Attentional Focus Effects in Balance Acrobats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulf, Gabriele

2008-01-01

Performing and learning motor skills has been shown to be enhanced if the performer adopts an external relative to internal focus (or no focus) of attention (Wulf, 2007). The present study examined the generalizability of this effect to top-level performers (balance acrobats). Participants performed a balance task (standing on an inflated rubber…

Focus on Basics: Connecting Research & Practice. Volume 6, Issue A

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Barbara, Ed.

2002-01-01

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is…

When does self-sacrificial leadership motivate prosocial behavior? It depends on followers' prevention focus.

PubMed

De Cremer, David; Mayer, David M; van Dijke, Marius; Bardes, Mary; Schouten, Barbara C

2009-07-01

In the present set of studies, the authors examine the idea that self-sacrificial leadership motivates follower prosocial behavior, particularly among followers with a prevention focus. Drawing on the self-sacrificial leadership literature and regulatory focus theory, the authors provide results from 4 studies (1 laboratory and 3 field studies) that support the research hypothesis. Specifically, the relationship between self-sacrificial leadership and prosocial behavior (i.e., cooperation, organizational citizenship behavior) is stronger among followers who are high in prevention focus. Implications for the importance of taking a follower-centered approach to leadership are discussed.

Strategies for North American Missionaries' Relational Language-Culture Learning in the Japanese Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manabe-Kim, Rie

2012-01-01

This study focused on presenting the fieldwork findings derived from studying North-American missionaries' relational dynamics with the Japanese people, and the strategies that impacted their language-culture learning. This study also focused on applying the fieldwork findings towards the creation of a coaching model designed to help missionaries…

The Influence of Attentional Focus Instructions and Vision on Jump Height Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdollahipour, Reza; Psotta, Rudolf; Land, William M.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Studies have suggested that the use of visual information may underlie the benefit associated with an external focus of attention. Recent studies exploring this connection have primarily relied on motor tasks that involve manipulation of an object (object projection). The present study examined whether vision influences the effect of…

Characterisation of Teachers' Use of Computers and Internet inside and outside the Classroom: The Need to Focus on the Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinostroza, J. Enrique; Ibieta, Andrea I.; Claro, Magdalena; Labbé, Christian

2016-01-01

Teachers' use of ICT has mainly focused on their use in classroom context and few studies have focused on their use elsewhere. Attempting to fill this gap, this paper presents a case study of 12 secondary teachers characterising their use of ICT in and out-of-the-classroom. Results show that teachers use these tools inside the classroom for…

Changes in the distribution of sustained attention alter the perceived structure of visual space.

PubMed

Fortenbaugh, Francesca C; Robertson, Lynn C; Esterman, Michael

2017-02-01

Visual spatial attention is a critical process that allows for the selection and enhanced processing of relevant objects and locations. While studies have shown attentional modulations of perceived location and the representation of distance information across multiple objects, there remains disagreement regarding what influence spatial attention has on the underlying structure of visual space. The present study utilized a method of magnitude estimation in which participants must judge the location of briefly presented targets within the boundaries of their individual visual fields in the absence of any other objects or boundaries. Spatial uncertainty of target locations was used to assess perceived locations across distributed and focused attention conditions without the use of external stimuli, such as visual cues. Across two experiments we tested locations along the cardinal and 45° oblique axes. We demonstrate that focusing attention within a region of space can expand the perceived size of visual space; even in cases where doing so makes performance less accurate. Moreover, the results of the present studies show that when fixation is actively maintained, focusing attention along a visual axis leads to an asymmetrical stretching of visual space that is predominantly focused across the central half of the visual field, consistent with an expansive gradient along the focus of voluntary attention. These results demonstrate that focusing sustained attention peripherally during active fixation leads to an asymmetrical expansion of visual space within the central visual field. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Focus on Basics: Connecting Research & Practice. Volume 6, Issue B

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Barbara, Ed.

2003-01-01

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is dedicated to…

Focus on Basics: Connecting Research and Practice. Volume 6, Issue D

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL), Harvard University, 2004

2004-01-01

"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is dedicated to…

Accurately modeling Gaussian beam propagation in the context of Monte Carlo techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hokr, Brett H.; Winblad, Aidan; Bixler, Joel N.; Elpers, Gabriel; Zollars, Byron; Scully, Marlan O.; Yakovlev, Vladislav V.; Thomas, Robert J.

2016-03-01

Monte Carlo simulations are widely considered to be the gold standard for studying the propagation of light in turbid media. However, traditional Monte Carlo methods fail to account for diffraction because they treat light as a particle. This results in converging beams focusing to a point instead of a diffraction limited spot, greatly effecting the accuracy of Monte Carlo simulations near the focal plane. Here, we present a technique capable of simulating a focusing beam in accordance to the rules of Gaussian optics, resulting in a diffraction limited focal spot. This technique can be easily implemented into any traditional Monte Carlo simulation allowing existing models to be converted to include accurate focusing geometries with minimal effort. We will present results for a focusing beam in a layered tissue model, demonstrating that for different scenarios the region of highest intensity, thus the greatest heating, can change from the surface to the focus. The ability to simulate accurate focusing geometries will greatly enhance the usefulness of Monte Carlo for countless applications, including studying laser tissue interactions in medical applications and light propagation through turbid media.

The Relationship between Monogamous/Polygamous Family Structure and the Mental Health of Bedouin Arab Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elbedour, S.; Bart, William; Hektner, Joel

2007-01-01

Previous studies of polygamy and child mental health have primarily focused on younger children. The present studies are among the first to focus on adolescents. The first study involved 210 randomly selected Bedouin Arab adolescents (mean age 15.9), who were administered instruments assessing their family environment and mental health. The second…

Control-Structure-Interaction (CSI) technologies and trends to future NASA missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Control-structure-interaction (CSI) issues which are relevant for future NASA missions are reviewed. This goal was achieved by: (1) reviewing large space structures (LSS) technologies to provide a background and survey of the current state of the art (SOA); (2) analytically studying a focus mission to identify opportunities where CSI technology may be applied to enhance or enable future NASA spacecraft; and (3) expanding a portion of the focus mission, the large antenna, to provide in-depth trade studies, scaling laws, and methodologies which may be applied to other NASA missions. Several sections are presented. Section 1 defines CSI issues and presents an overview of the relevant modeling and control issues for LLS. Section 2 presents the results of the three phases of the CSI study. Section 2.1 gives the results of a CSI study conducted with the Geostationary Platform (Geoplat) as the focus mission. Section 2.2 contains an overview of the CSI control design methodology available in the technical community. Included is a survey of the CSI ground-based experiments which were conducted to verify theoretical performance predictions. Section 2.3 presents and demonstrates a new CSI scaling law methodology for assessing potential CSI with large antenna systems.

The Effects of Focus on Forms and Focus on Form in Teaching Complex Grammatical Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawlak, Miroslaw

2012-01-01

The classroom-based study reported in the present paper sought to compare the effectiveness of the focus on forms (FonFs) and focus on form (FonF) approach in teaching English third conditional to Polish high school students. It involved three intact classes, randomly designated as FonF (n = 34), FonFs (n = 36), and Control (n = 35) with a pretest…

Motivational predictors of coping with academic examination.

PubMed

Doron, Julie; Stephan, Yannick; Maiano, Christophe; Le Scanff, Christine

2011-01-01

The present study focused on the motivational predictors of coping with academic examination through the test of the contribution of self-determination for academic studies and achievement goals. Coping strategies, academic motivation and achievement goals were assessed among 199 undergraduate students. Regression analysis revealed that problem-focused coping is positively predicted by identified regulation and negatively by amotivation, whereas emotion-focused coping is positively predicted by introjected regulation and amotivation. Mastery approach goals contributed positively to problem-focused coping. Identified regulation and mastery approach goals made a unique positive contribution to problem-focused coping, and amotivation was negatively related. Students' coping actions may vary according to both the reasons why they engage in academic studies and the goals they pursue in this setting.

The Community College Baccalaureate Movement: Cutting-Edge Dissertation Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hrabak, Michael R.

2009-01-01

In this review of dissertations, the researcher presents summaries of 10 of the most recent and cutting-edge dissertations focusing on the ever-growing and complex field of the community college baccalaureate movement. These studies focus on the gamut of specific legislation, case studies of particular programs and schools, financing of such…

The "me" I claim to be: cultural self-construal elicits self-presentational goal pursuit.

PubMed

Lalwani, Ashok K; Shavitt, Sharon

2009-07-01

In 12 studies, respondents with an independent (vs. interdependent) self-construal showed an increased tendency and readiness to present themselves as skillful and capable and a decreased tendency and readiness to present themselves as socially sensitive and appropriate. This emerged in the form of differential scores on direct measures of self-presentation-self-deceptive enhancement and impression management (Study 1), differential social sensitivity in a gift-giving scenario (Study 2), differential performance on questions assessing general knowledge (Studies 5-6) and etiquette (Studies 7-8), and different choices between tests purportedly measuring one's self-reliance versus social-appropriateness (Studies 9A and 9D). These relationships were observed when participants focused on their own self-presentational concerns but disappeared when participants focused on others' outcomes (Study 3) or when they had a prior opportunity to satisfy their goals via self-affirmation (Studies 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9B, 9D). Finally, self-construal effects were eliminated or reversed when participants were led to doubt their ability to achieve their self-presentational goals (Study 9C). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

The Persistence of Presentism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hargreaves, Andy; Shirley, Dennis

2009-01-01

Background/Context: This study draws on the voluminous research on teachers' workplace orientations and especially on Dan Lortie's documentation of conservatism, individualism, and presentism among teachers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study investigated a school reform network of over 300 secondary schools entitled…

The effects of mortality salience and conceptual focus in CISM providers: implications for mental health response to mass fatality disasters.

PubMed

Morrow, Hope E; Haussmann, Robert

2012-01-01

On the basis of terror management theory (TMT) and cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST), research has demonstrated that when individuals are experientially (rather than rationally)focused, mortality salience (MS) can engender world view defense in the form of increased in-group bias, increased favoritism toward others who uphold cultural values, and greater derogation of those who threaten them. The goal of the present study was to replicate previously observed effects of mortality salience on world view defense in a sample of disaster responders, specifically Criticallncident Stress Management (CISM) providers, and to examine the potential moderating effect of conceptual mode (rational versus experiential) on these effects. Sixty-two participants at the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation's 2011 World Congress were selected for participation in the study. Subsequent manipulation checks revealed that neither,manipulation (mortality salience: MS versus non-MS or conceptual mode: rational versus experiential) was effective. This failure is discussed in terms of the potentially mortality salient nature of conference proceedings that preceded data collection, the depletion of self-control resources required to maintain a rational focus on conference presentations, participants 'need to maintain their focus during future conference presentations, and profession-related practice effects that may have made it easier for some participants to maintain a rational focus.

Laue lens for radiotherapy applications through a focused hard x-ray beam: a feasibility study on requirements and tolerances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camattari, Riccardo

2017-09-01

Focusing a hard x-ray beam would represent an innovative technique for tumour treatment, since such a beam may deliver a dose to a tumour located at a given depth under the skin, sparing the surrounding healthy cells. A detailed study of a focusing system for hard x-ray aimed at radiotherapy is presented here. Such a focusing system, named Laue lens, exploits x-ray diffraction and consists of a series of crystals disposed as concentric rings capable of concentrating a flux of x-rays towards a focusing point. A feasibility study regarding the positioning tolerances of the crystalline optical elements has been carried out. It is shown that a Laue lens can effectively be used in the context of radiotherapy for tumour treatments provided that the mounting errors are below certain values, which are reachable in the modern micromechanics. An extended survey based on an analytical approach and on simulations is presented for precisely estimating all the contributions of each mounting error, analysing their effect on the focal spot of the Laue lens. Finally, a simulation for evaluating the released dose in a water phantom is shown.

Culture and social support provision: who gives what and why.

PubMed

Chen, Jacqueline M; Kim, Heejung S; Mojaverian, Taraneh; Morling, Beth

2012-01-01

The present research examined cultural differences in the type and frequency of support provided as well as the motivations underlying these behaviors. Study 1, an open-ended survey, asked participants about their social interactions in the past 24 hours and found that European Americans reported providing emotion-focused support more frequently than problem-focused support, whereas Japanese exhibited the opposite pattern. Study 2, a closed-ended questionnaire study, found that, in response to the close other's big stressor, European Americans provided more emotion-focused support whereas Japanese provided equivalent amounts of emotion-focused and problem-focused support. In addition, Study 2 examined motivational explanations for these differences. Social support provision was motivated by the goal of closeness and increasing recipient self-esteem among European Americans, but only associated with the motive for closeness among Japanese. These studies illustrate the importance of considering cultural context and its role in determining the meaning and function of various support behaviors.

Moderating Effects of Prevention-Focus on the Paths from Two Insecure Attachment Dimensions to Depression.

PubMed

Lee, Dong-Gwi; Park, Jae Joon; Bae, Byeong Hoon; Lim, Hyun-Woo

2018-04-03

The present study investigated the moderating effects of prevention-focus on the paths from the dimensions of insecure attachment (attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety) to depression. Two hundred twenty eight Korean college students completed the Experience in Close Relationship - Revised Scale; the Regulatory Focus Strategies Scale; and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results revealed a significant moderating effect for prevention-focus on the path from attachment avoidance to depression, but not on the path from attachment anxiety to depression. They further suggest that different interventions are needed for different combinations of persons' insecure attachment dimensions and levels of prevention-focus. Counseling implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Error Analysis of Present Simple Tense in the Interlanguage of Adult Arab English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muftah, Muneera; Rafik-Galea, Shameem

2013-01-01

The present study analyses errors on present simple tense among adult Arab English language learners. It focuses on the error on 3sg "-s" (the third person singular present tense agreement morpheme "-s"). The learners are undergraduate adult Arabic speakers learning English as a foreign language. The study gathered data from…

Presentation Anxiety Analysis: Comparing Face-to-Face Presentations and Webinars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Scott

2015-01-01

This study is an exploration in the changing landscape of how people deliver presentations in an attempt to determine the advantages and disadvantages of both forms. The study focused on key differences of student expectations and experiences delivering a presentation to an audience in the same location (face-to-face) compared to a presentation…

The 1991/92 graduate student researchers program, including the underrepresented minority focus component

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP) was expanded in 1987 to include the Underrepresented Minority Focus Component (UMFC). This program was designed to increase minority participation in graduate study and research, and ultimately, in space science and aerospace technology careers. This booklet presents the areas of research activities at NASA facilities for the GSRP and summarizes and presents the objectives of the UMFC.

Male Cross-Dressers in Therapy: A Solution-Focused Perspective for Marriage and Family Therapists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dzelme, Kristina; Jones, Rene A.

2001-01-01

Offers techniques on how to work with male cross-dressers using solution focused therapy. Solution focused therapy is discussed as a way to work with male cross dressers and their partners. A case study of a male cross dresser and his wife is presented and possible directions are suggested for marriage and family therapists. (BF)

Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bieber, Edward

The product of a Special Studies Institute, this teacher developed resource guide for the emotionally handicapped (K-6) presents social study concepts and activities relative to education in the urban out-of-doors. Focus is on the study of man (past, present, and future) interacting with his environment. Listed below are activity examples: (1)…

Using focus groups to develop a culturally sensitive videotape intervention for HIV-positive women.

PubMed

Murdaugh, C; Russell, R B; Sowell, R

2000-12-01

Research-based interventions for women with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are usually developed without input from the women who receive the intervention. An exploratory study was performed using focus group methodology to develop a culturally sensitive videotape intervention for educating HIV-positive women about pregnancy and antiretroviral use. Women who met the study criteria were HIV-positive and of childbearing age. These women volunteered to participate in the focus groups to provide information on decisions concerning pregnancy and antiretroviral use during pregnancy to decrease perinatal transmission. A total of five focus groups were conducted in 1998. Responses to three questions that were relevant to the video are presented in this article. Information gained from the focus groups was used successfully to develop a videotape currently being used in a multisite intervention study. Focus group methodology is a useful strategy to develop culturally and content relevant educational interventions for research and practice.

Tool Mediation in Focus on Form Activities: Case Studies in a Grammar-Exploring Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karlstrom, Petter; Cerratto-Pargman, Teresa; Lindstrom, Henrik; Knutsson, Ola

2007-01-01

We present two case studies of two different pedagogical tasks in a Computer Assisted Language Learning environment called Grim. The main design principle in Grim is to support "Focus on Form" in second language pedagogy. Grim contains several language technology-based features for exploring linguistic forms (static, rule-based and statistical),…

The Relationship of Discipline Background to Upper Secondary Students' Argumentation on Socioscientific Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christenson, Nina; Rundgren, Shu-Nu Chang; Zeidler, Dana L.

2014-01-01

In the present STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-driven society, socioscientific issues (SSI) have become a focus globally and SSI research has grown into an important area of study in science education. Since students attending the social and science programs have a different focus in their studies and research has shown…

Internet Parenting Styles and the Impact on Internet Use of Primary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valcke, M.; Bonte, S.; De Wever, B.; Rots, I.

2010-01-01

Next to available data about actual Internet use of young children at home, most research especially focuses on the threats and opportunities about active Internet usage. Limited empirical research focuses on the role and impact of parents in this context. In the present study, Internet parenting styles are defined and operationalized to study the…

Communicating the Nature of Science through "The Big Bang Theory": Evidence from a Focus Group Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Rashel; Orthia, Lindy A.

2016-01-01

In this paper, we discuss a little-studied means of communicating about or teaching the nature of science (NOS)--through fiction television. We report some results of focus group research which suggest that the American sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" (2007-present), whose main characters are mostly working scientists, has influenced…

Pilot Study to Gauge Acceptability of a Mindfulness-Based, Family-Focused Preventive Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duncan, Larissa G.; Coatsworth, J. Douglas; Greenberg, Mark T.

2009-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to conduct a test of acceptability of a new model for family-focused drug prevention programs for families of early adolescents. An existing evidence-based behavioral intervention, the Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP), was adapted to include concepts and activities related to…

Repairing Discordant Student--Teacher Relationships: A Case Study Using Emotion-Focused Therapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lander, Itzhak

2009-01-01

This article describes the use of emotion-focused therapy (EFT) to reduce conflict in the student-teacher relationship. A case study of a homeroom teacher and a sixth-grade student is presented. This innovative family treatment model is demonstrated to be a useful tool for improving the student-teacher relational system, resulting in amelioration…

Model versus Military Pilot: A Mixed-Methods Study of Adolescents' Attitudes toward Women in Varied Occupations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Elizabeth A.; Sherman, Aurora M.

2016-01-01

Using an experimental methodology, the present study investigated adolescents' attitudes toward media images of women in non-appearance-focused (CEO and military pilot) and appearance-focused occupations (model and actor). One hundred adolescent girls and 76 adolescent boys provided ratings of likability, competence, and similarity to self after…

At Issue: An Award-Winning Community College Instructor's Approach to Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Hilarie B.

2015-01-01

The author presents themes that were identified from a case study that focused on the instructional practices of an award-winning community college composition/literature teacher. The themes for this case study focus on the importance of student-centered learning which involve: (1) writing peer response strategies; (2) student engagement in using…

College Renewal through the Self-Study Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marrow, Alvin J.; Reed, Ron

In May 1989, as part of a college renewal and self-study process, Hazard Community College conducted a 2-day retreat involving all segments of the college community. Focus groups were established to examine and define the values that best represented the institution. At the end of the second day, each of the 11 focus groups presented a consensus…

In the Rearview Mirror: Social Skill Development in Deaf Youth, 1990-2015.

PubMed

Cawthon, Stephanie W; Fink, Bentley; Schoffstall, Sarah; Wendel, Erica

2018-01-01

Social skills are a vehicle by which individuals negotiate important relationships. The present article presents historical data on how social skills in deaf students were conceptualized and studied empirically during the period 1990-2015. Using a structured literature review approach, the researchers coded 266 articles for theoretical frameworks used and constructs studied. The vast majority of articles did not explicitly align with a specific theoretical framework. Of the 37 that did, most focused on socioemotional and cognitive frameworks, while a minority drew from frameworks focusing on attitudes, developmental theories, or ecological systems theory. In addition, 315 social-skill constructs were coded across the data set; the majority focused on socioemotional functioning. Trends in findings across the past quarter century and implications for research and practice are examined.

Temperament and Personality in Bariatric Surgery-Resisting Temptations?

PubMed

Claes, Laurence; Müller, Astrid

2015-11-01

Temperament and personality traits can serve as both risk factors as well as protective factors in the development of morbid obesity. In the present review, we present an overview of studies focusing on the relationship between temperament/personality and morbid obesity in pre-operative and postoperative bariatric surgery patients. We consider studies that focus on both a categorical and dimensional point of view on temperament/personality, as well as studies based on cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Finally, we will integrate the research findings, discuss the implications for assessment and treatment and formulate suggestions for future research. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

The Lummi Indians - Economic Development and Social Continuity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stein, Barry

Focusing upon the developmental changes that have taken place among the Lummis of Washington between 1966 and the present, this case study of an American Indian tribe experiencing an economic renaissance emphasizes the fact that success can and does bring unintended risks. Specifically, this study presents information re: (1) the present (emphasis…

A Review of Chemical Bonding Studies: Needs, Aims, Methods of Exploring Students' Conceptions, General Knowledge Claims and Students' Alternative Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unal, Suat; Calik, Muammer; Ayas, Alipasa; Coll, Richard K.

2006-01-01

The present paper presents a detailed thematic review of chemical bonding studies. To achieve this, a matrix is developed to summarize and present the findings by focusing on insights derived from the related studies. The matrix incorporates the following themes: needs, aims, methods of exploring students' conceptions, general knowledge claims,…

Optimal design of focused experiments and surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curtis, Andrew

1999-10-01

Experiments and surveys are often performed to obtain data that constrain some previously underconstrained model. Often, constraints are most desired in a particular subspace of model space. Experiment design optimization requires that the quality of any particular design can be both quantified and then maximized. This study shows how the quality can be defined such that it depends on the amount of information that is focused in the particular subspace of interest. In addition, algorithms are presented which allow one particular focused quality measure (from the class of focused measures) to be evaluated efficiently. A subclass of focused quality measures is also related to the standard variance and resolution measures from linearized inverse theory. The theory presented here requires that the relationship between model parameters and data can be linearized around a reference model without significant loss of information. Physical and financial constraints define the space of possible experiment designs. Cross-well tomographic examples are presented, plus a strategy for survey design to maximize information about linear combinations of parameters such as bulk modulus, κ =λ+ 2μ/3.

Amplitude Analysis of the Decay $$D_s^+ \\to \\pi^+ \\pi^- \\pi^+$$ in the Experiment E831/FOCUS (in Portuguese)

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

Schilithz, Anderson Correa; /Rio de Janeiro, CBPF

We present in this thesis the Dalitz Plot analysis of the D{sub s}{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup +} decay, with the data of the E831/FOCUS, that took data in 1996 and 1997. The masses and widhts of f{sub 0}(980) and f{sub 0}(1370) are free parametres of the fit on Dalitz Plot, objectiving to study in detail these resonances. After this analysis we present the Spectator Model study on the S wave in this decay. For this study we used the formalism developed by M. Svec [2] for scattering. We present the comparison between the Isobar Model, frequently used inmore » Dalitz Plot analysis, and this formalism.« less

Report on Focus Groups Conducted for the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and the Partnership for Kentucky School Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Rona; Kay, Steve

Findings of a study that explored focus group participants' views on public schools and Kentucky's recent education reform efforts are presented in this document. In May 1992, 7 focus groups, with a total of 70 participants, were conducted at 6 locations throughout Kentucky. Three groups consisted of citizens who were not public school employees,…

External Versus Two Different Internal Foci of Attention in Long-Distance Throwing.

PubMed

Oki, Yuta; Kokubu, Masahiro; Nakagomi, Shiro

2018-02-01

The present study examined the influence of attentional focus on performance during a long-distance throwing task. Twelve participants executed three maximum-effort, long-distance baseball throwing attempts in three focus conditions: internal focus on wrist flexion (wrist internal focus), internal focus on the separation between pelvis and upper torso orientations (torso internal focus), and external focus on the ball path (external focus). Compared with the external focus and torso internal focus conditions, performance was poorer in the wrist internal focus condition. Performances were not different in the torso internal and external focus conditions. In addition, attentional focus affected the release angle of the ball but not its initial velocity. Our results reveal that the body part targeted for internal focus of attention and the forcefulness of the motor activity can be as important to motor performance as whether the attention is internal or external.

Multimedia Resources Designed to Support Learning from Written Proofs: An Eye-Movement Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Somali; Inglis, Matthew; Alcock, Lara

2017-01-01

This paper presents two studies of an intervention designed to help undergraduates comprehend mathematical proofs. The intervention used multimedia resources that presented proofs with audio commentary and visual animations designed to focus attention on logical relationships. In study 1, students studied an e-Proof or a standard written proof and…

Study Habits: Advice to Students, Parents and Teachers from Research Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Mark E.

This guide, written for parents, teachers, and students, presents advice on academic study habits derived from research data. Part 1 of the text presents the research evidence in five chapters: chapter 1 reviews common study skills problems; chapter 2 focuses specifically on research data from eight studies which successfully used precollege study…

Focus group interview: an underutilized research technique for improving theory and practice in health education.

PubMed

Basch, C E

1987-01-01

The purpose of this article is to increase awareness about and stimulate interest in using focus group interviews, a qualitative research technique, to advance the state-of-the-art of education and learning about health. After a brief discussion of small group process in health education, features of focus group interviews are presented, and a theoretical framework for planning a focus group study is summarized. Then, literature describing traditional and health-related applications of focus group interviews is reviewed and a synthesis of methodological limitations and advantages of this technique is presented. Implications are discussed regarding: need for more inductive qualitative research in health education; utility of focus group interviews for research and for formative and summative evaluation of health education programs; applicability of marketing research to understanding and influencing consumer behavior, despite notable distinctions between educational initiatives and marketing; and need for professional preparation faculty to consider increasing emphasis on qualitative research methods.

Pitfalls in Teaching Judgment Heuristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepperd, James A.; Koch, Erika J.

2005-01-01

Demonstrations of judgment heuristics typically focus on how heuristics can lead to poor judgments. However, exclusive focus on the negative consequences of heuristics can prove problematic. We illustrate the problem with the representativeness heuristic and present a study (N = 45) that examined how examples influence understanding of the…

Standing up to the black cloud: case example of narrative therapy in the motor vehicle sector.

PubMed

Gibson, Michelle

2015-01-01

Using a case study, this article presents narrative therapy as an effective psychotherapy practice for work with victims of motor vehicle accidents. By troubling the standard cognitive behavioral approaches as deficit focused, narrative therapy is outlined as an approach that is focused on the skills and values present in the client's life; it is an approach that allows the client to take authorship over his or her concerns and enact change. This article is meant to be an example of narrative therapy's usefulness and open space for conversation about rehabilitation therapies that focus less on structure and more on strength.

Examining Longitudinal Relationship among Effort Reward Imbalance, Coping Strategies and Academic Burnout in Korean Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Boyoung; Kim, Eunjoo; Lee, Sang Min

2017-01-01

The present study examined the longitudinal relationship between effort-reward imbalance as a stressor and academic burnout as a strain. The study also examined the moderation effect of coping strategies, a problem-focused coping and an emotion-focused coping, in the relationship between effort-reward imbalance as a stressor and middle school…

Foot Structure in Japanese Speech Errors: Normal vs. Pathological

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyakoda, Haruko

2008-01-01

Although many studies of speech errors have been presented in the literature, most have focused on errors occurring at either the segmental or feature level. Few, if any, studies have dealt with the prosodic structure of errors. This paper aims to fill this gap by taking up the issue of prosodic structure in Japanese speech errors, with a focus on…

A Closer Look at Kith and Kin Care: Exploring Variability of Quality within Family, Friend and Neighbor Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shivers, Eva Marie

2006-01-01

This exploratory study focused on the interactional dimensions of kith and kin care, and involved childcare providers living in low-income urban communities in Los Angeles (80% African American; 20% Latina). The focus of the present study was to examine: 1) The range and variability of each index of quality--providers' professional development…

Evaluating the Effects of Input-Based Approaches to the Teaching of Pragmalinguistics and Sociopragmatics in Second Language Pragmatics: A Case of English Request Hedges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takimoto, Masahiro

2014-01-01

The present study examined the effects of two types of input-based approaches--combination of pragmalinguistics- and sociopragmatics-focused instruction (CI) and sociopragmatics-focused instruction (SI) on learners' recognizing and producing English request hedges. 45 Japanese learners of English participated in the study. Treatment group…

Is Adolescence a Period of Identity Formation for All Youth? Insights from a Four-Wave Longitudinal Study of Identity Dynamics in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatano, Kai; Sugimura, Kazumi

2017-01-01

In the present study, we examined changes in identity dynamics during adolescence using the Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS), focusing on social and cultural factors possibly affecting identity formation. Identity formation among adolescents outside Western countries is largely unexplored; therefore, we focused on adolescents in…

"I" Seek Autonomy, "We" Rely on Each Other: Self-Construal and Regulatory Focus as Determinants of Autonomy- and Dependency-Oriented Help-Seeking Behavior.

PubMed

Komissarouk, Svetlana; Nadler, Arie

2014-06-01

There are two typical approaches to requesting help: autonomy-oriented help-seeking (asking in order to learn how to fix a problem) versus dependency-oriented help-seeking (asking a helper to fix it). This article presents three studies demonstrating a systematic impact of a person's chronic or activated self-construal (interdependent vs. independent) that operates through activated regulatory focus (prevention vs. promotion) on these two help-seeking styles. The hypothesis was tested by measuring chronic self-construal, regulatory foci, and help-seeking styles (Study 3), and by priming self-construal (Study 1) and regulatory focus (Study 2). Results show that people with an independent self-construal and a promotion focus prefer autonomy-oriented help, whereas people with an interdependent self-construal and a prevention focus seek dependency-oriented help. Mediation analysis (Study 3) shows that regulatory focus is a mediator between self-construal and help-seeking styles. The conceptual and applied implications of these findings are discussed. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

How Effective Are Self- and Peer Assessment of Oral Presentation Skills Compared with Teachers' Assessments?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Grez, Luc; Valcke, Martin; Roozen, Irene

2012-01-01

Assessment of oral presentation skills is an underexplored area. The study described here focuses on the agreement between professional assessment and self- and peer assessment of oral presentation skills and explores student perceptions about peer assessment. The study has the merit of paying attention to the inter-rater reliability of the…

Design study for a two-color beta measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Design analysis of the beam splitter combined two color beta system is presented. Conventional and dichroic beam splitters are discussed. Design analysis of the beta system employing two beams with focusing at separate points is presented. Alterations and basic parameters of the two beam system are discussed. Alterations in the focus of the initial laser and the returning beams are also discussed. Heterodyne efficiencies for the on axis and off axis reflected radiation are included.

Women, Research Performance and Work Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dever, Maryanne; Morrison, Zoe

2009-01-01

This article presents findings from a qualitative study focused on the conditions that support high research productivity in women. Interviewees were all active researchers and many were national or international leaders in their respective fields. While personal factors such as motivation, focus, and good scholarly habits were identified as…

Nonlinear propagation of phase-conjugate focused sound beams in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brysev, A. P.; Krutyansky, L. M.; Preobrazhensky, V. L.; Pyl'nov, Yu. V.; Cunningham, K. B.; Hamilton, M. F.

2000-07-01

Nonlinear propagation of phase-conjugate, focused, ultrasound beams is studied. Measurements are presented of harmonic amplitudes along the axis and in the focal plane of the conjugate beam, and of the waveform and spectrum at the focus. A maximum peak pressure of 3.9 MPa was recorded in the conjugate beam. The measurements are compared with simulations based on the KZK equation, and satisfactory agreement is obtained.

School Desegregation Plans That Work. Contributions to the Study of Education, Number 10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willie, Charles Vert; And Others

This policy study reviews American school desegregation plans in general and in four cities (Atlanta, Boston, Milwaukee, and Seattle) in particular. Chapter 1 focuses on relevant court decisions from 1954 to the present. Chapter 2 encapsulates the interaction of States, communities, and courts and presents the study's criteria for plan…

The Nature and Role of Empathy in Public Librarianship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birdi, Briony; Wilson, Kerry; Tso, Hin Man,

2009-01-01

This article presents two recent studies, an AHRC-funded exploration of the role of empathy in community librarianship (Study 1) and an investigation of the role of empathy in service to minority ethnic users (Study 2). Qualitative elements of each methodology are presented, namely a series of focus groups with frontline staff, interviews with…

A scrutiny of tools used for assessment of hospital disaster preparedness in Iran.

PubMed

Heidaranlu, Esmail; Ebadi, Abbas; Ardalan, Ali; Khankeh, Hamidreza

2015-01-01

In emergencies and disasters, hospitals are among the first and most vital organizations involved. To determine preparedness of a hospital to deal with crisis, health system requires tools compatible with the type of crisis. The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of tools used for assessment of hospitals preparedness for major emergencies and disasters in Iran. In this review study, all studies conducted on hospital preparedness to deal with disasters in Iran in the interim 2000-2015 were examined. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used to assess focus of studies for entry in this study. Of the 36 articles obtained, 28 articles that met inclusion criteria were analyzed. In accordance with the WHO standards, focus of tools used was examined in three areas (structural, nonstructural, and functional). In nonstructural area, the most focus of preparation tools was on medical gases, and the least focus on office and storeroom furnishings and equipment. In the functional area, the most focus was on operational plan, and the least on business continuity. Half of the tools in domestic studies considered structural safety as indicator of hospital preparedness. The present study showed that tools used contain a few indicators approved by the WHO, especially in the functional area. Moreover, a lack of a standard indigenous tool was evident, especially in the functional area. Thus, to assess hospital disaster preparedness, the national health system requires new tools compatible with scientific tool design principles, to enable a more accurate prediction of hospital preparedness in disasters before they occur.

A new Brewster angle microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lheveder, C.; Hénon, S.; Mercier, R.; Tissot, G.; Fournet, P.; Meunier, J.

1998-03-01

We present a new Brewster angle microscope for the study of very thin layers as thin as monolayers, using a custom-made objective. This objective avoids the drawbacks of the models existing at the present time. Its optical axis is perpendicular to the studied layer and consequently gives an image in focus in all the plane contrary to the existing models which give images in focus along a narrow strip. The objective allows one to obtain images with a good resolution (less than 1 μm) without scanning the surface, at the video frequency, allowing for dynamic studies. A large frontal distance associated with a very large aperture is obtained by using a large lens at the entrance of the objective.

Study of Plasma Flows Generated in Plasma Focus Discharge in Different Regimes of Working Gas Filling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voitenko, D. A.; Ananyev, S. S.; Astapenko, G. I.; Basilaia, A. D.; Markolia, A. I.; Mitrofanov, K. N.; Myalton, V. V.; Timoshenko, A. P.; Kharrasov, A. M.; Krauz, V. I.

2017-12-01

Results are presented from experimental studies of the plasma flows generated in the KPF-4 Phoenix Mather-type plasma focus device (Sukhum Physical Technical Institute). In order to study how the formation and dynamics of the plasma flow depend on the initial distribution of the working gas, a system of pulsed gas puffing into the discharge volume was developed. The system allows one to create profiled gas distributions, including those with a reduced gas density in the region of plasma flow propagation. Results of measurements of the magnetic field, flow profile, and flow deceleration dynamics at different initial distributions of the gas pressure are presented.

The Dopamine D2 Receptor Gene, Perceived Parental Support, and Adolescent Loneliness: Longitudinal Evidence for Gene-Environment Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Roekel, Eeske; Goossens, Luc; Scholte, Ron H. J.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.; Verhagen, Maaike

2011-01-01

Background: Loneliness is a common problem in adolescence. Earlier research focused on genes within the serotonin and oxytocin systems, but no studies have examined the role of dopamine-related genes in loneliness. In the present study, we focused on the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2). Methods: Associations among the DRD2, sex, parental support,…

Learning Time of Day and Students' Academic Achievement at School Certificate Level: A Case Study of Chibote Girls' Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulenga, Henry M.; Mukuka, Angel

2016-01-01

A case study presented here is an investigation into whether time of day for instruction has an effect on students' academic achievement in Mathematics, Science, Biology and English at school certificate level by focusing on the grades candidates obtained after sitting for national examinations. The focus is primarily on 33 randomly selected…

What Account of Science Shall We Give? a Case Study of Scientists Teaching First-Year University Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dorothy V.; Mulhall, Pamela J.; Gunstone, Richard F.; Hart, Christina E.

