Degree Classification and Recent Graduates' Ability: Is There Any Signalling Effect?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Pietro, Giorgio

2017-01-01

Research across several countries has shown that degree classification (i.e. the final grade awarded to students successfully completing university) is an important determinant of graduates' first destination outcome. Graduates leaving university with higher degree classifications have better employment opportunities and a higher likelihood of…

The association between higher body mass index and poor school performance in high school students.

PubMed

Tonetti, L; Fabbri, M; Filardi, M; Martoni, M; Natale, V

2016-12-01

This study aimed to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and school performance in high school students by controlling for relevant mediators such as sleep quality, sleep duration and socioeconomic status. Thirty-seven high school students (mean age: 18.16 ± 0.44 years) attending the same school type, i.e. 'liceo scientifico' (science-based high school), were enrolled. Students' self-reported weight and height were used to calculate BMI. Participants wore an actigraph to objectively assess the quality and duration of sleep. School performance was assessed through the actual grade obtained at the final school-leaving exam, in which higher grades indicate higher performance. BMI, get-up time, mean motor activity, wake after sleep onset and number of awakenings were negatively correlated with the grade, while sleep efficiency was positively correlated. When performing a multiple regression analysis, BMI proved the only significant (negative) predictor of grade. When controlling for sleep quality, sleep duration and socioeconomic status, a higher BMI is associated with a poorer school performance in high school students. © 2015 World Obesity Federation.

Impact of Attendance on Academic Performance in Prenursing Students.

PubMed

Branson, Marietta; Loftin, Collette; Hadley, Lance; Hartin, Vicki; Devkota, Shravan

2016-01-01

A descriptive-correlational design was used to explore the relationship between attendance and course grade in a prenursing course. Findings revealed that attendance was positively associated with final course grades (r443 = 0.54, P < .001). Traditional students attended a significantly higher percentage of classes than their nontraditional counterparts. These findings support the long-held belief by nursing faculty that attendance positively impacts course outcomes.

The relationship between student engagement with online content and achievement in a blended learning anatomy course.

PubMed

Green, Rodney A; Whitburn, Laura Y; Zacharias, Anita; Byrne, Graeme; Hughes, Diane L

2017-12-13

Blended learning has become increasingly common in higher education. Recent findings suggest that blended learning achieves better student outcomes than traditional face-to-face teaching in gross anatomy courses. While face-to-face content is perceived as important to learning there is less evidence for the significance of online content in improving student outcomes. Students enrolled in a second-year anatomy course from the physiotherapy (PT), exercise physiology (EP), and exercise science (ES) programs across two campuses were included (n = 500). A structural equation model was used to evaluate the relationship of prior student ability (represented by grade in prerequisite anatomy course) and final course grade and whether the relationship was mediated by program, campus or engagement with the online elements of the learning management system (LMS; proportion of documents and video segments viewed and number of interactions with discussion forums). PT students obtained higher grades and were more likely to engage with online course materials than EP and ES students. Prerequisite grade made a direct contribution to course final grade (P < 0.001) but was also mediated by engagement with LMS videos and discussion forums (P < 0.001). Student learning outcomes in a blended anatomy course can be predicted the by level of engagement with online content. Anat Sci Educ. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

PROJECT PATS: "Potentially Academically Talented Students." Final Technical Report, 10/1/80-6/30/82.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pfeffer, J. S.; And Others

The final report describes a 2-year pilot project to identify and program for disadvantaged potentially gifted students in grades 5-8. Two goals of the program are stated: (1) to establish a working partnership among public and nonpublic schools and higher education; and (2) to integrate disadvantaged potentially gifted with nondisadvantaged…

Concepts first: A course with improved educational outcomes and parity for underrepresented minority groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, D. J.

2017-08-01

Two active learning physics courses were taught and compared. The "concepts first" course was organized to teach only concepts in the first part of the class, the ultimate goal being to increase students' problem-solving abilities much later in the class. The other course was taught in the same quarter by the same instructor using the same curricular materials, but covered material in the standard (chapter-by-chapter) order. After accounting for incoming student characteristics, students from the concepts-first course scored significantly better in two outcome measures: their grade on the final exam and the grade received in their subsequent physics course. Moreover, in the concepts-first class course, students from groups underrepresented in physics had final exam scores and class grades that were indistinguishable from other students. Finally, students who took at least one concepts-first course in introductory physics were found to have significantly higher rates of graduation with a STEM major than students from this cohort who did not.

Gender, mathematics, reading comprehension and science reasoning as predictors of science achievement among African-American students at a historical black college or university

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Consuella Artiemese

This study investigated predictors that influence the science achievement of African-American non-science majors in a Physical Science class. The population consisted of male and female college students enrolled in Physical Science courses at a historical black college or university (HBCU) located in the southeastern portion of the United States. A personal data information sheet was administered to 120 participants during the Fall of 2008. The personal data information sheet consisted of questions pertaining to the high school courses, students took in math, language arts and science. It also consisted of basic background information. Students also gave written consent for their midterm and final grades earned in Physical Science to be used in the study as part of the analyses. A t-Test including chi-square tests revealed that there was not a significant difference in the raw scores of African-American females and African American males on the American College Test. A significant difference was not observed between the females and males on the ACT math subtest, t (118) = -.78, p = .43; reading comprehension subtest, t (118) = -1.44, .15 or on the science reasoning subtest, t (118) = -1.46, p = .15. A significant difference was not found between the final grades of African American females and the final grades of African American males. Chi-square tests were conducted to determine goodness of fit, X2 = 6.11, df = 1, p = .191. Although the grades of females were higher than males, results were not significant. The correlation between math ACT and final grades were not significant, r = .131, N = 120, p = .155, reading comprehension ACT and final grades were not significant, r = .072, N = 120, p = .434 and science reasoning ACT and final grades were found not to be significant, r = .109, N = 120, p = .237. Being that the majority of students who participated in the study were from one state, had similar high school backgrounds, had similar majors and were similar in age the sample had more homogeneity than difference. This may be the most plausible explanation for the results found in this study.

Motivation, Classroom Environment, and Learning in Introductory Geology: A Hierarchical Linear Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilbert, L. A.; Hilpert, J. C.; Van Der Hoeven Kraft, K.; Budd, D.; Jones, M. H.; Matheney, R.; Mcconnell, D. A.; Perkins, D.; Stempien, J. A.; Wirth, K. R.

2013-12-01

Prior research has indicated that highly motivated students perform better and that learning increases in innovative, reformed classrooms, but untangling the student effects from the instructor effects is essential to understanding how to best support student learning. Using a hierarchical linear model, we examine these effects separately and jointly. We use data from nearly 2,000 undergraduate students surveyed by the NSF-funded GARNET (Geoscience Affective Research NETwork) project in 65 different introductory geology classes at research universities, public masters-granting universities, liberal arts colleges and community colleges across the US. Student level effects were measured as increases in expectancy and self-regulation using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ; Pintrich et al., 1991). Instructor level effects were measured using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol, (RTOP; Sawada et al., 2000), with higher RTOP scores indicating a more reformed, student-centered classroom environment. Learning was measured by learning gains on a Geology Concept Inventory (GCI; Libarkin and Anderson, 2005) and normalized final course grade. The hierarchical linear model yielded significant results at several levels. At the student level, increases in expectancy and self-regulation are significantly and positively related to higher grades regardless of instructor; the higher the increase, the higher the grade. At the instructor level, RTOP scores are positively related to normalized average GCI learning gains. The higher the RTOP score, the higher the average class GCI learning gains. Across both levels, average class GCI learning gains are significantly and positively related to student grades; the higher the GCI learning gain, the higher the grade. Further, the RTOP scores are significantly and negatively related to the relationship between expectancy and course grade. The lower the RTOP score, the higher the correlation between change in expectancy and grade. As such, students with low motivation show higher grades and greater learning gains in high RTOP (student-centered) classrooms than in low RTOP ones. These results support the recommendation of student-centered practices in the classroom and consideration of student motivation in our approach to the future of geoscience education.

Grade inflation at a north american college of veterinary medicine: 1985-2006.

PubMed

Rush, Bonnie R; Elmore, Ronnie G; Sanderson, Michael W

2009-01-01

Grade inflation, an upward shift in student grade-point averages without a similar rise in achievement, is considered pervasive by most experts in post-secondary education in the United States. Grade-point averages (GPAs) at US universities have increased by roughly 0.15 points per decade since the 1960s, with a 0.6-point increase since 1967. In medical education, grade inflation has been documented and is particularly evident in the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate grade inflation over a 22-year period in a college of veterinary medicine. Academic records from 2,060 students who graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University between 1985 and 2006 were evaluated, including cumulative GPAs earned during pre-clinical professional coursework, during clinical rotations, and at graduation. Grade inflation was documented at a rate of approximately 0.2 points per decade at this college of veterinary medicine. The difference in mean final GPA between the minimum (1986) and maximum (2003) years of graduation was 0.47 points. Grade inflation was similar for didactic coursework (years 1-3) and clinical rotations (final year). Demographic shifts, student qualifications, and tuition do not appear to have contributed to grade inflation over time. A change in academic standards and student evaluation of teaching may have contributed to relaxed grading standards, and technology in the classroom may have led to higher (earned) grades as a result of improved student learning.

Effect of Video Triggering During Conventional Lectures on Final Grades of Dental Students in an Oral Biology Course: A Two-Year Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Farooq, Imran; Al-Jandan, Badr A

2015-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the inclusion of video triggers in conventional face-to-face lectures on the final grades of dental students in an oral biology course. The study consisted of two groups of students taking the course in two academic years at a dental school in Saudi Arabia: group 1, 2013-14 (control); and group 2, 2014-15. The total sample comprised 163 students (n=163; group 1: 71 and group 2: 92). Group 1 received lectures without any videos, whereas group 2 received lectures that included two to three videos of one to five minutes in duration with triggering effect (a video was shown every 10-15 minutes into the lecture). The final examination grades of the students were accessed retrospectively, and the data were compared with a chi-square test. The results confirmed that a higher number of students who received video triggering during lectures (group 2) performed better than their counterparts who did not receive video triggers (group 1); the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Among the group 2 students, 26% achieved a grade of A, and 37% achieved a grade of B. In contrast, only 7% of the group 1 students obtained a grade of A, and 31% achieved a grade of B. These results suggest that video triggers may offer an advantage over conventional methods and their inclusion in lectures can be a way to enhance students' learning.

Design and characterization of thick InxGa1-xAs metamorphic buffer layers grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulte, K. L.; Zutter, B. T.; Wood, A. W.; Babcock, S. E.; Kuech, T. F.

2014-03-01

Thick InxGa1-xAs metamorphic buffer layers (MBLs) grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) were studied. Relationships between MBL properties and growth parameters such as grading rate, cap layer thickness, final xInAs, and deposition temperature (TD) were explored. The MBLs were characterized by measurement of in-plane residual strain (ɛ¦¦), surface etch pit density (EPD), and surface roughness. Capping layer thickness had a strong effect on strain relaxation, with thickly capped samples exhibiting the lowest ɛ¦¦. EPD was higher in samples with thicker caps, reflecting their increased relaxation through dislocation generation. ɛ¦¦ and EPD were weakly affected by the grading rate, making capping layer thickness the primary structural parameter which controls these properties. MBLs graded in discrete steps had similar properties to MBLs with continuous grading. In samples with identical thickness and 10-step grading style, ɛ¦¦ increased almost linearly with final xInAs, while total relaxation stayed relatively constant. Relaxation as a function of xInAs could be described by an equilibrium model in which dislocation nucleation is impeded by the energy of the existing dislocation array. EPD was constant from xInAs = 0 to 0.24 then increased exponentially, which is related to the increased dislocation interaction and blocking seen at higher dislocation densities. RMS roughness increased with xInAs above a certain strain rate (0.15%/µm) samples grown below this level possessed large surface hillocks and high roughness values. The elimination of hillocks at higher values of xInAs is attributed to increased density of surface steps and is related to the out-of-plane component of the burgers vector of the dominant type of 60° dislocation. TD did not affect ɛ¦¦ for samples with a given xInAs. EPD tended to increase with TD, indicating dislocation glide likely is impeded at higher temperatures.

Using Data Mining for Predicting Relationships between Online Question Theme and Final Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdous, M'hammed; He, Wu; Yen, Cherng-Jyh

2012-01-01

As higher education diversifies its delivery modes, our ability to use the predictive and analytical power of educational data mining (EDM) to understand students' learning experiences is a critical step forward. The adoption of EDM by higher education as an analytical and decision making tool is offering new opportunities to exploit the untapped…

Student laboratory reports: an approach to improving feedback and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellingsen, Pål Gunnar; Støvneng, Jon Andreas

2018-05-01

We present an ongoing effort in improving the quality of laboratory reports written by first and second year physics students. The effort involves a new approach where students are given the opportunity to submit reports at intermediate deadlines, receive feedback, and then resubmit for the final deadline. In combination with a differential grading system, instead of pass/fail, the improved feedback results in higher quality reports. Improvement in the quality of the reports is visible through the grade statistics.

User's Manual and Final Report for Hot-SMAC GUI Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yarrington, Phil

2001-01-01

A new software package called Higher Order Theory-Structural/Micro Analysis Code (HOT-SMAC) has been developed as an effective alternative to the finite element approach for Functionally Graded Material (FGM) modeling. HOT-SMAC is a self-contained package including pre- and post-processing through an intuitive graphical user interface, along with the well-established Higher Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials (HOTFGM) thermomechanical analysis engine. This document represents a Getting Started/User's Manual for HOT-SMAC and a final report for its development. First, the features of the software are presented in a simple step-by-step example where a HOT-SMAC model representing a functionally graded material is created, mechanical and thermal boundary conditions are applied, the model is analyzed and results are reviewed. In a second step-by-step example, a HOT-SMAC model of an actively cooled metallic channel with ceramic thermal barrier coating is built and analyzed. HOT-SMAC results from this model are compared to recently published results (NASA/TM-2001-210702) for two grid densities. Finally, a prototype integration of HOTSMAC with the commercially available HyperSizer(R) structural analysis and sizing software is presented. In this integration, local strain results from HyperSizer's structural analysis are fed to a detailed HOT-SMAC model of the flange-to-facesheet bond region of a stiffened panel. HOT-SMAC is then used to determine the peak shear and peel (normal) stresses between the facesheet and bonded flange of the panel and determine the "free edge" effects.

Behavior of standard hook anchorage with corrosion resistant reinforcement : final report, June 2008.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-06-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of standard books that are made using corrosion resistant reinforcement, which typically have higher yield and ultimate strengths than that of ASTM A615 Grade 60 reinforcement. Two steel types ...

The flipped classroom allows for more class time devoted to critical thinking.

PubMed

DeRuisseau, Lara R

2016-12-01

The flipped classroom was utilized in a two-semester, high-content science course that enrolled between 50 and 80 students at a small liberal arts college. With the flipped model, students watched ~20-min lectures 2 days/wk outside of class. These videos were recorded via screen capture and included a detailed note outline, PowerPoint slides, and review questions. The traditional format included the same materials, except that lectures were delivered in class each week and spanned the entire period. During the flipped course, the instructor reviewed common misconceptions and asked questions requiring higher-order thinking, and five graded case studies were performed each semester. To determine whether assessments included additional higher-order thinking skills in the flipped vs. traditional model, questions across course formats were compared via Blooms Taxonomy. Application-level questions that required prediction of an outcome in a new scenario comprised 38 ± 3 vs. 12 ± 1% of summative assessment questions (<0.01): flipped vs. traditional. Final letter grades in both formats of the course were compared with major GPA. Students in the flipped model performed better than their GPA predicted, as 85.5% earned a higher grade (vs. 42.2% in the traditional classroom) compared with their major GPA. These data demonstrate that assessments transitioned to more application-level compared with factual knowledge-based questions with this particular flipped model, and students performed better in their final letter grade compared with the traditional lecture format. Although the benefits to a flipped classroom are highlighted, student evaluations did suffer. More detailed studies comparing the traditional and flipped formats are warranted. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

The supplemental instruction program: Student perceptions of the learning environment and impact on student academic achievement in college science at California State University, San Marcos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hizer, Suzanne Elizabeth

Higher education in science has been criticized and calls to increase student learning and persistence to degree has been recognized as a national problem by the Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the National Research Council, and the National Academy of Sciences. One mode of academic assistance that may directly address this issue is the implementation of Supplemental Instruction (SI) in science courses. SI is a specific model of academic assistance designed to help students in historically difficult science classes master course content, thus increasing their academic achievement and retention. This study assessed the SI program at California State University, San Marcos, in supported science courses. Specifically, academic achievement based on final course grades were compared between SI participating and nonparticipating students, multiple affective factors were measured at the beginning and end of the semester, and students' perceptions of the classroom and SI session learning environments recorded. Overall, students who attended five or more SI sessions achieved higher final course grades. Students who chose to participate in SI had higher initial levels of responsibility and anxiety. Additionally, SI participants experienced a reduction in anxiety over the semester whereas nonparticipants experienced an increase in anxiety from beginning to the end of the semester. The learning environment of SI embodies higher levels of constructivist principles of active learning such as cooperation, cohesiveness, innovation, and personalization---with one exception for the physics course, which is a based on problem-based learning. Structural equation modeling of variables indicates that high self-efficacy at the end of the semester is directly related to high final course grades; this is mediated by cohesion in the classroom and the cooperation evidenced in SI sessions. These findings are elaborated by student descriptions of what happened in SI sessions and discussed given the theoretical frameworks of Bandura's concept of self-efficacy and learning environment activities that embody constructivist principles.

Deviant Peer Affiliation as an Explanatory Mechanism in the Association between Corporal Punishment and Physical Aggression: a Longitudinal Study among Chinese Adolescents.

PubMed

Zhu, Jianjun; Yu, Chengfu; Bao, Zhenzhou; Jiang, Yanping; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Yuanyuan; Qiu, Boyu; Zhang, Jianjun

2017-11-01

Previous research has focused primarily on corporal punishment as a cause and adolescents' physical aggression as an outcome. However, there is a large gap in knowledge of the potentially bidirectional association and explanatory mechanism underlying the association between corporal punishment and physical aggression. The current study, using a longitudinal design across three time points (the fall semester of 7th grade, the fall of 8th grade, and the fall of 9th grade), aimed to a) examine the reciprocal processes between corporal punishment and physical aggression, and b) explore whether deviant peer affiliation may explain such reciprocal connections. Only adolescents participating in all the three time points were included in this study, resulting in a final sample of 342 adolescents (175 boys, 167 girls) who completed questionnaires regarding corporal punishment, deviant peer affiliation, and aggression. Gender, age and socioeconomic status were controlled for in the analyses. Autoregressive cross-lagged models showed that the results did not support the direct reciprocal effect between corporal punishment and physical aggression among Chinese adolescents. A direct longitudinal link from corporal punishment to physical aggression was found, however, the inverse association was not significant. Moreover, regarding the longitudinal underlying process, in one direction, corporal punishment at 7th grade predicted higher levels of deviant peer affiliation at 8th grade. In turn, higher deviant peer affiliation at 8th grade predicted increased physical aggression at 9th grade. At the same time, in the other direction, adolescent physical aggression at 7th grade significantly predicted deviant peer affiliation at 8th grade. In turn, higher deviant peer affiliation at 8th grade predicted decreased corporal punishment at 9th grade. Identifying the direct and underlying reciprocal processes between corporal punishment and adolescent physical aggression has important implications for an integrative framework of theory and prevention.

Interrelation between the Poisoning Severity Score, carboxyhaemoglobin levels and in-hospital clinical course of carbon monoxide poisoning.

PubMed

Cevik, A A; Unluoglu, I; Yanturali, S; Kalkan, S; Sahin, A

2006-12-01

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS) and carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels in patients with carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) using outcome as the measure. The study was designed as a retrospective chart review of patients with final diagnosis of COP. Correlation of PSS and COHb levels at presentation was evaluated with collected data. Majority of the cases were grade 1 (minor) PSS (134 cases, 73.6%) and 93.4% of these patients made a complete recovery. There were six deaths (mortality 3.3%) and six in-hospital major complications (IHMCs) (3.3%) (please specify whether the complications were in the patients who died). There is moderate correlation between PSS and outcome (p < 0.001, r = 0.493). Grade 3 (severe) PSS was significantly different from other grades for outcome (six mortalities and three IHMCs). Patients classified as grade 3 and patients who died had a significantly higher mean age (p < 0.05, 41.8 +/- 23.6 and p < 0.01, 60.1 +/- 20.3, respectively). Mean COHb level of grade 3 (33.2 +/- 13.9%) was significantly higher than that of other grades (p < 0.05). COHb levels according to outcome were not different (? within the patients in grade 3). Decreased level of consciousness, acidosis, tachycardia, high glucose and leucocyte levels showed significant relation with higher PSS, COHb level and adverse outcome. We conclude that the PSS is a reliable guide in COP. Value of the PSS in COP may be enhanced if additional factors and investigations are included.

The effect of face-to-face teaching on student knowledge and satisfaction in an undergraduate neuroanatomy course.

PubMed

Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar P

2013-01-01

The total number of anatomy teaching hours has declined in medical courses worldwide. Conversely, face-to-face teaching in undergraduate neuroanatomy at Macquarie University increased by 50% in 2011. Our aim was to investigate whether this influenced student performance and overall satisfaction with the course. One hundred eighty-one students consented to participate in this study. A questionnaire was administered to rate the course, and final grades from the old and new unit cohorts were compared. The old and new unit cohorts did not differ in their final grades (P = 0.249). However, the new unit cohort rated their knowledge of the material higher compared to the old unit cohort (P = 0.013), and reported higher levels of satisfaction with the course (P < 0.001). In an era in which teaching time for anatomy has been reduced at tertiary institutions, and there is much lamenting of the effect this will have, there is a paucity of literature on whether the decrease really influences neuroanatomical knowledge. This is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, to show that an increase in total face-to-face teaching hours does not improve student grades, but does increase student satisfaction with the course. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

Evaluation of intrusion detection technologies for high speed rail grade crossings : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-12-01

The rail industry is in the process of developing a prototype system for high speed rail. One of the concerns when using high speed rail is the danger of obstructions on the track. This level of danger is much higher than with traditional railway veh...

Students' Self-Grading, Professor's Grading and Negotiated Final Grading at Three University Programmes: Analysis of Reliability and Grade Difference Ranges and Tendencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Pastor, Victor M.; Fernandez-Balboa, Juan-Miguel; Santos Pastor, Maria L.; Aranda, Antonio Fraile

2012-01-01

This study was undertaken at three teacher education programmes and was designed to determine the following within each programme: (1) the reliability correlations among students' self-grade (SSG), the grade granted by the professor (PG) and the negotiated final grade (NFG); (2) the range and frequency of grade differences between SSG and PG; and…

Electric Pulse Discharge Activated Carbon Supercapacitors for Transportation Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Subhadarshi; Agrawal, Jyoti

2012-03-01

ScienceTomorrow is developing a high-speed, low-cost process for synthesizing high-porosity electrodes for electrochemical double-layer capacitors. Four types of coal (lignite, subbituminous, bituminous, and anthracite) were used as precursor materials for spark discharge activation with multiscale porous structure. The final porosity and pore distribution depended, among other factors, on precursor type. The high gas content in low-grade carbon resulted in mechanical disintegration, whereas high capacitance was attained in higher-grade coal. The properties, including capacitance, mechanical robustness, and internal conductivity, were excellent when the cost is taken into consideration.

ICT media design for higher grade of elementary school mathematics learning using CS6 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zainil, M.; Prahmana, R. C. I.; Helsa, Y.; Hendri, S.

2017-12-01

Technological innovation contributes to the emerging of new possibilities to change the learning process. The development of technology could bring the higher quality of education through the integration of technology in the learning. The purpose of this research is to create an interactive multimedia using CS6 program for mathematics learning in higher grade of elementary school. It was a development research using ADDIE model which consists of analysis, design, and evaluation stages. It has successfully developed interactive multimedia in a form of learning CD used in the material of plane figures and solid figures. The prototype has been validated and then tested for the 4th grade of elementary schools. Two schools were involved and the students taught by utilizing the prototype, and then, in the end of learning, they are examined to determine the learning result. There were 72% of the students passed the examination as they classified at good and excellent categories. Finally, the use of CS6 program is promising to help the students learning plane and solid figure in mathematics learning.

Beyond the Ivory Tower: A Comparison of Grades Across Academic and Community OB/GYN Clerkship Sites.

PubMed

Fay, Emily E; Schiff, Melissa A; Mendiratta, Vicki; Benedetti, Thomas J; Debiec, Kate

2016-01-01

CONSTRUCT: Decentralized clinical education is the use of community facilities and community physicians to educate medical students. The theory behind decentralized clinical education is that academic and community sites will provide educational equivalency as determined by objective and subjective performance measures, while training more medical students and exposing students to rural or underserved communities. One of the major challenges of decentralized clinical education is ensuring site comparability in both learning opportunities and evaluation of students. Previous research has examined objective measures of student performance, but less is known about subjective performance measures, particularly in the field of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). This study explores the implications of clinical site on the adequacy of subjective and objective performance measures. This was a retrospective cohort study of 801 students in the University of Washington School of Medicine OB/GYN clerkship from 2008 to 2012. Academic sites included those with OB/GYN residency programs (n = 2) and community sites included those without residency programs (n = 29). The association between clerkship site and National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) grade was assessed using linear regression and clinical and final grade using multinomial regression, estimating β coefficient and relative risks (RR), respectively, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for gender, academic quarter of clerkship, and year of clerkship. There were no differences in NBME exam grades of students at academic sites (76.4 (7.3) versus 74.6 (8.0), β = -0.11, 95% CI [1.35, 1.12] compared to community sites. For clinical grade, students at community sites were 2.4 times more likely to receive honors relative to high pass (RR 2.45), 95% CI [1.72, 3.50], and for final grade, students at community sites were 1.9 times more likely to receive honors relative to pass (RR 1.98), 95% CI [1.27, 3.09], and 1.6 times more likely to receive honors relative to high pass (RR 1.62), 95% CI [1.05, 2.50], compared to those at academic sites. Students at community sites receive higher clinical and final grades in the OB/GYN clerkship. This highlights a significant challenge in decentralized clinical education-ensuring site comparability in clinical grading, Further work should examine the differences in sites, as well as improve standardization of clinical grading. This also underscores an important consideration, as the final grade can influence medical school rank, nomination into honor societies, and ranking of residency applicants.

[Evaluation of preliminary grades and credits in nurse training programs].

PubMed

Darmann-Finck, Ingrid; Duveneck, Nicole

2016-01-01

In the federal state of Bremen preliminary grades were included to the extent of 25 % in written, oral and practical final grades during the time period 2009-2014. The evaluation focuses on the effects of preliminary grades on the scale of final grades and the performance of learners as well as on the assessment of the appropriateness of final grades. A mixed-methods design was employed that consisted of a quasi-experimental study comprising of surveys of students and teachers of comparative and model courses as well as a qualitative study using group discussions. The results confirm that preliminary grades lead to a minimal improvement of the final grades of some exclusively low-achieving students. The assessment of appropriateness hardly changed. From both learners' and teachers' point of view there is still great dissatisfaction concerning the practical final grades. With regard to learning habits an increased willingness to learn new skills on the one hand and a partly increased performance pressure on the other hand were demonstrated. On the basis of these research results, the authors recommend the regular introduction of preliminary marks into the nursing training. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

What's in a Grade?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughey, Jim D.; Harper, Bena

A study explored the processes and attitudes that occur when assigning students a final course grade. The final grades for 1,578 students in a basic communication course were used in discriminant analyses. The level (the mean of all grades given) and the spread (standard deviation of all grades given) were estimated for each of 17 instructors. The…

75 FR 36551 - State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

...-0032; Notice No. 5] RIN 2130-AC20 State Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Action Plans AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This final... three years, to develop State highway-rail grade crossing action plans. The final rule addresses the...

Parenting and children's representations of family predict disruptive and callous-unemotional behaviors

PubMed Central

Wagner, Nicholas J.; Mills-Koonce, W. Roger; Willoughby, Michael T.; Zvara, Bharathi; Cox, Martha J.

2015-01-01

Data from a large prospective longitudinal study (n = 1,239) was used to investigate the association between observed sensitive parenting in early childhood and children's representations of family relationships as measured by the Family Drawing Paradigm (FDP) in first grade as well as the extent to which these representations partially mediate the influences of early caregiving experiences on later conduct problems and callous-unemotional behaviors. A structural equation modeling approach revealed that less sensitive parenting at 24, 36, and 58 months predicts higher levels of conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors in first grade controlling for earlier measures of CP and CU behaviors. Results also indicated that greater dysfunctional family representations, as assessed with the FDP, are significantly associated with higher CU behaviors in the first grade, but not CP. Finally, a test of the indirect pathway suggests that children's dysfunctional family representations may, in part, account for the association between sensitive parenting and CU behaviors. PMID:26010385

Dominant intraprostatic cancer confirmed by direct MRI-guided biopsy: Concordance with histopathological findings.

PubMed

Meermeier, Nicholas P; Turner, Kevin R; Foster, Bryan R; Várallyay, Csanád; Liu, Jen-Jane; Coakley, Fergus V

2018-06-09

To investigate the concordance between dominant intraprostatic cancer seen on endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by MRI-targeted biopsy with histopathological findings at radical prostatectomy, since existing literature has emphasized the miss rather than the concordance rate of MRI. We retrospectively identified 20 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy after a dominant intraprostatic cancer focus was identified at endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by MRI-targeted biopsy. Concordance was determined by comparing the location and Gleason grade group of dominant tumor at MRI with the location and Gleason grade group determined at histopathological review. Mean patient age was 65 years (range, 48 to 76) and median serum prostatic specific antigen level was 9.4 ng/mL (range, 4.6 to 58.0). In all 20 patients, the location of dominant tumor based on MRI and targeted biopsy corresponded with the dominant tumor location at histopathology. In 9 patients, Gleason grade group was the same at targeted biopsy and final histopathology. In 9 patients, final Gleason grade group was higher and in two patients it was lower. Our preliminary results suggest dominant tumor as determined by endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by a positive MRI-targeted biopsy has high concordance with histopathological findings at radical prostatectomy for location, and reasonable concordance for Gleason grade group. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Student Success in Face-to-Face and Online Sections of Biology Courses at a Community College in East Tennessee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garman, Deanna Essington

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences in student success in face-to-face and online biology courses as categorized by gender, major, and age; and as measured by lecture grades, lab grades, and final course grades. The data used for analyses included data from 170 face-to-face sections and 127 online sections from a biology course during the fall and spring semesters beginning fall 2008 through spring 2011. Researchers have reported mixed findings in previous studies juxtaposing online and face-to-face course delivery formats, from no significant differences to differences in grades, learning styles, and satisfaction levels. Four research questions guided this study with data analysis involving t-tests for independent groups and chi-square tests. This researcher noted significant differences in the results of this study: grades, success rates by gender, success rates by health and nonhealth majors, and nontraditional age (≥25) success rate were higher for students in the face-to-face courses; and the attrition rate was higher for students in the online course sections. There was no significant difference found in the success rate for traditional age (<25) students in the face-to-face sections compared to those in the online sections.

Will Not Want: Self-Control Rather than Motivation Explains the Female Advantage in Report Card Grades

PubMed Central

Duckworth, Angela L.; Shulman, Elizabeth P.; Mastronarde, Andrew J.; Patrick, Sarah D.; Zhang, Jinghui; Druckman, Jeremy

2015-01-01

Girls earn better grades than boys, but the mechanism explaining this gender difference is not well understood. We examined the relative importance of self-control and motivation in explaining the female advantage in grades. In Study 1, we surveyed middle school teachers and found they judged girls to be higher in both school motivation and self-control. In Studies 2 and 3—using self-reported motivation and teacher- and/or parent-reported self-control, and quarterly and final grades obtained from school records—we find that self-control, but not school motivation, helps to explain the gender gap in academic performance. In these studies, girls appeared to be more self-controlled than boys, but—contrary to teacher judgments in Study 1—did not appear to be more motivated to do well in school. PMID:25883522

A Comparison of Attitudes and Final Grades among Freshman Dental Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mickey M.; And Others

1981-01-01

A study examined students' change in attitudes toward dental education, themselves, and gross anatomy based on their experience in a difficult anatomy course and their final grades. Change occurred only in their attitudes about dental education, but it is concluded that specific aspects of the environment can be used to predict a final grade. (MSE)

Blinn College Final Grade Distribution Report for Spring 1994 Semester. Student Performance Report. International Research Document No. 012E.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blinn Coll., Brenham, TX.

Blinn College final course grade distributions are summarized for spring 1990 to 1994 in this four-part report. Section I presents tables of final grade distributions by campus and course in accounting; agriculture; anthropology; biology; business; chemistry; child development; communications; computer science; criminal justice; drama; emergency…

Prognostic factors of Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome

PubMed Central

Cai, Zhengyi; Li, Huijing; Wang, Xun; Niu, Xiaoting; Ni, Peiqi; Zhang, Wanli; Shao, Bei

2017-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare clinical characteristics, electroneurography (ENoG) results, and functional outcomes of patients with Bell's palsy (BP) and Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS). Around 57 patients with BP and 23 patients with RHS were enrolled in this study from January 2010 and September 2015. Both clinical characteristics and ENoG results were recorded at hospital admission. The evaluations of functional outcomes were conducted with House–Brackmann (H-B) grading system at 6-month follow-up. There were no significant differences in age, gender proportion, initial H-B grades, time before commencement of treatment and the presence of comorbid disease in 2 groups. However, the final H-B grades at 6-month follow-up were significantly better in BP patients than RHS patients. The results of ENoG showed that degeneration index (DI) was significantly higher in the RHS group than the BP group. But no significant difference was found in the value of prolonged latency time (PLT) between the 2 groups. In multivariate analysis, age and ENoG DI were independently associated with functional outcome of recovery in the BP group (OR 0.167, 95% CI 0.038–0.622, P = 0.009 and OR 0.289 95% CI 0.107–0.998, P = 0.050, respectively). However, in the RHS group, only ENoG DI was related to the final H-B grades (OR 0.067, 95% CI 0.005–0.882, P = 0.040). Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed that higher age and ENoG DI were related to poorer prognosis in 2 groups (P < 0.05). PLT was related to functional outcomes only in the BP group (rs = 0.460, P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of ENoG DI analysis revealed that the cutoff value was 67.0% for BP prognosis and 64.5% for RHS prognosis. What's more, patients with hypertension or diabetes mellitus had both higher final H-B grade and ENoG DI than those without the same comorbidity. Patients with RHS had poorer prognosis than those with BP. Some factors including age, ENoG DI, and the presence of disease influenced recovery from BP and RHS. The present study demonstrated that BP patients with ENoG DI < 67.0% and RHS patients with ENoG DI < 65.5% had a greater opportunity for recovery within half a year. PMID:28079835

Role of students’ context in predicting academic performance at a medical school: a retrospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Thiele, Tamara; Pope, Daniel; Singleton, A; Stanistreet, D

2016-01-01

Objectives This study examines associations between medical students’ background characteristics (postcode-based measures of disadvantage, high school attended, sociodemographic characteristics), and academic achievement at a Russell Group University. Design Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting Applicants accepted at the University of Liverpool medical school between 2004 and 2006, finalising their studies between 2010 and 2011. Participants 571 students (with an English home postcode) registered on the full-time Medicine and Surgery programme, who successfully completed their medical degree. Main outcome measures Final average at year 4 of the medical programme (represented as a percentage). Results Entry grades were positively associated with final attainment (p<0.001). Students from high-performing schools entered university with higher qualifications than students from low-performing schools (p<0.001), though these differences did not persist at university. Comprehensive school students entered university with higher grades than independent school students (p<0.01), and attained higher averages at university, though differences were not significant after controlling for multiple effects. Associations between school type and achievement differed between sexes. Females attained higher averages than males at university. Significant academic differences were observed between ethnic groups at entry level and university. Neither of the postcode-based measures of disadvantage predicted significant differences in attainment at school or university. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that educational attainment at school is a good, albeit imperfect, predictor of academic attainment at medical school. Most attainment differences observed between students either decreased or disappeared during university. Unlike previous studies, independent school students did not enter university with the highest grades, but achieved the lowest attainment at university. Such variations depict how patterns may differ between subjects and higher-education institutions. Findings advocate for further evidence to help guide the implementation of changes in admissions processes and widen participation at medical schools fairly. PMID:26969642

Role of students' context in predicting academic performance at a medical school: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Thiele, Tamara; Pope, Daniel; Singleton, A; Stanistreet, D

2016-03-11

This study examines associations between medical students' background characteristics (postcode-based measures of disadvantage, high school attended, sociodemographic characteristics), and academic achievement at a Russell Group University. Retrospective cohort analysis. Applicants accepted at the University of Liverpool medical school between 2004 and 2006, finalising their studies between 2010 and 2011. 571 students (with an English home postcode) registered on the full-time Medicine and Surgery programme, who successfully completed their medical degree. Final average at year 4 of the medical programme (represented as a percentage). Entry grades were positively associated with final attainment (p<0.001). Students from high-performing schools entered university with higher qualifications than students from low-performing schools (p<0.001), though these differences did not persist at university. Comprehensive school students entered university with higher grades than independent school students (p<0.01), and attained higher averages at university, though differences were not significant after controlling for multiple effects. Associations between school type and achievement differed between sexes. Females attained higher averages than males at university. Significant academic differences were observed between ethnic groups at entry level and university. Neither of the postcode-based measures of disadvantage predicted significant differences in attainment at school or university. The findings of this study suggest that educational attainment at school is a good, albeit imperfect, predictor of academic attainment at medical school. Most attainment differences observed between students either decreased or disappeared during university. Unlike previous studies, independent school students did not enter university with the highest grades, but achieved the lowest attainment at university. Such variations depict how patterns may differ between subjects and higher-education institutions. Findings advocate for further evidence to help guide the implementation of changes in admissions processes and widen participation at medical schools fairly. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Intensive Mode Delivery of a Neuroanatomy Unit: Lower Final Grades but Higher Student Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar P.

2013-01-01

In 2011, Macquarie University moved to a three-session academic year which included two 13-week sessions (traditional mode) and one seven-week session (intensive mode). This study was designed to compare the intensive and traditional modes of delivery in a unit of undergraduate neuroanatomy. The new intensive mode neuroanatomy unit provided the…

Optical Enhancement in Optoelectronic Devices Using Refractive Index Grading Layers.

PubMed

Lee, Illhwan; Park, Jae Yong; Gim, Seungo; Kim, Kisoo; Cho, Sang-Hwan; Choi, Chung Sock; Song, Seung-Yong; Lee, Jong-Lam

2016-02-10

We enhanced the optical transmittance of a multilayer barrier film by inserting a refractive index grading layer (RIGL). The result indicates that the Fresnel reflection, induced by the difference of refractive indices between Si(x)N(y) and SiO2, is reduced by the RIGL. To eliminate the Fresnel reflection while maintaining high transmittance, the optimized design of grading structures with the RIGL was conducted using an optical simulator. With the RIGL, we achieved averaged transmittance in the visible wavelength region by 89.6%. It is found that the optimized grading structure inserting the multilayer barrier film has a higher optical transmittance (89.6%) in the visible region than that of a no grading sample (82.6%). Furthermore, luminance is enhanced by 14.5% (from 10,190 to 11,670 cd m(-2) at 30 mA cm(-2)) when the grading structure is applied to organic light-emitting diodes. Finally, the results offer new opportunities in development of multilayer barrier films, which assist industrialization of very cost-effective flexible organic electronic devices.

Sex differences in the development of perceived family cohesion and depressive symptoms in Taiwanese adolescents.

PubMed

Sze, Tat-Ming; Hsieh, Pei-Jung; Lin, Sieh-Hwa; Chen, I-Jung

2013-08-01

This study investigates the progression of family cohesion perceptions and depressive symptoms during the character development stage in adolescents. Data were used from the Taiwan Youth Project. The final sample comprised 2,690 adolescents with 1,312 girls (48.8%; M age = 13.0 yr., SD = 0.5). Latent curve growth analysis was employed to explore these developments. Seventh-grade girls reported greater family cohesion and more depressive symptoms than boys, and boys reported greater growth in family cohesion than girls. However, progression of depressive symptoms was not associated with the child's sex. Higher perceived family cohesion in Grade 7 correlated with less increase of depressive symptoms from Grades 9 to 11. The long-term positive influence of family cohesion on depressive symptoms is discussed.

Chapter 4: Low compaction grading to enhance reforestation success on coal surface mines

Treesearch

R. Sweigard; J. Burger; C. Zipper; J. Skousen; C. Barton; P. Angel

2017-01-01

This Forest Reclamation Advisory describes final-grading techniques for reclaiming coal surface mines to forest postmining land uses. Final grading that leaves a loose soil and a rough surface increases survival of planted seedlings and forest productivity. Such practices are often less costly than traditional "smooth grading" while meeting the requirements...

Obstetrics and gynecology clerkship for males and females: similar curriculum, different outcomes?

PubMed Central

Craig, LaTasha B.; Smith, Chad; Crow, Sheila M.; Driver, Whitney; Wallace, Michelle; Thompson, Britta M.

2013-01-01

Objective To determine if performance differences exist between male and female students on a 6-week obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) clerkship and to evaluate potential variables that might underlie any observed variations. Study Design Final clerkship grades and component scores (clinical evaluations, objective structured clinical examination [OSCE], oral examination, and National Board of Medical Examiners [NBME] subject examination) from July 2007 to June 2010 were matched by student and analyzed by gender. Basic science grade point average (GPA) and initial United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 scores were used to establish students’ baseline medical knowledge. On a post-clerkship questionnaire, a subset of students reported the numbers of procedures they performed during the clerkship; students also completed online pre- and post-clerkship questionnaires reflecting their self-assessed confidence in women's health clinical skills. Results Scores were analyzed for 136 women and 220 men. Final clerkship grades were significantly higher for females than for males (89.05 vs. 87.34, p=0.0004, η 2=0.08). Specifically, females outscored males on the OSCE, oral, and NBME subject examination portions of the clerkship but not clinical evaluations. Males reported completing fewer breast examinations (p=0.001, η 2=0.14). Pre-clerkship, males were significantly less confident than females in women's health clinical skills (p<0.01) but reached similar levels upon completion of the clerkship. No gender differences were detected for basic science GPA and USMLE Step 1 scores. Conclusion Student gender is associated with final grades on an Ob/Gyn clerkship. Further research regarding these differences should be explored. PMID:24300748

Self-Determination, Success, and College Readiness of First Generation Students in a Higher Education Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochoa, Manuel

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to describe and compare if self-determination factors differed in first and non-first generation college students and success levels. Additionally, comparisons of college readiness levels were measured, and finally a measure of factors that contribute to college success based in first and second semester grade point…

Student achievement in science: A longitudinal look at individual and school differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Alina

The importance of science in today's technological society necessitates continued attention to students' experiences in science and specifically their achievement in science. There is a need to look at gender and race/ethnicity simultaneously when studying students' experiences in science and to explore factors related to higher achievement among students. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, this study contributes to existing literature on student achievement in science by simultaneously exploring the effects of race/ethnicity and gender. Capitalizing on the availability of yearly science achievement scores, I present trajectories of student achievement from 7th to 12th grade. This study also includes an exploration of school effects. Overall, student achievement in science increases from 7th to 12th grade, although some leveling is seen in later grades. Growth in achievement differs by both gender and race/ethnicity, but racial/ethnic differences are larger than gender differences. Hispanic, Black, Asian, and White males score higher, on average, throughout the secondary grades than their female counterparts. Achievement scores of Asian students are consistently higher than White students, who in turn score higher than Hispanic and finally Black students. Both background and science-related factors help explain variation in achievement status and growth in achievement. Parental education is positively associated with achievement status among all groups except Black students for whom there is no effect of parental education. Science related resources in the home are positively associated with student achievement and the effect of these resources increases in later grades. Student achievement in science is also positively related to student course taking and attitude toward science. Furthermore, both the negative effect of viewing science as a male domain, which exists for males and females, and the positive effect of parental support for science increase in magnitude in later grades. Thirteen percent of the variation in achievement was found to occur between schools. At the school level, student/teacher ratio is positively related to student achievement in 7th grade and the percent of students who receive free lunch in a school is negatively related to achievement, but neither of these is related to growth in achievement over time.

Impact of Functionally Graded Cylinders: Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aboudi, Jacob; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy; Arnold, S. M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This final report summarizes the work funded under the Grant NAG3-2411 during the 04/05/2000-04/04/2001 period. The objective of this one-year project was to generalize the theoretical framework of the two-dimensional higher-order theory for the analysis of cylindrical functionally graded materials/structural components employed in advanced aircraft engines developed under past NASA Glenn funding. The completed generalization significantly broadens the theory's range of applicability through the incorporation of dynamic impact loading capability into its framework. Thus, it makes possible the assessment of the effect of damage due to fuel impurities, or the presence of submicron-level debris, on the life of functionally graded structural components. Applications involving advanced turbine blades and structural components for the reusable-launch vehicle (RLV) currently under development will benefit from the completed work. The theory's predictive capability is demonstrated through a numerical simulation of a one-dimensional wave propagation set up by an impulse load in a layered half-plane. Full benefit of the completed generalization of the higher-order theory described in this report will be realized upon the development of a related computer code.

Comparison of NBG-18, NBG-17, IG-110 and IG-11 oxidation kinetics in air

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

Lee, Jo Jo; Ghosh, Tushar K.; Loyalka, Sudarshan K.

In this paper, the oxidation rates of several nuclear-grade graphites, NBG-18, NBG-17, IG-110 and IG-11, were measured in air using thermogravimetry. Kinetic parameters and oxidation behavior for each grade were compared by coke type, filler grain size and microstructure. The thickness of the oxidized layer for each grade was determined by layer peeling and direct density measurements. The results for NBG-17 and IG-11 were compared with those available in the literature and our recently reported results for NBG-18 and IG-110 oxidation in air. The finer-grained graphites IG-110 and IG-11 were more oxidized than medium-grained NBG-18 and NBG-17 because of deepermore » oxidant penetration, higher porosity and higher probability of available active sites. Variation in experimental conditions also had a marked effect on the reported kinetic parameters by several studies. Finally, kinetic parameters such as activation energy and transition temperature were sensitive to air flow rates as well as sample size and geometry.« less

Comparison of NBG-18, NBG-17, IG-110 and IG-11 oxidation kinetics in air

DOE PAGES

Lee, Jo Jo; Ghosh, Tushar K.; Loyalka, Sudarshan K.

2017-12-14

In this paper, the oxidation rates of several nuclear-grade graphites, NBG-18, NBG-17, IG-110 and IG-11, were measured in air using thermogravimetry. Kinetic parameters and oxidation behavior for each grade were compared by coke type, filler grain size and microstructure. The thickness of the oxidized layer for each grade was determined by layer peeling and direct density measurements. The results for NBG-17 and IG-11 were compared with those available in the literature and our recently reported results for NBG-18 and IG-110 oxidation in air. The finer-grained graphites IG-110 and IG-11 were more oxidized than medium-grained NBG-18 and NBG-17 because of deepermore » oxidant penetration, higher porosity and higher probability of available active sites. Variation in experimental conditions also had a marked effect on the reported kinetic parameters by several studies. Finally, kinetic parameters such as activation energy and transition temperature were sensitive to air flow rates as well as sample size and geometry.« less

Peer Victimization and Sexual Risk Differences Between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning and Nontransgender Heterosexual Youths in Grades 7–12

PubMed Central

Espelage, Dorothy L.

2013-01-01

Objectives. Before and after accounting for peer victimization, we estimated sexual risk disparities between students who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) and students who self-identified as nontransgender heterosexual. Methods. Students in grades 7 through 12 in Dane County, Wisconsin, were given the Web-administered Dane County Youth Assessment. One set of analyses was based on a sample that included 11 337 students. Subsequent analyses were based on a sample from which we screened out students who may not have been responding to survey items truthfully. Various multilevel-modeling and propensity-score-matching strategies ensured robustness of the results, examined disparities at lower and higher victimization rates, and explored heterogeneity among LGBTQ-identified youths. Finally, propensity-score-matching strategies estimated LGBTQ–heterosexual disparities in 2 matched samples: a sample that reported higher victimization and one that reported lower victimization. Results. Across 7 sexual risk outcomes, and in middle and high school, LGBTQ-identified youths reported engaging in riskier behavior than did heterosexual-identified youths after we accounted for peer victimization. Risk differentials were present in middle and high school. The LGBTQ group was heterogeneous, with lesbian/gay- and bisexual-identified youths generally appearing most risky, and questioning-identified youths least risky. In the matched sample with lower average victimization rates, LGBTQ-identified youths perceived a greater risk of sexually transmitted infections despite not engaging in sexually risky behavior at significantly higher rates; in the matched sample with higher average victimization rates, all outcomes were significantly different. Conclusions. Demonstrated LGBTQ–heterosexual risk differentials in grades 7 through 8 suggest that interventions need to be implemented during middle school. These interventions should also be differentiated to address the unique risk patterns among LGBTQ subgroups. Finally, models of sexual risk disparities must expand beyond peer victimization. PMID:23947999

Facilitating the learning process: a pilot study of collaborative testing vs individualistic testing in the chiropractic college setting.

PubMed

Meseke, Jamie K; Nafziger, Rita; Meseke, Christopher A

2008-05-01

This pilot study examines the effect collaborative testing has on achievement of students taking a basic science course at a chiropractic college. The grades of 2 cohorts of students taking a basic science course were compared: the control group from the first academic term (n = 73) and the experimental group from the second academic term (n = 41). The control cohort completed weekly quizzes as individuals. The experimental cohort completed the weekly quizzes in small collaborative groups. All unit examinations and the final examination were taken by both cohorts individually. Grades for each cohort were derived from 6 weekly unit quizzes, 3 unit examinations, and a comprehensive final examination. Overall, the experimental group differed from the control group (Wilks' Lambda = 0.318; F(10,103) = 22.052; and P < .001). All quiz scores were significantly higher for the experimental group as compared with the control group. In addition, overall point totals and final course grades also differed significantly. No significant differences, however, were observed in either the first 2 unit examination scores or the final examination scores. These results confirm previous reports that student performance is enhanced by collaborative learning. Collaborative testing provided students with the opportunity to discuss their reasoning and receive immediate feedback from other group members regarding their rationale, which potentially enhanced understanding of course material. Students were encouraged to become more active in the course as group discussions emerged from individual perspectives. The collaborative learning process may enhance critical thinking abilities, which are vital for future chiropractic practitioners.

No differences in grades or level of satisfaction in a flipped classroom for neuroanatomy.

PubMed

Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar Petter

2015-10-01

The intensive nature of a 5- or 6-week teaching block poses unique problems for adequate delivery of content. This study was designed to compare the delivery of a unit of undergraduate neuroanatomy in a short summer school period, as a traditionally taught unit, with a rendition given in the form of the "Flipped Classroom." The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom in the intensive mode classroom. The flipped classroom encompassed the same learning outcomes, but students were responsible for covering the content at home in preparation for tutorials that applied their acquired knowledge to higher levels of thinking. The main outcome measures were the final course grades and the level of satisfaction with the course. There were no significant differences between the 2 cohorts in final grades (p = .259), self-rated knowledge (p = .182), or overall satisfaction with the course (p = .892). This particular design of the flipped classroom did not add value to the intensive mode experience. It may be that this mode of delivery is ill suited to intensive classes for subjects that carry a lot of content. The use of the flipped classroom requires further research to fully evaluate its value.

An IMU Evaluation Method Using a Signal Grafting Scheme

PubMed Central

Niu, Xiaoji; Wang, Qiang; Li, You; Zhang, Quan; Jiang, Peng

2016-01-01

As various inertial measurement units (IMUs) from different manufacturers appear every year, it is not affordable to evaluate every IMU through tests. Therefore, this paper presents an IMU evaluation method by grafting data from the tested IMU to the reference data from a higher-grade IMU. The signal grafting (SG) method has several benefits: (a) only one set of field tests with a higher-grade IMU is needed, and can be used to evaluate numerous IMUs. Thus, SG is effective and economic because all data from the tested IMU is collected in the lab; (b) it is a general approach to compare navigation performances of various IMUs by using the same reference data; and, finally, (c) through SG, one can first evaluate an IMU in the lab, and then decide whether to further test it. Moreover, this paper verified the validity of SG to both medium- and low-grade IMUs, and presents and compared two SG strategies, i.e., the basic-error strategy and the full-error strategy. SG provided results similar to field tests, with a difference of under 5% and 19.4%–26.7% for tested tactical-grade and MEMS IMUs. Meanwhile, it was found that dynamic IMU errors were essential to guarantee the effect of the SG method. PMID:27294932

Predicting Students' Performance on Agricultural Science Examination from Forecast Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreetsi, Thobega; Mbako, Masole Trust

2008-01-01

The Botswana Examination Council (BEC) uses forecast grades obtained from secondary school Agriculture teachers to review component 2 of Agriculture final examination. Moderation of component 2 can help to improve candidates' final grade. This descriptive-correlational study purports to determine which of the component 1 (multiple choice),…

The Effectiveness of Tutoring on Developmental English Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vick, Nicholas; Robles-Piña, Rebecca A.; Martirosyan, Nara M.; Kite, Valerie

2015-01-01

Tutoring is an important form of academic support for developmental education students. A comparison study was conducted to investigate the benefits of tutoring on the final grades for developmental English students who participated in tutoring versus those students who did not. The final grades for three consecutive semesters were analyzed to…

Correlation of self-assessment with attendance in an evidence-based medicine course.

PubMed

Ramirez, Beatriz U

2015-12-01

In previous studies, correlations between attendance and grades in lectures have given variable results and, when statistically significant, the correlation has been weak. In some studies, a sex effect has been reported. Lectures are a teacher-centered learning activity. Therefore, it appeared interesting to evaluate if a stronger correlation between attendance and grades would occur in a face-to-face "evidence-based medicine" course with few lectures and more time dedicated to active learning methods. Small-group work and peer learning were used to foster deep learning and to engage students in their own learning process. Most of the time, students worked in small groups solving contextualized problems and critically analyzing the quality of published medical literature. Peer learning was also developed in collaborative evaluations, and constant feedback was provided. Therefore, it was hypothesized that high attenders would develop a higher self-perception of learning and obtain higher marks than low attenders. Student self-perceptions of their capacity to apply evidence-based medicine were measured by the application of an online self-assessment survey, and objective learning was measured as the grades obtained in a final accumulative individual test. It was found that male students obtained higher grades and were more confident in their achievements than their female peers, despite male and female student attendance being similar. In addition, attendance was correlated with the perceived capacity to apply evidence-based medicine only in male students and was not correlated with academic outcome. Copyright © 2015 The American Physiological Society.

Progression of Chinese Students' Creative Imagination from Elementary Through High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Fujun; Li, Xiuju; Zhang, Huiliang; Wang, Lihui

2012-09-01

For almost a century, researchers have studied creative imagination, most typically that of children. This article reports on a study of the development of creative imagination of Chinese youths and its relation to the educational environment. Data consisted of 4,162 students from grades 4 through 12. Findings showed that students' creative imagination increased as the grade in school increased from grades 4 through 11, but decreased slightly at grade 12. Students' creative imagination was lower in elementary school than that in middle school. The pace of development was also different in different stages. In different grades, youths used different ways to express their imagination. Students of 'excellent' academic performance had the highest creative imagination, followed by students of 'fairly good', 'medium' and 'poor' academic performance. Student-centred teaching methods were associated with higher creative imagination. Students whose teachers had a more supportive attitude showed better creative imagination. Finally, taking part in science-related competitions and frequently visiting science venues were related to the development of students' creative imagination. Some implications and recommendations for development of students' creative imagination are also proposed.

Effects of Repeated Intraperitoneal Injection of Pharmaceutical-grade and Nonpharmaceutical-grade Corn Oil in Female C57BL/6J Mice.

PubMed

Hubbard, Jennifer S; Chen, Patty H; Boyd, Kelli L

2017-11-01

Due to potential adverse effects on animal wellbeing, the use of nonpharmaceutical-grade substances in animal research must be scientifically justified in cases where a pharmaceutical-grade version of the substance exists. This requirement applies to all substances, including vehicles used to solubilize experimental drugs. To date, no studies have evaluated the direct effect of the pharmaceutical classification of a compound on animal wellbeing. In this study, we evaluated intraperitoneal administration of pharmaceutical-grade corn oil, nonpharmaceutical-grade corn oil, and saline in female C57BL/6J mice. Compounds were administered every 48 h for a total of 4 injections. Mice were evaluated clinically by using body weight, body condition score, visual assessment score, CBC, and serum chemistries. Animals were euthanized at 24 h and 14 d after the final injection. Inflammation of the peritoneal wall and mesenteric fat was assessed microscopically by using a semiquantitative scoring system. Saline-dosed groups had lower pathology scores at both time points. At day 21, pharmaceutical-grade corn oil had a significantly higher pathology score compared with nonpharmaceutical-grade corn oil. No other significant differences between the corn oil groups were observed. The use of nonpharmaceutical grade corn oil did not result in adverse clinical consequences and is presumed safe to use for intraperitoneal injection in mice. Differences in inflammation between the 2 groups suggest that the use of either pharmaceutical-grade or nonpharmaceutical-grade corn oil should be consistent within a study.

Pretest online discussion groups to augment teaching and learning.

PubMed

Kuhn, Jonathan; Hasbargen, Barbara; Miziniak, Halina

2010-01-01

Tests and final examination scores of three semesters of control students in a nursing foundation course were compared with tests and final examination scores of three semesters of participating students. Participating students were offered access to an asynchronous pretest online discussion activity with a faculty e-moderator. While the simplified Bloom's revised taxonomy assisted in creating appropriate preparatory test and final examination questions for pretest online discussion, Salmon's five-stage online method provided direction to the e-moderator on how to encourage students to achieve Bloom's higher-order thinking skills during the pretest online discussions. Statistical analysis showed the pretest online discussion activity had a generally positive impact on tests and final examination scores, when controlling for a number of possible confounding variables, including instructor, cumulative grade point average, age, and credit hours.

