Polytomous versus Dichotomous Scoring on Multiple-Choice Examinations: Development of a Rubric for Rating Partial Credit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grunert, Megan L.; Raker, Jeffrey R.; Murphy, Kristen L.; Holme, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

The concept of assigning partial credit on multiple-choice test items is considered for items from ACS Exams. Because the items on these exams, particularly the quantitative items, use common student errors to define incorrect answers, it is possible to assign partial credits to some of these incorrect responses. To do so, however, it becomes…

20 CFR 332.7 - Consideration of evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service shall, in the absence of evidence to the... work during the period covered by his claim. When it appears clear that an employee in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service who fails to report the number of miles or hours' credit earned on...

20 CFR 332.7 - Consideration of evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... miles or hours' credit earned in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service shall, in the absence... equivalent of full-time work during the period covered by his claim. When it appears clear that an employee in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service who fails to report the number of miles or hours...

20 CFR 332.7 - Consideration of evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service shall, in the absence of evidence to the... work during the period covered by his claim. When it appears clear that an employee in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service who fails to report the number of miles or hours' credit earned on...

20 CFR 332.7 - Consideration of evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... miles or hours' credit earned in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service shall, in the absence... equivalent of full-time work during the period covered by his claim. When it appears clear that an employee in rotating extra board, pool, or chain gang service who fails to report the number of miles or hours...

Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease with a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts.

PubMed

Estruch, Ramón; Ros, Emilio; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Covas, Maria-Isabel; Corella, Dolores; Arós, Fernando; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Valentina; Fiol, Miquel; Lapetra, José; Lamuela-Raventos, Rosa M; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Pintó, Xavier; Basora, Josep; Muñoz, Miguel A; Sorlí, José V; Martínez, J Alfredo; Fitó, Montserrat; Gea, Alfredo; Hernán, Miguel A; Martínez-González, Miguel A

2018-06-21

Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown inverse associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. In a multicenter trial in Spain, we assigned 7447 participants (55 to 80 years of age, 57% women) who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was a major cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, the trial was stopped on the basis of a prespecified interim analysis. In 2013, we reported the results for the primary end point in the Journal. We subsequently identified protocol deviations, including enrollment of household members without randomization, assignment to a study group without randomization of some participants at 1 of 11 study sites, and apparent inconsistent use of randomization tables at another site. We have withdrawn our previously published report and now report revised effect estimates based on analyses that do not rely exclusively on the assumption that all the participants were randomly assigned. A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants; there were 96 events in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (3.8%), 83 in the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (3.4%), and 109 in the control group (4.4%). In the intention-to-treat analysis including all the participants and adjusting for baseline characteristics and propensity scores, the hazard ratio was 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53 to 0.91) for a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.95) for a Mediterranean diet with nuts, as compared with the control diet. Results were similar after the omission of 1588 participants whose study-group assignments were known or suspected to have departed from the protocol. In this study involving persons at high cardiovascular risk, the incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts than among those assigned to a reduced-fat diet. (Funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Health, and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN35739639 .).

41 CFR 102-79.40 - Can Federal agencies allot space in Federal buildings to Federal credit unions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Federal... presently Federal employees or were Federal employees at the time of admission into the credit union, and...

Would You Credit It? Navigating the Transitions between Curricular and Extra-Curricular Learning in University Music Departments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitts, Stephanie E

2013-01-01

Extra-curricular activities have for many years been a prominent and valuable feature of UK university music departments, but the current political and economic climate poses several significant threats to their survival, including uncertain funding, demands on students’ time (including the need to undertake paid employment), and, potentially, the…

Solving the Credit Assignment Problem With the Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Stolyarova, Alexandra

2018-01-01

In naturalistic multi-cue and multi-step learning tasks, where outcomes of behavior are delayed in time, discovering which choices are responsible for rewards can present a challenge, known as the credit assignment problem. In this review, I summarize recent work that highlighted a critical role for the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in assigning credit where it is due in tasks where only a few of the multitude of cues or choices are relevant to the final outcome of behavior. Collectively, these investigations have provided compelling support for specialized roles of the orbitofrontal (OFC), anterior cingulate (ACC), and dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) cortices in contingent learning. However, recent work has similarly revealed shared contributions and emphasized rich and heterogeneous response properties of neurons in these brain regions. Such functional overlap is not surprising given the complexity of reciprocal projections spanning the PFC. In the concluding section, I overview the evidence suggesting that the OFC, ACC and dlPFC communicate extensively, sharing the information about presented options, executed decisions and received rewards, which enables them to assign credit for outcomes to choices on which they are contingent. This account suggests that lesion or inactivation/inhibition experiments targeting a localized PFC subregion will be insufficient to gain a fine-grained understanding of credit assignment during learning and instead poses refined questions for future research, shifting the focus from focal manipulations to experimental techniques targeting cortico-cortical projections. PMID:29636659

41 CFR 102-79.40 - Can Federal agencies allot space in Federal buildings to Federal credit unions?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 79-ASSIGNMENT AND UTILIZATION OF SPACE Assignment and Utilization of Space Federal... presently Federal employees or were Federal employees at the time of admission into the credit union, and...

41 CFR 109-38.801 - Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... Government National Credit Card. 109-38.801 Section 109-38.801 Public Contracts and Property Management..., U.S. Government National Credit Card § 109-38.801 Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card. DOE offices electing to use national credit cards shall request the assignment of billing address...

41 CFR 109-38.801 - Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... Government National Credit Card. 109-38.801 Section 109-38.801 Public Contracts and Property Management..., U.S. Government National Credit Card § 109-38.801 Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card. DOE offices electing to use national credit cards shall request the assignment of billing address...

41 CFR 109-38.801 - Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... Government National Credit Card. 109-38.801 Section 109-38.801 Public Contracts and Property Management..., U.S. Government National Credit Card § 109-38.801 Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card. DOE offices electing to use national credit cards shall request the assignment of billing address...

41 CFR 109-38.801 - Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.... Government National Credit Card. 109-38.801 Section 109-38.801 Public Contracts and Property Management..., U.S. Government National Credit Card § 109-38.801 Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card. DOE offices electing to use national credit cards shall request the assignment of billing address...

41 CFR 109-38.801 - Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... Government National Credit Card. 109-38.801 Section 109-38.801 Public Contracts and Property Management..., U.S. Government National Credit Card § 109-38.801 Obtaining SF 149, U.S. Government National Credit Card. DOE offices electing to use national credit cards shall request the assignment of billing address...

Pueblo Community College, Dual Credit Handbook, 1998-99.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Mary

This Dual Credit Handbook from Pueblo Community College (CO) provides information and guidelines to assist instructors in meeting their assignment. These guidelines apply to dual credit courses offered to high school students during their regular school hours, for which students receive high school- and college-level credit simultaneously. This…

33 CFR Appendix B to Part 240 - Formulas for Determining Amount of Allowable Credit

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...: Compatible work, 30.0 Non-Federal: 5% Cash 5.0 5.0 LERRD 14.0 0.0 Extra cash (toward constr.) 6.0 0.0....0 Non-Federal: 5% Cash 5.0 6.25 LERRD 14.0 0.0 Extra cash (toward constr.) 6.0 0.0 Construction..., the non-Federal 5% cash contribution increases by $0.9375 million, say $0.94 (5% of $18.75). In the...

96. (Credit BLV) View locking West at Cross Lake dam ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

96. (Credit BLV) View locking West at Cross Lake dam and spillway constructed immediately west of Kansas City Southern railroad bridge. Booster station located at left. Note cribbing at bridge abutment in upper left which straddles gravity flow canduit installed in 1924-1926 and supports extra suction line (installed in 1930) on top. - McNeil Street Pumping Station, McNeil Street & Cross Bayou, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA

Neural reactivations during sleep determine network credit assignment

PubMed Central

Gulati, Tanuj; Guo, Ling; Ramanathan, Dhakshin S.; Bodepudi, Anitha; Ganguly, Karunesh

2018-01-01

A fundamental goal of motor learning is to establish neural patterns that produce a desired behavioral outcome. It remains unclear how and when the nervous system solves this “credit–assignment” problem. Using neuroprosthetic learning where we could control the causal relationship between neurons and behavior, here we show that sleep–dependent processing is required for credit-assignment and the establishment of task-related functional connectivity reflecting the casual neuron-behavior relationship. Importantly, we found a strong link between the microstructure of sleep reactivations and credit assignment, with downscaling of non–causal activity. Strikingly, decoupling of spiking to slow–oscillations using optogenetic methods eliminated rescaling. Thus, our results suggest that coordinated firing during sleep plays an essential role in establishing sparse activation patterns that reflect the causal neuron–behavior relationship. PMID:28692062

Delay Banking for Managing Air Traffic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Steve

2008-01-01

Delay banking has been invented to enhance air-traffic management in a way that would increase the degree of fairness in assigning arrival, departure, and en-route delays and trajectory deviations to aircraft impacted by congestion in the national airspace system. In delay banking, an aircraft operator (airline, military, general aviation, etc.) would be assigned a numerical credit when any of their flights are delayed because of an air-traffic flow restriction. The operator could subsequently bid against other operators competing for access to congested airspace to utilize part or all of its accumulated credit. Operators utilize credits to obtain higher priority for the same flight, or other flights operating at the same time, or later, in the same airspace, or elsewhere. Operators could also trade delay credits, according to market rules that would be determined by stakeholders in the national airspace system. Delay banking would be administered by an independent third party who would use delay banking automation to continually monitor flights, allocate delay credits, maintain accounts of delay credits for participating airlines, mediate bidding and the consumption of credits of winning bidders, analyze potential transfers of credits within and between operators, implement accepted transfers, and ensure fair treatment of all participating operators. A flow restriction can manifest itself in the form of a delay in assigned takeoff time, a reduction in assigned airspeed, a change in the position for the aircraft in a queue of all aircraft in a common stream of traffic (e.g., similar route), a change in the planned altitude profile for an aircraft, or change in the planned route for the aircraft. Flow restrictions are typically imposed to mitigate traffic congestion at an airport or in a region of airspace, particularly congestion due to inclement weather, or the unavailability of a runway or region of airspace. A delay credit would be allocated to an operator of a flight that has accepted, or upon which was imposed, a flow restriction. The amount of the credit would increase with the amount of delay caused by the flow restriction, the exact amount depending on which of several candidate formulas is eventually chosen. For example, according to one formula, there would be no credit for a delay smaller than some threshold value (e.g., 30 seconds) and the amount of the credit for a longer delay would be set at the amount of the delay minus the threshold value. Optionally, the value of a delay credit could be made to decay with time according to a suitable formula (e.g., an exponential decay). Also, optionally, a transaction charge could be assessed against the value of a delay credit that an operator used on a flight different from the one for which the delay originated or that was traded with a different operator. The delay credits accumulated by a given airline could be utilized in various ways. For example, an operator could enter a bid for priority handling in a new flow restriction that impacts one or more of the operator s flights; if the bid were unsuccessful, all or a portion of the credit would be returned to the bidder. If the bid pertained to a single aircraft that was in a queue, delay credits could be consumed in moving the aircraft to an earlier position within the queue. In the case of a flow restriction involving a choice of alternate routes, planned altitude profile, aircraft spacing, or other non-queue flow restrictions, delay credits could be used to bid for an alternative assignment.

32 CFR 231.8 - Procedures-overseas credit unions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... geographic franchise. (2) The extension of credit union service overseas is encouraged consistent with the... geographic franchise with a specific field of membership, the Secretary of the Military Department (or... geographic franchises assigned to credit unions serving DoD overseas installations. (ii) Where there is no Do...

32 CFR 231.8 - Procedures-overseas credit unions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... geographic franchise. (2) The extension of credit union service overseas is encouraged consistent with the... geographic franchise with a specific field of membership, the Secretary of the Military Department (or... geographic franchises assigned to credit unions serving DoD overseas installations. (ii) Where there is no Do...

32 CFR 231.8 - Procedures-overseas credit unions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... geographic franchise. (2) The extension of credit union service overseas is encouraged consistent with the... geographic franchise with a specific field of membership, the Secretary of the Military Department (or... geographic franchises assigned to credit unions serving DoD overseas installations. (ii) Where there is no Do...

32 CFR 231.8 - Procedures-overseas credit unions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... geographic franchise. (2) The extension of credit union service overseas is encouraged consistent with the... geographic franchise with a specific field of membership, the Secretary of the Military Department (or... geographic franchises assigned to credit unions serving DoD overseas installations. (ii) Where there is no Do...

32 CFR 231.8 - Procedures-overseas credit unions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... geographic franchise. (2) The extension of credit union service overseas is encouraged consistent with the... geographic franchise with a specific field of membership, the Secretary of the Military Department (or... geographic franchises assigned to credit unions serving DoD overseas installations. (ii) Where there is no Do...

12 CFR 615.5210 - Risk-adjusted assets.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... appropriate credit conversion factor in § 615.5212, is assigned to one of the risk categories specified in... risk-based capital requirement for the credit-enhanced assets, the risk-based capital required under..., determine the appropriate risk weight for any asset or credit equivalent amount that does not fit wholly...

12 CFR 567.6 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... strips receivable, other than credit-enhancing interest-only strips; (N)-(O) [Reserved] (P) That portion...'s risk management system that explicitly incorporates the full range of risks arising from the... management or loan review personnel to assign or review the credit risk ratings; (7) Include an internal...

12 CFR 390.466 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... receivable, other than credit-enhancing interest-only strips; (N)-(O) [Reserved] (P) That portion of equity... integral part of the State savings association's risk management system that explicitly incorporates the... subjective factors; (6) Employ independent credit risk management or loan review personnel to assign or...

12 CFR 567.6 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... strips receivable, other than credit-enhancing interest-only strips; (N)-(O) [Reserved] (P) That portion...'s risk management system that explicitly incorporates the full range of risks arising from the... management or loan review personnel to assign or review the credit risk ratings; (7) Include an internal...

The Attraction Effect in Decision Making: Superior Performance by Older Adults

PubMed Central

Kim, Sunghan; Hasher, Lynn

2006-01-01

Previous work showed that older adults’ choice performance can be wiser than that of younger adults (Tentori, Osherson, Hasher, & May, 2001). We contrasted two possible interpretations: a general expertise/wisdom view that suggests that older adults are generally more skilled at making decisions than younger adults and a domain-specific expertise view that suggests that older adults are more skilled decision makers only in domains in which they have greater knowledge. These hypotheses were contrasted using attraction effect tasks in two different domains: earning extra credit in a course and grocery shopping, domains presumed to be of different levels of knowledge to younger and older adults. Older adults showed consistent choice for both domains; younger adults showed consistent choice only for the extra credit problem. Several explanations of these findings are considered, including Damasio’s somatic marker theory and age differences in reliance on heuristic versus analytic styles. PMID:15881294

2 CFR 417.222 - How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit programs apply? 417.222 Section 417.222 Grants and... DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.222 How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's... guarantee issued by the USDA to a U.S. exporter. The U.S. exporter usually assigns the guarantee to a U.S...

2 CFR 417.222 - How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit programs apply? 417.222 Section 417.222 Grants and... DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.222 How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's... guarantee issued by the USDA to a U.S. exporter. The U.S. exporter usually assigns the guarantee to a U.S...

2 CFR 417.222 - How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit programs apply? 417.222 Section 417.222 Grants and... DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.222 How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's... guarantee issued by the USDA to a U.S. exporter. The U.S. exporter usually assigns the guarantee to a U.S...

2 CFR 417.222 - How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... USDA's export credit guarantee and direct credit programs apply? 417.222 Section 417.222 Grants and... DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION Covered Transactions § 417.222 How would the exclusions from coverage for USDA's... guarantee issued by the USDA to a U.S. exporter. The U.S. exporter usually assigns the guarantee to a U.S...

7 CFR 1427.1208 - Payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Payment. 1427.1208 Section 1427.1208 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness...

7 CFR 1427.1202 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions. 1427.1202 Section 1427.1202 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness...

7 CFR 1427.1201 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false [Reserved] 1427.1201 Section 1427.1201 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness...

48 CFR 9904.412-60 - Illustrations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... is being amortized over 30 years. The absolute value of the resultant net amortization credit is... limitation had been greater than zero, the assignable cost credit of $200,000 would have carried-forward and...

Measuring Behavioral Learnings: A Study in Consumer Credits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, C. Raymond

A social simulation game, Consumer, was used to study the effectiveness of simulation in teaching facts about: (1) installment buying; (2) how to compare available sources of credit; and (3) how to recognize the best credit contract. The entire twelfth grade at one high school participated in the study. Ten class sections were assigned to…

28 CFR 523.15 - Camp or farm good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., CLASSIFICATION, AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.15 Camp or farm good time. An inmate assigned to a farm or camp is automatically awarded extra good time, beginning on the date of commitment to... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Camp or farm good time. 523.15 Section...

28 CFR 523.15 - Camp or farm good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., CLASSIFICATION, AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.15 Camp or farm good time. An inmate assigned to a farm or camp is automatically awarded extra good time, beginning on the date of commitment to... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Camp or farm good time. 523.15 Section...

28 CFR 523.15 - Camp or farm good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., CLASSIFICATION, AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.15 Camp or farm good time. An inmate assigned to a farm or camp is automatically awarded extra good time, beginning on the date of commitment to... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Camp or farm good time. 523.15 Section...

28 CFR 523.15 - Camp or farm good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., CLASSIFICATION, AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.15 Camp or farm good time. An inmate assigned to a farm or camp is automatically awarded extra good time, beginning on the date of commitment to... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Camp or farm good time. 523.15 Section...

28 CFR 523.15 - Camp or farm good time.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., CLASSIFICATION, AND TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.15 Camp or farm good time. An inmate assigned to a farm or camp is automatically awarded extra good time, beginning on the date of commitment to... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Camp or farm good time. 523.15 Section...

12 CFR 750.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Federally insured credit union has been assigned: (1) In the case of a Federal credit union, 4 or 5 CAMEL... equivalent 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the state supervisor; or (3) In the case of a Federally insured state chartered credit union in a state that does not use the CAMEL system, a 4 or 5 CAMEL composite...

12 CFR 750.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Federally insured credit union has been assigned: (1) In the case of a Federal credit union, 4 or 5 CAMEL... equivalent 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the state supervisor; or (3) In the case of a Federally insured state chartered credit union in a state that does not use the CAMEL system, a 4 or 5 CAMEL composite...

Sibling Communication Functions across the Life-Span.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Scott A.; Smith, Ronda L.; Sonnier, Michelle F.

An investigation examined whether perceived use of sibling functional communication skills differed across the life-span. Participants were recruited through university students enrolled in an introductory communication course at a southern university. All students received extra credit for recruiting two participants. Potential participants were…

77 FR 6533 - Information Collection Request; Assignment and Joint Payment Elections

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-08

... Act of 1995, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) are seeking comments... assign a cash payment made by FSA or CCC to a third party. In addition, a payment recipient may...). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: CCC-36, ``Assignment of Payment'', CCC-37, ``Joint Payment Authorization...

78 FR 25101 - Credit Ratings Roundtable

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-29

... examine issues in connection with the possibility of developing a credit rating assignment system. The second panel will discuss the effectiveness of the Commission's current system under the Securities... focus on other potential alternatives to the current issuer pay business model. The roundtable...

7 CFR 1427.1205 - ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 1427... CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program § 1427.1205 ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter...

7 CFR 1427.1205 - ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 1427... CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program § 1427.1205 ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter...

7 CFR 1427.1205 - ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 1427... CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program § 1427.1205 ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter...

7 CFR 1427.1205 - ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 1427... CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program § 1427.1205 ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter...

7 CFR 1427.1205 - ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter Agreement. 1427... CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS COTTON Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Competitiveness Payment Program § 1427.1205 ELS Cotton Domestic User/Exporter...

47 CFR 97.501 - Qualifying for an amateur operator license.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....501 Section 97.501 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL... must pass, or otherwise receive examination credit for, the following examination elements: (a) Amateur Extra Class operator: Elements 2, 3, and 4; (b) General Class operator: Elements 2 and 3; (c) Technician...

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet.

PubMed

Estruch, Ramón; Ros, Emilio; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi; Covas, Maria-Isabel; Corella, Dolores; Arós, Fernando; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Valentina; Fiol, Miquel; Lapetra, José; Lamuela-Raventos, Rosa Maria; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Pintó, Xavier; Basora, Josep; Muñoz, Miguel Angel; Sorlí, José V; Martínez, José Alfredo; Martínez-González, Miguel Angel

2013-04-04

Observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial have shown an inverse association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk. We conducted a randomized trial of this diet pattern for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events. In a multicenter trial in Spain, we randomly assigned participants who were at high cardiovascular risk, but with no cardiovascular disease at enrollment, to one of three diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (advice to reduce dietary fat). Participants received quarterly individual and group educational sessions and, depending on group assignment, free provision of extra-virgin olive oil, mixed nuts, or small nonfood gifts. The primary end point was the rate of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes). On the basis of the results of an interim analysis, the trial was stopped after a median follow-up of 4.8 years. A total of 7447 persons were enrolled (age range, 55 to 80 years); 57% were women. The two Mediterranean-diet groups had good adherence to the intervention, according to self-reported intake and biomarker analyses. A primary end-point event occurred in 288 participants. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.54 to 0.92) and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.96) for the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with extra-virgin olive oil (96 events) and the group assigned to a Mediterranean diet with nuts (83 events), respectively, versus the control group (109 events). No diet-related adverse effects were reported. Among persons at high cardiovascular risk, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events. (Funded by the Spanish government's Instituto de Salud Carlos III and others; Controlled-Trials.com number, ISRCTN35739639.).

Communicative Differences between Domestic versus Foreign Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Punyanunt-Carter, Narissra; Wrench, Jason S.; Carter, Stacy L.; Linden, Daniel

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate college students' perceptions of their foreign and domestic classroom instructors. Two hundred and eleven college students participated in the study. The potential participants were approached and offered extra credit to participate, and all needed to have at least one domestic instructor and one…

Precollege (Remedial) Education. Washington's Community and Technical Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, 2015

2015-01-01

Washington's community and technical colleges are fundamentally transforming precollege (remedial) education to move students faster into credit-bearing classes. The state's colleges are working with high schools to prevent the need for remediation. They are also shortening the path for college students of all ages who need the extra help. Courses…

7 CFR 1450.9 - Assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Assignments. 1450.9 Section 1450.9 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP) Common Provisions...

7 CFR 1450.9 - Assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Assignments. 1450.9 Section 1450.9 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP) Common Provisions...

7 CFR 1450.9 - Assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Assignments. 1450.9 Section 1450.9 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP) Common Provisions...

7 CFR 1450.9 - Assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Assignments. 1450.9 Section 1450.9 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS BIOMASS CROP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (BCAP) Common Provisions...

13 CFR 117.20 - Supervision and coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Supervision and coordination. 117.20 Section 117.20 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NONDISCRIMINATION IN... AMENDED § 117.20 Supervision and coordination. The Administrator may from time to time assign to officials...

13 CFR 117.20 - Supervision and coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Supervision and coordination. 117.20 Section 117.20 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NONDISCRIMINATION IN... AMENDED § 117.20 Supervision and coordination. The Administrator may from time to time assign to officials...

13 CFR 117.20 - Supervision and coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Supervision and coordination. 117.20 Section 117.20 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NONDISCRIMINATION IN... AMENDED § 117.20 Supervision and coordination. The Administrator may from time to time assign to officials...

13 CFR 117.20 - Supervision and coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Supervision and coordination. 117.20 Section 117.20 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NONDISCRIMINATION IN... AMENDED § 117.20 Supervision and coordination. The Administrator may from time to time assign to officials...

13 CFR 117.20 - Supervision and coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Supervision and coordination. 117.20 Section 117.20 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NONDISCRIMINATION IN... AMENDED § 117.20 Supervision and coordination. The Administrator may from time to time assign to officials...

28 CFR 345.51 - Inmate pay.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (highest). (b) Eligibility. (1) An inmate shall accrue vacation time, longevity service credit, and shall receive holiday pay for the period of time the inmate is officially assigned to the Industries work detail... escape is not entitled to credit for time spent in Industries prior to said program failure. This rule...

Teaching Staff Advanced Training: European Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kovalchuk, Vasyl

2015-01-01

The issue of teaching staff advanced training is paid much attention in many countries. In the Republic of Moldova progressive professional credits system is used. Credits are scored not only in assigning teaching degrees or issuing a certificate of continuing professional education, but also for teachers' evaluation at the educational…

5 CFR 430.208 - Rating performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... only on the evaluation of actual job performance for the designated appraisal period. (2) An agency... limited to, assigning additional retention service credit under § 351.504 of this chapter. (5) Under the provisions of § 351.504(e) of this chapter, the number of years of additional retention service credit...

13 CFR 120.1015 - Risk Rating System.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Risk Rating System. 120.1015 Section 120.1015 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Risk-Based Lender Oversight Supervision § 120.1015 Risk Rating System. (a) Risk Rating. SBA may assign a Risk Rating...

Implementing Student-Level Random Assignment during Summer School: Lessons Learned from an Efficacy Study of Online Algebra I for Credit Recovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heppen, Jessica; Allensworth, Elaine; Walters, Kirk; Pareja, Amber Stitziel; Kurki, Anja; Nomi, Takako; Sorensen, Nicholas

2011-01-01

Credit recovery is one strategy to deal with high failure rates. The primary goal of credit recovery programs is to give students an opportunity to retake classes that they failed in an effort to get them back on track and keep them in school (Watson & Gemin, 2008). Most recently, as schools across the nation struggle to keep students on track…

12 CFR 701.14 - Change in official or senior executive officer in credit unions that are newly chartered or are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... following conditions: (i) Has been assigned (A) A 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the NCUA in the case of a federal credit union, or (B) An equivalent 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the state supervisor in the case of a federally insured, state-chartered credit union, or (C) A 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by...

12 CFR 701.14 - Change in official or senior executive officer in credit unions that are newly chartered or are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... following conditions: (i) Has been assigned (A) A 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the NCUA in the case of a federal credit union, or (B) An equivalent 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the state supervisor in the case of a federally insured, state-chartered credit union, or (C) A 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by...

12 CFR 701.14 - Change in official or senior executive officer in credit unions that are newly chartered or are...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... following conditions: (i) Has been assigned (A) A 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the NCUA in the case of a federal credit union, or (B) An equivalent 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by the state supervisor in the case of a federally insured, state-chartered credit union, or (C) A 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by...

7 CFR 1463.111 - Offsets and assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Offsets and assignments. 1463.111 Section 1463.111 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS 2005-2014 TOBACCO TRANSITION PROGRAM Tobacco...

Chronicle of Higher Education. Volume 51, Number 35, May 6, 2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chronicle of Higher Education, 2005

2005-01-01

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This May 6, 2005 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "No Extra Credit For You: If It's Exam Week, It Must Be Time for Students to Make…

The Detection of the Fake Good Response Set on the MMPI-2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Wayne

Patterns of responses to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) that typify deliberate deception of others (faking good) were studied using 100 undergraduates at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) who were given extra course credit for participation in the study. Females constituted 73% of the final subject pool. Each…

Students Shaping Dialogue at College Events: Ideas for Academic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Margaret

2009-01-01

Opportunities for intellectual exchanges outside of class are plentiful on college and university campuses, but these events are not fully integrated into the academic life of the college. Too often undergraduate students are motivated only by the prospect of earning extra credit to attend a campus event. This paper presents several ideas for…

Using the Community as a Classroom for Large Introductory Sociology Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corwin, Patricia

1996-01-01

Explores how a student service program can be implemented without a large staff and without cost, in large introductory sociology classes as part of an extra-credit project, while augmenting course material as an active learning component. Discusses a class that fits this description at North Dakota State University. (MJP)

Mainstreaming Remedial Mathematics Students in Introductory Statistics: Results Using a Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Logue, Alexandra W.; Watanabe-Rose, Mari

2014-01-01

This study used a randomized controlled trial to determine whether students, assessed by their community colleges as needing an elementary algebra (remedial) mathematics course, could instead succeed at least as well in a college-level, credit-bearing introductory statistics course with extra support (a weekly workshop). Researchers randomly…

Unrealistic Optimism in the Pursuit of Academic Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewine, Rich; Sommers, Alison A.

2016-01-01

Although the ability to evaluate one's own knowledge and performance is critical to learning, the correlation between students' self-evaluation and actual performance measures is modest at best. In this study we examine the effect of offering extra credit for students' accurate prediction (self-accuracy) of their performance on four exams in two…

Author Credit for Transdisciplinary Collaboration

PubMed Central

Xu, Jian; Ding, Ying; Malic, Vincent

2015-01-01

Transdisciplinary collaboration is the key for innovation. An evaluation mechanism is necessary to ensure that academic credit for this costly process can be allocated fairly among coauthors. This paper proposes a set of quantitative measures (e.g., t_credit and t_index) to reflect authors’ transdisciplinary contributions to publications. These measures are based on paper-topic probability distributions and author-topic probability distributions. We conduct an empirical analysis of the information retrieval domain which demonstrates that these measures effectively improve the results of harmonic_credit and h_index measures by taking into account the transdisciplinary contributions of authors. The definitions of t_credit and t_index provide a fair and effective way for research organizations to assign credit to authors of transdisciplinary publications. PMID:26375678

19 CFR 24.26 - Automated Clearinghouse credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...; payer identification number (importer number or Social Security number or Customs assigned number); and...; payer identifier (importer number or Social Security number or Customs assigned number or filer code if... or warehouse withdrawal number for a deferred tax payment, or bill number); payment type code...

7 CFR 250.50 - Contract requirements and procurement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... must also specify the method used to determine the donated food values to be used in crediting, or the actual values assigned, in accordance with § 250.51. The method used to determine the donated food values... agreements, and must ensure crediting of the recipient agency for the value of donated foods contained in...

Validation of a Formula for Assigning Continuing Education Credit to Printed Home Study Courses

PubMed Central

Hanson, Alan L.

2007-01-01

Objectives To reevaluate and validate the use of a formula for calculating the amount of continuing education credit to be awarded for printed home study courses. Methods Ten home study courses were selected for inclusion in a study to validate the formula, which is based on the number of words, number of final examination questions, and estimated difficulty level of the course. The amount of estimated credit calculated using the a priori formula was compared to the average amount of time required to complete each article based on pharmacists' self-reporting. Results A strong positive relationship between the amount of time required to complete the home study courses based on the a priori calculation and the times reported by pharmacists completing the 10 courses was found (p < 0.001). The correlation accounted for 86.2% of the total variability in the average pharmacist reported completion times (p < 0.001). Conclusions The formula offers an efficient and accurate means of determining the amount of continuing education credit that should be assigned to printed home study courses. PMID:19503705

7 CFR 1493.330 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC... exporter may assign the proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a facility payment... than one party, and may not, unless approved in advance by CCC, be subject to further assignment. Any...

7 CFR 1493.330 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC... exporter may assign the proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a facility payment... than one party, and may not, unless approved in advance by CCC, be subject to further assignment. Any...

Teaching Strategic Thinking on Oligopoly: Classroom Activity and Theoretic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Yongseung; Ryan, Michael

2017-01-01

This paper examines the use of a simple classroom activity, in which students are asked to take action representing either collusion or competition for extra credit to teach strategic thinking required in an oligopolistic market. We suggest that the classroom activity is first initiated prior to the teaching of oligopoly and then the instructor…

Do Bosses Give Extra Credit? Using the Classroom to Model Real-World Work Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campana, Kristie L.; Peterson, Jamie J.

2013-01-01

Recent college graduates are entering a competitive workforce that demands strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. However, many recent surveys and reports describe college graduates as deficient in these skills. For two courses at separate institutions, we each framed a course as a job, playing the role of a supervisor or…

In-Course Instructor-Guided Service Learning in a Community College General Psychology Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goomas, David T.; Weston, Melissa B.

2012-01-01

Students enrolled in two general psychology classes at El Centro College (ECC) of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) were offered the opportunity to earn extra credit by performing up to 20 hours of service learning. Benefits of service learning were observed in student development, including exploration of career possibilities,…

18 CFR 301.7 - Average System Cost methodology functionalization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... SYSTEM COST METHODOLOGY FOR SALES FROM UTILITIES TO BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION UNDER NORTHWEST POWER... functionalization under its Direct Analysis assigns costs, revenues, debits or credits based upon the actual and/or...) Functionalization methods. (1) Direct analysis, if allowed or required by Table 1, assigns costs, revenues, debits...

7 CFR 1493.330 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROGRAMS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC Facility Guarantee Program... proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a facility payment guarantee or the right to such..., unless approved in advance by CCC, be subject to further assignment. Any assignment may be made to one...

7 CFR 1493.330 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROGRAMS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC Facility Guarantee Program... proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a facility payment guarantee or the right to such..., unless approved in advance by CCC, be subject to further assignment. Any assignment may be made to one...

7 CFR 1493.330 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE EXPORT PROGRAMS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC Facility Guarantee Program... proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a facility payment guarantee or the right to such..., unless approved in advance by CCC, be subject to further assignment. Any assignment may be made to one...

The Effect of Randomized Homework Contingencies on College Students' Daily Homework and Unit Exam Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galyon, Charles E.; Voils, Kyle L.; Blondin, Carolyn A.; Williams, Robert L.

2015-01-01

Students in an introductory educational psychology course submitted answers to daily homework questions for which they received credit either for percentage of questions answered in every homework assignment or for the accuracy of their answers to 10% of randomly selected questions. Potential credit was the same under both homework contingencies,…

26 CFR 1.45G-1 - Railroad track maintenance credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... and J incurred QRTME in the amount of $1 million. Also, on December 6, 2006, J assigned for purposes... (b)(6) of this section) of a Class II railroad or Class III railroad during the taxable year, but... railroad track maintenance credit for the taxable year—(1) General amount. Except as provided in paragraph...

26 CFR 1.45G-1 - Railroad track maintenance credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... and J incurred QRTME in the amount of $1 million. Also, on December 6, 2006, J assigned for purposes... (b)(6) of this section) of a Class II railroad or Class III railroad during the taxable year, but... railroad track maintenance credit for the taxable year—(1) General amount. Except as provided in paragraph...

26 CFR 1.45G-1 - Railroad track maintenance credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... and J incurred QRTME in the amount of $1 million. Also, on December 6, 2006, J assigned for purposes... (b)(6) of this section) of a Class II railroad or Class III railroad during the taxable year, but... railroad track maintenance credit for the taxable year—(1) General amount. Except as provided in paragraph...

26 CFR 1.45G-1 - Railroad track maintenance credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... and J incurred QRTME in the amount of $1 million. Also, on December 6, 2006, J assigned for purposes... (b)(6) of this section) of a Class II railroad or Class III railroad during the taxable year, but... railroad track maintenance credit for the taxable year—(1) General amount. Except as provided in paragraph...

Collective credit allocation in science

PubMed Central

Shen, Hua-Wei; Barabási, Albert-László

2014-01-01

Collaboration among researchers is an essential component of the modern scientific enterprise, playing a particularly important role in multidisciplinary research. However, we continue to wrestle with allocating credit to the coauthors of publications with multiple authors, because the relative contribution of each author is difficult to determine. At the same time, the scientific community runs an informal field-dependent credit allocation process that assigns credit in a collective fashion to each work. Here we develop a credit allocation algorithm that captures the coauthors’ contribution to a publication as perceived by the scientific community, reproducing the informal collective credit allocation of science. We validate the method by identifying the authors of Nobel-winning papers that are credited for the discovery, independent of their positions in the author list. The method can also compare the relative impact of researchers working in the same field, even if they did not publish together. The ability to accurately measure the relative credit of researchers could affect many aspects of credit allocation in science, potentially impacting hiring, funding, and promotion decisions. PMID:25114238

Will Commodity Properties Affect Seller's Creditworthy: Evidence in C2C E-commerce Market in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Hui; Ling, Min

This paper finds out that the credit rating level shows significant difference among different sub-commodity markets in E-commerce, which provides room for sellers to get higher credit rating by entering businesses with higher average credit level before fraud. In order to study the influence of commodity properties on credit rating, this paper analyzes how commodity properties affect average crediting rating through the degree of information asymmetry, returns and costs of fraud, credibility perception and fraud tolerance. Empirical study shows that Delivery, average trading volume, average price and complaint possibility have decisive impacts on credit performance; brand market share, the degree of standardization and the degree of imitation also have a relatively less significant effect on credit rating. Finally, this paper suggests that important commodity properties should be introduced to modify reputation system, for preventing credit rating arbitrage behavior where sellers move into low-rating commodity after being assigned high credit rating.

12 CFR 567.6 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) [Reserved] (vi) Indirect ownership interests in pools of assets. Assets representing an indirect holding of a pool of assets, e.g., mutual funds, are assigned to risk-weight categories under this section based upon the risk weight that would be assigned to the assets in the portfolio of the pool. An...

12 CFR 167.6 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...) [Reserved] (vi) Indirect ownership interests in pools of assets. Assets representing an indirect holding of a pool of assets, e.g., mutual funds, are assigned to risk-weight categories under this section based upon the risk weight that would be assigned to the assets in the portfolio of the pool. An...

12 CFR 567.6 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...) [Reserved] (vi) Indirect ownership interests in pools of assets. Assets representing an indirect holding of a pool of assets, e.g., mutual funds, are assigned to risk-weight categories under this section based upon the risk weight that would be assigned to the assets in the portfolio of the pool. An...

12 CFR 700.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... CAMEL composite rating by NCUA; or (ii) A federally insured, state-chartered credit union that has been assigned a 4 or 5 CAMEL composite rating by either NCUA, after an on-site contact, or its state supervisor... union that has been assigned a 4 or 5 CAMEL rating by NCUA; or (ii) A federally insured, state-chartered...

An Economic Analysis of Academic Dishonesty and Its Deterrence in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Happel, Stephen K.; Jennings, Marianne M.

2008-01-01

Academic dishonesty--cheating--includes plagiarizing, receiving credit for work not one's own, copying assignments, copying from another's exam, taking another's exam, not doing individual work on individual assignments, failing to contribute to team projects, and other forms of deception about work and performance. Cheating is rampant on college…

Near-Miss Effects on Response Latencies and Win Estimations of Slot Machine Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Mark R.; Schreiber, James E.

2004-01-01

The present study examined the degree to which slot machine near-miss trials, or trials that displayed 2 of 3 winning symbols on the payoff line, affected response times and win estimations of 12 recreational slot machine players. Participants played a commercial slot machine in a casino-like laboratory for course extra-credit points. Videotaped…

26 CFR 1.46-9 - Requirements for taxpayers electing an extra one-half percent additional investment credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... otherwise. (3) No partial election. To reduce administrative costs, a plan may establish a ceiling on... not a partial election prohibited by § 1.46-8(c)(5). (4) Funding a TRASOP—(i) Employer contributions... pledge. A reduction may not yield a negative balance in a participant's account. (iii) Disposing of...

Rewarding Foreign Language Learning: Effects of the Swedish Grade Point Average Enhancement Initiative on Students' Motivation to Learn French

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, Alastair

2017-01-01

In order to reinstate interest and motivation for learning foreign languages (FLs) other than English, the Swedish government has recently reformed the system for admission to higher education. Upper secondary students who continue with the FL learnt in secondary school are rewarded with extra credits that considerably enhance their grade point…

77 FR 42024 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-17

...\\ SLPs in the original class (``SLP-Props'') are eligible for credits when adding liquidity on the Exchange. The amount of the credit is determined by the ``tier'' for which the SLP-Prop qualifies, which is based on (i) whether the SLP-Prop meets the 10% average or more quoting requirement in all assigned...

77 FR 1769 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-11

... liquidity on the Exchange. Currently, under a tiered structure of credits, a SLP that meets the 10% average... 50529 (August 15, 2011) (SR-NYSE-2011-39). $0.0020 credit per share per transaction if the SLP adds... all assigned SLP securities; and \\4\\ Consolidated ADV is equal to the volume reported by all exchanges...

77 FR 47471 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-08

...\\ The amount of the credit is currently determined by the ``tier'' that the SLP qualifies for, which is based on the SLP's level of quoting and the average daily volume (``ADV'') \\4\\ of liquidity added by the SLP in assigned securities. \\3\\ SLP credits are not applicable to executions of securities with a per...