2015-01-01

This article presents a case study of four academic scientists. These academics teach in the first year of a Bachelor of Science degree at a large research-focused Australian university that has demanded and supported a greater focus on undergraduate learning. Taken as a whole, the accounts of science that the first-year academics in this case…

Enhancement of Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Case Focusing on a Model of Successful Conflict Management Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leffel, Anita; Hallam, Cory; Darling, John

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study focusing on a new technology start-up firm, founded by two graduate students, an engineer and a business major, who met during their university studies. The case is timely, in that only ten percent of new product introductions result in a profitable business. The causes of failure are numerous…

Extended Communication Efforts Involved with College Long-Distance Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firmin, Michael W.; Firmin, Ruth L.; Merical, Kaile Lorenzen

2013-01-01

The present phenomenological, qualitative research study involved in-depth interviews of all 16 female, sophomore students involved in respective distance relationships at a private, selective, comprehensive, Midwest university. Among other results found in the study, the present article focuses on communication dynamics involved with the…

Managing Performance to Change Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denisi, Angelo S.

2011-01-01

Performance appraisal systems are often considered primarily in their role as criterion measures for validation studies. Even when they are considered in other organizational roles, there has traditionally been a strong focus on improving the accuracy of the appraisals. The present article argues that the proper focus of performance appraisal is…

Efficacy of an Emotion-Focused Treatment for Prolonged Fatigue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutte, Nicola S.; Malouff, John M.; Brown, Rhonda F.

2008-01-01

Previous research findings have suggested a relationship between less adaptive emotional functioning and fatigue. The present study used a research design involving multiple baselines across participants to evaluate the efficacy of a new emotion-focused treatment for prolonged fatigue delivered in a cognitive behavioral therapy framework. The 13…

Auditory and Visual Capture during Focused Visual Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koelewijn, Thomas; Bronkhorst, Adelbert; Theeuwes, Jan

2009-01-01

It is well known that auditory and visual onsets presented at a particular location can capture a person's visual attention. However, the question of whether such attentional capture disappears when attention is focused endogenously beforehand has not yet been answered. Moreover, previous studies have not differentiated between capture by onsets…

Improving Primary Teachers' Attitudes toward Science by Attitude-Focused Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Aalderen-Smeets, Sandra I.; van der Molen, Juliette H. Walma

2015-01-01

This article provides a description of a novel, attitude-focused, professional development intervention, and presents the results of an experimental pretest-posttest control group study investigating the effects of this intervention on primary teachers' personal attitudes toward science, attitudes toward teaching science, and their science…

Spontaneous Focusing on Quantitative Relations in the Development of Children's Fraction Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullen, Jake; Hannula-Sormunen, Minna M.; Lehtinen, Erno

2014-01-01

While preschool-aged children display some skills with quantitative relations, later learning of related fraction concepts is difficult for many students. We present two studies that investigate young children's tendency of Spontaneous Focusing On quantitative Relations (SFOR), which may help explain individual differences in the development of…

Visual Neuroscience: A Retinal Ganglion Cell to Report Image Focus?

PubMed

Baden, Tom; Schaeffel, Frank; Berens, Philipp

2017-02-20

A recent study describes a mouse neuron projecting from the retina to the brain that exhibits exquisitely high sensitivity to high spatial frequency patterns presented over an unusually large receptive field: could this cell be a (de)focus detector? Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children's Problems with Focus and Cohesion in Revising.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Mireille; And Others

A study was conducted to determine whether children in revising their writing to accommodate new information would make corresponding textual changes to preserve appropriate focus and cohesion. The subjects, 48 children each from grades three, six, and nine, were presented with a task that involved descriptions of pictures with incongruent…

Focus on Law Studies, 1990-91.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Focus on Law Studies, 1991

1991-01-01

The fall 1990 issue includes essays that recapture some of the presentations and thinking of the 1990 American Bar Association annual conference on higher education, entitled "American Citizenship and the Constitution." The idea of community was a recurring theme of the conference, and is the focus of three essays included in the Fall…

The Experience of Bullying among Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasiades, Christina; Deliyanni-Kouimtzis, Vassiliki

2010-01-01

The present study was designed to qualitatively investigate secondary students' interpretations and experiences of bullying (and victimization) in Greek schools, with a focus on gender similarities and differences. Overall, 95 students (50 boys and 45 girls), 15 or 16 years old, participated in focus group interviews that were homogeneous in terms…

A Design Model of Distributed Scaffolding for Inquiry-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Ying-Shao; Lai, Ting-Ling; Hsu, Wei-Hsiu

2015-01-01

This study presents a series of three experiments that focus on how distributed scaffolding influences learners' conceptual understanding and reasoning from combined levels of triangulation, at the interactive level (discourses within a focus group) and the collective level (class). Three inquiry lessons on plate tectonics (LPT) were designed,…

ARS NP212 Climate change, soils and emissions program update

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Research Service National Program 212 (Climate Change, Soils, and Emissions) has a significant component focused on air quality studies. Presented here for the Agricultural Air Quality Task Force is an update on the status of ARS programs with focus on air quality. National Program ...

Using Solution-Focused Applications for Transitional Coping of Workplace Survivors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Germain, Marie-Line; Palamara, Sherry A.

2007-01-01

Solution-focused applications are proposed to assist survivor employees to return to workplace homeostasis after co-workers voluntarily or involuntarily leave the organization. A model for transitional coping is presented as well as a potential case study illustrating the application of the model. Implications for the theory, practice, and…

Variables Associated with Resilience in Divorced Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greeff, Abraham P.; Van der Merwe, Stephanus

2004-01-01

The present study focuses on the salutogenic properties of post-divorce families and attempts to identify factors that promote resilience and family well-being. Within the salutogenic paradigm the focus is on positive characteristics and strengths that contribute towards the growth and development of a system. Family coherence is used as an…

Adapting a Program to Inform African American and Hispanic American Women About Cancer Clinical Trials

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, Jenny; Mumman, Manpreet; Cullen, Lisa; LaHousse, Sheila F.; Malcarne, Vanessa; Conde, Viridiana; Riley, Natasha

2010-01-01

The dearth of evidence-based clinical trial education programs may contribute to the underrepresentation of African American and Hispanic American women in cancer research studies. This study used focus group-derived data from 80 women distributed among eight Spanish- and English-language focus groups. These data guided the researchers’ adaptation and refinement of the National Cancer Institute’s various clinical trials education programs into a program that was specifically focused on meeting the information needs of minority women and addressing the barriers to study participation that they perceived. A “sisterhood” theme was adopted and woven throughout the presentation. PMID:20146043

Optimization of a point-focusing, distributed receiver solar thermal electric system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pons, R. L.

1979-01-01

This paper presents an approach to optimization of a solar concept which employs solar-to-electric power conversion at the focus of parabolic dish concentrators. The optimization procedure is presented through a series of trade studies, which include the results of optical/thermal analyses and individual subsystem trades. Alternate closed-cycle and open-cycle Brayton engines and organic Rankine engines are considered to show the influence of the optimization process, and various storage techniques are evaluated, including batteries, flywheels, and hybrid-engine operation.

Electrokinetic focusing injection methods on microfluidic devices.

PubMed

Fu, Lung-Ming; Yang, Ruey-Jen; Lee, Gwo-Bin

2003-04-15

This paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation into electrokinetic focusing injection on microfluidic chips. The valving characteristics on microfluidic devices are controlled through appropriate manipulations of the electric potential strengths during the sample loading and dispensing steps. The present study also addresses the design and testing of various injection systems used to deliver a sample plug. A novel double-cross injection microfluidic chip is fabricated, which employs electrokinetic focusing to deliver sample plugs of variable volume. The proposed design combines several functions of traditional sample plug injection systems on a single microfluidic chip. The injection technique uses an unique sequence of loading steps with different electric potential distributions and magnitudes within the various channels to effectuate a virtual valve.

Design Study for A Low-Cost LH2 Turbopump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Japikse, David; Baines, Nicholas; Platt, Michael J.

2000-01-01

A preliminary design study, focusing on potential component selections and design for manufacturing and assembly (DFMAR1) analysis, is presented in this study. The investigation focused on a nominal cost liquid hydrogen turbopump suitable for a private launch class vehicle. Utilizing a "turbocharger-like" design philosophy, preliminary feasibility studies of the basic pump design class, the rotordynamic design class, and the turbine design class were conducted with associated DFMA evaluations. Reasonable cost levels and sensible levels of product assurance have been established.

"We Are so over Pharaohs and Pyramids!" "Re"-Presenting the "Othered" Lives with Young People through an International Studies Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mimi Miyoung

2010-01-01

Based on a year-long implementation of an international studies program in a rural middle school using videoconferencing technology, this paper focuses the international presenters' interpretation of and reaction to the program through their interaction with the students. Attention here is paid to the ways that the presenters' assumptions and…

Frequent external-focus feedback enhances motor learning.

PubMed

Wulf, Gabriele; Chiviacowsky, Suzete; Schiller, Eduardo; Avila, Luciana Toaldo Gentilini

2010-01-01

The present study examined the hypothesis that feedback inducing an external focus of attention enhances motor learning if it is provided frequently (i.e., 100%) rather than less frequently. Children (10- to 12-year-olds) practiced a soccer throw-in task and were provided feedback about movement form. The feedback statements, provided either after every (100%) or every third (33%) practice trial, were similar in content but induced either an internal focus (body-movement related) or external focus (movement-effect related). The results demonstrated that learning of the movement form was enhanced by external-focus feedback after every trial (100%) relative to external-focus feedback after every third trial (33%) or internal-focus feedback (100%, 33%), as demonstrated by immediate and delayed transfer tests without feedback. There was no difference between the two internal-focus feedback groups. These findings indicate that the attentional focus induced by feedback is an important factor in determining the effectiveness of different feedback frequencies. We argue that the informational properties of feedback cannot sufficiently account for these and related findings, and suggest that the attentional role of feedback be given greater consideration in future studies.

A Systematic Review of Psychological Studies Applied to Futsal

PubMed Central

Dias, Cláudia Salomé; Fonseca, António Manuel

2016-01-01

Abstract This study presents a systematic review of psychological studies applied to futsal. A total of 23 studies were analyzed within five sections: a year overview and the name of journals, research designs, data collection, sample characteristics, and a focus category. This study found that the first psychological articles that were applied to futsal were published in 2008, and the number of publications gradually increased since then. The majority of examined studies were cross-sectional designs and conducted at the elite level in European and Asian countries. Most studies did not use mixed methods and did not specify the age of the subjects. Psychological research applied to futsal focused on athletes, non-athletes and several psychological factors. Critical and innovative reflections were made to highlight research gaps and present suggestions for further research. PMID:28149362

Study of heating capacity of focused IR light soldering systems.

PubMed

Anguiano, C; Félix, M; Medel, A; Bravo, M; Salazar, D; Márquez, H

2013-10-07

An experimental study about four optical setups used for developing a Focused IR Light Soldering System (FILSS) for Surface Mount Technology (SMT) lead-free electronic devices specifically for Ball Grid Arrays (BGA) is presented. An analysis of irradiance and infrared thermography at BGA surface is presented, as well as heat transfer by radiation and conduction process from the surface of the BGA to the solder balls. The results of this work show that the heating provided by our proposed optical setups, measured at the BGA under soldering process, meets the high temperature and uniform thermal distribution requirements, which are defined by the reflow solder method for SMT devices.

The interaction of state and trait aspects of self-focused attention affects genital, but not subjective, sexual arousal in sexually functional women.

PubMed

van Lankveld, Jacques; Bergh, Simone

2008-04-01

In this study we investigated the effects of state and trait aspects of self-focused attention on genital and subjective sexual arousal of sexually functional, healthy women during presentation of audiovisual erotic stimuli. Psychophysiological sexual response was measured as vaginal pulse amplitude using a vaginal photoplethysmograph. Experiential aspects of sexual arousal were measured both during stimulus presentation and retrospectively after stimulus offset. Trait level of sexual self-focus was measured with the Sexual Self-Consciousness Scale. State self-focus was induced by switching on a TV camera that pointed at the participant's face and upper torso. A manipulation check revealed that both groups experienced equally elevated levels of self-focused attention of their physical appearance. Induction of state self-focus per se did not affect genital responses, but an interaction effect of self-focus and participants' level of trait sexual self-focus was revealed. Compared with women with low scores on this trait, women with high scores exhibited smaller genital responses when state self-focus was induced. Both groups did not differ when no self-focus was induced. Increase of state self-focus did not affect subjective sexual arousal, but participants with a high level of trait sexual self-focus reported stronger subjective arousal, compared with those with low trait level. The results were discussed with reference to previous work in this field. Some implications for treatment of sexual arousal disorder were discussed.

Snapshots of mathematics teacher noticing during task design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choy, Ban Heng

2016-09-01

Designing a mathematically worthwhile task is critical for promoting students' reasoning. To improve task design skills, teachers often engage in collaborative lesson planning activities such as lesson study. However, to learn from the process of lesson study, it is important for teachers to notice productively the concepts, students' confusion and the design of the task. But what researchers mean by productive noticing varies. In this article, I present the FOCUS Framework which highlights two characteristics of productive noticing: having an explicit focus for noticing and focusing noticing through pedagogical reasoning. Using these two characteristics, I develop snapshots of noticing as a representation of practice to present a fine-grained analysis of teacher noticing. Through vignettes of teachers discussing the design of a task to teach fractions, I illustrate how two teachers' noticing can be analysed and represented using snapshots of noticing. To conclude, I highlight what snapshots of noticing tell us about a teacher's noticing and suggest ways to use these snapshots in future studies of noticing.

Gaining Insight into Cultural Geography through the Study of Musical Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khalil, Alexander K.

2010-01-01

At present, the need for an understanding of both physical and cultural geography is increasingly urgent in America's schools. The present study explores using music as focus for the exploration of geography. Not only is music strongly linked to culture and environment but also its study provides an experiential understanding of a given culture in…

A Study of the Organization and Search of Bibliographic Holdings Records in On-Line Computer Systems: Phase I. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cunningham, Jay L.; And Others

This report presents the results of the initial phase of the File Organization Project, a study which focuses upon the on-line maintenance and search of the library's catalog holdings record. The focus of the project is to develop a facility for research and experimentation with the many issues of on-line file organizations and search. The first…

Grooming ten-year-olds with gender stereotypes? A content analysis of preteen and teen girl magazines.

PubMed

Daniels, Elizabeth A; Layh, Marlee C; Porzelius, Linda K

2016-12-01

Extensive research shows a strong body focus in media aimed at teen girls and adult women; less is known about the content of media aimed at preteen girls. The present study investigated differences in the content of preteen versus teen girl magazines. Additionally, the content of independent compared to mainstream magazines was examined. Media frames, which are dominant themes present in media stories, used in content about the body were examined. Finally, the prevalence of appearance-focused versus non-appearance-focused content was assessed. Advertisements and general stories were analyzed. Results indicate that teen and mainstream magazines contained more appearance content than preteen and independent magazines. Appearance media frames were more common in teen than preteen magazines. Finally, teen and mainstream magazines contained more appearance-focused than non-appearance-focused content, whereas the opposite was true for preteen and independent magazines. Findings are discussed in terms of objectification theory and gender socialization practices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of prevention focus under stereotype threat: Initial cognitive mobilization is followed by depletion.

PubMed

Ståhl, Tomas; Van Laar, Colette; Ellemers, Naomi

2012-06-01

Previous research has demonstrated that stereotype threat induces a prevention focus and impairs central executive functions. The present research examines how these 2 consequences of stereotype threat are related. The authors argue that the prevention focus is responsible for the effects of stereotype threat on executive functions and cognitive performance. However, because the prevention focus is adapted to deal with threatening situations, the authors propose that it also leads to some beneficial responses to stereotype threat. Specifically, because stereotype threat signals a high risk of failure, a prevention focus initiates immediate recruitment of cognitive control resources. The authors further argue that this response initially facilitates cognitive performance but that the additional cognitive demands associated with working under threat lead to cognitive depletion over time. Study 1 demonstrates that stereotype threat (vs. control) facilitates immediate cognitive control capacity during a stereotype-relevant task. Study 2 experimentally demonstrates the process by showing that stereotype threat (vs. control) facilitates cognitive control as a default, as well as when a prevention focus has been experimentally induced, but not when a promotion focus has been induced. Study 3 shows that stereotype threat facilitates initial math performance under a prevention focus, whereas no effect is found under a promotion focus. Consistent with previous research, however, stereotype threat impaired math performance over time under a prevention focus, but not under a promotion focus. 2012 APA, all rights reserved

The importance of assessing for validity of symptom report and performance in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Introduction to the special section on noncredible presentation in ADHD.

PubMed

Suhr, Julie A; Berry, David T R

2017-12-01

Invalid self-report and invalid performance occur with high base rates in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Harrison, 2006; Musso & Gouvier, 2014). Although much research has focused on the development and validation of symptom validity tests (SVTs) and performance validity tests (PVTs) for psychiatric and neurological presentations, less attention has been given to the use of SVTs and PVTs in ADHD evaluation. This introduction to the special section describes a series of studies examining the use of SVTs and PVTs in adult ADHD evaluation. We present the series of studies in the context of prior research on noncredible presentation and call for future research using improved research methods and with a focus on assessment issues specific to ADHD evaluation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Nontraumatic head and neck injuries: a clinical approach. Part 2.

PubMed

Brea Álvarez, B; Esteban García, L; Tuñón Gómez, M; Cepeda Ibarra, Y

Nontraumatic emergencies of the head and neck represent a challenge in the field of neuroradiology for two reasons. As explained in the first part of this update, these entities affect an area where the thorax joins the cranial cavity and can thus compromise both structures; second, they are uncommon, so they are not well known. Maintaining the same approach as in the first part, focusing on the clinical presentations in the emergency department rather than on the anatomic regions affected, we will study the entities that present with two patterns: those that present with a combination of cervical numbness, dysphagia, and dyspnea and those that present with acute sensory deficits. In the latter group, we will specifically focus on visual deficits, because this is the most common symptom that calls for urgent imaging studies. Copyright © 2017 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

The "I" in us, or the eye on us? Regulatory focus, commitment and derogation of an attractive alternative person.

PubMed

Rodrigues, David; Lopes, Diniz; Kumashiro, Madoka

2017-01-01

When individuals are highly committed to their romantic relationship, they are more likely to engage in pro-relationship maintenance mechanisms. The present research expanded on the notion that commitment redirects self-oriented goals to consider broader relational goals and examined whether commitment interacts with a promotion and prevention focus to activate derogation of attractive alternatives. Three studies used cross-sectional and experimental approaches. Study 1 showed that romantically involved individuals predominantly focused on promotion, but not prevention, reported less initial attraction to an attractive target than single individuals, especially when highly committed to their relationship. Study 2 showed that romantically involved individuals induced in a promotion focus, compared to those in prevention focus, reported less initial attraction, but only when more committed to their relationship. Regardless of regulatory focus manipulation, more committed individuals were also less likely to perceive quality among alternative scenarios and to be attentive to alternative others in general. Finally, Study 3 showed that romantically involved individuals induced in promotion focus and primed with high commitment reported less initial attraction, than those primed with low commitment, or than those induced in prevention focus. Once again, for these latter no differences occurred according to commitment prime. Together, the findings suggest that highly committed promotion focused individuals consider broader relationship goals and activate relationship maintenance behaviors such as derogation of attractive alternatives to promote their relationship.

Enhancing Free-Recall Rates of Individuals with Mental Retardation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlin, Michael T.; Soraci, Sal A.; Dennis, Nancy A.; Chechile, Nicholas A.; Loiselle, Raquel C.

2001-01-01

This study with 16 adolescents with mental retardation compared free-recall rates under two encoding conditions: (1) fade-in, initially presenting pictures out of focus then slowly fading them into focus; and (2) fade-out, slowly blurring originally clear pictures. Results indicated that free-recall rates were greater for the fade-in items for…

Toddler Emotion Regulation with Mothers and Fathers: Temporal Associations between Negative Affect and Behavioral Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekas, Naomi V.; Braungart-Rieker, Julia M.; Lickenbrock, Diane M.; Zentall, Shannon R.; Maxwell, Scott M.

2011-01-01

The present study investigated temporal associations between putative emotion regulation strategies and negative affect in 20-month-old toddlers. Toddlers' parent-focused, self-distraction, and toy-focused strategies, as well as negative affect, were rated on a second-by-second basis during laboratory parent-toddler interactions. Longitudinal…

Prior Trauma Exposure for Youth in Treatment Foster Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorsey, Shannon; Burns, Barbara J.; Southerland, Dannia G.; Cox, Julia Revillion; Wagner, H. Ryan; Farmer, Elizabeth M. Z.

2012-01-01

Very little research has focused on rates of trauma exposure for youth in treatment foster care (TFC). Available research has utilized record review for assessing exposure, which presents limitations for the range of trauma types examined, as records are predominantly focused on abuse and neglect. The current study examines exposure rates and…

Understanding Others: Cultural and Cross-Cultural Studies and the Teaching of Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trimmer, Joseph, Ed.; Warnock, Tilly, Ed.

This book of essays offers perspectives for college teachers facing the perplexities of today's focus on cultural issues in literature programs. The book presents ideas from 19 scholars and teachers relating to theories of culture-oriented criticism and teaching, contexts for these activities, and specific, culture-focused texts significant for…

Heteronormativity in Online Information about Sex: A South Australian Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riggs, Damien W.

2013-01-01

Whilst sex education in Australia has moved beyond a focus solely on abstinence, it is still in many instances shaped by what Silin refers to as the "silences" that accompany topics considered unspeakable to young people. The present article focuses specifically on one such silence, namely the representation of non-heterosexual…

The Effectiveness of Staff Training Focused on Increasing Emotional Intelligence and Improving Interaction between Support Staff and Clients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zijlmans, L. J. M.; Embregts, P. J. C. M.; Gerits, L.; Bosman, A. M. T.; Derksen, J. J. L.

2015-01-01

Background: Recent research addressed the relationship between staff behaviour and challenging behaviour of individuals with an intellectual disability (ID). Consequently, research on interventions aimed at staff is warranted. The present study focused on the effectiveness of a staff training aimed at emotional intelligence and interactions…

Influence of Counselor Spirituality and Training on Treatment Focus and Self-Perceived Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Asselt, Kathryn Watkins; Senstock, Tracy D. Baldo

2009-01-01

Spirituality is a potential area of concern for counseling clients. This study presents the empirical results of a survey completed by 572 counselors to determine if counselors' spiritual beliefs, experiences, or training had an impact on their focus of therapy or self-perceived competence. A counselor's personal spirituality, spiritual…

An Examination of Social and Psychological Influences on Academic Learning: A Focus on Self-Esteem, Social Relationships, and Personal Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phan, Huy P.; Ngu, Bing H.

2018-01-01

The present study focused on an examination of both "global" and "domain-specific self-esteems" in secondary mathematics learning. The extent to which self-esteem, in general, would account and explain educational success through "social relationships with teachers" and "peers", and "personal interest…

Educational interventions for intimate partner violence: guidance from survivors.

PubMed

Randell, Kimberly A; Bledsoe, Linda K; Shroff, Purvi L; Pierce, Mary Clyde

2012-11-01

Previous research suggests that health care providers' assumptions about the content and marketing of intimate partner violence (IPV) materials are not always correct and may do harm. This study sought to determine what mothers with histories of IPV identify as important information to communicate about IPV and how it should be presented in a pediatric emergency department. This qualitative study used English- and Spanish-speaking focus groups for data collection and a grounded theory approach for data analysis. Initial focus groups elicited opinions on content, appearance, and location of IPV material. After data analysis, IPV posters were developed. Follow-up focus groups provided feedback on the posters. Ninety-nine mothers with histories of IPV participated in 8 initial and 4 follow-up focus groups. Women felt information should be presented in a positive, hopeful manner. Key information desired was signs of IPV, effects of childhood IPV exposure, and available resources. Spanish-speaking groups desired that information that helps was available regardless of immigration status. Women cautioned that information regarding the effects of childhood IPV exposure should be presented in a nonjudgmental manner to minimize feelings of anger and guilt in mothers. Participants endorsed the distribution of IPV materials in many formats and locations but also worried that women might suffer retribution if perpetrators see IPV material. Passive educational interventions for IPV should present information about the signs of IPV, resources, and effects on children in a positive, hopeful manner. Materials directed toward Spanish-speaking victims should address the issue of immigration status.

Journal Publication of Material Presented at the 1967 Annual Meeting of the Geophysical Union During the Year Following the Meeting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD. Center for Research in Scientific Communication.

The April 1967 Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union was the subject of an investigation of scientific information exchange among geophysicists. The study focused on meeting presentation papers and drew a sample of 240 of the 800 presentation authors. The results of the meeting study demonstrated the currency of the work reported by…

The pleasures and pains of distinct self-construals: the role of interdependence in regulatory focus.

PubMed

Lee, A Y; Aaker, J L; Gardner, W L

2000-06-01

Regulatory focus theory distinguishes between self-regulatory processes that focus on promotion and prevention strategies for goal pursuit. Five studies provide support for the hypothesis that these strategies differ for individuals with distinct self-construals. Specifically, individuals with a dominant independent self-construal were predicted to place more emphasis on promotion-focused information, and those with a dominant interdependent self-construal on prevention-focused information. Support for this hypothesis was obtained for participants who scored high versus low on the Self-Construal Scale, participants who were presented with an independent versus interdependent situation, and participants from a Western versus Eastern culture. The influence of interdependence on regulatory focus was observed in both importance ratings of information and affective responses consistent with promotion or prevention focus.

The Impact of Multimedia and Redundancy on the Efficiency of History Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leach, Adam

2012-01-01

The use of educational technology to create classroom presentations is already commonplace in American history classes. Therefore, this study focuses on how multimedia presentations can promote efficient instruction specifically, can the employment of the multimedia and redundancy principles (Mayer, 2009) improve the efficiency of student learning…

High School Students Presenting Science: An Interactional Sociolinguistic Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleicher, Robert

1994-01-01

This study examines strategies employed by students as they make science presentations; assesses student's conceptual understandings of particular science topics; and investigates gender differences. Focuses on the methodology employed and how it helps inform these goals. Advice for teaching students to present science, implications for use of…

Historical Development of Western Education in Swaziland.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Margaret Zoller

This research project is part of a larger study that will culminate in a book entitled "Culture and Education: The Social Consequences of Westernization in Contemporary Swaziland." While the major focus of that book is concerned with present day Swaziland, this historical research was needed in order to place the present day study of…

The Effect of Subliminal HELP Presentations on Learning a Text Editor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, F. Layne; And Others

1991-01-01

Discussion of subliminal stimuli focuses on a study of undergraduates that was conducted to determine the feasibility of presenting subliminal information in a passive manner to reinforce the learning process involved in computer-based text editing. The Texas Instruments microcomputers used in the study are described, and further research is…

Counselling, Suicide Risk Assessment, and Retention in a Community College (2004-2009)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Shirley

2010-01-01

This study focused on Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) protocols completed by counsellors for 153 students who presented with suicidal ideation at a community college counselling centre during a five year period. This study sought to: determine the number of students presenting with suicidal ideation annually; identify the types of interventions used…

Effects of Presentation Mode and Computer Familiarity on Summarization of Extended Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Guoxing

2010-01-01

Comparability studies on computer- and paper-based reading tests have focused on short texts and selected-response items via almost exclusively statistical modeling of test performance. The psychological effects of presentation mode and computer familiarity on individual students are under-researched. In this study, 157 students read extended…

Social Norms and Self-Presentation: Children's Implicit and Explicit Intergroup Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutland, Adam; Cameron, Lindsey; Milne, Alan; McGeorge, Peter

2005-01-01

Two studies examined whether social norms and children's concern for self-presentation affect their intergroup attitudes. Study 1 examined racial intergroup attitudes and normative beliefs among children aged 6 to 16 years (n=155). Accountability (i.e., public self-focus) was experimentally manipulated, and intergroup attitudes were assessed using…

Lecture-Recording Technology in Higher Education: Exploring Lecturer and Student Views across the Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dona, Kulari Lokuge; Gregory, Janet; Pechenkina, Ekaterina

2017-01-01

This paper presents findings of an institutional case study investigating how students and lecturers experienced a new opt-out, fully integrated lecture-recording system which enabled audio and presentation screen capture. The study's focus is on how "traditional" students (generally characterised as young, enrolled full-time and…

Instant World; A Report on Telecommunications in Canada.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Information Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

Telecommission, the study of the present state and future prospects of telecommunications in Canada, began in 1969. This general report focuses attention on the main issues and problems disclosed by the 40 individual Telecommission studies and presents options for consideration. Part one of the report sets out the complex background of problems…

Curriculum Studies in Brazil: Intellectual Histories, Present Circumstances. International and Development Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinar, William F., Ed.

2011-01-01

This collection, comprised of chapters focused on the intellectual histories and present circumstances of curriculum studies in Brazil, is Pinar's summary of exchanges (occurring over a two-year period) between the authors and members of an International Panel (scholars working in Finland, South Africa, the United States). From these and the…

Conceptual Thermal Treatment Technologies Feasibility Study

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

Suer, A.

1996-02-28

This report presents a conceptual Thermal Treatment Technologies Feasibility Study (FS) for the Savannah River Site (SRS) focusing exclusively on thermal treatment technologies for contaminated soil, sediment, or sludge remediation projects.

A study of occurrence rates of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) to aircraft with a focus on HIRF (external) High Intensity Radiated Fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shooman, Martin L.

1994-01-01

This report presents the methodology and results of a subjective study done by Polytechnic University to investigate Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) events on aircraft. The results cover various types of EMI from on-board aircraft systems, passenger carry-on devices, and externally generated disturbances. The focus of the study, however, was on externally generated EMI, termed High Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF), from radars, radio and television transmitters, and other man-made emitters of electromagnetic energy. The study methodology used an anonymous questionnaire distributed to experts to gather the data. This method is known as the Delphi or Consensus Estimation technique. The questionnaire was sent to an expert population of 230 and there were 57 respondents. Details of the questionnaire, a few anecdotes, and the statistical results of the study are presented.

Students’ conceptions of radiation and what to do about them

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plotz, Thomas

2017-01-01

For good science teaching, it is necessary to have knowledge of your students’ preconceptions. Numerous studies have been conducted about typical ideas that students bring to the science classroom in science education research. Unfortunately the domains of which we know preconceptions are not distributed evenly and there is a lack of studies about students’ conceptions of electromagnetic radiation. This literature review focuses on the existing body of studies around those conceptions. All studies focusing on conceptions of radiation, including nuclear radiation, have been considered if they were published in international peer reviewed journals in English and German between 1980 and the present day. Some interesting conceptions mentioned in different studies are pointed out, as well as gaps in the literature that need to be filled. At the end, some ideas to conquer misconceptions are presented.

Epigenetic Control of Prolyl and Asparaginyl Hydroxylases in Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

transcriptionally and translationally silenced. We therefore proposed a study that focuses on the epigenetic control of these crucial enzymes . In this report...control of these enzymes . Last, we will explain our future direction of the project after the award period has expired. Hypoxia Inducible Factor, HIF...silenced. We therefore proposed a study that focuses on the epigenetic control of these crucial enzymes . In this report, we present data demonstrating our

A Structural Model of Depression Based on Interpersonal Relationships: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies and Loneliness.

PubMed

Majd Ara, Elahe; Talepasand, Siavash; Rezaei, Ali Mohammad

2017-06-01

The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the structural model of interpersonal relationships and depression using coping strategies and loneliness as mediators. Using multistage random sampling, 301 high-school students were selected from Minudasht city, Iran. The participants were aksed to complete the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI); the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Lazarus and Folkman); the Children's Loneliness Scale (CLS); and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the pattern of direct and indirect effects. Findings of the present study show that the data are well fitted to the model. The indirect effect of the positive quality of relationships was significant on depression through loneliness. Moreover, the indirect effects of the negative quality of relationships on depression through loneliness and through emotion-focused coping strategies were statistically significant. Although the effect of loneliness and emotion-focused coping strategies on depression was significant, problem-focused coping strategies did not have a significant effect on depression. Additionally, the findings suggested that the indirect effect through loneliness on depression was stronger compared with the indirect effect through emotion-focused coping strategies. The positive or negative quality of interpersonal relationships, loneliness, and emotion-focused coping strategy can significantly predict depression.

Structure resonances due to space charge in periodic focusing channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chao; Jameson, R. A.

2018-02-01

The Vlasov-Poisson model is one of the most effective methods to study the space charge dominated beam evolution self-consistently in a periodic focusing channel. Since the approach to get the solution with this model is not trivial, previous studies are limited in degenerated conditions, either in smoothed channel (constant focusing) [I. Hofmann, Phys. Rev. E 57, 4713 (1998)] or in alternating gradient focusing channel with equal initial beam emittance condition in the degrees of freedom [I. Hofmann et al., Part. Accel. 13, 145 (1983); Chao Li et al., THOBA02, IPAC2016]. To establish a basis, we intentionally limit this article to the study of the pure transverse periodic focusing lattice with arbitrary initial beam condition, and the same lattice structure in both degrees of freedom, but with possibility of different focusing strengths. This will show the extension of the existing work. The full Hamiltonian is invoked for a pure transverse focusing lattice in various initial beam conditions, revealing different mode structure and additional modes beyond those of the degenerated cases. Application of the extended method to realistic lattices (including longitudinal accelerating elements) and further details will then reveal many new insights, and will be presented in later work.

Treating Youths with Selective Mutism with an Alternating Design of Exposure-Based Practice and Contingency Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vecchio, Jennifer; Kearney, Christopher A.

2009-01-01

Selective mutism is a severe childhood disorder involving failure to speak in public situations in which speaking is expected. The present study examined 9 youths with selective mutism treated with child-focused, exposure-based practices and parent-focused contingency management via an alternating treatments design. Broadband measures of…

Applying Corpus-Based Findings to Form-Focused Instruction: The Case of Reported Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbieri, Federica; Eckhardt, Suzanne E. B.

2007-01-01

Arguing that the introduction of corpus linguistics in teaching materials and the language classroom should be informed by theories and principles of SLA, this paper presents a case study illustrating how corpus-based findings on reported speech can be integrated into a form-focused model of instruction. After overviewing previous work which…

Survey of Public Participation in the Arts: Musical Theater, Operetta, and Opera Attendees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abreu, Dan; And Others

Research presented in this report focuses on data obtained through the 1982 and 1985 "Survey of Public Participation in the Arts" and relates to musical theater, operetta, and opera attendance. The objectives of this study were to focus on those findings which might help opera or musical theater organizations attract and understand…

Collaborative Teacher Educator Professional Development in Europe: Different Voices, One Goal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lunenberg, Mieke; Murray, Jean; Smith, Kari; Vanderlinde, Ruben

2017-01-01

In this article we present an embedded case study focused on the learning activities provided for and by us through our involvement in an international forum focused on the professional development of teacher educators. The aim of this research was to gain more insight into the complicated processes of professional learning across national…

African Americans. [Multicultural Studies for Grades 3 and 4, Reproducible Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maher, Jan; Selwyn, Doug

This workbook is designed for use with third, fourth, or fifth grade elementary school students and focuses on African American history and culture. Of the workbook's 14 lessons, Lesson 1 asks students to consider what they already know about Africa. Lesson 2 focuses on the geography of Africa. Lesson 3 presents current scientific theory about the…

Strategic Planning for Higher Education in Developing Countries: Challenges and Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayward, Fred M.

2008-01-01

The study presented in this article focuses on strategic planning in developing countries, drawing on the author's experiences in a dozen developing countries in Asia and Africa and focus groups in three of those countries: Afghanistan, Madagascar, and South Africa. It looks at the special challenges faced by planners in developing countries and…

A Competency Model for Determining the Professional Profiles of Faculty at Teacher Preparation Schools in Southern Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mijangos-Noh, Juan Carlos; Canto-Herrera, Pedro J.; Cisneros-Cohernour, Edith J.

2006-01-01

In this paper we present the preliminary findings of a study focused on determining the demographic and professional profiles and competencies of professors teaching at the Normal Schools that prepare elementary school teachers in the Southeast of Mexico. Data collection involves multiple methods of data collection including focus group…

Seeing Red, Feeling Blue: The Impact of State Political Leaning on State Identification Rates for Emotional Disturbance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, Andrew; Siperstein, Gary

2011-01-01

Investigations of why students with emotional disturbance (ED) are underidentified in special education have often focused on economic factors and problems with the definition of ED. The present study focuses on variation in underidentification across states and its relationship to political ideology. State-level political, economic, and…

Reexamining Effects of Form-Focused Instruction on L2 Pronunciation Development: The Role of Explicit Phonetic Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Kazuya

2013-01-01

The present study examines whether and to what degree providing explicit phonetic information (EI) at the beginning of form-focused instruction (FFI) on second language pronunciation can enhance the generalizability and magnitude of FFI effectiveness by increasing learners' ability to notice a new phone. Participants were 49 Japanese learners of…

Modeling of Focused Acoustic Field of a Concave Multi-annular Phased Array Using Spheroidal Beam Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Li-Li; Shou, Wen-De; Hui, Chun

2012-02-01

A theoretical model of focused acoustic field for a multi-annular phased array on concave spherical surface is proposed. In this model, the source boundary conditions of the spheroidal beam equation (SBE) for multi-annular phased elements are studied. Acoustic field calculated by the dynamic focusing model of SBE is compared with numerical results of the O'Neil and Khokhlov—Zabolotskaya—Kuznetsov (KZK) model, respectively. Axial dynamic focusing and the harmonic effects are presented. The results demonstrate that the dynamic focusing model of SBE is good valid for a concave multi-annular phased array with a large aperture angle in the linear or nonlinear field.