Can Business Students Forecast Their Own Grade?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossain, Belayet; Tsigaris, Panagiotis

2013-01-01

This study examines grade expectations of two groups of business students for their final course mark. We separate students that are on average "better" forecasters on the basis of them not making significant forecast errors during the semester from those students that are poor forecasters of their final grade. We find that the better…

77 FR 59377 - Solid Agricultural Grade Ammonium Nitrate from Ukraine: Final Results of the Expedited Second...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... Ammonium Nitrate from Ukraine: Final Results of the Expedited Second Sunset Review of the Antidumping Duty... duty order on solid agricultural grade ammonium nitrate from Ukraine. The Department has conducted an... on solid agricultural grade ammonium nitrate from Ukraine, pursuant to section 751(c) of the Tariff...

A Cross-Layer Duty Cycle MAC Protocol Supporting a Pipeline Feature for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Tong, Fei; Xie, Rong; Shu, Lei; Kim, Young-Chon

2011-01-01

Although the conventional duty cycle MAC protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) such as RMAC perform well in terms of saving energy and reducing end-to-end delivery latency, they were designed independently and require an extra routing protocol in the network layer to provide path information for the MAC layer. In this paper, we propose a new cross-layer duty cycle MAC protocol with data forwarding supporting a pipeline feature (P-MAC) for WSNs. P-MAC first divides the whole network into many grades around the sink. Each node identifies its grade according to its logical hop distance to the sink and simultaneously establishes a sleep/wakeup schedule using the grade information. Those nodes in the same grade keep the same schedule, which is staggered with the schedule of the nodes in the adjacent grade. Then a variation of the RTS/CTS handshake mechanism is used to forward data continuously in a pipeline fashion from the higher grade to the lower grade nodes and finally to the sink. No extra routing overhead is needed, thus increasing the network scalability while maintaining the superiority of duty-cycling. The simulation results in OPNET show that P-MAC has better performance than S-MAC and RMAC in terms of packet delivery latency and energy efficiency. PMID:22163895

Relationship between Widening and Position of the Tunnels and Clinical Results of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction to Knee Osteoarthritis: 30 Patients at a Minimum Follow-Up of 10 Years.

PubMed

Ayala-Mejias, Juan Diego; Garcia-Gonzalez, Benjamin; Alcocer-Perez-España, Luis; Villafañe, Jorge Hugo; Berjano, Pedro

2017-07-01

To evaluate the relationship between tunnel position and widening and long-term clinical results in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, a retrospective cohort of 30 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with double semitendinous plus double gracilis (SAC technique) with longer than 10-year follow-up was selected. CT scans in the first 3 months and at final follow-up was evaluated. Position, angle, and widening of tunnels including Nebelung criteria were recorded in all CT scans. Physical, KT-1000, and clinical evaluation were performed at final follow-up. Outcomes and knee arthritis severity were evaluated at final follow-up. Mean follow-up was 11.2 ± 1.2. At final follow-up, 85 and 57% of tibial and femoral tunnels, respectively, developed some degree of enlargement. Frontal tibial angle (mean) was 72°, sagittal tibial angle 63°, frontal femoral angle 47°, sagittal femoral angle 20°, and tunnels divergence angle 36°. Preoperatively, KT-1000 30L and Lachman test scores were 5.52 and 5.79 respectively. In the last follow-up, 30L and manual Lachman test scores were 0.97 and 1.13, respectively ( p  < 0.001). In IKDC scale, pivot shift and Jerk tests showed 83 and 84% grade A results, respectively ( p  < 0.0001). In Fairbank scale, 23% worsened one grade and 27% worsened more than one grade ( p  < 0.005). Tibial tunnels widened more than femoral tunnels and further dilatation was found between intermediate and final follow-up. Higher incidence of tibial tunnel widening was observed in patients with tunnel verticalization. Tibial tunnel dilation was associated with long-term degenerative changes but not with final knee instability. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Long-term occlusal changes assessed by the American Board of Orthodontics' model grading system.

PubMed

Aszkler, Robert M; Preston, Charles B; Saltaji, Humam; Tabbaa, Sawsan

2014-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term posttreatment changes in all criteria of the American Board of Orthodontics' (ABO) model grading system. We used plaster models from patients' final and posttreatment records. Thirty patients treated by 1 orthodontist using 1 bracket prescription were selected. An initial discrepancy index for each subject was performed to determine the complexity of each case. The final models were then graded using the ABO's model grading system immediately at posttreatment and postretention. Statistical analysis was performed on the 8 criteria of the model grading system, including paired t tests and Pearson correlations. An alpha of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The average length of time between the posttreatment and postretention records was 12.7 ± 4.4 years. It was shown that alignment and rotations worsened by postretention (P = 0.014), and a weak statistically significant correlation at posttreatment and postretention was found (0.44; P = 0.016). Both marginal ridges and occlusal contacts scored less well at posttreatment. These criteria showed a significant decrease in scores between posttreatment and postretention (P <0.001), but the correlations were not statistically significant. The average total score showed a significant decrease between posttreatment and postretention (P <0.001), partly because of the large decrease in the previous 2 criteria. Higher scores for occlusal contacts and marginal ridges were found at the end of treatment; however, those scores and the overall scores for the 30 subjects improved in the postretention phase. Copyright © 2014. Published by Mosby, Inc.

Student use and pedagogical impact of a mobile learning application.

PubMed

Teri, Saskia; Acai, Anita; Griffith, Douglas; Mahmoud, Qusay; Ma, David W L; Newton, Genevieve

2014-01-01

Mobile learning (m-learning) is a relevant innovation in teaching and learning in higher education. A mobile app called NutriBiochem was developed for use in biochemistry and nutrition education for students in a second year Biochemistry and Metabolism course. NutriBiochem was accessed through smartphones, tablets, or computers. Students were surveyed upon completion of the final exam (n = 88). Survey questions assessed frequency of use, motivations for use, and perceptions of app usefulness. The pedagogical impact of NutriBiochem was evaluated by measuring the relationship between frequency of use and final course grade. Just over half of the students used the app, and ∼80% of users accessed the app moderately or infrequently. Smartphones were the most common device and the preferred device on which to access the app. There were no statistical differences in mean final grade between users and nonusers. Students with higher comfort levels with technology accessed the app more broadly than those with lower level of comfort with technology. Over 75% of students agreed that NutriBiochem was a useful learning tool, but fewer (∼45%) felt it helped them perform better in the course. The findings of this study are important, as they suggest that NutriBiochem is an effective study tool for students who are comfortable with technology, and access it regularly. Overall, the use of mobile applications in science education has been shown to be: 1) effective in enhancing students' learning experience; 2) relevant and important as an emergent method of learning given modern pressures facing higher education; and, 3) met with positive student attitudes and perceptions in terms of adopting and using such technology for educational purposes. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Characterization of Anisotropic Behavior for High Grade Pipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kun; Huo, Chunyong; Ji, Lingkang; Li, Yang; Zhang, Jiming; Ma, Qiurong

With the developing requirement of nature gas, the property needs of steel for pipe line are higher and higher, especially in strength and toughness. It is necessary to improve the steel grade in order to ensure economic demand and safety. However, with the rise of steel grade, the differences on properties in different orientations (anisotropic behaviors) become more and more obvious after the process of hot rolling, which may affect the prediction of fracture for the pipes seriously (Thinking of isotropic mechanical properties for material in traditional predict way). In order to get the reason for anisotropic mechanics, a series of tests are carried out for high grade steel pipes, including not only mechanical properties but also microstructures. Result indicates that there are obviously anisotropic behaviors for high grade steel pipes in two orientations (rolling orientation and transverse orientation). Strength is better in T orientation because Rm is higher and Rt 0.5 rises more in T orientation, and toughness is better in L orientation because of the higher Akv and SA in L orientation under a same temperature. Banded structures are formed in T orientation, and the spatial distribution of inclusion and precipitated phases are different in T, L and S orientation. The anisotropic arrangement for the matrix in space (banded structures), which is formed after the process of hot rolling, may affect the mechanical properties in different orientation. Moreover, the elasticity modulus of particles is different from the elasticity modulus of matrix, deformation between particles and matrix may cause stress concentration, and damage forms in this place. Because of the different distribution of particles in space, the level of damage is anisotropic in different orientations, and the anisotropic mechanical properties occur finally. Therefore, the anisotropic mechanical properties are determined by the anisotropic microstructures, both the anisotropic of matrix and the anisotropic of particles are included.

Strengthening STEM performance and persistence: Influence of undergraduate teaching assistants on entry-level STEM students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipp, Stephanie B.

Increasing retention of students in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) programs of study is a priority for many colleges and universities. This study examines an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) program implemented in a general chemistry course for STEM majors to provide peer learning assistance to entrylevel students. This study measured the content knowledge growth of UTAs compared to traditional graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) over the semester, and described the development of peer learning assistance skills of the UTAs as an outcome of semesterlong training and support from both science education and STEM faculty. Impact of the UTA program on final exam grades, persistence of students to enroll in the next chemistry course required by their intended major, and STEM identity of students were estimated. The study sample comprised 284 students in 14 general chemistry recitation sections led by six UTAs and 310 students in 15 general chemistry recitation sections led by three traditional GTAs for comparison. Results suggested that both UTAs and GTAs made significant learning gains in general chemistry content knowledge, and there was no significant difference in content knowledge between UTA and GTA groups. Student evaluations, researcher observations, and chemistry faculty comments confirm UTAs were using the learning strategies discussed in the semester-long training program. UTA-led students rated their TAs significantly higher in teaching quality and student care and encouragement, which correlated with stronger STEM recognition by those students. The results of hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis showed little variance in final exam grades explained by section-level variables; most variance was explained by student-level variables: mathematics ACT score, college GPA, and intention to enroll in the next general chemistry course. Students having higher college GPAs were helped more by having a UTA. Results from logistic regression of persistence outcome variable showed that students are three times more likely to persist to CHEM 202 if they had a UTA in CHEM 201. Other positive predictors of retention included having strong college grades, and having strong ACT math scores. Coupled with HLM analysis result that UTAs were more effective at helping students with higher college GPAs achieve higher grades, the stronger persistence of UTA-led students showed that the UTA program is an effective program for retention of introductory-level students in STEM majors.

Feedback on students' clinical reasoning skills during fieldwork education

PubMed Central

de Beer, Marianne; Mårtensson, Lena

2015-01-01

Background/aim Feedback on clinical reasoning skills during fieldwork education is regarded as vital in occupational therapy students' professional development. The nature of supervisors' feedback however, could be confirmative and/or corrective and corrective feedback could be with or without suggestions on how to improve. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of supervisors' feedback on final-year occupational therapy students' clinical reasoning skills through comparing the nature of feedback with the students' subsequent clinical reasoning ability. Method A mixed-method approach with a convergent parallel design was used combining the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. From focus groups and interviews with students, data were collected and analysed qualitatively to determine how the students experienced the feedback they received from their supervisors. By quantitatively comparing the final practical exam grades with the nature of the feedback, their fieldwork End-of-Term grades and average academic performance it became possible to merge the results for comparison and interpretation. Results Students' clinical reasoning skills seem to be improved through corrective feedback if accompanied by suggestions on how to improve, irrespective of their average academic performance. Supervisors were inclined to underrate high performing students and overrate lower performing students. Conclusions Students who obtained higher grades in the final practical examinations received more corrective feedback with suggestions on how to improve from their supervisors. Confirmative feedback alone may not be sufficient for improving the clinical reasoning skills of students. PMID:26256854

Flippin' Fluid Mechanics - Using Online Technology to Enhance the In-Class Learning Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webster, D. R.; Majerich, D. M.

2013-11-01

This study provides an empirical analysis of using online technologies and team problem solving sessions to shift an undergraduate fluid mechanics course from a traditional lecture format to a collaborative learning environment. Students were from two consecutive semesters of the same course taught by the same professor. One group used online technologies and solved problems in class and the other did not. Out of class, the treatment group watched 72 short (11 minutes, average) video lectures covering course topics and example problems being solved. Three times a week students worked in teams of two to solve problems on desktop whiteboard tablets while the instructor and graduate assistants provided ``just-in-time'' tutoring. The number of team problems assigned during the semester exceeded 100. Weekly online homework was assigned to reinforce topics. The WileyPlus online system generated unique problem parameters for each student. The control group received three-50 minute weekly lectures. Data include three midterms and a final exam. Regression results indicate that controlling for all of the entered variables, for every one more problem solving session the student attended, the final grade was raised by 0.327 points. Thus, if a student participated in all 25 of the team problem solving sessions, the final grade would have been 8.2 points higher, a difference of nearly a grade. Using online technologies and teamwork appeared to result in improved achievement, but more research is needed to support these findings.

Penetrating School Strata through Career Education. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Richard D.

This is a final report of a 3-year project to modify the curriculum in the Bristol, Connecticut, school system by infusing career education concepts and practices into all subjects at all grade levels. The report includes a description of the four components of the project: Grades K-8, grades 9-12, development of job placement services, and…

Finite Element Modelling Full Vehicle Side Impact with Ultrahigh Strength Hot Stamped Steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, T.; Fourlaris, G.; Cafolla, J.

2016-10-01

"Hot stamped boron steel" 22MnB5 has been imperative in meeting the automotive industry's demand for materials exhibiting higher tensile strength in the final component. In this paper, the crash performance of three experimental grades developed for automotive hot stamping technologies, exhibiting wider tensile property ranges than 22MnB5, was validated by finite element modelling full vehicle side impact with the experimental material data applied to the B-pillar reinforcement. The superior anti-intrusive crash performance of grade 38MnB5 was demonstrated, with 11 mm less intrusion of the B-pillar reinforcement compared to 22MnB5. Moreover, the superior "impact-energy absorptive" crash performance of grade 15MnCr5 was demonstrated, with 0.15 kJ greater impact-energy absorption by the B-pillar reinforcement compared to 22MnB5.

A Proposal For The Development of Materials Of Instruction For A General Mathematics Curriculum In Grade Nine. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogler, Paul V.

The purpose of this project was the development of a program that would provide for teaching important ideas of general mathematics in a spiral development, that is, a great variety of topics should be included at each level, with each higher level including more advanced stages of the development of each topic. Topics to be considered are…

Hardiness commitment, gender, and age differentiate university academic performance.

PubMed

Sheard, Michael

2009-03-01

The increasing diversity of students, particularly in age, attending university has seen a concomitant interest in factors predicting academic success. This 2-year correlational study examined whether age, gender (demographic variables), and hardiness (cognitive/emotional variable) differentiate and predict university final degree grade point average (GPA) and final-year dissertation mark. Data are reported from a total of 134 university undergraduate students. Participants provided baseline data in questionnaires administered during the first week of their second year of undergraduate study and gave consent for their academic progress to be tracked. Final degree GPA and dissertation mark were the academic performance criteria. Mature-age students achieved higher final degree GPA compared to young undergraduates. Female students significantly outperformed their male counterparts in each measured academic assessment criteria. Female students also reported a significantly higher mean score on hardiness commitment compared to male students. commitment was the most significant positive correlate of academic achievement. Final degree GPA and dissertation mark were significantly predicted by commitment, and commitment and gender, respectively. The findings have implications for universities targeting academic support services to maximize student scholastic potential. Future research should incorporate hardiness, gender, and age with other variables known to predict academic success.

Effects of Repeated Intraperitoneal Injection of Pharmaceutical-grade and Nonpharmaceutical-grade Corn Oil in Female C57BL/6J Mice

PubMed Central

Hubbard, Jennifer S; Chen, Patty H; Boyd, Kelli L

2017-01-01

Due to potential adverse effects on animal wellbeing, the use of nonpharmaceutical-grade substances in animal research must be scientifically justified in cases where a pharmaceutical-grade version of the substance exists. This requirement applies to all substances, including vehicles used to solubilize experimental drugs. To date, no studies have evaluated the direct effect of the pharmaceutical classification of a compound on animal wellbeing. In this study, we evaluated intraperitoneal administration of pharmaceutical-grade corn oil, nonpharmaceutical-grade corn oil, and saline in female C57BL/6J mice. Compounds were administered every 48 h for a total of 4 injections. Mice were evaluated clinically by using body weight, body condition score, visual assessment score, CBC, and serum chemistries. Animals were euthanized at 24 h and 14 d after the final injection. Inflammation of the peritoneal wall and mesenteric fat was assessed microscopically by using a semiquantitative scoring system. Saline-dosed groups had lower pathology scores at both time points. At day 21, pharmaceutical-grade corn oil had a significantly higher pathology score compared with nonpharmaceutical-grade corn oil. No other significant differences between the corn oil groups were observed. The use of nonpharmaceutical grade corn oil did not result in adverse clinical consequences and is presumed safe to use for intraperitoneal injection in mice. Differences in inflammation between the 2 groups suggest that the use of either pharmaceutical-grade or nonpharmaceutical-grade corn oil should be consistent within a study. PMID:29256373

Effects of Guided Inquiry versus Lecture Instruction on Final Grade Distribution in a One-Semester Organic and Biochemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Colleen J.

2014-01-01

A comprehensive guided-inquiry approach was used in a combined organic and biochemistry course for prenursing and predietetics students rather than lecture. To assess its effectiveness, exam grades and final course grades of students in three instructional techniques were compared. The three groups were the following: (i) lecture only, (ii)…

A Comparison of Final Grades Awarded in Campus-Based Courses and Courses Offered through Distance Education for Winter Term 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Thomas W.

This study examined differences in final course grades for campus-based and distance education students at Nova Southeastern University (Florida). Data on over 26,000 course grades for winter term 1997 were obtained from university records. It was found that students enrolled in courses offered through distance education received a significantly…

Facilitating Learning in Large Lecture Classes: Testing the “Teaching Team” Approach to Peer Learning

PubMed Central

Lang, Sarah; Maas, Martha

2010-01-01

We tested the effect of voluntary peer-facilitated study groups on student learning in large introductory biology lecture classes. The peer facilitators (preceptors) were trained as part of a Teaching Team (faculty, graduate assistants, and preceptors) by faculty and Learning Center staff. Each preceptor offered one weekly study group to all students in the class. All individual study groups were similar in that they applied active-learning strategies to the class material, but they differed in the actual topics or questions discussed, which were chosen by the individual study groups. Study group participation was correlated with reduced failing grades and course dropout rates in both semesters, and participants scored better on the final exam and earned higher course grades than nonparticipants. In the spring semester the higher scores were clearly due to a significant study group effect beyond ability (grade point average). In contrast, the fall study groups had a small but nonsignificant effect after accounting for student ability. We discuss the differences between the two semesters and offer suggestions on how to implement teaching teams to optimize learning outcomes, including student feedback on study groups. PMID:21123696

The Gateway Science Workshop Program: Enhancing Student Performance and Retention in the Sciences Through Peer-Facilitated Discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drane, Denise; Smith, H. David; Light, Greg; Pinto, Larry; Swarat, Su

2005-09-01

Minority student attrition and underachievement is a long-standing and widespread concern in higher education. It is especially acute in introductory science courses which are prerequisites for students planning to pursue science-related careers. Poor performance in these courses often results in attrition of minorities from the science fields. This is a particular concern at selective universities where minority students enter with excellent academic credentials but receive lower average grades and have lower retention rates than majority students with similar credentials. This paper reports the first year results of a large scale peer-facilitated workshop program designed to increase performance and retention in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics at a selective research university. After adjusting for grade point average or SAT-Math score, workshop participants earned higher final grades than nonparticipants in Biology and Chemistry, but not in Physics. Similar effects on retention were found. While, positive effects of the program were observed in both majority and minority students, effect sizes were generally largest for minority students. Because of practical constraints in Physics, implementation of the program was not optimal, possibly accounting for the differential success of the program across disciplines.

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.

No differences in grades or level of satisfaction in a flipped classroom for neuroanatomy

PubMed Central

Whillier, Stephney; Lystad, Reidar Petter

2015-01-01

Objective The intensive nature of a 5- or 6-week teaching block poses unique problems for adequate delivery of content. This study was designed to compare the delivery of a unit of undergraduate neuroanatomy in a short summer school period, as a traditionally taught unit, with a rendition given in the form of the “Flipped Classroom.” The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom in the intensive mode classroom. Methods The flipped classroom encompassed the same learning outcomes, but students were responsible for covering the content at home in preparation for tutorials that applied their acquired knowledge to higher levels of thinking. The main outcome measures were the final course grades and the level of satisfaction with the course. Results There were no significant differences between the 2 cohorts in final grades (p = .259), self-rated knowledge (p = .182), or overall satisfaction with the course (p = .892). Conclusion This particular design of the flipped classroom did not add value to the intensive mode experience. It may be that this mode of delivery is ill suited to intensive classes for subjects that carry a lot of content. The use of the flipped classroom requires further research to fully evaluate its value. PMID:25902472

7 CFR 70.55 - Check grading officially identified product.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY GRADING OF POULTRY PRODUCTS AND RABBIT PRODUCTS Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit... identified poultry or rabbit products may be subject to final check grading prior to their shipment. Such...

7 CFR 70.55 - Check grading officially identified product.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... (CONTINUED) VOLUNTARY GRADING OF POULTRY PRODUCTS AND RABBIT PRODUCTS Grading of Poultry Products and Rabbit... identified poultry or rabbit products may be subject to final check grading prior to their shipment. Such...

Formal faculty observation and assessment of bedside skills for 3rd-year neurology clerks

PubMed Central

Mooney, Christopher; Wexler, Erika; Mink, Jonathan; Post, Jennifer; Jozefowicz, Ralph F.

2016-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and utility of instituting a formalized bedside skills evaluation (BSE) for 3rd-year medical students on the neurology clerkship. Methods: A neurologic BSE was developed for 3rd-year neurology clerks at the University of Rochester for the 2012–2014 academic years. Faculty directly observed 189 students completing a full history and neurologic examination on real inpatients. Mock grades were calculated utilizing the BSE in the final grade, and number of students with a grade difference was determined when compared to true grade. Correlation was explored between the BSE and clinical scores, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores, case complexity, and true final grades. A survey was administered to students to assess their clinical skills exposure and the usefulness of the BSE. Results: Faculty completed and submitted a BSE form for 88.3% of students. There was a mock final grade change for 13.2% of students. Correlation coefficients between BSE score and clinical score/NBME score were 0.36 and 0.35, respectively. A statistically significant effect of BSE was found on final clerkship grade (F2,186 = 31.9, p < 0.0001). There was no statistical difference between BSE score and differing case complexities. Conclusions: Incorporating a formal faculty-observed BSE into the 3rd year neurology clerkship was feasible. Low correlation between BSE score and other evaluations indicated a unique measurement to contribute to student grade. Using real patients with differing case complexity did not alter the grade. PMID:27770072

Formal faculty observation and assessment of bedside skills for 3rd-year neurology clerks.

PubMed

Thompson Stone, Robert; Mooney, Christopher; Wexler, Erika; Mink, Jonathan; Post, Jennifer; Jozefowicz, Ralph F

2016-11-22

To evaluate the feasibility and utility of instituting a formalized bedside skills evaluation (BSE) for 3rd-year medical students on the neurology clerkship. A neurologic BSE was developed for 3rd - year neurology clerks at the University of Rochester for the 2012-2014 academic years. Faculty directly observed 189 students completing a full history and neurologic examination on real inpatients. Mock grades were calculated utilizing the BSE in the final grade, and number of students with a grade difference was determined when compared to true grade. Correlation was explored between the BSE and clinical scores, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) scores, case complexity, and true final grades. A survey was administered to students to assess their clinical skills exposure and the usefulness of the BSE. Faculty completed and submitted a BSE form for 88.3% of students. There was a mock final grade change for 13.2% of students. Correlation coefficients between BSE score and clinical score/NBME score were 0.36 and 0.35, respectively. A statistically significant effect of BSE was found on final clerkship grade (F 2,186 = 31.9, p < 0.0001). There was no statistical difference between BSE score and differing case complexities. Incorporating a formal faculty-observed BSE into the 3rd year neurology clerkship was feasible. Low correlation between BSE score and other evaluations indicated a unique measurement to contribute to student grade. Using real patients with differing case complexity did not alter the grade. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

A Comparison of Final Grades in Courses When Faculty Concurrently Taught the Same Course to Campus-Based and Distance Education Students: Winter Term 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Thomas W.

This study examined differences in final course grades for campus-based and distance education students at Nova Southeastern University (Florida). Data on over 26,000 course grades for winter term 1997 were obtained from university records. It was found that students enrolled in courses offered through distance education received a significantly…

Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents.

PubMed

Duckworth, Angela L; Seligman, Martin E P

2005-12-01

In a longitudinal study of 140 eighth-grade students, self-discipline measured by self-report, parent report, teacher report, and monetary choice questionnaires in the fall predicted final grades, school attendance, standardized achievement-test scores, and selection into a competitive high school program the following spring. In a replication with 164 eighth graders, a behavioral delay-of-gratification task, a questionnaire on study habits, and a group-administered IQ test were added. Self-discipline measured in the fall accounted for more than twice as much variance as IQ in final grades, high school selection, school attendance, hours spent doing homework, hours spent watching television (inversely), and the time of day students began their homework. The effect of self-discipline on final grades held even when controlling for first-marking-period grades, achievement-test scores, and measured IQ. These findings suggest a major reason for students falling short of their intellectual potential: their failure to exercise self-discipline.

Improving the machinability of leaded free cutting steel through process optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sathyamurthy, P.; Vetrivelmurugan, R.; Sooryaprakash, J.

2018-02-01

Free cutting steel grades are high sulphur grades which can be classified under two categories as Leaded and Non-Leaded. These grades are used for manufacturing components like Nuts, bolts, studs, hydraulic fittings, brake pistons where higher machining is required to get intricate shape. Machinability of these grades are affected by hard oxide inclusions and highly deformed manganese sulphide inclusions. At JSW, machinability of leaded free cutting steel is improved by various process modifications namely deoxidation through carbon and manganese, Tellurium (Rare earth element) addition and maintaining the oxygen level at 80- 120ppm. Former one avoids the formation of hard SiO2 and Al2O3 compounds, Tellurium addition forms PbTe compound at the tail of MnS inclusions which resists the deformation of MnS inclusions and increased oxygen level favours the formation of less deformable oxy- sulphide inclusions. Above process modifications have resulted in achieving the low silicate content, better aspect ratio of MnS inclusions in the final rolled product. They are assessed by the characteristics of chip formation and surface roughness of machined part.

Implementation of the peer-led team-learning instructional model as a stopgap measure improves student achievement for students opting out of laboratory.

PubMed

Snyder, Julia J; Carter, B Elijah; Wiles, Jason R

2015-03-02

In entry-level university courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, students participating in associated laboratory sessions generally do better than those who have no related lab classes. This is a problem when, for various reasons, not enough lab sections can be offered for students and/or when students opt out of optional available lab courses. Faced with such a situation, this study evaluated the efficacy of the peer-led team-learning (PLTL) instructional model as a potential method for narrowing the achievement gap among undergraduate students electing not to enroll in an optional laboratory component of an introductory biology course. In peer-led workshops, small groups of students participated in solving problems and other activities that encouraged active learning. Students led by peer leaders attained significantly higher exam and final course grades in introductory biology than comparable students not participating in PLTL. Among the introductory biology students who opted not to enroll in the optional lab course, those who participated in PLTL averaged more than a letter grade higher than those who did not. This difference was statistically significant, and the PLTL workshops almost entirely closed the achievement gap in lecture exam and final grades for students who did not take the lab. © 2015 J. J. Snyder 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).

Defining the optimal method for reporting prostate cancer grade and tumor extent on magnetic resonance/ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsies.

PubMed

Gordetsky, Jennifer B; Schultz, Luciana; Porter, Kristin K; Nix, Jeffrey W; Thomas, John V; Del Carmen Rodriguez Pena, Maria; Rais-Bahrami, Soroush

2018-06-01

Magnetic resonance (MR)/ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsy (TB) routinely samples multiple cores from each MR lesion of interest. Pathologists can evaluate the extent of cancer involvement and grade using an individual core (IC) or aggregate (AG) method, which could potentially lead to differences in reporting. We reviewed patients who underwent TB followed by radical prostatectomy (RP). TB cores were evaluated for grade and tumor extent by 2 methods. In the IC method, the grade for each TB lesion was based on the core with the highest Gleason score. Tumor extent for each TB was based on the core with the highest percent of tumor involvement. In the AG method, the tumor from all cores within each TB lesion was aggregated to determine the final composite grade and percentage of tumor involvement. Each method was compared with MR lesional volume, MR lesional density (lesion volume/prostate volume), and RP. Fifty-five patients underwent TB followed by RP. Extent of tumor by the AG method showed a better correlation with target lesion volume (r= 0.27,P= .022) and lesional density (r = 0.32, P = .008) than did the IC method (r= 0.19 [P = .103] andr= 0.22 [P = .062]), respectively. Extent of tumor on TB was associated with extraprostatic extension on RP by the AG method (P= .04), but not by the IC method. This association was significantly higher in patients with a grade group (GG) of 3 or higher (P= .03). A change in cancer grade occurred in 3 patients when comparing methods (2 downgraded GG3 to GG2, 1 downgraded GG4 to GG3 by the AG method). For multiple cores obtained via TB, the AG method better correlates with target lesion volume, lesional density, and extraprostatic extension. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Radiotherapy boost dose-escalation for invasive breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery: 2093 patients treated with a prospective margin-directed policy.

PubMed

Livi, Lorenzo; Meattini, Icro; Franceschini, Davide; Saieva, Calogero; Meacci, Fiammetta; Marrazzo, Livia; Gerlain, Elena; Desideri, Isacco; Scotti, Vieri; Nori, Jacopo; Sanchez, Luis Jose; Orzalesi, Lorenzo; Bonomo, Pierluigi; Greto, Daniela; Bianchi, Simonetta; Biti, Giampaolo

2013-08-01

To investigate the outcome of invasive early breast cancer patients that underwent breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (RT), treated with a prospective margin-directed institutional policy for RT boost dose, based on final margins status (FMS). A total of 2093 patients were treated between 2000 and 2008. 10 Gy boost was prescribed in case of FMS>5mm; 16 Gy boost with FMS between 2 and 5mm; 20 Gy boost in case of FMS<2mm or positive. After a median follow up of 5.2 years, we recorded 41 local relapse (LR, 2%). Concerning LR free survival, age at diagnosis, nuclear grade, hormonal status, T-stage, adjuvant hormonal therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy emerged as significant parameters (p-values from log rank test <0.05). FMS, that directed the RT boost dose, did not have significant impact on LRFS (p=0.46). LR rates were 2.3% for FMS<2mm, 2.6% for 2-5mm FMS and 1.8% for FMS>5mm. At multivariate analysis, higher nuclear grade (p=0.045), triple negative subtype (p=0.036) and higher T-stage (p=0.02) resulted as the independent predictors of LR occurrence. Our experience showed that a margin-directed policy of RT boost dose-escalation seems to reduce the negative impact of FMS on LR, but it is not able to overcome the unfavorable effect of higher nuclear grade, higher T stage and triple negative subtype. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinicopathological relevance of tumour grading in canine osteosarcoma.

PubMed

Loukopoulos, P; Robinson, W F

2007-01-01

Tumour grading assesses biological aggressiveness and is of prognostic significance in many malignancies. The clinicopathological features of 140 primary canine osteosarcomas and their metastases were analysed, and the interrelations between them and an established grading system and its constituent parameters (mitotic index, necrosis, pleomorphism) were examined. Of these tumours, 35% were grade III (high-grade), 37% grade II and 28% grade I. Primary tumours that had metastasized were of significantly higher grade than non-metastatic osteosarcomas. Osteosarcomas belonging to the osteoblastic minimally productive subtype, but not chondroblastic or telangiectatic subtypes, differed from fibroblastic osteosarcomas in being associated with a significantly higher number of high-grade cases. Dogs younger than 4 years of age had osteosarcomas with higher grade, score and mitotic index than did older animals. Appendicular differed from axial tumours in having a higher mitotic index; distal differed from proximal tumours in being of higher grade; cranial tumours differed from tumours in most other sites in being of lower grade and lower mitotic index. Rib osteosarcomas showed a particularly high degree of necrosis. The mitotic index varied widely between tumour locations. Pleomorphism did not have prognostic merit when examined separately, as most osteosarcomas were highly pleomorphic.

Her physics, his physics: gender issues in Israeli advanced placement physics classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zohar, Anat

2003-02-01

Gender gaps in physics in favour of boys are more prominent in Israel than in other countries. The main research question is to find out what gender issues are at play in Israeli advanced placement physics classes. Matriculation exam scores from approximately 400 high schools were analysed across 12 years. In addition, semi-constructed interviews were conducted with 50 advanced placement physics students (25 girls and 25 boys). In terms of participation, it was found that the ratio of girls to boys has been unchanged from 1988 to 2000 and is roughly 1:3. In terms of performance, it was found that the final matriculation scores of boys and girls are similar. However, breaking up the final scores into its two components - teachers' given grades and matriculation test scores - showed that boy's test scores are usually higher than girls' test scores, while girls' teachers' given grades are usually higher than boys'. Results from semi-constructed interviews pointed to two factors that are especially unfavourable to many girls: excessive competitiveness and lack of teaching for understanding. Girls' yearning for deep understanding is seen as a form of questing for connected knowledge. It is suggested that instructional methods that foster students' understanding while decreasing competitiveness in physics classes might contribute to girls' participation and performance in advanced physics classes while also supporting the learning of many boys.

The effect of attending tutoring on course grades in Calculus I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rickard, Brian; Mills, Melissa

2018-04-01

Tutoring centres are common in universities in the United States, but there are few published studies that statistically examine the effects of tutoring on student success. This study utilizes multiple regression analysis to model the effect of tutoring attendance on final course grades in Calculus I. Our model predicted that every three visits to the tutoring centre is correlated with an increase of a students' course grade by one per cent, after controlling for prior academic ability. We also found that for lower-achieving students, attending tutoring had a greater impact on final grades.

Technology support in nursing education: clickers in the classroom.

PubMed

Berry, Janice

2009-01-01

Research has shown that the present generation of students has a preference for digital literacy, experiential learning, interactivity, and immediacy; therefore, greater use of technology is being brought into university courses to aid in student involvement. Student Response Systems, called clickers, were incorporated as a teaching methodology to enhance student interaction and learning in a didactic pediatric nursing course. This course was taught over Interactive Television (ITV) with students at a distant site as well as face to face, creating the challenge of whole-class engagement. Clickers were used to actively engage students at both sites simultaneously and give immediate feedback to students regarding understanding of lecture material. Clickers also allowed small-group problem solving of questions. Exam grades and level of participation in case studies were monitored and exam scores and final scores were compared to those of a previous class. Student t-tests demonstrated that one of three course exams and final course grades were significantly higher for the students who used clickers in the classroom. Satisfaction feedback also supported the use of clickers as a tool to engage students and enhance learning outcomes.

The Application of the Novel Grading Scale (Lawton-Young Grading System) to Predict the Outcome of Brain Arteriovenous Malformation.

PubMed

Hafez, Ahmad; Koroknay-Pál, Päivi; Oulasvirta, Elias; Elseoud, Ahmed Abou; Lawton, Michael T; Niemelä, Mika; Laakso, Aki

2018-05-04

A supplementary grading scale (Supplemented Spetzler-Martin grade, Supp-SM) was introduced in 2010 as a refinement of the SM system to improve preoperative risk prediction of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). To determine the ability to predict surgical outcomes using the Supp-SM grading scale. This retrospective study was conducted on 200 patients admitted to the Helsinki University Hospital between 2000 and 2014. The validity of the Supp-SM and SM grading systems was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves, with respect to the change between preoperative and early (3-4 mo) as well as final postoperative modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. The performance of the Supp-SM was superior to that of the SM grading scale in the early follow-up (3-4 mo): AUROC = 0.57 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-0.65) for SM and AUROC = 0.67 (95% CI: 0.60-0.75) for Supp-SM. The Supp-SM performance continued improving over SM at the late follow-up: AUROC = 0.63 (95% CI: 0.55-0.71) for SM and AUROC = 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62-0.77) for Supp-SM. The perforating artery supply, which is not part of either grading system, plays an important role in the early follow-up outcome (P = .008; odds ratio: 2.95; 95% CI: 1.32-6.55) and in the late follow-up outcome (P < .001; odds ratio: 5.89; 95% CI: 2.49-13.91). The Supp-SM grading system improves the outcome prediction accuracy and is a feasible alternative to the SMS, even for series with higher proportion of high-grade AVMs. However, perforators play important role on the outcome.

Proposal of a new classification of postoperative ileus based on its clinical impact-results of a global survey and preliminary evaluation in colorectal surgery.

PubMed

Venara, Aurélien; Slim, Karem; Regimbeau, Jean-Marc; Ortega-Deballon, Pablo; Vielle, Bruno; Lermite, Emilie; Meurette, Guillaume; Hamy, Antoine

2017-06-01

There is no consensual definition of postoperative ileus (POI), which leads to a lack of reproducibility. The aims of this study were (i) to propose and evaluate a classification of postoperative ileus based on its consequences and (ii) to assess the reproducibility of the classification. A national global survey was carried out according to the DELPHI method in order to create a classification of primary POI. The classification was subsequently tested on a cohort of patients who underwent colorectal surgery. Finally, a reproducibility test was performed in five teaching hospitals with junior and senior surgeons. A five-stage classification was proposed: grade A (least) to grade E (worst). For better differentiation, subcategories (D1/D2) were included. Overall, 173 patients were included who underwent colorectal surgery. Forty of them experienced primary postoperative ileus (23.1%). Grade A occurred in 10 cases, grade B in 10 cases, grade C in 14 cases, grade D1 in 2 cases, and grade D2 in 2 cases. POI-related death (grade E) occurred in 2 cases. Patients with grade A POI recovered their gastrointestinal function significantly faster than those with higher grades (p = 0.01), and were more likely to undergo laparoscopic surgery (p = 0.04). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was 0.83 in the overall population, and 0.83 and 0.82 respectively in the junior and senior surgeon populations. This classification is easy to both use and reproduce. It will improve the reproducibility, evaluation, and assessment of POI. These preliminary results should be confirmed in a multi-centric international study.

A field trip guidebook to the type localities of Marland Billings' 1935 Paleozoic bedrock stratigraphy near Littleton, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rankin, Douglas W.; Rankin, Mary B.

2014-01-01

Marland Billings' classic paper published in 1937 in the Geological Society of America Bulletin established a succession of six stratigraphic units in rocks of low metamorphic grade near Littleton, New Hampshire. The two youngest units are fossiliferous in the area, with ages established at the time as “middle” Silurian and Early Devonian. Billings and students mapped the same stratigraphic section in adjacent areas of progressively higher regional metamorphic grade. This work laid the foundation upon which a major part of subsequent work in New England has been directly or indirectly built. This guidebook was written for a field trip held in March 2013 to visit roadcuts that are as close as possible in March to the type localities or areas of Billings’ six-fold stratigraphic succession. Ten stops are in rocks of chlorite grade of Acadian(?) metamorphism; the final stop visits amphibolite of the Ammonoosuc Volcanics. Fieldwork by the authors over the past 20 years confirms Billings’ broad conclusions.

Critical Thinking Disposition and Skills in Dental Students: Development and Relationship to Academic Outcomes.

PubMed

Whitney, Eli M; Aleksejuniene, Jolanta; Walton, Joanne N

2016-08-01

Critical thinking is a key element of complex problem-solving and professional behavior. An ideal critical thinking measurement instrument would be able to accurately predict which dental students are predisposed to and capable of thinking critically and applying such thinking skills to clinical situations. The aims of this study were to describe critical thinking disposition and skills in dental students at the beginning and end of their first year, examine cohort and gender effects, and compare their critical thinking test scores to their first-year grades. Volunteers from three student cohorts at the University of British Columbia were tested using the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory and California Critical Thinking Skills instruments at the beginning and end of their first year. Based on the preliminary findings, one cohort was retested at graduation when their final-year grades and clinical advisor rankings were compared to their critical thinking test scores. The results showed that students who entered dental school with higher critical thinking scores tended to complete their first year with higher critical thinking scores, achieve higher grades, and show greater disposition to think critically at the start of the program. Students who demonstrated an ability to think critically and had a disposition to do so at the start of the program were also likely to demonstrate those same attributes at the completion of their training. High critical thinking scores were associated with success in both didactic and clinical settings in dental school.

Partial meniscectomy provides no benefit for symptomatic degenerative medial meniscus posterior root tears.

PubMed

Krych, Aaron J; Johnson, Nick R; Mohan, Rohith; Dahm, Diane L; Levy, Bruce A; Stuart, Michael J

2018-04-01

Medial meniscus posterior root tears (MMPRTs) are recognized as a source of pain and dysfunction, but treatment options remain a challenge. The purpose of the study was to determine (1) the efficacy of partial meniscectomy to treat MMPRTs compared to a matched group of non-operatively treated MMPRTs, and (2) risk factors for worse clinical and radiographic outcome. This retrospective comparative study was performed to include patients with complete, isolated MMPRTs with documented clinical symptoms and were treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (PMM) and a minimum 2-year follow-up. These patients were then matched by age, gender, and BMI to patients with the same diagnosis who were treated non-operatively. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were compared between the two groups. Analysis was performed to determine risk factors for worse clinical and radiographic outcome in the PMM group alone. Overall, 52 patients were included in the study. Twenty-six patients (9M:17F) with a mean age of 55 ± 9 and a mean BMI of 32.8 ± 5.3 were treated with PMM and followed for 5.5 ± 2.0 years (range 2.3-9.3 years). In the PMM group, final median Tegner score was 3, mean IKDC score was 67.8 ± 20, and more patients had grade II or higher arthritis at final follow-up than baseline (91.3 vs. 36%, p < 0.01). Overall, 14 of the 26 patients (54%) treated operatively progressed to total knee arthroplasty at a mean of 54.3 months. There was no significant difference in final Tegner scores, IKDC, K-L grades, progression to arthroplasty, or overall failure rate between the PMM group and non-operative group. Following PMM, female patients had lower final IKDC scores (44.0 ± 2.8 vs. 74.6 ± 16.7, p = 0.02) compared to males, as well as a higher rate of arthroplasty (70.6 vs. 20.0%, p = 0.009). Higher BMI correlated with lower IKDC scores (r = -0.91, p = 0.01) and meniscal extrusion was associated with higher rate of arthritis at final follow-up (p = 0.02). Partial meniscectomy for a complete MMPRT provides no benefit in halting arthritic progression. Patients who undergo PMM for MMPRTs still progress to significant arthritis, poor clinical outcomes and a high arthroplasty rate (54%) at over 5-year follow-up. Female gender, increased BMI, and meniscus extrusion were associated with worse outcome. Level III.

Peer Grading in Astronomy Massive Open Online Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formanek, Martin; Wenger, Matthew; Impey, Christopher; Buxner, Sanlyn

In this work we thoroughly investigate the peer grading process as it happened in the University of Arizona session based MOOC ``Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space'' offered during Spring 2015 through Coursera. Overall, 25400 learners from over 100 countries registered for this course. Of those, 14900 accessed at least one part of the course and 1332 users engaged in the peer grading. First of all we provide description of the peer graded assignments and we identify trends in behavior of people who participated in these exercises. E.g. time they spent on grading, number of assignments graded and patterns arising from comparing all three assignments. Furthermore, for the second assignment, we graded random sample of 300 essays by a group of trained undergraduate students and a group consisting of one of the course instructors together with graduate TAs and we compared results with grades from the peer grading. Specifically we look on Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for all three groups of graders to determine reliability of each group and correlations between final grades. Finally we assess factors influencing reliability of the peer graders participating in the MOOC based on the difference from our grades. This research was supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grant No. 415580.

Does the thought count? Gratitude understanding in elementary school students.

PubMed

Poelker, Katelyn E; Kuebli, Janet E

2014-01-01

Gratitude, although studied throughout history by scholars from diverse backgrounds, has been largely understudied in psychology until recently. The psychological literature on gratitude is expanding, but it is still particularly limited with children. The authors compared younger (first- and second-grade students; n = 30) and older (fourth- and fifth-grade students; n = 27) children on gratitude-related ratings surrounding gift giving vignettes that included either a desirable (e.g., a birthday cupcake) or an undesirable (e.g., a melted ice cream cone) gift. Empathy was also measured. Hierarchical regressions revealed different patterns of predictors for desirable and undesirable gifts. For desirable gifts, liking significantly predicted gratitude and liking predicted effort. For undesirable gifts, older children and those who perceived the target as liking the gift more predicted higher gratitude ratings. Finally, higher gratitude rating predicted both higher ratings of giver effort (i.e., intention or how hard did the giver try to give a nice gift) and liking of the undesirable gifts. More research on children's understanding of gratitude is needed but these results suggest that school-aged children take into account givers' intentions and thoughts behind gift giving in determining feelings of gratitude. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

Spelling and Morphology in Dyslexia: A Developmental Study Across the School Years.

PubMed

Schiff, Rachel; Levie, Ronit

2017-11-01

The current study examined the effect of morphological knowledge on spelling development in Hebrew-speaking schoolchildren, adolescents and adults with dyslexia, compared with typically developing (TD) peers. Participants were 238 Hebrew-speaking readers of five grade levels of whom 139 were TD and 99 had developmental dyslexia (DD). Participants were tested on a function letter spelling task, a phonological awareness task and a morphological awareness task. The overall picture that emerged from the results is that performance on all measures increased with grade level, with TD participants always scoring higher than peers with DD. Moreover, the higher the morphological complexity in spelling and irregularity in noun inflection, the higher the differences between the DD and TD participants. Finally, performance on the morphological awareness task contributed to spelling morphologically more complex spelling items in the TD, but not in the DD group. From clinical and educational perspectives, these results strongly suggest that rigorous morphological instruction is necessary in teaching children and adolescents with dyslexia to identify and use morphological cues in spoken and written Hebrew. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Decreasing Neuroscience Anxiety in an Introductory Neuroscience Course: An Analysis Using Data from a Modified Science Anxiety Scale

PubMed Central

Birkett, Melissa; Shelton, Kerisa

2011-01-01

To determine whether participation in a neuroscience course reduced neuroscience anxiety, a modified version of the Science Anxiety Scale was administered to students at the beginning and end of an introductory course. Neuroscience anxiety scores were significantly reduced at the end of the course and correlated with higher final grades. Reduced neuroscience anxiety did not correlate with reduced science anxiety, suggesting that neuroscience anxiety is a distinct subtype of anxiety. PMID:23626491

Academic procrastination and academic performance: An initial basis for intervention.

PubMed

Goroshit, Marina

2018-01-01

Academic procrastination is a prevalent phenomenon with a range of negative outcomes. Many studies focused on causes and correlates of academic procrastination; however, the study of interventions for academic procrastination is scarce. The present study is an initial effort to study the relationship between academic procrastination, online course participation, and achievement, as a basis for developing an intervention for academic procrastination. Findings indicated that studying procrastination was negatively associated with final exam grade as well as with the three online course participation measures. Final exam grade was positively associated with two of the online course participation measures, and they positively correlated with each other. In addition, results indicated that studying procrastination, in combination with online course participation measures, explained about 50% of variance in final exam's grade. Frequency of activities in course Web site had the strongest positive effect on final exam's grade. These findings strengthen the notion that studying procrastination is an impediment to students' academic performance and outcomes and clarifies the need to develop and study academic interventions for academic procrastination as a means to decrease its prevalence in academic settings.

Evaluation of deicer applications on open graded pavements : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-04-01

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) winter maintenance practices include plowing, sanding, and applying winter anti-icing/deicing liquids. These activities are performed on dense-graded as well as open-graded pavements. During the winters ...

Factors Influencing Students' Peer Evaluation in Cooperative Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Persons, Obeua S.

1998-01-01

In an accounting class in which 25% of grades were derived from group work, students completed peer evaluations. Regression analyses revealed that accounting majors and students with higher grade point averages received higher peer evaluations. Higher group homework and class participation grades were associated with higher peer evaluations. (SK)

Validity Issues Involved in Cross-Grade Statements about NAEP Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thissen, David

2012-01-01

The reading and mathematics measures of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) have been, and continue to be, reported on scales that appear to have the properties of "cross-grade" scales: Reported scores are higher for 8th-grade students than for 4th-grade students, and higher for 12th-grade students than for 8th-grade students.…

Educational achievements of children of parents with multiple sclerosis: A nationwide register-based cohort study.

PubMed

Moberg, J Y; Magyari, M; Koch-Henriksen, N; Thygesen, L C; Laursen, B; Soelberg Sørensen, P

2016-11-01

Little is known about the impact of parental multiple sclerosis (MS) on offspring's educational attainment. The objective of the study was to examine educational achievements in offspring of parents with MS compared with matched children of parents without MS in a nationwide register-based cohort study. Children of all Danish-born residents with onset between 1950 and 1986 were identified by linking the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry with the Civil Registration System. Twins, children with MS, and emigrated persons were excluded. The reference cohort consisted of randomly drawn individuals from the Civil Registration System without parental MS matched 8:1 to the MS offspring by sex and year of birth. Information about education was linked to the cohorts from nationwide educational registries. We included 4177 children of MS parents and 33,416 reference persons. Children of MS parents achieved statistically significant higher average grades than the reference cohort in their final exam of basic school with a mean grade difference of 0.46 (95 % CI 0.22-0.69; p = 0.0002). We found no difference in achievement of educational level above basic school (OR 1.04; 95 % CI 0.98-1.10; p = 0.20). There was a trend toward more MS offspring attaining health-related educations (OR 1.10; 95 % CI 1.00-1.21; p = 0.06). In conclusion, children of MS parents showed a small advantage in grade point average in final examinations in basic school, and they more often tended toward health-related educations. This study revealed no negative consequences of parental MS on grades and highest educational level achieved.

Enhancing Teacher Performance in Spanish Elementary Classes. Volume Two: Translated Units. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johansen, Barry-Craig P.; And Others

Spanish translations of 19 of the Minneapolis (Minnesota) Public Schools' elementary school science units are presented. The materials were translated for use in a partial immersion program. Unit topics include, among others: magnets, organisms (grade 1), seeds and plants (grade 1), butterflies (grade 2), electricity (grade 3), the food chain…

Special Topic: What's Worth Fighting against in Grading?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Douglas; Jung, Lee Ann; O'Connor, Ken

2017-01-01

Arguing that there is a "glaring" disconnect between recommended policy and actual practice in the area of grading, the authors outline four common grading practices that they say can impair instructional integrity and distort academic outcomes: 1) the use of the an average, or arithmetic mean, of performances to calculate a final grade;…

An assessment of the impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on student success in a community college science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mackey, Audrey Leroy

The impact of demographic, cognitive, and non-cognitive variables on academic success among community college science students was studied. Demographic variables included gender, employment status, and ethnicity. Cognitive variables included college grade point average, assessment status, course prerequisites, college course success ratios, final course grade, withdrawal patterns, and curriculum format. Non-cognitive variables included enrollment status, educational objectives, academic expectations, and career goals. The sample population included students enrolled in human anatomy courses (N = 191) at a large metropolitan community college located in central Texas. Variables that potentially influence attrition and achievement in college level science courses were examined. Final course grade and withdrawal phenomena were treated as dependent variables, while all other variables were treated as independent variables. No significant differences were found to exist between any of the demographic variables studied and the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. A difference was shown to be associated with the ethnicity variable and achievement levels. Educational objectives and career goals were shown to have an impact on the number of students who withdrew failing. The career goals variable and the academic expectations variable were shown to have an impact on achievement among daytime and evening students. College grade point average and course success ratios were shown to make a difference among students who withdrew passing. None of the other cognitive variables studied were shown to influence the numbers of students who withdrew passing or failing. College grade point average and course prerequisites, however, were shown to make a difference in achievement. The collaborative learning instructional format was found to have no impact on attrition or achievement, however, mean scores earned by students experiencing the collaborative learning format were higher than mean scores among other students. These results are extremely valuable when engaging in the process of developing advising strategies and instructional methodologies for community college science students.

Small-Group Learning in an Upper-Level University Biology Class Enhances Academic Performance and Student Attitudes Toward Group Work

PubMed Central

Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J.; Ramer, Matt S.

2010-01-01

To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students – even term high achievers –could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom. PMID:21209910

Small-group learning in an upper-level university biology class enhances academic performance and student attitudes toward group work.

PubMed

Gaudet, Andrew D; Ramer, Leanne M; Nakonechny, Joanne; Cragg, Jacquelyn J; Ramer, Matt S

2010-12-29

To improve science learning, science educators' teaching tools need to address two major criteria: teaching practice should mirror our current understanding of the learning process; and science teaching should reflect scientific practice. We designed a small-group learning (SGL) model for a fourth year university neurobiology course using these criteria and studied student achievement and attitude in five course sections encompassing the transition from individual work-based to SGL course design. All students completed daily quizzes/assignments involving analysis of scientific data and the development of scientific models. Students in individual work-based (Individualistic) sections usually worked independently on these assignments, whereas SGL students completed assignments in permanent groups of six. SGL students had significantly higher final exam grades than Individualistic students. The transition to the SGL model was marked by a notable increase in 10th percentile exam grade (Individualistic: 47.5%; Initial SGL: 60%; Refined SGL: 65%), suggesting SGL enhanced achievement among the least prepared students. We also studied student achievement on paired quizzes: quizzes were first completed individually and submitted, and then completed as a group and submitted. The group quiz grade was higher than the individual quiz grade of the highest achiever in each group over the term. All students--even term high achievers--could benefit from the SGL environment. Additionally, entrance and exit surveys demonstrated student attitudes toward SGL were more positive at the end of the Refined SGL course. We assert that SGL is uniquely-positioned to promote effective learning in the science classroom.

A Quantitative Correlational Study of the Interaction between Assignment Response Times and Online Students' Final Grades and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrites, Taralynn Wells

2017-01-01

This quantitative correlational study included an investigation of potential factors effecting high attrition rates in postsecondary online courses. Online learner-instructor interaction was examined by assessing instructor response times (RTs), student satisfaction, and final course grades at an online two-year postsecondary institution. A sample…

Scores on the 16 Personality Factor Test and Success in College Calculus 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaughnessy, Michael F.; And Others

This study explored personality variables measured by the 16 Personality Factor (16PF) test and their relevance to success, as defined by the final course grade, in college calculus courses with 94 students. Two personality variables were significant predictors of success as determined by the final course grade. A Statistical Analysis System…

Classrooms beyond School Walls for Grades K-12. Mamaroneck Career Education Project. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mamaroneck Union Free School District 1, NY.

This document contains two reports on the Classrooms beyond Walls Career Education Project conducted by the Mamaroneck Union Free School District and the Sound Consortium for grades K-12 in the 1975-76 school year. The final report summarizes the project's major objectives (increasing self-awareness and decision-making skills, training teachers in…

Influence of Gender and Other Factors to Final Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domeova, Ludmila; Jindrova, Andrea; Fejfar, Jiri

2015-01-01

The study focused on the relations between the partial evaluation and the final grade. The investigation has been done on a group of 269 students of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, in the course of Mathematical Methods, who have to go through a strictly defined evaluation scheme. The results of statistical analysis confirmed that…

Utah Pilot Writing Assessment for Grades 3 and 8. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Charles R.; Strong, William J.

This final report presents findings of a project designed to develop a model for state-wide assessment of student writing/language skills in conjunction with Utah's Core Curriculum in English/Language Arts (UCCLA). The project tested procedures for collecting baseline data on writing/language skills at grades 3 and 8. The report consists of the…

The Effects of Teacher Collective Responsibility on the Mathematics Achievement of Students Who Repeat Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales-Chicas, Jessica; Agger, Charlotte

2017-01-01

In this article, the authors use the national High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) dataset to explore (a) if repeating algebra in the eighth grade was associated with overall mathematics grades and course-taking patterns by twelfth grade, (b) if repeating algebra in the eighth grade was associated with students' final grade in algebra,…

Enhancing the educational achievement of at-risk youth.

PubMed

Schinke, S P; Cole, K C; Poulin, S R

2000-03-01

This study examined a non-school program aimed at enhancing the educational performance of economically disadvantaged early adolescents who live in public housing. The educational enhancement program included discussions with adults, writing activities, leisure reading, homework, helping others, and games using cognitive skills. A three-arm research design juxtaposed program youth who received educational enhancements with comparison youth in affiliated facilities who did not receive the program and with control youth in other community programs without educational enhancements. From youths, follow-up data collected 2 1/2 years after baseline revealed uniformly positive outcomes for program youth on measures of reading, verbal skills, writing, and tutoring. Teacher reports at final follow-up favored program and comparison youth over controls on measures of reading, writing, games, overall school performance, and interest in class material. School grades were higher for program youth than for comparison and control youth for reading, spelling, history, science, and social studies. Overall grade averages were higher for program youth versus comparisons and controls, as was school attendance. Study data lend empirical support to the provision of educational enhancements in non-school settings for at-risk youths.

Evaluation du programme d'etudes de francais langue seconde en immersion a la 6e annee. La comprehension orale et la production orale, 1990. Rapport Final. (Evaluation of French as a Second Language Study Program for Grade Six Immersion. Oral Comprehension and Speaking Skills, 1990. Final Report).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theberge, Raymond

An evaluation of Manitoba's French immersion programs at the levels of grades 3, 6, and 9 focused on program effectiveness in teaching listening comprehension and speech skills. The results for grade 6 are presented here. The first section describes the framework of the immersion curriculum and the listening and oral skills targeted in it. The…

Effectiveness of Preradiosurgical Embolization with NBCA for Arteriovenous Malformations - Retrospective Outcome Analysis in a Japanese Registry of 73 Patients (J-REAL study)

PubMed Central

Izumi, Takashi; Satow, Tetsu; Srivatanakul, Kittipong; Matsumoto, Yasushi; Terada, Tomoaki; Matsumaru, Yuji; Kiyosue, Hiro

2017-01-01

Purpose Recent reports have posed doubts about the effect of preradiosurgical embolization in brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) because it makes the planning of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) difficult and has the risk of recanalization out of the target. We investigated whether the performance and quality of embolization may influence the success of SRS based on a retrospective case cohort study. Materials and Methods Seventy-three patients who underwent embolization followed by SRS between 2003 and 2012 in eight institutes with neurointerventionists were considered. They were divided into the following two groups at 3 years of follow up after the final SRS: “successful occlusion group” (S group), with radiologically complete occlusion of AVM; and “non-successful occlusion group” (N group) with persistent remnant nidus or abnormal vascular networks. Patient background, AVM profile, embolization performance grade and complications were compared in each group. The quality of embolization was evaluated with the new grading system: embolization performance grade (E grade), specializing the achievement of nidus embolization. E grade A was defined as sufficient nidus embolization with more than half of the total number of feeders achieving nidus penetration. E grade B was defined as less than half achievement of nidus embolization, and E grade C was defines as failure to perform nidus embolization. Results Forty-three patients were included in the S group, and 29 patients were included in the N group. The size and Spetzler-Martin grade of AVM and the rate of diffuse type was higher in the N group without statistical significance. The embolization performance level according to E grade indicated a significantly higher rate of successful embolization with more than 50% of nidus penetration in the S group (P<0.001). This difference was also confirmed in the subanalysis for limited cases, excluding smaller AVMs with complete occlusion with SRS alone (P=0.001). Conclusion The cause of the unsuccessful result of post-embolization SRS might be the large, diffuse angioarchitecture, but proper embolization with a high rate of nidus penetration to avoid recanalization is more important. Effective embolization is essential to contribute to and promote the effect of radiosurgery. PMID:28955512

KiVa Anti-Bullying Program in Italy: Evidence of Effectiveness in a Randomized Control Trial.

