Sample records for important research problems

  1. Examining problem solving in physics-intensive Ph.D. research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leak, Anne E.; Rothwell, Susan L.; Olivera, Javier; Zwickl, Benjamin; Vosburg, Jarrett; Martin, Kelly Norris

    2017-12-01

    Problem-solving strategies learned by physics undergraduates should prepare them for real-world contexts as they transition from students to professionals. Yet, graduate students in physics-intensive research face problems that go beyond problem sets they experienced as undergraduates and are solved by different strategies than are typically learned in undergraduate coursework. This paper expands the notion of problem solving by characterizing the breadth of problems and problem-solving processes carried out by graduate students in physics-intensive research. We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten graduate students to determine the routine, difficult, and important problems they engage in and problem-solving strategies they found useful in their research. A qualitative typological analysis resulted in the creation of a three-dimensional framework: context, activity, and feature (that made the problem challenging). Problem contexts extended beyond theory and mathematics to include interactions with lab equipment, data, software, and people. Important and difficult contexts blended social and technical skills. Routine problem activities were typically well defined (e.g., troubleshooting), while difficult and important ones were more open ended and had multiple solution paths (e.g., evaluating options). In addition to broadening our understanding of problems faced by graduate students, our findings explore problem-solving strategies (e.g., breaking down problems, evaluating options, using test cases or approximations) and characteristics of successful problem solvers (e.g., initiative, persistence, and motivation). Our research provides evidence of the influence that problems students are exposed to have on the strategies they use and learn. Using this evidence, we have developed a preliminary framework for exploring problems from the solver's perspective. This framework will be examined and refined in future work. Understanding problems graduate students face and the strategies they use has implications for improving how we approach problem solving in undergraduate physics and physics education research.

  2. RESEARCH RECORDS AND THE RESOLUTION OF MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AT RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

    PubMed Central

    WILSON, KENNETH; SCHREIER, ALAN; GRIFFIN, ANGEL; RESNIK, DAVID

    2014-01-01

    Accurate record keeping is an important part of the responsible conduct of research. However, there is very little empirical research on scientific record keeping. No one knows the incidence of serious problems with research records, the types of problems that occur, nor their consequences. In this study, we examined the role of research records in the resolution of misconduct allegations as a useful barometer for the incidence and types of problems that occur with records. We interviewed Research Integrity Officers (RIOs) at 90 major research universities and conducted focus groups with active research faculty. RIOs reported problems with research records in 38% of the 553 investigations they conducted. Severe problems with research records often prevented completion of investigations while problems that are more typical lengthened them by 2 to 3 weeks. Five types of poor record keeping practices accounted for 75% of the problems with incomplete/inadequate records being the most common (30%). The focus groups concurred with the findings from the interviews with RIOs, stressed the importance of the research group leader in setting and maintaining record practices, and offered additional insights. While university officials and faculty members have suspected for many years that there are serious problems with research record keeping, our study provides empirical evidence for this belief. By documenting some of the problems with record keeping in university-based research, the results of our study provide information that will be useful for policy development at academic institutions. PMID:17847607

  3. Research records and the resolution of misconduct allegations at research universities.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Kenneth; Schreier, Alan; Griffin, Angel; Resnik, David

    2007-01-01

    Accurate record keeping is an important part of the responsible conduct of research. However, there is very little empirical research on scientific record keeping. No one knows the incidence of serious problems with research records, the types of problems that occur, nor their consequences. In this study, we examined the role of research records in the resolution of misconduct allegations as a useful barometer for the incidence and types of problems that occur with records. We interviewed Research Integrity Officers (RIOs) at 90 major research universities and conducted focus groups with active research faculty. RIOs reported problems with research records in 38% of the 553 investigations they conducted. Severe problems with research records often prevented completion of investigations while problems that are more typical lengthened them by 2 to 3 weeks. Five types of poor record keeping practices accounted for 75 % of the problems with incomplete/inadequate records being the most common (30%). The focus groups concurred with the findings from the interviews with RIOs, stressed the importance of the research group leader in setting and maintaining record practices, and offered additional insights. While university officials and faculty members have suspected for many years that there are serious problems with research record keeping, our study provides empirical evidence for this belief. By documenting some of the problems with record keeping in university-based research, the results of our study provide information that will be useful for policy development at academic institutions.

  4. Handbook of International Research in Mathematics Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    English, Lyn D., Ed.

    This handbook brings together important mathematics education research that makes a difference in both theory and practice, research that anticipates problems and necessary knowledge before they become impediments to progress, interprets future-oriented problems into researchable issues, presents the implications of research and theory development…

  5. Translation of an instrument. The US-Nordic Family Dynamics Nursing Research Project.

    PubMed

    White, M; Elander, G

    1992-01-01

    Translation of a research instrument questionnaire from English to another language is analyzed in relation to principles involved, procedures followed, and problems confronted by nurse researchers from the US-Nordic Family Dynamics Nursing Research Project. Of paramount importance in translation are translation equivalency, congruent value orientation, and careful use of colloquialisms. It is important to recognize that copyright guidelines apply in the translation of an instrument. Approaches to solving instrument translation problems are discussed.

  6. Language and Thought in Mathematics Staff Development: A Problem Probing Protocol

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kabasakalian, Rita

    2007-01-01

    Background/Context: The theoretical framework of the paper comes from research on problem solving, considered by many to be the essence of mathematics; research on the importance of oral language in learning mathematics; and on the importance of the teacher as the primary instrument of learning mathematics for most students. As a nation, we are…

  7. Overcoming design problems in evaluating health behavior programs.

    PubMed

    Flay, B R; Best, J A

    1982-03-01

    The increasing importance of high-quality evaluative research on health lifestyle change programs is established. Failure to ask the right evaluative research questions and problems of research design are identified as two major reasons for the dearth of well-controlled, interpretable evaluations in this area. Thirteen issues of research design that need to be considered if interpretable answers to evaluative research questions are to be obtained are identified and discussed. Solutions to these problems and design recommendations are offered.

  8. Can callous-unemotional traits enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of serious conduct problems in children and adolescents? A comprehensive review.

    PubMed

    Frick, Paul J; Ray, James V; Thornton, Laura C; Kahn, Rachel E

    2014-01-01

    This article provides a comprehensive review of the research on the use of callous and unemotional (CU) traits for designating an important subgroup of children and adolescents with severe conduct problems. It focuses on the etiological significance of recognizing this subgroup of youths with severe conduct problems, its implications for diagnostic classification, and the treatment implications of this research. The review highlights limitations in existing research and provides directions for future research. The available research suggests that children and adolescents with severe conduct problems and elevated CU traits show distinct genetic, cognitive, emotional, biological, environmental, and personality characteristics that seem to implicate different etiological factors underlying their behavior problems relative to other youths with severe conduct problems. Recognizing these subgroups could be critical for guiding future research on the causes of severe conduct problems in children and adolescents. Further, children and adolescents with both severe conduct problems and elevated CU traits appear to be at risk for more severe and persistent antisocial outcomes, even controlling for the severity of their conduct problems, the age of onset of their conduct problems, and common comorbid problems, which supports the clinical importance of designating this group in diagnostic classification systems. Finally, although children and adolescents with both severe conduct problems and elevated CU traits tend to respond less positively to typical interventions provided in mental health and juvenile justice settings, they show positive responses to certain intensive interventions tailored to their unique emotional and cognitive characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. Teacher stress research: problems and progress.

    PubMed

    Pithers, R T

    1995-12-01

    There is a reasonably large body of published research evidence available which indicates that teaching is a 'highly' or 'extremely highly' stressful occupation for up to one-third of its professionals. Generalisations such as this one, however, are wrought with problems. These problems, for instance, range from confusion about the definition of stress through to how it is to be measured. They include methodological problems inherent in some of the research used to examine the area of teacher stress and as well include, for example, confusion about the effect of mediating variables in the production of stress and strain. This paper examines some of the more important pervasive research problems in current research on teacher stress and makes some suggestions for research progress.

  10. Contemporary HIV/AIDS research: Insights from knowledge management theory.

    PubMed

    Callaghan, Chris William

    2017-12-01

    Knowledge management as a field is concerned with the management of knowledge, including the management of knowledge in research processes. Knowledge management theory has the potential to support research into problems such as HIV, antibiotic resistance and others, particularly in terms of aspects of scientific research related to the contribution of social science. To date, however, these challenges remain with us, and theoretical contributions that can complement natural science efforts to eradicate these problems are needed. This paper seeks to offer a theoretical contribution grounded in Kuhn's paradigm theory of innovation, and in the argument by Lakatos that scientific research can be fundamentally non-innovative, which suggests that social science aspects of knowledge creation may hold the key to more effective biomedical innovation. Given the consequences of ongoing and emerging global crises, and the failure of knowledge systems of scientific research to solve such problems outright, this paper provides a review of theory and literature arguing for a new paradigm in scientific research, based on the development of global systems to maximise research collaborations. A global systems approach effectively includes social science theory development as an important complement to the natural sciences research process. Arguably, information technology and social media technology have developed to the point at which solutions to knowledge aggregation challenges can enable solutions to knowledge problems on a scale hitherto unimaginable. Expert and non-expert crowdsourced inputs can enable problem-solving through exponentially increasing problem-solving inputs, using the 'crowd,' thereby increasing collaborations dramatically. It is argued that these developments herald a new era of participatory research, or a democratisation of research, which offers new hope for solving global social problems. This paper seeks to contribute to this end, and to the recognition of the important role of social theory in the scientific research process.

  11. A Look to Future Directions in Gene Therapy Research for Monogenic Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Porteus, Matthew H; Connelly, Jon P; Pruett, Shondra M

    2006-01-01

    The concept of gene therapy has long appealed to biomedical researchers and clinicians because it promised to treat certain diseases at their origins. In the last several years, there have been several trials in which patients have benefited from gene therapy protocols. This progress, however, has revealed important problems, including the problem of insertional oncogenesis. In this review, which focuses on monogenic diseases, we discuss the problem of insertional oncogenesis and identify areas for future research, such as developing more quantitative assays for risk and efficacy, and ways of minimizing the genotoxic effects of gene therapy protocols, which will be important if gene therapy is to fulfill its conceptual promise. PMID:17009872

  12. Beyond Objectivity: The Performance Impact of the Perceived Ability to Learn and Solve Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tews, Michael J.; Michel, John W.; Noe, Raymond A.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to develop and provide initial validation evidence for the performance impact of a measure of an individual's perceived ability to learn and solve problems (PALS). Building on the self-efficacy literature and the importance of learning and problem solving, the fundamental premise of this research was that PALS…

  13. Forest recreation research at the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station

    Treesearch

    Robert H. Twiss; Harry W. Camp

    1963-01-01

    As a land use, an activity, and an industry, forest recreation is rapidly growing in importance. But it is relatively new in terms of objective data and theory. Critical problems are being met by an interdisciplinary research team drawing on seven fields of knowledge. Research problems, approaches, studies, and plans are summarized.

  14. Creating Impact with Operations Research in Health: Making Room for Practice in Academia

    PubMed Central

    Brandeau, Margaret L.

    2015-01-01

    Operations research (OR)-based analyses have the potential to improve decision making for many important, real-world health care problems. However, junior scholars often avoid working on practical applications in health because promotion and tenure processes tend to value theoretical studies more highly than applied studies. This paper discusses the author's experiences in using OR to inform and influence decisions in health and provides a blueprint for junior researchers who wish to find success by taking a similar path. This involves selecting good problems to study, forming productive collaborations with domain experts, developing appropriate models, identifying the most salient results from an analysis, and effectively disseminating findings to decision makers. The paper then suggests how journals, funding agencies, and senior academics can encourage such work by taking a broader and more informed view of the potential role and contributions of OR to solving health care problems. Making room in academia for the application of OR in health follows in the tradition begun by the founders of operations research: to work on important real-world problems where operations research can contribute to better decision making. PMID:26003321

  15. Cognitive Science: Problem Solving And Learning For Physics Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ross, Brian H.

    2007-11-01

    Cognitive Science has focused on general principles of problem solving and learning that might be relevant for physics education research. This paper examines three selected issues that have relevance for the difficulty of transfer in problem solving domains: specialized systems of memory and reasoning, the importance of content in thinking, and a characterization of memory retrieval in problem solving. In addition, references to these issues are provided to allow the interested researcher entries to the literatures.

  16. Cannabis use and dating violence among college students: A call for research.

    PubMed

    Shorey, Ryan C; Haynes, Ellen; Strauss, Catherine; Temple, Jeff R; Stuart, Gregory L

    2017-01-01

    Dating violence is a serious and prevalent problem on college campuses. Although there is a robust literature documenting that alcohol use is consistently associated with increased risk for perpetrating dating violence, little research has examined the role of cannabis in dating violence perpetration. With increasing legalisation of cannabis throughout the world, it is imperative to understand what role, if any, cannabis may play in the important public health problem of dating violence. In this commentary, we discuss the current state of the research on cannabis and dating violence and suggest avenues for additional research in this area. It is critical that we conduct methodologically sound research on the association between cannabis and dating violence so that we can understand what role, if any, cannabis exerts on this important problem. [Shorey RC, Haynes E, Strauss C, Temple JR, Stuart GL. Cannabis use and dating violence among college students: A call for research. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:17-19]. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

  17. Contemporary HIV/AIDS research: Insights from knowledge management theory

    PubMed Central

    Callaghan, Chris William

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Knowledge management as a field is concerned with the management of knowledge, including the management of knowledge in research processes. Knowledge management theory has the potential to support research into problems such as HIV, antibiotic resistance and others, particularly in terms of aspects of scientific research related to the contribution of social science. To date, however, these challenges remain with us, and theoretical contributions that can complement natural science efforts to eradicate these problems are needed. This paper seeks to offer a theoretical contribution grounded in Kuhn’s paradigm theory of innovation, and in the argument by Lakatos that scientific research can be fundamentally non-innovative, which suggests that social science aspects of knowledge creation may hold the key to more effective biomedical innovation. Given the consequences of ongoing and emerging global crises, and the failure of knowledge systems of scientific research to solve such problems outright, this paper provides a review of theory and literature arguing for a new paradigm in scientific research, based on the development of global systems to maximise research collaborations. A global systems approach effectively includes social science theory development as an important complement to the natural sciences research process. Arguably, information technology and social media technology have developed to the point at which solutions to knowledge aggregation challenges can enable solutions to knowledge problems on a scale hitherto unimaginable. Expert and non-expert crowdsourced inputs can enable problem-solving through exponentially increasing problem-solving inputs, using the ‘crowd,’ thereby increasing collaborations dramatically. It is argued that these developments herald a new era of participatory research, or a democratisation of research, which offers new hope for solving global social problems. This paper seeks to contribute to this end, and to the recognition of the important role of social theory in the scientific research process. PMID:28922967

  18. Research Mathematicians' Practices in Selecting Mathematical Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Misfeldt, Morten; Johansen, Mikkel Willum

    2015-01-01

    Developing abilities to create, inquire into, qualify, and choose among mathematical problems is an important educational goal. In this paper, we elucidate how mathematicians work with mathematical problems in order to understand this mathematical process. More specifically, we investigate how mathematicians select and pose problems and discuss to…

  19. Citizens Now and for the Future? Leaders, Learners, and 14-19 Reform in England. Messages from Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, Marlene

    2010-01-01

    How do researchers and practitioners understand and interrogate education reform when it is heralded as the solution to many problems, not all of which are educational? As importantly, how can applied educational researchers delve "beneath the skin" of "given" problems to solve or report, and suggest a range of explanations? In…

  20. Knowledge Inertia and Organizational Learning as the Explanation of Organizational Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aküzüm, Cemal

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge is an important concept for individuals and organizations both as a power and source. Thus, knowledge management has become important subject for researchers. However, when people encounter problems, they usually try to produce solutions by utilizing their previous knowledge and experience. Such problem solving strategies are called…

  1. Students’ Relational Thinking of Impulsive and Reflective in Solving Mathematical Problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Satriawan, M. A.; Budiarto, M. T.; Siswono, T. Y. E.

    2018-01-01

    This is a descriptive research which qualitatively investigates students’ relational thinking of impulsive and reflective cognitive style in solving mathematical problem. The method used in this research are test and interview. The data analyzed by reducing, presenting and concluding the data. The results of research show that the students’ reflective cognitive style can possibly help to find out important elements in understanding a problem. Reading more than one is useful to identify what is being questioned and write the information which is known, building relation in every element and connecting information with arithmetic operation, connecting between what is being questioned with known information, making equation model to find out the value by using substitution, and building a connection on re-checking, re-reading, and re-counting. The impulsive students’ cognitive style supports important elements in understanding problems, building a connection in every element, connecting information with arithmetic operation, building a relation about a problem comprehensively by connecting between what is being questioned with known information, finding out the unknown value by using arithmetic operation without making any equation model. The result of re-checking problem solving, impulsive student was only reading at glance without re-counting the result of problem solving.

  2. Decision Making for the Environment: Social and Behavioral Science Research Priorities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brewer, Garry D., Ed.; Stern, Paul C., Ed.

    2005-01-01

    With the growing number, complexity, and importance of environmental problems come demands to include a full range of intellectual disciplines and scholarly traditions to help define and eventually manage such problems more effectively. "Decision Making for the Environment: Social and Behavioral Science Research Priorities" is the result…

  3. A Proposed Algebra Assessment for Use in a Problem-Analysis Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walick, Christopher M.; Burns, Matthew K.

    2017-01-01

    Algebra is critical to high school graduation and college success, but student achievement in algebra frequently falls significantly below expected proficiency levels. While existing research emphasizes the importance of quality algebra instruction, there is little research about how to conduct problem analysis for struggling secondary students.…

  4. The profile of students’ problem-solving skill in physics across interest program in the secondary school

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jua, S. K.; Sarwanto; Sukarmin

    2018-05-01

    Problem-solving skills are important skills in physics. However, according to some researchers, the problem-solving skill of Indonesian students’ problem in physics learning is categorized still low. The purpose of this study was to identify the profile of problem-solving skills of students who follow the across the interests program of physics. The subjects of the study were high school students of Social Sciences, grade X. The type of this research was descriptive research. The data which used to analyze the problem-solving skills were obtained through student questionnaires and the test results with impulse materials and collision. From the descriptive analysis results, the percentage of students’ problem-solving skill based on the test was 52.93% and indicators respectively. These results indicated that students’ problem-solving skill is categorized low.

  5. Special Operations Research Topics 2014

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    problems . I encourage SOF personnel to contribute their experiences and ideas to the SOF community by submitting your completed research on these...and rapid problem solving. While this can be very beneficial in high-stress, time-sensitive situations, it may not be conducive to the development...a perception that everything is important and all problems must be quickly solved. Not only does this imply that slowing down to think is a waste

  6. Profile of male-field dependent (FD) prospective teacher's reflective thinking in solving contextual mathematical problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agustan, S.; Juniati, Dwi; Siswono, Tatag Yuli Eko

    2017-08-01

    Reflective thinking is an important component in the world of education, especially in professional education of teachers. In learning mathematics, reflective thinking is one way to solve mathematical problem because it can improve student's curiosity when student faces a mathematical problem. Reflective thinking is also a future competence that should be taught to students to face the challenges and to respond of demands of the 21st century. There are many factors which give impact toward the student's reflective thinking when student solves mathematical problem. One of them is cognitive style. For this reason, reflective thinking and cognitive style are important things in solving contextual mathematical problem. This research paper describes aspect of reflective thinking in solving contextual mathematical problem involved solution by using some mathematical concept, namely linear program, algebra arithmetic operation, and linear equations of two variables. The participant, in this research paper, is a male-prospective teacher who has Field Dependent. The purpose of this paper is to describe aspect of prospective teachers' reflective thinking in solving contextual mathematical problem. This research paper is a descriptive by using qualitative approach. To analyze the data, the researchers focus in four main categories which describe prospective teacher's activities using reflective thinking, namely; (a) formulation and synthesis of experience, (b) orderliness of experience, (c) evaluating the experience and (d) testing the selected solution based on the experience.

  7. Assessing Student Written Problem Solutions: A Problem-Solving Rubric with Application to Introductory Physics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Docktor, Jennifer L.; Dornfeld, Jay; Frodermann, Evan; Heller, Kenneth; Hsu, Leonardo; Jackson, Koblar Alan; Mason, Andrew; Ryan, Qing X.; Yang, Jie

    2016-01-01

    Problem solving is a complex process valuable in everyday life and crucial for learning in the STEM fields. To support the development of problem-solving skills it is important for researchers and curriculum developers to have practical tools that can measure the difference between novice and expert problem-solving performance in authentic…

  8. Investigating Problem-Solving Perseverance Using Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bieda, Kristen N.; Huhn, Craig

    2017-01-01

    Problem solving has long been a focus of research and curriculum reform (Kilpatrick 1985; Lester 1994; NCTM 1989, 2000; CCSSI 2010). The importance of problem solving is not new, but the Common Core introduced the idea of making sense of problems and persevering in solving them (CCSSI 2010, p. 6) as an aspect of problem solving. Perseverance is…

  9. A Programming Framework for Scientific Applications on CPU-GPU Systems

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

    Owens, John

    2013-03-24

    At a high level, my research interests center around designing, programming, and evaluating computer systems that use new approaches to solve interesting problems. The rapid change of technology allows a variety of different architectural approaches to computationally difficult problems, and a constantly shifting set of constraints and trends makes the solutions to these problems both challenging and interesting. One of the most important recent trends in computing has been a move to commodity parallel architectures. This sea change is motivated by the industry’s inability to continue to profitably increase performance on a single processor and instead to move to multiplemore » parallel processors. In the period of review, my most significant work has been leading a research group looking at the use of the graphics processing unit (GPU) as a general-purpose processor. GPUs can potentially deliver superior performance on a broad range of problems than their CPU counterparts, but effectively mapping complex applications to a parallel programming model with an emerging programming environment is a significant and important research problem.« less

  10. Human Performance on the Traveling Salesman and Related Problems: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacGregor, James N.; Chu, Yun

    2011-01-01

    The article provides a review of recent research on human performance on the traveling salesman problem (TSP) and related combinatorial optimization problems. We discuss what combinatorial optimization problems are, why they are important, and why they may be of interest to cognitive scientists. We next describe the main characteristics of human…

  11. Experimental Research of a New Wave Energy Conversion Device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Zhongyue; Shang, Jianzhong; Luo, Zirong; Sun, Chongfei; Chen, Gewei

    2018-01-01

    With the increasing tension of contemporary social energy, the development and utilization of renewable energy has become an important development direction. As an important part of renewable energy, wave energy has the characteristics of green environmental protection and abundant reserves, attracting more investment and research. For small marine equipment energy supply problem, this paper puts forward a micro wave energy conversion device as the basic of heaving motion of waves in the ocean. This paper designed a new type of power output device can solve the micro wave energy conversion problem.

  12. Modern Youth Market of Labour: Problems and Ways of Solution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pukhova, Anna; Belyaeva, Tatiana; Nochvina, Bella; Nemova, Olga; Shimanskaya, Olga; Tolkunova, Svetlana

    2016-01-01

    More than ever, in the current economic crisis, becomes relevant the question of the extent assessing and the monitoring of the young people behavior at the labor market. In youth research an important issue is the problem of their employment in today's labor market. Youth plays an important role in the economic, social and political life of…

  13. Approximation, abstraction and decomposition in search and optimization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ellman, Thomas

    1992-01-01

    In this paper, I discuss four different areas of my research. One portion of my research has focused on automatic synthesis of search control heuristics for constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). I have developed techniques for automatically synthesizing two types of heuristics for CSPs: Filtering functions are used to remove portions of a search space from consideration. Another portion of my research is focused on automatic synthesis of hierarchic algorithms for solving constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). I have developed a technique for constructing hierarchic problem solvers based on numeric interval algebra. Another portion of my research is focused on automatic decomposition of design optimization problems. We are using the design of racing yacht hulls as a testbed domain for this research. Decomposition is especially important in the design of complex physical shapes such as yacht hulls. Another portion of my research is focused on intelligent model selection in design optimization. The model selection problem results from the difficulty of using exact models to analyze the performance of candidate designs.

  14. The Importance of Developmental Science for Studies in Bullying and Victimization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Peter K.; Jones, Alice P.

    2012-01-01

    Research on bullying and victimization, especially in school settings, has become an important area of developmental research, with strong practical implications. In this article we overview some considerations from neuropsychology, quantitative genetics, developmental neuroscience, we discuss CU traits and conduct problems, individual, group,…

  15. The Role and Importance of Research and Scholarship in Dental Education and Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertolami, Charles N.

    2002-01-01

    Asserts that an education colored by research in one way of achieving the intellectual rigor necessary for the dentistry professional. Suggests that the key is cultivating in students a taste for complexity, for problems, and for problem solving. Students would therefore become people of science able to acquire and assimilate new knowledge and…

  16. Methods and Challenges of Analyzing Spatial Data for Social Work Problems: The Case of Examining Child Maltreatment Geographically

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freisthler, Bridget; Lery, Bridgette; Gruenewald, Paul J.; Chow, Julian

    2006-01-01

    Increasingly, social work researchers are interested in examining how "place" and "location" contribute to social problems. Yet, often these researchers do not use the specialized spatial statistical techniques developed to handle the analytic issues faced when conducting ecological analyses. This article explains the importance of these…

  17. First-Year Special Educators: The Influence of School and Classroom Context Factors on Their Accomplishments and Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffin, Cynthia C.; Kilgore, Karen L.; Winn, Judith A.; Otis-Wilborn, Amy; Hou, Wei; Garvan, Cynthia W.

    2009-01-01

    Despite a history of research in general education on novice teachers, researchers have only recently begun to investigate the experiences of beginning special educators. Many of these studies describe problems encountered, noting the high attrition rate among beginning special education teachers and emphasizing the importance of keeping qualified…

  18. The Effects of a Problem Solving Intervention on Problem Solving Skills of Students with Autism during Vocational Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yakubova, Gulnoza

    2013-01-01

    Problem solving is an important employability skill and considered valuable both in educational settings (Agran & Alper, 2000) and the workplace (Ju, Zhang, & Pacha, 2012). However, limited research exists instructing students with autism to engage in problem solving skills (e.g., Bernard-Opitz, Sriram, & Nakhoda-Sapuan, 2001). The…

  19. Stakeholder Perspectives on Creating and Maintaining Trust in Community-Academic Research Partnerships.

    PubMed

    Frerichs, Leah; Kim, Mimi; Dave, Gaurav; Cheney, Ann; Hassmiller Lich, Kristen; Jones, Jennifer; Young, Tiffany L; Cene, Crystal W; Varma, Deepthi S; Schaal, Jennifer; Black, Adina; Striley, Catherine W; Vassar, Stefanie; Sullivan, Greer; Cottler, Linda B; Brown, Arleen; Burke, Jessica G; Corbie-Smith, Giselle

    2017-02-01

    Community-academic research partnerships aim to build stakeholder trust in order to improve the reach and translation of health research, but there is limited empirical research regarding effective ways to build trust. This multisite study was launched to identify similarities and differences among stakeholders' perspectives of antecedents to trust in research partnerships. In 2013-2014, we conducted a mixed-methods concept mapping study with participants from three major stakeholder groups who identified and rated the importance of different antecedents of trust on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Study participants were community members ( n = 66), health care providers ( n = 38), and academic researchers ( n = 44). All stakeholder groups rated "authentic communication" and "reciprocal relationships" the highest in importance. Community members rated "communication/methodology to resolve problems" ( M = 4.23, SD = 0.58) significantly higher than academic researchers ( M = 3.87, SD = 0.67) and health care providers ( M = 3.89, SD = 0.62; p < .01) and had different perspectives regarding the importance of issues related to "sustainability." The importance of communication and relationships across stakeholders indicates the importance of colearning processes that involve the exchange of knowledge and skills. The differences uncovered suggest specific areas where attention and skill building may be needed to improve trust within partnerships. More research on how partnerships can improve communication specific to problem solving and sustainability is merited.

  20. A research strategy for the dynamic study of students' concepts and problem solving strategies using science software

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krajcik, Joseph S.; Simmons, Patricia E.; Lunetta, Vincent N.

    Microcomputers and appropriate software have the potential to help students learn. They can also serve as appropriate media for investigating how students learn. In this article we describe a research strategy examining learning and behavior when students interacted with microcomputers and software. Results from two preliminary studies illustrate the strategy.A major feature of the strategy included recording students interacting with microcomputer software interfaced with a VCR. The VCR recorded the video output from a microcomputer and students' verbal commentary via microphone input. This technique allowed students' comments about their observations, perceptions, predictions, explanations, and decisions to be recorded simultaneously with their computer input and the display on the microcomputer monitor.The research strategy described can provide important information about cognitive and affective behaviors of students engaged in using instructional software. Research studies utilizing this strategy can enhance our understanding of how students develop and employ important concepts and scientific relationships, how students develop problem-solving skills and solve problems, and how they interact with instructional software. Results of such studies have important implications for teaching and for the design of instructional software.

  1. The airport gate assignment problem: a survey.

    PubMed

    Bouras, Abdelghani; Ghaleb, Mageed A; Suryahatmaja, Umar S; Salem, Ahmed M

    2014-01-01

    The airport gate assignment problem (AGAP) is one of the most important problems operations managers face daily. Many researches have been done to solve this problem and tackle its complexity. The objective of the task is assigning each flight (aircraft) to an available gate while maximizing both conveniences to passengers and the operational efficiency of airport. This objective requires a solution that provides the ability to change and update the gate assignment data on a real time basis. In this paper, we survey the state of the art of these problems and the various methods to obtain the solution. Our survey covers both theoretical and real AGAP with the description of mathematical formulations and resolution methods such as exact algorithms, heuristic algorithms, and metaheuristic algorithms. We also provide a research trend that can inspire researchers about new problems in this area.

  2. The Airport Gate Assignment Problem: A Survey

    PubMed Central

    Ghaleb, Mageed A.; Salem, Ahmed M.

    2014-01-01

    The airport gate assignment problem (AGAP) is one of the most important problems operations managers face daily. Many researches have been done to solve this problem and tackle its complexity. The objective of the task is assigning each flight (aircraft) to an available gate while maximizing both conveniences to passengers and the operational efficiency of airport. This objective requires a solution that provides the ability to change and update the gate assignment data on a real time basis. In this paper, we survey the state of the art of these problems and the various methods to obtain the solution. Our survey covers both theoretical and real AGAP with the description of mathematical formulations and resolution methods such as exact algorithms, heuristic algorithms, and metaheuristic algorithms. We also provide a research trend that can inspire researchers about new problems in this area. PMID:25506074

  3. Brain-Compatible Learning: Fad or Foundation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolfe, Patricia

    2006-01-01

    This article discusses the potentially important implications of neuroscience or brain research, the newest "breakthrough" in education, for educators and the importance of sorting out claims on brain-based programs. It is obvious that brain research is not the elusive silver bullet that will answer all education problems. However, the new…

  4. A Literature Review on Collaborative Problem Solving for College and Workforce Readiness. ETS GRE® Board Research Report. ETS GRE®-17-03. Research Report. ETS Research Report RR-17-06

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliveri, Maria Elena; Lawless, Rene; Molloy, Hillary

    2017-01-01

    The literature and the employee and workforce surveys rank collaborative problem solving (CPS) among the top 5 most critical skills necessary for success in college and the workforce. This paper provides a review of the literature on CPS and related terms, including a discussion of their definitions, importance to higher education and workforce…

  5. Using the Relational Paradigm: Effects on Pupils' Reasoning in Solving Additive Word Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polotskaia, Elena; Savard, Annie

    2018-01-01

    Pupils' difficulties in solving word problems continue to attract attention: while researchers highlight the importance of relational reasoning and modelling, school curricula typically use short word problems to develop pupils' knowledge of arithmetic operations and calculation strategies. The Relational Paradigm attributes the leading role in…

  6. Exploring Business Students' Creative Problem-Solving Preferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Titus, Philip A.; Koppitsch, Steven

    2018-01-01

    Past research has established the importance of problem solving to business success. The authors explored the creative problem-solving (CPS) preferences of business students, addressing two primary issues: (a) Do CPS preferences vary across CPS stages and tasks? And (b) Do CPS preferences regarding collaboration and delegation vary by stage?…

  7. Development and Design of Problem Based Learning Game-Based Courseware

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Chiung-Sui; Chen, Jui-Fa; Chen, Fei-Ling

    2015-01-01

    In an educational environment, instructors would always think of ways to provide students with motivational learning materials and efficient learning strategies. Hence, many researchers have proposed that students' problem-solving ability enhances their learning. Problem-solving ability plays an important role for users in dealing with problems…

  8. An Exploration of Developing Active Exploring and Problem Solving Skill Lego Robot Course by the Application of Anchored Instruction Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Chen-Yuan

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, researches had shown that the development of problem solving skill became important for education, and the educational robots are capable for promoting students not only understand the physical and mathematical concepts, but also have active and constructive learning. Meanwhile, the importance of situation in education is rising,…

  9. Transferable Skills Training for Researchers: Supporting Career Development and Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2012

    2012-01-01

    Researchers are embarking on increasingly diverse careers where collaboration, networking and interdisciplinarity are becoming more important. Transferable skills (e.g. communication skills and problem-solving abilities) can help researchers operate more effectively in different work environments. While researchers acquire some of these skills in…

  10. Self-Regulation in the Midst of Complexity: A Case Study of High School Physics Students Engaged in Ill-Structured Problem Solving

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milbourne, Jeffrey David

    The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the experiences of high school physics students who were solving complex, ill-structured problems, in an effort to better understand how self-regulatory behavior mediated the project experience. Consistent with Voss, Green, Post, and Penner's (1983) conception of an ill-structured problem in the natural sciences, the 'problems' consisted of scientific research projects that students completed under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Zimmerman and Campillo's (2003) self-regulatory framework of problem solving provided a holistic guide to data collection and analysis of this multi-case study, with five individual student cases. The study's results are explored in two manuscripts, each targeting a different audience. The first manuscript, intended for the Science Education Research community, presents a thick, rich description of the students' project experiences, consistent with a qualitative, case study analysis. Findings suggest that intrinsic interest was an important self-regulatory factor that helped motivate students throughout their project work, and that the self-regulatory cycle of forethought, performance monitoring, and self-reflection was an important component of the problem-solving process. Findings also support the application of Zimmerman and Campillo's framework to complex, ill-structured problems, particularly the cyclical nature of the framework. Finally, this study suggests that scientific research projects, with the appropriate support, can be a mechanism for improving students' selfregulatory behavior. The second manuscript, intended for Physics practitioners, combines the findings of the first manuscript with the perspectives of the primary, on-site research mentor, who has over a decade's worth of experience mentoring students doing physics research. His experience suggests that a successful research experience requires certain characteristics, including: a slow, 'on-ramp' to the research experience, space to experience productive failure, and an opportunity to enjoy the work they are doing.

  11. The importance of holiday trips for people with chronic mental health problems.

    PubMed

    Pols, Jeannette; Kroon, Hans

    2007-02-01

    Although research findings point to the importance of leisure activities for people with severe mental illness, there is no research into the specific effects of holiday trips. This Open Forum describes the experience of going on holiday trips for people with chronic mental health problems in the Netherlands. A qualitative research design was used. Material for the research was collected by participant observation on two trips and in-depth interviews of 11 travelers and four psychiatric nurses who accompanied the travelers. The trips contributed to rehabilitation by promoting and supporting, among other things, community participation, social relations, skill development, and new perceptions of identity. The trips also helped travelers to maintain balance in everyday life. For the nurses the trips provided a learning environment outside of medical institutions.

  12. Vegetative Propagation and the Genetic Improvement of North American Hardwoods

    Treesearch

    R. E. Farmer

    1973-01-01

    Progress and problems in vegetative propagation of important North American hardwoods are reviewed with emphasis on rooting cuttings and the application of propagation techniques in breeding research. Some problems in rooting physiology are discussed.

  13. [Emotional regulation and motivation in children with ADHD].

    PubMed

    Høvik, Marie Farstad; Plessen, Kerstin J

    2010-12-02

    Impaired cognitive control functions have long been regarded as the main problem in the development of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A more recent model emphasizes the importance of emotional and motivational problems. We have reviewed the evidence for this model, which may have important implications for clinical practice. The article is based on literature identified through a non-systematic search in PubMed. Although limited research was carried out in this topic earlier, studies are currently emerging. Persons with ADHD react differently than controls on tasks that include rewards and on tasks that stress their capacity to regulate emotions. Abnormal signals during examination with electroencephalography (EEG) and anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reflect problems with emotional regulation in patients with ADHD. Neurobiological research supports a model that includes emotional and motivational problems in the development of ADHD. Increased knowledge about emotional and motivational problems may improve treatment of these patients through development of more individually adapted therapy.

  14. Student’s thinking process in solving word problems in geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khasanah, V. N.; Usodo, B.; Subanti, S.

    2018-05-01

    This research aims to find out the thinking process of seventh grade of Junior High School in solve word problem solving of geometry. This research was descriptive qualitative research. The subject of the research was selected based on sex and differences in mathematical ability. Data collection was done based on student’s work test, interview, and observation. The result of the research showed that there was no difference of thinking process between male and female with high mathematical ability, and there were differences of thinking process between male and female with moderate and low mathematical ability. Also, it was found that male with moderate mathematical ability took a long time in the step of making problem solving plans. While female with moderate mathematical ability took a long time in the step of understanding the problems. The importance of knowing the thinking process of students in solving word problem solving were that the teacher knows the difficulties faced by students and to minimize the occurrence of the same error in problem solving. Teacher could prepare the right learning strategies which more appropriate with student’s thinking process.

  15. Quantity and quality in forest research. Invited papers delivered at the 19th world congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations; 1990 August 5-11; Montreal, Canada.

    Treesearch

    Rolfe A. Leary

    1991-01-01

    Five papers are included that address aspects of quality in forest research. Topics cover (1) the need for a logic of inquiry, illustrated by examining forest fire policy in Western North America, (2) alternative criteria for judging the simplicity of forest models, (3) the identification and analysis of problems and the importance that scientists develop good problem...

  16. Mathematical Problem Solving Ability of Junior High School Students through Ang’s Framework for Mathematical Modelling Instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fasni, N.; Turmudi, T.; Kusnandi, K.

    2017-09-01

    This research background of this research is the importance of student problem solving abilities. The purpose of this study is to find out whether there are differences in the ability to solve mathematical problems between students who have learned mathematics using Ang’s Framework for Mathematical Modelling Instruction (AFFMMI) and students who have learned using scientific approach (SA). The method used in this research is a quasi-experimental method with pretest-postest control group design. Data analysis of mathematical problem solving ability using Indepent Sample Test. The results showed that there was a difference in the ability to solve mathematical problems between students who received learning with Ang’s Framework for Mathematical Modelling Instruction and students who received learning with a scientific approach. AFFMMI focuses on mathematical modeling. This modeling allows students to solve problems. The use of AFFMMI is able to improve the solving ability.

  17. A Structural Equation Model to Analyse the Antecedents to Students' Web-Based Problem-Solving Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Kuo, Fan-Ray

    2015-01-01

    Web-based problem-solving, a compound ability of critical thinking, creative thinking, reasoning thinking and information-searching abilities, has been recognised as an important competence for elementary school students. Some researchers have reported the possible correlations between problem-solving competence and information searching ability;…

  18. An Information-Summarising Instruction Strategy for Improving the Web-Based Problem Solving Abilities of Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Kuo, Fan-Ray

    2011-01-01

    As knowledge rapidly expands and accumulates, training and assessing students' information searching ability for solving problems on the Internet has become an important and challenging issue. This research aims to improve the web-based problem solving abilities of primary school students by employing an information summarising approach for…

  19. Applications of Genetic Methods to NASA Design and Operations Problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Laird, Philip D.

    1996-01-01

    We review four recent NASA-funded applications in which evolutionary/genetic methods are important. In the process we survey: the kinds of problems being solved today with these methods; techniques and tools used; problems encountered; and areas where research is needed. The presentation slides are annotated briefly at the top of each page.

  20. Students’ difficulties in probabilistic problem-solving

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arum, D. P.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Pramudya, I.

    2018-03-01

    There are many errors can be identified when students solving mathematics problems, particularly in solving the probabilistic problem. This present study aims to investigate students’ difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem. It focuses on analyzing and describing students errors during solving the problem. This research used the qualitative method with case study strategy. The subjects in this research involve ten students of 9th grade that were selected by purposive sampling. Data in this research involve students’ probabilistic problem-solving result and recorded interview regarding students’ difficulties in solving the problem. Those data were analyzed descriptively using Miles and Huberman steps. The results show that students have difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem and can be divided into three categories. First difficulties relate to students’ difficulties in understanding the probabilistic problem. Second, students’ difficulties in choosing and using appropriate strategies for solving the problem. Third, students’ difficulties with the computational process in solving the problem. Based on the result seems that students still have difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem. It means that students have not able to use their knowledge and ability for responding probabilistic problem yet. Therefore, it is important for mathematics teachers to plan probabilistic learning which could optimize students probabilistic thinking ability.

  1. The materials processing research base of the Materials Processing Center. Report for FY 1982

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Flemings, M. C.

    1983-01-01

    The work described, while involving research in the broad field of materials processing, has two common features: the problems are closed related to space precessing of materials and have both practical and fundamental significance. An interesting and important feature of many of the projects is that the interdisciplinary nature of the problem mandates complementary analytical modeling/experimental approaches. An other important aspect of many of the projects is the increasing use of mathematical modeling techniques as one of the research tools. The predictive capability of these models, when tested against measurements, plays a very important role in both the planning of experimental programs and in the rational interpretation of the results. Many of the projects described have a space experiment as their ultimate objective. Mathematical models are proving to be extremely valuable in projecting the findings of ground - based experiments to microgravity conditions.

  2. Brief report.

    PubMed

    Colnerud, Gunnel

    2013-10-01

    Most accounts of the ethical problems facing researchers across a broad spectrum of research fields come from ethicists, ethics committees, and specialists committed to the study of ethics in human research. In contrast, this study reports on the ethical questions that researchers, themselves, report facing in their everyday practice. Fifty-five Swedish researchers contributed 109 examples of ethical dilemmas, conflicts, and problems in research. They were all researchers at the postdoctoral level in the fields of medicine, the humanities, education, and the social sciences, who devoted at least 50 percent of their working hours to research. They reported issues they face before, during, and after gathering data. Their range of issues is broader than generally discussed and points to the importance of researchers' ethical sensitivity.

  3. Science to Protect Public Health and the Environment--EPA Research Program Overview 2016-2019

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides an overview of EPA’s research programs within the Office of Research and Development. This critically important work is providing the science needed to address the biggest problems facing environmental science.

  4. Summary of Research 1997, Department of Operations Research.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-01-01

    for addressing warfighting problems. This capabil- ity is especially important at the present time when technology in general, and information...Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, 1993 Master of Science in Operations Research-September 1997 Advisor: W. Max Woods, Department of

  5. The Importance of Workplace Bullying to Vocational Psychology: Implications for Research and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzpatrick, Mary E.; Cotter, Elizabeth W.; Bernfeld, Steve J.; Carter, Laura M.; Kies, Ashley; Fouad, Nadya A.

    2011-01-01

    Workplace bullying is a significant problem in many adult work settings. Much of the research has been conducted by organizational psychologists. It is important for vocational scholars and practitioners to be knowledgeable about the phenomena of workplace bullying, as they are in a position to contribute to the literature base and to counsel…

  6. SIZE DISTRIBUTION OF AMBIENT AND INDOOR PARTICLES: DOES THE OVERLAP OF FINE AND COARSE PARTICLES CAUSE PROBLEMS IN THE INTERPRETATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS?

    EPA Science Inventory

    Measurement of the mass and composition of particulate matter (PM) as a function of size is important for research studies for chemical mass balance, factor analysis, air quality model evaluation, epidemiology, and risk assessment. Such measurements are also important in underst...

  7. Determination of the Problem Solving Level of Gifted/Talented Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saygili, Gizem

    2012-01-01

    It is important to determine and develop problem solving skills of gifted and talented children, who have different emotional characteristics compared to peers, in terms of using their potentials at the highest level. In this research, which was done with the aim of determining self sensations of gifted and talented children in problem solving…

  8. The Motivation of Secondary School Students in Mathematical Word Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gasco, Javier; Villarroel, Jose-Domingo

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Motivation is an important factor in the learning of mathematics. Within this area of education, word problem solving is central in most mathematics curricula of Secondary School. The objective of this research is to detect the differences in motivation in terms of the strategies used to solve word problems. Method: It analyzed the…

  9. Cognitive Benefits and Costs of Bilingualism in Elementary School Students: The Case of Mathematical Word Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kempert, Sebastian; Saalbach, Henrik; Hardy, Ilonca

    2011-01-01

    Previous research has emphasized the importance of language for learning mathematics. This is especially true when mathematical problems have to be extracted from a meaningful context, as in arithmetic word problems. Bilingual learners with a low command of the instructional language thus may face challenges when dealing with mathematical…

  10. Developing a Framework for Analyzing Definitions: A Study of "The Feynman Lectures"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Chee Leong; Chu, Hye-Eun; Yap, Kueh Chin

    2014-01-01

    One important purpose of a definition is to explain the meaning of a word. Any problems associated with a definition may impede students' learning. However, research studies on the definitional problems from the perspective of physics education are limited. Physics educators may not be aware of the nature and extent of definitional problems.…

  11. Research Misconduct in National Science Foundation Funded Research: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of 2007-2011 Research Awards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masters, Elizabeth A.