Right service, right place: optimising utilisation of a community nursing service to reduce planned re-presentations to the emergency department.

PubMed

Lawton, Jessica Kirsten; Kinsman, Leigh; Dalton, Lisa; Walsh, Fay; Bryan, Helen; Williams, Sharon

2017-01-01

Congruent with international rising emergency department (ED) demand, a focus on strategies and services to reduce burden on EDs and improve patient outcomes is necessary. Planned re-presentations of non-urgent patients at a regional Australian hospital exceeded 1200 visits during the 2013-2014 financial year. Planned re-presentations perpetuate demand and signify a lack of alternative services for non-urgent patients. The Community Nursing Enhanced Connections Service (CoNECS) collaboratively evolved between acute care and community services in 2014 to reduce planned ED re-presentations. This study aimed to investigate the evolution and impact of a community nursing service to reduce planned re-presentations to a regional Australian ED and identify enablers and barriers to interventionist effectiveness. A mixed-methods approach evaluated the impact of CoNECS. Data from hospital databases including measured numbers of planned ED re-presentations by month, time of day, age, gender and reason were used to calculate referral rates to CoNECS. These results informed two semistructured focus groups with ED and community nurses. The researchers used a theoretical lens, 'diffusion of innovation', to understand how this service could inform future interventions. Analyses showed that annual ED planned re-presentations decreased by 43% (527 presentations) after implementation. Three themes emerged from the focus groups. These were right service at the right time, nursing uncertainty and system disconnect and medical disengagement. CoNECS reduced overall ED planned re-presentations and was sustained longer than many complex service-level interventions. Factors supporting the service were endorsement from senior administration and strong leadership to drive responsive quality improvement strategies. This study identified a promising alternative service outside the ED, highlighting possibilities for other hospital emergency services aiming to reduce planned re-presentations.

Effect of attentional focus strategies on peak force and performance in the standing long jump.

PubMed

Wu, Will F W; Porter, Jared M; Brown, Lee E

2012-05-01

Significant benefits in standing long jump performance have been demonstrated when subjects were provided verbal instructions that promoted an external focus of attention compared with an internal focus of attention, suggesting differences in ground reaction forces. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate peak force and jump performance between internal and external focus of attention strategies. Untrained subjects were assigned to both experimental conditions in which verbal instructions were provided to promote either an external or internal focus of attention. All subjects completed a total number of 5 standing long jumps. The results of the study demonstrated that the external focus of attention condition elicited significantly greater jump distance (153.6 ± 38.6 cm) than the internal focus of attention condition (139.5 ± 46.7 cm). There were no significant differences observed between conditions in peak force (1429.8 ± 289.1 N and 1453.7 ± 299.7 N, respectively). The results add to the growing body of literature describing the training and learning benefits of an external focus of attention. Practitioners should create standardized verbal instructions using an external focus of attention to maximize standing long jump performance.

Patients’ Need for Tailored Comparative Health Care Information: A Qualitative Study on Choosing a Hospital

PubMed Central

Zwijnenberg, Nicolien C; Bloemendal, Evelien; Damman, Olga C; de Jong, Judith D; Delnoij, Diana MJ; Rademakers, Jany JD

2016-01-01

Background The Internet is increasingly being used to provide patients with information about the quality of care of different health care providers. Although online comparative health care information is widely available internationally, and patients have been shown to be interested in this information, its effect on patients’ decision making is still limited. Objective This study aimed to explore patients’ preferences regarding information presentation and their values concerning tailored comparative health care information. Meeting patients’ information presentation needs might increase the perceived relevance and use of the information. Methods A total of 38 people participated in 4 focus groups. Comparative health care information about hip and knee replacement surgery was used as a case example. One part of the interview focused on patients’ information presentation preferences, whereas the other part focused on patients’ values of tailored information (ie, showing reviews of patients with comparable demographics). The qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results The following themes were deduced from the transcripts: number of health care providers to be presented, order in which providers are presented, relevancy of tailoring patient reviews, and concerns about tailoring. Participants’ preferences differed concerning how many and in which order health care providers must be presented. Most participants had no interest in patient reviews that were shown for specific subgroups based on age, gender, or ethnicity. Concerns of tailoring were related to the representativeness of results and the complexity of information. A need for information about the medical specialist when choosing a hospital was stressed by several participants. Conclusions The preferences for how comparative health care information should be presented differ between people. “Information on demand” and information about the medical specialist might be promising ways to increase the relevancy and use of online comparative health care information. Future research should focus on how different groups of people use comparative health care information for different health care choices in real life. PMID:27895006

Influence of voice focus on tongue movement in speech.

PubMed

Bressmann, Tim; de Boer, Gillian; Marino, Viviane Cristina de Castro; Fabron, Eliana Maria Gradim; Berti, Larissa Cristina

2017-01-01

The present study evaluated global aspects of lingual movement during sentence production with backward and forward voice focus. Nine female participants read a sentence with a variety of consonants in a normal condition and with backward and forward voice focus. Midsagittal tongue movement was recorded with ultrasound. Tongue height over time at an anterior, a central, and a posterior measurement angle was measured. The outcome measures were speech rate, cumulative distance travelled, and average movement speed of the tongue. There were no differences in speech rate between the different conditions. The cumulative distance travelled by the tongue and the average speed indicated that the posterior tongue travelled a smaller cumulative distance and at a slower speed in the forward focus condition. The central tongue moved a larger cumulative distance and at a higher speed in the backward focus condition. The study offers first insights on how tongue movement is affected by different voice focus settings and illustrates the plasticity of tongue movement in speech.

Living With Diabetes in Appalachia: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Carpenter, Roger; Smith, Mary Jane

This article presents an innovative holistic practice application based on evidence from a focus group study on managing diabetes. The purpose of this study addressed the research question: How do persons with type 2 diabetes describe ways of managing the challenge of living with diabetes? A second purpose was to link the findings on ways to manage diabetes to holistic nursing practice through story theory. Nine adults with type 2 diabetes living in rural West Virginia participated in 3 focus groups. Using content analysis, the study findings integrated themes with core qualities, and are as follows: living life as an evolving process is awakening to the present and doing it your way, being on guard is a vigilant ongoing responsibility, attending to bodily experience is awareness of body and facing life stress, and knowing the consequences is awareness of potential problems and taking charge. Merging the study findings with the concepts of story theory led to the development of an innovative practice application for managing diabetes. Managing diabetes in this practice application goes beyond problem-centeredness to a patient-centered approach, offering attention to individual preferences. Since managing diabetes is a major problem in Appalachia, there a need for innovative approaches. This study adds to the body of knowledge on how persons from Appalachia manage diabetes. In addition, it offers a story practice approach for managing diabetes-replacing a problem focus to a more holistic approach to practice leading to more meaningful and fulfilling outcomes.

Environmental degradation of structured nanocomposites

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

2 C . FOCUS AND APPROACH OF PRESENT STUDY ..............................6 II...9 C . FABRICATION OF EPOXY NANOCOMPOSITES ..........................10 D. ARTIFICIAL WEATHER EXPOSURE...42 C . DISCUSSION

The “I” in us, or the eye on us? Regulatory focus, commitment and derogation of an attractive alternative person

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

When individuals are highly committed to their romantic relationship, they are more likely to engage in pro-relationship maintenance mechanisms. The present research expanded on the notion that commitment redirects self-oriented goals to consider broader relational goals and examined whether commitment interacts with a promotion and prevention focus to activate derogation of attractive alternatives. Three studies used cross-sectional and experimental approaches. Study 1 showed that romantically involved individuals predominantly focused on promotion, but not prevention, reported less initial attraction to an attractive target than single individuals, especially when highly committed to their relationship. Study 2 showed that romantically involved individuals induced in a promotion focus, compared to those in prevention focus, reported less initial attraction, but only when more committed to their relationship. Regardless of regulatory focus manipulation, more committed individuals were also less likely to perceive quality among alternative scenarios and to be attentive to alternative others in general. Finally, Study 3 showed that romantically involved individuals induced in promotion focus and primed with high commitment reported less initial attraction, than those primed with low commitment, or than those induced in prevention focus. Once again, for these latter no differences occurred according to commitment prime. Together, the findings suggest that highly committed promotion focused individuals consider broader relationship goals and activate relationship maintenance behaviors such as derogation of attractive alternatives to promote their relationship. PMID:28319147

Assessing Student Scientific Expression Using Media: The Media-Enhanced Science Presentation Rubric (MESPR)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mott, Michael S.; Chessin, Debby A.; Sumrall, William J.; Rutherford, Angela S.; Moore, Virginia J.

2011-01-01

The current study evaluated an assessment designed to dually promote student understanding of the experimental method and student ability to include digital and visual qualities in their presentations of scientific experiment results. The rubric, the Media-Enhanced Science Presentation Rubric (MESPR) focuses teacher-student dialogue along the…

Mercury Lander Mission Concept Study Summary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eng, D. A.

2018-05-01

Provides a summary of the Mercury Lander Mission Concept Study performed as part of the last Planetary Decadal Survey. The presentation will focus on engineering trades and the challenges of developing a Mercury lander mission.

Alcohol-related aggression during the college years: theories, risk factors and policy implications.

PubMed

Giancola, Peter R

2002-03-01

The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the research literature on alcohol-related aggression with a focus on college students. Data from both survey studies and experimental laboratory investigations conducted on college students are reviewed. Various methodological approaches to studying the alcohol-aggression relation, and their associated limitations, are then presented and discussed. The literature indicates that alcohol consumption facilitates aggressive behavior and increases the risk of being the victim of a violent act, particularly in heavy drinkers. Results from these studies are then placed into a context by reviewing 12 influential theories of aggression and alcohol-related aggression. On the basis of these theories and empirical data, a preliminary risk profile is presented to help identify which factors are likely to be important in predicting who will and who will not become aggressive after drinking alcohol. Although much research is still needed to elucidate the intricate causes of alcohol-related aggression, current prevention efforts might focus on modifying key risk factors such as poor cognitive functioning and inaccurate expectations about the effects of alcohol. Other prevention efforts directed specifically at college students might focus on helping them to identify risky situations that might facilitate the expression of intoxicated aggression.

Edison Home Community Study Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee County School District, Ft. Myers, FL. Dept. of Environmental Education and Instructional Development Services.

History is not merely events that occurred in the past. The past has influenced the present, as the present will influence the future. The purpose of this community study unit is to provide fourth grade students with an opportunity to investigate some of the history of Lee County, Florida. The unit's focus is on Thomas Edison, who built a home in…

Cognitive Association Formation in Episodic Memory: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Alice S. N.; Vallesi, Antonino; Picton, Terence W.; Tulving, Endel

2009-01-01

The present study focused on the processes underlying cognitive association formation by investigating subsequent memory effects. Event-related potentials were recorded as participants studied pairs of words, presented one word at a time, for later recall. The findings showed that a frontal-positive late wave (LW), which occurred 1-1.6 s after the…

Market study: 3-D eyetracker

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A market study of a proposed version of a 3-D eyetracker for initial use at NASA's Ames Research Center was made. The commercialization potential of a simplified, less expensive 3-D eyetracker was ascertained. Primary focus on present and potential users of eyetrackers, as well as present and potential manufacturers has provided an effective means of analyzing the prospects for commercialization.

Understanding Bullying and Victimization during Childhood and Adolescence: A Mixed Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guerra, Nancy G.; Williams, Kirk R.; Sadek, Shelly

2011-01-01

In the present study, quantitative and qualitative data are presented to examine individual and contextual predictors of bullying and victimization and how they vary by age and gender. Two waves of survey data were collected from 2,678 elementary, middle, and high school youth attending 59 schools. In addition, 14 focus groups were conducted with…

Citizenship in the Classroom: Transferring and Transforming Transcultural Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kjellin, Margareta Sandstrom; Stier, Jonas

2008-01-01

The aim of the paper is to present and discuss a Report from a Comenius 2.1 project, aimed at developing teachers' interpersonal, intercultural, social and civic competence. The study presented in the report was a multiple case study, and the methods for collecting data were focus group dialogues (with 34 teacher students), one video recording in…

To Rest Assured: A Study of Artistic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edstrom, Ann-Mari

2008-01-01

This article concerns artistic development within the context of a Master of Fine Arts program in visual arts in Sweden, and presents an empirical study based on repeated interviews with a group of art students. The aim is to contribute to our present understanding of artistic development by focusing on changes in the relation between the student…

The Interplay between Topic Shift and Focus in the Dynamic Construction of Discourse Representations.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaohong; Zhang, Xiuping; Wang, Cheng; Chang, Ruohan; Li, Weijun

2017-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that focusing an element can enhance the activation of the focused element and bring about a number of processing benefits. However, whether and how this local prominence of information interacts with global discourse organization remains unclear. In the present study, we addressed this issue in two experiments. Readers were presented with four-sentence discourses. The first sentence of each discourse contained a critical word that was either focused or unfocused in relation to a wh-question preceding the discourse. The second sentence either maintained or shifted the topic of the first sentence. Participants were told to read for comprehension and for a probe recognition task in which the memory of the critical words was tested. In Experiment 1, when the probe words were tested immediately after the point of topic shift, we found shorter response times for the focused critical words than the unfocused ones regardless of topic manipulation. However, in Experiment 2, when the probe words were tested two sentences away from the point of topic shift, we found the facilitation effect of focus only in the topic-maintained discourses, but not in the topic-shifted discourses. This suggests that the facilitation effect of focus was not immediately suppressed at the point of topic shifting, but when additional information was added to the new topic. Our findings provide evidence for the dynamic interplay between global topic structure and local salience of information and have important implications on how activation of information fluctuates in mental representation.

The Interplay between Topic Shift and Focus in the Dynamic Construction of Discourse Representations

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaohong; Zhang, Xiuping; Wang, Cheng; Chang, Ruohan; Li, Weijun

2017-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that focusing an element can enhance the activation of the focused element and bring about a number of processing benefits. However, whether and how this local prominence of information interacts with global discourse organization remains unclear. In the present study, we addressed this issue in two experiments. Readers were presented with four-sentence discourses. The first sentence of each discourse contained a critical word that was either focused or unfocused in relation to a wh-question preceding the discourse. The second sentence either maintained or shifted the topic of the first sentence. Participants were told to read for comprehension and for a probe recognition task in which the memory of the critical words was tested. In Experiment 1, when the probe words were tested immediately after the point of topic shift, we found shorter response times for the focused critical words than the unfocused ones regardless of topic manipulation. However, in Experiment 2, when the probe words were tested two sentences away from the point of topic shift, we found the facilitation effect of focus only in the topic-maintained discourses, but not in the topic-shifted discourses. This suggests that the facilitation effect of focus was not immediately suppressed at the point of topic shifting, but when additional information was added to the new topic. Our findings provide evidence for the dynamic interplay between global topic structure and local salience of information and have important implications on how activation of information fluctuates in mental representation. PMID:29276496

Improving Aviation Safety with information Visualization: A Flight Simulation Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aragon, Cecilia R.; Hearst, Marti

2005-01-01

Many aircraft accidents each year are caused by encounters with invisible airflow hazards. Recent advances in aviation sensor technology offer the potential for aircraft-based sensors that can gather large amounts of airflow velocity data in real-time. With this influx of data comes the need to study how best to present it to the pilot - a cognitively overloaded user focused on a primary task other than that of information visualization. In this paper, we present the results of a usability study of an airflow hazard visualization system that significantly reduced the crash rate among experienced helicopter pilots flying a high fidelity, aerodynamically realistic fixed-base rotorcraft flight simulator into hazardous conditions. We focus on one particular aviation application, but the results may be relevant to user interfaces in other operationally stressful environments.

Feeling Closer to the Future Self and Doing Better: Temporal Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Academic Performance.

PubMed

Adelman, Robert Mark; Herrmann, Sarah D; Bodford, Jessica E; Barbour, Joseph E; Graudejus, Oliver; Okun, Morris A; Kwan, Virginia S Y

2017-06-01

This research examined the function of future self-continuity and its potential downstream consequences for academic performance through relations with other temporal psychological factors and self-control. We also addressed the influence of cultural factors by testing whether these relations differed by college generation status. Undergraduate students enrolled at a large public university participated in two studies (Study 1: N = 119, M age  = 20.55, 56.4% women; Study 2: N = 403, M age  = 19.83, 58.3% women) in which they completed measures of temporal psychological factors and psychological resources. In Study 2, we also obtained academic records to link responses to academic performance. Future self-continuity predicted subsequent academic performance and was related positively to future focus, negatively to present focus, and positively to self-control. Additionally, the relation between future focus and self-control was stronger for continuing-generation college students than first-generation college students. Future self-continuity plays a pivotal role in academic contexts. Findings suggest that it may have positive downstream consequences on academic achievement by directing attention away from the present and toward the future, which promotes self-control. Further, the strategy of focusing on the future may be effective in promoting self-control only for certain cultural groups. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interaction of the high energy deuterons with the graphite target in the plasma focus devices based on Lee model

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

Akel, M., E-mail: pscientific2@aec.org.sy; Alsheikh Salo, S.; Ismael, Sh.

2014-07-15

Numerical experiments are systematically carried out using the Lee model code extended to compute the ion beams on various plasma focus devices operated with Deuterium gas. The deuteron beam properties of the plasma focus are studied for low and high energy plasma focus device. The energy spectral distribution for deuteron ions ejected from the pinch plasma is calculated and the ion numbers with energy around 1 MeV is then determined. The deuteron–graphite target interaction is studied for different conditions. The yield of the reaction {sup 12}C(d,n){sup 13}N and the induced radioactivity for one and multi shots plasma focus devices in themore » graphite solid target is investigated. Our results present the optimized high energy repetitive plasma focus devices as an alternative to accelerators for the production of {sup 13}N short lived radioisotopes. However, technical challenges await solutions on two fronts: (a) operation of plasma focus machines at high rep rates for a sufficient period of time (b) design of durable targets that can take the thermal load.« less

Coping response following a diagnosis of breast cancer: A systematic review.

PubMed

Mehrabi, Esmat; Hajian, Sepideh; Simbar, Masoomeh; Hoshyari, Mohammad; Zayeri, Farid

2015-12-01

Coping with breast cancer is an important health issue that results in adjustments to the disease in survivors. The present systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence about the coping strategies used by women who are primary breast cancer survivors to adjust to their new situations in their lives. Searches were conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Wiley Online Library, and PsycINFO, using the terms "breast cancer," "breast malignancy," "coping strategies," "coping behaviors," and "adjustment" from January 2000 to July 2015. Only relevant studies in English were selected at the end of the search. Only those papers were selected that focused on coping strategies/behaviors that were used by breast cancer survivors. Searching the electronic databases resulted in 2390 articles. Ultimately, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria of the present study and were included in the review. Two reviewers independently reviewed all relevant articles using the same inclusion criteria. The reviewers completed a quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment scales for observational studies. The more frequent coping strategies that patients with breast cancer used in the studies were 1) seeking social support (9 studies), 2) positive reframing and reappraisal behaviors as problem focused strategies (7 studies), 3) religious/spirituality-focused efforts (8 studies), 4) emotional expression as positive emotion-focused strategies (3 studies), and 5) avoidance and distraction as avoidance orientated strategies (6 studies). Women with different ethnicities and educational levels used different coping strategies with breast cancer, and they used different strategies in different phases of the disease. This systematic review revealed that seeking social support and emotion-focused efforts were the main coping strategies that women with breast cancer diagnosis used, especially in the early phase of breast cancer diagnosis. This information about the coping responses of patients may be useful in designing interventional programs to assist other women in dealing with the various challenges imposed upon them by their illness.

Arsenic Removal from Drinking Water Small Systems Research

EPA Science Inventory

This Power Point presentation will summarize some of the results from Arsenic Demonstration Program with the main focus on the adsorptive media systems used by small systems. The presentation will also describe the results of recent regeneration studies conducted on the arsenic ...

Mechanisms of Change During Attention Training and Mindfulness in High Trait-Anxious Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

McEvoy, Peter M; Graville, Rachel; Hayes, Sarra; Kane, Robert T; Foster, Jonathan K

2017-09-01

The first aim of this study was to compare attention manipulation techniques deriving from metacognitive therapy (the Attention Training Technique; ATT) and mindfulness-based approaches (Mindfulness-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation, MB-PMR) to a thought wandering control (TWC) condition, in terms of their impact on anxiety and four mechanisms: distancing, present-focused attention, uncontrollability and dangerousness, metacognitive beliefs, and cognitive flexibility (Stroop task). The second aim was to test indirect effects of the techniques on anxiety via the mechanism measures. High trait anxious participants (N = 81, M age = 23.60, SD age = 7.66, 80% female) were randomized to receive ATT, MB-PMR, or the TWC condition. Measures of cognitive and somatic anxiety, distancing, present-focused attention, metacognitive beliefs, and cognitive flexibility were administered before or after the attention manipulation task. Compared to the TWC group, ATT and MB-PMR were associated with greater changes on cognitive (but not somatic) anxiety, present-focused attention, metacognitive beliefs, and uncorrected errors for threat-related words on the Stroop task. The pattern of means was similar for distancing, but this did not reach statistical significance, and Stroop speed increased equally for all conditions. Indirect effects models revealed significant effects of condition on state anxiety via distancing, metacognitive beliefs, and present-focused attention, but not via Stroop errors. ATT and MB-PMR were associated with changes on anxiety and the mechanism measures, suggesting that the mechanisms of change may be more similar than different across these techniques. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Salivary Cortisol Levels and Depressive Symptomatology in Consumers and Nonconsumers of Self-Help Books: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Raymond, Catherine; Marin, Marie-France; Hand, Anne; Sindi, Shireen; Juster, Robert-Paul; Lupien, Sonia J.

2016-01-01

The self-help industry generates billions of dollars yearly in North America. Despite the popularity of this movement, there has been surprisingly little research assessing the characteristics of self-help books consumers, and whether this consumption is associated with physiological and/or psychological markers of stress. The goal of this pilot study was to perform the first psychoneuroendocrine analysis of consumers of self-help books in comparison to nonconsumers. We tested diurnal and reactive salivary cortisol levels, personality, and depressive symptoms in 32 consumers and nonconsumers of self-help books. In an explorative secondary analysis, we also split consumers of self-help books as a function of their preference for problem-focused versus growth-oriented self-help books. The results showed that while consumers of growth-oriented self-help books presented increased cortisol reactivity to a psychosocial stressor compared to other groups, consumers of problem-focused self-help books presented higher depressive symptomatology. The results of this pilot study show that consumers with preference for either problem-focused or growth-oriented self-help books present different physiological and psychological markers of stress when compared to nonconsumers of self-help books. This preliminary study underlines the need for additional research on this issue in order to determine the impact the self-help book industry may have on consumers' stress. PMID:26839713

Salivary Cortisol Levels and Depressive Symptomatology in Consumers and Nonconsumers of Self-Help Books: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Raymond, Catherine; Marin, Marie-France; Hand, Anne; Sindi, Shireen; Juster, Robert-Paul; Lupien, Sonia J

2016-01-01

The self-help industry generates billions of dollars yearly in North America. Despite the popularity of this movement, there has been surprisingly little research assessing the characteristics of self-help books consumers, and whether this consumption is associated with physiological and/or psychological markers of stress. The goal of this pilot study was to perform the first psychoneuroendocrine analysis of consumers of self-help books in comparison to nonconsumers. We tested diurnal and reactive salivary cortisol levels, personality, and depressive symptoms in 32 consumers and nonconsumers of self-help books. In an explorative secondary analysis, we also split consumers of self-help books as a function of their preference for problem-focused versus growth-oriented self-help books. The results showed that while consumers of growth-oriented self-help books presented increased cortisol reactivity to a psychosocial stressor compared to other groups, consumers of problem-focused self-help books presented higher depressive symptomatology. The results of this pilot study show that consumers with preference for either problem-focused or growth-oriented self-help books present different physiological and psychological markers of stress when compared to nonconsumers of self-help books. This preliminary study underlines the need for additional research on this issue in order to determine the impact the self-help book industry may have on consumers' stress.

Overview of radiation effects research in photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, Robert C.; Cohn, Lewis M.; Taylor, Edward W.; Greenwell, Roger A.

1995-05-01

A brief overview of ongoing radiation effects research in photonics is presented focusing on integrated optic and acousto-optic components. A short summary of radiation-induced effects in electro-optic modulators, detector arrays, and other photonic technologies is presented along with extensive references. The coordinated radiation effects studies among researchers within the Tri-Service Organizations and international experimental teams are beginning to demonstrate consistent measurements of radiation-induced effects in photonic components and confirming earlier reported data. This paper will present an overview of these coordinated investigations and focus on key research being conducted with the AFMC Phillips Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory, Defence Nuclear Agency, NATO Nuclear Effects Task Group, and the Tri-Service Photonics Coordinating Committee.

Focus-based filtering + clustering technique for power-law networks with small world phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boutin, François; Thièvre, Jérôme; Hascoët, Mountaz

2006-01-01

Realistic interaction networks usually present two main properties: a power-law degree distribution and a small world behavior. Few nodes are linked to many nodes and adjacent nodes are likely to share common neighbors. Moreover, graph structure usually presents a dense core that is difficult to explore with classical filtering and clustering techniques. In this paper, we propose a new filtering technique accounting for a user-focus. This technique extracts a tree-like graph with also power-law degree distribution and small world behavior. Resulting structure is easily drawn with classical force-directed drawing algorithms. It is also quickly clustered and displayed into a multi-level silhouette tree (MuSi-Tree) from any user-focus. We built a new graph filtering + clustering + drawing API and report a case study.

Intervening to Improve Outcomes for Siblings in Foster Care: Conceptual, Substantive, and Methodological Dimensions of a Prevention Science Framework

PubMed Central

Kothari, Brianne H.; Blakeslee, Jennifer; Lamson-Siu, Emilie; Bank, Lew; Linares, L. Oriana; Waid, Jeffrey; Sorenson, Paul; Jimenez, Jessica; Pearson, Eva; Shlonsky, Aron

2014-01-01

In recent years, the child welfare field has devoted significant attention to siblings in foster care. Policymakers and practitioners have supported efforts to connect siblings via shared foster placements and visitation while researchers have focused on illuminating the empirical foundations of sibling placement and sibling intervention in child welfare. The current paper synthesizes literature on sibling relationship development and sibling issues in child welfare in the service of presenting a typology of sibling-focused interventions for use with foster youth. The paper provides two examples of current intervention research studies focused on enhancing sibling developmental processes and understanding their connection to child welfare outcomes. The paper concludes by presenting an emerging agenda informing policy, practice, and research on siblings in foster care. PMID:24634558

Young Children's Sensitivity to New and Given Information when Answering Predicate-Focus Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salomo, Dorothe; Lieven, Elena; Tomasello, Michael

2010-01-01

In two studies we investigated 2-year-old children's answers to predicate-focus questions depending on the preceding context. Children were presented with a successive series of short video clips showing transitive actions (e.g., frog washing duck) in which either the action (action-new) or the patient (patient-new) was the changing, and therefore…

The Effect of Focus on Form and Task Complexity on L2 Learners' Oral Task Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salimi, Asghar

2015-01-01

Second Language learners' oral task performance has been one of interesting and research generating areas of investigations in the field of second language acquisition specially, task-based language teaching and learning. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of focus on form and task complexity on L2 learners' oral…

In the Guise of STEM Education Reform: Opportunity Structures and Outcomes in Inclusive STEM-Focused High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weis, Lois; Eisenhart, Margaret; Cipollone, Kristin; Stich, Amy E.; Nikischer, Andrea B.; Hanson, Jarrod; Ohle Leibrandt, Sarah; Allen, Carrie D.; Dominguez, Rachel

2015-01-01

In this article, we present findings from a three-year comparative longitudinal and ethnographic study of how schools in two cities, Buffalo and Denver, have taken up STEM education reform, including the idea of "inclusive STEM-focused schools," to address weaknesses in urban high schools with majority low-income and minority students.…

English Idioms and Iranian Beginner Learners: A Focus on Short Stories and Pictures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehrpour, Saeed; Mansourzadeh, Nurullah

2017-01-01

Idiomatic expressions are among the most difficult and challenging aspects in the realm of lexicon. The focus of the present study was on investigating the effect of short stories and pictures on learning idiomatic expressions by beginner EFL learners. For this aim, 52 Iranian EFL learners were chosen and assigned to three groups randomly: two…

Low-cost point-focus solar concentrator, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, E. V.; Derbidge, T. C.; Erskine, D.; Maraschin, R. A.; Niemeyer, W. A.; Matsushita, M. J.; Overly, P. T.

1979-01-01

The results of the preliminary design study for the low cost point focus solar concentrator (LCPFSC) development program are presented. A summary description of the preliminary design is given. The design philosophy used to achieve a cost effective design for mass production is described. The concentrator meets all design requirements specified and is based on practical design solutions in every possible way.

Effect of Mood States on the Breadth of Spatial Attentional Focus: An Event-Related Potential Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moriya, Hiroki; Nittono, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

In order to determine the processing stage that is responsible for the effect of mood states on the breadth of attentional focus, we recorded event-related potentials from 18 students who performed a flanker task involving adjacent letters. To induce a specific mood state, positive, neutral, or negative affective pictures were presented repeatedly…

A Pilot Study of Sensation-Focused Intensive Treatment for Panic Disorder with Moderate to Severe Agoraphobia: Preliminary Outcome and Benchmarking Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bitran, Stella; Morissette, Sandra B.; Spiegel, David A.; Barlow, David H.

2008-01-01

This report presents results of a treatment for panic disorder with moderate to severe agoraphobia (PDA-MS) called sensation-focused intensive treatment (SFIT). SFIT is an 8-day intensive treatment that combines features of cognitive-behavioral treatment for panic disorder, such as interoceptive exposure and cognitive restructuring with ungraded…

The Validity and Value of Peer Assessment Using Adaptive Comparative Judgement in Design Driven Practical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seery, Niall; Canty, Donal; Phelan, Pat

2012-01-01

This paper presents the response of the technology teacher education programmes at the University of Limerick to the assessment challenge created by the shift in philosophy of the Irish national curriculum from a craft-based focus to design-driven education. This study observes two first year modules of the undergraduate programmes that focused on…

Faculty Challenges across Rank in Liberal Arts Colleges: A Human Resources Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Vicki L.; Pifer, Meghan J.; Lunsford, Laura G.

2016-01-01

This article focuses on the challenges faced by faculty members in a consortium of 13 Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs). We present findings, by academic rank, from a mixed-methods study of faculty development needs and experiences within the consortium. Relying on human resource principles, we advocate a greater focus on the development of the person,…

Focused Attention Deficits in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levinoff, E.J.; Saumier, D.; Chertkow, H.

2005-01-01

Reaction time (RT) tasks take various forms, and can assess psychomotor speed, (i.e., simple reaction time task), and focused attention (i.e., choice reaction time (CRT) task). If cues are provided before stimulus presentation (i.e., cued choice reaction time (CCRT) task), then a cueing effect can also be assessed. A limited number of studies have…

High efficiency focus neutron generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadeghi, H.; Amrollahi, R.; Zare, M.; Fazelpour, S.

2017-12-01

In the present paper, the new idea to increase the neutron yield of plasma focus devices is investigated and the results are presented. Based on many studies, more than 90% of neutrons in plasma focus devices were produced by beam target interactions and only 10% of them were due to thermonuclear reactions. While propounding the new idea, the number of collisions between deuteron ions and deuterium gas atoms were increased remarkably well. The COMSOL Multiphysics 5.2 was used to study the given idea in the known 28 plasma focus devices. In this circumstance, the neutron yield of this system was also obtained and reported. Finally, it was found that in the ENEA device with 1 Hz working frequency, 1.1 × 109 and 1.1 × 1011 neutrons per second were produced by D-D and D-T reactions, respectively. In addition, in the NX2 device with 16 Hz working frequency, 1.34 × 1010 and 1.34 × 1012 neutrons per second were produced by D-D and D-T reactions, respectively. The results show that with regards to the sizes and energy of these devices, they can be used as the efficient neutron generators.

Emotion-attention interactions in recognition memory for distractor faces.

PubMed

Srinivasan, Narayanan; Gupta, Rashmi

2010-04-01

Effective filtering of distractor information has been shown to be dependent on perceptual load. Given the salience of emotional information and the presence of emotion-attention interactions, we wanted to explore the recognition memory for emotional distractors especially as a function of focused attention and distributed attention by manipulating load and the spatial spread of attention. We performed two experiments to study emotion-attention interactions by measuring recognition memory performance for distractor neutral and emotional faces. Participants performed a color discrimination task (low-load) or letter identification task (high-load) with a letter string display in Experiment 1 and a high-load letter identification task with letters presented in a circular array in Experiment 2. The stimuli were presented against a distractor face background. The recognition memory results show that happy faces were recognized better than sad faces under conditions of less focused or distributed attention. When attention is more spatially focused, sad faces were recognized better than happy faces. The study provides evidence for emotion-attention interactions in which specific emotional information like sad or happy is associated with focused or distributed attention respectively. Distractor processing with emotional information also has implications for theories of attention. Copyright 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Weather monitoring and forecasting over eastern Attica (Greece) in the frame of FLIRE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotroni, Vassiliki; Lagouvardos, Konstantinos; Chrysoulakis, Nektarios; Makropoulos, Christtos; Mimikou, Maria; Papathanasiou, Chrysoula; Poursanidis, Dimitris

2015-04-01

In the frame of FLIRE project a Decision Support System has been built with the aim to support decision making of Civil Protection Agencies and local stakeholders in the area of east Attica (Greece), in the cases of forest fires and floods. In this presentation we focus on a specific action that focuses on the provision of high resolution short-term weather forecasting data as well as of dense meteorological observations over the study area. Both weather forecasts and observations serve as an input in the Weather Information Management Tool (WIMT) of the Decision Support System. We focus on: (a) the description of the adopted strategy for setting-up the operational weather forecasting chain that provides the weather forecasts for the FLIRE project needs, (b) the presentation of the surface network station that provides real-time weather monitoring of the study area and (c) the strategy adopted for issuing smart alerts for thunderstorm forecasting based of real-time lightning observations as well as satellite observations.

Representations of health and illness by Eastern European, South American and Italian care workers: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Pace, Cecilia Serena; Velotti, Patrizia; Zavattini, Giulio Cesare

2012-05-01

This qualitative research examined the representations of health and illness presented by 30 individuals who work as care workers, from three different locations: Eastern Europe, South America and Italy. We led three focus groups for people who came from the same geographical area (intra-ethnic) and two for those from 'mixed' areas (inter-ethnic). From our content analyses, certain similarities and differences between the conceptualizations of health and illness emerged: in the intra-ethnic focus groups, Eastern Europeans focused on 'inner strengths', South Americans on 'love' and Italians on 'personal autonomy'. These peculiar traits were levelled in the inter-ethnic focus groups.

Measurement and Modeling of Near-Road & Near-Port Air Quality

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation provides a summary of mobile monitoring assessment studies conducted on major interstates in Detroit, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona along with a near-port assessment focusing on the Port of Charleston in South Carolina, USA. We will also present our mobile measu...

The development of a physiotherapy continence promotion program using a customer focus.

PubMed

Chiarelli, Pauline; Cockburn, Jill

1999-01-01

Health promotion programs provide information, education for health and opportunity for the development of the skills that people need to make healthy choices. The current climate of health care practice also directs its focus to the needs and wants of the health care consumers. This entails active input from the target group. The present study used focus groups in an attempt to ensure input from women in early postpartum into the development of a postpartum continence promotion program. The focus groups revealed anomalies in women's perceived susceptibility to, and knowledge about, urinary incontinence and pelvic floor exercises, while highlighting other areas of need. Focus groups proved an invaluable tool in the development of a more effective physiotherapy continence promotion program.

Possibilities of tourist use of natural and cultural resources in the Lublin Region - case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Świeca, Andrzej; Krukowska, Renata; Tucki, Andrzej; Skowronek, Ewa; Brzezińska-Wójcik, Teresa; Kociuba, Waldemar; Jóźwik, Marta

2012-01-01

The paper presents an overview of previous studies, the possibilities for tourist use of natural and cultural resources of the Lublin Region and presents case studies in this area. The case studies focused on assessing the tourism potential of spatial units of an administrative nature: the Lublin voivodeship, Lublin city and the municipality of Krasnobród, as well as physical-geographical units - the Giełczew Elevation.

Atlanta NAVIGATOR case study. Final report, May 1996--Jun 1997

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

Amodei, R.; Bard, E.; Brong, B.