PubMed

Nocentini, Annalaura; Menesini, Ersilia

2016-11-01

The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the KiVa anti-bullying program in Italy through a randomized control trial of students in grades 4 and 6. The sample involved 2042 students (51 % female; grade 4, mean age = 8.85; ds = 0.43; grade 6, mean age = 10.93; ds = 0.50); 13 comprehensive schools were randomly assigned into intervention (KiVa) or control (usual school provision) conditions. Different outcomes (bullying, victimization, pro-bullying attitudes, pro-victim attitudes, empathy toward victims), analyses (longitudinal mixed model with multiple-item scales; longitudinal prevalence of bullies and victims using Olweus' single question), and estimates of effectiveness (Cohen's d; odds ratios) were considered in order to compare the Italian results with those from other countries. Multilevel models showed that KiVa reduced bullying and victimization and increased pro-victim attitudes and empathy toward the victim in grade 4, with effect sizes from 0.24 to 0.40. In grade 6, KiVa reduced bullying, victimization, and pro-bullying attitudes; the effects were smaller as compared to grade 4, yet significant (d ≥ 0.20). Finally, using Olweus dichotomous definition of bullies and victims, results showed that the odds of being a victim were 1.93 times higher for a control student than for a KiVa student in grade 4. Overall, the findings provide evidence of the effectiveness of the program in Italy; the discussion will focus on factors that influenced successfully the transportability of the KiVa program in Italy.

Collateral status and tissue outcome after intra-arterial therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Boers, Anna Mm; Jansen, Ivo Gh; Berkhemer, Olvert A; Yoo, Albert J; Lingsma, Hester F; Slump, Cornelis H; Roos, Yvo Bwem; van Oostenbrugge, Robert J; Dippel, Diederik Wj; van der Lugt, Aad; van Zwam, Wim H; Marquering, Henk A; Majoie, Charles Blm

2017-11-01

Intra-arterial therapy (IAT) for ischemic stroke aims to save brain tissue. Collaterals are thought to contribute to prolonged penumbra sustenance. In this study, we investigate the effect of collateral status on brain tissue salvage with IAT. In 500 patients randomized between IAT and standard care, collateral status was graded from 0 (absent) to 3 (good). Final infarct volumes (FIV) were calculated on post-treatment CT. FIVs were compared between treatment groups per collateral grade. Multivariable linear regression with interaction terms was performed to study whether collaterals modified IAT effect on FIV. Four-hundred-forty-nine patients were included in the analysis. Median FIV for the IAT group was significantly lower with 54.5 mL (95% IQR: 21.8-145.0) than for the controls with 81.8 mL (95% IQR: 40.0-154.0) ( p = 0.020). Treatment effect differed across collateral grades, although there was no significant interaction (unadjusted p = 0.054; adjusted p = 0.105). For grade 3, IAT resulted in a FIV reduction of 30.1 mL ( p = 0.024). For grade 2 and 1, this difference was, respectively, 28.4 mL ( p = 0.028) and 28.4 mL ( p = 0.29). For grade 0, this was 88.6 mL ( p = 0.28) in favour of controls. IAT saves substantially more brain tissue as compared to standard care. We observed a trend of increasing effect of IAT with higher collateral grades.

Positive academic emotions moderate the relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement.

PubMed

Villavicencio, Felicidad T; Bernardo, Allan B I

2013-06-01

Research has shown how academic emotions are related to achievement and to cognitive/motivational variables that promote achievement. Mediated models have been proposed to account for the relationships among academic emotions, cognitive/motivational variables, and achievement, and research has supported such mediated models, particularly with negative emotions. The study tested the hypotheses: (1) self-regulation and the positive academic emotions of enjoyment and pride are positive predictors of achievement; and (2) enjoyment and pride both moderate the relationship between self-regulation and achievement. Participants were 1,345 students enrolled in various trigonometry classes in one university. Participants answered the Academic Emotions Questionnaire-Math (Pekrun, Goetz, & Frenzel, 2005) and a self-regulation scale (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) halfway through their trigonometry class. The students' final grades in the course were regressed to self-regulation, positive emotions, and the interaction terms to test the moderation effects. Enjoyment and pride were both positive predictors of grades; more importantly, both moderated the relationship between self-regulation and grades. For students who report higher levels of both positive emotions, self-regulation was positively associated with grades. However, for those who report lower levels of pride, self-regulation was not related to grades; and, for those who reported lower levels of enjoyment, self-regulation was negatively related to grades. The results are discussed in terms of how positive emotions indicate positive appraisals of task/outcome value, and thus enhance the positive links between cognitive/motivational variables and learning. ©2012 The British Psychological Society.

Association between recovery from Bell's palsy and body mass index.

PubMed

Choi, S A; Shim, H S; Jung, J Y; Kim, H J; Kim, S H; Byun, J Y; Park, M S; Yeo, S G

2017-06-01

Although many factors have been found to be involved in recovery from Bell's palsy, no study has investigated the association between recovery from Bell's palsy and obesity. This study therefore evaluated the association between recovery from Bell's palsy and body mass index (BMI). Subjects were classified into five groups based on BMI (kg/m 2 ). Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared among these groups. Assessed factors included sex, age, time from paralysis to visiting a hospital, the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, degree of initial facial nerve paralysis by House-Brackmann (H-B) grade and neurophysiological testing, and final recovery rate. Based on BMI, 37 subjects were classified as underweight, 169 as normal weight, 140 as overweight, 155 as obese and 42 as severely obese. Classification of the degree of initial facial nerve paralysis as moderate or severe, according to H-B grade and electroneurography, showed no difference in severity of initial facial paralysis among the five groups (P > 0.05). However, the final recovery rate was significantly higher in the normal weight than in the underweight or obese group (P < 0.05). Obesity or underweight had no effect on the severity of initial facial paralysis, but the final recovery rate was lower in the obese and underweight groups than in the normal group. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rats fed fructose-enriched diets have characteristics of nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis.

PubMed

Kawasaki, Takahiro; Igarashi, Kanji; Koeda, Tatsuki; Sugimoto, Keiichiro; Nakagawa, Kazuya; Hayashi, Shuichi; Yamaji, Ryoichi; Inui, Hiroshi; Fukusato, Toshio; Yamanouchi, Toshikazu

2009-11-01

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease are increasing in adults and are likely to be increasing in children. Both conditions are hepatic manifestations of metabolic syndrome. Experimental animals fed fructose-enriched diets are widely recognized as good models for metabolic syndrome. However, few reports have described the hepatic pathology of these experimental animals. In this study, 5-wk-old Wistar specific pathogen-free rats, which are a normal strain, were fed experimental diets for 5 wk. We then evaluated the degree of steatohepatitis. The 5 diet groups were as follows: cornstarch (70% wt:wt) [control (C)], high-fructose (70%) (HFr), high-sucrose (70%) (HS), high-fat (15%) (HF), and high-fat (15%) high-fructose (50%) (HFHFr) diets. The macrovesicular steatosis grade, liver:body weight ratio, and hepatic triglyceride concentration were significantly higher in the HFr group than in the other 4 groups. However, the HFr group had a significantly lower ratio of epididymal white fat:body weight than the other 4 groups and had a lower final body weight than the HF and HFHFr groups. The HF group had a greater final body weight than the C, HFr, and HS groups, but no macrovesicular steatosis was observed. The HFr group had a significantly higher grade of lobular inflammation than the other 4 groups. The distribution of lobular inflammation was predominant over portal inflammation, which is consistent with human NASH. In conclusion, rats fed fructose-enriched diets are a better model for NASH than rats fed fat-enriched diets.

Experience of psychiatry teaching at medical school influences Croatian medical students' attitudes towards choosing psychiatry as a career.

PubMed

Kuzman, Martina Rojnic; Lovrec, Petra; Smoljan, Mia; Kuzman, Tomislav; Farooq, Kitty; Lydall, Greg; Malik, Amit; Bhugra, Dinesh

2013-06-01

Reports indicate that the number of students interested in choosing psychiatry as their future profession is constantly decreasing in the last decades. Our aim was to determine the proportion of medical students intending to pursue a career in psychiatry and to define undergraduate education-related factors influencing that choice. We report the preliminary findings of a cross sectional quantitative survey of final year Croatian medical students as part of the International Survey Of Student Career Choice In Psychiatry (ISOSCCIP). We surveyed medical students attending their final year at Zagreb School of Medicine in the academic year 2009/2010, using a structured questionnaire examining demographics, students' preferences on future career choice and their evaluations of undergraduate psychiatry teaching. The overall student evaluation of the compulsory psychiatry curriculum was "average". Significantly higher ratings were reported by students who felt more involved in the teaching of the subject. The possibility of psychiatry as a career choice correlated significantly with better evaluation grades of psychiatry lectures. Furthermore, poor evaluation grades predicted a higher likelihood that medical students completely ruled out choosing a career in psychiatry. This is the first survey of this kind in Croatia. Student ratings of medical school psychiatric education and perceived involvement in teaching appears to influence the likelihood of a stated career in psychiatry. Addressing these issues may increase the number of students motivated to pursue psychiatry as their future career choice.

Mechanical Behavior of Commercially Pure Titanium Weldments at Lower Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, R. K.; Anil Kumar, V.; Xavier, X. Roshan

2018-05-01

Commercially pure titanium is used for low-temperature applications due to good toughness attributed to single-phase microstructure (α). Electron beam welding (EBW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) processes have been used for welding two grades of commercially pure titanium (Grade 2 and Grade 4). Martensitic microstructure is found to be finer in the case of EBW joint as compared to GTAW joint due to faster rate of cooling in the former process. Weldments have been characterized to study the mechanical behavior at ambient (298 K) and cryogenic temperatures (20 and 77 K). Strength of weldments increases with the decrease in temperature, which is found to be more prominent in case of Grade 4 titanium as compared to Grade 2. Weld efficiency of Grade 4 is found to be higher at all the temperatures (ambient, 77 and 20 K). However, ultimate tensile strength/yield strength ratio is higher for Grade 2 as compared to Grade 4. % Elongation is found to increase/retained at cryogenic temperatures for Grade 2, and it is found to decrease for Grade 4. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy of deformed samples confirmed the presence of extensive twinning in Grade 2 and the presence of finer martensitic structure in Grade 4. Fractography analysis of tested specimens revealed the presence of cleavage facets in Grade 4 and dimples in specimens of Grade 2. Higher strength in Grade 4 is attributed to higher oxygen restricting the twin-assisted slip, which is otherwise prominent in Grade 2 titanium.

Evaluation of open-graded "F" mixtures for water sensitivity : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-07-01

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has increased their use of open-graded paving mixtures. During the last five years, ODOT has constructed several hundred miles of highways with open-graded "F" asphalt concrete mixtures. These pavements ...

Posterior intervertebral space debridement, annular bone grafting and instrumentation for treatment of lumbosacral tuberculosis.

PubMed

Li, Weiwei; Liu, Jun; Gong, Liqun; Zhou, Yongchun; Duan, Dapeng

2017-12-04

The choice of surgical methods for lumbosacral tuberculosis is controversial due to the complex anterior anatomy and peculiar biomechanics of the lumbosacral junction. The objective of this study was to explore the clinical effect of posterior intervertebral space debridement with annular bone graft fusion and fixation for the treatment of lumbosacral tuberculosis. We retrospectively analysed data from 23 patients with lumbosacral tuberculosis who had undergone posterior intervertebral space debridement with annular bone fusion and fixation between January 2008 and September 2014. The mean age of the patients was 49.0 years (range, 27-71), and the mean duration of disease until treatment was 10.2 months (range, 6-20). The lumbosacral angle, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade and Social Functioning-36 (SF-36) score were determined to ascertain the clinical effects of the treatment. All patients underwent follow-up observation. The mean follow-up time was 34.2 months (range, 18-45), the mean operation time was 167.0 min (range, 130-210) and the mean blood loss was 767.4 ml (range, 500-1150). The lumbosacral angle was 21.0° ± 2.1° before operation, rising to 28.8° ± 1.7° after operation (p < 0.05) and being maintained thereafter. The mean VAS score before operation was 8.1 ± 0.6, decreasing to 1.2 ± 0.5 (p < 0.05) at the final follow-up. The mean ESR and CRP values were 49.1 ± 5.6 mm and 64.9 ± 11.9 mg/L, respectively, before operation, decreasing to normal at the final follow-up. The preoperative ASIA grade was C in 6 patients, D in 12 and E in 5. At the final follow-up, all patients had an ASIA grade of E except for one patient with a grade of D. For all patients, the SF-36 score at the final follow-up was higher than the preoperative and postoperative scores. Posterior intervertebral space debridement with annular bone graft fusion and fixation is an effective treatment for lumbosacral spine tuberculosis.

On groupoid gradings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderón Martín, Antonio Jesús; Martín González, Cándido; Ndoye, Daouda

2018-01-01

We introduce the notion of groupoid grading, give some nontrivial examples and prove that groupoid gradings on simple commutative or anti-commutative algebras are necessarily group gradings. We also take advantage of the structure of groupoids to prove some results about groupoid gradings and certain coarsenings of these which turn out to be group gradings. We also study set gradings on arbitrary algebras, by characterizing their homogeneous semisimplicity and their homogeneous simplicity in terms of a property satisfied by the supports of the gradings, and also relate set gradings with groupoid gradings via coarsenings. Finally we study a class of set gradings on Mn(C) , the orthogonal gradings, and show that all of them which are fine are necessarily groupoid gradings.

Attitudes towards Study Effort Response to Higher Grading Standards: Do Gender and Personality Distinctions Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallan, Lars; Opstad, Leiv

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore how gender and personality preferences affect student attitudes towards effort response to higher grading standards. Data collected from 150 economics and business students at a Scandinavian business school reveals that higher grading standards enhance effort and time devoted to learning to a higher degree…

Introductory anatomy and physiology in an undergraduate nursing curriculum.

PubMed

Brown, S J; White, S; Power, N

2017-03-01

Using an educational data mining approach, first-year academic achievement of undergraduate nursing students, which included two compulsory courses in introductory human anatomy and physiology, was compared with achievement in a final semester course that transitioned students into the workplace. We hypothesized that students could be grouped according to their first-year academic achievement using a two-step cluster analysis method and that grades achieved in the human anatomy and physiology courses would be strong predictors of overall achievement. One cohort that graduated in 2014 (n = 105) and one that graduated in 2015 (n = 94) were analyzed separately, and for both cohorts, two groups were identified, these being "high achievers" (HIGH) and "low achievers" (LOW). Consistently, the anatomy and physiology courses were the strongest predictors of group assignment, such that a good grade in these was much more likely to put a student into a high-achieving group. Students in the HIGH groups also scored higher in the Transition to Nursing course when compared with students in the LOW groups. The higher predictor importance of the anatomy and physiology courses suggested that if a first-year grade-point average was calculated for students, an increased weighting should be attributed to these courses. Identifying high-achieving students based on first-year academic scores may be a useful method to predict future academic performance. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Grade Inflation in Higher Education: A Comparative Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kolevzon, Michael S.

1981-01-01

Ten departments with high grade inflation rates during a seven-year period were compared with 10 departments within the same university displaying lower grade inflation rates. Higher grade inflation rates were related to perceived increases in the demands placed upon the academicians' role. (Author/MLW)

Developing and testing lay literature about breast cancer screening for African American women.

PubMed

Coleman, Elizabeth Ann; Coon, Sharon; Mohrmann, Carolyn; Hardin, Susan; Stewart, Beth; Gibson, Regina Shoate; Cantrell, Mary; Lord, Janet; Heard, Jeanne

2003-01-01

Written materials about breast cancer screening for African American women with low literacy skills are needed. Available materials were not at or below third-grade reading levels, were not culturally sensitive, and were not accurate in illustrating correct breast self-examination (BSE) techniques. Focus groups representing the target population helped the authors design a pamphlet describing how to perform BSE and a motivational picture book to help women overcome barriers to screening. The authors chose a food theme for the cover of the pamphlet written at a third-grade level and suggested a photographic version. In the motivational book, two women address barriers to screening and replace myths and fears with facts and actions. Data from 162 women showed that they learned from both the photographic and illustrated versions. Women in the photographic group found significantly more lumps in the silicone models, so the authors chose that version to use in final testing. Finally, nurses pretested a group of patients before they reviewed the materials and post-tested another group after they reviewed them. The group who had reviewed the materials had greater knowledge of and intent to follow the guidelines and received higher scores on BSE techniques.

Preliminary work in developing sawbolt grading systems for white oak

Treesearch

Everette D. Rast; Everette D. Rast

1971-01-01

This paper is principally a description of one technique used in the development of white oak (Quercus alba L.) sawbolt grades--not a final sawbolt grading system for the species over its range. This technique can be used by anyone in developing other bolt-grade specifications or in refining the system presented in this paper.

Physical Properties of Normal Grade Biodiesel and Winter Grade Biodiesel

PubMed Central

Sadrolhosseini, Amir Reza; Moksin, Mohd Maarof; Nang, Harrison Lau Lik; Norozi, Monir; Yunus, W. Mahmood Mat; Zakaria, Azmi

2011-01-01

In this study, optical and thermal properties of normal grade and winter grade palm oil biodiesel were investigated. Surface Plasmon Resonance and Photopyroelectric technique were used to evaluate the samples. The dispersion curve and thermal diffusivity were obtained. Consequently, the variation of refractive index, as a function of wavelength in normal grade biodiesel is faster than winter grade palm oil biodiesel, and the thermal diffusivity of winter grade biodiesel is higher than the thermal diffusivity of normal grade biodiesel. This is attributed to the higher palmitic acid C16:0 content in normal grade than in winter grade palm oil biodiesel. PMID:21731429

Methods of Making Z-Shielding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomsen, III, Donald Laurence (Inventor); Cano, Roberto J. (Inventor); Jensen, Brian J. (Inventor); Hales, Stephen J. (Inventor); Alexa, Joel A. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

Methods of building Z-graded radiation shielding and covers. In one aspect, the method includes: providing a substrate surface having about medium Z-grade; plasma spraying a first metal having higher Z-grade than the substrate surface; and infusing a polymer layer to form a laminate. In another aspect, the method includes electro/electroless plating a first metal having higher Z-grade than the substrate surface. In other aspects, the methods include improving an existing electronics enclosure to build a Z-graded radiation shield by applying a temperature controller to at least part of the enclosure and affixing at least one layer of a first metal having higher Z-grade from the enclosure.

The Use of the Semantic Differential Method in Assessing Attitudes and Predicting Final Grades in a Gross Anatomy Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mickey M.; And Others

Whether a change in dental students' attitudes toward three preselected concepts would occur as a result of a traditionally difficult dental education course as measured by the semantic differential method is determined. This study attempted to determine the predictive value of a student's attitudes in determining his/her final grade. The sample…

Master's Thesis Supervision: Relations between Perceptions of the Supervisor-Student Relationship, Final Grade, Perceived Supervisor Contribution to Learning and Student Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Kleijn, Renske A. M.; Mainhard, M. Tim; Meijer, Paulien C.; Pilot, Albert; Brekelmans, Mieke

2012-01-01

Master's thesis supervision is a complex task given the two-fold goal of the thesis (learning and assessment). An important aspect of supervision is the supervisor-student relationship. This quantitative study (N = 401) investigates how perceptions of the supervisor-student relationship are related to three dependent variables: final grade,…

The Effects and Predictor Value of In-Class Texting Behavior on Final Course Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Sylvia E.

2013-01-01

Cell phones have become a norm within the collegiate environment but little research has examined their impact on academic attainment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects that in-class texting behavior had on the final grade score in a freshmen level introductory social science course. Students in three different sections were…

Measurement of RBC agglutination with microscopic cell image analysis in a microchannel chip.

PubMed

Cho, Chi Hyun; Kim, Ju Yeon; Nyeck, Agnes E; Lim, Chae Seung; Hur, Dae Sung; Chung, Chanil; Chang, Jun Keun; An, Seong Soo A; Shin, Sehyun

2014-01-01

Since Landsteiner's discovery of ABO blood groups, RBC agglutination has been one of the most important immunohematologic techniques for ABO and RhD blood groupings. The conventional RBC agglutination grading system for RhD blood typings relies on macroscopic reading, followed by the assignment of a grade ranging from (-) to (4+) to the degree of red blood cells clumping. However, with the new scoring method introduced in this report, microscopically captured cell images of agglutinated RBCs, placed in a microchannel chip, are used for analysis. Indeed, the cell images' pixel number first allows the differentiation of agglutinated and non-agglutinated red blood cells. Finally, the ratio of agglutinated RBCs per total RBC counts (CRAT) from 90 captured images is then calculated. During the trial, it was observed that the agglutinated group's CRAT was significantly higher (3.77-0.003) than that of the normal control (0). Based on these facts, it was established that the microchannel method was more suitable for the discrimination between agglutinated RBCs and non-agglutinated RhD negative, and thus more reliable for the grading of RBCs agglutination than the conventional method.

Family, school, and community factors and relationships to racial-ethnic attitudes and academic achievement.

PubMed

Smith, Emilie Phillips; Atkins, Jacqueline; Connell, Christian M

2003-09-01

This study examined family, school, and community factors and the relationships to racial-ethnic attitudes and academic achievement among 98 African American fourth-grade children. It has been posited that young people who feel better about their racial-ethnic background have better behavioral and academic outcomes, yet there is a need for more empirical tests of this premise. Psychometric information is reported on measures of parent, teacher, and child racial-ethnic attitudes. Path analysis was used to investigate ecological variables potentially related to children's racial-ethnic attitudes and achievement. Parental education and level of racial-ethnic pride were correlated and both were related to children's achievement though in the final path model, only the path from parental education level was statistically significant. Children whose teachers exhibited higher levels of racial-ethnic trust and perceived fewer barriers due to race and ethnicity evidenced more trust and optimism as well. Children living in communities with higher proportions of college-educated residents also exhibited more positive racial-ethnic attitudes. For children, higher racial-ethnic pride was related to higher achievement measured by grades and standardized test scores, while racial distrust and perception of barriers due to race were related to reduced performance. This study suggests that family, school, and community are all important factors related to children's racial-ethnic attitudes and also to their academic achievement.

[Delivery management for the prevention of shoulder dystocia in case of identified risk factors].

PubMed

Schmitz, T

2015-12-01

To determine the impact of (i) computed tomographic (CT) pelvimetry for the choice of the mode of delivery, (ii) cesarean, (iii) induction of labor, and of (iv) various delivery managements on the risk of shoulder dystocia in case of fetal macrosomia, with or without maternal diabetes, and in women with previous history of shoulder dystocia. The PubMed database, the Cochrane Library and the recommendations from the French and foreign obstetrical societies or colleges have been consulted. In case of clinically suspected macrosomia, a sonography should be performed to increase diagnostic performances and to assist in decision-making (Professional consensus). Because CT pelvimetry is associated with high false positive rates and increases cesarean deliveries, its use is not recommended to prevent shoulder dystocia in case of fetal macrosomia (Professional consensus). To avoid the neonatal complications of shoulder dystocia, mainly permanent brachial plexus palsy, cesarean delivery is recommended in case of estimated fetal weight (EFW) greater than 4500 g if associated with maternal diabetes (grade C), and greater than 5000 g in the absence of maternal diabetes (grade C). The published data do not provide definitive evidences to recommend systematic labor induction in case of impending fetal macrosomia (Professional consensus). In case of favourable cervix and gestational age greater than 39 weeks of gestation, labor induction should be promoted (Professional consensus). Prophylactic McRoberts maneuver is not recommended to prevent shoulder dystocia in case of fetal macrosomia (grade C). Because data are lacking, no recommendation is possible regarding the use of episiotomy. In case of fetal macrosomia and failure to progress in the second stage of labor, midpelvic and higher instrumental deliveries are not recommended and a cesarean delivery should be preferred (grade C), if the fetal head is at or lower than a +2 station, cesarean delivery is not recommended and an instrumental delivery should be preferred (grade C). Finally, cesarean delivery should be discussed when history of shoulder dystocia has been associated with severe neonatal or maternal complications (Professional consensus). To avoid shoulder dystocia and its complications, only two measures are proposed. Induction of labor is recommended in case of impending macrosomia if the cervix is favourable and gestational age greater than 39 weeks of gestation (Professional consensus). Cesarean delivery is recommended before labor in case of (i) EFW greater than 4500 g if associated with maternal diabetes (grade C), (ii) EFW greater than 5000 g in the absence of maternal diabetes (grade C), and finally (iii) during labor, in case of fetal macrosomia and failure to progress in the second stage, when the fetal head is above a +2 station (grade C). Finally, cesarean delivery should be discussed when history of shoulder dystocia has been associated with severe neonatal or maternal complications (Professional consensus). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Multiplication Fact Speed-Recall and Fluency and Higher Level Mathematics Learning with Eighth Grade Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curry, Steven James

2012-01-01

This quantitative study investigated relationships between higher level mathematics learning and multiplication fact fluency, multiplication fact speed-recall, and reading grade equivalency of eighth grade students in Algebra I and Pre-Algebra. Higher level mathematics learning was indicated by an average score of 80% or higher on first and second…

Influence of intestinal bacterial decontamination using metronidazole and ciprofloxacin or ciprofloxacin alone on the development of acute graft-versus-host disease after marrow transplantation in patients with hematologic malignancies: final results and long-term follow-up of an open-label prospective randomized trial.

PubMed

Beelen, D W; Elmaagacli, A; Müller, K D; Hirche, H; Schaefer, U W

1999-05-15

In a single-center open-label prospective study, a total of 134 marrow transplant recipients with hematologic malignancies were randomly assigned to a bacterial decontamination medication using metronidazole and ciprofloxacin (n = 68) or ciprofloxacin alone (n = 66) during 5 weeks posttransplant. The development of grades II to IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was defined as the primary study endpoint. According to the intention-to-treat, 17 patients (25%) randomized to the combined decontamination medication and 33 patients (50%) randomized to ciprofloxacin alone developed grades II to IV GVHD (P <.002). The higher frequency of grades II to IV acute GVHD in patients randomized to ciprofloxacin alone resulted from a more than twofold increased number of patients developing liver or intestinal involvement with acute GVHD compared with patients randomized to the combined decontamination medication (P <.003). The influence of the study medication on grades II to IV acute GVHD was significant only in recipients of transplants from genotypically HLA-identical sibling donors (n = 80), whereas in recipients of transplants from donors other than HLA-identical siblings (n = 54), grades II to IV acute GVHD frequencies between the study arms were not significantly different. The combined decontamination was associated with a significant reduction of culture growth of intestinal anaerobic bacteria during 5 weeks posttransplant (P <. 00001). In addition, the number of cultures with growth of anaerobic bacteria (P <.005) as well as the median concentrations of anaerobic bacteria in the posttransplant period (P <.0001) were higher in patients contracting grades II to IV acute GVHD. Neither chronic GVHD nor overall survival was significantly different between the two study arms. In patients with HLA-identical sibling donors who were treated in early disease stages, the 5-year survival estimate was slightly, but not significant, higher after the combined decontamination medication (60% +/- 11%) compared with ciprofloxacin alone (46% +/- 9%). In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that antimicrobial chemotherapy targeted to intestinal anaerobic bacteria in marrow transplant recipients significantly reduces the severity of acute GVHD and supports the theory that the intestinal anaerobic bacterial microflora plays a role in the pathogenesis of acute GVHD after human marrow transplantation.

Research on Peer Grading in an Astronomy Massive Open Online Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formanek, Martin; Impey, Chris David; Wenger, Matthew; Sonam, Tenzin; Buxner, Sanlyn

2017-01-01

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are opportunities for thousands of students to take university level courses at little to no cost. The aim of this talk is to present and analyze an often used assessment tool in MOOCs - peer grading. We collected a wealth of data on peer grading process during our session based MOOC “Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space” offered through Coursera in Spring 2015. We found that peer-grading participants are different from the general course population. Additionally, we found that peer grading participation is the single best predictor for course completion. We compared three different essay-based peer graded assignments throughout the course according to the lengths of submitted essays, time spent grading, number of essays graded by individual users, and a percentage of relevant videos watched. In all of these criteria participation in the first assignment turned out to be statistically significantly different from the other two. Finally we investigated validity and reliability of peer graders by comparing their grades with trained undergraduate graders and instructors on a subsample of 300 essays. Although we found out that validity and reliability of peer grading is limited, we were still able to show that results of peer grading strongly correlate with the final grades from the course and also invested effort in general. Therefore despite its shortcomings, peer grading still manages to identify good students and is very viable tool useful for MOOC-scale formative assessment.

The Efficacy of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Targeted Biopsy in Risk Classification for Patients with Prostate Cancer on Active Surveillance.

PubMed

Recabal, Pedro; Assel, Melissa; Sjoberg, Daniel D; Lee, Daniel; Laudone, Vincent P; Touijer, Karim; Eastham, James A; Vargas, Hebert A; Coleman, Jonathan; Ehdaie, Behfar

2016-08-01

We determined whether multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsies may replace systematic biopsies to detect higher grade prostate cancer (Gleason score 7 or greater) and whether biopsy may be avoided based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging among men with Gleason 3+3 prostate cancer on active surveillance. We identified men with previously diagnosed Gleason score 3+3 prostate cancer on active surveillance who underwent multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and a followup prostate biopsy. Suspicion for higher grade cancer was scored on a standardized 5-point scale. All patients underwent a systematic biopsy. Patients with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging regions of interest also underwent magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy. The detection rate of higher grade cancer was estimated for different multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores with the 3 biopsy strategies of systematic, magnetic resonance imaging targeted and combined. Of 206 consecutive men on active surveillance 135 (66%) had a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging region of interest. Overall, higher grade cancer was detected in 72 (35%) men. A higher multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging score was associated with an increased probability of detecting higher grade cancer (Wilcoxon-type trend test p <0.0001). Magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy detected higher grade cancer in 23% of men. Magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy alone missed higher grade cancers in 17%, 12% and 10% of patients with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging scores of 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsies increased the detection of higher grade cancer among men on active surveillance compared to systematic biopsy alone. However, a clinically relevant proportion of higher grade cancer was detected using only systematic biopsy. Despite the improved detection of disease progression using magnetic resonance imaging targeted biopsy, systematic biopsy cannot be excluded as part of surveillance for men with low risk prostate cancer. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patterns and natural history of radiographically defined osteoarthritis in a registry of women

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

Cerhan, J.R.

The authors studied the natural history of osteoarthritis (OA) in a registry of female radium dial painters who had longitudinal radiographic examinations. Radiographs of the hands, spine, pelvis, knees and feet were graded for OA using the method of Kellgren and Lawrence. The prevalence of OA in this study was consistent with other population-based studies of OA in white women. A full body OA score was defined as the summation of the number of joints with OA. Higher full body OA score was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, after controlling for age and year of birth. Variables cross-sectionallymore » associated with the full body OA score included increasing age; later year of birth; increasing systolic and diastolic blood pressure; increasing uric acid level; a history of diabetes, cholecystectomy, or cardiovascular disease; and being a current drinker of alcohol or being a current smoker. The authors described that natural history of OA for individual joints, joint groups, and the full body. The authors found that progression of OA was common, but not universal. Every joint group studied also displayed some amount of regression, although the authors could not conclude how much of the regression was real versus measurement error. The authors found that, in general, joints with a baseline OA grade of one to four were more likely to progress to a higher grade compared to joints with a grade of zero at baseline. Finally, the authors described predictors of followup OA status and predictors of change from baseline to followup for the full body. Predictors of greater change (to more OA) included increasing age, a history of cholecystectomy, having ever drank alcohol, and not having ever smoked. Predictors of a higher followup OA status included increasing age, increasing baseline full body OA score, a history of cholecystectomy, being a current drinker, and having never smoked.« less

The attitudes of forensic nurses to substance using service users.

PubMed

Foster, J H; Onyeukwu, C

2003-10-01

There is now a body of research that has shown that the attitudes of nurses towards substance misuse in the mentally ill are generally suboptimal and this has an impact on the quality of nursing care provided. Despite this, to date there have been no published studies that have examined the attitudes of forensic nurses towards substance misusing forensic service users. Sixty-three multiethnic registered forensic psychiatric nurses based on an inpatient unit in outer London were surveyed using the Substance Abuse Attitude Survey (SAAS). This has five subscores: Treatment Intervention, Treatment Optimism, Permissiveness, Non-Moralism and Non-Stereotypes. Only Permissiveness scores were at an optimum level and equivalent to other community mental health workers. The Treatment Intervention and Treatment Optimism subscores were well below those of a multidisciplinary group of community mental health workers. Three other findings were of note. Firstly, women had higher Non-Moralism scores than men. Secondly, staff nurses had higher Non-Stereotypes scores than other grades. Finally, Black nurses had higher Treatment Optimism scores than non-Black colleagues. In conclusion, the attitudes of forensic nurses towards substance misuse in forensic clients are more suboptimal than other groups of community mental health workers. Our findings also indicate that gender, staff grading and ethnicity are associated with suboptimal scores.

How Much Is that Exam Grade Really Worth? An Estimation of Student Risk Aversion to Their Unknown Final College Course Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nalley, Lanier; McKenzie, Andrew

2011-01-01

This study created an experimental design with which students can empirically assess their risk behavior with respect to exam grades within an expected utility framework. Specifically, the authors analyzed students' risk preferences associated with taking exams and earning a "risky" unknown grade versus not taking exams and instead…

Effect of Quality Grade and Storage Time on the Palatability, Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Hanwoo Striploin Beef

PubMed Central

Yim, Dong-Gyun

2015-01-01

The effects of quality grade and storage time on physicochemical, sensory properties and microbial population of Hanwoo striploin beef were investigated. After a total of 30 Hanwoo beef were slaughtered, the cold carcasses were graded by official meat grader at 24 h postmortem. The carcasses were categorized into five groups (quality grade 1++, 1+, 1, 2, and 3) and were vacuum-packaged and stored. The samples were kept for 1, 4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22 and 25 d for analyses. As the quality grade was increased, moisture, protein and ash contents decreased (p<0.05). Higher quality grade corresponded with higher fat contents. The shear force values decreased with increasing quality grade and showed decreases sharply during the first 4 d (p<0.05). pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, and volatile basic nitrogen for grade 1++ groups were lower than for grade 3 (p<0.05). CIE L* and b* values increased as increased quality grade (p<0.05). Meat color decreased until 13 d and fluctuated after 15 d of storage (p<0.05). Regarding the sensory scores, higher quality grade corresponded with higher juiciness, tenderness, flavor, fatty and palatability scores (p<0.05). Generally, increased storage time for 15 d improved sensory scores attributes. Results indicate that a high quality grade could positively influence physicochemical and sensory properties. PMID:26761865

A Study of the Relationship between Student Placement Test Scores and Final Grades in Physics 121 at Pima College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iadevaia, David G.

A study was conducted at Pima Community College to determine the relationship between the final grade received by students in an introductory, algebra-based physics course (PHY 121) and their scores on the reading, writing, and mathematics portions of the college's nonmandatory assessment test. Between 1983 and 1988, 639 students obtained a final…

ESR1, ERBB2, and Ki67 mRNA expression predicts stage and grade of non-muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (NMIBC).

PubMed

Breyer, Johannes; Wirtz, Ralph M; Laible, Mark; Schlombs, Kornelia; Erben, Philipp; Kriegmair, Maximilian Christian; Stoehr, Robert; Eidt, Sebastian; Denzinger, Stefan; Burger, Maximilian; Hartmann, Arndt; Otto, Wolfgang

2016-11-01

Pathological staging and grading are crucial for risk assessment in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Molecular grading might support pathological evaluation and minimize interobserver variability. In this study, the well-established breast cancer markers ESR1, PGR, ERBB2, and MKI67 were evaluated as potential molecular markers to support grading and staging in NMIBC. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues (FFPE) of patients with NMIBC. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of the aforementioned markers was measured by single-step reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) using RNA-specific TaqMan assays. Relative gene expression was determined by normalization to two reference genes (CALM2 and B2M) using the 40 -ΔΔCT method and correlated to histopathological stage and grade. Pathological assessment was performed by an experienced uropathologist. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS software JMP 9.0.0 version and GraphPad Prism 5.04. Of 381 cases of NMIBC, samples of 100 pTa and 255 pT1 cases were included in the final study. Spearman rank correlation revealed significant correlations between grade and expression of MKI67 (r = 0.52, p < 0.0001), ESR1 (r = 0.25, p < 0.0001), and ERBB2 (r = 0.18, p = 0.0008). In Mann-Whitney tests, MKI67 was significantly different between all grades (p < 0.0001), while ESR1 (p = 0.0006) and ERBB2 (p = 0.027) were significantly different between G2 and G3. Higher expression of MKI67 (r = 0.49; p < 0.0001), ERBB2 (r = 0.22; p < 0.0001), and ESR1 (r = 0.18; p = 0.0009) mRNA was positively correlated with higher stage. MKI67 (p < 0.0001), ERBB2 (p = 0.0058), and PGR (p = 0.0007) were significantly different between pTa and pT1. In NMIBC expression of ESR1, ERBB2 and MKI67 are significantly different between stage and grade. This potentially provides objective parameters for pathological evaluation.

Pallet part grading trainer

Treesearch

Deborah F. Cook; Philip A. Araman; Matthew F. Winn

2000-01-01

A computerized pallet grading training system was developed to facilitate the production of higher quality pallets. Higher quality pallets would be more durable and could be re-used many times, resulting in long-term savings. Schmoldt et al. (1993) evaluated the economic impact of grading and sorting pallet parts. They determined that higher quality pallets produced by...

Questioning Points and Percentages: Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckmiller, Tom; Peters, Randal; Kruse, Jerrid

2017-01-01

Despite its growing use at the K-12 level, standards-based grading (alignment of grading to course standards) has been comparatively neglected in higher education. College students are often confronted with grading practices that reflect subjective, non-standardized formats incorporating a blend of academic and non-academic components. This case…

Liberal Grading Improves Evaluations But Not Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasta, Ross; Sarmiento, Robert F.

Two grading distributions--a liberal and a more stringent curve--were compared between two sections of an undergraduate psychology course. The two classes were team taught and treated as similarly as possible. Four unit exams and an optional final were administered, with one section consistently receiving a more lenient grade distribution. No…

Are Grade Expectations Rational? A Classroom Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hossain, Belayet; Tsigaris, Panagiotis

2015-01-01

This study examines students' expectations about their final grade. An attempt is made to determine whether students form expectations rationally. Expectations in economics, rational or otherwise, carry valuable information and have important implications in terms of both teaching effectiveness and the role of grades as an incentive structure for…

Development of a transplantable glioma tumour model from genetically engineered mice: MRI/MRS/MRSI characterisation.

PubMed

Ciezka, Magdalena; Acosta, Milena; Herranz, Cristina; Canals, Josep M; Pumarola, Martí; Candiota, Ana Paula; Arús, Carles

2016-08-01

The initial aim of this study was to generate a transplantable glial tumour model of low-intermediate grade by disaggregation of a spontaneous tumour mass from genetically engineered models (GEM). This should result in an increased tumour incidence in comparison to GEM animals. An anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (OA) tumour of World Health Organization (WHO) grade III was obtained from a female GEM mouse with the S100β-v-erbB/inK4a-Arf (+/-) genotype maintained in the C57BL/6 background. The tumour tissue was disaggregated; tumour cells from it were grown in aggregates and stereotactically injected into C57BL/6 mice. Tumour development was followed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), while changes in the metabolomics pattern of the masses were evaluated by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/Spectroscopic Imaging (MRS/MRSI). Final tumour grade was evaluated by histopathological analysis. The total number of tumours generated from GEM cells from disaggregated tumour (CDT) was 67 with up to 100 % penetrance, as compared to 16 % in the local GEM model, with an average survival time of 66 ± 55 days, up to 4.3-fold significantly higher than the standard GL261 glioblastoma (GBM) tumour model. Tumours produced by transplantation of cells freshly obtained from disaggregated GEM tumour were diagnosed as WHO grade III anaplastic oligodendroglioma (ODG) and OA, while tumours produced from a previously frozen sample were diagnosed as WHO grade IV GBM. We successfully grew CDT and generated tumours from a grade III GEM glial tumour. Freezing and cell culture protocols produced progression to grade IV GBM, which makes the developed transplantable model qualify as potential secondary GBM model in mice.

Factors influencing the surgical decision for the treatment of degenerative lumbar stenosis in a preference-based shared decision-making process.

PubMed

Kim, Ho-Joong; Park, Jae-Young; Kang, Kyoung-Tak; Chang, Bong-Soon; Lee, Choon-Ki; Yeom, Jin S

2015-02-01

In a preference-based shared decision-making system, several subjective and/or objective factors such as pain severity, degree of disability, and the radiological severity of canal stenosis may influence the final surgical decision for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). However, our understanding of the shared decision-making process and the significance of each factor remain primitive. In the present study, we aimed to investigate which factors influence the surgical decision for the treatment of LSS when using a preference-based, shared decision-making process. We included 555 patients, aged 45-80 years, who used a preference-based shared decision-making process and were treated conservatively or surgically for chronic leg and/or back pain caused by LSS from April 2012 to December 2012. Univariate and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association of surgical decision making with age, sex, body mass index, symptom duration, radiologic stenotic grade, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain, Short Form-36 (SF-36) subscales, and motor weakness. In univariate analysis, the following variables were associated with a higher odds of a surgical decision for LSS: male sex; the VAS score for leg pain; ODI; morphological stenotic grades B, C, and D; motor weakness; and the physical function, physical role, bodily pain, social function, and emotional role of the SF-36 subscales. Multivariate analysis revealed that male sex, ODI, morphological stenotic grades C and D, and motor weakness were significantly associated with a higher possibility of a surgical decision. Motor weakness, male sex, morphological stenotic grade, and the amount of disability are critical factors leading to a surgical decision for LSS when using a preference-based shared decision-making process.

Functional outcomes following robotic prostatectomy using athermal, traction free risk-stratified grades of nerve sparing.

PubMed

Tewari, Ashutosh K; Ali, Adnan; Metgud, Sheela; Theckumparampil, Nithin; Srivastava, Abhishek; Khani, Francesca; Robinson, Brian D; Gumpeni, Naveen; Shevchuk, Maria M; Durand, Matthieu; Sooriakumaran, Prasanna; Li, Jinyi; Leung, Robert; Peyser, Alexandra; Gruschow, Siobhan; Asija, Vinita; Harneja, Niyati

2013-06-01

To report our unique approach for individualizing robotic prostate cancer surgery by risk stratification and sub classification of the periprostatic space into 4 distinct compartments, and thus performing 4 precise different grades of nerve sparing based on neurosurgical principles and to present updated potency and continence outcomes data of patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) using our risk-stratified approach based on layers of periprostatic fascial dissection. (1) Between January 2005 and December 2010, 2,536 men underwent RALP by a single surgeon at our institution. (2) Included patients were those with ≥ 1-year follow-up and were preoperatively continent and potent, defined as having a SHIM questionnaire score of >21; thus, the final number of patient in the study cohort was 1,335. (3) Postoperative potency was defined as the ability to have successful intercourse (score of ≥ 4 on question 2 of the SHIM); continence was defined as the use of no pads per 24 h. (1) The potency and continence for NS grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 were found to be 90.6, 76.2, 60.5, and 57.1 % (P < 0.001) and 98, 93.2, 90.1, and 88.9 % (P < 0.001), respectively. (2) The overall PSM rates for patients with NS grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 10.5, 7, 5.8, and 4.8 %, respectively (P = 0.064). The study found a correlation between risk-stratified grades of NS technique and continence and potency. Patients with lesser grades of NS had higher rates of potency and continence.

Factors Related to the Likelihood of Grade Inflation at Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heulett, Steven Talmadge

2013-01-01

A number of studies have documented a trend of higher grades awarded by postsecondary institutions in both the United States and Canada over the last two decades. Grade inflation in higher education is a potentially costly problem for a variety of reasons, but little empirical research about the causes of grade inflation has been conducted. This…

Case in Point: Stronach v. Virginia State U. (2008): Does Academic Freedom Give a Professor the Final Say on Grades?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Lawrence

2008-01-01

Virginia State University Carey E. Stronach assigned an undergraduate a final grade of D after the student had failed three classroom quizzes. The student, who claimed to have received A's on two of the quizzes, submitted fax copies of his score sheets to Stronach, who concluded that the student had doctored his scores. The student appealed to the…

A Comparison of Final Grades Awarded by Full-Time Faculty and Part-Time Faculty by Academic Center for Winter Term 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarland, Thomas W.

This study examined differences in final course grades awarded by full-time and part-time faculty by academic center at Nova Southeastern University (Florida). Course data were obtained on 387 full-time and 812 part-time faculty and 63 administrators who taught one or more standard courses during winter term 1997. It was found that 87 percent of…

Students helping students: Evaluating a pilot program of peer teaching for an undergraduate course in human anatomy.

PubMed

Bruno, Paul A; Love Green, Jennifer K; Illerbrun, Sara L; Holness, Duncan A; Illerbrun, Samantha J; Haus, Kara A; Poirier, Sylvianne M; Sveinson, Katherine L

2016-01-01

The educational literature generally suggests that supplemental instruction (SI) is effective in improving academic performance in traditionally difficult courses. A pilot program of peer teaching based on the SI model was implemented for an undergraduate course in human anatomy. Students in the course were stratified into three groups based on the number of peer teaching sessions they attended: nonattendees (0 sessions), infrequently attended (1-3 sessions), and frequently attended (≥ 4 sessions). After controlling for academic preparedness [i.e., admission grade point average (AGPA)] using an analysis of covariance, the final grades of frequent attendees were significantly higher than those of nonattendees (P = 0.025) and infrequent attendees (P = 0.015). A multiple regression analysis was performed to estimate the relative independent contribution of several variables in predicting the final grade. The results suggest that frequent attendance (β = 0.245, P = 0.007) and AGPA (β = 0.555, P < 0.001) were significant positive predictors, while being a first-year student (β = -0.217, P = 0.006) was a significant negative predictor. Collectively, these results suggest that attending a certain number of sessions may be required to gain a noticeable benefit from the program, and that first-year students (particularly those with a lower level of academic preparedness) would likely stand to benefit from maximally using the program. End-of-semester surveys and reports indicate that the program had several additional benefits, both to the students taking the course and to the students who served as program leaders. Published 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Writing To Learn History in the Intermediate Grades. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downey, Matthew T.

A study examined the relationship between writing activities and historical learning by elementary school students. Subjects in schools in the San Francisco Bay area were drawn from third-grade classrooms from a predominantly working class neighborhood, a mixed fourth-grade class of mostly limited-English-proficient children of immigrants from…

Grades, Gender, and Encouragement: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owen, Ann L.

2010-01-01

The author employs a regression discontinuity design to provide direct evidence on the effects of grades earned in economics principles classes on the decision to major in economics and finds a differential effect for male and female students. Specifically, for female students, receiving an A for a final grade in the first economics class is…

STUDY OF VARIABLES ASSOCIATED WITH FINAL GRADES IN MATHEMATICS COURSES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DAVIS, ELTON C.; RISSER, JOHN J.

THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE VALUE OF PREVIOUS GRADES IN MATHEMATICS COURSES, THE OVERALL HIGH SCHOOL GRADE POINT AVERAGE, AND THE PLACEMENT TEST IN MATHEMATICS DEVELOPED AT THE COLLEGE AS PREDICTORS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN INTRODUCTORY AND INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA, IN COLLEGE ALGEBRA, IN TRIGONOMETRY, AND IN ANALYTIC GEOMETRY…

Radiotherapy for malignancy in patients with scleroderma: The Mayo Clinic experience

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

Gold, Douglas G.; Miller, Robert C.; Petersen, Ivy A.

2007-02-01

Purpose: To determine the frequency of acute and chronic adverse effects in patients with scleroderma who receive radiotherapy for treatment of cancer. Methods and Materials: Records were reviewed of 20 patients with scleroderma who received radiotherapy. Acute and chronic toxic effects attributable to radiotherapy were analyzed, and freedom from radiation-related toxicity was calculated. Results: Of the 20 patients, 15 had acute toxic effects, with Grade 3 or higher toxicity for 3 patients. Seven patients had self-limited Grade 1 or 2 radiation dermatitis, and no patient had Grade 3 or higher radiation dermatitis. Thirteen patients had chronic toxic effects, with Grademore » 3 or higher chronic toxicity for 3 patients. The median estimated time to any grade chronic toxicity was 0.4 years, and the median estimated time to Grade 3 or higher chronic toxicity has not been reached. Conclusions: The results suggest that although some patients with scleroderma treated with radiation experience considerable toxic effects, the occurrence of Grade 3 or higher toxicity may be less than previously anticipated.« less

Novel clinical grading of delayed neurologic sequelae after carbon monoxide poisoning and factors associated with outcome.

PubMed

Kuroda, Hiroshi; Fujihara, Kazuo; Kushimoto, Shigeki; Aoki, Masashi

2015-05-01

Delayed neurologic sequelae (DNS) after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning manifest as a relapse of neurologic deficits. However, the long-term outcome of DNS has not been fully clarified. Myelin basic protein (MBP) levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been reported to be elevated in DNS. However, the precise timing and clinical value of the CSF examination have not been fully evaluated. We aimed to clarify the long-term outcome and the factors predicting the outcome of DNS and to evaluate the utility of CSF-MBP for predicting the development and severity of DNS. This work was designed as a single-center, prospective, observational study. We graded DNS severity as Grade 1 (consistent independence), Grade 2 (temporary dependence), or Grade 3 (persistent dependence). We analyzed the percentage categorized in each grade and the parameters associated with outcome. Of 100 patients experiencing acute CO poisoning (median age: 46 years; 69% male), 20 (20%) developed DNS, including six Grade 1 (30%), ten Grade 2 (50%), and four Grade 3 (20%) cases. The Grade 3 patients [median: 77 years; interquartile range (IQR): 76-82] were older than the Grade 1 patients [42; 30-46] (P<0.01); the DNS onset of the Grade 1 patients [median interval after poisoning: 35 days; IQR: 32-56] occurred later than that of the Grade 3 patients [10; 9-13] P<0.001) and the Grade 2 patients [25; 23-27] (P<0.05). The CSF-MBP levels of the DNS patients were higher than those of the non-DNS patients (P<0.0001). The 1-month CSF-MBP levels of the Grade 3 patients were higher than those of the Grade 1 patients (P<0.05); the MBP index, defined as [(Age)×(1-month CSF-MBP)], was higher in the Grade 3 patients than in the Grade 1 patients (P<0.01). Severe DNS were associated with advanced age (>72.5 years), earlier onset (<18 days), higher 1-month CSF-MBP (>252 pg/ml), and higher MBP index (>20.9 year × ng/ml). Poor DNS outcomes were associated with advanced age and earlier onset. CSF-MBP can serve as a sensitive predictor of both the development and outcomes of DNS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research highlights: printing the future of microfabrication.

PubMed

Tseng, Peter; Murray, Coleman; Kim, Donghyuk; Di Carlo, Dino

2014-05-07

In this issue we highlight emerging microfabrication approaches suitable for microfluidic systems with a focus on "additive manufacturing" processes (i.e. printing). In parallel with the now-wider availability of low cost consumer-grade 3D printers (as evidenced by at least three brands of 3D printers for sale in a recent visit to an electronics store in Akihabara, Tokyo), commercial-grade 3D printers are ramping to higher and higher resolution with new capabilities, such as printing of multiple materials of different transparency, and with different mechanical and electrical properties. We highlight new work showing that 3D printing (stereolithography approaches in particular) has now risen as a viable technology to print whole microfluidic devices. Printing on 2D surfaces such as paper is an everyday experience, and has been used widely in analytical chemistry for printing conductive materials on paper strips for glucose and other electrochemical sensors. We highlight recent work using electrodes printed on paper for digital microfluidic droplet actuation. Finally, we highlight recent work in which printing of membrane-bound droplets that interconnect through bilayer membranes may open up an entirely new approach to microfluidic manufacturing of soft devices that mimic physiological systems.

Relationships between Physical Activity Levels, Self-Identity, Body Dissatisfaction and Motivation among Spanish High School Students

PubMed Central

Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro Antonio; Leo, Francisco Miguel; Amado, Diana; Pulido, Juan José; Sánchez-Oliva, David

2017-01-01

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between gender and the educational grade on the one hand, and physical activity levels, motivation, self-identity, body dissatisfaction, the intention to be physically active and daily sitting time on the other, in a sample of Spanish high school adolescents. The sample consisted of 2087 Spanish students from the 3rd (n = 1141) and 4th grade (n = 946), both male (n = 1046) and female (n = 1041), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old (M = 15.42; SD = .86). Students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of physical activity, self-identity, motivation, intention to be physically active and daily sitting time. The students’ perceptions of their body height and mass were also tested. With the exception of walking MET values, the results showed gender differences in the variables tested. Male participants showed higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation than female participants. Furthermore, male students revealed higher levels of physical activity than female students. Finally, the research concluded with the importance of promoting intrinsic reasons for physical activity in order to encourage positive consequences in high school students. PMID:29134046

Relationships between Physical Activity Levels, Self-Identity, Body Dissatisfaction and Motivation among Spanish High School Students.

PubMed

Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro Antonio; Leo, Francisco Miguel; Amado, Diana; Pulido, Juan José; Sánchez-Oliva, David

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between gender and the educational grade on the one hand, and physical activity levels, motivation, self-identity, body dissatisfaction, the intention to be physically active and daily sitting time on the other, in a sample of Spanish high school adolescents. The sample consisted of 2087 Spanish students from the 3rd (n = 1141) and 4th grade (n = 946), both male (n = 1046) and female (n = 1041), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old (M = 15.42; SD = .86). Students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of physical activity, self-identity, motivation, intention to be physically active and daily sitting time. The students' perceptions of their body height and mass were also tested. With the exception of walking MET values, the results showed gender differences in the variables tested. Male participants showed higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation than female participants. Furthermore, male students revealed higher levels of physical activity than female students. Finally, the research concluded with the importance of promoting intrinsic reasons for physical activity in order to encourage positive consequences in high school students.

The effect of technology on student science achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, June Kraft

2003-10-01

Prior research indicates that technology has had little effect on raising student achievement. Little empirical research exists, however, studying the effects of technology as a tool to improve student achievement through development of higher order thinking skills. Also, prior studies have not focused on the manner in which technology is being used in the classroom and at home to enhance teaching and learning. Empirical data from a secondary school representative of those in California were analyzed to determine the effects of technology on student science achievement. The quantitative analysis methods for the school data study included a multiple linear path analysis, using final course grade as the ultimate exogenous variable. In addition, empirical data from a nationwide survey on how Americans use the Internet were disaggregated by age and analyzed to determine the relationships between computer and Internet experience and (a) Internet use at home for school assignments and (b) more general computer use at home for school assignments for school age children. Analysis of data collected from the a "A Nation Online" Survey conducted by the United States Census Bureau assessed these relationships via correlations and cross-tabulations. Finally, results from these data analyses were assessed in conjunction with systemic reform efforts from 12 states designed to address improvements in science and mathematics education in light of the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS). Examination of the technology efforts in those states provided a more nuanced understanding of the impact technology has on student achievement. Key findings included evidence that technology training for teachers increased their use of the computer for instruction but students' final science course grade did not improve; school age children across the country did not use the computer at home for such higher-order cognitive activities as graphics and design or spreadsheets/databases; and states whose systemic reform initiatives included a mix of capacity building and alignment to state standards realized improved student achievement on the 2000 NAEP Science Assessment.

Study on service performance of 880 MPa-grade and 980 MPa-grade rail steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, M.; Xu, G.; Zhou, J. H.; Wang, R. M.; Gan, X. L.

2017-09-01

With the rapid development of economy in China, the requirement for railway passenger and cargo transportation becomes higher and higher. Increasing speed and developing heavy-haul transportation can effectively improve the transportation capacity of railway. The requirement for rail steels with higher ability of abrasion resistance becomes urgent. Two kinds of rails, i.e., 880 MPa-grade and 980 MPa-grade rail steels, were laid on cargo line with 500 m short radius curve. The service performances of the tested steels were continuously tracked and analyzed during operation of total 22.5 million tons loads. Macro morphology, light band width, surface hardness and profile of rails were investigated. The results show that the performance of 980 MPa-grade rail steel is superior to that of 880 MPa-grade rail steel at same circumstance. Therefore, 980 MPa-grade rail should be selected in the cargo line with small radius curve.