    2013-01-01

    Research is an important aspect of academic institutions as it brings funding, reputation, and other benefits to the associated establishment. Research misconduct in the form of plagiarism, fabrication, and falsification can occur in association with research, along with subsequent penalties. The problem of the poorly established prevalence of the…

  12. Social Emotional Optimization Algorithm for Nonlinear Constrained Optimization Problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yuechun; Cui, Zhihua; Zeng, Jianchao

    Nonlinear programming problem is one important branch in operational research, and has been successfully applied to various real-life problems. In this paper, a new approach called Social emotional optimization algorithm (SEOA) is used to solve this problem which is a new swarm intelligent technique by simulating the human behavior guided by emotion. Simulation results show that the social emotional optimization algorithm proposed in this paper is effective and efficiency for the nonlinear constrained programming problems.

  13. The problem solving skills and student generated representations (SGRs) profile of senior high school students in Bandung on the topic of work and energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alami, Y.; Sinaga, P.; Setiawan, A.

    2018-05-01

    Based on recommendations from the Physics Education literature recommend the use of multiple representations to help students solve problems. The use of some good representations is considered important to study physics, so many good motivations to learn how students use multiple representations while solving problems and to learn how to solve problems using multiple representations. This study aims to explore the profile of high school students’ problem solving abilities and this study is part of a larger research focus on improving this ability in students in physics. The data is needed to determine the appropriate treatment to be used in subsequent research. A purposive sampling technique was used in this study and a survey was conducted to collect data. 74 students from one high school in Bandung were involved in this research.

  14. GREEN CHEMISTRY THROUGH CATALYSIS, ALTERNATIVE SOLVENTS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

    EPA Science Inventory

    Researchers at the National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Sustainable Technology Division have been working on new scientific approaches to persistent technological problems: how to synthesize commercially important chemicals without depleting or damaging the environment. ...

  15. Research priorities for shoulder surgery: results of the 2015 James Lind Alliance patient and clinician priority setting partnership.

    PubMed

    Rangan, Amar; Upadhaya, Sheela; Regan, Sandra; Toye, Francine; Rees, Jonathan L

    2016-04-11

    To run a UK based James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for 'Surgery for Common Shoulder Problems'. This was a nationally funded and conducted process. It was organised from a musculoskeletal research centre and Biomedical Research Unit in Oxford. UK shoulder patients, carers and clinicians, involved in treating patients with shoulder pain and shoulder problems that might require surgery. These were national electronic and paper surveys capturing treatment uncertainties that are important to shoulder patients, carers and clinicians. The outcomes relevant to this study were the survey results and rankings. The process took 18 months to complete, with 371 participants contributing 404 in scope questions. The James Lind process then produced a final 10 research priorities and uncertainties that relate to the scope of 'Surgery for Common Shoulder Problems'. The final top 10 UK research priorities have been produced and are now being disseminated to partner organisations and funders to guide funding of shoulder research for the next 5-10 years on topics that are important to patients, their carers and clinicians. 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/

  16. Nanomedicine: Problem Solving to Treat Cancer

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hemling, Melissa A.; Sammel, Lauren M.; Zenner, Greta; Payne, Amy C.; Crone, Wendy C.

    2006-01-01

    Many traditional classroom science and technology activities often ask students to complete prepackaged labs that ensure that everyone arrives at the same "scientifically accurate" solution or theory, which ignores the important problem-solving and creative aspects of scientific research and technological design. Students rarely have the…

  17. Intelligence and Creativity in Problem Solving: The Importance of Test Features in Cognition Research

    PubMed Central

    Jaarsveld, Saskia; Lachmann, Thomas

    2017-01-01

    This paper discusses the importance of three features of psychometric tests for cognition research: construct definition, problem space, and knowledge domain. Definition of constructs, e.g., intelligence or creativity, forms the theoretical basis for test construction. Problem space, being well or ill-defined, is determined by the cognitive abilities considered to belong to the constructs, e.g., convergent thinking to intelligence, divergent thinking to creativity. Knowledge domain and the possibilities it offers cognition are reflected in test results. We argue that (a) comparing results of tests with different problem spaces is more informative when cognition operates in both tests on an identical knowledge domain, and (b) intertwining of abilities related to both constructs can only be expected in tests developed to instigate such a process. Test features should guarantee that abilities can contribute to self-generated and goal-directed processes bringing forth solutions that are both new and applicable. We propose and discuss a test example that was developed to address these issues. PMID:28220098

  18. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the PKBS-2 Subscales for Assessing Social Skills and Behavioral Problems in Preschool Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernandez, Maria; Benitez, Juan L.; Pichardo, M. Carmen; Fernandez, Eduardo; Justicia, Fernando; Garcia, Trinidad; Garcia-Berben, Ana; Justicia, Ana; Alba, Guadalupe

    2010-01-01

    Introduction: Different research studies point out the importance of social competence as a protective factor against antisocial behavior. They likewise alert us of the importance of having valid, reliable instruments that measure these constructs in early childhood. Method: The objective of this research is to validate the subscales of the…

  19. "Aprender a Convivir." A Prevention Program for Improving Social Competence in Three-to Seven-Year-Olds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alba, Guadalupe; Justicia-Arraez, Ana; Pichardo, M. Carmen; Justicia-Justicia, Fernando

    2013-01-01

    Behavior problems are often observed in classrooms. The age at which problems appears is increasingly younger, and there are no interventions that ensure a reduction in such behavior problems among school age children. Research and previous evidence show the importance of social competence in this kind of prevention. Working with preschool and…

  20. Distributed Cognition as a Lens to Understand the Effects of Scaffolds: The Role of Transfer of Responsibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belland, Brian R.

    2011-01-01

    Problem solving is an important skill in the knowledge economy. Research indicates that the development of problem solving skills works better in the context of instructional approaches centered on real-world problems. But students need scaffolding to be successful in such instruction. In this paper I present a conceptual framework for…

  1. Mathematical Creative Process Wallas Model in Students Problem Posing with Lesson Study Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nuha, Muhammad 'Azmi; Waluya, S. B.; Junaedi, Iwan

    2018-01-01

    Creative thinking is very important in the modern era so that it should be improved by doing efforts such as making a lesson that train students to pose their own problems. The purposes of this research are (1) to give an initial description of students about mathematical creative thinking level in Problem Posing Model with Lesson Study approach…

  2. Validity and Reliability in Social Science Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drost, Ellen A.

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, the author aims to provide novice researchers with an understanding of the general problem of validity in social science research and to acquaint them with approaches to developing strong support for the validity of their research. She provides insight into these two important concepts, namely (1) validity; and (2) reliability, and…

  3. Managing Research for Success

    Treesearch

    Richard C. Rothermel

    1987-01-01

    Maintaining a proper balance between fundamental and applied research is only one of the important considerations that must be adhered to in the management of Forest Service research. A critical mass of scientists with the necessary professional and technical staff is needed over the long haul for difficult research problems. The project leader must know how he or she...

  4. Internet computer coaches for introductory physics problem solving

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu Ryan, Qing

    The ability to solve problems in a variety of contexts is becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing technological society. Problem-solving is a complex process that is important for everyday life and crucial for learning physics. Although there is a great deal of effort to improve student problem solving skills throughout the educational system, national studies have shown that the majority of students emerge from such courses having made little progress toward developing good problem-solving skills. The Physics Education Research Group at the University of Minnesota has been developing Internet computer coaches to help students become more expert-like problem solvers. During the Fall 2011 and Spring 2013 semesters, the coaches were introduced into large sections (200+ students) of the calculus based introductory mechanics course at the University of Minnesota. This dissertation, will address the research background of the project, including the pedagogical design of the coaches and the assessment of problem solving. The methodological framework of conducting experiments will be explained. The data collected from the large-scale experimental studies will be discussed from the following aspects: the usage and usability of these coaches; the usefulness perceived by students; and the usefulness measured by final exam and problem solving rubric. It will also address the implications drawn from this study, including using this data to direct future coach design and difficulties in conducting authentic assessment of problem-solving.

  5. Optimization problems in natural gas transportation systems. A state-of-the-art review

    DOE PAGES

    Ríos-Mercado, Roger Z.; Borraz-Sánchez, Conrado

    2015-03-24

    Our paper provides a review on the most relevant research works conducted to solve natural gas transportation problems via pipeline systems. The literature reveals three major groups of gas pipeline systems, namely gathering, transmission, and distribution systems. In this work, we aim at presenting a detailed discussion of the efforts made in optimizing natural gas transmission lines.There is certainly a vast amount of research done over the past few years on many decision-making problems in the natural gas industry and, specifically, in pipeline network optimization. In this work, we present a state-of-the-art survey focusing on specific categories that include short-termmore » basis storage (line-packing problems), gas quality satisfaction (pooling problems), and compressor station modeling (fuel cost minimization problems). We also discuss both steady-state and transient optimization models highlighting the modeling aspects and the most relevant solution approaches known to date. Although the literature on natural gas transmission system problems is quite extensive, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first comprehensive review or survey covering this specific research area on natural gas transmission from an operations research perspective. Furthermore, this paper includes a discussion of the most important and promising research areas in this field. Hence, our paper can serve as a useful tool to gain insight into the evolution of the many real-life applications and most recent advances in solution methodologies arising from this exciting and challenging research area of decision-making problems.« less

  6. Optimization problems in natural gas transportation systems. A state-of-the-art review

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

    Ríos-Mercado, Roger Z.; Borraz-Sánchez, Conrado

    Our paper provides a review on the most relevant research works conducted to solve natural gas transportation problems via pipeline systems. The literature reveals three major groups of gas pipeline systems, namely gathering, transmission, and distribution systems. In this work, we aim at presenting a detailed discussion of the efforts made in optimizing natural gas transmission lines.There is certainly a vast amount of research done over the past few years on many decision-making problems in the natural gas industry and, specifically, in pipeline network optimization. In this work, we present a state-of-the-art survey focusing on specific categories that include short-termmore » basis storage (line-packing problems), gas quality satisfaction (pooling problems), and compressor station modeling (fuel cost minimization problems). We also discuss both steady-state and transient optimization models highlighting the modeling aspects and the most relevant solution approaches known to date. Although the literature on natural gas transmission system problems is quite extensive, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first comprehensive review or survey covering this specific research area on natural gas transmission from an operations research perspective. Furthermore, this paper includes a discussion of the most important and promising research areas in this field. Hence, our paper can serve as a useful tool to gain insight into the evolution of the many real-life applications and most recent advances in solution methodologies arising from this exciting and challenging research area of decision-making problems.« less

  7. Research on NC laser combined cutting optimization model of sheet metal parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Z. Y.; Zhang, Y. L.; Li, L.; Wu, L. H.; Liu, N. B.

    2017-09-01

    The optimization problem for NC laser combined cutting of sheet metal parts was taken as the research object in this paper. The problem included two contents: combined packing optimization and combined cutting path optimization. In the problem of combined packing optimization, the method of “genetic algorithm + gravity center NFP + geometric transformation” was used to optimize the packing of sheet metal parts. In the problem of combined cutting path optimization, the mathematical model of cutting path optimization was established based on the parts cutting constraint rules of internal contour priority and cross cutting. The model played an important role in the optimization calculation of NC laser combined cutting.

  8. Sleep Problems as Possible Predictors of Intensified Symptoms of Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schreck, Kimberly A.; Mulick, James A.; Smith, Angela F.

    2004-01-01

    Researchers have been placing an increased importance on discovering what variables contribute to better prognosis during behavioral interventions for children with autism. This article preliminarily identifies sleep problems that may exacerbate symptoms of autism; thus, possibly influencing effectiveness of daytime interventions. A data-base of…

  9. Aspects of Girls' Friendships: Practice Implications for Internalizing Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ralph, Leslie E. R.; Epkins, Catherine C.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Children's friendship quality is a particularly important risk or protective factor for internalizing problems and loneliness. Past research indicates that relationship satisfaction is related to perceived similarity; however, it is unclear whether this relation is seen in girls' friendship quality and whether this relation is…

  10. Problems Discovery of Final Graduation Projects During the Software Development Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Hagery, Mohammed Abdullah Hassan

    2012-01-01

    The traditional techniques and methods used by students during systems development at the College of Computer, Qassim University is leading to this study. It leads to identify problems that hinder the construction and development of information systems, and identify their causes. The most important stages of systems development are analysis and design, which represent a solid foundation to build strong systems that are free from errors. The motivation of this research is the existence of many problems that impede getting exact output after the development of systems by the university graduates within departments of computer. The research concentrates on discovering the problems during the development tasks. The required data were collected using a questionnaire method, which formulated and judged and distributed to the target population. The research results were analyzed by three statistic methods.

  11. [Science in Argentina. Where do we go from here?].

    PubMed

    Barañao, Lino

    2012-01-01

    The Minister of Science described in detail his plans for the creation of closer bonds between science and society in a long term attempt to improve general quality of life. This will be accomplished by strengthening the infrastructure with diversification of the finances, multidisciplinary interrelations aiming to increase production, with special attention for social demands. One of these objectives includes the creation of research-private/public company interrelations, stressing the importance of multidisciplinary projects. Publication of results in high impact journals will always be a priority stressing the importance of basic research as a source of breakthroughs or technological inventions. The Minister also referred to the awarding of grants for scientific projects, the relation between research and production and the promotion of technological innovations. He defined three technological platforms, which are nanotechnology, biotechnology and communication. He also identified four problem/opportunity sectors, such as public health, energy sources, agro-industry and social development. Interaction between these has already led to an area of biotechnology applied to public health which will grow through translational medicine. He finally discussed the problem of patents and their importance in promoting successful business-research partnerships.

  12. Secondary Products (Markets, Competition, and Technological Improvements)

    Treesearch

    Philip A. Araman

    1988-01-01

    Competitiveness, imports, exports, and technological improvements--these are issues facing secondary wood-product manufacturers. The major problems focus on increasing foreign imports and the inability of U.S. industries to repell the imports. How and where should we, as researchers, allocate our efforts to enhance the competitiveness of secondary forest industries in...

  13. Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress

    PubMed Central

    Creswell, J. David; Dutcher, Janine M.; Klein, William M. P.; Harris, Peter R.; Levine, John M.

    2013-01-01

    High levels of acute and chronic stress are known to impair problem-solving and creativity on a broad range of tasks. Despite this evidence, we know little about protective factors for mitigating the deleterious effects of stress on problem-solving. Building on previous research showing that self-affirmation can buffer stress, we tested whether an experimental manipulation of self-affirmation improves problem-solving performance in chronically stressed participants. Eighty undergraduates indicated their perceived chronic stress over the previous month and were randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation or control condition. They then completed 30 difficult remote associate problem-solving items under time pressure in front of an evaluator. Results showed that self-affirmation improved problem-solving performance in underperforming chronically stressed individuals. This research suggests a novel means for boosting problem-solving under stress and may have important implications for understanding how self-affirmation boosts academic achievement in school settings. PMID:23658751

  14. Self-affirmation improves problem-solving under stress.

    PubMed

    Creswell, J David; Dutcher, Janine M; Klein, William M P; Harris, Peter R; Levine, John M

    2013-01-01

    High levels of acute and chronic stress are known to impair problem-solving and creativity on a broad range of tasks. Despite this evidence, we know little about protective factors for mitigating the deleterious effects of stress on problem-solving. Building on previous research showing that self-affirmation can buffer stress, we tested whether an experimental manipulation of self-affirmation improves problem-solving performance in chronically stressed participants. Eighty undergraduates indicated their perceived chronic stress over the previous month and were randomly assigned to either a self-affirmation or control condition. They then completed 30 difficult remote associate problem-solving items under time pressure in front of an evaluator. Results showed that self-affirmation improved problem-solving performance in underperforming chronically stressed individuals. This research suggests a novel means for boosting problem-solving under stress and may have important implications for understanding how self-affirmation boosts academic achievement in school settings.

  15. Multiskill Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Alan L.; Rossini, Frederick A.

    1986-01-01

    Crossdisciplinary research plays a major role in addressing any problems of intellectual and societal importance. A framework to characterize such projects that replices "discipline" by "intellectual skills" is described. This framework is then applied to the study of 40 National Science Foundation-sponsored projects. (JN)

  16. Developing Learning Strategies Based on Research Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ampuero-Canellas, Olga; Gonzalez-Del-Rio, Jimena; Jorda-Albinana, Begona; Rojas-Sola, Jose Ignacio

    2011-01-01

    Research projects are a very important part of any professor life sheet. Through these projects, they use their knowledge to solve real problems within professional area. Besides being an advance in research area, they can essentially contribute to improving teaching process. This work originates from the idea that the experienced gotten from…

  17. Behavior Analysis: Thriving, but How about Its Future?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fantino, Edmund

    2008-01-01

    Behavior analysis has been thriving by continuing to make important theoretical and empirical contributions to a wide array of problems, as well as by contributing to interdisciplinary research. Applied research in behavior analysis is flourishing. Despite these positive signs there may be an erosion of support for basic research in animal…

  18. Dyads and triads at 35,000 feet - Factors affecting group process and aircrew performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Foushee, H. C.

    1984-01-01

    The task of flying a multipilot transport aircraft is a classic small-group performance situation where a number of social, organizational, and personality factors are relevant to important outcome variables such as safety. The aviation community is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of these factors but is hampered in its efforts to improve the system because of research psychology's problems in defining the nature of the group process. This article identifies some of the problem areas as well as methods used to address these issues. It is argued that high fidelity flight simulators provide an environment that offers unique opportunities for work meeting both basic and applied research criteria.

  19. Dyads and triads at 35,000 feet: Factors affecting group process and aircrew performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Foushee, H. Clayton

    1987-01-01

    The task of flying a multipilot transport aircraft is a classic small-group performance situation where a number of social, organizational, and personality factors are relevant to important outcome variables such as safety. The aviation community is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of these factors but is hampered in its efforts to improve the system because of research psychology's problems in defining the nature of the group process. This article identifies some of the problem areas as well as methods used to address these issues. It is argued that high fidelity flight simulators provide an environment that offers unique opportunities for work meeting both basic and applied research criteria.

  20. Choosing experiments to accelerate collective discovery

    PubMed Central

    Rzhetsky, Andrey; Foster, Jacob G.; Foster, Ian T.

    2015-01-01

    A scientist’s choice of research problem affects his or her personal career trajectory. Scientists’ combined choices affect the direction and efficiency of scientific discovery as a whole. In this paper, we infer preferences that shape problem selection from patterns of published findings and then quantify their efficiency. We represent research problems as links between scientific entities in a knowledge network. We then build a generative model of discovery informed by qualitative research on scientific problem selection. We map salient features from this literature to key network properties: an entity’s importance corresponds to its degree centrality, and a problem’s difficulty corresponds to the network distance it spans. Drawing on millions of papers and patents published over 30 years, we use this model to infer the typical research strategy used to explore chemical relationships in biomedicine. This strategy generates conservative research choices focused on building up knowledge around important molecules. These choices become more conservative over time. The observed strategy is efficient for initial exploration of the network and supports scientific careers that require steady output, but is inefficient for science as a whole. Through supercomputer experiments on a sample of the network, we study thousands of alternatives and identify strategies much more efficient at exploring mature knowledge networks. We find that increased risk-taking and the publication of experimental failures would substantially improve the speed of discovery. We consider institutional shifts in grant making, evaluation, and publication that would help realize these efficiencies. PMID:26554009

  1. Importance and use of correlational research.

    PubMed

    Curtis, Elizabeth A; Comiskey, Catherine; Dempsey, Orla

    2016-07-01

    The importance of correlational research has been reported in the literature yet few research texts discuss design in any detail. To discuss important issues and considerations in correlational research, and suggest ways to avert potential problems during the preparation and application of the design. This article targets the gap identified in the literature regarding correlational research design. Specifically, it discusses the importance and purpose of correlational research, its application, analysis and interpretation with contextualisations to nursing and health research. Findings from correlational research can be used to determine prevalence and relationships among variables, and to forecast events from current data and knowledge. In spite of its many uses, prudence is required when using the methodology and analysing data. To assist researchers in reducing mistakes, important issues are singled out for discussion and several options put forward for analysing data. Correlational research is widely used and this paper should be particularly useful for novice nurse researchers. Furthermore, findings generated from correlational research can be used, for example, to inform decision-making, and to improve or initiate health-related activities or change.

  2. Can deficits in social problem-solving in people with personality disorder be reversed?

    PubMed

    Crawford, M J

    2007-04-01

    Research evidence is beginning to emerge that social problem-solving can improve the social functioning of people with personality disorder. This approach is particularly important because it may be relatively easy to train healthcare workers to deliver this intervention. However, the costs and cost-effectiveness of social problem-solving need to be established if it is to be made more widely available.

  3. The role of context in preschool learning: a multilevel examination of the contribution of context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality to low-income children's approaches to learning.

    PubMed

    Domínguez, Ximena; Vitiello, Virginia E; Fuccillo, Janna M; Greenfield, Daryl B; Bulotsky-Shearer, Rebecca J

    2011-04-01

    Research suggests that promoting adaptive approaches to learning early in childhood may help close the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children. Recent research has identified specific child-level and classroom-level variables that are significantly associated with preschoolers' approaches to learning. However, further research is needed to understand the interactive effects of these variables and determine whether classroom-level variables buffer the detrimental effects of child-level risk variables. Using a largely urban and minority sample (N=275) of preschool children, the present study examined the additive and interactive effects of children's context-specific problem behaviors and classroom process quality dimensions on children's approaches to learning. Teachers rated children's problem behavior and approaches to learning and independent assessors conducted classroom observations to assess process quality. Problem behaviors in structured learning situations and in peer and teacher interactions were found to negatively predict variance in approaches to learning. Classroom process quality domains did not independently predict variance in approaches to learning. Nonetheless, classroom process quality played an important role in these associations; high emotional support buffered the detrimental effects of problem behavior, whereas high instructional support exacerbated them. The findings of this study have important implications for classroom practices aimed at helping children who exhibit problem behaviors. Copyright © 2010 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Can patents prohibit research? On the social epistemology of patenting and licensing in science.

    PubMed

    Biddle, Justin B

    2014-03-01

    A topic of growing importance within philosophy of science is the epistemic implications of the organization of research. This paper identifies a promising approach to social epistemology--nonideal systems design--and uses it to examine one important aspect of the organization of research, namely the system of patenting and licensing and its role in structuring the production and dissemination of knowledge. The primary justification of patenting in science and technology is consequentialist in nature. Patenting should incentivize research and thereby promote the development of knowledge, which in turn facilitates social progress. Some have disputed this argument, maintaining that patenting actually inhibits knowledge production. In this paper, I make a stronger argument; in some areas of research in the US--in particular, research on GM seeds--patents and patent licenses can be, and are in fact being, used to prohibit some research. I discuss three potential solutions to this problem: voluntary agreements, eliminating patents, and a research exemption. I argue against eliminating patents, and I show that while voluntary agreements and a research exemption could be helpful, they do not sufficiently address the problems of access that are discussed here. More extensive changes in the organization of research are necessary.

  5. Robot computer problem solving system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Becker, J. D.

    1972-01-01

    Continuing research is reported in a program aimed at the development of a robot computer problem solving system. The motivation and results are described of a theoretical investigation concerning the general properties of behavioral systems. Some of the important issues which a general theory of behavioral organization should encompass are outlined and discussed.

  6. A Cognitive Apprenticeship Approach to Facilitating Web-Based Collaborative Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuo, Fan-Ray; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chen, Szu-Chuang; Chen, Sherry Y.

    2012-01-01

    Enhancing students' problem-solving abilities has been recognized as an important and challenging issue for technology-enhanced learning. Thus, previous research has attempted to address this issue by developing various mechanisms, among which a cognitive apprenticeship model can particularly enhance students' abilities. However, it is not clear…

  7. Adjustment Problems of Iranian International Students in Scotland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mehdizadeh, Narjes; Scott, Gill

    2005-01-01

    Despite the important contribution of the adjustment of international students to successful academic performance in the host country, little research has been done in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to collect factual information about adjustment problems of Iranian international students in Scotland, such as psycho-social and…

  8. Transformational Leadership and Creative Problem-Solving: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety and Reflexivity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carmeli, Abraham; Sheaffer, Zachary; Binyamin, Galy; Reiter-Palmon, Roni; Shimoni, Tali

    2014-01-01

    Previous research has pointed to the importance of transformational leadership in facilitating employees' creative outcomes. However, the mechanism by which transformational leadership cultivates employees' creative problem-solving capacity is not well understood. Drawing on theories of leadership, information processing and creativity,…

  9. Linear and nonlinear aspects of the tropical 30-60 day oscillation: A modeling study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevens, Duane E.; Stephens, Graeme L.

    1991-01-01

    The scientific problem focused on study of the tropical 30-60 day oscillation and explanation for this phenomenon is discussed. The following subject areas are covered: the scientific problem (the importance of low frequency oscillations; suggested mechanisms for developing the tropical 30-60 day oscillation); proposed research and its objective; basic approach to research; and results (satellite data analysis and retrieval development; thermodynamic model of the oscillation; the 5-level GCM).

  10. Resistance to Paradigm Change: Potential Crisis for the U.S. Army and the All-Volunteer Force

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-05-22

    institutional theory . It is important to note that there is no universally accepted definition of what defines an institution. Philip Selznick, in...had specialized knowledge and skill, 19 B. Guy Peters, “ Institutional Theory : Problems and Prospects,” (Research Paper for the Institute for... Institutional Theory : Problems and Prospects,” (Research Paper for the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, 2000). Raymond, William. “Uncle Sam says, “I

  11. Getting closer to the truth: overcoming research challenges when estimating the financial impact of worksite health promotion programs.

    PubMed

    Ozminkowski, R J; Goetzel, R Z

    2001-01-01

    The authors describe the most important methodological challenges often encountered in conducting research and evaluation on the financial impact of health promotion. These include selection bias, skewed data, small sample size, metrics. They discuss when these problems can and cannot be overcome and suggest how some of these problems can be overcome through a creating an appropriate framework for the study, and using state of the art statistical methods.

  12. Power and Method: Political Activism and Educational Research. Critical Social Thought Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gitlin, Andrew, Ed.

    This book scrutinizes some basic assumptions about educational research with the aim that such research may act more powerfully on those persistent and important problems of our schools surrounding issues of race, class, and gender. In particular, the 13 essays in this book examine how power is infused in research by addressing such questions as…

  13. Critical Debates in Teaching Research Methods in the Social Sciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gunn, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores some of the critical debates in social science research methods education and is set out in three parts. The first section introduces the importance and relevance of research methods to the social sciences. It then outlines the problems and challenges experienced in the teaching and learning of research methods, which are…

  14. Perspectives on Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ülkü, M. Ali; Karkowski, Andrea M.; Lahm, Terry D.

    2018-01-01

    Undergraduate Research (UR) provides deeper experiential learning opportunities for students while increasing their self-efficacy, academic success and motivation to pursue graduate studies. Many real-world problems require an integrated solution and collaboration across different disciplines; therefore, it is important that students develop…

  15. Developing the research hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Toledo, Alexander H; Flikkema, Robert; Toledo-Pereyra, Luis H

    2011-01-01

    The research hypothesis is needed for a sound and well-developed research study. The research hypothesis contributes to the solution of the research problem. Types of research hypotheses include inductive and deductive, directional and non-directional, and null and alternative hypotheses. Rejecting the null hypothesis and accepting the alternative hypothesis is the basis for building a good research study. This work reviews the most important aspects of organizing and establishing an efficient and complete hypothesis.

  16. Does the name really matter? The importance of botanical nomenclature and plant taxonomy in biomedical research.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Bradley C; Balick, Michael J

    2014-03-28

    Medical research on plant-derived compounds requires a breadth of expertise from field to laboratory and clinical skills. Too often basic botanical skills are evidently lacking, especially with respect to plant taxonomy and botanical nomenclature. Binomial and familial names, synonyms and author citations are often misconstrued. The correct botanical name, linked to a vouchered specimen, is the sine qua non of phytomedical research. Without the unique identifier of a proper binomial, research cannot accurately be linked to the existing literature. Perhaps more significant, is the ambiguity of species determinations that ensues of from poor taxonomic practices. This uncertainty, not surprisingly, obstructs reproducibility of results-the cornerstone of science. Based on our combined six decades of experience with medicinal plants, we discuss the problems of inaccurate taxonomy and botanical nomenclature in biomedical research. This problems appear all too frequently in manuscripts and grant applications that we review and they extend to the published literature. We also review the literature on the importance of taxonomy in other disciplines that relate to medicinal plant research. In most cases, questions regarding orthography, synonymy, author citations, and current family designations of most plant binomials can be resolved using widely-available online databases and other electronic resources. Some complex problems require consultation with a professional plant taxonomist, which also is important for accurate identification of voucher specimens. Researchers should provide the currently accepted binomial and complete author citation, provide relevant synonyms, and employ the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III family name. Taxonomy is a vital adjunct not only to plant-medicine research but to virtually every field of science. Medicinal plant researchers can increase the precision and utility of their investigations by following sound practices with respect to botanical nomenclature. Correct spellings, accepted binomials, author citations, synonyms, and current family designations can readily be found on reliable online databases. When questions arise, researcher should consult plant taxonomists. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  17. Operations research in intensive care unit management: a literature review.

    PubMed

    Bai, Jie; Fügener, Andreas; Schoenfelder, Jan; Brunner, Jens O

    2018-03-01

    The intensive care unit (ICU) is a crucial and expensive resource largely affected by uncertainty and variability. Insufficient ICU capacity causes many negative effects not only in the ICU itself, but also in other connected departments along the patient care path. Operations research/management science (OR/MS) plays an important role in identifying ways to manage ICU capacities efficiently and in ensuring desired levels of service quality. As a consequence, numerous papers on the topic exist. The goal of this paper is to provide the first structured literature review on how OR/MS may support ICU management. We start our review by illustrating the important role the ICU plays in the hospital patient flow. Then we focus on the ICU management problem (single department management problem) and classify the literature from multiple angles, including decision horizons, problem settings, and modeling and solution techniques. Based on the classification logic, research gaps and opportunities are highlighted, e.g., combining bed capacity planning and personnel scheduling, modeling uncertainty with non-homogenous distribution functions, and exploring more efficient solution approaches.

  18. Paternal Antisocial Behavior (But Not Paternal ADHD) Is Associated With Negative Parenting and Child Conduct Problems.

    PubMed

    LeMoine, Kaitlyn A; Romirowsky, Abigail M; Woods, Kelsey E; Chronis-Tuscano, Andrea

    2015-09-23

    Parental psychopathology and parenting quality robustly predict negative outcomes among children with ADHD. Little research has investigated associations between paternal ADHD symptoms and parenting, though there is clear evidence linking maternal ADHD symptoms with both suboptimal parenting and child conduct problems, and considerable research supporting fathers' significant contributions to their children's development. This cross-sectional study examined psychopathology and parenting in a sample of fathers (N = 102) and their 5- to 12-year-old children with previously diagnosed ADHD. Results suggested that paternal antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) symptoms (rather than ADHD symptoms) were robustly associated with child conduct problems, with an indirect effect through paternal negative parenting. This study suggests that negative parenting may be a potential mechanism by which paternal ASPD is associated with child conduct problems, and demonstrates the importance of considering co-occurring psychopathology in research examining adult ADHD, parenting, and child outcomes. © The Author(s) 2015.

  19. Behavior Problems in Relation to Sustained Selective Attention Skills of Moderately Preterm Children.

    PubMed

    Bul, Kim C M; van Baar, Anneloes L

    2012-04-01

    Attention skills may form an important developmental mechanism. A mediation model was examined in which behavioral problems of moderately preterm and term children at school age are explained by attention performance. Parents and teachers completed behavioral assessments of 348 moderately preterm children and 182 term children at 8 years of age. Children were administered a test of sustained selective attention. Preterm birth was associated with more behavioral and attention difficulties. Gestational age, prenatal maternal smoking, and gender were associated with mothers', fathers', and teachers' reports of children's problem behavior. Sustained selective attention partially mediated the relationship between birth status and problem behavior. Development of attention skills should be an important focus for future research in moderately preterm children.

  20. Conduct problems in youth and the RDoC approach: A developmental, evolutionary-based view.

    PubMed

    Fonagy, Peter; Luyten, Patrick

    2017-09-08

    Problems related to aggression in young people are traditionally subsumed under the header of conduct problems, which include conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Such problems in children and adolescents are an important societal and mental health problem. In this paper we present an evolutionarily informed developmental psychopathology view of conduct problems inspired by the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. We assume that while there are many pathways to conduct problems, chronic or temporary impairments in the domain of social cognition or mentalizing are a common denominator. Specifically, we conceptualize conduct problems as reflecting temporary or chronic difficulties with mentalizing, that is, the capacity to understand the self and others in terms of intentional mental states, leading to a failure to inhibit interpersonal violence through a process of perspective-taking and empathy. These difficulties, in turn, stem from impairments in making use of a normally evolutionarily protected social learning system that functions to facilitate intergenerational knowledge transmission and protect social collaborative processes from impulsive and aggressive action. Temperamental, biological, and social risk factors in different combinations may all contribute to this outcome. This adaptation then interacts with impairments in other domains of functioning, such as in negative and positive valence systems and cognitive systems. This view highlights the importance of a complex interplay among biological, psychological, and environmental factors in understanding the origins of conduct problems. We outline the implications of these views for future research and intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Quality of life of people with mental health problems: a synthesis of qualitative research

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Purpose To identify the domains of quality of life important to people with mental health problems. Method A systematic review of qualitative research undertaken with people with mental health problems using a framework synthesis. Results We identified six domains: well-being and ill-being; control, autonomy and choice; self-perception; belonging; activity; and hope and hopelessness. Firstly, symptoms or ‘ill-being’ were an intrinsic aspect of quality of life for people with severe mental health problems. Additionally, a good quality of life was characterised by the feeling of being in control (particularly of distressing symptoms), autonomy and choice; a positive self-image; a sense of belonging; engagement in meaningful and enjoyable activities; and feelings of hope and optimism. Conversely, a poor quality life, often experienced by those with severe mental health difficulties, was characterized by feelings of distress; lack of control, choice and autonomy; low self-esteem and confidence; a sense of not being part of society; diminished activity; and a sense of hopelessness and demoralization. Conclusions Generic measures fail to address the complexity of quality of life measurement and the broad range of domains important to people with mental health problems. PMID:23173689

  2. Opportunities and Problems of Comparative Higher Education Research: The Daily Life of Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teichler, Ulrich

    2014-01-01

    Higher education had a predominant national and institutional focus for a long time. In Europe, supra-national political activities played a major role for increasing the interest in comparative research. Comparative perspectives are important in order to deconstruct the often national perspective of causal reasoning, for proving benchmarks, for…

  3. THE USE OF RESEARCH RESULTS IN TEACHING SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LAWRENCE, RICHARD G.

    BECAUSE THE SUCCESS OF INTERVENTION DEPENDS UPON THE VALIDITY OF THE PROPOSITIONS EMPLOYED, AND BECAUSE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ASSURES VALIDITY BY PROVIDING THE MOST SYSTEMATIC AND RIGOROUS ATTENTION TO PROBLEMS, THE UTILIZATION OF RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT TO SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE. SEVERAL FACTORS LIMIT ITS USE--(1) ALTHOUGH CONCEPTS ARE CLEARLY DEFINED…

  4. The Department of Energy (DOE) research program in structural analysis of vertical-axis wind turbines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sullivan, W. N.

    The Darrieus-type Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) presents a variety of unusual structural problems to designers. The level of understanding of these structural problems governs, to a large degree, the success or failure of today's rotor designs. A survey is presented of the technology available for rotor structural design with emphasis on the DOE research program now underway. Itemizations are included of the major structural issues unique to the VAWT along with discussion of available analysis techniques for each problem area. It is concluded that tools are available to at least approximately address the most important problems. However, experimental data for confirmation is rather limited in terms of volume and the range of rotor configurations tested.

  5. Research and developing countries: hopes and hypes.

    PubMed

    Moazam, Farhat

    2006-01-01

    The paper outlines the universal problem of ensuring ethical practices in human subject research, and focuses on specific difficulties faced in the developing world with particular reference to Pakistan. It discusses the influence of traditional and hierarchical social norms of physician-patient relationships in heightening these problems. Two emerging issues of specific concern in Pakistan are described: an exponential rise in multinational clinical drug trials, and commercial ventures offering unproven stem cell "therapy" for all kinds of diseases. The importance of introducing ethical practices in research within the context of local cultural and socioeconomic realities is highlighted.

  6. Authority, Identity, and Collaborative Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Langer-Osuna, Jennifer M.

    2017-01-01

    The field of mathematics education research has seen a resurgence of interest in understanding collaborative learning because students in K-12 classrooms are increasingly expected to make sense of mathematics problems together. This Research Commentary argues for the importance of understanding student authority relations in collaborative…

  7. Research and application of genetic algorithm in path planning of logistics distribution vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yong; Zhou, Heng; Wang, Ying

    2017-08-01

    The core of the logistics distribution system is the vehicle routing planning, research path planning problem, provide a better solution has become an important issue. In order to provide the decision support for logistics and distribution operations, this paper studies the problem of vehicle routing with capacity constraints (CVRP). By establishing a mathematical model, the genetic algorithm is used to plan the path of the logistics vehicle to meet the minimum logistics and transportation costs.

  8. [Moderation-integrated-balance presupposition of Chinese medicine compound and pharmacological problems in traditional Chinese drug research].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jun-Ning

    2017-03-01

    The moderation-integrated-balance presupposition (MIBP) of Chinese medicine compound was first proposed in this paper based on the review of function characteristics and action principles of Chinese medicine compound. Furthermore, the pharmacological problems of traditional Chinese drug research were discussed in details. The results were of important value in accelerating the transformation of traditional Chinese medicine compound, and constructing the new drug innovation and review system for traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  9. Making Connections: Where STEM Learning and Earth Science Data Services Meet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bugbee, Kaylin; Ramachandran, Rahul; Maskey, Manil; Gatlin, Patrick; Weigel, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) learning is most effective when students are encouraged to see the connections between science, technology and real world problems. Helping to make these connections has become an increasingly important aspect of Earth Science data research. The Global Hydrology Resource Center (GHRC), one of NASA's 12 EOSDIS (Earth Observing System Data Information System) data centers, has developed a new type of documentation called the micro article to facilitate making connections between data and Earth science research problems.

  10. Optimization Strategies for Sensor and Actuator Placement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Padula, Sharon L.; Kincaid, Rex K.

    1999-01-01

    This paper provides a survey of actuator and sensor placement problems from a wide range of engineering disciplines and a variety of applications. Combinatorial optimization methods are recommended as a means for identifying sets of actuators and sensors that maximize performance. Several sample applications from NASA Langley Research Center, such as active structural acoustic control, are covered in detail. Laboratory and flight tests of these applications indicate that actuator and sensor placement methods are effective and important. Lessons learned in solving these optimization problems can guide future research.

  11. [Health-related problems in adopted children].

    PubMed

    Laubjerg, Merete; Petersson, Birgit H

    2006-10-09

    International research shows that the standard of health among children adopted from abroad, especially those adopted by single parents, is not as good as that of other children. Danish studies indicate similar problems. The causes could be several, such as poor development in the embryonic and fetal stages, low birth weight, starvation, neglect, infections, and the lack of the natural bonds between mother and child. Surveys indicate that many adoptive parents, single parents in particular, receive children with health problems. There is no Danish research available, but it is important to be aware of these issues in order for both adoptees and adoptants to receive the most support.

  12. Problem based learning with scaffolding technique on geometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bayuningsih, A. S.; Usodo, B.; Subanti, S.

    2018-05-01

    Geometry as one of the branches of mathematics has an important role in the study of mathematics. This research aims to explore the effectiveness of Problem Based Learning (PBL) with scaffolding technique viewed from self-regulation learning toward students’ achievement learning in mathematics. The research data obtained through mathematics learning achievement test and self-regulated learning (SRL) questionnaire. This research employed quasi-experimental research. The subjects of this research are students of the junior high school in Banyumas Central Java. The result of the research showed that problem-based learning model with scaffolding technique is more effective to generate students’ mathematics learning achievement than direct learning (DL). This is because in PBL model students are more able to think actively and creatively. The high SRL category student has better mathematic learning achievement than middle and low SRL categories, and then the middle SRL category has better than low SRL category. So, there are interactions between learning model with self-regulated learning in increasing mathematic learning achievement.

  13. Research Review: Gene-Environment Interaction Research in Youth Depression--A Systematic Review with Recommendations for Future Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunn, Erin C.; Uddin, Monica; Subramanian, S. V.; Smoller, Jordan W.; Galea, Sandro; Koenen, Karestan C.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Depression is a major public health problem among youth, currently estimated to affect as many as 9% of US children and adolescents. The recognition that both genes (nature) and environments (nurture) are important for understanding the etiology of depression has led to a rapid growth in research exploring gene-environment interactions…

  14. Contribution of Equal-Sign Instruction beyond Word-Problem Tutoring for Third-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulty

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, Sarah R.; Fuchs, Lynn S.

    2010-01-01

    Elementary school students often misinterpret the equal sign (=) as an operational rather than a relational symbol. Such misunderstanding is problematic because solving equations with missing numbers may be important for the development of higher order mathematics skills, including solving word problems. Research indicates equal-sign instruction…

  15. Geologic Problem Solving in the Field: Analysis of Field Navigation and Mapping by Advanced Undergraduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riggs, Eric M.; Lieder, Christopher C.; Ballliet, Russell

    2009-01-01

    Field instruction is a critical piece of undergraduate geoscience majors' education, and fieldwork remains a major part of the work of professional geologists. Despite the central importance of field education, there exists relatively little educational research exploring how students learn to solve problems in geological fieldwork. This study…

  16. Evidence-Based Assessment of Conduct Problems in Children and Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMahon, Robert J.; Frick, Paul J.

    2005-01-01

    This article provides a summary of research in 4 areas that have direct and important implications for evidence-based assessment of children and adolescents with conduct problems (CP): (a) the heterogeneity in types and severity of CP, (b) common comorbid conditions, (c) multiple risk factors associated with CP, and (d) multiple developmental…

  17. Using Syntactic Patterns to Enhance Text Analytics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Bradley B.

    2017-01-01

    Large scale product and service reviews proliferate and are commonly found across the web. The ability to harvest, digest and analyze a large corpus of reviews from online websites is still however a difficult problem. This problem is referred to as "opinion mining." Opinion mining is an important area of research as advances in the…

  18. Problem Solving by 5-6 Years Old Kindergarten Children in a Computer Programming Environment: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fessakis, G.; Gouli, E.; Mavroudi, E.

    2013-01-01

    Computer programming is considered an important competence for the development of higher-order thinking in addition to algorithmic problem solving skills. Its horizontal integration throughout all educational levels is considered worthwhile and attracts the attention of researchers. Towards this direction, an exploratory case study is presented…

  19. Creating School and Community Partnerships for Substance Abuse Prevention Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adelman, Howard S.; Taylor, Linda

    2003-01-01

    The article reviews the scope and scale of the problem, explores a transactional view of etiology, and summarizes the prevailing approaches to prevention, exemplary and promising approaches, and standards for research and practice. The authors stress the importance of addressing the complexity of the problem through creation of comprehensive,…

  20. Problem Solving and Emotional Education in Initial Primary Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caballero, Ana; Blanco, Lorenzo J.; Guerrero, Eloisa

    2011-01-01

    Our work is based on two premises. The first is that affective factors (beliefs, attitudes, and emotions) influence teaching and learning mathematics, and problem solving in particular. The second is that initial teacher education is an important element in the process of improving overall educational practice. On this basis, our research group…

  1. Evaluating Retirement Income Security for Illinois Public School Teachers. Public Pension Project Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Richard W.; Southgate, Benjamin G.