1998-11-01

The Atlanta metropolitan region was the location of one of the most ambitious Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployments in the United States. This deployment included several individual projects--a Central Transportation Management Center (TMC), six Traffic Control Centers (TCC), one Transit Information Center (TIC), the Travel Information Showcase (TIS), and the extension of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail network and the new high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-85 and I-75. The Atlanta Centennial Olympic Games and Paralympic Games created a focus for these projects. All of these systems were to be brought on line in time for themore » Olympic Games. This report presents the findings of the NAVIGATOR Case Study and documents the lessons learned from the Atlanta ITS deployment experience in order to improve other ITS deployments in the future. The Case Study focuses on the institutional, programmatic, and technical issues and opportunities from planning and implementing the ITS deployment in Atlanta. The Case Study collected data and information from interviews, observations, focus groups, and documentation reviews. It presents a series of lessons learned and recommendations for enabling successful ITS deployments nationwide.« less

Nustar: Bringing the High-Energy Universe into Focus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fineberg, Larry

2016-01-01

This is a presentation to students at the University of Florida in the Small Satellite Design Club. The subject matter is the NuSTAR mission and covers topics about the spacecraft itself and the launch campaign. NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is the first focusing high-energy X-ray mission. Studies the hottest, densest, most energetic phenomena in the Universe. Purpose is to search for black holes, map the remnants of stellar explosions, and study the most extreme active galaxies.

Public Sculpture: America's Legacy. America Past and Present. Study Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powe, Faye; Carter, Richard, Ed.

This guide presents public sculpture as an effective instructional tool, with the primary emphasis on works contributing to a sense of national or community identity. Sculptures are introduced according to the chronology of persons or events commemorated. The 10 lessons focus on United States history from the Civil War to the present. Unit 1:…

The Differential Impact of Observational Learning and Practice-Based Learning on the Development of Oral Presentation Skills in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Grez, Luc; Valcke, Martin; Roozen, Irene

2014-01-01

The present study focuses on the design and evaluation of an innovative instructional approach to developing oral presentation skills. The intervention builds on the observational learning theoretical perspective. This perspective is contrasted with the traditional training and practice approach. Two sequencing approaches--learners starting with…

Introducing Quantum Mechanics in the Upper Secondary School: A Study in Norway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsen, Rolf V.

2002-01-01

Reports on a study examining how upper secondary students (18-19-years-old) in Norway come to terms with wave-particle duality as presented as part of a short introduction to quantum physics. Concludes that school physics should give a more explicit focus to the challenge that quantum physics presents to the classical worldview. (Contains 30…

Instructing Educators in the Use of Assistive Technology Listening Devices in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alodail, Abdullah K.

2014-01-01

The present study will present Kemp's design in the classroom setting for students with hearing impairments. Based on his model, the researcher will design various instructional methods of how to teach students with hearing aids in the school, focusing on the instruction of English to America K-12 students. The study will also include a list of…

The Wonderful World of Children's Books? Negotiating Diversity through Children's Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monoyiou, Elena; Symeonidou, Simoni

2016-01-01

The present paper reports the findings of a study that sought to identify how diversity (in the form of disability, appearance, and race) is presented in children's books written in or translated into the Greek language. The study focused on the plots and the portrayal of key figures. The sample consisted of 50 children's books written after 1990…

The Effect of Varying Teacher Presentation Rates on Responding during Discrete Trial Training for Two Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roxburgh, Carole A.; Carbone, Vincent J.

2013-01-01

Recent research has emphasized the importance of manipulating antecedent variables to reduce interfering behaviors when teaching persons with autism. Few studies have focused on the effects of the rate of teacher-presented instructional demands as an independent variable. In this study, an alternating treatment design was used to evaluate the…

Leadership in Boys' Education: 16 Case Studies from Public and Private, Rural and Urban, Primary and Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Richard, Ed.; Hartman, Deborah, Ed.; Browne, Rollo, Ed.

Concern about boys' education in Australia and New Zealand led to the Leadership in Boys' Education Conference in May 1999. This book contains edited conference presentations focusing on boys' educational needs. The book also presents case studies related to academic achievement, school structure, discipline and bullying, broadening boys' options,…

Inertial focusing in a straight channel with asymmetrical expansion-contraction cavity arrays using two secondary flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Li, M.; Li, W. H.; Alici, G.

2013-08-01

The focusing of particles has a variety of applications in industry and biomedicine, including wastewater purification, fermentation filtration, and pathogen detection in flow cytometry, etc. In this paper a novel inertial microfluidic device using two secondary flows to focus particles is presented. The geometry of the proposed microfluidic channel is a simple straight channel with asymmetrically patterned triangular expansion-contraction cavity arrays. Three different focusing patterns were observed under different flow conditions: (1) a single focusing streak on the cavity side; (2) double focusing streaks on both sides; (3) half of the particles were focused on the opposite side of the cavity, while the other particles were trapped by a horizontal vortex in the cavity. The focusing performance was studied comprehensively up to flow rates of 700 µl min-1. The focusing mechanism was investigated by analysing the balance of forces between the inertial lift forces and secondary flow drag in the cross section. The influence of particle size and cavity geometry on the focusing performance was also studied. The experimental results showed that more precise focusing could be obtained with large particles, some of which even showed a single-particle focusing streak in the horizontal plane. Meanwhile, the focusing patterns and their working conditions could be adjusted by the geometry of the cavity. This novel inertial microfluidic device could offer a continuous, sheathless, and high-throughput performance, which can be potentially applied to high-speed flow cytometry or the extraction of blood cells.

[Gender differences in hemispheric interaction during distributed and directed attention].

PubMed

Razumnikova, O M; Vol'f, N V

2006-01-01

Gender differences in the functional hemispheric organization during memorization of dichotically presented verbal information in the situation of focused or non-focused attention were studied. Analysis of EEG coherence reactivity in six frequency bands (4-30 Hz) showed that the focused attention to stimuli presented to one ear as compared to divided attention between both ears was accompanied by an increase in the interhemispheric interaction in the thetal frequency band between the frontal cortical areas in men and between the parietoccipital areas in women. In the betal band, the focused attention was associated with a contralateral increase in the intrahemispheric coherence in men, whereas no significant difference in the intrahemispheric coherence was found in women. On the basis of coherence changes in the thetal and betal bands depending on the attention conditions together with the obtained correlation between coherence reactivity and word-recall scores, it may be suggested that verbal memorization in men is associated, predominantly, with the regulation from the anterior system of attention and from the posterior system in women.

Neural correlates of focused attention during a brief mindfulness induction.

PubMed

Dickenson, Janna; Berkman, Elliot T; Arch, Joanna; Lieberman, Matthew D

2013-01-01

Mindfulness meditation-the practice of attending to present moment experience and allowing emotions and thoughts to pass without judgment-has shown to be beneficial in clinical populations across diverse outcomes. However, the basic neural mechanisms by which mindfulness operates and relates to everyday outcomes in novices remain unexplored. Focused attention is a common mindfulness induction where practitioners focus on specific physical sensations, typically the breath. The present study explores the neural mechanisms of this common mindfulness induction among novice practitioners. Healthy novice participants completed a brief task with both mindful attention [focused breathing (FB)] and control (unfocused attention) conditions during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Relative to the control condition, FB recruited an attention network including parietal and prefrontal structures and trait-level mindfulness during this comparison also correlated with parietal activation. Results suggest that the neural mechanisms of a brief mindfulness induction are related to attention processes in novices and that trait mindfulness positively moderates this activation.

Tightening the focus: moral panic, moral regulation and liberal government.

PubMed

Hier, Sean P

2011-09-01

The purpose of this article is to tighten the focus of moral panic studies by clarifying and elaborating on an analytical framework that conceptualizes moral panic as a form of moral regulation. The first part of the article explains why moral panic should be conceptualized as a form of moral regulation. The second part presents a rejoinder to Critcher's (2009) critique of the widening focus of moral panic studies. The third part elaborates on the conceptual relationship between the sociologies of moral panic and moral regulation by offering fresh insights into the sociological and political importance of moral panic as a technique of liberal government. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2011.

Exploring medical undergraduates' perceptions of the educational value of a novel ENT iBook: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Al-Hussaini, Ali; Tomkinson, Alun

2016-01-01

Undergraduate otolaryngology exposure is limited. It may be consolidated by the use of an iBook as a self-study tool. Following invitation to participate by email, five focus groups were formed, each consisting of six medical students (18 female, 12 male, median age 23 years). The focus group transcripts were imported to the qualitative data analysis software NVivo (QSR International, UK). The iBook was found to have a clear and consistent presentation, and a focused and user-friendly style, with reasonable interactivity and a good range of well-integrated media elements. It was, overall, perceived to be a valuable educational resource by the medical students.

Post-filamentation high-intensive light channels formation upon ultrashort laser pulses self-focusing in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geints, Yu. E.; Ionin, A. A.; Mokrousova, D. V.; Seleznev, L. V.; Sinitsyn, D. V.; Sunchugasheva, E. S.; Zemlyanov, A. A.

2017-01-01

Experimental and theoretical study of the post-filamentation stage of focused high-power Ti:Sa laser pulses in air is presented. Angular divergence of the laser beam, as well as angular and spatial characteristics of specific spatially localized light structures, the post-filament channels (PFCs), under different initial focusing conditions and laser beam energy are investigated. We show that PFC angular divergence is always less than that of the whole laser beam and tends to decrease with laser pulse energy increase and beam focal length elongation.

Why are people with high self-control happier? The effect of trait self-control on happiness as mediated by regulatory focus

PubMed Central

Cheung, Tracy T. L.; Gillebaart, Marleen; Kroese, Floor; De Ridder, Denise

2014-01-01

Background: While self-control has often been related to positive outcomes in life such as higher academic achievements and better health, recent insights reveal that people with high trait self-control (TSC) may even experience greater life satisfaction or happiness. Objective: The current study further scrutinizes this potential association between TSC and happiness, and examines how regulatory focus, defined as the way people frame and direct their goal pursuit strategies, plays a role in this relationship. Accordingly, the present study examines the mediating role of regulatory-focus (promotion and prevention focus) on the relationship between TSC and happiness. Method: Data was collected from 545 individuals (65.9% female, Mage = 27.52 years) regarding their TSC, regulatory focus, and happiness. Results: Mediation analyses demonstrate that TSC positively predicts happiness, while this effect was partially mediated by relatively more promotion focus and less prevention focus. Conclusion: Results suggest that people with higher TSC are happier possibly because they are: (1) more promotion-focused on acquiring positive gains thereby facilitating more approach-oriented behaviors, and (2) less prevention-focused on avoiding losses thereby reducing avoidance-oriented behaviors. These findings are relevant for topical scientific debates regarding the underlying mechanisms of self-control regarding initiatory and inhibitory behaviors. PMID:25071683

Cost analysis of Virginia system for processing accident data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

The objectives of this study were to identify present system costs and deficiencies, determine the economic feasibility of alternative system configurations, and make recommendations for improvements. The study focused on the procedures used to proce...

The Problem is People, Social Studies: 6425.07.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratchford, Frank

Population education is the focus of this quinmester curriculum guide for secondary students. By examining and comparing past population theories of Malthus and Marx with present theories students will better understand the present situation, cultural attitudes toward the problems, and the ecological consequences of overpopulation. Objectives are…

Arousal, Personality, and Assortative Mating in Marriage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farley, Frank H.; Davis, Sandy A.

1977-01-01

A compound major individual difference variable having a putative physiological basis--arousal and the stimulation-seeking motive, which has not heretofore been intestigated in studies of assortative mating--was the focus of the present study. In addition, three choticism--were included for study. (Author)

A two-year longitudinal study of gender differences in responses to positive affect and depressive symptoms during middle adolescence.

PubMed

Gomez-Baya, Diego; Mendoza, Ramon; Paino, Susana; Gillham, Jane E

2017-04-01

This study aimed to analyze the prospective associations during adolescence between depressive symptoms and response styles to positive affect and to examine gender differences. A longitudinal study was conducted with three waves separated by 1 year each to assess a non-clinical sample of 622 Spanish adolescents who were 13 and 14 years old (50.2% boys, 49.8% girls). The participants completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms and responses to positive affect (emotion-focused positive rumination, self-focused positive rumination and dampening of positive emotion). The results showed that the increase in depressive symptoms was associated with an increase in dampening and decreases in emotion-focused and self-focused positive rumination. Furthermore, girls presented more depressive symptoms, as well as higher dampening and lower self-focused positive rumination, than boys. The conclusions highlight the need to consider responses to positive affect in explaining gender differences in depressive symptoms during mid-adolescence, as well as in designing prevention programs. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Focused Observation and Feedback of Nonverbal Behavior: A Report of the Development of an Instrument Designed for Analysis of Teacher Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, Banks; And Others

A systematic procedure for obtaining objective data of nonverbal teaching behaviors focusing on specific behaviors is presented. Teacher behaviors, recorded on video-tape, are studied and evaluated for the following nonverbal behaviors: (1) use of proximity control in maintaining discipline; (2) emphasis on the need for eye contact as a speaker;…

Looking beyond the ELT Approach in China's Higher Education from the Perspective of Bilingual Education: Immersion, Content-Based Instruction or Something Else?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Ping

2017-01-01

This article starts with definitions of bilingualism with a focus on the analysis of bilingual competence. Then the aims and types of bilingual education in developing bilingual competence are introduced with focus on analyses of immersion and content-based instruction. Subsequently, the contextual settings of the study are briefly presented.…

The Impact of Planned Preemptive Focus on Form on Iranian EFL Learners' Essay Writing Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gholami, Javad; Aliyari, Somayeh

2015-01-01

Focus on Form (FonF) instruction places dual emphasis on meaningful interaction and overt reference to problematic or more complex forms in L2 classes. One way to draw attention to such forms is through incidental preemptive FonF. As an attempt to expand the scope of teacher-initiated preemptive FonF, the present quasi-experimental study explored…

The Temporal Focus Scale: Factor Structure and Association with Alcohol Use in a Sample of Northern Irish School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Michael T.; Percy, Andrew; Goudie, Andrew J.; Sumnall, Harry R.; Cole, Jon C.

2012-01-01

The Temporal Focus Scale (TFS) is a 12-item self-report measure of cognitive engagement with the temporal domains of past, present and future. Developed in college student samples, a three-factor structure with adequate reliability and validity was documented in a series of independent studies. We tested the factor structure of the scale in a…

Shifting Identity Positions in the Development of Language Education for Immigrants: An Analysis of Discourses Associated with "Swedish for Immigrants"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Jenny Karin; Bagga-Gupta, Sangeeta

2013-01-01

The study presented in this paper focuses upon conceptualisations of language and identity in the institutionalised arena that emerged in the post-Second World War period with the specific intention of teaching Swedish to adult immigrants in the nation-state of Sweden. Our analysis focuses upon the development of the educational programme…

Innovations in Community-Based and Interdisciplinary Research: A Network Perspective on Innovation in Social Work Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Eric; Petering, Robin; Stringfellow, Erin; Craddock, Jaih B.

2017-01-01

We present a preliminary theory of innovation in social work science. The focus of the piece is two case studies from our work that illustrate the social nature of innovations in the science of social work. This inductive theory focuses on a concept we refer to as transformative innovation, wherein two sets of individuals who possess different…

The Convergence of Institutional Logics on the Community College Sector and the Normalization of Emotional Labor: A New Theoretical Approach for Considering the Community College Faculty Labor Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzales, Leslie D.; Ayers, David F.

2018-01-01

Little empirical research has systematically focused on, or interrogated, the labor expectations set forth for community college faculty. Thus, in this paper, we present a theoretical argument, which we formed by (re) reading several community college focused studies through various theoretical lenses. Ultimately, we merged two…

A Randomized Trial of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for Children with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder following Single-Incident Trauma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nixon, Reginald David Vandervord; Sterk, Jisca; Pearce, Amanda

2012-01-01

The present study compared the efficacy of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with trauma-focused cognitive therapy (without exposure; CT) for children and youth with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children and youth who had experienced single-incident trauma (N = 33; 7-17 years old) were randomly assigned to receive 9 weeks of…

Stereotypes of Norwegian social groups

PubMed Central

Bye, Hege H; Herrebrøden, Henrik; Hjetland, Gunnhild J; Røyset, Guro Ø; Westby, Linda L

2014-01-01

We present a pilot study and two main studies that address the nature of stereotypes of social groups in Norway within the framework of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The first study focused on stereotypes of a wide range of groups across categories such as gender, age, religious conviction, socioeconomic and health status. The second study focused on stereotypes of immigrant groups. Participants (n = 244 and n = 63, respectively) rated the groups on perceived warmth, competence, status, and competition. Results from both studies support the applicability of the SCM in Norway and provides a unique insight into stereotypes of Norwegian social groups. PMID:24975918

Hyperbolic-symmetry vector fields.

PubMed

Gao, Xu-Zhen; Pan, Yue; Cai, Meng-Qiang; Li, Yongnan; Tu, Chenghou; Wang, Hui-Tian

2015-12-14

We present and construct a new kind of orthogonal coordinate system, hyperbolic coordinate system. We present and design a new kind of local linearly polarized vector fields, which is defined as the hyperbolic-symmetry vector fields because the points with the same polarization form a series of hyperbolae. We experimentally demonstrate the generation of such a kind of hyperbolic-symmetry vector optical fields. In particular, we also study the modified hyperbolic-symmetry vector optical fields with the twofold and fourfold symmetric states of polarization when introducing the mirror symmetry. The tight focusing behaviors of these vector fields are also investigated. In addition, we also fabricate micro-structures on the K9 glass surfaces by several tightly focused (modified) hyperbolic-symmetry vector fields patterns, which demonstrate that the simulated tightly focused fields are in good agreement with the fabricated micro-structures.

Daydream Believer: Rumination, Self-Reflection and the Temporal Focus of Mind Wandering Content.

PubMed

Shrimpton, Daisy; McGann, Deborah; Riby, Leigh M

2017-11-01

Current research into mind-wandering is beginning to acknowledge that this process is one of heterogeneity. Following on from previous findings highlighting the role of self-focus during mind wandering, the present study aimed to examine individual differences in rumination and self-reflection and the impact such styles of self-focus may have on mind-wandering experiences. Thirty-three participants were required to complete the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART), aimed at inducing mind-wandering episodes, whilst also probing the content of thought in terms of temporal focus. Self-report questionnaires were also administered after the SART to measure dispositional differences in style and beliefs regarding mind-wandering and assessments of individual differences in rumination and self-reflection. Those individuals with reflective self-focus showed a strong positive association with positive and constructive thoughts. Critically, ruminative self-focus was positively associated with a tendency for the mind to wander towards anguished fantasies, failures and aggression, but it was also positively associated with positive and constructive thoughts. Furthermore, while dispositional differences in self-focus showed no relationship with the temporal perspective of thoughts when probed during a cognitive task, performance on the task itself was related to whether participants were thinking about the past, present or future during that activity. Such findings are discussed in line with previous research, and provide a further step towards accounting for the heterogeneous nature of mind-wandering.

Daydream Believer: Rumination, Self-Reflection and the Temporal Focus of Mind Wandering Content

PubMed Central

Shrimpton, Daisy; McGann, Deborah; Riby, Leigh M.

2017-01-01

Current research into mind-wandering is beginning to acknowledge that this process is one of heterogeneity. Following on from previous findings highlighting the role of self-focus during mind wandering, the present study aimed to examine individual differences in rumination and self-reflection and the impact such styles of self-focus may have on mind-wandering experiences. Thirty-three participants were required to complete the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART), aimed at inducing mind-wandering episodes, whilst also probing the content of thought in terms of temporal focus. Self-report questionnaires were also administered after the SART to measure dispositional differences in style and beliefs regarding mind-wandering and assessments of individual differences in rumination and self-reflection. Those individuals with reflective self-focus showed a strong positive association with positive and constructive thoughts. Critically, ruminative self-focus was positively associated with a tendency for the mind to wander towards anguished fantasies, failures and aggression, but it was also positively associated with positive and constructive thoughts. Furthermore, while dispositional differences in self-focus showed no relationship with the temporal perspective of thoughts when probed during a cognitive task, performance on the task itself was related to whether participants were thinking about the past, present or future during that activity. Such findings are discussed in line with previous research, and provide a further step towards accounting for the heterogeneous nature of mind-wandering. PMID:29358989

Focusing-schlieren visualization in a dual-mode scramjet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouchi, Toshinori; Goyne, Christopher P.; Rockwell, Robert D.; McDaniel, James C.

2015-12-01

Schlieren imaging is particularly suited to measuring density gradients in compressible flowfields and can be used to capture shock waves and expansion fans, as well as the turbulent structures of mixing and wake flows. Conventional schlieren imaging, however, has difficulty clearly capturing such structures in long-duration supersonic combustion test facilities. This is because the severe flow temperatures locally change the refractive index of the window glass that is being used to provide optical access. On the other hand, focusing-schlieren imaging presents the potential of reduced sensitivity to thermal distortion of the windows and to clearly capture the flow structures even during a combustion test. This reduced sensitivity is due the technique's ability to achieve a narrow depth of focus. As part of this study, a focusing-schlieren system was developed with a depth of focus near ±5 mm and was applied to a direct-connect, continuous-flow type, supersonic combustion test facility with a stagnation temperature near 1200 K. The present system was used to successfully visualize the flowfield inside a dual-mode scramjet. The imaging system captured combustion-induced volumetric expansion of the fuel jet and an anchored bifurcated shock wave at the trailing edge of the ramp fuel injector. This is the first time successful focusing-schlieren measurements have been reported for a dual-mode scramjet.

Disruptive Innovation in Air Measurement Technology: Reality or Hype?

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation is a big picture overview on the changing state of air measurement technology in the world, with a focus on the introduction of low-cost sensors into the market place. The presentation discusses how these new technologies may be a case study in disruptive innov...

Planned Focus on Form: Automatization of Procedural Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khatib, Mohammad; Nikouee, Majid

2012-01-01

The present study is premised on Anderson's ACT model that proposes declarative knowledge is automatizable through practice (1982). The research examined the extent to which declarative knowledge of one morphosyntactic structure, namely present perfect, can be automatized 2 days after practice and can be retained 2 weeks after practice. Twenty…

Meta-Analysis: An Approach to Interview Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCaslin, Mark; Carlson, Nancy M.

An initial research step, developing an effective interview strategy, presents unique challenges for novice and master research alike. To focus qualitative research in the human ecology of the study, the strategy presented in this paper used an initial interview protocol and preanalysis process, called meta-analysis, prior to developing the formal…

Metropolitan School Organization: Basic Problems and Patterns. Volume 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKelvey, Troy V., Ed.

This anthology describes and discusses the study and development of metropolitan educational delivery systems--the process of bringing education under the control of one system spanning the city and its suburbs. Substantive works focus on the forces presently surrounding the problem of metropolitan educational reform and the present state of…

Listeners' Responses in Interaction through Videoconferencing for Presentation Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iino, Atsushi; Yabuta, Yukiko; Nakamura, Yoichi

2013-01-01

This study investigated the change of listeners' responses of Japanese learners of English over a semester of presentation training sessions. We were also concerned with the relationship between speaking ability and perceived use of listeners' responses. In this paper, the listeners' responses we focused on were: acknowledging signals, repetition…

School Websites as a Novel Internationalization Assessment Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yemini, Miri; Cohen, Anat

2016-01-01

This article presents a case study on internationalization assessment. The international, intercultural and global dimensions at the school level are examined, focusing on the case of one particular secondary school in Israel. A novel, practical assessment tool is presented for the measurement of internationalization intensity and scope at the…

FLAX: Flexible and Open Corpus-Based Language Collections Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Alannah; Wu, Shaoqun; Marín, María José

2015-01-01

In this case study we present innovative work in building open corpus-based language collections by focusing on a description of the opensource multilingual Flexible Language Acquisition (FLAX) language project, which is an ongoing example of open materials development practices for language teaching and learning. We present language-learning…

Visiting Shrines: A Turkish Religious Practice and Its Mental Health Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canel-Cinarbas, Deniz; Ciftci, Ayse; Bulgan, Gokce

2013-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to explore through qualitative methodology the practice of visiting shrines, a religious practice indigenous to Turkish Muslims, and its potential mental health benefits. Thirteen individuals were interviewed at two shrines in Istanbul, Turkey. The researchers focused on visitors' presenting issues, beliefs…

Models To Improve Service Delivery. Chapter 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1996

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on models to improve service delivery. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Empirical Evaluation of an Alternative to Hospitalization for Youth Presenting Psychiatric Emergencies" (Scott W. Henggeler); (2) "An Experimental Study of the…

Somatic focus/awareness: Relationship to negative affect and pain in chronic pain patients

PubMed Central

O’Brien, Erin M.; Atchison, James W.; Gremillion, Henry A.; Waxenberg, Lori B.; Robinson, Michael E.

2009-01-01

Somatic focus refers to the tendency to notice and report physical symptoms, and has been investigated in relation to chronically painful conditions. This study investigated the relationship between somatic focus, as measured by the Pennebaker Inventory of Limbic Languidness (PILL), negative affect and pain. A secondary purpose of the present study was to examine sex differences in these relationships. Participants included 280 chronic pain patients (69.6% females, 88.9% Caucasian), who completed a battery of self-report measures on somatic focus, pain, negative affect, coping, and dysfunction. Results for the overall sample revealed that the PILL shares considerable variance with measures of negative affect, particularly with the physiological components of anxiety and depression. When the results were analyzed separately for male and female patients, it was found that several components of negative affect and cognitive factors play a stronger role in predicting somatic focus among men compared to women. Additional analyses then examined whether somatic focus was predictive of male and female patients’ pain reports. Results indicated that somatic focus explained a small, but unique amount of variance in female patients’ pain reports, which differed from the relationship observed among male patients. PMID:17524684

Hydrodynamic focusing investigation in a micro-flow cytometer.

PubMed

Yang, An-Shik; Hsieh, Wen-Hsin

2007-04-01

Hydrodynamic focusing behavior is characterized by two fluids coflowing at different velocities inside a micro-flow cytometer. In this study, a two-fluid model has been established to describe the flow transport behavior and interaction of sample and sheath fluids. The analysis treats the sample and sheath fluids as two-dimensional, laminar, incompressible, and isothermal. The theoretical model comprises two groups of transient conservation equations of mass and momentum with consideration of the interfacial momentum exchange. The governing equations are solved numerically through an iterative SIMPLEC algorithm to determine the flow properties. Since the ratio of the sheath velocity to the sample velocity varies from 5 to 70, the predicted focusing width and length are in good agreement with the experimental data in the literature. In addition, the present study explored the hydrodynamic focusing flowfield as well as the pressure drop across a micro-flow cytometer and the time needed for the completion of one focusing event in detail. To enhance the understanding of hydrodynamic focusing in the design of cytometers, ten numerical experiments were conducted to examine the effects of the inner nozzle length, inner nozzle exit width, inner nozzle shape, and fluid properties on the width of the focused sample stream.

Media Panel: A Presentation of a Program. Report No. 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosengren, Karl Erik; Windahl, Swen

Media Panel is a research program directed toward media habits, causes and effects of TV use among children and adolescents, and viewer/media interaction in general. Results of this longitudinal study from 1970 to the present are presented in three sections focusing on the early work of the group, the preschool panel, and the primary school panel.…

Sharing My Music with You: The Musical Presentation as a Tool for Exploring, Examining and Enhancing Self-Awareness in a Group Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bensimon, Moshe; Amir, Dorit

2010-01-01

Musical presentation (MP) is a diagnostic and therapeutic music therapy tool which focuses on the participant's emotional exploration and awareness-insight development. Using this tool people present themselves through music of their choice and subsequently receive feedback from their peers. This study investigates MP as a tool for enhancing…

Nanomaterial Case Study: Nanoscale Silver in Disinfectant Spray (External Review Draft)

EPA Science Inventory

This draft document presents a case study of engineered nanoscale silver (nano-Ag), focusing on the specific example of nano-Ag as possibly used in disinfectant sprays. This case study is organized around a comprehensive environmental assessment (CEA) framework, which combines a ...

Focus on advances in surface and interface science 2010 Focus on advances in surface and interface science 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aeschlimann, Martin; Berndt, Richard

2013-02-01

While surface science has traditionally focused on catalytic processes at surfaces, more recent developments have seen it evolve into a broad research area encompassing issues as diverse as single-molecule experiments, preparation and analysis of nanostructures, studies of novel and exotic materials, and elementary excitations in solids to name but a few. The aim of this small, but very select, focus issue of New Journal of Physics is to present a snapshot of just some of the latest cutting-edge research now being carried out on these topics. As editors, we hope that you find the contributions of interest to you and your future research.

Proprietary Rehabilitation: A Better Understanding. Report from the Study Group of the Tenth Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, St. Louis, Missouri, June 1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corthell, David W.; de Groot, Jozef

This booklet presents the report of the Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, focusing on proprietary, or private for-profit rehabilitation. Following a list of the prime study group members, acknowledgements, and a brief preface, chapter I of the document presents an historical perspective on the rehabilitation movement in the United States,…

The Effect of Different Types of Perceptual Manipulations on the Dimensionality of Automatically Generated Figural Matrices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendasy, M.; Sommer, M.

2005-01-01

Two pilot studies (n"1=155, n"2=451) are presented in this article, which were carried out within the development of an item generator for the automatic generation of figural matrices items. The focus of the presented studies was to compare two types of item designs with regard to the effect of variations of the property ''perceptual…

Not Just a Walk in the Park: Case Study of a Greek Preschool Located on an Educational Farm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iskos, Eugenia; Karakosta, Stella

2015-01-01

This paper presents a case study of a private preschool in Thessaloniki, Greece. The school, located at the unique setting of an educational farm, has a curriculum focus on environmental education. An analysis of teacher interviews and lesson plans in the span of three years presents insights into the barriers teachers faced in implementing their…

Commission of Professors of Adult Education. Proceedings of the Annual Conference (32nd, Washington, D.C., October 19-21, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of Professors of Adult Education.

These proceedings contain presentations and other materials from a conference that focused on the past, present, and future of graduate study in adult education. They begin with the first General Session, a dialogue consisting of reflections on the genesis of graduate study in adult education in North America by Cyril Houle, Malcolm Knowles, and…

[Basic thoughts on psychopharmacological interventions through psychotherapy of severe forms of post-traumatic stress disorder: a case study].

PubMed

Joksimovic, Ljiljana; Wöller, Wolfgang; Kunzke, Dieter

2013-01-01

The present paper focuses on clinical issues concerning the psychopharmacological treatment of severe forms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Using a case study, we discuss problems in this field against the background of psychodynamic and psychotraumatological theories. We also present strategies for the appropriate use of psychotropic drugs in the psychotherapy of PTSD.

Presentation of Projects, 1975/76.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swedish Broadcasting Corp., Stockholm.

Research projects currently underway at the Audience and Programme Research Department of Sweden's Sveriges Radio are divided into four areas: studies of children, information studies, audience studies, and adult education studies. The focus of the ten projects being pursued by the children's group is on the effect of the broadcast media on…

Geological Fieldwork: A Study Carried out with Portuguese Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esteves, Helena; Ferreira, Paulo; Vasconcelos, Clara; Fernandes, Isabel

2013-01-01

Recognizing the relevance that fieldwork and field trips have in the teaching of geosciences and related learning processes, this study presents two geological fieldwork studies that were established with Portuguese secondary school students. Both studies were focused on geoscience content knowledge, and attempted to increase environmental…

Data Assimilation and Predictability Studies on Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) Using the WRF-LETKF System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyoshi, T.; Kunii, M.

2011-12-01

Data assimilation and predictability studies on Tropical Cyclones with a particular focus on intensity forecasts are performed with the newly-developed Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) system with the WRF model. Taking advantage of intensive observations of the internationally collaborated T-PARC (THORPEX Pacific Asian Regional Campaign) project, we focus on Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) which intensified rapidly before making landfall to Taiwan. This study includes a number of data assimilation experiments, higher-resolution forecasts, and sensitivity analysis which quantifies impacts of observations on forecasts. This presentation includes latest achievements up to the time of the conference.

Black youth suicide: literature review with a focus on prevention.

PubMed Central

Baker, F. M.

1990-01-01

The national rates of completed suicide in the black population between 1950 and 1981 are presented, including age-adjusted rates. Specific studies of black suicide attempters and completed suicides by blacks in several cities are discussed. Methodological problems with existing studies and national suicide statistics are presented. Proposed theories of black suicide are reviewed. Based on a summary of the characteristics of black suicide attempters reported by the literature, preventive strategies--primary, secondary, and tertiary--are presented. PMID:2204709

Patients' Need for Tailored Comparative Health Care Information: A Qualitative Study on Choosing a Hospital.

PubMed

Zwijnenberg, Nicolien C; Hendriks, Michelle; Bloemendal, Evelien; Damman, Olga C; de Jong, Judith D; Delnoij, Diana Mj; Rademakers, Jany Jd

2016-11-28

The Internet is increasingly being used to provide patients with information about the quality of care of different health care providers. Although online comparative health care information is widely available internationally, and patients have been shown to be interested in this information, its effect on patients' decision making is still limited. This study aimed to explore patients' preferences regarding information presentation and their values concerning tailored comparative health care information. Meeting patients' information presentation needs might increase the perceived relevance and use of the information. A total of 38 people participated in 4 focus groups. Comparative health care information about hip and knee replacement surgery was used as a case example. One part of the interview focused on patients' information presentation preferences, whereas the other part focused on patients' values of tailored information (ie, showing reviews of patients with comparable demographics). The qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the constant comparative method. The following themes were deduced from the transcripts: number of health care providers to be presented, order in which providers are presented, relevancy of tailoring patient reviews, and concerns about tailoring. Participants' preferences differed concerning how many and in which order health care providers must be presented. Most participants had no interest in patient reviews that were shown for specific subgroups based on age, gender, or ethnicity. Concerns of tailoring were related to the representativeness of results and the complexity of information. A need for information about the medical specialist when choosing a hospital was stressed by several participants. The preferences for how comparative health care information should be presented differ between people. "Information on demand" and information about the medical specialist might be promising ways to increase the relevancy and use of online comparative health care information. Future research should focus on how different groups of people use comparative health care information for different health care choices in real life. ©Nicolien C Zwijnenberg, Michelle Hendriks, Evelien Bloemendal, Olga C Damman, Judith D de Jong, Diana MJ Delnoij, Jany JD Rademakers. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 28.11.2016.

Right service, right place: optimising utilisation of a community nursing service to reduce planned re-presentations to the emergency department

PubMed Central

Lawton, Jessica Kirsten; Kinsman, Leigh; Dalton, Lisa; Walsh, Fay; Bryan, Helen; Williams, Sharon

2017-01-01

Background Congruent with international rising emergency department (ED) demand, a focus on strategies and services to reduce burden on EDs and improve patient outcomes is necessary. Planned re-presentations of non-urgent patients at a regional Australian hospital exceeded 1200 visits during the 2013–2014 financial year. Planned re-presentations perpetuate demand and signify a lack of alternative services for non-urgent patients. The Community Nursing Enhanced Connections Service (CoNECS) collaboratively evolved between acute care and community services in 2014 to reduce planned ED re-presentations. Objective This study aimed to investigate the evolution and impact of a community nursing service to reduce planned re-presentations to a regional Australian ED and identify enablers and barriers to interventionist effectiveness. Methods A mixed-methods approach evaluated the impact of CoNECS. Data from hospital databases including measured numbers of planned ED re-presentations by month, time of day, age, gender and reason were used to calculate referral rates to CoNECS. These results informed two semistructured focus groups with ED and community nurses. The researchers used a theoretical lens, ‘diffusion of innovation’, to understand how this service could inform future interventions. Results Analyses showed that annual ED planned re-presentations decreased by 43% (527 presentations) after implementation. Three themes emerged from the focus groups. These were right service at the right time, nursing uncertainty and system disconnect and medical disengagement. Conclusions CoNECS reduced overall ED planned re-presentations and was sustained longer than many complex service-level interventions. Factors supporting the service were endorsement from senior administration and strong leadership to drive responsive quality improvement strategies. This study identified a promising alternative service outside the ED, highlighting possibilities for other hospital emergency services aiming to reduce planned re-presentations. PMID:29450293

Development and Piloting of a Classroom-focused Measurement Feedback System

PubMed Central

Nadeem, Erum; Cappella, Elise; Holland, Sibyl; Coccaro, Candace; Crisonino, Gerard

2015-01-01

The present study used a community partnered research method to develop and pilot a classroom-focused measurement feedback system (MFS) for school mental health providers to support teachers’ use of effective universal and target classroom practices related to student emotional and behavioral issues. School personnel from seven urban elementary and middle school classrooms participated. Phase I involved development and refinement of the system through a baseline needs assessment and rapid-cycle feedback. Phase II involved detailed case study analysis of pre-to-post quantitative and implementation process data. Results suggest that teachers who used the dashboard along with consultation showed improvement in observed classroom organization and emotional support. Results also suggest that MFS use was tied closely to consultation dose, and that broader support at the school level was critical. Classroom-focused MFSs are a promising tool to support classroom improvement, and warrant future research focused on their effectiveness and broad applicability. PMID:25894312

Familiarity promotes the blurring of self and other in the neural representation of threat

PubMed Central

Beckes, Lane; Hasselmo, Karen

2013-01-01

Neurobiological investigations of empathy often support an embodied simulation account. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we monitored statistical associations between brain activations indicating self-focused threat to those indicating threats to a familiar friend or an unfamiliar stranger. Results in regions such as the anterior insula, putamen and supramarginal gyrus indicate that self-focused threat activations are robustly correlated with friend-focused threat activations but not stranger-focused threat activations. These results suggest that one of the defining features of human social bonding may be increasing levels of overlap between neural representations of self and other. This article presents a novel and important methodological approach to fMRI empathy studies, which informs how differences in brain activation can be detected in such studies and how covariate approaches can provide novel and important information regarding the brain and empathy. PMID:22563005

IVHS Institutional Issues And Case Studies: Help/Cresent Case Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-04-01

This report presents the results of research on procurement-related legal and non-technical issues which may be viewed as constraints to the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). It focuses on state and local practices when federal ...