75 FR 9856 - Policies To Promote Rural Radio Service and To Streamline Allotment and Assignment Procedures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-04

... credit. Still another alternative would be to offer a choice of either the appropriate new entrant... [email protected] , or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0531 (voice), 202-418-7365... station, a 25 or 35 percent tribal bidding credit; or to offer Tribes a choice of either the appropriate...

Moving toward policy development on assigning publication credit for oncology nurses' contributions to scholarly and scientific work.

PubMed

Ginn, D; Butler, L J

1998-05-01

The policy implications of a 1996 national nursing survey on the allocation of publication credit form of this paper. An earlier article (Butler & Ginn, 1997) describes and analyzes the outcome of the survey; the purpose here is to draw on that analysis, and on the relevant literature, to propose a starting place for discussion within the specialty of oncology and the nursing profession regarding assignment of credit for various contributions to collaborative scholarly work. After identifying the growing need for such a discussion and briefly highlighting the findings of the survey, the paper goes on to examine unacceptable practices in scholarly work and identify issues which should be resolved before collaborative work is undertaken. The final portion of the paper makes tentative suggestions as to principles and guidelines which might be applied to avoid disputes about the value of different contributions to a collaborative project. It is emphasized that the intention is not to advocate acceptance of the guidelines suggested here, but to create sufficient interest so that an approach to allocation of publication credit may be developed which will be consistent and relevant to the needs of the nursing profession.

Distance Learning Courses and Master of Arts in Physics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindgren, Richard; Thornton, Stephen

2006-11-01

More than twenty distance learning courses in physics have been taken by hundreds of High School Physics Teachers over the past 7 years. The success of these courses helped initiate our 30 credit Master of Arts in Physics Education degree program. We have graduated 28 teachers over the last 6 years and expect 13 more to graduate in 2006. The candidates earn 14 credits in residence at the University of Virginia and 16 credits online. This allows teachers to matriculate, while earning more than half the credits at home. Presently, there are over 50 Master degree candidates. Three of the five online courses utilize CD-ROMS with edited lectures of live Physics courses taught at the University of Virginia by Physics Professors recognized for their teaching. Homework and examinations are submitted using WebAssign. Local high school teachers and administrators proctor the examinations. General communication and pedagogical feedback on homework assignments and exams are submitted through Blackboard as well as email. Screen captured video shots of physics demonstrations are widely used in the audio chat room to facilitate discussion and also used on examinations. We will discuss the changes of our distance-learning model based on what has worked (or not) and new technology.

Maximization of Learning Speed Due to Neuronal Redundancy in Reinforcement Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiyama, Ken

2016-11-01

Adaptable neural activity contributes to the flexibility of human behavior, which is optimized in situations such as motor learning and decision making. Although learning signals in motor learning and decision making are low-dimensional, neural activity, which is very high dimensional, must be modified to achieve optimal performance based on the low-dimensional signal, resulting in a severe credit-assignment problem. Despite this problem, the human brain contains a vast number of neurons, leaving an open question: what is the functional significance of the huge number of neurons? Here, I address this question by analyzing a redundant neural network with a reinforcement-learning algorithm in which the numbers of neurons and output units are N and M, respectively. Because many combinations of neural activity can generate the same output under the condition of N ≫ M, I refer to the index N - M as neuronal redundancy. Although greater neuronal redundancy makes the credit-assignment problem more severe, I demonstrate that a greater degree of neuronal redundancy facilitates learning speed. Thus, in an apparent contradiction of the credit-assignment problem, I propose the hypothesis that a functional role of a huge number of neurons or a huge degree of neuronal redundancy is to facilitate learning speed.

An Empirical Study of Personal Response Technology for Improving Attendance and Learning in a Large Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Amy

2009-01-01

Student evaluations of a large General Psychology course indicate that students enjoy the class a great deal, yet attendance is low. An experiment was conducted to evaluate a personal response system as a solution. Attendance rose by 30% as compared to extra credit as an inducement, but was equivalent to offering pop quizzes. Performance on test…

Continuing Education Activities of the University of British Columbia, 1982-1983. A Report to the President, the Senate, and the Board of Governors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Univ., Vancouver.

Continuing education activities of the University of British Columbia for the 1982-1983 academic year are reported. Information is provided on: extra-sessional credit programs, guided independent study, the Centre for Continuing Education, the Division of Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, professional programs of the Faculty of Commerce…

Use of a supplementary internet based education program improves sleep literacy in college psychology students.

PubMed

Quan, Stuart F; Anderson, Janis L; Hodge, Gordon K

2013-02-01

Knowledge regarding the importance of sleep in health and performance and good sleep hygiene practices is low, especially among adolescents and young adults. It is important to improve sleep literacy. Introductory psychology is one of the most highly enrolled courses at colleges and universities. This study tested the impact of an Internet-based learning module on improving sleep literacy in this venue. An Internet-based supplementary learning module containing sleep physiology and hygiene information was developed using content from the Harvard Medical School sleep educational website http://www.understandingsleep.org. Access to the module was provided as an extra credit activity for 2 of 4 sections (Supplemental Sleep, SS, N = 889) of an introductory college psychology course during their standard instruction on sleep and dreaming. The remaining 2 sections (Standard Instruction, SI, N = 878) only were encouraged to visit the website without further direction. Level of knowledge was assessed before and after availability to the module/website and at the end of the semester. Students were asked to complete a survey at the end of the semester inquiring whether they made any changes in their sleep behaviors. Two hundred fifty students participated in the extra credit activity and had data available at all testing points. Students in the SS Group had a significant improvement in sleep knowledge test scores after interacting with the website in comparison to the SI group (19.41 ± 3.15 vs. 17.94 ± 3.08, p < 0.001). This difference persisted, although at a lower level, at the end of the semester. In addition, 55.9% of the SS group versus 45.1% of the SI group indicated that they made changes in their sleep habits after participation in the extra credit sleep activity (p < 0.01). The most common change was a more consistent wake time. Use of a supplementary internet-based sleep learning module has the potential to enhance sleep literacy and change behavior among students enrolled in an introductory college psychology course.

A Tale of Two Sections: An Experiment to Compare the Effectiveness of a Hybrid versus a Traditional Lecture Format in Introductory Microbiology

PubMed Central

Adams, Alison E. M.; Randall, Shelby; Traustadóttir, Tinna

2015-01-01

Two sections of an introductory microbiology course were taught by one instructor. One was taught through a hybrid format and the other through a traditional format. Students were randomly assigned to the two sections. Both sections were provided with identical lecture materials, in-class worksheets, in-class assessments, and extra credit opportunities; the main difference was in the way the lecture material was delivered—online for the hybrid section and in person for the traditional section. Analysis of final grades revealed that students in the traditional section did significantly better than those in the hybrid section (p < 0.001). There was a significant main effect of class standing (p < 0.01). When performance in the two sections was compared for each class year separately, the differences were only significant for sophomores (p < 0.001); freshmen, juniors, and seniors did not perform differently in the hybrid versus the traditional section. An anonymous midterm survey suggested factors likely contributing to the overall lower success of students in the hybrid section: some students in the hybrid section did not take lecture notes and/or use the audio component of the online lectures, suggesting minimal interaction with the lecture material for these students. PMID:25713096

Grading the Clinton administration's health care team.

PubMed

1994-01-01

Where health reform ends up this year--or next--is anyone's guess. But no one can dispute the enormous role the Clinton White House has played in getting the ball rolling. Even the Clintons' most ardent foes (and there are more than a few) acknowledge that the President and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton deserve enormous credit for putting the complex issue high on the public and political agenda. With those extra-credit points safely assured, the editorial staff of the Journal of American Health Policy is grading the efforts of 10 top health officials in the Clinton Administration. Our 1994 report card reflects individuals' leadership ability, credibility in dealing with the public, willingness to compromise, and role in improving health care for all Americans.

Arsenic in the evolution of earth and extraterrestrial ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oremland, R.S.; Saltikov, C.W.; Wolfe-Simon, Felisa; Stolz, J.F.

2009-01-01

If you were asked to speculate about the form extra-terrestrial life on Mars might take, which geomicrobial phenomenon might you select as a model system, assuming that life on Mars would be 'primitive'? Give your reasons. At the end of my senior year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1968, I took Professor Ehrlich's final for his Geomicrobiology course. The above question beckoned to me like the Sirens to Odysseus, for if I answered, it would take so much time and thought that I would never get around to the exam's other essay questions and consequently, would be "shipwrecked" by flunking the course. So, I passed it up. With this 41-year perspective in mind, this manuscript is now submitted to Professor Ehrlich for (belated) "extra-credit." R.S. Oremland ?? Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Parent-Aided Homework: A Working Model for School Personnel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, James R.

1983-01-01

Describes Parent-Aided Homework, a behavior modification program designed to encourage parent involvement in their child's homework. The PAH plan stresses positive reinforcement for successfully completed homework assignments. Parents enforce the agreed-on time limits and provide extra learning experiences and rewards. (JAC)

Parentage assignment and extra-group paternity in a cooperative breeder: the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis).

PubMed

Richardson, D S; Jury, F L; Blaakmeer, K; Komdeur, J; Burke, T

2001-09-01

We describe the development and initial application of a semiautomated parentage testing system in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis). This system used fluorescently labelled primers for 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in two multiplex loading groups to genotype efficiently over 96% of the warbler population on Cousin island. When used in conjunction with the program CERVUS, this system provided sufficient power to assign maternity and paternity within the Seychelles warbler, despite the complications associated with its cooperative breeding system and a relatively low level of genetic variation. Parentage analyses showed that subordinate 'helper' females as well as the dominant 'primary' females laid eggs in communal nests, indicating that the Seychelles warbler has an intermediate level of female reproductive skew, in between the alternative extremes of helper-at-the-nest and joint nesting systems. Forty-four per cent of helpers bred successfully, accounting for 15% of all offspring. Forty per cent of young resulted from extra-group paternity.

Direct study of minor extra-virgin olive oil components without any sample modification. 1H NMR multisupression experiment: A powerful tool.

PubMed

Ruiz-Aracama, Ainhoa; Goicoechea, Encarnación; Guillén, María D

2017-08-01

Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ( 1 H NMR) was employed to study monovarietal commercial Spanish extra-virgin olive oils (EVOO) (Arbequina, Arroniz, Cornicabra, Hojiblanca and Picual). Each sample was analyzed by a standard pulse and by an experiment suppressing the main lipid signals, enabling the detection of signals of minor components. The aim was to determine the possibilities of both 1 H NMR approaches to characterize EVOO composition, focusing on acyl groups, squalene, sterols, triterpene acids/esters, fatty alcohols, wax esters and phenols (lignans, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, oleocanthal, oleacein, oleokoronal, oleomissional, ligstrodials and oleuropeindials), and to determine hydrolysis and oxidation levels. The signal assignments (in deuterated chloroform) are thoroughly described, identifying for the first time those of the protons of esters of phytol and of geranylgeraniol. Correct signal assignment is fundamental for obtaining sound results when interpreting statistical data from metabolomic studies of EVOO composition and adulteration, making it possible to differentiate and classify oils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mammography screening credit card and compliance.

PubMed

Schapira, D V; Kumar, N B; Clark, R A; Yag, C

1992-07-15

Screening for breast cancer using mammography has been shown to be effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer. The authors attempted to determine if use of a wallet-size plastic screening "credit" card would increase participants' compliance for subsequent mammograms when compared with traditional methods of increasing compliance. Two hundred and twenty consecutive women, ages 40-70 years, undergoing their first screening mammography were recruited and assigned randomly to four groups receiving (1) a reminder plastic credit card (2) reminder credit card with written reminder; (3) appointment card; and (4) verbal recommendation. Return rates of the four groups were determined after 15 months. The return rate for subsequent mammograms was significantly higher for participants (72.4%) using the credit card than for participants (39.8%) exposed to traditional encouragement/reminders (P less than 0.0001). The credit card was designed to show the participant's screening anniversary, and the durability of the card may have been a factor in increasing the return rate. The use of reminder credit cards may increase compliance for periodic screening examinations for other cancers and other chronic diseases.

Computer-assisted instruction in programming: AID

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friend, J.; Atkinson, R. C.

1971-01-01

Lessons for training students on how to program and operate computers to and AID language are given. The course consists of a set of 50 lessons, plus summaries, reviews, tests, and extra credit problems. No prior knowledge is needed for the course, the only requirement being a strong background in algebra. A student manual, which includes instruction for operating the instructional program and a glossary of terms used in the course, is included in the appendices.

7 CFR 1488.17 - Assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Miscellaneous... under the financing agreement, in whole or in part, without written approval of the Vice President, CCC, or the Controller, CCC. ...

7 CFR 1488.17 - Assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Miscellaneous... under the financing agreement, in whole or in part, without written approval of the Vice President, CCC, or the Controller, CCC. ...

7 CFR 1488.17 - Assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Miscellaneous... under the financing agreement, in whole or in part, without written approval of the Vice President, CCC, or the Controller, CCC. ...

Specializations for reward-guided decision-making in the primate ventral prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Murray, Elisabeth A; Rudebeck, Peter H

2018-05-23

The estimated values of choices, and therefore decision-making based on those values, are influenced by both the chance that the chosen items or goods can be obtained (availability) and their current worth (desirability) as well as by the ability to link the estimated values to choices (a process sometimes called credit assignment). In primates, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been thought to contribute to each of these processes; however, causal relationships between particular subdivisions of the PFC and specific functions have been difficult to establish. Recent lesion-based research studies have defined the roles of two different parts of the primate PFC - the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the ventral lateral frontal cortex (VLFC) - and their subdivisions in evaluating each of these factors and in mediating credit assignment during reward-based decision-making.

Credit assignment in movement-dependent reinforcement learning

PubMed Central

Boggess, Matthew J.; Crossley, Matthew J.; Parvin, Darius; Ivry, Richard B.; Taylor, Jordan A.

2016-01-01

When a person fails to obtain an expected reward from an object in the environment, they face a credit assignment problem: Did the absence of reward reflect an extrinsic property of the environment or an intrinsic error in motor execution? To explore this problem, we modified a popular decision-making task used in studies of reinforcement learning, the two-armed bandit task. We compared a version in which choices were indicated by key presses, the standard response in such tasks, to a version in which the choices were indicated by reaching movements, which affords execution failures. In the key press condition, participants exhibited a strong risk aversion bias; strikingly, this bias reversed in the reaching condition. This result can be explained by a reinforcement model wherein movement errors influence decision-making, either by gating reward prediction errors or by modifying an implicit representation of motor competence. Two further experiments support the gating hypothesis. First, we used a condition in which we provided visual cues indicative of movement errors but informed the participants that trial outcomes were independent of their actual movements. The main result was replicated, indicating that the gating process is independent of participants’ explicit sense of control. Second, individuals with cerebellar degeneration failed to modulate their behavior between the key press and reach conditions, providing converging evidence of an implicit influence of movement error signals on reinforcement learning. These results provide a mechanistically tractable solution to the credit assignment problem. PMID:27247404

Credit assignment in movement-dependent reinforcement learning.

PubMed

McDougle, Samuel D; Boggess, Matthew J; Crossley, Matthew J; Parvin, Darius; Ivry, Richard B; Taylor, Jordan A

2016-06-14

When a person fails to obtain an expected reward from an object in the environment, they face a credit assignment problem: Did the absence of reward reflect an extrinsic property of the environment or an intrinsic error in motor execution? To explore this problem, we modified a popular decision-making task used in studies of reinforcement learning, the two-armed bandit task. We compared a version in which choices were indicated by key presses, the standard response in such tasks, to a version in which the choices were indicated by reaching movements, which affords execution failures. In the key press condition, participants exhibited a strong risk aversion bias; strikingly, this bias reversed in the reaching condition. This result can be explained by a reinforcement model wherein movement errors influence decision-making, either by gating reward prediction errors or by modifying an implicit representation of motor competence. Two further experiments support the gating hypothesis. First, we used a condition in which we provided visual cues indicative of movement errors but informed the participants that trial outcomes were independent of their actual movements. The main result was replicated, indicating that the gating process is independent of participants' explicit sense of control. Second, individuals with cerebellar degeneration failed to modulate their behavior between the key press and reach conditions, providing converging evidence of an implicit influence of movement error signals on reinforcement learning. These results provide a mechanistically tractable solution to the credit assignment problem.

Navigating complex decision spaces: Problems and paradigms in sequential choice

PubMed Central

Walsh, Matthew M.; Anderson, John R.

2015-01-01

To behave adaptively, we must learn from the consequences of our actions. Doing so is difficult when the consequences of an action follow a delay. This introduces the problem of temporal credit assignment. When feedback follows a sequence of decisions, how should the individual assign credit to the intermediate actions that comprise the sequence? Research in reinforcement learning provides two general solutions to this problem: model-free reinforcement learning and model-based reinforcement learning. In this review, we examine connections between stimulus-response and cognitive learning theories, habitual and goal-directed control, and model-free and model-based reinforcement learning. We then consider a range of problems related to temporal credit assignment. These include second-order conditioning and secondary reinforcers, latent learning and detour behavior, partially observable Markov decision processes, actions with distributed outcomes, and hierarchical learning. We ask whether humans and animals, when faced with these problems, behave in a manner consistent with reinforcement learning techniques. Throughout, we seek to identify neural substrates of model-free and model-based reinforcement learning. The former class of techniques is understood in terms of the neurotransmitter dopamine and its effects in the basal ganglia. The latter is understood in terms of a distributed network of regions including the prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobes cerebellum, and basal ganglia. Not only do reinforcement learning techniques have a natural interpretation in terms of human and animal behavior, but they also provide a useful framework for understanding neural reward valuation and action selection. PMID:23834192

Neural Correlates of Temporal Credit Assignment in the Parietal Lobe

PubMed Central

Eisenberg, Ian; Gottlieb, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

Empirical studies of decision making have typically assumed that value learning is governed by time, such that a reward prediction error arising at a specific time triggers temporally-discounted learning for all preceding actions. However, in natural behavior, goals must be acquired through multiple actions, and each action can have different significance for the final outcome. As is recognized in computational research, carrying out multi-step actions requires the use of credit assignment mechanisms that focus learning on specific steps, but little is known about the neural correlates of these mechanisms. To investigate this question we recorded neurons in the monkey lateral intraparietal area (LIP) during a serial decision task where two consecutive eye movement decisions led to a final reward. The underlying decision trees were structured such that the two decisions had different relationships with the final reward, and the optimal strategy was to learn based on the final reward at one of the steps (the “F” step) but ignore changes in this reward at the remaining step (the “I” step). In two distinct contexts, the F step was either the first or the second in the sequence, controlling for effects of temporal discounting. We show that LIP neurons had the strongest value learning and strongest post-decision responses during the transition after the F step regardless of the serial position of this step. Thus, the neurons encode correlates of temporal credit assignment mechanisms that allocate learning to specific steps independently of temporal discounting. PMID:24523935

Use of a Supplementary Internet Based Education Program Improves Sleep Literacy in College Psychology Students

PubMed Central

Quan, Stuart F.; Anderson, Janis L.; Hodge, Gordon K.

2013-01-01

Introduction: Knowledge regarding the importance of sleep in health and performance and good sleep hygiene practices is low, especially among adolescents and young adults. It is important to improve sleep literacy. Introductory psychology is one of the most highly enrolled courses at colleges and universities. This study tested the impact of an Internet-based learning module on improving sleep literacy in this venue. Methods: An Internet-based supplementary learning module containing sleep physiology and hygiene information was developed using content from the Harvard Medical School sleep educational website http://www.understandingsleep.org. Access to the module was provided as an extra credit activity for 2 of 4 sections (Supplemental Sleep, SS, N = 889) of an introductory college psychology course during their standard instruction on sleep and dreaming. The remaining 2 sections (Standard Instruction, SI, N = 878) only were encouraged to visit the website without further direction. Level of knowledge was assessed before and after availability to the module/website and at the end of the semester. Students were asked to complete a survey at the end of the semester inquiring whether they made any changes in their sleep behaviors. Results: Two hundred fifty students participated in the extra credit activity and had data available at all testing points. Students in the SS Group had a significant improvement in sleep knowledge test scores after interacting with the website in comparison to the SI group (19.41 ± 3.15 vs. 17.94 ± 3.08, p < 0.001). This difference persisted, although at a lower level, at the end of the semester. In addition, 55.9% of the SS group versus 45.1% of the SI group indicated that they made changes in their sleep habits after participation in the extra credit sleep activity (p < 0.01). The most common change was a more consistent wake time. Conclusion: Use of a supplementary internet-based sleep learning module has the potential to enhance sleep literacy and change behavior among students enrolled in an introductory college psychology course. Citation: Quan SF; Anderson JL; Hodge GK. Use of a supplementary internet based education program improves sleep literacy in college psychology students. J Clin Sleep Med 2013;9(2):155-160. PMID:23372469

Planning and Implementing a Hospital Recycling Program at Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-01

communities have refused to license incinerators, saying "not in my back yard!" Recycling is quick, it’s economical, it can save natural resources, and...total costs - total credits) 4. Net Savings <Costs>: Present disposal Net recycling Net savings costs program costs <costs> * Assign only a...RECYCLING PROGRAM COSTS $ 9,739 (total costs - total credits) 4. Net Savings <Costs>: $ 9.287 _ $ 9.739 - S > Present disposal Net recycling Net

Efficient Credit Assignment through Evaluation Function Decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agogino, Adrian; Turner, Kagan; Mikkulainen, Risto

2005-01-01

Evolutionary methods are powerful tools in discovering solutions for difficult continuous tasks. When such a solution is encoded over multiple genes, a genetic algorithm faces the difficult credit assignment problem of evaluating how a single gene in a chromosome contributes to the full solution. Typically a single evaluation function is used for the entire chromosome, implicitly giving each gene in the chromosome the same evaluation. This method is inefficient because a gene will get credit for the contribution of all the other genes as well. Accurately measuring the fitness of individual genes in such a large search space requires many trials. This paper instead proposes turning this single complex search problem into a multi-agent search problem, where each agent has the simpler task of discovering a suitable gene. Gene-specific evaluation functions can then be created that have better theoretical properties than a single evaluation function over all genes. This method is tested in the difficult double-pole balancing problem, showing that agents using gene-specific evaluation functions can create a successful control policy in 20 percent fewer trials than the best existing genetic algorithms. The method is extended to more distributed problems, achieving 95 percent performance gains over tradition methods in the multi-rover domain.

Visual Survey of Infantry Troops. Part 1. Visual Acuity, Refractive Status, Interpupillary Distance and Visual Skills

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

letters on one line and several letters on the next line, there is no accurate way to credit these extra letters for statistical analysis. The decimal and...contains the descriptive statistics of the objective refractive error components of infantrymen. Figures 8-11 show the frequency distributions for sphere...equivalents. Nonspectacle wearers Table 12 contains the idescriptive statistics for non- spectacle wearers. Based or these refractive error data, about 30

75 FR 8104 - Information Collection for Tax Credit Bonds for Bureau of Indian Affairs-Funded Schools

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-23

... Affairs-Funded Schools,'' which has been assigned Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number... Tribes interested in obtaining an allocation of the bonding authority to finance construction...

Detection and quantification of extra virgin olive oil adulteration by means of autofluorescence excitation-emission profiles combined with multi-way classification.

PubMed

Durán Merás, Isabel; Domínguez Manzano, Jaime; Airado Rodríguez, Diego; Muñoz de la Peña, Arsenio

2018-02-01

Within olive oils, extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality and, in consequence, the most expensive one. Because of that, it is common that some merchants attempt to take economic advantage by mixing it up with other less expensive oils, like olive oil or olive pomace oil. In consequence, the characterization and authentication of extra virgin olive oils is a subject of great interest, both for industry and consumers. This paper reports the potential of front-face total fluorescence spectroscopy combined with second-order chemometric methods for the detection of extra virgin olive oils adulteration with other olive oils. Excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) of extra virgin olive oils and extra virgin olive oils adulterated with olive oils or with olive pomace oils were recorded using front-face fluorescence spectroscopy. The full information content in these fluorescence images was analyzed with the aid of unsupervised parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), PARAFAC supervised by linear discriminant analysis (LDA-PARAFAC), and discriminant unfolded partial least-squares (DA-UPLS). The discriminant ability of LDA-PARAFAC was studied through the tridimensional plots of the canonical vectors, defining a surface separating the established categories. For DA-UPLS, the discriminant ability was established through the bidimensional plots of predicted values of calibration and validation samples, in order to assign each sample to a given class. The models demonstrated the possibility of detecting adulterations of extra virgin olive oils with percentages of around 15% and 3% of olive and olive pomace oils, respectively. Also, UPLS regression was used to quantify the adulteration level of extra virgin olive oils with olive oils or with olive pomace oils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reward Activates Stimulus-Specific and Task-Dependent Representations in Visual Association Cortices

PubMed Central

Muller, Timothy; Yeung, Nick; Waszak, Florian

2014-01-01

Humans reliably learn which actions lead to rewards. One prominent question is how credit is assigned to environmental stimuli that are acted upon. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have provided evidence that representations of rewarded stimuli are activated upon reward delivery, providing possible eligibility traces for credit assignment. Our study sought evidence of postreward activation in sensory cortices satisfying two conditions of instrumental learning: postreward activity should reflect the stimulus category that preceded reward (stimulus specificity), and should occur only if the stimulus was acted on to obtain reward (task dependency). Our experiment implemented two tasks in the fMRI scanner. The first was a perceptual decision-making task on degraded face and house stimuli. Stimulus specificity was evident as rewards activated the sensory cortices associated with face versus house perception more strongly after face versus house decisions, respectively, particularly in the fusiform face area. Stimulus specificity was further evident in a psychophysiological interaction analysis wherein face-sensitive areas correlated with nucleus accumbens activity after face-decision rewards, whereas house-sensitive areas correlated with nucleus accumbens activity after house-decision rewards. The second task required participants to make an instructed response. The criterion of task dependency was fulfilled as rewards after face versus house responses activated the respective association cortices to a larger degree when faces and houses were relevant to the performed task. Our study is the first to show that postreward sensory cortex activity meets these two key criteria of credit assignment, and does so independently from bottom-up perceptual processing. PMID:25411489

Modulated Structures of Homologous Compounds In MO 3(ZnO) m( M=In, Ga; m=Integer) Described by Four-Dimensional Superspace Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chunfei; Bando, Yoshio; Nakamura, Masaki; Onoda, Mitsuko; Kimizuka, Noboru

1998-09-01

The modulated structures appearing in the homologous compounds InMO3(ZnO)m(M=In, Ga;m=integer) were observed by using a high-resoultion transmission electron microscope and are described based on a four-dimensional superspace group. The electron diffraction patterns for compounds withmlarger than 6 reveal extra spots, indicating the formation of a modulated structure. The subcell structures form=odd and even numbers are assigned to be either monoclinic or orthorhombic, respectively. On the other hand, extra spots can be indexed by one-dimensional modulated structure. The possible space groups for the subcell structure areCm,C2, andC2/mform=odd numbers, while those form=even numbers areCcm21andCcmm, respectively. Then, corresponding possible superspace groups are assigned to bePC2s,PCmoverline1, andPC2/msoverline1for oddmnumbers andPCcm211overline1overline1andPCcmm1overline11for evenmnumbers. Based on the superspace group determination, a structure model for a one-dimensional modulated structure is proposed.

The Effects of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Developments on Neighborhoods.

PubMed

Baum-Snow, Nathaniel; Marion, Justin

2009-06-01

This paper evaluates the impacts of new housing developments funded with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the largest federal project based housing program in the U.S., on the neighborhoods in which they are built. A discontinuity in the formula determining the magnitude of tax credits as a function of neighborhood characteristics generates pseudo-random assignment in the number of low income housing units built in similar sets of census tracts. Tracts where projects are awarded 30 percent higher tax credits receive approximately six more low income housing units on a base of seven units per tract. These additional new low income developments cause homeowner turnover to rise, raise property values in declining areas and reduce incomes in gentrifying areas in neighborhoods near the 30th percentile of the income distribution. LIHTC units significantly crowd out nearby new rental construction in gentrifying areas but do not displace new construction in stable or declining areas.

The Coast Artillery Journal. Volume 82, Number 4 July-August 1939

DTIC Science & Technology

1939-08-01

instruction of those examinees requiring it. 8. They save time and money , especially in National Guard organizations where boards generally call for extra...renCIes. Neutral countries were willing to lend money part of them, and it is also quite certain that the total of and .grant credit because in years of...And anyhow, where was the money coming from? The central govern- ment had few sources of income; it was entirely depend- ent upon the fiercely

Expert Systems for the Scheduling of Image Processing Tasks on a Parallel Processing System

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

existed for over twenty years. Credit for designing and implementing the first computer vision system is usually given to L. G . Roberts [Robe65]. With...hardware differences between systems. 44 LIST OF REFERENCES [Adam82] G . B. Adams III and H. J. Siegel, "The Extra Stage Cube: a Fault-Tolerant...Academic Press, 1985 [Robe65] L. G . Roberts, "Machine Perception of Three-Dimensional Solids," in Optical and Electro-Optical Information Processing, ed. J

Symmetric reconfigurable capacity assignment in a bidirectional DWDM access network.

PubMed

Ortega, Beatriz; Mora, José; Puerto, Gustavo; Capmany, José

2007-12-10

This paper presents a novel architecture for DWDM bidirectional access networks providing symmetric dynamic capacity allocation for both downlink and uplink signals. A foldback arrayed waveguide grating incorporating an optical switch enables the experimental demonstration of flexible assignment of multiservice capacity. Different analog and digital services, such as CATV, 10 GHz-tone, 155Mb/s PRBS and UMTS signals have been transmitted in order to successfully test the system performance under different scenarios of total capacity distribution from the Central Station to different Base Stations with two reconfigurable extra channels for each down and upstream direction.

12 CFR 228.28 - Assigned ratings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... bank's performance under the lending, investment and service tests, the community development test, the small bank performance standards, or an approved strategic plan, as applicable. (b) Lending, investment... credit practices. (1) The Board's evaluation of a bank's CRA performance is adversely affected by...

Automatic Identification and Quantification of Extra-Well Fluorescence in Microarray Images.

PubMed

Rivera, Robert; Wang, Jie; Yu, Xiaobo; Demirkan, Gokhan; Hopper, Marika; Bian, Xiaofang; Tahsin, Tasnia; Magee, D Mitchell; Qiu, Ji; LaBaer, Joshua; Wallstrom, Garrick

2017-11-03

In recent studies involving NAPPA microarrays, extra-well fluorescence is used as a key measure for identifying disease biomarkers because there is evidence to support that it is better correlated with strong antibody responses than statistical analysis involving intraspot intensity. Because this feature is not well quantified by traditional image analysis software, identification and quantification of extra-well fluorescence is performed manually, which is both time-consuming and highly susceptible to variation between raters. A system that could automate this task efficiently and effectively would greatly improve the process of data acquisition in microarray studies, thereby accelerating the discovery of disease biomarkers. In this study, we experimented with different machine learning methods, as well as novel heuristics, for identifying spots exhibiting extra-well fluorescence (rings) in microarray images and assigning each ring a grade of 1-5 based on its intensity and morphology. The sensitivity of our final system for identifying rings was found to be 72% at 99% specificity and 98% at 92% specificity. Our system performs this task significantly faster than a human, while maintaining high performance, and therefore represents a valuable tool for microarray image analysis.

75 FR 11582 - West Virginia Disaster # WV-00015

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-11

.... Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/02/2010. ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan.../2010, Private Non- Profit organizations that provide essential services of governmental nature may file... Economic Injury: Non-Profit Organizations without Credit Available 3.000 Elsewhere The number assigned to...

76 FR 56861 - Pennsylvania Disaster #PA-00043

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-14

.../2011. Effective Date: 09/03/2011. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 11/02/2011. Economic Injury...- Profit organizations that provide essential services of governmental nature may file disaster loan... Economic Injury: Non-Profit Organizations without Credit Available Elsewhere 3.000 The number assigned to...

5 CFR 410.101 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... supports agency goals by improving organizational performance at any appropriate level in the agency, as... and performance objectives; (2) Improves an employee's current job performance; (3) Allows for..., United States Code. (i) Established contact hours are the number of academic credit hours assigned to a...

12 CFR 25.28 - Assigned ratings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... on the bank's performance under the lending, investment and service tests, the community development test, the small bank performance standards, or an approved strategic plan, as applicable. (b) Lending... credit practices. (1) The OCC's evaluation of a bank's CRA performance is adversely affected by evidence...

Improve ay101 teaching by single modifications versus unchanged controls: statistically-supported examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Gene G.; Byrd, Dana

2017-06-01

The two main purposes of this paper on improving Ay101 courses are presentations of (1) some very effective single changes and (2) a method to improve teaching by making just single changes which are evaluated statistically versus a control group class. We show how simple statistical comparison can be done even with Excel in Windows. Of course, other more sophisticated and powerful methods could be used if available. One of several examples to be discussed on our poster is our modification of an online introductory astronomy lab course evaluated by the multiple choice final exam. We composed questions related to the learning objectives of the course modules (LOQs). Students could “talk to themselves” by discursively answering these for extra credit prior to the final. Results were compared to an otherwise identical previous unmodified class. Modified classes showed statistically much better final exam average scores (78% vs. 66%). This modification helped those students who most need help. Students in the lower third of the class preferentially answered the LOQs to improve their scores and the class average on the exam. These results also show the effectiveness of relevant extra credit work. Other examples will be discussed as specific examples of evaluating improvement by making one change and then testing it versus a control. Essentially, this is an evolutionary approach in which single favorable “mutations” are retained and the unfavorable removed. The temptation to make more than one change each time must be resisted!

Evaluating the impact of a classroom response system in a microbiology course.

PubMed

Suchman, Erica; Uchiyama, Kay; Smith, Ralph; Bender, Kim

2006-05-01

The use of a Classroom Response System (CRS) was evaluated in two sections, A and B, of a large lecture microbiology course. In Section B the instructor used the CRS technology at the beginning of the class period posing a question on content from the previous class. Students could earn extra credit if they answered the question correctly. In Section A, the class also began with an extra credit CRS question. However, CRS questions were integrated into the lecture during the entire class period. We compared the two classes to see if augmenting lectures with this technology increased student learning, confidence, attendance, and the instructor's ability to respond to student's misconceptions, over simply using the CRS as a quizzing tool. Student performance was compared using shared examination questions. The questions were categorized by how the content had been presented in class. All questions came from instructors' common lecture content, some without CRS use, and some questions where Instructor A used both lecture and CRS questions. Although Section A students scored significantly better on both types of examination questions, there was no demonstrable difference in learning based on CRS question participation. However, student survey data showed that students in Section A expressed higher confidence levels in their learning and knowledge and indicated that they interacted more with other students than did the students in Section B. In addition, Instructor A recorded more modifications to lecture content and recorded more student interaction in the course than did Instructor B.

Evaluating the Impact of a Classroom Response System in a Microbiology Course

PubMed Central

SUCHMAN, ERICA; UCHIYAMA, KAY; SMITH, RALPH; BENDER, KIM

2006-01-01

The use of a Classroom Response System (CRS) was evaluated in two sections, A and B, of a large lecture microbiology course. In Section B the instructor used the CRS technology at the beginning of the class period posing a question on content from the previous class. Students could earn extra credit if they answered the question correctly. In Section A, the class also began with an extra credit CRS question. However, CRS questions were integrated into the lecture during the entire class period. We compared the two classes to see if augmenting lectures with this technology increased student learning, confidence, attendance, and the instructor’s ability to respond to student’s misconceptions, over simply using the CRS as a quizzing tool. Student performance was compared using shared examination questions. The questions were categorized by how the content had been presented in class. All questions came from instructors’ common lecture content, some without CRS use, and some questions where Instructor A used both lecture and CRS questions. Although Section A students scored significantly better on both types of examination questions, there was no demonstrable difference in learning based on CRS question participation. However, student survey data showed that students in Section A expressed higher confidence levels in their learning and knowledge and indicated that they interacted more with other students than did the students in Section B. In addition, Instructor A recorded more modifications to lecture content and recorded more student interaction in the course than did Instructor B. PMID:23653562

31P NMR spectroscopy in the quality control and authentication of extra-virgin olive oil: a review of recent progress.

PubMed

Dais, Photis; Spyros, Apostolos

2007-05-01

This review is a brief account on the application of a novel methodology to the quality control and authentication of extra-virgin olive oil. This methodology is based on the derivatization of the labile hydrogens of functional groups, such as hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, of olive oil constituents with the phosphorus reagent 2-chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyldioxaphospholane, and the use of the (31)P chemical shifts to identify the phosphitylated compounds. Various experimental aspects such as pertinent instrumentation, sample preparation, acquisition parameters and properties of the phosphorus reagent are reviewed. The strategy to assign the (31)P signals of the phosphitylated model compounds and olive oil constituents by employing 1D and 2D NMR experiments is presented. Finally, the capability of this technique to assess the quality and the genuineness of extra-virgin olive oil and to detect fraud is discussed. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rewarding peer reviewers: maintaining the integrity of science communication.

PubMed

Gasparyan, Armen Yuri; Gerasimov, Alexey N; Voronov, Alexander A; Kitas, George D

2015-04-01

This article overviews currently available options for rewarding peer reviewers. Rewards and incentives may help maintain the quality and integrity of scholarly publications. Publishers around the world implemented a variety of financial and nonfinancial mechanisms for incentivizing their best reviewers. None of these is proved effective on its own. A strategy of combined rewards and credits for the reviewers1 creative contributions seems a workable solution. Opening access to reviews and assigning publication credits to the best reviews is one of the latest achievements of digitization. Reviews, posted on academic networking platforms, such as Publons, add to the transparency of the whole system of peer review. Reviewer credits, properly counted and displayed on individual digital profiles, help distinguish the best contributors, invite them to review and offer responsible editorial posts.

Rewarding Peer Reviewers: Maintaining the Integrity of Science Communication

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This article overviews currently available options for rewarding peer reviewers. Rewards and incentives may help maintain the quality and integrity of scholarly publications. Publishers around the world implemented a variety of financial and nonfinancial mechanisms for incentivizing their best reviewers. None of these is proved effective on its own. A strategy of combined rewards and credits for the reviewers1 creative contributions seems a workable solution. Opening access to reviews and assigning publication credits to the best reviews is one of the latest achievements of digitization. Reviews, posted on academic networking platforms, such as Publons, add to the transparency of the whole system of peer review. Reviewer credits, properly counted and displayed on individual digital profiles, help distinguish the best contributors, invite them to review and offer responsible editorial posts. PMID:25829801

78 FR 20370 - Connecticut Disaster # CT-00031

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-04

.../2013. Effective Date: 03/21/2013. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 05/20/2013. Economic Injury... organizations that provide essential services of governmental nature may file disaster loan applications at the... Economic Injury: Non-profit Organizations without Credit Available Elsewhere 2.875 The number assigned to...

78 FR 26667 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-07

... first panel will examine issues in connection with the possibility of developing a credit rating assignment system. The second panel will discuss the effectiveness of the Commission's current system under.... The third panel will focus on other potential alternatives to the current issuer pay business model...

7 CFR 1488.17 - Assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS FINANCING OF SALES OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES Financing of Export Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5... payable under the financing agreement, in whole or in part, without written approval of the Vice President...

7 CFR 1488.17 - Assignment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS FINANCING OF SALES OF AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES Financing of Export Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5... payable under the financing agreement, in whole or in part, without written approval of the Vice President...

78 FR 48763 - Vermont Disaster #VT-00027

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-09

.... Effective Date: 08/02/2013. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 10/01/2013. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan... that provide essential services of governmental nature may file disaster loan applications at the... Economic Injury: Non-Profit Organizations Without Credit Available 2.875 Elsewhere The number assigned to...

Astronaut Gregory Jarvis during KC-135 zero gravity training

NASA Image and Video Library

1985-01-25

S85-26106 (25 Jan. 1985) --- Astronaut Gregory Jarvis gets a familiarization session in weightlessness aboard a KC-135 "zero gravity" aircraft. Jarvis was originally assigned as payload specialist to STS-51D but was reassigned to STS-51L. Photo credit: NASA

Make Log Yield Analysis Part of Your Daily Routine

Treesearch

Jan Wiedenbeck; Jeff Palmer; Robert Mayer

2006-01-01

You haven't been conducting regular log yield studies because you don't have extra people to assign to the task. Besides, you've been around sawmills your whole life and have an innate sense of how your logs are yielding relative to the price you paid for them. Right? At the USDA Forest Service's hardwood marketing and utilization research lab in...