Influence of a revision course and the gender of examiners on the grades of the final ENT exam – a retrospective review of 3961 exams

PubMed Central

Grasl, Matthäus C.; Seemann, Rudolf; Hanisch, Michael; Heiduschka, Gregor; Kremser, Karl; Thurnher, Dietmar

2015-01-01

Revision courses should repeat already acquired knowledge and skills and mostly provide a basis for passing the following exam. Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of a previously attended revision course on the grades achieved in a final exam (Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases). Additionally we ask the question whether the gender of the examiners plays a role concerning the marks or not. Methods: 3961 exams at the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Diseases in Vienna were investigated, 725 with revision course (experimental group) and 3236 without previous revision course (comparison group). The revision courses were performed in a standardized way concerning form and content, interactive and case based. Both groups were examined uniform in regard to topics and time duration. 16 male and 6 female examiners were involved. The grading followed a five–level scale. The examination marks were calculated in the arithmetic mean and median value for the entire sample, gender dependence was calculated according to the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney-Test. The inferential statistics included single- and multiple factorial analyses of variance as well as uni- and multivariate regression models. Results: The experimental group achieved a grade average of 2.54 compared with 2.46 for the comparison group. Splitting up into male and female examiners, an average of 2.54 and 2.58 resp. for the experimental group and 2.44 and 2.61 resp. for the comparison group resulted. Female examiner marked significantly lower grades in comparison to their male colleagues (P= 0.001926). Conclusions: The ENT revision course did not improve the grade averages of the final ENT exam. Female examiners grade stricter than male examiners. There was no difference concerning grades 4 (pass) and 5 (fail) but female examiners grade less with mark 1. PMID:26483851

30 CFR 817.102 - Backfilling and grading: General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... terrain if the following requirements are met: (1) All vegetative and organic material shall be removed... to conserve soil moisture, ensure stability, and control erosion on final-graded slopes, if the...

30 CFR 817.102 - Backfilling and grading: General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... terrain if the following requirements are met: (1) All vegetative and organic material shall be removed... to conserve soil moisture, ensure stability, and control erosion on final-graded slopes, if the...

30 CFR 817.102 - Backfilling and grading: General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... terrain if the following requirements are met: (1) All vegetative and organic material shall be removed... to conserve soil moisture, ensure stability, and control erosion on final-graded slopes, if the...

30 CFR 817.102 - Backfilling and grading: General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... terrain if the following requirements are met: (1) All vegetative and organic material shall be removed... to conserve soil moisture, ensure stability, and control erosion on final-graded slopes, if the...

30 CFR 817.102 - Backfilling and grading: General requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... terrain if the following requirements are met: (1) All vegetative and organic material shall be removed... to conserve soil moisture, ensure stability, and control erosion on final-graded slopes, if the...

Gender differences in mathematics achievement in Beijing: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, Meijuan; Zhang, Yongmei; Liu, Hongyun; Hao, Yi

2017-12-19

The topic of gender differences in mathematical performance has received considerable attention in the fields of education, sociology, economics and psychology. We analysed gender differences based on data from the Beijing Assessment of Educational Quality in China. A large data set of Grade 5 and Grade 8 students who took the mathematical test from 2008 to 2013 (n = 73,318) were analysed. Meta-analysis was used in this research. The findings were as follows. (1) No gender differences in mathematical achievement exist among students in Grade 5, relatively small gender differences exist in Grade 8, females scored higher than males, and variance of male students is larger than that of females in both Grade 5 and Grade 8. (2) Except for statistics and probability, gender differences in other domains in Grade 8 are significantly higher than those in Grade 5, and female students outperform males. (3) The ratio of students of both gender in Grade 5 and Grade 8 at the 95-100% percentile level shows no significant differences. However, the ratio of male students is significantly higher than that of females at the 0-5% percentile level. (4) In Grade 5, the extent to which females outperformed males in low SES group is larger than that in higher SES groups, and in Grade 8, the magnitude of gender differences in urban schools is smaller than that in rural schools. There is a small gender difference among the 8th graders, with the male disadvantage at the bottom of the distribution. And gender differences also vary across school locations. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Does It Say That? Tensions in Teacher Questions When the Text Has the Final Say

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boelé, Amy L.

2017-01-01

Using sociocultural concepts of authoritative and dialogic discourse, I sought to examine 5th-grade teachers' questioning practices during small-group reading instruction to understand the differences between groups reading text on grade level and groups reading texts below grade level. The purpose was also to examine how questions functioned for…

75 FR 12508 - Certain Potassium Phosphate Salts From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Determination...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-16

... Thermphos (China) 69.58 Food Additive Co., Ltd. Yunnan Newswift Company Ltd....... Guangxi Yizhou 69.58... foregoing phosphate salts in all grades, whether food grade or technical grade. The product covered by this... Postponement of Final Determination: Certain Frozen Fish Fillets from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 68 FR...

The Early Elementary Attendance Project. Final Report on First Two Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Marilyn; MacPherson, Douglas

The purpose of the Early Elementary Attendance Project was to improve school attendance in the early grades (kindergarten and first grade) in order to develop good attendance habits that would continue through the post elementary grades. A home/school worker approached families of students (N=77) with poor attendance records with a helping…

Teaching Effectiveness, Course Evaluation, and Academic Performance: The Role of Academic Delay of Gratification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bembenutty, Hefer

2009-01-01

Academic delay of gratification is a significant and positive predictor of students' final course grades, even after controlling for the effect of their rating of the course, expected grade, and degree of interest, importance, and utility of the academic task. Students' expected course grades are by far the strongest predictor of their final…

7 CFR 51.304 - Combination grades.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.304 Combination grades. (a) Combinations of the above grades may... permitted in connection with the U.S. apple grades. When Combination grades are packed, at least 50 percent of the apples in any lot shall meet the requirements of the higher grade in the combination. (See...

7 CFR 51.304 - Combination grades.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.304 Combination grades. (a) Combinations of the above grades may... permitted in connection with the U.S. apple grades. When Combination grades are packed, at least 50 percent of the apples in any lot shall meet the requirements of the higher grade in the combination. (See...

7 CFR 51.304 - Combination grades.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.304 Combination grades. (a) Combinations of the above grades may... permitted in connection with the U.S. apple grades. When Combination grades are packed, at least 50 percent of the apples in any lot shall meet the requirements of the higher grade in the combination. (See...

Assessment of Learning Gains Associated with Independent Exam Analysis in Introductory Biology

PubMed Central

William, Adrienne E.; Aguilar-Roca, Nancy M.; Tsai, Michelle; Wong, Matthew; Beaupré, Marin Moravec; O’Dowd, Diane K.

2011-01-01

This study evaluates the impact of an independent postmidterm question analysis exercise on the ability of students to answer subsequent exam questions on the same topics. It was conducted in three sections (∼400 students/section) of introductory biology. Graded midterms were returned electronically, and each student was assigned a subset of questions answered incorrectly by more than 40% of the class to analyze as homework. The majority of questions were at Bloom's application/analysis level; this exercise therefore emphasized learning at these higher levels of cognition. Students in each section answered final exam questions matched by topic to all homework questions, providing a within-class control group for each question. The percentage of students who correctly answered the matched final exam question was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the Topic Analysis versus Control Analysis group for seven of 19 questions. We identified two factors that influenced activity effectiveness: 1) similarity in topic emphasis of the midterm–final exam question pair and 2) quality of the completed analysis homework. Our data suggest that this easy-to-implement exercise will be useful in large-enrollment classes to help students develop self-regulated learning skills. Additional strategies to help introductory students gain a broader understanding of topic areas are discussed. PMID:22135369

Assessment of learning gains associated with independent exam analysis in introductory biology.

PubMed

Williams, Adrienne E; William, Adrienne E; Aguilar-Roca, Nancy M; Tsai, Michelle; Wong, Matthew; Beaupré, Marin Moravec; O'Dowd, Diane K

2011-01-01

This study evaluates the impact of an independent postmidterm question analysis exercise on the ability of students to answer subsequent exam questions on the same topics. It was conducted in three sections (∼400 students/section) of introductory biology. Graded midterms were returned electronically, and each student was assigned a subset of questions answered incorrectly by more than 40% of the class to analyze as homework. The majority of questions were at Bloom's application/analysis level; this exercise therefore emphasized learning at these higher levels of cognition. Students in each section answered final exam questions matched by topic to all homework questions, providing a within-class control group for each question. The percentage of students who correctly answered the matched final exam question was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the Topic Analysis versus Control Analysis group for seven of 19 questions. We identified two factors that influenced activity effectiveness: 1) similarity in topic emphasis of the midterm-final exam question pair and 2) quality of the completed analysis homework. Our data suggest that this easy-to-implement exercise will be useful in large-enrollment classes to help students develop self-regulated learning skills. Additional strategies to help introductory students gain a broader understanding of topic areas are discussed.

Incentivizing advanced mathematics study at upper secondary level: the case of bonus points in Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treacy, Páraic Thomas

2018-04-01

Secondary level mathematics education in Ireland has recently experienced a period of significant change with the introduction of new curricula and the addition of an incentive to study upper secondary mathematics at the most advanced level (Higher Level). This incentive, typically referred to as 'bonus points', appears to have aided a significant increase in the number of students studying upper secondary mathematics at Higher Level. However, thematic analysis of interviews with experienced upper secondary mathematics examiners and exploration of mathematics diagnostic test data outlined in this paper suggest that the difficulty of the Higher Level upper secondary mathematics final examination in Ireland has reduced since the introduction of the bonus points initiative. The sharp increase in students attempting this examination coupled with a policy of maintaining a consistent proportion of students achieving passing grades was identified as a key reason for this possible reduction in standards.

The effects of social structure and social capital on changes in smoking status from 8th to 9th grade: results of the Child and Adolescent Behaviors in Long-term Evolution (CABLE) study.

PubMed

Chen, Chun-Yuan; Wu, Chi-Chen; Chang, Hsing-Yi; Yen, Lee-Lan

2014-05-01

Social structure and social capital are important variables for public health strategies seeking to prevent smoking among adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between social structure, social capital and changes in smoking status from the 8th to 9th grade in Taiwan. Data were obtained from the Child and Adolescent Behaviors in Long-term Evolution (CABLE) project. The study analyzed a final sample of 1937 students (50.7% female). Each layer of social structure was associated with a particular form of social capital. Students whose parents were married and living together had higher family social capital. After controlling for background variables, the social structure variable of friends who smoke was significantly associated with changes in smoking status. Students reporting more school attachment were less likely to start smoking. Students with higher parental supervision was associated with less chance of being a consistent smoker, whereas participation of social organization outside of school was associated with continued smoking. Attending school club was associated with higher probability of smoking cessation. Smoking prevention and intervention strategies aimed at junior high school students should be tailored to the particular form of social capital important for each type of smoking status. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Outcome of Blunt Abdominal Traumas with Stable Hemodynamic and Positive FAST Findings.

PubMed

Behboodi, Firooz; Mohtasham-Amiri, Zahra; Masjedi, Navid; Shojaie, Reza; Sadri, Peyman

2016-01-01

Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) is a highly effective first screening tool for initial classification of abdominal trauma patients. The present study was designed to evaluate the outcome of patients with blunt abdominal trauma and positive FAST findings. The present prospective cross-sectional study was done on patients over 7 years old with normal abdominal examination, positive FAST findings, and available abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scan findings. The frequency of need for laparotomy as well as its probable risk factors were calculated. 180 patients were enrolled (mean age: 28.0 ± 11.5 years; 76.7% male). FAST findings were confirmed by abdominopelvic CT scan in only 124 (68.9%) cases. Finally, 12 (6.6%) patients needed laparotomy. Mean age of those in need of laparotomy was significantly higher than others (36.75 ± 11.37 versus 27.34 ± 11.37, p = 0.006). Higher grading of spleen (p = 0.001) and hepatic (p = 0.038) ruptures increased the probability of need for laparotomy. 68.9% of the positive FAST findings in patients with blunt abdominal trauma and stable hemodynamics was confirmed by abdominopelvic CT scan and only 6.6% needed laparotomy. Simultaneous presence of free fluid and air in the abdominal area, old age, and higher grading o solid organ injuries were factors that had a significant correlation with need for laparotomy.

Academic self-concept in high school: predictors and effects on adjustment in higher education.

PubMed

Wouters, Sofie; Germeijs, Veerle; Colpin, Hilde; Verschueren, Karine

2011-12-01

Academic self-concept is considered a relevant psychological construct influencing many educational outcomes directly or indirectly. Therefore, the major focus of the current study is on the predictors and effects of academic self-concept in late adolescence. First, we studied the simultaneous effects of individual, class-average and school-average achievement (i.e., assessed by school grades) on academic self-concept in the final year of high school, thereby replicating and extending previous research on the big-fish-little-pond effect model. Second, the predictive value of high school academic self-concept for academic adjustment and success in the first year of higher education was examined. The sample comprised 536 twelfth grade students (44% boys) recruited from 24 schools (67 classes) that were representative with regard to geographical region and educational network in Flanders. Structural equation modeling showed that, when examining the joint contribution of school- and class-average achievement, only class-average achievement was significantly and negatively associated with academic self-concept. Furthermore, a significant effect of academic self-concept in high school on academic adjustment and success in higher education (in addition to any effects of high school academic achievement) was found. These results highlight the importance of considering academic self-concept in educational research and policy. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Does Learning-Centered Teaching Promote Grade Improvement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mostrom, Alison M.; Blumberg, Phyllis

2012-01-01

When the grade distribution within a course shifts towards higher grades, it may be due to grade inflation or grade improvement. If the positive shift is accompanied by an increase in achievement or learning, it should be considered grade improvement, "not" grade inflation. Effective learning-centered teaching is designed to promote student…

Higher-Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aboudi, J.; Pindera, M. J.; Arnold, Steven M.

2001-01-01

Functionally graded materials (FGM's) are a new generation of engineered materials wherein the microstructural details are spatially varied through nonuniform distribution of the reinforcement phase(s). Engineers accomplish this by using reinforcements with different properties, sizes, and shapes, as well as by interchanging the roles of the reinforcement and matrix phases in a continuous manner (ref. 1). The result is a microstructure that produces continuously or discretely changing thermal and mechanical properties at the macroscopic or continuum scale. This new concept of engineering the material's microstructure marks the beginning of a revolution both in the materials science and mechanics of materials areas since it allows one, for the first time, to fully integrate the material and structural considerations into the final design of structural components. Functionally graded materials are ideal candidates for applications involving severe thermal gradients, ranging from thermal structures in advanced aircraft and aerospace engines to computer circuit boards. Owing to the many variables that control the design of functionally graded microstructures, full exploitation of the FGM's potential requires the development of appropriate modeling strategies for their response to combined thermomechanical loads. Previously, most computational strategies for the response of FGM's did not explicitly couple the material's heterogeneous microstructure with the structural global analysis. Rather, local effective or macroscopic properties at a given point within the FGM were first obtained through homogenization based on a chosen micromechanics scheme and then subsequently used in a global thermomechanical analysis.

Opposites Detract: Middle School Peer Group Antipathies

PubMed Central

Laursen, Brett; Bukowski, William M.; Nurmi, Jari-Eri; Marion, Donna; Salmela-Aro, Katariina; Kiuru, Noona

2010-01-01

This study examines variability in patterns of peer group antipathy. Same-grade adolescent peer groups were identified from sociometric nominations of preferred affiliates in a community sample of 600 Finnish 9th grade middle school students (M = 15.0 years-old). Hierarchical linear modeling determined characteristics of youth in actor groups (nominators) that predicted antipathy for youth in target groups (nominatees) on the basis of target group characteristics. Most antipathies were based on dissimilarity between groups representing the mainstream culture and groups opposed to it. The higher a peer group's school burnout, the more its members disliked students in peer groups with higher school grades and students in peer groups with higher sports participation. Conversely, the higher a peer group's school grades, the more its members disliked students in peer groups with higher school burnout. Students in peer groups with less problem behavior disliked students in peer groups with more problem behavior. There was some evidence of rivalry within the mainstream culture: The higher a group's school grades, the more its members disliked those in groups whose members participated in sports. PMID:20378125

Grade Inflation: Academic Standards in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Lester H., Ed.

2008-01-01

This book provides a provocative look at the issues and controversies surrounding grade inflation, and, more generally, grading practices in American higher education. The contributors confront the issues from a number of different disciplines and varying points of view. Topics explored include empirical evidence for and against the claim that…

The Changing Landscape of Grading Systems in US Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinman, Steven B.; Leidman, Mary Beth; Longcore, Andrew J.

2018-01-01

The following study explores the landscape of grading systems utilised in higher education, focusing on the frequency of different types of assessment scales (including Straight Letter, Plus/Minus, and other alternative policies). Although numerous studies have explored the relationship between university grading system and student behaviour,…

Patterns of Incorrect Responses on the FCI and Course Success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, James; Mokaya, Fridah; Valente, Diego

The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) is often used to measure the effectiveness of instructional pedagogy in introductory physics courses both at the algebra- and calculus-based level. Scores on the FCI are correlated with the performance of students in a class, as measured by their final course grade. We have collected data from several semesters of first-semester introductory mechanics courses at a public 4-year university, taught in large-scale classrooms with pedagogy including elements of Just-in-Time Teaching pedagogy along with active learning course components. The data collected includes pre- and post-test FCI scores, midterm exam grades, and final course grades. We examine whether certain patterns of incorrect answers on the FCI post-test are predictive of course grades, indicating whether certain specific student preconceptions are more detrimental than others to the success of students in an introductory mechanics course. Funding from UConn - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS).

Evaluating the direction of effects in the relationship between religious versus non-religious activities, academic success, and substance use.

PubMed

Good, Marie; Willoughby, Teena

2011-06-01

This longitudinal study tested the influence of involvement and selection hypotheses for the association between religious versus non-religious activity involvement and two salient indicators of adolescent psychosocial adjustment (substance use and academic achievement). Participants included 3,993 Canadian adolescents (49.4% girls) who were surveyed each year from grades 9-12. More frequent religious attendance (but not non-religious club involvement) in one grade predicted lower levels of substance use in the next grade. Higher levels of non-religious club involvement (but not religious service attendance) in one grade predicted higher academic achievement in the next grade, and higher academic achievement in one grade predicted more frequent non-religious club involvement in the next grade. The effects were robust, as they were invariant across grade and significant after controlling for individual, peer, and family characteristics. Most importantly, these results suggest that religious activities are not just another club, but, rather, that different developmental assets may be fostered in religious as compared to non-religious activities.

The effects of academic grouping on student performance in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scoggins, Sally Smykla

The current action research study explored how student placement in heterogeneous or homogeneous classes in seventh-grade science affected students' eighth-grade Science State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores, and how ability grouping affected students' scores based on race and socioeconomic status. The population included all eighth-grade students in the target district who took the regular eighth-grade science STAAR over four academic school years. The researcher ran three statistical tests: a t-test for independent samples, a one-way between subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a two-way between subjects ANOVA. The results showed no statistically significant difference between eighth-grade Pre-AP students from seventh-grade Pre-AP classes and eighth-grade Pre-AP students from heterogeneous seventh-grade classes and no statistically significant difference between Pre-AP students' scores based on socioeconomic status. There was no statistically significant interaction between socioeconomic status and the seventh-grade science classes. The scores between regular eighth-grade students who were in heterogeneous seventh-grade classes were statistically significantly higher than the scores of regular eighth-grade students who were in regular seventh-grade classes. The results also revealed that the scores of students who were White were statistically significantly higher than the scores of students who were Black and Hispanic. Black and Hispanic scores did not differ significantly. Further results indicated that the STAAR Level II and Level III scores were statistically significantly higher for the Pre-AP eighth-grade students who were in heterogeneous seventh-grade classes than the STAAR Level II and Level III scores of Pre-AP eighth-grade students who were in Pre-AP seventh-grade classes.

An exploration of the perceptions, developmental reasoning levels, differences in learning processes, and academic achievement levels of students in introductory college microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poole, Barbara Ann Matherly

1997-11-01

This study explored the relationship between the grades students earned in introductory college microbiology and American College Testing scores, sex, race, age, GED or high school diploma, full-time or part-time student status, developmental reasoning levels, memory tactics, and expected achievement. The study also explored student perceptions at the beginning and the end of the microbiology courses for science preparation, expected achievement, relevancy of microbiology, and expectations for the course. Archival records for 121 freshman level and 119 sophomore level microbiology students were accessed to obtain final grades, ACT scores, sex, race, age, GED or high school diploma and full-time or part-time status. The same information was obtained for the 113 freshman level and the 85 sophomore level students who participated in the study. The study groups were given the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking to assess their level of formal reasoning ability, the Inventory of Learning Processes-Revised to assess three memory techniques, an initial perception survey, and an exit perception survey. Academic achievement in microbiology could not be predicted using composites of the predictor variables. There were significant relationships between the GALT scores and the predicted grades with both the freshman and the sophomore final grades. The Self-Efficacy Fact Retention scores and the Literal Memorization scores had significant relationships to the final grades of the freshmen but not the sophomores. There was not a significant relationship between the Deep Semantic scores and the final grades in either group. Students indicated that high school science had given them only a medium to low level of preparation for college microbiology. The sophomores felt that previous college science classes had given them a much better preparation for microbiology than did the freshmen students. Both groups expressed the importance of the laboratory experience to the understanding of science and also the relevancy of microbiology both to their chosen professions and to their own personal lives.

Impact of the Thinking Reader[R] Software Program on Grade 6 Reading Vocabulary, Comprehension, Strategies, and Motivation: Final Report. NCEE 2010-4035

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drummond, Kathryn; Chinen, Marjorie; Duncan, Teresa Garcia; Miller, H. Ray; Fryer, Lindsay; Zmach, Courtney; Culp, Katherine

2011-01-01

"Thinking Reader" is a software program for students in Grades 5-8 that incorporates elements commonly identified in policy reports as being key components of effective adolescent literacy instruction. This evaluation of the impact of "Thinking Reader" use by Grade 6 students focused on two confirmatory research questions about…

Teaching Module for Expanding Occupational Awareness of Preschool, Second, and Fourth Grade Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marotz-Baden, Ramona; Riley, Pamela

These three modular units for preschool children (eight-week unit), grade 2 (nine-week unit), and grade 4 (six-week unit) were developed to facilitate career education by reducing sex-role stereotyping of occupations. (Final progress report of the project is available as CE 024 425.) Within each unit an outline for each week's activities details…

Evaluation of Project RACE. Weatherford Independent School District, Weatherford, Texas. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belcher, Mary H.; And Others

The third party evaluation of the K-12 career education project RACE (Researched Activities for Career Education) focused on test results of students in four selected grades. A career education questionnaire was administered as a pre-test and again as a post-test to students in the third and sixth grades. Ninth and twelfth grade students were…

National Assessment of Educational Progress Grade 12 Preparedness Research College Course Content Analysis Study: Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Policy Improvement Center, 2014

2014-01-01

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan organization that sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The Governing Board established the NAEP Program of 12th Grade Preparedness Research to assess what NAEP can report on the academic preparedness of 12th grade students entering college and…

Immunohistochemical correlation of epidermal growth factor receptor and c-erbB-2 with histopathologic grading of mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

PubMed

Khiavi, Monir Moradzadeh; Vosoughhosseini, Sepideh; Saravani, Shirin; Halimi, Monireh

2012-01-01

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is the most common salivary gland malignancy with highly variable biologic potential that correlates with the histopathologic grade of the tumor. Therefore, identification of the histopathologic grade of the mucoepidermoid carcinoma is very important in the treatment and determination of the final prognosis. The present study was performed to survey immunohistochemically Epidermal Growth Factor ReceptorEGFR and c-erbB-2 expression in different grades of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. This retrospective study included 46 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Based on histopathologic parameters, samples were classified into three grades. Then new sections were made and stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) method for EGFR and c-erbB-2. Finally, EGFR and c-erbB-2 expression and their correlation with histopathologic grading were statistically analyzed by ANOVA. Nineteen samples of normal salivary gland tissue were also chosen as control group. The means of EGFR and c-erbB-2 were 71%, 71%, respectively. Statistically significant correlation was found between EGFR expression and histopathologic grading of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of salivary glands (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant correlation between histopathologic grading of salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma and c-erbB-2 expression (P = 0.60). There is a parallelism between an increase in EGFR expression and increase in the histopathologic grading of salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Therefore, the biologic behavior of salivary gland mucoepidermoid carcinoma can be determined by EGFR expression and it is a useful technique for determination of tumor grades and probably their prognosis.

Evaluation of experimental railroad-highway grade crossings in Louisiana : final report : 1970-1985.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-04-01

This report concludes formal evaluation of forty-one experimental high-type railroad-highway grade crossings installed experimentally throughout Louisiana between 1970 and 1984. These crossings were composed of various of rubber, high-density polyeth...

Relationship between red wine grades and phenolics. 1. Tannin and total phenolics concentrations.

PubMed

Mercurio, Meagan D; Dambergs, Robert G; Cozzolino, Daniel; Herderich, Markus J; Smith, Paul A

2010-12-08

Measuring chemical composition is a common approach to support decisions about allocating foods and beverages to grades related to market value. Red wine is a particularly complex beverage, and multiple compositional attributes are needed to account for its sensory properties, including measurement of key phenolic components such as anthocyanins, total phenolics, and tannin, which are related to color and astringency. Color has been shown to relate positively to red wine grade; however, little research has been presented that explores the relationship between astringency-related components such as total phenolic or tannin concentration and wine grade. The aim of this research has been to investigate the relationship between the wine grade allocations of commercial wineries and total phenolic and tannin concentrations, respectively, in Australian Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Total phenolic and tannin concentrations were determined using the methyl cellulose precipitable (MCP) tannin assay and then compared to wine grade allocations made by winemaker panels during the companies' postvintage allocation process. Data were collected from wines produced by one Australian wine company over the 2005, 2006, and 2007 vintages and by a further two companies in 2007 (total wines = 1643). Statistical analysis revealed a positive trend toward higher wine grade allocation and wines that had higher concentrations of both total phenolics and tannin, respectively. This research demonstrates that for these companies, in general, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wines allocated to higher market value grades have higher total phenolics and higher tannin concentrations and suggests that these compositional parameters should be considered in the development of future multiparameter decision support systems for relevant commercial red wine grading processes. In addition, both tannin and total phenolics would ideally be included because although, in general, a positive relationship exists between the two parameters, this relationship does not hold for all wine styles.

Predictors of cultural capital on science academic achievement at the 8th grade level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misner, Johnathan Scott

The purpose of the study was to determine if students' cultural capital is a significant predictor of 8th grade science achievement test scores in urban locales. Cultural capital refers to the knowledge used and gained by the dominant class, which allows social and economic mobility. Cultural capital variables include magazines at home and parental education level. Other variables analyzed include socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and English language learners (ELL). This non-experimental study analyzed the results of the 2011 Eighth Grade Science National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The researcher analyzed the data using a multivariate stepwise regression analysis. The researcher concluded that the addition of cultural capital factors significantly increased the predictive power of the model where magazines in home, gender, student classified as ELL, parental education level, and SES were the independent variables and science achievement was the dependent variable. For alpha=0.05, the overall test for the model produced a R2 value of 0.232; therefore the model predicted 23.2% of variance in science achievement results. Other major findings include: higher measures of home resources predicted higher 2011 NAEP eighth grade science achievement; males were predicted to have higher 2011 NAEP 8 th grade science achievement; classified ELL students were predicted to score lower on the NAEP eight grade science achievement; higher parent education predicted higher NAEP eighth grade science achievement; lower measures of SES predicted lower 2011 NAEP eighth grade science achievement. This study contributed to the research in this field by identifying cultural capital factors that have been found to have statistical significance on predicting eighth grade science achievement results, which can lead to strategies to help improve science academic achievement among underserved populations.

7 CFR 51.304 - Combination grades.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.304 Combination grades...) Combinations other than these are not permitted in connection with the U.S. apple grades. When Combination grades are packed, at least 50 percent of the apples in any lot shall meet the requirements of the higher...

7 CFR 51.304 - Combination grades.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.304 Combination grades...) Combinations other than these are not permitted in connection with the U.S. apple grades. When Combination grades are packed, at least 50 percent of the apples in any lot shall meet the requirements of the higher...

Does 100% Rapid Review Improve Cervical Cancer Screening?

PubMed

Queiroz Filho, José; Eleutério, José; Ney Cobucci, Ricardo; de Oliveira Crispim, Janaina Cristiana; Giraldo, Paulo César; Gonçalves, Ana Katherine

2018-01-01

The aim of this work was to evaluate 100% rapid review (100% RR) as a useful tool to detect false negative (FN) results. A sample of 8,677 swabs was investigated; the unsatisfactory and negative results were referred to 100% RR, concordant results were taken as the final diagnosis, while the discordant results were debated in a consensus meeting to reach a conclusion. The positive results were examined by 2 cytologists. The data were entered into SAS statistical software, and the agreement of the 100% RR results with the final diagnosis was tested with the weighted kappa statistic. There was a significant increase in unsatisfactory results from 348 to 1,927, and of positive results from 174 to 349. On the other hand, there was a substantial decrease in negative results from 8,155 to 6,401. Assessing the relative risk of FN results in smears that were not referred to quality control (100% RR) revealed the following results: atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), 2.93; low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 2.72; high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion/atypical squamous cells - cannot exclude HSIL (HSIL/ASC-H), 2.25. Evaluating by age group, a higher risk for LSIL (4.90) and ASC-US (3.85) was observed in patients aged under 25 years, whereas patients between 25 and 64 years and those over 64 years presented a higher risk for HSIL and ASC-H: 2.46 and 2.75, respectively. 100% RR is an effective screening tool for FN results in countries where molecular tests for DNA-HPV and prophylactic vaccines are not available in cervical cancer screening programs. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[Effect of nutrition and food safety education among middle school students in a poverty-stricken county in west China].

PubMed

Huang, Donghong; Sun, Zhenqiu; Hu, Jingxuan; Shen, Minxue; Peng, Zhen; Zeng, Na

2014-03-01

To evaluate the effect of nutrition and food safety education among middle school students in a poverty-stricken county in west China, and to explore the better education model for further education. Students of grade 7 to 9 were selected from 4 middle schools in the country through multi-stage cluster sampling for the questionnaire, and the schools were assigned into an intervention group or a control group. After students in the intervention schools completed one year nutrition and food safety education with the textbooks, students were chosen from the same 4 schools to finish the same questionnaire again. A total of 410 students from grade 7 to 9 were selected at the baseline study, and 474 students in the final study. The essential characteristics of the 2 groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the baseline investigation, the differences in the scores on nutrition and food safety knowledge, attitude and practice between the 2 groups were not significant (P>0.05). In the final study, the scores on the knowledge, attitude of nutrition knowledge learning, and dietary habits among students in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). School-students mixed model demonstrated that the intervention was protective factor on scores of knowledge, in particular with nutrition related diseases and reasonable diet (P<0.05). But the intervention didn't affect the scores on attitude in both ways (P>0.05). Nutrition and food safety education can improve the nutrition and food safety knowledge effectively. The curriculum should be further standardized and different emphases should be set up to different grades to cultivate healthy diet behaviors.

Students helping students: Evaluating a pilot program of peer teaching for an undergraduate course in human anatomy

PubMed Central

Love Green, Jennifer K.; Illerbrun, Sara L.; Holness, Duncan A.; Illerbrun, Samantha J.; Haus, Kara A.; Poirier, Sylvianne M.; Sveinson, Katherine L.

2015-01-01

The educational literature generally suggests that supplemental instruction (SI) is effective in improving academic performance in traditionally difficult courses. A pilot program of peer teaching based on the SI model was implemented for an undergraduate course in human anatomy. Students in the course were stratified into three groups based on the number of peer teaching sessions they attended: nonattendees (0 sessions), infrequently attended (1‐3 sessions), and frequently attended (≥ 4 sessions). After controlling for academic preparedness [i.e., admission grade point average (AGPA)] using an analysis of covariance, the final grades of frequent attendees were significantly higher than those of nonattendees (P = 0.025) and infrequent attendees (P = 0.015). A multiple regression analysis was performed to estimate the relative independent contribution of several variables in predicting the final grade. The results suggest that frequent attendance (β = 0.245, P = 0.007) and AGPA (β = 0.555, P < 0.001) were significant positive predictors, while being a first‐year student (β = −0.217, P = 0.006) was a significant negative predictor. Collectively, these results suggest that attending a certain number of sessions may be required to gain a noticeable benefit from the program, and that first‐year students (particularly those with a lower level of academic preparedness) would likely stand to benefit from maximally using the program. End‐of‐semester surveys and reports indicate that the program had several additional benefits, both to the students taking the course and to the students who served as program leaders. Anat Sci Educ 9: 132–142. © 2015 The Authors. Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of the American Association of Anatomists. PMID:26060978

Factors that Influence the Success of Male and Female Computer Programming Students in College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clinkenbeard, Drew A.

As the demand for a technologically skilled work force grows, experience and skill in computer science have become increasingly valuable for college students. However, the number of students graduating with computer science degrees is not growing proportional to this need. Traditionally several groups are underrepresented in this field, notably women and students of color. This study investigated elements of computer science education that influence academic achievement in beginning computer programming courses. The goal of the study was to identify elements that increase success in computer programming courses. A 38-item questionnaire was developed and administered during the Spring 2016 semester at California State University Fullerton (CSUF). CSUF is an urban public university comprised of about 40,000 students. Data were collected from three beginning programming classes offered at CSUF. In total 411 questionnaires were collected resulting in a response rate of 58.63%. Data for the study were grouped into three broad categories of variables. These included academic and background variables; affective variables; and peer, mentor, and role-model variables. A conceptual model was developed to investigate how these variables might predict final course grade. Data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as linear regression, factor analysis, and path analysis. Ultimately this study found that peer interactions, comfort with computers, computer self-efficacy, self-concept, and perception of achievement were the best predictors of final course grade. In addition, the analyses showed that male students exhibited higher levels of computer self-efficacy and self-concept compared to female students, even when they achieved comparable course grades. Implications and explanations of these findings are explored, and potential policy changes are offered.

Final Exam Weighting as Part of Course Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franke, Matthew

2018-01-01

The weighting of a final exam or a final assignment is an essential part of course design that is rarely discussed in pedagogical literature. Depending on the weighting, a final exam or assignment may provide unequal benefits to students depending on their prior performance in the class. Consequently, uncritical grade weighting can discount…

Weight, socio-demographics, and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in first year university students.

PubMed

Deliens, Tom; Clarys, Peter; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte

2013-12-17

This study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not. Secondly, this study aimed to identify weight and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in those students who attended all course exams. Anthropometrics of 101 first year university students were measured at both the beginning of the first (T1) and second (T2) semester of the academic year. An on-line health behaviour questionnaire was filled out at T2. As a measure of academic performance student end-of-year Grade Point Averages (GPA) were obtained from the university's registration office. Independent samples t-tests and chi2-tests were executed to compare students who attended all course exams during the first year of university and students who did not carry through. Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of academic performance in students who attended all course exams during the first year of university. Students who did not attend all course exams were predominantly male, showed higher increases in waist circumference during the first semester and consumed more French fries than those who attended all final course exams. Being male, lower secondary school grades, increases in weight, Body Mass Index and waist circumference over the first semester, more gaming on weekdays, being on a diet, eating at the student restaurant more frequently, higher soda and French fries consumption, and higher frequency of alcohol use predicted lower GPA's in first year university students. When controlled for each other, being on a diet and higher frequency of alcohol use remained significant in the multivariate regression model, with frequency of alcohol use being the strongest correlate of GPA. This study, conducted in Belgian first year university students, showed that academic performance is associated with a wide range of weight and health related behaviours. Future studies should investigate whether interventions aiming at promoting healthy behaviours among students could also have a positive impact on academic performance.

Weight, socio-demographics, and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in first year university students

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This study aimed to examine differences in socio-demographics and health behaviour between Belgian first year university students who attended all final course exams and those who did not. Secondly, this study aimed to identify weight and health behaviour related correlates of academic performance in those students who attended all course exams. Methods Anthropometrics of 101 first year university students were measured at both the beginning of the first (T1) and second (T2) semester of the academic year. An on-line health behaviour questionnaire was filled out at T2. As a measure of academic performance student end-of-year Grade Point Averages (GPA) were obtained from the university’s registration office. Independent samples t-tests and chi 2 -tests were executed to compare students who attended all course exams during the first year of university and students who did not carry through. Uni- and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify correlates of academic performance in students who attended all course exams during the first year of university. Results Students who did not attend all course exams were predominantly male, showed higher increases in waist circumference during the first semester and consumed more French fries than those who attended all final course exams. Being male, lower secondary school grades, increases in weight, Body Mass Index and waist circumference over the first semester, more gaming on weekdays, being on a diet, eating at the student restaurant more frequently, higher soda and French fries consumption, and higher frequency of alcohol use predicted lower GPA’s in first year university students. When controlled for each other, being on a diet and higher frequency of alcohol use remained significant in the multivariate regression model, with frequency of alcohol use being the strongest correlate of GPA. Conclusions This study, conducted in Belgian first year university students, showed that academic performance is associated with a wide range of weight and health related behaviours. Future studies should investigate whether interventions aiming at promoting healthy behaviours among students could also have a positive impact on academic performance. PMID:24344995

A Comparison of Online, Video Synchronous, and Traditional Learning Modes for an Introductory Undergraduate Physics Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulconer, E. K.; Griffith, J.; Wood, B.; Acharyya, S.; Roberts, D.

2018-05-01

While the equivalence between online and traditional classrooms has been well-researched, very little of this includes college-level introductory Physics. Only one study explored Physics at the whole-class level rather than specific course components such as a single lab or a homework platform. In this work, we compared the failure rate, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates in an introductory undergraduate Physics course across several learning modes including traditional face-to-face instruction, synchronous video instruction, and online classes. Statistically significant differences were found for student failure rates, grade distribution, and withdrawal rates but yielded small effect sizes. Post-hoc pair-wise test was run to determine differences between learning modes. Online students had a significantly lower failure rate than students who took the class via synchronous video classroom. While statistically significant differences were found for grade distributions, the pair-wise comparison yielded no statistically significance differences between learning modes when using the more conservative Bonferroni correction in post-hoc testing. Finally, in this study, student withdrawal rates were lowest for students who took the class in person (in-person classroom and synchronous video classroom) than online. Students that persist in an online introductory Physics class are more likely to achieve an A than in other modes. However, the withdrawal rate is higher from online Physics courses. Further research is warranted to better understand the reasons for higher withdrawal rates in online courses. Finding the root cause to help eliminate differences in student performance across learning modes should remain a high priority for education researchers and the education community as a whole.

Analysis of the Characteristics of Discussion Materials that Promote Group Discussion in the Medical Humanities.

PubMed

Ahn, Jae Hee; Jeon, Woo Taek

2011-12-01

This study aims to analyze the characteristics of discussion materials that promote student participation in discussions, satisfaction with student instruction, and tutor intervention in the medical humanities. We surveyed 117 premedical students and 7 tutors who attended 4-week group discussions in the medical humanities in 2010. We described the discussion materials using the following 4 characteristics as independent variables: material type, level of understanding, interest, and quantity. Dependent variables were: student participation in the discussion, student instruction satisfaction, and tutor intervention. Correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and crosstab were performed using SPSS 15.0. The correlation between the characteristics of the discussion materials differed by grade. When the books were chosen as the discussion material in the instruction of first-year premedical students, the correlation between level of understanding, interest, and quantity was negative. Higher levels of understanding of the material and interest in the material led to an increase in discussion participation among both first- and second-year premedical students. Higher levels of understanding and interest of the discussion material also increased student satisfaction with the instruction, regardless of grade. Finally, levels of understanding of the material affected the degree of tutor intervention. Tutors intervened more often in discussions with first-year premedical students than with second-year premedical students. Differences in grades and the understanding of the discussion material should be considered when choosing discussion materials. Further study is required to continue the development of the discussion model and improve methods of facilitate discussion among students in the medical humanities.

The development of a test of biodiversity knowledge of high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajayi, Olabisi Modupe

2002-09-01

The primary purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable test of the knowledge of biodiversity of high school students. The test differentiated students' knowledge on three levels of biodiversity: species, ecosystem and genetics. A secondary purpose was to examine how biodiversity scores were affected by gender, grade point average, and families' socioeconomic status. The initial phase of the instrument development involved the construction of 60 dichotomous items (true/false). To establish content validity, a panel of biodiversity experts reviewed the items for appropriateness and clarity. The items were checked for readability using Flesch-Kincaid Readability Index and the readability was at the fifth grade level. The instrument was subjected to factor analysis. As a result, the final instrument was compiled and named the Ajayi Biodiversity Instrument (ABI). The reliability of ABI was .87. The mean score on the 25-item test was 79%. No significant difference at >0.05 was found in the score of students on each of the three subtests for genetics, species, and ecosystem. No significant difference was found in the score of students relative to their family's socioeconomic status. There was a significant correlation between grade point average and participation in extracurricular activities that related to biodiversity concepts and scores on ABI. Gender differences emerged at the ecosystem level, females scoring higher than males. Differences among ethnic groups also emerged. Anglo-Americans scored significantly higher on the test of knowledge of biodiversity for high school students than the rest of the ethnic groups combined.

Field verification process for open-graded HMAC mixes : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-07-01

The State of Oregon uses significant amounts of open-graded HMAC mixes as primary wearing courses on state highways. The primary materials design system for these mixes relies heavily on laboratory draindown to select the design asphalt content. Subs...

Roughness analysis of grade breaks at intersections : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-03-01

A method to analyze the roughness of grade breaks at highway intersections is proposed. Although there are a variety of instruments to physically measure the road roughness, there are no known methodologies to analyze profile roughness during the des...

The Hopf algebra structure of the h-deformed Z3-graded quantum supergroup GLh,j(1|1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasar, Ergün

2016-07-01

In this work, we define a new proper singular g matrix to construct a Z3-graded calculus on the h-deformed quantum superplane. Using the obtained calculus, we construct a new h-deformed Z3-graded quantum supergroup and give some features of it. Finally, we build up the Hopf algebra structure of this supergroup.

A Study of Culturally Deprived Children in Kindergarten and Grade I Following a Nine-Month Nursery Experience. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zigler, Edward F.

This follow-up study compares the social adjustment and academic performance of low-income kindergarten and first-grade children who participated in a 9-month Head Start-type nursery school experience with that of kindergarten and first-grade children from the same social background who had not had the nursery school experience. Children were…

The Application of Liquid Nitrogen Spray Cryotherapy in Treatment of Bronchial Stenosis.

PubMed

Janke, Kelly J; Abbas, Abbas El-Sayed; Ambur, Vishnu; Yu, Daohai

Spray cryotherapy (SCT), the application of liquid nitrogen in a noncontact form, has been demonstrated to have efficacy in treating various types of pathologic lesions of the airway when used as an adjunct with bronchoscopy. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the results of the use of bronchoscopic SCT on the airway in a single institution. We performed a retrospective review of data collected on all patients who underwent SCT to re-establish or improve airway patency in an 11-month period. Patients were classified based on the nature of their disease into benign or malignant. Demographic data, change in luminal patency, and clinical outcomes were recorded. The percent of stenosis was divided into grades according to the following classification: 1, ≤25%; 2, 26% to 50%; 3, 51% to 75%; and 4, ≥76%. We defined successful completion of treatment as obtaining a final patency of grade 1. Twenty-two patients met inclusion criteria, with 45.5% (10 patients) having benign stenosis and 54.5% (12 patients) malignant. At initial bronchoscopic evaluation, the median grade of stenosis was 4 for malignant disease and 3.5 for benign disease. The median final posttreatment grade of stenosis was 2 for malignant disease and 1 for benign. The median improvement in grade of stenosis after treatment was 2 for both malignant and benign causes (Wilcoxon test, P = 0.92). Final patency of grade 1 was achieved in 42% of malignant stenosis and 80% of benign. Overall, 86.4% of patients had an improvement in grade of stenosis after treatment. The rate of morbidity was 4.5% (1/22) of all patients. The median change in grade after treatment was 2 grades of improvement for both the benign and malignant groups. These results provide evidence that the use of SCT is equally efficacious for both types of stenosis with an expectation of overall improvement in luminal patency, offering a safe and effective method of achieving airway patency in a minimally invasive fashion. This study contributes to the small but growing body of literature supporting the use of SCT in benign and malignant disease.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes of Children with Low-Grade Gliomas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ris, M. Douglas; Beebe, Dean W.

2008-01-01

As a group, children with low-grade gliomas (LGGs) enjoy a high rate of long-term survival and do not require the intensity of neurotoxic treatments used with higher risk pediatric brain tumors. Because they are generally considered to have favorable neurobehavioral outcomes, they have not been studied as thoroughly as higher-grade brain tumors by…

Assessment and Learning without Grades? Motivations and Concerns with Implementing Gradeless Learning in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMorran, Chris; Ragupathi, Kiruthika; Luo, Simei

2017-01-01

The relationship between assessment and learning in higher education often comes down to a single thing: a grade. Despite widespread criticism of grades as inexact tools, whose overemphasis undermines student learning and negatively affects student well-being, they continue to be the norm in the assessment of student learning. This paper analyses…

Effect of Using Separate Laboratory and Lecture Courses for Introductory Crop Science on Student Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiebold, W. J.; Slaughter, Leon

1986-01-01

Reviews a study that examined the effects of laboratories on the grade performance of undergraduates in an introductory crop science course. Results indicated that students enrolled in lecture and laboratory concurrently did not receive higher lecture grades than students enrolled solely in lecture, but did have higher laboratory grades. (ML)

Correlation between Grade Point Averages and Student Evaluation of Teaching Scores: Taking a Closer Look

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Tyler J.; Hilton, John, III.; Plummer, Kenneth; Barret, Devynne

2014-01-01

One of the most contentious potential sources of bias is whether instructors who give higher grades receive higher ratings from students. We examined the grade point averages (GPAs) and student ratings across 2073 general education religion courses at a large private university. A moderate correlation was found between GPAs and student evaluations…

Economics of Grading and Sorting Pallet Parts

Treesearch

Daniel L. Schmoldt; John A. McLeod; Philip A. Araman

1993-01-01

Before trying to develop an automated inspection system for pallet part grading we analyzed the economics of such a system. Our results suggest that higher quality pallets produced by grading and sorting pallet parts would be attractive to both manufacturers and their customers, who would have to pay increased prices for higher quality pallets. Reductions in cost-per-...

The Effect of English Language on Multiple Choice Question Scores of Thai Medical Students.

PubMed

Phisalprapa, Pochamana; Muangkaew, Wayuda; Assanasen, Jintana; Kunavisarut, Tada; Thongngarm, Torpong; Ruchutrakool, Theera; Kobwanthanakun, Surapon; Dejsomritrutai, Wanchai

2016-04-01

Universities in Thailand are preparing for Thailand's integration into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by increasing the number of tests in English language. English language is not the native language of Thailand Differences in English language proficiency may affect scores among test-takers, even when subject knowledge among test-takers is comparable and may falsely represent the knowledge level of the test-taker. To study the impact of English language multiple choice test questions on test scores of medical students. The final examination of fourth-year medical students completing internal medicine rotation contains 120 multiple choice questions (MCQ). The languages used on the test are Thai and English at a ratio of 3:1. Individual scores of tests taken in both languages were collected and the effect of English language on MCQ was analyzed Individual MCQ scores were then compared with individual student English language proficiency and student grade point average (GPA). Two hundred ninety five fourth-year medical students were enrolled. The mean percentage of MCQ scores in Thai and English were significantly different (65.0 ± 8.4 and 56.5 ± 12.4, respectively, p < 0.001). The correlation between MCQ scores in Thai and English was fair (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.41, p < 0.001). Of 295 students, only 73 (24.7%) students scored higher when being tested in English than in Thai language. Students were classified into six grade categories (A, B+, B, C+, C, and D+), which cumulatively measured total internal medicine rotation performance score plus final examination score. MCQ scores from Thai language examination were more closely correlated with total course grades than were the scores from English language examination (Spearman's correlation coefficient = 0.73 (p < 0.001) and 0.53 (p < 0.001), respectively). The gap difference between MCQ scores in both languages was higher in borderline students than in the excellent student group (11.2 ± 11.2 and 7.1 ± 8.2, respectively, p < 0.001). Overall, average student English proficiency score was very high, at 3.71 ± 0.35 from a total of 4.00. Mean student GPA was 3.40 ± 0.33 from a possible 4.00. English language MCQ examination scores were more highly associated with GPA than with English language proficiency. The use of English language multiple choice question test may decrease scores of the fourth-year internal medicine post-rotation final examination, especially those of borderline students.

The use of an essay examination in evaluating medical students during the surgical clerkship.

PubMed

Smart, Blair J; Rinewalt, Daniel; Daly, Shaun C; Janssen, Imke; Luu, Minh B; Myers, Jonathan A

2016-01-01

Third-year medical students are graded according to subjective performance evaluations and standardized tests written by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Many "poor" standardized test takers believe the heavily weighted NBME does not evaluate their true fund of knowledge and would prefer a more open-ended forum to display their individualized learning experiences. Our study examined the use of an essay examination as part of the surgical clerkship evaluation. We retrospectively examined the final surgical clerkship grades of 781 consecutive medical students enrolled in a large urban academic medical center from 2005 to 2011. We examined final grades with and without the inclusion of the essay examination for all students using a paired t test and then sought any relationship between the essay and NBME using Pearson correlations. Final average with and without the essay examination was 72.2% vs 71.3% (P < .001), with the essay examination increasing average scores by .4, 1.8, and 2.5 for those receiving high pass, pass, and fail, respectively. The essay decreased the average score for those earning an honors by .4. Essay scores were found to overall positively correlate with the NBME (r = .32, P < .001). The inclusion of an essay examination as part of the third-year surgical core clerkship final did increase the final grade a modest degree, especially for those with lower scores who may identify themselves as "poor" standardized test takers. A more open-ended forum may allow these students an opportunity to overcome this deficiency and reveal their true fund of surgical knowledge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation of optimize graded concrete for Oklahoma : phase 1 : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

Optimized Graded Concrete has been a subject widely discussed through the history of concrete. Since aggregates make up over 70% of the volume in a mixture, gradation is critical to the strength, workability, and durability of concrete. In practice o...

Gender matters, too: the influences of school racial discrimination and racial identity on academic engagement outcomes among African American adolescents.

PubMed

Chavous, Tabbye M; Rivas-Drake, Deborah; Smalls, Ciara; Griffin, Tiffany; Cogburn, Courtney

2008-05-01

The authors examined relationships among racial identity, school-based racial discrimination experiences, and academic engagement outcomes for adolescent boys and girls in Grades 8 and 11 (n = 204 boys and n = 206 girls). The authors found gender differences in peer and classroom discrimination and in the impact of earlier and later discrimination experiences on academic outcomes. Racial centrality related positively to school performance and school importance attitudes for boys. Also, centrality moderated the relationship between discrimination and academic outcomes in ways that differed across gender. For boys, higher racial centrality related to diminished risk for lower school importance attitudes and grades from experiencing classroom discrimination relative to boys lower in centrality, and girls with higher centrality were protected against the negative impact of peer discrimination on school importance and academic self-concept. However, among lower race-central girls, peer discrimination related positively to academic self-concept. Finally, socioeconomic background moderated the relationship of discrimination with academic outcomes differently for girls and boys. The authors discuss the need to consider interactions of individual- and contextual-level factors in better understanding African American youths' academic and social development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

The Timing of School Transitions and Early Adolescent Problem Behavior

PubMed Central

Lippold, Melissa A.; Powers, Christopher J.; Syvertsen, Amy K.; Feinberg, Mark E.; Greenberg, Mark T.

2013-01-01

This longitudinal study investigates whether rural adolescents who transition to a new school in sixth grade have higher levels of risky behavior than adolescents who transition in seventh grade. Our findings indicate that later school transitions had little effect on problem behavior between sixth and ninth grades. Cross-sectional analyses found a small number of temporary effects of transition timing on problem behavior: Spending an additional year in elementary school was associated with higher levels of deviant behavior in the Fall of Grade 6 and higher levels of antisocial peer associations in Grade 8. However, transition effects were not consistent across waves and latent growth curve models found no effects of transition timing on the trajectory of problem behavior. We discuss policy implications and compare our findings with other research on transition timing. PMID:24089584

Supporting local diversity of habitats and species on farmland: a comparison of three wildlife-friendly schemes.

PubMed

Hardman, Chloe J; Harrison, Dominic P G; Shaw, Pete J; Nevard, Tim D; Hughes, Brin; Potts, Simon G; Norris, Ken

2016-02-01

Restoration and maintenance of habitat diversity have been suggested as conservation priorities in farmed landscapes, but how this should be achieved and at what scale are unclear. This study makes a novel comparison of the effectiveness of three wildlife-friendly farming schemes for supporting local habitat diversity and species richness on 12 farms in England.The schemes were: (i) Conservation Grade (Conservation Grade: a prescriptive, non-organic, biodiversity-focused scheme), (ii) organic agriculture and (iii) a baseline of Entry Level Stewardship (Entry Level Stewardship: a flexible widespread government scheme). Conservation Grade farms supported a quarter higher habitat diversity at the 100-m radius scale compared to Entry Level Stewardship farms. Conservation Grade and organic farms both supported a fifth higher habitat diversity at the 250-m radius scale compared to Entry Level Stewardship farms. Habitat diversity at the 100-m and 250-m scales significantly predicted species richness of butterflies and plants. Habitat diversity at the 100-m scale also significantly predicted species richness of birds in winter and solitary bees. There were no significant relationships between habitat diversity and species richness for bumblebees or birds in summer.Butterfly species richness was significantly higher on organic farms (50% higher) and marginally higher on Conservation Grade farms (20% higher), compared with farms in Entry Level Stewardship. Organic farms supported significantly more plant species than Entry Level Stewardship farms (70% higher) but Conservation Grade farms did not (10% higher). There were no significant differences between the three schemes for species richness of bumblebees, solitary bees or birds. Policy implications . The wildlife-friendly farming schemes which included compulsory changes in management, Conservation Grade and organic, were more effective at increasing local habitat diversity and species richness compared with the less prescriptive Entry Level Stewardship scheme. We recommend that wildlife-friendly farming schemes should aim to enhance and maintain high local habitat diversity, through mechanisms such as option packages, where farmers are required to deliver a combination of several habitats.

Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) [SEC 1 THRU 11

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

ULLAH, M K

2001-02-26

The Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) is located on the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site in south central Washington State. The DOE Richland Operations (DOE-RL) Project Hanford Management Contract (PHMC) is with Fluor Hanford Inc. (FH). Westinghouse Safety Management Systems (WSMS) provides management support to the PFP facility. Since 1991, the mission of the PFP has changed from plutonium material processing to preparation for decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). The PFP is in transition between its previous mission and the proposed D and D mission. The objective of the transition is to place the facility into a stablemore » state for long-term storage of plutonium materials before final disposition of the facility. Accordingly, this update of the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) reflects the current status of the buildings, equipment, and operations during this transition. The primary product of the PFP was plutonium metal in the form of 2.2-kg, cylindrical ingots called buttoms. Plutonium nitrate was one of several chemical compounds containing plutonium that were produced as an intermediate processing product. Plutonium recovery was performed at the Plutonium Reclamation Facility (PRF) and plutonium conversion (from a nitrate form to a metal form) was performed at the Remote Mechanical C (RMC) Line as the primary processes. Plutonium oxide was also produced at the Remote Mechanical A (RMA) Line. Plutonium processed at the PFP contained both weapons-grade and fuels-grade plutonium materials. The capability existed to process both weapons-grade and fuels-grade material through the PRF and only weapons-grade material through the RMC Line although fuels-grade material was processed through the line before 1984. Amounts of these materials exist in storage throughout the facility in various residual forms left from previous years of operations.« less

Buckling of graded coatings: A continuum model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Tz-Cheng

2000-12-01

Requirements for the protection of hot section components in many high temperature applications such as earth-to-orbit winged planes and advanced turbine systems have led to the application of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) that utilize ceramic coatings on metal substrates. An alternative concept to homogeneous ceramic coatings is the functionally graded materials (FGM) in which the composition of the coating is intentionally graded to improve the bonding strength and to reduce the magnitude of the residual and thermal stresses. A widely observed failure mode in such layered systems is known to be interface cracking that leads to spallation fracture. In most cases, the final stage of the failure process for a thin coating appears to be due to buckling instability under thermally or mechanically induced compressive stress. The objective of this study is to develop a solution to the buckling instability problem by using continuum elasticity rather than a structural mechanics approach. The emphasis in the solution will be on the investigation of the effect of material inhomogeneity in graded coatings on the instability load, the postbuckling behavior, and fracture mechanics parameters such as the stress intensity factors and strain energy release rate. In this analysis, a nonlinear continuum theory is employed to examine the interface crack problem. The analytical solution of the instability problem permits the study of the effect of material inhomogeneity upon the inception of buckling and establishes benchmark results for the numerical solutions of related problems. To study the postbuckling behavior and to calculate the stress intensity factors and strain energy release rate a geometrically nonlinear finite element procedure with enriched crack-tip element is developed. Both plane strain and axisymmetric interface crack problems in TBCs with either homogeneous or graded coating are then considered by using the finite element procedure. It is assumed that the applied load is a uniform temperature drop. Comparison of the results with that obtained from the plate approximation shows that because of the higher constraints the plate theory predicts greater instability strains and lower strain energy release rates. It is also observed that compared with a homogeneous coating the graded coating gives lower strain energy release rate because of the lower thermal residual stress and higher bending stiffness. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Do Chondral Lesions of the Knee Correlate with Bone Tracer Uptake by Using SPECT/CT?

PubMed

Dordevic, Milos; Hirschmann, Michael T; Rechsteiner, Jan; Falkowski, Anna; Testa, Enrique; Hirschmann, Anna

2016-01-01

To evaluate the correlation of bone tracer uptake as determined with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) and the size and severity of chondral lesions detected with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the knee. MR imaging and SPECT/CT images of 63 knee joints in 63 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 49.2 years ± 12.7) with chondral or osteochondral lesions were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed after approval by the ethics committee. Chondral lesions were graded on MR images by using a modified Noyes grading scale (grade 0, intact; grade 1, fibrillations; grade 2, <50% defect; grade 3, >50% defect; and grade 4, grade three plus subchondral changes) and measured in two dimensions. Technetium 99m hydroxymethane diphosphonate SPECT/CT bone tracer uptake was volumetrically quantified by using validated software. Maximum values of each subchondral area (patellofemoral or medial and lateral femorotibial) were quantified, and a ratio was calculated in relation to a reference region in the femoral shaft, which represented the bone tracer uptake background activity. Grades and sizes of chondral lesions and bone tracer uptake were correlated by using an independent t test and analysis of variance (P < .05). Bone tracer uptake was low (mean relative uptake, 1.64 ± 0.95) in knees without any present chondral lesion. In knees with grade 3 and 4 chondral lesions, the relative ratio was significantly higher (3.62 ± 2.18, P = .002) than in knees with grade 1 and 2 lesions (2.95 ± 2.07). The larger the diameter of the chondral lesion, the higher the bone tracer uptake. Higher grades of chondral lesions (grades 3 and 4) larger than 4 cm(2) (4.96 ± 2.43) showed a significantly higher bone tracer uptake than smaller lesions (<1 cm(2), 2.72 ± 1.43 [P = .011]; and 1-4 cm(2), 3.28 ± 2.15 [P = .004]). SPECT/CT findings significantly correlate with the degree and size of chondral lesions on MR images. Grade 3 and 4 chondral lesions of the knee, as well as larger lesions, correlate with a high bone tracer uptake. © RSNA, 2015.