    2014-01-01

    The financial problems afflicting the Illinois teacher pension plan have grabbed headlines. An equally important problem, though underappreciated, is that relatively few teachers benefit much from the plan. This report evaluates the pension benefits provided to Illinois public school teachers. The researchers project annual and lifetime pension…

  2. Self-Monitoring Interventions for Students with Behavior Problems: A Systematic Review of Current Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruhn, Allison; McDaniel, Sara; Kreigh, Christi

    2015-01-01

    Explicitly teaching skills associated with self-determination has been promoted to support students' independence and control over their own lives. This is especially important for students with behavior problems. One self-determination skill or behavior that has been studied widely is self-monitoring. Although multiple reviews of various…

  3. Future Primary and Preschool Pedagogy Specialization Students' Mathematical Problem Solving Competency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marchis, Iuliana

    2013-01-01

    Developing the problem solving competency is one of the main goals of school education, as it is a very important competency in someone's everyday life and career as well. Mathematics is highly appropriate for developing this competence. This research studies future Primary and Preschool Pedagogy specialization students' mathematical problem…

  4. Algorithmic Puzzles: History, Taxonomies, and Applications in Human Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levitin, Anany

    2017-01-01

    The paper concerns an important but underappreciated genre of algorithmic puzzles, explaining what these puzzles are, reviewing milestones in their long history, and giving two different ways to classify them. Also covered are major applications of algorithmic puzzles in cognitive science research, with an emphasis on insight problem solving, and…

  5. Mental Health Needs and Treatment of New Hampshire Unemployed

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarzombek, Michael

    2010-01-01

    The intent of this research is to understand the types of mental health problems individuals encounter during periods of unemployment, and the severity of those problems from an individual, family and community-based perspective. Of primary importance is determining whether or not treatment services are utilized, and if so, the sensitivity…

  6. A Project to Enhance Superintendents' Knowledge and Application of Characteristics of High Quality Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pummill, Bret L.; Edson, Jerry C.; Loftin, Michelle M.; Robinson, Matthew A.

    2011-01-01

    This report describes a problem based learning project focusing on superintendents' knowledge of the characteristics of high quality teachers. Current research findings offer evidence teacher quality is an important school variable related to student achievement. School district leaders are faced with the problem of identifying the characteristics…

  7. Complex Problem Solving: What It Is and What It Is Not

    PubMed Central

    Dörner, Dietrich; Funke, Joachim

    2017-01-01

    Computer-simulated scenarios have been part of psychological research on problem solving for more than 40 years. The shift in emphasis from simple toy problems to complex, more real-life oriented problems has been accompanied by discussions about the best ways to assess the process of solving complex problems. Psychometric issues such as reliable assessments and addressing correlations with other instruments have been in the foreground of these discussions and have left the content validity of complex problem solving in the background. In this paper, we return the focus to content issues and address the important features that define complex problems. PMID:28744242

  8. The research of distributed interactive simulation based on HLA in coal mine industry inherent safety

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dou, Zhi-Wu

    2010-08-01

    To solve the inherent safety problem puzzling the coal mining industry, analyzing the characteristic and the application of distributed interactive simulation based on high level architecture (DIS/HLA), a new method is proposed for developing coal mining industry inherent safety distributed interactive simulation adopting HLA technology. Researching the function and structure of the system, a simple coal mining industry inherent safety is modeled with HLA, the FOM and SOM are developed, and the math models are suggested. The results of the instance research show that HLA plays an important role in developing distributed interactive simulation of complicated distributed system and the method is valid to solve the problem puzzling coal mining industry. To the coal mining industry, the conclusions show that the simulation system with HLA plays an important role to identify the source of hazard, to make the measure for accident, and to improve the level of management.

  9. The prospective relationship between sleep problems and suicidal behavior in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

    PubMed

    Wong, Maria M; Brower, Kirk J

    2012-07-01

    Previous research has found a longitudinal relationship between sleep problems and suicidal behavior while controlling for depression and other important covariates in a high risk sample of adolescents and controls. In this paper, we replicated this longitudinal relationship in a national sample and examined whether the relationship was partially mediated by depression, alcohol-related problems and other drug use. Study participants were 6504 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (ADD HEALTH). In bivariate analyses, sleep problems (i.e., having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep) at Wave 1 were associated with suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts at Waves 1, 2, and 3 (W1, 2 and 3). In multivariate analyses, controlling for depression, alcohol problems, illicit drug use, and important covariates such as gender, age, and chronic health problems, sleep problems at a previous wave predicted suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts at a subsequent wave. In mediation analyses, W2 depression significantly mediated the effect of W1 sleep problems on W3 suicide thoughts. Moreover, W2 suicidal thoughts also significantly mediated the effect of W1 sleep problems on W3 suicidal attempts. Sleep problems appear to be a robust predictor of subsequent suicidal thoughts and attempts in adolescence and young adulthood. Having trouble falling sleeping or staying asleep had both direct and indirect effects (via depression and suicidal thoughts) on suicidal behavior. Future research could determine if early intervention with sleep disturbances reduces the risk for suicidality in adolescents and young adults. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. "Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles" Multiobjective Reinforcement Learning: A Comprehensive Overview.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chunming; Xu, Xin; Hu, Dewen

    2013-04-29

    Reinforcement learning is a powerful mechanism for enabling agents to learn in an unknown environment, and most reinforcement learning algorithms aim to maximize some numerical value, which represents only one long-term objective. However, multiple long-term objectives are exhibited in many real-world decision and control problems; therefore, recently, there has been growing interest in solving multiobjective reinforcement learning (MORL) problems with multiple conflicting objectives. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive overview of MORL. In this paper, the basic architecture, research topics, and naive solutions of MORL are introduced at first. Then, several representative MORL approaches and some important directions of recent research are reviewed. The relationships between MORL and other related research are also discussed, which include multiobjective optimization, hierarchical reinforcement learning, and multi-agent reinforcement learning. Finally, research challenges and open problems of MORL techniques are highlighted.

  11. A Summary of Research on Energy Saving and Emission Reduction of Transportation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Dongxiang; Wu, Lufen

    2017-12-01

    Road transport is an important part of transportation, and road in the field of energy-saving emission reduction is a very important industry. According to the existing problems of road energy saving and emission reduction, this paper elaborates the domestic and international research on energy saving and emission reduction from three aspects: road network optimization, pavement material and pavement maintenance. Road network optimization may be overlooked, and the research content is still relatively preliminary; pavement materials mainly from the asphalt pavement temperature mixed asphalt technology research; pavement maintenance technology development is relatively comprehensive.

  12. A Cognitive Simulator for Learning the Nature of Human Problem Solving

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miwa, Kazuhisa

    Problem solving is understood as a process through which states of problem solving are transferred from the initial state to the goal state by applying adequate operators. Within this framework, knowledge and strategies are given as operators for the search. One of the most important points of researchers' interest in the domain of problem solving is to explain the performance of problem solving behavior based on the knowledge and strategies that the problem solver has. We call the interplay between problem solvers' knowledge/strategies and their behavior the causal relation between mental operations and behavior. It is crucially important, we believe, for novice learners in this domain to understand the causal relation between mental operations and behavior. Based on this insight, we have constructed a learning system in which learners can control mental operations of a computational agent that solves a task, such as knowledge, heuristics, and cognitive capacity, and can observe its behavior. We also introduce this system to a university class, and discuss which findings were discovered by the participants.

  13. Dairy Cattle Breeding Effectiveness Analysis under the Conditions of Import Substitution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tokarev, Yuri A.; Merkushova, Nina I.; Bakanach, Olga V.; Proskurina, Natalya V.; Sazhina, Natalia S.

    2016-01-01

    The relevance of the research problem is inspired by the strategic importance of dairy farming to the national economy, which is especially evident in the context of the EU economic sanctions against the Russian Federation and carrying out the import substitution policy. First and foremost, this policy applies to food commodities, including milk.…

  14. ASP, Art and Science of Practice: Educating Military Operations Research Practitioners

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-01

    the ships are relatively slow. This is a multiple traveling salesman problem with moving customers, where the Navy may consume a gallon of fuel to...Defense, in a unique relationship that ensures NPS students and faculty are focused on critical and important problems facing the military. Our students...integrate graduate education with a commitment to solving real military problems , and our programs have already been documented in the open literature

  15. Leading Schools to Promote Social Inclusion: Developing a Conceptual Framework for Analysing Research, Policy and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raffo, Carlo; Gunter, Helen

    2008-01-01

    Although much research has focussed on how various educational policy initiatives have attempted to improve problems of social exclusion, little research has systematically examined, categorised and synthesised the types of leadership in schools that might assist improving social inclusion. Given the importance of school leadership in New Labour…

  16. Unique Power Electronics and Drives Experimental Bench (PEDEB) to Facilitate Learning and Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anand, S.; Farswan, R. S.; Fernandes, B. G.

    2012-01-01

    Experimentation is important for learning and research in the field of power electronics and drives. However, a great deal of equipment is required to study the various topologies, controllers, and functionalities. Thus, the cost of establishing good laboratories and research centers is high. To address this problem, the authors have developed a…

  17. Can an Understanding of Basic Research Facilitate the Effectiveness of Practitioners? Reflections and Personal Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sidman, Murray

    2011-01-01

    I have written before about the importance of applied behavior analysis to basic researchers. That relationship is, however, reciprocal; it is also critical for practitioners to understand and even to participate in basic research. Although applied problems are rarely the same as those investigated in the laboratory, practitioners who understand…

  18. Inquiry: the pedagogical importance of a skill central to clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Barrows, H S

    1990-01-01

    The skill of inquiry is central to the task of the doctor confronted with a patient problem. Despite its importance this skill is not given appropriate emphasis in the education of medical students or in research concerning the clinical reasoning skills of doctors.

  19. Moderating Effect of Intimate Exchange on Delinquent Socialization Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaertner, Alden E.; Fite, Paula J.; Colder, Craig R.

    2011-01-01

    Research indicates peer socialization processes affect the development of problem behavior in childhood and adolescence; however moderating peer factors have not been readily examined. Friendship intimate exchange may be an important factor to consider, as literature suggests that intimate exchange becomes an increasingly important aspect of…

  20. News Focus: Presidential Candidates Give Views on Science and Technology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chemical and Engineering News, 1984

    1984-01-01

    Presents the views of Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale on various science issues. Major areas examined include: science policy goals; science education; adequate research and development funding; importance of research activities; role of science and technology in solving national problems; and other issues. (JN)

  1. Physician Extender (Sr. NP or PA) | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    Be part of our mission to solve the most important, challenging and neglected problems in modern cancer research and patient care.  The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) is a world-leading cancer research organization working toward scientific breakthroughs at medicine’s cutting edge. Our scientists can’t do it alone. It takes an extraordinary team

  2. Actuator Placement Via Genetic Algorithm for Aircraft Morphing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crossley, William A.; Cook, Andrea M.

    2001-01-01

    This research continued work that began under the support of NASA Grant NAG1-2119. The focus of this effort was to continue investigations of Genetic Algorithm (GA) approaches that could be used to solve an actuator placement problem by treating this as a discrete optimization problem. In these efforts, the actuators are assumed to be "smart" devices that change the aerodynamic shape of an aircraft wing to alter the flow past the wing, and, as a result, provide aerodynamic moments that could provide flight control. The earlier work investigated issued for the problem statement, developed the appropriate actuator modeling, recognized the importance of symmetry for this problem, modified the aerodynamic analysis routine for more efficient use with the genetic algorithm, and began a problem size study to measure the impact of increasing problem complexity. The research discussed in this final summary further investigated the problem statement to provide a "combined moment" problem statement to simultaneously address roll, pitch and yaw. Investigations of problem size using this new problem statement provided insight into performance of the GA as the number of possible actuator locations increased. Where previous investigations utilized a simple wing model to develop the GA approach for actuator placement, this research culminated with application of the GA approach to a high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle concept to demonstrate that the approach is valid for an aircraft configuration.

  3. Interdisciplinary Explorations: Promoting Critical Thinking via Problem-Based Learning in an Advanced Biochemistry Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cowden, Chapel D.; Santiago, Manuel F.

    2016-01-01

    Interdisciplinary approaches to research in the sciences have become increasingly important in solving a wide range of pressing problems at both global and local levels. It is imperative then that science majors in higher education understand the need for exploring information from a wide array of disciplines. With this in mind, interdisciplinary…

  4. Serendipity in the Stacks: Libraries, Information Architecture, and the Problems of Accidental Discovery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carr, Patrick L.

    2015-01-01

    Serendipity in the library stacks is generally regarded as a positive occurrence. While acknowledging its benefits, this essay draws on research in library science, information systems, and other fields to argue that, in two important respects, this form of discovery can be usefully framed as a problem. To make this argument, the essay examines…

  5. The 1980 Aircraft Safety and Operating Problems, part 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stickle, J. W. (Compiler)

    1981-01-01

    It is difficult to categorize aircraft operating problems, human factors and safety. Much of NASA's research involves all three and considers the important inter-relationships between man, the machine and the environment, whether the environment be man-made or natural. Topics covered in 20 papers include terminal-area operations; avionics and human factors; and the atmospheric environment.

  6. Science and Engineering Students' Use of Diagrams during Note Taking versus Explanation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manalo, Emmanuel; Uesaka, Yuri; Perez-Kriz, Sarah; Kato, Masashi; Fukaya, Tatsushi

    2013-01-01

    The use of diagrams in learning and communication is generally considered efficacious and an important skill to cultivate, especially among science students. At the same time, previous research has revealed many problems in student diagram use, including a lack of spontaneity in such use, but the extent to which these problems persist into the…

  7. Is Formal Environmental Education Friendly to Nature? Environmental Ethics in Science Textbooks for Primary School Pupils in Poland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gola, Beata

    2017-01-01

    Due to the increased interest in ecology, global warming and numerous environmental problems, ecological issues are becoming extremely important in education. Many researchers and thinkers believe that solutions to environmental problems are affected by the environmental ethics adopted. This article identifies which of the three branches of…

  8. Development of Critical Thinking with Metacognitive Regulation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gotoh, Yasushi

    2016-01-01

    In this research the author defines critical thinking as the set of skills and dispositions which enable one to solve problems logically and to attempt to reflect autonomously by means of Metacognitive regulation on one's own problem-solving processes. In order to develop their critical thinking, it is important for students to be able to use this…

  9. Children's Understanding of Globes as a Model of the Earth: A Problem of Contextualizing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ehrlen, Karin

    2008-01-01

    Visual representations play an important role in science teaching. The way in which visual representations may help children to acquire scientific concepts is a crucial test in the debate between constructivist and socio-cultural oriented researchers. In this paper, the question is addressed as a problem of how to contextualize conceptions and…

  10. The Classicist and the Frequentist Approach to Probability within a "TinkerPlots2" Combinatorial Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prodromou, Theodosia

    2012-01-01

    This article seeks to address a pedagogical theory of introducing the classicist and the frequentist approach to probability, by investigating important elements in 9th grade students' learning process while working with a "TinkerPlots2" combinatorial problem. Results from this research study indicate that, after the students had seen…

  11. Commercial scale research and assessment of poultry welfare.

    PubMed

    Dawkins, Marian Stamp

    2012-01-01

    1. Commercial level research on poultry welfare is increasingly important because of the insight it gives into what improves welfare in the context of other important drivers such as human health, environmental impact and cost. 2. There are, however, a number of problems with conducting commercial level research - such as conflicts over aims, financial compensation and legal issues - that need to be addressed if the gains from commercial research are to be optimized. Cooperation between all parties and mutual understanding of the different priorities that may exist between industry and academia are essential. 3. Three important developments for the future are: the setting up of a 'data bank', the application of new statistical methods for analyzing data and new technology for assessing welfare automatically.

  12. Anxiety Sensitivity and Sleep-Related Problems in Anxious Youth

    PubMed Central

    Weiner, Courtney L.; Elkins, Meredith; Pincus, Donna; Comer, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    Anxiety disorders constitute the most common mental health disturbance experienced by youth. Sleep-related problems (SRPs) are highly prevalent among anxious youth and encompass a variety of problems including nighttime fears, insomnia, and refusal to sleep alone. Given that chronic sleep disturbance is associated with a range of behavioral and physical problems in youth and predicts future psychopathology, it is important to elucidate the nature of SRPs in anxious youth. The present study investigated the relationship between sleep problems and anxiety sensitivity in a sample of 101 anxious youth, ages 6–17. Heightened anxiety sensitivity significantly predicted prolonged sleep onset latency across the sample, even after accounting for severity of anxiety, depression, and age. Results support previous research indicating that SRPs are common among anxious youth and suggest that anxiety sensitivity may play a particularly important role in sleep onset latency. PMID:25863826

  13. The globalization of epidemiology: introductory remarks.

    PubMed

    Pearce, Neil

    2004-10-01

    We are all living in the era of globalization, and like it or not, it is going to change the way we practice epidemiology, the kinds of questions we ask, and the methods we use to answer them. Increasingly, pubic health problems are being shifted from rich countries to poor countries and from rich to poor populations within Western countries. There is increasing interest and concern about the situation in non-Western populations on the part of Western epidemiologists, with regards to collaborative research, skills transfer, and 'volunteerism' to enable the 'benefits' of Western approaches to epidemiology to be shared by the non-Western world. However, most existing collaborations benefit Western epidemiologists rather than the countries in which the research is conducted. Even when research in non-Western populations is conducted as a genuine collaboration, it can too often 'export failure' from the West. On the other hand, non-Western epidemiologists are increasingly developing new and innovative approaches to health research that are more appropriate to the global public health issues they are addressing. These include recognition of the importance of context and the importance of diversity and local knowledge, and a problem-based approach to addressing the major public health problems using appropriate technology. These debates formed the background for a plenary session on 'International Epidemiology and International Health' at the recent International Epidemiological Association (IEA) meeting in Montreal, and the papers from this session are presented here. The development of a truly global epidemiology can not only better address the public health problems in non-Western populations, but can shed light on the current limitations of epidemiology in addressing the major public health problems in the West.

  14. Reformulating Lead-Based Paint as a Problem in Canada

    PubMed Central

    Perron, Amélie

    2011-01-01

    Leaded gasoline was officially removed from the Canadian market in December 1990. The removal of a major lead source and the subsequent decline in children's blood lead levels marked an important transition point and sparked the emergence of new discourse on lead in Canada. Today, childhood lead poisoning is viewed as a problem of the past or a problem of the United States. Sparse Canadian surveillance data supported this view. Moreover, tensions among federal agencies evolved into a power struggle, with Health Canada ultimately becoming the dominant authority, thereby relegating important research initiatives to obscurity and also shaping a vastly weaker regulatory response to lead than occurred in the United States. PMID:21836119

  15. Multivariate fault isolation of batch processes via variable selection in partial least squares discriminant analysis.

    PubMed

    Yan, Zhengbing; Kuang, Te-Hui; Yao, Yuan

    2017-09-01

    In recent years, multivariate statistical monitoring of batch processes has become a popular research topic, wherein multivariate fault isolation is an important step aiming at the identification of the faulty variables contributing most to the detected process abnormality. Although contribution plots have been commonly used in statistical fault isolation, such methods suffer from the smearing effect between correlated variables. In particular, in batch process monitoring, the high autocorrelations and cross-correlations that exist in variable trajectories make the smearing effect unavoidable. To address such a problem, a variable selection-based fault isolation method is proposed in this research, which transforms the fault isolation problem into a variable selection problem in partial least squares discriminant analysis and solves it by calculating a sparse partial least squares model. As different from the traditional methods, the proposed method emphasizes the relative importance of each process variable. Such information may help process engineers in conducting root-cause diagnosis. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Transformation of scientists and engineers into managers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bayton, J. A.; Chapman, R. L.

    1972-01-01

    The purposes of this research were to determine the principal problems and obstacles faced by specialists during the transition period when they are becoming managers, and to discover ways by which their difficulties might be avoided or overcome. It was found that senior management officials are unaware--or tend to ignore the importance--of the transition process and its problems, that little attention has been given to developing management training to overcome transition problems, and that much of the training which is offered is largely irrelevant to these problems.

  17. The Relative Importance of Low Significance Level and High Power in Multiple Tests of Significance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Westermann, Rainer; Hager, Willi

    1983-01-01

    Two psychological experiments--Anderson and Shanteau (1970), Berkowitz and LePage (1967)--are reanalyzed to present the problem of the relative importance of low Type 1 error probability and high power when answering a research question by testing several statistical hypotheses. (Author/PN)

  18. Motivation Terminology in Reading Research: A Conceptual Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conradi, Kristin; Jang, Bong Gee; McKenna, Michael C.

    2014-01-01

    Despite the importance of motivation in understanding the development and practices of reading, problems persist in how motivation-related constructs are defined and investigated. This article reports a concept analysis of how 12 terms have been used in current reading research. Selection criteria resulted in the identification of 92 data-based…

  19. The Relationship between Communication Competence and Organizational Conflict: A Study on Heads of Educational Supervisors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Üstüner, Mehmet; Kis, Ali

    2014-01-01

    Problem Statement: Since conflict is an organizational phenomenon, its comparison between other organizational variables to find possible associations has been an important research motive. Relevant researchers have found significant correlations between conflict handling strategies of principals of different genders and school culture, emotional…

  20. Science Does Not Speak for Itself: Translating Child Development Research for the Public and Its Policymakers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shonkoff, Jack P.; Bales, Susan Nall

    2011-01-01

    Science has an important role to play in advising policymakers on crafting effective responses to social problems that affect the development of children. This article describes lessons learned from a multiyear, working collaboration among neuroscientists, developmental psychologists, pediatricians, economists, and communications researchers who…

  1. Social Knowledge Awareness Map for Computer Supported Ubiquitous Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    El-Bishouty, Moushir M.; Ogata, Hiroaki; Rahman, Samia; Yano, Yoneo

    2010-01-01

    Social networks are helpful for people to solve problems by providing useful information. Therefore, the importance of mobile social software for learning has been supported by many researches. In this research, a model of personalized collaborative ubiquitous learning environment is designed and implemented in order to support learners doing…

  2. Educational Design Research: Signs of Progress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeves, Thomas C.

    2015-01-01

    This special issue of the "Australasian Journal of Educational Technology" includes an introductory article by the guest editors and six papers that illustrate the potential of educational design research (EDR) to address important problems in higher education. In this final paper, reflections on the papers are made. Then the rationale…

  3. Large unbalanced credit scoring using Lasso-logistic regression ensemble.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hong; Xu, Qingsong; Zhou, Lifeng

    2015-01-01

    Recently, various ensemble learning methods with different base classifiers have been proposed for credit scoring problems. However, for various reasons, there has been little research using logistic regression as the base classifier. In this paper, given large unbalanced data, we consider the plausibility of ensemble learning using regularized logistic regression as the base classifier to deal with credit scoring problems. In this research, the data is first balanced and diversified by clustering and bagging algorithms. Then we apply a Lasso-logistic regression learning ensemble to evaluate the credit risks. We show that the proposed algorithm outperforms popular credit scoring models such as decision tree, Lasso-logistic regression and random forests in terms of AUC and F-measure. We also provide two importance measures for the proposed model to identify important variables in the data.

  4. Sleep and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students with Generally Healthy Sleep Habits

    PubMed Central

    Milojevich, Helen M.; Lukowski, Angela F.

    2016-01-01

    Whereas previous research has indicated that sleep problems tend to co-occur with increased mental health issues in university students, relatively little is known about relations between sleep quality and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits. Understanding relations between sleep and mental health in individuals with generally healthy sleep habits is important because (a) student sleep habits tend to worsen over time and (b) even time-limited experience of sleep problems may have significant implications for the onset of mental health problems. In the present research, 69 university students with generally healthy sleep habits completed questionnaires about sleep quality and mental health. Although participants did not report clinically concerning mental health issues as a group, global sleep quality was associated with mental health. Regression analyses revealed that nighttime sleep duration and the frequency of nighttime sleep disruptions were differentially related to total problems and clinically-relevant symptoms of psychological distress. These results indicate that understanding relations between sleep and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits is important not only due to the large number of undergraduates who experience sleep problems and mental health issues over time but also due to the potential to intervene and improve mental health outcomes before they become clinically concerning. PMID:27280714

  5. Sleep and Mental Health in Undergraduate Students with Generally Healthy Sleep Habits.

    PubMed

    Milojevich, Helen M; Lukowski, Angela F

    2016-01-01

    Whereas previous research has indicated that sleep problems tend to co-occur with increased mental health issues in university students, relatively little is known about relations between sleep quality and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits. Understanding relations between sleep and mental health in individuals with generally healthy sleep habits is important because (a) student sleep habits tend to worsen over time and (b) even time-limited experience of sleep problems may have significant implications for the onset of mental health problems. In the present research, 69 university students with generally healthy sleep habits completed questionnaires about sleep quality and mental health. Although participants did not report clinically concerning mental health issues as a group, global sleep quality was associated with mental health. Regression analyses revealed that nighttime sleep duration and the frequency of nighttime sleep disruptions were differentially related to total problems and clinically-relevant symptoms of psychological distress. These results indicate that understanding relations between sleep and mental health in university students with generally healthy sleep habits is important not only due to the large number of undergraduates who experience sleep problems and mental health issues over time but also due to the potential to intervene and improve mental health outcomes before they become clinically concerning.

  6. False memories from survival processing make better primes for problem-solving.

    PubMed

    Garner, Sarah R; Howe, Mark L

    2014-01-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that participants remember significantly more survival-related information and more information that is processed for its survival relevance. Recent research has also shown that survival materials and processing result in more false memories, ones that are adaptive inasmuch as they prime solutions to insight-based problems. Importantly, false memories for survival-related information facilitate problem solving more than false memories for other types of information. The present study explores this survival advantage using an incidental rather than intentional memory task. Here participants rated information either in the context of its importance to a survival-processing scenario or to moving to a new house. Following this, participants solved a number of compound remote associate tasks (CRATs), half of which had the solution primed by false memories that were generated during the processing task. Results showed that (a) CRATs were primed by false memories in this incidental task, with participants solving significantly more CRATs when primed than when unprimed, (b) this effect was greatest when participants rated items for survival than moving, and (c) processing items for a survival scenario improved overall problem-solving performance even when specific problems themselves were not primed. Results are discussed with regard to adaptive theories of memory.

  7. Ocean Science for the Year 2000. A Report on an Inquiry by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research and the Advisory Committee on Marine Resources Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

    This report, which examines expected major trends in ocean research up to the year 2000, focuses on the most important ocean research problems that should receive particular attention during the next decades, what major advances should be expected and what kinds of research should be encouraged for them to be achieved, and impediments to achieving…

  8. The acquisition of problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities as a behavioral cusp.

    PubMed

    Robertson, Rachel E

    2015-07-01

    A behavioral cusp has been defined as a behavior change that produces contact with new contingencies with important and far-reaching consequences. The concept of behavioral cusps has most frequently been used to select target skills taught to learners and to evaluate the importance of those skills; however, the concept is equally applicable to behavior changes that bring about important and far-reaching negative consequences. Although it has been acknowledged that socially undesirable behavior change can also qualify as a behavioral cusp, this area of the cusp concept has been under-examined. In this article, an undesirable behavior change, the acquisition of problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities, is compared with criteria for behavioral cusps previously identified in the literature. The advantages of viewing problem behavior as a behavioral cusp are outlined, and implications for practice and research from a behavioral cusp approach to problem behavior are provided. © The Author(s) 2015.

  9. Incremental planning to control a blackboard-based problem solver

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Durfee, E. H.; Lesser, V. R.

    1987-01-01

    To control problem solving activity, a planner must resolve uncertainty about which specific long-term goals (solutions) to pursue and about which sequences of actions will best achieve those goals. A planner is described that abstracts the problem solving state to recognize possible competing and compatible solutions and to roughly predict the importance and expense of developing these solutions. With this information, the planner plans sequences of problem solving activities that most efficiently resolve its uncertainty about which of the possible solutions to work toward. The planner only details actions for the near future because the results of these actions will influence how (and whether) a plan should be pursued. As problem solving proceeds, the planner adds new details to the plan incrementally, and monitors and repairs the plan to insure it achieves its goals whenever possible. Through experiments, researchers illustrate how these new mechanisms significantly improve problem solving decisions and reduce overall computation. They briefly discuss current research directions, including how these mechanisms can improve a problem solver's real-time response and can enhance cooperation in a distributed problem solving network.

  10. Low Achieving Eighth Graders Learn to Crack Word Problems: A Design Research Project for Aligning a Strategic Scaffolding Tool to Students' Mental Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prediger, Susanne; Krägeloh, Nadine

    2015-01-01

    Topic-specific didactical design research provides means not only to investigate how to learn but also what to learn, i.e., for specifying learning contents by analyzing students' comprehension processes in detail. This important characteristic of didactical design research is exemplarily shown for students' difficulties in finding symbolic…

  11. West Europe Report, No. 2174.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-07-15

    shown itself incapable of tackling the problem of public assistance spending. The study from the CESPE social research section, which we are presenting...been able to influence important Riksdag decisions on more than one occasion. Within historical and social science research , Swedish communism has...Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. Correspondence pertaining to matters other than procurement may be addressed to Joint Publications Research

  12. Toward a General and Unified View of Educational Research and Educational Evaluation: Bridging Philosophy and Methodology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perla, Rocco J.; Carifio, James

    2009-01-01

    This paper addresses an important problem that may really be a pseudoproblem perpetuated by a current artificial or even political need to isolate researchers, evaluators, and theorists and put them in conceptual-methodological boxes. In this paper, we argue that scholars of all kinds should focus on the nouns (i.e., research, evaluation, theory)…

  13. Microgravity Research, An Agency-Wide Asset: Using NASA-Generated Knowledge to Solve its Own Problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    The National Center for Microgravity Research (NCMR) is a vital and successful operation, effectively supporting NASA's program in many ways beyond technical monitoring. NCMR is supplying leadership for certain new initiatives important to NASA's future. NASA might regard NCMR as kind of a small laboratory of innovative research management, and should support it generously.

  14. Precincts and Prospects in the Use of Focus Groups in Social and Behavioral Science Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sagoe, Dominic

    2012-01-01

    Over the past few years, the focus group method has assumed a very important role as a method for collecting qualitative data in social and behavioural science research. This article elucidates theoretical and practical problems and prospects associated with the use of focus groups as a qualitative research method in social and behavioural science…

  15. Physically Abused Women’s Experiences of Sexual Victimization and their Children’s Disruptive Behavior Problems

    PubMed Central

    Spiller, Laura C.; Jouriles, Ernest N.; McDonald, Renee; Skopp, Nancy A.

    2012-01-01

    Objective Despite the substantial co-occurrence of women’s experiences of physical and sexual violence, very little is known about their separate and combined effects on child functioning. The present study examines whether sexual victimization experienced by physically abused women is associated with their children’s disruptive behavior problems, after controlling for mothers’ physical victimization and parent to child aggression. It also tests the hypothesis that maternal distress mediates the association between women’s sexual victimization and their children’s disruptive behavior problems. Method The sample includes 449 mothers and their children (4–8 years) who were recruited while residing in domestic violence shelters. Mothers reported on their experiences of physical and sexual victimization over the past year and their current symptoms of psychological distress. Trained diagnosticians interviewed mothers about their children’s disruptive behavior problems. Results Approximately 75% of the women reported experiences of sexual victimization. Physically abused women’s experiences of sexual victimization correlated positively with their children’s disruptive behavior problems and their own psychological distress. The results of path analyses indicated that maternal psychological distress mediates the relation between women’s experiences of sexual victimization and their children’s disruptive behavior problems. Conclusions This research suggests that physically abused women’s experiences of sexual victimization are important for understanding their children’s disruptive behavior problems. Additionally, this research provides further evidence that maternal psychological distress is important for understanding how intimate partner violence might influence children. PMID:23166861

  16. Old wine in new bottles: decanting systemic family process research in the era of evidence-based practice.

    PubMed

    Rohrbaugh, Michael J

    2014-09-01

    Social cybernetic (systemic) ideas from the early Family Process era, though emanating from qualitative clinical observation, have underappreciated heuristic potential for guiding quantitative empirical research on problem maintenance and change. The old conceptual wines we have attempted to repackage in new, science-friendly bottles include ironic processes (when "solutions" maintain problems), symptom-system fit (when problems stabilize relationships), and communal coping (when we-ness helps people change). Both self-report and observational quantitative methods have been useful in tracking these phenomena, and together the three constructs inform a team-based family consultation approach to working with difficult health and behavior problems. In addition, a large-scale, quantitatively focused effectiveness trial of family therapy for adolescent drug abuse highlights the importance of treatment fidelity and qualitative approaches to examining it. In this sense, echoing the history of family therapy research, our experience with juxtaposing quantitative and qualitative methods has gone full circle-from qualitative to quantitative observation and back again. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

  17. Old Wine in New Bottles: Decanting Systemic Family Process Research in the Era of Evidence-Based Practice†

    PubMed Central

    Rohrbaugh, Michael J.

    2015-01-01

    Social cybernetic (systemic) ideas from the early Family Process era, though emanating from qualitative clinical observation, have underappreciated heuristic potential for guiding quantitative empirical research on problem maintenance and change. The old conceptual wines we have attempted to repackage in new, science-friendly bottles include ironic processes (when “solutions” maintain problems), symptom-system fit (when problems stabilize relationships), and communal coping (when we-ness helps people change). Both self-report and observational quantitative methods have been useful in tracking these phenomena, and together the three constructs inform a team-based family consultation (FAMCON) approach to working with difficult health and behavior problems. In addition, a large-scale, quantitatively focused effectiveness trial of family therapy for adolescent drug abuse highlights the importance of treatment fidelity and qualitative approaches to examining it. In this sense, echoing the history of family therapy research, our experience with juxtaposing quantitative and qualitative methods has gone full circle – from qualitative to quantitative observation and back again. PMID:24905101

  18. The errors of metacognitive evaluation on metacognitive failure of students in mathematical problem solving

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huda, Nizlel; Sutawidjaja, Akbar; Subanji; Rahardjo, Swasono

    2018-04-01

    Metacognitive activity is very important in mathematical problems solving. Metacognitive activity consists of metacognitive awareness, metacognitive evaluation and metacognitive regulation. This study aimed to reveal the errors of metacognitive evaluation in students’ metacognitive failure in solving mathematical problems. 20 students taken as research subjects were grouped into three groups: the first group was students who experienced one metacognitive failure, the second group was students who experienced two metacognitive failures and the third group was students who experienced three metacognitive failures. One person was taken from each group as the reasearch subject. The research data was collected from worksheets done using think aload then followed by interviewing the research subjects based on the results’ of subject work. The findings in this study were students who experienced metacognitive failure in solving mathematical problems tends to miscalculate metacognitive evaluation in considering the effectiveness and limitations of their thinking and the effectiveness of their chosen strategy of completion.

  19. Problems with change in R2 as applied to theory of reasoned action research.

    PubMed

    Trafimow, David

    2004-12-01

    The paradigm of choice for theory of reasoned action research seems to depend largely on the notion of change in variance accounted for (DeltaR2) as new independent variables are added to a multiple regression equation. If adding a particular independent variable of interest increases the variance in the dependent variable that can be accounted for by the list of independent variables, then the research is deemed to be 'successful', and the researcher is considered to have made a convincing argument about the importance of the new variable. In contrast to this trend, I present arguments that suggest serious problems with the paradigm, and conclude that studies on attitude-behaviour relations would advance the field of psychology to a far greater extent if researchers abandoned it.

  20. The role of sleep problems and circadian clock genes in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and mood disorders during childhood and adolescence: an update.

    PubMed

    Dueck, Alexander; Berger, Christoph; Wunsch, Katharina; Thome, Johannes; Cohrs, Stefan; Reis, Olaf; Haessler, Frank

    2017-02-01

    A more recent branch of research describes the importance of sleep problems in the development and treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and mood disorders (MD). Research about clock genes has continued since 2012 with a focus on metabolic processes within all parts of the mammalian body, but particularly within different cerebral regions. Research has focused on complex regulatory circuits involving clock genes themselves and their influence on circadian rhythms of diverse body functions. Current publications on basic research in human and animal models indicate directions for the treatment of mental disorders targeting circadian rhythms and mechanisms. The most significant lines of research are described in this paper.

  1. [Nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics - application of „omics” technologies in optimization of human nutrition].

    PubMed

    Panczyk, Mariusz

    2013-01-01

    Nowadays nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics are perceived as one of the most important research areas ensuring better understanding of an impact of nutrition on human health. Since such researches are interdisciplinary in type, there is a problem with their widespread acceptance and practical clinical application of obtained results. Understanding the new ideas and hypotheses published in researches on nutrigenetics/nutrigenomics requires some knowledge of genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and capabilities and limitations that are associated with the use of statistical and bioinformatic analysis, and above all „omics” research technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics). Highly efficient genome and proteome analysis techniques allow to obtain data necessary for profiling of an individual patient. The main problem is still our insufficient knowledge of cell physiology and biochemistry. The vast amount of information is obtained with the use of „omics” technologies what makes it difficult to interpret and infer. An unquestionable advantage of this type of research is the possibility to utilize system analysis (system biology) which is important in the context of a holistic interpretation of biological phenomena. This review is an attempt to present the main hypotheses and objectives which are carried out by researchers in nutrigenetics/nutrigenomics. This article describes the most important directions of research and anticipated results that are related to the practical use of nutritional genomics as well as the critical assessment of the possible impact of future developments on public health.

  2. Parenting Stress Related to Behavioral Problems and Disease Severity in Children with Problematic Severe Asthma.

    PubMed

    Verkleij, Marieke; van de Griendt, Erik-Jonas; Colland, Vivian; van Loey, Nancy; Beelen, Anita; Geenen, Rinie

    2015-09-01

    Our study examined parenting stress and its association with behavioral problems and disease severity in children with problematic severe asthma. Research participants were 93 children (mean age 13.4 ± 2.7 years) and their parents (86 mothers, 59 fathers). As compared to reference groups analyzed in previous research, scores on the Parenting Stress Index in mothers and fathers of the children with problematic severe asthma were low. Higher parenting stress was associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in children (Child Behavior Checklist). Higher parenting stress in mothers was also associated with higher airway inflammation (FeNO). Thus, although parenting stress was suggested to be low in this group, higher parenting stress, especially in the mother, is associated with more airway inflammation and greater child behavioral problems. This indicates the importance of focusing care in this group on all possible sources of problems, i.e., disease exacerbations and behavioral problems in the child as well as parenting stress.

  3. How do researchers influence decision-makers? Case studies of Mexican policies.

    PubMed

    Trostle, J; Bronfman, M; Langer, A

    1999-06-01

    Though the problems translating or applying research in policy-making are legion, solutions are rare. As developing countries increase their capacities to develop effective local solutions to their health problems, they confront the research/policy dilemma. Yet few descriptive studies of research-policy links can be found from developing countries, and the relevance of European and North American models and data is questionable. We report the results of a descriptive study from Mexico of the relationship between health research and policy in four vertical programmes (AIDS, cholera, family planning, immunization). We interviewed 67 researchers and policy-makers from different institutions and levels of responsibility. We analyzed interviewee responses looking for factors that promoted or impeded exchanges between researchers and policy-makers. These were, in turn, divided into emphases on content, actors, process, and context. Many of the promoting factors resembled findings from studies in industrialized countries. Some important differences across the four programmes, which also distinguish them from industrialized country programmes, included extent of reliance on formal communication channels, role of the mass media in building social consensus or creating discord, levels of social consensus, role of foreign donors, and extent of support for biomedical versus social research. We recommend various ways to increase the impact of research on health policy-making in Mexico. Some of the largest challenges include the fact that researchers are but one of many interest groups, and research but one input among many equally legitimate elements to be considered by policy-makers. Another important challenge in Mexico is the relatively small role played by the public in policy-making. Further democratic changes in Mexico may be the most important incentive to increase the use of research in policy-making.

  4. Multidisciplinary and participatory workshops with stakeholders in a community of extreme poverty in the Peruvian Amazon: Development of priority concerns and potential health, nutrition and education interventions

    PubMed Central

    Casapia, Martin; Joseph, Serene A; Gyorkos, Theresa W

    2007-01-01

    Background Communities of extreme poverty suffer disproportionately from a wide range of adverse outcomes, but are often neglected or underserved by organized services and research attention. In order to target the first Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty, thereby reducing health inequalities, participatory research in these communities is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the priority problems and respective potential cost-effective interventions in Belen, a community of extreme poverty in the Peruvian Amazon, using a multidisciplinary and participatory focus. Methods Two multidisciplinary and participatory workshops were conducted with important stakeholders from government, non-government and community organizations, national institutes and academic institutions. In Workshop 1, participants prioritized the main health and health-related problems in the community of Belen. Problem trees were developed to show perceived causes and effects for the top six problems. In Workshop 2, following presentations describing data from recently completed field research in school and household populations of Belen, participants listed potential interventions for the priority problems, including associated barriers, enabling factors, costs and benefits. Results The top ten priority problems in Belen were identified as: 1) infant malnutrition; 2) adolescent pregnancy; 3) diarrhoea; 4) anaemia; 5) parasites; 6) lack of basic sanitation; 7) low level of education; 8) sexually transmitted diseases; 9) domestic violence; and 10) delayed school entry. Causes and effects for the top six problems, proposed interventions, and factors relating to the implementation of interventions were multidisciplinary in nature and included health, nutrition, education, social and environmental issues. Conclusion The two workshops provided valuable insight into the main health and health-related problems facing the community of Belen. The participatory focus of the workshops ensured the active involvement of important stakeholders from Belen. Based on the results of the workshops, effective and essential interventions are now being planned which will contribute to reducing health inequalities in the community. PMID:17623093

  5. Investigating the linearity assumption between lumber grade mix and yield using design of experiments (DOE)

    Treesearch

    Xiaoqiu Zuo; Urs Buehlmann; R. Edward Thomas

    2004-01-01

    Solving the least-cost lumber grade mix problem allows dimension mills to minimize the cost of dimension part production. This problem, due to its economic importance, has attracted much attention from researchers and industry in the past. Most solutions used linear programming models and assumed that a simple linear relationship existed between lumber grade mix and...

  6. Problem-Based Learning and Assessment in Hydrology Courses: Can Non-Traditional Assessment Better Reflect Intended Learning Outcomes?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lyon, Steve W.; Teutschbein, Claudia

    2011-01-01

    Hydrology has at its core a focus on real-world applications and problems stemming from the importance of water for society and natural systems. While hydrology is firmly founded in traditional "hard" sciences like physics and mathematics, much of the innovation and excitement in current and future research-oriented hydrology comes…

  7. The Effects of Teaching Programming via Scratch on Problem Solving Skills: A Discussion from Learners' Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalelioglu, Filiz; Gülbahar, Yasemin

    2014-01-01

    Computer programming is perceived as an important competence for the development of problem solving skills in addition to logical reasoning. Hence, its integration throughout all educational levels, as well as the early ages, is considered valuable and research studies are carried out to explore the phenomenon in more detail. In light of these…

  8. Adolescents and Mental Health Treatments: Reviewing the Evidence to Discern Common Themes for Clinicians and Areas for Future Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carey, Timothy A.; Oxman, Lisa N.

    2007-01-01

    Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of rapid development. Although many people successfully negotiate this period, some do not. In this paper the evidence for the treatment of some of the most important adolescent psychological problems is considered. The problem areas of depression, anxiety disorders, conduct disorders, attention deficit…

  9. A Flowchart-Based Intelligent Tutoring System for Improving Problem-Solving Skills of Novice Programmers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hooshyar, D.; Ahmad, R. B.; Yousefi, M.; Yusop, F. D.; Horng, S.-J.

    2015-01-01

    Intelligent tutoring and personalization are considered as the two most important factors in the research of learning systems and environments. An effective tool that can be used to improve problem-solving ability is an Intelligent Tutoring System which is capable of mimicking a human tutor's actions in implementing a one-to-one personalized and…

  10. Social and Ethical Dimension of the Natural Sciences, Complex Problems of the Age, Interdisciplinarity, and the Contribution of Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Develaki, Maria

    2008-01-01

    In view of the complex problems of this age, the question of the socio-ethical dimension of science acquires particular importance. We approach this matter from a philosophical and sociological standpoint, looking at such focal concerns as the motivation, purposes and methods of scientific activity, the ambivalence of scientific research and the…

  11. Break the Data-Bank with Monte Carlo? Statistical Problems in the Dispute between Conroy (1996) and Crinella, McCleary, and Swanson (1998).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heifetz, Louis J.

    1998-01-01

    Comments on "The Small ICF/MR Program: Dimensions of Quality and Cost" (Conroy), that found small Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) for individuals with mental retardation are inferior to other community programs. Acknowledges that while some research problems exist, no important evidence against the findings has been provided. (CR)

  12. Summary of Research 1997, Department of Mathematics.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-01-01

    problems. This capabil- ity is especially important at the present time when technology in general, and information operations in particular, are changing...compression algorithms, especially the Radiant TIN algorithm and its use on tactical imagery. SUMMARY: Several aspects of this problem were...points are not always the same, especially when bifurcation occurs. The equilibrium sets of control systems and their bifurcations are classified based

  13. Young Adolescents' Metacognition and Domain Knowledge as Predictors of Hypothesis-Development Performance in a Computer-Supported Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Hye Jeong; Pedersen, Susan

    2010-01-01

    Recently, the importance of ill-structured problem-solving in real-world contexts has become a focus of educational research. Particularly, the hypothesis-development process has been examined as one of the keys to developing a high-quality solution in a problem context. The authors of this study examined predictive relations between young…

  14. Do Callous-Unemotional Traits Moderate the Relative Importance of Parental Coercion versus Warmth in Child Conduct Problems? An Observational Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pasalich, Dave S.; Dadds, Mark R.; Hawes, David J.; Brennan, John

    2011-01-01

    Background: Research suggests that parenting has little influence on the development of antisocial behavior in children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits. We aimed to extend and improve on prior studies examining the moderating role of CU traits on associations between parenting and conduct problems, by using independent observations of two key…

  15. An endless research for 2016.

    PubMed

    Grammaticos, Philip C; Antoniou, Dimitrios E

    2016-01-01

    In a moment of reflection of the past year of 2015, as to what we have achieved in medical research and what we need to do in the future we realize that although we have performed an enormous progress in medical research in the past we still have to do much more. In nuclear medicine there are many problems to solve like, how can we differentiate between infection, inflammation and cancer or between lymphomas and adenocarcinomas. In bone scans we need to differentiate traumatic lesions acute or chronic and lesions from another origin. Dosimetry and radiation burden is another problem. In HJNM we have previously published related papers. Not to mention radiation sickness due to modern atomic or hydrogen bombs. Labeling antibodies and genetic material is another issue. Additionally, in general medical knowledge is still unable to solve many unknown, difficult or tragic problems of our lives, like cancer, some viral infections, research in immunology, collagen diseases, genetics, radiation treatment, psychological disorders, anesthetics, the Hayflick phenomenon, hypertension, asthma, the function of the gastrointestinal tract, infectious diseases, physical exercise, all of which are briefly mentioned. We hope that even under the present financial problems and considering that almost 90% of medical truth is still unknown, our research in 2016 will be very important. In this paper we also discuss means for a more genuine and effective research.

