Technology Integration Support Levels for In-Service Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Mable Evans

2017-01-01

In-service teachers across the globe are expected to integrate technology in their respective instructional content area. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of in-service teachers concerning building-level support for technology integration. Participants in the study were asked to participate in semi-structured…

Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?

DOE PAGES

Fasullo, J. T.; Nerem, R. S.; Hamlington, B.

2016-08-10

Global mean sea level rise estimated from satellite altimetry provides a strong constraint on climate variability and change and is expected to accelerate as the rates of both ocean warming and cryospheric mass loss increase over time. In stark contrast to this expectation however, current altimeter products show the rate of sea level rise to have decreased from the first to second decades of the altimeter era. Here, a combined analysis of altimeter data and specially designed climate model simulations shows the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo to likely have masked the acceleration that would have otherwise occurred. This maskingmore » arose largely from a recovery in ocean heat content through the mid to late 1990 s subsequent to major heat content reductions in the years following the eruption. As a result, a consequence of this finding is that barring another major volcanic eruption, a detectable acceleration is likely to emerge from the noise of internal climate variability in the coming decade.« less

Is the detection of accelerated sea level rise imminent?

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

Fasullo, J. T.; Nerem, R. S.; Hamlington, B.

Global mean sea level rise estimated from satellite altimetry provides a strong constraint on climate variability and change and is expected to accelerate as the rates of both ocean warming and cryospheric mass loss increase over time. In stark contrast to this expectation however, current altimeter products show the rate of sea level rise to have decreased from the first to second decades of the altimeter era. Here, a combined analysis of altimeter data and specially designed climate model simulations shows the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo to likely have masked the acceleration that would have otherwise occurred. This maskingmore » arose largely from a recovery in ocean heat content through the mid to late 1990 s subsequent to major heat content reductions in the years following the eruption. As a result, a consequence of this finding is that barring another major volcanic eruption, a detectable acceleration is likely to emerge from the noise of internal climate variability in the coming decade.« less

Content Specificity of Expectancy Beliefs and Task Values in Elementary Physical Education

PubMed Central

Chen, Ang; Martin, Robert; Ennis, Catherine D.; Sun, Haichun

2015-01-01

The curriculum may superimpose a content-specific context that mediates motivation (Bong, 2001). This study examined content specificity of the expectancy-value motivation in elementary school physical education. Students’ expectancy beliefs and perceived task values from a cardiorespiratory fitness unit, a muscular fitness unit, and a traditional skill/game unit were analyzed using constant comparison coding procedures, multivariate analysis of variance, χ2, and correlation analyses. There was no difference in the intrinsic interest value among the three content conditions. Expectancy belief, attainment, and utility values were significantly higher for the cardiorespiratory fitness curriculum. Correlations differentiated among the expectancy-value components of the content conditions, providing further evidence of content specificity in the expectancy-value motivation process. The findings suggest that expectancy beliefs and task values should be incorporated in the theoretical platform for curriculum development based on the learning outcomes that can be specified with enhanced motivation effect. PMID:18664044

Part-Time Post Graduate Certificate in Education Teacher-Students: What Do They Bring to and Expect from a Formal South African Teaching Programme?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukeredzi, Tabitha Grace; Sibanda, Doras

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to understand the nature and extent of subject content and curriculum knowledge that part-time Post Graduate Certificate in Education students in one South African university, brought to the classroom, and the kind and level of knowledge that they expected and sought from the programme. The study employed a…

Expectations and requests regarding team training interventions to promote interdisciplinary collaboration in medical rehabilitation--A qualitative study.

PubMed

Müller, C; Plewnia, A; Becker, S; Rundel, M; Zimmermann, L; Körner, M

2015-08-19

Interdisciplinary teamwork and team interventions are highly valued in the rehabilitation sector because they can improve outcomes of care for persons with complex health problems. However, little is known about expectations and requests regarding team interventions, especially in medical rehabilitation. This study aimed to explore how clinical managers and health professionals within multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams describe their expectations and requests regarding team-training interventions in the field of medical rehabilitation. Considering the methodology of qualitative research, data were collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups at five rehabilitation clinics in Germany. We conducted face-to-face interviews with 5 clinical managers and 13 department heads of health care teams as well as five focus groups with a total of 35 members of interdisciplinary rehabilitation teams. Afterwards, the data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis encompassing data coding and using inductive thematic analysis. The exploration of team members' and clinical managers' descriptions showed that, to them, interdisciplinary team training programs should include a wide array of training contents. Seven common core themes emerged from the interviews, including participation of employees, leadership, communication, team meetings, team composition, coordination, and equal esteem. Additionally, 13 themes were identified by either managers or team members. The body of expectations regarding team training content in healthcare spans the continuum of changes on the team and organizational levels. On the organizational level, a number of structural factors were mentioned (e.g. improving the general conditions for team meetings, organized workshops to exchange interdisciplinary experiences, and leadership training), and on the team level, changes in procedural factors were listed (e.g. optimizing the consecutive planning and coordination of patient treatments, clarity with regard to roles and responsibilities of team members, and mutual esteem and appreciation between different professions). The synthesis underscores that there is meaningful heterogeneity in team training needs; training interventions should be locally adapted for each clinic in terms of training content and training strategies. Tailored team interventions are important for rehabilitation clinics. Future work should evaluate employed team training concepts over time as well as training contents, implementation strategies, and learning outcomes. This includes using robust study designs and evaluating team-training effects.

'Paddling upstream': Fathers' involvement during pregnancy as described by expectant fathers and mothers.

PubMed

Widarsson, Margareta; Engström, Gabriella; Tydén, Tanja; Lundberg, Pranee; Hammar, Lena Marmstål

2015-04-01

To describe the perspectives of expectant mothers and fathers on fathers' involvement during pregnancy. Becoming a father is a major life event and paternal involvement during pregnancy has a positive influence on the family. However, research into both expectant mothers' and fathers' perspectives on fathers' involvement during pregnancy is relatively scarce. A descriptive qualitative study was used. Thirty expectant parents (20 women and 10 men) were interviewed either as part of one of four focus groups or in an individual interview. Qualitative content analysis was performed on the interview transcripts. A theme of 'Paddling upstream' emerged as an expression of the latent content of the interviews concerning perspectives on fathers' involvement. Five sub-themes described the manifest content: trying to participate, trying to be understanding, trying to learn, trying to be a calming influence and trying to find a balanced life. Expectant parents suggested several ways to improve fathers' involvement and to meet parents' need for shared involvement. Expectant mothers and fathers wanted the father to be more involved in the pregnancy. Although fathers attempted different strategies, they did not always perceive what was expected of them and encountered many barriers as they tried to navigate through this unique experience. The best support for the father was the mother. Expectant parents wanted their healthcare to include the father more thoroughly and to focus on the whole family. Prenatal care professionals can overcome barriers that prevent paternal involvement. Although fathers are not able to engage in the pregnancy on the same level as the mother, we suggest that their specific needs also be recognised through an increased awareness of gender norms in healthcare. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of buckwheat flour on cooking quality and some chemical, antinutritional and sensory properties of erişte, Turkish noodle.

PubMed

Bilgiçli, Nermin

2009-01-01

In this study, wheat flour used in erişte production was replaced with whole buckwheat flour (BWF) up to a 40% level to improve the nutritional properties of erişte. The chemical composition, phytic acid content, color values, cooking quality and sensory properties of erişte samples were determined. High levels of BWF in erişte formulation increased the ash, cellulose and fat content when compared with a control made by wheat flour. The 40% BWF supplementation instead of wheat flour decreased the starch content from 65.4% to 58.4%. Increasing the BWF level in the erişte sample resulted in an expected increase (P<0.05) in the phytic acid content and potassium, magnesium and phosphorus amounts. Significant decreases were observed in water uptake and volume increase values with BWF addition levels over 20%. BWF gave darker erişte samples in color. erişte containing BWF up to a 25% level were appreciated by the panelists, especially in terms of overall acceptability.

Calculus Expectations: Comparisons by High School and College Faculty of What Constitutes Adequate Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stroumbakis, Konstantinos

2010-01-01

Completion of higher level high school mathematics courses need not translate to success in introductory college level mathematics courses, which, in turn, may contribute to attrition from STEM programs. High school and college faculty rated online survey items, corresponding to content and pedagogy, with respect to importance for success in…

Scaffolded Reading Instruction of Content-Area Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Douglas; Frey, Nancy

2014-01-01

In this column, we focus on increasing text complexity during scaffolded, small group instruction. We begin with a discussion about the need to adjust expectations for leveled texts for older readers and then focus on the ways in which teachers can accomplish this.

Maternal role satisfaction: a new approach to assessing parenting.

PubMed

Ohashi, J P

1992-01-01

There is a need to study the maternal role beyond the child's first year of life. This investigation, using a framework of Locke's expectancy theory, describes the expectations, surprises, values, and satisfactions experienced by 102 mothers of teens. Content analysis of written narratives describing surprises encountered by these mothers is also presented. Data were collected by questionnaire. Findings offer support for Locke's theory in two ways: (1) expectation for role was less important than value attainment in predicting the level of maternal role satisfaction, and (2) encountering at least one positive surprise was associated with a higher level of maternal role satisfaction. These variables are offered as a useful nursing approach to the assessment of the parenting experience. Knowledge of the satisfactions reported may be encouraging to mothers anticipating this stage of life.

Content Specificity of Expectancy Beliefs and Task Values in Elementary Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ang; Martin, Robert; Ennis, Catherine D.; Sun, Haichun

2008-01-01

The curriculum may superimpose a content-specific context that mediates motivation (Bong, 2001). This study examined content specificity of the expectancy-value motivation in elementary school physical education. Students' expectancy beliefs and perceived task values from a cardiorespiratory fitness unit, a muscular fitness unit, and a traditional…

Effects of ghost shrimp on zinc and cadmium in sediments from Tampa Bay, FL

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klerks, P.L.; Felder, D.L.; Strasser, K.; Swarzenski, P.W.

2007-01-01

This study investigated the effects that ghost shrimp have on the distribution of metals in sediment. We measured levels of HNO3-extractable zinc and cadmium in surface sediment, in ghost shrimp burrow walls and in sediment ejected by the ghost shrimp from their burrows, at five sandy intertidal sites in Tampa Bay. Ghost shrimp densities and their rate of sediment ejection were also quantified, as were sediment organic content and silt + clay content. Densities of ghost shrimp (Sergio trilobata and Lepidophthalmus louisianensis) averaged 33/m2 at our sites, and they ejected sediment at an average rate of 28 g/burrow/day. Levels of both Zn and Cd were significantly higher in burrow walls than in surface sediments. Sediment ejected by the shrimp from their burrows had elevated levels of Zn (relative to surface sediments) at one of the sites. Sediment organic content and silt + clay content were higher in burrow-wall sediments than in ejected sediment, which in turn tended to have values above those of surface sediments. Differences in levels of HNO3-extractable Zn and Cd among sediment types may be a consequence of these sediments differing in other physiochemical characteristics, though the differences in metal levels remained statistically significant for some sites after correcting for differences in organic content and silt + clay content. We conclude that the presence of ghost shrimp burrows contributes to spatial heterogeneity of sedimentary metal levels, while the ghost shrimp bioturbation results in a significant flux of metals to the sediment surface and is expected to decrease heterogeneity of metal levels in sedimentary depth profiles.

The Curriculum Development of Experienced Teachers Who Are Inexperienced with History-Based Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickford, John H., III

2017-01-01

Contemporary American education initiatives mandate half of all English language arts content is non-fiction. History topics, therefore, will increase within all elementary and English language arts middle level classrooms. The education initiatives have rigorous expectations for students' close readings of, and written argumentation about,…

Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaty-O'Ferrall, Mary Ellen; Green, Alan; Hanna, Fred

2010-01-01

Teachers in middle level schools face overwhelming demands and challenges in their classrooms. They are expected to know content and pedagogy, develop engaging lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners, and use a variety of instructional strategies that will boost student achievement while they simultaneously develop positive relationships…

Method of determining a content of a nuclear waste container

DOEpatents

Bernardi, Richard T.; Entwistle, David

2003-04-22

A method and apparatus are provided for identifying contents of a nuclear waste container. The method includes the steps of forming an image of the contents of the container using digital radiography, visually comparing contents of the image with expected contents of the container and performing computer tomography on the container when the visual inspection reveals an inconsistency between the contents of the image and the expected contents of the container.

Avoiding Practice Shock: Using Teacher Movies to Realign Pre-Service Teachers' Expectations of Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delamarter, Jeremy

2015-01-01

Pre-service teachers often have unrealistic expectations of teaching. They often create an inspiration/content dichotomy in which they expect relational activities to trump content delivery. Unchecked, these misaligned expectations can lead to practice shock, the disorienting and sometimes traumatic identity crisis that often occurs during the…

Nutrient Content of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Eggs and Comparisons Between Experimental Uses

PubMed Central

Skillman, Victoria P

2017-01-01

Abstract Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), has become a major pest. Seven experiments examined the nutrient content of their eggs in the context of female reproductive investment and use for experiments. Among 542 clusters examined, an average egg contained 23.50 ± 0.561 µg lipid, 3.17 ± 0.089 µg glycogen, and 3.08 ± 0.056 µg sugar. Mature eggs within a female’s ovary can make up 61% of her total lipid, 35% of glycogen, and 20% of sugar levels. Eggs obtained from a colony reared on a steady diet are expected to have consistent nutrient content. The age of a parental female only slightly affected the lipid level of oviposited eggs but did not affect glycogen or sugar levels. However, egg nutrient content can differ substantially by the source of the parental females; wild eggs had higher lipid but lower sugar content than colony-produced eggs. Further, the length of time that eggs are frozen influenced egg nutrient content. Freshly laid eggs had higher lipid and lower sugar levels than eggs frozen for 1 or 2 yr. Whether an egg turned grey following removal from cold storage did not affect nutrient content, nor did being frozen within 1 or 3 d of oviposition. The temperature at which eggs were left exposed did not impact egg nutrient content, but glycogen decreased and sugar increased with deployment time. This information combined with how factors affect host selection by natural enemies will help refine future experiments that use BMSB egg clusters.

A study on real-time low-quality content detection on Twitter from the users' perspective.

PubMed

Chen, Weiling; Yeo, Chai Kiat; Lau, Chiew Tong; Lee, Bu Sung

2017-01-01

Detection techniques of malicious content such as spam and phishing on Online Social Networks (OSN) are common with little attention paid to other types of low-quality content which actually impacts users' content browsing experience most. The aim of our work is to detect low-quality content from the users' perspective in real time. To define low-quality content comprehensibly, Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is first used to coarsely classify low-quality tweets into four categories. Based on this preliminary study, a survey is carefully designed to gather users' opinions on different categories of low-quality content. Both direct and indirect features including newly proposed features are identified to characterize all types of low-quality content. We then further combine word level analysis with the identified features and build a keyword blacklist dictionary to improve the detection performance. We manually label an extensive Twitter dataset of 100,000 tweets and perform low-quality content detection in real time based on the characterized significant features and word level analysis. The results of our research show that our method has a high accuracy of 0.9711 and a good F1 of 0.8379 based on a random forest classifier with real time performance in the detection of low-quality content in tweets. Our work therefore achieves a positive impact in improving user experience in browsing social media content.

A study on real-time low-quality content detection on Twitter from the users’ perspective

PubMed Central

Yeo, Chai Kiat; Lau, Chiew Tong; Lee, Bu Sung

2017-01-01

Detection techniques of malicious content such as spam and phishing on Online Social Networks (OSN) are common with little attention paid to other types of low-quality content which actually impacts users’ content browsing experience most. The aim of our work is to detect low-quality content from the users’ perspective in real time. To define low-quality content comprehensibly, Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is first used to coarsely classify low-quality tweets into four categories. Based on this preliminary study, a survey is carefully designed to gather users’ opinions on different categories of low-quality content. Both direct and indirect features including newly proposed features are identified to characterize all types of low-quality content. We then further combine word level analysis with the identified features and build a keyword blacklist dictionary to improve the detection performance. We manually label an extensive Twitter dataset of 100,000 tweets and perform low-quality content detection in real time based on the characterized significant features and word level analysis. The results of our research show that our method has a high accuracy of 0.9711 and a good F1 of 0.8379 based on a random forest classifier with real time performance in the detection of low-quality content in tweets. Our work therefore achieves a positive impact in improving user experience in browsing social media content. PMID:28793347

Comprehension Strategies for Middle Grade Learners: A Handbook for Content Area Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Charlotte Rose

Although students are expected to read and comprehend grade-level texts by the time they reach middle school, classroom teachers are constantly challenged to instruct students who have difficulty comprehending what they read. But how does a middle school teacher approach this task, particularly a teacher with limited experience in reading…

Strategic Questioning: What Can You Tell Me about...Sharks?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fordham, Nancy

2006-01-01

Teachers of core middle level classes are now expected to play a larger role in supporting students' reading of course materials than has traditionally been the case. University courses and high-quality professional development emphasizing content literacy can equip teachers with important insights about reading and can provide them with a…

Engaging adolescents with LD in higher order thinking about history concepts using integrated content enhancement routines.

PubMed

Bulgren, Janis; Deshler, Donald D; Lenz, B Keith

2007-01-01

The understanding and use of historical concepts specified in national history standards pose many challenges to students. These challenges include both the acquisition of content knowledge and the use of that knowledge in ways that require higher order thinking. All students, including adolescents with learning disabilities (LD), are expected to understand and use concepts of history to pass high-stakes assessments and to participate meaningfully in a democratic society. This article describes Content Enhancement Routines (CERs) to illustrate instructional planning, teaching, and assessing for higher order thinking with examples from an American history unit. Research on the individual components of Content Enhancement Routines will be illustrated with data from 1 of the routines. The potential use of integrated sets of materials and procedures across grade levels and content areas will be discussed.

Balanced states of mind in psychopathology and psychological well-being.

PubMed

Wong, Shyh Shin

2010-08-01

The balanced states of mind (BSOM) model proposes that coping with stress and psychological well-being is a function of the BSOM ratio of positive thoughts to the sum of positive and negative thoughts. Based on different BSOM ratios, different BSOM categories are constructed to quantitatively differentiate levels of coping with stress and psychological well-being. The cognitive content-specificity hypothesis states that there are unique themes of semantic content in self-reported automatic thoughts particular to depression or anxiety. This study investigated the BSOM model and its cognitive content-specificity for depression, anxiety, anger, stress, life satisfaction, and happiness, based on negative and positive automatic thoughts. Three hundred and ninety-eight college students from Singapore participated in this study. First, BSOM ratio and positive automatic thoughts were positively correlated with life satisfaction and happiness, and negatively correlated with stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. In contrast, negative automatic thoughts were positively correlated with stress, anxiety, depression, and anger, and negatively correlated with life satisfaction and happiness. Second, levels of psychopathology and psychological well-being were statistically differentiable among the BSOM categories for depression, happiness, perceived stress, and life satisfaction; and less statistically differentiable among the BSOM categories for anxiety and anger, as expected based on the BSOM model and cognitive content-specificity hypothesis. Third, the results were more supportive of the BSOM model for depression, followed by happiness, perceived stress, life satisfaction, anxiety, and anger in terms of percentage of variance accounted for by BSOM categories, as expected based on the cognitive content-specificity hypothesis. Taken together, the results suggested that the more moderately positive thoughts one has (balanced by negative thoughts), the better mental health outcomes one has. Implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Reflection on Training, Experience, and Introductory Statistics: A Mini-Survey of Tertiary Level Statistics Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassad, Rossi A.

2006-01-01

Instructors of statistics who teach non-statistics majors possess varied academic backgrounds, and hence it is reasonable to expect variability in their content knowledge, and pedagogical approach. The aim of this study was to determine the specific course(s) that contributed mostly to instructors' understanding of statistics. Courses reported…

Criterion Referenced Assessment: Establishing Content Validity of Complex Skills Related to Specific Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacQuarrie, David; Applegate, Brooks; Lacefield, Warren

2008-01-01

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a nationwide program that emphasizes training for primary, secondary, and post secondary educational stages for the career and workforce needs of today and tomorrow's society. Mandated indicators of success have been set in place and secondary schools are expected to improve student's skill levels in…

The Effects of a Video-Based Economics Unit on the Learning Outcomes of Third Graders.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Jo Ann Cutler; Baines, Lawrence

1993-01-01

Reports on a study of learning achievement in economics among five groups of third-grade students using the videotape instructional program, "Econ and Me." Finds that, although students achieved some level of content mastery, the overall results were not as dramatic as had been expected. Calls for further research into transfer of…

Major Difference: An Examination of Student Writing Performance by Major and Its Implications for Business Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sigmar, Lucia S.; Hynes, Geraldine E.

2012-01-01

This study analyzes the writing performance levels of 352 students to determine the extent to which business students are achieving written communication competency and whether differences exist among the business majors. Although most students met or exceeded expectations in format and content on a common writing task, students were weakest in…

Factors That Influence Student Motivation in the Middle and High School French Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laing, Kathleen A.

2011-01-01

Lack of student motivation is a shared concern by teachers across all content areas, at all educational levels. Unmotivated students exhibit behaviors of being unengaged, distracted, and unwilling to put forth effort. Motivation has been shown to foster a strong sense of self-efficacy, which may lead to personal expectations of successful…

Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS DPA). Student Guide. Grade 7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards Dual Purpose Assessment (AIMS DPA) is a combination of two separate tests. One test is AIMS, which measures how well the student knows the reading, writing, and mathematics content that all Arizona students in the student's grade level are expected to know and be able to do. AIMS DPA includes…

Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS DPA). Student Guide. Grade 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arizona Department of Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards Dual Purpose Assessment (AIMS DPA) is a combination of two separate tests. One test is AIMS, which measures how well the student knows the reading, writing , and mathematics content that all Arizona students at the third grade level are expected to know and be able to do. AIMS includes multiple-choice…

Core Principles and Test Item Development for Advanced High School and Introductory University Level Food Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laing-Kean, Claudine A. M.

2010-01-01

Programs supported by the Carl D. Perkins Act of 2006 are required to operate under the state or national content standards, and are expected to carry out evaluation procedures that address accountability. The Indiana high school course, "Advanced Life Science: Foods" ("ALS: Foods") operates under the auspices of the Perkins…

Empirical modeling of an alcohol expectancy memory network using multidimensional scaling.

PubMed

Rather, B C; Goldman, M S; Roehrich, L; Brannick, M

1992-02-01

Risk-related antecedent variables can be linked to later alcohol consumption by memory processes, and alcohol expectancies may be one relevant memory content. To advance research in this area, it would be useful to apply current memory models such as semantic network theory to explain drinking decision processes. We used multidimensional scaling (MDS) to empirically model a preliminary alcohol expectancy semantic network, from which a theoretical account of drinking decision making was generated. Subanalyses (PREFMAP) showed how individuals with differing alcohol consumption histories may have had different association pathways within the expectancy network. These pathways may have, in turn influenced future drinking levels and behaviors while the person was under the influence of alcohol. All individuals associated positive/prosocial effects with drinking, but heavier drinkers indicated arousing effects as their highest probability associates, whereas light drinkers expected sedation. An important early step in this MDS modeling process is the determination of iso-meaning expectancy adjective groups, which correspond to theoretical network nodes.

Perceptions of D.M.D. student readiness for basic science courses in the United States: can online review modules help?

PubMed

Miller, C J; Aiken, S A; Metz, M J

2015-02-01

There can be a disconnect between the level of content covered in undergraduate coursework and the expectations of professional-level faculty of their incoming students. Some basic science faculty members may assume that students have a good knowledge base in the material and neglect to appropriately review, whilst others may spend too much class time reviewing basic material. It was hypothesised that the replacement of introductory didactic physiology lectures with interactive online modules could improve student preparedness prior to lectures. These modules would also allow faculty members to analyse incoming student abilities and save valuable face-to-face class time for alternative teaching strategies. Results indicated that the performance levels of incoming U.S. students were poor (57% average on a pre-test), and students often under-predicted their abilities (by 13% on average). Faculty expectations varied greatly between the different content areas and did not appear to correlate with the actual student performance. Three review modules were created which produced a statistically significant increase in post-test scores (46% increase, P < 0.0001, n = 114-115). The positive results of this study suggest a need to incorporate online review units in the basic science dental school courses and revise introductory material tailored to students' strengths and needs.

Effects of nutrient and water restriction on thermal tolerance: A test of mechanisms and hypotheses.

PubMed

Mitchell, Katherine A; Boardman, Leigh; Clusella-Trullas, Susana; Terblanche, John S

2017-10-01

Nutritional deprivation or desiccation can influence thermal tolerance by impacting the insects' ability to evaporatively cool, maintain cell membrane integrity and conduct protective or repair processes. Recovery from chilling is also linked to the re-establishment of iono- and osmo-regulatory homeostasis. Here, using Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, Diptera: Tephritidae), we manipulated water and nutrient availability to test the mechanistic expectation that changes in whole organism lipid and water content can elicit variation in cold or heat tolerance (scored as chill coma recovery time and heat knockdown time). We measured body condition (body water and lipid content) as well as heat shock protein 70 gene (hsp70) and protein (HSP70) levels. A significant reduction in body water content with water restriction did not translate into differences in chill coma recovery. When nutrient restriction was coupled with water deprivation, this resulted in a significant reduction (-54%) of heat knockdown time in females but male flies were unaffected. There was no evidence for an hsp70 or HSP70 response under any of the stress treatments and therefore no correlation with heat or cold tolerance. Heat hardening decreased all hsp levels. Therefore, although body water and total body lipid content differed between the treatment groups, the contribution of these factors to thermal tolerance was inconsistent with mechanistic expectations in heat knockdown time and insignificant for chill coma recovery. These results therefore highlight that the effects of resource restriction on thermal limits in insects are mechanistically more complex than previous models of stress resistance have suggested. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient-reported healthcare expectations in inflammatory bowel diseases.

PubMed

Pittet, Valérie; Vaucher, Carla; Froehlich, Florian; Maillard, Michel H; Michetti, Pierre

2018-01-01

Patient-reported experience is an important component of a holistic approach to quality of care. Patients' expectations of treatments and global disease management may indicate their illness representations and their satisfaction and hopes regarding quality of care. To study expectations of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Two focus groups were conducted with 14 patients to explore their expectations about treatments and disease management. From qualitative content analyses of focus group discussions, we built a 22-item expectations questionnaire that was sent to 1756 patients of the Swiss IBD cohort. Answers were collected on a visual analog scale from 0 to 100, and medians (interquartile range [IQR]) calculated. Factor analysis identified main expectation dimensions, and multivariate analyses were performed to describe associations with patient characteristics. Of 1094 patients (62%) included in the study, 54% were female, 54% had Crohn's disease, 35% had tertiary education, and 72% were employed. Expectation dimensions comprised realistic, predictive, and ideal expectations and were linked to information, communication, daily care, and disease recognition. Half (11 of 22) of the expectations were ranked as very high (median score > 70), the 2 most important being good coordination between general practitioners and specialists (median score: 89, IQR: 71-96) and information on treatment adverse events (89, IQR: 71-96). Women had overall higher levels of expectations than did men. Expectations were not associated with psychosocial measures, except those related to disease recognition, and most of them were highly associated with increased concerns on disease constraints and uncertainty. Patients have high expectations for information and communication among caregivers, the levels varying by gender and region. Patients also appear to request more active participation in their disease management.

Disconnections Between Teacher Expectations and Student Confidence in Bioethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanegan, Nikki L.; Price, Laura; Peterson, Jeremy

2008-09-01

This study examines how student practice of scientific argumentation using socioscientific bioethics issues affects both teacher expectations of students’ general performance and student confidence in their own work. When teachers use bioethical issues in the classroom students can gain not only biology content knowledge but also important decision-making skills. Learning bioethics through scientific argumentation gives students opportunities to express their ideas, formulate educated opinions and value others’ viewpoints. Research has shown that science teachers’ expectations of student success and knowledge directly influence student achievement and confidence levels. Our study analyzes pre-course and post-course surveys completed by students enrolled in a university level bioethics course ( n = 111) and by faculty in the College of Biology and Agriculture faculty ( n = 34) based on their perceptions of student confidence. Additionally, student data were collected from classroom observations and interviews. Data analysis showed a disconnect between faculty and students perceptions of confidence for both knowledge and the use of science argumentation. Student reports of their confidence levels regarding various bioethical issues were higher than faculty reports. A further disconnect showed up between students’ preferred learning styles and the general faculty’s common teaching methods; students learned more by practicing scientific argumentation than listening to traditional lectures. Students who completed a bioethics course that included practice in scientific argumentation, significantly increased their confidence levels. This study suggests that professors’ expectations and teaching styles influence student confidence levels in both knowledge and scientific argumentation.

A neutral effect of testosterone therapy on macroprolactin content in men with macroprolactinemia and late-onset hypogonadism.

PubMed

Krysiak, Robert; Kowalska, Beata; Szkróbka, Witold; Okopień, Bogusław

2016-02-01

In the light of recent studies, macroprolactinemia seems to occur much more frequently than previously thought. In women, oral contraceptive pills exhibit a stimulatory effect on macroprolactin production. No previous study has investigated macroprolactin levels in androgen-treated hypogonadal men. We studied 10 men with isolated macroprolactinemia and 14 men with normal prolactin levels who because of late-onset hypogonadism were treated with intramuscular testosterone enanthate. Serum prolactin, macroprolactin content, serum testosterone and gonadotropin levels were assessed at baseline and after 4 months of therapy. Although baseline levels of testosterone and gonadotropins were similar in men with and without macroprolactinemia, clinical symptoms were more severe in patients with elevated big-big prolactin levels. As expected, testosterone treatment increased serum testosterone, slightly reduced serum gonadotropins, as well as improved clinical condition in both patients with and without macroprolactinemia, with no difference between the groups. However, testosterone therapy did not affect serum prolactin and macroprolactin content, even after replacing intramuscular testosterone enanthate with oral testosterone undecanoate. Our results suggest a negligible effect of testosterone replacement on macroprolactin levels in macroprolactinemic men with late-onset hypogonadism. Copyright © 2015 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

POTASSIUM AS AN INDEX OF NATURALLY OCCURRING RADIOACTIVITY IN TUNA MUSCLE

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

Chakravarti, D.; Joyner, T.

1959-06-30

Determinations of the potassium levels of light and dark muscle tissues were made for tuns fish samples from the Central Pacific. The mean potassium content was determined to be 2.3 mg/g for these tissues and was used as an index to calculate the radioactivity to be expected from K/sup 40/ at 4.2 dis/min per gram of wet tissue. The levels of potassium in light and dark muscle samples were not significantly different. (auth)

An analysis of the relationship between teachers' acquisition of physics content knowledge and their level of science teaching efficacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marion, Virginia Frances

1998-12-01

The goal of Project Inquiry, a two-year long multiphase study, was to transform the delivery of science instruction from a traditional, textbook driven delivery approach to a hands-on, minds-on, constructivist approach. Teachers from a midwestern urban school district were trained in constructivism while learning physics concepts and content through guided inquiry instruction in collaborative groups. The objectives aimed to increase teachers' content expertise and science teaching efficacy, as well as to have teachers become better facilitators of learning. Phase two of the three phases of Project Inquiry was the focus of this study. Fifty-seven teachers participated in Phase two, which began with an intense two week summer institute in 1995. A longitudinal time-series (OxOO), quasi-experimental research design was used to investigate the relationship between science teaching efficacy scores and gains in physics content knowledge. The data consisted of: (a) six sets of pre and post physics content knowledge test scores (electricity, magnetism, matter and balance); (b) three sets of STEBI-A (inservice), Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument scores, a pre to post, pre to follow-up, and post to follow-up; and (c) demographic variables that were used as covariates, grade taught, years of experience, and postbaccalaureate training. Using the general linear model with an Alpha level of.05, and testing the hypothesized relationships, results indicated that although there were significant positive gains in content knowledge (p =.000) and science teaching efficacy (p =.000), the overall average gains in physics content knowledge were not predictive of gains in either Personal Science Teaching Efficacy or Science Outcome Expectancy. Post hoc analysis used individual content gain scores, in regression models that included the three covariates: grade taught, years of experience, and post baccalaureate training, to test the relationship between knowledge gains and efficacy gains. A series of interactions between significant content areas and the covariates was also run. Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy and Personal Science Teaching Efficacy showed different relationships with the predictor variables. Though gains in specific content areas were related to gains in Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy and Personal Science Teaching Efficacy, gains in Personal Science Teaching Efficacy were further modified by the covariates. These results may reflect not only a more complex relationship between content knowledge gain and Personal Science Teaching Efficacy but also the complex nature of the construct. Evaluation of the physics content knowledge tests revealed that the tests were not valid for evaluating 35 of the 37 identified learning objectives. Although the data did not render valid results, it does give insights into possible relationships that may exist given a more stringent investigation with a valid instrument to measure content knowledge gains. In addition, this study demonstrated the importance of considering the likelihood of interactions among a given set of variables and the covariates. The findings also suggest the possible value of considering the psychological factors associated with the change process when planning professional development programs.

Impact of blue, red, and far-red light treatments on gene expression and steviol glycoside accumulation in Stevia rebaudiana.

PubMed

Yoneda, Yuki; Nakashima, Hiroshi; Miyasaka, Juro; Ohdoi, Katsuaki; Shimizu, Hiroshi

2017-05-01

Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni is a plant that biosynthesizes a group of natural sweeteners that are up to approximately 400 times sweeter than sucrose. The sweetening components of S. rebaudiana are steviol glycosides (SGs) that partially share their biosynthesis pathway with gibberellins (GAs). However, the molecular mechanisms through which SGs levels can be improved have not been studied. Therefore, transcription levels of several SG biosynthesis-related genes were analyzed under several light treatments involved in GA biosynthesis. We detected higher transcription of UGT85C2, which is one of the UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) involved in catalyzing the sugar-transfer reaction, under red/far-red (R/FR) 1.22 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and blue LEDs treatment. In this study, it was demonstrated that transcription levels of SG-related genes and the SGs content are affected by light treatments known to affect the GA contents. It is expected that this approach could serve as a practical way to increase SG contents using specific light treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity in two onion varieties grown under organic and conventional production systems.

PubMed

Ren, Feiyue; Reilly, Kim; Gaffney, Michael; Kerry, Joseph P; Hossain, Mohammad; Rai, Dilip K

2017-07-01

Onions contain a number of bioactive compounds, in particular polyphenols. They are rich sources of such compounds in the human diet and offer significant health benefits to the consumer. Demand for organic crops is steadily increasing partly based on the expected health benefits of organic food consumption. The current study examines the influence of organic and conventional crop management practices on bioactive polyphenolic content of onion. We examined the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in two varieties of onion grown over 4 years in a split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. Levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids showed a significant year-on-year variation and were significantly different between organic and conventional production systems. The levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in general were significantly higher (P < 0.05) under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. Organic cultivation practices resulted in significantly higher levels of potential bioactive compounds in onion. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ecological risk assessment of a coastal zone in Southern Vietnam: Spatial distribution and content of heavy metals in water and surface sediments of the Thi Vai Estuary and Can Gio Mangrove Forest.

PubMed

Costa-Böddeker, Sandra; Hoelzmann, Philipp; Thuyên, Lê Xuân; Huy, Hoang Duc; Nguyen, Hoang Anh; Richter, Otto; Schwalb, Antje

2017-01-30

Enrichment of heavy metals was assessed in the Thi Vai Estuary and in the Can Gio Mangrove Forest (SE, Vietnam). Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn contents in water and in sediments were measured. Total organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and C/N ratios were determined. Cu and Cr values were higher than threshold effect level of toxicity, while Ni exceeded probable effect level, indicating the risk of probable toxicity effects. Enrichment factors (EF), contamination factor (CF) and Geo-accumulation index (I-geo) were determined. CF reveals moderate to considerable pollution with Cr and Ni. EF suggests anthropogenic sources of Cr, Cu and Ni. I-geo indicates low contamination with Co, Cu and Zn and moderate contamination with Cr and Ni. Overall metal contents were lower than expected for this highly industrialized region, probably due to dilution, suggesting that erosion rates and hydrodynamics may also play a role in metal contents distribution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building Middle School Teacher Capacity to Implement Reading Comprehension Strategies for Improved Student Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sircey, Samantha Taylor

2017-01-01

In the middle school setting, reading is a requirement if students are to access the curriculum and demonstrate content proficiency. By grade three, students are expected to read on grade level, but by middle grades (7-8), some students still struggle with reading for comprehension. In addition, some middle school teachers struggle to implement…

Using Productive Disposition to Differentiate between Students' Level of Precision When Critiquing a Peer's Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Melissa C.

2014-01-01

This study examined the productive disposition of pre-algebra students who demonstrated similar knowledge of the focal content but varied in other academic behaviors expected in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Specifically, the study considered students' attention to precision when critiquing a peer's work. The…

Examining the Extent to Which Select Teacher Preparation Experiences Inform Technology and Engineering Educators' Teaching of Science Content and Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Tyler S.

2015-01-01

With the recent release of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States, 2014b) science educators were expected to teach engineering content and practices within their curricula. However, technology and engineering (T&E) educators have been expected to teach content and practices from engineering and other…

Preparing medical students for obstetrics and gynecology milestone level one: a description of a pilot curriculum

PubMed Central

Morgan, Helen; Marzano, David; Lanham, Michael; Stein, Tamara; Curran, Diana; Hammoud, Maya

2014-01-01

Background The implementation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones in the field of obstetrics and gynecology has arrived with Milestones Level One defined as the level expected of an incoming first-year resident. Purpose We designed, implemented, and evaluated a 4-week elective for fourth-year medical school students, which utilized a multimodal approach to teaching and assessing the Milestones Level One competencies. Methods The 78-hour curriculum utilized traditional didactic lectures, flipped classroom active learning sessions, a simulated paging curriculum, simulation training, embalmed cadaver anatomical dissections, and fresh-frozen cadaver operative procedures. We performed an assessment of student knowledge and surgical skills before and after completion of the course. Students also received feedback on their assessment and management of eight simulated paging scenarios. Students completed course content satisfaction surveys at the completion of each of the 4 weeks. Results Students demonstrated improvement in knowledge and surgical skills at the completion of the course. Paging confidence trended toward improvement at the completion of the course. Student satisfaction was high for all of the course content, and the active learning components of the curriculum (flipped classroom, simulation, and anatomy sessions) had higher scores than the traditional didactics in all six categories of our student satisfaction survey. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates a practical approach for preparing fourth-year medical students for the expectations of Milestones Level One in obstetrics and gynecology. This curriculum can serve as a framework as medical schools and specific specialties work to meet the first steps of the ACGME's Next Accreditation System. PMID:25430640

Phosphorus-containing food additives and the accuracy of nutrient databases: implications for renal patients.

PubMed

Sullivan, Catherine M; Leon, Janeen B; Sehgal, Ashwini R

2007-09-01

Phosphorus-containing additives are increasingly being added to food products. We sought to determine the potential impact of these additives. We focused on chicken products as an example. We purchased a variety of chicken products, prepared them according to package directions, and performed laboratory analyses to determine their actual phosphorus content. We used ESHA Food Processor SQL Software (version 9.8, ESHA Research, Salem, OR) to determine the expected phosphorus content of each product. Of 38 chicken products, 35 (92%) had phosphorus-containing additives listed among their ingredients. For every category of chicken products containing additives, the actual phosphorus content was greater than the content expected from nutrient database. For example, actual phosphorus content exceeded expected phosphorus content by an average of 84 mg/100 g for breaded breast strips. There was also a great deal of variation within each category. For example, the difference between actual and expected phosphorus content ranged from 59-165 mg/100 g for breast patties. Two 100-g servings of additive-containing products contained, on average, 440 mg of phosphorus, or about half the total daily recommended intake for dialysis patients. Phosphorus-containing additives significantly increase the amount of phosphorus in chicken products. Available nutrient databases do not reflect this higher phosphorus content, and the variation between similar products makes it impossible for patients and dietitians to accurately estimate phosphorus content. We recommend that dialysis patients limit their intake of additive-containing products, and that the phosphorus content of food products be included on nutrition facts labels.

PHOSPHORUS CONTAINING FOOD ADDITIVES AND THE ACCURACY OF NUTRIENT DATABASES: IMPLICATIONS FOR RENAL PATIENTS

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Catherine M.; Leon, Janeen B.; Sehgal, Ashwini R.

2007-01-01

Objective Phosphorus containing additives are increasingly added to food products. We sought to determine the potential impact of these additives. We focused on chicken products as an example. Methods We purchased a variety of chicken products, prepared them according to package directions, and performed laboratory analyses to determine their actual phosphorus content. We used ESHA Food Processor SQL Software to determine the expected phosphorus content of each product. Results Of 38 chicken products, 35 (92%) had phosphorus containing additives listed among their ingredients. For every category of chicken products containing additives, the actual phosphorus content was greater than the content expected from nutrient database. For example, actual phosphorus content exceeded expected phosphorus content by an average of 84 mg/100g for breaded breast strips. There was also a great deal of variation within each category. For example, the difference between actual and expected phosphorus content ranged from 59 to 165 mg/100g for breast patties. Two 100 g servings of additive containing products contain an average of 440 mg of phosphorus, or about half the total daily recommended intake for dialysis patients. Conclusion Phosphorus containing additives significantly increase the amount of phosphorus in chicken products. Available nutrient databases do not reflect this higher phosphorus content, and the variation between similar products makes it impossible for patients and dietitians to accurately estimate phosphorus content. We recommend that dialysis patients limit their intake of additive containing products and that the phosphorus content of food products be included on nutrition facts labels. PMID:17720105

Closing the Expectations Gap: 2014 Annual Report on the Alignment of State K-12 Policies and Practice with the Demands of College and Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2015

2015-01-01

Today's economy demands that "all" young people develop high-level literacy, quantitative reasoning, problem solving, communication and collaboration skills, all grounded in a rigorous, content-rich K-12 curriculum. Acquiring this knowledge and these skills ensures that high school graduates are academically prepared to pursue the…

Textual Demands of Passages in Three English/Language Arts Common Core Assessments and One Core Literacy Program for Intermediate Elementary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Timothy G.; Wilcox, Brad; Murdoch, Erica; Bird, Lauren

2018-01-01

The Common Core has emphasized reading for comprehension, including making inferences. However, little is known about the textual demands found within assessment and instructional passages that are promoted as being in line with Common Core expectations. The purpose of this content analysis was to identify the readability levels, passage length,…

The Role of Parents' Critical Thinking About Media in Shaping Expectancies, Efficacy and Nutrition Behaviors for Families.

PubMed

Austin, Erica Weintraub; Pinkleton, Bruce E; Radanielina-Hita, Marie Louise; Ran, Weina

2015-01-01

A convenience survey completed online by 137 4-H parents in Washington state explored their orientation toward critical thinking regarding media sources and content and its implications for family dietary behaviors. Parents' critical thinking toward media sources predicted their information efficacy about content. Critical thinking toward media content predicted information efficacy about sources, expectancies for parental mediation, and expectancies for family receptiveness to lower-fat dietary changes. Expectancies for receptiveness to dietary changes and expectancies for parental mediation predicted efficacy for implementing healthy dietary practices; this strongly predicted healthy dietary practices. Media-related critical thinking, therefore, indirectly but consistently affected self-reported family dietary behaviors through its effects on efficacy for managing media and expectancies for the family's receptiveness to healthy dietary changes. The results suggest parents' media literacy skills affect their family's dietary behavior. Health campaigns that help parents interpret and manage the media environment may benefit all family members.

Non-linear learning in online tutorial to enhance students’ knowledge on normal distribution application topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kartono; Suryadi, D.; Herman, T.

2018-01-01

This study aimed to analyze the enhancement of non-linear learning (NLL) in the online tutorial (OT) content to students’ knowledge of normal distribution application (KONDA). KONDA is a competence expected to be achieved after students studied the topic of normal distribution application in the course named Education Statistics. The analysis was performed by quasi-experiment study design. The subject of the study was divided into an experimental class that was given OT content in NLL model and a control class which was given OT content in conventional learning (CL) model. Data used in this study were the results of online objective tests to measure students’ statistical prior knowledge (SPK) and students’ pre- and post-test of KONDA. The statistical analysis test of a gain score of KONDA of students who had low and moderate SPK’s scores showed students’ KONDA who learn OT content with NLL model was better than students’ KONDA who learn OT content with CL model. Meanwhile, for students who had high SPK’s scores, the gain score of students who learn OT content with NLL model had relatively similar with the gain score of students who learn OT content with CL model. Based on those findings it could be concluded that the NLL model applied to OT content could enhance KONDA of students in low and moderate SPK’s levels. Extra and more challenging didactical situation was needed for students in high SPK’s level to achieve the significant gain score.

Middle School Teacher Misconceptions and Anxieties Concerning Space Science Disciplinary Core Ideas in NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, Kristine

2017-01-01

The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are grouped into the broad disciplinary areas of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Earth and Space Sciences, and Engineering, Technology and Application of Science, and feature learning progressions based on endpoint targets for each grade band. Since the Middle School DCIs build on the expected learning achievements to be reached by the end of Fifth Grade, and High School DCI similarly build on the expected learning achievements expected for the end of Eighth Grade, the Middle School grade band is of particular importance as the bridge between the Elementary and High School curriculum. In states where there is not a special Middle School Certification many of these science classes are taught by teachers prepared to teach at the Elementary level (and who may have limited content background). As a result, some pre-service and in-service teachers have expressed reduced self-confidence in both their own science content knowledge and their ability to apply it in the NGSS-based classroom, while decades of research has demonstrated the pervasiveness of science misconceptions among teachers. Thus the adoption of NGSS has the potential to drive talented teachers out of the profession who feel that they are ill-prepared for this sweeping transition. The key is providing rigorous education in both content and pedagogy for pre-service teachers and quality targeted professional development for in-service teachers. This report focuses on the Middle School Space Sciences grade band DCIs and presents research on specific difficulties, misconceptions and uncertainties with the material demonstrated by pre-service education students over the past four years in a required university science content course, as well as two year-long granted workshop series for current Middle School teachers. This information is relevant to the development of both new content courses aligned with NGSS for pre-service teachers and professional development for in-service teachers.

The Heat is On! Confronting Climate Change in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, R.; Atwood-Blaine, D.

2008-12-01

This paper discusses a professional development workshop for K-12 science teachers entitled "The Heat is On! Confronting Climate Change in the Classroom." This workshop was conducted by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), which has the primary goal to understand and predict the role of polar ice sheets in sea level change. The specific objectives of this summer workshop were two-fold; first, to address the need for advancement in science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and second, to address the need for science teacher training in climate change science. Twenty-eight Kansas teachers completed four pre-workshop assignments online in Moodle and attended a one-week workshop. The workshop included lecture presentations by scientists (both face-to-face and via video-conference) and collaboration between teachers and scientists to create online inquiry-based lessons on the water budget, remote sensing, climate data, and glacial modeling. Follow-up opportunities are communicated via the CReSIS Teachers listserv to maintain and further develop the collegial connections and collaborations established during the workshop. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation results indicate that this workshop was particularly effective in the following four areas: 1) creating meaningful connections between K-12 teachers and CReSIS scientists; 2) integrating distance-learning technologies to facilitate the social construction of knowledge; 3) increasing teachers' content understanding of climate change and its impacts on the cryosphere and global sea level; and 4) increasing teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about teaching climate science. Evaluation methods included formative content understanding assessments (via "clickers") during each scientist's presentation, a qualitative evaluation survey administered at the end of the workshop, and two quantitative evaluation instruments administered pre- and post- workshop. The first of these quantitative instruments measured teachers' efficacy beliefs about teaching climate science and the outcome expectancy they hold for student achievement. The second, a content test, measured the teachers' content knowledge of climate science and the cryosphere. Our results indicate that the teachers participating in the workshops showed significant increase in personal climate science teaching efficacy, outcome expectancy, and content knowledge of climate science, all at the p < 0.01 level. Interestingly, these results appear to be independent of each other. While one may think that changes in efficacy beliefs are caused by gains in content knowledge, our results show low correlation between these two factors.

Biochemical and physiological responses of halophilic nanophytoplankton (Dunaliella salina) from exposure to xeno-estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol.

PubMed

Belhaj, Dalel; Athmouni, Khaled; Frikha, Doniez; Kallel, Monem; El Feki, Abdelfattah; Maalej, Sami; Zhou, John L; Ayadi, Habib

2017-03-01

The environmental impacts of various pollutants on the entire levels of organisms are under investigation. Among these pollutants, endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) present a serious hazard, even though the environmental significance of these compounds remains basically unknown. To drop some light on this field, we assessed the effects of a 11-day exposure of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) on the growth, metabolic content, antioxidant response, oxidative stress, and genetic damage of Dunaliella salina, isolated from Tunisian biotopes. The results showed that at 10 ng L -1 , EE2 could stimulate the growth of D. salina and increase its cellular content of photosynthetic pigments and metabolites; however, it did not significantly increase the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) or the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). In contrast, exposure to high levels of EE2 concentrations significantly inhibited the growth of D. salina (P < 0.05), decreased the cellular content of photosynthetic pigments, increased the cellular content of all of the metabolites and the SOD activity, and inhibited CAT and GPx activities. Nevertheless, the balance between oxidant and antioxidant enzymes was disrupted because H 2 O 2 content along with MDA content simultaneously increased. Contrary to expected results, DNA damage (strand breaks) decreased after the exposure of algae to EE2. The results of this study suggest that EE2 toxicity could result in environmental impacts with consequences on the whole aquatic community. Graphical abstract.

"I like the sound of that!" Wine descriptions influence consumers' expectations, liking, emotions and willingness to pay for Australian white wines.

PubMed

Danner, Lukas; Johnson, Trent E; Ristic, Renata; Meiselman, Herbert L; Bastian, Susan E P

2017-09-01

This study investigated how information, typically presented on wine back-labels or wine company websites, influences consumers' expected liking, informed liking, wine-evoked emotions and willingness to pay for Australian white wines. Regular white wine consumers (n=126) evaluated the same set of three commercially available white wines (mono-varietal Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc) under three information levels. Session 1, blind tasting (no information provided) and Session 2, informed tasting (held at least 1week later) with both basic (sensory description of the wines) and elaborate (sensory plus high wine quality and favourable winery information) descriptions followed by liking, wine-evoked emotions (measured with the Australian Wine Evoked Emotions Lexicon (AWEEL)) and willingness to pay evaluations. Before tasting the wine in session 2, consumers also rated expected liking. Results showed that information level had a significant effect on all investigated variables. The elaborate information level evoked higher expectations before tasting the wines, plus resulted in higher liking ratings, elicitation of more intense positive (e.g. contented, happy and warm-hearted) and less intense negative emotions (e.g. embarrassed and unfulfilled), and a substantial increase in willingness to pay after tasting the wines compared to the blind condition, with the basic condition ranging in-between. These results were consistent across the three wine samples. Furthermore, if the liking rating after tasting the wines matched the expected liking or exceeded the expectations by 1 point on a 9-point hedonic scale, participants felt the most intense positive emotions and the least intense negative emotions. Whereas, if the expectations were not met or the actual liking exceeded the expectations by >2 points, participants felt less intense positive and more intense negative emotions. This highlights not only the importance of well written and accurate wine descriptions, but also that information can influence consumers' wine drinking experience and behaviour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrological modelling of the Mara River Basin, Kenya: Application of the Normalised Difference Infrared Index (NDII)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hulsman, Petra; Savenije, Hubert; Bogaard, Thom

2017-04-01

In hydrology and water resources management, precipitation and discharge are the main time series for hydrological modelling. However, in African river catchments, the quantity and quality of the available precipitation stations and discharge measurements are unfortunately often inadequate for reliable hydrological modelling. To cope with these uncertainties, this study proposes to calibrate on water levels and to constrain the model using the Normalised Difference Infrared Index (NDII) as a proxy for root zone moisture stress. With the NDII, the leaf water content can be monitored. Previous studies related the NDII to the equivalent water thickness (EWT) of leaves, which is used to determine the vegetation water content (VWC). As the water content in the leaves is related to the water content in the root zone, the NDII can also be used as indicator of the soil moisture content in the root zone. In previous studies it was found that the root zone moisture content is exponentially correlated to the NDII during periods of moisture stress. In this study, the semi-distributed rainfall runoff model FLEX-Topo has been applied to the Mara River Basin. In this model seven sub-basins are distinguished and four hydrological response units with each a unique model structure based on the expected dominant flow processes. To calibrate the model, the water levels have been back-calculated from modelled discharges, using cross-section data and the Strickler formula calibrating parameter 'k•s1/2', and compared to measured water levels. In addition, the correlation between the NDII and root zone moisture content has been analysed for this river basin for each sub-catchment and hydrological response unit. Also, the application of the NDII as model constraint or for calibration has been analysed.

Physicochemical properties, fatty acid profile and sensory characteristics of sheep and goat meat sausages manufactured with different pork fat levels.

PubMed

Leite, Ana; Rodrigues, Sandra; Pereira, Etelvina; Paulos, Kátia; Oliveira, António Filipe; Lorenzo, José Manuel; Teixeira, Alfredo

2015-07-01

The effect of three pork backfat levels (0% vs. 10% vs. 30%) on chemical composition, fatty acid profile and sensory properties on sheep and goat meat sausages was studied. All physicochemical parameters were affected by the addition of pork backfat in both types of sausages. Sausages manufactured with 30% of pork backfat showed the lowest moisture and protein contents and the highest total fat content. The lower a(w) values in sausages manufactured with higher fat content while in pH happened the reverse situation. The addition of pork backfat modified the total fatty acid profile, prompting a significant drop in the relative percentages of C14:0, C16:0, C17:0, C17:1, C18:0 and TVA (trans-vaccenic acid), together with a marked increase in oleic and linoleic acids. Finally, in goat sausages, the fat content significantly affected sensory parameters: taste, texture and overall acceptability (P<0.05). As expected, all physicochemical parameters were affected by the addition of pork backfat in both types of sausages. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of lactose interference in vaccines and a proposal of methodological adjustment of total protein determination by the lowry method.

PubMed

Kusunoki, Hideki; Okuma, Kazu; Hamaguchi, Isao

2012-01-01

For national regulatory testing in Japan, the Lowry method is used for the determination of total protein content in vaccines. However, many substances are known to interfere with the Lowry method, rendering accurate estimation of protein content difficult. To accurately determine the total protein content in vaccines, it is necessary to identify the major interfering substances and improve the methodology for removing such substances. This study examined the effects of high levels of lactose with low levels of protein in freeze-dried, cell culture-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine (inactivated). Lactose was selected because it is a reducing sugar that is expected to interfere with the Lowry method. Our results revealed that concentrations of ≥ 0.1 mg/mL lactose interfered with the Lowry assays and resulted in overestimation of the protein content in a lactose concentration-dependent manner. On the other hand, our results demonstrated that it is important for the residual volume to be ≤ 0.05 mL after trichloroacetic acid precipitation in order to avoid the effects of lactose. Thus, the method presented here is useful for accurate protein determination by the Lowry method, even when it is used for determining low levels of protein in vaccines containing interfering substances. In this study, we have reported a methodological adjustment that allows accurate estimation of protein content for national regulatory testing, when the vaccine contains interfering substances.

Marijuana and Cocaine Effect Expectancies and Drug Use Patterns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schafer, John; Brown, Sandra A.

1991-01-01

Content analyzed self-reports from 704 college students and used results to develop Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire and Cocaine Effect Expectancy Questionnaire. Identified six marijuana expectancies and five cocaine expectancies. Drug effect expectancies distinguished between patterns of nonuse and varying degrees of use of these two…

Are delusional contents replayed during dreams?

PubMed

D'Agostino, Armando; Aletti, Giacomo; Carboni, Martina; Cavallotti, Simone; Limosani, Ivan; Manzone, Marialaura; Scarone, Silvio

2013-09-01

The relationship between dream content and waking life experiences remains difficult to decipher. However, some neurobiological findings suggest that dreaming can, at least in part, be considered epiphenomenal to ongoing memory consolidation processes in sleep. Both abnormalities in sleep architecture and impairment in memory consolidation mechanisms are thought to be involved in the development of psychosis. The objective of this study was to assess the continuity between delusional contents and dreams in acutely psychotic patients. Ten patients with a single fixed and recurring delusional content were asked to report their dreams during an acute psychotic break. Sixteen judges with four different levels of acquaintance to the specific content of the patients' delusions were asked to group the dreams, expecting that fragments of the delusional thought would guide the task. A mathematical index (f,t) was developed in order to compare correct groupings between the four groups of judges. Most judges grouped the dreams slightly above chance level and no relevant differences could be found between the four groups [F(3,12)=1.297; p=n.s.]. Scoring of dreams for specific delusional themes suggested a continuity in terms of dream and waking mentation for two contents (Grandiosity and Religion). These findings seem to suggest that at least some delusional contents recur within patients' dreams. Future studies will need to determine whether such continuity reflects ongoing consolidation processes that are relevant to current theories of delusion formation and stabilization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What Can the Brain Teach Us about Winemaking? An fMRI Study of Alcohol Level Preferences

PubMed Central

Frost, Ram; Quiñones, Ileana; Veldhuizen, Maria; Alava, Jose-Iñaki; Small, Dana; Carreiras, Manuel

2015-01-01

Over the last few decades, wine makers have been producing wines with a higher alcohol content, assuming that they are more appreciated by consumers. To test this hypothesis, we used functional magnetic imaging to compare reactions of human subjects to different types of wine, focusing on brain regions critical for flavor processing and food reward. Participants were presented with carefully matched pairs of high- and low-alcohol content red wines, without informing them of any of the wine attributes. Contrary to expectation, significantly greater activation was found for low-alcohol than for high-alcohol content wines in brain regions that are sensitive to taste intensity, including the insula as well as the cerebellum. Wines were closely matched for all physical attributes except for alcohol content, thus we interpret the preferential response to the low-alcohol content wines as arising from top-down modulation due to the low alcohol content wines inducing greater attentional exploration of aromas and flavours. The findings raise intriguing possibilities for objectively testing hypotheses regarding methods of producing a highly complex product such as wine. PMID:25785844

What can the brain teach us about winemaking? An fMRI study of alcohol level preferences.

PubMed

Frost, Ram; Quiñones, Ileana; Veldhuizen, Maria; Alava, Jose-Iñaki; Small, Dana; Carreiras, Manuel

2015-01-01

Over the last few decades, wine makers have been producing wines with a higher alcohol content, assuming that they are more appreciated by consumers. To test this hypothesis, we used functional magnetic imaging to compare reactions of human subjects to different types of wine, focusing on brain regions critical for flavor processing and food reward. Participants were presented with carefully matched pairs of high- and low-alcohol content red wines, without informing them of any of the wine attributes. Contrary to expectation, significantly greater activation was found for low-alcohol than for high-alcohol content wines in brain regions that are sensitive to taste intensity, including the insula as well as the cerebellum. Wines were closely matched for all physical attributes except for alcohol content, thus we interpret the preferential response to the low-alcohol content wines as arising from top-down modulation due to the low alcohol content wines inducing greater attentional exploration of aromas and flavours. The findings raise intriguing possibilities for objectively testing hypotheses regarding methods of producing a highly complex product such as wine.

Patients With Thumb Carpometacarpal Arthritis Have Quantifiable Characteristic Expectations That Can Be Measured With a Survey.

PubMed

Kang, Lana; Hashmi, Sohaib Z; Nguyen, Joseph; Lee, Steve K; Weiland, Andrew J; Mancuso, Carol A

2016-01-01

Although patient expectations associated with major orthopaedic conditions have shown clinically relevant and variable effects on outcomes, expectations associated with thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis have not been identified, described, or analyzed before, to our knowledge. We asked: (1) Do patients with thumb CMC arthritis express characteristic expectations that are quantifiable and have measurable frequency? (2) Can a survey on expectations developed from patient-derived data quantitate expectations in patients with thumb CMC arthritis? The study was a prospective cohort study. The first phase was a 12-month-period involving interviews of 42 patients with thumb CMC arthritis to define their expectations of treatment. The interview process used techniques and principles of qualitative methodology including open-ended interview questions, unrestricted time, and study size determined by data saturation. Verbatim responses provided content for the draft survey. The second phase was a 12-month period assessing the survey for test-retest reliability with the recruitment of 36 participants who completed the survey twice. The survey was finalized from clinically relevant content, frequency of endorsement, weighted kappa values for concordance of responses, and intraclass coefficient and Cronbach's alpha for interrater reliability and internal consistency. Thirty-two patients volunteered 256 characteristic expectations, which consisted of 21 discrete categories. Expectations with similar concepts were combined by eliminating redundancy while maintaining original terminology. These were reduced to 19 items that comprised a one-page survey. This survey showed high concordance, interrater reliability, and internal consistency, with weighted kappa values between 0.58 and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.39-0.78; p < 0.001); intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.94-0.98; p < 0.001), and Cronbach's alpha values of 0.94 and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91-0.96; p < 0.001). The thumb CMC arthritis expectations survey score is convertible to an overall score between 0 to 100 points calculated on the basis of the number of expectations and the degree of improvement expected, with higher scores indicating higher expectations. Patients with thumb CMC arthritis volunteer a characteristic and quantifiable set of expectations. Using responses recorded verbatim from patient interviews, a clinically relevant, valid, and reliable expectations survey was developed that measures the physical and psychosocial expectations of patients seeking treatment for CMC arthritis. The survey provides a calculable score that can record patients' expectations. Clinical application of this survey includes identification of factors that influence fulfilment of these expectations. Level II, prospective study.

Great Expectations: Content, Communications, Productivity, and the Role of Information Technology in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Kenneth C.; Gilbert, Steven W.

1995-01-01

College and university investments in information technology should focus on content, curriculum, and communication, not productivity. In addition, expectations about how technology can benefit higher education should be realistic; there is much to be learned about the appropriate use of technological innovation. (MSE)

The role of interpretation processes and parental discussion in the media's effects on adolescents' use of alcohol.

PubMed

Austin, E W; Pinkleton, B E; Fujioka, Y

2000-02-01

The process that connects media use with alcohol-related beliefs and behaviors has not been well documented. To address this issue, we examined adolescents' viewing patterns, beliefs about alcohol and media messages, and parental discussion of media messages in the context of a theoretical model of message interpretation processes. Measures included the degree to which adolescents found portrayals desirable, realistic, and similar to their own lives; the degree to which they wanted to be like (identify with) the portrayals; and the degree to which they associated positive outcomes with drinking alcohol (expectancies). Cross-sectional survey. Two public high schools in the California central coastal area that include a diverse population in terms of ethnic origin, income level, and education level. Ninth-grade students (n = 252) and 12th-grade students (n = 326). Students reported the number of days within the past week watching various genres of television content, along with perceptions of realism of content, desirability of portrayals, identification with portrayals, expectancies toward alcohol use, personal norms for alcohol use, desire for products with alcohol logos, current alcohol use, frequency of parental reinforcement, and counter-reinforcement of television messages. Associations were examined via hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Effects of media exposure on drinking behavior, controlling for grade level, ethnicity, gender, household income, and education levels were primarily positive and indirect, operating through a number of intervening beliefs, especially expectancies (beta =.59; r(2) =.33). Direct associations, primarily with exposure to late-night talk shows (beta =.12; r(2) =.01), were small. Parental discussion also affected behavior indirectly, operating through expectancies, identification, and perceived realism. The appeal of products with alcohol logos, which was higher among the younger students (t = 3.44) and predicted by expectancies (beta =. 37; r(2) =.13), sports viewing (beta =.17; r(2) =.03) and late-night talk shows (beta =.10; r(2) =.01), predicted actual drinking behavior (beta =.22; r(2) =.04). Drinking behavior was higher among the older students (t = -2.515). Adolescents make drinking decisions using a progressive, logical decision-making process that can be overwhelmed by wishful thinking. The potential risk of frequent exposure to persuasive alcohol portrayals via late-night talk shows, sports, music videos, and prime-time television for underage drinking is moderated by parental reinforcement and counter-reinforcement of messages. Interventions need to acknowledge and counter the appeal of desirable and seemingly realistic alcohol portrayals in the media and alert parents to their potential for unintended adverse effects.

The role of physical content in piagetian spatial tasks: Sex differences in spatial knowledge?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golbeck, Susan L.