An Adaption of Gagné's Instructional Model to Increase the Teaching Effectiveness in the Classroom: The Impact in Romanian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilie, Marian D.

2014-01-01

Gagné's instructional events are more focused on the human internal learning process than on the learning context. This study fills this gap because it presents certain instructional events that are focused on the construction of a positive learning context through the teacher-student relationship. Therefore, it's proposing an adaption of Gagné's…

Coupled Thermo-Mechanical and Photo-Chemical Degradation Mechanisms that determine the Reliability and Operational Lifetimes for CPV Technologies

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

Dauskardt, Reinhold H.

This project sought to identify and characterize the coupled intrinsic photo-chemo-mechanical degradation mechanisms that determine the reliability and operational lifetimes for CPV technologies. Over a three year period, we have completed a highly successful program which has developed quantitative metrologies and detailed physics-based degradation models, providing new insight into the fundamental reliability physics necessary for improving materials, creating accelerated testing protocols, and producing more accurate lifetime predictions. The tasks for the program were separated into two focus areas shown in the figure below. Focus Area 1, led by Reinhold Dauskardt and Warren Cai with a primary collaboration with David Millermore » of NREL, studied the degradation mechanisms present in encapsulant materials. Focus Area 2, led by Reinhold Dauskardt and Ryan Brock with a primary collaboration with James Ermer and Peter Hebert of Spectrolab, studied stress development and degradation within internal CPV device interfaces. Each focus area was productive, leading to several publications, including findings on the degradation of silicone encapsulant under terrestrial UV, a model for photodegradation of silicone encapsulant adhesion, quantification and process tuning of antireflective layers on CPV, and discovery of a thermal cycling degradation mechanism present in metal gridline structures.« less

Attention and amygdala activity: an fMRI study with spider pictures in spider phobia.

PubMed

Alpers, Georg W; Gerdes, Antje B M; Lagarie, Bernadette; Tabbert, Katharina; Vaitl, Dieter; Stark, Rudolf

2009-06-01

Facilitated detection of threatening visual cues is thought to be adaptive. In theory, detection of threat cues should activate the amygdala independently from allocation of attention. However, previous studies using emotional facial expressions as well as phobic cues yielded contradictory results. We used fMRI to examine whether the allocation of attention to components of superimposed spider and bird displays modulates amygdala activation. Nineteen spider-phobic women were instructed to identify either a moving or a stationary animal in briefly presented double-exposure displays. Amygdala activation followed a dose-response relationship: Compared to congruent neutral displays (two birds), amygdala activation was most pronounced in response to congruent phobic displays (two spiders) and less but still significant in response to mixed displays (spider and bird) when attention was focused on the phobic component. When attention was focused on the neutral component, mixed displays did not result in significant amygdala activation. This was confirmed in a significant parametric graduation of the amygdala activation in the order of congruent phobic displays, mixed displays with attention focus on the spider, mixed displays with focus on the bird and congruent neutral displays. These results challenge the notion that amygdala activation in response to briefly presented phobic cues is independent from attention.

Effective factors in expansion of medical tourism in Iran

PubMed Central

Rezaee, Reza; Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi

2016-01-01

Background: Medical tourism (MT) refers to circumstances in which people travel for medical treatments. The present study focuses on determining factors affecting MT in Iran. Methods: The study uses a mixed method approach. Initially, through a qualitative study, 12 experts were interviewed deeply; then, 22 participants in three equal focus groups expressed their ideas about growth and development of MT in Iran. Based on the expressed ideas, 120 factors were identified and accordingly a structured questionnaire was developed. Some members from the focus groups confirmed the questionnaire’s face and content validity. The reliability of pertinent items was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha=0.8. Afterwards, 61 eligible subjects filled out this questionnaire. Results: The findings showed that "healthcare quality" and "high level of expertise" are two most attractive factors in MT. However, other factors such as "healthcare costs", and "visa facilities" are among key factors as well. Also, the role of "the healthcare providers" was found to be more prominent than the roles of "the government" and "the general tourist services". Conclusion: Although some attractive MT factors are present currently, MT expansion to a desirable level in Iran requires a comprehensive plan of which its factors were discussed in this paper. PMID:27683650

Challenges and Ideas from a Research Program on High Quality, Evidence-Based Practice in School Mental Health

PubMed Central

Weist, Mark D.; Youngstrom, Eric A.; Stephan, Sharon; Lever, Nancy; Fowler, Johnathan; Taylor, Leslie; McDaniel, Heather; Chappelle, Lori; Paggeot, Samantha; Hoagwood, Kimberly

2013-01-01

Objective Reviews the progression of a research program designed to develop, implement and study the implementation of “achievable” evidence-based practices (EBPs) in schools. Reviews challenges encountered and ideas to overcome them to enhance this avenue of research. Method Presents two federally funded randomized controlled trials involving comparison of a four-component targeted intervention (Quality Assessment and Improvement, Family Engagement and Empowerment, Modular Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation Support) versus a comparison intervention focused on Personal Wellness. In both studies primary aims focused on changes in clinician attitudes and behavior, including the delivery of high quality, evidence-based practices and secondary aims focused on student level impacts. Results A number of challenges, many not reported in the literature are reviewed, and ideas for overcoming them are presented. Conclusions Given the reality that the majority of youth mental health services are delivered in schools and the potential of school mental health (SMH) services to provide a continuum of mental health care from promotion to intervention, it is critical that the field consider and address the logistical and methodological challenges associated with implementing and studying EBP implementation by clinicians. PMID:24063310

Challenges and ideas from a research program on high-quality, evidence-based practice in school mental health.

PubMed

Weist, Mark D; Youngstrom, Eric A; Stephan, Sharon; Lever, Nancy; Fowler, Johnathan; Taylor, Leslie; McDaniel, Heather; Chappelle, Lori; Paggeot, Samantha; Hoagwood, Kimberly

2014-01-01

This article reviews the progression of a research program designed to develop, implement, and study the implementation of "achievable" evidence-based practices (EBPs) in schools. We review challenges encountered and ideas to overcome them to enhance this avenue of research. The article presents two federally funded randomized controlled trials involving comparison of a four-component targeted intervention (Quality Assessment and Improvement, Family Engagement and Empowerment, Modular Evidence-Based Practice, Implementation Support) versus a comparison intervention focused on personal wellness. In both studies, primary aims focused on changes in clinician attitudes and behavior, including the delivery of high-quality EBPs and secondary aims focused on student-level impacts. A number of challenges, many not reported in the literature, are reviewed, and ideas for overcoming them are presented. Given the reality that the majority of youth mental health services are delivered in schools and the potential of school mental health services to provide a continuum of mental health care from promotion to intervention, it is critical that the field consider and address the logistical and methodological challenges associated with implementing and studying EBP implementation by clinicians.

Effective factors in expansion of medical tourism in Iran.

PubMed

Rezaee, Reza; Mohammadzadeh, Mehdi

2016-01-01

Medical tourism (MT) refers to circumstances in which people travel for medical treatments. The present study focuses on determining factors affecting MT in Iran. The study uses a mixed method approach. Initially, through a qualitative study, 12 experts were interviewed deeply; then, 22 participants in three equal focus groups expressed their ideas about growth and development of MT in Iran. Based on the expressed ideas, 120 factors were identified and accordingly a structured questionnaire was developed. Some members from the focus groups confirmed the questionnaire's face and content validity. The reliability of pertinent items was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha=0.8. Afterwards, 61 eligible subjects filled out this questionnaire. The findings showed that "healthcare quality" and "high level of expertise" are two most attractive factors in MT. However, other factors such as "healthcare costs", and "visa facilities" are among key factors as well. Also, the role of "the healthcare providers" was found to be more prominent than the roles of "the government" and "the general tourist services". Although some attractive MT factors are present currently, MT expansion to a desirable level in Iran requires a comprehensive plan of which its factors were discussed in this paper.

PTSD symptomics: network analyses in the field of psychotraumatology.

PubMed

Armour, Cherie; Fried, Eiko I; Olff, Miranda

2017-01-01

Recent years have seen increasing attention on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research. While research has largely focused on the dichotomy between patients diagnosed with mental disorders and healthy controls - in other words, investigations at the level of diagnoses - recent work has focused on psychopathology symptoms. Symptomics research in the area of PTSD has been scarce so far, although several studies have focused on investigating the network structures of PTSD symptoms. The present special issue of EJPT adds to the literature by curating additional PTSD network studies, each looking at a different aspect of PTSD. We hope that this special issue encourages researchers to conceptualize and model PTSD data from a network perspective, which arguably has the potential to inform and improve the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

Linear self-focusing of continuous UV laser beam in photo-thermo-refractive glasses.

PubMed

Sidorov, Alexander I; Gorbyak, Veronika V; Nikonorov, Nikolay V

2018-03-19

The experimental and theoretical study of continuous UV laser beam propagation through thick silver-containing photo-thermo-refractive glass is presented. It is shown for the first time that self-action of UV Gaussian beam in glass results in its self-focusing. The observed linear effect is non-reversible and is caused by the transformation of subnanosized charged silver molecular clusters to neutral state under UV laser radiation. Such transformation is accompanied by the increase of molecular clusters polarizability and the refractive index increase in irradiated area. As a result, an extended positive lens is formed in glass bulk. In a theoretical study of linear self-focusing effect, the "aberration-free" approximation was used, taking into account spatial distribution of induced absorption.

What is safety culture and risk-taking like at a large steel manufacturing company?

PubMed

Nordlöf, Hasse

2012-01-01

Focus group interviews were conducted at a large steel manufacturing company with 1000 employees, in order to answer the research question: what is the safety culture and risk-taking like at the company, according to employees? Ten focus groups were used for data collection consisting of 6-8 employees each. The participants were operators from production. The interviews lasted 75 min and were digitally recorded and thereafter verbatim transcribed. Descriptive data was also collected from all participants by allowing them to fill out a short questionnaire. The results of this study will be presented at the conference as a poster presentation.

Gross anatomy of network security

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siu, Thomas J.

2002-01-01

Information security involves many branches of effort, including information assurance, host level security, physical security, and network security. Computer network security methods and implementations are given a top-down description to permit a medically focused audience to anchor this information to their daily practice. The depth of detail of network functionality and security measures, like that of the study of human anatomy, can be highly involved. Presented at the level of major gross anatomical systems, this paper will focus on network backbone implementation and perimeter defenses, then diagnostic tools, and finally the user practices (the human element). Physical security measures, though significant, have been defined as beyond the scope of this presentation.

Solitons in a nonlinear model of spin transport in helical molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albares, P.; Díaz, E.; Cerveró, Jose M.; Domínguez-Adame, F.; Diez, E.; Estévez, P. G.

2018-02-01

We study an effective integrable nonlinear model describing an electron moving along the axis of a deformable helical molecule. The helical conformation of dipoles in the molecular backbone induces an unconventional Rashba-like interaction that couples the electron spin with its linear momentum. In addition, a focusing nonlinearity arises from the electron-lattice interaction, enabling the formation of a variety of stable solitons such as bright solitons, breathers, and rogue waves. A thorough study of the soliton solutions for both focusing and defocusing nonlinear interaction is presented and discussed.

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

Del Tutto, Marco

This thesis presents a study of the NuMI beam line intended to clarify how the particle trajectories through the focusing system and consequently the neutrino event yield are affected by the variation of the Horn Currents.

[Temporal orientation and a course of alcohol addiction therapy].

PubMed

Chodkiewicz, Jan; Nowakowska, Katarzyna

2011-01-01

The aim of the study was assess the meaning of preferred temporal orientation for results of alcohol dependence therapy. One hundred and sixteen (116) (95 men and 21 women) alcohol addict patients were evaluated at the beginning of the alcohol addiction outpatient therapy. The temporal orientation and attitude for time was assessed by using Temporal Orientation Questionnaire-AION and Carpe Diem, Fatalism and Hedonism Scale by Sobol-Kwapinska. The results showed that alcohol addict patients were in the highest degree focused on the past and the present in the hedonism and fatalism dimensions, while being relatively focused in the lowest degree on the present carpe diem dimension and the future at the beginning of the therapy. Men and women at the beginning of the therapy varied in some dimensions of temporal orientation. The differences occurred also between patients who finished and discontinued alcohol dependence therapy. Patients at the begging of alcohol addiction therapy prefer past and present temporal orientation. 1. There are differences between temporal orientation preferred by men and women. 2. Future temporal orientation is beneficial to finish addiction therapy by addict men. 3. Women who finish therapy are focused more on the past and hedonistic present orientation than women who discontinued therapy.

Creativity and psychopathology: a systematic review.

PubMed

Thys, Erik; Sabbe, Bernard; De Hert, Marc

2014-01-01

The possible link between creativity and psychopathology has been a long-time focus of research up to the present day. However, the research results in this field are heterogeneous and contradictory. Links between creativity and specific psychiatric disorders have been confirmed and refuted in different studies. This disparity is partly explained by the methodological challenges peculiar to this field. In this systematic review of the literature from 1950, research articles in the field of creativity and psychopathology are presented, focusing on the methodology and results of the collected studies. This review confirms the methodological problems and the heterogeneity of the study designs and results. The assessment of psychopathology, but more so of creativity, remains a fundamental challenge. On the whole, study results cautiously confirm an association between creativity and both bipolar disorder and schizotypy. The research on creativity and psychopathology is hampered by serious methodological problems. Study results are to be interpreted with caution and future research needs more methodological rigor. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

'I can actually talk to them now': qualitative results of an educational intervention for emergency nurses caring for clients who self-injure.

PubMed

McAllister, Margaret; Moyle, Wendy; Billett, Stephen; Zimmer-Gembeck, Melanie

2009-10-01

This Australian study evaluated the effectiveness of a solution-focused education intervention in extending and improving emergency nursing responses to patients who present because of self-injury. Emergency nurses commonly report lack of training and feeling unskilled in managing people who present because of self-harm. Most educational interventions have provided content knowledge, yet rarely have they focused on conveying the value of health promotion strategies such as proactive skills and coping strategies. A mixed method pretest-posttest group design was used. Nurses (n = 36) were interviewed to examine differences in professional identity, awareness of self-injury and clinical reasoning. The qualitative results are presented in this paper and these showed improvements in knowledge and understanding of self-harm, self-belief in nurses' capacity to positively influence clients and the value of health promotion skills. The intervention produced a positive attitudinal shift towards clients and an expressed intention to act in ways that were more person-centred and change oriented. The solution-focused education intervention appears to show promise as an intervention for enabling nurses to value their unique contribution to providing a health service that is more proactive and health-promoting. Interactive education bringing psychosocial skills to technical nursing staff builds confidence, competence and more person-focused care.

Migrant women farm workers in the occupational health literature.

PubMed

Habib, Rima R; Fathallah, Fadi A

2012-01-01

Little attention has been given to the vulnerable populations of migrant women agricultural workers. A systemic review in PubMed was carried out (1990-2008) using terms related to migrant agricultural workers, with specific focus on women. Case studies from Lebanon and California are presented to highlight key physical, psychosocial, and cultural risk factors among these working populations. The review revealed a host of potential problems that span from pesticide exposure and musculoskeletal disorders to socio-cultural barriers. Comprehensive exposure-outcome and intervention studies focusing specifically on migrant women in agriculture are lacking. In depth studies focusing on the work environment of migrant women workers in the agricultural sector are needed. Personal and environmental factors that influence health should be considered in any effective intervention aiming to influence policy making and have a positive impact on these vulnerable working populations.

The influence of cueing on attentional focus in perceptual decision making.

PubMed

Yang, Cheng-Ta; Little, Daniel R; Hsu, Ching-Chun

2014-11-01

Selective attention has been known to play an important role in decision making. In the present study, we combined a cueing paradigm with a redundant-target detection task to examine how attention affects the decision process when detecting the redundant targets. Cue validity was manipulated in two experiments. The results showed that when the cue was 50 % valid in one experiment, the participants adopted a parallel self-terminating processing strategy, indicative of a diffuse attentional focus on both target locations. When the cue was 100 % valid in the second experiment, all of the participants switched to a serial self-terminating processing strategy, which in our study indicated focused attention to a single target location. This study demonstrates the flexibility of the decision mechanism and highlights the importance of top-down control in selecting a decision strategy.

Recovering Process from Child Sexual Abuse During Adulthood from an Integrative Approach to Solution-Focused Therapy: A Case Study.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Carolina

2017-10-01

In recent times, strengths-based recovery approaches that focus on the present and build strategies that look toward the future have become popular. However, some cases require the consideration of experiences from previous stages of the clients' development. This single-case study explores the psychotherapeutic process of a middle-aged woman who presented with a history of child sexual abuse (incest) and a long-term adult diagnosis of depression that was treated in public health services. This psychotherapy involved an integrative approach to solution-focused therapy; specifically, the approach proposed by Yvonne Dolan to work with adult survivors of sexual abuse, in conjunction with techniques and strategies from the transtheoretical model. Measures incorporating therapeutic working alliance and outcomes were administered over sessions. Results showed positive outcomes from this therapeutic intervention, which remained at 3-month and 12-month follow-ups. Implications for practitioners' specialist practice in health services are discussed, given the complexity of comorbid mental health conditions with a history of child sexual abuse.

Exosome function: from tumor immunology to pathogen biology.

PubMed

Schorey, Jeffrey S; Bhatnagar, Sanchita

2008-06-01

Exosomes are the newest family member of 'bioactive vesicles' that function to promote intercellular communication. Exosomes are derived from the fusion of multivesicular bodies with the plasma membrane and extracellular release of the intraluminal vesicles. Recent studies have focused on the biogenesis and composition of exosomes as well as regulation of exosome release. Exosomes have been shown to be released by cells of hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic origin, yet their function remains enigmatic. Much of the prior work has focused on exosomes as a source of tumor antigens and in presentation of tumor antigens to T cells. However, new studies have shown that exosomes might also promote cell-to-cell spread of infectious agents. Moreover, exosomes isolated from cells infected with various intracellular pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Toxoplasma gondii, have been shown to contain microbial components and can promote antigen presentation and macrophage activation, suggesting that exosomes may function in immune surveillance. In this review, we summarize our understanding of exosome biogenesis but focus primarily on new insights into exosome function. We also discuss their possible use as disease biomarkers and vaccine candidates.

[Sense of coherence and ways of coping in the relationship with brother or sister in healthy siblings of mentally ill persons].

PubMed

Osuchowska-Kościjańska, Anna; Charzyńska, Katarzyna; Chadzyńska, Małgorzata; Drozdzyńska, Anna; Kasperek-Zimowska, Beata; Bednarek, Agata; Sawicka, Maryla

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate sense of coherence in healthy siblings of persons suffering from schizophrenia as well as their ways of coping in the relationship with ill brother or sister. 40 healthy brothers and sisters of persons with ICD- 10 diagnosis of F20 to F29 participated in the present study. Orientation to Life Scale (SOC- 29) was used to assess sense of coherence and Ways of Coping with Stress questionnaire (SRSS) was used to examine stress coping strategies. Mean global score of siblings of persons with schizophrenia was 111 points. Subjects used coping strategies focused on problem significantly more often than those focused on emotions. Therapeutic work with healthy siblings should focus on strengthening sense of personal competence, development of personal resources and different ways of coping with stress, investigation of emotions that healthy siblings experience in the relationship with ill brother or sister as well as supporting the process of accepting changes in the relationship with the ill sibling.

Preliminary Studies of Ions Emission in a Small Plasma Focus Device of Hundreds of Joules

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

Moreno, Jose; Pavez, Cristian; Soto, Leopoldo

2009-01-21

Ion beam emission in plasma focus (PF) discharges was originally investigated to explain the strong forward anisotropy observed in the neutron. Several properties of PF emitted deuteron beams have been measured, including their angular distributions and energy spectra in devices operating with energies from 1 kJ to 1 MJ. At present there is a growing interest in the development of very small PF devices operating under 1 kJ. As part of the characterization program of the very low energy PF devices (<1 kJ) developed at the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission, the charges particle emission in hydrogen (H{sub 2}) and mixturemore » (H{sub 2}+%Ar) are being studied. In order to obtain an estimation of the ions energy spectrum and ionization grade, by using time of flight method, a graphite collector system operating in the bias ion collector mode was constructed and it is being used. Preliminary results of the ion beams measurements in different experimental conditions, at a plasma focus device of 400 joules (PF-400 J) are presented.« less

Logos Announced the Light of Salvation: Interpreting How John Presented His Message in John 1:1-18, According to Functional Grammar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollinger, Seth

2014-01-01

This study of John 1:1-18 describes how John (the speaker) presented his message to his audience within their activity of verbal communication. By focusing on verbal meaning, this interpretation analyzes how John presented and expressed his meanings through language by interpreting this text based on the seamless interrelation between John's…

Color-encoded distance for interactive focus positioning in laser microsurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoob, Andreas; Kundrat, Dennis; Lekon, Stefan; Kahrs, Lüder A.; Ortmaier, Tobias

2016-08-01

This paper presents a real-time method for interactive focus positioning in laser microsurgery. Registration of stereo vision and a surgical laser is performed in order to combine surgical scene and laser workspace information. In particular, stereo image data is processed to three-dimensionally reconstruct observed tissue surface as well as to compute and to highlight its intersection with the laser focal range. Regarding the surgical live view, three augmented reality concepts are presented providing visual feedback during manual focus positioning. A user study is performed and results are discussed with respect to accuracy and task completion time. Especially when using color-encoded distance superimposed to the live view, target positioning with sub-millimeter accuracy can be achieved in a few seconds. Finally, transfer to an intraoperative scenario with endoscopic human in vivo and cadaver images is discussed demonstrating the applicability of the image overlay in laser microsurgery.

Expert system verification and validation study. Delivery 3A and 3B: Trip summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

French, Scott

1991-01-01

Key results are documented from attending the 4th workshop on verification, validation, and testing. The most interesting part of the workshop was when representatives from the U.S., Japan, and Europe presented surveys of VV&T within their respective regions. Another interesting part focused on current efforts to define industry standards for artificial intelligence and how that might affect approaches to VV&T of expert systems. The next part of the workshop focused on VV&T methods of applying mathematical techniques to verification of rule bases and techniques for capturing information relating to the process of developing software. The final part focused on software tools. A summary is also presented of the EPRI conference on 'Methodologies, Tools, and Standards for Cost Effective Reliable Software Verification and Validation. The conference was divided into discussion sessions on the following issues: development process, automated tools, software reliability, methods, standards, and cost/benefit considerations.

Effects of vision on head-putter coordination in golf.

PubMed

Gonzalez, David Antonio; Kegel, Stefan; Ishikura, Tadao; Lee, Tim

2012-07-01

Low-skill golfers coordinate the movements of their head and putter with an allocentric, isodirectional coupling, which is opposite to the allocentric, antidirectional coordination pattern used by experts (Lee, Ishikura, Kegel, Gonzalez, & Passmore, 2008). The present study investigated the effects of four vision conditions (full vision, no vision, target focus, and ball focus) on head-putter coupling in low-skill golfers. Performance in the absence of vision resulted in a level of high isodirectional coupling that was similar to the full vision condition. However, when instructed to focus on the target during the putt, or focus on the ball through a restricted viewing angle, low-skill golfers significantly decoupled the head--putter coordination pattern. However, outcome measures demonstrated that target focus resulted in poorer performance compared with the other visual conditions, thereby providing overall support for use of a ball focus strategy to enhance coordination and outcome performance. Focus of attention and reduced visual tracking were hypothesized as potential reasons for the decoupling.

RF MEMS microswitches design and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lafontan, Xavier; Dufaza, Christian; Robert, Michel; Perez, Guy; Pressecq, Francis

2000-08-01

This paper presents the work performed in MUMPs on RF MEMS micro-switch. Concepts, design and characterization of switches are studied. The study particularly focuses on the electrical resistance characterization and modelization. The switches developed uses two different principle: overflowed gold and hinged beam. The realized contacts exhibited high on resistance (~20(Omega) ) due to nanoscopics asperities of contacts and insulating interfacial films. Results of a typical contact cleaning method are also presented.

"But Before I Go to My Next Step": A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent English Language Learners' Transitional Devices in Oral Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kibler, Amanda K.; Salerno, April S.; Palacios, Natalia

2014-01-01

This multiple case study examines patterns in the oral second language use of three Spanish-speaking English language learners in rehearsed presentations produced annually over 4 years (Grades 9-12) in a U.S. high school. Analysis focuses on students' changing use of transitional devices called frame markers (Hyland, 2005) as a lens for…

Females and Minorities in TV Ads in 1987 Saturday Children's Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riffe, Daniel; And Others

1989-01-01

Examines how females and minorities are represented on children's Saturday morning television commercials, focusing on how often they are present, settings in which they are portrayed, and types of White-minority interactions. Finds that more women and minorities are present in advertisements than earlier studies indicated, but that White males…

Constructivized Calculus in College Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Barbara Ann

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to present some of the classical concepts, definitions, and theorems of calculus from the constructivists' point of view in the spirit of the philosophies of L.E.J. Brouwer and Errett Bishop. This presentation will compare the classical statements to the constructivized statements. The method focuses on giving…

Reframing "Attainment": Creating and Developing Spaces for Learning within Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hope, Max A.

2017-01-01

This article, based on a keynote presentation given at a conference in Tasmania, examines the notion of "attainment" and argues that a narrow focus on standardised test scores is highly problematic for those concerned with social justice. Using examples from the Freedom to Learn Project, this article presents two case studies of schools…

Articulating Aesthetic Understanding through Art Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costantino, Tracie

2007-01-01

In this article I will present case study research of an elementary school art teacher who provided both verbal and visual means for students to respond to art while on a museum field trip. I will focus on how the students' drawings from memory and artwork in their sketchbooks present compelling articulations of their understandings of certain…

Studies in Family Planning, Volume 3, Number 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Population Council, New York, NY.

The Commission on Population Growth and the American Future was established by Congress in March, 1970, to examine the impact of population change in the United States to the year 2000. Excerpts from their final report, submitted in March, 1972, are presented in this pamphlet. The first eight chapters focus on the present and prospective…

Go Edvin! Pedagogical Structuring of Activities to Support Toddler Participation in an Early Childcare Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kultti, Anne

2016-01-01

The present paper addresses children's participation through pedagogical structuring in an early childcare programme in Australia. Research shows inequality in participatory opportunities depending on skills in the spoken (majority) language. Against this background, the focus in the present study is on participatory opportunities for toddlers…

Student Response to Hypermedia in the Lecture Theatre: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Damian

The Computer Science Department at Monash University (Victoria, Australia) recently began presenting lectures using projection of a hypertext system, HyperLecture, running on a notebook computer as the primary medium. This paper presents a statistical analysis of student reactions to this approach, focusing on the effects, as perceived by the…

Nursing and Nursing Education: Public Policies and Private Actions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute of Medicine (NAS), Washington, DC.

Results are presented of a study of nursing and nursing education that focused on the need for continued federal support of nursing education, ways to attract nurses to medically underserved areas, and approaches to encourage nurses to stay in the profession. Findings are presented on whether the aggregate supply of generalist nurses will be…

Women's Oppressed and Disfigured Life in Margaret Atwood's the Handmaid's Tale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarrinjooee, Bahman; Kalantarian, Shirin

2017-01-01

The present study attempts to analyze Margaret Atwood's (1939-) "The Handmaid's Tale" (1985) based on theories of feminist thinker, Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) and applies her theories presented in "The Second Sex" (1949) that leads to better apprehension of sex and gender. Beauvoir's ideology focuses mainly on the cultural…

Understanding the Impact of Exposure Patterns on Risks from Combined Exposures to Multiple Chemicals

EPA Science Inventory

The talk was invited so there is no formal abstract. However, the focus of the talk is on the use of exposure information in the evaluation of risks from combined exposures to chemicals. The talk presents a bit of history and several case studies. All empirical data presented hav...

Engineering Curriculum in the Preschool Classroom: The Teacher's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagiati, Aikaterini; Evangelou, Demetra

2015-01-01

The study presented here focuses on the development of an early education Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum with emphasis on engineering. This article presents the teacher's experience as she undertook the task of familiarising herself with the new content and using the curriculum in a university based…

The Importance of Teaching Ethics of Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biedenweg, Kelly; Monroe, Martha C.; Oxarart, Annie

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the importance of a focus on ethics in sustainability education and present results from a pilot graduate-level course titled the Ethics of Sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: This is a case study presenting a qualitative evaluation from a pilot 14-week Ethics of Sustainability course.…

Mixtures of "anti-androgens" at low concentrations produce reproductive tract malformations in the male rat

EPA Science Inventory

No abstract was generated for this presentation as it was an invited seminar at an academic institution. Overall, the studies to be presented here focus on the ability of chemicals that modulate androgen receptor signaling via multiple molecular initiating events to act in a dos...

Contrasting the Use of Tools for Presentation and Critique: Some Cases from Architectural Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lymer, Gustav; Ivarsson, Jonas; Lindwall, Oskar

2009-01-01

This study investigates video recordings of design reviews in architectural education, focusing on how presentations and discussions of designs are contingent on the specific tools employed. In the analyzed recordings, three different setups are utilized: traditional posters, digital slide-show technologies, and combinations of the two. This range…

Mathematics in Junior and Senior High Schools of Japan: Present State and Prospects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miwa, Tatsuro

1986-01-01

The present status of mathematics education in Japanese schools is described, focusing on students and on ways to improve high school mathematics education. Data from the Second International Mathematics Study and a Japanese survey test are included, as well as information on student attitudes, improvement, and teaching methods. (MNS)

Port Needs Study (Vessel Traffic Services Benefits) : Volume 2. Appendices, Part 1.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-08-01

Volume II focuses on organization and presentation of information for each individual study zone. It contains the appendix tables of input data, output statistics and the documentation of the candidate Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Design by NavCom Sy...

MARTA Tunnel Construction in Decatur Georgia -- A Case Study of Impacts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

The focus of this report is on the assessment-forecasting relationship, namely, how to assess impacts and then to illustrate how those actual impacts could have been forecast. This report presents a case study conducted in Decatur, Georgia, in order ...

Port Needs Study (Vessel Traffic Services Benefits) : Volume 2. Appendices, Part 2.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-01-01

Volume II focuses on organization and presentation of information for each individual study zone. It contains the appendix tables of input data, output statistics and the documentation of the candidate Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Design by NavCom S...

Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schutte, Nicola S.; Malouff, John M.; Bobik, Chad; Coston, Tracie D.; Greeson, Cyndy; Jedlicka, Christina; Rhodes, Emily; Wendorf, Greta

2001-01-01

Presents the results of seven studies that focused on the link between emotional intelligence and interpersonal relations. Tests emotional intelligence with empathy and self-monitoring, social skills, cooperation, relations with others, and marital satisfaction. Explores preference for emotionally intelligent partners in the final study. Includes…

Emotional sounds modulate early neural processing of emotional pictures

PubMed Central

Gerdes, Antje B. M.; Wieser, Matthias J.; Bublatzky, Florian; Kusay, Anita; Plichta, Michael M.; Alpers, Georg W.

2013-01-01

In our natural environment, emotional information is conveyed by converging visual and auditory information; multimodal integration is of utmost importance. In the laboratory, however, emotion researchers have mostly focused on the examination of unimodal stimuli. Few existing studies on multimodal emotion processing have focused on human communication such as the integration of facial and vocal expressions. Extending the concept of multimodality, the current study examines how the neural processing of emotional pictures is influenced by simultaneously presented sounds. Twenty pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral pictures of complex scenes were presented to 22 healthy participants. On the critical trials these pictures were paired with pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sounds. Sound presentation started 500 ms before picture onset and each stimulus presentation lasted for 2 s. EEG was recorded from 64 channels and ERP analyses focused on the picture onset. In addition, valence and arousal ratings were obtained. Previous findings for the neural processing of emotional pictures were replicated. Specifically, unpleasant compared to neutral pictures were associated with an increased parietal P200 and a more pronounced centroparietal late positive potential (LPP), independent of the accompanying sound valence. For audiovisual stimulation, increased parietal P100 and P200 were found in response to all pictures which were accompanied by unpleasant or pleasant sounds compared to pictures with neutral sounds. Most importantly, incongruent audiovisual pairs of unpleasant pictures and pleasant sounds enhanced parietal P100 and P200 compared to pairings with congruent sounds. Taken together, the present findings indicate that emotional sounds modulate early stages of visual processing and, therefore, provide an avenue by which multimodal experience may enhance perception. PMID:24151476

Special Feature: Epistemological Paradigms in Evaluation: Implications for Practice. Section 1: "Paradigm Contrast" Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Tom; And Others

1991-01-01

This section presents two pragmatic studies focusing on a real-life situation and specific applications in managerial decision making. One study deals with improving occupational safety in a bedding manufacturing plant, whereas the other concentrates on managing a state mental health program. (SLD)

Correcting Spellings in Second Language Learners' Computer-Assisted Collaborative Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musk, Nigel

2016-01-01

The present study uses multimodal conversation analysis to examine how pupils studying English as a foreign language make spelling corrections in real time while doing collaborative computer-assisted project work. Unlike most previous related investigations, this study focuses on the "process" rather than evaluating the final…

Infant-Mother Vocalization Patterns: A Replication and Extension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilbourne, Brock K.; Ginsburg, Gerald P.

This study reports a replication of an earlier study by Kilbourne and Ginsberg (1980) which indicated the occurrence of a transition from predominantly coacting to predominantly alternating infant-mother vocalization patterns. In addition, the present study examined the modulating influences of nursing activity and mother's focus of attention upon…

Promoting Oral Language Skills in Preschool Children through Sociodramatic Play in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajapaksha, P. L. N. Randima

2016-01-01

Children best learn language through playful learning experiences in the preschool classroom. The present study focused on developing oral language skills in preschool children through a sociodramatic play intervention. The study employed a case study design under qualitative approach. The researcher conducted a sociodramatic play intervention…

Comparative Studies in Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazurek, Kas, Ed.; Winzer, Margret A., Ed.

This text presents 26 case studies which examine special education provisions for children in the world today. The reports focus on the current state of special education in selected nations and major issues and controversies in the field of special education within those nations. Each case study addresses the following themes: (1) prevalence of…

An Extensive Analysis of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Knowledge of Fractions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Kristie Jones

2008-01-01

The study of preservice elementary teachers' knowledge of fractions is important because fractions are notoriously difficult to learn and teach. Unfortunately, studies of preservice teachers' fraction knowledge are limited and have focused primarily on division. The present study included all four operations to provide a more comprehensive…

Juneau Indian Studies Elementary Curriculum Guide. Grades K-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cadiente, Ronalda

Designed to provide instruction in Tlingit culture as an integral part of the K-5 social studies curriculum, this guide presents teachers with extensive lesson plans and numerous resource materials. The units of study focus on the culture and environment of southeast Alaska and emphasize experiential learning activities. Each grade…

Telecourse Study Guide to "Here's to Your Health."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Donna

This study guide was prepared to accompany "Here's to Your Health," a telecourse focusing on lifestyle factors influencing health, which was designed to provide the tools necessary for achieving and maintaining an optimal, healthy lifestyle. For each of 27 lessons, the study guide presents learning objectives, an overview of content, study…

Creating Public Spaces in the Social Studies Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Susan

2001-01-01

Presents the address by President Susan Adler at the 80th National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference in November 2000. Focuses on the NCSS initiatives, such as the Governance Task Force and the Citizenship Education Task Force, and explores the future of social studies. (CMK)

Eating Patterns and Overweight Status in Young Adults: The Bogalusa Heart Study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several studies have focused on the association between eating patterns and obesity. However, the findings have not been consistent. The goal of the present study was to identify the eating patterns associated with overweight among young adults aged 19-28 years (n = 504) in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Fo...