  16. Problems for biomedical research at the academia-industrial interface.

    PubMed

    Weatherall, David

    2003-01-01

    Throughout much of the world, universities have driven towards industrial partnerships. This collaboration, which, in the biochemical field at least, has to continue if potential benefits for patients are to be realised, has brought with it a number of problems. These include the neglect of long-term research in favour of short-term projects, the curtailing of free dissemination of research information within university departments and the biasing of results of clinical trials by the financial interests of the investigators. It is very important that governments, universities, and industry itself address these problems. Universities should monitor the amount of basic, curiosity-driven research that is being carried on, compared with that which is more short-term goal orientated. PhD students and post-doctoral fellows should be exposed to the principles of bioethics early on in their careers. Further work is necessary on the terms of research contracts to protect, on the one hand, the rights of individual scientists and, on the other, industry from rogue scientists. Where problems arise, procedures should be in place for independent reviews to be conducted by bodies such as the Medical Research Council in the UK or the National Institutes of Health in the USA. The conflict-of-interest rules recently introduced for publication in medical journals should be extended to all branches of science.

  17. Metacognition Difficulty of Students with Visual-Spatial Intelligence during Solving Open-Ended Problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rimbatmojo, S.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi, R.

    2017-09-01

    This study aims to find out students metacognition difficulty during solving open-ended problem in mathematics. It focuses on analysing the metacognition difficulty of students with visual-spatial intelligence in solving open-ended problem. A qualitative research with case study strategy is used in this study. Data in the form of visual-spatial intelligence test result and recorded interview during solving open-ended problems were analysed qualitatively. The results show that: (1) students with high visual-spatial intelligence have no difficulty on each metacognition aspects, (2) students with medium visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on knowledge aspect on strategy and cognitive tasks, (3) students with low visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on three metacognition aspects, namely knowledge on strategy, cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. Even though, several researches about metacognition process and metacognition literature recommended the steps to know the characteristics. It is still important to discuss that the difficulties of metacognitive is happened because of several factors, one of which on the characteristics of student’ visual-spatial intelligence. Therefore, it is really important for mathematics educators to consider and pay more attention toward students’ visual-spatial intelligence and metacognition difficulty in designing better mathematics learning.

  18. Step by Step: Biology Undergraduates’ Problem-Solving Procedures during Multiple-Choice Assessment

    PubMed Central

    Prevost, Luanna B.; Lemons, Paula P.

    2016-01-01

    This study uses the theoretical framework of domain-specific problem solving to explore the procedures students use to solve multiple-choice problems about biology concepts. We designed several multiple-choice problems and administered them on four exams. We trained students to produce written descriptions of how they solved the problem, and this allowed us to systematically investigate their problem-solving procedures. We identified a range of procedures and organized them as domain general, domain specific, or hybrid. We also identified domain-general and domain-specific errors made by students during problem solving. We found that students use domain-general and hybrid procedures more frequently when solving lower-order problems than higher-order problems, while they use domain-specific procedures more frequently when solving higher-order problems. Additionally, the more domain-specific procedures students used, the higher the likelihood that they would answer the problem correctly, up to five procedures. However, if students used just one domain-general procedure, they were as likely to answer the problem correctly as if they had used two to five domain-general procedures. Our findings provide a categorization scheme and framework for additional research on biology problem solving and suggest several important implications for researchers and instructors. PMID:27909021

  19. Establishing research priorities relating to the long-term impact of TIA and minor stroke through stakeholder-centred consensus.

    PubMed

    Turner, Grace M; Backman, Ruth; McMullan, Christel; Mathers, Jonathan; Marshall, Tom; Calvert, Melanie

    2018-01-01

    What is the problem and why is this important? Mini-strokes are similar to full strokes, but symptoms last less than 24 h. Many people (up to 70%) have long-term problems after a mini-stroke, such as anxiety; depression; problems with brain functioning (like memory loss); and fatigue (feeling tired). However, the current healthcare pathway only focuses on preventing another stroke and care for other long-term problems is not routinely given. Without proper treatment, people with long-term problems after a mini-stroke could have worse quality of life and may find it difficult to return to work and their social activities. What is the aim of the research? We wanted to understand the research priorities of patients, health care professionals and key stakeholders relating to the long-term impact of mini-stroke. How did we address the problem? We invited patients, clinicians, researchers and other stakeholders to attend a meeting. At the meeting people discussed the issues relating to the long-term impact of mini-stroke and came to an agreement on their research priorities. There were three stages: (1) people wrote down their individual research suggestions; (2) in smaller groups people came to an agreement on what their top research questions were; and (3) the whole group agreed final research priorities. What did we find? Eleven people attended who were representatives for patients, GPs, stroke consultants, stroke nurses, psychologists, the Stroke Association (charity) and stroke researchers, The group agreed on eleven research questions which they felt were the most important to improve health and well-being for people who have had a mini-stroke.The eleven research questions encompass a range of categories, including: understanding the existing care patients receive (according to diagnosis and geographical location); exploring what optimal care post-TIA/minor stroke should comprise (identifying and treating impairments, information giving and support groups) and how that care should be delivered (clinical setting and follow-up pathway); impact on family members; and education/training for health care professionals. Background Clinical management after transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke focuses on stroke prevention. However, evidence demonstrates that many patients experience ongoing residual impairments. Residual impairments post-TIA and minor stroke may affect patients' quality of life and return to work or social activities. Research priorities of patients, health care professionals and key stakeholders relating to the long-term impact of TIA and minor stroke are unknown. Methods Our objective was to establish the top shared research priorities relating to the long-term impact of TIA and minor stroke through stakeholder-centred consensus. A one-day priority setting consensus meeting took place with representatives from different stakeholder groups in October 2016 (Birmingham, UK). Nominal group technique was used to establish research priorities. This involved three stages: (i) gathering research priorities from individual stakeholders; (ii) interim prioritisation in three subgroups; and (iii) final priority setting. Results The priority setting consensus meeting was attended by 11 stakeholders. The individual stakeholders identified 34 different research priorities. During the interim prioritisation exercise, the three subgroups generated 24 unique research priorities which were discussed as a whole group. Following the final consensus discussion, 11 shared research priorities were unanimously agreed.The 11 research questions encompass a range of categories, including: understanding the existing care patients receive (according to diagnosis and geographical location); exploring what optimal care post-TIA/minor stroke should comprise (identifying and treating impairments, information giving and support groups) and how that care should be delivered (clinical setting and follow-up pathway); impact on family members; and education/training for health care professionals. Conclusions Eleven different research priorities were established through stakeholder-centred consensus. These research questions could usefully inform the research agenda and policy decisions for TIA and minor stroke. Inclusion of stakeholders in setting research priorities is important to increase the relevance of research and reduce research waste.

  20. Student Research in Computational Astrophysics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blondin, J. M.

    1999-12-01

    Computational physics can shorten the long road from freshman physics major to independent research by providing students with powerful tools to deal with the complexities of modern research problems. At North Carolina State University we have introduced dozens of students to astrophysics research using the tools of computational fluid dynamics. We have used several formats for working with students, including the traditional approach of one-on-one mentoring, a more group-oriented format in which several students work together on one or more related projects, and a novel attempt to involve an entire class in a coordinated semester research project. The advantages and disadvantages of these formats will be discussed at length, but the single most important influence has been peer support. Having students work in teams or learn the tools of research together but tackle different problems has led to more positive experiences than a lone student diving into solo research. This work is supported by an NSF CAREER Award.

  1. Building health research systems: WHO is generating global perspectives, and who's celebrating national successes?

    PubMed

    Hanney, Stephen R; González-Block, Miguel A

    2016-12-28

    In 2016, England's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) celebrated its tenth anniversary as an innovative national health research system with a focus on meeting patients' needs. This provides a good opportunity to reflect on how the creation of the NIHR has greatly enhanced important work, started in 1991, to develop a health research system in England that is embedded in the National Health Service.In 2004, WHO identified a range of functions that a national health research system should undertake to improve the health of populations. Health Research Policy and Systems (HRPS) has taken particular interest in the pioneering developments in the English health research system, where the comprehensive approach has covered most, if not all, of the functions identified by WHO. Furthermore, several significant recent developments in thinking about health research are relevant for the NIHR and have informed accounts of its achievements. These include recognition of the need to combat waste in health research, which had been identified as a global problem in successive papers in the Lancet, and an increasing emphasis on demonstrating impact. Here, pioneering evaluation of United Kingdom research, conducted through the impact case studies of the Research Excellence Framework, is particularly important. Analyses informed by these and other approaches identified many aspects of NIHR's progress in combating waste, building and sustaining research capacity, creating centres of research excellence linked to leading healthcare institutions, developing research networks, involving patients and others in identifying research needs, and producing and adopting research findings that are improving health outcomes.The NIHR's overall success, and an analysis of the remaining problems, might have lessons for other systems, notwithstanding important advances in many countries, as described in papers in HRPS and elsewhere. WHO's recently established Global Observatory for Health Research and Development provides an opportunity to promote some of these lessons. To inform its work, the Observatory is sponsoring a thematic series of papers in HRPS focusing on health research issues such as funding flows, priority setting, capacity building, utilisation and equity. While important papers on these have been published, this series is still open to new submissions.

  2. A review on the generation, determination and mitigation of urban heat island.

    PubMed

    Memon, Rizwan Ahmed; Leung, Dennis Y C; Chunho, Liu

    2008-01-01

    Urban Heat Island (UHI) is considered as one of the major problems in the 21st century posed to human beings as a result of urbanization and industrialization of human civilization. The large amount of heat generated from urban structures, as they consume and re-radiate solar radiations, and from the anthropogenic heat sources are the main causes of UHI. The two heat sources increase the temperatures of an urban area as compared to its surroundings, which is known as Urban Heat Island Intensity (UHII). The problem is even worse in cities or metropolises with large population and extensive economic activities. The estimated three billion people living in the urban areas in the world are directly exposed to the problem, which will be increased significantly in the near future. Due to the severity of the problem, vast research effort has been dedicated and a wide range of literature is available for the subject. The literature available in this area includes the latest research approaches, concepts, methodologies, latest investigation tools and mitigation measures. This study was carried out to review and summarize this research area through an investigation of the most important feature of UHI. It was concluded that the heat re-radiated by the urban structures plays the most important role which should be investigated in details to study urban heating especially the UHI. It was also concluded that the future research should be focused on design and planning parameters for reducing the effects of urban heat island and ultimately living in a better environment.

  3. Remote Sensing For Water Resources And Hydrology. Recommended research emphasis for the 1980's

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    The problems and the areas of activity that the Panel believes should be emphasized in work on remote sensing for water resources and hydrology in the 1980's are set forth. The Panel deals only with those activities and problems in water resources and hydrology that the Panel considers important, and where, in the Panel's opinion, application of current remote sensing capability or advancements in remote sensing capability can help meet urgent problems and provide large returns in practical benefits.

  4. EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Physics of the plasma corona in the problem of laser controlled thermonuclear fusion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andreev, N. E.; Gorbunov, Leonid M.; Tikhonchuk, Vladimir T.

    1994-09-01

    A brief analysis is made of the most important nonlinear processes which result from the interaction of laser radiation with thermonuclear targets. lt is shown that problems in the physics of the plasma corona should be an essential part of any programme of research on laser controlled thermonuclear fusion. A list is given of the problems that have to be solved first before going to the next level of laser energies.

  5. Development of a patient-centred, patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for post-stroke cognitive rehabilitation: qualitative interviews with stroke survivors to inform design and content.

    PubMed

    Patchick, Emma L; Horne, Maria; Woodward-Nutt, Kate; Vail, Andy; Bowen, Audrey

    2015-12-01

    Improving cognition is service users' top research priority for life after stroke, and future research should include outcomes that they deem important. Patient perspectives on outcomes are collected using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). There is currently no patient-centred PROM specific for cognitive rehabilitation trials. Inform PROM development by exploring stroke survivor perspectives on the important, measurable impacts of persisting post-stroke cognitive problems. Qualitative semi-structured interviews in participants' homes. Purposive sample of 16 cognitively impaired stroke survivors at least six months post-stroke. Interviews used a schedule and communication aids developed through patient consultation. Interviews were transcribed verbatim with non-verbal communication recorded using field notes. Data were analysed using a framework approach to find commonalities to shape the focus and content of an outcome measure. Participants identified important impacts of their 'invisible' cognitive problems, outside of other stroke-related impairments. Cognitive problems exacerbated emotional issues and vice versa. Changes in self-identity and social participation were prominent. Impact was not spoken about in terms of frequency but rather in terms of the negative affect associated with problems; terms like 'bothered' and 'frustration' were often used. The results support the development of a PROM specifically designed to address the impact of cognitive problems. It should: include items addressing a comprehensive range of cognitive skills; ask questions about mood, self-identity and social participation; use accessible wording that respondents understand and endorse; measure impact rather than frequency; and explore perceived impact on carers. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Market Research for Effective Competition in the Federal Procurement Process.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-12-01

    specific 15 or’ *~L%- 1. - *..’ aspect of it. Market research should not be confused with marketing research which is concerned with the investigation...hands of the consumer. [Ref. 17: p. 4] Marketing research is the systematic combination of logic and data to define and solve important problems in...the field of marketing. [Ref. 18: p. 15] Marketing research is the systematic and objective search for and analysis of information relevant to the

  7. Low-impact recreational practices for wilderness and backcountry

    Treesearch

    David N. Cole

    1989-01-01

    Describes low-impact practices that can contribute to minimizing problems resulting from recreational use of wilderness and backcountry. Each practice is described and information is provided on such subjects as rationale for the practice, importance, and costs to visitors. Practices that may be counter-productive are described, as are important research gaps.

  8. The Importance of Acquiring Pedagogical and Didactic Competencies of Future Teachers--The Croatian Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dubovicki, Snježana; Jukic, Renata

    2017-01-01

    This paper emphasizes the importance of developing pedagogical and didactic competencies of graduate students of teachers' education, and certain problems they encountered in acquiring those competencies in the Croatian environment. The goal of the research was to examine the students' (future teachers') assessments of the capability to work with…

  9. The what, how, why, and where of self-construal.

    PubMed

    Cross, Susan E; Hardin, Erin E; Gercek-Swing, Berna

    2011-05-01

    Since the publication of Markus and Kitayama's pivotal article on culture and the self, the concepts of independent, relational, and interdependent self-construal have become important constructs in cultural psychology and research on the self. The authors review the history of these constructs, their measurement and manipulation, and their roles in cognition, emotion, motivation, and social behavior. They make suggestions for future research and point to problems still to be sorted out. Researchers interested in these constructs have many opportunities to make important contributions to the literature in a variety of fields, including health psychology, education, counseling, and international relations.

  10. Recent trends and important developments in propolis research

    PubMed Central

    2005-01-01

    The newest developments in propolis pharmacological research are summarized. The problem regarding biological studies, caused by the chemical variability of propolis, is discussed. The most important trends and developments in recent propolis research are outlined: biological studies performed with chemically characterized samples, bioassay-guided studies of active principles and comparative biological studies of propolis of different origin and chemical composition. These types of studies are extremely valuable with respect to propolis standardization and practical applications in therapy. They will allow scientists to connect a particular chemical propolis type to a specific type of biological activity and formulate recommendations for practitioners. PMID:15841275

  11. X-Ray astronomy the 1980's. [conferences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holt, S. S. (Editor)

    1981-01-01

    The status of the current understanding of important problems to which X-ray astronomical techniques can be applied is summarized and the prospects for such research in the future is discussed. Relatively near-term X-ray astronomical research objectives are presented. The importance of a continuing program of balloon-borne research as a cost effective means by which studies at energies in excess of 20 keV may be performed is emphasized. The scientific opportunities presented by the Space Transpotation System to develop low cost experiments which are beyond the scope of balloon-borne capabilities are also highlighted.

  12. The status of indoor air pollution.

    PubMed Central

    Esmen, N A

    1985-01-01

    Indoor air pollution, specifically restricted in its meaning to chemicals in home indoor air environment, presents a new and probably an important challenge to the researchers of the air pollution field. The general overview of this topic suggests that the voluminous data generated in the past ten or so years have only defined the rudiments of the problem, and significant areas of research still exist. Among the important areas where information is lacking, the exposures to contaminants generated by the use of consumer products and through hobbies and crafts represent perhaps the most urgent need for substantial research. PMID:4085429

  13. Achieving spectrum conservation for the minimum-span and minimum-order frequency assignment problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heyward, Ann O.

    1992-01-01

    Effective and efficient solutions of frequency assignment problems assumes increasing importance as the radiofrequency spectrum experiences ever increasing utilization by diverse communications services, requiring that the most efficient use of this resource be achieved. The research presented explores a general approach to the frequency assignment problem, in which such problems are categorized by the appropriate spectrum conserving objective function, and are each treated as an N-job, M-machine scheduling problem appropriate for the objective. Results obtained and presented illustrate that such an approach presents an effective means of achieving spectrum conserving frequency assignments for communications systems in a variety of environments.

  14. Early history of neutron scattering at oak ridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkinson, M. K.

    1986-03-01

    Most of the early development of neutron scattering techniques utilizing reactor neutrons occurred at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the years immediately following World War II. C.G. Shull, E.O. Wollan, and their associates systematically established neutron diffraction as a quantitative research tool and then applied this technique to important problems in nuclear physics, chemical crystallography, and magnetism. This article briefly summarizes the very important research at ORNL during this period, which laid the foundation for the establishment of neutron scattering programs throughout the world.

  15. [Academician Li Lianda talking about doctors doing scientific research].

    PubMed

    He, Ping; Li, Yi-kui

    2015-09-01

    At present, Chinese medical field faces with an important problem of how to correctly handle the relationship between medical and scientific research. Academician Li Lianda advocates doctors doing scientific research under the premise of putting the medical work first. He points out that there are many problems in the process of doctors doing scientific research at present such as paying more attention to scientific research than medical care, excessively promoting building scientific research hospital, only paying attention to training scientific talents, research direction be flashy without substance, the medical evaluation system should be improved and so on. Medical, scientific research and teaching are inseparable because improving medical standards depends on scientific research and personnel training. But not all doctors need to take into account of medical treatment, scientific research and teaching in the same degree while not all hospitals need to turn into three-in-one hospital, scientific research hospital or teaching hospital. It must be treated differently according to the actual situation.

  16. Through the Eyes of Parents: A Singaporean Perspective of the Importance of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills for Six-Year-Old Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Margaret Anne; Frewen, Amie; Chunn, Jennifer

    2014-01-01

    This study reports the importance 244 parents of six-year-old children living in Singapore placed on cognitive (problem-solving and creativity) and non-cognitive (practical school skills and conforming) behaviours. Our research team hypothesised that, as the age of the parent increased, the importance placed on each covariant skill (problem…

  17. Risk Factors for Problem Gambling in California: Demographics, Comorbidities and Gambling Participation.

    PubMed

    Volberg, Rachel A; McNamara, Lauren M; Carris, Kari L

    2018-06-01

    While population surveys have been carried out in numerous jurisdictions internationally, little has been done to assess the relative strength of different risk factors that may contribute to the development of problem gambling. This is an important preparatory step for future research on the etiology of problem gambling. Using data from the 2006 California Problem Gambling Prevalence Survey, a telephone survey of adult California residents that used the NODS to assess respondents for gambling problems, binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and gambling participation variables that statistically predicted the odds of being a problem or pathological gambler. In a separate approach, linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of changes in these variables on the severity of the disorder. In both of the final models, the greatest statistical predictor of problem gambling status was past year Internet gambling. Furthermore, the unique finding of a significant interaction between physical or mental disability, Internet gambling, and problem gambling highlights the importance of exploring the interactions between different forms of gambling, the experience of mental and physical health issues, and the development of problem gambling using a longitudinal lens.

  18. Accumulation of organic carbon in chernozems (mollisols) under Shelterbelts in Russia and the United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In modern soil science, one of the most important trends is in research, evaluation and analysis of anthropogenic transformation of soils and soil cover of the Earth and its regions. The complex and interdisciplinary nature of the research problem of anthropogenic transformation of soils and their c...

  19. Using Game-Based Learning to Foster Critical Thinking in Student Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cicchino, Marc I.

    2015-01-01

    Previous research indicates the importance of student discourse in the construction of knowledge and the fostering of critical thinking skills, especially in the field of problem-based learning (PBL). Further, a growing body of research on game-based learning (GBL) draws parallels between playing certain types of games and the solving of…

  20. Belgian and Turkish Pre-Service Primary School Teachers' Metaphoric Expressions about Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiliç, Çigdem; Yanpar Yelken, Tugba

    2013-01-01

    Problem Statement: Recent studies in education have focused on how to handle metaphors as research and evaluation tools. Metaphors have many advantages for researchers, educators and learners with the most important being that they can help educators understand pre-service teachers' thinking and belief systems of mathematics. A study of previous…

  1. Expressing Youth Voice through Video Games and Coding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Crystle

    2017-01-01

    A growing body of research focuses on the impact of video games and coding on learning. The research often elevates learning the technical skills associated with video games and coding or the importance of problem solving and computational thinking, which are, of course, necessary and relevant. However, the literature less often explores how young…

  2. The Increasingly Important Role of Science Competency Beliefs for Science Learning in Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vincent-Ruz, Paulette; Schunn, Christian D.

    2017-01-01

    The number of women studying STEM careers and pursuing graduate degrees has not changed in the last decade (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2015; Science & Engineering Degree Attainment: 2004-2014). Most prior research to explain this problem has focused on the topics of identity, access, pedagogy, and choice (Brotman &…

  3. Structural Peculiarities of Social Mental Abilities of Future Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yermentayevaa, Ardakh Rizabekovna; Kenzhebayeva, Kundyz Serikovna; Umirbekova, Akerke Nurlanbekovna; Aubakirova, Zhanat Kanashovna; Iskakova, Akmaral Bakytbekovna

    2016-01-01

    The problem of social intelligence of researchers has attracted attention in recent years. Social intelligence is one of the most important characteristics of teachers. The aim of this research was to study features of structure of social intelligence of future teachers. The respondents in this study were selected 360 students of pedagogical…

  4. Methodological Issues and Practical Strategies in Research on Child Maltreatment Victims' Abilities and Experiences as Witnesses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chae, Yoojin; Goodman, Gail S.; Bederian-Gardner, Daniel; Lindsay, Adam

    2011-01-01

    Scientific studies of child maltreatment victims' memory abilities and court experiences have important legal, psychological, and clinical implications. However, state-of-the-art research on child witnesses is often hindered by methodological challenges. In this paper, we address specific problems investigators may encounter when attempting such…

  5. Academic Freedom: Problems in Conceptualization and Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abdel Latif, Muhammad M. M.

    2014-01-01

    Academic freedom is of central importance to higher education and it affects all aspects of work at universities. It symbolizes academics' acceptance of the need for openness and flexibility (Balyer, 2011) and it protects the conditions leading to the creation of good teaching and learning, sound research, and scholarship (Atkinson, 2004).…

  6. Higher Education Research in Uganda: Problems and Prospects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owoeye, J. S.; Oyebade, S. A.

    2010-01-01

    Research is regarded as essential for development and the application of new knowledge for the benefit of society. Higher education in Uganda has expanded rapidly in the last 20 years. Universities have become the most important institutions in the achievement of national and international goals in enhancing the quality of life, wealth creation,…

  7. The Feasibility of Determining Success Criteria for Educational Research and Development Projects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ball, Rodney J.; Cook, Desmond L.

    The determination of final success of educational research and development projects is an important problem for those concerned with project management and evaluation. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to determine if schedule, cost, quality/performance, follow-on work, spin-off benefits, and customer/client satisfaction were given a…

  8. The Role of Classroom-Level Child Behavior Problems in Predicting Preschool Teacher Stress and Classroom Emotional Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friedman-Krauss, Allison Hope; Raver, C. Cybele; Morris, Pamela A.; Jones, Stephanie M.

    2014-01-01

    Research Findings: Despite the abundance of research suggesting that preschool classroom quality influences children's social-emotional development, the equally important and related question of how characteristics of children enrolled in a classroom influence classroom quality has rarely been addressed. The current article focuses on this…

  9. Crashdynamics with DYNA3D: Capabilities and research directions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whirley, Robert G.; Engelmann, Bruce E.

    1993-01-01

    The application of the explicit nonlinear finite element analysis code DYNA3D to crashworthiness problems is discussed. Emphasized in the first part of this work are the most important capabilities of an explicit code for crashworthiness analyses. The areas with significant research promise for the computational simulation of crash events are then addressed.

  10. The Opinions of Pre-Service Science Teachers on School Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kubat, Ulas

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this research is to identify the problems faced by the pre-service science teachers in the process of school practice, and to determine possible solutions. School practice is very important in establishing theory-practice relationships for the candidate teachers. A qualitative design was employed for this research study. The…

  11. The University Campus: Why Military Sponsored Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Messing, Aubrey E.

    Military-sponsored research on the university campus has been a major issue during the past several years. Opposition has come from radicals, who wish to destroy the university itself, to critics, who feel such activities take needed funds and personnel from the more important task of solving our nation's social problems. These viewpoints and the…

  12. Perspectives on Inmate Communication and Interpersonal Relations in the Maximum Security Prison.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Voorhis, Patricia; Meussling, Vonne

    In recent years, scholarly and applied inquiry has addressed the importance of interpersonal communication patterns and problems in maximum security institutions for males. As a result of this research, the number of programs designed to improve the interpersonal effectiveness of prison inmates has increased dramatically. Research suggests that…

  13. Examining Factors in the Research Institute on Addictions Self-Inventory (RIASI): Associations with Alcohol Use and Problems at Assessment and Follow-Up

    PubMed Central

    Mann, Robert E.; Stoduto, Gina; Zalcman, Rosely Flam; Nochajski, Thomas H.; Hall, Louise; Dill, Patricia; Wells-Parker, Elisabeth

    2009-01-01

    Impaired driving is a leading cause of alcohol-related deaths and injuries. Rehabilitation or remedial programs, involving assessment and screening of convicted impaired drivers to determine problem severity and appropriate programs, are an important component of society’s response to this problem. Ontario’s remedial program, Back on Track (BOT), involves an assessment process that includes administration of the Research Institute on Addictions Self-Inventory (RIASI) to determine assignment to an education or treatment program. The purpose of this study is to identify factors within the RIASI and examine how factor scores are associated with alcohol use and problem indicators at assessment and six-month follow-up. The sample included 22,298 individuals who completed BOT from 2000 to 2005. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was conducted on RIASI data and an eight factor solution was retained: (1) Negative Affect, (2) Sensation Seeking, (3) Alcohol-Quantity, (4) Social Conformity, (5) High Risk Lifestyle, (6) Alcohol Problems, (7) Interpersonal Competence, and (8) Family History. Regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between factors and alcohol and problem measures obtained at assessment and at follow-up. Most factors, except for Interpersonal Competence, were associated with more alcohol use and problems at assessment. A similar pattern was observed at 6-month follow-up, but interestingly some factors (Negative Affect, Sensation Seeking, Alcohol-Quantity and Family History) predicted fewer days of alcohol use. The Interpersonal Competence factor was associated with significantly lower levels of alcohol use and problems at both assessment and follow-up. This work suggests that the RIASI provides information on several domains that have important relationships with alcohol problem severity and outcomes. PMID:20049234

  14. 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.

  15. Optimization of multi-objective integrated process planning and scheduling problem using a priority based optimization algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ausaf, Muhammad Farhan; Gao, Liang; Li, Xinyu

    2015-12-01

    For increasing the overall performance of modern manufacturing systems, effective integration of process planning and scheduling functions has been an important area of consideration among researchers. Owing to the complexity of handling process planning and scheduling simultaneously, most of the research work has been limited to solving the integrated process planning and scheduling (IPPS) problem for a single objective function. As there are many conflicting objectives when dealing with process planning and scheduling, real world problems cannot be fully captured considering only a single objective for optimization. Therefore considering multi-objective IPPS (MOIPPS) problem is inevitable. Unfortunately, only a handful of research papers are available on solving MOIPPS problem. In this paper, an optimization algorithm for solving MOIPPS problem is presented. The proposed algorithm uses a set of dispatching rules coupled with priority assignment to optimize the IPPS problem for various objectives like makespan, total machine load, total tardiness, etc. A fixed sized external archive coupled with a crowding distance mechanism is used to store and maintain the non-dominated solutions. To compare the results with other algorithms, a C-matric based method has been used. Instances from four recent papers have been solved to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed method is an efficient approach for solving the MOIPPS problem.

  16. A meta-heuristic method for solving scheduling problem: crow search algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adhi, Antono; Santosa, Budi; Siswanto, Nurhadi

    2018-04-01

    Scheduling is one of the most important processes in an industry both in manufacturingand services. The scheduling process is the process of selecting resources to perform an operation on tasks. Resources can be machines, peoples, tasks, jobs or operations.. The selection of optimum sequence of jobs from a permutation is an essential issue in every research in scheduling problem. Optimum sequence becomes optimum solution to resolve scheduling problem. Scheduling problem becomes NP-hard problem since the number of job in the sequence is more than normal number can be processed by exact algorithm. In order to obtain optimum results, it needs a method with capability to solve complex scheduling problems in an acceptable time. Meta-heuristic is a method usually used to solve scheduling problem. The recently published method called Crow Search Algorithm (CSA) is adopted in this research to solve scheduling problem. CSA is an evolutionary meta-heuristic method which is based on the behavior in flocks of crow. The calculation result of CSA for solving scheduling problem is compared with other algorithms. From the comparison, it is found that CSA has better performance in term of optimum solution and time calculation than other algorithms.

  17. From a Culture of Bullying to a Climate of Support: The Evolution of Bullying Prevention and Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornell, Dewey; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

    2015-01-01

    In this commentary, Cornell and Bradshaw report decades of research in school psychology have brought attention to the culture of peer bullying and harassment that was a largely neglected problem in most schools. At the same time, research on the school environment has brought recognition to the importance of a safe and supportive school climate.…

  18. Don't Trust a Management Metric, Especially in Life Support

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Harry W.

    2014-01-01

    Goodhart's law states that metrics do not work. Metrics become distorted when used and they deflect effort away from more important goals. These well-known and unavoidable problems occurred when the closure and system mass metrics were used to manage life support research. The intent of life support research should be to develop flyable, operable, reliable systems, not merely to increase life support system closure or to reduce its total mass. It would be better to design life support systems to meet the anticipated mission requirements and user needs. Substituting the metrics of closure and total mass for these goals seems to have led life support research to solve the wrong problems.

  19. Before and after Silent Spring: from chemical pesticides to biological control and integrated pest management--Britain, 1945-1980.

    PubMed

    Gay, Hannah

    2012-07-01

    The use of chemical pesticides increased considerably after World War II, and ecological damage was noticeable by the late 1940s. This paper outlines some ecological problems experienced during the post-war period in the UK, and in parts of what is now Malaysia. Also discussed is the government's response. Although Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring (1962), was important in bringing the problems to a wider public, she was not alone in sounding the alarm. Pressure from the public and from British scientists led, among other things, to the founding of the Natural Environment Research Council in 1965. By the 1970s, environmentalism was an important movement, and funding for ecological and environmental research was forthcoming even during the economic recession. Some of the recipients were ecologists working at Imperial College London. Moved by the political climate, and by the evidence of ecological damage, they carried out research on the biological control of insect pests.

  20. A Survey on Anomaly Based Host Intrusion Detection System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jose, Shijoe; Malathi, D.; Reddy, Bharath; Jayaseeli, Dorathi

    2018-04-01

    An intrusion detection system (IDS) is hardware, software or a combination of two, for monitoring network or system activities to detect malicious signs. In computer security, designing a robust intrusion detection system is one of the most fundamental and important problems. The primary function of system is detecting intrusion and gives alerts when user tries to intrusion on timely manner. In these techniques when IDS find out intrusion it will send alert massage to the system administrator. Anomaly detection is an important problem that has been researched within diverse research areas and application domains. This survey tries to provide a structured and comprehensive overview of the research on anomaly detection. From the existing anomaly detection techniques, each technique has relative strengths and weaknesses. The current state of the experiment practice in the field of anomaly-based intrusion detection is reviewed and survey recent studies in this. This survey provides a study of existing anomaly detection techniques, and how the techniques used in one area can be applied in another application domain.

  1. Underdeveloped Themes in Qualitative Research: Relationship With Interviews and Analysis.

    PubMed

    Connelly, Lynne M; Peltzer, Jill N

    2016-01-01

    In this methodological article, the authors address the problem of underdeveloped themes in qualitative studies they have reviewed. Various possible reasons for underdeveloped themes are examined, and suggestions offered. Each problem area is explored, and literature support is provided. The suggestions that are offered are supported by the literature as well. The problem with underdeveloped themes in certain articles is related to 3 interconnected issues: (a) lack of clear relationship to the underlying research method, (b) an apparent lack of depth in interviewing techniques, and (c) lack of depth in the analysis. Underdeveloped themes in a qualitative study can lead to a lack of substantive findings that have meaningful implications for practice, research, and the nursing profession, as well as the rejection of articles for publication. Fully developed themes require knowledge about the paradigm of qualitative research, the methodology that is proposed, the effective techniques of interviewing that can produce rich data with examples and experiences, and analysis that goes beyond superficial reporting of what the participants have said. Analytic problem areas include premature closure, anxiety about how to analyze, and confusion about categories and themes. Effective qualitative research takes time and effort and is not as easy as is sometimes presumed. The usefulness of findings depends on researchers improving their research skills and practices. Increasingly researchers are using qualitative research to explore clinically important issues. As consumers of research or members of a research team, clinical nurse specialists need to understand the nature of this research that can provide in-depth insight and meaning.

  2. Large Unbalanced Credit Scoring Using Lasso-Logistic Regression Ensemble

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Hong; Xu, Qingsong; Zhou, Lifeng

    2015-01-01

    Recently, various ensemble learning methods with different base classifiers have been proposed for credit scoring problems. However, for various reasons, there has been little research using logistic regression as the base classifier. In this paper, given large unbalanced data, we consider the plausibility of ensemble learning using regularized logistic regression as the base classifier to deal with credit scoring problems. In this research, the data is first balanced and diversified by clustering and bagging algorithms. Then we apply a Lasso-logistic regression learning ensemble to evaluate the credit risks. We show that the proposed algorithm outperforms popular credit scoring models such as decision tree, Lasso-logistic regression and random forests in terms of AUC and F-measure. We also provide two importance measures for the proposed model to identify important variables in the data. PMID:25706988

  3. Confronting the Emerging Epidemic of HCV Infection Among Young Injection Drug Users

    PubMed Central

    Khalsa, Jag; Dan, Corinna; Holmberg, Scott; Zibbell, Jon; Holtzman, Deborah; Lubran, Robert; Compton, Wilson

    2014-01-01

    Hepatitis C virus infection is a significant public health problem in the United States and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Recent reports document HCV infection increases among young injection drug users in several US regions, associated with America’s prescription opioid abuse epidemic. Incident HCV infection increases among young injectors who have recently transitioned from oral opioid abuse present an important public health challenge requiring a comprehensive, community-based response. We summarize recommendations from a 2013 Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy convening of experts in epidemiology, behavioral science, drug prevention and treatment, and other research; community service providers; and federal, state, and local government representatives. Their observations highlight gaps in our surveillance, program, and research portfolios and advocate a syndemic approach to this emerging public health problem. PMID:24625174

  4. Research in the Real World: Improving Adult Learners Web Search and Evaluation Skills through Motivational Design and Problem-Based Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Lindsay

    2017-01-01

    How can we better engage adult learners during information literacy sessions? How do we increase students' perception of the relevance and importance of information literacy skills for academic work and life in the real world? To explore these questions, the ARCS Model of Motivational Design and Problem-Based Learning were used to develop…

  5. Measuring Impact in Research Evaluations: A Thorough Discussion of Methods For, Effects of and Problems with Impact Measurements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bornmann, Lutz

    2017-01-01

    Impact of science is one of the most important topics in scientometrics. Recent developments show a fundamental change in impact measurements from impact on science to impact on society. Since impact measurement is currently in a state of far reaching changes, this paper describes recent developments and facing problems in this area. For that, the…

  6. New Concepts of Play and the Problem of Technology, Digital Media and Popular-Culture Integration with Play-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Technology, digital media and popular culture form an important aspect of young children's life-worlds in contemporary post-industrial societies. A problem for early childhood educators is how to most effectively integrate these aspects of children's life-worlds into the provision of play-based learning. Traditionally, research has considered…

  7. The Effect of Problem Posing Oriented Analyses-II Course on the Attitudes toward Mathematics and Mathematics Self-Efficacy of Elementary Prospective Mathematics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akay, Hayri; Boz, Nihat

    2010-01-01

    Research on mathematics teaching and learning has recently focused on affective variables, which were found to play an essential role that influences behaviour and learning. Despite its importance, problem posing has not yet received the attention it warrants from the mathematics education community. Perceived self-efficacy beliefs have been found…

  8. Elucidation of Heterogeneous Processes Controlling Boost Phase Signatures

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-09-12

    three year research program to develop efficient theoretical methods to study collisional processes involved in radiative signature modeling . The...Marlboro, MD 20772 I. Statement of Problem For strategic defense, it is important to be able to effectively model radiative signaturesl arising from...Thus our computational work was on problems or models for which exact results for making comparisons were available. Our key validations were

  9. Geothermal reservoir simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mercer, J. W., Jr.; Faust, C.; Pinder, G. F.

    1974-01-01

    The prediction of long-term geothermal reservoir performance and the environmental impact of exploiting this resource are two important problems associated with the utilization of geothermal energy for power production. Our research effort addresses these problems through numerical simulation. Computer codes based on the solution of partial-differential equations using finite-element techniques are being prepared to simulate multiphase energy transport, energy transport in fractured porous reservoirs, well bore phenomena, and subsidence.

  10. The Analysis of Institutional Environment for Development of a Public-Private Partnership in the Sphere of Environmental Protection in the Samara Region

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saldaeva, Marina N.; Kudryashov, Alexander V.; Magomadova, Tamilla L.; Sikorskaya, Galina P.; Evtodieva, Tatiana E.; Charaeva, Marina V.

    2016-01-01

    The relevance of researched problem is caused by the fact that public-private partnership has high potential to become an effective platform not only for infrastructure and socially important projects, but also to start mechanisms of environmental problems solution and activization of ecological business responsibility at the levels which are…

  11. Technology Creep and the Arms Race: ICBM Problem a Sleeper.

    PubMed

    Shapley, D

    1978-09-22

    In three articles, Science will discuss how the creep of technology affects the arms race. The first two articles will deal with the most important current example: first, how ICBM modernization is giving both sides a destabilizing, first-strike capability, and second, how arms control seems to be dealing inadequately with this pressing problem. The third article will describe other cases of incremental technical improvements affecting arms control, such as antisatellite research and ballistic missile defense research, which are bringing both sides closer to the antiballistic missile capability they forswore in a 1972 treaty.

  12. High profile students’ growth of mathematical understanding in solving linier programing problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Utomo; Kusmayadi, TA; Pramudya, I.

    2018-04-01

    Linear program has an important role in human’s life. This linear program is learned in senior high school and college levels. This material is applied in economy, transportation, military and others. Therefore, mastering linear program is useful for provision of life. This research describes a growth of mathematical understanding in solving linear programming problems based on the growth of understanding by the Piere-Kieren model. Thus, this research used qualitative approach. The subjects were students of grade XI in Salatiga city. The subjects of this study were two students who had high profiles. The researcher generally chose the subjects based on the growth of understanding from a test result in the classroom; the mark from the prerequisite material was ≥ 75. Both of the subjects were interviewed by the researcher to know the students’ growth of mathematical understanding in solving linear programming problems. The finding of this research showed that the subjects often folding back to the primitive knowing level to go forward to the next level. It happened because the subjects’ primitive understanding was not comprehensive.

  13. Sandia National Laboratories analysis code data base

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peterson, C. W.

    1994-11-01

    Sandia National Laboratories' mission is to solve important problems in the areas of national defense, energy security, environmental integrity, and industrial technology. The laboratories' strategy for accomplishing this mission is to conduct research to provide an understanding of the important physical phenomena underlying any problem, and then to construct validated computational models of the phenomena which can be used as tools to solve the problem. In the course of implementing this strategy, Sandia's technical staff has produced a wide variety of numerical problem-solving tools which they use regularly in the design, analysis, performance prediction, and optimization of Sandia components, systems, and manufacturing processes. This report provides the relevant technical and accessibility data on the numerical codes used at Sandia, including information on the technical competency or capability area that each code addresses, code 'ownership' and release status, and references describing the physical models and numerical implementation.

  14. Analysis of the type II robotic mixed-model assembly line balancing problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Çil, Zeynel Abidin; Mete, Süleyman; Ağpak, Kürşad

    2017-06-01

    In recent years, there has been an increasing trend towards using robots in production systems. Robots are used in different areas such as packaging, transportation, loading/unloading and especially assembly lines. One important step in taking advantage of robots on the assembly line is considering them while balancing the line. On the other hand, market conditions have increased the importance of mixed-model assembly lines. Therefore, in this article, the robotic mixed-model assembly line balancing problem is studied. The aim of this study is to develop a new efficient heuristic algorithm based on beam search in order to minimize the sum of cycle times over all models. In addition, mathematical models of the problem are presented for comparison. The proposed heuristic is tested on benchmark problems and compared with the optimal solutions. The results show that the algorithm is very competitive and is a promising tool for further research.

  15. Mexican high school students' social representations of mathematics, its teaching and learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez-Sierra, Gustavo; Miranda-Tirado, Marisa

    2015-07-01

    This paper reports a qualitative research that identifies Mexican high school students' social representations of mathematics. For this purpose, the social representations of 'mathematics', 'learning mathematics' and 'teaching mathematics' were identified in a group of 50 students. Focus group interviews were carried out in order to obtain the data. The constant comparative style was the strategy used for the data analysis because it allowed the categories to emerge from the data. The students' social representations are: (A) Mathematics is…(1) important for daily life, (2) important for careers and for life, (3) important because it is in everything that surrounds us, (4) a way to solve problems of daily life, (5) calculations and operations with numbers, (6) complex and difficult, (7) exact and (6) a subject that develops thinking skills; (B) To learn mathematics is…(1) to possess knowledge to solve problems, (2) to be able to solve everyday problems, (3) to be able to make calculations and operations, and (4) to think logically to be able to solve problems; and (C) To teach mathematics is…(1) to transmit knowledge, (2) to know to share it, (3) to transmit the reasoning ability, and (4) to show how to solve problems.

  16. Prevention and early intervention for behaviour problems in children with developmental disabilities.

    PubMed

    Einfeld, Stewart L; Tonge, Bruce J; Clarke, Kristina S

    2013-05-01

    To review the recent evidence regarding early intervention and prevention studies for children with developmental disabilities and behaviour problems from 2011 to 2013. Recent advances in the field are discussed and important areas for future research are highlighted. Recent reviews and studies highlight the utility of antecedent interventions and skills training interventions for reducing behaviour problems. There is preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of parent training interventions when delivered in minimally sufficient formats or in clinical settings. Two recent studies have demonstrated the utility of behavioural interventions for children with genetic causes of disability. Various forms of behavioural and parent training interventions are effective at reducing the behaviour problems in children with developmental disabilities. However, research on prevention and early intervention continues to be relatively scarce. Further large-scale dissemination studies and effectiveness studies in clinical or applied settings are needed.