Sex-related differences on Piagetian horizontality (water level) and verticality (plumb line) tasks were examined in 64 college students. It was hypothesized that females' difficulties on these Euclidean spatial problems are due not to differences in underlying spatial competence, but rather to differences in knowledge of task specific information about the physical properties of water levels and plumb lines. This was tested by presenting subjects with the standard water level and plumb line problems and also modified problems not requiring knowledge of physical principles (i.e., drawing straight up and down or straight across lines inside tipped rectangles). While males were expected to outperform females on the standard tasks, no sex differences were expected on the modified tasks. Results of an ANOVA on scores for horizontality and verticality each showed main effects for sex and task version but failed to reveal the hypothesized interaction. However, performance on the Euclidean spatial tasks was also considered in terms of overall success versus failure. While males were more successful than females in the standard format, males and females were equally successful in the modified, nonphysical, format. Hence, college aged males and females generally do not differ in spatial competence although they may be differentially influenced by task content. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for theory and practice. It is emphasized that science educators must be especially aware of such task influences for females so that performance deficits are not mistaken for competence deficits.

The psychological contract: is the UK National Health Service a model employer?

PubMed

Fielden, Sandra; Whiting, Fiona

2007-05-01

The UK National Health Service (NHS) is facing recruitment challenges that mean it will need to become an 'employer of choice' if it is to continue to attract high-quality employees. This paper reports the findings from a study focusing on allied health professional staff (n = 67), aimed at establishing the expectations of the NHS inherent in their current psychological contract and to consider whether the government's drive to make the NHS a model employer meets those expectations. The findings show that the most important aspects of the psychological contract were relational and based on the investment made in the employment relationship by both parties. The employment relationship was one of high involvement but also one where transactional contract items, such as pay, were still of some importance. Although the degree of employee satisfaction with the relational content of the psychological contract was relatively positive, there was, nevertheless, a mismatch between levels of importance placed on such aspects of the contract and levels of satisfaction, with employees increasingly placing greater emphasis on those items the NHS is having the greatest difficulty providing. Despite this apparent disparity between employee expectation and the fulfilment of those expectations, the overall health of the psychological contract was still high.

Reduced Nicotine Content Expectancies Affect Initial Responses to Smoking.

PubMed

Mercincavage, Melissa; Smyth, Joshua M; Strasser, Andrew A; Branstetter, Steven A

2016-10-01

We sought to determine if negative responses to reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes during open-label trials result from smokers' (negative) expectancies. We examined the effects of nicotine content description - independent of actual nicotine content - on subjective responses (craving reduction, withdrawal suppression, mood changes, and sensory ratings) and smoking behaviors (topography measures and carbon monoxide [CO] boost). Thirty-six 12-hour-abstinent daily smokers completed a 3-session crossover trial. During each session, participants smoked their preferred brand cigarette - blinded and described as containing "usual," "low," and "very low" nicotine content - through a topography device and completed CO and subjective response assessments. Although nicotine content was identical, compared to the "usual" content cigarette, participants experienced less craving reduction after smoking the "very low" nicotine cigarette, and rated its smoke as weaker (p < .05). Participants took shallower puffs of the "low" nicotine cigarette (p < .05), and rated the "low" and "very low" nicotine cigarettes as weaker and too mild (p < .01). Negative responses to RNC cigarettes may be due, in part, to negative expectancies about using cigarettes containing less nicotine. In this context, RNC cigarette marketing and labeling are likely important considerations if a federal nicotine reduction policy is initiated.

Role Of Expectancy Manipulation In Systematic Desensitization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, H. Alan

1973-01-01

Expectancy, relaxation, and hierarchy content were manipulated. Findings did not support the hypothesis that expectancy was the only factor in desensitization, but did clarify the role of expectancy vis-a-vis the counterconditioning elements typically discussed in the literature. (Author)

Adjustment of growth and central metabolism to a mild but sustained nitrogen-limitation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Tschoep, Hendrik; Gibon, Yves; Carillo, Petronia; Armengaud, Patrick; Szecowka, Marek; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano; Fernie, Alisdair R; Koehl, Karin; Stitt, Mark

2009-03-01

We have established a simple soil-based experimental system that allows a small and sustained restriction of growth of Arabidopsis by low nitrogen (N). Plants were grown in a large volume of a peat-vermiculite mix that contained very low levels of inorganic N. As a control, inorganic N was added in solid form to the peat-vermiculite mix, or plants were grown in conventional nutrient-rich solids. The low N growth regime led to a sustained 20% decrease of the relative growth rate over a period of 2 weeks, resulting in a two- to threefold decrease in biomass in 35- to 40-day-old plants. Plants in the low N regime contained lower levels of nitrate, lower nitrate reductase activity, lower levels of malate, fumarate and other organic acids and slightly higher levels of starch, as expected from published studies of N-limited plants. However, their rosette protein content was unaltered, and total and many individual amino acid levels increased compared with N-replete plants. This metabolic phenotype reveals that Arabidopsis responds adaptively to low N by decreasing the rate of growth, while maintaining the overall protein content, and maintaining or even increasing the levels of many amino acids.

An analysis of Australian graduate critical care nurse education.

PubMed

Gill, Fenella J; Leslie, Gavin D; Grech, Carol; Latour, Jos M

2015-01-01

Preparation of specialist critical care nurses in Australia is at graduate level, although there remains considerable variation in courses offered in relation to qualification, content, assessment and outcomes. As higher education providers must now comply with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) a study was conducted to examine existing critical care courses and graduate practice outcomes. Twenty-two critical care courses were reviewed. Data sources included course provider, websites, course curricula and telephone interviews with course coordinators. A framework approach, was used consisting of five key stages: preliminary immersion of raw data, conceptualising a thematic framework, indexing, charting, mapping and interpretation of data. Analysis revealed considerable variations in course delivery and graduate practice outcomes. Most courses used professional competency standards as a framework for course curricula and clinical assessment, with inconsistency in their translation to graduate practice outcomes. Twenty-one courses included clinical assessment at graduate certificate level with no clinical assessment conducted at master level. The expected practice outcome for fifteen courses was safe practice with graduates not expected to practice at a specialist or team leadership level. Minimum graduate practice standards were not included in three courses as an expected outcome. The AQF requires graduate nurse education to be compliant with academic outcome standards. The findings of our study indicate variations between courses and subsequent graduate practice outcomes. It is therefore timely to establish national critical care education graduate practice standards.

The Mechanical Properties and Modeling of Creep Behavior of UHMWPE/Nano-HA Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fan; Gao, Lilan; Gao, Hong; Cui, Yun

2017-09-01

Composites with different levels of hydroxyapatite (HA) content and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were prepared in this work. Mechanical properties of the composites were examined here, and to evaluate the effect of HA particles on the time-dependent behavior of the pure matrix, the creep and recovery performance of composites at various stress levels were also researched. As expected, the addition of HA influenced the time-dependent response of the UHMWPE and the effect had a strong dependence on the HA content. The creep and recovery strain of the composites significantly decreased with increasing HA content, and tensile properties were also impaired, which was due to the concentration of HA fillers. The mechanism and effect of HA dispersed into the UHMWPE matrix were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, since variations in the adjusted parameters revealed the impact of HA on the creep behavior of the UHMWPE matrix, Findley's model was employed. The results indicated that the analytical model was accurate for the prediction of creep of the pure matrix and its composites.

The impact of application of biocar on peanuts growing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Mengyu; Liu, Xiaohua; Li, Na; Luo, Peiyu; Han, Xiaori; Yang, Jinfeng

2017-12-01

The object of this study was to investigate the impact of application biocar on peanuts growing. It was based on a long-term fertilization experiment which researched the effect of applying different amounts of biochar and BBF when continuously cropping peanuts for 5 years. There were five treatments: no fertilizer, low level of biochar (C15), high level of biochar (C50), chemical nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) fertilizer and biochar-based fertilization (BBF).We determined peanuts stem and leaf weight, root weight, plant and the relative content of chlorophyll at every growth stages in 2016. The results showed that all fertilization can increase these indexes and in application of NPK improve them the most which close to BBF. The peanuts stem and leaf weight, root weight, plant and the relative content of chlorophyll was higher than the same level carbon treatment (C15) 62.85%, 6.67%, 18.73% and 25.58%, respectively. Expect stem and leaf weight, plant height, root weight and chlorophyll were higher when high level biochar (C50) applied than the low one (C15).

Student Reflective Writing: Cognition and Affect before, during, and after Study Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savicki, Victor; Price, Michele V.

2015-01-01

Reflective thinking is an important feature of study-abroad learning, yet research on reflection in this context is sparse. The current study examined student reflection on 3 content areas (Academic Expectations, Cultural Expectations, and Psychological Issues) at 3 times (before, during, and after study abroad). A content analysis approach with…

Virginia's College and Career Ready Initiative Grade 12 English Capstone Course Content and Performance Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia Department of Education, 2011

2011-01-01

Virginia's "College and Career Ready English Performance Expectations" grade 12 capstone course contains high-interest contextualized content designed to give certain students an additional boost for competent and successful entry into college and careers. The course will add to students' preparation for critical reading, college and…

Pseudopolycythemia, pseudothrombocytopenia, and pseudoleukopenia due to overfilling of blood collection vacuum tubes.

PubMed

Pewarchuk, W; VanderBoom, J; Blajchman, M A

1992-01-01

A patient blood sample with an unexpectedly high hemoglobin level, high hematocrit, low white blood cell count, and low platelet count was recognized as being spurious based on previously available data. Repeated testing of the original sample showed a gradual return of all parameters to expected levels. We provide evidence that the overfilling of blood collection vacuum tubes can lead to inadequate sample mixing and that, in combination with the settling of the cellular contents in the collection tubes, can result in spuriously abnormal hematological parameters as estimated by an automated method.

The effects of nicotine stimulus and response expectancies on male and female smokers' responses to nicotine-free electronic cigarettes.

PubMed

Copp, Sebastian R; Collins, Jamie L; Dar, Reuven; Barrett, Sean P

2015-01-01

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have been reported to reduce tobacco craving and withdrawal; however, the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been elucidated. This study examined the contributions of nicotine stimulus and response expectancies to responses to nicotine-free e-cigarettes in 21 e-cigarette naïve smokers (12 male). Participants completed two randomized experimental sessions in which they administered a nicotine-free e-cigarette. During one session they were informed that the e-cigarette contained nicotine and during the other session they were informed that the e-cigarette was nicotine-free. Participants completed subjective assessments before and immediately after sampling ten puffs from the e-cigarette and were then invited to earn additional puffs using a computerized progressive ratio task. Prior to their enrolment in the study, participants provided an estimate of the relative importance of the nicotine content of e-cigarettes for craving relief. Instructions that the e-cigarette contained nicotine were found to reduce both intention to smoke (p=0.017) and withdrawal-related (p=0.018) craving, regardless of a-priori reported beliefs regarding the relative importance of nicotine. Nicotine content instructions were also found to be associated with a shorter latency to self-administration (p=0.005); however, a Sex×Instructions×Response Expectancy interaction (p=0.008) revealed that this effect was specific to women who had strong a-priori nicotine content craving relief expectations. Neither nicotine content instructions nor response expectancies impacted the number of puffs self-administered. Findings suggest that nicotine content expectations contribute to smokers' responses to e-cigarettes, and that a-priori beliefs about nicotine effects may be especially important in women. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Involuntary autobiographical memories are relatively more often reported during high cognitive load tasks.

PubMed

Barzykowski, Krystian; Niedźwieńska, Agnieszka

2018-01-01

Recent studies on involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) in daily life have shown that they are most frequently reported during daily routines (e.g. while ironing). Such studies have suggested that reporting IAMs may be influenced by the level of the ongoing task demands and availability of cognitive resources. In two studies, we investigated the effects of cognitive load on reporting IAMs. To examine the presumed cognitive load dependency of IAMs, we utilised an often-employed experimental paradigm (Schlagman & Kvavilashvili, 2008) to elicit IAMs under conditions that differed in cognitive load. When performing a vigilance task, participants had to interrupt the task each time they experienced any spontaneous mental contents and write them down. We manipulated the level of cognitive load by either instructing (cognitive load group) or not instructing (control group) participants to perform an additional demanding task. We compared the groups on the number of IAMs and other mental contents (non-IAM contents) recorded, as well as on the frequency of IAMs that was calculated as a proportion of IAMs in all mental contents reported by the participant. We expected that if reporting IAMs depends on the level of cognitive demands, then we should observe lower frequency of IAMs in the cognitive load group compared to the control group. Consistently across studies, we observed a lower number of IAMs and non-IAM contents in the cognitive load group. However, IAMs unexpectedly constituted a higher percentage of all mental contents when participants were cognitively loaded. Further implications of the cognitive load effects for IAMs research and experimental methodology are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Techno-functional properties of tomato puree fortified with anthocyanin pigments.

PubMed

Gerardi, C; Albano, C; Calabriso, N; Carluccio, M A; Durante, M; Mita, G; Renna, M; Serio, F; Blando, F

2018-02-01

This study investigates the effects of tomato puree fortification with several anthocyanin-rich food colorants on bioactive compound content (phenolics, isoprenoids), antioxidant capacity, in vitro biological activities and consumer acceptance. Tomato puree (tp) was added with different anthocyanin extracts from black carrot (Anthocarrot), grape fruit skins (Enocolor), elderberry fruits (Elderberry) or mahaleb cherry fruits (Mahaleb), thus obtaining a 'functional tomato puree' (ftp). The consumer acceptance (colour, flavor, taste, visual appearance) was at high level, except for Mahaleb-added ftp. Compared to the control (tp), the addition of colouring extracts increased significantly the total phenolic content, before pasteurization, in addition to the expected anthocyanin content. However, after pasteurization, mostly Anthocarrot-ftp preserved an increased phenolic (+53%) content, as well as a higher antioxidant capacity (50%), more than the other added-extracts. Consistently, against tp, Anthocarrot-ftp exhibited an increased anti-inflammatory capacity as showed by the reduced expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 in human cultured endothelial cells, under inflammatory conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problem Based Learning and the scientific process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuchardt, Daniel Shaner

This research project was developed to inspire students to constructively use problem based learning and the scientific process to learn middle school science content. The student population in this study consisted of male and female seventh grade students. Students were presented with authentic problems that are connected to physical and chemical properties of matter. The intent of the study was to have students use the scientific process of looking at existing knowledge, generating learning issues or questions about the problems, and then developing a course of action to research and design experiments to model resolutions to the authentic problems. It was expected that students would improve their ability to actively engage with others in a problem solving process to achieve a deeper understanding of Michigan's 7th Grade Level Content Expectations, the Next Generation Science Standards, and a scientific process. Problem based learning was statistically effective in students' learning of the scientific process. Students statistically showed improvement on pre to posttest scores. The teaching method of Problem Based Learning was effective for seventh grade science students at Dowagiac Middle School.

Development of a high-content screening assay panel to accelerate mechanism of action studies for oncology research.

PubMed

Towne, Danli L; Nicholl, Emily E; Comess, Kenneth M; Galasinski, Scott C; Hajduk, Philip J; Abraham, Vivek C

2012-09-01

Efficient elucidation of the biological mechanism of action of novel compounds remains a major bottleneck in the drug discovery process. To address this need in the area of oncology, we report the development of a multiparametric high-content screening assay panel at the level of single cells to dramatically accelerate understanding the mechanism of action of cell growth-inhibiting compounds on a large scale. Our approach is based on measuring 10 established end points associated with mitochondrial apoptosis, cell cycle disruption, DNA damage, and cellular morphological changes in the same experiment, across three multiparametric assays. The data from all of the measurements taken together are expected to help increase our current understanding of target protein functions, constrain the list of possible targets for compounds identified using phenotypic screens, and identify off-target effects. We have also developed novel data visualization and phenotypic classification approaches for detailed interpretation of individual compound effects and navigation of large collections of multiparametric cellular responses. We expect this general approach to be valuable for drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas.

Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technology Integration Self-Efficacy and Instructional Technology Outcome Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semiz, Kivanc; Ince, Mustafa Levent

2012-01-01

The purposes of this study were to (1) identify the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), Technology Integration Self Efficacy (TISE) and Instructional Technology Outcome Expectations (ITOE) of pre-service physical education teachers, (2) examine the relationships among TPACK, TISE and ITOE, and lastly (3) examine the differences…

Electromagnetic characterization of white spruce at different moisture contents using synthetic aperture radar imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingemi, Christopher M.; Owusu Twumasi, Jones; Yu, Tzuyang

2018-03-01

Detection and quantification of moisture content inside wood (timber) is key to ensuring safety and reliability of timber structures. Moisture inside wood attracts insects and fosters the development of fungi to attack the timber, causing significant damages and reducing the load bearing capacity during their design life. The use of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques (e.g., microwave/radar, ultrasonic, stress wave, and X-ray) for condition assessment of timber structures is a good choice. NDE techniques provide information about the level of deterioration and material properties of timber structures without obstructing their functionality. In this study, microwave/radar NDE technique was selected for the characterization of wood at different moisture contents. A 12 in-by-3.5 in-by-1.5 in. white spruce specimen (picea glauca) was imaged at different moisture contents using a 10 GHz synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor inside an anechoic chamber. The presence of moisture was found to increase the SAR image amplitude as expected. Additionally, integrated SAR amplitude was found beneficial in modeling the moisture content inside the wood specimen.

Acceptability of a personally controlled health record in a community-based setting: implications for policy and design.

PubMed

Weitzman, Elissa R; Kaci, Liljana; Mandl, Kenneth D

2009-04-29

Consumer-centered health information systems that address problems related to fragmented health records and disengaged and disempowered patients are needed, as are information systems that support public health monitoring and research. Personally controlled health records (PCHRs) represent one response to these needs. PCHRs are a special class of personal health records (PHRs) distinguished by the extent to which users control record access and contents. Recently launched PCHR platforms include Google Health, Microsoft's HealthVault, and the Dossia platform, based on Indivo. To understand the acceptability, early impacts, policy, and design requirements of PCHRs in a community-based setting. Observational and narrative data relating to acceptability, adoption, and use of a personally controlled health record were collected and analyzed within a formative evaluation of a PCHR demonstration. Subjects were affiliates of a managed care organization run by an urban university in the northeastern United States. Data were collected using focus groups, semi-structured individual interviews, and content review of email communications. Subjects included: n = 20 administrators, clinicians, and institutional stakeholders who participated in pre-deployment group or individual interviews; n = 52 community members who participated in usability testing and/or pre-deployment piloting; and n = 250 subjects who participated in the full demonstration of which n = 81 initiated email communications to troubleshoot problems or provide feedback. All data were formatted as narrative text and coded thematically by two independent analysts using a shared rubric of a priori defined major codes. Sub-themes were identified by analysts using an iterative inductive process. Themes were reviewed within and across research activities (ie, focus group, usability testing, email content review) and triangulated to identify patterns. Low levels of familiarity with PCHRs were found as were high expectations for capabilities of nascent systems. Perceived value for PCHRs was highest around abilities to co-locate, view, update, and share health information with providers. Expectations were lowest for opportunities to participate in research. Early adopters perceived that PCHR benefits outweighed perceived risks, including those related to inadvertent or intentional information disclosure. Barriers and facilitators at institutional, interpersonal, and individual levels were identified. Endorsement of a dynamic platform model PCHR was evidenced by preferences for embedded searching, linking, and messaging capabilities in PCHRs; by high expectations for within-system tailored communications; and by expectation of linkages between self-report and clinical data. Low levels of awareness/preparedness and high expectations for PCHRs exist as a potentially problematic pairing. Educational and technical assistance for lay users and providers are critical to meet challenges related to: access to PCHRs, especially among older cohorts; workflow demands and resistance to change among providers; inadequate health and technology literacy; clarification of boundaries and responsibility for ensuring accuracy and integrity of health information across distributed data systems; and understanding confidentiality and privacy risks. Continued demonstration and evaluation of PCHRs is essential to advancing their use.

Professionalized Music Teacher Education: Swiss and French Students' Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Güsewell, Angelika; Joliat, François; Terrien, Pascal

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to investigate preservice music teachers' expectations of their curriculum, namely: (a) What content do they expect in view of their future professional activity? (b) Are their expectations in line with the principles of professionalized teacher education? (c) Are there any differences between the expectations of Swiss…

The galactose-induced decrease in phosphate levels leads to toxicity in yeast models of galactosemia.

PubMed

Machado, Caio M; De-Souza, Evandro A; De-Queiroz, Ana Luiza F V; Pimentel, Felipe S A; Silva, Guilherme F S; Gomes, Fabio M; Montero-Lomelí, Mónica; Masuda, Claudio A

2017-06-01

Classic galactosemia is an inborn error of metabolism caused by deleterious mutations in the GALT gene. A number of evidences indicate that the galactose-1-phosphate accumulation observed in patient cells is a cause of toxicity in this disease. Nevertheless, the consequent molecular events caused by the galactose-1-phosphate accumulation remain elusive. Here we show that intracellular inorganic phosphate levels decreased when yeast models of classic galactosemia were exposed to galactose. The decrease in phosphate levels is probably due to the trapping of phosphate in the accumulated galactose-1-phosphate since the deletion of the galactokinase encoding gene GAL1 suppressed this phenotype. Galactose-induced phosphate depletion caused an increase in glycogen content, an expected result since glycogen breakdown by the enzyme glycogen phosphorylase is dependent on inorganic phosphate. Accordingly, an increase in intracellular phosphate levels suppressed the galactose effect on glycogen content and conferred galactose tolerance to yeast models of galactosemia. These results support the hypothesis that the galactose-induced decrease in phosphate levels leads to toxicity in galactosemia and opens new possibilities for the development of better treatments for this disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A content analysis of parents' written communication of needs and expectations for emergency care of their children.

PubMed

Hoppa, Eric Christopher; Porter, Stephen C

2011-06-01

We investigated the potential value of information shared by parents on a written form designed to capture needs and expectations for care to an emergency department (ED) system that values patient-centeredness. We conducted a retrospective content analysis of parent-completed written forms collected during an improvement project focused on parent-provider communication in a pediatric ED. The primary outcome was potential value of the completed forms to a patient-centered ED system, defined as a form that was legible, included observations that mapped to medical problems, and included reasonable parental requests. We analyzed variation in potential value and other form attributes across a priori-defined visit type and acuity. Visit type was validated by a separate, blinded medical record review. A random stratified sample of 1008 forms was established from 6937 parent-completed forms collected during the 6-month improvement project; 995 of 1008 forms had matching medical records; 922 (92.7%) of 995 forms demonstrated potential value; 990 (99.5%) of 995 forms were legible; 948 (95.3%) of 995 forms included observations that mapped to a medical problem, and 599 (93.3%) of 642 forms contained reasonable parental requests. There was good agreement between the form and medical record for visit type (κ = 0.62). The potential value of forms did not vary significantly across visit type (88.2%-92.8%) or acuity (88.9%-93.4%). Information shared by parents on written forms designed to capture needs and expectations provides potential value to a patient-centered ED system. The high level of informational value is consistent across patient type and acuity level.

Sucrose lyophiles: a semi-quantitative study of residual water content by total X-ray diffraction analysis.

PubMed

Bates, S; Jonaitis, D; Nail, S

2013-10-01

Total X-ray Powder Diffraction Analysis (TXRPD) using transmission geometry was able to observe significant variance in measured powder patterns for sucrose lyophilizates with differing residual water contents. Integrated diffraction intensity corresponding to the observed variances was found to be linearly correlated to residual water content as measured by an independent technique. The observed variance was concentrated in two distinct regions of the lyophilizate powder pattern, corresponding to the characteristic sucrose matrix double halo and the high angle diffuse region normally associated with free-water. Full pattern fitting of the lyophilizate powder patterns suggested that the high angle variance was better described by the characteristic diffraction profile of a concentrated sucrose/water system rather than by the free-water diffraction profile. This suggests that the residual water in the sucrose lyophilizates is intimately mixed at the molecular level with sucrose molecules forming a liquid/solid solution. The bound nature of the residual water and its impact on the sucrose matrix gives an enhanced diffraction response between 3.0 and 3.5 beyond that expected for free-water. The enhanced diffraction response allows semi-quantitative analysis of residual water contents within the studied sucrose lyophilizates to levels below 1% by weight. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental changes in consistency of autobiographical memories: adolescents' and young adults' repeated recall of recent and distance events.

PubMed

Larkina, Marina; Merrill, Natalie A; Bauer, Patricia J

2017-09-01

Autobiographical memories contribute continuity and stability to one's self yet they also are subject to change: they can be forgotten or be inconsistently remembered and reported. In the present research, we compared the consistency of two reports of recent and distant personal events in adolescents (12- to 14-year-olds) and young adults (18- to 23-year-olds). In line with expectations of greater mnemonic consistency among young adults relative to adolescents, adolescents reported the same events 80% of the time compared with 90% consistency among young adults; the significant difference disappeared after taking into consideration narrative characteristics of individual memories. Neither age group showed high levels of content consistency (30% vs. 36%); young adults were more consistent than adolescents even after controlling for other potential predictors of content consistency. Adolescents and young adults did not differ in consistency of estimating when their past experiences occurred. Multilevel modelling indicated that the level of thematic coherence of the initial memory report and ratings of event valence significantly predicted memory consistency at the level of the event. Thematic coherence was a significant negative predictor of content consistency. The findings suggest a developmental progression in the robustness and stability of personal memories between adolescence and young adulthood.

Ordered Polymers for Space Applications.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-12

nitrogens. Reaction with alkyl halides would form pyridinium halides. Compound 3 was prepared by reaction of DABDT with nicotinic acid in PPA. We have also...HCI. To the clear solution *was added 10.793 g (87.67 mmol) of nicotinic acid and 24.49 g of P205 (the final calculated P20 5 content of the solution...expected to be sensitive enough to detect low levels of this impurity. We used Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, but could not detect assignable differences

Validation of the content of the prevention protocol for early sepsis caused by Streptococcus agalactiaein newborns

PubMed Central

da Silva, Fabiana Alves; Vidal, Cláudia Fernanda de Lacerda; de Araújo, Ednaldo Cavalcante

2015-01-01

Abstract Objective: to validate the content of the prevention protocol for early sepsis caused by Streptococcus agalactiaein newborns. Method: a transversal, descriptive and methodological study, with a quantitative approach. The sample was composed of 15 judges, 8 obstetricians and 7 pediatricians. The validation occurred through the assessment of the content of the protocol by the judges that received the instrument for data collection - checklist - which contained 7 items that represent the requisites to be met by the protocol. The validation of the content was achieved by applying the Content Validity Index. Result: in the judging process, all the items that represented requirements considered by the protocol obtained concordance within the established level (Content Validity Index > 0.75). Of 7 items, 6 have obtained full concordance (Content Validity Index 1.0) and the feasibility item obtained a Content Validity Index of 0.93. The global assessment of the instruments obtained a Content Validity Index of 0.99. Conclusion: the validation of content that was done was an efficient tool for the adjustment of the protocol, according to the judgment of experienced professionals, which demonstrates the importance of conducting a previous validation of the instruments. It is expected that this study will serve as an incentive for the adoption of universal tracking by other institutions through validated protocols. PMID:26444165

Long-term effects of interference on short-term memory performance in the rat

PubMed Central

Missaire, Mégane; Fraize, Nicolas; Joseph, Mickaël Antoine; Hamieh, Al Mahdy; Parmentier, Régis; Marighetto, Aline; Salin, Paul Antoine; Malleret, Gaël

2017-01-01

A distinction has always been made between long-term and short-term memory (also now called working memory, WM). The obvious difference between these two kinds of memory concerns the duration of information storage: information is supposedly transiently stored in WM while it is considered durably consolidated into long-term memory. It is well acknowledged that the content of WM is erased and reset after a short time, to prevent irrelevant information from proactively interfering with newly stored information. In the present study, we used typical WM radial maze tasks to question the brief lifespan of spatial WM content in rodents. Groups of rats were submitted to one of two different WM tasks in a radial maze: a WM task involving the repetitive presentation of a same pair of arms expected to induce a high level of proactive interference (PI) (HIWM task), or a task using a different pair in each trial expected to induce a low level of PI (LIWM task). Performance was effectively lower in the HIWM group than in LIWM in the final trial of each training session, indicative of a “within-session/short-term” PI effect. However, we also observed a different “between-session/long-term” PI effect between the two groups: while performance of LIWM trained rats remained stable over days, the performance of HIWM rats dropped after 10 days of training, and this impairment was visible from the very first trial of the day, hence not attributable to within-session PI. We also showed that a 24 hour-gap across training sessions known to allow consolidation processes to unfold, was a necessary and sufficient condition for the long-term PI effect to occur. These findings suggest that in the HIWM task, WM content was not entirely reset between training sessions and that, in specific conditions, WM content can outlast its purpose by being stored more permanently, generating a long-term deleterious effect of PI. The alternative explanation is that WM content could be transferred and stored more permanently in an intermediary form or memory between WM and long-term memory. PMID:28288205

Long-term effects of interference on short-term memory performance in the rat.

PubMed

Missaire, Mégane; Fraize, Nicolas; Joseph, Mickaël Antoine; Hamieh, Al Mahdy; Parmentier, Régis; Marighetto, Aline; Salin, Paul Antoine; Malleret, Gaël

2017-01-01

A distinction has always been made between long-term and short-term memory (also now called working memory, WM). The obvious difference between these two kinds of memory concerns the duration of information storage: information is supposedly transiently stored in WM while it is considered durably consolidated into long-term memory. It is well acknowledged that the content of WM is erased and reset after a short time, to prevent irrelevant information from proactively interfering with newly stored information. In the present study, we used typical WM radial maze tasks to question the brief lifespan of spatial WM content in rodents. Groups of rats were submitted to one of two different WM tasks in a radial maze: a WM task involving the repetitive presentation of a same pair of arms expected to induce a high level of proactive interference (PI) (HIWM task), or a task using a different pair in each trial expected to induce a low level of PI (LIWM task). Performance was effectively lower in the HIWM group than in LIWM in the final trial of each training session, indicative of a "within-session/short-term" PI effect. However, we also observed a different "between-session/long-term" PI effect between the two groups: while performance of LIWM trained rats remained stable over days, the performance of HIWM rats dropped after 10 days of training, and this impairment was visible from the very first trial of the day, hence not attributable to within-session PI. We also showed that a 24 hour-gap across training sessions known to allow consolidation processes to unfold, was a necessary and sufficient condition for the long-term PI effect to occur. These findings suggest that in the HIWM task, WM content was not entirely reset between training sessions and that, in specific conditions, WM content can outlast its purpose by being stored more permanently, generating a long-term deleterious effect of PI. The alternative explanation is that WM content could be transferred and stored more permanently in an intermediary form or memory between WM and long-term memory.

Microbiological Characteristic and Nutrition Quality of Goat Milk Kefir Based on Vitamin D3 Fortification Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauziyyah, F.; Panunggal, B.; Afifah, D. N.; Rustanti, N.; Anjani, G.

2018-02-01

Goat milk kefir fortified with vitamin D3 is expected to benefit individual with insulin resistance. Different vitamin D3 fortification time allegedly effect microbiological characteristic and nutrition quality of goat milk kefir due to its microbial growth curve, thus this study aimed to analyze those parameters. This study was an experimental research. This study contains five treatments (vitamin D3 fortification at 0, 6, 12, 18, or 24 hours of fermentation) and a group of control. Total lactic acid bacteria, vitamin D3, protein level, fat contain, crude fiber, viscosity, and pH was analyzed by Total Plate Count, spectrophotometry, Bradford method, Babcock method, gravimetric analysis, Ostwald method, and pH meter respectively. Time of vitamin D3 fortification significantly effect vitamin D3 content (p=0,021), fat content (p=0,001), crude fiber (p=0,0001), viscosity (p=0,010), and total lactic acid bacteria (p=0,048). The highest vitamin D3 content was found on the group fortified at 6 hours of fermentation. All treatment groups has lower fat content and crude fiber content than control group. Total LAB in all group meet the Codex standard (≥ 107 CFU/ml). Control group and fortification group at 24 hours of fermentation have higher viscosity than other groups. There was no significant difference found in goat milk kefir protein level (p=0,262) and pH (p=0,056) despite the difference of fortification time. Vitamin D3 fortification time effect vitamin D3 content, fat content, crude fiber, viscosity, and total lactic acid bacteria of goat milk kefir, but did not effect protein content and pH of goat milk kefir.

Attacking the obesity epidemic: the potential health benefits of providing nutrition information in restaurants.

PubMed

Burton, Scot; Creyer, Elizabeth H; Kees, Jeremy; Huggins, Kyle

2006-09-01

Requiring restaurants to present nutrition information on menus is under consideration as a potential way to slow the increasing prevalence of obesity. Using a survey methodology, we examined how accurately consumers estimate the nutrient content of typical restaurant meals. Based on these results, we then conducted an experiment to address how the provision of nutrition information on menus influences purchase intentions and reported preferences. For both the survey and experiment, data were analyzed using analysis of variance techniques. Survey results showed that levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat in less-healthful restaurant items were significantly underestimated by consumers. Actual fat and saturated fat levels were twice consumers' estimates and calories approached 2 times more than what consumers expected. In the subsequent experiment, for items for which levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat substantially exceeded consumers' expectations, the provision of nutrition information had a significant influence on product attitude, purchase intention, and choice. Most consumers are unaware of the high levels of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium found in many menu items. Provision of nutrition information on restaurant menus could potentially have a positive impact on public health by reducing the consumption of less-healthful foods.

Instruments to measure cancer management knowledge of rural health care providers.

PubMed

Elliott, T E; Regal, R R; Renier, C M; Crouse, B J; Gangeness, D E; Pharmd; Elliott, B A; Witrak, M

2001-01-01

Instruments to measure cancer management knowledge of rural physicians, nurses, and pharmacists were needed to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention. Since such instruments did not exist, the authors designed and validated a new instrument for each discipline. The design and validation process for these instruments are described. These three instruments were shown to be practical and to have high content and construct validity. Content validation demonstrated that all items were rated as essential or useful by 90% or more of the respondents. Construct validation show highly significant differences in mean scores among several levels of learners and practitioners as expected. These instruments may be useful to other investigators for measuring cancer management knowledge of rural physicians, nurses, and pharmacists.

The influence of chemical methods (acid modification) on elephant foot yam flour to improve physical and chemical quality on processed food

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramita, Octavianti; Wahyuningsih, Ansori, Muhammad

2018-03-01

This study was aimed at improving the physicochemical quality of elephant foot yam flour in Gunungpati, Semarang by acid modification. The utilization of elephant foot yam flour in several processed food was also discussed in this study. The flour of the experimental result discussed in this study was expected to become a reference for the manufacturers of elephant foot yam flour and its processed food in Gunungpati. This study modified the elephant foot yam flour using acid modification method. The physical and chemical quality of each elephant foot yam flour of the experimental result sample were assessed using proximate analysis. The resulting tuber flour weighed 50 grams and the soaked in acid solution with various concentrations 5 %, 10 % and 15 % with soaking duration 30, 60 and 90 minutes at temperature 35 °C. The resulting suspension was washed 3 times, filtered and then dried by cabinet dryer using 46 °C for 2 days. The dried flour was sifted with a 80 mesh sieve. Chemical test was conducted after elephant foot yam was acid modification to determine changes in the quality flour: test levels of protein, fat, crude fiber content, moisture content, ash content and starch content. In addition, color tests and granular test on elephant foot yam flour were also conducted. The acid modification as chemical treatment on elephant foot yam flour in this study was able to change the functional properties of elephant foot yam flour towards a better processing characterized by a brighter color (L = 80, a = 8 and b = 12), the hydrolysis of polysaccharides flour into shorter chain (flour content decreased to 72%), the expansion of granules in elephant foot yam resulting in a process - ready flour, and better monolayer water content of 11%. The content of protein and fiber on the elephant foot yam flour also can be maintained at a level of 8% and 1.9% levels.

UVA-induced reset of hydroxyl radical ultradian rhythm improves temporal lipid production in Chlorella vulgaris.

PubMed

Balan, Ranjini; Suraishkumar, G K

2014-01-01

We report for the first time that the endogenous, pseudo-steady-state, specific intracellular levels of the hydroxyl radical (si-OH) oscillate in an ultradian fashion (model system: the microalga, Chlorella vulgaris), and also characterize the various rhythm parameters. The ultradian rhythm in the endogenous levels of the si-OH occurred with an approximately 6 h period in the daily cycle of light and darkness. Further, we expected that the rhythm reset to a shorter period could rapidly switch the cellular redox states that could favor lipid accumulation. We reset the endogenous rhythm through entrainment with UVA radiation, and generated two new ultradian rhythms with periods of approximately 2.97 h and 3.8 h in the light phase and dark phase, respectively. The reset increased the window of maximum lipid accumulation from 6 h to 12 h concomitant with the onset of the ultradian rhythms. Further, the saturated fatty acid content increased approximately to 80% of total lipid content, corresponding to the peak maxima of the hydroxyl radical levels in the reset rhythm. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Trends in stratospheric minor constituents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stolarski, R. S.; Chu, W. P.; Coffey, M. T.; Heaps, W. S.; Kaye, J. A.; Mccormick, M. P.; Zander, R.

1989-01-01

Photochemical models predict that increasing source gas concentrations are also expected to lead to changes in the concentrations of both catalytically active radical species (such as NO2, ClO, and OH) and inactive reservoir species (such as HNO3, HCl, and H2O). For simplicity, we will refer to all these as trace species. Those species that are expected to have increasing concentration levels are investigated. Additionally, the trace species concentration levels are monitored for unexpected changes on the basis of the measure increase in source gases. Carrying out these investigations is difficult due to the limited data base of measurements of stratospheric trace species. In situ measurements are made only infrequently, and there are few satelliteborne measurements, most over a time space insufficient for trend determination. Instead, ground-based measurements of column content must be used for many species, and interpretation is complicated by contributions from the troposphere or mesosphere or both. In this chapter, we examine existing measurements as published or tabulated.

[Secretion of growth hormone in hyperthyroidism].

PubMed

Hervás, F; Morreale de Escobar, G; Escobar Del Rey, F; Pozuelo, V

1976-01-01

The authors studied growth hormone (GH) secretion in a group of adult controls and another group of hyperthyroid patients after stimulation with intravenous insulin-induced (0,1 IU/kg) hypoglycemia, aiming to clear out the problem of discrepancies in literature concerning GH secretion in hyperthyroidism. They concluded that in this syndrome, GH levels are significantly higher than those of controls. The GH releasing response is normal, though it could be expected to be decreased due to decreased pituitary GH contents as a result of permanent somatotrophic cell stimulation.

Developing a Content Strategy for an Academic Library Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakiston, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Academic library websites contain a vast amount of complex content and, all too often, there is a lack of established process for creating, updating, and deleting that content. There is no clear vision or purpose to the content, and numerous staff members are expected to maintain content with little guidance. Because of this, many library websites…

Girls, boys and conceptual physics: An evaluation of a senior secondary physics course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woolnough, J. A.; Cameron, R. S.

1991-12-01

This paper reports an evaluation of the physics course at Dickson College (ACT) looking at students' high school experience, their expectations before beginning and their impressions and feelings during the course. In general, students seem to have a fairly negative approach to physics, enrolling for a variety of often vague utilitarian reasons but with little expectation of enjoyment or interest. These opinions were most prevalent in girls who tend to find the content difficult and the course as a whole uninteresting. There is also a significant difference between girls and boys in their response to different types of assessment items. In an attempt to enhance the level of interest and enjoyment in students we have been phasing in a more ‘conceptual’ approach to the teaching of physics.

Impact of sampling parameters on the radical scavenging potential of olive (Olea europaea L.) leaves.

PubMed

Papoti, Vassiliki T; Tsimidou, Maria Z

2009-05-13

The impact of sampling parameters, that is, cultivar, leaf age, and sampling date, on the radical scavenging potential of olive leaf extracts was examined via the DPPH(*) and other assays. Total phenol content was estimated colorimetrically and by fluorometry, whereas phenol composition was assessed by RP-HPLC coupled with diode array, fluorometric, and MS detection systems. Oleuropein was not always the major leaf constituent. Considerable differences noted in individual phenol levels (hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein and other secoiridoids, verbascoside, and flavonoids) among samples were not reflected either in the total phenol content or in the radical scavenging potential of the extracts. It can be suggested that olive leaf is a robust source of radical scavengers throughout the year and that differentiation in the levels of individual components depends rather on sampling period than on cultivar or age. The latter does not present predictable regularity. Exploitation of all types of leaves expected in an olive tree shoot for the extraction of bioactive compounds is feasible.

Antenatal Care Utilisation and Content between Low-Risk and High-Risk Pregnant Women

PubMed Central

Yeoh, Ping Ling; Hornetz, Klaus; Dahlui, Maznah

2016-01-01

Background The purpose of antenatal care is to monitor and improve the wellbeing of the mother and foetus. The World Health Organization recommends risk-oriented strategy that includes: (i) routine care to all women, (ii) additional care for women with moderately severe diseases and complications, (iii) specialised obstetrical and neonatal care for women with severe diseases and complications. Antenatal care is concerned with adequate care in order to be effective. Measurement for adequacy of antenatal care often applies indexes that assess initiation of care and number of visits. In addition, adequacy of care content should also be assessed. Results of studies in developed settings demonstrate that women without risk factors use antenatal services more frequently than recommended. Such over-utilisation is problematic for low-resourced settings. Moreover, studies show that a substantial proportion of high-risk women had utilisation or content of care below the recommended standard. Yet studies in developing countries have seldom included a comparison between low-risk and high-risk women. The purpose of the study was therefore to assess adequacy of care and pregnancy outcomes for the different risk groups. Methods A retrospective study using a multistage sampling technique, at public-funded primary health care clinics was conducted. Antenatal utilisation level was assessed using a modified Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilisation index that measures the timing for initiation of care and observed-to-expected visits ratio. Adequacy of antenatal care content assessed compliance to routine care based on the local guidelines. Results Intensive or “adequate-plus” antenatal care utilisation as defined by the modified index was noted in over half of the low-risk women. On the other hand, there were 26% of the high-risk women without the expected intensive utilisation. Primary- or non-educated high-risk women were less likely to have a higher antenatal care utilisation level compared with tertiary educated ones (OR = 0.20, P = 0.003). Half of all women had <80% of the recommended antenatal care content. A higher proportion of high-risk than low-risk women scored <80% of the routine care content (p<0.015). The majority of the additional laboratory tests were performed on high-risk women. Provision of antenatal education showed comparatively poor compliance to guidelines, more than half of the antenatal advice topics assessed were rarely provided to the women. High-risk women were associated with a higher prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcome. Conclusions Disproportionate utilisation of antenatal care according to risk level of pregnancy indicates the need for better scheduling of care. The risk-oriented approach often results in a tendency to focus on the risk conditions of the women. Training interventions are recommended to improve communication and to help healthcare professionals understand the priorities of the women. Further studies are required to assess the reason for disproportionate utilisation of antenatal care according to risk level and how delivery of antenatal advice can be improved, reviewing both user and provider perspectives. PMID:27010482

Ecophysiological response of native and exotic salt marsh vegetation to waterlogging and salinity: Implications for the effects of sea-level rise.

PubMed

Li, Shi-Hua; Ge, Zhen-Ming; Xie, Li-Na; Chen, Wei; Yuan, Lin; Wang, Dong-Qi; Li, Xiu-Zhen; Zhang, Li-Quan

2018-02-05

The ecophysiological characteristics of native Phragmites australis and exotic Spartina alterniflora grown under waterlogging and salinity were investigated to explore their adaptation potential to sea level rise. The seasonal course of phenotypic traits, photosynthetic activity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of P. australis did not change remarkably under shallow flooding, whereas these variables were sensitive to increasing salinity. Waterlogging exacerbated the negative effects of salinity on shoot growth and photosynthetic activity of P. australis, and the combined stresses led to an absence of tassel and reproductive organs. By contrast, S. alterniflora performed well under both stresses and showed an obvious adaptation of salt secretion with increasing salinity. Light salinity was the optimal condition for S. alterniflora, and the tassel growth, chlorophyll content and fluorescence characters under moderate stresses did not differ notably. The Na + and Cl - concentrations in leaves of both species increased, and the K + content decreased in response to salinity. Under moderate and high saline levels, the ion concentrations in S. alterniflora were maintained at relatively consistent levels with increased salt secretion. We expect the degradation of P. australis and further colonization of S. alterniflora under prolonged flooding and saltwater intrusion from sea level rise on the coastline of China.

Effect of phosphorus availability on the selection of species with different ploidy levels and genome sizes in a long-term grassland fertilization experiment.

PubMed

Šmarda, Petr; Hejcman, Michal; Březinová, Alexandra; Horová, Lucie; Steigerová, Helena; Zedek, František; Bureš, Petr; Hejcmanová, Pavla; Schellberg, Jürgen

2013-11-01

Polyploidy and increased genome size are hypothesized to increase organismal nutrient demands, namely of phosphorus (P), which is an essential and abundant component of nucleic acids. Therefore, polyploids and plants with larger genomes are expected to be selectively disadvantaged in P-limited environments. However, this hypothesis has yet to be experimentally tested. We measured the somatic DNA content and ploidy level in 74 vascular plant species in a long-term fertilization experiment. The differences between the fertilizer treatments regarding the DNA content and ploidy level of the established species were tested using phylogeny-based statistics. The percentage and biomass of polyploid species clearly increased with soil P in particular fertilizer treatments, and a similar but weaker trend was observed for the DNA content. These increases were associated with the dominance of competitive life strategy (particularly advantageous in the P-treated plots) in polyploids and the enhanced competitive ability of dominant polyploid grasses at high soil P concentrations, indicating their increased P limitation. Our results verify the hypothesized effect of P availability on the selection of polyploids and plants with increased genome sizes, although the relative contribution of increased P demands vs increased competitiveness as causes of the observed pattern requires further evaluation. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

What Are Health-Related Users Tweeting? A Qualitative Content Analysis of Health-Related Users and Their Messages on Twitter

PubMed Central

DeCamp, Matthew; Dredze, Mark; Chisolm, Margaret S; Berger, Zackary D

2014-01-01

Background Twitter is home to many health professionals who send messages about a variety of health-related topics. Amid concerns about physicians posting inappropriate content online, more in-depth knowledge about these messages is needed to understand health professionals’ behavior on Twitter. Objective Our goal was to characterize the content of Twitter messages, specifically focusing on health professionals and their tweets relating to health. Methods We performed an in-depth content analysis of 700 tweets. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on tweets by health users on Twitter. The primary objective was to describe the general type of content (ie, health-related versus non-health related) on Twitter authored by health professionals and further to describe health-related tweets on the basis of the type of statement made. Specific attention was given to whether a tweet was personal (as opposed to professional) or made a claim that users would expect to be supported by some level of medical evidence (ie, a “testable” claim). A secondary objective was to compare content types among different users, including patients, physicians, nurses, health care organizations, and others. Results Health-related users are posting a wide range of content on Twitter. Among health-related tweets, 53.2% (184/346) contained a testable claim. Of health-related tweets by providers, 17.6% (61/346) were personal in nature; 61% (59/96) made testable statements. While organizations and businesses use Twitter to promote their services and products, patient advocates are using this tool to share their personal experiences with health. Conclusions Twitter users in health-related fields tweet about both testable claims and personal experiences. Future work should assess the relationship between testable tweets and the actual level of evidence supporting them, including how Twitter users—especially patients—interpret the content of tweets posted by health providers. PMID:25591063

What are health-related users tweeting? A qualitative content analysis of health-related users and their messages on twitter.

PubMed

Lee, Joy L; DeCamp, Matthew; Dredze, Mark; Chisolm, Margaret S; Berger, Zackary D

2014-10-15

Twitter is home to many health professionals who send messages about a variety of health-related topics. Amid concerns about physicians posting inappropriate content online, more in-depth knowledge about these messages is needed to understand health professionals' behavior on Twitter. Our goal was to characterize the content of Twitter messages, specifically focusing on health professionals and their tweets relating to health. We performed an in-depth content analysis of 700 tweets. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on tweets by health users on Twitter. The primary objective was to describe the general type of content (ie, health-related versus non-health related) on Twitter authored by health professionals and further to describe health-related tweets on the basis of the type of statement made. Specific attention was given to whether a tweet was personal (as opposed to professional) or made a claim that users would expect to be supported by some level of medical evidence (ie, a "testable" claim). A secondary objective was to compare content types among different users, including patients, physicians, nurses, health care organizations, and others. Health-related users are posting a wide range of content on Twitter. Among health-related tweets, 53.2% (184/346) contained a testable claim. Of health-related tweets by providers, 17.6% (61/346) were personal in nature; 61% (59/96) made testable statements. While organizations and businesses use Twitter to promote their services and products, patient advocates are using this tool to share their personal experiences with health. Twitter users in health-related fields tweet about both testable claims and personal experiences. Future work should assess the relationship between testable tweets and the actual level of evidence supporting them, including how Twitter users-especially patients-interpret the content of tweets posted by health providers.

Development of guidelines for the definition of the relavant information content in data classes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmitt, E.

1973-01-01

The problem of experiment design is defined as an information system consisting of information source, measurement unit, environmental disturbances, data handling and storage, and the mathematical analysis and usage of data. Based on today's concept of effective computability, general guidelines for the definition of the relevant information content in data classes are derived. The lack of a universally applicable information theory and corresponding mathematical or system structure is restricting the solvable problem classes to a small set. It is expected that a new relativity theory of information, generally described by a universal algebra of relations will lead to new mathematical models and system structures capable of modeling any well defined practical problem isomorphic to an equivalence relation at any corresponding level of abstractness.

Perception of Simultaneous Auditive Contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tschinkel, Christian

Based on a model of pluralistic music, we may approach an aesthetic concept of music, which employs dichotic listening situations. The concept of dichotic listening stems from neuropsychological test conditions in lateralization experiments on brain hemispheres, in which each ear is exposed to a different auditory content. In the framework of such sound experiments, the question which primarily arises concerns a new kind of hearing, which is also conceivable without earphones as a spatial composition, and which may superficially be linked to its degree of complexity. From a psychological perspective, the degree of complexity is correlated with the degree of attention given, with the listener's musical or listening experience and the level of his appreciation. Therefore, we may possibly also expect a measurable increase in physical activity. Furthermore, a dialectic interpretation of such "dualistic" music presents itself.

Vegetation water content of crops and woodlands for improving soil moisture retrievals from Coriolis WindSat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estimation of vegetation water content (VWC) by shortwave infrared remote sensing improves soil moisture retrievals. The largest unknown for predicting VWC is stem water content; for woodlands, stem water content is expected to be proportional to stem height. Airborne imagery were acquired and photo...

Children and adolescents' attitudes towards sugar reduction in dairy products.

PubMed

Yoo, Hye-Jong; Machín, Leandro; Arrúa, Alejandra; Antúnez, Lucía; Vidal, Leticia; Giménez, Ana; Curutchet, María Rosa; Ares, Gastón

2017-04-01

The development of strategies to reduce sugar intake of children and adolescents has been deemed necessary to cope with the global obesity epidemic. In this context, the aims of the present work were to study attitudes towards sugar reduction in three dairy products of children and adolescents of two income levels and to assess if these attitudes were modulated by the inclusion of the traffic light system on labels. A total of 646 children and adolescents from three primary/secondary schools in Montevideo (Uruguay) participated in the study. A total of twelve labels were designed following a full factorial design with three variables: dairy product (3 levels: yogurt, chocolate-flavoured milk and vanilla milk dessert), sugar reduction claim (2 levels: absent and present "20% less sugar") and traffic light system (2 levels: absent and present). Children had to evaluate their expected liking of the labels and to answer a check-all-that-apply question composed of terms related to tastiness, healthfulness and fun. Sugar claim significantly increased children and adolescents' expected liking scores (p=0.01), suggesting they had a positive attitude towards sugar reduction in the evaluated dairy products. However, the influence of sugar reduction claim on hedonic expectations and healthfulness perception was modulated by the inclusion of the traffic-light system on labels (p=0.01). This front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme increased their unhealthfulness perception of products with high sugar content and could potentially discourage their consumption. Age and income modulated the influence of these strategies on hedonic and healthfulness perception (p<0.05). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating nurse researchers in clinical practice - a challenging, but necessary task for nurse leaders.

PubMed

Hølge-Hazelton, Bibi; Kjerholt, Mette; Berthelsen, Connie Bøttcher; Thomsen, Thora Grothe

2016-05-01

To create awareness among nurse leaders, of what they may need to consider, when integrating nurse researchers as advanced nurse practitioners (ANP) at PhD-level among their staff. In a time of transition nurse leaders may be challenged by the change towards evidence-based clinical nursing, including integrating nurse researchers in ANP positions. A collective case study including three ANPs took place at a large regional hospital in Denmark. The cases were first analysed by focusing on the generic features, functions and skills of ANPs, and second by focusing on the approaches to evidence-based practice seen in the cases. Regardless of same position, formal level of research expertise and overall responsibility, different approaches related to each ANPs professional profile, interest, academic ambitions and personality were seen. Nurse leaders must ensure a process where the content and expectations of the particular role are mutually clarified and adjusted to the individual ANP and to the specific context, in order to create a harmonious match. In order to clarify expectations regarding the inclusion of nurse researchers as ANPs at PhD level, the paper provides firm recommendations that may guide the process. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Middle-School Science Students' Scientific Modelling Performances Across Content Areas and Within a Learning Progression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamberger, Yael M.; Davis, Elizabeth A.

2013-01-01

This paper focuses on students' ability to transfer modelling performances across content areas, taking into consideration their improvement of content knowledge as a result of a model-based instruction. Sixty-five sixth grade students of one science teacher in an urban public school in the Midwestern USA engaged in scientific modelling practices that were incorporated into a curriculum focused on the nature of matter. Concept-process models were embedded in the curriculum, as well as emphasis on meta-modelling knowledge and modelling practices. Pre-post test items that required drawing scientific models of smell, evaporation, and friction were analysed. The level of content understanding was coded and scored, as were the following elements of modelling performance: explanation, comparativeness, abstraction, and labelling. Paired t-tests were conducted to analyse differences in students' pre-post tests scores on content knowledge and on each element of the modelling performances. These are described in terms of the amount of transfer. Students significantly improved in their content knowledge for the smell and the evaporation models, but not for the friction model, which was expected as that topic was not taught during the instruction. However, students significantly improved in some of their modelling performances for all the three models. This improvement serves as evidence that the model-based instruction can help students acquire modelling practices that they can apply in a new content area.

Proficiency in science: assessment challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Pellegrino, James W

2013-04-19

Proficiency in science is being defined through performance expectations that intertwine science practices, cross-cutting concepts, and core content knowledge. These descriptions of what it means to know and do science pose challenges for assessment design and use, whether at the classroom instructional level or the system level for monitoring the progress of science education. There are systematic ways to approach assessment development that can address design challenges, as well as examples of the application of such principles in science assessment. This Review considers challenges and opportunities that exist for design and use of assessments that can support science teaching and learning consistent with a contemporary view of what it means to be proficient in science.

Attacking the Obesity Epidemic: The Potential Health Benefits of Providing Nutrition Information in Restaurants

PubMed Central

Burton, Scot; Creyer, Elizabeth H.; Kees, Jeremy; Huggins, Kyle

2006-01-01

Objectives. Requiring restaurants to present nutrition information on menus is under consideration as a potential way to slow the increasing prevalence of obesity. Using a survey methodology, we examined how accurately consumers estimate the nutrient content of typical restaurant meals. Based on these results, we then conducted an experiment to address how the provision of nutrition information on menus influences purchase intentions and reported preferences. Methods. For both the survey and experiment, data were analyzed using analysis of variance techniques. Results. Survey results showed that levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat in less-healthful restaurant items were significantly underestimated by consumers. Actual fat and saturated fat levels were twice consumers’ estimates and calories approached 2 times more than what consumers expected. In the subsequent experiment, for items for which levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat substantially exceeded consumers’ expectations, the provision of nutrition information had a significant influence on product attitude, purchase intention, and choice. Conclusions. Most consumers are unaware of the high levels of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium found in many menu items. Provision of nutrition information on restaurant menus could potentially have a positive impact on public health by reducing the consumption of less-healthful foods. PMID:16873758

Expectations of Graduate Communication Skills in Professional Veterinary Practice.

PubMed

Haldane, Sarah; Hinchcliff, Kenneth; Mansell, Peter; Baik, Chi

Good communication skills are an important entry-level attribute of graduates of professional degrees. The inclusion of communication training within the curriculum can be problematic, particularly in programs with a high content load, such as veterinary science. This study examined the differences between the perceptions of students and qualified veterinarians with regards to the entry-level communication skills required of new graduates in clinical practice. Surveys were distributed to students in each of the four year levels of the veterinary science degree at the University of Melbourne and to recent graduates and experienced veterinarians registered in Victoria, Australia. Respondents were asked to rank the relative importance of six different skill sets: knowledge base; medical and technical skills; surgical skills; verbal communication and interpersonal skills; written communication skills; and critical thinking and problem solving. They were then asked to rate the importance of specific communication skills for new graduate veterinarians. Veterinarians and students ranked verbal communication and interpersonal skills as the most important skill set for an entry-level veterinarian. Veterinarians considered many new graduates to be deficient in these skills. Students often felt they lacked confidence in this area. This has important implications for veterinary educators in terms of managing the expectations of students and improving the delivery of communication skills courses within the veterinary curriculum.

The importance of integumentary knowledge and skill in physical therapist entry-level education: are they prepared for practice?

PubMed

Gibbs, Karen A; Furney, Steven R

2013-01-01

Physical therapist practice is grounded in patient management principles encompassing all body systems and focuses on prevention, education, and functional outcomes. As such, management of the integumentary system crosses all practice settings, emphasizing the importance that basic integumentary content be adequately addressed during entry-level education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to compare the self-reported integumentary knowledge and skill of recent graduates to profession-determined expectations for education. Participants were 7 licensed physical therapists experienced in wound management. Semi-structured interview data were recorded, transcribed, and coded. A matrix compiling professional expectations for integumentary education was utilized to identify topics as absent, covered only briefly, or covered only during clinical rotations. Compression, vascular screening, infection, factors impacting healing, modalities, dressings, wound measurements, topicals, and sutures/staples were among the most commonly reported areas of deficiency. While integumentary care makes up a small percentage of physical therapy practice, it is a significant part of a comprehensively educated therapist. This study found participants did not perceive themselves to have received the minimum entry-level integumentary knowledge and skill deemed necessary by the profession. Study results are supported by current literature and demonstrate the need for integumentary curriculum review in entry-level programs.

What Are Secondary Students' Expectations for Teachers in Virtual School Environments?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Kevin; Osborne, Jason; Brady, Kevin

2009-01-01

A recent evaluation of the new North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) in the USA revealed numerous expectations for virtual school teachers from secondary students. Specifically, students expected their teachers to actually teach rather than moderate a course shell, supplement course shells with content and projects that illustrate…

Quality assurance of the gene ontology using abstraction networks.

PubMed

Ochs, Christopher; Perl, Yehoshua; Halper, Michael; Geller, James; Lomax, Jane

2016-06-01

The gene ontology (GO) is used extensively in the field of genomics. Like other large and complex ontologies, quality assurance (QA) efforts for GO's content can be laborious and time consuming. Abstraction networks (AbNs) are summarization networks that reveal and highlight high-level structural and hierarchical aggregation patterns in an ontology. They have been shown to successfully support QA work in the context of various ontologies. Two kinds of AbNs, called the area taxonomy and the partial-area taxonomy, are developed for GO hierarchies and derived specifically for the biological process (BP) hierarchy. Within this framework, several QA heuristics, based on the identification of groups of anomalous terms which exhibit certain taxonomy-defined characteristics, are introduced. Such groups are expected to have higher error rates when compared to other terms. Thus, by focusing QA efforts on anomalous terms one would expect to find relatively more erroneous content. By automatically identifying these potential problem areas within an ontology, time and effort will be saved during manual reviews of GO's content. BP is used as a testbed, with samples of three kinds of anomalous BP terms chosen for a taxonomy-based QA review. Additional heuristics for QA are demonstrated. From the results of this QA effort, it is observed that different kinds of inconsistencies in the modeling of GO can be exposed with the use of the proposed heuristics. For comparison, the results of QA work on a sample of terms chosen from GO's general population are presented.

Ectopic Expression of GsPPCK3 and SCMRP in Medicago sativa Enhances Plant Alkaline Stress Tolerance and Methionine Content

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yang; Zhao, Chaoyue; DuanMu, Huizi; Yu, Yang; Ji, Wei; Zhu, Yanming

2014-01-01

So far, it has been suggested that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases (PEPCs) and PEPC kinases (PPCKs) fulfill several important non-photosynthetic functions. However, the biological functions of soybean PPCKs, especially in alkali stress response, are not yet well known. In previous studies, we constructed a Glycine soja transcriptional profile, and identified three PPCK genes (GsPPCK1, GsPPCK2 and GsPPCK3) as potential alkali stress responsive genes. In this study, we confirmed the induced expression of GsPPCK3 under alkali stress and investigated its tissue expression specificity by using quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Then we ectopically expressed GsPPCK3 in Medicago sativa and found that GsPPCK3 overexpression improved plant alkali tolerance, as evidenced by lower levels of relative ion leakage and MDA content and higher levels of chlorophyll content and root activity. In this respect, we further co-transformed the GsPPCK3 and SCMRP genes into alfalfa, and demonstrated the increased alkali tolerance of GsPPCK3-SCMRP transgenic lines. Further investigation revealed that GsPPCK3-SCMRP co-overexpression promoted the PEPC activity, net photosynthetic rate and citric acid content of transgenic alfalfa under alkali stress. Moreover, we also observed the up-regulated expression of PEPC, CS (citrate synthase), H+-ATPase and NADP-ME genes in GsPPCK3-SCMRP transgenic alfalfa under alkali stress. As expected, we demonstrated that GsPPCK3-SCMRP transgenic lines displayed higher methionine content than wild type alfalfa. Taken together, results presented in this study supported the positive role of GsPPCK3 in plant response to alkali stress, and provided an effective way to simultaneously improve plant alkaline tolerance and methionine content, at least in legume crops. PMID:24586886

Identification of the Most Critical Content Knowledge Base for Middle School Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saderholm, Jon C.; Tretter, Thomas R.

2008-01-01

Much has been said about what science content students need to learn (e.g., "Benchmarks for Science Literacy, National Science Education Standards"). Less has been said about what science content teachers need to know to teach the content students are expected to learn. This study analyzed four standards documents and assessment frameworks to…

Does the increase in ambient CO2 concentration elevate allergy risks posed by oak pollen?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyu Rang; Oh, Jae-Won; Woo, Su-Young; Seo, Yun Am; Choi, Young-Jin; Kim, Hyun Seok; Lee, Wi Young; Kim, Baek-Jo

2018-05-01

Oak pollen is a major respiratory allergen in Korea, and the distribution of oak trees is expected to increase by ecological succession and climate change. One of the drivers of climate change is increasing CO2, which is also known to amplify the allergy risk of weed pollen by inducing elevated allergenic protein content. However, the impact of CO2 concentration on tree pollen is not clearly understood due to the experimental difficulties in carrying out extended CO2 treatment. To study the response of pollen production of sawtooth oak trees (Quercus acutissima) to elevated levels of ambient CO2, three open-top chambers at the National Institute of Forest Science in Suwon, Korea were utilized with daytime (8 am-6 pm) CO2 concentrations of ambient (× 1.0, 400 ppm), × 1.4 ( 560 ppm), and × 1.8 ( 720 ppm) treatments. Each chamber had three sawtooth oak trees planted in September 2009. One or two trees per chamber matured to bloom in 2016. Five to six catkins were selected per tree and polyethylene bags were attached to collect pollen grains. The total number of catkins per tree was counted and the number and weight of pollen grains per catkin were measured. Oak allergen—Que a 1 (Allergon Co., Uppsala, Sweden)—was extracted and purified to make an ELISA kit by which the antigen levels in the pollen samples were quantified. Total pollen counts per tree of the × 1.4 and × 1.8 treatments showed significant increase of 353 and 1299%, respectively, from the × 1.0 treatment (p < 0.001). Allergenic protein contents at the × 1.4 and × 1.8 treatments also showed significant increase of 12 and 11%, respectively (p = 0.011). The × 1.8 treatment induced significant difference from the × 1.0 treatment in terms of pollen production and allergenic protein content, whereas the × 1.4 treatment showed mixed significance. In summary, the oak trees under the elevated CO2 levels, which are expected in the changing climate, produced significantly higher amount of pollen and allergenic protein than under the present air conditions.