The Texas Reading Initiative: Mobilizing Resources for Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denton, David

1997-01-01

This paper states that the unequivocal goal that Governor George Bush has set for the state of Texas is that "all students should be able to read on grade level or higher by the end of third grade and continue to read on grade level or higher throughout their schooling." The paper explains that the governor identified eight key elements…

Long Term Effects of First Grade Multi-Tier Intervention

PubMed Central

Otaiba, Stephanie Al; Kim, Young-Suk; Wanzek, Jeanne; Petscher, Yaacov; Wagner, Richard K.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the long term effects of two first grade RTI models (Dynamic and Typical RTI) on the reading performance of students in second and third grade. Participants included 419 first grade students (352 in second grade and 278 in third grade after attrition). Students were classified based on first grade screeners as at-risk or not at-risk and then based on their response to intervention (no risk [NR], relative easy to remediate [ER] and requiring sustained remediation [SR]). Students in the Dynamic RTI condition had higher reading comprehension scores at the end of third grade. At the end of second grade, ER and SR students had lower reading scores than NR students. At the end of third grade, there were no differences in reading skills between ER and NR students, but SR students had lower scores than NR students. ER students in the Dynamic RTI condition had higher reading scores at the end of second grade than those in the Typical RTI condition. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:25346781

Introduction to Quantitative Science, a Ninth-Grade Laboratory-Centered Course Stressing Quantitative Observation and Mathematical Analysis of Experimental Results. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badar, Lawrence J.

This report, in the form of a teacher's guide, presents materials for a ninth grade introductory course on Introduction to Quantitative Science (IQS). It is intended to replace a traditional ninth grade general science with a process oriented course that will (1) unify the sciences, and (2) provide a quantitative preparation for the new science…

Black blood MRI in suspected large artery primary angiitis of the central nervous system.

PubMed

Pfefferkorn, Thomas; Linn, Jennifer; Habs, Maximilian; Opherk, Christina; Cyran, Clemens; Ottomeyer, Caroline; Straube, Andreas; Dichgans, Martin; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Saam, Tobias

2013-07-01

Single case reports suggest that black blood MRI (T1-weighted fat and blood suppressed sequences with and without contrast injection; BB-MRI) may visualize intracranial vessel wall contrast enhancement (CE) in primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS). In this single-center observational pilot study we prospectively investigated the value of BB-MRI in the diagnosis of large artery PACNS. Patients with suspected large artery PACNS received a standardized diagnostic program including BB-MRI. Vessel wall CE was graded (grade 0-2) by two experienced readers blinded to clinical data and correlated to the final diagnosis. Four of 12 included patients received a final diagnosis of PACNS. All of them showed moderate (grade 1) to strong (grade 2) vessel wall CE at the sites of stenosis. A moderate (grade 1) vessel wall CE grade was also observed in 6 of the remaining 8 patients in whom alternative diagnoses were made: arteriosclerotic disease (n = 4), intracranial dissection (n = 1), and Moyamoya disease (n = 1). Our pilot study demonstrates that vessel wall CE is a frequent finding in PACNS and its mimics. Larger trials will be necessary to evaluate the utility of BB-MRI in the diagnostic workup of PACNS. Copyright © 2012 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

The Role of Attention Shifting in Orthographic Competencies: Cross-Sectional Findings from 1st, 3rd, and 8th Grade Students

PubMed Central

von Suchodoletz, Antje; Fäsche, Anika; Skuballa, Irene T.

2017-01-01

Attention shifting refers to one core component of executive functions, a set of higher-order cognitive processes that predict different aspects of academic achievement. To date, few studies have investigated the role of attention shifting in orthographic competencies during middle childhood and early adolescence. In the present study, 69 first-grade, 121 third-grade, and 85 eighth-grade students' attention shifting was tested with a computer version of the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS; Zelazo, 2006). General spelling skills and specific writing and spelling strategies were assessed with the Hamburger Writing Test (May, 2002). Results suggested associations between attention shifting and various orthographic competencies that differ across age groups and by sex. Across all age groups, better attention shifting was associated with less errors in applying alphabetical strategies. In third graders, better attention shifting was furthermore related to better general spelling skills and less errors in using orthographical strategies. In this age group, associations did not differ by sex. Among first graders, attention shifting was negatively related to general spelling skills, but only for boys. In contrast, attention shifting was positively related to general spelling skills in eighth graders, but only for girls. Finally, better attention shifting was associated with less case-related errors in eighth graders, independent of students' sex. In sum, the data provide insight into both variability and consistency in the pattern of relations between attention shifting and various orthographic competencies among elementary and middle school students. PMID:29018387

Internal limiting membrane peeling in macula-off retinal detachment complicated by grade B proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

PubMed

Foveau, Pauline; Leroy, Bertrand; Berrod, Jean-Paul; Conart, Jean-Baptiste

2018-04-02

To investigate the clinical benefit of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling as a surgical adjunct in the repair of primary retinal detachment (RD) complicated by grade B proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Retrospective, interventional, comparative case series. SETTING: Institutional. 75 consecutive patients who underwent vitrectomy for primary macula off RD complicated by grade B PVR. Patients were divided into an ILM peeling (group P) and a no ILM peeling (group NP). Anatomical success rate, best-corrected visual acuity, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) characteristics were collected at 1 and 6 months. In all, 37 eyes with ILM peeling were included in group P and 38 eyes without ILM peeling were included in group NP. The anatomical success rate after single surgery was higher in group P (89%) than in group NP (66%, p=0.03). Mean final visual acuity was 0.41 ±0.40 logMAR in group P versus 0.43 ±0.22 logMAR in group NP (p=0.82). We found no epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation in group P, whereas five cases of ERM (20%) were detected in group NP (p=0.012). The two groups did not differ in terms of cystoid macular edema occurrence, macular thickness, or photoreceptor damage. ILM peeling during vitrectomy in macula off RD complicated by grade B PVR reduces the need for a second surgery for re-detachment or macular pucker. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effects of sleep timing, sleep quality and sleep duration on school achievement in adolescents.

PubMed

Tonetti, Lorenzo; Fabbri, Marco; Filardi, Marco; Martoni, Monica; Natale, Vincenzo

2015-08-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of sleep timing, quality and duration on school achievement in adolescents. Thirty-six Italian students (mean age: 18.14 ± 0.49 years) attending their last year of high school participated in the study. They completed the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (MEQ-CA). This was used to determine their ideal sleep timing by computing the total score, with higher scores corresponding to a greater tendency toward morningness. In addition, students underwent two non-consecutive weeks of actigraphy in one-month period to objectively assess: habitual sleep timing through the midpoint of sleep (MS); habitual sleep quality through the parameter of sleep efficiency (SE); and habitual sleep duration through the parameter of total sleep time (TST). Participants also completed the Mini Sleep Questionnaire, which allowed us to assess perceived sleep quality, at the end of each actigraphic-recording week. School performance was assessed using the grades obtained by students in their school leaving exams taken at the end of the school year. A significant positive correlation was observed between SE and exam grades, as well as MEQ-CA scores and grades. Multiple regression analysis showed that only SE was significantly and positively related to the final grade. Examining objective and ecological measures, SE (indicator of sleep quality) had the strongest effect on school achievement in adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single-step laser deposition of functionally graded coating by dual ‘wire powder’ or ‘powder powder’ feeding—A comparative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syed, Waheed Ul Haq; Pinkerton, Andrew J.; Liu, Zhu; Li, Lin

2007-07-01

The creation of iron-copper (Fe-Cu) alloys has practical application in improving the surface heat conduction and corrosion resistance of, for example, conformal cooling channels in steel moulds, but is difficult to achieve because the elements have got low inter-solubility and are prone to solidification cracking. Previous work by these authors has reported a method to produce a graded iron-nickel-copper coating in a single-step by direct diode laser deposition (DLD) of nickel wire and copper powder as a combined feedstock. This work investigates whether dual powder feeds can be used in that process to afford greater geometric flexibility and compares attributes of the 'nickel wire and copper powder' and 'nickel powder and copper powder' processes for deposition on a H13 tool steel substrate. In wire-powder deposition, a higher temperature developed in the melt pool causing a clad with a smooth gradient structure. The nickel powder in powder-powder deposition did not impart much heat into the melt pool so the melt pool solidified with sharp composition boundaries due to single metal melting in some parts. In wire-powder experiments, a graded structure was obtained by varying the flow rates of wire and powder. However, a graded structure was not realised in powder-powder experiments by varying either the feed or the directions. Reasons for the differences and flow patterns in the melt pools and their effect on final part properties of parts produced are discussed.

From spectral information to animal colour vision: experiments and concepts.

PubMed

Kelber, Almut; Osorio, Daniel

2010-06-07

Many animals use the spectral distribution of light to guide behaviour, but whether they have colour vision has been debated for over a century. Our strong subjective experience of colour and the fact that human vision is the paradigm for colour science inevitably raises the question of how we compare with other species. This article outlines four grades of 'colour vision' that can be related to the behavioural uses of spectral information, and perhaps to the underlying mechanisms. In the first, even without an (image-forming) eye, simple organisms can compare photoreceptor signals to locate a desired light environment. At the next grade, chromatic mechanisms along with spatial vision guide innate preferences for objects such as food or mates; this is sometimes described as wavelength-specific behaviour. Here, we compare the capabilities of di- and trichromatic vision, and ask why some animals have more than three spectral types of receptors. Behaviours guided by innate preferences are then distinguished from a grade that allows learning, in part because the ability to learn an arbitrary colour is evidence for a neural representation of colour. The fourth grade concerns colour appearance rather than colour difference: for instance, the distinction between hue and saturation, and colour categorization. These higher-level phenomena are essential to human colour perception but poorly known in animals, and we suggest how they can be studied. Finally, we observe that awareness of colour and colour qualia cannot be easily tested in animals.

High Strength Reinforcing Steel Bars : Concrete Shear Friction Interface : final report : Part A.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

High-strength steel (HSS) reinforcement, specifically ASTM A706 Grade 80 (550), is now permitted by the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for use in reinforced concrete bridge components in non-seismic regions. Using Grade 80 (550) steel reinf...

High strength reinforcing steel bars : concrete shear friction interface : final report : Part A.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

High-strength steel (HSS) reinforcement, specifically ASTM A706 Grade 80 (550), is now permitted by the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for use in reinforced concrete bridge components in non-seismic regions. Using Grade 80 (550) steel reinf...

78 FR 283 - United States Standards for Grades of Eggplant

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-03

... that permitting mixed colors and/or type packs will facilitate the marketing of eggplant by providing... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Marketing Service [Doc. Number FV-11-0052] United States Standards for Grades of Eggplant AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA. ACTION: Final notice. SUMMARY...

High strength reinforcing steel bars : low cycle fatigue behavior : final report - part B.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

High-strength steel (HSS) reinforcing steel, specifically ASTM A706 Grade 80 (550), is now permitted by the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for use in reinforced concrete bridge components in non-seismic regions. Using Grade 80 (550) reinfor...

High strength reinforcing steel bars : low-cycle fatigue behavior : final report - part B.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

High-strength steel (HSS) reinforcing steel, specifically ASTM A706 Grade 80 (550), is now permitted by the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for use in reinforced concrete bridge components in non-seismic regions. Using Grade 80 (550) reinfor...

Cyclic volatile methylsiloxanes in human blood as markers for ruptured silicone gel-filled breast implants.

PubMed

Rosendahl, Pia; Hippler, Joerg; Schmitz, Oliver J; Hoffmann, Oliver; Rusch, Peter

2016-05-01

The replacement of medical-grade silicone with industrial-grade silicone material in some silicone gel-filled breast implants (SBI) manufactured by Poly Implant Prothèse and Rofil Medical Nederland B.V., reported in 2010, which resulted in a higher rupture tendency of these SBI, demonstrates the need for non-invasive, sensitive monitoring and screening methods. Therefore a sensitive method based on large volume injection-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LVI-GC/MS) was developed to determine octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecamethylcyclo-hexasiloxane (D6) in blood samples from women with intact (n = 13) and ruptured SBI (n = 11). With dichloromethane extraction, sample cooling during preparation, and analysis extraction efficiencies up to 100 % and limits of detection of 0.03-0.05 ng D4-D6/g blood were achieved. Blood samples from women with SBI were investigated. In contrast to women with intact SBI, in blood from women with ruptured SBI higher D4 and D6 concentrations up to 0.57 ng D4/g blood and 0.16 ng D6/g blood were detected. With concentrations above 0.18 D4 ng/blood and 0.10 ng D6/g blood as significant criteria for ruptured SBI, this developed analytical preoperative diagnostic method shows a significant increase of the recognition rate. Finally a higher precision (error rate 17%) than the commonly used clinical diagnostic method, mamma sonography (error rate 46%), was achieved.

Compatibility Assessment of Fuel System Infrastructure Plastics with Bio-oil and Diesel Fuel

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

Kass, Michael D.; Janke, Christopher James; Connatser, Raynella M.

We report that bio-oil derived via fast pyrolysis is being developed as a renewable fuel option for petroleum distillates. The compatibility of neat bio-oil with 18 plastic types was evaluated using neat diesel fuel as the baseline. The plastic materials included polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyoxymethylene (POM), POM copolymer, high density polyethylene (HDPE), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), polythiourea (PTU), four nylon grades, and four thermosetting resins. Specimens of each material were immersed in the test fuels for a period of 16 weeks to achieve full saturation. Except formore » PP and HDPE, the plastic materials underwent higher volume expansion in bio-oil than in the baseline diesel (which was negligible in most cases). This volume increase corresponds to the higher polarity of the bio-oil. PPS, PET, and PTFE were unaffected by bio-oil exposure, but modest swelling (between 2 and 5%) occurred for the two acetals (POM and POM copolymer), Nylon-12, PBT, PETG, and the four resin grades. More moderate swelling (8–15%) was noted for Nylon-6, Nylon-6/6, and Nylon-11, and excessive swell (>40%) occurred for PTU. The nonpolar nature of PP and HDPE matches that of diesel, leading to higher solubility (swell) in this fuel type. Finally, the relatively low volume expansion following exposure indicates that many of the existing infrastructure plastics (excluding PTU) should be suitable for use with bio-oil.« less

Association of higher parental and grandparental education and higher school grades with risk of hospitalization for eating disorders in females: the Uppsala birth cohort multigenerational study.

PubMed

Ahrén-Moonga, Jennie; Silverwood, Richard; Klinteberg, Britt Af; Koupil, Ilona

2009-09-01

Eating disorders are a leading cause of disease burden among young women. This study investigated associations of social characteristics of parents and grandparents, sibling position, and school performance with incidence of eating disorders. The authors studied Swedish females born in 1952-1989 (n = 13,376), third-generation descendants of a cohort born in Uppsala in 1915-1929. Data on grandparental and parental social characteristics, sibling position, school grades, hospitalizations, emigrations, and deaths were obtained by register linkages. Associations with incidence of hospitalization for eating disorders were studied with multivariable Cox regression, adjusted for age and study period. Overall incidence of hospitalization for eating disorders was 32.0/100,000 person-years. Women with more highly educated parents and maternal grandparents were at higher risk (hazard ratio for maternal grandmother with higher education relative to elementary education = 6.5, 95% confidence interval: 2.2, 19.3, adjusted for parental education). Independent of family social characteristics, women with the highest school grades had a higher risk of eating disorders (hazard ratio = 7.7, 95% confidence interval: 2.5, 24.1 for high compared with low grades in Swedish, adjusted for parental education). Thus, higher parental and grandparental education and higher school grades may increase risk of hospitalization for eating disorders in female offspring, possibly because of high internal and external demands.

Academic performance, educational aspiration and birth outcomes among adolescent mothers: a national longitudinal study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Maternal educational attainment has been associated with birth outcomes among adult mothers. However, limited research explores whether academic performance and educational aspiration influence birth outcomes among adolescent mothers. Methods Data from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) were used. Adolescent girls whose first pregnancy occurred after Wave I, during their adolescence, and ended with a singleton live birth were included. Adolescents’ grade point average (GPA), experience of ever skipping a grade and ever repeating a grade, and their aspiration to attend college were examined as predictors of birth outcomes (birthweight and gestational age; n = 763). Univariate statistics, bivariate analyses and multivariable models were run stratified on race using survey procedures. Results Among Black adolescents, those who ever skipped a grade had higher offspring’s birthweight. Among non-Black adolescents, ever skipping a grade and higher educational aspiration were associated with higher offspring’s birthweight; ever skipping a grade was also associated with higher gestational age. GPA was not statistically significantly associated with either birth outcome. The addition of smoking during pregnancy and prenatal care visit into the multivariable models did not change these associations. Conclusions Some indicators of higher academic performance and aspiration are associated with better birth outcomes among adolescents. Investing in improving educational opportunities may improve birth outcomes among teenage mothers. PMID:24422664

Myostatin serum concentrations are correlated with the severity of knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Zhao, Chang; Shao, Yan; Lin, Chuangxin; Zeng, Chun; Fang, Hang; Pan, Jianying; Cai, Daozhang

2017-09-01

Myostatin, a member of the transforming growth factor-β family, contributes to joint deterioration in mice. Thus, we aimed to assess the correlation of myostatin concentrations with the presence and severity of knee osteoarthritis (OA). We determined serum and synovial fluid (SF) myostatin concentrations in a population of 184 patients with knee OA and 109 healthy controls. The knee OA group presented with higher serum myostatin concentrations than the controls. Knee OA patients with KL grade 4 showed higher serum and SF myostatin concentrations compared with those with KL grade 2 and 3. Knee OA patients with KL grade 3 had higher serum and SF myostatin concentrations compared with those with KL grade 2. Serum and SF myostatin concentrations were significantly correlated with KL grading. Serum and SF myostatin concentrations were correlated with the presence and severity of knee OA. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Role of the A* Grade at a Level as a Predictor of University Performance in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidal Rodeiro, Carmen; Zanini, Nadir

2015-01-01

In summer 2010, the A* grade at A level was awarded for the first time. This grade was introduced to help higher education institutions to differentiate between the highest achieving candidates and to promote and reward greater stretch and challenge. Exploring data from the Higher Education Statistics Service and making use of multilevel…

Evaluation of graded limestone base course on a low volume road : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-04-01

Due to decreasing supplies of native aggregate which may be incorporated into a base course, other materials need to be evaluated for constructibility and performance. To this end, a graded limestone base was constructed on a low volume road and eval...

Siskiyou summit negative grade arrester bed for runaway trucks : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-01-01

Most escape ramps are designed to use gravity as the primary deceleration mechanism. These ramps provide an exit from the roadway to an adjacent hillside, ascending at grades of up to 40%. Loose gravel is often used on these ramps which, while aiding...

Better utilization of low-grade woods

Treesearch

Peter Koch

1957-01-01

The objective of this paper is threefold: to outline briefly some of the avenues of approach so far employed in utilizing low-grade wood, to comment on the economic aspects of the problem, and finally, to speculate about what developments the future might bring to the field of utilization.

Investigation of the Bailey Method for the design and analysis of dense-graded HMAC using Oregon aggregates : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-09-01

Historically Oregon has specified gradations for dense-graded hot mix asphalt concrete (HMAC) using a combination of broadband limits and recommended ideal gradations. The recent adoption of SuperPave and Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) technolog...

Construction Industry Related Mathematics: Seventh Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundell, Scott

The field tested construction industry-related mathematics unit is intended to familiarize seventh grade students with various facets of the construction industry, including the various occupations available and the mathematical abilities and other skills and training necessary to pursue an occupation in the industry. The final set of activities…

78 FR 63158 - United States Standards for Grades of Okra

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-23

...: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA. ACTION: Final notice. SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is revising the voluntary United States Standards for Grades... available on the Specialty Crops Inspection Division Web site at www.ams.usda.gov/scihome . SUPPLEMENTARY...

Automated Grading System for Evaluation of Superficial Punctate Keratitis Associated With Dry Eye.

PubMed

Rodriguez, John D; Lane, Keith J; Ousler, George W; Angjeli, Endri; Smith, Lisa M; Abelson, Mark B

2015-04-01

To develop an automated method of grading fluorescein staining that accurately reproduces the clinical grading system currently in use. From the slit lamp photograph of the fluorescein-stained cornea, the region of interest was selected and punctate dot number calculated using software developed with the OpenCV computer vision library. Images (n = 229) were then divided into six incremental severity categories based on computed scores. The final selection of 54 photographs represented the full range of scores: nine images from each of six categories. These were then evaluated by three investigators using a clinical 0 to 4 corneal staining scale. Pearson correlations were calculated to compare investigator scores, and mean investigator and automated scores. Lin's Concordance Correlation Coefficients (CCC) and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess agreement between methods and between investigators. Pearson's correlation between investigators was 0.914; mean CCC between investigators was 0.882. Bland-Altman analysis indicated that scores assessed by investigator 3 were significantly higher than those of investigators 1 and 2 (paired t-test). The predicted grade was calculated to be: Gpred = 1.48log(Ndots) - 0.206. The two-point Pearson's correlation coefficient between the methods was 0.927 (P < 0.0001). The CCC between predicted automated score Gpred and mean investigator score was 0.929, 95% confidence interval (0.884-0.957). Bland-Altman analysis did not indicate bias. The difference in SD between clinical and automated methods was 0.398. An objective, automated analysis of corneal staining provides a quality assurance tool to be used to substantiate clinical grading of key corneal staining endpoints in multicentered clinical trials of dry eye.

Gastrointestinal adverse effects of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Shohdy, Kyrillus S.; Lasheen, Shaimaa; Kassem, Loay; Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2017-01-01

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors show promising results in metastatic breast cancer. However, an increased incidence of adverse events is remarkable. Among others, gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is of momentous impact on patients and their quality of life. Methods: Our search included PubMed, ASCO, ESMO and SABCS databases. Randomized phase II/III trials in metastatic breast cancer receiving CDK4/6 inhibitors were identified and considered relevant based on providing a sufficient safety profile on the incidence of adverse GI effects. Results: Of the 999 records initially screened for relevance, 33 articles were found relevant and 4 studies were finally eligible for meta-analysis with a total of 2007 patients. The relative risk (RR) for all-grade nausea was 1.48 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–1.93, p = 0.005], vomiting was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.09–2.76, p = 0.02), decreased appetite was 1.42 (95% CI: 1.07–1.88, p = 0.02), and for diarrhea it was 1.44 (95% CI: 1.19–1.74, p = 0.0002). Meanwhile, the RR for high-grade nausea was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.29–4.13, p = 0.89), vomiting was 1.38 (95% CI: 0.25–7.75, p = 0.72), decreased appetite was 4.00 (95% CI: 0.87–18.37, p = 0.07), and high-grade diarrhea was 1.19 (95% CI: 0.44–3.21, p = 0.73). Conclusion: Selective CDK4/6 inhibitors were not associated with higher-grade GI toxicities reflecting a well-tolerated safety profile. Regarding the increase in all-grade GI toxicities, it needs further caution with addition of cytotoxic chemotherapy. PMID:29090083

Gastrointestinal adverse effects of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors in breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Shohdy, Kyrillus S; Lasheen, Shaimaa; Kassem, Loay; Abdel-Rahman, Omar

2017-11-01

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors show promising results in metastatic breast cancer. However, an increased incidence of adverse events is remarkable. Among others, gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is of momentous impact on patients and their quality of life. Our search included PubMed, ASCO, ESMO and SABCS databases. Randomized phase II/III trials in metastatic breast cancer receiving CDK4/6 inhibitors were identified and considered relevant based on providing a sufficient safety profile on the incidence of adverse GI effects. Of the 999 records initially screened for relevance, 33 articles were found relevant and 4 studies were finally eligible for meta-analysis with a total of 2007 patients. The relative risk (RR) for all-grade nausea was 1.48 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.93, p = 0.005], vomiting was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.09-2.76, p = 0.02), decreased appetite was 1.42 (95% CI: 1.07-1.88, p = 0.02), and for diarrhea it was 1.44 (95% CI: 1.19-1.74, p = 0.0002). Meanwhile, the RR for high-grade nausea was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.29-4.13, p = 0.89), vomiting was 1.38 (95% CI: 0.25-7.75, p = 0.72), decreased appetite was 4.00 (95% CI: 0.87-18.37, p = 0.07), and high-grade diarrhea was 1.19 (95% CI: 0.44-3.21, p = 0.73). Selective CDK4/6 inhibitors were not associated with higher-grade GI toxicities reflecting a well-tolerated safety profile. Regarding the increase in all-grade GI toxicities, it needs further caution with addition of cytotoxic chemotherapy.

The Grading System: Does an "A" Really Equal Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, Beverly

1988-01-01

Good grades on a report card do not necessarily mean the material has been comprehended. This article examines the relative worth of grades; extra credit assignments; categorizing students into A, B, or C boxes; and the role of parental pressures for higher grades. Grading systems should be subordinate to true learning motivation. (MLH)

Grade Inflation Rates among Different Ability Students, Controlling for Other Factors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mc Spirit, Stephanie; Jones, Kirk E.

1999-01-01

Compared grade inflation rates among students of different abilities at an open-admissions public university by examining trends in graduating grade point average from 1983 to 1996. The higher grade inflation rates among low aptitude students suggest that faculty might be using grades to encourage learning among marginal students. (SLD)

Teaching More by Grading Less (or Differently)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schinske, Jeffrey; Tanner, Kimberly

2014-01-01

This article explores a brief history of grading in higher education in the United States. Authors, Schinske and Tanner then follow up with considerations of the potential purposes of grading and insights from research literature that has explored the influence of grading on teaching and learning. Schinske and Tanner then ask: Does grading provide…

Predictors of Hand-Foot Syndrome and Pyridoxine for Prevention of Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Yap, Yoon-Sim; Kwok, Li-Lian; Syn, Nicholas; Chay, Wen Yee; Chia, John Whay Kuang; Tham, Chee Kian; Wong, Nan Soon; Lo, Soo Kien; Dent, Rebecca Alexandra; Tan, Sili; Mok, Zuan Yu; Koh, King Xin; Toh, Han Chong; Koo, Wen Hsin; Loh, Marie; Ng, Raymond Chee Hui; Choo, Su Pin; Soong, Richie Chuan Teck

2017-11-01

Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common adverse effect of capecitabine treatment. To compare the incidence and time to onset of grade 2 or greater HFS in patients receiving pyridoxine vs placebo and to identify biomarkers predictive of HFS. This single-center, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial conducted at National Cancer Centre Singapore assessed whether oral pyridoxine could prevent the onset of grade 2 or higher HFS in 210 patients scheduled to receive single-agent capecitabine chemotherapy for breast, colorectal, and other cancers. Patients were randomized to receive concurrent pyridoxine (200 mg) or placebo daily for a maximum of 8 cycles of capecitabine, with stratification by sex and use in adjuvant or neoadjuvant vs palliative setting. Patients were withdrawn from the study on development of grade 2 or higher HFS or cessation of capecitabine. Primary end point was the incidence of grade 2 or higher HFS in patients receiving pyridoxine. Secondary end points included the time to onset (days) of grade 2 or higher HFS and identification of biomarkers predictive of HFS, including baseline folate and vitamin B12 levels, as well as genetic polymorphisms with genome-wide arrays. In this cohort of 210 patients (median [range] age, 58 [26-82] years; 162 women) grade 2 or higher HFS occurred in 33 patients (31.4%) in the pyridoxine arm vs 39 patients (37.1%) in the placebo arm (P = .38). The median time to onset of grade 2 or higher HFS was not reached in both arms. In univariate analysis, the starting dose of capecitabine (odds ratio [OR], 1.99; 95% CI, 1.32-3.00; P = .001), serum folate levels (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.10-1.47; P = .001), and red blood cell folate levels (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.08-1.44; P = .003) were associated with increased risk of grade 2 or higher HFS. In multivariate analyses, serum folate (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.12-1.52; P < .001) and red blood cell folate (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10-1.49; P = .001) were the only significant predictors of grade 2 or higher HFS. Grade 2 or higher HFS was associated with 300 DNA variants at genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10-8), including a novel DPYD variant (rs75267292; P = 1.57 × 10-10), and variants in the MACF1 (rs183324967, P = 4.80 × 10-11; rs148221738, P = 5.73 × 10-10) and SPRY2 (rs117876855, P < 1.01 × 10-8; rs139544515, P = 1.30 × 10-8) genes involved in wound healing. Pyridoxine did not significantly prevent or delay the onset of grade 2 or higher HFS. Serum and red blood cell folate levels are independent predictors of HFS. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00486213.

Disaster management curricula: strategy to create doctors with disaster resilience in Aceh, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahyuniati, N.; Maulana, R.; Ichsan, I.

2017-02-01

Faculty of Medicine of Syiah Kuala University has one special block called Disaster Management block (the last block on the curricula) on Competency-Based Curriculum of Medical Sciences with the Problem-Based Learning method. This block has four credits, allocated seven weeks learning period including one week for evaluation. The placement of disaster management block in the 7th semester (last semester) aims to allow students to implement more easily the complete basic and clinical medical knowledge and then have it integrated with the management capabilities during adisaster. This article evaluates two components: 1) Disaster management module, by comparing the content of modules used in three different academic years, the academic year 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, 2) The final grade, by comparing the final grade of disaster management block in 4 years (comparing students class of 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). The results revealed that on every academic year there were additions and strengthening of the material to ensure that students achieve a complete learning experience, and there was a slight increase in student’s grades where the number of students who receive grades A has increased while the number of students who receive grades E decreased.

Final Environmental Assessment: Demolish Buildings 1115, 1116, and 1125

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE MAY 2012 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2012 to 00...accessories at and below grade including, but not limited to, building slab-on-grade and utility pads .  Removal and disposal of bituminous concrete pavement...operations, offices, and industrial areas. The types of solid waste generated include food, various grades of office paper, newspaper, cardboard, cans

The Taba Curriculum Development Project in Social Studies; Development of a Comprehensive Curriculum Model for Social Studies for Grades One Through Eight Inclusive of Procedures for Implementation and Dissemination. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallen, Norman E.; And Others

One of the major focuses of this project was the revision of existing curriculum guides for grades one through six (the Contra Costa Social Studies Guides) and the development of guides for grades seven and eight. The emphases were: organization of learning activities under significant generalizations of main concepts; sequential treatment;…

Development and Evaluation of a Video Designed to Enhance Officer Career Continuance

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

company grade officers, and those who have left the military. A fine, professional job that I think will be a useful retention tool.  I just (finally...in retaining company grade officers. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Career continuance; Army company grade officers; officer retention ; interventions for...0016-0024, under the auspices of its Personnel Assessment Research Unit (PARU). Retention of officers, primarily at the rank of captain and major

Evaluation of anatomic and morphologic nomogram to predict malignant and high-grade disease in a cohort of patients with small renal masses.

PubMed

Bagrodia, Aditya; Harrow, Brian; Liu, Zhuo-Wei; Olweny, Ephrem O; Faddegon, Stephen; Yin, Gang; Tan, Yung Khan; Han, Woong Kyu; Lotan, Yair; Margulis, Vitaly; Cadeddu, Jeffrey A

2014-01-01

To evaluate a nomogram using the RENAL Nephrometry Score (RENAL-NS) that was developed to characterize masses as benign vs. malignant and high vs. low grade in our patients with small renal masses treated with partial nephrectomy (PN). The nomogram was previously developed and validated in patients with widely variable tumor sizes. Retrospective review of PN performed between 1/2003 and 7/2011. Imaging was reviewed by a urologic surgeon for RENAL-NS. Final pathology was used to classify tumors as benign or malignant and low (I/II) or high (III/IV) Fuhrman grade. Patient age, gender, and RENAL score were entered into the nomogram described by Kutikov et al. to determine probabilities of cancer and high-grade disease. Area under the curve was determined to assess agreement between observed and expected outcomes for prediction of benign vs. malignant disease and for prediction of high- vs. low-grade or benign disease. A total of 250 patients with 252 masses underwent PN during the study period; 179/250 (71.6%) had preoperative imaging available. RENAL-NS was assigned to 181 masses. Twenty-two percent of tumors were benign. Eighteen percent of tumors were high grade. Area under the curve was 0.648 for predicting benign vs. malignant disease and 0.955 for predicting low-grade or benign vs. high-grade disease. The RENAL-NS score nomogram by Kutikov does not discriminate well between benign and malignant disease for small renal masses. The nomogram may potentially be useful in identifying high-grade tumors. Further validation is required where the nomogram probability and final pathologic specimen are available. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: MR imaging of liver proton density fat fraction to assess hepatic steatosis.

PubMed

Tang, An; Tan, Justin; Sun, Mark; Hamilton, Gavin; Bydder, Mark; Wolfson, Tanya; Gamst, Anthony C; Middleton, Michael; Brunt, Elizabeth M; Loomba, Rohit; Lavine, Joel E; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B; Sirlin, Claude B

2013-05-01

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) for assessing hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by using centrally scored histopathologic validation as the reference standard. This prospectively designed, cross-sectional, internal review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant study was conducted in 77 patients who had NAFLD and liver biopsy. MR imaging-PDFF was estimated from magnitude-based low flip angle multiecho gradient-recalled echo images after T2* correction and multifrequency fat modeling. Histopathologic scoring was obtained by consensus of the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network Pathology Committee. Spearman correlation, additivity and variance stabilization for regression for exploring the effect of a number of potential confounders, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed. Liver MR imaging-PDFF was systematically higher, with higher histologic steatosis grade (P < .001), and was significantly correlated with histologic steatosis grade (ρ = 0.69, P < .001). The correlation was not confounded by age, sex, lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, NASH diagnosis, fibrosis, or magnetic field strength (P = .65). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.989 (95% confidence interval: 0.968, 1.000) for distinguishing patients with steatosis grade 0 (n = 5) from those with grade 1 or higher (n = 72), 0.825 (95% confidence interval: 0.734, 0.915) to distinguish those with grade 1 or lower (n = 31) from those with grade 2 or higher (n = 46), and 0.893 (95% confidence interval: 0.809, 0.977) to distinguish those with grade 2 or lower (n = 58) from those with grade 3 (n = 19). MR imaging-PDFF showed promise for assessment of hepatic steatosis grade in patients with NAFLD. For validation, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed. © RSNA, 2013.

From access to success in science: An academic-student affairs intervention for undergraduate freshmen biology students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldridge, Jacqueline Nouvelle

The first year experience is known to present an array of challenges for traditional college students. In particular, freshmen who major in a STEM discipline have their own unique set of challenges when they transition from high school science and math to college science and math; especially chemistry. As a result, students may encounter negative experiences which lower academic and social confidence. This project was designed as a pilot study intervention for a small group of freshmen biology students who were considered academically at-risk due their math SAT scores. The study occurred during the fall semester involving an enhanced active learning component based on the Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) general chemistry supplemental pedagogy model, and a biology-focused First Year Experience (FYE). PLTL workshops took place in freshmen residence halls, creating a live-n-learn community environment. Mid-term and final chemistry grades and final math grades were collected to measure academic progress. Self-reporting surveys and journals were used to encourage participants to reconstruct their experiences and perceptions of the study. Descriptive analysis was performed to measure statistical significance between midterm and final grade performance, and a general inductive qualitative method was used to determine academic and social confidence as well as experiences and perceptions of the project. Findings of this project revealed a statistically significant improvement between chemistry midterm and final grades of the sample participants. Although academic confidence did not increase, results reveal that social confidence progressed as the majority of students developed a value for studying in groups.

A Comparison of Children's Physical Activity Levels in Physical Education, Recess, and Exergaming.

PubMed

Gao, Zan; Chen, Senlin; Stodden, David F

2015-03-01

To compare young children's different intensity physical activity (PA) levels in physical education, recess and exergaming programs. Participants were 140 first and second grade children (73 girls; Meanage= 7.88 years). Beyond the daily 20-minute recess, participants attended 75-minute weekly physical education classes and another 75-minute weekly exergaming classes. Children's PA levels were assessed by ActiGraph GTX3 accelerometers for 3 sessions in the 3 programs. The outcome variables were percentages of time spent in sedentary, light PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). There were significant main effects for program and grade, and an interaction effect for program by grade. Specifically, children's MVPA in exergaming and recess was higher than in physical education. The 2nd-grade children demonstrated lower sedentary behavior and MVPA than the first-grade children during recess; less light PA in both recess and exergaming than first-grade children; and less sedentary behavior but higher MVPA in exergaming than first-grade children. Young children generated higher PA levels in recess and exergaming as compared with physical education. Hence, other school-based PA programs may serve as essential components of a comprehensive school PA program. Implications are provided for educators and health professionals.

Perfectionism in African American students: relationship to racial identity, GPA, self-esteem, and depression.

PubMed

Elion, Audrey A; Wang, Kenneth T; Slaney, Robert B; French, Bryana H

2012-04-01

This study examined 219 African American college students at predominantly White universities using the constructs of perfectionism, academic achievement, self-esteem, depression, and racial identity. Cluster analysis was performed using the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), which yielded three clusters that represented adaptive perfectionists, maladaptive perfectionists, and nonperfectionists. These three groups were compared on their scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS), and Grade Point Average (GPA). Adaptive perfectionists reported higher self-esteem and lower depression scores than both the nonperfectionists and maladaptive perfectionists. Adaptive perfectionists had higher GPAs than nonperfectionists. On the racial identity scales, maladaptive perfectionists had higher scores on Pre-Encounter Self Hatred and Immersion-Emersion Anti-White subscales than adaptive perfectionists. The cultural and counseling implications of this study are discussed and integrated. Finally, recommendations are made for future studies of African American college students and perfectionism. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Market-driven emissions from recovery of carbon dioxide gas.

PubMed

Supekar, Sarang D; Skerlos, Steven J

2014-12-16

This article uses a market-based allocation method in a consequential life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to estimate the environmental emissions created by recovering carbon dioxide (CO2). We find that 1 ton of CO2 recovered as a coproduct of chemicals manufacturing leads to additional greenhouse gas emissions of 147-210 kg CO2 eq , while consuming 160-248 kWh of electricity, 254-480 MJ of heat, and 1836-4027 kg of water. The ranges depend on the initial and final purity of the CO2, particularly because higher purity grades require additional processing steps such as distillation, as well as higher temperature and flow rate of regeneration as needed for activated carbon treatment and desiccant beds. Higher purity also reduces process efficiency due to increased yield losses from regeneration gas and distillation reflux. Mass- and revenue-based allocation methods used in attributional LCA estimate that recovering CO2 leads to 19 and 11 times the global warming impact estimated from a market-based allocation used in consequential LCA.

Influence of carbon steel grade on the initial attachment of bacteria and microbiologically influenced corrosion.

PubMed

Javed, M A; Neil, W C; Stoddart, P R; Wade, S A

2016-01-01

The influence of the composition and microstructure of different carbon steel grades on the initial attachment (≤ 60 min) of Escherichia coli and subsequent longer term (28 days) corrosion was investigated. The initial bacterial attachment increased with time on all grades of carbon steel. However, the rate and magnitude of bacterial attachment varied on the different steel grades and was significantly less on the steels with a higher pearlite phase content. The observed variations in the number of bacterial cells attached across different steel grades were significantly reduced by applying a fixed potential to the steel samples. Longer term immersion studies showed similar levels of biofilm formation on the surface of the different grades of carbon steel. The measured corrosion rates were significantly higher in biotic conditions compared to abiotic conditions and were found to be positively correlated with the pearlite phase content of the different grades of carbon steel coupons.

Discordance between Ureteroscopic Biopsy and Final Pathology for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

PubMed

Margolin, Ezra J; Matulay, Justin T; Li, Gen; Meng, Xiaosong; Chao, Brian; Vijay, Varun; Silver, Hayley; Clinton, Timothy N; Krabbe, Laura-Maria; Woldu, Solomon L; Singla, Nirmish; Bagrodia, Aditya; Margulis, Vitaly; Huang, William C; Bjurlin, Marc A; Shah, Ojas; Anderson, Christopher B

2018-06-01

We evaluated the discordance between ureteroscopic biopsy and surgical pathology findings for grading and staging upper tract urothelial carcinoma. We also sought to establish preoperative predictors of aggressive tumors. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 314 patients who underwent ureteroscopic biopsy followed by surgical management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma from 2000 to 2016 at a total of 3 institutions. Our primary outcomes were muscle invasive (pT2 or greater) disease at surgical pathology and upgrading of clinical low grade tumors to pathological high grade. At biopsy 61% of the patients had clinical high grade tumors and 21% had subepithelial connective tissue invasion (cT1+). On final pathology 79% of the patients had pathological high grade tumors and 45% had stage pT2 or greater. On multivariate analysis advanced patient age, clinical high grade and cT1+ were independently associated with pT2 or greater. The combined presence of clinical high grade and cT1+ had 86% positive predictive value for muscle invasion while the combined absence of clinical high grade and cT1+ had 80% negative predictive value. The likelihood of missing invasion on biopsy in patients with muscle invasive disease was increased when biopsy fragments were limited to 1 mm or less. Of clinical low grade cases on biopsy 51% were upgraded at surgery. The presence of positive urine cytology was associated with an increased risk of upgrading but this was not statistically significant. Clinical high grade, cT1+ on biopsy and advanced patient age are independent risk factors for muscle invasive upper tract urothelial carcinoma. There is a significant risk of upgrading in patients with clinical low grade tumors on biopsy, especially when urine cytology is positive. The predictive value of biopsy can likely be improved by more extensive ureteroscopic sampling. Copyright © 2018 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Classroom Quality and Student Engagement: Contributions to Third-Grade Reading Skills

PubMed Central

Guo, Ying; Connor, Carol McDonald; Tompkins, Virginia; Morrison, Frederick J.

2011-01-01

This study, using NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development longitudinal data, investigated the effects of classroom quality and students’ third-grade behavioral engagement on students’ third-grade reading achievement (n = 1,364) and also examined the extent to which students’ third-grade behavioral engagement mediated the association between classroom quality and children's reading skills. SEM results revealed that controlling for family socio economic risk and students’ first-grade reading achievement, classroom quality significantly, and positively predicted children's behavioral engagement, which in turn predicted greater reading achievement. Higher levels of children's behavioral engagement were associated with higher reading achievement. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. PMID:21779272

Sex-specific hormone receptors in urothelial carcinomas of the human urinary bladder: a comparative analysis of clinicopathological features and survival outcomes according to receptor expression.

PubMed

Tuygun, Can; Kankaya, Duygu; Imamoglu, Abdurrahim; Sertcelik, Ayse; Zengin, Kursad; Oktay, Murat; Sertcelik, Nurettin

2011-01-01

To investigate the expression of sex-specific hormone receptors in normal bladder urothelium and urothelial carcinomas (UCs) of the bladder, and to analyze clinicopathological features and survival outcomes according to receptor expression. We evaluated the clinical data and tumor specimens of 139 patients with bladder cancer (BC). In addition, 72 samples of normal urothelium were included. Immunohistochemistry was performed using streptavidin-biotin peroxidase method, a monoclonal androgen receptor (AR), and an estrogen receptor-β (ERβ) antibody on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Expression levels of each receptor were assessed by evaluating 500 tumor cells for each case and the percentage of positively-stained nuclei was recorded. None of the 58 male control cases showed any AR and ERβ expression. Five (35, 71%) of the 14 female control cases expressed ERβ. Of the 139 patients with UCs, 71 (51, 07%) expressed AR (62 male vs. 9 female; P = 0.413) and 44 (31, 65%) (39 male vs. 5 female; P = 0.402) showed ERβ expression (P < 0.001). No significant relationship was found between ERβ expression levels and tumor grades, and stages (P = 0.441; P = 0.247). AR expression was significantly lower in T2-tumors (21%) than in Ta-tumors (60%) and T1-tumors (60%) (P < 0.001). It was significantly higher in low-grade papillary UCs (64%) compared with high-grade papillary UCs (44%) and infiltrative high-grade UCs (17%) (P = 0.039; P < 0.001). Data of 79 patients with noninvasive BC were eligible to present, with a median 29 months follow-up. AR expression level did not influence recurrence-free survival (RFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.095; P = 0.110). No significant association was found between ERβ expression level and RFS (P = 0.293). PFS in patients with lower ERβ-expressing tumors was significantly better than that in patients with higher ERβ-expressing tumors (P = 0.035). Multivariate analysis confirmed this significant influence on PFS (P = 0.025). Although ERβ expression had no impact on histopathological tumor characteristics, decrease in its expression may be associated with better PFS rates in patients with noninvasive BC. Conversely, loss of AR expression was associated with higher grade UCs and invasive UCs, but had no prognostic effect on survival. Finally, sex-specific hormone receptors alone cannot be responsible for gender differences in BC rates because they were expressed in similar rates in both sexes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Student Participation and Grade Performance in an Undergraduate Online Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

V. KunhiMohamed, Balkeese Binti

2012-01-01

This study explored learning and teaching of online classes. Examining the relationship between undergraduate students' participation and their final grades in five selected courses in an online learning environment and exploring differences between the demographics characteristics of age, race, and gender to students' participation (total number…

Exploration of novel multifunctional open graded friction courses for in-situ highway runoff treatment July 1, 2014-June 30, 2016 : final research report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

Pervious Concrete Pavement (PCP), as one of open graded friction courses (OGFCs), has become attractive in roadway and parking lot constructions because of its economic, structural, and environmental advantages. It can facilitate the recharge of grou...

Final Report for the Intensified Career Exploration Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCauley, Lynne D.; Rusling, Diane E.

An intensified Career Exploration Program was evaluated through an analysis of the cognitive and affective learning resulting from ninth- and tenth-grade students' participation in the program. Designed to supplement the existing ninth- and tenth-grade components of the Ohio Career Development Program, this three-year program offered additional…

Field evaluation of viscosity and penetration-graded asphalt cements : asphalt cement consistency study : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-04-01

The major objectives of this study were three-fold and can be listed as follows in their order of importance: : (1) To seek data relative to the changes that occur with time in the physical characteristics of penetration and viscosity graded-asphalt ...

Development of a 3/4-inch minus base course type a specification for Montana : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-12-01

Gravel bases are a critical component of roads, providing drainage, structural support, and load distribution within the pavement structure. Montana specifications currently exist for a 2-inch minus (Grade 5A) and 1- inch minus (Grade 6A) crushed b...

Determinants of Students' Success at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danilowicz-Gösele, Kamila; Lerche, Katharina; Meya, Johannes; Schwager, Robert

2017-01-01

This paper studies the determinants of academic success using a unique administrative data set of a German university. We show that high school grades are strongly associated with both graduation probabilities and final grades, whereas variables measuring social origin or income have only a smaller impact. Moreover, the link between high school…

Motivating Students to Do Homework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kontur, Frederick J.; Terry, Nathan B.

2014-01-01

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…

Comparison of "saw and seal" procedure and performance grade binder to minimize thermal cracking : interim report - fourth year/final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

In an effort to compare performance and cost effectiveness of the Saw and Seal procedure and : Performance Grade (PG) binders, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) constructed an : experimental project in Weston, Maine during the f...

Creature Features.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Candy

Based on the contract grading system, this language arts course guide focuses on reading, writing, research, and film projects on topics which give people the "heebie-jeebies" and for which students earn points toward a final grade. Point values are dependent on the difficulty of the project or the length of the reading material. Contents of the…

1984 TABS Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin Independent School District, TX. Office of Research and Evaluation.

This report presents Austin Independent School District 1984 test results on the Texas Assessment of Basics Skills (TABS). It was administered to all third, fifth and ninth grade students and to high school students not meeting ninth grade state-set mastery criteria, the minimum competency requirement for graduation. Results are presented as…

What Research Says: Children's Conceptions of Weather.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stepans, Joseph; Kuehn, Christine

1985-01-01

Children in grades two and five explained such weather phenomena as wind, clouds, thunder, lightning, rain, snow, and rainbows during interviews. Results indicate that most students in both grades were at a stage of nonreligious finalism and do not use true causality in explanations. Implications for teaching are discussed. (DH)

Microbubble signal and trial of org in acute stroke treatment (TOAST) classification in ischemic stroke.

PubMed

Lee, Chan-Hyuk; Kang, Hyun Goo; Lee, Ji Sung; Ryu, Han Uk; Jeong, Seul-Ki

2018-07-15

Right-to-left shunt (RLS) through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is likely associated with ischemic stroke. Many studies have attempted to demonstrate the association between RLS and ischemic stroke. However, information on the association between the degree of RLS and the subtypes of ischemic stroke categorized by the Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification is lacking. This was a retrospective study involving 508 patients with ischemic stroke who underwent a transcranial Doppler (TCD) microbubble test between 2013 and 2015. The degree of RLS was divided into 4 grades according to the microbubble signal (MBS) as follows: no MBS, grade 1; MBS < 20, grade 2; MBS > 20, grade 3; curtain sign, grade 4. The degree of RLS and the type of ischemic stroke as classified by TOAST were analyzed and compared with other clinical information and laboratory findings. The higher RLS grade was associated with the cardioembolism (CE) and stroke of undetermined etiology (SUE), and the microbubble signals were inversely related with small vessel disease (SVD). An MBS higher than grade 3 showed a 2.95-fold higher association with SUE than large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), while grade 4 MBS revealed an approximately 8-fold higher association with SUE than LAA. RLS identified by the TCD microbubble test was significantly and independently associated with cryptogenic ischemic stroke (negative evaluation). Subsequent studies are needed to determine the biologic relationship between RLS and ischemic stroke, particularly the cryptogenic subtype of ischemic stroke. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dose-Volume Histogram Predictors of Chronic Gastrointestinal Complications After Radical Hysterectomy and Postoperative Concurrent Nedaplatin-Based Chemoradiation Therapy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

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

Isohashi, Fumiaki, E-mail: isohashi@radonc.med.osaka-u.ac.jp; Yoshioka, Yasuo; Mabuchi, Seiji

2013-03-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate dose-volume histogram (DVH) predictors for the development of chronic gastrointestinal (GI) complications in cervical cancer patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and postoperative concurrent nedaplatin-based chemoradiation therapy. Methods and Materials: This study analyzed 97 patients who underwent postoperative concurrent chemoradiation therapy. The organs at risk that were contoured were the small bowel loops, large bowel loop, and peritoneal cavity. DVH parameters subjected to analysis included the volumes of these organs receiving more than 15, 30, 40, and 45 Gy (V15-V45) and their mean dose. Associations between DVH parameters or clinical factors andmore » the incidence of grade 2 or higher chronic GI complications were evaluated. Results: Of the clinical factors, smoking and low body mass index (BMI) (<22) were significantly associated with grade 2 or higher chronic GI complications. Also, patients with chronic GI complications had significantly greater V15-V45 volumes and higher mean dose of the small bowel loops compared with those without GI complications. In contrast, no parameters for the large bowel loop or peritoneal cavity were significantly associated with GI complications. Results of the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis led to the conclusion that V15-V45 of the small bowel loops has high accuracy for prediction of GI complications. Among these parameters, V40 gave the highest area under the ROC curve. Finally, multivariate analysis was performed with V40 of the small bowel loops and 2 other clinical parameters that were judged to be potential risk factors for chronic GI complications: BMI and smoking. Of these 3 parameters, V40 of the small bowel loops and smoking emerged as independent predictors of chronic GI complications. Conclusions: DVH parameters of the small bowel loops may serve as predictors of grade 2 or higher chronic GI complications after postoperative concurrent nedaplatin-based chemoradiation therapy for early-stage cervical cancer.« less

The Contribution of Vocabulary Knowledge and Spelling to the Reading Comprehension of Adolescents Who Are and Are Not English Language Learners.

PubMed

Reed, Deborah K; Petscher, Yaacov; Foorman, Barbara R

2016-04-01

This study examined the contributions of vocabulary and spelling to the reading comprehension of students in grades 6-10 who were and were not classified as English language learners. Results indicate that vocabulary accounted for greater between-grade differences and unique variance (Δ R 2 = .11 to .31) in comprehension as compared to spelling (Δ R 2 = .01 to .09). However, the contribution of spelling to comprehension was higher in the upper grade levels included in this cross-sectional analysis and functioned as a mediator of the impact of vocabulary knowledge at all levels. The direct effect of vocabulary was strong but lower in magnitude at each successive grade level from .58 in grade 6 to .41 in grade 10 while the indirect effect through spelling increased in magnitude at each successive grade level from .09 in grade 6 to .16 in grade 10. There were no significant differences between the language groups in the magnitude of the indirect impact, suggesting both groups of students relied more on both sources of lexical information in higher grades as compared to students in lower grades.

The Contribution of Vocabulary Knowledge and Spelling to the Reading Comprehension of Adolescents Who Are and Are Not English Language Learners

PubMed Central

Reed, Deborah K.; Petscher, Yaacov; Foorman, Barbara R.

2016-01-01

This study examined the contributions of vocabulary and spelling to the reading comprehension of students in grades 6–10 who were and were not classified as English language learners. Results indicate that vocabulary accounted for greater between-grade differences and unique variance (ΔR2 = .11 to .31) in comprehension as compared to spelling (ΔR2 = .01 to .09). However, the contribution of spelling to comprehension was higher in the upper grade levels included in this cross-sectional analysis and functioned as a mediator of the impact of vocabulary knowledge at all levels. The direct effect of vocabulary was strong but lower in magnitude at each successive grade level from .58 in grade 6 to .41 in grade 10 while the indirect effect through spelling increased in magnitude at each successive grade level from .09 in grade 6 to .16 in grade 10. There were no significant differences between the language groups in the magnitude of the indirect impact, suggesting both groups of students relied more on both sources of lexical information in higher grades as compared to students in lower grades. PMID:27313395

Do Grades in Higher Education Matter for Labour Market Rewards? A Multilevel Analysis of All Norwegian Graduates in the Period 1990-2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kittelsen Røberg, Karl Ingar; Helland, Håvard

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effects of grades from higher education on labour market outcomes. Economic theory predicts that grades are rewarded in the labour market because employers regard them as an expression of valuable skills or a signal of other sought after attributes. Social closure, however, may give reason to expect no effects. Whether good…

A performance test of the log and tree grades for eastern white pine

Treesearch

Robert L. Brisbin

1972-01-01

The results of testing the Forest Service standard tree grades and sawlog grades for eastern white pine on an independent sample of 75 trees and 299 logs in southwestern Maine. The total predicted value of the 75 trees was 3 percent higher than the actual value. The total predicted value of the 299 logs was 2 percent higher than the actual value. The differences...

Tech Prep II: Implementation Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jane A.

This document contains the final progress report on a tech prep implementation project and the Work Force Challenge 2000 Report developed during the project. The final report lists these major accomplishments: approximately 1,500 educators in grades K-12 were provided information concerning future global issues in the work force and the effects in…

Demystify Learning Expectations to Address Grade Inflation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodges, Linda C.