  17. An Effective Evolutionary Approach for Bicriteria Shortest Path Routing Problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Lin; Gen, Mitsuo

    Routing problem is one of the important research issues in communication network fields. In this paper, we consider a bicriteria shortest path routing (bSPR) model dedicated to calculating nondominated paths for (1) the minimum total cost and (2) the minimum transmission delay. To solve this bSPR problem, we propose a new multiobjective genetic algorithm (moGA): (1) an efficient chromosome representation using the priority-based encoding method; (2) a new operator of GA parameters auto-tuning, which is adaptively regulation of exploration and exploitation based on the change of the average fitness of parents and offspring which is occurred at each generation; and (3) an interactive adaptive-weight fitness assignment mechanism is implemented that assigns weights to each objective and combines the weighted objectives into a single objective function. Numerical experiments with various scales of network design problems show the effectiveness and the efficiency of our approach by comparing with the recent researches.

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

    Wiley, H. S.

    There comes a time in every scientist’s career when one's mind seems to hit a wall. You can’t think of a new experiment that hasn’t been done before or figure out how to crack a problem that is blocking your progress. The easy questions have been answered. You go back to the wellspring of your creativity and find it dry. What to do? Collaborating with investigators who are investigating problems from a different data or analytical perspective is the best way I know to kick-start research creativity. They not only can provide new data, but they can also bring anmore » expertise on how to get the most “flavor” out of the ingredient that they bring to your problem. As the complexity of the important biological problems continues to grow, too many cooks will never spoil the broth, but become a hallmark of the most creative research.« less

  19. The IS-GEO RCN: Fostering Collaborations for Intelligent Systems Research to Support Geosciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gil, Y.; Pierce, S. A.

    2016-12-01

    Geoscience problems are complex and often involve data that changes across space and time. Frequently geoscience knowledge and understanding provides valuable information and insight for problems related to energy, water, climate, mineral resources, and our understanding of how the Earth evolves through time. Simultaneously, many grand challenges in the geosciences cannot be addressed without the aid of computational support and innovations. Intelligent and Information Systems (IS) research includes a broad range of computational methods and topics such as knowledge representation, information integration, machine learning, robotics, adaptive sensors, and intelligent interfaces. IS research has a very important role to play in accelerating the speed of scientific discovery in geosciences and thus in solving challenges in geosciences. Many aspects of geosciences (GEO) research pose novel open problems for intelligent systems researchers. To develop intelligent systems with sound knowledge of theory and practice, it is important that GEO and IS experts collaborate. The EarthCube Research Coordination Network for Intelligent Systems for Geosciences (IS-GEO RCN) represents an emerging community of interdisciplinary researchers producing fundamental new capabilities for understanding Earth systems. Furthermore, the educational component aims to identify new approaches to teaching students in this new interdisciplinary area, seeking to raise a new generation of scientists that are better able to apply IS methods and tools to geoscience challenges of the future. By providing avenues for IS and GEO researchers to work together, the IS-GEO RCN will serve as both a point of contact, as well as an avenue for educational outreach across the disciplines for the nascent community of research and practice. The initial efforts are focused on connecting the communities in ways that help researchers understand opportunities and challenges that can benefit from IS-GEO collaborations. The IS-GEO RCN will jumpstart interdisciplinary research collaborations in this emerging new area so that progress across both disciplines can be accelerated.

  20. Motivational assessment of non-treatment buprenorphine research participation in heroin dependent individuals.

    PubMed

    Papke, Gina; Greenwald, Mark K

    2012-06-01

    Heroin abuse remains an important public health problem, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. Insight into this problem is gained from interviewing addicted individuals. However, we lack systematic data on factors that motivate heroin users to participate in non-treatment research that offers both financial incentives (compensation) and non-financial incentives (e.g., short-term medication). To better understand the relative importance of several types of personal motivations to participate in non-treatment buprenorphine research, and to relate self-motivations to social, economic, demographic and drug use factors. Heroin dependent volunteers (N=235 total; 57 female and 178 male; 136 African American, 86 Caucasian, and 13 Other) applied for non-therapeutic buprenorphine research in an urban outpatient setting from 2004 to 2008. We conducted a semi-structured behavioral economic interview, after which participants ranked 11 possible motivations for research participation. Although the study was repeatedly described as non-treatment research involving buprenorphine, participants often ranked some treatment-related motivations as important (wanting to reduce/stop heroin use, needing a medication to get stabilized/detoxify). Some motivations correlated with income, heroin use, and years since marketing of buprenorphine. Two dimensions emerged from principal component analysis of motivation rankings: (1) treatment motivation vs. greater immediate needs and (2) commitment to trying alternatives vs. a more accepting attitude toward traditional interventions. In summary, heroin addicts' self-motivations to engage in non-therapeutic research are complex--they value economic gain but not exclusively or primarily--and relate to variables such as socioeconomic factors and drug use. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Motivational Assessment of Non-Treatment Buprenorphine Research Participation in Heroin Dependent Individuals

    PubMed Central

    Papke, Gina; Greenwald, Mark K.

    2011-01-01

    Background Heroin abuse remains an important public health problem, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. Insight into this problem is gained from interviewing addicted individuals. However, we lack systematic data on factors that motivate heroin users to participate in non-treatment research that offers both financial incentives (compensation) and non-financial incentives (e.g., short-term medication). Aim To better understand the relative importance of several types of personal motivations to participate in non-treatment buprenorphine research, and to relate self-motivations to social, economic, demographic and drug use factors. Methods Heroin dependent volunteers (N = 235 total; 57 female and 178 male; 136 African American, 86 Caucasian, and 13 Other) applied for non-therapeutic buprenorphine research in an urban outpatient setting from 2004–2008. We conducted a semi-structured behavioral economic interview, after which participants ranked 11 possible motivations for research participation. Results Although the study was repeatedly described as non-treatment research involving buprenorphine, participants often ranked some treatment-related motivations as important (wanting to reduce/stop heroin use, needing a medication to get stabilized/detoxify). Some motivations correlated with income, heroin use, and years since marketing of buprenorphine. Two dimensions emerged from principal component analysis of motivation rankings: (1) treatment motivation vs. greater immediate needs, and (2) commitment to trying alternatives vs. a more accepting attitude toward traditional interventions. In summary, heroin addicts’ self-motivations to engage in non-therapeutic research are complex – they value economic gain but not exclusively or primarily – and relate to variables such as socioeconomic factors and drug use. PMID:22137646

  2. Convective Aggregation, Climate Sensitivity, and the Importance of Radiation Physics in Weather and Climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emanuel, K.

    2015-12-01

    Since the revolutionary work of Vilhelm Bjerknes, Jule Charney, and Eric Eady, geophysical fluid dynamics has dominated weather research and continues to play an important in climate dynamics. Although the physics of radiative transfer is central to understanding climate, it has played a far smaller role in weather research and is given only rudimentary attention in most educational programs in meteorology. Yet key contemporary problems in atmospheric science, such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation and the self-aggregation of moist convection, do not appear to have been solved by approaches based strictly on fluid dynamics and moist adiabatic thermodynamics. Here I will argue that many outstanding problems in meteorology and climate science involve a nontrivial coupling of circulation and radiation physics. In particular, the phenomenon of self-aggregation of moist convection depends on the interaction of radiation with time-varying water vapor and clouds, with strong implications for such diverse problems as the Madden-Julian Oscillation, tropical cyclones, and the relative insensitivity of tropical climate to radiative forcing. This argues for an augmentation of radiative transfer physics in graduate curricula in atmospheric sciences.

  3. Can Childhood Factors Predict Workplace Deviance?

    PubMed Central

    Piquero, Nicole Leeper; Moffitt, Terrie E.

    2013-01-01

    Compared to the more common focus on street crime, empirical research on workplace deviance has been hampered by highly select samples, cross-sectional research designs, and limited inclusion of relevant predictor variables that bear on important theoretical debates. A key debate concerns the extent to which childhood conduct-problem trajectories influence crime over the life-course, including adults’ workplace crime, whether childhood low self-control is a more important determinant than trajectories, and/or whether each or both of these childhood factors relate to later criminal activity. This paper provides evidence on this debate by examining two types of workplace deviance: production and property deviance separately for males and females. We use data from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a birth cohort followed into adulthood, to examine how childhood factors (conduct-problem trajectories and low self-control) and then adult job characteristics predict workplace deviance at age 32. Analyses revealed that none of the childhood factors matter for predicting female deviance in the workplace but that conduct-problem trajectories did account for male workplace deviance. PMID:24882937

  4. Pre-Service Physics Teachers’ Problem-solving Skills in Projectile Motion Concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sutarno, S.; Setiawan, A.; Kaniawati, I.; Suhandi, A.

    2017-09-01

    This study is a preliminary research aiming at exploring pre-service physics teachers’ skills in applying the stage of problem-solving strategies. A total of 76 students of physics education study program at a college in Bengkulu Indonesia participated in the study. The skills on solving physics problems are being explored through exercises that demand the use of problem-solving strategies with several stages such as useful description, physics approach, specific application of physics, physics equation, mathematical procedures, and logical progression. Based on the results of data analysis, it is found that the pre-service physics teachers’ skills are in the moderate category for physics approach and mathematical procedural, and low category for the others. It was concluded that the pre-service physics teachers’ problem-solving skills are categorized low. It is caused by the learning of physics that has done less to practice problem-solving skills. The problems provided are only routine and poorly trained in the implementation of problem-solving strategies.The results of the research can be used as a reference for the importance of the development of physics learning based on higher order thinking skills.

  5. In Regards to Higher Education Strategy, Assessment of Educational Activities in Public Universities: The Case of Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cevher, Ezgi; Yüksel, Hasan

    2015-01-01

    Problem Statement: With the increasing importance of information and research, the importance of education and training has also increased. Especially in higher education institutions, educators have started to instruct students in accordance with the requirements of the modern era, and universities have influenced the international and national…

  6. Patient Care Coordinator | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    We are looking for a Patient Care Coordinator to join our clinical team to help us coordinate care for patients enrolled on our clinical research protocols. Duties include scheduling appointments, coordinating new patients, obtaining patient records, attending weekly clinic meetings, and data base entry. Be part of our mission to solve the most important, challenging and neglected problems in modern cancer research and patient care.  The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research is a world-leading cancer research organization working toward scientific breakthroughs at medicine’s cutting edge.   Our scientists can’t do it alone. It takes an extraordinary team of researchers, clinical experts and administrators to improve the lives of cancer patients and answer the most important questions in cancer biology and treatment.

  7. Needed Research on Creativity. A Special Report of the USOE-Sponsored Grant Study: Critical Appraisal of Research in the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torrance, E. Paul; And Others

    This task group report is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S. Office of Education-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotion-motivation Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new research and methodological…

  8. The Psychology of Bayesian Reasoning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-21

    The psychology of Bayesian reasoning David R. Mandel* Socio-Cognitive Systems Section, Defence Research and Development Canada and Department...belief revision, subjective probability, human judgment, psychological methods. Most psychological research on Bayesian reasoning since the 1970s has...attention to some important problems with the conventional approach to studying Bayesian reasoning in psychology that has been dominant since the

  9. Pupils' Error on the Concept of Reversibility in Solving Arithmetic Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maf'ulah, Syarifatul; Juniati, Dwi; Siswono, Tatag Yuli Eko

    2016-01-01

    The fact that there is no much study on reversibility is one of reason this study was conducted. Others, the importance of reversibility is also being researcher's motivation for focusing pupils' reversibility. On the other hand, the concern on pupils' reversibility is a major concern. The objective of this research is to identify errors done by…

  10. Network Ethnography and the "Cyberflâneur": Evolving Policy Sociology in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogan, Anna

    2016-01-01

    This paper makes the argument that new global spatialities and new governance structures in education have important implications for how we think about education policy and do education policy analysis. This context necessitates that researchers engage in new methodologies to ensure that there is a suitable link between their research problem and…

  11. Research on Evaluation Ethics: What Have We Learned and Why Is It Important?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Michael

    1999-01-01

    Findings from empirical research on evaluation ethics indicate an apparent lack of consensus within the field concerning what constitutes an ethical issue, the frequent occurrence of problems in the later stages of evaluation projects, and the perceived ethical significance of the tendency of evaluators to be more responsive to some stakeholders…

  12. A Replication of the Internal Validity Structure of Three Major Teaching Rating Scales

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peters, Scott J.; Pereira, Nielsen

    2017-01-01

    Even as the importance of replication research has become more widely understood, the field of gifted education is almost completely devoid of replication studies. An area in which replication is a particular problem is in student identification research, since instrument validity is a necessary prerequisite for any sound psychometric decision. To…

  13. Text-Bullying: Associations with Traditional Bullying and Depression among New Zealand Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raskauskas, Juliana

    2010-01-01

    Bullying via mobile phone text messages (text-bullying) is a growing problem in New Zealand. Little research exists on this important issue. This study examined the nature and prevalence of text-bullying among adolescents. A total of 1,530 students ages 11-18 from three schools in New Zealand participated in this research. Students completed…

  14. Child Maltreatment and Its Relationship to Drug Use in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Overview and Multinational Research Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Longman-Mills, Samantha; Gonzalez, Yolanda W.; Melendez, Marlon O.; Garcia, Monica R.; Gomez, Juan D.; Juarez, Cristina G.; Martinez, Eduardo A.; Penalba, Sobeyda J.; Pizzanelli, Miguel E.; Solorzano, Lucia I.; Wright, Gloria; Cumsille, Francisco; Sapag, Jaime; Wekerle, Christine; Hamilton, Hayley; Erickson, Patricia; Mann, Robert

    2011-01-01

    Child maltreatment and substance abuse are both international public health priorities. Research shows that child maltreatment increases the risk for substance use and problems. Thus, recognition of this relationship may have important implications for substance demand reduction strategies, including efforts to prevent and treat substance use and…

  15. A smoothed residual based goodness-of-fit statistic for nest-survival models

    Treesearch

    Rodney X. Sturdivant; Jay J. Rotella; Robin E. Russell

    2008-01-01

    Estimating nest success and identifying important factors related to nest-survival rates is an essential goal for many wildlife researchers interested in understanding avian population dynamics. Advances in statistical methods have led to a number of estimation methods and approaches to modeling this problem. Recently developed models allow researchers to include a...

  16. Callous-Unemotional Traits, Behavior Disorders, and the Student-Teacher Relationship in Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crum, Kathleen I.; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Willoughby, Michael T.

    2016-01-01

    Mental health research demonstrates that children with conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits differ in important ways from children with CP alone, including differences in primary caregiver attachment quality. This research suggests CU may also influence the quality of attachment between children with CP and their teachers.…

  17. Mother-Child Attachment and Preschool Behavior Problems in Children with Developmental Delay

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaMont, Mary

    2011-01-01

    Secure mother-child attachment has been found to be an important factor in the healthy emotional development of children and has been shown to have effects on child, adolescent, and adult behavior. Previous research has primarily focused on attachment in children who are typically developing. However, little research has been conducted in…

  18. School-Central Office Relationships in Evidence Use: Understanding Evidence Use as a Systems Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Honig, Meredith I.; Venkateswaran, Nitya

    2012-01-01

    Research on evidence use in school districts overwhelmingly focuses within schools on how school staff work with evidence including student performance data, research, and information about teaching quality. While important, this focus on schools reflects a mismatch with federal and state policies that demand not only that school staff work with…

  19. Work and Life Integration: Faculty Balance in the Academy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ehrens, Holly

    2016-01-01

    Faculty work life integration has evolved as an important area of research in the academic workplace. The evolution in thinking about faculty work life integration has progressively shifted focus from the problems of women and parents to research that considers both men and women, married and single, with or without children as participants in the…

  20. Measuring Preschool Teachers' Perceived Competency and Knowledge of Oral Language Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prestwich, Dian Teer

    2012-01-01

    Research has demonstrated the impact of early oral language development on a child's later reading comprehension. Additionally, research has suggested that teachers' knowledge of effective practices in literacy plays an important role in students' ability to learn to read. The problem is that preschool teachers' knowledge of…

  1. Economics and Health Reform: Academic Research and Public Policy.

    PubMed

    Glied, Sherry A; Miller, Erin A

    2015-08-01

    Two prior studies, conducted in 1966 and in 1979, examined the role of economic research in health policy development. Both concluded that health economics had not been an important contributor to policy. Passage of the Affordable Care Act offers an opportunity to reassess this question. We find that the evolution of health economics research has given it an increasingly important role in policy. Research in the field has followed three related paths over the past century-institutionalist research that described problems; theoretical research, which proposed relationships that might extend beyond existing institutions; and empirical assessments of structural parameters identified in the theoretical research. These three strands operating in concert allowed economic research to be used to predict the fiscal and coverage consequences of alternative policy paths. This ability made economic research a powerful policy force. Key conclusions of health economics research are clearly evident in the Affordable Care Act. © The Author(s) 2015.

  2. Predictors of child functioning and problem behaviors for children diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder and externalizing problems.

    PubMed

    Nabors, Laura; Baker-Phibbs, Christina; Burbage, Michelle

    2016-01-01

    Posttraumatic stress disorder and behavioral disorders are related to problems in emotional functioning for young children. Factors related to child functioning are important to understand in order to develop interventions and assess their impact. This study examined clinician and parent reports of child functioning and behavior problems and factors related to each of these outcome variables. Results indicated that parental acceptance was inversely related to child behavior problems. Increased parental supervision of the child was related to high total problems scores. Parental acceptance was positively related to child functioning. Future research is needed to examine relations among interventions to improve parental supervision and interactions with the child and child functioning, in terms of both positive and negative behaviors.

  3. Problem-solving skills and hardiness as protective factors against stress in Iranian nurses.

    PubMed

    Abdollahi, Abbas; Talib, Mansor Abu; Yaacob, Siti Nor; Ismail, Zanariah

    2014-02-01

    Nursing is a stressful occupation, even when compared with other health professions; therefore, it is necessary to advance our knowledge about the protective factors that can help reduce stress among nurses. The present study sought to investigate the associations among problem-solving skills and hardiness with perceived stress in nurses. The participants, 252 nurses from six private hospitals in Tehran, completed the Personal Views Survey, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Problem-Solving Inventory. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and answer the research hypotheses. As expected, greater hardiness was associated with low levels of perceived stress, and nurses low in perceived stress were more likely to be considered approachable, have a style that relied on their own sense of internal personal control, and demonstrate effective problem-solving confidence. These findings reinforce the importance of hardiness and problem-solving skills as protective factors against perceived stress among nurses, and could be important in training future nurses so that hardiness ability and problem-solving skills can be imparted, allowing nurses to have more ability to control their perceived stress.

  4. Incident Management in Academic Information System using ITIL Framework

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palilingan, V. R.; Batmetan, J. R.

    2018-02-01

    Incident management is very important in order to ensure the continuity of a system. Information systems require incident management to ensure information systems can provide maximum service according to the service provided. Many of the problems that arise in academic information systems come from incidents that are not properly handled. The objective of this study aims to find the appropriate way of incident management. The incident can be managed so it will not be a big problem. This research uses the ITIL framework to solve incident problems. The technique used in this study is a technique adopted and developed from the service operations section of the ITIL framework. The results of this research found that 84.5% of incidents appearing in academic information systems can be handled quickly and appropriately. 15.5% incidents can be escalated so as to not cause any new problems. The model of incident management applied to make academic information system can run quickly in providing academic service in a good and efficient. The incident management model implemented in this research is able to manage resources appropriately so as to quickly and easily manage incidents.

  5. The study of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs.

    PubMed

    Schommer, Jon C; Hansen, Richard A

    2005-06-01

    The objectives of this article are to (1) identify key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs, (2) highlight opportunities and challenges that these issues pose, and (3) provide suggestions to address these challenges and opportunities from a social and administrative pharmacy perspective. Through a review of existing literature and consultation with research colleagues, we identified 3 broad issues regarding the study of DTCA for prescription drugs: (1) the importance of problem formulation, (2) the role of health behavior and decision-making perspectives, and (3) data collection and data analysis challenges and opportunities. Based upon our findings, we developed recommendations for future research in this area. Clear problem formulation will be instructive for prioritizing research needs and for determining the role that health behavior and decision-making perspectives can serve in DTCA research. In addition, it appears that cluster bias, nonlinear relationships, mediating/moderating effects, time effects, acquiescent response, and case mix are particularly salient challenges for the DTCA research domain. We suggest that problem formulation, selection of sound theories upon which to base research, and data collection and data analysis challenges are key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of DTCA for prescription drugs.

  6. Principle of serviceability and gratuitousness in transplantation?

    PubMed

    Pashkov, Vitaliy M; Golovanova, Iryna A; Noha, Petro P

    the issue of commercialization of transplantation analyses in the article. Attention is paid to the importance of transplantation as a method of treatment and saving human lives. the clarify the feasibility of the introduction of donation commercialization as an avenue to solve the shortage of donor organs and means of combating with black organ market and finding alternative avenues solving these problems, which are more morally acceptable for society is the aim of this article. the experience of foreign countries has been analyses in the research. Additionally, we used data from international organizations, conclusions scientists and report of Global Financial Integrity in the research. it is impossible to solve most problems by means of paid donation. therapeutic organ and tissue cloning based on genetic technology is the best way out and solving ethical transplantation problems.

  7. Violence against women

    PubMed Central

    Krantz, G.; Garcia-Moreno, C.

    2005-01-01

    Violence against women is now well recognised as a public health problem and human rights violation of worldwide significance. It is an important risk factor for women's ill health, with far reaching consequences for both their physical and mental health. This glossary aims to describe various forms of interpersonal violence that are directed towards women and girls. Terms and basic concepts used in research and policy on this public health problem will be explained. PMID:16166351

  8. Peer Models in Mental Health for Caregivers and Families.

    PubMed

    Acri, Mary; Hooley, Cole D; Richardson, Nicole; Moaba, Lily B

    2017-02-01

    Peer-delivered mental health models may hold important benefits for family members, yet their prevalence, components, and outcomes are unknown. We conducted a review of peer-delivered services for families of children and adults with mental health problems. Randomized studies of interventions published between 1990 and 2014 were included if the intervention contained a component for family members and examined familial outcomes. Of 77 studies that were assessed for their eligibility, six met criteria. Familial components included coping and parenting skills, knowledge about mental health, and emotional support. Outcomes were uneven, although significant improvements in family functioning, knowledge about mental illness, parental concerns about their child, and parenting skills were associated with the intervention. Peer-delivered services for family members may have important benefits to family members and individuals with mental health problems; however, the research base remains thin. A research agenda to develop and examine these models is discussed.

  9. Age-related aspects of addiction

    PubMed Central

    Koechl, Birgit; Unger, Annemarie; Fischer, Gabriele

    2013-01-01

    Research has shown that substance use, abuse and addiction are not limited to a specific age group. Problems related to substance addiction are an important cause of morbidity in the population aged 65 and above, especially the abuse of prescription drugs and legal substances. A lack of evidence-based studies and tailored treatment options for the aging population is evident. Appropriate and effective health-care is an important goal to improve health-related quality of life of elderly people. Research in the increasingly aging population needs to include an age- and gender-sensitive approach. PMID:22722821

  10. Preventing childhood obesity: a solution-oriented research paradigm.

    PubMed

    Robinson, Thomas N; Sirard, John R

    2005-02-01

    Past research has identified social and environmental causes and correlates of behaviors thought to be associated with obesity and weight gain among children and adolescents. Much less research has documented the efficacy of interventions designed to manipulate those presumed causes and correlates. These latter efforts have been inhibited by the predominant biomedical and social science problem-oriented research paradigm, emphasizing reductionist approaches to understanding etiologic mechanisms of diseases and risk factors. The implications of this problem-oriented approach are responsible for leaving many of the most important applied research questions unanswered, and for slowing efforts to prevent obesity and improve individual and population health. An alternative, and complementary, solution-oriented research paradigm is proposed, emphasizing experimental research to identify the causes of improved health. This subtle conceptual shift has significant implications for phrasing research questions, generating hypotheses, designing research studies, and making research results more relevant to policy and practice. The solution-oriented research paradigm encourages research with more immediate relevance to human health and a shortened cycle of discovery from the laboratory to the patient and population. Finally, a "litmus test" for evaluating research studies is proposed, to maximize the efficiency of the research enterprise and contributions to the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of disease. A research study should only be performed if (1) you know what you will conclude from each possible result (whether positive, negative, or null); and (2) the result may change how you would intervene to address a clinical, policy, or public health problem.

  11. Is the intensive care unit traumatic? What we know and don't know about the intensive care unit and posttraumatic stress responses.

    PubMed

    McGiffin, Jed N; Galatzer-Levy, Isaac R; Bonanno, George A

    2016-05-01

    The intensive care unit (ICU) has been portrayed as psychologically stressful, with a growing body of research substantiating elevated rates of depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological disruptions in populations of critical care survivors. To explain these psychopathology elevations, some have proposed a direct effect of ICU admission upon the later development of psychopathology, whereas others highlight the complex interaction between the trauma of a life-threatening illness or injury and the stressful life-saving interventions often administered in the ICU. However, the conclusion that the ICU is an independent causal factor in trauma-related psychological outcomes may be premature. Current ICU research suffers from important methodological problems including lack of true prospective data, failure to employ appropriate comparison groups, sampling bias, measurement issues, and problems with statistical methodology. In addition, the ICU literature has yet to investigate important risk and resilience factors that have been empirically validated in the broader stress-response literature. The authors propose the application of these important constructs to the unique setting of the ICU. This review focuses on multiple aspects of the important but complex research question of whether the ICU confers risk for psychological distress above and beyond the traumatic impact of the serious health events that necessitate ICU treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. Bringing values back into evidence-based nursing: the role of patients in resisting empiricism.

    PubMed

    Porter, Sam; O'Halloran, Peter; Morrow, Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    We examine problems resulting from the narrow empirical focus associated with evidence-based nursing, including the deleterious influence of vested interests, disattention to patients' experiences, underestimation of the importance of social processes, lack of an individualized research perspective, marginalization of other forms of knowledge, and the undermining of patients' autonomy. Addressing each problem in turn, we argue that inclusion of patients at all stages of evidence-based practice can counter or ameliorate these problems. While we concede that patient involvement is not a complete solution to the problem of empiricism, it is the most effective means available to defend nursing values.

  13. Efficient algorithms for a class of partitioning problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iqbal, M. Ashraf; Bokhari, Shahid H.

    1990-01-01

    The problem of optimally partitioning the modules of chain- or tree-like tasks over chain-structured or host-satellite multiple computer systems is addressed. This important class of problems includes many signal processing and industrial control applications. Prior research has resulted in a succession of faster exact and approximate algorithms for these problems. Polynomial exact and approximate algorithms are described for this class that are better than any of the previously reported algorithms. The approach is based on a preprocessing step that condenses the given chain or tree structured task into a monotonic chain or tree. The partitioning of this monotonic take can then be carried out using fast search techniques.

  14. The intergenerational transmission of at-risk/problem gambling: The moderating role of parenting practices.

    PubMed

    Dowling, Nicki A; Shandley, Kerrie A; Oldenhof, Erin; Affleck, Julia M; Youssef, George J; Frydenberg, Erica; Thomas, Shane A; Jackson, Alun C

    2017-10-01

    Although parenting practices are articulated as underlying mechanisms or protective factors in several theoretical models, their role in the intergenerational transmission of gambling problems has received limited research attention. This study therefore examined the degree to which parenting practices (positive parenting, parental involvement, and inconsistent discipline) moderated the intergenerational transmission of paternal and maternal problem gambling. Students aged 12-18 years (N = 612) recruited from 17 Australian secondary schools completed a survey measuring parental problem gambling, problem gambling severity, and parenting practices. Participants endorsing paternal problem gambling (23.3%) were 4.3 times more likely to be classified as at-risk/problem gamblers than their peers (5.4%). Participants endorsing maternal problem gambling (6.9%) were no more likely than their peers (4.0%) to be classified as at-risk/problem gamblers. Paternal problem gambling was a significant predictor of offspring at-risk/problem gambling after controlling for maternal problem gambling and participant demographic characteristics. The relationship between maternal problem gambling and offspring at-risk/problem gambling was buffered by parental involvement. Paternal problem gambling may be important in the development of adolescent at-risk/problem gambling behaviours and higher levels of parental involvement buffers the influence of maternal problem gambling in the development of offspring gambling problems. Further research is therefore required to identify factors that attenuate the seemingly greater risk of transmission associated with paternal gambling problems. Parental involvement is a potential candidate for prevention and intervention efforts designed to reduce the intergenerational transmission of gambling problems. (Am J Addict 2017;26:707-712). © 2017 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

  15. Reliability and Validity of Three Instruments (DSM-IV, CPGI, and PPGM) in the Assessment of Problem Gambling in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Back, Ki-Joon; Williams, Robert J; Lee, Choong-Ki

    2015-09-01

    Most research on the assessment, epidemiology, and treatment of problem gambling has occurred in Western jurisdictions. This potentially limits the cross-cultural validity of problem gambling assessment instruments as well as etiological models of problem gambling. The primary objective of the present research was to investigate the reliability and validity of three problem gambling assessment instruments within a South Korean context. A total of 4,330 South Korean adults participated in a comprehensive assessment of their gambling behavior that included the administration of the DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling (NODS), the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI), and the Problem and Pathological Gambling Measure (PPGM). Cronbach alpha showed that all three instruments had good internal consistency. Concurrent validity was established by the significant associations observed between scores on the instruments and measures of gambling involvement (number of gambling formats engaged in; frequency of gambling; and gambling expenditure). Most importantly, kappa statistics showed that all instruments have satisfactory classification accuracy against clinical assessment of problem gambling conducted by South Korean clinicians (NODS κ = .66; PPGM κ = .62; CPGI κ = .51). These results confirm that Western-derived operationalizations of problem gambling have applicability in a South Korean setting.

  16. Investigating and analyzing prospective teacher's reflective thinking in solving mathematical problem: A case study of female-field dependent (FD) prospective teacher

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agustan, S.; Juniati, Dwi; Siswono, Tatag Yuli Eko

    2017-05-01

    In the last few years, reflective thinking becomes very popular term in the world of education, especially in professional education of teachers. One of goals of the educational personnel and teacher institutions create responsible prospective teachers and they are able reflective thinking. Reflective thinking is a future competence that should be taught to students to face the challenges and to respond of demands of the 21st century. Reflective thinking can be applied in mathematics becauseby reflective thinking, students can improve theircuriosity to solve mathematical problem. In solving mathematical problem is assumed that cognitive style has an impact on prospective teacher's mental activity. As a consequence, reflective thinking and cognitive style are important things in solving mathematical problem. The subject, in this research paper, isa female-prospective teacher who has fielddependent cognitive style. The purpose of this research paperis to investigate the ability of prospective teachers' reflective thinking in solving mathematical problem. This research paper is a descriptive by using qualitativeapproach. To analyze the data related to prospectiveteacher's reflective thinking in solving contextual mathematicalproblem, the researchers focus in four main categories which describe prospective teacher's activities in using reflective thinking, namely; (a) formulation and synthesis of experience, (b) orderliness of experience, (c) evaluating the experience and (d) testing the selected solution based on the experience.

  17. Acoustic Modeling of Lightweight Structures: A Literature Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Shasha; Shen, Cheng

    2017-10-01

    This paper gives an overview of acoustic modeling for three kinds of typical lightweight structures including double-leaf plate system, stiffened single (or double) plate and porous material. Classical models are citied to provide frame work of theoretical modeling for acoustic property of lightweight structures; important research advances derived by our research group and other authors are introduced to describe the current state of art for acoustic research. Finally, remaining problems and future research directions are concluded and prospected briefly

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

    SLAC,

    The Department of Energy (DOE) and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) encourage innovation, creativity, originality and quality to maintain the Laboratory’s research activities and staff at the forefront of science and technology. To further advance its scientific research capabilities, the Laboratory allocates a portion of its funds for the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. With DOE guidance, the LDRD program enables SLAC scientists to make rapid and significant contributions that seed new strategies for solving important national science and technology problems. The LDRD program is conducted using existing research facilities.

  19. Mechanistic modelling of cancer: some reflections from software engineering and philosophy of science.

    PubMed

    Cañete-Valdeón, José M; Wieringa, Roel; Smallbone, Kieran

    2012-12-01

    There is a growing interest in mathematical mechanistic modelling as a promising strategy for understanding tumour progression. This approach is accompanied by a methodological change of making research, in which models help to actively generate hypotheses instead of waiting for general principles to become apparent once sufficient data are accumulated. This paper applies recent research from philosophy of science to uncover three important problems of mechanistic modelling which may compromise its mainstream application, namely: the dilemma of formal and informal descriptions, the need to express degrees of confidence and the need of an argumentation framework. We report experience and research on similar problems from software engineering and provide evidence that the solutions adopted there can be transferred to the biological domain. We hope this paper can provoke new opportunities for further and profitable interdisciplinary research in the field.

  20. Oppositional defiant- and conduct disorder-like problems: neurodevelopmental predictors and genetic background in boys and girls, in a nationwide twin study.

    PubMed

    Kerekes, Nóra; Lundström, Sebastian; Chang, Zheng; Tajnia, Armin; Jern, Patrick; Lichtenstein, Paul; Nilsson, Thomas; Anckarsäter, Henrik

    2014-01-01

    Background. Previous research has supported gender-specific aetiological factors in oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). The aims of this study were to identify gender-specific associations between the behavioural problems-ODD/CD-like problems-and the neurodevelopmental disorders-attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-and to investigate underlying genetic effects. Methods. 17,220 twins aged 9 or 12 were screened using the Autism-Tics, AD/HD and other Comorbidities inventory. The main covariates of ODD- and CD-like problems were investigated, and the relative importance of unique versus shared hereditary and environmental effects was estimated using twin model fitting. Results. Social interaction problems (one of the ASD subdomains) was the strongest neurodevelopmental covariate of the behavioural problems in both genders, while ADHD-related hyperactivity/impulsiveness in boys and inattention in girls stood out as important covariates of CD-like problems. Genetic effects accounted for 50%-62% of the variance in behavioural problems, except in CD-like problems in girls (26%). Genetic and environmental effects linked to ADHD and ASD also influenced ODD-like problems in both genders and, to a lesser extent, CD-like problems in boys, but not in girls. Conclusions. The gender-specific patterns should be considered in the assessment and treatment, especially of CD.

  1. Research Needs: Prime-Power for High Energy Space Systems.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-06-01

    nuclear sources included both developments from earlier NASA/AEC efforts, such as the present SP-100 program , and also advanced concepts in the form of...and, in some cases, set aside). major programs of applied-research and exploratory- development exist at AFWAL and at NASA labora- tories. The results...decades. In such a research program , the particular I problems of a specific device presently under development are less important than the creation of

  2. Needed Research on Interpersonal Behavior Processes. A Special Report of the USOE-Sponsored Grant Study: Critical Appraisal of Research in the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrne, Donn; And Others

    The task group report presented in this publication is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S.O.E.-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation-Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new research and…

  3. Migrant Adaptation - A Cross-Cultural Problem. A Review of Research on Migration, Minority Groups and Cultural Differences, with Special Regard to Children. Educational and Psychological Interactions, No. 59.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ekstrand, L. H.

    Research pertinent to the adaptation of immigrant children is reviewed in a cross-cultural perspective. The report focuses on research that has yielded empirical data, although a number of other papers of basic importance have been included in the review. The first chapter discusses definitions and implications of various types of cross-cultural…

  4. Status of Cardiovascular Issues Related to Space Flight: implications for Future Research Directions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    identified in the 2007 NASA Human Integrated Research Program. An evidence-based approach to identify the research priorities needed to resolve those...radiation needs to be defined. In contrast, data from the literature support the notion that the highest probability of occurrence and operational impact...identify and prioritize the most important ques- tions or problems needed to be resolved in order to assure the successful completion of extended

  5. A Virtual Learning Environment for the Continuation of Education and Its Relationship with the Mental Well-Being of Chronically Ill Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhu, Chang; Van Winkel, Lies

    2016-01-01

    Research has shown that the continuation of education by chronically ill adolescents is an important way to avoid social isolation, psychosocial problems and the accumulation of learning difficulties. In this light, virtual learning environments (VLEs), which connect sick adolescents to their schools, play an important role in ensuring that the…

  6. The Effect of Guided Reading on Literacy Achievement of Third and Fourth Grade Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregory, Brandon

    2017-01-01

    Literacy, the ability to read and write, is of great importance to the success of students throughout their lives. The problem the study addressed was low literacy achievement levels of third and fourth grade students. The information gained from this study was important because it helped staff members at the research site identify the impact of…

  7. The early history of ideas on brief interventions for alcohol

    PubMed Central

    McCambridge, Jim; Cunningham, John A

    2014-01-01

    Aims This study explores the early development of brief interventions for alcohol using a history of ideas approach with a particular focus on intervention content. Methods The source publications of the key primary studies published from approximately 1962 to 1992 were examined, followed by a brief review of the earliest reviews in this field. These studies were placed in the context of developments in alcohol research and in public health. Results After early pioneering work on brief interventions, further advances were not made until thinking about alcohol problems and their treatment, most notably on controlled drinking, along with wider changes in public health, created new conditions for progress. There was then a golden era of rapid advance in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when preventing the development of problem drinking became important for public health reasons, in addition to helping already problematic drinkers. Many research challenges identified at that time remain to be met. The content of brief interventions changed over the period of study, although not in ways well informed by research advances, and there were also obvious continuities, with a renewed emphasis on the facilitation of self-change being one important consequence of the development of internet applications. Conclusions Ideas about brief interventions have changed in important ways. Brief interventions have been studied with different populations of drinkers, with aims embracing both individual and population-level perspectives, and without well-specified contents. The brief intervention field is an appropriate target for further historical investigations, which may help thinking about addressing alcohol and other problems. PMID:24354855

  8. Teen magazines as educational texts on dating violence: the $2.99 approach.

    PubMed

    Kettrey, Heather Hensman; Emery, Beth C

    2010-11-01

    This study analyzed the portrayal of dating violence in teen magazines published in the United States. Such an investigation is important because previous research indicates that dating violence is a serious problem facing adolescents, teen magazines overemphasize the importance of romantic relationships, and teens who read this genre frequently or for education/advice are especially susceptible to its messages. Results indicated that although teen magazines do frame dating violence as a cultural problem, they are much more likely to utilize an individual frame that emphasizes the victim. Results were discussed as they apply to the responsibilities of professionals working with adolescents.

  9. The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Experimental Physics of Elementary Particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bednyakov, V. A.; Russakovich, N. A.

    2018-05-01

    The year 2016 marks the 60th anniversary of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna, an international intergovernmental organization for basic research in the fields of elementary particles, atomic nuclei, and condensed matter. Highly productive advances over this long road clearly show that the international basis and diversity of research guarantees successful development (and maintenance) of fundamental science. This is especially important for experimental research. In this review, the most significant achievements are briefly described with an attempt to look into the future (seven to ten years ahead) and show the role of JINR in solution of highly important problems in elementary particle physics, which is a fundamental field of modern natural sciences. This glimpse of the future is full of justified optimism.

  10. Design-Based Research on the Use of a Tangible User Interface for Geometry Teaching in an Inclusive Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Starcic, Andreja Istenic; Cotic, Mara; Zajc, Matej

    2013-01-01

    This design-based research study was conducted to identify what importance of a tangible user interface (TUI) can add to teaching and learning. Over a 2-year period, teachers ("n"?=?39) and students ("n"?=?145) participated in the study. The identified problem for investigation was how students, including those with low fine…

  11. Assessing the Factors Impacting Professional Learning for Teachers in Seventh-Day Adventist Schools: A Comparison of Millennials and Non-Millennials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayer, Betty L.

    2017-01-01

    Problem and Purpose: Much research over several decades has established the importance of ongoing professional learning for teachers and has identified what effective professional learning should look like. Little research has been done, however, on the professional learning practices of teachers in faith-based schools, and few studies have…

  12. Determinants of Work-Life Balance: Shortcomings in the Contemporary Measurement of WLB in Large-Scale Surveys

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pichler, Florian

    2009-01-01

    Research on work-life balance (WLB) has presented important insights into the problems of combining family aspirations with paid work in relation to policy relevant agendas. Using the ESS II (2004/2005), we examine work-related and household/family-related causes of WLB. We can corroborate other research findings that show that work-related…

  13. Rupture or Continuity: The Arithmetico-Algebraic Thinking as an Alternative in a Modelling Process in a Paper and Pencil and Technology Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hitt, Fernando; Saboya, Mireille; Zavala, Carlos Cortés

    2017-01-01

    Part of the research community that has followed the Early Algebra paradigm is currently delimiting the differences between arithmetic thinking and algebraic thinking. This trend could prevent new research approaches to the problem of learning algebra, hiding the importance of considering an arithmetico-algebraic thinking, a new approach which…

  14. A Study of the U.S. Capacity to Address Tropical Disease Problems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-04-01

    TROPICAL DISEASE SPECIALISTS. ............... 3-1 DEMOGRAPHY .. ....................... 3-4 Size of the Work Force .. .................. 3-5 Age...tropical disease research experience. This is an increasingly important talent pool. - 3-4 - DEMOGRAPHY Data on the number of tropical disease specialists...lines pioneered in the agricultural field in the institutions supported by the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research. That model

  15. PCBs in schools--where communities and science come together.

    PubMed

    Osterberg, David; Scammell, Madeleine Kangsen

    2016-02-01

    A novel aspect of the 8th International PCB Workshop at Woods Hole, MA, was the interaction between scientists and activists. While earlier workshops in this series had mentioned policy making, this Workshop focused on the problem of PCBs in schools. Focus on a problem brought an activist to give a plenary talk and facilitated a 1-day registration for other non-scientists to attend. The workshop was cohosted by the Superfund Research Programs at University of Iowa and Boston University and included active participation of each Program's Research Translation and Community Engagement Cores. A mandate of each National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS)-funded Superfund Research Program is bidirectional communication between scientists and community groups. The authors describe the events leading up to community involvement in the Workshop and the substance of the community engagement aspects of the workshop, in particular the participation by a parent-teacher group, Malibu Unites. The authors also discuss the value of such communication in terms of making important research accessible to those who are most affected by the results and poised to use it and the value of making scientists aware of the important role they play in society in addressing difficult questions that originate in community settings.

  16. Partner violence and substance abuse are intertwined: women's perceptions of violence-substance connections.

    PubMed

    Macy, Rebecca J; Renz, Connie; Pelino, Emily

    2013-07-01

    Research shows that co-occurring partner violence and substance abuse are problems for many women. However, less is known about women's varied experiences with partner violence and substance abuse. This exploratory, qualitative study investigates these two issues among a sample of 15 women in substance abuse treatment who experienced partner violence. Overall, findings show participants' experience of violence-substance connections varied in important ways; complicating factors exacerbate both problems; and domestic violence services and substance abuse treatments should account for these variations and complications. We discuss directions for providers, researchers, and policymakers concerned with partner violence or substance abuse.

  17. Quality Training and Learning in Aviation: Problems of Alignment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Moore, Phillip J.; Lehrer, Henry R.; Telfer, Ross A.

    2001-01-01

    The challenge of producing training programs that lead to quality learning outcomes is ever present in aviation, especially when economic and regulatory pressures are brought into the equation. Previous research by Telfer & Moore (1997) indicates the importance of appropriate alignment of beliefs about learning across all levels of an organization from the managerial level, through the instructor/check and training level, to the pilots and other crew. This paper argues for a central focus on approaches to learning and training that encourage understanding, problem solving and application. Recent research in the area is emphasized as are methods and techniques for enhancing deeper learning.

  18. A neural network simulation package in CLIPS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bhatnagar, Himanshu; Krolak, Patrick D.; Mcgee, Brenda J.; Coleman, John

    1990-01-01

    The intrinsic similarity between the firing of a rule and the firing of a neuron has been captured in this research to provide a neural network development system within an existing production system (CLIPS). A very important by-product of this research has been the emergence of an integrated technique of using rule based systems in conjunction with the neural networks to solve complex problems. The systems provides a tool kit for an integrated use of the two techniques and is also extendible to accommodate other AI techniques like the semantic networks, connectionist networks, and even the petri nets. This integrated technique can be very useful in solving complex AI problems.

  19. [Ethical considerations in genomic cohort study].

    PubMed

    Choi, Eun Kyung; Kim, Ock-Joo

    2007-03-01

    During the last decade, genomic cohort study has been developed in many countries by linking health data and genetic data in stored samples. Genomic cohort study is expected to find key genetic components that contribute to common diseases, thereby promising great advance in genome medicine. While many countries endeavor to build biobank systems, biobank-based genome research has raised important ethical concerns including genetic privacy, confidentiality, discrimination, and informed consent. Informed consent for biobank poses an important question: whether true informed consent is possible in population-based genomic cohort research where the nature of future studies is unforeseeable when consent is obtained. Due to the sensitive character of genetic information, protecting privacy and keeping confidentiality become important topics. To minimize ethical problems and achieve scientific goals to its maximum degree, each country strives to build population-based genomic cohort research project, by organizing public consultation, trying public and expert consensus in research, and providing safeguards to protect privacy and confidentiality.