Physicochemical Properties of Flaxseed Fortified Extruded Bean Snack.

PubMed

Vadukapuram, Naveen; Hall, Clifford; Tulbek, Mehmet; Niehaus, Mary

2014-01-01

Milled flaxseed was incorporated (0-20%) into a combination of bean-corn flours and extruded in a twin screw extruder using corn curl method. Physicochemical parameters such as water activity, color, expansion ratio, bulk density, lipid content, and peroxide values of extruded snack were analyzed. Scanning electron micrographs were taken. Peroxide values and propanal contents were measured over four months of storage. Rancidity scores of extruded snack were measured using a trained panel. As expected, omega-3 fatty acids and bulk density increased with increasing flaxseed fortification levels. Extrudates with more flaxseed had decreased lightness values and expansion ratios. However, only the 15 and 20% flaxseed containing extrudates had expansion ratios that were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) different from the control. In general, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in water activity values was observed in the flaxseed fortified extrudates, except in the navy-corn based extrudates. Peroxide values increased with increased flaxseed levels and over a storage period. However, propanal values did not change significantly in the 5-10% flaxseed fortified extrudates but increased in extrudates with higher levels of flaxseed. Rancidity scores were correlated with peroxide values and did not increase significantly during storage under nitrogen flushed conditions.

Physicochemical Properties of Flaxseed Fortified Extruded Bean Snack

PubMed Central

Vadukapuram, Naveen; Hall, Clifford

2014-01-01

Milled flaxseed was incorporated (0–20%) into a combination of bean-corn flours and extruded in a twin screw extruder using corn curl method. Physicochemical parameters such as water activity, color, expansion ratio, bulk density, lipid content, and peroxide values of extruded snack were analyzed. Scanning electron micrographs were taken. Peroxide values and propanal contents were measured over four months of storage. Rancidity scores of extruded snack were measured using a trained panel. As expected, omega-3 fatty acids and bulk density increased with increasing flaxseed fortification levels. Extrudates with more flaxseed had decreased lightness values and expansion ratios. However, only the 15 and 20% flaxseed containing extrudates had expansion ratios that were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) different from the control. In general, no significant difference (P > 0.05) in water activity values was observed in the flaxseed fortified extrudates, except in the navy-corn based extrudates. Peroxide values increased with increased flaxseed levels and over a storage period. However, propanal values did not change significantly in the 5–10% flaxseed fortified extrudates but increased in extrudates with higher levels of flaxseed. Rancidity scores were correlated with peroxide values and did not increase significantly during storage under nitrogen flushed conditions. PMID:26904633

Longitudinal survey of lead, cadmium, and copper in seagrass Syringodium filiforme from a former bombing range (Vieques, Puerto Rico).

PubMed

Díaz, Elba; Pérez, Dustin; Delgado Acevedo, Johanna; Massol-Deyá, Arturo

2018-01-01

Trace element composition in plant biomass could be used as an indicator of environmental stress, management practices and restoration success. A longitudinal study was conducted to compare Pb, Cd, and Cu content in seagrass Syringodium filiforme collected at a former bombing range in Puerto Rico with those of a Biosphere Reserve under similar geoclimatic conditions. Trace elements were measured by atomic absorption after dry-ashing of samples and extraction with acid. In general, levels of Pb, Cd, and Cu varied during 2001, 2003, 2005-2006, and 2013-2016. Results showed that bioaccumulated concentration of these trace elements were consistently higher, but not significant, at the bombing range site. As expected in polluted areas, greater variability in Pb and Cd content were observed in the military impacted site with levels up to 14 and 17 times higher than seagrass from the reference site, respectively. Although a decrease in Pb was observed after cessation of all military activities in 2003, the concentration in plant biomass was still above levels of ecological concern, indicating that natural attenuation is insufficient for cleanup of the site.

Relationship between Aging-Related Skin Dryness and Aquaporins

PubMed Central

Ikarashi, Nobutomo; Kon, Risako; Kaneko, Miho; Mizukami, Nanaho; Kusunoki, Yoshiki; Sugiyama, Kiyoshi

2017-01-01

Skin function deteriorates with aging, and the dermal water content decreases. In this study, we have analyzed the mechanism of aging-related skin dryness focusing on aquaporins (AQPs), which are the water channels. Mice aged 3 and 20 months were designated as young and aged mice, respectively, to be used in the experiments. No differences were observed in transepidermal water loss between the young mice and aged mice. However, the dermal water content in aged mice was significantly lower than that in young mice, thus showing skin dryness. The expression of AQP1, AQP3, AQP4, AQP7, and AQP9 was observed in the skin. All the mRNA expression levels of these AQPs were significantly lower in aged mice. For AQP3, which was expressed dominantly in the skin, the protein level was lower in aged mice than in young mice. The results of the study showed that the expression level of AQPs in the skin decreased with aging, suggesting the possibility that this was one of the causes of skin dryness. New targets for the prevention and treatment of aging-related skin dryness are expected to be proposed when the substance that increases the expression of AQP3 is found. PMID:28718791

Earth Science for Educators: Preparing 7-12 Teachers for Standards-based, Inquiry Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, H.

2002-05-01

"Earth Science for Educators" is an innovative, standards-based, graduate level teacher education curriculum that presents science content and pedagogic technique in parallel. The curriculum calls upon the resources and expertise of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) to prepare novice New York City teachers for teaching Earth Science. One of the goals of teacher education is to assure and facilitate science education reform through preparation of K-12 teachers who understand and are able to implement standard-based instruction. Standards reflect not only the content knowledge students are expected to attain but also the science skills and dispositions towards science they are expected to develop. Melding a list of standards with a curriculum outline to create inquiry-based classroom instruction that reaches a very diverse population of learners is extremely challenging. "Earth Science for Educators" helps novice teachers make the link between standards and practice by constantly connecting standards with instruction they receive and activities they carry out. Development of critical thinking and enthusiasm for inquiry is encouraged through engaging experience and contact with scientists and their work. Teachers are taught Earth systems science content through modeling of a wide variety of instruction and assessment methods based upon authentic scientific inquiry and aimed at different learning styles. Use of fieldwork and informal settings, such as the Museum, familiarizes novice teachers with ways of drawing on community resources for content and instructional settings. Metacognitive reflection that articulates standards, practice, and the teachers' own learning experience help draw out teachers' insights into their students' learning. The innovation of bring science content together with teaching methods is key to preparing teachers for standards-based, inquiry instruction. This curriculum was successfully piloted with a group of 28 novice teachers as part of the AMNH-City University of New York partnership and the CUNY Teaching Opportunity Program Scholarship. Reactions and feedback from program coordinators and teachers have been extremely positive during the year and a half since its implementation.

Chemical purification of Gunungpati elephant foot yam flour to improve physical and chemical quality on processed food

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paramita, Octavianti; Wahyuningsih, Ansori, Muhammad

2017-03-01

This study was aimed at improving the physicochemical quality of elephant foot yam flour in Gunungpati, Semarang by chemical purification. The utilization of elephant foot yam flour in several processed food was also discussed in this study. The flour purification discussed in this study was expected to become a reference for the manufacturers of elephant foot yam flour and its processed food in Gunungpati. This study modified the elephant foot yam flour using pre - gelatinization method. The physical and chemical quality of each elephant foot yam flour purification sample were assessed using proximate analysis. The likability test was conducted for its processed food. 20 grams of elephant foot yam flour was put into a beaker glass, then 60 ml of water was added. The suspension was then heated at a temperature of 60 ° C and 70 ° C while stirred until it was homogeneous and thickened for 10, 30 and 60 minutes. The flour which had been heated was then cooled at room temperature for 1 hour and then at a temperature of 0 ° C until it was frozen. Furthermore, flour was dried in an oven at a temperature of 60 ° C for 9 hours. The dried flour was sifted with a 80 mesh sieve. Chemical test was conducted after elephant foot yam was pre-gelatinized to determine changes in the quality flour: test levels of protein, fat, crude fiber content, moisture content, ash content and starch content. In addition, color tests and granular test on elephant foot yam flour were also conducted. The pre-gelatinization as chemical treatment on elephant foot yam flour in this study was able to change the functional properties of elephant foot yam flour towards a better processing characterized by a brighter color (L = 70, a = 6 and b = 12), the hydrolysis of polysaccharides flour into shorter chain (flour content decreased to 44%), the expansion of granules in elephant foot yam resulting in a process - ready flour, and better monolayer water content of 9%. The content of protein and fiber on the elephant foot yam flour also can be maintained at a level of 9% and 2.1% levels.

Illustrating Caffeine's Pharmacological and Expectancy Effects Utilizing a Balanced Placebo Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotshaw, Sandra C.; And Others

1996-01-01

Hypothesizes that pharmacological and expectancy effects may be two principles that govern caffeine consumption in the same way they affect other drug use. Tests this theory through a balanced placebo design on 100 male undergraduate students. Expectancy set and caffeine content appeared equally powerful, and worked additionally, to affect…

Measurement Invariance of Expectancy-Value Questionnaire in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Xihe; Sun, Haichun; Chen, Ang; Ennis, Catherine

2012-01-01

Expectancy-Value Questionnaire (EVQ) measures student expectancy beliefs and task values of the domain content (Eccles & Wigfield, 1995). In this study the authors examine measurement invariance of EVQ in the domain of physical education between elementary and middle-school students. Participants included 811 students (3rd-5th grades) from 13…

Content Area Literacy: Relationship between Lesson Design and Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens-Kristenson, Jodi

2013-01-01

Despite Minnesota's investment in professional development in content area literacy, secondary students are not showing expected literacy gains. A lack of literacy proficiency limits future options for students. The purpose of this study was to examine content-area literacy strategy inclusion and its relationship to professional development in the…

Analysis of the origins and implications of the O-18 content of stratospheric water vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaye, Jack A.

1990-01-01

Factors influencing the O-18 content of stratospheric H2O are reviewed in order to provide a theoretical framework for the interpretation of measurements of this quantity, which are now becoming available. Depletions in O-18 of 5-10 percent in stratospheric H2O are expected based on the known correlation between that of D and O-18 in tropospheric H2O and observed measurements of large (typically 50 percent) depletions of D in stratosphere H2O. H2O formed in the stratosphere as a result of oxidation of CH4 can be expected to reflect primarily the O-18 content of stratospheric O2, which is the same as that of tropospheric O2 (slightly enhanced with respect to standard mean ocean water). Thus, a reduction in the O-18 depletion is expected with increasing altitude, but not a large enhancement in O-18 in upper stratospheric H2O as found in recent far infrared measurements. The observed large enhancement of O-18 in stratospheric O3 is not expected to be reflected in stratospheric H2O. Necessary laboratory data for the improved quantification of these effects are reviewed.

Supporting Science Teachers in Alignment with State Curriculum Standards through Professional Development: Teachers' Preparedness, Expectations and Their Fulfillment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Sunhee; Zhang, Meilan; Lundeberg, Mary A.; Eberhardt, Jan; Shin, Tae Seob; Zhang, Tianyi

2011-08-01

Since A Nation at Risk was released in the 1980s, standards-based reform has been the most dominant trend in American educational policy, and the No Child Left Behind Act pushed the trend further by requiring states to develop rigorous curriculum standards. Though much has been said about these new standards, less has been said about whether or how well professional development helps teachers link their instruction to these standards. This study examined the impact of a professional development program for K-12 science teachers in helping teachers meet state curriculum standards. Seventy-five science teachers in Michigan participated in a 2-week summer workshop that used Problem-Based Learning for improving teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers surveyed participating teachers about the change of teachers' preparedness for standards-based teaching, their expectations to meet state curriculum standards, and whether their expectations were met. In addition, the usefulness of workshop activities was examined. Data analysis showed that to align teaching with state curriculum standards, participating teachers expected to learn instructional strategies and enhance science content knowledge through professional development, and by and large their expectations were well met. Collaboration with colleagues and facilitators helped teachers achieve their goals in terms of teaching within state curriculum standards. These findings have important implications for designing professional development to help teachers align instruction with curriculum standards.

Relating the effects of protein type and content in increased-protein cheese pies to consumers' perception of satiating capacity.

PubMed

Marcano, J; Varela, P; Fiszman, S

2015-02-01

Since proteins have been shown to have the highest satiation-inducing effects of all the macronutrients, increasing the protein level is one of the main strategies for designing foods with enhanced satiating capacity. However, few studies analyze the effect that protein addition has on the texture and flavor characteristics of the target food item to relate it to the expected satiating capacity it elicits. The present work studied cheese pies with three levels of soy and whey proteins. Since the protein level altered the rheological behavior of the batters before baking and the texture of the baked pies, the feasibility of adding several protein levels for obtaining a range of final products was investigated. A check-all-that-apply questionnaire containing 32 sensory and non-sensory characteristics of the samples was given to consumers (n = 131) who also scored the perceived samples' satiating capacity. The results showed that the type and content of protein contributed distinctive sensory characteristics to the samples that could be related to their satiating capacity perception. Harder and drier samples (high protein levels) were perceived as more satiating with less perceptible sweet and milky cheese pie characteristic flavors. Soy contributed an off-flavour. These results will contribute to a better understanding of the interrelation of all these factors, aiding the development of highly palatable solid foods with enhanced satiating capacities.

Oxygen dynamics in photosynthetic membranes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savikhin, Sergei; Kihara, Shigeharu

2008-03-01

Production of oxygen by oxygenic photosynthetic organisms is expected to raise oxygen concentration within their photosynthetic membranes above normal aerobic values. These raised levels of oxygen may affect function of many proteins within photosynthetic cells. However, experiments on proteins in vitro are usually performed in aerobic (or anaerobic) conditions since the oxygen content of a membrane is not known. Using theory of diffusion and measured oxygen production rates we estimated the excess levels of oxygen in functioning photosynthetic cells. We show that for an individual photosynthetic cell suspended in water oxygen level is essentially the same as that for a non-photosynthetic sell. These data suggest that oxygen protection mechanisms may have evolved after the development of oxygenic photosynthesis in primitive bacteria and was driven by the overall rise of oxygen concentration in the atmosphere. Substantially higher levels of oxygen are estimated to occur in closely packed colonies of photosynthetic bacteria and in green leafs.

Expectation creates something out of nothing: The role of attention in iconic memory reconsidered.

PubMed

Aru, Jaan; Bachmann, Talis

2017-08-01

Conscious experience is modulated by attention and expectation, yet is believed to be independent of attention. The experiments on iconic memory (IM) are usually taken as support for this claim. However, a recent experiment demonstrated that when attention is diverted away from the IM letter display subjects fail to see the absence of IM letters. Here we contribute to the ongoing debate by overcoming experimental shortcomings of this previous experiment, by measuring subjective visibility and by testing the effect of the post-cue. We were able to replicate these earlier findings and extend them by demonstrating that subjects who do not realize the absence of letters perceive illusory letters. This result means that there is still phenomenal consciousness, even when attention is diverted. Expectation creates illusory content that overwrites valid IM content. Taken together these findings suggest that the present experimental paradigm is not appropriate to make claims about IM content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA oxidative damage and life expectancy in houseflies.

PubMed Central

Agarwal, S; Sohal, R S

1994-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between oxidative molecular damage and the aging process by determining whether such damage is associated with the rate of aging, using the adult housefly as the experimental organism. Because the somatic tissues in the housefly consist of long-lived postmitotic cells, it provides an excellent model system for studying cumulative age-related cellular alterations. Rate of aging in the housefly was manipulated by varying the rate of metabolism (physical activity). The concentration of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (80HdG) was used as an indicator of DNA oxidation. Exposure of live flies to x-rays and hyperoxia elevated the level of 8OHdG. The level of 8OHdG in mitochondrial as well as total DNA increased with the age of flies. Mitochondrial DNA was 3 times more susceptible to age-related oxidative damage than nuclear DNA. A decrease in the level of physical activity of the flies was found to prolong the life-span and corresponding reduce the level of 8OHdG in both mitochondrial and total DNA. Under all conditions examined, mitochondrial DNA exhibited a higher level of oxidative damage than total DNA. The 8OHdG levels were found to be inversely associated with the life expectancy of houseflies. The pattern of age-associated accrural of 8OHdG was virtually identical to that of protein carbonyl content. Altoghether, results of this study support the hypothesis that oxidative molecular damage is a causal factor in senescence. PMID:7991627

Audience Activity and Media Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Alan M.

1993-01-01

Explores a view of audience behavior that lies between the extremes of a passive audience expected to be influenced by communication messages and an active audience expected to make rational decisions about what media content to accept and reject. (RS)

Dyadic Coregulation and Deviant Talk in Adolescent Friendships: Interaction Patterns Associated With Problematic Substance Use in Early Adulthood

PubMed Central

Piehler, Timothy F.; Dishion, Thomas J.

2014-01-01

In a sample of 711 ethnically diverse adolescents, the observed interpersonal dynamics of dyadic adolescent friendship interactions were coded to predict early adulthood tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Deviant discussion content within the interactions was coded along with dyadic coregulation (i.e., interpersonal coordination, attention synchrony). Structural equation modeling revealed that, as expected, deviant content in adolescent interactions at age 16–17 years was strongly predictive of problematic use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana at ages 22 and 23. Although dyadic coregulation was not directly predictive of early adulthood substance use, it did moderate the impact of deviant talk within the dyad on future alcohol and marijuana use. For these substances, high levels of dyadic coregulation increased the risk associated with high levels of deviant talk for problematic use in early adulthood. Results held when comparing across genders and across ethnic groups. The results suggest that these interpersonal dynamics are associated with developmental trajectories of risk for or resilience to peer influence processes. PMID:24188039

Dyadic coregulation and deviant talk in adolescent friendships: interaction patterns associated with problematic substance use in early adulthood.

PubMed

Piehler, Timothy F; Dishion, Thomas J

2014-04-01

In a sample of 711 ethnically diverse adolescents, the observed interpersonal dynamics of dyadic adolescent friendship interactions were coded to predict early adulthood tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Deviant discussion content within the interactions was coded along with dyadic coregulation (i.e., interpersonal coordination, attention synchrony). Structural equation modeling revealed that, as expected, deviant content in adolescent interactions at age 16-17 years was strongly predictive of problematic use of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana at ages 22 and 23. Although dyadic coregulation was not directly predictive of early adulthood substance use, it did moderate the impact of deviant talk within the dyad on future alcohol and marijuana use. For these substances, high levels of dyadic coregulation increased the risk associated with high levels of deviant talk for problematic use in early adulthood. Results held when comparing across genders and across ethnic groups. The results suggest that these interpersonal dynamics are associated with developmental trajectories of risk for or resilience to peer influence processes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Impact of gold mining associated with mercury contamination in soil, biota sediments and tailings in Kenya.

PubMed

Odumo, Benjamin Okang'; Carbonell, Gregoria; Angeyo, Hudson Kalambuka; Patel, Jayanti Purshottam; Torrijos, Manuel; Rodríguez Martín, José Antonio

2014-11-01

This work considered the environmental impact of artisanal mining gold activity in the Migori-Transmara area (Kenya). From artisanal gold mining, mercury is released to the environment, thus contributing to degradation of soil and water bodies. High mercury contents have been quantified in soil (140 μg kg(-1)), sediment (430 μg kg(-1)) and tailings (8,900 μg kg(-1)), as expected. The results reveal that the mechanism for transporting mercury to the terrestrial ecosystem is associated with wet and dry depositions. Lichens and mosses, used as bioindicators of pollution, are related to the proximity to mining areas. The further the distance from mining areas, the lower the mercury levels. This study also provides risk maps to evaluate potential negative repercussions. We conclude that the Migori-Transmara region can be considered a strongly polluted area with high mercury contents. The technology used to extract gold throughout amalgamation processes causes a high degree of mercury pollution around this gold mining area. Thus, alternative gold extraction methods should be considered to reduce mercury levels that can be released to the environment.

Grade Expectations for Vermont's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, Summer 2004 (Physical Education)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermont Department of Education, 2004

2004-01-01

Educators from around the state, with the help of The Vermont Institutes, developed Vermont Physical Education Grade Cluster Expectations (GCEs) as a means to identify the physical education content knowledge and skills expected of all students for local assessment required under Act 68. This work was accomplished using the "Vermont's…

Meeting Teacher Expectations in a DL Professional Development Programme--A Case Study for Sustained Applied Competence as Programme Outcome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruger, Cornè Gerda; Van Rensburg, Ona Janse; De Witt, Marike W.

2016-01-01

Meeting teacher expectations for a professional development programme (PDP) is expected to strengthen sustainable applied competence as programme outcome since teachers will be more motivated to apply the programme content in practice. A revised distance learning (DL) programme was augmented by a practical component comprising a work-integrated…

Food safety labelling of chicken to prevent campylobacteriosis: consumer expectations and current practices.

PubMed

Allan, Philip D; Palmer, Chloe; Chan, Fiona; Lyons, Rebecca; Nicholson, Olivia; Rose, Mitchell; Hales, Simon; Baker, Michael G

2018-03-27

Campylobacter is the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, and contaminated chicken is a significant vehicle for spread of the disease. This study aimed to assess consumers' knowledge of safe chicken handling practices and whether their expectations for food safety labelling of chicken are met, as a strategy to prevent campylobacteriosis. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 401 shoppers at supermarkets and butcheries in Wellington, New Zealand, and a systematic assessment of content and display features of chicken labels. While 89% of participants bought, prepared or cooked chicken, only 15% knew that most (60-90%) fresh chicken in New Zealand is contaminated by Campylobacter. Safety and correct preparation information on chicken labels, was rated 'very necessary' or 'essential' by the majority of respondents. Supermarket chicken labels scored poorly for the quality of their food safety information with an average of 1.7/5 (95% CI, 1.4-2.1) for content and 1.8/5 (95% CI, 1.6-2.0) for display. Most consumers are unaware of the level of Campylobacter contamination on fresh chicken and there is a significant but unmet consumer demand for information on safe chicken preparation on labels. Labels on fresh chicken products are a potentially valuable but underused tool for campylobacteriosis prevention in New Zealand.

Opportunities for learning in an introductory undergraduate human anatomy and physiology course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montplaisir, Lisa Marie

2003-10-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the course conditions that support the development of meaningful student learning in an introductory undergraduate human anatomy and physiology course. The study was conducted during an 8-week summer-session at a small mid-western university. Classroom observations and taped recordings of class sessions were used to determine content episodes within the instructional unit, opportunities for learning created by the instructor, demonstrations of information processing by the students, and the ways in which the instructor used the Personal Response System (PRS). Student interviews were used to determine students' level of understanding of pre-test and post-test items. Student interviews and a questionnaire were used to determine students' perceptions of the PRS as a learning tool. Findings reveal that the instructor had different expectations of students when posing verbal questions in-class than he had when posing PRS questions. The use of verbal questions did not permit demonstrations of student understanding; however, the use of the PRS did result in demonstrations of student understanding. Questions posed via the use of the PRS were categorized according to cognitive level. The cognitive level of the questions increased with time over the instructional unit and within the content episodes. Students demonstrated deeper understanding of the topics after instruction than they did before instruction. Students reported more in-class thinking about the content, more discussion of the content with their neighbors, more regular class attendance, more opportunities for deeper learning, and a general preference for the PRS over traditional lectures. Findings of the study indicate that the instructional decisions about the use of questions influences the opportunities for students to process information and demonstrate their understanding of the content and that students valued these opportunities. A better understanding of the conditions that promote meaningful student learning may help us make decisions that result in improved student learning in our own classes.

Investigating Correspondence between Language Proficiency Standards and Academic Content Standards: A Generalizability Theory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Chih-Kai; Zhang, Jinming

2014-01-01

Research on the relationship between English language proficiency standards and academic content standards serves to provide information about the extent to which English language learners (ELLs) are expected to encounter academic language use that facilitates their content learning, such as in mathematics and science. Standards-to-standards…

Applications of Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Environmental Chemistry

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

more often than she knows. Floyd, my friend and lover, has sustained me, body and soul, from the beginning. 8 Table of Contents Abstract...7 Table of Contents ...the carboxylic acid (pK. < 3-5) 3- content of these materials. In addition, the HA data - .confirm the expectation that large humic molecules have 2

Utilities of gossip across organizational levels : Multilevel selection, free-riders, and teams.

PubMed

Kniffin, Kevin M; Wilson, David Sloan

2005-09-01

Gossip is a subject that has been studied by researchers from an array of disciplines with various foci and methods. We measured the content of language use by members of a competitive sports team across 18 months, integrating qualitative ethnographic methods with quantitative sampling and analysis. We hypothesized that the use of gossip will vary significantly depending on whether it is used for self-serving or group-serving purposes. Our results support a model of gossip derived from multilevel selection theory that expects gossip to serve group-beneficial rules when rewards are partitioned at the group level on a scale that permits mutual monitoring. We integrate our case study with earlier studies of gossip conducted by anthropologists, psychologists, and management researchers.

The environmental impact of future coal production and use in the EEC

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

Not Available

1983-01-01

The aims of this study are to assess the expected increased levels of coal consumption in the European Community up to the year 2000; to estimate to what extent consumer demand is likely to be met by EEC production; to determine the level of polluting emissions which are likely to derive from changes in coal consumption and production; and finally, to compare the environmental impact of alternative, existing or developing means of coal utilisation. Contents: Conclusions; Future coal supply and demand in the EEC; Environmental consequences of coal production and use; Coal extraction; Transport and storage; Coal combustion: air pollution;more » Coal combustion: water pollution; Pollution from solid wastes; Coal conversion process; Environmental control technology; Bibliography.« less

Which outcomes do women expect to achieve after undergoing induced abortion

PubMed Central

Nouhjah, Sedigheh; Zamani-Alavijeh, Fereshteh; Heydarabadi, Akbar Babaei; Hozaili, Maedeh

2017-01-01

Introduction Unsafe abortion is one of the most important health problems in many countries. Because of legal and moral issues, abortion is one of the most sensitive decisions. The aim of this study was to understand women’s expected gains from undergoing induced abortion. Methods To explain the factors leading to induced abortion, we collected the stories and experiences of a total of 21 people, including 18 women who underwent induced abortion in their most recent pregnancies, two women’s health providers, and a companion of a mother who died after an induced abortion. This qualitative study was conducted in Imam Khomeini and Razi hospital of Ahvaz and also a number of health centers, from February to September 2014. To collect the required data, we used open and semi-structured deep interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the collected data, which included the following: 1) Expected favorable health-related outcomes, 2) Expected favorable economic outcomes, and 3. Expected favorable outcomes in social level and family relationships. Conclusion The results of this study showed that the studied women, to achieve to desirable outcomes in areas of health, economic and social, have undergone induced abortion. Hence, to develop programs for the prevention of induced abortion it is necessary to consider the motivations of women to intentionally terminate a pregnancy. PMID:28465801

Which outcomes do women expect to achieve after undergoing induced abortion.

PubMed

Nouhjah, Sedigheh; Zamani-Alavijeh, Fereshteh; Heydarabadi, Akbar Babaei; Hozaili, Maedeh

2017-02-01

Unsafe abortion is one of the most important health problems in many countries. Because of legal and moral issues, abortion is one of the most sensitive decisions. The aim of this study was to understand women's expected gains from undergoing induced abortion. To explain the factors leading to induced abortion, we collected the stories and experiences of a total of 21 people, including 18 women who underwent induced abortion in their most recent pregnancies, two women's health providers, and a companion of a mother who died after an induced abortion. This qualitative study was conducted in Imam Khomeini and Razi hospital of Ahvaz and also a number of health centers, from February to September 2014. To collect the required data, we used open and semi-structured deep interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the collected data, which included the following: 1) Expected favorable health-related outcomes, 2) Expected favorable economic outcomes, and 3. Expected favorable outcomes in social level and family relationships. The results of this study showed that the studied women, to achieve to desirable outcomes in areas of health, economic and social, have undergone induced abortion. Hence, to develop programs for the prevention of induced abortion it is necessary to consider the motivations of women to intentionally terminate a pregnancy.

The integration of object levels and their content: a theory of global/local processing and related hemispheric differences.

PubMed

Hübner, Ronald; Volberg, Gregor

2005-06-01

This article presents and tests the authors' integration hypothesis of global/local processing, which proposes that at early stages of processing, the identities of global and local units of a hierarchical stimulus are represented separately from information about their respective levels and that, therefore, identity and level information have to be integrated at later stages. It further states that the cerebral hemispheres differ in their capacities for these binding processes. Three experiments are reported in which the integration hypothesis was tested. Participants had to identify a letter at a prespecified level with the viewing duration restricted by a mask. False reporting of the letter at the nontarget level was predicted to occur more often when the integration of identity and level could fail. This was the case. Moreover, visual-field effects occurred, as expected. Finally, a multinomial model was constructed and fitted to the data. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

Egg and Egg-Derived Foods: Effects on Human Health and Use as Functional Foods

PubMed Central

Miranda, Jose M.; Anton, Xaquin; Redondo-Valbuena, Celia; Roca-Saavedra, Paula; Rodriguez, Jose A.; Lamas, Alexandre; Franco, Carlos M.; Cepeda, Alberto

2015-01-01

Eggs are sources of protein, fats and micronutrients that play an important role in basic nutrition. However, eggs are traditionally associated with adverse factors in human health, mainly due to their cholesterol content. Nowadays, however, it is known that the response of cholesterol in human serum levels to dietary cholesterol consumption depends on several factors, such as ethnicity, genetic makeup, hormonal factors and the nutritional status of the consumer. Additionally, in recent decades, there has been an increasing demand for functional foods, which is expected to continue to increase in the future, owing to their capacity to decrease the risks of some diseases and socio-demographic factors such as the increase in life expectancy. This work offers a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of egg consumption and the potential market of functional eggs, and it explores the possibilities of the development of functional eggs by technological methods. PMID:25608941

The potential pyrophoricity of BMI-SPEC and aluminum plate spent fuels retrieved from underwater storage

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

Ebner, M.A.

1996-08-01

Physical/chemical factors in U metal and hydride combustion, particularly pyrophoricity in ambient environment, were evaluated for BMI-SPEC and UAl{sub x} plate fuels. Some metal fuels may be highly reactive (spontaneously igniting in air) due to high specific surface area, high decay heat, or a high U hydride content from corrosion during underwater storage. However, for the BMI-SPEC and the aluminum plate fuels, this reactivity is too low to present a realistic threat of uncontrolled spontaneous combustion at ambient conditions. While residual U hydride is expected in these corroded fuels, the hydride levels are expected to be too low and themore » configuration too unfavorable to ignite the fuel meat when the fuels are retrieved from the basin and dried. Furthermore the composition and microstructure of the UAl{sub x} fuels further mitigate that risk.« less

Changes in primary metabolites and polyphenols in the peel of "Braeburn" apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) during advanced maturation.

PubMed

Bizjak, Jan; Mikulic-Petkovsek, Maja; Stampar, Franci; Veberic, Robert

2013-10-30

During the two growing seasons the evolution of primary metabolites and wide range of polyphenols in the "Braeburn" apple peel during advanced maturation were investigated. During the five weeks sucrose significantly increased, whereas fructose and glucose fluctuated around the same level in one season and decreased in another. Regarding malic and citric acids, an expected decrease was recorded. The concentrations of hydroxycinnamic acids, dihydrochalcones, and flavanols remained quite constant or slightly decreased during advanced apple ripening. On the contrary an intensive accumulation of quercetin glycosides and anthocyanins took place during this period, starting with the onset of rapid formation approximately 3 weeks before the technological maturity of apples. Total phenolic content was relatively constant or slightly increased. The present results suggest that measures designed to improve the apple color and quality of "Braeburn" apples should be performed approximately 3-4 weeks before the expected technological maturity of apples.

Ultimate intrinsic-coercivity samarium-cobalt magnet: An Earth-based feasibility study for space-shuttle missions. [containerless melts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Das, D. K.; Kumar, K.; Frost, R. T.; Chang, C. W.

1980-01-01

Techniques for containerless melting and solidification of the samarium-cobalt alloy without excessive oxidation were developed. The rationale for extending these experiments in a weightless environment is also discussed. The effect of oxygen content from 0.15 to 0.63 weight percent and grain size in the range of 2 to 10 micrometers has been examined on arc-plasma-sprayed SmCo5 magnets. Contrary to expectations, the larger grain sizes tended to improve the coercivities. This was attributed to an increase in homogeneity resulting from higher temperature treatments used to produce larger grain size. No significant differences in coercivity were observed on the basis of oxygen content in the range examined. It is expected that more meaningful data on the relationship between oxygen content and coercivity will be seen when the oxygen content can be lowered to less than 0.1 weight percent.

Determination of chitin content in fungal cell wall: an alternative flow cytometric method.

PubMed

Costa-de-Oliveira, Sofia; Silva, Ana P; Miranda, Isabel M; Salvador, Alexandre; Azevedo, Maria M; Munro, Carol A; Rodrigues, Acácio G; Pina-Vaz, Cidália

2013-03-01

The conventional methods used to evaluate chitin content in fungi, such as biochemical assessment of glucosamine release after acid hydrolysis or epifluorescence microscopy, are low throughput, laborious, time-consuming, and cannot evaluate a large number of cells. We developed a flow cytometric assay, efficient, and fast, based on Calcofluor White staining to measure chitin content in yeast cells. A staining index was defined, its value was directly related to chitin amount and taking into consideration the different levels of autofluorecence. Twenty-two Candida spp. and four Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates with distinct susceptibility profiles to caspofungin were evaluated. Candida albicans clinical isolate SC5314, and isogenic strains with deletions in chitin synthase 3 (chs3Δ/chs3Δ) and genes encoding predicted GlycosylPhosphatidylInositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (pga31Δ/Δ and pga62Δ/Δ), were used as controls. As expected, the wild-type strain displayed a significant higher chitin content (P < 0.001) than chs3Δ/chs3Δ and pga31Δ/Δ especially in the presence of caspofungin. Ca. parapsilosis, Ca. tropicalis, and Ca. albicans showed higher cell wall chitin content. Although no relationship between chitin content and antifungal drug susceptibility phenotype was found, an association was established between the paradoxical growth effect in the presence of high caspofungin concentrations and the chitin content. This novel flow cytometry protocol revealed to be a simple and reliable assay to estimate cell wall chitin content of fungi. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Expectation prior to human papilloma virus vaccination: 11 to 12-Year-old girls' written narratives.

PubMed

Forsner, M; Nilsson, S; Finnström, B; Mörelius, E

2016-09-01

Expectations prior to needle-related procedures can influence individuals' decision making and compliance with immunization programmes. To protect from human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer, the immunization needs to be given before sexual debut raising interest for this study's aim to investigate how 11 to 12-year-old girls narrate about their expectations prior to HPV vaccination. A total of 27 girls aged 11 to 12 years participated in this qualitative narrative study by writing short narratives describing their expectations. The requirement for inclusion was to have accepted HPV vaccination. Data were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Findings showed the following expectations: going to hurt, going to be scared and going to turn out fine. The expectations were based on the girls' previous experiences, knowledge and self-image. The latent content revealed that the girls tried to transform uneasiness to confidence. The conclusion drawn from this study is that most girls of this age seem confident about their ability to cope with possible unpleasantness related to vaccinations. However, nurses need to find strategies to help those children who feel uneasy about needle-related procedures. © The Author(s) 2015.

Content of Curriculum in Physical Education Teacher Education: Expectations of Undergraduate Physical Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spittle, Michael; Spittle, Sharna

2016-01-01

This study explored the perceptions of university physical education students of the importance of physical education curriculum content areas and how those perceptions related to the reasons for course choice and motivation. Physical education degree students (n = 188) completed measures of their perceptions of physical education content areas,…

Plant Water Content is the Best Predictor of Drought-induced Mortality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sapes, G.; Roskilly, B.; Dobrowski, S.; Sala, A.

2017-12-01

Predicting drought-induced forest mortality remains extremely challenging. Recent research has shown that both plant hydraulics and stored non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) interact during drought-induced mortality. The strong interaction between these two variables and the fact that they are both difficult to measure render drought-induced plant mortality extremely difficult to monitor and predict. A variable that is easier to measure and that integrates hydraulic transport and carbohydrate dynamics may, therefore, improve our ability to monitor and predict mortality. Here, we tested whether plant water content is such an integrator variable and, therefore, a better predictor of mortality under drought. We subjected 250 two-year-old ponderosa pine seedlings to drought until they died in a greenhouse experiment. Periodically during the dry down, we measured percent loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC), NSC concentration (starch and soluble sugars), and tissue volumetric water content (VWC) in roots, stems and leaves. At each measurement time, a separate set of seedlings were re-watered to estimate the probability of mortality at the population level. Linear models were used to explore whether PLC and NSC were linked to VWC and to determine which of the three variables predicted mortality the best. As expected, plants lost hydraulic conductivity in stems and roots during the dry down. Starch concentrations also decreased in all organs as the drought proceeded. In contrast, soluble sugars increased in stems and roots, consistent with the conversion of stored NSCs into osmotically active compounds. Models containing both PLC and NSC concentrations as predictors of VWC were highly significant in all organs and at the whole plant level, indicating that water content is influenced by both PLC and NSCs. PLC, NSC, and VWC explained mortality across organs and at the whole plant level, but VWC was the best predictor (R2 = 0.99). Our results indicate that plant water content integrates plant hydraulics and carbohydrate availability, two factors commonly interacting and difficult to tease apart. An important advantage of water content is that it is very easy to measure across scales, from leaves to entire ecosystems through remote sensing.

Creating a Global Community of Learners in Nursing and Beyond: Caring Science, Mindful Practice MOOC.

PubMed

Sitzman, Kathleen L; Jensen, Andrea; Chan, Sang

The aim was to examine the usefulness of a massive open online course (MOOC) on caring and mindfulness to a broad international audience that included nurses, allied health professionals, and others. MOOCs in higher education have been evident since 2008. Very few MOOCs on nursing topics have appeared since that time. Exploration was needed regarding how MOOCs could be employed to share nursing knowledge with national and international communities. Two "Caring Science, Mindful Practice" MOOC sessions were examined. Demographics, learner satisfaction, course flow, and perceived usefulness of content were analyzed. Learners from varied backgrounds participated. Higher than expected course activity levels and completion rates suggested effective learner engagement. Excellent course ratings demonstrated that content and delivery methods were effective. Active learners communicated specific plans to apply new knowledge in the future. MOOCs facilitate learning where participants learn about topics of interest in nursing and beyond.

Medical issues in flight and updating the emergency medical kit.

PubMed

Verjee, Mohamud A; Crone, Robert; Ostrovskiy, Grigory

2018-01-01

Airline travel is more affordable than ever and likely safer than ever too. Within half a day, a passenger can be on the other side of the world. However, medical care in-flight has been an issue for those with medical conditions and for those who fall sick during a journey. While airlines have the advice of multiple recognized organizations on needs and standards of care, in-flight emergencies occur at various levels. An emergency medical kit (EMK) together with trained cabin crew can be very effective at resolving the minor problems that arise and reducing the risk of escalation. On occasion, an overhead plea may be announced for additional medical expertise. Having the right content in a medical kit is more important in modern day travel, coupled with advances in equipment and passenger expectations. The authors address current issues of illness and other relevant conditions and suggest a content enhancement for an onboard EMK.

Mercury dilution by autochthonous organic matter in a fertilized mangrove wetland.

PubMed

Machado, Wilson; Sanders, Christian J; Santos, Isaac R; Sanders, Luciana M; Silva-Filho, Emmanoel V; Luiz-Silva, Wanilson

2016-06-01

A dated sediment core from a highly-fertilized mangrove wetland located in Cubatão (SE Brazil) presented a negative correlation between mercury (Hg) and organic carbon contents. This is an unusual result for a metal with well-known affinity to organic matter. A dilution of Hg concentrations by autochthonous organic matter explained this observation, as revealed by carbon stable isotopes signatures (δ(13)C). Mercury dilution by the predominant mangrove-derived organic matter counterbalanced the positive influences of algal-derived organic matter and clay contents on Hg levels, suggesting that deleterious effects of Hg may be attenuated. Considering the current paradigm on the positive effect of organic matter on Hg concentrations in coastal sediments and the expected increase in mangrove organic matter burial due to natural and anthropogenic stimulations of primary production, predictions on the influences of organic matter on Hg accumulation in mangrove wetlands deserve caution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Medical issues in flight and updating the emergency medical kit

PubMed Central

Verjee, Mohamud A; Crone, Robert; Ostrovskiy, Grigory

2018-01-01

Airline travel is more affordable than ever and likely safer than ever too. Within half a day, a passenger can be on the other side of the world. However, medical care in-flight has been an issue for those with medical conditions and for those who fall sick during a journey. While airlines have the advice of multiple recognized organizations on needs and standards of care, in-flight emergencies occur at various levels. An emergency medical kit (EMK) together with trained cabin crew can be very effective at resolving the minor problems that arise and reducing the risk of escalation. On occasion, an overhead plea may be announced for additional medical expertise. Having the right content in a medical kit is more important in modern day travel, coupled with advances in equipment and passenger expectations. The authors address current issues of illness and other relevant conditions and suggest a content enhancement for an onboard EMK. PMID:29750057

Lepidium perfoliatum seed gum: a new source of carbohydrate to make a biodegradable film.

PubMed

Seyedi, Samira; Koocheki, Arash; Mohebbi, Mohebbat; Zahedi, Younes

2014-01-30

Microstructural, physical, mechanical and thermal properties of a novel biodegradable film based on Lepidium perfoliatum seed gum (LPSG) were investigated. LPSG films were successfully prepared by incorporation of four levels of glycerol (40%, 50%, 60% and 70%, w/w). As expected, increasing glycerol concentration from 40 to 70% (w/w), increased water vapor permeability (WVP), elongation at break (EB%), moisture content, moisture adsorption and water solubility of LPSG films; whilst, elastic modulus (EM), contact angle, melting point (Tm), enthalpy of melting (ΔHm) and glass transition point (Tg) decreased significantly. LPSG films became slightly greenish and yellowish in color but still transparent in appearance. The images taken from electron scanning microscopy indicated uniform surface, compact sheets with no holes or fracture. This study demonstrates that LPSG based films with desired properties can be obtained by adjusting glycerol content. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

One EPA Web Principles that Guide Content Development

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The principles of One EPA Web can be applied to better meet the needs and expectations of our audiences, fit their information-seeking behavior, and help them accomplish tasks. Learn about the five paths forward for transforming web content.

Characterization of Ternary NiTiPd High-Temperature Shape-Memory Alloys under Load-Biased Thermal Cycling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bigelow, Glen S.; Padula, Santo A.; Noebe, Ronald D.; Garg, Anita; Gaydosh, Darrell

2010-01-01

While NiTiPd alloys have been extensively studied for proposed use in high-temperature shape-memory applications, little is known about the shape-memory response of these materials under stress. Consequently, the isobaric thermal cyclic responses of five (Ni,Pd)49.5Ti50.5 alloys with constant stoichiometry and Pd contents ranging from 15 to 46 at. pct were investigated. From these tests, transformation temperatures, transformation strain (which is proportional to work output), and unrecovered strain per cycle (a measure of dimensional instability) were determined as a function of stress for each alloy. It was found that increasing the Pd content over this range resulted in a linear increase in transformation temperature, as expected. At a given stress level, work output decreased while the amount of unrecovered strain produced during each load-biased thermal cycle increased with increasing Pd content, during the initial thermal cycles. However, continued thermal cycling at constant stress resulted in a saturation of the work output and nearly eliminated further unrecovered strain under certain conditions, resulting in stable behavior amenable to many actuator applications.

Measuring interactivity on tobacco control websites.

PubMed

Freeman, Becky; Chapman, Simon

2012-08-01

With the increased reach of Web 2.0, Internet users expect webpages to be interactive. No studies have been conducted to assess whether tobacco control-relevant sites have implemented these features. The authors conducted an analysis of an international sample of tobacco control-relevant websites to determine their level of interactivity. The sample included 68 unique websites selected from Google searches in 5 countries, on each country's Google site, using the term smoking. The 68 sites were analyzed for 10 categories of interactive tools. The most common type of interactive content found on 46 (68%) of sites was for multimedia featuring content that was not primarily text based, such as photo galleries, videos, or podcasts. Only 11 (16%) websites-outside of media sites-allowed people to interact and engage with the site owners and other users by allowing posting comments on content and/or hosting forums/discussions. Linkages to social networking sites were low: 17 pages (25%) linked to Twitter, 15 (22%) to Facebook, and 11 (16%) to YouTube. Interactivity and connectedness to online social media appears to still be in its infancy among tobacco control-relevant sites.

Criticality assessment of LLRWDF closure

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

Sarrack, A.G.; Weber, J.H.; Woody, N.D.

1992-10-06

During the operation of the Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility (LLRWDF), large amounts (greater than 100 kg) of enriched uranium (EU) were buried. This EU came primarily from the closing and decontamination of the Naval Fuels Facility in the time period from 1987--1989. Waste Management Operations (WMO) procedures were used to keep the EU boxes separated to prevent possible criticality during normal operation. Closure of the LLRWDF is currently being planned, and waste stabilization by Dynamic Compaction (DC) is proposed. Dynamic compaction will crush the containers in the LLRWDF and result in changes in their geometry. Research of themore » LLRWDF operations and record keeping practices have shown that the EU contents of trenches are known, but details of the arrangement of the contents cannot be proven. Reviews of the trench contents, combined with analysis of potential critical configurations, revealed that some portions of the LLRWDF can be expected to be free of criticality concerns while other sections have credible probabilities for the assembly of a critical mass, even in the uncompacted configuration. This will have an impact on the closure options and which trenches can be compacted.« less

Distribution and chemical form of mercury in commercial fish tissues.

PubMed

Watanabe, Naoko; Tayama, Misato; Inouye, Minoru; Yasutake, Akira

2012-01-01

We analyzed total Hg concentrations in various tissue samples obtained from 7 commercially available fish species. MeHg contents were also estimated for muscle and liver samples by a selective analysis of inorganic Hg. Among the tissues, high Hg accumulations were shown in liver, muscle, heart and spleen throughout all fish species. Carnivorous fish, such as scorpion fish, sea bream and Japanese whiting, tended to show higher Hg accumulations in the muscle, with the highest Hg levels being shown by scorpion fish. Although the liver was expected to show the highest Hg accumulations among tissues throughout all fish species, the highest accumulation in the liver was observed only in scorpion fish. In contrast, the muscle level was significantly higher than the liver in Pacific saury and Japanese whiting. MeHg accumulated in fish is considered to show a sustained increase throughout the life of the fish, due to its long biological half-life. In fact, in the present study, muscle Hg levels in Japanese whiting, Japanese flying fish, and halfbeak showed good correlations with body weights. However, such correlations were not clear in scorpion fish, sea bream, Jack mackerel and Pacific saury. Selective analyses of inorganic Hg levels revealed that most of the Hg (> 95%) in fish muscle existed as MeHg, while the rates of MeHg contents in the liver varied from 56% in scorpion fish to 84% in Jack mackerel. As a result, fish muscle showed the highest MeHg accumulations in all fish species examined. These results suggest that reliable information on total Hg contents in fish muscle might be sufficient to avoid the risk of MeHg exposure caused by eating fish, even when one consumes other tissues such as fish liver.

Analysis of base and codon usage by rubella virus.

PubMed

Zhou, Yumei; Chen, Xianfeng; Ushijima, Hiroshi; Frey, Teryl K

2012-05-01

Rubella virus (RUBV), a small, plus-strand RNA virus that is an important human pathogen, has the unique feature that the GC content of its genome (70%) is the highest (by 20%) among RNA viruses. To determine the effect of this GC content on genomic evolution, base and codon usage were analyzed across viruses from eight diverse genotypes of RUBV. Despite differences in frequency of codon use, the favored codons in the RUBV genome matched those in the human genome for 18 of the 20 amino acids, indicating adaptation to the host. Although usage patterns were conserved in corresponding genes in the diverse genotypes, within-genome comparison revealed that both base and codon usages varied regionally, particularly in the hypervariable region (HVR) of the P150 replicase gene. While directional mutation pressure was predominant in determining base and codon usage within most of the genome (with the strongest tendency being towards C's at third codon positions), natural selection was predominant in the HVR region. The GC content of this region was the highest in the genome (>80%), and it was not clear if selection at the nucleotide level accompanied selection at the amino acid level. Dinucleotide frequency analysis of the RUBV genome revealed that TpA usage was lower than expected, similar to mammalian genes; however, CpG usage was not suppressed, and TpG usage was not enhanced, as is the case in mammalian genes.

Activation of the cold-receptor TRPM8 by low levels of menthol in tobacco products.

PubMed

Paschke, Meike; Tkachenko, Anna; Ackermann, Katja; Hutzler, Christoph; Henkler, Frank; Luch, Andreas

2017-04-05

Activation of the cold-receptor TRPM8 by menthol or other tobacco additives can suppress natural defense reactions such as coughing that usually would become effective as involuntary resistance against the inhalation of fumes. In Europe menthol is only regulated as flavor, but can be used as additive as long as no characteristic mint-like aroma will become noticeable in the end-product tobacco. The question needs to be addressed of whether such comparatively minor contents would be sufficient to trigger a measurable activation of TRPM8. In this study, we have analyzed both the contents of menthol and other natural TRPM8 agonists in tobacco products and developed a bioassay to determine the minimum concentrations of selected agonists to activate the TRPM8 receptor in cultured cells. The data confirm menthol as strongest natural agonist investigated. Based on these experiments and previously published data, we have estimated both the minimum menthol concentrations in cigarette smoke and in tobacco that are expected to trigger measurable physiological effects. According to our assessments, TRPM8 activation is likely to occur when cigarettes contain more than 50 micrograms of menthol. Importantly, menthol contents in cigarettes far below the typical levels that require declaration as "mentholated" would be sufficient to activate sensory receptors. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Online Tonsillectomy Resources: Are Parents Getting Consistent and Readable Recommendations?

PubMed

Wozney, Lori; Chorney, Jill; Huguet, Anna; Song, Jin Soo; Boss, Emily F; Hong, Paul

2017-05-01

Objective Parents frequently refer to information on the Internet to confirm or broaden their understanding of surgical procedures and to research postoperative care practices. Our study evaluated the readability, comprehensiveness, and consistency around online recommendations directed at parents of children undergoing tonsillectomy. Study Design A cross-sectional study design was employed. Setting Thirty English-language Internet websites. Subjects and Methods Three validated measures of readability were applied and content analysis was employed to evaluate the comprehensiveness of information in domains of perioperative education. Frequency effect sizes and percentile ranks were calculated to measure dispersion of recommendations across sites. Results The mean readability level of all sites was above a grade 10 level with fewer than half of the sites (n = 14, 47%) scoring at or below the eight-grade level. Provided information was often incomplete with a noted lack of psychosocial support and skills-training recommendations. Content analysis showed 67 unique recommendations spanning the full perioperative period. Most recommendations had low consensus, being reported in 5 or fewer sites (frequency effect size <16%). Conclusion Many online parent-focused resources do not meet readability recommendations, portray incomplete education about perioperative care and expectations, and provide recommendations with low levels of consensus. Up-to-date mapping of the research evidence around recommendations is needed as well as improved efforts to make online information easier to read.

Water and glucose gradients in the substrate measured with NMR imaging during solid-state fermentation with Aspergillus oryzae.

PubMed

Nagel, Frank-Jan; Van As, Henk; Tramper, Johannes; Rinzema, Arjen

2002-09-20

Gradients inside substrate particles cannot be prevented in solid-state fermentation. These gradients can have a strong effect on the physiology of the microorganisms but have hitherto received little attention in experimental studies. We report gradients in moisture and glucose content during cultivation of Aspergillus oryzae on membrane-covered wheat-dough slices that were calculated from (1)H-NMR images. We found that moisture gradients in the solid substrate remain small when evaporation is minimized. This is corroborated by predictions of a diffusion model. In contrast, strong glucose gradients developed. Glucose concentrations just below the fungal mat remained low due to high glucose uptake rates, but deeper in the matrix glucose accumulated to very high levels. Integration of the glucose profile gave an average concentration close to the measured average content. On the basis of published data, we expect that the glucose levels in the matrix cause a strong decrease in water activity. The results demonstrate that NMR can play an important role in quantitative analysis of water and glucose gradients at the particle level during solid-state fermentation, which is needed to improve our understanding of the response of fungi to this nonconventional fermentation environment. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Increased gene dosage for β- and κ-casein in transgenic cattle improves milk composition through complex effects

PubMed Central

Laible, Götz; Smolenski, Grant; Wheeler, Thomas; Brophy, Brigid

2016-01-01

We have previously generated transgenic cattle with additional copies of bovine β- and κ casein genes. An initial characterisation of milk produced with a hormonally induced lactation from these transgenic cows showed an altered milk composition with elevated β-casein levels and twofold increased κ-casein content. Here we report the first in-depth characterisation of the composition of the enriched casein milk that was produced through a natural lactation. We have analyzed milk from the high expressing transgenic line TG3 for milk composition at early, peak, mid and late lactation. The introduction of additional β- and κ-casein genes resulted in the expected expression of the transgene derived proteins and an associated reduction in the size of the casein micelles. Expression of the transgenes was associated with complex changes in the expression levels of other milk proteins. Two other major milk components were affected, namely fat and micronutrients. In addition, the sialic acid content of the milk was increased. In contrast, the level of lactose remained unchanged. This novel milk with its substantially altered composition will provide insights into the regulatory processes synchronizing the synthesis and assembly of milk components, as well as production of potentially healthier milk with improved dairy processing characteristics. PMID:27876865

A Comparative Study of Six Decades of General Science Textbooks: Evaluating the Evolution of Science Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Anna

2008-01-01

This study examined science textbooks over time to better understand the "science content" expectations that the U.S. educational system deems appropriate for 8th and 9th grade science students. The study attempted to answer the questions: (1) What specific science content has been presented via the textbook from 1952 to 2008? (2) Within…

Pharmaceutical studies of levothyroxine sodium hydrate suppository provided as a hospital preparation.

PubMed

Hamada, Yuhei; Masuda, Kazushi; Okubo, Masato; Nakasa, Hiromitsu; Sekine, Yuko; Ishii, Itsuko

2015-01-01

The levothyroxine sodium hydrate suppository (L-T4-suppository) is provided as a hospital preparation for the treatment of hypothyroid patients with dysphagia in Japan because only oral preparations of levothyroxine sodium (L-T4) are approved for the treatment of hypothyroidism. However, it has been found that serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels do not increase as expected with the hospital preparation, requiring a higher dosage of L-T4 in the L-T4-suppository than in the oral preparations. In this study, to determine an effective thyroid gland hormone-replacement therapy for patients with dysphagia, the pharmaceutical properties of the L-T4-suppository were investigated. Suppositories containing 300 µg L-T4 in a base of Witepsol H-15 and Witepsol E-75 (ratio of 1 : 1) were prepared according to Chiba University Hospital's protocol. Content uniformity, stability, and suppository release were tested. The L-T4-suppository had uniform weight and content. The content and release property were stable over 90 d when the L-T4-suppository was stored at 4 °C and protected from light. The release rate of L-T4 increased as pH increased. However, no L-T4 was released below pH 7.2. The release rate of L-T4 decreased as temperature decreased. These findings suggest that the low level of release of L-T4 in the rectum under physiological conditions may be the cause of the low serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels following L-T4-suppository administration.

Student Expectations of Course Content Affect Faculty Evaluations in an Abnormal Psychology Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bock, Frances A.

1979-01-01

Describes a study measuring how student expectations of an abnormal psychology course affect their rating of professors. Findings showed a significant impact, especially in relation to popularized topics. Recommends evaluative instruments separating course-related factors from instructor ratings. (CK)

Remote detection of air pollution stress to vegetation - Laboratory-level studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Westman, Walter E.; Price, Curtis V.

1987-01-01

An experimental investigation of the role of leaf chemistry, anatomy, moisture content, and canopy density on spectral reflectance in healthy and pollution stressed western conifer needles and broad-leafed species of California coastal sage scrub is presented. Acid mist at a level of pH 2.0 is found to more severely effect chlorophyll loss and leaf death than ozone at a level of 0.2 ppm for a four-week period. Both pollutants cause water loss, affecting Bands 4 and 5 in nonlinear ways. The infrared bands initially rise as free water is lost, and subsequently, scattering and reflectance decline. The net effect is shown to be a reduction in TM 4/3 and a rise in TM 5/4 with pollution stress. Under more severe pollution stresses, the decline of leaf area indices due to accelerated leaf drop accentuates the expected TM 4/3 and TM 5/4 changes.

Health students' expectations of the ideal educational environment: a qualitative research.

PubMed

Aghamolaei, Teamur; Shirazi, Mandana; Dadgaran, Ideh; Shahsavari, Hooman; Ghanbarnejad, Amin

2014-10-01

Educational environment is an important determinant of students' behavior and its elements are associated with academic achievement and course satisfaction. The aim of this study was to determine students' expectations of the ideal educational environment. This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Using a theoretical sampling method, we selected eight students from Health School of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, studying health education, public health, environmental health, occupational health and medical entomology. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used and continued until reaching data saturation. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Students' expectations of the ideal educational environment emerged in four main themes including school atmosphere, teaching, human aspects (with three subthemes including teachers, students, and school staff) and non-human aspects (with two subthemes including educational equipment and physical environment). Educational environment is a multidimensional issue and to achieve an ideal educational environment, educational planners should meet the students' expectations of the school atmosphere, teaching, teachers, students, school staff, educational equipment and physical environment.

False-belief understanding i 2.5-year-olds: evidence for violation-of-expectation change-of-location and unexpected-contents tasks.

PubMed

He, Zijing; Bolz, Matthias; Baillargeon, Renée

2011-03-01

Until recently, it was generally assumed that the ability to attribute false beliefs did not emerge until about 4 years of age. However, recent reports using spontaneous- as opposed to elicited-response tasks have suggested that this ability may be present much earlier. To date, researchers have employed two kinds of spontaneous-response false-belief tasks: violation-of-expectation tasks have been used with infants in the second year of life, and anticipatory-looking tasks have been used with toddlers in the third year of life. In the present research, 2.5-year-old toddlers were tested in violation-of-expectation tasks involving a change-of-location situation (Experiment 1) and an unexpected-contents situation (Experiment 2). Results were positive in both situations, providing the first demonstrations of false-belief understanding in toddlers using violation-of-expectation tasks and, as such, pointing to a consistent and continuous picture of early false-belief understanding.

False-belief understanding in 2.5-year-olds: evidence from violation-of-expectation change-of-location and unexpected-contents tasks

PubMed Central

He, Zijing; Bolz, Matthias; Baillargeon, Renée

2012-01-01

Until recently, it was generally assumed that the ability to attribute false beliefs did not emerge until about 4 years of age. However, recent reports using spontaneous- as opposed to elicited-response tasks have suggested that this ability may be present much earlier. To date, researchers have employed two kinds of spontaneous-response false-belief tasks: violation-of-expectation tasks have been used with infants in the second year of life, and anticipatory-looking tasks have been used with toddlers in the third year of life. In the present research, 2.5-year-old toddlers were tested in violation-of-expectation tasks involving a change-of-location situation (Experiment 1) and an unexpected-contents situation (Experiment 2). Results were positive in both situations, providing the first demonstrations of false-belief understanding in toddlers using violation-of-expectation tasks and, as such, pointing to a consistent and continuous picture of early false-belief understanding. PMID:22213902

Explicit Content Caching at Mobile Edge Networks with Cross-Layer Sensing

PubMed Central

Chen, Lingyu; Su, Youxing; Luo, Wenbin; Hong, Xuemin; Shi, Jianghong

2018-01-01

The deployment density and computational power of small base stations (BSs) are expected to increase significantly in the next generation mobile communication networks. These BSs form the mobile edge network, which is a pervasive and distributed infrastructure that can empower a variety of edge/fog computing applications. This paper proposes a novel edge-computing application called explicit caching, which stores selective contents at BSs and exposes such contents to local users for interactive browsing and download. We formulate the explicit caching problem as a joint content recommendation, caching, and delivery problem, which aims to maximize the expected user quality-of-experience (QoE) with varying degrees of cross-layer sensing capability. Optimal and effective heuristic algorithms are presented to solve the problem. The theoretical performance bounds of the explicit caching system are derived in simplified scenarios. The impacts of cache storage space, BS backhaul capacity, cross-layer information, and user mobility on the system performance are simulated and discussed in realistic scenarios. Results suggest that, compared with conventional implicit caching schemes, explicit caching can better exploit the mobile edge network infrastructure for personalized content dissemination. PMID:29565313

Explicit Content Caching at Mobile Edge Networks with Cross-Layer Sensing.

PubMed

Chen, Lingyu; Su, Youxing; Luo, Wenbin; Hong, Xuemin; Shi, Jianghong

2018-03-22

The deployment density and computational power of small base stations (BSs) are expected to increase significantly in the next generation mobile communication networks. These BSs form the mobile edge network, which is a pervasive and distributed infrastructure that can empower a variety of edge/fog computing applications. This paper proposes a novel edge-computing application called explicit caching, which stores selective contents at BSs and exposes such contents to local users for interactive browsing and download. We formulate the explicit caching problem as a joint content recommendation, caching, and delivery problem, which aims to maximize the expected user quality-of-experience (QoE) with varying degrees of cross-layer sensing capability. Optimal and effective heuristic algorithms are presented to solve the problem. The theoretical performance bounds of the explicit caching system are derived in simplified scenarios. The impacts of cache storage space, BS backhaul capacity, cross-layer information, and user mobility on the system performance are simulated and discussed in realistic scenarios. Results suggest that, compared with conventional implicit caching schemes, explicit caching can better exploit the mobile edge network infrastructure for personalized content dissemination.

End-of-life care content in 50 textbooks from multiple specialties.

PubMed

Rabow, M W; Hardie, G E; Fair, J M; McPhee, S J

2000-02-09

Prior reviews of small numbers of medical textbooks suggest that end-of-life care is not well covered in textbooks. No broad study of end-of-life care content analysis has been performed on textbooks across a wide range of medical, pediatric, psychiatric, and surgical specialties. To determine the quantity and rate the adequacy of information on end-of-life care in textbooks from multiple medical disciplines. DESIGN AND SOURCES: A 1998 review of 50 top-selling textbooks from multiple specialties (cardiology, emergency medicine, family and primary care medicine, geriatrics, infectious disease and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome [AIDS], internal medicine, neurology, oncology and hematology, pediatrics, psychiatry, pulmonary medicine, and surgery) for the presence and adequacy of content in 13 end-of-life care domains. Chapters on diseases commonly causing death and those devoted to end-of-life care were identified, read, rated, and compared by textbook specialty, chapter, and domain for the presence of helpful information in the 13 domains. Content for each domain was rated as absent, minimally present, or helpful. Textbook indexes were analyzed for the number of pages relevant to end-of-life care. Overall, helpful information was provided in 24.1% (range, 8.7%-44.2%) of the expected end-of-life content domains; in 19.1% (range, 6.2%-38.5%), expected content received minimal attention; and in 56.9% (range, 23.1 %-77.9%), expected content was absent. As a group, the textbooks with the highest percentages of absent content were in surgery (71.8%), infectious diseases and AIDS (70%), and oncology and hematology (61.9%). Textbooks with the highest percentage of helpful end-of-life care content were in family medicine (34.4%), geriatrics (34.4%), and psychiatry (29.6%). In internal medicine textbooks, the content domains with the greatest amount of helpful information were epidemiology and natural history. Content domains covered least well were social, spiritual, ethical, and family issues, as well as physician after-death responsibilities. On average, textbook indexes cited 2% of their total pages as pertinent to end-of-life care. Top-selling textbooks generally offered little helpful information on caring for patients at the end of life. Most disease-oriented chapters had no or minimal end-of-life care content. Specialty textbooks with information about particular diseases often did not contain helpful information on caring for patients dying from those diseases.

Drought effects on root and needle terpenoid content of a coastal and an interior Douglas fir provenance.