2014-01-01

This article describes the subject of "grade inflation," a reference to educators giving higher grades to student work than their expectations for student achievement warrant. Of the many reasons why this practice happens, Hodges specifically discusses inflating grades as "a natural consequence" when the faculty really…

Schooling as a Lottery: Racial Differences in School Advancement in Urban South Africa†

PubMed Central

Lam, David; Ardington, Cally; Leibbrandt, Murray

2010-01-01

This paper analyzes the large racial differences in progress through secondary school in South Africa. Using recently collected longitudinal data we find that grade advancement is strongly associated with scores on a baseline literacy and numeracy test. In grades 8-11 the effect of these scores on grade progression is much stronger for white and coloured students than for African students, while there is no racial difference in the impact of the scores on passing the nationally standardized grade 12 matriculation exam. We develop a stochastic model of grade repetition that generates predictions consistent with these results. The model predicts that a larger stochastic component in the link between learning and measured performance will generate higher enrollment, higher failure rates, and a weaker link between ability and grade progression. The results suggest that grade progression in African schools is poorly linked to actual ability and learning. The results point to the importance of considering the stochastic component of grade repetition in analyzing school systems with high failure rates. PMID:21499515

Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and 48-Week Efficacy of Oral Raltegravir in HIV-1–Infected Children Aged 2 Through 18 Years

PubMed Central

Nachman, Sharon; Zheng, Nan; Acosta, Edward P.; Teppler, Hedy; Homony, Brenda; Graham, Bobbie; Fenton, Terence; Xu, Xia; Wenning, Larissa; Spector, Stephen A.; Frenkel, Lisa M.; Alvero, Carmelita; Worrell, Carol; Handelsman, Edward; Wiznia, Andrew; Moultrie, Harry; Kindra, Gurpreet; Sanders, Margaret Ann; Williams, Ruth; Jensen, Jennifer; Acevedo, Midnela; Fabregas, Lizbeth; Jurgrau, Andrea; Foca, Marc; Higgins, Alice; Deville, Jaime G.; Nielsen-Saines, Karin; Carter, Michele F.; Swetnam, John; Wilson, Joan; Donnelly, Margaret; Akleh, Siham; Rigaud, Mona; Kaul, Aditya; Patel, Nehali; Gaur, Aditya; Utech, L. Jill; Cardoso, Edmundo; Moreira, Ana Maria; Santos, Breno; Bobat, Raziya; Mngqibisa, Rosie; Burey, Marlene; Abadi, Jacob; Rosenberg, Michael; Luzuriaga, Katherine; Picard, Donna; Pagano-Therrien, Jessica; Dittmer, Sylvia; Ndiweni, Hilda Ntatule; Patel, Amisha; DelRey, Michelle; McMullen-Jackson, Chivon; Paul, Mary E.; Melvin, Ann; Venema-Weiss, Corry; Lane, Jenna; Beneri, Christy; Ferraro, Denise; Infanzon, Erin; McAuley, James B; Aziz, Mariam; McNichols, Maureen; Pelton, Stephen; McLaud, Deb; Clarke, Diana; Zeichner, Steven; Akar, Arezou; Thompson, Deidre; Douglas, Steven D.; Rutstein, Richard M.; Vincent, Carol A.; Vachon, Mary Elizabeth; Cavallo, Martha; Purswani, Murli Udharam; Masheto, Gaerolwe; Ogwu, Anthony; Kakhu, Tebogo; Viani, Rolando M.; Darcey, Anita,; Norris, Kimberly; Burchett, Sandra K.; Kneut, Catherine; Karthas, Nancy; Casey, Denise; Emmanuel, Patricia; Lujan-Zilbermann, Jorge; Rana, Sohail; Houston, Patricia; Mengistab, Mulu; Rathore, Mobeen; Mirza, Ayesha; Gayton, Tabetha; Barr, Emily; Dunn, Jennifer; Hahn, Kerry; Eysallenne, Zulma; Howard, F. Sholar; Graham, Kathleen; Negra, Marinella Della; Queiroz, Wladimir; Lian, Yu Ching; Wara, Diane; Ruel, Ted; VanDyke, Russell; Reilly, Patricia; Bradford, Sheila; van Rensburg, Anita Janse; Dobbels, Els; Bester, Marietjie; Bamji, Mahrukh; Paul, Santa; Sarza, Mirala; Kovacs, Andrea; Homans, James; Spencer, LaShonda; Hofer, Cristna; Abreu, Thalita; Oliveira, Ricardo; Joao, Esau C.; Pinto, Jorge; Ferreira, Flavia; Kakehasi, Fabiana; Cervi, Maria Celia; Isaac, Marcia De Lima; Losso, Marcelo H.; Stankievich, Erica; Foradori, Irene; Tucker, Diane; Church, Joseph; Belzer, Marvin; Hopkins, Johns; Ellen, Jonathan; Agwu, Allison; Laurel, Borkovic

2014-01-01

Background. IMPAACT P1066 is a phase I/II open-label multicenter trial to evaluate pharmacokinetics, safety, tolerability, and efficacy of multiple raltegravir formulations in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected youth. Methods. Dose selection for each cohort (I: 12 to <19 years; II: 6 to <12 years; and III: 2 to <6 years) was based on review of short-term safety (4 weeks) and intensive pharmacokinetic evaluation. Safety data through weeks 24 and 48, and grade ≥3 or serious adverse events (AEs) were assessed. The primary virologic endpoint was achieving HIV RNA <400 copies/mL or ≥1 log10 reduction between baseline and week 24. Results. The targeted pharmacokinetic parameters (AUC0-12h and C12h) were achieved for each cohort, allowing dose selection for 2 formulations. Of 96 final dose subjects, there were 15 subjects with grade 3 or higher clinical AEs (1 subject with drug-related [DR] psychomotor hyperactivity and insomnia); 16 subjects with grade 3 or higher laboratory AEs (1 with DR transaminase elevation); 14 subjects with serious clinical AEs (1 with DR rash); and 1 subjects with serious laboratory AEs (1 with DR transaminase increased). There were no discontinuations due to AEs and no DR deaths. Favorable virologic responses at week 48 were observed in 79.1% of patients, with a mean CD4 increase of 156 cells/µL (4.6%). Conclusions. Raltegravir as a film-coated tablet 400 mg twice daily (6 to <19 years, and ≥25 kg) and chewable tablet 6 mg/kg (maximum dose 300 mg) twice daily (2 to <12 years) was well tolerated and showed favorable virologic and immunologic responses. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00485264. PMID:24145879

Raising the Bar: A Data-Driven Discussion on Grade Inflation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laurie, Robert

2009-01-01

The practice of handing out excellent grades to students who don't deserve them (grade inflation) is not a new phenomenon. Indeed grade inflation is among the oldest and most difficult issues to address in higher education. The author first studied the impact of grade inflation on student performance on standardized tests at the high school level…

"I'm Present, 'A' Please": A Case Study Examining Grading Issues in a Recreation Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, H. Joey

2008-01-01

Despite extensive research, grading and the potential for grade inflation remain areas of concern within higher education. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to obtain collective understandings regarding grading and pressures to inflate grades from faculty and instructors within a research-intensive university. The study focused on a…

Autonomy and Task Performance: Explaining the Impact of Grades on Intrinsic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulfrey, Caroline; Darnon, Celine; Butera, Fabrizio

2013-01-01

The use of grades to motivate constitutes an unresolved theoretical controversy. In 2 experiments carried out with different age groups and academic tracks, a standard-grade condition was compared with a condition in which differential scoring engendered higher grades and with a no-grade condition. The relative power of task performance and task…

Compositionally graded relaxed AlGaN buffers on semipolar GaN for mid-ultraviolet emission

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

Young, Erin C.; Wu Feng; Haeger, Daniel A.

In this Letter, we report on the growth and properties of relaxed, compositionally graded Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N buffer layers on freestanding semipolar (2021) GaN substrates. Continuous and step compositional grades with Al concentrations up to x = 0.61 have been achieved, with emission wavelengths in the mid-ultraviolet region as low as 265 nm. Coherency stresses were relaxed progressively throughout the grades by misfit dislocation generation via primary (basal) slip and secondary (non-basal) slip systems. Threading dislocation densities in the final layers of the grades were less than 10{sup 6}/cm{sup 2} as confirmed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence studies.

Compositionally graded relaxed AlGaN buffers on semipolar GaN for mid-ultraviolet emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Erin C.; Wu, Feng; Romanov, Alexey E.; Haeger, Daniel A.; Nakamura, Shuji; Denbaars, Steven P.; Cohen, Daniel A.; Speck, James S.

2012-10-01

In this Letter, we report on the growth and properties of relaxed, compositionally graded AlxGa1 - xN buffer layers on freestanding semipolar (202¯1) GaN substrates. Continuous and step compositional grades with Al concentrations up to x = 0.61 have been achieved, with emission wavelengths in the mid-ultraviolet region as low as 265 nm. Coherency stresses were relaxed progressively throughout the grades by misfit dislocation generation via primary (basal) slip and secondary (non-basal) slip systems. Threading dislocation densities in the final layers of the grades were less than 106/cm2 as confirmed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence studies.

Enhancing course grades and evaluations using distance education technologies.

PubMed

Carpenter, Roger; Theeke, Laurie; Smothers, Angel

2013-01-01

Delivering appropriate amounts of course content using appropriate methods is a concern for nursing faculty. To address this problem, webcasting, Camtasia, and Wimba Live Classroom were evaluated for impact on course grades and student evaluations in a medical-surgical nursing course. The addition of Camtasia resulted in improved final grades and Student Evaluations of Instruction scores that reflected enhanced critical thinking, teacher effectiveness, and overall learning. Students preferred recorded content that could be viewed on mobile devices.

Treatment of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma in a nulligravid woman.

PubMed

Michael Straughn, J; Boitano, Teresa; Smith, Haller J; Dilley, Sarah E; Liang, Margaret I; Novak, Lea

2018-06-07

A 32 year-old nulligravid woman with a uterine mass underwent exploratory laparotomy with myomectomy. Final pathology revealed a low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) with positive margins. She subsequently underwent definitive robotic hysterectomy and bilateral salpingectomy with ovarian preservation. She was diagnosed with a stage IB low-grade ESS. She is currently undergoing observation. Discussion of classification, surgical options, and adjuvant therapy is presented. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modified L'Episcopo tendon transfers for irreparable rotator cuff tears: 5-year follow-up.

PubMed

Gerhardt, Christian; Lehmann, Lars; Lichtenberg, Sven; Magosch, Peter; Habermeyer, Peter

2010-06-01

Patients with posterosuperior cuff tears lose functional external rotation of the shoulder. Latissimus dorsi and teres major transfer is performed to restore external rotation. Twenty patients with a mean age was 55.8 +/- 6 years underwent this procedure and were examined at averages of 24.7 (n = 17) and 70.6 (n = 13) months. Two patients did not improve presumably because of failure of the transfer. The Constant and Murley score increased from 55.6 to 90.4 after 2 years and to 87.9 after 5 years. The mean active flexion increased from 119.4 degrees to 169.3 degrees and reached 170 degrees after 5 years, and mean external rotation increased from 12 degrees to 35 degrees , finally reaching 23 degrees . The grade of cuff arthritis progressed from initially Grade 1 in 17% and Grade 2 in 28% to Grade 2 in 8%, Grade 3 in 69%, and Grade 4 in 15% at final followup. The acromiohumeral distance increased from 4.5 mm to 6 mm and decreased to 3.8 mm after 5 years. Electromyographic analysis showed activity during isometric internal and external rotation in the transferred muscle in all patients. The L'Episcopo procedure can restore shoulder function, but cuff arthropathy may progress. Level IV, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Intra-operative visualization of brain tumors with 5-aminolevulinic acid-induced fluorescence.

PubMed

Widhalm, Georg

2014-01-01

Precise histopathological diagnosis of brain tumors is essential for the correct patient management. Furthermore, complete resection of brain tumors is associated with an improved patient prognosis. However, histopathological undergrading and incomplete tumor removal are not uncommon, especially due to insufficient intra-operative visualization of brain tumor tissue. The fluorescent dye 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is currently applied for fluorescence-guided resections of high-grade gliomas. The value of 5-ALA-induced protoporphyrin (PpIX) fluorescence for intra-operative visualization of other tumors than high-grade gliomas remains unclear. Within the frame of this thesis, we found a significantly higher rate of complete resections of our high-grade gliomas as compared to control cases by using the newly established 5-ALA fluorescence technology at our department. Additionally, we showed that MRI spectroscopy-based chemical shift imaging (CSI) is capable to identify intratumoral high-grade glioma areas (= anaplastic foci) during navigation guided resections to avoid histopathological undergrading. However, the accuracy of navigation systems with integrated pre-operative imaging data such as CSI declines during resections due to intra-operative brainshift. In two further studies, we found that 5-ALA induced PpIX fluorescence is capable as a novel intra-operative marker to detect anaplastic foci within initially suspected low-grade gliomas independent of brainshift. Finally, we showed that the application of 5-ALA is also of relevance in needle biopsies for intra-operative identification of representative brain tumor tissue. These data indicate that 5-ALA is not only of major importance for resection of high-grade gliomas, but also for intra-operative visualization of anaplastic foci as well as representative brain tumor tissue in needle biopsies unaffected by brainshift. Consequently, this new technique might become a novel standard in brain tumor surgery that optimizes the patient management and improves the patient prognosis by maximizing the extent of tumor resection and enabling a precise histopathological tumor diagnosis.

An outcomes-based grading scale for the evaluation of cerebral aneurysms treated with flow diversion.

PubMed

Park, Min S; Mazur, Marcus D; Moon, Karam; Nanaszko, Michael J; Kestle, John R W; Shah, Lubdha M; Winegar, Blair; Albuquerque, Felipe C; Taussky, Philipp; McDougall, Cameron G

2017-11-01

Despite the popularity of flow-diverting stents for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms, there is no widely accepted scale for the characterization of results. We present an outcomes-based grading scale that considers factors related to failure of flow diversion. The grading scale was developed using the results from consecutive patients at two institutions who were treated with flow diversion for a cerebral aneurysm. The initial treatment results were graded on patient, aneurysm, and treatment characteristics. A 6-point grading scale was developed based on these data. One hundred and seventy-one patients were included in the patient cohort. When compared by multivariate analysis with patients without residuals, patients with aneurysm residuals were found to be older (age ≥60 years, p=0.01, OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.33), to have larger aneurysms (size ≥15 mm, p<0.01, OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.62), to have aneurysms with associated side branches (p=0.02, OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.33), and to have a post-treatment Raymond score of 2 or 3 (p=0.01, OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.56). Using the Raymond score (1-3) as the foundation for the grading scale, additional points (0 or 1) were given for the other three identified factors, creating a 6-point scale. We found that patients with residual aneurysms had statistically higher final tabulated scores (p<0.01). We propose a novel straightforward outcomes-based scale to characterize results after flow diversion treatment of cerebral aneurysms. This scale may provide the basis for the common reporting of results in future studies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Comparative evaluation of techniques for the manufacturing of dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines

PubMed Central

Dohnal, Alexander Michael; Graffi, Sebastian; Witt, Volker; Eichstill, Christina; Wagner, Dagmar; Ul-Haq, Sidrah; Wimmer, Doris; Felzmann, Thomas

2009-01-01

Abstract Manufacturing procedures for cellular therapies are continuously improved with particular emphasis on product safety. We previously developed a dendritic cell (DC) cancer vaccine technology platform that uses clinical grade lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon (IFN)-y for the maturation of monocyte derived DCs. DCs are frozen after 6 hrs exposure at a semi-mature stage (smDCs) retaining the capacity to secret interleukin (IL)-12 and thus support cytolytic T-cell responses, which is lost at full maturation. We compared closed systems for monocyte enrichment from leucocyte apheresis products from healthy individuals using plastic adherence, CD14 selection, or CD2/19 depletion with magnetic beads, or counter flow centrifugation (elutriation) using a clinical grade in comparison to a research grade culture medium for the following DC generation. We found that elutriation was superior compared to the other methods showing 36 ± 4% recovery, which was approximately 5-fold higher as the most frequently used adherence protocol (8 ± 1%), and a very good purity (92 ± 5%) of smDCs. Immune phenotype and IL-12 secretion (adherence: 1.4 ± 0.4; selection: 20 ± 0.6; depletion: 1 ±0.5; elutriation: 3.6 ± 1.5 ng/ml) as well as the potency of all DCs to stimulate T cells in an allogeneic mixed leucocyte reaction did not show statistically significant differences. Research grade and clinical grade DC culture media were equally potent and freezing did not impair the functions of smDCs. Finally, we assessed the functional capacity of DC cancer vaccines manufactured for three patients using this optimized procedure thereby demonstrating the feasibility of manufacturing DC cancer vaccines that secret IL-12 (9.4 ± 6.4 ng/ml). We conclude that significant steps were taken here towards clinical grade DC cancer vaccine manufacturing. PMID:18363835

Student achievement in science and mathematics on campuses that have implemented the CSCOPE curriculum model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Emily R.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences in student achievement exist between school campuses which followed a specific standards-based curriculum model (CSCOPE) and school campuses which followed a non-CSCOPE or traditional curriculum model. One-hundred and sixty CSCOPE curriculum campuses and 160 non-CSCOPE curriculum campuses were used in the study. Achievement data were collected on students in the fifth, eighth, and eleventh grades using the campuses percentage passing on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for both science and mathematics. The TAKS is the state-mandated assessment system used to comply with federal testing guidelines. Data for the 2007-2008 school year were used for the elementary level while data from 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 were used for junior high (middle school) and high school levels. Data were analyzed by overall class as well as aggregated by ethnic classifications. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize achievement results and t-tests were utilized to analyze achievement differences between the two curriculum models. Overall fifth grade students in CSCOPE schools outperformed (p < .05) non-CSCOPE counterparts in science and mathematics. Also, fifth grade Hispanic students using CSCOPE curriculum scored higher (p < .05) than those in traditional curricula. Eighth grade students in CSCOPE schools performed better (p < .05) in science than students in non-CSCOPE schools. Finally, eighth grade Hispanic and White subgroups using CSCOPE curriculum outperformed ( p < .05) their ethnic counterparts using traditional curriculum models. The only statistically significant finding at the eleventh grade level was the African-American subgroup in science, but this subgroup had too small of a sample to infer the findings to the population. Thus, the results would tend to support use of the standardized curriculum model (CSCOPE) at lower levels whereas achievement in high school may not be differentially affected by the standardized model.

Illusions of a Good Grade: Effort or Luck?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckelew, Susan P.; Byrd, Nikki; Key, Colin W.; Thornton, Jessica; Merwin, Michelle M.

2013-01-01

This study assessed the relationships among the accuracy of grade predictions, actual grades, self-enhancement bias, and attributions about academic performance. As a group, students anticipated higher grades than were earned. Individual differences in self-enhancement bias were measured using the discrepancy between anticipated and attained…

Higher-Order Theory for Functionally Graded Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aboudi, Jacob; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy; Arnold, Steven M.

1999-01-01

This paper presents the full generalization of the Cartesian coordinate-based higher-order theory for functionally graded materials developed by the authors during the past several years. This theory circumvents the problematic use of the standard micromechanical approach, based on the concept of a representative volume element, commonly employed in the analysis of functionally graded composites by explicitly coupling the local (microstructural) and global (macrostructural) responses. The theoretical framework is based on volumetric averaging of the various field quantities, together with imposition of boundary and interfacial conditions in an average sense between the subvolumes used to characterize the composite's functionally graded microstructure. The generalization outlined herein involves extension of the theoretical framework to enable the analysis of materials characterized by spatially variable microstructures in three directions. Specialization of the generalized theoretical framework to previously published versions of the higher-order theory for materials functionally graded in one and two directions is demonstrated. In the applications part of the paper we summarize the major findings obtained with the one-directional and two-directional versions of the higher-order theory. The results illustrate both the fundamental issues related to the influence of microstructure on microscopic and macroscopic quantities governing the response of composites and the technologically important applications. A major issue addressed herein is the applicability of the classical homogenization schemes in the analysis of functionally graded materials. The technologically important applications illustrate the utility of functionally graded microstructures in tailoring the response of structural components in a variety of applications involving uniform and gradient thermomechanical loading.

Intermediate-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion may be a valid diagnostic/interpretive category.

PubMed

Ravinsky, Esther; Baker, Patricia

2009-02-01

We undertook this study to assess the characteristics of smears with features intermediate between high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ISIL). We also wanted to determine how these smears correlate with high risk biopsy diagnosis and to compare this with the biopsy correlation of LSIL and HSIL. Seventy-four squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) smears were identified as intermediate-grade SIL smears taken at colposcopy in a 1 year period. They were correlated with concurrent colposcopically guided biopsies. Thirty-five percent of cases with intermediate-grade SIL smears had a biopsy diagnosis of moderate dysplasia or higher as compared with 12% for LSIL 74% for HSIL. This confirmed our hypothesis that intermediate-grade SIL smears have a rate of biopsy diagnosis of moderate dysplasia or higher intermediate to that of LSIL and HSIL.

Anatomical grades of nerve sparing: a risk-stratified approach to neural-hammock sparing during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

PubMed

Tewari, Ashutosh K; Srivastava, Abhishek; Huang, Michael W; Robinson, Brian D; Shevchuk, Maria M; Durand, Matthieu; Sooriakumaran, Prasanna; Grover, Sonal; Yadav, Rajiv; Mishra, Nishant; Mohan, Sanjay; Brooks, Danielle C; Shaikh, Nusrat; Khanna, Abhinav; Leung, Robert

2011-09-01

• To report the potency and oncological outcomes of patients undergoing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using a risk-stratified approach based on layers of periprostatic fascial dissection. • We also describe the surgical technique of complete hammock preservation or nerve sparing grade 1. • This is a retrospective study of 2317 patients who had robotic prostatectomy by a single surgeon at a single institution between January 2005 and June 2010. • Included patients were those with ≥ 1 year of follow-up and who were potent preoperatively, defined as having a sexual health inventory for men (SHIM) questionnaire score of >21; thus, the final number of patients in the study cohort was 1263. • Patients were categorized pre-operatively by a risk-stratified approach into risk grades 1-4, where risk grade 1 patients received nerve-sparing grade 1 or complete hammock preservation and so on for risk grades 2-4, as long as intraoperative findings permitted the planned nerve sparing. • We considered return to sexual function post-operatively by two criteria: i) ability to have successful intercourse (score of ≥ 4 on question 2 of the SHIM) and ii) SHIM >21 or return to baseline sexual function. • There was a significant difference across different NS grades in terms of the percentages of patients who had intercourse and returned to baseline sexual function (P < 0.001), with those that underwent NS grade 1 having the highest rates (90.9% and 81.7%) as compared to NS grades 2 (81.4% and 74.3%), 3 (73.5% and 66.1%), and 4 (62% and 54.5%). • The overall positive surgical margin (PSM) rates for patients with NS grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 9.9%, 8.1%, 7.2%, and 8.7%, respectively (P = 0.636). • The extraprostatic extension rates were 11.6%, 14.3%, 29.3%, and 36.2%, respectively (P < 0.001). • Similarly, in patients younger than 60, intercourse and return to baseline sexual function rates were 94.9% and 84.3% for NS grade 1 as compared to 85.5% and 77.2% for NS grades 2, 76.9% and 69% for NS grades 3, and 64.8% and 57.7% for NS Grade 4 (P < 0.001). • The risk-stratified approach and anatomical technique of neural-hammock sparing described in the present manuscript was effective in improving potency outcomes of patients without compromising cancer control. • Patients with greater degrees of NS had higher rates of intercourse and return to baseline sexual function without an increase in PSM rates. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. BJU INTERNATIONAL © 2011 BJU INTERNATIONAL.

Characterizing the adoption of low-grade hardwood lumber by the secondary wood processing industry

Treesearch

Robert L. Smith; Wibke Pohle; Philip Araman; Dan Cumbo

2004-01-01

This study investigated the adoption of low-grade lumber in the secondary hardwood industry. Factors influencing decisions regarding the utilization of low-grade lumber were identified and value-added opportunities to increase the use of low-grade lumber among manufacturers currently using higher grades were evaluated. Data were collected via a nationwide mail survey...

49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

49 CFR 213.347 - Automotive or railroad crossings at grade.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. 213.347 Section 213.347 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD... Higher § 213.347 Automotive or railroad crossings at grade. (a) There shall be no at-grade (level...

Collegiate Grading Practices and the Gender Pay Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowd, Alicia C.

2000-01-01

Presents a theoretical analysis showing that relatively low grading quantitative fields and high grading verbal fields create a disincentive for college women to invest in quantitative study. Extends research by R. Sabot and J. Wakeman-Linn. Models pressures on grading practices using higher education production functions. (Author/SLD)

Grade Inflation: An Issue for Higher Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caruth, Donald L.; Caruth, Gail D.

2013-01-01

Grade inflation impacts university credibility, student courses of study, choices of institution, and other areas. There has been an upward shift in grades without a corresponding upward shift in knowledge gained. Some of the most frequently mentioned causes of grade inflation are: (1) student evaluations of professors; (2) student teacher…

5 CFR 300.605 - Creditable service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... effect when the non-GS service was performed. The equivalent GS grade is the GS grade with a... higher grade (or equivalent) in positions to which appointed in the Federal civilian service is... General Schedule (GS) is credited at the equivalent GS grade by comparing the candidate's rate of basic...

5 CFR 300.605 - Creditable service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... effect when the non-GS service was performed. The equivalent GS grade is the GS grade with a... higher grade (or equivalent) in positions to which appointed in the Federal civilian service is... General Schedule (GS) is credited at the equivalent GS grade by comparing the candidate's rate of basic...

5 CFR 300.605 - Creditable service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... effect when the non-GS service was performed. The equivalent GS grade is the GS grade with a... higher grade (or equivalent) in positions to which appointed in the Federal civilian service is... General Schedule (GS) is credited at the equivalent GS grade by comparing the candidate's rate of basic...

5 CFR 300.605 - Creditable service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... effect when the non-GS service was performed. The equivalent GS grade is the GS grade with a... higher grade (or equivalent) in positions to which appointed in the Federal civilian service is... General Schedule (GS) is credited at the equivalent GS grade by comparing the candidate's rate of basic...

The Contemporary Incidence and Sequelae of Rhabdomyolysis Following Extirpative Renal Surgery: A Population Based Analysis.

PubMed

Gelpi-Hammerschmidt, Francisco; Tinay, Ilker; Allard, Christopher B; Su, Li-Ming; Preston, Mark A; Trinh, Quoc-Dien; Kibel, Adam S; Wang, Ye; Chung, Benjamin I; Chang, Steven L

2016-02-01

We evaluate the contemporary incidence and consequences of postoperative rhabdomyolysis after extirpative renal surgery. We conducted a population based, retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent extirpative renal surgery with a diagnosis of a renal mass or renal cell carcinoma in the United States between 2004 and 2013. Regression analysis was performed to evaluate 90-day mortality (Clavien grade V), nonfatal major complications (Clavien grade III-IV), hospital readmission rates, direct costs and length of stay. The final weighted cohort included 310,880 open, 174,283 laparoscopic and 69,880 robotic extirpative renal surgery cases during the 10-year study period, with 745 (0.001%) experiencing postoperative rhabdomyolysis. The presence of postoperative rhabdomyolysis led to a significantly higher incidence of 90-day nonfatal major complications (34.7% vs 7.3%, p <0.05) and higher 90-day mortality (4.4% vs 1.02%, p <0.05). Length of stay was twice as long for patients with postoperative rhabdomyolysis (incidence risk ratio 1.83, 95% CI 1.56-2.15, p <0.001). The robotic approach was associated with a higher likelihood of postoperative rhabdomyolysis (vs laparoscopic approach, OR 2.43, p <0.05). Adjusted 90-day median direct hospital costs were USD 7,515 higher for patients with postoperative rhabdomyolysis (p <0.001). Our model revealed that the combination of obesity and prolonged surgery (more than 5 hours) was associated with a higher likelihood of postoperative rhabdomyolysis developing. Our study confirms that postoperative rhabdomyolysis is an uncommon complication among patients undergoing extirpative renal surgery, but has a potentially detrimental impact on surgical morbidity, mortality and costs. Male gender, comorbidities, obesity, prolonged surgery (more than 5 hours) and a robotic approach appear to place patients at higher risk for postoperative rhabdomyolysis. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Correlation of quinone reductase activity and allyl isothiocyanate formation among different genotypes and grades of horseradish roots.

PubMed

Ku, Kang-Mo; Jeffery, Elizabeth H; Juvik, John A; Kushad, Mosbah M

2015-03-25

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) is a perennial crop and its ground root tissue is used in condiments because of the pungency of the glucosinolate (GS)-hydrolysis products allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) derived from sinigrin and gluconasturtiin, respectively. Horseradish roots are sold in three grades: U.S. Fancy, U.S. No. 1, and U.S. No. 2 according to the USDA standards. These grading standards are primarily based on root diameter and length. There is little information on whether root grades vary in their phytochemical content or potential health promoting properties. This study measured GS, GS-hydrolysis products, potential anticancer activity (as quinone reductase inducing activity), total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities from different grades of horseradish accessions. U.S. Fancy showed significantly higher sinigrin and AITC concentrations than U.S. No. 1 ,whereas U.S. No. 1 showed significantly higher concentrations of 1-cyano 2,3-epithiopropane, the epithionitrile hydrolysis product of sinigrin, and significantly higher total phenolic concentrations than U.S. Fancy.

Stable same-sex friendships with higher achieving partners promote mathematical reasoning in lower achieving primary school children.

PubMed

DeLay, Dawn; Laursen, Brett; Kiuru, Noona; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Aunola, Kaisa; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2015-11-01

This study was designed to investigate friend influence over mathematical reasoning in a sample of 374 children in 187 same-sex friend dyads (184 girls in 92 friendships; 190 boys in 95 friendships). Participants completed surveys that measured mathematical reasoning in the 3rd grade (approximately 9 years old) and 1 year later in the 4th grade (approximately 10 years old). Analyses designed for dyadic data (i.e., longitudinal actor-partner interdependence model) indicated that higher achieving friends influenced the mathematical reasoning of lower achieving friends, but not the reverse. Specifically, greater initial levels of mathematical reasoning among higher achieving partners in the 3rd grade predicted greater increases in mathematical reasoning from 3rd grade to 4th grade among lower achieving partners. These effects held after controlling for peer acceptance and rejection, task avoidance, interest in mathematics, maternal support for homework, parental education, length of the friendship, and friendship group norms on mathematical reasoning. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Stable Same-Sex Friendships with Higher Achieving Partners Promote Mathematical Reasoning in Lower Achieving Primary School Children

PubMed Central

DeLay, Dawn; Laursen, Brett; Kiuru, Noona; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Aunola, Kaisa; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2015-01-01

This study is designed to investigate friend influence over mathematical reasoning in a sample of 374 children in 187 same-sex friend dyads (184 girls in 92 friendships; 190 boys in 95 friendships). Participants completed surveys that measured mathematical reasoning in the 3rd grade (approximately 9 years old) and one year later in the 4th grade (approximately 10 years old). Analyses designed for dyadic data (i.e., longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models) indicated that higher achieving friends influenced the mathematical reasoning of lower achieving friends, but not the reverse. Specifically, greater initial levels of mathematical reasoning among higher achieving partners in the 3rd grade predicted greater increases in mathematical reasoning from 3rd grade to 4th grade among lower achieving partners. These effects held after controlling for peer acceptance and rejection, task avoidance, interest in mathematics, maternal support for homework, parental education, length of the friendship, and friendship group norms on mathematical reasoning. PMID:26402901

Lymphatic and blood vessels in male breast cancer.

PubMed

Niemiec, Joanna; Sas-Korczynska, Beata; Harazin-Lechowska, Agnieszka; Martynow, Dariusz; Adamczyk, Agnieszka

2015-02-01

It is assumed that lymphatic vessels are responsible for breast cancer dissemination. In 32 male breast carcinomas we evaluated the correlation between: (i) lymphatic vessel density (LVD), distribution of podoplanin-immunostained vessels (DPV), blood vessel density (BVD), infiltration of immune cells and (ii) known clinicopathological parameters. Lymphatic and blood vessels were found in 77.8% and 100% of breast carcinomas, respectively. Double-negative estrogen and progesterone receptor tumors (ER-/PR-) presented significantly higher LVD than ER/PR positive cases, while high-grade tumors exhibited significantly higher DPV than low-grade carcinomas. We detected significantly higher frequency of vascular invasion in high-grade and double-negative carcinomas than in low-grade and ER/PR-positive ones, respectively. The relationship between high number of lymphatic vessels and high tumor grade or steroid receptor negativity might confirm the hypothesis regarding the influence of lymphangiogenesis on the formation of a more aggressive phenotype in male breast cancer. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Progression of choroid plexus papilloma.

PubMed

Dhillon, Rana S; Wang, Yi Yuen; McKelvie, Penny A; O'Brien, Brendan

2013-12-01

Choroid plexus papillomas are rare neoplasms that arise from choroid plexus epithelium. The World Health Organization classification describes three histological grades. Grade I is choroid plexus papilloma, grade II is atypical choroid plexus papilloma and grade III is choroid plexus carcinoma. Progression between grades is rare but documented. We present two adult cases, a 53-year-old female and a 70-year-old male, who demonstrated clear interval histological progression from grade I choroid plexus papilloma to higher grades. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships Between Content Experience and the Development of Seriation Skills in First Grade Children. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonney, Lewis Alfred

This study is concerned with the manner in which experience with concrete, quantitative, interpersonal, and verbal content influences the development of ability patterns in first grade children. The literature related to theoretical models of intellectual development indicates that abilities develop in response to experiential variables, such as…

Development of an Occupational Orientation Program for Grades K-6. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kesler, Ray M.; Brown, Sandra

This report presents the development, methodology, and findings of an Occupational Orientation Program for Grades K-6 in Monongalia County, West Virginia. The objectives of the program were to develop a curriculum for an elementary school that would give students the assistance needed to make realistic, attainable career choices, to assist…

Health Education: Cancer Prevention and Control. Curriculum Guides, Grades 10, 11, and 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Curriculum Development Center.

These curriculum guidelines for tenth-, eleventh-, and twelfth-grade students discuss the prevention, early detection and treatment, and control of cancer. The nature of cancer, the epidemiological factors related to it, the types of treatments available, and rehabilitation of cancer victims are discussed. Finally, the unit discusses personal and…

Evaluation of GALAXY Classroom Science for Grades 3-5. Final Report. Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guth, Gloria J. A.; Austin, Susan; DeLong, Bo; Pasta, David J.; Block, Clifford

The GALAXY Classroom is a package of integrated curricular and instructional approaches, supported by the first U.S. interactive satellite communications network designed to facilitate the introduction of innovative curricula to improve student learning in elementary schools. GALAXY Classroom Science for grades 3-5 features the organization of…

Perception of Self-Efficacy, Academic Delay of Gratification, and Use of Learning Strategies among Korean College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bembenutty, Hefer

2004-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between students' self-efficacy beliefs, satisfaction with their academic performance, expected grade, willingness to delay gratification, use of volitional strategies, and final course grade among Korean college students. The results support the hypothesized relationship between…

A Structural Equation Model for Predicting Business Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomykalski, James J.; Dion, Paul; Brock, James L.

2008-01-01

In this study, the authors developed a structural equation model that accounted for 79% of the variability of a student's final grade point average by using a sample size of 147 students. The model is based on student grades in 4 foundational business courses: introduction to business, macroeconomics, statistics, and using databases. Educators and…

UNDERSTANDING THE FOURTH GRADE SLUMP IN CREATIVE THINKING. FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

TORRANCE, E. PAUL

STUDIES OF CREATIVITY AND OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES IN CHILDREN HAVE SUGGESTED THE PRESENCE OF SLUMPS (OR INVERSIONS) WHICH MAY BE CORRELATED WITH DEVELOPMENTAL TRANSITIONS. THE MOST NOTABLE OF THESE OCCURS AT ABOUT THE FOURTH GRADE AND IS THE OBJECT OF THIS STUDY. THREE SETS OF INVESTIGATIONS WERE UNDERTAKEN--(1) A STUDY OF CREATIVE…

Does Social Background Influence Political Science Grades?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiruneh, Gizachew

2013-01-01

This paper tests a hypothesized linear relationship between social background and final grades in several political science courses that I taught at the University of Central Arkansas. I employ a cross-sectional research design and ordinary least square (OLS) estimators to test the foregoing hypothesis. Relying on a sample of up to 204…

Improving the prediction of the final part geometry in high strength steels U drawing by means of advanced material and friction models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Argandoña, Eneko Saenz; Mendiguren, Joseba; Otero, Irune; Mugarra, Endika; Otegi, Nagore; Galdos, Lander

2018-05-01

Steel has been used in vehicles from the automotive industry's inception. Different steel grades are continually being developed in order to satisfy new fuel economy requirements. For example, advanced high strength steel grades (AHSS) are widely used due to their good strength/weight ratio. Because each steel grade has a different microstructure composition and hardness, they show different behaviors when they are subjected to different strain paths. Similarly, the friction behavior when using different contact pressures is considerably altered. In the present paper, four different steel grades, ZSt380, DP600, DP780 and Fortiform 1050 materials are deeply characterized using uniaxial and cyclic tension-compression tests. Coefficient of friction (COF) is also obtained using strip drawing tests. These results have been used to calibrate mixed kinematic-hardening material models as well as pressure dependent friction models. Finally, the geometrical accuracy of the different material and friction models has been evaluated by comparing the numerical predictions with experimental demonstrators obtained using a U-Drawing tester.

Guidelenines in the management of obstructing cancer of the left colon: consensus conference of the world society of emergency surgery (WSES) and peritoneum and surgery (PnS) society

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Obstructive left colon carcinoma (OLCC) is a challenging matter in terms of obstruction release as well of oncological issues. Several options are available and no guidelines are established. The paper aims to generate evidenced based recommendations on management of OLCC. Methods The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were queried for publications focusing on OLCC published prior to April 2010. A extensive retrieval, analyses, and grading of the literature was undertaken. The findings of the research were presented and largely discussed among panellist and audience at the Consensus Conference of the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and Peritoneum and Surgery (PnS) Society held in Bologna July 2010. Comparisons of techniques are presented and final committee recommendation are enounced. Results Hartmann's procedure should be preferred to loop colostomy (Grade 2B). Hartmann's procedure offers no survival benefit compared to segmental colonic resection with primary anastomosis (Grade 2C+); Hartmann's procedure should be considered in patients with high surgical risk (Grade 2C). Total colectomy and segmental colectomy with intraoperative colonic irrigation are associated with same mortality/morbidity, however total colectomy is associated with higher rates impaired bowel function (Grade 1A). Segmental resection and primary anastomosis either with manual decompression or intraoperative colonic irrigation are associated with same mortality/morbidity rate (Grade 1A). In palliation stent placement is associated with similar mortality/morbidity rates and shorter hospital stay (Grade 2B). Stents as a bridge to surgery seems associated with lower mortality rate, shorter hospital stay, and a lower colostomy formation rate (Grade 1B). Conclusions Loop colostomy and staged procedure should be adopted in case of dramatic scenario, when neoadjuvant therapy could be expected. Hartmann's procedure should be performed in case of high risk of anastomotic dehiscence. Subtotal and total colectomy should be attempted when cecal perforation or in case of synchronous colonic neoplasm. Primary resection and anastomosis with manual decompression seems the procedure of choice. Colonic stents represent the best option when skills are available. The literature power is relatively poor and the existing RCT are often not sufficiently robust in design thus, among 6 possible treatment modalities, only 2 reached the Grade A. PMID:21189148

[Relationship between first molar caries and eating and tooth brushing habits in elementary school children].

PubMed

Fujiwara, Aiko; Takeda, Fumi

2010-11-01

The aim of the present study was to elucidate the relationship between eating and tooth brushing habits in the second grade of elementary school with first molar caries in the third to sixth grades. Subjects were 130 students at one elementary school in the Tokai region who were in the second grade in 2002, for which eating and tooth-brushing habits were ascertained by a self-administered questionnaire survey. A follow-up survey was conducted based on the 2002 to 2006 school dental examination record and analyses were performed on data from 104 students without first molar dental caries in the second grade. The incidences of first molar caries in the third grade were higher among students who ate cookies at least once daily or every 2 to 3 days, compared with those who ate cookies once a week or not at all in the second grade. Incidences were also higher among those whose daily frequency of tooth brushing was once or sometimes compared with twice or three times or more. Furthermore, the incidences of first molar caries in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades were higher among students who ate candy at least once daily or every 2 to 3 days, compared with those who ate candy once a week or not at all in the second grade. The intake frequency of cookies was related to the first molar caries in the third grade, and of candy for that in the fourth to sixth grades. Moreover, first molar caries in the third grade were also related to the daily frequency of second-grade tooth brushing. These findings suggest the importance of measures encouraging lower-grade elementary students to establish and maintain habits of tooth brushing and of limiting consumption of sweets, such as cookies and candy, in order to prevent caries in their permanent teeth during elementary school.

Evaluation of rare but severe immune related adverse effects in PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Hu, Yang-Bo; Zhang, Qun; Li, Hui-Juan; Michot, Jean Maire; Liu, Hong-Bing

2017-01-01

Background Programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor therapy is showing marked efficacy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Meanwhile, it is concomitant with distinctive immune-related adverse effects. We aim to describe the incidence of pneumonitis and other rare but severe immune-related adverse effects (IRAEs), as well as treatment related deaths. In addition, we analyze the differences in incidence of pneumonitis between PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors and standard-of-care chemotherapy. Methods PubMed was searched up to 24 March 2017 for clinical trials of PD-1 inhibitors (nivolumab and pembrolizumab) and PD-L1 inhibitors (atezolizumab, avelumab and durvalumab) in treatment of NSCLC. Besides, references of relevant articles were screened. Results Finally, 22 trials were included in our study, 14 with data of pneumonitis, 19 with other severe IRAEs or treatment related deaths and 5 with control groups. Incidence of all-grade pneumonitis was 2.9% (95% CI, 2.0–4.8%) and grade 3 or higher pneumonitis 2.0% (95% CI, 1.0–2.0%). Incidence of all-grade pneumonitis in PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor therapy (n=1,313) was significantly higher than that in chemotherapy (n=918) (OR=2.35, 95% CI, 1.32–4.20, P=0.004), but had no significance in grade 3–5 pneumonitis. Incidence of cardiorespiratory arrest (n=537) was 1.0% (95% CI, 0–2.0%), cardiac failure (n=214) 2.0% (95% CI, 1.0–5.7%), myocardial infarction (n=402) 1.0% (95% CI, 0–3.8%), stroke (n=135) 2.0% (95% CI, 0–13.0%), disease progression (n=391) 1.0% (95% CI, 0–2.9%), pancreatitis (n=700) 1.0% (95% CI, 0–2.0%) and severe skin reactions (n=836) 2.0% (95% CI, 1.0–3.8%). Incidence of treatment related deaths was 0.7%. Conclusions Immune related adverse effects can on occasion be life-threatening even though usually rare. Incidence of pneumonitis in PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors was significantly higher than that in chemotherapy. More studies should be conducted to investigate the incidence of these rare but life-threatening IRAEs. PMID:29299404

The relation between student motivation and student grades in physical education: A 3-year investigation.

PubMed

Barkoukis, V; Taylor, I; Chanal, J; Ntoumanis, N

2014-10-01

Enhancing students' academic engagement is the key element of the educational process; hence, research in this area has focused on understanding the mechanisms that can lead to increased academic engagement. The present study investigated the relation between motivation and grades in physical education (PE) employing a 3-year longitudinal design. Three hundred fifty-four Greek high school students participated in the study. Students completed measures of motivation to participate in PE on six occasions; namely, at the start and the end of the school year in the first, second, and third year of junior high school. Students' PE grades were also recorded at these time points. The results of the multilevel growth models indicated that students' PE grades increased over the 3 years and students had better PE grades at the end of each year than at the beginning of the subsequent year. In general, students and classes with higher levels of controlling motivation achieved lower PE grades, whereas higher levels of autonomous motivation were associated with higher PE grades. These findings provide new insight on the associations between class- and individual-level motivation with objectively assessed achievement in PE. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Significantly greater expression of ER, PR, and ECAD in advanced-stage low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma as revealed by immunohistochemical analysis.

PubMed

Wong, Kwong-Kwok; Lu, Karen H; Malpica, Anais; Bodurka, Diane C; Shvartsman, Hyun S; Schmandt, Rosemarie E; Thornton, Angela D; Deavers, Michael T; Silva, Elvio G; Gershenson, David M

2007-10-01

A 2-tier system that classifies ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) as low grade or high grade is gaining acceptance. Women with low-grade OSC generally have higher 5-year survival rates than do women with high-grade OSC. We examined the expression of various markers to further understand the molecular differences between low-grade and high-grade OSCs: the potential therapeutic targets or prognostic markers Her-2/neu, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor (PR); the metastasis-associated markers cyclin D1 (BCL1), E-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2, and MMP-9; and the cell proliferation-associated markers BCL1, Ki-67 antigen (Ki-67), and p53. For this immunohistochemical analysis, we used paraffin-embedded specimens from 47 patients with advanced-stage low-grade OSC and from 49 patients with advanced-stage high-grade OSC. Our results showed that low-grade tumors expressed significantly higher levels of estrogen receptor, PR, and E-cadherin than did high-grade tumors, suggesting the involvement of gonadal steroid hormones, especially in the pathogenesis of low-grade OSC; the PR positivity was also observed in the stromal component of these low-grade tumors. On the other hand, high-grade tumors trended toward increased expression of MMP-9, BCL1, p53, and Ki-67, and robust MMP-9 positivity was observed in the stromal component of these high-grade tumors. These differences may lead to the development of different therapeutic strategies for women with either the low-grade or the high-grade form of OSC.

Accuracy of pre-operative hysteroscopic guided biopsy for predicting final pathology in uterine malignancies.

PubMed

Martinelli, Fabio; Ditto, Antonino; Bogani, Giorgio; Signorelli, Mauro; Chiappa, Valentina; Lorusso, Domenica; Haeusler, Edward; Raspagliesi, Francesco

2017-07-01

To evaluate concordance (C) between pre-operative hysteroscopic-directed sampling and final pathology in uterine cancers. A retrospective cross-sectional evaluation of prospectively collected data of women who underwent hysterectomy for uterine malignancies and a previous hysteroscopic-guided biopsy was performed. Diagnostic concordance between pre-operative (hysteroscopic biopsy) and postoperative (uterine specimen) histology was evaluated. In endometrioid-endometrial cancers cases Kappa (k) statistics was applied to evaluate agreement for grading (G) between the preoperative and final pathology. A total 101 hysterectomies for uterine malignancies were evaluated. There were 23 non-endometrioid cancers: 7 serous (C:5/7, 71.4%); 10 carcinosarcomas (C:7/10, 70%, remaining 3 cases only epithelial component diagnosed); 3 clear cell (C:3/3, 100%); 3 sarcomas (C:3/3, 100%). In 78 cases an endometrioid endometrial cancer was found. In 63 cases there was a histological C (63/78, 80.8%) between hysteroscopic-guided biopsy and final pathology, while in 15 cases (19.2%) only hyperplasia (with/without atypia) was found preoperatively. Overall accuracy to detect endometrial cancer was 80.2%. In 50 out of 63 endometrial cancers (79.4%) grading was concordant. The overall level of agreement between preoperative and postoperative grading was "substantial" according to Kappa (k) statistics (k 0.64; 95% CI: 0.449-0.83; p < 0.001), as well as for G1 (0.679; 95% CI: 0.432-0.926; p < 0.001) and G3 (0.774; 94% CI: 0.534-1; p < 0.001), while for G2 (0.531; 95% CI: 0.286-0.777; p < 0.001) it was moderate. In our series we found an 80% C between pre-operative hysteroscopic-guided biopsy and final pathology, in uterine malignancies. Moreover, hysteroscopic biopsy accurately predicted endometrial cancer in 80% of cases and "substantially" predicted histological grading. Hysteroscopic-guided uterine sampling could be a useful tool to tailor treatment in patients with uterine malignancies.

The effects of student support services peer tutoring on learning and study strategies, grades, and retention at a rural community college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mumford, Thomas J.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Student Support Services peer tutoring on rural community college students' success in an Anatomy and Physiology class as measured changes in self-reported learning and study strategies, the final grade in Anatomy and Physiology class, and persistence/retention in the following semesters. A secondary goal was to assess the relative merits of two training methods: standard peer tutoring and standard peer tutoring plus introduction to attribution theory. This Anatomy and Physiology class typically has a failure rate of 50%. The federal government annually funds more than 700 Student Support Services (SSS) grants and 162 Health Career Opportunities Programs (HCOP). Nearly 94% of these SSS programs included a tutoring component, and 84% of these programs use peer tutoring. Peer tutors were randomly assigned to one of the treatment conditions and students were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment conditions. There were 31 students in the attribution condition and 28 students in the standard condition. Students were required to have a minimum of 10 hours of tutoring to be included in the analysis. Each tutored student was yoked to a control student who had not sought peer tutoring assistance. Participants were matched for age, marital status, number of adults in the family, number of children in the family and incoming academic skills (CPT Reading Test Results), financial status, and race. The results support peer tutoring as an effective method of increasing student success. The findings support the use of attribution training for tutors as a theoretical base of intervention. Students tutored by attribution trained tutors scored significantly higher on LASSI, had higher Anatomy and Physiology grades, and returned to college at a higher rate than their yoked controls. Standard trained tutors scored significantly higher on the LASSI Test Taking subscale and returned to college at a higher rate than their yoked controls. A comparison of the two tutored groups did not find a significant difference between the two groups. The findings of this study have implications for the use of peer tutoring, training of tutors, and types of intervention strategies used to provide support to students.

Redesign of a pediatric pharmacotherapy elective course to accommodate budget reductions.

PubMed

Williams, Jennifer; Motycka, Carol; St Onge, Erin

2011-12-15

To redesign a pediatric elective pharmacotherapy course and determine whether the redesign resulted in changes in outcome measures. Active learning activities were moved to an online format. Prerecorded lectures continued to be used. Peer evaluation was incorporated to give the students more feedback on their performance. ASSESSMENT; Presentation grades, average examination grades, course grades, and evaluation scores from each student who completed University course evaluations were documented for students during the 2 semesters before and the 2 semesters after the course redesign. Although for undetermined reasons a drop in examination grades occurred after the course redesign, no significant differences in presentation grades, final grades, or course evaluation grades occurred. A strategic course redesign successfully reduced the costs and faculty time required to offer an elective course viewed as essential to the curriculum, allowing the course to be continued in the face of state budget cuts.

The Effects of Incorporating Web-assisted Learning with Team Teaching in Seventh-grade Science Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Syh-Jong

2006-05-01

Due to the implementation of a 9-year integrated curriculum scheme in Taiwan, research on team teaching and web-based technology appears to be urgent. The purpose of this study was incorporated web-assisted learning with team teaching in seventh-grade science classes. The specific research question concerned student performance and attitudes about the teaching method. Two certified science teachers and four classes of the seventh graders participated in this study. It used a mixed methods design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The main data included students’ scores, questionnaires, teachers’ self-reflections, and the researcher’s interviews with teachers. The results showed that the average final examination scores of students experiencing the experimental teaching method were higher than that of those receiving traditional teaching. The two teaching methods showed significant difference in respect of students’ achievement. The research had limitations because of students’ abilities of data collection, computer use, and discussion, but more than one-half of the students preferred the experimental method to traditional teaching. However, team teachers would encounter the problems of technology ability, time constraints, and entrance examination pressure.

A Mind of Their Own: Using Inquiry-based Teaching to Build Critical Thinking Skills and Intellectual Engagement in an Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Course

PubMed Central

Greenwald, Ralf R.; Quitadamo, Ian J.

2014-01-01

A changing undergraduate demographic and the need to help students develop advanced critical thinking skills in neuroanatomy courses has prompted many faculty to consider new teaching methods including clinical case studies. This study compared primarily conventional and inquiry-based clinical case (IBCC) teaching methods to determine which would produce greater gains in critical thinking and content knowledge. Results showed students in the conventional neuroanatomy course gained less than 3 national percentile ranks while IBCC students gained over 7.5 within one academic term using the valid and reliable California Critical Thinking Skills Test. In addition to 2.5 times greater gains in critical thinking, IBCC teaching methods also produced 12% greater final exam performance and 11% higher grades using common grade performance benchmarks. Classroom observations also indicated that IBCC students were more intellectually engaged and participated to a greater extent in classroom discussions. Through the results of this study, it is hoped that faculty who teach neuroanatomy and desire greater critical thinking and content student learning outcomes will consider using the IBCC method. PMID:24693256

A Mind of Their Own: Using Inquiry-based Teaching to Build Critical Thinking Skills and Intellectual Engagement in an Undergraduate Neuroanatomy Course.

PubMed

Greenwald, Ralf R; Quitadamo, Ian J

2014-01-01

A changing undergraduate demographic and the need to help students develop advanced critical thinking skills in neuroanatomy courses has prompted many faculty to consider new teaching methods including clinical case studies. This study compared primarily conventional and inquiry-based clinical case (IBCC) teaching methods to determine which would produce greater gains in critical thinking and content knowledge. Results showed students in the conventional neuroanatomy course gained less than 3 national percentile ranks while IBCC students gained over 7.5 within one academic term using the valid and reliable California Critical Thinking Skills Test. In addition to 2.5 times greater gains in critical thinking, IBCC teaching methods also produced 12% greater final exam performance and 11% higher grades using common grade performance benchmarks. Classroom observations also indicated that IBCC students were more intellectually engaged and participated to a greater extent in classroom discussions. Through the results of this study, it is hoped that faculty who teach neuroanatomy and desire greater critical thinking and content student learning outcomes will consider using the IBCC method.

Synthesized Li4Ti5O12 from Technical Grade Raw Material by Excess LiOH.H2O as Anode Lithium Ion Battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priyono, S.; Primasari, R. D.; Saptari, S. A.; Prihandoko, B.

2017-07-01

Li4Ti5O12 powder as anode lithium ion battery was synthesized via solid state reaction with excess LiOH.H2O. Technical grades raw materials like LiOH.H2O and TiO2 were used as starting materials. LiOH.H2O excess was varied from 0; 2.5; 5 and 7.5% to get higher optimum phases and capacity of Li4Ti5O12. All raw materials were mixed stoichiometry then followed by calcination and sintering process to get final products. The obtained products were characterized by XRD, SEM, and PSA to get properties of active materials and the electrochemical properties were done by cyclic voltametry and charge-discharge test. The XRD test showed that 5% excess have highest Li4Ti5O12 phases. All samples have same in morphology, agglomerate and same in particle size distribution. Sample with 5% excess showed good reversible process and chargedischarge test showed that increasing Li4Ti5O12 phase can improve specific capacity.

"No Grades in Higher Education Now!" Revisiting the Place of Graded Assessment in the Reimagination of the Public University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tannock, Stuart

2017-01-01

The concept of the "public university" has been widely promoted as the principal alternative vision for higher education to the neoliberal, managerialist model that currently prevails. However, if the public university is to serve as the holder for collective ideals of a just, sustainable and democratic future in higher education, then…

Effects of a College Access Program for Youth Underrepresented in Higher Education: A Randomized Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergin, David A.; Cooks, Helen C.; Bergin, Christi C.

2007-01-01

This article describes EXCEL, a program that encourages youth underrepresented in higher education to enroll in higher education, specifically at the sponsoring university. Eighty-three eighth grade students with GPA of B and above and standardized test scores at grade level or above were randomly assigned to the program or to a control group. The…

Good Manufacturing Practices production and analysis of a DNA vaccine against dental caries.

PubMed

Yang, Ya-ping; Li, Yu-hong; Zhang, Ai-hua; Bi, Lan; Fan, Ming-wen

2009-11-01

To prepare a clinical-grade anti-caries DNA vaccine pGJA-P/VAX and explore its immune effect and protective efficacy against a cariogenic bacterial challenge. A large-scale industrial production process was developed under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) by combining and optimizing common unit operations such as alkaline lysis, precipitation, endotoxin removal and column chromatography. Quality controls of the purified bulk and final lyophilized vaccine were conducted according to authoritative guidelines. Mice and gnotobiotic rats were intranasally immunized with clinical-grade pGJA-P/VAX with chitosan. Antibody levels of serum IgG and salivary SIgA were assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and caries activity was evaluated by the Keyes method. pGJA-P/VAX and pVAX1 prepared by a laboratory-scale commercial kit were used as controls. The production process proved to be scalable and reproducible. Impurities including host protein, residual RNA, genomic DNA and endotoxin in the purified plasmid were all under the limits of set specifications. Intranasal vaccination with clinical-grade pGJA-P/VAX induced higher serum IgG and salivary SIgA in both mice and gnotobiotic rats. While in the experimental caries model, the enamel (E), dentinal slight (Ds), and dentinal moderate (Dm) caries lesions were reduced by 21.1%, 33.0%, and 40.9%, respectively. The production process under GMP was efficient in preparing clinical-grade pGJA-P/VAX with high purity and intended effectiveness, thus facilitating future clinical trials for the anti-caries DNA vaccine.

A Randomized Male Tolerance Study of Dapivirine Gel Following Multiple Topical Penile Exposures (MTN 012/IPM 010)

PubMed Central

Hoesley, Craig; Carballo-Diéguez, Alex; Hendrix, Craig W.; Husnik, Marla; Levy, Lisa; Hall, Wayne; Soto-Torres, Lydia; Nel, Annalene M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Dapivirine (DPV) is a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with a favorable safety profile following vaginal application. A penile tolerance study was conducted prior to further development of DPV as a candidate vaginal microbicide. Twenty-four circumcised and 24 uncircumcised (N=48) healthy HIV-negative male participants aged 18 years or older were randomized 2:1:1 to apply DPV 0.05% gel, matched placebo gel, or universal placebo gel, respectively, to their penis once daily for 7 sequential days. The safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetic profile of DPV 0.05% gel were assessed by the presence of Grade 2 or higher genitourinary adverse events (AEs) and systemic AEs, a behavioral questionnaire, and pharmacokinetic plasma blood draw, respectively, at the final clinic visit (FCV). There were no Grade 2 genitourinary AEs in 47 participants completing the FCV. One participant in the DPV arm failed to attend the FCV. There were 13 AEs reported; all were Grade 1 except one Grade 2 corneal laceration unrelated to study product. Participants liked the gel to a moderate extent, yet 72% reported they would be “very likely” to use a gel like the one they used in the study every time they have intercourse. DPV was detectable in plasma in all 23 DPV arm study participants at the FCV. On average, the circumcised participants' DPV concentrations were 54% of those in uncircumcised participants (p=0.07). Topical seven-day penile application of DPV 0.05% gel was locally and systemically safe, was acceptable to male participants, and resulted in systemic exposure to the drug. PMID:24070431

A randomized male tolerance study of dapivirine gel following multiple topical penile exposures (MTN 012/IPM 010).

PubMed

Cranston, Ross D; Hoesley, Craig; Carballo-Diéguez, Alex; Hendrix, Craig W; Husnik, Marla; Levy, Lisa; Hall, Wayne; Soto-Torres, Lydia; Nel, Annalene M

2014-02-01

Dapivirine (DPV) is a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor with a favorable safety profile following vaginal application. A penile tolerance study was conducted prior to further development of DPV as a candidate vaginal microbicide. Twenty-four circumcised and 24 uncircumcised (N=48) healthy HIV-negative male participants aged 18 years or older were randomized 2:1:1 to apply DPV 0.05% gel, matched placebo gel, or universal placebo gel, respectively, to their penis once daily for 7 sequential days. The safety, acceptability, and pharmacokinetic profile of DPV 0.05% gel were assessed by the presence of Grade 2 or higher genitourinary adverse events (AEs) and systemic AEs, a behavioral questionnaire, and pharmacokinetic plasma blood draw, respectively, at the final clinic visit (FCV). There were no Grade 2 genitourinary AEs in 47 participants completing the FCV. One participant in the DPV arm failed to attend the FCV. There were 13 AEs reported; all were Grade 1 except one Grade 2 corneal laceration unrelated to study product. Participants liked the gel to a moderate extent, yet 72% reported they would be "very likely" to use a gel like the one they used in the study every time they have intercourse. DPV was detectable in plasma in all 23 DPV arm study participants at the FCV. On average, the circumcised participants' DPV concentrations were 54% of those in uncircumcised participants (p=0.07). Topical seven-day penile application of DPV 0.05% gel was locally and systemically safe, was acceptable to male participants, and resulted in systemic exposure to the drug.

Student performance and course evaluations before and after use of the Classroom Performance System ™ in a third-year veterinary radiology course.

PubMed

Hecht, Silke; Adams, W H; Cunningham, M A; Lane, I F; Howell, N E

2013-01-01

Effective teaching of veterinary radiology can be challenging in a traditional classroom environment. Audience response systems, colloquially known as "clickers," provide a means of encouraging student interaction. The purpose of this study was to compare student performance and course evaluations before and after using the Classroom Performance System™ in the third-year (fifth semester) didactic radiology course at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Overall student performance was assessed by comparing median numeric final course grades (%) between years without and with use of the Classroom Performance System™. Grades of students were determined for individual instructors' sections. Student evaluations of the radiology course were compared for the years available (2007-2010). Student interactions were also evaluated subjectively by instructors who used the Classroom Performance System™. There was a significant difference (p = 0.009) between the median student grade before (2005 - 2008, median 82.2%; interquartile range 77.6-85.7%; range 61.9-95.5%) and after use of the classroom performance system (2009-2010, median 83.6%; interquartile range 79.9-87.9%; range 68.2-93.2%). There was no statistically significant difference in median student grades for individual instructors over the study period. The radiology course student evaluation scores were significantly higher in years where the Classroom Performance System™ was used in comparison to previous years (P = 0.019). Subjectively, students appeared more involved when using clickers. Findings indicated that the Classroom Performance System™ may be a useful tool for enhancing veterinary radiology education. © 2012 Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound.