  20. Why Are Mathematical Investigations Important?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quinnell, Lorna

    2010-01-01

    "Research studies show that when students discover mathematical ideas and invent mathematical procedures, they have a stronger conceptual understanding of connections between mathematical ideas." Flewelling and Higginson state that inquiry, investigations, and problem solving "give students the opportunity to use their imagination…

  1. Alcohol Use and Abuse: Understanding Alcohol Use Across Your Lifespan | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    MedlinePlus

    ... problems change over a person's lifespan. Understanding how alcohol affects people across different life stages is important in diagnosing, treating, and preventing alcohol abuse, according to research from the NIH's National ...

  2. Patient Care Coordinator | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    We are looking for a Patient Care Coordinator to join our thoracic and gastrointestinal oncology clinical team to help us coordinate care for patients enrolled on our clinical research protocols. Duties include scheduling appointments, coordinating new patients, obtaining patient records, attending weekly clinic meetings, and data base entry.  Be part of our mission to solve the most important, challenging and neglected problems in modern cancer research and patient care.  The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research is a world-leading cancer research organization working toward scientific breakthroughs at medicine’s cutting edge.  Our scientists can’t do it alone. It takes an extraordinary team of researchers, clinical experts and administrators to improve the lives of cancer patients and answer the most important questions in cancer biology and treatment.

  3. Ongoing research in occupational health and environmental epidemiology in developing countries

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

    Levy, B.S.; Kjellstrom, T.; Forget, G.

    Research in occupational health and environmental epidemiology can play an important role in furthering our understanding of occupational and environmental health problems. Research guides us in the recognition, management, and prevention of health problems. However, in developing countries, where rates of occupational and environmental illnesses and injuries are higher and where these problems are often more severe than in developed countries, research capabilities are less developed. In mid-1990, a project was undertaken to (a) document ongoing research in occupational health and environmental epidemiology in developing countries, (b) facilitate the exchange of information among researchers in this field, (c) stimulate research,more » and (d) avoid unnecessary duplication among researchers in this field. A questionnaire was mailed, the purpose of which was to learn the current status of research in developing countries and to develop a directory of such ongoing research. The questionnaire was sent to 1,528 individuals. Of the 500 research projects identified, 77% were investigating chemical hazards; 26%, physical hazards; 10%, biological hazards; 10%, psychosocial hazards (some projects addressed multiple hazards). The chemical hazards studied most frequently were dusts, pesticides, and lead. The greatest number of research projects were identified in China, India, Brazil, Korea, and Thailand. Most projects were descriptive or cross-sectional epidemiologic studies or industrial hygiene or exposure-assessment studies. The World Health Organization has published a directory of the specific research projects that were identified in this survey.« less

  4. [Platforms are needed for innovative basic research in ophthalmology].

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi-qiang

    2012-07-01

    Basic research poses the cornerstone of technical innovation in all lines including medical sciences. Currently, there are shortages of professional scientists as well as technical supporting teams and facilities in the field of basic research of ophthalmology and visual science in China. Evaluation system and personnel policies are not supportive for innovative but high-risk-of-failure research projects. Discussion of reasons and possible solutions are given here to address these problems, aiming at promoting buildup of platforms hosting novel and important basic research in eye science in this country.

  5. Keep Talking & Monitoring: the importance of longitudinal research & community-based monitoring to support sustainable land management in southern Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

    2015-04-01

    Projects come and go with researchers, development practioners and government staff initiating new forms of community engagement in environmental monitoring and land management practices. We analyse interventions from Botswana and Swaziland and highlight that for benefits to be long-lived and lead to sustainable land management, requires community engagement in project design, implementation and for project outputs to be used in developing community-led environmental monitoring tools that can then help to guide local decision-making systems. We stress the vital importance of continued participatory engagement of researchers with community leaders and key government staff beyond the timeframe of their initial research such that longitudinal research approaches can realise significant benefits to all concerned. In dynamic (non-equilibrium) dryland environments, it is vitally important that research approaches address temporal and spatial variability by mapping patterns of change, using a range of participatory tools to enhance understandings of the causes of land degradation and the opportunities for shifts towards more sustainable land management. Decision-support tools, such as rangeland assessment guides produced for various Kalahari rangeland settings in Botswana (via a UNEP project and affiliated research), provide opportunities to support more sustainable land management. However, at present benefits are not being fully realised as project and research staff move on after projects end. Similarly, findings from mixed farming systems in Swaziland (assessing a JICA-funded project) show problems in maintaining new institutional structures to manage rangeland degradation, whilst issues on arable areas associated with parasitic weeds (Striga asiatica) remain problematic. Findings from longitudinal research in Swaziland also show that community understandings of environmental problems have evolved over 10 years and identify new problems associated with intensified drought events linked to climate change. Returning to communities (even if irregularly) after project completion enables identification of local-level knowledge and institutional problems that are often the underlying cause of the post-project failings. In many cases, such failings have led to a lack of sustained benefits as significant community-level goodwill and knowledge is developed during projects, but limited input and guidance through remaining institutional channels means that any strong grounding for success is not harnessed or sustained. It is vital that researchers work pro-actively with formal state institutions (notably agricultural extension services) to ensure that research and development project outputs are understood and used in the post-project phase. Continued engagement with local and institutional actors through longitudinal research assessing multi-stakeholder partnerships and local management practices can realise significant additional benefits far beyond the small time and cost implications of such continued engagement. Shifts to trans-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder working need to address the need for such longer-term, longitudinal research processes to ensure that benefits are not immediately lost and that new forms of sustainable land management can indeed be sustained.

  6. Introduction to the special issue Hermann Weyl and the philosophy of the 'New Physics'

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Bianchi, Silvia; Catren, Gabriel

    2018-02-01

    This Special Issue Hermann Weyl and the Philosophy of the 'New Physics' has two main objectives: first, to shed fresh light on the relevance of Weyl's work for modern physics and, second, to evaluate the importance of Weyl's work and ideas for contemporary philosophy of physics. Regarding the first objective, this Special Issue emphasizes aspects of Weyl's work (e.g. his work on spinors in n dimensions) whose importance has recently been emerging in research fields across both mathematical and experimental physics, as well as in the history and philosophy of physics. Regarding the second objective, this Special Issue addresses the relevance of Weyl's ideas regarding important open problems in the philosophy of physics, such as the problem of characterizing scientific objectivity and the problem of providing a satisfactory interpretation of fundamental symmetries in gauge theories and quantum mechanics. In this Introduction, we sketch the state of the art in Weyl studies and we summarize the content of the contributions to the present volume.

  7. Parental training and externalizing behaviors of children with severe hearing loss.

    PubMed

    Movallali, Guita; Amiri, Mohsen; Nesayan, Abas; Assady Gandomani, Roghaye

    2017-01-01

    Background: Externalizing behavior in deaf children causes many psychological problems for their parents. Aggression and rule breaking behaviors in children with severe hearing loss may cause psychological problems in parents and in managing children's behavior. Consequently, the present study aimed at investigating the effect of parental behavioral training of mothers on reducing the externalized behaviors (aggression and rule breaking behavior) of their 9- to 10- year old children with severe hearing loss. Methods: This was an experimental study with pretest, posttest, and a control group. The research population included all students with severe hearing loss and their mothers. Thus, 30 mothers whose children had the most severe hearing loss were selected as our main sample among 80 mothers who had completed the Child Behavior Checklist. Then, they were placed into the experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=15) after being matched based on age, educational level, and socioeconomic status. The research tool was Child Behavior Checklist-Persian Version. The parental behavior training was provided for the experimental group in nine 90- minute sessions. Results: The results of the present study indicated the effectiveness of experimental treatment on decreasing the aggressive behaviors of children of mothers in the experimental group compared to mothers of the control group (p=0.001). Moreover, the results revealed a decrease in rule breaking behaviors (p= 0.007) in children of mothers of the experimental group compared to mothers of the control group. Conclusion: Parents' behavioral training is important in decreasing the aggressive and offensive behaviors in children with severe hearing loss who are at risk of behavioral problems. Furthermore, some research has highlighted the necessity of such trainings for parents of these children. Thus, the present study, emphasizing the importance of childhood problems, found that mothers' behavioral training could prevent behavioral problems of school-aged children with hearing loss and reduce the recurrence of such problems.

  8. Identifying research priorities for public health research to address health inequalities: use of Delphi-like survey methods.

    PubMed

    Turner, S; Ollerhead, E; Cook, A

    2017-10-09

    In the funding of health research and public health research it is vital that research questions posed are important and that funded research meets a research need or a gap in evidence. Many methods are used in the identification of research priorities, however, these can be resource intensive, costly and logistically challenging. Identifying such research priorities can be particularly challenging for complex public health problems as there is a need to consult a number of experts across disciplines and with a range of expertise. This study investigated the use of Delphi-like survey methods in identifying important research priorities relating to health inequalities and framing tractable research questions for topic areas identified. The study was conducted in two phases, both using Delphi-like survey methods. Firstly, public health professionals with an interest in health inequalities were asked to identify research priorities. Secondly academic researchers were asked to frame tractable research questions relating to the priorities identified. These research priorities identified using Delphi-like survey methods were subsequently compared to those identified using different methods. A total of 52 public health professionals and 21 academics across the United Kingdom agreed to take part. The response rates were high, from public health professionals across three survey rounds (69%, 50% and 40%) and from academics across one round (52%), indicating that participants were receptive to the method and motivated to respond. The themes identified as encompassing the most important research priorities were mental health, healthy environment and health behaviours. Within these themes, the topic areas that emerged most strongly included community interventions for prevention of mental health problems and the food and alcohol environment. Some responses received from academic researchers were (as requested) in the form of tractable research questions, whereas others contributed further potential topic areas instead. Delphi-like survey methods are practical and productive as a means of obtaining opinions from a wide number of relevant experts identifying potential priority topic areas for research; however, this method is less appropriate for framing tractable research questions.

  9. A comparison of Heuristic method and Llewellyn’s rules for identification of redundant constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Estiningsih, Y.; Farikhin; Tjahjana, R. H.

    2018-03-01

    Important techniques in linear programming is modelling and solving practical optimization. Redundant constraints are consider for their effects on general linear programming problems. Identification and reduce redundant constraints are for avoidance of all the calculations associated when solving an associated linear programming problems. Many researchers have been proposed for identification redundant constraints. This paper a compararison of Heuristic method and Llewellyn’s rules for identification of redundant constraints.

  10. Pentagram of Habits: Considering Science Teachers' Conceptions of "Habits of Mind" Associated with Critical Thinking in Several of Iran's Special Gifted Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghahremani, Mehdi; Karami, Sareh; Balcaen, Philip

    2017-01-01

    In the last two decades, one can see the widespread acceptance of the importance of teaching critical thinking (CT) as a 21st-century competency for all students from primary to graduate school. Lack of effective instructional strategies cause problems in developing effective CT curriculum. This research study aimed at the exploring the problem of…

  11. Are Borderline Personality Symptoms Associated With Compulsive Sexual Behaviors Among Women in Treatment for Substance Use Disorders? An Exploratory Study

    PubMed Central

    Elmquist, JoAnna; Shorey, Ryan C.; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L.

    2016-01-01

    Objective Extant literature has documented a significant relationship between borderline symptoms and substance use disorders. As supported in past work, there is a significant theoretical relationship between borderline symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors because both disorders share common underlying behaviors and traits. There is no known research that has examined the empirical relationship between borderline symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors in a population with substance use disorders. To fill this important gap in the literature, this relationship was examined in the current study. Method Medical records from 120 women admitted to a private, residential treatment program for substance use disorders were reviewed for the current study. Results Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that borderline symptoms were significantly associated with compulsive sexual behaviors after controlling for alcohol use and problems, drug use and problems, age, and positive impression management. Conclusion Results from this study provide potentially important research and clinical implications, which could ultimately aid treatment and reduce relapse. However, continued research is needed to further examine the relationship between symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors. PMID:27059090

  12. Are Borderline Personality Symptoms Associated With Compulsive Sexual Behaviors Among Women in Treatment for Substance Use Disorders? An Exploratory Study.

    PubMed

    Elmquist, JoAnna; Shorey, Ryan C; Anderson, Scott; Stuart, Gregory L

    2016-10-01

    Extant literature has documented a significant relationship between borderline symptoms and substance use disorders. As supported in past work, there is a significant theoretical relationship between borderline symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors because both disorders share common underlying behaviors and traits. There is no known research that has examined the empirical relationship between borderline symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors in a population with substance use disorders. To fill this important gap in the literature, this relationship was examined in the current study. Medical records from 120 women admitted to a private, residential treatment program for substance use disorders were reviewed for the current study. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrated that borderline symptoms were significantly associated with compulsive sexual behaviors after controlling for alcohol use and problems, drug use and problems, age, and positive impression management. Results from this study provide potentially important research and clinical implications, which could ultimately aid treatment and reduce relapse. However, continued research is needed to further examine the relationship between symptoms and compulsive sexual behaviors. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Utility measurement in healthcare: the things I never got to.

    PubMed

    Torrance, George W

    2006-01-01

    The present article provides a brief historical background on the development of utility measurement and cost-utility analysis in healthcare. It then outlines a number of research ideas in this field that the author never got to. The first idea is extremely fundamental. Why is health economics the only application of economics that does not use the discipline of economics? And, more importantly, what discipline should it use? Research ideas are discussed to investigate precisely the underlying theory and axiom systems of both Paretian welfare economics and the decision-theoretical utility approach. Can the two approaches be integrated or modified in some appropriate way so that they better reflect the needs of the health field? The investigation is described both for the individual and societal levels. Constructing a 'Robinson Crusoe' society of only a few individuals with different health needs, preferences and willingness to pay is suggested as a method for gaining insight into the problem. The second idea concerns the interval property of utilities and, therefore, QALYs. It specifically concerns the important requirement that changes of equal magnitude anywhere on the utility scale, or alternatively on the QALY scale, should be equally desirable. Unfortunately, one of the original restrictions on utility theory states that such comparisons are not permitted by the theory. It is shown, in an important new finding, that while this restriction applies in a world of certainty, it does not in a world of uncertainty, such as healthcare. Further research is suggested to investigate this property under both certainty and uncertainty. Other research ideas that are described include: the development of a precise axiomatic basis for the time trade-off method; the investigation of chaining as a method of preference measurement with the standard gamble or time trade-off; the development and training of a representative panel of the general public to improve the completeness, coherence and consistency of measured preferences; and the investigation, using a model of a very small society, of the conflict between the patient perspective and the societal perspective regarding preferences. Finally, it is suggested that an important area of research, which the author never got to, would be to work closely with specific decision makers on specific decision problems, to help them formulate the problem, provide useful analyses, and to publish these as case studies to give the field a better understanding of the problems and the needs of decision makers.

  14. The Model of Landscape Development in Big Cities Of Central Java

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Darmawan, E.; Murtini, T. W.

    2018-05-01

    The existence of urban parks as a part of urban green space is very important for the environment and the citizen of the city, and inseparable part from the urban landscape. In its development, the existence of an urban parks could create a safe, comfortable, productive, and visually aesthetical environment. The problem arising now is a view that the urban parks are often unsuitable with the surrounding. Therefore, the parks are not functional and does not have significant visual. So that, this research is aimed to reveal model of landscape development in big cities in Central Java. The method used is descriptive qualitative that can describe the detail of problem, in determining the plan to overcome the problem. The research location will focused on big cities in Central Java with potential landscape that can be improved. The results of the research will be composed in an international scientific journals and is expected to be a reference in the field of urban landscape arrangement.

  15. Cancer systems biology: signal processing for cancer research

    PubMed Central

    Yli-Harja, Olli; Ylipää, Antti; Nykter, Matti; Zhang, Wei

    2011-01-01

    In this editorial we introduce the research paradigms of signal processing in the era of systems biology. Signal processing is a field of science traditionally focused on modeling electronic and communications systems, but recently it has turned to biological applications with astounding results. The essence of signal processing is to describe the natural world by mathematical models and then, based on these models, develop efficient computational tools for solving engineering problems. Here, we underline, with examples, the endless possibilities which arise when the battle-hardened tools of engineering are applied to solve the problems that have tormented cancer researchers. Based on this approach, a new field has emerged, called cancer systems biology. Despite its short history, cancer systems biology has already produced several success stories tackling previously impracticable problems. Perhaps most importantly, it has been accepted as an integral part of the major endeavors of cancer research, such as analyzing the genomic and epigenomic data produced by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. Finally, we show that signal processing and cancer research, two fields that are seemingly distant from each other, have merged into a field that is indeed more than the sum of its parts. PMID:21439242

  16. A general causal model to guide alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug prevention: assessing the research evidence.

    PubMed

    Birckmayer, Johanna D; Holder, Harold D; Yacoubian, George S; Friend, Karen B

    2004-01-01

    The problems associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) extract a significant health, social, and economic toll on American society. While the field of substance abuse prevention has made great strides during the past decade, two major challenges remain. First, the field has been disorganized and fragmented with respect to its research and prevention practices; that is, there are often separate ATOD prevention "specialists." Second, both the prevention researchers who test the efficacy of specific prevention strategies and the practitioners who implement prevention efforts often lack an overall perspective to guide strategy selection. To address these limitations, we present an ATOD causal model that seeks to identify those variables (Domains) that are theoretically salient and empirically connected across alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs. For the researcher, the model demonstrates important commonalities, as well as gaps, in the literature. For the practitioner, the model is a means to recognize both the complexity of the community system that produces ATOD problems and the multiple intervention points that are possible within this system. Researchers and practitioners are thus challenged to work synergistically to find effective and cost-effective approaches to change or reduce ATOD use and associated problems.

  17. Trends and Challenges in Smart Healthcare Research: A Journey from Data to Wisdom

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

    Solanas, Agusti; Fran, Casino; Batista, Edgar

    Smart Healthcare is a relatively new context-aware healthcare paradigm influenced by several fields of knowledge, namely medical informatics, communications and electronics, bioengineering, ethics and so on. Thus, many challenging problems are related to smart healthcare but in many cases they are explored individually in their respective fields and, as a result, they are not always known by the smart healthcare research community working in more specific domains. The aim of this article is to identify some of the most relevant trends and research lines that are going to affect the smart healthcare field in the years to come. To domore » so, the article considers a systematic approach that classifies the identified research trends and problems according to their appearance within the data life cycle, this is, from the data gathering in the physical layer (lowest level) until their final use in the application layer (highest level). By identifying and classifying those research trends and challenges, we help to pose questions that the smart healthcare community will need to address. Consequently, we set a common ground to explore important problems in the field, which will have significant impact in the years to come.« less

  18. [Current problems in the data acquisition of digitized virtual human and the countermeasures].

    PubMed

    Zhong, Shi-zhen; Yuan, Lin

    2003-06-01

    As a relatively new field of medical science research that has attracted the attention from worldwide researchers, study of digitized virtual human still awaits long-term dedicated effort for its full development. In the full array of research projects of the integrated Virtual Chinese Human project, virtual visible human, virtual physical human, virtual physiome, and intellectualized virtual human must be included as the four essential constitutional opponents. The primary importance should be given to solving the problems concerning the data acquisition for the dataset of this immense project. Currently 9 virtual human datasets have been established worldwide, which are subjected to critical analyses in the paper with special attention given to the problems in the data storage and the techniques employed, for instance, in these datasets. On the basis of current research status of Virtual Chinese Human project, the authors propose some countermeasures for solving the problems in the data acquisition for the dataset, which include (1) giving the priority to the quality control instead of merely racing for quantity and speed, and (2) improving the setting up of the markers specific for the tissues and organs to meet the requirement from information technology, (3) with also attention to the development potential of the dataset which should have explicit pertinence to specific actual applications.

  19. Problematizing as a scientific endeavor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillips, Anna McLean; Watkins, Jessica; Hammer, David

    2017-12-01

    The work of physics learners at all levels revolves around problems. Physics education research has inspired attention to the forms of these problems, whether conceptual or algorithmic, closed or open response, well or ill structured. Meanwhile, it has been the work of curriculum developers and instructors to develop these problems. Physics education research has supported these efforts with studies of students problem solving and the effects of different kinds of problems on learning. In this article we argue, first, that developing problems is central to the discipline of physics. It involves noticing a gap of understanding, identifying and articulating its precise nature, and motivating a community of its existence and significance. We refer to this activity as problematizing, and we show its importance by drawing from writings in physics and philosophy of science. Second, we argue that students, from elementary age to adults, can problematize as part of their engaging in scientific inquiry. We present four cases, drawing from episodes vetted by a panel of collaborating faculty in science departments as clear instances of students doing science. Although neither we nor the scientists had problematizing in mind when screening cases, we found it across the episodes. We close with implications for instruction, including the value of helping students recognize and manage the situation of being confused but not yet having a clear question, and implications for research, including the need to build problematizing into our models of learning.

  20. Research Nurse | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    We are looking for a Research Nurse (Accrual Site Coordinator) to join our neuro-oncology clinical team to help us provide administrative and coordination support for the Brain Tumor Trials Collaborative (BTTC). Duties include, but are not limited to, monitoring and overseeing activities pertaining to clinical protocols and administrative operations supporting the BTTC, with limited interaction with study participants.  Be part of our mission to solve the most important, challenging and neglected problems in modern cancer research and patient care. The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research is a world-leading cancer research organization working toward scientific breakthroughs at medicine’s cutting edge. Our scientists can’t do it alone. It takes an extraordinary team of researchers, clinical experts and administrators to improve the lives of cancer patients and answer the most important questions in cancer biology and treatment.

  1. Help seeking by parents in military families on behalf of their young children.

    PubMed

    O'Grady, Allison E Flittner; Wadsworth, Shelley MacDermid; Willerton, Elaine; Cardin, Jean-François; Topp, David; Mustillo, Sarah; Lester, Patricia

    2015-08-01

    Over the past decade, many children have experienced a parental deployment, increasing their risk for emotional and behavioral problems. Research in the general population has shown that while many services are available for families with children experiencing problems, the rate of service utilization is low. This study examined help-seeking processes in military families in relation to children's problems. We collected data on emotional and behavioral problems from a sample of military parents with children ranging in age from zero to 10 years. While prevalence of children with problems was similar to prior research, results in this study suggested that military parents were alert to problems. Although military parents' help-seeking processes were similar to those documented in civilian studies in many respects, we did not find a significant gender difference in the recognition of problems. Furthermore, we found that children's experiences of deployment were related to use of services. Families who used services most often relied on primary care providers. These findings suggest military families are mindful of the possibility of their children having problems. In addition, many families utilize civilian services. Therefore, it is important to ensure that front-line civilian providers fully understand the context of military family issues. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. Critical Thinking Skills Of Junior High School Female Students With High Mathematical Skills In Solving Contextual And Formal Mathematical Problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ismail; Suwarsono, St.; Lukito, A.

    2018-01-01

    Critical thinking is one of the most important skills of the 21st century in addition to other learning skills such as creative thinking, communication skills and collaborative skills. This is what makes researchers feel the need to conduct research on critical thinking skills in junior high school students. The purpose of this study is to describe the critical thinking skills of junior high school female students with high mathematical skills in solving contextual and formal mathematical problems. To achieve this is used qualitative research. The subject of the study was a female student of eight grade junior high school. The students’ critical thinking skills are derived from in-depth problem-based interviews using interview guidelines. Interviews conducted in this study are problem-based interviews, which are done by the subject given a written assignment and given time to complete. The results show that critical thinking skills of female high school students with high math skills are as follows: In solving the problem at the stage of understanding the problem used interpretation skills with sub-indicators: categorization, decode, and clarify meaning. At the planning stage of the problem-solving strategy is used analytical skills with sub-indicators: idea checking, argument identification and argument analysis and evaluation skills with sub indicators: assessing the argument. In the implementation phase of problem solving, inference skills are used with subindicators: drawing conclusions, and problem solving and explanatory skills with sub-indicators: problem presentation, justification procedures, and argument articulation. At the re-checking stage all steps have been employed self-regulatory skills with sub-indicators: self-correction and selfstudy.

  3. Wireless device connection problems and design solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Ji-Won; Norman, Donald; Nam, Tek-Jin; Qin, Shengfeng

    2016-09-01

    Users, especially the non-expert users, commonly experience problems when connecting multiple devices with interoperability. While studies on multiple device connections are mostly concentrated on spontaneous device association techniques with a focus on security aspects, the research on user interaction for device connection is still limited. More research into understanding people is needed for designers to devise usable techniques. This research applies the Research-through-Design method and studies the non-expert users' interactions in establishing wireless connections between devices. The "Learning from Examples" concept is adopted to develop a study focus line by learning from the expert users' interaction with devices. This focus line is then used for guiding researchers to explore the non-expert users' difficulties at each stage of the focus line. Finally, the Research-through-Design approach is used to understand the users' difficulties, gain insights to design problems and suggest usable solutions. When connecting a device, the user is required to manage not only the device's functionality but also the interaction between devices. Based on learning from failures, an important insight is found that the existing design approach to improve single-device interaction issues, such as improvements to graphical user interfaces or computer guidance, cannot help users to handle problems between multiple devices. This study finally proposes a desirable user-device interaction in which images of two devices function together with a system image to provide the user with feedback on the status of the connection, which allows them to infer any required actions.

  4. Proceedings of the Jet Noise Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huff, Dennis (Compiler)

    2001-01-01

    Jet noise has been a major problem for aircraft for nearly 50 years. There has been considerable research performed around the world aimed at identifying ways to reduce jet noise. This work was first intended for turbojet aircraft and later extended to low bypass ratio turbofans. Many of the people who performed this pioneering research have retired or are no longer active in aeroacoustics. After so many years of work in jet noise, it is a challenge to piece together the history of its development through existing publications due to the large volume of documents. It is possible to forget important developments from the past as new researchers tackle similar problems. Therefore, a jet noise workshop was organized by the AeroAcoustics Research Consortium (AARC) with the intent of reviewing research that has been done by experts throughout the world. The forum provided a unique opportunity for current researchers to hear the diverse views from world experts on issues related to jet noise modeling and interpretation of experimental data.

  5. Engaging novice researchers in the process and culture of science using a "Pass-the-Problem" case strategy.

    PubMed

    White, Harold B; Usher, David C

    2015-01-01

    Undergraduates having their first research experience frequently have little idea of what to expect. Institutions offering summer research experiences attempt to address this issue through programs that introduce students to the process and culture of science. However, didactic approaches frequently bore students who prefer more interactive sessions. We describe a "Pass-the-Problem" case study approach that engages groups of students in useful discussions about the research environment they are entering. The cases presented here include keeping a thorough laboratory notebook, balancing laboratory and personal time demands, anxiety about formal presentations, unexpected federal regulatory inspection, working in a lab with limited funds, being used as a technician rather than a researcher, frustration with failed experiments, effects of promotion and tenure on laboratory atmosphere, the importance of reading the research literature, and questioning a career in science. These cases alert students to different situations they might encounter and stimulate discussion about how to deal with them. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  6. From bench to bedside and to health policies (and back): ethics in translational research.

    PubMed

    Petrini, Carlo

    2014-01-01

    The medical aim of translational research is to smooth the transition of discoveries made through basic research from the laboratory bench to their diagnostic or therapeutic applications for patients. These applications may be extended to current clinical practice and to health policies. The converse is also important: health policies should provide a point of departure when identifying research priorities. Translational research poses the same ethical problems as trials with human subjects - albeit in different ways. One of the more significant problems is the risk for participants in trials: it is thus necessary to ensure that the risks to which these subjects are exposed are not out of proportion to the expected benefits. Translational research does not require new ethical principles, but existing biomedical principles need to be adjusted to the specific context. The well-being of participants should always be the primary objective; these persons should never be considered as means for the advancement of knowledge or for the improvement of applications.

  7. Mathematics in the lower primary years: A research-based perspective on curricula and teaching practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wright, Bob

    1994-07-01

    Drawing on current research the author explicates twelve assertions relating to curricula, teaching, learners and learning environments in lower primary school mathematics. Topics discussed include: unchanging and under-challenging curricula; the need for greater emphasis on developing children's verbal number strategies and number sense, and on activities specifically suited to prenumerical children; curriculum constraints on teachers; the role of problem solving and differing interpretations of problem solving; the need for a better understanding of how children learn mathematics; differences in children's knowledge; "anti-interventionism," discovery learning, constructivism, children's autonomy and developmental learning; the need for compensatory programs; and learning in collaborative settings. The author concludes that learning and teaching lower primary mathematics continues to be an important area of focus and challenge for teachers and researchers.

  8. An Analysis of the Impact of the Research Utilization Project on Principals' Attitudes and on the Use of Information Services By Teachers and Other Field Personnel in 16 Target Elementary Schools of the District of Columbia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Erika L.

    Bridging the gap between the research resources and field personnel becomes an increasingly important problem. This study investigated the impact of the Research Utilization Project (RUP) on public elementary schools in the District of Columbia. In the 16 schools selected by a multistage stratified sampling method, the total number of information…

  9. Al-Qaeda and Islamist Militant Influences on Tribal Dynamics: The Northern Mali and Northeastern Nigeria Regions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-05

    is we made progress, ex post facto , in terms of methodology development towards what DARPA recently called for, namely “improve[ing] our understanding...for their bases of activity. Prior quantitative research , by the P.I. and by others, has shown that tribalism is an important incubator of Islamist...undergraduate students partook in the research , and were involved in conceptualization of problems, quantitative and qualitative research , coding of

  10. Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics for Industry, Science, and Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Melnik, Roderick V. N.; Voss, Frands

    2006-11-01

    Many industrial problems provide scientists with important and challenging problems that need to be solved today rather than tomorrow. The key role of mathematical physics, modelling, and computational methodologies in addressing such problems continues to increase. Science has never been exogenous to applied research. Gigantic ships and steam engines, repeating catapult of Dionysius and the Antikythera `computer' invented around 80BC are just a few examples demonstrating a profound link between theoretical and applied science in the ancient world. Nowadays, many industrial problems are typically approached by groups of researchers who are working as a team bringing their expertise to the success of the entire enterprise. Since the late 1960s several groups of European mathematicians and scientists have started organizing regular meetings, seeking new challenges from industry and contributing to the solution of important industrial problems. In particular, this often took the format of week-long workshops originally initiated by the Oxford Study Groups with Industry in 1968. Such workshops are now held in many European countries (typically under the auspices of the European Study Groups with Industry - ESGI), as well as in Australia, Canada, the United States, and other countries around the world. Problems given by industrial partners are sometimes very difficult to complete within a week. However, during a week of brainstorming activities these problems inevitably stimulate developing fruitful new ideas, new approaches, and new collaborations. At the same time, there are cases where as soon as the problem is formulated mathematically, it is relatively easy to solve. Hence, putting the industrial problem into a mathematical framework, based on physical laws, often provides a key element to the success. In addition to this important first step, the value in such cases is the real, practical applicability of the results obtained for an industrial partner who presents the problem. Under both outlined scenarios, scientists and mathematicians are provided with an opportunity to challenge themselves with real-world problems and to work together in a team on important industrial issues. This issue is a result of selected contributions by participants of the meeting that took place in the Sønderborg area of Denmark, one of the most important centers for information technology, telecommunication and electronics in the country. The meeting was hosted by the University of Southern Denmark in a picturesque area of Southern Jutland. It brought together about 65 participants, among whom were professional mathematicians, engineers, physicists, and industrial participants. The meeting was a truly international one, with delegates from four major Danish Universities, the UK, Norway, Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey, China, Germany, Latvia, Canada, the United States, and Finland. Five challenging projects were presented by leading industrial companies, including Grundfos, Danfoss Industrial Control, Unisensor, and Danfoss Flow Division (now Siemens). The meeting featured also the Mathematics for Industry Workshop with several distinguished international speakers. This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series on `Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics for Industry, Science, and Technology' contains contributions from some of the participants of the workshop as well as the papers produced as a result of collaborative efforts with the above mentioned industrial companies. We would like to thank all authors and participants for their contributions and for bearing with us during the review process and preparation of this issue. We thank also all our referees for their timely and detailed reports. The publication of the proceedings of this meeting in Denmark was delayed due to problems with a previous publisher. We are very grateful that Journal of Physics: Conference Series kindly agreed to publish the proceedings rapidly at this late stage. As industrial problems become increasingly multidisciplinary, their successful solutions are often contingent on effective collaborative efforts between scientists, mathematicians, industrialists, and engineers. This volume has provided several examples of such collaborative efforts in the context of real-world industrial problems along with the analysis of important physics-based mathematical models applicable in a range of industrial contexts. Roderick V N Melnik, Professor of Mathematical Modelling, Syddansk Universitet (Denmark) and Professor and Canada Research Chair, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada E-mail: rmelnik@wlu.ca Frands Voss, Director of the Mads Clausen Institute, Syddansk Universitet (Denmark)

  11. Structured Parent-Child Observations Predict Development of Conduct Problems: the Importance of Parental Negative Attention in Child-Directed Play.

    PubMed

    Fleming, Andrew P; McMahon, Robert J; King, Kevin M

    2017-04-01

    Structured observations of parent-child interactions are commonly used in research and clinical settings, but require additional empirical support. The current study examined the capacity of child-directed play, parent-directed play, and parent-directed chore interaction analogs to uniquely predict the development of conduct problems across a 6-year follow-up period. Parent-child observations were collected from 338 families from high-risk neighborhoods during the summer following the child's first-grade year. Participating children were 49.2 % female, 54.4 % white, and 45.6 % black, and had an average age of 7.52 years at the first assessment. Conduct problems were assessed via parent report and teacher report at five assessment points between first grade and seventh grade. Latent growth curve modeling was used to analyze predictors of conduct problem trajectory across this 6-year follow-up period. When race, sex, socioeconomic status, and maternal depressive symptoms were controlled, parental negative attention during child-directed play predicted higher levels of parent-reported conduct problems concurrently and after a 6-year follow-up period. Parental negative attention during child-directed play also predicted higher teacher-reported conduct problems 6 years later. Findings support the use of child-directed play and parent-directed chore analogs in predicting longitudinal development of conduct problems. The presence of parental negative attention during child-directed play appears to be an especially important predictor of greater conduct problems over time and across multiple domains. Additionally, the potential importance of task-incongruent behavior is proposed for further study.

  12. Behavioral and emotional problems among Italian international adoptees and non-adopted children: father's and mother's reports.

    PubMed

    Rosnati, Rosa; Montirosso, Rosario; Barni, Daniela

    2008-08-01

    This study intends to fill the gap in empirical research carried out in Italy regarding international adoptees' behavioral and emotional problems. Assuming a multi-informant approach, it aims to compare parents' reports of behavioral problems of adopted and non-adopted children and to examine parental agreement. The sample was composed of 186 adoptive couples and 195 biological couples with the target child between ages 7 and 11 years. The mother and father filled in the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) separately. Analysis of the CBCL revealed that adopted children are perceived by their parents as having more Total and Externalizing Problems than are their non-adopted counterparts. Moreover, they are more likely to demonstrate attention difficulties and aggressive behavior. The agreement between parents turned out to be moderate for adoptive parents and slightly lower for the biological ones. Consistent with most adoption research, the results confirm the higher risk of behavioral problems among adopted children. They also shed light on the significant perceptual discrepancy between mothers and fathers, underlining the importance of considering both parents' reports in the study of adopted children's adjustment.

  13. Dualism and its place in a philosophical structure for psychiatry.

    PubMed

    Maung, Hane Htut

    2018-05-19

    It is often claimed in parts of the psychiatric literature that neuroscientific research into the biological basis of mental disorder undermines dualism in the philosophy of mind. This paper shows that such a claim does not apply to all forms of dualism. Focusing on Kenneth Kendler's discussion of the mind-body problem in biological psychiatry, I argue that such criticism of dualism often conflates the psychological and phenomenal concepts of the mental. Moreover, it fails to acknowledge that there are different varieties of dualism, and so overlooks the important metaphysical insights of contemporary dualist philosophers. I argue that while the neuroscientific research underpinning biological psychiatry challenges the traditional dualism of René Descartes, it does not pose any problem for the more modern dualism of David Chalmers. It is possible to take seriously the scientific claims of biological psychiatry while holding that this latter form of dualism is true. This has implications for the positioning of the mind-body problem in psychiatry. While the "easy" problem of explaining psychological processes is relevant to the aims of biological psychiatry, psychiatrists need not worry about the "hard" problem of consciousness.

  14. Parallel processing for digital picture comparison

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheng, H. D.; Kou, L. T.

    1987-01-01

    In picture processing an important problem is to identify two digital pictures of the same scene taken under different lighting conditions. This kind of problem can be found in remote sensing, satellite signal processing and the related areas. The identification can be done by transforming the gray levels so that the gray level histograms of the two pictures are closely matched. The transformation problem can be solved by using the packing method. Researchers propose a VLSI architecture consisting of m x n processing elements with extensive parallel and pipelining computation capabilities to speed up the transformation with the time complexity 0(max(m,n)), where m and n are the numbers of the gray levels of the input picture and the reference picture respectively. If using uniprocessor and a dynamic programming algorithm, the time complexity will be 0(m(3)xn). The algorithm partition problem, as an important issue in VLSI design, is discussed. Verification of the proposed architecture is also given.

  15. Why Isn't Creativity More Important to Educational Psychologists? Potentials, Pitfalls, and Future Directions in Creativity Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plucker, Jonathan A.; Beghetto, Ronald A.; Dow, Gayle T.

    2004-01-01

    The construct of creativity has a great deal to offer educational psychology. Creativity appears to be an important component of problem-solving and other cognitive abilities, healthy social and emotional well-being, and scholastic and adult success. Yet the study of creativity is not nearly as robust as one would expect, due in part to the…

  16. On Using a Pilot Sample Variance for Sample Size Determination in the Detection of Differences between Two Means: Power Consideration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shieh, Gwowen

    2013-01-01

    The a priori determination of a proper sample size necessary to achieve some specified power is an important problem encountered frequently in practical studies. To establish the needed sample size for a two-sample "t" test, researchers may conduct the power analysis by specifying scientifically important values as the underlying population means…

  17. From junior to senior: advice from the benefit of 20/20 hindsight

    PubMed Central

    Schmid, Sandra L.

    2014-01-01

    As the first recipient of both the Women in Cell Biology Junior and Senior Awards, I look back to identify key components that have provided the foundation for my successful research career. In retrospect, the three most important building blocks have been: identifying and pursing important problems; attracting and mentoring talented postdoctoral fellows and students; and establishing and nurturing strong collaborations. PMID:25360045

  18. Physics and the car business

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Compton, W. Dale; Reitz, John R.

    1981-01-01

    Physicists have made important contributions to many areas of Ford Motor Company activity, particularly in areas of basic and applied research and product development. A number have assumed positions with management responsibility. Many of the technical problems facing the automotive industry today require a fundamental understanding, and the ability of physicists to contribute to the solution of these problems is greater now than it has been in the past. The present paper discusses some of these problems, and also traces a few case histories of physicists at Ford Motor Company; these illustrate the wide diversity of career paths for persons entering industry with a physics background.

  19. Wombs and Whippersnappers: Reflections on Health Education Research and Opportunities for the Future

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gielen, Andrea Carlson

    2016-01-01

    My talk will describe two public health problems facing women and children that were the focus of the work my colleagues and I did over my years as a health behavior change researcher. I start by addressing why a focus on women and children is important from a public health perspective and then provide two mini case studies: (1) identifying needs…

  20. There Is More to Mind Reading than Having Theory of Mind Concepts: New Directions in Theory of Mind Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samson, Dana; Apperly, Ian A.

    2010-01-01

    For more than 30 years, researchers have focused on the important transition that children undergo between the ages of 3 and 5, when they start to solve mind-reading problems that require reasoning about complex mental states, such as beliefs. The main question for debate has been whether, during that transition, children acquire new concepts…

  1. Assessing Quantitative Literacy in Higher Education: An Overview of Existing Research and Assessments with Recommendations for Next-Generation Assessment. Research Report. ETS RR-14-22

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roohr, Katrina Crotts; Graf, Edith Aurora; Liu, Ou Lydia

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative literacy has been recognized as an important skill in the higher education and workforce communities, focusing on problem solving, reasoning, and real-world application. As a result, there is a need by various stakeholders in higher education and workforce communities to evaluate whether college students receive sufficient training on…

  2. A Critical Look at the Cross Impact Matrix Method. A Research Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Folk, Michael

    This paper explains some of the problems with, and their importance to the application of, the Cross-Impact Matrix (CIM). The CIM is a research method designed to serve as a heuristic device to enhance a person's ability to think about the future and as an analytical device to be used by planners to help in actually forecasting future occurrences.…

  3. The potential for advanced computerized aids for comprehensible writing of technical documents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kieras, D. E.

    1985-01-01

    It is widely agreed that technical documents for equipment are poorly written and hard to comprehend. This has been a long-standing problem because the information-processing demands of editing and revision are so high that many comprehensibility problems go undetected. However, many of these problems can be detected by computerized systems that scan a document and point out where the writing can be improved. Existing systems of this type are based on conventional writing customs, rather than on the research literature on comprehension, and give poor advice or miss important problems. They also do not process the input document to any depth. An approach to advanced writing aids is described; such a system would base its criticisms on what is known about the cognition psychology of comprehension, and would make use of techniques from artificial intelligence for processing the language. Some examples of the relevant research results are presented, and a demonstration system of this type is briefly described.

  4. Problem Solving Process Research of Everyone Involved in Innovation Based on CAI Technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Tao; Shao, Yunfei; Tang, Xiaowo

    It is very important that non-technical department personnel especially bottom line employee serve as innovators under the requirements of everyone involved in innovation. According the view of this paper, it is feasible and necessary to build everyone involved in innovation problem solving process under Total Innovation Management (TIM) based on the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). The tools under the CAI technology: How TO mode and science effects database could be very useful for all employee especially non-technical department and bottom line for innovation. The problem solving process put forward in the paper focus on non-technical department personnel especially bottom line employee for innovation.

  5. Child- and elder-friendly urban public places in Fatahillah Square Historical District

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinaga, F.; LKatoppo, M.; Hidayat, J.

    2018-03-01

    Fatahillah square as an important historical urban square in Jakarta has problems in eye level area integrative processing. Visitors cannot enjoy their time while in the square regarding their visuals, feelings, space, and bodies comfort. These also lead to other problems in which the square is lack of friendly and convenient places for children, the elderly and also the disabled, especially people with limited moving space. The research will attempt in proposing design inception for the Fatahillah Square that is using inclusive user-centered design approach, while in the same time incorporate theoretical studies of children and elderly-design considerations. The first stage of this research was building inclusive design parameter; begin with a context-led research which assesses the quality of Fatahillah square through three basic components of urban space: hardware, software and orgware. The second stage of this research is to propose inclusive design inception for the Fatahillah square.

  6. The effect of research method type on stereotypes' content: A brief research report.

    PubMed

    David, Daniel; Bizo, Aurelian; Cimpean, Alina Ioana; Oltean, Horea; Cardos, Roxana; Soflau, Radu; Negut, Alexandra

    2018-01-01

    Stereotype Content Model (SCM) emphasizes the content rather than the underlying processes of the stereotypes and the content might be influenced by several cultural dimensions (e.g., individualism vs. collectivism). The main dimensions of SCM-namely warmth and competence-underlying various contents are assumed to be universal. However, from a cognitive science paradigm, we argue that different research methods (i.e., data collections and data analysis) might also yield different stereotype contents that might impact the universality versus specificity problem in the SCM. Indeed, using a sample from a collectivistic country (i.e., Romania), we found that using different methods in data collection (i.e., unstructured vs. semi-structured vs. structured interview) and different methods of data analysis (i.e., availability vs. accessibility scores) might be an important research strategy to counter artefacts and confusions in the universality versus specificity problem related to the SCM. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

  7. How to Assess Quality of Research in Iran, From Input to Impact? Introduction of Peer-Based Research Evaluation Model in Iran.

    PubMed

    Ebadifar, Asghar; Baradaran Eftekhari, Monir; Owlia, Parviz; Habibi, Elham; Ghalenoee, Elham; Bagheri, Mohammad Reza; Falahat, Katayoun; Eltemasi, Masoumeh; Sobhani, Zahra; Akhondzadeh, Shahin

    2017-11-01

    Research evaluation is a systematic and objective process to measure relevance, efficiency and effectiveness of research activities, and peer review is one of the most important tools for assessing quality of research. The aim of this study was introducing research evaluation indicators based on peer reviewing. This study was implemented in 4 stages. A list of objective-oriented evaluation indicators were designed in 4 axes, including; governance and leadership, structure, knowledge production and research impact. The top 10% medical sciences research centers (RCs) were evaluated based on peer review. Adequate equipment and laboratory instruments, high quality research publication and national or international cooperation were the main strengths in medical sciences RCs and the most important weaknesses included failure to adhere to strategic plans, parallel actions in similar fields, problems in manpower recruitment, knowledge translation & exchange (KTE) in service providers and policy makers' levels. Peer review evaluation can improve the quality of research.