Investigations in Science Education. Volume 9, Number 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blosser, Patricia E., Ed.; Mayer, Victor J., Ed.

1983-01-01

Abstractor's analyses of 15 science education research studies are presented in three sections. The nine analyses in the first section focus on studies dealing with preservice and inservice teacher education. Areas investigated in these studies include: effectiveness of some inservice practices; teachers' perceptions of the importance of some…

Enhanced Divergent Thinking and Creativity in Musicians: A Behavioral and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Crystal; Folley, Bradley S.; Park, Sohee

2009-01-01

Empirical studies of creativity have focused on the importance of divergent thinking, which supports generating novel solutions to loosely defined problems. The present study examined creativity and frontal cortical activity in an externally-validated group of creative individuals (trained musicians) and demographically matched control…

Students' Achievements in a Statistics Course in Relation to Motivational Aspects and Study Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bude, Luc; Van De Wiel, Margaretha W. J.; Imbos, Tjaart; Candel, Math J. J. M.; Broers, Nick J.; Berger, Martijn P. F.

2007-01-01

The present study focuses on motivational constructs and their effect on students' academic achievement within an existing statistics course. First-year Health Sciences students completed a questionnaire that measures several motivational constructs: dimensions of causal attributions, outcome expectancy, affect, and study behaviour, all with…

Intergenerational and Partner Influences on Fathers' Negative Discipline

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capaldi, Deborah M.; Pears, Katherine C.; Kerr, David C. R.; Owen, Lee D.

2008-01-01

Recent studies have found significant but relatively modest associations in parenting across generations, suggesting additional influences on parenting beyond experiences in the family of origin. The present prospective, cross-generational study of at-risk men (Oregon Youth Study) focuses on fathers' negative discipline practices with their 2- to…

Exploring dynamics of abusive lesbian relationships: preliminary analysis of a multisite, qualitative study.

PubMed

Ristock, Janice L

2003-06-01

This paper presents preliminary results from a multisite, qualitative study on violence in lesbian relationships. A framework for conducting community-based, empowerment research that draws on theories of community psychology, feminism, and postmodernism is presented. The study was designed to understand the dynamics of abusive lesbian relationships and social service providers' responses to the abuse. Results from 80 in-depth interviews with lesbians who have experienced relationship violence are examined with a particular focus on a pattern of first relationships being abusive and a theme of shifting power dynamics. Analysis of focus group discussions with 45 feminist service providers (e.g., counselors, shelter workers, social workers, healthcare providers) reveals the difficulties in assessing the power dynamics of abusive same-sex relationships and in developing appropriate responses when relying on heterosexually gendered models developed to address men's violence against women. The preliminary results present implications both for how we theorize and research this form of violence, and for improving the practices and policies of social services that work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered communities.

Ionization waves of arbitrary velocity driven by a flying focus

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

Palastro, J. P.; Turnbull, D.; Bahk, S. -W.

A chirped laser pulse focused by a chromatic lens exhibits a dynamic, or flying, focus in which the trajectory of the peak intensity decouples from the group velocity. In a medium, the flying focus can trigger an ionization front that follows this trajectory. By adjusting the chirp, the ionization front can be made to travel at an arbitrary velocity along the optical axis. For this study, we present analytical calculations and simulations describing the propagation of the flying focus pulse, the self-similar form of its intensity profile, and ionization wave formation. The ability to control the speed of the ionizationmore » wave and, in conjunction, mitigate plasma refraction has the potential to advance several laser-based applications, including Raman amplification, photon acceleration, high-order-harmonic generation, and THz generation.« less

Ionization waves of arbitrary velocity driven by a flying focus

DOE PAGES

Palastro, J. P.; Turnbull, D.; Bahk, S. -W.; ...

2018-03-01

A chirped laser pulse focused by a chromatic lens exhibits a dynamic, or flying, focus in which the trajectory of the peak intensity decouples from the group velocity. In a medium, the flying focus can trigger an ionization front that follows this trajectory. By adjusting the chirp, the ionization front can be made to travel at an arbitrary velocity along the optical axis. For this study, we present analytical calculations and simulations describing the propagation of the flying focus pulse, the self-similar form of its intensity profile, and ionization wave formation. The ability to control the speed of the ionizationmore » wave and, in conjunction, mitigate plasma refraction has the potential to advance several laser-based applications, including Raman amplification, photon acceleration, high-order-harmonic generation, and THz generation.« less

Nanostructure iron-silicon thin film deposition using plasma focus device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotb, M.; Saudy, A. H.; Hassaballa, S.; Eloker, M. M.

2013-03-01

The presented study in this paper reports the deposition of nano-structure iron-silicon thin film on a glass substrate using 3.3 KJ Mather-type plasma focus device. The iron-silicon powder was put on the top of hollow copper anode electrode. The deposition was done under different experimental conditions such as numbers of electric discharge shots and angular position of substrate. The film samples were exposed to energetic argon ions generated by plasma focus device at different distances from the top of the central electrode. The exposed samples were then analyzed for their structure and optical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-visible spectroscopy. The structure of iron-silicon thin films deposited using plasma focus device depends on the distance from the anode, the number of focus deposition shots and the angular position of the sample

An external focus of attention enhances balance learning in older adults.

PubMed

Chiviacowsky, Suzete; Wulf, Gabriele; Wally, Raquel

2010-10-01

Studies with young adults have shown that an external focus of attention (i.e., on the movement effect) results in more effective motor learning and greater automaticity than an internal focus (i.e., on one's own body movements). The present study examined whether instructions inducing an external versus internal attentional focus would differentially affect the learning of a balance task in 32 older adults (24 females and 8 males, mean age: 69.4 years), divided equally, by number and gender, into two groups. The task required participants to stand on a balance platform (stabilometer) tilting to the left and right, and to try to keep the platform as close to horizontal as possible during each 30-s trial. The external focus group was instructed to concentrate on keeping markers on the platform horizontal, while the internal focus group was instructed to concentrate on keeping their feet horizontal. The dependent variable was time in balance (i.e., platform movements within ± 5°). Participants performed 10 practice trials on day 1, with focus reminders given before each trial. Learning was assessed by a retention test, consisting of five trials without instructions, performed 1 day later. The external focus group outperformed the internal focus group in retention [F(4, 120)=3.46, p=.01]. The results demonstrate that the learning benefits of an external attentional focus are generalizable to older learners. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How decision reversibility affects motivation.

PubMed

Bullens, Lottie; van Harreveld, Frenk; Förster, Jens; Higgins, Tory E

2014-04-01

The present research examined how decision reversibility can affect motivation. On the basis of extant findings, it was suggested that 1 way it could affect motivation would be to strengthen different regulatory foci, with reversible decision making, compared to irreversible decision making, strengthening prevention-related motivation relatively more than promotion-related motivation. If so, then decision reversibility should have effects associated with the relative differences between prevention and promotion motivation. In 5 studies, we manipulated the reversibility of a decision and used different indicators of regulatory focus motivation to test these predictions. Specifically, Study 1 tested for differences in participants' preference for approach versus avoidance strategies toward a desired end state. In Study 2, we used speed and accuracy performance as indicators of participants' regulatory motivation, and in Study 3, we measured global versus local reaction time performance. In Study 4, we approached the research question in a different way, making use of the value-from-fit hypothesis (Higgins, 2000, 2002). We tested whether a fit between chronic regulatory focus and focus induced by the reversibility of the decision increased participants' subjective positive feelings about the decision outcome. Finally, in Study 5, we tested whether regulatory motivation, induced by decision reversibility, also influenced participants' preference in specific product features. The results generally support our hypothesis showing that, compared to irreversible decisions, reversible decisions strengthen a prevention focus more than a promotion focus. Implications for research on decision making are discussed.

Emotion-focused coping and distraction: sex differences in the influence of anxiety sensitivity during noxious heat stimulation.

PubMed

Thompson, T; Keogh, E; Chen, M J-L; French, C C

2012-03-01

While previous research has indicated that the relative efficacy of attentional strategies on pain may be influenced by anxiety sensitivity (AS) and sex, no study appears to have examined this within the context of an emotion-focus versus distraction paradigm. The present study compared the effect of attentional emotion-focus and distraction instructions on pain response with noxious heat stimulation in 114 healthy adults (62 women and 52 men) varying in levels of AS. Results indicated that men reported a significantly higher mean tolerance time than women. Moderated regression analysis also revealed a significant strategy × anxiety sensitivity × sex interaction on pain tolerance. For those low in AS, relative efficacy was dependent upon sex, with distraction superior to emotion-focusing in women, but with strategies equivalent in men. For those high in AS, however, distraction resulted in uniformly greater pain tolerance than attentional emotion-focusing. These results indicate that AS and sex may be influential in determining the relative effectiveness of distraction and emotion-based attentional strategies for pain management. © 2011 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

An approach of the exact linearization techniques to analysis of population dynamics of the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

PubMed

Dos Reis, Célia A; Florentino, Helenice de O; Cólon, Diego; Rosa, Suélia R Fleury; Cantane, Daniela R

2018-05-01

Dengue fever, chikungunya and zika are caused by different viruses and mainly transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. These diseases have received special attention of public health officials due to the large number of infected people in tropical and subtropical countries and the possible sequels that those diseases can cause. In severe cases, the infection can have devastating effects, affecting the central nervous system, muscles, brain and respiratory system, often resulting in death. Vaccines against these diseases are still under development and, therefore, current studies are focused on the treatment of diseases and vector (mosquito) control. This work focuses on this last topic, and presents the analysis of a mathematical model describing the population dynamics of Aedes aegypti, as well as present the design of a control law for the mosquito population (vector control) via exact linearization techniques and optimal control. This control strategy optimizes the use of resources for vector control, and focuses on the aquatic stage of the mosquito life. Theoretical and computational results are also presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-dependent impairment of auditory processing under spatially focused and divided attention: an electrophysiological study.

PubMed

Wild-Wall, Nele; Falkenstein, Michael

2010-01-01

By using event-related potentials (ERPs) the present study examines if age-related differences in preparation and processing especially emerge during divided attention. Binaurally presented auditory cues called for focused (valid and invalid) or divided attention to one or both ears. Responses were required to subsequent monaurally presented valid targets (vowels), but had to be suppressed to non-target vowels or invalidly cued vowels. Middle-aged participants were more impaired under divided attention than young ones, likely due to an age-related decline in preparatory attention following cues as was reflected in a decreased CNV. Under divided attention, target processing was increased in the middle-aged, likely reflecting compensatory effort to fulfill task requirements in the difficult condition. Additionally, middle-aged participants processed invalidly cued stimuli more intensely as was reflected by stimulus ERPs. The results suggest an age-related impairment in attentional preparation after auditory cues especially under divided attention and latent difficulties to suppress irrelevant information.

Does the Level of Evidence of Paper Presentations at the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meetings From 2006-2010 Correlate With the 5-Year Publication Rate or the Impact Factor of the Publishing Journal?

PubMed

Kay, Jeffrey; Memon, Muzammil; de Sa, Darren; Duong, Andrew; Simunovic, Nicole; Ayeni, Olufemi R

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of paper (podium) presentations at the 2006-2010 Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) annual scientific meetings that were ultimately published in a peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate whether the level of evidence correlated with the publication rate of these presentations or the impact factor (IF) of the publishing journal. Paper presentations from the 2006-2010 AANA annual meetings were included for evaluation. Clinical studies were graded for quality using the level of evidence by 2 independent reviewers. A comprehensive strategy was used to search the databases PubMed, Medline, and Embase for publications in scientific journals that corresponded to the presentations and were published within 5 years of the presentation date. Three hundred twenty-eight presentations were evaluated. Overall, 179 peer-reviewed publications corresponding to particular meeting presentations were identified, for a 5-year publication rate of 55%. There was no correlation between the publication rate and the level of evidence (P = .836), the type of study (P = .628), or the joint of focus (P = .07) of the presentations. The mean IF of journals that published Level I studies (4.8 [standard error, 2.3]) was significantly higher than the mean IF of journals that published Level II, III, or IV studies (2.58 [standard error, 0.10]) (P = .017). Between 2006 and 2010, presentations of the highest level of evidence at AANA meetings were subsequently published at a similar rate to presentations of lower levels of evidence, albeit in journals with higher IFs. This study is an important initial evaluation of the ultimate clinical impact of AANA meeting presentations. The study type, joint of focus, and level of evidence of the presentations all had no correlation with the rate at which these presentations were ultimately published. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dual n-back training increases the capacity of the focus of attention.

PubMed

Lilienthal, Lindsey; Tamez, Elaine; Shelton, Jill Talley; Myerson, Joel; Hale, Sandra

2013-02-01

Working memory (WM) training has been reported to benefit abilities as diverse as fluid intelligence (Jaeggi et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105:6829-6833, 2008) and reading comprehension (Chein & Morrison, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 17:193-199, 2010), but transfer is not always observed (for reviews, see Morrison & Chein, Psychonomics Bulletin & Review, 18:46-60, 2011; Shipstead et al., Psychological Bulletin, 138:628-654, 2012). In contrast, recent WM training studies have consistently reported improvement on the trained tasks. The basis for these training benefits has received little attention, however, and it is not known which WM components and/or processes are being improved. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to investigate five possible mechanisms underlying the effects of adaptive dual n-back training on working memory (i.e., improvements in executive attention, updating, and focus switching, as well as increases in the capacity of the focus of attention and short-term memory). In addition to a no-contact control group, the present study also included an active control group whose members received nonadaptive training on the same task. All three groups showed significant improvements on the n-back task from pretest to posttest, but adaptive training produced larger improvements than did nonadaptive training, which in turn produced larger improvements than simply retesting. Adaptive, but not nonadaptive, training also resulted in improvements on an untrained running span task that measured the capacity of the focus of attention. No other differential improvements were observed, suggesting that increases in the capacity of the focus of attention underlie the benefits of adaptive dual n-back training.

Factors Affecting Recruitment of Participants for Studies of Diabetes Technology in Newly Diagnosed Youth with Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Focus Group Study with Parents and Children.

PubMed

Farrington, Conor; Allen, Janet; Tauschmann, Martin; Randell, Tabitha; Trevelyan, Nicola; Hovorka, Roman

2016-09-01

Relatively little is known about parents' or children's attitudes toward recruitment for, and participation in, studies of new diabetes technologies immediately after diagnosis. This study investigated factors affecting recruitment of participants for studies in newly diagnosed youth with type 1 diabetes. Qualitative focus group study incorporating four recorded focus groups, conducted in four outpatient pediatric diabetes clinics in large regional hospitals in England. Participants comprised four groups of parents (n = 22) and youth (n = 17) with type 1 diabetes, purposively sampled on the basis of past involvement (either participation or nonparticipation) in an ongoing two-arm randomized trial comparing multiple daily injection with conventional continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion regimens from the onset of type 1 diabetes. Stress associated with diagnosis presents significant challenges in terms of study recruitment, with parents demonstrating varied levels of willingness to be approached soon after diagnosis. Additional challenges arise regarding the following: randomization when study arms are perceived as sharply differentiated in terms of therapy effectiveness; burdens arising from study participation; and the need to surrender new technologies following the end of the study. However, these challenges were mostly insufficient to rule out study participation. Participants emphasized the benefits and reassurance arising from support provided by staff and fellow study participants. Recruitment to studies of new diabetes technologies immediately after diagnosis in youth presents significant challenges, but these are not insurmountable. The stress and uncertainty arising from potential participation may be alleviated by personalized discussion with staff and peer support from fellow study participants.

Selection and development of small solar thermal power applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluhm, S. A.; Kuehn, T. J.; Gurfield, R. M.

1979-01-01

The paper discusses the approach of the JPL Point Focusing Thermal and Electric Power Applications Project to selecting and developing applications for point-focusing distributed-receiver solar thermal electric power systems. Six application categories are defined. Results of application studies of U.S. utilities are presented. The economic value of solar thermal power systems was found to range from $900 to $2100/kWe in small community utilities of the Southwest.

A Measure of Mathematical Self-Concept in Young Adults 16-24 Years Old: A Cross-Cultural Comparison with a Focus on Gender and Numeracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundetrae, Kjersti; Mykletun, Reidar; Gabrielsen, Egil

2010-01-01

Girls attend less education in mathematics than boys when the subject becomes an elective in upper secondary schools and above. One explanation for this might be gender differences in mathematical self-concept, which are the focus of the present study. Data from the Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey (ALL) were used to examine whether young…

High school students' views of learning chemistry concepts with analogies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathews, Jeffrey A.

Analogies are often used in teaching abstract chemistry concepts, however few studies are concerned with how students actually view learning with analogies. An eight-member focus group, consisting of high school students, described the process of learning with analogies and how aware they were of their own learning. The students attended four analogy presentations and completed written responses, attended focus groups, and participated in repeated individual interview sessions throughout this eight-week, emic, phenomenological study. This study utilized an interpretive, qualitative methodology using a constant comparative, inductive analysis design. Students from a suburban high school in the southeastern United States were selected by purposeful sampling involving a concepts pre-test and an analogy presentation used to determine an eight member focus group. The focus group meetings were videotaped and emergent, semi-structured individual interviews were audio taped, transcribed and coded. Personal student journals, field notes, and a reflective journal were used to triangulate the study. Open, axial, and selective coding were used for data analysis and interpretation. Students described the process of learning with analogies as being able to visually see connections or picture mental images of familiar and unfamiliar concepts. Students pointed out the significance of investigating analogy breakdowns and described accommodation of new information as either automatic, which according to students resulted in memorization and hard learning, or quite laborious, which resulted in understanding and soft learning. Results indicated that students gave themselves more permission to ask questions and be critical of the teaching they are experiencing when their views were given merit. Implications for teachers include insight on students' views of learning and students' self-awareness.

Effect of different external attention of focus instruction on learning of golf putting skill.

PubMed

Shafizadeh, Mohsen; McMorris, Terry; Sproule, John

2011-10-01

The effect of different sources of external attentional focus on learning a motor skill was assessed in the present study. 30 students (12 men, 18 women) participated voluntarily and were divided, according to type of external focus, into target, club swing, and target-club swing groups. The task was a golf putting skill. The target focus group attended to the target (hole), the club swing focus group attended to the execution of the club's swing, and the target-club swing focus group attended to both. All participants performed 50 trials of the putting skill in the acquisition phase and 10 trials in the 24-hr. delayed retention phase. The dependent variable was the error in the putting skill measured as the distance from the hole to the ball after each strike. Results showed the target-club swing focus group had better scores in the acquisition and retention phases than the other groups. It was concluded that external focus instruction helped the learners to integrate target cue with action cue and is more effective in skill learning than other external-focus instructions. These results support the claims of ecological psychology theorists concerning the effects of external focus of attention.

2012 AGU section and focus group awardees and named lecturers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Danica

2012-11-01

Each year, more than 20 awards are presented by AGU sections and focus groups to recipients at various stages in their careers. In addition, nearly 25 individuals are selected annually to present lectures under the Bowie Lecture Series and the Section and Focus Group Named Lecture Series. The Bowie Lecture Series was inaugurated in 1989 to commemorate the fiftieth presentation of the William Bowie Medal, which is AGU's highest honor and is named for AGU's first president. Named lectures are designated by sections and focus groups to honor and memorialize distinguished scientists in their respective fields of science.

Five focus strategies to organize health care delivery.

PubMed

Peltokorpi, Antti; Linna, Miika; Malmström, Tomi; Torkki, Paulus; Lillrank, Paul Martin

2016-01-01

The focused factory is one of the concepts that decision-makers have adopted for improving health care delivery. However, disorganized definitions of focus have led to findings that cannot be utilized systematically. The purpose of this paper is to discuss strategic options to focus health care operations. First the literature on focus in health care is reviewed revealing conceptual challenges. Second, a definition of focus in terms of demand and requisite variety is defined, and the mechanisms of focus are explicated. A classification of five focus strategies that follow the original idea to reduce variety in products and markets is presented. Finally, the paper examines managerial possibilities linked to the focus strategies. The paper proposes a framework of five customer-oriented focus strategies which aim at reducing variety in different characteristics of care pathways: population; urgency and severity; illnesses and symptoms; care practices and processes; and care outcomes. Empirical research is needed to evaluate the costs and benefits of the five strategies and about system-level effects of focused units on competition and coordination. Focus is an enabling condition that needs to be exploited using specific demand and supply management practices. It is essential to understand how focus mechanisms differ between strategies, and to select focus that fits with organization's strategy and key performance indicators. Compared to previous more resource-oriented approaches, this study provides theoretically solid and practically relevant customer-oriented framework for focusing in health care.

Aspects Of 40- to 50-Day Oscillations In LOD And AAM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickey, Jean O.; Marcus, Steven L.; Ghil, Michael

1992-01-01

Report presents study of fluctuations in rotation of Earth, focusing on irregular intraseasonal oscillations in length of day (LOD) and atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) with periods varying from 40 to 50 days. Study draws upon and extends results of prior research.

Protein Engineering: Case Studies of Commercialized Engineered Products

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Gary

2007-01-01

Programs in biochemistry invariably encompass the principles of protein engineering. Students often display increased understanding and enthusiasm when theoretical concepts are underpinned by practical example. Herein are presented five case studies, each focusing upon a commercial protein product engineered to enhance its application-relevant…

Children's Comprehension of Plural Predicate Conjunction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tieu, Lyn; Romoli, Jacopo; Poortman, Eva; Winter, Yoad; Crain, Stephen

2018-01-01

Previous developmental studies of conjunction have focused on the syntax of phrasal and sentential coordination (Lust, 1977; de Villiers, Tager-Flusberg & Hakuta, 1977; Bloom, Lahey, Hood, Lifter & Fiess, 1980, among others). The present study examined the flexibility of children's interpretation of conjunction. Specifically, when two…

Industry-Education Partnerships: Vocational Education Resource Package.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evaluation and Training Inst., Los Angeles, CA.

Designed to assist community college administrators and faculty in enhancing vocational education programs and services, this Vocational Education Resource Package presents case studies of four partnerships between California community colleges and industry and offers guidelines for developing successful partnerships. The case studies focus on:…

Re-Presenting Women and Leadership: A Methodological Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Jane; Blackmore, Jill

2008-01-01

Research on women's leadership has tended to focus upon detailed micro studies of individual women's identity formation or, alternatively, to conduct macro studies of its broader discursive constructions within society. Both approaches, although providing helpful understandings of the issues surrounding constructions of women's leadership, are…

A Content Analysis of Unique Selling Propositions of Tobacco Print Ads

PubMed Central

Shen, Megan Johnson; Banerjee, Smita C.; Greene, Kathryn; Carpenter, Amanda; Ostroff, Jamie S.

2017-01-01

Objectives The present study described the unique selling propositions (USPs) (propositions used to convince customers to use a particular brand/product by focusing on the unique benefit) of print tobacco ads. Methods A qualitative content analysis was conducted of print tobacco ads (N = 171) selected from August 2012-August 2013 for cigarettes, moist snuff, e-cigarettes, cigars, and snus to determine the content and themes of USPs for tobacco ads. Results Cigarette ad USP themes focused on portraying the product as attractive; moist snuff ads focused on portraying product as masculine; cigar ads focused on selling a “high end product;” and new and emerging tobacco products (e-cigarette, snus) focused on directly comparing these products to cigarettes. Conclusions Whereas traditional tobacco product ads used USPs focused on themes of enjoyment and pleasure (eg, attractive for cigarettes, “high end product” for cigars), new and emerging tobacco product ads offered the unique benefit (USP) of their product being a better and “safer” alternative to traditional tobacco products. Snuff’s USPs focused nearly exclusively on the masculinity of their products. Results of this study provide targets for potential tobacco regulatory actions that could be implemented to reduce demand for tobacco products by reducing their perceived unique benefits. PMID:28452697

The nematode community in the Atlantic rainforest lizard Enyalius perditus Jackson, from south-eastern Brazil.

PubMed

Barreto-Lima, A F; Toledo, G M; Anjos, L A

2012-12-01

Studies focusing on communities of helminths from Brazilian lizards are increasing, but there are many blanks in the knowledge of parasitic fauna of wild fauna. This lack of knowledge hampers understanding of ecological and parasitological aspects of involved species. Moreover, the majority of research has focused on parasitic fauna of lizards from families Tropiduridae and Scincidae. Only a few studies have looked at lizards from the family Leiosauridae, including some species of Enyalius. This study presents data on the gastrointestinal parasite fauna of Enyalius perditus and their relationships with ecological aspects of hosts in a disturbed Atlantic rainforest area in the state of Minas Gerais, south-eastern Brazil. Two nematode species, Oswaldocruzia burseyi [(Molineidae) and Strongyluris oscari (Heterakidae) were found. Nematode species showed an aggregated distribution in this host population, with O. burseyi being more aggregated than S. oscari. The present study extends the range of occurrence of O. burseyi to the Brazilian continental area.

Emerging trends in X-ray spectroscopic studies of plasma produced by intense laser beams

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

Arora, V., E-mail: arora@rrcat.gov.in; Chakera, J. A.; Naik, P. A.

2015-07-31

X-ray line emission from hot dense plasmas, produced by ultra-short high intensity laser systems, has been studied experimentally in recent years for applications in materials science as well as for back-lighter applications. By virtue of the CPA technology, several laser facilities delivering pulses with peak powers in excess of one petawatt (focused intensities > 10{sup 20} W-cm{sup −2}) have either been commissioned across the globe during the last few years or are presently under construction. On the other hand, hard x-ray sources on table top, generating ultra-short duration x-rays at a repetition rate up to 10 kHz, are routinely available formore » time resolved x-ray diffraction studies. In this paper, the recent experiments on x-ray spectroscopic studies of plasma produced by 45 fs, Ti:sapphire laser pulses (focused iintensity > 10{sup 18} W-cm{sup −2}) at RRCAT Indore will be presented.« less

Radar research at University of Oklahoma (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yan R.; Weber, Mark E.

2017-05-01

This abstract is for the academic institution profiles session This presentation will focus on radar research programs at the University of Oklahoma, the radar research in OU has more than 50 years history of collaboration with NOAA, and has been through tremendous growth since early 2000. Before 2010, the focus was weather radar and weather surveillance, and since the Defense, Security and Intelligence (DSI) initiative in 2011, there have many new efforts on the defense and military radar applications. This presentation will focus on the following information: (1) The history, facilities and instrumentations of Advanced Radar Research Center, (2) Focus area of polarimetric phased array systems, (3) Focus area of airborne and spaceborne radars, (4) Intelligent radar information processing, (5) Innovative antenna and components.

Association of Lutzomyia columbiana (Diptera: Psychodidae) with a leishmaniasis focus in Colombia due to species of the Leishmania mexicana complex.

PubMed

Montoya-Lerma, J; Cadena, H; Segura, I; Travi, B L

1999-01-01

In Colombia, Leishmania mexicana has a scattered geographical distribution and no sand fly vectors have been associated with its transmission. During the present study, the anthropophilic sand fly Lutzomyia columbiana was found to be the only species collected using diverse methods, in a small focus of Le. mexicana in the municipality of Samaniego, SW Colombia. Ecological data indicate that this sand fly species is present in both peri and intradomestic habitats, where it readily bites man. Further evidence comes from experimental infections of wild-caught Lu. columbiana with Le. mexicana after feeding on infected hamsters. Based on these results, it is suggested that this sand fly is the most likely vector in the study area, suggesting the existence of a previously unknown sand fly-parasite association.

Perspectives, perceptions and experiences in postoperative pain management in developing countries: A focus group study conducted in Rwanda

PubMed Central

Johnson, Ana P; Mahaffey, Ryan; Egan, Rylan; Twagirumugabe, Theogene; Parlow, Joel L

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Access to postoperative acute pain treatment is an important component of perioperative care and is frequently managed by a multidisciplinary team of anesthesiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, technicians and nurses. In some developing countries, treatment modalities are often not performed due to scarce health care resources, knowledge deficiencies and cultural attitudes. OBJECTIVES: In advance of a comprehensive knowledge translation initiative, the present study aimed to determine the perspectives, perceptions and experiences of anesthesia residents regarding postoperative pain management strategies. METHODS: The present study was conducted using a qualitative assessment strategy in a large teaching hospital in Rwanda. During two sessions separated by seven days, a 10-participant semistructured focus group needs analysis was conducted with anesthesia residents at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali (Kigali, Rwanda). Field notes were analyzed using interpretative and descriptive phenomenological approaches. Participants were questioned regarding their perspectives, perceptions and experiences in pain management. RESULTS: The responses from the focus groups were related to five general areas: general patient and medical practice management; knowledge base regarding postoperative pain management; pain evaluation; institutional/system issues related to protocol implementation; and perceptions about resource allocation. Within these areas, challenges (eg, communication among stakeholders and with patients) and opportunities (eg, on-the-job training, use of protocols, routine pain assessment, participation in resource allocation decisions) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The present study revealed the prevalent challenges residents perceive in implementing postoperative pain management strategies, and offers practical suggestions to overcoming them, primarily through training and the implementation of practice recommendations. PMID:26448971

Far-field self-focusing and -defocusing radiation behaviors of the electroluminescent light sources due to negative refraction.

PubMed

Yin, Yu-Feng; Lin, Yen-Chen; Tsai, Tsung-Han; Shen, Yi-Chun; Huang, Jianjang

2013-01-15

In recent years, researchers have demonstrated negative refraction theoretically and experimentally by pumping optical power into photonic crystal (PhC) or waveguide structures. The concept of negative refraction can be used to create a perfect lens that focuses an object smaller than the wavelength. By inserting two-dimensional PhCs into the peripheral of a semiconductor light emitting structure, this study presents an electroluminescent device with negative refraction in the visible wavelength range. This approach produces polarization dependent collimation behavior in far-field radiation patterns. The modal dispersion of negative refraction results in strong group velocity modulation, and self-focusing and -defocusing behaviors are apparent from light extraction. This study further verifies experimental results by using theoretic calculations based on equifrequency contours.

PTSD symptomics: network analyses in the field of psychotraumatology

PubMed Central

Armour, Cherie; Fried, Eiko I.; Olff, Miranda

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Recent years have seen increasing attention on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research. While research has largely focused on the dichotomy between patients diagnosed with mental disorders and healthy controls — in other words, investigations at the level of diagnoses — recent work has focused on psychopathology symptoms. Symptomics research in the area of PTSD has been scarce so far, although several studies have focused on investigating the network structures of PTSD symptoms. The present special issue of EJPT adds to the literature by curating additional PTSD network studies, each looking at a different aspect of PTSD. We hope that this special issue encourages researchers to conceptualize and model PTSD data from a network perspective, which arguably has the potential to inform and improve the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. PMID:29250305

Magnetic Resonance-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation of Osteoid Osteoma: A Case Series Report.

PubMed

Rovella, Marcello S; Martins, Guilherme L P; Cavalcanti, Conrado F A; Bor-Seng-Shu, Edson; Camargo, Olavo P; Cerri, Giovanni G; Menezes, Marcos R

2016-04-01

Osteoid osteoma is painful benign tumor. The aim of this study was to report our initial experience using magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound to treat osteoid osteomas. This retrospective single-center study included four patients treated with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound. They presented with severe pain with reduced quality of life and a poor response to clinical treatment. The pre- and post-treatment evaluation comprised computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and focused on quality of life and the impact of pain on daily activities. After treatment, three patients had complete pain resolution with no recurrence. One patient had a recurrence of symptoms after 2 wk and underwent a new successful treatment with increased energy levels. On average, 13 sonications were administered (8-18 sonications/treatment) with an average energy of 2,003 J (range: 1,063-3,522 J). Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound appears to be a feasible, tolerable and effective treatment in selected patients with osteoid osteomas. Copyright © 2016 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Right to Communicate: At What Price? Economic Constraints to the Effective Use of Telecommunications in Education, Science, Culture and in the Circulation of Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Telecommunication Union, Geneva (Switzerland).

This document presents the findings of a joint study on telecommunications in support of the education, science, culture, communication, and information sectors, particularly from the point of view of developing countries. The topics include: (1) an overview of the present situation from the user's perspective, with a focus on present practices…

A Pharmacokinetic Study of the Effects of Stress on Chemical Exposure.

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-01

CHEMICAL EXPOSURE THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management of the Air Force Institute of Technology Air...EFFECTS OF STRESS ON CHEMICAL EXPOSURE THESIS Sierra H. Suhajda, B.S. Lieutenant, USAF Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Engineering ...War Syndrome: Dueling studies focus on stress versus environmental exposures as cause of ills," Chemical and Engineering News, 75: 4-5 (13 January

Assessment and management of acute pain in the older person with cognitive impairment: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Fry, Margaret; Chenoweth, Lynn; Arendts, Glenn

2016-01-01

Older Australians experience health disparities in pain management compared to other groups. This article is focused on understanding the emergency nurses' perceptions of pain and pain management for older persons with cognitive impairment and presenting with a long bone fracture. This article is part of a larger study focusing on emergency nurses' pain management practices for older Australians with cognitive impairment. The aim of the study was to understand emergency nurses' perceptions of the management of pain for older persons with cognitive impairment and presenting with a long bone fracture. This is part of a larger multicentre programme of research exploring pain management in older persons with cognitive impairment and who are experiencing pain from a long bone fracture. This study had a qualitative research design, with data collected through focus group interviews and a thematic method of analysis. The study is framed by a constructivist's paradigm, which enabled multiple realities to surface and be interpreted. Eighty emergency nurses participated, with 67 (84%) females and 13 (16%) males, in 16 focus groups across four emergency departments. Nurses had an average of 12.5 years as a Registered Nurse (SD ± 10.06) and 8.6 years (SD ± 8.64) emergency experience. Five themes emerged from data analysis and included: 1) Belief in championing pain management; 2) Pain management and the ageing processes; 3) Lack of pain assessment tools for the cognitively impaired older person; 4) Delivering analgesia--a balancing act; and 5) Policy barriers to nurse initiated pain management. This study makes clear the challenges clinicians' face in managing pain in older patients presenting to emergency departments. More specifically, older persons with cognitive impairment face substantially greater obstacles in receiving effective pain relief given the lack of any standardised pain assessment screening tool within emergency departments. To improve pain management practices emergency clinicians need to test the utility of behavioural pain assessment tools for cognitively impaired older persons within the emergency context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conceptual metaphors and mathematical practice: on cognitive studies of historical developments in mathematics.

PubMed

Schlimm, Dirk

2013-04-01

This article looks at recent work in cognitive science on mathematical cognition from the perspective of history and philosophy of mathematical practice. The discussion is focused on the work of Lakoff and Núñez, because this is the first comprehensive account of mathematical cognition that also addresses advanced mathematics and its history. Building on a distinction between mathematics as it is presented in textbooks and as it presents itself to the researcher, it is argued that the focus of cognitive analyses of historical developments of mathematics has been primarily on the former, even if they claim to be about the latter. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

ALICE results from Run-1 and Run-2 and perspectives for Run-3 and Run-4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noferini, Francesco; ALICE Collaboration

2018-05-01

A review of ALICE is presented focusing on its physics programme and results from the Run-1 and Run-2 data taking periods. Among the four major LHC experiments, ALICE is devoted to the study of the Quark-Gluon Plasma produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions (Pb–Pb), but it is also collecting data in smaller systems (pp and p–Pb). This review focuses on the main results collected so far, including the characterization of the QGP via soft and hard probes, and the production rate of light nuclei and hypernuclei. Finally, the perspectives after the detectors upgrades to be performed during 2019-2020 are presented.

Electric current focusing efficiency in a graphene electric lens.

PubMed

Mu, Weihua; Zhang, Gang; Tang, Yunqing; Wang, Wei; Ou-Yang, Zhongcan

2011-12-14

In the present work, we study theoretically the electron wave's focusing phenomenon in a single-layered graphene pn junction (PNJ) and obtain the electric current density distribution of graphene PNJ, which is in good agreement with the qualitative result in previous numerical calculations (Cheianov et al 2007 Science, 315, 1252). In addition, we find that, for a symmetric PNJ, 1/4 of total electric current radiated from the source electrode can be collected by the drain electrode. Furthermore, this ratio reduces to 3/16 in a symmetric graphene npn junction. Our results obtained by the present analytical method provide a general design rule for an electric lens based on negative refractory index systems. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd

Cultural variation in the focus on goals versus processes of actions.

PubMed

Miyamoto, Yuri; Knoepfler, Christopher A; Ishii, Keiko; Ji, Li-Jun

2013-06-01

Everyday actions (e.g., riding a bike) can be described in ways that emphasize either the goals of the action by adapting a higher level identification (e.g., getting exercise) or the processes of the action by adapting a lower level identification (e.g., pedaling). In Studies 1 and 2, we demonstrate cultural differences in focusing on the process or goal of actions at the individual level: Americans are more likely than Japanese to focus on the goal (rather than the process) of actions. Study 3 recruited Chinese participants in addition to American and Japanese participants and found that cultural differences in action identification are partly explained by cultural differences in self-consistency. Study 4 further showed cultural differences at the collective level: American media presents more goal-oriented information and less process-oriented information than does Japanese media. These findings highlight the role of culture in shaping how people attend to different aspects of actions.