PubMed

Kleiber, Anita; Duan, Qiuxiao; Jansen, Kirstin; Verena Junker, Laura; Kammerer, Bernd; Rennenberg, Heinz; Ensminger, Ingo; Gessler, Arthur; Kreuzwieser, Jürgen

2017-12-01

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is a conifer species that stores large amounts of terpenoids, mainly monoterpenoids in resin ducts of various tissues. The effects of drought on stored leaf terpenoid concentrations in trees are scarcely studied and published data are partially controversial, since reduced, unaffected or elevated terpenoid contents due to drought have been reported. Even less is known on the effect of drought on root terpenoids. In the present work, we investigated the effect of reduced water availability on the terpenoid content in roots and needles of Douglas fir seedlings. Two contrasting Douglas fir provenances were studied: an interior provenance (var. glauca) with assumed higher drought resistance, and a coastal provenance (var. menziesii) with assumed lower drought resistance. We tested the hypothesis that both provenances show specific patterns of stored terpenoids and that the patterns will change in response to drought in both, needles and roots. We further expected stronger changes in the less drought tolerant coastal provenance. For this purpose, we performed an experiment under controlled conditions, in which the trees were exposed to moderate and severe drought stress. According to our expectations, the study revealed clear provenance-specific terpenoid patterns in needles. However, such patterns were not detected in the roots. Drought slightly increased the needle terpenoid contents of the coastal but not of the interior provenance. We also observed increased terpenoid abundance mainly in roots of the moderately stressed coastal provenance. Overall, from the observed provenance-specific reactions with increased terpenoid levels in trees of the coastal origin in response to drought, we conclude on functions of terpenoids for abiotic stress tolerance that might be fulfilled by other, constitutively expressed mechanisms in drought-adapted interior provenances. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Teaching the Content Subjects to Indochinese Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thuy, Vuong G.

Indochinese children entering American schools face many problems in learning the content area subjects. The problems include the tremendous linguistic barrier, differences in American and Indochinese educational practices, values, expectations, and patterns of thinking, and misplacement in American schools based on the age of Indochinese…

Assessing the Reliability of Material Flow Analysis Results: The Cases of Rhenium, Gallium, and Germanium in the United States Economy.

PubMed

Meylan, Grégoire; Reck, Barbara K; Rechberger, Helmut; Graedel, Thomas E; Schwab, Oliver

2017-10-17

Decision-makers traditionally expect "hard facts" from scientific inquiry, an expectation that the results of material flow analyses (MFAs) can hardly meet. MFA limitations are attributable to incompleteness of flowcharts, limited data quality, and model assumptions. Moreover, MFA results are, for the most part, based less on empirical observation but rather on social knowledge construction processes. Developing, applying, and improving the means of evaluating and communicating the reliability of MFA results is imperative. We apply two recently proposed approaches for making quantitative statements on MFA reliability to national minor metals systems: rhenium, gallium, and germanium in the United States in 2012. We discuss the reliability of results in policy and management contexts. The first approach consists of assessing data quality based on systematic characterization of MFA data and the associated meta-information and quantifying the "information content" of MFAs. The second is a quantification of data inconsistencies indicated by the "degree of data reconciliation" between the data and the model. A high information content and a low degree of reconciliation indicate reliable or certain MFA results. This article contributes to reliability and uncertainty discourses in MFA, exemplifying the usefulness of the approaches in policy and management, and to raw material supply discussions by providing country-level information on three important minor metals often considered critical.

Influence of Age, Thought Content, and Anxiety on Suppression of Intrusive Thoughts

PubMed Central

Beadel, Jessica R.; Green, Jennifer S.; Hosseinbor, Shahrzad; Teachman, Bethany A.

2013-01-01

Understanding differences in responses following attempts to suppress versus simply monitor intrusive thoughts is important given the established relationship between intrusive thinking and numerous forms of psychopathology. Moreover, these differences may vary as a function of age. Because of the links between aging and both enhancement in emotion regulation skills and decline in inhibition skills, older and younger adults were expected to differ in their responses (e.g., experience of negative affect and thought recurrence) to attempts at suppressing intrusive thoughts. This study examined whether efforts to suppress thought content that varied in valence and age-relevance differentially affected older (N = 40, aged 66–92) and younger (N = 42, aged 16–25) adults’ ability to inhibit intrusive thought recurrence and their resulting negative affect. Interestingly, older adults experienced less recurrence for most thoughts than younger adults. Also, for several dependent variables (negative affect and perceived difficulty suppressing intrusive thoughts), older adults showed less decline in their magnitude of response across thinking periods (i.e., from suppression to monitoring) than did younger adults. These age effects were not generally moderated by level of trait anxiety, though higher anxiety did predict intrusive thought responding in expected directions, such as greater negative affect. These findings point to independent influences of age and anxiety, and suggest a complex mix of risk and protective factors for older adults’ responses to intrusive thoughts. PMID:23395408

The Common Core Writing Standards: A Descriptive Study of Content and Alignment with a Sample of Former State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troia, Gary A.; Olinghouse, Natalie G.; Wilson, Joshua; Stewart, Kelly A.; Mo, Ya; Hawkins, Lisa; Kopke, Rachel A.

2016-01-01

Many students do not meet expected standards of writing performance, despite the need for writing competence in and out of school. As policy instruments, writing content standards have an impact on what is taught and how students perform. This study reports findings from an evaluation of the content of a sample of seven diverse states' current…

Nature of Science and Science Content Learning: The Relation between Students' Nature of Science Understanding and Their Learning about the Concept of Energy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michel, Hanno; Neumann, Irene

2016-01-01

Besides viewing knowledge about the nature of science (NOS) as important for its own value with respect to scientific literacy, an adequate understanding of NOS is expected to improve science content learning by fostering the ability to interrelate scientific concepts and, thus, coherently acquire scientific content knowledge. However, there is a…

Professors' Facebook content affects students' perceptions and expectations.

PubMed

Sleigh, Merry J; Smith, Aimee W; Laboe, Jason

2013-07-01

Abstract Facebook users must make choices about level of self-disclosure, and this self-disclosure can influence perceptions of the profile's author. We examined whether the specific type of self-disclosure on a professor's profile would affect students' perceptions of the professor and expectations of his classroom. We created six Facebook profiles for a fictitious male professor, each with a specific emphasis: politically conservative, politically liberal, religious, family oriented, socially oriented, or professional. Undergraduate students randomly viewed one profile and responded to questions that assessed their perceptions and expectations. The social professor was perceived as less skilled but more popular, while his profile was perceived as inappropriate and entertaining. Students reacted more strongly and negatively to the politically focused profiles in comparison to the religious, family, and professional profiles. Students reported being most interested in professional information on a professor's Facebook profile, yet they reported being least influenced by the professional profile. In general, students expressed neutrality about their interest in finding and friending professors on Facebook. These findings suggest that students have the potential to form perceptions about the classroom environment and about their professors based on the specific details disclosed in professors' Facebook profiles.

Update in geriatrics: What geriatric oncology can learn from general geriatric research.

PubMed

Hamaker, Marije E; Prins, Meike; van Huis, Lieke H

2018-01-29

Life expectancy has been steadily increasing for decades and this trend is likely to continue in coming years. In fact, there is more than a 50% probability that by 2030 female life expectancy could break the 90 year barrier, with more than half of the expected gains due to enhanced longevity above the age of 65 years. The resultant aging of societies means that health care will be faced with a rising number of increasingly older patients, who are also likely to have higher levels of multimorbidity. Most issues regarding assessment, prognostication and, management of older patients are not unique to geriatric oncology and thus there is opportunity to learn from progress in other fields. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on research, reviews, and debate in general geriatrics that may be relevant to clinicians and researchers active in geriatric oncology. The selection of topics was based on a general search of the table of contents of widely read geriatrics and internal medicine journals, and includes geriatric co-management, improving research for older patients, caregiver issues, eliciting patient preferences, and shared-decision making. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positron annihilation spectroscopic study of high performance semi-interpenetrating network polyimids

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

Ray, A.K.

1995-12-01

Semi-interpenetrating (S-IPN) network polyimids were made from different proportions of LaRC RP46 (a thermosetpolyimid) and LaRC BDTA-ODA (a thermoplastic polyimid). The ultimate goal of this networking is to improve the mechanical properties of the thermoset polyimid. Positron lifetime study was made to calculate lifetime based on second component of the life time spectra and the free volume & microvoid size. All these properties tend to decrease steadily with increasing thermoset content except at the 50 percent thermoset level where these properties show sudden drop. This result contradicts with the initial expectation that the blend properties should change gradually if itmore » were a solid solution of thermoset (TSP) and thermoplastic (TPP) components. Thermal analyses (TMA, DSC, DMA & TGA) were run to complement the positron life time studies. The TMA and DSC studies confirm the contradiction mentioned above. Further experimentation with S-IPN polymers made at TSP/TTP content around 50/50 level are being conducted to explain this anomaly. Scanning electron microscope study of the S-IPN polyimid samples is under way in order to detect morphological differences which might help explain the phenomenon mentioned above.« less

Ocean acidification reduces transfer of essential biomolecules in a natural plankton community

PubMed Central

Bermúdez, J. Rafael; Riebesell, Ulf; Larsen, Aud; Winder, Monika

2016-01-01

Ocean acidification (OA), a process of increasing seawater acidity caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) by the ocean, is expected to change surface ocean pH to levels unprecedented for millions of years, affecting marine food web structures and trophic interactions. Using an in situ mesocosm approach we investigated effects of OA on community composition and trophic transfer of essential fatty acids (FA) in a natural plankton assemblage. Elevated pCO2 favored the smallest phytoplankton size class in terms of biomass, primarily picoeukaryotes, at the expense of chlorophyta and haptophyta in the nano-plankton size range. This shift in community composition and size structure was accompanied by a decline in the proportion of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) to total FA content in the nano- and picophytoplankton size fractions. This decline was mirrored in a continuing reduction in the relative PUFA content of the dominant copepod, Calanus finmarchicus, which primarily fed on the nano-size class. Our results demonstrate that a shift in phytoplankton community composition and biochemical composition in response to rising CO2 can affect the transfer of essential compounds to higher trophic levels, which rely on their prey as a source for essential macromolecules. PMID:27324057

Disconnections between Teacher Expectations and Student Confidence in Bioethics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanegan, Nikki L.; Price, Laura; Peterson, Jeremy

2008-01-01

This study examines how student practice of scientific argumentation using socioscientific bioethics issues affects both teacher expectations of students' general performance and student confidence in their own work. When teachers use bioethical issues in the classroom students can gain not only biology content knowledge but also important…

Supporting Mathematics Instruction through Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amidon, Joel C.; Trevathan, Morgan L.

2016-01-01

Raising expectations is nothing new. Every iteration of standards elevates the expectations for what students should know and be able to do. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) is no exception, with standards for content and practice that move beyond memorization of traditional algorithms to "make sense of problems and…

Owners and Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom Disagree about What Should Happen during a Small Animal Vaccination Consultation.

PubMed

Belshaw, Zoe; Robinson, Natalie J; Dean, Rachel S; Brennan, Marnie L

2018-01-18

Dog and cat vaccination consultations are a common part of small animal practice in the United Kingdom. Few data are available describing what happens during those consultations or what participants think about their content. The aim of this novel study was to investigate the attitudes of dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons towards the content of small animal vaccination consultations. Telephone interviews with veterinary surgeons and pet owners captured rich qualitative data. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key themes. This study reports the theme describing attitudes towards the content of the consultation. Diverse preferences exist for what should be prioritised during vaccination consultations, and mismatched expectations may lead to negative experiences. Vaccination consultations for puppies and kittens were described to have a relatively standardised structure with an educational and preventative healthcare focus. In contrast, adult pet vaccination consultations were described to focus on current physical health problems with only limited discussion of preventative healthcare topics. This first qualitative exploration of UK vaccination consultation expectations suggests that the content and consistency of adult pet vaccination consultations may not meet the needs or expectations of all participants. Redefining preventative healthcare to include all preventable conditions may benefit owners, pets and veterinary surgeons, and may help to provide a clearer structure for adult pet vaccination consultations. This study represents a significant advance our understanding of this consultation type.

[Patients' assessment of the importance of measures relevant for treatment in lumbar disc herniations and their satisfaction--a prospective study].

PubMed

Winking, M; Niewöhner, L; Nestler, U; Böker, D K

2001-01-01

In modern health system hospital is integral part of patients treatment. The hospital competes with an ubiquitous medical supply of adjacent institutions and general doctors. As a part of the medical supply chain a hospital may not exist as an "island" itself. Necessity in health politics and economics leads to image and advertisement strategies for a long term survival of hospitals. An analysis of medical output in patients treatment will build the basis for future development and strategies. By a questionnaire 170 patients suffering from a lumbar disc herniation were asked before starting medical treatment about their expectations and at the end of hospitalisation about their contentment with their stay in hospital. The very high expectations in medical treatment and nursing were fulfilled by the clinical staff. Here all patients were much more content they expected priorly. But the patients valued a distinct deficit in contentment in the co-treatment by other clinical faculties of the hospital. The reason of these results were explained by big distances inside the hospital and long time waiting between medical examinations. Our results show that intensive care by physicians and nurses increase contentment of patients. An additional improvement of patients judgement about hospital services will be possible by introduction of a routine co-treatment of other medical faculties.

Food portion size area mediates energy effects on expected anxiety in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Herzog, Musya; Douglas, Christopher R; Kissileff, Harry R; Brunstrom, Jeffrey M; Halmi, Katherine Ann

2017-05-01

A study in which adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa (n = 24) rated their expected food-anxiety in response to images of portions of food (potatoes, rice pizza, and M&Ms) showed that lower energy-dense foods elicited higher expected anxiety per kilocalorie than higher energy-dense foods. However, the area of the portion sizes could be an unmeasured variable driving the anxiety response. To test the hypothesis that area mediates the effects of energy content on expected anxiety, the same images of portions were measured in area (cm 2 ), and standardized values of expected anxiety were regressed from standardized values of energy and area of portions. With regression of expected anxiety from portion size in area, M&Ms, which had the highest energy density of the four foods, elicited the highest expected anxiety slope (β = 1.75), which was significantly different from the expected anxiety slopes of the other three foods (β range = 0.67 - 0.96). Area was confirmed as a mediator of energy effects from loss of significance of the slopes when area was added to the regression of expected anxiety from energy x food. When expected anxiety was regressed from food, area, energy and area by energy interaction, area accounted for 5.7 times more variance than energy, and β for area (0.7) was significantly larger (by 0.52, SE = 0.15, t = 3.4, p = 0.0007) than β for energy (0.19). Area could be a learned cue for the energy content of food portions, and thus, for weight gain potential, which triggers anxiety in patients with anorexia nervosa. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Sheltered Instruction on Struggling Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norwood, Stephanie Deneen

2012-01-01

The consequences of less than proficient reading skills are well documented. In educational settings, as children progress through the grades, the expectation that they acquire content knowledge through reading continually increases. However, many children lack the proficient reading skills that would enable them to acquire content knowledge…

Hepatic CYP1A levels and EROD activity in English sole: biomonitoring of marine contaminants in Vancouver Harbour.

PubMed

Miller, K A; Addison, R F; Bandiera, S M

2004-01-01

To assess chemical contaminant stress in the marine environment, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity and cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) expression were measured in 88 English Sole (Pleuronectes vetulus) collected during May and June 1999 from four sites in Vancouver Harbour and at an expected reference site outside the harbour. Hepatic microsomes were prepared from the fish and analyzed for total CYP content, EROD activity, and CYP1A protein levels. Hepatic EROD activity and CYP1A protein levels were elevated in fish from two sites in the inner harbour. A comparison with sediment chemistry data showed that fish with increased EROD activity and CYP1A levels came from sites containing relatively high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls. Unexpectedly high levels of EROD activity and CYP1A protein were also found in fish from a reference site near Gibsons, in Howe Sound. The elevated EROD activity and CYP1A expression in fish from this site cannot be explained by the chemical analysis data collected.

The effects of low level microwaves on the fluidity of photoreceptor cell membrane.

PubMed

Pologea-Moraru, Roxana; Kovacs, Eugenia; Iliescu, Karina Roxana; Calota, Violeta; Sajin, Gheorghe

2002-05-15

Due to the extensive use of electromagnetic fields in everyday life, more information is required for the detection of mechanisms of interaction and the possible side effects of electromagnetic radiation on the structure and function of the organism. In this paper, we study the effects of low-power microwaves (2.45 GHz) on the membrane fluidity of rod photoreceptor cells. The retina is expected to be very sensitive to microwave irradiation due to the polar character of the photoreceptor cells [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1273 (1995) 217] as well as to its high water content [Stud. Biophys. 81 (1981) 39].

Polyphenolic content, antiradical activity, stability and microbiological quality of elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) extracts.

PubMed

Pliszka, Barbara

2017-01-01

The pharmaceutical and food industries expect detailed knowledge on the physicochemical properties of elderberry fruit extracts, their stability and microbiological quality, as well as the polyphenol content in elderberry cultivars. The characteristics of the extracts might be additionally modified by citric acid, which improves the stability of anthocyanins and protects processed fruits and syrups from pathogenic microorganisms. The choice of the method with citric acid was a consequence of the physicochemical charac teristics of elderberry pigments, which are not stable under the effect of light in alcoholic solutions. The aim of study was to analyze the properties of elderberry fruit extracts regarding polyphenol content and antiradical activity, as well as their stability and microbiological quality. The plant material consisted of fruit from four cultivars (Alleso, Korsor, Sampo, Samyl) of black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.). The following were determined in fruit extracts: polyphe- nolic content (HPLC), antiradical activity (ABTS and DPPH) and stability and microbiological quality. The HPLC analysis of polyphenols demonstrated that the extracts from fruits collected from cv. Samyl had the highest 3-sambubioside cyanidin content and those from cv. Korsor contained the highest quantity of 3-glucoside cyanidin. The extracts from cv. Sampo fruit had a dominant 3-sambubioside-5-gluco- side cyanidin and 3,5-diglucoside cyanidin content. The highest quercetin (5.92 mg 100 mg-1 of extract) and caffeic acid (1.21 mg 100 mg-1 of extract) content was found in fruit extracts from cv. Alleso. The cultivars Samyl and Korsor had a higher level of anthocyanins and higher antiradical activity (ABTS) in fruit extracts than cv. Alleso and Sampo. The antiradical activity (DPPH) of fruit extracts from elderberry cultivars as- sessed in this research was similar. The degradation index for all fruit extracts was similar (DI = 1.035). The microbiological species detected in extracts were classified as moulds (Penicillum sp., Aspergillus sp.) and yeasts (Rhodotorula sp., Torulopsis sp., Trichosporon sp., Saccharomyces sp.). The research findings may support the selection of certain cultivars for industrial applications. The high stability of anthocyanins and low level of microbiological impurities in elderberry extracts ensure the high quality of such a raw material in food and pharmaceutical processing.

Tracing artificial trans fat in popular foods in Europe: a market basket investigation.

PubMed

Stender, Steen; Astrup, Arne; Dyerberg, Jørn

2014-05-20

To minimise the intake of industrial artificial trans fat (I-TF), nearly all European countries rely on food producers to voluntarily reduce the I-TF content in food. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of this strategy on I-TF content in prepackaged biscuits/cakes/wafers in 2012-2013 in 20 European countries. The I-TF content was assessed in a market basket investigation. Three large supermarkets were visited in each capital, and in some countries, three additional ethnic shops were included. A total of 598 samples of biscuits/cakes/wafers with 'partially hydrogenated vegetable fat' or a similar term high on the list of ingredients were analysed, 312 products had more than 2% of fat as I-TF, exceeding the legislatively determined I-TF limit in Austria and Denmark; the mean (SD) was 19 (7)%. In seven countries, no I-TF was found, whereas nine predominantly Eastern European countries had products with very high I-TF content, and the remaining four countries had intermediate levels. Of the five countries that were examined using the same procedure as in 2006, three had unchanged I-TF levels in 2013, and two had lower levels. The 18 small ethnic shops examined in six Western European countries sold 83 products. The mean (SD) was 23 (12)% of the fat as I-TF, all imported from countries in Balkan. In Sweden, this type of food imported from Balkan was also available in large supermarkets. The findings suggest that subgroups of the population in many countries in Europe still consume I-TF in amounts that increase their risk of coronary heart disease. Under current European Union (EU) legislation, the sale of products containing I-TF is legal but conflicts with the WHO recommendation to minimise the intake of I-TF. An EU-legislative limit on I-TF content in foods is expected to be an effective strategy to achieve this goal. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Applications of 2D to 3D conversion for educational purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koido, Yoshihisa; Morikawa, Hiroyuki; Shiraishi, Saki; Takeuchi, Soya; Maruyama, Wataru; Nakagori, Toshio; Hirakata, Masataka; Shinkai, Hirohisa; Kawai, Takashi

2013-03-01

There are three main approaches creating stereoscopic S3D content: stereo filming using two cameras, stereo rendering of 3D computer graphics, and 2D to S3D conversion by adding binocular information to 2D material images. Although manual "off-line" conversion can control the amount of parallax flexibly, 2D material images are converted according to monocular information in most cases, and the flexibility of 2D to S3D conversion has not been exploited. If the depth is expressed flexibly, comprehensions and interests from converted S3D contents are anticipated to be differed from those from 2D. Therefore, in this study we created new S3D content for education by applying 2D to S3D conversion. For surgical education, we created S3D surgical operation content under a surgeon using a partial 2D to S3D conversion technique which was expected to concentrate viewers' attention on significant areas. And for art education, we converted Ukiyoe prints; traditional Japanese artworks made from a woodcut. The conversion of this content, which has little depth information, into S3D, is expected to produce different cognitive processes from those evoked by 2D content, e.g., the excitation of interest, and the understanding of spatial information. In addition, the effects of the representation of these contents were investigated.

Predictions of Daily Milk and Fat Yields, Major Groups of Fatty Acids, and C18:1 cis-9 from Single Milking Data without a Milking Interval

PubMed Central

Arnould, Valérie M. R.; Reding, Romain; Bormann, Jeanne; Gengler, Nicolas; Soyeurt, Hélène

2015-01-01

Simple Summary Reducing the frequency of milk recording decreases the costs of official milk recording. However, this approach can negatively affect the accuracy of predicting daily yields. Equations to predict daily yield from morning or evening data were developed in this study for fatty milk components from traits recorded easily by milk recording organizations. The correlation values ranged from 96.4% to 97.6% (96.9% to 98.3%) when the daily yields were estimated from the morning (evening) milkings. The simplicity of the proposed models which do not include the milking interval should facilitate their use by breeding and milk recording organizations. Abstract Reducing the frequency of milk recording would help reduce the costs of official milk recording. However, this approach could also negatively affect the accuracy of predicting daily yields. This problem has been investigated in numerous studies. In addition, published equations take into account milking intervals (MI), and these are often not available and/or are unreliable in practice. The first objective of this study was to propose models in which the MI was replaced by a combination of data easily recorded by dairy farmers. The second objective was to further investigate the fatty acids (FA) present in milk. Equations to predict daily yield from AM or PM data were based on a calibration database containing 79,971 records related to 51 traits [milk yield (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily); fat content (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily); fat yield (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily; g/day); levels of seven different FAs or FA groups (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily; g/dL milk), and the corresponding FA yields for these seven FA types/groups (expected AM, expected PM, and expected daily; g/day)]. These equations were validated using two distinct external datasets. The results obtained from the proposed models were compared to previously published results for models which included a MI effect. The corresponding correlation values ranged from 96.4% to 97.6% when the daily yields were estimated from the AM milkings and ranged from 96.9% to 98.3% when the daily yields were estimated from the PM milkings. The simplicity of these proposed models should facilitate their use by breeding and milk recording organizations. PMID:26479379

The moral obligation to create children with the best chance of the best life.

PubMed

Savulescu, Julian; Kahane, Guy

2009-06-01

According to what we call the Principle of Procreative Beneficence (PB),couples who decide to have a child have a significant moral reason to select the child who, given his or her genetic endowment, can be expected to enjoy the most well-being. In the first part of this paper, we introduce PB,explain its content, grounds, and implications, and defend it against various objections. In the second part, we argue that PB is superior to competing principles of procreative selection such as that of procreative autonomy.In the third part of the paper, we consider the relation between PB and disability. We develop a revisionary account of disability, in which disability is a species of instrumental badness that is context- and person-relative.Although PB instructs us to aim to reduce disability in future children whenever possible, it does not privilege the normal. What matters is not whether future children meet certain biological or statistical norms, but what level of well-being they can be expected to have.

Policy and Advocacy Concepts and Processes: Innovative Content in Early Childhood Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollingsworth, Heidi L.; Knight-McKenna, Mary; Bryan, Ren

2016-01-01

Knowledge and skills regarding policy and advocacy are important expectations for today's early childhood workforce, yet policy and advocacy content and processes have not traditionally been emphasized in teacher preparation programmes. This article describes an innovative undergraduate course that goes beyond traditional foci on developmental…

Guidelines for Effective Teleconference Presentations in Continuing Medical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raszkowski, Robert R.; Chute, Alan G.

Designing teleconference programs for the physician learner puts unique demands on the teleconferencing medium. Typically, physicians expect a 1-hour lecture presentation with high information density. To effectively present the medical content material in an audio medium, strategies which structure and organize the content material are necessary.…

Does Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge Affect Their Fluency Instruction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van den Hurk, H. T. G.; Houtveen, A. A. M.; Van de Grift, W. J. C. M.

2017-01-01

The relation is studied between teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of reading and the quality of their subsequent classroom behaviour in teaching fluent reading. A confirmatory factor analysis model with two latent variables is tested and shows adequate goodness-of-fit indices. Contrary to our expectations, the results of structural equation…

A Practical Guide for Building a Digital Library: User-Focused Collection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Qin; Guevara, Sophia

2009-01-01

With changing user expectations, many libraries are moving toward digital content. Accessible from anywhere at any time, digital content provides users with efficient, on-demand information experiences. Accordingly, librarians are presented with challenges and opportunities to build, manage, and implement outreach strategies that promote their…

Content, Pedagogy, and Learning Outcomes in the International Marketing Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crittenden, Victoria L.; Wilson, Elizabeth J.

2005-01-01

The early internationalization of business school curricula was in response to corporate needs and expectations, and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) fostered changes by instituting accreditation outcomes that focused upon international content in the curriculum. By the late 1990s, a course in…

ARTISTIC Critique: A Practical Approach to Viewing Dance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Typhani

2013-01-01

Content Literacy, 21st Century Skills, and Common Core Standards are quickly becoming the buzz of current public education initiatives. As these new policies dictate educational reform, public schools are hustling to find meaning, definition, and accountability for these future expectations. Content literacy goes beyond the ability to read and…

Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Mathematical Modelling Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Liang Soon; Ang, Keng Cheng

2012-01-01

This paper posits that teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in mathematical modelling instruction can be demonstrated in the crafting of action plans and expected teaching and learning moves via their lesson images (Schoenfeld, 1998). It can also be developed when teachers shape appropriate teaching moves in response to students' learning…

Instructor Reputation: An Expectancy Relationship Involving Student Ratings and Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Raymond P.

1979-01-01

Instructor expressiveness and lecture content were combined with instructor reputation in a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design to assess interaction effects. Results indicated that reputation interacted with expressiveness but not content, in which students rated positive, high-expressive instructors more favorably than negative, high-expressive…

African American Families’ Expectations and Intentions for Mental Health Services

PubMed Central

Thompson, Richard; Dancy, Barbara L.; Wiley, Tisha R.A.; Najdowski, Cynthia J.; Perry, Sylvia P.; Wallis, Jason; Mekawi, Yara; Knafl, Kathleen

2012-01-01

A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with, and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans’ engagement in mental health services. PMID:22791083

African American families' expectations and intentions for mental health services.

PubMed

Thompson, Richard; Dancy, Barbara L; Wiley, Tisha R A; Najdowski, Cynthia J; Perry, Sylvia P; Wallis, Jason; Mekawi, Yara; Knafl, Kathleen A

2013-09-01

A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with, and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans' engagement in mental health services.

Excess boron responsive regulations of antioxidative mechanism at physio-biochemical and molecular levels in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Kayıhan, Doğa Selin; Kayıhan, Ceyhun; Çiftçi, Yelda Özden

2016-12-01

This work was aimed to evaluate the effect of boron (B) toxicity on oxidative damage level, non-enzymatic antioxidant accumulation such as anthocyanin, flavonoid and proline and expression levels of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) and their respective activities as well as expression levels of miR398 and miR408 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plants were germinated and grown on MS medium containing 1 mM B (1B) and 3 mM B (3B) for 14 d. Toxic B led to a decrease of photosynthetic pigments and an increase in accumulation of total soluble and insoluble sugars in accordance with phenotypically viewed chlorosis of seedlings through increasing level of B concentration. Along with these inhibitions, a corresponding increase in contents of flavonoid, anthocyanin and proline occurred that provoked oxidative stress tolerance. 3B caused a remarkable increase in total SOD activity whereas the activities of APX, GR and CAT remained unchanged as verified by expected increase in H 2 O 2 content. In contrast to GR, the coincidence was found between the expressions of SOD and APX genes and their respective activities. 1B induced mir398 expression, whereas 3B did not cause any significant change in expression of mir408 and mir398. Expression levels of GR genes were coordinately regulated with DHAR2 expression. Moreover, the changes in expression level of MDAR2 was in accordance with changes in APX6 expression and total APX activity, indicating fine-tuned regulation of ascorbate-glutathione cycle which might trigger antioxidative responses against B toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The use of Subject Matter Experts in Validating an Oral Health-Related Quality of Life measure in Korean.

PubMed

Seo, Jaesung; MacEntee, Michael; Brondani, Mario

2015-09-04

This paper aimed to employ subject matter experts (SMEs) to assess the extent to which the Korean version of the short-form of the OHIP (OHIP-14 K) is culturally valid and equivalent in Korean. We approached 17 bilingual Korean SMEs from which 10 independently rated the clarity, relevance, and cultural equivalence of the OHIP-14 K. SME's varied between 10 and 41 years of clinical experience and were mostly males (# 7). We used Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI) to gauge the proportion of SMEs who considered the content of OHIP items (e.g., instruction, response format, etc.) to be culturally valid. We also performed additional analysis to determine the level of agreement between the SMEs. The experts rated most of the items to be clear (S-CVI = 0.93) while having difficulties in assigning relevance of the questions to the expected domains (S-CVI = 0.42). Moreover, considerable disagreement existed among the experts in regard to the relevance (Kfree = 0.19 to 1.00) and the cultural equivalence indexes (ADM = 0.36 to 0.96). The content of the OHIP-14 K for the most part clearly reproduced the language of the original OHIP-14. However, experts disagreed on the relevance and conceptual equivalence of the OHIP-14 K for a Korean population. Patient-oriented outcome measures such as the OHIP can be used across cultures once there are indeed assessing the same domains and constructs of interest. The CVI technique seems to be an alternative tool for evaluating content validity and equivalency of an OHQoL measure. A more refined, culturally relevant version of OHIP-14 K was proposed although there is no available data yet to support a better score validity, reliability and responsiveness of this proposed version.

Consumer choice of on-demand mHealth app services: Context and contents values using structural equation modeling.

PubMed

Lee, Euehun; Han, Semi; Jo, Sang Hyun

2017-01-01

As smartphone penetration increases and the technology advances, various mobile services have reached the market. mHealth Applications are specifically highlighted for phenomena such as global aging & well-being, but the technology-driven mHealth services have not been successful in the market because consumer needs have not been reflected in the services properly. This study developed a research model consisting of context/contents values to explain the intention of consumers over the age of 40 in using mHealth Applications. To carry out this research, an online survey was conducted of mHealth Application users and recognizers in South Korea who are over 40 years old. 313 respondents gave usable data; those data were analyzed via a structural equation model. Context values (health stress, epistemic) produce an effect on contents values and contents values (convenience, usefulness), excepting reassurance and enjoyment, positively affect the intention to use mHealth Applications. The findings indicate that people who are stressed out about their health and are interested in new ways to control their health think that mHealth Applications are very convenient and useful because people can manage their health at home or at the office, even when they cannot go to a hospital. However, they feel that the current level of service does not provide reassurance. The level of service is behind people's expectations. Hence, a market-oriented approach that can determine user needs, specifically in terms of the reassurance value in the mHealth service field, is needed to develop mHealth Applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial patterns of soil nutrients and groundwater levels within the Debre Mawi watershed of the Ethiopian highlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzman, Christian; Tilahun, Seifu; Dagnew, Dessalegn; Zegeye, Assefe; Tebebu, Tigist; Yitaferu, Birru; Steenhuis, Tammo

2015-04-01

Persistent patterns of erosion have emerged in the Ethiopian highlands leading to soil and water conservation practices being implemented throughout the countryside. A common concern is the loss of soil fertility and loss of soil water. This study investigates the spatial patterns of soil nutrients and water table depths in a small sub-watershed in the northwestern Ethiopian highlands. NPK, a particularly important group of nutrients for inorganic fertilizer considerations, did not follow a consistent trend as a group along and across slope and land use transects. Whereas nitrogen content was greatest in the upslope regions (~0.1% TN), available phosphorus had comparably similar content in the different slope regions throughout the watershed (~2.7 mg/kg). The exchangeable cations (K, Ca, Mg) did increase in content in a downslope direction (in most cases though, they were highest in the middle region) but not consistently later in the season. On average, calcium (40 cmol/kg), magnesium (5 cmol/kg), and potassium (0.5 cmol/kg) were orders of magnitudes different in content. The perched water table in different areas of the watershed showed a very distinct trend. The lower part of the sub-watershed had shallower levels of water table depths (less than 10 cm from the surface) than did the upper parts of the sub-watershed (usually greater than 120 cm from the surface). The middle part of the sub-watershed had water table depths located at 40 to 70 cm below the surface. These results show how the landscape slope position and land use may be important for planning where and when soil nutrients and water would be expected to be appropriately "conserved" or stored.

Reading the Leaves’ Palm: Leaf Traits and Herbivory along the Microclimatic Gradient of Forest Layers

PubMed Central

Entling, Martin H.; Mantilla-Contreras, Jasmin

2017-01-01

Microclimate in different positions on a host plant has strong direct effects on herbivores. But little is known about indirect effects due to changes of leaf traits. We hypothesized that herbivory increases from upper canopy to lower canopy and understory due to a combination of direct and indirect pathways. Furthermore, we hypothesized that herbivory in the understory differs between tree species in accordance with their leaf traits. We investigated herbivory by leaf chewing insects along the vertical gradient of mixed deciduous forest stands on the broad-leaved tree species Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech) with study sites located along a 140 km long transect. Additionally, we studied juvenile Acer pseudoplatanus L. (sycamore maple) and Carpinus betulus L. (hornbeam) individuals within the understory as a reference of leaf traits in the same microclimate. Lowest levels of herbivory were observed in upper canopies, where temperatures were highest. Temperature was the best predictor for insect herbivory across forest layers in our study. However, the direction was opposite to the generally known positive relationship. Herbivory also varied between the three tree species with lowest levels for F. sylvatica. Leaf carbon content was highest for F. sylvatica and probably indicates higher amounts of phenolic defense compounds. We conclude that the effect of temperature must have been indirect, whereby the expected higher herbivory was suppressed due to unfavorable leaf traits (lower nitrogen content, higher toughness and carbon content) of upper canopy leaves compared to the understory. PMID:28099483

Molecular and agro-morphological characterization of ancient wheat landraces of turkey.

PubMed

Gurcan, Kahraman; Demirel, Fatih; Tekin, Mehmet; Demirel, Serap; Akar, Taner

2017-11-14

Turkey is one of the important gene centers for many crop species. In this research, some ancient wheats such as tetraploid and diploid hulled wheats together with hexaploid tir wheats (Triticum aestivum ssp. leucospermum Korn.) landraces mainly adapted to harsh winter conditions of Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey were characterized at agro-morphological and molecular level. Totally 50 hulled wheat population from Kastamonu, Konya and Kayseri provinces and 15 tir wheats from Kars provinces of Turkey were in-situ collected for characterization in 2013. Some quantitative and qualitative traits of each population were determined. Twenty three hulled wheat population collected from Kastamonu province were distinguished into nine emmer and 14 einkorn wheats at morphological level. Additionally, Konya, Kayseri and Kars population were characterized as einkorn, emmer and tir wheat, respectively. Among the evaluated traits, protein ratios of hulled wheats were strikingly higher than registered cultivars. All the populations were also examined by molecular level by using fluorescently labelled 11 polymorphic SSRs primers. The primers exhibited 104 bands, ranging from 6 to 16 with a mean value 9.45 per loci. The clustering analysis separated the germplasm into two clusters which were also divided into two subclusters based on genetic similarity coefficient. Sixty-five population and five checks were analyzed to estimate mean number of alleles (N), expected and observed heterozygoties (He and Ho), polymorphism information content (PIC), Wright fix index (F), genetic deviation from Hardy-Weinberg expectation (Fit-Fis) and genetic variation (Fst) were determined as 9.45, 0.71, 0.07, 0.67, 0.90, 0.39, 0.87 and 0.39, respectively. A clear genetic deviation from Hardy - Weinberg expectation was observed among population in particular. These results showed considerable genetic variation among landraces rather than within population. These molecular information has revealed genetically diverse einkorn, emmer wheat and tir wheat population could be used as parents for further breeding studies in both Turkey and abroad. Furthermore, the molecular analysis has also generally discriminated the germplasm into ploidy level.

Responding to a Relevance Imperative in School Science and Mathematics: Humanising the Curriculum Through Story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darby-Hobbs, Linda

2013-02-01

There has been a recent push to reframe curriculum and pedagogy in ways that make school more meaningful and relevant to students' lives and perceived needs. This `relevance imperative' is evident in contemporary rhetoric surrounding quality education, and particularly in relation to the junior secondary years where student disengagement with schooling continues to abate. This paper explores how teachers translate this imperative into their mathematics and science teaching. Interview data and critical incidents from classroom practice are used to explore how six teachers attempted to make the subject matter meaningful for their students. Four `Categories of Meaning Making' emerged, highlighting key differences in how the nature of science and mathematics content constrained or enabled linkages between content and students' lifeworlds. While the teachers demonstrated a commitment to humanising the subject at some level, this analysis has shown that expecting teachers to make the curriculum relevant is not unproblematic because the meaning of relevance as a construct is complex, subject-specific, and embedded in understanding the human dimensions of learning, using, and identifying with, content. Through an examination of the construct of relevance and a humanistic turn in mathematics and science literature I argue for an expanded notion of relevance.

Educating the educators at Hue Medical College, Hue, Viet Nam.

PubMed

Pron, A L; Zygmont, D; Bender, P; Black, K

2008-06-01

In June 2005, four faculty members from Temple University, Philadelphia, USA, conducted a nursing educator workshop in Hue, Viet Nam. Didactic and clinical instruction addressed paediatric, maternity, psychiatric and surgical nursing content as well as instructional methods and student evaluation techniques. This educator workshop was requested as means of increasing the professionalization of nursing in Viet Nam. Student nurses in Viet Nam are taught by physician-faculty. Between the cultural and economic factors that contribute to the current status and practice of nursing in Viet Nam and the lack of nurse educator role models, the nursing profession has many obstacles to overcome in their quest for increased autonomy. During the workshop, in addition to modelling interactive teaching methods as they taught the classroom and clinical content, these authors also demonstrated the level of knowledge expected of nurses in the USA. Despite much advance planning for this workshop, there were many challenges for the USA faculty. Some of the lessons learned which might help others included having a sense of humour, maintaining flexibility in teaching styles and content, being prepared for the cultural and religious influences on health care, and utilizing all of one's nursing skills to find creative solutions when teaching nursing in another country.

Developmental Differences in Recall and Recognition: The Relationship between Rehearsal and Memory as Test Expectation Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naus, Mary J.; And Others

1977-01-01

An overt rehearsal procedure was used to study the relationship between 48 third- and 48 sixth-grade children's rehearsal strategies and their memory performance under difficult conditions of test expectation. This study addressed the question of why active rehearsal content results in superior recall performances. (MS)

The Mathematics Syllabus and Adult Learners in Community Colleges: Integrating Technique with Content.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Robert N.

2001-01-01

Presents a brief discussion of the challenges presented to mathematics education by changes in social dependence on mathematics, in professional response to the needs of students, in institutional expectations of students and teachers, and in student demographics and expectations. Provides an extended outline for a syllabus used to clearly…

Electronic Reading and Digital Library Technologies: Understanding Learner Expectation and Usage Intent for Mobile Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyman, Jack A.; Moser, Mary T.; Segala, Laura N.

2014-01-01

Mobile information technology is changing the education landscape by offering learners the opportunity to engage in asynchronous, ubiquitous instruction. While there is a proliferation of mobile content management systems being developed for the mobile Web and stand-alone mobile applications, few studies have addressed learner expectations and…

Pre-existent expectancy effects in the relationship between caffeine and performance.

PubMed

Elliman, Nicola A; Ash, Jennifer; Green, Michael W

2010-10-01

The present study investigated the impact of pre-existent expectancy regarding the effects of the caffeine load of a drink and the perception of the caffeine content on subjective mood and vigilance performance. Caffeine deprived participants (N=25) were tested in four conditions (within subjects design), using a 2×2 design, with caffeine load and information regarding the caffeine content of the drink. In two sessions, they were given caffeinated coffee and in two were given decaffeinated coffee. Within these two conditions, on one occasion they were given accurate information about the drink and on the other they were given inaccurate information about the drink. Mood and vigilance performance were assessed post ingestion. Caffeine was found to enhance performance, but only when participants were accurately told they were receiving it. When decaffeinated coffee was given, performance was poorer, irrespective of expectancy. However, when caffeine was given, but participants were told it was decaffeinated coffee, performance was as poor as when no caffeine had been administered. There were no easily interpretable effects on mood. The pharmacological effects of caffeine appear to act synergistically with expectancy.

Health students’ expectations of the ideal educational environment: a qualitative research

PubMed Central

AGHAMOLAEI, TEAMUR; SHIRAZI, MANDANA; DADGARAN, IDEH; SHAHSAVARI, HOOMAN; GHANBARNEJAD, AMIN

2014-01-01

Introduction: Educational environment is an important determinant of students’ behavior and its elements are associated with academic achievement and course satisfaction. The aim of this study was to determine students’ expectations of the ideal educational environment. Methods: This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Using a theoretical sampling method, we selected eight students from Health School of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, studying health education, public health, environmental health, occupational health and medical entomology. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used and continued until reaching data saturation. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Students' expectations of the ideal educational environment emerged in four main themes including school atmosphere, teaching, human aspects (with three subthemes including teachers, students, and school staff) and non-human aspects (with two subthemes including educational equipment and physical environment). Conclusion: Educational environment is a multidimensional issue and to achieve an ideal educational environment, educational planners should meet the students' expectations of the school atmosphere, teaching, teachers, students, school staff, educational equipment and physical environment. PMID:25512939

Docosahexaenoic acid prevents paraquat-induced reactive oxygen species production in dopaminergic neurons via enhancement of glutathione homeostasis

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

Lee, Hyoung Jun; Han, Jeongsu; Jang, Yunseon

Highlights: • DHA prevents PQ-induced dopaminergic neuronal loss via decreasing of excessive ROS. • DHA increases GR and GCLm derivate GSH pool by enhancement of Nrf2 expression. • Protective mechanism is removal of PQ-induced ROS via DHA-dependent GSH pool. • DHA may be a good preventive strategy for Parkinson’s disease (PD) therapy. - Abstract: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels are reduced in the substantia nigra area in Parkinson’s disease patients and animal models, implicating docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as a potential treatment for preventing Parkinson’s disease and suggesting the need for investigations into how DHA might protect against neurotoxin-induced dopaminergic neuronmore » loss. The herbicide paraquat (PQ) induces dopaminergic neuron loss through the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We found that treatment of dopaminergic SN4741 cells with PQ reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, but pretreatment with DHA ameliorated the toxic effect of PQ. To determine the toxic mechanism of PQ, we measured intracellular ROS content in different organelles with specific dyes. As expected, all types of ROS were increased by PQ treatment, but DHA pretreatment selectively decreased cytosolic hydrogen peroxide content. Furthermore, DHA treatment-induced increases in glutathione reductase and glutamate cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLm) mRNA expression were positively correlated with glutathione (GSH) content. Consistent with this increase in GCLm mRNA levels, Western blot analysis revealed that DHA pretreatment increased nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein levels. These findings indicate that DHA prevents PQ-induced neuronal cell loss by enhancing Nrf2-regulated GSH homeostasis.« less

Structural and molecular basis of starch viscosity in hexaploid wheat.

PubMed

Ral, J-P; Cavanagh, C R; Larroque, O; Regina, A; Morell, M K

2008-06-11

Wheat starch is considered to have a low paste viscosity relative to other starches. Consequently, wheat starch is not preferred for many applications as compared to other high paste viscosity starches. Increasing the viscosity of wheat starch is expected to increase the functionality of a range of wheat flour-based products in which the texture is an important aspect of consumer acceptance (e.g., pasta, and instant and yellow alkaline noodles). To understand the molecular basis of starch viscosity, we have undertaken a comprehensive structural and rheological analysis of starches from a genetically diverse set of wheat genotypes, which revealed significant variation in starch traits including starch granule protein content, starch-associated lipid content and composition, phosphate content, and the structures of the amylose and amylopectin fractions. Statistical analysis highlighted the association between amylopectin chains of 18-25 glucose residues and starch pasting properties. Principal component analysis also identified an association between monoesterified phosphate and starch pasting properties in wheat despite the low starch-phosphate level in wheat as compared to tuber starches. We also found a strong negative correlation between the phosphate ester content and the starch content in flour. Previously observed associations between internal starch granule fatty acids and the swelling peak time and pasting temperature have been confirmed. This study has highlighted a range of parameters associated with increased starch viscosity that could be used in prebreeding/breeding programs to modify wheat starch pasting properties.

Food ingredient extracts of Cyclopia subternata (Honeybush): variation in phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity.

PubMed

de Beer, Dalene; Schulze, Alexandra E; Joubert, Elizabeth; de Villiers, André; Malherbe, Christiaan J; Stander, Maria A

2012-12-07

Cyclopia subternata plants are traditionally used for the production of the South African herbal tea, honeybush, and recently as aqueous extracts for the food industry. A C. subternata aqueous extract and mangiferin (a major constituent) are known to have anti-diabetic properties. Variation in phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity is expected due to cultivation largely from seedlings, having implications for extract standardization and quality control. Aqueous extracts from 64 seedlings of the same age, cultivated under the same environmental conditions, were analyzed for individual compound content, total polyphenol (TP) content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in a number of assays. An HPLC method was developed and validated to allow quantification of xanthones (mangiferin, isomangiferin), flavanones (hesperidin, eriocitrin), a flavone (scolymoside), a benzophenone (iriflophenone-3-C-β-glucoside) and dihydrochalcones (phloretin-3',5'-di-C-β-glucoside, 3-hydroxyphloretin-3',5'-di-C-hexoside). Additional compounds were tentatively identified using mass spectrometric detection, with the presence of the 3-hydroxyphloretin-glycoside, an iriflophenone-di-O,C-hexoside, an eriodictyol-di-C-hexoside and vicenin-2 being demonstrated for the first time. Variability of the individual phenolic compound contents was generally higher than that of the TP content and TAC values. Among the phenolic compounds, scolymoside, hesperidin and iriflophenone-3-C-β-glucoside contents were the most variable. A combination of the measured parameters could be useful in product standardization by providing a basis for specifying minimum levels.

[Health didactics: undergraduates' nursing representations and the use of an innovative teaching strategy].

PubMed

de Domenico, Edvane Birelo Lopes; Matheus, Maria Clara Cassuli

2009-09-01

This study aimed at analyzing the representations regarding the relationships between Nursing and Education practices, to reveal expectations regarding the course Fundamentals, Methods and Techniques of Teaching and evaluate the use of the Projects Method. Method this is a qualitative evaluation research performed between April and June 2007 with first-year nursing students of a Baccalaureate Degree Program. The data were analyzed based on the Social Representations framework and the constructivist postulates. The students revealed that their learning expectations were related with the contents of didactics, human communication, and the teaching-learning process. The Projects Method was considered capable of providing dynamism, interest towards the content, and the ability to associate theory and practice, in addition to having favored the amplitude and appreciation of the educate/care binomial. In conclusion, health didactics contents are capable of generating students' interest, especially when an innovative methodology is used.

"Touching Triton": Building Student Understanding of Complex Disease Risk.

PubMed

Loftin, Madelene; East, Kelly; Hott, Adam; Lamb, Neil

2016-01-01

Life science classrooms often emphasize the exception to the rule when it comes to teaching genetics, focusing heavily on rare single-gene and Mendelian traits. By contrast, the vast majority of human traits and diseases are caused by more complicated interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Research indicates that students have a deterministic view of genetics, generalize Mendelian inheritance patterns to all traits, and have unrealistic expectations of genetic technologies. The challenge lies in how to help students analyze complex disease risk with a lack of curriculum materials. Providing open access to both content resources and an engaging storyline can be achieved using a "serious game" model. "Touching Triton" was developed as a serious game in which students are asked to analyze data from a medical record, family history, and genomic report in order to develop an overall lifetime risk estimate of six common, complex diseases. Evaluation of student performance shows significant learning gains in key content areas along with a high level of engagement.

Sugarcane biomass for biorefineries: comparative composition of carbohydrate and non-carbohydrate components of bagasse and straw.

PubMed

Szczerbowski, Danielle; Pitarelo, Ana Paula; Zandoná Filho, Arion; Ramos, Luiz Pereira

2014-12-19

Two fractions of sugarcane, namely bagasse and straw (or trash), were characterized in relation to their chemical composition. Bagasse presented values of glucans, hemicelluloses, lignin and ash of 37.74, 27.23, 20.57 and 6.53%, respectively, while straw had 33.77, 27.38, 21.28 and 6.23% of these same components. Ash content was relatively high in both cane biomass fractions. Bagasse showed higher levels of contaminating oxides while straw had a higher content of alkaline and alkaline-earth oxides. A comparison between the polysaccharide chemical compositions of these lignocellulosic materials suggests that similar amounts of fermentable sugars are expected to arise from their optimal pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. Details about the chemical properties of cane biomass holocellulose, hemicelluloses A and B and α-cellulose are provided, and these may offer a good opportunity for designing more efficient enzyme cocktails for substrate saccharification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) flour on the antioxidant potential, nutritional quality, and sensory characteristics of fortified durum wheat pasta.

PubMed

Sęczyk, Łukasz; Świeca, Michał; Gawlik-Dziki, Urszula

2016-03-01

This paper presents a study on the effect of carob flour addition from 1% to 5% (w/w) on phenolics content, antioxidant activity, nutritional quality, and sensory attributes of wheat pasta. An increase of about 2-folds, 18-folds and 3-folds in phenolics content, antiradical activity and reducing power for pasta fortified with 5% of carob flour was observed, respectively, compared to the control. Expected glycemic index (eGI) was increased proportionally to the substitution level and ranged between 72.2 and 83.9 for 1-5% of supplement, respectively. Furthermore, pasta fortification affected the in vitro bioaccessibility of nutrients. In case of 5% supplemented pasta, the digestibility of starch and protein decreased by about 9% compared to the control. The replacement of semolina with carob flour from 1% to 5% had no significant effect on pasta sensory attributes. In conclusion, carob flour seems to be a promising functional ingredient for pasta fortification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Community opioid treatment perspectives on contingency management: Perceived feasibility, effectiveness, and transportability of social and financial incentives

PubMed Central

Hartzler, Bryan; Rabun, Carl

2013-01-01

Treatment community reluctance toward contingency management (CM) may be better understood by eliciting views of its feasibility, effectiveness, and transportability when social vs. financial incentives are utilized. This mixed method study involved individual staff interviews representing three personnel tiers (an executive, clinical supervisor, and two front-line clinicians) at 16 opiate treatment programs. Interviews included Likert ratings of feasibility, effectiveness, and transportability of each incentive type, and content analysis of corresponding interviewee narrative. Multi-level modeling analyses indicated that social incentives were perceived more feasible, more effective, and more transportable than financial incentives, with results pervading personnel tier. Content analysis suggested the more positive perception of social incentives was most often due to expected logistical advantages, positive impacts on patient quality-of-life, and philosophical congruence among staff. Weaker perception of financial incentives was most often influenced by concerns about costs, patient dissatisfaction, and staff philosophical incongruence. Implications for CM dissemination are discussed. PMID:23506780

Whole-plant growth and N utilization in transgenic rice plants with increased or decreased Rubisco content under different CO2 partial pressures.

PubMed

Sudo, Emi; Suzuki, Yuji; Makino, Amane

2014-11-01

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) strongly limits photosynthesis at lower CO2 concentration [CO2] whereas [corrected] Rubisco limitation is cancelled by elevated [CO2]. Therefore, increase or reduction in Rubisco content by transformation with a sense or an antisense RBCS construct are expected to alter the biomass production under different CO2 levels. RBCS-sense (125% Rubisco of wild-type) and -antisense (35% Rubisco of wild-type) rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were grown for 63 days at three different CO2 levels: low [CO2] (28 Pa), normal [CO2] (40 Pa) and elevated [CO2] (120 Pa). The biomass of RBCS-sense plants was 32% and 15% greater at low [CO2] and normal [CO2] than that of the wild-type plants, respectively, but did not differ at elevated [CO2]. Conversely, the biomass of RBCS-antisense plants was the smallest at low [CO2]. Thus, overproduction of Rubisco was effective for biomass production at low [CO2]. Greater biomass production at low [CO2] in RBCS-sense plants was caused by an increase in the net assimilation rate, and associated with an increase in the amount of N uptake. Furthermore, Rubisco overproduction in RBCS-sense plants was also promoted at low [CO2]. Although it seems that low [CO2]-growth additionally stimulates the effect of RBCS overexpression, such a phenomenon observed at low [CO2] was mediated through an increase in total leaf N content. Thus, the dependence of the growth improvement in RBCS-sense rice on growth [CO2] was closely related to the degree of Rubisco overproduction which was accompanied not only by leaf N content but also by whole plant N content. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Exploration of Exercise Outcome Expectations among Breast Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Hirschey, Rachel; Docherty, Sharron L.; Pan, Wei; Lipkus, Isaac

2016-01-01

Background Exercise is associated with decreased recurrence risk, improved survival and quality of life for breast cancer survivors. However only an estimated 17% - 37% of survivors adhere to the American Cancer Society exercise guidelines. A critical first step to increase exercise among survivors is to understand how they believe exercise will effect them. Objective To explore common exercise outcome expectations among 20 female survivors of stage IA – IIB breast cancer who completed adjuvant treatment and an exercise intervention. Interventions/Methods A mixed-method descriptive study consisting of semi-structured telephone interviews assessed exercise outcome expectations and how the experience of cancer and its treatment influenced expected outcomes of exercise. The qualitative data were analyzed using a summative content analysis procedure; means were calculated for each item of the exercise outcome questionnaire. The qualitative and quantitative data were compared and contrasted. Results The sample was 70% Caucasian and 30% African American with a mean age was 62 years (± 8.5) and average time since treatment completion of 4.2 years (± 1.3). Three themes emerged from the interviews: 1) prevalence of common expectations, 2) pervasive impact of fatigue, and 3) a brighter future. Overall, findings revealed that breast cancer survivors have low levels of agreement that exercise may mitigate late and long-term cancer and treatment effects. Conclusions In general, breast cancer survivors (even those who are motivated to exercise) do not hold strong beliefs that exercise will decrease late and long-term treatment effects. Implications for Practice Clinicians can educate survivors about exercise benefits. PMID:26925999

Less Is Sometimes More: Goal Content Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Simons, Joke; Lens, Willy; Soenens, Bart; Matos, Lennia; Lacante, Marlies

2004-01-01

According to expectancy-value theories, increasing the utility value of a learning activity should result in higher motivation and better learning. In contrast, self-determination theory posits that the content of the future goals (intrinsic vs. extrinsic) that enhance the utility value of the learning activity needs to be considered as well.…

Does Blueprint Publication Affect Students' Perception of Validity of the Evaluation Process?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Kevin; Coderre, Sylvain; Woloschuk, Wayne; Mandin, Henry

2005-01-01

Context: A major goal of any evaluation is to demonstrate content validity, which considers both curricular content as well as the ability expected of learners. Whether evaluation blueprints should be published and the degree of blueprint transparency is controversial. Objectives: To examine the effect of blueprint publication on students'…

Inside the Content: The Breadth and Depth of Early Learning Standards. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott-Little, Catherine; Kagan, Sharon Lynn; Frelow, Victoria Stebbins

2005-01-01

This executive summary describes a study that analyzes the content of early learning standards, operationally defined as documents that articulate expectations for children's development and learning during the preschool period (ages three to five years). Standards from 36 states were collected and analyzed to address the following research…

Common Core State Standards Assessments: Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polikoff, Morgan S.

2014-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were created in response to the shortcomings of No Child Left Behind era standards and assessments. Among those failings were the poor quality of content standards and assessments and the variability in content expectations and proficiency targets across states, as well as concerns related to the economic…

Analysis of sludge management parameters resulting from the use of domestic garbage disposers.

PubMed

Galil, N I; Yaacov, L

2001-01-01

The use of domestic garbage disposers may reduce the amounts and improve the solid waste composition, by lowering putrid matter and water content and by raising the caloric potential. However, additional loading on the sewerage systems might require increased investments and operation costs of the wastewater treatment facilities. This project analyses additional amounts of solids, biosolids and process requirements connected with wastewater treatment facilities resulting from the domestic use of garbage disposers, as well as the additional production of biogas. It was found that the use of the domestic garbage disposers in 60% of the households in a given urban area, is expected to reduce the weight, volume and water content of the solid waste by 7.0%, 3.3% and 4.4% for garbage characterized by low organic content, and by 18.7%, 11.0% and 13.3% for high organic content, respectively. The additional amounts of sludge are expected to be the lowest in case of biological treatment only, 24 to 38 g/capita/day, and the highest in case of primary chemical sedimentation followed by biotreatment, 67 to 100 g/capita/day. In these conditions the energy potential from biogas obtained in anaerobic digestion of sludge from wastewater collected from the same area, will increase by 50% to 70%, depending on the wastewater treatment sequence. The investment in wastewater treatment is estimated to increase by 23% to 27% and the annual costs for operation and maintenance are expected to increase by 26% to 30%.

Owners and Veterinary Surgeons in the United Kingdom Disagree about What Should Happen during a Small Animal Vaccination Consultation

PubMed Central

Robinson, Natalie J.; Dean, Rachel S.

2018-01-01

Dog and cat vaccination consultations are a common part of small animal practice in the United Kingdom. Few data are available describing what happens during those consultations or what participants think about their content. The aim of this novel study was to investigate the attitudes of dog and cat owners and veterinary surgeons towards the content of small animal vaccination consultations. Telephone interviews with veterinary surgeons and pet owners captured rich qualitative data. Thematic analysis was performed to identify key themes. This study reports the theme describing attitudes towards the content of the consultation. Diverse preferences exist for what should be prioritised during vaccination consultations, and mismatched expectations may lead to negative experiences. Vaccination consultations for puppies and kittens were described to have a relatively standardised structure with an educational and preventative healthcare focus. In contrast, adult pet vaccination consultations were described to focus on current physical health problems with only limited discussion of preventative healthcare topics. This first qualitative exploration of UK vaccination consultation expectations suggests that the content and consistency of adult pet vaccination consultations may not meet the needs or expectations of all participants. Redefining preventative healthcare to include all preventable conditions may benefit owners, pets and veterinary surgeons, and may help to provide a clearer structure for adult pet vaccination consultations. This study represents a significant advance our understanding of this consultation type. PMID:29346332

X-RAY ABSORPTION BY THE WARM-HOT INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM IN THE HERCULES SUPERCLUSTER

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

Ren, Bin; Fang, Taotao; Buote, David A., E-mail: fangt@xmu.edu.cn

2014-02-10

''Missing baryons'', in the form of warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM), are expected to reside in cosmic filamentary structures that can be traced by signposts such as large-scale galaxy superstructures. The clear detection of an X-ray absorption line in the Sculptor Wall demonstrated the success of using galaxy superstructures as a signpost to search for the WHIM. Here we present an XMM -Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer observation of the blazar Mkn 501, located in the Hercules Supercluster. We detected an O VII Kα absorption line at the 98.7% level (2.5σ) at the redshift of the foreground Hercules Supercluster. The derived properties of themore » absorber are consistent with theoretical expectations of the WHIM. We discuss the implication of our detection for the search for the ''missing baryons''. While this detection shows again that using signposts is a very effective strategy to search for the WHIM, follow-up observations are crucial both to strengthen the statistical significance of the detection and to rule out other interpretations. A local, z ∼ 0 O VII Kα absorption line was also clearly detected at the 4σ level, and we discuss its implications for our understanding of the hot gas content of our Galaxy.« less

Cysteamine effects on somatostatin, catecholamines, pineal NAT and melatonin in rats

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

Webb, S.M.; Champney, T.H.; Steger, R.W.

The thiol reagent cysteamine was administered to adult male rats with the aim of investigating its effect on different neural and pineal components. As expected, immunoreactive somatostatin decreased in the median eminence (ME) (p less than 0.05) and gastric antrum (p less than 0.05) after cysteamine; however, no significant change was observed in the pineal IRS content after drug treatment. A decrease in norepinephrine was observed in the ME (p less than 0.001), hypothalamus (p less than 0.001) and pineal gland (p less than 0.05), together with a rise in ME (p less than 0.005) and hypothalamic dopamine (p lessmore » than 0.005) content; these results are consistent with a dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibiting effect of cysteamine. No effect was observed on hypothalamic serotonin and 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid content. Pineal N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity was significantly higher (p less than 0.05) after cysteamine than after saline, but no statistically significant effect was observed on pineal melatonin content. The mechanism involved in the NAT rise is presumably not related to the known stimulatory effect of norepinephrine, which fell after cysteamine. It is suggested that cysteamine may act at an intracellular level, inhibiting NAT degradation, an effect demonstrated in vitro and thought to be related to a thiol:disulfide exchange mechanism.« less

The contents and distributions of cadmium, mercury, and lead in Usnea antarctica lichens from Solorina Valley, James Ross Island (Antarctica).

PubMed

Zvěřina, Ondřej; Coufalík, Pavel; Barták, Miloš; Petrov, Michal; Komárek, Josef

2017-12-11

Lichens are efficient and cost-effective biomonitors of the environment. Their geographic distribution together with their slow growth rate enable investigation of the deposition patterns of various elements and substances. In this research, levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury in Usnea antarctica lichens in the area of James Ross Island, Antarctica, were investigated. The lichens were microwave-digested, and the metals were determined by means of atomic absorption spectrometry with graphite furnace and a direct mercury analyzer. Median total contents of Cd, Hg, and Pb were 0.04, 0.47, and 1.6 mg/kg in whole lichens, respectively. The bottom-up distributions of these metals in the fruticose lichen thalli were investigated, and it was revealed that the accumulation patterns for mercury and lead were opposite to that for cadmium. The probable reason for this phenomenon may lie in the inner structure of thalli. The total contents of metals were comparable with those published for other unpolluted areas of maritime Antarctica. However, this finding was not expected for mercury, since the sampling locality was close to an area with some of the highest mercury contents published for Antarctic lichens. In short, lichens proved their usability as biological monitors, even in harsh conditions. However, the findings emphasize the need to take into account the distributions of elements both in the environment and in the lichen itself.

Hormone replacement therapy may reduce the return of endogenous lead from bone to the circulation.