Foreign Language Projects for the Gifted Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Carol L.; McKay, Martin D.

A language program often provides for the needs of gifted students by extra assignments or independent study. What is needed is a way to provide them with valid projects that do not add significantly to the teacher's work load. One way to do this is to plan lessons on an individual basis for the gifted student and to expand them for use with an…

Efficiency and credit ratings: a permutation-information-theory analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez Bariviera, Aurelio; Zunino, Luciano; Belén Guercio, M.; Martinez, Lisana B.; Rosso, Osvaldo A.

2013-08-01

The role of credit rating agencies has been under severe scrutiny after the subprime crisis. In this paper we explore the relationship between credit ratings and informational efficiency of a sample of thirty nine corporate bonds of US oil and energy companies from April 2008 to November 2012. For this purpose we use a powerful statistical tool, relatively new in the financial literature: the complexity-entropy causality plane. This representation space allows us to graphically classify the different bonds according to their degree of informational efficiency. We find that this classification agrees with the credit ratings assigned by Moody’s. In particular, we detect the formation of two clusters, which correspond to the global categories of investment and speculative grades. Regarding the latter cluster, two subgroups reflect distinct levels of efficiency. Additionally, we also find an intriguing absence of correlation between informational efficiency and firm characteristics. This allows us to conclude that the proposed permutation-information-theory approach provides an alternative practical way to justify bond classification.

The Effects of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Developments on Neighborhoods

PubMed Central

Baum-Snow, Nathaniel; Marion, Justin

2013-01-01

This paper evaluates the impacts of new housing developments funded with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the largest federal project based housing program in the U.S., on the neighborhoods in which they are built. A discontinuity in the formula determining the magnitude of tax credits as a function of neighborhood characteristics generates pseudo-random assignment in the number of low income housing units built in similar sets of census tracts. Tracts where projects are awarded 30 percent higher tax credits receive approximately six more low income housing units on a base of seven units per tract. These additional new low income developments cause homeowner turnover to rise, raise property values in declining areas and reduce incomes in gentrifying areas in neighborhoods near the 30th percentile of the income distribution. LIHTC units significantly crowd out nearby new rental construction in gentrifying areas but do not displace new construction in stable or declining areas. PMID:24235779

Role of physics in Saudi engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, M.

1984-05-01

In recent years some engineering schools in the Middle East have proposed reducing the amount of basic science courses in their curricula. A conference on engineering education in the Arabian Gulf countries held in Kuwait in 1980 suggested that the number of courses in physics and chemistry should be reduced from the present level (Jamjoom 1980). The arguments often put forward can be summarised as follows. First, engineering students are at present overburdened with too many basic science courses which puts a strain on the average student. This in turn leads to a high drop-out as is witnessed in many engineering colleges in this region. This drop-out, as high as 20% in some Saudi universities, is a cause of great concern among the university authorities. Secondly, it is argued that the number of credit hours allocated to departmental requirements is not sufficient to give a student enough breadth and depth of knowledge in his specialisation in particular engineering branches. Universities in Saudi Arabia follow the American credit-hour system in which courses are given certain credit hours, ranging from two to four, depending on the number of lectures per week as well as laboratory and tutorial requirements. Engineering students have to complete about 150 credit hours to graduate, which they normally do in four to five years. Out of these credit hours, about two-thirds are allocated to core courses (including physics) common to all branches of engineering. The remaining one-third are reserved for departmental specialisation. Since there is no possibility of increasing the overall credit hours necessary for graduation, it is suggested that the extra credit hours demanded for increasing the number of departmental courses should be obtained by correspondingly curtailing those for the basic sciences. When carefully scrutinised the arguments do not appear to be well founded. The reasons for high drop-out can be traced to more deep-rooted factors.

Evaluation of a Modified Debate Exercise Adapted to the Pedagogy of Team-Based Learning

PubMed Central

Yang, Haoshu; Gupta, Vasudha

2018-01-01

Objective. To assess the impact of a debate exercise on self-reported evidence of student learning in literature evaluation, evidence-based decision making, and oral presentation. Methods. Third-year pharmacy students in a required infectious disease therapeutics course participated in a modified debate exercise that included a reading assignment and readiness assessment tests consistent with team-based learning (TBL) pedagogy. Peer and faculty assessment of student learning was accomplished with a standardized rubric. A pre- and post-debate survey was used to assess self-reported perceptions of abilities to perform skills outlined by the learning objectives. Results. The average individual readiness assessment score was 93.5% and all teams scored 100% on their team readiness assessments. Overall student performance on the debates was also high with an average score of 88.2% prior to extra credit points. Of the 95 students, 88 completed both pre- and post-surveys (93% participation rate). All learning objectives were associated with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-debate surveys with the majority of students reporting an improvement in self-perceived abilities. Approximately two-thirds of students enjoyed the debates exercise and believed it improved their ability to make and defend clinical decisions. Conclusion. A debate format adapted to the pedagogy of TBL was well-received by students, documented high achievement in assessment of skills, and improved students’ self-reported perceptions of abilities to evaluate the literature, develop evidence-based clinical decisions, and deliver an effective oral presentation.

Astronaut Frank Borman during training exercise in Apollo Mission simulator

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-08-01

S67-50590 (1867) --- Astronaut Frank Borman, assigned duty as commander of the Apollo 8 mission, participates in a training exercise in the Apollo Mission simulator in the Mission Simulation and training Facility, Building 5, at the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas. Photo credit: NASA

49 CFR 80.15 - Selection criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Selection criteria. 80.15 Section 80.15... § 80.15 Selection criteria. (a) The Secretary shall assign weights as indicated to the following eight selection criteria in evaluating and selecting among eligible projects to receive credit assistance: (1) The...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 3 - Risk-Based Capital Guidelines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... company are consolidated for accounting purposes, these assets (as well as the credit equivalent amounts... conducted or performed in the private sector of the United States economy; and non-central government... of assigning risk weights, the differentiation between OECD depository institutions and non-OECD...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 3 - Risk-Based Capital Guidelines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... company are consolidated for accounting purposes, these assets (as well as the credit equivalent amounts... conducted or performed in the private sector of the United States economy; and non-central government... of assigning risk weights, the differentiation between OECD depository institutions and non-OECD...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 3 - Risk-Based Capital Guidelines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... company are consolidated for accounting purposes, these assets (as well as the credit equivalent amounts... conducted or performed in the private sector of the United States economy; and non-central government... of assigning risk weights, the differentiation between OECD depository institutions and non-OECD...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 3 - Risk-Based Capital Guidelines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... company are consolidated for accounting purposes, these assets (as well as the credit equivalent amounts... conducted or performed in the private sector of the United States economy; and non-central government... of assigning risk weights, the differentiation between OECD depository institutions and non-OECD...

12 CFR Appendix A to Part 3 - Risk-Based Capital Guidelines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... company are consolidated for accounting purposes, these assets (as well as the credit equivalent amounts... conducted or performed in the private sector of the United States economy; and non-central government... of assigning risk weights, the differentiation between OECD depository institutions and non-OECD...

NEEMO 18 (NCO-125)

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-22

JSC2014-E-068003 (July 2014) --- NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who represent half the NEEMO 18 crew, waste little time in performing experiments and other assignments inside a 400 square-foot habitat housing them for nine days underwater off Key Largo. Photo credit: NASA

7 CFR 1488.14 - Interest charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank Obligations and Repayment § 1488.14 Interest charges. The account receivable assigned to CCC and the related bank obligation... branch bank shall, when determined by the President or Vice President, CCC after consultation with the...

7 CFR 1488.14 - Interest charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank Obligations and Repayment § 1488.14 Interest charges. The account receivable assigned to CCC and the related bank obligation... branch bank shall, when determined by the President or Vice President, CCC after consultation with the...

7 CFR 1488.14 - Interest charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank Obligations and Repayment § 1488.14 Interest charges. The account receivable assigned to CCC and the related bank obligation... branch bank shall, when determined by the President or Vice President, CCC after consultation with the...

High Fidelity – No Evidence for Extra-Pair Paternity in Siberian Jays (Perisoreus infaustus)

PubMed Central

Gienapp, Phillip; Merilä, Juha

2010-01-01

Extra-pair paternity (EPP) in birds is related to a number of ecological and social factors. For example, it has been found to be positively related with breeding density, negatively with the amount of paternal care and especially high rates have been observed in group-living species. Siberian jays (Perisoreous infaustus) breed at low densities and have extended parental care, which leads to the expectation of low rates of EPP. On the other hand, Siberian jays live in groups which can include also unrelated individuals, and provide opportunities for extra-pair matings. To assess the potential occurrence of EPP in Siberian jays, we analysed a large data pool (n = 1029 offspring) covering ca. 30 years of samples from a Finnish Siberian jay population. Paternities were assigned based on up to 21 polymorphic microsatellite markers with the additional information from field observations. We were unable to find any evidence for occurrence of EPP in this species. Our findings are in line with earlier studies and confirm the generally low rates of EPP in related Corvid species. These results suggest that ecological factors may be more important than social factors (group living) in determining costs and benefits of extra-pair paternity. PMID:20711255

Geriatric Technician.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seton Hill Coll., Greensburg, PA.

This curriculum for training geriatric technicians is geared toward developing an understanding of, as well as the skills to assist with, the visually or hearing impaired older adult. The curriculum is organized in four modules. Each module is assigned a time frame and a credit unit base. The modules are divided into four major areas: knowledge,…

Geriatric Service Worker.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seton Hill Coll., Greensburg, PA.

This curriculum for training geriatric service workers is designed to incorporate additional communication and group skills along with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to work with older adults. The curriculum is organized in four modules. Each module is assigned a time frame and a credit unit base. The modules are divided into four major…

12 CFR 226.39 - Mortgage transfer disclosures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... to the loan or it is assigned to the servicer solely for the administrative convenience of the servicer in servicing the obligation. (2) A “mortgage loan” means any consumer credit transaction that is secured by the principal dwelling of a consumer. (b) Disclosure required. Except as provided in paragraph...

Library Instruction That's Out of this World! Information Literacy in Fort Lewis College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenwood, Tina Evans; Frisbie, Jeffrey

1998-01-01

Describes a one-credit, theme-based library instruction course for freshmen and sophomores at Fort Lewis College (Durango, Colorado). Discusses benefits of theme-based instruction; assigned work; skills students should acquire during the course; course assessment and development; and future changes in the course. (AEF)

CS 237--Fortran for Business. Course Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Y. F.; And Others

This guide was prepared for a lectureless two-semester-credit introductory programming course for business students at the University of Nebraska. The guide lays out course objectives, course mechanics, exercises and programming assignments, and describes the SIMPLE program editor and job submission system in use at the university. However,…

78 FR 5802 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-28

... Review and Comments Request. Form Title: EIB 92-31 Notification by Insured of Amounts Payable Under Multi-Buyer Export Credit Insurance policy (Standard Assignment). SUMMARY: The Export-Import Bank of the..., as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This form represents the exporter's directive to...

19 CFR 24.26 - Automated Clearinghouse credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... transmit statement processing payments (see § 24.25) or deferred tax payments (see § 24.4) or bill payments... number or CBP assigned number); and 3-digit filer code. (c) Routing and format instructions. Following... number, entry or warehouse withdrawal number for a deferred tax payment, or bill number); payment type...

19 CFR 24.26 - Automated Clearinghouse credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... transmit statement processing payments (see § 24.25) or deferred tax payments (see § 24.4) or bill payments... number or CBP assigned number); and 3-digit filer code. (c) Routing and format instructions. Following... number, entry or warehouse withdrawal number for a deferred tax payment, or bill number); payment type...

7 CFR 1493.530 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC... exporter may assign the proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a payment guarantee or the..., unless approved in advance by CCC, be: (i) Made to one party acting for two or more parties; or (ii...

7 CFR 1488.14 - Interest charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Export Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank Obligations and Repayment § 1488.14 Interest charges. The account receivable assigned to CCC and..., CCC after consultation with the Controller, CCC, to be in the interest of CCC, be lower than the...

7 CFR 1493.530 - Miscellaneous provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CCC EXPORT CREDIT GUARANTEE PROGRAMS CCC... exporter may assign the proceeds which are, or may become, payable by CCC under a payment guarantee or the..., unless approved in advance by CCC, be: (i) Made to one party acting for two or more parties; or (ii...

7 CFR 1488.14 - Interest charges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Export Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank Obligations and Repayment § 1488.14 Interest charges. The account receivable assigned to CCC and..., CCC after consultation with the Controller, CCC, to be in the interest of CCC, be lower than the...

The Character of Our Content: A Parent Confronts Bias in Early Elementary Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holladay, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Last spring, the author's 2nd-grade daughter came home with an extra assignment--a worksheet she had not completed in class for a story called "The Selkie Girl." She brought the book home, too, and it was one the author had never seen before, a Junior Great Books anthology (Series 3, Book 1), published by the nonprofit Great Books…

A Tale of Two Sections: An Experiment to Compare the Effectiveness of a Hybrid versus a Traditional Lecture Format in Introductory Microbiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Alison E. M.; Randall, Shelby; Traustadóttir, Tinna

2015-01-01

Two sections of an introductory microbiology course were taught by one instructor. One was taught through a hybrid format and the other through a traditional format. Students were randomly assigned to the two sections. Both sections were provided with identical lecture materials, in-class worksheets, in-class assessments, and extra credit…

Applying Neurological Learning Research to an Intro Astronomy Online Lab Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Gene G.; Byrd, Dana

2015-01-01

The neurological research used the 'Tower of London', a well-tested puzzle requiring multi-step planning toward a solution. Four and five year-olds are starting multistep reasoning and provide good puzzle subjects. Preschoolers who talked to themselves about future moves had greatly improved performance over those who did not. Adults given preplanning time prior to solving the same puzzle showed more neural activation during preplanning, especially in brain areas which serve higher level thinking. Applying these results to teaching astronomy, we modified an online introductory lab course in which students take a multiple choice final exam. We composed questions related to the learning objectives of the course modules (LOQs). Students could 'talk to themselves' by discursively answering these for extra credit prior to the final. Results were compared to an otherwise identical previous unmodified class. Modified classes showed statistically much better final exam average scores (78% vs. 66%). This modification helped those students who most need help. Students in the lower third of the class preferentially answered the LOQs to improve their scores and the class average on the exam. These results also show the effectiveness of relevant extra credit work. For more details plus an application to a lecture course, see Byrd and Byrd http://www.ncolr.org/issues/jiol/v12/n2/3 (Journal of Interactive Online Learning). The online lab course emphasized real photographic and quantitative astronomical observations. We also discuss and show equipment found to be most useful for the online lab course, including a 'pin-hole protractor', telescope kit and "AL-henge" telescope mount..

“Blogging” About Course Concepts: Using Technology for Reflective Journaling in a Communications Class

PubMed Central

Bouldin, Alicia S.; Holmes, Erin R.; Fortenberry, Michael L.

2006-01-01

Objective Web log technology was applied to a reflective journaling exercise in a communication course during the second-professional year at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, to encourage students to reflect on course concepts and apply them to the environment outside the classroom, and to assess their communication performance. Design Two Web log entries per week were required for full credit. Web logs were evaluated at three points during the term. At the end of the course, students evaluated the assignment using a 2-page survey instrument. Assessment The assignment contributed to student learning and increased awareness level for approximately 40% of the class. Students had few complaints about the logistics of the assignment. Conclusion The Web log technology was a useful tool for reflective journaling in this communications course. Future versions of the assignment will benefit from student feedback from this initial experience. PMID:17136203

Credit with Health Education in Benin: A Cluster Randomized Trial Examining Impacts on Knowledge and Behavior

PubMed Central

Karlan, Dean; Thuysbaert, Bram; Gray, Bobbi

2017-01-01

We evaluate whether health education integrated into microcredit lending groups reduces health risks by improving health knowledge and self-reported behaviors among urban and rural borrowers in eastern Benin. In 2007, we randomly assigned 138 villages in the Plateau region of Benin to one of four variations of a group liability credit product, varying lending groups' gender composition and/or inclusion of health education using a 2 × 2 design. Women in villages receiving health education, regardless of gender composition of the groups, showed improved knowledge of malaria and of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), but not of childhood illness danger signs. No significant changes in health behavior were observed except an increase in HIV/AIDS prevention behavior, a result predominantly driven by an increase in respondents' self-reported ability to procure a condom, likely an indicator of increased perceived access rather than improved preventative behavior. Women in villages assigned to mixed-gender groups had significantly lower levels of social capital, compared with villages assigned to female-only groups. This suggests there may be an important trade-off to consider for interventions seeking improved health outcomes and social capital through provision of services to mixed-gender groups. Although bundling health education with microcredit can expand health education coverage and lower service-delivery costs, the approach may not be sufficient to improve health behaviors. PMID:27895268

5 CFR 6801.106 - Prohibition on supervisory employees' seeking credit from institutions involved in work assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Personnel BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM SUPPLEMENTAL STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR... dependent child; (2) A company or business if the employee or the employee's spouse or dependent child owns... conditions available to the public. (d) Waivers. The Board's Designated Agency Ethics Official, after...

Using Online Games to Teach Personal Finance Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chin-Wen; Hsu, Chun-Pin

2011-01-01

This case study explores the use of online games to teach personal finance concepts at the college level. A number of free online games targeting such topics as budgeting and saving, risk and return, consumer credit, financial services, and investments were introduced to the experimental group as homework assignments. Statistical results indicate…

76 FR 28265 - Solicitation of Comment To Assist in Study on Assigned Credit Ratings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-16

... Commission requests, in Section II.B, that interested parties address these matters through a series of... in rating structured finance products. For example, in what ways, if any, does the issuer... structured finance products? For example, do certain types of structured finance products account for a...

Violence and Objectivity in Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenny, Wade

The subject and the object are more strategically assigned than some might readily assume, both as people speak and as they live them. Subjectivity is associated with doing, hence responsibility, and therefore it noticeably slides in matters of credit and blame, with issues like Newton's or LaPlace's discovery. In scientific papers the subject has…

KSC-2009-3467

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hitching a ride on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis has landed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi for a fuel stop on its journey back to Florida. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3468

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hitching a ride on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis has landed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi for a fuel stop on its journey back to Florida. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

12 CFR 3.52 - Simple risk-weight approach (SRWA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... this paragraph (b). (1) Zero percent risk weight equity exposures. An equity exposure to a sovereign... International Monetary Fund, an MDB, and any other entity whose credit exposures receive a zero percent risk weight under § 3.32 may be assigned a zero percent risk weight. (2) 20 percent risk weight equity...

78 FR 22877 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-17

... Request. Form Title: EIB 92-31 Notification by Insured of Amounts Payable Under Multi-Buyer Export Credit Insurance policy (Standard Assignment). SUMMARY: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank... Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This form represents the exporter's directive to Ex-Im Bank to whom and...

24 CFR 207.258 - Insurance claim requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... § 207.255(c), it must, within 45 days thereafter, give the Commissioner notice, in the manner prescribed... acquire and convey title to the Commissioner, as provided in paragraph (c) of this section. (b) Assignment... undrawn balance under a letter of credit used in lieu of a cash deposit. (c) Conveyance of title to...

Reducing Absenteeism and Rescheduling among Grocery Store Employees with Point-Contingent Rewards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camden, Matt C.; Price, Virginia A.; Ludwig, Timothy D.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a reward program designed to reduce absenteeism among staff (N = 38) at a grocery store. The intervention included public feedback and a credit reward system whereby participants got store dollars for attendance and authorized rescheduling of work assignments. Results showed that absenteeism decreased…

Credit assignment between body and object probed by an object transportation task.

PubMed

Kong, Gaiqing; Zhou, Zhihao; Wang, Qining; Kording, Konrad; Wei, Kunlin

2017-10-17

It has been proposed that learning from movement errors involves a credit assignment problem: did I misestimate properties of the object or those of my body? For example, an overestimate of arm strength and an underestimate of the weight of a coffee cup can both lead to coffee spills. Though previous studies have found signs of simultaneous learning of the object and of the body during object manipulation, there is little behavioral evidence about their quantitative relation. Here we employed a novel weight-transportation task, in which participants lift the first cup filled with liquid while assessing their learning from errors. Specifically, we examined their transfer of learning when switching to a contralateral hand, the second identical cup, or switching both hands and cups. By comparing these transfer behaviors, we found that 25% of the learning was attributed to the object (simply because of the use of the same cup) and 58% of the learning was attributed to the body (simply because of the use of the same hand). The nervous system thus seems to partition the learning of object manipulation between the object and the body.

Determinants of Default in P2P Lending

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This paper studies P2P lending and the factors explaining loan default. This is an important issue because in P2P lending individual investors bear the credit risk, instead of financial institutions, which are experts in dealing with this risk. P2P lenders suffer a severe problem of information asymmetry, because they are at a disadvantage facing the borrower. For this reason, P2P lending sites provide potential lenders with information about borrowers and their loan purpose. They also assign a grade to each loan. The empirical study is based on loans’ data collected from Lending Club (N = 24,449) from 2008 to 2014 that are first analyzed by using univariate means tests and survival analysis. Factors explaining default are loan purpose, annual income, current housing situation, credit history and indebtedness. Secondly, a logistic regression model is developed to predict defaults. The grade assigned by the P2P lending site is the most predictive factor of default, but the accuracy of the model is improved by adding other information, especially the borrower’s debt level. PMID:26425854

Determinants of Default in P2P Lending.

PubMed

Serrano-Cinca, Carlos; Gutiérrez-Nieto, Begoña; López-Palacios, Luz

2015-01-01

This paper studies P2P lending and the factors explaining loan default. This is an important issue because in P2P lending individual investors bear the credit risk, instead of financial institutions, which are experts in dealing with this risk. P2P lenders suffer a severe problem of information asymmetry, because they are at a disadvantage facing the borrower. For this reason, P2P lending sites provide potential lenders with information about borrowers and their loan purpose. They also assign a grade to each loan. The empirical study is based on loans' data collected from Lending Club (N = 24,449) from 2008 to 2014 that are first analyzed by using univariate means tests and survival analysis. Factors explaining default are loan purpose, annual income, current housing situation, credit history and indebtedness. Secondly, a logistic regression model is developed to predict defaults. The grade assigned by the P2P lending site is the most predictive factor of default, but the accuracy of the model is improved by adding other information, especially the borrower's debt level.

KSC-08pd3602

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-08

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – With the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as a backdrop, this Castrol Aviator EXTRA 300SHP stunt plane, an unlimited-level aerobatic two-seat monoplane, performs aerobatic maneuvers during the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Space and Air Show held Nov. 8-9. This year’s show brought together the best in military aircraft, such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-16 Fighting Falcon, coupled with precision pilots and veteran astronauts to celebrate spaceflight and aviation. The event included a water rescue demonstration by the 920th Rescue Wing. Photo credit: NASA/Troy Cryder

KSC-2014-3457

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A “supermoon” breaks through the clouds over Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The scientific term for the supermoon phenomenon is "perigee moon." Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon's orbit. The moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side about 50,000 kilometers closer than the other. Full moons that occur on the perigee side of the moon's orbit seem extra big and bright. For additional information, visit http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/10jul_supermoons/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

THE ROLE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY IN ALLERGY—Credits and Debits

PubMed Central

Sirmay, Elizabeth A.

1953-01-01

Psychological problems play an important role in the production and exacerbation of allergic disease, just as they do in other illnesses, especially those of a chronic nature entailing economic and social problems. Some psychotherapy is implicit in the practice of all physicians. While most patients make satisfactory progress with whatever treatment is outlined, a few do not, and they may be helped if a little extra time is taken to investigate and rebalance their mental environment. In the treatment of patients with allergic disease, dealing with emotional problems is considered as adjunctive to specific desensitization. PMID:13042681

Mapping Computation with No Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burckel, Serge; Gioan, Emeric; Thomé, Emmanuel

We investigate the computation of mappings from a set S n to itself with in situ programs, that is using no extra variables than the input, and performing modifications of one component at a time. We consider several types of mappings and obtain effective computation and decomposition methods, together with upper bounds on the program length (number of assignments). Our technique is combinatorial and algebraic (graph coloration, partition ordering, modular arithmetics).

Trade-based carbon sequestration accounting.

PubMed

King, Dennis M

2004-04-01

This article describes and illustrates an accounting method to assess and compare "early" carbon sequestration investments and trades on the basis of the number of standardized CO2 emission offset credits they will provide. The "gold standard" for such credits is assumed to be a relatively riskless credit based on a CO2 emission reduction that provides offsets against CO2 emissions on a one-for-one basis. The number of credits associated with carbon sequestration needs to account for time, risk, durability, permanence, additionality, and other factors that future trade regulators will most certainly use to assign "official" credits to sequestration projects. The method that is presented here uses established principles of natural resource accounting and conventional rules of asset valuation to "score" projects. A review of 20 "early" voluntary United States based CO2 offset trades that involve carbon sequestration reveals that the assumptions that buyers, sellers, brokers, and traders are using to characterize the economic potential of their investments and trades vary enormously. The article develops a "universal carbon sequestration credit scoring equation" and uses two of these trades to illustrate the sensitivity of trade outcomes to various assumptions about how future trade auditors are likely to "score" carbon sequestration projects in terms of their "equivalency" with CO2 emission reductions. The article emphasizes the importance of using a standard credit scoring method that accounts for time and risk to assess and compare even unofficial prototype carbon sequestration trades. The scoring method illustrated in this article is a tool that can protect the integrity of carbon sequestration credit trading and can assist buyers and sellers in evaluating the real economic potential of prospective trades.

NASA's Aqua Satellite Sees Extra-Tropical Storm Vongfong Pulling Away from Hokkaido, Japan

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Extra-Tropical Storm Vongfong on Oct. 4 as it was moving away from Hokkaido, Japan, the northernmost of the big islands. Vongfong transitioned into an extra-tropical storm early on Oct. 4 as its core changed from warm to cold. The MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Vongfong over Japan on Oct. 14 at 03:15 UTC as it was southeast of the island of Hokkaido, Japan. The image showed that south of the center of circulation was almost devoid of clouds and showers, which were all pushed to the north and east of the center as a result of southwesterly wind shear. At 0300 UTC on Oct. 14, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued its final advisory on Tropical storm Vongfong. At that time Vongfong's center was located near 29.1 north latitude and 142.9 east longitude, about 111 nautical miles (127.7 miles/205.6 km) southeast of Misawa, Japan. Vongfong was moving to the northeast at a speedy 36 knots (41.4 mph/66.67 kph). Vongfong's maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40.2 mph/64.8 kph). Vongfong had transitioned into an extra-tropical system and will continue to move away from northern Japan and over the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

The Astronomy Workshop: Computer Assisted Learning Tools with Instructor Support Materials and Student Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Grace; Hamilton, D.; Hayes-Gehrke, M.

2006-12-01

The Astronomy Workshop (http://janus.astro.umd.edu) is a collection of interactive World Wide Web tools that were developed under the direction of Doug Hamilton for use in undergraduate classes, as supplementary materials appropriate for grades 9-12, and by the general public. The philosophy of the website is to foster student and public interest in astronomy by capitalizing on their fascination with computers and the internet. Many of the tools were developed by graduate and undergraduate students at UMD. This website contains over 20 tools on topics including scientific notation, giant impacts, extrasolar planets, astronomical distances, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids. Educators around the country at universities, colleges, and secondary schools have used the Astronomy Workshop’s tools and activities as homework assignments, in-class demos, or extra credit. Since 2005, Grace Deming has assessed several of the Astronomy Workshop’s tools for clarity and effectiveness by interviewing students as they used tools on the website. Based on these interviews, Deming wrote student activities and instructor support materials and posted them to the website. Over the next three years, we will continue to interview students, develop web materials, and field-test activities. We are targeting classes in introductory undergraduate astronomy courses and grades 11-12 for our Spring 2007 field tests. We are interested in hearing your ideas on how we can make the Astronomy Workshop more appealing to educators, museum directors, specialty programs, and professors. This research is funded by NASA EPO grants NNG04GM18G and NNG06GGF99G.

Diagnostic, Predictive and Compositional Modeling with Data Mining in Integrated Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Chien-Sing

2007-01-01

Models represent a set of generic patterns to test hypotheses. This paper presents the CogMoLab student model in the context of an integrated learning environment. Three aspects are discussed: diagnostic and predictive modeling with respect to the issues of credit assignment and scalability and compositional modeling of the student profile in the…

12 CFR 390.466 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... ownership interests in pools of assets. Assets representing an indirect holding of a pool of assets, e.g... would be assigned to the assets in the portfolio of the pool. An investment in shares of a mutual fund... positions; (5) Use clear, explicit criteria to classify assets into each internal rating grade, including...

Initial Experiences with Machine-Assisted Reconsiderative Test Scoring: A New Method for Partial Credit and Multiple Correct Responses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Paul S.

Initial experiences with computer-assisted reconsiderative scoring are described. Reconsiderative scoring occurs when student responses are received and reviewed by the teacher before points for correctness are assigned. Manually scored completion-style questions are reconsiderative. A new method of machine assistance produces an item analysis on…

KSC-2009-3466

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hitching a ride on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis has arrived in Lackland Air Force Base's Kelly Field Annex in Texas for a fuel stop on its journey back to Florida. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

5 CFR 6801.106 - Prohibition on supervisory employees' seeking credit from institutions involved in work assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the supervisory employee learns that any of the following related persons are seeking or have sought... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Prohibition on supervisory employees... EMPLOYEES OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM § 6801.106 Prohibition on supervisory...

5 CFR 6801.106 - Prohibition on supervisory employees' seeking credit from institutions involved in work assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the supervisory employee learns that any of the following related persons are seeking or have sought... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Prohibition on supervisory employees... EMPLOYEES OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM § 6801.106 Prohibition on supervisory...

5 CFR 6801.106 - Prohibition on supervisory employees' seeking credit from institutions involved in work assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the supervisory employee learns that any of the following related persons are seeking or have sought... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Prohibition on supervisory employees... EMPLOYEES OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM § 6801.106 Prohibition on supervisory...

5 CFR 6801.106 - Prohibition on supervisory employees' seeking credit from institutions involved in work assignments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the supervisory employee learns that any of the following related persons are seeking or have sought... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Prohibition on supervisory employees... EMPLOYEES OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM § 6801.106 Prohibition on supervisory...

Student Response to Grading Incentives: Evidence from College Economics Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chulkov, Dmitriy V.

2006-01-01

This paper aims to provide evidence on the response of various student types to the use of simple grading incentives. The results show that while the majority of students expend the effort to complete an assignment for credit, this response is not uniform. Using data from six semesters of college Economics classes, the study demonstrates that…

Credit with Health Education in Benin: A Cluster Randomized Trial Examining Impacts on Knowledge and Behavior.

PubMed

Karlan, Dean; Thuysbaert, Bram; Gray, Bobbi

2017-02-08

We evaluate whether health education integrated into microcredit lending groups reduces health risks by improving health knowledge and self-reported behaviors among urban and rural borrowers in eastern Benin. In 2007, we randomly assigned 138 villages in the Plateau region of Benin to one of four variations of a group liability credit product, varying lending groups' gender composition and/or inclusion of health education using a 2 × 2 design. Women in villages receiving health education, regardless of gender composition of the groups, showed improved knowledge of malaria and of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), but not of childhood illness danger signs. No significant changes in health behavior were observed except an increase in HIV/AIDS prevention behavior, a result predominantly driven by an increase in respondents' self-reported ability to procure a condom, likely an indicator of increased perceived access rather than improved preventative behavior. Women in villages assigned to mixed-gender groups had significantly lower levels of social capital, compared with villages assigned to female-only groups. This suggests there may be an important trade-off to consider for interventions seeking improved health outcomes and social capital through provision of services to mixed-gender groups. Although bundling health education with microcredit can expand health education coverage and lower service-delivery costs, the approach may not be sufficient to improve health behaviors. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Effects of extra virgin olive oil supplementation at two different low doses on lipid profile in mild hypercholesterolemic subjects: a randomised clinical trial.

PubMed

Violante, B; Gerbaudo, L; Borretta, G; Tassone, F

2009-11-01

Olive oil, the principal fat of Mediterranean Diet, is known to improve several cardiovascular risk factors at relatively high doses together with intensive modifications of dietary habits. Since this is hard to obtain in the long term, an intervention with encapsulated oil supplements might be more feasible. Aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the effects of the supplementation of a moderate amount of encapsulated extra virgin olive oil vs a lower dose in mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects, as part of their established diet, on blood lipid profile. A prospective randomized study was performed. Thirty-four mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects [age, mean+/-SD: 46+/-7 yr; total cholesterol (TC): 235+/-28 mg/dl] were randomly assigned to receive 2 g (group A) or 4 g (group B) per os of extra-virgin olive oil for 3 months. TC, triglycerides (TG), LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1 (Apo-AI), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the study. In group B, but not in group A, a significant reduction of Apo-B values (7%) was observed; TG concentrations showed a trend towards reduction and Apo-A1 values a trend towards increase (9%). A significant decrease in Apo-B/Apo-A1 ratio (p<0.01) was also observed in group B. Extra virgin olive oil supplementation significantly decreased AIP from baseline in group B (p<0.05). The results of the present study seem to suggest that the daily supplementation, on top of the normal diet, of at least 4 g of extra virgin olive oil, in mildly hypercholesterolemic subjects, is associated to favorable modifications of the plasmatic lipid profile.

KSC-2014-3456

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Clouds over Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida threaten to obscure the view of the “supermoon” forecast to light up the sky. The scientific term for the supermoon phenomenon is "perigee moon." Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon's orbit. The moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side about 50,000 kilometers closer than the other. Full moons that occur on the perigee side of the moon's orbit seem extra big and bright. For additional information, visit http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/10jul_supermoons/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2014-3453

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Night falls over the turn basin in Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bringing with it expectations of the appearance of a “supermoon.” The scientific term for the supermoon phenomenon is "perigee moon." Full moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the moon's orbit. The moon follows an elliptical path around Earth with one side about 50,000 kilometers closer than the other. Full moons that occur on the perigee side of the moon's orbit seem extra big and bright. For additional information, visit http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/10jul_supermoons/. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Clinical, molecular and drug sensitivity pattern of mycobacterial isolates from extra-pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Korma, Workneh; Mihret, Adane; Hussien, Jemal; Anthony, Richard; Lakew, Mekuria; Aseffa, Abraham

2015-10-26

In conjunction with the spread of HIV infection, tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of illness and death worldwide. The Ethiopian national report reveals that extra pulmonary tuberculosis is on the rise and that case detection rate is exceeding that of smear positive or negative cases in many parts of the country. Different studies indicated that host and/or pathogen related factors are associated with the rise of extra pulmonary cases. However, the reason for this is not clearly known in our setting. Specimens were taken from clinically suspected extra pulmonary patients and confirmed by cytology, histopathology and culture. Deletion typing and Spoligotyping was utilized to identify the strains. The isolates were then assigned to lineage using conformal Bayesian network (rules model) algorithm and dendrograms were drawn using UPGMA methods. In addition, drug sensitivity test was done using the indirect proportion and 24 well plate methods. Out of the 200 clinically suspected extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients, 106 (53 %) were between 15 and 35 years of age and 167 (83.5 %) were new while 33 (16.5 %) were retreatment cases. The culture yield was 29.5 % (59). Of these only one was M. bovis and 58 were M. tuberculosis strains with 31 different spoligotype patterns grouped into seven clusters. The largest cluster (ST53) comprised 12 (20.3 %) isolates. There was higher clustering of CAS isolates in TBLN than in any other form of extra pulmonary tuberculosis cases. Resistance to rifampicin was higher (22 %) than that for INH, STM and EMB (8.1 %, 5 % and 3 % respectively). Out of the 37 isolates tested for resistance, only 2 isolates were resistant for both STM and INH and no MDR strain was found. There is an ongoing active recent transmission among extra pulmonary tuberculosis in the study areas as shown by the presence of clusters. Although no MDR case was observed, there is a risk of emergence of MDR as noted from the high proportion of resistance to rifampicin. Detailed study at population level is recommended to monitor its trend.

75 FR 2180 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-14

... (``SLP'') program.\\4\\ The Exchange proposes to establish a system of credits payable to SLPs when they... add liquidity to the Exchange in securities with a per share price of $1.00 or more, if the SLP meets... the SLP does not meet the 3% average or more quoting requirement in an assigned security pursuant to...

Parent Choice versus Attendance Area Assignment to Schools: Does Magnet-Based School Choice Affect NAEP Scores?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archbald, Douglas A.; Kaplan, David

2004-01-01

Inter- and intra-district public school choice, vouchers, tuition tax credits and other forms of school choice have been advocated for decades, in large part on grounds that the market forces engendered will improve public education. There are many studies of school choice policies and programs and a large theoretical literature on school choice,…

Report on a Pilot Project Which Combined Speech Communication and English Composition Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friday, Robert A.; Beranek, Bernard F.

In reorganizing its core curriculum, Duquesne University (Pennsylvania) created a course that combined the required freshman composition and speech communication courses. A two-term pilot course offered eight hours of credit, meeting for one hour three times a week and for a two hour lab once a week. Oral readings were assigned in order to help…

Top Contributors to the School Psychology Literature: 1996-2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Gabrielle A.; Davis, Kim S.; Zanger, Dinorah; Gerrard-Morris, Aimee; Robinson, Daniel H.

2006-01-01

S.G. Little (1997) reported the top contributors to the school psychology literature from 1987 to 1995. The present study represents a follow-up by examining the top contributors from 1996 to 2005. Similar to Little, a list of the top 50 contributors was developed using a point system that assigned more credit based on fewer coauthors and higher…

Boyle temperature as a point of ideal gas in gentile statistics and its economic interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslov, V. P.; Maslova, T. V.

2014-07-01

Boyle temperature is interpreted as the temperature at which the formation of dimers becomes impossible. To Irving Fisher's correspondence principle we assign two more quantities: the number of degrees of freedom, and credit. We determine the danger level of the mass of money M when the mutual trust between economic agents begins to fall.

KSC-2009-3463

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-31

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, with space shuttle Atlantis on top, has landed at Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas, for an overnight stop. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

12 CFR 217.152 - Simple risk weight approach (SRWA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... than or equal to -1 (that is, between zero and -1), then E equals the absolute value of RVC. If RVC is... this section. (1) Zero percent risk weight equity exposures. An equity exposure to an entity whose credit exposures are exempt from the 0.03 percent PD floor in § 217.131(d)(2) is assigned a zero percent...

12 CFR 217.52 - Simple risk-weight approach (SRWA).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... greater than or equal to −1 (that is, between zero and −1), then E equals the absolute value of RVC. If... this section) by the lowest applicable risk weight in this paragraph (b). (1) Zero percent risk weight... credit exposures receive a zero percent risk weight under § 217.32 may be assigned a zero percent risk...

Self-regulated learning in a dynamic coaching model for supporting college students with traumatic brain injury: two case reports.

PubMed

Kennedy, Mary R T; Krause, Miriam O

2011-01-01

To describe a program that integrates self-regulated learning theory with supported education for college students with traumatic brain injury using a dynamic coaching model; to demonstrate the feasibility of developing and implementing such a program; and to identify individualized outcomes. Case study comparisons. University setting. Two severely injured students with cognitive impairments. A dynamic coaching model of supported education which incorporated self-regulated learning was provided for students with traumatic brain injury while attending college. Outcomes were both short and long term including decontextualized standardized test scores, self-reported academic challenges, number and specificity of reported strategies, grades on assignments, number of credits completed versus attempted, and changes in academic status and campus life. Students improved on graded assignments after strategy instruction and reported using more strategies by the end of the year. Students completed most of the credits they attempted, were in good academic standing, and made positive academic decisions. Performance on decontextualized tests pre- and postintervention was variable. It is feasible to deliver a hybrid supported education program that is dynamically responsive to individual students' needs and learning styles. Reasons for including both functional and standardized test outcomes are discussed.