Cutaneous irritancy of an ibuprofen medicated plaster in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Maganji, Manisha; Connolly, Mark P; Bhatt, Aomesh

2018-01-01

Ibuprofen is a commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug administered to treat injuries, joint pain, and recurrent muscular skeletal pain. The aim of this study was to determine the cutaneous irritancy of a medicated ibuprofen plaster compared with a placebo plaster in healthy volunteers. Healthy volunteers (N = 31) were treated at the same time with one ibuprofen and one placebo plaster. The ibuprofen and placebo plaster were applied in a randomized fashion to sites on the left or right side of subjects' lower backs. At each scheduled visit, the plasters and applications sites were assessed for degree of adhesion and skin irritancy, respectively. The plasters were applied on study Days 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 19, with final plaster removal on Day 22. The ibuprofen medicated plaster compared with placebo had a lower percentage of Grade 1 (23.3% vs. 46.7%, respectively), Grade 2 (10% vs. 20%), and ≥Grade 3 (3% vs. 16.1%) irritancy scores after 21 days of application. The mean irritation score across the study was 0.40 for the ibuprofen medicated plaster and 1.18 for the placebo plaster. The irritation score on Day 22 of the study was 0.53 for the ibuprofen medicated plaster and 1.50 for placebo. The placebo plaster was associated with a higher number of stopped applications due to Grade 3 or above skin reactions compared with the ibuprofen medicated plaster (5 vs. 1, respectively). The ibuprofen medicated plaster was well tolerated and was associated with lower irritancy than the placebo plaster.

Implementing the Flipped Classroom in a Veterinary Pre-clinical Science Course: Student Engagement, Performance, and Satisfaction.

PubMed

Dooley, Laura M; Frankland, Sarah; Boller, Elise; Tudor, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

There has been a recent move toward active learning pedagogies in veterinary education, with increasing use of a blended approach that incorporates both online resources and live classroom sessions. In this study, an established veterinary pre-clinical course in introductory animal health was transitioned from a traditional didactic lecture delivery mode to a flipped classroom approach with core content delivered online. This study compared the experiences of two cohorts of students who studied the same course in the different formats in consecutive years. Online learning resources included short video segments and a variety of short problems and activities. Online materials were complemented with weekly small-group case-based learning classes facilitated by academic staff. A mixed methods evaluation strategy was applied using student grades, surveys, and focus groups to compare student academic performance, satisfaction, and engagement between the two cohorts. The flipped classroom cohort achieved significantly higher grades in the written answer section of the final examination. Student satisfaction with learning resources was also higher in this cohort. However, satisfaction with other aspects of the course was largely the same for both cohorts. This study revealed some of the challenges associated with achieving adequate student preparation for class using online resources. The outcomes of this study have implications for veterinary educators considering the design and development of new online learning resources.

The prevalence of stuttering, voice, and speech-sound disorders in primary school students in Australia.

PubMed

McKinnon, David H; McLeod, Sharynne; Reilly, Sheena

2007-01-01

The aims of this study were threefold: to report teachers' estimates of the prevalence of speech disorders (specifically, stuttering, voice, and speech-sound disorders); to consider correspondence between the prevalence of speech disorders and gender, grade level, and socioeconomic status; and to describe the level of support provided to schoolchildren with speech disorders. Students with speech disorders were identified from 10,425 students in Australia using a 4-stage process: training in the data collection process, teacher identification, confirmation by a speech-language pathologist, and consultation with district special needs advisors. The prevalence of students with speech disorders was estimated; specifically, 0.33% of students were identified as stuttering, 0.12% as having a voice disorder, and 1.06% as having a speech-sound disorder. There was a higher prevalence of speech disorders in males than in females. As grade level increased, the prevalence of speech disorders decreased. There was no significant difference in the pattern of prevalence across the three speech disorders and four socioeconomic groups; however, students who were identified with a speech disorder were more likely to be in the higher socioeconomic groups. Finally, there was a difference between the perceived and actual level of support that was provided to these students. These prevalence figures are lower than those using initial identification by speech-language pathologists and similar to those using parent report.

Infant Abusive Head Trauma in a Military Cohort

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

parent under whom the child is insured. b Enlisted personnel are denoted as “E”; higher numbers indicate a higher pay grade. 672 GUMBS et al to... parent under whom the child is insured. c Enlisted personnel are denoted as “E”; higher numbers indicate a higher pay grade. ARTICLE PEDIATRICS Volume...infants at the highest risk. Parental characteristics associated with AHT include stress, young age, and current military service. However, a

Low-grade central osteosarcoma of distal femur, resembling fibrous dysplasia

PubMed Central

Vasiliadis, Haris S; Arnaoutoglou, Christina; Plakoutsis, Sotiris; Doukas, Michalis; Batistatou, Anna; Xenakis, Theodoros A

2013-01-01

We report a case of a 32 year-old male, admitted for a lytic lesion of the distal femur. One month after the first X-ray, clinical and imaging deterioration was evident. Open biopsy revealed fibrous dysplasia. Three months later, the lytic lesion had spread to the whole distal third of the femur reaching the articular cartilage. The malignant clinical and imaging features necessitated excision of the lesion and reconstruction with a custom-made total knee arthroplasty. Intra-operatively, no obvious soft tissue infiltration was evident. Nevertheless, an excision of the distal 15.5 cm of the femur including 3.0 cm of the surrounding muscles was finally performed. The histological examination of the excised specimen revealed central low-grade osteosarcoma. Based on the morphological features of the excised tumor, allied to the clinical findings, the diagnosis of low-grade central osteosarcoma was finally made although characters of a fibrous dysplasia were apparent. Central low-grade osteosarcoma is a rare, well-differentiated sub-type of osteosarcoma, with clinical, imaging, and histological features similar to benign tumours. Thus, initial misdiagnosis is usual with the condition commonly mistaken for fibrous dysplasia. Central low-grade osteosarcoma is usually treated with surgery alone, with rare cases of distal metastases. However, regional recurrence is quite frequent after close margin excision. PMID:24147271

The normative environment for substance use among American Indian students and white students attending schools on or near reservations.

PubMed

Swaim, Randall C; Stanley, Linda R; Beauvais, Fred

2013-01-01

American Indian and White students who attended the same schools located on or near reservations were surveyed to determine the comparative normative environment for substance use. Descriptive norms increased and student injunctive norms decreased across grade in school. Female students reported higher levels of descriptive norms compared to male students. For marijuana use, a substantial decrease in student injunctive norms occurred between grades 8 and 10. Adult injunctive norms were perceived by female students to be higher than those perceived by male students, particularly among American Indian females. Somewhat surprisingly, 8th grade White female students reported high descriptive norms for inhalant use compared to 8th grade American Indian students. Overall, however, higher descriptive norms and lower injunctive norms among American Indian youth suggested that their risk for substance use is higher compared to White students because of the normative environment created by peers, family, and other adults. © 2013 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

Development and Validation of a Gas-Fired Residential Heat Pump Water Heater - Final Report

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

Michael Garrabrant; Roger Stout; Paul Glanville

2013-01-21

For gas-fired residential water heating, the U.S. and Canada is predominantly supplied by minimum efficiency storage water heaters with Energy Factors (EF) in the range of 0.59 to 0.62. Higher efficiency and higher cost ($700 - $2,000) options serve about 15% of the market, but still have EFs below 1.0, ranging from 0.65 to 0.95. To develop a new class of water heating products that exceeds the traditional limit of thermal efficiency, the project team designed and demonstrated a packaged water heater driven by a gas-fired ammonia-water absorption heat pump. This gas-fired heat pump water heater can achieve EFs ofmore » 1.3 or higher, at a consumer cost of $2,000 or less. Led by Stone Mountain Technologies Inc. (SMTI), with support from A.O. Smith, the Gas Technology Institute (GTI), and Georgia Tech, the cross-functional team completed research and development tasks including cycle modeling, breadboard evaluation of two cycles and two heat exchanger classes, heat pump/storage tank integration, compact solution pump development, combustion system specification, and evaluation of packaged prototype GHPWHs. The heat pump system extracts low grade heat from the ambient air and produces high grade heat suitable for heating water in a storage tank for domestic use. Product features that include conventional installation practices, standard footprint and reasonable economic payback, position the technology to gain significant market penetration, resulting in a large reduction of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from domestic hot water production.« less

Cervical specimens collected in liquid buffer are suitable for both cytologic screening and ancillary human papillomavirus testing.

PubMed

Sherman, M E; Schiffman, M H; Lorincz, A T; Herrero, R; Hutchinson, M L; Bratti, C; Zahniser, D; Morales, J; Hildesheim, A; Helgesen, K; Kelly, D; Alfaro, M; Mena, F; Balmaceda, I; Mango, L; Greenberg, M

1997-04-25

Several new techniques have been developed to improve the sensitivity of cervical carcinoma screening and reduce equivocal cytologic diagnoses referred to as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS). This study evaluates the effectiveness of combining two newly introduced diagnostic techniques: preparation of thin-layer cytologic slides from ThinPrep liquid buffer and selected Hybrid Capture testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. Because HPV DNA detection has been strongly associated with the presence of a cervical carcinoma precursor ("squamous intraepithelial lesion," or SIL), HPV testing might be useful for identifying women with ASCUS who have an underlying SIL. Two hundred specimens demonstrating diverse cervical abnormalities were selected from a prospective population-based study of 9174 women conducted in Costa Rica. The entire cohort had been screened with conventional cervical smears; ThinPrep slides made from liquid buffer, PAPNET, a computerized slide reading system; and Cervicography. Patients with any abnormal screening test were referred for colposcopy, punch biopsy, and loop excision of cases with high grade cytologic abnormalities not explained by punch biopsy. For this investigation, the results of ThinPrep cytology and HPV testing alone and in combination were compared with the final diagnoses, with an emphasis on the detection of carcinoma and high grade SIL. The 200 subjects studied included 7 women with a final diagnosis of carcinoma, 44 with high grade SIL, 34 with low grade SIL, 51 with a variety of equivocal diagnoses, and 64 with normal diagnoses. A ThinPrep cytologic diagnosis of SIL or carcinoma was made in 39 (76%) of the 51 women with final diagnoses of high grade SIL or carcinoma. Hybrid Capture testing detected carcinoma-associated types of HPV DNA in 100% of women with carcinoma, 75% with high grade SIL, 62% with low grade SIL, 20% with equivocal final diagnoses, and 12% of normal women. If colposcopy referral had been limited to women with a ThinPrep diagnosis of SIL or a diagnosis of ASCUS associated with the detection of carcinoma-associated HPV DNA from the same vial, 100% of women with carcinoma and 80% with high grade SIL would have been examined. To achieve this high sensitivity in the entire population of 9174 women would have required the referral of about 7% of the population. The combined screening strategy would have performed marginally better than optimized conventional screening with referral of any abnormal cytology (ASCUS and above). A cervical carcinoma screening technique which uses a single sample for cytopathology and HPV testing to triage equivocal diagnoses may be promising if it proves to be cost-effective.

Evidence of bias affecting the interpretation of the results of local anaesthetic nerve blocks when assessing lameness in horses.

PubMed

Arkell, M; Archer, R M; Guitian, F J; May, S A

2006-09-09

Eighteen observers were influenced to different extents in the grades of lameness they allocated to eight horses by whether they knew that a nerve block had been administered; on a scale from 0 to 10 the mean difference in grade allocated once the observer knew a horse had been nerve-blocked was increased by 0.4. The consistency of the assessments made by the individual observers was good, with a an average of 0.6 of a grade difference when grading the same horse on two occasions. The agreement between the assessments of four orthopaedic experts was reasonable (+/-1 grade), but significantly poorer for four non-experts and 10 final year veterinary students.

Grading Standards, Student Ability and Errors in College Admission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moen, Jarle; Tjelta, Martin

2010-01-01

Grades are important for admission of students in most higher education programs. Analyzing admission and student performance data at a major Norwegian business school, we find that the grading practice of teachers at regional colleges sending students to the school is affected by the average performance of the students being graded. Teachers at…

77 FR 11486 - Fresh Garlic From the People's Republic of China: Partial Final Results and Partial Final...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-27

... between grades are based on color, size, sheathing, and level of decay. The scope of the order does not... Less than Fair Value: Static Random Access Memory Semiconductors From Taiwan, 63 FR 8909, 8911...

[The development of educational CD-program for obesity prevention and management for primary school students].

PubMed

Kim, Yi-Soon; Ju, Hyeon-Ok; Song, Mi-Gyoung; Shin, Yoo-Sun

2003-02-01

The study is designed to develop an educational CD-Program for prevention and control of obesity among primary school students. The study is conducted from June 15, 2000 to April 15, 2002. Based on the course of program development suggested by Dick and Cray (1990), the study followed the planning, development, education and evaluation of a program. The developed CD-Program consists 2 parts each for lower and higher grades of primary school students. The introduction part of the first trial for lower grade students uses quiz to encourage their motivations, the body proceeds with motion pictures and animations to trigger their interests. The introduction part of the second trial for the lower grades consists of remembering the exhibition lecture. The first trial for higher grades of primary school students builds on the contents of the low grades. Its body part, how to determine obesity and calculate ones own obesity, puts ones own weight and height in by the mouse. For the second trial of the higher grades, the body consists of life-style, diet, and regiments. The merits of this CD-Program are that to be possible an interaction between teachers and students.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes following traumatic Grade 1 and 2 carotid artery injuries: a 10-year retrospective analysis from a Level I trauma center. The Parkland Carotid and Vertebral Artery Injury Survey.

PubMed

Scott, William W; Sharp, Steven; Figueroa, Stephen A; Eastman, Alexander L; Hatchette, Charles V; Madden, Christopher J; Rickert, Kim L

2015-05-01

Proper screening, management, and follow-up of Grade 1 and 2 blunt carotid artery injuries (BCIs) remains controversial. These low-grade BCIs were analyzed to define their natural history and establish a rational management plan based on lesion progression and cerebral infarction. A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of all blunt traumatic carotid and vertebral artery injuries treated between August 2003 and April 2013 was performed and Grade 1 and 2 BCIs were identified. Grade 1 injuries are defined as a vessel lumen stenosis of less than 25%, and Grade 2 injuries are defined as a stenosis of the vessel lumen between 25% and 50%. Demographic information, radiographic imaging, number of imaging sessions performed per individual, length of radiographic follow-up, radiographic outcome at end of follow-up, treatment(s) provided, and documentation of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were recorded. One hundred seventeen Grade 1 and 2 BCIs in 100 patients were identified and available for follow-up. The mean follow-up duration was 60 days. Final imaging of Grade 1 and 2 BCIs demonstrated that 64% of cases had resolved, 13% of cases were radiographically stable, and 9% were improved, whereas 14% radiographically worsened. Of the treatments received, 54% of cases were treated with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), 31% received no treatment, and 15% received various medications and treatments, including endovascular stenting. There was 1 cerebral infarction that was thought to be related to bilateral Grade 2 BCI, which developed soon after hospital admission. The majority of Grade 1 and 2 BCIs remained stable or improved at final follow-up. Despite a 14% rate of radiographic worsening in the Grade 1 and 2 BCIs cohort, there were no adverse clinical outcomes associated with these radiographic changes. The stroke rate was 1% in this low-grade BCIs cohort, which may be an overestimate. The use of ASA or other antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications in these low-grade BCIs did not appear to correlate with radiographic injury stability, nor with a decreased rate of cerebral infarction. Although these data suggest that these Grade 1 and 2 BCIs may require less intensive radiographic follow-up, future prospective studies are needed to make conclusive changes related to treatment and management.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: MR Imaging of Liver Proton Density Fat Fraction to Assess Hepatic Steatosis

PubMed Central

Tang, An; Tan, Justin; Sun, Mark; Hamilton, Gavin; Bydder, Mark; Wolfson, Tanya; Gamst, Anthony C.; Middleton, Michael; Brunt, Elizabeth M.; Loomba, Rohit; Lavine, Joel E.; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging–estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) for assessing hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by using centrally scored histopathologic validation as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: This prospectively designed, cross-sectional, internal review board–approved, HIPAA-compliant study was conducted in 77 patients who had NAFLD and liver biopsy. MR imaging–PDFF was estimated from magnitude-based low flip angle multiecho gradient-recalled echo images after T2* correction and multifrequency fat modeling. Histopathologic scoring was obtained by consensus of the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network Pathology Committee. Spearman correlation, additivity and variance stabilization for regression for exploring the effect of a number of potential confounders, and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed. Results: Liver MR imaging–PDFF was systematically higher, with higher histologic steatosis grade (P < .001), and was significantly correlated with histologic steatosis grade (ρ = 0.69, P < .001). The correlation was not confounded by age, sex, lobular inflammation, hepatocellular ballooning, NASH diagnosis, fibrosis, or magnetic field strength (P = .65). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was 0.989 (95% confidence interval: 0.968, 1.000) for distinguishing patients with steatosis grade 0 (n = 5) from those with grade 1 or higher (n = 72), 0.825 (95% confidence interval: 0.734, 0.915) to distinguish those with grade 1 or lower (n = 31) from those with grade 2 or higher (n = 46), and 0.893 (95% confidence interval: 0.809, 0.977) to distinguish those with grade 2 or lower (n = 58) from those with grade 3 (n = 19). Conclusion: MR imaging–PDFF showed promise for assessment of hepatic steatosis grade in patients with NAFLD. For validation, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed. © RSNA, 2013 PMID:23382291

Intratumoral heterogeneity and TERT promoter mutations in progressive/higher-grade meningiomas

PubMed Central

Juratli, Tareq A.; Thiede, Christian; Koerner, Mara V.A.; Tummala, Shilpa S.; Daubner, Dirk; Shankar, Ganesh M.; Williams, Erik A.; Martinez-Lage, Maria; Soucek, Silke; Robel, Katja; Penson, Tristan; Krause, Mechthild; Appold, Steffen; Meinhardt, Matthias; Pinzer, Thomas; Miller, Julie J.; Krex, Dietmar; Ely, Heather A.; Silverman, Ian M.; Christiansen, Jason; Schackert, Gabriele; Wakimoto, Hiroaki; Kirsch, Matthias; Brastianos, Priscilla K.; Cahill, Daniel P.

2017-01-01

Background Recent studies have reported mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp) in meningiomas. We sought to determine the frequency, clonality and clinical significance of telomere gene alterations in a cohort of patients with progressive/higher-grade meningiomas. Methods We characterized 64 temporally- and regionally-distinct specimens from 26 WHO grade III meningioma patients. On initial diagnoses, the meningiomas spanned all WHO grades (3 grade I, 13 grade II and 10 grade III). The tumor samples were screened for TERTp and ATRX/DAXX mutations, and TERT rearrangements. Additionally, TERTp was sequenced in a separate cohort of 19 patients with radiation-associated meningiomas. We examined the impact of mutational status on patients’ progression and overall survival. Results Somatic TERTp mutations were detected in six patients (6/26 = 23%). Regional intratumoral heterogeneity in TERTp mutation status was noted. In 4 patients, TERTp mutations were detected in recurrent specimens but not in the available specimens of the first surgery. Additionally, a TERT gene fusion (LPCAT1-TERT) was found in one sample. In contrary, none of the investigated samples harbored an ATRX or DAXX mutation. In the cohort of radiation-induced meningiomas, TERTp mutation was detected in two patients (10.5%). Importantly, we found that patients with emergence of TERTp mutations had a substantially shorter OS than their TERTp wild-type counterparts (2.7 years, 95% CI 0.9 – 4.5 years versus 10.8 years, 95% CI 7.8 -12.8 years, p=0.003). Conclusions In progressive/higher-grade meningiomas,TERTp mutations are associated with poor survival, supporting a model in which selection of this alteration is a harbinger of aggressive tumor development. In addition, we observe spatial intratumoral heterogeneity of TERTp mutation status, consistent with this model of late emergence in tumor evolution. Thus, early detection of TERTp mutations may define patients with more aggressive meningiomas. Stratification for TERT alterations should be adopted in future clinical trials of progressive/higher-grade meningiomas. PMID:29312603

Workplace social capital and risk of long-term sickness absence. Are associations modified by occupational grade?

PubMed

Rugulies, Reiner; Hasle, Peter; Pejtersen, Jan Hyld; Aust, Birgit; Bjorner, Jakob Bue

2016-04-01

Workplace social capital (WSC) is an emerging topic among both work environment professionals and researchers. We examined (i) whether high WSC protected against risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in a random sample of the Danish workforce during a 1-year follow-up and (ii) whether the association of WSC with sickness absence was modified by occupational grade.  We measured WSC by self-report in a cohort of 3075 employees and linked responses to a national register of sickness absence. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of onset of LTSA (≥21 days), adjusted for covariates. We stratified analyses by occupational grade and examined if there was an interaction effect of WSC and occupational grade.  A one standard deviation higher WSC score predicted a reduced risk of sickness absence after adjustment for sociodemographic variables, prevalent health problems and health behaviours (HR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74-0.99). The HR was attenuated and lost statistical significance after further adjustment for occupational grade (HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.78-1.04). When stratified by occupational grade, high WSC predicted a decreased risk of sickness absence among higher grade workers (HR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.44-0.84) but not among lower grade workers (HR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.83-1.15). The interaction effect of WSC and occupational grade was statistically significant (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.95-0.99).  High WSC might reduce risk of LTSA. However, the protective effect appears to be limited to workers of higher occupational grade. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Joint mobilization forces and therapist reliability in subjects with knee osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Tragord, Bradley S; Gill, Norman W; Silvernail, Jason L; Teyhen, Deydre S; Allison, Stephen C

2013-01-01

Objectives: This study determined biomechanical force parameters and reliability among clinicians performing knee joint mobilizations. Methods: Sixteen subjects with knee osteoarthritis and six therapists participated in the study. Forces were recorded using a capacitive-based pressure mat for three techniques at two grades of mobilization, each with two trials of 15 seconds. Dosage (force–time integral), amplitude, and frequency were also calculated. Analysis of variance was used to analyze grade differences, intraclass correlation coefficients determined reliability, and correlations assessed force associations with subject and rater variables. Results: Grade IV mobilizations produced higher mean forces (P<0.001) and higher dosage (P<0.001), while grade III produced higher maximum forces (P = 0.001). Grade III forces (Newtons) by technique (mean, maximum) were: extension 48, 81; flexion 41, 68; and medial glide 21, 34. Grade IV forces (Newtons) by technique (mean, maximum) were: extension 58, 78; flexion 44, 60; and medial glide 22, 30. Frequency (Hertz) ranged between 0.9–1.1 (grade III) and 1.4–1.6 (grade IV). Intra-clinician reliability was excellent (>0.90). Inter-clinician reliability was moderate for force and dosage, and poor for amplitude and frequency. Discussion: Force measurements were consistent with previously reported ranges and clinical constructs. Grade III and grade IV mobilizations can be distinguished from each other with differences for force and frequency being small, and dosage and amplitude being large. Intra-clinician reliability was excellent for all biomechanical parameters and inter-clinician reliability for dosage, the main variable of clinical interest, was moderate. This study quantified the applied forces among multiple clinicians, which may help determine optimal dosage and standardize care. PMID:24421632

Relationship of academic success of medical students with motivation and pre-admission grades.

PubMed

Luqman, Muhammad

2013-01-01

To determine predictive validity of pre-admission scores of medical students, evaluate correlation between level of motivation and later on academic success in a medical college. Analytical study. Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, from June to August 2011. A non-probability convenience sampling of students of 1st to final year MBBS classes was done after obtaining informed consent. These students filled out 'Strength of Motivation for Medical School' (SMMS) questionnaire. The data of pre-admission grades of these students along with academic success in college according to examination results in different years were collected. The correlation between the pre-admission grades and score of SMMS questionnaire with their academic success in medical college was found by applying Pearson co-efficient of correlation in order to determine the predictive validity. Only 46% students revealed strong motivation. A significant, moderate correlation was found between preadmission scores and academic success in 1st year modular examination (0.52) which became weaker in various professional examinations in higher classes. However, no significant correlation was observed between motivation and academic success of medical students in college. Selecting medical students by pre-admission scores or motivation level alone may not be desirable. A combination of measures of cognitive ability criteria (FSc/pre-admission test scores) and non-cognitive skills (personality traits) is recommended to be employed with the use of right tools for selection of students in medical schools.

Exploring the Universe Together: Cooperative Quizzes With and Without a Classroom Performance System in Astronomy 101

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Gene G.; Coleman, Susanna; Werneth, Charles

Our University of Alabama introductory astronomy course has large enrollments, with the usual problems of low attendance and students putting off studying until just before major exams--with predictable consequences. We tried one strategy--cooperatively answering quiz questions--during our May 2002 interim term. Classes were long: three hours a day over three weeks. Before midclass break, we presented a multiple-choice open-book-and-notes quiz to be answered after the break. Quizzes could increase grades without excessively diluting the importance of closed-book major exams. The interim 2002 final exam average was 80%, much better than the 2001 class average of 57%. During a regular semester, handing out and taking up papers would take up much time during the more frequent classes. It's also more interesting if students vote for different answers together, then see the correct answer. We obtained funds for a Classroom Performance System (CPS) consisting of two computer receiver units, a hub, and 128 TV remote-style response pads. We used the CPS during interim 2003. Ease of giving quizzes and grading permitted two shorter quizzes a day. Improvement was maintained, with a slight 3% increase. In addition, students graded the "cooperative quiz" 2002 and 2003 courses higher than the 2001 course. We also used the CPS for public astronomy events and introductory physics courses.

Psychometric Evaluation of a 13-Point Measure of Students' Overall Competence in Community-Based Dental Education Programs.

PubMed

Ramaswamy, Vidya; Piskorowski, Wilhelm; Fitzgerald, Mark; Hamerink, Howard A; Stefanac, Stephen; Greene, Rachel; Lantz, Marilyn S

2016-10-01

Since 2006, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry has used a 13-point measure of overall competence instrument to assess fourth-year dental students' end-rotation performance at community clinics. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of this instrument used by preceptors to rate students' overall competence during community-based dental education experiences. The measure was analyzed using performance ratings for all fourth-year DDS students in the graduating classes of 2012 and 2013 (combined n=201). The results were that interrater agreement was satisfactory and the measure scored high for internal consistency; also, the measure loaded highly on a single overall competence factor. Ratings on this measure did not correlate with students' final cumulative dental school GPA, but showed a significant positive correlation with their fourth-year fall patient management grades (which signify students' conscientiousness in managing patients and their families in a professional and ethical manner). There were differences in grading systems between the 2012 cohort (which used a pass/fail system) and the 2013 cohort (which used a letter grade system) and the mean ratings they received (higher for the 2013 cohort). Overall, the study found that the 13-point measure demonstrated excellent reliability and validity, suggesting it is useful in determining a student's clinical competence in these settings.

Miscellaneous rare paratesticular tumors.

PubMed

Henley, J D; Ferry, J; Ulbright, T M

2000-11-01

A few uncommon but distinctive tumors may preferentially involve the paratestis. The 3 unusual tumors that represent the focus of this discussion are the ovarian-type epithelial tumors (OTET), the desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT), and the melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI). The OTETs are testicular homologues of their more common namesake counterparts that arise in the ovary. Most frequent of these are serous tumors of borderline malignancy, with fewer cases of serous carcinomas or other forms of mullerian differentiation. DSRCT is an increasingly recognized, aggressive, "small blue cell" neoplasm with distinctive clinical and pathologic features. These polyphenotypic tumors characteristically, but not invariably, arise in intimate association with the serosal membrane of the peritoneal cavity and harbor a signature translocation-t(11;22)(p13,q12). In the paratestis they often involve the surface of the epididymis. The MNTI is an enigmatic, histologically distinctive, low-grade neoplasm occasionally encountered in the epididymis. Recognition of its features is essential to avoid misdiagnosis as a more aggressive "small blue cell" neoplasm and consequent therapeutic mismanagement. Primary hematopoietic tumors of the paratesticular structures are rare. There appears to be a tendency for young men to have low-grade lymphomas with an indolent course and older patients to develop higher-grade tumors. Plasmacytoma and granulocytic sarcoma of the paratestis are even more rare and are often susceptible to misinterpretation. Finally, metastatic tumors and a variety of other very rare neoplasms are discussed.

Determinants of School Performance Among Quechua Children in the Peruvian Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacoby, Enrique; Cueto, Santiago; Pollitt, Ernesto

1999-01-01

In the rural Andes of Peru, primary school inefficiency ranks higher than in the rest of the country, with a nearly 50 per cent rate of first grade repetition. In 1993 the investigators administered a battery of four psycho-educational tests to 360 schoolchildren in the fourth and fifth grades at ten primary schools in the Andean region of Huaraz. They also recorded the children's individual characteristics, i.e. family background, nutritional status, and educational attainment, and rated the schools according to educational features such as classroom size, time devoted to learning, and student-teacher ratio. A year later, in 1994, children were re-examined in the schools using the same test battery. All subjects were small for their age, had poor diets, spoke mostly Quechua at home (Spanish in school), lived in a rural environment, and walked considerable distances to school. Regression analyses of the 1993 data indicated that the performance of Quechua children on verbal tests was heavily influenced by family background, while their mathematical competence was related to school experience. On the other hand, improvement in test scores from one year to the next appeared to be strongly related to test performance in 1993 and less clearly to the other recorded variables. Finally, the schools' promotion rates were clearly associated with test scores from the previous year but less clearly with grade repetition rates.

Multifaceted Learning Objective Assessment in a Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Nicholas S.

This thesis details multi method research approaches that have been used to study student learning objective instruction and assessment in the mechanical engineering (ME) capstone course at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). A primary focus of the research is to evaluate the pilot implementation of a Writing Fellows (WF) program in the ME capstone course, which has been assessed using a variety of techniques. The assessment generally indicates positive results. In particular, students favor the continuation of the program and find it more helpful than group consultations within the University Writing Center (UWC) alone. Self-assessment by the students indicates higher confidence in their communication skills, while preliminary analysis suggests that the writing fellow improved the scores of graded assignments by approximately one-third of a letter grade overall. Assessment efforts also highlight the need for deeper interaction between the WF and engineering faculty. A secondary focus of this research presents a methodology that has been developed and used to analyze how the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology's (ABET's) current Criterion 3 Student Outcomes (SOs) have been assessed in UNR's ME capstone class over several academic years. The methodology generally finds levels of ABET SO assessment in agreement with departmental and industry-held expectations for capstone courses at large. Finally, an analysis of student grades in the capstone course finds significant differences across semesters and identifies several potential causes.

Mentoring as a Mediator or Moderator of the Association between Racial Discrimination and Coping Efficacy in Urban, Low-Income Latina/o Youth.

PubMed

Sánchez, Bernadette; Mroczkowski, Alison L; Liao, Lynn C; Cooper, Adina C; Rivera, Claudio; DuBois, David L

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to examine the associations among mentoring relationship quality (i.e., relational and instrumental quality), racial discrimination and coping efficacy with racial discrimination. Three social support models were tested, including the stress buffering, support mobilization, and support deterioration models. Participants were 257 urban, low-income Latina/o high school students, who completed surveys in both 9th and 10th grades. While controlling for gender and coping efficacy with discrimination in 9th grade, results supported the social support deterioration model. Specifically, there was a significant indirect effect of racial discrimination in 9th grade on coping efficacy in 10th grade through instrumental mentoring quality. As racial discrimination increased, mentoring quality decreased and then coping efficacy decreased. We also found that more racial discrimination in 9th grade was significantly associated with lower coping efficacy in 10th grade, and higher instrumental mentoring quality in 9th grade was significantly associated with higher coping efficacy in 10th grade, while controlling for gender and coping efficacy in 9th grade. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

Improving Reading Comprehension through Higher-Order Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKown, Brigitte A.; Barnett, Cynthia L.

2007-01-01

This action research project report documents the action research project that was conducted to improve reading comprehension with second grade and third grade students. The teacher researchers intended to improve reading comprehension by using higher-order thinking skills such as predicting, making connections, visualizing, inferring,…

Geologic Map of the Estes Park 30' x 60' Quadrangle, North-Central Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cole, James C.; Braddock, William A.

2009-01-01

The rocks and landforms of the Estes Park 30 x 60 minute quadrangle display an exceptionally complete record of geologic history in the northern Front Range of Colorado. The Proterozoic basement rocks exposed in the core of the range preserve evidence of Paleoproterozoic marine sedimentation, volcanism, and regional soft-sediment deformation, followed by regional folding and gradational metamorphism. The metasedimentary rocks of the Estes Park quadrangle are distinct within northern Colorado for preserving the complete metamorphic zonation from low-grade chlorite-muscovite phyllites, through middle greenschist-grade rocks with sequential aluminous porphyroblasts, to partially melted gneisses that contain high-grade cordierite and garnet in the non-melted residues. Regional and textural evidence shows that the widespread metamorphism was essentially concurrent with intrusion of the Boulder Creek Granodiorite and related magmas and with the peak of deformation in the partially melted high-grade rocks. The metamorphic thermal pulse arrived later following the peak of deformation in the physically higher, cooler, low-grade terrane. Mesoproterozoic time was marked by intrusion of biotite granite in the Longs Peak-St Vrain batholith, a complex, irregular body that occupies nearly half of the core of the Front Range in this quadrangle. The magma was dry and viscous as it invaded the metamorphic rocks and caused wholesale plastic folding of the wall rock structure. Steep metamorphic foliation that resulted from the Paleoproterozoic deformations was bowed upward and re-oriented into flat-lying attitudes as the crystal-rich magma rose buoyantly and spread out in the middle crust. Magma invaded the schists and gneisses along weak foliation planes and produced a characteristic sill-upon-sill intrusive fabric, particularly in the higher parts of the batholith. Broad, open arches and swales that are defined by the flow-aligned feldspar foliation of the granite, as well as by compositional banding in the intruded and included metamorphic rocks, formed late during batholith emplacement due to rising, buoyant magma and sinking, dense wall rocks. The Longs Peak-St Vrain batholith was intruded into crust that was structurally neutral or moderately extending in an east-northeast direction. A broad zone of mylonite, the Moose Mountain shear zone, formed within the batholith during the final stages of consolidation as a result of differential buoyancy between the magma and dense wall rock, not as a result of regional tectonic deformation.

Academic performance in a pharmacotherapeutics course sequence taught synchronously on two campuses using distance education technology.

PubMed

Steinberg, Michael; Morin, Anna K

2011-10-10

To compare the academic performance of campus-based students in a pharmacotherapeutics course with that of students at a distant campus taught via synchronous teleconferencing. Examination scores and final course grades for campus-based and distant students completing the case-based pharmacotherapeutics course sequence over a 5-year period were collected and analyzed. The mean examination scores and final course grades were not significantly different between students on the 2 campuses. The use of synchronous distance education technology to teach students does not affect students' academic performance when used in an active-learning, case-based pharmacotherapeutics course.

The Dynamics of Narrative Writing in Primary Grade Children: Writing Process Factors Predict Story Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Koss Torkildsen, Janne; Morken, Frøydis; Helland, Wenche A.; Helland, Turid

2016-01-01

In this study of third grade school children, we investigated the association between writing process measures recorded with key stroke logging and the final written product. Moreover, we examined the cognitive predictors of writing process and product measures. Analyses of key strokes showed that while most children spontaneously made local…

Improving the Precollegiate Curriculum on Latin America, Grades 6-12. Final Performance Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wirth, John D.

The Latin America Project, which developed print and nonprint materials for use in grades 6-12, is described. The two-year effort was conducted in five phases: survey of existing materials; the development of curriculum units; review of curriculum by teachers attending summer institutes; field testing and evaluation; and dissemination. Titles of…

An Evaluation of a Self-Paced Approach to Elementary Chemistry Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaumburg, Gary F.

The objectives of this study were: (1) to compare retention rates between self-paced (SP) and classical lecture (CL) chemistry students as measured by the proportion of students who received a withdrawal or unofficial withdrawal grade; (2) as indicated by the distribution of final grades, to compare student achievement between SP and CL students;…

CSMP Mathematics for the First Grade Part II, Teacher's Guide [and] Worksheets. Final Experimental Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Kevin; Schweitzer, Janis

This Teacher's Guide for first-grade mathematics is an outgrowth of an extended pilot project conducted nationwide between 1973 and 1976. The manner of presentation and the pedagogical ideas and tools are based on the works of Georges and Frederique Papy. They are recognized as having introduced colored arrow drawings ("papygrams") and…

CSMP Mathematics for the First Grade Part I, Teacher's Guide [and] Worksheets. Final Experimental Version.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Kevin; And Others

This Teacher's Guide for first-grade mathematics is an outgrowth of an extended pilot project conducted nationwide between 1973 and 1976. The manner of presentation and the pedagogical ideas and tools are based on the works of Georges and Frederique Papy. They are recognized as having introduced colored arrow drawings ("papygrams") and…

Enabling Teachers to Explore Grade Patterns to Identify Individual Needs and Promote Fairer Student Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedler, Sorelle A.; Tan, Yee Lin; Peer, Nir J.; Shneiderman, Ben

2008-01-01

Exploring student test, homework, and other assessment scores is a challenge for most teachers, especially when attempting to identify cross-assessment weaknesses and produce final course grades. During the course, teachers need to identify subject weaknesses in order to help students who are struggling with a particular topic. This identification…

New Curriculum Activities in the Pilot Intermediate Schools of New York City (& Appendix). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrlich, Virginia Z.; Murray, Kay C.

This report describes the intermediate school experiment which organized the middle schools to include grades 5 or 6 through 8, thus replacing the junior high school, grades 7 through 9. Major curriculum innovations were introduced in the areas of foreign language, the humanities, family living, typewriting, and creative and performing arts. The…

Independent Study in 1983. A Research Report of the NUCEA Independent Study Division. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feasley, Charles E.

Information on institutional programs offering independent study by correspondence was studied in 1983, with attention to enrollments, staff size, fees, services, the use of computer grading, and compensation paid to staff for grading and course development in college, high school, and noncredit programs. The survey population consisted of 73…

DISCOVER: A Computer-Based Career Guidance and Counselor-Administrative Support System. Final Report. July 1974-August 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris-Bowlsbey, JoAnn

Based on the Computerized Vocational Information System (CVIS), Project DISCOVER was conceptualized in three parts: Guidance subsystem for direct use by individuals at three age levels (grades 4-6, grades 7-12, and adult) seeking career guidance; the counselor-support subsystem; and the administrator support subsystem. Guidance development and…

Predicting Pre-Service Classroom Teachers' Civil Servant Recruitment Examination's Educational Sciences Test Scores Using Artificial Neural Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Metin

2015-01-01

This study predicts the number of correct answers given by pre-service classroom teachers in Civil Servant Recruitment Examination's (CSRE) educational sciences test based on their high school grade point averages, university entrance scores, and grades (mid-term and final exams) from their undergraduate educational courses. This study was…

Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS). Austin Independent School District. Final Report, 1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Defino, Maria E.

This report presents the Austin (Texas) Independent School District's 1985 test results on the Texas Assessment of Basic Skills (TABS). It was administered to all third, fifth, and ninth grade students and to high school students not meeting ninth grade state-set mastery criteria, the minimum competency requirement for graduation. Results are…

The Effect of Attending Tutoring on Course Grades in Calculus I

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rickard, Brian; Mills, Melissa

2018-01-01

Tutoring centres are common in universities in the United States, but there are few published studies that statistically examine the effects of tutoring on student success. This study utilizes multiple regression analysis to model the effect of tutoring attendance on final course grades in Calculus I. Our model predicted that every three visits to…

Does Homework Really Matter for College Students in Quantitatively-Based Courses?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Nichole; Dollman, Amanda; Angel, N. Faye

2016-01-01

This investigation was initiated by two students in an Advanced Computer Applications course. They sought to examine the influence of graded homework on final grades in quantitatively-based business courses. They were provided with data from three quantitatively-based core business courses over a period of five years for a total of 10 semesters of…

Reading First Implementation Evaluation: Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moss, Marc; Fountain, Alyssa Rulf; Boulay, Beth; Horst, Megan; Rodger, Chris; Brown-Lyons, Melanie

2008-01-01

The "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (PL 107-110) established the Reading First (RF) Program (Title I, Part B, Subpart 1), a major Federal initiative designed to help ensure that all children can read at or above grade level by the end of third-grade. The legislation (Section 1205 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act) requires…

Economic values for growth and grade changes of sugar maple in the Lake States.

Treesearch

Richard M. Godman; Joseph J. Mendel

1978-01-01

Current and expected rates of value increase over a 10-year period were developed for sawtimber-size sugar maple based on variable growth rates, expected merchantable height changes, and butt log grade improvement. These economic guides, along with silvicultural considerations, provide a value basis for selecting trees during thinning and determining final harvest...

To Design and Evaluate a 12th Grade Course in the Principles of Economics; Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Suzanne E.; Sperling, John G.

Reported is the design, development, and evaluation of a one-semester course on the principles of economics for twelfth grade students. The course is intended to develop students' capacity for economic reasoning through economic theory and empirical research. To do this, teaching materials and innovative techniques for teacher training were…

A Demonstration of Techniques in the Identification, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Children with Learning Disabilities. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skokie School District 68, IL.

A Chicago suburban public school with approximately 450 children per grade level demonstrated a system-wide program for identification, diagnosis, and educational treatment of children with learning disabilities in grades 2 through 6. Children were judged to underachieve when achievement measures in language or mathematics fell more than 10% below…

Comparison of conventional and sensor-based electronic stethoscopes in detecting cardiac murmurs of dogs.

PubMed

Vörös, K; Bonnevie, A; Reiczigel, J

2012-04-24

Cardiac auscultation is one of the most important parts of the cardiological examination traditionally performed with acoustic stethoscopes. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivities and the diagnostic capabilities of traditional and electronic stethoscopes in detecting canine heart murmurs. The study was performed on 21 dogs referred for cardiologic examination with suspected heart murmurs. Six out of these dogs had cardiac murmurs bilaterally. Cardiac auscultation was performed independently by a final-year veterinary student (AB=I1) and by an experienced clinician (KV=I2), both using a traditional and a Welch Allyn Meditron electronic sensor-based stethoscope. Final diagnoses were established by echocardiography and by digital phonocardiography. Correct detection of a murmur was made by I1 with a traditional stethoscope in 20/27 (74.0%) of the suspected murmurs (p=0.30, kappa[κ] =0.2) and with the electronic stethoscope in 26/27 (96.3%), respectively (p=0.0013, κ=0.75). I2 correctly detected the murmurs with the traditional stethoscope in 25/27 (92.6%) cases (p=0.0013, κ=0.75) and with the electronic stethoscope in all 27/27 (100%) cases (p=0.00012, κ=1). Agreements of murmur intensity gradings between traditional and electronic stethoscopes were highly significant (I1: p=6.9´10⁻⁸; κ=0.79), (I2: p=5.2´10⁻¹¹; κ=0.92). When grading the murmurs with the traditional stethoscope, there was a significant agreement between I1 and I2 (p=2.9´10⁻⁷; κ=0.79), being even higher with the electronic stethoscope (p=1.1´10⁻¹¹; κ=0.92). The electronic stethoscope was more sensitive than the traditional one in detecting and grading cardiac murmurs being especially useful for I1 with less experience. However, it can be suggested to use a traditional and an electronic stethoscopes simultaneously to optimally utilize their advantages.

Factors to improve the interobserver agreement for gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia: consensus of definition and criteria.

PubMed

Kim, Sung Sun; Kook, Myeong-Cherl; Shin, Ok-Ran; Kim, Hee Sung; Bae, Han-Ik; Seo, An Na; Park, Do Youn; Choi, Il Ju; Kim, Young-Il; Nam, Byung Ho; Kim, Sohee

2018-04-01

Intestinal metaplasia and atrophy of the gastric mucosa are associated with Helicobacter pylori infection and are considered premalignant lesions. The updated Sydney system is used for these parameters, but experienced pathologists and consensus processes are required for interobserver agreement. We sought to determine the influence of the consensus process on the assessment of intestinal metaplasia and atrophy. Two study sets were used: consensus and validation. The consensus set was circulated and five gastrointestinal pathologists evaluated them independently using the updated Sydney system. The consensus of the definitions was then determined at the first consensus meeting. The same set was recirculated to determine the effect of the consensus. The second consensus meeting was held to standardise the grading criteria and the validation set was circulated to determine the influence. Two additional circulations were performed to assess the maintainance of consensus and intraobserver variability. Interobserver agreement of intestinal metaplasia and atrophy was improved through the consensus process (intestinal metaplasia: baseline κ = 0.52 versus final κ = 0.68, P = 0.006; atrophy: baseline κ = 0.19 versus final κ = 0.43, P < 0.001). Higher interobserver agreement in atrophy was observed after consensus regarding the definition (pre-consensus: κ = 0.19 versus post-consensus: κ = 0.34, P = 0.001). There was improved interobserver agreement in intestinal metaplasia after standardisation of the grading criteria (pre-standardisation: κ = 0.56 versus post-standardisation: κ = 0.71, P = 0.010). This study suggests that interobserver variability regarding intestinal metaplasia and atrophy may result from lack of a precise definition and fine criteria, and can be reduced by consensus of definition and standardisation of grading criteria. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Automated tubule nuclei quantification and correlation with oncotype DX risk categories in ER+ breast cancer whole slide images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romo-Bucheli, David; Janowczyk, Andrew; Romero, Eduardo; Gilmore, Hannah; Madabhushi, Anant

2016-03-01

Early stage estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer (BCa) treatment is based on the presumed aggressiveness and likelihood of cancer recurrence. The primary conundrum in treatment and management of early stage ER+ BCa is identifying which of these cancers are candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy and which patients will respond to hormonal therapy alone. This decision could spare some patients the inherent toxicity associated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Oncotype DX (ODX) and other gene expression tests have allowed for distinguishing the more aggressive ER+ BCa requiring adjuvant chemotherapy from the less aggressive cancers benefiting from hormonal therapy alone. However these gene expression tests tend to be expensive, tissue destructive and require physical shipping of tissue blocks for the test to be done. Interestingly breast cancer grade in these tumors has been shown to be highly correlated with the ODX risk score. Unfortunately studies have shown that Bloom-Richardson (BR) grade determined by pathologists can be highly variable. One of the constituent categories in BR grading is the quantification of tubules. The goal of this study was to develop a deep learning neural network classifier to automatically identify tubule nuclei from whole slide images (WSI) of ER+ BCa, the hypothesis being that the ratio of tubule nuclei to overall number of nuclei would correlate with the corresponding ODX risk categories. The performance of the tubule nuclei deep learning strategy was evaluated with a set of 61 high power fields. Under a 5-fold cross-validation, the average precision and recall measures were 0:72 and 0:56 respectively. In addition, the correlation with the ODX risk score was assessed in a set of 7513 high power fields extracted from 174 WSI, each from a different patient (At most 50 high power fields per patient study were used). The ratio between the number of tubule and non-tubule nuclei was computed for each WSI. The results suggests that for BCa cases with both low ODX score and low BR grade, the mean tubule nuclei ratio was significantly higher than that obtained for the BCa cases with both high ODX score and high BR grade (p < 0:01). The low ODX and low BR grade cases also presented a significantly higher average tubule nuclei ratio when compared with the rest of the BCa cases (p < 0:05). Finally, the BCa cases that presented both a high ODX and high BR grade show a mean tubule nuclei to total number of nuclei ratio which was significantly smaller than that obtained for the rest of BCa cases (p < 0:01).

The influence of personal qualities on performance and progression in a pre-registration nursing programme.

PubMed

Pitt, Victoria; Powis, David; Levett-Jones, Tracy; Hunter, Sharyn

2014-05-01

Research conducted primarily with psychology and medical students has highlighted that personal qualities play an important role in students' academic performance. In nursing there has been limited investigation of the relationship between personal qualities and performance. Yet, reports of student incivility and a lack of compassion have prompted appeals to integrate the assessment of personal qualities into pre-registration nursing student selection. Before this can be done research is needed to explore the influence of students' personal qualities on programme performance and progression. This study explores the relationships between students' personal qualities and their academic and clinical performance, behaviours and progression through a pre-registration nursing programme in Australia. This longitudinal descriptive correlational study was undertaken with a sample of Australian pre-registration nursing students (n=138). Students' personal qualities were assessed using three personal qualities assessment (PQA) instruments. Outcome measures included grades in nursing theory and clinical courses, yearly grade point average, final clinical competency, progression (completion), class attendance and levels of life event stress. Significant correlations were found between academic performance and PQA scores for self-control, resilience and traits of aloofness, confidence and involvement. Final clinical competence was predicted by confidence and self-control scores. Students with higher empathy had higher levels of life event stress in their first year and class attendance had a positive correlation with self-control. Completing the programme in three years was weakly predicted by the measure of resilience. No difference was noted between extreme or non-extreme scorers on the PQA scales with respect to performance or progression. This sample of students' personal qualities was found to influence their academic and clinical performance and their ability to complete a pre-registration programme in three years. However, further research is required with larger cohorts to confirm the use of personal qualities assessment during selection. © 2013.

Grade Inflation: Faculty Lived-Experiences and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Nan

2016-01-01

The research area of this study is the phenomenon of grade inflation in higher educational organizations. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, seven faculty members from a higher educational organization were purposefully selected to participate in a semi-structured, face-to-face interview. The participants were of various ages,…

Unethical and Deadly Symbiosis in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crumbley, D. Larry; Flinn, Ronald; Reichelt, Kenneth J.

2012-01-01

As administrators are pressured to increase retention rates in accounting departments, and higher education in general, a deadly symbiosis is occurring. Most students and parents only wish for high grades, so year after year many educators engage in unethical grade inflation and course work deflation. Since administrators use the students to audit…

Using student motivation to design groups in a non-majors biology course for team-based collaborative learning: Impacts on knowledge, views, attitudes, and perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walters, Kristi L.

The importance of student motivation and its connection to other learning variables (i.e., attitudes, knowledge, persistence, attendance) is well established. Collaborative work at the undergraduate level has been recognized as a valuable tool in large courses. However, motivation and collaborative group work have rarely been combined. This project utilized student motivation to learn biology to place non-major biology undergraduates in collaborative learning groups at East Carolina University, a mid-sized southeastern American university, to determine the effects of this construct on student learning. A pre-test measuring motivation to learn biology, attitudes toward biology, perceptions of biology and biologists, views of science, and content knowledge was administered. A similar post-test followed as part of the final exam. Two sections of the same introductory biology course (n = 312) were used and students were divided into homogeneous and heterogeneous groups (based on their motivation score). The heterogeneous groups (n = 32) consisted of a mixture of different motivation levels, while the homogeneous groups (n = 32) were organized into teams with similar motivation scores using tiers of high-, middle-, and low-level participants. Data analysis determined mixed perceptions of biology and biologists. These include the perceptions biology was less intriguing, less relevant, less practical, less ethical, and less understandable. Biologists were perceived as being neat and slightly intelligent, but not very altruistic, humane, ethical, logical, honest, or moral. Content knowledge scores more than doubled from pre- to post-test. Half of the items measuring views of science were not statistically significantly different from pre- to post-test. Many of the factors for attitudes toward biology became more agreeable from pre- to post-test. Correlations between motivation scores, participation levels, attendance rates, and final course grades were examined at both the individual and group level. Motivation had low correlations with the other variables. Changes in group membership (i.e., attrition) were evaluated at the group level and showed the highest rates with the heterogeneous groups and the lowest with the homogeneous middle groups. Group gender ratios were examined, but showed no correlation with final course grade. Linear regression was utilized to identify any variables that might be useful in predicting the final course grade of each student. Only participation, attendance, and final exam grade were predictive, but as they were components of the final course grade, they were not useful for the model. Differences between the groups were also examined to determine if the group type was predictive of final course grade, but no significant difference was found. Results of the study are discussed in the context of the literature on student motivation to learn science. Implications of the study are discussed through the lens of the Millennial generation's perspectives on teaching and learning. Millennials often consider an education to be a commodity and may expect results with less effort. Millennials may be expressing a pseudo-intrinsic motivation in order to impress peers and instructors, while they may actually be more extrinsically motivated to succeed

A Follow-up Study of Two Methods of Teaching Mathematics: Traditional versus New Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Gene A.; And Others

1977-01-01

When high school mathematics grades and test scores were analyzed, findings showed that high- and middle-ability students who had a modern mathematics course in the seventh grade received significantly higher grades in Algebra I, II, III, and Geometry than did students who had a traditional seventh grade mathematics course. (DT)

Increasing Oral Reading Fluency of below Grade-Level Elementary Students through Parent Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royal, Louise I.

2012-01-01

An increasing number of elementary students in a rural school were promoted to a higher grade without having grade-level reading fluency skills, thereby becoming at risk of not reaching or maintaining their academic grade level reading skills. The purpose of this ex post facto quantitative study involving archival data analysis was to investigate…

Predicting the risk of patients with biopsy Gleason score 6 to harbor a higher grade cancer.

PubMed

Gofrit, Ofer N; Zorn, Kevin C; Taxy, Jerome B; Lin, Shang; Zagaja, Gregory P; Steinberg, Gary D; Shalhav, Arieh L

2007-11-01

Prostate cancer Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 is currently the most common score assigned on prostatic biopsies. We analyzed the clinical variables that predict the likelihood of a patient with biopsy Gleason score 6 to harbor a higher grade tumor. The study population consisted of 448 patients with a mean age of 59.1 years who underwent radical prostatectomy between February 2003 to October 2006 for Gleason score 6 adenocarcinoma. The effect of preoperative variables on the probability of a Gleason score upgrade on final pathological evaluation was evaluated using logistic regression, and classification and regression tree analysis. Gleason score upgrade was found in 91 of 448 patients (20.3%). Logistic regression showed that only serum prostate specific antigen and the greatest percent of cancer in a core were significantly associated with a score upgrade (p = 0.0014 and 0.023, respectively). Classification and regression tree analysis showed that the risk of a Gleason score upgrade was 62% when serum prostate specific antigen was higher than 12 ng/ml and 18% when serum prostate specific antigen was 12 ng/ml or less. In patients with serum prostate specific antigen lower than 12 ng/ml the risk of a score upgrade could be dichotomized at a greatest percent of cancer in a core of 5%. The risk was 22.6% and 10.5% when the greatest percent of cancer in a core was higher than 5% and 5% or lower, respectively. The probability of patients with a prostate biopsy Gleason score of 6 to conceal a Gleason score of 7 or higher can be predicted using serum prostate specific antigen and the greatest percent of cancer in a core. With these parameters it is possible to predict upgrade rates as high as 62% and as low as 10.5%.

Violence, bullying and academic achievement: a study of 15-year-old adolescents and their school environment.

PubMed

Strøm, Ida Frugård; Thoresen, Siri; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Dyb, Grete

2013-04-01

This study investigated academic achievement among adolescents exposed to violence, sexual abuse and bullying. Moreover, we sought to determine the individual and contextual influence of the adolescents' school environment in terms of bullying, classmate relationships and teacher support on academic achievement. Finally, we wished to assess whether school-level influence is different for the adolescents exposed to violence and sexual abuse versus the adolescents not exposed to these forms of abuse. This is a cross-sectional study of a sample of 7,343 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 16 from 56 schools in Oslo, Norway. We investigated associations between violence, sexual abuse, bullying, classmate relationships, teacher support and academic achievement. Linear regression was used to investigate associations on the individual level. Multilevel analyses were conducted to test for school level differences while controlling for both individual and contextual factors. On the individual level, all combinations of violence and sexual abuse categories were significantly associated with lower grades. This was also true for bullying, while teacher support resulted in better grades. At the school level, the analysis showed that students in schools with higher levels of bullying performed worse academically. Each unit of increment in bullying in school corresponded to an average 0.98 point decrease in grades (p<.01) when we controlled for sociodemographic characteristics. The association remained significant when the model was tested separately for the nonbullied students, with a small reduction in the coefficient value (-.84, p<.01). No overall significance was found for the interaction between the school environment and adolescent exposure to violence, indicating that the school environment affects all students. Factors on both levels can contribute to reduced grades. This stresses the need to investigate individual and contextual factors simultaneously when examining academic achievement. Our results indicated that students attending schools with higher levels of bullying may show poorer school performance. This was true for all students regardless of previous exposure to violence and sexual abuse. This emphasizes the need for preventive efforts that focus not only on vulnerable groups, but on all students and the school context. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

36 CFR 212.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... materials investigations, surveys, and tests; (6) Preliminary and final designs; (7) Preliminary and final... surveys to establish line and grade for the work, to control the work, and to measure quantities; (2... battery-powered, that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, and that is...

36 CFR 212.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... materials investigations, surveys, and tests; (6) Preliminary and final designs; (7) Preliminary and final... surveys to establish line and grade for the work, to control the work, and to measure quantities; (2... battery-powered, that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, and that is...

36 CFR 212.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... materials investigations, surveys, and tests; (6) Preliminary and final designs; (7) Preliminary and final... surveys to establish line and grade for the work, to control the work, and to measure quantities; (2... battery-powered, that is designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired person for locomotion, and that is...

A Computer Vision System for Automated Grading of Rough Hardwood Lumber Using a Knowledge-Based Approach

Treesearch

Tai-Hoon Cho; Richard W. Conners; Philip A. Araman

1990-01-01

A sawmill cuts logs into lumber and sells this lumber to secondary remanufacturers. The price a sawmiller can charge for a volume of lumber depends on its grade. For a number of species the price of a given volume of material can double in going from one grade to the next higher grade. Thus, accurately establishing the grade of a volume of hardwood lumber is very...