PubMed Central

Webber, C E; Chettle, D R; Bowins, R J; Beaumont, L F; Gordon, C L; Song, X; Blake, J M; McNutt, R H

1995-01-01

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women suppresses the increase in bone resorption expected as circulating levels of endogenous estrogen decline. We tested the hypothesis that bone lead content might remain elevated in women on HRT. Fifty six women who at recruitment were on average 35 years postmenopausal were placed on calcium supplementation. Six months later 33 of these women were prescribed either low dose or moderate dose hormone replacement in addition to the calcium supplementation. After approximately 4 years of hormone replacement, lead content was measured at the tibia and calcaneus by in vivo fluorescence excitation, and lead concentrations were measured in serum, whole blood, and urine. Women not taking hormones had significantly lower lead concentrations in cortical bone compared to all women on HRT (p = 0.007). Tibia lead content (mean +/- SD) for women on calcium only was 11.13 +/- 6.22 microgram/g bone mineral. For women on HRT, tibia bone lead was 19.37 +/- 8.62 micrograms/g bone mineral on low-dose HRT and 16.87 +/- 11.68 micrograms/g bone mineral on moderate-dose HRT. There were no differences between groups for lead concentrations measured in trabecular bone, whole blood, serum or urine. Hormone replacement maintains cortical bone lead content. In women not on HRT, there will be a perimenopausal release of lead from bone. Images Figure 1. PMID:8747022

Preliminary Findings from the First Two Waves of a Panel Study of Developing Career Expectations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hotchkiss, Lawrence; Chiteji, Lisa

This report is an exploratory application of a dynamic mathematical model to express a theory of changes in youth's career expectations over time. Main content is divided into two focuses: (1) theoretical interpretations of the differential equations which embody the mathematical model and (2) reporting and discussion of the results of preliminary…

Impact of Expectancy-Value and Situational Interest Motivation Specificity on Physical Education Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ding, Haiyong; Sun, Haichun; Chen, Ang

2013-01-01

To be successful in learning, students need to be motivated to engage and learn. The domain-specificity motivation theory articulates that student motivation is often determined by the content being taught to them. The purpose of this study was to extend the theory by determining domain-specificity of situational interest and expectancy-value…

The Development of TPACK, Technology Integrated Self-Efficacy and Instructional Technology Outcome Expectations of Pre-Service Physical Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cengiz, Cevdet

2015-01-01

The purpose of this intervention has been to improve pre-service physical education teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK or TPACK), Technology Integrated Self-Efficacy (TISE), and Instructional Technology Outcome Expectations (ITOE). A pre-/post-test design without a control group was used in the study. Participants were…

How Do I Know What I Can Do? Anticipating Expectancy of Success Regarding Novel Academic Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorges, Julia; Göke, Thomas

2015-01-01

Background: After graduation from secondary school, academic tasks (i.e., learning contents) are no longer structured in terms of school subjects (i.e., English, mathematics). Therefore, learners lack past performance and mastery experience to inform their expectancy of success (i.e., ability beliefs) regarding novel tasks. Aims: In this paper, we…

Measurement of activity limitations and participation restrictions: examination of ICF-linked content and scale properties of the FIM and PC-PART instruments.

PubMed

Darzins, Susan W; Imms, Christine; Di Stefano, Marilyn

2017-05-01

To explore the operationalization of activity and participation-related measurement constructs through comparison of item phrasing, item response categories and scoring (scale properties) for two separate instruments targeting activities of daily living. Personal Care Participation Assessment and Resource Tool (PC-PART) item content was linked to ICF categories using established linking rules. Previously reported ICF-linked FIM content categories and ICF-linked PC-PART content categories were compared to identify common ICF categories between the instruments. Scale properties of both instruments were compared using a patient scenario to explore the instruments' separate measurement constructs. The PC-PART and FIM shared 15 of the 53 level two ICF-linked categories identified across both instruments. Examination of the instruments' scale properties for items with overlapping ICF content, and exploration through a patient scenario, provided supportive evidence that the instruments measure different constructs. While the PC-PART and FIM share common ICF-linked content, they measure separate constructs. Measurement construct was influenced by the instruments' scale properties. The FIM was observed to measure activity limitations and the PC-PART measured participation restrictions. Scrutiny of instruments' scale properties in addition to item content is critical in the operationalization of activity and participation-related measurement constructs. Implications for Rehabilitation When selecting outcome measures for use in rehabilitation it is necessary to examine both the content of the instruments' items and item phrasing, response categories and scoring, to clarify the construct being measured. Measurement of activity limitations as well as participation restrictions in activities of daily living required for community life provides a more comprehensive measurement of rehabilitation outcomes than measurement of either construct alone. To measure the effects of interventions used in rehabilitation, it is necessary to select measures with relevant content and scale properties that enable evaluation of change in the constructs that are expected to change, as a result of the rehabilitation intervention.

Selective forces and mutational biases drive stop codon usage in the human genome: a comparison with sense codon usage.

PubMed

Trotta, Edoardo

2016-05-17

The three stop codons UAA, UAG, and UGA signal the termination of mRNA translation. As a result of a mechanism that is not adequately understood, they are normally used with unequal frequencies. In this work, we showed that selective forces and mutational biases drive stop codon usage in the human genome. We found that, in respect to sense codons, stop codon usage was affected by stronger selective forces but was less influenced by neutral mutational biases. UGA is the most frequent termination codon in human genome. However, UAA was the preferred stop codon in genes with high breadth of expression, high level of expression, AT-rich coding sequences, housekeeping functions, and in gene ontology categories with the largest deviation from expected stop codon usage. Selective forces associated with the breadth and the level of expression favoured AT-rich sequences in the mRNA region including the stop site and its proximal 3'-UTR, but acted with scarce effects on sense codons, generating two regions, upstream and downstream of the stop codon, with strongly different base composition. By favouring low levels of GC-content, selection promoted labile local secondary structures at the stop site and its proximal 3'-UTR. The compositional and structural context favoured by selection was surprisingly emphasized in the class of ribosomal proteins and was consistent with sequence elements that increase the efficiency of translational termination. Stop codons were also heterogeneously distributed among chromosomes by a mechanism that was strongly correlated with the GC-content of coding sequences. In human genome, the nucleotide composition and the thermodynamic stability of stop codon site and its proximal 3'-UTR are correlated with the GC-content of coding sequences and with the breadth and the level of gene expression. In highly expressed genes stop codon usage is compositionally and structurally consistent with highly efficient translation termination signals.

Characterization of Products from Fast Micropyrolysis of Municipal Solid Waste Biomass

DOE PAGES

Klemetsrud, Bethany; Ukaew, Suchada; Thompson, Vicki S.; ...

2016-09-05

Biomass feedstock costs remain one of the largest impediments to biofuel production economics. Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an attractive feedstock with year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure paid for by waste generators, low cost and the potential to be blended with higher cost feedstocks to reduce overall feedstock costs. Paper waste, yard waste and construction and demolition waste (C&D) were examined for their applicability in the pyrolysis conversion pathway. Paper waste consisted of non-recyclable paper such as mixed low grade paper, food and beverage packaging, kitchen paper wastes and coated paper; yard waste consisted of grass clippings and C&Dmore » wastes consisted of engineered wood products obtained from a construction waste landfill. We tested the waste materials for thermochemical conversion potential using a bench scale fast micro-pyrolysis process. Bio-oil yields were the highest for the C&D materials and lowest for the paper waste. The C&D wastes had the highest level of lignin derived compounds (phenolic and cyclics) while the paper waste had higher levels of carbohydrate derived compounds (aldehydes, organic acids, ketones, alcohols and sugar derived). But, the paper material had higher amounts of lignin derived compounds than expected based upon lignin content that is likely due to the presence of polyphenolic resins used in paper processing. The paper and yard wastes had significantly higher levels of ash content than the C&D wastes (14-15% versus 0.5-1.3%), which further correlated to higher levels of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which are known to reduce pyrolysis bio-oil yields. There appeared to be an inverse correlation of both calcium and potassium content with the amount of chromatographic product peaks, indicative of cracking reactions occurring during product formation. Furthermore the effect of acid washing was evaluated for grass clipping and waste paper and the bio-oil yield was increased from 58% to 73% and 67% to 73%, respectively.« less

A bottom-up approach to assess verbal therapeutic techniques. Development of the Psychodynamic Interventions List (PIL)

PubMed Central

Gumz, Antje; Neubauer, Karolin; Horstkotte, Julia Katharina; Geyer, Michael; Löwe, Bernd; Murray, Alexandra M.; Kästner, Denise

2017-01-01

Objective Knowing which specific verbal techniques “good” therapists use in their daily work is important for training and evaluation purposes. In order to systematize what is being practiced in the field, our aim was to empirically identify verbal techniques applied in psychodynamic sessions and to differentiate them according to their basic semantic features using a bottom-up, qualitative approach. Method Mixed-Method-Design: In a comprehensive qualitative study, types of techniques were identified at the level of utterances based on transcribed psychodynamic therapy sessions using Qualitative Content Analysis (4211 utterances). The definitions of the identified categories were successively refined and modified until saturation was achieved. In a subsequent quantitative study, inter-rater reliability was assessed both at the level of utterances (n = 8717) and at the session level (n = 38). The convergent validity of the categories was investigated by analyzing associations with the Interpretive and Supportive Technique Scale (ISTS). Results The inductive approach resulted in a classification system with 37 categories (Psychodynamic Interventions List, PIL). According to their semantic content, the categories can be allocated to three dimensions: form (24 categories), thematic content (9) and temporal focus (4). Most categories showed good or excellent inter-rater reliability and expected associations with the ISTS were predominantly confirmed. The rare use of the residual category “Other” suggests that the identified categories might comprehensively describe the breadth of applied techniques. Conclusions The atheoretical orientation and the clear focus on overt linguistic features should enable the PIL to be used without intensive training or prior theoretical knowledge. The PIL can be used to investigate the links between verbal techniques derived from practice and micro-outcomes (at the session level) as well as the overall therapeutic outcomes. This approach might enable us to determine to what extent the outcome of therapy is due to unintended or non-theoretically relevant techniques. PMID:28837582

Characterization of Products from Fast Micropyrolysis of Municipal Solid Waste Biomass

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

Klemetsrud, Bethany; Ukaew, Suchada; Thompson, Vicki S.

Biomass feedstock costs remain one of the largest impediments to biofuel production economics. Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an attractive feedstock with year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure paid for by waste generators, low cost and the potential to be blended with higher cost feedstocks to reduce overall feedstock costs. Paper waste, yard waste and construction and demolition waste (C&D) were examined for their applicability in the pyrolysis conversion pathway. Paper waste consisted of non-recyclable paper such as mixed low grade paper, food and beverage packaging, kitchen paper wastes and coated paper; yard waste consisted of grass clippings and C&Dmore » wastes consisted of engineered wood products obtained from a construction waste landfill. We tested the waste materials for thermochemical conversion potential using a bench scale fast micro-pyrolysis process. Bio-oil yields were the highest for the C&D materials and lowest for the paper waste. The C&D wastes had the highest level of lignin derived compounds (phenolic and cyclics) while the paper waste had higher levels of carbohydrate derived compounds (aldehydes, organic acids, ketones, alcohols and sugar derived). But, the paper material had higher amounts of lignin derived compounds than expected based upon lignin content that is likely due to the presence of polyphenolic resins used in paper processing. The paper and yard wastes had significantly higher levels of ash content than the C&D wastes (14-15% versus 0.5-1.3%), which further correlated to higher levels of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which are known to reduce pyrolysis bio-oil yields. There appeared to be an inverse correlation of both calcium and potassium content with the amount of chromatographic product peaks, indicative of cracking reactions occurring during product formation. Furthermore the effect of acid washing was evaluated for grass clipping and waste paper and the bio-oil yield was increased from 58% to 73% and 67% to 73%, respectively.« less

Event-related potentials in response to violations of content and temporal event knowledge.

PubMed

Drummer, Janna; van der Meer, Elke; Schaadt, Gesa

2016-01-08

Scripts that store knowledge of everyday events are fundamentally important for managing daily routines. Content event knowledge (i.e., knowledge about which events belong to a script) and temporal event knowledge (i.e., knowledge about the chronological order of events in a script) constitute qualitatively different forms of knowledge. However, there is limited information about each distinct process and the time course involved in accessing content and temporal event knowledge. Therefore, we analyzed event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to either correctly presented event sequences or event sequences that contained a content or temporal error. We found an N400, which was followed by a posteriorly distributed P600 in response to content errors in event sequences. By contrast, we did not find an N400 but an anteriorly distributed P600 in response to temporal errors in event sequences. Thus, the N400 seems to be elicited as a response to a general mismatch between an event and the established event model. We assume that the expectancy violation of content event knowledge, as indicated by the N400, induces the collapse of the established event model, a process indicated by the posterior P600. The expectancy violation of temporal event knowledge is assumed to induce an attempt to reorganize the event model in working memory, a process indicated by the frontal P600. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Macroergonomic Factors in the Patient Work System: Examining the Context of Patients with Chronic Illness

PubMed Central

Holden, Richard J.; Valdez, Rupa S.; Schubert, Christiane C.; Thompson, Morgan J.; Hundt, Ann S.

2017-01-01

Human factors/ergonomics recognizes work as embedded in and shaped by levels of social, physical, and organizational context. This study investigates the contextual or macroergonomic factors present in the health-related work performed by patients. We performed a secondary content analysis of findings from three studies of the work of chronically ill patients and their informal caregivers. Our resulting consolidated macroergonomic patient work system model identifies seventeen factors across physical, social, and organizational domains and household and community levels. These factors are illustrated with examples from the three studies and discussed as having positive, negative, or varying effects on health and health behavior. We present three brief case studies to illustrate how macroergonomic factors combine across domains and levels to shape performance in expected and unexpected ways. Findings demonstrate not only the importance of context for patients’ health-related activities but also specific factors to consider in future research, design, and policy efforts. PMID:27164171

Critical Science Education in a Suburban High School Chemistry Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashby, Patrick

To improve students' scientific literacy and their general perceptions of chemistry, I enacted critical chemistry education (CCE) in two "regular level" chemistry classes with a group of 25 students in a suburban, private high school as part of this study. CCE combined the efforts of critical science educators (Fusco & Calabrese Barton, 2001; Gilbert 2013) with the performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States, 2013a) to critically transform the traditional chemistry curriculum at this setting. Essentially, CCE engages students in the critical exploration of socially situated chemistry content knowledge and requires them to demonstrate this knowledge through the practices of science. The purpose of this study was to gauge these students development of chemistry content knowledge, chemistry interest, and critical scientific literacy (CSL) as they engaged in CCE. CSL was a construct developed for this study that necessarily combined the National Research Center's (2012) definition of scientific literacy with a critical component. As such, CSL entailed demonstrating content knowledge through the practices of science as well as the ability to critically analyze the intersections between science content and socially relevant issues. A mixed methods, critical ethnographic approach framed the collection of data from open-ended questionnaires, focus group interviews, Likert surveys, pre- and post unit tests, and student artifacts. These data revealed three main findings: (1) students began to develop CSL in specific, significant ways working through the activities of CCE, (2) student participants of CCE developed a comparable level of chemistry content understanding to students who participated in a traditional chemistry curriculum, and (3) CCE developed a group of students' perceptions of interest in chemistry. In addition to being able to teach students discipline specific content knowledge, the implications of this study are that CCE has the ability to affect students' critical science thinking in positive ways. However, to develop longer lasting, deeper critical insights that students use to participate in science-related issues outside of class, critical science education must be enacted longitudinally and across disciplines. Furthermore, it must be enacted in ways that either prompt or help students to transfer classroom learning outside of the classroom as they engage in critical issues in the classroom.

Establishing safe and potentially efficacious fortification contents for folic acid and vitamin B12.

PubMed

Dary, Omar

2008-06-01

Determining the micronutrient contents infortified foods depends not only on the health goal (additional intake to complement the diet), but also on ensuring that fortification does not raise micronutrient intakes beyond the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), i.e., the safe limit. Technological incompatibility and cost may also restrict the fortification contents. For folic acid, the limiting factor is safety, while for vitamin B12, it is cost. However, adequate fortification contents that are both safe and efficacious can be estimated for both nutrients. In order to obtain the maximum benefit from the fortification programs, three different formulas responding to three categories of consumption, as specified by the median and 95th percentile of consumption, are proposed. The model presented is based on the estimation of a Feasible Fortification Level (FFL), which then is used to determine the average, minimum, and maximum contents of the nutrients during production, taking into consideration the acceptable variation of the fortification process. Finally, the regulatory parameters, which support standards and enforcement, are calculated by reducing the proportion of the nutrient that is degraded during the usual marketing process of the fortified food. It is expected that this model will establish a common standard for food fortification, and improve the reliability and enforcement procedures of these programs. The model was applied to flours as vehicles for folic acid in the United States, Guatemala, and Chile. Analysis of the data revealed that, with the exception of Chile, where wheat flour consumption is very high and probably within a narrow range, supplementation with folic acid is still needed to cover individuals at the low end of consumption. This is especially true when the difference in flour consumption is too wide, as in the case of Guatemala, where the proportional difference between consumption at the 95th percentile of the nonpoor group is as high as 100 times the consumption at the 5th percentile of the extremely poor group. Adoption of fortification content for staple foods near the safe limit brings together the need of restricting the voluntary addition of the specific nutrient to other foods and to dietary supplements.

Young adults' experiences of seeking online information about diabetes and mental health in the age of social media.

PubMed

Fergie, Gillian; Hilton, Shona; Hunt, Kate

2016-12-01

The Internet is a primary source of health information for many. Since the widespread adoption of social media, user-generated health-related content has proliferated, particularly around long-term health issues such as diabetes and common mental health disorders (CMHDs). To explore perceptions and experiences of engaging with health information online in a sample of young adults familiar with social media environments and variously engaged in consuming user-generated content. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults, aged 18-30, with experience of diabetes or CMHDs. Data were analysed following a thematic networks approach to explore key themes around online information-seeking and content consumption practices. Although participants primarily discussed well-rehearsed approaches to health information-seeking online, particularly reliance on search engines, their accounts also reflected active engagement with health-related content on social media sites. Navigating between professionally produced websites and user-generated content, many of the young adults seemed to appreciate different forms of health knowledge emanating from varied sources. Participants described negotiating health content based on social media practices and features and assessing content heuristically. Some also discussed habitual consumption of content related to their condition as integrated into their everyday social media use. Technologies such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube offer opportunities to consume and assess content which users deem relevant and useful. As users and organizations continue to colonize social media platforms, opportunities are increasing for health communication and intervention. However, how such innovations are adopted is dependent on their alignment with users' expectations and consumption practices. ©2015 The Authors. Health Expectations. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

CLT and CLS job responsibilities: current distinctions and updates.

PubMed

Doig, K; Beck, S J; Kolenc, K

2001-01-01

This study was undertaken to address the following questions: 1. What tasks distinguish the job of a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) from that of a clinical laboratory technician (CLT)? 2. What changes in role distinctions, have occurred for entry-level CLS and CLT practitioners over the five-year period 1993-98? 3. What tasks have been deleted from the CLT and CLS content outlines because they were not frequently performed or not considered entry-level? 4. What changes in practice are reflected in the current job analyses? A national job analysis of tasks constituting the job of clinical laboratory scientists (CLSs) and clinical laboratory technicians (CLTs) was conducted in 1998-99 as part of a standard setting process for the certifying examinations of the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA). The job analyses relied upon mail surveys to 1200 individuals for each job level asking respondents to identify tasks significant to effective practice at job entry. The task lists resulting from statistical analysis of those surveys were examined to answer the study questions. The sample for each survey included 1200 practitioners, educators and laboratory managers selected at random from membership in professional organizations or from NCA certificant lists. Sampling was stratified to insure adequate practitioner representation. The mean rating on a four point scale for each item on the surveys was evaluated for overall significance as well as significance across geographic regions. The tasks meeting specified criteria were retained in the final task lists. Tasks were counted and their content evaluated to compare CLS and CLT job tasks. The response rates to the surveys were 33% for CLT and 21% for CLS. Reliability was judged based on average intraclass correlation coefficients of .86 and .82 for the CLT and CLS surveys, respectively. There were 952 tasks retained on the CLS content outline and 725 retained on the CLT content outline of the 1151 tasks on the original survey. Seven hundred and twenty two tasks were found on content outlines of both job levels, representing a 76% overlap. Tasks found only on the CLS outline included advanced technical tasks, a few management tasks, and more communication tasks. The jobs of CLS and CLT practitioners are distinct at job entry level with CLSs performing a broader array of technical and communication tasks as well as some management tasks. Though CLS staff uses few management skills at job entry, those tasks are performed by CLS staff in the laboratory and curricula must help prepare graduates for these tasks expected of experienced staff. CLTs perform tasks requiring problem solving and high level reasoning. CLT curricula must address the need for CLTs to perform these tasks.

Patient (customer) expectations in hospitals.

PubMed

Bostan, Sedat; Acuner, Taner; Yilmaz, Gökhan

2007-06-01

The expectations of patient are one of the determining factors of healthcare service. The purpose of this study is to measure the Patients' Expectations, based on Patient's Rights. This study was done with Likert-Survey in Trabzon population. The analyses showed that the level of the expectations of the patient was high on the factor of receiving information and at an acceptable level on the other factors. Statistical meaningfulness was determined between age, sex, education, health insurance, and the income of the family and the expectations of the patients (p<0.05). According to this study, the current legal regulations have higher standards than the expectations of the patients. The reason that the satisfaction of the patients high level is interpreted due to the fact that the level of the expectation is low. It is suggested that the educational and public awareness studies on the patients' rights must be done in order to increase the expectations of the patients.

Longitudinal Study of Middle Grades Chemistry Professional Development: Enhancement of Personal Science Teaching Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khourey-Bowers, Claudia; Simonis, Doris G.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this research was to enhance self-efficacy beliefs, chemistry content, and pedagogical content knowledge of middle grades teachers by incorporating specific design elements into professional development. This study analyzed the influence of program design on achieving gains in personal science teaching self-efficacy, outcome…

Note-Taking and Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities: Challenges and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Joseph R.

2012-01-01

As more secondary students with learning disabilities (LD) enroll in advanced content-area classes and are expected to pass state exams, they are faced with the challenge of mastering difficult concepts and abstract vocabulary while learning content. Once in these classes, students must learn from lectures that move at a quick pace, record…

English Language Proficiency and Content Assessment Performance: A Comparison of English Learners and Native English Speakers Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miley, Suzi Keller; Farmer, Aarek

2017-01-01

As a result of the accountability requirements established in Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Educational Act (ESEA) legislation, English Learners (ELs) are expected to make progress in both content area academic achievement and English Language Proficiency (ELP). In Tennessee ELs progress is measured by administering WIDA-Access to…

Athletic Trainers' Perceptions of the Importance, Preparation and Time Spent in the Athletic Training Content Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donahue, Martin

2009-01-01

Context: Graduates of professional programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education are expected to be competent and proficient in the athletic training content areas. Objective: The unique skills and knowledge that an athletic trainer (AT) must possess may have more importance in one clinical setting than in…

Can We Expect to Recruit Future Engineers among Students Who Have Never Repaired a Toy?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virtic, Mateja Ploj; Šorgo, Andrej

2016-01-01

Education has traditionally focused primarily on content and cognitive goals. While content knowledge is important, to enter to the labour market today, graduates must also develop manual skills and technical literacy. The paper deals with engineering and technology education in Slovenia. It portrays the problem of the decline in interest in…

Engaging Adolescents with LD in Higher Order Thinking about History Concepts Using Integrated Content Enhancement Routines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulgren, Janis; Deshler, Donald D.; Lenz, B. Keith

2007-01-01

The understanding and use of historical concepts specified in national history standards pose many challenges to students. These challenges include both the acquisition of content knowledge and the use of that knowledge in ways that require higher order thinking. All students, including adolescents with learning disabilities (LD), are expected to…

A Quantitative Content Analysis of Mercer University MEd, EdS, and Doctoral Theses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Justus J.; Gaiek, Lura S.; White, Torian A.; Slappey, Lisa A.; Chastain, Andrea; Harris, Rose Prejean

2010-01-01

Quantitative content analysis of a body of research not only helps budding researchers understand the culture, language, and expectations of scholarship, it helps identify deficiencies and inform policy and practice. Because of these benefits, an analysis of a census of 980 Mercer University MEd, EdS, and doctoral theses was conducted. Each thesis…

Airborne emissions in the harbour and port of Cork.

PubMed

Sodeau, John R; Hellebust, Stig; Allanic, Arnaud; O'Connor, Ian; Healy, David A; Healy, Robert; Wenger, John

2009-07-01

It is now accepted that the transport sector is responsible for a large and growing share of global emissions affecting both health and climate. The quantification of these effects requires, as an essential first step, a comprehensive analysis and characterization of the contributing subsectors, i.e. road transport, shipping, aviation and rail. The shipping contribution in dock/harbour areas is of particular interest because many vessels use old engines powered with old technology giving rise to high levels of particulate emissions mainly because the fuel employed contains high levels of sulphur, up to 4.5%. Large amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and varying contents of transition metals are also detected. Few studies on the physicochemical composition of direct emissions from ship fuels have been performed; none have been compared to actual contents in local harbour or port atmospheres. The transformation of these ship-related materials to toxicologically active species may be much more efficient than corresponding road emission or domestic sources because of the expected highly acidic nature of the particulates. Surface, toxic material may therefore become readily bioavailable under such conditions but such studies have not been performed hitherto. This mini-review outlines in detail the issues raised above in the context of measurements made in Cork, Ireland.

Stability of erythropoietin repackaging in polypropylene syringes for clinical use.

PubMed

Marsili, Angela; Puorro, Giorgia; Pane, Chiara; de Rosa, Anna; Defazio, Giovanni; Casali, Carlo; Cittadini, Antonio; de Michele, Giuseppe; Florio, Brunello Ettore; Filla, Alessandro; Saccà, Francesco

2017-02-01

Introduction: Epoetin alfa (Eprex®) is a subcutaneous, injectable formulation of short half-life recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO). To current knowledge there are no published studies regarding the stability of rHuEPO once repackaging occurs (r-EPO) for clinical trial purposes. Materials and methods: We assessed EPO concentration in Eprex® and r-EPO syringes at 0, 60, 90, and 120 days after repackaging in polypropylene syringes. R-EPO was administered to 56 patients taking part in a clinical trial in Friedreich Ataxia. Serum EPO levels were measured at baseline and 48 h after r-EPO administration. Results: No differences were found between r-EPO and Eprex® syringes, but both globally decreased in total EPO content during storage at 4 °C. Patients receiving r-EPO had similar levels in EPO content as expected from previous trials in Friedreich Ataxia and from pharmacokinetics studies in healthy volunteers. Discussion: We demonstrate that repackaging of EPO does not alter its concentration if compared to the original product (Eprex®). This is true both for repackaging procedures and for the stability in polypropylene tubes. The expiration date of r-EPO can be extended from 1 to 4 months after repackaging, in accordance with pharmacopeia rules.

Tensile Strain Effects on the Magneto-transport in Calcium Manganese Oxide Thin Films: Comparison with its Hole-doped Counterpart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawson, Bridget; Neubauer, Samuel; Chaudhry, Adeel; Hart, Cacie; Ferrone, Natalie; Houston, David; Yong, Grace; Kolagani, Rajeswari

Magnetoresistance properties of the epitaxial thin films of doped rare earth manganites are known to be influenced by the effect of bi-axial strain induced by lattice mismatch with the substrate. In hole-doped manganites, the effect of both compressive and tensile strain is qualitatively consistent with the expected changes in unit cell symmetry from cubic to tetragonal, leading to Jahn-Teller strain fields that affect the energy levels of Mn3 + energy levels. Recent work in our laboratory on CaMnO3 thin films has pointed out that tetragonal distortions introduced by tensile lattice mismatch strain may also have the effect of modulating the oxygen content of the films in agreement with theoretical models that propose such coupling between strain and oxygen content. Our research focuses on comparing the magneto-transport properties of hole-doped manganite LaCaMnO3 thin films with that of its electron doped counter parts, in an effort to delineate the effects of oxygen stoichiometry changes on magneto-transport from the effects of Jahn-Teller type strain. Towson University Office of Undergraduate Research, Fisher Endowment Grant and Undergraduate Research Grant from the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics, Seed Funding Grant from the School of Emerging technologies and the NSF Grant ECCS 112856.

Preparatory attention in visual cortex.

PubMed

Battistoni, Elisa; Stein, Timo; Peelen, Marius V

2017-05-01

Top-down attention is the mechanism that allows us to selectively process goal-relevant aspects of a scene while ignoring irrelevant aspects. A large body of research has characterized the effects of attention on neural activity evoked by a visual stimulus. However, attention also includes a preparatory phase before stimulus onset in which the attended dimension is internally represented. Here, we review neurophysiological, functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, electroencephalography, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies investigating the neural basis of preparatory attention, both when attention is directed to a location in space and when it is directed to nonspatial stimulus attributes (content-based attention) ranging from low-level features to object categories. Results show that both spatial and content-based attention lead to increased baseline activity in neural populations that selectively code for the attended attribute. TMS studies provide evidence that this preparatory activity is causally related to subsequent attentional selection and behavioral performance. Attention thus acts by preactivating selective neurons in the visual cortex before stimulus onset. This appears to be a general mechanism that can operate on multiple levels of representation. We discuss the functional relevance of this mechanism, its limitations, and its relation to working memory, imagery, and expectation. We conclude by outlining open questions and future directions. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

Sensory Attributes and Preliminary Characterization of Milk Chocolate Bar Enriched with Cinnamon Essential Oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilmi, A.; Praseptiangga, D.; Muhammad, D. R. A.

2017-04-01

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is one of Indonesia's main commodities with annually increasing production. Chocolates are semi-solid suspensions of fine solid particles in a continuous fat phase. Primary chocolate categories are dark, milk, and white that differs in content of cocoa solid, milk fat, and cocoa butter. Milk chocolate bar is one of the most popular processed cocoa products in Indonesia. Widely cultivated in Indonesia, cinnamon is potential to be developed and is expected to add flavor and taste as well as enhance functional properties of milk chocolate, since it is well-known of its high antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cinnamon essential oil addition on the sensory attributes and physicochemical properties of milk chocolate bar. Three formulas of milk chocolate bar with an addition of cinnamon essential oil (0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%) were evaluated in this study. Panelists acceptance level decreased with increasing concentrations of cinnamon essential oil added, while moisture content and color analysis results did not show any significantly different for each formula, suggesting that milk chocolate bar with the addition of 0.1% of cinnamon essential oil had the highest level of acceptance and preferences for some of properties evaluated.

Involvement of plant endogenous ABA in Bacillus megaterium PGPR activity in tomato plants.

PubMed

Porcel, Rosa; Zamarreño, Ángel María; García-Mina, José María; Aroca, Ricardo

2014-01-25

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are naturally occurring soil bacteria which benefit plants by improving plant productivity and immunity. The mechanisms involved in these processes include the regulation of plant hormone levels such as ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA). The aim of the present study was to determine whether the activity of Bacillus megaterium PGPR is affected by the endogenous ABA content of the host plant. The ABA-deficient tomato mutants flacca and sitiens and their near-isogenic wild-type parental lines were used. Growth, stomatal conductance, shoot hormone concentration, competition assay for colonization of tomato root tips, and root expression of plant genes expected to be modulated by ABA and PGPR were examined. Contrary to the wild-type plants in which PGPR stimulated growth rates, PGPR caused growth inhibition in ABA-deficient mutant plants. PGPR also triggered an over accumulation of ethylene in ABA-deficient plants which correlated with a higher expression of the pathogenesis-related gene Sl-PR1b. Positive correlation between over-accumulation of ethylene and a higher expression of Sl-PR1b in ABA-deficient mutant plants could indicate that maintenance of normal plant endogenous ABA content may be essential for the growth promoting action of B. megaterium by keeping low levels of ethylene production.

Using individualized predictive disease modeling to identify patients with the potential to benefit from a disease management program for diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Weber, Christian; Neeser, Kurt

2006-08-01

Diabetes is an increasing health problem, but efforts to handle this pandemic by disease management programs (DMP) have shown conflicting results. Our hypothesis is that, in addition to a program's content and setting, the choice of the right patients is crucial to a program's efficacy and effectiveness. We used individualized predictive disease modeling (IPDM) on a cohort of 918 patients with type 2 diabetes to identify those patients with the greatest potential to benefit from inclusion in a DMP. A portion of the patients (4.7%) did not have even a theoretical potential for an increase in life expectancy and would therefore be unlikely to benefit from a DMP. Approximately 16.1% had an increase in life expectancy of less than half a year. Stratification of the entire cohort by surrogate parameters like preventable 10-year costs or gain in life expectancy was much more effective than stratification by classical clinical parameters such as high HbA1c level. Preventable costs increased up to 50.6% (or 1,010 per patient (1 = US dollars 1.28), p < 0.01) and life expectancy increased up to 54.8% (or 2.3 years, p < 0.01). IPDM is a valuable strategy to identify those patients with the greatest potential to avoid diabetes-related complications and thus can improve the overall effectiveness and efficacy of DMPs for diabetes mellitus.

Expectation of fairness: a turning point in the professional satisfaction of Iranian nurses.

PubMed

Rafii, Forough; Nasrabadi, Alireza Nikbakht; Forooshani, Zahra Sadat Dibaji

2016-06-01

The professional satisfaction of staff is one of the most challenging organizational concepts that can enhance the efficiency level of organizations. In a similar vein, the professional satisfaction of nurses is of considerable importance, in that, professional dissatisfaction among nurses could result in emotional detachment, depression, anger, evasion from work, and inefficacy and would negatively impact the organization's work rate. The aim of this study was to understand Iranian nurses' experiences of the concept of professional satisfaction. This was a qualitative study conducted with a targeted sampling of 10 nurses (4 men and 6 women) in 2015. The data were collected through conducting in-depth interviews, and textual data were analyzed subsequently using the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) method. The findings of this study pointed to "fair conduct," which was comprised of three sub-categories, i.e., expectation of fairness in social-professional settings, expectation of fairness in receiving professional benefits, and expectation of fairness in the area of professional interactions. There are various ups and downs in nursing due to the challenging nature of the profession, from the initial education at the university until retirement. According to the findings of this study, a lack of fairness in social-professional settings, a lack of fairness in receiving professional benefits, and a lack of fairness in the area of professional interactions were among the factors that have great impacts on the degree of professional dissatisfaction among nurses.

Qualitative assessment of the dental health services provided at a dental school in Kerman, Iran.

PubMed

Rad, Maryam; Haghani, Jahangir; Shahravan, Arash; Khosravifar, Ali

2009-01-01

Increasing the quality of the services provided in a Dental School can raise the satisfaction level of patients and consequently increase the level of their oral health. This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of dental care and services provided to patients referred to a Dental School in Kerman, Iran. In this qualitative study, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with 41 participants [25 patients (P), 5 nurses (N), 6 dental academic staff (AS), and 5 dental students (S)]. Then, the interviews were transcribed and analyzed, using content analysis of data. Data analysis in qualitative research involves breaking down the data and searching for codes and categories that are then reassembled to form themes. Both positive and negative themes emerged. Positive themes included: good infection control, service accessibility, patient appointments and visits were not assigned on merit, precise examinations, and comprehensive treatment plans. Negative themes included: long wait time, lack of options to pass waiting time, such as newspapers and television, an insufficient number of nurses, and not enough professors for supervision. In addition, the results of this study show that the patients and dental staff have high expectations in relation to dental services, and that implementation of these expectations would increase the overall satisfaction with and the quality of the level of services. Finally, some recommendations for improving services in the Kerman Dental School were given to the managing team of the Dental School.

Varieties of cognitive penetration in visual perception.

PubMed

Vetter, Petra; Newen, Albert

2014-07-01

Is our perceptual experience a veridical representation of the world or is it a product of our beliefs and past experiences? Cognitive penetration describes the influence of higher level cognitive factors on perceptual experience and has been a debated topic in philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Here, we focus on visual perception, particularly early vision, and how it is affected by contextual expectations and memorized cognitive contents. We argue for cognitive penetration based on recent empirical evidence demonstrating contextual and top-down influences on early visual processes. On the basis of a perceptual model, we propose different types of cognitive penetration depending on the processing level on which the penetration happens and depending on where the penetrating influence comes from. Our proposal has two consequences: (1) the traditional controversy on whether cognitive penetration occurs or not is ill posed, and (2) a clear-cut perception-cognition boundary cannot be maintained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

H2O frost point detection on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, J. A.; Sharman, R. D.

1981-01-01

The Viking Mars landers contain meteorological instrumentation to measure wind, temperature, and pressure but not atmospheric water content. The landings occurred during local summer, and it was observed that the nocturnal temperature decrease at sensor height (1.6 m) did not exhibit a uniform behavior at either site. It was expected that the rate of decrease would gradually slow, leveling off near sunrise. Instead, a leveling occurred several hours earlier. Temperature subsequently began a more rapid decrease which slowed by sunrise. This suggested that the temperature sensors may be detecting the frost point of water vapor. Analysis of alternative hypotheses demonstrates that none of these are viable candidates. The frost point interpretation is consistent with other lander and orbiter observations, with terrestrial experience, and with modeling of Mars' atmospheric behavior. It thus appears that the meteorology experiment can help provide a basis toward understanding the distribution and dynamics of Martian water vapor.

The demise of chloroplast DNA in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Rowan, Beth A; Oldenburg, Delene J; Bendich, Arnold J

2004-09-01

Although it might be expected that chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) would be stably maintained in mature leaves, we report the surprising observation that cpDNA levels decline during plastid development in Arabidopsis thaliana (Col.) until most of the leaves contain little or no DNA long before the onset of senescence. We measured the cpDNA content in developing cotyledons, rosette leaves, and cauline leaves. The amount of cpDNA per chloroplast decreases as the chloroplasts develop, reaching undetectable levels in mature leaves. In young cauline leaves, most individual molecules of cpDNA are found in complex, branched forms. In expanded cauline leaves, cpDNA is present in smaller branched forms only at the base of the leaf and is virtually absent in the distal part of the leaf. We conclude that photosynthetic activity may persist long after the demise of the cpDNA. Copyright 2004 Springer-Verlag

The benefit of expecting no conflict--Stronger influence of self-generated than cue-induced conflict expectations on Stroop performance.

PubMed

Kemper, Maike; Gaschler, Robert; Schwager, Sabine; Schubert, Torsten

2016-01-01

The role of expectations in sequential adaptation to cognitive conflict has been debated controversially in prior studies. On the one hand, a sequential congruency effect (SCE) has been reported for trials in which participants expect a repetition of conflict level. On the other hand, conflict level expectations vs. the SCE have been shown to develop differentially across runs of trials with the same conflict level, arguing against the theory that the SCE is purely driven by expectation. The current verbal Stroop experiment addresses this controversy by two means. First, we tested which specific type of expectation (cue-induced expectations vs. self-generated predictions) might affect the SCE. Second, we assessed the impact of expectation on the SCE as well as the development of SCE and expectation with congruency level run length in one design. We observed a dissociation between expectations and SCE, demonstrating that the SCE is not exclusively driven by expectations. At the same time, we found evidence that (self-generated) expectations do have an impact on the SCE. Our data document especially high performance for one specific combination of task events: congruent trial accompanied by congruent prediction and conflict level repetition. Our results are in line with theories attributing conflict adaptation effects to the "adaption to the lack of conflict". We discuss our results in a broader context of theories about conflict monitoring. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Formation of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines and Migration Level of Bisphenol-A in Sous-Vide-Cooked Trout Fillets at Different Cooking Temperatures and Cooking Levels.

PubMed

Oz, Fatih; Seyyar, Esra

2016-04-20

The effects of different cooking temperatures (65, 75, and 85 °C) and cooking levels (medium and well) on some quality properties, the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAs), and the migration level of bisphenol-A (BPA) in trout fillets cooked by sous-vide were investigated. As a result, as expected, cooking caused a reduction in water content of the samples, whereas pH, TBARS, L*, and b* values increased. Cooking loss values ranged between 14.78 and 20.51%. Whereas IQ, MeIQ, 7,8-DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, PhIP, AαC and MeAαC could not be detected in the analyzed samples, varying levels of IQx (up to 0.16 ng/g) and MeIQx (up to 5.66 ng/g) were detected. It was determined that total HCA amounts ranged between 1.28 and 5.75 ng/g, and all or a big part of the total HCAs belonged to MeIQx. In addition, the migration level of BPA in sous-vide-cooked samples ranged between 4.93 and 27.11 ng/g.

Depletion of Essential Fatty Acids in the Food Source Affects Aerobic Capacities of the Golden Grey Mullet Liza aurata in a Warming Seawater Context

PubMed Central

Zambonino Infante, José-Luis; Mazurais, David; Dubillot, Emmanuel; Le Delliou, Hervé; Quazuguel, Patrick; Lefrançois, Christel

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of thermal acclimation and n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA) content of the food source on the aerobic capacities of fish in a thermal changing environment. The model used was the golden grey mullet Liza aurata, a species of high ecological importance in temperate coastal areas. For four months, fish were exposed to two food sources with contrasting n-3 HUFA contents (4.8% ecosapentaenoic acid EPA + docosahexaenoic acid DHA on the dry matter DM basis vs. 0.2% EPA+DHA on DM) combined with two acclimation temperatures (12°C vs. 20°C). The four experimental conditions were LH12, LH20, HH12 and HH20. Each group was then submitted to a thermal challenge consisting of successive exposures to five temperatures (9°C, 12°C, 16°C, 20°C, 24°C). At each temperature, the maximal and minimal metabolic rates, metabolic scope, and the maximum swimming speed were measured. Results showed that the cost of maintenance of basal metabolic activities was particularly higher when n-3 HUFA food content was low. Moreover, fish exposed to high acclimation temperature combined with a low n-3 HUFA dietary level (LH20) exhibited a higher aerobic scope, as well as a greater expenditure of energy to reach the same maximum swimming speed as other groups. This suggested a reduction of the amount of energy available to perform other physiological functions. This study is the first to show that the impact of lowering n-3 HUFA food content is exacerbated for fish previously acclimated to a warmer environment. It raises the question of the consequences of longer and warmer summers that have already been recorded and are still expected in temperate areas, as well as the pertinence of the lowering n-3 HUFA availability in the food web expected with global change, as a factor affecting marine organisms and communities. PMID:26030666

Depletion of Essential Fatty Acids in the Food Source Affects Aerobic Capacities of the Golden Grey Mullet Liza aurata in a Warming Seawater Context.

PubMed

Vagner, Marie; Lacoue-Labarthe, Thomas; Zambonino Infante, José-Luis; Mazurais, David; Dubillot, Emmanuel; Le Delliou, Hervé; Quazuguel, Patrick; Lefrançois, Christel

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of thermal acclimation and n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA) content of the food source on the aerobic capacities of fish in a thermal changing environment. The model used was the golden grey mullet Liza aurata, a species of high ecological importance in temperate coastal areas. For four months, fish were exposed to two food sources with contrasting n-3 HUFA contents (4.8% ecosapentaenoic acid EPA + docosahexaenoic acid DHA on the dry matter DM basis vs. 0.2% EPA+DHA on DM) combined with two acclimation temperatures (12°C vs. 20°C). The four experimental conditions were LH12, LH20, HH12 and HH20. Each group was then submitted to a thermal challenge consisting of successive exposures to five temperatures (9°C, 12°C, 16°C, 20°C, 24°C). At each temperature, the maximal and minimal metabolic rates, metabolic scope, and the maximum swimming speed were measured. Results showed that the cost of maintenance of basal metabolic activities was particularly higher when n-3 HUFA food content was low. Moreover, fish exposed to high acclimation temperature combined with a low n-3 HUFA dietary level (LH20) exhibited a higher aerobic scope, as well as a greater expenditure of energy to reach the same maximum swimming speed as other groups. This suggested a reduction of the amount of energy available to perform other physiological functions. This study is the first to show that the impact of lowering n-3 HUFA food content is exacerbated for fish previously acclimated to a warmer environment. It raises the question of the consequences of longer and warmer summers that have already been recorded and are still expected in temperate areas, as well as the pertinence of the lowering n-3 HUFA availability in the food web expected with global change, as a factor affecting marine organisms and communities.

TPACK and Pre-Service Teacher Mathematics Education: Defining a Signature Pedagogy for Mathematics Education Using ICT and Based on the Metaphor "Mathematics Is a Language"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larkin, Kevin; Jamieson-Proctor, Romina; Finger, Glenn

2012-01-01

National professional standards for teachers in Australia (AITSL, 2011) expect teacher education graduates to demonstrate technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). Those standards have emerged concurrently with the development of a new Australian mathematics curriculum. Thus, the expectation is that graduates can demonstrate the…

Scrolling toward Enrollment: Web Site Content and the E-Expectations of College-Bound Seniors. E-Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc, 2009

2009-01-01

Communicating with prospective students has undergone a profound transformation in the past ten years. Campus marketing--like marketing for any organization--had to adapt first to the Internet and e-mail and now to new social media formats like social networking and blogging. A recent survey of 1,000 college-bound seniors, however, shows that…

Within-culture variation in the content of stereotypes: Application and development of the stereotype content model in an Eastern European culture.

PubMed

Stanciu, Adrian; Cohrs, J Christopher; Hanke, Katja; Gavreliuc, Alin

2017-01-01

There is little and unsystematic evidence about whether the content of stereotypes can vary within a culture. Using the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) as a theoretical framework, in two studies we examined the content of stereotypes in an Eastern European culture, namely Romania. Data were collected from four regions prototypical in terms of economic and social development in Romania, and we examined whether the content of stereotypes varies across these regions. As expected, the findings confirm the applicability of the SCM in Romania to reveal culture-specific stereotypes and provide initial support for within-culture variation in the content of stereotypes. We discuss, in particular, possible reasons for two main findings: a strong one-dimensional structure of stereotypes, and regional differences in stereotype content.

ACLAME: a CLAssification of Mobile genetic Elements, update 2010.

PubMed

Leplae, Raphaël; Lima-Mendez, Gipsi; Toussaint, Ariane

2010-01-01

The ACLAME database is dedicated to the collection, analysis and classification of sequenced mobile genetic elements (MGEs, in particular phages and plasmids). In addition to providing information on the MGEs content, classifications are available at various levels of organization. At the gene/protein level, families group similar sequences that are expected to share the same function. Families of four or more proteins are manually assigned with a functional annotation using the GeneOntology and the locally developed ontology MeGO dedicated to MGEs. At the genome level, evolutionary cohesive modules group sets of protein families shared among MGEs. At the population level, networks display the reticulate evolutionary relationships among MGEs. To increase the coverage of the phage sequence space, ACLAME version 0.4 incorporates 760 high-quality predicted prophages selected from the Prophinder database. Most of the data can be downloaded from the freely accessible ACLAME web site (http://aclame.ulb.ac.be). The BLAST interface for querying the database has been extended and numerous tools for in-depth analysis of the results have been added.

Multimedia lead exposure and associated risk assessment in Dhaka, Bangladesh

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

Sarwar, M.

1998-12-31

Motor vehicles consume the largest amount of leaded gasoline in Bangladesh. The number of vehicles and fuel consumption have increased significantly in recent years. These vehicles, which are believed to be the major sources of lead emissions in Dhaka, may cause an excessive level of lead exposure in children. The paper describes the results of a study conducted to determine risk associated with the multimedia lead exposure for children in Dhaka. Specifically, data related to lead content in air and soil in Dhaka were collected and used to estimate the blood lead levels in children. The Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokineticsmore » Model, developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), was used. Bangladesh is yet to adopt any blood lead standards. The results of the study indicated that the model predicted geometric blood lead levels in children in Dhaka are significantly below the blood lead standard recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It was also found that children in Dhaka are not expected to contain blood lead levels higher than the WHO recommended standard.« less

On making laboratory report work more meaningful through criterion-based evaluation.

PubMed

Naeraa, N

1987-05-01

The purpose of this work was to encourage students to base their laboratory report work on guidelines reflecting a quality criterion set, previously derived from the functional role of the various sections in scientific papers. The materials were developed by a trial-and-error approach and comprise learning objectives, a parallel structure of manual and reports, general and specific report guidelines and a new common starting experiment. The principal contents are presented, followed by an account of the author's experience with them. Most of the author's students now follow the guidelines. Their conclusions are affected by difficulties in adjusting expected results with due regard to the specific conditions of the experimental subject or to their own deviations from the experimental or analytical procedures prescribed in the manual. Also, problems in interpreting data unbiased by explicit expectations are evident, although a clear distinction between expected and actual results has been helpful for them in seeing the relationship between experiments and textbook contents more clearly, and thus in understanding the hypothetico-deductive approach.

Genre of Music and Lyrical Content: Expectation Effects.

PubMed

Ballard, Mary E; Dodson, Alan R; Bazzini, Doris G

1999-12-01

This study was designed to examine whether people's expectations differ regarding how music lyrics affect individual behavior as a function of music genre. Because legislative attention and media publicity have been biased against certain types of popular music (i.e., heavy metal and rap), the authors expected that those genres of music would be viewed more negatively than other genres of popular music, for which there has been little or no negative publicity (i.e., pop and country). Participants (N = 160 college students) rated their perceptions of how the lyrical content of a song would affect listeners' behavior. The authors presented prosocial or antisocial lyrical passages to students (N = 160) under the guise of four musical genres (heavy metal, rap, pop, and country). Participants rated the potential impact of the lyrics on listeners' behavior. Findings indicated that lyrics labeled as heavy metal or rap were perceived as less likely to inspire prosocial behavior but not more likely to inspire antisocial behavior than the same lyrics labeled as country or pop.

Truly work-like work extraction via a single-shot analysis.

PubMed

Aberg, Johan

2013-01-01

The work content of non-equilibrium systems in relation to a heat bath is often analysed in terms of expectation values of an underlying random work variable. However, when optimizing the expectation value of the extracted work, the resulting extraction process is subject to intrinsic fluctuations, uniquely determined by the Hamiltonian and the initial distribution of the system. These fluctuations can be of the same order as the expected work content per se, in which case the extracted energy is unpredictable, thus intuitively more heat-like than work-like. This raises the question of the 'truly' work-like energy that can be extracted. Here we consider an alternative that corresponds to an essentially fluctuation-free extraction. We show that this quantity can be expressed in terms of a one-shot relative entropy measure introduced in information theory. This suggests that the relations between information theory and statistical mechanics, as illustrated by concepts like Maxwell's demon, Szilard engines and Landauer's principle, extends to the single-shot regime.

Tensile deformation and recovery kinetics of Alloy 690. Final report

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

Lo, C.F.; Mayo, W.E.; Weissmann, S.

1992-07-01

The effect of carbon content, grain size and thermal history on the deformation behavior of nickel-base Alloy 690 has been investigated. Carbon content effects the yield strength of Mill Annealed (MA) material, but has no effect in Thermally Treated (TT) material. Also, no effect of carbon content on the workhardening rate was seen in either material. There was an effect of grain size as expected. An interesting aspect of this work showed that TT material consistently has a slightly higher Young`s modulus than the MA. As deformation moves into the plastic regime, the TT material displays a two stage hardeningmore » process. This consists of a low workhardening rate (n = 0.05), followed by a transition to the more normal workhardening rate (n=0.35). The MA material, on the other hand, does not exhibit the low n region. This unusual deformation behavior is attributable to the presence of planar slip which initiates at the grain boundary over the strain range of 0.2 to 0.7%. These observations are useful to explain the unexpectedly fast strain relaxation behavior seen in this alloy. The recovery kinetics of the alloy have also been studied. Rapid recovery with an activation energy of approximately 5.3 kj/mol occurs when the deformation level is low. This was attributed to a grain boundary self diffusion process. At higher strain levels, recovery is much slower with an activation energy of approximately 14 kJ/mol. This process was attributable to bulk diffusion. Based on TEM and X-ray rocking curve measurements, these results have been explained.« less

Tensile deformation and recovery kinetics of Alloy 690

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

Lo, C.F.; Mayo, W.E.; Weissmann, S.

1992-07-01

The effect of carbon content, grain size and thermal history on the deformation behavior of nickel-base Alloy 690 has been investigated. Carbon content effects the yield strength of Mill Annealed (MA) material, but has no effect in Thermally Treated (TT) material. Also, no effect of carbon content on the workhardening rate was seen in either material. There was an effect of grain size as expected. An interesting aspect of this work showed that TT material consistently has a slightly higher Young's modulus than the MA. As deformation moves into the plastic regime, the TT material displays a two stage hardeningmore » process. This consists of a low workhardening rate (n = 0.05), followed by a transition to the more normal workhardening rate (n=0.35). The MA material, on the other hand, does not exhibit the low n region. This unusual deformation behavior is attributable to the presence of planar slip which initiates at the grain boundary over the strain range of 0.2 to 0.7%. These observations are useful to explain the unexpectedly fast strain relaxation behavior seen in this alloy. The recovery kinetics of the alloy have also been studied. Rapid recovery with an activation energy of approximately 5.3 kj/mol occurs when the deformation level is low. This was attributed to a grain boundary self diffusion process. At higher strain levels, recovery is much slower with an activation energy of approximately 14 kJ/mol. This process was attributable to bulk diffusion. Based on TEM and X-ray rocking curve measurements, these results have been explained.« less

Content congruency and its interplay with temporal synchrony modulate integration between rhythmic audiovisual streams.

PubMed

Su, Yi-Huang

2014-01-01

Both lower-level stimulus factors (e.g., temporal proximity) and higher-level cognitive factors (e.g., content congruency) are known to influence multisensory integration. The former can direct attention in a converging manner, and the latter can indicate whether information from the two modalities belongs together. The present research investigated whether and how these two factors interacted in the perception of rhythmic, audiovisual (AV) streams derived from a human movement scenario. Congruency here was based on sensorimotor correspondence pertaining to rhythm perception. Participants attended to bimodal stimuli consisting of a humanlike figure moving regularly to a sequence of auditory beat, and detected a possible auditory temporal deviant. The figure moved either downwards (congruently) or upwards (incongruently) to the downbeat, while in both situations the movement was either synchronous with the beat, or lagging behind it. Greater cross-modal binding was expected to hinder deviant detection. Results revealed poorer detection for congruent than for incongruent streams, suggesting stronger integration in the former. False alarms increased in asynchronous stimuli only for congruent streams, indicating greater tendency for deviant report due to visual capture of asynchronous auditory events. In addition, a greater increase in perceived synchrony was associated with a greater reduction in false alarms for congruent streams, while the pattern was reversed for incongruent ones. These results demonstrate that content congruency as a top-down factor not only promotes integration, but also modulates bottom-up effects of synchrony. Results are also discussed regarding how theories of integration and attentional entrainment may be combined in the context of rhythmic multisensory stimuli.

Age-related accumulation of Maillard reaction products in human articular cartilage collagen.

PubMed

Verzijl, N; DeGroot, J; Oldehinkel, E; Bank, R A; Thorpe, S R; Baynes, J W; Bayliss, M T; Bijlsma, J W; Lafeber, F P; Tekoppele, J M

2000-09-01

Non-enzymic modification of tissue proteins by reducing sugars, the so-called Maillard reaction, is a prominent feature of aging. In articular cartilage, relatively high levels of the advanced glycation end product (AGE) pentosidine accumulate with age. Higher pentosidine levels have been associated with a stiffer collagen network in cartilage. However, even in cartilage, pentosidine levels themselves represent <1 cross-link per 20 collagen molecules, and as such cannot be expected to contribute substantially to the increase in collagen network stiffness. In the present study, we investigated a broad range of Maillard reaction products in cartilage collagen in order to determine whether pentosidine serves as an adequate marker for AGE levels. Not only did the well-characterized AGEs pentosidine, N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine, and N(epsilon)-(carboxyethyl)lysine increase with age in cartilage collagen (all P<0.0001), but also general measures of AGE cross-linking, such as browning and fluorescence (both P<0.0001), increased. The levels of these AGEs are all higher in cartilage collagen than in skin collagen. As a functional measure of glycation the digestibility of articular collagen by bacterial collagenase was investigated; digestibility decreased linearly with age, proportional to the extent of glycation. Furthermore, the arginine content and the sum of the hydroxylysine and lysine content of cartilage collagen decrease significantly with age (P<0.0001 and P<0. 01 respectively), possibly due to modification by the Maillard reaction. The observed relationship between glycation and amino acid modification has not been reported previously in vivo. Our present results indicate that extensive accumulation of a variety of Maillard reaction products occurs in cartilage collagen with age. Altogether our results support the hypothesis that glycation contributes to stiffer and more brittle cartilage with advancing age.

Age-related accumulation of Maillard reaction products in human articular cartilage collagen.

PubMed Central

Verzijl, N; DeGroot, J; Oldehinkel, E; Bank, R A; Thorpe, S R; Baynes, J W; Bayliss, M T; Bijlsma, J W; Lafeber, F P; Tekoppele, J M

2000-01-01

Non-enzymic modification of tissue proteins by reducing sugars, the so-called Maillard reaction, is a prominent feature of aging. In articular cartilage, relatively high levels of the advanced glycation end product (AGE) pentosidine accumulate with age. Higher pentosidine levels have been associated with a stiffer collagen network in cartilage. However, even in cartilage, pentosidine levels themselves represent <1 cross-link per 20 collagen molecules, and as such cannot be expected to contribute substantially to the increase in collagen network stiffness. In the present study, we investigated a broad range of Maillard reaction products in cartilage collagen in order to determine whether pentosidine serves as an adequate marker for AGE levels. Not only did the well-characterized AGEs pentosidine, N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl)lysine, and N(epsilon)-(carboxyethyl)lysine increase with age in cartilage collagen (all P<0.0001), but also general measures of AGE cross-linking, such as browning and fluorescence (both P<0.0001), increased. The levels of these AGEs are all higher in cartilage collagen than in skin collagen. As a functional measure of glycation the digestibility of articular collagen by bacterial collagenase was investigated; digestibility decreased linearly with age, proportional to the extent of glycation. Furthermore, the arginine content and the sum of the hydroxylysine and lysine content of cartilage collagen decrease significantly with age (P<0.0001 and P<0. 01 respectively), possibly due to modification by the Maillard reaction. The observed relationship between glycation and amino acid modification has not been reported previously in vivo. Our present results indicate that extensive accumulation of a variety of Maillard reaction products occurs in cartilage collagen with age. Altogether our results support the hypothesis that glycation contributes to stiffer and more brittle cartilage with advancing age. PMID:10947951

Bioaccumulation and elimination of mercury in juvenile seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in a warmer environment

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

Maulvault, Ana Luísa, E-mail: aluisa@ipma.pt; Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research; MARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais

Warming is an expected impact of climate change that will affect coastal areas in the future. These areas are also subjected to strong anthropogenic pressures leading to chemical contamination. Yet, the consequences of both factors for marine ecosystems, biota and consumers are still unknown. The present work aims to investigate, for the first time, the effect of temperature increase on bioaccumulation and elimination of mercury [(total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg)] in three tissues (muscle, liver, and brain) of a commercially important seafood species – European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Fish were exposed to the ambient temperature currently used in seabassmore » rearing (18 °C) and to the expected ocean warming (+4 °C, i.e. 22 °C), as well as dietary MeHg during 28 days, followed by a depuration period of 28 days fed with a control diet. In both temperature exposures, higher MeHg contents were observed in the brain, followed by the muscle and liver. Liver registered the highest elimination percentages (EF; up to 64% in the liver, 20% in the brain, and 3% in the muscle). Overall, the results clearly indicate that a warming environment promotes MeHg bioaccumulation in all tissues (e.g. highest levels in brain: 8.1 mg kg{sup −1} ww at 22 °C against 6.2 mg kg{sup −1} ww at 18 °C after 28 days of MeHg exposure) and hampers MeHg elimination (e.g. liver EF decreases after 28 days of depuration: from 64.2% at 18 °C to 50.3% at 22 °C). These findings suggest that seafood safety may be compromised in a warming context, particularly for seafood species with contaminant concentrations close to the current regulatory levels. Hence, results point out the need to strengthen research in this area and to revise and/or adapt the current recommendations regarding human exposure to chemical contaminants through seafood consumption, in order to integrate the expected effects of climate change. - Highlights: • Higher MeHg contents were found in the brain, followed by the muscle and liver. • A warmer environment enhances MeHg bioaccumulation and hampers MeHg elimination. • Ocean warming may compromise seafood safety. • Research combining climate change and pollution effects should be strengthened.« less

A post-detection decipherment strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, John R.

2011-02-01

This paper looks at the immense difficulties involved in trying to decipher the content of a signal, when the world's fears and expectations would be for immediacy of information. It is a reasonable assumption that having announced a signal is from an ET source that the next question will be "is there a message?" To put this task into context, we still have many scripts from our own antiquity that remain undeciphered, despite many serious attempts, over hundreds of years. So, given this, an algorithmic rationale, based on previous research into signal decipherment techniques, is presented. This phased approach will then provide an initial methodology for us attempting to unlock the content of an extra-terrestrial signal, whilst facilitating the dissemination of timely and accurate information to an expectant world.

Boon and Bane of Being Sure: The Effect of Performance Certainty and Expectancy on Task Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schindler, Simon; Reinhard, Marc-André; Dickhäuser, Oliver

2016-01-01

Previous research has suggested certainty to be an important factor when investigating effects of level of expectancies on future behavior. With the present study, we addressed the interplay of expectancy certainty and level of expectancies regarding task performance. We assumed that certain performance expectancies provide a better basis for the…

Women's status and experiences of mistreatment during childbirth in Uttar Pradesh: a mixed methods study using cultural health capital theory.

PubMed

Sudhinaraset, May; Treleaven, Emily; Melo, Jason; Singh, Kanksha; Diamond-Smith, Nadia

2016-10-28

Mistreatment of women in healthcare settings during childbirth has been gaining attention globally. Mistreatment during childbirth directly and indirectly affects health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and the likelihood of delivering in a facility currently or in the future. It is important that we study patients' reports of mistreatment and abuse to develop a deeper understanding of how it is perpetrated, its consequences, and to identify potential points of intervention. Patients' perception of the quality of care is dependent, not only on the content of care, but importantly, on women's expectations of care. This study uses rich, mixed-methods data to explore women's characteristics and experiences of mistreatment during childbirth among slum-resident women in Uttar Pradesh, India. To understand the ways in which women's social and cultural factors influence their expectations of care and consequently their perceptions of respectful care, we adopt a Cultural Health Capital (CHC) framework. The quantitative sample includes 392 women, and the qualitative sample includes 26 women. Quantitative results suggest high levels of mistreatment (over 57 % of women reported any form of mistreatment). Qualitative findings suggest that lack of cultural health capital disadvantages patients in their patient-provider relationships, and that women use resources to improve care they receive. Participants articulated how providers set expectations and norms regarding behaviors in facilities; patients with lower social standing may not always understand standard practices and are likely to suffer poor health outcomes as a result. Of importance, however, patients also blame themselves for their own lack of knowledge. Lack of cultural health capital disadvantages women during delivery care in India. Providers set expectations and norms around behaviors during delivery, while women are often misinformed and may have low expectations of care.

Eumorphic Plastic Surgery: Expectation Versus Satisfaction in Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

PubMed

Morselli, Paolo Giovanni; Micai, Alessandro; Boriani, Filippo

2016-08-01

Eumorphic Plastic Surgery aims at improving the severe psychosocial pain caused by a deformity. Dysmorphopathology is an increasingly relevant problem facing the plastic surgeon. The aim of this study is to describe the perioperative questionnaires created by the senior author and to present a cohort of plastic surgery patients suffering from dysmorphopathies. These patients were prospectively followed and evaluated with the proposed questionnaires through their surgical pathway to explore the degree of satisfaction or disappointment compared to expectations. All candidates for plastic surgery procedures between April 2011 and June 2013 were included in the study. Preoperatively, all patients completed the Patient Expectation Questionnaire (E-pgm). Twelve months postoperatively, they completed the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (S-pgm). The E-pgm and S-pgm were compared to evaluate the consistency between the patient's preoperative expectations and postoperative evaluations. A total of 158 patients were included in the study. Out of them, 79 % experienced an improvement or no variation between preoperative expectations and postoperative satisfaction. With regard to the motivation for undergoing surgery, 91 % showed that the surgical procedure met the motivation. An overall positive perioperative change in life was experienced by 93 % of patients. The E-pgm questionnaire proved to be a valid and reliable tool for the selection of suitable candidates for surgery and for identification of dysmorphophobic patients. Enhancing the doctor-patient relationship and communication can reduce ambiguity and avoid troublesome misunderstandings, litigation and other legal implications. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The Human Anatomy Teacher-Scholar: Meeting the Expectations of Educational Outcomes Research, Course Content Innovation, and Textbook Innovation for Educational Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckel, Christine Marie

2009-01-01

A human anatomy teacher-scholar is a scholar whose area of expertise includes content knowledge of the anatomical sciences (gross anatomy, histology, embryology, and/or neuroanatomy) and whose research interests and focus are centered in medical educational outcomes. The projects described in this dissertation represent endeavors I engaged in to…

Response Styles in Rating Scales: Simultaneous Modeling of Content-Related Effects and the Tendency to Middle or Extreme Categories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tutz, Gerhard; Berger, Moritz

2016-01-01

Heterogeneity in response styles can affect the conclusions drawn from rating scale data. In particular, biased estimates can be expected if one ignores a tendency to middle categories or to extreme categories. An adjacent categories model is proposed that simultaneously models the content-related effects and the heterogeneity in response styles.…

The Effect of an Integrated Science and Mathematics Content-Based Course on Science and Mathematics Teaching Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moseley, Christine; Utley, Juliana

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an earth systems science course (integrated mathematics and science content) on preservice elementary teachers' mathematics and science teaching efficacy. Paired t-tests revealed that the personal mathematics and science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy significantly…

Swedish women's expectations about antenatal care and change over time - a comparative study of two cohorts of women.