Design of a Software Configuration for Real-Time Multimedia Group Communication; HNUMTP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Gil-Cheol

This paper designs transport protocol of multi-session/channel method for real time multimedia group telecommunication and realizes it. The special features of the designed and realized protocol are first, that it solved the sync problem which is the specific character of multimedia telecommunication by using multi-channel method protocol. Usual multimedia telecommunication is assigned one channel by each media data. This paper shortened the phenomenon that waits data for sync of receiving part by assigning more than one channel for the channel that has a lot of data per hour as video data. The problem of intermedia synchronization that happens then could be solved by sending temporal/spacial related data among data assigning extra control channel. Second, that it does integrated management for sessions. Each session is one group telecommunication unit which supports mutual working environment that is independent. Each session communicates the participants in the group independently, the session manager manages all the communication among groups and lets media sources connected with all network be operated efficiently.

Mammae erraticae: a case report and reappraisal of the related theories.

PubMed

Babuccu, Orhan; Kalayci, Murat; Turhan, Egemen; Gun, Banu Dogan; Dursun, Ahmet

2012-06-01

Extra nipples and breast tissue outside the orthotopic location of the mammary glands are called polythelia and polymastia, respectively. Although the theory of mammary ridge remnants can explain extra breast tissue along the milk line, other locations such as the dorsum of the body still need further discussion. This report describes a 28-year-old Caucasian woman with a perfectly formed breast together with a meningocele in the lumbar region. Kyphoscoliosis and growth retardation were accompanying pathologies. As far as the authors can discern, this is the first case in the literature showing a well-formed breast and dysraphism occurring together. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors at www.springer.com/00266.

Chiral U(1) flavor models and flavored Higgs doublets: the top FB asymmetry and the W jj

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

Ko, P.; Omura, Yuji; Yu, Chaehyun

2012-01-01

We present U(1) flavor models for leptophobic Z' with flavor dependent couplings to the right-handed up-type quarks in the Standard Model (SM), which can accommodate the recent data on the top forward-backward (FB) asymmetry and the dijet resonance associated with a W boson reported by CDF Collaboration. Such flavor-dependent leptophobic charge assignments generally require extra chiral fermions for anomaly cancellation. Also the chiral nature of U(1)' flavor symmetry calls for new U(1)'-charged Higgs doublets in order for the SM fermions to have realistic renormalizable Yukawa couplings. The stringent constraints from the top FB asymmetry at the Tevatron and the samemore » sign top pair production at the LHC can be evaded due to contributions of the extra Higgs doublets. We also show that the extension could realize cold dark matter candidates.« less

The Effect of Price Competition on Weapon System Acquisition costs

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

barriers to entry into the weapons production indistry. This practice also reduces the scope of price-compcLtive reprocurement. The implicit tying of R&D... removaL . ’For the serrinal work in this area see H. Leibenstein, "Allocative Efficiency vs. ,h-Efficiency," American Econcmic Review (June 1966). I1 3...If the use of price competition to assign production removes any extra-normal returns earned under sole-source pro- curement policies, firms will no

The Role of Extra-Vestibular Inputs in Maintaining Spatial Orientation in Military Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-02-01

flow contribute to spatial orientation. Disordered regulation of any of these factors can be identified in land based tests and allows us to study pre...adaptation disorders . 1,2 The sensory conflict theory of motion sickness states that motion sickness arises when one or several inputs from the body’s sensory...several episodes of severe motion sickness during an operational military assignment (usually aboard ship), but demonstrate no balance disorder or ear

Microcredit in theory and practice: using randomized credit scoring for impact evaluation.

PubMed

Karlan, Dean; Zinman, Jonathan

2011-06-10

Microcredit institutions spend billions of dollars fighting poverty by making small loans primarily to female entrepreneurs. Proponents argue that microcredit mitigates market failures, spurs micro-enterprise growth, and boosts borrowers' well-being. We tested these hypotheses with the use of an innovative, replicable experimental design that randomly assigned individual liability microloans (of $225 on average) to 1601 individuals in the Philippines through credit scoring. After 11 to 22 months, we found evidence consistent with unmet demand at the current price (a roughly 60% annualized interest rate): Net borrowing increased in the treatment group relative to controls. However, the number of business activities and employees in the treatment group decreased relative to controls, and subjective well-being declined slightly. We also found little evidence that treatment effects were more pronounced for women. However, we did find that microloans increase ability to cope with risk, strengthen community ties, and increase access to informal credit. Thus, microcredit here may work, but through channels different from those often hypothesized by its proponents.

Using blogs and wikis in a graduate public health course.

PubMed

Cobus, Laura

2009-01-01

Blogs and wikis are examples of Web 2.0 technology that facilitate collaboration in the online world. In the health sciences, the emergence of these social tools potentially increases the risk of generating harmful or biased information. Therefore, it is the health professional's responsibility to have the skills to critically appraise Web content that has not undergone traditional peer review. This was the focus in a three-credit graduate Urban Public Health course taught by a librarian and was addressed with assignments using blog and wiki technology within the course management tool Blackboard. The assignments fostered comprehension of the issues surrounding blogs and wikis as they relate to public health.

STS-64 extravehicular activity (EVA) hardware view

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-01-21

S93-26920 (8 Sept. 1994) --- Scott Bleisath, an extravehicular activity (EVA) engineer, demonstrates the hand control module for the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) system making its first flight on the scheduled September STS-64 mission. Astronauts Mark C. Lee and Carl J. Meade are the spacewalkers assigned to test the system in space. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Inflight views of the crew of STS-7

NASA Image and Video Library

1983-06-25

S83-35770 (18?24 June 1983)--- Astronaut Norman E. Thagard, STS-7 mission specialist, is actually performing a medical experiment though his appearance resembles popular depictions of an invading alien. Thagard, a medical doctor, has been assigned a busy project of evaluating physiological reactions of astronauts in space travel. He is on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Challenger. Photo credit: NASA

Competency-Based Education, Put to the Test: An Inside Look at Learning and Assessment at Western Governors University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcus, Jon

2017-01-01

Unlike conventional colleges and universities, Western Governors doesn't require students to spend a set number of hours in a classroom, average out their performance on assignments and tests, then hand out letter grades and credits. Using a complex system of assessments developed over the two decades the university has been operating, WGU's…

42 CFR 419.45 - Payment and copayment reduction for devices replaced without cost or when full or partial credit...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... of reduction to the APC payment. (1) The amount of the reduction to the APC payment made under... be applied if the device implanted during a procedure assigned to the APC had transitional pass-through status under § 419.66. (2) The amount of the reduction to the APC payment made under paragraph (a...

Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-02

or on closed accounts. 5. Indication of deceit or deception in obtaining credit or bank accounts, misappropriation of funds, income tax evasion ...income tax evasion , expense account fraud, filing deceptive loan statements, and other intentional financial breaches of trust; (3) inability or...information; or any U.S. citizen nominated by the Red Cross or United Service Organizations for assignment with the Military Services overseas. The

A tale of two sections: an experiment to compare the effectiveness of a hybrid versus a traditional lecture format in introductory microbiology.

PubMed

Adams, Alison E M; Randall, Shelby; Traustadóttir, Tinna

2015-03-02

Two sections of an introductory microbiology course were taught by one instructor. One was taught through a hybrid format and the other through a traditional format. Students were randomly assigned to the two sections. Both sections were provided with identical lecture materials, in-class worksheets, in-class assessments, and extra credit opportunities; the main difference was in the way the lecture material was delivered-online for the hybrid section and in person for the traditional section. Analysis of final grades revealed that students in the traditional section did significantly better than those in the hybrid section (p<0.001). There was a significant main effect of class standing (p<0.01). When performance in the two sections was compared for each class year separately, the differences were only significant for sophomores (p<0.001); freshmen, juniors, and seniors did not perform differently in the hybrid versus the traditional section. An anonymous midterm survey suggested factors likely contributing to the overall lower success of students in the hybrid section: some students in the hybrid section did not take lecture notes and/or use the audio component of the online lectures, suggesting minimal interaction with the lecture material for these students. © 2015 A. E. M. Adams et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Modeling instructor preferences for CPR and AED competence estimation.

PubMed

Birnbaum, Alice; McBurnie, Mary Ann; Powell, Judy; Ottingham, Lois Van; Riegel, Barbara; Potts, Jerry; Hedges, Jerris R

2005-03-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) skills competency can be tested using a checklist of component skills, individually graded "pass" or "fail." Scores are typically calculated as the percentage of skills passed, but may differ from an instructor's overall subjective assessment of simulated CPR or AED adequacy. To identify and evaluate composite measures (methods for scoring checklists) that reflect instructors' subjective assessments of CPR or AED skills performance best. Associations between instructor assessment and lay-volunteer skill performance were made using 6380 CPR and 3313 AED skill retention tests collected in the Public Access Defibrillation Trial. Checklists included CPR skills (e.g., calling 911, administering compressions) and AED skills (e.g., positioning electrodes, shocking within 90 s of AED arrival). The instructor's subjective overall assessment (adequate/inadequate) of CPR performance (perfusion) or AED competence (effective shock) was compared to composite measures. We evaluated the traditional composite measure (assigning equal weights to individual skills) and several nontraditional composite measures (assigning variable weights). Skills performed out of sequence were further weighted from 0% (no credit) to 100% (full credit). Composite measures providing full credit for skills performed out of sequence and down-weighting process skills (e.g., calling 911, clearing oneself from the AED) had the strongest association with the instructor's subjective assessment; the traditional CPR composite measure had the weakest association. Our findings suggest that instructors in public CPR and AED classes may tend to down-weight process skills and to excuse step sequencing errors when evaluating CPR and AED skills subjectively for overall proficiency. Testing methods that relate classroom performance to actual performance in the field and to clinical outcomes require further research.

KSC-08pd3760

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Workers in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida oversee placement of the Cupola module onto a workstand. The module was delivered to Kennedy by the European Space Agency in 2004 from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy. Cupola will provide a 360-degree panoramic view of activities outside the station and spectacular views of the Earth. Cupola has the capability for command and control workstations to be installed to assist in space station remote manipulator system and extra vehicular activities. The final element of the space station core, Cupola is scheduled for launch on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, targeted for Dec. 10, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-08pd3757

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Suspended by a crane in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Cupola module is being moved to a workstand. The module was delivered to Kennedy by the European Space Agency in 2004 from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy. Cupola will provide a 360-degree panoramic view of activities outside the station and spectacular views of the Earth. Cupola has the capability for command and control workstations to be installed to assist in space station remote manipulator system and extra vehicular activities. The final element of the space station core, Cupola is scheduled for launch on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, targeted for Dec. 10, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-08pd3759

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Suspended by a crane in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Cupola module is lowered toward the workstand. The module was delivered to Kennedy by the European Space Agency in 2004 from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy. Cupola will provide a 360-degree panoramic view of activities outside the station and spectacular views of the Earth. Cupola has the capability for command and control workstations to be installed to assist in space station remote manipulator system and extra vehicular activities. The final element of the space station core, Cupola is scheduled for launch on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, targeted for Dec. 10, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-08pd3758

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Suspended by a crane in the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Cupola module moves closer to the workstand at right. The module was delivered to Kennedy by the European Space Agency in 2004 from Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy. Cupola will provide a 360-degree panoramic view of activities outside the station and spectacular views of the Earth. Cupola has the capability for command and control workstations to be installed to assist in space station remote manipulator system and extra vehicular activities. The final element of the space station core, Cupola is scheduled for launch on space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission, targeted for Dec. 10, 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

Evaluation tools for undergraduate program planning in times of financial austerity.

PubMed

O'Palka, J; Harris, P R

1990-05-01

This article describes the administration and outcome of two evaluation tools developed by faculty of the dietetic program for ongoing assessment of a Plan IV dietetic education program over a 4-year period. Interns and internship directors were asked to evaluate the level of skills and knowledge base of interns compared with their internship classmates. Interns were also asked to rate the effectiveness of undergraduate course assignments and activities for internship preparation. As a result of the surveys, the home economics core course work was deleted, credits were shifted from food science to nutrient metabolism courses, and credits in clinical nutrition were increased. Projects in clinical nutrition and food systems management were modified. The surveys justified program requirements and utilization of resources, and provided an additional, effective measure of faculty competence.

STS-64 extravehicular activity (EVA) hardware view

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-01-21

S93-26918 (8 Sept. 1994) --- Scott Bleisath, an extravehicular activity (EVA) engineer, demonstrates the hand control module for the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) system making its first flight on the scheduled September STS-64 mission. Astronauts Mark C. Lee and Carl J. Meade are the spacewalkers assigned to test the system in space. Unidentified technicians and engineers look on. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Assessing the State of Procurement Knowledge Production: Implications for the Federal Government

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

canonical knowledge base, quality control of published information, and assignment of priority and credit for their work to authors” (Rowland, 2002, p...The federal government recognizes the value of theory-based research and graduate education in 5 strategic purchasing—evidenced by its investment ...examination of the underlying trends present in the data. This finding also provided insights that may further other scholarly work in the field

Effects of extra virgin olive oil and fish oil on lipid profile and oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Venturini, Danielle; Simão, Andréa Name Colado; Urbano, Mariana Ragassi; Dichi, Isaias

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to verify if extra virgin olive oil and fish oil have a synergistic effect on lipid and oxidative stress parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This intervention study included 102 patients (81 women and 21 men) with MetS (mean age 51.45 ± 8.27 y) from the ambulatory center of the University Hospital of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: Patients in the control group (CG) were instructed to maintain their usual diet; the second group (fish oil group [FO]) received 3 g/d of fish oil ω-3 fatty acids (10 capsules); the third group (extra virgin olive oil group [OO]) received 10 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil at lunch and dinner; and the fourth group (fish oil and extra virgin olive oil group [FOO]) received 3 g/d of fish oil ω-3 fatty acids and 10 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil. MetS related markers and oxidative stress were measured at baseline and after 90 d. Differences across treatment groups showed a statistically significant decrease (P < 0.05) in total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) when FOO was compared with CG and OO, respectively. Hydroperoxides showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) when FOO was compared with CG, whereas there was an increase in total peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant potential/advanced oxidation protein products (TRAP/AOPP; P < 0.05) in FOO when compared with FO. In relation to baseline values, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in LDL-C values, and TC/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and LDL-C/HDL-C indexes in FOO. There was also a decrease (P < 0.05) in hydroperoxides, in AOPP and in AOPP/TRAP index in FOO, and an increase (P < 0.05) in TRAP/AOPP index in FOO and in TRAP/uric acid ratio in OO. The present study provides evidence that increased dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and extra virgin olive oil have beneficial synergistic effects on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in patients with MetS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary Environments: A History of Engineering Framework Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Sharon L.; Gillian, Ronnie E.

2006-01-01

This paper traces the history of engineering frameworks and their use by Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) practitioners. The approach is to reference papers that have been presented at one of the ten previous Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization (MA&O) conferences. By limiting the search to MA&O papers, the authors can (1) identify the key ideas that led to general purpose MDO frameworks and (2) uncover roadblocks that delayed the development of these ideas. The authors make no attempt to assign credit for revolutionary ideas or to assign blame for missed opportunities. Rather, the goal is to trace the various threads of computer architecture and software framework research and to observe how these threads contributed to the commercial framework products available today.

Methane generation from cattle residue at a dirt feedlot. Final report

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

Lizdas, D.J.; Coe, W.B.; Turk, M.

1980-08-01

In order to investigate the feasibility of producing fuel gas and an energy-intensive refeed product from dirt feedlot residues by anaerobic fermentation, the Department of Energy awarded Hamilton Standard a contract to operate the Hamilton Standard mobile processing unit at the Monfort of Colorado Kuner feedlot. During the test program a stable fermentation was achieved utilizing aged feedlot pen residue after a sufficient adaption period was provided. Methane yields varied considerably as a function of feedstock source; as low as 1.3 cubic feet per pound of volatile solids from the feedlot stockpile, and as high as 3.5 cubic feet frommore » one of the feedlot pens. Average yield from all pens was 2.5 cubic feed of methane per pound of volatile solids processed. The fermentor liquid effluent and dewatered effluent were acceptable to cattle as a feed ingredient and were used to provide one-half the daily supplemental protein for two groups of twenty steers each. Weight gains and feed conversion were nearly the same as for cattle fed the normal ration. Data from the test program were used to evaluate the economics of producing fuel gas at a large dirt feedlot. A preliminary design for a full scale system to produce unscrubbed fuel gas for the Monfort Kuner feedlot was developed, from which capital and operating costs were estimated. The production cost of fuel gas was then established as a function of byproduct credit given to the fermentor residue as a refeed product. With zero credit, gas can be produced at $6.30 per million Btu. When a credit is assigned to the refeed product based on the cost of urea as a protein source, the production cost falls to $2.70 per million Btu. When a credit is assigned to the refeed product based on the cost of cottonseed meal as a protein source, the production cost is -$21, indicating that the system produces a net income from the value of the refeed product.« less

Heterogeneity and nonlinearity in consumers’ preferences: An application to the olive oil shopping behavior in Chile

PubMed Central

Romo-Muñoz, Rodrigo Alejandro; Cabas-Monje, Juan Hernán; Garrido-Henrríquez, Héctor Manuel

2017-01-01

In relatively unknown products, consumers use prices as a quality reference. Under such circumstances, the utility function can be non-negative for a specific price range and generate an inverted U-shaped function. The extra virgin olive oil market in Chile is a good example. Although domestic production and consumption have increased significantly in the last few years, consumer knowledge of this product is still limited. The objective of this study was to analyze Chilean consumer preferences and willingness to pay for extra virgin olive oil attributes. Consumers were segmented taking into account purchasing frequency. A Random Parameter Logit model was estimated for preference heterogeneity. Results indicate that the utility function is nonlinear allowing us to differentiate between two regimes. In the first regime, olive oil behaves as a conspicuous good, that is, higher utility is assigned to higher prices and consumers prefer foreign products in smaller containers. Under the second regime, Chilean olive oil in larger containers is preferred. PMID:28892516

Heterogeneity and nonlinearity in consumers' preferences: An application to the olive oil shopping behavior in Chile.

PubMed

Romo-Muñoz, Rodrigo Alejandro; Cabas-Monje, Juan Hernán; Garrido-Henrríquez, Héctor Manuel; Gil, José María

2017-01-01

In relatively unknown products, consumers use prices as a quality reference. Under such circumstances, the utility function can be non-negative for a specific price range and generate an inverted U-shaped function. The extra virgin olive oil market in Chile is a good example. Although domestic production and consumption have increased significantly in the last few years, consumer knowledge of this product is still limited. The objective of this study was to analyze Chilean consumer preferences and willingness to pay for extra virgin olive oil attributes. Consumers were segmented taking into account purchasing frequency. A Random Parameter Logit model was estimated for preference heterogeneity. Results indicate that the utility function is nonlinear allowing us to differentiate between two regimes. In the first regime, olive oil behaves as a conspicuous good, that is, higher utility is assigned to higher prices and consumers prefer foreign products in smaller containers. Under the second regime, Chilean olive oil in larger containers is preferred.

Neutrinophilic two Higgs doublet model with dark matter under an alternative U(1)_{B-L} gauge symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomura, Takaaki; Okada, Hiroshi

2018-03-01

We propose a Dirac type active neutrino with rank two mass matrix and a Majorana fermion dark matter candidate with an alternative local U(1)_{B-L} extension of neutrinophilic two Higgs doublet model. Our dark matter candidate can be stabilized due to charge assignment under the gauge symmetry without imposing extra discrete Z_2 symmetry and the relic density is obtained from an Z' boson exchanging process. Taking into account collider constraints on the Z' boson mass and coupling, we estimate the relic density.

Retaining a Resilient and Enduring Workforce: Examination of Duty/Position Rotational Assignments for Civilian Acquisition Positions

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-12

decrease the number of errors due to fatigue” and improve production and efficiency ( Ivancevich , Konopaske, & Matteson, 2014, p. 151). “There are...Services, Ford, and Deloitte Services LP have utilized different forms of job rotation strategy” ( Ivancevich et al., 2014, p. 151). Further research...L. (2005, July). Job rotation. Credit Union Management, 28(7), 50–53. Ivancevich , J. M., Konopaske, R., & Matteson, M. T. (2014). Organizational

Leading Change: Military Leadership in Civilian Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-19

measured by one person; the military leader. Change is a bad word. “ Walt Disney is credited with saying that “change is inevitable, growth is...their careers . Once there, they may see a need for change or are directed to make change in these organizations. They assume that they can apply all...Military leaders are often assigned to largely civilian organizations, for the first time, late in their careers . Once there, they may see a

Airborne Assault on Holland

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

component and the forces it carried perform creditably, but losses were far smaller than anticipated. The units carried out their as- signed missions...problem of navigation was to be made as simple as possible. For security reasons each site was given a code name. Call signs were assigned to the site...boats. Each of these car- ried a Eureka beacon and a green holophane light, sending the as- signed code letter. These boats, serving as definite

STS_135_PostInsertion

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-24

JSC2011-E-040284 (24 March 2011) --- NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Sandy Magnus set up the middeck in the Full-Fuselage Trainer as the crew of STS-135 participates in a post insertion training session March 24, 2011 in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hurley is the pilot and Magnus is one of two mission specialists assigned to the flight. Photo credit: NASA Photo/Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. Fran Bagenal, senior scientist at the University of Colorado, speaks during a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator on NASA's New Horizons Mission, delivers closing remarks following a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. Fran Bagenal, senior scientist at the University of Colorado, far right, speaks during a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. Bonnie Buratti, senior scientist at NASA's Jet Propultion Laboratory, speaks during a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Web-Based Medical Service: Technology Attractiveness, Medical Creditability, Information Source, and Behavior Intention

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Web-based medical service (WBMS), a cooperative relationship between medical service and Internet technology, has been called one of the most innovative services of the 21st century. However, its business promotion and implementation in the medical industry have neither been expected nor executed. Few studies have explored this phenomenon from the viewpoint of inexperienced patients. Objective The primary goal of this study was to explore whether technology attractiveness, medical creditability, and diversified medical information sources could increase users’ behavior intention. Methods This study explored the effectiveness of web-based medical service by using three situations to manipulate sources of medical information. A total of 150 questionnaires were collected from people who had never used WBMS before. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the mediation and moderated-mediation effects. Results Perceived ease of use (P=.002) and perceived usefulness (P=.001) significantly enhance behavior intentions. Medical credibility is a mediator (P=.03), but the relationship does not significantly differ under diverse manipulative information channels (P=.39). Conclusions Medical credibility could explain the extra variation between technology attractiveness and behavior intention, but not significant under different moderating effect of medical information sources. PMID:28768608

Precepting the medical assistant practicum: expectations and rewards: an evaluation of preceptors' opinions.

PubMed

Wilson, Adam B; Fegan, Frank; Romence, Blase; Uhe, Kendra; Dionne, Barbara

2011-01-01

This study investigated the opinions of preceptors on select topics relevant to the benefits and rewards of precepting medical assisting (MA) students. A 35-item questionnaire was distributed to volunteer MA preceptors over the course of 1 year. Survey items prompted participants for information concerning background and previous experiences with MA students, as well as gathered opinions on the benefits, issues, and rewards of preceptorships. Of the preceptors who gave evidence of their credentials, 98.43% were either practicing certified medical assistants (CMA-AAMA) or nurses. Respectively, 80.85% of CMAs and 80.00% of nurses felt that students provided the office with extra help and placed no financial burden on the practice. Approximately 44% ranked free continuing medical education (CME) credits as the most important reward. Written responses identified thank-you notes as an important demonstration of service, acknowledgment, and appreciation. MA preceptors consider students a beneficial aspect of their practice because they lighten strenuous workloads and stimulate preceptors to remain current in their professional fields. Noncompensated MA preceptors value both extrinsic (e.g., free CME credits) and intrinsic rewards (e.g., feedback and thank-you cards) and suggested that intrinsic rewards were of greater value.

Association between Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage and site of disease in Florida, 2009-2015.

PubMed

Séraphin, Marie Nancy; Doggett, Richard; Johnston, Lori; Zabala, Jose; Gerace, Alexandra M; Lauzardo, Michael

2017-11-01

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is characterized into four global lineages with strong geographical restriction. To date one study in the United States has investigated M. tuberculosis lineage association with tuberculosis (TB) disease presentation (extra-pulmonary versus pulmonary). We update this analysis using recent (2009-2015) data from the State of Florida to measure lineage association with pulmonary TB, the infectious form of the disease. M. tuberculosis lineage was assigned based on the spacer oligonucleotide typing (spoligotyping) patterns. TB disease site was defined as exclusively pulmonary or extra-pulmonary. We used ORs to measure the association between M. tuberculosis lineages and pulmonary compared to extra-pulmonary TB. The final multivariable model was adjusted for patient socio-demographics, HIV and diabetes status. We analyzed 3061 cases, 83.4% were infected with a Euro-American lineage, 8.4% Indo-Oceanic and 8.2% East-Asian lineage. The majority of the cases (86.0%) were exclusively pulmonary. Compared to the Indo-Oceanic lineage, infection with a Euro-American (AOR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.91) or an East-Asian (AOR=2.11, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.50) lineage favored pulmonary disease compared to extra-pulmonary. In a sub-analysis among pulmonary cases, strain lineage was not associated with sputum smear positive status, indicating that the observed association with pulmonary disease is independent of host contagiousness. As an obligate pathogen, M. tuberculosis' fitness is directly correlated to its transmission potential. In this analysis, we show that M. tuberculosis lineage is associated with pulmonary disease presentation. This association may explain the predominance in a region of certain lineages compared to others. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Credit Assignment in a Motor Decision Making Task Is Influenced by Agency and Not Sensory Prediction Errors.

PubMed

Parvin, Darius E; McDougle, Samuel D; Taylor, Jordan A; Ivry, Richard B

2018-05-09

Failures to obtain reward can occur from errors in action selection or action execution. Recently, we observed marked differences in choice behavior when the failure to obtain a reward was attributed to errors in action execution compared with errors in action selection (McDougle et al., 2016). Specifically, participants appeared to solve this credit assignment problem by discounting outcomes in which the absence of reward was attributed to errors in action execution. Building on recent evidence indicating relatively direct communication between the cerebellum and basal ganglia, we hypothesized that cerebellar-dependent sensory prediction errors (SPEs), a signal indicating execution failure, could attenuate value updating within a basal ganglia-dependent reinforcement learning system. Here we compared the SPE hypothesis to an alternative, "top-down" hypothesis in which changes in choice behavior reflect participants' sense of agency. In two experiments with male and female human participants, we manipulated the strength of SPEs, along with the participants' sense of agency in the second experiment. The results showed that, whereas the strength of SPE had no effect on choice behavior, participants were much more likely to discount the absence of rewards under conditions in which they believed the reward outcome depended on their ability to produce accurate movements. These results provide strong evidence that SPEs do not directly influence reinforcement learning. Instead, a participant's sense of agency appears to play a significant role in modulating choice behavior when unexpected outcomes can arise from errors in action execution. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When learning from the outcome of actions, the brain faces a credit assignment problem: Failures of reward can be attributed to poor choice selection or poor action execution. Here, we test a specific hypothesis that execution errors are implicitly signaled by cerebellar-based sensory prediction errors. We evaluate this hypothesis and compare it with a more "top-down" hypothesis in which the modulation of choice behavior from execution errors reflects participants' sense of agency. We find that sensory prediction errors have no significant effect on reinforcement learning. Instead, instructions influencing participants' belief of causal outcomes appear to be the main factor influencing their choice behavior. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384521-10$15.00/0.

An Elective Course on Antimicrobial Stewardship.

PubMed

Gauthier, Timothy P; Sherman, Elizabeth M; Unger, Nathan R

2015-12-25

To implement an antimicrobial stewardship (AS) elective course for second-year and third-year pharmacy students and to assess its impact on students' perceptions regarding the application of AS principles. A 2-credit elective course focusing on principles of AS incorporated prelecture didactic recordings with primary literature and guideline-based reading assignments, in-class active-learning group work and student-led presentations, and student-generated examination items. Perceptions were assessed by precourse and postcourse survey items. Graded course assessments included completion of preclass assignments (readings, prerecorded lecture and writing assessment items), in-class active participation and group presentations, a midpoint examination, and a final examination. An AS-themed elective course in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum incorporating preclass, self-directed learning and in-class group-based active-learning strategies positively impacted students' perceived understanding of AS strategies.

Neighbouring-group composition and within-group relatedness drive extra-group paternity rate in the European badger (Meles meles)

PubMed Central

Annavi, G; Newman, C; Dugdale, H L; Buesching, C D; Sin, Y W; Burke, T; Macdonald, D W

2014-01-01

Extra-group paternity (EGP) occurs commonly among group-living mammals and plays an important role in mating systems and the dynamics of sexual selection; however, socio-ecological and genetic correlates of EGP have been underexplored. We use 23 years of demographic and genetic data from a high-density European badger (Meles meles) population, to investigate the relationship between the rate of EGP in litters and mate availability, mate incompatibility and mate quality (heterozygosity). Relatedness between within-group assigned mothers and candidate fathers had a negative quadratic effect on EGP, whereas the number of neighbouring-group candidate fathers had a linear positive effect. We detected no effect of mean or maximum heterozygosity of within-group candidate fathers on EGP. Consequently, EGP was associated primarily with mate availability, subject to within-group genetic effects, potentially to mitigate mate incompatibility and inbreeding. In badgers, cryptic female choice, facilitated by superfecundation, superfoetation and delayed implantation, prevents males from monopolizing within-group females. This resonates with a meta-analysis in group-living mammals, which proposed that higher rates of EGP occur when within-group males cannot monopolize within-group females. In contrast to the positive meta-analytic association, however, we found that EGP associated negatively with the number of within-group assigned mothers and the number of within-group candidate fathers; potentially a strategy to counter within-group males committing infanticide. The relationship between the rate of EGP and socio-ecological or genetic factors can therefore be intricate, and the potential for cryptic female choice must be accounted for in comparative studies. PMID:25234113

Assessing the State of Procurement Knowledge Production: Implications for the Federal Government

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-31

NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND...archiving of the canonical knowledge base, quality control of published information, and assignment of priority and credit for their work to authors...recognizes the value of theory-based research and graduate education in strategic purchasing—evidenced by its investment in an acclaimed strategic purchasing

KSC-2009-3451

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – This Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, is prepared for its ferry flight to Florida, carrying space shuttle Atlantis. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Biotechnology patent challenged: ex-colleague seeks share of the credit.

PubMed

Budiansky, Stephen

1982-11-25

Dr. Robert Helling, supported by the University of Michigan, has decided to press a claim to co-ownership of two Cohen-Boyer genetic engineering patents assigned to Stanford and the University of California. This decision will likely delay further the issuing of the second patent, tentatively rejected by the Patent Office in part on the basis of Helling's unresolved role. It may also increase pressure for a re-examination of the first patent issued in 1980.

Computational Cognitive Modeling of Adaptive Choice Behavior in a Dynamic Decision Paradigm

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

Cognitive Psychology (Fu & Gray, in press), an exploration of the limits of ACT-R’s credit assignment mechanism published in the Cognitive System Research...Macmillan & Creelman , 2004) to "determine the optimal performance in a task, given the physical properties of the environment and stimuli" (Geisler, 2004...allocation for interactive behavior. Psychological Review, in press. Gray, W. D. 0., & Myers, C. W. (2005). From models to methods to models: Tools and

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. John Spencer, senior scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, speaks during a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. John Spencer, senior scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, answers a question from the audience during a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator on NASA's New Horizons Mission, left, delivers closing remarks following a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

STS-29 Commander Coats in JSC fixed base (FB) shuttle mission simulator (SMS)

NASA Image and Video Library

1986-02-11

S86-28458 (28 Feb. 1986) --- Astronaut Michael L. Coats participates in a rehearsal for his assigned flight at the commander's station of the Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). NOTE: Coats, a veteran of spaceflight, originally trained for STS 61-H, which was cancelled in the wake of the Challenger accident. Following the Janaury 1986 accident he was named to serve on a mock crew (STS-61M) for personnel training and simulation purposes. Photo credit: NASA

KSC-2009-3433

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Against a setting sun, space shuttle Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is towed from the runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3491

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – With wheels lowered, Atlantis is placed on the ground via the hoist that is suspending it in the mate/demate device. Atlantis was separated from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, that returned it from California after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3470

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hitching a ride on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis is ready for takeoff from El Paso. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3431

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After a two-day trip from California, space shuttle Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is towed from the runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3448

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – This Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, is fitted with struts on top that will attach to space shuttle Atlantis for a piggyback flight. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3432

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-02

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After a two-day trip from California, space shuttle Atlantis, atop a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, is towed from the runway at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SCA is a modified Boeing 747 jetliner. Atlantis returned from California atop the SCA after its May 24 landing at Edwards Air Force Base, concluding mission STS-125. The ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base began June 1. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-3464

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, is ready to take off after an overnight stop at Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas. The shuttle and SCA left Edwards Air Force Base in California for its return to Florida.Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. David H. Grinspoon, senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, speaks about working on NASA's Voyager team while serving as moderator for a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Students’ Factors Affecting Undergraduates’ Perceptions of their Teaching and Learning Process within ECTS Experience

PubMed Central

la Fuente, Jesús De; Cardelle-Elawar, María; Peralta, F. Javier; Sánchez, M. Dolores; Martínez-Vicente, José Manuel; Zapata, Lucía

2010-01-01

Introduction: In the present study, we investigated the potential factors that influenced the level of students satisfaction with the teaching–learning process (TLP), from the perspective of students participating in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) experience. Method: A total of 1490 students from the Universities of Almería and Granada (Spain) participated in an evaluation of their class discipline area. They completed the new revised protocol for evaluating the ECTS experience. Analyses of variance were carried out, taking the following factors as independent variables: student's grade average, year in school, study discipline, credit load in terms of ECTS credits assigned to a subject, the e-learning approach. Perception of the TLP was used as the dependent variable. Results: The data analyses showed variability of the degree of statistically significance among the factors that influenced students’ perceptions of the TLP. These factors included: Student's grade average (in favor of high performers), year in school (in favor of earlier years), ECTS load (in favor of subjects with a medium load of credits), and e-learning (in favor of its use). These research findings provided evidence to explore the delineation of a potential profile of factors that trigger a favorable perception of the TLP. Discussion and Conclusion: The present findings certainly have implications to deepen our understanding of the core beliefs, commitment, and the experience in shaping the implementation of the European Higher Education Area through the ECTS. PMID:21713171

SDO Spots Extra Energy in the Sun's Corona [detail

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA release July 27, 2011 These jets, known as spicules, were captured in an SDO image on April 25, 2010. Combined with the energy from ripples in the magnetic field, they may contain enough energy to power the solar wind that streams from the sun toward Earth at 1.5 million miles per hour. Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA To see a full disk view go here: www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/5982663752/in/photostream/ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Motivating effort: a theoretical synthesis of the self-sufficiency and two-market theories.

PubMed

Yam, Kai Chi; Bumpus, Matthew F; Hill, Laura G

2012-12-01

We conducted two experimental studies to examine the effect of introducing social and monetary incentives on participants' (1) effort and (2) willingness to participate in a study. We found that extra credit invoked both communal sharing (CS, social reward) and market pricing (MP, monetary reward) schemas, thus leading to higher willingness to participate and greater effort in an experiment compared to an equivalent cash reward. Consistent with the potential combinational nature of different labour markets proposed by the relational theory, our results suggest that the labour market framework of monetary versus social incentive is not mutually exhaustive of all types of incentive, and the combinational effect created by introducing both labour markets may be the best motivator. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

An Elective Course on Antimicrobial Stewardship

PubMed Central

Sherman, Elizabeth M.; Unger, Nathan R.

2015-01-01

Objective. To implement an antimicrobial stewardship (AS) elective course for second-year and third-year pharmacy students and to assess its impact on students’ perceptions regarding the application of AS principles. Design. A 2-credit elective course focusing on principles of AS incorporated prelecture didactic recordings with primary literature and guideline-based reading assignments, in-class active-learning group work and student-led presentations, and student-generated examination items. Assessment. Perceptions were assessed by precourse and postcourse survey items. Graded course assessments included completion of preclass assignments (readings, prerecorded lecture and writing assessment items), in-class active participation and group presentations, a midpoint examination, and a final examination. Conclusion. An AS-themed elective course in a doctor of pharmacy curriculum incorporating preclass, self-directed learning and in-class group-based active-learning strategies positively impacted students’ perceived understanding of AS strategies. PMID:26889069

Web-Based Medical Service: Technology Attractiveness, Medical Creditability, Information Source, and Behavior Intention.

PubMed

Wang, Shan Huei

2017-08-02

Web-based medical service (WBMS), a cooperative relationship between medical service and Internet technology, has been called one of the most innovative services of the 21st century. However, its business promotion and implementation in the medical industry have neither been expected nor executed. Few studies have explored this phenomenon from the viewpoint of inexperienced patients. The primary goal of this study was to explore whether technology attractiveness, medical creditability, and diversified medical information sources could increase users' behavior intention. This study explored the effectiveness of web-based medical service by using three situations to manipulate sources of medical information. A total of 150 questionnaires were collected from people who had never used WBMS before. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the mediation and moderated-mediation effects. Perceived ease of use (P=.002) and perceived usefulness (P=.001) significantly enhance behavior intentions. Medical credibility is a mediator (P=.03), but the relationship does not significantly differ under diverse manipulative information channels (P=.39). Medical credibility could explain the extra variation between technology attractiveness and behavior intention, but not significant under different moderating effect of medical information sources. ©Shan Huei Wang. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 02.08.2017.

Framework and implementation for improving physics essential skills via computer-based practice: Vector math

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikula, Brendon D.; Heckler, Andrew F.

2017-06-01

We propose a framework for improving accuracy, fluency, and retention of basic skills essential for solving problems relevant to STEM introductory courses, and implement the framework for the case of basic vector math skills over several semesters in an introductory physics course. Using an iterative development process, the framework begins with a careful identification of target skills and the study of specific student difficulties with these skills. It then employs computer-based instruction, immediate feedback, mastery grading, and well-researched principles from cognitive psychology such as interleaved training sequences and distributed practice. We implemented this with more than 1500 students over 2 semesters. Students completed the mastery practice for an average of about 13 min /week , for a total of about 2-3 h for the whole semester. Results reveal large (>1 SD ) pretest to post-test gains in accuracy in vector skills, even compared to a control group, and these gains were retained at least 2 months after practice. We also find evidence of improved fluency, student satisfaction, and that awarding regular course credit results in higher participation and higher learning gains than awarding extra credit. In all, we find that simple computer-based mastery practice is an effective and efficient way to improve a set of basic and essential skills for introductory physics.

Linking chloroplast relocation to different responses of photosynthesis to blue and red radiation in low and high light-acclimated leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.).

PubMed

Pfündel, Erhard E; Latouche, Gwendal; Meister, Armin; Cerovic, Zoran G

2018-01-27

Low light (LL) and high light (HL)-acclimated plants of A. thaliana were exposed to blue (BB) or red (RR) light or to a mixture of blue and red light (BR) of incrementally increasing intensities. The light response of photosystem II was measured by pulse amplitude-modulated chlorophyll fluorescence and that of photosystem I by near infrared difference spectroscopy. The LL but not HL leaves exhibited blue light-specific responses which were assigned to relocation of chloroplasts from the dark to the light-avoidance arrangement. Blue light (BB and BR) decreased the minimum fluorescence ([Formula: see text]) more than RR light. This extra reduction of the [Formula: see text] was stronger than theoretically predicted for [Formula: see text] quenching by energy dissipation but actual measurement and theory agreed in RR treatments. The extra [Formula: see text] reduction was assigned to decreased light absorption of chloroplasts in the avoidance position. A maximum reduction of 30% was calculated. Increasing intensities of blue light affected the fluorescence parameters NPQ and q P to a lesser degree than red light. After correcting for the optical effects of chloroplast relocation, the NPQ responded similarly to blue and red light. The same correction method diminished the color-specific variations in q P but did not abolish it; thus strongly indicating the presence of another blue light effect which also moderates excitation pressure in PSII but cannot be ascribed to absorption variations. Only after RR exposure, a post-illumination overshoot of [Formula: see text] and fast oxidation of PSI electron acceptors occurred, thus, suggesting an electron flow from stromal reductants to the plastoquinone pool.

Informal sources of supervision in clinical training.