  8. Games and gambling involvement among casino patrons.

    PubMed

    LaPlante, Debi A; Afifi, Tracie O; Shaffer, Howard J

    2013-06-01

    A growing literature is addressing the nature of the relationships among gambling activity, gambling involvement, and gambling-related problems. This research suggests that among the general population, compared to playing any specific game, gambling involvement is a better predictor of gambling-related problems. To date, researchers have not examined these relationships among casino patrons, a population that differs from the general population in a variety of important ways. A survey of 1160 casino patrons at two Las Vegas resort casinos allowed us to determine relationships between the games that patrons played during the 12 months before their casino visit, the games that patrons played during their casino visit, and patrons' self-perceived history of gambling-related problems. Results indicate that playing specific gambling games onsite predicted (i.e., statistically significant odds ratios ranging from .5 to 4.51) self-perceived gambling-related problems. However, after controlling for involvement, operationally defined as the number of games played during the current casino visit and self-reported gambling frequency during the past 12 months, the relationships between games and gambling-related problems disappeared or were attenuated (i.e., odds ratios no longer statistically significant). These results extend the burgeoning literature related to gambling involvement and its relationship to gambling-related problems.

  9. An efficient and accurate solution methodology for bilevel multi-objective programming problems using a hybrid evolutionary-local-search algorithm.

    PubMed

    Deb, Kalyanmoy; Sinha, Ankur

    2010-01-01

    Bilevel optimization problems involve two optimization tasks (upper and lower level), in which every feasible upper level solution must correspond to an optimal solution to a lower level optimization problem. These problems commonly appear in many practical problem solving tasks including optimal control, process optimization, game-playing strategy developments, transportation problems, and others. However, they are commonly converted into a single level optimization problem by using an approximate solution procedure to replace the lower level optimization task. Although there exist a number of theoretical, numerical, and evolutionary optimization studies involving single-objective bilevel programming problems, not many studies look at the context of multiple conflicting objectives in each level of a bilevel programming problem. In this paper, we address certain intricate issues related to solving multi-objective bilevel programming problems, present challenging test problems, and propose a viable and hybrid evolutionary-cum-local-search based algorithm as a solution methodology. The hybrid approach performs better than a number of existing methodologies and scales well up to 40-variable difficult test problems used in this study. The population sizing and termination criteria are made self-adaptive, so that no additional parameters need to be supplied by the user. The study indicates a clear niche of evolutionary algorithms in solving such difficult problems of practical importance compared to their usual solution by a computationally expensive nested procedure. The study opens up many issues related to multi-objective bilevel programming and hopefully this study will motivate EMO and other researchers to pay more attention to this important and difficult problem solving activity.

  10. Thermodynamics and Diffusion Coupling in Alloys—Application-Driven Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ågren, John

    2012-10-01

    As emphasized by Stokes (1997), the common assumption of a linear progression from basic research (science), via applied research, to technological innovations (engineering) should be questioned. In fact, society would gain much by supporting long-term research that stems from practical problems and has usefulness as a key word. Such research may be fundamental, and often, it cannot be distinguished from "basic" research if it were not for its different motivation. The development of the Calphad method and the more recent development of accompanying kinetic approaches for diffusion serve as excellent examples and are the themes of this symposium. The drivers are, e.g., the development of new materials, processes, and lifetime predictions. Many challenges of the utmost practical importance require long-term fundamental research. This presentation will address some of them, e.g., the effect of various ordering phenomena on activation barriers, and the strength and practical importance of correlation effects.

  11. Confessions of a Researcher Turned Policymaker.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mortimer, Kenneth P.

    1992-01-01

    A university president advises policy analysts to understand the realities of institutional administration, including the power and influence of the board of trustees, time constraints, importance of ceremonies and symbols, administrative accountability, dangers of the rumor mill, problems in implementing policy recommendations, and the tendency…

  12. A Problem with STEM

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marder, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Striking differences between physics and biology have important implications for interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The author is a physicist with interdisciplinary connections. The research group in which he works, the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics at the University of Texas at Austin, is…

  13. Emotional Intelligence: Popular but Elusive Construct.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pfeiffer, Steven I.

    2001-01-01

    Important work of Daniel Goleman, Peter Salovey and John Mayer on emotional intelligence (EI) is discussed to illustrate recent theorizing on EI. The article discusses conceptual and measurement problems that presently challenge the usefulness of the EI construct and urges further research. (Author/CR)

  14. Superintendent Leadership: Focusing on District Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donnelly, Tanya A.; Adams, Jeffery S.; Smith, Dwayne E.

    2012-01-01

    This report describes a problem-based learning project focusing on superintendent leadership and stakeholder influence of school district culture. Current research findings suggest the importance of superintendent leadership in assessing, influencing, and enhancing school district culture. Multiple scholars wrote literature in the area of…

  15. Computations in Plasma Physics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Bruce I.; Killeen, John

    1983-01-01

    Discusses contributions of computers to research in magnetic and inertial-confinement fusion, charged-particle-beam propogation, and space sciences. Considers use in design/control of laboratory and spacecraft experiments and in data acquisition; and reviews major plasma computational methods and some of the important physics problems they…

  16. The private funding of public research. New directions in the administration of occupational and environmental health research.

    PubMed

    Cullen, M R; Upton, A; Buffler, P; Robins, T; Schenker, M; Fine, L; Wiencek, R; Widess, E; Chiazze, L

    1994-12-01

    Dr. Cullen: The experience with the new research models, starting with the prototypic experience of the rubber industry studies of the 1970s and expanding to diverse sectors of American industry in the 1980s, has yielded some important lessons for the future. In closing this symposium I shall try to summarize these briefly. Certain strengths of the evolving process seem common to each of the models. Alone and collectively, the new research arrangements have quite apparently served to increase substantially the pool of funds available to the academic sector for the study of occupational health and safety problems. As a consequence, a larger pool of investigators has participated in the research process, greatly strengthening the future academic capability and experience of our fragilely supported teaching centers. Combined with the involvement of the academic centers in the review process, there has been an undeniable broadening and deepening of the nation's research output and long-term capability in occupational health. On the side of the private sector, the new relationships have led to marked progress in the knowledge base about health and safety problems, with a heavily directed focus on those of greatest relevance to the industries involved. The credibility of the knowledge acquired has been enhanced, an important achievement in a society in which perception of truth is often as important as the truth itself! Because of the requirements of the process for broad involvement by the organizations which undertake these activities, health and safety have achieved far greater visibility and attention by corporate and union leaders who may have previously had no involvement in issues of health and safety.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  17. Status Report of the Pacific Lamprey (Lampetra Trzdentata) in the Columbia River Basin.

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

    Close, David A.; Parker, Blaine; James, gary

    1995-07-01

    The widespread decline of Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) in the Pacific Northwest, especially in the Columbia River system has led to concerns and questions from a number of regional agencies, Native American tribes, and the public. To address these concerns, new research efforts must focus on specific problems associated with this understudied species. The preservation and restoration of this species is critical for a number of reasons, including its importance to the tribes and its importance as an indicator of ecosystem health. Historically lamprey have been labeled a pest species due to the problems associated with the exotic sea lamprey,more » (Petromyzon marinus), invading the Great Lakes.« less

  18. Some problems of human adaptation and ecology under the aspect of general pathology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaznacheyev, V. P.

    1980-01-01

    The main problems of human adaptation at the level of the body and the population in connection with the features of current morbidity of the population and certain demographic processes are analyzed. The concepts of health and adaptation of the individual and human populations are determined. The importance of the anthropo-ecological approach to the investigation of the adaptation process of human populations is demonstrated. Certain features of the etiopathogenesis of diseases are considered in connection with the population-ecological regularities of human adaptation. The importance of research on general pathology aspects of adaptation and the ecology of man for planning, and organization of public health protection is discussed.

  19. The role of attention problems and impulsiveness in media violence effects on aggression.

    PubMed

    Swing, Edward L; Anderson, Craig A

    2014-01-01

    Previous research has established media violence as a causal risk factor for aggressive behavior. Several theoretical mechanisms have been identified to explain this effect. The present study assessed 422 undergraduate students to test the possibility that individual differences in attention problems and impulsiveness can help explain the link between violent media and aggression. Attention problems and impulsiveness proved to be a distinct construct from other processes believed to mediate aggression (aggressive beliefs, aggression related schemata, trait anger, and trait hostility). Attention problems and impulsiveness were uniquely related to both media exposure (total weekly hours and violent content) and aggression. Attention problems and impulsiveness were particularly related to impulsive (as opposed to premeditated) aggression. These results suggest that attention problems and impulsiveness may play an important role in violent media effects on aggression. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Parameter estimation using meta-heuristics in systems biology: a comprehensive review.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jianyong; Garibaldi, Jonathan M; Hodgman, Charlie

    2012-01-01

    This paper gives a comprehensive review of the application of meta-heuristics to optimization problems in systems biology, mainly focussing on the parameter estimation problem (also called the inverse problem or model calibration). It is intended for either the system biologist who wishes to learn more about the various optimization techniques available and/or the meta-heuristic optimizer who is interested in applying such techniques to problems in systems biology. First, the parameter estimation problems emerging from different areas of systems biology are described from the point of view of machine learning. Brief descriptions of various meta-heuristics developed for these problems follow, along with outlines of their advantages and disadvantages. Several important issues in applying meta-heuristics to the systems biology modelling problem are addressed, including the reliability and identifiability of model parameters, optimal design of experiments, and so on. Finally, we highlight some possible future research directions in this field.

  1. The effects of monitoring environment on problem-solving performance.

    PubMed

    Laird, Brian K; Bailey, Charles D; Hester, Kim

    2018-01-01

    While effective and efficient solving of everyday problems is important in business domains, little is known about the effects of workplace monitoring on problem-solving performance. In a laboratory experiment, we explored the monitoring environment's effects on an individual's propensity to (1) establish pattern solutions to problems, (2) recognize when pattern solutions are no longer efficient, and (3) solve complex problems. Under three work monitoring regimes-no monitoring, human monitoring, and electronic monitoring-114 participants solved puzzles for monetary rewards. Based on research related to worker autonomy and theory of social facilitation, we hypothesized that monitored (versus non-monitored) participants would (1) have more difficulty finding a pattern solution, (2) more often fail to recognize when the pattern solution is no longer efficient, and (3) solve fewer complex problems. Our results support the first two hypotheses, but in complex problem solving, an interaction was found between self-assessed ability and the monitoring environment.

  2. Importance of orthotic subtalar alignment for development and gait of children with cerebral palsy.

    PubMed

    Carmick, Judy

    2012-01-01

    This case report addresses the assumption that ankle and foot orthoses assist children with cerebral palsy. Outcome research reports are not consistent. Clinical observations and research studies suggest that inappropriate fit and design of orthoses may contribute to poor outcomes. In particular, problems occur when the subtalar joint is out of alignment as children often compensate with unwanted movement patterns that affect progress, development, and function. Four cases are presented to demonstrate problems that can occur when ankle-foot or supramalleolar orthoses are not cast in subtalar neutral. Physical therapists can use their clinical observation skills to evaluate the proper fit and alignment of orthoses for children with cerebral palsy.

  3. Foot Plantar Pressure Measurement System: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Razak, Abdul Hadi Abdul; Zayegh, Aladin; Begg, Rezaul K.; Wahab, Yufridin

    2012-01-01

    Foot plantar pressure is the pressure field that acts between the foot and the support surface during everyday locomotor activities. Information derived from such pressure measures is important in gait and posture research for diagnosing lower limb problems, footwear design, sport biomechanics, injury prevention and other applications. This paper reviews foot plantar sensors characteristics as reported in the literature in addition to foot plantar pressure measurement systems applied to a variety of research problems. Strengths and limitations of current systems are discussed and a wireless foot plantar pressure system is proposed suitable for measuring high pressure distributions under the foot with high accuracy and reliability. The novel system is based on highly linear pressure sensors with no hysteresis. PMID:23012576

  4. A promise kept.

    PubMed

    Harper, W James

    2010-01-01

    This article is largely biographical and relates to my experiences of the past 67 years in research and teaching, both of equal importance in my life. I was fortunate to start at the beginning of the development of instrumental methods of analysis and have eagerly embraced each new methodology as it became available. This paper is dedicated to all those students and colleagues who taught me much and whose efforts are mainly responsible for what has been accomplished in our work with food science and technology. The research focused primarily on trying to find out the "why" behind the problems that food, and especially the dairy products area, encountered over the past 65 years. The teaching has tried to foster thinking and problem solving.

  5. The early history of ideas on brief interventions for alcohol.

    PubMed

    McCambridge, Jim; Cunningham, John A

    2014-04-01

    This study explores the early development of brief interventions for alcohol using a history of ideas approach with a particular focus on intervention content. The source publications of the key primary studies published from approximately 1962 to 1992 were examined, followed by a brief review of the earliest reviews in this field. These studies were placed in the context of developments in alcohol research and in public health. After early pioneering work on brief interventions, further advances were not made until thinking about alcohol problems and their treatment, most notably on controlled drinking, along with wider changes in public health, created new conditions for progress. There was then a golden era of rapid advance in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when preventing the development of problem drinking became important for public health reasons, in addition to helping already problematic drinkers. Many research challenges identified at that time remain to be met. The content of brief interventions changed over the period of study, although not in ways well informed by research advances, and there were also obvious continuities, with a renewed emphasis on the facilitation of self-change being one important consequence of the development of internet applications. Ideas about brief interventions have changed in important ways. Brief interventions have been studied with different populations of drinkers, with aims embracing both individual and population-level perspectives, and without well-specified contents. The brief intervention field is an appropriate target for further historical investigations, which may help thinking about addressing alcohol and other problems. © 2013 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

  6. Needed Research on Trait Structure, Multivariate Approach. A Special Report of the USOE-Sponsored Grant Study: Critical Appraisal of Research in the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. IBR Report No. 73-21.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cartwright, Desmond S.; And Others

    The task group report presented in this publication is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S.O.E.-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new research and…

  7. Planetary geosciences, 1988

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zuber, Maria T. (Editor); Plescia, Jeff L. (Editor); James, Odette B. (Editor); Macpherson, Glenn (Editor)

    1989-01-01

    Research topics within the NASA Planetary Geosciences Program are presented. Activity in the fields of planetary geology, geophysics, materials, and geochemistry is covered. The investigator's current research efforts, the importance of that work in understanding a particular planetary geoscience problem, the context of that research, and the broader planetary geoscience effort is described. As an example, theoretical modelling of the stability of water ice within the Martian regolith, the applicability of that work to understanding Martian volatiles in general, and the geologic history of Mars is discussed.

  8. The Experimental Design Assistant.

    PubMed

    Percie du Sert, Nathalie; Bamsey, Ian; Bate, Simon T; Berdoy, Manuel; Clark, Robin A; Cuthill, Innes; Fry, Derek; Karp, Natasha A; Macleod, Malcolm; Moon, Lawrence; Stanford, S Clare; Lings, Brian

    2017-09-01

    Addressing the common problems that researchers encounter when designing and analysing animal experiments will improve the reliability of in vivo research. In this article, the Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) is introduced. The EDA is a web-based tool that guides the in vivo researcher through the experimental design and analysis process, providing automated feedback on the proposed design and generating a graphical summary that aids communication with colleagues, funders, regulatory authorities, and the wider scientific community. It will have an important role in addressing causes of irreproducibility.

  9. Needed Research on the Genes and Environment in Human Psychological Development: Perspectives from Behavior Genetics. A Special Report of the USOE-Sponsored Grant Study: Critical Appraisal of Research in the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loehlin, John C.; And Others

    The task group report presented in this publication is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S.O.E.-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. In order to attain the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new research and…

  10. The Experimental Design Assistant

    PubMed Central

    Bamsey, Ian; Bate, Simon T.; Berdoy, Manuel; Clark, Robin A.; Cuthill, Innes; Fry, Derek; Karp, Natasha A.; Macleod, Malcolm; Moon, Lawrence; Stanford, S. Clare; Lings, Brian

    2017-01-01

    Addressing the common problems that researchers encounter when designing and analysing animal experiments will improve the reliability of in vivo research. In this article, the Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) is introduced. The EDA is a web-based tool that guides the in vivo researcher through the experimental design and analysis process, providing automated feedback on the proposed design and generating a graphical summary that aids communication with colleagues, funders, regulatory authorities, and the wider scientific community. It will have an important role in addressing causes of irreproducibility. PMID:28957312

  11. Screening midlife women for sleep problems: why, how, and who should get a referral?

    PubMed

    Lee, Kathryn A; Anderson, Debra J

    2015-07-01

    Advancements in sleep medicine have been escalating ever since research began appearing in the 1950s. As with most early clinical trials, women were excluded from participation. Even if researchers included women or addressed sex differences by age, reproductive stage was seldom considered. Recently, there has been an exponential increase in research on sleep in midlife and older women. This Practice Pearl briefly reviews the importance of adequate sleep, clinical assessment for sleep disorders, and guidelines for practice.

  12. Disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English

    PubMed Central

    Rezaeian, Mohsen

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: English has become the most frequently used language for scientific communication in the biomedical field. Therefore, scholars from all over the world try to publish their findings in English. This trend has a number of advantages, along with several disadvantages. METHODS: In the current article, the most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English are reviewed. RESULTS: The most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers may include: Overlooking, either unintentionally or even deliberately, the most important local health problems; failure to carry out groundbreaking research due to limited medical research budgets; violating generally accepted codes of publication ethics and committing research misconduct and publications in open-access scam/predatory journals rather than prestigious journals. CONCLUSIONS: The above mentioned disadvantages could eventually result in academic establishments becoming irresponsible or, even worse, corrupt. In order to avoid this, scientists, scientific organizations, academic institutions, and scientific associations all over the world should design and implement a wider range of collaborative and comprehensive plans. PMID:25968115

  13. Disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English.

    PubMed

    Rezaeian, Mohsen

    2015-01-01

    English has become the most frequently used language for scientific communication in the biomedical field. Therefore, scholars from all over the world try to publish their findings in English. This trend has a number of advantages, along with several disadvantages. In the current article, the most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English are reviewed. The most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers may include: Overlooking, either unintentionally or even deliberately, the most important local health problems; failure to carry out groundbreaking research due to limited medical research budgets; violating generally accepted codes of publication ethics and committing research misconduct and publications in open-access scam/predatory journals rather than prestigious journals. The above mentioned disadvantages could eventually result in academic establishments becoming irresponsible or, even worse, corrupt. In order to avoid this, scientists, scientific organizations, academic institutions, and scientific associations all over the world should design and implement a wider range of collaborative and comprehensive plans.

  14. Researches in agri-food supply chain: A bibliometric study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hisjam, Muhammad; Sutopo, Wahyudi

    2017-11-01

    Agri-food is very important for human being. Problems in managing agri-food are very complicated. There are many entities involved in managing agri-food with conflict of interest between them makes the problems become more complicated. Using supply chain approaches in agri-food will help solving the problems. The purpose of this paper is to show that the publications in agri-food supply chain research area are still promising and to show the research trend in agri-food supply chain. The study was a bibliometric study by using some queries on the website with the largest database of peer-reviewed literature. The queries were using various categories and refinements. Firstly the study was exploring all publications in this research area in some categories and then divided the duration into 2 intervals. The last query was to know how many publications are review type publications. The results show that the number of the publications with agri-food supply chain topics are still limited, and tend to increase. It means researches in this area are still promising. The results also show the most publications are from which source title, country, and affiliation. The results also show the research trend in this research area. The quantities of review type publications in agri-food supply chain are still few. It shows the need for more review type publications in this area.

  15. Pleading for the use of biodegradable polymers in favor of marine environments and to avoid an asbestos-like problem for the future.

    PubMed

    Kubota, Masahisa; Takayama, Katsumi; Namimoto, Daisuke

    2005-06-01

    Research results about the movement and accumulation of floating marine debris drifting throughout the world's oceans are reviewed in this paper. A mechanism for this accumulation and movement is strongly associated with surface currents consisting of the Ekman drift and the geostrophic current, because all floating marine debris is passive to surface currents. The basic published mechanism for the North Pacific is common across the world's ocean. After marine debris accumulates in the narrow Ekman convergence zone, it is moved to the east by geostrophic currents. The most important thing is that floating marine debris concentrates in some specific regions, independent of the initial quantity of marine debris. In order to resolve this problem and to avoid an asbestos-like problem, the use of biodegradable polymers is important in our daily life.

  16. Baseline research for action: adolescent alcohol consumption in Los Palacios Municipality, Cuba.

    PubMed

    Díaz, Yolanda; Espinosa, Yairelis

    2013-04-01

    In Cuba, alcohol is an important contributor to morbidity, mortality and social problems. The foundation of Cuba's universal primary health care coverage, family doctor-and-nurse offices play a critical role in prevention, early detection and treatment of alcohol abuse. Los Palacios Municipality of the westernmost province of Pinar del Río, Cuba, is a socially complex, periurban area where alcohol abuse and alcoholism have been identified as important health problems. Adolescents constitute a population at high risk for alcohol abuse because of their receptivity to social influences, but the precise extent of the problem is unknown. This paper reports baseline findings from a survey and direct observation of alcohol consumption in the catchment area of a primary care center, conducted to inform planning for an educational intervention. KEYWORDS Alcohol, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, adolescence, primary health care, Cuba.

  17. Step by Step: Biology Undergraduates' Problem-Solving Procedures during Multiple-Choice Assessment.

    PubMed

    Prevost, Luanna B; Lemons, Paula P

    2016-01-01

    This study uses the theoretical framework of domain-specific problem solving to explore the procedures students use to solve multiple-choice problems about biology concepts. We designed several multiple-choice problems and administered them on four exams. We trained students to produce written descriptions of how they solved the problem, and this allowed us to systematically investigate their problem-solving procedures. We identified a range of procedures and organized them as domain general, domain specific, or hybrid. We also identified domain-general and domain-specific errors made by students during problem solving. We found that students use domain-general and hybrid procedures more frequently when solving lower-order problems than higher-order problems, while they use domain-specific procedures more frequently when solving higher-order problems. Additionally, the more domain-specific procedures students used, the higher the likelihood that they would answer the problem correctly, up to five procedures. However, if students used just one domain-general procedure, they were as likely to answer the problem correctly as if they had used two to five domain-general procedures. Our findings provide a categorization scheme and framework for additional research on biology problem solving and suggest several important implications for researchers and instructors. © 2016 L. B. Prevost and P. P. Lemons. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 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).

  18. What have we been priming all these years? On the development, mechanisms, and ecology of nonconscious social behavior

    PubMed Central

    BARGH, JOHN A.

    2009-01-01

    Priming or nonconscious activation of social knowledge structures has produced a plethora of rather amazing findings over the past 25 years: priming a single social concept such as aggressive can have multiple effects across a wide array of psychological systems, such as perception, motivation, behavior, and evaluation. But we may have reached childhood’s end, so to speak, and need now to move on to research questions such as how these multiple effects of single primes occur (the generation problem); next, how these multiple simultaneous priming influences in the environment get distilled into nonconscious social action that has to happen serially, in real time (the reduction problem). It is suggested that models of complex conceptual structures (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980), language use in real-life conversational settings (Clark, 1996), and speech production (Dell, 1986) might hold the key for solving these two important ‘second-generation’ research problems. PMID:19844598

  19. Neighborhood Qualification of the Association Between Parenting and Problem Behavior Trajectories Among Mexican-Origin Father-Adolescent Dyads.

    PubMed

    White, Rebecca M B; Liu, Yu; Gonzales, Nancy A; Knight, George P; Tein, Jenn-Yun

    2016-12-01

    To address the combined importance of fathers and neighborhoods for adolescent adjustment, we examined whether associations between fathers' parenting and adolescents' problem behaviors were qualified by neighborhood adversity. We captured both mainstream (e.g., authoritative) and alternative (e.g., no-nonsense, reduced involvement) parenting styles and examined parenting and neighborhood effects on changes over time in problem behaviors among a sample of Mexican-origin father-adolescent dyads (N = 462). Compared to their counterparts in low-adversity neighborhoods, adolescents in high-adversity neighborhoods experienced greater initial benefits from authoritative fathering, greater long-term benefits from no-nonsense fathering, and fewer costs associated with reduced involvement fathering. The combined influences of alternative paternal parenting styles and neighborhood adversity may set ethnic and racial minority adolescents on different developmental pathways to competence. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2016 Society for Research on Adolescence.

  20. Problem severity and motivation for treatment in incarcerated substance abusers.

    PubMed

    Hiller, Matthew L; Narevic, Egle; Webster, J Matthew; Rosen, Paul; Staton, Michele; Leukefeld, Carl; Garrity, Thomas F; Kayo, Rebecca

    2009-01-01

    Studies of community-based treatment programs for substance users document that motivation for treatment is a consistent predictor of clients remaining under treatment for a longer period of time. Recent research has replicated this in prison-based treatment programs, implying that motivation is clinically important regardless of setting. The current study examines predictors of treatment motivation using data collected from 661 male drug-involved inmates during in-depth interviews that include components of the Addiction Severity Index, TCU Motivation Scale, and the Heath Services Research Instrument. Findings showed treatment motivation can be measured effectively in prison-based settings. Motivation scores were not significantly different between individuals in a prison-based treatment program and those in the general prison population. Furthermore, higher motivation for treatment scores were associated with greater levels of problem severity, suggesting that individuals with more drug-use related life problems may recognize this need and desire help for beginning long-term recovery.

  1. Plagiarism Detection by Online Solutions.

    PubMed

    Masic, Izet; Begic, Edin; Dobraca, Amra

    2017-01-01

    The problem of plagiarism represents one of the burning issues of the modern scientific world. Detection of plagiarism is a problem that the Editorial Board encounters in their daily work. Software solutions represent a good solution for the detection of plagiarism. The problem of plagiarism will become most discussed topic of the modern scientific world, especially due to the development of standard measures, which rank the work of one author. Investment in education, education of young research personnel about the importance of scientific research, with paying particular attention on ethical behavior, becomes an imperative of academic staff. Editors have to invest additional effort in the development of the base of reviewers team as well as in their proper guidance, because after all, despite the software solutions, they are the best weapon to fight plagiarism. Peer review process should be a key of successful operation of each journal.

  2. Analysis of junior high school students' difficulty in resolving rectangular conceptual problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Utami, Aliksia Kristiana Dwi; Mardiyana, Pramudya, Ikrar

    2017-08-01

    Geometry is one part of the mathematics that must be learned in school and it has important effects on the development of creative thinking skills of learners, but in fact, there are some difficulties experienced by the students. This research focuses on analysis difficulty in resolving rectangular conceptual problems among junior high school students in every creative thinking skills level. This research used a descriptive method aimed to identify the difficulties and cause of the difficulties experienced by five students. The difficulties are associated with rectangular shapes and related problems. Data collection was done based on students' work through test, interview, and observations. The result revealed that student' difficulties in understanding the rectangular concept can be found at every creative thinking skills level. The difficulties are identifying the objects rectangular in the daily life except for a rectangle and square, analyzing the properties of rectangular shapes, and seeing the interrelationships between figures.

  3. From junior to senior: advice from the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

    PubMed

    Schmid, Sandra L

    2014-11-01

    As the first recipient of both the Women in Cell Biology Junior and Senior Awards, I look back to identify key components that have provided the foundation for my successful research career. In retrospect, the three most important building blocks have been: identifying and pursing important problems; attracting and mentoring talented postdoctoral fellows and students; and establishing and nurturing strong collaborations. © 2014 Schmid.

  4. Combined rule extraction and feature elimination in supervised classification.

    PubMed

    Liu, Sheng; Patel, Ronak Y; Daga, Pankaj R; Liu, Haining; Fu, Gang; Doerksen, Robert J; Chen, Yixin; Wilkins, Dawn E

    2012-09-01

    There are a vast number of biology related research problems involving a combination of multiple sources of data to achieve a better understanding of the underlying problems. It is important to select and interpret the most important information from these sources. Thus it will be beneficial to have a good algorithm to simultaneously extract rules and select features for better interpretation of the predictive model. We propose an efficient algorithm, Combined Rule Extraction and Feature Elimination (CRF), based on 1-norm regularized random forests. CRF simultaneously extracts a small number of rules generated by random forests and selects important features. We applied CRF to several drug activity prediction and microarray data sets. CRF is capable of producing performance comparable with state-of-the-art prediction algorithms using a small number of decision rules. Some of the decision rules are biologically significant.

  5. Food parenting measurement issues: Working group consensus report

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Childhood obesity is a growing problem. As more researchers become involved in the study of parenting influences on childhood obesity, there appears to be a lack of agreement regarding the most important parenting constructs of interest, definitions of those constructs, and measurement of those cons...

  6. The Phenomenology of Teacher Stress: Implications for Organizational Theory and Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blase, Joseph J.

    1985-01-01

    Data are synthesized from four qualitative studies of teacher work stress. One factor, student discipline, is used to illustrate the problem of teacher stress. The data suggests the importance of understanding stress as a powerful process affecting individual and organizational behavior. (MD)

  7. Principal Leadership of Data Team Protocols within a Professional Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chambers, Charmelle

    2014-01-01

    The following document represents a Problem Based Learning Project (PBL) focusing on school leadership practices leading to increased student achievement. Current research findings indicate effective principals recognize the importance of building teacher capacity through promoting collaborative team work. School principals effectively leading…

  8. Hypergraph-Based Combinatorial Optimization of Matrix-Vector Multiplication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf, Michael Maclean

    2009-01-01

    Combinatorial scientific computing plays an important enabling role in computational science, particularly in high performance scientific computing. In this thesis, we will describe our work on optimizing matrix-vector multiplication using combinatorial techniques. Our research has focused on two different problems in combinatorial scientific…

  9. Re-Engineering Graduate Skills--A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nair, Chenicheri Sid; Patil, Arun; Mertova, Patricie

    2009-01-01

    Research on student-learning outcomes indicates that university graduates do not possess important skills required by employers, such as communication, decision-making, problem-solving, leadership, emotional intelligence, social ethics skills as well as the ability to work with people of different backgrounds. Today, engineering graduates are…

  10. Measuring the Value of AI in Space Science and Exploration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blair, B.; Parr, J.; Diamond, B.; Pittman, B.; Rasky, D.

    2017-10-01

    FDL is tackling knowledge gaps useful to the space program by forming small teams of industrial partners, cutting-edge AI researchers and space science domain experts, and tasking them to solve problems that are important to NASA as well as humanity's future.

  11. Teachers' Perspectives on Principal Mistreatment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blase, Joseph; Blase, Jo

    2006-01-01

    Although there is some important scholarly work on the problem of workplace mistreatment/abuse, theoretical or empirical work on abusive school principals is nonexistent. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical structure for the present study. This perspective on social research is founded on three primary assumptions: (1) individuals act…

  12. Assessing student written problem solutions: A problem-solving rubric with application to introductory physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Docktor, Jennifer L.; Dornfeld, Jay; Frodermann, Evan; Heller, Kenneth; Hsu, Leonardo; Jackson, Koblar Alan; Mason, Andrew; Ryan, Qing X.; Yang, Jie

    2016-06-01

    Problem solving is a complex process valuable in everyday life and crucial for learning in the STEM fields. To support the development of problem-solving skills it is important for researchers and curriculum developers to have practical tools that can measure the difference between novice and expert problem-solving performance in authentic classroom work. It is also useful if such tools can be employed by instructors to guide their pedagogy. We describe the design, development, and testing of a simple rubric to assess written solutions to problems given in undergraduate introductory physics courses. In particular, we present evidence for the validity, reliability, and utility of the instrument. The rubric identifies five general problem-solving processes and defines the criteria to attain a score in each: organizing problem information into a Useful Description, selecting appropriate principles (Physics Approach), applying those principles to the specific conditions in the problem (Specific Application of Physics), using Mathematical Procedures appropriately, and displaying evidence of an organized reasoning pattern (Logical Progression).

  13. Comparison of Behavioral and Sexual Problems between Intellectually Disabled and Normal Adolescent Boys during Puberty in Yazd, Iran

    PubMed Central

    Akrami, Leila; Davudi, Maryam

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To compare sexual and behavioral puberty problems between intellectually disabled (ID) and normal boys in Yazd, Iran. Methods: In the present study, 65 intellectually disabled and 65 normal boys were included. The Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) was used to investigate behavioral problems. In order to study sexual problems, a questionnaire that was designed by the researchers was applie. Results: Anxiety, depression, social problems, attention problems, aggressiveness, and sexual problems were more frequent in intellectually disabled boys than in normal boys. On the other hand, regarding somatic complaints, withdrawal, thought problems, internalizing, delinquent behavior, and externalizing there was no difference between the two groups. Conclusion: Behavioral and sexual problems are more common in adolescent boys with intellectual disability (ID) than in normal boys during the puberty period. Therefore, puberty is an important period for intellectually disabled boys and their families; this should be taken into consideration by psychologists and clinicians. PMID:25053959

  14. Understanding the relationship between religiousness, spirituality, and underage drinking: the role of positive alcohol expectancies.

    PubMed

    Sauer-Zavala, Shannon; Burris, Jessica L; Carlson, Charles R

    2014-02-01

    Research has consistently found that religiousness and spirituality are negatively associated with underage drinking. However, there is a paucity of research exploring the mechanisms by which these variables influence this important outcome. With 344 underage young adults (ages 18-20; 61 % women), we investigated positive alcohol expectancies as a mediator between religiousness and spirituality (measured separately) and underage alcohol use. Participants completed the Religious Commitment Inventory-10, Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire, and Drinking Styles Questionnaire. Results indicate less positive alcohol expectancies partially mediate the relationship between both religiousness and spirituality and underage alcohol use. This suggests religiousness and spirituality's protective influence on underage drinking is partly due to their influence on expectations about alcohol's positive effects. Since underage drinking predicts problem drinking later in life and places one at risk for serious physical and mental health problems, it is important to identify specific points of intervention, including expectations about alcohol that rise from religious and spiritual factors.

  15. Software selection based on analysis and forecasting methods, practised in 1C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vazhdaev, A. N.; Chernysheva, T. Y.; Lisacheva, E. I.

    2015-09-01

    The research focuses on the problem of a “1C: Enterprise 8” platform inboard mechanisms for data analysis and forecasting. It is important to evaluate and select proper software to develop effective strategies for customer relationship management in terms of sales, as well as implementation and further maintenance of software. Research data allows creating new forecast models to schedule further software distribution.

  16. Interest, Motivation and Attitude towards Science and Technology at K-12 Levels: A Systematic Review of 12?Years of Educational Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potvin, Patrice; Hasni, Abdelkrim

    2014-01-01

    The relationship that exists between students and science and technology (S&T) is a complex and important one. If it is positive, then social, economic and environmental consequences are to be expected. Yet, many problems of interest/motivation/attitude (I/M/A) towards S&T have been recorded. A lot of research has been conducted on this…

  17. Parents' Attributions for Negative and Positive Child Behavior in Relation to Parenting and Child Problems.

    PubMed

    Park, Joanne L; Johnston, Charlotte; Colalillo, Sara; Williamson, David

    2016-04-12

    Previous research has stressed the importance of parents' attributions and parenting for child problems. Based on social cognitive models, studies have focused on the interrelations among parents' child-responsibility attributions for negative behavior, harsh parenting, and child problems. Little is known about the extent to which child-responsibility attributions for positive behavior and other types of parenting play a role in these models. The purpose of this study was to examine whether parents' child-responsibility attributions for positive and negative child behaviors are related to child problems, and whether these relations are mediated by harsh, lax, and positive parenting. Mothers' and fathers' attributions and parenting were examined separately. A community sample of 148 couples and their 9- to 12-year-old child (50% boys) participated in the study. Mothers and children participated by completing questionnaires and a laboratory interaction task. Fathers participated by completing the same questionnaires as mothers. Harsh parenting was the only parenting variable that uniquely mediated the relations between more child-responsibility attributions for (a) negative child behaviors and child problems for both parents and (b) the inverse relation between attributions for positive child behaviors and child problems for fathers. Findings confirm the importance of harsh parenting and demonstrate the importance of parents' attributions for positive child behaviors in relation to decreasing harsh parenting and child problems. Clinically, it may be useful not only to reduce child-responsibility attributions for negative behaviors but also to increase the extent to which parents give their child credit for positive behaviors.

  18. STEM education and Fermi problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holubova, Renata

    2017-01-01

    One of the research areas of Physics education is the study of the educational process. Investigations in this area are aimed for example on the teaching and learning process and its results. The conception of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is discussed - it is one possible approach to the preparation of the curriculum and the focus on the educational process at basic and secondary schools. At schools in the Czech Republic STEM is much more realized by the application of interdisciplinary relations between subjects Physics-Nature-Technique. In both conceptions the aim is to support pupils' creativity, critical thinking, cross-curricular links. In this context the possibility of using Fermi problems in teaching Physics was discussed (as an interdisciplinary and constructivist activity). The aim of our research was the analysis of Fermi problems solving strategies, the ability of pupils to solve Fermi problems. The outcome of our analysis was to find out methods and teaching strategies which are important to use in teaching - how to solve qualitative and interdisciplinary tasks in physics. In this paper the theoretical basis of STEM education and Fermi problems will be presented. The outcome of our findings based on the research activities will be discussed so as our experiences from 10 years of Fermi problems competition that takes place at the Science Faculty, Palacky University in Olomouc. Changes in competencies of solving tasks by our students (from the point of view in terms of modern, activating teaching methods recommended by theory of Physics education and other science subjects) will be identified.

  19. Framework for Understanding Structural Errors (FUSE): A modular framework to diagnose differences between hydrological models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Martyn P.; Slater, Andrew G.; Rupp, David E.; Woods, Ross A.; Vrugt, Jasper A.; Gupta, Hoshin V.; Wagener, Thorsten; Hay, Lauren E.

    2008-01-01

    The problems of identifying the most appropriate model structure for a given problem and quantifying the uncertainty in model structure remain outstanding research challenges for the discipline of hydrology. Progress on these problems requires understanding of the nature of differences between models. This paper presents a methodology to diagnose differences in hydrological model structures: the Framework for Understanding Structural Errors (FUSE). FUSE was used to construct 79 unique model structures by combining components of 4 existing hydrological models. These new models were used to simulate streamflow in two of the basins used in the Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX): the Guadalupe River (Texas) and the French Broad River (North Carolina). Results show that the new models produced simulations of streamflow that were at least as good as the simulations produced by the models that participated in the MOPEX experiment. Our initial application of the FUSE method for the Guadalupe River exposed relationships between model structure and model performance, suggesting that the choice of model structure is just as important as the choice of model parameters. However, further work is needed to evaluate model simulations using multiple criteria to diagnose the relative importance of model structural differences in various climate regimes and to assess the amount of independent information in each of the models. This work will be crucial to both identifying the most appropriate model structure for a given problem and quantifying the uncertainty in model structure. To facilitate research on these problems, the FORTRAN‐90 source code for FUSE is available upon request from the lead author.

  20. Mathematical modeling of swirled flows in industrial applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dekterev, A. A.; Gavrilov, A. A.; Sentyabov, A. V.

    2018-03-01

    Swirled flows are widely used in technological devices. Swirling flows are characterized by a wide range of flow regimes. 3D mathematical modeling of flows is widely used in research and design. For correct mathematical modeling of such a flow, it is necessary to use turbulence models, which take into account important features of the flow. Based on the experience of computational modeling of a wide class of problems with swirling flows, recommendations on the use of turbulence models for calculating the applied problems are proposed.

  1. Research, empiricism and clinical practice in low-income countries.

    PubMed

    Isaac, Mohan; Chand, Prabhat; Murthy, Pratima

    2007-10-01

    Mental health problems are relevant for every country. They are particularly important for low-income countries which face a high burden of illness due to infectious disease, greater socio-economic disparities, and have limited resources for mental health care. There is a great mismatch in the areas of mental health research, practice, policy and services in comparison to developed countries. There have been a few studies that have investigated major mental health problems prevailing in these countries but missed out significant health problems. Studies have tended to be more donor driven and conducted in tertiary centres. The low priority accorded to mental health by the policy makers, scarcity of human resources, lack of culture-specific study instruments, lack of support from scientific journals have been some of the impediments to mental health research in these countries. In addition, lack of community participation and absence of sound mental health policies have deprived the vast majority of the benefit of modern psychiatric treatments. Recently, with increase in collaboration in research, availability of treatment including low-priced psychotropics, and a growing emphasis on the need for mental health policy in some low-income countries, the bleak scenario is expected to change.

  2. Positive and Negative Thinking in Tinnitus: Factor Structure of the Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Handscomb, Lucy E; Hall, Deborah A; Shorter, Gillian W; Hoare, Derek J

    Researchers and clinicians consider thinking to be important in the development and maintenance of tinnitus distress, and altering thoughts or thinking style is an object of many forms of psychological therapy for tinnitus. Those working with people with tinnitus require a reliable, psychometrically robust means of measuring both positive and negative thinking related to it. The Tinnitus Cognitions Questionnaire (TCQ) was designed as such a measure and its authors showed it to be reliable, with good psychometric properties. However, no research teams have yet carried out independent validation. This study aimed to use the TCQ to investigate thinking amongst members of the general population with both bothersome and nonbothersome tinnitus and also to verify its factor structure. Three hundred forty-two members of the public with tinnitus completed the TCQ online or on paper. They also rated their tinnitus on a scale as "not a problem," "a small problem," "a moderate problem," "a big problem," or a "very big problem." The authors tested the original factor structure of the TCQ using confirmatory factor analysis and then calculated the mean scores for each item, comparing mean total scores across "problem categories" for the full questionnaire and for the positive and negative subscales. The original two-factor structure of the TCQ was a good fit to the data when the correlation between positive and negative factors was fixed at zero (root mean square error of approximation = 0.064, 90% confidence interval = 0.058 to 0.070). Items pertaining to wishing the tinnitus would go away and despairing that it would ever get better had the highest mean scores. The mean total score for the "no problem" group (M = 31.17, SD = 16.03) was not significantly different from the mean total score for the "small problem" group (M = 34.00, SD = 12.44, p = 0.99). Differences between mean scores for all other groups were statistically significant. For the negative subscale, differences were statistically significant between all problem categories. For the positive subscale, the differences between mean scores were only statistically significant for the "no problem" group (M = 28.40, SD = 17.11) compared with the "moderate problem" group (M = 18.55, SD = 8.64, p = 0.02) and for the "moderate problem" group compared with the "very big problem" group (M = 26.79, SD = 11.66, p = 0.002). Positive and negative factors were uncorrelated (ρ = -0.03.) CONCLUSIONS:: The TCQ is a valid measure of positive and negative thinking in tinnitus, and the authors recommend its use in research and therapeutic settings. Negative thinking appears to be associated with more problematic tinnitus, but positive thinking is not associated with unproblematic tinnitus, suggesting that reducing negative thinking may be more important than teaching positive thinking in therapy.

  3. Development of a problem solving evaluation instrument; untangling of specific problem solving assets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, Wendy Kristine

    The purpose of my research was to produce a problem solving evaluation tool for physics. To do this it was necessary to gain a thorough understanding of how students solve problems. Although physics educators highly value problem solving and have put extensive effort into understanding successful problem solving, there is currently no efficient way to evaluate problem solving skill. Attempts have been made in the past; however, knowledge of the principles required to solve the subject problem are so absolutely critical that they completely overshadow any other skills students may use when solving a problem. The work presented here is unique because the evaluation tool removes the requirement that the student already have a grasp of physics concepts. It is also unique because I picked a wide range of people and picked a wide range of tasks for evaluation. This is an important design feature that helps make things emerge more clearly. This dissertation includes an extensive literature review of problem solving in physics, math, education and cognitive science as well as descriptions of studies involving student use of interactive computer simulations, the design and validation of a beliefs about physics survey and finally the design of the problem solving evaluation tool. I have successfully developed and validated a problem solving evaluation tool that identifies 44 separate assets (skills) necessary for solving problems. Rigorous validation studies, including work with an independent interviewer, show these assets identified by this content-free evaluation tool are the same assets that students use to solve problems in mechanics and quantum mechanics. Understanding this set of component assets will help teachers and researchers address problem solving within the classroom.