PubMed

Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Andersson, Ewa; Christensson, Kyllike

2014-06-01

A decade ago a national cohort of Swedish-speaking women were surveyed about their expectations on antenatal care. Today, antenatal care in Sweden still operates under similar circumstances while changes have occurred in society and the pregnant population. To compare expectations of antenatal care in pregnant women recruited 2009-2010 to those of pregnant women from a national cohort in 1999-2000. An additional aim was to compare antenatal expectations in women recruited to a clinical trial and subsequently received group based or standard antenatal care. A cross-sectional pre-study of 700 women recruited to a clinical trial and a historical cohort of 3061 women from a Swedish national survey. Data was collected by a questionnaire in early pregnancy for both cohorts and before the clinical trial started. In early pregnancy 79% of the women in the study sample reported a preference for the recommended number of visits, which is slightly higher than in the national cohort (70%). Continuity of the caregiver was still important with 95% vs 97% of the women rated it important to meet the same midwife at subsequent antenatal visits. The content of care rank order showed a change over time with lower expectations in health check-ups and emotional content and higher expectations in information needs, respect and partner involvement. Women approached in early pregnancy had lower expectations about medical and emotional check-ups and parent education but higher expectations regarding information, being met with respect and the involvement of the partner compared to women 10 years ago. Continuity of a midwife caregiver was still important and women seem more willing to follow the recommended number of antenatal visits. Asking women about their expectations regarding antenatal care could be a means to individualize the care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Content of system design descriptions

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

NONE

A System Design Description (SDD) describes the requirements and features of a system. This standard provides guidance on the expected technical content of SDDs. The need for such a standard was recognized during efforts to develop SDDs for safety systems at DOE Hazard Category 2 nonreactor nuclear facilities. Existing guidance related to the corresponding documents in other industries is generally not suitable to meet the needs of DOE nuclear facilities. Across the DOE complex, different contractors have guidance documents, but they vary widely from site to site. While such guidance documents are valuable, no single guidance document has all themore » attributes that DOE considers important, including a reasonable degree of consistency or standardization. This standard is a consolidation of the best of the existing guidance. This standard has been developed with a technical content and level of detail intended to be most applicable to safety systems at DOE Hazard Category 2 nonreactor nuclear facilities. Notwithstanding that primary intent, this standard is recommended for other systems at such facilities, especially those that are important to achieving the programmatic mission of the facility. In addition, application of this standard should be considered for systems at other facilities, including non-nuclear facilities, on the basis that SDDs may be beneficial and cost-effective.« less

Modification of Monolignol Biosynthetic Pathway in Jute: Different Gene, Different Consequence

PubMed Central

Shafrin, Farhana; Ferdous, Ahlan Sabah; Sarkar, Suprovath Kumar; Ahmed, Rajib; Amin, Al-; Hossain, Kawsar; Sarker, Mrinmoy; Rencoret, Jorge; Gutiérrez, Ana; del Rio, Jose C.; Sanan-Mishra, Neeti; Khan, Haseena

2017-01-01

Lignin, a cross-linked macromolecule of hydrophobic aromatic structure, provides additional rigidity to a plant cell wall. Although it is an integral part of the plant cell, presence of lignin considerably reduces the quality of the fiber of fiber-yielding plants. Decreasing lignin in such plants holds significant commercial and environmental potential. This study aimed at reducing the lignin content in jute-a fiber crop, by introducing hpRNA-based vectors for downregulation of two monolignoid biosynthetic genes- cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT). Transgenic generations, analyzed through Southern, RT-PCR and northern assays showed downregulation of the selected genes. Transgenic lines exhibited reduced level of gene expression with ~ 16–25% reduction in acid insoluble lignin for the whole stem and ~13–14% reduction in fiber lignin content compared to the control lines. Among the two transgenic plant types one exhibited an increase in cellulose content and concomitant improvement of glucose release. Composition of the lignin building blocks was found to alter and this alteration resulted in a pattern, different from other plants where the same genes were manipulated. It is expected that successful COMT-hpRNA and C4H-hpRNA transgenesis in jute will have far-reaching commercial implications leading to product diversification and value addition. PMID:28051165

20 CFR 641.740 - How will the Department determine whether a grantee fails, meets, or exceeds the expected levels...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... grantee fails, meets, or exceeds the expected levels of performance for the core indicators and what will... determine whether a grantee fails, meets, or exceeds the expected levels of performance for the core... such levels) by aggregating the grantee's core indicators. The aggregate is calculated by combining the...

Laparoscopic Surgical Skills programme: preliminary evaluation of Grade I Level 1 courses by trainees.

PubMed

Buzink, Sonja; Soltes, Marek; Radonak, Jozef; Fingerhut, Abe; Hanna, George; Jakimowicz, Jack

2012-08-01

New training models are needed to maintain safety and quality of surgical performance. A simulated setting using virtual reality, synthetic, and/or organic models should precede traditional supervised training in the operating room. The aim of the paper is to describe the Laparoscopic Surgical Skills (LSS) programme and to provide information about preliminary evaluation of Grade I Level 1 courses, including overall quality, applicability of the course content in practice and the balance between theory and hands-on training modules, by participating trainees. During 5 accredited LSS Grade I Level 1 courses held in Eindhoven (the Netherlands), Kosice (Slovak Republic), and Lisbon (Portugal) between April 2011 and January 2012, demographic data and pre-course surgical experience in laparoscopic surgery of the participants were recorded. The final course evaluation form was completed by each participant after the course (anonymous) to evaluate course progress, course materials, assessment, staff, location and overall impression of the course on a 1-10 scale to obtain feedback information. Forty-seven surgeons of 5 different nationalities were enrolled in an LSS Grade I Level 1 programme. Most participants were first or second year residents (n = 25), but also already established surgeons took part (n = 6). The mean age of the participants was 31.2 years (SD = 2.86), the male/female ratio was 32/15, and previous experience with laparoscopic surgery was limited. Overall impression of the course was rated with 8.7 points (SD = 0.78). The applicability of the course content in practice and the balance between theory and hands-on training were also rated very well - mean 8.8 (SD = 1.01) and 8.1 points (SD = 0.80) respectively. Laparoscopic Surgical Skills Grade I Level 1 courses are evaluated as well balanced, with content applicable in clinical practice, meeting the expectations of individual participants. International interest in the programme suggests that LSS might become the future European standard in surgical education in laparoscopic surgery. Further conclusions concerning success of the programme may be drawn after the completion of clinical assessment of enrolled participants.

Organizational readiness for implementing change: a psychometric assessment of a new measure.

PubMed

Shea, Christopher M; Jacobs, Sara R; Esserman, Denise A; Bruce, Kerry; Weiner, Bryan J

2014-01-10

Organizational readiness for change in healthcare settings is an important factor in successful implementation of new policies, programs, and practices. However, research on the topic is hindered by the absence of a brief, reliable, and valid measure. Until such a measure is developed, we cannot advance scientific knowledge about readiness or provide evidence-based guidance to organizational leaders about how to increase readiness. This article presents results of a psychometric assessment of a new measure called Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC), which we developed based on Weiner's theory of organizational readiness for change. We conducted four studies to assess the psychometric properties of ORIC. In study one, we assessed the content adequacy of the new measure using quantitative methods. In study two, we examined the measure's factor structure and reliability in a laboratory simulation. In study three, we assessed the reliability and validity of an organization-level measure of readiness based on aggregated individual-level data from study two. In study four, we conducted a small field study utilizing the same analytic methods as in study three. Content adequacy assessment indicated that the items developed to measure change commitment and change efficacy reflected the theoretical content of these two facets of organizational readiness and distinguished the facets from hypothesized determinants of readiness. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in the lab and field studies revealed two correlated factors, as expected, with good model fit and high item loadings. Reliability analysis in the lab and field studies showed high inter-item consistency for the resulting individual-level scales for change commitment and change efficacy. Inter-rater reliability and inter-rater agreement statistics supported the aggregation of individual level readiness perceptions to the organizational level of analysis. This article provides evidence in support of the ORIC measure. We believe this measure will enable testing of theories about determinants and consequences of organizational readiness and, ultimately, assist healthcare leaders to reduce the number of health organization change efforts that do not achieve desired benefits. Although ORIC shows promise, further assessment is needed to test for convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity.

Organizational readiness for implementing change: a psychometric assessment of a new measure

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Organizational readiness for change in healthcare settings is an important factor in successful implementation of new policies, programs, and practices. However, research on the topic is hindered by the absence of a brief, reliable, and valid measure. Until such a measure is developed, we cannot advance scientific knowledge about readiness or provide evidence-based guidance to organizational leaders about how to increase readiness. This article presents results of a psychometric assessment of a new measure called Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC), which we developed based on Weiner’s theory of organizational readiness for change. Methods We conducted four studies to assess the psychometric properties of ORIC. In study one, we assessed the content adequacy of the new measure using quantitative methods. In study two, we examined the measure’s factor structure and reliability in a laboratory simulation. In study three, we assessed the reliability and validity of an organization-level measure of readiness based on aggregated individual-level data from study two. In study four, we conducted a small field study utilizing the same analytic methods as in study three. Results Content adequacy assessment indicated that the items developed to measure change commitment and change efficacy reflected the theoretical content of these two facets of organizational readiness and distinguished the facets from hypothesized determinants of readiness. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in the lab and field studies revealed two correlated factors, as expected, with good model fit and high item loadings. Reliability analysis in the lab and field studies showed high inter-item consistency for the resulting individual-level scales for change commitment and change efficacy. Inter-rater reliability and inter-rater agreement statistics supported the aggregation of individual level readiness perceptions to the organizational level of analysis. Conclusions This article provides evidence in support of the ORIC measure. We believe this measure will enable testing of theories about determinants and consequences of organizational readiness and, ultimately, assist healthcare leaders to reduce the number of health organization change efforts that do not achieve desired benefits. Although ORIC shows promise, further assessment is needed to test for convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. PMID:24410955

Attitudes toward science and science knowledge of intellectually gifted and average students in third, seventh, and eleventh grades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrington, Byron L.; Hendricks, Bryan

A questionnaire regarding attitudes toward science and scientific knowledge (Yager & Yager, 1985b) was administered to 143 intellectually gifted (IQ > 130) and intellectually average third-, seventh-, and eleventh-grade students. Measures of internal reliability on four attitude subscales and a content knowledge subscale are reported. Three-way ANOVAs comparing grade, sex, and ability revealed significant differences between average and gifted students in attitudes toward being a scientist, usefulness of science, and, as might be expected, in knowledge of science. Similarly, there were significant differences between grades on attitudes toward teachers and toward science classes, with the most favorable attitudes expressed in third grade, next most favorable in eleventh grade, and clearly more negative attitudes expressed by students in seventh grade. There also was a significant interaction between grade level and ability regarding attitudes toward science classes. In contrast to what might be expected from reported differences between males and females in attitudes toward science, gender as a separate variable did not have a significant main effect in any of the comparisons.

Total Contents and Sequential Extraction of Heavy Metals in Soils Irrigated with Wastewater, Akaki, Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitamo, Daniel; Itana, Fisseha; Olsson, Mats

2007-02-01

The Akaki River, laden with untreated wastes from domestic, industrial, and commercial sources, serves as a source of water for irrigating vegetable farms. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of waste-water irrigation on the level of heavy metals and to predict their potential mobility and bioavailability. Zn and V had the highest, whereas Hg the lowest, concentrations observed in the soils. The average contents of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, V, and Hg of both soils; and Pb and Se from Fluvisol surpassed the mean + 2 SD of the corresponding levels reported for their uncontaminated counterparts. Apparently, irrigation with waste water for the last few decades has contributed to the observed higher concentrations of the above elements in the study soils (Vertisol and Fluvisol) when compared to uncontaminated Vertisol and Fluvisol. On the other hand, Vertisol accommodated comparatively higher average levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, etc V, and Cd, whereas high contents of Pb and Se were observed in Fluvisol. Alternatively, comparable levels of Co and Hg were found in either soil. Except for Ni, Cr, and Cd in contaminated Vertisol, heavy metals in the soils were not significantly affected by the depth (0-20 and 30-50 cm). When the same element from the two soils was compared, the levels of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn, V, Cd at 0-20 cm; and Cr, Ni, Cu, Cd, and Zn at 30-50 cm were significantly different. Organic carbon (in both soils), CEC (Fluvisol), and clay (Vertisol) exhibited significant positive correspondences with the total heavy metal levels. Conversely, Se and Hg contents revealed perceptible associations with carbonate and pH. The exchangeable fraction was dominated by Hg and Cd, whereas the carbonate fraction was abounded with Cd, Pb, and Co. conversely, V and Pb displayed strong affinity to reducible fraction, where as Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni dominated the oxidizable fraction. Cr, Hg, Se, and Zn (in both soils) showed preference to the residual fraction. Generally, a considerable proportion of the total levels of many of the heavy metals resided in non residual fractions. The enhanced lability is generally expected to follow the order: Cd > Co > Pb > Cu > Ni > Se > V and Pb > Cd > Co > Cu > Ni > Zn in Vertisol and Fluvisol, respectively. For the similar wastewater application, the soil variables influence the status and the distribution of the associated heavy metals among the different soil fractions in the study soils. Among heavy metals that presented relatively elevated levels and with potential mobility, Co, Cu, Ni (either soil), V (Vertisol), Pb, and Zn (Fluvisol) could pose health threat through their introduction into the food chain in the wastewater irrigated soils.

Effects of CO(2) enrichment on photosynthesis, growth, and nitrogen metabolism of the seagrass Zostera noltii.

PubMed

Alexandre, Ana; Silva, João; Buapet, Pimchanok; Björk, Mats; Santos, Rui

2012-10-01

Seagrass ecosystems are expected to benefit from the global increase in CO(2) in the ocean because the photosynthetic rate of these plants may be C(i)-limited at the current CO(2) level. As well, it is expected that lower external pH will facilitate the nitrate uptake of seagrasses if nitrate is cotransported with H(+) across the membrane as in terrestrial plants. Here, we investigate the effects of CO(2) enrichment on both carbon and nitrogen metabolism of the seagrass Zostera noltii in a mesocosm experiment where plants were exposed for 5 months to two experimental CO(2) concentrations (360 and 700 ppm). Both the maximum photosynthetic rate (P(m)) and photosynthetic efficiency (α) were higher (1.3- and 4.1-fold, respectively) in plants exposed to CO(2)-enriched conditions. On the other hand, no significant effects of CO(2) enrichment on leaf growth rates were observed, probably due to nitrogen limitation as revealed by the low nitrogen content of leaves. The leaf ammonium uptake rate and glutamine synthetase activity were not significantly affected by increased CO(2) concentrations. On the other hand, the leaf nitrate uptake rate of plants exposed to CO(2)-enriched conditions was fourfold lower than the uptake of plants exposed to current CO(2) level, suggesting that in the seagrass Z. noltii nitrate is not cotransported with H(+) as in terrestrial plants. In contrast, the activity of nitrate reductase was threefold higher in plant leaves grown at high-CO(2) concentrations. Our results suggest that the global effects of CO(2) on seagrass production may be spatially heterogeneous and depend on the specific nitrogen availability of each system. Under a CO(2) increase scenario, the natural levels of nutrients will probably become limiting for Z. noltii. This potential limitation becomes more relevant because the expected positive effect of CO(2) increase on nitrate uptake rate was not confirmed.

Effects of CO2 enrichment on photosynthesis, growth, and nitrogen metabolism of the seagrass Zostera noltii

PubMed Central

Alexandre, Ana; Silva, João; Buapet, Pimchanok; Björk, Mats; Santos, Rui

2012-01-01

Seagrass ecosystems are expected to benefit from the global increase in CO2 in the ocean because the photosynthetic rate of these plants may be Ci-limited at the current CO2 level. As well, it is expected that lower external pH will facilitate the nitrate uptake of seagrasses if nitrate is cotransported with H+ across the membrane as in terrestrial plants. Here, we investigate the effects of CO2 enrichment on both carbon and nitrogen metabolism of the seagrass Zostera noltii in a mesocosm experiment where plants were exposed for 5 months to two experimental CO2 concentrations (360 and 700 ppm). Both the maximum photosynthetic rate (Pm) and photosynthetic efficiency (α) were higher (1.3- and 4.1-fold, respectively) in plants exposed to CO2-enriched conditions. On the other hand, no significant effects of CO2 enrichment on leaf growth rates were observed, probably due to nitrogen limitation as revealed by the low nitrogen content of leaves. The leaf ammonium uptake rate and glutamine synthetase activity were not significantly affected by increased CO2 concentrations. On the other hand, the leaf nitrate uptake rate of plants exposed to CO2-enriched conditions was fourfold lower than the uptake of plants exposed to current CO2 level, suggesting that in the seagrass Z. noltii nitrate is not cotransported with H+ as in terrestrial plants. In contrast, the activity of nitrate reductase was threefold higher in plant leaves grown at high-CO2 concentrations. Our results suggest that the global effects of CO2 on seagrass production may be spatially heterogeneous and depend on the specific nitrogen availability of each system. Under a CO2 increase scenario, the natural levels of nutrients will probably become limiting for Z. noltii. This potential limitation becomes more relevant because the expected positive effect of CO2 increase on nitrate uptake rate was not confirmed. PMID:23145346

Education majors' expectations and reported experiences with inquiry-based physics: Implications for student affect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaffney, Jon D. H.

2013-06-01

To address a perennial need to provide K-8 teachers with a solid foundation in science, there are many physics content courses throughout the United States. One such course is Physics and Astronomy for Teachers (PAT), which relies heavily on active-learning strategies. Although PAT is successful in teaching physics content, students sometimes report dissatisfaction with the course. Such instances of poor affect are worrisome because they may influence how teachers present science in their own classrooms. Therefore, this study investigates students’ affect in terms of their pedagogical expectations and potential personal learning outcomes with respect to PAT. Two sections of PAT, each containing approximately 40 students, were observed. Students in those sections were surveyed, and a sample were interviewed (N=10). An analysis of the data in terms of an expectancy violation framework shows that while students’ expectations regarding the hands-on and interactive components of PAT were met, they received substantially fewer lectures, class discussions, and opportunities to make class presentations than they had expected, even after they had been presented with the course syllabus and informed about the specific nature of the course. Additionally, students expected PAT to be more directly linked with their future teaching careers and therefore expected more opportunities to practice teaching science than they reported receiving. This investigation serves as a case study to provide insight into why students are sometimes frustrated and confused when first encountering active-learning classes, and it implies that instructors should be cognizant of those feelings and devote resources toward explicit orientation that emphasizes the purpose of the course and reasons behind their pedagogical choices.

Expectations of clinical teachers and faculty regarding development of the CanMEDS-Family Medicine competencies: Laval developmental benchmarks scale for family medicine residency training.

PubMed

Lacasse, Miriam; Théorêt, Johanne; Tessier, Sylvie; Arsenault, Louise

2014-01-01

The CanMEDS-Family Medicine (CanMEDS-FM) framework defines the expected terminal enabling competencies (EC) for family medicine (FM) residency training in Canada. However, benchmarks throughout the 2-year program are not yet defined. This study aimed to identify expected time frames for achievement of the CanMEDS-FM competencies during FM residency training and create a developmental benchmarks scale for family medicine residency training. This 2011-2012 study followed a Delphi methodology. Selected faculty and clinical teachers identified, via questionnaire, the expected time of EC achievement from beginning of residency to one year in practice (0, 6, 12, […] 36 months). The 15-85th percentile intervals became the expected competency achievement interval. Content validity of the obtained benchmarks was assessed through a second Delphi round. The 1st and 2nd rounds were completed by 33 and 27 respondents, respectively. A developmental benchmarks scale was designed after the 1st round to illustrate expectations regarding achievement of each EC. The 2nd round (content validation) led to minor adjustments (1.9±2.7 months) of intervals for 44 of the 92 competencies, the others remaining unchanged. The Laval Developmental Benchmarks Scale for Family Medicine clarifies expectations regarding achievement of competencies throughout FM training. In a competency-based education system this now allows identification and management of outlying residents, both those excelling and needing remediation. Further research should focus on assessment of the scale reliability after pilot implementation in family medicine clinical teaching units at Laval University, and corroborate the established timeline in other sites.

Social aspects of classroom learning: Results of a discourse analysis in an inquiry-oriented physical chemistry class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Nicole M.

Engaging students in classroom discourse offers opportunities for students to participate in the construction of joint understandings, to negotiate relationships between different types of evidence, and to practice making evidence-based claims about science content. However, close attention to social aspects of learning is critical to creating inquiry-oriented classroom environments in which students learn with understanding. This study examined the social influences that contribute to classroom learning in an inquiry-oriented undergraduate physical chemistry class using the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) approach. A qualitative approach to analyzing classroom discourse derived from Toulmin's (1968) model of argumentation was used to document patterns in classroom reasoning that reflect normative aspects of social interaction. Adapting the constructs of social and sociomathematical norms from the work of Yackel and Cobb (1996), I describe social aspects of the classroom environment by discussing normative aspects of social interaction (social norms) and discipline-specific criteria related to reasoning and justification in chemistry contexts, referred to here as sociochemical norms. This work discusses four social norms and two sociochemical norms that were documented over a five-week period of observation in Dr. Black's POGIL physical chemistry class. In small group activities, the socially established expectations that students explain reasoning, negotiate understandings of terminology and symbolic representations, and arrive at a consensus on critical thinking questions shaped small group interactions and reasoning. In whole class discussion, there was an expectation that students share reasoning with the class, and that the instructor provide feedback on student reasoning in ways that extended student contributions and elaborated relationships between macroscopic, particulate, and symbolic-level ideas. The ways in which the class constructed evidence-based claims about chemistry content reflected the influence of sociochemical norms that were enacted through classroom discourse. Two sociochemical norms were documented in both whole class and small group activities: first, the class used particulate-level evidence to make claims about chemical and physical properties; second, particular ways of using mathematical reasoning to justify claims about thermodynamics content became normative for the class. These similarities and differences between social and sociochemical norms in small group and whole class discussion highlight ways in which instructor facilitation can support productive interactions in classroom activities.

Psychological and Pharmacological Influences in Cigarette Smoking Withdrawal: Effects of Nicotine Gum and Expectancy on Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms and Relapse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, Andrew M.; And Others

1987-01-01

Examined effects of expectancy and nicotine depletion on withdrawal symptoms by giving 109 smokers nicotine gum or placebo. Subjects who believed they had nicotine gum reported fewer physical symptoms of withdrawal, showed less arousal, and smoked fewer cigarettes than did those who thought they had placebo. Actual nicotine content of gum had no…

A spatiotemporal decomposition strategy for personal home video management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Haoran; Kozintsev, Igor; Polito, Marzia; Wu, Yi; Bouguet, Jean-Yves; Nefian, Ara; Dulong, Carole

2007-01-01

With the advent and proliferation of low cost and high performance digital video recorder devices, an increasing number of personal home video clips are recorded and stored by the consumers. Compared to image data, video data is lager in size and richer in multimedia content. Efficient access to video content is expected to be more challenging than image mining. Previously, we have developed a content-based image retrieval system and the benchmarking framework for personal images. In this paper, we extend our personal image retrieval system to include personal home video clips. A possible initial solution to video mining is to represent video clips by a set of key frames extracted from them thus converting the problem into an image search one. Here we report that a careful selection of key frames may improve the retrieval accuracy. However, because video also has temporal dimension, its key frame representation is inherently limited. The use of temporal information can give us better representation for video content at semantic object and concept levels than image-only based representation. In this paper we propose a bottom-up framework to combine interest point tracking, image segmentation and motion-shape factorization to decompose the video into spatiotemporal regions. We show an example application of activity concept detection using the trajectories extracted from the spatio-temporal regions. The proposed approach shows good potential for concise representation and indexing of objects and their motion in real-life consumer video.

CpG Distribution and Methylation Pattern in Porcine Parvovirus

PubMed Central

Tóth, Renáta; Mészáros, István; Stefancsik, Rajmund; Bartha, Dániel; Bálint, Ádám; Zádori, Zoltán

2013-01-01

Based on GC content and the observed/expected CpG ratio (oCpGr), we found three major groups among the members of subfamily Parvovirinae: Group I parvoviruses with low GC content and low oCpGr values, Group II with low GC content and high oCpGr values and Group III with high GC content and high oCpGr values. Porcine parvovirus belongs to Group I and it features an ascendant CpG distribution by position in its coding regions similarly to the majority of the parvoviruses. The entire PPV genome remains hypomethylated during the viral lifecycle independently from the tissue of origin. In vitro CpG methylation of the genome has a modest inhibitory effect on PPV replication. The in vitro hypermethylation disappears from the replicating PPV genome suggesting that beside the maintenance DNMT1 the de novo DNMT3a and DNMT3b DNA methyltransferases can’t methylate replicating PPV DNA effectively either, despite that the PPV infection does not seem to influence the expression, translation or localization of the DNA methylases. SNP analysis revealed high mutability of the CpG sites in the PPV genome, while introduction of 29 extra CpG sites into the genome has no significant biological effects on PPV replication in vitro. These experiments raise the possibility that beyond natural selection mutational pressure may also significantly contribute to the low level of the CpG sites in the PPV genome. PMID:24392033

Religiousness and Levels of Hazardous Alcohol Use: A Latent Profile Analysis.

PubMed

Jankowski, Peter J; Hardy, Sam A; Zamboanga, Byron L; Ham, Lindsay S; Schwartz, Seth J; Kim, Su Yeong; Forthun, Larry F; Bersamin, Melina M; Donovan, Roxanne A; Whitbourne, Susan Krauss; Hurley, Eric A; Cano, Miguel Ángel

2015-10-01

Prior person-centered research has consistently identified a subgroup of highly religious participants that uses significantly less alcohol when compared to the other subgroups. The construct of religious motivation is absent from existing examinations of the nuanced combinations of religiousness dimensions within persons, and alcohol expectancy valuations have yet to be included as outcome variables. Variable-centered approaches have found religious motivation and alcohol expectancy valuations to play a protective role against individuals' hazardous alcohol use. The current study examined latent religiousness profiles and hazardous alcohol use in a large, multisite sample of ethnically diverse college students. The sample consisted of 7412 college students aged 18-25 (M age = 19.77, SD age = 1.61; 75% female; 61% European American). Three latent profiles were derived from measures of religious involvement, salience, and religious motivations: Quest-Intrinsic Religiousness (highest levels of salience, involvement, and quest and intrinsic motivations; lowest level of extrinsic motivation), Moderate Religiousness (intermediate levels of salience, involvement, and motivations) and Extrinsic Religiousness (lowest levels of salience, involvement, and quest and intrinsic motivations; highest level of extrinsic motivation). The Quest-Intrinsic Religiousness profile scored significantly lower on hazardous alcohol use, positive expectancy outcomes, positive expectancy valuations, and negative expectancy valuations, and significantly higher on negative expectancy outcomes, compared to the other two profiles. The Extrinsic and Moderate Religiousness profiles did not differ significantly on positive expectancy outcomes, negative expectancy outcomes, negative expectancy valuations, or hazardous alcohol use. The results advance existing research by demonstrating that the protective influence of religiousness on college students' hazardous alcohol use may involve high levels on both quest and intrinsic religious motivation.

Reward expectation regulates brain responses to task-relevant and task-irrelevant emotional words: ERP evidence.

PubMed

Wei, Ping; Wang, Di; Ji, Liyan

2016-02-01

We investigated the effect of reward expectation on the processing of emotional words in two experiments using event-related potentials (ERPs). A cue indicating the reward condition of each trial (incentive vs non-incentive) was followed by the presentation of a negative or neutral word, the target. Participants were asked to discriminate the emotional content of the target word in Experiment 1 and to discriminate the color of the target word in Experiment 2, rendering the emotionality of the target word task-relevant in Experiment 1, but task-irrelevant in Experiment 2. The negative bias effect, in terms of the amplitude difference between ERPs for negative and neutral targets, was modulated by the task-set. In Experiment 1, P31 and early posterior negativity revealed a larger negative bias effect in the incentive condition than that in the non-incentive condition. However, in Experiment 2, P31 revealed a diminished negative bias effect in the incentive condition compared with that in the non-incentive condition. These results indicate that reward expectation improves top-down attentional concentration to task-relevant information, with enhanced sensitivity to the emotional content of target words when emotionality is task-relevant, but with reduced differential brain responses to emotional words when their content is task-irrelevant. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Studies on acrylamide levels in roasting, storage and brewing of coffee.

PubMed

Lantz, Ingo; Ternité, Ruediger; Wilkens, Jochen; Hoenicke, Katrin; Guenther, Helmut; van der Stegen, Gerrit H D

2006-11-01

The content of acrylamide in coffee reaches a peak early in the roasting process, reflecting occurrence of both formation and destruction of acrylamide during roasting. Levels of acrylamide in the fully roasted product are a small fraction of the peak reached earlier. Glucose and moisture in green coffee do not show a significant correlation with acrylamide in roasted coffee. Pre-roasting levels of asparagine show a correlation only in Arabica coffee. The main factors affecting the level of acrylamide in roasted coffee appear to be the Arabica/Robusta ratio, with Robusta giving higher levels; time and degree of roast, with both shorter and lighter roasting at the edges of the normal roasting range giving higher levels; storage condition and time, with clear reduction at ambient storage. This storage reduction of acrylamide followed second order reaction kinetics with an activation energy of 73 KJ/mole. The acrylamide in roasted coffee is largely extracted into the brew and stable within usual time of consumption. As these four main factors also substantially affect the sensorial characteristics of the brew, and as modifications of the process have to comply with the consumer-accepted boundaries of taste profiles, only small effects on the acrylamide level are expected to be achievable.

Ethane: A Key to Evaluating Natural Gas Industrial Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yacovitch, T. I.; Herndon, S. C.; Agnese, M.; Roscioli, J. R.; Floerchinger, C. R.; Knighton, W. B.; Pusede, S. E.; Diskin, G. S.; DiGangi, J. P.; Sachse, G. W.; Eichler, P.; Mikoviny, T.; Müller, M.; Wisthaler, A.; Conley, S. A.; Petron, G.

2014-12-01

Airborne and mobile-surface measurements of ethane at 1Hz in the Denver-Julesberg oil and gas production basin in NE Colorado reveal a rich set of emission sources and magnitudes. Although ethane has only a mild influence on hemispheric ozone levels, it is often co-emitted with larger hydrocarbons including hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and ozone precursors that impact local and regional air quality. Ethane/methane enhancement ratios provide a map of expected emission source types in different areas around greater Denver. Links are drawn between the ethane content of isolated methane emission plumes and the prevalence of concomitant HAP and ozone precursor species. The efficacy of using ethane as a dilution tracer specific to the oil & gas footprint will be demonstrated.

Brazilian adolescents' prosocial moral judgment and behavior: relations to sympathy, perspective taking, gender-role orientation, and demographic characteristics.

PubMed

Eisenberg, N; Zhou, Q; Koller, S

2001-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine demographic and individual difference variables that predict level of prosocial moral judgment and self-reported prosocial behavior and to test mediating or moderating relations among predictors. The relations of prosocial moral reasoning and self-reported prosocial behavior to perspective taking, sympathy, age, sociometric status, and gender-role orientation were examined with a sample of 149 Brazilian adolescents who completed a series of questionnaire measures. Prosocial moral judgment was expected to be predicted by both sympathy and perspective taking, whereas sympathy or prosocial moral judgment was expected to mediate the relations of femininity and perspective taking to prosocial behavior. Self-reported perspective taking and sympathy interacted when predicting prosocial moral judgment; adolescents who were high in either sympathy or perspective taking (or both) scored high in prosocial moral reasoning. A feminine orientation predicted sympathy and perspective taking, perspective taking predicted prosocial moral reasoning and sympathy, and sympathy had both direct and indirect paths (through moral judgment) to prosocial behavior. The findings generally were consistent with the contention that both the tendency to take others' perspectives and to sympathize are related to level of prosocial moral reasoning, which in turn motivates prosocial behavior. Moreover, patterns of correlations among variables were similar to those found in the United States.

Current european regulatory perspectives on insulin analogues.

PubMed

Enzmann, Harald G; Weise, Martina

2011-07-07

Insulin analogues are increasingly considered as an alternative to human insulin in the therapy of diabetes mellitus. Insulin analogues (IAs) are chemically different from human insulin and may have different pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic properties. The significance of the modifications of the insulin molecule for the safety profile of IAs must be considered. This review describes the regulatory procedure and the expectations for the scientific content of European marketing authorization applications for innovative IAs submitted to the European Medicines Agency. Particular consideration is given to a potential cancer hazard. Specific regulatory guidance on how to address a possible carcinogenic or tumor promoting effect of innovative IAs in non-clinical studies is available. After marketing authorization, the factual access of patients to the new product will be determined to great extent by health technology assessment bodies, reimbursement decisions and the price. Whereas the marketing authorization is a European decision, pricing and reimbursement are national or regional responsibilities. The assessment of benefit and risk by the European Medicines Agency is expected to influence future decisions on price and reimbursement on a national or regional level. Collaborations between regulatory agencies and health technology assessment bodies have been initiated on European and national level to facilitate the use of the European Medicines Agency's benefit risk assessment as basis on which to build the subsequent health technology assessment. The option for combined or joint scientific advice procedures with regulators and health technology assessment bodies on European level or on a national level in several European Member States may help applicants to optimize their development program and dossier preparation in regard of both European marketing authorization application and reimbursement decisions.

Becoming a father is an emotional roller coaster - an analysis of first-time fathers' blogs.

PubMed

Asenhed, Liselotte; Kilstam, Jennie; Alehagen, Siw; Baggens, Christina

2014-05-01

To identify and describe the process of fatherhood during the partner's pregnancy among expectant, first-time fathers. Pregnancy seems to be a demanding period for expectant fathers, and this period is a part of their transition to fatherhood. Blogs can be seen as personal diaries and offer an alternative method of collecting data as they are an arena for sharing experiences and narratives. An explorative qualitative design. Blogs from the Internet by eleven first-time fathers living in Sweden were included in the study. Qualitative content analysis was used for the analysis of the blogs. A theme emerged expressing the latent content of the text: 'Becoming a father for the first time is an emotional roller coaster where the role of the expectant father is not obvious' and five different categories describing the manifest content: the pregnancy, a new life, to make the child real, preparations for the delivery and the arrival of the child, and a new role in life. The metaphor 'roller coaster' indicates the tension between different feelings about the men's future as fathers. They are searching for answers on how to be a good father. They feel excluded when they visit antenatal care centres and have difficulties finding out how to support their partner. This is an existential period when they understand themselves as adults and also miss relatives who have died. During pregnancy, the men start to communicate with their child, and this interaction gives a sense of reality and creates hope and joy about being a father. Staff involved in antenatal care can use the knowledge from this study when meeting with expectant fathers. Perspectives expressed in blogs may enhance the professionals' understanding that the transition process of fatherhood is complex. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Apps of Steel: Are Exercise Apps Providing Consumers with Realistic Expectations?: A Content Analysis of Exercise Apps for Presence of Behavior Change Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Logan T.; Van Wagenen, Sarah A.; Brown, Brittany A.; Hedin, Riley J.; Seino-Stephan, Yukiko; Hall, P. Cougar; West, Joshua H.

2013-01-01

Objective. To quantify the presence of health behavior theory constructs in iPhone apps targeting physical activity. Methods. This study used a content analysis of 127 apps from Apple's (App Store) "Health & Fitness" category. Coders downloaded the apps and then used an established theory-based instrument to rate each app's inclusion of…

Spiritual Content of Yoruba Concept of Sexuality and Sustenance of Family Values through Eko-Ile (Home Training)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olaniyan, Gabriel O.

2016-01-01

This paper examined the spiritual content of the Yoruba concept of sexuality and the implications it has for the sustenance of family values by use of "eko ile" (home training) which parents are expected to provide for their children as they prepare them for good citizenship. It is observed that most complaints about bad behaviours of…

Great expectations: using an analysis of current practices to propose a framework for the undergraduate inorganic curriculum.

PubMed

Reisner, Barbara A; Smith, Sheila R; Stewart, Joanne L; Raker, Jeffrey R; Crane, Johanna L; Sobel, Sabrina G; Pesterfield, Lester L

2015-09-21

The undergraduate inorganic chemistry curriculum in the United States mirrors the broad diversity of the inorganic research community and poses a challenge for the development of a coherent curriculum that is thorough, rigorous, and engaging. A recent large survey of the inorganic community has provided information about the current organization and content of the inorganic curriculum from an institutional level. The data reveal shared "core" concepts that are broadly taught, with tremendous variation in content coverage beyond these central ideas. The data provide an opportunity for a community-driven discussion about how the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training's vision of a foundation and in-depth course for each of the five subdisciplines maps onto an inorganic chemistry curriculum that is consistent in its coverage of the core inorganic concepts, yet reflects the diversity and creativity of the inorganic community. The goal of this Viewpoint is to present the current state of the diverse undergraduate curriculum and lay a framework for an effective and engaging curriculum that illustrates the essential role inorganic chemistry plays within the chemistry community.

How can students contribute? A qualitative study of active student involvement in development of technological learning material for clinical skills training.

PubMed

Haraldseid, Cecilie; Friberg, Febe; Aase, Karina

2016-01-01

Policy initiatives and an increasing amount of the literature within higher education both call for students to become more involved in creating their own learning. However, there is a lack of studies in undergraduate nursing education that actively involve students in developing such learning material with descriptions of the students' roles in these interactive processes. Explorative qualitative study, using data from focus group interviews, field notes and student notes. The data has been subjected to qualitative content analysis. Active student involvement through an iterative process identified five different learning needs that are especially important to the students: clarification of learning expectations, help to recognize the bigger picture, stimulation of interaction, creation of structure, and receiving context- specific content. The iterative process involvement of students during the development of new technological learning material will enhance the identification of important learning needs for students. The use of student and teacher knowledge through an adapted co-design process is the most optimal level of that involvement.

Amino and fatty acid dynamics of octopus (Octopus vulgaris) early life stages under ocean warming.

PubMed

Lopes, Vanessa M; Faleiro, Filipa; Baptista, Miguel; Pimentel, Marta S; Paula, José R; Couto, Ana; Bandarra, Narcisa; Anacleto, Patrícia; Marques, António; Rosa, Rui

2016-01-01

The oceans are becoming warmer, and the higher temperatures are expected to have a major impact on marine life at different levels of biological organization, especially at the most vulnerable early life stages. Thus, we hypothesize that the future warmer scenarios (here +3 °C) will affect the biochemical composition (amino acid - AA, and fatty acid-FA) of octopod (Octopus vulgaris) embryos and recently-hatched pelagic paralarvae. The main essential amino acids found in octopus embryos were arginine, leucine and lysine; while aspartic and glutamic acids, and taurine were the main non-essential amino acids. Palmitic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids were the main FAs found in octopus tissues. Relevant ontogenetic changes were observed, namely a steep decrease in the content of many AAs, and a selective retention of FAs, thus evidencing the protein-based metabolism of these cephalopods. Temperature per si did not elicit significant changes in the overall FA composition, but was responsible for a significant decrease in the content of several AAs, indicating increased embryonic consumption. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An effective protein extraction method for two-dimensional electrophoresis in the anticancer herb Andrographis paniculata Nees.

PubMed

Talei, Daryush; Valdiani, Alireza; Puad, Mohd Abdullah

2013-01-01

Proteomic analysis of plants relies on high yields of pure protein. In plants, protein extraction and purification present a great challenge due to accumulation of a large amount of interfering substances, including polysaccharides, polyphenols, and secondary metabolites. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the extraction protocols. A study was conducted to compare four protein extraction and precipitation methods for proteomic analysis. The results showed significant differences in protein content among the four methods. The chloroform-trichloroacetic acid-acetone method using 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffer provided the best results in terms of protein content, pellets, spot resolution, and intensity of unique spots detected. An overall of 83 qualitative or quantitative significant differential spots were found among the four methods. Based on the 2-DE gel map, the method is expected to benefit the development of high-level proteomic and biochemical studies of Andrographis paniculata, which may also be applied to other recalcitrant medicinal plant tissues. © 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Concierge: Personal Database Software for Managing Digital Research Resources

PubMed Central

Sakai, Hiroyuki; Aoyama, Toshihiro; Yamaji, Kazutsuna; Usui, Shiro

2007-01-01

This article introduces a desktop application, named Concierge, for managing personal digital research resources. Using simple operations, it enables storage of various types of files and indexes them based on content descriptions. A key feature of the software is a high level of extensibility. By installing optional plug-ins, users can customize and extend the usability of the software based on their needs. In this paper, we also introduce a few optional plug-ins: literature management, electronic laboratory notebook, and XooNlps client plug-ins. XooNIps is a content management system developed to share digital research resources among neuroscience communities. It has been adopted as the standard database system in Japanese neuroinformatics projects. Concierge, therefore, offers comprehensive support from management of personal digital research resources to their sharing in open-access neuroinformatics databases such as XooNIps. This interaction between personal and open-access neuroinformatics databases is expected to enhance the dissemination of digital research resources. Concierge is developed as an open source project; Mac OS X and Windows XP versions have been released at the official site (http://concierge.sourceforge.jp). PMID:18974800

A teaching skills assessment tool inspired by the Calgary-Cambridge model and the patient-centered approach.

PubMed

Sommer, Johanna; Lanier, Cédric; Perron, Noelle Junod; Nendaz, Mathieu; Clavet, Diane; Audétat, Marie-Claude

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to develop a descriptive tool for peer review of clinical teaching skills. Two analogies framed our research: (1) between the patient-centered and the learner-centered approach; (2) between the structures of clinical encounters (Calgary-Cambridge communication model) and teaching sessions. During the course of one year, each step of the action research was carried out in collaboration with twelve clinical teachers from an outpatient general internal medicine clinic and with three experts in medical education. The content validation consisted of a literature review, expert opinion and the participatory research process. Interrater reliability was evaluated by three clinical teachers coding thirty audiotaped standardized learner-teacher interactions. This tool contains sixteen items covering the process and content of clinical supervisions. Descriptors define the expected teaching behaviors for three levels of competence. Interrater reliability was significant for eleven items (Kendall's coefficient p<0.05). This peer assessment tool has high reliability and can be used to facilitate the acquisition of teaching skills. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Size principle and information theory.

PubMed

Senn, W; Wyler, K; Clamann, H P; Kleinle, J; Lüscher, H R; Müller, L

1997-01-01

The motor units of a skeletal muscle may be recruited according to different strategies. From all possible recruitment strategies nature selected the simplest one: in most actions of vertebrate skeletal muscles the recruitment of its motor units is by increasing size. This so-called size principle permits a high precision in muscle force generation since small muscle forces are produced exclusively by small motor units. Larger motor units are activated only if the total muscle force has already reached certain critical levels. We show that this recruitment by size is not only optimal in precision but also optimal in an information theoretical sense. We consider the motoneuron pool as an encoder generating a parallel binary code from a common input to that pool. The generated motoneuron code is sent down through the motoneuron axons to the muscle. We establish that an optimization of this motoneuron code with respect to its information content is equivalent to the recruitment of motor units by size. Moreover, maximal information content of the motoneuron code is equivalent to a minimal expected error in muscle force generation.

Measuring leader perceptions of school readiness for reforms: use of an iterative model combining classical and Rasch methods.

PubMed

Chatterji, Madhabi

2002-01-01

This study examines validity of data generated by the School Readiness for Reforms: Leader Questionnaire (SRR-LQ) using an iterative procedure that combines classical and Rasch rating scale analysis. Following content-validation and pilot-testing, principal axis factor extraction and promax rotation of factors yielded a five factor structure consistent with the content-validated subscales of the original instrument. Factors were identified based on inspection of pattern and structure coefficients. The rotated factor pattern, inter-factor correlations, convergent validity coefficients, and Cronbach's alpha reliability estimates supported the hypothesized construct properties. To further examine unidimensionality and efficacy of the rating scale structures, item-level data from each factor-defined subscale were subjected to analysis with the Rasch rating scale model. Data-to-model fit statistics and separation reliability for items and persons met acceptable criteria. Rating scale results suggested consistency of expected and observed step difficulties in rating categories, and correspondence of step calibrations with increases in the underlying variables. The combined approach yielded more comprehensive diagnostic information on the quality of the five SRR-LQ subscales; further research is continuing.

Homepage to distribute the anatomy learning contents including Visible Korean products, comics, and books.

PubMed

Chung, Beom Sun; Chung, Min Suk

2018-03-01

The authors have operated the homepage (http://anatomy.co.kr) to provide the learning contents of anatomy. From the homepage, sectioned images, volume models, and surface models-all Visible Korean products-can be downloaded. The realistic images can be interactively manipulated, which will give rise to the interest in anatomy. The various anatomy comics (learning comics, comic strips, plastination comics, etc.) are approachable. Visitors can obtain the regional anatomy book with concise contents, mnemonics, and schematics as well as the simplified dissection manual and the pleasant anatomy essay. Medical students, health allied professional students, and even laypeople are expected to utilize the easy and comforting anatomy contents. It is hoped that other anatomists successively produce and distribute their own informative contents.

Does Cu supplementation affect the mechanical and structural properties and mineral content of red deer antler bone tissue?

PubMed

Gambín, P; Serrano, M P; Gallego, L; García, A; Cappelli, J; Ceacero, F; Landete-Castillejos, T

2017-08-01

The main factors affecting the mechanical (and other) properties of bone, including antler, are the proportions of ash (especially Ca and P) and collagen content. However, some trace minerals may also play more important roles than would be expected, given their low levels in bone and antler. One such trace mineral is Cu. Here, we studied the effects of Cu supplementation on the mechanical and structural characteristics, and mineral content of antlers from yearling and adult (4 years of age) red deer fed a balanced diet. Deer (n=35) of different ages (21 yearlings and 14 adults) were studied. A total of 18 stags (11 yearlings and 7 adults) were injected with Cu (0.83 mg Cu/kg BW) every 42 days, whereas the remaining 17 (10 yearlings and 7 adults) were injected with physiological saline solution (control group). The Cu content of serum was analysed at the beginning of the trial and 84 days after the first injection to assess whether the injected Cu was mobilized in blood. Also, the mechanical and structural properties of antlers and the mineral content in their cortical walls were examined at three (yearlings) or four (adults) points along the antler beam. The effect of Cu supplementation was different in yearlings and adults. In yearlings, supplementation increased the Cu content of serum by 28%, but did not affect antler properties. However, in adults, Cu supplementation increased the Cu content of serum by 38% and tended to increase the cortical thickness of antlers (P=0.06). Therefore, we conclude that, even in animals receiving balanced diets, supplementation with Cu could increase antler cortical thickness in adult deer, although not in yearlings. This may improve the trophy value of antlers, as well as having potential implications for bones in elderly humans, should Cu supplementation have similar effects on bones as those observed in antlers.

Predictors of Future Expectations of Inner-City Children: A 9-Month Prospective Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubow, Eric F.; Arnett, Mitzi; Smith, Katherine; Ippolito, Maria F.

2001-01-01

Assessed contributions of internal resources, supportive family and peer relations, peer negative influences, and behavioral adjustment to positive expectations for the future for inner-city school children. Found that higher levels of positive expectation related to lower levels of problem behavior and to higher levels of school involvement,…

Scaling of xylem and phloem transport capacity and resource usage with tree size

PubMed Central

Hölttä, Teemu; Kurppa, Miika; Nikinmaa, Eero

2013-01-01

Xylem and phloem need to maintain steady transport rates of water and carbohydrates to match the exchange rates of these compounds at the leaves. A major proportion of the carbon and nitrogen assimilated by a tree is allocated to the construction and maintenance of the xylem and phloem long distance transport tissues. This proportion can be expected to increase with increasing tree size due to the growing transport distances between the assimilating tissues, i.e., leaves and fine roots, at the expense of their growth. We formulated whole tree level scaling relations to estimate how xylem and phloem volume, nitrogen content and hydraulic conductance scale with tree size, and how these properties are distributed along a tree height. Xylem and phloem thicknesses and nitrogen contents were measured within varying positions in four tree species from Southern Finland. Phloem volume, nitrogen amount and hydraulic conductance were found to be concentrated toward the branch and stem apices, in contrast to the xylem where these properties were more concentrated toward the tree base. All of the species under study demonstrated very similar trends. Total nitrogen amount allocated to xylem and phloem was predicted to be comparable to the nitrogen amount allocated to the leaves in small and medium size trees, and to increase significantly above the nitrogen content of the leaves in larger trees. Total volume, hydraulic conductance and nitrogen content of the xylem were predicted to increase faster than that of the phloem with increasing tree height in small trees (<~10 m in height). In larger trees, xylem sapwood turnover to heartwood, if present, would maintain phloem conductance at the same level with xylem conductance with further increases in tree height. Further simulations with a previously published xylem-phloem transport model demonstrated that the Münch pressure flow hypothesis could explain phloem transport with increasing tree height even for the tallest trees. PMID:24367373

Why Some Countries Attract More High-Ability Young Students to Teaching: Cross-National Comparisons of Students’ Expectation of Becoming a Teacher

PubMed Central

PARK, HYUNJOON; BYUN, SOO-YONG

2017-01-01

Using data from 37,570 students in 23 OECD countries in PISA 2006, we examine how national contexts shape the expectation of being a teacher at age 30 among high-achieving students in secondary schools. Our results show considerable between-country differences in the degree of students’ expectation of a teaching job. To address sources of this cross-national variation, we use two-level logit models by linking student-level data with country-level data. Consistent with earlier findings, we find that teachers’ economic status matters for students’ expectation of becoming a teacher. Moreover, our results show that teachers’ social status also matters. Countries’ levels of professionalization of teaching, indicated by whether teachers have a bachelor’s degree and are fully certified, are also related to students’ expectation of the teaching profession. Specifically, in countries with higher levels of professionalization, we see a reduced gender gap in students’ expectation of becoming a teacher. PMID:28529349

Hubble Space Telescope: Cycle 1 calibration plan. Version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, Peggy (Editor); Blades, Chris (Editor)

1990-01-01

The framework for quantitative scientific analysis with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will be established from a detailed calibration program, and a major responsibility of staff in the Telescope & Instruments Branch (TIB) is the development and maintenance of this calibration for the instruments and the telescope. The first in-orbit calibration will be performed by the SI Investigation Definition Teams (IDTs) during the Science Verification (SV) period in Cycle 0 (expected to start 3 months after launch and last for 5 months). Subsequently, instrument scientists in the TIB become responsible for all aspects of the calibration program. Because of the long lead times involved, TIB scientists have already formulated a calibration plan for the next observing period, Cycle 1 (expected to last a year after the end of SV), which has been reviewed and approved by the STScI Director. The purpose here is to describe the contents of this plan. Our primary aim has been to maintain through Cycle 1 the level of calibration that is anticipated by the end of SV. Anticipated accuracies are given here in tabular form - of course, these accuracies can only be best guesses because we do not know how each instrument will actually perform on-orbit. The calibration accuracies are expected to satisfy the normal needs of both the General Observers (GOs) and the Guaranteed Time Observers (GTOs).

Spatial and seasonal distribution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur and their ecological stoichiometry in wetland soils along a water and salt gradient in the Yellow River Delta, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Qiongqiong; Bai, Junhong; Zhang, Guangliang; Zhao, Qingqing; Wu, Jianjun

2018-04-01

Top soils (0-10 cm) were collected in three sampling belts during four seasons in 2014, including bare land (HN1), Calamagrostis epigeios (HN2), Typha orientalis (HN3), Phragmites australis (HN4), Tamarix chinensis (HN5) and Suaeda salsa (HN6) along a water and salinity gradient in the Yellow River Delta, China. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), total sulfur (TS) and their ecological stoichiometry were measured to investigate their seasonal and horizontal distribution patterns, as well as their important influencing factors such as electric conductivity (EC) and water content (WC). Our results showed that the contents of SOC and TN exhibited similar changing tendency along the water and salinity gradient. The TP contents followed the order HN5 ≈ HN2 > HN3 ≈ HN6 > HN4 > HN1. TS levels generally increased with increasing salinity from HN1 to HN6. The higher levels of SOC and TP were mostly observed in October and August, respectively, while the seasonal variations in TN were heterogeneous under different plant covers. TS contents were lower in August compared with other sampling periods except for HN4. The mean values of the C/N, C/P and C/S ratios along a water-salinity gradient ranged from 26 to 72, 20 to 74, and 61 to 292, respectively. Generally, higher C/P ratios were observed in sampling sites with plant covers in October expect for HN1, whereas they were lower in January or August. SOC, TN and TP were significantly positively correlated with soil organic matter (SOM), silt, WC and cation exchange capacity (CEC) (p < 0.05), whereas TS showed a positive correlation with EC and cations content (p > 0.05). Bulk density (BD) had a great influence on C/N ratio, C/P ratio were mainly effected by SOM, EC and silt, while C/S ratio showed a significant negative correlation with BD, EC, K+, Na+, and Mg2+ (p < 0.05).

A questionnaire to measure melanoma risk, knowledge and protective behaviour: assessing content validity in a convenience sample of Scots and Australians.

PubMed

Gillespie, Helen S; Watson, Tony; Emery, Jon D; Lee, Amanda J; Murchie, Peter

2011-08-25

The aim of this study was to assess the content validity of a questionnaire to measure melanoma risk, knowledge and protective behaviour in a convenience sample of Scots and Australians. Australia has the highest melanoma incidence worldwide but has developed a culture of skin cancer avoidance with a long history of skin cancer primary prevention campaigns of proven effectiveness. Scotland has lower incidence, but has shown a greater rate of increase between 1985 and 2007. There is an urgent need in Scotland, therefore, to identify those groups at greatest risk and provide them with effective preventative advice. A self-administered postal survey was completed by four groups formed from convenience samples in two geographical locations (Northeast Scotland and Western Australia). In univariate analysis scores on personal risk, level of concern, protective behaviour, and knowledge were compared by nationality, previous skin cancer diagnosis and personally knowing someone with melanoma. Multivariate linear regression analysis modelled the influence of potential predictor variables upon each of the scores. 540 people completed the questionnaire, 273 Scots (50.6%). 133 (24.6%) Scots and 83 (15.4%) Australians previously had melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer, whilst 120 (22.2%) Scots and 190 (35.2%) Australians personally knew someone with melanoma. Australians had higher knowledge (p < 0.001), level of concern (p < 0.001) and protective behaviour (p < 0.001) scores than the Scottish. Australian nationality was the strongest independent predictor of a higher knowledge score (p < 0.001), followed by a previous skin cancer diagnosis (p = 0.003), personal knowledge of someone with melanoma (p = 0.011), female gender (p = 0.005) and higher education status (p < 0.001) (R(2) = 0.163). The questionnaire detected higher levels of knowledge and skin cancer protective behaviours in Australians than in Scottish people. This was expected and supports the content validity of the questionnaire and its value as a future research tool in the Scottish population.

Vitamin E improves biochemical indices associated with symptoms of atopic dermatitis-like inflammation in NC/Nga mice.

PubMed

Hayashi, Daisuke; Sugaya, Hotaka; Ohkoshi, Takayuki; Sekizawa, Kaori; Takatsu, Hirokatsu; Shinkai, Tadashi; Urano, Shiro

2012-01-01

We aimed to define whether vitamin E improves biochemical indices associated with symptoms of atopic dermatitis-like inflammation in NC/Nga mice. After picryl chloride (PC) application to their backs, changes in the content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and vitamin E, as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and catalase) were analyzed in the serum and skin of NC/Nga mice during a symptomatic cycle. The levels of inflammatory factors were also assessed, including IgE, cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). When allergic dermatitis was induced by the application of PC to the skin of the mice, skin inflammation appeared 2 wk after PC application, with the peak severity of inflammation observed 5 wk after PC application. Subsequently, the animals recovered from the inflammation by 9 wk after PC application. The TBARS content in the skin and serum increased markedly when the symptoms were the most severe, and decreased to levels near those in control mice by 9 wk after PC application. The activities of SOD and GSHPx in the skin and serum were also positively correlated with symptomatic changes; however, no change in catalase activity was observed 5 wk after PC application. Conversely, vitamin E content decreased at the stage of peak severity. The levels of all inflammatory factors analyzed in this study were altered in a manner similar to other indices. Additionally, vitamin E treatment markedly inhibited these PC-induced alterations. On the basis of these results, it is expected that the observed alterations in biochemical indices, which reflect the symptomatic cycle, may be applicable to objective diagnosis and treatment for atopic dermatitis, and that vitamin E may improve the symptoms of AD.

The soil organic carbon content of anthropogenically altered organic soils effects the dissolved organic matter quality, but not the dissolved organic carbon concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Stefan; Tiemeyer, Bärbel; Bechtold, Michel; Lücke, Andreas; Bol, Roland

2016-04-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This is especially true for peatlands which usually show high concentrations of DOC due to the high stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC). Most previous studies found that DOC concentrations in the soil solution depend on the SOC content. Thus, one would expect low DOC concentrations in peatlands which have anthropogenically been altered by mixing with sand. Here, we want to show the effect of SOC and groundwater level on the quantity and quality of the dissolved organic matter (DOM). Three sampling sites were installed in a strongly disturbed bog. Two sites differ in SOC (Site A: 48%, Site B: 9%) but show the same mean annual groundwater level of 15 and 18 cm below ground, respectively. The SOC content of site C (11%) is similar to Site B, but the groundwater level is much lower (-31 cm) than at the other two sites. All sites have a similar depth of the organic horizon (30 cm) and the same land-use (low-intensity sheep grazing). Over two years, the soil solution was sampled bi-weekly in three depths (15, 30 and 60 cm) and three replicates. All samples were analyzed for DOC and selected samples for dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and delta-13C and delta-15N. Despite differences in SOC and groundwater level, DOC concentrations did not differ significantly (A: 192 ± 62 mg/L, B: 163 ± 55 mg/L and C: 191 ± 97 mg/L). At all sites, DOC concentrations exceed typical values for peatlands by far and emphasize the relevance even of strongly disturbed organic soils for DOC losses. Individual DOC concentrations were controlled by the temperature and the groundwater level over the preceding weeks. Differences in DOM quality were clearer. At site B with a low SOC content, the DOC:DON ratio of the soil solution equals the soil's C:N ratio, but the DOC:DON ratio is much higher than the C:N ratio at site A. In all cases, the DOC:DON ratio strongly correlates with delta-13C. There is no isotope data for site C. Delta-15N is more enriched at site B than at site A, indicating differences in C and N cycling and potential influence of the dominant vegetation (grasses vs. Sphagnum mosses).

20 CFR 641.720 - How will the Department and grantees initially determine and then adjust expected levels of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... initially determine and then adjust expected levels of performance for the core performance measures? 641... the core performance measures? (a) Initial agreement. Before the beginning of each Program Year, the Department and each grantee will undertake to agree upon expected levels of performance for each core...

20 CFR 641.720 - How will the Department and grantees initially determine and then adjust expected levels of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... initially determine and then adjust expected levels of performance for the core performance measures? 641... the core performance measures? (a) Initial agreement. Before the beginning of each Program Year, the Department and each grantee will undertake to agree upon expected levels of performance for each core...

Topoisomerase poisoning activity of novel disaccharide anthracyclines.

PubMed

Guano, F; Pourquier, P; Tinelli, S; Binaschi, M; Bigioni, M; Animati, F; Manzini, S; Zunino, F; Kohlhagen, G; Pommier, Y; Capranico, G

1999-07-01

Doxorubicin and idarubicin are very effective anticancer drugs in the treatment of human hematological malignancies and solid tumors. These agents are well known topoisomerase II poisons; however, some anthracycline analogs recently have been shown to poison topoisomerase I. In the present work, we assayed novel disaccharide analogs and the parent drug, idarubicin, for their poisoning effects of human topoisomerase I and topoisomerases IIalpha and IIbeta. Drugs were evaluated with a DNA cleavage assay in vitro and with a yeast system to test whether the agents were able to poison the enzymes in vivo. We have found that the test agents are potent poisons of both topoisomerases IIalpha and IIbeta. The axial orientation of the second sugar relative to the first one of the novel disaccharide analogs was shown to be required for poisoning activity and cytotoxicity. Interestingly, idarubicin and the new analogs stimulated topoisomerase I-mediated DNA cleavage at low levels in vitro. As expected, the cytotoxic level of the drug was highly affected by the content of topoisomerase II; nevertheless, the test agents had a yeast cell-killing activity that also was weakly dependent on cellular topoisomerase I content. The results are relevant for the full understanding of the molecular mechanism of topoisomerase poisoning by anticancer drugs, and they define structural determinants of anthracyclines that may help in the rational design of new compounds directed against topoisomerase I.

Recent accretion in two managed marsh impoundments in coastal Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cahoon, D.R.

1994-01-01

Recent accretion was measured by the feldspar marker horizon method in two gravity-drained, managed, marsh impoundments and unmanaged reference marshes located on the rapidly subsiding coast of Louisiana. Water level management was designed to limit hydrologic exchange to the managed marsh by regulating the direction and rate of water flows. During a drawdown-flooding water management cycle, the unmanaged reference marshes had significantly higher vertical accretion rates, higher soil bulk density and soil mineral matter content, lower soil organic matter content, and higher rates of organic matter accumulation than the managed marsh. The rate of mineral matter accumulation was higher in both reference marshes, but was significantly higher in only one. Spatial variability in accumulation rates was low when analyzed in one managed marsh site, suggesting a primarily autochthonous source of matter. In contrast, the associated reference marsh apparently received allochthonous material that settled out in a distinct spatial pattern as water velocity decreased. The impoundment marshes experienced an accretion deficit of one full order of magnitude (0.1 vs. 1.0 m/yr) based on comparison of accretion and sea level rise data, while the unmanaged reference marshes experienced a five-fold smaller deficit or no deficit. These data suggest that the gravity-drained impoundments likely have a shorter life expectancy than the reference marshes in the rapidly subsiding Louisiana coast.

Fructose content in popular beverages made with and without high-fructose corn syrup.

PubMed

Walker, Ryan W; Dumke, Kelly A; Goran, Michael I

2014-01-01

Excess fructose consumption is hypothesized to be associated with risk for metabolic disease. Actual fructose consumption levels are difficult to estimate because of the unlabeled quantity of fructose in beverages. The aims of this study were threefold: 1) re-examine the fructose content in previously tested beverages using two additional assay methods capable of detecting other sugars, especially maltose, 2) compare data across all methods to determine the actual free fructose-to-glucose ratio in beverages made either with or without high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and 3) expand the analysis to determine fructose content in commonly consumed juice products. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and fruit juice drinks that were either made with or without HFCS were analyzed in separate, independent laboratories via three different methods to determine sugar profiles. For SSBs, the three independent laboratory methods showed consistent and reproducible results. In SSBs made with HFCS, fructose constituted 60.6% ± 2.7% of sugar content. In juices sweetened with HFCS, fructose accounted for 52.1% ± 5.9% of sugar content, although in some juices made from 100% fruit, fructose concentration reached 65.35 g/L accounting for 67% of sugars. Our results provide evidence of higher than expected amounts of free fructose in some beverages. Popular beverages made with HFCS have a fructose-to-glucose ratio of approximately 60:40, and thus contain 50% more fructose than glucose. Some pure fruit juices have twice as much fructose as glucose. These findings suggest that beverages made with HFCS and some juices have a sugar profile very different than sucrose, in which amounts of fructose and glucose are equivalent. Current dietary analyses may underestimate actual fructose consumption. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in the Ginsenoside Content During Fermentation Using an Appliance for the Preparation of Red Ginseng.