PubMed

Farber, Barry A; Hazanov, Valery

2014-11-01

Although formal, assigned supervision is a potent source of learning and guidance for psychotherapy trainees, many beginning psychotherapists use other, informal sources of supervision or consultation for advice and support. Results of an online survey of beginning trainees (N = 146) indicate that other than their formally assigned supervisor, trainees most often consult with colleagues in their program, their own psychotherapist, and their significant other; that they're most likely to seek these other sources of help when they're feeling stuck or feel they've made a clinical mistake; that they do so because they need extra reassurance and suggestions; that they feel the advice given from these sources is helpful; and that they don't especially regret sharing this information. Several case examples are used to illustrate these points. Discussing clinical material with informal sources is, apparently, a great deal more common than typically acknowledged, and as such, has implications for training programs (including discussions of ethics) and formal supervision. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Devil's in the Details - Lessons in Operationalising Data Sharing and Credit in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callaghan, S.

2017-12-01

There are many drivers for sharing and opening data, and the consensus opinion is gradually becoming that sharing data is the right thing to do, as is providing appropriate credit and attribution for those who put the effort in to making their data open and usable. The idea of data citation is now well defined in principle. Unsurprisingly, when trying to implement principles, edge cases rapidly appear, resulting in extra thinking and complications. Citation for journal papers is well established and understood, and most researchers have a good understanding of what is, and is not, a publication. Datasets can be considered as a "special type of paper" - but only a small proportion of datasets can actually fit into "paper-like" publication processes. The vast majority of datasets are too big, too complicated, or are being continually modified and/or updated. Data publication (piggy-backing as it does on academic publication to obtain credit for data producers) is only one metaphor that can be used for data - different metaphors can provide other routes for providing credit for data producers. Explaining those metaphors, and how they apply to data and provide credit for producers, can be difficult to those who until now have solely judged research productivity on the numbers of papers produced in high impact factor journals. Different research domains seek to address these issues in different ways, and it is important to recognise that there is no "one size fits all" approach that will cover all disciplines from astronomy to zoology. Similarly, the amount of journal publications are increasing dramatically, resulting in a peer-review system that is creaking at the seams. Adding peer review of data (in order to quantify the "quality" of the data) to the task list of already over-burdened volunteer reviewers will result in less reviewers being willing to take on the task, or reviewers putting less effort into their reviews. This presentation will consist of a series of "lessons learned" from the point of view of the author, who started as a researcher creating long term datasets, was "encouraged" to share the data (and as a result got scooped); and then moved into data management, data citation and publication as part of a discipline-specific data repository, while acting as editor-in-chief of an academic journal, the Data Science Journal.

Neuromodulated Synaptic Plasticity on the SpiNNaker Neuromorphic System

PubMed Central

Mikaitis, Mantas; Pineda García, Garibaldi; Knight, James C.; Furber, Steve B.

2018-01-01

SpiNNaker is a digital neuromorphic architecture, designed specifically for the low power simulation of large-scale spiking neural networks at speeds close to biological real-time. Unlike other neuromorphic systems, SpiNNaker allows users to develop their own neuron and synapse models as well as specify arbitrary connectivity. As a result SpiNNaker has proved to be a powerful tool for studying different neuron models as well as synaptic plasticity—believed to be one of the main mechanisms behind learning and memory in the brain. A number of Spike-Timing-Dependent-Plasticity(STDP) rules have already been implemented on SpiNNaker and have been shown to be capable of solving various learning tasks in real-time. However, while STDP is an important biological theory of learning, it is a form of Hebbian or unsupervised learning and therefore does not explain behaviors that depend on feedback from the environment. Instead, learning rules based on neuromodulated STDP (three-factor learning rules) have been shown to be capable of solving reinforcement learning tasks in a biologically plausible manner. In this paper we demonstrate for the first time how a model of three-factor STDP, with the third-factor representing spikes from dopaminergic neurons, can be implemented on the SpiNNaker neuromorphic system. Using this learning rule we first show how reward and punishment signals can be delivered to a single synapse before going on to demonstrate it in a larger network which solves the credit assignment problem in a Pavlovian conditioning experiment. Because of its extra complexity, we find that our three-factor learning rule requires approximately 2× as much processing time as the existing SpiNNaker STDP learning rules. However, we show that it is still possible to run our Pavlovian conditioning model with up to 1 × 104 neurons in real-time, opening up new research opportunities for modeling behavioral learning on SpiNNaker. PMID:29535600

Studies on pulsed optogalvanic effect in Eu/Ne hollow cathode discharge.

PubMed

Saini, V K; Kumar, P; Dixit, S K; Nakhe, S V

2014-07-01

The optogalvanic (OG) effect has been observed in a Eu/Ne hollow cathode discharge lamp using pulsed laser irradiation. An OG spectrum is recorded in dye laser wavelength region 574–602 nm using a boxcar-averager. In total 41 atomic lines are observed. Of these, 38 lines are assigned to neon transitions. Two lines observed corresponding to wavelengths 576.519 and 601.815 nm are assigned to europium transitions; (4f 7 6s 2 , S 8 7/2 →4f 7 6s6p , zP 6 7/2 ) and (4f 7 6s 2 , S 8 7/2 →4f 7 6s6p , zP 8 9/2 ), respectively, and the remaining line at 582.475 nm could not be assigned. The effect of the discharge current on europium as well as neon OG signals is also studied. At moderate discharge current values, an extra positive peak is observed in neon OG signal for the transition (1s 5 →2p 2 ) at 588.189 nm, which is explained by Penning-ionization process using the quasi-resonant energy transfer interactions between excited neon and europium atoms lying in 2p 2 and D 10 9/2 states, respectively.

Energy Efficiency Under Alternative Carbon Policies. Incentives, Measurement, and Interregional Effects

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

Steinberg, Daniel C.; Boyd, Erin

2015-08-28

In this report, we examine and compare how tradable mass-based polices and tradable rate-based policies create different incentives for energy efficiency investments. Through a generalized demonstration and set of examples, we show that as a result of the output subsidy they create, traditional rate-based policies, those that do not credit energy savings from efficiency measures, reduce the incentive for investment in energy efficiency measures relative to an optimally designed mass-based policy or equivalent carbon tax. We then show that this reduced incentive can be partially addressed by modifying the rate-based policy such that electricity savings from energy efficiency measures aremore » treated as a source of zero-carbon generation within the framework of the standard, or equivalently, by assigning avoided emissions credit to the electricity savings at the rate of the intensity target. These approaches result in an extension of the output subsidy to efficiency measures and eliminate the distortion between supply-side and demand-side options for GHG emissions reduction. However, these approaches do not address electricity price distortions resulting from the output subsidy that also impact the value of efficiency measures. Next, we assess alternative approaches for crediting energy efficiency savings within the framework of a rate-based policy. Finally, we identify a number of challenges that arise in implementing a rate-based policy with efficiency crediting, including the requirement to develop robust estimates of electricity savings in order to assess compliance, and the requirement to track the regionality of the generation impacts of efficiency measures to account for their interstate effects.« less

KSC-2009-3469

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-01

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Hitching a ride on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis has arrived at Biggs Armuy Air Field in El Paso, Texas. Atlantis landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3447

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Under the mate/demate device at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Atlantis is fitted with a sling to lift it for attachment to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3450

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Under the mate/demate device at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Atlantis is fitted with a sling to lift it for attachment to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

President Bill Clinton visits JSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-04-14

S98-05025 (14 April 1998) --- President Bill Clinton tours a laboratory mockup used for training purposes by astronauts assigned to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Astronaut William Shepherd (right), mission commander for the first ISS expedition crew, briefs the Chief Executive. Looking on are astronauts C. Michael Foale and Tamara C. Jernigan. Foale spent four months last year aboard Russia's Mir space station. President Clinton toured several mockups and other training components before speaking to a crowd of JSC employees. Photo Credit: Joe McNally, National Geographic, for NASA

2017 Astronaut Class

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

nhq201706070006 (06/07/2017) --- Vice President Mike Pence takes a group selfie with kids that were in attendance during an event where NASA introduced 12 new astronaut candidates, Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

PORTRAIT - ASTRONAUT GROUP - NEWLY-SELECTED - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-10-18

S63-18765 (October 1963) --- These fourteen pilots have been assigned to begin training for astronaut positions with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Front row, from the left, Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., William A. Anders, Charles A. Bassett II, Alan L. Bean, Eugene A. Cernan and Roger B. Chaffee. Back row, from the left, Michael Collins, Walter Cunningham, Donn F. Eisele, Theodore C. Freeman, Richard F. Gordon Jr., Russell L. Scweickart, David R. Scott and Clifton C. Williams Jr. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Dual learning processes in interactive skill acquisition.

PubMed

Fu, Wai-Tat; Anderson, John R

2008-06-01

Acquisition of interactive skills involves the use of internal and external cues. Experiment 1 showed that when actions were interdependent, learning was effective with and without external cues in the single-task condition but was effective only with the presence of external cues in the dual-task condition. In the dual-task condition, actions closer to the feedback were learned faster than actions farther away but this difference was reversed in the single-task condition. Experiment 2 tested how knowledge acquired in single and dual-task conditions would transfer to a new reward structure. Results confirmed the two forms of learning mediated by the secondary task: A declarative memory encoding process that simultaneously assigned credits to actions and a reinforcement-learning process that slowly propagated credits backward from the feedback. The results showed that both forms of learning were engaged during training, but only at the response selection stage, one form of knowledge may dominate over the other depending on the availability of attentional resources. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

A new species of Oswaldocruzia (Molineidae: Nematoda) in Chaunus marinus (Amphibian: Bufonidae) (Linneaus, 1758) from Brazil.

PubMed

Santos, Jeannie N; Giese, Elane G; Maldonado, Arnaldo Júnior; Lanfredi, Reinalda M

2008-02-01

Oswaldocruzia belenensis n. sp. (Strongylida: Molineidae) from the small intestine of Chaunus marinus (L.) from Belém, Pará State, Brazil is described and illustrated by light and scanning electron microscopy. Oswaldocruzia belenensis n. sp. is a neotropical species of this genus, harboring caudal bursa Type II, spicules divided in 3 branches, i.e., a blade, shoe, and fork. The blade is divided in 4 points, of which at least 2 are bifurcated. Cervical alae are absent; there is a simple cephalic vesicle and synlophe with low ridges perpendicular to the body without chitinous supports. The most closely related species are O. bonsi and O. lescurei. Oswaldocruzia belenensis n. sp. differs from O. lescurei and O. bonsi by the number and location of cephalic papillae, rays 2-3 and 5-6 running parallel and slightly separated, ray 6 not overlapping ray 8, and body structure morphometry. Oswaldocruzia belenensis n sp. also differs from O. lescurei by the discontinuity of the longitudinal ridges, the number of subdivisions of the blade, and the absence of extra processes at the bifurcation level of the fork of the spicules. The new species differs from O. bonsi by male and female body dimensions, the symmetry of the caudal bursa, dimension and subdivisions of the spicules without extra processes of the fork, 2 extra processes at the distal division of the blade, and location of ray 7 at the anterior margin of the cloacal aperture. Oswaldocruzia belenensis n. sp. represents the 82nd species assigned to the genus.

Investigating temperature effects on extra virgin olive oil using fluorescence spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleem, M.; Ahmad, Naveed; Ali, H.; Bilal, M.; Khan, Saranjam; Ullah, Rahat; Ahmed, M.; Mahmood, S.

2017-12-01

The potential of fluorescence spectroscopy has been utilized to study the heating effects on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Through a series of experiments, a temperature range from 140 °C  -  150 °C has been found where cooking with EVOO is possible without destroying its natural ingredients. Fluorescence emission spectra from all heated and non-heated EVOO samples were recorded using an excitation source at 350 nm, where emission bands in non-heated EVOO at 380, 440, 455, and 525 nm are labelled for vitamin E and a band at 673 nm is assigned for chlorophyll a. The emission band at 525 nm is also responsible for beta carotenoids (vitamin A). As a result of heating, prominent intensity variations have been observed in all spectral bands, but it is particularly affected at 525 nm, indicating the deterioration of vitamin E and beta carotenoids. However, if the temperature of oil can be maintained in the above defined range, then frying food with EVOO is possible by preserving its natural ingredients. The spectral variations resulting from the heating effects have been further highlighted by using principal component analysis for classification purposes.

Handling newborn monkeys alters later exploratory, cognitive, and social behaviors.

PubMed

Simpson, Elizabeth A; Sclafani, Valentina; Paukner, Annika; Kaburu, Stefano S K; Suomi, Stephen J; Ferrari, Pier F

2017-08-18

Touch is one of the first senses to develop and one of the earliest modalities for infant-caregiver communication. While studies have explored the benefits of infant touch in terms of physical health and growth, the effects of social touch on infant behavior are relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated the influence of neonatal handling on a variety of domains, including memory, novelty seeking, and social interest, in infant monkeys (Macaca mulatta; n=48) from 2 to 12 weeks of age. Neonates were randomly assigned to receive extra holding, with or without accompanying face-to-face interactions. Extra-handled infants, compared to standard-reared infants, exhibited less stress-related behavior and more locomotion around a novel environment, faster approach of novel objects, better working memory, and less fear towards a novel social partner. In sum, infants who received more tactile stimulation in the neonatal period subsequently demonstrated more advanced motor, social, and cognitive skills-particularly in contexts involving exploration of novelty-in the first three months of life. These data suggest that social touch may support behavioral development, offering promising possibilities for designing future early interventions, particularly for infants who are at heightened risk for social disorders. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Teaching information literacy skills to sophomore-level biology majors.

PubMed

Thompson, Leigh; Blankinship, Lisa Ann

2015-05-01

Many undergraduate students lack a sound understanding of information literacy. The skills that comprise information literacy are particularly important when combined with scientific writing for biology majors as they are the foundation skills necessary to complete upper-division biology course assignments, better train students for research projects, and prepare students for graduate and professional education. To help undergraduate biology students develop and practice information literacy and scientific writing skills, a series of three one-hour hands-on library sessions, discussions, and homework assignments were developed for Biological Literature, a one-credit, one-hour-per-week, required sophomore-level course. The embedded course librarian developed a learning exercise that reviewed how to conduct database and web searches, the difference between primary and secondary sources, source credibility, and how to access articles through the university's databases. Students used the skills gained in the library training sessions for later writing assignments including a formal lab report and annotated bibliography. By focusing on improving information literacy skills as well as providing practice in scientific writing, Biological Literature students are better able to meet the rigors of upper-division biology courses and communicate research findings in a more professional manner.

Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Sophomore-Level Biology Majors

PubMed Central

Thompson, Leigh; Blankinship, Lisa Ann

2015-01-01

Many undergraduate students lack a sound understanding of information literacy. The skills that comprise information literacy are particularly important when combined with scientific writing for biology majors as they are the foundation skills necessary to complete upper-division biology course assignments, better train students for research projects, and prepare students for graduate and professional education. To help undergraduate biology students develop and practice information literacy and scientific writing skills, a series of three one-hour hands-on library sessions, discussions, and homework assignments were developed for Biological Literature, a one-credit, one-hour-per-week, required sophomore-level course. The embedded course librarian developed a learning exercise that reviewed how to conduct database and web searches, the difference between primary and secondary sources, source credibility, and how to access articles through the university’s databases. Students used the skills gained in the library training sessions for later writing assignments including a formal lab report and annotated bibliography. By focusing on improving information literacy skills as well as providing practice in scientific writing, Biological Literature students are better able to meet the rigors of upper-division biology courses and communicate research findings in a more professional manner. PMID:25949754

An attempt to estimate students' workload.

PubMed

Pogacnik, M; Juznic, P; Kosorok-Drobnic, M; Pogacnik, A; Cestnik, V; Kogovsek, J; Pestevsek, U; Fernandes, Tito

2004-01-01

Following the recent introduction of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) into several European university programs, a new interest has developed in determining students' workload. ECTS credits are numerical values describing the student workload required to complete course units; ECTS has the potential to facilitate comparison and create transparency between institutional curricula. ECTS credits are frequently listed alongside institutional credits in course outlines and module summaries. Measuring student workload has been difficult; to a large extent, estimates are based only upon anecdotal and casual information. To gather more systematic information, we asked students at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, to estimate the actual total workload they committed to fulfill their coursework obligations for specific subjects in the veterinary degree program by reporting their attendance at defined contact hours and their estimated time for outside study, including the time required for examinations and other activities. Students also reported the final grades they received for these subjects. The results show that certain courses require much more work than others, independent of credit unit assignment. Generally, the courses with more contact hours tend also to demand more independent work; the best predictor of both actual student workload and student success is the amount of contact time in which they participate. The data failed to show any strong connection between students' total workload and grades they received; rather, they showed some evidence that regular presence at contact hours was the most positive influence on grades. Less frequent presence at lectures tended to indicate less time spent on independent study. It was also found that pre-clinical and clinical courses tended to require more work from students than other, more general subjects. While the present study does not provide conclusive evidence, it does indicate the need for further inquiry into the nature of the relationship between teaching and learning in higher education and for evaluation of the benefits (or otherwise) of more "self-directed" study.

Neptune's Discovery: Le Verrier, Adams, and the Assignment of Credit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehan, William

2011-01-01

As one of the most significant achievements of 19th century astronomy, the discovery of Neptune has been the subject of a vast literature. A large part of this literature--beginning with the period immediately after the optical discovery in Berlin--has been the obsession with assigning credit to the two men who attempted to calculate the planet's position (and initially this played out against the international rivalry between France and England). Le Verrier and Adams occupied much different positions in the Scientific Establishments of their respective countries; had markedly different personalities; and approached the investigation using different methods. A psychiatrist and historian of astronomy tries to provide some new contexts to the familiar story of the discovery of Neptune, and argues that the personalities of these two men played crucial roles in their approaches to the problem they set themselves and the way others reacted to their stimuli. Adams had features of high-functioning autism, while Le Verrier's domineering, obsessive, orderly personality--though it allowed him to be immensely productive--eventually led to serious difficulties with his peers (and an outright revolt). Though it took extraordinary smarts to calculate the position of Neptune, the discovery required social skills that these men lacked--and thus the process to discovery was more bumbling and adventitious than it might have been. The discovery of Neptune occurred at a moment when astronomy was changing from that of heroic individuals to team collaborations involving multiple experts, and remains an object lesson in the sociological aspects of scientific endeavor.

Whole earth modeling: developing and disseminating scientific software for computational geophysics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellogg, L. H.

2016-12-01

Historically, a great deal of specialized scientific software for modeling and data analysis has been developed by individual researchers or small groups of scientists working on their own specific research problems. As the magnitude of available data and computer power has increased, so has the complexity of scientific problems addressed by computational methods, creating both a need to sustain existing scientific software, and expand its development to take advantage of new algorithms, new software approaches, and new computational hardware. To that end, communities like the Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG) have been established to support the use of best practices in scientific computing for solid earth geophysics research and teaching. Working as a scientific community enables computational geophysicists to take advantage of technological developments, improve the accuracy and performance of software, build on prior software development, and collaborate more readily. The CIG community, and others, have adopted an open-source development model, in which code is developed and disseminated by the community in an open fashion, using version control and software repositories like Git. One emerging issue is how to adequately identify and credit the intellectual contributions involved in creating open source scientific software. The traditional method of disseminating scientific ideas, peer reviewed publication, was not designed for review or crediting scientific software, although emerging publication strategies such software journals are attempting to address the need. We are piloting an integrated approach in which authors are identified and credited as scientific software is developed and run. Successful software citation requires integration with the scholarly publication and indexing mechanisms as well, to assign credit, ensure discoverability, and provide provenance for software.

Infrared and Raman spectroscopic characterization of the borate mineral colemanite - CaB3O4(OH)3·H2O - implications for the molecular structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frost, Ray L.; Xi, Yunfei; Scholz, Ricardo; Belotti, Fernanda Maria; Cândido Filho, Mauro

2013-04-01

Colemanite CaB3O4(OH)3·H2O is a secondary borate mineral formed from borax and ulexite in evaporate deposits of alkaline lacustrine sediments. The basic structure of colemanite contains endless chains of interlocking BO2(OH) triangles and BO3(OH) tetrahedrons with the calcium, water and extra hydroxide units interspersed between these chains. The Raman spectra of colemanite is characterized by an intense band at 3605 cm-1 assigned to the stretching vibration of OH units and a series of bands at 3182, 3300, 3389 and 3534 cm-1 assigned to water stretching vibrations. Infrared bands are observed in similar positions. The BO stretching vibrations of the trigonal and tetrahedral boron are characterized by Raman bands at 876, 1065 and 1084 cm-1. The OBO bending mode is defined by the Raman band at 611 cm-1. It is important to characterize the very wide range of borate minerals including colemanite because of the very wide range of applications of boron containing minerals.

Differential Effects of Family Structure on Religion and Spirituality of Emerging Adult Males and Females.

PubMed

Handal, Paul J; Lace, John W

2017-08-01

This study examined measures of religion and spirituality in a sample of male and female emerging adult college students whose parents were either divorced or intact using the Personal Religious Inventory, the Duke University Religion Index, the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, the Spiritual Transcendence Scale, and the Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs Scale. Data were collected online, and 66% of participants received extra credit for participating. A main effect of sex was found, as females reported significantly higher scores than men on all but one measure of religion and spirituality, and the dataset was separated by sex. No differences were found between males from divorced and intact families. However, females from intact families scored significantly higher on all religion and spirituality measures than females from divorced families. This study suggests that females may respond differently than males to their parents' divorce in the context of religion and spirituality, and discusses possible reasons.

The Virtuous Drinker: Character Virtues as Correlates and Moderators of College Student Drinking and Consequences

PubMed Central

Logan, Diane E.; Kilmer, Jason R.; Marlatt, G. Alan

2014-01-01

Objective The present study examined the relationship between alcohol use and positive psychology’s character virtues1 in a college student sample. Each of the virtues of wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence were examined as protective factors and moderators of drinking consequences. Participants This sample included 425 undergraduate students at a large Northwest University (69% female; 52% Caucasian, 34% Asian). Methods Participants completed paper and pencil questionnaires during October and November 2006 in exchange for extra credit in psychology classes. Results Higher temperance scores were associated with abstinence, lower risk drinking, and fewer consequences among heavy drinkers; both increased justice and transcendence were independently associated with abstinence only; and wisdom, courage, and humanity were not associated with any outcomes. Conclusions The associations between virtues and college student drinking support a collaboration between addictive behaviors and positive psychology to address college student drinking and minimize consequences. PMID:20159755

Addressing disparities in academic medicine: what of the minority tax?

PubMed

Rodríguez, José E; Campbell, Kendall M; Pololi, Linda H

2015-02-01

The proportion of black, Latino, and Native American faculty in U.S. academic medical centers has remained almost unchanged over the last 20 years. Some authors credit the "minority tax"-the burden of extra responsibilities placed on minority faculty in the name of diversity. This tax is in reality very complex, and a major source of inequity in academic medicine. The "minority tax" is better described as an Underrepresented Minority in Medicine (URMM) faculty responsibility disparity. This disparity is evident in many areas: diversity efforts, racism, isolation, mentorship, clinical responsibilities, and promotion. The authors examine the components of the URMM responsibility disparity and use information from the medical literature and from human resources to suggest practical steps that can be taken by academic leaders and policymakers to move toward establishing faculty equity and thus increase the numbers of black, Latino, and Native American faculty in academic medicine.

KSC-2009-3446

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-28

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The sun casts diamond-bright light over space shuttle Atlantis under the mate/demate device at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Atlantis is being fitted with a sling to lift it for attachment to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy o

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-25

Dr. John Spencer, senior scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, left, Dr. Jeffrey Moore, senior scientist at NASA Ames Researh Center, center, and Dr. David H. Grinspoon, senior scientist at the Plentary Science Institute, left, are seen during a panel discussion at the "NASA's New Horizons Pluto Mission: Continuing Voyager's Legacy of Exploration" event on Monday, August, 25, 2014, in the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. The panelists gave their accounts of Voyager's encounter with Neptune and discussed their current assignments on NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

[The ethics of ethnography revisited: learning from documentaries].

PubMed

Weber, Florence

2011-01-01

This article offers a comparison of the legal suits filed by the interviewees against the director of the documentary Être et avoir (to have and to be) with the rights of interviewees in ethnographic investigations, focusing particularly on image copyrights and labor law. To say that interviewees contribute to such investigations in anonymity does not solve the main problem - they are crucial to the investigation, marginal to the analysis, and then are assigned no publication credits. While information about the interviewees should remain confidential, this article argues, that contribution and role in the making of a publication should not be ignored.

KSC-2009-3462

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-31

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Bolted onto the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747, space shuttle Atlantis gets ready for takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, headed for its first stop at Biggs Army Air Field in El Paso, Texas. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3455

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Edwards Air Force Base in California, a sling in the mate/demate device hoists space shuttle Atlantis from the ground. A Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, will be moved underneath and Atlantis bolted to the top of the modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

KSC-2009-3449

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At Edwards Air Force Base in California, space shuttle Atlantis is fitted with a tail cone, which protects the aft engine area and provides a more efficient aeronautical dimension during its piggyback flight on the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, a modified Boeing 747. Atlantis landed at Edwards on May 24, which concluded mission STS-125, after two landing opportunities at Kennedy were waved off due to weather concerns. Atlantis is being returned to Florida on a ferry flight on the SCA. Atlantis' next assignment is the STS-129 mission, targeted to launch in November 2009. Photo credit: NASA/Ben Smegelsky

Structures of the dehydrogenation products of methane activation by 5d transition metal cations revisited: Deuterium labeling and rotational contours

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owen, Cameron J.; Boles, Georgia C.; Chernyy, Valeriy; Bakker, Joost M.; Armentrout, P. B.

2018-01-01

A previous infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) study explored the structures of the [M,C,2H]+ products formed by dehydrogenation of methane by four, gas-phase 5d transition metal cations (M+ = Ta+, W+, Ir+, and Pt+). Complicating the analysis of these spectra for Ir and Pt was observation of an extra band in both spectra, not readily identified as a fundamental vibration. In an attempt to validate the assignment of these additional peaks, the present work examines the gas phase [M,C,2D]+ products of the same four metal ions formed by reaction with perdeuterated methane (CD4). As before, metal cations are formed in a laser ablation source and react with methane pulsed into a reaction channel downstream, and the resulting products are spectroscopically characterized through photofragmentation using the free-electron laser for intracavity experiments in the 350-1800 cm-1 range. Photofragmentation was monitored by the loss of D for [Ta,C,2D]+ and [W,C,2D]+ and of D2 in the case of [Pt,C,2D]+ and [Ir,C,2D]+. Comparison of the experimental spectra and DFT calculated spectra leads to structural assignments for all [M,C,2H/2D]+ systems that are consistent with previous identifications and allows a full description of the systematic spectroscopic shifts observed for deuterium labeling of these complexes, some of the smallest systems to be studied using IRMPD action spectroscopy. Further, full rotational contours are simulated for each vibrational band and explain several observations in the present spectra, such as doublet structures in several bands as well as the observed linewidths. The prominent extra bands in the [Pt,C,2D/2H]+ spectra appear to be most consistent with an overtone of the out-of-plane bending vibration of the metal carbene cation structure.

Evaluation of diaphragmatic mobility following intra-abdominal sub-diaphragmatic fixation of a double-layered mesh in rats.

PubMed

Ioannis, Tzanoglou; George, Sakorafas; Nikolaos, Kostomitsopoulos; George, Mantziaras; Charalampos, Patraleksis; Nikolaos, Danias; Spyridon, Stergiopoulos; Michael, Safioleas

2016-04-01

To evaluate the tissue integration of a double-sided mesh after fixation in diaphragm and to study the diaphragmatic mobility by ultrasound. Twenty male Wistar rats were used. The animals were assigned into two equal groups according to the day of euthanasia. The animals were anesthetized and a 1.5 x 1.5 cm of double-layer mesh was inserted between the diaphragm and the liver. For the evaluation of the diaphragm mobility a sonographic method was used. Measurements on specific breathing parameters were taking place. Pathological evaluation took place after the animal's euthanasia. Extra-hepatic granuloma was not differentiated overtime, (χ2=0.04, p>0.05). Neither fibrosis was significantly differentiated, (χ2=0.04, p>0.05). Intra-hepatic granuloma was significantly differentiated overtime, (χ2=10.21, p<0.05). Concerning Te parameter, means were significantly differentiated over time, F (3, 30) = 5.12, (p<0.01). Ttot parameter, it was differentiated over time, F (3, 8)=4.79, (p<0.05). IR parameter was also longitudinally differentiated, F (3, 30)=3.73, (p<0.05). The measurements suggest a transient malfunction of diaphragmatic mobility despite the fact that inflammatory reaction, fibrosis and extra-hepatic granuloma were not significantly differentiated with the passage of time.

First record of Smilodon fatalis Leidy, 1868 (Felidae, Machairodontinae) in the extra-Andean region of South America (late Pleistocene, Sopas Formation), Uruguay: Taxonomic and paleobiogeographic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzuetti, Aldo; Perea, Daniel; Ubilla, Martín; Rinderknecht, Andrés

2018-01-01

The Felidae are known in South America from the Ensenadan Stage/Age onwards. Among them, machairodonts of the genus Smilodon stand out. Three species are recognized, and all three are present on the continent: S. gracilis from the early-middle Pleistocene in north-east Venezuela; S. fatalis, found only in Lujanian sediments on the west side of the Andes (north-west of Peru and south-west of Ecuador); and S. populator, which inhabited the eastern part of the Andes during the Ensenadan and Lujanian. This distribution has led to the suggestion that the last two felids were allopatric during the Lujanian. Here, we report the first evidence of S. fatalis in the eastern part of the continent (Sopas Formation, late Pleistocene of Uruguay), based on an almost complete skull. This finding not only enlarges its distribution in South America but questions the idea of allopatric distribution. It also adds a new component to the mammalian predator trophic level of Uruguay, with the capacity to predate large South American herbivores and megaherbivores. A revision of materials previously assigned to S. populator in the extra-Andean zone of South America will be required.

It is not known the impact or implications of a study skills class and its effect on high school students in relation to performance on math and science Georgia High School Graduation Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Mary E.

The Georgia State Board of Education has put in place requirements that high school students must meet in order to advance to a higher grade level and to achieve credits for graduation. Georgia requires all ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders to take an end-of-course test after completing class time for academic core subjects. The student's final grade in the end-of-course test course will be calculated using the course grade as 85% and the end-of-course test score as 15%. The student must have a final course grade of 70 or above to pass the course and to earn credit toward graduation. Students in Georgia are required to take the Georgia High School Graduation Test. The tests consist of five parts, writing, math, science, social studies and language arts. Students must make a minimum score of 500 which indicates the student was proficient in mastering the objectives for that particular section of the test. Not all students finish high school in four years due to obstacles that occur. Tutorial sessions are provided for those that wish to participate. High schools may offer study skills classes for students that need extra help in focusing their attention on academic courses. Study skill courses provide the student with techniques that he or she may find useful in organizing thoughts and procedures that direct the student towards success.

Hazardous materials: chemistry and safe handling aspects of flammable, toxic and radioactive materials. A course of study

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

Smith, M.W.

1983-01-01

The subject of this dissertation is a one semester, three credit course designed for students who have taken at least twelve credits college chemistry, and for high school teachers as a continuing education course. The need for such a course arises from the increased concern for safety in recent years and the introduction of many regulations of which the working chemist should be aware, notably those issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A few colleges have recently started to offer courses in laboratory safety to undergraduate and graduate chemistry students. Thus, there is a need for the developmentmore » of courses in which chemical safety is taught. This course is divided into three units: 1) flammable materials; 2) toxic materials; and 3) radioactive materials. Each unit is self contained and could be taught separately as a one credit course. The material necessary for lecture presentation is given in the text of this dissertation: there are about seven topics in each unit. The chemical properties of selected substances are emphasized. Examples of governmental regulations are given, and there are sample examination questions for each unit and homework assignments that require the use of reference sources. Laboratory exercises are included to enable students to gain experience in the safe handling of hazardous chemicals and of some equipment and instruments used to analyze and study flammable, toxic and radioactive materials.« less

Computed tomographic (CT) neuroradiological evaluation of intra-axial and extra-axial lesions: a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) study of film and 1K workstation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Saden, Suzie; Hademenos, George J.; Zhu, Wei; Sayre, James W.; Glenn, Brad; Steidler, Jim; Kode, L.; King, Brian; Quinones, Diana; Valentino, Daniel J.; Bentsen, John R.

1995-04-01

Digital display workstations are now commonly used for cross-sectional image viewing; however, few receiver operating characteristic (ROC) studies have been performed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of hard copy versus a workstation display for neuroradiology applications. We have performed an ROC study of film and 1K workstation based on the diagnostic performance of neuroradiology fellows to detect subtle intra- axial (high density (HD) and low density (LD)) and extra-axial (fluid, blood) lesions presented on computed tomographic (CT) images. An ROC analysis of the interpretation of approximately 200 CT images (1/2 normals and 1/2 abnormals) was performed by five experienced observers. The total number of abnormal images were equally divided among the three represented types of lesions (HD, LD, and extra-axial lesions). The images comprising the extra-axial lesion group were further subdivided into the following three distinct types: subdural hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and epidural hemorrhage. A fraction of the abnormal images were represented by more than one type of lesion, e.g., one abnormal image could contain both a HD and LD lesion. The digitized CT images were separated into four groups and read on the standard light box and a 1K workstation monitor equipped with simple image processing functions. Confidence ratings were scaled on a range from 0 (least confident) to 4 (most confident). Reader order sequences were randomized for each reader and for each modality. Each observer read from a total of eight different groups with a four-week intermission following the fourth group. The randomly assigned image number, lesion type and approximate location, incidental findings and comments, and confidence ratings were reported in individual worksheets for each image. ROC curves that were generated and analyzed for the various subgroups are presented in addition to the overall generalized jackknifed estimates of the grouped data. Also, 95% confidence intervals are presented for the differences in the area under the ROC curves. Although there were no statistically significant differences in the diagnostic accuracy between the original CT slice with HD and LD lesions viewed on the light box and on the 1K display workstation, the observers tended to record extra- axial lesions more frequently and with more confidence on the 1K display in comparison to the light box primarily due to the added advantage of adjusting the display window levels.

jsc2017e067186

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

jsc2017e067186 (06/07/2017) --- United States Vice President Mike Pence delivers remarks during an event where 12 new NASA astronaut candidates were introduced; Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Robert Hines, Warren Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

jsc2017e067268

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-06

jsc2017e067268 (06/06/2017) --- New Astronaut Candidate's First Day at NASA's Ellington Field. NASA selected 12 new astronaut candidates, Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Robert Hines, Warren Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/James Blair)

jsc2017e067161

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

jsc2017e067161 06/07/2017) --- Robert Lightfoot, NASA's Acting Administrator, delivers remarks during an event where 12 new NASA astronaut candidates were introduced; Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Robert Hines, Warren Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/James Blair)

jsc2017e067275

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-06

jsc2017e067275 (06/06/2017) -- New Astronaut Candidate's First Day at NASA's Ellington Field. NASA selected 12 new astronaut candidates, Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Robert Hines, Warren Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/James Blair)

BATMAN--an R package for the automated quantification of metabolites from nuclear magnetic resonance spectra using a Bayesian model.

PubMed

Hao, Jie; Astle, William; De Iorio, Maria; Ebbels, Timothy M D

2012-08-01

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra are widely used in metabolomics to obtain metabolite profiles in complex biological mixtures. Common methods used to assign and estimate concentrations of metabolites involve either an expert manual peak fitting or extra pre-processing steps, such as peak alignment and binning. Peak fitting is very time consuming and is subject to human error. Conversely, alignment and binning can introduce artefacts and limit immediate biological interpretation of models. We present the Bayesian automated metabolite analyser for NMR spectra (BATMAN), an R package that deconvolutes peaks from one-dimensional NMR spectra, automatically assigns them to specific metabolites from a target list and obtains concentration estimates. The Bayesian model incorporates information on characteristic peak patterns of metabolites and is able to account for shifts in the position of peaks commonly seen in NMR spectra of biological samples. It applies a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to sample from a joint posterior distribution of the model parameters and obtains concentration estimates with reduced error compared with conventional numerical integration and comparable to manual deconvolution by experienced spectroscopists. http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/people/t.ebbels/ t.ebbels@imperial.ac.uk.

Improving Student Engagement in Veterinary Business Studies.

PubMed

Armitage-Chan, Elizabeth; Jackson, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

Improving Student Engagement in Veterinary Business StudiesIn a densely packed veterinary curriculum, students may find it particularly challenging to engage in the less overtly clinical subjects, yet pressure from industry and an increasingly competitive employment market necessitate improved veterinary student education in business and management skills. We describe a curriculum intervention (formative reflective assignment) that optimizes workplace learning opportunities and aims to provide better student scaffolding for their in-context business learning. Students were asked to analyze a business practice they experienced during a period of extra-mural studies (external work placement). Following return to the college, they were then instructed to discuss their findings in their study group, and produce a group reflection on their learning. To better understand student engagement in this area, we analyzed individual and group components of the assignment. Thematic analysis revealed evidence of various depths of student engagement, and provided indications of the behaviors they used when engaging at different levels. Interactive and social practices (discussing business strategies with veterinary employees and student peers) appeared to facilitate student engagement, assist the perception of relevance of these skills, and encourage integration with other curriculum elements such as communication skills and clinical problem solving.

A Genetic Algorithm Approach for the TV Self-Promotion Assignment Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Paulo A.; Fontes, Fernando A. C. C.; Fontes, Dalila B. M. M.

2009-09-01

We report on the development of a Genetic Algorithm (GA), which has been integrated into a Decision Support System to plan the best assignment of the weekly self-promotion space for a TV station. The problem addressed consists on deciding which shows to advertise and when such that the number of viewers, of an intended group or target, is maximized. The GA proposed incorporates a greedy heuristic to find good initial solutions. These solutions, as well as the solutions later obtained through the use of the GA, go then through a repair procedure. This is used with two objectives, which are addressed in turn. Firstly, it checks the solution feasibility and if unfeasible it is fixed by removing some shows. Secondly, it tries to improve the solution by adding some extra shows. Since the problem faced by the commercial TV station is too big and has too many features it cannot be solved exactly. Therefore, in order to test the quality of the solutions provided by the proposed GA we have randomly generated some smaller problem instances. For these problems we have obtained solutions on average within 1% of the optimal solution value.

Intensity enhancement and selective detection of proximate solvent molecules by molecular near-field effect in resonance hyper-Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, Rintaro; Kano, Hideaki; Hamaguchi, Hiro-o.

2008-07-01

A new molecular phenomenon associated with resonance hyper-Raman (HR) scattering in solution has been discovered. Resonance HR spectra of all-trans-β-carotene and all-trans-lycopene in various solvents exhibited several extra bands that were not assignable to the solute but were unequivocally assigned to the solvents. Neat solvents did not show detectable HR signals under the same experimental conditions. Similar experiments with all-trans-retinal did not exhibit such enhancement either. All-trans-β-carotene and all-trans-lycopene have thus been shown to induce enhanced HR scattering of solvent molecules through a novel molecular effect that is not associated with all-trans-retinal. We call this new effect the "molecular near-field effect." In order to explain this newly found effect, an extended vibronic theory of resonance HR scattering is developed where the vibronic interaction including the proximate solvent molecule (intermolecular vibronic coupling) is explicitly introduced in the solute hyperpolarizability tensor. The potential of "molecular near-field HR spectroscopy," which selectively detects molecules existing in the close vicinity of a HR probe in complex chemical or biological systems, is discussed.

Surface phonons in the topological insulators Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulares, Ibrahim; Shi, Guangsha; Kioupakis, Emmanouil; Lošťák, Petr; Uher, Ctirad; Merlin, Roberto

2018-03-01

Raman scattering [K. M. F. Shahil et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 153103 (2010), V. Gnezdilov et al., Phys. Rev. B 84, 195118 (2011) and H. -H. Kung et al., Phys. Rev. B 95, 245406 (2017)], inelastic helium scattering [X. Zhu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 186102 (2011)] and photoemission experiments [J. A. Sobota et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 157401 (2014)] on the topological insulators Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 show features in the range ∼ 50-160 cm-1, which have been assigned alternatively to Raman-forbidden, bulk infrared modes arising from symmetry breaking at the surface or to surface phonons, which couple to the topologically protected electronic states. Here, we present temperature- and wavelength- dependent Raman studies showing additional modes we ascribe to surface phonons in both Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3. Our assignment is supported by density functional theory calculations revealing surface phonons at frequencies close to those of the extra peaks in the Raman data. The theoretical results also indicate that these modes are not a consequence of spin-orbit coupling and, thus, that their occurrence is unrelated to the topological properties of these materials.