Accuracy of reading liquid based cytology slides using the ThinPrep Imager compared with conventional cytology: prospective study

PubMed Central

d'Assuncao, Jefferson; Irwig, Les; Macaskill, Petra; Chan, Siew F; Richards, Adele; Farnsworth, Annabelle

2007-01-01

Objective To compare the accuracy of liquid based cytology using the computerised ThinPrep Imager with that of manually read conventional cytology. Design Prospective study. Setting Pathology laboratory in Sydney, Australia. Participants 55 164 split sample pairs (liquid based sample collected after conventional sample from one collection) from consecutive samples of women choosing both types of cytology and whose specimens were examined between August 2004 and June 2005. Main outcome measures Primary outcome was accuracy of slides for detecting squamous lesions. Secondary outcomes were rate of unsatisfactory slides, distribution of squamous cytological classifications, and accuracy of detecting glandular lesions. Results Fewer unsatisfactory slides were found for imager read cytology than for conventional cytology (1.8% v 3.1%; P<0.001). More slides were classified as abnormal by imager read cytology (7.4% v 6.0% overall and 2.8% v 2.2% for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 1 or higher). Among 550 patients in whom imager read cytology was cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 or higher and conventional cytology was less severe than grade 1, 133 of 380 biopsy samples taken were high grade histology. Among 294 patients in whom imager read cytology was less severe than cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 and conventional cytology was grade 1 or higher, 62 of 210 biopsy samples taken were high grade histology. Imager read cytology therefore detected 71 more cases of high grade histology than did conventional cytology, resulting from 170 more biopsies. Similar results were found when one pathologist reread the slides, masked to cytology results. Conclusion The ThinPrep Imager detects 1.29 more cases of histological high grade squamous disease per 1000 women screened than conventional cytology, with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 as the threshold for referral to colposcopy. More imager read slides than conventional slides were satisfactory for examination and more contained low grade cytological abnormalities. PMID:17604301

Refining of metallurgical-grade silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dietl, J.

1986-01-01

A basic requirement of large scale solar cell fabrication is to provide low cost base material. Unconventional refining of metallurical grade silicon represents one of the most promising ways of silicon meltstock processing. The refining concept is based on an optimized combination of metallurgical treatments. Commercially available crude silicon, in this sequence, requires a first pyrometallurgical step by slagging, or, alternatively, solvent extraction by aluminum. After grinding and leaching, high purity qualtiy is gained as an advanced stage of refinement. To reach solar grade quality a final pyrometallurgical step is needed: liquid-gas extraction.

Effect of perindopril and bisoprolol on IL-2, INF-γ, hs-CRP, and T-cell stimulation and its correlations with blood pressure in mild and moderate hypertension
.

PubMed

Madej, Andrzej; Dąbek, Józefa; Majewski, Michał; Szuta, Justyna

2018-05-29

Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of death. Its development is largely determined by lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors, among which arterial hypertension (HT) plays a key role. Available data indicate a significant role of inflammation in the pathophysiology of HT. The aim of this study was to assess concentrations of mediators of inflammation in patients with mild and moderate HT and its modulation with antihypertensive treatment. 56 subjects: 17 with first- and 20 with second-grade HT, and 19 healthy subjects constituting a control group. Antihypertensive therapy: in first-grade HT, perindopril 5 mg daily, and in second-grade HT, bisoprolol (5 mg daily) additionally were ordered. Before and after a 4-week treatment, interleukine-2, interferon-γ, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein serum concentrations were assessed. hs-CRP concentration was higher in hypertensive patients, and the difference was statistically significant in patients with second-grade HT compared to the control group (1.42 mg/L vs. 2.55 mg/L; p = 0.003). Antihypertensive treatment was associated with hs-CRP decrease. IL-2 concentration was 14.8% (p = 0.005) higher in first- and 22.2% (p = 0.002) higher in second-grade HT compared to the controls. Treatment significantly reduced concentration of IL-2. IFN-γ concentrations, compared to the control group, were higher by 19.6% (p < 0.001) and 39.9% (p < 0.001) in 1st and 2nd grade HT, respectively. Increased values of blood pressure were accompanied by higher concentrations of cytokines and hs-CRP. Reversal of adverse T-cell stimulation was observed after 4-week therapy.
.

Thulium Laser Treatment of Upper Urinary Tract Carcinoma: A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Surgical and Oncological Outcomes.

PubMed

Musi, Gennaro; Mistretta, Francesco A; Marenghi, Carlo; Russo, Andrea; Catellani, Michele; Nazzani, Sebastiano; Conti, Andrea; Luzzago, Stefano; Ferro, Matteo; Matei, Deliu V; Carmignani, Luca; de Cobelli, Ottavio

2018-03-01

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ureteroscopic thulium laser (TL) treatment of upper urinary tract carcinoma (UTUC). Forty-two consecutive patients underwent conservative TL treatment for UTUC at two referral institutions. All patients underwent preliminary biopsy and then laser vaporization. A 272 μm and 365 μm laser fibers were used with a flexible and semirigid scope, respectively. Ablation was carried out with a 10 to 20 W power. Mean age at surgery was 68 years (SD 10.7). Mean tumor size was 14.3 mm (range 2-30 mm). Preliminary biopsy revealed the presence of low-grade disease in 29 (69.1%) patients, high-grade disease in 4 (9.5%) and 1 carcinoma in situ 1 (2.4%), whereas it was not conclusive in 8 (19%) cases. Final stage was pTa and pTis in 41 (97.6%) and 1 (2.4%) patients, respectively. Thirty eight percent (16) experienced Clavien-Dindo grade I complication, 47.6% (20) grade II, and 2.4% (1) grade III. Five (12%) patients underwent a second-look procedure due to residual disease. Eight (19%) patients experienced clinical recurrence. The median estimated recurrence-free survival was 44 months (SE 3.68). Four patients (9.5%) underwent a nephroureterectomy. Final pathological stage was pTis, pT3 high grade, pTa low grade, and pT0. Median follow-up was 26.3 months (range 2-54 months), and no progression or upstaging of disease occurred. TL management of UTUC is a safe and efficacious conservative treatment. Our experience shows optimal vaporization and hemostatic control in the absence of major complications.

Physical activity and sedentary time in relation to academic achievement in children.

PubMed

Haapala, Eero A; Väistö, Juuso; Lintu, Niina; Westgate, Kate; Ekelund, Ulf; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Brage, Soren; Lakka, Timo A

2017-06-01

To investigate the independent and combined associations of objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) with reading and arithmetic skills. Cross-sectional/prospective. Participants were 89 boys and 69 girls aged 6-8 years. MVPA and ST were measured using a combined heart rate and movement sensor and body fat percentage by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in Grade 1. Reading fluency, reading comprehension, and arithmetic skills were assessed using standardized tests in Grades 1-3. The data were analyzed using linear regression analyses and analyses of covariance with repeated measures. In boys, MVPA was directly and ST inversely associated with reading fluency in Grades 1-3 and arithmetic skills in Grade 1 (P<0.05). Higher levels of MVPA were also related to better reading comprehension in Grade 1 (P<0.05). Most of the associations of MVPA and ST with reading and arithmetic skills attenuated after mutual adjustment for MVPA or ST. Furthermore, boys with a combination of lower levels of MVPA and higher levels of ST had consistently poorer reading fluency (P=0.002) and reading comprehension (P=0.027) across Grades 1-3 than other boys. In girls, ST was directly associated with arithmetic skills in Grade 2 (P<0.05). However, this relationship of ST with arithmetic skills was no longer significant after adjustment for body fat percentage. Lower levels of MVPA and higher levels of ST and particularly their combination were related to poorer reading skills in boys. In girls, higher levels of ST were related to better arithmetic skills. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of iris crypts with acute primary angle closure.

PubMed

Koh, Victor; Chua, Jacqueline; Shi, Yuan; Thakku, Sri Gowtham; Lee, Ryan; Nongpiur, Monisha E; Baskaran, Mani; Kumar, Rajesh S; Perera, Shamira; Aung, Tin; Cheng, Ching-Yu

2017-10-01

To determine the relationship between iris surface features and acute primary angle closure (APAC) in eyes with angle closure. Case-control study involving Asian patients diagnosed with previous APAC, primary angle closure suspect (PACS), primary angle closure (PAC) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) at an eye centre in Singapore between August 2012 and January 2015. Participants underwent ophthalmic examination and digital slit-lamp iris photography. Iris surface features were graded based on crypts, furrows and colour. Fellow eyes of APAC were compared with PACS and PAC/PACG eyes with regard to their iris surface features. Occurrence of APAC. A total of 309 patients (71 APAC, 139 PACS, 47 PAC and 52 PACG) were included (mean age: 67.7±7.2 years and 36.6% male). Compared with PACS, higher crypt grade was significantly associated with lower odds of APAC (OR=0.58 for one grade higher in crypt grade; p=0.027, adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity and pupil diameter). The results remained similar when compared with PAC/PACG group (OR=0.58 for one grade higher in crypt grade; p=0.043). We did not observe any significant associations between iris furrows or colour with presence of APAC. Our study comprising Asian eyes with angle closure suggests that the presence of a higher crypt grading may be protective for APAC. As such, assessing iris surface architecture for crypts could be a new measure for risk stratification of developing APAC in eyes with angle closure. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

How Does the Severity of Injury Vary between Motorcycle and Automobile Accident Victims Who Sustain High-Grade Blunt Hepatic and/or Splenic Injuries? Results of a Retrospective Analysis.

PubMed

Hsieh, Ting-Min; Tsai, Tsung-Cheng; Liu, Yueh-Wei; Hsieh, Ching-Hua

2016-07-21

High-grade blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries (BHSI) remain a great challenge for trauma surgeons. The main aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics, mortality rates, and outcomes of high-grade BHSI in motorcyclists and car occupants hospitalized for treatment of traumatic injuries in a Level I trauma center in southern Taiwan. High-grade BHSI are defined as grade III-VI blunt hepatic injuries and grade III-V blunt splenic injuries. This retrospective study reviewed the data of 101 motorcyclists and 32 car occupants who experienced a high-grade BHSI from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. Two-sided Fisher's exact or Pearson's chi-square tests were used to compare categorical data, unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze normally distributed continuous data, and Mann-Whitney's U test was used to compare non-normally distributed data. In this study, the majority (76%, 101/133) of high-grade BHSI were due to motorcycle crashes. Car occupants had a significantly higher injury severity score (ISS; 26.8 ± 10.9 vs. 20.7 ± 10.4, respectively, p = 0.005) and organ injured score (OIS; 3.8 ± 1.0 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6, respectively, p = 0.033), as well as a significantly longer hospital length of stay (LOS; 21.2 days vs. 14.6 days, respectively, p = 0.038) than did motorcyclists. Car occupants with high-grade BHSI also had worse clinical presentations than their motorcyclist counterparts, including a significantly higher incidence of hypotension, hyperpnea, tube thoracostomy, blood transfusion >4 units, LOS in intensive care unit >5 days, and complications. However, there were no differences in the percentage of angiography or laparotomy performed or mortality rate between these two groups of patients. This study demonstrated that car occupants with high-grade BHSI were injured more severely, had a higher incidence of worse clinical presentation, had a longer hospital LOS, and had a higher incidence of complications than motorcyclists. The results also implied that specific attention should be paid to those car occupants with high-grade BHSI, whose critical condition should not be underestimated because of the concept that the patients within in a car are much safer.

How Does the Severity of Injury Vary between Motorcycle and Automobile Accident Victims Who Sustain High-Grade Blunt Hepatic and/or Splenic Injuries? Results of a Retrospective Analysis

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Ting-Min; Tsai, Tsung-Cheng; Liu, Yueh-Wei; Hsieh, Ching-Hua

2016-01-01

Background: High-grade blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries (BHSI) remain a great challenge for trauma surgeons. The main aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics, mortality rates, and outcomes of high-grade BHSI in motorcyclists and car occupants hospitalized for treatment of traumatic injuries in a Level I trauma center in southern Taiwan. Methods: High-grade BHSI are defined as grade III-VI blunt hepatic injuries and grade III-V blunt splenic injuries. This retrospective study reviewed the data of 101 motorcyclists and 32 car occupants who experienced a high-grade BHSI from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. Two-sided Fisher’s exact or Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to compare categorical data, unpaired Student’s t-test was used to analyze normally distributed continuous data, and Mann–Whitney’s U test was used to compare non-normally distributed data. Results: In this study, the majority (76%, 101/133) of high-grade BHSI were due to motorcycle crashes. Car occupants had a significantly higher injury severity score (ISS; 26.8 ± 10.9 vs. 20.7 ± 10.4, respectively, p = 0.005) and organ injured score (OIS; 3.8 ± 1.0 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6, respectively, p = 0.033), as well as a significantly longer hospital length of stay (LOS; 21.2 days vs. 14.6 days, respectively, p = 0.038) than did motorcyclists. Car occupants with high-grade BHSI also had worse clinical presentations than their motorcyclist counterparts, including a significantly higher incidence of hypotension, hyperpnea, tube thoracostomy, blood transfusion >4 units, LOS in intensive care unit >5 days, and complications. However, there were no differences in the percentage of angiography or laparotomy performed or mortality rate between these two groups of patients. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that car occupants with high-grade BHSI were injured more severely, had a higher incidence of worse clinical presentation, had a longer hospital LOS, and had a higher incidence of complications than motorcyclists. The results also implied that specific attention should be paid to those car occupants with high-grade BHSI, whose critical condition should not be underestimated because of the concept that the patients within in a car are much safer. PMID:27455295

A Research Study to Determine the Effects of Early Keyboard Use upon Student Development in Occupational Keyboarding. Final Report of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwood, Byrdeen; And Others

Before students can use microcomputers effectively, they need keyboarding skills. A project was conducted in Montana to teach keyboarding to fourth-grade children using computer-assisted instruction. Two fourth-grade classes at Hawthorne Elementary School, Bozeman, Montana, participated in an 8-week, 32-session elementary keyboarding pilot…

THE PRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF THREE COMPUTER-BASED ECONOMICS GAMES FOR THE SIXTH GRADE. FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WING, RICHARD L.; AND OTHERS

THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENT WAS TO PRODUCE AND EVALUATE 3 COMPUTER-BASED ECONOMICS GAMES AS A METHOD OF INDIVIDUALIZING INSTRUCTION FOR GRADE 6 STUDENTS. 26 EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS PLAYED 2 ECONOMICS GAMES, WHILE A CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED CONVENTIONAL INSTRUCTION ON SIMILAR MATERIAL. IN THE SUMERIAN GAME, STUDENTS SEATED AT THE TYPEWRITER TERMINALS…

Context Effects in Norwegian 10th-Grade Students' Reports on Learning Strategies Using the Cross-Curricular Competencies Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuelstuen, Marit S.; Braten, Ivar; Valas, Harald

2007-01-01

This study examined contextual effects in Norwegian 10th-grade students' reports on cognitive and metacognitive strategies when using the Cross-Curricular Competencies (CCC) instrument. The CCC was first administered as the final task in a long (three-hour) testing session in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Program for…

Evaluation of the Florida Master Teacher Initiative: Final Evaluation Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Haiwen; Warner, Miya; Golan, Shari; Wechsler, Marjorie; Park, C. J.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Florida Master Teacher Initiative (FMTI)--an i3-funded early learning program aimed at improving the quality of teaching and student outcomes in grades PreK through third grade in high need schools. The FMTI schools participated in four program components: (1) a job-embedded graduate…

To Determine the Effectiveness of Board Game Simulations in the Grade Five Social Studies Program. Final Report 80-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Vicki A.

The report describes a study designed to ascertain the effectiveness of 12 board game simulations developed and used in a fifth grade Canadian history program. Questions examined include: 1) Does the use of board game simulations increase group participation and cultural, environmental, and historical awareness? 2) Does use of the games promote…

Estimating the Effect on Grades of Using Multiple-Choice versus Constructive-Response Questions: Data from the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hickson, Stephen; Reed, W. Robert; Sander, Nicholas

2012-01-01

This study investigates the degree to which grades based solely on constructed-response (CR) questions differ from grades based solely on multiple-choice (MC) questions. If CR questions are to justify their higher costs, they should produce different grade outcomes than MC questions. We use a data set composed of thousands of observations on…

Middle Grades: Quality Teaching Equals Higher Student Achievement. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bottoms, Gene; Hertl, Jordan; Mollette, Melinda; Patterson, Lenora

2014-01-01

The middles grades are critical to public school systems and our nation's economy. It's the make-or-break point in students' futures. Studies repeatedly show when students are not engaged and lose interest in the middle grades, they are likely to fall behind in ninth grade and later drop out of school. When this happens, the workforce suffers, and…

Stress in Portuguese Middle School Transition: A Multilevel Analysis.

PubMed

Coelho, Vítor Alexandre; Romão, Ana Maria

2016-09-23

Transition from elementary to middle school is commonly seen as a period of stress, impacting students' school adjustment. The present longitudinal study aimed to analyze the difference in stress levels between the end of 4th grade and 5th grade, while also analyzing gender differences and 5th grade retention. Two hundred fifty-eight 4th grade students (M age = 9.55; SD = 0.77) from six Portuguese public schools, from the municipality of Torres Vedras, participated in this study. Self-report questionnaires were administered at the end of the 4th and 5th grades, and 5th grade school records were also collected. Results showed that 5th graders present higher levels of Academic Stress (d = .29) and Teacher/Rules Stress (d = .28). Girls had a greater increase of Peer-related Stress with the transition (p < .01). Students who were retained at the end of 5th grade showed higher increases of Teacher/Rules Stress (p < .05). Intervention programs that aim to support the transition from elementary to middle school are needed, in order to reduce the increase of stress levels at 5th grade and to promote a better school adjustment in the first year of middle school.

Matrix metalloproteinases in pathogenesis of hemorrhoidal disease.

PubMed

Kisli, Erol; Kemik, Ahu; Sümer, Aziz; Kemik, Özgür

2013-11-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the accuracy of serum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels in an effort to find a reliable factor that may play an important role in pathogenesis of hemorrhoidal disease. Twenty control subjects and 21 Grade I, 19 Grade II, 20 Grade III, and 21 Grade IV patients with internal hemorrhoid were included in this prospective study. The mean ages of control subjects were 47.65 ± 6.71 standard deviation (SD) years (range, 37 to 60 years). The mean age of internal Grade I, Grade II, Grade III, and Grade IV patients with internal hemorrhoid were 48.85 ± 6.44, 47.20 ± 6.75, 44.90 ± 6.13, and 42.95 ± 3.49 SD years (ranges, 38 to 58, 38 to 60, 34 to 55, and 38 to 50 years), respectively. Ten milliliters of blood was taken from all subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MMP-1, -2, -7, and -9 levels were performed using an ELISA kit (R&D Systems) following the manufacturer's instructions. There was an important difference between Grade I and Grade II groups in the serum levels of MMP-9 (P < 0.01). Patients with Grade III hemorrhoidal disease had significantly higher serum levels of all MMP than patients with Grade I and Grade II hemorrhoidal disease (P < 0.001). Also, patients with Grade 4 hemorrhoidal disease had higher serum levels of MMP-7 and -9 according to Grade I, II, and III groups (P < 0.01, 0.001). High serum levels of MMP are present in patients with hemorrhoids, suggesting the possible mechanism in the pathogenesis of hemorrhoids.

Differences in academic performance and self-regulated learning based on level of student participation in supplemental instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, Ana C.

This study examined differences in academic performance and self-regulated learning based on levels of student participation in Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions in two introductory undergraduate biology and chemistry courses offered at University of Central Florida in the Spring 2006 semester. The sample consisted of 282 students enrolled in the biology class and 451 students enrolled in chemistry. Academic performance was measured using students' final course grades and rates of withdrawal from the courses. The self-regulated learning constructs of motivation, cognition, metacognition, and resource management were measured using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). Relationships between students' gender and ethnic background and levels of SI participation were also analyzed in this research. Findings in both biology and chemistry courses revealed a statistically significant decrease in student motivation from beginning to end of semester. In chemistry, frequent SI participants also showed statistically significantly higher levels of motivation at the end of the semester than occasional and non-SI participants. There were no statistically significant gains in cognitive, metacognitive, and resource management strategies from beginning to end of semester. However, statistically significant differences in resource management were observed at the end of the semester among SI attendance groups in both courses. Students in the high SI attendance group were more likely to use learning resources than those who did not participate regularly or did not participate at all. Statistically significant differences in academic performance based on students' SI participation were found in both biology and chemistry courses. Frequent SI participants had significantly higher final percentage grades and were more likely to receive grades of A, B, or C, than those who either did not attend SI regularly of did not participate at all. They were also less likely to withdraw from the course than occasional or non-SI participants. In biology, no relationship between SI participation, gender, and student ethnic background was found. In chemistry, female students were significantly more likely to attend SI regularly than males. Chemistry minority students had significantly higher representation among occasional SI participants. An important implication involved the use of pedagogical approaches that make lecture classrooms more interactive and encourage student motivation and engagement. This study could be replicated in other science and non-science courses that offer SI sessions. Additional factors in the success of SI programs and student motivation can be added, such as SI leaders' experience and major. Follow-up studies on students who completed the courses included in this study can be conducted to determine whether they reenrolled in other science courses, continued attending SI sessions, and gained self-regulated learning skills.

Leukoaraiosis predicts poor 90-day outcome after acute large cerebral artery occlusion.

PubMed

Henninger, Nils; Lin, Eugene; Baker, Stephen P; Wakhloo, Ajay K; Takhtani, Deepak; Moonis, Majaz

2012-01-01

To date limited information regarding outcome-modifying factors in patients with acute intracranial large artery occlusion (ILAO) in the anterior circulation is available. Leukoaraiosis (LA) is a common finding among patients with ischemic stroke and has been associated with poor post-stroke outcomes but its association with ILAO remains poorly characterized. This study sought to clarify the contribution of baseline LA and other common risk factors to 90-day outcome (modified Rankin Scale, mRS) after stroke due to acute anterior circulation ILAO. We retrospectively analyzed 1,153 consecutive patients with imaging-confirmed ischemic stroke during a 4-year period (2007-2010) at a single academic institution. The final study cohort included 87 patients with acute ILAO subjected to multimodal CT imaging within 24 h of symptom onset. LA severity was assessed using the van Swieten scale on non-contrast CT. Leptomeningeal collaterals were graded using CT angiogram source images. Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) was determined on follow-up CT. Multivariate logistic regression controlling for HT, treatment modality, demographic, as well as baseline clinical and imaging characteristics was used to identify independent predictors of a poor outcome (90-day mRS >2). The median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at baseline was 15 (interquartile range 9-21). Twenty-four percent of the studied patients had severe LA. They were more likely to have hypertension (p = 0.028), coronary artery disease (p = 0.015), poor collaterals (p < 0.001), higher baseline NIHSS (p = 0.003), higher mRS at 90 days (p < 0.001), and were older (p = 0.002). Patients with severe LA had a uniformly poor outcome (p < 0.001) irrespective of treatment modality. Poor outcome was independently associated with higher baseline NIHSS (p < 0.001), worse LA (graded and dichotomized, p < 0.001), reduced leptomeningeal collaterals (graded and dichotomized, p < 0.001), presence of HT (p < 0.001), presence of parenchymal hemorrhages (p = 0.01), baseline mRS (p = 0.002), and older age (p = 0.043). The association between severe LA (p = 0.0056; OR 13.86; 95% CI 1.94-∞) and baseline NIHSS (p = 0.0001; OR 5.11; 95% CI 2.07-14.49 for each 10-point increase) with poor outcome maintained after adjustment for confounders in the final regression model. In this model, there was no significant association between presence of HT and poor outcome (p = 0.0572). Coexisting LA may predict poor functional outcome in patients with acute anterior circulation ILAO independent of other known important outcome predictors such as comorbid state, admission functional deficit, collateral status, hemorrhagic conversion, and treatment modality. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Grade Inflation in UK Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bachan, Ray

2017-01-01

This paper examines the continual increase in the proportion of "good" honour degrees awarded by UK universities since the mid-2000s. This trend has brought with it the charge of "grade inflation" that may reflect falling standards in UK higher education. This issue has been raised in the national press and in government which…

7 CFR 51.2948 - U.S. No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... kernels which are not darker than “light amber” (see color chart), and which are free from grade defects... are not darker than “light” (see color chart). Higher percentages of nuts with kernels not darker than “light amber” which are free from grade defects and/or higher percentages with kernels not darker than...

7 CFR 51.2948 - U.S. No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... kernels which are not darker than “light amber” (see color chart), and which are free from grade defects... are not darker than “light” (see color chart). Higher percentages of nuts with kernels not darker than “light amber” which are free from grade defects and/or higher percentages with kernels not darker than...

Does More Accurate Knowledge of Course Grade Impact Teaching Evaluation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Donghun; Cho, Joonmo

2017-01-01

Students' different standards may yield different kinds of bias, such as self-directed (higher than their past performance) bias and peer-directed (higher than their classmates) bias. Utilizing data obtained from a natural experiment where some students were able to see their grades prior to teacher evaluations, and to investigate possible sources…

The Effects of a Freshman Seminar Paired with Supplemental Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yockey, Frances A.; George, Archie A.

1998-01-01

A three-semester study investigated the effects on academic performance of a freshman seminar paired with a core sociology course. Students in the paired course achieved higher grades in the course and higher grade point averages for the semester of intervention than did nonparticipating control group students. After two years, freshman seminar…

More than just fun and games: the longitudinal relationships between strategic video games, self-reported problem solving skills, and academic grades.

PubMed

Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena

2013-07-01

Some researchers have proposed that video games possess good learning principles and may promote problem solving skills. Empirical research regarding this relationship, however, is limited. The goal of the presented study was to examine whether strategic video game play (i.e., role playing and strategy games) predicted self-reported problem solving skills among a sample of 1,492 adolescents (50.8 % female), over the four high school years. The results showed that more strategic video game play predicted higher self-reported problem solving skills over time than less strategic video game play. In addition, the results showed support for an indirect association between strategic video game play and academic grades, in that strategic video game play predicted higher self-reported problem solving skills, and, in turn, higher self-reported problem solving skills predicted higher academic grades. The novel findings that strategic video games promote self-reported problem solving skills and indirectly predict academic grades are important considering that millions of adolescents play video games every day.

A comparative study of assessment grading and nursing students' perceptions of quality in sessional and tenured teachers.

PubMed

Salamonson, Yenna; Halcomb, Elizabeth J; Andrew, Sharon; Peters, Kath; Jackson, Debra

2010-12-01

Although the global nursing faculty shortage has led to increasing reliance upon sessional staff, limited research has explored the impact of these sessional staff on the quality of teaching in higher education. We aim to examine differences in (a) student satisfaction with sessional and tenured staff and (b) assessment scores awarded by sessional and tenured staff in students' written assignments. A comparative study method was used. Participants were recruited from students enrolled in the three nursing practice subjects across the 3 years of the baccalaureate program in an Australian university during the second semester of 2008. This study collected student data via an online version of the Perceptions of Teaching and Course Satisfaction scale and compared the grades awarded by sessional and tenured academics for a written assessment in a single assignment in each of the nursing practice subjects. Of the 2,045 students enrolled in the nursing practice subjects across the 3 years of the bachelor of nursing (BN) program, 566 (28%) completed the online teaching and course satisfaction survey, and 1,972 assignment grades (96%) were available for analysis. Compared with tenured academics, sessional teachers received higher rating on students' perception on teaching satisfaction by students in Year 1 (p= .021) and Year 2 (p= .002), but not by students in Year 3 (p= .348). Following the same trend, sessional teachers awarded higher assignment grades to students in Year 1 (p < .001) and Year 2 (p < .001) than tenured academics, with no significant disparity in grades awarded to students in Year 3. The higher grades awarded by sessional teachers to 1st- and 2nd-year students could be one explanation for why these teachers received higher student ratings than tenured teachers. Not discounting the possibility of grade inflation by sessional staff, it could be that tenured teachers have a higher expectation for the quality of students' work, and hence were more stringent in their assessment grading. Sessional teachers did not receive a higher rating from 3rd-year students, and this could be attributed to a change in student perception as they progress through the course, valuing a broader and more professional aspect of nursing knowledge, which is more likely to be the strength of tenured staff. These findings highlight a need for the development and implementation of strategies to facilitate the inclusion of sessional staff teaching in a BN program, in order to prepare graduate nurses that are well-equipped for clinical practice. © 2010 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis and rehabilitation in patients with complete facial palsy: cohort study of 30 patients followed up for three years

PubMed Central

Toffola, Elena Dalla; Pavese, Chiara; Cecini, Miriam; Petrucci, Lucia; Ricotti, Susanna; Bejor, Maurizio; Salimbeni, Grazia; Biglioli, Federico; Klersy, Catherine

2014-01-01

Summary Our study evaluates the grade and timing of recovery in 30 patients with complete facial paralysis (House-Brackmann grade VI) treated with hypoglossal-facial nerve (XII-VII) anastomosis and a long-term rehabilitation program, consisting of exercises in facial muscle activation mediated by tongue movement and synkinesis control with mirror feedback. Reinnervation after XII-VII anastomosis occurred in 29 patients, on average 5.4 months after surgery. Three years after the anastomosis, 23.3% of patients had grade II, 53.3% grade III, 20% grade IV and 3.3% grade VI ratings on the House-Brackmann scale. Time to reinnervation was associated with the final House-Brackmann grade. Our study demonstrates that patients undergoing XII-VII anastomosis and a long-term rehabilitation program display a significant recovery of facial symmetry and movement. The recovery continues for at least three years after the anastomosis, meaning that prolonged follow-up of these patients is advisable. PMID:25473738

Breadth of Extracurricular Participation and Adolescent Adjustment Among African-American and European-American Youth

PubMed Central

Fredricks, Jennifer A.; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.

2012-01-01

We examined the linear and nonlinear relations between breadth of extracurricular participation in 11th grade and developmental outcomes at 11th grade and 1 year after high school in an economically diverse sample of African-American and European-American youth. In general, controlling for demographic factors, children's motivation, and the dependent variable measured 3 years earlier, breadth was positively associated with indicators of academic adjustment at 11th grade and at 1 year after high school. In addition, for the three academic outcomes (i.e., grades, educational expectations, and educational status) the nonlinear function was significant; at high levels of involvement the well-being of youth leveled off or declined slightly. In addition, breadth of participation at 11th grade predicted lower internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior, alcohol use, and marijuana use at 11th grade. Finally, the total number of extracurricular activities at 11th grade was associated with civic engagement 2 years later. PMID:22837637

Breadth of Extracurricular Participation and Adolescent Adjustment Among African-American and European-American Youth.

PubMed

Fredricks, Jennifer A; Eccles, Jacquelynne S

2010-06-01

We examined the linear and nonlinear relations between breadth of extracurricular participation in 11th grade and developmental outcomes at 11th grade and 1 year after high school in an economically diverse sample of African-American and European-American youth. In general, controlling for demographic factors, children's motivation, and the dependent variable measured 3 years earlier, breadth was positively associated with indicators of academic adjustment at 11th grade and at 1 year after high school. In addition, for the three academic outcomes (i.e., grades, educational expectations, and educational status) the nonlinear function was significant; at high levels of involvement the well-being of youth leveled off or declined slightly. In addition, breadth of participation at 11th grade predicted lower internalizing behavior, externalizing behavior, alcohol use, and marijuana use at 11th grade. Finally, the total number of extracurricular activities at 11th grade was associated with civic engagement 2 years later.

Friendships with co-participants in organized activities: prevalence, quality, friends' characteristics, and associations with adolescents' adjustment.

PubMed

Poulin, François; Denault, Anne-Sophie

2013-01-01

The goal of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of friendships within organized activities. The prevalence of friendships with co-participants, their quality and characteristics, and their associations with adjustment were investigated. A sample of 281 (60% girls) 8th grade adolescents reported their friendships, activities, and adjustment. The results showed that 70% of youths have friends who co-participate with them. Friends in individual sports are more academically oriented whereas friends in team sports are more supportive but display higher levels of problem behavior. Finally, having friends in activities is associated with lower problem behavior and better academic functioning. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Informal Peer-Assisted Learning Groups Did Not Lead to Better Performance of Saudi Dental Students.

PubMed

AbdelSalam, Maha; El Tantawi, Maha; Al-Ansari, Asim; AlAgl, Adel; Al-Harbi, Fahad

2017-01-01

To describe peer-assisted learning (PAL) groups formed by dental undergraduate students in a biomedical course and to investigate the association of individual and group characteristics with academic performance. In 2015, 92 fourth-year students (43 males and 49 females) in the College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, were invited to form PAL groups to study a unit of a biomedical course. An examination was used to assess their knowledge after 2 weeks. In addition, a questionnaire and social network analysis were used to investigate (1) individual student attributes: gender, role, subject matter knowledge, grade in previous year, teaming with friends, previous communication with teammates, and content discussion, and (2) group attributes: group teacher's previous grade, number of colleagues with whom a student connected, teaming with friends, similarity of teammates' previous grades, and teacher having higher previous grades than other teammates. Regression analysis was used to assess the association of examination scores with individual and group attributes. The response rate was 80.4% (74 students: 36 males and 38 females). Students who previously scored grades A and B had higher examination scores than students with grades C/less (regression coefficient = 18.50 and 13.39) within the groups. Higher scores were not associated with working in groups including friends only (regression coefficient = 1.17) or when all students had similar previous grades (regression coefficient = 0.85). Students with previous high grades benefited to a greater extent from working in PAL groups. Similarity of teammates in PAL groups was not associated with better scores. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Global Matrix 2.0: Report Card Grades on the Physical Activity of Children and Youth Comparing 38 Countries.

PubMed

Tremblay, Mark S; Barnes, Joel D; González, Silvia A; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Onywera, Vincent O; Reilly, John J; Tomkinson, Grant R

2016-11-01

The Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance organized the concurrent preparation of Report Cards on the physical activity of children and youth in 38 countries from 6 continents (representing 60% of the world's population). Nine common indicators were used (Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport Participation, Active Play, Active Transportation, Sedentary Behavior, Family and Peers, School, Community and the Built Environment, and Government Strategies and Investments), and all Report Cards were generated through a harmonized development process and a standardized grading framework (from A = excellent, to F = failing). The 38 Report Cards were presented at the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health in Bangkok, Thailand on November 16, 2016. The consolidated findings are summarized in the form of a Global Matrix demonstrating substantial variation in grades both within and across countries. Countries that lead in certain indicators often lag in others. Average grades for both Overall Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior around the world are D (low/poor). In contrast, the average grade for indicators related to supports for physical activity was C. Lower-income countries generally had better grades on Overall Physical Activity, Active Transportation, and Sedentary Behaviors compared with higher-income countries, yet worse grades for supports from Family and Peers, Community and the Built Environment, and Government Strategies and Investments. Average grades for all indicators combined were highest (best) in Denmark, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. Many surveillance and research gaps were apparent, especially for the Active Play and Family and Peers indicators. International cooperation and cross-fertilization is encouraged to address existing challenges, understand underlying determinants, conceive innovative solutions, and mitigate the global childhood inactivity crisis. The paradox of higher physical activity and lower sedentary behavior in countries reporting poorer infrastructure, and lower physical activity and higher sedentary behavior in countries reporting better infrastructure, suggests that autonomy to play, travel, or chore requirements and/or fewer attractive sedentary pursuits, rather than infrastructure and structured activities, may facilitate higher levels of physical activity.

Project Developmental Continuity Evaluation: Final Report. Appendices to Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, James T.; And Others

This document provides the appendices for volume 1 of the final evaluation report of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC), a Head Start demonstration project initiated in 1974 to develop program models which enhance children's social competence by fostering developmental continuity from preschool through the early elementary grades.…

Item Analysis to Improve Reliability for an Internal Medicine Undergraduate OSCE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auewarakul, Chirayu; Downing, Steven M.; Praditsuwan, Rungnirand; Jaturatamrong, Uapong

2005-01-01

Utilization of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) for final assessment of medical students in Internal Medicine requires a representative sample of OSCE stations. The reliability and generalizability of OSCE scores provides validity evidence for OSCE scores and supports its contribution to the final clinical grade of medical…

Stomach position versus liver-to-thoracic volume ratio in left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

PubMed

Cordier, Anne-Gaël; Cannie, Mieke M; Guilbaud, Lucie; De Laveaucoupet, Jocelyne; Martinovic, Jéléna; Nowakowska, Dorota; Milejska-Lewandowska, Malgorzata; Rodó, Carlota; Viaris de Lesegno, Benjamin; Votino, Carmela; Senat, Marie-Victoire; Jani, Jacques C; Benachi, Alexandra

2015-01-01

To describe a new grading method for stomach position (SP) in fetuses with left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (L-CDH) using ultrasound and to correlate SP to liver position and to liver-to-thoracic cavity volume ratio (LiTR) using magnetic resonance imaging. SP were graded at the level of the 4-chamber view as following: grade 1-to-4 for stomach not visualised, visualised anteriorly at the apex of the heart, stomach showing abdominal structures anteriorly and stomach with its larger part posterior to the level of the atrial-ventricular heart valves, respectively. The LiTR was calculated and correlated to SP using the Mann-Whitney U test. Seventy-four fetuses were included. Median LiTR for grade 1 SP was 0% and was not different from median LiTR for grade 2 SP (0%, p=NS). Median LiTR for grade 3 SP was 14.9% and was significantly higher than for grade 2 SP (p<0.001). Similarly, median LiTR for grade 4 SP was 20.7% and was significantly higher than for grade 3 SP (p<0.05). When SP was grade 1 or 2, liver was intra-abdominal in 21 (84%) out of 25 fetuses while it was always intrathoracic for SP 3 or 4. In L-CDH, SP as described represents a simple indirect measurement of intrathoracic position and quantification of liver.

Relook endoscopy predicts the development of esophageal and antropyloric stenosis better than immediate endoscopy in patients with caustic ingestion.

PubMed

Kochhar, Rakesh; Ashat, Munish; Reddy, Yalaka Rami; Dhaka, Narender; Manrai, Manish; Sinha, Saroj K; Dutta, Usha; Yadav, Thakur D; Gupta, Vikas

2017-07-01

Background and aims  Early ( < 24 hours) esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is used to prognosticate mucosal injury after caustic ingestion. We aimed to compare differences in endoscopic grading on EGDs performed on day 5 and day 1 and to assess the impact of relook endoscopy findings on the development of esophageal and/or antropyloric cicatrization. Patients and methods  Consecutive patients admitted within 24 hours of caustic ingestion between 2009 and 2014 underwent EGD and had their mucosal changes graded. Injuries of grade ≤ 2a were classified as mild and ≥ 2b were classified as severe. Patients were followed up for the development of cicatrization and managed per protocol. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and likelihood ratios (LRs) were calculated to compare day 1 and day 5 EGD findings. Results  A total of 62 patients (35 men; mean age 33 ± 15) underwent both day 1 and day 5 EGDs. Antropyloric stenosis developed in 16 patients, esophageal strictures in nine, and four had both esophageal and antropyloric strictures. Compared with day 1 EGD, endoscopic grading of severe injury on day 5 had higher specificity (83 % vs. 65 %), higher PPV (60 % vs. 41 %), and higher positive LR (5.65 vs. 2.66) for predicting the development of esophageal stricture. Similarly, day 5 endoscopic grading had higher specificity (95 % vs. 61 %), higher PPV (88 % vs. 54 %), and higher positive LR (16 vs. 2.5) for predicting the development of antropyloric stenosis. Conclusion  Endoscopic assessment on day 5 is a better predictor of esophageal and gastric cicatrization than day 1 EGD, which significantly overestimates the grade of injury. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Predictors of Grade 3 or Higher Late Bowel Toxicity in Patients Undergoing Pelvic Radiation for Cervical Cancer: Results From a Prospective Study

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

Chopra, Supriya, E-mail: schopra@actrec.gov.in; Dora, Tapas; Chinnachamy, Anand N.

Purpose: The present study investigates relationship between dose–volume parameters and severe bowel toxicity after postoperative radiation treatment (PORT) for cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: From June 2010 to December 2012, a total of 71 patients undergoing PORT were included. Small bowel (SB) and large bowel (LB) loops were contoured 2 cm above the target volume. The volume of SB and LB that received 15 Gy, 30 Gy, and 40 Gy was calculated (V15 SB, V15 LB, V30 SB, V30 LB, V40 SB, V 40 LB). On follow-up, bowel toxicity was scored using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 3.0. A reciever operatingmore » characteristic (ROC) curve identified volume thresholds that predicted for grade 3 or higher toxicity with highest specificity. All data was dichotomized across these identified cut-off values. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed using SPSS, version 15. Results: The median patient age was 47 years (range, 35-65 years). Of the 71 patients, 46 received image-guided intensity modulated radiation therapy, and 25 received conformal radiation (50 Gy in 25 fractions for 5 weeks). Overall, 63 of 71 patients received concurrent chemotherapy. On a median follow-up of 18 months (range, 8-29 months), grade 2 or higher bowel toxicity was seen in 22 of 71 patients (30.9%) and grade 3 or higher bowel toxicity was seen in 9 patients (12.6%). On univariate analysis, V15 SB <275 cc (P=.01), V30 SB <190 cc (P=.02), V40 SB <150 cc (P=.01), and V15 LB <250 cc (P=.03), and V40 LB <90 cc (P=.04) predicted for absence of grade 3 or higher toxicity. No other patient- or treatment-related factors were statistically significant. On multivariate analysis, only V15 SB (P=.002) and V15 LB (P=.03) were statistically significant. Conclusions: V 15 Gy SB and LB are independent predictors of late grade 3 or higher toxicity. Restricting V15 SB and V15 LB to <275 cc and <250 cc can reduce grade 3 or higher toxicity to less than 5%.« less

Policy implications of select student characteristics and their influence on the Florida biology end-of-course assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertolotti, Janine Cecelia

In an attempt to improve student achievement in science in Florida, the Florida Department of Education implemented end-of-course (EOC) assessments in biology during the 2011-2012 academic school year. Although this first administration would only account for 30% of the student's overall final course grade in biology, subsequent administrations would be accompanied by increasing stakes for students, teachers, and schools. Therefore, this study sought to address gaps in empirical evidence as well as discuss how educational policy will potentially impact on teacher evaluation and professional development, student retention and graduation rates, and school accountability indicators. This study explored four variables- reading proficiency, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender- to determine their influence and relationship on biology achievement on the Biology I EOC assessment at a Title 1 school. To do so, the results of the Biology I EOC assessment administered during the Spring 2012 school year was obtained from a small, rural Title 1 high school in North Florida. Additional data regarding each student's qualification for free and reduced-price lunch, FCAT Reading developmental scale scores, FCAT Reading level, grade level, gender, and ethnicity were also collected for the causal-comparative exploratory study. Of the 178 students represented, 48% qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, 54% were female, and 55% scored at FCAT Reading level 3 or higher. Additionally, 59% were White and 37% Black. A combination of descriptive statistics and other statistical procedures such as independent samples one-tailed t-test, one-way ANOVAs, ANCOVAs, multipleregression, and a Pearson r correlation was utilized in the analysis, with a significance level set at 0.05. Results indicate that of all four variables, FCAT Reading proficiency was the sole variable, after adjusting for other variables; that had a significant impact on biology achievement. Students with higher FCAT Reading developmental scores scored significantly higher on the Biology I EOC assessment than their peers with lower FCAT Reading scores. Additionally, FCAT Reading developmental scale scores were significantly correlated with Biology I EOC scores. The significant predictors for biology scores included FCAT Reading developmental scale scores, grade level, and eligibility for free lunch, which collectively explained 60% of the variability.

BOB CAT: A Large-Scale Review and Delphi Consensus for Management of Barrett’s Esophagus With No Dysplasia, Indefinite for, or Low-Grade Dysplasia

PubMed Central

Bennett, Cathy; Moayyedi, Paul; Corley, Douglas A.; DeCaestecker, John; Falck-Ytter, Yngve; Falk, Gary; Vakil, Nimish; Sanders, Scott; Vieth, Michael; Inadomi, John; Aldulaimi, David; Ho, Khek-Yu; Odze, Robert; Meltzer, Stephen J.; Quigley, Eamonn; Gittens, Stuart; Watson, Peter; Zaninotto, Giovanni; Iyer, Prasad G.; Alexandre, Leo; Ang, Yeng; Callaghan, James; Harrison, Rebecca; Singh, Rajvinder; Bhandari, Pradeep; Bisschops, Raf; Geramizadeh, Bita; Kaye, Philip; Krishnadath, Sheila; Fennerty, M. Brian; Manner, Hendrik; Nason, Katie S.; Pech, Oliver; Konda, Vani; Ragunath, Krish; Rahman, Imdadur; Romero, Yvonne; Sampliner, Richard; Siersema, Peter D.; Tack, Jan; Tham, Tony C.K.; Trudgill, Nigel; Weinberg, David S.; Wang, Jean; Wang, Kenneth; Wong, Jennie Y.Y.; Attwood, Stephen; Malfertheiner, Peter; MacDonald, David; Barr, Hugh; Ferguson, Mark K.; Jankowski, Janusz

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a common premalignant lesion for which surveillance is recommended. This strategy is limited by considerable variations in clinical practice. We conducted an international, multidisciplinary, systematic search and evidence-based review of BE and provided consensus recommendations for clinical use in patients with nondysplastic, indefinite, and low-grade dysplasia (LGD). METHODS We defined the scope, proposed statements, and searched electronic databases, yielding 20,558 publications that were screened, selected online, and formed the evidence base. We used a Delphi consensus process, with an 80% agreement threshold, using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) to categorize the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. RESULTS In total, 80% of respondents agreed with 55 of 127 statements in the final voting rounds. Population endoscopic screening is not recommended and screening should target only very high-risk cases of males aged over 60 years with chronic uncontrolled reflux. A new international definition of BE was agreed upon. For any degree of dysplasia, at least two specialist gastrointestinal (GI) pathologists are required. Risk factors for cancer include male gender, length of BE, and central obesity. Endoscopic resection should be used for visible, nodular areas. Surveillance is not recommended for <5 years of life expectancy. Management strategies for indefinite dysplasia (IND) and LGD were identified, including a de-escalation strategy for lower-risk patients and escalation to intervention with follow-up for higher-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS In this uniquely large consensus process in gastroenterology, we made key clinical recommendations for the escalation/de-escalation of BE in clinical practice. We made strong recommendations for the prioritization of future research. PMID:25869390

The Effect of Awareness of American Board of Orthodontics Criteria on Treatment Outcomes in a Postgraduate Dental Clinic.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Rahime Burcu Nur; Nalbantgil, Didem; Ozdemir, Fulya

2016-09-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate the posttreatment outcomes in a postgraduate orthodontic clinic following a course on American Board of Orthodontics Cast and Radiograph Evaluation (ABO-CRE); to compare the outcomes of postgraduate students who took the course before and after finishing treatment of their cases; and to assess if the need for orthodontic treatment as determined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) at the beginning of treatment affected students' final scores. A course on ABO-CRE was given to second- (group A), third- (group B), and fourth- (group C) year postgraduate students at Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey, in 2012. Pre- and posttreatment plaster models of 253 cases (group A) were treated by students in 2011-12. An additional 251 (group B, 2012-13) and 341 (group C, 2013-14) cases were evaluated in the first and second years after the course, respectively. The models were graded retrospectively using the ABO-CRE and IOTN. The results showed that the total mean scores on the posttreatment plaster models were significantly higher in the pre-course group than the first- and second-year post-course group (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). The borderline cases (grade 3) received a lower score on the ABO-CRE than the cases with need (grade 4) (p<0.01) and severe need (grade 5) (p<0.01) for orthodontic treatment. Increasing awareness by giving information about the ABO-CRE significantly improved the posttreatment success of these postgraduate students. After the course, treatment outcomes in the following year were better than two years later, suggesting it may be useful to teach the course annually to refresh students' knowledge.

High temperature deformation behavior, thermal stability and irradiation performance in Grade 92 steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsagabi, Sultan

The 9Cr-2W ferritic-martensitic steel (i.e. Grade 92 steel) possesses excellent mechanical and thermophysical properties; therefore, it has been considered to suit more challenging applications where high temperature strength and creep-rupture properties are required. The high temperature deformation mechanism was investigated through a set of tensile testing at elevated temperatures. Hence, the threshold stress concept was applied to elucidate the operating high temperature deformation mechanism. It was identified as the high temperature climb of edge dislocations due to the particle-dislocation interactions and the appropriate constitutive equation was developed. In addition, the microstructural evolution at room and elevated temperatures was investigated. For instance, the microstructural evolution under loading was more pronounced and carbide precipitation showed more coarsening tendency. The growth of these carbide precipitates, by removing W and Mo from matrix, significantly deteriorates the solid solution strengthening. The MX type carbonitrides exhibited better coarsening resistance. To better understand the thermal microstructural stability, long tempering schedules up to 1000 hours was conducted at 560, 660 and 760°C after normalizing the steel. Still, the coarsening rate of M23C 6 carbides was higher than the MX-type particles. Moreover, the Laves phase particles were detected after tempering the steel for long periods before they dissolve back into the matrix at high temperature (i.e. 720°C). The influence of the tempering temperature and time was studied for Grade 92 steel via Hollomon-Jaffe parameter. Finally, the irradiation performance of Grade 92 steel was evaluated to examine the feasibility of its eventual reactor use. To that end, Grade 92 steel was irradiated with iron (Fe2+) ions to 10, 50 and 100 dpa at 30 and 500°C. Overall, the irradiated samples showed some irradiation-induced hardening which was more noticeable at 30°C. Additionally, irradiation-induced defect clusters and dislocation loops were observed and the irradiated samples did not show any bubble or void.

Liberal Grading Improves Evaluations but Not Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasta, Ross; Sarmiento, Robert F.

1979-01-01

The effects of examination grades on undergraduates' study behaviors, attendance, and evaluations of instruction were examined. Liberal grading was found to result in higher evaluations of course and instructor but had no demonstrable effect on studying or attendance. The implications of these findings and alternative interpretations are…

The effects of supplemental online learning aids on student performance and student engagement in Medical Microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Kimberly

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online learning aids on student performance and engagement. The thirty-five participants of the current study were students enrolled in two sections of a junior level Medical Microbiology laboratory. The experimental section was required to spend ten minutes each week on an online learning aid. The online program, StudyMate(TM), was used to present text and images in the form of flash cards, multiple choice questions, matching, and crossword puzzles. Both groups completed the Index of Learning Style survey, an initial engagement survey at the start of the course, and a final engagement survey at the end of the course. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups at the start of the course or after the course was completed for learning style, science grade point average, overall grade point average, initial engagement or final engagement. A moderate correlation was found between microbiology course and laboratory grades and a reflective learning style.

Differential Third-Grade Outcomes Associated With Attending Publicly Funded Preschool Programs for Low-Income Latino Children.

PubMed

Ansari, Arya; Lόpez, Michael; Manfra, Louis; Bleiker, Charles; Dinehart, Laura H B; Hartman, Suzanne C; Winsler, Adam

2017-09-01

This study examined the third-grade outcomes of 11,902 low-income Latino children who experienced public school pre-K or child care via subsidies (center-based care) at age 4 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Regression and propensity score analyses revealed that children who experienced public school pre-K earned higher scores on standardized assessments of math and reading in third grade and had higher grade point averages than those who attended center-based care 4 years earlier. The sustained associations between public school pre-K (vs. center-based care) and third-grade outcomes were mediated by children's kindergarten entry preacademic and social-behavioral skills, and among English-language learners, English proficiency. Implications for investing in early childhood programs to assist with the school readiness of young Latino children in poverty are discussed. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Significance of Ureteroscopic Biopsy Grade in Patients with Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Furukawa, Junya; Miyake, Hideaki; Sakai, Iori; Fujisawa, Masato

2013-01-01

Background The objective of this study was to assess the significance of the ureteroscopic biopsy grade for patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Patients and Methods This study included 40 patients who were diagnosed with a single focus of UTUC by ureteroscopic biopsy and subsequently underwent nephroureterectomy. The significance of the biopsy grade as a predictive factor for pathological outcomes of nephroureterectomy was retrospectively analyzed. Results Of these 40 patients, 19 (47.5%) and 21 (52.5%) were diagnosed with low and high grade UTUC, respectively. The ureteroscopic biopsy grade matched the pathological grade of surgically resected specimens in 35 of the 40 cases (87.5%), and there was a significant correlation between the biopsy and pathological grades (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the biopsy grade was also shown to be closely associated with the pathological stage (p < 0.001); that is, only 1 of the 19 patients (5.3%) with biopsy low grade UTUC were pathologically diagnosed as having muscle invasive disease, while 17 of the 21 patients (81.0%) with biopsy high grade UTUC appeared to show tumor invasion into muscle or deeper. Conclusions The grade of UTUC on ureteroscopic biopsy could provide accurate diagnostic information on the final pathology of nephroureterectomy specimens. PMID:24917735

The Effects of Accountability on Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rezende, Marcelo

2010-01-01

This paper analyzes the effects of a higher education accountability system in Brazil. For each discipline, colleges were assigned a grade that depended on the scores of their students on the ENC, an annual mandatory exam. These grades were then disclosed to the public and colleges were rewarded or penalized based on them. I find that the ENC had…

An Investigation of Online Homework: Required or Not Required?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wooten, Tommy; Dillard-Eggers, Jane

2013-01-01

In our research we investigate the use of online homework in principles of accounting classes where some classes required online homework while other classes did not. Users of online homework, compared to nonusers, had a higher grade point average and earned a higher grade in class. On average, both required and not-required users rated the online…

Spatial Skills as a Predictor of First Grade Girls' Use of Higher Level Arithmetic Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laski, Elida V.; Casey, Beth M.; Yu, Qingyi; Dulaney, Alana; Heyman, Miriam; Dearing, Eric

2013-01-01

Girls are more likely than boys to use counting strategies rather than higher-level mental strategies to solve arithmetic problems. Prior research suggests that dependence on counting strategies may have negative implications for girls' later math achievement. We investigated the relation between first-grade girls' verbal and spatial skills and…

The role of episiotomy in prevention of genital lacerations during vaginal deliveries--results from two European centers.

PubMed

Laganà, Antonio Simone; Terzic, Milan; Dotlic, Jelena; Sturlese, Emanuele; Palmara, Vittorio; Retto, Giovanni; Kocijancic, Dusica

2015-03-01

There is an ongoing debate regarding the routine versus restrictive use of episiotomy The study aim was to investigate if episiotomy during vaginal deliveries can reduce both, the number and severity of genital lacerations. The study included all women who gave vaginal birth at AOU. "G. Martino" Messina (n=382) and the Clinic for Ob/Gyn Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade (n=4227) during 2011. Lacerations during birth were recorded and divided according to location and severity Women with lacerations were subdivided into two groups: with or without mediolateral episiotomy We assessed potential risk factors for laceration: maternal age, parity use of labor stimulants and epidural analgesia, participation in antenatal classes, fetal presentation, neonatal birth weight, and duration of the second stage of labor. Older women had higher grade perineum or combined lacerations. Children with higher birth weight in occipito-posterior presentation caused higher grade lacerations. Performance of episiotomy was connected with fewer perineum and labial lacerations. There were no differences in laceration grade between patients with and without episiotomy Assessed parameters proved to be good discriminating factors between lacerations sites. According to logistic regression, laceration site was the most important risk factor for laceration grade. Combined lacerations had the highest grade. Episiotomy can significantly reduce the number of genital lacerations, but it does not influence laceration grade. Advanced maternal age, higher parity occipitoposterior presentation and fetal macrosomia can cause lacerations during vaginal birth. Therefore, we suggest analysis of maternal and fetal factors to prevent widespread genital lacerations.

PNPLA3 genotype increases susceptibility of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis among obese patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

PubMed

Tai, Chi-Ming; Huang, Chih-Kun; Tu, Hung-Pin; Hwang, Jau-Chung; Chang, Chi-Yang; Yu, Ming-Lung

2015-01-01

The patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 variant is associated with histologic disease severity in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, whether the PNPLA3 genotype has an effect on susceptibility of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from NAFLD among severely obese patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of the PNPLA3 genotype on NASH in severely obese Asian patients with NAFLD. The PNPLA3 rs738409 genotype was determined in 181 severely obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The diagnosis of NASH and the NAFLD activity score (NAS) were determined by liver histopathology. Of the 181 patients, 29 (16.0%), 60 (33.2%), and 92 (50.8%) were in the non-NAFLD, steatosis, and NASH groups, respectively. The PNPLA3 rs738409 GG genotype was associated with higher liver enzymes and a higher risk for NASH (odds ratio [OR], 3.72; 95% CI, 1.25-11.05). The GG genotype was also associated with histologic severity of NAFLD, including higher steatosis grade (OR, 9.94; 95% CI, 2.20-44.83 for patients with grade 3 steatosis) and NAS (OR, 11.49; 95% CI, 2.50-52.83 for patients with a NAS ≥5). Finally, multiple logistic regression also showed that the GG genotype was an independent risk factor for NASH (OR, 3.58; 95% CI, 1.15-11.12) in NAFLD patients. The PNPLA3 rs738409 GG genotype increases susceptibility of NASH in severely obese Asians with NAFLD and correlates to histologic severity of NAFLD. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of introduction of blended learning in gross anatomy on student outcomes.

PubMed

Green, Rodney A; Whitburn, Laura Y

2016-10-01

Blended learning has become increasingly common, in a variety of disciplines, to take advantage of new technology and potentially increase the efficiency and flexibility of delivery. This study aimed to describe blended delivery of a gross anatomy course and to evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery in terms of student outcomes. A gross anatomy course for second-year physiotherapy students across two campuses was delivered in traditional face-to-face teaching mode in 2013 (n = 150 students), some online content was introduced in 2014 (n = 160) and the subject was fully blended in 2015 (n = 151). The final 'blend' consisted of one lecture per week with most content delivered using online video resources (prepared by staff using a structured peer-reviewed process) and retention of face-to-face practical classes. Outcomes evaluated included student grades, student engagement with content through online discussion forums and student feedback using both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Grades were higher in 2014 and 2015 than in 2013 (P < 0.01). There were no differences in student engagement with online discussion forums. Student feedback identified some negative comments and lower levels of intellectual stimulation (P < 0.05) with the initial introduction of online content in 2014. The fully blended version in 2015 resulted in more balanced comments about online content but higher perceived workload (P < 0.05). All cohorts listed practical classes as a major factor contributing to learning. Blended learning appears to be well-suited to gross anatomy teaching on the proviso that face-to-face practical classes are maintained, but may result in higher perceived workloads. Anat Sci Educ 9: 422-430. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.