PubMed

Lee, So Jin; Ha, Na; Kim, Yunjeong; Kim, Min-Gul

2016-01-01

The total amount of ginsenoside in fermented red ginseng (FRG) is increased by microbial fermentation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether fermentation time and temperature affect the ginsenoside content during fermentation using an appliance for the preparation of red ginseng. The FRG and fermented red ginseng extracts (FRG-e) were prepared using an appliance for the preparation of red ginseng. The temperature was recorded and time points for sampling were scheduled at pre-fermentation (0[Formula: see text]h) and 18, 36, 48, 60 and 72[Formula: see text]h after the addition of the microbial strains. Samples of FRG and FRG-e were collected to identify changes in the ginsenoside contents at each time point during the fermentation process. The ginsenoside content was analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The levels of ginsenoside Rh1, Rg3, and compound Y, which are known to have effective pharmacological properties, increased more than three-fold in the final products of FRG relative to samples prior to fermentation. Although the ginsenoside constituents of FRG-e decreased or increased and then decreased during fermentation, the total amount of ginsenoside in FRG-e was even higher than those in FRG; the total amounts of ginsenoside in FRG-e and FRG were 8282.8 and 738.0[Formula: see text]mg, respectively. This study examined the changes in composition of ginsenosides and suggests a method to manufacture high-content total ginsenosides according to the fermentation temperature and process time. Reducing the extraction time is expected to improve the decrease of ginsenosides in FRG-e as a function of the fermentation time.

Interferometric redatuming by sparse inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Neut, Joost; Herrmann, Felix J.

2013-02-01

Assuming that transmission responses are known between the surface and a particular depth level in the subsurface, seismic sources can be effectively mapped to this level by a process called interferometric redatuming. After redatuming, the obtained wavefields can be used for imaging below this particular depth level. Interferometric redatuming consists of two steps, namely (i) the decomposition of the observed wavefields into downgoing and upgoing constituents and (ii) a multidimensional deconvolution of the upgoing constituents with the downgoing constituents. While this method works in theory, sensitivity to noise and artefacts due to incomplete acquisition require a different formulation. In this letter, we demonstrate the benefits of formulating the two steps that undergird interferometric redatuming in terms of a transform-domain sparsity-promoting program. By exploiting compressibility of seismic wavefields in the curvelet domain, the method not only becomes robust with respect to noise but we are also able to remove certain artefacts while preserving the frequency content. Although we observe improvements when we promote sparsity in the redatumed data space, we expect better results when interferometric redatuming would be combined or integrated with least-squares migration with sparsity promotion in the image space.

The effect of trance on memory content.

PubMed

Goodman, F D

1975-01-01

In a Yucatecan crisis cult of short duration, the millenary expectations are remembered long after the dissolution of the cult. So is Satan who, it is felt, tempted the congregation. The cultural innovations instituted during the cult, however, are almost immediately forgotten. The differential recall is shown to be related to the quality of the trance behavior during the cult and to the threatening versus neutral content of the memory material.

Communicating Concepts about Altruism in Interstellar Messages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakoch, Douglas A.

2002-01-01

This project identifies key principles of altruism that can be translated into interstellar messages for communication with extraterrestrial intelligence. The message contents will focus specifically on the evolution of altruism, drawing on recent insights in evolutionary biology, with particular emphasis on sociobiological accounts of kin selection and reciprocal altruism. This focus on altruism for message contents has several advantages. First, the subject can be translated into interstellar messages both via an existing formal interstellar language and via pictorial messages. For example, aspects of reciprocal altruism can be described through mathematical modeling, such as game theoretic approaches, which in turn can be described readily in the interstellar language Lincos. Second, concentrating on altruism as a message content may facilitate communications with extraterrestrial intelligence. Some scientists have argued that humans may be expected to communicate something about their moral status and development in an exchange with extraterrestrials. One of the most salient ways that terrestrial and extraterrestrial civilizations might be expected to evaluate one another is in terms of ethical motivations. Indeed, current search strategies assume some measure of altruism on the part of transmitting civilizations; with no guarantee of a response, the other civilization would be providing information to us with no direct payoff. Thus, concepts about altruism provide an appropriate content for interstellar messages, because the concepts themselves might be understood by extraterrestrial civilizations.

Monte Carlo analysis of the oxygen knock-on effects induced by synchrotron x-ray radiation in the B i2S r2CaC u2O8 +δ superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torsello, Daniele; Mino, Lorenzo; Bonino, Valentina; Agostino, Angelo; Operti, Lorenza; Borfecchia, Elisa; Vittone, Ettore; Lamberti, Carlo; Truccato, Marco

2018-01-01

We investigate the microscopic mechanism responsible for the change of macroscopic electrical properties of the B i2S r2CaC u2O8 +δ high-temperature superconductor induced by intense synchrotron hard x-ray beams. The possible effects of secondary electrons on the oxygen content via the knock-on interaction are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The change in the oxygen content expected from the knock-on model is computed convoluting the fluence of photogenerated electrons in the material with the Seitz-Koehler cross section. This approach has been adopted to analyze several experimental irradiation sessions with increasing x-ray fluences. A close comparison between the expected variations in oxygen content and the experimental results allows determining the irradiation regime in which the knock-on mechanism can satisfactorily explain the observed changes. Finally, we estimate the threshold displacement energy of loosely bound oxygen atoms in this material Td=0 .15-0.01+0.025eV .

Advertising, expectations and informed consent: the contents and functions of acupuncture leaflets.

PubMed

Bishop, Felicity L; Salmon, Cathy

2013-12-01

To evaluate the content of patient information leaflets about acupuncture. 401 patient information leaflets were obtained from practising UK acupuncturists and subjected to content and thematic analysis. 59% of included leaflets were from NHS physiotherapists. Almost all the leaflets defined acupuncture and the majority explained how it might work, described the treatment process and placed it in a historical context. Most described possible benefits and risks of acupuncture and discussed contraindications and safety. Just under a third of leaflets (120, 30%) suggested conditions that might be helped by acupuncture, most commonly musculoskeletal pain, arthritis and injuries. By emphasising differences between individuals in acupuncture treatments and responsiveness, the leaflets fostered hope for positive effects without making any guarantees. Information leaflets are broadly consistent with the evidence for acupuncture, but some claims are inconsistent with official advice from advertising regulators. An ethically sound, scientifically grounded and psychologically effective leaflet should accurately convey both benefits and risks of treatment, optimise patients' expectations and allay concerns about needling. This study suggests that acupuncture leaflets might achieve these multiple functions but care should be taken to ensure adequate coverage of risks.

High-Leverage Principles of Effective Instruction for English Learners. From College and Career Ready Standards to Teaching and Learning in the Classroom: A Series of Resources for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neri, Rebecca; Lozano, Maritza; Chang, Sandy; Herman, Joan

2016-01-01

New college and career ready standards (CCRS) have established more rigorous expectations of learning for all learners, including English learner (EL) students, than what was expected in previous standards. A common feature in these new content-area standards, such as the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics and the…

Homepage to distribute the anatomy learning contents including Visible Korean products, comics, and books

PubMed Central

Chung, Beom Sun

2018-01-01

The authors have operated the homepage (http://anatomy.co.kr) to provide the learning contents of anatomy. From the homepage, sectioned images, volume models, and surface models—all Visible Korean products—can be downloaded. The realistic images can be interactively manipulated, which will give rise to the interest in anatomy. The various anatomy comics (learning comics, comic strips, plastination comics, etc.) are approachable. Visitors can obtain the regional anatomy book with concise contents, mnemonics, and schematics as well as the simplified dissection manual and the pleasant anatomy essay. Medical students, health allied professional students, and even laypeople are expected to utilize the easy and comforting anatomy contents. It is hoped that other anatomists successively produce and distribute their own informative contents. PMID:29644104

Interactive web visualization tools to the results interpretation of a seismic risk study aimed at the emergency levels definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivas-Medina, A.; Gutierrez, V.; Gaspar-Escribano, J. M.; Benito, B.

2009-04-01

Results of a seismic risk assessment study are often applied and interpreted by users unspecialised on the topic or lacking a scientific background. In this context, the availability of tools that help translating essentially scientific contents to broader audiences (such as decision makers or civil defence officials) as well as representing and managing results in a user-friendly fashion, are on indubitable value. On of such tools is the visualization tool VISOR-RISNA, a web tool developed within the RISNA project (financed by the Emergency Agency of Navarre, Spain) for regional seismic risk assessment of Navarre and the subsequent development of emergency plans. The RISNA study included seismic hazard evaluation, geotechnical characterization of soils, incorporation of site effects to expected ground motions, vulnerability distribution assessment and estimation of expected damage distributions for a 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years. The main goal of RISNA was the identification of higher risk area where focusing detailed, local-scale risk studies in the future and the corresponding urban emergency plans. A geographic information system was used to combine different information layers, generate tables of results and represent maps with partial and final results. The visualization tool VISOR-RISNA is intended to facilitate the interpretation and representation of the collection of results, with the ultimate purpose of defining actuation plans. A number of criteria for defining actuation priorities are proposed in this work. They are based on combinations of risk parameters resulting from the risk study (such as expected ground motion and damage and exposed population), as determined by risk assessment specialists. Although the values that these parameters take are a result of the risk study, their distribution in several classes depends on the intervals defined by decision takers or civil defense officials. These criteria provide a ranking of municipalities according to the expected actuation level and eventually, to alert levels. In this regard, the visualization tool constitutes an intuitive and useful tool that the end-user of the risk study may use to optimize and guide its application on emergency planning. The use of this type of tools can be adapted to other scenarios with different boundary conditions (seismicity level, vulnerability distribution) and user profiles (policy makers, stakeholders, students, general public) maintaining the same final goal: to improve the adaptation of the results of a scientific-technical work to the needs of other users with different backgrounds.

Anxiety Reduction in Preservice Elementary Teachers and the Fulfillment of Expectations for Identification of Minerals and Rocks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westerback, Mary E.; Gonzalez, Clemencia

This study examined: (1) the relationship between the fulfillment of expectations for the identification of rocks and minerals after experience with specimens selected to meet expectations and anxiety levels; (2) changes in anxiety levels after this experience was followed by experience with rocks and minerals which did not meet expectations; and…

Promoting Positive Future Expectations During Adolescence: The Role of Assets.

PubMed

Stoddard, Sarah A; Pierce, Jennifer

2015-12-01

Positive future expectations can facilitate optimal development and contribute to healthier outcomes for youth. Researchers suggest that internal resources and community-level factors may influence adolescent future expectations, yet little is known about the processes through which these benefits are conferred. The present study examined the relationship between contribution to community, neighborhood collective efficacy, purpose, hope and future expectations, and tested a mediation model that linked contribution to community and collective efficacy with future expectations through purpose and hope in a sample of 7th grade youth (N = 196; Mage = 12.39; 60 % female; 40 % African American; 71 % economically disadvantaged). Greater collective efficacy and contribution to community predicted higher levels of hope and purpose. Higher levels of hope and purpose predicted more positive future expectations. Contribution to community and neighborhood collective efficacy indirectly predicted future expectations via hope. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Promoting Positive Future Expectations during Adolescence: The Role of Assets

PubMed Central

Stoddard, Sarah A.; Pierce, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Positive future expectations can facilitate optimal development and contribute to healthier outcomes for youth. Researchers suggest that internal resources and community-level factors may influence adolescent future expectations, yet little is known about the processes through which these benefits are conferred. The present study examined the relationship between contribution to community, neighborhood collective efficacy, purpose, hope and future expectations, and tested a mediation model that linked contribution to community and collective efficacy with future expectations through purpose and hope in a sample of 7th grade youth (N = 196; Mage = 12.39; 60% female; 40% African American; 71% economically disadvantaged). Greater collective efficacy and contribution to community predicted higher levels of hope and purpose. Higher levels of hope and purpose predicted more positive future expectations. Contribution to community and neighborhood collective efficacy indirectly predicted future expectations via hope. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. PMID:26385095

Hemispheric asymmetry in the hierarchical perception of music and speech.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Matthew A

2016-11-01

The perception of music and speech involves a higher level, cognitive mechanism that allows listeners to form expectations for future music and speech events. This article comprehensively reviews studies on hemispheric differences in the formation of melodic and harmonic expectations in music and selectively reviews studies on hemispheric differences in the formation of syntactic and semantic expectations in speech. On the basis of this review, it is concluded that the higher level mechanism flexibly lateralizes music processing to either hemisphere depending on the expectation generated by a given musical context. When a context generates in the listener an expectation whose elements are sequentially ordered over time, higher level processing is dominant in the left hemisphere. When a context generates in the listener an expectation whose elements are not sequentially ordered over time, higher level processing is dominant in the right hemisphere. This article concludes with a spreading activation model that describes expectations for music and speech in terms of shared temporal and nontemporal representations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Correlation between longitudinal, circumferential, and radial moduli in cortical bone: effect of mineral content.

PubMed

Macione, J; Depaula, C A; Guzelsu, N; Kotha, S P

2010-07-01

Previous studies indicate that changes in the longitudinal elastic properties of bone due to changes in mineral content are related to the longitudinal strength of bone tissue. Changes in mineral content are expected to affect bone tissue mechanical properties along all directions, albeit to different extents. However, changes in tissue mechanical properties along the different directions are expected to be correlated to one another. In this study, we investigate if radial, circumferential, and longitudinal moduli are related in bone tissue with varying mineral content. Plexiform bovine femoral bone samples were treated in fluoride ion solutions for a period of 3 and 12 days to obtain bones with 20% and 32% lower effective mineral contents. Transmission ultrasound velocities were obtained in the radial, circumferential, and longitudinal axes of bone and combined with measured densities to obtain corresponding tensorial moduli. Results indicate that moduli decreased with fluoride ion treatments and were significantly correlated to one another (r(2) radial vs. longitudinal = 0.80, r(2) circumferential vs. longitudinal = 0.90, r(2) radial vs. circumferential = 0.85). Densities calculated from using ultrasound parameters, acoustic impedance and transmission velocities, were moderately correlated to those measured by the Archimedes principle (r(2)=0.54, p<0.01). These results suggest that radial and circumferential ultrasound measurements could be used to determine the longitudinal properties of bone and that ultrasound may not be able to predict in vitro densities of bones containing unbonded mineral. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Interactions Between Internalizing Symptoms and Urgency in the Prediction of Alcohol Use and Expectancies Among Low-Income, Minority Early Adolescents

PubMed Central

Marmorstein, Naomi R.

2015-01-01

This study examined whether urgency, a disposition to rash action under conditions of strong emotion, moderates associations between internalizing symptoms and alcohol use and related expectancies. Data from the Camden Youth Development Study, a longitudinal, community-based study of early adolescents (N = 144, mean age at intake = 11.9 years; 65% Hispanic, 30% African-American; 50% male), were used. Self-report questionnaire measures of depressive symptoms, social and generalized anxiety symptoms, urgency, alcohol use, and alcohol expectancies were used. Mixed models were used to examine the effects of internalizing symptoms, urgency, and their interaction on alcohol use and expectancy trajectories over time. Depressive symptoms interacted with urgency such that youth with high levels of both tended to have elevated levels of global positive alcohol expectancies. Social anxiety symptoms interacted with urgency to be associated with increasing levels of social behavior alcohol expectancies such that youth with high levels of both tended to experience particular increases in these expectancies over time. Generalized anxiety was not found to be associated with alcohol-related constructs. Therefore, high levels of urgency combine with depressive and social anxiety symptoms to be associated with particularly increased risk for alcohol expectancies that are associated with later alcohol use and problems, indicating particular risk for youth with these combinations of personality traits and psychopathology symptoms. PMID:27512337

Development under elevated pCO2 conditions does not affect lipid utilization and protein content in early life-history stages of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

PubMed

Matson, Paul G; Yu, Pauline C; Sewell, Mary A; Hofmann, Gretchen E

2012-12-01

Ocean acidification (OA) is expected to have a major impact on marine species, particularly during early life-history stages. These effects appear to be species-specific and may include reduced survival, altered morphology, and depressed metabolism. However, less information is available regarding the bioenergetics of development under elevated CO(2) conditions. We examined the biochemical and morphological responses of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus during early development under ecologically relevant levels of pCO(2) (365, 1030, and 1450 μatm) that may occur during intense upwelling events. The principal findings of this study were (1) lipid utilization rates and protein content in S. purpuratus did not vary with pCO(2); (2) larval growth was reduced at elevated pCO(2) despite similar rates of energy utilization; and (3) relationships between egg phospholipid content and larval length were found under control but not high pCO(2) conditions. These results suggest that this species may either prioritize endogenous energy toward development and physiological function at the expense of growth, or that reduced larval length may be strictly due to higher costs of growth under OA conditions. This study highlights the need to further expand our knowledge of the physiological mechanisms involved in OA response in order to better understand how present populations may respond to global environmental change.

Are clinicians being prepared to care for abused women? A survey of health professional education in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Wathen, C Nadine; Tanaka, Masako; Catallo, Cristina; Lebner, Adrianne C; Friedman, M Kinneret; Hanson, Mark D; Freeman, Clare; Jack, Susan M; Jamieson, Ellen; Macmillan, Harriet L

2009-06-18

The current project undertook a province-wide survey and environmental scan of educational opportunities available to future health care providers on the topic of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. A team of experts identified university and college programs in Ontario, Canada as potential providers of IPV education to students in health care professions at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. A telephone survey with contacts representing these programs was conducted between October 2005 and March 2006. The survey asked whether IPV-specific education was provided to learners, and if so, how and by whom. In total, 222 eligible programs in dentistry, medicine, nursing and other allied health professions were surveyed, and 95% (212/222) of programs responded. Of these, 57% reported offering some form of IPV-specific education, with undergraduate nursing (83%) and allied health (82%) programs having the highest rates. Fewer than half of undergraduate medical (43%) and dentistry (46%) programs offered IPV content. Postgraduate programs ranged from no IPV content provision (dentistry) to 41% offering content (nursing). Significant variability exists across program areas regarding the methods for IPV education, its delivery and evaluation. The results of this project highlight that expectations for an active and consistent response by health care professionals to women experiencing the effects of violence may not match the realities of professional preparation.

The low-methionine content of vegan diets may make methionine restriction feasible as a life extension strategy.

PubMed

McCarty, Mark F; Barroso-Aranda, Jorge; Contreras, Francisco

2009-02-01

Recent studies confirm that dietary methionine restriction increases both mean and maximal lifespan in rats and mice, achieving "aging retardant" effects very similar to those of caloric restriction, including a suppression of mitochondrial superoxide generation. Although voluntary caloric restriction is never likely to gain much popularity as a pro-longevity strategy for humans, it may be more feasible to achieve moderate methionine restriction, in light of the fact that vegan diets tend to be relatively low in this amino acid. Plant proteins - especially those derived from legumes or nuts - tend to be lower in methionine than animal proteins. Furthermore, the total protein content of vegan diets, as a function of calorie content, tends to be lower than that of omnivore diets, and plant protein has somewhat lower bioavailability than animal protein. Whole-food vegan diets that moderate bean and soy intake, while including ample amounts of fruit and wine or beer, can be quite low in methionine, while supplying abundant nutrition for health (assuming concurrent B12 supplementation). Furthermore, low-fat vegan diets, coupled with exercise training, can be expected to promote longevity by decreasing systemic levels of insulin and free IGF-I; the latter effect would be amplified by methionine restriction - though it is not clear whether IGF-I down-regulation is the sole basis for the impact of low-methionine diets on longevity in rodents.

Are clinicians being prepared to care for abused women? A survey of health professional education in Ontario, Canada

PubMed Central

Wathen, C Nadine; Tanaka, Masako; Catallo, Cristina; Lebner, Adrianne C; Friedman, M Kinneret; Hanson, Mark D; Freeman, Clare; Jack, Susan M; Jamieson, Ellen; MacMillan, Harriet L

2009-01-01

Background The current project undertook a province-wide survey and environmental scan of educational opportunities available to future health care providers on the topic of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women. Methods A team of experts identified university and college programs in Ontario, Canada as potential providers of IPV education to students in health care professions at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels. A telephone survey with contacts representing these programs was conducted between October 2005 and March 2006. The survey asked whether IPV-specific education was provided to learners, and if so, how and by whom. Results In total, 222 eligible programs in dentistry, medicine, nursing and other allied health professions were surveyed, and 95% (212/222) of programs responded. Of these, 57% reported offering some form of IPV-specific education, with undergraduate nursing (83%) and allied health (82%) programs having the highest rates. Fewer than half of undergraduate medical (43%) and dentistry (46%) programs offered IPV content. Postgraduate programs ranged from no IPV content provision (dentistry) to 41% offering content (nursing). Conclusion Significant variability exists across program areas regarding the methods for IPV education, its delivery and evaluation. The results of this project highlight that expectations for an active and consistent response by health care professionals to women experiencing the effects of violence may not match the realities of professional preparation. PMID:19575776

Some Properties of Fresh and Ripened Traditional Akcakatik Cheese

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Akcakatik cheese (yogurt cheese) is produced by drying strained yogurt with or without adding cloves or black cumin. The main objective of this study was to detect the properties of both fresh and ripened Akcakatik cheeses and to compare them. For this purpose the biogenic amine content, volatile flavor compounds, protein degradation level, chemical properties and some microbiological properties of 15 Akcakatik cheese samples were investigated. Titratable acidity, total dry matter, NaCl, total nitrogen, water soluble nitrogen, ripened index, histamine, diacetyl and acetaldehyde levels were found to be higher in ripened cheese samples than in fresh cheese samples. On the other hand, the clove and black cumin ratios were found to be higher in the fresh cheese samples. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electropherograms of cheese samples showed that protein degradation was higher in ripened cheese samples than in fresh samples, as expected. The dominant Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) flora of Akcakatik cheese samples were found to be Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. PMID:29725229

Development of martensitic steels for high neutron damage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelles, D. S.

1996-12-01

Martensitic stainless steels have been developed for both in-core applications in advanced liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR) and for first wall and structural materials applications for commercial fusion reactors. It can now be shown that these steels can be expected to maintain properties to levels as high as 175 or 200 dpa, respectively. The 12Cr1Mo0.5W0.2C alloy HT-9 has been extensively tested for LMFBR applications and shown to resist radiation damage, providing a creep and swelling resistant alternative to austenitic steels. Degradation of fracture toughness and Charpy impact properties have been observed, but properties are sufficient to provide reliable service. In comparison, alloys with lower chromium contents are found to decarburize in contact with liquid sodium and are therefore not recommended. Tungsten stabilized martensitic stainless steels have appropriate properties for fusion applications. Radioactivity levels are benign less than 500 years after service, radiation damage resistance is excellent, including impact properties, and swelling is modest. This report describes the history of the development effort.

Development of HPLC-ELSD method for determination of maltodextrin in raw milk.

PubMed

Moraes, Flávia Santana; da Costa, Marion Pereira; de Melo Silva, Vitor Luiz; de Barros Pinto Moreira, Rodrigo Vilela; de Barros, Raphael Ferreira; Mársico, Eliane Teixeira; Conte-Junior, Carlos Adam; de Oliveira Silva, Adriana Cristina

2017-02-15

An analytical method was developed and validated for the determination of maltodextrin in raw milk, using high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection. Maltodextrin content was evaluated in adulterated raw milk using a Supelcosil LC-NH2 (25cm×4.6mm) column and isocratic elution (68% of acetonitrile). Validation parameters exhibited adequate linearity, with relative standard deviation values between 0.74 and 2.16% (n=10) for repeatability and 0.11-19.39% (n=5) for intermediate precision. Limits of detection and quantification were 0.78 and 1.56mg.mL(-1), respectively, and recovery rates were between 91 and 93% for three levels. The application of this method shows that maltodextrin concentrations found in adulterated samples are lower than expected, which may be related to the quality of the commercial maltodextrin used. The method proposed proved to be simple and appropriate for the determination of maltodextrin in raw milk, with detection down to adulteration levels of 1%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Content of Orthopedic Patient Education Provided by Nurses in Seven European Countries.

PubMed

Charalambous, Andreas; Papastavrou, E; Valkeapää, K; Zabalegui, A; Ingadóttir, B; Lemonidou, C; Fatkulina, N; Jouko, K; Leino-Kilpi, H

2017-07-01

Patients' and their significant others' education during the perioperative phase is an important and challenging aspect of care. This study explored the content of education provided by nurses to arthroplasty patients and their significant others. Data were collected with the Education of Patients-NURSE content (EPNURSE-Content), Received Knowledge of Hospital Patient (RKhp), and Received Knowledge of Significant Other (RKso) scales. The results showed that the content of education emphasized biophysiological and functional needs, differed between countries, and was related to how physically demanding nurses found their job to be and the amount of education provided. There is congruence between the received knowledge of patients and their significant others in relation to the content of education provided by nurses. The findings can support nurses in developing aid material for patients and significant others explaining the nature of education and advising them what to expect and how to optimize their participation in the process.

Writing Expectations beyond High School: A Study of the Alignment of the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment in Writing and College-Level Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finnegan, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Despite recent policy initiatives to ensure high school accountability through state-mandated testing, New Jersey high school graduates may not be prepared for the challenges of college-level writing because the state's high school assessment is not aligned with college-level expectations (Brown & Conley, 2007; Conley, 2003). An ever-growing…

The fate of deoxynivalenol and ochratoxin A during the breadmaking process, effects of sourdough use and bran content.

PubMed

Vidal, A; Marín, S; Morales, H; Ramos, A J; Sanchis, V

2014-06-01

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are mycotoxins produced by fungal species which can contaminate, alone or simultaneously, cereal-based products such as bread. Due to the increasing interest in the beneficial effects of dietary bran, bran bread has attained high consumption. Usually, the higher mycotoxin concentrations in cereals are found in the external layers of the grain (bran), leading to higher concentration of DON and OTA in breads with added bran. Moreover, the use of sourdough in breadmaking is increasing, but no studies about its effect in the mycotoxins content exist. The objective of this study was to determine the variation of concentration of these mycotoxins during the breadmaking process including the following factors: two initial mycotoxin concentrations in the initial mix of ingredients, four different bran contents, and use of sourdough. OTA was confirmed to be quite stable during the breadmaking process, regardless of the assayed factors. DON concentration during breadmaking was not significantly affected by bran content of bread. However, it was significantly affected by kneading and fermentation steps in opposite way depending on sourdough use and flour contamination level: if DON reduction occurs during fermentation, this leads to a safer situation, but the possible increase in DON should be considered with care, as it can compensate the expected dilution effect by recipe. Finally, the results on deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3-G), although preliminar, suggest an increase of this toxin during fermentation, but mainly during baking. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined expectancies: electrophysiological evidence for the adjustment of expectancy effects

PubMed Central

Mattler, Uwe; van der Lugt, Arie; Münte, Thomas F

2006-01-01

Background When subjects use cues to prepare for a likely stimulus or a likely response, reaction times are facilitated by valid cues but prolonged by invalid cues. In studies on combined expectancy effects, two cues can independently give information regarding two dimensions of the forthcoming task. In certain situations, cueing effects on one dimension are reduced when the cue on the other dimension is invalid. According to the Adjusted Expectancy Model, cues affect different processing levels and a mechanism is presumed which is sensitive to the validity of early level cues and leads to online adjustment of expectancy effects at later levels. To examine the predictions of this model cueing of stimulus modality was combined with response cueing. Results Behavioral measures showed the interaction of cueing effects. Electrophysiological measures of the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) and the N200 amplitude confirmed the predictions of the model. The LRP showed larger effects of response cues on response activation when modality cues were valid rather than invalid. N200 amplitude was largest with valid modality cues and invalid response cues, medium with invalid modality cues, and smallest with two valid cues. Conclusion Findings support the view that the validity of early level expectancies modulates the effects of late level expectancies, which included response activation and response conflict in the present study. PMID:16674805

Recall of Television Content as a Function of Content Type and Level of Production Feature Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calvert, Sandra; Watkins, Bruce

This study investigated developmental changes in children's recall of televised central and incidental content. Central content was plot-relevant; incidental content was peripheral to the plot. Both content types were classified at two levels of production features, high salience and low salience. High salience features were high action, loud…

Engineering quantum hyperentangled states in atomic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nawaz, Mehwish; -Islam, Rameez-ul; Abbas, Tasawar; Ikram, Manzoor

2017-11-01

Hyperentangled states have boosted many quantum informatics tasks tremendously due to their high information content per quantum entity. Until now, however, the engineering and manipulation of such states were limited to photonic systems only. In present article, we propose generating atomic hyperentanglement involving atomic internal states as well as atomic external momenta states. Hypersuperposition, hyperentangled cluster, Bell and Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states are engineered deterministically through resonant and off-resonant Bragg diffraction of neutral two-level atoms. Based on the characteristic parameters of the atomic Bragg diffraction, such as comparatively large interaction times and spatially well-separated outputs, such decoherence resistant states are expected to exhibit good overall fidelities and offer the evident benefits of full controllability, along with extremely high detection efficiency, over the counterpart photonic states comprised entirely of flying qubits.

Determination of trace metals in spirits by total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siviero, G.; Cinosi, A.; Monticelli, D.; Seralessandri, L.

2018-06-01

Eight spirituous samples were analyzed for trace metal content with Horizon Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) Spectrometer. The expected single metal amount is at the ng/g level in a mixed aqueous/organic matrix, thus requiring a sample preparation method capable of achieving suitable limits of detection. On-site enrichment and Atmospheric Pressure-Vapor Phase Decomposition allowed to detect Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr and Pb with detection limits ranging from 0.1 ng/g to 4.6 ng/g. These results highlight how the synergy between instrument and sample preparation strategy may foster the use of TXRF as a fast and reliable technique for the determination of trace elements in spirituous samples, either for quality control or risk assessment purposes.

Matrix solid-phase dispersion as a tool for phytochemical and bioactivities characterisation: Crataegus oxyacantha L._A case study.

PubMed

Benabderrahmane, Wassila; Lores, Marta; Lamas, Juan Pablo; Benayache, Samir

2018-05-01

The use of a matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) process to extract polyphenols from hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha L.) a deciduous shrub with an expected rich phytochemical profile, has been evaluated. MSPD extracts of fruits and leaves have an outstanding content of polyphenols, although the particular phenolic profile is solvent dependent. The extracts were analysed by HPLC-DAD for the accurate identification of the major bioactive polyphenols, some of which have never been described for this species. MSPD has proven to be a good alternative to the classic methods of obtaining natural extracts, fast and with low consumption of organic solvents, therefore, environmentally friendly. The bioactivities can be considered also very remarkable, revealing extracts with high levels of antioxidant activity.

Feasibility of epidemiological monitoring for a proposed coal-fired power plant, Ivanpah, California.

PubMed

Goldsmith, J R; Spivey, G H; Coulson, A H

1984-01-27

The authors were asked to determine the feasibility of conducting epidemiologic monitoring for adverse health impact of emissions from the proposed Ivanpah Coal-Fired Power Plant. The study was required by the licensing agency, and specifically concerned health effects on the surrounding community. No potential occupational effects were considered. The area of concern was limited by the licensing agency to a circle of 50 mile radius around the Ivanpah site. The proposed power plant will be capable of generating 1500 megawatts of electricity utilizing low sulfur western coal. It is designed with stack heights of 500 feet for good dispersion and is planned to be outfitted with the best available stack emission control equipment. To establish whether an epidemiologic study is feasible, one must determine: (1) the size of the population which potentially would be exposed; (2) the pollutants to which that population might be exposed and the expected level of exposure and (3) the known or expected health effects of these pollutants and the frequency of such health outcomes. In addition, as in any epidemiologic study, the choice of a proper comparison group, the acceptability of a study to the population to be monitored and costs of the study in relation to available resources must also be taken into account. The population residing within 20 miles of the site consists of approximately 1,500 people at the present time. This population is not expected to increase significantly, although there is the possibility of growth of a "company town" surrounding the plant. Such an event would clearly alter the feasibility of conducting an epidemiologic study. Air quality modeling was used to predict the exposures to the population from various emissions from the proposed generating station. It was based on worst-case assumptions of wind speed, direction, atmospheric stability and percent sulfur-content coal. While a great many pollutants may result from coal burning, the levels of all pollutants, with the possible exception of ozone, are expected to be much lower than existing standards allow and therefore of little practical concern in the communities near Ivanpah. Since ozone is not a primary pollutant but is of secondary origin, its concentration, given the appropriate conditions, could increase with distance from the plant. None of the expected health outcomes occurs with sufficient frequency to allow the detection, with a reasonable degree of statistical certainty, of any reasonably expected increase in frequency in an epidemiologic study of a population as small as that which is associated with the Ivanpah site.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adolescent Reasoning about Advertisements: Preliminary Investigations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Marcia C.; And Others

1982-01-01

Three studies investigate the role of competence factors (defined as acquisition of Piagetian formal reasoning) and performance factors (defined as influences from content and expectations) with respect to adolescents' reasoning about advertisements reporting product tests. (Author/MP)

Ozone density measurements in the troposphere and stratosphere of Natal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirchhoff, V. W. J. H.; Motta, A. G.

1983-01-01

Ozone densitities were measured in the troposphere and stratosphere of Natal using ECC sondes launches on balloons. The data analyzed so far show tropospheric densities and total ozone contents larger than expected.

Effects of Apple Juice Concentrate, Blackcurrant Concentrate and Pectin Levels on Selected Qualities of Apple-Blackcurrant Fruit Leather.

PubMed

Diamante, Lemuel M; Li, Siwei; Xu, Qianqian; Busch, Janette

2013-09-12

A study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of apple juice concentrate (AJC), blackcurrant concentrate (BCC) and pectin on the moisture content, water activity, color, texture and ascorbic acid content of apple-blackcurrant fruit leather using the response surface methodology. The results showed the moisture content increased with increasing pectin level and with greater increases at higher AJC and BCC levels while the water activity increased with increasing pectin level and with increasing AJC level, at low pectin levels, but with decreasing AJC, at high pectin levels. The chroma decreased with increasing pectin level and with lower values at the middle AJC level. The puncturing force decreased with increasing AJC level but with a lower value at the middle pectin level. Lastly, the ascorbic acid content increased with increasing BCC level regardless of AJC and pectin levels. There is a need to reduce the drying temperature or time of apple-blackcurrant fruit leather just enough to bring the water activity closer to 0.60, thereby increasing the moisture content resulting in higher product yield.

Effects of Apple Juice Concentrate, Blackcurrant Concentrate and Pectin Levels on Selected Qualities of Apple-Blackcurrant Fruit Leather

PubMed Central

Diamante, Lemuel M.; Li, Siwei; Xu, Qianqian; Busch, Janette

2013-01-01

A study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of apple juice concentrate (AJC), blackcurrant concentrate (BCC) and pectin on the moisture content, water activity, color, texture and ascorbic acid content of apple-blackcurrant fruit leather using the response surface methodology. The results showed the moisture content increased with increasing pectin level and with greater increases at higher AJC and BCC levels while the water activity increased with increasing pectin level and with increasing AJC level, at low pectin levels, but with decreasing AJC, at high pectin levels. The chroma decreased with increasing pectin level and with lower values at the middle AJC level. The puncturing force decreased with increasing AJC level but with a lower value at the middle pectin level. Lastly, the ascorbic acid content increased with increasing BCC level regardless of AJC and pectin levels. There is a need to reduce the drying temperature or time of apple-blackcurrant fruit leather just enough to bring the water activity closer to 0.60, thereby increasing the moisture content resulting in higher product yield. PMID:28239127

[Changes in polyamine levels in Citrus sinensis Osb. cv. Valencia callus during somatic embryogenesis].

PubMed

Liu, Hua-Ying; Xiao, Lang-Tao; Lu, Xu-Dong; Hu, Jia-Jin; Wu, Shun; He, Chang-Zheng; Deng, Xiu-Xin

2005-06-01

Somatic embryogenetic capability and changes in polyamine level and their relationship were analyzed using the long-term (8 years) subcultured calli of Citrus sinensis Osb. cv. Valencia as materials. The results showed that endogenous polyamine contents in embryogenic calli were higher than those in non-embryogenic calli, and the embryogenetic capability was positively correlated to the levels of endogenous polyamines. When the calli were transferred to a differentiation medium, the putrescine content rapidly increased and reached a peak, then fell gradually. Applying exogenous putrescine raised the embryogenesis frequency and endogenous putrescine level. It indicated that increase in putrescine content at early stage of differentiation promoted embryogenesis. With the development of somatic embryo, spermidine content reached its the highest level at globular embryo stage, spermine content rose and reached a peak at a later stage of globular embryo development. Furthermore, changes of the putrescine, spermidine and spermine contents during somatic embryogenesis were similar in Valencia calli which had different ploidy levels, but their contents decreased following the increasing of ploidy level. Changes in arginine decarboxylase activity were positively correlated to the polyamine levels, which suggest that the later is a key factor in regulating the polyamine levels during somatic embryogenesis in citrus plants.

[Effects of nitrogen application levels on yield and active composition content of Desmodium styracifolium].

PubMed

Zhou, Jiamin; Yin, Xiaohong; Chen, Chaojun; Huang, Min; Peng, Fuyuan; Zhu, Xiaoqi

2010-06-01

To find out the optimal nitrogen application level of Desmodium styracifolium. A field experiment using randomized block design was carried out to study the effects of 5 nitrogen application levels (150, 187.5, 225.0, 262.5 and 300.0 kg x hm(-2)) on yield and active component content of D. styracifolium. Nitrogen application could increase the yield and contents of polysaccharide, total flavonoides and total saponins of D. styracifolium. However, the enhancing extent of the active component content and the yield were not always significant with the increase of nitrogen level. In which, the yield were not significantly different among the nitrogen application levels of 225.0, 262.5, 300.0 kg x hm(-2) the polysaccharide content was no significantly difference among the nitrogen application levels of 225.0, 262. 5 and 300.0 kg x hm(-2), the total flavonoides content under the nitrogen level of 300.0 kg x hm(-2) was significantly lower than that of 150.0 kg hm(-2) (P < 0.01), and the total saponins content under the nitrogen level of 300.0 kg x hm(-2) was no significant difference compared with that of 262.5 kg x hm(-2). The optimal nitrogen application level of D. styracifolium was 225.0-262.5 kg x hm(-2).

Expected Ethical Competencies of Public Health Professionals and Graduate Curricula in Accredited Schools of Public Health in North America

PubMed Central

Wright, Brandy; Semaan, Salaam

2013-01-01

Objectives. We assessed expected ethics competencies of public health professionals in codes and competencies, reviewed ethics instruction at schools of public health, and recommended ways to bridge the gap between them. Methods. We reviewed the code of ethics and 3 sets of competencies, separating ethics-related competencies into 3 domains: professional, research, and public health. We reviewed ethics course requirements in 2010–2011 on the Internet sites of 46 graduate schools of public health and categorized courses as required, not required, or undetermined. Results. Half of schools (n = 23) required an ethics course for graduation (master’s or doctoral level), 21 did not, and 2 had no information. Sixteen of 23 required courses were 3-credit courses. Course content varied from 1 ethics topic to many topics addressing multiple ethics domains. Conclusions. Consistent ethics education and competency evaluation can be accomplished through a combination of a required course addressing the 3 domains, integration of ethics topics in other courses, and “booster” trainings. Enhancing ethics competence of public health professionals is important to address the ethical questions that arise in public health research, surveillance, practice, and policy. PMID:22994177

The parent-coach/child-athlete relationship in youth sport: cordial, contentious, or conundrum?

PubMed

Weiss, Maureen R; Fretwell, Susan D

2005-09-01

The roles of coach and parent are often synonymous in youth sport, but little data-based research has been conducted on the parent-coach/child-athlete relationship. Six boys in U-12 competitive soccer were interviewed regarding positive and negative aspects about playing for their father-coach. Similar questions were posed to father-coaches and two teammates. Inductive content analysis indicated that, among the benefits, sons identified perks, praise, technical instruction, understanding of ability level, insider information, involvement in decision making, special attention, quality time, and motivation. Costs of being coached by one's father included negative emotional responses, pressure/expectations, conflict, lack of understanding/empathy, criticism for mistakes, and unfair behavior. For father-coaches, positive themes included taking pride in son's achievements, reason for coaching, positive social interactions, opportunity to teach skills and values, enjoying coaching son, and quality time. Negatives included inability to separate parent-child from coach-player role, placing greater expectations and pressure on son, and showing differential attention toward son. While teammates perceived some favoritism by the parent-coach, they cited mostly positive instructional experiences. Results are discussed within motivational theories that highlight the influence of significant adults on children's psychosocial development in the physical domain.

Effectiveness of web-based tailored smoking cessation advice reports (iQuit): a randomized trial.

PubMed

Mason, Dan; Gilbert, Hazel; Sutton, Stephen

2012-12-01

To determine whether web-based tailored cessation advice, based on social cognitive theory and the perspectives on change model, was more effective in aiding a quit attempt than broadly similar web-based advice that was not tailored. Participants were allocated randomly to one of two groups, to receive either a cessation advice report and progress report that were tailored to individual-level characteristics or a cessation advice report that presented standardized (non-tailored) content. Tailoring was based on smoking-related beliefs, personal characteristics and smoking patterns, self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Participant enrolment and baseline assessments were conducted remotely online via the study website, with the advice reports presented by the same website. Participants (n = 1758) were visitors to the QUIT website who were based in the United Kingdom, aged 18 years or over and who smoked cigarettes or hand-rolled tobacco. Follow-up assessments were made at 6 months by telephone interview. The primary outcome measure was self-reported 3 months prolonged abstinence, and secondary outcomes were 1 month prolonged abstinence, 7-day and 24-hour point prevalence abstinence. The intervention group did not differ from the control group on the primary outcome (9.1% versus 9.3%; odds ratio = 1.02 95% confidence interval 0.73-1.42) or on any of the secondary outcomes. Intervention participants gave more positive evaluations of the materials than control participants. A web-based intervention that tailored content according to smoking-related beliefs, personal characteristics and smoking patterns, self-efficacy and outcome expectations, was not more effective than web-based materials presenting broadly similar non-tailored information. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Effect of media composition on bioavailability and toxicity of silver and silver nanoparticles in fish intestinal cells (RTgutGC).

PubMed

Minghetti, Matteo; Schirmer, Kristin

2016-12-01

To understand conditions affecting bioavailability and toxicity of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (cit-AgNP) and dissolved silver at the luminal enterocyte interface, we exposed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gut cells (RTgutGC) in media of contrasting composition: two amino acid-containing media, one of which was supplemented with proteins, as can be expected during digestion; and two protein and amino acid-free media contrasting low and high chloride content, as can be expected in the lumen of fish adapting to freshwater or seawater, respectively. Dose-response curves were generated measuring cell metabolic activity, membrane and lysosome integrity over a period of 72 hours. Then, nontoxic doses were applied and total silver accumulation, metallothionein and glutathione reductase mRNA levels were determined. The presence of proteins stabilized cit-AgNP keeping them in suspension. Conversely, in protein-free media, cit-AgNP agglomerated and settled, resulting in higher cellular accumulation of silver and toxicity. Chloride concentrations in exposure media modulated the toxicity of AgNO 3 but not of cit-AgNP. Moreover, while amino acid-containing media are protective against AgNO 3 , likely due to the formation of thiolate complexes, they are only partially protective against cit-AgNP. Viability assays indicated that lysosomes are targets of cit-AgNP, supporting the hypothesis that cit-AgNP exert toxicity intracellularly. Metallothionein, a sensor of metal bioavailability, was induced by cit-AgNP in high chloride medium but not in low chloride medium, indicating that chloride might have a role in mobilizing silver from intercellular vesicles. Overall, this study shows that AgNP bioavailability and toxicity in the intestine is linked to its luminal content.

Observational evidence for volcanic impact on sea level and the global water cycle.

PubMed

Grinsted, A; Moore, J C; Jevrejeva, S

2007-12-11

It has previously been noted that there are drops in global sea level (GSL) after some major volcanic eruptions. However, observational evidence has not been convincing because there is substantial variability in the global sea level record over periods similar to those at which we expect volcanoes to have an impact. To quantify the impact of volcanic eruptions we average monthly GSL data from 830 tide gauge records around five major volcanic eruptions. Surprisingly, we find that the initial response to a volcanic eruption is a significant rise in sea level of 9 +/- 3 mm in the first year after the eruption. This rise is followed by a drop of 7 +/- 3 mm in the period 2-3 years after the eruption relative to preeruption sea level. These results are statistically robust and no particular volcanic eruption or ocean region dominates the signature we find. Neither the drop nor especially the rise in GSL can be explained by models of lower oceanic heat content. We suggest that the mechanism is a transient disturbance of the water cycle with a delayed response of land river runoff relative to ocean evaporation and global precipitation that affects global sea level. The volcanic impact on the water cycle and sea levels is comparable in magnitude to that of a large El Niño-La Niña cycle, amounting to approximately 5% of global land precipitation.

Primary School Teachers' Inspection in Turkey: Primary School Teachers' Expectations about Inspectors' Guidance Roles and the Realisation Level of These Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polat, Soner; Ugurlu, Celal Teyyar

2008-01-01

The aim of this research is to point out primary school teachers' expectations about inspectors' guidance roles and the realisation level of these expectations. The data used in this research that will be done in descriptive scanning model is collected from the views of primary school teachers selected randomly from Balikesir, Batman and Hatay.…

What do expectant fathers expect of antenatal care in Sweden? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Andersson, Ewa; Norman, Åse; Kanlinder, Camilla; Plantin, Lars

2016-10-01

In Sweden expectant fathers are now assumed to be active participants in pregnancy and birth, but few studies have focused on fathers' expectations of antenatal care. Knowledge of expectant fathers' views about what is important in antenatal care will enable the design of care that is more inclusive and meets the expectant fathers' needs. To identify expectant fathers' expectations regarding the content of antenatal care during pregnancy and to examine associations between expectations and social factors. The current study uses data from a quasi-experimental trial that took place from 2009 to 2010, in which 627 expectant fathers were recruited from different parts of Sweden. Checking the health of the baby (85.3%) and the mother (80.8%) were rated highest in importance by expectant fathers, whereas attending parent classes (14.9%), becoming acquainted with other expectant parents (7.0%) and paying attention to their own emotional well-being (6.9%) were rated lowest. Furthermore, less than half of the expectant fathers had a very high expectation of being treated in a way that made them feel involved (38.5%).First-time fathers, young fathers and fathers with very good emotional health had higher expectations about most aspects of antenatal care. Expectant fathers had low expectations of receiving support or of meeting other parents as they thought that antenatal care should have a medical focus. First-time fathers, young fathers and fathers with very good emotional health had higher expectations of antenatal care in most areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does drinking lead to sex? Daily alcohol-sex behaviors and expectancies among college students.

PubMed

Patrick, Megan E; Maggs, Jennifer L

2009-09-01

A within-person multilevel approach was used to model the links between alcohol use and sexual behavior among first-year college students, using up to 14 days of data for each person with occasions (Level 1, N = 2879 days) nested within people (Level 2, N = 218 people; 51.4% male). Between-persons (Level 2) effects were gender, relationship status, person means of alcohol use, and alcohol-sex expectancies for sexual affect and sexual drive. Within-person (Level 1) effects were weekend days, number of drinks consumed, and the interaction between drinks consumed and alcohol-sex expectancies. Independent of average alcohol use, consuming more drinks on a given day was associated with a greater likelihood of oral sex and with experiencing more positive consequences of sex that day. Significant Alcohol Use x Alcohol-Sex Expectancies interactions were found for oral sex and total sex behaviors, indicating that individuals with more positive expectancies were more likely to have sex after drinking. The negative association between drinks and condom use was at a trend level of significance. Results support the potential for promoting sexual health by focusing on cross-behavior expectancies among late adolescents. 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Language use and stereotyping: the role of approach and avoidance motivation goals.

PubMed

Gil de Montes, Lorena; Ortiz, Garbiñe; Valencia, José F; Larrañaga, Maider; Agirrezabal, Arrate

2012-11-01

The use of more abstract language to describe expected behaviors as opposed to unexpected behaviors has traditionally been considered a way of stereotype maintenance. This tendency is known as linguistic expectancy bias. Two experiments examined the influence of approach and avoidance motivational orientations on the production of this linguistic expectancy bias. It was predicted that approach strategic orientation is likely to describe expectancy consistent behaviors at a higher level of linguistic abstraction than expectancy inconsistent behaviors. In contrast, avoidance strategic orientation is likely to describe both expectancy consistent behaviors and expectancy inconsistent behaviors at a lower level of linguistic abstraction, thus facilitating the disappearance of linguistic expectancy bias. Two experiments confirmed these expectations, using strategic orientation manipulations based either on communication goals or on motor action, and measuring linguistic abstraction either on forced-choice answer format or on free descriptions. Implications for the generalisation of linguistic expectancy bias are discussed.

Inequalities in US Life Expectancy by Area Unemployment Level, 1990–2010

PubMed Central

Singh, Gopal K.; Siahpush, Mohammad

2016-01-01

This study examined the association between unemployment and life expectancy in the United States during 1990–2010. Census-based unemployment rates were linked to US county-level mortality data. Life expectancies were calculated by age, sex, race, and unemployment level during 1990–2010. Differences in life expectancy were decomposed by age and cause of death. Life expectancy was consistently lower in areas with higher unemployment rates. In 2006–2010, those in areas with high unemployment rates (≥9%) had a life expectancy of 76.9 years, compared with 80.7 years for those in areas with low unemployment rates (<3%). The association between unemployment and life expectancy was stronger for men than for women. Life expectancy ranged from 69.9 years among black men in high unemployment areas to 90.0 years among Asian/Pacific Islander women in low unemployment areas. Disparities persisted over time. In 1990–1992, life expectancy was 4.7 years shorter in high unemployment than in low unemployment areas. In 2006–2010, the life expectancy difference between the lowest and highest unemployment areas decreased to 3.8 years. Heart disease, cancer, homicide, unintentional injuries, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and liver cirrhosis contributed most to the lower life expectancy in high unemployment areas. High unemployment areas recorded larger gains in life expectancy than low unemployment areas, contributing to the narrowing gap during 1990–2010. PMID:27073716

Development of sexual expectancies among adolescents: contributions by parents, peers and the media.

PubMed

Ragsdale, Kathleen; Bersamin, Melina M; Schwartz, Seth J; Zamboanga, Byron L; Kerrick, Madeleine R; Grube, Joel W

2014-01-01

To expand the scant research on sexual expectancies development among non-sexually active adolescents, we examined the relationship between adolescents' exposure to four socializing agents--mother/female guardian, father/male guardian, peers, and television programs with high sexual content--and their endorsement of four sexual expectancies: social benefit, pleasure, social risk, and health risk. Data are from Waves 2 and 3 of a three-wave annual longitudinal study conducted among California adolescents, the majority of whom were not sexually active (N = 914, 84%). Structural equation models were conducted to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the socializing agents and the sexual expectancies. Cross-sectional results indicate associations between peer sexual communication and social benefit, pleasure, and social risk expectancies. A positive association was found between exposure to music videos and social benefit expectancies, and a negative association was found between exposure to music videos and health risk expectancies. Longitudinal results suggest that communication with peers positively predicted pleasure expectancies and negatively predicted social risk expectancies. No other socializing agents were associated with any sexual expectancies. An invariance test found that significant correlations were similar across the different age groups. Results suggest that efforts to support positive sexual decision making among non-sexually active adolescents should target peer sexual communication.

Instrument validation process: a case study using the Paediatric Pain Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire.

PubMed

Peirce, Deborah; Brown, Janie; Corkish, Victoria; Lane, Marguerite; Wilson, Sally

2016-06-01

To compare two methods of calculating interrater agreement while determining content validity of the Paediatric Pain Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire for use with Australian nurses. Paediatric pain assessment and management documentation was found to be suboptimal revealing a need to assess paediatric nurses' knowledge and attitude to pain. The Paediatric Pain Knowledge and Attitudes Questionnaire was selected as it had been reported as valid and reliable in the United Kingdom with student nurses. The questionnaire required content validity determination prior to use in the Australian context. A two phase process of expert review. Ten paediatric nurses completed a relevancy rating of all 68 questionnaire items. In phase two, five pain experts reviewed the items of the questionnaire that scored an unacceptable item level content validity. Item and scale level content validity indices and intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated. In phase one, 31 items received an item level content validity index <0·78 and the scale level content validity index average was 0·80 which were below levels required for acceptable validity. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0·47. In phase two, 10 items were amended and four items deleted. The revised questionnaire provided a scale level content validity index average >0·90 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0·94 demonstrating excellent agreement between raters therefore acceptable content validity. Equivalent outcomes were achieved using the content validity index and the intraclass correlation coefficient. To assess content validity the content validity index has the advantage of providing an item level score and is a simple calculation. The intraclass correlation coefficient requires statistical knowledge, or support, and has the advantage of accounting for the possibility of chance agreement. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Phylogenetic diversity, functional trait diversity and extinction: avoiding tipping points and worst-case losses

PubMed Central

Faith, Daniel P.

2015-01-01

The phylogenetic diversity measure, (‘PD’), measures the relative feature diversity of different subsets of taxa from a phylogeny. At the level of feature diversity, PD supports the broad goal of biodiversity conservation to maintain living variation and option values. PD calculations at the level of lineages and features include those integrating probabilities of extinction, providing estimates of expected PD. This approach has known advantages over the evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) methods. Expected PD methods also have limitations. An alternative notion of expected diversity, expected functional trait diversity, relies on an alternative non-phylogenetic model and allows inferences of diversity at the level of functional traits. Expected PD also faces challenges in helping to address phylogenetic tipping points and worst-case PD losses. Expected PD may not choose conservation options that best avoid worst-case losses of long branches from the tree of life. We can expand the range of useful calculations based on expected PD, including methods for identifying phylogenetic key biodiversity areas. PMID:25561672

A survey to identify barriers of implementing an antibiotic checklist.

PubMed

van Daalen, F V; Geerlings, S E; Prins, J M; Hulscher, M E J L

2016-04-01

A checklist is an effective implementation tool, but addressing barriers that might impact on the effectiveness of its use is crucial. In this paper, we explore barriers to the uptake of an antibiotic checklist that aims to improve antibiotic use in daily hospital care. We performed an online questionnaire survey among medical specialists and residents with various professional backgrounds from nine Dutch hospitals. The questionnaire consisted of 23 statements on anticipated barriers hindering the uptake of the checklist. Furthermore, it gave the possibility to add comments. We included 219 completed questionnaires (122 medical specialists and 97 residents) in our descriptive analysis. The top six anticipated barriers included: (1) lack of expectation of improvement of antibiotic use, (2) lack of expected patients' satisfaction by checklist use, (3) lack of feasibility of the checklist, (4) negative previous experiences with other checklists, (5) the complexity of the antibiotic checklist and (6) lack of nurses' expectation of checklist use. Remarkably, 553 comments were made, mostly (436) about the content of the checklist. These insights can be used to improve the specific content of the checklist and to develop an implementation strategy that addresses the identified barriers.

Gambling, Casinos, and Game Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heiny, Robert L.

1981-01-01

The objectives, content, and intent of an undergraduate mathematics course at the University of Northern California. The course focuses on gambling and bets, with the focus of ideas on probability, expected value, computers, and the mathematics of finance. (MP)

Soil water trends after clearcutting in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.

Treesearch

G.O. Klock; W. Lopushinsky

1980-01-01

A 20-percent reduction in evapotranspiration as measured by a 20-cm increase in soil water content is expected to result in an insignificant increase in streamflow by clearcut lodging in the study area.

14 CFR 29.971 - Fuel tank sump.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... effective with the rotorcraft in any normal attitude, and must be located so that the sump contents cannot... water from each part of the tank to the sump with the rotorcraft in any ground attitude to be expected...

Tolerance for High Flavanol Cocoa Powder in Semisweet Chocolate

PubMed Central

Harwood, Meriel L.; Ziegler, Gregory R.; Hayes, John E.

2013-01-01

Endogenous polyphenolic compounds in cacao impart both bitter and astringent characteristics to chocolate confections. While an increase in these compounds may be desirable from a health perspective, they are generally incongruent with consumer expectations. Traditionally, chocolate products undergo several processing steps (e.g., fermentation and roasting) that decrease polyphenol content, and thus bitterness. The objective of this study was to estimate group rejection thresholds for increased content of cocoa powder produced from under-fermented cocoa beans in a semisweet chocolate-type confection. The group rejection threshold was equivalent to 80.7% of the non-fat cocoa solids coming from the under-fermented cocoa powder. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in rejection thresholds when participants were grouped based on their self-reported preference for milk or dark chocolate, indicating that these groups react similarly to an increase in high cocoa flavanol containing cocoa powder. PMID:23792967

Tolerance for high flavanol cocoa powder in semisweet chocolate.

PubMed

Harwood, Meriel L; Ziegler, Gregory R; Hayes, John E

2013-06-21

Endogenous polyphenolic compounds in cacao impart both bitter and astringent characteristics to chocolate confections. While an increase in these compounds may be desirable from a health perspective, they are generally incongruent with consumer expectations. Traditionally, chocolate products undergo several processing steps (e.g., fermentation and roasting) that decrease polyphenol content, and thus bitterness. The objective of this study was to estimate group rejection thresholds for increased content of cocoa powder produced from under-fermented cocoa beans in a semisweet chocolate-type confection. The group rejection threshold was equivalent to 80.7% of the non-fat cocoa solids coming from the under-fermented cocoa powder. Contrary to expectations, there were no differences in rejection thresholds when participants were grouped based on their self-reported preference for milk or dark chocolate, indicating that these groups react similarly to an increase in high cocoa flavanol containing cocoa powder.

Video lottery: winning expectancies and arousal.

PubMed

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

2003-06-01

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

Dissociable effects of motivation and expectancy on conflict processing: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Soutschek, Alexander; Stelzel, Christine; Paschke, Lena; Walter, Henrik; Schubert, Torsten

2015-02-01

Previous studies suggest that both motivation and task difficulty expectations activate brain regions associated with cognitive control. However, it remains an open question whether motivational and cognitive determinants of control have similar or dissociable impacts on conflict processing on a neural level. The current study tested the effects of motivation and conflict expectancy on activity in regions related to processing of the target and the distractor information. Participants performed a picture-word interference task in which we manipulated the size of performance-dependent monetary rewards (level of motivation) and the ratio of congruent to incongruent trials within a block (level of conflict expectancy). Our results suggest that motivation improves conflict processing by facilitating task-relevant stimulus processing and task difficulty expectations mainly modulate the processing of distractor information. We conclude that motivation and conflict expectancy engage dissociable control strategies during conflict resolution.

Predicting who will major in a science discipline: Expectancy-value theory as part of an ecological model for studying academic communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullins, Ellen S.; Hernandez, Delia; Fuller, Carol; Shiro Tashiro, Jay

Research on factors that shape recruitment and retention in undergraduate science majors currently is highly fragmented and in need of an integrative research framework. Such a framework should incorporate analyses of the various levels of organization that characterize academic communities (i.e., the broad institutional level, the departmental level, and the student level), and should also provide ways to study the interactions occurring within and between these structural levels. We propose that academic communities are analogous to ecosystems, and that the research paradigms of modern community ecology can provide the necessary framework, as well as new and innovative approaches to a very complex area. This article also presents the results of a pilot study that demonstrates the promise of this approach at the student level. We administered a questionnaire based on expectancy-value theory to undergraduates enrolled in introductory biology courses. Itself an integrative approach, expectancy-value theory views achievement-related behavior as a joint function of the person's expectancy of success in the behavior and the subjective value placed on such success. Our results indicated: (a) significant gender differences in the underlying factor structures of expectations and values related to the discipline of biology, (b) expectancy-value factors significantly distinguished biology majors from nonmajors, and (c) expectancy-value factors significantly predicted students' intent to enroll in future biology courses. We explore the expectancy-value framework as an operationally integrative framework in our ecological model for studying academic communities, especially in the context of assessing the underrepresentation of women and minorities in the sciences. Future research directions as well as practical implications are also discussed.

Investigating expectation and reward in human opioid addiction with [(11) C]raclopride PET.

PubMed

Watson, Ben J; Taylor, Lindsay G; Reid, Alastair G; Wilson, Sue J; Stokes, Paul R; Brooks, David J; Myers, James F; Turkheimer, Federico E; Nutt, David J; Lingford-Hughes, Anne R

2014-11-01

The rewarding properties of some abused drugs are thought to reside in their ability to increase striatal dopamine levels. Similar increases have been shown in response to expectation of a positive drug effect. The actions of opioid drugs on striatal dopamine release are less well characterized. We examined whether heroin and the expectation of heroin reward increases striatal dopamine levels in human opioid addiction. Ten opioid-dependent participants maintained on either methadone or buprenorphine underwent [(11) C]raclopride positron emission tomography imaging. Opioid-dependent participants were scanned three times, receiving reward from 50-mg intravenous heroin (diamorphine; pharmaceutical heroin) during the first scan to generate expectation of the same reward at the second scan, during which they only received 0.1-mg intravenous heroin. There was no heroin injection during the third scan. Intravenous 50-mg heroin during the first scan induced pronounced effects leading to high levels of expectation at the second scan. There was no detectable increase in striatal dopamine levels to either heroin reward or expectation of reward. We believe this is the first human study to examine whether expectation of heroin reward increases striatal dopamine levels in opioid addiction. The absence of detectable increased dopamine levels to both the expectation and delivery of a heroin-related reward may have been due to the impact of substitute medication. It does however contrast with the changes seen in abstinent stimulant users, suggesting that striatal dopamine release alone may not play such a pivotal role in opioid-maintained individuals. © 2013 The Authors. Addiction Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

Readability, content, and quality of online patient education materials on preeclampsia.

PubMed

Lange, Elizabeth M S; Shah, Anuj M; Braithwaite, Brian A; You, Whitney B; Wong, Cynthia A; Grobman, William A; Toledo, Paloma

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the readability, content, and quality of patient education materials addressing preeclampsia. Websites of U.S. obstetrics and gynecology residency programs were searched for patient education materials. Readability, content, and quality were assessed. A one-sample t-test was used to evaluate mean readability level compared with the recommended 6th grade reading level. Mean readability levels were higher using all indices (p < 0.001). Content was variable with good website understandability, but poor actionability. The mean readability was above the recommended 6th grade reading level. The content, readability, and actionability of preeclampsia patient education materials should be improved.

A deep learning and novelty detection framework for rapid phenotyping in high-content screening

PubMed Central

Sommer, Christoph; Hoefler, Rudolf; Samwer, Matthias; Gerlich, Daniel W.

2017-01-01

Supervised machine learning is a powerful and widely used method for analyzing high-content screening data. Despite its accuracy, efficiency, and versatility, supervised machine learning has drawbacks, most notably its dependence on a priori knowledge of expected phenotypes and time-consuming classifier training. We provide a solution to these limitations with CellCognition Explorer, a generic novelty detection and deep learning framework. Application to several large-scale screening data sets on nuclear and mitotic cell morphologies demonstrates that CellCognition Explorer enables discovery of rare phenotypes without user training, which has broad implications for improved assay development in high-content screening. PMID:28954863

Japan Link Center (JaLC): link management and DOI assignment for Japanese electronic scholarly contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Takafumi; Tsuchiya, Eri; Kubota, Soichi; Miyagawa, Yoshiyuki

JST, cooperated with several national institutes, is currently developing “Japan Link Center”, which manages Japanese electronic scholarly contents (journal articles, books, dissertations etc.) in an integrated fashion using Digital Object Identifier (DOI). Japan Link Center will manage metadata and whereabouts information of the contents in the digital environment and provide domestic and international linking information, cite/cited information to activate dissemination of S&T information, furthermore, to strengthen transmission of S&T information from Japan. Japan Link Center is expected to be appointed as the 9th DOI registration agency (RA) in the world by the International DOI Foundation (IDF) this spring.

Further Highlighting on the Prevention of Oxidative Damage by Polyphenol-Rich Wine Extracts.

PubMed

Salucci, Sara; Burattini, Sabrina; Giordano, Francesco Maria; Lucarini, Simone; Diamantini, Giuseppe; Falcieri, Elisabetta

2017-04-01

Wine contains various polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, and tannins. These molecules are responsible for the quality of wines, influencing their astringency, bitterness, and color and they are considered to have antioxidant activity. Polyphenols, extracted from grapes during the processes of vinification, could protect the body cells against reactive oxygen species level increase and could be useful to rescue several pathologies where oxidative stress represents the main cause. For that, in this study, red and white wine, provided by an Italian vinery (Marche region), have been analyzed. Chromatographic and morphofunctional analyses have been carried out for polyphenol extraction and to evaluate their protective effect on human myeloid U937 cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Both types of wines contained a mix of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties and their content decreased, as expected, in white wine. Ultrastructural observations evidenced that wines, in particular red wine, strongly prevent mitochondrial damage and apoptotic cell death. In conclusion, the considered extracts show a relevant polyphenol content with strong antioxidant properties and abilities to prevent apoptosis. These findings suggest, for these compounds, a potential role in all pathological conditions where the body antioxidant system is overwhelmed.