Dynamic online peer evaluations to improve group assignments in nursing e-learning environment.

PubMed

Adwan, Jehad

2016-06-01

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of online peer evaluation forms for online group activities in improving group project outcomes. The investigator developed and used a web-based Google Forms® self and peer evaluation form of 2 group assignments' rubric for junior and senior nursing students. The form covered elements of the assignments including: research activity, analysis of the literature, writing of report, participation in making of presentation, overall contribution to the project, and participation in the weekly group discussions. Items were rated from 1 (did not contribute) to 5 (outstanding contribution) in addition to NA when one activity did not apply. The self and peer evaluation process was conducted twice: once after group assignment 1 and once after group assignment 2. The group assignments final products were done in the form of VoiceThread online presentations that were shared with the rest of the class reflecting the groups' work on a health informatics topic of interest. Data collected as the students completed self and peer evaluations for group assignments 1 and 2. Also, optional comments regarding member performance were collected to add contextual information in addition to ratings. Students received credit for completing the peer evaluations and the grade for the particular assignment was affected by their performance based on peer evaluations of their contributions. Students' peer evaluations showed in a color-coded spreadsheet which enabled the course faculty to view real time results of students' ratings after each assignment. The faculty provided timely and tailored feedback to groups or individuals as needed, using positive feedback and commending high performance while urging struggling individual students and groups to improve lower ratings in specific areas. Comparing evaluations of both assignments, there were statistically significant improvements among all students. The mean scores of the entire sample were skewed toward the higher end of the scale, suggesting an overall high performance group. However, analysis of the lower performing individuals showed consistent and statistically significant improvements in all areas of the evaluation criteria. Anonymous peer evaluation activities and timely faculty feedback in e-Learning environment can be a useful tool to faculty to improve group performance over time by engaging the learners within their groups. Peer evaluations provided real time view of group mid-semester formative evaluations that allowed the faculty to provide timely and tailored feedback on student performance which allowed for better outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mediterranean diets and metabolic syndrome status in the PREDIMED randomized trial

PubMed Central

Babio, Nancy; Toledo, Estefanía; Estruch, Ramón; Ros, Emilio; Martínez-González, Miguel A.; Castañer, Olga; Bulló, Mònica; Corella, Dolores; Arós, Fernando; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Valentina; Fiol, Miquel; Lapetra, José; Lamuela-Raventos, Rosa M.; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Pintó, Xavier; Basora, Josep; Sorlí, José V.; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi

2014-01-01

Background: Little evidence exists on the effect of an energy-unrestricted healthy diet on metabolic syndrome. We evaluated the long-term effect of Mediterranean diets ad libitum on the incidence or reversion of metabolic syndrome. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the PREDIMED trial — a multicentre, randomized trial done between October 2003 and December 2010 that involved men and women (age 55–80 yr) at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary interventions: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts or advice on following a low-fat diet (the control group). The interventions did not include increased physical activity or weight loss as a goal. We analyzed available data from 5801 participants. We determined the effect of diet on incidence and reversion of metabolic syndrome using Cox regression analysis to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Over 4.8 years of follow-up, metabolic syndrome developed in 960 (50.0%) of the 1919 participants who did not have the condition at baseline. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome did not differ between participants assigned to the control diet and those assigned to either of the Mediterranean diets (control v. olive oil HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.94–1.30, p = 0.231; control v. nuts HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.92–1.27, p = 0.3). Reversion occurred in 958 (28.2%) of the 3392 participants who had metabolic syndrome at baseline. Compared with the control group, participants on either Mediterranean diet were more likely to undergo reversion (control v. olive oil HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.15–1.58, p < 0.001; control v. nuts HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.08–1.51, p < 0.001). Participants in the group receiving olive oil supplementation showed significant decreases in both central obesity and high fasting glucose (p = 0.02); participants in the group supplemented with nuts showed a significant decrease in central obesity. Interpretation: A Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or nuts is not associated with the onset of metabolic syndrome, but such diets are more likely to cause reversion of the condition. An energy-unrestricted Mediterranean diet may be useful in reducing the risks of central obesity and hyperglycemia in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. ISRCTN35739639. PMID:25316904

Mediterranean diets and metabolic syndrome status in the PREDIMED randomized trial.

PubMed

Babio, Nancy; Toledo, Estefanía; Estruch, Ramón; Ros, Emilio; Martínez-González, Miguel A; Castañer, Olga; Bulló, Mònica; Corella, Dolores; Arós, Fernando; Gómez-Gracia, Enrique; Ruiz-Gutiérrez, Valentina; Fiol, Miquel; Lapetra, José; Lamuela-Raventos, Rosa M; Serra-Majem, Lluís; Pintó, Xavier; Basora, Josep; Sorlí, José V; Salas-Salvadó, Jordi

2014-11-18

Little evidence exists on the effect of an energy-unrestricted healthy diet on metabolic syndrome. We evaluated the long-term effect of Mediterranean diets ad libitum on the incidence or reversion of metabolic syndrome. We performed a secondary analysis of the PREDIMED trial--a multicentre, randomized trial done between October 2003 and December 2010 that involved men and women (age 55-80 yr) at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary interventions: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts or advice on following a low-fat diet (the control group). The interventions did not include increased physical activity or weight loss as a goal. We analyzed available data from 5801 participants. We determined the effect of diet on incidence and reversion of metabolic syndrome using Cox regression analysis to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over 4.8 years of follow-up, metabolic syndrome developed in 960 (50.0%) of the 1919 participants who did not have the condition at baseline. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome did not differ between participants assigned to the control diet and those assigned to either of the Mediterranean diets (control v. olive oil HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.94-1.30, p = 0.231; control v. nuts HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.92-1.27, p = 0.3). Reversion occurred in 958 (28.2%) of the 3392 participants who had metabolic syndrome at baseline. Compared with the control group, participants on either Mediterranean diet were more likely to undergo reversion (control v. olive oil HR 1.35, 95% CI 1.15-1.58, p < 0.001; control v. nuts HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.08-1.51, p < 0.001). Participants in the group receiving olive oil supplementation showed significant decreases in both central obesity and high fasting glucose (p = 0.02); participants in the group supplemented with nuts showed a significant decrease in central obesity. A Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or nuts is not associated with the onset of metabolic syndrome, but such diets are more likely to cause reversion of the condition. An energy-unrestricted Mediterranean diet may be useful in reducing the risks of central obesity and hyperglycemia in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease. ClinicalTrials.gov, no. ISRCTN35739639. © 2014 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors.

Citizen Science: The Small World Initiative Improved Lecture Grades and California Critical Thinking Skills Test Scores of Nonscience Major Students at Florida Atlantic University.

PubMed

Caruso, Joseph P; Israel, Natalie; Rowland, Kimberly; Lovelace, Matthew J; Saunders, Mary Jane

2016-03-01

Course-based undergraduate research is known to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics student achievement. We tested "The Small World Initiative, a Citizen-Science Project to Crowdsource Novel Antibiotic Discovery" to see if it also improved student performance and the critical thinking of non-science majors in Introductory Biology at Florida Atlantic University (a large, public, minority-dominant institution) in academic year 2014-15. California Critical Thinking Skills Test pre- and posttests were offered to both Small World Initiative (SWI) and control lab students for formative amounts of extra credit. SWI lab students earned significantly higher lecture grades than control lab students, had significantly fewer lecture grades of D+ or lower, and had significantly higher critical thinking posttest total scores than control students. Lastly, more SWI students were engaged while taking critical thinking tests. These results support the hypothesis that utilizing independent course-based undergraduate science research improves student achievement even in nonscience students.

The changing face of women in physics in Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andam, Aba Bentil; Amponsah, Paulina Ekua; Nsiah-Akoto, Irene; Gyamfi, Kwame; Hood, Christiana Odumah

2013-03-01

Ghana is said to be the first independent sub-Saharan African country outside South Africa to promote science education and the application of science in industrial and social development. It has long been recognized that many schools' science curricula extend the extracurricular activities of boys more than those of girls. In order to bridge this gap, efforts have been made to give girls extra assistance in the learning of science by exposing them to science activities through specific camps, road shows, exhibitions, and so on. The best known of such efforts is the Science, Technology, and Mathematics Education (STME) camps and clinics for girls, which started in Ghana 23 years ago. Since our attendance at the Third International Conference on Women in Physics in Seoul, Korea, a lot has been achieved to further improve female science education, and this credit goes to STME. The first female nuclear engineer from Ghana graduated from the University of Ghana in March 2010.

Multiple Health Behaviors: Patterns and Correlates of Diet and Exercise in a Hispanic College Sample

PubMed Central

Hu, Dixie; Taylor, Thom; Blow, Julie; Cooper, Theodore V.

2011-01-01

Obesity rates are alarming in various ethnocultural groups, particularly in Hispanics. With Hispanics being the fastest growing group to enter college, the aims of the current study were to examine patterns and correlates of exercise and dietary behaviors in Hispanic college students. Data were collected from 693 Hispanic undergraduates who enrolled online and received course extra credit for participation. Individuals completed questionnaires assessing constructs of the transtheoretical model for three health behaviors (exercise, dietary fat, and fruit/vegetable stages of change) along with demographic, psychosocial, and acculturation measures. Less than 1% of students had 0 obesity-relevant risks, while 68% indicated 2 or more risks. Only 2% of the sample met fruit and vegetable guidelines. Lower income was associated with greater obesity-relevant risks, while stress coping ability was associated with fewer such risks. Findings indicate specific obesity risk behaviors in Hispanic college students and suggest demographic and psychosocial targets for prevention and intervention according to stage of change. PMID:22051363

How to create a very-low-cost, very-low-power, credit-card-sized and real-time-ready datalogger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bès de Berc, M.; Grunberg, M.; Engels, F.

2015-03-01

In order to improve an existing network, a field seismologist would have to add some extra sensors to a remote station. However, additional ADCs (analogue-to-digital converters) are not always implemented on commercial dataloggers, or, if they are, they may already be used. Installing additional ADCs often implies an expensive development, or the purchase of a new datalogger. We present here a simple method to take advantage of the ADCs of an embedded computer in order to create data in a seismological standard format and integrate them within the real-time data stream from the station. Our first goal is to plug temperature and pressure sensors on the ADCs, read data and record them in mini-seed format (seed stands for Standard for the Exchange of the Earthquake Data), and eventually transfer them to a central server together with the seismic data, by using seedlink, since mini-seed and seedlink are standard for seismology.

The Astrophysics Source Code Library: Supporting software publication and citation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Alice; Teuben, Peter

2018-01-01

The Astrophysics Source Code Library (ASCL, ascl.net), established in 1999, is a free online registry for source codes used in research that has appeared in, or been submitted to, peer-reviewed publications. The ASCL is indexed by the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) and Web of Science and is citable by using the unique ascl ID assigned to each code. In addition to registering codes, the ASCL can house archive files for download and assign them DOIs. The ASCL advocations for software citation on par with article citation, participates in multidiscipinary events such as Force11, OpenCon, and the annual Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science, works with journal publishers, and organizes Special Sessions and Birds of a Feather meetings at national and international conferences such as Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems (ADASS), European Week of Astronomy and Space Science, and AAS meetings. In this presentation, I will discuss some of the challenges of gathering credit for publishing software and ideas and efforts from other disciplines that may be useful to astronomy.

Honorary authorship epidemic in scholarly publications? How the current use of citation-based evaluative metrics make (pseudo)honorary authors from honest contributors of every multi-author article.

PubMed

Kovacs, Jozsef

2013-08-01

The current use of citation-based metrics to evaluate the research output of individual researchers is highly discriminatory because they are uniformly applied to authors of single-author articles as well as contributors of multi-author papers. In the latter case, these quantitative measures are counted, as if each contributor were the single author of the full article. In this way, each and every contributor is assigned the full impact-factor score and all the citations that the article has received. This has a multiplication effect on each contributor's citation-based evaluative metrics of multi-author articles, because the more contributors an article has, the more undeserved credit is assigned to each of them. In this paper, I argue that this unfair system could be made fairer by requesting the contributors of multi-author articles to describe the nature of their contribution, and to assign a numerical value to their degree of relative contribution. In this way, we could create a contribution-specific index of each contributor for each citation metric. This would be a strong disincentive against honorary authorship and publication cartels, because it would transform the current win-win strategy of accepting honorary authors in the byline into a zero-sum game for each contributor.

The influence of an elective introductory clinical research course on pharmacy student interest in pursuing research-based careers.

PubMed

Overholser, Brian R; Foster, David R; Henry, Joshua R; Plake, Kimberly S; Sowinski, Kevin M

2010-11-10

To assess the impact of an elective clinical research course on second- and third-year pharmacy students' knowledge of clinical research methods, training programs, career options, and interest in pursuing postgraduate training. A 2-credit hour elective course in clinical research was designed that included lectures, discussions, workshops, and in-class presentations related to study design and implementation, protocol synthesis, research evaluation, ethical and legal considerations, data analysis, and professional opportunities involving clinical research. Learner knowledge of these topics was assessed using several methods, including 3 assignments related to research protocol, ethical documentation, and presentation. A survey instrument designed to evaluate the effect the course had on pharmacy students' knowledge of clinical research methods and interest in pursuing postgraduate training in clinical research was administered. Students who completed the elective had a greater level of familiarity with research-related topics, training options, and career opportunities (p < 0.05) and a greater interest in pursuing a career in clinical research (p < 0.05) than did students in a matched control group. Taking a 2-credit hour elective course in clinical research increased pharmacy students' interest in pursuing a career in clinical research.

Inconsistency in the analysis of morphological deformities in chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) larvae.

PubMed

Salmelin, Johanna; Vuori, Kari-Matti; Hämäläinen, Heikki

2015-08-01

The incidence of morphological deformities of chironomid larvae as an indicator of sediment toxicity has been studied for decades. However, standards for deformity analysis are lacking. The authors evaluated whether 25 experts diagnosed larval deformities in a similar manner. Based on high-quality digital images, the experts rated 211 menta of Chironomus spp. larvae as normal or deformed. The larvae were from a site with polluted sediments or from a reference site. The authors revealed this to a random half of the experts, and the rest conducted the assessment blind. The authors quantified the interrater agreement by kappa coefficient, tested whether open and blind assessments differed in deformity incidence and in differentiation between the sites, and identified those deformity types rated most consistently or inconsistently. The total deformity incidence varied greatly, from 10.9% to 66.4% among experts. Kappa coefficient across rater pairs averaged 0.52, indicating insufficient agreement. The deformity types rated most consistently were those missing teeth or with extra teeth. The open and blind assessments did not differ, but differentiation between sites was clearest for raters who counted primarily absolute deformities such as missing and extra teeth and excluded apparent mechanical aberrations or deviations in tooth size or symmetry. The highly differing criteria in deformity assignment have likely led to inconsistent results in midge larval deformity studies and indicate an urgent need for standardization of the analysis. © 2015 SETAC.

Effects of dentin surface treatments on shear bond strength of glass-ionomer cements

PubMed Central

Poggio, Claudio; Beltrami, Riccardo; Scribante, Andrea; Colombo, Marco; Lombardini, Marco

2014-01-01

Summary Aim The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of different surface treatments on shear bond strength of a conventional glass-ionomer cement (GIC) and a resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (RMGIC) to dentin. Materials and methods 80 bovine permanent incisors were used. 40 cylindrical specimens of a GIC (Fuji IX GP Extra) and 40 cylindrical specimens of a RMGIC (Fuji II LC) were attached to the dentin. The teeth were then randomly assigned to 8 groups of equal size (n=10), 4 for every type of glass-ionomer cement, corresponding to type of dentin surface treatments. Group 1: GC Cavity Conditioner; Group 2: 37% phosphoric acid gel; Group 3: Clearfil SE Bond; Group 4: no dentin conditioning (control). The specimens were placed in a universal testing machine (Model 3343, Instron Corp., Canton, Mass., USA) and subsequently tested for shear bond strength (MPa). Results ANOVA showed the presence of significant differences among the various groups. Post hoc Tukey test showed different values of shear bond strength for Fuji IX GP Extra and for Fuji II LC. The different conditioners variably influence the adhesion of the glass-ionomer cements tested. Conclusions. RMGIC shear bond to dentin was higher than GIC. The use of a Self-etch adhesive system improved the shear bond strength values of RMGIC and lowered the shear bond strength values of GIC significantly. PMID:24753797

Lossy to lossless object-based coding of 3-D MRI data.

PubMed

Menegaz, Gloria; Thiran, Jean-Philippe

2002-01-01

We propose a fully three-dimensional (3-D) object-based coding system exploiting the diagnostic relevance of the different regions of the volumetric data for rate allocation. The data are first decorrelated via a 3-D discrete wavelet transform. The implementation via the lifting steps scheme allows to map integer-to-integer values, enabling lossless coding, and facilitates the definition of the object-based inverse transform. The coding process assigns disjoint segments of the bitstream to the different objects, which can be independently accessed and reconstructed at any up-to-lossless quality. Two fully 3-D coding strategies are considered: embedded zerotree coding (EZW-3D) and multidimensional layered zero coding (MLZC), both generalized for region of interest (ROI)-based processing. In order to avoid artifacts along region boundaries, some extra coefficients must be encoded for each object. This gives rise to an overheading of the bitstream with respect to the case where the volume is encoded as a whole. The amount of such extra information depends on both the filter length and the decomposition depth. The system is characterized on a set of head magnetic resonance images. Results show that MLZC and EZW-3D have competitive performances. In particular, the best MLZC mode outperforms the others state-of-the-art techniques on one of the datasets for which results are available in the literature.

Extra X-rays at the Hub of Our Milky Way Galaxy

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-04-29

NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, has captured a new high-energy X-ray view (magenta, Figure 1) of the bustling center of our Milky Way galaxy. The smaller circle shows the area where the NuSTAR image was taken -- the very center of our galaxy, where a giant black hole resides. That region is enlarged to the right, in the larger circle, to show the NuSTAR data. The NuSTAR picture is one of the most detailed ever taken of the center of our galaxy in high-energy X-rays. The X-ray light, normally invisible to our eyes, has been assigned the color magenta. The brightest point of light near the center of the X-ray picture is coming from a spinning dead star, known as a pulsar, which is near the giant black hole. While the pulsar's X-ray emissions were known before, scientists were surprised to find more high-energy X-rays than predicted in the surrounding regions, seen here as the elliptical haze. Astronomers aren't sure what the sources of the extra X-rays are, but one possibility is a population of dead stars. The background picture was captured in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The NuSTAR image has an X-ray energy range of 20 to 40 kiloelectron volts. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19334

Effects of the Integration of Dynamic Weight Shifting Training Into Treadmill Training on Walking Function of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Wu, Ming; Kim, Janis; Arora, Pooja; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah J; Zhang, Yunhui

2017-11-01

The aim of the study was to determine whether applying an assistance force to the pelvis and legs during treadmill training can improve walking function in children with cerebral palsy. Twenty-three children with cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to the robotic or treadmill only group. For participants who were assigned to the robotic group, a controlled force was applied to the pelvis and legs during treadmill walking. For participants who were assigned to the treadmill only group, manual assistance was provided as needed. Each participant trained 3 times/wk for 6 wks. Outcome measures included walking speed, 6-min walking distance, and clinical assessment of motor function, which were evaluated before, after training, and 8 wks after the end of training, and were compared between two groups. Significant increases in walking speed and 6-min walking distance were observed after robotic training (P = 0.03), but no significant change was observed after treadmill training only. A greater increase in 6-min walking distance was observed after robotic training than that after treadmill only training (P = 0.01). Applying a controlled force to the pelvis and legs, for facilitating weight-shift and leg swing, respectively, during treadmill training may improve walking speed and endurance in children with cerebral palsy. Complete the self-assessment activity and evaluation online at http://www.physiatry.org/JournalCME CME OBJECTIVES: Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to: (1) discuss the importance of physical activity at the participation level (sports programs) for children with cerebral palsy; (2) contrast the changes in walking ability and endurance for children in GMFCS level I, II and III following sports programs; and (3) identify the impact of higher frequency of sports program attendance over time on walking ability. Advanced ACCREDITATION: The Association of Academic Physiatrists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.The Association of Academic Physiatrists designates this Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The Green Eating Project: web-based intervention to promote environmentally conscious eating behaviours in US university students.

PubMed

Monroe, Jessica T; Lofgren, Ingrid E; Sartini, Becky L; Greene, Geoffrey W

2015-09-01

To investigate the effectiveness of an online, interactive intervention, referred to as the Green Eating (GE) Project, to motivate university students to adopt GE behaviours. The study was quasi-experimental and integrated into courses for credit/extra credit. Courses were randomly stratified into experimental or non-treatment control. The 5-week intervention consisted of four modules based on different GE topics. Participants completed the GE survey at baseline (experimental, n 241; control, n 367) and post (experimental, n 187; control, n 304). The GE survey has been previously validated and consists of Transtheoretical Model constructs including stage of change (SOC), decisional balance (DB: Pros and Cons) and self-efficacy (SE: School and Home) as well as behaviours for GE. Modules contained basic information regarding each topic and knowledge items to assess content learning. The GE Project took place at a public university in the north-eastern USA. Participants were full-time students between the ages of 18 and 24 years. The GE Project was effective in significantly increasing GE behaviours, DB Pros, SE School and knowledge in experimental compared with control, but did not reduce DB Cons or increase SE Home. Experimental participants were also more likely to be in later SOC for GE at post testing. The GE Project was effective in increasing GE behaviours in university students. Motivating consumers towards adopting GE could assist in potentially mitigating negative consequences of the food system on the environment. Future research could tailor the intervention to participant SOC to further increase the effects or design the modules for other participants.

Extra Pay for Extra Duties, 1967-1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Research Div.

The practice of adding supplements to teachers' salaries for the guidance of pupil-participating extracurricular activities is widely used. To meet the demand for information on "extra pay for extra duties," a comprehensive study was made, including extra pay for extra duties of both athletic and nonathletic activities. Included are only those…

Motivating Students to Do Homework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontur, Frederick J.; Terry, Nathan B.

2014-05-01

How do you motivate students to do their homework? Some instructors make students' homework scores a significant percentage of the final course grade. In that case, how much course credit is required? Some instructors do not grade homework at all, instead relying on students' intrinsic motivation to learn the course material. Will this actually work? Some instructors might motivate students by having quiz and/or exam problems closely match the assigned homework problems. In this article, we report on the effectiveness of grade incentives, homework-based quiz problems, and intrinsic motivation for 16 semesters of introductory mechanics and introductory electricity and magnetism (E&M) courses at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) between fall 2008 and spring 2012.

An evidence-based elective on dietary supplements.

PubMed

Bonafede, Machaon; Caron, Whitney; Zeolla, Mario

2009-08-28

To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a pharmacy elective on dietary supplements that emphasized evidence-based care. A 3-credit elective that employed both traditional lectures and a variety of active-learning exercises was implemented. The course introduction provided a background in dietary supplement use and evidence-based medicine principles before addressing dietary supplements by primary indication. Student learning was assessed through quizzes, case assignments, discussion board participation, and completion of a longitudinal group project. Precourse and postcourse surveys were conducted to assess students' opinions, knowledge, and skills related to course objectives. The course was an effective way to increase students' knowledge of dietary supplements and skills and confidence in providing patient care in this area.

Sustaining K-12 professional development in geology: Recurrent participation in Rockcamp

USGS Publications Warehouse

Repine, T.E.; Hemler, D.A.; Behling, R.E.

2004-01-01

A reconnaissance study of the geology professional development program known as RockCamp was initiated to examine the sustained, or recurrent, participation of K-12 science teachers. Open-ended interviews, concept mapping, and creative writing assignments were used to explore the perceptions of six teachers possessing an exceptional record of participation. Efficacy, fun, right time of life, and support emerged as unanimous reasons for recurrent participation. Content, friendship, and methodology were very important. College credit was not critical. These teachers' perceptions suggest their sustained involvement in the RockCamp Program is stimulated by situated learning experiences stressing a compare, contrast, connect, and construct pedagogy within a supportive learning community.

jsc2017e067167

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

jsc2017e067167 (06/07/2017)--- Ellen Ochoa, Director of the Johnson Space Center delivers remarks during an event where 12 new NASA astronaut candidates were introduced; Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Robert Hines, Warren Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

2017 Astronaut Class

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

nhq201706070004 (06/07/2017) --- Vice President Mike Pence poses for a group photograph with NASA's 12 new astronaut candidates, Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. NASA astronaut candidates, standing from left, Robb Kulin, Jonathan Kim, Robert Hines, Warren Hoburg, Matthew Dominick, Kayla Barron, Jessica Watkins, from left kneeling, Francisco Rubio, Loral O’Hara, Jasmin Moghbeli, Zena Cardman, and Raja Chari. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Original Filename

KSC-06pd2249

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-08-25

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At SPACEHAB in Cape Canaveral, Fla., STS-116 Pilot William Oefelein and Commander Mark Polansky relax during equipment familiarization to talk to astronaut Marsha Ivins, who is currently assigned to the Astronaut Office, Space Station/Shuttle Branches for crew equipment, habitability and stowage. Mission crews make frequent trips to the Space Coast to become familiar with the equipment and payloads they will be using. STS-116 will be mission number 20 to the International Space Station and construction flight 12A.1. The mission payload is the SPACEHAB module, the P5 integrated truss structure and other key components. Launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 7. Photo credit: NASA/George Shelton

MULTIPLE GALAXY COLLISIONS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Here is a sampling of 15 ultraluminous infrared galaxies viewed by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble's sharp vision reveals more complexity within these galaxies, which astronomers are interpreting as evidence of a multiple-galaxy pileup. These images, taken by the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, are part of a three-year study of 123 galaxies within 3 billion light-years of Earth. The study was conducted in 1996, 1997, and 1999. False colors were assigned to these photos to enhance fine details within these coalescing galaxies. Credits: NASA, Kirk Borne (Raytheon and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.), Luis Colina (Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria, Spain), and Howard Bushouse and Ray Lucas (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.)

Effect of the Mediterranean diet on blood pressure in the PREDIMED trial: results from a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Hypertension can be prevented by adopting healthy dietary patterns. Our aim was to assess the 4-year effect on blood pressure (BP) control of a randomized feeding trial promoting the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern. Methods The PREDIMED primary prevention trial is a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial conducted in Spanish primary healthcare centers. We recruited 7,447 men (aged 55 to 80 years) and women (aged 60 to 80 years) who had high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants were assigned to a control group or to one of two Mediterranean diets. The control group received education on following a low-fat diet, while the groups on Mediterranean diets received nutritional education and also free foods; either extra virgin olive oil, or nuts. Trained personnel measured participants’ BP at baseline and once yearly during a 4-year follow-up. We used generalized estimating equations to assess the differences between groups during the follow-up. Results The percentage of participants with controlled BP increased in all three intervention groups (P-value for within-group changes: P<0.001). Participants allocated to either of the two Mediterranean diet groups had significantly lower diastolic BP than the participants in the control group (−1.53 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) −2.01 to −1.04) for the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, and −0.65 mmHg (95% CI -1.15 to −0.15) mmHg for the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts). No between-group differences in changes of systolic BP were seen. Conclusions Both the traditional Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet exerted beneficial effects on BP and could be part of advice to patients for controlling BP. However, we found lower values of diastolic BP in the two groups promoting the Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil or with nuts than in the control group. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN35739639 PMID:24050803

Food fried in extra-virgin olive oil improves postprandial insulin response in obese, insulin-resistant women.

PubMed

Farnetti, Sara; Malandrino, Noemi; Luciani, Davide; Gasbarrini, Giovanni; Capristo, Esmeralda

2011-03-01

The benefits of low glycemic load (GL) diets on clinical outcome in several metabolic and cardiovascular diseases have extensively been demonstrated. The GL of a meal can be affected by modulating the bioavailability of carbohydrates or by changing food preparation. We investigated the effect on plasma glucose and insulin response in lean and obese women of adding raw or fried extra-virgin olive oil to a carbohydrate-containing meal. After an overnight fast, 12 obese insulin-resistant women (body mass index [BMI], 32.8 ± 2.2 kg/m(2)) and five lean subjects (BMI, 22.2 ± 1.2 kg/m(2)) were randomly assigned to receive two different meals (designated A and B). Meal A was composed of 60 g of pasta made from wheat flour and 150 g of grilled courgettes with 25 g of uncooked oil. Meal B included 15 g of oil in the 150 g of deep-fried courgettes and 10 g of oil in the 60 g of stir-fried pasta. Both meals included 150 g of apple. Blood samples were collected at baseline and every 30 minutes over a 3-hour post-meal period and were tested for levels of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and triglycerides. The area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated. In obese women the AUCs for C-peptide were significantly higher after meal A than after meal B at 120 minutes (W [Wilcoxon sign rank test] = 27.5, P = .0020), 150 minutes (W = 26.5, P = .0039), and 180 minutes (W = 26.5, P = .0039). No differences were found in lean subjects. This study demonstrated that in obese, insulin-resistant women, food fried in extra-virgin olive oil significantly reduced both insulin and C-peptide responses after a meal.

Unraveling the Dynamics of Nanoscopically Confined PVME in Thin Films of a Miscible PVME/PS Blend.

PubMed

Madkour, Sherif; Szymoniak, Paulina; Radnik, Jörg; Schönhals, Andreas

2017-10-25

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) was employed to investigate the glassy dynamics of thin films (7-200 nm) of a poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME)/polystyrene (PS) blend (50:50 wt %). For BDS measurements, nanostructured capacitors (NSCs) were employed, where films are allowed a free surface. This method was applied for film thicknesses up to 36 nm. For thicker films, samples were prepared between crossed electrode capacitors (CECs). The relaxation spectra of the films showed multiple processes. The first process was assigned to the α-relaxation of a bulklike layer. For films measured by NSCs, the rates of α-relaxation were higher compared to those of the bulk blend. This behavior was related to the PVME-rich free surface layer at the polymer/air interface. The second process was observed for all films measured by CECs (process X) and the 36 nm film measured by NSCs (process X2). This process was assigned to fluctuations of constraint PVME segments by PS. Its activation energy was found to be thickness-dependent because of the evidenced thickness dependency of the compositional heterogeneity. Finally, a third process with an activated temperature dependence was observed for all films measured by NSCs (process X1). It resembled the molecular fluctuations in an adsorbed layer found for thin films of pure PVME, and thus, it is assigned accordingly. This process undergoes an extra confinement because of frozen adsorbed PS segments at the polymer/substrate interface. To our knowledge, this is the first example where confinement-induced changes were observed by BDS for blend thin films.

A Learning Theory for Reward-Modulated Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity with Application to Biofeedback

PubMed Central

Maass, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

Reward-modulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) has recently emerged as a candidate for a learning rule that could explain how behaviorally relevant adaptive changes in complex networks of spiking neurons could be achieved in a self-organizing manner through local synaptic plasticity. However, the capabilities and limitations of this learning rule could so far only be tested through computer simulations. This article provides tools for an analytic treatment of reward-modulated STDP, which allows us to predict under which conditions reward-modulated STDP will achieve a desired learning effect. These analytical results imply that neurons can learn through reward-modulated STDP to classify not only spatial but also temporal firing patterns of presynaptic neurons. They also can learn to respond to specific presynaptic firing patterns with particular spike patterns. Finally, the resulting learning theory predicts that even difficult credit-assignment problems, where it is very hard to tell which synaptic weights should be modified in order to increase the global reward for the system, can be solved in a self-organizing manner through reward-modulated STDP. This yields an explanation for a fundamental experimental result on biofeedback in monkeys by Fetz and Baker. In this experiment monkeys were rewarded for increasing the firing rate of a particular neuron in the cortex and were able to solve this extremely difficult credit assignment problem. Our model for this experiment relies on a combination of reward-modulated STDP with variable spontaneous firing activity. Hence it also provides a possible functional explanation for trial-to-trial variability, which is characteristic for cortical networks of neurons but has no analogue in currently existing artificial computing systems. In addition our model demonstrates that reward-modulated STDP can be applied to all synapses in a large recurrent neural network without endangering the stability of the network dynamics. PMID:18846203

EXTraS: Exploring the X-ray Transient and variable Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Luca, A.; Salvaterra, R.; Tiengo, A.; D'Agostino, D.; Watson, M.; Haberl, F.; Wilms, J.

2017-10-01

The EXTraS project extracted all temporal domain information buried in the whole database collected by the EPIC cameras onboard the XMM-Newton mission. This included a search and characterisation of variability, both periodic and aperiodic, in hundreds of thousands of sources spanning more than eight orders of magnitude in time scale and six orders of magnitude in flux, as well as a search for fast transients, missed by standard image analysis. Phenomenological classification of variable sources, based on X-ray and multiwavelength information, has also been performed. All results and products of EXTraS are made available to the scientific community through a web public data archive. A dedicated science gateway will allow scientists to apply EXTraS pipelines on new observations. EXTraS is the most comprehensive analysis of variability, on the largest ever sample of soft X-ray sources. The resulting archive and tools disclose an enormous scientific discovery space to the community, with applications ranging from the search for rare events to population studies, with impact on the study of virtually all astrophysical source classes. EXTraS, funded within the EU/FP7 framework, is carried out by a collaboration including INAF (Italy), IUSS (Italy), CNR/IMATI (Italy), University of Leicester (UK), MPE (Germany) and ECAP (Germany).

Measuring homework compliance in cognitive-behavioral therapy for adolescent depression: review, preliminary findings, and implications for theory and practice.

PubMed

Gaynor, Scott T; Lawrence, P Scott; Nelson-Gray, Rosemery O

2006-09-01

Despite the importance placed on completion of extra-session homework in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a review of the available literature suggests there is much about the nature of homework compliance that remains to be empirically evaluated. This is especially true among youth receiving CBT. The present study begins to address how best to measure homework compliance and offers a fine-grained, single-case analysis of homework compliance during acute treatment with depressed adolescents. The results demonstrate that 56% of homework assignments were completed. Also observed was substantial within-subject temporal variability in homework compliance and a tendency for compliance to decrease during the course of treatment. These data call into question the adequacy of any static aggregate measure of homework compliance and have implications for both researchers and clinicians.

Neutrino masses and mixing from S4 flavor twisting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimori, Hajime; Shimizu, Yusuke; Tanimoto, Morimitsu; Watanabe, Atsushi

2011-02-01

We discuss a neutrino mass model based on the S4 discrete symmetry where the symmetry breaking is triggered by the boundary conditions of the bulk right-handed neutrino in the fifth spacial dimension. The three generations of the left-handed lepton doublets and the right-handed neutrinos are assigned to be the triplets of S4. The magnitudes of the lepton mixing angles, especially the reactor angle, are related to the neutrino mass patterns, and the model will be tested in future neutrino experiments, e.g., an early discovery of the reactor angle favors the normal hierarchy. For the inverted hierarchy, the lepton mixing is predicted to be almost the tribimaximal mixing. The size of the extra dimension has a connection to the possible mass spectrum; a small (large) volume corresponds to the normal (inverted) mass hierarchy.

Earth System Science Online: An Innovative Course for Non-traditional Students, Offered by Hampton University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, D. Q.; Kozusko, F.; Maggi, B. H.

2003-12-01

Hampton University (HU), a historically black university, is currently offering an innovative online course, Earth System Science Online, for teachers, future teachers, non-science undergraduate majors, and mature non-traditional students continuing their education. Supported by NASA and offered by the Interdisciplinary Science Center at HU, this course targets students interested in an asynchronous web-based learning environment. Often these students are working adults, such as those in the HU religious studies program, or undergraduate athletes who need the flexibility of taking their courses online in the evenings. Participants of this course earn three hours of science credit either graduate or undergraduate through their online explorations of the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. The incorporation of specific problem-based case studies, allows students to investigate weather phenomena, deforestation, and the various instruments and satellite data systems that are used to collect and analyze this data. This web-based course utilizes the unique capabilities of the web allowing students to work at a self-regulated pace and at times most convenient to their schedules. The course delivers all lectures, text readings, and course assignments online. Assignments are given on a weekly basis, and participants are expected to conduct independent research that will enrich their online experience. The nature of the web allows the students to easily integrate text and graphics into their assignments and have access to their classmate's work. Participants meet online weekly and interact as a team.

Persuasion stage in adoption theory: a cognitive response-cognitive structure assessment of source credibility and tax-incentive effects on consumer decision making for residential solar systems. [Suburbs of Baltimore

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

Batory, S.S.

1981-01-01

The research objective was to learn more about the consumer's acceptance or rejection process toward a major residential energy innovation, a solar-generated water heating system. An experiment was conducted that evaluated one aspect of solar's commercialization, the persuasion stage in new-product-adoption decision making. A test of source credibility and monetary incentive effects on the consumer's decision-making processes was carried out. The experiment contained two message sources: the Department of Energy (a high credibility source) and a homebuilder (a moderate credibility source), and three levels of incentives, a tax credit equal to 40% of the solar unit purchase price, a 20%more » tax credit, and no tax credit. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a control group or one of six experimental treatments in a 2 x 3 fixed-effects factorial design. Subjects were 226 adult homeowners drawn from the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. The research postulated and tested a process of acceptance or rejection of innovations which was based on a cognitive-response/cognitive-structure paradigm of decision making. This process is called the persuasion stage by adoption theorists. Cognitive responses, beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral measures were the dependent variables. Consumers were shown to confront or debate incoming information by comparing it to their existing cognitive structure. This comparison process generated cognitive responses which led to changes in beliefs, attitudes, and behavior toward the innovation. The findings confirm that the federal government's intervention in the marketplace is having a favorable effect on the adoption decision process toward solar-generated water heating.« less

Credit Assignment in Multiple Goal Embodied Visuomotor Behavior

PubMed Central

Rothkopf, Constantin A.; Ballard, Dana H.

2010-01-01

The intrinsic complexity of the brain can lead one to set aside issues related to its relationships with the body, but the field of embodied cognition emphasizes that understanding brain function at the system level requires one to address the role of the brain-body interface. It has only recently been appreciated that this interface performs huge amounts of computation that does not have to be repeated by the brain, and thus affords the brain great simplifications in its representations. In effect the brain's abstract states can refer to coded representations of the world created by the body. But even if the brain can communicate with the world through abstractions, the severe speed limitations in its neural circuitry mean that vast amounts of indexing must be performed during development so that appropriate behavioral responses can be rapidly accessed. One way this could happen would be if the brain used a decomposition whereby behavioral primitives could be quickly accessed and combined. This realization motivates our study of independent sensorimotor task solvers, which we call modules, in directing behavior. The issue we focus on herein is how an embodied agent can learn to calibrate such individual visuomotor modules while pursuing multiple goals. The biologically plausible standard for module programming is that of reinforcement given during exploration of the environment. However this formulation contains a substantial issue when sensorimotor modules are used in combination: The credit for their overall performance must be divided amongst them. We show that this problem can be solved and that diverse task combinations are beneficial in learning and not a complication, as usually assumed. Our simulations show that fast algorithms are available that allot credit correctly and are insensitive to measurement noise. PMID:21833235

Small individual loans and mental health: a randomized controlled trial among South African adults

PubMed Central

Fernald, Lia CH; Hamad, Rita; Karlan, Dean; Ozer, Emily J; Zinman, Jonathan

2008-01-01

Background In the developing world, access to small, individual loans has been variously hailed as a poverty-alleviation tool – in the context of "microcredit" – but has also been criticized as "usury" and harmful to vulnerable borrowers. Prior studies have assessed effects of access to credit on traditional economic outcomes for poor borrowers, but effects on mental health have been largely ignored. Methods Applicants who had previously been rejected (n = 257) for a loan (200% annual percentage rate – APR) from a lender in South Africa were randomly assigned to a "second-look" that encouraged loan officers to approve their applications. This randomized encouragement resulted in 53% of applicants receiving a loan they otherwise would not have received. All subjects were assessed 6–12 months later with questions about demographics, socio-economic status, and two indicators of mental health: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale (CES-D) and Cohen's Perceived Stress scale. Intent-to-treat analyses were calculated using multinomial probit regressions. Results Randomization into receiving a "second look" for access to credit increased perceived stress in the combined sample of women and men; the findings were stronger among men. Credit access was associated with reduced depressive symptoms in men, but not women. Conclusion Our findings suggest that a mechanism used to reduce the economic stress of extremely poor individuals can have mixed effects on their experiences of psychological stress and depressive symptomatology. Our data support the notion that mental health should be included as a measure of success (or failure) when examining potential tools for poverty alleviation. Further longitudinal research is needed in South Africa and other settings to understand how borrowing at high interest rates affects gender roles and daily life activities. CCT: ISRCTN 10734925 PMID:19087316

Small individual loans and mental health: a randomized controlled trial among South African adults.