  4. Contextual influences on environmental concerns cross-nationally: A multilevel investigation.

    PubMed

    Marquart-Pyatt, Sandra T

    2012-09-01

    Environmental issues continue to grow in international prominence, as environmental conditions are recognized as some of the most important problems facing the world. Research examining this globalization of environmental concern shown in public opinion surveys emphasizes the importance of context yet is currently underspecified. To address this gap, this research uses a multi-level, cross-national study to examine individual-level and country-level influences on three measures of environmental concern: environmental threat awareness, environmental efficacy, and willingness to pay. At the individual level, education, age, and gender affect environmental concerns. At the national level, economic, political, and environmental factors affect environmental concerns. Importantly, contextual factors differ in their effects depending on the dimension of environmental concern measured. Results from cross-level interactions for education confirm these complexities across these measures, supporting a dimensionality argument. The importance of the measurement of environmental concern shown in this research is emphasized for future cross-national scholarship. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP) 4: Using research evidence to clarify a problem

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    This article is part of a series written for people responsible for making decisions about health policies and programmes and for those who support these decision makers. Policymakers and those supporting them often find themselves in situations that spur them on to work out how best to define a problem. These situations may range from being asked an awkward or challenging question in the legislature, through to finding a problem highlighted on the front page of a newspaper. The motivations for policymakers wanting to clarify a problem are diverse. These may range from deciding whether to pay serious attention to a particular problem that others claim is important, through to wondering how to convince others to agree that a problem is important. Debates and struggles over how to define a problem are a critically important part of the policymaking process. The outcome of these debates and struggles will influence whether and, in part, how policymakers take action to address a problem. Efforts at problem clarification that are informed by an appreciation of concurrent developments are more likely to generate actions. These concurrent developments can relate to policy and programme options (e.g. the publication of a report demonstrating the effectiveness of a particular option) or to political events (e.g. the appointment of a new Minister of Health with a personal interest in a particular issue). In this article, we suggest questions that can be used to guide those involved in identifying a problem and characterising its features. These are: 1. What is the problem? 2. How did the problem come to attention and has this process influenced the prospect of it being addressed? 3. What indicators can be used, or collected, to establish the magnitude of the problem and to measure progress in addressing it? 4. What comparisons can be made to establish the magnitude of the problem and to measure progress in addressing it? 5. How can the problem be framed (or described) in a way that will motivate different groups? PMID:20018111

  6. Physician Assistant | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    We are looking for a Physician Assistant to join our clinical team to help us provide continuity of care for patients enrolled in clinical trials. Duties include, but are not limited to, participating in clinical rounds and conferences, performing comprehensive health care assessments and examinations, and supporting inpatient and outpatient care of subjects enrolled in clinical trials.  Be part of our mission to solve the most important, challenging and neglected problems in modern cancer research and patient care.  The National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research is a world-leading cancer research organization working toward scientific breakthroughs at medicine’s cutting edge.   Our scientists can’t do it alone. It takes an extraordinary team of researchers, clinical experts and administrators to improve the lives of cancer patients and answer the most important questions in cancer biology and treatment.

  7. On-line crack prognosis in attachment lug using Lamb wave-deterministic resampling particle filter-based method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Shenfang; Chen, Jian; Yang, Weibo; Qiu, Lei

    2017-08-01

    Fatigue crack growth prognosis is important for prolonging service time, improving safety, and reducing maintenance cost in many safety-critical systems, such as in aircraft, wind turbines, bridges, and nuclear plants. Combining fatigue crack growth models with the particle filter (PF) method has proved promising to deal with the uncertainties during fatigue crack growth and reach a more accurate prognosis. However, research on prognosis methods integrating on-line crack monitoring with the PF method is still lacking, as well as experimental verifications. Besides, the PF methods adopted so far are almost all sequential importance resampling-based PFs, which usually encounter sample impoverishment problems, and hence performs poorly. To solve these problems, in this paper, the piezoelectric transducers (PZTs)-based active Lamb wave method is adopted for on-line crack monitoring. The deterministic resampling PF (DRPF) is proposed to be used in fatigue crack growth prognosis, which can overcome the sample impoverishment problem. The proposed method is verified through fatigue tests of attachment lugs, which are a kind of important joint component in aerospace systems.

  8. [Ethics in clinical practice and in health care].

    PubMed

    Pintor, S; Mennuni, G; Fontana, M; Nocchi, S; Giarrusso, P; Serio, A; Fraioli, A

    2015-01-01

    The clinical ethics is the identification, analysis and solution of moral problems that can arise during the care of a patient. Given that when dealing with ethical issues in health care some risks will be encountered (talking about ethics in general, or as a problem overlapped with others in this area, or by delegation to legislative determinations) in the text certain important aspects of the topic are examined. First of all ethics as human quality of the relationship between people for the common good, especially in health services where there are serious problems like the life and the health. It is also necessary a "humanizing relationship" between those who work in these services in order to achieve quality and efficiency in this business. It is important a proper training of health professionals, especially doctors, so that they can identify the real needs and means of intervention. It is also important that scientific research must respect fundamental ethical assumptions. In conclusion, ethics in health care is not a simple matter of "cookbook" rules, but involves the responsibility and consciousness of individual operators.

  9. Multiple Fan-Beam Optical Tomography: Modelling Techniques

    PubMed Central

    Rahim, Ruzairi Abdul; Chen, Leong Lai; San, Chan Kok; Rahiman, Mohd Hafiz Fazalul; Fea, Pang Jon

    2009-01-01

    This paper explains in detail the solution to the forward and inverse problem faced in this research. In the forward problem section, the projection geometry and the sensor modelling are discussed. The dimensions, distributions and arrangements of the optical fibre sensors are determined based on the real hardware constructed and these are explained in the projection geometry section. The general idea in sensor modelling is to simulate an artificial environment, but with similar system properties, to predict the actual sensor values for various flow models in the hardware system. The sensitivity maps produced from the solution of the forward problems are important in reconstructing the tomographic image. PMID:22291523

  10. Genetic algorithms in teaching artificial intelligence (automated generation of specific algebras)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Habiballa, Hashim; Jendryscik, Radek

    2017-11-01

    The problem of teaching essential Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods is an important task for an educator in the branch of soft-computing. The key focus is often given to proper understanding of the principle of AI methods in two essential points - why we use soft-computing methods at all and how we apply these methods to generate reasonable results in sensible time. We present one interesting problem solved in the non-educational research concerning automated generation of specific algebras in the huge search space. We emphasize above mentioned points as an educational case study of an interesting problem in automated generation of specific algebras.

  11. Painful and involuntary Multiple Sclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Bagnato, Francesca; Centonze, Diego; Galgani, Simonetta; Grasso, Maria Grazia; Haggiag, Shalom; Strano, Stefano

    2010-01-01

    Importance of the field Pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions may occur in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Areas covered in the field In the present review we attempt to summarize the current knowledge on the impact that pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions have in patients with MS. What the reader will gain The current understanding on pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions and future research perspectives to expand the knowledge of this field. Take home message To effectively manage MS it is essential that these symptoms are recognised as early as possible and treated by a rehabilitative multidisciplinary approach, based on proven scientific evidence. PMID:21323633

  12. Helicopter rotor dynamics and aeroelasticity - Some key ideas and insights

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Friedmann, Peretz P.

    1990-01-01

    Four important current topics in helicopter rotor dynamics and aeroelasticity are discussed: (1) the role of geometric nonlinearities in rotary-wing aeroelasticity; (2) structural modeling, free vibration, and aeroelastic analysis of composite rotor blades; (3) modeling of coupled rotor/fuselage areomechanical problems and their active control; and (4) use of higher-harmonic control for vibration reduction in helicopter rotors in forward flight. The discussion attempts to provide an improved fundamental understanding of the current state of the art. In this way, future research can be focused on problems which remain to be solved instead of producing marginal improvements on problems which are already understood.

  13. Defining the questions: a research agenda for nontraditional authentication in arms control

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

    Hauck, Danielle K; Mac Arthur, Duncan W; Smith, Morag K

    Many traditional authentication techniques have been based on hardware solutions. Thus authentication of measurement system hardware has been considered in terms of physical inspection and destructive analysis. Software authentication has implied hash function analysis or authentication tools such as Rose. Continuity of knowledge is maintained through TIDs and cameras. Although there is ongoing progress improving all of these authentication methods, there has been little discussion of the human factors involved in authentication. Issues of non-traditional authentication include sleight-of-hand substitutions, monitor perception vs. reality, and visual diversions. Since monitor confidence in a measurement system depends on the product of their confidencesmore » in each authentication element, it is important to investigate all authentication techniques, including the human factors. This paper will present an initial effort to identify the most important problems that traditional authentication approaches in safeguards have not addressed and are especially relevant to arms control verification. This will include a survey of the literature and direct engagement with nontraditional experts in areas like psychology and human factors. Based on the identification of problem areas, potential research areas will be identified and a possible research agenda will be developed.« less

  14. Structuring students’ analogical reasoning in solving algebra problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lailiyah, S.; Nusantara, T.; Sa'dijah, C.; Irawan, E. B.; Kusaeri; Asyhar, A. H.

    2018-01-01

    The average achievement of Indonesian students’ mathematics skills according to Benchmark International Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is ranked at the 38th out of 42 countries and according to the survey result in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is ranked at the 64th out of 65 countries. The low mathematics skill of Indonesian student has become an important reason to research more deeply about reasoning and algebra in mathematics. Analogical reasoning is a very important component in mathematics because it is the key to creativity and it can make the learning process in the classroom become effective. The major part of the analogical reasoning is about structuring including the processes of inferencing and decision-making happens. Those processes involve base domain and target domain. Methodologically, the subjects of this research were 42 students from class XII. The sources of data were derived from the results of thinks aloud, the transcribed interviews, and the videos taken while the subject working on the instruments and interviews. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative techniques. The result of this study described the structuring characteristics of students’ analogical reasoning in solving algebra problems from all the research subjects.

  15. Teambuilding, Innovation and the Engineering Communication Interface

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prescott, David; El-Sakran, Tharwat; Albasha, Lutfi; Aloul, Fadi; Al-Assaf, Yousef

    2012-01-01

    Recent engineering industry-based research has identified a number of skill deficiencies in graduating engineers. Emphasis on communication and teamwork informed by attributes of self management, problem solving and mutual accountability have been recognized as important needs by The Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET of the United…

  16. Cognitive and Behavioral Components of Expertise in Teaching Physical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dodds, Patt

    1994-01-01

    Synthesizes research on teaching expertise from physical education and other fields, offering two examples of expertise-related topics in physical education (the importance of personal performance skills and observational skills). The paper discusses cognitive, behavioral, and mixed indicators of expertise. Methodological problems in undertaking…

  17. Reasoning, Resilience, & Responsibility

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cogan, Jeanine C.; Subotnik, Rena F.

    2006-01-01

    The Other 3Rs Project began with an investigation into the most important psychological components of academic success. The research pointed to reasoning, resilience, and responsibility. The objective of the project was to integrate these components into a useful problem solving model that could, with practice and guidance, be applied both inside…

  18. Binge Drinking in Young Adults: Data, Definitions and Determinants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Courtney, Kelly E.; Polich, John

    2009-01-01

    Binge drinking is an increasingly important topic in alcohol research, but the field lacks empirical cohesion and definitional precision. The present review summarizes findings and viewpoints from the scientific binge-drinking literature. Epidemiological studies quantify the seriousness of alcohol-related problems arising from binge drinking, with…

  19. Nexus: Intellectual Capital--The Most Strategic Asset.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kirk, Camille M.

    2000-01-01

    Discusses the importance of a higher education institution's intellectual capital as a strategic asset in long-range planning. Addresses problems of part-time and graduate student instructors in the context of teaching quality as the institution's fundamental mission. Suggests that tenure encourages research, builds institutional strength, and…

  20. The development of sasi laut in the preservation of sea in Kei community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ananingsih, Sri Wahyu

    2018-02-01

    "Sasi laut" is a local wisdom of Kei society that prohibits community members to take natural resources in a particular area over a period of time. Sasi laut has an important role in the preservation of the sea. This article is based on research. The purpose of the research is to analyze causal factors of sasi laut are not practiced anymore in Kei kecil society, and the efforts to revitalize sasi laut as a local wisdom to preserve sea. This article uses socio-legal approach and the analysis is qualitative. The data consist of primary and secondary data. The results of the research show that sasi laut in several villages of Kei kecil is not practiced anymore because of the damage to sea and ecosystem, market problem, the society problem and adat institution problem. The efforts to revitalize sasi laut are improve the quality of the sea environment, legal awareness Kei society and the participation of local government. This article can be a recommendation for the local government of Southeast Maluku in order to determine the policy of sasi laut.

  1. Students’ mathematical representations on secondary school in solving trigonometric problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Istadi; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Sujadi, I.

    2017-06-01

    This research aimed to analyse students’ mathematical representations on secondary school in solving trigonometric problems. This research used qualitative method. The participants were 4 students who had high competence of knowledge taken from 20 students of 12th natural-science grade SMAN-1 Kota Besi, Central Kalimantan. Data validation was carried out using time triangulation. Data analysis used Huberman and Miles stages. The results showed that their answers were not only based on the given figure, but also used the definition of trigonometric ratio on verbal representations. On the other hand, they were able to determine the object positions to be observed. However, they failed to determine the position of the angle of depression at the sketches made on visual representations. Failure in determining the position of the angle of depression to cause an error in using the mathematical equation. Finally, they were unsuccessful to use the mathematical equation properly on symbolic representations. From this research, we could recommend the importance of translations between mathematical problems and mathematical representations as well as translations among mathematical representaions (verbal, visual, and symbolic) in learning mathematics in the classroom.

  2. Treatments for the challenging behaviours of adults with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Matson, Johnny L; Neal, Daniene; Kozlowski, Alison M

    2012-10-01

    To provide an overview and critical assessment of common problems and best evidence practice in treatments for the challenging behaviours (CBs) of adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Commonly observed problems that present obstacles to successful treatment plans are discussed, followed by an analysis of available research on the efficacy of behavioural and pharmacological therapies. Behavioural and pharmacological interventions are most commonly used when addressing CBs in people with IDs. However, within each of these techniques, there are methods that have support in the literature for efficacy and those that do not. As clinicians, it is important to follow research so that we are engaging in best practices when developing treatment plans for CBs. One of the most consuming issues for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who work with people who evince developmental disabilities, such as IDs, are CBs. These problems are very dangerous and are a major impediment to independent, less restrictive living. However, there is a major gap between what researchers show is effective and much of what occurs in real-world settings.

  3. Research: increasing value, reducing waste 2

    PubMed Central

    Ioannidis, John P A; Greenland, Sander; Hlatky, Mark A; Khoury, Muin J; Macleod, Malcolm R; Moher, David; Schulz, Kenneth F; Tibshirani, Robert

    2015-01-01

    Correctable weaknesses in the design, conduct, and analysis of biomedical and public health research studies can produce misleading results and waste valuable resources. Small effects can be difficult to distinguish from bias introduced by study design and analyses. An absence of detailed written protocols and poor documentation of research is common. Information obtained might not be useful or important, and statistical precision or power is often too low or used in a misleading way. Insufficient consideration might be given to both previous and continuing studies. Arbitrary choice of analyses and an overemphasis on random extremes might affect the reported findings. Several problems relate to the research workforce, including failure to involve experienced statisticians and methodologists, failure to train clinical researchers and laboratory scientists in research methods and design, and the involvement of stakeholders with conflicts of interest. Inadequate emphasis is placed on recording of research decisions and on reproducibility of research. Finally, reward systems incentivise quantity more than quality, and novelty more than reliability. We propose potential solutions for these problems, including improvements in protocols and documentation, consideration of evidence from studies in progress, standardisation of research efforts, optimisation and training of an experienced and non-conflicted scientific workforce, and reconsideration of scientific reward systems. PMID:24411645

  4. Longitudinal Links Between Identity Consolidation and Psychosocial Problems in Adolescence: Using Bi-Factor Latent Change and Cross-Lagged Effect Models.

    PubMed

    Hatano, Kai; Sugimura, Kazumi; Schwartz, Seth J

    2018-04-01

    Most previous identity research has focused on relationships between identity synthesis, confusion, and psychosocial problems. However, these studies did not take into account Erikson's notion of identity consolidation, that is, the dynamic interplay between identity synthesis and confusion. This study aimed to examine longitudinal relationships and the directionality of the effects between identity consolidation and psychosocial problems during adolescence, using two waves of longitudinal data from 793 Japanese adolescents (49.7% girls; ages 13-14 and 16-17 at Time 1). A bi-factor latent change model revealed that levels and changes in identity consolidation were negatively associated with levels and changes in psychosocial problems. Furthermore, a bi-factor cross-lagged effects model provided evidence that identity consolidation negatively predicted psychosocial problems, and vice versa. Our study facilitates a better understanding of the importance of identity consolidation in the relations between identity components and psychosocial problems.

  5. Conceptual, Methodological, and Ethical Problems in Communicating Uncertainty in Clinical Evidence

    PubMed Central

    Han, Paul K. J.

    2014-01-01

    The communication of uncertainty in clinical evidence is an important endeavor that poses difficult conceptual, methodological, and ethical problems. Conceptual problems include logical paradoxes in the meaning of probability and “ambiguity”— second-order uncertainty arising from the lack of reliability, credibility, or adequacy of probability information. Methodological problems include questions about optimal methods for representing fundamental uncertainties and for communicating these uncertainties in clinical practice. Ethical problems include questions about whether communicating uncertainty enhances or diminishes patient autonomy and produces net benefits or harms. This article reviews the limited but growing literature on these problems and efforts to address them and identifies key areas of focus for future research. It is argued that the critical need moving forward is for greater conceptual clarity and consistent representational methods that make the meaning of various uncertainties understandable, and for clinical interventions to support patients in coping with uncertainty in decision making. PMID:23132891

  6. Predicting problem behaviors with multiple expectancies: expanding expectancy-value theory.

    PubMed

    Borders, Ashley; Earleywine, Mitchell; Huey, Stanley J

    2004-01-01

    Expectancy-value theory emphasizes the importance of outcome expectancies for behavioral decisions, but most tests of the theory focus on a single behavior and a single expectancy. However, the matching law suggests that individuals consider expected outcomes for both the target behavior and alternative behaviors when making decisions. In this study, we expanded expectancy-value theory to evaluate the contributions of two competing expectancies to adolescent behavior problems. One hundred twenty-one high school students completed measures of behavior problems, expectancies for both acting out and academic effort, and perceived academic competence. Students' self-reported behavior problems covaried mostly with perceived competence and academic expectancies and only nominally with problem behavior expectancies. We suggest that behavior problems may result from students perceiving a lack of valued or feasible alternative behaviors, such as studying. We discuss implications for interventions and suggest that future research continue to investigate the contribution of alternative expectancies to behavioral decisions.

  7. Behavioral flexibility and problem solving in an invasive bird.

    PubMed

    Logan, Corina J

    2016-01-01

    Behavioral flexibility is considered an important trait for adapting to environmental change, but it is unclear what it is, how it works, and whether it is a problem solving ability. I investigated behavioral flexibility and problem solving experimentally in great-tailed grackles, an invasive bird species and thus a likely candidate for possessing behavioral flexibility. Grackles demonstrated behavioral flexibility in two contexts, the Aesop's Fable paradigm and a color association test. Contrary to predictions, behavioral flexibility did not correlate across contexts. Four out of 6 grackles exhibited efficient problem solving abilities, but problem solving efficiency did not appear to be directly linked with behavioral flexibility. Problem solving speed also did not significantly correlate with reversal learning scores, indicating that faster learners were not the most flexible. These results reveal how little we know about behavioral flexibility, and provide an immense opportunity for future research to explore how individuals and species can use behavior to react to changing environments.

  8. `Popular' journals and community in American astronomy, 1882 - 1951

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marché, Jordan D.

    2005-06-01

    Popularization fulfils several important roles beyond those recognized in the culturally-dominant view. Apart from its intended purpose of diffusing scientific knowledge among various audiences, popularization serves practitioners, especially when exercised in the format of a disciplinary `trade' journal. `Trade' journals inform researchers about developments occurring in areas of knowledge production beyond their immediate specialties. Such journals offer routine assessments and reviews of current investigations, innovations, and issues facing researchers and educators alike. These outlets attract new recruits into the profession, through encouragement of research methods and the explication of lingering problems. Most importantly, they serve to shape, direct, and influence peer-level dialogues and decisions upon future courses of action, including the research process itself. In an inversion of the culturally-dominant view of popularization, such trade journals comprise an essential, if little-recognized, component of disciplinary professionalization.

  9. From problem solving to problem definition: scrutinizing the complex nature of clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Cristancho, Sayra; Lingard, Lorelei; Regehr, Glenn

    2017-02-01

    In medical education, we have tended to present problems as being singular, stable, and solvable. Problem solving has, therefore, drawn much of medical education researchers' attention. This focus has been important but it is limited in terms of preparing clinicians to deal with the complexity of the 21st century healthcare system in which they will provide team-based care for patients with complex medical illness. In this paper, we use the Soft Systems Engineering principles to introduce the idea that in complex, team-based situations, problems usually involve divergent views and evolve with multiple solution iterations. As such we need to shift the conversation from (1) problem solving to problem definition, and (2) from a problem definition derived exclusively at the level of the individual to a definition derived at the level of the situation in which the problem is manifested. Embracing such a focus on problem definition will enable us to advocate for novel educational practices that will equip trainees to effectively manage the problems they will encounter in complex, team-based healthcare.

  10. A linear programming approach to max-sum problem: a review.

    PubMed

    Werner, Tomás

    2007-07-01

    The max-sum labeling problem, defined as maximizing a sum of binary (i.e., pairwise) functions of discrete variables, is a general NP-hard optimization problem with many applications, such as computing the MAP configuration of a Markov random field. We review a not widely known approach to the problem, developed by Ukrainian researchers Schlesinger et al. in 1976, and show how it contributes to recent results, most importantly, those on the convex combination of trees and tree-reweighted max-product. In particular, we review Schlesinger et al.'s upper bound on the max-sum criterion, its minimization by equivalent transformations, its relation to the constraint satisfaction problem, the fact that this minimization is dual to a linear programming relaxation of the original problem, and the three kinds of consistency necessary for optimality of the upper bound. We revisit problems with Boolean variables and supermodular problems. We describe two algorithms for decreasing the upper bound. We present an example application for structural image analysis.

  11. Building an automated problem list based on natural language processing: lessons learned in the early phase of development.

    PubMed

    Solti, Imre; Aaronson, Barry; Fletcher, Grant; Solti, Magdolna; Gennari, John H; Cooper, Melissa; Payne, Tom

    2008-11-06

    Detailed problem lists that comply with JCAHO requirements are important components of electronic health records. Besides improving continuity of care electronic problem lists could serve as foundation infrastructure for clinical trial recruitment, research, biosurveillance and billing informatics modules. However, physicians rarely maintain problem lists. Our team is building a system using MetaMap and UMLS to automatically populate the problem list. We report our early results evaluating the application. Three physicians generated gold standard problem lists for 100 cardiology ambulatory progress notes. Our application had 88% sensitivity and 66% precision using a non-modified UMLS dataset. The systemâs misses concentrated in the group of ambiguous problem list entries (Chi-square=27.12 p<0.0001). In addition to the explicit entries, the notes included 10% implicit entry candidates. MetaMap and UMLS are readily applicable to automate the problem list. Ambiguity in medical documents has consequences for performance evaluation of automated systems.

  12. A research project-based and self-determined teaching system of molecular biology techniques for undergraduates.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shuping

    2008-05-01

    Molecular biology techniques play a very important role in understanding the biological activity. Students who major in biology should know not only how to perform experiments, but also the reasons for performing them. Having the concept of conducting research by integrating various techniques is especially important. This paper introduces a research project-based and self-determined teaching system of molecular biology techniques for undergraduates. Its aim is to create an environment mimicking real research programs and to help students build up confidence in their research skills. The students are allowed to explore a set of commonly used molecular biology techniques to solve some fundamental problems about genes on their own. They find a gene of interest, write a mini-proposal, and give an oral presentation. This course provides students a foundation before entering the research laboratory and allows them to adapt easily to real research programs. Copyright © 2008 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  13. Addressing NCDs through research and capacity building in LMICs: lessons learned from tobacco control.

    PubMed

    Sturke, Rachel; Vorkoper, Susan; Duncan, Kalina; Levintova, Marya; Parascondola, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Confronting the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis requires a critical mass of scientists who are well versed in regional health problems and understand the cultural, social, economic, and political contexts that influence the effectiveness of interventions. Investments in global NCD research must be accompanied by contributions to local research capacity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fogarty International Center have a long-standing commitment to supporting research capacity building and addressing the growing burden of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. One program in particular, the NIH International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program (TOBAC program), offers an important model for conducting research and building research capacity simultaneously. This article describes the lessons learned from this unique funding model and demonstrates how a relatively modest investment can make important contributions to scientific evidence and capacity building that could inform ongoing and future efforts to tackle the global burden of NCDs.

  14. Addressing NCDs through research and capacity building in LMICs: lessons learned from tobacco control

    PubMed Central

    Sturke, Rachel; Vorkoper, Susan; Duncan, Kalina; Levintova, Marya; Parascondola, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Confronting the global non-communicable diseases (NCDs) crisis requires a critical mass of scientists who are well versed in regional health problems and understand the cultural, social, economic, and political contexts that influence the effectiveness of interventions. Investments in global NCD research must be accompanied by contributions to local research capacity. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fogarty International Center have a long-standing commitment to supporting research capacity building and addressing the growing burden of NCDs in low- and middle-income countries. One program in particular, the NIH International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program (TOBAC program), offers an important model for conducting research and building research capacity simultaneously. This article describes the lessons learned from this unique funding model and demonstrates how a relatively modest investment can make important contributions to scientific evidence and capacity building that could inform ongoing and future efforts to tackle the global burden of NCDs. PMID:27545455

  15. Making objective decisions in mechanical engineering problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raicu, A.; Oanta, E.; Sabau, A.

    2017-08-01

    Decision making process has a great influence in the development of a given project, the goal being to select an optimal choice in a given context. Because of its great importance, the decision making was studied using various science methods, finally being conceived the game theory that is considered the background for the science of logical decision making in various fields. The paper presents some basic ideas regarding the game theory in order to offer the necessary information to understand the multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) problems in engineering. The solution is to transform the multiple-criteria problem in a one-criterion decision problem, using the notion of utility, together with the weighting sum model or the weighting product model. The weighted importance of the criteria is computed using the so-called Step method applied to a relation of preferences between the criteria. Two relevant examples from engineering are also presented. The future directions of research consist of the use of other types of criteria, the development of computer based instruments for decision making general problems and to conceive a software module based on expert system principles to be included in the Wiki software applications for polymeric materials that are already operational.

  16. Problem Gambling: One for the Money…?

    PubMed

    Flack, M; Morris, M

    2015-12-01

    Recent research indicates a diverse range of motivations may help explain problem gambling. However, the role of specific motivations in gambling behaviour is not well understood. The primary objective of the current study was to investigate the role of gambling motivations by comparing two competing models. Namely, the efficacy of monetary motivation model was compared to a model where the emotion focused motivations of excitement, escape, and ego were constrained as the only predictors of problem gambling scores. A sample of 2,033 respondents were drawn from the general community and completed a questionnaire concerning their gambling behaviours and beliefs about gambling as an escape, a social occasion, a way to win money, an exciting activity, and as a means to enhance self-importance. Comparison of the competing models revealed that gambling for the chance to win money was not the most prominent motivation in the prediction of problem gambling scores. Instead, the model that allowed the emotion focussed motivation to predict gambling problems was shown to provide a superior fit to the data. These findings underscore the importance of considering a range of motivational influences on gambling behaviour. Moreover, it appears the emotional aspects associated with gambling play a prominent role in sustained gambling behaviour.

  17. A qualitative inquiry into the challenges and complexities of research supervision: viewpoints of postgraduate students and faculty members.

    PubMed

    Yousefi, Alireza; Bazrafkan, Leila; Yamani, Nikoo

    2015-07-01

    The supervision of academic theses at the Universities of Medical Sciences is one of the most important issues with several challenges. The aim of the present study is to discover the nature of problems and challenges of thesis supervision in Iranian universities of medical sciences. The study was conducted with a qualitative method using conventional content analysis approach. Nineteen faculty members, using purposive sampling, and 11 postgraduate medical sciences students (Ph.D students and residents) were selected on the basis of theoretical sampling. The data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and field observations in Shiraz and Isfahan universities of medical sciences from September 2012 to December 2014. The qualitative content analysis was used with a conventional approach to analyze the data. While experiencing the nature of research supervision process, faculties and the students faced some complexities and challenges in the research supervision process. The obtained codes were categorized under 4 themes Based on the characteristics; included "contextual problem", "role ambiguity in thesis supervision", "poor reflection in supervision" and "ethical problems". The result of this study revealed that there is a need for more attention to planning and defining the supervisory, and research supervision. Also, improvement of the quality of supervisor and students relationship must be considered behind the research context improvement in research supervisory area.

  18. Philosophical inquiry and the goals of nursing: a critical approach for disciplinary knowledge development and action.

    PubMed

    Grace, Pamela J; Perry, Donna J

    2013-01-01

    Philosophical inquiry remains critically important for nursing education, practice, and knowledge development. We propose a 3-level taxonomy of philosophical inquiry to guide nursing curricula and research development. Important background information about philosophy and the development of philosophical methods is given. Then philosophical inquiry is linked to the goals of nursing using our proposed taxonomy: level I-cultivating an attitude of "critical consciousness" related to all nursing situations and actions, level II-analysis and application of philosophical perspectives to nursing problems and level III-generating new knowledge for nursing purposes including new theories of practice and research.

  19. Energy and scientific communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Sanctis, E.

    2013-06-01

    Energy communication is a paradigmatic case of scientific communication. It is particularly important today, when the world is confronted with a number of immediate, urgent problems. Science communication has become a real duty and a big challenge for scientists. It serves to create and foster a climate of reciprocal knowledge and trust between science and society, and to establish a good level of interest and enthusiasm for research. For an effective communication it is important to establish an open dialogue with the audience, and a close collaboration among scientists and science communicators. An international collaboration in energy communication is appropriate to better support international and interdisciplinary research and projects.

  20. Student’s Critical Thinking in Solving Open-Ended Problems Based on Their Personality Type

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitriana, L. D.; Fuad, Y.; Ekawati, R.

    2018-01-01

    Critical thinking plays an important role for students in solving open-ended problems. This research aims at describing student’s critical thinking in solving open-ended problems based on Keirsey’s personality types, namely rational, idealist, guardian, and artisan. Four students, with the higher rank in the mathematics’ test and representing each type of Keirsey personality, were selected as the research subjects. The data were collected from the geometry problem and interviews. The student’s critical thinking is described based on the FRISCO criteria. The result underlines that rational and idealist students fulfilled all FRISCO criteria, and but not for guardian and artisan students. Related to the inference criteria, guardian and artisan students could not make reasonable conclusions and connect the concepts. Related to the reason of criteria, rational student performed critical thinking by providing logical reason that supported his strategy to solve the problem. In contrast, the idealist student provided subjective reason. This results suggest that teachers should frequently train the students’ logical thinkingin every lesson and activity to develop student’s critical thinking and take the student’s personality character into account, especially for guardian and artisan students.

  1. A selection of biomechanical research problems: From modeling to experimentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbasi, Cyrus Omid

    The research undertakings within this manuscript illustrate the importance of biomechanics in today's science. Without doubt, biomechanics can be utilized to obtain a better understanding of many unsolved mysteries involved in the field of medicine. Moreover, biomechanics can be used to develop better prosthetic or surgical devices as well. Chapter 2 represents a medical problem, which has not been solved for more than a century. With the use of fundamental principles of biomechanics', a better insight of this problem and its possible causes were obtained. Chapter 3 investigates the mechanical interaction between the human teeth and some processed food products during mastication, which is a routine but crucial daily activity of a human being. Chapter 4 looks at a problem within the field of surgery. In this chapter the stability and reliability of two different Suturing-Techniques are explored. Chapters 5 and 6 represent new patent designs as a result of the investigations made in Chapter 4. Chapter 7 studies the impact and load transfer patterns during the collision between a child's head and the ground. All of the above mentioned chapters show the significance of biomechanics in solving a range of different medical problems that involve physical and or mechanical characters.

  2. High performance genetic algorithm for VLSI circuit partitioning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dinu, Simona

    2016-12-01

    Partitioning is one of the biggest challenges in computer-aided design for VLSI circuits (very large-scale integrated circuits). This work address the min-cut balanced circuit partitioning problem- dividing the graph that models the circuit into almost equal sized k sub-graphs while minimizing the number of edges cut i.e. minimizing the number of edges connecting the sub-graphs. The problem may be formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem. Experimental studies in the literature have shown the problem to be NP-hard and thus it is important to design an efficient heuristic algorithm to solve it. The approach proposed in this study is a parallel implementation of a genetic algorithm, namely an island model. The information exchange between the evolving subpopulations is modeled using a fuzzy controller, which determines an optimal balance between exploration and exploitation of the solution space. The results of simulations show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the standard sequential genetic algorithm both in terms of solution quality and convergence speed. As a direction for future study, this research can be further extended to incorporate local search operators which should include problem-specific knowledge. In addition, the adaptive configuration of mutation and crossover rates is another guidance for future research.

  3. Bicriteria Network Optimization Problem using Priority-based Genetic Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gen, Mitsuo; Lin, Lin; Cheng, Runwei

    Network optimization is being an increasingly important and fundamental issue in the fields such as engineering, computer science, operations research, transportation, telecommunication, decision support systems, manufacturing, and airline scheduling. In many applications, however, there are several criteria associated with traversing each edge of a network. For example, cost and flow measures are both important in the networks. As a result, there has been recent interest in solving Bicriteria Network Optimization Problem. The Bicriteria Network Optimization Problem is known a NP-hard. The efficient set of paths may be very large, possibly exponential in size. Thus the computational effort required to solve it can increase exponentially with the problem size in the worst case. In this paper, we propose a genetic algorithm (GA) approach used a priority-based chromosome for solving the bicriteria network optimization problem including maximum flow (MXF) model and minimum cost flow (MCF) model. The objective is to find the set of Pareto optimal solutions that give possible maximum flow with minimum cost. This paper also combines Adaptive Weight Approach (AWA) that utilizes some useful information from the current population to readjust weights for obtaining a search pressure toward a positive ideal point. Computer simulations show the several numerical experiments by using some difficult-to-solve network design problems, and show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  4. Substance Misuse and Substance use Disorders: Why do they Matter in Healthcare?

    PubMed Central

    MCLELLAN, A. THOMAS

    2017-01-01

    This paper first introduces important conceptual and practical distinctions among three key terms: substance “use,” “misuse,” and “disorders” (including addiction), and goes on to describe and quantify the important health and social problems associated with these terms. National survey data are presented to summarize the prevalence and varied costs associated with misuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescribed medications in the United States. With this as background, the paper then describes historical views, perspectives, and efforts to deal with substance misuse problems in the United States and discusses how basic, clinical, and health service research, combined with recent changes in healthcare legislation and financing, have set the stage for a more effective, comprehensive public health approach. PMID:28790493

  5. The evolution of complex life.

    PubMed

    Billingham, J

    1989-01-01

    In considering the probabilities that intelligent life might exist elsewhere in the Universe, it is important to ask questions about the factors governing the emergence of complex living organisms in the context of evolutionary biology, planetary environments and events in space. Two important problems arise. First, what can be learned about the general laws governing the evolution of complex life anywhere in space by studying its history on the Earth? Second, how is the evolution of complex life affected by events in space? To address these problems, a series of Science Workshops on the Evolution of Complex Life was held at the Ames Research Center. Included in this paper are highlights of those workshops, with particular emphasis on the first question, namely the evolution of complex extraterrestrial life.

  6. [Openness in the cooperation between physicians and private corporations].

    PubMed

    Jørgensen, Jørgen; Djurhuus, Jens Chr

    2003-04-14

    The past decades in Danish health services have been characterized by limited cooperation between health authorities, health employees, and private corporations. Today, society and legislature acknowledge the need to support this cooperation, which creates a great challenge to hospital management and its responsibility to create and secure strong research environments. This effort is often challenged by the tendency of the media to transform initial conflicts into problems of credibility. Society is also aware of the fact that increased cooperation is important to maintain the ability to develop new and better methods of treatment. It is therefore of vital importance to solve potential conflicts before the media interpret the problems, by encouraging openness in the cooperation between physicians and private corporations.

  7. Substance Misuse and Substance use Disorders: Why do they Matter in Healthcare?

    PubMed

    McLellan, A Thomas

    2017-01-01

    This paper first introduces important conceptual and practical distinctions among three key terms: substance "use," "misuse," and "disorders" (including addiction), and goes on to describe and quantify the important health and social problems associated with these terms. National survey data are presented to summarize the prevalence and varied costs associated with misuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescribed medications in the United States. With this as background, the paper then describes historical views, perspectives, and efforts to deal with substance misuse problems in the United States and discusses how basic, clinical, and health service research, combined with recent changes in healthcare legislation and financing, have set the stage for a more effective, comprehensive public health approach.

  8. Potential and problems in ultrasound-responsive drug delivery systems

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Ying-Zheng; Du, Li-Na; Lu, Cui-Tao; Jin, Yi-Guang; Ge, Shu-Ping

    2013-01-01

    Ultrasound is an important local stimulus for triggering drug release at the target tissue. Ultrasound-responsive drug delivery systems (URDDS) have become an important research focus in targeted therapy. URDDS include many different formulations, such as microbubbles, nanobubbles, nanodroplets, liposomes, emulsions, and micelles. Drugs that can be loaded into URDDS include small molecules, biomacromolecules, and inorganic substances. Fields of clinical application include anticancer therapy, treatment of ischemic myocardium, induction of an immune response, cartilage tissue engineering, transdermal drug delivery, treatment of Huntington’s disease, thrombolysis, and disruption of the blood–brain barrier. This review focuses on recent advances in URDDS, and discusses their formulations, clinical application, and problems, as well as a perspective on their potential use in the future. PMID:23637531

  9. On the importance of distinguishing shame from guilt: Relations to problematic alcohol and drug use

    PubMed Central

    Dearing, Ronda L.; Stuewig, Jeffrey; Tangney, June Price

    2011-01-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that shame-proneness (the tendency to feel bad about the self) relates to a variety of life problems, whereas guilt-proneness (the tendency to feel bad about a specific behavior) is more likely to be adaptive. The current analyses sought to clarify the relations of shame-proneness and guilt-proneness to substance use problems in three samples with differing levels of alcohol and drug problem severity: college undergraduates (Study 1 N =235, Study 2 N =249) and jail inmates (Study 3 N =332). Across samples, shame-proneness was generally positively correlated with substance use problems, whereas guilt-proneness was inversely related (or unrelated) to substance use problems. Results suggest that shame and guilt should be considered separately in the prevention and treatment of substance misuse. PMID:16022935

  10. Case mix planning in hospitals: a review and future agenda.

    PubMed

    Hof, Sebastian; Fügener, Andreas; Schoenfelder, Jan; Brunner, Jens O

    2017-06-01

    The case mix planning problem deals with choosing the ideal composition and volume of patients in a hospital. With many countries having recently changed to systems where hospitals are reimbursed for patients according to their diagnosis, case mix planning has become an important tool in strategic and tactical hospital planning. Selecting patients in such a payment system can have a significant impact on a hospital's revenue. The contribution of this article is to provide the first literature review focusing on the case mix planning problem. We describe the problem, distinguish it from similar planning problems, and evaluate the existing literature with regard to problem structure and managerial impact. Further, we identify gaps in the literature. We hope to foster research in the field of case mix planning, which only lately has received growing attention despite its fundamental economic impact on hospitals.

  11. Replacing textbook problems with lab experiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Register, Trevor

    2017-10-01

    End-of-the-chapter textbook problems are often the bread and butter of any traditional physics classroom. However, research strongly suggests that students be given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in multiple contexts as well as be provided with opportunities to do the process of science through laboratory experiences. Little correlation has been shown linking the number of textbook problems solved with conceptual understanding of topics in mechanics. Furthermore, textbook problems as the primary source of practice for students robs them of the joy and productive struggle of learning how to think like an experimental physicist. Methods such as Modeling Instruction tackle this problem head-on by starting each instructional unit with an inquiry-based lab aimed at establishing the important concepts and equations for the unit, and this article will discuss ideas and experiences for how to carry that philosophy throughout a unit.

  12. An overview of the artificial intelligence and expert systems component of RICIS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Feagin, Terry

    1987-01-01

    Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems are the important component of RICIS (Research Institute and Information Systems) research program. For space applications, a number of problem areas that should be able to make good use of the above tools include: resource allocation and management, control and monitoring, environmental control and life support, power distribution, communications scheduling, orbit and attitude maintenance, redundancy management, intelligent man-machine interfaces and fault detection, isolation and recovery.

  13. Needed Research on Child Socialization. A Special Report of the USOE-Sponsored Grant Study: Critical Appraisal of Research in the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorsuch, Richard L.; And Others

    The task group report presented in this publication is one of a series prepared by eminent psychologists who have served as consultants in the U.S. Office of Education-sponsored grant study to conduct a Critical Appraisal of the Personality-Emotions-Motivation Domain. In order to achieve the goal of identifying important problems and areas for new…

  14. Birth to Kindergarten: The Importance of the Early Years. A Comprehensive Review of the Literature and a Series of Policy Options for Early Childhood Interventions in Response to a Request by Senator Dede Alpert.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illig, David C.

    Researchers have long been interested in why some children have behavioral and developmental problems while others appear to develop "normally." A substantial body of research supports the notion that a child's early experiences--from birth to school entry--can influence significantly later cognitive, behavioral, educational, and…

  15. Effective Evaluation of Quality Rating and Improvement Systems for Early Care and Education and School-Age Care. Research-to-Policy, Research-to-Practice Brief OPRE 2011-11a

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zellman, Gail L.; Brandon, Richard N.; Boller, Kimberly; Kreader, J. Lee

    2011-01-01

    It is important to evaluate Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRISs) so that policy makers and stakeholders can learn how well they are working and how they might be improved. Well-designed QRIS evaluations go beyond a "pass/fail" judgment to identify implementation successes and problems and assess what needs to be done to improve…

  16. The relationship between neurobehavioural problems of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), family functioning and the psychological well-being of the spouse/caregiver: path model analysis.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Malcolm I; Parmenter, Trevor R; Mok, Magdalena

    2002-09-01

    This study used a modern theory of stress as a framework to strengthen the understanding of the relationship between neurobehavioural problems of TBI, family functioning and psychological distress in spouse/caregivers. The research was an ex post facto design utilising a cross-sectional methodology. Path analysis was used to determine the structural effect of neurobehavioural problems on family functioning and psychological distress. Forty-seven female and 17 male spouse/caregivers of partners with severe TBI were recruited. Spouse/caregivers who reported partners with TBI as having high levels of behavioural and cognitive problems experienced high levels of unhealthy family functioning. High levels of unhealthy family functioning were related to high levels of distress in spouse/caregivers, as family functioning had a moderate influence on psychological distress. Furthermore, indirect effects of behavioural and cognitive problems operating through family functioning intensified the level of psychological distress experienced by spouse/caregivers. Additionally, spouse/caregivers who reported high levels of behavioural, communication and social problems in their partners also experienced high levels of psychological distress. This study was significant because the impact of TBI on the spouse/caregiver from a multidimensional perspective is an important and under-researched area in the brain injury and disability field.

  17. A social justice epistemology and pedagogy for Latina/o students: Transforming public education with participatory action research.

    PubMed

    Cammarota, Julio; Romero, Augustine F

    2009-01-01

    The article reports on Latina/o high school students who conducted participatory action research (PAR) on problems that circumscribe their possibilities for self-determination. The intention is to legitimize student knowledge to develop effective educational policies and practices for young Latinas/os. PAR is engaged through the Social Justice Education Project, which provides students with all social science requirements for their junior and senior years. The mandated curriculum is supplemented with advanced-level readings from Chicana/o studies, critical race theory, critical pedagogy, and, most important, PAR. The intention is for students to meet the requirements for graduation and to develop sophisticated critical analyses to address problems in their own social contexts.

  18. [Research on non-rigid registration of multi-modal medical image based on Demons algorithm].

    PubMed

    Hao, Peibo; Chen, Zhen; Jiang, Shaofeng; Wang, Yang

    2014-02-01

    Non-rigid medical image registration is a popular subject in the research areas of the medical image and has an important clinical value. In this paper we put forward an improved algorithm of Demons, together with the conservation of gray model and local structure tensor conservation model, to construct a new energy function processing multi-modal registration problem. We then applied the L-BFGS algorithm to optimize the energy function and solve complex three-dimensional data optimization problem. And finally we used the multi-scale hierarchical refinement ideas to solve large deformation registration. The experimental results showed that the proposed algorithm for large de formation and multi-modal three-dimensional medical image registration had good effects.

  19. The discovery of the causes of leprosy: A computational analysis

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

    Corruble, V.; Ganascia, J.G.

    1996-12-31

    The role played by the inductive inference has been studied extensively in the field of Scientific Discovery. The work presented here tackles the problem of induction in medical research. The discovery of the causes of leprosy is analyzed and simulated using computational means. An inductive algorithm is proposed, which is successful in simulating some essential steps in the progress of the understanding of the disease. It also allows us to simulate the false reasoning of previous centuries through the introduction of some medical a priori inherited form archaic medicine. Corroborating previous research, this problem illustrates the importance of the socialmore » and cultural environment on the way the inductive inference is performed in medicine.« less

  20. Extending religion-health research to secular minorities: issues and concerns.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Karen; Hammer, Joseph H; Cragun, Ryan T

    2011-09-01

    Claims about religion's beneficial effects on physical and psychological health have received substantial attention in popular media, but empirical support for these claims is mixed. Many of these claims are tenuous because they fail to address basic methodological issues relating to construct validity, sampling methods or analytical problems. A more conceptual problem has to do with the near universal lack of atheist control samples. While many studies include samples of individuals classified as "low spirituality" or religious "nones", these groups are heterogeneous and contain only a fraction of members who would be considered truly secular. We illustrate the importance of including an atheist control group whenever possible in the religiosity/spirituality and health research and discuss areas for further investigation.

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