Teaching and Learning in a University Classroom: A Norwegian Case Study on Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Postholm, May Britt

2007-01-01

This article focuses on student activity and how students experience learning. A teaching programme was both led and researched by the one teacher. The article describes a master's level teaching programme and presents the data collection strategies used by the teacher-researcher and presents learning viewed from the students' perspective. The…

Effects of Text Illustration on Children's Learning of a School Science Topic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, D. J.; Beveridge, M.

1986-01-01

This study of 272 13-year-old science students in England focuses on the effect of varied text and picture content on learning. A criterion-referenced objective items test was used to measure the effect of pictures on students of varying abilities and compare the effectiveness of traditional worksheet presentation and microcomputer presentation.…

From Turkey to Russia with Love: A Comparative Study of Higher Education Policy Strategies in Light of Ongoing Reforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gazizova, Alfiya

2012-01-01

The article presents a comparative analysis of Turkish and Russian higher education sector development, focusing upon private-state partnership in the academic sphere, the role of universities in contemporary life, and their integration into present-day European structures. The author describes prospects, constructive ideas, and six strategies in…

A Math-Related Decrement Stereotype Threat Reaction among Older Nontraditional College Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollis-Sawyer, Lisa

2011-01-01

It is important to address quality of life issues, such as education participation, with a growing aging population. The focus for the present research was on possible reactions among a broad age range of nontraditional learners. The present study found significant aging-related issues in perceived willingness to be involved in math-related…

[Heritage Education Lesson Plans and Slide Presentations].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Buren, Maurie

Field tested in 27 schools and in grades four through twelve, this teaching unit stresses heritage education through the study of southern U.S. architectural styles for homes from the pioneer log structures to the 1950s ranch home. Each of the four lessons in this unit focuses around a slide presentation of 20 slides designed to fit into one…

Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Construction Process: A Course of Study for Construction Managers

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-11-22

focus on ADR education, and provide a sampling of how law and business schools are presenting the topics. The course syllabus is presented in Chapter...course. ADR education has taken hold in many law and business schools , but the topic has yet to gain the attention of engineering educators. This chapter

Children's Construction of Mathematical Knowledge in Solving Novel Isomorphic Problems in Concrete and Written Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Lyn D.

1996-01-01

Presents case study data of low- and high-achieving nine-year olds focusing on construction and analogical transfer of mathematical knowledge during novel problem solving, as reflected in strategies for dealing with isomorphic combinatorial problems presented in hands-on and written form. Results showed that achievement level does not predict…

The Silent Minority: Supporting Students with Selective Mutism Using Systemic Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Zena

2017-01-01

Selective Mutism (SM) is an under-researched area of child development. While the incidence rate is low, the impact of this difficulty can be pervasive and can present as a significant risk for student mental health and wellbeing. The following article presents a case study focusing on parent-student intervention for a preadolescent male, using an…

Teaching African Geography from a Global Perspective. Resource Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

African-American Inst., New York, NY. School Services Div.

An interdisciplinary focus on the teaching of African geography is presented in this module, arranged by three major topics. Topic I stresses the African view that water is the sustainer of life, presents a case study of the Nile River, and discusses the significance of rivers as natural boundaries that delineate political units. Topic II gives…

Adult Education in Portugal. Adult Education in Europe Studies and Documents No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melo, Alberto

This report on Portuguese adult education is focused on the principles and practices adopted by the Directorate-General, due to adult education's present embryonic state. Basic statistics and a brief introduction appear first. Part I, The System of Adult Education, is presented as a succession of initiatives and takes practically the entire length…

Time Perspective and Career Decision-Making Difficulties in Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Brian J.

2013-01-01

Decision making is not only contingent upon what takes place in the present but also on how one feels about the past and one's hopes for the future. However, when it comes to time perspective and career decision making, vocational psychology has focused exclusively on future time perspective. The present study examines the relations among past,…

Framing and Face: The Relevance of "The Presentation of Self" to Linguistic Discourse Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tannen, Deborah

2009-01-01

Although Erving Goffman did not turn his analytic focus specifically toward language until later in his career, his work, beginning with "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life," has been crucial for discourse analysts and interactional sociolinguists who study language in social context. Perhaps most influential have been his concepts of…

Enhancing Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Students with Learning Disabilities Improves Their Writing Processes and Products

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Caso, Ana Maria; Garcia, Jesus Nicasio; Diez, Carmen; Robledo, Patricia; Alvarez, Maria Lourdes

2010-01-01

Introduction: The use of self efficacy has been suggested as an effective classroom intervention procedure. The present research examined the use of self-efficacy training on the writing of Spanish elementary student with learning disabilities. Objectives: We present a research study focused on the improvement of the writing product and the…

In-Service EFL Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching Reading Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bamanger, Ebrahim M.; Gashan, Amani K.

2014-01-01

Recent trends in teacher education have focused on exploring teachers' beliefs. Earlier studies have shown the important influence of teachers' beliefs on teaching practices. The present study was conducted to explore the beliefs of Saudi EFL teachers about the significance of teaching English reading strategies. The study aimed also to find the…

Indicators of Student Engagement: What Teachers Notice during Introductory Algebra Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyman, Rimma

2015-01-01

This article presents results from an empirical study of how student engagement is visible during introductory algebra. Previously, the notion of engagement in mathematics has been studied from students' and researchers' perspectives. This study is instead focused on teachers' perspectives on student engagement. Eight teachers in grade 6-7 have…

Information Searching Behaviour of Young Slovenian Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vilar, Polona; Zumer, Maja

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of an empirical study of information behaviour of young Slovenian researchers. Design/methodology/approach: Built on some well-known models of scholarly information behaviour the study complements a previously conducted study of the same population, which focused on the aspects of user…

Application of Total Quality Management System in Thai Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prueangphitchayathon, Setthiya; Tesaputa, Kowat; Somprach, Kanokorn

2015-01-01

The present study seeks to develop a total quality management (TQM) system that can be applied to primary schools. The approach focuses on customer orientation, total involvement of all constituencies and continuous improvement. TQM principles were studied and synthesized according to case studies of the best practices in 3 primary schools (small,…

Critical Elements of Student Assistance Programs: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torres-Rodriguez, Leslie; Beyard, Karen; Goldstein, Marc B.

2010-01-01

Student assistance programs (SAPs) are one approach for using teams to respond to student needs, but there is little research on SAP implementation and whether SAPs function as intended. The authors present findings from a study of two SAPs that use a model developed by Connecticut's Governor's Prevention Partnership. The study focused on…

Physical Learning Environment and its Suitability to the Objectives of Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soobik, Mart

2013-01-01

The present article focuses on Technology Education teachers' opinions on the physical learning environment of Technology Education. The study compares and analyses the changes in the physical learning environment of Technology Education. Two questionnaire surveys (Study I and Study II) were carried out among teachers of Technology Education in…

The Geometric Construction Abilities of Gifted Students in Solving Real-World Problems: A Case from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Avni

2016-01-01

Geometric constructions have already been of interest to mathematicians. However, studies on geometric construction are not adequate in the relevant literature. Moreover, these studies generally focus on how secondary school gifted students solve non-routine mathematical problems. The present study aims to examine the geometric construction…

Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Engineering Education in Jordan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aqlan, Faisal; Al-Araidah, Omar; Al-Hawari, Tarek

2010-01-01

This paper provides a study of the quality assurance and accreditation in the Jordanian higher education sector and focuses mainly on engineering education. It presents engineering education, accreditation and quality assurance in Jordan and considers the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) for a case study. The study highlights the…

Pre-Service Science Teachers' Interpretations of Graphs: A Cross-Sectional Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çil, Emine; Kar, Hazel

2015-01-01

This study focuses on pre-service science teachers' interpretations of graphs. First, the paper presents data about the freshman and senior pre-service teachers' interpretations of graphs. Then it discusses the effects of pre-service science teacher training program on student teachers' interpretations of graphs. The participants in the study were…

Lewis Terman: Genetic Study of Genius--Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolly, Jennifer L.

2008-01-01

Although the field of gifted education generally recognizes the foundational work of Lewis Terman, rarely does one stop to examine the details of his longitudinal study and their connection to present-day gifted education. This article reexamines the beginnings of Terman's longitudinal study with a focus on elementary-school-aged children.…

Designing ICT-Enhanced Language Programmes: Academic Writing for Postgraduate Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stepanek, Libor; Hradilova, Alena

2013-01-01

This paper presents a case study of a course on academic writing for postgraduate studies within a collaborative and interactive information and communication technologies (ICT) based language-learning setting. It describes the structure of an academic writing course for PhD students, focusing on three ICT-enhanced course activities: collaborative…

The Subjective Well-Being of Israeli Adolescents Attending Specialized School Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orkibi, Hod; Ronen, Tammie; Assoulin, Naama

2014-01-01

Although adolescents' well-being has long been considered a central goal in therapy and education, research focusing on the link between subjective well-being (SWB; happiness) and studying in specialized school classes is rather limited. Using a between-subjects design, the present study examined whether adolescents studying in sports, arts, or…

Coaching to Support Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: Navigating Complexity and Challenges for Sustained Teacher Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Domenico, Paula M.; Elish-Piper, Laurie; Manderino, Michael; L'Allier, Susan K.

2018-01-01

This study investigated how a high school literacy coach provided coaching to support teachers' understanding and implementation of disciplinary literacy instruction. With a focus on collaborations between the literacy coach and teachers in the disciplines of social studies, math, and English, this article presents three case studies that…

Students' Attitudes towards Peers with Disabilities: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Boer, Anke; Pijl, Sip Jan; Minnaert, Alexander

2012-01-01

The trend towards inclusive education has led to an increase of studies focusing on peer attitudes. This review study presents an overview of studies describing attitudes of students, variables relating to students' attitudes, and the relationship between students' attitudes and the social participation of peers with disabilities. Based on a…

Methods, Chapter 4

Treesearch

L.H. Pardo; E.A. Lilleskov; L.H. Geiser; M.J. Robin-Abbott

2011-01-01

We present an up-to-date review of current knowledge relating nitrogen (N) inputs to ecological effects, from published literature, reports, and some recent unpublished studies. Our goal is to summarize research on ecosystems across the United States. We include N gradient, long-term, and fertilizer studies; for fertilizer studies, we focus on those with low N...

A Mental Health Training Format for Adult Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meek, Fiona; Specht, Jacqueline; Rodger, Susan

2017-01-01

The present study investigated the needs of adult education staff pertaining to adult students' mental health issues within a local school board. The study utilized mixed-methods design and was divided into progression of three separate studies. An initial focus group was conducted to identify the 12 participants' concerns and provide a direction…

Doing It Together (DM Special Issue)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Gary; Cresswell, Amanda; Giatras, Nikoletta; Tuffrey-Wijne, Irene

2012-01-01

This paper presents two studies using focus groups with people with learning disabilities. One study was about "What is it like for people with learning disabilities who have a family or friend with cancer?" and other study was about "How to break bad news to people with learning disabilities?" Two of the researchers had…

Inclusion, Exclusion and the Queering of Spaces in Two Icelandic Upper Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kjaran, Jón Ingvar; Jóhannesson, Ingólfur Ásgeir

2015-01-01

The concept of space is gaining increased attention in studies of sexuality and gender, not least those focusing on heterosexism and heteronormativity. Such studies have demonstrated that space is sexualised, gendered and actively produced. In this article, we present the findings from an ethnographic study of two Icelandic upper secondary…

Emergency Physicians Are Able to Detect Right Ventricular Dilation With Good Agreement Compared to Cardiology.

PubMed

Rutz, Matt A; Clary, Julie M; Kline, Jeffrey A; Russell, Frances M

2017-07-01

Focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) is a useful tool in evaluating patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute dyspnea. Prior work has shown that right ventricular (RV) dilation is associated with repeat hospitalizations and shorter life expectancy. Traditionally, RV assessment has been evaluated by cardiologist-interpreted comprehensive echocardiography. The primary goal of this study was to determine the inter-rater reliability between emergency physicians (EPs) and a cardiologist for determining RV dilation on FOCUS performed on ED patients with acute dyspnea. This was a prospective, observational study at two urban academic EDs; patients were enrolled if they had acute dyspnea and a computed tomographic pulmonary angiogram without acute disease. All patients had an EP-performed FOCUS to assess for RV dilation. RV dilation was defined as an RV to left ventricular ratio greater than 1. FOCUS interpretations were compared to a blinded cardiologist FOCUS interpretation using agreement and kappa statistics. Of 84 FOCUS examinations performed on 83 patients, 17% had RV dilation. Agreement and kappa, for EP-performed FOCUS for RV dilation were 89% (95% confidence interval [CI] 80-95%) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.48-0.88), respectively. Emergency physician sonographers are able to detect RV dilation with good agreement when compared to cardiology. These results support the wider use of EP-performed FOCUS to evaluate for RV dilation in ED patients with dyspnea. © 2017 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Detonation onset following shock wave focusing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, N. N.; Penyazkov, O. G.; Sevrouk, K. L.; Nikitin, V. F.; Stamov, L. I.; Tyurenkova, V. V.

2017-06-01

The aim of the present paper is to study detonation initiation due to focusing of a shock wave reflected inside a cone. Both numerical and experimental investigations were conducted. Comparison of results made it possible to validate the developed 3-d transient mathematical model of chemically reacting gas mixture flows incorporating hydrogen - air mixtures. The results of theoretical and numerical experiments made it possible improving kinetic schemes and turbulence models. Several different flow scenarios were detected in reflection of shock waves all being dependent on incident shock wave intensity: reflecting of shock wave with lagging behind combustion zone, formation of detonation wave in reflection and focusing, and intermediate transient regimes.

Attentional Focus in Motor Learning, the Feldenkrais Method, and Mindful Movement.

PubMed

Mattes, Josef

2016-08-01

The present paper discusses attentional focus in motor learning and performance from the point of view of mindful movement practices, taking as a starting point the Feldenkrais method. It is argued that earlier criticism of the Feldenkrais method (and thereby implicitly of mindful movement practices more generally) because of allegedly inappropriate attentional focus turns out to be unfounded in light of recent developments in the study of motor learning and performance. Conversely, the examples of the Feldenkrais method and Ki-Aikido are used to illustrate how both Western and Eastern (martial arts derived) mindful movement practices might benefit sports psychology. © The Author(s) 2016.

Research in the Classroom: Talk, Texts, and Inquiry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donoahue, Zoe, Ed.; And Others

This book presents nine studies conducted by teacher researchers who explore the oral and written discourse of learning communities--communities of students, communities of teachers, and communities in which students and teachers learn together. The studies focus on journal writing, conversation, story telling, geometry, computer technology, and…

Mastery Learning through Individualized Instruction: A Reinforcement Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagy, John; Ravi, R.; Ananthasayanam, R.

2009-01-01

The present study attempts to gauge the effect of individualized instructional methods as a reinforcement strategy for mastery learning. Among various individualized instructional methods, the study focuses on PIM (Programmed Instructional Method) and CAIM (Computer Assisted Instruction Method). Mastery learning is a process where students achieve…

Firefighter Learning at a Distance--A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmgren, R.; Haake, U.; Söderström, T.

2017-01-01

This article presents a summary analysis of a 5-year study on the implementation of a technology-supported distance firefighter training programme in Sweden, focused on the firefighter students' learning processes regarding challenges, contradictions and changes that occurred during the implementation period. With activity theory as the…

Social Work Continuing Education: A Statewide Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gianino, Mark; Ruth, Betty J.; Miyake Geron, Scott

2016-01-01

This article presents findings from a 2013 qualitative study of social work continuing education (CE) in Massachusetts. Eleven focus groups were conducted with 75 participants from key stakeholder groups: practitioners, educators, licensing board members, and agency administrators. Although positive perspectives surfaced--such as diversity of CE…

Kids in Germany: Comparing Students from Different Cultures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzhugh, William P.

This unit of study, intended for intermediate grade students, focuses on comparing students from different cultures: Germany and the United States. The unit addresses National Social Studies Standards (NCSS) standards; presents an introduction, such as purpose/rationale; cites a recommended grade level; states objectives; provides a time…

The Integrated Reader: Literature and EE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hage, Steve; Daniels, Rosalie

1996-01-01

Presents a selection of thematic units focusing on the environment that integrate literature, outdoor education, field studies, and research on current environmental issues. These units are part of a program offered at the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Authors include Thoreau, Camus, Orwell, Hemingway, Sophocles, and…

Comparing University Organizations across Boundaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleiklie, Ivar

2014-01-01

The article discusses comparative organizational studies, focusing on change in higher education institutions, and in particular (but not only) on studies that compare organizations in different national settings. It first presents and discusses different approaches to comparison based on a couple of typologies that have been developed to identify…

Reversing the Real Brain Drain: Early Years Study--A Response.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killoran, Isabel

2001-01-01

Presents concerns over the "Early Years Study" (McCain & Mustard). Focuses on diversity issues related to the readiness measure used, parenting styles, and the importance of first language development. Questions the report's definition of "developmentally-attuned." Concludes by expressing hope that the Early Years Study…

Communications and Media: Constructing a Cross-Discipline.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, George N.

The contents of this book focus on various aspects of studies in communications, examining relevant criteria for their disciplined study, evaluating present research and criticism, and suggesting future directions of inquiry in the field of communications. Part one concerns the technology, viewpoints, and categories of communications; part two…

Teaching Comprehension and Study Strategies through Modeling and Thinking Aloud.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nist, Sherrie L.; Kirby, Kate

1986-01-01

Focuses on three ideas pertaining to modeling and thinking aloud, presents examples of how the processes can be applied to teaching both text comprehension and study strategies to college developmental readers, and discusses reasons for using modeling and thinking aloud in the classroom. (FL)

A Retrospective Study of the Impact Faculty Dispositions Have on Undergraduate Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Barbara S. S.; Shull, Peter J.

2010-01-01

Despite the progress made in studying the dynamics of attracting and retaining STEM students, limited research have focused on understanding the values and impact faculty could have on the learning outcomes of students. This exploratory study presents the voices of six successful engineering students through a case study interview approach. Common…

Intervention Integrity in the Low Countries: Interventions Targeting Social-Emotional Behaviors in the School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taal, Margot; Ekels, Elles; van der Valk, Cindel; van der Molen, Maurits

2017-01-01

The current study presents a review of intervention studies conducted in the Low Countries (i.e., The Netherlands and Flanders) focusing on social-emotional behaviors in the school. The primary purpose of this review was to assess whether studies included an operational definition of the intervention under study and reported data on the…

School Restructuring: A Study of the Role of Parents in Selected Accelerated Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Betty M.

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the change process involved when four elementary schools implemented the accelerated schools model. Specifically, the study focused on transitions in parental roles that occurred when the schools changed from a conventional mode of organization to a participatory mode. The case study data were…

Analysis of radial and longitudinal force of plasma wakefield generated by a chirped pulse laser

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

Ghasemi, Leila; Afhami, Saeedeh; Eslami, Esmaeil, E-mail: eeslami@iust.ac.ir

2015-08-15

In present paper, the chirp effect of an electromagnetic pulse via an analytical model of wakefield generation is studied. Different types of chirps are employed in this study. Our results show that by the use of nonlinear chirped pulse the longitudinal wakefield and focusing force is stronger than that of linear chirped pulse. It is indicated that quadratic nonlinear chirped pulses are globally much efficient than periodic nonlinear chirped pulses. Our calculations also predict that in nonlinear chirped pulse case, the overlap of focusing and accelerating regions is broader than that achieved in linear chirped pulse.

Uptake of critical knowledge in nursing practice: lessons learned from a knowledge translation study.

PubMed

Anderson, Joan M; Browne, Annette J; Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Lynam, M Judith; Rodney, Paddy; Varcoe, Colleen; Wong, Sabrina; Tan, Elsie; Smye, Victoria; McDonald, Heather; Baumbusch, Jennifer; Khan, Koushambhi Basu; Reimer, Joanne; Peltonen, Adrienne; Brar, Anureet

2010-09-01

This article is based on a knowledge translation (KT) study of the transition of patients from hospital to home. It focuses on the lessons learned about the challenges of translating research-derived critical knowledge in practice settings. The authors situate the article in current discourses about KT; discuss their understanding of the nature of critical knowledge; and present themes from their body of research, which comprises the knowledge that was translated. The findings have the potential to guide future KT research that focuses on the uptake of critical knowledge in nursing practice.

Topics in black holes and quantum cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campiglia, Miguel

2012-06-01

Black holes and the big bang beginning of the universe are among the most spectacular predictions of general relativity, having a broad impact that ranges from observational astronomy to quantum gravity. In this thesis we will focus on classical and quantum aspects of these subjects: In the first part we present a coordinate-free way of describing the approach to equilibrium of black holes within the framework of dynamical and isolated horizons. In the second part we focus on loop quantum cosmology. We present a uniqueness theorem of its kinematics, and explore the possible ways to implement its dynamics via path integrals.¹ ¹The topics presented here form part of the research done during my PhD studies. See the Vita at the end of the Thesis for a complete list of my work during this period.

Applications of cyclodextrins in medical textiles - review.

PubMed

Radu, Cezar-Doru; Parteni, Oana; Ochiuz, Lacramioara

2016-02-28

This paper presents data on the general properties and complexing ability of cyclodextrins and assessment methods (phase solubility, DSC tests and X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectra, analytical method). It focuses on the formation of drug deposits on the surface of a textile underlayer, using a cyclodextrin compound favoring the inclusion of a drug/active principle and its release onto the dermis of patients suffering from skin disorders, or for protection against insects. Moreover, it presents the kinetics, duration, diffusion flow and release media of the cyclodextrin drug for in vitro studies, as well as the release modeling of the active principle. The information focuses on therapies: antibacterial, anti-allergic, antifungal, chronic venous insufficiency, psoriasis and protection against insects. The pharmacodynamic agents/active ingredients used on cotton, woolen and synthetic textile fabrics are presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supercontinuum Emission from Water using 40 fs Pulses in the External Tight Focusing Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreeja, S.; Rao, S. Venugopal; Bagchi, Suman; Sreedhar, S.; Prashant, T. Shuvan; Radhakrishnan, P.; Tewari, Surya P.; Kiran, P. Prem

2011-10-01

We present our results from the measurements of Supereonlinuum emission (SCE) resulting from the propagation ol" tightly foe used 40 femtosecond laser pulses through distilled water. The e fleet of linearly polarized (LP) and circularly polarized (CP) light pulses on the SCE: in different external focal geometries (f/6 & f/12) is studied in detail. A considerable shift in the minimum wavelength of SCF under tighter focusing limit is observed.

Frequency domain zero padding for accurate autofocusing based on digital holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Jun Geun; Kim, Ju Wan; Eom, Tae Joong; Lee, Byeong Ha

2018-01-01

The numerical refocusing feature of digital holography enables the reconstruction of a well-focused image from a digital hologram captured at an arbitrary out-of-focus plane without the supervision of end users. However, in general, the autofocusing process for getting a highly focused image requires a considerable computational cost. In this study, to reconstruct a better-focused image, we propose the zero padding technique implemented in the frequency domain. Zero padding in the frequency domain enhances the visibility or numerical resolution of the image, which allows one to measure the degree of focus with more accuracy. A coarse-to-fine search algorithm is used to reduce the computing load, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) is employed to accelerate the process. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated with simulation and experiment, and the possibility of obtaining a well-refocused image with an enhanced accuracy and speed are presented.

Laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation in focused ultrasound.

PubMed

Gerold, Bjoern; Kotopoulis, Spiros; McDougall, Craig; McGloin, David; Postema, Michiel; Prentice, Paul

2011-04-01

Acoustic cavitation can occur in therapeutic applications of high-amplitude focused ultrasound. Studying acoustic cavitation has been challenging, because the onset of nucleation is unpredictable. We hypothesized that acoustic cavitation can be forced to occur at a specific location using a laser to nucleate a microcavity in a pre-established ultrasound field. In this paper we describe a scientific instrument that is dedicated to this outcome, combining a focused ultrasound transducer with a pulsed laser. We present high-speed photographic observations of laser-induced cavitation and laser-nucleated acoustic cavitation, at frame rates of 0.5×10(6) frames per second, from laser pulses of energy above and below the optical breakdown threshold, respectively. Acoustic recordings demonstrated inertial cavitation can be controllably introduced to the ultrasound focus. This technique will contribute to the understanding of cavitation evolution in focused ultrasound including for potential therapeutic applications. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Task-focused behavior mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and students' academic performance.

PubMed

Kiuru, Noona; Pakarinen, Eija; Vasalampi, Kati; Silinskas, Gintautas; Aunola, Kaisa; Poikkeus, Anna-Maija; Metsäpelto, Riitta-Leena; Lerkkanen, Marja-Kristiina; Nurmi, Jari-Erik

2014-04-01

In the longitudinal study presented here, we tested the theoretical assumption that children's task-focused behavior in learning situations mediates the associations between supportive interpersonal environments and academic performance. The sample consisted of 2,137 Finnish-speaking children. Data on supportive interpersonal environments (characterized by authoritative parenting, positive teacher affect toward the child, and peer acceptance) were gathered in Grade 1. The children's task-focused behavior was measured in Grades 2 and 3, and academic performance was measured in Grades 1 and 4. The results supported our assumption by showing that all three supportive environments were positively associated with children's subsequent academic performance via increased task-focused behavior in learning situations. These findings suggest that students' academic performance can be promoted by increasing the support they receive from peers, parents, and teachers because such increased support leads to better task focus in learning tasks.

An Approach to Using Toxicogenomic Data in US EPA Human ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This draft report is a description of an approach to evaluate genomic data for use in risk assessment and a case study to illustrate the approach. The dibutyl phthalate (DBP) case study example focuses on male reproductive developmental effects and the qualitative application of the available genomic data. The case study presented in this draft document is a separate activity from any of the ongoing IRIS human health assessments for the phthalates. This draft report is a description of an approach to evaluate genomic data for use in risk assessment and a case study to illustrate the approach. The dibutyl phthalate (DBP) case study example focuses on male reproductive developmental effects and the qualitative application of the available genomic data.

Stereotypes of Norwegian social groups.

PubMed

Bye, Hege H; Herrebrøden, Henrik; Hjetland, Gunnhild J; Røyset, Guro Ø; Westby, Linda L

2014-10-01

We present a pilot study and two main studies that address the nature of stereotypes of social groups in Norway within the framework of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The first study focused on stereotypes of a wide range of groups across categories such as gender, age, religious conviction, socioeconomic and health status. The second study focused on stereotypes of immigrant groups. Participants (n = 244 and n = 63, respectively) rated the groups on perceived warmth, competence, status, and competition. Results from both studies support the applicability of the SCM in Norway and provides a unique insight into stereotypes of Norwegian social groups. © 2014 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology published by Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A framework for recognition of prior learning within a Postgraduate Diploma of Nursing Management in South Africa.

PubMed

Jooste, Karien; Jasper, Melanie

2010-09-01

The present study focuses on the development of an initial framework to guide educators in nursing management in designing a portfolio for the recognition of prior learning for accreditation of competencies within a postgraduate diploma in South Africa. In South Africa, there is a unique educational need, arising from the legacy of apartheid and previous political regimes, to facilitate educational development in groups previously unable to access higher education. Awareness of the need for continuous professional development in nursing management practice and recognition of prior learning in the educational environment has presented the possibility of using one means to accomplish both aims. Although the content of the present study is pertinent to staff development of nurse managers, it is primarily written for nurse educators in the field of nursing management. The findings identify focus areas to be addressed in a recognition of prior learning portfolio to comply with the programme specific outcomes of Nursing Service Management. Further work to refine these focus areas to criteria that specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement is needed. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSE MANAGERS: Managers need to facilitate continuous professional development through portfolio compilation which acknowledges the learning opportunities within the workplace and can be used as recognition of prior learning. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Toddler Emotion Regulation with Mothers and Fathers: Temporal Associations Between Negative Affect and Behavioral Strategies

PubMed Central

Ekas, Naomi V.; Braungart-Rieker, Julia M.; Lickenbrock, Diane M.; Zentall, Shannon R.; Maxwell, Scott M.

2010-01-01

The present study investigated temporal associations between putative emotion regulation strategies and negative affect in 20-month-old toddlers. Toddlers’ parent-focused, self-distraction, and toy-focused strategies, as well as negative affect, were rated on a second-by-second basis during laboratory parent-toddler interactions. Longitudinal mixed-effects models were conducted to determine the degree to which behavioral strategy use predicts subsequent negative affect and negative affect predicts subsequent strategy use. Results with mother-toddler and father-toddler dyads indicated that parent-focused strategies with an unresponsive parent were followed by increases in negative affect, whereas toy-focused strategies were followed by decreases in negative affect. Results also indicated that toddler negative affect serves to regulate behavioral strategy use within both parent contexts. PMID:21552335

Parameters influencing focalization spot in time reversal of acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zophoniasson, Harald; Bolzmacher, Christian; Hafez, Moustafa

2015-05-01

Time reversal is an approach that can be used to focus acoustic waves in a particular location on a surface, allowing a multitouch tactile feedback interaction. The spatial resolution in this case depends on several parameters, such as geometrical parameters, frequency used and material properties, described by the Lamb wave theory. This paper highlights the impact of frequency, geometrical parameters such as plate thickness and transducer's surface on the focused spot dimensions. In this paper a study of the influence of the plate's thickness and the frequency bandwidth used in the focusing process is presented. It is also shown that the dimension of the piezoelectric diaphragms used has little influence on the spatial resolution. Resonant behavior of the plate and its implication on focus point dimension and focalization contrast were investigated.

Combining traditional dietary assessment methods with novel metabolomics techniques: present efforts by the Food Biomarker Alliance.

PubMed

Brouwer-Brolsma, Elske M; Brennan, Lorraine; Drevon, Christian A; van Kranen, Henk; Manach, Claudine; Dragsted, Lars Ove; Roche, Helen M; Andres-Lacueva, Cristina; Bakker, Stephan J L; Bouwman, Jildau; Capozzi, Francesco; De Saeger, Sarah; Gundersen, Thomas E; Kolehmainen, Marjukka; Kulling, Sabine E; Landberg, Rikard; Linseisen, Jakob; Mattivi, Fulvio; Mensink, Ronald P; Scaccini, Cristina; Skurk, Thomas; Tetens, Inge; Vergeres, Guy; Wishart, David S; Scalbert, Augustin; Feskens, Edith J M

2017-11-01

FFQ, food diaries and 24 h recall methods represent the most commonly used dietary assessment tools in human studies on nutrition and health, but food intake biomarkers are assumed to provide a more objective reflection of intake. Unfortunately, very few of these biomarkers are sufficiently validated. This review provides an overview of food intake biomarker research and highlights present research efforts of the Joint Programming Initiative 'A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life' (JPI-HDHL) Food Biomarkers Alliance (FoodBAll). In order to identify novel food intake biomarkers, the focus is on new food metabolomics techniques that allow the quantification of up to thousands of metabolites simultaneously, which may be applied in intervention and observational studies. As biomarkers are often influenced by various other factors than the food under investigation, FoodBAll developed a food intake biomarker quality and validity score aiming to assist the systematic evaluation of novel biomarkers. Moreover, to evaluate the applicability of nutritional biomarkers, studies are presently also focusing on associations between food intake biomarkers and diet-related disease risk. In order to be successful in these metabolomics studies, knowledge about available electronic metabolomics resources is necessary and further developments of these resources are essential. Ultimately, present efforts in this research area aim to advance quality control of traditional dietary assessment methods, advance compliance evaluation in nutritional intervention studies, and increase the significance of observational studies by investigating associations between nutrition and health.

Management Systems, Patient Quality Improvement, Resource Availability, and Substance Abuse Treatment Quality

PubMed Central

Fields, Dail; Roman, Paul M; Blum, Terry C

2012-01-01

Objective To examine the relationships among general management systems, patient-focused quality management/continuous process improvement (TQM/CPI) processes, resource availability, and multiple dimensions of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Data Sources/Study Setting Data are from a nationally representative sample of 221 SUD treatment centers through the National Treatment Center Study (NTCS). Study Design The design was a cross-sectional field study using latent variable structural equation models. The key variables are management practices, TQM/continuous quality improvement (CQI) practices, resource availability, and treatment center performance. Data Collection Interviews and questionnaires provided data from treatment center administrative directors and clinical directors in 2007–2008. Principal Findings Patient-focused TQM/CQI practices fully mediated the relationship between internal management practices and performance. The effects of TQM/CQI on performance are significantly larger for treatment centers with higher levels of staff per patient. Conclusions Internal management practices may create a setting that supports implementation of specific patient-focused practices and protocols inherent to TQM/CQI processes. However, the positive effects of internal management practices on treatment center performance occur through use of specific patient-focused TQM/CPI practices and have more impact when greater amounts of supporting resources are present. PMID:22098342

An Assessment of Need for Instructional Professional Development for Middle School Science Teachers Using Interactive Lessons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, Amanda

Numerous studies on the impact of interactive lessons on student learning have been conducted, but there has been a lack of professional development (PD) programs at a middle school focusing on ways to incorporate interactive lessons into the science classroom setting. The purpose of this case study was to examine the instructional practices of science teachers to determine whether the need for an interactive lessons approach to teaching students exists. This qualitative case study focused on teachers' perceptions and pedagogy to determine whether the need to use interactive lessons to meet the needs of all students is present. The research question focused on identifying current practices and determining whether a need for interactive lessons is present. Qualitative data were gathered from science teachers at the school through interviews, lesson plans, and observations, all of which were subsequently coded using an interpretative analysis. The results indicated the need for a professional development (PD) program centered on interactive science lessons. Upon completion of the qualitative study, a detailed PD program has been proposed to increase the instructional practices of science teachers to incorporate interactive lessons within the science classroom. Implications for positive social change include improved teaching strategies and lessons that are more student-centered resulting in better understanding and comprehension, as well as performance on state-mandated tests.

Using the socio-ecological framework to determine breastfeeding obstacles in a low-income population in Tijuana, Mexico: healthcare services.

PubMed

Bueno-Gutierrez, Diana; Chantry, Caroline

2015-03-01

In Mexico, breastfeeding rates are one of the lowest of Latin America, with 14.4% of infants under 6 months being exclusively breastfed. Previous studies indicate that lack of support from healthcare services is a serious obstacle to breastfeeding mothers in Mexico. Our objective was to identify the main obstacles to breastfeeding presented by the healthcare services in a low-income population in Tijuana, Mexico. We used a socio-ecological framework to determine factors affecting breastfeeding practices. In four low-income communities in Tijuana we conducted focus groups and interviews with mothers, fathers, grandparents, and key informants. Interview notes and focus group transcripts were then studied in-depth independently by three researchers. The primary analytic technique was constant comparison. One hundred twenty-nine subjects participated in this study: six focus groups (n=53) and 51 interviews among mothers, fathers, and grandparents, as well as 25 interviews among key informants. Main healthcare service obstacles to breastfeeding were erroneous information, lack of training and supervision, negative attitudes, miscommunication between healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients, detrimental medical practices such as giving free formula at hospitals, and the conflict of interest between the infant food industry and the HCPs. This study showed that women in low-income communities in Tijuana face multiple obstacles to breastfeeding presented by healthcare services. In order to increase breastfeeding rates, institutional and structural changes are required.

Metacognitive Knowledge in Children at Early Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haberkorn, Kerstin; Lockl, Kathrin; Pohl, Steffi; Ebert, Susanne; Weinert, Sabine

2014-01-01

In metacognition research, many studies focused on metacognitive knowledge of preschoolers or children at the end of elementary school or secondary school, but investigations of children starting elementary school are quite limited. The present study, thus, took a closer look at children's knowledge about mental processes and strategies in…

Tamil in Melbourne

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Sue; Clyne, Michael

2007-01-01

There have been few Australian studies of language maintenance amongst immigrant languages from the Indian subcontinent. The present study focuses on Tamil speakers in Melbourne from Sri Lanka or India, who are Hindus or Christians. Tamil is a pluricentric language that has been under the domination of English in these countries, at least amongst…

Analysis of the Chemical Representations in Secondary Lebanese Chemistry Textbooks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shehab, Saadeddine Salim; BouJaoude, Saouma

2017-01-01

This study focused on the requirements that chemical representations should meet in textbooks in order to enhance conceptual understanding. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the chemical representations that are present in 7 secondary Lebanese chemistry textbooks. To achieve the latter purpose, an instrument adapted from…

A Cognitive-Creative Profile of Emotional Talent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bermejo, Rosario; Prieto, María Dolores; Fernández, Mari Carmen; Soto, Gloria; Sainz, Marta

2013-01-01

Much attention has been paid to emotional intelligence and its correlations with other psychological constructs during the last few years. Nevertheless, studies focusing on emotionally intelligent persons are scarce. The present work aims to study the cognitive and creative profile of students who stand out for their high emotional intelligence. A…

NATO/CCMS PILOT STUDY - CLEAN PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES (PHASE I) 2000 ANNUAL REPORT, NUMBER 242

EPA Science Inventory

This annual report presents the proceedings of the Third Annual NATO/CCMS pilot study meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. Guest speakers focused on efforts in the area of research of clean products and processes, life cycle analysis, computer tools and pollution prevention.