PubMed

Fernald, Lia C H; Hamad, Rita; Karlan, Dean; Ozer, Emily J; Zinman, Jonathan

2008-12-16

In the developing world, access to small, individual loans has been variously hailed as a poverty-alleviation tool - in the context of "microcredit" - but has also been criticized as "usury" and harmful to vulnerable borrowers. Prior studies have assessed effects of access to credit on traditional economic outcomes for poor borrowers, but effects on mental health have been largely ignored. Applicants who had previously been rejected (n = 257) for a loan (200% annual percentage rate - APR) from a lender in South Africa were randomly assigned to a "second-look" that encouraged loan officers to approve their applications. This randomized encouragement resulted in 53% of applicants receiving a loan they otherwise would not have received. All subjects were assessed 6-12 months later with questions about demographics, socio-economic status, and two indicators of mental health: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale (CES-D) and Cohen's Perceived Stress scale. Intent-to-treat analyses were calculated using multinomial probit regressions. Randomization into receiving a "second look" for access to credit increased perceived stress in the combined sample of women and men; the findings were stronger among men. Credit access was associated with reduced depressive symptoms in men, but not women. Our findings suggest that a mechanism used to reduce the economic stress of extremely poor individuals can have mixed effects on their experiences of psychological stress and depressive symptomatology. Our data support the notion that mental health should be included as a measure of success (or failure) when examining potential tools for poverty alleviation. Further longitudinal research is needed in South Africa and other settings to understand how borrowing at high interest rates affects gender roles and daily life activities. CCT: ISRCTN 10734925.

jsc2017e067164

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

jsc2017e067164 (06/07/2017) --- United States Vice President Mike Pence congratulates NASA's 12 new astronaut candidates at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. The 2017 astronaut candidate class -- Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Bob Hines, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins – were chosen from amid a record number of people applying. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/James Blair)

jsc2017e067182

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-07

jsc2017e067182 (06/07/2017) --- United States Vice President Mike Pence congratulates NASA's 12 new astronaut candidates at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas. The 2017 astronaut candidate class -- Kayla Barron, Zena Cardman, Raja Chari, Matthew Dominick, Bob Hines, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Jonathan Kim, Robb Kulin, Jasmin Moghbeli, Loral O’Hara, Francisco Rubio and Jessica Watkins – were chosen from amid a record number of people applying. After completing two years of training, the new astronaut candidates could be assigned to missions performing research on the International Space Station, launching from American soil on spacecraft built by commercial companies, and launching on deep space missions on NASA’s new Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket. Photo Credit: (NASA/Robert Markowitz)

Time-to-Credit Gender Inequities of First-Year PhD Students in the Biological Sciences

PubMed Central

Feldon, David F.; Peugh, James; Maher, Michelle A.; Roksa, Josipa; Tofel-Grehl, Colby

2017-01-01

Equitable gender representation is an important aspect of scientific workforce development to secure a sufficient number of individuals and a diversity of perspectives. Biology is the most gender equitable of all scientific fields by the marker of degree attainment, with 52.5% of PhDs awarded to women. However, equitable rates of degree completion do not translate into equitable attainment of faculty or postdoctoral positions, suggesting continued existence of gender inequalities. In a national cohort of 336 first-year PhD students in the biological sciences (i.e., microbiology, cellular biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, and genetics) from 53 research institutions, female participants logged significantly more research hours than males and were significantly more likely than males to attribute their work hours to the demands of their assigned projects over the course of the academic year. Despite this, males were 15% more likely to be listed as authors on published journal articles, indicating inequality in the ratio of time to credit. Given the cumulative advantage that accrues for students who publish early in their graduate careers and the central role that scholarly productivity plays in academic hiring decisions, these findings collectively point to a major potential source of persisting underrepresentation of women on university faculties in these fields. PMID:28130271

Video lottery: winning expectancies and arousal.

PubMed

Ladouceur, Robert; Sévigny, Serge; Blaszczynski, Alexander; O'Connor, Kieron; Lavoie, Marc E

2003-06-01

This study investigates the effects of video lottery players' expectancies of winning on physiological and subjective arousal. Participants were assigned randomly to one of two experimental conditions: high and low winning expectancies. Participants played 100 video lottery games in a laboratory setting while physiological measures were recorded. Level of risk-taking was controlled. Participants were 34 occasional or regular video lottery players. They were assigned randomly into two groups of 17, with nine men and eight women in each group. The low-expectancy group played for fun, therefore expecting to win worthless credits, while the high-expectancy group played for real money. Players' experience, demographic variables and subjective arousal were assessed. Severity of problem gambling was measured with the South Oaks Gambling Screen. In order to measure arousal, the average heart rate was recorded across eight periods. Participants exposed to high as compared to low expectations experienced faster heart rate prior to and during the gambling session. According to self-reports, it is the expectancy of winning money that is exciting, not playing the game. Regardless of the level of risk-taking, expectancy of winning is a cognitive factor influencing levels of arousal. When playing for fun, gambling becomes significantly less stimulating than when playing for money.

Endothelin-1 Expression in Prostate Needle Biopsy Specimens Correlated With Aggressiveness of Prostatic Cancer

PubMed Central

Asgari, Mojgan; Eftekhar, Elham; Abolhasani, Maryam; Shahrokh, Hossein

2017-01-01

Background & Objective: As the prostate adenocarcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors in males, looking for a marker to effectively predict aggressiveness and metastatic potential in an apparently localized cancer in initial needle biopsy specimens can help the clinicians to make more appropriate decision for treatment, planning, and choosing appropriate targeted therapy. The present study assessed the value of Endothelin-1 expression to predict prognosis of prostatic cancer Methods: In a cross sectional study, 83 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy in Hasheminejad Kidney Center in 2008 through 2012 were assigned to two groups including 43 with and 40 without extra-prostatic extension (EPE). Endothelin-1 staining was performed on Paraffin Embedded blocks of preoperative needle biopsies. Results: The expression of Endothelin-1 increased in 72% of patients in the group with EPE (P<0.001). The group with Endothelin-1 positivity showed higher serum level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) (p = 0.039). Endothelin-1 expression was positive in 67% of patients with perineurial invasion (P<0.001). Adjusting the baseline variables of PSA and PN in a multivariable logistic regression model, the Endothelin-1 positivity could effectively predict EPE in patients with prostatic cancer (OR: 5.46, p = 0.010). Conclusion: Correlation of Endothelin-1 expression in needle biopsy specimens in expected with extra-prostatic extension of tumor in radical prostatectomy specimens, perineurial invasion and serum PSA level at the time of diagnosis. PMID:29515640

Transfer of Training from Virtual to Real Baseball Batting

PubMed Central

Gray, Rob

2017-01-01

The use of virtual environments (VE) for training perceptual-motors skills in sports continues to be a rapidly growing area. However, there is a dearth of research that has examined whether training in sports simulation transfers to the real task. In this study, the transfer of perceptual-motor skills trained in an adaptive baseball batting VE to real baseball performance was investigated. Eighty participants were assigned equally to groups undertaking adaptive hitting training in the VE, extra sessions of batting practice in the VE, extra sessions of real batting practice, and a control condition involving no additional training to the players’ regular practice. Training involved two 45 min sessions per week for 6 weeks. Performance on a batting test in the VE, in an on-field test of batting, and on a pitch recognition test was measured pre- and post-training. League batting statistics in the season following training and the highest level of competition reached in the following 5 years were also analyzed. For the majority of performance measures, the adaptive VE training group showed a significantly greater improvement from pre-post training as compared to the other groups. In addition, players in this group had superior batting statistics in league play and reached higher levels of competition. Training in a VE can be used to improve real, on-field performance especially when designers take advantage of simulation to provide training methods (e.g., adaptive training) that do not simply recreate the real training situation. PMID:29326627

Effect of human patient plasma ex vivo treatment on gene expression and progenitor cell activation of primary human liver cells in multi-compartment 3D perfusion bioreactors for extra-corporeal liver support.

PubMed

Schmelzer, Eva; Mutig, Kerim; Schrade, Petra; Bachmann, Sebastian; Gerlach, Jörg C; Zeilinger, Katrin

2009-07-01

Cultivation of primary human liver cells in innovative 3D perfusion multi-compartment capillary membrane bioreactors using decentralized mass exchange and integral oxygenation provides in vitro conditions close to the physiologic environment in vivo. While a few scale-up bioreactors were used clinically, inoculated liver progenitors in these bioreactors were not investigated. Therefore, we characterized regenerative processes and expression patterns of auto- and paracrine mediators involved in liver regeneration in bioreactors after patient treatment. Primary human liver cells containing parenchymal and non-parenchymal cells co-cultivated in bioreactors were used for clinical extra-corporeal liver support to bridge to liver transplantation. 3D tissue re-structuring in bioreactors was studied; expression of proteins and genes related to regenerative processes and hepatic progenitors was analyzed. Formation of multiple bile ductular networks and colonies of putative progenitors were observed within parenchymal cell aggregates. HGF was detected in scattered cells located close to vascular-like structures, expression of HGFA and c-Met was assigned to biliary cells and hepatocytes. Increased expression of genes associated to hepatic progenitors was detected following clinical application. The results confirm auto- and paracrine interactions between co-cultured cells in the bioreactor. The 3D bioreactor provides a valuable tool to study mechanisms of progenitor activation and hepatic regeneration ex vivo under patient plasma treatment. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of Avena indolines and their role in kernel texture.

PubMed

Gazza, Laura; Taddei, Federica; Conti, Salvatore; Gazzelloni, Gloria; Muccilli, Vera; Janni, Michela; D'Ovidio, Renato; Alfieri, Michela; Redaelli, Rita; Pogna, Norberto E

2015-02-01

Among cereals, Avena sativa is characterized by an extremely soft endosperm texture, which leads to some negative agronomic and technological traits. On the basis of the well-known softening effect of puroindolines in wheat kernel texture, in this study, indolines and their encoding genes are investigated in Avena species at different ploidy levels. Three novel 14 kDa proteins, showing a central hydrophobic domain with four tryptophan residues and here named vromindoline (VIN)-1,2 and 3, were identified. Each VIN protein in diploid oat species was found to be synthesized by a single Vin gene whereas, in hexaploid A. sativa, three Vin-1, three Vin-2 and two Vin-3 genes coding for VIN-1, VIN-2 and VIN-3, respectively, were described and assigned to the A, C or D genomes based on similarity to their counterparts in diploid species. Expression of oat vromindoline transgenes in the extra-hard durum wheat led to accumulation of vromindolines in the endosperm and caused an approximate 50 % reduction of grain hardness, suggesting a central role for vromindolines in causing the extra-soft texture of oat grain. Further, hexaploid oats showed three orthologous genes coding for avenoindolines A and B, with five or three tryptophan residues, respectively, but very low amounts of avenoindolines were found in mature kernels. The present results identify a novel protein family affecting cereal kernel texture and would further elucidate the phylogenetic evolution of Avena genus.

TRICARE; Reserve and Guard family member benefits. Final rule.

PubMed

2008-08-12

This final rule implements sections 704 and 705 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005. These provisions apply to eligible family members who become eligible for TRICARE as a result of their Reserve Component (RC) sponsor (including those with delayed effective date orders up to 90 days) being called or ordered to active duty for more than 30 days in support of a federal/contingency operation and choose to participate in TRICARE Standard or Extra, rather than enroll in TRICARE Prime. The first provision gives the Secretary the authority to waive the annual TRICARE Standard (or Extra) deductible, which is set by law (10 U.S.C. 1079(b)) at $150 per individual and $300 per family ($50/$100 for families of members in pay grades E-4 and below). The second provision gives the Secretary the authority to increase TRICARE payments up to 115 percent of the TRICARE maximum allowable charge, less the applicable patient cost share if not previously waived under the first provision, for covered inpatient and outpatient health services received from a provider that does not participate (accept assignment) with TRICARE. These provisions help ensure timely access to health care and maintain clinically appropriate continuity of health care to family members of Reservists and Guardsmen activated in support of a federal/contingency operation; limit the out-of-pocket health care expenses for those family members; and remove potential barriers to health care access by Guard and Reserve families.

Low temperature FTIR spectra and hydrogen bonds in polycrystalline cytidine.

PubMed

Rozenberg, M; Jung, C; Shoham, G

2004-08-01

FTIR spectra of polycrystalline samples of cytidine, pure and containing a small quantity of N(O)H or N(O)D groups (<20%), were measured in KBr pellets from 4000 to 400 cm(-1) at temperatures from 300 to 20K. For the first time the bands of the narrow isotopically decoupled proton stretching vibration mode (nu(1)) of OH- and NH- groups were found; their number corresponds to the number of H-bonds in crystal according to structural data. The FTIR spectra at low temperature in the out-of-plane bending nu(4) proton mode range (lower than 1000 cm(-1)) of N(O)H groups revealed narrow bands, which correspond to nu(1) bands together with several "extra" bands, which are influenced by the isotopic exchange and (or) cooling. All of them have their counterparts in the N(O)D-substance spectrum with an isotopic frequency ratio of 1.30-1.40. The "extra" bands are assigned to the H-bound OH and NH protons, which are disordered and cannot be seen with X-ray crystal structure analysis. The peak positions of both mode bands (expressed as the red shift of nu(1) or blue shift of nu(4) modes relatively free molecules) were used for the estimation of the energy of different H-bonds using previously established empirical correlations between spectral and thermodynamic parameters of hydrogen bonds. The correlation of the red shift and H-bond length is also confirmed for all five H-bonds of cytidine.

Mavericks versus team players: the trade-off between shared glory and making a personal contribution.

PubMed

Charlton, Bruce G

2008-08-01

The modern world is characterized by progressive specialization of function and ever-larger-scale coordination of these ever-more-specialized functions. More and more of science is done by increasing-sized teams of specialists, and the ability to engage in 'teamwork' is regarded as an almost essential attribute for most scientists. But teamwork does not suit all personality types. Some 'maverick' individuals would rather have personal credit for a relatively modest scientific contribution which they achieved (mostly) by themselves, than a share of credit in a much larger scientific contribution generated by a large team. The present system of medical science is organized to discourage mavericks and, on the whole, this is probably justifiable on the basis that scientists are not natural team players. Extra inducements are necessary to get people to adopt the relatively self-effacing behaviours necessary for building the large organizations of complementary specialists that are necessary for tackling many of the most intractable modern scientific problems. However, an ethos of teamwork does carry substantial disadvantages. Although most scientists are dispensable, and do not make a significant personal contribution, the very best scientists do make a difference to the rate of progress of science. And top notch scientists are wasted as team players. The very best scientists can function only as mavericks because they are doing science for vocational reasons. The highest intensity of personal commitment requires individual rewards from distinctive contributions. In conclusion, the current incentive system that encourages teamwork involves a trade-off. The majority of modestly talented scientists can probably achieve more when working as members of a team. But the very best scientists probably need to work as mavericks.

Barriers to participation in clinical trials: a physician survey.

PubMed

Mahmud, A; Zalay, O; Springer, A; Arts, K; Eisenhauer, E

2018-04-01

Clinical trials are vital for evidence-based cancer care. Oncologist engagement in clinical trials has an effect on patient recruitment, which in turn can affect trial success. Identifying barriers to clinical trial participation might enable interventions that could help to increase physician participation. To assess factors affecting physician engagement in oncology trials, a national survey was conducted using the online SurveyMonkey tool (SurveyMonkey, San Mateo, CA, U.S.A.; http://www.surveymonkey.com). Physicians associated with the Canadian Cancer Clinical Trials Network and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group were asked about their specialty, years of experience, barriers to participation, and motivating interventions, which included an open-ended question inviting survey takers to suggest interventions. The survey collected 207 anonymous responses. Respondents were predominantly medical oncologists (46.4%), followed by radiation oncologists (24.6%). Almost 70% of the respondents had more than 10 years of experience. Significant time constraints included extra paperwork (77%), patient education (54%), and extended follow-up or clinic visits (53%). Timing of events within trials was also a barrier to participation (55%). Most respondents favoured clinical work credits (72%), academic credits (67%), a clinical trial alert system (75%), a regular meeting to review trial protocols (65%), and a screening log to aid in patient accrual (67%) as motivational strategies. Suggested interventions included increased support staff, streamlined regulatory burden, and provision of greater funding for trials and easier access to ancillary services. The present study confirms that Canadian oncologists are willing to participate in clinical research, but face multiple barriers to trial participation. Those barriers could be mitigated by the implementation of several interventions identified in the study.

Extra-pair copulation and extra-range movements in Flammulated Owls

Treesearch

Richard T. Reynolds; Brian D. Linkhart

1990-01-01

We report an extra-pair copulation (EPC) in the Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus), the first in strigiforms, and document 21 cases of extra-range movements (ERMs) in this species. Extra-range movements occurred throughout nesting with both sexes participating: males anytime during nesting and females only after their young fledged. Males appear to make ERMs to...

Variation in parent-offspring kinship in socially monogamous systems with extra-pair reproduction and inbreeding.

PubMed

Reid, Jane M; Bocedi, Greta; Nietlisbach, Pirmin; Duthie, A Bradley; Wolak, Matthew E; Gow, Elizabeth A; Arcese, Peter

2016-07-01

Female extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems is predicted to cause cuckolded socially-paired males to conditionally reduce paternal care, causing selection against extra-pair reproduction and underlying polyandry. However, existing models and empirical studies have not explicitly considered that cuckolded males might be related to their socially-paired female and/or to her extra-pair mate, and therefore be related to extra-pair offspring that they did not sire but could rear. Selection against paternal care, and hence against extra-pair reproduction, might then be weakened. We derive metrics that quantify allele-sharing between within-pair and extra-pair offspring and their mother and her socially-paired male in terms of coefficients of kinship and inbreeding. We use song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) paternity and pedigree data to quantify these metrics, and thereby quantify the joint effects of extra-pair reproduction and inbreeding on a brood's total allelic value to its socially-paired parents. Cuckolded male song sparrows were almost always detectably related to extra-pair offspring they reared. Consequently, although brood allelic value decreased substantially following female extra-pair reproduction, this decrease was reduced by within-pair and extra-pair reproduction among relatives. Such complex variation in kinship within nuclear families should be incorporated into models considering coevolutionary dynamics of extra-pair reproduction, parental care, and inbreeding. 2016 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Assigning exposure to pesticides and solvents from self-reports collected by a computer assisted personal interview and expert assessment of job codes: the UK Adult Brain Tumour Study.

PubMed

Hepworth, S J; Bolton, A; Parslow, R C; van Tongeren, M; Muir, K R; McKinney, P A

2006-04-01

To compare assignment of occupational pesticide and solvent exposure using self-reported data collected by a computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) with exposure based on expert assessment of job codes. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a CAPI to collect individual occupational exposure data. Between 2001 and 2004, 1495 participants were interviewed using a CAPI for a case-control study of adult brain tumours and acoustic neuromas. Two types of occupational data were collected: (1) a full history, including job title from which a job code was assigned from the Standard Occupational Classification; and (2) specific details on pesticide and solvent exposure reported by participants. Study members' experiences of using the CAPI were recorded and advantages and disadvantages summarised. Of 7192 jobs recorded, the prevalence of self-reported exposure was 1.3% for pesticides and 11.5% for solvents. Comparing this with exposure expertly assessed from job titles showed 53.6% and 45.8% concordance for pesticides and solvents respectively. Advantages of the CAPI include no data entry stage, automatic input validation, and a reduction in interviewer bias. Disadvantages include an adverse effect on study implementation as a consequence of resources required for programming and difficulties encountered with data management prior to analysis. Different methods of exposure assessment derive different exposure levels for pesticide and solvent exposure at work. Agreement between self-reported and expert assessment of exposure was greater for pesticides compared to solvents. The advantages of using a CAPI for the collection of complex data outweigh the disadvantages for interviewers and data quality but using such a method requires extra resources at the study outset.

Assigning exposure to pesticides and solvents from self‐reports collected by a computer assisted personal interview and expert assessment of job codes: the UK Adult Brain Tumour Study

PubMed Central

Hepworth, S J; Bolton, A; Parslow, R C; van Tongeren, M; Muir, K R; McKinney, P A

2006-01-01

Objectives To compare assignment of occupational pesticide and solvent exposure using self‐reported data collected by a computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) with exposure based on expert assessment of job codes. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a CAPI to collect individual occupational exposure data. Methods Between 2001 and 2004, 1495 participants were interviewed using a CAPI for a case‐control study of adult brain tumours and acoustic neuromas. Two types of occupational data were collected: (1) a full history, including job title from which a job code was assigned from the Standard Occupational Classification; and (2) specific details on pesticide and solvent exposure reported by participants. Study members' experiences of using the CAPI were recorded and advantages and disadvantages summarised. Results Of 7192 jobs recorded, the prevalence of self‐reported exposure was 1.3% for pesticides and 11.5% for solvents. Comparing this with exposure expertly assessed from job titles showed 53.6% and 45.8% concordance for pesticides and solvents respectively. Advantages of the CAPI include no data entry stage, automatic input validation, and a reduction in interviewer bias. Disadvantages include an adverse effect on study implementation as a consequence of resources required for programming and difficulties encountered with data management prior to analysis. Conclusions Different methods of exposure assessment derive different exposure levels for pesticide and solvent exposure at work. Agreement between self‐reported and expert assessment of exposure was greater for pesticides compared to solvents. The advantages of using a CAPI for the collection of complex data outweigh the disadvantages for interviewers and data quality but using such a method requires extra resources at the study outset. PMID:16556747

The Laser Teaching Center at Stony Brook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metcalf, Harold

2010-03-01

Stony Brook's Laser Teaching Center was built more than ten years ago to serve a clientele ranging from high school (HS) students to graduate students. Its construction in a formerly open hallway area was financed by donations from private corporations and foundations, and it was equipped with similar contributions. It provides a working area for laser and optics-related projects, both individual and group. Its daily operations are overseen by a highly-dedicated Ph.D. who is a department employee. It is populated by HS students doing science fair related research, including the major national contests (in which we have many finalists and semifinalists), undergraduates doing extra-credit course projects and other kinds of research activities, graduate students in a special course called ``Optics Rotation,'' and many others who come to use its facilities. All of its denizens benefit enormously by occasional prestigious visitors. Students are drawn from among our undergraduates and graduate students, NSF's WISE program, special HS summer programs, and direct application from the outside. We have an excellent record of placing our HS students in the highest ranking colleges.

SHAME AND GUILT-PRONENESS AS MEDIATORS OF ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN GENERAL CAUSALITY ORIENTATIONS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

PubMed Central

YOUNG, CHELSIE M.; NEIGHBORS, CLAYTON; DIBELLO, ANGELO M.; TRAYLOR, ZACHARY K.; TOMKINS, MARY

2017-01-01

The present study examined the roles of shame- and guilt-proneness as mediators of associations between general causality orientations and depressive symptoms. We expected autonomy would be associated with less depressive symptoms based on higher guilt-proneness and lower shame-proneness, whereas control would be associated with more depressive symptoms based on lower guilt-proneness and higher shame-proneness. Undergraduates (N = 354) completed assessments of general causality orientations, shame- and guilt-proneness, and depressive symptoms in exchange for extra credit. Results of mediation analyses were generally supportive of the framework indicating that shame- and guilt-proneness mediate associations between self-determination and depressive symptoms. Autonomy was indirectly associated with less depressive symptoms through positive associations with guilt-proneness, in spite of unexpected positive associations with shame-proneness. Control and impersonal orientation were indirectly associated with more depressive symptoms through positive associations with shame-proneness. Results extend previous research relating self-determination to mental health in providing preliminary support suggesting that individual differences in self-determination facilitate differential tendencies in experiencing guilt and shame. PMID:28344381

Practitioners' Perceptions of the Soccer Extra-Time Period: Implications for Future Research.

PubMed

Harper, Liam D; Fothergill, Melissa; West, Daniel J; Stevenson, Emma; Russell, Mark

2016-01-01

Qualitative research investigating soccer practitioners' perceptions can allow researchers to create practical research investigations. The extra-time period of soccer is understudied compared to other areas of soccer research. Using an open-ended online survey containing eleven main and nine sub questions, we gathered the perceptions of extra-time from 46 soccer practitioners, all working for different professional soccer clubs. Questions related to current practices, views on extra-time regulations, and ideas for future research. Using inductive content analysis, the following general dimensions were identified: 'importance of extra-time', 'rule changes', 'efficacy of extra-time hydro-nutritional provision', 'nutritional timing', 'future research directions', 'preparatory modulations' and 'recovery'. The majority of practitioners (63%) either agreed or strongly agreed that extra-time is an important period for determining success in knockout football match-play. When asked if a fourth substitution should be permitted in extra-time, 67% agreed. The use of hydro-nutritional strategies prior to extra-time was predominately considered important or very important. However; only 41% of practitioners felt that it was the most important time point for the use of nutritional products. A similar number of practitioners account (50%) and do not (50%) account for the potential of extra-time when training and preparing players and 89% of practitioners stated that extra-time influences recovery practices following matches. In the five minute break prior to extra-time, the following practices (in order of priority) were advocated to players: hydration, energy provision, massage, and tactical preparations. Additionally, 87% of practitioners advocate a particular nutritional supplementation strategy prior to extra-time. In order of importance, practitioners see the following as future research areas: nutritional interventions, fatigue responses, acute injury risk, recovery modalities, training paradigms, injury epidemiology, and environmental considerations. This study presents novel insight into the practitioner perceptions of extra-time and provides information to readers about current applied practices and potential future research opportunities.

Practitioners' Perceptions of the Soccer Extra-Time Period: Implications for Future Research

PubMed Central

Harper, Liam D.; Fothergill, Melissa; West, Daniel J.; Stevenson, Emma; Russell, Mark

2016-01-01

Qualitative research investigating soccer practitioners’ perceptions can allow researchers to create practical research investigations. The extra-time period of soccer is understudied compared to other areas of soccer research. Using an open-ended online survey containing eleven main and nine sub questions, we gathered the perceptions of extra-time from 46 soccer practitioners, all working for different professional soccer clubs. Questions related to current practices, views on extra-time regulations, and ideas for future research. Using inductive content analysis, the following general dimensions were identified: ‘importance of extra-time’, ‘rule changes’, ‘efficacy of extra-time hydro-nutritional provision’, ‘nutritional timing’, ‘future research directions’, ‘preparatory modulations’ and ‘recovery’. The majority of practitioners (63%) either agreed or strongly agreed that extra-time is an important period for determining success in knockout football match-play. When asked if a fourth substitution should be permitted in extra-time, 67% agreed. The use of hydro-nutritional strategies prior to extra-time was predominately considered important or very important. However; only 41% of practitioners felt that it was the most important time point for the use of nutritional products. A similar number of practitioners account (50%) and do not (50%) account for the potential of extra-time when training and preparing players and 89% of practitioners stated that extra-time influences recovery practices following matches. In the five minute break prior to extra-time, the following practices (in order of priority) were advocated to players: hydration, energy provision, massage, and tactical preparations. Additionally, 87% of practitioners advocate a particular nutritional supplementation strategy prior to extra-time. In order of importance, practitioners see the following as future research areas: nutritional interventions, fatigue responses, acute injury risk, recovery modalities, training paradigms, injury epidemiology, and environmental considerations. This study presents novel insight into the practitioner perceptions of extra-time and provides information to readers about current applied practices and potential future research opportunities. PMID:27384693

The paradoxical effect of extra-virgin olive oil on oxidative phenomena during in vitro co-digestion with meat.

PubMed

Martini, Serena; Cavalchi, Martina; Conte, Angela; Tagliazucchi, Davide

2018-07-01

Extra-virgin olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet and its consumption has been associated with a reduction risk of chronic diseases. Here we tested the potential of extra-virgin olive oil to limit the oxidative phenomena during in vitro gastro-intestinal co-digestion with turkey breast meat. The extra-virgin olive oil was particularly rich in oleuropein aglycone isomers, which represented the 66.8% of total phenolic determined with MS/MS experiments. Meals supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil equivocally affected lipid peroxidation. At low concentration (2.5% respect to meat), a significant inhibition of lipid oxidation was observed, whereas lipid peroxidation was greatly enhanced when the amount of extra-virgin olive oil was increased in the gastro-intestinal system. The inhibitory effect observed at 2.5% extra-virgin olive oil was due to the antioxidant properties of extra-virgin olive oil phenolic compounds. At high concentration, extra-virgin olive oil phenolic compounds (especially hydroxytyrosol-derivative) behaved as pro-oxidants increasing the generation of lipid hydroperoxides from meat. At the same time, the presence in the digestive system of catalysers from meat induced the peroxidation of extra-virgin olive oil fatty acids, which was further intensified by the pro-oxidant activity of extra-virgin olive oil phenolic compounds. Our study underlined the importance of the timing and amount of consumption of extra-virgin olive oil as well as its phenolic composition in limiting the peroxidative phenomena on meat lipids during digestion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status of the semileptonic B decays and muon g-2 in general 2HDMs with right-handed neutrinos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iguro, Syuhei; Omura, Yuji

2018-05-01

In this paper, we study the extended Standard Model (SM) with an extra Higgs doublet and right-handed neutrinos. If the symmetry to distinguish the two Higgs doublets is not assigned, flavor changing neutral currents (FCNCs) involving the scalars are predicted even at the tree level. We investigate the constraints on the FCNCs at the one-loop level, and especially study the semileptonic B meson decays, e.g. B → D (∗) τ ν and B → K (∗) ll processes, where the SM predictions are more than 2 σ away from the experimental results. We also consider the flavor-violating couplings involving right-handed neutrinos and discuss if the parameters to explain the excesses of the semileptonic B decays can resolve the discrepancy in the anomalous muon magnetic moment. Based on the analysis, we propose the smoking-gun signals of our model at the LHC.

Parity-Doublet Structure in the $$147\\atop{57}$$La 90 nucleus

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

Wisniewski, J.; Urban, W.; Rzaca-Urban, T.

Excited states in 147La, populated in spontaneous fission of 252Cf have been reinvestigated by means of γ spectroscopy, using high-fold γ coincidences measured with Gammasphere array of Ge detectors. The 229.5-keV level, which has been assigned spin-parity 9/2 - in a recent evaluation, is shown to have spin-parity 11/2 -. Consequently, the ground state has spin-parity 5/2 +. Excited levels in 147La have been arranged into a parity-doublet structure, showing that at medium excitation energy the 147La nucleus may have octupole deformation. In conclusion, the B( E1) rates in 147La, which are factor four lower than in 145La, suggest thatmore » the electric dipole moment in 147La is depresses by an extra mechanism, probably connected with the population of particular neutron orbitals.« less

Possible roles of Peccei-Quinn symmetry in an effective low energy model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suematsu, Daijiro

2017-12-01

The strong C P problem is known to be solved by imposing Peccei-Quinn (PQ) symmetry. However, the domain wall problem caused by the spontaneous breaking of its remnant discrete subgroup could make models invalid in many cases. We propose a model in which the PQ charge is assigned quarks so as to escape this problem without introducing any extra colored fermions. In the low energy effective model resulting after the PQ symmetry breaking, both the quark mass hierarchy and the CKM mixing could be explained through Froggatt-Nielsen mechanism. If the model is combined with the lepton sector supplemented by an inert doublet scalar and right-handed neutrinos, the effective model reduces to the scotogenic neutrino mass model in which both the origin of neutrino masses and dark matter are closely related. The strong C P problem could be related to the quark mass hierarchy, neutrino masses, and dark matter through the PQ symmetry.

Parity-Doublet Structure in the $$147\\atop{57}$$La 90 nucleus

DOE PAGES

Wisniewski, J.; Urban, W.; Rzaca-Urban, T.; ...

2017-12-01

Excited states in 147La, populated in spontaneous fission of 252Cf have been reinvestigated by means of γ spectroscopy, using high-fold γ coincidences measured with Gammasphere array of Ge detectors. The 229.5-keV level, which has been assigned spin-parity 9/2 - in a recent evaluation, is shown to have spin-parity 11/2 -. Consequently, the ground state has spin-parity 5/2 +. Excited levels in 147La have been arranged into a parity-doublet structure, showing that at medium excitation energy the 147La nucleus may have octupole deformation. In conclusion, the B( E1) rates in 147La, which are factor four lower than in 145La, suggest thatmore » the electric dipole moment in 147La is depresses by an extra mechanism, probably connected with the population of particular neutron orbitals.« less

To study or to sleep? The academic costs of extra studying at the expense of sleep.

PubMed

Gillen-O'Neel, Cari; Huynh, Virginia W; Fuligni, Andrew J

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study examined how nightly variations in adolescents' study and sleep time are associated with academic problems on the following day. Participants (N = 535, 9th grade M(age) = 14.88) completed daily diaries every day for 14 days in 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. Results suggest that regardless of how much a student generally studies each day, if that student sacrifices sleep time to study more than usual, he or she will have more trouble understanding material taught in class and be more likely to struggle on an assignment or test the following day. Because students are increasingly likely to sacrifice sleep time for studying in the latter years of high school, this negative dynamic becomes increasingly prevalent over time. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The over-optimistic portrayal of life-supporting treatments in newspapers and on the Internet: a cross-sectional study using extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation as an example.

PubMed

Chen, Yen-Yuan; Chen, Likwang; Kao, Yu-Hui; Chu, Tzong-Shinn; Huang, Tien-Shang; Ko, Wen-Je

2014-08-01

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation has been introduced to clinical practice for several decades. It is unclear how internet and newspapers portray the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. This study were: (1) to quantify the coverage of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use in newspapers and on the Internet; (2) to describe the characteristics of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those shown in extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation studies in Taiwan; and (3) to examine the survival rates of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those in Taiwan and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. All issues of Taiwan's four major newspapers from 2006 to 2010 were reviewed. In October 2011, a search of Internet web pages was performed based on the subjects of "yeh-ko-mo" (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation in Traditional Chinese), "ECMO", and "extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation." All the Internet web pages and newspaper articles recounting the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation were reviewed. The information, such as patient characteristic and the status at hospital discharge, was collected. The survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown on the Internet (83.97%) was significantly higher than all the survival rates reported in Taiwan's literature (p < .01) and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014 (p < .01). In addition, the survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown in newspapers (61.54%) was significantly higher than the average survival rate (43%) reported in Taiwan's literature, the pediatric average survival rate (51%), and the adult average survival rate (47%) in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. Internet and newspapers both showed over-optimistic survival to hospital discharge for patients sustained by extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. Internet was more likely to provide optimistic information for aggressive life-supporting treatments such as extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation than newspapers as indicated by survival to hospital discharge.

Study of parameter identification using hybrid neural-genetic algorithm in electro-hydraulic servo system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Byung-Young

2005-12-01

The hybrid neural-genetic multi-model parameter estimation algorithm was demonstrated. This method can be applied to structured system identification of electro-hydraulic servo system. This algorithms consist of a recurrent incremental credit assignment(ICRA) neural network and a genetic algorithm. The ICRA neural network evaluates each member of a generation of model and genetic algorithm produces new generation of model. To evaluate the proposed method, electro-hydraulic servo system was designed and manufactured. The experiment was carried out to figure out the hybrid neural-genetic multi-model parameter estimation algorithm. As a result, the dynamic characteristics were obtained such as the parameters(mass, damping coefficient, bulk modulus, spring coefficient), which minimize total square error. The result of this study can be applied to hydraulic systems in industrial fields.

A Simple Framework for Evaluating Authorial Contributions for Scientific Publications.

PubMed

Warrender, Jeffrey M

2016-10-01

A simple tool is provided to assist researchers in assessing contributions to a scientific publication, for ease in evaluating which contributors qualify for authorship, and in what order the authors should be listed. The tool identifies four phases of activity leading to a publication-Conception and Design, Data Acquisition, Analysis and Interpretation, and Manuscript Preparation. By comparing a project participant's contribution in a given phase to several specified thresholds, a score of up to five points can be assigned; the contributor's scores in all four phases are summed to yield a total "contribution score", which is compared to a threshold to determine which contributors merit authorship. This tool may be useful in a variety of contexts in which a systematic approach to authorial credit is desired.

Effect of Changing the Joint Kinematics of Knees With a Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament on the Molecular Biological Responses and Spontaneous Healing in a Rat Model.

PubMed

Kokubun, Takanori; Kanemura, Naohiko; Murata, Kenji; Moriyama, Hideki; Morita, Sadao; Jinno, Tetsuya; Ihara, Hidetoshi; Takayanagi, Kiyomi

2016-11-01

The poor healing capacity of a completely ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has been attributed to an insufficient vascular supply, cellular metabolism, and deficient premature scaffold formation because of the unique intra-articular environment. However, previous studies have focused on intra-articular factors without considering extra-articular factors, including the biomechanical aspects of ACL-deficient knees. Changing the joint kinematics of an ACL-ruptured knee will improve cellular biological responses and lead to spontaneous healing through the mechanotransduction mechanism. Controlled laboratory study. A total of 66 skeletally mature Wistar rats were randomly assigned to a sham-operated group (SO), ACL-transection group (ACL-T), controlled abnormal movement group (CAM), and an intact group (IN). The ACL was completely transected at the midportion in the ACL-T and CAM groups, and the CAM group underwent extra-articular braking to control for abnormal tibial translation. The SO group underwent skin and joint capsule incisions and tibial drilling, without ACL transection and extra-articular braking. The animals were allowed full cage activity until sacrifice at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks postoperatively for histological, molecular biological, and biomechanical assessment. All injured ACLs in the ACL-T group were not healed, but those in the CAM group healed spontaneously, showing a typical ligament healing response. Regarding the molecular biological response, there was an upregulation of anabolic factors (ie, transforming growth factor-β) and downregulation of catabolic factors (ie, matrix metalloproteinase). Examination of the mechanical properties at 8 weeks after injury showed that >50% of the strength of the intact ACL had returned. Our results suggest that changing the joint kinematics of knees with a ruptured ACL alters the molecular biological responses and leads to spontaneous healing. These data support our hypothesis that the mechanotransduction mechanism mediates molecular responses and determines whether the ACL will heal. Elucidating the relationship between the mechanotransduction mechanism and healing responses in knees with completely ruptured ACLs may result in the development of novel nonsurgical treatment that enables the ACL to spontaneously heal in patients who are not suitable for reconstruction. © 2016 The Author(s).

Primary Education in Vietnam: Extra Classes and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Tran Thu; Harpham, Trudy

2005-01-01

Extra classes are increasingly observed in both developed and developing countries. In Vietnam, a country where education reforms are at their height, extra classes are proliferating and have become a concern to society and the government. Although the government has banned extra classes that are independent of school administration, teachers…

23 CFR 635.120 - Changes and extra work.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE Contract Procedures § 635.120 Changes and extra work. (a) Following authorization to proceed with a project, all major changes in the plans and contract provisions and all major extra... to what constitutes a non-major change and non-major extra work. (c) Changes in contract time, as...