Unraveling Network-induced Memory Contention: Deeper Insights with Machine Learning

DOE PAGES

Groves, Taylor Liles; Grant, Ryan; Gonzales, Aaron; ...

2017-11-21

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) is expected to be an integral communication mechanism for future exascale systems enabling asynchronous data transfers, so that applications may fully utilize CPU resources while simultaneously sharing data amongst remote nodes. We examine Network-induced Memory Contention (NiMC) on Infiniband networks. We expose the interactions between RDMA, main-memory and cache, when applications and out-of-band services compete for memory resources. We then explore NiMCs resulting impact on application-level performance. For a range of hardware technologies and HPC workloads, we quantify NiMC and show that NiMCs impact grows with scale resulting in up to 3X performance degradation atmore » scales as small as 8K processes even in applications that previously have been shown to be performance resilient in the presence of noise. In addition, this work examines the problem of predicting NiMC's impact on applications by leveraging machine learning and easily accessible performance counters. This approach provides additional insights about the root cause of NiMC and facilitates dynamic selection of potential solutions. Finally, we evaluated three potential techniques to reduce NiMCs impact, namely hardware offloading, core reservation and network throttling.« less

Smart Collaborative Caching for Information-Centric IoT in Fog Computing.

PubMed

Song, Fei; Ai, Zheng-Yang; Li, Jun-Jie; Pau, Giovanni; Collotta, Mario; You, Ilsun; Zhang, Hong-Ke

2017-11-01

The significant changes enabled by the fog computing had demonstrated that Internet of Things (IoT) urgently needs more evolutional reforms. Limited by the inflexible design philosophy; the traditional structure of a network is hard to meet the latest demands. However, Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is a promising option to bridge and cover these enormous gaps. In this paper, a Smart Collaborative Caching (SCC) scheme is established by leveraging high-level ICN principles for IoT within fog computing paradigm. The proposed solution is supposed to be utilized in resource pooling, content storing, node locating and other related situations. By investigating the available characteristics of ICN, some challenges of such combination are reviewed in depth. The details of building SCC, including basic model and advanced algorithms, are presented based on theoretical analysis and simplified examples. The validation focuses on two typical scenarios: simple status inquiry and complex content sharing. The number of clusters, packet loss probability and other parameters are also considered. The analytical results demonstrate that the performance of our scheme, regarding total packet number and average transmission latency, can outperform that of the original ones. We expect that the SCC will contribute an efficient solution to the related studies.

Smart Collaborative Caching for Information-Centric IoT in Fog Computing

PubMed Central

Song, Fei; Ai, Zheng-Yang; Li, Jun-Jie; Zhang, Hong-Ke

2017-01-01

The significant changes enabled by the fog computing had demonstrated that Internet of Things (IoT) urgently needs more evolutional reforms. Limited by the inflexible design philosophy; the traditional structure of a network is hard to meet the latest demands. However, Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is a promising option to bridge and cover these enormous gaps. In this paper, a Smart Collaborative Caching (SCC) scheme is established by leveraging high-level ICN principles for IoT within fog computing paradigm. The proposed solution is supposed to be utilized in resource pooling, content storing, node locating and other related situations. By investigating the available characteristics of ICN, some challenges of such combination are reviewed in depth. The details of building SCC, including basic model and advanced algorithms, are presented based on theoretical analysis and simplified examples. The validation focuses on two typical scenarios: simple status inquiry and complex content sharing. The number of clusters, packet loss probability and other parameters are also considered. The analytical results demonstrate that the performance of our scheme, regarding total packet number and average transmission latency, can outperform that of the original ones. We expect that the SCC will contribute an efficient solution to the related studies. PMID:29104219

Development of colour and firmness in strawberry crops is UV light sensitive, but colour is not a good predictor of several quality parameters.

PubMed

Ordidge, Matthew; García-Macías, Paulina; Battey, Nicholas H; Gordon, Michael H; John, Philip; Lovegrove, Julie A; Vysini, Eleni; Wagstaffe, Alexandra; Hadley, Paul

2012-06-01

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne var. Elsanta) plants were grown in polytunnels covered with three polythene films that transmitted varying levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. Fruit were harvested under near-commercial conditions and quality and yield were measured. During ripening, changes in the colour parameters of individual fruit were monitored, and the accuracy of using surface colour to predict other quality parameters was determined by analysing the correlation between colour and quality parameters within UV treatments. Higher exposure to UV during growth resulted in the fruit becoming darker at harvest and developing surface colour more quickly; fruit were also firmer at harvest, but shelf life was not consistently affected by the UV regime. Surface colour measurements were poorly correlated to firmness, shelf life or total phenolics, anthocyanins and ellagic acid contents. Although surface colour of strawberry fruits was affected by the UV regime during growth, and this parameter is an important factor in consumer perception, we concluded that the surface colour at the time of harvest was, contrary to consumer expectations, a poor indicator of firmness, potential shelf life or anthocyanin content. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Curriculum information models in health professions education in Australia: an innovative approach to efficient curriculum design, development, and maintenance.

PubMed

Kruger, Estie; Tennant, Marc

2012-03-01

Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in attention to the overall accountability of higher education in Australia, and this is expected to continue. Increased accountability has led to the need for more explicitly documented curricula. The curricula from ten health-related disciplines developed over the last five years in Australia were the basis of this study. Curriculum information modeling is an approach that allows for the dynamic nature of curricula since elements and their linkages can be moved about and reconnected into meaningful patterns. In addition, the models give disciplines and institutions the ability to effectively monitor curricula and draw comparisons in a more unified manner. Curriculum information models are an efficient innovation in the design and management of curricula in higher education and particularly in the health care disciplines. They rest on the principles of reusable elements and linkages independent of content that were first used in the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings. The translation of this approach to the higher education sector provides a higher level of interoperability of resources and a clearer pathway for content design within a curriculum.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of ZnO nanostructures by electrochemical hybridization with graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pruna, A.; Wu, Z.; Zapien, J. A.; Li, Y. Y.; Ruotolo, A.

2018-05-01

Synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures is reported by electrochemical deposition from an aqueous electrolyte in presence of graphene oxide (GO) with varying oxidation degree. The properties of hybrids were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman, Fourier-Transform Infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques and photocatalytic measurements. The results indicated the electrodeposition of ZnO in presence of GO with increased oxygen content led to marked differences in the morphology while Raman measurements indicated an increased defect level both in the ZnO and the electrochemically reduced GO (ErGO) within the hybrids. The decrease in C/O atomic ratio of GO (from 0.79 to 0.71) employed for the electrodeposition of ZnO resulted in an increase in photocatalytic efficiency for methylene blue degradation under UV irradiation from 4-folds to 10-folds with respect to non-hybridized ZnO. The observed synergetic effect of cathodic deposition potential and oxygen content in GO towards improving the photocatalytic activity of immobilized ZnO is expected to contribute to further development of more effective deposition approaches for the preparation of high performance hybrid nanostructures.

Does the copolymer poly(vinylidene cyanide-tricyanoethylene) possess piezoelectricity?

PubMed

Wang, Zhi-Yin; Su, Ke-He; Xu, Qiong

2012-10-01

The geometry, energy, internal rotation barrier, dipole moment, and molecular polarizability of the α- and β-chain models of poly(vinylidene cyanide-tricyanoethylene) [P(VDCN-TrCN)] were studied with density functional theory at the B3PW91/6-31G(d) level. The effects of the chain length and the TrCN content on the copolymer chain stability, the chain conformation, and the electrical properties of P(VDCN-TrCN) were examined and compared with those of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) and PVDCN to gauge whether P(VDCN-TrCN) would be expected to possess substantial piezoelectricity. The results of this study showed that the stability of the β conformation increases and the energy difference per monomer unit between the β- and α-chains decreases with increasing TrCN. However, introducing TrCN into VDCN will not significantly enhance the radius of curvature of the P(VDCN-TrCN) chains. The average dipole moment per monomer unit in the β-chain is affected by the chain curvature and the TrCN content. The amount of piezoelectricity present in P(VDCN-TrCN) is slightly smaller than that in PVDCN, and is less than that in poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene).

Ozone delignification of pine and eucalyptus kraft pulps. 1: Kinetics

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

Simoes, R.M.S.; Castro, J.A.A.M.

1999-12-01

The kinetics of ozone delignification of unbleached pine and eucalyptus kraft pulps is studied at ultralow consistency in a stirred reactor. Ozone consumption was monitored with sensors located in both the liquid and gas phases of the reacting medium, and the results confirm the expectations, i.e., the very high oxidation rates. The experiments were carried out following two different approaches that give rise to very different ozone concentration profiles in the pulp suspension and to significant improvements in the statistical contents of the experimental data. In the development of the delignification model, special attention was paid to its validation andmore » thus different sets of data for training and validation were used, leading to high levels of confidence in the model. As far as the delignification is concerned, its rate can be described for both pulps by a pseudohomogeneous model with partial orders of 1 and 2 for ozone and lignin contents, respectively. However, the remaining parameters of the kinetic model are markedly different for the two pulps. The effect of temperature on the delignification rate is small and can be characterized by an activation energy close to 20 kJ/mol for both pulps.« less

Unraveling Network-induced Memory Contention: Deeper Insights with Machine Learning

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

Groves, Taylor Liles; Grant, Ryan; Gonzales, Aaron

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) is expected to be an integral communication mechanism for future exascale systems enabling asynchronous data transfers, so that applications may fully utilize CPU resources while simultaneously sharing data amongst remote nodes. We examine Network-induced Memory Contention (NiMC) on Infiniband networks. We expose the interactions between RDMA, main-memory and cache, when applications and out-of-band services compete for memory resources. We then explore NiMCs resulting impact on application-level performance. For a range of hardware technologies and HPC workloads, we quantify NiMC and show that NiMCs impact grows with scale resulting in up to 3X performance degradation atmore » scales as small as 8K processes even in applications that previously have been shown to be performance resilient in the presence of noise. In addition, this work examines the problem of predicting NiMC's impact on applications by leveraging machine learning and easily accessible performance counters. This approach provides additional insights about the root cause of NiMC and facilitates dynamic selection of potential solutions. Finally, we evaluated three potential techniques to reduce NiMCs impact, namely hardware offloading, core reservation and network throttling.« less

Expectations of Faculty, Parents, and Students for Due Process in Campus Disciplinary Hearings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janosik, Steven M.

2001-01-01

A sample of 464 faculty members, parents, and students responded to a questionnaire that assessed their expectations for due process in campus disciplinary hearings. Respondents indicated they expected high levels of due process would be provided in suspension-level campus disciplinary hearings. The three groups differed on specific due process…

A Comparison of Senior Student Affairs Officer and Student Affairs Preparatory Program Faculty Expectations of Entry-Level Professionals' Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickerson, Amy M.; Hoffman, John L.; Anan, Baramee Peper; Brown, Kelsey F.; Vong, Linda K.; Bresciani, Marilee J.; Monzon, Reynaldo; Oyler, Jessica

2011-01-01

This survey research project compared and contrasted faculty and SSAO expectations for discrete new professional competencies. Findings revealed few significant differences. This study further examined differences between expected and perceived levels of new professional competency. Significant gaps emerged for fiscal management, planning,…

The Reviews Are in: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Consumer Perspectives on Apps for Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Fogarty, Andrea S; Boydell, Katherine; Christensen, Helen

2017-01-01

Background The delivery of mobile health (mHealth) services is acceptable to mental health consumers. However, despite the benefits of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, anonymity, and ability to tailor content to individual needs, consumer engagement remains a hurdle for uptake and continued use. This may be unsurprising as few studies have examined app content from the consumer perspective or assessed consumer preferences for the content of apps for mental health management. An opportunity to examine consumer perspectives exists in using naturally generated data that is publically available in the Google Play and Apple app stores. Whereas commercial developers routinely use this data, to date there has been no in-depth evaluation within scientific research. Objective The aim of our study was to explore what consumers consider useful content for mental health management apps, identify unmet needs, and understand user expectations of mental health apps within the context of apps for bipolar disorder. Methods Publically available English language consumer reviews of 48 apps for bipolar disorder were used as data, providing a total of 2173 reviews. Review text was coded and analyzed using a team approach to qualitative content analysis. Results were presented in 2 forms: (1) a quantitative summary of the 9 major and minor themes and (2) a qualitative synthesis of key thematic findings. Results The majority of reviews were for symptom monitoring apps (87.94%, 1911/2173). The qualitative content analysis revealed 5 main themes: (1) laudatory talk, comments regarding the app’s benefits including helpfulness and successful design features (74.00% of reviews, 1608/2173); (2) unfavorable feedback, negative reviews largely concerning unmet needs, privacy and technical issues, and potential dangers of app use (25.54%, 555/2173); (3) conceptions of community, referring to both communities of users with mental ill-health accessed via the app and a community created among app users and developers (24.25%, 527/2173); (4) wishlist features, app features requested by users (17.53%, 381/2173); and (5) apps and therapy, app use within clinical care (10.58%, 230/2173). Four minor themes were also identified: (1) app cost, (2) privacy and data security, (3) comparisons with traditional monitoring, and (4) evidence-based mHealth. Conclusions Although mostly positive, the proportion of reviews containing wishlist requests indicates consumer needs are not adequately addressed by currently available disorder management apps. Consumers value content that is helpful, supportive, and easy to use, and they are integrating apps into their health management and clinical care without necessarily considering the evidence-base or clinical effectiveness of the tool. User expectations regarding developer responsiveness to their needs has implications for community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation. However, this expectation is incompatible with current mHealth funding structures. PMID:28389420

Influence of gold content on copper oxidation from silver-gold-copper alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swinbourne, D. R.; Barbante, G. G.; Strahan, A.

1996-10-01

In the final stages of the smelting of copper anode slimes, a silver alloy, known as “doré,” is produced. Oxidation refining is used to remove copper since this element interferes with subsequent electroparting of the small amounts of gold and platinum group metals in the doré. The gold content of doré can be greatly increased by gold scrap additions and this may affect the minimum achievable copper content of doré. In this work, silver-gold-copper alloys were oxidized by injecting pure oxygen at 1100 °C in the absence of any slag cover. For the gold contents expected in practice, the equilibrium copper content of the doré did not increase significantly as the gold content increased. However, at the other extreme of composition, the equilibrium copper content was a very strong function of the silver content of the gold bullion. The activity coefficient of copper in silver-gold alloys was calculated and compared to those predicted from a ternary subregular solution model of the system Ag-Au-Cu. Satisfactory agreement was found.

[Effects of endophytic fungi from Dendrobium officinale on host growth and components metabolism of tissue culture seedlings].

PubMed

Zhu, Bo; Liu, Jing-Jing; Si, Jin-Ping; Qin, Lu-Ping; Han, Ting; Zhao, Li; Wu, Ling-Shang

2016-05-01

The paper aims to study the effects of endophytic fungi from D. officinale cultivated on living trees on growth and components metabolism of tissue culture seedlings. Morphological characteristics and agronomic characters of tissue culture seedlings infected and uninfected by endophytic fungus were observed and measured. Polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts contents were determined by phenol-sulfuric acid method and hot-dipmethod, respectively. Monosacchride composition of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts components were analyzed by pre-column derivatives HPLC and HPLC method, respectively. It showed that effects of turning to purple of stem nodes could be changed by endophytic fungus. Besides, the endophytic fungus could affect the contents and constitutions of polysaccharides and alcohol-soluble extracts. The strains tested, expect DO34, could promote growth and polysaccharides content of tissue culture seedlings. The strains tested, expect DO12, could promote the accumulation of mannose. Furthermore, DO18, DO19 and DO120 could increase alcohol-soluble extracts. On the basis, four superior strains were selected for mechanism research between endophytic fungus and their hosts and microbiology engineering. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Benefits and costs of Channel One in a middle school setting and the role of media-literacy training.

PubMed

Austin, Erica Weintraub; Chen, Yi-Chun Yvonnes; Pinkleton, Bruce E; Quintero Johnson, Jessie

2006-03-01

Channel One is a public-affairs program that includes 10 minutes of news and 2 minutes of paid product advertising or public service announcements. Advocates assert that it increases public-affairs knowledge, but critics charge that it garners a captive audience for teen-targeted advertising. This experiment analyzed the differential effects of Channel One depending on whether early-adolescent viewers received a media-literacy lesson in conjunction with viewing the program. Outcomes included perceptions of Channel One news programming, recall of program content and advertising, materialism, and political efficacy. Researchers used a posttest-only field experiment (N = 240) of seventh- and eighth-grade students using random assignment to conditions. Conditions included a control group, a group that received a fact-based lesson, and a group that received the same lesson content using a more emotive teaching style. It was expected that the emotion-added lesson condition would be more effective than the logic-only lesson condition because of its motivational component. On average, students remembered more ads from Channel One than news stories. Participants in the control group remembered fewer news stories than did the groups that received the lessons. Students reported having purchased during the preceding 3 months an average of 2.5 items advertised on the program. Both fact-based and affect-added training increased student skepticism toward advertisers. As expected, student liking of the program enhanced their learning from it and was associated with higher levels of political efficacy. Students held misconceptions about the role of their school in the production of Channel One. The use of Channel One by schools can have benefits, but these come with risk that some may consider unacceptable. On the positive side, student liking of the program was associated with their political efficacy. Although those who responded positively to program content and presentation style learned more from it, they also tended to want things that they saw in the advertisements. The data therefore show that the program can provide some benefits to young adolescents, but the results also provide justification for concerns about the commercialization of the classroom.

Redox bias in loss of ignition moisture measurement for relatively pure plutonium-bearing oxide materials.

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

Eller, P. G.; Stakebake, J. L.; Cooper, T. D.

2001-01-01

This paper evaluates potential analytical bias in application of the Loss on Ignition (LOI) technique for moisture measurement to relatively pure (plutonium assay of 80 wt.% or higher) oxides containing uranium that have been stabilized according to stabilization and storage standard DOE-STD-3013-2000 (STD-3013). An immediate application is to Rocky Flats (RF) materials derived from highgrade metal hydriding separations subsequently treated by multiple calcination cycles. Specifically evaluated are weight changes due to oxidatiodreduction of multivalent impurity oxides that could mask true moisture equivalent content measurement. Process knowledge and characterization of materials representing complex-wide materials to be stabilized and packaged according tomore » STD-3013, and particularly for the immediate RF target stream, indicate that oxides of uranium, iron and gallium are the only potential multivalent constituents expected to be present above 0.5 wt.%. The evaluation shows that of these constituents, with few exceptions, only uranium oxides can be present at a sufficient level to produce weight gain biases significant with respect to the LO1 stability test. In general, these formerly high-value, high-actinide content materials are reliably identifiable by process knowledge and measurement. Si&icant bias also requires that UO1 components remain largely unoxidized after calcination and are largely converted to U30s clsning LO1 testing at only slightly higher temperatures. Based on wellestablished literature, it is judged unlikely that this set of conditions will be realized in practice. We conclude that it is very likely that LO1 weight gain bias will be small for the immediate target RF oxide materials containing greater than 80 wt.% plutonium plus a much smaller uranium content. Recommended tests are in progress to confum these expectations and to provide a more authoritative basis for bounding LO1 oxidatiodreduction biases. LO1 bias evaluation is more difficult for lower purity materials and for fuel-type uranium-plutonium oxides. However, even in these cases testing may show that bias effects are manageable.« less

The third-year medical student "grapevine": managing transitions between third-year clerkships using peer-to-peer handoffs.

PubMed

Masters, Dylan E; O'Brien, Bridget C; Chou, Calvin L

2013-10-01

As third-year medical students rotate between clerkships, they experience multiple transitions across workplace cultures and shifting learning expectations. The authors explored clerkship transitions from the students' perspective by examining the advice they passed on to their peers in preparation for new clerkships. Seventy-one students from three Veterans Affairs-based clerkship rotations at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine participated in a peer-to-peer handoff session from 2008 to 2011. In the handoff session, they gave tips for optimizing performance to students starting the clerkship they had just completed. The authors transcribed student comments from four handoff sessions and used qualitative content analysis to identify and compare advice across clerkships. Students shared advice about workplace culture, content learning, logistics, and work-life balance. Common themes included expectations of the rotation, workplace norms, specific tasks, learning opportunities, and learning strategies. Comments about patient care and work-life balance were rare. Students emphasized different themes for each clerkship; for example, for some clerkships, students commented heavily on tasks and content learning, while in another students focused on workplace culture and exam preparation. These findings characterize the transitions that third-year students undergo as they rotate into new clinical training environments. Students emphasized different aspects of each clerkship in the advice they passed to their peers, and their comments often describe informal norms or opportunities that official clerkship orientations may not address. Peer-to-peer handoffs may help ease transitions between clerkships with dissimilar cultures and expectations.

Are Synonymous Sites in Primates and Rodents Functionally Constrained?

PubMed

Price, Nicholas; Graur, Dan

2016-01-01

It has been claimed that synonymous sites in mammals are under selective constraint. Furthermore, in many studies the selective constraint at such sites in primates was claimed to be more stringent than that in rodents. Given the larger effective population sizes in rodents than in primates, the theoretical expectation is that selection in rodents would be more effective than that in primates. To resolve this contradiction between expectations and observations, we used processed pseudogenes as a model for strict neutral evolution, and estimated selective constraint on synonymous sites using the rate of substitution at pseudosynonymous and pseudononsynonymous sites in pseudogenes as the neutral expectation. After controlling for the effects of GC content, our results were similar to those from previous studies, i.e., synonymous sites in primates exhibited evidence for higher selective constraint that those in rodents. Specifically, our results indicated that in primates up to 24% of synonymous sites could be under purifying selection, while in rodents synonymous sites evolved neutrally. To further control for shifts in GC content, we estimated selective constraint at fourfold degenerate sites using a maximum parsimony approach. This allowed us to estimate selective constraint using mutational patterns that cause a shift in GC content (GT ↔ TG, CT ↔ TC, GA ↔ AG, and CA ↔ AC) and ones that do not (AT ↔ TA and CG ↔ GC). Using this approach, we found that synonymous sites evolve neutrally in both primates and rodents. Apparent deviations from neutrality were caused by a higher rate of C → A and C → T mutations in pseudogenes. Such differences are most likely caused by the shift in GC content experienced by pseudogenes. We conclude that previous estimates according to which 20-40% of synonymous sites in primates were under selective constraint were most likely artifacts of the biased pattern of mutation.

Cesium power: low Cs+ levels impart stability to perovskite solar cells.

PubMed

Deepa, Melepurath; Salado, Manuel; Calio, Laura; Kazim, Samrana; Shivaprasad, S M; Ahmad, Shahzada

2017-02-01

Towards increasing the stability of perovskite solar cells, the addition of Cs + is found to be a rational approach. Recently triple cation based perovskite solar cells were found to be more effective in terms of stability and efficiency. Heretofore they were unexplored, so we probed the Cs/MA/FA (cesium/methyl ammonium/formamidinium) cation based perovskites by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and correlated their compositional features with their solar cell performances. The Cs + content was found to be optimum at 5%, when incorporated in the (MA 0.15 FA 0.85 )Pb(I 0.85 Br 0.15 ) 3 lattice, because the corresponding device yielded the highest fill factor compared to the perovskite without Cs + and with 10% Cs + . XPS studies distinctly reveal how Cs + aids in maintaining the expected stoichiometric ratios of I : Pb 2+ , I : N and Br : Pb 2+ in the perovskites, and how the valence band (VB) edge is dependent on the Cs + proportion, which in turn governs the open circuit voltage. Even at a low content of 5%, Cs + resides deep within the absorber layer, and ensures minimum distortion of the VB level (compared to 0% and 10% Cs + perovskites) upon Ar + sputtering, thus allowing the formation of a stable robust material that delivers excellent solar cell response. This study which brings out the role of Cs + is anticipated to be of paramount significance to further engineer the composition and improve device performances.

Raman spectroscopy characterization of actinide oxides (U 1-yPu y)O 2: Resistance to oxidation by the laser beam and examination of defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jégou, C.; Caraballo, R.; Peuget, S.; Roudil, D.; Desgranges, L.; Magnin, M.

2010-10-01

Structural changes in four (U 1-yPu y)O 2 materials with very different plutonium concentrations (0 ⩽ y ⩽ 1) and damage levels (up to 110 dpa) were studied by Raman spectroscopy. The novel experimental approach developed for this purpose consisted in using a laser beam as a heat source to assess the reactivity and structural changes of these materials according to the power supplied locally by the laser. The experiments were carried out in air and in water with or without hydrogen peroxide. As expected, the material response to oxidation in air depends on the plutonium content of the test oxide. At the highest power levels U 3O 8 generally forms with UO 2 whereas no significant change in the spectra indicating oxidation is observed for samples with high plutonium content ( 239PuO 2). Samples containing 25 wt.% plutonium exhibit intermediate behavior, typified mainly by a higher-intensity 632 cm -1 peak and the disappearance of the 1LO peak at 575 cm -1. This can be attributed to the presence of anion sublattice defects without any formation of higher oxides. The range of materials examined also allowed us to distinguish partly the chemical effects of alpha self-irradiation. The results obtained with water and hydrogen peroxide (a water radiolysis product) on a severely damaged 238PuO 2 specimen highlight a specific behavior, observed for the first time.

Risk stratification of childhood cancer survivors necessary for evidence-based clinical long-term follow-up

PubMed Central

Frobisher, Clare; Glaser, Adam; Levitt, Gill A; Cutter, David J; Winter, David L; Lancashire, Emma R; Oeffinger, Kevin C; Guha, Joyeeta; Kelly, Julie; Reulen, Raoul C; Hawkins, Michael M

2017-01-01

Background: Reorganisation of clinical follow-up care in England was proposed by the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI), based on cancer type and treatment, ranging from Level 1 (supported self-management) to Level 3 (consultant-led care). The objective of this study was to provide an investigation of the risks of serious adverse health-outcomes associated with NCSI Levels of clinical care using a large population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors. Methods: The British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (BCCSS) was used to investigate risks of specific causes of death, subsequent primary neoplasms (SPNs) and non-fatal non-neoplastic outcomes by NCSI Level. Results: Cumulative (excess) risks of specified adverse outcomes by 45 years from diagnosis among non-leukaemic survivors assigned to NCSI Levels 1, 2 and 3 were for: SPNs—5% (two-fold expected), 14% (four-fold expected) and 21% (eight-fold expected); non-neoplastic death—2% (two-fold expected), 4% (three-fold expected) and 8% (seven-fold expected); non-fatal non-neoplastic condition—14%, 27% and 40%, respectively. Consequently overall cumulative risks of any adverse health outcome were 21%, 45% and 69%, respectively. Conclusions: Despite its simplicity the risk stratification tool provides clear and strong discrimination between survivors assigned to different NCSI Levels in terms of long-term cumulative and excess risks of serious adverse outcomes. PMID:29065109

Fact Sheet: Roles and Responsibilities of One EPA Web Editors-in-Chief (EICs)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Skills and abilities expected of EICs include project management, communication, leadership, and problem solving. The EIC is responsible to serve as the lead for their web topic, and coordinate content development and maintenance.

Physical Development: What's Normal? What's Not?

MedlinePlus

... Normal? What’s Not? Page Content Article Body ​Two boys or girls exactly the same age can start or end ... in Girls: What to Expect . Growth in both boys and girls slows considerably soon after puberty is complete. Having ...

Role of oxate, phytate, tannins and cooking on iron bioavailability from foods commonly consumed in Mexico.

PubMed

Sotelo, Angela; González-Osnaya, Liliana; Sánchez-Chinchillas, Argelia; Trejo, Alberto

2010-02-01

The objectives of this research were to assess the bioavailability of iron in foodstuffs found in the Mexican diet, to provide data on the content of iron absorption inhibitors present in plant origin products and to assess the inhibitory effect of these compounds and of cooking on iron bioavailability; therefore, total content and bioavailable iron, tannins, phytic and oxalic acid were determined in vegetables, cereals, legumes and animal products, before and after cooking. Vegetables, although rich in iron, have poor iron bioavailability and a high content of inhibitory factors; cooking reduced the content of iron and inhibitory factors, whereas in animal products the treatment of cooking did not significantly reduce it. Iron bioavailability, phytate content and the phytate to iron molar ratio predicted poor iron bioavailability and, therefore, a negative impact on the nutritional status of people who rely on them as staple foods could be expected.

Bi-phasic regulation of glycogen content in astrocytes via Cav-1/PTEN/PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway by fluoxetine.

PubMed

Bai, Qiufang; Song, Dan; Gu, Li; Verkhratsky, Alexei; Peng, Liang

2017-04-01

Here, we present the data indicating that chronic treatment with fluoxetine regulates Cav-1/PTEN/PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β signalling pathway and glycogen content in primary cultures of astrocytes with bi-phasic concentration dependence. At lower concentrations, fluoxetine downregulates gene expression of Cav-1, decreases membrane content of PTEN, increases activity of PI3K/AKT, and elevates GSK-3β phosphorylation thus suppressing its activity. At higher concentrations, fluoxetine acts in an inverse fashion. As expected, fluoxetine at lower concentrations increased while at higher concentrations decreased glycogen content in astrocytes. Our findings indicate that bi-phasic regulation of glycogen content via Cav-1/PTEN/PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β pathway by fluoxetine may be responsible for both therapeutic and side effects of the drug.

Alcohol expectancies longitudinally predict drinking and the alcohol myopia effects of relief, self-inflation, and excess.

PubMed

Lac, Andrew; Brack, Nathaniel

2018-02-01

Alcohol myopia theory posits that alcohol consumption attenuates information processing capacity, and that expectancy beliefs together with intake level are responsible for experiences in myopic effects (relief, self-inflation, and excess). Adults (N=413) averaging 36.39 (SD=13.02) years of age completed the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol questionnaire at baseline, followed by alcohol use measures (frequency and quantity) and the Alcohol Myopia Scale one month later. Three structural equation models based on differing construct manifestations of alcohol expectancies served to longitudinally forecast alcohol use and myopia. In Model 1, overall expectancy predicted greater alcohol use and higher levels of all three myopic effects. In Model 2, specifying separate positive and negative expectancy factors, positive but not negative expectancy predicted greater use. Furthermore, positive expectancy and use explained higher myopic relief and higher self-inflation, whereas positive expectancy, negative expectancy, and use explained higher myopic excess. In Model 3, the seven specific expectancy subscales (sociability, tension reduction, liquid courage, sexuality, cognitive and behavioral impairment, risk and aggression, and self-perception) were simultaneously specified as predictors. Tension reduction expectancy, sexuality expectancy, and use contributed to higher myopic relief; sexuality expectancy and use explained higher myopic self-inflation; and risk and aggression expectancy and use accounted for higher myopic excess. Across all three predictive models, the total variance explained ranged from 12 to 19% for alcohol use, 50 to 51% for relief, 29 to 34% for self-inflation, and 32 to 35% for excess. Findings support that the type of alcohol myopia experienced is a concurrent function of self-fulfilling alcohol prophecies and drinking levels. The interpreted measurement manifestation of expectancy yielded different prevention implications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Looking into Pandora's Box: The Content of Sci-Hub and its Usage.

PubMed

Greshake, Bastian

2017-01-01

Despite the growth of Open Access, potentially illegally circumventing paywalls to access scholarly publications is becoming a more mainstream phenomenon. The web service Sci-Hub is amongst the biggest facilitators of this, offering free access to around 62 million publications. So far it is not well studied how and why its users are accessing publications through Sci-Hub. By utilizing the recently released corpus of Sci-Hub and comparing it to the data of  ~28 million downloads done through the service, this study tries to address some of these questions. The comparative analysis shows that both the usage and complete corpus is largely made up of recently published articles, with users disproportionately favoring newer articles and 35% of downloaded articles being published after 2013. These results hint that embargo periods before publications become Open Access are frequently circumnavigated using Guerilla Open Access approaches like Sci-Hub. On a journal level, the downloads show a bias towards some scholarly disciplines, especially Chemistry, suggesting increased barriers to access for these. Comparing the use and corpus on a publisher level, it becomes clear that only 11% of publishers are highly requested in comparison to the baseline frequency, while 45% of all publishers are significantly less accessed than expected. Despite this, the oligopoly of publishers is even more remarkable on the level of content consumption, with 80% of all downloads being published through only 9 publishers. All of this suggests that Sci-Hub is used by different populations and for a number of different reasons, and that there is still a lack of access to the published scientific record. A further analysis of these openly available data resources will undoubtedly be valuable for the investigation of academic publishing.

Consumption of high ω-3 fatty acid diet suppressed prostate tumorigenesis in C3(1) Tag mice.

PubMed

Akinsete, Juliana A; Ion, Gabriela; Witte, Theodore R; Hardman, W Elaine

2012-01-01

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality are high in the Western world and high ω-6/ω-3 PUFA in the Western diet may be a contributing factor. We investigated whether changing from a diet that approximates ω-6 fat content of the Western diet to a high ω-3 fat diet at adulthood might reduce prostate cancer risk. Female SV 129 mice that had consumed a high ω-6 diet containing corn oil for 2 weeks were bred with homozygous C3(1)Tag transgenic male mice. All male offspring were weaned to the corn oil diet (CO) until postpuberty when half of the male offspring were transferred to a high ω-3 diet containing canola oil and fish oil concentrate (FS). High ω-3 diet increased ω-3 and decreased ω-6 fat content of mice tissues. Average weights of prostate and genitourinary bloc were significantly lower in mice consuming high ω-3 diet at adulthood (CO-FS) than mice fed a lifetime high ω-6 diet (CO-CO). There was slower progression of tumorigenesis in dorsalateral prostate of CO-FS than in CO-CO mice. CO-FS mice had slightly lower plasma testosterone level at 24 and 40 weeks, significantly lower estradiol level at 40 weeks and significantly less expressed androgen receptor (AR) in the dorsalateral prostate at 40 weeks than CO-CO mice. Consumption of high ω-3 diet lowered the expression of genes expected to increase proliferation and decrease apoptosis in dorsalateral prostate. Our results suggest that consumption of high ω-3 diet slows down prostate tumorigenesis by lowering estradiol, testosterone and AR levels, promoting apoptosis and suppressing cell proliferation in C3(1)Tag mice.

Consumption of high ω-3 fatty acid diet suppressed prostate tumorigenesis in C3(1) Tag mice

PubMed Central

Ion, Gabriela; Witte, Theodore R.; Hardman, W.Elaine

2012-01-01

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality are high in the Western world and high ω-6/ω-3 PUFA in the Western diet may be a contributing factor. We investigated whether changing from a diet that approximates ω-6 fat content of the Western diet to a high ω-3 fat diet at adulthood might reduce prostate cancer risk. Female SV 129 mice that had consumed a high ω-6 diet containing corn oil for 2 weeks were bred with homozygous C3(1)Tag transgenic male mice. All male offspring were weaned to the corn oil diet (CO) until postpuberty when half of the male offspring were transferred to a high ω-3 diet containing canola oil and fish oil concentrate (FS). High ω-3 diet increased ω-3 and decreased ω-6 fat content of mice tissues. Average weights of prostate and genitourinary bloc were significantly lower in mice consuming high ω-3 diet at adulthood (CO-FS) than mice fed a lifetime high ω-6 diet (CO–CO). There was slower progression of tumorigenesis in dorsalateral prostate of CO-FS than in CO–CO mice. CO-FS mice had slightly lower plasma testosterone level at 24 and 40 weeks, significantly lower estradiol level at 40 weeks and significantly less expressed androgen receptor (AR) in the dorsalateral prostate at 40 weeks than CO–CO mice. Consumption of high ω-3 diet lowered the expression of genes expected to increase proliferation and decrease apoptosis in dorsalateral prostate. Our results suggest that consumption of high ω-3 diet slows down prostate tumorigenesis by lowering estradiol, testosterone and AR levels, promoting apoptosis and suppressing cell proliferation in C3(1)Tag mice. PMID:22045025

Mesenteric Lymphatic-Perilymphatic Adipose Crosstalk: Role in Alcohol-Induced Perilymphatic Adipose Tissue Inflammation.

PubMed

Souza-Smith, Flavia M; Siggins, Robert W; Molina, Patricia E

2015-08-01

The digestive tract lymphatics transport approximately two-thirds of all lymph produced in the body and have a key role in mucosal immunity through their contribution to antigen transport and immune cell trafficking. Mesenteric lymphatic pumping function integrity is critical for maintaining homeostasis and lipid transport. We previously demonstrated that acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) increases mesenteric lymphatic amplitude of contraction and ejection fraction, enhancing the ability of the lymphatic vessels to pump lymph. AAI has been shown to disrupt intestinal barrier integrity, which would be expected to increase the endotoxin content of mesenteric lymph. In this study, we tested the prediction that AAI increases lymphatic permeability directly affecting perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) milieu. Male Sprague Dawley rats received an intragastric infusion of 2.5 g/kg of alcohol. Isovolumic administration of water (vehicle) served as control. PLAT was isolated for the determination of Evans Blue extravasation (permeability), cytokine content, and immunohistochemistry for inflammatory cell infiltration at 30 minutes and 24 hours after alcohol administration. PLAT isolated from AAI animals had greater Evans Blue concentrations and cytokine expression (24 hours post-AAI) and mast cell and neutrophil density than that isolated from controls. AAI resulted in significantly higher plasma lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) levels, lower plasma adiponectin levels (at 30 minutes), and unchanged plasma visfatin levels. The data indicate that AAI induces mesenteric lymphatic hyperpermeability, promotes PLAT inflammatory milieu and disrupts the systemic adipokine profile. These findings suggest an association between alcohol-induced lymphatic hyperpermeability and early manifestations of metabolic dysfunction as a result of alcohol abuse. We propose that crosstalk between lymph and PLAT results in adipose inflammation and adipokine dysregulation during AAI. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

A data skimming service for locally resident analysis data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cranshaw, J.; Gardner, R. W.; Gieraltowski, J.; Malon, D.; Mambelli, M.; May, E.

2008-07-01

A Data Skimming Service (DSS) is a site-level service for rapid event filtering and selection from locally resident datasets based on metadata queries to associated 'tag' databases. In US ATLAS, we expect most if not all of the AOD-based datasets to be replicated to each of the five Tier 2 regional facilities in the US Tier 1 'cloud' coordinated by Brookhaven National Laboratory. Entire datasets will consist of on the order of several terabytes of data, and providing easy, quick access to skimmed subsets of these data will be vital to physics working groups. Typically, physicists will be interested in portions of the complete datasets, selected according to event-level attributes (number of jets, missing Et, etc) and content (specific analysis objects for subsequent processing). In this paper we describe methods used to classify data (metadata tag generation) and to store these results in a local database. Next we discuss a general framework which includes methods for accessing this information, defining skims, specifying event output content, accessing locally available storage through a variety of interfaces (SRM, dCache/dccp, gridftp), accessing remote storage elements as specified, and user job submission tools through local or grid schedulers. The advantages of the DSS are the ability to quickly 'browse' datasets and design skims, for example, pre-adjusting cuts to get to a desired skim level with minimal use of compute resources, and to encode these analysis operations in a database for re-analysis and archival purposes. Additionally the framework has provisions to operate autonomously in the event that external, central resources are not available, and to provide, as a reduced package, a minimal skimming service tailored to the needs of small Tier 3 centres or individual users.

Cardiomyocyte Regulation of Systemic Lipid Metabolism by the Apolipoprotein B-Containing Lipoproteins in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Ishikawa, Zachary

2017-01-01

The heart has emerged as an important organ in the regulation of systemic lipid homeostasis; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we show that Drosophila cardiomyocytes regulate systemic lipid metabolism by producing apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins (apoB-lipoproteins), essential lipid carriers that are so far known to be generated only in the fat body. In a Drosophila genetic screen, we discovered that when haplo-insufficient, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (mtp), required for the biosynthesis of apoB-lipoproteins, suppressed the development of diet-induced obesity. Tissue-specific inhibition of Mtp revealed that whereas knockdown of mtp only in the fat body decreases systemic triglyceride (TG) content on normal food diet (NFD) as expected, knockdown of mtp only in the cardiomyocytes also equally decreases systemic TG content on NFD, suggesting that the cardiomyocyte- and fat body-derived apoB-lipoproteins serve similarly important roles in regulating whole-body lipid metabolism. Unexpectedly, on high fat diet (HFD), knockdown of mtp in the cardiomyocytes, but not in fat body, protects against the gain in systemic TG levels. We further showed that inhibition of the Drosophila apoB homologue, apolipophorin or apoLpp, another gene essential for apoB-lipoprotein biosynthesis, affects systemic TG levels similarly to that of Mtp inhibition in the cardiomyocytes on NFD or HFD. Finally, we determined that HFD differentially alters Mtp and apoLpp expression in the cardiomyocytes versus the fat body, culminating in higher Mtp and apoLpp levels in the cardiomyocytes than in fat body and possibly underlying the predominant role of cardiomyocyte-derived apoB-lipoproteins in lipid metabolic regulation. Our findings reveal a novel and significant function of heart-mediated apoB-lipoproteins in controlling lipid homeostasis. PMID:28095410

Tightening up the performance-pay linkage: roles of contingent reward leadership and profit-sharing in the cross-level influence of individual pay-for-performance.

PubMed

Han, Joo Hun; Bartol, Kathryn M; Kim, Seongsu

2015-03-01

Drawing upon line-of-sight (Lawler, 1990, 2000; Murphy, 1999) as a unifying concept, we examine the cross-level influence of organizational use of individual pay-for-performance (PFP), theorizing that its impact on individual employees' performance-reward expectancy is boosted by the moderating effects of immediate group managers' contingent reward leadership and organizational use of profit-sharing. Performance-reward expectancy is then expected to mediate the interactive effects of individual PFP with contingent reward leadership and profit-sharing on employee job performance. Analyses of cross-organizational and cross-level data from 912 employees in 194 workgroups from 45 companies reveal that organizations' individual PFP was positively related to employees' performance-reward expectancy, which was strengthened when it was accompanied by higher levels of contingent reward leadership and profit-sharing. Also, performance-reward expectancy significantly transmitted the effects of individual PFP onto job performance under higher levels of contingent reward leadership and profit-sharing, thus delineating cross-level mediating and moderating processes by which organizations' individual PFP is linked to important individual-level employee outcomes. Several theoretical and practical implications are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Fuel quality combustion analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naegeli, D. W.; Moses, C. A.

1979-01-01

A high pressure research combustor operating over a wide range of burner inlet conditions was used to determine the effects of fuel molecular structure on soot formation. Six test fuels with equal hydrogen content (12.8%) were blended to stress different molecular components and final boiling points. The fuels containing high concentrations (20%) of polycyclic aromatics and partially saturated polycyclic structures such as tetralin, produced more soot than would be expected from a hydrogen content correlation for typical petroleum based fuels. Fuels containing naphthenes such as decalin agreed with the hydrogen content correlation. The contribution of polycyclic aromatics to soot formation was equivalent to a reduction in fuel hydrogen content of about one percent. The fuel sensitivity to soot formation due to the polycyclic aromatic contribution decreased as burner inlet pressure and fuel/air ratio increased.

Change in content of sugars and free amino acids in potato tubers under short-term storage at low temperature and the effect on acrylamide level after frying.

PubMed

Ohara-Takada, Akiko; Matsuura-Endo, Chie; Chuda, Yoshihiro; Ono, Hiroshi; Yada, Hiroshi; Yoshida, Mitsuru; Kobayashi, Akira; Tsuda, Shogo; Takigawa, Shigenobu; Noda, Takahiro; Yamauchi, Hiroaki; Mori, Motoyuki

2005-07-01

Changes in the sugar and amino acid contents of potato tubers during short-term storage and the effect on the acrylamide level in chips after frying were investigated. The acrylamide content in chips began to increase after 3 days of storage at 2 degrees C in response to the increase of glucose and fructose contents in the tubers. There was strong correlation between the reducing sugar content and acrylamide level, R(2)=0.873 for fructose and R(2)=0.836 for glucose. The sucrose content had less correlation with the acrylamide content because of its decrease after 4 weeks of storage at 2 degrees C, while the reducing sugar in potato tubers and the acrylamide in chips continued to increase. The contents of the four amino acids, i.e., asparatic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid and glutamine, showed no significant correlation with the acrylamide level. These results suggest that the content of reducing sugars in potato tubers determined the degree of acrylamide formation in chips. The chip color, as evaluated by L* (lightness), was correlated well with the acrylamide content.

The impact of anticipated and unanticipated smoking opportunities on cigarette smoking and nicotine lozenge responses.

PubMed

Schlagintweit, Hera E; Greer, Holly; Good, Kimberley P; Barrett, Sean P

2015-02-01

Perceptions regarding the availability of smoking opportunities are known to affect cigarette craving; however, whether they impact actual smoking or how smokers respond to acute nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) administration is not known. This study examined the impact of pharmacological and expectancy components of NRT administration on craving and smoking in smokers anticipating or not anticipating an imminent smoking opportunity. In total, 154 smokers (84 male) completed an experimental session in which instructions regarding the nicotine content of a lozenge (4 mg vs. no nicotine) and regarding the availability of a future smoking opportunity were manipulated. Cigarette craving was assessed before and after manipulations and lozenge administration. All participants were then allotted 1h to self-administer as many cigarette puffs as they wished. Unanticipated smoking opportunities reduced latency to self-administration (p<0.001), regardless of nicotine expectancy or pharmacology. When analyses included all participants, nicotine reduced intentions to smoke (p=0.016) and withdrawal-related craving (p=0.043) regardless of expectancy. Conversely, analyses using only "believers" of the nicotine content instructions revealed that nicotine expectancy reduced intentions to smoke (p=0.034) and withdrawal-related craving (p=0.047) regardless of actual nicotine administration. "Believers" also reported increased withdrawal-related craving when a smoking opportunity was perceived to be imminent (p=0.041). These effects were not significant when analyses included all participants. Findings suggest that unexpected smoking opportunities may be more appealing than expected ones regardless of perceived or actual acute NRT use. They also highlight the importance of reporting balanced placebo findings using all participants as well as "believers" only. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isoform-specific changes in the Na,K-ATPase of rat soleus muscle during acute hindlinb suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivoi, Igor; Heiny, Judith; Bouzinova, Elena; Matchkov, Vladimir; Kravtsova, Violetta; Petrov, Aleksey; Zefirov, Andrey; Vasiliev, Alexander

The largest pool of Na,K-ATPase (NKA) in a vertebrate's body is contained in the skeletal muscles where the alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms of NKA alpha subunit are expressed. The NKA is critically important for excitability, electrogenesis and contractility of skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle use strongly regulates the content of NKA, and increased muscle activity differently regulates the alpha1 and alpha2 isoforms. However, whether skeletal muscle disuse affects NKA content and activity has not been investigated. This study examines for the first time the consequences of acute hindlinb suspension (HS) on the alpha1 and alpha2 NKA isozymes in rat soleus muscle. We subjected rats to HS for 6-12 hours and analyzed its effect on the resting membrane potential (RMP) in different sarcolemma regions of m.soleus fibers; the electrogenic transport activity, protein content and mRNA expression of the alpha1 and alpha2 NKA; the extracellular level of acetylcholine, and the plasma membrane localization of the alpha2 isozyme using confocal microscopy with cytochemistry. Our results show that 6 h HS specifically decreases the electrogenic activity of the NKA alpha2 isozyme and depolarizes m.soleus fibers. These effects are irreversible in the extrajunctional membrane region up to 12 h HS. The decreased alpha2 NKA activity is due to a decrease in enzyme activity rather than by altered protein content, mRNA expression, or localization in the sarcolemma. In addition, HS does not alter the alpha2 NKA electrogenic transport due to decreased extracellular acetylcholine level. However, adaptive mechanism(s) operate at the junctional membrane to restore alpha2 NKA electrogenic activities and the RMP after 12 h of HS. This mechanism operates specifically at the synaptic membrane region, presumably via increase in both alpha2 isozyme mRNA expression and protein content. This basic information on a protein as vital as the NKA is expected to advance our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for microgravity-induced muscle atrophy. Supported by RFBR #13-04-00973; St. Petersburg State University research grants #1.50.1621.2013 and #1.38.231.2014; grant #MK-108.2014.4., the Novo Nordisk Foundation and N.I.H grant #1 R01 AR063710.

Building intentions with the theory of planned behaviour: a qualitative assessment of salient beliefs about pharmacy value added services in Malaysia.

PubMed

Tan, Christine Liang Hoay; Hassali, Mohamed Azmi; Saleem, Fahad; Shafie, Asrul Akmal; Aljadhay, Hisham; Gan, Vincent B Y

2016-12-01

To improve pharmaceutical care delivery in Malaysia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) had introduced the concept of value added services (VAS). Despite its reported convenience and advantages, VAS utilization rate is low in the country. The study aims to explore patients' understanding, beliefs and expectations towards VAS in Malaysia using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as the theoretical model. A qualitative methodology was used whereby face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 patients who collected partial medicine supplies from government pharmacies. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling method in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Interviews were audio-recorded. Verbatim transcription and thematic content analysis were performed on the data. Thematic content analysis yielded five major themes: (i) attitudes towards using VAS, (ii) subjective norms, (iii) perceived behavioural control, (iv) lack of knowledge and understanding of VAS and (v) expectations towards VAS. The interviews explored and informed new information about salient beliefs towards pharmacy VAS. The findings suggest that VAS is still in its infancy and a more robust and effective advertising and marketing campaign is needed to boost the adoption rate. Behavioural attitudes, subjective norms and perceived control elements were discussed and serve as important variables of interest in future study. Expectations towards VAS serve as an important guideline to further improve patient-oriented services. © 2015 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Educational status and life expectancy in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases].

PubMed

Villarreal-Hernández, Liliana del Sagrario; Romo-Martínez, Jesús Eduardo

2014-01-01

Suffering a non communicable chronic disease in combination with low educational level and low economic income develops a synergy, which contributes to a poor prognostic about the expectancy of life. A better educational level may improve the life expectancy. The objective of this research was to explore this relation. A retrospective cohort study from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2011, was performed. We included 2306 patients obtained from the information system in mortality of Family Medicine Unit 3 of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Guadalajara, Jalisco. The main measures were average age-at-death and educational level. We used Student's t, chi-squared test and relative risk (RR) calculations for statistical analysis. The average age-at-death for those who had a low educational level (n = 1936) was 73.24 ± 12.18 years, while for those who had a satisfactory level of education (n = 370) was 63.47 ± 14.51 years, estimating a mean difference of 9.77 years with p < 0.001. Having a low educational level and not reaching life expectancy compared to the satisfactory level meant a RR = 0.24 (IC 95 % = 0.19, 0.30). The projected linear regression for each educational grade showed that patients lost 2.5 years of life. Diabetes accompanied by a low educational level showed a double probability of not reaching the expectation of life.

Estimate feedstock processability

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

Amorelli, A.; Amos, Y.D.; Halsig, C.P.

1992-06-01

Currently, one of the major environmental pressures is to further reduce sulfur levels in middle distillate products. This paper reports that the key to this is understanding reactivities of individual sulfur components in the feedstocks to be treated. The major sulfur species in middle distillates is aromatic compounds, predominantly benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes. However, in straight run materials, significant quantities of aliphatic sulfur compounds and further higher boiling benzothiophenes are also expected. Simultaneous simulated distillation with a gas chromatograph microwave-induced plasma atomic emission detector (SIMDIS/AED) is used for middle distillate characterization of sulfur distribution as a function of boiling point. Itmore » is able to discriminate between middle distillate feed types such as cracked and straight run gas oils, and has shown that similar feeds, with different total sulfur contents (unevenly distributed throughout a feedstock), have the same normalized sulfur distribution.« less

The influence of dew point during annealing on the power loss of electrical steel sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broddefalk, Arvid; Jenkins, Keith; Silk, Nick; Lindenmo, Magnus

Decarburization is a necessary part of the processing of electrical steels if their carbon content is above a certain level. The process is usually carried out in a wet hydrogen-nitrogen atmosphere. Having a high dew point has a negative influence on the power loss, though. This is due to oxidation of the steel, which hinders domain wall motion near the surface. In this study, an increase of the power loss was only observed at a fairly high dew point (>20 °C). It was also only at these high dew points where a subsurface oxide layer was observed. The surfaces of samples with and without this layer were etched in steps. The magnetic properties of the etched samples corresponded well with the expected behavior based on GDOES profiles of the samples.

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers of sea cucumber Stichopus horrens.

PubMed

Li, Z B; Dai, G; Shangguan, J B; Ning, Y F; Li, Y Y; Chen, R B; Yuan, Y; Huang, Y S

2015-07-28

Curry fish (Stichopus horrens) is a tropical holothurian species and is widely distributed in the India-West Pacific. In the present study, 9 polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for S. horrens. These loci were tested in 30 individuals from Hainan Island in China. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 5. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.348-0.584. The levels of observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.1500-0.8000 and from 0.2014-0.5000, respectively. Most loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, except HCS1-27 and HCS2-7, after sequential Bonferroni's correction, and no significant linkage disequilibrium was detected for any pairwise combination of loci. These polymorphic microsatellite loci will be useful for studying population structure and conservation strategy design for S. horrens.

Linking sub-individual and population level toxicity effects in Daphnia schoedleri (Cladocera: Anomopoda) exposed to sublethal concentrations of the pesticide α-cypermethrin.

PubMed

Martínez-Jerónimo, Fernando; Arzate-Cárdenas, Mario; Ortiz-Butrón, Rocío

2013-08-01

Synthetic pyrethroids are classified as moderately toxic to mammals and birds; nevertheless, they are highly toxic to non-target aquatic organisms such as fish and zooplankters. Chemical pollutants produce different effects in exposed organisms, ranging from biochemical to population responses. Cladocerans can modify the energy content of their offspring according to the surrounding medium as a way to improve their odds in case they have to cope with stressful conditions at birth. In this study, the effect of a synthetic pesticide on two levels of response in a Daphnia species different from those traditionally used as test organisms was evaluated. With this aim, Daphnia schoedleri neonates (<24 h) were exposed for 21 days to three sublethal concentrations of α-cypermethrin, 0.54, 5.4, and 54 ng L(-1), which correspond to 48-h EC1/100, EC1/10, and EC1, respectively. Effects were measured through a life table analysis for fecundity and survivorship. For effects on progeny, protein, carbohydrates, and lipids were determined and then transformed to caloric content. Biomarkers (BM) were expected to be the most sensitive evaluated response; nevertheless, population parameters such as survivorship and net reproductive rate (R0) were more sensitive since they presented significant differences with respect to controls at the lowest tested concentration. Neonates' caloric content varied during the reproductive period assessed and was negatively correlated to fecundity: as more neonates were born, less energy was provided by the adult females. Macromolecules concentration and caloric content values in cypermethrin-exposed adults were not different from those recorded in the control at the end of exposure time. The results herein presented suggest that stressed daphnids allocate more energy reserves to their offspring, although this strategy can vary depending on the number of reproductive events during the lifecycle, and on the toxicant's concentration. Sub-individual approaches to assess toxicant effects should be accompanied by demographic studies, which support population effect predictions inferred from BMs assessment.

Patients'/Clients' Expectation Toward and Satisfaction from Pharmacy Services

PubMed Central

Ayalew, Mohammed Biset; Taye, Kaleab; Asfaw, Daniel; Lemma, Bethlehem; Dadi, Filagot; Solomon, Habtamu; Tazeze, Haile; Tsega, Bayew

2017-01-01

Objective: Satisfaction is becoming a popular health-care quality indicator as it reflects the reality of service or care provided. The aim of this study was to assess the level of patients' expectation toward and satisfaction from pharmacy service provided and to identify associated factor that might affect their expectation and satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 287 patients, who were served in five pharmacies of Gondar University Hospital in May 2015. Data regarding socio-demographic characteristics and parameters that measure patients' expectation and satisfaction were collected through interview using the Amharic version of the questionnaire. Data were entered into SPSS version 21, and descriptive statistics, cross-tabs, and binary logistic regressions were utilized. P < 0.05 was used to declare association. Findings: Among 287 respondents involved in the study, 149 (51.9%) claimed to be satisfied with the pharmacy service and setting. Two hundred and twenty-nine (79.4%) respondents have high expectation toward gaining good services. Even though significant association was observed between the pharmacy type and patients level of satisfaction, sociodemographic characteristics of a patient were not found to predict the level of satisfaction. There is a higher level of expectation among study participants who earn higher income per month (>(2000 Ethiopian birr [ETB]) than those who get less income (<1000 ETB). Conclusion: Although patients have a higher level of expectation toward pharmacy services, their satisfaction from the service was found to be low. PMID:28331862

Phylogenetic diversity, functional trait diversity and extinction: avoiding tipping points and worst-case losses.

PubMed

Faith, Daniel P

2015-02-19

The phylogenetic diversity measure, ('PD'), measures the relative feature diversity of different subsets of taxa from a phylogeny. At the level of feature diversity, PD supports the broad goal of biodiversity conservation to maintain living variation and option values. PD calculations at the level of lineages and features include those integrating probabilities of extinction, providing estimates of expected PD. This approach has known advantages over the evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) methods. Expected PD methods also have limitations. An alternative notion of expected diversity, expected functional trait diversity, relies on an alternative non-phylogenetic model and allows inferences of diversity at the level of functional traits. Expected PD also faces challenges in helping to address phylogenetic tipping points and worst-case PD losses. Expected PD may not choose conservation options that best avoid worst-case losses of long branches from the tree of life. We can expand the range of useful calculations based on expected PD, including methods for identifying phylogenetic key biodiversity areas. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Interlaboratory study of DNA extraction from multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR for individual kernel detection system of genetically modified maize.

PubMed

Akiyama, Hiroshi; Sakata, Kozue; Makiyma, Daiki; Nakamura, Kosuke; Teshima, Reiko; Nakashima, Akie; Ogawa, Asako; Yamagishi, Toru; Futo, Satoshi; Oguchi, Taichi; Mano, Junichi; Kitta, Kazumi

2011-01-01

In many countries, the labeling of grains, feed, and foodstuff is mandatory if the genetically modified (GM) organism content exceeds a certain level of approved GM varieties. We previously developed an individual kernel detection system consisting of grinding individual kernels, DNA extraction from the individually ground kernels, GM detection using multiplex real-time PCR, and GM event detection using multiplex qualitative PCR to analyze the precise commingling level and varieties of GM maize in real sample grains. We performed the interlaboratory study of the DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR detection, and multiplex qualitative PCR detection to evaluate its applicability, practicality, and ruggedness for the individual kernel detection system of GM maize. DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR were evaluated by five laboratories in Japan, and all results from these laboratories were consistent with the expected results in terms of the commingling level and event analysis. Thus, the DNA extraction with multiple ground samples, multiplex real-time PCR, and multiplex qualitative PCR for the individual kernel detection system is applicable and practicable in a laboratory to regulate the commingling level of GM maize grain for GM samples, including stacked GM maize.

Induction of AGAMOUS gene expression plays a key role in ripening of tomato sepals in vitro.

PubMed

Ishida, B K; Jenkins, S M; Say, B

1998-03-01

In vitro culture of VFNT Cherry tomato sepals (calyx) at 16-21 degrees C results in developmental changes that are similar to those that occur in fruit tissue [10]. Sepals become swollen, red, and succulent, produce ethylene, and have increased levels of polygalacturonase RNA. They also produce many flavor volatiles characteristic of ripe tomato fruit and undergo similar changes in sugar content [11]. We examined the expression of the tomato AGAMOUS gene, TAG1, in ripening, in vitro sepal cultures and other tissues from the plant and found that TAG1 RNA accumulates to higher levels than expected from data from other plants. Contrary to reports on the absence of AGAMOUS in sepals, TAG1 RNA levels in green sepals from greenhouse-grown plants is detectable, its concentration increasing with in vitro ripening to levels that were even higher than in red, ripe fruit. Sepals of fruit on transgenic tomato plants that expressed TAG1 ectopically were induced by low temperature to ripen in vivo, producing lycopene and undergoing cell wall softening as is characteristic of pericarpic tissue. We therefore propose that the induction of elevated TAG1 gene expression plays a key role in developmental changes that result in sepal ripening.

Macroergonomic factors in the patient work system: examining the context of patients with chronic illness.

PubMed

Holden, Richard J; Valdez, Rupa S; Schubert, Christiane C; Thompson, Morgan J; Hundt, Ann S

2017-01-01

Human factors/ergonomics recognises work as embedded in and shaped by levels of social, physical and organisational context. This study investigates the contextual or macroergonomic factors present in the health-related work performed by patients. We performed a secondary content analysis of findings from three studies of the work of chronically ill patients and their informal caregivers. Our resulting consolidated macroergonomic patient work system model identified 17 factors across physical, social and organisational domains and household and community levels. These factors are illustrated with examples from the three studies and discussed as having positive, negative or varying effects on health and health behaviour. We present three brief case studies to illustrate how macroergonomic factors combine across domains and levels to shape performance in expected and unexpected ways. Findings demonstrate not only the importance of context for patients' health-related activities but also specific factors to consider in future research, design and policy efforts. Practitioner Summary: Health-related activities of patients are embedded in and shaped by levels of social, physical and organisational context. This paper combined findings from three studies to specify 17 contextual or macroergonomic factors in home- and community-based work systems of chronically ill patients. These factors have research, design and policy implications.

Use of SERVQUAL to assess clinicians' satisfaction with the blood transfusion service.

PubMed

Raspollini, E; Pappalettera, M; Riccardi, D; Parravicini, A; Sestili, S; Rebulla, P; Sirchia, G

1997-01-01

Limited information is available on the level of satisfaction of clinicians with services delivered by blood banks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the satisfaction of clinicians with our blood transfusion service. We prepared a questionnaire based on SERVQUAL, a method used to measure customers' appreciation of quality of service, by assessing the gap between perceived and expected quality. The questionnaire consisted of 14 items grouped according to five dimensions of quality of service: assurance, empathy, responsiveness, reliability, tangibles. Clinicians were asked to give two scores on a scale from 1 to 7 for each item, score (e) representing what they expected from an 'excellent' service, score (r) how they graded the service received. We considered wide differences in scores of service expectation and receipt for a question to be indicative of either service above expected levels (r > e) or service below expectation (r < e); similar scores for both expected and received service (within 1 point on the grading scale) were taken to indicate that the service received was that which was expected. A total of 184 questionnaires (49%) were returned. For the 14 items considered, the proportion of clinicians expressing levels of satisfaction similar to or above expectation ranged from 67 to 96%. Three critical areas, which clinicians considered important (expectation scores 6-7) were associated with satisfaction below expectation in more than 20% of responders. They were: clarity of procedures, clarity of blood request forms, and convenience of blood request and issuing times, which were rated as important by 77, 80 and 72% of clinicians, respectively. SERVQUAL was useful to gather information on the level of clinicians' satisfaction with our transfusion service.

Student Teachers' Approaches to Teaching Biological Evolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgerding, Lisa A.; Klein, Vanessa A.; Ghosh, Rajlakshmi; Eibel, Albert

2015-01-01

Evolution is fundamental to biology and scientific literacy, but teaching high school evolution is often difficult. Evolution teachers face several challenges including limited content knowledge, personal conflicts with evolution, expectations of resistance, concerns about students' conflicts with religion, and curricular constraints. Evolution…

5 CFR 1631.6 - How to request records-form and content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...., Washington, DC 20005. The words “FOIA Request” should be clearly marked on both the letter and the envelope... failure to obtain the record on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat...

21 CFR 316.20 - Content and format of a request for orphan-drug designation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... neither is available, the chemical name or a meaningful descriptive name of the drug; and the name and... persons per year in the United States, there is no reasonable expectation that costs of research and...

Vocabulary Instruction in the Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Fenice B.; Sullivan, Mary Pat; Popp, Jacquelynn S.; Hughes, Megan

2012-01-01

This column explores how literacy practices similarly enacted across disciplines served as a platform for considering collaborative professional development contexts. With current educational policy, content area teachers are expected to include relevant literacy practices within their disciplinary instruction. Based on research across science and…