Perceptions of Cyberbullying: An Assessment of Perceived Severity among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobba, Kristen N.; Paez, Rocio Alejandra; ten Bensel, Tusty

2017-01-01

Cyberbullying research has typically been focused on specific areas, such as victimization, offender characteristics and typologies, and psychological effects for victims; however, perceived severity of cyberbullying has been studied less extensively. Using data on college students, the present study expands the current knowledge on perceived…

Insights into the origin and characteristics of the sedimentation process at multi-barrel culverts in Iowa : technical transfer summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

The present study is an integral part of a : broader study focused on the design and : implementation of self-cleaning culverts, i.e., : configurations that prevent the formation of : sediment deposits after culvert construction or : cleaning. Sedime...

Probing for Reasons: Presentations, Questions, Phases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Kellyn Farlow; Speiser, Bob

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a research study based on data from experimental teaching. Undergraduate dance majors were invited, through real-world problem tasks that raised central conceptual issues, to invent major ideas of calculus. This study focuses on work and thinking by these students, as they sought to build key ideas, representations and…

First-Year Medical Students' Naïve Beliefs about Respiratory Physiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badenhorst, Elmi; Mamede, Silvia; Abrahams, Amaal; Bugarith, Kishor; Friedling, Jacqui; Gunston, Geney; Kelly-Laubscher, Roisin; Schmidt, Henk G.

2016-01-01

The present study explored the nature and frequency of physiology naïve beliefs by investigating novices' understanding of the respiratory system. Previous studies have shown considerable misconceptions related to physiology but focused mostly on specific physiological processes of normal respiration. Little is known about novices' broader…

Communication Strategies in the Foreign Language Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston, Tony

2006-01-01

The focus of the present study is to examine the communication strategies used by learners and teachers in the foreign language classroom. The data is from introductory Spanish classrooms at the university level. The author analyzed the data for instances of communications strategies according to taxonomy developed for ESL studies. Important…

Test Design Project: Studies in Test Adequacy. Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Rand R.

These studies in test adequacy focus on two problems: procedures for estimating reliability, and techniques for identifying ineffective distractors. Fourteen papers are presented on recent advances in measuring achievement (a response to Molenaar); "an extension of the Dirichlet-multinomial model that allows true score and guessing to be…

Investigations in Science Education. Volume 11, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blosser, Patricia E., Ed.; Helgeson, Stanley L., Ed.

1985-01-01

Presented are abstracts and abstractors' analyses of nine studies related to curriculum and instruction. These studies focused on: (1) the status of environmental education in Kansas; (2) attitudes of Israeli students toward two versions of a curriculum titled Agriculture as Environmental Science; (3) interrelationships among teacher intentions,…

Qualification Users' Perceptions and Experiences of Assessment Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chamberlain, Suzanne

2013-01-01

This paper presents the findings of a study designed to explore qualification users' perceptions and experiences of reliability in the context of national assessment outcomes in England. The study consisted of 17 focus groups conducted across six sectors of qualification users: students, teachers, trainee teachers, job-seekers, employers and…

Corpus Callosum Differences Associated with Persistent Stuttering in Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choo, Ai Leen; Kraft, Shelly Jo; Olivero, William; Ambrose, Nicoline G.; Sharma, Harish; Chang, Soo-Eun; Loucks, Torrey M.

2011-01-01

Recent studies have implicated anatomical differences in speech-relevant brain regions of adults who stutter (AWS) compared to normally fluent adults (NFA). The present study focused on the region of the corpus callosum (CC) which is involved in interhemispheric processing between the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Two-dimensional…

Scobee Curricular Units: A Focus on Studies of Space.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Paul; And Others

The three units of study presented are designed to promote space-related learning opportunities for gifted students and were prepared by recipients of the Scobee curriculum awards. In "Galactic Colonization for Our Future Astronauts" (Jacqueline Shimonauff), elementary-level students simulate a space experience in which a ship carries materials…

Wessex Studies in Special Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Robin, Ed.

1981-01-01

Ten papers focus on aspects of special education in Britain, Canada and Sweden. "The Meaning of Handicap" by J. Bicknell presents a dynamic view of handicaps and discusses the effects of others' reactions to the disabled child. M. Cooley ("A Study of Parental Response to Pre-School Provision for Handicapped Children") reviews a…

Project LEO Studies of Science Learning Environments and Outcomes, 1968-1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Charles; And Others

Presented is a summary of the 1977-80 Project LEO studies, which focused on science teaching strategies and learning outcomes for disruptive elementary school children and on more refined application of the "student-structured learning in science" (SSLS) teacher behavioral pattern in secondary school science classrooms. Included within…

Epistemological Beliefs of Apprentices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinn, Bernd

2013-01-01

Whereas the epistemological beliefs of learners of general subjects has been the focus of many studies in the past, so far, little is known about the beliefs of apprentices on knowledge and the acquiring of knowledge. The present study analysed the first level of epistemological beliefs of students in industrial and technical professions and their…

Beliefs Held by Associate Degree Nursing Students about Role Models.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellinger, Kathleen; And Others

1985-01-01

Reports on a study of the professional socialization of associate degree nursing (ADN) students. Reviews previous research on the process of nursing socialization. Presents study findings based on responses from 1,877 nursing students in 20 ADN programs, focusing on students' characteristics and ideal and actual role models. (DMM)

The Boston Study: Analysis of a Major Metropolitan Business- and Technical-Communication Market.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchholz, William J.

1989-01-01

Presents a year-long study of the duties, skills, and knowledge required of business- and technical-communication professionals in Boston, Massachusetts. Focuses on six categories of practice: technical communication, publishing, public relations, marketing, development, and training. Suggests that in the next decade communication practitioners…

Education in Urban Areas. Cross-National Dimensions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stromquist, Nelly P., Ed.

This book provides a collection of articles that covers urban education from both developed and developing countries. It presents five studies focused on the United States and other industrialized countries, two studies on Asia, two on Africa, and one on Latin American. Major sections discuss concepts and trends in urban education, the…

Researches on Adolescent Thought: A Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaidya, Narendera

This document presents research studies/findings and provides a developing point of view on adolescent thought. The first chapter discusses the nature and definitions of thinking. The second and third chapters discuss frameworks for adolescent thought (focusing on the Gestalt school, Geneva school, and accelerated learning) and survey studies on…

Goal Clarity and Financial Planning Activities as Determinants of Retirement Savings Contributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stawski, Robert S.; Hershey, Douglas A.; Jacobs-Lawson, Joy M.

2007-01-01

Retirement counselors, financial service professionals, and retirement intervention specialists routinely emphasize the importance of developing clear goals for the future; however, few empirical studies have focused on the benefits of retirement goal setting. In the present study, the extent to which goal clarity and financial planning activities…

Problem-Solving Studies in Mathematics. Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, John G., Ed.; Romberg, Thomas A., Ed.

This monograph focuses on educational research on the processes and natures of problem-solving activities in mathematics. The first chapter presents an overview to both the field and the document itself. All of the studies reported reflect interrelated investigations carried out at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, as partial fulfillments of…

TR-596 insights into the origin and characteristics of the sedimentation process at multi-barrel culverts in Iowa.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

The present study is an integral part of a broader study focused on the design and implementation of self-cleaning culverts, i.e., : configurations that prevent the formation of sediment deposits after culvert construction or cleaning. Sediment depos...

Domestic Violence and Implications for Citizenship Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chistolini, Sandra

2013-01-01

This comparative qualitative study was conducted in four countries: Cyprus (central scientific coordinator), Italy, Romania, Slovakia. Research priorities are domestic violence and children's rights. I present the results of the Italian portion of the study and report some of the themes drawn from testimonies (n = 58) from focus group interviews…

Facing History and Ourselves: An Instructional Tool for Constructivist Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Presseisen, Barbara Z.; Beyer, Francine S.

This paper presents a study using "Facing History and Ourselves," an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge development that focuses on the period of Nazi totalitarianism as a powerful case study through which teachers can stimulate moral reasoning and develop critical thinking skills in their students. The program encourages teenage…

Collaborative Planning in Process: An Ethnomethodological Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Josephine; Burch, Alfred Rue

2017-01-01

Following Ellis's (2005) call for more social and process-oriented planning research, this study explores how learners approach collaborative planning tasks in the classroom as a locally contingent activity in situ. Drawing on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the present study focuses on a group planning stage that precedes the final…

A Holistic Model to Infer Mathematics Performance: The Interrelated Impact of Student, Family and School Context Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Ningning; Valcke, Martin; Desoete, Annemie; Zhu, Chang; Sang, Guoyuan; Verhaeghe, JeanPierre

2014-01-01

The present study aims at exploring predictors influencing mathematics performance. In particular, the study focuses on internal students' characteristics (gender, age, metacognitive experience, mathematics self-efficacy) and external contextual factors (GDP of school location, parents' educational level, teachers' educational level, and teacher…

Teaching with a Closed Mind: The Threat of Censorship in the Social Studies Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Kenneth W.

1990-01-01

Traces the history of censorship. Examines the current censorship controversy, focusing on the conflict over censorship in the schools. Discusses organizations concerned with censorship issues and identifies specific instances of censorship in the social studies. Outlines censorship tactics, and presents positive reactions to take toward…

Curriculum Differential Enactment: The Interplay of Teacher, Class, and Curriculum Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenmann, Tammy

2011-01-01

Curriculum materials' developers typically assume the existence of certain general social-educational classroom practices and norms. Conversely, the current study addresses the effects of context on curriculum enactment, focusing on the interrelations between teacher, class and curriculum materials. Each of the two case studies presented herein…

Computer Algebra System Calculators: Gender Issues and Teachers' Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forgasz, Helen J.; Griffith, Shirly

2006-01-01

In this paper we present findings from two studies focusing on computer algebra system (CAS) calculators. In Victoria, Australia, it is currently mandatory for students to use graphics calculators in some grade 12 mathematics examinations. Since 2001, a pilot study has been conducted involving Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students…

A Study of Multicultural Course Change: An Analysis of Syllabi and Classroom Dynamics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booker, Keonya; Campbell-Whatley, Gloria D.

2015-01-01

Multicultural Course Change involves deliberate and thoughtful attention to developing and presenting course material that focuses on well-defined multicultural goals. In this qualitative study, nine faculty participated in a Summer Diversity Institute designed to support multicultural curriculum development and instruction. Syllabi were reviewed…

Online Resources in Mathematics, Teachers' Geneses and Didactical Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bueno-Ravel, Laetitia; Gueudet, Ghislaine

2009-01-01

The study we present here concerns the consequences of integrating online resources into the teaching of mathematics. We focus on the interaction between teachers and specific online resources they draw on: e-exercise bases. We propose a theoretical approach to study the associated phenomena, combining instrumental and anthropological…

Case Study 4: Using Game-Based Learning for Induction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Javaid, Osman

2017-01-01

This case study tracks the development of a digital induction resource implementing game elements that focuses on the first two stages of Gilly Salmon's Five Stage Model, namely "access and motivation" and "online socialisation" (Salmon, 2011). In the summer of 2016, a prototype was developed and presented at the Playful…

Black Canadians' Coping Responses to Racial Discrimination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joseph, Justine; Kuo, Ben C. H.

2009-01-01

On the basis of a cultural coping framework, the present study examined coping responses to racial discrimination among 190 Black Canadians. The study assessed the respondents' coping with both general (i.e., problem- and emotion-focused coping) and Africultural coping strategies (i.e., spiritual-centered, collective, and ritual-centered coping)…

System-Wide Tests of Occupational Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perlmutter, Deborah E.

This report presents the background methodology, findings, and recommendations of three studies that comprised System-Wide Tests of Occupational Programs, a 4-year research program to assess the impact of vocational education using various followup techniques. Part 1 focuses on Project CATCH (Career Training Choice), a followup study of students…

Meta-analysis of Dropout in Treatments for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

PubMed Central

Imel, Zac E.; Laska, Kevin; Jakcupcak, Matthew; Simpson, Tracy L.

2013-01-01

Objective Many patients dropout of treatments for Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some clinicians believe that ‘trauma focused’ treatments increase dropout. Method We conducted a meta-analysis of dropout among active treatments in clinical trials for PTSD (42 studies; 17 direct comparisons). Results The average dropout rate was 18%, but it varied significantly across studies. Group modality and greater number of sessions, but not trauma focus, predicted increased dropout. When the meta-analysis was restricted to direct comparisons of active treatments, there were no differences in dropout. Differences in trauma focus between treatments in the same study did not predict dropout. However, trauma focused treatments resulted in higher dropout as compared to Present Centered Therapy (PCT) – a treatment originally designed as a control, but now listed as a research supported intervention for PTSD. Conclusion Dropout varies between active interventions for PTSD across studies, but differences are primarily driven by differences between studies. There do not appear to be systematic differences across active interventions when they are directly compared in the same study. The degree of clinical attention placed on the traumatic event does not appear to be a primary cause of dropout from active treatments. However comparisons of PCT may be an exception to this general pattern, perhaps due to a restriction of variability in trauma focus among comparisons of active treatments. More research is needed comparing trauma focused interventions to trauma avoidant treatments such as PCT. PMID:23339535

Plenary III-04: Media Messages and Public Perceptions of Direct-to-Consumer Genetics: Results of a Media Analysis and Focus Group Study

PubMed Central

Rahm, Alanna Kulchak; Dearing, James; Feigelson, Heather Spencer; Tracer, David; Bull, Sheana

2011-01-01

Background Information about genetics and the promise of genomic medicine is commonplace in the mass media. How the mass media themselves contribute – or not – to the persistence of this issue and its perception by the public is the topic of this presentation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the structural and individual perspectives on the issue of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetics, and assess the degree of correspondence across these perspectives. Methods I conducted a media analysis to determine how the issue of DTC genetics has been framed in mass media stories and the salient topics related to the issue. I conducted focus groups to determine individual knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about the issue of DTC genetics. Results A final sample of 398 mass media stories of DTC genetics from Lexis-Nexis Academic archives between September 1, 2007 and September 30, 2009 were coded for salience and frames. Fourteen focus groups were conducted between October, 2009 and March, 2010 with Kaiser Permanente Colorado members and medical staff. Focus group transcripts were coded for salience and framing of the issue and compared with the media analysis results.Study results found that the issue of DTC genetics was not very important to focus group participants except as it related to the topic of breast cancer. Mass media message topics and frames showed differences over time. Focus group participants were generally negative towards the issue while the mass media was mostly positive towards DTC genetics. Focus group participants used some of the many frames to understand the issue that were utilized by the mass media to package the issue, but participants mainly framed the issue in terms of prevention and a pandora’s box, while the mass media presented the issue more in terms of progressive and discrimination frames. Conclusions The mass media appears to function as a field of power for the issue of DTC genetics with the consumers in the middle of the contests. A higher-level concept of an “informed consumer” emerged from the focus groups that appears to provide consumers a degree of power in this battlefield as well.

Treatment of benign thyroid nodules by high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) at different acoustic powers: a study on in-silico phantom.

PubMed

Bini, Fabiano; Trimboli, Pierpaolo; Marinozzi, Franco; Giovanella, Luca

2018-03-01

The non-surgical therapies of benign thyroid nodules are gaining momentum due to the possibility to reduce the nodule's volume and avoid surgery. As the last technique introduced, high intensity focused ultrasound allows the thermal tissue treatment by directing energy inside the targeted nodule with no invasive instruments. In the present study we applied the Food and Drug Administration high intensity focused ultrasound simulator to in-silico phantom to evaluate the effects obtained by different acoustic powers. The simulated layers were water and thyroid tissue. The source was a spherically curved circular transducer with radius r   = 2.3 cm generating a continuous wave beam at a frequency of 3 MHz. The focal distance was 6.5 cm. The sequence included a pulse (8 s) with acoustic power at different value from 5 to 50 W, and a cooling-off interval (32 s). The use of acoustic power of 5 W allowed to achieve the threshold of temperature for coagulative necrosis (55 °C) at 1 s. The simulation with 50 W showed that temperature was significantly higher (above 300 °C) at 1 s and is maintained at high levels for a long interval. Since 2016, we treated patients according to the present experience, and a significant reduction of nodule's volume was observed with good patent's comfort and no complications (unpublished data). Also, no anesthesia was practiced. We feel that the present data could contribute to develop a high intensity focused ultrasound therapy of benign thyroid nodules free from potential complications.

Mechanical properties of green composites based on thermoplastic starch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornes, F.; Sánchez-Nácher, L.; Fenollar, O.; Boronat, T.; Garcia-Sanoguera, D.

2010-06-01

The present work is focused on study of "green composites" elaborated from thermoplastic starch (TPS) as polymer matrix and a fiber from natural origin (rush) as reinforced fiber. The effect of the fiber content has been studied by means of the mechanical properties. The composite resulting presents a lack of interaction between matrix and fiber that represents a performance decrease. However the biodegradability behavior of the resulting composite raise this composite as useful an industrial level.

Suicide prevention via the Internet: a descriptive review.

PubMed

Jacob, Nina; Scourfield, Jonathan; Evans, Rhiannon

2014-01-01

While concerns abound regarding the impact of the Internet on suicidal behaviors, its role as a medium for suicide prevention remains underexplored. The study examines what is currently known about the operation and effectiveness of Internet programs for suicide and self-harm prevention that are run by professionals. Systematic searches of scholarly databases and suicide-related academic journals yielded 15 studies that presented online prevention strategies. No professional programs with a sole focus on nonsuicidal self-harm were identified, thus all studies reviewed focused on suicide prevention. Studies were predominantly descriptive and summarized the nature of the strategy and the target audience. There was no formal evaluation of program effectiveness in preventing suicide. Studies either presented strategies that supported individuals at risk of suicide (n = 8), supported professionals working with those at risk (n = 6), or attempted to improve website quality (n = 1). Although the Internet increasingly serves as an important medium for suicidal individuals, and there is concern about websites that both promote and encourage suicidal activity, there is lack of published evidence about online prevention strategies. More attention is needed in the development and evaluation of such preventative approaches.

An Agile Functional Analysis of Metagenomic Data Using SUPER-FOCUS.

PubMed

Silva, Genivaldo Gueiros Z; Lopes, Fabyano A C; Edwards, Robert A

2017-01-01

One of the main goals in metagenomics is to identify the functional profile of a microbial community from unannotated shotgun sequencing reads. Functional annotation is important in biological research because it enables researchers to identify the abundance of functional genes of the organisms present in the sample, answering the question, "What can the organisms in the sample do?" Most currently available approaches do not scale with increasing data volumes, which is important because both the number and lengths of the reads provided by sequencing platforms keep increasing. Here, we present SUPER-FOCUS, SUbsystems Profile by databasE Reduction using FOCUS, an agile homology-based approach using a reduced reference database to report the subsystems present in metagenomic datasets and profile their abundances. SUPER-FOCUS was tested with real metagenomes, and the results show that it accurately predicts the subsystems present in the profiled microbial communities, is computationally efficient, and up to 1000 times faster than other tools. SUPER-FOCUS is freely available at http://edwards.sdsu.edu/SUPERFOCUS .

ARSENIC REMOVAL

EPA Science Inventory

Presentation covered five topics; arsenic chemistry, best available technology (BAT), surface water technology, ground water technology and case studies of arsenic removal. The discussion on arsenic chemistry focused on the need and method of speciation for AsIII and AsV. BAT me...

High RAP mixes design methodology with balanced performance.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-11-01

"The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) can significantly reduce the increasing cost of hot-mix asphalt paving, conserve energy, and protect the environment. This report presents a comprehensive study focusing...

Simplifying Bridge Expansion Joint Design and Maintenance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-10-19

This report presents a study focused on identifying the most durable expansion joints for the South : Carolina Department of Transportation. This is performed by proposing a degradation model for the : expansion joints and updating it based on bridge...

Fore! Forward on the Course of Diversity (Focus on Teaching).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomerenke, Paula J.

1994-01-01

Presents a case study and writing assignment used in a business communication class that help students uncover assumptions that may disadvantage both females and males when diversity within and between gender groups is ignored. (SR)

Backup of Renewable Energy for an Electrical Island: Case Study of Israeli Electricity System—Current Status

PubMed Central

Fakhouri, A.; Kuperman, A.

2014-01-01

The paper focuses on the quantitative analysis of Israeli Government's targets of 10% renewable energy penetration by 2020 and determining the desired methodology (models) for assessing the effects on the electricity market, addressing the fact that Israel is an electricity island. The main objective is to determine the influence of achieving the Government's goals for renewable energy penetration on the need for backup in the Israeli electricity system. This work presents the current situation of the Israeli electricity market and the study to be taken in order to assess the undesirable effects resulting from the intermittency of electricity generated by wind and solar power stations as well as presents some solutions to mitigating these phenomena. Future work will focus on a quantitative analysis of model runs and determine the amounts of backup required relative to the amount of installed capacity from renewable resources. PMID:24624044

Backup of renewable energy for an electrical island: case study of Israeli electricity system--current status.

PubMed

Fakhouri, A; Kuperman, A

2014-01-01

The paper focuses on the quantitative analysis of Israeli Government's targets of 10% renewable energy penetration by 2020 and determining the desired methodology (models) for assessing the effects on the electricity market, addressing the fact that Israel is an electricity island. The main objective is to determine the influence of achieving the Government's goals for renewable energy penetration on the need for backup in the Israeli electricity system. This work presents the current situation of the Israeli electricity market and the study to be taken in order to assess the undesirable effects resulting from the intermittency of electricity generated by wind and solar power stations as well as presents some solutions to mitigating these phenomena. Future work will focus on a quantitative analysis of model runs and determine the amounts of backup required relative to the amount of installed capacity from renewable resources.

International terrorism and mental health: recent research and future directions.

PubMed

Fischer, Peter; Ai, Amy L

2008-03-01

International terrorism has become a major global concern. Several studies conducted in North America and Europe in the aftermath of terrorist attacks reveal that international terrorism represents a significant short-term and long-term threat to mental health. In the present article, the authors clarify the concept and categories of terrorism and then present central findings from studies conducted in the United States and Europe, which mainly focus on negative impacts on mental health, such as emotional stress and PTSD. Furthermore, the authors outline experiments that focus on social interaction processes thought to be triggered by international terrorism and which are assumed to be related indirectly to mental health processes. Next, they highlight the potential positive outcomes on the resilience side, in line with the current theory on posttraumatic growth in adversity. Finally, theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations and future directions are discussed.

Understanding bullying and victimization during childhood and adolescence: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Guerra, Nancy G; Williams, Kirk R; Sadek, Shelly

2011-01-01

In the present study, quantitative and qualitative data are presented to examine individual and contextual predictors of bullying and victimization and how they vary by age and gender. Two waves of survey data were collected from 2,678 elementary, middle, and high school youth attending 59 schools. In addition, 14 focus groups were conducted with 115 youth who did not participate in the survey. Changes in both bullying and victimization were predicted across gender and age by low self-esteem and negative school climate, with normative beliefs supporting bullying predicting increases in bullying only. Focus group comments provided insights into the dynamics of bullying, highlighting its connection to emergent sexuality and social identity during adolescence. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for preventive antibullying interventions in schools. © 2011 The Authors. Child Development © 2011 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

BBB disruption with unfocused ultrasound alone-A paradigm shift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyle, Al

2012-10-01

One paradigm for ultrasound-enabled blood brain barrier disruption uses image guided focused ultrasound and preformed microbubble agents to enable drug delivery to the brain. We propose an alternative approach: unguided, unfocused ultrasound with no adjunctive agent. Compared with the focused approach, the proposed method affects a larger region of the brain, and is aimed at treatment of regional neurological disease including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Avoidance of image guidance and focusing reduces cost for equipment and staff training. Avoidance of adjunctive agents also lowers cost and is enabled by a longer exposure time. Since 2004, our group has worked with two animal models, three investigators in four laboratories to safely deliver five compounds, increasing the concentration of large molecule markers in brain tissue two fold or more. Safety and effectiveness data for four studies have been presented at the Ultrasound Industry Association meetings in 2007 and 2010. This paper describes new safety and effectiveness results for a fifth study. We present evidence of delivery of large molecules - including Avastin-to the brains of a large animal model correlated with acoustic pressure, and summarize the advantages and disadvantages of this novel approach.

Enhanced old-new recognition and source memory for faces of cooperators and defectors in a social-dilemma game.

PubMed

Bell, Raoul; Buchner, Axel; Musch, Jochen

2010-12-01

A popular assumption in evolutionary psychology is that the human mind comprises specialized cognitive modules for social exchange, including a module that serves to enhance memory for faces of cheaters. In the present study, participants played a trust game with computerized opponents, who either defected or cooperated. In a control condition, no interaction took place. In a surprise memory test, old-new recognition for faces and source memory for the associated cooperative or non-cooperative behavior were assessed. A multinomial model was used to measure old-new discrimination, source memory, and guessing biases separately. Inconsistent with the assumption of a memory mechanism that focuses exclusively on cheating, the present study showed enhanced old-new discrimination and source memory for both cooperators and defectors. Rarity of the behavior strategies within the experiment modulated source memory, but only when the differences in base rates were extreme. The findings can be attributed to a mechanism that focuses on exchange-relevant information and flexibly adapts to take into account the relative significance of this information in the encoding context, which may be more beneficial than focusing exclusively on cheaters. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Investigation into Pragmatic Knowledge in the Reading Section of TOLIMO, TOEFL, and IELTS Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karbalaei, Alireza; Rahmanzade, Mehrnaz Kashkooli

2015-01-01

The present study focused on the analysis of listening sections of two international English proficiency tests, i.e. IELTS and TOEFL tests, and one local English proficiency test, i.e. TOLIMO from pragmatic perspective. An attempt was made to explore the areas of pragmatic knowledge presented, and to assess test takers' pragmatic knowledge. For…

In School We Have Not Time for the Future: Voices of Swedish Upper Secondary School Students about Solidarity and the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torbjörnsson, Tomas; Molin, Lena

2015-01-01

The present article presents results obtained from a survey focusing on attitudes to solidarity among upper secondary school students. A relation between positive attitudes to solidarity and future-orientation was evident. The survey results were reinforced by a second study, exploring how students in the Swedish upper secondary school perceived…

The Widening Gap: A New Book on the Struggle To Balance Work and Caregiving. Research-in-Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahmanou, Hedieh

This research brief presents some main findings from a study of employer-based support systems in the United States to help families meet their caregiving responsibilities, and focuses on the failure of existing policies to support caregiving responsibilities of low-income parents and women. The brief also presents policy alternatives to help…

How Is Corporate Social Responsibility Addressed by Biotech Firms? a Case Study Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pérez-Bustamante, Guillermo

2013-01-01

This paper explores corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the biotech high-tech sector as a way to achieve competitive advantages. After presenting the importance of science for high-tech firms, the paper focuses on the social and economic role of CSR. Next, the primary reasons for firms' engagement in CSR activities are presented, followed by…

Training for Sustainability of ELT Aid Projects. Dunford House Seminar Report (England, United Kingdom, July 23-28, 1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Council, London (England).

Proceedings of a seminar on English second language teaching (ELT) in technical assistance programs, focusing on elements that contribute to program continuance, are presented in the form of summaries of presentations and case studies. Topics include: the effects of the training provided on the sustainability of the training projects themselves;…

The Teacher as Examiner of L2 Oral Tests: A Challenge to Standardization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sundqvist, Pia; Wikström, Peter; Sandlund, Erica; Nyroos, Lina

2018-01-01

The present paper looks at the issue of standardization in L2 oral testing. Whereas external examiners are frequently used globally, some countries opt for test-takers' own teachers as examiners instead. In the present study, Sweden is used as a case in point, with a focus on the mandatory, high-stakes, summative, ninth-grade national test in…

Parkour as Health Promotion in Schools: A Qualitative Study on Health Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grabowski, Dan; Thomsen, Signe Dalsgaard

2017-01-01

In the present paper, we highlight the potential role of parkour in school-based health promotion. In a school setting, it is often difficult to promote health and healthy behaviour in ways that make sense and appeal to pupils. Research suggests that initiatives incorporating a focus on identity and on presenting health in new and different ways…

The Tutor-Web: An Educational System for Classroom Presentation, Evaluation and Self-Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stefansson, Gunnar

2004-01-01

A general Web-based system for use in education, the tutor-web, has been developed for storage and presentation of electronic slides for classroom use, along with reference material, examples and quizzes. The primary novelty of the system is the structured linkage between the various pieces of information, to maintain coherence and focus on the…

Reality Presentation and Communication: A Comparative Discussion of the Smithsonian Institution and The Washington Post as Communications Structures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvey, Lisa St. Clair

A comparative study of two types of media, a newspaper and a museum, reveals substantive differences in the ways each of these communications organizations alters the information which it presents to the public. Interviews conducted with spokespeople from the Washington Post and the Smithsonian Institution focused on three major theories of…

How Do Elementary Textbooks Address Fractions? A Review of Mathematics Textbooks in the USA, Japan, and Kuwait

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alajmi, Amal Hussain

2012-01-01

Textbooks play an important part in the design of instruction. This study analyzed the presentation of fractions in textbooks designed for the elementary grades in Kuwait, Japan, and the USA. The analysis focused on the physical characteristics of the books, the structure of the lessons, and the nature of the mathematical problems presented.…

E-Learning Teacher Training Courses for Differentiated Instruction in Multicultural Classrooms: Reflections upon the Participants' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimitriadou, Catherine; Nari, Eirini; Palaiologou, Nektaria

2012-01-01

The focus and purpose of this paper is to present an e-learning teacher training course, including its aims and main results from teachers' interviews. The case study presented here examines the effectiveness of an in-service training seminar which was targeted toward teachers at multicultural schools. It concerns qualitative research that…

Science Pedagogy as a Category of Historical Analysis: Past, Present, and Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olesko, Kathryn M.

2006-01-01

Historical studies of science pedagogy have flourished in recent years. This essay offers an assessment of the literature on science pedagogy from the 1930s to the present. It argues that rather than focusing on the work of Thomas Kuhn and Michel Foucault, historians of science pedagogy could with profit turn to the work of Ludwik Fleck. Fleck…

Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia and Dog Phobia in Youth: Psychological Characteristics and Associated Features in a Clinical Sample.

PubMed

Oar, Ella L; Farrell, Lara J; Waters, Allison M; Ollendick, Thomas H

2016-05-01

Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) phobia is a particularly debilitating condition that has been largely ignored in the child literature. The present study examined the clinical phenomenology of BII phobia in 27 youths, relative to 25 youths with dog phobia-one of the most common and well-studied phobia subtypes in youth. Children were compared on measures of phobia severity, functional impairment, comorbidity, threat appraisals (danger expectancies and coping), focus of fear, and physiological responding, as well as vulnerability factors including disgust sensitivity and family history. Children and adolescents with BII phobia had greater diagnostic severity. In addition, they were more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis of a physical health condition, to report more exaggerated danger expectancies, and to report fears that focused more on physical symptoms (e.g., faintness and nausea) in comparison to youth with dog phobia. The present study advances knowledge relating to this poorly understood condition in youth. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Study of Time-dependent and Anisotropic Effects on the Deformation Response of Two Flywheel Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saleeb, Atef F.; Arnold, Steven M.; Al-Zoubi, Nasser R.

2003-01-01

The influence of material time dependency and anisotropy in the context of two specific flywheel designs-preload and multi-directional composite (MDC)--is investigated. In particular, we focus on the following aspects: 1) geometric constraints, 2) material constraints, 3) loading type, and 4) the fundamental character of the time-dependent response, i.e., reversible or irreversible. The bulk of the results presented were obtained using a composite (PMC IM7/8552 at 135 C) material system. The material was characterized using a general multimechanism hereditary (viscoelastoplastic) model. As a general conclusion, the results have clearly shown that both the preload and the MDC rotor designs are significantly affected by time-dependent material behavior, which may impact the state of rotor balance and potentially reduce its operating life. In view of the results of the parametric studies and predictions made in the present study, the need for actual experimentation focusing on the time-dependent behavior of full-scale flywheel rotors is self-evident.

Substituted Hydroxyapatites with Antibacterial Properties

PubMed Central

Kolmas, Joanna; Groszyk, Ewa; Kwiatkowska-Różycka, Dagmara

2014-01-01

Reconstructive surgery is presently struggling with the problem of infections located within implantation biomaterials. Of course, the best antibacterial protection is antibiotic therapy. However, oral antibiotic therapy is sometimes ineffective, while administering an antibiotic at the location of infection is often associated with an unfavourable ratio of dosage efficiency and toxic effect. Thus, the present study aims to find a new factor which may improve antibacterial activity while also presenting low toxicity to the human cells. Such factors are usually implemented along with the implant itself and may be an integral part of it. Many recent studies have focused on inorganic factors, such as metal nanoparticles, salts, and metal oxides. The advantages of inorganic factors include the ease with which they can be combined with ceramic and polymeric biomaterials. The following review focuses on hydroxyapatites substituted with ions with antibacterial properties. It considers materials that have already been applied in regenerative medicine (e.g., hydroxyapatites with silver ions) and those that are only at the preliminary stage of research and which could potentially be used in implantology or dentistry. We present methods for the synthesis of modified apatites and the antibacterial mechanisms of various ions as well as their antibacterial efficiency. PMID:24949423

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC) RECOVERY ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of the seminar was to bring researchers, technology developers, and industry representatives together to discuss recovery technologies and techniques for VOCs. The seminar focused on the specific VOC recovery needs of industry and on case studies that summarize effective VOC product recovery techniques applicable to air, water, and solid waste. The case studies highlighted examples in which existing and new recovery technologies resulted in significant cost savings to industry. The seminar focused on the following key issues:. Status and future direction of EPA< DOE, and other major research programs.. What are the latest technology innovations in VOC treatment and recovery?. Performance and cost effectiveness of VOC recovery techniques.. How are recovery techniques applied to air, water, and solid waste?Presenters were from industry, academia, EPA, and various consulting firms. The presentations were followed by several facilitated breakout sessions; these sessions allowed participants an opportunity to discuss their needs and opinions on VOC recovery trends, research, and other issues.This document contains summaries of the presentations and discussions during the seminar. It does not constitute an actual proceedings, since the presentations were informal and no written versions were required. The list of participants and contact information are included in Appendix A. Information

The effects of sequential attention shifts within visual working memory.

PubMed

Li, Qi; Saiki, Jun

2014-01-01

Previous studies have shown conflicting data as to whether it is possible to sequentially shift spatial attention among visual working memory (VWM) representations. The present study investigated this issue by asynchronously presenting attentional cues during the retention interval of a change detection task. In particular, we focused on two types of sequential attention shifts: (1) orienting attention to one location, and then withdrawing attention from it, and (2) switching the focus of attention from one location to another. In Experiment 1, a withdrawal cue was presented after a spatial retro-cue to measure the effect of withdrawing attention. The withdrawal cue significantly reduced the cost of invalid spatial cues, but surprisingly, did not attenuate the benefit of valid spatial cues. This indicates that the withdrawal cue only triggered the activation of facilitative components but not inhibitory components of attention. In Experiment 2, two spatial retro-cues were presented successively to examine the effect of switching the focus of attention. We observed equivalent benefits of the first and second spatial cues, suggesting that participants were able to reorient attention from one location to another within VWM, and the reallocation of attention did not attenuate memory at the first-cued location. In Experiment 3, we found that reducing the validity of the preceding spatial cue did lead to a significant reduction in its benefit. However, performance was still better at first-cued locations than at uncued and neutral locations, indicating that the first cue benefit might have been preserved both partially under automatic control and partially under voluntary control. Our findings revealed new properties of dynamic attentional control in VWM maintenance.

Promoting Knowledge to Action through the Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, B.; Wiggins, H. V.

2016-12-01

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) is a multi-institutional collaborative U.S. program that advances scientific knowledge to inform societal responses to Arctic change. Currently, SEARCH focuses on how diminishing Arctic sea ice, thawing permafrost, and shrinking land ice impact both Arctic and global systems. Emphasizing "knowledge to action", SEARCH promotes collaborative research, synthesizes research findings, and broadly communicates the resulting knowledge to Arctic researchers, stakeholders, policy-makers, and the public. This poster presentation will highlight recent program products and findings; best practices and challenges for managing a distributed, interdisciplinary program; and plans for cross-disciplinary working groups focused on Arctic coastal erosion, synthesis of methane budgets, and development of Arctic scenarios. A specific focus will include how members of the broader research community can participate in SEARCH activities. http://www.arcus.org/search