Enhancement of Self-Monitoring in a Web-Based Weight Loss Program by Extra Individualized Feedback and Reminders: Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Hutchesson, Melinda Jane; Tan, Chor Yin; Morgan, Philip; Callister, Robin

2016-01-01

Background Self-monitoring is an essential behavioral strategy for effective weight loss programs. Traditionally, self-monitoring has been achieved using paper-based records. However, technology is now more frequently used to deliver treatment programs to overweight and obese adults. Information technologies, such as the Internet and mobile phones, allow innovative intervention features to be incorporated into treatment that may facilitate greater adherence to self-monitoring processes, provide motivation for behavior change, and ultimately lead to greater weight loss success. Objective The objective of our study was to determine whether the consistency of self-monitoring differed between participants randomly assigned to a basic or an enhanced 12-week commercial Web-based weight loss program. Methods We randomly assigned a sample of 301 adults (mean age 42.3 years; body mass index 31.3 kg/m2; female 176/301, 58.5%) to the basic or enhanced group. The basic program included tools for self-monitoring (online food and exercise diary, and a weekly weigh-in log) with some feedback and reminders to weigh in (by text or email). The enhanced program included the basic components, as well as extra individualized feedback on self-monitoring entries and reminders (by text, email, or telephone) to engage with self-monitoring tools. We evaluated the level of self-monitoring by examining the consistency of self-monitoring of food, exercise, and weight during the 12 weeks. Consistency was defined as the number of weeks during which participants completed a criterion number of entries (ie, ≥3 days of online food or exercise diary records per week and ≥1 weigh-in per week). Results The enhanced group’s consistency of use of self-monitoring tools was significantly greater than that of the basic group throughout the 12 weeks (median consistency for food 8 vs 3 weeks, respectively, P<.001; for exercise 2.5 vs 1 weeks, respectively, P=.003). Conclusions Enhanced features, including additional individualized feedback and reminders, are effective in enhancing self-monitoring behaviors in a Web-based weight loss program. ClinicalTrial Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12610000197033; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=335159 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6gCQdj21G) PMID:27072817

12 CFR 614.4070 - Loans and chartered territory-Farm Credit Banks, agricultural credit banks, Federal land bank...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., agricultural credit banks, Federal land bank associations, Federal land credit associations, production credit associations, and agricultural credit associations. 614.4070 Section 614.4070 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT... land credit associations, production credit associations, and agricultural credit associations. (a) A...

Quantifying inbreeding avoidance through extra-pair reproduction

PubMed Central

Reid, Jane M; Arcese, Peter; Keller, Lukas F; Germain, Ryan R; Duthie, A Bradley; Losdat, Sylvain; Wolak, Matthew E; Nietlisbach, Pirmin

2015-01-01

Extra-pair reproduction is widely hypothesized to allow females to avoid inbreeding with related socially paired males. Consequently, numerous field studies have tested the key predictions that extra-pair offspring are less inbred than females’ alternative within-pair offspring, and that the probability of extra-pair reproduction increases with a female's relatedness to her socially paired male. However, such studies rarely measure inbreeding or relatedness sufficiently precisely to detect subtle effects, or consider biases stemming from failure to observe inbred offspring that die during early development. Analyses of multigenerational song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) pedigree data showed that most females had opportunity to increase or decrease the coefficient of inbreeding of their offspring through extra-pair reproduction with neighboring males. In practice, observed extra-pair offspring had lower inbreeding coefficients than females’ within-pair offspring on average, while the probability of extra-pair reproduction increased substantially with the coefficient of kinship between a female and her socially paired male. However, simulations showed that such effects could simply reflect bias stemming from inbreeding depression in early offspring survival. The null hypothesis that extra-pair reproduction is random with respect to kinship therefore cannot be definitively rejected in song sparrows, and existing general evidence that females avoid inbreeding through extra-pair reproduction requires reevaluation given such biases. PMID:25346331

Heritability of female extra-pair paternity rate in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

PubMed Central

Reid, Jane M.; Arcese, Peter; Sardell, Rebecca J.; Keller, Lukas F.

2011-01-01

The forces driving the evolution of extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous animals remain widely debated and unresolved. One key hypothesis is that female extra-pair reproduction evolves through indirect genetic benefits, reflecting increased additive genetic value of extra-pair offspring. Such evolution requires that a female's propensity to produce offspring that are sired by an extra-pair male is heritable. However, additive genetic variance and heritability in female extra-pair paternity (EPP) rate have not been quantified, precluding accurate estimation of the force of indirect selection. Sixteen years of comprehensive paternity and pedigree data from socially monogamous but genetically polygynandrous song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) showed significant additive genetic variance and heritability in the proportion of a female's offspring that was sired by an extra-pair male, constituting major components of the genetic architecture required for extra-pair reproduction to evolve through indirect additive genetic benefits. However, estimated heritabilities were moderately small (0.12 and 0.18 on the observed and underlying latent scales, respectively). The force of selection on extra-pair reproduction through indirect additive genetic benefits may consequently be relatively weak. However, the additive genetic variance and non-zero heritability observed in female EPP rate allow for multiple further genetic mechanisms to drive and constrain mating system evolution. PMID:20980302

Grinding With Diamond Burs and Hydrothermal Aging of a Y-TZP Material: Effect on the Material Surface Characteristics and Bacterial Adhesion.

PubMed

Dutra, Dam; Pereira, Gkr; Kantorski, K Z; Exterkate, Ram; Kleverlaan, C J; Valandro, L F; Zanatta, F B

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of grinding with diamond burs and low-temperature aging on the material surface characteristics and bacteria adhesion on a yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) surface. Y-TZP specimens were made from presintered blocks, sintered as recommended by the manufacturer, and assigned into six groups according to two factors-grinding (three levels: as sintered, grinding with extra-fine diamond bur [25-μm grit], and grinding with coarse diamond bur [181-μm grit]) and hydrothermal aging-to promote low-temperature degradation (two levels: presence/absence). Phase transformation (X-ray diffractometer), surface roughness, micromorphological patterns (atomic force microscopy), and contact angle (goniometer) were analyzed. Bacterial adhesion (colony-forming units [CFU]/biofilm) was quantified using an in vitro polymicrobial biofilm model. Both the surface treatment and hydrothermal aging promoted an increase in m-phase content. Roughness values increased as a function of increasing bur grit sizes. Grinding with a coarse diamond bur resulted in significantly lower values of contact angle (p<0.05) when compared with the extra-fine and control groups, while there were no differences (p<0.05) after hydrothermal aging simulation. The CFU/biofilm results showed that neither the surface treatment nor hydrothermal aging simulation significantly affected the bacteria adherence (p>0.05). Grinding with diamond burs and hydrothermal aging modified the Y-TZP surface properties; however, these properties had no effect on the amount of bacteria adhesion on the material surface.

Cost-effectiveness of a primary care treatment program for depression in low-income women in Santiago, Chile.

PubMed

Araya, Ricardo; Flynn, Terry; Rojas, Graciela; Fritsch, Rosemarie; Simon, Greg

2006-08-01

The authors compared the incremental cost-effectiveness of a stepped-care, multicomponent program with usual care for the treatment of depressed women in primary care in Santiago, Chile. A cost-effectiveness study was conducted of a previous randomized controlled trial involving 240 eligible women with DSM-IV major depression who were selected from a consecutive sample of adult women attending primary care clinics. The patients were randomly allocated to usual care or a multicomponent stepped-care program led by a nonmedical health care worker. Depression-free days and health care costs derived from local sources were assessed after 3 and 6 months. A health service perspective was used in the economic analysis. Complete data were determined for 80% of the randomly assigned patients. After we adjusted for initial severity, women receiving the stepped-care program had a mean of 50 additional depression-free days over 6 months relative to patients allocated to usual care. The stepped-care program was marginally more expensive than usual care (an extra 216 Chilean pesos per depression-free day). There was a 90% probability that the incremental cost of obtaining an extra depression-free day with the intervention would not exceed 300 pesos (1.04 US dollars). The stepped-care program was significantly more effective and marginally more expensive than usual care for the treatment of depressed women in primary care. Small investments to improve depression appear to yield larger gains in poorer environments. Simple and inexpensive treatment programs tested in developing countries might provide good study models for developed countries.

Telepresent intubation supervision is as effective as in-person supervision of procedurally naive operators.

PubMed

Prescher, Hannes; Grover, Emily; Mosier, Jarrod; Stolz, Uwe; Biffar, David E; Hamilton, Allan J; Sakles, John C

2015-03-01

Telepresence is emerging in clinical and educational settings as a potential modality to provide expert guidance during remote airway management. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of telepresent versus in-person supervision of tracheal intubation. A randomized, crossover study was performed in a university medical simulation center with 48 first- and second-year medical students with no formal procedural training in tracheal intubation. Each participant was assigned to receive each of four study arms in random sequence: (1) direct laryngoscopy (DL) with in-person supervision, (2) DL with telepresent supervision, (3) videolaryngoscopy (VL) with in-person supervision, and (4) VL with telepresent supervision. Telepresence was established with a smartphone (Apple [Cupertino, CA] iPhone(®)) via FaceTime(®) connection. The primary outcome measure was the time to successful intubation. Secondary outcome measures included first pass success rate and the number of blade and tube attempts. There was no significant difference between in-person and telepresent supervision for any of the outcomes. The median difference (in-person versus telepresent) for time to intubation was -3 s (95% confidence interval [CI], -20 to 14 s). The odds ratio for first attempt success was 0.7 (95% CI, 0.3-1.3), and the rate ratio for extra number of blade attempts (i.e., attempts in addition to first) was 1.1 (95% CI, 0.7-1.7) and 1.4 (95% CI, 0.9-2.2) for extra number of tube attempts. In this study population of procedurally naive medical students, telepresent supervision was as effective as in-person supervision for tracheal intubation.

Characterization of f-actin tryptophan phosphorescence in the presence and absence of tryptophan-free myosin motor domain.

PubMed

Bódis, Emöke; Strambini, Giovanni B; Gonnelli, Margherita; Málnási-Csizmadia, András; Somogyi, Béla

2004-08-01

The effect of binding the Trp-free motor domain mutant of Dictyostelium discoideum, rabbit skeletal muscle myosin S1, and tropomyosin on the dynamics and conformation of actin filaments was characterized by an analysis of steady-state tryptophan phosphorescence spectra and phosphorescence decay kinetics over a temperature range of 140-293 K. The binding of the Trp-free motor domain mutant of D. discoideum to actin caused red shifts in the phosphorescence spectrum of two internal Trp residues of actin and affected the intrinsic lifetime of each emitter, decreasing by roughly twofold the short phosphorescence lifetime components (tau(1) and tau(2)) and increasing by approximately 20% the longest component (tau(3)). The alteration of actin phosphorescence by the motor protein suggests that i), structural changes occur deep down in the core of actin and that ii), subtle changes in conformation appear also on the surface but in regions distant from the motor domain binding site. When actin formed complexes with skeletal S1, an extra phosphorescence lifetime component appeared (tau(4), twice as long as tau(3)) in the phosphorescence decay that is absent in the isolated proteins. The lack of this extra component in the analogous actin-Trp-free motor domain mutant of D. discoideum complex suggests that it should be assigned to Trps in S1 that in the complex attain a more compact local structure. Our data indicated that the binding of tropomyosin to actin filaments had no effect on the structure or flexibility of actin observable by this technique.

Water vapor increase in the northern hemispheric lower stratosphere by the Asian monsoon anticyclone observed during TACTS campaign in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolf, Christian; Vogel, Bärbel; Hoor, Peter; Günther, Gebhard; Krämer, Martina; Müller, Rolf; Müller, Stephan; Riese, Martin

2017-04-01

Water vapor plays a key role in determining the radiative balance in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) and thus the climate of the Earth (Forster and Shine, 2002; Riese et al., 2012). Therefore a detailed knowledge about transport pathways and exchange processes between troposphere and stratosphere is required to understand the variability of water vapor in this region. The Asian monsoon anticyclone caused by deep convection over and India and east Asia is able to transport air masses from the troposphere into the nothern extra-tropical stratosphere (Müller et al. 2016, Vogel et al. 2016). These air masses contain pollution but also higher amounts of water vapor. An increase in water vapor of about 0.5 ppmv in the extra-tropical stratosphere above a potential temperature of 380 K was detected between August and September 2012 by in-situ instrumentation above the European northern hemisphere during the HALO aircraft mission TACTS. Here, we investigated the origin of this water vapor increase with the help of the 3D Lagrangian chemistry transport model CLaMS (McKenna et al., 2002). We can assign an origin of the moist air masses in the Asian region (North and South India and East China) with the help of model origin tracers. Additionally, back trajectories of these air masses with enriched water vapor are used to differentiate between transport from the Asia monsoon anticyclone and the upwelling of moister air in the tropics particularly from the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Gender-typing of leadership: evaluations of real and ideal managers.

PubMed

Cuadrado, Isabel; García-Ael, Cristina; Molero, Fernando

2015-04-01

This research focuses on female underrepresentation in managerial positions. Specifically, two studies examine gender-typing for managerial roles in Spain using ratings for real and ideal managers. In addition, we analyse the existence of same-gender bias on evaluations of the behavior of actual leaders. In the first study, 195 Spanish workers evaluate the extent to which gender-stereotypical traits are important for becoming a successful middle manager in three conditions (female managers, male managers, and managers in general). In the second study, we explore the degree to which the behavior of real Spanish managers is gender-typed and the existence of same-gender bias on leadership styles - transformational, transactional and avoidant/passive - and on leadership outcomes - effectiveness, extra effort and satisfaction - from the perspective of subordinates (N = 605). Overall, the results demonstrate that masculine characteristics were rated as more important than feminine characteristics for managerial positions, and they were more often assigned to male managers than to female managers. Unexpectedly, this manager-male association is stronger among female participants than among male participants. Our findings also demonstrate that women subordinates evaluate their same-sex supervisors more favorably in transformational leadership, effectiveness, and extra effort. The negative consequences derived from gender-typing managerial positions are highlighted according to the role congruity theory of prejudice toward female leaders. The positive effects of in-group female bias on behavior ratings are also noted. The mixed implications of these results for women's advancement to leadership positions are discussed. © 2015 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consumer Education Resources: Credit, Credit Problems, Home Mortgages & Equity Loans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastern Michigan Univ., Ypsilanti. National Inst. for Consumer Education.

This document contains five lists of consumer resources pertaining to credit, credit problems, and home mortgages and equity loans. The first list, targeted at adults, provides information on general credit, applying for credit and contracts, seniors and women and credit, credit options and costs, credit protection, credit reports and bureaus, and…

The over-optimistic portrayal of life-supporting treatments in newspapers and on the Internet: a cross-sectional study using extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation as an example

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation has been introduced to clinical practice for several decades. It is unclear how internet and newspapers portray the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. This study were: (1) to quantify the coverage of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use in newspapers and on the Internet; (2) to describe the characteristics of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those shown in extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation studies in Taiwan; and (3) to examine the survival rates of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those in Taiwan and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. Methods All issues of Taiwan’s four major newspapers from 2006 to 2010 were reviewed. In October 2011, a search of Internet web pages was performed based on the subjects of “yeh-ko-mo” (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation in Traditional Chinese), “ECMO”, and “extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation.” All the Internet web pages and newspaper articles recounting the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation were reviewed. The information, such as patient characteristic and the status at hospital discharge, was collected. Results The survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown on the Internet (83.97%) was significantly higher than all the survival rates reported in Taiwan’s literature (p < .01) and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014 (p < .01). In addition, the survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown in newspapers (61.54%) was significantly higher than the average survival rate (43%) reported in Taiwan’s literature, the pediatric average survival rate (51%), and the adult average survival rate (47%) in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. Conclusions Internet and newspapers both showed over-optimistic survival to hospital discharge for patients sustained by extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. Internet was more likely to provide optimistic information for aggressive life-supporting treatments such as extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation than newspapers as indicated by survival to hospital discharge. PMID:25081491

EDs credit drills, community engagement with helping them manage casualties from tornado crises.

PubMed

2011-07-01

Emergency department leaders at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, and Cullman Regional Medical Center in Cullman, AL, credit their regular practice drills with helping them deal with unprecedented demand when deadly tornadoes swept through the South this past April. Both facilities used the hospital instant command structure (HICS) to mobilize the resources needed to care for the surge in patients, and say the approach worked well in helping them meet the needs of their communities. However, the crises also showcased opportunities for improvement. The ED at DCH Regional Medical Center saw more than 600 patients on the day of the storm, a three-fold increase in the hospital's typical volume. CRMC treated 99 patients in the seven hours immediately following the storm when it usually treats 114 patients per day. In addition to a big surge in patients, both hospitals dealt with power outages that limited access to some services such as radiology. Triage proved particularly challenging at DCH Regional Medical Center, as patients flowed into the hospital from numerous access points. The hospital plans to assign coordinators to each area of the hospital to better manage the influx in the future. When reviewing emergency operations plans, Joint Commission reviewers often find deficiencies in hazard vulnerability analyses as well as the processes used to determine the emergency credentials of licensed independent practitioners.

Alternative SAIL-Trp for robust aromatic signal assignment and determination of the χ(2) conformation by intra-residue NOEs.

PubMed

Miyanoiri, Yohei; Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Jee, JunGoo; Ono, Akira M; Okuma, Kosuke; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kainosho, Masatsune

2011-12-01

Tryptophan (Trp) residues are frequently found in the hydrophobic cores of proteins, and therefore, their side-chain conformations, especially the precise locations of the bulky indole rings, are critical for determining structures by NMR. However, when analyzing [U-(13)C,(15)N]-proteins, the observation and assignment of the ring signals are often hampered by excessive overlaps and tight spin couplings. These difficulties have been greatly alleviated by using stereo-array isotope labeled (SAIL) proteins, which are composed of isotope-labeled amino acids optimized for unambiguous side-chain NMR assignment, exclusively through the (13)C-(13)C and (13)C-(1)H spin coupling networks (Kainosho et al. in Nature 440:52-57, 2006). In this paper, we propose an alternative type of SAIL-Trp with the [ζ2,ζ3-(2)H(2); δ1,ε3,η2-(13)C(3); ε1-(15)N]-indole ring ([(12)C (γ,) ( 12) C(ε2)] SAIL-Trp), which provides a more robust way to correlate the (1)H(β), (1)H(α), and (1)H(N) to the (1)H(δ1) and (1)H(ε3) through the intra-residue NOEs. The assignment of the (1)H(δ1)/(13)C(δ1) and (1)H(ε3)/(13)C(ε3) signals can thus be transferred to the (1)H(ε1)/(15)N(ε1) and (1)H(η2)/(13)C(η2) signals, as with the previous type of SAIL-Trp, which has an extra (13)C at the C(γ) of the ring. By taking advantage of the stereospecific deuteration of one of the prochiral β-methylene protons, which was (1)H(β2) in this experiment, one can determine the side-chain conformation of the Trp residue including the χ(2) angle, which is especially important for Trp residues, as they can adopt three preferred conformations. We demonstrated the usefulness of [(12)C(γ),(12)C(ε2)] SAIL-Trp for the 12 kDa DNA binding domain of mouse c-Myb protein (Myb-R2R3), which contains six Trp residues.

KSC-2012-2294

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-16

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, no weather constraints to the planned flight plan are detected for departure tomorrow morning of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Discovery secured to its back. In the distance, at right, is the mate/demate device used to lift Discovery onto the aircraft. The device, also known as the MDD, is a large gantry-like steel structure used to hoist a shuttle off the ground and position it onto the back of the aircraft, or SCA. The SCA is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. For more information on the SCA, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html. For more information on shuttle transition and retirement activities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs The aircraft, also known as an SCA, is a Boeing 747 jet, originally manufactured for commercial use, which was modified by NASA to transport the shuttles between destinations on Earth. The SCA designated NASA 905 is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. NASA 905 is scheduled to ferry Discovery to the Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17, after which the shuttle will be placed on display in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. For more information on the SCA, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-013-DFRC.html. For more information on shuttle transition and retirement activities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/transition. Photo credit: NASA/Tim Jacobs

The Role of Multiple Neuromodulators in Reinforcement Learning That Is Based on Competition between Eligibility Traces.

PubMed

Huertas, Marco A; Schwettmann, Sarah E; Shouval, Harel Z

2016-01-01

The ability to maximize reward and avoid punishment is essential for animal survival. Reinforcement learning (RL) refers to the algorithms used by biological or artificial systems to learn how to maximize reward or avoid negative outcomes based on past experiences. While RL is also important in machine learning, the types of mechanistic constraints encountered by biological machinery might be different than those for artificial systems. Two major problems encountered by RL are how to relate a stimulus with a reinforcing signal that is delayed in time (temporal credit assignment), and how to stop learning once the target behaviors are attained (stopping rule). To address the first problem synaptic eligibility traces were introduced, bridging the temporal gap between a stimulus and its reward. Although, these were mere theoretical constructs, recent experiments have provided evidence of their existence. These experiments also reveal that the presence of specific neuromodulators converts the traces into changes in synaptic efficacy. A mechanistic implementation of the stopping rule usually assumes the inhibition of the reward nucleus; however, recent experimental results have shown that learning terminates at the appropriate network state even in setups where the reward nucleus cannot be inhibited. In an effort to describe a learning rule that solves the temporal credit assignment problem and implements a biologically plausible stopping rule, we proposed a model based on two separate synaptic eligibility traces, one for long-term potentiation (LTP) and one for long-term depression (LTD), each obeying different dynamics and having different effective magnitudes. The model has been shown to successfully generate stable learning in recurrent networks. Although, the model assumes the presence of a single neuromodulator, evidence indicates that there are different neuromodulators for expressing the different traces. What could be the role of different neuromodulators for expressing the LTP and LTD traces? Here we expand on our previous model to include several neuromodulators, and illustrate through various examples how different these contribute to learning reward-timing within a wide set of training paradigms and propose further roles that multiple neuromodulators can play in encoding additional information of the rewarding signal.

Ecological outcomes and evaluation of success in passively restored southeastern depressional wetlands.

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

De Steven, Diane; Sharitz, Rebecca R.; Barton, Christopher, D.

Abstract: Depressional wetlands may be restored passively by disrupting prior drainage to recover original hydrology and relying on natural revegetation. Restored hydrology selects for wetland vegetation; however, depression geomorphology constrains the achievable hydroperiod, and plant communities are influenced by hydroperiod and available species pools. Such constraints can complicate assessments of restoration success. Sixteen drained depressions in South Carolina, USA, were restored experimentally by forest clearing and ditch plugging for potential crediting to a mitigation bank. Depressions were assigned to alternate revegetation methods representing desired targets of herbaceous and wet-forest communities. After five years, restoration progress and revegetation methods were evaluated.more » Restored hydroperiods differed among wetlands, but all sites developed diverse vegetation of native wetland species. Vegetation traits were influenced by hydroperiod and the effects of early drought, rather than by revegetation method. For mitigation banking, individual wetlands were assessed for improvement from pre-restoration condition and similarity to assigned reference type. Most wetlands met goals to increase hydroperiod, herb-species dominance, and wetland-plant composition. Fewer wetlands achieved equivalence to reference types because some vegetation targets were incompatible with depression hydroperiods and improbable without intensive management. The results illustrated a paradox in judging success when vegetation goals may be unsuited to system constraints.« less

46 CFR Sec. 8 - Extra work and changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Extra work and changes. Sec. 8 Section 8 Shipping... Sec. 8 Extra work and changes. (a) At any time after the award of an original job order and during the time the work thereunder is being performed, additional or extra work or changes in the work covered by...

46 CFR Sec. 8 - Extra work and changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Extra work and changes. Sec. 8 Section 8 Shipping... Sec. 8 Extra work and changes. (a) At any time after the award of an original job order and during the time the work thereunder is being performed, additional or extra work or changes in the work covered by...

Characteristics of lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: A magnetisation transfer and diffusion tensor imaging study.

PubMed

Yaldizli, Özgür; Pardini, Matteo; Sethi, Varun; Muhlert, Nils; Liu, Zheng; Tozer, Daniel J; Samson, Rebecca S; Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia Am; Yousry, Tarek A; Miller, David H; Chard, Declan T

2016-02-01

In multiple sclerosis (MS), diffusion tensor and magnetisation transfer imaging are both abnormal in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter, but differences between clinical subtypes and associations with clinical outcomes have only been partly assessed. To compare mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy and magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) in cortical grey matter lesions (detected using phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) imaging) and extra-lesional cortical grey matter, and assess associations with disability in relapse-onset MS. Seventy-two people with MS (46 relapsing-remitting (RR), 26 secondary progressive (SP)) and 36 healthy controls were included in this study. MTR, mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy were measured in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter. Mean fractional anisotropy was higher and MTR lower in lesional compared with extra-lesional cortical grey matter. In extra-lesional cortical grey matter mean fractional anisotropy and MTR were lower, and mean diffusivity was higher in the MS group compared with controls. Mean MTR was lower and mean diffusivity was higher in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter in SPMS when compared with RRMS. These differences were independent of disease duration. In multivariate analyses, MTR in extra-lesional more so than lesional cortical grey matter was associated with disability. Magnetic resonance abnormalities in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter are greater in SPMS than RRMS. Changes in extra-lesional compared with lesional cortical grey matter are more consistently associated with disability. © The Author(s), 2015.

Implementation of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDS (trademark) as the Army’s Green Building Rating System

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

Systems, Thermal Comfort 1 Credit 3 Enhanced Commissioning 1 Credit 7.1 Thermal Comfort , Compliance 1 Credit 4 Enhanced Refrigerant Management 1 Credit 7.2... Thermal Comfort , Validation ? Credit 5 Measurement & Verification 1 Credit 8.1 Daylight & Views, Daylight 75% of Spaces 1 Credit 6 Green Power N...Systems, Thermal Comfort 1 Credit 3 Enhanced Commissioning 1 Credit 7.1 Thermal Comfort , Compliance 1 Credit 4 Enhanced Refrigerant Management 1 Credit 7.2

When mothers make sons sexy: maternal effects contribute to the increased sexual attractiveness of extra-pair offspring.

PubMed

Tschirren, Barbara; Postma, Erik; Rutstein, Alison N; Griffith, Simon C

2012-03-22

Quality differences between offspring sired by the social and by an extra-pair partner are usually assumed to have a genetic basis, reflecting genetic benefits of female extra-pair mate choice. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we identified a colour ornament that is under sexual selection and appears to have a heritable basis. Hence, by engaging in extra-pair copulations with highly ornamented males, females could, in theory, obtain genes for increased offspring attractiveness. Indeed, sons sired by extra-pair partners had larger ornaments, seemingly supporting the genetic benefit hypothesis. Yet, when comparing ornament size of the social and extra-pair partners, there was no difference. Hence, the observed differences most likely had an environmental basis, mediated, for example, via differential maternal investment of resources into the eggs fertilized by extra-pair and social partners. Such maternal effects may (at least partly) be mediated by egg size, which we found to be associated with mean ornament expression in sons. Our results are consistent with the idea that maternal effects can shape sexual selection by altering the genotype-phenotype relationship for ornamentation. They also caution against automatically attributing greater offspring attractiveness or viability to an extra-pair mate's superior genetic quality, as without controlling for differential maternal investment we may significantly overestimate the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour.

When mothers make sons sexy: maternal effects contribute to the increased sexual attractiveness of extra-pair offspring

PubMed Central

Tschirren, Barbara; Postma, Erik; Rutstein, Alison N.; Griffith, Simon C.

2012-01-01

Quality differences between offspring sired by the social and by an extra-pair partner are usually assumed to have a genetic basis, reflecting genetic benefits of female extra-pair mate choice. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we identified a colour ornament that is under sexual selection and appears to have a heritable basis. Hence, by engaging in extra-pair copulations with highly ornamented males, females could, in theory, obtain genes for increased offspring attractiveness. Indeed, sons sired by extra-pair partners had larger ornaments, seemingly supporting the genetic benefit hypothesis. Yet, when comparing ornament size of the social and extra-pair partners, there was no difference. Hence, the observed differences most likely had an environmental basis, mediated, for example, via differential maternal investment of resources into the eggs fertilized by extra-pair and social partners. Such maternal effects may (at least partly) be mediated by egg size, which we found to be associated with mean ornament expression in sons. Our results are consistent with the idea that maternal effects can shape sexual selection by altering the genotype–phenotype relationship for ornamentation. They also caution against automatically attributing greater offspring attractiveness or viability to an extra-pair mate's superior genetic quality, as without controlling for differential maternal investment we may significantly overestimate the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour. PMID:21957136

Quantifying inbreeding avoidance through extra-pair reproduction.

PubMed

Reid, Jane M; Arcese, Peter; Keller, Lukas F; Germain, Ryan R; Duthie, A Bradley; Losdat, Sylvain; Wolak, Matthew E; Nietlisbach, Pirmin

2015-01-01

Extra-pair reproduction is widely hypothesized to allow females to avoid inbreeding with related socially paired males. Consequently, numerous field studies have tested the key predictions that extra-pair offspring are less inbred than females' alternative within-pair offspring, and that the probability of extra-pair reproduction increases with a female's relatedness to her socially paired male. However, such studies rarely measure inbreeding or relatedness sufficiently precisely to detect subtle effects, or consider biases stemming from failure to observe inbred offspring that die during early development. Analyses of multigenerational song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) pedigree data showed that most females had opportunity to increase or decrease the coefficient of inbreeding of their offspring through extra-pair reproduction with neighboring males. In practice, observed extra-pair offspring had lower inbreeding coefficients than females' within-pair offspring on average, while the probability of extra-pair reproduction increased substantially with the coefficient of kinship between a female and her socially paired male. However, simulations showed that such effects could simply reflect bias stemming from inbreeding depression in early offspring survival. The null hypothesis that extra-pair reproduction is random with respect to kinship therefore cannot be definitively rejected in song sparrows, and existing general evidence that females avoid inbreeding through extra-pair reproduction requires reevaluation given such biases. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Extra-curricular participation in sports and socio-demographic factors in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA study.

PubMed

Gracia-Marco, Luis; Tomas, Concepcion; Vicente-Rodriguez, German; Jimenez-Pavon, David; Rey-Lopez, Juan P; Ortega, Francisco B; Lanza-Saiz, Ricardo; Moreno, Luis A

2010-11-01

The aims of this study were to identify differences between the sexes in extra-curricular participation in sports and to determine its association with body fat and socio-demographic factors in Spanish adolescents. A total of 2165 adolescents (1124 males and 1041 females) aged 13.0-18.5 years from the AVENA Study participated. Participants filled in an ad hoc questionnaire for extra-curricular participation in sports, which was the dependent variable. Independent variables were: age, percent body fat, and father's and mother's educational level and occupation. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were applied. Bivariate analysis showed for male adolescents that age and father's occupation were related to extra-curricular participation in sports. In addition, body fat and mother's education and occupation (all P < 0.05) were related to extra-curricular participation of in sports for female adolescents. Logistic regression analysis showed that the likelihood of involvement in extra-curricular participation in sports was 5.3-fold (3.86-7.38) higher for males than females. Age and father's education in both males and females were independently associated with extra-curricular participation in sports. In summary, Spanish male adolescents were shown to engage in more extra-curricular sports than females. In addition, age and father's education (in both sexes) were associated with the participation of their offspring in extra-curricular sports during adolescence.

Estimation of hyper-parameters for a hierarchical model of combined cortical and extra-brain current sources in the MEG inverse problem.

PubMed

Morishige, Ken-ichi; Yoshioka, Taku; Kawawaki, Dai; Hiroe, Nobuo; Sato, Masa-aki; Kawato, Mitsuo

2014-11-01

One of the major obstacles in estimating cortical currents from MEG signals is the disturbance caused by magnetic artifacts derived from extra-cortical current sources such as heartbeats and eye movements. To remove the effect of such extra-brain sources, we improved the hybrid hierarchical variational Bayesian method (hyVBED) proposed by Fujiwara et al. (NeuroImage, 2009). hyVBED simultaneously estimates cortical and extra-brain source currents by placing dipoles on cortical surfaces as well as extra-brain sources. This method requires EOG data for an EOG forward model that describes the relationship between eye dipoles and electric potentials. In contrast, our improved approach requires no EOG and less a priori knowledge about the current variance of extra-brain sources. We propose a new method, "extra-dipole," that optimally selects hyper-parameter values regarding current variances of the cortical surface and extra-brain source dipoles. With the selected parameter values, the cortical and extra-brain dipole currents were accurately estimated from the simulated MEG data. The performance of this method was demonstrated to be better than conventional approaches, such as principal component analysis and independent component analysis, which use only statistical properties of MEG signals. Furthermore, we applied our proposed method to measured MEG data during covert pursuit of a smoothly moving target and confirmed its effectiveness. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Re-Conceptualizing Extra Help for High School Students in a High Standards Era.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balfanz, Robert; McPartland, James; Shaw, Alta

The push for higher academic standards has resulted in an increase in the numbers of high school students needing extra help. The need for extra help is most pervasive in high-poverty areas and most high school students need extra help not in traditional basic elementary skills but in reading, mathematics, and advanced reasoning skills. Most…

`Shut The Front Door!':. Obviating the Challenge of Large-Scale Extra Dimensions and Psychophysical Bridging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoroso, Richard L.

2013-09-01

Physics has been slowly and reluctantly beginning to address the role and fundamental basis of the `observer' which has until now also been considered metaphysical and beyond the mandate of empirical rigor. It is suggested that the fundamental premise of the currently dominant view of `Cognitive Theory' - "Mind Equals Brain" is erroneous; and the associated belief that the `Planck scale, `the so-called basement level of reality', as an appropriate arena from which to model psycho-physical bridging is also in error. In this paper we delineate a simple, inexpensive experimental design to `crack the so-called cosmic egg' thereby opening the door to largescale extra dimensions (LSXD) tantamount to the regime of the unified field and thus awareness. The methodology surmounts the quantum uncertainty principle in a manner violating Quantum Electrodynamics, (QED), a cornerstone of modern theoretical physics, by spectrographic analysis of newly theorized Tight-Bound State (TBS) Bohr orbits in `continuous-state' transition frequencies of atomic hydrogen. If one wonders why QED violation in the spectra of atomic hydrogen relates to solving the mind-body (observer) problem; consider this a 1st wrench in a forthcoming tool box of Unified Field Mechanics, UF that will soon enough in retrospect cause the current tools of Classical and Quantum Mechanics to appear as stone axes. Max Planck is credited as the founder of quantum mechanics with his 1900 quantum hypothesis that energy is radiated and absorbed discretely by the formulation, E = hv. Empirically implementing this next paradigm shift utilizing parameters of the long sought associated `new physics' of the 3rd regime (classicalquantum- unified) allows access to LSXD of space; thus pragmatically opening the domain of mental action for the 1st time in history. This rendering constitutes a massive paradigm shift to Unified Field Theory creating a challenge for both the writer and the reader!

Ensuring Credit to Data Creators: A Case Study for Geodesy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boler, F. M.; Gorman, A.

2011-12-01

UNAVCO, the NSF and NASA-funded facility that supports and promotes Earth science by advancing high-precision techniques for the measurement of crustal deformation, has operated a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Data Archive since 1992. For the GNSS domain, the UNAVCO Archive has established best practices for data and metadata preservation, and provides tools for openly tracking data provenance. The GNSS data collection at the UNAVCO Archive represents the efforts of over 400 principal investigators and uncounted years of effort by these individuals and their students in globally distributed field installations, sometimes in situations of significant danger, whether from geologic hazards or political/civil unrest. Our investigators also expend considerable effort in following best practices for data and metadata management. UNAVCO, with the support of its consortium membership, has committed to an open data policy for data in the Archive. Once the data and metadata are archived by UNAVCO, they are distributed by anonymous access to thousands of users who cannot be accurately identified. Consequently, the UNAVCO commitment to open data access was reached with a degree of trepidation on the part of a segment of the principal investigators who contribute their data with no guarantee that their colleagues (or competitors) will follow a code of ethics in their research and publications with respect to the data they have downloaded from the UNAVCO Archive. The UNAVCO community has recognized the need to develop, adopt, and follow a data citation policy among themselves and to advocate for data citation more generally within the science publication arena. The role of the UNAVCO Archive in this process has been to provide data citation guidance and to develop and implement mechanisms to assign digital object identifiers (DOIs) to data sets within the UNAVCO Archive. The UNAVCO community is interested in digital object identifiers primarily as a means to facilitate citation for the purpose of ensuring credit to the data creators. UNAVCO's archiving and metadata management systems are generally well-suited to assigning and maintaining DOIs for two styles of logical collections of data: campaigns, which are spatially and temporally well-defined; and stations, which represent ongoing collection at a single spatial position at the Earth's surface. These two styles form the basis for implementing approximately 3,000 DOIs that can encompass the current holdings in the UNAVCO Archive. In addition, aggregations of DOIs into a superset DOI is advantageous for numerous cases where groupings of stations are naturally used in research studies. There are about 100 such natural collections of stations. However, research using GNSS data can also utilize several hundred or more stations in unique combinations, where tallying the individual DOIs within a reference list is cumbersome. We are grappling with the complexities that inevitably crop up when assigning DOIs, including subsetting, versioning, and aggregating. We also foresee the need for mechanisms for users to go beyond our predefined collections and/or aggregations to define their own ad-hoc collections. Our goal is to create a system for DOI assignment and utilization that succeeds in facilitating data citation within our community of geodesy scientists.

Irregular Periods

MedlinePlus

... have extra androgen, a hormone that can cause hair growth on the face, chin, chest, and abdomen. Extra ... You stop getting your period. You have extra hair growth on the face, chin, chest, or abdomen. You ...

Seeing beyond Tomorrow: What Really Is at Stake Here

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Lynn Nations

2010-01-01

The fundamental role of school-university partnerships has been understood by a few, misunderstood by many, and dismissed by most as an extra, something a person focuses on if he or she has keen interest along with extra time, extra cash, and extra personnel. The concept rose to prominence in the late 1980s and into the 1990s; now, 20-plus years…

Consumer Handbook to Credit Protection Laws.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Washington, DC.

The five sections of this consumer handbook are The Cost of Credit, Applying for Credit, Credit Histories and Records, Correcting Credit Mistakes, and Complaining about Credit. Each section discusses relevant legislation: Truth in Lending, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Topics discussed in section I include…

75 FR 17083 - Fiduciary Duties at Federal Credit Unions; Mergers and Conversions of Insured Credit Unions...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-05

... Credit Unions; Mergers and Conversions of Insured Credit Unions; Correction AGENCY: National Credit Union... Federal credit unions and mergers and conversions of insured credit unions. The proposed rule as published... Conversions of Insured Credit Unions) in the e-mail subject line.'' [[Page 17084

20 CFR 210.6 - Service credited for creditable military service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Service credited for creditable military... RETIREMENT ACT CREDITABLE RAILROAD SERVICE § 210.6 Service credited for creditable military service. Any calendar month in which an employee performed creditable military service, as defined in part 212 of this...

12 CFR 615.5172 - Production credit association and agricultural credit association investment in farmers' notes...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Production credit association and agricultural....5172 Production credit association and agricultural credit association investment in farmers' notes... of the Farm Credit Bank or agricultural credit bank and each production credit association and...

KSC-2012-2031

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a maintenance technician from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California checks controls inside NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility from Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2012-2034

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, maintenance technicians from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California and Kennedy check NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, after arriving from Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2012-2029

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, maintenance technicians from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California check equipment inside NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility from Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2012-2033

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, maintenance technicians from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California and Kennedy check NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, after arriving from Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2012-2028

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-04-11

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, maintenance technicians from NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California check equipment inside NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft modified 747 jet, or SCA, after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility from Edwards Air Force Base in California. During the Space Shuttle Program’s transition and retirement processing, Discovery was prepared for display at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. Discovery is scheduled to be transported atop the SCA, designated NASA 905, to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on April 17 and then moved to the Smithsonian for permanent public display on April 19. The SCA is assigned to the remaining ferry missions, delivering the shuttles to their permanent public display sites. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

SIBLING GENDER COMPOSITION'S EFFECT ON EDUCATION: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA

PubMed Central

Lei, Xiaoyan; Shen, Yan; Smith, James P.; Zhou, Guangsu

2016-01-01

We use a population survey of the Chinese adult population—2010 Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) modelled after the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. We find that being the oldest child gives an education benefit to male and not female children who are often assigned supervisory roles for younger siblings. Most importantly, an increase in the fraction of female siblings leads to a significant increase in education of Chinese men and to a lesser extent Chinese women. This effect is concentrated among those with rural Hukou. In China male children absorbed more education resources so that in a credit constrained family, increases in fraction of siblings who are sisters frees up resources for educating boys. This is less so for girls since their education was lower and additional resources would not be used for them. PMID:28479674

Emergency Meal Planning for Diabetics

MedlinePlus

... enough insulin and supplies on hand, including extra batteries for the glucometer emergency phone list with names ... unit and the local hospital radio with extra batteries flashlight with extra batteries candles and matches measuring ...